Mother Teresa: In My Own Words

I borrowed this book from the library so that I could learn more about Mother Teresa and her work to help make the world a better place. This book didn't really do that. The introduction was interesting as it gave a couple quick snapshots of her early life and how she ended up in Calcutta taking the poor, sick and dying from the streets and offering them food, comfort, and love. But re rest of the book was really just a collection of quotes from her life that the author categorized into chapters about love, faith, poverty, etc. Since they were used out of context, they weren't really that helpful in providing me with an insight into her life as a missionary of charity. I've requested two more books about her form the library that look like they have more potential to provide me with the information I seek! If you've read one about her that you've enjoyed, please don't hesitate to let me know.

The Venus Project

If you read any of my earlier posts about The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you'll remember that I was feeling a little unprepared should some apocalyptic event throw us into survival mode. I consider myself to be good at a lot of handy things. For example, I can knit, I can cook, I can bake, I can garden (flowers and vegetables), I can mow the lawn, I can read, I can do athletic things, and the list goes on. However, what I've realized is that NONE of those things is going to come in handy if we're one day left without any electricity or ways to communicate. So, I decided that this summer I am going to learn more useful survival tactics.

Now my dad, he'd survive. He is a fishing maniac who spends hours upon hours day after day rowing his boat up and down the reservoir trolling for massive brown lake trout. I've gone with him several times, and caught a fish once. But fishing would not help me to survive, because you see I have a severe allergy to fish and seafood. My skin itches and swells, hives develop, and in some cases my throat has been known to close. So I carry enough Benadryl to drug myself into a coma if taken all at once, along with an Epi-Pen. Relying on fish would not be an option for me, and that's assuming that the water sources wouldn't be contaminated with whatever caused the desperate need to survive. So fishing is out. My dad is also a successful hunter, both with a bow and rifle. I am not one of those people that winces when someone says the word "venison", because I am actually quite fond of the stuff after growing up on it. Simmer some cutlets in cream of mushroom soup and serve along rice and you've got yourself a tasty meal! But I don't know how to hunt. So I'm adding that to my list of things I want to learn how to do this year, you know, just in case. I should also learn how to gut the animal properly and then cook it. Otherwise, there is very little point in leanring ot hunt.

Lastly, I want to figure out and identify plants in my region that are edible because let's face it, I wouldn't be able to garden asmost likely I would be on the move. It is highly likely that people would get crazy and start looting and killing in order to survive. I know this because I watched the movie The Road by Cormac McCarthy and I gave a similar assignment to my students, encouraging them to come up with ways to survive: most groups declared they'd loot people's houses and stores and become cannibals. Very nice. One group consisted of three Boy Scouts, and they had a very plausible plan in place. I'm glad they'd survive. Anyway, so my husband keeps mentioning The Venus Project, so I took some time to look it up on wikipedia (my go-to source for quick information even though many will argue its validity) and I found it to be an interesting movement. I learned that the creator once revealed in a fiery argument that the purpose of The Venus Project is not to change today's society because it really isn't feasible (Who runs our country? Filthy rich people. Who wouldn't want to see money become a thing of the past? Filthy rich people. So we're screwed there.), but to leave a post-apocalyptic society with specific instructions about how to create a better, more advanced society without using money. I like the idea.

There are also links on the site to the Zeitgeist Movement, which if you haven't watched the Zeitgeist movies (I believe they are still free to view online), you might want to. I've only watched the first one, and not the part about religion. Prepare to have your world rocked, your values shaken, and your current beliefs thrown right out the window. A positive is that you'll start to listen to that voice inside you, otherwise known as your soul, as it tells you everything you've already known about Who You Are and what you want to do. I'll include the links at the bottom for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and feel free to comment.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venus_Project
http://www.thevenusproject.com/
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Mr. Maybe

I had heard a lot of good things about author Jane Green but had never actually read anything by her. I marked a handful of books "to read" on my goodreads.com account, so I was more than pleased when a very kind and generous friend sent me a box full of books and one was Mr. Maybe by Green.

When I sat down to read this I was very excited! Goodreads gave it an average of 3.03 stars (out of 5), so I had some expectations. However, after reading it I can understand why its score wasn't higher (average compiled from 37,000 reviews!). It wasn't easy to read through. The Bristish English was challenging to read through, especially when I'm used to reading books written in American English.

The story idea was engaging and relatable: woman in late twenties feels rejected by men and decides to just go for a fling (and in all honesty, what woman at some point in her life hasn't felt rejected or turned down by some member of the male species?). Her best friend does her best to convince her it's a bad, very bad, idea, but Libby - the main character - doesn't agree. So off she goes in lust after Nick, quickly falling in love with him only to have him tell her "he isn't ready for a serious relationship." Many tears later and she's coerced into joining the club scene once again, and a not so handsome but seemingly kind man requests her number. She gives it to him and he calls the very next day, but she keeps him waiting because she is still hung up on Mr. Fling who broke her heart, A.K.A Nick. Finally, with the coaxing of her best friend (again) she returns Ed's calls and they go out. He picks her up in his Porsche and she's in heaven. He's a big thing in England, one of the most eligible bachelors, and he's as rich as they come. Naturally her mother is ecstatic! They date, he buys her beautiful flowers and Gucci bags, along with a VERY expensive dress for a ball. The sex, she discovers is awful, but she tells him and he tries to improve. Truth be told, though, he's an old "fuddy-duddy" and it irritates her to no end. He says he loves her constantly (and rather early on in the relationship, too), but she feels smothered. He proposes, she accepts. Her mother is delighted and warns her not to mess this up. Libby is getting excited about planning a wedding, but something inside her is telling her this isn't right. She ignores the feeling until she spends a day with Mr. Fling. Suddenly her passionate side re-emerges and she realizes what she's going to miss out on if she marries Ed the "fuddy-duddy". Declaring it the hardest thing she's ever had to do, she breaks things off with Ed and finds out that her friends and most of her family didn't ever like him - they say him as pompous and condescending. She's just getting used to being on her own when...you'll have to read the book to find out!

Here today, gone to Maui!

Let me just begin by saying how much I LOVE Maui! I have had the good fortune of vacationing there twice in the past 5 years (once for my honeymoon - best decision - and the second time last summer with my in-laws). There really is no other place like it on earth (judged against the places I've been, anyway). It is what I imagine heaven to look like.

Anyway, I LOVE Maui (Kauai's pretty great, too, but Maui beats it by a hair) and was just THRILLED to catch a glimpse of this book by Carol Snow while staying at a little inn-like hotel on Little Sodus Bay off of Lake Ontario. I devoured it in less than 48 hours, and I must say it's a read-anywhere book. Of course, it would be a fantastic beach read, given the setting. The very beginning of the book takes place in California, but the rest is all on the tropical island of Maui. Having been there twice myself, it was entertaining to read about specific places I traveled to while there: Honolua Bay (fantastic snorkeling spot according to my husband - not a big snorkeler myself), Slaughterhouse Beach (the name alone would deter me from entering the water there), The Cannery Mall, Lahaina, Whaler's Village, Black Rock, Kaanapali Beach, North Shore, and the list goes on and on. If I ever hit it big somehow, I imagine myself leaving the rat race, moving to Maui, and enjoying a slower pace of life. (One of my favorite inspirational and spiritual people, Wayne Dyer, lives there, and that just affirms for me the tranquility that island can offer.

If you're looking for a cute, yet mysterious story set in the most beautiful and relaxing place on earth (in my opinion), then grab this book and read it!!

Mockingjay

(Blogger wasn't allowing me to upload my posts until today, so I'm a little behind and my posts may be out of order! Sorry for any confusion.)

I read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, which is the third and final book in the popular series The Hunger Games. For themost part, I enjoyed this book. However, I strongly maintaint that the first book grabbed and held my attention and interest from page 1. Sadly, Mockingjay was more challenging for me to read through. There were boring, drawn out parts that lasted much llonger than they needed to. There was enough action, although some could probably have been cut out, and then it just ended. Collins gave so much detail throughout all three books that it was easy for me to clearly picture every character, every tree, every piece of food, however she completely glazed over the ending. I found it to be an ending that just skimmed the surface, but it was satisfying and I was not left with questions.

I am excited to see the first movie!

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later

For all of the Sweet Valley Twins, High, and University fans (admittedly I think I stopped at Sweet Valley High):

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED reading Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High as a young reader and always wondered what would become of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. I hope Pascal doesn't disappoint! Well, it was fun reading about what came of the characters from SV. I devoured the series as a kid. This book was very entertaining, written in a style similar to today's familiar chick-lit modern romances. I could definitely envision this making its way to the big screen (I'd buy a ticket). Some things about the book bothered me, namely all the "like"s strewn through the chapters written in Jessica's point of view. I actually found that those detracted from the content, and many sentences were hard to read because of them. I had to reread many sentences. I haven't read a SV book in about 20 years. Did Pascal use that language in this book to mimic how Jessica spoke/thought in the earlier books? As a reader, I think the book would have read better without them. They made the writing choppy and interrupted the flow. And I guess I expected Elizabeth to be more like, well, Elizabeth! One night stands and f-you's? Many things seemed very out of character for Elizabeth. Also, the scene when Jessica shows up in New York seemed to just brush the surface. There were intense feelings of hatred and hurt coming from Elizabeth throughout the majority of the book that it seemed unbelievable that she would just give in and forgive Jessica so quickly. All in all, an entertaining book that provided some closure to a series that captivated me as a child.

Catching Fire

Since I was so entertained by Suzanne Collins' first book in the series The Hunger Games, I felt compelled to read the second. Catching Fire was very good, although it did take me about the first hundred pages to become fully engrossed. One thing is certain: Suzanne Collins is a master of cliff hangers. As a writer, I know how important it is to write in a way that keeps the reader's interest and attention, but she manages to write every single chapter so that it ends with the reader wanting MORE! Besides weekends my only reading time is before bed. Incidentally, that is also when I'm the most tired and don't get much reading in. Throughout both books I found myself agreeing to read one chapter before bed, but I always ended up reading until my eyes could no longer stay open because at the end of every chapter was something making me NEED (not want!) to read further. She is an amazing story teller that has created an incredibly scary world. After reading both books I have come to the conclusion that should some apocalyptic or smaller event occur in reality, I may not survive. I have no survival skills. I can't hunt, gather food (what items can I actually eat?), or eat fish (allergy). Thus, I have decided to do something about that. This summer I plan to learn how to use a weapon/hunt/gut (ew)/cook an animal and figure out the edible plants in my region. Thank you, Suzanne Collins for forcing me to amp up my game.

Actually, in light of these books I gave my 6th graders an assignment that parallels Panem. I split the classes into groups and gave them a scenario along these lines: Imagine that all of North America's power has gone out. You cannot use your television, computer, cell phone, or iPod to communicate. You have a portable battery-operatred radio to listen to emergency broadcasts. The announcer has just proclaimed that the power could be out for weeks, maybe even longer. Then I gave them their task: In your group brainstorm and discuss how you are going to survive this "blackout". What supplies will you need? How will you get them? Where will you stay? How will you stay warm/cool? The students seemed to have a fun time with this. However, it became clear to me rather quickly that the students are so heavily reliant on convenience that they couldn't imagine something like this happening. Immediately they wanted to get in the car and go to the store, not understanding that the stores might be closed and/or unable to check them out due to NO POWER, or that everyone else would be going there, too! Some students even suggested cannibalism (look out!) and looting. However, one group that included three Boy Scouts had a list of needed supplies along with how to acquire them, and a plan followed by contingency plans. Immediately I knew that these three boys would survive should something like that happen today. And it made me realize that if I ever have sons I will most certainly be signing them up for Boy Scouts! At the end I tied this into the ancient civilizations we've studied this year and how they managed to grow and survive despite no electricity, indoor plumbing, computers and other high-tech gadgets (that we know of, at least). So I can't help but wonder, have we actually gone backwards as a civilization?