Back to Work!
Well, almost. The holidays were glorious, up until yesterday. I always spend New Year’s Day figuring out my estimated taxes (whoopee!) and reorganizing my files for the year. I didn’t get through it all yesterday, so I have one more day of organization before returning 100% of my energy to my Work in Progress. I have a March deadline, so I really have to get cracking. I hope everyone had some restful and enjoyable time off and will now join me in getting back to the grind.
Diane, it’s so good to be reading your blog again. I loved my almost 4 weeks away painting, but I missed all of you who have become friends thru D’s website!
Diane, your so ambitious! I definitely do not spend New Year’s doing anything but relaxing. In fact on New Year’s Day I started reading THE KITE RUNNER and curled up in my fav chair all day with my quilt and book…our temp’s are very cold and only 2 degrees this a.m….hope it doesn’t keep people indoors for our Iowa Caucus’s tomorrow nite!
Arrived home last night–good flight for a change. However, leaving 84 plus degrees and coming home to 34 degrees-yuck. We had no school today-ice and snow…we get one or two of these and the rest we make up at the end of the school year.
Diane-I hate doing taxes. I will do them after the W 2’s come. Takes me about an hour to do them. I used to keep receipts and all, but I never had enough to do the long one…the other way is the best for me…
Margo-welcome back-we missed you so much.
Better get some things done-I am writing and rereading Diane’s books today-our library closed…ran some errands on the ice and snow-had to get our dog and get in some food…
WVU plays in the Fiesta Bowl tonight-will be exciting to watch even though we prob. won’t beat such a great team…
Thx Brenda, I missed you too! Speaking of your cold weather, it’s 4 degrees this a.m. and freeeeeeeeezing windchill of -5. All the candidates in town for our big caucus tonite are probably very anxious to move on to a warmer climate I’m sure!
Margo, in 25 words or less, can you explain what a caucus means? My understanding is that it’s very time consuming on an extremely cold worknight, and so many (most) people don’t go. I can’t wait to hear the results. Are you loving the KITE RUNNER?
Brenda, sorry for that harsh return to the cold, but at least you should be well rested after that lovely vacation. I’m now reading WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. Intriguing.
Diane, I think this year is different in that enormous crowds are expected tonite. I have talked to many people who have never gone before but are tonite because of the importance of the election this year. Gary has been asked to be the precinct captain for our candidate tonite & I’ve been asked to assist. I’m going to explain the caucus (might be a little more than 25 words): Caucus is a meeting of supporters from diff political parties who gather 1 nite to nominate their preferred candidate who will go on to be the Presidential nominee. There are always those present who are undecided and ‘we’ try to pursuade them to vote for ‘our’ candidate. The Democrats begin at 6:30 tonite & Republicans start at 7…the whole process should only take about 2 hrs max so we’re home in good time to turn on CNN for late results and still be able to go to work the next day.
P.S. Diane…yes, it’s extremely cold for the caucus tonite but soooo many people want to be involved this year that I hear alot of people talking about car pooling together and driving around picking up the elderly. Our neighbors are over 80 years old and they called and asked us if we’d take them on this bitter cold nite so we’re happy to help anyone we can get to the caucus tonite! It’s very exciting to be part of history in the making and I’m very proud to say I’ve talked to many of these great candidates face to face at the many events we’ve had in our state.
THE KITE RUNNER IS FABULOUS! It’s of course heartbreaking but is beautifully written and I absolutely can’t put it down.
It was 9 degrees last night-not counting wind chill. We had another ice/snow day today. That puts us going two extra days at the end of the school year. Next, they start on spring break. This is unusual for this part of the state…I went to the library and got tons of books…and have been doing some chores. Diane got me going, and I went through last year’s receipts, etc…
Water for Elephants–isn’t it unusual?????
Kite RUnner-except for the one scene…great for students….
Great going tonight, Margo. SOMETHING HAS to change…
If I have not mentioned: Alifair Burke (no relation to me)…great young mystery writer…and of course, Carlene Thompson…mysteries…Although I read all genres (except Science Fiction), I am into mysteries lately. I have l0 books I got today-all l0 are of different interests…
(Not sure I spelled Ms. Burke’s name correctly…but I think her dad is James Burke…)
Margo
I am watching Iowa caucus and thinking of you. I always watch it, and I am again intrigued watching voters try to convince others. It is so much unlike the way we vote-we go on the day of election, or usually, we now vote early-which is so convenient for us. I have a Shakespeare friend (we were in D.C. together with a group of teachers years ago) who lives in Iowa…I always wondered how they could stand to go out at night to vote in the cold, cold…Whenever I have traveled through Iowa, I realize that although we have cold…not as bad…
Enjoy tonight-a great time to see others…
I have always made a policy of not discussing politics or religion at work or with most of my friends…However…most of us think the same (my friends I mean)…
Okay, this is too funny. I not only got Eat, Pray, Love for Christmas, but I also got Water for Elephants and the Kite Runner. (And also, Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Hmm…is that all?) These were all on a list I have kept of books I wanted to read, and my husband is pretty dang good at passing that list around to various friends and family! 🙂 I had read the first several chapters of Kite Runner at my FIL’s house over Thanksgiving and decided I wanted to read the rest. Want to see the movie soon.
Oh, I also got a very interesting book I’ve started to read in bits and pieces that my best friend picked up at Starbucks. It’s called Listening is an Act of Love, edited by Dave Isay. It’s a book/CD set made from a project in NYC (StoryCorps) where people interviewed their friends or family members about growing up, work ethic, etc., then the project transcribed many of the stories to create the book/CD. Fascinating just hearing every day stories from every day people.
So many books, so little time!
Margo, I searched my tv screen for you tonight! A very exciting night, no matter whose “side” you’re on.
And now, it’s REALLY back to work.
Margo, I have been watching the Iowa caucus news all evening. I find it fascinating. I am still not sure I understand exactly what is going on but have to wait to see the results.
What an exciting nite with a record turnout in our precinct! Diane, I think we were probably on TV at some point but with so many people, media and cameramen, who knows…I do know that on New Years Eve we were at our candidates function and my dad saw Gary on TV so that was kind of exciting. Brenda, wanted to be sure & mention that this is our caucus…we still vote like everyone else on election day. Your right Ann, it IS a fascinating process. In spite of the bitter cold, people of all ages attended and at our location it was standing room only. Now Iowans can sit back and watch what happens in New Hampshire. (-:
Julie, you have some enjoyable reading ahead of you! Let us know how you like the books, especially the Mitchard, since I haven’t read that one.
I’ve heard some of the StoryCorps stories on NPR and loved them. I too like the stories of “real people.” I guess that’s why I write about “real people” in real, tough situations.
Julie, I started THE KITE RUNNER on New Year’s Day and can’t put it down…for Christmas I was also given A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by the same author and will be anxious to read it too.
Diane, 1 of the reasons you are my fav author is because of the ‘real people’ you write about…they stay in my mind more than any other author I know. Now that 2008 is finally here I can hardly wait for BEFORE THE STORM…summer can’t get here soon enough so I can hold a copy in my hands!
Thanks Margo-I knew that about the voting…am just tired and going through “things” right now.
Julie-all the books are good. I love Mitchard.
Just finished Sue Grafton’s “T”, and although her collection is one I donated (for others) at the library…I still love her books. This one was one of her best-the subject matter…Finished Patterson’s Double Cross…same thing as the others…
Am reading one about a woman coming from Germany (some of my ancestors were from there)…quite good…
Barbara Delinsky has a book coming out in January-have to buy hers…she is so good.
Sounds like everyone is having fun. It’s been cold here too. finally warming up and now they say we are gonna get another snow storm. I haven’t done any reading since I got here. I don’t have any books so I really need to find the library and get a card.
I’ve been spending most of my time doing the baby registry. It’s really hard when you are going to keep the baby’s sex a secret (and don’t know yet). Although the father is swearing up and down it’s a boy, we’ll see if he gets his wish. He’s already got a name picked out too.
I’m looking forward to that Delinksy book too, Brenda. It got a great review in Publishers Weekly.
Krysia, it was fun to get that final surprise of my grandkids’ gender when they were born, but it did drive me crazy when I was trying to buy things for them ahead of time. Lot’s of beige and green and yellow!
Krysia…Good luck keeping it a secret. My daughter refused to find out the first two times (girls)…but by the third one, she decided she should know…a little girl…beautiful-all three of them.
Your life will be fantastic when that little one arrives. Children are such gifts…
We wish the best for you…