the Mom Song

To honour Amy and other amazing Mom's, here is the Mom song.

Restless

Not surprisingly, my lunch time reading strategy was a complete bust. It was pretty crazy last week, and I took lunch when possible. Reading wasn't an option as I ate and ran or ate at my desk.

That being said, I did get some reading done. I even stayed up late to read the final chapters of Restless. To give the story credit, you had to read to the end to figure things out and even then, I wanted greater explanatory detail on a couple of events. It certainly makes the life of a spy seems less than glamorous. People were sacrificing themselves for the side of "good" only to discover in the end that they were "the bad guys" in reality. It was a very British book, and I'm sure someone from the UK would enjoy it more. All in all, the book was a nice surprise. I'm not sure if I would run out and read another by this author, but it was a fun read.

What am I going to read next? I think I'm going to be reading so much at work next week, that I may just focus on journaling or veg out reading some cook books. Donna Hay came highly recommended to me on the weekend. Another person called the books "culinary porn."

I'll let you know.
Here is a review from Publishers Weekly:
When Ruth Gilmartin learns the true identity and the WWII profession of her aging mother, Sally Gilmartin, at the start of Boyd's elegant ninth novel (after Any Human Heart), Ruth is understandably surprised. Sally, née Eva Delectorskaya, a Russian émigré living in Paris in 1939, was recruited as a spy by Lucas Romer, the head of a secretive propaganda group called British Security Coordination, to help get America into the war. This fascinating story is well told, but slightly undercut by Ruth's less-than-dramatic life as a single mother teaching English at Oxford while pursuing a graduate degree in history. Ruth's more pedestrian existence can't really compete with her mother's dramatic revelations. The contemporary narrative achieves a good deal more urgency when Ruth's mother recruits her to hunt down the reclusive, elusive Romer. But the real story is Eva/Sally's, a vividly drawn portrait of a minor figure in spydom caught up in the epic events leading up to WWII.

it's all about scheduling

There was a day when reading a good book was part of my lifestyle. I couldn't believe that some people didn't read. Reading interesting books just happened. There were many occasions when I would stay up until the wee hours to finish a good book. There were days when I would just spend the entire day reading. That was in a previous life.

During that lifetime, dinners were a bit more spontaneous, as well. Some days I would wake up in the morning and mull over what I wanted for supper. Typically during the day, I would be struck with inspiration and I would go to the grocery store on the way home from work. Most often, I would get home, view my assortment of prepared frozen entrees and select dinner for that evening. If I cooked, I would make enough that there would inevitably be 5 extra servings to put in the freezer.

Even exercise happened without much thought or preparation. I always worked out on the weekend. I would feel compelled to exercise a couple of times during the week to ensure that I was tired enough to sleep. Again, that was in a past life.

Today, life is a bit more regimented -- much richer, but definitely more regimented. Menus are planned on the weekend. We make big dinners on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that there are leftovers. Voila, we have 2 meals prepared for the week. Ideally, vats of food are prepared on weekends to make sure there is always a meal in the freezer. Laundry must be done by Sunday to ensure that the morning routine goes as smoothly as possible.

Recently, I've come to the realization that exercise must be as thoroughly planned and scheduled or it doesn't happen. I no longer have to exercise to ensure a good night's sleep.

I'm beginning to realize that reading also needs to be scheduled or it won't happen. I've been ready Restless for over 2 weeks now and I'm only half way through it. It's an enjoyable book. Entertaining, albeit not mind altering. In truth, I could set it down right now, and I wouldn't feel a great deal or remorse. It is a nice, easy read, and I'm not yet ready to give up on it.

So here's the plan:
1. I'm going to try to retire a little bit earlier each evening and read
2. a) I'm going to take lunch
2. b) and read during this time

Ahhhh, wait. We've been away all weekend. If I'm going to have a meal that actually has vegetables and fruit tomorrow evening, I have to buy some fresh items.

So, wish me luck as I try to schedule in some more reading.

Arthur & George

I'm only on page 10 but I already know I'm going to enjoy Julian Barnes', Arthur & George. It is a relief to put down The Virgin Blue and replace it with this well crafted book. HUGH sigh of relief, may I add. I was starting to panic because I didn't have a book waiting to be read on my shelf.

Wait, that's not completely true. I have Restless by William Boyd, but I have no idea why I put a hold on this work. Spies, espionage, intrigue... not my usual genre. Maybe I was trying to expand my reading.

So here's my dilemma: do I read the library book or continue to read my personal copy of Arthur & George?

Too late to make that decision this evening. Off to bed I go.

The Virgin Blue

Have you read, The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier?
I'm struggling with it. It just doesn't intrigue me like her other works.

Maybe my cold is taking its tole...

The Dressmaker

I gave up on Moral Disorder. This light and whimsical novel sucked me in with its first few pages.

Here's my review for book club:
This debut novel, The Dressmaker by Elizabeth Birkelund Oberbeck, tells the tale of Claude Reynaud: an old-fashioned dressmaker working in a cluttered studio outside of Paris. Every spring, brides descended upon his studio, where he measures them, and listens to their design requests. It becomes evident, that one of his greatest strengths is colour. He can identify a bride’s ideal colour and the corresponding fabric using a litany of creative descriptors. His simple life is shattered one day when a young woman arrives who consigns him to design her a wedding dress. This charming, beautiful, lady of society, gives Reynaud complete freedom in the dresses design. He was inspired by her lithe figure, a long, graceful neck, and simple, elegant style. The forty-six years old tailor, who was deserted by his wife eight years earlier, finds himself infatuated. His life is redirected his creative energies to his new muse and joins a Paris design house. He quickly goes from being a small town tailor with a growing client base to a celebrated “couturier.”

This was an enjoyable and whimsical read. Oberbeck’s description of colour and fabric is entrancing as the reader experiences the creative process of fashion design. This could be considered a companion piece to “The Devil Wears Prada” where the designer side of the fashion business is explored.

Now I'm reading Virgin Blue. I'm not enjoying it as much as Chevalier's earlier two works, but I have just nicely started. I'll write more about it at another time.

when do you give up?

At what point do you give up on a book? I started Moral Disorder and enjoyed it. Then life intruded and I read for solutions and suggestions in Raising your spirited child. But during a quiet time, I realized that some of my library books were over due. I picked up The Dressmaker by Oberbeck to see whether or not I should read it. The first few pages were so lovely -- almost pastoral -- and the next thing I knew, I was a committed reader. I read the novel in a few days. In fact, I stayed up late last night just so that I could finish it.

There were so many appealing attributes to the book.

• It's an easy read
• It's set in France
• There is love story
• There are clothes: lots and lots of glorious outfits with detailed descriptions to let your imagination run wild
• It depicts the creative process and life in a design house
• It details the meteoric rise of a simple tailor to couturier
• It affirms family while illustrates different family relationships

So, do I give up on Moral Disorder and return to Raising your spirited child, or do make a commitment and finish Atwood's latest novel... I'll let you know.

Priorities

Being a mother of a 3 year old is a humbling experience. Once minute you are an amazing and brilliant mother as you “drive” around the house being an ambulance one moment and doll doctor expert then next. Moments later, you have dissolved your daughter into tears while playing hide-and-seek. My mistake? I asked her if she is the Big Bad Wolf as she approached me, ready to pounce.

Polar swings happen often. One day I have the most affectionate, polite, creative and articulate daughter in creation. The next day, I wonder when and how my daughter suddenly became Attila the Hun uttering guttural screams and orders.

I look for correlations, review developmental stages, and watch the phases of the moon. We stick to a routine, articulate expectations, and consistently reinforce good behaviour. The Attila-like personality still asserts itself.

This week I consulted the book, Raising Your Spirited Child. We have know E. to be spirited girl since her birth. She was kicked out of the nursery while in the hospital after her emergency C section birth. She had colic for three months. She is intense. She is dogged. She is very bright. You know, spirited.

What does the book start off by having you do? Access your own personality. So, now that I also recognize that I am spirited, I strongly suspect that my husband would be classified as one, as well. Some of the examples given in the book are pretty funny, and make the Attila in our house hold seem pretty tame.

Next steps: recognize that our daughter is sensitive and that certain situations can set her off. We can’t view it negatively, but rather, recognise triggers and try to diffuse situations before it is manifested into a behaviour issue. We can hopefully recognized these situations, and in some cases prepare for it. If we know we are going to places were there a lot of people (like our last family function), we need to give her enclaves of quiet so she does not get overwhelmed. In time, I hope you can coach our daughter so she can identify issues, before a problem arises.

So alas, I think I have my priorities right. I do want to get back to Moral Disorder, but in the meanwhile, I want to be proactive and see if I can’t better deal with some of the challenges that are presented by a 3 year old.

vacation time = reading time?

You would think vacation time would result in ample time to read. Unfortunately, that was not the case. My precious vacation time actually turned into ample sleeping time -- I had/have a cold. I find that colds do not accommodate reading. I can handle movies, but not reading. So I had a number of afternoon naps and slept in late. One day, we had a "pajama" day, too -- the ultimate decadence. We wore our pajamas for as long as the outside world did not intrude. Our record, to date, is 1:30 p.m

I'm still reading Moral Disorder. I got a little bogged down with the story, "The Other Place," but I'm going to bring it to work tomorrow and set aside a few minutes to read. I have been doing most of my errands on my lunch break, but it was getting a little too hectic at the end. With a new year, I'm going to try some different strategies. Besides, it's going to take me awhile before I venture into a mall again...

In the meantime, I have a number of books overdue. I had better get reading!