Mmmm....! Gator!

There are a great number of things I've done after moving to Rochester that I'd have never done while living at home.

Like eating Gator.

Tastes like Chicken, Eats like a fish.

Changes

The move is complete. For the most part, I've gotten myself settled in. Although I've only been here a week I've been feeling the stress. Its a big step, a big change and I've been feeling pressured. So I've learned rather quickly to never under estimate the power of a good cup of coffee and a phone call to a good friend. I've learned to pick up a good book or play an old childhood game. Things feel simple again. At least for a while.

I've finished Witch Child by Celia Rees. It was difficult to put down. However it came to me at a bad time. Between packing, cleaning, and moving I couldn't give it the full attention it deserved. Perhaps I'll read it again one of these days.

After seeing her beloved grandmother accused of witchcraft and tortured, teenager Mary Newbury is rescued from the same fate by a mysterious, wealthy woman who arranges for the young girl's passage to the English colony of Massachusetts. Accompanying a group of Puritans, Mary is befriended by a widow and tries to blend in among the settlers. After a long and difficult journey to New England, Mary finds that Old World witch hunts are alive in the New World. Fears of witches abound in seventeenth-century America, with strangers, particularly free-spirited, nature-loving women like Mary....Credit

Written in journal form you find yourself hanging on every last word. Celia Ress has written a sequel called Sorceress. I'll be looking into that book soon.

I'm currently reading The Dragon Scroll by I.J. Parker. Its a little difficult to get into, but its the first book in the series and it is a mystery novel. Its my expirience that mystery novels are incredably slow the first few chapters.

The Dragon Scroll is the first novel in the Akitada series.
Akitada is twenty-five years old, an impoverished nobleman and earnest
government official on his first major assignment. His whole future career
rides on this performance.
He has been sent to Kazusa province in Eastern
Japan to discover the whereabouts of missing taxes before the provincial
governor can leave his office and return to court. Eager and naïve about
political intrigues, Akitada blunders instantly into a dangerous conspiracy when
the suspicious death of the previous governor attracts his attention. This
signals a sequence of shocking and bloody violence in the provincial capital.
As two beautiful women play on his sympathies, Akitada is distracted from
a duty which becomes less and less palatable. In the end, both his
official and his private persona are tested.

Among the characters,
new readers will meet two regulars, the elderly family servant, Seimei, and the
impudent womanizer Tora. The meeting between Akitada and Tora in this
novel begins the strong bond between master and servant that characterizes the
later novels.

The other characters represent a cross section of
Japanese society in the eleventh century; they include noblemen-scholars,
Buddhist clerics, minor officials in the provincial administration, soldiers,
artisans, wrestlers, peddlers, prostitutes, gangs, and one very unusual young
woman who matches her fighting skills against any man.

From the
exciting beginning of his journey to the nightmarish climax at the end,
Akitada’s adventure in Kazusa is a fast-paced and riveting account of a young
man’s passage to maturity. Website

So, Despite the challenge of the first few chapters I'm going to give it a shot. I love Japanese culture and I do enjoy mysteries. I'm rather excited about this book. Here's to hoping!

Rock City

That, my friend, it $20 worth of rock watching.

I love visiting Don. Its the leaving part that I find to be the hardest.

Finding Myself Again.

Its hard to believe sometimes isn't it? I really have to say that I am glad I started this blog o' mine. I started to read through some of the first entries I had. There were few, but they had so much meaning and so much happiness. If I hadn't written them, would I have remembered those feelings I had? Would I have remembered the journey from there to here?

Having gone down memory lane, I realize now just how unhappy I've been. I notice as the blog goes on that I bitch more and write about the joys of life and captured memories less. Which was the purpose of starting this blog. It was my own self discovery. I wrote about photographs and what they meant to me. I wrote about happy days and the pride I felt for who I knew and where I lived. Then I started to talk about books. Which is another great joy in my life. Reading has always brought joy to my heart. Its the thrill of falling without the fear, its the feeling you have during your first kiss, its the magic of being young again. Both photography and books give me this feeling. I think I need to take a lesson from myself and learn to write like that again. Remember who I am.

Here goes.

I finished a novel by Lisa See titled Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I really am a fan of stories like this. Its set in China during the 1800's and is an easy story to relate to. Who hasn't had a deep friendship torn apart by a misunderstanding? They use a secret writing caledl Nu Shu, a language based phonetically created by a lonely young girl. It was a language known and taught only to women so that they may send messages and letters to sworn sisters, their natal families, and their "Old-Sames" without the prying eyes of men.

An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha , Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship.

Of course, this is coming from the girl who enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha despite its "Factual inaccuracies". I , as I have mentioned before, look more at the entertainment aspect of a story not how accurate it is. If it is believable and a good story, it is enjoyable. So, If you enjoyed Memoirs I highly recommend this book to you. Its an emotional ride.

July Celebrations

I traveled to New York for the 4th of July. I had to take my driver's test the day before to do this, but it was a success! The drive was uneventful, but we did snicker at a few signs along the way. Once we got there Dad met us at his place and we went over to my Step-Mom's brother's house for food, explosives, and drink. It was something else, let me tell you.

First, They threw Uncle Brad into the pool. Mommy Lisa got a little drunk and sat in my lap at one point (Haha, I love my family.) and Aiden got to have his first sparkler. I video taped that and snapped a few pictures. Only 2 years old and already a pyro. We let him have a few more on the 5th for his birthday party after everyone left. He tried more than once to take out Sissy's eye (me being the poor soul holding him) and trying to put it closer to his face to watch it burn. But, more of that later. Aiden didn't like the fire works very much though. I think it was the noise that scared him. He liked the colors and the sparks, but eventually he had to be taken inside. Good thing too, but I'm not to sure that it was too safe there either.
Once it was dark (and everyone was well drunk) they started to set off fireworks. I've never dodged so much fire in my life. One of the larger fireworks tipped over and actually hit the house. It was like mission impossible! All you see are silhouetted figures running and grabbing children and then BOOM! The firework explodes in an array of beautiful and dangerous sparks behind them all. I didn't think to snap a picture because I myself was hiding behind my father. (Poor Daddy.) Though, from what I understand, this year they did well. Last year they had 3 hit the house and several hit the roof. Despite the fact that they showered us with sparks on more than one occasion. I'm glad I wasn't there last year. Holy Smokes! Its no wonder even sparklers are illegal in New York. (lol)

The next day everyone came over to my Dad's house for Aiden's Birthday Party. He opened gifts, got wet, played with a ball and got himself a turtle cake. The Cake was so cute! Lisa used a soccer ball cake pan to make the shell and used green ice cream cones for the feet. Then she made several different colors of icing to decorate the shell. She made a head and tail out of more cake then made a licorice mouth and chocolate chip eyes. The licorice wouldn't stay in a smiling position, so he had a grumpy turtle. A grumpy and delicious turtle. When it came to cutting the cake, he was decapitated and quickly consumed.
Mmm...turtle.

There are more photos to be seen on flickr!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/untitledography/

Of course, on the way back home we got lost. Then (as luck would have it) hit construction, but at least I got to see the Don for a little bit. He even bought Jack an Ice cream!

The Don, Rodeo Burgers, and Barnes & Noble

The day finally came where something Don and I had planned actually fell through. Had to happen sooner or later, right?

Originally we had planned on going to State College to check out his old haunts while getting the chance for me to go to a Barnes & Noble for the first time. However, he suggested meeting in Warren instead then driving to Erie to shop.

After Driving about 2 hours I met him in a Perkins parking lot and followed him to the motel. After checking in and taking our things inside, we hopped into the "short bus" and headed to Erie. Along the way, I talked Don into stopping for fresh strawberries from a Farmer's Market (Which he doesn't eat. What's wrong with him?) while he continued to ask me if we made the right turn or how many exits it was until our exit (I had no clue where I was or where I was going).

All and all though, the trip went smooth.Despite the fact that I didn't bring my camera and had to take photos with my cell phone. There were a great number of things I could have taken photos of, but was too caught up in conversation or enjoying myself to really stop and take them. I bought four books, while Don had and entire series of books been bought out from under his nose. (Only Don.) Then we went to Red Lobster for Dinner. I'm not that into sea food. In fact for the most part I don't like it, but the crab was good and the lobster was alright. And so, a good time was had by all.

We headed back the way we came and tried to find a music store only to find that the mall had 2 stores and 2 salons. Where the stores went no one knows, but Wal-Mart was a dud too. As Don like music by artist that no one has EVER heard of. We thought of seeing a movie, but went back to watch T.v. instead. We got ourselves some Ranch Doritos and Sour Cream and tried to get comfy. I could complain a great deal about the night the two of us had, but why ruin things? We just decided that we'd go the the hotel across the street next time. =]

Since neither of us slept so well, he got up and got himself some coffee while he left me sleep until about 10:30 or so. Once I had gotten up, we got ready to leave and went to have lunch before going home. This is the part of the trip I think I loved the most. The Plaza Restaurant. This place had such a comfortable atmosphere, great service, great food and plenty of it. I would Highly recommend this little Greek restaurant to anyone passing through Warren. That glorious thing to the left is a Rodeo Burger. BBQ sauce, onion rings, and American cheese on a toasted bun. It was AMAZING! Don had himself his usual(as it is his "favorite little place" in Warren) meatloaf and gravy with a side of mashed taters. It was in this pleasant little eatery that I snapped the photo at the beginning of this long and drawn out entry. What a smile, eh? He's so "Fuckin' cute". *Bats eyelashes*

There are more photos for the trip on my flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/untitledography/

Check it out!

First things first, but not nessesarily in that order.

There are many things I haven't talked about yet this month and I'm not sure where to start.

The stress I've been having at work hasn't really given me chance to breathe, but I'm taking care of that. Its not just work that stresses me out, its the idea that life won't be any different down the road. Where am I going to go living in a town with only 3 stoplights? Nowhere. That's where.

So, I will be moving to Rochester New York by August. Its going to be a drastic change and my Dad says that it will be a "culture shock". Having lived in an area where people ride their horses through town and the Amish shop at the store regularly; I can imagine moving to a city with more people living in one block than the whole of my small town would be quite a change. However, I need the change. I need the opportunity.

With that Captain Black Jack and I shall be packing our bags (his much fewer than mine) and heading north. To the Land of bumper to bumper traffic and 15ft of snow in 5 seconds. Where I want a few things to happen(Long Term):

1. GED
2. College--Library Science
3. Work at the University or better.
4. Buy a house
5. Meet a man worth talking to
6. Get Jack a larger younger sibling

I want to talk about Litha! Litha was fun this year, I honestly think this is the first we've celebrated it all together. It feels horrible, and though we miss her, things with the coven have been going far smoother and we've done a lot more without Pam telling us what to do or what is "right", however we honored her in our ritual and we did miss her at the festivities. This is the first coven photo we took without her there, but everyone was proud of how we handled the ceremony on our own. Aunt Jennie supervised and gave us confidence. Its the intent, not how perfectly smooth it goes. We laughed and teased each other, but without laughter what is the point? Isn't happiness the best way to show the God and Goddess respect? As long as it feels right, it was done right. We were all so very pleased that day.

I think leaving the coven will truly be the most difficult part of moving away. Who will knock on my door when I need to be comforted? I can always call...but the phone is poor contact compared to the magic we share and the friendship and trust. I'll
always visit and they'll always be my sisters and brothers. They understand my desire to leave, but it hurts them just the same. I want them to continue to work together. I want them to continue to learn and grow. They don't need me to give them direction, they pave their own path through forests of uncertainty. And they know, without a doubt, that I will never be out of reach.

There are many aspects of this life I'm living now that I will miss. The quiet, the streets I know, the people who care for me, the security of feeling safe walking at night...the open space, the trees...I love Pennsylvania. I know that I will come back someday, but hopefully it will be in my golden years, when I can enjoy it for what it is. This is where One retires, or where the Children come back to raise their own families. Not a place for young adults trying to carve their lot in life. When I realized this, I knew I wanted to go somewhere else, but it took me years to gather up the courage. (Or more rather get fed up with the dead end stress and the die hard people set in their ways.)

While I could go on with the reasons for leaving, I want to talk about going the Hazen '09 with A.B.A.T.E. of PA. What a blast! What a Muddy wet mess! It was something I probably won't experience again. Nothing like a Biker Marti Gras! Here are some pictures...nudity free for any impressionable minds out there.

Julia Freaking Nunes!

Work is breaking me, money is never enough.

Well, I just completed a 52 hour week and 9 days straight to have today off and i feel the odd desire to go back to sleep. However, that isn't going to happen. You see, by writing this blog I am procrastinating. Shame on me. I have a ridiculous amount of laundry to do, bills to pay, and some things for the house to buy. To top that off I really would like to take the camera out and take photos. Unfortunately I don't have any charged batteries. The problem with store bought batteries is that that die too quickly for my camera. And the problem with me going out to take photos is that I'm not getting my laundry done.

Problems, problems.

Then, There is the possibility of going out tonight. That'd be nice, but again...there's a problem with that too. I'm supposed to be taking care of my mom's dogs this weekend. I may just stay out there. She has T.v. and internet, but I'd have to drive to Brookville and stay (do laundry) and then back home to go to work at 10pm tomorrow. Meh, I don't want to drive. For once.

In other news, I am REALLY behind on the 50 books challenge. I'm on 16 books? Maybe 15. That's 2 books behind. Alright...I'm not as far behind as I once thought, but its cool. I've found I've been able to juggle time with reading, going out, and seeing friends. Though, I still have to write a letter or two to a friend yet.

I've also been considering moving away. I won't get into detail because it will just be confusing. I want to go then I don't. Then I do again. I'm indecisive like that.

The Bat and the Weasel.

A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be spared his life.
The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds.
The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free.
Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him.
The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice.
The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second time escaped.

It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.

Simple Somethings and the Unexplained.

This. This is Don's Bass. Isn't it just...sexy? Don't you want to hold it? Damn, I want to play this bass someday. Sooner or later I will. Oh you bet on your sweet Aunt Betty I will. I have some clips of Don playing his bass, but I see no point in uploading them. Its the first he'd picked it up in 5 years. It made me sad. Its hard for him to play now because of his fingers being abused. He's developed a calcium deposit on all of his knuckles. It was the hardest thing to watching him play. You could see how much he loves it and just how much it cuts him that he can't play for more than 5 minutes.

It was that 5-10 minutes worth of playing that made me want to learn bass instead of guitar. Not that its simple. It isn't. Its just that Don has this way of inspiring me among many other wonderful things. Its just something I want to do not only for me but for him too. He's a teacher. Through and through and I think he would enjoy showing me how. ( He has what I like to call the mentor syndrome. He doesn't let it go if you don't understand or don't know what he's talking about. If it takes an hour to explain he will take the time to explain it.) Ah, but now I'm rambling. I just wanted to share its sexiness.

Now onto what I really set out to write this blog about. At 'The Bat Cave' Don has a few...happenings. Walking on the roof, the sound of a T.V. late at night without a t.v. on, strange howling, creatures darting out of sight when you walk near...to name few. While visiting the Bat Cave I experienced 2 of those listed above and something else that he said was something new.

I arrived at his place at about 4am on April 27th. He handed me some blankets and some sheets and went back to bed. I went into the spare bedroom and started to make the bed. I heard the T.V. on low. I thought, "He must have turned it on to go to sleep." (He turns it on low when he goes to bed and leaves it while when he sleeps. It keeps the brain thinking? Or something like that.) I smiled and went to sleep.

He went to work the next morning. I got up and moved myself to the couch to watch the television and possibly take a nap. The weather was in the 60's-70's and he had the windows open and a small fan in the spare bedroom window. It was blowing out the window to allow better air circulation. It was breezy, but nothing very strong. It happened to be blowing against the opposite side of said window. Now, while watching the tube I heard a loud bang. I went looking in the direction of the bedrooms and noticed the fan on the floor. It was at the full length of its cord. (See Photo.) Now, with the fan blowing OUT the window and the wind flow going with the fan...how did it end up so far away from the window? It looks like it was thrown or perhaps pulled out and simply dropped. I took a photo to show Don and get his opinion on it when he got home and put the fan back in the window. It didn't happen again that day or again when I came back to visit a week later. It didn't happen when I wasn't there either.

Don came home for lunch and I showed him the photo. I had hoped, him being the more level headed, that he would just say that it was the wind. However, he came up with the same theory I had. Then I asked him about the T.v. earlier that morning. He said he thought it was me, there being a television in my room too, but I didn't know it was hooked up or even plugged in. Not to mention I was far too exhausted to do anything but make my bed and then sleep in it. Strange, isn't it?

When I came back a week later I stayed for another 3 days. I had told Don I'd do his dishes before I went home before he had gone to bed. I, being a night shift clerk, wasn't ready for bed. I pulled out a book and lay in bed reading. I heard footsteps in the living room and the faint sound of dishes rattling. I was a little annoyed thinking he was up doing the dishes because he couldn't sleep until they were done, but when I got up and opened the bedroom door everything was dark and he was snoring softly in the next room. The footsteps went on for a while before I stopped paying attention to them. So, I'm not even sure when they stopped. When I told him the next day about it, he only said he was glad that there was someone else to experience it.

Ah, fun stuff. You know, one of these days I'm going up there with a tape recorder and I'm going to talk to "it". "The Entity" as Don often refers to it. I already know it doesn't like me. "It" wouldn't let me call him on his land line, but since I call his cell phone now there hasn't been a problem for a year or more. "It" used to block me something fierce. I remember once that I had needed so desperately to talk to him and "it" wouldn't let me through. (The phone rings on my end, but not his. He has an answering machine and it picks up after so many rings, but it won't if its not ringing through on his end of the line. Phone company says is fine, and a few new phone later the problem is still there.) "It' wouldn't let me through. So I screamed into the phone for "it" to let me in. It was the strangest sound I had ever heard on the other end. Like a hissing scream. "It" hung up on me entirely then, but when I tried back Don picked up after the 2nd ring. So, I'm certain I'll get some interesting conversation from this one.

Simple Somethings.

Sometimes Goodbye's the Only Way.

Pamela "Lowgann" Anthony.
January 30th,1967 - April 25th, 2009.
"Live for the moments you can't put into words."

April is the Month of Goodbyes.

April is the month of sorrow. April is the month of Death.

Alex Andreev

It sort of makes you wish you could live in a world like this, doesn't it?

This makes me feel better.

Darn you Karl!

Even Flickr mocks me and my distaste for the french language!

Mp3 Meme

1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer (questions below)
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS (option to put the name of artist in brackets next to it)
4. Tag at least 10 friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the note from.
**I think I need to use the first line of the song to get any GOOD answers...?**

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS "FU!" YOU Say?
No one Tattoo (No One/Tattoo cover- Boyce Avenue)

2) WHAT'S THE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
Viva La Vida (Cold Play)

3) WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
Tell Her this (Del Amitri)

4) WHAT WILL OPRAH'S NEXT SHOW BE CALLED?
Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)

5) WHAT WILL OBAMA'S FIRST EXECUTIVE ORDER BE?
Disterbia (Rihanna)

6) IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING TO THE PERSON YOU LOVE, IT WOULD BE?
World's on Fire (Sarah Mclaughlin)

7) IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING TO THE PERSON YOU HATE IT WOULD BE?
Hands Open (Snow Patrol)

8) WHAT WOULD YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE CALLED?
Ultimate Showdown (Lemon Demon)

9) WHAT IS LOVE?
Sweet and Low (Augustana)

10) WHAT IS HATE?
Who can it be now? (Men at Work)

11) WHAT IS YOUR BEST TRAIT?
Vivo Per Lei (Andea Bocelli)

12) WHAT IS YOUR WORST TRAIT?
One More Time (Daft Punk)

13) WHERE WILL YOU BE IN FIVE YEARS TIME?
Shake It (Metro Station)

14) HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU?
Good Enough (Evanescence)

15) WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU?
You (Evanescence)

16) WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Better in Time (Leona Lewis)

17) WHAT DO YOU WISH YOUR LOVER WOULD WHISPER IN YOUR EAR?
Paint it Black (Rolling Stones)

18) WHAT WILL SAVE THE WORLD?
I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

19) WHAT IS SEXY?
If I were a Boy (Beyonce)

20) WHAT IS FUNNY?
Shake that Ass (Eminem)

21) WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH?
Under the Bridge (Cover by Gym Class Heroes)

22) WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS?
Don't you forget about me (Cover by Rufio)

23) WHAT DO YOU DREAM ABOUT?
All That I've got (The Used)

24) WHAT GIVES YOU NIGHTMARES?
Over my Head (Cover by A Day to Remember)

25) WILL YOU EVER FIND 'THE ONE'?
Here to Stay (Xtina)

26) WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
That Green Gentleman (Panic at the Disco)

27) WHAT MAKES YOU SAD?
Come together (cover by Aerosmith)

28) WHAT'S THE STUPIDEST THING IN THE WORLD?
All the Dark Horses (The Trashcan Sinatras)

29) WHAT DO PEOPLE LOVE ABOUT YOU?
Through Glass (Stone Sour)

30) WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Iris (Goo Goo Dolls)

_____________________


1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question.

NO CHEATING...

What does next year have in store for me?
Who can it be now? (Men at Work)

What’s my love life like?
Time to say Goodbye (Paul Potts)

What do I say when life gets hard?
Shake it (Metro Station)

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
Love me like the world is ending (Ben Lee)

What song will I dance to at my "I got published" party
Catch My Disease (Ben Lee)

What do you want as a career?
Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows)

Your favorite saying?
Better in Time (Leona Lewis)

Favorite place?
Stay (Neyo)

What do you think of your parents?
Sweet Sacrifice (Evanescence)

Where would you go on a first date?
I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

Describe yourself?
Pain (Three Days Grace)

What is the thing I like doing most?
Angie Baby (Helen Reddy)

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
If I were a Boy (Beyonce)

How will I die?
You Don't know (50 Cent, Eminem and a Various other unimportant Rappers)

What do you do when you see your friends?
Feel Good Inc. (Gorillaz)

How does your boyfriend/girlfriend make you feel?
Under the Bridge (Cover by Gym Class Heroes)

How does your ex make you feel?
Hey Ya (Cover by Lorene Drive)

If you were to die today, you would feel (like)
Jumper (Cover by Bedlight for Blue Eyes)

Remembering Dennis.

This is a piece from Dennis' website. He was an amazing man and it is terrible to think he is gone...but He'd have withered away knowing he took a life and walked away from this scene.

Dennis facilitates workshops for audiences of all ages and abilities, passing on his message of the importance of preserving one's heritage. He believes that you have to know where you've been to know where you're going. His programs focus on de-mystifying stereotypes, emphasize respect for your own heritage and acceptance of others. Dennis speaks at local elementary and secondary schools, colleges, universities, conferences, and various community organizations. He brings the experience and training to IWA of generations of ancestors.

Dennis has worked with youth at risk for many years. In the past, he was employed as Director of Special Programs at a local placement facility. He has served as Community Service Liaison at the DuBois Area High School. Dennis conducts regular programming at the preschool, elementary, middle and high school levels in DuBois and the surrounding areas. He travels extensively in the capacity of consultant and motivational speaker.

Integrated World Arts Inc. is a non profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the importance of preserving the arts and making quality arts education available.

Specific programs operated by Integrated World Arts Inc. include community supported educational classes and workshops along with outreach demonstrations and seminars. We hope to expand these programs in the near future to include master classes and performances by visiting artists from around the world. These programs would be open to the public and supported by grant funding.

POSTED: 6:51 am EDT April 3, 2009
UPDATED: 7:05 pm EDT April 3, 2009

BEAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa.--A 1-year-old boy survived a full-speed, head-on car crash that killed his great-grandmother and her 13-year-old granddaughter Thursday night in Beaver Township, Clarion County.

State police said 73-year-old Esther Matthews was less than a mile from home when a car driven by 47-year-old Dennis Bussell crossed the centerline on Route 208 and slammed into her car."We got the call at 11:30 and then we just left and we went to the scene," said Matthews' grandson, Rusty Hartzell.Bussell, Matthews and Grace Elliot all died in the crash, which happened about one mile east of Knox Borough."At 2:30 in the morning, my mother got to my house and informed me that my daughter and her grandmother were in a car accident and killed," Vincent Elliot said.State Trooper John Herald said there were no skid marks to indicate that Bussell applied his brakes.

"There could be any number of reasons, but right now we don't know what caused his vehicle to cross that centerline," Herald said.Police said none of the victims was wearing a seat belt, and Matthews' airbag did not deploy upon impact.Trenton Buzard, Matthews' 1-year-old great-grandson, was in a child safety seat. He was flown to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh with moderate injuries.

Police are still investigating. They said most of the questions surrounding the crash probably won't be answered until toxicology test results are available."It hurts," Vincent Elliot said. "It was hard to imagine what my parents went through when my 17-year old brother died. Now I'm dealing with what they went through."

The Photo Below is all that was left of Dennis' Car...


I don't know what really happened, but I refuse to believe that Dennis was under the influence of anything. His life was too hard at a young age and it was a lesson well learned. He turned everything into a positive and everyone and all where is family. He changed the way my family thought and opened the door for them to see me in the light that I had always stood in. He gave me strength and inspired me. He gave me comfort at the most difficult time in my life and sent everyone peace.

He's with the great spirit now. I hope he knows just how many lives he touched.

Do you think....?

The Growing Book Meme!

I'd Love to see what everyone has read or wants to read. Don't forget to add 3 more books at the end.

1. )highlight the books you’ve read in BOLD
2.) Put books you Intend to read in Italics.
3.)Add Three of your own to the end of the list.

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. 1984, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corellis Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The Durbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alices Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Joness Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnights Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson 122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. Georges Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick OBrian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Element, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlottes Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophies World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, DC Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. Winters Heart, Robert Jordan
208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winters Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline Lengle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony
258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum
259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon
260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde
261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde
262. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
264. A Yellow Rraft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
266. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
267. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
268. Witch of Blackbird Pond, Joyce Friedland
269. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. OBrien
270. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
271. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
272. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
273. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
274. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
275. The Kitchen Gods Wife, Amy Tan
276. The Bone Setters Daughter, Amy Tan
277. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
278. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
279. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
280. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
281. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
282. Haunted, Judith St. George
283. Singularity, William Sleator
284. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
285. Different Seasons, Stephen King
286. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
287. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
288. The Bookmans Wake, John Dunning
289. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
290. Illusions, Richard Bach
291. Magics Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
292. Magics Promise, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magics Price, Mercedes Lackey
294. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
295. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
296. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
297. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
298. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace.
299. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison.
300. The Cider House Rules, John Irving.
301. Enders Game, Orson Scott Card
302. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
303. The Lions Game, Nelson Demille
304. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
305. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
306. Foucaults Pendulum, Umberto Eco
307. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
308. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
309. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
310. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
311. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
312. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
313. The Giver, Lois Lowry
314. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
315. Xenogenesis (or Liliths Brood), Octavia Butler
316. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
317. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil)
319. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
320. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
321. Beowulf, Anonymous
322. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
323. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
324. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
325. Passage, Connie Willis
326. Otherland, Tad Williams
327. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
328. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
329. Beloved, Toni Morrison
330. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christs Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
331. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
332. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
333. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
334. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
335. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
336. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
337. The Genesis Code, John Case
338. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen
339. Paradise Lost, John Milton
340. Phantom, Susan Kay
341. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
342. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
343: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
344: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
345: The Winter of Magics Return, Pamela Service
346: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
347. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
348. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
349. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime ONeill
350. Othello, by William Shakespeare
351. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
352. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
353. Sati, Christopher Pike
354. The Inferno, Dante
355. The Apology, Plato
356. The Small Rain, Madeline Lengle
357. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
358. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
359. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
360. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
361. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
362. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
363 Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
364. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
365. The Moors Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
366. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
367 A Passage to India, E.M. Forster loved
368. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
369. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
370. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
371. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
372. Howls Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
373. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
374. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
375. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
376. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
377. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
378. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
379. Time for Bed by David Baddiel
380. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
381. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
382. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
383. Sewer, Gas, and Eletric by Matt Ruff
384. Jhereg by Steven Brust
385. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
386. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
387. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
388. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
389. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
390. Neuromancer, William Gibson
391. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
392. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
393. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
394. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
395. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
396. Childhoods End, Arthur C. Clarke
397. A Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman
398. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
399. The God Boy, Ian Cross
400. The Beekeepers Apprentice, Laurie R. King
401. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
402. Misery, Stephen King
403. Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters
404. Hood, Emma Donoghue
405. The Land of Spices, Kate OBrien
406. The Diary of Anne Frank
407. Regeneration, Pat Barker
408. Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
409. Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina Garcia
410. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
411. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
412. Dealing with Dragons, Patricia Wrede
413. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
414. A Severed Wasp - Madeleine Lengle
415. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
416. The Mabinogion (Ancient Welsh Tales) - translated by Lady Charlotte E. Guest
417. The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
418. Desire of the Everlasting Hills - Thomas Cahill
419. The Cloister Walk - Kathleen Norris
420. The Things We Carried, Tim OBrien
421. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
422. Choke, Chuck Palahniuk
423. Enders Shadow, Orson Scott Card
424. The Memory of Earth, Orson Scott Card
425. The Iron Tower, Dennis L. McKiernen
426. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
427. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeline L’Engle
428. Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy
429. Hyperion, Dan Simmons
430. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, Jon McGregor
431. The Bridge, Iain Banks
432. Everythings Eventual, Steven King
433. The Taking, Dean Koontz
434. Many Lives, Many Masters, Brian L Weiss
435. Not What You Expected, Joan Aiken
436. Fifth Business, Robertson Davies
437. Loitering with Intent, Muriel Spark
438. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri
439. In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alvarez
437. The Pursuit of Love, Nancy Mitford
438. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
439. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
440. Paper Towns, John Green

And now for something a little different...

• Take your cell phone
• Open your text message inbox
• Answer the questions with a first sentence of the text message that has arrived
• Question 1 - First sentence from the first message
• Question 2 - First sentence from the second message, etc… you get the idea

1. What would you say if your significant other stepped out on you?
“Delivery Period Elapsed.”

2. What do you always say to your best friend?
“K. Found your lighter. Be up in a few.”

3. What is first thing you would say if your friend was hit by a bus?
“Going to burn the rest. Join if you want.”

4. What is the worst thing you could say to your enemy?
“Soon.”

5. What does your mother say before you go to sleep?
“We miss you too.”

6. What would you scream if you won over a million in lottery?
“Lol...;-) Theory is good.”

7. What would you like to hear the most?
“Big Beautiful assets.”

8. What would you say if a hitchhiker asked you for a ride?
“Love Ya too Babe.”

9. What would you say to God if you met him?
“Curl Joe!”

10. What will be your last words?
“You know, car stereo, things like that.”

26 Things Photography Savenger hunt.

sound press turn label wheels silence new

old list creep stand off admiration mess always

half strings hallway grand graffiti juicy

instrument logo on the horizon yawn bump macro http://sh1ft.org/projects/

Beautiful.

Please click on it and let me know what you think.

Another Meme. Because they are fun.

1) Which books do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
Twilight.I don't want to hear it. I just won't.

2) If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
I want Stephan from The Mercy Thompson Series to go on a road trip with me in his Mystery Machine!!!! *complete with stuffed Scooby Doo.* I'm also thinking I'd like to eat pizza with Biff from Lamb by Christopher Moore.I haven't finished that book yet, but man, have I laughed. (And Laughed and laughed...and laughed some more.) The third one? Uh....Dumbledore. Yes, Dumbledore. Hereminds me of my Grandpa. Except for the gay bit. (Cool for Dumbledore, but not so much for my Grandpa.)

3) (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Forde): You are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
Anything written by Oscar Wilde. The Picture of Dorian Grey damn near killed me.

4) Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I know the stories so damned well I just don't feel the need to read them. I have read The Hobbit though.

5) You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why?
Again with the Harry Potter. I'm a big fan, can you tell? Though, I'm sure I could recommend something light and fun. Artemis Fowl and the book Holes Louis Sachar got my little sister (who hated reading) to read. In turn, she got me to read those books and I loved them too.

6) A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
This one made me think for a long time and I'm still not too sure about the answer. If tis my favorite book, I may come to not like it being forced into reading it year after year of my life. I believe I would decline the gift. After all, I've read enough books to know that a faerie doesn't just give you something without some sort of price...OR some sort of twisted entertainment for themselves. Key word there was mischievous.

The Jess. In Monochrome.

This is sic. If I didn't have boobs....

Another Book Meme...because I'm Bored.

1. First book to leave a lasting impression?
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. That I can remember. Or was it Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls? I do know I cried because of both novels. I loved both of them, but probably Where the Red Fern Grows more so. I'm not sure why, but I think it was because I could understand the boy's point of view far easier than the boys in The Outsiders.

2. Which author would you most like to be?
Hum. I'm thinking J.K. Rowling. Then I could say,"What? You want an 8th book? You got it!" Yea, that'd be pretty awesome. Or I could be Patricia Briggs. Then I could write more about Ben. Because, well, I like Ben. A lot. And there simply isn't enough of him.

3. Name the book that has most made you want to visit a place?
Memoirs of a Geisha, Morrigan's Cross, Moon Called, The Di Vinci Code....take your pick.

4. Which contemporary author will still be read in 100 years time?
I'm thinking Harry Potter will be read for quite some time, but I don't think It will be in schools. Too many people think its "The Devil". I'm also thinking that The Lord of the Rings will be read still for ages to come.

However, I believe John Green's books could possibly be read 100 Years from now. His characters and stories are easily related to, regardless if you have a flying car or not.

5. Which book would you recommend to a teenager reluctant to try ‘literature’?
Um, That's hard to say. Depends on the person. Literature is hard to get into, but perhaps I'd recommend some Edgar Allen Poe. Not sure if that counts...but I remember reading quite a bit of him in school.

6. Name your best recent literary discovery?
Recent? Eh...Oh man...The Mercy Thompson Series? That's not all that recent. She publishes a book a year and she has 4 books out now...for that series anyway. I'm also a big fan of Holly Black's Urban Fantasy books. Tithe and Valiant...I haven't read her recent book release, Ironside. Shame on me.

7. Which author’s fictional world would you most like to live in?
J. K. Rowling's. Hands down. The idea of it all just makes me incredibly happy. Even if I'm a Muggle, I'd love to know a witch or wizard and be a part of that world.

8. Name your favourite poet?
Poe perhaps? I don't think I have a distinct favorite.

9. What’s the best non-fiction title you’ve read this year?
None. Haven't read any yet this year.

10. Which author do you think is much better than his/her reputation?
Dan Brown. He gets a bad rap because he writes a book or two about religious conspiracies. People are just stupid. Also, Arthur Golden. He wrote a fictional story about a Geisha and the Geisha he interviews throws a tizzy because it wasn't "accurate". Who cares? Its a FICTIONAL story. I enjoyed it, that's all that matters to me. It was believable. If I wanted to know all about Geisha I'd pick up a NON-FICTION book. Jerks.

1.) Looking for Alaska- John Green
2.) Harry Potter: The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.k. Rowling
3.) Brisngr - Chistopher Paolini (STILL Currently Reading.)
4.) Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
5.) Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colffer
6.) Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident - Eion Colfer
7.) Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code - Eion Colfer
8.) Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception - Eion Colfer
9.) Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History - Art Spiegelman
10.) Bone Crossed - Patrticia Briggs
11.) The BFG - Roald Dahl
12.) Ever After - Wendy Loggia
13.) The Last Unicorn - Peter Speagle
14.) The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
15.) God Went to Beauty School - Cynthia Rylant

In My Pants.

It has occurred to me, that I simply do not think anymore. I used to. I use to think to the point of thinking too much. I used to be entertaining on my own, I didn't need someone else there to give me the courage to talk to someone else.

Now, I work. I sleep. I read books to escape the boring life I lead. I don't have as many friends as I should like and I didn't have that many over the course of my life either. High school ended early for me, and I was most glad for it. However, what little social life I had was extinguished with responsibility and the desire to do things on my own.

I wonder what happened to me? Maybe I was pretending then...or maybe I'm pretending now?

Either way, one of us was a fake.

The Book Shelf Meme- Because I can't help myself.

The Rules
1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going!
2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair, so that Eva can collect everyone’s answers.
3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a bookmooch point if you prefer.
4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water…
5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.

And now, tell me about:

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest: That's rather hard to say. I've got a great deal of books, but I'd have to say Where is Daddy?: A Story of Divorce by Beth Geoff. It was given to me at one point by some sort of social worker to help me "cope" with my parents divorcing. I still like it, to be honest. Now that I'm older, I understand it on a deeper level than when I was a kid. I remember felt frustrated because the Father in the story screamed at the little girl a lot. My dad did too, so I didn't read it much then. I don't really now some to think of it.

Its got a cracked cover...and I believe a big chunk missing from the corner...but on a whole, the pages are still bound the spine in one piece. That's pretty darned good considering I've had it since I was at least 5.

A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time, etc.): I was talking, just yesterday, to Jessica and Aunt Razz that I won't use conditioner in my hair because it makes my hair slick and stick straight to my head. This makes me feel dirty because I read Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson-Levine my Freshman year. In this book, the step-sister, had curly blond hair that stuck to her head as if they were glued on. What's so bad about that? He stank of sour milk. I also have a fear of stinking. Does this count as a logical answer?

I did read a book about a girl who was molested as a child written entirely in poetry. That also struck home with me. I wish I could remember the name of it. (EDIT: Found it. Learning to Swim by Ann Turner.)

A book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used bookstore, prize, etc.): I buy a lot of used books. In goodwill, the "Peddlers Market" in town, garage sales, and free book boxes at the library or the laundry room in my complex. Yesterday I Bought a book about Williamsburg Virginia, The complete works of Sherlock Holmes, a book about religion, and Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. Not so long ago I bought An Abundance of Katherines by John Green at goodwill for about $2. It was the 2nd book he published and the only one out of his 3 that I didn't own. I usually never look in the book bin, because there is nothing but romance novels and books about GOD.

Other than that, I've never had an interesting story...short of my mother giving me some really old books of my Great Aunt Isy's and Grandfather's. Which, I suppose is interesting.

The book whose loss would traumatize you the most: Most of them. I have an almost unhealthy attachment to my books. Though, I'd miss my Lord of the Ring Trilogy the most, I think. I have the Super old, falling apart, 'been-in-the-family-for-3-generations' copies. I think my heart would break just a little.

A book that’s been with you to the most places: That's really difficult to pin point. I don't like carrying my books with me much. I worry they'll be damaged. Nothing I personally own has been taken too many places, but The Harry Potter Series has moved with me from house to house over the years...the same with Where is Daddy?. But, I have taken various copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with me all through school and lord only knows where else.

A bonus book that you want to talk about but doesn’t fit into the other questions: I have a lot of books like that, actually. Books my Grandfather bought me and books he owned, Books that My family has kept onto for at least 3 generations, and the books that I cannot wait to pass onto my children. To list everything would take me months. Or more.

Now, I tag (Since I know there are a few of my friends who read this blog-o-mine):
Snot-Licker, Dawny-spice, and Jessica.