Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Good News....Bad News

Merry Christmas, first of all! It has definitely been a memorable Christmas for us!

First the good news: I get to spend an extra two days here in Tennessee with my family. Which leads directly into the bad news...the extension of our trip is not due to something fun and Christmassy like snow, but a really bad bout of food poisoning, or one of the nastiest viruses I have ever seen. Sunday night we were on our way back from visiting my Mom's family in Atlanta, and we stopped at an Arby's for dinner. As soon as we got home, Mom headed for the bathroom and threw up. Several "episodes" and an hour later, my Dad joined her. Carrie fell victim a few hours after that, followed by Brian. By God's mercy I was spared, so I spent all night emptying buckets, getting wet washcloths and trying to help. Around 6:30 am, I took Brian and Carrie to the ER, where they got some fluids and anti-nausea drugs pumped into them. I brought them back home, caught a couple hours sleep, and then took my parents to the ER. The second time I went, the doctor had encouraging news for me: there is a really bad virus going around and he's sure I'll get it in a few days. Yea. So far, my stomach has rumbled at me a bit, but I'm not feeling anywhere NEAR as bad as the rest of them. Today everyone was up and we managed to open gifts, but that pretty much used up their entire store of energy. So you could pray for us. For healing and restoration for every one else, and that I will continue to stay healthy. I've never seen any of them that sick, and I'd really like to not join them.

Hope ya'll have a great Christmas, without so much "excitement!"

Thursday, December 6, 2007

8 (or so) Favorite Books

So after being kindly and justifiably reprimanded for not updating my blog, here I am. I may be writing to myself, though, as everyone else has probably given up on checking my blog by this point. ;)

I'm currently reading Dumas' "Count of Monte Cristo." Re-reading, actually. But I had a suspicion that I didn't fully appreciate it the first time I read it. That suspicion has been confirmed, and I've been thinking that CMC may end up on my list of favorite books. Which leads us to this posting. I started thinking about other books that are among my favorites, and decided that I would create my own "8 things" list. So here are 8 of my favorite books. Not in any order, because for me, that's impossible.

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Sci-fi novel that I have read so many times the cover has literally fallen off (it was just a cheap paperback, but still)

2. Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas

3. Amelia Peabody series by Eleizabeth Peters - (Yes, this is a whole series, not just one book, but since I'm making this list, I get to make the rules!) Amelia and her family are Egyptologists around the turn of the last century. Their excavation seasons are frequently interrupted by one or more dead bodies, and each book is an entertaining chronicle of their crime-solving capers. If I had to pick a favorite within the series, it would probably be "He Shall Thunder in the Sky"

4. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Heard of this book from Heather Ferguson (she made the book club read it) It's another murder mystery, but with some interesting twists.

5. Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers - (another murder mystery, I didn't know I was so blood-thirsty) I haven't technically read this one since Brian and I listened to the audiobook last Christmas break, but I think it may be my favorite in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.

Hmm...this is getting difficult. I should be doing this at home, where I can run downstairs and look at our bookcases, but I'm at work. I know most people don't need to be reminded of things in their "favorites" lists, but I've never been one to catalogue things into favorites.

6. War and Peace by Tolstoy - I'll add this to the list because it took me three tries to makes it all the way through. The first two attempts I got stuck in the same place (if I ever decide to re-read it, I'm only reading "Peace") But when I finally finished it, I remember thinking it was well-worth the effort and was a great book.

Well, it's about the end of my lunch break, and I can't bring any more titles to mind. So I'll leave you with only 6 favorite books and hopefully later I can finish out the list.