Monday, January 20, 2014

Life In Bullets

  • Things have been fairly good lately. I'm learning that sometimes you just have to throw things out into the universe and hope that things work themselves out. Not that life is always that easy. In fact, it's rare that life is that easy but it's nice when every now and then the universe throws something good back at you, isn't it? I guess what I'm learning more than anything is to recognize these things when it can sometimes be much much easier to notice all of the other crap.
  • Charli has been coming around again! Not that she had disappeared for long, but she did disappear for about two weeks which I guess stray cats can do sometimes. But here's one for you....when she showed up again, she showed up with a pink collar on! Now I'm wondering if I've been taking in someone else's cat....I'm leaning towards no for a few reasons...she had her kittens out in the wild...she still roams out around the apartment complex...and I think someone actually may have gone and gotten her fixed during those two weeks that she was gone because she's been sleeping a lot when she comes over and looking like she's having healing time. The collar has no identifying information on it either. I think someone may have put it on her so that she doesn't get picked up by animal control. Even though she stays here most nights now, she's sort of the "apartment complex cat". It's really cute...I'll see her playing with all of the kids by the play area, she'll hang out by other people who are outside smoking. Everyone over here loves her :p 
  • I've finally gotten some reading done! I've been focusing on Long Awaited Reads and even though my reading has been completely shitty this year so far, it's been quality shit. I started with A Cool Moonlight by Angela Johnson which was a beautiful little story about a girl with a rare disorder that doesn't allow her to be out in the sun. It's quite the magical little fairy tale of a story that's both heartwarming and bittersweet at the same time. After that I read a graphic memoir, Stitches by David Small, which I've been wanting to read for quite some time! What a great book! But what a heartbreaking book too. It tells the story of the author's childhood growing up with two parents with issues of their own leaving him severely neglected to the point where it affected his physical health, eventually leaving him without a voice, both literally and figuratively. Highly recommended. And then I literally just finished The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and wow! This book has a little bit of everything in it...I laughed, cried, felt angered, hurt and the whole story is so endearing. Told through the eyes of a young Latino girl in Chicago through short chapters, it encapsulates the experience and gives a voice to many that isn't heard enough. So many beautiful, poetic passages in this one. 
  • I checked out Stitches along with a few other books from my local library. I'm telling you this because I finally, after living here almost two years, got a library card! It's ridiculous that I hadn't gotten a library card before now but there's a reason. I had intentionally not done so because my TBR is so huge that I didn't want to be deterred from it. But then Debi went and convinced me that I had to read A People's History of American Empire and seeing as no bookstores had it, I decided to visit my library and pick up their copy. All of the librarians there are WONDERFUL! And so very friendly! Not at all like the librarians in the parish I used to live in who, sadly, were just rude and seemed to hate their jobs :( So glad I discovered my library :) They seem to have some great programs too! So maybe it'll add to my social life a bit too! 
  • Hmmm....I feel like I wanted to write about more stuff but that's all I can think of for now. Hope everyone is having a wonderful January! My local meteorologist says we have a chance of snow flurries Thursday night here!!!! While the mention of snow makes most of you groan I'm sure, it makes me super excited :p So keep your fingers crossed for me that I get the rare chance to see a bit of snow ;)

14 comments:

Becky said...

Oh my goodness, Stitches gutted me!!! I wanted to talk to anyone about that one for so long after I read it, but couldn't find a single person who had read it. That one is so haunting, isn't it? I loved it though and felt the author brilliantly captured his emotions in such a graphic way. Brilliant.

Sounds like that cat might be someone else's in and out cat too maybe? I wonder if someone else is watching it like you are doing? My cat now was actually a cat that our neighbor kept letting in and thought he would adopt, and then we kept doing the same thing. Finally, he came over one night and saw it at our house. We talked about it and he had three others and just told us to take him. Crazy cat had been making himself two homes! :) I wonder if that's the case here?

Okay. Fingers crossed for snow, although I DO think you're crazy. LOL. Although, I get it. It's fun getting weather you don't normally get. :)

Debi said...

Lucky for me, the mention of snow does *not* make me groan. :P

I'm so happy to hear you loved Stitches! I have it out of the library right now, just waiting for Feb! Maybe I'll start with that one. And I'm so glad you enjoyed The House on Mango Street! I just reread it last month, and loved it just as much the second time around.

And HOORAY for you getting a library card!!! So glad to hear you love your new branch!!!

Happy Tuesday, dear friend!!! (And expect an email later.)

DesLily said...

ohhh I wish I was there for the snow!!!! I know how I am just to have some cool weather (note I just posted on my blog about it) ..the thought of seeing snow is a glorious one..

Glad you posted I've missed you a lot.

Snowball said...

I absolutely loved The House on Mango Street.

I've been out cleaning up the garden in a tee shirt the past few days, and my spring bulbs are either blooming or getting ready to.

We are heading into water rationing this summer after many dry winters. Enjoy your snow if you get it, but stay warm.

Beth F said...

I've had Stitches since it came out and haven't gotten to it yet. I know it will be a hard read.

Yay for the return of Charli!

Vasilly said...

Yay for great librarians and good reads! Stitches and House on Mango Street are fantastic reads. I'm so glad you enjoyed both of them.

Thanks for the Xmas card! I plan on sending a card soon.

A Cool Midnight is going on my tbr list.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you get some snow! ;-)

Kailana said...

I am glad Charli has been fixed. :) And that she came back. She sounds like a great cat.

Stephanie said...

Hi Chris!! I just wanted to stop by and say I miss you all terribly, but my head really hasn't been in any way, shape or form to blog. At all. I've barely had time to read. Sadly, I've had to take some time off from school. We just couldn't afford it. Maybe 2 semesters left. My back has been really giving me pain, and working as much as I can.

Even though I've said it before, I hope to get back to blogging sometime. I just have to get right with myself. I do miss you guys. I miss the interaction. I feel really lonely without it.

I hope you are having a wonderful 2014. Keep in touch!!

Stephanie said...

By the way....I've seen enuf snow this year for both of us!!

Bookfool said...

I haven't read any of those books but friends have gushed about Mango Street and Stitches. I'm glad you've found some quality reading material! And, I know what you mean about just throwing things out in the world and hoping something good will come back.

I have looked at your last post many times but I've always been in the iPad (hence the lack of a comment). So many good titles on that list! I've read Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (I adore Roddy Doyle), Daddy Long-Legs (a childhood favorite), The Sex Lives of Cannibals (hilarious), Ella Minnow Pea (both funny and sinister), and part of On the Road (wrong mood but I'll try it, again). I have a copy of Saplings from Persephone and I've wanted to read Last Chance to See for a long, long time but still haven't acquired a copy. I think I have a copy of Code Name Verity in ebook form but I'm not certain. Anyway, lots of good stuff, there. I hope you have a great reading year!

Bookfool said...

Completely forgot to say that if Charli was fixed she'd have a shaved belly, since she's a girl. It's usually pretty obvious. It takes a while for the fur to grow back. I'm glad she's doing well and so loved by everyone in your apartment complex!

Daphne said...

You might try wrapping a little note around her collar or something, asking if she is someone's cat, and see if you get a call. Glad she's looked after in some fashion..

tohko said...

Did you see snow then? Hope you saw some, even if it was a little. I doubt it won't snow here this winter. ( I LOVE SNOW! One of my dreams since I was a kid is making a huge human size snowman!)

Anonymous said...

Aw, congrats on getting that library card! :)

And your comment "though my reading has been completely shitty this year so far, it's been quality shit" - Hey! It's only a few weeks in to the year! January is usually my biggest reading month. I will watch it slip soon.