After the bitter cold start to the year we are going to be having an unusual thaw for the next five days or so. We may get close to 40 degrees (F) today! That means all of our beautiful snow will be melting and bare muddy patches will start to show through. I am hoping that when it gets cold again we get walloped with a big snow storm, preferably on the weekend so I can stay home and curl up with a book.
My vacation is winding down. Earlier today my Bookman and I went and saw the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Walker Art Center. The beauty and pain in many of the paintings brought tears to my eyes. I have three books that I have finished to tell you about too. But not today. Today I want to mention Litlove’s new endeavor, The Best New Writing on the Web. Do be sure to check it out if you haven’t already. She has found some marvelous writing for the first edition.
In honor of 2008 being the International Year of Planet Earth, Sylvia has created a reading challenge to go along with it. Read a book, preferably more, that has to do with earth science. Easy. Since there have been a few books I’ve been wanting to read that fit this category nicely, why not make 2008 the year? Here are my choices:
- Krakatoa by Simon Winchester (I loved his Crack in the Edge of the World a book that would be great if you want to read about earthquakes)
- The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
- Annals of the Former World by John McPhee
- The Future of Ice: A Journey Into Cold by Gretel Ehrlich
Not a long list, but respectable I think. Plus it makes my inner scientist happy. I get so excited about physics and biology sometimes I forget I like earth science too.
I also need to give blogging credit to Dickens and Waldo:
How I ever did anything on my computer without them, I will never know.
What a cute picture!
And, lucky you that you got to see the Kahlo exhibit. Is this one going around the country? I’m such a fan of Kahlo’s work. Did you ever watch the movie Frida? I loved it… Had to get the DVD and soundtrack.
Sounds like a great reading challenge! I just might try it.
It’s been freezing at work all week (no doubt the heat was turned down while the campus was closed down), so I am hoping we do get those warmer temps, too. Of course it will look all dingey with no snow, but it is already looking brown and bare. I’d like to read a book or two for Sylvia’s challenge, too. I’ll have to ponder what to read as I don’t read many books on nature or science (though I really should). And I love the cat photo. Cat’s can be very helpful when you are trying to accomplish something…
Happy New Year! We are supposed to get the big thaw too and I am dreading it…I love all the snow, everything looks so lovely. Looking forward to another year of your bog!
What sweet cats you have, Stefanie. Our dog is asleep at my feet, hoping as always that I’ll drop something more interesting than my pencil. And now, we’re off to the library in the torrential rains that have arrived in northern California — to look for a little earth reading. xo, BL
Dickens and Waldo are obviously great help!
Seems like we’ll have opposite weather patterns. We’re supposed to get a big snowstorm this weekend. Meanwhile, I LOVE the snow-melting sunny weather. Hopping over puddles on my hike makes me feel like a kid again, like Christopher Robin in his big yellow boots. And the sunshine always makes me smiley. And we have opposite snowstorm hopes, too! I want them on weekdays so I get a day off, and instead they always seem to come Friday night when we’re invited to dinner 30 miles away, and are gone by Sunday. Grr.
That Earth challenge looks like great fun. I’m going to go check it out.
Thanks for the knitting tips! I responded in my own blog, but I don’t know if you’ll make it over there, so I wanted to thank you here.
P.S. Love your curls! Have you read Curly Girl by Deborah Chiel?
I mean Lorraine Massey! Chiel just contributes.
We’re in the same weather pattern, at least — I’m looking forward to the weekend thaw. I hope you like Krakatoa — it’s one of the best examples of popular history/science books I’ve ever come across. (And typically, I hate those kind of books.)
Dickens and Waldo are absolutely vivaciously gorgeous!
Things are warming up here too — and I have to say it makes me very happy! It’s so much easier to train when it’s in the 40s, as opposed to the teens. I really don’t mind if there’s no snow. But I hope you get your snowstorm, and that it stays far away from us!
Have you seen this? I’d like to think you played a part in that!
How I love that photo! It’s worthy of I Can Has Cheezeburger! Thank you so much for the mention, Stefanie, I do appreciate it. And I’ll be interested to see how you get on with the earth sciences books. I’ve never read anything like that and am hoping the reviews of others will encourage me!
I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that Ellie has such a crush on Waldo.
Iliana, thanks. I don’t know if the Kahlo exhibit is traveling. I think it might be. If it is and it makes it to your area, it is definitely worth the price of admission. There were so many of her more famous pieces that I have seen in books, seeing them in person was awe inspiring. I have seen the movie and enjoyed it very much.
Kim, hope you jump in. Should be fun.
Danielle, I hope you are getting some of the warm weather. I hope you join Sylvia’s challenge because I know you will pick some interesting books! Cat’s are very helpful aren’t they? Do yours like to help with your needlework?
Courtney, and happy New Year to you too! Thank you. At least we know that there will be more snow soon!
Thank you Bloglily! I hope you manage to stay dry an safe. The news out hear has been making your weather sound really bad.
Dew, thanks! I have the Curly Girl book and love it! I like the snow melting sunny weather in March and April, but knowing that spring is far away at this point, it only makes it harder when the real deep cold hits later this month.
Imani, I expect I will like Krakatoa. I tend to enjoy stuff like that, especially if it is well written, which it sounds like it is.
Cip, you’re going to make Jack jealous!
Dorothy, we are supposed to get snow on Tuesday. Hopefully it will stay far away from you so you can keep riding and running.
bluestockinglibrarian, I have indeed! I like to think I had something to do with it too
Litlove, thank you and you are most welcome. I do like science a lot. I was a biology major before I turned to English lit. I decided I would rather dissect texts than cats and pigs. I’m sure there will be an earth science book or two that will spark your interest!
Susan, Waldo would blush if he could. I’m sure he would be happy to show off his bushy stumpy tail for Ellie. He is very proud of it.
Your picture could be about me and my two cats Nirvana and Archie (aka Mr Whiskers Jr & Sr). N loves sitting in the space between me and my laptop, preferably with his head on my arm. Archie loves stretching out on the keyboard, so whenever he is anywhere near I have to save whatever it is I am doing, otherwise he’ll most likely accidentally delete it. But I couldn’t do without either Jr or Sr anymore!
Humm, a challenge in which I only have to complete one book? I think even I might be able to do that. I think I have the perfect book in mind too…
Myrthe, your cats and mine must be cousins or something! i know what you mean though, I couldn’t do without mine either.
JS, yup, you only need to complete one book and you have a whole year to do it in!