Sunday I wanted to watch the superbowl.. and indeed I did watch ONE hour of it before I turned it off.  It wasn't the teams I didn't want to see, and it wasn't the scores I didn't want to see...rather it was the LACK OF not seeing what I wanted to see, which was the GAME!  I am not a happy camper!

My one hour went thusly:  5 minutes of football,... 10 minutes of commercials... 5 minutes of football... 10 minutes of commercials.. 5 minutes of football... well you get the idea!  And what was the crowning glory of it all you ask?  It was each time they came back to the game and then TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GONE!  Hello?  This is TELEVISION folks!  If I wanted to HEAR what happened I'd have turned on the radio!!

Don't get me wrong.. I understand the commercials for this particular game is mega-big-time... and they are funny...but when did it become more about the commercials and less about the game????  I will not watch another superbowl game!  ...but I am glad to READ this morning that the Saints won!... but I am still not a happy camper.

(at least these people got to see it without commercials!)

**********************************************

Ah.. did I mention that I got up at 4:30 am yesterday to see the night launch of the shuttle? ah.. no? well.. I got up ...it was scrubbed.  and I couldn't get back to sleep... I am not a happy camper.

Did I mention I slept past 4:30 until 5 am this morning?  And did I mention the launch went off "on schedule"?  

I am not a happy camper!! AAARRGGHHH! 

And to add insult to injury there are only 4 more launches for the Shuttle before that program shuts down..

Want more?... the President is going to take the money away from the Moon shot!!!!......... nope.. I am not a happy camper.

 American astronauts will not return to the moon as planned if Congress passes President Obama's proposed budget.

After my 2 mile walk on Friday, I took my camera outside to snap a photo of our resident squirrel's home..

...as I was doing this.. the resident squirrel showed up !

... and checked me out to be sure his home was safe...

Then he jutted up....

...and down, his tree to show me this was HIS tree!

I was tired and sweaty from my walk and just left him on his tree acting all squirrely!

Magic & Malice  by Patricia C Wrede

Hardcover: 420 pages
Publisher: SFBC Fantasy; SF Book Club edition (1998)
ISBN-10: 156865684X

If you wish to read this book as a hardback you will have to find a used copy.

The book is a combination of two books that Ms Wrede has written: Mairelon the Magician and Magician's Ward.  I will post them as two individual posts.

I just finished reading the first part of the book: Mairelon the Magician.

As a paper back:

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Starscape (April 15, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0765342324

From School Library Journal

YA-- This historical fantasy borrows many of the conventions of the historical romance to create a frothy tale that should appeal to a broader audience than would a straightforward fantasy, romance, or historical novel. Kim is surviving the streets of some London in never-never land by disguising herself as a boy and working at the least objectionable and illegal tasks offered to her. She knows that her age is bringing her masquerade to an end, so when fortune throws the mysterious, but apparently honorable, Mairelon in her path with the offer of a job and a destination, she takes the opportunity. From this point, the plot plunges headlong into a convoluted story involving magic, disguised noblemen, sacred vessels, and a ``put all the subjects in the same room and we'll solve this mystery'' conclusion. Trying to stay one guess ahead of Kim and one behind the dashing Mairelon will keep the pages turning. Although Kim is a somewhat vague conception, Mairelon qualifies as a fully realized romantic hero.

I quite enjoyed the first of the two books joined in this hardback version.  I have read other books by Patricia C Wrede and enjoyed them so when I found this older book I thought I'd give it a go.

As it turns out it's a bit of a mystery surrounded by magicians and magical artifacts , truths and lies... not a bad combination.

I did have a little difficulty though (not enough to make me put it down lol).. first off I found it had a bit many characters to try to remember them all and how they connected or didn't connect.. but I plowed on..

Then there was the fact of some of the language used.. "blimey, it ain't easy!" (my own quote heh)

There were words such as:  "I ain't no flat" (flat? huh? ), or "you're bosky"(bosky?).  How about "gammoning the cull"? (uh gammoning? cull?), or "Bilking old Tom out of a tog and kicks" (tog & kicks?? lord help me!)

But no matter, I found quickly that if I kept reading I got the idea of what was being said, and although at times I thought I was reading a foreign language.. oh wait.. I was! heh.  I did enjoy the story very much.

Mairelon the magician was a pretty neat character of which you don't learn "all" about him until the very end!

Kim, the young girl thief passing herself off as a boy was interesting too.. once again you find out some surprises at the end about Kim too!

Amazons review is quite good although I'm not sure I would list Mairelon as a "romantic hero"??.. guess you should read it for yourself and find out !

My mind wandered (as it does most days).  Today it chose to see what the hunk, Karl Urban has been up too. (oh how I wish they'd move faster at another Star Trek movie!)

What I found is that he is a very busy actor!  One movie, filming jumped out at me on IMdb. 

The movie titled Red.  

Release date: 22 October 2010 (USA)

Plot: When his idyllic life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last ditch effort to survive.

As my eyes scrolled down ...my jaw dropped open!

...just look at this cast!!!

   Bruce Willis     Ernest Borgnine     Morgan Freeman 

 Karl Urban     Mary-Louise Parker      Helen Mirren

 John Malkovich      Brian Cox       Richard Dreyfuss

Oh yeah! my hunk is playing with some of the "big boys"!!!! 

I am so happy for him I can't express it !!!! 

The thought of jumping up and down and doing a back flip came to mind.. but then so did "hospital visit", so I remained in my computer chair with a huge grin on my face!

You can count on the fact that I will be waiting on this movie to be released!!  I might even have to be first in line ! (that's something I haven't done since the original star trek movies!)

I find myself grinning like a Cheshire cat and doing that dance that looks like you are stirring a pot... "go Karl!  go Karl! go Karl!" oh yeah! Happy dance time!

Now.. if I could just get him to do a convention!

Oh my!  I received a surprise package from Cath (my sis) across the pond, in England!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Cath!!!!

No sooner had I opened the package and grabbed my handy-dandy camera to take a photo , than I found the BooBoo Kitty checking out the new books!

 Irish Ghosts and Haunting's by Michael Scott: yes, the same Michael Scott who is writing the Nicholas Flamel series of YA books!

Product Description

What is it about Ireland’s past that so haunts the imagination? More than one answer can be found in Michael Scotts’s powerful new collection of 29 tales. To start with, in a newly Christianized Ireland, monks do battle with a devilish monster that has killed a river. All the water in this collection, from rivers to lakes, conceal dangers that men and women would best avoid. Ready to tempt Ireland’s new conquerors — humankind— supernatural forces hide beneath waves, in bogs, in the very land, waiting. With his usual inventiveness, Michael Scott juxtaposes the old and the new, the ancient and modern, showing that in everyday situations, the curses of Ireland’s mythic past lie imp–like, threatening destruction.

...and Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders  by Gyles Brandreth.  About all I know of this one is it's a murder mystery and Cath raved about it!  It's also an Import if one wants it.

When I went to take a second photo in case the first did not come out.. there was Boo again still looking at the books!

BooBoy always hides when I get the camera out so I wonder what was so fascinating to him to stay around the books while I took pictures?! Maybe Cath was cooking something good when she packaged them and the smell is on the books! One the other hand, if he thinks I am going to read them out loud to him he's crazy!

Thanks again and again sis!!

I had a pathetic start to 2010..

But I will admit that I've been doing a lot of crocheting and watching more television than I normally do.

And considering it is only 4 books that I've read the page count isn't too shabby ... 1,756. Granted there are no chunksters but still.. there are also no books under 200 pgs.

Yesterday was nothing special but hey it's all I've got to talk about

I tried making my first "doily" yesterday.  I didn't have the cotton thread for it so I used old baby yarn someone gave me because it was quite thin..

I was surprised at my success, although it was a simple pattern.. I hope to try the pineapple stitch next.  Anyway.. it's yarn not cotton but it works.

As dusk came yesterday I took on last look outside... sometimes that little Grebe just gets to me , he looks so forlorn!

So far, this post is a thrill a minute huh? LOL.. ok I'll finish up with the ever so exciting Chili I just  started in the pot!... please, contain the excitement~.....  (though I will admit it already smells good.. I must be hungry lol)

Living at the old folks apartments is just a thrill a minute LOL... *shaking my head*  too much to fast, I have to go sit down .. :o)

The Mysterious Benedict Society by  Trenton   Lee Stewart.

Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0316003956

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5–9—After Reynie Muldoon responds to an advertisement recruiting "gifted children looking for special opportunities," he finds himself in a world of mystery and adventure. The 11-year-old orphan is one of four children to complete a series of challenging and creative tasks, and he, Kate, Constance, and Sticky become the Mysterious Benedict Society. After being trained by Mr. Benedict and his assistants, the four travel to an isolated school where children are being trained by a criminal mastermind to participate in his schemes to take over the world. The young investigators need to use their special talents and abilities in order to discover Mr. Curtain's secrets, and their only chance to defeat him is through working together. Readers will challenge their own abilities as they work with the Society members to solve clues and put together the pieces of Mr. Curtain's plan. In spite of a variety of coincidences, Stewart's unusual characters, threatening villains, and dramatic plot twists will grab and hold readers' attention. Fans of Roald Dahl or Blue Balliett will find a familiar blend of kid power, clues, and adventure in Society, though its length may daunt reluctant or less-secure readers. Underlying themes about the power of media messages and the value of education add to this book's appeal, and a happy ending with hints of more adventures to come make this first-time author one to remember.—

By the skin of my teeth I finished this book on the last day of January!!! I have been in a reading slump, but it wasn't because of the book I was reading!

This is a very enjoyable book and excellent writing I might add!  The author does not write  down to YA readers. (nor is it too difficult) I'd give A+ for the great writing.

The group of four children, Reynie, Kate , Constance and Sticky made a great team and the book isn't without it's surprises at the very end.  No one is without their drawbacks, be it being an Orphan, a runaway or laughter making Mr Benedict fall asleep!  Quite Original, or I just haven't read anything like it !  There are already 2 more books out following this one but for now they will have to wait. 

Book one could be read as a stand alone book should one decide not to read on.  I have not heard any reviews of book 2 or 3 but if they are as good as book one I doubt you would be disappointed.

An excellent YA book!

I will do the January Wrap (big joke) tomorrow.

Last night and tonight have full moons, and we are to see Mars right next to it... but.. as it does whenever I want to see something in the sky (like the vapor trail from a liftoff) it was not a clear night, and so all I saw was a hazy moon with a halo.. *sigh*

But earlier in the day I did see something strange.. Woody was around and he did something I've never seen before.. he sat down!.. (could this really be??? why.. yes it could!)

That's the first time I've ever seen that!!

He looks deep in thought.  I wonder what they think about?

My Youngest son, Thom called me the other day and mentioned that my sister-in -law, Pat (yep, same name) wanted to go out to lunch and would I be interested.  I thought it would be nice since it was Pat's Birthday to go out with them both.  We went to a restaurant  here in Vero but out on the island  a place called Waldo's.

After we ate we walked out back to overlook the ocean.  This is Pat (my sister-in-law) and my son Thom.

(above: shady view.  Below: sunny view)

Mother and son...

Seagulls flew above...

... and we saw more Pelicans!  Gads from none to lots of them!!

We went over by the Indian River by the bridge .. many boats were there but I saw this one sitting all alone just begging for a photo to be taken.

It was a very nice lunch (too much food) and a beautiful day out.. there were nice views everywhere we went!  There are times I hate coming back to the old folks home.

My reading seems to have taken a dump.  The book I am reading I AM enjoying, and the author is an excellent writer but I can't seem to read more then 2 chapters when I sit to read, I hope this goes away soon because I really want to get my tbr pile down to something "reasonable".  I may be dreaming but I will be trying! lol

My Girlfriend Dorothy took me to Ft. Pierce and the beach.. it wasn't exactly what I'd call "beach weather", but there were some people out there just the same.

There were hundreds of birds just sitting on the beach!!!

We kept looking at them and saying, "what's that bird?.. and that one?  ...and that one over there?"  So I came home and got the bird book!

I lived in Ft Pierce once before for 13 years and Dorothy has lived here for over 24 years and neither of us has seen these particular birds before!

Then on our way over the bridge I spotted Pelicans!! We made a fast turn and I got my camera out again...

(below: the hairdo reminds me of a Martin Short character!)

I finally got the Pelicans!!!!!!! I felt like I hit the Jackpot!!

The other morning was nasty nasty...  very cloudy and pink!!   Rain and possible thunderstorms were due as a 'cold front" comes through.  The nights are to dip down in the 40 but days still in the low 70's.. so not all that "cool".

I did not enhance the below shot.. it was weird looking outside it was so pink for abut a half hour.. and look, the tree in front of my apartment finally lost those rust colored leaves!

(note the lone Grebe in the pond. Often I look out and see this tiny bird all alone in the middle of the pond.)

A few ducks came back though (that makes the Grebe happy)..

I hope at least one pair sticks around and I get to see ducklings!

I have two new critters that were very recently "born"  here..

twins!  (fraternal of course)..

Cheech "n" Chong!..? Abbott 'n' Costello.?.. Laurel 'n' Hardy...? Whadaya think?

I looked out to find the Egret back and sitting on the Island...

A little later he took his stroll around the pond.

(I swear Egrets have "slinkeys"  for necks!)

... ya gotta love this next photo!... even Egrets have bad hair days!!!

(I even had to post this one on facebook!)

On a different subject...

... before I go... here's a picture of another afghan I just made..

just plain old granny squares with left over colors I wanted to get rid of.. all I had to do was buy the black yarn.

Yesterday I had a sad spell come over me.  I went to the office of this little complex and was talking with the two ladies that are in charge here.  We got to gabbing and one subject turned to another and I found myself talking about some of the celebrities I had met and helped at shows... it was a stroll down memory lane.

As I left to walk back to my apartment I suddenly felt like the little old lady who would talk to anyone who would listen to her about her past. When she was happier a little younger and at times surrounded by such talented and interesting  people, and hearing stories until they flooded my mind.

I allowed myself to cry the rest of the way back to the apartment wondering when I turned into that old lady.  Luckily it didn't last toooo long and I promised myself to try not to do that again..  then i saw the Egret with the bad hair and felt better.

Since we had the 2 weeks of rather cold weather, the Egret had disappeared from the pond leaving nearly no birds about except the Moorhens and the Grebe...

The last 3 days have gotten warmer each day (today will hit 80..no comment)... and low and behold the Egret returned!

He's such a pretty bird I am glad he's back but I guess now each time we get a cold snap he will disappear..but at least I know his routine now.

This is him strolling by my apartment.

The end of the day was pretty too.. the red sunsets had gone with the cool weather but last night I peeked out and saw this..

Farworld: Land Keep  by J Scott Savage.

Hardcover: 374 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (October 2009)
ISBN-10: 1606411640

Product Description

Four mythical Elementals Water, Land, Air, and Fire have the power to save two worlds, Earth and Farworld, from a common enemy: the Dark Circle. In book one, Water Keep, a portal has been opened between the two worlds, allowing Marcus, from Earth, and Kyja, from Farworld, to combine their unique gifts and begin their epic quest to find the Elementals. In book two, Land Keep, Marcus and Kyja travel with Cascade, a Water Elemental, toward Land Keep, the home of the powerful and wise Land Elementals. However, their journey may end before it even begins. Land Keep is empty, deserted for at least a thousand years, and the rumor is that the creatures who once controlled all land magic are extinct. Marcus and Kyja's only hope seems to lie in finding the Augur Well, a legendary Oracle protected by subtle traps and mind-bending trials. To succeed in their quest, Marcus and Kyja must also avoid the Keepers of the Balance, an order dedicated to redistributing magic to the rich and powerful. And they must travel far underground, where Cascade is unable to follow and where they will be unable to leap to the safety of Earth. As the Dark Circle closes around them, Marcus and Kyja are faced with the temptation of what they desire most. Sacrifices must be made, and not everyone will survive unscathed.

Thanks to my "son" Chris I finally got to read book 2 of Far World.

I think the adventure for this one was better than book one.  Mr Savage came up with some very unique characters and it makes me look forward to even more in book 3 and 4.

From the last book Marcus and Kyja are aided by the water elemental, Cascade, who although agreed to help them is not all that happy about trying to find the land elemental.

There was a character in the learning tree of the Land Elementals which stood out to me and was quite enjoyable, though only in the book briefly.  His actions were a little scatter brained but you knew there was a lot more to him than that.

Even with Marcus' disabilities being in Far world makes him (in some ways)stronger and in other ways,  every so often, he needs to go back to Earth to recuperate . With each trip back to Earth Kyja learns more and more about the place she really belongs.

Land Keep is an enjoyable read and is very suitable for the young adults it is written for.  They are books I will pass on to my grandson who I know will enjoy all the trials and tribulations of  Marcus and Kyja.

I bought a bed for Boo... he avoids it like the plague.

I can't put my foot rest up on the recliner or he comes there to sleep.. so I sit without it.. I watch him go from one place to another to find the right spot to nap and he keeps moving.. he will even look IN the bed and then walk around it until finally he gives in and crawls in! lol... the minute I move though he is up and doing it all over again lol... silly boy!

Speaking of sleeping I just finished another afghan... I used the brand of yarn that I used to use long ago Redheart...wow.. it's stiff compared to other yarns!  Of course the other yarns a quite a bit more expensive too.. oh well.. this is the newest one I tried.

It's a rainy day here in Florida today.  But the temps will be in the upper 70's.  I like it best when I do not need either my heat or air conditioner and today will be one of those days!

Think he wants to share that peanut??

I put this first picture on facebook.

I looked in a fish tank and what did I see?

A tiny seahorse looking back at me!

.. another little tank had turtles.. the kind we all had when we were young... I never knew they could grow so big!

... a lone Seagull.  (but it looks as if many other seagulls have visited that spot at one time or another... ahem.)

.. a beautiful Sailfish statue near a marina.  I was surprised that there wasn't any sort of plaque on it..not even the name of the artist.

It was a cloudy day.. still cool but not "cold"... today will be warmer yet but as I look outside it looks like rain is on it's way.

I've been reading..but slowly.. but that's because I'm crocheting yet again!  Lots of times I just don't want to think, and crocheting is just the thing.. all one needs to do is count.

Dawn :  January 12, 2010. 

It's cold this morning, but not as cold as it has been...  and by the weekend we will have gone for the 20s and 30s to the 80s again.

You won't hear me complain about the cold down here since one thing I do know is it is short lived.  I might complain if  "spring and fall" lasted longer then 2 or 3 weeks but it seems we go hot to cold and back again overnight here.. no real seasons to speak of.

Don't get me wrong.  I am like everyone else... I get way too hot ,to the point I sit and don't move so that I don't sweat,  and do feel too cold at times... and if "winter" lasted here as long as it does up north, well then.. it would be different.

It seems that Boo has been enjoying the colder weather too...

Boo has been very active during the colder weather.. he jumps around and plays with his mouse like he was a kitten!

I didn't know what to expect about the birds around the pond during winter and this winter shows that most of them must go even further south!   So it's quiet around the pond these days.  Even the Gator disappeared!

Today was a day I needed comfort food.. so I made myself a pancake.  Just one mind you....

ok.. so I neglected to tell you that although I only make ONE pancake.. it just happens to barely fit in a plate.    I like Land O Lakes Spread and cinnamon sugar on top...but only because I can't have vanilla ice cream on it..heh.  I hope y'all have a good day.

Just because I haven't showed the Moorhens lately here's a shot of one of them coming for some bread.

A dozen Ducks are still staying at the pond but never come close to be fed.

The Ibis, who never seem to go to the grass island decided to invade it today!

no matter for the Ibis, the ducks duck under and feed constantly no matter how cold it gets!