Reading Menu- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-- Ransom Riggs

It's been on my reading list for a while.  I love dark, mysterious, unbelievable stories.  While this is not dark, it is an unbelievable story.

The idea what someone could write a story based off peculiar pictures... awesome.  Makes me want to go out and see what I can find to write about.

I wont bore you with all the deets of the book, but I will tell you why you should go out and read it.

One,  if you can picture a broken down castle haunted with children of the past who never leave, are never allowed to leave, but are not seen with the eye of today's people, you need to read.  The idea of the "loop" as Riggs puts it, that no one can enter unless they know how to enter or are allowed in is the perfect way to keep the common folk out of their peculiar lives so they can live somewhat normal ones.

Two,  if you like the circus folk kind of fairytale, this is a book for you.  The children are all peculiar right, so they all have something that common folk do not have, or something that we would think is weird.  Like superhuman strength, invisibility, the ability to read minds, or give life to non-living things.  It's all right there, everything we wished we could have been as children, right there in the pages of this novel.

Three,  it includes pictures.  I don't mean photoshopped photos either.  Riggs writes at the end that all the photos (minus a few) in the novel were photos that he or photo collectors found via garage sales, rummaging through estate sales or flea markets.  Granted, they may all have been faked at some point in time, but when Riggs collected them, to him, they were untouched and real.

Four, if you like a cliffhanger, an unfinished story with no idea of what could come next, pick this one up.  Yes, it may be written for the young adult, but so was Harry Potter and his series and lets be honest, who doesn't like Harry Potter and his gang?!  The whole time I was reading I really had no idea what was coming because the idea of the book itself was so outside my spectrum of knowledge and beliefs that the whole thing was new and ideal to me.

I didn't really want to get lost in another series (I say that all the time, like with In the Box and Out of the Box) but this one is a good one to ravage the series phase with.

Overall, I would give this one five stars.  For being so different, so well written, so everything I didnt think was possible.  Cant wait to get my hands on the next one. 

I cant help it

I am going to a wedding this weekend in Virginia Beach.  I cant help but feel a little underwhelmed. 

Firstly, it's supposed to rain. Uck.

Secondly, I don't have a date, yet again.

Thirdly, it's at a house, on the beach at a house, outside with no room to go inside in the rain. 

BUT...

It's on a Friday so that means I get the day off.

I don't need a date because I am classy and can pull off not having one.

It's supposed to be gorgeous on Saturday so I will still get to sink my toes in the sand and enjoy some beach weather.

Giving unto others

I work in the medical field.  I am not hands on in the clinical world, but I am able to help in other ways at times.  I used to work in a hospital and was more of a help to others, but here in my office, I am more of an asset to my physicians than the patients. 

However, that does not mean that I cannot do something nice for others once in a while. 

The past few months I've been dreaming about a hot tub.  My father has been dreaming about one for years now.  I am a single homeowner, and as much as I would use a jacuzzi tub at my house, my thoughts were that it would be better put to use at my 'rents house. 

So Friday afternoon, I called my father panicked because I needed his help at his house.  He was frustrated with me because I couldn't tell him why, or what, or how.  I just told him that he needed to come home. 

To his surprise there was a nice five person spa waiting for him. 

He was greatly appreciative. 

My father is by no means old, but he's my papa so he's older than I.  He's got sore joints and aches and pains at times.  My fathers neighbors both have RA.  So everyone over there at the house could not wait for it to fill and warm up.  It was truly the highlight of the weekend.  I was elated that I could finally do something for him.  After years and years of him always tending to me, taking care of me, buying for me, it was nice to be able to do something for him, for them.

But it got me thinking about how little I help people on a daily.  I consider myself a kind and giving person.  However, I don't go out of my way often to help others. 

I could have used that money to pay off even more of my student loan.  I could've used it for a down payment on a car.  I could've used it for something for myself.  But I wanted to do something for my papa. 

I think about all those families in Nepal who have lost someone, or everything, and how there is little that I can do over here for them. 

My family may not be wealthy financially, but we are in vast wealth with everything that we need.  Love, support, shelter.  Not a person in my immediate family goes without needing something.  (my brother would disagree here)

Anyway, this was a long, exhausting rant about nothing really.  My point is that it felt amazing to do something for someone else.  I am still elated by the thought of it.

So do something good for someone else today.  In doing so, you'll make yourself feel good as well.

Books for the high school grads

I recently read a post (read her blog here) that someone posted with a list of books she would give to a college graduate and it got me thinking about what I would give to my family and friends for their high school graduations. 

One: Oh the Places You'll Go!
 


I know, I know, who needs some Seuss when you're an adult?!  But the better question should be, why would one ever grow out of Seuss?  I am a full believer of the inner child within us.  Not only that, but the crazy illustrations and words themselves are perfect for someone who is stressed and unsure, or someone who is perfectly aware of what it is that they want to accomplish in the next few years of college or wherever the world takes you. 
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
See it's perfect for the graduate starting his or her life.

Two: The Giver.  For the trials and tribulations that life will bring.  For pain and pleasure.  For truths and non truths.

Three:  To Kill A Mockingbird.  This one simply because it is one of my favorite books ever.  It was one of the first books that I read in middle school that I fell in love with.  I don't know if it is still in the curriculum, but it should be.
One should not expect things to be easy.  They should learn and understand the difference between right and wrong, black and white and recognize all the shades of gray in between. 

Four:  For a female: Speak.  Simply because everyone should know that they have a voice and they need to learn how to use it.  College is hard and life after college is even harder.  Starting out and not knowing which way to go, which way to turn, what could happen is something that one doesn't expect to have to figure out when they are in high school.  Having a voice to speak for oneself, even others, is very important.  Not too many realize this.

Five: What Color is Your Parachute? This one is more for the college grad, but it can still apply.  For those who don't really know what they want, or how to start out.  Its like a manual in how to apply schooling to real life. 

'Ing's Lately

Reading:: The Emperor of All Maladies.  Someone told me to read it.  To be honest, it sounds interesting, but I haven't really read much into it.  I haven't had the heart to read much.  And this blog, http://www.alissaerin.blogspot.com/ Check it out. 

Listening:: Maroon5 V on replay.  Unkiss me.  Hands down one of my favorites.

Looking forward to:: My house to be finished.  To slide on my floors in my socks.  To be able to cook on my stove again.  To not have to wake up and let people I don't know in my house every single morning.

Feeling:: Unsettled.  It's overwhelming at times, but I can handle

Wishing:: That I didn't have to work for like the next month.  I would get caught up on so much!  More importantly I wish that my Papa had the month off too to spend time with me. 

Eating::  Grapefruit, one hard boiled egg and a cup of coffee.  My morning routine lately.

Watching::  The Walking Dead.  Just starting following the show.  Currently on Season 3, episode 1.  (One of the reasons I need a month off to get "caught up")

Wanting:: My bed and the above like whoa.

Currenly Loving

The fact that I have brought my child to work with me every day this week.  I normally can, especially on days where we don't have clinic, but now I have an excuse to.  My contractor is at the house all day with the doors open and I don't want her to run out looking for me.  So she sleeps, and follows me, and chews on her treats and plays with my staff.

 

 

The fact that it is getting so warm out.  Today's high is supposed to be 85°.  Severe thunderstorms, but still warm!  I'll take it! And it means that my pretty flowers are in bloom.  I can plant the herbs that I love, the veggies that I eat and the plants that I admire. 

 

Also, my house being about halfway done is a major on my LOVING list.  I cannot wait for it to be complete.  I am going to have a housewarming dos party.  I didn't really have a housewarming when I first moved in.  I didn't feel it was necessary.  Now, however, I want to show off all my nice new things and I want to have a big bash at my house to do so.  There are quite a few chores that my father and I are going to do after the contractor is finished, like make my stained glass office door, built in book shelves for the office, and a window bench for the babe.  I am hoping I can convince Papa to do all that quickly enough. 

 

There's a beach wedding in my future.  Like three weeks away kind of future.  I am hoping that things go smoothly with the office so that my plans are not upset.  But I am looking forward to getting all dressed up (once I find a suitable dress, its hard with the weight loss, it being an evening wedding and on the beach in May, it may be cold!)  I am looking forward to dipping my feet in the sand.  Though I wish that I could have what country song and romance movies are about and make it like a romantic getaway, I don't need it either.  Now that I think about it a little more, I think I'm too tired to even want that, so scratch that one. But I am still excited to get away for a bit.

 

Disarray

My house for the past couple of weeks (6 total) has been in complete disarray.  I hate my house not being in order. 
When the pipe broke on one of the coldest days ever down here in the south, I was not home.  The damage that was done to my first floor was pretty extensive.  I suppose it could have been worse, but to me, it was enough. 
I've had a hell of a time dealing with the clean up and insurance company.  Finally, yesterday the contractor I hired started the repairs.  I am elated.

This is where it all started. In the middle of my kitchen ceiling.  Upstairs is the bathroom pipes. 

Water leaked over into the downstairs bath.

Took my beautiful mirror right off the wall. 

 

The hardwood prior to the clean up crew tearing it up.  You cant tell, but it was all warped and water logged.

The amount of water underneath the floor after they removed the hardwood. 

Walls are down, ceiling in kitchen is down, floors throughout the whole first floor is up.  Everything is drying out. 

 

It took three days with industrial size driers and dehumidifiers for my house to dry out.  It was awful for three days.  Granted I could've stayed in a hotel or with friends or family, but I was paranoid to leave my house in such a state.  So I lived upstairs for a long time. 

I finally heard back from the insurance company two weeks ago and they sent me a check in the mail.  I cashed that shit as soon as I was able.  Of course, however, because of the amount of the check, I had to wait a week for all of it to show in my account. 

So the contractor had to wait until I could buy my floor, sheetrock, paint and such. 

 

BUT, he started yesterday.  I am SOOOOOOO excited.  I am elated.  My house is going to be how I want it.  I can pick the floor I want, the color walls, the color cabinets.  I cannot wait to see the finished product.

 

Stay tuned!