You only need to read my Crackbook posts to see that I’m fired up today!!

• If you have today off but have never served a single day in our armed forces, you had better be going around & thanking every service person you know. You also better be doing something nice for service folks in general. Because YOU did NOTHING to deserve today off. Most vets don’t get today off. You working in a government position affords you many luxuries that our vets don’t have. You’d better f*cking earn it.

• No, vacation and sick days don’t count – they are not just a free day off given to you. I’m just over government people being given "Teddy Roosevelt Farted" day off. Or "Millard Fillmore Took a Whiz" day off. Or "Benjamin Franklin Was Never President, But He Is on Our Money" day off. You didn’t earn it.

• Oh, and for God’s sake, no backlash against Muslims for one person’s act…or wait, actually adding up all Muslims’ acts against American citizens – a whole shitload of Muslims’ acts. Yeah.

Yeah, I’m over it.  On top of that, I had to call my frakking insurance company again today because stupid COBRA takes over a week to update their records, which results in CVS calling me, saying that they can’t fill my prescriptions because I don’t have insurance.  So CIGNA says, oh, just have CVS call us directly and we can approve it over the phone. I tell that to CVS and they tell me they are too busy to do that for every customer. 

Whether or not that’s true, You. Never. Tell. A. Customer. That.  Never.  That is soooooo bad.  So I called the manager and she said that from now on, she would make sure that associate was trained properly, as it IS their policy to call the insurance company FIRST.  That’s right, little bitch.  You are in trouble!!!! I also told the manager that I shouldn’t see that tech when I pick up my meds. 

And, I’m just sick of people bitching:

• I hate my life!! Fool, who the f*ck do you think can fix THAT?  YOU!!! Only YOU!!! So stop bitching and do something.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate the legal system!!  Well then f*cking rewrite it and prove that your solution is better, fair, and can be applied across the board.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate my body! Then get therapy to find out why or change your eating and/or exercise.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate my job!!  Then look for a new one, do something to grow your skillset, go back to school.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I want a relationship! Then leave your house, join a group, get a hobby, TALK to people.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate our local government!! Then vote, join your local party, go to meetings, run for office.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!
• I hate Lawgirl!! Then stop reading.  Or, shut the f*ck up!!  (That last one was a pre-emptive shut the f*ck up for the hate I’m sure will come out of this post.)

For My Veteran

Reposted from last year with a new ending

Today is Veterans Day, my love, and this is my dedication to you.  I am so proud of you for your service to our country.  When you graduated from high school, you and your friends were lined up and ready to enlist.

Your father was unable to serve during World War II, because of a health issue.  Instead, he learned how to build airplane engines.  Thus began your love affair with flying.

You went into the Air Force so that you could fly the planes you loved so much.  You loved taking care of your planes.  You were and are enthralled by the feel of controlling the plane.  You had such a great time.

After a couple of years, Vietnam started and you were sent over. You were all of 20.  You helped drop the Marines and G.I. Joes into their positions and picked up the healthy, the wounded and the dead from their worst nightmares.  You never once turned back – you were always so brave.  Everyday you knew could be your last, but you kept going.  You were so proud to serve your country.

You are the first Vietnam Vet I have ever heard discuss all of the good things that our folks did over there.  You and other soldiers adopted orphanages and brought them gifts and showed them what Christmas was.  I loved the pictures of the kids and your friends.

You never expected to return from Vietnam, but you did.  Unfortunately, there was no hero’s welcome for you.  You were spit on, verbally abused and called a murderer.  I know that you still resent that.

When you came home, you wanted to continue to serve but chose to do so on a local level – you became a police officer.  Over the next 25 years, you worked your way up to detective.  You still fret over one of the cases that involved an 11 year old boy being sexually assaulted and murdered.   You knew who had done it but the man had fled the state and there wasn’t enough evidence to get him back.  It haunts you to this day that the boy’s killer was never punished.

One of your stories appeared in True Detective.  It was the story of a beautiful new bride who was killed by her new husband not long into their marriage.  You were so adorable in the pictures.  You were so proud of your job.

You never looked at your time in Vietnam as a bad experience.  You loved being “in the shit,” both there, and here at home.  You would love to go back in one more time.  I think you would be so happy to go out in a blaze of glory.  Of course, I am selfish and want you to stay here forever with me. 

You wonder why men and women aren’t so eager to serve today.  You can’t comprehend refusing to serve.  I never understood that until I was with you.

I love you with all of my heart and I so appreciate what you have done for us.  I wish I could go back in time and give you the homecoming you deserved.

To My Veteran and to all of the veterans who have served and are currently serving, my deepest, warmest gratitude.  You have done or are doing something that many, including myself, are not brave enough to do.  You faced the worst and came out the best.  Thank you.

Note to the Unknown Soldier by Five for Fighting

I don’t know you
I never met you
For laughs I’ll call you Sam
You were the son
Of Mrs. Someone
I hope she understands
Sam you were all that you had
Are you happy or sad
I never knew you
But I’m told you’re the best we had
Were you so tall
Did you play Basketball
Was there a sweetheart at home
Did you write her letters
Did it make you better face the great unknown
Sam did you feel alone
You were so far from home
I never knew you
But I know you’re the best man I know
Could you tell it was time
See it coming in the back of your mind
When it was over, was it over
Sam I’m glad you’re on my side
I don’t know you
I never met you
Can I call you Sam
Did you have a son
A daughter with a little one
I might go and thank Sam you’re the best that we have
You make me happy and sad
If you were here, I’d buy the beers
I’d shake your hand and say good man
And though the sun would shine about the same
It’s a better world because you came
Sincerely yours, my kids will know your name

Thoughts and prayers, please

I’m late sharing this with you, but Miley’s brother and his girlfriend were killed in a motorcycle accident Saturday night.  If you can  please send some good thoughts and/or prayers her way, I know she would appreciate it. 

Thanks everyone. 

November Charity of the Month

Operation Gratitude

Tens of thousands of American Service Members are deployed in hostile and remote regions of the world, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, and on ships throughout international waters. The physical conditions they must endure are difficult and they may be separated from loved ones for long periods of time.

Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.
Through Collection Drives, Letter Writing Campaigns and Donations of funds for shipping expenses, Operation Gratitude provides civilians anywhere in America a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military in an active, hands-on manner.

Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer corporation, funded entirely by private donations. For safety and security, the assembling of all packages occurs at the Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California.

How You Can Help – Individuals and Organizations

At this time, our most urgent need is for personal letters, hand-made scarves, Beanie Babies and financial donations to pay for postage. 
Scroll Down for Details on these Ways to Help:
1. Donate Financially
2. Organize a Fundraiser
3. Collect:
     Halloween Candy
     Beanie Babies/Webkinz
     Girl/Boy Scout Cookies, Nuts, Popcorn
4. Hand-Made Craft Projects:
      Knit/Crochet Scarves
      Sew Bandana Cool-Ties
      Sew Neck Gaters
      Create Greeting Cards
5. Volunteering at Armory
6. Write Letters:
       To Currently Deployed Service Members
To Veterans of Previous Conflicts
7. Fundraise through Recycling

8. Donate Your Vehicle
9. Fundraise by Searching the Internet and by Shopping
10. Spread the Word
View Operation Gratitude Posters Here.
Email OpGrat@gmail.com if you would like digital files to reproduce copies (designed to print out as 22" x 28").  We will mail the files on a CD.

1. Donate financially by mail or online.
Monetary donations to Operation Gratitude go toward the overall shipping expenses required to send the care packages through the U.S. Postal Service. Our cost for each package averages $11. Operation Gratitude sends approximately 100,000 care packages each year, creating a budget over $1.1 Million per year!  

Your donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated. 
Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) organization; all donations are tax deductible as provided by law.

Please make checks payable and send to:
Operation Gratitude
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, California 91436
To donate online using SimpleGive, please click here or this Donate Button:

Paypal Donations can be made here: PAYPAL.
TRIBUTES: If you would like to make a donation in someone’s honor or memory, please include the name and address of the person you would like notified (in the designated form field if donating online or on a note if sending a check) and we will mail a beautiful tribute letter to them; donors will receive a letter of acknowledgment for tax purposes.
Every $11 donated sends another care package: You may be able to double or even triple your donation!  Many companies have matching gift programs, which means they’ll match your donation, or maybe even double or triple it!  Please check with your Human Resources/Personnel office to learn if your donation is eligible for a matching donation.
2. Organize a Fundraising Event

If you have an idea for a fundraiser to benefit Operation Gratitude, please email OpGrat@gmail.com
3. Organize a Collection Drive
Collection Drives for Operation Gratitude are an active and fun way for your friends, neighbors, members, scouts and/or students to show their support for our troops.
To begin your Collection Drive:
1. Notify your constituency of the dates, times and location of collection
2. Specify what items you will accept (See Wish List).
3. Encourage donations of Beanie Babies, Candy and Scarves
4. Encourage Writing of personal letters
Please email OpGrat@gmail.com for sample flyers for Operation Gratitude Drives.
A. Halloween Candy:
We welcome your excess Halloween Candy for our care packages!
For flyers and more details, email OpGrat@gmail.com
Check out our Halloween Candy Video on YouTube: Halloween Video
Dentists: Please email OpGrat@gmail.com to participate in a Candy Buy-Back program.
B. Beanie Babies/Webkinz:
We received the following letter from a Marine:
"I live with 17 Marines and Sailors in one room. Everyone got a package and everyone loved it especially the cookies and beanie babies. The cookies are excellent and the beanie babies help us out a lot with the local kids. We give them candy and toys and they give us the location for IED’s. Once again, thank you for everything and for all the hard work that you put into the package. LCPL ND"
Your old Beanie Baby and Webkinz collections can save the lives of our heroes!
Please donate them to our cause–they will be priceless.
C. Girl and Boy Scout Troops:
We are delighted to work with you on a "Troops to Troops" program for your cookie, nut and popcorn sales. Encourage your buyers to purchase additional products to donate to Operation Gratitude for our care packages! Please email vantrump@aol.com for more information and sample flyers. 
* See below for Shipping Instructions

4. Craft Projects:
a) Knit/Crochet Scarves (5-7" Wide, 45-50" long)
***Feel free to use your own "recipe" or see sample below.***
For more information on The Scarf Project, please email: sharhoward39@gmail.com For more ideas: http://www.tropicalyarns.com/index.cfm?PID=22&ProdID=294
We need 60,000 scarves for the holiday packages–please help!
b) Bandana Cool-Tie Project (for summer packages):
Here’s a great craft project for school, scout, social and community groups: Follow these links for patterns and directions.
http://seworganized.com/sewsimple/cooltie.html
http://www.watersorb.com/polymer_cool_neck_bands.htm
Follow this link to buy the water-absorbing polymer granules needed for your Cool Ties: http://www.watersorb.com/mainstore.html
Please use tan, brown, desert camouflage or other neutral colored cotton. No American flag fabric please.
c) Neck Gaiters (Gators) Directions (for the winter packages):
Please see: http://www.uberpest.com/gaiter.html
d) Hand-made Greeting Cards:
We welcome hand-made cards with your personal messages on them or blank cards that the troops can use to write to their loved ones (or to you!).
* See below for Shipping Directions
5. Volunteering at the Armory
If you are in the Southern California area and would like to assist in the packaging of the gift boxes, please contact us for details at: OpGratVolunteer@yahoo.com .  Write "Operation Gratitude Volunteer" in the subject line.
Children 12 years and older are welcome in the armory; 12-16 year old volunteers must have a responsible adult with them on the premises at all times.
For more information, click here: Volunteer Schedule
6. Write Letters
Operation Gratitude strives to include several personal letters in every package that we send.  Help ensure that a Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman knows that you are thinking of them by writing cards or letters. 

What to Write About
Keep your message upbeat and positive
Be thankful ~~ share a little bit of yourself
Ask questions; however, do not discuss death or killing
Avoid politics completely and religion in excess
It’s all about appreciation and respect
Ask yourself:  “Will this letter bring a smile to someone’s face?”
More Helpful Information 
Sample salutations: Dear Hero, Dear Brave One
Include your own mail or email so recipients can choose to reply
No stamps or envelopes are needed
Hand Written letters or cards are most appreciated.
All letters will  be screened—please do not seal envelopes  
If you do not receive a reply, do not be discouraged. 
Remember:  Our troops are busy!  
Where to Send
Operation Gratitude
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, California 91436

We accept letters all year.
Click here for a Letter Writing Flyer: Letter Flyer
7. Fundraise Through Recycling:
Good for the Environment and Good for the Troops!
a) GRC Wireless Recycling will pay Operation Gratitude up to $30 per cell phone, PDA or laptop, and pre-pay the shipping expenses.  GRC can organize a Recycling Campaign for your community, with promotional materials, to benefit Operation Gratitude.  For more information, click here: Wireless Recycling or email: info@grcrecycling.com or call: 877-744-3601. 
GRC will also recycle Ink-Jet cartridges.

b) Access Recycling will pay Operation Gratitude for every used cell phone, ink-jet cartridge, toner cartridge, laptop computer, IPOD, PDA or video received, and will pre-pay the shipping expenses. For more information, click here: Recycle For our Troops!  If you have questions, please contact: gratitude@accessrecycling.com

8. Donate Your Vehicle:
To Cars for Causes–Proceeds will benefit Operation Gratitude!

9. Fundraise While You Search or Shop:
This is a great way to do your everyday shopping and support our troops at the same time! 
a) Operation Gratitude Store: Purchase Operation Gratitude-logo items; $5 of every item purchase is donated to Operation Gratitude.
   b) Buy and Sell on Ebay: 10-100% of auction proceeds are designated to Operation Gratitude.
   c) Purchase a New Cell Phone and $40-50 will be donated to Operation Gratitude!
d) Operation Gratitude Online Shopping Portal connects you to more than 1000 online merchants that provide specials and discounts to our supporters and that also donate a portion of your online purchases back to Operation Gratitude.  
   e) GoodSearch.com is an internet search engine that will donate a penny per search to Operation Gratitude. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results and help us send more care packages to the troops every time you search!  
10. Spread the Word
Please forward this web site to everyone and anyone you know who might be interested in helping Operation Gratitude.
**Shipping Instructions:
All items and letters can be shipped or delivered between September 8–December 5 and from April 1 to May 5 to:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, California 91406
ATTN: Charlie Othold

~Your only shipping cost is in sending the items to Operation Gratitude.
~Financial donations towards the cost ($11) of shipping to troops will be appreciated
~Please mail checks separately from cartons of items.
~All financial donations will be acknowledged by mail.
~If you would like to receive an acknowledgment for donated items, please include your name and email or mailing address inside the shipment (email acknowledgments will help us save the cost of postage!).
~Acknowledgments will be sent within three months.
~If you want confirmation of delivery on your shipment to us, please use the tracking system provided by your shipper.
***Scarf Recipe-Use sport-weight yarn with the Mistake Rib pattern that is simple, gives a little body to the scarf and will not curl!!!  Using an approximate stockinette gauge of 22 stitches/4 inches cast on however many stitches you want for the width of the scarf as a multiple of 4 and then add five more stitches.  For a 4 inches wide scarf, cast-on 24 + 5.  For a 6 inches wide scarf, cast on 32 +5. For a 8 inches wide scarf, cast on 44 + 5. For every row *k2, p2, repeat from * ending with a k1.  The Mistake Rib stitch pattern does not pull in like a 2×2 rib will but it has a great deal of stretchiness and creates an interesting texture and is reversible. 

For legal and security reasons, Operation Gratitude^SM is not at liberty to provide or disclose the names and addresses of service members. For additional information or to discuss your involvement in greater detail, please email OpGrat@gmail.com

Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and patriotic support of our troops!

In memoriam

Today is a rough day, as it is not only Late Wife’s birthday, but also their wedding anniversary. 

When The Vet and Late Wife started dating, she found out she had breast cancer.  Immediately, she had to have a mastectomy, chemo, and radiation.  She told The Vet he could leave the relationship, she would understand.  It was the beginning of a relationship and she knew that was a lot to ask him to take on.

He refused to go.  He stayed and took care of her, through that, through another round of cancer, through another mastectomy, through the cancer spreading, till it took her life after 20 years of marriage.    He also took care of her mother while she lived with them, until she died in his arms. 

I know some folks might question how I can love him, when our age difference is so great.  But who he is makes that melt away.  I love him for who he is.  He is truly one in a million.

Update on my cousin

Well, she is not doing so great.  She is too weak to work anymore.  And the doctors, while they don’t want to take away all of her hope, they are still being honest with her and telling her that she is not going to beat this.

And, adding insult to injury, her father who has battled prostate cancer, now has to go back through his own radiation again. 

Please send any thoughts and/or prayers you can toward this family that you can.

Thanks.

Song of the day

Courtesy of  Tuesday night’s So You Think You Can Dance.  I loved the routine that was d0ne to this.

2 Steps Away by Patti LaBelle

It’s hard to see the fear inside
As I walk away from you
And distance overcomes the miles
As slowly I pull through
And I cannot reach the world today
Cuz I’m suffering from you
And the more I think, the more I cry
As I walk away from you

[Chorus:]
I’m two steps away
From loneliness
I’m awake
From the mess we made
I’m alive
And I’m feeling incomplete

I don’t understand my life
Or the version that chose you
And the warring hearts and winter came
Now there’s nothing left to do
And I cannot reach the world today
Cuz I’m suffering from two
And the more I think, the more we die
As I walk away from you

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]
I’m two steps away
I’m two steps away
I’m two steps away
I’m two steps away

Two steps away
Two steps away
From loneliness
I’m awake
From the mess we made
I’m alive

Two steps away
Two steps away
Two steps away

I hope that all of you are

Great Christmas idea

I am loving this site, Lift Your Sole.

Who We Are

Welcome to my web site — I am excited to be reaching more people than I have ever had the chance to reach before.

My name is Jill and I live in the Atlanta, GA area where I began making my own jewelry several years ago as an artistic outlet – it was both fun and therapeutic for me. I soon began designing fun, one-of-a-kind hand bags and limited apparel for women.

Like most of my customers, I am also a very active person with a great love for the positive energy that comes from a lifestyle of athletics — and, luckily, I have found that lots of other women connect with the inspirational messages and philosophy in many of my designs.

Along with my husband and trusty dog, I enjoy traveling the country — going to the various races where we get to meet interesting people that possess many of our same passions. I have a great time talking to them and seeing them relate to what I am doing with my jewelry and handbags.

Until this web site went live, I did most of my business at the expos for various races around the country – often teaming up with my good friends at One More Mile running apparel. My approach to business is for you to have a great shopping experience with Lift Your Sole — and that includes being easy to reach by email or phone, offering the option to customize your own jewelry or handbag, having fair prices, and a stress-free return policy. Afterall, “what comes around goes around” and I want you to ‘come around’ often!

If you’re looking for something inspiring and unique for yourself, a friend or a loved one, I hope you’ll find lots of choices here. And please remember, that we offer some custom options in many cases. So please look around as much as you like — and hopefully you’ll find something that “lifts your soul.”

trust your journey
- Jill Taryn

Why we are fat

The 100-Mile Challenge

Are any of you watching this?  It’s on Planet Green here.  Based on the experiences of Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon, who wrote the book, 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating, the show heads to Mission, British Columbia and asks the citizens to try eating locally for 100 days.

Here is some info about the book:

The remarkable, amusing and inspiring adventures of a Canadian couple who make a year-long attempt to eat foods grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of their apartment.
When Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon learned that the average ingredient in a North American meal travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate, they decided to launch a simple experiment to reconnect with the people and places that produced what they ate. For one year, they would only consume food that came from within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment. The 100-Mile Diet was born.
The couple’s discoveries sometimes shook their resolve. It would be a year without sugar, Cheerios, olive oil, rice, Pizza Pops, beer, and much, much more. Yet local eating has turned out to be a life lesson in pleasures that are always close at hand. They met the revolutionary farmers and modern-day hunter-gatherers who are changing the way we think about food. They got personal with issues ranging from global economics to biodiversity. They called on the wisdom of grandmothers, and immersed themselves in the seasons. They discovered a host of new flavours, from gooseberry wine to sunchokes to turnip sandwiches, foods that they never would have guessed were on their doorstep.
The 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, attracting media and grassroots interest that spanned the globe. The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating tells the full story, from the insights to the kitchen disasters, as the authors transform from megamart shoppers to self-sufficient urban pioneers. The 100-Mile Diet is a pathway home for anybody, anywhere.
Call me naive, but I never knew that flour would be struck from our 100-Mile Diet. Wheat products are just so ubiquitous, “the staff of life,” that I had hazily imagined the stuff must be grown everywhere. But of course: I had never seen a field of wheat anywhere close to Vancouver, and my mental images of late-afternoon light falling on golden fields of grain were all from my childhood on the Canadian prairies. What I was able to find was Anita’s Organic Grain & Flour Mill, about 60 miles up the Fraser River valley. I called, and learned that Anita’s nearest grain suppliers were at least 800 miles away by road. She sounded sorry for me. Would it be a year until I tasted a pie?

Here is some info about the show:

The 100-Mile Challenge began in the spring of 2005, when founders James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith decided to take the eat-local mantra to the next level. For one year, all of their food and drink had to be sourced within a 100-mile radius: quite a change from the 1500-mile average that most food today is estimated to travel. To engage more people and show how realistic (and satisfying) a goal it can be to eat locally, James and Alisa set out to host a similar experiment with the residents of a small Canadian town.

After searching all over British Columbia for a location to host the 100-mile challenge, they settled on the town of Mission, British Columbia, because of its strong sense of community and its mixed demographic base of 35,000 people that still manage to maintain a small-town feel. Mission, 70 km east of Vancouver, seemed the perfect example of the modern-day push and pull between agricultural land and residential sprawl. This struggle affects all aspects of life, including food choices–what people eat and where it comes from.

The 100-Mile Challenge starts in late spring at a community gardening kick-off party and throughout this inspiring, you’ll-be-hooked series, will take you through the summer to a community harvest fair in the fall, when the challenge (officially) ends.

With superstore chain grocery stores in town like Safeway and Save-on-Foods, most residents don’t make a point to restrict themselves to local foods, and perhaps don’t know where most of what they eat comes from. But with the 100-mile challenge, they’re about to find out. The aim is to engage as much of the community as is willing to participate, but the series will follow six lead characters or couples. Participants will learn more than anyone (except the town historians) knows about what foods the region used to grow, and they’ll try to reach back to that history and revive old agricultural traditions to source foods that they have been used to getting from perhaps thousands of miles away.

Could you do this?  I keep wondering if I could. 

Ohio can grow:

• Apples
• Pears
• Peaches, Nectarines, & Apricots
• Plums
• Cherries
• Raspberries & Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Blueberries
• Kiwi
• Watermelons
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Cabbages, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, & Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• eggplant
• Lettuce
• Onions & Garlic
• Peas and Beans
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins & Squash
• Tomatoes
• Herbs
• Leafy Greens
• Rhubarb
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Cows
• Goats
• Sheep
• Chickens
• Geese
• Turkeys

An impressive list, to be sure, but that means you would not have:

• Seafood
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Limes
• Grapefruit

What would you have to give up if you went on the 100-Mile Challenge?  Could you do it?

 

 

 

Funny from Mordant Orange

Lawgirl Book Reviews

Yup, you get 2 for 1 today!!

Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

I was so excited when I first read Patricia Cornwell’s books.  The first 7 or so were great.  But then they started sucking.  And I found Kathy Reichs, who is 20 million times more talented. 

However, my mom has continued to read her and I was at loose ends for a book and yada yada yada, I ended up reading this one and the next. 

Neither of these changed my mind about Cornwell.  The book of the dead refers to the morgue book, which only Scarpetta is to log bodies and such.  However, it’s mentioned once and quickly forgotten.  Then there is the character of Lucious Meddicks.  Introduced, then disappears.  Lucy has turned into a one-note character. 

A dud on every level.

From Amazon:

Dear Patricia Cornwell,
I wrote you a letter back in 2005 after you released Trace. I was, quite frankly, worried about the direction that you were taking poor Kay Scarpetta. And I must say that The Book of the Dead has not done anything to set my worries to rest.
I’ll start with the things that I liked. I read once that you should always open a critique with things that you like. I liked that you let Scarpetta finally make fun of herself for some of the conspiracies which she imagines are aimed in her direction. It beggared the imagination that absolutely everybody was out to get the poor woman. In this book, many people were *not* out to get her. And that was a refreshing change. And for that I give you an extra star.
But, oh dear, the rest of the book…
First of all, shock schlock is one of the most virulent diseases of modern airplane novels. The world doesn’t need another entry in the race to find The Most Sadistic Serial Killer Ever. Just say no. Please work with a nice straightforward killing, and solve it! I realize that this sounds terribly retro. However, I am tired of seeing writers burn their creativity in an effort to imagine a string of ever more icky things to do with eye sockets and bath tubs.
Second, you failed to get my disbelief to suspend. Too many coincidences. Too many links between all the characters and killings. Too much. Way too much. My disbelief actually didn’t even levitate, let alone suspend. Honestly, I think that you ought to have a serious chat with your editor on this point. That is the person who should get paid to warn you that you have broken your plot. And you should listen to them if they do make warnings like that.
Last but not least, Dr. Self. Drop her. Drop this thread. Drop this character. I repeat the "oh dear, oh dear" when it comes to Dr. Self. She is not readable. She is not interesting. She is not anything. Let poor Kay settle down in Charleston without any more outside fuss than her already tangled relationships provide.
Actually, that brings me to a suggestion. Once upon a time, detective novels did this quaint thing where the world around them featured as a character in the work. The novelists used the local color and the detective became a vehicle through which the reader could explore the world. You seemed as though you kind of were starting to get at this with Bull. That was good, but then you got distracted. You wandered off and forgot about him. It was sad. Why don’t you try that the next time?
I keep reading your books, largely because I still have a strong affection for Kay from back in the day. I also kind of like that you are one of the few mystery writers who allows your character change, and doesn’t keep them encased in a plot-like amber. Please don’t make me regret liking you for that, okay?

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

So now Scarpetta and Benton are married.  But not happily – duh!!  We couldn’t have these tortured souls be happy.   That would ruin everything!!  Lucy’s character sucks once again.  The characters don’t make sense. 

From Amazon:

All of a sudden, Scarpetta has gone from what seems to be a struggling, independent pathology "consultant" in South Carolina, bereft of an official position and attacked by Gorilla Marino, to a highly successful, MARRIED, Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner, CNN reporter, and – oh, yes – professor at CUNY (yes, there is such a place as John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in case anyone cares). All in the course of less than a year! Is there an installment I missed?
Frankly, I found this book deadly dull. After 135 pages (out of almost 600!), I still didn’t know what was going on. I knew who the serial killer was from the moment he walked onto the page, and I have frankly grown extremely tired of Cornwell’s dropping every acronym out there (and, of course, explaining what it means to all and sundry – who in heaven’s name doesn’t know what an ISP is at this point?), even though it breaks up the flow of her writing and has nothing to do with the plot line or story.
Scarpetta’s (and Cornwell’s) moral rectitude verges on the santimonious, Lucy is as unsympathetic a character as ever, Benton remains a self-conscious jerk, the novel’s other chracters are not well fleshed-out as unique individuals. Only Marino is once again quasi-interesting.
Why did I finish this book? Well, the library lends books for three weeks! And it took me nearly that long to finally slam it shut. I guess I keep hoping that her novels will rise to her early writing again (I don’t agree with some other reviewers that she’s anywhere near her early best). But at some point, disappointment will trump curiosity.

Funny from Ms. Taken’s blog

Lawgirl Product Review

I’m continuing my love affair with MAC products.

A limited edition palette of four eye shadows in various complementary finishes as seen by artist Richard Phillips. Reflects the artistic mood of the Make-Up Art Cosmetics collection. Features Skintone 1, Skintone 2, Notoriety, and Rich & Earthy. Limited edition.

Notoriety Quad

The Notoriety quad is a nice, neutral quad. The formulas and shade range give it a good amount of variety. Here’s a breakdown by colour:

Skintone 1: This is a slightly golded off-white with rose undertones. In the pot, Skintone 1 looks like a spot-on match to Solar White and Shore Leave, but when you apply them, there are differences. Shore Leave is more frosty white and Solar White applies more gold. Skintone 1 is slightly chunky in texture (it’s a lustre, folks, no surprise there). Definitely not as smooth as Solar White and Shore Leave. Skintone 1 is one of those perfect colours for the brow bone, tear duct and lid.

Rich & Earthy: This colour is the beauty queen of the quad. It is pretty close to Mythology, but a tad lighter and less red. Rich & Earthy gives you a reasonable dupe of Mythology, but without the troublesome lustre formula. It is gorgeous, smooth and will be perfect on a good range of skin tones. Rich & Earthy is a veluxe pearl.

Skintone 2: This is the type of gold that I adore. A true, neutral gold without heavy yellow undertones. This is a frost formula and applies nicely pigmented and super smooth. Butta. A great staple, neutral gold that will add to subtle looks, but go unabashedly bold when paired with vivid blues, purples and greens.

Notoriety: A basic dark brown with pretty brown pearl on the top. Well, that’s how it looks in the quad, at least. When you swipe it a few times, the sparkle tends to kind of disappear. There is enough sparkle left to preclude it from brow use, sorry. It’s a nice basic brown, but easily dupeable. Notoriety is a velvet formula shadow.

Overall: A great neutral quad. Perfect to pair with bold red or wine stained lips. The quad is almost worth getting just for Rich & Earthy and Skintone 2. This quad will be a fantastic base of colour if you choose to add in some of the more vivid items in the Makeup Art Cosmetics collection.

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

Oh yes, it had to be mine, and it is.  I love how long it lasts (all day), that it doesn’t do that creasing thing that a lot of shadows do, and that it makes my eyes pop. 

And if you google MAC Notoriety, there are tons of suggestions as to how to wear it.

How to Wear MAC Notoriety Eyeshadow Quad

Notoriety Eyeshadow Quad (see revew, swatches, & photos here) is the latest palette creation by MAC Cosmetics as part of the Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection, which launched last Thursday, the 20th. The quad contains these shades: Skintone 1 (a pale whitish-pink), Rich & Earthy (a muted coppery-orange), Skintone 2 (muted gold), and Notoriety (cool-toned dark brown with gold flecks).

Combination #1

• Inner Lid: Skintone 1
• Outer Lid: Rich & Earthy
• Crease: Notoriety
• Brow: Skintone 1
• Cheek: Notable
• Lip: Lovin’ It, New Spirit

See more combinations…

Combination #2

• Inner Lid: Skintone 2
• Outer Lid: Rich & Earthy
• Crease: Notoriety
• Brow: Skintone 1
• Cheek: Notable
• Lip: Front Lit, New Spirit

Combination #3

• Inner Lid: Rich & Earthy
• Outer Lid: Notoriety
• Crease: Notoriety
• Brow: Skintone 1
• Cheek: The Perfect Cheek
• Lip: Front Lit, Young Thing

Combination #4

• Inner Lid: Skintone 1
• Outer Lid: Skintone 2
• Crease: Notoriety
• Brow: Skintone 1
• Cheek: The Perfect Cheek
• Lip: Front Lit, On Display

Combination #5

• Inner Lid: Skintone 1
• Outer Lid: Skintone 2
• Crease: Rich & Earthy
• Brow: Skintone 1
• Cheek: Notable
• Lip: Full Body, New Spirit

House of Wax

Okay, really, it’s House of Earwax.  But more on that in a minute.

Yesterday, RRASK, Wa-wa, and  I went to Betty’s for some Halloween foot reflexology.  Actually, I just made that up.  It was just regular foot reflexology. 

I went first, so that Wa-wa could see me writhe in pain see what it was all about.  This was her first trip to Betty’s.   Make no mistake, foot reflexology is NOT a foot massage. 

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a simple, non-invasive method to help balance the body. It has been described as a natural therapy that requires the application of a specific type of pressure on particular areas of the feet. It is based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet which correspond to every part of the body.

Pain Relief and Foot Reflexes

You can notice profound relaxation and pain relief through the simple application of applying pressure to certain reflexes in the foot. Anything from stress,headaches to back pain or sinus congestion can be relieved by this technique. There are several reflexes around the toes that relate to the nasal and sinus area of the head. To relieve sinus congestion, for example, several reflexes around the toes are manipulated in order to drain the sinus passages and to relieve the pressure in your ears.

Is Reflexology a form of Massage?

Reflexology is not massage, as there is no rubbing except perhaps at the end of a session. A foot massage simply aids overall relaxation. Massage uses oils and creams/lotions, where reflexology is applied on a dry foot. The reflexology technique is one that looks more like an inch worm movement of the thumb and fingers, as well as localized pressure over specific areas of the foot.

Does Reflexology Hurt?

When there is tenderness or sensitivity in a particular area, your Reflexologist will make note of this as it is an indication that more work is needed in this part of your foot. Gradually, as the Reflexologist works the area, the sensitivity will diminish and the related part of your body should also feel better. So, for example, if you have a tender spot on your big toe relating to your neck, the Reflexologist will apply pressure to this area to ease the tension in your neck.

Read more: http://massagetherapy.suite101.com/article.cfm/howreflexologyworks#ixzz0VfYevmMZ

I have a lot of pain during reflexology because of my issues up and down my spine, as well as the adrenals issue. 

Wa-wa enjoyed her session and was impressed with what Betty found on her.  After that, we all went online through Betty’s new system, Compass.

Compass Bio Survey Analysis utilizes advanced technology known as galvanic skin response (GSR) which is a well established technology (think lie-detectors) that measures the fluctuations in electrical conductivity of the skin as the body responds to various stimuli.

Every second of every day all your activities are managed by an estimated 100 million impulses of information. This massive exchange of information happens at a level below conscious awareness in an area of the brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). It is the analysis and processing of these impulses that keeps your body organized, focused and healthy; without it, you would cease to function!

Compass Bio Survey Nutritional Analysis combines quantum physics, biology, information theory and modern computer technologies.  The results of the Compass Bio Survey Analysis are quickly analyzed and interpreted for your unique nutritional requirements.

In short, your body will tell you what it needs.

Completing a Bio Survey Nutritional Analysis is simple, painless, fast and inexpensive

In under 30 minutes
your trained practitioner will administer a full bio survey and through dialogue with you, identify the specific nutritional measures that would be of most benefit to you.

All you have to do is place your hand on the Compass cradle so the bio survey system can send stimuli to the body, then measure the response.  The positive and negative responses are then compared against any earlier assessments and a baseline spectrum of signatures compiled for standardized assessment. 

I was surprised to see that my result only showed that I was out of whack in 15 areas, 14 of which could be solved by one supplement.  RRASK was out of whack on 1 or 2.  Wa-wa was out of whack in 36 areas. 

The thing that we loved is that all of our results backed up what Betty had already said to us.  She’s just that amazing!!   

While Wa-wa was getting her tootsies worked on, I was having my ears candled.  

How can ear candling help me?

Dry hacking cough
Many coughs are a direct result of a sinus infection. The inner ear and small sinus cavities get blocked with mucus and infection sets in. Ear Candling helps drain and dry out the small, dark places where germs live and multiply.

Sinus headaches
Blockages in the inner ear or sinus cavities can cause pressure to build. Ear Candling can help to open blocked passages.

Tinitus
Ringing in the ears can be a cause of dehydration coupled with wax buildup. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of pure water per day. Then the Ear Candling procedure can help break down the wax.

Itchy ears
This could be caused from an abundance of  yeast in the body, creating a situation of Candida (too much sugar in the body). The Candida starting in the intestines and traveling up into the eustachian tube, can get into the sinus and ear canal. Ear Candling helps to dry out these areas.

How does it work?
It is believed as the candle burns, gentle warm smoke is drawn into the ear canal that softens and loosens candida, wax, and other debris through osmosis. This means anything on the other side of the eardrum turns into a gas form to pass through the ear drum membrane. It is then collected into the remaining unburned portion of the candle.

Now, I have read here and there that some folks don’t believe that ear candling is effective.  I can only tell you what my experience was.  I had ear infections at least once a month as a child.  I still get them about once a year.  So, my ears have sustained a lot of damage over the years. 

I was amazed at what came out of my ears.  I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that it was fascinating and gross.  I feel less congested.   And Betty has never led me astray before, so I think it’s worth it. 

After we left Betty’s, we stopped for lunch at Bob’s.  I was ready for a bit of a splurge, so I had an omelet and hash browns.  Yum!!  Then we headed back to Wa-wa’s for dinner and a movie. 

I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday!!

Happy Halloween

Repost from last year & check my site for a festive Halloween banner:

I love Halloween.  I love the scary movies, the creative costumes (not from me, I suck at costumes), the urban legends that are re-told, the cute little kids in their outfits, and the candy. It’s my favorite holiday, hands down.

I remember as a child my mom taking me Trick-or-Treating.  Sometimes Sis2 and her husband would take me as well.  I remember the masks that you could barely breathe through.  I remember the year that those plastic costumes came out – where you had to blow it up like a ball and paint your face to match it.

I remember my mom making some of my costumes. She used to make the whole family’s clothing, so she was certainly adept.  I know that one year she made me an angel costume, complete with wings.  I think another year I was a medieval princess.

We rarely had trick-or-treaters on my street, though, as we were the last street in town before you hit the cornfields.  I loved handing out candy after I was too old to go begging myself.  It never ceased to amaze me, though, how often parents would let their little girls dress up as hookers.  Ummmm, yeah.

The thing that sucks about Halloween in Ohio, though, is the weather.  You never knew if anyone would actually SEE your costume. as it could be covered up by a body-sized parka, due to weather.  I’m so glad that we had great weather Thursday night for those who were able to have their Beggar’s Night that night. 

At school, we actually had Halloween (and Christmas and Easter) parties.   And sometimes there would be some sort of all-day event, where we would do such things as a cakewalk.  We also would build in our own scary houses by connecting tunnels of large cardboard boxes.  You had to go through it in the dark, and it would be maze-like.  And outside of it, people would be rocking the boxes and screaming.

I loved the song Monster Mash.  We also had an album (yes, vinyl) at home of scary sounds.  It would play things like chains rattling and people screaming, plus heavy breathing.

Ahh, life was so simple back then.  At least from a child’s view.

This year I was looking forward to a girl’s night at Betty’s.  However, not enough folks could come, so it’s just going to be RRASK, Wa-wa and me.  We’re just going to go up for the day and then spend some time at Wa-wa’s. 

I hope that all of you have an amazing day!!

Brett Favre continues his A$$hole Across America tour

Tremendous suggestion for Green Bay fans: Silence for Favre

By MJD

Have you ever been in a stadium of 70,000 people when it’s been dead quiet? It’s an odd and off-putting feeling. No one is comfortable.

There are only three reasons it ever happens: 1) A moment of silence for a recent tragic event; 2) An injury that looks to be really, really serious; or 3) An unlikely catastrophe at the end of the game that costs the home team the win, and likely something more, like a chance at a championship.

None of the three feel good. The default setting for a packed stadium is noisy, and when it gets quiet, it’s weird. No one likes it.

But it would be, as suggested by JSOnline’s Michael Hunt (that link requires a subscription, unfortunately), a tremendous way for Green Bay fans to treat Brett Favre(notes). Here’s a snippet:

But there is another way to acknowledge Favre, a middle road, if you will. We’re talking about a wholly unrealistic, literally in-a-vacuum welcome back for No. 4, yet a response that would be completely appropriate for the occasion.

And that would be dead and utter silence. [...]

In a sophisticated way, a small town that is not exactly viewed as such by the outside world could emphatically say that the game to follow is bigger than one player.

It might also freak him out.

He’s expecting to be booed, and maybe hear some cheers, too: basically, nothing he hasn’t heard before in his career. Anything that stays within the boundaries of normal stadium behavior will have no effect on Favre. He’s a professional.

He’s also sort of disrespecting Packers fans by saying that the game is nothing special to him, there’s nothing special about playing in Lambeau, and he won’t be the least bit sentimental. Doesn’t that make you angry, Packers fans? That Favre sees nothing special at all about his return to Lambeau as a Viking?

If you want to get to him, it’s going to take the unexpected. I see only two ways to accomplish this. First would be the usual hate, taken to an ugly, extreme, violent level. I’m talking about throwing things, things that might hurt a man if they hit him, threats, the most boorish, personal and hateful of signs, etc. Obviously, we can’t have this, as it’s illegal, dangerous and wrong.

The dead silence, though, I think would be equally effective. There’s no way that wouldn’t jar Favre and everyone else. It would be unlike anything he’s experienced in his career, and it would produce a chilling effect in the stadium and on television.

I just thought that this was an amazing post about parenthood

Lawgirl’s Note:  Mrs. G shows up on The Pioneer Woman sometimes and has some great advice about homeschooling.  I really loved this post and wanted to share here.

Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Deadbeats

Oct. 27, 2009
By Mrs. G.

In 1999, Mr. G. got a great job offer and Mrs. G. and her family had to pack up their lives and move from Raleigh, North Carolina to Seattle, Washington in three weeks. It was collectively exhilarating and traumatic. Mrs. G. daughter was a little over two and her son was soon to be conceived. She didn’t know a soul and, truth be told, she was lonely. One day, Mrs. G. saw an ad in a local weekly written by another transplanted mom with a two-year-old looking for a friend and playmate for her son. Mrs. G, despite her lifelong fear and apprehension of befriending a serial killer, picked up the phone can and called the woman. Mrs. G. and Faye became fast friends and, best of all, their kids liked each other too.

One afternoon, Mrs. G. and Faye were hanging out when the kids came in from the backyard and wanted snacks. Faye pulled some green grapes out of the fridge and Mrs. G. proceeded to peel them for the kids. Faye looked at Mrs. G. like she was of unsound mind, cracked.

Faye: What are you doing?

Mrs. G: Peeling the grapes so that the kids don’t choke on the skin.

Faye: Woman, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of unnecessary labor. We’re right here in front of them. If they choke, we’ll give them the Heimlich. I forbid you to peel those grapes. I don’t want my kid getting any ideas.

Not only did Faye become Mrs. G’s best friend for life (the kind who’d help you move across town…and move a body), Faye taught Mrs. G. that from an early age, kids should be gently taught independence and given age appropriate chores that render them a proud, invested and valued member of the family.

So when Mrs. G. started homeschooling, she knew from the get -go that teaching her children life skills was as high on her priority list as academic skills. She wanted her kids to be able to be as familiar with running a household, handling finances and managing their time as reading, writing and arithmetic. Plus, she wanted a half hour a day to lie on the couch eating a Snickers bar and reading People magazine. Kidding. Kind of.

Mrs. G. is only going to lightly nudge her soapbox, elbow it only a little today and tell you she thinks, by and large, many parents (homeschooling, public schooling, private schooling, college schooling) today expect way too little from their children in the area of personal responsibilities and chores. She often feels children of the 21st century have been placed on a pedestal for parents to serve, and speaking as a mom whose house has always been “where friends land and raid pantry central” and a woman who has taught inside and outside of schools, she sees the effects of parental servitude: kids with attitude, little accountability and an insufferable sense of entitlement.

Mrs. G. has heard much of the reason and many of the excuses:

~Life is short…you’re only a kid once. (Unless your kid never grows up and never leaves home, and, then, trust Mrs. G. on this parents…life is long.)

~She works so hard at school. She’s tired when she comes home. (And? We all work hard. We’re all tired at the end of the day. She has youth on her side!)

~I get so much pleasure when I see how happy he is when he gets the new iPod, cell phone, whatever. (Consider offering him the pleasure and sense of pride that comes with working really hard for something you really want. Plus you’ll be surprised by how much better care he takes of it.)

~I get tired of the yelling and the nagging. It’s just easier to do it myself. (Consequences, consequences, consequences…when Mrs. G’s daughter lived at home and was in charge of cleaning a bathroom, if she did a lousy job, Mrs. G. would send her right in to clean it again or if it was an emergency situation where company was coming over, Mrs. G. would clean it and then leave a note on her daughter’s bed saying she expected $20 dollars (the going rate) on her dresser in no less than 24 hours.
But with little ones, let them do them do their best and be happy with it! Praise their work and if you are a perfectionist, never let them see you go in and finish the job! This applies to spouses too.)

~I don’t want him to hate me. (You aren’t his best friend…he’ll get over it…or he won’t and he’ll get over it later.)
Resources that fortified Mrs. G. in teaching life skills to her kids:

This book changed Mrs. G’s life. It convinced her that in order to create dependable, functioning members of society, parents need to start assigning tiny chores while their kids are young. Patricia Sprinkle gives practical, hands-on advice and also provides one of the best age appropriate chore lists Mrs. G. has ever seen. You’re never too young to start contributing.

Mel Levine, a professor of pediatrics and author of the bestselling One Mind at a Time, discusses in this book what he considers the “epidemic” of young people ill equipped to transition from high school and college life into real life, you that boring kind where you have to work.

A Mom’s Choice Award Recipient Lynne Finch offers a really interesting description of the innovative ways she and her family approached money.

Great program! Dave Ramsey? Mrs. G. adores him.

A simple, straightforward text…you might be shocked at how many young adults have no idea how to balance a checkbook. Banks make mistakes, people, and goodness knows they don’t need any more bail outs from Mrs. G! She’s tapped.

Chore charts never worked for Mrs. G’s family when her kids were small. It’s wasn’t the kids’ faults—Mrs. G. would just get lazy and let the whole system fall apart. They had much more success (and enthusiasm) with chore cards.

You can buy them here or learn to make them from one of Mrs. G’s favorite mama sites on the net.

Mrs. G’s 14-year-old son gets by just fine with a Post It on the fridge.

Expect great things from your children so that they expect great things from themselves, but realize it takes more than expectation to make great things happen. Parenting can be hardcore hard. We have to be devoted and consistent in instilling the notion that running a home and family takes work, honorable and privileged (and, ok ok, boring and tedious) work. Stewarding and shepherding ain’t for sissies, so buck up, folks, and put your kids to work! Don’t start with the coal mine…too much equipment. Start with the bathtub…all you need is some Ajax and a sponge.

I may not be able to ignore this one