Here we go again...

Mention the word 'hurricane', and everyone around here goes nuts. Frances is still 5 days away from potentially impacting Florida, and people have been lined up hundreds deep to buy plywood since yesterday. Traffic advisories have been issued for jams near home improvement stores. Grocery stores and gas lines are surreal. (Granted, the gas lines may be due to today being the last day of a statewide gas tax relief...)

I can understand being prepared. But there's a difference between 'prepared' and the undercurrent of panic that seems to have overtaken the county. And it happens every storm, every storm season. Eyes are glued to the Weather Channel and hurricane websites. Storm-watching really should be declared the state sport, as popular as it seems to be.

I am, admittedly, among the ones keeping an eye on Frances - and she is big, and last forecast track I saw had her making landfall near here. Certainly cause to at least be prepared.

I found a fascinating website today that had risk assessments for our area: storm surge, flooding, wind, erosion. The only one that was of any concern for our address was wind, and a high wind risk is going to be the case anywhere near the coast - we're enough inland that there's very minimal storm surge risk, and we're not in a floodplain (although flood insurance is a sensible precaution anyway).

We decided years ago what we would do if a hurricane threatened a direct hit, depending on the intensity of the storm. We've ridden out a category 1. A 3 or higher would necessitate evacuation to northward relatives, carrying irreplaceable items such as critical paperwork, computer backups, and valuables with us, and securing the rest.

In thinking about what stays and what goes, I realized that most of the stuff we have is just....stuff. And stuff can be replaced - that's why we have insurance.

Good start to the week

Leading off the week with some good news - I finished Amethyst Elegance yesterday. I used 28ct Lavender Bliss lugana, and instead of white floss/perle I used DMC 3743. And given the name, it was only appropriate that I used amethysts on it - light amethyst 2mm rounds. I'm rather pleased with the result. I just dropped it off at the framer, and I should have it back by Wednesday evening. I love my framer, and she's the only reason I willingly set foot in the maul, er, mall. She does a wonderful job, and being a needleworker herself, I know she'll take good care of my pieces. But without further ado, here it is!

Amethyst Elegance © Paw Prints Cross Stitch

The weekend was pretty tame - gaming on Saturday, some stitching on Sunday. DD claimed Amethyst for her room within 5 minutes of me finishing it.

It could be an interesting long weekend coming up. Hurricane Frances is already a category 4 and she's nowhere near land. Most projections I've seen have it coming straight for us, but we'll keep a close eye on her. Unless something dramatically changes, it'll be Saturday before it gets here, and that's plenty of time for changing course.

Surprises

This afternoon, I was given a leadership assignment at work. I'm a little nervous about it...well, maybe a lot nervous. I'm responsible for providing direction to two other folks. Fortunately I think I know what needs to be done, so hopefully I won't fall flat on my face...

It was a bit of a surprise, though. I certainly wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. I suppose it is a vote of confidence in me, though, and I should be pleased. Once I'm over being stunned.

Anyway, it's Friday, and time for the Friday Five - this one as seen on a friend's blog...

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1] Do you enjoy it when others make a big deal out of your birthday? Why/why not? When you were growing up, did your family do a lot of birthday celebrating or keep things pretty low-key?

I like to be remembered, but I don't need a huge party or anything (and don't even think about surprise parties...). When I was growing up, birthday celebrations were low-key - just cake and ice cream with the family. I get a card from my parents on my birthday, and sometimes one from my sister, and that's fine.

2] What did you do for your last birthday, and how do you think you'll spend the next one?

After work, I went out to my favorite Irish pub with my family and had a good meal, and I had a couple of hard ciders and a dessert. I'd love to spend my next birthday the same way, but I've got half a year to wait for that!

3] What are some of the best birthday presents that you've ever received? Do you feel that you are a hard person to buy gifts for?

DH has gotten me some very cool items the past couple of years - he's had to travel near my birthday, and this year he gave me a beautiful blue cameo from Rome. Last year, he gave me a cuckoo clock he bought in Austria.

Am I hard to buy gifts for? In some ways I probably am - I'm not comfortable asking for large items, and for small items such books, CDs, and stash, I have a tendency to just go ahead and buy what I want. Though lately I've been trying to forego the instant gratification in favor of making wish lists. That way when I'm asked for gift suggestions I can give something more helpful than "I have no clue!".

4] Where were you born, and what time of day? Do you know what the weather was like then? When you look at your baby pictures, what thoughts come to mind?

I was born in western Virginia a little before 8pm. I don't know what the weather was like, though I imagine it was cold and probably snowy. It was certainly dark.

When I look at my baby pictures, I note how much DD resembles me at that age.

5] How do you typically keep track of special events such as birthdays? Is there one month in particular where you have a *lot* of birthdays to celebrate?

I keep track of major events, and I have notes as to friends' birthdays. September seems to be chock full of friend birthdays - 10 of them, including my SIL. Familywise, December is pretty packed - my anniversary, DH's birthday, and Christmas are all within about a week.

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No birthdays in our household until then, which is just as well. Plenty of more mundane things to handle in the interim!

Waiting with baited breath...

There are two upcoming movie events for which I wait in anxious expectation....

The sooner of these two events is the Farscape miniseries, to be shown on SciFi on 17 October. A friend of mine sent me a link to the trailer, and it looks like it will rock. When Farscape first aired, a gaming buddy would tell us about it, but it was midway through the first season when we finally started watching. And I was hooked! So when SciFi initially announced seasons 4 and 5, there was much rejoicing. Followed by much groaning when Farscape was cancelled midway through season 4. The last episode was a very frustrating one - ending on a cliffhanger just Isn't Fair! So I've been waiting for new Farscapes for quite a long time. As are several fellow Farscape fans who happen to regular readers here...

The other event is the release of the Return of the King Extended Edition DVD. I know the theatrical release is out, but I own the xDVD for the other two movies in the trilogy, and I WANT EXTRAS! Last I heard, the release date had slipped from mid-November to sometime in December. *pout* At least it will be released before Christmas.

It's a strange feeling to realize that DD's first experience with Tolkien will be the LotR movies instead of the books - she already recognizes Gollum and has on occasion run around the house snarling "My precioussss". I think, though, that Peter Jackson did rather an admirable job - some things certainly differ from the books, but I feel he did an excellent adaptation. Some of the gems in the books obviously would not be adaptable to cinema audiences, but for the most part, the changes Jackson made fit the spirit of the books. And maybe the movies will entice her to read the books someday. I've lost count of how many times I've read them, and each time I uncover something new.

Obsessive?

Okay, this is truly sad. I have absolutely *nothing* in mind to write about, and yet I feel compelled to at least make an entry, even if it's only about the fact that I'm braindead in terms of entry content. Must be that whole ISTJ thing...

It rained Yet Again today, and I must confess it's gotten really old. I can't wait for late fall, partly because we won't get our daily deluge anymore, and partly because the weather will cool down.

It would be nice if there were some sort of hidden cistern or reservoir into which I could drain my pool, to be able to fill said pool back up during the dry season when I'm having to *add* water all the time. Conservation and all that.

Things never work out that way, though.

Game of the name....

Having run the Monday gauntlet and survived, life is looking up today. Annual performance review went rather well, and I'm hoping for a celebratory dinner at my favorite Irish place tonight. Whether I stitch afterward will probably depend on how many hard ciders I have...

And now for a little fun in the form of the Tuesday Twosome - 8/24/04: What's in a name...
1. What is your middle name and what does it mean?
I'm one of those oddball people who goes by her middle name. There seem to be various meanings for Belinda, depending on what baby book or website you look at. Most seem to have its meaning as "beautiful", being of either Spanish or Italian derivation, although I have seen "beautiful serpent" in a few places, such as the Canonical List of Evil Baby Names. (Hm...the Web seems to think I have an unfulfilled vocation as an evil genius...) I've even seen one baby book which lists its meaning as "dragon", which I thought was rather cool.

2. What are your favorite boy and girl names?
There are a lot of wonderful names - it would be very difficult to choose favorites from among them. Jason and Cecily have positive associations for me. Though if I had to pick a name for, say, a future child? Hm...Richard or Anne, maybe?

3. What are your least favorite boy and girl names?
Another toughie. Applying the 'future child' metric, it's probably safe to say I'd never name a child Henry or Hillary. No offense to any Henrys or Hillarys reading. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who wouldn't dream of naming their daughter 'Belinda'.

4. If you could change your name, what would it be and why did you choose that name?
Well, I did change my surname when I got married, partly because I absolutely hated my maiden surname. And no, I'm not going to post what it was.
Otherwise, I'm quite happy with "Belinda".

5. What two nicknames are you most often called?
Does "Mom!" count? "Bel" or "B" put in the occasional appearance, but usually I don't really go by a nickname.

A serious case of Monday

If by some bizarre neural misfire I were unable to read a calendar, I would still know today is Monday. And it has been a doozy.

It's my blog and I can whine if I want to...
Today was bloodmobile day at work....and I got deferred due to low iron. Despite having eaten well and taken iron supplements all last week precisely to avoid such an outcome...

I had to leave work early to meet a repairman for water filter maintenance. I arrived home to find a message on the answering machine - he couldn't make it today and had to reschedule...

Add to that 3" of rain in the span of an hour, which flooded my back porch and forced yet another pool drainage...

Still, I got home safely after picking up DD, and even managed to fit in a workout since the repairman bailed. So I suppose it wasn't an extreme case of Monday.

The weekend was relaxing. We gamed on Saturday - DH is running a Dark Ages Call of Cthulhu campaign - the party are all members of an obscure monastic order tasked with removing evil artifacts, tomes, and critters from the world. Preferably without losing too many sanity points along the way. And since all my chores were done on Friday, I was able to stitch for a bit on Sunday, and may actually finish something this week.

And if today was the worst this week could throw at me, all will indeed be well.

In memoriam

Remember before God
RICHARD III, KING OF ENGLAND
and those who fell at Bosworth Field,
having kept faith,
22 August 1485

loyaulte me lie...

The more things change...

A wonderful three-day weekend coming up for me, and I don't have anything overly eventful planned. Just the way I like it, much of the time. I may actually *gasp* finish Amethyst Elegance - it's working up very quickly. But otherwise, it'll be a time to relax. Once my chores are done, of course.

Since things have been busy at work and at home, I haven't thought of anything clever to blog about. So, it's back to the time-tested method of picking a meme and running with it. In this case, I'm using this week's Tuesday Twosome - pretty topical considering this was the first full week of school for my girls.

Back To School....(What you prefer now or preferred when you were in school)
Well, my answers for some of these are different, depending on whether I answer as a student, or as the parent of a student! Things look different from the other side of the fence!
1. Cafeteria or sack lunch
Growing up, I tended to pack my lunch more often than not - it was a lot cheaper, and you could at least identify the food.

That said, I think cafeteria food has come a long way since then, so I provide the money for the kids to get school lunches. A lot less hassle for me (I don't have to pack a lunch) and they can get a more nutritious lunch than I could put together.

2. CliffsNotes or read the book:
I always read the book. I don't think I've ever used CliffsNotes in my life, and I would strongly disapprove of my kids doing so. Reading is a pleasure, and I would imagine that CliffsNotes don't give you the rhythm of the language, or the true *sense* of it. Now, maybe supplementing a read by looking at CliffsNotes for themes wouldn't be quite so bad, I suppose. And if one is having to read James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - well, I'll allow an exemption for that. I had to read it for AP English and I hated it...

3. Uniforms or wear whatever you want:
When I was in school, I preferred to wear whatever I wanted. Now, at least what I chose to wear was well within the bounds of modesty, which is more than I can say for many teens nowadays. Dress code violations, anyone?

In general, I can see arguments for both sides. On one hand, wearing what you want (so long as it stays in dress code!) can be an expression of individuality. And in general is cheaper to purchase than school uniforms. On the other hand, uniforms practically guarantee dress code compliance, and remove a lot of the peer issues - you can't get picked on for your clothes if you're wearing the same as everyone else. Next year DD will need to start wearing school uniforms all the time. (Fortunately her blue/grey plaid uniform jumper looks very good on her coloring). DsD is about to graduate from public school, so it will be a nonissue for her.

4. Math or Science:
Oh, tough call! I always did well in both math and science, so it ultimately came down to individual classes/teachers. The more math-y sciences were best - I loved physics, and chemistry was a blast. I wasn't quite so big on biology - the smell of formaldehyde on dissection days was awful.

5. Homework or detention:
Well, I only ever had detention once, and most of us got let out early because the monitor needed to keep a closer eye on the worst troublemakers. I suppose whether homework or detention is preferable depends on the reason. Detention is a fixed duration, but afterschool detention can really throw a wrench into transportation plans. Homework could be helpful for learning, either curriculum-related, or in making a point. And it could be done at home. But from the student's perspective, it's also a bigger pain in the rear. Writing 100 times "I will not throw spitballs in class" isn't likely to deter hardened spitball warriors, unless it gives them carpal tunnel syndrome.

When it rains, it pours...

...at least here in Florida.

The past two hours have seen my pool go from a foot low, to Lake Clioratha. Water is standing half an inch deep on my deck.

Yet another iteration of the rain'n'drain cycle....

It's raining it's pouring

I hear the raging of a thunderstorm outside - the rapid percussion of a torrential rain and the low rumble of thunder. Weather.com has issued an urban and small stream flood advisory, and estimates rainfalls of 1-2 inches per hour.

In short, all the rain I was expecting Charley to give us. The good news is that I won't need to add water to my pool. I had drained it down a bit in expectation of heavy rain from Charley and we got virtually nothing. So at least all that rain has somewhere to go.

I just hope this storm passes before I leave work - I've gotten used to the tropical torrents we get down here, but I rather dislike having to drive in them.

I haven't been to Curves yet this week, but was planning to go tonight. And afterward I'll go home and stitch for a bit.

And now for the Stitcher's QotW!
If you were to stitch something to be passed on to future generations of your family as an heirloom, what would it be and why?
Well, I would like to think that much of what I have stitched is of heirloom quality, but so far I have completed two pieces that are definitely intended to be passed down to DD: Teresa Wentzler's Birth Announcement and Victoria Sampler's Heirloom Wedding Sampler. My girls will certainly be given most of my stitching at some point, but those are the two that come foremost to mind as heirlooms.

I have seen samplers for family trees and such. Perhaps someday I'll do one of them for a legacy.

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The power is starting to flicker here (good thing my PC is on an UPS!) so I'll post and go....

Once in a blue moon...

Book Review: Hawk and Fisher series by Simon R. Green

Titles: Blue Moon Rising, Swords of Haven, Guards of Haven, Beyond the Blue Moon
Author: Simon R. Green
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Data: Roc, New York NY. 1991, 1999, 1999, 2000.

Ever have one of those days where it seems like everyone is out to get you?

To Hawk and Fisher, every day is one of those days. In Swords of Haven and Guards of Haven, Hawk and Fisher - husband and wife, and Captains in the Guard - face down villains both natural and supernatural as they try to make a difference in the corrupt port city of Haven. It's not easy when your superiors are on the payroll, and it's not always obvious just who your enemies really are. Politicians, power-crazed magic-users, and snooty aristocrats add to the fun. And the good guys don't always win all the time.

Swords and Guards are omnibus editions of six shorter novels.

Blue Moon Rising and Beyond the Blue Moon bookend the Haven series. Blue Moon Rising chronicles Hawk and Fisher's beginnings as Prince Rupert and Princess Julia. Rupert, the second son of the Forest King, is sent to slay a dragon. But instead of taking the hint and going into exile, he returns - with a dragon and a princess. Mayhem ensues as Rupert and Julia fight both political intrigue and the evil influences brought by the Blue Moon. In Beyond the Blue Moon, Rupert and Julia are recalled to Rupert's homeland, which they had fled to escape their own legend. Returning as Hawk and Fisher, they attempt to discover who murdered the King, while untangling the political web and trying to save the kingdom from evils unleashed by the returning Blue Moon.

While certainly not high literature on par with Tolkien, this was a relatively quick-reading but rather enjoyable series - classic sword and sorcery mixed with gritty realism and a healthy dose of British wit. Hawk/Rupert and Fisher/Julia are sympathetically human - they both have their quirks, and they bicker like many married couples. And they occasionally get their rears kicked, but in general give more than they get. Haven's criminal element, minus the sorcerous aid, would seem right at home in any large city and echoes the darker sides of human nature. And even stock characters have their own personalities and twists.

If you're looking for a quick read, but are tired of crappy pulp fantasy (and believe me, there is a lot!), these novels may be just the thing. Any of them, with the possible exception of Beyond, can be read independently of the others, but the series presents a compelling whole.

All clear

We were very lucky - Charley was pretty much a non-event for us personally. Very little rain, gusts of wind but nothing strong enough to do damage. Almost anticlimactic, really.

But I've seen pictures of the damage, and I am thankful that Charley gave us a miss.

The calm before the storm

As of this writing, Charley is now a category 4 hurricane, and is taking a more easterly trek than expected. As a result, my company let everyone out at 3pm, with directions to turn off and cover all computer equipment.

The traffic on the roads is a little heavy, but otherwise it's almost like a ghost town in my neighborhood. I haven't gone by the grocery store - it's probably packed, as are the home improvement stores. Our area is expected to face tropical storm force winds, and more than 4 inches of rain.

We're not worried, though. Keeping an eye on things, as is prudent, but we're prepared.

I spoke to my folks up north last night, and my mom suggested Charley should have been named Clyde, so there'd be the "Bonnie and Clyde" potential. As strong as Charley seems to be, his name may well get retired. Maybe someone will suggest "Clyde" as a replacement.

We can circle around like hurricanes...

It's August in Florida, and everyone here knows what that means....

Hurricanes.

Two tropical systems out there right now, though Bonnie just came ashore earlier today and is losing strength. No effect from her other than maybe a little rain.

Charley is another story. He's Category 2 as of this writing, and although he's going to make landfall on the western side of the state, we're likely to get some heavy wind and rain tomorrow evening. That's likely to play havoc with afternoon commutes. But then again, we get torrential rains on a regular basis, hurricane or no. The joys of living in the tropics.

We have been through a direct hit from a hurricane before, back in 1995. We got a lot of flooding in the streets and there were a lot of uprooted trees or windflung roof shingles, but other than our mailbox nearly being blown away and the street losing power for about 4 hours, our household was unscathed. Not bad for only being about 4 miles inland. Waiting it out did have its nervewracking moments, though.

All told, though, I'd certainly prefer hurricanes to tornadoes - at least with hurricanes you have fair warning.

Do the Humpday Hump...

Wednesday and my brain is a bit on the fried side, so I don't have a whole lot to write. Enough reason for a status blog.
On the home front
DD started back to school yesterday. She had a little bit of trouble detaching from me this morning, possibly through not getting to sleep until late. She did have a pretty good day at school overall and has an assigned seat next to her best friend. As for me, things have been sort of busy with back-to-school related activities, though I have found time to get to Curves twice so far this week (Go me!). Last week I made it 3x - I'd like to keep it up.
Reading
I'm on the last third of Guards of Haven by Simon R. Green, an omnibus of 3 short novels in the Hawk & Fisher series. Light but fun sword&sorcery - I've got one more book in the series to read, then I'll post a review.
Needlework
I got to stitch maybe an hour on Amethyst Elegance late last week, but haven't since then. I plan on remedying that oversight tonight, once I'm done with this entry. And speaking of stitching...
Stitcher's QotW:What would your stitching confession be?
Oooh, bad stitching habits...I've a few. There are a few I've managed to abandon, like floss-licking and tying knots, but my big confession is that I'm a bit of a floss miser. I shouldn't be - DMC is pretty cheap - but I have a tendency to eke out as many stitches as I can out of a thread, even though the ends start to get a bit thin. Generally it only happens when I'm almost at the end of needing a color and don't want to thread another needle's-worth for one or two stitches. It is a bad habit, though, and I do need to break it.

My other bad stitching habit is that if I've miscounted a row, or missed a stitch, unless I catch it early enough that I don't have to frog a lot, I'll try to work around it. I hate frogging. Sometimes I'll substitute a nearby color (if it works) for a missed stitch (though this may play into floss-miserness).

So there you have it. I think over the past decade, especially since I've discovered the boards, my needlework technique has improved dramatically. But I'm still probably a far cry from being model-stitcher quality. That, and model stitchers need more time than I can really devote to it. Perhaps when I retire...

Beware of Parent

It is intuitively obvious to the casual observer that today was the first day of school. Around the county, classrooms of youngsters are inundated with parents wielding cameras.

DH and I were no exception. We took DD to her first day of kindergarten, and took a few candid shots of DD and her friends, including a rather cute 'group hug' shot. The beauty of having a digicam and a photo-quality printer is that I've already printed out copies for the other girls' parents, which I gave over at parent orientation tonight. And DD had a great day with her friends and her new class.

..and as I write this, DD is running around the house eating, of all things, a Frozen Corn Dog.

Sometimes it's better just not to ask....

Back to school special

And another summer break draws to a close - both my girls start back to school tomorrow. DsD is a senior this year...where did the time go? She's also going to be taking a couple of classes at the local community college. Dual enrollment seems to be fairly common nowadays - back when I was in school *mumble* years ago, it was a very rare occurrence.

DD will be starting kindergarten. She had registration on Thursday, so she's met her teacher - a witty little Irish nun in her 60's. DD has also discovered that her very best friend has the same teacher, which makes her doubly happy.

The girls just walked in the door while I'm typing this, having made one last summer foray to the beach. DD has a bit of a sunburn now - not the best way to start the school year.

This weekend was relatively relaxing - apart from normal chores, I got to read a fair bit, stitch a little, and played both LotRisk and our weekly RPG. Ahhh, life is good!

This week I need to get some web updates finished for my parish website, before my priest gets back from Ireland. Hopefully he'll be pleased with the finished result.

Meanwhile, it's back to life as I know it.

Working for the weekend..

Tomorrow is one of my off-Fridays, so I have a 3-day weekend. And none too soon - I need this weekend like you wouldn't believe. Between travel, houseguests, and the daily grind, I am in sore need of relaxation. You can bet good money I'll be sleeping in a bit tomorrow! Especially since this will be my last off-Friday where I can sleep in until October. Both girls start back to school on Tuesday, and obviously I can't sleep in when I need to drive DD to school.

So this should be a relatively low-key weekend. I need to take my car to the shop tomorrow afternoon, but other than that, my only plans are gaming, reading, and stitching. Oh, and the normal run of household chores like laundry and bills, but that's typical.

I'll close the week with last week's Friday Five.

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1) Of everything in your wardrobe what do you feel the most comfortable wearing? Why?
Well, there's comfortable as in physical comfort, and comfortable as in most at ease. I'm most at ease wearing t-shirt or top and jeans. For physical comfort, I like long, loose flowing dresses - they're not constricting, and are more forgiving of body flaws than tight clothing.

2) How would you describe your style?
Style? Me? *laugh* If I have to name names, it's probably a heavy dose of "engineer casual" with occasional veins of "flower child".

3) How many pairs of shoes do you own and do you wear them all?
Hm....probably 7 or 8, most of them black. As for wearing them all, I only have two feet so I only wear one pair at a time! Seriously, though, there are probably about 3 pairs that see regular rotation, two others for dressier occasions, and several others that I haven't yet gotten rid of for whatever reason.

4) Where do you buy most of your clothes?
Target or Walmart. Department stores are too expensive, and are usually located in malls (*shudder*)

5) What was the last piece of clothing you bought?
I got myself a nice light purple dress in Ottawa - very nice find, only cost me about $15 USD.

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A Rose by any other name...

Book Review: Rose series by Eleanor Fairburn

Titles: The Rose in Spring, White Rose, Dark Summer, The Rose at Harvest End, Winter's Rose
Author: Eleanor Fairburn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Data: Robert Hale & Co, London. 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976. Out of Print (and hard to find!)

This quartet covers the life of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (1415-1495), and many of the events surrounding the English Wars of the Roses (1452-1497). The first two books, The Rose in Spring and White Rose, Dark Summer, follow the lives Cecily and her husband Richard, 3rd Duke of York, through their life together as they struggle with an increasingly hostile political situation created by the early death of Henry V, and long minority of his son Henry VI. One sympathizes with the Yorks as the political machinations of the Lancastrian Beauforts and Margaret d'Anjou, Henry's queen, drive Richard to reluctantly press a claim to the throne for the sake of their country.

With Richard's death in battle in December 1460, and the coronation of the Yorks' eldest son Edward in June 1461, the tone of the series begins to shift in The Rose at Harvest End, focusing more on Edward IV and the events of the Wars as Cecily begins to withdraw from political life. Although her son is now King, Cecily is still concerned both with Lancastrian uprisings, and a new set of problems caused by Edward's womanizing and his patronage of the large family of his new queen, Elizabeth Woodville, the widow of a Lancastrian leader.

When Edward's dissolute lifestyle sends him to an early grave at the beginning of Winter's Rose, Cecily's youngest son Richard is named Protector, and later King. Unlike more well-known but historically suspect portrayals (Shakespeare comes to mind), Fairburn portrays Richard III in a positive light - an honorable man, beloved by his family and countrymen, who tried to make the best of an unexpected and unwanted kingship while trying to counter further intrigues by the Woodvilles and uprisings fomented by the Lancastrian faction.

The main story itself ends in 1483. The deaths of Richard III's son and wife, Richard's own death at Bosworth in 1485, the ruthless tactics of Henry Tudor's regime and the campaigns of several pretenders to the English throne are mentioned in flashback in the epilogue as Cecily lies on her deathbed.

I personally found these books a quick and engaging read - I was able to get a feel for how historical events both in England and in Europe were interrelated, and how they affected the lives of people during that time. I'm admittedly not much of an expert on the Wars of the Roses, but for the most part the story seemed to fit with the information I did have. The portrayals of Cecily and of her husband and sons are favorable, but they are also human, with their own motivations and issues. Margaret d'Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville both come across as cold and scheming, but still human for that.

They're well worth a read...if you can find them. Good luck - it took me 5 years to get Winter's Rose, and I'm not selling!

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If you're interested in Wars of the Roses historical fiction, an excellent book to start with is Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour. That one got me interested in Richard III and the Wars of the Roses, and I've been there ever since.

We now resume the life already in progress...

Last week, I went up to Ottawa for business, and in general I enjoyed myself. I had a 5-hour layover on my way up, so I met a friend for lunch - we went to an Irish pub for lunch, and to a Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Delicious, and I felt rather stuffed by the time I boarded the second leg of my flight. The second leg was on a 40-seat CRJ, but between being seated in an exit row, and the pint of Smithwicks I'd had at the pub, I was just fine with that. It was almost 11pm by the time I landed, got my rental and got settled in at my hotel, so I didn't get to experience much of the city that day.

Bright and early the next morning (and every weekday morning last week) I went in to work. I think I got on pretty well with folks at the customer site, and got a lot done. I got out of work around 4:30 every day, and spent my evenings walking around the ByWard Market and surrounding area.

There are a LOT of things for sale at the Market. I personally enjoyed the fresh fruit, especially the berries! I love berries, especially raspberries and blackberries, and being able to get them fresh at a good price was pure bliss. There were also the usual run of souvenir shops and booths, but unlike some places I've been, the vendors were not at all pushy, which I found rather nice.

Near the Market and my hotel, there were a great many restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines - from the Hooters across the street, to the aboriginal bistro a few streets over. I didn't go to Hooters - we have one here, and in general I would prefer to try something a little different than what I can find at home. Wednesday I had haggis at the Highlander Pub, which also featured 130 brands of single-malt scotch. I wished DH were with me then - he's a connoisseur of single-malts. I'd actually had haggis once before, in Scotland, and figured I'd give it another go. Despite its reputation, haggis actually isn't bad at all. Probably not something I'd want to eat every day, though. Thursday I went to the Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro and had caribou. Very tasty, if a bit on the pricey side. Very nice little place, decorated with native tribal artwork. Afterward I walked around town a little bit, up to Parliament Hill and down near the canal. I also made the obligatory Tim Hortons stop - I was half-expecting them to ask if I'd been to a Tim Hortons before they'd let me leave the country!

Friday evening was one of the high points of my trip - I met up with several other stitchers: Chrisanne (who kindly picked me up at my hotel), Dani, Christin, Vicki, and Alison. We met at Cross Stitch Cupboard, which is the largest LNS I'd ever set foot in...very very nice. I was good and only indulged a little. Afterward, everyone but Alison (who had a sick child) went to The Glen, another Scottish place out in the suburbs. Excellent fish'n'chips, and I got to see some of Dani's and Chrisanne's work. Dani posts pictures on her blog pretty regularly, but seeing her work in person is something else entirely. She mentioned that this was the largest number of stitchers she's been able to get together at one time - I think they all came to gawk at the American! Seriously, though, they were a wonderful group of folks, and I certainly wouldn't mind meeting up with them again if I get back to Ottawa.

Saturday morning I checked out of the hotel, and went to St.Patrick's, which was a rather small but lovely cathedral. I got there just as Mass was getting out, and stayed for prayers before looking around a bit. From there, I went to the airport and flew home.

DD certainly missed me while I was gone - she spoke to me every day when I called, and was counting down the days until I returned. She was very happy to see me, so the candy I brought back was just icing on the cake for her.

Things weren't quite back to normal, though - DH's parents had come down to visit late last week, and only left this morning. DD was happy to see them, but as someone once said, "Fish, and relatives, smell after 3 days". The rest of my family was already stressed by the time I got home, and it continued from there. My inlaws are good folks, but my MIL tends to be a bit opinionated, which didn't exactly make for happy times. With DH and I both working, I think DsD bore the brunt of the criticism this trip. I think in general we're just glad to have our house back and get back to our lives.

All in all, I loved Ottawa, but I'm also glad to be back with my family.

There are miracles!

Very good news! Stacey's little boy has been FOUND!! A little dehydrated, but otherwise safe!

Thank God for his safe return....I'm so relieved I'm on the verge of tears.

Found and lost...

Well, I'm back from Ottawa, which I found to be a lovely city. I was planning on writing about my trip (which I will get to, I promise), but I got some news that trumps my trip report.

My friend Stacey's son, 4-year-old David Tippen, is missing.

For those of you who read other stitcher's blogs, you probably already know about this. But I also know that some of you are friends from other facets of my life, which is why I'm doing echoing other postings. And those of you in the Atlanta area may have heard about this on the news. In any case, Stacey and her family could certainly use your prayers for David's safe return. And open eyes, for those of you in or near Atlanta.

I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through right now. When my stepson ran away back in May, I went through hell - but the odds were heavily in his favor for his safe recovery. There's a world of difference between a missing teenage boy, and a missing preschooler...