Monday, January 20, 2014

Scratching an Itch

This weekend I noticed a large blue piece of fabric flapping in the wind.  It was waving "Hello, come on over," above a garbage can.  As my husband pulled the car into the garage, I asked him to keep the door open as I wanted to investigate. Under it was a towel, and a sleeping bag, one can over was a large floral comforter.  I returned thinking surely one of the canning alley scavengers would claim the useful bedding.

This afternoon I was disappointed as things looked untouched.  I felt compelled to pull out the items for a good, hot wash and dry, to be followed by a donation to a nearby food pantry. Fridays they give away donated clothing and household goods. Also I found 2 stacking plastic drawer shelf things. Washed in hot soapy water and set out on porch to dry/freeze.  Satisfied that I was able to rescue the goods and relieved that I didn't have to worry about them coming to a bad end.

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Friday, January 10, 2014

A Short, Incomplete List of Books Read in 2013

When I was a little girl my mother had me keep a notebook with titles of books I read.  At that age I read about 10 a week, that was very easy to do as I was a child who loved nothing more than holing up at home and reading. I may go back to keeping a running list as it is hard to recollect everything I read last year, here is what I remember in any case, yes, lots of graphic novels and memoirs, a picture is worth 1000 words, at least sometimes:

1. Bad Decline in CivilWarLand, George Saunders, loved!!!!
2. Pastorlia, George Saunders, also loved!!!
3. Grow Vegetables in Pots, DK
4. Grindhouse, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez
5. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, Frost and Steketee
6. The Rebellion of the Beasts Or the Ass is Dead! Long Live the Ass! Leigh Hunt, loved!!!
7. What I Hate from A to Z, Roz Chast, loved, so much anxiety in a slim little book
8. Homesweet, Homegrown, Robyn Briggs
9.  Make Your Place, Robyn Briggs
10. Fix Your Clothes, Robyn Briggs
11. Garden of Revelation, Beardsley
12. Why be Happy When You Could be Normal, Jeannette Winterson
13. The Well Ordered Home, Kathleen Kendal-Tackett
14. Tales of Mystery and Terror, Edgar Allen Poe
15. Grimm's Fairy Tales, read out loud at bedtime to 11-year-old son, highlight of my day xox
16. Quiet: Power of Introverts, Susan Cain
17. Vivienne Westwood, Claire Wilson
18.The New American Splendor Anthology, Harvey Pekar, loved!!!
19.  Living on the Earth, A. Bay Laurel, reread most years
20.  American Dress Catalogues, 1873-1909
21. What It Is, Lynda Barry
22.  Picture This, Lynda Barry
23. Street, Nylon
24. Ultra Mind Solution, Mark Hyman
25. Ultra Metabolism, Mark Hyman
26. and 27. Best American Comics 2012, and 2010
28. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, David Sedaris
29. Shopgirl, Steve Martin
30. Alma, Gorden Burn, excellent
31. Special Exits, Joyce Farmer, so moving and anxiety making
32. Fun Home, Allison Betchel
33. Are You My Mother, Allison Betchel
34. Book of Genesis Illustrated, R. Crumb
35.  Dante's Divine Comedy, Chwast
36. Topsy Turvy World, Atak
37. Autograph Man, Zadie Smith, could not finish, had high hopes, oh well
38. Wild Things, Dave Eggers, read out loud to my daughter xox
39. Dark Life, Kat Falls, read out loud to my daughter xox
40. The Girl Without Anyone, Kelly Deeth
41. The Small Garden Handbook, Abbeydale Press
42. Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

Happy New Year to my readers. Always on the look out for new to me authors, any suggestions?