NPR Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Voted on by reader/listener participation.

The book I wish had been included:

The Snow Queen, by Joan Vinge, which won a Hugo. Alternatively, The Summer Queen, also by Joan Vinge.

The book I feel should have been left out to make room for either of these:

A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony, which is a book I loved when I was in high school, but think is a pile of sexist garbage now. Ugh.

Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the choices!

Mushrooms chopped fine redux

Sauteed onions (not chopped as fine as last time), mushrooms, and Mr. Spock's home-made breakfast sausage. Added 5 beaten eggs, and stirred vigorously.

Muffin Man pronounced it delicious, was unaware mushrooms were even in it. Picked out the onions. Need to chop them finer next time. It's a texture thing.

Mushrooms chopped fine

Onions chopped finer. So fine that you can not see them among the tomatoes, sweet Italian sausage, basil, and oregano in the spaghetti sauce. I challenge you to find them and pick them out.

Hahahahahahaha!!!

Such a cozy room

We've switched things around at Chez Mystere. Last time we were in this house, Mr. Spock had the front room under the eaves for his office. When we were planning our move back, I suggested he use the MUCH LARGER master bedroom for his office instead, so that he could get work done in a large, bright, sunny environment.

The switch has been made and now I sleep in the front room under the eaves, with the bookshelves Mr. Spock built for me (custom-made to fit the sunny alcove in the master bedroom, but they're mine and I'm keeping 'em). I like how when they're stacked like they are, they mimic the shape of the room.

On the shelves are my books (natch); some pictures of me and the family; lotion my mom gave me that I use frequently; a notice about my promotion from a job I no longer have; typewriter bookends my SIL gave us for Christmas a couple of years ago; a Christmas ornament; a set of salt-and-pepper shakers; and a glass owl I inherited from my grandfather. Can you spot the owl?

On the bed are my two quilts (one made by my mom); a picture of Muffin Man; and at least 40 more books. What, you say you can't see the books? Look closely. Still no? They're in the Kindle on the right-most headboard shelf.

Move accomplished

Unpacking commenced and on-going.

Packing, Packing, Packing

I think we may have a little too much stuff

Living Room, three layers deep

My bedroom, as you come in

My bedroom, as you go out

Muffin Man's room

Living Room, different view

And there are more boxes, in the hall, and in MM's play room, and in the kitchen. And we're not done packing (though it's really only the bathroom cabinets that are left. And my desk. And a few things in a closet. And the stuff we're wearing and eating. And three place-settings, two pots, and a pan. And the coffee machine. And this lap-top I'm typing on. Dear God, just how did we accumulate so much stuff?

Moving, moving, moving

We're moving back to our old house, the one we own. Our tenants moved out and we're moving back.

Which means I'm typing right now on a box, marked "bills/filing".

I forgot how much I hate moving. Remind me next time, won't you?

Posted with Permission

The Everlasting 5! A stop-motion animation about battling zombies.

The ugly flowered curtains

Looking at the picture, I realize I was remembering the COUCH, not the curtains.

[Me, age 7 or 8, reading on the ugly flowered couch. The book is More-All-Of-A-Kind-Family. The skirt is denim with tiny embroidered flowers. The window is looking out onto Fischer Bay in Truro, Massachusetts.]

Where I'm From

I am from ugly flowered curtains, from Goldfish Crackers and tuna sandwiches and lemonade for lunch on the beach .

I am from the house across the street from the school I never went to, with the mulberry tree, and the ivy, and the stepping stones around the gas-lamp that still shines in my memory.

I am from the phlox, and the apple tree, and the roly-poly bugs under the bricks

I am from all the children playing Elijah, and from flat feet, from Jenny, and Mom, and Dad, and David, and Roz.

I am from the people who talk openly about illness and loudly about politics.

From Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

I am from Jewish Atheists who celebrate Passover and Hanukah and Christmas and who were fine sending me to a Quaker camp

I'm from Brooklyn and all over Eastern Europe, from chopped liver and potato latkes and steamed lobster in the Summer.

From the friendship of Bubbe Hoffy and Bubbe Yetta, and how Bubbe Yetta never knew Bubbe Hoffe wasn't Jewish. From my father's lifelong friends from Camp Kinderland. From blended families, and thirty cousins.

I am from rolodexes of photos on my mother's coffee table that my son and I look through everytime we visit.

for Magpie, who started it this time. Can also be seen at Crunchy Granola, among other places

Writing about other people

Please keep my Grandma in your thoughts. She broke her hip on Friday, and while she is recovering well and is in good spirits, she's 92 and has a long stretch of rehabilitation to go through.

Meanwhile, one of the people I write about here has asked me not to post stories involving this person without prior permission.

This is making it difficult for me to post.

It is summer, blog fodder is occurring daily if not hourly, and I...can't post any of it.

Book reviews and outfit blogging will be increasing. Now is a good time for suggestions for things to blog about!

Conversation held after a visit with the Pediatrician

Me: MM? That vaccine I said we were going to wait a few years to get? The one you can get anytime between the ages of 9 and 26?
MM: Yeah?
Me: That vaccine is to prevent a disease that causes cancer. In girls.
MM: So why do I need the vaccine?
Me: Because boys can carry the disease and give it to girls.
MM: How?
Me: By having sex with them. You'll get the vaccine in a few years, but there's no need for you to get it today, because you're not near the time when you'll be having sex with anyone.
MM: That's for sure!
Me: Now, you know that I think you won't be old enough to have sex until you're out of college, but just in case, we're going to get you vaccinated when you're 11 or 12.
MM: High Schoolers are old enough to have sex.
Me: Well...I disagree [thinking, please don't ask me when I started having sex]. Do you think high schoolers are old enough to be parents?
MM: No!
Me: 'Cause you know that a boy and a girl having sex with each other is how babies are made. We've talked about that. And every time a boy and a girl has sex with each other, there's a chance that they could be making a baby. So, if you're not ready to be a daddy, you shouldn't be having sex with a girl.
MM: Can boys make babies together or girls make babies together?
Me: No. They can't. But whether or not you have sex with a girl or a boy, it's best to wait until you are really grown-up and ready for all the grown-up stuff that happens when you have sex no matter who you are having sex with. And I don't mean like, you have a driver's license. I mean that you're ready to be making important decisions and taking care of other people and the stuff really responsible adults do, okay?
MM: Okay.
Me: And what do I always say after conversations about sex?
MM: Don't talk about sex with my friends.
Me: Right. Because their parents will want to talk to them about sex in their own time and in their own way. Okay?
MM: Okay!

What I'm Wearing (different outfit)

A beige tank top under a peach-y v-neck three-quarter-sleeve light-weight cardigan (can't find a good picture) over this Merona skirt (no belt, bought on sale at Target for $14.00):

With these shoes (B.P. sandals, bought for my SIL's wedding 6 years ago for $15.00):

And topped off with this hat (Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Facesaver Sun Hat (Natural - One Size), bought from Amazon for $38.00):

Compare that hat with this one for $175 from Nordstrom's:

Without the hat, I'm dressed for a day at the office. With the hat, I'm dressed for a garden party.

What I'm Wearing

This jacket from Nordstrom, it's by Halogen and it breaks my rule about pockets near the rack of doom. However, they're not really pockets, they're just pocket flaps. Buttoned, it looks very tailored and minimizes the assets.

A dress much like this one, without the belt. I bought the dress at Macy's in Tyson's Corner at least 12 years ago.

And these shoes. Bought from either Piperlime or DSW two years ago. This picture is from eBay.

I got a lot of compliments on today's outfit. I felt very put-together.

Fifteen Years (now with pictures)

15 years ago today: We looked like this

10 years ago today: I looked like this

(in a bathing suit in Kauai). And conceived this

6 years ago today: I wrote this.

2 years ago today: we were supposed to go out for dinner, but I went to the hospital instead. Good times.

This year, we ate beef tenderloin cooked to perfection.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. Spock.

When gerbils run wild redux

When the gerbils ran wild, it turns out that they REALLY ran wild. We found out tonight that they had a little party among the Wii wires. The wire for the Wii remote sensor was chewed through in several places. And when I say "chewed through", I mean there were several disconnected pieces.

For your future reference, the Wii remotes don't work if the sensor's not connected to the Wii with a continuous wire. Who knew?

The gerbils seemed to find that wire particularly tasty. Other wires were nibbled on, taste tests as it were, but only the Wii remote sensor wire was thoroughly destroyed.

Or it would have been, if Mr. Spock hadn't had the tools and the know-how to patch it back together. It worked for this evening, but we're going to buy a new sensor tomorrow.

Where gerbils run wild

Muffin Man's science class is talking about habitats, the environment, the food chain, and all that kind of stuff. This weekend, for homework, he built a diorama of how gerbils live in the wild.

Mr. Spock put up a beautiful picture of it on his blog. It looks better in the picture than it does in real-life!

When Gerbils Run Wild

Last night the gerbils escaped. One or another of us neglected to put the top back on their tank and they took total advantage.

Fortunately? One of them got all the way into Mr. Spock's office where he was still working on stuff, and scampered over his foot. Muffin Man and I had already gone to bed, but Mr. Spock sounded the alarm, and downstairs we ran to go gerbil hunting.

Spottie, being less adventuresome, was still in the playroom where their tank is. MM coaxed him out of hiding with some sunflower seeds and was able to catch him in the ceramic thing we use for the gerbil's dust bath.

Runner, however, was having none of it. He hid out under the storage shelves in Mr. Spock's office and we had to nudge him out with a yard stick. He put up a fight, though, trying to eat the heavy wood of the stick. Finally we cornered him behind a computer and left him with only one route out...which was blocked with the ceramic dust bath. He sat for quite a while making the decision to give up his really quite frightening freedom for safety and security in the tank. It was clear to all of us that he knew what the dust bath meant and that he went in deliberately.

After they were both back in their tank, they ran around sniffing everything and, especially, sniffing each other. The level in their water bottle this evening was lower than it has ever been before and they had eaten more of their food.

I'm grateful neither of them found a way out of the house. I would be sad to lose those little funny creatures.

6 Years And Two Days

April 6, 2005 was my first blog post here. I blogged on the anniversary, about my fun sweater, but I forgot it was a special blogging day.

Thank you all for reading, commenting, and being a huge part of my life.

Today is most certainly NOT ninety degrees and sunny, but you make it so for me.

Fluff

I'm wearing this in aubergine.

I love it.