Terrapin Station

Book Meme

Presbyterian Gal has kindly tagged me for this book meme. 

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Dean Koontz.  Nastiness I do NOT need in my head! 

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Anne Shirley (of Green Gables), Meg Murry O'Keeffe, and Vicky Austin (latter two are Madeleine L'Engle characters).  Event...hanging out and talking.  Wine available.  Does Anne drink?  Don't know. 

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Well, so far, War and Peace (see below).  But clearly I need to try it again. 

Come on, we've all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

War and Peace.  I'm pretty sure that now I have to go read it. 

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

I don't think so.  I tend to know what I have read, though not remember it well, so I get to re-read a lot. 

You've been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why? (if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)

The Chronicles of Narnia.  If the VIP is too stuffy to read "children's books" (which they are not) then he/she is worthless and not a very V or I P. 

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?  Echoing PG:  No contest: Spanish. In 4th semester Spanish in college we read Aura by Carlos Fuentes in Spanish.  It's a novel of the supernatural, and you totally don't get all the undertones reading it in English (which of course I did, to try to figure out what the HECK was happening!)  Demonstrated so clearly how much is lost in translation...

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L'Engle

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?
DEFINITELY books on church growth, preaching, etc.  Why am I reading these?  Because I am fascinated by what my RG friends are talking about. 

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.
First of all:  It's furnished and accessorized by Levenger.  No limit on price.  Go see what I mean if you don't konw them already. 

I'd love a library with the rolling ladder along the shelves...to easily get to those less-accessed items without dragging out the stepladder.  Several choices of places to sit, all with headrests (as a tall person it is hard for me to get comfortable in a lot of chairs).  Excellent indirect lighting.  Replacements for those items in my full set of Madeleine L'Engle that were destroyed in the fire of 1999.  A completely dedicated LIBRARY room.  One of the things that sold me on our current home was the full wall of built in bookshelves in my current library.  I realize I am fortunate to have one...but it also holds our big freezer and a lot of other extraneous items! 

TAG TIME: My mom, Elastigirl, Mrs. Swizzle, Rachel at the Big Dunk, Michelle. 

My many names

Hat tip to Juniper at Possible Water:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Beauty Beetle
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Chocolate Teva

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Dog
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Elizabeth Houston
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name): Butma
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Blue Water

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Lehnholf Arthur
8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Amazing Grace Heath

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Dorries Denton
10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Spring Bluebonnet (???)
11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Raspberry Bathrobe (tee hee)
12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Oatmeal Oaktree

Candy Cane Monday Meme

I am tickled pink that Presbyterian Gal tagged me for her meme!  She says: 

Now that the dreaded Black Friday has come and gone, here is a short little Meme to properly kick off the holiday season.

Name five of your favorite all time gifts. Either given or gotten.

1.  Last year I got an Ipod nano, a little snazzy green one.  I named him Newton.  It is taking me a long time to learn to really use it, but when I do I love it!  Awesome! 

2.  When I was really little I got a Krissy doll with the long red hair...remember her?  And her hair went in and out of her head so you could give her long hair or short.  Kind of like the girls today who wear fake hair!  Except Krissy's hair was pretty nasty and eventually it got so tangled that I cut it all off.  I had wanted that doll SO MUCH and it was awesome to get it. 

3.  But the best doll EVER was the Holly Hobbie rag doll.  The REAL, original one.  Not the cartoony ones they have now, blick. 

 

Nancy and I each got one (we were allowed one doll per year) and they went everywhere with us.  They were big...probably 2 feet.  Good "pretend child" size.  They were good for holding and snuggling.  Loved. that. doll. 

4.  One year (1989?  1990?) we went to visit my Florida grandparents for Christmas.  We had always stayed in Texas before.  But my mom and dad were getting ready to retire and move there.  And Meme and Bigdaddy weren't doing well.  So we went to Tallahassee. 

I had made a smocked Christmas ornament for Meme (I had taken a class and it was the only one I ever made!!) and I had bought a mug for Bigdaddy that said, "Lovable Huggable Grandfather."  Both of them seemed perfectly delighted with those gifts (and they were hard to buy for!!)  And they USED them.  After they both died, those items came back to me.  I use the ornament each year and the mug very often.  They mean a lot to me...gifts I gave that came back. 

5.  My priest in College Station, Fr. Jeff, once gave me a little figurine of a mouse girl, dressed in a Christmas outfit and holding a tray.  He told me that it had reminded him of me because I had a ministry of hospitality.  I always remember that.  He saw something in me...that I didn't always see myself, then.  That gift reminds me. 

Thanks for asking!  I tag...hmm...Mindy, Zorra, Rach, Angel, and Elastigirl! 

My Kitchen Window...And Yours?

So, here's a photo of my kitchen window.  I know you wanted to see this. 

Here's a photo of my kitchen window.  Hmm, what all is there?  Hanging on the cabinets, dishtowels embroidered by my Memamma.  Top "row," radio receiver; Episcopal church shield in stained glass (broken in half...hmm, do you think that's significant!?)*; Daughters of the King logo in stained glass (tipsy); green glass bottle with a wishbone drying in it; an old can of Boraxo hand soap from my Gramma Beth's house; a preeeeety blue wine bottle. 

On the window, a Flylady cling and a crystal hanging down.

On the shelf & sill, a couple of old soda bottles; pothos ivy rooting; a wooden cross that has a note on it saying, "Gone to prepare a place for you.  Be back soon.  Love, Jesus;" yellow Fiesta Ware gravy boat with Splenda in it; salt shaker; potato scrubber shaped like a potato; 2 African Violets; peppermint hand soap; small picture of chilis; small picture of Virgin Mary from church garden; framed photo of my sweetie at about age 3. 

What's in YOUR window?  Show us, tell us, or both.

I tag Mindy, Mrs. Swizzle, Elastigirl, Sarah, and Cathy.  If you enjoy, tag some more people!  Let's see what folks look at every day while they do their dishes. 

:) 

______________________________

Edited to add:

* I didn't even realize that the Episcopal shield was broken until I posted this picture!  It goes to show that I won't see what's right in front of me until I see it through someone else's eyes - or the camera's.  Again, perhaps a fitting metaphor...one worth considering. 

The Animals Speak Meme (as tagged by Zorra's Amie)

Hi Mary Beth! When you get home, could you please pass these questions on to Josie and Boudreaux? Thanks!
Amie

Thanks for asking, Amie! 

1. How do y'all usually get along with each other, and what is hardest for you to share?

We play and fight and play and fight.  Sometimes Boudreaux thinks it is good to climb on top of Josie, which is funny because when he was a baby she used to sit on him.  He is bigger now!  But she is the Alpha!  Josie does not like to share ANY food.  Especially chicken.  Nor attention from Mommy.  Boudreaux has to be veeery careful how close he gets to Mommy in the bed. 

2. What is your favorite activity on a beautiful fall day?

We like to go into the front yard and RUN AND RUN AND RUN AND RUN AND RUN around in big swooping circles!  Then we roll our faces into the grass and leaves.  Then we eat grass.  Then we do it all some more! 

Josie likes to sit in the sun.  She is a sunworshipper, like her Dad.  Boudreaux would rather go somewhere shady, which is most of the yard!

3. Nylabones, or squeaky toys? Explain your answer.

Mmmm, we don't like Nylabones at all.  Mom keeps bringing them home and we don't know what is so hard to understand about the fact that WE DO NOT WANT THEM.  They are hard and icky.  We like IAMS biscuits. 

Many dog toys are just too big for us; this is discrimination!  Cat toys are nice but Mom thinks they are too easy for us to EAT!

Boudreaux's favorite toy is a cloth bird with crunchy wings.  We have a Pluto dog that our Aunt Nancy gave Josie when she was a pup.  It barks, wags tail, walks...very very exciting.  We are also especially fond of our stuffies from Aunt Casserole.  They smell like....Cats? 

4. What is your human's most endearing trait?

She tells us every day how beautiful and perfect we are!  It is nice that she recognizes this and does not forget to say so.  She always says we are great blood pressure medicine.  That is silly, we are not medicine! 

5. Where do you stand on the issue of full inclusion of cats?

Hee hee!  We have a cat of our own.  We LOOOOVE to play with the cat!  We chase her and bark and jump on top of her and make loud screaming noises.  She likes it too...we know that...otherwise she would smack us silly with her claws, which she still has all of them.  But she yells right along. 

Sometimes Dad picks up the cat and chases us around the house with her!  That is fun too. 

Inclusion?  You mean, is the cat one of us?  Nah, no way.  But she's fun for a game now and then. 

Thanks for playing!

Thank YOU, Amie!  Now, I tag Senna at Mrs. Swizzle's house.  (She's been under the weather & we'd like to cheer her up....)  Senna, would you like to be interviewed by some Maltese dogs?  Just let Mom know and we will send you questions!

Fab Four Meme (as tagged by Mrs. Swizzle)

4 Jobs I’ve Held

Study Abroad director, advisor, secretary, etc.

temp secretary

university library worker

shop assistant at silk flower store

4 Films I Could Watch Over and Over

Benny & Joon

Shrek

Moonstruck

Mermaids

4 TV Shows I Watch

• King of the Hill
• Friends
• Whatever DH has on.....
• Whatever DH has on.....

4 Places I’ve Lived (and they are the ONLY 4 places I've lived!!!)

Houston, TX
College Station, TX
Bryan, TX
Denton, TX

4 Favorite Foods

Beans & Rice
Any Pasta
Mexican Food
Indian Food

(I totally stole Mrs. Swizzle's whole list!!!)

4 Websites I Visit Everyday

www.Pray-as-you-go.org

www.revgalblogpals.blogspot.com

www.oremus.org

www.cnn.com

4 Favorite Colors

1. Green (dark)
2. Blue
3. Yellow
4. Other green (sea foam)

4 Places I Would Love to Be Right Now

• North Florida
• England
• San Angelo
• Lakeside camping in the RV

4 Names I Love But Would/Could Not Use for my Children

• Siobhan
• Evelyn (as in Waugh, for a boy)
• Murgatroyd (and call him Troy)
• Madeleine (which I WOULD have named my daughter, if I'd had the naming of one). 

I tag Elastigirl, Mindy, Zorra, and Cool Friend

Interview of Me by Rach

Rach has five questions for me:

1. Are you more of a pragmatist or an idealist?

Idealist all the way.  My husband is my opposite.  He says I'm an idealist because I'm a liberal, but I think the idealism came first and the politics came later. 

2. What is, or has been, your all-time favorite comic strip? What do you like most about it?

I think it's got to be "For Better or For Worse."  Because they age in real time (sort of) and have lives and personalities and real problems and concerns (like aging parents).

3. What is your personal theme song?  I keep trying to think of some cool rock and roll anthem, but what keeps coming to me (for a reason, one would assume) is "I will Rejoice in the Lord Alway."  I'm very sad that I can't find a clip of it for you, it such a jazzy, bouncy little tune with such a great lyric. 

I will rejoice in the Lord alway, I will rejoice in the Lord alway,

Though the fig trees are barren, and the cattle all die

And the crops have failed, and the fields empty lie,

And though He slay me, even though He slay me, I will rejoice in the Lord alway.

4. Is there something you would love to do, but don't dare to do? What is it?  Buy a sailboat (a little one like the one below) and learn how to launch it myself.  I grew up with a sailboat that lived right on the beach, and we just dragged it down to the water.  But I am not near the coast, nor have I any dedicated private beach to leave a boat on!  My goal is to learn to back a trailer so that I can launch such a boat by myself, and then, GO DO IT!  Give me a year or two. 

5. What book have you had to read that you absolutely hated? What did you dislike about it?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  What a nasty book & yeah, I know that's the point.  Read it in 9th grade English. 

Edited to add:  Ugh!  I forgot to include the rest of the game.  Here 'tis:  If YOU'D like to play, here's what to do:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

So, c'mon!  Who's in!?

8 random facts or habits meme

I have been tagged by like, steen people to do this.  I have already done a version of it back when there were only 6 things required.  Let's see if I can dredge up some more!

First, the rules. Then, the meme.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3.At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


1. I was backup singer in a really lame garage band in high school.  My boyfriend was drummer and my best friend was lead vocalist.  We practiced a lot and had about one gig.  I remember it very fondly.  We played Pat Benatar, AC/DC, and the like.  My son finds all this amazing and somewhat ridiculous.  I think it is COOL.  Or KEWL as we would have said back then.  ;)

2. I learned to play guitar via the Mary Stallings Method when I was 7 years old.  It was offered at my church.  My parents, sister and I all learned to play in order to play with the Folk Mass group at church.  I'm pretty sure that there is no relation between the jazz vocalist Mary Stallings and this person.  I don't play now but I remember a lot. 

3. I've never been a nail biter.  But I do have a bad nervous habit of tearing at my cuticles, which I began while taking my Master's Degree comps. 

4. I believe that Statistics is one of the most evil things ever invented.  If you like it, Great, I am happy for you, and will engage you to do mine, at any rate of pay you name. 

5. I have the same name as a woman who does something with Lotus Usability Testing.  If you google my name...that's not me!

6.  If you did a Google Images search on my name, I appear to be the only "Mary Beth Butler" listed.  Here's the link, from a story the local paper did on my husband's and my business last year.

7.  I am very fond of folk music, books on tape, and seashells.

8.  I greatly dislike cigarette smoke, dirty dishes left in the sink, and scrubbing the bathtub.

I think everyone in the world must have done this, so I'm not tagging anyone.  If you want to do it....have at it! 

Meme about ME

Actually, about my birth date, which is April 5.  Here's the poop:

The instructions:
1) Go to Wikipedia
2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.
3) List three events that happened on your birthday
4) List two important birthdays and one death
5) One holiday or observance (if any)

• 456 - St. Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary Bishop
• 1614 - In Virginia, native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe
• 1930 - In an act of civil disobedience, Mohandas Gandhi breaks British law after marching to the sea and making salt
• b. 1588:  Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)
• b. 1856: Booker T. Washington, American educator (d. 1915)
• Holiday:  In Mauritius, this is the festival of Ougadi. 
• Bonus:  This is also the feast day of Irene, Saint and Martyr.  Died 304.

Question Meme!

Mindy wants to know:

1.  A movie is made about your life, who plays you?

Reba McIntire.  Someone told me once that I look like her, and I don't, but she has a great body so I'll take it! 

2.  If you could meet a fictional character and spend time with them, who would you choose and why?

Lucy Pevensie from the Narnia stories.  At any age.

3.  Are your toenails painted the same color as your finger nails?

Right now the answer is yes - no color!  I usually NEVER have painted fingernails because the polish doesn't last.  I often have painted toenails but only if I can afford a pedicure.  I am not good at doing it myself!  It's like a 5 year old trying to polish her nails - I get polish everywhere except on the nails.  Then, I have to spank myself.  :)

4.  You have 5 minutes to pack up and leave, what do you take with you?

Dogs.  Cat.  Fireproof box with passports, deeds, etc.  The black metal box with all the Butler family docs in it.  Photo albums, as many as we can carry.  Our prayer books.  Computers!  Yikes! 

5.  I discover a clown under my bed and call you for help.  Do you kill it or set it free?

KILL.  Kill.  KILL!  Anything for you, Mindy.