Updates, updates..
Dec. 11th, 2005 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
artyartieI haven't done an actual update in a while, so here follows a short summary of the last week or so.
Last Sunday I went to a friend's house for tree-trimming and other merriment. Besides spinning ourselves dizzy with the garland, the definite highlight was their collection of Cool Old Stuff. Books from 1705 and a four-volume set of English history from 1836 (the engraving on the front of the fourth book was the death of Nelson), swords from the English Civil War that were most certainly used in them by the notches in the blade, and two amazing rings. One was gold, Roman, with a carving of the goddess Minerva. The other was Saxon with traces of the original paint still on it. I put them both on and you could just feel the weight of so much history, knowing that they had been worn by people just the same as us and yet so very, very different.
This week at work seemed very tedious at the beginning - we're still in the middle of the renovation and I'm so tired of everything being up in the air (in so many aspects of my life, I suppose), but it got better as the week went on. I have a lot of writing to get done this week for some story exchanges and I find the words aren't coming as easily as I would like, but I do need to write them, whether my muse is willing or not.
Book wise, this week I finished Sails on the Horizon, the first in a new series set in the Napoleonic War era. It's not the Aubrey/Maturin series, definitely, and the romantic plots were tied up far too neatly. Also, the readers know the process for firing a cannon after the first time - it really isn't necessary to go over it again and again. But the series has potential, and I like the two main male characters - a very young commander and his best friend (a handsome Welshman, always a plus) who may have some good slashability. I also finished the newest Lemony Snicket book and oh Lord, that man can tell such a good story. I can hardly wait for book the thirteenth, now! I'm also halfway through Captain Alatriste by Perez-Reverte, whose books just own my soul right now. He has a book on the battle of Trafalgar but from the Spanish viewpoint and I am so wanting to learn Castillian Spanish just so I don't have to wait seven more years for the English translation to come out.
This weekend we totally pwned on the tamale front. We made 23 dozen total(!) - 12 dozen of the red chile with pork and 11 with green chile and cheese. We made some today for dinner and ma Dia, they were sooooo good! The masa was fluffy and flavorful and the pork was tender and spiced to perfection. Fear out tamale making skilz!
What else - for a few days, Questionable Content took over my life and I'll probably start on Queen of Wands next -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mayara13, that icon of yours is so much funnier now. Saw the Narnia movie yesterday and enjoyed it, though the Lucy/Tumnus vibe was a little disconcerting. Went to the Tuba Christmas concert today, which is always enjoyable, even if it takes a second or two to know what they're playing.
Oh, and last night I had a very pleasant dream where I was going to marry MacFayden!Darcy on Christmas morning, but my cat woke me up before it could happen. Bad kitty. Very, very bad kitty.
p.s. Thank you everyone for answering the greeting card call!
p.p.s. I found this article on the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays kerfluffle. I agree with the columnist - "Happy Holidays" != putting the hate on Christmas. Personally, I feel like wishing everyone a Happy Saturnalia. In Latin. But as someone who celebrates Christmas, has celebrated Hannukah (and still knows the candle blessings) and marks the solstice with light and songs sung up to the winter stars, I find the greeting warm, fluffy, and accommodating of pretty much everyone. *looks up at her icon for the month* Even wombats.
Last Sunday I went to a friend's house for tree-trimming and other merriment. Besides spinning ourselves dizzy with the garland, the definite highlight was their collection of Cool Old Stuff. Books from 1705 and a four-volume set of English history from 1836 (the engraving on the front of the fourth book was the death of Nelson), swords from the English Civil War that were most certainly used in them by the notches in the blade, and two amazing rings. One was gold, Roman, with a carving of the goddess Minerva. The other was Saxon with traces of the original paint still on it. I put them both on and you could just feel the weight of so much history, knowing that they had been worn by people just the same as us and yet so very, very different.
This week at work seemed very tedious at the beginning - we're still in the middle of the renovation and I'm so tired of everything being up in the air (in so many aspects of my life, I suppose), but it got better as the week went on. I have a lot of writing to get done this week for some story exchanges and I find the words aren't coming as easily as I would like, but I do need to write them, whether my muse is willing or not.
Book wise, this week I finished Sails on the Horizon, the first in a new series set in the Napoleonic War era. It's not the Aubrey/Maturin series, definitely, and the romantic plots were tied up far too neatly. Also, the readers know the process for firing a cannon after the first time - it really isn't necessary to go over it again and again. But the series has potential, and I like the two main male characters - a very young commander and his best friend (a handsome Welshman, always a plus) who may have some good slashability. I also finished the newest Lemony Snicket book and oh Lord, that man can tell such a good story. I can hardly wait for book the thirteenth, now! I'm also halfway through Captain Alatriste by Perez-Reverte, whose books just own my soul right now. He has a book on the battle of Trafalgar but from the Spanish viewpoint and I am so wanting to learn Castillian Spanish just so I don't have to wait seven more years for the English translation to come out.
This weekend we totally pwned on the tamale front. We made 23 dozen total(!) - 12 dozen of the red chile with pork and 11 with green chile and cheese. We made some today for dinner and ma Dia, they were sooooo good! The masa was fluffy and flavorful and the pork was tender and spiced to perfection. Fear out tamale making skilz!
What else - for a few days, Questionable Content took over my life and I'll probably start on Queen of Wands next -
mayara13, that icon of yours is so much funnier now. Saw the Narnia movie yesterday and enjoyed it, though the Lucy/Tumnus vibe was a little disconcerting. Went to the Tuba Christmas concert today, which is always enjoyable, even if it takes a second or two to know what they're playing. Oh, and last night I had a very pleasant dream where I was going to marry MacFayden!Darcy on Christmas morning, but my cat woke me up before it could happen. Bad kitty. Very, very bad kitty.
p.s. Thank you everyone for answering the greeting card call!
p.p.s. I found this article on the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays kerfluffle. I agree with the columnist - "Happy Holidays" != putting the hate on Christmas. Personally, I feel like wishing everyone a Happy Saturnalia. In Latin. But as someone who celebrates Christmas, has celebrated Hannukah (and still knows the candle blessings) and marks the solstice with light and songs sung up to the winter stars, I find the greeting warm, fluffy, and accommodating of pretty much everyone. *looks up at her icon for the month* Even wombats.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 12:53 pm (UTC)I do remember that one time I got sent to the principal's office, because I was playing tag with a kid, and he was a really poor sport. :-) I tagged him on the back sort of hard, and he said that he had a sunburn and I'd hurt his sunburn. Of course, no sunburn when we got to the principal's office... :-)
And hahaha, yeah, it'd be fun to have an antique sword. And the rings seem really fun, too -- just the whole idea that it's so old and has probably been worn and seen by so many people. :-)
And you're welcome for the random stopping-by!
-Max