First, "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd. I was expecting a lot more from this book, as it had been hyped on a number of Best Seller lists, but my over-riding opinion was -- Ick. The idea of a woman and a monk getting heavily romantic didn't do it at ALL for me. I'm all for romance, and unconventional romance at that, but this just wasn't written to where I was sympathetic at all.
that I saw coming, and a few that I didn't at all. Set in 1860's New Mexico, it's about a whorehouse madam, a bank robber, a mail-order bride and a former slave. That description alone makes it an interesting read.
I then read "A False Sense of Well Being" by Jeanne Braselton. I thoroughly enjoyed this one -- well-written with some laugh-out-loud spots, it's about a middle-aged woman in a mid-life crisis, and how she manages it.
was in the works. I hope like heck that it starts making sense soon, because I'm a little lost and it's just not drawing me in at all. But I'm hanging in there, hoping it will be like the Dark Tower series by Stephen King -- it took me a while, but I eventually loved it.
We left for Virginia Beach on Wednesday, two cars packed to the gills. When we got to the beach house, Colin watched Zack while Rick, Ryan, and I headed to the convention center to set up the booth. We've got it down to a science now, even though I keep tweaking things here and there. The latest edition (or rather, a re-introduction, as it's been languishing in storage) is the "Eiffel Tower". It's perfect for the open side of the corner booth, as I can put pendants on all four sides, and it attracts attention and is pretty memorable -- made it easy for people to find me after wandering rows upon rows of goodies!
Rick looked around and saw our cat. He asked, "Did Buddy do it?"
I just finished reading "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve. I've been a fan of Anita Shreve ever since my husband introduced me to her via "Where or When". (Can I mention here how much I LOVE that my husband reads a lot?) 
OMG, these are hilarious. 
This year I finally read the classic "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. I had the hardback edition, so its over-1000-pages occasionally whacked me in the face when I nodded off reading in bed. I recommend the paperback.
Started a new book -- "Lord John and the Private Matter" by Diana Gabaldon, she of the Outlander series fame. Lord John was a character in the Outlander books, and I don't know if it's because I keep waiting to read about Jamie and Claire, or if I'm trying to read these while too tired, but I'm not getting into this one nearly as much as I expected. I'll keep at it, and try the second one, too, because there's no denying Gabaldon can tell a great story.
you that story? I was about three months pregnant, and had to be put on "modified" bed rest for a bit -- that meant I could sit upright and make the occasional excursion, I couldn't be on my feet more than about an hour a day. When the doctor told me that, we were supposed to be leaving for the beach the next day, to share a house for a week with our friends Rob and Michelle. The doctor said, Yes, by all means, go and relax, but you can't go the beach, you can't get overheated, you can't walk on the boardwalk, etc etc etc. So Michelle took me for a very brief trip about a mile down the road from where we were staying in Kill Devil Hills, NC, I got some beads, and I was hooked.
I also made a bunch of earrings for the upcoming shows, and here a couple of pairs, "Merlot" and "Tapestry":
You can visit my web site for more handcrafted jewelry by going to http://www.lorianderson.net/
I've been updating the web site daily, like a fiend.
I had three charm exchanges due in the past couple of weeks and finally got all those done.
I have to get more sleep, so have had to try to go to bed earlier than normal -- and failed miserably.
I've been busy writing beading tutorials and that takes a ton of time.
I'm writing curriculum for my first beading class.
Now is the time when most of the craft shows I exhibit at have their applications due. That's a long process, too -- I have said it's like applying to college every year.
And then today, I built a huge electric train set up for Zack -- took about an hour, and he played with it all of 10 minutes. I said a few bad words under my breath, but that's being a mom for you (both the building things, and the occasional swearing).
Oh well, I do enjoy this life, really! If I'm not busy I'm not happy, and multi-tasking is my speciality.
So is making jewelry -- take a look at some new things!
I started another book, totally unrelated, called "The Elephant in the Playroom -- Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs" by Denise Brodey. I got this to help me feel not so helpless when Zack's Sensory Integration Disorder gets in the way of his happiness. He's been doing SO much better, but he still gets completely overwhelmed by lots of noise and has a definite circle of personal space that he doesn't like broached by people other than his family. If you have a child with SID, autism, bipolar, cerebral palsy, or similar things, I'd recommend this book. It's not a diagnostic book, but it's a book that will make you feel you're not alone dealing with things.
I'm heading to an early bedtime to finish reading the last book in the Outlander series, "A Breath of Snow and Ashes", and I'm not happy about it. I loved these books. And I am wondering how she's going to tie up all the loose ends in the last 150 pages.....
