Archive | December 2011

2011 … Good Riddance!

2011… I wish I was sorry to see it go. I’m not. Things could be better… and they could be worse. It did have a few highlights.

Highlights…

My first nephew was born in March. I love him dearly and love watching him grow up.
Mom and I actually completed five of her children’s books. Now on to editing and submitting… Let the fun begin!
Misses A and E being on the road to recovery. Things could always be worse.

Lowlights…

Brian and I still haven’t pulled our careers together. It is getting rather old. If we could live on love alone we’d be filthy rich.
Watching most of my friends become Moms this year, including my little sister and my cousin, left me feeling excluded, inadequate, and just plain awful. How do I ever move on? I know this may seem childish and petty to those who have never had to deal with infertility. It is just all too real at the moment. As a result I have questioned literally everything thing in my life.
Medical dramas among friends and family.

I just hope and pray that 2012 has something to offer. I’m tired of standing still. By the way, the picture included is from one of my favorite movies of all time, The Shining. Somehow I always pictured the party as a New Year’s Eve party. I was mistaken.

Good riddance 2011. Welcome 2012. (waterscolorstudio.wordpress.com)

An Excerpt From The Memoir In Progress … « The Dreams That Break Your Heart

Dec31

An excerpt from the memoir in progress … « The Dreams that Break Your Heart

This post gets to the bottom of why I write. Just like the author, I will always feel the need to try to reconcile the way things were with the here and now. I am compelled to share my experiences with those that come after. I can’t bear the thought of it all disappearing when I pass away. I want those I love to live on through my writing. I think I’ve found a new favorite blog and a kindred spirit.

This same desire is why I love genealogy, history, and storytelling. Many times I am left wondering why so many people are simply disinterested in the past. It is through the past that we can begin to somehow make sense of the present.

Image by Adnan Yahya via Flickr

Bourgeois Desires Of The Bohemian

Dec31

Image by Ana Pinta via Flickr

The bourgeois desires of the bohemian

There are no words. Just read it for yourself.

Little Doll Lost

Dec31

Sometimes a small, chance event will spark my imagination. When I returned to work on December 27^th, I found that an unlucky little girl left a new baby doll behind. In my offline life I manage a convenience store open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. In the hustle and bustle of Christmas, a brand new Christmas gift was left behind. The sad little doll now has no home. I can’t bring myself to throw it out.

As a child, I adored baby dolls. Christmas was not Christmas without a new baby. Even at age 31, I still own the dolls that meant the most to me throughout my childhood. I could even tell you some of their names, origins, and stories. Once, the prized doll in my collection, my Samantha American Girl doll, became lost for the better part of a decade.

It began innocently enough. As I headed off to college, I assumed that Samantha was safely put away in her trunk along with all of her clothes and accessories. Little did I know Samantha was nowhere to be found. My little cousin Mackenzie, visiting my parents’ home for Christmas, wanted to play with Samantha. Who could blame her? She is a beautiful doll that even starred in her own set of books. Mackenzie and I searched my parents’ entire home. We could not find her. The same scenario played itself out year after year. It became tradition for Mackenzie and I to search for Samantha, even long after Mackenzie outgrew dolls herself.

And then it happened. She appeared. On a beautiful spring day I visited my parents’ home anticipating a visit with my Mom, my sister E, and her new baby boy W. I was in for a surprise. I found the house appearing empty only to find all three in the basement. My Mom and sister were having a blast sorting through our childhood toys as my little nephew slept in the baby swing nearby. After discussing the issue of our childhood toys for close to a decade, the time was finally right to go through it all.

While sorting through everything underneath the basement stairwell, my Mom and sister finally found long-lost Samantha. What a pleasant surprise! We spent the rest of that wonderful afternoon going through Barbie dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, and more. I came across so much I had forgotten. At age 30, it felt amazing to feel 10 years old again, even if only for a few hours.

I discovered that I still love homemade dolls – and dolls period. I hope one day to adopt a little girl to whom I can pass along my collection. As a child, I never fully understood why my Mom would love to smell our new baby dolls at Christmas. As an adult, I understand completely. There is something about the smell of a new doll that will always remind me of Christmas.

If the owner of the little doll left in a convenience over Christmas doesn’t claim her, I will just have to pass her along to some little girl who will love her. No little girl should go without a doll to love. No doll should go without the love of a little girl.

Christmas and the Cabbage Patch Kid (jumblerant.blogspot.com)

Literary Gifts 2011

Dec27

I couldn’t resist sharing my literary Christmas gifts with everyone. Below are the books I received for Christmas and/or my birthday. I love them all! I can’t wait to dive right in. Included are mysteries, great writing books, and even a few memoirs. I also received a Nook Color, which is wonderful.

By far the most fascinating present I received this year is the diary of my great-great grandmother, Ella A. Brown Washburn Buttrick. The diary covers the tumultuous years of 1936-1940. My great-grandma, whom I knew as Great, passed this diary along to my Mom. Ella Buttrick was Great’s mother-in-law. My Mom owned this diary for nearly 20 years, but had a hard time reading Ella Buttrick’s handwriting. So far I’ve discovered that my love of politics, family, and education are deeply ingrained in who I am. What an amazing gift. I can’t wait to pass it along to the next generation. It probably is the most fascinating gift I’ll ever receive.

Lindsey J. Russell 2011

Getting There – Gerry Boylan

Writing Tools – Roy Peter Clark

Sin And Sintax – Constance Hale

Unbroken – Laura Hillenbrand

Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson

Death Comes To Pemberley – P.D. James

On Writing – Stephen King

The Girl Who Played With Fire – Stieg Larsson

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson

John – Cynthia Lennon

No Higher Honor – Condoleezza Rice

The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren

Lindsey J. Russell 2011

For the Love of Memoir « Becoming Madame

Dec26

Image by Djumbo via Flickr

For the Love of Memoir « Becoming Madame

Brilliant post and book suggestions. Proving once again that the book is always better than the movie.

Becoming Madame…. On Privacy (russelllindsey.wordpress.com)

The Eclectic Bookshelf: 2012 E-Book Reading Challenge

Dec26

The Eclectic Bookshelf: 2012 E-Book Reading Challenge

I’m signing myself up for the Mega Size Challenge, pledging to read 25+ e-books in 2012. With my new Nook Color, it’ll be fun! I love it so far.

Kids bookshelf with German and American childrens books (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2012 E-Book Reading Challenge (russelllindsey.wordpress.com)
The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder by Erin Blakemore – 2011 Holiday Gift Guide (thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com)
Brain Pickings Bookshelf (swiss-miss.com)
How to Make 2012 Reading Goals? (unputdownables.net)
Bookshelf: Andreas Samuelsson (itsnicethat.com)
The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2012 (bookdout.wordpress.com)

Merry Christmas!

Dec23

Blog Tour: Spin The Plate By Donna Anastasi

Dec18

Today I’m reviewing Spin The Plate by Donna Anastasi as part of the Spin The Plate Book Tour.

Spin The Plate by Donna Anastasi is not normally the type of book I would select for myself. It is not the type of book I’d normally pick up while browsing the library or bookstore. That said, I’m glad that I found out about the book and have the opportunity to share my reading experience with everyone.

We start out meeting Jo. Jo is a loner who projects a tough image in order to protect herself. In reality, she has shut herself off from most of the world around her. She works as a tattoo artist in Boston and her regimented daily schedule includes work, spending time with several animal companions, and midnight excursions to help women and animals in need. One chance meeting on her way to work changes all of that.

That chance meeting with Francis begins to change Jo’s life. Francis is a very religious, mysterious man who becomes obsessed with Jo’s tough veneer. He is determined to become a part of her life. His persistence pays off. Jo and Francis are two of the most unique characters I’ve come across. The entire dynamic of their developing relationship made for wonderful reading.

It is through Jo’s relationship with Francis that we learn Jo’s horrific childhood story. I won’t spoil the story, but it was satisfying to watch Jo finally deal with decades of baggage thrust upon her during childhood. You can’t help but to root for her eventual happiness.

The ending of the book is satisfying in many ways and I ended the book wanting more. I get the impression that this is not the last readers will see of Jo and Francis. I’m glad. I can imagine the new direction their story will take. As a writer, I feel they may be even more interesting than the initial story.

In preparation for reviewing Spin The Plate by Donna Anastasi, I read many of the previous stops on the earlier blog tour. One reviewer stated that she felt the book wouldn’t get the attention it deserved due to the facts it covered controversial topics and it doesn’t nicely fit into one genre. I agree completely. I can only hope that Spin The Plate continues to get some attention and gets picked up by readers. The book does have a powerful message. No one has to remain the victim of their circumstances. Anyone can change for the better.

You can find more information on the blog tour, and additional stops, below:

Spin The Plate Book Tour

Blog Tour Round Up: Spin The Plate By Donna Anastasi | Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde

December 1980

Dec11

9th December 1980 « Ding!

I came across a moving blog post discussing the murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980 and the Beatles in general. December 8, 1980 is a date that will always stay with me. It was the day I was supposed to be born. As a Beatles fan, I am so grateful that my birthday is ten days later – December 18, 1980. As strange as it sounds, I never knew a world in which John Lennon wasn’t practically worshipped. By the time I was into music, the Beatles had long ago broken up, Paul McCartney had already achieved success with Wings and his solo career, and John Lennon accomplished everything he could with his solo career due to his untimely death.

In fact, I’ve always wondered when it happened. When did the Beatles go from being just another rock-n-roll band, four guys playing in the Cavern Club in Liverpool, to icons that inspired all that came after? I want to know. Personally, I would’ve loved a front-row seat to Beatle-mania.

Actually, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know at least some Beatles music. I also can’t remember a time when I didn’t love it. When the Beatles Anthology came out during my high school years, inspiring a whole new generation of fans, I pretended to hate their music, something that belonged in childhood. If something caught on in pop culture at that time in my life, I wanted nothing to do with it. A mere five years later, I absorbed as much Beatles trivia as I could and actually listened to all of their albums. I even watched the movies. The entire experience left me in awe. Why couldn’t my generation create something so extraordinary? We were stuck with grunge and bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, and The White Stripes. Good bands, but nothing coming close.

It was Beatles lyrics that made realize that lyrics could be poetry. While not all song lyrics can stand alone, much of the Beatles catalog can. People like to argue over who wrote what in the Lennon/McCartney catalog; I’m just glad that they were friends.

Nowhere Man

Rubber Soul

Lennon/McCartney

1965

He’s a real Nowhere Man

Sitting in his Nowhere Land
Making all his Nowhere plans for nobody

Doesn’t have a point of view
Knows not where he’s going to
Isn’t he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen
You don’t know what you’re missing
Nowhere Man the world is at your command

He’s as blind as he can be
Just sees what he wants to see
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

Nowhere Man don’t worry
Take your time don’t hurry
Leave it all till somebody else lends you a hand

Doesn’t have a point of view
Knows not where he’s going to
Isn’t he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen
You don’t know what you’re missing
Nowhere Man the world is at your command

He’s a real Nowhere Man
Sitting in his Nowhere Land
Making all his Nowhere plans for nobody
Making all his Nowhere plans for nobody
Making all his Nowhere plans for nobody