Spring Break Is Almost Over

Blogging has gone by the wayside again around here. It's springtime, and I've been gardening, traveling and keeping my kids entertained through two back-to-back, two-week-long spring breaks instead. So happy school starts up again Monday!

Spring comes mighty early in the southland. Strawberries are almost ripe already.

I've managed to fit some reading in. For my book group, I finished The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht. I wanted to dislike this book merely because the writer is young, good-looking and accomplished. But I'm bigger than that, really. So I allowed myself to enjoy it quite a bit.

I've never read anything set in the Balkans before, and I found the setting rich and the novel an interesting mix of modern life and folklore. I was a little disappointed that the modern tale wasn't more filled out, but enjoyed the writer's weaving together of mythic elements and modern ones, and would happily read her next book.

Blackberries are getting there, too.

I'm almost finished reading Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story, which I'm enjoying as a romp through a dystopian America in the near future. I'm entertained but not mesmerized; however, I'm a tough audience for dystopia, as it almost never grabs me emotionally.


And here are some future lemons. I have no idea when these guys will be ripe. But it's my first fruit from this young tree, so I can't wait!

Mother's Day and crazy bloomin' stuff

I had the nicest Mother's Day on Sunday. This was partly because I had such low expectations, I think. I've never been a big fan of these types of holidays, the ones that seem like they were made up by marketing departments to sell us more stuff. But that doesn't stop me from drinking in a little appreciation for all I do as a mother, if anyone is willing to give it.

So my husband stayed with our little girl while I took the boys to the Star Trek movie. I really enjoyed the movie, and my lunch of popcorn, candy and soda. Yum! The movie was good enough that I'm going to take my husband later in the week. He shouldn't miss out just because he sacrificed on Mother's Day!

I also got a little reading time in over the weekend. I started reading Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan, which my book group is reading this month. So far, I am enjoying the story, which, I was surprised to find, includes a lot about the role of women in society at the time. It is making me want to do a little research on Frank Lloyd Wright, however--I know his work, but don't know the first thing about him, other than that his personal life was "colorful". And of course, Loving Frank is a novel, so I'll probably look around for some non-fiction on the subject.

The photo above is from my front garden. Last fall I got a bee in my bonnet, so to speak, about gardening with native plants. I did a little research, joined my local native plant and wildflower foundation, and planted the front garden with natives. This spring it has paid off, as I've got loads of beautiful purple blossoms, and I don't have to water nearly as much as I used to.

The photo below is what my husband calls our "hundred-dollar blackberry". That's because he thinks that's probably how much it costs in labor and water to produce the few fruits and vegetables we grow in our back yard. But isn't it crazy that fruit is already ripening here in Southern California?

Morning glories and a reading meme

The morning glories are taking over my yard! Well, they've taken over the fence. Even though I know they're a weed, and invasive, I can't help it, I think they're pretty.

I got this reading meme from Stefanie at So Many Books, and it looked like a fun one, so here goes:

Do you remember how you developed a love of reading?
Not exactly. I expect that it had something to do with how much reading was valued in my family. Both my parents were (and are) big readers, and we always had books in the house. My mother used to take me to the library when I was little, and I remember the thrill of checking out a big stack of books. I also remember that losing myself in a book was always a pleasant feeling, and if I was ever anxious or scared or sad I used books to comfort myself. I don't remember a time when I didn't love to read.

What are some books you loved as a child?
I loved the Nancy Drew books, The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland, The Island of the Blue Dolphins, My Side of the Mountain, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Great Brain, A Wrinkle in Time, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.

What is your favorite genre?
Fiction. A mixture of classic and contemporary.

Do you have a favorite novel?
I cannot imagine picking one!

Where do you usually read?
I often read in bed, but really any comfortable spot will do. Even in the carpool line waiting for my kids to get out of school.

When do you usually read?
Usually after the kids go to bed, but any time I can get some reading in, I will.

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
Most of the time I do read more than one book at a time. Either I get really excited about something new and have to start it, even if I have something else going...or I have more than one book going so that I can read what I'm in the mood for at any given moment.

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
If I'm honest with myself, I have to struggle to pay more attention when I'm reading non-fiction. I tend to sail through fiction. Then, with fiction, if I think I've missed something, or I want to savor it, I'll slow down, or re-read it.

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out from the library?
I buy most of the books I read (though not always at full price--I try to be creative). But I also mooch books through BookMooch. I'm working on utilizing the library system better, too.

Do you keep most of the books you buy?
Most of them. Though my shelves are more than overflowing at the moment and I fear I will be forced to cull through them soon. When I get rid of books I either list them on BookMooch, or give them to charity.

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them?
I have three children. My two boys are big readers, and I introduced my eldest to The Lord of the Rings, My Side of the Mountain, The Great Brain series, A Wrinkle in Time, Where the Red Fern Grows, Island of the Blue Dolphins. I also read books I loved to both of them when they were little: The Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, pretty much all of Dr. Seuss, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Story of Ferdinand, Blueberries for Sal, Madeline, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Babar, Harry the Dirty Dog, Charlotte's Web, a whole bunch of Caldecott Medal winners, and when they were a bit older: Tin Tin, the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia. And when my daughter (who is now 3) is reading, there are many things waiting on her shelf, including all of the books I mentioned as my childhood favorites above, but also Sarah, Plain and Tall, the Redwall series, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Ginger Pye, The Moffats, Tuck Everlasting, Bridge to Terabithia, Ella Enchanted, The Cricket in Times Square, Julie of the Wolves, Stuart Little...

What are you reading now?
Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris.

Do you keep a To Be Read List?
I used to only keep a mental list, but now I have a notebook. I'm thinking of upgrading to a spreadsheet :)

What’s next?
Matrimony, by Joshua Henkin. And the rest of the huge stack next to my bed.

What books would you like to re-read?
Middlemarch, Our Mutual Friend, Out of Africa, Anna Karenina, West with the Night.

Who are your favorite authors?
I add to this list all the time, but at the moment, and in no particular order: Jane Austen, George Eliot, A.S. Byatt, J.M. Coetzee, Ian McEwan, Philip Roth, Wallace Stegner, Laurie Colwin, David Mitchell, Raymond Carver.

New books, big flowers

Isn't summer supposed to be slower than the rest of the year? At least, if you're on the school calendar it should be, right? Not so much, here. The kids haven't settled into a routine yet, and all three of them seem to be going different directions at once, and I'm the chauffeur. Needless to say, I haven't had much time for blogging. Though I seem to have had some time to acquire new books...

What I Loved: A Novel, by Siri Hustvedt. I'm a little afraid of this book, because I know it includes the death of a child--a subject I tend to shy away from.

The Blue Flower, by Penelope Fitzgerald. Mooched. Recently read and enjoyed Offshore, so I'm looking forward to this one.

The Last Days of Dogtown: A Novel, by Anita Diamant. I enjoyed The Red Tent, and have heard good things about this one.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris. Because he's a funny, funny man.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Loved the movie Smoke Signals, and have always wanted to read something of his. I may pass this on to my son.

The Photograph, by Penelope Lively. I have her memoir, Oleander, Jacaranda: A Childhood Perceived. Which I haven't read. But thought it would be good to pair with her fiction. And a friend was giving it away, so I grabbed it...

Matrimony: A Novel, by Joshua Henkin. A signed copy from the author. Wahoo!

Can't wait to start reading!

Our garden is going crazy these days, and I'm not so hot at tending it. The sunflowers have taken over!