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For Desperate Housewives fans…a fun giveaway.
Many moons ago, I contributed an essay to the anthology Welcome to Wisteria Lane, a completely unauthorized discussion of various aspects of the Desperate Housewives television series. It was a blast to spend time analyzing the show from an essayist’s point of view.
Anyway, I just got an email saying that the publisher is marking the season’s finale by giving away a copy of the anthology to someone who comments here:
http://www.smartpopbooks.com/1814
Thought there might be folks out there who’d like to check it out. Good luck in winning the prize!
Brenda Novak’s auction starts Saturday
Brenda’s auction is filled with fabulous items for readers, writers, and everyone else. The money raised goes to Juvenile Diabetes research, a very worthy cause. You’ll have a great time browsing; just click on the graphic above.
I’ve donated an “Indulge Your Inner Reader” gift collection. You can find it by searching for my name.
Here’s what’s in it:
Come and see all the great stuff!
Fresh Snow Fall
Yup, it snowed in New Jersey again. This time we got about 14 inches! So here’s Brodie the Snow Dog in action.
“Where’s that snowball she just threw? I swear it landed right here.”
Galloping through the snow.
Brodie loves the white stuff. Of course, he doesn’t have to shovel like some of us.
Brodie the Snowman Killer
My Darling Daughter built a snowman in our backyard after our most recent snowstorm. Brodie “helped”, chomping on the snowballs as she rolled them, etc. When the chilly fellow was finished, my D.D. came inside and called me to the window to admire her work. This is what we saw:
Brodie approaches the snowman and looks around to make sure no one is watching him.
Believing no one is paying attention, he attacks the snowman’s arm:
Brodie rips the snowman’s arm out of its socket and carries it away:
My Darling Daughter goes to to retrieve the snowman’s arm and ends up chasing Brodie all over the yard without success, much to Brodie’s delight:
Brodie went on to remove the snowman’s other arm, eyes, nose, and mouth. So to his other titles (Devil Dog, Mud Puppy, Pain in the Neck), we can add “Snowman Killer”.
A Nod from Nancy: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls wrote the extraordinary memoir The Glass Castle. I loved that book. Half Broke Horses is also a delight but in a different way. This is called “A True Life Novel”, an odd term. Ms. Walls explains that the book is based on the stories her grandmother Lily Casey Smith told about her own life. It’s impossible to check the facts so it couldn’t quite be called a biography, but the gist of it is true.
Set mostly in the wilds of Texas, the book vividly paints of a picture of the colorful characters who inhabit a tough landscape. Lily farms, teaches, gets an education, takes flying lessons, raises a family, and breaks horses with a gusto that’s infectious.
The book is written in the first person, as though Lily were speaking to you. Her voice is marvelous; she (and Ms. Walls) are natural born story tellers. Lily is a strong, determined woman who takes no guff from anyone, and admits to her mistakes without flinching. Spending time with her is a delight. I raced through the book and sighed with regret when it was over.
Happy Holidays!
This is my holiday greeting to all my wonderful readers here at “From the Garrett”. We had a snowstorm over the weekend which made my house look like a Victorian picture postcard so I thought I’d share it with you.
May your holidays be merry and bright…and filled with great books!
Fraternizing with the enemy
Okay, it’s a slight exaggeration. However, while visiting my daughter in the wilds of Ohio, I attended a Columbus Blue Jackets game. Lest you think I abandoned my beloved Devils, it was not so. I wore my Devils hat proudly, as is evidenced by the photo below:
The Blue Jackets lost to the Anaheim Ducks, and, honestly, it wasn’t a very good game. However, I enjoyed seeing former Devil Scott Niedermeyer, now a Duck. And I was interested in watching Jackets goalie Steve Mason, who, like me, named his dog after Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. Here’s Steve in goal:
Other than that, it was fun to see the different touches the Jackets brought to Nationwide Arena, a very nice place to watch hockey. They fire a cannon when they score a goal:
They have a drum line, the Boom Jackets, which my Darling Daughter, the former marching band drill sargeant, appreciated.
The one slightly creepy aspect was their mascot Stinger, who is a weird cross between a hornet and a frog. Seeing him dressed in a Santa suit just added to the general impression of strangeness.
They had a massive cleaning crew who streaked onto the ice and madly scraped and hauled during every break in the action.
In addition, I got into a conversation with one of the ushers who spotted my Devils hat. Rather than harassing me, he praised Marty Brodeur, saying that he was in a class by himself. Only in Ohio….
All in all, it was a lot of fun to see a different team’s arena, and to feel a different hockey vibe. It beats hanging out with llamas.
Crazy Holiday Gift #3:Fish Training School Kit
Yes, an old goldfish CAN be taught new tricks! Gosh, who’d a thunk? Here’s what the catalogue copy says:
R2 Fish Training School Kit
- The R2 Fish Training School Kit is a complete training system that includes everything you need to teach your fish over 10 amazing tricks (including soccer, football, basketball, limbo, fetch, tunnels, and more!)
- Includes:
- Instructional DVD
- R2 Fish School training platform
- Over 20 compatible training accessories
- Feeding wand
- Instruction manual with over 100 photos
- Compact, weighted base for bowls or small tanks – measures 10.25″ x 6.25″
- Simple, fast, and easy to understand
- For almost all fish 1″ to 6″ in length
- Used to train the fish trick world record holder – developed by a real Ph.D!
- Winner of “Best in Show” at 2009 Global Pet Expo!
I would have thought this was a total gag gift except for this YouTube video. Take a look. They claim that, “No stunt fish or special effects were used; that was an actual fish trained using this kit. You get everything you need to teach your fish to play football, play soccer, limbo, weave, fetch, go through tubes, and more! And then you can quit your job and go on tour. It’ll be just you, Twinkie the fish, and the open road. With the R2 Fish Training School Kit and a little perseverance, the world is your oyster . . . well, goldfish.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Iznh9VbsY
But can they teach their fish to shake fins? I think not.
Anyway, if you’d like the best trained fish in your town, you can buy the kit for $29.99 here:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/adca/
Glug, glug.
Earning your joy
This is unadulaterated joy! It’s my son’s soccer team celebrating the goal they scored to win their first playoff game. It was scored in the last 30 seconds of double overtime.
This team has won lots of games. In fact, they won their division championship, but they never celebrated with such abandon. I think I know why: because they really EARNED this moment of triumph. Their opponents played well, and my son’s team was down 1-0 at the half. Coming back to force the game into overtime was satisfying, but winning with almost no time left on the clock created a sense of jubilation.
When we earn our happiness by putting forth our best efforts, it’s so much more satisfying than having it just handed to us for no good reason. I try to remember that when things are not going well. If I can make it work out, I will feel all the greater joy.
Bizarre Holiday Gift #2
Something for your Bible-toting friends? I can’t quite figure out the target audience for this particular gift, especially given the first line of description.
Magic Adam and Eve Mug
“A Hot Beverage Reveals Their Secret Shame! Mug is the picture of innocence until a hot beverage is added. Then watch the fig leaves disappear to reveal their privates.” Oh, and make sure to handwash only!
If you can think of someone who’d enjoy this, it’s only $12.98 at http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/product/code/85252.do?showPrevNext=false.
Happy Secret Shame?!
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