Writers Workshop: Blogging 101 with Professor Kitten

Okay class, settle down now, make yourselves comfortable. Make sure your laptops are fully charged. No talking, texting, IM'ing, or visiting other blogs during this session. You'll have plenty of time to do that when we're done.

Welcome to Blogging 101. I am the Bookkitten, but you may call me Professor Kitten. Outside of class, just call me Kitten. Anyhoo, I'm here to offer various tips and tactics that I've gleaned during my nearly two years of blogging--but I've only been blogging full-time for a year. (Witness the five posts I wrote in 2007, compared to my body of work in 2008).

In this class, there is no syllabus, no exams, no projects. It's for anyone, whether you're new to blogging or you've been on the Internet for a while. Now that we have that out of the way, let's begin.

We'll start with the basics. Part One: Who Am I, and Why Am I Blogging?

1. Decide on a focus for your blog. In other words, do you want your blog to be about one specific thing?
Will your blog deal with a specific topic, or will it contain stream of consciousness ramblings about your life? Will you have a poetry blog, a knitting blog, a blog about the music you listen to? It's up to you. Don't sweat it too much, though, for this leads in to the advice I'm going to give you for bullet point #2:

2. Your blog will evolve. Let it do so naturally.
Okay, so this cancels out bullet point #1. However, here's why I'm addressing this: When I first started my blog I wanted to focus strictly on book reviews. Then life intervened, and I went through a crisis in my personal life. Writing has helped me through this trying time. I started using the blog as a place to post my thoughts about anything, and not just the books that I read. For a few months I didn't write anything, or rather, wrote very little, about literature. Now I've come back to my blog's original focus, but I've interspersed it with my other interests, such as writing, music, and cooking. You are the person who decides what your blog is going to contain. Don't be pressured to make it anything different than you want it to be.

3. Remember, anyone can read the Internet. Consider using a pseudonym when you blog.
For those of you who know me off blog, you know that Kitten is not my real name. Anyone can Google search you. Be careful of what you post; you wouldn't want your co-workers to know about that wild night in Cabo. If you write about your friends, that's your choice, but be mindful of their privacy. Don't use their last names. Many bloggers use their real first names, but don't disclose their last names. They may also give their friends and family members nicknames to protect their privacy. Check with your loved ones if you're unsure.

Okay, it looks like everyone's still awake, so I'm going to continue with Part Two of this lesson: Developing Your Fan Base.

1. Unless you tell everyone you know that you have a blog, don't expect comments right away.
When I started The Bookkitten, I didn't tell anyone that I had a blog. When I did tell friends they visited, but they weren't regular visitors; they weren't bloggers, and I didn't take it personally. Occasionally I'd get a comment here and there, I'm still not sure how (most likely RSS or a Google search), but I didn't get regular visitors for a very, very long time.

So how did I start getting comments? Read on...

2. Visit other people's blogs and comment.
You can only receive comment love if you give it! Make sure you use your Blogger/Wordpress/Open ID persona when you comment, and make sure that your profile is public! That way the blogger can come visit you!

3. Look at other bloggers' blogrolls. Visit the sites on those.
Blogrolls are a great way to find out bloggers' interests. If they have similar interests as you, you'll find more blogs that you like!

4. Participate in memes, if you so desire, and don't forget to sign the Mr. Linky when you do, so other bloggers can come visit you.
This is one of the best ways to develop a following. Don't forget to visit the other bloggers on the list, too!

So now we've covered content, comments, and now...well, I can't think of a C word to describe this next element: design. Let's now move on to Part Three: Keeping Up Appearances.

1. Don't worry about coming up with a funky design right away. This will evolve right along with your blog.
Use the templates that Blogger and Wordpress give you. Experiment with a look. See which best fits your personality.

Once you've blogged for a while, and you want to change things up a bit, you may find that the blog templates may not be doing much for you. You may want a funkier background, or you may find that you want to change it depending on the season. I have two resources for you:

• The Cutest Blog on the Block: This site has free templates, with super-easy directions on how to change your backgrounds.
• Leelou Blogs: This site also has some cute free templates and headers. Some of the templates will even change your blogs from two columns to three.

2. Don't be afraid to seek professional help for your blog.
Let's say that the free templates aren't doing much for you, and you want something personalized. For example, you want a cute, fun header or a button that your followers can grab and display. There are many blog designers on the web, but allow me to introduce you to our first guest lecturer, who also happens to be designing something for me as we speak:

In addition to the amazing work that April does, she now has a section on her blog that contains blog design tutorials. So if you're a do-it-yourselfer, check out these tutorials. She currently has a lesson on expanding your blog from two columns to three. And let's not forget, her designs are amazing. Visit April's blog to learn more about her and her work. She is very easy--and fun!--to work with!

So to recap, we've now covered content, comment, and design, so now let's move on to the fourth and final portion of our lesson: Maintenance. In this portion I refer you to our second guest lecturer:

Kim over at Sophisticated Dorkiness is running the Blog Improvement Project. She has biweekly lessons and topics to help you improve various aspects of your blog. She's covered many topics so far: social media, posting, comments, and design. I always look forward to seeing what she's going to come up with next.

I believe that blogs are always a work in progress, and the Blog Improvement Project will help you look at your blog in a different light.

Well, class, that is about all that I have today. Shall we review? Here are the highlights of this lesson:

• Let your blog evolve naturally.
• You have to give comment love in order to get it.
• Try out a few layouts before you find one that suits you.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.

If you have any questions or comments, my office hours vary, depending on when my schedule allows me to be online, but you can reach me 24/7 via the comments! If you tweet, I am also available via Twitter.

Class dismissed! Go forth and post!

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books, by Maureen Corrigan

The first chapter of this book opens with a line that perfectly describes me:

"Among the many dangers of being an obsessive reader is that you tend to mediate your life through books, filter your experiences through plots, so that the boundary between fiction and fact becomes porous." (p. 3)

I've been in love with books my entire life. Mama Cat read to me when I was little, up till the time I could put myself to sleep all by myself. Papa Cat says that I've never met a bookstore I didn't like. In elementary school teachers used to discourage me from taking my books outside at recess.

As I got older, and more mature in my reading, I identified with many of the characters I read about--Anne Shirley, Ramona Quimby, Encyclopedia Brown, the Baby-Sitters Club, just to name a few. Maureen Corrigan finds herself doing this throughout this book. She combines memoir with literary analysis (Corrigan is the book critic for the NPR show Fresh Air), and describes how works of literature helped her through certain times in her life.

In the first chapter, "Women's Extreme-Adventure Stories," Corrigan relates female heroines such as Jane Eyre, and authors such as the Bronte sisters, to the struggles that she and her husband had with starting a family. She went through fertility treatments, got pregnant three times, only to miscarry each time. She and her husband then went through the adoption process and became parents of a daughter from a Chinese orphanage. I empathized with Corrigan's quest to become a parent, and really felt her emotions as she wrote about this painful time in her life. However, I had trouble seeing how Jane Eyre related to it, mainly because I have no memory of reading the book. (I may have read it during high school, but am not totally sure. Obviously the book didn't leave much of an impact on me if I can't remember it).

I was better able to relate to the third and fourth chapters. The third chapter is all about marriage, dating, and courtship rituals. Corrigan tells the story of growing up in an Irish-Catholic community, and how all of her girlfriends were married by the time they were in their mid-twenties. Corrigan didn't meet her husband until she was 28; at the time she was in the middle of a Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania. She expresses her frustration at real-life courtship rituals and how they are never the same as how they are written in books; in books, suitors and boyfriends seem to just "fall into the picture." Maybe that's why I'm still single; I keep waiting for Mr. Right to just "fall into the picture."

The fourth chapter, "What Catholic Martyr Stories Taught Me About Getting Into Heaven," really resonated with me, since I am the product of a Catholic upbringing. However, my Catholic upbringing was a lot more liberal than the upbringing Corrigan remembers. She writes about reading Karen and With Love From Karen, two books about a young woman who had cerebral palsy and was able to learn how to live independently in spite of it. Karen comes from a large Irish-Catholic family, which figures prominently in the books. Corrigan argues that Marie Killilea, the books' author and Karen's mother, is a secular martyr:

"As the Karen books illustrate, however, female martyrs often cloaked their remarkable acts of faith and courage in a mantle of lady-like humility--even as they gloried in doing ferocious battle with the sacred and profane forces of the patriarchy. Reading the Karen books as a young girl, I think I internalized some lessons about being simultaneously devout and determined, pious and self-promoting." (p. 142)

In the book's introduction, Corrigan recalls an interview she had with the English department at Columbia University. She had just earned her Ph.D. and was interviewing for an assistant professor job. One of the professors on the interview asked Corrigan about her Ph.D. dissertation: "Ms. Corrigan, does this dissertation have any methodology?" Her response? "Well, Professor, there is no method except to be very intelligent." (xxx)

There really is no methodology to this book. At times I couldn't tell when and where the chapters transitioned from memoir to literary analysis. It didn't help, either, that I never read some of the books that Corrigan describes. I had to re-read some passages at times to make sure that I didn't miss anything.

While it makes for some slow reading at times, the book does pick up occasionally, especially when she is recalling moments from her past. I really enjoyed the memoir parts the most. Sometimes, I believe, Corrigan tried too hard to relate works of literature to the memoir moments. When this method worked, it worked really well. When it didn't, the reading wasn't as good.

If anything, this book made me reflect on the overall effect that books have had on my life. I can still remember where I was physically and mentally whenever I take a book out of my bookcase or my library. In addition to remembering the plot, I also remember a portion of myself. Whenever I read, I become a part of the story, an eyewitness to the action. I open the covers and I'm transported to another place and time. I close the covers and I'm back to being me again.

I realize that that's a rare gift.

And I realize how lucky I am to have it.

This is the latest entry in my 100+ Reading Challenge, my Support Your Local Library Challenge, as well as my Dewey Decimal Challenge. Click on the buttons in the sidebars for archived lists of all my reads!

1001 Books for Every Mood, by Hallie Ephron, Ph.D

When Hallie Ephron says that she's got 1001 books for every mood, she means every mood. Here is just a sample of the moods for which Ms. Ephron has compliled book lists:

• striking it rich (wealth and finance)
• tripping the light fantastic (dance)
• sift through clues (mysteries)
• hit a home run (baseball)
• march into battle (war stories)
• hug your dog (animals and pets)
• celebrate the season (holidays)

Ephron explains how she compliled the list in her introduction (p. vii):

"My goal was to compile an eclectic list that mixes fiction with nonfiction, books for adults with books designed for younger readers, and to organize them thematically by mood. I included my personal favorites plus titles culled from books recommended by readers, librarians, booksellers, and reviewers. I set out to limit one title per author, but occasionally I couldn't keep an extra title or two from a single author sneaking in."

KITTEN'S NOTE: Ms. Ephron left out the word "nepotism" in her summary, as she has included works written by her sisters, Nora, Delia, and Amy.

Books are rated using the following categories (each category has its own little symbol, and the symbols appear next to the books' summaries):

• literary merit (a scale of one to four stars)
• provocative (makes one think, has caused controversy)
• influential (books that have defined an era)
• inspriational (symbolized by a dove)
• brainy (books that inform you)
• easy reading (symbolized by an umbrella)
• page turner (can't put it down)
• challenging (symbolized by a pair of glasses)
• bathroom book (can be read in short sittings; symbolized by a toilet)
• family friendly (books that can be shared with youngsters)
• movie (books that are made into movies)

This is a well-organized tome. Each book has its own brief summary, free of spoilers, but has enough information to pique your interest. Occasionally, Ephron includes such bits as the "Department of Memorable Lines" to further interest you in picking up a title.

For example, consider the quote she used from The Book of Household Management, a tome written by 19th-century England's version of Martha Stewart, Isabella Beaton:

"As with the Commander of an Army, or the leader of any enterprise, so it is with the mistress of the house. Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path."

The following line from Domestic Manners of the Americans, a 19th-century American work by Frances Milton Trollope, led me to include this on my TBR list. It describes an afternoon gathering:

"The gentlemen spit, talk of elections and the price of produce, and spit again. The ladies look at teach other's dresses till they know every pin by heart; talk of Parson Somebody's last sermon...till the 'tea' is announced, when they all console themselves together for whatever they may have suffered in keeping awake, by taking more tea, coffee, hot cake and custard, hoe cake, johnny cake, waffle cake, and dodger cake, pickled peaches, and preserved cucumbers, ham, turkey, hung beef, apple sauce, and pickled oysters than ever were prepared in any other country of the known world."

Ephron has a cheeky sense of humor. Directly below the entry for Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, she lists P.J. O'Rourke's Modern Manners: An Etiquette Book for Rude People.

Can you guess which one made it onto my list?

Also, consider this exquisite line from Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales:

"Our snow was not only shaken from white wash buckets down the sky, it came shawling out of the ground and swam and drifted out of the arms and hands and bodies of the trees; snow grew overnight on the roofs of the houses like a pure and grandfather moss, minutely white-ivied the walls and settled on the postman, opening the gate, like a dumb, numb thunder-storm of white, torn Christmas cards."

How can you not pick up this tale after reading that one line? Now consider the opening line to Christopher Moore's The Stupidest Angel, part of a selection in the book called "Department of Great Opening Lines". It juxtaposes well with the above line from A Child's Christmas in Wales:

"Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom."

I sticky-noted many pages in this book for the memorable quotes, opening lines, and excerpts of character descriptions. There are too many to include here.

I suggest you read this book with a pen and pad right next to you. You'll want to write down many of the titles that Ephron suggests. Between this and A Year of Reading, as well as the recommendations I get from you, Kittens, and friends and family, I think I'm set for life with my reading!

This is the latest entry in my 100+ Reading Challenge, my Support Your Local Library Challenge, as well as my Dewey Decimal Challenge. Click on the buttons in the sidebar for archived lists of all of my reads!

A Year of Reading, by Elisabeth Ellington and Jane Freimiller, Ph.D.

I found this book in the library as I perused the shelves for books to fulfill requirements for my Dewey Decimal Challenge. I thought, if anything, it would generate a list of more books to read.

Well, this book does that, and much more. Specifically, it's a book designed for those who are just starting book clubs, or veteran book clubbers who want to improve their experiences.

Ellington and Freimiller have divided this book into twelve parts, one for each month of the year. Each month has a specific theme, and five books that go along with the theme. For example, January's books all deal with winter. February's books deal with Black History Month, March's books deal with Women's History Month, May's books with Mother's Day, and November's with food. You get the idea.

Each chapter has five categories of books from which the book club, or the reader, can choose (p. xvii):

• Crowd-pleasers are books that will appeal to almost everyone. These are titles sharing strong plots, compelling characters, and topical issues.
• Classics offer an opportunity to return to old favorites, fill in educational gaps, and discover enduring literature.
• Challenges are ambitious titles offering challenging subject matter or style for readers who want to stretch their limits.
• Memoirs are for those interested in a more personal style of writing.
• Potluck, the final category, adds an element of surprise and unpredictability to the line-up. Here you'll find essays, short stories, history and other nonfiction, as well as a few unusual novels.

Each chapter goes beyond merely having a list of books. The authors write discussion questions for each novel. This is a handy feature if you have both this book and the suggested one on hand, but it gets a little overwhelming when you've never read the book that is being discussed. Sometimes, if you've never read the book, and you're reading the discussion questions, you may find some potential spoilers. Other times you'll find that the questions will pique your interest about a particular book. Read the questions carefully, or if you're afraid of spoilers, skip them entirely.

In addition to the discussion questions, Ellington and Freimiller offer other book suggestions. For example, if one liked reading Little Women, the authors have a list of other books that they may enjoy, such as Anne of Green Gables or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. They also suggest some movie versions of popular novels. In one intriguing suggestion, they advise the reader to rent all of the versions of Jane Eyre available on DVD and arguing over which actor best portrays Rochester. You'll also find internet resources, bits of trivia, and even museum resources if you want to visit places that were described in the books that are listed.

At the end of the book, there are two appendices. One offers suggestions on how to find a book club, and the other one offers guidelines on how to run and maintain one.

A Year of Reading provides a list that will fill any reader's TBR pile for more than a year. I've come up with a list of good suggestions for future reads that will definitely round out my TBR pile. However, I don't think I will finish them all this year, but that's okay. I can include them on my list for reading challenges next year!

This is the latest entry in my 2009 100+ Reading Challenge, as well as my 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge and my 2009 Dewey Decimal Challenge. For an archived, updated list of past reads, click on the buttons in the right sidebar.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers

When a friend of mine told me about this book, she said that it was a memoir about a young man whose parents had died of cancer within weeks of each other. It was a book about a twenty-something man from Chicago who was raising his eight-year-old brother.

"Okay," I thought when I borrowed this book from the library, "then why am I finding this book in the fiction section?"

I soon found out. In the preface, Dave Eggers discloses that "this is not, actually, a work of pure nonfiction. Many parts have been fictionalized in varying degrees, for various purposes." (p. ix) All of the dialogue has been reconstructed, and in certain parts of the book, the characters often break out of character and talk about their place in the book itself. In other words, they acknowledge that they are a part of the book, and critique Eggers for the dialogue he is writing for them.

Additionally, some names have been changed (although Eggers used his siblings' real names), and there has been some switching in the chronology of certain events. Eggers acknowledges all of the fictionalized text, and maintains that it was based on a true story. For these reasons, this is why it's treated as a work of fiction, and not strictly as a memoir. (The preface made me immediately think of A Million Little Pieces, and how James Frey didn't admit he took artistic liberties until well after the Oprah controversy).

Anyway, Eggers takes many artistic liberties during the course of the book, starting with the acknowledgements, which continue for twenty pages. In order for you to truly understand what I'm talking about, you'll have to read the book. I can't really accurately describe it online, but let's just say that he includes such people as NASA and Simon and Schuster. He also does his own analysis of the book using common themes in literature, such as loss of parents, a man finding himself, and siblings raising each other (here he makes a few references to the old show Party of Five. However, this book is nothing like Party of Five).

The novel opens in Chicago, where Eggers and his older sister, Beth, are caring for their mother, who is dying of stomach cancer. Their father, an alcoholic lawyer, died from lung cancer weeks before. The Eggers clan, once their parents' estates are settled, pack up and move out to the west coast, where the oldest sibling, Bill, works for a think tank in Los Angeles, and Beth starts law school. Eggers settles in Berkeley with his eight-year-old brother, Toph, and starts working a series of temp jobs before he starts a magazine with several of his old grade school friends.

Might magazine, which is geared towards twenty-somethings, is based out of San Francisco. The city, and the magazine, figure prominently in the middle of the book. This portion of the book deals with mid to late 1990s twenty-something angst. Eggers writes about how he and his friends at Might are going to change the world, that they don't want to ever feel that they have a job, that they don't ever feel that they have to work, that they don't ever feel that they have to listen to what society tells them what to be. Those who were neither in their late teens or early twenties during the latter half of the 1990s, as I was, won't understand this portion of the book. I totally got it, since Eggers was writing about people of my generation.

I especially liked the chapter of the book where Eggers auditions for The Real World: San Francisco. He doesn't get cast, but makes friends with Judd, who became a part of the cast, and tries to get Might Magazine as much exposure on the show as possible.

I had to smile while I read this part. The Real World: San Francisco was a prominent part of my freshman year of college. We had Real World parties in our dorm rooms. I remember Pedro, and how much we all loved him, and how crushed we were when he succumbed to AIDS. I especially remember how Puck was kicked out of the house.

Speaking of Puck, he makes an appearance in the chapter, and makes quite an impression on Mr. Eggers and the Might staff.

Oh yeah, and I'd call home, and talk about The Real World with my mother. She and my then-sixteen-year-old sister would watch it together. Interesting mother-daughter bonding, considering Mama Cat hated MTV. But I digress...

Much of the novel, of course, is devoted to a twenty-four-year-old man raising his eight-year-old brother. Eggers is not your "father knows best" type of parent, but is more of a buddy than anything else. He tries to keep things light between him and Toph, mainly because he doesn't want the boy to be completely traumatized by his parents' deaths. Speaking of their parents' deaths, Eggers doesn't fully explore his feelings about them until the second-to-last chapter in the novel. When he does, his emotions are strong, raw, and tangible. I found it very touching.

Scattered throughout the novel are tales of typical male twenty-something exploits, such as dating, having fun, going to bars and hanging out with friends. As I read about these exploits I thought about how shallow these were. And they are. But there are enough tales in the book that make up for this shallowness, such as Eggers' friend John's suicide attempts, and the fallout from those, as well as his friend Shalini's accident and subsequent coma.

I really enjoyed this book, and would like to read it again sometime. However, I think it's one of those books that older people, such as those of my parents' generation, won't understand. That, and you can tell that Eggers has a bit of an ego. If you get past this, though, and understand the mindset that was the mid-1990s, heck, today's early-to-mid twenty-something, this is a really fine, well-written book.

This is the latest entry in my 2009 100+ Reading Challenge, my 2009 A to Z Challenge, as well as my 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge. Click on the buttons in the sidebars for the archived lists!

Keeping up appearances...

Sister Kitten is an infrequent visitor to this blog. She is a very busy woman, so I don't take it personally.

She visits so infrequently that she doesn't leave comments on the blog itself, but rather, via E-mail or my Facebook page. The last time she visited, she left me with this feedback:

"Your right sidebar's looking a little crowded."

Well, she was right. In fact, with so many reading challenges I've signed up for, and so many buttons I've collected (with more to collect, actually, since I'm getting to know more bloggers), I needed to expand. So I did a Google search, found some very easy instructions on adding another column to the Minima template, and voila. All I had to do was change my skin-care regimen to smooth out the wrinkles.

But I wanted more. Much more. In fact, in February, before I expanded to three columns, I had signed up for a cosmetic procedure:




I wasn't looking for a total face-lift, just something that would brighten things up a bit. A little Botox, shall we say, a little fraxel, some microdermabrasion. SITS featured the lovely Miss April Durham one day, and I liked her work so much I asked her for a consultation. And now, she is my surgeon.

I'm not the only one who admires her work. Her wait list is long, but based on the results I've seen so far, they are worth it. Imagine my happiness when I learned, this afternoon, that I had moved from first on the wait list to "In progress." Woo hoo! Surgery without the anesthesia! I can dig that!

So you will soon see a new look to The Bookkitten. I want to surprise you, though, and won't tell you what work I'm having done.

I shall link you all to April's blog, so you, too, can admire her handiwork. She's also hosting a boatload of giveaways this month, which is even more reason to check her out.

In fact, here's the giveaway button:



Oh, and here's one more link from Miss April: easy, easy, easy to follow directions on how to expand your template from two columns to three. You don't need to be a techno-geek to do this! Trust me! April has some illustrations to help you out!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter and Passover, Kittens! I've got a couple of book reviews coming your way this week (in fact, I just posted my Three Cups of Tea review, in case you missed it), so stay tuned!

Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

This is a book that I had heard about for a long time before I actually picked it up. I had seen Greg Mortenson on television, in various interviews, talking about his work building schools for girls in the poorest regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Friends from church and work had asked me if I had read it yet, and the answer was always no.

Then last year, on my trip to Washington DC, the New York Times booth in the exhibition hall was giving away copies of this book. I had one thrust into my hands, and knew that I no longer had an excuse not to read it.

Yet it sat on my to be read (TBR) pile for months.

Finally, last month, after I finished When in Doubt, Sing, I picked it up and started to read.

You can't help but be moved by this story.

David Oliver Relin tells the story of Greg Mortenson, a mountain climber who earns money for his expeditions by working as an ER nurse. Mortenson had an unconventional childhood; he was the son of African missionaries. His father was a physician who built hospitals in Tanzania. He moved his family back to America when Greg was in his early teens.

Greg's youngest sister, Christa, contracted meningitis as a toddler, and never fully recovered. She suffered from epilepsy throughout her life, and succumbed to a massive seizure on the morning of her 23rd birthday. Greg and Christa were extremely close; he helped her create an independent life for herself. She rode the bus to work, was able to dress herself, and even had a steady stream of boyfriends. He made sure that her seizures did not inhibit her quality of life.

After Christa's death, Mortenson wanted to reach the summit of K2 and place a beaded necklace on the mountain in her memory. In 1993, he set out to climb the second-highest peak in the world--only to barely reach the top. Mortenson had to be rescued from the mountain. He was devastated that he was not able to fulfill his goal and honor his sister's legacy. He didn't know, however, that he would soon do so in a completely unexpected way.

After being rescued, Mortenson ended up in the village of Korphe, where the villagers showed him much hospitality and warmth. He stayed at the home of the village's chief, Haji Ali. One day, as Mortenson was walking through the village, he noticed a group of youngsters attending a class. There was no school for these children, no textbooks, and no proper materials which the teacher could use to help teach her class. Mortenson was moved by this; he felt that the village's children should have a proper school.

Before he left Korphe, Mortenson informed Haji Ali that he would return one day, and promised that he would build a school for the village.

When he returned to the United States, Mortenson wrote over 500 letters seeking donations for his cause. He figured that he needed $20,000 to construct a school for Korphe. Out of all of these letters, only one man donated money: Tom Brokaw, then anchor of the NBC Nightly News, who attended the same college as Mortenson, the University of South Dakota. Eventually, Mortenson found a benefactor in Dr. Jean Hoerni, a Swiss physicist and Silicon Valley pioneer. He donated the money that Mortenson needed to construct the school, and also was instrumental in founding the Central Asia Institute (CAI), an organization committed to help eliminate poverty and build schools in the region.

It turns out that the school in Korphe is the first of many schools to be constructed in central Asia. At the time of this post, CAI has constructed 78 schools and has taken efforts to help reduce poverty in the region, through such donations as medical supplies and scholarships.

CAI has particularly focused on constructing schools for girls, and has done much to help advance the education of women in the region. This is particularly noteworthy, for the role of women in central Asia has not been one of great importance. Men have traditionally been the breadwinners; women have traditionally stayed at home, raised families, and made money by selling food and clothing. Through Mortenson's work, more women have been able to receive an education and set their goals on becoming doctors, teachers, and various other skilled workers.

The book is told, not from Mortenson's point of view, but from Relin's. He tells the story in a third-person narrative, or rather, a very long interview with his subject. This, at times, makes the story seem lengthier than it really is. I thought it slowed down the storytelling. There are also a lot of people to keep straight. Throughout his work in central Asia, Mortenson encounters many politicians, village officials, and village families, and it's easy to lose track of who lives where, who is the head of which village, and who to watch out for. This is the book's weakest point.

In spite of the book's shortcomings, Three Cups of Tea provides a fascinating look into a region that, in recent years, has gained a bigger profile in world politics. Most of the book's events take place during the latter part of the 1990s. Relin often weaves in bits of political occurrances that form a unique backstory for the book's main plot. For example, you'll learn about the concern that the CAI has for an emerging organization--an organization that has come to be known as the Taliban. You'll see the rise of Musharraf and the military, and the beginnings of the US war with Afghanistan.

What touched me most about this book is the gratitude that the villagers of Pakistan and Afghanistan show "Dr. Greg", as Mortenson is known, for his efforts. I don't make many anti-war statements, but if there is a reason for our country to end the wars in central Asia, this is it. One of the chapters in Three Cups of Tea is titled "Our Enemy is Ignorance." It's not the Taliban or Bin Laden who is the enemy, Mortenson argues, but rather, not being aware of the problems plaguing central Asia. The enemy is the lack of education on such matters.

Three Cups of Tea certainly helped educate me.

This book was first published in 2007. Since its publication, the CAI has helped establish teacher-training programs, women's centers, and scholarships, among other projects. You can find out more about Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute at the following websites:

Three Cups of Tea
The Central Asia Institute
Pennies for Peace (a program for students)
The Girl Effect

I encourage you all to take a look and help!

This is the latest installment in my 100+ Reading Challenge, my Dewey Decimal Challenge, my Read Your Own Books Challenge, and my World Citizen Challenge. Click on the buttons in the sidebars for archived lists of my reads!

Nobunny knows Easter better than him...

And now, for your viewing pleasure, the one, the only, the original...






Happy Easter, Kittens!

Friday Fragments, Focus, Fill-Ins, and Favorites

Welcome to the Good Friday 2009 edition of FF4. That's how I'm abbreviating it.

I am post-dating this on Thursday night and I have to tell you: I am exhausted tonight, Kittens. I mean, totally wiped out. I think part of it is that it's that time of the month (sorry, menfolk) and a part of it is that things have been ultra busy at work lately. Fortunately, I have next week off, so I can catch up on sleep.

Anyhoo, Happy Easter and Passover to all of my bloggy friends out there. Let's kick off our celebrations with some Friday Fragments, brought to you by the good people at Half Past Kissin' Time.


I'm thinking about investing in a slow cooker. I had one years ago, but sold it at a tag sale because I never used it. Now I want one again. Is it the fact that I'm older or the fact that I'm getting lazier about making dinner for myself?

Lately I haven't been hungry for dinner. I've lost a little weight in the process, which, being petite and plus-sized, is a good thing. I still eat a small dinner, just to keep up my metabolism, but I don't have huge platters at night anymore.

It's been raining a lot here. A LOT. And still, no buds on the trees in my condo complex. There are buds everywhere else, but not where I live. There are crocuses and flowers, but no buds on the trees. I WANNA SEE BUDS!!!

April showers not only bring May flowers, but 75 percent of the planet's earthworm population out on the sidewalk.

I have one grey hair. Just one. I think I'm the only person who sees it. It hardly ever grows longer than an inch and is very wiry and out of control. I dread the day when my entire head of hair turns white.

I had an eye exam last week. Everything's fine, and I'm still able to see without glasses or contacts. Mama Cat, however, told me she's got the beginnings of cataracts, and she'll eventually need surgery. That's what prompted me to go.

I am addicted to the myFarm game on Facebook. I've got quite a little farm going. I'm doing rather well with my plants, which is surprising, considering I'm not a gardener in real life.

The UCONN women won the national title! Yahoo! And they had a perfect 39-0 season to boot!I shouldn't have stayed up to watch the game, but I did! That has only contributed to my fatigue!
_____________________

And now, we'll switch gears over to our Friday Focus, brought to you by the good people at Thrifty and Chic Mom.


Last week I focused on finishing Three Cups of Tea and starting A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I have about 90 pages left of Three Cups of Tea. There are two reasons for this: one, I'm feeling the pull of the blog lately. I've had the need to write lately; it's been my creative outlet. Secondly, as I mentioned, I've been exhausted. I've been going to bed early, around 9:30 or 10, and I've been falling asleep shortly thereafter.

I did, however, get a good chunk of reading Three Cups of Tea done, and hope to have a review on it after Easter and Passover.

This week, I'm going to focus on finishing both of the aforementioned books, as well as finish some of the library books I took out a few weeks ago. Don't worry, I renewed! They're not overdue!
_____________________

Now we'll switch gears again over to Friday Fill-Ins, brought to you by the good people at...Friday Fill-Ins!

1. Anonymous...boy, this person sure has written a lot of poems.

2. April 15th is a day that is fast approaching. For procrastinators, it's D-Day.

3. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, and then I shall fart in your general direction.

4. Taking long walks outside is what I look forward to most about Spring.

5. Who needs therapy when you can watch British and Canadian TV ads that feature Cadbury Creme Eggs bashing themselves?










6. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs MUST go into the Easter Basket!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chilling out with Mama and Papa Cat, tomorrow my plans include enjoying a gals' spa day with Mama Cat and Sister Kitten and Sunday, I want to enjoy a lovely Easter dinner with the whole fam!
_____________________

Now we'll honor one of our favorite bloggers, the lovely Miss Janna Bee, hostess of Friday Favorites.
If you're a regular here, and at Janna's, you know we've been sparring about the NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship. Our teams were both in the Final Four, and sadly, they both lost. :( Still, she was an awesome sparring partner! You, Janna, are one of my Friday Favorites!

And let's honor the other Michigan bloggers out there, Blueviolet and Vickie, both for having awesome blogs and being awesome friends!

Now we must honor the--COUGH--can I say this--COUGH--National Champions, the--COUGH, COUGH, COUGH--(Kitten says this in a very small voice)--North Carolina Tar Heels. Specifically, though, and more importantly, two very passionate Tar Heel fans who also happen to be friends of the Bookkitten--CDB of Fingers and Paws and Mimi Lenox. CDB was one of the ones who corrected me on the name Cheerwine. (Recall that I made a comment about "Cherrywine" earlier this week). I must say that I have never seen a bottle of Cheerwine in person, only in segments on Food Network. Remember, Kittens, I'm a Yankee. They don't sell this stuff up north.

Both CDB and Mimi are two of the best writers I know. Please check out their blogs! And while you're at Mimi's, make sure to pick up a peace globe. (Which reminds me, I haven't done that yet!)

What else has been a favorite this week? Well, let us now praise the almighty coffee bean. It's been a long, busy week. I've needed the java to get me going!

Another favorite? Hot cocoa. I picked up some hot cocoa mix at the grocery store last week. It's been such a nice treat to have on the rainy days. A book, hot cocoa, and a kitty in my lap...what could be better?

Finally, on a more personal, serious note...several weeks ago I blogged about my depression coming back. I wanted to let you know that things are much, much better now. Depression is an uphill journey, and it's not an easy one. I was very grateful to have recognized the symptoms and taken the steps to put myself back on a steady path.

You all have been really supportive of me. Many of you E-mailed me off-blog to ask how I was doing. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. I haven't met any of you in person, but I consider you all good friends. For that, I thank you.

If you celebrate the holidays, enjoy them! If not, have a great weekend!

Thursday Thunks: April 9, 2009

Wanna play along? Click here.

1. What was the last thing you ate?
I can already tell this is a very random edition of Thursday Thunks! Well, I'm post-dating this Wednesday night at 5, and I just got home from work. The last thing I ate was right after I got home: a peanut butter Fiber One bar. Tres yummy, tres filling, and will tie me over till dinner.

2. I say the color purple.. what do you think of?
My friend Brian's purple blog! I'm gonna work in a shameless plug for it! Go visit it by clicking here. And while you're at it, visit his band's website, too. Talking to Walls. A great local Connecticut band that just may be coming to a town near you!

3. Lamps or ceiling lights?
Lamps. I'm five feet tall, Kittens. I don't like ceiling lights--or ladders--much.

4. What color rabbit is your favorite?
Look, I know it's Easter and all, but I don't spend my time thinking about this! Why should I care what color rabbit is my favorite?
But to answer the question...I'll go with white. It's the color of the Cadbury Bunny. Because nobunny knows Easter better than him.

5. Your car breaks down on a deserted road and your cell phone has no signal - what do you do?
I go into Freakout Mode! I also pray that a good samaritan will come. The last two times I've been helped out by good samaritans. I know I'm lucky that way.

6. What is one thing most of your friends do online that you just can't understand the fascination and do not participate in?
Play online virtual reality games with other people. I don't get it. They sit on the computer for hours...and hours...and hours...I'm talking about games like World of Warcraft, which are horribly violent and senseless.

7. What do you need right now?
Sleep. Beautiful, glorious sleep.

8. And your most serious injury you've had was....?
Fortunately I haven't had any really serious injuries like broken bones or sprains or concussions. I did slice my left thumb open with an exacto knife once. Fortunately it didn't get to the muscle, tendon, or bone, but it did break off a chunk of skin and have a lot of blood loss. I went to the ER, got a tetanus shot, and some of those paper stitches that double as band-aids. I don't know what you call them. Most of the scar has faded now, but there's still some numbness and a lot of scar tissue in that area.

9. What is the most evil thing you've ever done?
I plead the fifth.

10. Give us some random fact about you.
Random, eh? Welllllllllllllll...I hate peas. I mean, can't stand 'em. I don't like the texture or flavor. No matter how much one tries to hide them in my food, I always pick them out. This is the reason why I don't eat mixed veggies--you know, the frozen ones that come in bags?

In the Singlehood: My household roles

I saw this prompt over at Mama Kat's and thought I could combine my Writers Workshop piece with my "In the Singlehood" series.

Here's the prompt:

"What is your role in the household?"

HA!! That's a good one! You mean roles. When you're a single person, you can't have just one role in the household. Allow me to explain:

1. BREADWINNER

I have to work. I am perfectly healthy and do not have any conditions that would prohibit me to hold down a job. I have to work to put food on the table, keep a roof over my head, keep the lights and the heat on, maintain transportation, communication with the outside world, clothe myself...oh yeah, and have enough supplemental income at the end of the month to purchase my books. (Although Paperback Swap rocks and I've received ten books over the past month from that wonderful website).

2. COOK

I cook for myself. It's too expensive to eat out every single night. Besides, I find cooking theraputic. There's just something about the smell of ingredients that relaxes me and helps me unwind from the day.

OK, I'll admit it: chopping and slicing is a great stress reliever. Especially chopping.

I don't always cook during the week. Most weeks I'll cook big on Sundays and freeze the meal in smaller portions so I can just pop a container in the microwave when I get home. Other times I like eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Bread and butter is good, too. Cheddar cheese slices atop Triscuits are good choices. And let's not forget my love affair with The Cheesiest. (If you haven't read it yet, check out my post "The Single Gal's Guide to Groceries," which is under the "Greatest Hits" section in the right column).

3. HIRED HELP

Sometimes it gets overwhelming to clean a two-bedroom, loft-style condo on one's own. I have to break up the chores so I don't clean the whole thing in one day. Some days, I don't clean at all depending on how tired I am from my day at work. The easiest chores for me to do during the week are laundry and running the dishwasher. It's easy to put clothes in the washing machine with the detergent and letting it run for a while. Folding...well, that's another story. I'm much better at it than I used to be.

4. CAREGIVER

Mags and Gabs depend upon me for their very survival. I feed them their Meow Mix Wholesome Goodness daily and make sure they have fresh clean water. I make sure that their litter boxes are decluttered of waste material. I endure painful car rides to take them to the vet. Granted, the vet is ten minutes away, but the way they meow, you think I'd have kidnapped them. I give them their monthly flea treatments (which is always a joy) and brush them and groom them. I give them as much love as I would to any human.

5. LAWYER

I have been having issues with my insurance company lately. I won't get into specifics, but let's just say that my local hospital is having trouble negotiating a contract with my insurance provider. I'm not alone, but I was on the phone earlier this afternoon with a rep from this company who was very nasty to me and wouldn't let me ask more than one question. Since I am the sole policy holder in my household, it was up to me to debate with this company. I won't name names, and I won't tell you the first letter in their name. I don't want to get madder, or get anyone in the sitation, angrier by disclosing party names.

6. WARDROBE CONSULTANT

This is my least favorite role. I have no fashion sense. I'm amazed none of my friends has nominated me for What Not to Wear yet. I would be their most obedient, dutiful pupil. But then again, they may not have me on the show because I wouldn't argue with Stacy or Clinton. Obeying, sadly, does not make what TV execs consider good reality programming.

That having been said, I will not pay full price. I really like Goodwill and have bought many great pieces from them. However, it's gotten to the point where I have a Monday outfit, a Tuesday outfit, a Wednesday outfit, etc. I hate that!

I also like sales at Target, Kohl's, and Lane Bryant. I am petite and plus-sized, so it's not always easy to find clothes that fit well. Maybe that's why I loathe shopping so much.

7. HANDYWOMAN

I've learned to do minor repairs around the house, and I'm very proud of myself for doing this. I know how to use a carpenter's level, an electric screwdriver, and a hammer. I installed my bathroom medicine cabinet, as well as my showerhead, all by myself. I love painting walls; I'm awesome at edging.

For the big guns, though, I'm no fool. I know my limitations. Fortunately, my best friend knows how to fix things. He installed a ceiling fan for me in my kitchen, as well as put in a set of blinds in front of my patio door. He even helped me install my entertainment center (his old one). Best thing about this is, I don't ask him to do these things for me. He offers. And I am forever grateful for that.

8. BANKER/FINANCIAL PLANNER

This is my most difficult role. It took me years to learn how to plan a budget. I was in love with plastic, and paid a huge price for it. My credit rating is very, very slowly getting better, but it is still not great. I'm really glad, though, that I learned the lesson before the current financial crisis occurred. I've got money in the bank, I've curbed my spending, and am very happy living with less. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I'm glad I learned it.

9. PARTY PLANNER

As much as I like having friends over, entertaining can be a pain. I'm no Martha Stewart. First there's the issue of getting the condo cleaner than clean (see #3), then there's the menu planning and taking into consideration everyone's likes, dislikes, and allergies (see #2). When the party's in full swing, I have a great time. But it's the before and after that kills me. Thank God I have a group of friends who are good about cleaning up after themselves.

That's why I often will sneak to the kitchen during a party and start doing the dishes for my host. I often get yelled at for doing this (especially if BFF is hosting the party), because "I'm the guest and don't have to do that", but it's my way of showing my appreciation for what the host has done for me.

10. ORGANIZER
If I didn't have my planner or cell phone, I would be incredibly lost with all that I do during the week. Even though I'm single, I still have responsibilities to my job, my church, keeping myself physically and mentally healthy with my jaunts to the Y and my therapist, and I still need to have a life. I visit friends, I go to dances, events, visit family, and go to the library, among other things.

It's una vida loca, that's for sure, and I juggle a lot of roles, but it's MI vida loca and I wouldn't have it any other way!

In the Singlehood: Bridesmaid revisited

In 2001, I was a bridesmaid in my friend P's wedding. (Initials have been changed for privacy protection.)

When she asked me to be a bridesmaid, I was thrilled. She and her fiance had been together for so long, it was not a question of if, but when, he would propose. I had never been in a wedding before, so I was looking forward to the experience.

First came the dress shopping. Then came choosing the place for the reception. Then there were the honeymoon plans.

And then came the bridal shower.

Oh, how I hate bridal showers.

And I especially had a hard time with this one.

Here's a little bit of backstory: At the time of the bridal shower, in April of 2001, I was working in a full-time temporary position, in grad school full-time, and looking for a full-time, permanent position. In short, I had no money. P offered to pay for some of my bridesmaid expenses, like the shoes for my dress. I gratefully accepted.

But that's not the point.

Here's the real point:

It came at the bridal shower. As P opened up her fourth toaster oven, it suddenly hit me: She's getting all of her appliances for free. She has this registry where people can go buy her table settings and goblets and they just give them to her. All because she's getting married and moving out of her parents' house and into a new apartment.

One week after the wedding, I too, moved out of my parents' house and into a new apartment.

But I had to pay for my toaster. And my sofa. And my silverware.

Mama and Papa Cat helped me out, since I was a poor grad student with no money, but I was still feeling somewhat bitter.

Why can't there be single person showers? We have showers for women who are marrying or having babies, where they're getting a fresh start in life, and so we give 'em presents, sometimes useful, other times useless crap, so that they can have a strong beginning to marriage/motherhood.

Well, what about the people who are moving into new homes who are moving in alone? Or those who decide to adopt a child by themselves?

Do we give these people showers? No, we don't, and that is incredibly unfair.

Why do singles still get the short shrift in society when it comes to things like this? We are not worthless! We still deserve showers! Yeah, some of us are greedy bitches and bastards who want the loot, but others really need it.

Others such as the newly single divorcee, about to move into her first home by herself.

Or the freshly minted college grad, working at an entry level position, making her debut in the debutante ball known as "The Real World."

Or the woman who has never married and has decided to adopt a child of her own, with no co-parent.

Maybe I should start a business..."Single Showers by Kitten." Hmmm...

I just loathe going to bridal showers. I especially dislike shower games. Some of the shower games can be really cheesy, like shower bingo. But I like the ones that have a little twist to them. I went to one shower where we had to make bridal dresses out of rolls of toilet paper. That was a lot of fun, and quirky. And you know me, I'm all about the quirk.

But I digress.

I look back at my experience of being a bridesmaid and realize that I could have been a little more sensitive to what my friend was going through at the time. We were both in our own little worlds, I guess. She was focused on starting a new life with her husband-to-be and I was focused on launching a career and breaking free of the Cat Family homestead. I'd love to have a chat with her about what happened, but we haven't spoken in several years; we eventually drifted apart.

But I still think we should have single-person showers.

We're the Nutmeg State...so where's the nutmeg?

I recently left a comment over at Janna Bee's about tonight's title game between the Spartans and the Tar Heels. I said something to the effect of, "I'll be drinking Cherrywine and eating Mackinac Island Fudge during the game."

Cherrywine is a popular carbonated cherry-tasting drink down south.

Mackinac Island fudge is a popular candy in Michigan, named for the island near the Upper Peninsula where it is made.

That got me to thinking...tomorrow the Lady Huskies are playing Louisville for the national title. I could either have a shot of Kentucky bourbon if things don't go our way (which they won't), or I could have a Connecticut...uh...uh...uh...

...what foodstuffs are we known for in Connecticut?

Think about it. We have maple syrup, but that's more of a Vermont thing. We've got tobacco, but I don't smoke, and it's bad for you. Pepperidge Farm was a real farm in Fairfield County, but I don't think they manufacture their products here anymore.

I can't think of a food product or cuisine that we're famous for.

Can you?

I don't like the taste of crow...

Final score (in case you haven't seen it):

Spartans 82
Huskies 73

I only have two words to say:

Go 'Nova.

(Hey, they're in the Big East, too).

Sigh...

Saturday 9: Organize this!

1. Are you an organized person?
HELL NO. I used to be very anal, then I went to college, and it's been downhill from there.

2. What is one thing about your home that has to be just so or it drives you crazy when it comes to organization?
My kitchen and bathroom need to be absolutely spotless and sanitary. I spend more time cleaning those two rooms than any other in the house. I don't want any infestations, thank you very much.

3. Do you have one little nuance about your organization that most people consider to be a little over the top?
Yeah...that I am so incredibly DISorganized. My BFF and I have a joke: every time he comes over he needs to clean out my refrigerator, regardless of how clean it is. It's the first thing he looks for when he enters my home...after he says hello, of course.

4. What is your favorite organizational tool? (bins, closet organizers, etc.)
Bins and baskets. The perfect catch-alls. I put everything in bins and baskets and then leave 'em there. I'm horrid at putting things away.

5. Where is your favorite place to buy organizational needs?
HA! I never buy organizational needs for myself. Other people buy 'em for me. But ya can't beat Staples for the post it notes for to-do lists...dammit, those Post-Its have got to be under one of these piles of papers...

6. Are you more organized at work or at home?
At work. I deal with a lot of people at work, so it's easier for me. When I'm just dealing with myself it's much harder.

7. Are you more or less organized than your significant other?
N/A. If I HAD a significant other, he'd be way more organized than me.

8. Does your significant other help or hurt organization?
If I had one, he would definitely help...I need all the help I can get...who wants to come over for a cleaning party?

9. What is the most important recreational items that you organize?
My books. I have a professional library in my office, dedicated to work-related stuff, two bookcases that flank my entertainment center for my fiction, and one bookcase in my living room for travel/non-fiction and memoirs. I don't alphabetize, but if I have a few books by the same author, I group 'em together.

Programming reminder...

Tune in at 6 PM tonight, to your local CBS affiliate, for the NCAA Final Four in Motown. Be sure to watch the first game tip off at 6:30, when the UCONN Huskies begin their destruction of the Michigan--COUGH--State--COUGH--Spartans in their goal to crush the North--COUGH--Carolina--COUGH--Tar Heels to win the National Championship.

Remember, as Bud told us yesterday:

U-C-O-N-N!

UCONN!
UCONN!
UCONN!

(Dedicated today to Janna Bee, Vickie, Blueviolet, and CDB. Sorry ladies, better luck next year!)

In the Singlehood: First in a series of posts

I am single and childless by choice.

Don't get me wrong, I like kids and enjoy spending time with them, but I really don't want any of my own. During my adult life I've never had a maternal instinct. I've never really pictured myself as a wife and mother. Or just a wife, for that matter.

There's a lot that influences this. My parents raised me and my sister to be independent. Mama Cat always told us, "You don't need a man to be a fulfilled person." That's the message that Grandma Cat passed on to Mama Cat when she was a kitten. A lot of it had to do with Grandma Cat's marriage to Grandpa Cat. During their later years, they didn't get along, but they never divorced. Grandpa Cat was an alcoholic. That alone should say it all.

(Then again, Mama and Papa Cat have been going strong for 36+ years as a married couple. Go fig).

Meanwhile, Papa Cat told us, "The only person you can ever depend upon is yourself." His message was influenced by the fact that we had no extended family in Connecticut. Our family tree branches into the New York/Newark metropolitan areas. We had no biological relatives around to depend on, so we created our own little network. To be honest, we're much closer to our chosen family members than our blood relatives. And we prefer it that way.

As we were growing up, Sister Kitten and I were taught, from an early age, how to cook, how to sew, and how to do laundry. When it came to automotive care, Papa Cat gave us AAA cards when we got our licenses. He also told us how to plan a budget and balance a checkbook.

We were raised with good manners and lots of discipline. Yeah, we both got spanked on occasion, but only if we did something to deserve it.

All of these tactics helped me and Sister Kitten stand on our own two feet. We both own condos, pay our bills, and hold down good jobs. Mama and Papa Cat still help out on occasion, but for the most part we do this by ourselves.

I'm proud to be independent. However, many people think it's strange that I have no interest in marrying and starting a family. It's become more common for couples to decide not to have kids, for whatever reason, but people will look twice--nay, three times or more--when a single woman decides to remain a bachelorette.

Here's my thing: relationships take work. It's like holding a job. I'm not at the point in my life where I would want to invest my time and energy in a partner.

But that's not the only thing...

I hate dating. I absolutely loathe it, despise it, detest it. Dating is like auditioning for a part in a movie over and over again and never getting it. I don't do well with small talk. I don't do well with awkwardness. There's either a spark, or there isn't. I don't like men fawning all over me. I need space.

But most importantly, this is what colors most of my feelings: In the past two years, I've known 12 friends and acquaintances who have either ended relationships or have divorced. All of these relationships have lasted for five years or less. This doesn't bode well for my generation.

I just don't see how some of my friends could have spent thousands of dollars on one day of their lives, only to have no return on the investment in five years.

I like living alone. I enjoy being able to go wherever I want, whenever I want. I actually am looking forward to being a spinster.

I have a lot more to write about this subject, but I won't do it now. In fact, I've decided to write a series of posts about it, which I will call, "In the Singlehood." For my next installment, I'm going to write about my experiences as a bridesmaid.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this series takes me.

Friday Fragments, Focus, Fill-Ins and Favorites

Let's start off with the Friday Fragments, brought to you by the good people at Half Past Kissin' Time.

Why can't the NCAA hold the Final Four in Vegas? It seems like the perfect place to hold a Final Four.

Why can't the NCAA hold the Final Four in New York City? Think about it, playing a championship game at Madison Square Garden...fantastic!

Speaking of the Final Four, I've signed all my comments this week with "GO HUSKIES!" I borrowed a page from Yaya's book with this one; you know how she signs her comments with a different saying every week?

We're two weeks into springtime, Kittens. So why aren't there buds on the trees?

When Barack Obama was running for president, I couldn't stop looking at the parentheses lines around his mouth and thinking, "He needs Botox. Stat." (Yeah, I know, it's horrible of me to talk about the president this way, but I can't help it!)

I've recently taken to watch New York Rangers games, now that I have the MSG channel. Funny thing...I've never been much into hockey. Why am I suddenly a fan?

I recently spent part of my tax refund and bought a Keurig brewer. It's fantastic! I have to discipline myself, though, not to drink coffee too much, now that it's so easy to do. Don't wanna be awake at 1 AM, ya know?

This is not the exact model I purchased, but is very similar. I didn't buy the deluxe platinum edition, but one step below it--the model between basic and luxury is the best way I can put it.

And now...time for our Friday Focus, brought to you by the good people at Thrifty and Chic Mom.

The last time I did a Friday Focus, I focused on finishing The Pillars of the Earth--and I did! Woo-hoo! This week, my focus will be on finishing Three Cups of Tea and starting A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Now that we've got our fragments and focus out of the way, time now for Friday Fill-Ins, brought to you by the lovely Janet.

1. Angel or not I'll always have a bit of devil in me.

2. Bend me, shape me any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of shit.

4. I always shower after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I can find at least one person I know.

6. A day without laughter is a day fraught with peril.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a play, tomorrow my plans include hanging out with some old college friends and Sunday, I want to visit my friends K and A and see their new puppy!

And finally...some Friday Favorites, brought to you by the lovely Miss Janna Bee.

Speaking of our Friday Favorites hostess, she recently blogged about the magic that is the Lean Pocket. That's one thing that got me through the week. It was going to be busy, with many late nights at work, so I needed something quick and easy for dinner! They weren't on sale, however...the Healthy Choice meals were on sale, but the customers at the A and Piss Off already bought all the good ones.

What else got me through the week? My Keurig brewer! I freakin' love this thing! It brews coffee ever so quickly, so perfectly, so tasty, and so warm! And they got the flavors right with this one! French roast tastes so wonderfully robust! The Earl Grey tea is fantastic! Oh my God, am I becoming a coffee snob?

A special thanks goes to the Y, my iPod, Three Cups of Tea, and the warm, wonderful weather we've been having. It has felt so good to exercise. It's really helped out my mood quite a bit.

Also, Blue Bunny and Ben and Jerry's now make single serve ice cream containers. They are wonderful! Saves the temptation of eating the whole damn pint!

And let's not forget sleep, glorious sleep...ahhhh, I loves to catch me some Z's.

So that's the latest and greatest going on in the Life O' Kitten. I won't be at the VGNO for the next few weeks; I'm going out almost every Friday night till the first weekend in May. If I do participate, though, it won't be till the wee morning hours, but by that time I'll be catching my precious Zs, most likely.

I'll be away all weekend, and next week's shaping up to be a crazy one, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me. I will be back, though, as always!

Oh, and one more thing...it's another Friday Favorite...

GO HUSKIES!!!

(Janna, Vickie, and Blueviolet...may the best dog win).

(P.S.: CDB: Tar Heels are goin' DOWN in the title game.)

Book meme

I'm stealing this one from Marie over at Boston Bibliophile.

1. Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I prefer trade paperbacks. They're lightweight, easy to slip into a purse, and have type large enough that you don't have to squint when you read.

2. Barnes & Noble or Borders?
For years I've always said "Borders" very easily. I like its decor; a lot of books without looking too dark and stuffy. However, I recently lunched with a friend at a B&N and was amazed at their selection of publishers' remnants and discounted books. They had a way larger choice at B&N. So I'll have to go with B&N.

3. Bookmark or dog-ear?
If it's a book I own, I dog ear. If it's a library book, I use a bookmark that resembles an oriental rug, which was a gift for me from a friend of mine.

4. Amazon or brick and mortar?
Brick and mortar, without question.

5. Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
If I have a number of books by the same author, I group them all together. I don't alphabetize, though. I DO, however, organize by genre: travel, French literature, Spanish literature, education, etc.

6. Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep, donate for store credit, or my recent favorite--PaperbackSwap.com. I abso-freakin-lutely ADORE this website. You must check it out.

7. Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep. A book looks naked without one.

8. Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Read with the dust jacket. I like to use the flaps for bookmarks.

9. Short story or novel?
Novels, although I loves me a good anthology every now and then.

10. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I've never read the full series of either. I'll have to add those to my TBR pile.

11. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
At chapter breaks. If I stop before one, I always feel like I'm in the middle of a cliffhanger. I hate to be in unresolved situations.

12. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
"It was a dark and stormy night." I love the image of Snoopy on top of his doghouse, typing away at his novel.

13. Buy or borrow?
I'm really getting into borrowing. I especially love how my library now sends E-mails when my books are due.

14. New or used?
Either one, but I especially love used books. Cheap, green, and did I say cheap?

15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Usually browsing, followed by book reviews, followed by recommendations. I've found my favorite books by browsing.

16. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy endings. I obsess over cliffhanger endings too much.

17. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
During the week, nighttime reading, because it's the only time I get to read. Otherwise, any old time!

18. Stand-alone or series?
I'm more of a stand-alone reader.

19. Favorite series?
Why, the Anne of Green Gables series, of course! However, the Little House books follow in a very close second.

20. Favorite children's book?
Linnea in Monet's Garden

21. Favorite YA book?
Anne of Green Gables

22. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn

23. Favorite books read last year?
The Devil in the White City, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Girls of Tender Age, Last Days of Summer, and Almost Like Being in Love

24. Favorite books of all time?
Anne of Green Gables, A Walk in the Woods, The Pillars of the Earth, The Little Prince, Madame Bovary, Linnea in Monet's Garden, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Trumpet of the Swan, Charlotte's Web

25. What are you reading right now?
Three Cups of Tea

26. What are you reading next?
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

27. Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
If it were a girl I would readily suggest Anne of Green Gables. I have no clue what to suggest for an 11-year-old boy.

28. Favorite book to reread?
Anne of Green Gables

29. Do you ever smell books?
YES. I love the smell of new books! There's something so comforting about inhaling new book smell.

30. Do you ever read Primary source documents?
Do blogs count? Then, yes. I also like a lot of biographies.
This question reminds me of an Oscar Wilde quote: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something interesting to read."

Thursday Thunks: April 2, 2009

1. Did you play any April Fools jokes on anyone or have a joke played on you?
Yep, I played one and was the lucky recipient of one, too.

2. If you could be on any non-reality TV show as a guest star or star, which one would it be and why?
I'd love to be on The Carol Burnett Show. Yeah, I know it's been off the air for over 30 years, but it would have been so much fun to act with the regulars. They looked like they were having such a good time up on stage.

3. Do you crack your knuckles?
I've never been able to crack a knuckle.

4. If you remember your first day of kindergarten, were you scared or excited? If you have kids or grandkids, were they scared or excited?
I was excited. I couldn't wait to go to school!

5. If you are in the shower, hear the fire alarm going off and smell smoke/see flames, will you just run out of the house with a towel on or grab some clothes & dress as you run out?
I'd run my ass outta there with just the shower curtain around my torso. Wait a minute, the curtain would melt. Stop, drop and roll, right? Still, my first priority would be to get out. No time to dress. Towel, please!

6. Last week the Thursday Thunkers asked about your Daddy (twice), so this week tell us a little about your Mom.
Uhhh...she's 64 and gave birth to me 33 years ago.

7. Which search engine do you use most often?
Yahoo, since it's my Internet provider.

8. Did you participate in Earth Hour?
Sadly, no. I was a hypocrite and blogged the whole time without realizing the hour was occurring.

9. What was the last new-to-you movie you watched? Was it in the theater or on DVD? Was it good?
I can't remember the last time I watched a movie.

10. If you do something embarrassing, do you laugh it off, or sit & worry about it?
I worry obsessively.

11. Where is your favorite spot in your home to sit & relax?
My living room. It's got my entertainment center and my books, my rocking chairs and my couch. What more do I need?