Book Review: Game of Thrones, book 1

Game of Thrones : Literary Crack

Ohhhh, this book.... 

I had plans to read a handful of other books before year's end but I’ve also had the box set of the first five Game of Thrones books on my nightstand for a year now. I’ve been intimidated. They each clock in at nearly 1,000 pages and I knew enough about them to assume once I got started I wouldn’t want to stop. I was right. I guess those other books will have to wait. 

In an eight (possibly more) book series, I know the first book is just an introduction. This one is a doozy, a tour de force, one character after another, not always clear how they’re going to intersect later, hints at a deeper plot. Martin sets a brisk pace both with action and character introduction as well as mini-cliff hangers at the end of most chapters. It’s like literary crack. Hooked me instantly. In some ways I felt like I was reading the later Harry Potter books for the first time, when I had figured out it was no mere child’s fantasy series. Lots of subplots, perhaps a few extraneous but interesting people, maybe a red herring or two. Usually I’m pretty good at reading between the lines and quickly seeing where a story goes next, but with GOT, there are so many layers to the onion, I can see I’m just getting started. I love a book that keeps me guessing. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

(Also published on my page at Goodreads.com - username Robyn Ekker and on Instagram - username myfluffypants.)

SaveSave

Buy your own!

December Balloons

For most people, December means Christmas.  It means that for us, too, but here December also means pink balloons and birthday cake.  Both of my daughters were born in December so we celebrate a birthday in the first week, a birthday in the second week and then take a week off before celebrating Christmas.  🎄

Book Review : Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Click here to buy your own copy of
FURIOUSLY HAPPY

Wow.  Where do I even start.  I guess with the cover.  Featuring a taxidermied raccoon who seems to be shouting “TA DAAAAAAAA”, this cover had me at hello.  (Does anyone besides me still say that?) I had no idea what the book was about, but with such a great cover I thought I'd probably love it. I did.

Furiously Happy is about mental illness, a very serious subject.  It’s a great advocate for the mentally ill in all the best ways AND it literally made me laugh out loud every time I sat down to read. Yes, author Jenny Lawson reveals some of the horror that can be mental illness, but she refuses to focus on it.  She’s too busy being furiously happy, her way of living life to the absolute fullest when she manages to beat back the worst of the worst. Lawson is hilariously relatable in her more innocent quirks (like wishing her cats would let her strap a dead raccoon on their backs for a little rodeo action) but is able to stay honestly human and connects while talking about darker moments, too.  In a series of humorous anecdotes featuring Lawson’s, um, unique quirks, Furiously Happy is utterly hilarious to the point I was taking pictures of the text to send my best friends and spouse while I read so they could laugh with me.  It also feels like an amazing, assuring conversation with a friend who struggles in ways it can be hard to understand but is oh so relatable.  So far I’ve gifted it to two friends and there will be many more copies given for Christmas this year.  This is a profane book that discusses sensitive matters, but I love and highly recommend it.  

*I am an Amazon Affiliate Seller.  When you shop through my links, I may receive a small advertising fee.

So How Do You Spend Your Time?

Hank and the chickens, two of the ways I spend my time.

Last week a neighbor friend happened to be walking in my direction after I dropped my son at school.  We're friends, but we're still getting to know each other.  We were chatting, as one does in such a situation, when he innocently asked "How do you spend your time?"  It was a good question intended to get to know me better.  It wasn't asked in a snarky "why don't you have a job" kind of way that you sometimes read about on blogs written by women.  However, as a stay at home mom of almost 15 years, it's a question that takes me back a little. Most people's default answer is to name their work, say something about how they love or hate it and move on.  I used to say "I chase kids all day", but my kids are in school all day now and have been for some time.  I'm no longer sure how to answer that question in a concise, not too involved manner.  On this day, I flippantly said "well, we have all these dogs and cats and chickens so I spend a lot of time scooping poop".  It was a strange answer, perhaps a little TMI.  I might have sounded sarcastically snappish, which wasn't my intention.  It was definitely too odd for an easy response.  He changed the subject.  Now I feel bad.

It made me think though.  How DO I spend my time?  I have the luxury of being able to craft the life that makes me happy.  I am not stuck in a job I feel I need but that I hate.  I am not even working at my previous job (teaching), which I really liked but would definitely have left me drained and not feeling like I was as good at being a mom as I want to be.  I am able to spend my time doing the things I think are most important for my family and that bring us all happiness.  I do, indeed, spend a lot of time cleaning animal poop but that's a good thing.  Our pets bring all of us joy and we're lucky to have them.  Playing and snuggling with them is fantastic for the whole family.  Cleaning up is the trade we make for the dogs' joyous greetings or warm feet thanks to the cats or fresh eggs from the chickens.  It's a pretty good way to spend my time.

I spend an hour or so most days at lunch with my husband.  He recently merged his company with a much larger one and the transition has been stressful.  When he can, he likes to completely get away from work for a little while.  I have no doubt he has friends who would have lunch with him but being able to spend that time together is great for our marriage.  With three busy kids whose activities are just beginning as he gets home from work, some days this is the only real conversation we have.  Again, I'd say this is a pretty good way to spend my time.

Then there are the kids.  Like all moms, I supervise homework and musical instrument practice.  I chauffeur to dance and swimming and scouts and art.  I ask prying questions of my teen. I nag my middle child about her messy room.   I try to keep all the Pokemon straight so I can converse with my son.  I feed them, whether they like it or not.  Don't even think of asking me to to do something between 4:00 and 8:30 PM Monday through Thursday.  I am busy.  Having the energy and time to be really interested in them and help them explore their interests is the whole point of being a stay at home mom.  This is absolutely a great use of my time.

I also do all the miscellaneous stuff everyone else does.  Dishes and laundry and running the vacuum.  I squeeze in some yoga or take the dogs hiking.  I read.  I languish on Facebook. Sometimes I do a little volunteer work.   I take photos I like to share on Instagram. Occasionally, I'll write a little something.   I'm working my way through an awesome cookbook - The Pollan Family Table.  (This is a big deal for me - I don't care for cooking, but every recipe from the Pollans has been a keeper.  Totally worth the effort.  I'm trying all kinds of new dishes and learning new techniques. I'm kind of excited about it.  Weird.)

So this is how I spend my time.  I feel like my days are full and wonderful and satisfying.  I still don't have a short answer for the "what do you do" question.  I guess I'm lucky that way.

Support my blog: click the link to buy your own copy of The Pollan Family Table

Thank You!

Football, Protests and Free Speech

In general, I try to keep politics off this page.  My political opinion is not something I generally choose to share with a broad audience and I share this blog with everyone I know on social media, so I usually try to keep my political thought audience a little smaller.  However, I'm breaking with tradition here to make a statement about a political issue I'm kind of fired up about - the NFL protests.

I am a supporter of the First Amendment.  Full stop.  I don't believe we should limit any speech in any way.  People have the right to express themselves.  Period.  Now, that does not include violent or destructive actions like we've seen in many public protests that devolved into riots.  That is not speech.  That is animalistic, criminal behavior.  Speech is peaceful, even if you abhor the content.  Speech is a God-given right we must all defend.  To believe anything else is un-American.

Regarding the NFL protests, players are not leading riots or calling their followers to burn down the stadium, at least not while on the field.  (Off the field some are saying pretty horrible things, but that's a separate conversation.)  On the field, they are simply kneeling, often with head bowed.  To me, that looks like a very humble and sincere statement.  The ultimate form of peaceful protest.  Personally, I don't always support what they are saying.  I think a lot of the anti-police rhetoric goes WAY too far, but I endlessly support their right to say it.  Just as I think it's awful that conservative speakers being shut down by violent mobs is wrong, I think it's wrong to tell these athletes their peaceful speech isn't allowed even when I don't agree with them.  I'm not interested in supporting their point.  I'm interested in defending their natural right.

Now, I also believe that each team owner and the NFL in general have the right to tell the players, their employees, what speech is appropriate while they are representing their employer.  If Jerry Jones wants to insist his employees stand for the National Anthem while they're on his time, that's his prerogative.  If an owner wants to insist all his players kneel, that's also his choice.  If the players don't want to play by their boss' rules they can quit the team.  As a consumer, if I don't want a side of politics with my entertainment, I'm able to find another way to occupy my time.  It's a free country and we have limitless choices.  I have no problem at all with people who are choosing not to watch football this season.  They're expressing their opinions, too.

Alejandro Villanueva stands for the National Anthem

Photo credit: Fox News

One thing I really don't like though is a politician - particularly the President of the United States - bloviating about firing people exercising their right to free speech.  That's not his business.  At all.  His business is dealing with North Korea or fixing our tax code or helping the unfortunate Americans who have recently been affected by natural disasters.  It is not his place to yammer about what the NFL owners ought to do.  If he wants to share his opinion, I wish he'd find a way to do so that didn't sound like he wants to be emperor, directing private business owners' actions.  (I am aware that's not what he actually said, but it's what people took away from it.  He is so ham-handed with his words sometimes!  It drives me bananas.)  I think it's great to have a president who loves to talk about how much he loves his country, but one of our basic tenants is protesting against our own country when we feel it deserves it.  For our president to be so thin-skinned about it really rankles me.  If he feels he really wants to speak on the issue, I wish he'd find something positive to highlight.  How great would it be if he tweeted a thank you to the lone Pittsburgh Steelers player who stood and sang along with the anthem yesterday?  Perhaps he could find his favorite performance of the anthem and thank the singer for performing so well.  Find the good President Trump.  Find the good.  Please!
SaveSave

Summer Says Goodbye

The last raspberries.

I picked a bowl full of raspberries yesterday and, as usual, couldn't help but smile at the contrast between the berries and the leaves.  Looking at them though, I felt a little sad.  These are the probably the last of summer's fruit.  The leaves sport hints of yellow and brown.  There's a soft freeze due later in the week and we won't get more berries after that.  So, here's summer, saying goodbye.  Au revoir summer.  I'll see you next year.

SaveSave

Sunny and the Hedgehog

Good morning! Hedgehog and I are ready to play!!
#wakeupMom!
#Ihavehedgehogstofetch 
#letsgoletsgo!
☀️#Sunny☀️

This is how we start our days.  I believe it is impossible to play with a border collie too much.  (They believe so, too.) 

Sunny and her brothers, Hank and Skippy, can be seen at their Instagram page

Sunny, Hank, Skippy

Book Review: Take Me With You

Take Me With You : Not your ordinary road trip book.

Two trusted friends recommended this book, so I made it a priority read.  When I first started it, I thought "oh boy, I can see why they loved it" and I figured I'd be in for one emotional story.  Take Me With You has a heavy heart and I expected to cry throughout it.  I was surprised to only be truly moved once, by the kindness of children.  Given the topic and rawness of the characters, I feel a little let down by the fact that I wasn't more effected.  I'm a little torn between liking the author's slightly detached handling and thinking she missed some opportunities to open her people up a little more.  Over all, the story is very sparely told, which sometimes I really like, but I haven't made up my mind whether or not I like it here.  I guess it's a balancing act between being schmaltzy and disengaged.  All that aside though, Take Me With You is still a heartbreaking and yet sweet story of people finding the people they need to make it through life's hardest times.  It wasn't quite what I expected, but I did really like it and would love a sequel because my favorite character was just starting to come into his own.

Buy it for yourself!

(This review is also posted on Goodreads and Instagram.)

SaveSave

On Friends

Today's Mood

I spent last night hanging out with friends.  People I see often enough I should term them as good friends, but the more time we spend together the more I realize our relationship is much more of the acquaintance variety.  It's really superficial.  They know almost nothing about me, I can't say I know a lot more about them. I take responsibility for some of that.  I am not the super open type.  I don't talk about myself, or even really talk a lot.  They both tend to talk over people.  We have different communication styles.  I've realized we don't "get" each other.  We're not what I would call "each other's people".  In fact, last night I realized I spend a lot of time with them feeling interrupted and discounted.  They're not rude per se.  One, in particular, would feel bad if they knew I feel this way, and so it is on me that they don't know.  I realize if I want to be a good friend I should let them know.  It makes me think about my own communication, and friendship abilities.  It's all interesting on an intellectual level and I'm mulling over the night and relationships in general, but right now I'm feeling a bit stung and introspective.  I guess I match the weather, which is drizzly, gray and a chilly.

It's Time to Eat Our Pudding

Well, today is the day.  Donald J Trump officially becomes Mr. President.  I didn't vote for him.  I still think he's a blowhard and a pig.  BUT!  I have also been somewhat reassured by his choices to fill cabinet positions.  Many of them appear to be exactly what I think their agencies need.  The proof will be in the eating of the pudding, but there's room for me to hope.

Funny word that is though.  Hope.  What our now former president ran on.  I didn't see much manifestation of the hope paying off (except for gay people who are now rightly allowed to marry thanks, in part, to President Obama’s Supreme Court picks).  At the beginning of his first term I was in a similar situation I am in now.  I wasn't thrilled with the new guy, but at least he wasn't Hillary Clinton.  I was open to seeing what he had in mind for the country.  Of course that openness evaporated after I realized he intended to insult those who disagreed with him at every turn and then proceeded to do the absolute opposite of what I thought was the right thing.  That pudding was pretty bitter.

Fast forward eight years and I'm in the same boat.  Don't love the new guy but at least he isn't Hillary Clinton.  Once again, I'm open to letting Trump do his thing before I really decide if I love him or hate him.  Early indications are promising.  I hope this is a tasty pudding.