Birthday Memories :)

Cookies and Milk Cupcake

Doesn't that cupcake just look scrumptious? I can't eat it because I can't have milk any more, but if I could, I would want it for my birthday! Which is what today's post is all about - birthday's! Why? Well the Etsy Bloggers Carnival this week is:

1)Tell about your favorite birthday memory, gift or wish... OR 2) Show & tell: Summer line - what you will be making/showing in your shop this summer... I could have posted about my summer plans, but I don't really have set plans for a summer line in my shop! I have lots of plans of things I want to create, but none of them are a specific line...so I thought I'd post on this blog about my birthday! I was born on Thanksgiving Day, and that's always made my birthday um, interesting. It's not like my birthday is on Thanksgiving every year, but it's always really close to it, and that makes it hard to plan things! I remember being really disappointed when I was little because we'd try to plan parties and find out that all my friends were going to be out of town at different times around the holiday. Some years we didn't try and just did family things. Other years we pulled it off! For someone who tends to be a hopeless romantic, I've come to the point where I don't really get super excited about birthdays, but that's ok :) Between the timing of my birthday, and some bad memories, it's probably better this way! I'll never forget the year my best friend betrayed me on my birthday, or spending my 21st birthday at work getting hit on by a short little Mexican guy, but those are behind me. Now I focus more on making any event I can special. I think if you put too much hope on a single day or event than you'll be disappointed too often. Especially when you have a body that's as messed up as mine that tends to destroy plans!  So make the most of each day. Treasure the little things. Celebrate the mundane. Enjoy life!

 

Not to be Depressing but...

Every once in awhile I try to give you updates on what's going on with my health. I know that some of my followers care about what's going on - so that's why I do it! Not trying to complain - just being honest about what's going on.

Recent news has not been fun. The last couple weeks my asthma has gotten much worse again.  All my medications (including the steroids) are currently at maximum doses and there isn't really anything else the doctors can do right now. We've tried everything. So for now, I'm just resting as much as I can, pretty house-bound, and exhausted.

We did try having me move in with my parents for a few days in case it was something in my apartment I was reacting too. There's been no change though so I'm going back home tonight. I've missed being in my home! I love my family, and I'll always be welcome here, but I've become accustomed to my own place.

There is one new medication that we are going to try, but it's supposed to take months to build up in the system and work. It's also insanely expensive. So far I have grants for the first month and a half of treatment, and we're working on getting me more grants.  It'll take awhile - but hopefully this will help!

The other big news is that I'm working on the application for disibility right now. It's been over a year since my health got this bad, and there's no sign that I'll get significantly better for awhile. I don't know if they will grant it to me, asthma is a tricky one, but my Doctor supports me and I figure it's worth a try.

So - to try to make things a little less depressing - here are some things I'm happy about through all of this :)

~ My hubby, my family, and my friends love me!

~ I'm not reacting as badly to the high steroid levels as I usually do.

~ I have some awesome friends on-line that cheer me up every day :)

Love you guys!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

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Dracula (Enriched Classics Series)

Since my evil twin got me reading the Noble Dead series, both my brother and I have been on a vampire reading kick! I decided it was high time therefore that I go and visit the king of vampire books, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. I've seen several movies with Dracula as a main character (also thanks to my evil twin), but as a true book lover I can't ignore the original book!

I really enjoyed reading "Dracula." Stoker uses a rather different format in his book. Instead of a simple narration, the story is told through a series of collected journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings. Through this medium we meet all of our characters, including Dracula, and follow along with their suspense and emotions. 

Most of the characters contribute to the "recording" of the story. Dracula is among the few exceptions. I found my imagination fueled by that absence though. We learn so much about the rest of the characters motives and emotions, but we only have speculation about Dracula himself, the main subject of the book! 

Having now read Dracula I find myself wanting to read some of the others "classics" in this and related genre's. I own a collection of classics, but mine run more towards "Little Women,"The Swiss Family Robinson," and "The Secret Garden." In other words, books that while I loved them, my parents approved! Over the years I've added to my collection of read classics, reading up on Sherlock Holmes and books by Jane Austin, and I've decided it's time to continue that by adding in this genre to my read classics list! So I have the "Picture of Dorian Gray" on hold at the library as my next book to read.

Aria's Quest: First Taste

Welcome to Aria's Quest! If this is your first time here this is what you need to know. Aria is a young woodland fairy on a quest in the big city to find a human she can help. If she's successful she can return to her tribe as a full adult. Aria's chosen to look for a true believer (one who already believes in magic and fairies) because she thinks that will make her quest easier...but finding a true believer may be harder than she thought! Read the rest of the story here. 

Section 2

Searching

Part 7

First Taste

Aria woke the next morning and wondered if she had some how gone back to “Brew it Up” with out remembering. The smell that had so intoxicated her the day before was filling the small apartment that she shared with Gina and Darryl, but she had never smelled it here before! She quickly hopped out of bed, made herself presentable, and then rushed to the kitchen to investigate.

Gina and Darryl we’re sitting in the breakfast nook talking over a pile of eggs and sausage, and on the counter was a machine that Aria had never seen before. It was half full of that dark liquid Gina said was called coffee, and it gave off warmth like the machine’s in the shop did when she flew in for a closer look.

“Ready for your first taste deary?” Gina asked her as Darryl looked on in amusement.

“Oh please!” Aria said clapping her hands together.

“I have breakfast for you too but I don’t suppose you be able to taste that until you’ve had your first taste of coffee.” 

Aria looked torn, wanting to respect her hosts, but excited about trying the coffee, “I can eat first if you want me to…”

Darryl burst out laughing, “Gina! Have a heart and make the girl her cup of coffee before she faints from trying to please ya!” 

Laughing herself, Gina quickly pulled out a dolls coffee mug that Aria would be able to drink out of, adding coffee, cream, and a little bit of sugar in quick succession. She brought it over to where Aria was now perched on the nook’s table, and handed it to her with great ceremony.

With wide eyes Aria first leaned in and sniffed the coffee, drawing in once more that heady aroma, and then she cautiously brought the cup to her lips. Darryl and Gina watched in fascination as her already wide eyes grew even wider, her whole face radiating her wonder. 

“This is fantastic! It reminds me of the Oak Bark tea Mom makes, strong, earthy, but yummy! How come fairies don’t drink coffee?”

“Ah lassie I’m sure many fairies do, it’s just not common among the woodland fairies. City folk tend to drink it more because we have easier access to it. I dare say if you traveled you’d find places where even the fairies living the natural ways drink it because it grows naturally in their area.” Gina replied, ever practical.

“Oh, that makes sense.” Aria took another drink and then looked up, “Where did you get the coffee? I’ve never seen that machine before, or seen you drink it.” 

“Oh we always keep some on hand, although it’s been some time since I made any, Robyn used to drink it every morning.” 

“Oh.” Aria thought for a minute, “Do you think he’ll come by any time soon?”

“Maybe lassie.” Gina and Darryl grinned at each other, both thinking they were much more likely to see their adopted son now that this lovely young fairy was living with them!

The Leap by Jonathan Stroud

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Leap, The

"The Leap" is by Jonathan Stroud, one of my new favorite authors of books for young adults. I'm not sure I would hand this one to a young adult though. It would really depend on the maturity level of the person in question. Why? It gets creepy! And it deals with some really serious topics.

In this book we meet Charlie, a girl who just lost her best friend to drowning, and who's convinced that he's calling for her. Not for her to drown as well (although she did try to save him), but as if he's lost, and wants to be found. Through her dreams, and through some adventures in the day time, Charlie begins to follow her friend Max in an attempt to save him.

As Charlie struggles, her family, especially her brother, worry about her. It's obvious that she has not moved on from the accident, but nobody quite knows what to do. So they watch her as closely as they can, something that drives Charlie nuts!

This book keeps you hopping as it changes point of view back and forth between Charlie and her brother. I really liked how the author did that because I think it led to the overall suspense of the book. The ending surprised me slightly, but overall I liked it. 

Five Alien Elves by Gregory Maquire

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Five Alien Elves (Hamlet Chronicles)

"Five Alien Elves" is  book 3 in the Hamlet Chronicles by Gregory Maquire. Once again, I love the intro to the book so I'm going to quote it to you!

"'Twas the night before Christmas, and you know the rest. The stockings were hung by the chimneys with care and, in one house, Superglue. The youngest kids were already in bed. Many adults were saying, 'If you don't go to sleep, Santa Clause is never going to come!

Something was coming. But it wasn't Santa Claus."

No, instead of Santa Claus there are some kooky aliens from Fixipuddle crash landing near the town of Hamlet! These aliens manage to get everything completely confused, they kidnap Mayor Grass thinking that he's Santa Claus, and therefore an evil overlord. It takes all the kids, Miss Earth, Grandma Earth, and Reebok the dog to save him!

Child of a Dead God by Barb and J.C. Hendee

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Child of a Dead God: A Novel of the Noble Dead

"Child of a Dead God" is book 6 of the "Nobel Dead" series by Barb and J.C. Hendee. All through the series Magiere's footsteps are haunted by Westiel, her half brother. Westiel is obsessed with obtaining an object of great power, and he believes that Magiere is the key to obtaining it. In fact, the strange circumstances around her birth were orchestrated to create her to be that key. 

The search for this object takes them deep into a white wilderness. Our old friends are being stalked by several different groups, but they don't know it. It's hard going, and at one point they all get split up. Eventually they manage to make it to the white fortress, where they uncover ancient secrets and begin to have a greater understanding of what is going on.

Ironically, while I really enjoyed this book, I could never make sense of the title. The titles made sense for all the rest of the books, maybe not when I first saw them, but definitely as I read them. I kept expecting I would figure this one out and I never did. Oh well. If you happen to read the book and figure it out - let me know!

Book 7, "In shade and Shadow" will follow Wynn's story farther. The friend I'm borrowing these books from doesn't have it yet, so it might be awhile before I get to read and review it. Since it will be awhile I'll leave you with the synopsis from google.books 

"The national bestselling Noble Dead saga is one of those [series] for which the term dark fantasy was definitely intended (Chronicle). After her adventures with Magiere and Leesil, Wynn Hygeorht has returned to the Guild of Sagecraft, bearing texts supposedly penned by vampires from the time of the Forgotten History and the Great War. Seized by the Guilds scholars and sent out for copying without Wynns consent, several pages disappear and the two sages charged with conveying these pages are murdered. Suspicious of the Guild, separated from the only friends she fully trusts, and convinced the Noble Dead are responsible for the killings, Wynn embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of the texts."