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Upcoming Events at anniegirl1138


I am still in the thick of plotting my first quarter but so far the following are on the books:

January 16 is y review of Kirk Curnutt’s Breathing the Ghost Out. I am about a quarter of the way through and have to say that this is an author who knows how to breath life into his characters. They are very real though uncomfortable.

On January 21st I will be guesting blogging here, and writing about my favorite bookstore in my old West Des Moines stomping grounds.

Another TLC book tour review of Ingrid Cummings The Vigorous Mind is scheduled here on January 27th. This book hasn’t arrived yet, so I can’t tell you much about it first hand, but I am excited. Essentially she writes about cross training the mind to health and happiness through diversity of activities.

Finally, another book giveaway! On Monday, January 12 I will host a week long chance for my dear readers to win a copy of Wendy Tokunaga‘s Midori By Moonlight. I haven’t yet gotten my copy, but I was intrigued by the synopsis. Young Japanese woman with a dream and a pending wedding to an American arrives in San Francisco, but things don’t work out the way she’s envisioned them. I don’t read this type of book a lot, rom-com-ish women’s lit, but I like the genre and wish I had a talent for it. Very excited to have the opportunity for another giveaway. I love giving books away. Come February I hope to have a few more giveaways in the works.

I am still weaving my quarterly web of writing tasks. I am finding that breaking my time into 90ish day increments to be most helpful, but I have still not discovered my John Deere tractor in terms of a project. One that will grab hold and not let go. And no, the memoir is not in that category. The memoir is an Ahab thing. What I am talking about is that one idea that fires the creative neurons and swamps you with the need to write. And yes, I know too well a writer cannot live off divine inspiration alone. The grind of writing is the norm. But I know the lightening strikes are out there. The readiness is all.

Stay tuned.

Reviewing is the Monday Meme


This is a neat meme I ran across on another blog. A personal review of the previous year via old blog post. Something of a challenge given that I blog five days a week and sometimes all seven. In fact this post is number 701 in a two and a half year blogging “career”.

So here goes:

January: The first Canadian winter was a festival of critters, anniversaries and bum numbing cold.

February: A tiny writing victory and another funeral.

March: Was honeymooning in a cabin by a pond.

April: Obama, Obama, Obama.

May: Spring cleaning, the now defunct Moms Speak Up contributer gig which began my Internet blogging “career”, and Mother’s Day.

June: Brother drama, a first anniversary of a damn long time and POTUS.

July: The Ghost of Iowa Past, how I always end up sick after a visit to the U.S., skinny bitches.

August: I am Not a Mommy blogger and a couple of birthdays.

September: The end of hump days, lung cancer and Unetaneh Tokef

October: Dying, dying, dead.

November: Memoirs, my Al Pacino moment and NaNoWriMo.

December: A new domain, wee houses and discovering a piece in the puzzle that is my calling.

This is one effing time comsuming meme. No one therefore should fear a tagging. I did find an even greater appreciation of my dear readers as I sifted through the posts of the last year because I posted a shitload of entries, the Tolstoy of blogging. You people are to be commended.

If you feel up to this linking exercise, please link back but don’t feel obligated.

Testes Flicks


Chick flicks can be viewed comfortably from an angle as I usually lay my head on Rob’s shoulder for maximum bum rubbing access and this is best done in our comfy memory foam enhanced bed. Manly movie fare is a sofa thing. There is still reclining but minimum rubbing. Air popped corn is essential as is surround sound.

On New Year’s Eve day, Rob met BabyD and I for lunch and a sojourn to the movie rental store a few doors down from our Subway dining spot. We rarely pay for dvd’s. There is no need because we don’t care much about seeing films the instant, or as close to that as possible, they are released, and our public library is more than adequately stocked with all manner of viewing matter. But it was the holiday and we decided to splurge.

I let Rob do the majority of the selecting and encouraged him to go as action oriented as he liked, so we have spent the last few evenings sampling from the smorgasbord of he-man delights. Pushing Tin. Iron Man. Hancock and I Am Legend. Read Full Article