Busy Summer

I always have this false idea that the Summer will be less busy (LOL).  With a very energetic toddler and working on a few projects (mainly PhD app process), I am pretty busy.  After some setbacks with the safety of the neighborhood and an admitted drop in confidence when walking alone, today we did our first walk without driving to the Trail about two miles away. We did two miles with no incidents.  I felt a bit silly at first carrying the pepper spray, but I will admit I was not nearly as nervous when walking...so yay!  (Although I am still searching for a good 2nd hand treadmill)

Aiden's Summer Reading is progressing.  I know, I know... seventeen months old, but I want him to love reading as I do and you know, gotta start the brainwashing young.  We've read sixteen books since starting the program at the library in Warner Robins on 5/29 and that includes 3 chapters of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (our second run on the series).  He's begun this cute little process of finding a book on his bookshelf (half of his books stay on the floor these days), climbing into my rocking chair in his room, and "reading" his books out loud with the most adorable baby gibberish on earth.  I wonder what his version of the stories are, I imagine they are fascinating. 

I am still attempting to find healthy/easy recipes for dinner... cooking is such a chore these days...by 6 Adam and I are both exhausted, its hot, and we just do not have the energy to cook some complicated healthy meal... and I do not think our trip to Nu Way Wednesday night counts as healthy meal choices.  I know I am working out a ton, but it does no good if he and I eat crud.  Aiden eats this amazingly healthy diet...maybe I should just eat cut up fresh fruit like he does LOL.

I made two jars of fresh pickles yesterday...they are semi-healthy if you do not count all the salt right???  ;) 

Everyone is Outraged on the Internet

Before I preach... I am guilty too because I've raged against the machine quite a few times on the internet...hell I blog...so there.

But...

So I've seen this a few times now and its just dumb, I am sorry.

The Disney movie Frozen does not promote lesbianism just because the characters are not saved by men.

its 2014 people.

I love my husband, I do...he is amazing, I adore him, he is a wonderful father and I could not imagine my life without him, but that is because I love him as a person, NOT because I need a man to function.

Did I mention it was 2014.

So what a character didn't end up with the guy she met the day before and live happily ever after... So what a girl actually fixed an issue on her own.

btw...2014.
Wolstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women  was written in 1792...its time the rest of the damned world caught up.

I had someone once tell me it was nice that my husband "allowed" me to get an education.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL....
little do they know.....

Exhausted

Working in the evening while also taking care of a toddler all day can be a bit draining.  That being said, I am on break and the stress of getting a book read in a few days while also working and taking care of a toddler is gone... yay!

Until August...

he is so adorable... I am not bias

While on vacation, I tend to watch movies during the day... something I cannot do usually during the Semester and so I revel in it during the Summer.

What did I watch today?

When the Levees Broke

It is a four part documentary about Hurricane Katrina and if you've not see it... watch it, it is amazing.  I had the privilege of visiting New Orleans in February of 2005.  I remember the excitement I felt when I realized I finally had the opportunity to visit a city I dreamed of traveling to since I was young.  It was amazing and I had a lovely time looking at old buildings, soaking in the living history of music, and of course coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. I remember a group of us (I was there for work) went out to dinner after a day of meetings and found ourselves in a neon lit Bourbon Street club at around midnight (it was drag queen night) and the performers were fabulous. We had such an amazing night, but apart from the glitz, the touristy feel of Bourbon Street... we walked the French Quarter and stared at the beautifully designed old houses... I loved New Orleans, I still do.  

Fast forward to January 1st 2009. I accompanied my parents to a football game in New Orleans, but we stayed outside the city and on our way in... I saw the creepy remnants of Six Flags and the FEMA trailers where people still lived and I was heartbroken. The documentary is powerful...and it illustrates the level of suffering and the ability to endure that makes New Orleans such an asset to American culture.  

History vs. Popular Thought

I will never understand the genuine (not joking...because joking is one thing) disdain for the French with the excuse that they were somehow cowards militarily...I realize it generates from a complete lack of knowledge of history, but even without looking at their prowess in the late 18th and early 19th centuries...the French fought in both world wars, people died, people were tortured and risked everything... and to diminish that is inappropriate and disrespectful. Adam found a disgusting "memorial day menu" at a restaurant where they used their menu to pretty much crap on French people and its evident that the person who wrote this menu has no concrete understanding of French history at all.  We should never debase those who fought alongside our own troops to free Europe from such a devastating period...French citizens and members of the military consistently fought against the occupation and died for it... anyone who honestly treats those people's sacrifice as lesser when they struggled against oppression on their own soil should take a moment to cherish the fact that they've never had to experience what it was like to be occupied by a foreign force. Other countries in Europe were occupied... look at Austria and Belgium and how their populations also responded to the Nazi threat... it was harrowing and horrifying for so many people, an experience we have no relation to at all.

550,000 people military and civilian died from France in WWII... that is not a cowardly sacrifice and we should never degrade or diminish the suffering of someone else because we think our guns were bigger/better....thats horrible.

Some of the destruction in France during WWII

I forgot to mention the over two thousand French soldiers who gave their lives to help us here during the American Revolution.

Side Projects

I wrote a book review of Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black

See it Here

It is Late.

Officially on break after a pretty long and eventful Spring Semester. I am glad of it, I think a few more weeks of the chaos would have done me in. After surviving and obtaining a 4.0, I can breathe a bit, attempt to get into PhD programs and just do less...lol.

I did stay up until almost 3 AM watching Jane Austen. I always think to myself after watching any early 19th century film...that I would have so much liked that style of clothes better HAH.
I have no clue why, you wouldn't dare catch me in a dress now, but something about the light fabrics, the capped sleeves, and the empire waist... appeals to me.

Also, Aunt Petunia is in the older version of Persuasion....I prefer that one, I do not know why... I rather like the newer one done by the BBC a few years back, but...ehhh I really like the older version for some reason. 

Wow it is late and I have a five year old's bday party to attend tomorrow. 

In a Moment of Procrastination...

Every big reader has an obsession book or set of books...the one they revisit, go over and over again...begin to analyze and mine is Harry Potter.
It is funny because when Harry Potter the series first emerged on the scene I scoffed at it and refused to read it, after all I was an adult and these books were for 10 year olds.
I have since got over that hump and acknowledge my full obsessive love of the books.

I have my own wand, scarf, and socks even.... so yea.... there is that.

Today, in an attempt to avoid reading about the doom and gloom poetry of medieval France, and because my son is watching Goblet of Fire, I thought about something that struck me as odd in the Fourth book.

The Goblet of Fire in all its glory!

In the fourth Harry Potter book, the plot setup follows the occurrence of the Triwizard Tournament, an event that promotes wizard relations and friendship through placing three school aged wizards through a number of mentally challenging and dangerous tasks...the winner gets the triwizard cup and a cozy thousand gallion prize...not bad for facing dragons, weird sphinx riddles, and scary merpeople.  My conundrum begins when underaged wizards including Fred and George Weasley attempt to enter their names in the tournament (there was an age limit placed due to the dangerous nature of the tasks) and everyone cheers them on and thinks is a gas, but when Harry Potter's name is called (the fake professor moody places his name in the cup in order to set up an elaborate plan to revive Lord Voldemort), everyone turns on him and treats him like dirt, even his best friend Ron (who is jealous mind you).  Just made me wonder, is it Potter's own personal fame that caused most of Hogwarts to turn on him or is it just kids being kids.

Nevertheless, it does not really matter.   This all comes from my own avoidance of work lol. 

So Angry

I am beyond annoyed. We have experienced a continual rise in crime and disturbances in our neighborhood over the past six months in Warner Robins, Georgia.  We purchased our house seven years ago and for six and a half years...no problems at all.  Now, we have thefts consistently... we've had things stolen twice now (last night, our grill was taken from our driveway against our house in the middle of these storms). Our neighbors have reported thefts and unfortunately nothing has changed...we call the police, we report the crimes and the police respond rather quickly, but I believe a lack of patrols/manpower in the area on a consistent basis does not help the situation and I have no idea what else to do.
We've called, we've contacted city council/the mayor (heard nothing).

It is beyond frustrating.

My neighbors and I truly feel like we are not being heard and the issues continue to increase.  

Who Am I?

Attempt at the intellectual seflie

Is there anyone who reads this blog who does not know me? I doubt it, but reading up on how to run blogs and how not to run blogs... I found you are supposed to do this "about me" sort of intro (that I've never really done).

So who am I?

I'm a first time mom in my mid-thirties (late thirties but you know, mid sounds better to me). 
I am a student.
I am a bookseller.
I am a historian?
I am a semi-tolerable wife.

I am currently working on one of the last few papers I have due for this semester before summer break.
I NEED summer break.

What are some things I enjoy:
books, gardening, photography, eating, baking, studying history, spending time with my family.
Am I super exciting... no.
BUT... if you ever have a question about Harry Potter... I bet I can answer it.


So that is it.

That's who I am. 

Tuesday Chaos

There are days where I truly contemplate taking the entire family and moving to the top of a mountain in a far distant land...as long as there is an internet connection I am good.


In other news... I have three papers to go and if I do not finish them soon, I may need to take a long vacation in a padded room.

This Summer, while I will be working diligently on PhD program admissions, I swear I am going to take it easy.

So back to work and dreaming about this as my home...

I know this is probably fake...but do you see the effort it takes for people to actually get to you....dreams!