Brag Alert: My Brilliant Hubby

My hubby is nearly halfway through school. He's getting his MBA, going to school and working full time at his job for a tech company. A lot of people do this; in fact, my husband is in the Professional MBA Program at Colorado State University - a program designed for students who work standard 8-5, Monday through Friday weeks. So, the fact that he's in school and continuing to provide for our family isn't necessarily what makes him so wonderful, although it definitely adds to his wonderfulness.

What makes my hubby so brilliant and wonderful is that he's carrying a near-4.0 while doing all of this. And even though work, classes, studying and homework pretty much run our schedule these days, he still does whatever he can to make sure he gets quality time with the kids and me. Most importantly, he doesn't complain about being tired, or stressed, or burnt out. He knows that furthering his education means the opportunity to do more in the world, and to continue to provide for us. It's making him a better person, even if he doesn't know it yet.

Book Review: Waking Up in the Land of Glitter

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**

This is a review of Waking Up in the Land of Glitter, by Kathy Cano-Murillo. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $13.99. ISBN 978-04465-09-24-4.

Synopsis:

Star’s family-owned restaurant is known for its food and promotion of local artists. Having been raised somewhat unconventionally by her hippie parents, Star is a free spirit, flitting from one idea to the next, and lacking in follow-through. One fateful night, Star’s inability to settle down sparks a chain of events that turn her life upside down. In addition to several ultimatums delivered by her father, Star is required to chair a committee charged with creating a centerpiece for an upcoming nationally-renowned and highly attended craft show call the Craft Olympics…then, duplicate the centerpiece for each table. The committee consists of Star, her best friend and crafting addict Ofie, teen handbag designer Benecio, and local television celebrity Crafty Chloe. Therapy and self-discovery comes unexpectedly to each member through the centerpiece committee.

Analysis:

The beginning of the novel is a little tough to follow and somewhat confusing, but once more of the details are revealed, it makes sense. The characters are funny and tragic, and full of life – from Star’s hippie parents and their eccentricities, to Ofie’s husband and daughter’s unconditional love for Ofie. The shenanigans the characters get into make the reader both laugh and cringe. We feel sorry for Ofie, and guilty, because we’ve all had that moment where we realize we haven’t been a good friend to a good friend. We want to shake Star, and tell her it’s time to become a mature adult, and we cheer when she finally “gets” herself. We mentally cover our eyes at Chloe’s Janus act, and brace ourselves for the impact from her inevitable crash and burn – and grin when she picks herself back up.

Throughout the novel, the strength, dreams, fears, insecurities and skills of each character emerge; the characters learn that each has a place in the three-sided friendship. Together, the group accomplishes more than any of them thought they could, and more than each might accomplish on her own. I liked the underlying thread of the story – that friends need to lean on one another, and to love each other for who each one is as an individual and for what she brings to the group as a whole.

This novel is a fun, fast read; anyone who has any experience with making crafts will appreciate the journey that Star, Chloe and Ofie make, and the bumps they encounter along the way. I appreciated being included in a culture that is completely different from my own, yet shares some similarities. Most of all, I loved that glitter was sprinkled throughout the entire book.

Starbucks Gift Card Holder/Album

I got the idea for this from a class that was held at Capture Scrapbooking + Paper Crafting, a store in Fort Collins. Made from the cup sleeves that keep you from burning your hand on a cup of coffee, it's a cute way to give a gift card and thank someone at the same time. This was a teacher gift at the end of the school year.

Book Review: Men and Dogs

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**

This is a review of Men and Dogs, by Katie Crouch. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $23.99. ISBN 978-0-316-00213-4.

Synopsis:


Hannah’s life has been defined by a childhood event – when she was eleven, her father disappeared. While the rest of her family and friends accepted that her father was dead, Hannah has refused to believe her father was not alive and well somewhere. As a teen, then as an adult, Hannah has avoided dealing with the loss of her father; instead, she acts out, pushing people away and subconsciously sabotaging her relationships. All the while, even twenty years after his disappearance, Hannah remains vigilant, sure she’ll see her father, alive and well, around the next corner. When her husband forces her to return to her family home, Hannah’s contentious relationships with her mother, stepfather, and brother are repeatedly tested by Hannah’s determination to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.


Analysis:


After reading this book twice, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. While I liked the overall story and characters, I felt that both needed more polish. The story did not seem as well-developed as it could have been. The characters were not explored as thoroughly as I would have liked, and the conclusion seemed a little watered down to me. Still, it was a good read.


The introductory chapter sets up the disappearance of Buzz, Hannah’s father. This chapter, written in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, paints a picture of a close father-daughter relationship and hero worship from the memories and impressions of an eleven year old girl. The style of writing helps move the story at memory’s pace, the bits and pieces coming at the reader quickly and sometimes half-formed.


Hannah is an interesting character, although I personally didn’t care too much for her. If she were a real person, I doubt we’d be close friends – I would find her personality too exasperating, and would likely expend too much energy on the friendship with someone so self-indulgent. However, seeing her through third-party eyes, it’s obvious that she has unresolved issues that stem from her losing her father while at a critical period in her life. Her “daddy issues” have affected her relationships with men throughout her life, and she’s finally gone too far. Her husband is forcing her to deal with the problem, although it’s too late to repair their relationship.


Her relationships with her mother, Daisy, and stepfather, DeWitt, are what one would expect in this situation – having been a “daddy’s girl”, and having held onto the conviction that her father decided to leave because of her mother, Hannah doesn’t have much patience for Daisy. She views her stepfather more as a limitless platinum credit card than as a father figure. I liked how she modified her opinions of her parents as the story moved forward; this, more than anything, helped illustrate Hannah's growth. I really liked Daisy - I thought she was a hoot!


This brings us to Palmer, Hannah’s older brother. I found him an intriguing character, and actually preferred the portions of the book that were devoted to Palmer. His personality, quirks and flaws add depth to the story; although he and Hannah don’t interact a lot in the story, the influence they’ve had on each other’s lives is a solid undercurrent in the plot. I found myself wishing the author had spent more time on Palmer – he could be the main character in a story as well. At the end of the book, I felt a little cheated with Palmer’s “resolution”. It felt somewhat trite, and left me feeling that the story hadn’t stayed true to the character that the author had been building throughout the book.


All in all, I felt that the book was good, albeit rushed. I felt there was more that could have been explored, but that the author was holding back. I like the author’s humor and the raw emotion she brings to life in the characters. I would recommend this book; it would make a great beach or travel read.

Spring in the Rockies

Today is the last day of winter. Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox, which marks the first day of spring. In true form, Colorado has decided to send winter out with fanfare...and a mild snowstorm.

If you live in Colorado, you know that the weather here is forever changing. We like to keep the tourists guessing. Visiting anytime between March and May? Pack shorts and pants; you'll probably wear both. Visiting in the fall? Same deal. We really don't put our seasonal wardrobes away; we just move them to different sections of our closets.


Having lived in Colorado my (nearly) entire life, one would think I would be used to the mercurial nature of...well, nature, and for the most part, I am. This winter has been pretty atypical, with snow almost every week, and temps staying below 50* pretty much the entire winter. I'm ready for warmer weather, and for the snow to go away. Even the kids are sick of it - they told me a couple of weeks ago that they're ready for spring.


After the 68* day we had on Wednesday, 30* and snow yesterday (Friday) was almost cruel. Today is sunny, but still only around 35*. Hopefully, today marks the true end of winter and the beginning of spring...although, if I know Colorado, we could very well have a blizzard before April finally arrives. It's happened before. We just shrug, pull on our boots and get on with our day. We Coloradoans know that the weather will be different tomorrow.