A Bump in the Road

Shortly before Christmas, I sort of reached "obligation overload."  We've all been there, when life is running to fast for comfort and something has gotta give.  I picked this blog as the something.  What started as a short break has turned into about 6 weeks now.  My apologies to my dad, my globe-trotting cousin and you other 5 people who have been visiting this site hoping for an update!  What's funny is about a 100 times in the last month-ish, I have thought "this would make an awesome post" but somewhere between idea and motivation things got sketchy.  You see, I'm not really a "half-ass" kind of girl and the truth is the only thing I can really commit to this thing right now is just that.  The other half of my ass is busy trying to not be so "voluminous" in between binges on hummus and sourdough.  Sigh.....  Anyway, so on with the half-assed blog.  I can't gurantee that I won't "leave the building" again (I have two kids, a part-time job that feels pretty full time, a rapidly aging house and an increasingly desperate hummus habit...see above).  But I'll give it a shot.  Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas, happy New Year, MLK day, Groundhog Day, etc.

We'll start back slow...here's a book review that I wrote for the Moore Monthly.  If you ever are just dying for a printed copy of my "work" chances are you can find it here.  It's a pretty neat little magazine about the goings on in and around Moore, Ok.  A "baby Gazette" for lack of a better description.  You can find them FOR FREE PEOPLE!!! at lots of businesses in Moore and also at the Norman Public Library.  Anyway, the book was The Night Circus and was just about the quirkiest, most frustrating, and most beautiful book that I have read in a long time.  Here you go:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Once upon a time there were two ancient magicians who liked to play games.   Each magician would select a student and carefully train them in the ancient language and skill of magical manipulation.  And then, the students would be set into an “arena” of sorts to prove that their magic was more powerful than the other’s.  And this is the beginning of the Night Circus.  

When an elderly eccentric conceives the notion of a mysterious circus unlike anything the world has ever seen, he cannot imagine the ramifications of what he actually sets in motion.  As he hires talented and strange characters from all over the world, already the “stars” of the show have been carefully trained and molded for the performance of their lives.  

Celia Bowen, the magician’s daughter, was born into the magical world, even before she realized it.  Now a beautiful illusionist, she is a sort of matriarch of the circus and is intent on protecting it from any harm, even if that means destroying herself in the process.

Marco is a foundling, an orphan who was adopted and rigidly trained to win his teacher’s game at all cost.  However, when Marco and Celia finally meet, they forge a bond that is stronger even than the magic they have learned, stronger than their alliance to their mentors.

What started as a game has become a dynamic, breathing circus, a magical and wonderful place that touches the lives of so many.  Reading The Night Circus, you will find a rich, multi-layered story of pride, love, friendship, and the power of free will.  Each chapter will lead you further into an astonishing labyrinth where magic becomes reality and anything could be around the next corner.  With The Night Circus Morgenstern has built an intricate and alluring story that will keep you pondering long after the last page is turned.  

So, to recap, I will try to not be such a slacker in the future. No promises though, try to not be too heartbroken! But we'll give it another shot. Stay tuned for Turkey Tomatillo Chili, the Myriad Botanical Gardens...new and improved, and Adventures in Raising the Most Destructive Child on the Planet. Yep, that should keep me busy for a while...

Thanks for reading!