Reverb/Restart - Prompt #1

So I'm starting off another attempt at a month of Reverb Broads prompts (see my shiny new badge over there on the right hand sidebar?).  I make no promises about keeping up with the prompts, but I figure, "New Month, New Start."  How many times have I said that? Heh.

Anywho, the first prompt is:

With what fictional character (book, movie, TV, etc.) do you most identify? Why?

Yeesh.  Not starting out with an easy one, are we?

And I'm already going to cheat on the prompt, because the first person that came to my mind was Julie Powell (as portrayed by Amy Adams) from the movie Julie & Julia, but she's not a fictional character.

But, stay with me here...

I think I'm a lot like Amy Adams' portrayal of Julie Powell.  Kind of manic, adorable redhead, sweet and supportive husband, kind of a bitch at times, strained relationship with mother, loves to read, wear pearls, cook, and fixates on projects.  

I do not, however, identify with the actual Julie Powell.   

I saw the movie first, which broke my cardinal rule of books-turned-into-movies, but I'm glad that it happened in that order in this case.  I love the movie.  I did not love the book.  I found the Julie Powell in the book to be a completely obnoxious, self-absorbed shrew.  She's quite lucky that the studio got the amazing and adorable Amy Adams to play her on screen, because it made even her worst character flaws forgiveable. 

....so maybe it's just that I'd like to identify with Amy Adams.  Hmmm.

But I mean...who WOULDN'T? LOOK AT HER!

#reverbbroads11 Day 9 -- Wombat Stew

Today's prompt comes from Niki from http://nikirudolph.com/, and the prompt is:

What is your favorite children's book?

Well, this is the easiest one yet!


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 My VERY FAVORITE book as a kid was Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan.  I used to go over to my friend Whitney's house to sleepover and her mother was this total hippie who would let us sleep on the screened in back porch, and we'd have nachos (you know, tortilla chips with grated cheese on top and stuck in the oven for a few minutes) and ice cream soup (ice cream stirred and stirred til it was soupy and with sprinkles on top) and read Wombat Stew. 

I didn't see this book again for years.  Then, in 2001 I was dating a guy named Kevin that I'd met online (yeah yeah, I was on a matchmaking site for a while) and it was going really well.  I mentioned on our first date, during the "getting to know you" part of the evening, that this had been my favorite children's book.  A few weeks later he showed up unannounced at my house to take me on a surprise date, and when I got in the car, this book was on my seat with a flower and a card.  He'd searched HIGH AND LOW for this book, because it's pretty elusive now, apparently. 

Things didn't work out with Kevin, but we remained friends and eventually lost touch with each other...but this remains one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever been given.  I am very grateful to him for finding this book for me, and I look forward to reading it to my niece and eventually to my own child some day. 

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I’m taking part in a blogging group called Reverb Broads that will be suggesting daily blogging prompts this December. If you want to join in, feel free! Go here or here to learn more!

Life Well-Lived, Vol. 12

Happy Wednesday, friends!  It's time for another installment of Life Well Lived over here at Music and Baseball.  First of all -- WELCOME to the new readers I've gotten lately!  My stats have really spiked over the last week or so, and I couldn't be more thrilled.  More blog readers definitely make me wanna keep blogging, so keep stopping by and keep commenting.  I love it!

So, what is Life Well Lived?  It's very simply a celebration of the things (big or small) that enrich our everyday lives.  So let's talk about today's things that, I feel, make my life WELL LIVED.
(Don't forget to follow @MyLifeWellLived on Twitter!  Blog, or just tweet about what makes your #LifeWellLived (don't forget the hashtag) and join in the fun!)

1. I started a book club! And we've already had 3 meetings (and counting...).

As part of my 101 in 1001 goals (see tab at the top of this page...I guess one of my goals should be to actually FINISH THE LIST, huh??), I have started a book club!  We had a meeting last night to discuss The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (not one of my favorite books, but hey...it's all about trying new things, right?), and it was a really great discussion.  Now we just need to get more members! (hint hint)

2. I've now left 5 (of 50) Operation Beautiful notes!

Another of my 101 in 1001 goals was to leave 50 Operation Beautiful notes in different places and photograph each one.  Click on the Operation Beautiful tab at the top of this page to see what I've done so far, and BY ALL MEANS, start carrying post-its and a sharpie around with you and do the same!  I guarantee you it will change your whole day around and you just may make someone else's day.

3. I still crack myself up (especially when it comes to conversations with my Bestie/Evil Twin Shelly).

I may or may not have made myself laugh for a good 5 minutes after this text conversation happened yesterday...and TRUST ME, there are so many more gems that I could be posting...I just had to pick a (relatively) PG-rated one to post on the ol' blog.  ;)  Shelly is one of the few people that have been around for over 2 decades in my life, and seriously?  We laugh. all. the. time.  It's awesome.

4.  I have a "local haunt."

I've already given some of the reasons I Heart Denton on this blog, but I REALLY REALLY DO love my little hipster/hippie town.  One of my favorite things about Denton is my very favorite bar -- The Loophole.

It (and another bar I love across town called II Charlies) is owned by a friend I used to wait tables with about (gasp!) 13 years ago.  It's got a great atmosphere, great drink specials....I just love it.  It's my go-to place with friends, and very very likely where I will spend my 30th birthday.  Low key and awesome.  Love it. 

(No really, I'm not an alcoholic...haha..ha...*awkward silence*)

So now it's your turn!  Pick a few things and tell me why your life is WELL LIVED!  Comment!  Put a link to your list!  And have a great day!

Life Well-Lived, Vol. 8

Hello, friends, and welcome to the EIGHTH installment of "Life Well Lived" The idea is to, every Wednesday, blog about the things in life, small or huge or anywhere in between, that make you joyful, that make you thankful...anything that makes your life WELL LIVED. 

Don't forget to follow @MyLifeWellLived on Twitter!  Blog, or just tweet about what makes your #LifeWellLived (don't forget the hashtag) and join in the fun!

Today, I'm going to keep it very simple (though, I do have some things up my sleeve for next week!).  I'm currently reading a book called The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. 



Source

Brief Synopsis (from the book jacket): A spare and haunting, wise and intelligent novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo is a testament to the endurance of the spirit and the subtle ways individuals reclaim the humanity in a city ravaged by war.

The subject of the book is quite serious and heavy...but there was a passage in the very early chapters that really spoke to me:

Ten years ago, when she was eighteen and was not called Arrow, she borrowed her father's car and drove to the countryside to visit friends. It was a bright, clear day, and the car felt alive to her, as though the way she and the car moved together was a sort of destiny, and everything was happening exactly as it ought to. As she rounded a corner one of her favorite songs came on the radio, and sunlight filtered through the trees the way it does with lace curtains, reminding her of her grandmother, and tears began to slide down her cheeks. Not for her grandmother, who was then still very much among the living, but because she felt an enveloping happiness to be alive, a joy made stronger by the certainty that someday it would all come to an end. It overwhelmed her, made her pull the car to the side of the road. Afterward she felt a little foolish, and never spoke to anyone about it.

Now, however, she knows she wasn't being foolish. She realizes that for no particular reason she stumbled into the core of what it is to be human. It's a rare gift to understand that your life is wondrous, and that it won't last forever.

Friends...I have had this moment.  Blessedly, I have had it more often recently than in years past.  It's incredible and overwhelming and leaves you feeling loved, vulnerable, afraid, and joyful.  I feel like this passage really explains the kind of joy that Kelsey, the mind behind Life Well Lived, feels on a regular basis for her life and her set of circumstances at any given time.

So today, I encourage you to really be open and available to what God, the world, the universe is trying to tell you and show you.  Let yourself be aware of just how wondrous your life really is. 

The Problem with Christian Fiction is...

...that none of it is really believable.

I am by no means an expert or an aficionado of Christian fiction, but I've read a decent amount over the years. I've read the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, several of Janette Oke's novels and, most recently, Inklings by Melanie M. Jeschke.

I've always enjoyed the reads -- none of them are particularly difficult to follow (some easier than others, some even bordering on "elementary") and they always lift up my spirits because of the strong and apparently unshakeable faith of the main characters.

But that's the problem. I've really yet to read a Christian novel that really accurately documents the struggles of a modern-day Christian. Every single novel I mentioned above is set at some time in the past...sometimes the WAY past in the case of the Mark of the Lion trilogy. None of them feature characters that live in the 21st century and face all of the social and political issues that I face every day.

Also, the characters are so extreme. They're usually one of the following:

• a non-Christian, and therefore extremely sinful, debaucherous and generally disdainful of Christians or the idea of what they consider a judgmental God just sitting upstairs making all the boring rules we're supposed to follow blindly
• a Christian who is not completely strong in his or her faith, but still meditates and prays several times a day and has a LOT of scripture committed to memory
• a VERY strong Christian who does all of the above as well as gently chides his or her brothers and sisters in Christ when they stumble, usually making the first example above angry and sometimes violent, and the second example humbly admit that they're wrong and should quickly repent and change.

In the most recent book I read (Inklings), I was the most frustrated with the whole "don't kiss until your wedding day" notion. The author didn't necessarily say that this was the only way to have a relationship, but it certainly did push the issue and go on and on about the benefits of living that kind of pure relationship. Well...what about those of us that didn't? Sure, it talks about God giving everyone a clean slate if he or she will only ask for it...but what if the slate IS clean but you still don't want to have a relationship like that? This author (speaking very clearly through her dashing, pure, godly leading man to the young girl he loves, but wants to treat as a "sister in purity") warns that kissing can only lead down a dangerous path that leads to stumbling in the end. I think this can be so harmful, especially to young people. I have friends who have gotten married after a short time to avoid this "stumbling" and have had so many struggles because of those choices. But that's another story, I suppose.

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is that I don't believe these characters. None of the Christians I know behave like the Christian examples in these novels. Or, if they do? Honestly, I don't hang out with them, because I usually feel like I don't belong in their circle because of my wicked nature.

Honestly, I'd like to see someone like me in Christian fiction. Someone who loves the Lord and desperately wants to live a life for Christ, but who daily struggles and who has doubts thanks to being fairly well-educated and well-read. Someone who is constantly surrounded by wonderful people and good friends who don't necessarily believe the same thing, but who respect her anyway. Someone who wants to lift others around her up, but is more easily dragged down into daily bad habits because of her fear of being offensive or becoming a "shove it down your throat" Christian and furthering the stereotype that Christians are intolerant and pious and "holier-than-thou."

It appears that I'm saying that I want someone to write a book about ME, and give me all the answers in novel form. :)

But in all seriousness, that's my main issue with Christian fiction. I wish someone would write a novel that doesn't put Christians and non-Christians into a completely black and white world where there is little to no gray area. Again, it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy these novels; I just don't find them relatable at all.

If you HAVE read a novel like this, for the love of God (ha!) please share it with me and restore my faith in Christian fiction!

Teaser Tuesdays - 2/10

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Bobby: I rushed out of there and I drove around until I could find a liquor store and a drugstore open and I got all this champagne and the oil and finally I started back to the motel and -- I --could not -- find -- it. I looked for over three hours.

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

You guys? I don't have time to read. I PROMISE that as of March 1st I'll be done with this show and will actually start reading and posting real "Teaser Tuesdays" posts again. Sorry. :)

Teaser Tuesday - 1/13

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Bobby: Amy...marry me.

(pause. "Bobby Baby" underscoring)

Amy: Huh?

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

I know. Lame that I used another "Company" Teaser Tuesday...but it's the only thing I have time to read right now. Plus, perhaps if I tease you all with lines from the show, you'll be interested enough to come see it! :)

Teaser Tuesday - 1/6

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Paul: Amy, after all these years, don't you know we fit?

Amy: The higher you go, the harder you hurt when you fall.

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Teaser Tuesdays - 12/30

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

I stand up, turn off my office light, and walk down to the subway, trying to put Dex out of my head. But as I wait on the subway platform, my mind returns to our kiss in the elevator. -- From Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Teaser Tuesdays - 12/23

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Look up common, and immediately following the word you'll find the endings -er, -est. These entries show how to form the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective. -- From Who's (oops!) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? by C. Edward Good

Teaser Tuesdays 12/16

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

And now the psychiatrist asked her a lengthy series of questions relating to Regan's psychological history. When at last he had finished, he seemed disturbed. -- From The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Thoughts on the Twilight saga, Part I

***Okay I'm just going to tell you NOW that I neither have the time nor the energy to research the HTML coding necessary to hide spoilers from this post. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Perhaps I will search it out at a later date, but for now, just stop reading RIGHT NOW if you don't want to have any of these books spoiled for you.***

Don't try to scroll down as far as you can before you see that I'm totally serious about the above disclaimer. Go. Go NOW.






Okay so in an earlier blog entry, I made mention that I was finally entering the Realm of the Twihards by finally giving in to reading the megahit young adult novel, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, the reason you haven't heard about it again since then is because, true to fashion, I became sucked in and had to read all four books before I could even think about posting my opinions, thoughts, and ramblings on the book.

Now, I'm not going to go into extreme detail about each of these books because frankly, I don't have the time, and I'm also not getting paid to do so. You'll either read the books or you won't, and I doubt my "reviews" will influence you in one way or the other. With that being said, I highly recommend reading at least the first book, even if you're totally not interested in them. Simply so that you won't feel like a complete noob when others around you are discussing this phenomenon.

Book 1 - Twilight:
I'm not gonna lie. I LOVED this book. Loved. Still love. Will continue to love. It took a chapter or two for the hook to really grab me by the jaw and pull, but it happened. I finished this book in one day, and it took staying up until 2am on a work night to accomplish this feat. The lack of sleep was worth it to me because I was completely sold. Team Edward -- right here.

Let me just pause for a moment and give you a little backstory on my fascination with vampires. It might aid in your understanding of the schoolgirl babblings you're about to be subject to with regards to Edward Cullen. When I was a freshman in college, my best friend **InsertFunnyBlogPseudonymHere** and I decided to start reading the Anne Rice "Vampire Chronicles," beginning with Interview with the Vampire. We would discuss the hotness of gorgeous undead men with alabaster skin pinning us up against a wall and -- oh my -- biting our necks. Yes, we chose to ignore the slight fact that it would probably leave us dead or undead (which is to say, immortal). It was our world and we lived in it; don't judge. We both have a thing for vampires. It's just the way of it.

So, back to the book. The character of Bella is almost obnoxiously Mary Sue with her Joan-of-Arc-Complex, her adorable klutziness, and the fact that even though she is completely oblivious to it and oh-so-plain, every boy in her new school wants to go out with her. However, I love her. I love how stubborn she is, and I love the way Meyers writes the feelings that Bella has for Edward Cullen. I could relate to it, honestly. I was able to recall with vivid feelings and colors how it felt to be that close to a gorgeous guy for the first time, the aching moments before a first kiss, the frustration of trying to know what he was thinking, etc.

Speaking of Edward, the resident angsty 100-year-old teenage vampire, I must say that I love him. I love him throughout all four books. I've gotten into discussions on a (non-Twilight related) message board that I frequent about the general consensus that Edward is "creepy" or "a stalker" or "is too protective and territorial of Bella." Um, dudes? He's a vampire. In what universe, fictional or otherwise, did you expect to read about a normal, healthy relationship between a teenager and a vampire? Just sayin'.

I love the way Stephenie Meyer writes the restraint used by both Bella and Edward to control their baser, primal urges. Several have acclaimed this book for its "message of abstinence," but I don't think it's so much a moral issues as an "Edward will crush her like an aluminum can if he lets himself lose control" issue. The moments leading up to these rare, passionate moments though are brilliant. Brilliant and HOT. So much so that while I was reading late one night, I almost woke up Operaboy.

Meyer has a lot of potential as an author, but I must be honest here and say that I think she should thank her lucky stars EVERY DAY that this book became the phenomenon that it did, and that she had a publisher who was willing to take a chance on her. She is not the Next Great Author by any means; she seems to ignore the basic plot structure (exposition, climax, denoument (sp?), you know all that stuff we learned in high school), and she can beat a dead horse like nobody's business (Edward Cullen is so beautiful. His skin is so perfect. His eyes smolder. His skin sparkles. Yes, we get it!!!). However, her story is written in such a way that even grown women I know have not been able to put this book down.

She certainly made a believer out of me. I love it. Even after reading all four books in the saga, I will still say that Twilight is my favorite.

Okay I have work to do, so stay tuned for Parts II, III, and IV.