I am a Children’s Librarian living in the Portland, Oregon area. When I am not Children’s Librianing I like to play with cameras and film. I also like playing the ukulele, knitting, sketching, and hiking.
This story has caught my attention the past couple of days. There is a search under way for James Kim, Cnet editor who went looking for help after his family got stuck in the mountains of Southern Oregon:
After leaving Portland on Interstate 5, search leaders said, the couple missed a turnoff that leads to the coast and took a wrong turn on a twisty mountain road they chose as an alternative.
Stuck, they used their car heater until they ran out of gas then burned tires to stay warm and attract attention. With only a few jars of baby food and limited supplies, Kati Kim nursed her children.
The family told their rescuers that James Kim left his family about 7:45 a.m. Saturday in search of help and went the way they had come, saying he would return by 1 p.m. if he found none. He did not return.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I really hope they find him alive.
The end of November came and went and I didn’t post anything on how I managed to post something on my blog 30 days in a row. But check it out! I did it! W00t!
And it appears I’m on a roll now. Three days into December and I’m still posting.
I have to say, it was a great experience. It was like therapy. Writing as a way to figure out the world I live in. And I like sharing that world with others.
I was going to write some thoughts on moving my knitting content over to this blog. I need to find the right words, though. I may or may not write my thoughts on that in a later post.
Land of the Blind is, at it’s core, a detective novel. Caroline Mabry is a thirty-something detective living and working in Spokane. After a particularly difficult case (that, I believe, is the story of Walter’s earlier book, Over Tumbled Graves) she is rather burned out. She finds herself in a situation where she is trying to get a written statement out of a man who has confessed to a murder. Only, the man appears to be crazy. His written statement several legal-pads long and it takes him the weekend, locked up in interrogation room, to write it. As he writes his statement Caroline does some investigating and discovers the identity behind this man she has to deal with.
It turns out, this man is Tony Mason. The Tony Mason who ran for congress a few years ago. The same Tony Mason that she voted for. The same lunatic that was found huddled in an abandoned building downtown is the esteemed Tony Mason. What happened to him?
The story of Mr. Mason in told in two ways. First, we follow along while Caroline tries to figure out who Tony killed and where the body is. Interspersed within Caroline’s story we also read what amounts to Mr. Mason’s autobiography on the pages of these legal pads he is writing on. His “statement of fact” is the story of his life. He writes about how he came to kill his childhood friend Eli Boyle.
I could not put this book down. And it has been a very long time since I have been able to say that about any book. But I ate this book up. It was very good. Fantastically written in my opinion. It was better than the standard mystery fiction out there. Walter really draws his reader into the story, into the world of the characters.
It is possible that I loved this book so much because I live in Spokane and can really visualize and relate to what Walter writes about. If you have read it and you are not from Spokane I would love to hear what you think!
Thanks for posting this fun Meme, Dianne!
Here are my answers:
1.Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?
ooh. That’s a tough call. But I think I’m gonna have to go for Hot Chocolate.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps them.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. Mostly because I’m too lazy.
5. When do you put your decorations up?
The weekend after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
I love turkey. We usually have a turkey for Christmas, too.
7. What is your favorite holiday memory as a child?
I loved the anticipation Christmas morning of opening presents. I remember one Christmas my brother snuck upstairs to my room to wake me up. He gave me a quick rundown on what he saw under the tree when he passed by the living room. Then we snuck downstairs to the living room and tried to guess what we got from Santa.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think I was in Kindergarten or 3rd grade. It was a year that I took the bus to school. Now that I think about it, I think it was 3rd grade. I was on the bus. I remember some kids said to the person sitting next to him that Santa wasn’t real and this set off a whole discussion on the bus. I was devasted. I couldn’t believe it.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. Christmas Eve is celebrated with my older brother and his family, since they go over to his in-laws at Christmas. We have this tradition where we pick names among my siblings and our husbands/wives. Christmas Eve is the night we exchange those gifts.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
It’s a mish-mosh of ornaments that I have collected over the years. I even have things on the tree from when I was a kid.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Both. It’s very pretty. But it makes me feel a little trapped. I think I’m getting used to it though. We have A LOT of snow right now.
12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, a little bit. I have’t ice skated in years, though.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My husband gave me my engagement ring at Christmas time. 🙂
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with my family.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I love Christmas cookies and candies like Almond Roca.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Opening presents on Christmas morning.
17. What is your favorite part about Christmas morning?
Opening the presents!
18. Which do you prefer – giving or receiving?
Giving. But receiving ain’t bad, either.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I think it’s “The Christmas Song.” The one that starts out, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”
