That Just Happened!

We thought your eye was infected

They dyed it green and bacteria was detected.

Two different drops were prescribed

Three times a day, one on each side.

You poor little thing, you had a scratch

It must have happened in your wrestling match.

That little boston terrier you like to lick

Had scratched your eye and made you sick.

Here are the stats on how we’ve fared

Getting our little ball of fur some care.

Total hours of driving to the vet, to my dismay

Was 12 with the furball crying the whole way.

Times he got out of his safety seat:

2, apparently that system can be beat.

Number of drops to get him healthy

122, and we had to be stealthy.

Half way through we had to change drops

The old ones were helping, but not a lot.

Snausages are no longer a favoured treat

He now associates them with our deceit.

Total time from start to finish

Was 20 days, but now the scratch is diminished.

He has a little scar, but I hear chicks dig ‘em

I’m getting him goggles for future protection.

His behaviour is back and his appetite never left

After this debacle, we need a rest!

You can sort of see a white dot on the bottom, left eye. That's his scar.

Yeah, That Just Happened!

Halpern, Adena.  29.  Touchstone (2010).

What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles and your wish came true?

Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart 75-year old who relates more to her 25-year old granddaughter Lucy than to her 55-year old daughter Barbara.  Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day.  But who expects a wish like that to come true?

From the Author’s Website

When I read the review by Jen @ Devourer of Books, I was excited, because this seemed like just the kind of book I was looking for.  Light, fluffy, all in all a nice summer read.  I totally agree with her assessment of the book.  I also liked the author’s ability to write the character as though she were a 75 year old in a 29 year old’s body and kept it consistent through out the novel.  I was totally surprised by the last part of the book, though.  I know Jen mentioned that it was deeper than she thought, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so sad.  I ultimately came to like the ending, so that made up for it.  I found that I really could empathize with the characters and the book did evoke some verbal reactions from me.  Some, “oh, come on!“‘s and “Oh, for pete’s sake!”‘s definitely came out of my mouth, especially when reading scenes involving Ellie’s daughter. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice (end of…boo!)  summer read, anyone who likes reading books from a different perspective, and anyone who enjoys the story line of Freaky Friday and all variations thereof.  Put it on Your TBR list.  You can read Jen’s review of the book here.

Shulman, Polly.  The Grimm Legacy.  The Penguin Group (2010).

Lonely at her new school, Elizabeth takes a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, hoping to make new friends as well as pocket money. The Repository is no ordinary library. It lends out objects rather than books—everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette’s everyday wig.

It’s also home to the Grimm Collection, a secret room in the basement. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales:  seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles and has a will of its own.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth and her new friends embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before they’re accused of the crime themselves—or the thief captures them.

From the Author’s Website

I first heard of this book over at Amanda’s A Patchwork of Books.  She gave it 4 out of 5 stars and I was immediately intrigued when I read that this involved fairy tales and magic items.  To read her review go here.

I love fairy tales (though usually the Disney kind).  I love a good mystery.  I love books that sound plausible.  I loved everything about this book!  It was easy to read and I felt, quite suspenseful.  I appreciated how the author acknowledged that all fairy tales focus on good and evil.  Not everything has a happy ending and not everything is as lovely as it seems, and how these objects are used reflects that.  Being a bibliophile, I can totally appreciate the awesomeness that would be working in a library, even if it is a “Material Repository”.  The characters are really well-written and it was easy to see the continuity of the good and evil theme.  I don’t want to say too much about this book because I really want you to discover it for yourself.  From the obvious parallel of Cinderella to Elizabeth’s family, to the quest to save a princess, this is a book that I feel would appeal to everyone.  I am totally going to check out the first book by this author, Enthusiasm.

I say this one is a Must Read!!  If you do, let me know what you thought!