MY LADY JUDGE

MY LADY JUDGE by Cora Harrison was read for the Ireland Reading Challenge 2010.

From the back of the book:

Five hundred years ago, the western seaboard of Ireland was home to an independent kingdom that lived peacefully by the ancient Celtic laws of its forebears.  On the first eve of a festive celebration, all the people of the land headed up Mullaghmore Mountain to light a bonfire.  But one man - assistant to Mara, the King's appointed judge and lawgiver - did not return.


For two days he lay in the mountains being picked clean by ravens.  And yet no one spoke of him or told what they had seen.  Who killed him?  Why?  When Mara comes seeking answers to these questions, she discovers that more than just her own life may be in danger.

We've all bought books on the recommendations of others.  I have this "thing" of hearing about a book that is part of a series, then going out and buying all the books in the series at one time.  I've had a time or two when I really regretted that because I didn't like the first book of the series.  This book is the first of a series and I bought it and the second book and have the third book on my wish list because I heard they were good.

Well, I'm not regretting the purchase this time.  I loved this book!  Of course, I love anything Irish, but this book was good.  Each chapter began with a bit of Irish law of the time which was very interesting.  I especially liked Mara, the Brehon (judge) of the kingdom.  She had a quiet way about her of finding out the truth.  I thought I had the mystery all figured out, but was only half right as there was a little twist at the end.

I have the second book of the series waiting to be read and I'll be moving the third book from my wish list to my shopping cart soon!

THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS

THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS by Dianne Dixon is an Advanced Reader Copy sent to me by the publisher.

From the back of the book:

Justin Fisher has a successful career as the manager of a luxury hotel, a lovely wife, and a charming young son.  While all signs point to a bright future, Justin can no longer ignore the hole in his life left by his estranged family.  When he finally gathers the courage to reconnect with his troubled past, Justin is devastated to learn that his parents have passed away.  And a visit to the cemetery brings the greatest shock of all - next to the graves of his father and mother sits a smaller tombstone for a three-year-old boy:  a boy named Thomas Justin Fisher.


What follows is an extraordinary journey as Justin struggles with issues of his own identity and pieces together the complex and heartbreaking truth about his family.

I had a hard time reading this book.  The story moved from the past to the present and back again and was a little hard to follow.  And I didn't like the characters at all, especially Justin's parents.  I presume the ending was supposed to be a surprise, but I had it figured out fairly early in the book.

It was basically a well-written book but the changing time line of the story seemed to disrupt the flow of the book. It could be that this was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy of the book.

NASHVILLE

A friend and I went to Nashville this past weekend.  I had tickets for a concert at the Nashville Symphony featuring my favorite Irish tenor, John McDermitt.

We drove up on Saturday, taking our time and having a nice lunch on the way.  We checked into the Holiday Inn Express on Broadway (I finally made it to Broadway!  I'm a star!) - a beautiful hotel with nice rooms and a very friendly staff.  We walked down Broadway, past all the bars and music shops, stopping to say hi to Elvis.

We had dinner at a pleasant restaurant, eating on the patio.  We split 2 entrees, crab-stuffed chicken and a delicious meat loaf made with ground beef and Italian sausage, along with cheddar-mashed potatoes and green beans - yummy!  It was getting a little chilly, so we called the hotel for the shuttle to pick up us.

After changing clothes, we again took the shuttle to the Symphony Hall along with 2 other ladies going to the concert.  These ladies are admitted John McDermott groupies!  One is from St. Louis, the other from Ottawa, Canada.

                                        

The Symphony Hall is absolutely beautiful.  There were private boxes along both sides, seating either 2 or 4 per box.  We had seats in the balcony with an unobstructed view of the stage, dead center.

The first half of the show featured a group of women called Cherish the Ladies.  They played traditional Irish music and also had an Irish vocalist and step dancers.  They were all so talented!

John McDermott was featured for the second half.  He did a few numbers from his newest CD, a few traditional Irish songs, including an acapella version of "Danny Boy" that sent shivers up my spine.  The man can sing!  He has the most beautiful, clear voice and he sings with so much feeling.  He then changed the direction of the show and did some patriotic-type songs.  He is very involved with helping veterans.  He has foundations that give money to veterans and has founded a house in Boston, The Hope McDermott House named after his late mother, which is a type of half-way house for homeless vets.  Although he is resides in Canada, he supports both Canadian and American veterans.  He read a note and dedicated the show to the family of a young man who died in Iraq.  He came from a family of military men, dating back to the American Revolution.  When he died, the line of soldiers died with him.  Reading about this man brought tears to John's eyes.  He finished the show with "America the Beautiful" with the audience all standing.  Quite a great and moving performance.

After the show, he was in the lobby, talking to people and signing programs and CD's.  He is so gracious, posing for pictures and spending as much time with people as they wanted to spend with him.

This is me with my new best friend, John McDermott.  Not a great picture, but you take what you can get.  The sorta shocked look on his face - must be when I grabbed his buns!  Just kidding!  I guess he was in awe, being in the presence of me!  He really is a very nice man, very humble.  And oh, that voice!  If you've never heard him sing, you are missing a real treat.  So click below for that treat - John singing "Danny Boy."

CRITTERS OF MOSSY CREEK

CRITTERS OF MOSSY CREEK by Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Martha Crockett, Debra Dixon, Susan Goggins, Maureen Hardegree, Michele Hauf, Kathleen Watson Hodges, Pam Mantovani, and Carolyn McSparren

From the back of the book:

Springtime brings thoughts of love to people all over the world, and Creekites are no exception.  Although love to Creekites isn't necessarily romantic.  Take, for example, how they feel about their pets.  Dogs, cats, birds and fish take center stage as we once again see how the Southern half lives.  Your favorites are back and in just as much trouble as ever.  Amos and Ida are still circling each other's wagons.  Sandy Crane has a little Faith.  Jayne Reynolds emerges from widowhood to take a long lingering look at Mossy Creek's Bubba Rice.  Ed Bailey and his beloved dog Possum, Lil Ida Hamilton, Peggy Caldwell and other will make you laugh and cry at human and animal antics.  Cat heists.  Fish ponds.  Bird nappings,  Don't miss the fun with Critters of Mossy Creek!

This is the 7th book in the Mossy Creek series, books set in a small North Georgia town.  (I just found out there really is a Mossy Creek in Georgia!)  As is common to all the books in this series, different characters' stories are written by different authors.  But if you didn't know that, you would think they were all written by the same author.  The feeling and style is the same throughout the book.  I think that makes this an easy series to read.  Plus the characters and their stories are fun and colorful.

You don't have to read the series in order as there is always a little bit of the back history given for each character, but it does make it a little easier to understand the characters.  I'll be waiting for the next book in this series - there are quite a few unfinished stories there.

I COULDN'T RESIST

I just discovered another reading challenge and I simply HAD to join.  It's the Ireland Reading Challenge, hosted by Carrie at Books & Movies.  You all know how much I love anything Irish - so how could I pass on this one?

It runs from February 1 through November 30 and there are 3 reading levels - 2, 4 or 6 books.  I'm jumping in for 4 books - the Luck o' the Irish level - but I'll probably read more.  As I decide on books, I'll post them on my sidebar.

Head over here to join this great challenge!

THE LOST SYMBOL

THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown was read for the Chunkster Challenge.

From the book jacket:

In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer.  The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling - a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths...all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date.  Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.


As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building.  Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn.  A disturbing object - artfully encoded with five symbols - is discovered in the Capitol Building.  Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation...one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.


When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon - a prominent Mason and philanthropist - is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him.  Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations - all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.


As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes.  In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn.  The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for...his most thrilling novel yet.

This book was definitely a page-turner.  Full of adventure and suspense, it was hard to figure out who were the good guys and who were the bad guys.  Except for the strange villain - there was no doubt that he was a bad guy.  Or was he?


I love when a book poses questions and makes me want to learn something new. This book was centered around Masons and the Masonic Order, of which I knew absolutely nothing.  My grandfather was a Mason and proud of his Masonic ring and I have a friend who is very active in the Masons and their work.  I'll be doing some research into the Masons to try to learn exactly who they are and what they do.

MEETING YET ANOTHER ONLINE FRIEND

This is Mary - a friend from Facebook and a FarmVille neighbor (that's a fun little game on Facebook where you have a farm with plants and animals and other fun stuff - I even have pandas!).

Mary lives about 45 minutes away from me, so we met half-way at Applebees.  I did really well - I ordered from their Weight Watcher menu - a yummy salad and a cup of soup.

Mary is originally from New Jersey and we discovered that we both spent summers on Long Beach Island - my favorite Jersey shore.  We sat and gabbed for about 2 hours - I felt like I had known her forever.

If you ever get a chance to meet any of your online friends or fellow bloggers - do it!  I've met 4 so far and have had the best time with all of them.  And I have a list of more that I want to meet someday.

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY by Tiffany Baker

From the book jacket:

Introducing Truly Plaice, a woman of indomitable spirit whose heart is far larger than her giant exterior...


When Truly Plaice's mother was pregnant, the whole town of Aberdeen lined up to bet on the weight of the baby who could stretch a woman to such epic proportions.  Young Truly would pay the price of her enormity.  Her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth and was totally ill equipped to raise either this giant child or her older sister and polar opposite, Serena Jane, the epitome of feminine perfection.  His hearly death would leave Serena Jane to a life of privilege as the town's May Queen and Truly to an existence with an outcast family on a rattletrap, run-down farm.


While Truly's remarkable size makes her the subject of constant curiosity and humiliation, Serena Jane's beauty proves to be both a blessing and a curse.  Being the prettiest girl in town will make her the obsession of Bob Bob Morgan, the youngest in line of Robert Morgans, Aberdeen's family doctors for generations.  And Bob Bob will set off a chain of events that change the destiny of all Aberdeen County.


As Truly grows older - and even larger - she will become linked to Serena Jane's fate...and in a very different way from her sister's, become a target of Bob Bob's intense interest.  But when she uncovers the Morgan family secret, a centuries-old shadow book penned by the first doctor's witch-wife, Tabitha, she may have found the key to her own unique future.


Armed with dangerous secrets from Aberdeen's past, Truly soon confronts life-altering moral decisions about whether or how she should use her newfound knowledge.  As she practices her herbal healing, she is drawn ever more tightly into the circle of the town until she learns of a betrayal so huge, even she is dwarfed by it.  In the end, Truly will be forced to face her own larger-than-life demons, redefine mercy, and consider the possibility that love cannot be ordered to size.

I had heard a lot of good things about this book, and it didn't disappoint.  The story was interesting, the characters clearly drawn, and the writing was very descriptive.  Like this quote:

 "Instead, I just sat there and let the stars do all the talking for me until they, too, started to fade, and the red fingers of dawn started crawling across the sky, and I realized that the night really had gone for good and taken Robert Morgan with it."

Or this one:

 "The image of the old blades on the Dyerson windmill kept running through my mind.  They kept turning, coming back to the same place they'd started.  Not sure they wanted to but doing it anyway.  Just like me."

This is Ms. Baker's first book.  I'll definitely be on the lookout for her next one.

ATLANTA SNOW 2010

I thought I'd add my snow pictures - seems everyone in the deep South is posting pictures!  You'll have to indulge us - we rarely get any snow at all, and this was quite a bit for us.  I measured around 3-3 1/2 inches.

It's so pretty.  Have you ever noticed how quiet it is when it snows?

It's a shame - it will probably all be gone later today.

MEETING KARI

I had such a fun time yesterday.  Kari from Just Livin' Large was in Georgia with her husband and we decided to meet for lunch and a little bit of shopping.  What a sweet lady!  She's just as pretty and as much fun as she appears on her blog.

Kari told me I was to crop her out of this picture.  I'd rather crop myself out  - she looks great!

We met at the Locust Grove outlet stores just south of Atlanta.  I got there a little early, so I had some time to sit in the car and read - never go anywhere without a book!  Kari pulled in, then got out of her car with a lovely gift bag in hand.  Stupid me had thought about bringing a gift, then time got away from me.  But, Kari, I'm not forgetting - check your mail soon!

When I opened the bag at home, I found a sweet little dog bookmark, a bar of Godiva sugar-free chocolate, a great coffee cup from Barnes & Noble, and this cute little initial picture to hang on the wall.

Way too cute!  Thank you so much, Kari.

We had a nice lunch at Denny's - egg white vegetable omelets - no mushrooms (we discovered we both hate mushrooms).  Kari has successfully done Weight Watchers and looks terrific.  I'm still working at it, so our food choices were good.

When we finished, we decided to visit the different stores at this outlet.  It's not a huge place, but has a nice assortment of stores.  We made a big dent in the Carter's outlet buying little girl clothes, then hit the other stores.

Kari and I also discovered that neither of us enjoys cooking - but somehow we had to visit the kitchen stores.  Love those gadgets.  We found some great deals in the Corningware store.  

After a couple of hours of walking - counting that as activity points - it was time to go.  We each had an hour drive ahead of us and needed to get moving before the traffic started.  I had a great afternoon with a great lady!  If you ever get a chance to meet Kari - please do it.  You'll have a treat in store for yourself.


Thanks, Kari, for a fun day!

PANDA UPDATE

Tai Shan and Mei Lan have been in China now for almost a week.

Tai Shan

Reports from Bifengxia Panda Base indicate that Tai Shan is doing very well adapting to his new home.  So well, in fact, that his American keeper has been asked to turn over all care to his new Chinese keeper.  Tai is moving all around his enclosure and the yard and is eating well.

Mei Lan

The reports on Mei Lan haven't been as good.  She was restless during the flight and was frightened by all the people when she arrived at Chengdu Panda Base.  For the first couple of days, she wouldn't eat, not even when given special food by her American keeper.  The last day or so has brought better news.  She is not as restless and frightened, and has started eating.  Her Chinese trainer asked about her favorite foods.  When told that she likes bananas (which are not normally given to the pandas at Chengdu), the new keeper got some just for Mei Lan.  Hopefully she'll continue to adapt to her new surroundings.

Or I might just have to run over to China and bring her back to Atlanta!

AN IRISH COUNTRY GIRL

AN IRISH COUNTRY GIRL by Patrick Taylor was read for the 2010 Pub Challenge.

From the book jacket:

Readers of Patrick Taylor's books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo.  She is a trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, and it often seems as though Kinky has always been there.


Nothing could be farther from the truth.


Some forty-odd years before and many miles to the south, the girl who would someday be Kinky Kincaid was Maureen O'Hanlon, a farmer's daughter growing up in the emerald hills and glens of County Cork.  A precocious girl on the cusp of womanhood, Maureen has a head full of dreams, a heart open to romance, and something more:  a gift for seeing beyond the ordinary into the mystic realms of fairies, spirits, and even the dreaded Banshee, whose terrifying wail she first hears on a snowy night in 1922....


As she grows into a young woman, Maureen finds herself torn between love and her fondest aspirations, for the future is a mystery even for one blessed with the sight.  Encountering both joy and sorrow, Maureen at last finds herself on the road to Ballybucklebo - and the strong and compassionate woman she was always destined to become.

This is the fourth book in this series, and I've loved them all.  This one is a little different, as it deals only with Kinky and her memories of her youth.  She begins telling a story to neighborhood children on Christmas day - a story about fairies and ghosts.  After the children leave, Kinky recalls more of her early years and how she met her husband, Paudeen Kincaid.  An interesting life and story, based on Irish mythology.  As usual, there are recipes and a glossary of Irish terms in the back of the book.

I'm looking forward to more books about Kinky and the Drs. O'Reilly and Laverty and the people of the little town of Ballybucklebo.

GARDENIAS

GARDENIAS by Faith Sullivan was read for the What's in a Name 3 Challenge (plant).

From the back of the book:

In a story about love, independence, and the power of women, renowned author Faith Sullivan captures World War II on the home front.  It is 1942, only a month after the United States has joined the war, and everything is in upheaval - including the Erhardt family.  Arlene has left her husband to pursue a new life in California, taking her sister, Betty, and nine-year-old Lark with her.


Betty and Arlene quickly find jobs in the booming San Diego wartime industry, and a small house to rent in a housing project.  In a community full of people with similarly uprooted lives, Lark grows into adolescence, watching as her mother struggles with a secret love and as Aunt Betty sends her own estranged husband off to
war.  Left to fend for herself while her mother and aunt work, Lark dutifully tends to a scraggly gardenia bush every day.  When it blooms, she hopes, so too will the lives of those around her.

Ms. Sullivan's earlier book, THE CAPE ANN, ended with Lark, her mother, and her aunt leaving Minnesota and moving to California.  I needed to learn more about Lark and her family.  This book continued their stories.  I liked this book even more, as it wasn't quite as depressing as THE CAPE ANN.

The move out west was hard on Arlene, Betty and Lark, but they were able to find a house and make it a home.   The women found jobs and learned to live on their own.  Lark again found a friend who was in a bad situation, and watched as this friend blossomed under the care of Aunt Betty, just as the gardenia plant blossomed under Lark's care.  Lark also became involved with different neighbors in the housing project, and her involvement helped these neighbors become less introverted and more attuned to the needs of others.

Through these two books, I think the author has told a believable story about growing up in this time period.  The characters were real and it was easy to get caught up in their lives.  I'll be reading more of Ms. Sullivan's books.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD

My grand-niece Jolee

born February 6, 2010

6 lb. 11 oz., 19 inches long

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - TO ME

Today's my birthday.  I'm not telling how many candles will be on the cake, but the fire department is on stand-by!

I have a nice day planned.  Donna and I are going shopping this morning, then a nice lunch out.  Susan and Ashlie are bringing dinner for us tonight.  Then Dom and I will watch Villanova vs Georgetown tonight.

And my niece Jessica is going to be a mommy today when little Jolee makes her entrance!  I'll have to check - she may be here already.  UPDATE:  Jolee arrived at 10:14 a.m. and she's beautiful!

Next week, I'm meeting one of my favorite bloggers, Kari from Just Livin' Large.  She'll be in Georgia with her husband (she lives in Texas) and we're meeting for lunch and shopping.  Then the following week, I'm meeting a fellow "farmer" from Facebook.  She lives about an hour away from here, so we're meeting half-way.  I love meeting new people!

I hope everyone is safe and warm - that's some big storm hitting the East Coast!

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT BIRTHDAY WISHES!  YOU MADE MY DAY!

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski was read for the Chunkster Challenge.

From Amazon.com:

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin.  For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally.  But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home.  When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm - and into Edgar's mother's affections.


Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires - spectacularly.  Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him.  But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.


David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes - the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain - create a riveting  family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

This was one of those books that I didn't think I was enjoying while I was reading it, but couldn't stop reading.  And now the story and the writing keeps replaying in my mind.  It's hard to explain.  I can't even explain what it was about the book that kept me reading.  The writing was beautiful and painted such clear pictures, especially during the part of the book where Edgar was on the run with the dogs.  The dogs had such different personalities - at times I seemed to forget they were dogs.

I feel like I'm just rambling about this book, but I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words.  I'll just say, if you want a book that is deep and descriptive, I think you would enjoy this one.

GOODBYE TAI AND MEI

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I love pandas.  I've been watching the Panda Cams at the National Zoo in Washington, DC and the Atlanta Zoo for over 4 years.  I have pandas in my office, including an almost life-size one sitting by my bookcase.

I started watching the pandas when Tai Shan was born on July 9, 2005 in Washington.  He was so tiny, about the size of a stick of butter - and was quickly nicknamed Butterstick.  I watched him take his first steps and learn to walk around his den.  I loved watching him play with his mom, Mei Xiang.  How he loved being with her!  I was worried when he had to be separated from her, but he did just fine.  Pandas are solitary animals and the zoo was just following the path that nature would have taken in the wild.

Tai Shan at 5 months

We also have pandas here in Atlanta, and on September 6, 2006, our little cub Mei Lan was born.  What a thrill to have this baby so close.  I made a few trips down to the zoo to see her in person.  She loved to sleep on the structure holding up the hammock in her enclosure while her mom, Lun Lun rested below.  When the time came for Mei Lan to be separated from her mom, I wasn't quite as worried since I had seen how well Tai handled his separation.

Lun Lun and Mei Lan

We've been lucky here in Atlanta and have a new panda cub, Xi Lan, who was born on August 30, 2008.    Mei Xiang and Tian Tian in Washington have mated and Mei has been artificially inseminated, and hopefully there will be a new cub later this year.

Even though the panda cubs were born here in the United States, they belong to China.  As part of the lease agreement, the zoos are required to send the panda cubs back to China when they turn 2.  Through negotiations with China, both Tai and Mei have been able to stay here longer than anticipated.

But now the time has come.  Both pandas must return to China to become part of the breeding program there.  They will be on a special FedEx flight to China tomorrow morning.  Mei Lan is being sent by truck to the airport early in the morning and will fly to Washington, where Tai Shan will join her for the 14+ hour flight to China.  They will each have a keeper and vet accompany them on the flight and stay with them for about a week in China as they become acclimated to their new home.

Tai Shan age 4 1/2 years

Mei Lan age 3 1/2 years

I know it will be a sad day at the two zoos as the panda keepers have to say goodbye to Tai and Mei.  I'm sure that they will be fine and will be treated well in China.  Someday there will be little baby Tai's and Mei's running around the panda reserves, helping to enlarge the panda population.

But I'm sure going to miss watching them each day.

Good luck, Tai Shan and Mei Lan.

ONE MORE CHALLENGE

I couldn't resist this challenge.  Hosted by Fizzy Thoughts (love that name!), it runs from now through May 15, 2010.  It only requires one book!  The only requirement is having New York City as the primary setting.

No problem!  I have a few books in mind already.

For more information and to join the challenge, visit Fizzy Thoughts here.  And she's also running a little side challenge here - compile a list of ten things about New York City.  Here's my list:

1. My favorite singers are from New York - Barry Manilow and Barbra Steisand
2. I always loved the movie "West Side Story"
3. Ryhs Bowen's Molly Murphy series is set in New York City in the early 1900's
4. I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009 - and it's a fantabulous place
5. Must see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall if you're in NYC
6. I'm looking forward to watching the Big East basketball championship that will be played at Madison Square Garden in March
7. How about a big corned beef sandwich from the Carnegie Deli?
8. I love the Brooklyn Bridge!
9. Times Square on New Year's Eve
10. Frank Sinatra "spreading the news"

This is going to be a fun one!

WHAT IS HE THINKING???

My husband, who thus far has refused to get onto a plane and fly over water, has just decided that we should sell our house and move to Calabria, Italy.

His family is from this region of Italy, and he has a friend from work who has visited there and said that it's beautiful country.  Homes are cheap compared to here and the lifestyle is easy and relaxed.

But pack up and move?  What is he thinking???

I've finally managed to remove the wild hair from his *ss and now he just wants to go there and visit.  But knowing Dom, he'll change his mind by tomorrow.  When he realizes he'd have to fly over water to get to Italy.