I’m happy (and kind of proud) to say that my son and husband are brilliant men.  I really like listening to them discuss science documentaries or historical events at dinner.  I should say, though, dinner conversations can also be centered on our family’s plan for survival if zombies, vampires or vampire zombies, take over the world (or New Jersey).  I feel pretty confident in saying that should either scenario occur the Garcia family is well prepared.

When my husband and I first met, he had just finished reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” and decided to start reading the poetry of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin.   His interesting taste in literature was just one of the things that piqued my curiosity about him.  He gave me his copy of “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” and half way through my very first book of poetry, I found myself falling in love with my future husband.

Johnny has been an avid fan of books since he was very, very young.  Every night, Cas and I took turns reading him a bedtime story, a tradition that began when he was just 4 days old with Dr Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish”.  When he learned how to read on his own, his hunger for books was insatiable!  I remember how excited he’d get about going to the library with Cas to hand in books and pick up a stack of new ones.  When he was in the second or third grade, he told Cas and me that books are so much better than TV because “you get to see everything in your own brain and you can make it look any way you want!”  He’s almost 19 years old now and he still enjoys a good book.  His taste in literature is a little more discerning than mine, although he, too, enjoys a well written vampire book. The key words there are “well written”.

I’ve been on a vampire book craze for the last… year??  WOW! Yes, I do believe it’ been a year!  I kind of burned myself out, having just completed the last book of yet another series.  After only a few chapters, I found myself skipping multiple pages just to get to the (very predictable) ending.  I needed something to read, so I was going through my stack of books on Friday and I saw “The Odyssey” by Homer. I’d read it in High School and again in college. I’m pretty sure this copy is the one I bought in college, because the price printed on the cover is $2.95. I had begun reading it again close to two years ago, but for some reason, I stopped 1/3 of the way through. I am SO glad I decided to pick it up again. It is quite possibly one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read!

Unlike my vampire books, I have no desire to skip a sentence, paragraph or page.  The author sometimes takes 3 pages to describe a meal, but each and every word serves a purpose.  I’m going to read “The Iliad” next… I think I cheated in HS and read the Cliff Notes!!  It’s great to revisit these books as an adult!  After I’ve had my fill of the Trojan War, I’m going to get reacquainted with good old Billy Shakespeare.

I enjoy the feel of paper and turning the pages of a book, which is why I will most likely never get a Kindle. I can’t say this with any degree of certainty because in 2006, I clearly remember saying I’d NEVER trade in my portable CD player for an MP3…

I LOVE READING!!!!!!

All day yesterday, there were news briefs about the BIG, HUGE snow storm that was a comin’. It was supposed to start at 6:30 PM. I went to bed at 9 and there wasn’t a flake to be seen. I had got up about half an hour ago and I saw some light snow falling… I wonder how big it will be?

Our outdoor cat, Buddy, FREAKS out when it snows. Poor girl (Yes, Buddy is a girl). Her little house is on our deck, with a window right up against the sliding door in our kitchen, so she can see us while she’s inside her little home.  Isn’t she GORGEOUS???? She was born in our compost pile, all the way in the back of our yard, the first summer after we bought our house. She took a real liking to Cas.  She was fascinated by him. I think she had a crush on my husband!!!

Whenever he was working in the backyard, she’d sit and watch him.  Each day, she’d come just a little closer, to get a better look. So, we started bribing her  with bits of chicken and she quickly became our friend. Her 2 siblings were TERRIFIED of us. We never saw much of them and after the first summer ended, they went else where.

She came indoors for a very brief period, but she’s feral through and through, so she never really settled in.  She was inside long enough for us to take her to the vet where we got her neutered and inoculated. But, she’d always try to “make a run for it” whenever we went out onto the deck.  Then, one evening, on the coldest day of the year, she ran out. We tried to get her to come back in, but she wouldn’t.  The next day, we made her a make-shift house out of an empty litter bucket and some of that pink insulation: We encased it all in a heavy duty garbage bag so it would be warm and waterproof .  It worked pretty good…  kept her warm and semi dry.

The following year (1999 I think), we bought her a real cat house.  It’s fabulous! The “porch” keeps wind and rain out and it has windows on three sides. We got a heated outdoor pet-pad that operates on very little electricity. It only generates heat when she lays on it. How cool is THAT?

For the brief time she was inside, we could NEVER get too close to her. When she’s outside, though, we can pet her, rub her back, scratch her ears… She runs inside sometimes and hangs out for a bit, but she LOVES being outside. It’s in her blood.

I’m gonna go check on that snow…