The Color of Winter

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination."  ~ Terri Guillemets

Digital photograph of the Rappahannock River by Virginia Hill taken with an Olympus SP510UZ on 03/11/2011. Some Rights Reserved (please see Creative Commons License in the sidebar.)

Lizzie By a Nose

One thing about Corgis (short-legged dogs), their noses are always conveniently located close to the ground. It's so easy to sniff-as-you-go when you don't have those "pesky" long legs keeping your sniffer up in the air. Oh yeah, all those heavenly smells that attract dogs' noses to the ground. Lizzie is much more interested in sniffing than going most times. I've never given much thought to the health of my dogs' noses before.  It must be because they've never had anything bothering them...before Lizzie, that is. Oh, her nose is still busy as can be when she's outside for a walk and inside when it's meal time, but the little darlin' now has a runny nose. Okay, so I went online to read about nasal discharge in dogs. Sneezing often coincides with a discharge, but Lizzie isn't sneezing. It could be...a lot of things. Being worried enough about it we took her to the veterinarian yesterday. 

A slight discharge from both nostrils. One has only a clear discharge. One not always clear. A slight fever. She weighs the same as she did her last visit. Her fecal was negative. Her left eye (the one affected by "dry eye") looks pretty good, but the doctor puts some ophthalmic ointment in it anyway. He checks her teeth and gums (a root infection is one of the causes of nasal discharge) and everything looks great. No evidence of nasal mites (another cause of discharge). I treated her with a Melaleuca grooming mist after I brushed her on Sunday. I've used it several times before with no apparent side effects. Is she sensitive to that now? It's almost spring and allergens are in the air and on the ground. Maybe this sinusitis is related to allergies. Treat her for 7 days with doxycycline (for possible sinus infection?) and if it doesn't clear up we take her back. Of course, I really want it to clear up. She is extremely timid and her health seems so susceptible to every little environmental thing—loud things (wind, thunderstorms, certain household sounds), big things (boxes, bags, things that flap, loose dogs) and now, maybe itty-bitty things (dust, pollen). Sheesh, what next?

She certainly doesn't mind taking her pills twice a day. Painless medication delivered in a spoonful of soy nut butter...mmm good. Great, no trauma there. Get better Lizzie. No more nose trouble, okay? Your "reward" for getting better? Vaccinations at the end of the month.  Aww, I feel bad for her already.

Book Review: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Title: Firefly Lane
Series: Firefly Lane #1
Author: Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published: 01/06/2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre(s): Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

DESCRIPTION

From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness. 

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.

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MY THOUGHTS

Nothing I read about Firefly Lane could have prepared me for the moving story of Tully and Kate. Sure, I've read other books that were emotionally charged and brought me to tears. Several of them were also written by Kristin Hannah. She's a genius at writing human stories that make it impossible not to feel the emotions right along with her characters. This one though...this is an immeasurably touching depiction of family love & strife, career choices, and undying friendship. I haven't read a more profound fictional portrayal of those real life issues before. I'll be thinking about this book and these characters for some time. It will be quite difficult to leave them behind.

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Book Review: Dream Man by Linda Howard

Title: Dream Man
Series: Standalone
Author: Linda Howard
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published: 11/24/2009
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense

 

DESCRIPTION 

Had she finally met the man she longed for...or was she dreaming?

Marlie Keen was trying to lead a quiet, ordinary life. She thought the knowing -- the clairvoyance that allowed her to witness crimes as they happened -- had been destroyed in the nightmare of her past. Then one night it returned with a vengeance, and she desperately needed to find someone to make it stop.

Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department had never met anyone like Marlie. He had doubts about her clairvoyance, but there was no doubt how much he desired her. Her soft, sweet scent set his blood afire, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms and chase the sadness from her eyes. To Marlie, Dane was all heat and hard muscle, and he made her body come alive as it never had before. But not even she could foresee where their passion would lead: a hungry quest for the elusive, dreamy ecstasies of love...and a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who would threaten their happiness and their lives....

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MY THOUGHTS

Technology didn't have a big part in this book, which was published 16 years ago! Because of that, it holds up very well. The chemistry between Dane and Marlie is the star! I only had an issue with a small amount of dialogue between them—words that didn't seem true to the characters. I liked the secondary characters a lot and appreciated the insight into Dane's character shared by his partner/friend, Trammell, with Marlie. The majority of the book is told from the good guys' point of view with very little written from the killer's. This is one reason I prefer romantic suspense over traditional suspense/thrillers. The less time spent in the mind of the bad guy, the better. Dream Man is still a winner after all these years!

(Explanation 03/09/2011: I read the first edition paperback of Dream Man twice (in 1995 and '99), but donated that copy years ago. It's remained one of my all-time favorite romantic suspense novels and now that I have the Kindle Edition I can keep it, re-read it, and hopefully enjoy it as much or more than I did the first two times.)

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Book Review: Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen

Title: Bless the Bride
Series: Molly Murphy Mystery #10
Author: Rhys Bowen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Published: 03/01/2011
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery

DESCRIPTION

With Molly Murphy’s wedding to NYPD Captain Daniel Sullivan quickly approaching, the Irish sleuth heads to the Westchester County countryside, where his mother can lend her a hand and advise her on a bride’s proper place. And shockingly, Molly seems to be agreeing. She has already promised that she’ll close up her PI business and settle down after marrying, but she isn’t a married woman yet. So, when she gets word of a possible case, she sneaks back into the city to squeeze in a little more sleuthing before the wedding bells can ring.

A wealthy Chinese immigrant wants her to find his missing bride, and Molly---sure she isn’t getting the whole story---suspects that his bride ran off. But where could she go? The only Chinese women in early-twentieth-century New York are kept under lock and key, and Molly can’t help but wonder if she’s saving the woman from the streets or helping to lock her away for good.

Rhys Bowen’s deft touch and charming wit make Bless the Bride another stellar addition to her Anthony and Agatha Award--winning historical series.

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MY THOUGHTS

Mollie is such a likable character. I find her to be genuine, curious, intelligent, and loyal. She has an innate goodness even when she’s doing something she shouldn’t—like keeping things from her fiancé. I enjoyed Bless the Bride immensely! The historical aspect was fascinating, as were all the characters. I couldn’t be more pleased with the ending. It was fabulously romantic with just a hint of things to come. Marriage can’t tame Molly completely no matter how much she loves Daniel. She will remain true to her basic nature by continuing to get into difficult situations and solving cases, assuring us fans of future adventures in this delightful series.

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