Why Coffee?

 

I do a lot of crafts, and with the holidays almost upon us, I'm seeing a lot of gift card holders.  Many of them are coffee-themed, and I just wonder... why do people assume teachers drink coffee? 

I realize Starbucks has more than coffee these days, but it wasn't always that way. I always gave away my Starbucks cards, and I received plenty of them over my years of teaching.  I like tea and Coke, but I don't drink coffee.  

Anyway, I just wondered why people assume teachers drink coffee.

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Sunday Synopsis

 

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of my all-time favorite books is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and I enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns, too, so it wasn't a surprise that I liked this book as well.

The book begins in Afghanistan in 1952 and proceeds through 2010. Some of the novel takes place in France and some in the U.S., but mostly in war-torn Middle East.

This novel differs from his previous two in that there is not one main character. Each chapter is written from the point-of-view of a particular character, all different for each of the nine chapters, and as it turns out, they all have one character in common, and it may not be who you think it is. However, this is not a mystery book. This is a book about human nature. One of the main themes of this book is the relationship and love between siblings. Additionally, there is a question of whether memories are a blessing or a curse. It is about inequality, sacrifice, and love in its different forms.

Hosseini is a master at creating complex, dynamic characters. This book is so well-written, and the characters, although set in a time and place I cannot truly understand, are relatable. I liked it so much that I think I've convinced my husband to read it. I highly recommend it.

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Not a Nice Surprise

I'm going to tell you a little story about a time that I got a nasty surprise.  I used to mow the lawn myself back when I was a single gal, and I would only wear one pair of shoes to do so.  I used to leave them on the back porch so I wouldn't drag in grass, dirt, and mud.  Mowing the yard was also the only circumstance under which I would wear sneakers without socks.

Well, one afternoon I went out to the patio and sat down to put my shoes on.  When I put my foot in the first shoe, there was a nasty surprise in there waiting for me.  A huge bullfrog!  Eeeeek!  Oh my gosh!  That is so gross!  This wasn't some cute little green tree frog.  No, Sir!  It was a giant greenish bark-colored toad.

Now, I don't mind most insects and such, and a spider doesn't scare me, well, not too much... but frogs?  It's not that they scare me.  Snakes are way worse than frogs, and they DO scare me, and lizards and geckos are only slightly better than snakes, but I still have a certain disdain for frogs.  I could definitely live without them, regardless of how many bugs they eat.

Needless to say, I screamed and threw my shoe.  And I never wore it again!  After that, I kept my shoes in the garage instead of on the patio, and I wore (old) socks every time after that as well.

What's a Not-So-Nice Surprise you've experienced?

Bring on the frog memes!

Last one, I promise!

Have a hoppy week!

Be sure to visit Random Tuesday Thoughts and Happy Tuesday!

Sunday Synopsis - Tai Pan

Tai-Pan by James Clavell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book number 2 in the Asian Saga. After reading and loving Shogun, I was so looking forward to this one. This is not a sequel, however. There are 5 books in the series, but all except one are actually stand-alone books.

When I first started this one, I wanted to stop. I didn't like it, but my husband encouraged me to keep going, so I did, and I ended up liking it a lot.

This book is set in the 1840's at the founding of Hong Kong. The Tai Pan, Supreme Leader of all China's tai pans, is a Scott named Dirk Struan. The book is mainly about his struggles to keep his fleet as the leading established fleet in Hong Kong and to prevent his rival from sabotaging or taking over his role. These business dealings are accompanied by themes of love, family, politics, and strife between England and China. It's another long book, although not as long as Shogun, but it is well worth the time spent reading it.0

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Happy Random Tuesday

 Hi everyone.  Hope you're having a happy day.

I'm so ready for summer to be over!  I know Labor Day is technically the end of summer, but we're due for upper 90's and 100's for a while still.

Speaking of Labor Day, did you have any plans?  My husband grilled steak, but that was the extent of our plans.  Rain and heat (and a broken foot... still) prevent me from wanting to do too much.  It's been four months since I broke it, and it's still only partially healed.  Insurance denied the bone stimulator.  No idea where I go from here except to wait longer.

How about let's laugh a little?

Just kidding, honey!

Have a great week!

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