It's done! I just posted my last grade and can happily say that I won't be reading anything academic for at least two weeks. Hurray!
In yesterday's mail I received from amazon.co.uk a copy of
The Diamond of Drury Lane. It was excruciating not even cracking the cover, but now that I am finished, this will be my first book of the break. (In fact, I will start as soon as this entry is complete!) Here is a taste for you from the prologue, page 1:
"Reader, you are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. It is told by an ignorant and prejudiced author-me. My name is Cat Royal, though how I came to be called this, I will explain later. For the moment I will start with the riot, for that was where the story really began."
OH JOY!
I received three e-mail updates from Borders today, all announcing what those familiar with the worlds of
MuggleNet and
The Leaky Cauldron already know: Book 7 is now titled
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. While I am anxious for the conclusion, I know that I will be very said to see it end, though as I do now, I am sure that I will continue to re-read.
While I generally read every day, during finals and the grading madness, I'm lucky if I look at a newspaper, let alone set aside time for a literary diversion. I must get better at making time for this, as I think it would see me through these "dark days" with fewer frayed nerves and, perhaps, a cheerier disposition.
I did take time out today to visit the library with William. He received his very own library card today and promptly signed out 10 books. Okay, so he went a bit overboard, but it was his first time. I did tell him that on subsequent visits he must select his top three choices, but that we can stay and read books for at least an hour or so. Every book came from the nonfiction section, with three of them written by
Gail Gibbons. We will be reading about firefighters (4 titles), airplanes, kites, dinosaurs, trains, elephants and reindeer.
Hats off to
Maureen Johnson, author of
13 Little Blue Envelopes. I purchased this book for my niece for her birthday, and Maureen was kind enough to send a birthday note for me to include with the book. The card is fabulous, and with the silver stamps of Parisian scenes, the young lady who spent a week in Paris just before Christmas 2005 will be thrilled. Thanks, Maureen!
I am quite confident that my best friend doesn't read this blog, so I can freely say that the
mittens I ordered her from the Sundance catalog have arrived, and they will look smashing with the dog hat she bought to wear at recess. However, today they are on sale for $11.00 less than what I paid! Go figure . . . . . Perhaps I need a pair!
The children's literature portfolios turned in by my students were particularly good this semester. As usual, they have taught me much, and I can't wait to spend some of my Christmas cash on new books for my collection. (Christmas cash you say? Yes! I can brag that all my gifts this year were paid for with cash and that I even have some funds left over. They have already been earmarked for cookbooks (if they don't appear under the tree) and other literary treasures. I may even throw some of it at my iPod.)
That's all for now. I am going to curl up in front of the fire with Cat Royal and read for a good long while. Goodnight!
