As the song goes, I've had a few.

I'm in the middle of reading the "Twilight" series of books. 17 made me promise to read them since we saw the movie together and I really wasn't all that impressed. The books are okay - definitely better than the movie (name a book that isn't . . .) but, having finished the second book, and a few things that have happened this week have left me feeling kind of out-of-sorts, melancholy, if you will.

I've wondered off and on for years whatever became of another of my friends from Wyoming. (Talk about regrets, I can't believe I didn't try harder to stay in touch with friends through the years. There just really isn't any excuse.) She finally showed up on Classmates.com so I sent her a message. She has visited my page, but not responded. There's no way of knowing, really, if she even remembers me. It's been a long, long time. She was a good friend then, I wish I could say the same about myself. sigh.

I think 17 has decided on a college. They seem to really want her there - they've certainly offered a wonderful scholarship (10,500/year). It's a very small private college and I think she will thrive in that environment. It's about 5 hours away which is a little farther than I'd like, but I know it's time to let go.

16 ended up not playing basketball this year. I miss watching her, but I don't begrudge her the decision. Girl's basketball has really become a violent sport - I can't think of any reason for it, either. It's inexcusable to me that coaches push their athletes to behave like that - and that referees put up with it. Being aggressive is one thing, but deliberately trying to injure the other team has stepped over the line. Anyway, 16 is a beautiful kid in every sense of the word. The coaches really pressured her and I'm proud that she could stand up to that and do what she thought was best for her. She'll still do either softball or track this spring.

10 is just loving middle school. She has her very own sense of style, which leaves the rest of us shaking our heads once in a while, but the other kids seem to admire her for that. We have to rein her in occasionally as she tends to talk non-stop whether she has anything to say or not. (It's also very apparent she has older sisters. Her sarcasm and flippant remarks do not always match her age . . .) 10 is also becoming a decent musician. She is gaining with piano (meaning I can enjoy it as she practices, finally) and loves playing tenor sax in band. I am amazed at her singing as well. When she's not talking she is singing and whether or not she's singing with the radio she can stay in one key quite well, and has a pretty good range and tone. Maybe I will get one kid who enjoys performing out of this mob of mine. They are all talented, but absolutely refuse to perform for others. Rotten kids!!

Hubby and I are still working on the house. I hope to at least have the kitchen and living room redone by 17s graduation, but . . . you know, cobbler's kids have no shoes and all that. We are at a sort of impasse with kitchen cabinets. I'm trying to be patient and have offered several compromises but he tends to just ignore things, hoping they go away. So it goes.

Along with the "Twilight" series of books, I've been reading several of Jodi Piccoult's books. They have such a different voice to them. I really have liked them. "Nights in Rodanthe" by Nicholas Sparks was good as well.

Have you read a book that changed who you were? I think every book I read has some effect on me, but there is one in particular where the effect was profound. This is hard to explain and I don't even think I could define how it changed me, but it did. I'm not sure how we came to have the book. I think someone gave it to my little sister. We both loved it and it changed ownership several times as we each stole it from the other. The book is a children's book, really. Probably for those about 8 to 10. I read it in high school, you know, one of those times when you didn't have a thing to read but were desperate for something. So I picked it up, read it in one sitting, then read it again and again and again. The book is called "Magic Garden" by Gene Stratton-Porter. Published in 1927 it's the story of a little girl named Amaryllis, who runs away and finds a poor boy and his father. This boy is a violinist and the way his playing is described - I can still hear him playing, though I haven't seen the book in more than 30 years. This book changed me, it changed the way I listened to music, the way I played it.

So tell me, what books have had an effect on you? and how?

Life is good! -cindy