Shuttercal

One of my goals is to take more pictures. I get a true joy from seeing things through the eyes of my camera. There's just something special about capturing forever a special moment or an object of beauty.

So when one of my smart friends on Swap-Bot told me about the site Shuttercal, I knew I had to sign up and get started. It combines my love of photography with my love of calendars. You can even order prints and postcards made from your shots. How cool is that?

Here's my profile at Shuttercal if you'd like to tag along on my picturesque journey. :)

(The picture above was made today in my front flower bed. Those roses are just starting another blooming cycle and I love the fresh blooms!)

And this little piggy went "Ow!"

Something is wrong with my big toe on my left foot. It feels like I have an ingrown toenail, but I don't. Odd. It's been going on for two days now, and it makes me grumpy. Maybe I just need some new shoes. Seriously. I don't mind going shoe shopping. (I don't know any woman who does.) But I really think my toesies need some extra lovin' these days. I've got a bad habit of buying cheap shoes because they are cute, or convenient, or, well... cheap. Perhaps it's time to invest in some financial foot forethought.

New look!

I am loving Blogger's new template designer thingamajig. Combined with a little bit of fun on Paint Shop Pro, and voila!

It's a busy week at work and at home. Craziness, I tell you! It's all good, though. Not complaining. Not much, anyway. ;)

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The house...

...is occupied with two extremely tired people.

...currently has a garage and great room full of unpacked boxes.

...has been blessed with the presence of family, who have given their time and strength to help us get moved in (especially my mother, who is an amazing angel!).

...feels bigger than I expected it to.

...will probably require a lot of time to maintain.

...sits in the middle of a really great neighborhood.

...is awesome and I am so thankful to be the owner of it :) :) :)

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Tomorrow's the big day!

I only think I'm tired tonight, after running around finishing up a few things before tomorrow. The big day is on its way and that's when the real fatigue will begin in earnest, at least for a week or so... We are closing on our brand new house tomorrow morning at 11:00. I guess they call it a "closing" because it's a "close" of their books, paperwork, etc. But to me, it is a "closing" of a chapter and the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I tend to take events like this and view them as a chance to turn over a new leaf. And that's exactly what I intend to do the moment I step foot in my new home. I've got some lofty goals (being a better housekeeper, getting healthy, finding ways to earn/save more money, and more). And I'm so looking forward to tackling them all, now that I have this one huge thing behind me.

Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell

My rating: * * * * 1/2
Pages: 338

From Booklist:

When art student Claude Monet glimpses a fetching girl at the train station en route to Paris, it is, as they say, love at first sight. When he tracks Camille Doncieux down months later and convinces her to become his model, it is an embarrassment of riches. The two become lovers, but because starving artists have always been deemed poor husband material, Camille's family mightily objects to the affair, just as Monet's father vehemently opposes his son's career. The couple finds solace in the company of Monet’s fellow aspiring painters: Renoir, Pissaro, and Bazille chief among them. While commercial and critical success elude him, Monet's love for Camille eventually succumbs to the forces of physical and financial ruin. The connection between artist and muse potentially offers a rich trove for authors, and Cowell mines the tempestuous relationship of Monet and his romantic and artistic inspiration with a nimble and discerning command as she indelibly evokes the lush demimonde of nineteenth-century Paris.

Although this was a fictional account of his life, I seriously felt like this was truly how it all went down for Claude Monet, one of my favorite artists of all-time. As with Marrying Mozart, Cowell weaved the known facts of Monet into this novel and absolutely brought it to life.

Poor (literally) Claude Monet had a rough early life. Even though his parents were comfortable (if not wealthy), his passion for painting and his sensitivity led him away from the prosperous family business and into poverty while he waited for his talent to become recognized.

At the beginning of one of the chapters, there was a real quote by Monet: "Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love." - He loved Camille, deeply and steadfastly (well, most of the time, anyway). Their relatively short time together was full of drama and passion and devotion to each other.

I found myself frequently checking online to see the paintings referred to in the novel. Seeing them helped bring everything together in my mind.

"Yet the colors would not leave him alone." Cowell's writing is just fantastic. Her ability to vivify events, characters, and settings is second-to-none. I look forward to reading her future titles, stepping back into history with whoever she chooses as her next subject.

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

My rating: * * * *
Pages: 338

Author M. J. Rose said:

The Tale of Halcyon Crane is a wonderful gothic complete with ghosts and witches, graveyards and dreams. It whisks the reader up and into its magic from the first page. Captivating and haunting, this debut proves Wendy Webb is a very gifted storyteller.

I just didn't find this novel scary. I don't know if I simply wasn't in the right mood, or if it could possibly be because nothing is more frightening than the extreme humidity and hot temperatures we're experiencing in North Georgia right now. Oddly enough, if I read "bone-chilling" novels in tropically sweltering weather, the effect is, well, quite dampened!

I liked Hallie (Halcyon). She wasn't your typically dull heroine. She faced all of her ghosts like a pro and seemed to realize which ones to keep (her parents, of course) and which ones to get rid of (those wicked triplets!).

The setting of the island of Grand Manitou (based on Mackinac Island) evoked hauntingly beautiful images.

Everything was tied up at the end rather neatly, which to me is a plus. It's good to know the direction Hallie's life was headed when you turn that last page.