ON BOOKS ~ Death Becomes Her...

Stacy & I took a luxurious week of brevity with Tolstoy. Life was busy for us both so we were only able to make a small amount of time for old Leo. But no matter. He still found a way to wow us. This week's reading was all about Life and Death - the profound personal experience each of them are to us all. What each of them mean, and how they are viewed. And the impact they have. Here is how my core characters were impacted...

PRINCESS HELENE
Ding, dong, the witch is dead! Helene was so overwhelmed by her Count juggling that she had a heart attack (or, per juicier rumors, OD'd on pills) and died. Yup. Gonzo. High society enjoyed worrying about her health and felt appropriately sad for their loss - er, I mean, her family's loss. Her dad, Prince Vassily - the one who married her off to Pierre for the inheritance Vassily missed out on - seemed not all that surprised and this emotionally vacant family is running out of pages. Her death sets Pierre free. Free to act on his love for Natasha. Who just so happens to be reunited with her battle wounded ex-fiancee and Pierre's good buddy, Prince Andrei.

PIERRE
Pierre may be free of Helene, but he is far from free in every other sense. He has been arrested by the invading French, tried, pardoned from execution and held as a prisoner of war. He did not understand that he was pardoned since he was led to the execution site along with his fellow prisoners. He watched innocent peasants murdered by unwilling enemy riflemen, thinking all along that he was next. And then, he lost all faith in humanity and God. The murderers didn't want to kill those men. The men didn't want to die. And yet, it happened. And no one felt good about it. Pierre suffered from what looks a lot like PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Until he met a friendly peasant Russian soldier in the POW barracks which has given him a bit of a moral compass - proving to him that love in mankind does exist, has the power to heal and can provide a reason for living. His new friend loves to spout off one cliche after another, but he treats whomever he encounters with kindness without hesitation, albeit without lasting personal feeling. Which is perfect for Pierre - teetering in the balance of faith.

NIKOLAI
My stud muffin cavalry man is given an assignment to head away from the heady battles that Pierre and Prince Andrei experienced in order to re-stock horses for his regiment. He was thrilled to get away from the dregs of camp and back into the world of society. It wasn't the big city, but the big city Moscow members have moved their life to the smaller cities, infusing the outskirts with a taste of the privileged. And Nikolai was enjoying himself fully, flirting with married and single women while showing off his dance moves. Until he is reintroduced to Maria, Prince Andrei's sister whom he previously helped rescue from harm's way at her family's estate in the country. Sparks fly - maybe. They both feel love - a comfortable state of being when they are near. They behave as their true selves together rather than putting on airs or succumbing to nervous instincts. Maria's strong sense of faith impacts Nikolai - making him recognize that theirs is a serious connection - not child's play. But he seems to also feel "eerie" whenever he thinks of her - like kissing your sister or something. I don't quite know what the heck he's feeling. But he wishes very strongly for his promise to marry Sonya to go away. Absence is not making his heart grow fonder.

SONYA
Sonya sees the writing on the wall. She isn't getting anything but silence from Nikolai - no letters. His mother begs her to sacrifice her love for Nikolai so that he can marry Maria and restore the family's finances. Sonya feels terrible that she is keeping the family in ruins - the family that took her in as an orphan and raised her as their own. But she also is sick and tired of sacrificing. She has always been the good one. The one to turn down things of benefit to herself. Well, she just isn't going to do it anymore. Nikolai is all she has ever really wanted - he is the essence of her whole life.

Sonya sees that while Natasha has nursed Maria's brother Prince Andrei back to health from his battle wounds, he has forgiven Natasha for falling for another man while they were engaged. It is evident that when he recovers they will get married and that will make some society rule kick in that means Nikolai can't marry someone else in Andrei's family - i.e. Maria. I personally don't understand why that would be a no-no, when the cousins Sonya and Nikolai could possibly marry. But whatever. Sonya writes a very dramatic letter to Nikolai releasing him from his promise to marry her. This gets Nikolai's mom off her back, makes her look good to his family, and won't be a problem since Nikolai can't marry Maria anyway when her brother Andrei recovers and marries Nikolai's sister Natasha after all. So back to Sonya Nikolai will come. Happily ever after. Except that Andrei screws up Sonya's plan. Big time.

How? Hop over to Stacy's to find out. She's got all the details on Natasha & Andrei, as well as whether Maria feels eerie about Nikolai too or something more romantic.

Related Posts:

• Intro. to Readalong - War - What Is It Good For?

• Volume 1, Part 1 - Love & Peace & Inheritance

• Volume 1, Parts 2 & 3 - I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter

• Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 - Who Needs A Battle When You Can Have A Duel?

• Volume 2, Parts 3, 4 & 5 - Soap

• Volume 3, Parts 1 & 2 - War & Peace & Fate

• Volume 3, Part 3 - Evacuation Day
  

ON SPORTS ~ Why My Hobby Totally Rocks...

Think for a moment about your favorite hobby. That thing you wish someone would pay you to do. The pastime that always calls to you, acting like the devil on your shoulder when you are trying to be productive with your daily boring life. Well, I would be the richest woman on Earth if I could find a way to get paid to sleep. But that isn't really a hobby. That is just laziness. No, my favorite hobby is baseball. If you've spent any time here, you know that already. During all of last year's baseball season, I shared my life story and how baseball was there every step along the way. But for those of you who missed it, let me just sum up for you here a few select reasons why I think baseball is a terrific hobby to have.

1. IT SIGNALS SPRING: Here in New England, the winters totally suck. They start in November and end in April. The news does a whole segment when the equipment truck leaves Fenway Park for Spring Training in Florida each February. They do this because it warms our hearts in the midst of freezing temperatures, to know that in a matter of weeks, baseball will begin again and before we know it, it will be warm enough for the boys to come home and play for real.

2. IT ALLOWS FOR MULTI-TASKING: Baseball was made for radio. You can work in the yard, go for a hike, relax on the beach, go on a road trip or gather at a BBQ - all with the game on the radio in the background. The excitement in the announcers' voices signal when something important is happening so you don't miss a moment of the good stuff. I have actually seen someone read while attending a game in person, letting the crowd's emotion signal for them when something important was happening. I wouldn't recommend this when sitting in foul ball territory however.

3. IT IS INTENSE, WITHOUT THE EFFORT: There's nothing like a rush to get the blood flowing. Especially when you can experience it without physical exertion of your own. Watching sports are great for that. Baseball can be intense on many levels - waiting for the stolen base attempt, the long battles between a hitter and the pitcher, the long relay throw home with the runner screaming through the catcher. Some sports are non-stop stress and action like football - it can wear you out just watching. Baseball is a game of peaks and valleys - moments of calm, humor, and perfection punctuated by extreme stress - the rush. George Carlin described it much better than I ever can.

4. HOT ATHLETES YOU CAN SEE: OK. I'm not going to avoid the obvious fact that I am a woman and baseball players wear tight pants, flex their muscles and don't have to hide behind a protective mask, allowing me to see their face. Oh sure, sometimes they grow horrendous facial hair, spit and grab their crotch. But I think most guys do that stuff anyway. Baseball players are pretty damn cute. That isn't the reason I watch, but it is an awesome bonus.

5. THE CAMARADERIE: Wherever I go, I find baseball fans. The obvious spot for bonding with them is at the ballpark. Some are more passionate than others - but I don't begrudge those interested in learning. Those just looking to be seen and babble away on their cell phones deserve to be bonked on the head with a foul ball. I'm talking about the people who share in the fun of watching a game, evaluating the talent of the players, debating the decisions of the manager, proposing trade ideas, playing along virtually in fantasy leagues, making friendly wagers with rival fans and of course, being won over by the crowd's electricity at a live game. Every time I go to Fenway, I meet people like this. Fans of the game. People who want to learn, share and talk about my favorite hobby. Baseball. Here are a few of them I've met along the way. They allowed me to take their photo so I'm posting them here - in the context that they were taken - sharing a love of my favorite hobby...


We met this super-fan and her hubby/boyfriend at our local commuter rail station on the way into the game. When we came across them again later during the game we stopped by to hang out.


This little cutie's name is Tanner and he knew more about baseball than most grown fans I've met. His aunts brought him down to the game from New Hampshire as a special treat and he never stopped smiling, or giving us stats.


Jim & Catherine were visiting from Australia and barely knew the basic concept of baseball when the game started. They were so excited to be there and spent the whole game asking questions, learning how to sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame, and cheering very happily for the home team.


Travis & Sky were from Oklahoma I think? They were huge Sox fans and had always wanted to see Fenway. They didn't even mind the quirks of the ancient ballpark such as that support pole in their way. Our party shuffled around so they had a turn at an unobstructed view.


I didn't actually talk to this guy. I just thought his outfit was funny. He didn't look all that interested in the game. So I'm thinking baseball isn't his hobby. I usually try to convert them, but I'm thinking he should take up fashion as a hobby first.

We'll be wrapping up our Easter by tuning in to the Sox/Yankees game Sunday night on ESPN to kick off the season. We won't be at the park, saying cheers with $6 beers, but we'll be happy just the same. Now, how can I get paid to watch baseball????

ON MOVIES ~ Because Everyone Needs A Sidekick...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Sidekicks...

We enjoy coming up with topics each week for the Monday Movie Meme. They are usually inspired by recent events or whatever cropped up in our life over the weekend. And we get first dibs on the movie responses. So that's a nice bonus for our efforts. But there are times when we wish we had a sidekick to defer to every now and then. Someone to pick up the slack, show off their talent, and let us know what it feels like to ride along instead of doing all the heavy lifting.

So here is your big chance. Anyone who volunteers via e-mail (see our About page) or in their comment gets to guest host the Monday Movie Meme here on our blog. You come up with any topic you want. List any answers you want, any way you want. And we'll use it here as the feature presentation one Monday Movie Meme week of your choosing. In the meantime, here are some great sidekicks from the movies that we came up with. Share on your blog those buddy films that came to your mind, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969) - *sigh* Buddy perfection with Newman & Redford each thinking of the other as their sidekick

Midnight Run (1988) - Charles Grodin turns himself into an unwanted sidekick in one of DeNiro's funniest roles

Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade (1989) - Father/Son hijinks with Sean Connery as an hysterical sidekick for Harrison Ford

Lethal Weapon (1987) - One of many buddy cop flicks - but retiring veteran Glover turning into crazy Gibson's sidekick is great comedy

Every Which Way But Loose (1978) - Eastwood in a fun romp of a role with his Orangutan sidekick Clyde along for the ride

Smokey & The Bandit (1977) - Burt Reynolds had Sally Field, Jerry Reed had Fred the dog, and Jackie Gleason had his dummy son Junior. Sidekicks galore!

ON BLOGGING ~ Analyze This...

Several of you have asked me to do a post explaining what to do with Google Analytics. How to set it up, what it does, how to use the information, etc. Well, ask and you shall receive dear readers. Google Analytics is a program that accumulates statistics about your blog and presents it to you in very flexible ways. You can be extremely detailed with the reports or you can just pop in and scan a quick overview chart. You can sort the information by whatever categories interest you the most.

Want to know what part of the world your visitors come from? Look at the map. Want to know which posts have had the most views over a specific period of time? No problem. Need to know how this week's traffic has compared to a week in the past? Easy. Want to find out the most common key words bringing people to your blog? How about how long people generally stick around while visiting? What portion of your audience is new and which are loyal readers returning time and again? Which sites refer the most people to your blog? Or - the statistic that bloggers are the most curious about - how many people really actually stop by and are those numbers going up, down or staying the same?

Before you can do any of this, you need to get Analytics talking with your blog. Here are the steps you need to take so that Analytics can start gathering information for you to view.

Sign in to Google. (you do need a free Google account to use Analytics)

Select Settings, Google Account Settings on the top right.

Select Analytics under the Try Something New section, if it isn't already under My Products.

Select Add Website Profile.

When Choosing Website Profile Type select "Add A Profile For New Domain."

Type in or copy your blog's address in the Add A Profile section (leave out the http:// because that is already inserted).

Adjust your Country and Time Zone if necessary.

Click the Finish button.

Follow the Instructions For Adding Tracking by putting your cursor anywhere in the box with all that HTML code in it, hitting the Control and A keys at the same time to Select All and then hitting the Control and C keys at the same time to Copy.

Go to your Blog's Editing page and open the HTML page.

Put your cursor immediately before the closing Body tag </body> which is ALLLLL the way at the bottom.

Hit the Control and P keys at the same time to Paste the code you copied into your blog.

Hit Save.

Go back to Google and hit Save & Finish.

That's it. Now leave Analytics alone for 24 hours minimum to allow enough time for the feed from the code you just inserted into your blog HTML to talk to Analytics. Kind of like when you set up electronic deposits to or payments from your bank account - it takes a few days for the process to get all confirmed and working.
After a few days, go back in to Analytics and you should see a green check mark under the Status column, signaling that everything is working. If you see anything other than the check mark, it means you need to troubleshoot why it didn't work by reviewing the steps.
In a few Fridays I'll do a post showing some of the ways to use the information Analytics has gathered for you. Take a peek at your Analytics in the meantime and poke around. Let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to better understand or how to do and I'll do my best!

ON BOOKS ~ Evacuation Day...

Here in Boston, Evacuation Day is a holiday to celebrate the retreat of the British from Boston in the Revolutionary War. It is a very popular holiday in the city because it happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day - giving the large Irish community a day off to party. But in 1812 Russia, evacuation day was not a happy occassion. During what we in the U.S. would now consider Labor Day weekend, the unprepared, unable or unwilling citizens of Moscow found themselves scurrying to get out of dodge before Napoleon's French army came marching in to town. Here is what happened through the eyes of my core characters...

PRINCESS HELENE
Helene was nowhere near Moscow - she was happily ensconced in Petersburg playing two new suitors off of one another for her amusement. One, an older gentleman count with lots of cashola. The other, a young stud muffin prince. Nevermind the fact that Helene is married. This is a fun game to her and she makes both men feel shame for not having the guts to marry her. While the Catholic church is busy converting her to their religion in order to get money from her, Helene has a moment of clarity during her boredom and decides to use her newfound faith as a way out of her marriage - since it occurred under a false religion and should no longer be recognized by the true one. Then she gets high society to accept this divorce (which was basically unheard of) and feel sorry for her difficult choice between these two new men in her life. As Tolstoy says, "As for whether it was good or bad to marry while one's husband was living, no one spoke of it, because this question had obviously been decided by people more intelligent than you and I (as they said), and to doubt the correctness of the decision would mean to risk showing one's stupidity and inability to live in society." So Helene sends a letter to Pierre in Moscow letting him know they need to get divorced ASAP so she can get married to this other rich count instead. Ah, love.

PIERRE
While his wife's divorce letter arrives in Moscow, Pierre himself is making his way back from the atrocities of battle that he witnessed up-close and personal. When he gets home he is feeling inferior and pointless in comparison to all the soldiers and their cause. He is once again in deep thought about his purpose and is in desperate need of a cause of his own. When he learns that there will be no formal defense of Moscow by its army, he decides to stay on with the poor and wait for Napoleon to arrive so he can kill him and fulfill his life's destiny - to bring an end to the war, save Russia and bring peace to Europe. Personally, I think Pierre is manic depressive since he is constantly suffering from dark lows and then having deluded moments of delight where he dashes off full of energy and giddiness to fulfill goals so high that he can only crash and burn.

A French officer takes over the home Pierre is occupying and instead of arguing, they swap stories of love all night. Pierre spills his guts to the enemy telling him how he has only ever loved little Natasha - one who he can never have. The next morning, hungover and feeling guilty for buddying up with the French officer, Pierre heads off somewhat reluctantly to murder Napoleon. Reluctant not because he has changed his opinion of the Emperor, but because he knows it just isn't in him to carry it through and he is disappointed in himself yet again. While wandering around he finally realizes that the city is burning and gets a rush resucing a child from a fire and protecting a beautiful woman from the grubby hands of a French soldier. For this he is beaten, arrested and assumed to be an insurgent. He's not having a very good day.

NIKOLAI
Nikolai has not been heard from since he returned to the army and wrote home about meeting his sister Natasha's former fiancee's sister - Maria. Although a potential marriage match with Maria would make his mom very happy, instead she only sees her sons killed in her dreams, now that Nikolai's little brother has gotten all patriotic and joined the military too. She is successful in keeping her youngest nearby and out of the path of battles. But she cannot protect Nikolai any longer and it breaks her heart.

SONYA
Because Nikolai's father is so absent-minded, dawdling and kind, the Rostov family is still puttering around Moscow mere days before the French arrive. While everyone else is distracted, Sonya alone sees the urgency of the situation and takes over the ordeal of packing and organizing the household for evacuation. It gives her something to take her mind off of Nikolai's letter mentioning Maria and his mother's subsequent hopes of her son marrying into money after all to pull them out of financial ruin. The rest of the family finally gets their act together when the wounded Russian soldiers come streaming in from battle just days in advance of the approaching French army. These very soldiers also put some priorities in order when Natasha and her father order all of Sonya's packing undone to make room for the wounded on the carts, leaving their material objects largely behind. When Sonya learns that Natasha's ex-fiancee, Prince Andrei, is one of the mortally wounded among their traveling group, she makes sure to tell Natasha, against the Countess' wishes. Perhaps that is her revenge for having to listen to the Countess speak of dreams to marry off Nikolai to someone other than Sonya.

There are only about 300 pages left in this epic tale. And I can't wait to find out how it all ends for our characters as Stacy and I wrap up our reading over the next few weeks. As the photo above shows, this is a 3 bookmark read. One to mark my current page. One to mark the next reading goal. And the final to mark the Notes section, whose numbered references are scattered throughout all the pages, providing historical and cultural clues to enhance my understanding of the times.

300 pages is the average length of most books I read on a regular basis! But I have approached this chunkster like those who love a good series. You like the first book in a series so much you run out and get the next one. And that one has some cliffhanger that makes you run right out and pick up the next. It is the same experience here. The book is made up of four volumes and a short epilogue. About the same as reading through four books in a series - or a really long Stephen King novel! The lesson here is that it isn't the length that makes or breaks a book, but rather the level of interest within the story that makes it a page turner and before you know it - the story is done.

So on that note, hop over to Stacy's to find out all the details this week from the two former lovebirds - back from the dead Prince Andrei and flighty Natasha - to see if she still loves him and if he has forgiven her transgressions.

Related Posts:

• Intro. to Readalong - War - What Is It Good For?

• Volume 1, Part 1 - Love & Peace & Inheritance

• Volume 1, Parts 2 & 3 - I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter

• Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 - Who Needs A Battle When You Can Have A Duel?

• Volume 2, Parts 3, 4 & 5 - Soap

• Volume 3, Parts 1 & 2 - War & Peace & Fate

ON TRAVEL ~ Travel Gems...

About a month ago I sent an e-mail to some blogging friends who I thought might be interested in UpTake's new Travel Gem program, asking them if they wanted to take part in the advance release. Some of them responded and have Travel Gems featuring their posts on UpTake's search engine right now. If you would like to be considered a gem yourself, keep reading.

UpTake is a travel search engine that helps visitors to their site find existing reviews and links throughout the web to all things travel - lodging, restaurants, attractions, etc. Their blogs in each category provide further in-depth opinions from their contracted writers, of which I am one.

The newly launched Travel Gems program means that if you link to a page in UpTake within a post in your blog, your post can be featured on the UpTake page that you linked to. Ideally, this provides better information for visitors to read via UpTake and provides the blogger with new traffic.

UpTake has asked their staff blog writers to get the word out and collect any links our blogging friends or writers may have created so we can get those posts set up as Travel Gems more quickly.

So if you have a post on your blog, regardless of when it was written, that specifically addresses a site, attraction, hotel, restaurant, beach, campsite, or even a general overview of a vacation spot, all you would need to do is find the corresponding item on UpTake. Then link to the UpTake page within your post, e-mail me the address of your post, and I will pass it along to the UpTake editors. They will then create the Travel Gem box on the UpTake page, featuring and linking to your post. (note that unless it is in the U.S. or Canada, it will likely not be found on UpTake since they have just started branching out to international spots in the last few months)

This program is available to anyone and is not complicated. Any post that links to an UpTake page will automatically be pinged to UpTake for consideration by an Editor. But if that post address is also provided to me via e-mail, I can bump it up in the queue so to speak. You can find my e-mail address on our About page here in the side bar.

Here is what they look like:



Sandy of You've GOTTA Read This has two Travel Gems - the one pictured above about Universal Studios in Orlando, FL and another about the West Baden Springs Hotel in West Baden, IN.

Matty of Matty Thoughts has one Travel Gem about the Mill Grove Mansion in Audubon, PA.

Kaye of The Road Goes Ever On has two Travel Gems - one about Goblin Valley State Park in Green River, UT and another about Manti-La Sal National Forest in Price, UT.

There are 2 ways to find something within UpTake's search engine:

•Go to UpTake
•Type in Things To Do, or Restaurants, or Hotels under the Find box
•Type in the city/state or country in the In box
•Peruse the list and if you find something that you've written about or want to write about, open the link and copy it into your post (the link can be subtle via the name of the place or more direct through a reference to UpTake specifically)
•E-mail me your post's address

OR

•Go to Google
•Type in UpTake and then the name of the attraction, restaurant or hotel in the search box
•Click on any UpTake link that is not a part of one of their blogs
•Copy that page's link into your post (it can be subtle via the name of the place or more direct through a reference to UpTake specifically)
•E-mail me your post's address

If you would like to participate and have a question, or are interested but are having trouble technically - just let me know. Feel free to share this post with anyone you know who may also be interested. Just be sure to have them e-mail me their post addresses that they have linked to UpTake for speedier Travel Gem creation. A friend of yours is a friend of mine - you are all gems to me!

ON MUSIC ~ Govt. Mule...

Image by

Welcome to the Live Archive, where Andy (aka Concert Boy) regales you with a recap of one of his many concert experiences through the years. Feel free to review his overall list and make a request for a future Live Archive post.

THE ACT: Govt. Mule

THE SCENE: Chevrolet Theatre - Wallingford, CT (02/26/2005)

THE GANG: Me & some Boston friends meeting up with some CT friends

THE OCCASSION: To meet up with friends and enjoy a good show

THE RUNDOWN: Warren Haynes is a guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band and he started Govt. Mule as a side project in the mid 90s w/fellow ABB member, bassist Allen Woody (r.i.p., 8/26/00). Rounding out the lineup was drummer Matt Abts for a down and dirty trio.

Govt. Mule is now a four piece with bassist Jorgen Carlsson, who replaced Andy Hess in 2008 and keyboardist Danny Louis.

The Mule is Warren’s main gig now even though he still plays with the Allman Brothers Band.

This show was the last date of a 14 show February tour in 2005 and the band was in fine form. The Chevrolet Theatre is formerly the Oakdale and this was my first time there. I have been to another show there since and I think it’s one of the better places to see a show in New England. It’s easy to get to and parking isn’t a problem.

The first set had a nice mix of some new and old songs but the highlight was a cover of the Beatles’ "She Said, She Said" > "Tomorrow Never Knows." This pairing has been in Mule’s repertoire for a long time but it never fails to deliver. A strong "Thorazine Shuffle" sent us to the beer stands happy.

The second set was worth the price of admission alone. Opening with a song Warren also plays with the ABB, "Soulshine," the set was off to a nice start. Next up was an excellent cover of "Hunger Strike" (Temple of the Dog) that they just started playing recently that they paired with the Traffic standard "Dear Mr. Fantasy." A Mule favorite, "Blind Man in the Dark," led into Matt Abts’ drum solo and then a blistering rendition of Willie Dixon’s "I Can’t Quit You, Baby." A couple of new songs from the recent album Deja Voodoo closed out the set.

A spectacular encore with a couple more cover songs closed out the show and the tour – Neil Young’s "Cortez the Killer" and Tom Waits’ "Goin’ Out West."

SET 1:
Bad Man Walking
Bad Little Doggie
Left Coast Groovies
About To Rage
Slackjaw Jezebel
She Said, She Said >
Tomorrow Never Knows
Separate Reality
No Need To Suffer
Thorazine Shuffle

SET 2:
Soulshine
Hunger Strike >
Dear Mr. Fantasy >
Hunger Strike Reprise
Blind Man In The Dark >
Drums >
Bline Man In The Dark Reprise
I Can't Quit You
Mr. Man
Lola, Leave Your Light On

ENCORE:
Cortez The Killer w/ Scott Metzger from RANA
Goin' Out West

THE LINKS:

Official Website = http://www.mule.net

Fan Site = http://mulearmy.net/

Charity X-Mas Jam in Asheville, NC = http://www.xmasjam.com/2009/

Live Soundboard Downloads (at cost) = http://www.muletracks.com/

Live Audience Recording Downloads (free) = http://bt.etree.org/index.php?cat=12

PICKS (out of 5):

ON MOVIES ~ Sex Sells...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Sex Scenes...

Sex sells. That's why you see it - on one level or another - everywhere. It can either be alluded to or explicit. In the world of movies, sometimes a sex scene is more effective if the actions are just implied. Other times, full on images of the process make the best impact. Tasteful or tactless, romantic or disturbing, scenes of a sexual nature always get a reaction. Here are some examples that caught our attention. Share on your blog movie scenes involving sex that raised your eyebrows or made you roll your eyes, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Road House (1989) - Trashy Sex - it doesn't matter that Patrick Swayze is involved, the sex against a wall scene here is just tacky.

A History of Violence (2005) - Married Sex - sweet & sentimental bedroom play in one scene, raw and angry on the stairs in another - matches Viggo's character's story perfectly

Risky Business (1983) - Subway Sex -erotic, daring, and delightful - before Tom Cruise got wacky.

Team America: World Police (2004) - Funny Sex - South Park creator's raunchy puppets pushing the envelope.

The Accused (1988) - Criminal Sex - otherwise known as rape, disturbing and vitally important images from Jodi Foster teaching that victims never ask for it or deserve it.

Say Anything (1989) - Virgin Sex - awkward, romantic and loving example endearing Molly to John Cusack forever.

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Boots...

03-19-2010 - These Boots Weren't Made For Walkin'

click photo to enlarge

Visit

to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge

ON BLOGGING ~ Nicheless Wonders...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

We have broken the first commandment of blogging. "THOUGH SHALT HAVE A NICHE." It isn't that we like being sinful bloggers. We would love to have a niche. It would make blogging simpler. We would know which conferences applied to us. Which blogging communities we fit into. We could more easily find collaborative opportunities. People might know how to categorize us in their Reader!

But no. Since the day we started, I have been searching for a niche. It seems that wise ass blogging is not a niche. And truly, we aren't really a snarky or funny blog. We do that, but we also do serious stuff too. We write stories. We share reviews. We provide tips. We share photos. We are just as passionate about sports as we are films. We know a little bit about a lot of stuff. So we tend to attract a very varied audience. But it is hard to become the go-to Bumble when there isn't a niche to excel in.

I have not found our niche and I am getting frustrated. Not a book blog. Not a photo blog. Not a writing blog. Not a food blog. Not a sports blog. Not a mom blog. Sure - ours is a "Personal Blog." But that isn't so much a niche as a catch-all umbrella term for any blog that doesn't sell something. I want to be more than that. Perhaps I should create a new niche. The Bumble Niche.

A niche for those who take their blogs seriously, seeking to be creative, to entertain, and to educate. A niche with a community of collaborators - where there aren't little boxes that we live in, categorizing us and restricting us. A niche where we are all about idea sharing moments - on any topic. A place where all the other niches go to step outside their comfort zone and branch out to new audiences.

Ah - a Bumble can dream. Instead of nicheless wanderers in the blogosphere, we could be pioneers. And when someone asked me what our niche was, I'd have a simple answer to the question - we're a Bumble Niche. Duh!

What is your niche? Does it make you feel pigeon holed or structured? What are the best benefits to being a part of your niche? What would you consider our niche to be and do you want to join it? Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us!

ON BOOKS ~ War And Peace And Fate...

Our kitty Tedy is really trying to wrap himself around Tolstoy. Not being one to discourage a bookworm, I sacrificed my reading pace this week for Tedy's sake. Which was not the best choice for me since this week Stacy & I read through about double our normal page load. And this was some thought provoking stuff folks. Up until now, we have either been exposed to War OR Peace. Now we are introduced to the clash of those worlds together - War moving in to Peace's territory and Peace trying to ignore War. Deep stuff. But just when I would get frustrated by Tolstoy's obsession with battle maneuvers, he would introduce me to a Russian with a Bostonian accent making me smile and keep reading. I'm not kidding - he described one officer as "pleasantly swallowing his R's and dropping consonants" giving us phonetic spellings of this officer's words such as "militiah" and "robbahs." Cracked me up. Here is what happened through the eyes of my core characters...

PRINCESS HELENE
The high society queen of Petersburg continues to hold court for the cream of the crop. Her circle of nobility are pro-French and poo-poo this whole empty talk of war, which surely will fizzle out quickly. Her salon of guests always include the brightest minds and biggest names - though many of them also visit the other salons on the opposing side of politics. Helene and her ilk prefer to live with blinders on and carry on as if war is an unfortunate little itch that will go away if it is ignored.

PIERRE
Helene's husband-in-name-only, Pierre, has been falling for that vixen Natasha - first out of pity for her botched affair with his brother-in-law and subsequent collapse of her engagement to his good friend. Recognizing the danger in his feelings, he cuts her off entirely from his life and swallows the secret of his love for her. Doing what Pierre does, he falls victim to a bout of numerology via the Freemasons which gets him convinced that there is some predestined role of importance for him in the business of war that awaits him. Having failed at impressing his nobility buddies with words at a rally for the Russian Emperor, his only effective expression is to contribute money and men to the cause. Still, it is hard for him to believe that Russia could really be in danger - although everyone else in Moscow is reluctantly jumping ship.

And so, Pierre gets bored and decides to get his ass in gear and take a tour of the nearby approaching war. He thinks it's jolly fun seeing all the troops in person and gets quite a kick out of it. He is restless to see the real action and bumbles his way along through the lines of the troops preparing for full on attack from Napoleon's troops in the morning. Fate has him cross paths with his officer friend Prince Andrei, whose ex-fiancee Natasha he is secretly in love with. As always happens when these two fellows get together, Pierre seems to inspire emotion in his unhappy friend and though it is not a jovial meeting, it does get the inspired juices flowing - with Andrei exclaiming to the tourist Pierre that "war isn't courtesy, it's the vilest thing in the world, and we must understand that and not play at war." After oversleeping, he manages to randomly follow officials around, cluelessly admiring the beauty of battle before getting stuck in the middle of a deadly and important site of Napoleon's first defeat on his march to Moscow. Fate - or luck - spares Pierre's soul from death.

NIKOLAI
Nikolai is pressed back into military service having to leave his true love, Sonya behind for now. Back to leading his regiment, he finds a Mini-Me named Ilyin who he takes under his wing and in comparison to the green soldier, reflects on his own emotional maturity in battle. But even with his wolf hunter's instinct, honed while on leave at home, the humanizing of war won't let him kill an enemy soldier and he questions the medal for bravery awarded to him due to his inspired surge of enemy lines.

While on the march, irony (or "strange fate" as Nikolai muses) places him in the role of knight in shining armor for his sister's (Natasha) ex-fiancee's (Andrei) sister (Maria) who is an old maid no one else cares for. She is trapped in her family's estate with no way of escape due to a peasant uprising while she is grieving her father's death only days prior. Nikolai secures safe passage out for her and thinks she's "pleasant," conceding the successful and morally appealing match a marriage could bring - but is unable to shake that little matter of Sonya.

SONYA
She is out of the direct picture right now with the exception of existing in the background during Natasha's broken heart and subsequent recovery through religion. Sonya is present in the periphery of Nikolai's thoughts however - when the complicated emotions from his encounter with Maria occur. And he also writes a very romantic letter home to her as his "adored friend of his soul" again stating that he will "abandon everything and come flying to you, to press you forever to my ardent breast" if he comes out on the surviving end of this war. She and Nikolai's family are in the middle of trying to sell their estate in Moscow - as the war approaches their doorstep. I am fearful for what fate has in store for this kind soul.

About mid-way through this section of reading, Tolstoy begins to interject himself personally into the story. It takes on a very non-fiction vein and threatens to turn into a history textbook. The actions are told very directly, with quotes and his own commentary about them. Those sections took longer for me to absorb. But throughout, whether on a non-fiction tangent or allowing his characters to tell the fictionalized yet historically accurate tale, he weaves a common thread of the preordained. "But though by the end of the battle the men felt all the horror of their actions, though they would have been glad to stop, some incomprehensible, mysterious power still went on governing them...and the terrible thing continued to be accomplished, which was accomplished not by the will of men, but by the will of Him who governs people and worlds."

His other big point is that war is won or lost by the foot soldiers at the front - not all the planning and ordering around by those deemed to be in command. That spirit alone can overcome the numbers that should win on paper. Maybe it is all a part of those emotions of fate. After all - all of mine and Stacy's characters' paths keep intersecting. Too often to be coincidental. So I am drawn to keep reading - to find out the fated results. Hop on over to Stacy's where she should have a lot to say about Andrei, his sister Maria, his ex-fiancee Natasha, and the return of another of Natasha's former suitors, Denisov.

Related Posts:

• Intro. to Readalong - War - What Is It Good For?

• Volume 1, Part 1 - Love & Peace & Inheritance

• Volume 1, Parts 2 & 3 - I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter

• Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 - Who Needs A Battle When You Can Have A Duel?

• Volume 2, Parts 3, 4 & 5 - Soap

ON BOOKS ~ Community Building...

A few weeks ago, we told you about the above conference being hosted online by Terry Kate of Romance In The Back Seat taking place this weekend. It is a conference jam packed full of panels and discussion forums with publishers, authors and bloggers geared towards bringing in readers - to your blog and to books. Molly will be featured on the panel for Community Building on Saturday afternoon which should be a bit interesting! The complete schedule of events is below. If you register for the conference you can listen and interact with the panels and discuss live in the forums. You will also be able to listen to any archived presentations you couldn't attend live. The cost is $20 and you will also be entered for prize giveaways - including an e-book reader. Click here to register. You will then be e-mailed the access information for the site address.

SPECIAL PREVIEW EVENT - Wednesday 03/17

Forum opens at 11am EST.

Blog Design Wednesday 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Blog Design is so important so join web designers and bloggers all day as we discuss design. Readers want to return to an enticing and dynamic site so lets discuss what works.
Kendra of Creations by Kendra
Kate of The Neverending Shelf
Phoebe of TAMFA
Sarah of She Never Slept

DAY ONE - Friday 03/19

Forums open 11am - 9pm

Publicity - What Publishers Are Doing (Green Panel 1) - 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Find out about how the Publicity Departments work. What they are doing, and what role online venues are playing in their current work and plans for the future.

Blogger - The Ins and Outs (Blue Panel 1) - 12:00 - 1:00pm EST
Learn more about one of the two most popular blog programs. Listen to opinions and ask your questions in the forum.

Industry Bloggers Share Their Insight (Green Panel 1) - 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
Readers and Authors are not the only ones blogging. There are fabulous and informative blogs out there written by Editors, Agents, Book Sellers. Hear what they have to say.

Wordpress - The Debate Continues (Blue Panel 2) - 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
See what bloggers who are working with Wordpress have to say about the free and hosted versions of this blog program.

Special Forum Feature 3:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Live conversation with Borders Books Romance Buyer Sue Grimshaw. Check out her blog. Read the interview that will be featured and then have your questions ready to go.

What Bloggers/Reviewers Want (Green Panel 3) 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Let's face it, blogging is a time consuming labor of love. What can the Publishers do to make our lives easier? Here is your chance to let them know what YOU think needs improvement.

Site Analytics (Blue Panel 3) 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST
This is a key part of running a site. Without feedback it is hard to know what promotion is working and what is not. We will go through the different options you have and what the information means.

The Business of Blogging (Blue Panel 4) 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
The way to millions? Nope. But that does not mean you should be loosing money either. We provide an author and publisher service, see what that means in terms of money. Affiliates, ads, see what other bloggers are doing on their sites.

The Legal Side of Blogging (Blue Panel 5) 7:30pm - 8:00pm EST
See what a lawyer has to say about the new FTC regulations and what they mean to bloggers/reviewers. What are we required to list on our blogs and what is just good practice.

DAY 2 - Saturday 03/20

Forums open 11am - 9pm

Young Adult Publishing and Blogging (Green Panel 1) 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST
YA is not just read by teens. So what is coming our way? Hear from this diverse panel of an Editor, Blogger, and Librarian.
Panelists
Senior Editor, Penguin - Jennifer Bonnell
Blogger - The Neverending Shelf
Bogger/YA librarian - Green Bean Teen Queen

Building Online Community (Blue Panel 1) 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST
What activities can make you friends online and bring in steady traffic? Are giveaways effective? Listen to what the panelists have to say about giveaways, and other techniques.
Moderator - Sarah L. Covert of She Never Slept
Panelist - Molly of The Bumbles Blog

Indie Presses (Green Panel 2) 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Who are the Independent Presses and what are they doing? How do they work differently and what are they looking for?

The Art of Reviewing a Book (Blue Panel 2) 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Is there a style or right way to review? Reviewing is an individual activity, but there are tips to help. Here online book reviewers discuss the process as it is for them. How their style evolved and other goodies.

Review Information - What Publishers Want (Green Panel 3) 4:30pm - 6:00pm EST
Hear what publishers look for when they search your site. What questions do they want answered in a review policy? Find out from them.

Organizing/Planning Your Blog/Site (Blue Panel 3) 5:00pm - 6:30pm EST
Learn from our mistakes. What planning you can do before you start the blog. Also ways to keep up with demand once your blog gets busy. See what have others done and learned the hard way.

ON BOOKS ~ A Lovely Challenge...

Bloggers extraordinaire, Tami & Dave, talk about their love of reading together and their thoughts on what reading inspires in them on their blog, Just One More Thing. So of course it only makes sense that they would create this great challenge designed not only to encourage you to read, but to encourage you to read with someone else. Be it a friend, spouse, child or neighbor - you should be experiencing reading with others.

It was indeed a challenge for these Bumbles to participate, since Andy's interest in reading is still growing, and we rarely read the same things. But when he gave me a certain book for Christmas, he told me that he might like to check it out himself when I was done. Hmmmm. I read that book as soon as I could so that he could have his turn and I could wrangle his thoughts out of him before the mood passed. So here you go - Andy's first ever book review, in addition to mine.



ANDY'S REVIEW:
I'm not a literary critic, so my review of books is generally, "I liked it" or "I didn't like it". Would I ever re-read a book is also something I think about. I always hated it in high school when you had to look deep into the "meaning" of Romeo & Juliet, for instance. I know right off the bat if i'm going to enjoy what I am reading. Since I'm not in high school anymore I only read for myself and I would NEVER read Shakespeare. Writing a review reminds me of when the teacher in "A Christmas Story" tells her students to write a Theme and everybody groans.

As far as The Lovely Bones is concerned I probably never would have picked it up without the hype surrounding the movie recently released. Considering the book was initially published in 2002 and I hadn't heard of it until now, it's safe to assume I never would have read it.

I liked this book. It was an easy read and it was one of those books that I wanted to keep on reading. It was interesting, at least to me, that the main character was dead from the beginning of the book but it read like she wasn't dead.

As far as the other people in the book, I think the mother was the most interesting. I guess it's pretty common for parents of murdered children to drift apart due to the stress it creates on the family, but for her to just up and leave and then come back into the family was like a second plot to the book.

I would give the Lovely Bones 3.5 stars out of 5. It's hard to say a book about a teenage girl getting raped & murdered was enjoyable but the real story is about the effect it had on her family and friends and I thought it was an interesting story.

MOLLY:
I struggle to rate this book. There are parts that are just so vibrant and original. And there are parts that seem to try too hard - or needed better editing. Like many of the reviews I have read, the first half is favored and the second half brings me back down to earth (pun intended).

Upon finishing this book go back and read the preface - that brief little memory of the penguin in the snow globe. It sums up what I feel the narrator, Susie Salmon's, difficult lesson of life is. That it is possible to be trapped by things that you thought made you happy and to be alive when you are able to feel pain.

Susie you see, was raped, murdered, chopped up into pieces and disposed of as a teenager. That is not a spoiler. It is revealed in the opening pages and is the basis for all that comes afterward. She narrates her story from her heaven while her murderer survives next door to her shattered family. Her heaven is filled with all things that she desires, magically there as her whims come and go. But what she desires most - to be alive with her family and friends - is not possible any more. So she is trapped in a perfect world surrounded by things that make her happy. And the people who care for her are finding a way to live through the roller coaster of feelings that cause so much pain.

This is a book of lessons about living. About surviving. About hope and dreams. And it is told through a tale of death, violence and despair. Quite amazing really.

The story seemed to lose some steam once the first anniversary of Susie's disappearance has passed. It began to be more scattered and less in your face with strong emotions and actions. I suspect that is probably true in the real world of mourning someone who has been taken away without closure. But in the story line the writing seemed to suffer for it. The phrase - "it was then that I saw/heard/noticed/felt..." became overused and annoying. Details that had been so tidy before now seemed to be glossed over. It felt rather sloppy. Every time the author had written a perfect sentence to sum up the overall story I thought I had reached the end. And then I would turn the page to see there were still more pages. I'm not sure she knew how to disconnect herself from the story - much like Susie.

There were some plot directions - with Susie's mother, and with Susie's brief "return" - that may be criticized or disliked, but I think they are probably just misunderstood. I came to understand Susie's mother's evolution. What appeared to be poor choices weren't really things she was capable of deciding. She fled to survive. And then with time as a catalyst she was able to see that sometimes you have to embrace your fears to conquer them. Lucky for her she had an unrealistically supportive family. As for Susie's "return"...I think the author needed to give her narrator something good. A piece of the healing process that all victims of violence deserve and often never get. I saw it as something beautiful for her to be able to do. And since the author was a rape survivor, I'm sure the writing of these passages held special meaning.

As the book wound down, it became evident that the author believes that closure doesn't necessarily come from a body - but from the soul. And I thought her use of the icicle as a perfect murder weapon to be clever and it made me smile. Something that didn't happen often in a tale like this. But knowing Susie existed on some level made the tragedy uplifting rather than heart wrenching. 4 stars out of 5.

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So there you have it. In case you couldn't tell, Andy wasn't thrilled to write any review. I forced it out of him. He likes to read, process and move on. I like to read, process and dwell! But I found it interesting that we both enjoyed the book, found interest rather than anger with the mother, and look forward to sharing this book again, when we watch the movie in the future. Thanks Tami & Dave for sponsoring this challenge to bring us all together through books.

ON MOVIES ~ Date Night...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Date Night...

Movies have always been associated with dates. I'm not sure why parents feel comfortable sending their teens off to the movies for a date. Movie theaters and drive-ins are perfect for make-out sessions after all! And if you are trying to get to know someone on a date, the movies aren't the best place to chat. But they are nice for snuggling up, sharing some popcorn and providing fodder for conversation once the lights come up.

Plenty of movies even feature movie date scenes in them - such as The Outsiders and Diner for example.

In high school, my friends and I used to go to the movies together as a big group of guys and girls on weekends. Sometimes people paired off and couples were formed, other times there was just a lot of flirting with the person sitting next to you.

My first real movie date came in college, when I was home from school one summer and I ran into an old prom date. So as not to be rude, I accepted his invite to the movies even though I hadn't seen him in several years and wasn't that interested. I suffered through his selection of Andrew Dice Clay's The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, possibly the most unromantic, unfunny, crude and annoying date movie he could have possibly chosen. That was the last time I saw that guy. Not a very successful movie date.

Andy took me to see As Good As It Gets one Valentine's Day long before we were married. That was a much better date movie choice. Romantic but not exactly a chick flick - with lots of humor and Oscar winning performances.

These days we still have movie dates, but they take place at home, via Netflix, on Friday nights. I sit in my comfy chair. Andy stretches out on the couch. He usually falls asleep at some point if we don't start it soon enough. I tend to stay up late watching all the DVD extras. Not exactly a recipe for romance, but as an old married couple we don't use the movies to make the moves on each other. We actually watch them now. What a novel idea!

Share on your blog your best or worst movie date, movies featuring movie dates or how you use movies for dates these days, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Leave it in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Playing...

07-28-2007 - Two Cuties From Memory Lane - Unity, NH

click photo to enlarge

Visit

to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge

ON BLOGGING ~ Photo Shop...

I like to take lots of pictures. Everywhere I go I'm snapping away - trying different settings, vantage points, and effects. Digital cameras make this possible without the need to wait for expensive film to develop. The results are also easy to upload. But do you practice the two steps to making your photos viewer friendly? If not, your page loads are taking forever and people will ditch your blog before they even get to see the great images you are trying to share.

First, you need to RESIZE your pixels. The pixel size, or dimensions, of the images our cameras take is huge, in order to provide for better quality prints. But for pure viewing, our screens have a much smaller capacity. So therefore you need to make your images have less pixels. 400px x 600px is a good range. Don't worry if the file itself looks like a little thumbnail. When it is uploaded to your blog it will be normal sized.

Second, you need to COMPRESS your image file. This is also referred to as Optimization or Quality in various camera and photo editing software. This will improve the speed of uploading the image on your blog for your visitors, allowing them the opportunity to be actual readers! Basically, you turn big Megabytes into smaller Kilobytes without sacrificing visual quality on the screen, improving page load times. No more than 50KB is a good level and 40KB is even better. So for example, if your original file size is 5MB, get it down by 10x to 50KB.

You can determine the current pixels and file size of your image by letting your mouse hover over the file or by right clicking on the file and selecting Properties. If the pixel dimension and overall file size is outside of the desired range, you can adjust them manually in your camera software or photo editing program of choice, or you can go to Image Optimizer.

This free online site allows you to select your file, choose the image quality and pixel dimensions (height & width) desired and it will automatically RESIZE and COMPRESS at the same time for you! I was introduced to it through my UpTake editor and it is quick and easy.

Regardless of the method you use, be sure to take these two steps before uploading images to your blog. The quality will not suffer and your page loads will be faster. Which means your readers will be happy, potentially turning them into followers.

ON BOOKS ~ Soap...

In honor of reaching the half-way point of War & Peace this week, I thought I'd share a snapshot of the state of my copy of the book. To continue to show the pristine, fresh from the store photo would be a disservice to the truth here. So there it is - my book in its current condition. I had a few incidents of a leaky water bottle in my gym bag so the pages are a bit rumpled. Believe it or not, the reading has been more Peace than War thus far, so I fear for what it might look like when I'm finished with the battles. Anyway, the peaceful time has brought us lots of love. Did you ever watch the TV show Soap with Billy Crystal? Where they spoofed soap operas? That's kind of how I've felt in the past week's reading. Andrei falls for Natasha, who used to love Boris, who is getting intimate with Helene, whose brother Anatole was shot down by Maria, whose friend Julie is now engaged to Boris, who used to date Natasha, who ditches Andrei for Anatole, etc. etc. etc. Oh alright. I'll use my core characters to clarify...

PRINCESS HELENE
Helene is an evil, evil little witch. She has convinced her husband Pierre to acknowledge their marriage exists and now she is the most important lady in high society. She is beautiful, rich and has powerful connections. Everyone thinks she is intelligent and witty, a real treasure. Only Pierre seems to recognize that she is not a genius and only uses people to get what she wants from them - a real gem. And when she gets bored, she helps her equally attractive brother, Anatole, hook up with the young Natasha who just so happens to be happily engaged. Anatole is secretly married to a girl he took advantage of years before and abandoned. Helene seems to thoroughly enjoy setting up her carousing brother with the unsuspecting and naive Natasha. And she has no remorse for breaking up a would be wedding in the process. As Pierre tells her, "wherever you are, there is depravity and evil."

PIERRE
Pierre got tired of his Freemason world when he realized not only did no one listen to his lofty ideas, they only wanted his funding. Plus, he was having a hard time getting over his vices. So he went back to his wife for a change of scenery and turned himself over to the society world of drinking, gambling and women. But all this did was make him even more unhappy. He is bored, surrounded by a world he doesn't fit into. There seem to be two people who he has always had a special bond with - Andrei and Natasha. He helps to get them together, and although he is jealous by the happiness their engagement brings, he is glad for them. Which is why he goes ballistic on his brother-in-law, Anatole, when he finds out Anatole tried to trick Natasha into eloping with him and was the reason she called off her engagement to Andrei. Pierre is beginning to think all women are nothing but trouble and he feels for his buddy Andrei. Pierre needs to find something to do with himself and get out of this depressive rut he's in before he drives himself crazy trying to fix everyone else's problems.

NIKOLAI
After hiding away with his regiment, avoiding the real world during a time of peace and inaction, Nikolai was called home by his family who is going broke fast. They have been living beyond their means and ignoring the signs of bankruptcy. It seems that Nikolai isn't any better at finances than his old man however, since all he does when he comes home is revel in the pageantry and adrenaline of the hunt, along with his dad. So after his sister Natasha gets engaged they need to come up with something for a dowry ASAP. So after downsizing a few estates, Nikolai's mom tells him that their last chance for security is for him to marry a wealthy girl. My mimbo Nickie-boy finally stands up to his mama and tells her there is no way in hell he's going to marry for money when everyone knows damn well that his orphan cousin Sonya, whom his parents have raised as their own daughter, is his true love. I must say, I was stunned by Nikolai's choice here. While everyone else is engaging in loveless marriages and passionate affairs, Nikolai is electing the honorable path of true love (never mind the kissing cousins dealio). And shaking off his mama's boy mantra in the process.

SONYA
Sweet Sonya is quiet, shy, moral and a beauty. She is also the most patient person in Russia. Here she sits, waiting and waiting for Nikolai to come back from war. She has turned down a proposal, waiting for Nikolai's heart to come around. And then she waits for him to recognize the great catch of a woman that she is - still waiting for him right under his nose. When the family gets all dressed up at the holidays in whimsical outfits and visits another nearby estate on a brilliant wintry night, she gains confidence hiding behind her costume, blossoming into a bolder personality that catches Nikolai's eye and lassos his heart once and for all. I hope he doesn't let her down.

This roller coaster of love, deception and heartbreak is hard to keep track of sometimes. So to help things resonate better and to more easily keep track of my thoughts to share with you, I mark up my book. With a pen. All over. I know that is blasphemy to many of you. But it is how I roll. It gives the book a taste of my own character. Some day, if someone else is motivated to pick up my copy and give it a go, they may be intrigued by my personal notations.



They may be distracted.



They may think I was drunk (hey - you try underlining while on an elliptical).



But I guarantee every now and then, they will laugh.



Hop on over to Stacy's where I am sure she treats her book better, even if her dog Max gets his paws on it from time to time. I'm sure she'll be sharing how Andrei is taking things after Natasha called off their engagement, whether Natasha is misguided or mean, how Andrei's sister Maria did or didn't help the situation, and if she thinks we're ever going to see Nikolai's former Captain Denisov again now that Russia is on the brink of war with France again.

Related Posts:

• Intro. to Readalong - War - What Is It Good For?

• Volume 1, Part 1 - Love & Peace & Inheritance

• Volume 1, Parts 2 & 3 - I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter

• Volume 2, Parts 1 & 2 - Who Needs A Battle When You Can Have A Duel?

ON PHOTOS ~ Heartbreakers...

This is Lucy & also Tedy. Our kitties that are about to turn 2 years old next month. They are brother and sister, rescued from a feral stray by a friend when they were newborns and the rest of the litter died. Because we were petless for the first time in our adult lives, we decided to take them in.

They are incredibly cute, troublesome and a source of constant entertainment. And like most free pets, they have become anything but. At their 1 year check-up our vet found heart murmers in both of them. X-Rays and Ultrasounds confirmed that they have genetic heart disease - a thickening of the walls of their heart that will shorten their life spans. Tedy takes 2 different pills twice a day and another every 3 days. Lucy was the healthier of the two until another round of X-Rays and ultrasounds last month showed she had grown worse than her brother, who seems to be doing quite well. Lucy now takes 3 different pills twice a day and another once a day.



When we travel to visit Molly's family in CT, they come with us. When we go on vacation though, we recruit friends, family and neighbors to take turns coming by to give them their meds via pill pocket treats which thankfully they enjoy. But several hours after returning home from an out of town trip recently, Lucy's breathing became distressed and we had to bring her to a nearby emergency clinic. She was experiencing heart failure, even though she had taken all of her meds while we were away.

The vet was able to give her an injection and oxygen from which she responded very quickly. After an overnight stay she was released, acting and looking completely normal. Tedy gave her the cold shoulder for a few days because she smelled different - but he eventually got over it when he decided he needed a bath.



So we continue to give them their meds and have found a local pet sitter with extensive animal hospital experience who will stop by and take care of them when we have to leave town in the future. We let them outside on weekends to chase squirrels because they should enjoy as much of their shorter lives as they can. And rolling around in the dirt makes them purr. Lucy likes to show off her paper wad fetching skills and Tedy likes to show off his oversized belly.



They greet us at the door when we come home, wrestle each other every morning, bust into our bedroom with toys in mouth when we sleep later than they like, curl up in the crook of our legs or settle onto our laps for a scratch behind the ear. But they seem happiest when they are snuggled up together. One big furry ball of love -
that some day will break our hearts when theirs give out. But they're worth every penny.

ON FAMILY ~ A Very Special Sunset...

When I looked out the little plastic window on our plane ride to North Carolina, I saw the sun setting from a different perspective and wondered if that was the way my grandmother would watch sunsets from now on.

My grandmother died a few weeks ago at the age of 87. She lived a long life, surrounded by friends and family. But her quality of life the last several years was a burden to her spirit. I know that her strong faith prepared her for death and that she welcomed the peace. I believe that she spent her recent years preparing everyone else for that. But we would remind her of what she loved in life and though our intent was to make her happy to be here, I think sometimes it made her sad that she couldn't be a full part of it.

The dialysis that she took several times a week allowed her to feel pretty decent once or twice a week. The rest of the time, not so much. I got to see her back in the fall on a vacation designed specifically to see her. Oh sure, we made the rounds visiting relatives on both sides of the family - doing all kinds of fun things. But in my heart, the reason for the trip was to see a grandmother who always took the time to send me chocolate oatmeal cookies - a grandmother I hadn't taken the time to visit in 7 years.

I found a lady who was tired but happy to hug and share details about all of her children and grandchildren's lives. She had friends stopping by to drop off delicious food that fit her dietary restrictions. She had a son teasing her to make her smile while he cared for her health. And she had her same spot in the armchair with the afghan she crocheted, her prized bible and address book on the table next to her, and a clear path to her kitchen - where she did her good works.

She lamented that she could no longer write letters - that she always found the time to send me growing up far away from her. But that she still loved to receive them (hint, hint). She was her feisty self a few days later when all the family nearby gathered in her home to say hello for our visit and to celebrate my cousin's birthday. She teased, told jokes, clever stories and shared favorite memories. That was a good day. The last time I saw her.

So when she died and caught us all a bit off guard several weeks ago, I did not arrive in time to attend the wake. We gathered in her home with everyone after visiting hours instead. This was fine with me because viewings disturb me. I do not like to have my last visual memory of a loved one be replaced by death in a casket. Deceased people in caskets do not look peaceful or beautiful to me. They look dead and cold and alone.

Therefore, I don't go to wakes. And although I find funeral services comforting, I don't take part in any up close viewing before the service. But that doesn't mean my grief isn't personal. I like to remember my grandmother in her chair, the way I left her in the fall. And I liked having her entire family gathered under her roof in her honor, with the spot in her chair filled with her daughter and great-granddaughter when I first saw it without her. And I like that she shared that different perspective of the sunset from above with me while we were flying to her funeral, while everyone else was looking at her casket. She always did understand that we all have our own way of handling things. Thanks Grandma.