09Apr
A book I haven’t read. Doesn’t matter that I haven’t read it–I’ve read this writer’s short fiction (it’s moving, vivid, lyrical and original) in various literary magazines, and this most recent book, Half of a Yellow Sun, has been critically acclaimed. She just won the Orange Prize for it, and Chinua Achebe called her “a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers.” But also–and this is the part that will interest most of my friends (Aaryn)–not only is it an accurate and heartrending portrayal of the effects of war on ordinary people, it’s also got some amazing sex scenes in it. Seriously, it was what people wanted to talk about for at least half the time in the auditorium Monday night. Here’s the author, probably answering a question about a sex scene:
That’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Say it with me: Chima-maaaaaaaaanda Nn-gooooh-zee Adeeeeeee-chie. It’s like poetry, or music, and I defy you not to walk around for the next three days intoning, Chima-maaaaaaaanda, in your head. Sing it to yourself next time you’re in the bookstore, why don’t you?
06Apr
Categories: Baybish, London
It’s snowing great buckets today, and I am housebound, again, with a rotten cough and sinus crap on the heels of last week’s flu. Since I’m new to London, I have no idea how often it snows, but I understand that today’s snowfall is quite unusual. It doesn’t snow every winter here, and April is late for it, regardless.
Goodlooking took the chickens sledding a little while ago, and he said there were tons of snowmen and people out in the park. He’s going out again later to take pictures–maybe he’ll let me post some. Baybish and I stayed home, and I entertained myself with these:
Her very first piggy tails. Aren’t they sweet?
05Apr
The other night at dinner, Girlish told a story about a boy in her class who got his feelings hurt.
“Poor Sam,” I said.
Boyish chimed in: Mommy?
Yes, Boy?
Did Sam die?
No, Honey. He just got his feelings hurt at school.
Oh.
Girlish: Mommy, tell Daddy the story about Kandy.
Boyish: Did Kandy die?
Me: No, Goofball, what are you talking about?
Girlish: Yeah, I think Auntie Sara would’ve called us.
Boyish: I just like stories where somebody dies.
01Apr
It snowed on Easter Sunday here. I meant to tell you on the day but I didn’t manage to get it done. I took a picture, though. This is the view from our kitchen window. That central strip of grass is our back garden.
I also missed my blogiversary. I knew it was coming up, so I went to the archive to check when my first post was and I missed it. It was March 1st. So, here it is, exactly one month late: Happy Blogiversary to me.
