It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

No words necessary!

Happy Thanksgiving

MSFMG sent an e-card this morning that made me want to include "Simple Gifts" on my blog today.
It reminds me to be thankful for the simplicity of the most valuable gifts life has to offer;  love, peace, and health.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Community Love

Christmas episode is on Dec 8 at 8pm on NBC.

Winter traffic snarls...

Seattle Area Alerts

11/22/2010 10:55 PM

Blocking Incidents

• On I-5 northbound at Mercer Street there is a disabled vehicle blocking the 3 left lanes.
• Update 10:07 PM : On I-5 southbound just south of SR 161 there is a collision blocking the HOV lane. Fire Assistance has arrived on the scene.
• On I-405 northbound just north of SR 522 there is an incident blocking the HOV lane.
• On I-5 northbound at South Center there is a disabled vehicle blocking the HOV lane.
• Update 9:54 PM : On I-405 southbound just north of Coal Crk Pkwy there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane. The State Patrol has arrived on the scene.
• On I-5 southbound at Lake City Way there is a collision blocking the 2 right lanes.
• Update 10:53 PM : On SR 520 eastbound just west of 84th Ave NE there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane.
• On I-5 northbound at Lake City Way there is a disabled vehicle blocking the 3 right lanes.
• Update 8:07 PM : On SR 599 northbound at East Marginal Way there are several disabled vehicles blocking all lanes.
• Update 9:49 PM : On SR 520 eastbound at 92nd Ave NE there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane.
• Update 9:06 PM : On SR 520 westbound at I-5 there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane. Tow Assistance has arrived on the scene.
• Update 7:21 PM : On SR 99 southbound at SR 599 there is a collision blocking the left lane and the right lane.
• Update 5:36 PM : On I-5 southbound at S 188th St there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane.
• Update 7:18 PM : On I-5 southbound at NE 45th St there is a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane. The State Patrol has arrived on the scene.

When the injustice of a cruel world is more than you can bear...

First Snow of Winter 2010 - 2011

Yesterday afternoon it started snowing big flakes in the Crossroads area (yes, they look like big raindrops, but I assure you, they were big snowflakes moments before they hit the windshield of my car). Luckily all that went away and it was a dry night.
This morning I started working early when it was still dark. By the time it got light it was snowing big flakes again. The winter begins...

(P.S. I can't seem to get the top picture to print in this area...that's the one that is this morning's snow from my work area at home.)

I finished my first Kindle book

Not to mention, the first book I've finished in a long time that wasn't Doctor Who.

I just finished reading Melissa Anderson's new book called "The Way I See It".

I selected it to read because I'd already started Alison Arngrim's book "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated" and in that book, Melissa Anderson does not come off well. I was interested in hearing Melissa's side of the story.
Melissa Anderson's book was light and easy to read quickly, so I put aside Alison Arngrim's book for the short time it took to read this one through.
I thought it sounded like the kind of book stars might have written in the old days when their squeaky clean reputation was important, or an old Tiger Beat magazine article. Melissa doesn't say anything unkind about anyone or any experience. Everything is upbeat and happy. She mentions some uncomfortable acting situations but nothing that she doesn't put a good spin on.
Which, in real life, is a blessing.
For a book though? Eh. It lacked emotion. Long passages of the book are her scene by scene descriptions of Little House episodes. The little tidbits of information she throws in are not entirely interesting. For instance, when she writes that an actor was in the episode and then tells us what other movie the actor was in. Oh. Ok.
Other sections of the book are written as if they are part of a script. That seemed wasteful and gimmicky to me
I believe this book was put together quickly to capitalize on both Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim's books which also came out this year (and I purchased on Kindle).

I wanted to read the book to find out if Alison Arngrim's characterization of Melissa Anderson was the truth or not. I come away thinking it very well could be.
Melissa Anderson confirms that she wasn't great friends with Melissa Gilbert; their personalities weren't the same. As much as we, the viewing public, would like to believe they shared a special real life bond because they played sisters on television, the truth is they were coworkers. That's it.
Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim were good friends, also confirmed by Melissa Anderson.
From that, I assume Alison and Melissa Anderson were coworker's. That's it.
I could absolutely believe there was much more conflict (and interesting details) than Melissa Anderson describes in her book. I can also believe that Alison Arngrim is relaying the truth of the relationship as she felt it, which could be different than Melissa Anderson meant it. Or not.
I don't think Melissa Anderson cares. She's okay with whatever people think because she's happy with her life as it is.
And that is the difference between Melissa Anderson and Melissa Gilbert/Alison Arngrim and why they don't have the special relationship we want them to have; they just don't think about things the same way.
No big deal.
And that's what I take away from the book.
Other than the fact that it cost the same as Alison Arngrim's book and Alison's book is five times meatier than Melissa Anderson's. I don't think Melissa cares - not because she's mean, It's just not where her life focus is.

Here's link to a video of Melissa promoting the book. She seems normal to me - nice, not overly interested in telling her life story, but not immune to wanting to make a few dollars.

By the way - Along with Melissa Anderson and Alison Arngrim's books, I also purchased Melissa Gilbert's book "Prairie Tale: A Memoir", so eventually I'll have completed the Little House On The Prairie trifecta.

(The Little House books were my faves when I grew up in the 1960's - hardcovers with illustrations by Garth Williams...classic. Strange to see that all these years later I'm commenting not on the Little House story, not on Laura Ingalls Wilder, not on the television show, but on the lives of the three child stars of the television show which I only watched 'cause I had read the books. Crazy.)

I'm quite taken...

Confession: I was awake in the overnight hours back in 1981 to see Prince Charles marry Lady Diana.
And...I even have a book commemorating it.
Yesterday's official announcement of the engagement of Prince William to Katherine Middleton reminds me how much fun it is to be happy for people I don't even know.

I've linked to a video of what I assume is their official engagement interview. It's reminiscent of Charles and Diana's interview - same ring, same seating position. But, based on what I heard, it's a match made by a different standard than Charles and Diana's. William seems like a well grown up man and I feel strangely proud of him for overcoming all the emotional obstacles to become comfortable and happy. I wish Katherine all the best.

Prince William was especially endearing after the 14 minute mark when he said one of the reasons they waited so long (they've been dating for about 8 years) is to give her a chance to back out because he's trying to learn from past experiences. They both wanted to mature into themselves before committing to something quite unimaginable.

I'm just so glad for this family if they've managed to come out of the drama, scandal, and tragedy of the past to be happy and fulfilled.

National Treasure - Roger Ebert

It's a wonderful gift to live in the world in which Roger Ebert writes.