(no longer a nanny)Kate

ok, so erin just called me out (or whatever the term is) to write up my answers to the following. as she said, it is a literary thing, so it's probably better for the whole of the world than my list of 50 bizarre things about me.

1) total number of books i've owned.
seriously, you want a number? i'm not sure i would know. like erin, i read a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot as a young teen, and still do. so although my book collection is not as big (being that i live in a small place with someone else who has a lot of stuff too) i've cut it down and only kept my favorites or the ones i have yet to finish reading. i owned all the baby sitters club, most of sweet valley stuff too... ok, a number, probably well over a thousand.

2) what is the last book i bought?
wow. i'm not sure. i bought september for my mom while she went through chemo so she had something really good to read. as she finished chemo last august, ... actually, it might be. i have been personally re-reading many of my favorites, and so that has caused a lapse in my otherwise barnes & noble/borders spending sprees.

3) what is the last book i read?
i just finished reading the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy by douglas adams, again. actually, it's the 'more than complete' because it has 6 books in it. i started thinking we'd go see the movie, but still haven't. more often than not, i find i like the books better than the movies. so it may be best. (exception: Lord of the Rings. LOVE ORLANDO!!)

4) 5 books that mean something to me.

september, by rosemund pilcher. sort of a follow up to shell seekers, but not really. a really warm, family-esque, loving story of two families and their friends and neighbors in scotland. she paints incredible pictures of landscapes and the people themselves. as well, the characters have pulled me in (hundreds of times) and made me love them. if a book can do that... well yeah. i don't cry at this one though.

shell seekers, also by rosemund pilcher. love this woman. this one, i almost love more, but september is really my favorite. penelope keeling is somewhat the main character, and i adore this woman. she is the kind of person i want to be. set in england, and each 'chapter' is a person in penelope's life (her kids, husband, father, mother, etc). just a really good book. did cry a bit.
(do these count as one?)

the way of the peaceful warrior, by dan millman. this book was given to me on my 19th b-day (or thereabouts) but my then crazy, drinking, smoking, chaotic boyfriend. he was also my first (read weird things to mention post). he had/has a good heart, but we were both immature and stupid. getting back to the book.... it follows the story of dan told by the third person. i don't know how true it really is (being that parts are unbelievable and it is sold as fiction) but it's a cool story. it has always made me think, a lot, about myself, my world, the world, and others. if anything, it's opened me up. no tears.

joshua, by joseph girzone. as erin, i recommend the entire series. but this one was the first i read and it is my favorite of them. not an assignment for confirmation, but maybe it should have been. don't remember crying at this one, but i could probably.

tuesdays with morrie, by morrie schwartz and mitch albom. this is my favorite beside september. i love morrie. i wish i'd known morrie. i'm thankful for my own morries. my aunt susan had just died when i read this and so i always think of her. it also reminds me of chappy, who was my advisor in college and also a dear friend, and will always be called chappy. he's not dying, it's just the whole professor thing. oddly, though my grandmother died after i read this i don't think of her. as one of my greatest teachers and heros, i find it strange.

i could go on, but i think i've left 5 now, so i don't want to push it.

5) finger (?) 5 untagged people and tag them in on this...
ok, i'm not sure finger is the right word, but here goes....
maria
amy
sareet
pip
susieb
(i'd say eric too, but erin got him)

i just realized that despite the fact that i say (and feel) that i have almost no female friends.... all the people on my blogs i read list are girls except for leo, pip, aidan, and eric. dead youth pastor and dan eldon don't count because the dead guy doesn't know me... and dan has passed away. his site is maintained by his mom, sister, and friends. tim, as much as i love the man, doesn't count either because he no longer does anything with his site. so weird. so much for 'no female friends'.