SNOW!

I get this whimsical thrill walking down a plowed sidewalk with snow piled high on either side, so there is only a narrow, clean path for me to follow. I've come up with two reasons for this: 1) It makes me feel like I live in Lapland in a magical castle of ice and snow, and 2) It reminds me of being little and playing fox and geese in our backyard. We'd watch from the kitchen window with our mom while my dad went out to create a giant maze of paths, and then we'd run around on these narrow little walks pretending to be geese outrunning the fox. My dad taught us well to love snow. We had enough chance early on in Wyoming (see above,) but of course took advantage of every opportunity the Midwest offered, after that.

 Last night when it continued to snow for 8 hours, I knew what my dad would be thinking. He'd be fantasizing about the giant hill in their backyard and the sled run he had lost when the last snow had melted - but now it would be rebuilt! Now the neighbor kids could come over! Now his staff could bring their families! Now there would be more runs - BETTER RUNS! (My mom said she didn't care. She wasn't going out there. If she was going to serve hot cocoa and operate a ski lift, she was going to get paid for it.) He even created a slalom run last week through the trees on the East edge. I felt for certain that I was doomed to crash at the last second, but amazingly made it through.

Now, if you ever thought about wanting to be one of those people who never gets old, then you might want to take lessons from my dad. He apparently refuses to believe he's aged at all, and didn't find anything strange or funny about a man who is almost 60 yrs old going out sledding alone on a Saturday morning to prepare the hill for his grand-daughter. He actually seemed a bit offended that I would suggest it was silly. (All right, but in my defense, their backyard is bordered by two fairly frequented streets, with no privacy fence. Maybe I had too much pride on my mind.) Then a few days later, after he had sufficiently gotten winter fever, I had to convince him to stay in from going out sledding alone at 8:30pm. He thought I was being ridiculous. "Have you ever sledded by moonlight? Its magical!"

I missed the first excursion to the hill. My older brother and his young family went out Saturday morning first, with their dog. Of course, my dad was more than eager to go out again the next day for my benefit, and I was able to convince my 3 yr old niece to come back out for a few more runs. She didn't last long, and resigned herself to eating icicles off the porch railing. I tried taking the dog down with me. Apparently she had enjoyed it the day before. Unfortunately, the first time she got tangled in the rope jumping off the sled. The next time, she panicked halfway down and we crashed. Didn't seem to mind, though. It takes a lot to deter a dog from a good snow. Case in point: she then came bounding across the yard and tackled me mid-flight on my next go.

It's exhilarating, always. Trudging through the white powder, crashing into the soft cold. The chill biting at your face, but the energy of it all keeping you warm. I adore a good snow, and everything it brings - the paradoxical wonderland of adventure and quiet peace.

But you don't have to take MY word for it..

It's book review time! I have a new book to rave about, and demand that you all go out and read it: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Its a short book, so you don't have to worry about a long investment, and I highly doubt it would lose your attention in the first place. When my brother gave it to me, he told me 4 things:
1) Its a ghost story
2) Its really good
3) Its going to be made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe
4) It scared the hell out of him in the middle of the day.
Of course, the 1st and 2nd points grabbed my interest. I didn't really care about the 3rd, though now I'm rather intrigued. The 4th made me wonder what on earth he was talking about. How could a book possibly be that disturbing? Well, it is. Not so much in the context of subject matter, as the way it is presented. The writing is brilliant, and it will make you a bit jumpy at times, to say the least. If the movie is directed and produced as well as the book is written, it will be one hell of a nightmare.

A few others I highly recommend:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Written in the style of a gothic novel, I absolutely loved this book. One thing that always discourages me is when a plotline is so obvious that I've figured it out half-way through the book and get bored. Not this book. You might think you know what's going on, but you don't. And even when things have changed around and you're starting to put things right, bam! Its something completely different. From beginning to end, this story is woven tight.

Five Quarters of The Orange by Joanne Harris
This is another book that kept my interest throughout by not letting go of any of its secrets. The story flips between present day and WWII, and focuses on one woman and the undisclosed event that scarred her family's name during her childhood in a small French village.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Another WWII story, but focused more on the holocaust and its effects. Each chapter flips between the story of a present day Parisian woman, and a little Jewish girl during the war. Opened my eyes to a  part of the holocaust of which I had not entirely been aware.

Cover Me

There are many people who might hold a song so sacred to them that to have another band attempt to cover it is pure blasphemy. I am not one of these people. A good band will understand that there might be a different direction to be explored in a song, or maybe exactly what is needed to pull it off, rock solid. So here is a list of covers that I've compiled, which I believe stand out in doing this work justice. Some are well-known; others I highly recommend you explore.

Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Breeders (The Beatles)
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
Ice, Ice Baby - Ben Kweller (Vanilla Ice)
The Man Who Sold the World/Lake of Fire - Nirvana (David Bowie/Meat Puppets)
True Love Will Find You in the End - Richard Walters (Daniel Johnston)
Rockin' in the Free World - Pearl Jam (Neil Young)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Velouria - Weezer (The Pixies)
Case of You - Tori Amos (Joni Mitchell)
Born Slippy - A Silent Film (Underworld)
Gin and Juice - The Gourds (Snoop Dogg)
Under the Milkyway/Rebel Yell - Kill Hannah (The Church/Billy Idol)
Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
Close to Me/Alec Eiffel - The Get Up Kids (The Cure/The Pixies)
The Ocean - Marry Me Moses (Led Zeppelin)
Just Like Heaven - Goldfinger (The Cure)
Mrs. Robinson - Lemonheads (Simon & Garfunkel)
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies (Velvet Underground)
Iron Man - The Cardigans (Black Sabbath)

Now, with some of these covers, I have to admit that I prefer them to their originals (ie: Happiness is a Warm Gun.) Of course, you could say that was an outrage, as who would know the song better than the composing artist? However, some of these bands have done such an amazing job of bringing out what they had found to truly be the vibe of their respective songs. Also, it would be hypocritical to to get all up in arms, as I know that most people hold the Jimi Hendrix version of All Along the Watchtower as a sacred piece of music, whereas I actually prefer the original Bob Dylan. So... suck it.

I'll use three examples to make my point:
The first, I've already stated - Happiness is a Warm Gun. You have the upbeat, poppy original by the Beatles, which I'm sure most people are familiar with, and the much more complex cover by The Breeders. However, when I brought these two versions to my moms attention a few years back, she pointed out that the kind of sultry, dramatic style used by The Breeders to rework the song would probably have been considered taboo in their generation, as the storyline is so dark, in itself. To me, after hearing the cover and feeling the meaning of the story, the Beatles original almost seems like a joke. I ADORE what The Breeders did with it, and think they developed it into a masterpiece, some 30 years after it was written.

Second example: Just Like Heaven. Another sacred band; another sacred song, and here I am suggesting you take a band like Goldfinger into consideration as a worthy successor. Don't get me wrong - I love the Cure, and I love the original - but for me personally, it doesn't have that drive and reckless abandonment of love that is captured by Goldfinger.The Cure portrays more of a dreamy love ballad - which is fine, and I'm sure that's what they were trying to achieve. Goldfinger just allows the passion to thrive. This is one that I'll admit to not immensely preferring over its original; its just always lit a fire in my heart.

The third: True Love Will Find You in the End. Seriously, you don't even need to listen to the whole original. I couldn't get through it. It was like nails on a chalkboard compared to what Richard Walters did with the song. So much better. It suddenly becomes this beautiful, deeply moving lullaby. Probably the same effect a lot of people think covering artists had on original Bob Dylan songs (I love Bob Dylan, you leave him alone!)

The others on the list, well, you just really need to listen. I believe all can be found on youtube, if nothing else.
So, go explore!

Total Girl Moment

Why does it seem that all women are born with this illogical desire to own each and every pair of cute shoes they see? I never thought of myself as having a shoe problem, but over the past few years, I've found myself staring at ridiculously overpriced pairs of ballet flats, boots, etc., that I might only wear once or twice, thinking how adorable they would be, even for that instance. Its a curse. I think I've done well with controlling this female urge thus far, and only own, oh... 15 pairs? But a girl HAS TO have that many! Each outfit demands a certain style, a certain ambiance. You say something completely different about your look if you wear Chucks with jeans as opposed to a nice pair of slip-on Oxfords (and I must say here that I LOOOOVE my brown Oxfords. As in, I can't believe I was lucky enough to purchase a pair of shoes so unbelievably comfortable, cute, and versatile, all at a great price! b/c of course, you have to buy everything on sale. Its not a find if you pay full price. Unless its something amazing that you just have to splurge on right then and there.. like this single-shoulder, deep purple, soft faux-suede, ruffled blouse I just bought b/c IT. IS. GORGEOUS. and makes me look like a goddess.)

Back to the shoes... I was out with my mom shopping for fall/winter boots tonight, and while she was looking for a very specific type of knee-length black heeled boot, I just wasn't in the mood to get anything. Excepting that those mid-calf suede boots with the fur and tassles that appear to have jumped right out of a Viking settlement just looked so damn adorable. I'd never wanted a pair of anything resembling those, but now they're insulated and water-proof! And c'mon, I'm Danish. With a pair of leggings I'd look more like a Viking vixen than any of those skinny sororitites out there. OK, I didn't buy them. I couldn't justify it. I could only think of a couple of times that I'd actually wear them, and that wasn't good enough for me to throw my money at. Granted, I did go directly into a shop that seems to have appeared out of nowhere that is soooo cuuuuuute, where I bought the aforementioned blouse, and who on earth knows when I will EVER get the chance to wear that.. but I digress.. again.

Now that I think about it, I believe it starts at a very young age with Barbie dolls and dress-up. Barbie dolls have every accessory and shoe available to them that little girls can mix and match with each outfit. Why wouldn't we be allowed to do the same thing when we're adults? But then does Barbie have all those shoes and outfits b/c the lavishly dressed divas of reality inspired her wardrobe? Is it the chicken or the egg?? There have always been rich women, but then again, there have always been dolls. So I guess it just comes down to the innate desire to have more and as much as possible, only in women the obsession seems to be directed toward fashion. Is it b/c we love pretty things, or does it have a deeper psychological root? I think we're getting into a more serious area of discussion here than I had originally planned, so I will stop with this: We went into Nordstroms tonight, and found they have a Shoe Salon. A SHOE SALON. There is a man there dressed full out in a 5piece suit and tie to assist you in finding the perfect pair. We went over to browse through the rows included in the boot sale, and found pairs marked down to $250. We took the hint, and promptly left.

Home is where....

My whole life I've struggled with the answer to one question. In fact, for the longest time, I was confused as to what people were really wanting to know. For a little kid, this shouldn't be such a difficult problem. "What is your hometown?" Seems simple enough, right? Well, I didn't understand what that meant. Did they want to know where I was born? Is that what it means? I was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming.. but we moved when I was 3 years old. So could I really feel comfortable saying that was my "hometown?" I didn't grow up there. I certainly have no roots there. (I do have an insatiable love for the mountains and the vast wide open, but who wouldn't?) After the age of 3, we moved until I was 10 years old, which is when we settled in Kansas. Now when people ask, I tell them I spent most of my time growing up around Lyndon, KS. We lived there for a good 10 years before my parents moved again while we were all away at college. The home - the house - the small, tiny town; that was my home, but I am not able to go back to it. Sometimes I greatly envy those people who can go back to their childhood homes. The memories. Being able to sleep in their old rooms. I often have dreams about my house. It seems cruel to be a nomad half your life, to settle down for one portion, then move on again.

Now everyone is scattered around the country. Immediate family, childhood friends, college friends, cousins, etc. No one in the same area, either. Its like they all picked different corners of this gigantic country and decided to spread out. Such is life, I suppose. Though when home is to be found in loved ones, and no one is in the same place, it can sometimes get depressing.

I've felt misplaced for quite awhile now, unable to feel like I've found my home, and I'm trying to decide why. I lived in Lawrence, KS for a good 8 years, and while I now often refer to it as my hometown - where I was able to do a lot of growing, and the one place I feel able to call my own - it never felt like it was meant to be my settling place. So I'm on another stepping stone, trying to decide where to go from here. At this point in my life, I have no pressing reason to be in any specific location. Some might be envious of that situation, but it can sometimes drive a girl mad. Home is where the heart is. My heart is floating free, and is so confused.

Some Rock 'n Roll

Awhile ago I compiled a list of all the bands that I have gone to see live. Now, I realize there are people who have seen many more bands than this.. but I also realize there are people who have seen much less.. so it doesn't matter.  These are all bands that tour and have a professional album. I've seen a lot of local bands, but I didn't feel like listing them all. oh yeah, and not all of the opening bands are listed, b/c they were either too terrible or not important enough for me to remember (though I usually forget the name, the experience is never lost, so we can still laugh)  Also, like all of life's experiences, I could probably tell an interesting story about most any concert on this list. So, here we go:

Old 97's

Garbage
U2
Weezer - 2
Tenacious D
Super Furry Animals
Jimmy Eat World
Pete Yorn
AM Radio
Cursive
Wilco

Jay Farrar
Ben Kweller
Pearl Jam
Idlewild
The Sounds - 2
Kill Hannah - 2
Ozma
Nada Surf
Rooney
The White Stripes
Quintron and Miss Pussycat
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Midtown
Reggie and the Full Effect
The Strokes
Eagles of Death Metal
The Get Up Kids
Maritime
Ultimate Fakebook
Mewithoutyou - 2
Anberlin
The Faint - 2
Bright Eyes
Chris Isaak
Natalie Merchant
The Blood Brothers
Blood, Sweat, & Tears
The Appleseed Cast
Michelle Branch (the only thing we could find on my 21st bday....)
Spoon - 2
Ben Folds - 2
The Old Canes - 4
Midday Ramblers - 3
Shiny Toy Guns
Civil Twilight - 2
Placebo
The Billions - 2
Koufax
A Silent Film - 3
Brendan Benson
Dropsonic - 2
The Foo Fighters
Cake
Smashing Pumpkins
The Airborne Toxic Event - 2 (AMAZING)
Minus the Bear

There are also a few that I don't even want to admit that I've seen b/c of circumstances like waiting for the next act and the band was so bad the guy at the door let me in for free. *cough*Simple Plan*cough* oh god, that was terrible.


Moving on, I've started thinking about the bands that are still on my must see list. There are only two bands that really sticks out in my mind: Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie. I've always missed out when they've been in town, and they are probably the last bands I would LOVE to see. (Actually I could've gone to see them in Lawrence with Nikki, but a certain guy had told us he could get us tickets to The Mars Volta, so we held out on spending our money. Yeah.. That didn't work out.) A few others that come to mind: Beck, Jimmy Eat World again (its been awhile,) The Swell Season or Glen Hansard, Silversun Pickups...

The others are more or less older bands that I just feel wouldn't do themselves justice as they would've done back in their prime. So, here is a list of concerts I would've liked to see at the band's peak, if time was no object:

Led Zeppelin (OF COURSE)
The Clash
Queen
The Beatles (obviously)
Nirvana
Beastie Boys! (RIP MCA)
The Pixies
The Rolling Stones (early years, just for good rock 'n roll measure)
Rage Against the Machine (hell yes!)

There are SO many other bands from the past that I would've liked to see, but I couldn't begin to list them all. I know you're sitting there coming up with a list of those I haven't mentioned, but lets just say I would've liked to have taken in every decade. That covers a lot of bases. A lot of stuff from 1965-1975, though. Think of an artist in that time period, and I probably would've liked to have seen them. For instance, Jefferson Airplane. Jimi Hendrix. Bob Dylan. Ok, you get the idea... Similar idea with the punk/post-punk era. That would be kind of fun to experience, right?

Seasons of Mist

Well, congratulations to the US Central Plains for finally jumping into the seasonal routine. I can finally wear a jacket outside, and the fall foliage is becoming quite lovely. Thankfully I was able to take a trip to the North and East this October (the most precious of months,) and was able to take in an Autumn to remember. I'm beginning to miss the magical region that is central Pennsylvania, with is winding roads, gentle mountains, deep streams, and old buildings dotting the countryside.

Glorious Autumn! Besides the colorful scenery, there is always so much to do in the Fall. Did you know there are people that have never been to a pumpkin patch? I was appalled! Who are these people, and where do I find them? I will take them on a tractor-pulled wagon right now! There's apple picking and cider, fall festivals, and bonfires. Anything to get you out in a hoodie in that crisp and chilly weather!

The most exciting part of October obviously comes at the end.. the very end. I belong to that population of adults who may have grown up, but still carry a strong love for the holiday of Halloween. In fact, I think my love for it may have grown as I've aged, since it was mainly about the candy and trick-or-treating when we were kids. I've never been into the grotesque, living-dead, bloody ax-murderer stuff. My parents never allowed us to get into that sort of thing, and I now kind of agree with them. To me, Halloween is a mystical time for spirits and creatures, and letting your imagination thrive. It is easy to feel the energy of its Samhain origins in the October night chill. In Celtic tradition, this was a time when the border between the living and the Otherworld became thin. So for some, the tradition of warding off bad spirits by wearing costumes to mimic or scare, has turned into a commercial horror-fest. However I, like many others, like to take this time as an opportunity to let the imaginative spirits inside come alive, and become what I possibly couldn't be any other time of the year.

 I was very pleased when I threw my first Halloween party back in 2004. Not only did people show up to carve pumpkins beforehand, but everyone came back dressed in full costume...some of which had taken a lot of thought. After that, the annual costume party was something to look forward to every October. Well, until everyone moved away.

And of course, there are the movies. This is the time of the year when I will watch anything with a little mysticism and spook. Anything to get me in the spirit. That said, even though it is now a 17 year old Disney movie, I still have to watch Hocus Pocus each year. Its just a must. I've already gotten it out of the way this year with my brother and sister-in-law in Pennsylvania (they even made up a drinking game - drink whenever you're ashamed to be watching it. ha!) Other good bets:

Spooky Musts
Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Haunting
The Omen
Dracula

Witchy Goodness
The Craft
The Witches of Eastwick
Practical Magic

Harmless Fun
Young Frankenstein
The Halloween Tree
Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Beetlejuice
Death Becomes Her

You might be wondering about the absence of the most common extreme horror flicks. I'm not really a big fan of blood and gore. I like supernatural suspense and bizarre twists, just not really crazed maniacs with chainsaws. Ooh. But I will say that Shaun of the Dead is a nice little addition to any movie night this time of the year!

Happy Haunting!!