The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Starting with the cover art (the picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice), The Night Circus is a book of beauty.  The circus, the clocks, the attractions in the tents, even the people themselves, are intricate and creative yet there is room for interpretation.  The reader can create her own magical world.

The story is also intricate, sometimes to the point of confusion, but in an intriguing way.  The characters and their histories are revealed in minute increments, like blossoms from a circus garden - little surprises springing open at just the right moment.  Like the writing, the plot somehow blends detail with space for each reader's imagination.  The Night Circus is unlike any other book I've read, and I'm anxious for the next unique world that Ms. Morgenstern creates.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Have you ever been on one of those carnival rides that swings you back and forth, gaining speed, climbing higher with each swing, until momentum fails and you sail back down and up the other side?  Eventually there is a moment where you swing high enough that the cage pauses for just a second at the top of the arc before tipping over the top, bringing you down the other side in a new direction.  

That is how I felt reading Janet Evanovich's newest Stephanie Plum novel.  There were moments when the momentum built in one direction, nearly to the tipping point . . . but not quite.  Then the story swings in the other direction, gaining speed again as we reach the point of no return . . . and fall backwards once again.  It was fun, but it lacked that climactic moment of decision and new direction.  In the end the ride slows and everything returns to it's usual spot. . . and we wait, somewhat less enthusiastically, for the next ride.

Thanksgiving Vacation: Hallelujah! Holy Sh*t! Where's the Tylenol?

The title of this post is a quote from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (click on the link to watch the YouTube clip) and it perfectly describes our Thanksgiving celebration.

It started so innocently.  We just wanted to see our kids and grandkids, to have them all in the one spot at one time.  Never mind that we now live in a two-bedroom, one-bath house with half the square footage of our former home - Green Acres has lots of space for boys to run and build forts and search for treasure. Family is all about togetherness, right? With some well-choreographed bathroom time, we could do this.

Amy and the boys flew in to Kansas City on Wednesday evening.  Having those two boys (ages 7 and 5) run off the plane and straight into our arms was the beginning of the "Hallelujah!" portion of our gathering.  Amy even mimicked their actions by running and jumping on Dave.  It got us a few strange looks from fellow travelers, but it was the first of many good laughs.  Mitch had arrived at our house by the time we returned from the airport bearing pizza, and Amanda and her boyfriend showed up a few hours later.  We stayed up late playing Trivial Pursuit, eating and giggling.  But, eventually, (sometime around 1:00 a.m.) we had to go to bed and we got the first hint that their might be a "Holy Sh*t" tinge to this weekend.

The girls shared the guest room, and the four guys (big and little) got air mattresses and the couch in the living room.  We were now hours past the little ones' bedtime and in a new and exciting environment with no individual bedrooms where they could relax and drift off to sleep.  Combine that with tired adults who's patience was waning and we were already questioning this plan.  Eventually we all got to sleep and began Thanksgiving day bright and cheerful.  Air mattresses and bedding were piled into our bedroom, clearing the living room for day-time use.  We shuffled in and out of the bathroom in ten-minute slots, leaving a trail of beauty and hygiene products until the counter looked like an aisle at Wal-Greens.  

Unfortunately, the plan for outside activities failed when the weather didn't cooperate - turning chilly, windy and drizzly and keeping everyone inside for most of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  We did jigsaw puzzles at the kitchen table, then moved on to board games.  We prepared more food, snacked on leftovers and pie, watched movies - we even put up the Christmas tree on Friday evening and had our gift exchange with Amy/boys since we won't be seeing them next month.  

All of these activities were fun, but six adults stuck indoors with two rambunctious boys, two dogs and too-little space causes frayed nerves.  Temper's flared a couple times, but never broke into full flame, thankfully.  Amanda and Layton tried to escape by hitting the Black Friday sales, but had a blow-out, and the cost of replacing the tire and rim put a crimp in their Christmas shopping.  By Saturday morning we were fully convinced that we had lost our minds for trying this, but we could hang on for a few more hours until Amy's plane departed and the others returned to college.  But it wasn't to be...

Like something out of a Stephen King novel, just when we thought we were going to survive this adventure, we heard it....the growling, gravelly sound coming from the basement.  We listened in horror for a few minutes until I broke through the paralysis of fear and said "Dave, the pump on the well is making a strange noise."  Sure enough, the pump on our water well was grinding to a slow death.  Which meant, among other things, the men's room was now located in the shelter-belt behind the house.  Mitch had already headed back to school so, while Dave drove to town for a new pump and various replacement parts, Layton, the boyfriend I'm afraid we'll never see again after this experience, hauled buckets of water from the hydrant by the garden (on a different well) so the women still had indoor facilities.  Bless his heart!

Forty-eight hours later, the house is empty and back to it's usual only-slightly-rumpled state, the new pump is finally humming softly and water miraculously appears when we turn a knob. Two days of hand-hauling water ("How many times a day do you have to pee?") and "bathing" in a sink of tepid water brings a whole new level of closeness to a marriage, but we survived and are still smiling.  At least we were until I went to get something from the freezer for last night's supper.  I moved a box of ice cream to reach behind it, and it sloshed.  Not a good sign.  I began poking other supposed-to-be-solid packages to find them slightly mushy.  Turns out the outlet behind the freezer is on the same breaker as the well pump.  Who knew?  Not us, obviously, or the guy who labeled the breakers.  Although the freezer was running at that time, it had been off for two days while the pump was being replaced.

The thawing food has been disposed of, the pump is still humming, everyone made it home safely, most of the leftovers are gone and we can look back on the weekend with fond memories and determination to never try that again.  Next time, we're meeting at a resort!  Hallelujah - Holy Sh*t - Where's the tylenol?

Thanksgiving Puzzle: Answers

Top row (L to R):  Rosanne, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Bewitched, Brady Bunch, West Wing, The Waltons

Row 2:  Cheers, WKRP in Cincinnati, Alton Brown - Good Eats, Everybody Loves Raymond, Full House, Family Guy

Row 3:  Mad About You, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Happy Days, Friends, The Cosby Show

Row 4:  General Hospital (The Quartermain family), 7th Heaven, Beverly Hillbillies/Petticoat Junction/Green Acres*, That 70's Show, Rachael Ray - Thirty Minute Meals

*This was a bit of a trick question.  This picture is from the November 27, 1968 episode of Beverly Hillbillies, in which the Clampetts go to Hooterville to spend thanksgiving with the folks of Petticoat Junction and Green Acres - so if you guessed any of those three shows, give yourself a point.  If you recognized all three, give yourself a bonus point.

In Everything Give Thanks...

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. - Psalm 107:1

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of all the things you are most grateful for, and hope that the words of the Psalmist touch your heart and you know His enduring love.

A Puzzling Thanksgiving Post

This week's puzzle is, of course, about Thanksgiving.  Below are twenty-two TV families or personalities celebrating the holiday.  How many can you recognize. (Hint: One picture contains characters from more than one show.)

Click to Enlarge

Thanksgiving Preparations

Three kids, two grandkids, two in-laws, one boyfriend, one angry ex-husband, one Alzheimers patient and a partridge in a pear tree.  It's shaping up to be our normal dysfunctional family gathering for Thanksgiving . . . and I can't wait.

Amy and her boys arrive in Kansas City tomorrow evening.  By the time we get back home, the other kids - including the boyfriend - should be waiting.  The in-laws arrive Thursday morning.  That's ten people for Thanksgiving dinner, and eight in the house through the weekend . . . a two bedroom house.  People will be sleeping on the couch, the floor, air mattresses - any place they can find a spot.

Tonight and tomorrow are dedicated to food prep and a light house cleaning.  I see no point to deep cleaning - no one will be able to see the dirt between all the bodies and luggage.  

I will be a little scarce on-line through the rest of the week.  There's a Thanksgiving puzzle and (hopefully) a book review set to post automatically, but I probably won't be visiting you all and commenting until next week.  Hope you have a wonderful holiday and much to be thankful for!