My Year in Books 2018

Hi everyone! I know it’s been a ghost town on this blog for a while. I meant to get back to it but things got in the way. I doenjoy this little book list habit I got into a few years ago, and I want to keep doing it every year. 

What book list habit? A few years ago, I started doing the “My Year in Books” at the end of the year, because I saw it on a friend’s blog. Go check out Lisa’s blog (where I first saw “My Year in Books”); her blog is called Two Bears Farm. The first time I had done “My Year in Books" was because she had done it on her blog. I believe she had done it because she'd found it on someone else’s blog. But I don’t think that original blog is up and running anymore. I can no longer find it. 

Ever since I first participated in the year-end “My Year in Books” theme, I’ve made it a habit to wrap up my year in books on or around December 31st.

The idea is that you take the following prompts and "answer" each one with the title of a book you read during the year. 

So here is "My Year in Books, 2018.”

Describe yourself: 

The Escape Artist, by Brad Meltzer

How do you feel: 

Flesh and Blood, by Patricia Cornwell

Describe where you currently live: 

Chaos, by Patricia Cornwell

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: 

Odessa Sea, by Clive Cussler

Your favorite form of transportation: 

The Perfect Horse, by Elizabeth Letts

Your best friend is: 

The People v. Alex Cross, by James Patterson

You and your friends are: 

(Robert B. Parker’s) Colorblind, by Reed Farrel Coleman

What's the weather like: 

Depth of Winter, by Craig Johnson

Favorite time of day: 

Nighthawk, by Clive Cussler

What is life to you: 

Wait for Signs, by Craig Johnson

Your fear: 

Cave of Bones, by Anne Hillerman

What is the best advice you have to give: 

Wait for Signs, by Craig Johnson

Thought for the day: 

E is for Evidence, by Sue Grafton

How I would like to die: 

Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie 

My soul's present condition: 

Shadow Tyrants, by Clive Cussler

I’m woefully behind in my yearly reading, so this year’s responding to the prompts took some thought. Also, some of my book titles this year were repeats. I had read books in the past and enjoyed them. So when I had some long road trips, I’d revisit those stories (that I’d read a year or more ago) via audiobook. 

My Year in Books 2017

Hi everyone! A few years ago, I started doing the “My Year in Books” at the end of the year, because I saw it on a friend’s blog. Go check out Lisa’s blog (where I first saw “My Year in Books”); her blog is called Two Bears Farm. The first time I had done “My Year in Books" was because she had done it on her blog. I believe she had done it because she'd found it on someone else’s blog. But I don’t think that blog is up and running anymore, since I can no longer find it. 

Ever since I first participated in the year-end “My Year in Books” theme, I’ve made it a habit to wrap up my year in books on or around December 31st.

The idea is that you take the following prompts and "answer" each one with the title of a book you read during the year. 

So here is "My Year in Books, 2017 Edition"!

Describe yourself: 
Song of the Lion, by Anne Hillerman

How do you feel: 
(Robert B. Parker's) Debt to Pay, by Reed Farrel Coleman

Describe where you currently live: 
The House of Secrets, by Brad Meltzer

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: 
Odessa Sea, by Clive Cussler

Your favorite form of transportation: 
The Western Star, by Craig Johnson

Your best friend is: 
Deal Breaker, by Harlan Coben

You and your friends are: 
MatchUp, by Lee Child (Editor)

What's the weather like: 
Vicious Circle, by C.J. Box

Favorite time of day: 
Nighthawk, by Clive Cussler

What is life to you: 
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley

Your fear: 
Typhoon Fury, by Clive Cussler

What is the best advice you have to give: 
Cross the Line, by James Patterson

Thought for the day: 
The Cuban Affair, by Nelson DeMille

How I would like to die: 
(Robert B. Parker's) The Hangman's Sonnet, by Reed Farrel Coleman 

My soul's present condition: 
Fallout, by Sara Paretsky

So there you have it! What were some memorable books you read in 2017? 

My Year in Books (for 2016)

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! 

I know my posts have been few (VERY few) and (VERY) far between during 2016. But once again, I’m back with my annual “books for the previous year” post. Lisa from the Two BearsFarm blog originally got me started on this meme a number of years ago. I can’t seem to find the blog that had originally hosted this meme, so I’m posting this as a stand-alone. But please! Feel free to visit Two Bears Farm because she has a lovely blog covering everything from rural living, kids’ adventures, exercise, horses, and more. . . .

I usually like to post my "My Year in Books" on December 31st, so my list is reflecting "the current year's reading," but Andrew was on the computer a lot these past few days. And we had been at my parents' for Christmas. Since I don't have a laptop, I wasn't able to work on this post until now. But here it is, finally - my "My Year in Books" for the year that just ended. . . .

Here’s the deal with this post: using only titles of books that you read during the year that just ended (2016), complete the prompts below. Try not to repeat any book titles.
 
Describe yourself: 
The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans

(Note: This is a re-read for 2016. I’d originally read it when it had first come out in 1995. So, a 21 year period between the first and second readings! I love the movie, which I re-watch once in a blue moon, and wanted to revisit the book. There are always extra (sometimes minute) details in the book that I sometimes forget about.

How do you feel: 
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

(This is another 2016 re-read. Well, I actually listened to it, to be exact. I was going back and forth between eastern Iowa and Northwestern Indiana a few times during the summer, and had already had the audiobook. I’d first read the book in, oh, probably 2007, after it was already in paperback, and I loved it! And then I’d seen the movie with Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah, and loved the movie, too. I felt that it was true to the book’s essence and not just “based on” the book. I’d listened to the audiobook in 2015, but listened to it again in 2016. It’s obviously a favorite.)

Describe where you currently live:
The Professor’s House, Willa Cather 

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Off the Grid, CJ Box

Your favorite form of transportation:
The United States Pony Club (USPC) Manual of Horsemanship, Susan E. Harris

Your best friend is:
The Highwayman, Craig Johnson

You and your friends are:
A Monstrous Regiment of Women, Laurie R. King

What's the weather like: 
Havana Storm, Clive Cussler

(Again, a re-read via audiobook. I did a lot of driving during the summer of 2016, so my library’s audiobooks were MUCH appreciated. When driving alone, I especially like listening to stories I’d thoroughly enjoyed having read in the past. Occasionally, I wasn’t able to really pay attention to the audiobook, like during heavy traffic in the Chicago area. So having read the book already (even if it had been a few years ago), I felt like I didn’t miss anything by not having paid attention for a certain section of the audiobook. When driving with my husband, I try to get books that we will both enjoy, but also I like getting books that I maybe haven’t had the chance to read, yet. When I’m the passenger, it’s easier to dedicate my full attention to the audiobook, because when I’m driving, I’m mostly focused on the driving part.)

Favorite time of day:
Night Fall, Nelson DeMille

(Yep. Another re-read via audiobook, checked out of our local library. My husband and I listened to this on our way from Northwest Indiana during our trip there July 22-31, 2016. I’d originally read this when it had first come out in 2004 and knew it would be a book he’d enjoy listening to, during our 8-hour one-way drive.)

What is life to you:  
An Obvious Fact, Craig Johnson

Your fear:  
The Emperor’s Revenge, Clive Cussler

What is the best advice you have to give:
Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life, Dara Torres

Thought for the day:
Christmas in Absaroka County, Craig Johnson

How I would like to die:
Cross Justice, James Patterson

My soul's present condition:
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, Laurie R. King

So there it is. 

And now for a couple resolutions: keeping this blog from drifting away from me, like it has in the past few years! And continuing to read more than I did last year!  

My Year in Books (2015)

Hi everyone! I know I've left my blog in a sad ghost-town state. But I'm back to close out 2015, though, and will try to post a little something monthly (or, at least a little more regularly) in 2016.

As in years past, I have been fond of closing out the year with a "year in books" that Lisa over at Two Bears Farm got me hooked on in 2010.

The idea was for me to answer the following prompts with titles of books I had read in 2015 (and they are basically the same prompts from year to year, since I started doing this).

Here's my year in books:

1..  Describe yourself:  Messenger (Craig Johnson)

2.  How do you feel?  Endangered (C.J. Box)

3.  Describe where you currently live.  Peril at End House (Agatha Christie)

4.  If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  Duma Key (Stephen King)

5.  Your favorite form of transportation?  Divorce Horse (Craig Johnson)

6.  Your best friend is: Radiant Angel (Nelson DeMille)

7.  You and your friends are: Junkyard Dogs (Craig Johnson)

8.  What's the weather like?  The Long Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

9.  What is life to you?  Medium Raw (Anthony Bourdain)

10.  Favorite time of day? The Dark Horse (Craig Johnson)

11.  Your Fear?  The Pharaoh’s Secret (Clive Cussler)

12.  What is the best advice you have to give? Wait for Signs (Craig Johnson)

13.  Thought for the day:  Brush Back (Sara Paretsky)

14.  How I would like to die: A Serpent’s Tooth (Craig Johnson)

15.  My soul's present condition:  Rock With Wings (Anne Hillerman)

It's a fun little "creative" exercise, don't you think?

I hope you all read lots of good books in 2015. I sure have some books I'm currently reading, as well as a nice stack waiting on my nightstand (and wishlist in the coming months). 

And since I don't have any pics of books, I'll add a pic of Liv on the Culver Academies campus, with the Huffington Library in the background. 

This pic was taken during the summer of 2015, during Liv's first (bronze butterfly) summer in Culver's Woodcraft Camp. I had signed her out on "permit" on a weekend afternoon to go out to to lunch and hang out a bit. 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy whatever you have planned for New Year's Eve (we're staying home with a game of Scrabble and sparkling grape juice for Liv and mimosas for the adults). I also hope that 2016 is full of positive experiences for all of you.

Jock's Snowy Morning

Alright, so many of you are probably aware that the Midwest got hit by a snowstorm yesterday and  it lasted through the overnight hours. We ended up getting approximately 6.2" in my neighborhood.

Plus, we're going back into the deep freeze this week. When I headed out with Liv to take her to school this morning (after a 2 hour delayed start), the temp was -5°F with a wind chill of around -19°F. Let me tell you, she was bundled up. Long underwear, clothes, snow pants, snow boots, neck gaiter, winter coat, mittens, hat. She said her snow gear is SO WARM (thankfully!!) and the walk to school - 0.26 one way/door-to-door (we're literally right across the street) - is short.

We're supposed to be above 0°F for a high temp (though in the single digits, around 8°F). Tonight, though, it's supposed to be -11°F; who knows how cold the wind chill will get. Tomorrow? A high of -5°F and tomorrow's low expected to drop to -18°F. No wonder we've got a wind chill warning, huh?!

It really could be worse, though! Liv and I are reading The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In this book, Laura describes blizzard after blizzard the Ingalls family endures in their house in the Dakota Territory during the winter of 1880-1881. She often mentions the bitter cold they were enduring this particular winter, and how, when she was in bed, she would look up at the ceiling and see how frost coated the ceiling board nails thickly in white. (They could also see their breath upstairs in their bedroom!!) 

And at one point, she mentions that, when Pa went down the street one day (they lived in town at this point) to find out the news from other townsfolk, he'd mentioned, upon his return home, that it was around 40° below!! 

A high of 8°F doesn't seem so bad, especially when the sun is making a weak (but hopefully not brief) appearance.

Anyway, I did entitle this post "Jock's Snowy Day." Yes, my original intent was to share a few pictures of Jock's enjoyment of the snowy back yard. He was born in August 2014, so last year was obviously his first winter. He LOVED it. He loved rolling in the snow, running around in the snow, eating, it, sticking his snout into snow drifts and rooting around . . . I was hoping that this winter, he'd be just as enamored of the white stuff as he was last year. 

Yep. He sure is. 

 

These were taken this morning, during Liv's two hour delay. She watched a bit from the window while I went out to take a few pics of Jock. I didn't get any of him while he was rooting around (SO FUNNY!) because he'd hear my camera's buzz while I focused on him, and he'd immediately whip his head around and look at me. But you can see the snowy effect of his rooting!

We didn't stay out long because of the wind chills, and the fact that his veterinary hospital posted about only taking dogs out for elimination purposes only while we're in this deep freeze. But I figured a few minutes here and there would be okay.

And then Liv had to go to school. I usually take her to the corner, and then the crossing guard takes over, but since we were a few minutes early, the crossing guard wasn't there, yet. So I walked her across the street onto school property, and she trotted off from there. 

When I got back into the house, I found Jock. Since both Liv and Andrew had two weeks off (one from school and the other from work, obviously), he grew accustomed to having all three of us around. But Andrew left for work after snow blowing the driveway and sidewalks, and then Liv was off. So he found his spot at the window by the front door (with his chew toy and the towel I use to dry him off after coming in from the snow) and began pining away for his two missing humans. 

Poor Jock. Hopefully he'll get used to the regular routine soon. (He's no longer at the window, but under my desk right now as I type.)

My Year in Books 2014

Knock, knock, knock . . . Hello? Any readers around?

Yes, I know it's been a long, LOOONG time since I've posted. I think my inspiration to write disappeared when a creative nonfiction piece I wrote for a writing competition in mid May didn't get past the contest's initial round.

Well, I think that was the last straw, actually. Inspiration had been slowly seeping out of me, as I haven't needed a creative writing outlet (namely, this blog) to balance out the (currently on hold) academic writing for grad school. I also think that I was meeting my creativity needs through a visual outlet by posting on Instagram, instead of being verbally creative here at Under the Desert Sky.

But I've realized something,  I miss my blog! So I'm making a New Year's resolution to get back into posting something on a "regular" basis - if not daily or weekly, at least monthly. How does that sound?

Plus, I didn't want 2014 to fizzle away without any posts since May 2014!

And in previous years, I really enjoyed the "Year in Books" meme that Lisa over at Two Bears Farm got me hooked on, starting with the book list for 2010.

Basically, you want to answer the prompts with book titles you've read in 2014. 

So here's my year in books, 2014 style (some are repeats I'd originally read in previous years, but had wanted to revisit. Most are first-time reads.)  . . .

1.  Describe yourself: Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
 

2.  How do you feel?  Damned if You Do (Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone) by Michael Brandman
 

3.  Describe where you currently live.  The Round House by Louise Erdrich
 

4.  If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller by Frances Mayes
 

5.  Your favorite form of transportation?  Ghost Ship by Clive Cussler
 

6.  Your best friend is: The Replacement Child: A Mystery by Christine Barber
 

7.  You and your friends are: High Profile by Robert B. Parker
 

8.  What's the weather like?  Stone Cold by C.J. Box
 

9.  What is life to you?  Mirage by Clive Cussler
 

10.  Favorite time of day?  Night and Day by Robert B. Parker
 

11.  Your Fear?  Death Without Company  by Craig Johnson
 

12.  What is the best advice you have to give? For Immediate Assistance, Pray the Memorare by JCD Rev. Francis J. Hoffman
 

13.  Thought for the day?  Hold the Dark, by William Giraldi
 

14.  How I would like to die: By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
 

15.  My soul's present condition:  Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
 

16. My family is: On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I hope you enjoy the list. Please visit "The Happily Ever After" blog (written by Christine) for this meme's prompt, My Life According to the Books I Read in 2014. 

Living with Laura

Hi everyone! I've been a completely uninspired writer lately. And uninspired writers rarely get words on paper.

But I have a fun activity I wanted to share. Last weekend, Liv and I attended a Girl Scout "Living with Laura Ingalls Wilder" day at a local outdoor "museum" called Ushers Ferry Historic Village, which is a replica of a small town at the turn of the 20th Century. They do various activities depicting life in a small Iowa town during the 1890-1910 years.

Anyway, as a Girl Scout Brownie, Livie had the opportunity to earn a "Laura Ingalls Wilder" patch. In addition to reading at least two of the books in the Little House series, written, obviously, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, she had some other activities she had to do to earn the patch. This "Living with Laura Ingalls Wilder" day fulfilled all the patch requirements (aside from the reading). Since we are already on book 5 of the series (By the Shores of Silver Lake), she was able to earn the patch by the end of the day.

We started the morning by checking in at the village church at 9:15.This pic is just inside the entrance. I liked the lovely stained glass (which isn't showing up very well due to the sunlight coming in from outside). I was going to get a pic of her outside the church, too, but at the time, other people were arriving and mingling outside; I was going to get a pic later, but I ended up forgetting.

Once the program started, we got to hear a Laura expert in period costume (a fan and re-creator who has done a lot of studying up on Laura's life) tell us about Laura and her family's life. She highlighted different stand-out stories from each book.

One story that Liv and I loved was from Little House in the Big Woods, when Pa was gone for a few days (hunting or trapping, I think?). One evening, Ma had Mary stay in the house with little Carrie. Ma and Laura went out to the barn to check on the cow before going to bed (maybe they were going to get some milk, too, but I don't remember that detail).

Well, it was dark out, and upon arriving at the barn, Ma had Laura help by holding the lantern. They had noticed that the cow was out in the pen, instead of in the barn. Well, they couldn't figure out why the cow was out, because Ma was sure they'd closed the barn door when putting the cow in from the field earlier. (Now remember, it's dark out.) So in order to get the cow to walk forward so they could get her into the barn, Ma smacked the cow on the rear end.

But at that moment, Ma realized that the dark shadow she saw standing in front of the barn wasn't the cow. It was a bear! Very firmly and very calmly, Ma told Laura to back away quietly and calmly. She said that when she gave the word, Laura was to run as fast as she could to the house.

They both hurried back to the house and got there safely! (The cow, by the way, remained safe inside the barn because it had been so sturdily built.)

One of the things I learned was that Charles "Pa" Ingalls' fiddle still exists! We even got to hear a CD of a musician playing period music with Pa's ACTUAL fiddle!

Now, Pa's fiddle is very important. One of Laura's reasons for writing the books was to remember and share the joy Pa's music brought to the family and community. She wanted to remember those days and pass along what her favorite songs were. Liv and I enjoy getting to the parts in the book where Pa plays his fiddle. Laura's stories were a big reason why Liv chose to learn how to play the violin! So to find out that Pa's fiddle still exists in a museum . . . well, we were excited about that.

Apparently it is brought out once a year during a festival celebrating Laura's family. It is played by a musician in a folk-music band, playing music from Laura's time period. I believe the museum is in the Missouri Ozarks. Click here for more info.

Oh, another thing that I learned was about Almanzo Wilder. Apparently, someone in his family took part in the Crusades. This family member was in a predicament and was saved by someone known as "El Mansoor." The family was so grateful, that they wanted to pay their respects to this person, so Almanzo's parents chose the name "Almanzo." But in real life, it wasn't pronounced like it was in the TV series. The "man" in Almanzo rhymes with "hand" (or "ran" or "pan"). I never knew that. (Apparently, Dean Butler, who played Almanzo in the TV series knows this and pronounces it the way the real family pronounced it.)

Oh, and in real life, Laura actually called Almanzo "Manly" as a nickname! But his nickname for Laura wasn't "Beth" like it was in the show, it was "Bessie," (still based on her middle name, Elizabeth).

After learning a bit about Laura's family, we went to different parts of the town to learn about life in Laura's day.

Walking through town.

Learning games Laura and her sisters used to play:

Kitty in the Corner

Bean Porridge Hot

Making a serious face at the doctor's place

Making biscuits using a recipe from the day. The helper actually baked them in a wood-burning oven!

Learning how to sew! (Mary Ingalls made her first basic quilt when she was about 5 years old!)

In front of the school, next to the bell (it was actually pretty loud! We could hear it across the "town"!)

In school, writing on slate tablets with chalk!

They also got to make little dolls out of remnants or scrap pieces of fabric. (I hadn't gotten a good pic of them while they made those.)

There was SO much information that we learned about the real Laura. It would take a lot of reading if I were to have shared all the info with you. But I hope the info that I shared was interesting, anyway. I hope all you Little House fans out there enjoyed "tagging along" with Liv and me on our "Living with Laura" day!

P.S. Here's a pic of a quilt a fan made, showcasing the Ingalls girls (and their first and middle names). Cool, huh?!

 

My Year in Books, 2013

A couple years ago, Lisa over at Two Bears Farm got me hooked on this meme from The happily ever after blog. I've come to really enjoy wrapping up the year with this post, so here goes.

These are all based on the list books I read in 2013. (I didn't read nearly as much as usual, in part, because I wasn't in school either semester, nor did I have the urge to read as much as usual. I can't wait to do this list again in 2014, because I should be back into my reading groove by then, as well as getting back into grad school classes.)

Here's how you play along: answer the questions by using only the books you read in 2013. Fun, huh?! I think so!

1.  Describe yourself:  The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
2.  How do you feel?  Out of Range by C.J. Box
3.  Describe where you currently live.  Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
4.  If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  In Plain Sight by C.J. Box
5.  Your favorite form of transportation?  Night Passage by Robert B. Parker
6.  Your best friend is: Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman
7.  You and your friends are: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
8.  What's the weather like?  Below Zero by C.J. Box
9.  What is life to you?  Trouble in Paradise by Robert B. Parker
10.  Favorite time of day?  Zero Hour by Clive Cussler
11.  Your Fear?  The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer
12.  What is the best advice you have to give? Chocolat by Joanne Harris
13.  Thought for the day?  Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, by James Patterson
14.  How I would like to die: Ghost Sickness by Luis Alberto Urrea
15.  My soul's present condition:  Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
16. My family is: Force of Nature by C.J. Box

A view from the University of Iowa Main Library (a row of foreign language books). I took this pic in the spring of 2012 using the Instagram app on my iPhone.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2014 brings you many blessings.

(And I'm planning on writing and blogging much more than I have in 2013.)

On Being Back "Home" in the Southwest

I have to admit that while we were back in El Paso, TX for a sad reason (my grandmother's funeral), the trip did have some highlights.

Since I found myself unexpectedly back home in the Southwest, I took advantage of some free time - Saturday afternoon after we'd checked into lodging on Ft. Bliss and most of the day on Sunday - when we'd had nothing planned.

Now, while almost all of Texas' massiveness is within the Central time zone, El Paso, at the westernmost tip, is in the Mountain time zone. So, of course, when we arrived, it was an hour earlier than we're used to in eastern Iowa (Central).

Needless to say, by the time we had arrived in El Paso, gotten our luggage (having been charged $25 per suitcase = $75 total!!), gotten our rental car, and checked into our quarters (on-post lodging, like a hotel, but cheaper than the "good" rates my family had gotten at the hotel near the airport), we were all quite hungry and ready for dinner.

 We'd just gotten off the plane. Liv was happy to be there.

 This is more or less the view we had from the parking lot. I love these mountains.

So, where would we go when in El Paso? Well, we went to a Mexican restaurant that my grandparents used to take me when I was younger. It's a local chain called Leo's. It's actually been a long, long time since I've been there. I think the last time I went, I'd gone with my grandparents ("Oma" and "Sir Rafa"), my uncle Hector, and a few other relatives.

Well, every time I go to this restaurant, I always get the chicken flautas, which are prepared like tacos (beef, chicken, or another filling inside a corn tortilla that's been fried), but instead of the typical "taco" shape, they're rolled up in the shape of flutes (hence the name flautas, which means "flutes" in Spanish). This dish always comes with refried beans and Spanish rice.

However, I was remembering the last time I'd been at this restaurant. My uncle Hector had ordered the chicken with mole sauce (often made with smoked chiles and chocolate). It's a really tasty Mexican dish. I enjoy it (and the last time I was there with my uncle, he'd let me have a bite of his - it was good!). But since we were in El Paso for a somber event, I needed some "comfort" food. What's my comfort food?

This:

Yep, the chicken flautas. I had to get them. I wouldn't have been satisfied if I'd ordered the chicken with mole sauce (however good it may be), because my comfort food in El Paso (if not my grandmother's homemade tacos) has to be flautas. 

And I was not disappointed. They were delicious; they were as good as I'd remembered. I am still thinking about them. (They looked a lot better than they do in this picture.)

Liv had ordered a kid's special with one beef taco and one enchilada with green chile sauce. Her meal also came with the beans and rice. She devoured it.

 Not the greatest pic, but good enough (the sun had set and the lighting in the restaurant was a bit dim for the iPhone camera).

Andrew? I think he ordered a "create your own combo" with a taco, enchilada, and . . . hmm. Something else I just can't remember.

To top off this delicious meal? Always sopaipillas. They're these delicious pillows of fried dough, puffy and hot, served with honey. You tear off a small corner and pour in a bit of honey and coat the inside of the "pillow." So. Good.

This is a not-so-good pic of the delicious pillows known as sopaipillas. Mmmm. 

After we'd eaten, I'd been chatting with our server. I'd said that my grandparents had taken me to Leo's (I think one of the other locations) numerous times when I was younger. And I always loved the flautas and sopaipillas. We'd laughed when she agreed with me that I probably wouldn't have been satisfied if I'd ordered the chicken with mole, as my "go to" meal was always flautas. And I'd found out that the owner of the car dealership where I'd gotten my vehicle (there in El Paso) was a regular at this restaurant and he always ordered the same thing, every time! (Just like me!)

Anyway, after we'd finished eating, we realized we were all exhausted from traveling and having eaten a filling meal, and the thought of the stress of the days ahead. We immediately went back to on-post lodging, got ready for bed, and settled in for the night.

But before going to sleep, Liv had to do one last thing.

She had to read in bed. (She's borrowing my mini-reading light that clips onto a book.) She and I had gone to the bookstore the day before we'd left. I bought the two of us one book each for the trip. She picked Charlotte's Web.

 In the next day or two, I'll share another exciting adventure we had on this trip back to the Southwest.

My Year in Books, 2012

A couple years ago, Lisa at Two Bears Farm got me hooked on a meme where you list the books you've read for the year by answering a list of questions. This year, I've only read 46 books, well short of my normal yearly average but my semesters this year have kept me ultra busy reading academic articles, journals, and excerpts, and writing papers, instead of reading books (either for class OR for fun - I wasn't in any literature classes this year). Seriously, I have never been SO BUSY in reading non-literature academic works and writing papers as I have during the Spring and Fall 2012 semesters!! Let me tell you, I will be SO GLAD to get back to "all literature, all the time" once I'm back in American Literature M.A. classes.

Be sure to check out The Happily Ever After for a load of lists!

Anyway, here's my list (some of which were audio books which I listened to on my commute to/from school):

Describe yourself:
The Crime Writer, Gregg Andrew Hurwitz

How do you feel:
Burning Bright, Tracy Chevalier

Describe where you currently live:
Back of Beyond, C.J. Box

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Native North America, Mark Q. Sutton

Your favorite form of transportation:
Manhattan Transfer, John Dos Passos

Your best friend is:
Queen of America, Luis Alberto Urrea

You and your friends are:
We People Here: Nahuatl Accounts of the Conquest of Mexico, James Lockhart

What is the weather like:
The Storm, Clive Cussler

What is life to you:
Open Season, C.J. Box

Favorite time of day:
The Night Strangers, Chris Bohjalian

Your fear:
The Panther, Nelson DeMille

What is the best advice you have to give:
Between the Tides, Patti Callahan Henry

Thought for the day:
The Fever of Being, Luis Alberto Urrea

How I would like to die:
Seneca Possessed, Matthew Dennis

My soul's present condition:
The Eighty Dollar Champion, Elizabeth Letts