I am no longer reading White Raven.  The novel is okay–it was a bestseller in Poland, but I think something was lost in the translation.  The sentences are short and choppy, and they don’t seem to fit together very well.  I’m proud of myself because I’m sticking to my resolution that I won’t continue reading a book I’m not enjoying past page 50.  The funny thing is that I feel kind of guilty about this, like I should give it a more concerted effort.  What if it suddenly becomes astonishing?  I’ll never know how great is was because I gave up too soon.  It’s hard to give up on a book unless it’s absolutely horrid.

I’ve been really awful about acknowledging some of the awards I’ve received from other bloggers.  I think I got this one from Joanne because she does the cool poppet stuff:

Joanne, even if you didn’t do this, I’d still like to give you credit for a blog well done.  I love your sparkling wit and snarkiness!  Have you noticed how more and more people are dropping by to see you every day?  That’s the mark of a good blog.

There are a couple of other people who deserve a shout-out:

Kathy @ Bermudaonion’s Weblog, just because I like you!  You nearly always respond to my posts and your remarks are sometimes much more complex than they appear at first.  You have a highly developed brain there, grrrrl!

Rebecca @ The Book Lady’s Blog, because of your generosity and uber-coolness.  Thanks again for sending Phraseology my way.  I’ll be incorporating it into my blog as soon as I can think of a creative way to use it.

Care @ Care’s Online Book Club, because I adore you, and you sent me a valentine.  Happy Valentine’s Day, Care!

And, to Lisa and others of her kind who are forced to cope with teen or preteen angst on a daily basis, this informative and educational video is for you.  I think this is the most practical video I’ve ever seen about parenting teenagers.  Enjoy!