Boy Trip: Pebble Beach

Next year the boys turn the big 30 and their Dad turns 60. They claimed that this golf trip was a celebration of both events and an item crossed off all of their bucket lists. We shall see who is still asking for presents and cake next year. :)

I know I said I’d update the blog with pictures from their trip a while ago. First I was waiting on the pictures from the company that put together the trip. Then my Momma was here on a 10 day visit during which I barely looked at a computer, much less contemplated updating the blog. So here’s to starting November with a bunch of posts and getting caught up!

Without further ado, Pebble Beach!

This first batch of photos was taken at the Spanish Bay course their first day out. J is wearing the black shirt and khaki pants. His brother is in the red shirt, his Dad is in blue and their family friend Bob is in the darker maroon shirt. 

J is notorious for taking pictures of the food he gets while traveling. He often did this when traveling the world in the C17. So, of course, he captured his chicken and waffles! :-)

 

 

Day two. Spyglass Hill.

I guess the deer were quite prevalent on all the courses and didn’t mind getting in the way of golf shots! And again, J’s dinner day #2.

 

 

The room the guys shared. They were very nice!

 

 

Day three was Pebble Beach itself. J watched the 2010 Open here. He said the day they played was perfect; 75, sunny, still and beautiful. And they all played really well! J even birdied a hole on Pebble!

All Hallows Eve

Photo Source

 

“The wind outside nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats. ... Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet. Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades. From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells: gourds being cut, pies being baked.” – Ray Bradbury from The Halloween Tree

 

(October was a bit of a wash for blogging. I will be posting several catch up posts shortly, I promise! Then back to blogging.)

 

Sunshine

After days of rain the sun is out today. But I’m not really complaining about the rain. After 3 years of California and barely a drop of rain and zero thunder and lightening, the rain and thunderstorms here are still a novelty. And thank goodness it was rain and not the feet of snow that some people just hours from us got over the weekend! I’m just not ready for snow yet.

J is away on a trip. Not the trips of old, but a real vacation. It’s a boys trip to California for some really cool golf. He said he’s taking pictures, so I will put those up and post more about his trip later this week.

While he’s been away I’ve been reading and sewing. I’ve started in on some Christmas presents, so I can’t really say too much about them or post any pictures yet. Just rest assured that I’m compiling some sewing posts to put up in January. But on that note, my machine is giving me some fits and I think it’s time to find someplace to take it and give it a once over.

I posted over the weekend about my two latest books. Yesterday I started in on Harry Potter. Yes, I’m re-reading. And I just don’t care. It’s been quite a while since I read those books… at least 5 years I think. And since we finally live someplace with seasons it was just to great a temptation to resist. Autumn, the leaves changing, the crisp days, the rain storms, and Harry Potter. I’m indulging! I did think about reading the Lord of the Rings instead. We just watched the first movie not long ago. And I know I said that was part of this years reading goal. But, Harry Potter prevailed and I decided that I can read that epic in the deep winter of the new year.

I watched Ohio State almost lose to Northwestern Saturday night. Then I watched the Broncos almost lose to Dallas Sunday afternoon. Other than that bit of football I’ve had Harry Potter movies playing in the background while I’ve been sewing.

The cats have been good company. They usually lay on top of me or right beside me on the couch in the evenings while I read and have my tea.

Not much else to report on here. Mom comes for her first ND visit in 11 days! Can’t wait.

A shot of the backyard from Saturday when it was so rainy.

What I've been reading

 Ender's Game  This is of the sci-fi/semi-post apocalyptic/space age/futuristic genre. Not typically my favorite thing. J and his brother both just read it in anticipation of the movie coming out in November. J really wanted me to read it as well, and so even though I really didn't want to, I read it.

It will remind you of current popular books such as The Hunger Games or Divergent, etc. This however blows those books out of the water! This is far and away superior writing and ahead of it's time (published in 1977). It also gets top marks for originality; although I admit that may because I'm not well versed in this genre. It's fast paced, keeps you guessing and wanting to know what's next, why, how, when...?! It's a difficult book to put down and a fast read. It also raises pretty deep, intense moral questions. Really, I was surprised by this book and can't say enough good about it! great read.

Warning, I get quite passionate about things concerning Anne. With that in mind...

Looking for Anne of Green Gables  The back of the book reads, "...presented in a captivating narrative that is very well organized and a great read." - Carole Gerson. This book is the antithesis of that quote. My first impression of this book, sadly, was that it read like a school research paper, not an engaging narrative. Oh well I said, I'm still a huge fan of the topic, I can read a book sized paper.

Then I discovered how poorly organized the book was. It is semi-biography of author L.M. Montgomery. But you are only given disjointed pieces of her life story, things convenient to the current authors personal point of view. This leaves you with lots of questions. The author brings up people, places or events in Montgomery's life only to say in the next breath, but I'll get to that later, or we will discuss this in a future chapter. She leaves the reader confused as to the time period she is addressing and the point she is trying to make. And often by the time she gets around to finishing explaining something she starts earlier in the book you, the reader, have forgotten why it's even important or relevant.

This also causes quite abut of repetition which could have been avoided had she been better organized.

And yes, this is a book of one person's opinions presented as absolute fact; fact that until she arrived on the scene everyone else was too stupid to discover or envision. She speaks for L.M. Montgomery, even more seems astonishingly blessed with the gift of reading her mind!

Were parts of this interesting, informative, even enjoyable, yes. But it is an overall disjointed, poorly written book of observations and opinions about an author and her book long dead and unable to speak. This opinion presented as fact is irritating.

Definitely made me not want to read anything else about L.M. Montgomery's own life ever again. I will stick to her books instead of books about her. I'm also going to be sure an avoid this writer who is obviously not a kindred spirit!