12.29.08

Books 2008: A Summary

Posted in Uncategorized at 11:34 am by

I challenged myself to read 50 books in 2008, and as of today, I count 70 total books read since January 1st. I haven’t been focusing on a particular category of book - just focusing on trying to find things that interest me and get me back into reading on a regular basis.

It’s been an interesting year of new books, as well as old favorites. I found myself returning to several series that I’ve read a number of times, including the Chronicles of Narnia and The Dark is Rising. I have mixed feelings about the Chronicles these days. They were fun fantasy when I was a nine year old child. Now, they feel a somewhat heavy-handed with the religious symbolism. I still enjoyed reading them, however, so it wasn’t a waste of reading time.

I enjoyed most of the books I’ve read this year. There was only one book that I had to return to the library without finishing it, and at the moment, I can’t even remember what it was. (A real winner, obviously.) There were a few books that stand out in my mind as candidates for “Best of 2008″ (in no particular order):

The Lace Reader
Plenty
World Without End
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Birth House

If you’re an avid book reader and you’re interested in sharing your “Best of 2008″ list, feel free to leave a note in the comments, or join me on GoodReads.

12.14.08

Green Thumb Sunday: Cool Weather Catalogs

Posted in Green Thumb Sunday at 10:13 pm by

I’m so happy to have received my Seed Savers Exchange 2009 catalog this weekend! I joined as a member of both Seed Savers and the Flower and Herb Exchange. Since the weather got cold, I’ve been kind of sad about not being able to garden. Good news though - It’s time to start doing some mental gardening while I peruse the new catalog.

The Seed Savers Exchange catalog is just the beginning of the flood (I’m guessing). I expect I’ll probably receive a number of other catalogs in the mail. I love flipping through the various pictures and imagining what my garden will look like next year. I dog-ear pages I want to go back to; I circle items that I think will be interesting; and I ponder on which colors and varieties of seeds I like best.

Below is a list of seed companies that I have ordered from before. I’m interested in hearing about others, so please post suggestions in the comments.

Native Seeds (native plants for the Desert Southwest)
Seeds of Change
Tasteful Garden
The Cook’s Garden
Thompson & Morgan
J. L. Hudson, Seedsman

Companies I have yet to try:
Chocolate Flower Farm
Johnny’s Select Seeds

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.