A Little Distracted

I have had several different posts I've wanted to write, some of them about TV, some of them about books, and some of them outright angry rants, but I just haven't sat down and done it.  Okay, I did one, but it ended up being mean and angry and kind of rude, so I erased it after I'd finished writing it.  I felt much better just having put down my feelings somewhere.  The problem lately is that my attention span seems to have returned to a gnatlike state, as though my brain has reverted back to a 5-year-old's scattered thought process.  So whenever I sit at the computer with the intention of writing a post, I think, "I should check Facebook really quick first," after which my thoughts go to, "Ooh, I forgot about so-and-so's birthday.  I should email them."  Then I'm in my email, and I remember that it's the time of week where I need to email the hymns to the program lady for church, and then realize I haven't gotten a musical number scheduled for this week, so I go into the piano room to get a hymn book so I can pick a rest hymn, and, while in there, I notice that I left my book in there and suddenly, I find myself sitting on the couch reading, not posting anything on my blog.   So, instead of doing separate posts about the last few weeks, I'm going to do one of those catch-all posts with a bunch of little blurbs. 

1.  Gone With the Wind I finally finished the epic "Gone with the Wind."  Oh boy, is that a long book.  In reality, it's not that much longer than any of the Stephenie Meyers books, but it's also tiny print and lots and lots of history.  That was my initial reaction to the book when I started it what seems like years ago.  But it was history that I found completely fascinating.  As you've gathered, I'm sure, we lived in the South for 3 years, and I used to go walking at the Military Park.  What is this Military Park?  It's the site of a major Civil War battle that is known as the Seige of Vicksburg, which occurred at approximately the same time as Gettysburg.  I have been to the museum, seen the cannons that were used during the war, read the pamphlets, and seen the memorials that are scattered throughout the park.  But I really couldn't wrap my head around the devastation that the entire South suffered until I read about it in "Gone with the Wind."  The characters feel real, and Margaret Mitchell's beautiful descriptions of Tara and Atlanta allow you to feel the loss along with those characters as Sherman blasts through Georgia, destroying everything in his path.  Scarlett O'Hara is selfish, spoiled, and obsessed with someone else's husband.  Melanie Wilkes is selfless, loving, forgiving, and married to the subject of Scarlett's obsession.  After finishing the book, I wondered what the point was.  I decided that, to me, it was a demonstration of how, when faced with adversity, people can react like Scarlett: while toiling to rebuild, she resents those she helps, takes advantage of others' losses, and focuses on money at the expense of her integrity.  Or, like Melanie:  even while suffering, she finds the good in others, overlooking their faults, building a circle of loving friends, and she is fiercely loyal to those who have helped her (including Scarlett, who is constantly hitting on her husband).  The book is over a thousand pages long, so I could go on about all the characters, but this post would be nearly as long as the book, and I have other things to talk about.

2.  The Oscars  It's been a few years since I watched the entire Oscar show.  This year, I wanted to see if it ended up being a James Cameron love fest like it was after Titanic.  I never made it to Avatar, and to be honest, I still don't feel like I need to rush to the theater to see it.  I'm sure when I do see it, I'll say, like everyone else, "Those effects were AMAZING!"  Yes, the movie is the highest grossing movie of ALL TIME, but, if I understand correctly, aren't the Oscars about the best movie, not the most profitable movie?  So I admit I was relieved that it didn't win best picture.  It must have hurt Cameron's ego a teensy bit that his ex-wife took home best director and best picture.  But let's get to what really matters:  the hosts and the dresses.  As a fan of 30 Rock, I was quite pleased to see Alec Baldwin as a co-host with Steve Martin.  I love it when they crack jokes about their celebrity peers.  They were funny enough that even my husband was sucked into watching the Oscars.  As for the clothes, Charlize Theron, what???  Swirly flowers on the chest?  And bless Miley Cyrus' heart, she was probably so excited about her dress that she didn't notice that it was 3 sizes to small.  For the most part, though, I thought people were pretty classy.  I want to get invited to the Oscars, just so I can dress up like a princess and end up on a worst-dressed list. 

3.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.  When the movie came out a while back, I remembered hearing things about this book.  I just couldn't remember what they had said.  When I found out what the story was, I decided that I should probably read the book before seeing the movie, so I could be prepared for anything too scary.  I just finished it, and it is still kind of rattling around in my brain, trying to really settle in.  Here's the basic story:  A 14-year-old girl is brutally murdered by her neighbor.  She sits in a gazebo in heaven, watching the aftermath of her death tear her family apart.  She watches her murderer cover up his guilt and evade the police, and sees her father begin to crumble emotionally as he attempts to convince the police that his neighbor is the murderer.  She sees members of her school cling to each other when they find that they both think about Susie (the victim) constantly.  It's a look at how one horrible event can shape the future of countless lives, and how grief can turn into an opportunity to show the living the love you feel for them.  It was horrifying, disturbing, and hopeful all at the same time.  I'm interested to hear what you thought of it, if you've read it. 

4.  An apology  I feel like I need to issue a general apology to those who got the stomach flu after spending time with me.  My 1-year-old threw up while friends were over, and 2 days later, I threw up while hanging out with Rachel K. at my mom's house.  It began a chain of vomit that seems to stretch to everyone I know.  Sorry.  As I've told a few friends already, if I could, I'd come up with an alert that sounded or flashed the second someone is contagious.  Then I wouldn't have gotten everyone I know, plus their family, sick.  So, because I don't have that alert, I unwittingly spread germs, and I apologize. 

That's all.  This post is ridiculously long.  I need to go bathe the kiddos before church, and if I don't post this now, it could be another month before I remember I need to finish it.  Ciao!