Not So Smart Remarks

I think the Hunger Games is probably my favorite book ever.

I loved the characters and the plot, the writing, etc. It was probably the first book I actually read cover to cover. Don't get me wrong-- I read like crazy and have read a TON of books in my life. But I fly through pages that have lengthy descriptions and end up having to reread pages when I become interested in the story at some later date. (Examples of books I loved but skimmed: Watership Down, Count of Monte Cristo, Genesis, etc.)

I was on a dizzying review of it last night online until the kitchen/baby/costumes/bread/upstairs neighbor tv viewing interrupted so there isn't much to add really to those smart ladies and their 90s lyrica.

For those who have not read the book here is my summary:
-Strong female character who is probably pretty but doesn't really think about it is on the REAL survivor- meets -Truman show in a post-apocalyptic depiction of government oppression of the masses.

Interesting characters include: baker's son who sacrifices his all for love, alky older man whose money has just embittered him further in a sense of spiraling hopelessness, a wimpy younger sister who makes herbed goat cheese and a hardened street fighter whose survivalist lifestyle made him a man by age 12 whom the author does a brilliant job developing through the thoughts of the female lead. Oh and the girl who gave away the mockingjay pin. What are the chances of her being a lead character in the next installment? 95%

I need another book like this and feel that of the millions out there surely there is one other that can make my heart beat prior to September of 09 for the love of all that is holy.

My son, the catholic

My son came home from school today with this tribute to my father that he had done in his art class. I was really surprised by both what he had done and the assignment (seemed a bit religious for a bunch of liberal artsy teachers since "Día de los muertos" is a catholic thing, but I loved it)

Here is the green box he made- I threw in the pic of my pops just for the shrine effect:

He said that the little guy inside was an alien with a spaceship on the right because my dad made an alien and a spaceship that is in his friend's front yard.

Close up of what he wrote...

Translation for those who don't speak a 4th grade gringo level Spanish-

My grandfather likes to play with me. My grandfather was an artist. My grandfather lived in Sonora. My grandfather likes to eat pancakes with peanut butter. I tell him he is a good grandfather. I like my grandfather.

Well I took some liberties with fixing his grammar a bit, but that is the gist... I was very touched and cried a little bit.

Long live the memory of Hippieartist

Of cooking

Okay I have to post this recipe. Only because I know some of you are craving a 100% whole wheat recipe.

This works every time and it is quite useful if you are too lazy to go to the store to buy more bread and you want to save $4 or so. Note that I double this.

3.5 c whole wheat flour (I have been using the freshly ground food storage stuff lately)
3 T olive oil
5 T honey
1.5 t yeast
1.5 t salt
1.5 c water

It calls for some gluten thingy and nuts or sunflower seeds but I skip that crapola.

Cook it for like 45 minutes or so in a 375 oven after it rises twice.

Voilá healthy bread and happy kids.

One tip: Slice it all quick and stick it in the fridge or it disappears from the counter as if it were some kind of treat.

Many Thanks

I have had a tough time coming back to work- not because of my life but because of my job- the economy affects everyone I guess. Anyway I am feeling more inspired again today and I need to thank the people who have made my general happiness in life so possible:

Lil Meg. She slept through my stressful meetings this morning and even allowed me time to work after they were over. I also purchased the new Ingrid Michaelson CD which is fantástico.

Steve. He stayed home with Meg instead of going to one of his classes so I could attend the meeting without background crying- I deeply appreciate him all the time.

Paul Curtis- you don't know him but he is my source of all inspiration in my work world for creating such an amazing school model. I hope to someday have his perspective on long-term change and reform.

My parents- RIP. They were crazies but each gave me some amazing gifts of love, peace, tolerance, and locura.

Tiff. For being a surrogate parent whenever I need one. Except my parents never let me have sugar cereal.

Vivian. For helping me see a wonderful perspective on Prop 8.

Katie. For the pumpkin seeds and for in general making me feel like my contributions are worthwhile.

Emily. For years of your example of a solid routine, consistency, and for making the sacrifice to come out here for me this weekend (this is an in-advance thank you)

JennyESP. For getting me excited about blogging again.

Lauren. For providing some sanity and regularity in an otherwise overly conservative wasteland.

Tara. For intellectual stimulation, appreciating academic lifestyle and reminding me to love my circumstances.

Chellese. For meeting her goals, loving people around her and her calm presence, virtually and otherwise, in my life regardless of passing time.

Ex-misioneros de las islas- por seguir con nuestras amistades sin importar el tiempo y por las experiencias que hemos tenido. Son personas tremendas que enriquezen mi vida por lo regular.

Why I Miss the Classroom

Featuring some of my former students...

Back to Life , back to realiT

Okay so first day back from maternity leave. I thought it would be painful but as it turns out, I still love my job. It was a brutal day with some really frustrating phone calls and conference calls about technology but in the end of the day, some school changed the way business as usual happens so how can one turn that down?

Meg cooperated nicely.

I am not going to Sac until further notice, maybe next week. Because why not go the same week as Halloween with four unfinished costumes, a baby blessing and lunch for friends and family (like 50), family photos (memzerton photog!), election day, and co-hosting a baby shower (halleluiah for Lauren who is a star baker and merchant of cool).

Trouble in Paradise...

So I checked my email when I got home tonight and had this little gem sitting in my inbox:


Dear slumlord fleming,

It looks like your tenant has skipped--I am immediately marketing the home
again. I am changing managers to Lady X as she is in the South
office and much closer to your property. You can reach her at blah blah number.

- Property Manager

Books I've Read

So I read all the time but am always looking for more. I wasn't planning on recommending any of them, but not all authors can have the talent of Suzanne Collins so I thought I should at least give people some ideas of decent reads. I don't recommend something with overkill on profanity or sex so as a result I find most of my reads show up on young adult fiction. They aren't all totally pristine but for the most part they all get a PG rating or less. My star rating is:
* One star. I read it and finished it because it was entertaining enough for me.
**Two stars- I read it, finished it, and I am not embarrassed about it.
***Three stars- I read it, finished it, and recommend it.

I would appreciate it if other people would make some recommendations for me, btw, so that I could have some ideas on what to do to fill my time while waiting for Stephenie Meyer to produce something else.

1. The Ungarnished Truth: A Cooking Contest Memoir- Elie Mathews-This is a not a great read but has interesting details about the Pillsbury Bake Off winner of 1993 who won a million. I totally can't relate to her character but I do love the bits about the food and the behind-the-scenes look at someone who wins a contest with little or no personality. Very clean cut. **

2. Great and Terrible Beauty, etc. the Gemma Doyle trilogy-Libba Bray- Great read, interesting, some other-worldly stuff to add to a mysterious gypsy love interest. I think there might be a few weirdo things in there for people who like strictly G-rated but it probably is not more than PG-13. ***

3. Silver Bough- Lisa Tuttle- this seems like a summary of a really great story that accidentally left out the best parts. It has an interesting premise. Uses the word lust a lot but doesn't have any detailed unsavory parts. Takes place in Scotland with mainly American characters. *

4. Stolen Child-- Keith Donohue a bizarre account of a kid who gets stolen by changelings and the changeling who took his place. Very engaging with some trollish kind of characters. Probably one of the better reads of that mediocre crop from the library.***

5. The Blue Blood series- these are more high school vampire stories but a little bit racier since the main characters seem a bit less moral, particularly the "popular" female lead character. But the main one is nice enough and so far they are entertaining. Don't expect great literature but fun enough. **

6. And Only To Deceive, A Poisoned Season, Fatal Waltz-- Tasha Alexander- These are super fun Austen-style heroine romance mysteries. Main character super moral and likeable plus a feminist for her day (refusing to marry for money, etc.) ***

7. Silent in the Sanctuary and some other book that precedes it- Deanna Raybourne. Lady Julia Grey mystery, a chica with her own money and mystery, again Austen-style heroine. ***

Do NOT read:

Anything by Nora Roberts- started to read one of her stories until the main character's body was possessed by a prostitute. What the..? Who writes this kind of smut? Nora Roberts, thats who.

Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card-- I usually love his stuff but this one is weirdo. Seriously I only made it two pages, since it seemed like he was taking lessons from Nora Roberts but with a creepy angle.

Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. She actually did a good job with Lovely Bones if you don't mind the creepiness of a dead girl following around her murderer from a cloud and her watching him with another victim. I only got through a few pages of Almost Moon before I realized that the book is about a woman who kills her mother. That is no spoiler by the way since that is what she says on the first page. I should have read the back of the book.

Favorite Foto Friday

Some of you have seen this photo, but it is one of my faves! I just finished an issue of People magazine that featured a bunch of celebrity babies and their parents- this celebrity happens to live in my neighborhood:

Socal Good Times

Steve's bro came down to Disneyland so we made a trip down to Long Beach under the ruse we would be enjoying a beach bbq and then hanging out at the hotel for the night/next day.

We did do the beach bit:

Aren't they sweet? So nice and everything....


Yeah. I call them the 'tude girls because when they get together it is ALL 'tude. Here they are showing their true colors:




The boys are easy- they just play some form of imaginary war/Star Wars stuff. They don't have attitudes, they just play:



The littler (not littlest- we don't have pics of the two youngest cousins because the mommies were taking the pics) girls were happy playing on the beach with towels while their daddies chatted up the merits of the BCS system and whether or not BYU and the U would rock the boat and out perform the PAC-10.



Here are the six oldest cousins- we told them to dance and I think this pic makes it pretty clear which family is most likely to watch SYTYCD:



The next day we did not "hang out" as I thought, we ended up going to the largest Aquarium in SoCal- Aquarium of the Pacific. It was crowded to Disneyland proportions. At least it felt like it. I was ill prepared to take all four of my kids to such a place (plus the four cousins!), but we managed to make out okay. Bridget was way into the lorakeet place-



I took this pic to represent the fact that I could never find my kids because it was so packed with other kids.



We only lost one kid and just for five minutes. I did not take a picture of Gillian crying on the steps cuz my name isn't Tiffany.