Filch-It Friday: What's in YOUR tote bag?

Hurray for Filch-It Friday! Today I'm filching the idea from Ava Von Snarky and her What's in YOUR bag? post.

I just purchased a new handbag. I don't change bags very often. But I love bright colors and I'd still been carrying the black bag I used for a funeral last month. I saw this bright one at Target and it was on sale so I took a chance on it.

I always have such high hopes for my handbags. I have strict requirements (like an outside pocket for my keys, an inside pocket for tic-tacs and lipstick, etc., place for my cell phone) And I truly want to be a tiny handbag person but I never will be. I just carry TOO MUCH STUFF. And, really looking at everything I carry, I can see part of my problem. Four different pairs of eyeglasses, for one thing. Prescription sunglasses, prescription distance glasses, and two pairs of magnifying reading glasses. What was I thinking?

New Handbag from Target (pronounced tar-GHAY)

And here's the sorry mess I carry around with me...two out of three cats had to come see what I was doing as soon as I started this project. They're the dark furry lumps at the outside edges...

Filch it Friday: The Book Meme

Today my Filch-It Friday subject is stolen from Foolery's "My Sad Pathetic Little Book Meme".

I've always been a voracious reader. I was a shy, quiet kid - which I eventually outgrew - and I spent most of my time reading. I knew the meanings of multiple-syllable words long before I could pronounce them. (I mention this because it was an embarrasment to me, but I was too shy to ask anyone how to pronounce anything!)

I always had a book 'in process' stashed under or near every chair in our house, so if I happened to sit there I could whip it out and read. I had no problem simultaneously reading several books at once. (Ahh, youth!)

That said, it's been rather hard to narrow down selections to what is asked of this meme. But here goes...

List three books you’ve always meant to read,but haven’t gotten around to reading.

1. "Crime and Punishment", by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I have to admit to a fascination with Russian literature, while at the same time being bored to tears with it! I guess I need Russian Lite. I read - or should say, struggled through - "The Brothers Karamazov". I just can't bring myself to start "Crime and Punishment".




2. Goethe's "Faust". See comments above, omit Russian, insert German.



3. "The Odyssey" by Homer. I'll settle for the Coen Brothers version, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Share the two books that changed your life.

1. "Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders," by Vincent Bugliosi. I read this at the age of 13 and it scared the cr@p out of me. I slept with my bedroom light on for a loooong time afterwards. I still think of it if I get up in the morning and my purse is not where I think I left it the night before.




2. Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle". Just call me creepy. Something about Merricat's little spells and peculiarities really connected with me. I actually wanted to name Darling Daughter Mary Catherine so I could nick-name her Merricat. The Hubs vetoed it. (Note: Anything by Shirley Jackson is excellent.)

Recommend the one book you've talked about
since the very first day you read it.

I don't think I can do this. I'm not surrounded by readers, so I don't talk about the books I read very much. I've also noticed that in my middle age, if I don't really like a book, I can just stop reading it and move on to something else, so that means every book I finish I really like. (When I was younger I was compelled to finish every book I started, love it or hate it.)

Maybe I will just list a few books that I have read many times over, in no particular order.

"Little Women," by Louisa May Alcott. Given to me by my sister when I was 15 and spent a summer with my leg in a cast. Now I live less than half an hour from Orchard House, and I take all my out-of-state visitors there.

"The Godfather", by Mario Puzo. First read when I was 13. I've read it many times. I was annoyed when Meg Ryan's character in "You've Got Mail" didn't understand the phrase, "Go to the mattresses".

"The Stand," by Stephen King. A classic good vs. evil epic.

"Jane Eyre," by Charlotte Brontë.

"The Group," by Mary McCarthy.

"Persuasion," by Jane Austen.

I'd love to read your own choices! Please let me know if you take on this challenge!

Filch-It Friday: The Lottery

I'm finally ready to begin Simply Nutmeg's fabulous Filch It Friday. As many times as I've read a great blog post and thought "Gee, I wish I'd stolen thought of that", when the opportunity finally presented itself last week I choked!

But here goes...

The idea that has sparked me to filch today is The Compact: When I win the lottery .

Being the good mother that I am,

I would put enough money away to pay for Darling Daughter's college, and a safety net trust fund for her future. My husband and I were middle-aged when we had our one and only child and I worry about us dying while she is still a young woman. I want her protected and safe.

My husband, daughter and I live on the east coast, and the rest of my family lives on the west coast. I would buy a house back in my hometown. Then I would pay off the mortgages of my parents and sister. Nothing would make me happier.

I would take all of my family away on a vacation, somewhere warm and relaxing and fabulous...and where they are not shocked by a chubby woman on the beach in a bathing suit ...

I would be generous with my church. I love my church family, I love my church buildings - I would like to assist in helping it survive another 225 years.

I would make a generous contribution to the Manjushree Vidyapith Orphanage in Tibet. My church contributes to the support of this wonderful haven for children, and The Hubs and I support a child at the orphanage. A member of our church spends several months each year at the orphanage, teaching the blind children how to read braille.

I would love to create a safe place for rescued and abused animals.

A farm, a shelter, a combination of the two.

I guess that about sums it up. Man, I'm gonna need a LOT of money to do all this...

I guess I better start buying lottery tickets!