03 November 2007

Time Flies

Well, so much for my posting two or three times a week. Since my last post I've been deep in mid-terms. I have a mid-term conference next week, but other than that, I think all the midterm projects are behind me. (yeah!) I'll take this time to brag on another great coffee shop!

Ristretto Coffee Lounge is located at the corner of College Way and Martin/Waugh Rd in Mount Vernon - east of Skagit Valley Community College. As of this posting, they're open M-F 5AM 'til 10 PM, Saturday from 6 'til 10, and Sundays 6 'til 8. With FREE WiFi (ask for the encryption code when you order your coffee), great semi-local coffee (49th parallel), and a relaxed environment, it's quickly becoming my second home - a welcome alternative to the green mermaid.


In other news, I've finished reading The Queen's Fool by Philipa Gregory. I've abandoned it a couple times, the beginning of the book makes it out to be in the "trashy-romance-novel" genre, but after getting past the first chapter, I was drawn into this wonderful historical fiction novel about a young Jewish girl who escaped the Spanish Inquisition by fleeing Spain, traveling across Europe, and finding herself in the court of England in the 1550's. Philipa Gregory's writing is inviting and vivid, painting wonderful pictures with each paragraph. Definitely an author I will revisit!

Another finished novel, Autumn Blue, by Karen Harter was wonderful! Autumn Blue is the story of a single mom with a teenage son and two younger girls. Her son finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and she finds herself struggling to see what to do next. The setting really drew me in, trying to decide for myself - where EXACTLY is Ham Bone, WA? This was Karen's second book, and when the time comes, I'll be off to find her first book, Where Mercy Flows!

I'm currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Both are marvelous so far. I actually chose to read them based on Crunchy Chicken's "book club."

I'm sure there's more news (I'm sure I need to post about Sequim), but I need to get back to homework!).

"Why the cow?" you ask, well, she's cute. Need I say more?
--Erika

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