may, in a nutshell

Ahhh...can you hear it? It's the sweet smell of summer vacation! That's right, folks, school is done for another year and the next couple of months are mine. We did have some fun and not-so-fun occurances during the month of May, however, that I would be remiss if I didn't mention. Since today is the last day of May, I guess the time should be now.

The number one great thing that happened was that Stevie got her driver's license. Yep, the state of SC couldn't keep her down NO more...parallel parking and all....she got it. She was so happy, and so were we! It has certainly made our jobs as parent-chauffeur much easier.

Luke and his friend, Sidney, did a duet at some band thing and were rated "superior" which is the highest possible. So, yeah! Luke! He also received a medal for outstanding performance at honor's night at the high school.

Closing the library for the year was more intense than I imagined it would be. However, I will be able to start fresh and anew without the mess I walked into this past August. We got everything cleaned up and ready for a great start.

Unfortunately, Steve ran over our dog...although I believe she actually committed suicide by jumping in front of the van--I just don't think she could take the heat (it's like a thousand degrees here already!). But, that was sad news and we had an impromptu funeral. The kids were upset, and so were Steve and I; she had actually turned into a good little pet. She was still overly destructive, but she was cute and loveable. We have the worst luck ever with pets! So, RIP, Dixie.

We're looking forward to enjoying our summer. Trying to decide where we are going on vacation has been interesting, and in less than two weeks....we will be embarking somewhere...have NO idea where, though!

It's good to be back in the blogging world........see you soon!

And the band played on

The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic 

I requested this book to review because I've always found the Titanic and its tragic story to be intriguing. Everyone who's seen the movie or studied the story knows that the band played on while the ship sank. They provided entertainment and solace for those who knew that the end was coming.

The author, Steve Turner, researched this phenomenal group and wrote this book about a them. They are a group that could have been pushed to the side as "just part of the help", but with this story and the factual accounts that ensue; one learns the harsh reality that was theirs.

There are moments of extreme tediousness when the facts seem to interfere with the structure of the story. They tend to make the book a tad boring in places. I generally just skipped over those parts and read the chapters I was most interested in. Each band member is given a section along with their employers. Turner also speculates on the cause of the sinking of the Titanic. I believe that if  you enjoy this story and like factual accounts, you will enjoy this book.