Jayeanne.... Your envelope is in the mail and "should" be delivered on Saturday. I have the tracking number should it be needed. Here is a poem about October for all to enjoy... soon we'll see November and its cold winter stay: October's Party - George Cooper October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came- The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band. The Chestnuts came in yellow, The Oaks in crimson dressed; The lovely Misses Maple In scarlet looked their best; All balanced to their partners, And gaily fluttered by; The sight was like a rainbow New fallen from the sky. Then, in the rustic hollow, At hide-and-seek they played, The party closed at sundown, And everybody stayed. Professor Wind played louder; They flew along the ground; And then the party ended In jolly "hands around."

Do one volunteer session either before or on Xmas day and you will FEEL 10 feet tall about yourself and others. I ring the bell for a coupla hours at Salvation Army set ups BEFORE Christmas. Yea, the bell is a pain, but...it's only for an hour or so. It's amazing to see WHO gives and WHO doesn't....who won't even look at you and other's that say hello! Since I have volunteered, I ALWAYS SAY hello when I'm NOT ringing and some banter (Are ya cold?) to the bell ringer even if I don't donate at that time. They just appreciate being acknowledged. There's also a Christmas dinner for the indigent in town somewhere...some restuarants do it, others have a organization and need a driver for an hour on Xmas day (volunteers) or volunteers to work in a kitchen or set up or cut pies...days before there's a lot of preparation, etc. A friend of mine...her whole family now volunteers on Xmas Day. Take the fire dept. a cake on Xmas Eve (my aunt always did that) or take cookies to the police department..... Those are very worthwhile endeavors. I work 2 jobs, but I still find time to contribute. It sure makes me fell awfully good and it makes Christmas a lot more meaningful. Just some ideas....

You definitely are on the right track. I recently did an album for my aunt and uncle's 50th. What I did was similar to your thought. I had a two pages of my uncle growing up, 2 pages of my aunt growing up, the engagement, the wedding, the reception, 2 pages of their only son, then various pages offamily and friends (many that had already passed on). I included a few pages of their 25th anniversary party and random shots of the year since then. I left off with a decorated page of the invitation/menu and guest list my cousin had put together. I then took extra pages to the party and had the guests write something on the pages to be added to the book. I put additional blank pages in the book with a note that these were for the 50th party pictures and for year to come. My aunt told me, with tears in her eyes, it was the best present she has every received because it was the memories of her life and the times they had shared together. I will treasure that always. Hope it is helpful.

Frieda - The Siege of Krishnapur would be in the OK category for me. Nothing special, but not bad either. I've got a bit of a soft spot for it, though, as it was the last one I needed to get to complete my collection, so I was very pleased when I found a nice copy on ABE and the parcel arrived through the door. It's a while since I read The Sea, The Sea so I don't remember the particular scene that you mention - obviously it didn't strike me in the same way as it did you. Life of Pi is most certainly not a fantasy, and it doesn't have any talking animals. Part of the pleasure of the book is the unsentimental way that animals are treated. Here's my review of it from the RP review thread we did a few years ago. (I think I might try reviving that...) ================================================== This is one of the few times when a Booker Prize winner lives up to the type. I've rarely enjoyed a book so much. It's not a difficult read, but it's got enough in it to make anyone think. It's full of little twists, and some lovely touches of humour. It's the story of a sixteen-year-old boy called Pi (as in 3.14159 - you'll have to read the story to find out why!). He and his family are on a cargo ship on it's way to Canada, carrying several large zoo animals; the ship is shipwrecked, and Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with a zebra with a broken leg, a hyena, an orang-utan - and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Which makes for a bit of a tense atmosphere.... It really is one of those books where I envy anyone coming to it for the first time. I'm sure I'll read it again soon. Here's just a few extracts that particularly appealed to me. I hope they give a flavour of the book, without giving anything away. It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith, Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them - and then they leap. I'll be honest about it. It's not atheists that stick in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the Garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation. I am not one to hold a prejudice against any animal, but it is a plain fact that the spotted hyena is not well served by it's appearance. It is ugly beyond redemption. He's petulant! It's morning in Bethany and God's hungry; God wants His breakfast. He comes to a fig tree. It's not the season for figs, so the tree has no figs. God is peeved. The Son mutters, "May you never bear fruit again," and instantly the fig tree withers. So says Matthew, backed up by Mark. My fellow castaway came into view. He raised himself on...