BluGinhm

I'm a widow, a graduate student in history and also work for a university. My favorite things are my grandchildren, cats and dogs, history (of course), genealogy (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France and of course, America), writing, mid-century modern anything, and art. Right now, I have two cats - a white and tabby male named The Artful Dodger (Dodger for short) and an orange tiger named Shelby Foote (just Shelby most of the time). I also have a little parakeet named Bailey. My dog Ralph crossed the Rainbow Bridge just after Thanksgiving 2009, and I sure do miss him! I recently got another dog. Her name is Ivy - she's much younger and a little larger than what I was intending, but the cats have adopted her, so I think she's staying! I was born in Indiana (Hoosier girl!), and have lived in Maryland, Massachusetts, California and Ohio as well.

I absolutely love the Harry Potter books. I also like the Percy Jackson series, Inspector Morse and Inspector Lynley series, Twilight series, and anything narrative about the Civil War. I'm also fond of the Twilight series, and of quite imaginative young adult and middle grade fantasy. Another favorite is mysteries - Agatha Christie tops the list. Right now, I'm reading (concurrently) Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (again), Christopher Paolini's "Brisingr" (again), Elizabeth George's "Missing Joseph," Ted Widmer's "Martin Van Buren," John Seigenthaler's "James K. Polk," Stephen Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West," J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (for the 842nd or so time), and James M. McPherson's "For Cause & Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War." It's no wonder I never get anything done!

I read - over the weekend (and it's been a long, long time since I read an entire book over one weekend!) - the most well-written, incredible book! Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." I had been meaning to read it for some time, but it was just "on my list." I thought I'd better try to read it before I see the movie, so I started it Friday - and almost never put it down! For the most part, this is the period of history that I study, and I've always had a special fondness for Lincoln. But Grahame-Smith took every piece of history surrounding Lincoln and turned it completely upside down - and made it believable! Not to mention, it was well-written both within the text of the story and the journal entries - the writing style of the "possibly fake" journal entries blended perfectly with the real ones! I love this book!

I love Castle and Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. I also love old shows like Ironside, the old Hawaii Five-O, I Spy, Columbo and McMillan & Wife. I absolutely love both British comedy, especially As Time Goes By, and some of the series that show up on Masterpiece Mystery, such as Inspector Lewis, Inspector Lynley, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot. And for some reason, I have a fondness for The Vampire Diaries (television show, not the books). And I just found a series of really cool TV movies with Noah Wyle called "The Librarian" - well, I just found them, even though everyone I know seems to have known about them already!
I recently discovered a lovely British series called "Rosemary and Thyme." Unfortunately, it only lasted about three seasons, so I think I've seen all of them, but it's wonderful! It's about two women - one is a botanist and one loves gardening - who meet and discover that they have a talent for solving mysteries. I also have recently started re-watching another British series called "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" - a series about a woman reaching pension age who decides she can solve crimes - with the help of her young assistant Geoffrey, and her husband helps, too (usually more in the background). I love the new show "Once Upon a Time!" Who would have thought there could be so many creative ways to intertwine fairy tales and give them different endings? I really have so many favorite characters on this show, but if I had to narrow it down to three (yes, three - because I find it impossible to narrow it down to one!), they would be Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold on the evil end, Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper on the good end, and The Mad Hatter/Jefferson just because. But I truly don't think they could do without any single character - I love them all!

I just watched "Endeavor" last night (1 July 2012) on PBS Masterpiece Mystery. It's the back-story of Inspector Morse when he just started out as a constable. It was great! I just hope there will be more to come in future seasons!

I like to knit, although I do it in spurts because too much makes my hands hurt. I also like art journaling and "recycled" crafts and crafts from old things, such as old typewriter keys and bingo cards and other old game pieces, and I love to write. Writing is my favorite "craft," whether fiction or non. I love the history I write about for school, and I have a couple of fiction projects in the works.

I have also recently ventured into junk/smash journals. I realized they were sort of what I was already doing in my art journals, and I love the look of layers and layers of cool stuff to look at and ponder!

I will always, always send something out, and I will always rate what comes to me (and I usually add a heart if it's all there). Please, if you do not receive something expected from me, let me know. I will always try to make it right!