(ok, so it probably wouldn't be so good for neighborly relations if Bailey maimed their cats. But I don't think it would be unfair if he could give the cats a good scare; maybe they'd permanently quit our yard. I wonder if you could teach a cat to only eat mice, rats, and starlings. Wouldn't that be delightful? Then they'd stay away from my lovely phoebes, song birds, and parrots.)
But I digress. Bailey is outside chasing opossums and Chris is still at work so I have the house to myself. And I'm feeling rather bored which is an unusual feeling for me. Maybe it's the only child thing: when I was little there wasn't anybody else to play with so I got really creative at keeping myself occupied. That's not to say that my parents abandoned me in a corner or anything; I just became really good at inventing ways to stay busy. I received some wonderful books for Christmas; unfortunately I've read them all already and I'm famished for some good reading material. Here are a couple ones that I've recently read:
Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder. This book is actually required reading for University of Washington students. I highly recommend it. It's the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a harvard doctor who single-handedly decided to cure the world of poverty and disease. He started out in Haiti but his organization has grown to include programs in Peru, Russia and elsewhere. Unlike many organizations, Dr. Farmer concluded that it wasn't enough to simply treat the disease, he needed to work on curing the root cause, even if the root cause was extreme poverty. In addition to say, TB drugs, he provided medical checkups (house visits), money for education, new homes and programs for women. It's a wonderful, if sobering story. His organizations, Partners in Health, has a website that can be found here. And if you're looking for a worthy organization desperately in need of some moolah, my parents are really fond of this one. 
Marley and Me, by John Grogan, is a fun, light read that is best read by dog-lovers. It's the story of Mr. Grogan's yellow lab Marley who playfully destroys drywall, eats gold jewelry, and causes general mayhem. Marley is the kind of dog that makes any dog owner feel instantly better about their own mischievous pooch. Bailey looks like an angel in comparison. Mr. Grogan's writing is moderately talented but not exceptionally graceful. My biggest beef with Mr. Grogan was that he purchased his dog from a backyard breeder and he did very little research prior to buying his dog. Having previously worked at an animal shelter and seen so many abused and neglected animals, I am a firm believer that you can find a lovely dog at the pound or through a rescue organization (unless you're looking for a specialty dog, such as for hunting purposes). Honestly, shame on those that still buy dogs from pet stores. That issue aside, it's a fun read. You'll probably cry a bit at the end if you've ever lost a pet, particularly a dog.Of course, by far my most favorite dog book is The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, by Farley Mowat.
Right, so those are some of my most favorite books for now. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm open to just about anything at this point...
Cheerio,
Sonja
