Book Review - Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Halloween is just around the corner - so, what better time to pick up a dark tale...or twenty...and sit down in a dimly lit room to read...?

Two and Twenty Dark Tales, published by Month9Books, is an anthology, where 20 authors team up to bring Mother Goose's nursery rhymes to life. These rhymes have always been dark but now they are even darker and, in my opinion, better. 

The Wish by Suzanne Young was my favorite of the tales maybe because it was a dark romance.

The Bad Thing about this book is that it won't be out until October 16, 2012.

Mother Goose or Mary Goose

Lars and I were staying in Boston and wanted to go for an early morning run. So we ran down along the the Charles River and when we came back to our hotel, we stopped at the Granary Cemetery across the street. Paul Revere is buried here and a lot of Benjamin Franklin's family. There is also a monument to Franklin. But, I wanted to see Mother's Goose's grave.

Mother Goose is best known for her children's nursery rhymes, like Bye Baby Bunting, Baa Baa Blacksheep, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, and the list goes on and on.
Mother Goose or Mary Goose and three of her children are buried here. Some say this isn't the original Mother Goose as her nursery rhymes were known in France before this time period. But at least this is the Mother Goose who brought all these beautiful and funtastic rhymes to America.

Around the World--um--country in 8X days

Wouldn't you love to go around the world in 80 days? I never made it that far.

Well, at least I got to go across the country for 8 days. Just yesterday morning I was sitting on the balcony at my hotel in 85 degree weather...but nothing lasts forever.

Today it's time to start heading back to reality...and the rainy weather of Portland, Oregon--I keep reminding myself, "at least we get the four seasons."

I thought I'd share a few of my photos from my time in Boston, New England and Florida.


I'm not one to sit around for long, even if it is beside a pool, in a beautiful hotel like the Lago Mar or even on the beach. So, while my husband was busy at a business conference, I went on a ride on a water taxi. It was a lot of fun. The tour guides pointed out where Sonny and Cher used to live and Lucy Arnez and Ricky Ricardo. Also, the owner of the Miami Dolphins and the major Nascar owner. So, I got to see how the rich and famous (and some not-so-famous) people live, in their extravagant mansions and super-sized yachts.

The driver pointed out this particular point on the river - it's a little slice of paradise and where Jimmy Buffet used to hang out and sing Cheese Burgers in Paradise

Then I went back to my room where I sat and waited for my husband to get back. Don't feel too sorry for me because here's the view I got to enjoy while I waited, from my hotel room balcony...

When the hard-working hubby got back from the conference, we wandered down by the pool and started a game--a rather large game--of chess
Then we walked a few feet further to the ocean. Lars went for a swim in the warm water off the Florida coast. The water here, in Oregon, is not so warm. Our ocean water is the runoff from Alaska--bone chilling.


But, before we ever made it to Florida, we stopped in Boston to visit some friends. And we all drove up the New England coastline to the Hamptons. Not quite as warm as Fort Lauderdale, but we still enjoyed it.

This was the beautiful view of Boston we got to enjoy for the few nights we were in Good 'Ole Bean Town.

Plus, the Nine-Zero was so nice to us, they even had sparkling water and chocolate dipped strawberries waiting for us in our room.

And what trip to New England would be complete without some great seafood? You can't leave without trying a bowl of clam chowder or a Maine Lobster
Or...a little history?



I hope you enjoyed the pictorial memory-journal of my vacation. If you did, you might want to pop back by tomorrow for more about Mother Goose and her history in Boston.