Time for My Own Random Bullets

I’ve got lots to post on, including a couple of books and my thoughts on book awards and a new post over at Ian and Emily’s. However, today, I’m taking my cue from others and just giving you some random bullets.

• Lesson learned this week: I forgot to provide a due date for everyone’s answers to my little competition in my previous post, which was not a smart thing to do, unless I want the contest to go on indefinitely. Even less smart, however, was having everyone provide answers in the comments without providing a due date, because I’ve now realized I can’t comment on anyone’s comments without giving away the answer. Thus, I learned that in the future, I’d better provide contest deadlines. So, those of you who haven’t already given me an answer, you have until Monday April 21^st to do so, at which point I will respond to everyone’s comments and announce a winner.
• Odd one out: I once again realize I am the odd one out in that everyone else in the world hates February, but I hate April. February gets a bad rap. After all, it falls in the dead of winter. It’s supposed to be cold and icy and snowy and generally dark. No one in the northern hemisphere dangles February in front of you with any sorts of promises of nice weather, and yet everyone complains about it as though it’s the biggest back-stabber of them all. April, on the other hand, falls in spring. That vernal equinox makes its appearance at least ten days before the beginning of April every year, and April has the opportunity for 30 days to give us perfect spring weather. Whatever happened to “April showers,” words that conjure up images of pretty little droplets, lightly, briefly, and gently watering all the colorful flowers, not icy sheets soaking mud where one can barely see green shoots beginning to materialize? Granted, I have to say that this month hasn’t been quite as bad here as it typically was in Connecticut, but still, I want it to be warm when it’s supposed to be warm. When the calendar says we’re solidly into spring, it should be spring not early winter. All-too-soon, it will be the dog days of summer, and this is the one time of year when we’re supposed to be able to enjoy temperate weather. April stabs me in the back every. single. year.
• So close and yet so far: You won’t believe what happened this week. Our church happens to have been founded in the 1700s. The original church is still standing, and we use it on occasion, but it mostly sits empty and unused. Apparently, there have been reports that the old church is haunted, and this news has made its way to a paranormal investigation group that wants to come set up shop, so to speak, with all their “Scientific Equipment” (capital letters are theirs) to see what they can find. This group made a request to do so in a letter to our Board of Trustees, a letter that also assured us that they don't perform exorcisms but do sometimes resort to prayer and the use of "Holy Water" when needed. Unfortunately, our Board is not in favor of such things and voted down the request. Can you imagine? I came this close to being able to observe a paranormal investigation right here in our own church. So, I was right when I started realizing I’d probably have better luck seeing ghosts inside the church rather than in the cemetery. (Anyone want to come join me for a “night at the haunted old church?” I’ve got to get a group together, because I’m way too afraid to investigate on my own.)
• Warning: Next week, in honor of Earth Day (one good thing about April), I will be setting up the new blog for the ecojustice challenge. Please, please, please join this challenge, and please, please, please spread the word. I want to try to get as many people as possible. I really do believe that together, concerned citizens of the world can make a difference. In fact, I believe they can make a huge difference. Details to come.
• That’s it for the bullets: funny. I thought I had more random thoughts than this, but maybe they’re all off at a happy hour somewhere or something.