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Anyhow, I happened upon my old “Young Woman’s scrapbook” tonight, where I apparently meticulously organized all the cutesy quotes given to me over six years of my teens.  There are some priceless gems.

Lots of things were about “choosing your eternal companion” and “preparing for marriage.”  This peaked my interest, as I’m engaged.  (Does anyone read this besides people who already know that?  If so, guess what?  I’m ENGAGED!)

A couple things really, really cracked me up.

First, “Ways I need to improve to be a wonderful eternal companion!” (no, I didn’t add the exclamation point.)  My list:

• cooking
• cleaning
• sewing
• gardening
• canning
• journal
• education
• gospel
• scriptures
• budgeting my money

wow.  WOW.  WOW.

So clearly I need to learn a lot in the next 2 1/2 months.

Second, this priceless gem, apparently from my future eternal companion, written years before we met.  I was way too lazy to type it, but thanks to the wonders of the internet:

To My Dream Girl

We’ll be in love someday, you and I. But I’m not sure I know you now. Someday, somewhere we will discover each other.

I’m fresh from the mission field, still feeling the way only a returned missionary can feel, still floating on memories too new to be dim, and, Dream Girl, I’m looking for you.

Two years ago I was one of the boys, running the race of popularity-more concerned with sharp styles and good-looking cars than anything else.

Then came the call, the farewell, the field. I was a missionary. There was the humbling realization of my greenishness and the regrets that I hadn’t spent more hours gaining an understanding of the plan of living. I worked and studied and prayed. With new understanding of the precepts of Christ came new determination to live, and what had been a vague inner assurance became a burning testimony. I began tasting what is only a word unreal until you taste it—joy— an exalted happiness that dwarfed the passing pleasures I had thought so desirable only yesterday. I began to comprehend the deeper significance of love and marriage and the family. I began thinking serious thoughts about the girl of the future-about you, Dream Girl-wondering, like all who are young, where you were and how I would know you.

You, I told myself, would know what I knew. You would want to share the joy that would come from walking through life with the Lord at our side. You would want to go to the temple. You would want to be queen of the greatest kingdom on earth-the home.  You would want to be a mother. I brought home with me the knowledge that the gospel is essential to true happiness and part of the gospel is you.

And so, I’m not interested in girls who give their lips feely-the girl who is immodest in dress and conduct. I’m not interested in the girl who changes her standards to fit her company—the girl who can see nothing wrong with an occasional cigarette or an occasional drink or occasional immorality. My mission taught me that the phrase “just once won’t matter” can be traced to the prince of lies. I’m not looking for you among shady parties, because, Dream Girl, you’re not there.

You will not be the kind of girl who cares nothing and knows nothing about homemaking. Marriage will brings us face-to-face with the down to earth problems of living. There will be meals to prepare and dishes that need to be washed, clothes to care for, and dirt to battle. There will be budgeting and sacrificing. There will be all the cares and responsibilities of parenthood. Going through the temple is not a magic solution for the problems of life. It is their beginning. That’s why we both must spend some time preparing for the responsibilities we will carry as husband and wife and as parents.

Neither of us will be perfect, Dream Girl. But we will love each other for what we want to be as well as for what we are. And when we don’t see eye to eye, we will kneel hand-in-hand and seek the inspiration of the Father.

There will not be many tomorrows until we meet. And when we do, I will still enjoy dating and dancing, still laugh with you, still relish good clean fun. But I will sense the inner part of you, too. I will feel your faith, your love for God. I will not be concerned with your popularity as much as with your spirituality, with your face and figure as much as with your ideals and ideas, with your ability to dance as much as with your ability to make a home. I will see you as my future Queen.

So there you are—-In My Dreams.

Despite all of my efforts, there was no going back to the U.S. site.  So I attempted live chat, this little gimmick that makes customers think they are being assisted.  The following is the conversation with my new chat buddy, after explaining that I needed to get onto the U.S. website:

CSR:  Hi Michelle
—-long pause — perhaps I have to respond?—-
Michelle: Hello
CSR: My my is Jason, and I am available to help you.
CSR: I have received your inquiry and am looking into the solution.
—-another long pause—-
CSR: You may try using another system.
—-system?  What does that mean?  How does one access another system?—-
Michelle: I’m sorry, I’m not following.
CSR: You may have better luck on another computer, or you can order online at (800)xxx-xxxx.
—-I begin to type: Thank you for your help.  I actually don’t have another computer handy, imagine that.  Nor do I know the product I want to order, as I can’t access the website.  But that’s very helpful. But as I debated between my urge to respond & my fear of being cruel—-
CSR: I regret to inform you that I can no longer assist you.  If you need further help, you can submit your inquiry again.
—-{Disconnected from chat}—-

I now realize I was conducting a live chat with a robot.  I was very nearly fooled.

I also now realize that in this situation, it’s best to delete your cookies.  Good thing I consulted the chat-bot.

This is the story of an orphan boy.  He remembers his family: loving parents & an infant sister and misses them.  One day, on a whim, he stops by a fortune teller’s tent and spends his pocket change to hear the amazing revelation that his sister lives and that he must follow the elephant to find her.

Kate DiCamillo paints the story of a number of people who interact with the boy and the elephant, and we see how all of these people rely on one another to give and receive happiness.  It’s a sweet story that leaves you happy and brightens your day a bit.

I think I liked the Edward Tulane story more because the protaganist is flawed and, through the journeys and hardships of life, learns and important lesson and becomes a better person…ahem…bunny.  Or, er, rabbit.

In this book, the boy is sweet and innocent.  All of the characters have some desire or wish, and all these desires are pure and selfless.

But maybe that’s the point.  Maybe the moral of this story is that with one another, you can achieve your heart’s desire.

In either case, despite it being a kid’s book, I would’ve like more conflict and growth.

Rating: 4.5/5

There’s one major perk to these additions to my Google Reader: lots of great book recommendations.  I’m still paring down, trying to find the bloggers whose recommendations are best given my personal preferences.  Until then, I’ve got a “Unread” count that is perpetually overwhelming.  But that is the story for another day.

What I’ve discovered is that I’m not very good at reviewing books.  I never thought I was, but this confirms it.

Also, I’ve been reevaluating my original purpose in writing about the books that I read, which was, as I recall, purely self-interested.  I wanted to remember the basic plot, twists, and details of the books I’d read so that I’d be able to remember specifically why I loved, liked, or loathed a book.

With these thoughts, I’ve decided a few things about the books I write about:

1.  No effort will be taken to avoid spoilers.  These are, after all, about books I’ve already read & for me to remember my initial thoughts.  So who cares if I give away the major twists?

2.  With the new knowledge of what is out there in terms of book review blogs/my ineptness, I’ve become paralyzed and unable to actually publish any posts.  No more!  Things will forever after by privately published, so that I’ll be able to see them.  No one else really cares about reading this anyway.

“Few” implies three, but I really have only two points.  So, over and out.