Here's another poem by Dave Alway, written in response to one of my Blatherings last year when the squirrels absconded with my heart-shaped birdfeeder:

After an indulgent holiday season and much good German chocolate (thanks to Franklin, Eva, Crystal and Rafael!), I've decided to get back to regular exercise. Went to the gym late yesterday afternoon...the hardest part is getting there; I always feel great afterward. So I'm opting for a new strategy: get my gym stuff ready in the morning, so I have no excuse later in the day. I prefer exercising outdoors over the treadmill, but it becomes more of a challenge with sidewalks made uneven with slush and ice.

I find that I tend to be more motivated to stick to a regular schedule when I monitor my progress. Does anyone out there know of a good (and preferably FREE) online fitness-oriented site where users can log their workouts and chart progress? Or how do YOU motivate yourself, in terms of regular exercise?

Above (my Daily Doodle): I drew this in Corel Painter with the Artists Oils & Blender brushes (girl) and Chalk brush (shadow). I purposely made the head a little misshapen; I thought it added to the slightly skewed (in a "wait a second, that's not right") atmosphere.

Some of you may have noticed that I removed my old search function (a Google search) from Blatherings; it turns out it wasn't picking up terms that were linked. Which brings me to my next question for all you technogirls and technoboys out there...can you recommend a good site search tool that is relatively easy to install? Preferably one you've used yourself?

All suggestions appreciated!

RECENT READS:

	Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first because I'm not a huge fan of talking animal books (or at least I wasn't, but I keep finding talking animal books I do enjoy) but the Big Bad Guy in this story was deliciously evil. Good book for younger readers, with lots of action and suspense. First in a series, and a first novel for the author...I look forward to seeing what else she writes. This book has been nominated for a Cilip Carnegie Medal (awarded by children's librarians in the UK for an outstanding book for children and young people).
	Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury. This is the sequel to one of my favourite children's books of all time, Dandelion Summer. I was initially thrown by the different tone and style of this book, plus I found that it lacks some of the "feel good" vibe I so enjoyed in the first book; it seems to be told with more of an adult spin than a child's viewpoint. Still, for anyone who enjoys Bradbury's lyrical writing style, it's a good read; for me, it's like reading a fine book of poetry.
	**Revenge Of The Witch (The Last Apprentice)** by Joseph Delaney. Yikes. I had only read a few pages on the weekend, decided to read a few more last night. Except those few pages turned into "just a few more," and I ended up reading last night WAY longer than I had intended. I loved this book and was delighted to discover that it's only the first in a series. I'm already angsting about whether to wait for the softcover of the next book, or to spring for the hardback edition. Some excellent storytelling here, and I adore Patrick Arrasmith's eerie illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. NOT for late night reading when you're home alone with an overactive imagination...

Link O' The Day

Cupcakes Of Catan: "Cupcakes of Catan is a a totally edible, fully functioning, utterly playable, all vegan, mostly organic, completely cupcake version of the original boardgame, Settlers of Catan." (Thanks to Mary Ellen for the link!)

Cool Tools by Kevin Kelly. "Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. I am chiefly interested in stuff that is extraordinary, better than similar products, little-known, and reliably useful for an individual or small group."
(Thanks to Jeff for the link!)

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