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Tonight after a date night to the not-so-local PetSmart, Clay and I came home to find five fluffy, black-and-white guests frolicking in our yard. Clay noticed the first as it sauntered out from under the car. Clay urged me not to look back and to just keep walking swiftly toward the front door without making any sudden moves. The gravity in his voice suggested that I best take his word for it. But as I walked up the front steps, I turned to look behind me (much like the ill-fated Lot’s wife) and beheld five junior skunks running toward us as thought they all wanted belly rubs and treats. Clay described them as Mighty Morphin Power Skunks who could without further notice merge into one Super Skunk.

Clay was desperately fumbling for his keys and couldn't get the front door unlocked fast enough. One of them broke away from the pack and headed toward us. "He’s trying to get up the front steps!" I shrieked. After what seemed like an eternity, Clay got the front door opened, and we scurried inside and locked the door. (As though skunks have opposable thumbs and can operate door knobs.)

Once safely inside, we peeped out the window to marvel at them. They were running and playing and having a marvelous time. We wanted to get a picture of them, but we were afraid we would startle them and end up with a picture of five skunks assuming the spraying position.

Clay says that he has never seen such an odd combination of cute and scary before in his life. He actually had a nightmare about them last night.

Now, we do not live on a meadow or in the deep woods, mind you. We live in smack in the middle of a subdivision. So how these five little skunkers found their way to us, we don't know.  Also, we’re not sure where their home is and have been cautiously peeping around every corner in case they decide to charge.

Will the skunks join the turtle and rabbit that live under our deck to form an unconventional blended family? Are the skunks in town for the weekend for a Skunk Tolerance rally? Are the skunks going to worm their way into Clay’s heart and end up sleeping in the bed with us? Only time will tell…

Forget everything they taught you in your hoity-toity college literature classes. Here's the only canon you need to worry about:

(In no particular order)

1) Howards End by E.M. Forster This extremely well-crafted book features some of literature’s most interesting characters, including one of its most likable heroines. Set in and around London in 1910, this is a story of three vastly different families and their interactions with each other.

2) O Pioneers by Willa Cather A celebration of immigrants’ pursuit of the American dream, women’s strength and intelligence, and the struggles and prosperity of working the land.

3) A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett A great book for any little girl that thinks that being a princess is about wearing nice clothes and looking down on people. Our heroine loses everything and suffers hunger, poverty and degradation. But she retains her kindness, her generosity, and her imagination.

4) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Who doesn’t love a good, old fashioned English mystery? I will warn you, however, not to get too excited about Daphne du Maurier and start buying all her books. Almost everything else that I’ve read by this woman is utter hraka. Quelle dommage!

5) The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx Not your typical beach read. This modern classic tells the story of a discouraged father of two who gets a fresh start when he moves to Newfoundland. This book, though somewhat dark, is gripping and even hopeful.

6) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll I spent four months on the road playing Alice, and I have never been the same since. I often think my life’s journey is much like Alice’s, full of strange and wonderful characters and delightful and daunting situations. I would like to be more like Alice…she is full of courage, charm, and unflappable curiosity.

7) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas An adventure novel complete with hidden treasure, daring escapes, and sweet, sweet vengeance. What’s not to love?

8) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I used to assume that girls who loved this book were intimidating intellectual snobs who were bound for a long life of spinsterhood with nothing to keep them warm at night besides their tattered Harbrace. However, I found this book to be very accessible and interesting. I was especially moved by Austen’s cautionary tale for parents in the form of the silly and rebellious Lydia.

9) V for Vendetta by Alan Moore My husband is the world’s foremost authority on comics. And so, for a girl, I have better-than-average understanding of the wide world of graphic novels. I totally fell in love with V for Vendetta, and especially the character of Evie, who undergoes an amazing transformation from an ignorant little girl to a courageous young woman. Don’t judge the book based on the movie: Though V was portrayed perfectly by Hugo Weaving, the script left something to be desired, and I can understand why Alan Moore washed his hands of it.

10) The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls-Wilder When I was little, I was so sorry to come to the end of these books that I would start all over again in order to avoid parting with them. Fun fact to know and share: My mother would have my head if I didn’t include this on my list. Mom is the biggest L.I.W. fan ever, and has traveled to each of her homes (and may or may not have poured out a libation at these sacred sites.)