Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt

Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt

Just a few days before her wedding, in an unguarded moment, Allison Denman kisses her brother in law to be, Daniel, while he is getting ready to move boxes to her future home.
The day of the wedding, Allison gets almost all the way to Seth, her fiance, before she turns and runs away, stealing her best friend's car, and driving aimlessly for hours, still wearing her overpriced wedding gown, that she never cared for, anyway.
What is wrong with her?  She's dated  Seth for 6 years, and he had their future planned out.  Seth tries to win her back, and she goes to her aunt's home, to hide again.

When I saw the cover of this book, I was afraid it would be one of those 'change the names and location' books, with the rest of the story pretty predictable.  It isn't that way at all, and I am glad to say I was wrong.    It is a very enjoyable book, that even caused a few tears to flow.
I received this book to read and review, no other compensation received.  All opinions expressed here are my own, and I am not required to give a favorable review.

Memorial Day Tribute to all our Troops

To the many who have given their all.

To the many who have given their health.

And

to the many who came home to their families with no problems.

I've had family members in every war since the USA was begun

My great great great grandfather fought in the 

Revolutionary War.

Another GGG grandfather and his son, my great great grandfather,

fought for the Union in the Civil War.

Both died because of the war, one of pnuemonia in Cassville Missouri and his son, of TB contracted during the war.

Another Great great grandfather was hanged for supplying horses to the Union Troops.

My grandfather was in France during WW-l, and my father got his back broken in WW-ll.

We have a nephew who is on his 4th tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

God Bless our Troops...

It has been quite a day, but good.

Those of you who have been stopping by for a few years, will remember the Turtle Dove nest that they built in the loft of hubby's shed...This morning, while doing dishes, I noticed movement in the same spot, 2 doves were working on a nest, again, same spot.  I'm going to get the ,mirror and see of I can get a glimpse of the nest with eggs or baby doves in it.  If there is, then there will be photos.

Seems all the mother cats have put their babies in the same spot, and are taking turns nursing.  I've counted 7 kittens, everything from the white one I've posted about before, to a very dark almost black one, who is quite fluffy.  There is also one who has lost part of it's tail, only about an inch or so still there...He is a very 'Orange' and fluffy one.    And then there is Pink Jr, a bit less pink than the original Pink, but beautiful.

They range in size from about 3 1/2 weeks, to about 6 weeks of age.

Frosty, the white one, is scared to death when I catch him, I've tried just holding him and talking, but his heart still races and he is really upset...I have fang marks on one finger, too.

Then a large Cardinal family came to the feeders today, and in their midst was an Indigo Bunting-it was quite a colorful sight.  Now I'm waiting for the Pine Warblers to show up.

    

Have had a few Hummers but not nearly what we have had in past years.  I didn't see the first one until May 8th this year.

Pictures of the kittens when I get them still.

Fruit of My Spirit by Deanna Nowadnick

Published by Rhododendron Books

This is a short book, only about 90 pages, but it is a very intense and often funny look at the author's life, and
how even though she was a Christian, she struggled, as most Christians do..
It covers her courtship with her future husband, raising her children, dealing with weight, joint replacement, which didn't go well, and had to be redone.


I really enjoyed the book, and I told Mrs. Nowadnick that I found that in some ways she and I were a lot alike.
In one chapter, she tells of being supposed to be home by midnight, and being a little headstrong, she drives around the block several times and doesn't get home until 12:15am.  How she gave up the violin, and didn't start playing again, for several years.    I think you would enjoy reading this very HUMAN story.


Sprinkled in are scriptures, songs and photos of her and her family.
Below is my favorite from the book.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

I was given a copy of this book to read and review, by the author.  No other compensation was given.  I am not required to give a favorable review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

Bobby is Home

Kim and the kids went down today, to take Barbara.  When they got there, the minister and his family were there visiting, they came out and told Kim that Bobby says he's going home.  So, because Kim was in her vehicle, which will only seat 4 comfortably for any distance, the minister and family took Skylar along with them, and dropped her off with her dad, on the way back through.  
Kim signed the papers, and got his scripts, and they loaded him in the front seat.  About 10 or so miles out, he said maybe he should have stayed a little longer in the hospital.  Kim drives a Ford Escape, and it isn't the softest riding vehicle you've been in, at all.  They made it the other 45 or 50 miles, and got him in the house, then Kim went to pick up meds and something for them to all have for dinner.  She would have driven their Buick, but when I drove it on Wednesday, it had a bad out of balance tire.

Remember Me?

This is the little white kitten from about 3 or 4 weeks ago.

Yesterday mom brought 3 to the house, of course they are wilder and more agile now.

2 of them ran into the yard, where they would have become very still, after Flash played awhile. I managed to get a leash on him, before he knew they were there, and then I went around back, and caught 

 this one. 

 Turns out, he isn't solid white after all.

He has 'red' frost on his ears, nose and tail.

Markings similar to a Siamese just not those colors.

I managed to hold him for about 30 minutes, no biting but a lot of hissing.

I haven't mentioned it, was hoping for a different ending, but 

Pink is gone, and has been for several days.

I am afraid that he is gone for good.

Maybe 'Frosty'  will tame down, and I can

love on him.

Forever Hilltop by Judy Baer

Alex Armstrong, at age 42,  gave up a professorship to become a minister, and his first church was in a small community in North Dakota, a world away from his life in Chicago. His fiance has left him for someone else, and he is trying to move forward.
 In book 1, Unlikely Blessing, he arrives to find that the 2 churches that he has agreed to minister to, are polar opposites, one welcomes him with open arms, the other, seems intent on ignoring him, and his work.  He also finds that single men are at a premium in the area, and he is plied with food until he feels he's about to explode.

In book 2,  Surprising Grace, which takes up about 4 months after Alex arrives in N.D., his former fiance shows up, hoping to rekindle their relationship.  He isn't sure she will like living in such a small community.  He's gotten to know more of his congregation and the food has slowed down.  One of his neighbors gives him a dog, Tripod, so he has a walking pardner to help keep his weight down.

I could have sat down and read this from cover to cover in one setting, it is that good.  I hope that Judy Baer writes book 3 and 4 in this series.  I want to know who Alex becomes as he gets more and more involved in the lives of his neighbors.

I received this book from Litefuse to read and review, no other compensation was given.  All opinions expressed here are my own, I'm not required to give a positive review.

Update on Bobby and a trip around the yard.

Bobby was supposed to come home tomorrow, but his heart has started racing and they sent him down to cardiac unit for tests there.  Just waiting to see what they find, so we will know when he'll be home.

Charlie did come home today.

Stephen took the the be-be pistol out to target practice on cans this afternoon.  He came in and said I found a Bee Nest....So, we asked him to show us...we have 2 huge oaks in the front yard, at least 150 years old,  so out we went, here is the best shot I managed out of about 5.  I'd hope for some Honey one of these days, but I'll leave them alone, since I'm highly allergic to their stings.  I'd noticed a lot of bees in the grass and clover this year, so I guess this is where they were living.

Skylar brought the camera, so I let her take some shots out in the yard.  Some are a bit out of focus, but she isn't quite 9, so we'll live with them.

The orange Asiatic lily in the front yard.

My first Hydrangia, it is about 20 years old, and has lots of babies 

in the area, since I've shared it with several people..

Another flower cluster, it is covered in blooms

One of 2 lace leaf Hydrangias I have.

The purple one on east side of the end of the house.

The last of the clematis blooms the deeper purple.

And  a vine that I brought in, and wish I'd left 

at neighbors, it take over.

So there you have Skylar's picture diary of my 

floral displays.

Bobby & Charlie Updates

Bobby is being moved to a regular room this evening, so he is making some progress.  I'll drive his wife down tomorrow to visit him, the 'kids' have used all their time so they have to work, now.  Barb cannot drive anymore, so some of us have volunteered to do the duties. I have to be home in time to fix grandkids something when they get off the bus here.  I usually have their dinner fixed, when they are here, so they aren't starving when mom gets home.


I called Charlie this afternoon, thought that I was calling his wife, but apparently he has her phone.  He said he was doing well, and was going home tomorrow, for awhile.  His jaw is still wired shut, he can't put any weight on his leg, and will have to have several more surgeries, but he sounded like Charlie.  Next week we will be driving up that direction, and he said if we would call, he'd meet us, said he was missing his 'kids'.  His wife has 2 children by a previous marriage, and they each have 5 kids, so he is 'grandpa' to all of them.

Another Bobby Update

He crashed last night, and they had to put him on vent  to keep him going.  He has improved and they will be removing the vent sometime today.  Surgery went well, we think, only time will tell. They did give him another unit of blood before surgery.  Keep praying for him...
Barbara needs your prayers, she is at the hospital, forgot her meds, and is pitching a fit.  Kim will go down and take her meds to her as soon as Brian gets home to stay with kids and get some sleep.  I offered to get them, but they are old enough to be quiet and do things as long as someone is there, even sleeping.

Bobby Update

His arm/wrist surgeries start at 10:00am this morning.  The doctors seem to think that his internal bleeding has stopped, he got 3 units of blood yesterday.  Pray for him and the doctors please.  Also for Barbara, she is a little confused, and being out of her element makes it much worse.

I've had no new news about Charlie, I am assuming that no news is good news in that respect.  He is in Rehab near his home, but can't have visitors except for about 1 1/2 hrs a day, while there.  I figure he had rather see his immediate family than uncles and aunts.

Bobby Update

His surgery for arms/wrists with be tomorrow sometime.  No surgery on his back, because of his age..
Pray for him and his family.

I'll probably have the grandkids every afternoon for awhile.   I'll have all 3 this afternoon...

Prayers Needed....

Yesterday afternoon about 4:00pm, my son in law's father was on the roof of his tractor shed.  As he started to come down the ladder, it fell, with him on it.  Broke both wrists/arms, and cracked a vertebrae in his back.  My 12 yr old grandson was there, and saw him fall, called his dad, and Brian called his nephew to go check.  Of course, Bobby didn't want an ambulance, or to go to hospital. They took him to local hospital, and at about 6:20 last night, they med-flighted him to a larger hospital in Little Rock.  Bobby was in shock by then, and we are waiting to hear complete list of injuries.   He will be having surgery soon to repair arms, not sure about the back.  

Bobby is 74, and has been through a lot, cancer twice, and other health issues. He can use all the prayers  you are willing to send up. His wife, Barbara, can also use prayer, as well as the rest of the family.

Wonderful Friends and Mother's Day

Just so you know, I have some of the most wonderful internet friends that anyone could have.  Even though we've never met, we are almost like family.

I wanted a special card for my 'mom' for Mother's Day, to let her know that even if God didn't pick her to be my birth 'mom' that I'd specially  chosen her.

I mentioned it to my friend, Thistle, who lives in CA, and here is what I received in the mail yesterday.

I repackaged it and sent it off to Oregon this morning, to my 'mom'.

Thistle isn't the only one who is always surprising me, there is Diana, and Cyn, and of course Tete.  There are many more that I've not included in this post, I'll tell you more about them later.

Aren't internet friends the best!

Out after dark...

Do you ever feel as if you are being followed, if you go out after dark?

Around here, it isn't just after dark, but at least during the day, if you turn around, they can't hide that quickly.

Last night, I had to go to take out the trash, forgot it until it was dark, and they run very early here, so didn't want to not have it in the box.

I don't know what possessed me to take my camera, think I was hoping to get a picture of the moon, but there was too many trees.

All of a sudden, I had the feeling that I was being followed, 

so I set the trash bag down, 

and whirled around,

 and hit the picture button.

And  here is what I see in the flash...

And then, after I dump the trash into bin, and turn around to

go back to the house, this is my view...

And a shot of my Hollyhocks 

at night.

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

This is the 2nd book of a series about an Amish community in the mountains of Mexico in the early 1900s.

  This book starts with year two of their settlement, when other families join the Caleb Bender clan in Paradise Valley Mexico. The families were the Shrock and Hershbergers, with Jake Weaver, an 18 year old, who has come to work for the other families, and hopefully marry Rachel, Caleb's younger daughter.  Mariam, just older than Rachel, soon was dating Micah Shrock, who was near her age. even though she is attracted to Domingo, a hired hand.
When bandits threatened the families, Domingo stood up to them, and Micah also tried to help, though most Amish do not fight.  Then later, Rachel was kidnapped by the bandits, and Domingo and Jake go after them to get her back.

I enjoyed this book a lot, not sure which was better, Paradise Valley or this one.  I know there will be a #3 in the series by the way this one ended, and I plan to read it, too.    Dale Cramer has me wanting to read more.

I was given a copy of this book by Bethany House to read and review.  No other compensation was given.  All opinions expressed here are my own, I am not required to give a positive review.

Charlie Update and a trip around the garden

We got a call from Charlie's dad last night, they've moved him closer to home, in a rehab unit of the local hospital near where they live.  He has called his dad twice lately, so he is now talking,even with jaw wired shut.  We can't visit, but now we can call and talk to him. Not sure how long he will be there.

See what I found in a nest?

Mom(ShortTail) has plenty of places she could have

delivered these, but she picked a corner.  She's half wild, meaning she will let me feed her, and if I can sneak up on her, I can touch.

I tried to put them in a better place, see the white thing in the edge of photo?  But she keeps bringing them out and leaving them in leaves. The little cream one is a beauty, mom doesn't seem to mind me touching them, just not her.

My older Hollyhocks are blooming, hopefully next year the other colors will bloom.

My garden helpers, the Brown Thrush are having breakfast in the garden this morning.

There are 4 of them today.

You will see the rest in another photo.

One of the few Asiatic Lilies that I have that aren't an

orange color.  

Sadly this one is near lots of Poison Ivy, which may cause it to die when I spray the ivy.

First blooms on my blue Hydrangea, I hope the Lace Leafs bloom in a few weeks, 

and the one that is always purplish pink, never know which tone it will highlight

in any given year.

My clematis 

I missed it at it's peak, there are 3 different colors in

that spot.  Red, lavender and purple.

 The brown thrush family, in the end of the garden.