Jettie's Ramblings

He fired them

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

JD, my grandson, broke his leg on Dec 12th. His friends who were with him at the time, offered to carry his books, get his lunch tray, and stay with him inside, during his recovery....Well, Jeb didn't keep up his part, so Jd fired him...And another or 2 friends stepped in, but didn't meet his expectations, so they also got fired.
Sidney is the only one who hasn't been fired, leave it to a girl to do what she has promised.
On Friday, I told Sidney that when he is able to walk without crutches, that Jd owed her lunch. Jd, being a stinker, said no, she is the one who told me to jump, when I broke my leg. His mom told him that he should buy her a CandyGram at school for Valentines Day...No, wouldn't do that either...If I were Sidney, I'd smile sweetly and tell him to carry his own books, wouldn't you?

The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

2012-02-05T20:00:00.000-06:00

15 years ago, Liesl Bower saw her mentor shot down. Now, as she starts toward the piano to give a concert for the President and First Lady, looking out into the audience, she sees a familiar face in the 2nd row, the man killed him. As she leaves to go to her hotel, her driver tells her they are being followed. And again, a few days later, she barely escapes being snatched, why are they after her?

I love the suspense in this book, and how it keeps building. Sue Duffy makes you feel you are right there in the dark, trying to escape the danger.

I received this book to read and review, from Litfuse. No other compensation was given. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Princess Stories, Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses by Carolyn Larson

2012-02-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

The day this book arrived, my 8 1/2 year old granddaughter was visiting. I told her the book would be hers as soon as I reviewed it online. She misunderstood, and packed the book in her bag, and took it home. She read it before I had a chance to do my review, but she did give it back, only long enough for me to review.

This book tells the story of God's Princesses. Eve is the first one listed, and #30 is You. Every chapter tells a story of a woman in the Bible in words that young children can understand. I highly recommend this for every little girl. It is easy to read, well written, and makes little girls feel like a real princess.

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

The Road Trip, Sidecar adventures with God, by Jo Lynn Crozier

2012-02-01T20:18:00.000-06:00

We've all awakened with a headache, but nothing like Liz woke with, one morning. The next minute, she's talking with God himself.
And her conversation with God is amazing. He wants her to take a trip with him, not in a car, but in sidecar on a motorcycle.
The Road Trip is a great book, very interesting, funny at times, and makes you think about what God really wants us to do in our lives. It is a quick read and keeps your attention.

I was given a copy of this book to read and review, no other compensation was given.
All opinions expressed here are my own, I'm not required to give a favorable review.

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

2012-02-01T19:41:00.002-06:00

Mattie bakes cakes, she does wonderful work, and she owns her on shop. Sol, her boyfriend, hunts, when he isn't making pallets for his family business. When the cake shop catches fire, Mattie runs back inside, thinking she saw her niece in the shop. Someone contacts Gideon Beiler, her former fiance, and he goes to the hospital, only to run into Sol.
During the holidays, Mattie goes home to see her parents, while waiting on the insurance money, to rebuild her shop. There she is thrown in constant contact with Gideon, who she feels dumped her to date an Englisher lady.
I think that Cindy Woodsmall is one of the best writers of Amish fiction I've ever read. I highly recommend this book.

I was given a copy of this book to read and review, no other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are my own, I'm not required to give a favorable review.

2012-01-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

1. Where do you like to vacation?

I'm pretty much a home body, so a day trip is my favorite thing, to a park, a museum, or something simple.

2. Do you have pets?

Yes, 3 dogs and a bunch of cats which aren't really pets, they just show up and I feed them.

3. What is your favorite color?

Teals, greens, lavenders, chocolate browns, black

Most colors, but I don't wear reds or pinks.

4. How many are in your family?

2 of us

our 3 kids

and 3 grandkids

5. What is your least favorite thing to do?

Laundry or dishes

6. What is your most favorite thing to do?

Craft, read and write.

7. If money were no object what would you like to do when you retire?

I am retired, and if money were no object, I'd build each of the kids a new house, set up a trust fund for each of the grands so they could attend the college of their choice.

8. What is your favorite season?

I love spring, but I also love fall, so guess it is a tie.

9. What book are you currently reading?

The Christmas Singing

10. What time do you go to bed, get up in the morning?

about 10:00pm and get up about 6:30am.

11. How long have you been blogging?

I think I opened this blog in 2007, but I didn't do a lot for quite awhile

Now if you are adventurous

copy and past this to your blog, and answer the questions.

The LOOM by Shella Gillus

2012-01-04T20:01:00.000-06:00

Shella Gillus has hit a home run on her first try.

Lydia is a light colored house slave on a plantation in the south, pre Civil War. She hates being owned, and tries to escape, only to be caught and beaten badly, almost dying. She falls in love with John, but even being in love, she still wants to escape. When she sees her father beaten to death, she figures out how to escape, by pretending to be white. Soon she is in another town, being treated well by the friend of her former owner's daughter. He asks her to marry him, and soon Lydia finds that being 'free' isn't freedom.

I really enjoyed this book, I love the era in which it is set, and feel that Ms Gillus did a wonderful job of portraying the era, and the people.

I recieved this book to review from the Publisher. No other compensation was given. I am not required to give a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Construction update

2011-12-28T19:50:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that on November 27th, we went to daughters to install new flooring and cabinets, only to find we had to gut the kitchen, bathroom, and hallway, and put new joists, sills and sill plates in, before doing anything else. Also the plumbing and electrical was a mess.
We now have the sub floors back in, and the bathtub/shower installed, the walls to the bathroom are up, but still lack the sheet rock The new electrical is mostly done, so tomorrow we will put up sheet rock on outside wall of the kitchen and bath. It is going back together, just more slowly than daughter had hoped.

So Sad!

2011-12-26T07:59:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a favorite piece of clothing, that finally got so worn and ratty, that it is almost unwearable? But, you don't want to give it up?

I'm at that point, with an old 'house coat', or cover-up, that I just love....I purchased it at a yard sale about 3 years ago, and I would say that there have been few times I haven't worn it in the evening, since that time. And I reach for it first thing in the morning, almost every day. Of course, this means that it hits the laundry at least twice a week...The seams are frayed, and threadbare now....and I noticed last night that the yoke in the back is separated. But it is so soft and comfortable that I can't even think of throwing it out....just yet.

Hubby says it looks like a tent, lol, and I would bet he'd gladly put it in the stove, when my back is turned....

2011-12-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

This book grabbed me the moment I read the first page, and didn't let go until I finished the last page.
Marielle marries Carson, a widower with 2 young children, she moves into the home of his first wife's family, including the grandmother of his first wife, who owns the home. Adelaide is in her 90s, and thinks the house has a spirit of it's own.
Holly Oak, built in the 1850s, was the scene of several tragic happenings, during the Civil War, and people say that Susannah, the grandmother of Adelaide, is still present in the home in spirit.
I won't spoil this for the reader who loves a good story, so all I can say, is if you love a good mystery, with flashbacks to the past, get this book.

I was given a copy of this book by WaterBrook Press to read and review. No other compensation was given. I'm not required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Happy Birthday, Christmas lights, and more

2011-12-12T08:35:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sister in Christ, Diana, of Nana Diana Takes a Break...We are only a few days apart in age, me being the oldest so I get to tell her what to do...
Yeah, Right.
And

No, this isn't my house, mine would almost fit in the greatroom of this one. This is my daughter's and son in law's house. He has over 10,000 lights on this house. It took him 2 full days, and on top of this, he is helping us on the project listed just below.

And now for an explanation on why I've not been blogging too much. Our daughter, Julie, wanted to remodel her kitchen, you know, a simple job, right?
Pull out the old cabinets, put down new flooring, and put the new cabinets in, presto, it's done. Well, it didn't work quite that way. Seems we got saw happy, had a fountain in the kitchen the first day, and had to shut off the water. So she moved in with us, while we destroyed her house, literally.

No, this isn't where we quit, we ended up pulling all the sub floor out, putting in some new joists, pulling siding off the back, and replacing the sill plates and sills. It now has no floor at all, but the good news is, we have it solid and ready to start constructing a whole new kitchen and bathroom.
so, if you have missed my blogging, pray for us to be able to get this finished quickly.

The Mirror of N'DE by L.K. Malone

2011-12-05T19:08:00.001-06:00

Hadlay Mivana is part of a poor race of people called the Ramash. Her people are kept subservient to the Oresed who live better and often abuse their poor neighbors. In an unusual twist of fate Hadlay and some of her friends are chosen to work in the Tower of the Emperor. She becomes a special friend to the Emperor's son.

Her strange dreams leave her puzzled It is up to Hadlay to fight evil and rescue her people. The Being from her dreams assures her with his help, she will triumph.

Personally, this book had just a bit to much fantasy for me. I know that it was written for a younger generation and they probably will enjoy it.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse 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.

Reviews and previews

2011-12-01T07:58:00.001-06:00

I have 3 books that I have to review this week, so watch for those to show up here.

I am busy trying to put daughters house back together, since we've pretty much dismantled it this past week.
There seems to be no stopping place to quit. I did not take before photos, so you'll have to wait for the AFTERS to see what it will be, when we finish.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:20:00.001-06:00

May your day be blessed with

close family,

wonderful friends,

plenty to eat, and

help in the kitchen.

God Bless you Everyone.

Jettie

Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks by K D McCrite

2011-11-23T09:23:00.001-06:00

Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks

Confessions of

April Grace

K. D. McCrite

Published by

Tommy Nelson

a division of

Thomas Nelson Publishing

April Grace Reilly and her family live in Northwestern Arkansas, on aptly named Rough Creek Road.

New neighbors from California bought the house just down the road, which needed lots of work to be livable, so her parents ask them to stay with them, until the house is fixed.

The first day of school, the new neighbor, Isabel has an accident on the rough road, which means that they'll be living with them even longer.

Soon April's mother becomes ill, and scares her to distraction, afraid her mother is dying. And Lily, April's mother, won't be able to direct the Christmas play at their church. Isabel is recruited to direct the play.

Even though this book is directed toward young teens, I found it very interesting, and it kept my attention all the way through. It has a great message about tolerance and acceptance. When I first started reading,being from the northern part of Arkansas, I have to say I was a little disconcerted to find that the book was set in Arkansas, and was afraid it would portray us as 'Hicks', but it does not, and for that I am very glad.

I received this book to read and review, from Booksneeze. No other compensation was received. I am not required to give a positive review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R35WYQVVOQ2DLX

HOUSE OF SECRETS by Tracie Peterson

2011-11-17T12:26:00.001-06:00

Bethany House publishers
Contemporary Fiction

Imagine 3 little girls on a stairwell landing, watching their father mix medication for their mentally ill mother, while crying, and saying he's doing it for the children. Then their mother is hauled away in an ambulance, and dies.
Can you imagine their thoughts?

Then raised in boarding schools and by nannies while their father works.
Fast forward about 15 years, and their father wants them to all go back to the vacation home where they were staying when their mother died. He tells them he has news for them.

On top of all this, Bailee has been offered a job in NY, with Mark Delahunt, who she feels more than a bit of attraction to, but she isn't ready for romance.

This is what faces Bailee Cooper and her sisters, Geena and Piper, as they head for Washington state, and a meeting with their father, and his surprise.

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

My opinion of this book is it scores 4 out of 5 stars.

Someone knows me well...

2011-11-14T14:57:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I found the lantern at a 'big box store', and I just had to have it, though

hubby wasn't so sure I needed it.

It is a candle holder, but I didn't have candles that showed well in it.

Today, a box came in the mail, that had the 3 oval boxes inside, and when we opened the last one

SURPRISE

5 small orange candles, that fit perfectly into the holder.

(I say we, because my 8 year old grandson, Jd, is here, and you know how it is with kids and packages')

My 'sister' knows me well, she knew I loved 'trinket boxes' as I call them, and those beautiful candles are the perfect thing.

She also my shoulder to cry on, whenever I'm blue, the one who makes me laugh, when I need a big chuckle, we almost share a birthday I'm about 3 1/2 weeks her senior, and that makes me the 'big sister',

and though we aren't sisters by blood, we are sisters ..

very special Sister in Christ.

Thank you 'TRose' for the birthday gift.

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T06:57:00.001-06:00

God Bless all the men and women who have served, and are still serving, to keep our country free.
This is to my Nephew, Tim, who leaves soon for Afghanistan. Great Uncle Oscar, and my Grandfather, Luther, who fought in WWI. For my father, Troy, who never left American soil, during WWII, got his back broken while on training maneuvers and spent 13 months in a hospital halfway across the country from his family. For my Uncles, Arlie and Hervie, my great great grandfather, Joseph, and his father, Gamliel, who served in the Civil War, Gamliel gave his life, and Joseph gave his health for the Union. And for my GGG Grandfather Abner, who fought to help free this country from the British.

Valley of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling

2011-11-10T11:44:00.001-06:00

After her father's death, Cassie Lockwood discover that her 'Uncle Jason' has made bad investments, and has disappeared with what little cash was left of the Wild West Show, that was owned by her father. When she learns that what little is left of the show, will go to the bank that holds the lien, she and a few of the other members of the show, along with some of the beloved animals, head out to South Dakota, to find the land her father had owned, and was now hers. The only trouble, there were no real directions. Caught in a blizzard, will they survive to find the land?

This is the first of a series, and I hope to get to finish it, when the rest are released.

I received this book to read and review, from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing. No other compensation was given, all opinions expressed here are my own. I am not required to give a positive review.

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

2011-11-10T10:06:00.001-06:00

This is the 2nd book that I have read, that was written by Tamera Alexander, the first, I dearly loved. This one is even better, if at all possible.

Claire loves painting, and wants to paint something to bring acclaim to her name. Instead she is forced to paint forgeries of other artists work for her father.
After he dies, she escapes to Nashville TN, which is still in turmoil after the Civil War.

I recieved this book from Litfuse to read and review, no other compensation was given.
I am not required to give a positive review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

THE ENCOUNTER BY Stephen Arterburn

2011-11-08T08:45:00.000-06:00

Thomas Nelson Publishing

Jonathan Rush was given up for adoption when he was 4 years old. He went to an orphan's home in Fairbanks Alaska, where he spent several years, before he was adopted. He has since become a wealthy businessman and along the way, married 3 times, all of which have failed. His anger at his birth mother for not loving him, and giving him up for adoption has grown so much that he's even attempted suicide. His minister has suggested he go to see if he can find anything about his mother, and if she had a reason for giving him away, and try to find forgiveness.
He arrives in Fairbanks, unprepared for the winter climate, and is met with the rumor that he plans to move his business operation to Alaska. He meets a young reporter who asks questions, for which he refuses to give answers. Before long, she convinces him to let her help look for information on his mother.
They find Mercy, a woman who knew his mother, but refuses to give him information other than his mother loved him, which he is unwilling to believe.

This is a short book, 167 pages, and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Though it is written as fiction, and the characters are fictional, I'm sure at some point, this story has it's base in truth. The author, Stephen Arterburn, is the founder of WOMEN OF FAITH, which I am sure you have heard about, at some point.

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

The Mercy by Beverly Lewis

2011-11-07T09:48:00.002-06:00

Rose and Hen are sisters, raised Amish, though Hen never joined the church, and married an 'Englisher'.
She and her husband, Brandon, are separated, and she moves back near her parents. Her husband was in a car accident, lost his sight, and had other injuries, so he moved to the farm and Hen is caring for him.

Rose broke up with the man she was engaged to, because she just didn't feel it was a good match. Her brother, sets her up with another guy, who is related to his wife. Rose thinks she can love this one, but then he begins showing that he doesn't follow the Amish way, and has never been baptized.

Nick, who was raised by the Petershiem family, but left when an accident took the life of their son. He has returned, and decided to be baptized into the church, and want to set things straight about the cause of the accident.

I enjoyed this book, but wish I had read the 2 that came before it, before reading. I kind of felt as if I'd come in at the middle of a movie.

I was given a copy of this book to read and review, no other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own.

THE CROSSING by Serita Jakes

2011-11-07T08:14:00.000-06:00

Published by Waterbrook Press

Ten years after the murder of a beloved high school teacher, BJ Remington, on the way home from a football game, on the bus with the players and cheerleaders, Claudia is having flashbacks and panic attacks, reliving that night. Her husband, Vic, an assistant DA, decides to investigate, to see if the cold case murder can be solved.
Casio Hightower was also on the bus that night, and had been shot in the arm, ending his season, and the hopes for scholarships to college, and hopefully a pro career. He's become a policeman, following in his father, Gabe's, footsteps. Gabe is the one who had investigated the murder originally, and Vic and Gabe hope he can remember something that might help solve the case. But how many lives will solving this decade old murder impact? How many others might die, because of the investigation?

This is a murder mystery, love story, and more, rolled into one book. I read a lot of books, but this one is special. You actually feel you are on the bus, during the flashbacks, and are trying to see who pulled the trigger.

I received this book free to read and review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are my own.

2011-11-03T09:25:00.002-05:00

THEY HAVE THE BEST HAMS AND BACON IN THE WORLD.
THEY HOSTING A GIVE AWAY, AND I'M ENTERING
http://pjmeats.blogspot.com/2011/11/dishwasher-ham.html

The Bakers Wife by Erin Healy

2011-11-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

Audrey's husband, Geoff, was the pastor of the local church, until he was fired after being accused of paying for an abortion for his son's girlfriend. He and Audrey opened a bakery, and all was going pretty well, until the girl's mother disappears, after Audrey hits her motor scooter in the fog. Then Ed, the husband accuses them of hiding her body.

This is a very well written book, lots of side tracks, which make you have to pay attention. I really enjoyed it, and think that anyone who likes a mystery would make short work of the book.

I recieved a copy of this book to read and review from Litfuse. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are my own

Ghosts again, after all it is Halloween

2011-10-31T17:15:00.000-05:00

You all know I have a ghost, if you've read my blog much.

Always playing little tricks, no bad stuff, just trickery. I've found new towels, exactly like ones we'd purchased, in a different color. Things disappear then show up later where they are supposed to be, that kind of thing.

Well, my hubby got 'treated' last night. Guess the ghost likes him.

Several weeks ago,he purchased a nice keyboard, at an auction, and has been trying to purchase the thingamabobs that makes it make different tones and sounds. Everything from a cowbell, helicopter to you name it. He'd bid up to about $35 on one thingamabob, and got outbid.

Last night he walked over to me and said where did this come from?

It was a small plastic bag with not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 of the thingamabobs, so I guess you could say well over $100 worth. Now they were on his 'table' beside his chair. I don't even dust it, because of all the precious stuff that might get displaced...

Thank you Pound Puppy 1985, You can eat crackers in my bed anytime for these gifts.

Last of the cucumbers and

2011-10-28T21:50:00.003-05:00

Can you see my cucumber crop?

Skylar found some seed spilled in the garage awhile back, and

put them in the planter. I'm betting by morning they'll be toast, or maybe I should say very cool cucumbers, since it may be a heavy frost tonight.

The Beauty Berries are loaded this year, so I'm thinking a very

cold and nasty winter.

Thank goodness for the extra wood we were gifted over

the weekend. Enough to get us through into next winter, even if we don't

get the extra 2 or 3 loads we have been promised.

Another shot of the Sassafras which is a persimmon color right now.

It is the one pretty shot of color in our yard right now.

The Tulip tree isn't so colorful this year, I guess it was too dry for it to show off.

And this is what the sky looked like when I went out to get the above photo.

But it cleared off, so the temperature is going to drop like a rock

and will be down to about 30 by morning.

Flash and his Chair

2011-10-28T09:33:00.003-05:00

This is Flash, in case you aren't familiar with my babies.

He is about 4 1/2 years old, and we've had him since he was a very small pup, smaller that my miniature doxie at that time.

Until recently, he resided in the house, but my older dog and him got to fighting and since the older one is about 12 years old and 30 pounds, he stays inside, and Flash was moved outside. I bought him a dog crate to sleep in, but he's never gone inside it at all.

Recently, we purchased a new recliner, and moved the old one out on the porch, to haul off.

Before we could get it moved off the porch, Flash decided he liked it, and homesteaded , complete with his blanket. At first, Buddy would go in the crate, but soon, he decided he wanted in the chair with Flash, which worked out fine. But shortly, he decided it was more comfy without Flash, so he wouldn't let him in the chair.. .

We started hearing scratching on the door, and thinking that Buddy was ready to come in, we'd open the door to find Flash standing there, and Buddy in the chair. No he isn't wanting in, he's telling on Buddy for being a chair hog. It's funny, seeing a huge 80+ pound Pit/Boxer/Lab mix dog telling on a little 11 pound short legged thing, who he could easily pull right out of the chair.

And, for the kicker, when I try to remove the chair hog, he growls at me, not wanting to give up the spot.

Why bite the hand that feeds you?

2011-10-27T08:06:00.001-05:00

You'll notice a theme in the cats that are in my photos,

I won't tell you what it is, but you'll figure it out.

This cat is a tom, another one that loved his mom, and one day about 2 1/2 years ago, he left.

3 days later, we look out, and think we see him

but on closer inspection, find it is a longer haired cat, and has a white flea color on.

She wasn't too friendly, nipping my heels when she could.

A short time later, she presented us with these.

Yes, that is PINK under her front paw.

Now for today's story.

She's never wanted held, and always tries to get down, whenever you do pick her up.

Well, Monday afternoon, we were unloading logs from the trailer. I went over to sit on the larger log, to rest, while hubby used the tractor to lift the logs off.

Here came Mamma Kitty,

(we've never named her, really, as she just showed up, and we figured she would eventually move on, but she hasn't.)

Anyway, she rubs against me, and finally jumps into my lap.

I pet her a little, she gets down.

Then, she jumps up again, lays down like she wants petted.

So I comply, and all seems to be going well.

Suddenly she grabs my finger with her mouth, bites me, and jumps down.

This isn't the first time she's done something like this, she used to bite me as I was walking.

But it is the first time in several months, that she has tried this stunt.

OK, have you figured out the

theme yet?

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson

2011-10-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

Kregel Publications
Fiction: Christian /Suspense

When the Magazine that she had done freelance work for, closed it's doors without paying for the pictures she had sold them, Camden Bristow was broke. Then her apartment manager gave her until 5:00pm to get out of the apartment she owes 2 months rent on, before he locks the doors. Not knowing where else to turn, she leaves NY to go to Ohio to visit her grandmother that she hasn't seen in several years, only to find that her grandmother passed away a few days before her arrival, leaving her the old Bristow mansion, with all it's secrets.

This book has it all, suspense, mystery, romance, and some serious subjects. Melanie Dobson has done a wonderful job of tying it all together into a well written, entertaining, and informative novel. I love the era that it was mainly written about, also. This is the first of her books that I have read, but I will be searching out others.

Refuge on Crescent Hill: A Novel

I was given a copy of this book to read and review. I am not required to give a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Special Note: Refuge on Crescent Hill will be available on Amazon Kindle FREE for one week starting October 31! So if you have a Kindle, I suggest downloading this book, it is wonderful.

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

2011-10-23T18:04:00.001-05:00

Thomas Nelson Publishing

Katie Ann Stoltzfus is a new mother, for the first time, when most women are expecting grandchildren. Worse yet, her husband, Ivan, walked out on her, before knowing about the baby, and moved in with another woman, and filed for divorce. Then he was killed before their baby was born, and she is now a widow.

She is introduced to Eli Deitweiler, a widower with 6 grown and married children. She feels safe with him, he isn't interested in marrying again, especially to a woman with a small child, since he's raised his family. Soon sparks fly between them, and she is happy to know he will be leaving soon, to go back home, and then do some traveling. But attraction is a hard thing to ignore, for them both.

Beth Wiseman is one of the authors that I love reading her writings. There is always at least one extra
story, within the main story, and in this book, there are more. If you are a fan of Amish stories, or even if you just like good clean books, you need to read this book.

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

Zombie Church by Tyler Edwards

2011-10-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Kregel Publications
220 pages

Zombie Church, at first I thought that would be a better name for a Fiction Book, instead of a book with a serious subject, but after reading it, I think the author hit perfect title.

Just a few pages into this book, I realized that I've attended a few of these churches over the years. I didn't realize it at the time, but when you go to church, and come out feeling worse than when you walked into the building, you aren't getting anything from the service. When the people aren't friendly, or not interested in meeting a new 'face'and you don't feel welcome there, or when the Minister's message leaves you feeling like he's not really interested in the 'new guy' or 'new gal' in the audience, you are in a Zombie Church. I even quit attending churches, because I felt unwelcome and figured there was something wrong with me. Thank goodness, I finally found a church where I felt the minister had a message, the members were friendly and welcoming, and I stuck with it, and am still there.

This is a good book, well written, and the subject, though serious, is covered in a way that makes you want to keep reading. I plan on giving this book to our Minister, as it is a subject he has mentioned on several occasions, though he calls it filling a pew.

I received this book from Litfuse 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.

We have Twins!!

2011-10-22T07:45:00.002-05:00

They were born sometime last night, both girls, no names yet. Mom wanted to see them before she was sure of the names. Both weighed over 5 pounds, one was head first one was breech. Big Brother says he doesn't want any babies, wonder how that will work out?
Waiting for a picture to be posted so I can steal it and post it here.

Thank you Lord, for them both being healthy and good weight.

2011-10-21T15:30:00.002-05:00

Have had a busy week, and I'll tell you part of it, if you are interested.

Grandkids were here for an afternoon on Sunday, and I went back to church for revival on Sunday and Monday night. I had my annual pre screening on Tuesday...Wednesday, well we changed plans at 9:00am and stayed home, skipping the Gospel music and the grocery shopping. I'm still sorting out stuff from moving the entertainment center.. Hubby had eye appointment on Thursday that was 55 miles away, so we went to that, got home about 5:00pm, after stopping for dinner. Today, we were supposed to be 60 miles away, at 7:45am, during rush hour, hubby got mixed up so we left at 5:30am, and was there at 7:00am, instead. Got his blood work done, then waited until time for his doctor's appointment, and of course the doctor was late. I met a lady in the waiting room who was crocheting, and we got to talking. She is making me a set of Razorback Red baby caps for the twins, that are being born today, sometime. She is now 36 weeks and 5 days, I think they said, and her blood pressure is up, so she went to hospital last night, these are the ones who were due on 11-11-11. I'm trading the lady soap for the caps. I'm then sewing a appliqued Razorback on them and shipping them to Alaska.

On top of this, I've finished 3 books to revie, and just found I'd missed one, and I still have 3 to review, one of them by MONDAY, so guess what I'll be doing this weekend.....

Hubby's reports at both doctors was good, he doesn't have to go back until 4 or 5 months to eye clinic, and 6 months to Primary care. He got his flu shot today, and I also got mine while we were gone.

Tomorrow, we are supposed to get some free wood. We'll see how much there is, the guy said something about at least 4 trailer loads. WooHoo, no cutting and no having to purchase. We will have to haul, saw up and split, but that's the easy part. Felling trees and loading isn't easy on my legs anymore, out in the woods, so I'll take all this I am allowed.

SHADOW IN SERENITY by Terri Blackstock

2011-10-15T11:19:00.000-05:00

Zondervan Publishing
Grand Rapids Michigan
315 pages

When Logan Brisco blew into Serenity Texas, he planned on scamming the people of the town for all he could get, then escape before he was found out. He meets Carny Sullivan, the daughter of a carnival owner, who recognizes him for what he is, because she's seen all the scams, working for her father's carnival, until she left, married and moved to Serenity when she was 17.
Carny tries to tell everyone that he is scamming them, but no one wants to believe her. They want to believe he is representing a company who plans on building an amusement park, which they will be part owners. She starts investigating the information she has, trying to figure out the truth.
He hires Carny to give him flying lessons, and goes fishing with Jason, Carny's son. He attends church, goes to the town picnics, and before long, Carny isn't sure whether she had him pegged right, or not.

I don't want to give away much of the plot, so just suffice it to say that I really enjoyed this book. I'd give it 5 stars, it is well written, the story line is really good. And the message of redemption, both in Carny's life, Ruth, her friend's life, and others in the plot is very real feeling, not overdone at all.. Terri Blackstock, and her publisher, have every right to be proud of this book.

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

Artist's Rendering

2011-10-14T19:02:00.002-05:00

My daughter in law drew this from a very small photo that we had of my great great grandfather.

I'd give anything if my grandmother could have seen this, since he died long before she was born.

It is large enough to fit a 16 x 20 frame, and will go over my sofa, when I get it framed.

Kindle Giveaway

2011-10-14T09:26:00.001-05:00

http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/159253

Click on the above link, and enter to win a Kindle and other prizes sponsored by Bethany House Publishing, and Patti Lacy, author of RECLAIMING LILY.

RECLAIMING LILY by Patti Lacy

2011-10-14T08:01:00.002-05:00

RECLAIMING LILY
by Patti Lacy
Bethany House publishers
373 pages

'Joy' was adopted in China, by the Powells, Andrew and Gloria, who had expected to adopt a baby, but instead took an 8 year old girl when they were at the orphanage and told no baby was available there. At 17, she is confused, rebellious, and her adoptive parents aren't sure how to handle her anymore.

The Powells are contacted by Joy's birth sister, telling them that she needs to meet with them about a genetic health problem that Joy may carry. Dr. Kia Chang has looked for her sister since the day she watched as Lily, renamed Joy, was led into a van at the orphanage where she had been left, because the family were not supposed to have more children.

Kia goes to Texas to meet the Powells, and their meeting is interrupted by a policeman who tells them that Joy has been arrested for shoplifting. Kia goes with the Powells to meet Joy (Lily) and they bond quickly.
Now Kia has to explain to her sister about the health problem. Will she rebel again, or will she get to meet her real father and 2 more sisters who are still in China? Will Gloria Powell accept the help Kia offers? Will Kia learn that there is really a True God who saves?

Patti Lacy has written a very complex book, though it doesn't seem that way, when you are reading it. I would give it 5 stars for the writing and the story, as once you sit down to read it, you don't want to stop, until the last page.

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

Sassafras Tea and

2011-10-10T09:11:00.001-05:00

Well no, I haven't been drinking Sassafras Tea yet this year, and probably won't, but I do enjoy watching the leaves change on the Sassafras tree out in the corner of the yard.

And across the street, the Sumac bushes and the Golden Rod are turning colors, too.

Yesterday, while heading to church, I noticed 2 different 'clumps' of the

Sumac within 10 ft of each other, one was really red

the other was more orange.

I don't know if it is two different types of Sumac, or if it

is just a variation in the soil.

Soon more things will start to change color here, and I'll take my camera along, and post more photos.

Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

2011-09-30T07:54:00.002-05:00

Bethany House Publishers
367 pages

Roland March, a Houston city detective, is on the hunt for the murderer of a young woman, whose body position and way of death makes him think it is a copy cat killing to a crime which he had solved about 10 years earlier. And now, a Sheriff's deputy from the county is trying to make a name for himself claiming that this murder, and several others, are the work of s serial killer. March doesn't think so, but since he isn't the most popular man in the office, his superiors are telling him to consider this mans ideas and investigate...

This is my first 'Roland March' book to read, and while I'm usually a big murder mystery fan, this one didn't do it for me. It started out great, but about halfway through, I started looking for an ending, which didn't come for another 150 pages.

I recieved a copy of this book from Bethany House, to read and review. No other compensation was given. I'm not required to give a favorable review, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

What's it like to be a Christian?

2011-09-28T19:58:00.000-05:00

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like to be a Christian?'

The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.' God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it to other pumpkins.

I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

And post it on my blog for all the world to see.

The Witching Hour

2011-09-24T07:42:00.001-05:00

In this little story, all names are changed to protect the guilty.

Long long ago, in a place far far away, there was a young (or not so young) couple

struggling to make ends meet and keep a roof over their heads.

They had two beautiful children, both of whom adored their daddy, and would do anything he told them.

With all the struggling, sometimes words were spoken, better left unsaid.

After one of those days when the wife had all she could take,

trying to fix meals, get the laundry under control, and

whatever else was on the agenda, someone asked for

something that wasn't easy to do. She doesn't remember

the exact thing, all she remembers is that she said

"No",

and

Handsome daddy whispered something to the beautiful children,

and shortly something not so beautiful came out of their mouths.

The beautiful mommy looked at her offspring with shock and

dismay, and decided to teach all 3 a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.

She looked at the 3 people she loved most in the world, and said,

"From now on, when you address me, you will call me Old Witch, that is my new name,

I won't answer to anything else, until further notice".

For the next two weeks she stuck to her ultimatum and

from that day forward, no one has called her a witch to her face.

Now, behind her back, that is probably another story,

but we won't discuss that one right now.

A Birthday Surprise for Someone Special

2011-09-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

No, it isn't my birthday, won't be for a couple of months, and I'm not hurrying it along. But, I have a wonderful aunt, who is having a birthday very soon, October 4th, in fact. She never wants anything for her birthday, but she is always generous with us, when ours comes along. This year, she turns 86, and when I talked to her today, she said she would love to have a Dogwood Quilt pattern, that she can't find hers, and that is a quilt she would love to have.
I told her I had a dogwood quilt, and that I'd draw off the pattern, and send it to her. After messing with it for awhile, I decided no, I'm not sending a pattern, I'm packing that quilt up and shipping it to her as a birthday gift. It's the color she wants and everything, and the quilt means nothing to me at all, it is just a quilt. And I don't care for the colors or the design, so it will clear out a space in my cabinet for a new quilt, someday. So, I called the post office, they are delivering me a box tomorrow, so that I can pack it up, and get it to her, by her birthday. Happy 86th Birthday to the Sweetest aunt anyone could ever have....

A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Published by Revell books

Jaime Fitzpatrick was at the doctor for a prescription refill, when she met Mattie and Sol Riehl, and their son, Danny. The doctor she saw, wasn't her regular doctor, and she was a little aggravated when he asked her to stop on her way out of town and return Danny Riehl's toy he had accidentally left at the office, giving her explicit directions to their home.
A snow storm was about to hit, and Jaime and her husband were due to meet her father and go on a Christmas cruise with him. She hurries up to to the Riehl home, surprised at it's beautiful simplicity. As she gets out of her car, with her husband in tow, the car starts going down the hill, and backs into the pond. Stuck at the Riehl home on Christmas when the blizzard hits, she and her husband, C. J, had to accept the hospitality of the Amish family, and find they have more in common than she would have thought.

194 pages, so it is a quick read, and as usual, Suzanne Woods Fisher has come up with a fantastic story. Another Author that has yet to disappoint me with anything she has written. A 5 Star book.

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

A great morning at the Funeral Home ;- )

2011-09-19T18:41:00.000-05:00

By now, you probably think I've lost my marbles, but no, I haven't. I actually had a great morning at the funeral home, this morning. My great grandfather's grave marker was getting a little worse for wear after about 80 years in the elements, and it wasn't going to improve with age. Sue, a first cousin of my dad, called awhile back and mentioned she was thinking about putting a new stone in it's place. I said hey, let me hit some of the relatives up for a donation, and you and I will split the rest, after we get what donations they send. Sue, being a very shy lady, said go for it, maybe we'll get a little help. So, big mouth here, started writing all the email cousins, and calling those that I had phone #s for, asking for donations. The first donation was $50..then we got $100, hmmm, so I call the monument place, and get a price for a small stone...the next donations came, another $100, then $300, another $100, and then $40 and so on. Before all of it got here, I called the funeral home where I know the owner, and he gave us a much better price, and told us he would work with us.
So, we made an appointment for this morning to look at stones and prices. Sue and I met there, picked out what we liked, and they called the place that does the carving, to have them do a drawing so we could see how it looks on that stone. We got to have things changed, so we chose a small cross at both sides of the last name, with leaves and a flower beside it. We also chose a Mahogany colored stone. When we got the bill, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had enough to cover the cost, without having to break out our checkbooks.
Anything left will go toward the cemetery upkeep fund that sees that the fence is in good repair, and that the grounds are mowed and cleaned.

Sue and I are like Mutt and Jeff, she is tall and very thin, and quiet spoken. I'm short, rotund, and with a mouth that many would love to staple shut. We are the perfect pair, and I love her dearly.

Where were you when the lights went out?

2011-09-18T17:32:00.001-05:00

This morning, I didn't make it to Sunday School, as the truck was loaded with a recliner that I'd purchased yesterday and we were having rain showers and thunder and lightning.. So I called Julie and asked for a ride to church. We got through the singing and giving the Quartet a big round of applause for winning the Music Banner at Youth Rally for Best overall, last night.. The Quartet range in age from 11 down to barely 3, and if I had a video of them, I guarantee it would be a U Tube hit. I think the 3 year old won it for them with his actions, he does everything that the others do, making sure he keeps an eye on them, in case he's forgotten something. He can't reach the microphone even as low as it will go, so it is pointed down, and he grabs the stand and tiptoes to get his voice heard.
Anyway, about that time, they sent the little ones off to nursery class, and the Minister started his sermon, and that's when the lights went out. We do have a large cross made from lighted glass blocks on the front of the sanctuary, so there was light coming in, but the nursery went pitch black. Surprisingly none of them screamed or had a fit, and a flashlight was sent to the room. The minister said that he could preach in the dark, and proceeded, so the lights came back on, and stayed on the rest of the time. I guess the devil decided if he wasn't upsetting someone, he'd go play elsewhere.

Video for Shelia Walsh's new children series

2011-09-14T14:27:00.001-05:00

http://youtu.be/sfwhWae_h04

I reviewed Gabby, God's Little Angel a few days ago, and I want to say that is has a very special message. All children should get to see this book.

What next, I wonder

2011-09-14T07:36:00.000-05:00

I have cut back on my book reviewing, though to look at the last few posts, you might not think so.
And there is one more sitting in the 'hold' that is scheduled to be posted soon. I have 3 or 4 books that will be shipped soon. But, I have become a lot more selective in the books I request.

But yesterday, out of the blue, another opportunity to review for someone else came in my email. Seems they'd read a couple of my reviews on Christian books dot com and were contacting me to see if I'd review a book for them. It is by “New York Times” bestselling author Terri Blackstock and the name of the book is 'Shadow of
Serenity'.

Here is a website where you can see what it is about. http://www.terriblackstock.com/christian-retailing-review-of-shadow-in-serenity/

This is the 2nd time I've been contacted by publishers or authors and asked to review one of their books.

Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes

2011-09-13T12:15:00.002-05:00

Gina Holmes has written a very compelling novel about a marriage on the rocks, and a man who made mistakes but wants to rectify them.

Eric and Kyra Yoshida have been married 20 years, but for the last couple of year, Kyra has pushed him away, and he doesn't really understand what has happened. They separate, and and it looks as if they are heading for divorce, but Kyra has an accident, and loses the memory of the separation, and what has caused it. So, Eric moves back home, though dreading the day that her memory starts to return.

A good read, I enjoyed it, I will say it is a very 'real' book, you don't feel it is made up, but taken from someone's life story.

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

Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-09-12T20:02:00.003-05:00

Waterbrook Press publishers

Sylvia Fisher asked her boyfriend, Elam Smoker, for more time, when he asked her to marry him. At 22, she wasn't sure she was ready to get married, and start a family right away. A few weeks later, she is told that Becky, her younger sister, is getting married, and the man is Elam Smoker. She wanted to leave then, but, she wasn't allowed. About 2 years later, Becky and Elam have twins, and Sylvia finds herself taking care of the family and the farm, while everyone but Elam is down with the flu. She realizes she is still attracted to him, and knows she has to get away.
She finds a position on the dairy farm of Michael and Dora Blank, working to improve their milk production. Little does she know that their son, Aaron, wants to buy an Amish store in a town a few miles away, move his father and mother with him, and sell the farm. When he arrives at the farm, he is shocked to find a young Amish woman working there, and that production is improving. He tried several things to get her to go home, not knowing the situation with her family.

Will the Blanks sell the farm, and move in with Aaron? Where will Sylvia go? The attraction that Sylvia and Aaron feel, will it blossom into love, or will they go their separate ways?

Cindy Woodsmall is a very talented writer, I will read everything she has written. This book is a page turner, keeping you wondering what will happen on the next page.

I received this book from Waterbrook Press, to read and review. No other compensation was given, all opinions expressed here are my own, I'm not required to give a favorable review.

BLUE SKIES TOMORROW bu Sarah Sundin

2011-09-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group

Helen Carlisle is a war widow, her husband is considered a home town hero, for his part in the war.
She can't tell anyone her real feelings, so she does volunteer work for the war effort helping her in laws in the shop they own.When Helen's home burns, her father in law insists she move in with them, that is when she discovers that her late husband's problems were deep rooted in him during childhood. She doesn't want her son to become another in a line of abusers, too, so she starts trying to get away, but her in laws threaten to take her child.

.
She has known Lt. Raymond Novak since childhood, he is the son of her minister, and soon they find they share an attraction, but Helen is afraid of another relationship, and he's been burned before, in romance. When his position of training B-17 pilots is given to a returning pilot, he is transferred to a different position, and soon, he signs up to fly B-17s in the war effort, where his plane is shot down.

This is a very good book, the last of the series of the Novak boys. It is hard to think that there won't be another to document their lives after the war. Sarah Sundin is one of my favorite authors, and again, she has hit a home run, making you feel that you actually know these people.

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

Granddaughter's Grandparents Day program

2011-09-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

Here she is after they did the program.

In the program, she spoke up and did her part to where you could hear her

about 60 ft back. This picture was taken that far back in the building.

I love my little camera.

And then, today, she and her brother came over and we played

Hansel and Gretel

She had to show me that she would fit into Flash's

'new' bed, and no, he doesn't sleep in it, he avoids it

like the plague.

And of course, brother had to show that anything she could do,

he could do at least as well..

Being tall, he had a little problem and I had to work to get a good photo.

Gabby, God's Little Angel by Sheila Walsh

2011-09-09T13:09:00.002-05:00

Gabby, God's Little Angel
Sent to show Gods Love
by Sheila Walsh
with Illustrations by Marina Fedotova
Published by Tommy Nelson

Gabby is sent on her very first assignment to protect Sophie, a little girl who is always in need of protection, as she is very rambunctious, and doesn't always look before she steps.

Sheila Walsh writes some of the very best children's stories that I've ever seen, and the illustrations in this book are FANTASTIC. It is well worth the cost, as children will want to read, or be read, this book many many times.

I received a copy of this book from BookSneeze to read and review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Attacked by Pink

2011-09-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hello Mom, is that a camera?

Take my picture please....

I'l love you for ever and ever, if you'll just

take my picture, post it on your blog, and tell them

I'm your favorite Kat and my name is

PINK

Hmmm, this shoe makes a nice pillow, may just take a nap.

Uhooo, rolled off, let me try again.

That's better, now to close my eyes.

Attack cat, Gotchaa Mom, now you can't get away.

You are mine, all mine.

And now for Long and Short Versions...

This kitten has the longest tail I've ever seen, it seems to

be as long as his body.

And here is Shorty, who lost about 4 inches of his tail

somehow in an accident about 6 or so weeks ago.

It's healed fine, and he doesn't let it bother him at all.

Buzzed

2011-09-07T12:06:00.001-05:00

This morning, while checking the bird feeders, I noticed that the Hummingbirds were pretty active, so I stood under the tree and watched for awhile. They were paying no attention to me, chasing each other through the trees and around everything. Suddenly, they almost tangled in my hair.

I decided to come in and get the camera, and see if I could get a shot or two of them.

Not the greatest, but at least you can see they were out and about.

Then I took a photo of 4 O'Clocks,

these area about the only flowers I have this year.

The white one, I don't know where the seed came from, it just showed up in my planter.

I had planted some striped ones, but none of them ever germinated.

Dusty Rose colored Memories.

2011-09-03T08:56:00.000-05:00

1896

L. C. Osburn baby photo

In WWI

France

I have a letter that L. C wrote to his dad during that time.

Grandpa's half brothers, the last of D. W.'s children

Cora is the mother of these three, The 2 youngest are still alive.

Lottie, mom, Leo.

Aunt Lottie looks to be about 2.

Right after their marriage, I think,

mom and dad abt 1943

My Aunt Lottie, Uncle Onnie

and me in abt 1951, I'm guessing.

Uncle Alphie and Aunt Viola,

probably their 25th anniversary

Reunion in about 1963

Christmas

Dayton Oregon

L to R

Bob, Lloyd, Jeannie, Lottie, Leo, mom, Charlene, Pearl and Viola

seated

Allie and L. C.

This was the last time I saw grandpa, he passed away January 1965,

He was only 68 years old.

Now I need to get a scanner working, and add lots more of the old photos to my

computer.

Yesteryear in pictures

2011-09-02T18:44:00.000-05:00

A message from Tete got me to thinking about old photos that I have.

and I thought I'd do a post on old family photos

This is the oldest, though I never saw it until 2005

Joel Weeks aka Joseph Brown, taken about 1849-1850

The type camera used was updated about that time, but probably in the south,

the old cameras were still in use, hence the chair with the attachment.

(my great great grandfather on my dad's side of family)

Mother's grandfather, Jocephus Finch

he looks as if he is about to face a firing squad.

No photo of his wife, she died young.

Silas C. and Betty Osburn, mom's dad's grandparents

Silas and Betty and all their children.

D. W Osburn, son of Silas and Betty

and wife #8 Cora

L. C. and Allie Mae Osburn, their wedding photo

Son of D. W and Laura

(according to Grandfather, I got my red hair from his mother, Laura, he said

that is all he can remember of her, she died when he was about 3 or 4.)

L. C and Allie in 1953.

Hubby's grandparent's wedding photo

W. J. and Martha

A photo of W. J and Martha and most of their children.

The little blond boy on the right is hubby's father.

W. J. died in 1916 and Martha never remarried, she died in 1965.

I have his death certificate, it is one of the earliest in Arkansas, and

I can read everything on it, except the cause of death.

And that my friends, is a photo history of

our family, minus several photos that I need to recopy.

Hope you enjoyed seeing

them.

Happy Happy September...

2011-09-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, I've been lazy and haven't posted much..

I've been looking for something interesting

but around here, there has been very little

that would even get your attention.

But today, my cousin sent me a new email, and in it was some cute photos.

I really think this cat is dead, lol, but I may try to get one of mine in this shape.

And he asked me to

send him a stool sample,

so I did.

OK so you know what I've been sniffing don't you?

No, not glue,

no not the scotch bottle

Or even the whiskey bottle

*
*

I've been sniffing soaping fragrances.

It's that time of year,

when I need to get busy

and make up about 100 bars of

goats milk soap

and fragrance them with

sweet smelling stuff

to sell for my

Holiday Spending Spree...

And just when I posted this, sat down in my chair,

the excitement started.

Huckleberry was on the sofa, snoozing away, he jumps up, sits down, then jumps off the sofa

acting as if I'd pinched him.

I look over to the sofa and found this

(no this wasn't taken on my sofa)

I guess he had carried him in on his coat, then

laid down on it, and it pinched...

I grabbed him, he grabbed me, and out the door we went

He flew a few feet, and went under a piece of treated lumber, where I got these photos.

And, while I was outside, I remembered that I wanted some advice on what to do with this

No not the crock pot crock, the shelf.

Here is a better picture of the top part

There is one shelf missing

but that isn't a problem,

and the legs have a little of the wicker

unraveling on them.

Would you paint it some other color?

Leave it as is?

Or what?

Give me your opinion, I'm open to suggestions.

That was the week that was..

2011-08-28T18:02:00.001-05:00

I found 2 pants outfits at Goodwill last week, so to hide the fact that they are almost identical,

I was told to buy a scarf for them.

(I don't know what is with the darker spots on the green one, they don't show except for the picture)

We went to an auction on Saturday, So I scavenged through everything and found a box of scarves.

so I grabbed it when they said any box

$2.00

and they are all really nice. Besides that, there was several

other things in the box,

including

This purse.

I purchased another box, and it it was 'hats'

here are 6 of the 10 or 15 that were in it.

and there was a wig that is almost my hair color...

I will wash it and see if I can wear it.

I also got 5 or 6 purses and carryalls.

a half pair of shoes, know any one footed ladies?

And this amber dish was also included in some of my stuff

Does anyone know what it is?

Looks like a large taco boat to me,

not a chip on it.

I also got a telescope, several bowls and lids, like I need more dishes and pans,

and lots of stuff I haven't even gone through yet.

Just a little trip down Memory Lane

2011-08-26T19:57:00.002-05:00

This is Buddy, who has been with us for about 5 years.

He thought he should compute.

This was taken right after he came to live with us, he was 2 at that time.

The princess wasn't happy...

and she escaped to the shop

where poppy was..it was February

and no coat.

The 8 1/2 inch fungi from our yard.

You'll notice there is a piece of candy on it, she was never without 'bites'

She was about 4 at that time.

The 'Ghost Picture'

This is the Pound Puppy that

seems to have a spirit that follows and if he isn't treated as he wishes, he

causes strange things to happen. It was suggested that I get rid of him,

but I refused.

All three of the clowns.

2 seven year old's and a 10 year old, in this picture.

Sky clowning around,

yes, her face is dirty, it usually is.

Jd and his 'baby' who is now a

very large tomcat named

Pink

Moon Shot

that I took one morning

from the front yard.

Sky and Stephen

their first Easter in their new house.

you can almost see to our house, from this balcony.

Almost our first date,

I think it was about date #3

42 1/2 years ago.

The only one missing that I intended to post was the one of

Jd feeding oatmeal to Sky, they were probably about 15 months old

and he found Stephen's oatmeal, and he would give Sky a bite, then he would take a bite.

He managed to feed and eat the whole bowl without spilling a bite.

Beautiful Morning

2011-08-25T09:45:00.001-05:00

Both my crepe myrtles are blooming this year, at the same time.

They've never been flush with blooms like some I have seen

and have never bloomed together.

First fungi I've seen, as it has been so dry

This one is nothing near the 8 1/2 inch ones we usually have.

Poke Berries are bleeding purple right now.

This bush is called a Beautyberry, it had lovely small spidery blooms in a pale

lavender a few weeks ago.

Milo that has come up around the bird feeder.

And an old rusty grader blade near the property line

that was here, when we bought the property 33 years ago.

notice the bent and twisted alder that is next to it.

It was very quiet this morning, in all the time I was out, I only saw one

bird, which I startled, or I'd never have spotted him.

And another modification to the homemade bird feeder

it needs a couple of rivets and maybe a new stand,

to make it good and sturdy.

Will it ever end...?

2011-08-24T18:25:00.000-05:00

My best friend called me yesterday morning, she lives about 16 miles north.

She told me that her mother in law was no longer answering the phone,

and she was afraid that the end was near.

She got another call, said I have to take this.

A little later she told me that it was from her husband's father, and they were afraid that

'Sally' wouldn't last much longer.

By last night she was gone.

So I guess the answer to my question, is NO it won't ever end.\

I'll try and be more cheery tomorrow.

Rose Colored Memories Day #3

2011-08-21T07:42:00.001-05:00

Grandma always loved company, and when any of the out of state family came to visit, she would hostess a big 'potluck dinner'. How she managed to get the word out, with no phone, I don't know.

Everyone showed up, even the neighbors, as she made sure they were invited, whether they knew anyone there or not. There would be anywhere from 25 to 40 people, at least.

The first of these I remember, they had an outhouse, no indoor plumbing.

Her siblings, grandpa's siblings, all 8 of their surviving children, their children, and grandchildren would show up.

I remember one of these, when I was about 9, I think. JoAnne, my cousin just younger than me, and I were hungry. We went to the kitchen to get something to eat, but were told to wait, and let the elder members get their plates first. Neither of us was too happy about this, and grumbled a little too loudly, and my dad promised a belt when I got home. He was mad, so I knew that meant a beating, not a spanking.

That is the one and only time I remember anyone speaking up on my behalf. And I missed out on that belt.

Halloween was a special time, grandma always made popcorn balls. This was at a time before you had to worry about razor blades or poison in treats. All our friends loved going there, and the popcorn balls were eaten before we went elsewhere for treats.

Next stop was Uncle Oscar's house, and one year he forgot to buy candy or gum for the kids. When we got to the door, he explained that he'd been hunting, and hadn't been to the store, so we should go to the store, and tell Mrs. Faye to let us have a piece of candy each, and put it on his ticket. Now that would be a chance to buy a lot of candy for most kids, and charge it to him. But no, all 14 of us traipsed up to the counter, and got some 'penny' candy or gum, and she charged it to him.

Guess I better stop for now, and get dressed for Sunday School and Church.

Then after that, we will go to the family visitation for Niece.

Floral arrangements for service for niece..

2011-08-20T14:42:00.000-05:00

We received word last night that nephew's wife had passed away.

She had cancer, so it wasn't unexpected.

I got up this morning and started making floral arrangements, I'd talked to my sister in law, they can't come down, but she said she'd send money to help pay for the arrangement.

Then when Kim heard, she said make one for them, too,

so she and Julie are splitting the cost.

Hubby kept asking did I have enough flowers to make arrangements, or did I need to make a flying trip to the

Ozark Trade Center

where I buy my supplies.

Apparently he hasn't been in the 'flower room' lately. There is a small 'trail'

down the middle, with boxes and containers on either side, full of colorful

flowers.

Day 2 of Rose colored Memories...

2011-08-20T02:59:00.061-05:00

Just up the road about 1/10 of a mile or so, lived grandpa's bachelor brother, Uncle Oss, whose name was Oscar. Story was he was in engaged to a young woman, who jilted him for another, and he just never considered marrying after that. He owned an old Jeep of the era of WWII, and he would take the old jeep and a trailer and haul us up the mountain to his and grandpa's old place, and to his and grandpa's father's grave. A few years ago, I was presented Uncle Os's pocket watch, by a relative who never knew him, he said since I had known him, he preferred I have it. It is an Illinois Watch Company watch, originally gold plated. I'd love to hear it run one of these days.

I don't remember my grandparents living anywhere except in the old 2 story farmhouse, and how I loved the upstairs. It was hot up there in the summer, and cold in the winter, but we didn't mind. My cousins and I would go up there and dig around in the old piano bench, going through the music. Most of it was from the 40s, songs we'd never heard, but we didn't care. And grandma kept every card anyone ever sent them, Get Well, Sympathy, Christmas, whatever. That was another treasure trove that we loved to go through.

She also saved buttons, she had a huge can of buttons of every imaginable shape and size, and those were as good as any computerized game kids have today, for me.
She also had some of my Aunt Jettie's books, so she must have loved to read, just like me. I hauled a few of them home a couple of times, and mom said they stunk, made me take them back. I'd love to have those books now, stinking or not. Aunt Jettie was a teacher, when the schoolhouse caught on fire, she and another girl pushed the piano out of the building to keep it from burning. Later several tried to move it, and couldn't.

Grandma was about 13 when she 'met' grandpa, he was a few years older.

He'd seen her around, and knew she was young, but she had her eyes on him, so she came up near him, and said something. Grandpa asked her how old she was, and she said 'sixteen', He knew she wasn't near that.

I can still see the grin on his face as he told this story. Grandma 'set her cap' for grandpa the day she first laid eyes on him, and I don't think she ever really looked at anyone else. She was about 5 ft tall, and grandpa was at least 6 ft. He was tall and thin, she was short and not so thin, but I've never known two people who loved each other as much as they did. Everyone in the community called them Uncle Bill and Aunt Vadie.
He was William Franklin or WF, and grandma was Lavada Evelyne.

They never owned a car, always had someone take them everywhere, or depended on others to bring their groceries. I never thought of them as poor, but by today's standards, they would have lived on welfare. They did get commodities, have you ever eaten the canned meat, and the government cheese? It wasn't bad, I'd give anything for a few pounds of that cheese, it was GOOD.

All 8 of the surviving kids helped them out as they were able. We lived closest so dad or mom usually took them wherever they needed to go. Once mom stopped for gas, and grandma handed her a dollar to get gas, and asked for a pack of gum out of the change. She really had no idea how much gas cost, even then.

Grandpa hunted moonshine stills and turned them in, when he was younger. Funny thing, my other grandfather was a moonshiner. Family story is that he was accused of murder back in the early days, but I've never been able to find any evidence. A flood in that county destroyed lots of the old records. Grandpa was a quiet man when it came to family history, and he didn't believe in beating around the bush.

He told what he wanted to say and shut up.
Grandma told the family stories.
She is the one who got me interested in genealogy.
She told me the story of my great great grandfather, and how he was accused of murder, and left Tennessee to come to Arkansas to escape.
hat was in about 1850-51. Would you believe that about 2 years ago, a distant cousin found the archives in TN that proved this story. Seems there was 2 of them, and one of him, so as he always claimed, it was self defense.

This is a quilt top that my great grandmother, Virginia,
made for my grandfather in about 1901 as a wedding quilt.
It's made from home dyed fabric.
It is one of my most prized possessions...

Guess you can tell that my grandparents were some of the most special people in my life.

Those Rose colored Memories of Childhood

2011-08-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

I just read a friend's blog, and it brought back so many memories of my childhood, and the time I spent at my Paternal grandparent's home.

I was named for their daughter who had died at about 22 years old, so I was grandma's favorite grandchild.

I guess that may have made some of the other grands feel a little left out, but since I wasn't anyone else's favorite, I loved it, and still appreciate the love they gave me, unconditionally.

They lived in an old 2 story farmhouse, in the outskirts of a very small community, population 79.

Everyone knew everyone, and their business.

So, If I wanted to walk to the corner about 1/2 mile east, to my friends house, I could go, or the other direction, about 1/4 mile west, to another friends, that was alright too. Just be sure and get permission, and don't be an hour late coming home.

I remember the one and only time that I didn't do what I was supposed to do, go play in the old schoolhouse playground with a friend. She wanted me to go to her house, so I did, and when time was up, and grandmother shouted for me to come home, I wasn't to be found. Of course, she suspected that I was at Sharon's house, who I was playing with, but that wasn't where I was supposed to be.

She brought a small switch, and I went home quickly. I think she gave me 3 'licks' but the worst was, I knew she'd tell dad. And he didn't give 'licks' he used a big belt.

The house had a porch around half of the house, and in the southwest corner was a bunch of small trees, I think they may have been mulberry, they had larger leaves. We used that area as a play house, every kid in the neighborhood, at one time or another, played there. On the southeastern side of the steps and the east side of the house, grandpa planted flowers, he was the gardener, and he loved flowers. He knew the names of every wild and tame flower in the country. And nothing dared not grow for him. Some people just have that touch. He also knew birds, and he'd stand quietly in the hollyhocks and watch the hummingbirds. I remember once, he caught a small hummingbird in his hands, a Ruby Throat, as I remember, and gently put it in my hands, telling me to be careful, so that I could feel the beat of it's small wings, and see for myself how tiny they were. I held it just a few seconds, and he told me to open my hands so it could fly.

The porch was a gathering place for anyone who happened to pass by, usually they would stop and visit.

I doubt those doors were ever locked.

My grandparents were married 71 years grandmother passed just a few days before their anniversary. When they told grandfather she was gone, he said I'm ready to go too, and he did, about 2 months later. She was 86 and he was 94.

I hope you aren't bored, there are no pictures, just in my mind, and I can't share those, though I wish I could.

Across the Wide River by Stephanie Reed

2011-08-15T11:10:00.003-05:00

When I opened this book, I could not put it down!

Lowry Rankin loved Kentucky, and never wanted to leave. But when he saw his black friend, Sherwood, whipped by someone who didn't think that slaves should be taught to read, at almost 9 years old, he decided he didn't like Kentucky anymore, and him and his family moved across into Ohio. Soon he was helping escaped slaves on their way north, to safety. He and his family risked their lives to continue this work for many years.

This is a book that I would recommend to young adults and older adults alike, all who are interested in what life was like in pre Civil War days. I feel, that even though it is labeled as fiction, it is probably very close to the real story, maybe with a little less drama than the real thing.

If you would like to read the first two chapters of Across the Wide River and The Light Across the River for free, you can do them here: http://bit.ly/rdRKvp

I received this book to read and review, from Kregel Publishers. No other compensation for this review was given. I'm not required to give a postive review, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

2011-08-13T20:16:00.002-05:00

We had thunderstorms last night, power was out, so I couldn't post and then we left this morning at 6:10am.

We drove about 130 miles north to an auction, that had several keyboards, and other musical

'stuff' that dh was interested in, to fill the empty spaces...Being Sarcastic here, in case you didn't catch it....

While waiting for those to come up for bid, he watched machinery sell, and I held a post up in the shed....lol.

and there is my story for today.

A young man about 23-24 and his father came into the place where I was standing, and I noticed what looked like a pretty new tattoo on his right arm. Now I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but some are nice. This one caught my eye, because of the words I could read, and the boots in the center. He saw me looking, and I told him I was being nosey and trying to ready his tattoo.

It said

All Gave Some

Some Gave All.

in memory of

Clayton D. McGarrah

Turns out it was his youngest brother,

I told him I was sorry for the loss of his brother, and said that I appreciated his service to our country. His father looked up and thanked me.

When I got home, I started looking for information, since I couldn't remember the last name, and found a site that shows all the Fallen Soldiers from Arkansas since 2003.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/warcasualties/

July 4, 2010

Army Spec. Clayton D. McGarrah, 20, of Harrison. C Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team. Died in Arghandab, Afghanistan, after his unit was hit with an I.E.D., followed by small arms and R.P.G. fire (COMBAT).

Here is what I found about him.

I wish I could personally thank the families of every one of them.

If you are interested in the list of casualties from your area, do a search.

Simply Cherry Minibites

2011-08-11T18:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday, at Wal Mart hubby was looking around in the sweet tooth department, and found

2 bite Mini Cherry 'pies'. I think there was maybe 10 in the box for $4.

They don't look like these, they are square shaped crust, with a spoonful of cherry pie filling on top,

and then two sides brought over and pinched together.

So I bought a Jiffy pie crust mix, which makes a double crust,

mixed it up, rolled it out, cut it into about 2.5 inch squares, and dropped the cherry filling on it, pinched it, sprinkled it with sugar, and popped them in the oven.

It made over 20

Cherry bites....

I'd show you a picture, but.................

Well, actually, there are several left, but mine need a little bit of tweeking

to make them look nice.

Today's Recipe Delight

2011-08-10T18:34:00.000-05:00

No kids today, Jd went to get new glasses with his stepmother,

and the other 2 are at the other grandparent's house.

Breakfast was a breakfast burrito, homemade of course.

Lunch was something quick,

and when it came time for dinner, neither of us was all that interested in cooking.

I decided to make this

Add this

and top with this..

I won't say it was low calorie, but it was

delicious

Told you in that last post, that I'd find some eye candy.

More Showers and Cooler weather

2011-08-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

We got about 3/10 inch of rain, after the 2 inches we had yesterday morning.
Our temps are down into the 90s which helps bunches, with the air conditioning. Our house needs more insulation if we are going to deal with those 100+ days.

Yesterday evening, I went to the shop fridge to get a large cantaloupe, it was ruined, checked the gallon of milk, it was ruined. I ended up cleaning it out, this morning, and found that it was frozen up, so hopefully it will work, once I get all the ice melted that had built up in the drains. Didn't lose much, but sure hate the thought of my spare fridge being gone.

Julie took a tumble on her steps yesterday morning, and sprained her big toe. She says it's better today, but she will be off work until Friday, because the doctor told her to keep it elevated.

I know, I know, no pictures...dull and boring, I promise to find some eye candy soon...
J

Rain!! Beautiful Rain!

2011-08-09T06:47:00.001-05:00

This has been a very dry summer, so bad,

along with the heat,

that my garden just didn't do anything at all.

I gave up watering, and just let it go.

About 2:00AM this morning, Buddy the Doxie decided he wanted out.

I got up, and when I got to the door, heard the glorious sound of water falling from the sky, hitting leaves and the ground. Of course Huckleberry didn't want to get wet, and Flash wanted IN, so I wrestled for awhile, before getting back to bed. About the time I got stretched out, there was a HUGE loud Boom, and Buddy wanted in the bedroom, to be held.

I got up this morning to a rain gauge that read just a smidge over 2 inches, the most rain we've had at one time since early May.

Thank you Lord, for your blessing of the rain.

Tortilla Pan Pizzas

2011-08-08T17:09:00.000-05:00

1 flour tortilla either the 8 or 10 inch

grated cheese, whatever you like

either pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce

or Picante sauce

Pepperoni

Ham

sausage

bacon

Hamburger

Chicken

turkey

or whatever meat you like.

(I also like onion and pepper on mine, but the kids aren't too crazy about it)

Heat the griddle or a pan large enough to lay the whole tortilla in.

In a plate, place grated cheese, meat, and sauce on 1/2 of the tortilla, fold in half and lay on the griddle.

Let heat until the cheese has started melting, then flip it over and let it cook another couple of minutes.

Remove from the griddle, and place on a large plate. Take a pizza cutter and slice into either 3 or 4 pieces.

These are faster than an oven pizza, and don't heat up the house on these hot summer days.

You could also serve these at a get together, just cover them to keep from cooling as you make more.

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory (5 STARS)

2011-08-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

Instead of this book being about a blind man, it is about an amazing man, who just happens to be blind.

When the first plane hits the World Trade Centers North Tower on 9-11-01, Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor, getting ready for a meeting. The building sways, and then rights itself, but, instead of waiting for someone to tell them to evacuate, he sends the people who have already arrived, out to find the stairways down, while he stays behind with David Frank, trying to shut down the computers to save their information. Then, Michael, Roselle, his guide dog, and David navigate to the center stairwell, and start down the 1463 steps down to the lobby to escape. Keeping a cool head, not getting frustrated, as more people came into the stairwell, and trying to keep others from panic, as it gets hotter, and more crowded.

He depends on Roselle to guide him, knowing she is tired, and thirsty, and needing to slow down, they keep pushing. Making it out of the North Tower, and down the street a short disance before the South Tower sways and falls.

This is an amazing story, much to my surpise, I found that Michael could ride a bicycle, and navigate much better than a lot of sighted people. The saddest part, is that so many people think that being blind means that you can't hear, aren't smart enough to order your own food, and treat you as a second class citizen.

A beautifully written story, about an amazing dog and man.

I recieved this book from Thomas Nelson publishing, through their Bookseeze program, to read and review. No other compensation was received. I am not required to give a positive review.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1024DZV77WZMN/ref=cm_cr_yc_cdp?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview

Our Newest Grandson

2011-08-05T07:46:00.001-05:00

I know that I've never mentioned that we were

getting another grandchild,

I was a little unsure as how to announce it.

But since he arrived this morning

I guess it is time to announce his birth.

Meet

Howdy Doody

And

his proud poppa,

Stephen.
I suspect Howdy looks like his
mom

Buddy the wonder dog

had to get into the act,

so we got another picture.

Stephen started in over the weekend,

wanting a dummy,

so his dad told us to order one,

and he would pay the amount that Stephen didn't have

in his pocket.

It arrived but we didn't tell

Stephen until he got here this morning, but somehow he knew, or suspected

and in the house he came, looking for a box or something.

Raindrops keep fallin!

2011-08-04T12:01:00.001-05:00

At 5:30AM, just as I went back to bed, after letting the dogs out, and back in, Buddy started his

howl, then shortly afterward, I heard THUNDER..

At 6:45 when I finally dragged out of bed, it was showering, and we ended up getting 1/2 inch.

It is thundering close by again, and there are a few drops of water falling right now.

Not enough, and too late for the garden, but it is welcome relief for the birds and other animals that are out in this weather

Shorttail, the cat that lost part of his tail, is doing well, it is healing and he actually pays no attention to it, now. He looks funny, as his tail is a good 2 inches shorter than normal.

The boy who came back from Heaven by Kevin and Alex Malarkey

2011-08-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

Just 2 days after the birth of a new baby boy, Kevin Malarkey and 6 year old Alex were in a serious wreck, and everyone believed that Alex had been killed. Kevin blames himself for thinking about bills instead of being careful with his driving.

Alex thought it was his fault, for not telling his dad that he saw a car, before they turned. Alex was in a coma for 7 weeks, and the doctors didn't have a lot of hope for his survival, but many people during that time, told the family that he would survive, that they knew he would

When Alex finally was able to speak, he mentions Angels, and being in Heaven, but he can't tell them some things, that he'd been instructed to keep it secret.

This book is about miracles, family struggles, blessings, and a lot of praying. It is an easy and fast read, but you know from the first that this isn't fiction. I really enjoyed the book, and I'd like to know how Alex is, as time passes.

I received this book from Tynedale House Publishers to read and review. No other compensation was given, I am not required to give a favorable review.

33 years ago today,

2011-08-02T12:54:00.000-05:00

At 3:48AM in the morning, my youngest child was born. It was a Wednesday.

I don't have any pictures on this computer, of her at a young age,

but except for the darker hair, she and Kim looked a lot alike.

And were it not for the boy clothes on hubby's son, in his baby pictures,

we'd have a hard time telling any of them apart.

Fast forward 31 years, April 2009

And here we all are, on our 40th anniversary.

Left back, Kim, who is standing on fireplace hearth, David, Hubby's son,

Front left, Julie, me, and Jerry.

Had I known we were doing pictures,

I wouldn't have been wearing red, we had a cookout at Kim's, and it was casual,

so I grabbed the first clean shirt in the closet, lol.

Morning entertainment

2011-07-30T08:21:00.001-05:00

You'll remember this photo of my bird feeder adaptation.

What I didn't know, when installing it, was that I was helping the Cardinal parents.

They are using this as a teaching tool for take offs and

landings with 3 or 4 young ones that are just learning to fly.

Momma Cardinal lands on it, to show them it is safe.

The first couple of passes, they just flirt with the idea of landing, go

on to the tree or the fence.

Then one made a perfect landing on the feeder, and 2 others kept

trying to decide if it was safe.

They ended up on the ground the first round or two.

Just now, mom and 2 of the young landed on the feeder, but before camera could come out,

a truck passed and off they flew.

He's at it Again!

2011-07-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

Jd was here by himself yesterday,

the other grandkids spent the day with their other grandparents.

So he started building with his 'planks'.

After a couple of false starts, he

managed this

And before he was through, he managed

to build

this

Which isn't as easy as you might think.

This occupied an hour or so of his

day.

So, that only left about 8 1/2 hrs for snacks

oatmeal

pizza

and the DSI

that he played games on for awhile.

And even 8 year olds can use a nap now and then

so by the time mom got here at

5:15pm

he was sound asleep.

The Chocolate Diaries

2011-07-28T14:23:00.001-05:00

The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Scalf Linamen

I really think this book was meant for me to read at this very time. A dear family member has just gone through a very hard divorce, and I plan to share this book with her. I feel it will help her a lot.

It uses a lot of humor and chocolate to help get you through bad times. And it tells how helping others can help heal your hurt. Everyone needs help in some way, at some point in their lives, and this book shows the way to move forward.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review” I am not required to write a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

SAFE FROM THE PAST By Patricia Miller Mauro

2011-07-28T07:17:00.001-05:00

SAFE FROM THE PAST By Patricia Miller Mauro

http://www.patriciamaurobooks.com/

This is the true story of the struggles of Patricia Miller, from the time her father and mother divorced when she was very small, until the time she graduated college. Her mother harrassed her father with threats of calling the police, if he was just minutes late returning Pat and her sister, Kim, until he thought it best to walk away, and not cause more mental anguish for the girls..

Then her mother married Bill, when the girls were in their teens, and things spiraled downward. Pat finally managed to enroll in college, and she was dropped off at the door with a whole $50, and told that she wouldn't be getting any help from her stepfather. Patricia proves herself to be the kind of woman who figures out a way to get what she wanted out of life, even when she didn't think she could do it, at times. Working in the cafeteria on weekends so she would have food when it closed on Sunday afternoons. Filing for a professor, to make money for food and supplies, during breaks from school. Sharing meals with friends, whenever invited.

This is a very compelling book, and a must read for anyone who enjoys a 'pull yourself up by your boot straps' story.

This book deserves 5 Stars....

I received a copy of this book through Litefuse, no other compensation was given. I am not required to give a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Updated my bird feeder...

2011-07-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

When I built this, I used a block of Cherry that was already cut,

but after watching larger birds try and land on the small area, I started thinking

that maybe it needed a larger area.

I looked for a plastic or metal 5 gallon bucket lid, but didn't find one.

So I went scavenging in the discard bin.

What did I find?

We upgraded our Directv awhile back, and

we had an old dish

so, after a few modifications,,

Here is the outcome.

This was taken about two minutes after I walked away,

and this landed on the ground to eat

what had fallen out,

while I was messing with it.

Now I'm waiting on the Doves and the

Purple Finch to show up.

I'm thinking I'll find another of those dishes,

and see about making another feeder

for the back.

Birds and Flowers.

2011-07-25T14:29:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to get a photo of this Indigo Bunting for quite awhile. He would fly

every time I opened the door.

So I slipped out the side door, and waited patiently

until he came back.

I'd have these feeders all aroun, if dh didn't complain about the fertilizer they leave, lol.

Cheap and easy to make and the post is an old fan stand that the fan no longer works.

The rest of the photos were not taken today.

Caught dh out of the house, so

I went to the other computer and uploaded several photos to this album.

It is hard to tell, but I think this is an imature Indigo Bunting

Taken in early spring.

Leave my feed alone, seems to be what this one is saying.

A Flicker of some sort,

he likes the peanut butter suet too.

I think this is a young bird, just shedding his down

a finch.

Blue Lace Leaf, you'll see a pink one in the background.

Darkest purple bloom

Hungry bird, he sticks around and still comes to feeders

even though he prefers the peanut butter and

seed.

This was in 2010, there was about 10 hummers flying around

I managed to get this shot with 4 of them, the other shots were blurry.

In The Garden

2011-07-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

http://www.mygospellyrics.com/in_the_garden.htm

In The Garden

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I'd stay in the garden with Him

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

Refrain

Of all the Gospel songs I've ever heard, I really think this is my favorite.

It speaks of peace, joy, love and promise.

Do you have a favorite Gospel song?

I'm headed to the shower to get ready for church, wish you were here to go with me.

Dove Hunting

2011-07-23T19:37:00.000-05:00

I told you that the Ring Necked Doves are getting used to me being outside near them.

I was about 15 ft away, not a great photo, but I was trying not to move too fast, to scare him off.

I hunt with a camera, not a gun.

Oh The Games People Play Now,

2011-07-23T14:40:00.001-05:00

Nope, this blog has nothing to do with that song, but now it is stuck inside my head.

It's hot, can't go outside,

don't feel like crafting,

and I"m bored with Facebook

and

Gardening Groups.

I've been surfing,

yes, that is what I said

Surfing...

I go to Blogs,

then choose one of their

Featured blogs

go to that one,

then choose one of their

featured blogs, and

just see how many

Interesting posts

I can find.

Most are pretty interesting,

but a few are

Amazing.

Every once in awhile, I run across one that

is just plain

AWESOME,

those I try to go back to occasionally.

The pictures are my own, not taken from other's blogs
And really have nothing to do with anything I posted,
Just thought they'd liven up things.
The dog is my sisters, his name is Manfred, he was 5 or 6 weeks old, he is now 3 years old, and is a handful.

Friday, and the countdown has begun..

2011-07-22T07:58:00.000-05:00

This may be a rambling post, so stick with me.

School starts in 23 days for all the grandkids.

I discovered this on Tuesday, when I talked to one of the teachers from Jd's school.

Only one groaned when they found out, and think his was just his natural reaction to anything.

We've been having VBS at our church this week. I volunteered to do sign-ins, I think it is about the easiest job there. Once we get them signed in, I'm done, the rest of the night, someone else gets to see their smiling faces. Tonight is the program, then tomorrow night, there will be a group there doing a puppet show for kids of all ages.

HOT HOT HOT

And I don't mean Hot Pink

100 degree + for the next few days.

That seems to be what I've heard since the middle of June.

Right now, I have the door open, to watch the

and these

I have 2 or 3 pair of Mourning Doves, and then there is at least a pair of Ringed Neck Doves.

I love watching them, and they have gotten to where they don't fly as quickly, when I am outside.

Guess they know where the food is coming from these days.

But now it is time to shut the door, turn on the AC and

watch this

Flashes and blurs

2011-07-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is Petey, my grandson's dog, I'm dog setting while they are on vacation.

He weighs 11 pounds

He loves to tease

Flash who is a good 75 pounds larger.

Flash isn't quite sure what Petey is

and

why

he gets

in his face,

At first, Flash would chase him, but after a few trips

where all he saw was a blur darting away

and there was no way that he was going to catch

Petey, he kind of lays back

until the

aggrivating little upstart

getsto be too much, then

off he goes,

but

Petey is halfway around the house, by that time.

So Flash comes back to the porch,

and waits for the aggrivation to go back in the house,

so he can chase the

dragonfly.

2 more flower pictures, to go with yesterday's canna

2011-07-17T17:37:00.000-05:00

This is the ony hybiscus that I have, and it usually blooms

but this year it is a little less showy, because of the heat and dry weather.

also, my Black Iris didn't bloom, though they are still alive.

Hollyhock that came up volunteer beside the big flower pot.

I used to have a 'black one' but it didn't live but one year, guess I babied it too much.

I don't have a green thumb where flowers are concerned.

One year, when youngest daughter was about 3 or 4, her older sister

and I planted lots of seed while she napped.

Of course, when she woke, we were in trouble, so I took some old seed

dug a hole, and let her 'plant' flowers.

Every seed she planted must have come up,

and very few of the ones we planted

did.

We ended up transplanting some of hers to our 'garden' to have flowers there.

Canna is in the earlier post.

Canna Bloom

2011-07-16T18:16:00.003-05:00

I seldom get a photo that I'm really excited about, my photography skills are mostly point and shoot.

But this particular Canna just jumped out of the page when I put it on the computer album.

I didn't even notice that it had droplets of water on it, until I had it made into a post card to send to our library, for a youth program.

HuhOOOOOOOOOO Poor widdle puddy tat.....

2011-07-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

I have several half wild cats around here, they show up for dinner, but don't try and touch them. Biting or scratching will be the sign they want down.
Today, while I was feeding them, I noticed one looked a bit strange, his tail was a bit short, like about 2 inches. On closer inspection (from 6 or 8 ft away) I could see that the 'bone' was still there, about the size of a large needle, but the hair and skin was completely gone. So, I have a Red Tabby Puddy Tat with a short tail, who won't let me get hold of him to doctor. I am wondering what he got his tail caught in, but guess I'll never know.
I'll try and get a photo of it, soon, but not making any promises. Why do mom cats keep kittens away from us, until they are too old to tame?

" Princess Planks"

2011-07-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

Not to be outdone

the "Princess'
asked for her own set of planks to build with, so poppy went to the shop, followed by 3 little tag-alongs

and they came back in about 30 minutes with

not 50

not 70

not 90

not 100

but

109

planks for her.

She had brought her 'paint' so she could

mark her

set, and the

boys couldn't

'accidentally borrow' any of them.

so we painted a spot on every single one.
And then she went to work.

After a couple of collapses
of her taller creations

she finally settled on

building a garage

And what fun is it, to build it

with

the

wave

your

hand,

it doesn't do this...

So simple, and yet so much fun!

2011-07-12T08:42:00.004-05:00

A few days ago, while on vacation, my 11 year old grandson found something he couldn't live without.

Keva Planks

They are apparently the new 'Lincoln Log'.

Anyway he had a hankering for a set, but 100 planks = $50.00. He showed up yesterday morning, and asked poppy if he could make him something similar, so he and poppy went to the wood working shop, and started measuring. In about 1 hr, they had made 71 pine planks out of scrap lumber. Of course when 8 year old grandson showed up yesterday afternoon, he fell in love too. So now they are down in the shop,making more. I think they've made 68 more already today.

Add Grave Digger and a couple of other monstor trucks

and you can see

how much fun 2 boys can have

with simple pieces of wood.

Who says they need expensive toys.

And they store in a small space, since they are all exactly alike.

The other good thing about this little project, poppy is showing the kids how

they don't have to spend money to have what they want all the time.

That homemade works

and they had the opportunity build something themselves.

Next project is some bird houses

for them to paint and hang.

this tower is

4 ft 10 inches tall.

Camera fun

2011-07-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I was looking for something in the discard bin, and came across a piece of 3 inch pipe that I'd tried to form into a mold. That one didn't work out, but the next one did.

Anyway, I was just thinking it would make a good practice piece for a bird feeder that i had in mind.

Off

to the drill press I go, then down to the scrap wood

bin at the shop.

I also grabbed the base of an old fan that no longer works,

and made a stand.As U can see, the

First

bird doesn't have wings.

He visits every day, now, eating what I've scraped off the ground from the wasteful birds at the other feeder.

Our yard has a little color this year.

Though it was supposed to be lavender instead of

bright pink.

And here are two of my silly kitties

who love Cantaloupe.

I used to carry it out to the garden and

drop it in the compost heap, but

now I take a pan, put it out for the kitties

and no, they are not hungry, they just like cantaloupe.

They won't touch watermelon.

But some of the others will.

Happy Independence Day, America

2011-07-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

Have a Happy and Safe

July 4th,

and as you enjoy your day,

Please say a prayer and a

Thank You to all the

many young men who are

away from home at this time

trying to keep our country safe.

Yesterday,

for a little while, I got to spend some time

with a young man, who I've known since his birth

He has served 11 years in our military.

He's spent at least 3 different tours of duty

in Afghanistan and Iraq and leaves again

in November for another tour.

His lovely wife is expecting twins

about the time he deploys.

So pray for them both, as

he serves our country,

and also for those that

serve by staying behind and

holding down the home front

while their loved ones

are away.

BEYOND ALL MEASURE by Dorothy Love

2011-06-30T20:42:00.001-05:00

A Hickory Ridge Romance
published by Thomas Nelson Publishing

Ada Wentworth, born in Boston, is heading to Hickory Ridge Tennessee to be a companion for Miss Lillian, an elderly woman. She is slightly bitter, her father has died, leaving her penniless, after paing her fiance to break off their engagement.

Met at the train station by Wyatt Caldwell, who will deliver her to her new job with his aunt. But before they hardly get out of town, they get in a disagreement, and she decides to walk.

Once she meets Miss Lillian, she wonders if she will manage to last until she makes enough money to find a different position. When Miss Lillian's hat needs repair, she uses the talents taught her by her mother, who was a hat maker. And before long, she is making hats for other ladies in the community, until Wyatt tells her he is paying her to take care of his Aunt, not run a business. He doesn't realize that he is barely paying her enough to survive.

Will they ever see each other as a person, or will he always see her as Northerner, from Boston? Will she ever see him as anything but her employer? What will happen to her, if Miss Lillian passes away, how will she survive?

A very interesting book, not just a 'romance novel', I think the author has succeeded in making what would be a time worn 'story', very different.

I received this book to read and review from Booksneeze. I received no other compensation. I am not required to give a positive review.

Petit Jean Meats: 4th of July Giveaway

2011-06-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

Petit Jean Meats: 4th of July Giveaway: "Would you like to host the perfect 4 th of July get-together? Petit Jean Meats can help. We are giving away a 4 th of July prize pack cons..."

Announcement

2011-06-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

Ive made a decision to limit my book reviewing to no more than 3 books a month, for the foreseeable future. In the past year, I've reviewed almost anything that was offered, and I'm going to be much more picky in my choices from now until at least this winter, when I'm suffering from cabin fever. I'm not yet getting 'burnout' but at times I do feel overwhelmed, when I have 4 or 5 books that are waiting to be read and reviewed, and some of them have a posting date that is speeding toward me like a firecracker on the 4th of July..

I love reading, I also love reviewing books, so don't give up on me, if I don't post something new quite as often.

HOW HUGE THE NIGHT by Heather Munn & Lydia Munn

2011-06-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

This book really caught my attention. It is the story of war, and how it affects many different young people, who aren't quite adult enough to fight, but are old enough to know what war is about.

Julien is unhappy, he didn't want to move from Paris France, where his friends were, to the little town in Southern France where his father was born. He knows no one there, and can't understand why his father insisted they move.
Benjamin, a young Jewish boy, doesn't want to be there, he wants to stay with his parents in Paris, and go to school, but his parents insist he live with the Losier family to be safe from the Nazis..

Nina and Gustov, who left home when their father passed away. They are trying to follow his instructions on how to get to France so they will be safe. Nina cuts her hair, and dresses as a boy, trying to hide, but she is scared, hungry, and almost dead when finally arriving in Tanieux.

It isn't a light read, it is very realistic, and very well written. I really feel that the authors knew of what they were telling, their research was very authentic, and I give them high marks for making the book something that they can be very proud to have their name on the cover.

I recieved this book from Kregel Publications to read and review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own, and I am not required to give a favorable review.

link to christian books reviews
http://www.christianbook.com/how-huge-the-night/heather-munn/9780825433108/pd/433108?item_code=WW&netp_id=856137&event=ESRCN&show_all_cr=1#customer_reviews