Just One More Thing...

Every NOOK and Cranny . . .

2012-01-26T09:59:00.000-06:00

It's Amanda's fault! If she hadn't needed a new modem I wouldn't have been in the electronics section of Target and I never would have known they even carry Nooks. But she did, and I was, and they do - so I succumbed to temptation and bought myself a Nook Color.

I've been putting off getting an e-reader of any form because I have quite a bit of money invested in books that are lined up on my dresser waiting to be read, and a membership in the Doubleday Book Club, which offers amazing deals on the latest hardback books. I was also afraid of the temptation of having an entire Barnes and Noble store available at a click and possibly bankrupting the family purchasing books I could have gotten at the library for free. I was content with my old-school, tree-killing, paper books. Then Dave got a smart phone. Maybe it's his fault.

Amanda has been asking for a smart phone for several years and, to be honest, I just didn't get it. All I knew was that it costs more money. I've always thought teenagers' cell phones should dial 9-1-1 and their mother, and that's it. Why would anyone need to Facebook or play games from their phone? But then Dave got one so that he would have access to grain markets when he was out of his office, and the grandsons came for Thanksgiving. These two things are connected because they happened at about the same time and because the first thing 7-year-old Grandson did - while still in the car on the way home from the airport - was grab Granddad's phone and download Angry Birds. If you're not familiar with Angry Birds, it's a game where you shoot various types of birds at pigs in an attempt to get revenge for the pigs' theft of the bird eggs - thus the reason for their anger. It's silly and corny and juvenile . . . and totally addicting. The boys showed me how to play and I was hooked. I have now played every level of Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons 2011, Angry Birds Seasons 2012, and Angry Birds Rio. I was saved from this torture only by the fact that there were no more levels. Hmmm . . . it could be the grandsons' fault! (By the way, when Amanda explained to us that she was the last kid on the planet without a smart phone, we felt guilty and got her one for Christmas, so no calls to Social Services, please.)

Once the Angry Birds frenzy had cooled, I discovered another use for smart phones. You can play Scrabble with all your friends! If you weren't aware of this, you need to get Words With Friends immediately (and my user name is mrschupa - ask me to play). Anyway, all of these things combined to make me see that, while not actually a necessity for most of us, having a smart phone could be fun - and who doesn't need more fun? Unfortunately, we used our only available upgrade getting a certain daughter an iPhone, so I would have to wait about nine months until we were eligible for another. But did you know that you can do all these things from a Nook? (probably from a Kindle also, but I have Amazon issues) Basically a Nook is all the fun of a smart phone AND an e-reader. Ok, it doesn't make phone calls, but I've got a cheap-o cell phone for that.

I've had my lovely Nook for a couple weeks now, and I love it. I've purchased two books - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (total waste of money!), and a pre-order for Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (AKA The Bloggess - as in www.thebloggess.com If you've never read her blog, you really should. It's crying funny! Start with the story of the cobra and the mongoose - it had all of us rolling.) I've also paid for a couple apps - The Bible app by Tecarta, which puts several translations at your fingertips, and how handy is that? And, of course, Words With Friends because the free version is not available for Nook - but worth every penny. I've also added some free books available from the state library.

So if you've wondered where I've been, or if you've been cheering the lack of pointless drivel lately, I've been hiding in a "nook", reading and Tweeting and playing Scrabble. And it's not my fault!

Winter Puzzle: The Answers

2012-01-26T08:13:00.000-06:00

Top Row (Left to Right): Groundhog Day, Grumpy Old Men, North to Alaska, Dumb and Dumber, In Cold Blood

Row 2: Shining, Home Alone, Eight Below, Cool Runnings, Rocky

Row 3: The Holiday, Snow White, Planes Trains and Automobiles, It's A Wonderful Life

Row 4: Snow Dogs, The Bishop's Wife, All that Heaven Will Allow, 101 Dalmatians

A Puzzling Post: Winter

2012-01-20T13:57:00.004-06:00

It's a brisk 15 degrees at my house this morning, so my mind turns to snow and cold. Below are scenes from 16 movies that take place in winter - and a couple that fit the category in name only. How many do you recognize?

Click to enlarge

Not-So-Rave Reviews

2012-01-20T11:03:00.000-06:00

Matchless: A Christmas Story by Gregory Macguire

Every year, NPR asks a writer to compose an original story with a Christmas theme. In 2008, Gregory Maguire reinvented the Hans Christian Andersen classic "The Little Match Girl" for a new time and new audiences.

An easy, fast and mostly forgettable retelling of a fairy tale. Made for an interesting evening read, but wish I hadn't spent money on it.

The Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor

Snow is falling all across the Midwest as James Sparrow, a country- bumpkin-turned-energy-drink-tycoon, and his wife awaken in their sky- rise apartment overlooking Chicago. Even down with the stomach bug, Mrs. Sparrow yearns to see The Nutcracker, while James yearns only to escape-the faux-cheer, the bitter cold, the whole Christmas season. An urgent phone call from his hometown of Looseleaf, North Dakota, sends James into the midst of his lunatic relatives and a historic blizzard. As he hunkers down to weather the storm, the electricity goes out and James is visited by a parade of figures who deliver him an epiphany worthy of the season, just in time to receive Mrs. Sparrow's wonderful Christmas gift.

Supposed to be allegorical or having "clear parallels to Dickens's A Christmas Carol", but I just found it strange and full of characters I wanted to get away from. Once again, should have saved the money. The lesson here: Do not get sucked into buying Christmas books in the grocery store check-out isle.

Son of Stone by Stuart Woods

After an eventful trip to Bel-Air and a reunion with his sophisticated (and very wealthy) former love, Arrington Calder, confirmed bachelor Stone Barrington is looking to stay in New York and cash in on his partnership at Woodman & Weld. But Arrington has other plans for Stone, and his life is about to take a turn he never imagined...

Totally emotionless. Three hundred pages of detached recitation on the life of the uber-wealthy and privileged. Murder, abortion and confrontation with an armed killer don't cause any of the characters to bat an eyelash, much less display an emotion or even have interesting dialog. It reads as though even the author was indifferent to his characters and what they were experiencing - as long a there was plenty of money and luxury to spread around. Yale admission, millions of dollars, yachts, cars, multiple homes, servants, business success, passing the bar - all are obtained without a shred of effort and received without a shred of enthusiasm. Even the teenagers in this book are docile, polite and dispassionate.

I have enjoyed Mr. Woods' previous books, but perhaps he's become too complacent with his own characters. I gets two stars ("it was ok") rather than one ("didn't like it") out of respect for earlier works and because I can't work up enough emotion about it to dislike it. It's just - there.

Politics, Religion and Football

2012-01-15T18:26:00.000-06:00

Politics and religion - two topics best avoided at dinner parties and business meetings - and two topics I've never discussed much on the blog. Although I don't hide the fact that I am a long-time registered Republican and a Christian, and am not ashamed of either, I don't make a point of pushing my thoughts and beliefs on my readers, it's just out there - take it or leave it. I assume that if anyone is offended by my occasional scripture reference or Christmas wish, they will find another blog to read - no hard feelings. And I maintain that attitude when reading other blogs or Tweets. There are people I have come to know as fellow librarians, crafters or book lovers and have wonderful conversations with, yet we are worlds apart on political and religious matters. I simply scroll past posts/tweets that express views with which I disagree. No hard feelings.

However, in three seperate instances this week, I was not afforded the same courtesy and I gotta say, I'm a little miffed. No, I'm downright angry. It started at work last Tuesday, with a co-worker who makes no bones about voicing her opinions. At this point I've forgotten what started the conversation, but it worked around to her making the statement that her mother is a "die-hard Republican. Always has been. She will always vote the party-line, even if she knows they're wrong." So far, so good - she's just stating her view of the situation, but then she tacked on, "Well, she's not one of those religious right-wing types - she's not one of those people!" I didn't say anything, but wondered exactly what she meant - does my party affiliation and church membership make me one of "those people"? I marked it down as annoying, but let it go.

Then, on Friday, the following line came across my Twitter feed: "The Right Wing is threatening the Girl Scouts with a cookie boycott." Hmmm . . . hadn't heard about this - so I Googled the news story and discovered that one teenage girl in California had taken issue with a transgender girl being allowed to join Girl Scouts and had, therefore, begun organizing a boycott. No problem there - whether or not I agree with the teenager (and I'm keeping that to myself) - she is exercising her constitutional right to correct a situation with which she disagrees. What did strike me a little crosswise was the Tweeter stretching "one girl"l into "The Right Wing". Most people equate "right wing" with Republican so I took offense at being lumped into this conflict. I replied to the young lady who, by the way, I have always enjoyed conversing with about books and crafts, that I had read the news report and that she should be careful about such generalizations because they can be unintentionally offensive. No response.

Later the same day, Bette Midler (yes, the famous singer/actress) Tweeted the following:

There is a whole lot you can say about the Marines, but I never thought we'd be talking about the shame they have showered on the USA.

This was in reference to the story of four marines who urinated on the bodies of Talaban members and were, of course, caught on camera. This act is atrocious, not to mention a possible war crime for disrespect to the remains of the enemy, but it was done by four marines - four independent individuals - not the entire USMC. By now, these statements were really beginning to grate, so I responded to the Twitter-world at large:

Getting a little tired of generalizations and stereotyping. All Christians are not "The Right Wing" and all Marines are not shameful.

Again, no response, but I felt better for having gotten it off my chest.

Then came the instantly famous Focus on the Family commercial broadcast during the Denver Bronco/New England Patriot game last night. The commercial showed a group of children reciting John 3:16 - that's it, just reciting, not accusing or blaming or having an alter call - just reciting a scripture verse. The reaction on Twitter was beyond stupefying. People were up in arms over the audacity of a Christian message being presented on public airwaves. I lost it! With all the absolute crap that is shown on television in the name of entertainment, how could anyone, Christian or not, be offended by a child reciting a Bible verse? After reading a string of responses that were not just antagonistic, but crossed the line to plain ol' nasty, I had had enough. My response was spread over six Tweets because 140 characters could not possibly contain my anger at "those people" who were insisting my rights were lesser than theirs:

I'm confused. How could anyone be pissed about the Focus on the Family ad? If I see an ad for something I don't choose to buy, I don't. But I don't feel the need to respond with name-calling or slanderous comments. I just don't buy the product. Should I protest if there is a political ad with which I disagree shown during a program I'm watching? What happened to inclusion? So far this week, I've been referred to as one of "those people", ridiculed because an over-reacting teen in California got upset at Girl Scouts, and now told that a Christian organization should not be allowed to purchase TV air time. And I haven't once tried to convert someone, push my religion on someone, or even mention that I'm a Christian. I'm incredibly disappointed in the lack of tolerance, and those slinging the mud would be the first to scream intolerance if it were reversed.

In the end, I "unfollowed" three Twitter friends that I had enjoyed, and I'm sad for the loss. These are women with whom I shared interests and who I called "friend", but friendship has to be mutual. Apparently, my friendship did not outrank their need to spew hatred, and I'm disappointed.

This blog is a place where I share about the books I'm reading, the craft projects I'm attempting, and the joys and sorrows of daily life and family. All are welcome here, regardless of what church they attend or what box they check on a ballot. I will continue to vote for the candidate who shares my ideals, to attend church on Sunday morning, to read and study the Bible, and to occasionally share thoughts on any or all of it right here. I hope you'll join me, even if you don't agree.

Six Word Saturday

2012-01-13T23:49:00.002-06:00

Take a lesson from Robert Frost . . .

. . . who didn't need six words: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

I intentionally took a few days off during the holidays with good intentions for getting back to regular blogging after January 1. Well, we all know where good intentions lead . . .

We've had a couple of family crises, one delayed family Christmas, two college students enrolling in three colleges, and a neurotic dog filling our time but things seem to be back on an even keel - although I'm firm in my cynical belief that life is what happens while you're waiting for the other shoe to drop - so I'm spending my weekend cleaning house, reading, catching up with what's waiting on the DVR and in my reader, and blogging. But there's always the possibility that life will carry me away again, because:

"Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out". - Anton Chekhov

Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something in it) in exactly six words.
Then visit Cate at Show My Face to link up with other participants.

Tradition!

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

In the weeks and months leading up to Christmas, I read much about "traditions". I took part in the Virtual Advent Tour where participants shared their family traditions. I continued my grandma's tradition of baking and decorating sugar cookies with the grandchildren. I listened to many, many traditional carols... But this year, our Christmas celebration was anything but traditional.

Our son, Mitch, works for an eye bank, which means that, when an organ donor dies, he removes the corneas for transplant. It's actually a great job for a college student with an interest in medicine and none of his mother's squeamishness, but it also means he is frequently "on call". Obviously, there is a limited window of time for removal and transport, so he has to remain in town and ready to travel. This year was Mitch's turn to be on call over Christmas weekend, so we took the celebration to him and four of his fraternity brothers who also couldn't go home for Christmas.

We loaded up food, presents, ornaments, lights, a tree stand, stockings, stocking stuffers and games - not to mention suitcases - and headed to the fraternity house on the morning of Christmas Eve. We were almost there when - of course - he got called out, but by the time we stopped for more groceries and unloaded everything, he had returned and Amanda had arrived.

Mitch's responsibility for the family gathering was to secure a Christmas tree. Rather than go the "traditional" route and purchase a tree, he and his friend, Kyle, decided to get all Grizzly Adams and chop one down themselves. Now, I can't prove it, but I suspicion that their choice of tree was intended to get a reaction from Mom. The top branches were bent over to fit beneath the 10-foot ceiling (AFTER they cut several feet off the bottom). What it made up for in height, it lacked in volume. The branches were thin and widely spaced. In a moment of resourceful brilliance, they balanced some of the previously removed lower branches in the holes. Rather than wait for us to arrive with the tree stand, they improvised with some 1"x4" lumber nailed directly to the trunk. To complete their creation, they decorated with beer cans and empty liquor bottles. They had no wire hangers so the tips of the branches were inserted directly into the opening of the can/bottle, giving the tree an Edward Scissorhands aura. This was the Charlie Brown tree on steroids.

But I'm the original Christmas Junkie. No measly, ugly tree can deter me from my appointed Christmas revelry. We replaced the alcohol adornments with "traditional" lights and Wal-Mart's finest plastic red/silver ornaments. The light strings helped anchor the non-attached branches, and when we were done it wasn't half bad.

Alumni of the fraternity recently donated new black, leather couches, end tables and a flat-screen tv hung above the fireplace, so we had a nice place to congregate. The kitchen is large with double ovens, microwaves and refrigerators, so cooking was a breeze. There were a few housekeeping issues created by twenty men celebrating the end of the semester and then leaving, plus the half-dozen who had been fending for themselves in the kitchen for a week (no cook during holiday break) - but "many hands make light work" as they say (whoever "they" are) and we whipped it into shape quickly. A fire in the fireplace and we were "home for Christmas".

Work schedules cooperated and left us a nice block of Christmas Eve with just the four of us to exchange gifts, play games and laugh. For the next two days, the other residents shuffled in an out according to their work schedules (several work nights) and we fed them all, included them in our games, passed out some gifts, and generally tried to give them at least a little piece of a traditional Christmas. Their genuine gratitude was our gift in return.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about what it means to be "Home For Christmas". Normally, it doesn't mean sleeping in a hotel, semi-strangers wandering through, or celebrating in a building with no ladies' room. But, we proved what I wrote before: "Home, I guess, is wherever the people you love are. Sometimes, home is not so much a physical place as a feeling - comfort, belonging, contentment."

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,

For no matter how far away you roam -

When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,

For the holidays - you can’t beat home, sweet home!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

We here at "Just One More Thing..." wish you a Happy New Year full of Blessings...

Beer (from Dave) . . .

and of course . . . books!

My 2011 Top Ten(ish)

2011-12-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

There are hundreds of "best of" lists out there to remind you of your favs, or tell you what you missed, so you hardly need my humble list to guide your reading choices. However, the compilation of the list is practically book-blog law, and it's mostly for my own reference and entertainment, so here goes . . .

This year I broke the list into categories - Best New Books I Read, Honorable Mention New Books I Read, Best Books I Read Published Prior to 2011... (Catchy titles, don't you think?) And since we're not strictly adhering to the rules, there are eighteen books on my list, rather than ten. 'Cause that's the kind of free-spirited rebel I am!

So, the Oscar goes to . . .

Best New Books: (in no particular order)

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

11/22/63 by Stephen King (review not written)

Honorable Mention New Books:

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
Litigators by John Grisham
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

If You Were Here by Jenn Lancaster

A few I really liked that weren't so new:

Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

And a Couple of Excellent Rereads:

Soaring Eagle by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Mrs. Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico

Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Meet Stanley Banks, a normal fellow who’s about to embark upon a heroic ordeal that will take him and his bank account to the limits of endurance. For, you see, he is the father of the bride…and the wedding circus has just begun.

The basis of the 1949 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy (and the 1991 remake with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton), Edward Streeter’s Father of the Bride is the hilarious novel about a bewildered man who’s tossed from crisis to crisis—from the dreaded meeting of the in-laws to the rising costs of, well, everything—when his little girl tells him she’s getting married.

Complete with original illustrations, this is a classic in every sense. You’ll laugh with sympathy and enjoy every word.

I've never seen the 1949 movie version of this story, but love the Steve Martin remake, so when Doubleday Book Club offered the 85th Anniversary volume of the book that started it all, I jumped. It's a cute story about a father who is totally lost in the world of out-of-control, over-the-top wedding preparations. Although wedding customs have changed in the past 85 years, the obsession with "the perfect wedding" hasn't - If you doubt me, watch just one episode of a wedding reality show, and you'll see my point - so the story still feels current in spite of outdated protocol. A fun read - especially for those who have ever tried to give their daughter everything she wants, only to have her want something totally new.

The Litigators by John Grisham

2011-12-29T21:55:00.000-06:00

The partners at Finley & Figg—all two of them—often refer to themselves as “a boutique law firm.” Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. They are, of course, none of these things. What they are is a two-bit operation always in search of their big break, ambulance chasers who’ve been in the trenches much too long making way too little. And then change comes their way. David Zinc, a young but already burned-out attorney, walks away from his fast-track career at a fancy downtown firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of our boutique firm.

With their new associate on board, F&F is ready to tackle a case that could make the partners rich without requiring them to actually practice much law. An extremely popular drug, Krayoxx, has recently come under fire after several patients taking it suffered heart attacks. Wally smells money. A little online research confirms Wally’s suspicions—a huge plaintiffs’ firm in Florida is putting together a class action suit against Varrick. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of people who have had heart attacks while taking Krayoxx, convince them to become clients, join the class action, and ride along to fame and fortune. With any luck, they won’t even have to enter a courtroom! It almost seems too good to be true. And it is.

Years ago, I got hooked on Grisham's writing with The Firm. It was my first legal thriller, or maybe my first thriller of any kind, and I loved it. It was followed by The Client and The Pelican Brief, and my ardor dimmed. All three stories were basically the same plot with varying protagonists - a male attorney, a child, a female law student. Then I discovered A Time to Kill, actually written before The Firm, and was head-over-heels all over again. Since then, Grisham has written a string of legal thrillers - with divergent and varying story lines - and I've enjoyed every one. All this to preface my initial disappointment with his newest book, The Litigators.

Throughout the first half of the book, I was reminded of The Rainmaker, and lamented that, once again, Grisham was rehashing a plot. The idea of a young, talented attorney joining up with a bad-rep, ambulance-chasing firm to fight "the giant" - in this case a pharmaceutical behemoth rather than an insurance company - was annoyingly familiar.
But shame on me for doubting - the last third of the book destroyed my doubts. The ending I had predicted never happened - twists and turns led down an entirely different path. Even after the resolution of the law suit, surprises continued to pop up.

And the lesson we've learned once again: This is why (insert name of famous author here) makes a living writing books and I don't.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T16:34:00.002-06:00

We will return to blogging after Christmas. We wish you each a Merry Christmas!

Brownville Christmas Gala

2011-12-21T12:55:00.000-06:00

Totally by accident, we recently discovered an unusual "oasis" of sorts among the small towns of Southeast Nebraska. Brownville had a population of 146 in the 2000 census, yet it hosts a string of Broadway veterans and produces an annual Repertory Theater made up of music/theater majors from across the country. Both are housed in former churches which have been remodeled and updated to accommodate performances. We got our first taste of the Brownville Concert Series with the finale' of the 2011 season, The Christmas Gala.

Specially created and staged for Brownville by acclaimed singer and director Eric Michael Gillett, The Christmas Gala brings together two Brownville cabaret veterans with new faces and talents from the Broadway stage.

These five talented artists put on a wonderful show of Christmas tunes - old standards and some new tunes. I still can't quite believe we found a show of this caliber less than twenty-five miles from Green Acres. I am looking forward to the 2012 season which kicks off in the Spring.

Brownville, the oldest town in Nebraska, is also home to galleries, book shops, the River Inn Resort (a bed and breakfast aboard a paddle-wheel boat on the Missouri River), a vineyard and winery, the Spirit of Brownville - available for scenic river cruises - museums, restored historic homes and, of course, the summer theater I mentioned earlier. I foresee many hours of enjoyment in Brownville. Regardless of how it sounds, I'm not a paid spokesperson for the city of Brownville, so I'll let you click the links to find out more for yourself.

Here's a brief rundown of the musicians who were part of the Christmas Gala:

Eric Michael Gillette was seen on Broadway in the original casts of “Kiss Me Kate”, “Sweet Smell of Success” and “The Frogs.” He has appeared in movies such as “The Brothers”, “The Producers” and “Maid in Manhattan.” Gillett appeared on TV in “Law and Order".

Valerie Lemon has performed across the United States as concert soloist for Academy Award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch for 12 years.

Raissa Katona Bennett performed the leading role of Christine in “Phantom of the Opera" and appeared in the Actor’s Fund Benefit Concert of “Chess” with Josh Groban. She appeared in the first national tours of “Cats” and “Parade”.

T. Oliver Reid's Broadway credits include, “Chicago”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Follies”, “Thoroughly Modern Milllie”, “Never Gonna Dance”, “La Cage Aux Folles”, “The Wedding Singer”, “Mary Poppins”, “Damn Yankees” and the 25th anniversary concert of “Dreamgirls.”

Jeff Cubeta is in demand as a vocalist, musical director, pianist and vocal technician. As a vocalist he performed the tenor solo in Orff’s Carmina Burana with The Three Rivers Choral Society. (Personally, I don't know why they don't list credits as a pianist - he is amazing!)

Six Word Saturday

2011-12-17T09:49:00.001-06:00

Holiday Flash Mobs to Entertain You

We're coming down to the wire on Christmas preparations, so I'm sure you need a break from all the business. Watch the videos below and enjoy. Merry Christmas!

Six Word Saturday is sponsored by Cate at ShowMyFace. Want to play along? Just describe your life (or something in it) in a phrase using exactly six words. For more information click here. You can add an explanation, a video, a song or nothing at all. Visit Cate's blog to link your entry or to read all entries.

A Holiday Treat . . .

2011-12-17T01:03:00.000-06:00

You'll either have a tear or a big grin . . . or maybe both.

The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren

2011-12-15T09:26:00.000-06:00

Marianne Wallace is focused on two things this holiday season: planning the greatest family Christmas ever and cheering on her youngest son’s team in their bid for the state championship. Disaster strikes when the team loses their mascot—the Trout. Is it going too far to ask her to don the costume? So what if her husband has also volunteered her to organize the church Christmas tea. When football playoffs start ramping up, the Christmas tea starts falling apart. Then, one by one her children tell her they can’t come home for Christmas. As life starts to unravel, will Marianne remember the true meaning of the holidays?

This book was my sister's choice for our personal book club during December - something light and fun to fit in between shopping trips, baking cookies and addressing cards. And that's all I was expecting - just another Christmas-themed story with a string of calamities, a little holiday magic and everyone lives happily ever after. But I got a little gift in this unusual twist on the Christmas novella.

First we have the "church ladies" who insist that the Christmas Tea be hosted just as it always has, nothing can change; and then there are the young mothers who want to change everything. Anyone who has ever been involved in a church of any denomination knows these women! But Marianne takes her responsibility as Hospitality Chairman seriously and searches for the true meaning: service.

On the family front, her picture-perfect Christmas vision is falling apart as, one after another, her children announce that they won't be able to make it for Christmas. I am the Queen of the Norman Rockwell Fantasy - and the fact that they never work out as envisioned doesn't deter me from trying again. So I really connected with Marianne on this issue:

"I realized I needed to surrender. No more perfect Christmases. it was over, the season when my children would join me to chop down our tree, decorate it with oohs and aahs. The precious Christmas Eve dinners by candlelight, when we told each other the gifts we'd give to the Baby Jesus. The magic when they'd arise from their beds, surprise in their eyes as they opened their stockings. Over. I'd had my mom season. And now, it was just me and my fake tree and a really big turkey."

There are several other favorite quotes that I would like to share with you, but I don't want to ruin the ending. I will tell you that I cried through the last two chapters, and I'll share part of Marianne's response when she's asked, if she had it to do again, would she raise five children:

Would I do the chaos, the late night feedings, the challenge and worries? Would I do the book reports and the piles of laundry and the illnesses? Would I let them take over my heart so that when they grew up and left home, it created this hollow space that seemed cavernous?

But you have to read the book to learn the rest.

Virtual Advent Tour: I'll Be "Home" For Christmas

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

The song I'll Be Home for Christmas by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent has become a traditional part of Christmas in America. Bing Crosby first recorded the song in 1943, at the height of WWII, and it became an instant anthem for soldiers who were away from their families. The tune was recorded by Perry Como in 1946 and then by Frank Sinatra in 1957 and, since then, by nearly every artist who's ever made a Christmas album. My own personal poll of people standing nearby in the office shows that 98% of Americans can sing along with the familiar words: I'll be home for Christmas. You can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree.

But what does it mean to be "home"? Is home the structure we clean, maintain, insure and pay the mortgage on each month? Is home the town, the church, the shops that we visit routinely? Or maybe home is the house where we grew up. Our family moved to the house on the farm where my father still lives when I was 16, so it was home for two years before I left. My mother lives in town. Her current address was never mine, yet I've spent so much time there it feels homey. Unfortunately, the beautiful home of my childhood memories was destroyed several years ago. Maybe home is the town where I was a child, attended school, met my future husband... But I haven't lived there for over thirty years. Since we married, Dave and I have lived in a dozen towns spread over three states and each of them was "home" for a time. Currently, we call Green Acres "home." So, if I'll be "home for Christmas", where will I be?

I am the middle child of three. My younger sister still lives in our original hometown and my older sister has moved to another small town about twenty miles away. I am the only one who moved a significant distance. With the exception of 1999-2001, we have lived a three to five hour drive from my family, so we have always traveled for Christmas. But it's been a long time since I've thought of that annual pilgrimage as "going home". Dave and I moved to Verdon last March, so our grown children are now revamping their concept of home. Is Mom and Dad's house "home" even though they've never lived there?

Here's the reason I'm pondering all this... For the first time in twenty-one Christmases, there will be no time where our family - Dave, I and kids - gather at "home" to celebrate. Mitch and Amanda are both in college and have jobs that keep them there at least a portion of school breaks. Amy is far away so we had our celebration with her at Thanksgiving. So, rather than be separated on Christmas, Dave, Amanda and I are packing up (to paraphrase Dr. Seuss) "the ribbons . . . the tags . . . the packages, boxes and bags" - not to mention food - and taking it to Hays where Mitch will be on call. Mitch and one other young man will have the fraternity house to themselves so they are responsible for purchasing a Christmas tree and setting it up. I'm taking some inexpensive ornaments and lights. We'll hang our stockings by the fireplace with care, and consider ourselves "home" for Christmas.

Home, I guess, is wherever the people you love are. Sometimes, home is not so much a physical place as a feeling - comfort, belonging, contentment. Christmas Eve will find me where the love light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.

May Christmas find you surrounded by people - related or not - that you love; by people who make you feel warm and accepted and "at home". And may you pause to reflect on the manger, the Wise Men, the Shepherds - and Christ, who came to Earth to offer you a chance to, truly, go "home."

Here is one of my favorite arrangements of I'll Be Home For Christmas - Love the harmonies. I hope you enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

The Virtual Advent Tour is sponsored by Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of An Intrepid Reader, Visit the web site to see the daily entries from all participants.

Love: Audio Book Style*

2011-12-09T09:22:00.000-06:00

I'm not a fan of listening to the radio in the car, so I always try to keep an audio book handy. And, since the majority of my driving is in fifteen-minute stints, I usually select light books for less strain on my limited memory. But perhaps it's time to change my ways. The last two selections have been disappointing. While I may not be the most assertive person and occasionally allow myself to get walked on, it annoys me when my heroine does it.

Crazy for You by Jennifer Crusie: Quinn McKenzie is dating the world’s nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she’s surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, and she’s bored to the point of insanity. But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone’s objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she’s coping with dognapping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy . . . for her.

"The world's nicest guy" turns out to be a psychotic stalker and Quinn turns out to be a non-too-bright wimp. This story was a cross between The Three Stooges and Fatal Attraction - and if somehow that sounds like a good mix, I haven't adequately described it. I did finish listening just to be sure that the happy ending came through - and it did.

Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis: Emily has a tendency to live with one foot out the door. For her, the best thing about a family crisis is the excuse to cut and run. When her mother dramatically announces they've found a lump, Emily gladly takes a rain check on life to be by her mother's side, leaving behind her career, her boyfriend, and those pesky, unanswerable questions about who she is and what she's doing with her life. One evening, Emily opens the door, quite literally, to find her past staring her in the face. How do you forge a relationship with the father who left when you were five years old? As Emily attempts to find balance on the emotional seesaw of her life, with the help of two hopeful suitors and her Park Avenue Princess sister, she takes a no-risk job as a receptionist at her father's law firm and slowly gets to know the man she once pretended was dead.

Ditto! Different situation, different names, same personality, same ending.

So, I'm swearing off romances. Life's too short to read mediocre books and I'm tired of listening to myself whine after I do. I don't usually make New Year Resolutions, but here goes - 2012 will be the year of deeper reading. Don't get carried away, I'm never going to completely abandon thrillers and cozy mysteries - occasionally you run across one that is exceptional - but I resolve to keep the "fluff" to a minimum.

*In case you're too young to remember, there used to be a TV show called Love: American Style which was a series of short, silly sketches about, obviously, love and romance.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-08T09:01:00.000-06:00

The tradition of decorating sugar cookies for Christmas has been part of my family's Christmas celebration for at least five generations. If you want the background, read my Virtual Advent post from 2009. The short version is that Grandmas make sugar cookies in holiday shapes and grandchildren gather around the table to decorate them - and eat them. Due to distance, I had never gotten the chance to carry on the fun with our grandsons, but during the Great Thanksgiving Disaster of 2011 we found a few quiet moments to pull out the icing and sprinkles.

Zerrik - age 5

At first, the boys were more interested in Legos and K-Nex than cookies, so the "big kids" (Amanda and Amy) helped me out. They are amazingly creative ladies and took more time decorating each cookie than it took me to bake them all.

Eventually the little ones got curious (or finished constructing their Lego creations) and joined us. Their creative efforts were more along the lines of "how much sugar can you pile on one cookie?" - much like my own at their age. (My apologies to Trey, the eldest grandson. My snapshots of him were more blur than picture.)

We ate a large portion of the finished product, but there are some in the freezer awaiting Christmas Eve. We will continue the cookie tradition - even if we have to do it in July - and I look forward to the day that the table is full of grandkids making memories that they can pass on.

Amanda

Amy

The Dog Ate My Nativity

2011-12-06T23:00:00.000-06:00

In the early 1990's, Avon made the "My First Christmas Story" nativity set for children. The figurines came in three three-piece sets of soft rubber figurines: 1. Mary, Joseph and Jesus 2. Three Wise Men, and 3. cow, donkey and sheep. If my memory serves me correctly - and I'm pretty sure this is one of the rare times it does - Mitch and Amanda were ages 2 and 1 the year I bought the whole set so they could have their own nativity, and to distract them from wanting to play with the breakable figures in our larger nativity.

Image from E-bay Auction

And, what's a nativity without a stable? So Dave and Mitch built a stable out of scraps of lumber with a wood shingle roof. Of course, Dave made the cuts, but Mitch helped pound the nails with his own little 2 or 3-year-old hands. For nearly twenty years, this little nativity has been a part of our family decorations, always placed on a low shelf or under the Christmas tree where little ones were free to play and rearrange to their little hearts delight.

It became a sort of running joke for Dave to put one of the Wise Men behind the stable (claiming it had been a long trip so naturally he needed a "rest stop") just so Amanda would get annoyed and move it back. Then she would put all the figures inside the stable - where it's warmer and they could see better - and I would move most of them back out so the arrangement looked nicer....

Last Saturday, the My First Christmas Story scene met a tragic end. Dave and I went to Manhattan to the KSU/ISU football game and returned home late - thanks to a faulty speed sensor which would not allow the transmission to shift, which meant we drove 120 miles at a max of 40 mph, but that's another story - to find that the stable and it's inhabitants had been chewed to bits (literally) by Gabby the Big Red Idiot Dog. Below is all that remains - a lone Wise Man and the baby Jesus in a roofless, slightly gnawed stable. Somewhere in a box in the basement is a very grateful lamb who got separated from the others during the move and so avoided the massacre.

Though we are long past the need for our kids to have a plastic nativity, I still loved it for the sentimental value and hoped that grandkids would play with it some day. The stable can be repaired so, just out of curiosity, I searched E-bay for replacement figurines. The only full set I found was going for $76! So I guess it is not to be. But I think I will continue to display the sad little Wise Man and the baby Jesus as a monument to . . . Well, I'm not sure to what - I suppose to having your pets spayed or neutered to avoid more Big Red Idiot Dogs.

Dec. 2 Puzzling Post: The Answers

2011-12-04T21:20:00.001-06:00

Evidently this puzzle turned out to be more difficult than I had intended, but thanks for playing along anyway. Here are the answers:

1. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

2. The Boy in the Suitcase (Lene Kaaberbol) I'll admit this was the toughest for three reasons: a) it is such a new book (published Nov. 2011) but I chose it because it's making the rounds on the book blogs b) when searching for a picture of a "suit" I intentionally chose a suit on George Clooney to make it more difficult and c) those not familiar with farm equipment may not recognize the tractor as a Case - but in my defense it is printed on the side of the tractor in very, very small letters.

3. The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)

4. Middlemarch (George Eliot)

5. Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) - Alice Cooper + Holiday Inn + Wonder bread + land

6. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickins)

7. No Country For Old Men (Cormac McCarthy)

8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson)

9. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (David Wroblewski) - finger pointing at one story of the building + Edgar Allan Poe + a saw + tell (as in tell a secret)

10. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

Now that you see how my diabolical mind works, we'll revisit this type of puzzle someday.

Ranchero by Rick Gavin

2011-12-03T23:05:00.000-06:00

Repo man Nick Reid had a seemingly simple job to do: talk to Percy Dwayne Dubois about the payments he’s behind on for a flat screen TV, or repossess it. But Percy Dwayne wouldn't give in. Instead he decided that since the world was stacked against him anyway, he might as well fight it. He hit Nick over the head with a fireplace shovel, tied him up with a length of lamp cord, and stole the mint-condition calypso coral-colored 1969 Ranchero that Nick had borrowed from his landlady. And he took the TV with him on a rowdy ride across the Mississippi Delta.

Nick has no choice but to go after him. The fact that the trail eventually leads to Guy, a meth cooker recently set up in the Delta after the Feds ran him out of New Orleans, is of no consequence - Nick will do anything to get the Ranchero back. And it turns out he might have to.

Dave and I read this book in one sitting during a recent drive to Manhattan - or should that be two sittings? On the way there, and on the way back? Either way, we read it in a day. It just seemed like a natural choice for a road trip, as the plot revolves around a prolonged car chase. The main characters, Nick and his sidekick, Desmond, reminded me of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Hawk, with a southern accent. The chase was fast-moving and fun, with a slew of quirky characters and vivid descriptions of the Mississippi Delta.

The writing is full of unique phrases - the bad guy "saw fit to go all white-trash philosophical" - that added to the southern flavor, but we agreed that the author needs to step away from the thesaurus. The regionalisms added flavor, but combined with a love of complex sentences and big words, they almost made us wish we had a decoder ring to unravel some portions.

Our combined rating for this book would be three out of five stars. It kept our interest and was fun to read, but - as Simon Cowell would say - it was "forgettable". Although there was nothing seriously "bad" about the book, neither was there anything outstanding. If it comes up in conversation we'll be saying "I know I read that, but can't remember what it's about."

Our copy of Ranchero was courtesy of Macmillan Library Marketing through a Twitter give-away. (@MacmillanLib)

A Puzzling Post

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Each row of pictures below represents a book title. Some small words (the, a, an, of...) have been omitted, and some license has been taken with homonyms. How many can you piece together? All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

1.

10.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Starting with the cover art (the picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice), The Night Circus is a book of beauty. The circus, the clocks, the attractions in the tents, even the people themselves, are intricate and creative yet there is room for interpretation. The reader can create her own magical world.

The story is also intricate, sometimes to the point of confusion, but in an intriguing way. The characters and their histories are revealed in minute increments, like blossoms from a circus garden - little surprises springing open at just the right moment. Like the writing, the plot somehow blends detail with space for each reader's imagination. The Night Circus is unlike any other book I've read, and I'm anxious for the next unique world that Ms. Morgenstern creates.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been on one of those carnival rides that swings you back and forth, gaining speed, climbing higher with each swing, until momentum fails and you sail back down and up the other side? Eventually there is a moment where you swing high enough that the cage pauses for just a second at the top of the arc before tipping over the top, bringing you down the other side in a new direction.

That is how I felt reading Janet Evanovich's newest Stephanie Plum novel. There were moments when the momentum built in one direction, nearly to the tipping point . . . but not quite. Then the story swings in the other direction, gaining speed again as we reach the point of no return . . . and fall backwards once again. It was fun, but it lacked that climactic moment of decision and new direction. In the end the ride slows and everything returns to it's usual spot. . . and we wait, somewhat less enthusiastically, for the next ride.

Thanksgiving Vacation: Hallelujah! Holy Sh*t! Where's the Tylenol?

2011-11-29T00:29:00.000-06:00

The title of this post is a quote from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (click on the link to watch the YouTube clip) and it perfectly describes our Thanksgiving celebration.

It started so innocently. We just wanted to see our kids and grandkids, to have them all in the one spot at one time. Never mind that we now live in a two-bedroom, one-bath house with half the square footage of our former home - Green Acres has lots of space for boys to run and build forts and search for treasure. Family is all about togetherness, right? With some well-choreographed bathroom time, we could do this.

Amy and the boys flew in to Kansas City on Wednesday evening. Having those two boys (ages 7 and 5) run off the plane and straight into our arms was the beginning of the "Hallelujah!" portion of our gathering. Amy even mimicked their actions by running and jumping on Dave. It got us a few strange looks from fellow travelers, but it was the first of many good laughs. Mitch had arrived at our house by the time we returned from the airport bearing pizza, and Amanda and her boyfriend showed up a few hours later. We stayed up late playing Trivial Pursuit, eating and giggling. But, eventually, (sometime around 1:00 a.m.) we had to go to bed and we got the first hint that their might be a "Holy Sh*t" tinge to this weekend.

The girls shared the guest room, and the four guys (big and little) got air mattresses and the couch in the living room. We were now hours past the little ones' bedtime and in a new and exciting environment with no individual bedrooms where they could relax and drift off to sleep. Combine that with tired adults who's patience was waning and we were already questioning this plan. Eventually we all got to sleep and began Thanksgiving day bright and cheerful. Air mattresses and bedding were piled into our bedroom, clearing the living room for day-time use. We shuffled in and out of the bathroom in ten-minute slots, leaving a trail of beauty and hygiene products until the counter looked like an aisle at Wal-Greens.

Unfortunately, the plan for outside activities failed when the weather didn't cooperate - turning chilly, windy and drizzly and keeping everyone inside for most of Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We did jigsaw puzzles at the kitchen table, then moved on to board games. We prepared more food, snacked on leftovers and pie, watched movies - we even put up the Christmas tree on Friday evening and had our gift exchange with Amy/boys since we won't be seeing them next month.

All of these activities were fun, but six adults stuck indoors with two rambunctious boys, two dogs and too-little space causes frayed nerves. Temper's flared a couple times, but never broke into full flame, thankfully. Amanda and Layton tried to escape by hitting the Black Friday sales, but had a blow-out, and the cost of replacing the tire and rim put a crimp in their Christmas shopping. By Saturday morning we were fully convinced that we had lost our minds for trying this, but we could hang on for a few more hours until Amy's plane departed and the others returned to college. But it wasn't to be...

Like something out of a Stephen King novel, just when we thought we were going to survive this adventure, we heard it....the growling, gravelly sound coming from the basement. We listened in horror for a few minutes until I broke through the paralysis of fear and said "Dave, the pump on the well is making a strange noise." Sure enough, the pump on our water well was grinding to a slow death. Which meant, among other things, the men's room was now located in the shelter-belt behind the house. Mitch had already headed back to school so, while Dave drove to town for a new pump and various replacement parts, Layton, the boyfriend I'm afraid we'll never see again after this experience, hauled buckets of water from the hydrant by the garden (on a different well) so the women still had indoor facilities. Bless his heart!

Forty-eight hours later, the house is empty and back to it's usual only-slightly-rumpled state, the new pump is finally humming softly and water miraculously appears when we turn a knob. Two days of hand-hauling water ("How many times a day do you have to pee?") and "bathing" in a sink of tepid water brings a whole new level of closeness to a marriage, but we survived and are still smiling. At least we were until I went to get something from the freezer for last night's supper. I moved a box of ice cream to reach behind it, and it sloshed. Not a good sign. I began poking other supposed-to-be-solid packages to find them slightly mushy. Turns out the outlet behind the freezer is on the same breaker as the well pump. Who knew? Not us, obviously, or the guy who labeled the breakers. Although the freezer was running at that time, it had been off for two days while the pump was being replaced.

The thawing food has been disposed of, the pump is still humming, everyone made it home safely, most of the leftovers are gone and we can look back on the weekend with fond memories and determination to never try that again. Next time, we're meeting at a resort! Hallelujah - Holy Sh*t - Where's the tylenol?

Thanksgiving Puzzle: Answers

2011-11-27T12:34:00.001-06:00

Top row (L to R): Rosanne, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Bewitched, Brady Bunch, West Wing, The Waltons

Row 2: Cheers, WKRP in Cincinnati, Alton Brown - Good Eats, Everybody Loves Raymond, Full House, Family Guy

Row 3: Mad About You, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Happy Days, Friends, The Cosby Show

Row 4: General Hospital (The Quartermain family), 7th Heaven, Beverly Hillbillies/Petticoat Junction/Green Acres*, That 70's Show, Rachael Ray - Thirty Minute Meals

*This was a bit of a trick question. This picture is from the November 27, 1968 episode of Beverly Hillbillies, in which the Clampetts go to Hooterville to spend thanksgiving with the folks of Petticoat Junction and Green Acres - so if you guessed any of those three shows, give yourself a point. If you recognized all three, give yourself a bonus point.

In Everything Give Thanks...

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. - Psalm 107:1

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of all the things you are most grateful for, and hope that the words of the Psalmist touch your heart and you know His enduring love.

A Puzzling Thanksgiving Post

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

This week's puzzle is, of course, about Thanksgiving. Below are twenty-two TV families or personalities celebrating the holiday. How many can you recognize. (Hint: One picture contains characters from more than one show.)

Click to Enlarge

Thanksgiving Preparations

2011-11-21T12:28:00.001-06:00

Three kids, two grandkids, two in-laws, one boyfriend, one angry ex-husband, one Alzheimers patient and a partridge in a pear tree. It's shaping up to be our normal dysfunctional family gathering for Thanksgiving . . . and I can't wait.

Amy and her boys arrive in Kansas City tomorrow evening. By the time we get back home, the other kids - including the boyfriend - should be waiting. The in-laws arrive Thursday morning. That's ten people for Thanksgiving dinner, and eight in the house through the weekend . . . a two bedroom house. People will be sleeping on the couch, the floor, air mattresses - any place they can find a spot.

Tonight and tomorrow are dedicated to food prep and a light house cleaning. I see no point to deep cleaning - no one will be able to see the dirt between all the bodies and luggage.

I will be a little scarce on-line through the rest of the week. There's a Thanksgiving puzzle and (hopefully) a book review set to post automatically, but I probably won't be visiting you all and commenting until next week. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and much to be thankful for!

Christmas and Cynicism

2011-11-19T21:05:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I don't understand myself. On the one hand, I am a total Christmas freak. Just standing in the holiday section at Wal-Mart makes me happy. I've nearly worn out my new Michael Buble' Christmas CD, and it's still November. My DVR records anything containing the words Christmas or holiday without even asking me.

On the other hand, I'm a cynic. I punch holes in every conspiracy theory. I don't believe good always wins over evil (at least in this life). Dreams don't come true. The glass isn't half full or half empty - it's just all you get.

Given these conflicting traits, I suppose it's hardly surprising that I pre-order the latest Christmas, feel-good, pretty cover, sentimental story and then whine because it's sappy. I don't know . . . I'm an enigma.* But here are my thoughts on The Christmas Note by Donna VanLiere.

It has everything a Christmas novel should have - family, forgiveness, and a happy ending. But problems aren't solved that quickly except in thirty-minute sit-coms. It gives you a warm feeling of Christmas cheer and hope. But the real world doesn't work that easily.

Well . . . regardless of which side you're on in the Christmas feel-good/clap-trap debate, take that information and proceed accordingly.

Gretchen Daniels has recently moved into an apartment with her two children to be closer to her mother. Next-door neighbor Melissa McCreary prefers to keep to herself. One day, a local landlord who is looking for Melissa knocks on Gretchen’s door for assistance. Melissa’s mother has died and the landlord needs Melissa to empty her mother’s apartment. Gretchen reaches out and offers to help, but the apartment is a gut wrenching shamble of a home. There is little worth saving except for a few photos and an unfinished note discovered on the crate beside the bed. In the two scribbled lines, Melissa discovers she has a brother and a sister that she never knew about. Can two very different women embark on a journey that explores a long-buried need for forgiveness, hope, and redemption?

*West Wing quote alert

Six Word Saturday

2011-11-19T07:41:00.001-06:00

Bureaucratic agencies out to get me!

Between hateful insurance companies and government office screw-ups, bureaucracy did it's best to ruin my week. Tired of tilting at windmills, so I'm spending my Saturday Christmas shopping with my daughter. That's a wonderful reward at the end of the red-tape rainbow.

Virtual Advent Tour 2011

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of An Intrepid Reader will be hosting the Virtual Advent Tour again. Participants take turn sharing something about their Christmas celebration - family traditions, recipes, movies, music, decorations or ethnic customs. If you would like to join in, visit Virtual Advent Tour and sign up. You will be assigned a day to post your Advent thoughts on your blog. Then just follow along with the Advent calendar and open a few blog-treats each day in December.

This will be our third year as part of the tour. It's a great way to meet new people, learn about Christmas celebrations from different cultures, and get some new ideas for your own holiday season.

11/12 Puzzling Post - Answers

2011-11-17T15:00:00.000-06:00

Did you recognize all ten celebrities born on November 12th?

Top Row (L-R): Tonya Harding, Nadia Comaneci, David Schwimmer, Ryan Gosling
Row 2: Charles Manson, Neil Young, Anne Hathaway
Row 3: Al Michaels, Sammy Sosa, Megan Mullally

Virtual Book Tour and Give-Away: Katie's Way by Marta Perry

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hoping for a distraction after a personal heartbreak, new arrival Katie sets up shop on Pleasant Valley's Main Street, where Amish and Englisch intermingle. It's not long before a quilting circle forms and women from both worlds are crafting together and sharing their secrets, turning the store into a lively spot for socializing . . . much to the consternation of the furniture craftsman next door. Caleb Brand has kept to himself since he lost his betrothed under scandelous circumstances, and he could do without all the feminine chatter - and Katie Miller's carefree attitude.

When Katie becomes involved with her Englisch friends in promoting Pennsylvania Dutch Days, some in town appreciate the new business it brings. But others are upset about the flood of outsiders it attracts. Katie turns to Caleb for comfort, and despite his resistance, a fragile friendship forms. Then, when acts of vandalism suddenly threaten Katie's shop, Caleb must decide whtether to stand by the young woman who has brough a spring thaw to his frozen heart, and Katie must question whether her cherished independence may deprive her of one more chance at love.

During my time purchasing books for the library, I bought a lot of Amish romances. I knew that they were becoming more and more popular with romance and Christian fiction readers. But I had never tried one myself, so I was curious when presented the opportunity to review Katie's Way, the fifth volume in the Pleasant Valley series by Marta Perry.

What I found was a new kind of heroine. Katie is an independent business-woman, determined to build tourist traffic to her quilt shop and provide a stable home for her younger sister. That in itself is not unusual, but when you add in the Amish lifestyle and traditions, it creates an interesting contrast. And an interesting variation on the typical romance.

Katie's Way is, admittedly, a standard romance format - boy meets girl, they circle, they are pulled together, they resist, until some outside event forces them together and they all live happily ever after. And any romance-lover will tell you that no matter how many times you read that basic story, it will still hold your attention if done well. Ms. Perry definitely does it well. The characters were people I wanted to get to know. The variety of ages - from teenager to widow - broadened the story, and the unanswered questions in Caleb's past and the vandalism episodes put an edge of mystery on the plot that kept me reading and rooting for Caleb and Katie.

Thank you to Marta Perry for providing me a copy of Katie's Way and Tracee @ Review From Here for organizing this blog tour.

Give Away: I am passing along my copy of Katie's Way. Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. A winner will be selected by random number drawing on Monday, Nov. 21st.

A Puzzling Post: 11/12 Quiz

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

In honor of Mitch's 21st birthday, this week's Puzzling Post focuses on people born on November 12th. Can you name these ten famous (or infamous) people who share Mitch's birthday?

Click to Enlarge

Happy Birthday, Bud!

2011-11-15T12:18:00.001-06:00

Saturday marked the twenty-first birthday of our son, Mitch. For most of those years, we have called him Bud - which started when he was about this size (photo on left) and was christened Dad's Little Buddy. If you'll allow me a few minutes to wander down Memory Lane, I'll try not to get too sappy.

Mitch has always been a fan of science and mechanics. Anything that he could tear apart, rebuild, or modify - he did. Including my sewing machine, which still isn't quite assembled correctly. At around age 8, he began building model rockets with Dave - a hobby they continue and just one of the things Dave and Mitch have shared over the years. In fact, most of Mitch's early years were spent trying to be "just like dad" - sports, hunting/fishing, woodworking, and anything mechanical. Mitch had a miniature workbench next to Dave's in the garage where he "worked on" an old electric moter with his own set of tools. Dave had incredible patience for teaching - making home repair chores take twice as long as necessary so that Mitch could learn from doing.

There were also many, many hours of working with Dad at the grain elevator. This picture (below) of the two of them is one of my all-time favorites. We have lots of fond - and funny - memories of Mitch learning to shift gears long before he could reach the clutch, dumping trucks, riding the "man lift" . . .

Dave and Mitch (Age 16) get the
Richard Petty Expreience

Hard to believe it's been 21 years. During his senior year of high school, Mitch discovered the medical field - totally not what we expected, but we shouldn't have been surprised, given his love of science and his compassion. He is now a Junior at Fort Hays State University, majoring in nursing, working for the Kansas Lions Eye Bank and driving a cement truck part-time. What a renaissance man!

We went to Hays for the weekend to celebrate with him. I would say something here about how amazing it is to get a bear-hug from this 6'3" 200+ lb. man when it seems like I was holding him in my arms yesterday - but that would be over the sappy line. So I'll just say...

Happy Birthday, Bud! We love you and we're proud of you!

Movie Quote Answers

2011-11-14T22:34:00.001-06:00

Sorry it took me so long to get these posted - I simply forgot. Now that my head's back in the game, here are the answers:

Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? The Wizard of Oz
There's the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars and the chimney sweeps? Mary Poppins
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining. The Outlaw Josie Wales
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son. Animal House
Maybe Christmas, perhaps...means a little bit more! How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full. Top Gun
Anywhere you go, let me go too. Christine, that's all I ask of you. The Phantom of the Opera
This is not a piece of land. This is my home and I'm gonna be a father again and I don't want to bring my baby home to a condo on the beach! I wanna drive down that street and I wanna pull into this driveway. Father of the Bride II
Stop her! That's the girl whose voice you heard and loved tonight. She's the real star of the picture. Singin' in the Rain
He cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. Secretariat
That wasn't flying. That was falling...with style. Toy Story
Where does he get those wonderful toys? Batman
Well, I hate to disagree with you, but not only IS there such a person, but here I am to prove it. Miracle on 34th Street
Can I drive? - No - Then would you? Twister
This is my house, I have to defend it. Home Alone
Don't you worry. If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it. Apollo 13
Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a b*tch! A Christmas Story
Is this a holdup? - It's a science experiment. Back to the Future III
You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you. It's a Wonderful Life
Snakes, Why'd it have to be snakes? Raiders of the Lost Ark
A boy's best friend is his mother. Psycho
You're skipping Christmas? Isn't that against the law? Christmas with the Kranks
Ditto! Ghost
Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things you can't see. Polar Express
Peel out. I just love it when guys peel out. American Graffiti
You're a disgrace to the outfit. You're soft! You're sloppy! You're unruly! You're undisciplined! And I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life. White Christmas
Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times? Rear Window
Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine. A Christmas Carol
He wasn't even there. That was important information, don't you think? A Few Good Men
Ted Nugent called. He wants his shirt back. Ocean's Eleven
Jeez, what was that for? - It doesn't matter. It's in the past. Lion King
The justice system works swiftly in the future, now that we've abolished all lawyers. Back to the Future II

How many did you get correct?

Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris

2011-11-11T08:34:00.001-06:00

Even in a sleepy Arkansas town, the holidays can be murder. Lily Bard is going home for the holidays. More comfortable in baggy sweats than bridesmaid's frills, Lily isn't thrilled about attending her estranged sister's wedding. She has moved to Shakespeare, Arkansas, to start a new life, cleaning houses for a living, trying to forget the violence that once nearly destroyed her. Now she's heading back to home and hearth--just in time for murder.

The town's doctor and nurse have been bludgeoned to death at the office. And Lily's detective boyfriend suddenly shows up at her parents' door. Jack Leeds is investigating an eight-year-old kidnapping and the trail leads straight to Lily's hometown. It just might have something to do with the murders...and her sister's widowed fiancé. With only three days before the wedding, Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister commits...marriage!

I've heard so many wonderful things about the writings of Charlaine Harris, but I just couldn't get into the Sookie Stackhouse series. Vampires aren't my thing. So, I was excited when I discovered that she has also penned a cozy mystery series featuring Lily Bard - set in Shakespeare, Arkansas. (Ya gotta love a writer with a wry sense of humor.) I started with #3 in the series, Shakespeare's Christmas, because that's the one I found in my recent browse through The Dusty Bookshelf in Manhattan - And I loved it. Although there was some back-story that would have filled in some blanks, I didn't have any trouble following along without reading the first two books.

That back-story is just what will make Shakespeare's Christmas (and the rest of the series) appeal to Cozy fans - characters that you get to know slowly and familiar places to be re-visited. However, it also appealed to the "thriller reader" side of me because it moved at a faster pace than the average cozy and left the reader to piece together clues on their own rather than relying on rambling sections of the heroine's thoughts as she does all the detective work. Fast, fun holiday read that will have me looking for more Charlaine Harris books.

The Amazing ApplePear

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's post is basically a commerical for my newest obsession - the ApplePear (or Asian Pear, if you prefer). Whether you're reading this post aloud or in your head, please do so in your best Julia Child voice. This is how all posts/discussion concerning food should take place. And thank you for your support.*

The Apple Pear is a relatively new fruit to most people, although they have been grown here since the Gold Rush days, when Chinese miners planted them in the foot hills of the Sierra Nevadas. For the most part, Apple Pear varieties are round in shape with white flesh giving them the appearance and texture similar to an apple. They have a refreshing pear flavor. Apple pears:

are low in calories

are high in fiber

are a great source of vitamin C

don't turn brown after slicing like typical apples.

ripen on the tree

will store for a month in your refrigerator crisper

are Yum-O

(all information, except that Yum-0 part - that was all me, provided by Kingsburg Orchards - growers of approximately 60% of the US ApplePear crop.)

You can stop with the Julia voice now, it's becoming annoying.

I tested the non-browning claim by packing them in my lunch - claim confirmed!** Their texture is somewhere between a good, crisp Delicious apple and a ripe pear. They are a bit pricey, in my opinion, at over $2 each, but they are also huge - a quarter of an ApplePear is plenty for one serving. And they taste delicious dipped in caramel - but then, what doesn't?

Not sure why I thought you needed this info, but there it is - do with it as you please.

*Bartles and James commercials from the 90's.

**Mythbusters

A Puzzling Post

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

I've been having so much fun creating puzzles in the last few weeks, that I've decided to make it a regular feature. I'm shooting for one puzzle per week, but I'm leaving it vague so as not to constrain myself (please refer to my 50th birthday post in which I declare myself "over" schedules). So, to kick things off, we're expounding on Sunday's Movie Quiz. Now that you've identified the movies by picture, can you match each movie to it's quote?

Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?
There's the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars and the chimney sweeps?
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps...means a little bit more!
Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Anywhere you go, let me go too. Christine, that's all I ask of you.
This is not a piece of land. This is my home and I'm gonna be a father again and I don't want to bring my baby home to a condo on the beach! I wanna drive down that street and I wanna pull into this driveway.
Stop her! That's the girl whose voice you heard and loved tonight. She's the real star of the picture.
He cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
That wasn't flying. That was falling...with style.
Where does he get those wonderful toys?
Well, I hate to disagree with you, but not only IS there such a person, but here I am to prove it.
Can I drive? - No - Then would you?
This is my house, I have to defend it.
Don't you worry. If they could get a washing machine to fly, my Jimmy could land it.
Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a b*tch!
Is this a holdup? - It's a science experiment.
You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.
Snakes, Why'd it have to be snakes?
A boy's best friend is his mother.
You're skipping Christmas? Isn't that against the law?
Ditto!
Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things you can't see.
Peel out. I just love it when guys peel out.
You're a disgrace to the outfit. You're soft! You're sloppy! You're unruly! You're undisciplined! And I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life.
Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?
Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.
He wasn't even there. That was important information, don't you think?
Ted Nugent called. He wants his shirt back.
Jeez, what was that for? - It doesn't matter. It's in the past.
The justice system works swiftly in the future, now that we've abolished all lawyers.

a. Secretariat
b. Toy Story
c. The Wizard of Oz
d. Home Alone
e. Apollo 13
f. Mary Poppins
g. Lion King
h. Outlaw Josie Wales
i. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
j. Top Gun
k. Father of the Bride II
l. Singing in the Rain
m. Miracle on 34th Street.
n. Twister
o. Raiders of the Lost Ark
p. Batman
q. Rear Window
r. A Christmas Story
s. White Christmas
t. Back to the Future III
u. It's a Wonderful Life
v. Back to the Future II
w. Christmas with the Kranks
x. Phantom of the Opera
y. Ghost
z. Polar Express
aa. American Graffiti
bb. A Christmas Carol
cc. Animal House
dd. A Few Good Men
ee. Oceans's 11
ff. Psycho

A Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

2011-11-08T11:05:00.000-06:00

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.

I'm not surprised that a Christmas novel turned out to be feel-good fluff - I'm usually a fan of Christmas-themed feel-good fluff - but this one walks the fine line between fluff and unbelievable (but not in a good way). Gaby has four grown children that haven't been home for Christmas since their father died, so the idea of a surprise wedding on Christmas Day as a way to lure them home is a good start. Each of the four children are dealing with their own problems which added some needed complexity to the plot. And the easily attained solutions to the problems brings in the heartwarming happy ending expected of a holiday book. But every wedding needs a groom ...

Even in a Christmas-cheer-laden fictional world, the three potential grooms are either idiots or desperate. One man proposes and two more pop up and say "Hey, wait a minute. I was going to propose." She says yes to one of them but won't say which, so these three stooges good-naturedly agree to jointly help plan the wedding, rent tuxes and stand at the front of the church like Dating Game contestants and wait to see who the bachelorette chooses. Were there parting gifts for the losers? It was impossible to feel any connection to a heroine that treats marriage like a party game and suitors so shallow they shrug off rejection with a back-slap and an aw-shucks grin.

If you want a glittery holiday read, A Christmas Wedding, is sweet - just don't dig too deep. 3 out of 5 stars.

Movie Quiz Answers

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-06:00

Top row (L-R): Secretariat, Toy Story (1, 2 or 3), The Wizard of Oz, Home Alone, Apollo 13, Mary Poppins

Row 2: Lion King, Outlaw Josie Wales, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ok - not technically a movie, but close enough), Top Gun, Father of the Bride II, Singing in the Rain, Miracle on 34th Street.

Row 3: Twister, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Batman, Rear Window, A Christmas Story, White Christmas

Row 4: Back to the Future III, It's a Wonderful Life, Back to the Future II, Christmas with the Kranks, Phantom of the Opera, Ghost

Row 5: Polar Express, American Graffiti (under Polar Express, lower left corner), Disney's A Christmas Carol, Animal House, A Few Good Men, Oceans's 11, Psycho.

Movie Quiz

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

The Crazy Puzzle Lady's at it again! Below you will find snips from thirty-two of our favorite movies. How many can you recognize?

Click to enlarge

It's Tough Being a Woman

2011-11-05T21:29:00.002-05:00

Girl time! My sister and I attended a retreat sponsored by the Syracuse (Nebraska) Baptist Church.* What a relaxing, uplifting time! The retreat was the kick-off for Beth Moore's Bible study on the book of Esther, "It's Tough Being a Woman". Although neither of us live close enough to attend the study, we had a wonderful time at the retreat and brought the study book home to complete on our own. The event was flawlessly planned and designed to make each lady feel special and coddled.

At check-in, we received a black and pink tote bag printed with the retreat title and date, matching pen, notebook, study book and bag of "goodies" - make-up samples, lotion, Bath and Body coupons and candy. Friday evening began with a candle-lit banquet modeled after the king's banquet in Esther. Blue and purple cloth draped the entrance and tables. Each table was decorated with candles, pearls and jewels, and each place setting included a hand-painted goblet - "each one different from the other" (Esther 1:7). The evening also included praise music, a devotion and door prizes - followed by mini-spa treatments. I had a hand massage, a foot massage, a neck/shoulder massage and a facial. Total pampering! Of course we stayed up way too late chit-chatting in our room. Even after fifty, sisters can still sound like giggly girls. Exercise time kicked off the morning, but we slept through it - darn! We did get around in time for devotions at 8:00, then brunch, more music, and the opening video of the study.

What a blessing to share the time with a group of beautiful women and learn about "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit". (1 Peter 3:4)

* For home-town readers, Syracuse Baptist Church is pastored by Fred and Cheryl Anderson.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

2011-11-04T13:19:00.001-05:00

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

How do I write a review of a book about abandonment, trauma, loneliness and despair that's going to make you want to read it? I ordered this book from Doubleday Book Club because I had seen it on the best-seller list and knew it was creating a buzz in the book blog world, and because Doubleday offers those dab-blasted sales and 2-for-1 deals that suck me in and force me to purchase more books. Doubleday Book Club is the devil.

For the first half (or more) of the book, I was on the fence. I thought it was sad and depressing - this poor girl had been shuffled through thirty-two foster homes, labeled unloveable and unteachable. She drew farther and farther into herself, shying away from human touch and rarely communicating, preferring the company of flowers. The one person Victoria began to connect with in her life was Elizabeth - her foster-mother when she was nine. Elizabeth taught Victoria the language of flowers and how to communicate through them.

Mid-way through the story, I read an interview with the author. Ms. Diffenbaugh was a foster parent and based the character of Victoria on an amalgam of experiences of her children and others in the foster care system. The thought that there are real children, not just book characters, who experience this lifetime of neglect made the story even sadder. However, the mystery of the boy Victoria meets in the flower market and the unanswered questions about Elizabeth kept me reading and cheering for this girl.

I'm so glad I didn't give in to the sadness and quit reading. I would dearly love to share the end of the story with you because I think it is so beautifully done - but I don't want to spoil your moment of discovering it for yourself. Instead I will give you a sample of the writing that convinces me Ms. Diffenbaugh has many bestsellers to come.

On the street below me, a school-age girl stepped off a bus. She was alone and walked quickly down the street, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. I couldn't see what she carried. I exhaled. I wanted more than anything to be that girl, to be a child again and carry crocus or hawthorn or larkspur instead of buckets of thistle. . .I wanted to start my life over, on a course that would not lead to this moment... Every decision I'd ever made had led me here, and I wanted to take it all back, the hatred and the blame and the violence. I wanted to have lunch with my angry ten-year-old self, to warn her of this morning and give her the flowers to point her in a different direction.

I am giving Language of Flowers my top rating on whatever scale you choose - thumbs up, five stars, better-than-Dove-chocolate!

I Think I can... I Think I Can...

2011-11-01T12:20:00.001-05:00

Regular readers will know that I have sworn off of reading challenges. I am just too disorganized to keep up with them, and I hate having rules for selecting my next read. But Brianna at The Book Vixen is hosting a challenge that's right up my alley - The Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge.

Thus far in 2011, I have read 49 books - or at least that's the number entered in Goodreads. I may have missed a few. Calculating how many books I have started, plus the two months left in the year, I will probably finish at about 60. Still, that number is low for me. I finished 2010 with over 75 books. I'm blaming the drop on moving. I recorded only five books read in March, April and May - not five each - five TOTAL. Again, it's possible with all the moving stuff that I missed something, but that's still a huge blank for me. I've never been a big numbers person. I've never set myself a goal for number of books read, but I'm wondering if perhaps I'm spending too much time reading blogs, watching TV and playing computer games (Engtanglement is SO addictive) and it's cutting into my reading time. So the goal for 2012 is to find balance, because, as we've learned in prior lessons, balance is the key to everything in life.

In order to accomplish this, I am entering the Book Vixen's challenge at the top level which sets my goal at 16+ more books than this year. That is a reachable goal that I hope will keep me focused on reading instead of less worthy pass-times. If you need a little extra motivation to read, hop over to Brianna's blog and sign up.

My Spooky, Scary Halloween Post About Witches...

2011-10-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

I'm not a fan of Halloween, or of scary stories (excluding that brief foray into Stephen-King-land in high school) So, my list of favorite Halloween books contains only three titles - all purchased from Scholastic Book Club during grade-school in the 1960's.

The Witch Next Door by Norman Bridwell was one of my first read-alone books. It's the story of a brother and sister who discover a witch has moved in next door. She does things a little differently - like the way she shops, or moves her furniture, or the fact that all her clothes are black (Personally, I think that's just a fashion plan. If everything's black, mix-and-match is a cinch.) But they soon discover that just because someone is different, it doesn't mean they're bad - it means they're interesting.

Some years ago - 10? 15? - my mother sorted through all her pictures and keepsakes and created albums for each of her daughters. Included in my album was a letter I had written to my grandparents who were spending the winter in Arizona. I tried to photograph the letter so you could read it for yourself, but it's written in faded pencil on yellowed Big Chief Tablet paper and no matter what I tried, it wasn't legible. You'll have to take my word for the contents:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Debbie (little sister) and I stayed at Bernice's (aunt) yesterday. I would build up blocks and Debbie would laugh when I knocked them down. It was lots of fun.

I ordered a book at school and it came today. I payed for it with my own money. The name of it is The Witch Next Door.

Love, Tami

I think my natural writing talents were obvious, even at that early age.

My next two Halloween favorites are from the Chapter Book era of my reading history. Between 1969 and 1998, Ruth Chew wrote dozens of books featuring witches and magic. Yes, I had outgrown Mrs. Chew's books by 1998 (at which time I had an 8-year-old of my own), but when The Wednesday Witch was published, I was eight and it was an instant favorite. I really wanted a witch to show up at my house on her flying vacuum cleaner and shrink herself to live in my dollhouse.

What the Witch Left came out a few years later. I can't remember the details of it quite as clearly, but I know it was well-read and my copies of both books still exist....in a box....in the basement....somewhere.... Again, you'll just have to take my word for it.

What are your Halloween favorites - childhood or current?

Classic Book Covers - Answers

2011-10-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

Top Row (L-R): And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie; Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell; Ann of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery; Animal Farm by George Orwell; Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Row 2: The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne; The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown; A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess; Charlotte's Web by E.B. White; The Shining by Stephen King.

Row 3: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss; The Color Purple by Alice Walker ; The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; The Godfather by Mario Puzo.

Row 4: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl; Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein; Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg ; The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy.

She Just Won't Quit...

2011-10-30T18:14:00.003-05:00

One more puzzle and I promise I'll stop - at least for a few days. Besides, I actually have a couple ideas to write about, so I can quit stalling. Today, I'm testing your recognition of older book covers. I hesitate to call them "classics" because there is such a dispute over what makes a book a classic. So for the purposes of our puzzle, these are covers from "older books" - some older than others, certainly none still on the bestsellers list. They also cover a variety of age groups.

The difficulty of recognizing covers from older books is that they have almost all been published in more than one version, using varying cover art. In those cases, I tried to select the cover that is the most iconic or that contained the most obvious hints to the title. How many can you identify?

Click to enlarge

.Book Cover Puzzle - The Answers

2011-10-29T23:25:00.001-05:00

Top Row (L to R): Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo; Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins; Moneyball by Michael Lewis; Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Row 2: Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane; 11/23/63 by Stephen King (release date Nov. 2011); Room by Emma Donoghue; Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel; Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Row 3: The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson; The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrson; Steve Jobs by Walter Isaccson; The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Row 4: The Help by Kathryn Stockett; The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach; Under the Dome by Stephen King; Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; Does the Noise In My Head Bother You by Steven Tyler

Six Word Saturday

2011-10-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Discovered I like to create puzzles.

Didn't have much to write about, so my posts this week were puzzles I created. Turned out to be lots of fun. Scroll down and play along. No prizes, just the right to wear a self-satisfied smirk.

Book Cover Puzzle

2011-10-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

Blog: a Web site containing the writer's experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.

I do realize that the "writer" portion of that description has been missing from the blog lately. Partially because my brain is overloaded with everything else going on in life, and partially because I have discovered that creating these picture puzzles is a lot of fun. So I'm posting another quiz.

How much attention do you pay to the covers of the latest bestsellers? The box below contains snippets from the covers of nineteen bestselling books from the past few years - and one that will be (release date in November, but it's been all over the internet). How many can you identify?

Click on picture to enlarge

If current hits aren't your thing, check back in a few days. I'm planning a classics quiz. (I think I'm addicted. Hello, my name is Tami and I'm a quiz-a-holic.) Have fun!

Classic TV Collage Answers

2011-10-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

The television shows represented in the collage are: (left to right, top to bottom, or as close as I could come)

The Andy Griffith Show; Charlie's Angels; Barney Miller; Starsky and Hutch; Rockford Files; The Dick Van Dyke Show

Soap; I Dream Of Jeannie; Beverly Hillbillies; Munsters; Gunsmoke; Cheers

Bonanza; Dukes of Hazzard, Columbo; Partridge Family

M*A*S*H; Green Acres; Happy Days; Captain Kangaroo; Bewitched

Brady Bunch; Love Boat; Gilligan's Island

And the little spirally thing is: The Twilight Zone

TV Collage

2011-10-26T22:59:00.003-05:00

The kids haven't done anything funny to write about, I can't work up the concentration to review the books sitting here, the laundry is actually caught up, and I'm avoiding working on cross-stitch Christmas stockings. All of this adds up to me spending hours collecting and arranging pictures to further challenge your knowledge of classic TV. Now you have an excuse to sit at your computer and avoid whatever it is you don't want to do. You can thank me later.

There are twenty-five shows represented below. How many can you name? (No need to find the bi-focals, just click on the image to make it larger.)

TV Quiz Answers

2011-10-26T15:07:00.001-05:00

So, how well do you remember you TV shows? If you haven't taken the quiz yet, scroll down to the previous post and try your luck. If you did take the quiz, here are the answers so you can stop fretting and get back to work.

Book 'em Danno - Hawaii Five-o (McGarrett)
Dyn-o-mite - Good Times (JJ Evans)
God'll get you for that, Walter - Maude (Maude)
I know nothing - Hogan's Heroes (Sergeant Schultz)
Missed it by that much - Get Smart (Maxwell Smart)
Stifle! - All in the Family (Archie Bunker)
Everybody lies - House (Dr. Greg House)
The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat - Wide World of Sports
Sock it to me! - Laugh-in
Biff! Bam! Pow! - Batman
And a one...and a two... - Lawrence Welk
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology - 6 million dollar man - Six Million Dollar Man (Oscar Goldman)
Howwwdeeee! - Hee Haw! (Minnie Pearl)
Just the facts, Ma'am - Dragnet (Sgt. Joe Friday)
Kiss my grits - Alice (Flo)
Nanoo, nanoo - Mork and Mindy (Mork)
Here's what happened - Monk (Adrian Monk)
Shazam! - Gomer Pyle
Say kids, what time is it? - Howdy Doody (Announcer)
Survey says... - Family Feud (various hosts)
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds - Mission Impossible
Who was that masked man? - Lone Ranger
Won't you be my neighbor - Mr. Rogers
Make it work! - Project Runway (Tim Gunn)
Follow the bouncing ball - Sing Along With Mitch (Mitch Miller)
You've got some splainin' to do - I Love Lucy (Ricky Ricardo)
Did I do that? - Family Matters (Steve Urkel)
De plane! De plane! - Fantasy Island (Tattoo)
He's the guy - Monk (Adrian Monk)
I don't think so, Tim - Home Improvement (Al Borland)
Jinkies! - Scooby Doo (Velma)

Now admit it - how many times did you smack your forehead and say "Oh yeah!" ?

TV Catchphrase Quiz II

2011-10-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

A year or so ago, I tested your memory of classic TV catchphrases. Now it's time for round two. Can you identify the television show and/or the character who said these lines?

Book 'em Danno.
Dyn-o-mite!
God'll get you for that, Walter.
I know nothing.
Missed it by that much.
Stifle!
Everybody lies.
The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.
Sock it to me!
Biff! Bam! Pow!
And a one...and a two...
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.
Howwwdeeee!
Just the facts, Ma'am .
Kiss my grits.
Nanoo, nanoo
Here's what happened. . .
Shazam!
Say kids, what time is it?
Survey says...
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Who was that masked man?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Make it work!
Follow the bouncing ball.
You've got some splainin' to do.
Did I do that?
De plane! De plane!
He's the guy.
I don't think so, Tim.
Jinkies!

And of course: Just one more thing . . .

Read-A-Thon Wrap-Up

2011-10-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

Another 24-Hour Read-a-Thon is done. Not my most successful in terms of pages read, but who cares? There's no prize for the most prolific reader, and I had a lot of fun - so that's a win-win in my book. Here's what I learned:

1. Sharing the RAT with a friend doubles the fun. This was the first read-a-thon for my sister/friend, Teri. We chatted via instant messenger as she navigated her way through challenges and blog posts. We were our own personal cheer-leading team. Rah!

2. I suck at goal-reaching. My goal was to read 45 minutes of each hour, with 15 minutes for challenges, posting updates, grabbing snacks, and other "personal needs" after a jillion cups of coffee. Yeah, that didn't happen. I spent too much time reading about/entering challenges, watching fun videos posted by hostesses, etc. My 15 minute break was usually closer to 25.

3. It's as much about the people as the books. I love the book-blogging community and did a little squeal every time someone left me a comment. I have made some wonderful on-line friends though this event. Over the next few days I will visit the blog of everyone who left a comment and return the favor, and I'll probably add a new string of blogs to my reader.

4. Hosting a challenge is amazing - large return of fun for a minimal amount of prep! During the hour that our challenge posted, I did even less reading than average because I kept checking to see if people were entering. Once the entry time had expired, I spent an entire hour reading all the entries, discussing them with Dave, and selecting a winner. It cut into my reading time, but who cares? I'll definitely be volunteering to host again.

5. If you build it [a challenge, that is] they will come - and leave comments in droves! It seems to be a universal trait - people who love books love to share books. Seventy-five people left us fascinating comments with ideas on how to share the love of books. I'll be posting a wrap-up of all their ideas with the next day or so.

6. The most important piece of new information I gleaned from this read-a-thon, which I will be sure to remember and use in the future: Take your medicine, you idiot! I take medication for headaches that makes me drowsy. One little pill at bed-time affects my sleep patterns and keeps me from waking up with a headache that starts in my temples, radiates over the top of my head and ends just below my should blades. I know this for absolute, un-arguable fact! I lived with these headaches for years (and years and years) before one genius doctor finally diagnosed the solution. As long as I take that tiny little pill, headaches are rare. BUT, they make it difficult to wake up in the morning. So, being the total genius that I am (NOT) I decided that one night without medication would be ok and would allow me to be more alert to read. Really, really bad idea! Drowsy is better than in pain. Next time I'll remember - Take the pill, stupid!

7. READERS ROCK! Thanks to everyone who organized, cheered, read, commented and challenged.

Re-Reading Mini Challenge

2011-10-22T22:38:00.000-05:00

In the days when we didn't have a local library, I did a lot of rereading Now that I have easier access to books, it doesn't happen as often. However, there are a few old friends that I still continue to visit:

Beautifully written love story.
There are certain passages I re-read within each re-read.

At 1400 pages, it doesn't get re-read very often, but once you
start reading, you just fall in and don't want to come out.

This series is my "go-to", easy grabs when I just need comfort, old friends and an always
well written story. Some of the later volumes suffered with Ms. Braun's advancing age (she passed away in June at the age of 97), but the early entries are fun and familiar.

Phase IV

2011-10-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

I accomplished very little during Phase III. You remember Phase III, those hours I had in the peace and quiet to do some serious reading? Yeah, not so much. Now Dave is home so there's noise in the house and more distractions - but I'm going to keep trying.

Update: 10:41 PM - The headache is getting the better of me so I'm going to try a few hours sleep and rejoin for the home stretch. Until then - Read on, Thonners!

Mid-Event Survey

2011-10-22T19:24:00.001-05:00

1. What are you reading right now? Back and forth between Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris and Katie's Way by Marta Perry

2. How many books have you read so far? Finished one and part-way through two others.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I have the latest Sandra Brown waiting in the wings, but doubt that I get to it.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Just get all my weekend chores done in advance (cleaning, laundry, etc) so I could read guilt-free. The joys of an empty nest. :)

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Hubby came home for lunch and to watch the KSU/KU football game - which KSU won easily, by the way. Our house is small, so there really wasn't any place to get away from it. So, I spent a large part of the time reading the entries in our mini-challenge and watching instant replays.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? It always surprises me how much time you can spend on-line and not reading.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I should win multiple prizes and someone should deliver gourmet snacks and meals to my house.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? This is my 5th readathon, so I've got a pretty good routine worked out.

9. Are you getting tired yet? No. I took a short doze this afternoon (less than an hour) and in my time zone it's only 7:00 PM.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Don't sweat the goals. I say that every time. It sucks all the fun out if you get upset because you aren't getting tons of books read.

Read-A-Thon Phase III

2011-10-22T17:08:00.002-05:00

I made it through Phase I: the early hours of excitement and anticipation, and Phase II: the busy hours when we hosted a mini-challenge, read all the responses, selected a winner, Dave was home for lunch, KSU/KU football game was on (Yeah, Cats!!) and concentration was at a minimum.

Now I'm set for Phase III: The house is quiet again and I've got several hours of quiet before Dave will be back home (we're in harvest here, so he's working 12-14 hour days). But the "newness" has warn off, and I'm getting drowsy. Time to hunker down and do some serious reading.

Hang in there readers!

6:00 update - Started a new book, Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris. No, I haven't finished Katie's Way, thank you for asking, but my mind needs some variety at this stage of the game.

7:00 update - really not much to update. More of the same book. I bought this paperback at a used book store because I was curious about Ms. Harris' writing, but I couldn't get interested in the vampire stories. This is a really well written cozy mystery.

We Have a Winner!

2011-10-22T14:17:00.001-05:00

We have selected a winner in our Share a Book Mini-Challenge. Congratulations Mocha Girls Read! Here is how she shares her love of reading:

I started Mocha Girls Read because I was the only woman of color I knew (family not included) who loved to read. I thought there must be others so I started the blog then we grew quickly and now have two chapters and over 100 twitter followers and just got 80 Facebook Likes all in two months.

Unfortunately, she did not leave her e-mail address so we can't contact her. If you're out there, Mocha Girl, please leave us a comment with your e-mail address.

Thanks to everyone who played along. We were amazed at the number and variety of entries. I'll put up a summary post in the next couple days so maybe you can borrow an idea from someone else and continue sharing books.

Happy Reading!