The craziness actually started the last weekend in October because my sister's wedding was that weekend. My dad in Texas flew over with his wife and my aunt for the big event. The day before the wedding, my dad and I spent the day at Busch Gardens and had a lot of fun. Aside from riding one of the roller coasters, we were able to see lots of animals and we even took the safari out and fed giraffes! It was quite fun, but we had to cut our day short to drive over to Lakeland for the rehearsal dinner.
The bride to be and me!
My niece and my dad (Grampy) carving her pumpkin for Halloween.
My niece was in the wedding and she took her part very seriously as she had a ring ceremony too with her new step-father. She was still a little freaked out over the whole experience, but after goofing off with me at the reception, she calmed down a little bit.
The girls and I. (We just made it before the ceremony started.)
My niece walking her mother down the aisle.
My niece starting to realize the seriousness of her role.
My niece and her ring ceremony with her step-father.
My niece and her mom "cuttin' a rug."
My niece and I at the reception.
Homecoming was the second week of November, which means we had spirit week in which we dressed in crazy "outfits" each day.
We also had our Homecoming Pep Rally.
As Sophomore Class sponsor, I had to help guide my sophomores as they created their float. We had absolutely no money to build it, so I also had the job of begging all of the parents for items so they would at least have something to show during the "Parade of Floats" at the halftime show of the game. To my overwhelming surprise, the parents really came through. The kids worked after school for many weeks to try and get everything exactly the way they wanted it. (Paint and glitter will mark the library's back room and outside area for many years (?) to come.) Our theme this year was "Once Upon a Candy Shop" and my "babies" decided that they wanted to do "Candyland " for their float. It turned out pretty well in my opinion.
The good news is--we won 1st Place!
Ok, we technically tied for 1st Place, but since we let the "freshies" have half of our supplies, I think I can brag a little bit. The Student Government Advisor told me that this is the first time in school history that the Seniors did not win. HA!HA! :)
After Homecoming Week, we had a week left before the Thanksgiving Holiday (we had a WHOLE WEEK off)!!! I for one am certainly glad we had a week because I am still tired from all of the shenanigans.
Since my niece's Mom went on her honeymoon over the Thanksgiving break, we decided that we were going to take my niece's birthday trip during that time as well. After all, Mommy was on a trip, why couldn't she go? So, we headed over to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for a couple of days. We had a blast!
Harry Potter's hangout at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are exactly as you envision them. (Although, if you plan on visiting, make sure you do not leave until you've done everything you want to do because you will not be able to get back in because the lines are atrocious!)
Another entrance to Hogsmeade through Jurassic Park.
Hogsmeade
Station 9 3/4
The entrance into Hogsmeade.
Hagrid's Cottage
Now that my sister's wedding is over I finally decided to do something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I decided to get my hair cut and dye the tips pink!!!
The color is compliments of Brian at Ulta! He seemed a little nervous at first, but he did a FABULOUS job with my hair and I completely recommend him to anyone!
Front "Before"
Back "Before"
Side "After"
Front "After"
Back "After"
Tomorrow is the "BIG" day in which everyone sees my "new do." It's going to be quite a busy week with the Poetry Jam on Wednesday, my niece's concert on Thursday, our church's Christmas play on Friday and then the TSO concert on Saturday! WooHoo! Have a great week!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from B & B Media Group as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook brings the Christmas story to life for young children. The story begins with Mary learning that she will have a baby and continues through the time of Jesus' birth and the visit from the wise men. Youngsters will get to take place in an interactive storytime because each Bible lesson includes scripture references with age-appropriate translations, actions to illustrate each verse, a picture that depicts each passage, and a prayer to end the lesson.
Title:The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook (part of the Baby Bible series) Author: Robin Currie Illustrator: Constanza Basaluzzo Format: Board book Genre: Toddler; Bible Study; Christmas Source: Review copy provided by B & B Media Group. Publication Information: David C. Cook / October 2010 / ISBN: 0781403685 / $9.99 Buy the Book:David C. Cook Find the Author online:Robin Currie / Twitter / Facebook
Why I Read this Book:
I have several nieces and now a nephew that I would like to encourage in their Christian walk--despite their ages. Since Christmas is right around the corner--what better way than to bring out The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook and get them to read and interact with Jesus' life as a baby in the manger.
What I Liked:
I love the illustrations in the book. They're perfect for little kids and clearly show what each passage of scripture is about in the book.
The Bible stories are written clearly for young readers to understand their meanings and are exactly the perfect length to hold short attention spans.
The prayers at the end of the lessons are short enough for toddlers to understand and each one relates to the lesson for that day.
What I Didn't Like:
The only thing that stuck out to me were the interactive directions. Some of them were inconsistent throughout the book. For example, when Mary and Joseph were travelling the directions are:
"Tap your hands on your knees." Later in the book the directions state: "Tap your hands on your knees quickly." However, this is only a picky inconsistency and does not detract from the book in any way.
I would have also put the explanation of "Baby Bible Moments Together" at the beginning of the book instead of the end; however, if someone receives it as a gift, chances are ,they will flip completely through the book and find it before they start reading it with their young one(s).
Overall Impression:
I loved the book and I think it will be a great bonding experience for families with children. If you enjoy this book, there are other books in the Baby Bible series.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Let me know what you think about this book. Happy Reading!
As I was catching up on my reading of blog posts, I came across this meme on A Library Is A Hospital for the Mind's blog. I thought it would be interesting to see exactly how many books I've read on their list.
BBC READING MEME:Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.
Instructions: Bold those books you've read in their entirety Italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18. The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch – George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34. Emma – Jane Austen
35. Persuasion – Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis 37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41. Animal Farm – George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50. Atonement – Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52. Dune – Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses – James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal – Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession – AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94. Watership Down – Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
I've completely read through 31 of the titles listed--although several are more than one title (Harry Potter, etc.). I also find it interesting that the BBC decided that Hamlet is separate from Shakespeare's completed works, but maybe they couldn't come up with more works of "literature" to equal 100.
There are many titles that I've never heard of and even more that I've started reading and decided not to finish for various reasons. How many have you read from this list? Leave a comment or link up with your own listing.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Karri James of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Trish Perry is an award-winning writer and editor of Ink and the Spirit, a quarterly newsletter of the Capital Christian Writers organization in the Washington DC area. She has published numerous short stories, essays, devotionals, and poetry in Christian and general market media, and she is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group.
List Price: $9.99 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 0736930159 ISBN-13: 978-0736930154
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Steph Vandergrift was jilted in a truly beautiful place.
She focused on her surroundings so she wouldn’t break down and openly sob in front of people passing her on their way to work. Eyes blinking and chin quivering, she desperately sought distraction in the old stone buildings, lush spring greenery, and fragrant wisteria and lavender from the well-tended landscape nearby.
Rick told her she would love Middleburg, one of the most charming little towns in northern Virginia. When he proposed—
She breathed deeply against the urge to wail as if she were at an ancient European funeral.
When Rick proposed, he said she would even love his law firm’s stately, historic building. This was where she sat now, her dark bangs in her eyes. Despite the warm spring air, she huddled outside on the front steps, certain her brain—or surely her heart—would burst if she didn’t stop and collect herself.
A sudden leave of absence. That’s what the receptionist told her. Rick had taken a sudden leave of absence. And Steph knew she was whom he had suddenly left.
She swallowed hard. She stood and dusted off her short flared skirt in an attempt to look nonchalant while she sized up her situation. Where was she going to go? Where? She wiped away a tear, but another one swiftly took its place. She needed to not do this here, in the middle of this quaint old town.
God, what do I do now? Please tell me.
Distraction. She needed another distraction right now.
Across the street a middle-aged woman stepped out the front door of a small building, the white-painted stone of which was gorgeously weathered. She bent to lift a watering can, and her loose blond curls fell forward. She tended to the flower boxes that hung, moss-laden, from green-shuttered front windows. Then she seemed to sense someone watching her. She turned around and smiled at Steph before calling out to her.
“Good morning, dear. Are you all right over there?”
Steph took a few steps away from Rick’s building and tried to look purposeful. She managed to say, “Yes, I—” before her throat seized and then released a torrent of weeping and incoherent babbling.
So much for her stoic resolve.
Within seconds the woman was across the street and at Steph’s side. She smelled like vanilla and strawberries.
“You poor girl. Whatever is the matter?”
Steph tried to speak between heaving sobs. “…were s’posed to elope…left everything…job, family, friends…he’s not here…leave of absence…what…gonna do?” And then full-on wailing obliterated any further at-tempts at communication.
The woman enveloped Steph with her free arm, the other still holding the watering can, and steered her toward the little stone house across the street.
“You just come with me this instant. You mustn’t stand out here all alone like this.”
Yes. That was it. She was all alone. Rick had lured her away from everyone she loved. Everything she knew. She had left them all to marry him. It seemed like such a romantic notion, to elope after her parents had expressed their disapproval of Rick. And then what did the dirtbag do but desert her here?
The enticing smell of fresh-baked bread wafted all around them when they entered the little shop. Despite her anguish Steph sensed a rumble in her stomach. She thought she must be more beast than damsel to actually harbor hope for a pastry or two in the middle of this catastrophe.
“You have a seat right there.” The woman coaxed her into a wicker chair at one of the lace-covered tables in the dining area. “What you need is a nice, soothing cup of chamomile. Just give me a moment.” Before she went too far away, she stepped back to the table and placed a box of tissues within Steph’s reach.
Once Steph was alone again, reality descended. What was she going to do? Granted, she hadn’t walked out on a stellar career. She could get another job selling men’s suits in just about any department store, she supposed. But she didn’t know anyone here in Middleburg. Should she hang her head and drag herself back home to Baltimore? Why had she made such a scene before leaving? She hadn’t quietly sneaked away. No, she had to pull an all-out, in-your-face confrontation with her parents. A dramatic disconnect with her friends and roommates. And all of them had simply been trying to save her from exactly what just happened.
As she had always feared, her judgment was completely whacked. She had forgotten plans for any long-term career once she and Rick became serious. She thought she would spend the rest of her life married to an up-and-coming real estate attorney and raise their two perfect children and faithful dog in this adorable, classy town. Why had she believed that would happen simply because Rick said it would?
“Here we go, dear.”
It finally dawned on Steph that the woman had a faint accent. British? That would fit with this cute little shop, with its delicately flowered wall-paper and elegant china cabinets. The small, framed paintings hanging here and there looked like scenes of the British countryside.
The woman set a serving tray on the table and placed each item in front of Steph. A white porcelain china pot, painted with miniature violets, from which she poured tea into a delicate rose-covered cup and saucer. A plate with a couple of triangular biscuits on it. They smelled like butter and sweetness. And two dainty bowls: one holding strawberry preserves, and the other holding what looked like sour cream.
Steph realized she was able to stop crying as long as she stopped focusing on herself for a moment. She looked up and pressed a tissue against her nose. “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to—”
“No need for that. Go on, now.” The woman gestured at the food and tea and sat down across from Steph. Her gentle blue eyes reminded Steph of her mother during better times. “You’ll feel better if you have a bit to eat and some nice, relaxing tea.”
As soon as Steph lifted one of the biscuits, the woman said, “I’m Millicent Ashford Jewell. Everyone calls me Milly.”
“Steph.” She spoke around an absolutely delicious bite. She rubbed crumbs from her fingers and shook Milly’s hand. “Steph Vandergrift. Thank you for being so kind.”
Milly smiled and put a spoon of the cream on Steph’s plate for her. “Clotted cream. One of God’s great gifts, in my opinion. Marvelous on the scones.”
Clotted cream. Now that sounded downright nasty. But Steph was a self-admitted people pleaser, and she had never been one to ignore God’s great gifts. So she put a little of the cream on her next bite of scone. And then nearly moaned, it was so fantastic.
“But that’s just really thick whipped cream!”
Milly said, “I think you like it, right?”
“I love it.”
Milly stood. “I have a few matters to tend to in the kitchen. Feel free to walk back and get me if you need me. We don’t stand on ceremony around here.”
The shop door opened as Steph swallowed a sip of tea. She followed Milly’s delighted gaze toward the door and took another nibble of scone. Mmm. “Absolutely yummy.”
A crooked smile spread across the face of the young man who walked through the door. He looked directly at Steph and acted as if her comment were all about him. With a lift of his eyebrows and a tilt of the head, he said, “Well, thank you very much.”
Milly laughed and approached him. They hugged each other.
“Welcome back, stranger,” Milly said. “How was vacation?”
Steph didn’t pay much attention to their conversation after that. The man seemed to be in a hurry, which was fine by her. Otherwise she feared Milly might want to introduce them. She’d rather a man that attractive not look at her too closely right now.
Steph watched his warm brown eyes, which never seemed to lose their smile. She noticed he never once messed with his short, tousled blond hair or fussed with anything else about his looks. Yet, when he walked with Milly toward the kitchen, Steph saw how perfectly, yet casually, he was dressed and groomed.
Her heart was broken, thanks to Rick’s wimpy, childish retreat from her life. But Milly’s chamomile tea and warm scones made her feel a little better. And despite her circumstances and the many question marks in her immediate future, she was still able to appreciate a good-looking man. She leaned sideways to watch him at the kitchen door until he disappeared from view. He and Milly were out of earshot, so Steph surprised only herself when she whispered it again.
“Absolutely yummy.”
Dynamic Uno here: When I first heard about The Perfect Blend through the FIRST WildCard email, I thought that I would enjoy it. After all, having a romance set-up around a tea house is pretty exciting for this non-coffee drinker. Meeting Steph at the front of her ex-fiancee's job site, bawling her eyes out over her non-marriage made me wonder if this was going to be a story where the main character mopes for most of the book and then meets "Mr. Wonderful" and they have a whirlwind romance, get married, and live happily ever after. Thankfully, that was not the case.
Yes, it is a romance. Yes, Steph mopes every now and again. (Wouldn't you if you had been left at the altar?) But there's plenty of humor in this book--provided by Milly, Liz, Christie, and even Steph in certain situations. (And I thought I was the only one who had bad timing and acted on impulse.) I enjoyed the quirky characters and their spin on the happenings of Steph's life at that moment. The "niceness" of the townspeople seemed a little far-fetched at first, but having lived in a small town, I must say that Trish Perry pretty much nailed the stereotypes. Needless to say, this is a cute chic-lit romance.
If you are interested in a quick, light-hearted read that focuses on how God works in unexpected ways and sometimes uses the people around you to help, then this is the book for you. Aside from a few bouts of tears, I think I laughed and smiled all the way through the book. The Perfect Blend leaves you with a warm, satisfied feeling after you read it, much like a warm mug of herbal tea and scones on a cool day.
Yes, today is the first day in November which means there are a great many people out there pounding the keys on their keyboards trying to maintain their word count quota for each day in hopes of writing a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month I finally made it to my word count goal for the day, although I don't have much of a story at this point. I'm more telling than showing, but I think eventually something will click and my story will sprout from there. At least, that's what I'm hoping. Did you make your word goal for the day?
:
on Saturday! WooHoo! Have a great week!
