New Year's Resolutions

Does this chart look familiar?  D-I-E-T - does that word mean anything to anyone as they start the New Year? 

Yes, I have been there and done that, year after year after year.  This year however, I am taking a new approach.  I will turn the big 5-0 this year.  To celebrate that milestone, I plan to focus on my health - both physical and mental this coming year.  I plan to be healthier in my 50's than I've been in my 30's or 40's.  I have changed a lot of things in past couple of years but this year in particular, I am going to fully accomplish the goals I set for myself.

What are your resolutions and plans for 2014?  Are you ready to join me in accomplishing them?  Come on - together we can do it!   

The Circle by Dave Eggers - A Book Club Reminder

Currently, the book club via this blog is reading The Circle by Dave Eggers.  I wanted to remind you that we'll have a discussion about this novel next Monday, January 6th.

It's not too late to grab a copy and get started!  It's an interesting read - at this point, I am really sucked into it and have maybe 150 pages to go.  Please join us next week for a brief overview (no spoilers) and a hopeful discussion.

Thanks and have a great day! 

New Book Club Starting - Join Us!

For anyone living in Highlands County - Sebring, Avon Park or Lake Placid, we are starting a book club for the new year.  There is an informational meeting:

• When:  Thursday, January 2nd
• Where:  Beef O'Brady's (Highway 27, Sebring) in the back room
• Time:  6:00 PM

If you love to read and discuss what you've read, this is a great opportunity for you.  Please join us!

If you can't make it to the meeting but would like more information, please leave a comment to this post and I will get back with you. 

Hope to see you there! Happy reading!

The Pieces of Our Lives

It's easier said than done, I know.  But I'm willing to give it a shot!  

There have been so many times in my life where I felt that I've been hung out to dry.  I always get through the situation, but hardly ever as I imagined I would.  Someone else drives the bus.  I may not understand it at the time but come to later appreciate the experience and the outcome.  God has a way of getting our attention, of changing our direction, and leading us where he wants us to go.  I am both grateful and thankful that he hasn't given up on me.  Things truly do happen for a reason. 

The Day After

Twas the day after Christmas

And all through the place,

You can actually move around

With all the reclaimed space.

The presents were unwrapped

Torn open with glee,

The contents exploding

For all the world to see.

A scrumptious dinner was prepared

Cooking at it's best.,

And now comes the day

That parents can rest.

All those decorations

Have a few days respite,

Before retuning to their boxes

Making the home clean and bright. 

A new year is upon us

Coming fast and swift

Each day is a blessing

And yes, quite a gift.

You're blessed beyond measure

As this year comes to an end,

Supported and loved

By many a family and friend.

Enjoy the time remaining

That 2013 will bring.

For 2014 is upon us,

A New Year we will ring.

Celebrating the Birth of our King

Merry Christmas!

I Believe

It's Christmas Eve!  May you have a wonderful day in preparation for the celebration.   

A Multitude of Blessings

 

As I sit here admiring my Christmas tree with its multitude of gifts beneath it, the weekend's sermon comes back to me.  Yes, this is the season of celebration.  It's a time of family, of baking, and cooking, and gift selections.  It's a time of decorations and lights and parties.  We open our wallets this time of year, more so than any other.  

Sitting in church on Saturday evening listening to the sermon, I felt a little off kilter.  Yes, this is the season of celebration and giving, but what about those families who are struggling to get through the day, let alone the season.  When we pass by the Salvation Army bell ringers, do we make a bucket donation?  Do we buy an extra children's gift to place in the collection box as we leave the store?  Do we adopt a child's name off an Angel Tree or perhaps join a group selecting gifts for an entire family or a children's club?  How about food?  Do we volunteer our time and resources to assure these families can put a holiday meal on the table that they can enjoy together? 

While we are busy celebrating with our loved ones, do we stop to think of the less fortunate in our communities?  How are these folks spending their holiday?  I was rather ashamed of myself Saturday when listening to the week's message.  Yes, I have donated to the Salvation Army, I made cookies and delivered them to the small town businesses that I work with throughout the year and also to my friends and neighbors.  Yes, I gave a donation to a server at a restaurant my mother and I lunched at the other day for a family in need (we were taking a break from our final stage of Christmas shopping).  But all this wasn't enough.  I am blessed beyond measure.  I have everything I need.  What about the families who don't?  

We have a strip mall here located next to a Lowe's Home Improvement store.  The road between the two is a place where the needy folks stand with their signs in hand - out of work; single mom needs help; trying to feed my family.  I drive by these folks with my car loaded with one purchase or many -that I just made - and I find myself unable to look in their direction in case I make eye contact.  Will they expect a hand out from me if they catch me looking in their direction?

Yes, some people take advantage of situations like this.  Just like you, I could give my opinion on this but will refrain as this is not the platform for it.  What I am trying to say is that maybe this time of year, that I am wrong.  These folks with their signs and forlorn faces are people, plain and simple.  They are people just like and and me and they deserve to be recognized.  To be seen.  To be acknowledged.  Maybe their circumstances don't allow them a choice.  Maybe whatever they collect that day is the only thing that puts food for their children on the table that evening.  Maybe the days' collection helps to keep the power or water on for another day.  Whatever their circumstance, who am I to judge?

Today, I am thankful that it is not me standing on the street corner with a sign in my hand.  My celebration of the season has cultivated in an accumulation of gifts beneath the tree.   My celebration of the season has allowed me to connect with others and give willingly.  I am both grateful and thankful that I can help my community.  And one day, if things change and I find myself in a different situation, I hope that my community will be a blessing in return.  This is the season of love - love for a tiny king who will rise to save us all.  Is there any better gift than that?    

Elf on the Shelf

 This is priceless so I had to share!  

I hope you at least got a little snicker out of this picture.

Only four days until Christmas.

I hope you enjoy them all.

Holiday Colors Abloom

This picture was taken at a small park in Kansas (you can see the snow in the front left corner).  I love how the trees are reflected in the water.  It's gorgeous and makes me miss the Midwest just the tiniest bit. 

After dark this evening, we plan to take the dogs for a drive around town to view all the lights.  I am looking forward to it.  Hopefully, wherever you live, you'll take the time to do the same.  There is something magical about the colors and the decorations.  Like fireworks on the Fourth of July being a reminder of our country's founding, Christmas reminds us of our creator and the celebrated birth of a child who was destined to be the King of all King's.         

A Thank You to Our Armed Forces

To all of those in the military currently living on American soil or abroad, we salute you.  We thank you for your faithful service and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It was a difficult time for us when my son was in the Army.  He spent one Christmas in Iraq and another in Afghanistan.  There weren't enough hours in the day to pray for his safety but God heard them all and sent him back to us safe and sound.  Those were tough days indeed.  For those of you who have family members serving, my heart and prayers go out to you and your loved ones.  May each of you be blessed with God's peace and infinite love this holiday season. 

No Space for a Christmas Tree?

This is a great idea.  It's both creative and festive.  Pick up some cheap picture frames, some paint, some wrapping paper, and the "Peace" lettering and you've got a simple but dynamic tree to hang on your wall.  I may have to try this next year!  It's very classy without taking up space that you don't have.

Healthy (and Easy) Christmas Themed Snack

Check these out...

It takes only four ingredients to make these little Santa guys:  a grape, banana slice, a strawberry, and a mini marshmallow.  Slide them in order onto a toothpick and you've got a fun and healthy snack.  It's great for kids of all ages to make and consume!  Serve them at home or take them to a party.  They're sure to be a hit!

The True Reason for the Season

http://www.uptv.com/blog/uplifting-video-mary-did-you-know-music-video

Listen to CeeLo Green sing "Mary Did You Know" to this video created from scenes in The Bible mini-series that premiered earlier this year on the History channel.  This is one of my all time favorite songs.  I hope that you enjoy CeeLo's rendition and that the video speaks to you as it did to me.  It truly puts the things of this world into focus.

May you and yours be blessed love and peace this holiday season and in the year to come.

The Snowman Six-Pack!

Wow!  Even snowmen work out!  

A little humor today as I begin my holiday baking blitz.  I will need to keep my abs in mind as all those cookies roll out of the oven hot and gooey!  I hope you enjoy your weekend.  I'll see you on the flip side.

Peace and Joy

I don't know why this picture makes me smile but it does.  These animals are cute and cuddly and I just want to pick them up and hug each of them.  They look like stuffed animals that lay on our children's or grand-children's beds.  They ones they snuggle with at night or when they're sick or upset.

We all need little reminders of joy and peace, every day - not just through the holidays.  I hope this picture makes you smile as well, and reminds you of the good things in your life.

Blessings of peace and joy to you this holiday season.   

  

Gingerbread Houses

Ha ha - this isn't what you were expecting, is it?!

Personally, I've never built a Gingerbread House.  I see the kits on display every holiday season but always walk right on by them.  I might try one if there weren't so many other things I have to accomplish during the month of December.  

This Saturday I am planning a huge baking blitz - three different types of cookies plus two different types of fudge.  Some of these will be boxed up to deliver as gifts to friends, family, and local businesses that we've worked with throughout the past year.  Our bowling league is having a pot luck next week so I have to make more for that.  Our church has asked for a supply of them so I will make more for them as well.  With all that baking, who has time to build true Gingerbread Houses?  If someone asks for one, I'll have to throw the above picture together and deliver it with a loving smile!  

I hope all of your holiday planning and traditions are right on track.  Enjoy the season!

Edible Mint Serving Tray

Turn mints into a serving tray! 

Directions:

Arrange mints on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let completely cool at room temperature. 

It's a great idea for a plate of cookies or holiday treats that you don't have to get back.

'Tis the Season!  Be sure to check back here for more simple ideas for your holiday entertaining, decorating, and gift giving. 

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen - A Book Review

Vanish is the fifth book from Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series.  Just as the books before it, it did not disappoint.  Vanish was a fast paced story with many twists and turns.

It begins with Mila, a young girl from Russia, impressed upon that she could have a better life in America.  Believing the new dream, she boards a plane that lands in Mexico.  Finding herself as one among several other girls, they are loaded into a white paneled van and driven to the boarder.  It's not a legal crossing but a rough one that leads them by foot over a rock and sand terrain, down through a dirty old river bed and up the opposite side to another van stopped and waiting for them.  Instead of being welcomed into the free country they have come to believe in, they find themselves stripped and attacked, with one brave runner who ends up left behind lying on the sandy desert floor after taking two bullets for her efforts.

Meanwhile, Jane Rizzoli, now nine months pregnant, gives testimony in court to a crime case in front of a full jury.  When the defendant claims police brutality and can't keep his mouth shut during her questioning, the judge demands that he be removed from her courtroom.  Before that happens, all hell breaks loose and Rizzoli finds herself on sitting top of him, forcing his arms behind his back and into a pair of handcuffs, all the while leaking fluid onto him and the floor as her water breaks. 

While this news is unbeknownst to Maura Isles, she finishes up a routine autopsy and heads to her office to dictate her notes.  Unable to answer a question without confirming the it first, she heads to the refrigerator where the bodies from the days work await transfer.  To her horror, she discovers the a young woman delivered earlier in the day is anything but deceased.  She immediately dispatches an EMT team from the hospital across the street.  By the time Jane Doe is delivered to the emergency room, she is awake and fighting for her life.

Over the course of the next few hours, Jane's labor is slow to start and she is sent down to the Diagnostic Imaging Center for a sonogram and Maura witnesses Jane Doe shoot a security guard who was trying to subdue her and is taken hostage by the woman.  While Maura manages to escape, Jane Doe holes up in the Diagnostic Imaging Center with six hostages, including Jane. 

While Maura and Gabriel Dean, Jane's husband, fight to understand what has happened, things unravel quickly.  The Boston Police Department is forced to step aside as the FBI makes an appearance.  When the perimeter is breached by a lone gunman, things heat up and nothing makes sense, especially when negotiations are denied and a undisclosed tactical team takes over.  It's a messy situation as Maura and Gabriel race to find the answers that will free the hostages and save his wife and child.

There is much more to this story and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat through parts of this book.  The back story of Jane Doe is interspersed throughout the pages and you come to know her well.  The characters were perfect and the plot excellent.  Whether you're a fan of Rizzoli and Isles or not, it was a great read.  This is another book I strongly recommend.

Easy Christmas Decorations

These are easy to make and look great!  If I was still in a cold climate (basically anywhere North of Florida), I would definitely do this!  If you try it, I'd love to hear from you.  Please drop me a line in the comments of this blog post.

I'll keep posting ideas and tips for making your Holidays warm, fun, and inviting so check back often.  You never know what interesting things you'll find.  Have a great day!

The Crafty Side

It's been a long time since I've done any crafting, even scrap-booking.  I used to do craft projects for Christmas every year.  When the boys were young and involved in the PTA, I hosted the annual Christmas craft fair at their elementary school for several years.  I even had a booth of my own!

I loved making Christmas presents.  I felt they meant more than most store bought gifts.  This year, I'm trying my hand at it again.  It involves paint and screws and more paint but I think each gift will be appreciated upon receipt Christmas morning.

It you're a crafter - ka-noodles to you!    If not, give it a try.  Pick a small project and work your way up.  It's fun, it's relaxing, and most of all, it's rewarding to see your recipients faces when they are gifted with your love.  So dive in and have a good time!  I know I am.

Yuletide Logs and Galoshes - Humor Under the Christmas Tree

I wanted to tell you a little story that happened some years ago.  It was Christmas Eve, a magical time, for those two little boys of mine.  They were three and five so the idea of Santa was very much alive.  The presents were wrapped, dinner consumed, and Mass attended.  As we arrived home, the boys headed to the tree, still dressed in their fancy Christmas clothes, and grabbed the two packages they knew they were allowed to open.  Perhaps a small dose of disappointment crossed their little faces when they realized it was only a pair of new pajamas nestled within the brightly colored wrapping.  It was tradition, those annual pajamas, so they would look sharp for the Christmas morning pictures.

Getting them to bed was no easy feat.  Especially with my dad grumpily commenting that he didn't want reindeer poop on his roof and that he had his shotgun ready to shoot Old Saint Nick when he arrived.  With worry etched on their faces, the boys set out milk and cookies as the rest of us assured them that we would not let anything happen to Santa and his sleigh.  We got the boys settled into sleeping bags in the basement family room.  My brother's room was nearby and he agreed to keep an ear on the situation during the night.

Once the boys had fallen to sleep, we grabbed a large burlap bag we had brought with us and stuffed all their presents from Santa into it, dropping it on the floor in front of the Christmas tree.  My dad got one of his black galoshes out of the closet and stuck it into the fireplace insert, closing the door on it to keep it in place.  We all went to bed giggling and tried to sleep, knowing we had to beat the boys up the next morning in order to witness their findings.

At seven o'clock, my brother woke the boys up, sending them running up the stairs to join us.  The oldest went straight to the loaded burlap bag while the youngest honed right in on that boot stuck in the fireplace door.  His eyes were as big as saucers when my dad announced that "I almost got that fat man!"  My little boy grabbed that boot and held onto it tightly through the gift opening, breakfast, and play time afterward.

As we later loaded up the car in order to head to the next Christmas family function, my son still clung to that black boot.  "I have to get this back to Santa," he told us with grave determination.  My dad needed that galosh back as he used the set periodically but the only thing we could do was laugh.  It was my mother who finally convinced her grandson that she would send it back to Santa as soon as we left.  He finally gave up the boot, but the memory is forever etched into our brains.

I am now wondering what mischief my dad will accomplish this Christmas when my five-year-old grandson and family spend Christmas Eve night with them.  It's sure to be another entertaining and memory-lasting holiday.  The camera will be ready!         

22 Nice Things To Do This Christmas

by Asdfing Team (12/25/07)

Christmas is not just another celebration. Christmas in our society is connected with giving, loving, and forgiving. The Christmas spirit is not about decorating your house and lighting up your tree, but about caring and doing nice things for others. And although I believe that we should live with this “Christmas spirit” every day, this time of year gives us a wonderful opportunity to start doing something nice for ourselves, our friends and family, even for strangers. Here are 22 things we can do to make this Christmas special.

This Christmas:

1. Just close your eyes and leave your problems behind.
2. Just take a long walk to the city.
3. Just enjoy a glass of wine.
4. Just think about your life.
5. Just forgive yourself for the mistakes of the past.
6. Just tell your kids a nice story.
7. Just make dinner for your family.
8. Just forgive someone that hurt you in the past.
9. Just say you’re sorry to anyone you have hurt.
10. Just give your loved ones the best present: yourself.
11. Just host a party at your place and invite everyone you know.
12. Just call your friends and tell them that you love them.
13. Just send Christmas cards to people you haven’t spoken to for a long time.
14. Just give your weird relatives a second (or third!) chance.
15. Just smile back at a stranger.
16. Just give some warm clothes to the homeless.
17. Just visit a shelter for orphan kids and give them a hug.
18. Just start believing in Santa Claus.
19. Just use your talent to change the world.
20. Just think of the world as a better place.
21. Just make every moment count.
22. Just live those moments.

You don’t have to do all these things to get into the Christmas spirit and feel better. After all, it’s not about what you have to do, it’s about what you can and want to do. Just do your best and let this Christmas be merry and your life worth living.

Even though this was written six years ago, the list still applies to all of us.  I hope you'll read the list a couple of times, pick some options out and actually do them.  Spread your love this Christmas.

Wild-Eyed Innocence

I crawled into bed last night thinking about the wild-eyed innocence of youth, my youth in particular.  Christmas was a time of wonder and excitement.  The threat of being put on Santa's naughty list was something my brother and I avoided at all costs.  When the toy bible's arrived (via the JC Penney and Sears winter catalogs) we would carry them around and study them at length.  In those days, our family would drive out to the woods to pick out our own tree to cut down.  At school we would make ornaments to hang on it, make gifts for our parents, and have Christmas parties to celebrate the season.  (Yes, "Christmas" parties and each student brought a gift to exchange.)

The Christmas season was and is a magical time.  Through the years it's come to mean different things to me.  As a young child, it was about the excitement of Santa.  As an older child it was about the presents.  As a teenager, we went to Catholic Mass and I knew the story of Jesus' birth but it wasn't until that period of my life that I saw the history in action.  As a young adult with children, the wonder and excitement of Santa rolled back around.  My mother and I would take off one Friday at the beginning of each December to shop.  We would spend the entire day wondering through stores with our lists in hand.  We would fill her car with Santa's gifts that she would take home and leave in her closet until Christmas Eve.

We always spent Christmas Eve at my childhood home.  (I don't think Santa even knew where we lived!)  My mom and I would retreat to the bedroom in the afternoon and spend an hour or two wrapping all those gifts.  My dad would deliver chilled glasses of Peppermint Schnapps to sip on while we worked.  We would talk and laugh as we worked, and tell the little knockers on the other side of the door that we would be out soon.  And when we did come out of the room, we carried a few packages with us, including the one gift they were each allowed to open on Christmas Eve - a new set of pajamas.

Those were great traditions.  Ones that I see both of the boys carrying into their adult lives as husbands and parents of their own children.  I may not get to play the role of Santa any longer but being a grandparent does not come without merits.  In fact, mom and I are going shopping next week!  We may not fill up a closet full of toys anymore, but we still talk and laugh and have a great time together.  Isn't that what it's all about?  Togetherness.  Family.  Love.  Remembering the true reason for the season and being thankful for all that Jesus' birth entails.  These are the important things, not the commercialism.  We have to leave "Christ" in Christmas.       

The Circle by Dave Eggers - December's Book Club Pick

When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

I picked this novel because of its existence on several Best Books of 2013 lists.  It looks to be a suspenseful read.  Pick up a copy today and join us for a book club discussion on Monday, January 6th.  I hope you'll join us!

Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler - A Book Club Discussion

Please Don't Tell was a page-turner filled with several interesting characters.  There was Fen Dexter, a 50-something aunt who's quiet life has settled her in a cottage nestled on a cliff high above the roaring ocean of Big Sur, a small community located between Carmel and San Francisco in California.  Beside Fen is Hector, a Labrador she rescued twelve years earlier when she first bought the cottage. Her niece Vivian (Vivi) Dexter is an ER doctor in a large San Francisco hospital.  Jane Cecelia (JC) Dexter is a wannabe pop star who is facing the fact that at twenty-eight, her dreams have slid out from beneath her leaving her lost, broke, and alone.

On top of the Dexter family, there is Alex Patcevich, a man who shows up at Fen's cottage on a dark, stormy night with a knife in hand, claiming to have wrecked his car into a tree at the top of her driveway.  Doctor Ralph Sandowsky, a renowned psychiatrist and international speaker who holds a practice at the hospital.  And Brad Merlin and Jerusalem (Jerry) Guiterrez, both Detectives with the San Francisco Police Department.  And let's not forget Flyin', Brad's pink poodle sidekick.

After Alex arrives at Fen's cottage during the storm, bloody from a head injury and a knife in hand, she has to figure out if he's telling her the truth.  Meanwhile, Vivian works to save a young female patient with life threatening injuries.  When the woman is treated and sent up for emergency surgery, Vivi learns from Detective Merlin that she is the fourth victim left behind by a local serial killer.  It's imperative that she remain alive.

While the always optimistic Fen decides that Alex Patcevich is who he says he is, she indulges in an evening of food, wine and conversation that leaves her quite smitten.  Vivian, on the other hand, who has just broken up with her French fiance, finds herself with two dates before leaving her shift at the hospital.  One with Dr. Ralph, and the other with Detective Merlin.  Upon arriving at her apartment, she finds JC on her doorstep, clothes in hand with no place else to go.

I don't want to give you spoilers so I will say that this story takes off from here, each of the characters spiraling around each other, romance sparking, and all the while, a killer hides among them.  As the puzzle pieces come together, you as the reader make your own conclusions.  There is a climatic ending as well as new beginnings for some of the characters.  I'll leave you to figure out which ones.

I found this to be an entertaining read and would recommend it.  If you read the book, let me know your thoughts about it.  Did you enjoy it?  Did you figure out the plot before it unfolded on the pages?  Would you read another Elizabeth Adler novel?   

Today is the Day...

...for Christmas decorating!

I keep seeing posts on Facebook where friends and family have already accomplished this.  At this point, I have not.  The plastic buckets of decorations will be coming out of the closet this afternoon!  The tree will go up.  The outside decorations will be deployed.  All while the Christmas tunes spin.  I will turn the lights on the tree on tomorrow for the Chiefs football game (against the Broncos).  Hopefully it will help show a winning scoreboard in Arrowhead Stadium!  Go Chiefs!  Light 'em up!

Have a nice weekend.  If you dared to go out shopping yesterday, I hope you have a nice recovery day.  See you on the flip side!

What's Your Elf Name?

I laughed when I saw this and have been holding onto it for over a month chomping at the bit to share it with you!  For a little holiday fun, please share it with your friends and family!

I am Merry Peppermint! 

My husband and youngest son are both Nipper Monkey-Buns!
Perhaps you are Puddin Toe-Bells?

What's your elf name?

Thanksgiving Wishes

With love from my family to yours on this day of Thanksgiving.

Have a blessed day.

Family

FriEND

BoyfriEND

GirlfriEND

Best FriEND

Everything has an END excecpt FamILY,

It has I LOVE YOU.

No matter what family you were born into or how wacky they may be, 

they are still your family and they love you to the moon and back.

What a Great Idea!

The world would be a much better place if we all followed this advice!  

Happiness would thrive in abundance.

So move forward and be happy!

Book Club Reminder

 

Just a quick reminder that next week we will be discussing Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler.  It's a fast paced story full of twists and turns.  You still have time to pick up a copy before our blog discussion on Monday, December 2nd.  I hope you'll join us.

On a side note:  For those of you reading this blog that are located in Sebring, we are working to start a physical book club in January.  Stay posted for more information.  Have a great day!

Body Double by Tess Gerritsen - A Book Review

Body Double is the 4th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen and is another thriller of a ride.  This book series goes much deeper and gets much darker than the television series and the story lines continue to differ between the two.

In Body Double, Maura Isles is faced with the undeniable truth of her linage before being adopted as a newborn.  When a women killed by a Black Talon bullet on the street in front of her home bears a striking resemblance, Maura soon discovers that the woman lying on her autopsy table is her own twin sister.  A sister she never knew she had.  Needing answers to where she came from and who she really is, Maura throws herself into the middle of Jane Rizzoli's investigation.

Maura quickly finds herself in Fox Harbor, Massachusetts, the small coastal town where her sister Anna lived.  Confronted with the small ramshackle house isolated in the middle of the woods with its array of gleaming new door bolts, several of them on each door, Maura can feel the evil that followed her sister.  Spending the night alone in the house is unnerving but daylight brings a humid day along with the discovery of a young couples bones turning up in the empty lot next door.

With the help of detective Rick Ballard who personally knew her sister and her sister's stalker, Terrance Van Gates, the attorney used for Maura and Anna's adoption, and Dr. Joyce O'Donnell, a psychiatrist with a morbid fascination of the worst criminal minds, Rizzoli and Isles find the path to the truth deeply rooted in gruesome details involving missing pregnant women located across the country.

While Maura faces the truth of her natural beginning piece by piece, Jane, now seven-and-a-half months pregnant, must dig deep to quickly find the answers that will keep Maura safe.  Body Double delivers a fast paced page-turner that will keep you guessing right up to the end.  Again, if you are a Rizzoli and Isles fan, this book is a winner.  I highly recommend it.

When Someone Appreciates You

As a writer and a human being, I can't say enough about this picture.  It speaks for itself.  I can think back through my life and see all those times that I allowed myself to be under-valued and taken for granted.  I also know the feeling of being fully appreciated and loved for the person I am.  When you finally find the right person, the wait is worth the struggle.

Being Grateful

What a great concept.  Can we do it?  Can we go through one full day simply being grateful?  Is it possible not to complain about a single thing for a twenty-four hour period?  I don't know if it's possible but I'm going to give it a shot. 

I feel that in this "now" world of instant gratification, a lot of things are taken for granted.  The concept of working toward something you want has been thrown out the window and run over by the garbage truck.  I like simplicity.  However, that idea seems to get lost in that "got to have it now" mentality.  I don't want to communicate only by text or computer.  I miss the days when friends and  families hung out on their front porches or in their back yards...together.  I want to block off our street to have a block party - but I don't know most of my neighbors.  This needs to change - and it starts with me.

So yes, I am going to strive to be grateful for everything today.  And if I fail, I will keep trying tomorrow, and the day after, until I succeed.  It's important to me that I succeed with this endeavor.  And just just for a day either.

Favored Romantic Movies

I got into a discussion yesterday about romantic movies.  Hope Floats was at the top of my friend's list, my top pick would be The Notebook (pictured above).

Actually, any movie adapted from a from a Nicholas Sparks book is probably going to make it onto my favorites list.  I have many though:  P.S. I Love You, 27 Dresses, Return to Me, Must Love Dogs, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Love Story, Letters to Juliet, Casablanca, Ghost, Top Gun, The Time Traveler's Wife, Wuthering Heights, The Cutting Edge, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, The Body Guard, and of course, Dirty Dancing.

How about you?  What are your favorite romantic movies?  Drop a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject.  I'm sure I've missed a few! 

Sustaining Happiness

On the contrary, I believe we all have fits of happiness that compare to the picture above.  We may not be able to carry a mouthful of tennis balls around but we can surround ourselves with those we love, do something we love to do, find something new to enjoy, or just decide to have a good time no matter where we are or what the circumstances are. 

Being a pet is quite a simple undertaking as you require love and attention, food and water, walks and treats.  I'm talking about my own dogs.  They are underfoot constantly, their job being to love and be loved.  They bring us many fits of happiness.  So do many of the things that I enjoy doing.  And sometimes, being happy is simply a choice that we make.

So, as I sit here with a dog on my lap while writing this blog, I wish you happiness, especially with the holiday's upon us.  This time of the year is difficult for many.  Sadly, the suicide rate jumps up during the holiday season.  Be happy in your own life but reach out to those who might be searching for some tender loving care and attention.  You have nothing to lose and just might give a fit of happiness to someone in dire need.  What better way to celebrate the true reason for the season.    

It Was a Late Night

This is how I feel today after staying up late to watch the Chiefs vs. Broncos game last night (oh, and opening a bottle of wine to start the third quarter).  Though this year's beloved Chiefs lost the game and quashed their winning streak, they did play well.  Enough to make the critics stand back and say, "Wow, maybe their light schedule isn't the only reason they are winning games."  And heck, they get to play the Broncos again in two weeks on their own turf.  Arrowhead can be a tough stadium to play in as Kansas City is both loud and proud, especially during a winning season.  So, let's go Chiefs!  Take us to the play-offs. 

On that note, I'm going back to bed.  (In my dreams anyway.)  My mother and I were texting this morning about having too much to do and making lists and checking them twice.  The holidays are definitely upon us.  Get well mom (she's been under the weather for the past week and a half and has a second doctor's appointment today).  We have a lot to do and our annual shopping day is coming up soon.  We have to be at full health for that one! 

The sun is out, the skies are blue, and I'd better get my work day started.  Have a great day!

 

Sometimes You Have to Walk Away

Walking away from specific situations and people has happened periodically throughout my life.  It's usually a difficult decision to make.  I truly care about the people in my life but there are times when it becomes necessary to say "I've had enough" and I have to turn away.

Surrounding yourself with the right people is key.  These are the people you love and respect and they love and respect you in return.  There may be times when you disagree but you work it out, without drama and craziness.  Life is definitely too short so enjoying the good things should trump the bad.  You're not alone.  Shed those who drag you down, take advantage, or only care about themselves.  Surround yourself with people who return your love and friendship.  Laugh and be happy because being miserable should not be an option.  None of us has time to waste on that.       

Making Time For Your Wellbeing

I found this article and couldn't wait to share it with you.  I believe the advice herein is something that can strengthen our mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing and each of us should take to heart.  I hope you enjoy it.

 

18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again

    By Brianna Wiest     

 

1. Writing things by hand. Letters to friends, lists for the store, goals for the week, notes for lovers, thank you cards and memos to coworkers. Digital communication is easy and convenient but ask anybody: there’s a huge difference between texting someone to say that you love them and hope they have a great day and writing it on a note and leaving it next to their bed.

2. Savoring time to do nothing. Taking a cue from pre-industrialized society and cultures that enjoy siestas and long, drawn-out, sit-down teas that serve no other purpose than to spend time enjoying the time you have.

3. Thinking before responding. We’ve become too conditioned to require things immediately. Someone asks a question, and we have to respond that second. Such was not the case before instant messaging and comment threads. A sign of true intelligence and confidence, I think, is someone who takes time to consider the question at hand in a little more depth, and then offers a response.

4. Cooking a nice meal just for the sake of doing so. It really trains you to defy your need for instant gratification and of course puts you in touch with something that’s very human and can be lovely if done right.

5. Getting really dressed up for no other reason than just wanting to.

6. Books. Actual hard copy books that you can scribble notes in and mark off sections of and smell ink through and hear the sound of turning pages and bending spines while you read.

7. Making phone calls to relatives for no other reason than to just say hi, and to ask how they’re doing.

8. Disconnecting from technology frequently enough that we won’t be anxious and feeling like we’re missing something when we try to do so for an extended period of time.

9. Celebrating things with long, multiple course dinners that we hold for people as opposed to just drinking ourselves into an oblivion and being belligerent (that has it’s time and place, of course, but having thoughtful, celebratory dinners is a dying art).

 

10. Cleaning because it’s satisfying and doing things like painting walls or getting fresh flowers just because it’s therapeutic.

11. Spending time with kids, and doing kid things with them. They just know what’s up.

12. Answering things in a timely fashion, not putting off invitations and requests just because we can.

13. Making sure relationships are actually based on time spent with one another. People seem to be sustaining them through only digital means with increasing frequency and I can understand how that’s important if it’s temporarily long distance but in general, physically being with people is the only thing that will give you that sense of human connectedness.

14. Just sitting and listening to music. We’ve made music background noise in our everyday lives, but now and again we should just sit and enjoy it like people used to.

15. Traveling by train, or if that’s not possible, at least exploring places that you pass everyday. Especially if you live in a big city, there are always little hidden gems around that you won’t believe you lived without seeing while they were a block away from you all along.

16. Putting personal health and well-being first, as it often falls to the wayside in importance. This means, aside from the obvious, taking those personal days and using them to just relax. We’ve made such a quirky commodity out of enjoying napping and relaxing, as though doing so makes us boring and old. It doesn’t, it’s healthy.

17. Planning something, especially with someone else, as simple as dinner or as grandiose as a long vacation next year. You always need something to look forward to.

18. Stopping to talk to people throughout the day. Connecting with them genuinely, as such interaction is really important but is becoming increasingly less common. Turning our phones off when out to dinner (who even turns them off anymore?) and learning to not spend all of our time documenting whatever we’re doing for social media. It often takes away from the experience itself. 

The Book Page!

You would think that the Christmas toy catalog just arrived at my house! 

When I went to my local Books-A-Million store, they did not have a copy of November's book club read Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler, in stock so I had to order it online.  My order was delivered by UPS yesterday afternoon.  In the box alongside my book was a free copy of the Book Page magazine!  (I looked it up online and this magazine subscription is $30.00 for 12 issues.)

I didn't have time to look at it yesterday but I have it sitting nearby today.  My fingers are shaking as I contemplate setting aside thirty minutes or so this afternoon to browse.  If you don't see a post from me tomorrow, you'll know I'm either at the bookstore with my new book list in hand or I'm lying on my bed crying because my husband intervened and took my credit card away!

For booklovers, I strongly recommend picking up a copy or a subscription of this magazine.  It looks like a winner to me.

Oreo Candy Turkeys

This looks like a fun idea for your Thanksgiving celebration!

For each turkey, you'll need:

2 Oreo Cookies
1 Mini Reese
1 Malted Milk Ball
6 Candy Corns
1 Red Hot Candy
Yellow and Chocolate Frosting

Assemble (use the picture as a guide) The chocolate frosting is the glue that holds the pieces together. 

Good luck, have fun and enjoy!    

That Dreaded Weigh In

I wish it was this easy.  The yo-yo-ing we all do makes climbing onto that little numbered contraption intimidating to say the least.  Especially this time of year when there are holiday celebrations with rich delectable foods at the center.  As the year-end draws closer, the diet companies and gyms are gearing up for the huge influx of clients.  Hang in there - you're not alone!  We'll get through the next several weeks and face the New Year together.  One bite at a time! 

Hail to Our Nations Heroes

A big thank you to all those who have served our country, past and present.  We owe you much more than our gratitude, respect and appreciation.  May you and your families be blessed beyond measure.  The nation's celebration of this day belongs to you.  Thank you.

What People Think

This is the reality of my life now.  I am my mother's daughter!  My hope is to keep it up until the good Lord takes me home. 

Until then, my goal is to live life to its fullest - to laugh, to cry, to feel love and pain and not be afraid to reach for the stars.  I don't want to become complacent in my life.  The moment you do - BANG - something happens to change it.  To avoid that, I try to stay on my toes, to mix things up and enjoy the moment.  It doesn't always work but for the most part, I can volley what life throws at me (with a smile most of the time).  Somehow things always work out.