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.    

Back Off and Wait Your Turn!

Yes.  Back...Back...Thanksgiving comes first!

Grandma's Phone

After spending the past ten days on vacation with my grandchildren, I have to say this cartoon fits perfectly.  It's amazing how our view of the world has changed since I was a child.  I was so proud of my orange princess phone that I got for Christmas when I was 16.  It plugged into my bedroom wall next to my beanbag chair and was used only for the purpose of "talking."  I spent hours every week talking on that phone. 

Now, the grandkids ask what games I have on my phone.  I have only one - Bowling - and my grandson loves it.  We were in the car the other night with both grandkids in the back, playing a game on my daughter-in-laws iPad.  I believe it was called "Minion Rush" based on the Despicable Me movies.  They were very good at sharing it, playing one game and passing it back and forth.

I have no movies or music on my phone.  I do text - but I;m an anal texter.  I have to spell out every word correctly and add in the proper punctuation.  I've been blaming it on the fact that I'm a writer, but my mother does the same thing so maybe it's genetic?  Whatever it is, I'll never be on the same level with my electronics as my children or grandchildren.  Nor do I want to be.  My life is complicated enough as it is!     

A Breakfast Invitation

I'd share a crouton and grape jelly with friends any day!  I may have to eat again when I get home, but I wouldn't miss out on the opportunity to connect and bond in person.  Staying connected by phone or e-mail or text is a good thing, but to physically sit and enjoy someone else's presence is by far greater.  If you ever find yourself lonely or in need of one-on-one human conversation, come on by.  I'll pour you a cup of coffee.  The croutons and grape jelly are already waiting!   

Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler - Book Club Pick

 

The Book Club pick for November is Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler:

 

 

 



Summary:

Fen Dexter’s quiet life on the idyllic California coast is interrupted one stormy night when a blood-covered man shows up on her doorstep, claiming to have had a car accident. He tells her that he is on his way to San Francisco to help the police solve the murder of his fiancé. Unable to make it to the hospital because of the storm, he stays the night at Fen’s, and the attraction between them is obvious. The next morning he heads to the hospital where Fen’s niece, Vivi, is an ER doctor. Vivi is treating the most recent target of a serial killer whose signature move is to leave a note saying “Please Don’t Tell” taped across his victims’ mouths. When Fen’s mysterious stranger comes to Vivi to have his wounds stitched she agrees to set him up to talk with the police about his fiancé. Who is this man, really? What does he want with Fen and her family? And will they live long enough to uncover the truth? Told with Elizabeth Adler’s knack for terrific female characters and breathtaking twists, Please Don't Tell will keep you guessing, right up to the end.

Please Don't Tell has been recommended as a book club read.  Be sure to pick up a copy today and join us for discussion on Monday, December 2nd.  Thank you! 

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty – A Book Club Discussion

 

 

When you begin reading this book, you feel there are three major players:   Cecilia Fitzpatrick, Tess Curtis, and Rachel Crowley.  As the first few chapters unfold, you jump from one woman’s story to the next, each different but deeply intersecting at the same time.  I had heard that some thought this story moved slowly in the beginning.  For me, jumping from one character to another at the end of each chapter kept it moving quickly.  The stories all ballooned at the same time and soon, the players expand to encompass others. 

• For Cecilia, there is her husband John-Paul and their three daughters Isabel, Ester (who’s pet project at the moment is learning as much about the Berlin Wall as possible), and Polly.
• For Tess, there is her husband Will, their son Liam, her sister-like cousin Felicity, and her mother, Lucy O’Leary. 
• For Rachel, there is her daughter Janie, her son Rob, his wife Lauren, and their son Jacob. 
• Let’s not forget Conner Whitby.  His world intersects with all three of them.

In the beginning chapter while John-Paul is away on business, Cecilia finds a sealed envelope, quite by accident, with the words “To be opened only in the event of my death” on the outside cover.  When she asks John-Paul about it, he seems a little distracted and quickly asks if she’s read it.  When she admits that she hasn’t, he claims he wrote it the night their first daughter was born, claims it’s quite sappy as he was drunk when he wrote it and asks her not to read it.  Cecilia agrees.  However, as night turns into day, the contents of the letter begin to torment Cecilia and she makes the decision to read it anyway.   Returning from a Tupperware party she's hosted, she finds John-Paul climbing out of a taxi cab in front of their home, having cut his trip noticeably short.

Meanwhile, Tess finds herself in a meeting with her business partners Will, her husband, and Felicity her lifelong best friend and obese cousin recently turned supermodel.  Instead of talking business, Will and Felicity confess to Tess that they have fallen in love.  Although they haven’t yet slept together, they plan to and want her blessing.  After throwing cold coffee at them both, Tess receives a call from her mother Lucy informing her that she has broken her ankle.  Using this as an means of escape, Tess immediately books a flight to Sydney (this book is based in Australia), haphazardly packs a couple of bags and takes her son Liam with her.

Which brings us to Rachael.  While both Cecilia and Tess are in their forties, Rachael is in her seventies.  She lost her husband Ed some time ago, as well as her daughter Janie who was murdered at the age of seventeen.  She works as the school administrator at St. Agnes elementary three days a week and watches her two year old grandson Jacob the other two days.  Still in the throes of grief over losing her daughter (the killer has never been caught), she learns that Rob and Lauren are moving to New York for a couple of years for business and will be taking Jacob away from her.  Though she and Rob are not close, mostly due to her own actions, taking Jacob away will be her undoing.  There will be nothing left for her.

Midway through the book when Cecilia reads the letter, she finds that John-Paul’s words are something that she can never take back, never unread.  Her innocence is shattered as she becomes an unwitting accomplice to his past.  As the cover of the book states, “The trouble with the truth is that it can change everything.”  

Things begin then to splinter for all of them.  The shocking confession John Paul’s letter avows begins to fragment the Fitzpatrick’s marriage.  If not for the girls, there would be nothing to hold them together. Tess leaves her husband and cousin to have their affair, wanting them to get it out of the way so she can return to her normal, comfortable life.  However, she doesn’t expect to run into her ex-boyfriend Conner Whitby, nor does she suspect the depth of the connection that awaits her.  And Rachel, she has decided that Conner Whitby is guility.  Guilty of killing Janie and there is nothing that will stand in the way of her bringing him to justice. 

As the lives of these women and their families cross paths, the story takes on a life of its own.  I found it to be an interesting read filled with grief, anger, betrayal, and yet love was the basis that held it all together.  It didn’t end as I expected it to, but then, nothing never really does.  The Epilogue was eye-opening in itself and made me think of the twists and turns of my life and had I made one decision differently, where I might be today.  It only takes one action, one decision, or one moment to change everything.

I hope that you enjoyed this read.  Please post a comment and let me know your thoughts on this book!   Thank you!    

Discussion Questions for Her Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

In preparation for our book discussion on Monday (November 4th), here are some questions to ponder:

• When Cecilia finds the letter addressed to her from her husband, "To be opened only in the event of my death," she is tormented by the ethics of opening it. Do you agree with her ultimate decision? What would you have done?

• Consider the title The Husband's Secret. Several characters in the book have secrets they hold on to that they eventually reveal. Felicity and Will share the secret of their affair to Tess; John-Paul guards his secret from Cecilia until he is forced to admit it. What are the ramifications of their secrets? Is secrecy is ever warranted and justifiable?

• Tess has suffered her whole life from crippling social anxiety. How has this made everyday situations a challenge for her? Why has she never confronted her problem? Why doesn't she tell anyone about it?

• The Berlin Wall is referred to throughout the novel as Esther works on her school project. And in fact, we learn that Cecilia met John-Paul on the day the Wall finally came down. What does the Wall signify in the book?

• Grief is a major theme in the novel, and many of the characters have suffered as a result of their losses. How has grief affected Rachel? Rob? Tess? John-Paul? How do they each cope? In what ways have their lives have been irrevocably altered as a result of their grieving? Do you think people can fully stop grieving and move on with their lives?

• The concept of guilt also plays a major role in the novel. Rachel feels that because of a brief flirtation with Toby Murphy she was absent when Janie died. John-Paul continues to sacrifice things that he loves, out of guilt for what he did to Janie. It seems that these characters have never been able to recover from the feelings of guilt caused by their actions. Yet at the same time, other characters in the book do not appear to feel guilt in the same way. Consider Felicity and Will. Do they have remorse for their affair? And does Tess regret her fling with Connor? What determines how guilty one feels-is it the situation, or is it determined by the individual's character?

• Tess and Felicity have a history of making snide comments about other people. Tess realizes this only once she is out of the comfort zone she's shared with Felicity for so many years. How has such negative energy affected her relationships with others? Do you think she and Felicity are actually cruel, or is there another reason for their unkind behavior?

• Ethics and morals are important themes in the book. Discuss how John-Paul, Cecilia, Tess, Will, and Rachel have each done something they would not have thought possible. Have you ever acted in a way that seems entirely out of character? How did you feel? Does love cause people to do things they wouldn't normally do?

• Consider the notion of betrayal in this book. Which characters have betrayed someone they love? Are their acts of betrayal premeditated, or are they unplanned decisions that become regrettable actions? When one person betrays another, can that person be forgiven? Or is the damage irreparable?

• The novel is narrated in third-person and in past tense. Given the intense focus on three women, why did the author choose to tell the story from this point of view? How does this perspective add a sense of mystery and foreboding?

• Cecilia has been married to John-Paul for fifteen years and has three children with him. Until she opens his letter, she seems to trust him and believe him to be the wonderful husband and father she's always thought him to be. But when she discovers his terrible, sinful secret, she begins to question him. How well can one know one's spouse? Is it possible to ever completely know another person?

You're Next!

A little Friday humor for you. 

 

 

It is amazing how quickly time flies.  As soon as Halloween is over, our focus moves onto Thanksgiving.  The big gathering of family and friends which means you have the menu to consider, the shopping list to contend with, the cooking and the baking, all that work for just one little day on the calendar.  It's takes a lot of time an preparation but then, would you really want it any other way?  Maybe some families would, but for me and mine, we go overboard.  We gather too many people into the house, make enough food to feed a small army, open the wine and let the conversation and laughter flow. 

 

I have many memories from my childhood of too many people crammed into my grandparents tiny home, the adults sharing the big table in the kitchen while the kids dined off the card tables in the family room.  I hoped and prayed that one day I would graduate to the "BIG" table, especially since I was the only granddaughter within a whole brood of grandsons.  Thank goodness I had an aunt that was my age.  (Yes, I said that correctly.)  It never happened!  But those are memories instilled in my heart that I hold dear today.  I hope you're traditions bring happy memories for you as well. 

 

So in the craziness of getting ready for your Thanksgiving celebration this year, remember that you're making memories for the future.  Ones that you will think back upon and smile.