World Book Night Was a Success!

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Well it has come and gone.  I received the email last week that my box of books arrived safe at Barnes and Noble and were ready to be picked up.  Between all the snow storms we had, I still managed to drive the 20 minutes to the mall where Barnes and Noble is located.

 

As I mentioned in this post,  "The Worst Hard Time" by Timothy Egan was the book I was awarded to hand out.  Quickly opening the box, I dove right into the top copy.  Wanting to read the book prior to handing them out was something I wanted to do in case someone asked how the book was or what it was about.

 

 

 Just FYI, it is worth the read.  Very, very good.  Actually a neighbor of mine had indicated to me that not only had he read the book but also listened to it on tape when driving on a trip.  He liked it that much. 

 

 

 It was fun being part of such a worthwhile event.  First people were hesitant when trying to give them something for free ..... which I found to be sad ..... but when they realized I didn't want anything from them, they gladly accepted a copy.  I hope they enjoyed the story. 

 

Happy reading and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

You Have GOT to Read this Book!

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I have a friend Amy who has, with other Mom bloggers, just published her first book.  This book is AMAZING!  Oh so funny and I can relate to many of the stories, even though my son is going to be 23 years old this month. 

My morning routine consists of catching up on all my favorite blogs and hers ...My Real Life is one of them.  Last week she met with a few of the other authors of the book for a lunch meeting and they all signed a copy of one of the books.  THEN she had a giveaway and I won!  Yes, I have been on one heck of a lucky streak but now I will leave the giveaways to everyone else ..... I can't be too greedy. 

When I first read that she published a book, I immediately had to buy it.  I just love how she recounts her days raising four children, teaching full time and trying to keep a household while trying to maintain a speck of sanity on her blog so I knew the book had to be good.  It is.  You will NOT be disappointed.  Now that I have received my SIGNED copy (I am oh so excited to have an actual SIGNED copy and I am doing a happy dance), I will send the other copy I previously bought to my Mom.  I know she will love it as much as I do.

Did I tell you this book is on the Best Sellers List?!  Yep, that is how good it is.  If you are a Mom and crave some togetherness with other women in your shoes, pick up a copy.  You will cry, laugh and feel like maybe you are just a 'normal' Mom.  To can purchase a copy here from Amazon.

Thanks Amy! I will cherish it.   My recommendation....buy her book and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

I Am a Giver!

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Have any of you heard of World Book Night?  It takes place in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. 

 

World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and non-readers.  In 2012, World Book Night was celebrated in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, and Germany.

World Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don’t regularly do so. But it is also about more than that: It’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways—through the sharing of stories.
World Book Night is a nonprofit organization. We exist because of the support of thousands of book givers, booksellers, librarians, and financial supporters who believe in our mission. 

 

 

World Book Night U.S. is a celebration of books and reading held on April 23, when 25,000 passionate volunteers across America give a total of half a million books within their communities to those who don’t regularly read. In 2012, World Book Night was celebrated in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, and Germany and saw over 80,000 people gift more than 2.5 million books.

 

This year, I was chosen as a giver!!!  I was so excited to receive my email explaining the details.  This is the book I will be handing out on April 23rd.  I was pleased with the novel I was awarded.  Being a history teacher, this fits in perfectly with my love of the depression era.

 

The Worst Hard Time By  Timothy Egan 

               

Here is a short explanation of The Worst Hard Time

National Book Award Winner

The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since.

Timothy Egan’s critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic chapter of American history from the shadows in a tour de force of historical reportage. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, Egan does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, “the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect” (New York Times).

In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, The Worst Hard Time is “arguably the best nonfiction book yet” (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature.

I will be happy to hand out 20 copies to those who will accept them.  If you want to learn more about the program and maybe even volunteer to be a 'giver' next year, you can find the website here.

Happy reading and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

 

Baking and Books

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As I have mentioned in other posts, I belong to the local library book club.  Our club meets each month and discuss a book that was pre-selected by one of the book club members.  Each of us are in charge of choosing a book and supplying the group with a tasty treat one month of the year.  This month was my turn.  

I had chose a historical non-fiction book entitled "Buddha in the Attic" written by Julie Otsuka.  It is a very easy read, historically accurate and an interesting read.

 

photo credit

 

Deciding on treats was the next challenge.  There happens to be between 12 and 14 members within the group at any given meeting. 

 

All of the members so far have brought store bought treats and seeing that I am a person who would rather do some home baking ( this way knowing the ingredients that are being added ) decided that I would get busy.  I think that bringing homemade goodies are becoming a lost art but are still so very much appreciated. 

 

                  

 

 

Still having quite a bit of pumpkin in the freezer, I whipped up a batch of pumpkin bars ..... I used this recipe and topped them with cream cheese frosting. 

 

 

Then I popped some drop sugar cookies in the oven.  Having a container of Betty Crocker peppermint frosting left over from Christmas shopping, I thought it would be a nice touch to the cookies. 

 

 

Then noticing some stray candy canes left over as well, I tossed them into the Ninja and crushed them to a coarse powder. 

 

 

Once the cookies were cooled and iced, I sprinkled the crushed candy canes on the icing ..... THAT sure got rave reviews!!! 

 

Not wanting only sweets on the table ( in case someone was unable to eat them ) I added a combination cheese and cracker tray.

 

We had a wonderful evening talking about the story, munching on goodies and planning for the next book over the course of a couple of hours. 

 

I look forward to these evenings and spending some time discussing one of my favorite pastimes ..... reading!  Do you belong to a book club?  What is it like?  I would love to hear about it .... and maybe pick up some ideas!

 

Happy reading and remember to give your loved ones a hug! 





One Thousand Gifts

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What a book.  Have you ever the pleasure of picking it up?  

"One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.  

 photo credit

When I first grabbed it from the library and began reading I wasn't impressed, but then I realized I was reading too fast which I tend to do quite often so I was missing the 'essence'.  I stopped, closed the book, took a breath, opened it and began reading once again but more mindful and slowly, letting each word sink into my consciousness.

Now I need a copy for myself....for my personal library.  This is the type of book I will pick up again and again, referring to it when I need to draw some strength from something positive.

As in the book, I have taken the challenge of listing a 1000 gifts to be thankful for in my daily life.  Eucharisteo.  My daily journal travels with me wherever I go enabling me to jot down a gift when I see or experience it.  Wanting a journal that had a wire binding was important to me and I found a perfect one at a local store just before Christmas.  This type of binding will allow it to lay flat on my bedside table or on the kitchen counter-top as I prepare meals.  

I will 'Dare to Live Fully Right Where I Am'.  Eucharisteo.  Thanksgiving.  If you are looking to discover 'joy', I urge you to pick up this book and read it.  It is amazing.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Some Sewing for the Book Club

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A few week ago, I joined a Book Club with the local library and am loving it...everything about it...the book selections, the ambiance and especially the company.  There is a great mix of people that enjoy different genres and the love of literature.

Since these are such a wonderful group of people and our discussions become very detailed, I thought it would be nice to have a journal to take notes.  After making a template and liking how it turned out, I preceded to make one for each member in the club.

I used the lined notebooks which were available at Walmart for 94 cents each.  They are hard covered journals....I am sure you have seen them there before.  After school starts, they are reduced to 25 cents so I grabbed enough to fill the fabric covers I planned on making.  I also grabbed a 12 count package of pens for 94 cents to add with the journals.  

My large fabric stash helped and since there are a couple of males within the group, I had to make sure there was a fabric that was more 'manly'.  I used part of a wonderful piece of red corduroy that my good friend Deanne sent me a while back...recognize it Dean? 

First I measured and cut the fabric 11 1/2 inches by 25 inches.  The second piece was 11 1/2 inches by 15 inches.  

Centering the smaller piece against the larger piece facing right sides together I pinned it in place.  

Then I rolled over the two shorter edges and pressed for a clean hem.

I sewed up the shorter edges and ran the stitching along the long edge of the shorter piece to the longer piece....does that make sense?

Then I flipped it right side out.  Pressing the sides again, I then flipped over each side until it made a pocket and met with the shorter part of the fabric.  I pinned those in place.

Now I ran a stitch along each long side which secures the pockets.  

Deciding to add a pocket for a pen on the front, I measured a piece of fabric 3 inches by 8 inches.  Pressing the edges under, I sewed it to the front cover.  Perfect for jotting down those notes!

Using a variety of colors and fabrics, everyone in the group should be able to find one they like. A little bit of time and a little bit of money has allowed me to contribute something useful to a new group of friends and a new hobby.  

Do you think I have a good enough assortment?  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Taking a Day

Pin It Good morning my friends.  I have decided today to take a day off from blogging.  I have been extremely busy lately and just need a day.

I will spend the day with a good book, a pot of tea, maybe some needlework and the couch.  I will watch the world pass by the sitting room window and maybe even take a nap in the sunshine if it makes me drowsy enough.

Just a day and then I will return.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug and have a great Wednesday!

Libraries are the Best Bookstore!

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My Mom's local library was having their annual summer time used book sale.  Did I ever mention I LOVE library book sales?!!!


We arrived bright and early to get a good look through the tables and tables of books that were for sale.

Although I could have picked up quite a few more, I resisted...thinking about the bulging bookcases back home that are crying to be thinned out.


I did find these three though that I just could pass up.

I have been wanting to read 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne for quite a while and it just hadn't found its way into my library book bag until now....and with it being a hardcover in brand new condition with the $17.95 price tag still attached on the back, I had to have it for $1.00.

Next Reader's Digest....well we all know that Reader's Digest have some of the best non-fiction self-help books on the market and I did not have this one in my collection.  'Curing Everyday Ailments - the Natural Way' was something that caught my eye right away.  Trying to live a more simple life while being as self-sufficient as possible, this book was a must have.  It too only cost $1.00

The last of my finds was 'The Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy' by Julia Lawless.  This was another one that caught my eye right away.  I thought it would be a wonderful addition to the Reader's Digest book and being a steal at 25 cents....well, need I say more?

So if you are looking for good used books that might be a little different, watch for your local library to have their annual or bi-annual book sale.  I never leave empty handed!


Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

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Thanks everyone for your kind comments yesterday. Yes, I think I am ready for him to leave..... I can't be selfish even though I want to keep him home forever! He has matured alot since leaving high school and it is time for him to go. I don't know what first interested him in Norse Theology but he could tell you a bunch about it already. He has always found that topic to be fascinating and I am excited that he is following his dream.

It has been a beautiful day today...much work being done outside. We are not going to have too many more days like this so we have been enjoying the sunshine. I have been reading two very good books lately that I had picked up at Goodwill.

Living a Beautiful Life is an elegant book with delightful suggestions on how you can turn dull, irritating routines into life-enhancing rituals. It has simple ideas on how to make your home a lovely oasis of tranquility. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Simple Pleasures of the Home enhances your joy in being at home, whether baking an old-fashioned apple pie, soaking in a pine-and-bergamot scented bath, or falling into bed amid lavender dream pillows. The book includes so many wonderful recipes and how-to's that I want to try them all!

My Mother enjoys writing poetry and I have one of hers to share with you that describes exactly how I feel about my love with books....

My love affair with books

Started when I was small

A lonely child can find the world

Between the covers of a book

I'd hold a book in my hand

And be filled with anticipation

I would never know

Where I would be going or who I would meet

As I got older and my interests changed

I met Kings and Queens in foreign lands

I learned how they lived and how they ruled

The people in their realm

Rich people, poor people

Through books I learned to know them

Their lives, their pains and joys

Their hardships and their heartaches

As I grow old I hope my Lord

Will see fit to grant my wish

That my eyesight never fails me

So I can read 'til my dying day.

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug! =)