Happy Birthday Carl!

You would think with all of our trips to Texas, we would have some pictures of Carl! This picture was taken 3 years ago but at least our son-in-laws haven't changed much! The only down side of this picture is that Brandon is not in it. Clyde and I have the most amazing son-in-laws. Each one compliments the daughter they married. We are so lucky! Carl is the most amazing husband to Carianne, father to Carlye, Nathanael and Noah and son to Pat. We are lucky to be able claim him as family. Happy Birthday Carl, we are glad you are one of us.

5 Books You Would Take If Stranded on a Dessert Island

Heidi had this on her blog and it has intrigued me. I have actually thought about this many times. I have done it two ways. I once divided my quad up into the 4 sets of scriptures and that left me one other book -easy choice - Mrs. Mike. However if I count the Quad as one that leaves me three other books to bring. So here goes.
1. The LDS Set of all four Scriptures (or the Quad)
2. Mrs. Mike
3. Enchanted April
4. One of the Mossy Creek Books
5. One of my Christmas Anthologies (either one I have put together or a published one)

These would keep me content for a long time. The Scriptures in and of themselves can be re-read over and over and would take at least a year to go through. The others would be great for the in-between times. The thing is - Enchanted April and some of my Mossy Creek books are on my Kindle. I would have to find them in printed form before heading out. The others would be no problem to carry along (or find a current bush to plug my Kindle into while on the island! :)

{My Tuesday Book Review was posted today. For some reason it didn't show up as posted on any one's dashboard though).

Tuesday's Book Review

Last night we went to see "How to Train Your Dragon". It was a wonderful movie. The whole time I was watching it, I was wishing I was watching it with Marcus, Nathanael and Noah. They would love it! Great movie but there is the under current of dragon slaying but you never see anyone killed. There is one guy that lost an arm and a leg to a dragon. In a sense the whole movie is about learning to face your fears. Clyde and I loved it.

I can't decide if I should apologize or celebrate the fact that there are 3 Lisa Wingate books this week. You can decide. I think I also highly recommend every single book this week. That is because I have read my favorite authors all week. Some weeks of reading are just a pure pleasure and that is what this one has been.

"Language of Sycamores" is book 3 in the the series with "Tending Roses" (see below) by Lisa Wingate. This is about Karen - the other one is about her sister and their grandmother. I didn't know I was reading them out of sequence. I don't think it really matters. Just start with "Tending Roses" and then go from there. I am not even sure what book 2 is titled. I highly recommend this book. It is eye opening in a lot of ways. It is about sibling rivalries into adulthood, putting career over family and chasing dreams that turn into smoke but finding yourself in the end. It is beautiful story that will make you laugh and cry.

"Smoky Mountain Tracks" is a book about search and rescue dogs. It is written by a woman that is involved in Canine Companions for Independence, Therapy Dogs International and operates The Pet Coach, a dog training and behavioral consultation service - along with being involved in several rescue groups and other organizations. I have liked Donna Ball's writing since I first read her in the "Mossy Creek" books and everything I have picked up since that she has authored. I highly recommend this book. I learned some amazing things about search and rescue dogs. I have always been fascinated about them but they are even more amazing after reading this book.

"Sweet Hush" by Deborah Smith was delightful book of maternal love and forgiving past wrongs. It is also about the importance of letting people see you for who you are and not trying to be someone perfect that no one can live up to. I highly recommend it but warn that there is a bit of language.

I know! Another Lisa Wingate book. "Tending Roses" is one of her first novels if not her first. It is about a young woman named Kate that goes with her husband and baby and takes care of her grandmother in Missouri. It is a beautiful story of learning to love and forgetting past wrongs. As with all of the other Lisa Wingate books, I highly recommend this book. I cannot do it justice by explaining the plot. Pam has read it and understands what I mean. It is truly a book that has to be read to be appreciated. Pam's friend (and one of my surrogate daughters!) Hayden gave it to her to read. When I was telling Pam about it, she got really excited but we both realized I could never do it justice in a book report. I have about decided that you really can't do any book justice from a book report nor can a fly leaf. It is going to sing to your heart in the first 50 pages of the book or it is just not worth reading. It is your decision if it is going to be a book you will enjoy - not mine. We all have different tastes - which is why the world is so unique and wonderful and also why there are so many wonderful books out there.

"Albert" by Donna Jo Napoli is a delightful picture book. Pam has me reading Donna Jo Napoli's books. Some I love - others I don't. This one is a book I am going to find and keep in my personal library. It is book about a young man that is never satisfied and then a responsibility is thrust upon him and he realizes how wonderful life is. It is a fairy tale and it is a bit twisted in typical Napoli fashion - but a wonderful and sweet story. I highly recommend this to anyone with children and without. It is a good book reminding us that certain responsibilities should be taken seriously and with loving care.

"Confections of a Closet Master Baker" by Gesine Bullock-Prado is a delightful book that I grabbed off the library shelf the other day. (I usually reserve my books and there was a long line so I thought I would browse a minute and I found this). I didn't realize until I started reading it that this is Sandra Bullock's sister. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. There are even a few recipes that you might want to try.

"Texas Cooking" is the first of the trilogy of books of Lisa Wingates books that include "The Lone Star Cafe" and "Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner". I read the books completely out of context (I read them #2, #3 and #1) so I knew how this one was going to end up but it was still a fun book. It takes place in San Saline and Menard County. It was just as much fun as the first 2 I read. I am not sure just anyone would love the books as much as I do. I have a soft spot for books about Texas so I may just be willing to read real trash when it comes right down to something about Texas. However I loved this trilogy and I highly recommend it. They are sweet loves stories with good morals and full of Yankee women who find 'Texan Good ol' boys'!

Several people highly recommended "A Flower Blooms on Charlotte Street" to me. However our library only had the movie called "The Adventures of Ociee Nash". I watched that and now I am going to download the book on my Kindle. I did not realize that it was a true story of the authors' grandmother. The movie is rated G and I highly recommend it but I don't know if it has anything to do with the book or not. However I am going to get the movie because it is a positive story about a little girl - it is a cute story and it is rated G! That is 3 very good reasons to own a DVD. This is one that can be watched at Church or by grandchildren! There is another book written about Ociee Nash - I will probably be reading it too.

Pre-posting

I write my book reviews as I go along - very carefully posting it for the next Tuesday. During the last month, twice it has popped up early. Today I think it did because we had several power failures and for some reason the internet has been out all over the island - no matter who your carrier was. So if you saw my blog with the premature book review, sorry about that. It will be there next next Tuesday with other books just like it is supposed to be. I will be saving them as drafts from now on and publish when I see fit.

I am going to take up the idea of doing a picture day but I need to decide which day of the week that will fall on. Every other Friday is our Temple day and that Friday is mind blowing busy, no matter how we plan. So as soon as I figure out the day I will start throwing up some pictures and a bit about them. I do like that my daughter Heather does her silent Sunday. The only problem is that I hardly ever get computer time on Sundays so that would have to be pre-planned. It is interesting that I have basically 3 busy days a week and it makes for a very long weekend.

My Blog

Don't faint! I know two entries in as many days is a shock. I should probably change my blog to just a blog about books! My youngest daughter has her 'Bookish Blonde' blog but my other daughters' just blog about their books when their list gets long enough to make an interesting entry. The problem is that I read all the time. Clyde said that my hobby is reading. I guess that it is. I don't even blog about all the books I read. If a book is so bad or I cannot find anything redeeming about it (and it is book that no one really knows about) I will just not say anything at all. On occasion I read the classics but they are so old fashioned or I realize that only I would enjoy them (or my daughter Carianne). Then I call her up and tell her to grab a copy. The problem is that sometimes she can only read them on the internet - a lot of these books are out of print.

I did enjoy doing my Monday's Heroes but I had to quit doing that because of writing about people. I didn't want to be sued for who I included or excluded - so that went by the wayside.

Our family now has a recipe blog, so I don't need to add recipes to my blog anymore. So that eliminated that entry.

No one wants to hear about my failures in the dieting department. 4 years ago, I was 15 pounds from my goal. Then 3 years ago, I blew my knees out, my thyroid went nuts and I gained 3/4 of everything I lost back. Now I cannot get myself to stick to my old ways again. I do go over and workout 3-5 times a week. I sit in the sauna 3-5 times a week but I cannot get myself to follow the diet even one day lately. It is like my mind is so sick of being controlled. A year ago I faithfully followed the diet for 2 months and lost nothing. I think that was when my mind rebelled. For some reason my body loves being fat. It hangs on to the fat like a drowning man to a raft and always has. Boy this has turned into a whining post. So I will stop now. I have got to figure out what to write about other than books. My life is boring right now. I will post something exciting as soon as there is something to post about.

Tuesday's Book Review

"Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner" takes place between Killeen and Menard, Texas! I loved it because I could visualize that part of the Hill Country as I read the book. I loved it and highly recommend it - especially if you need a Texas fix - like I do, periodically. Plus it had a great story line about a woman that had to be in control of her life. It is the sequel to "The Lone Star Cafe" that I read last week.

"A Year on Ladybug Farm" is a book that I would obviously choose (for anyone that knows me). This is written by one of the women that writes in the "Mossy Creek" and "Sweet Tea" books, Donna Ball. It was a beautiful story of 3 women about my age that decide to buy into an old farm in Virginia and their adventures the first year after they make their decision. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. I love it because I never worried about situations or language. If there was any language at all - it was a one time occurrence. I just found out there is a sequel to the book called "At Home on Ladybug Farm". I will be reading that too. I like the way Donna Ball writes anyway, so why not. I highly recommend this book

"Miss Invisible" is by Laura Jensen Walker. I am such a fan of her books as you can tell from my blogs about them. This is about a young woman that thinks she is obese and spends her life blending into the woodwork. Then one day she meets her fairy god mother - a big, black beautiful woman named Deborah. This book is a book that anyone that ever doubts herself would appreciate as they read the metamorphosis of this young woman. It will actually help you see yourself as a beautiful daughter of God. I highly recommend it.

Someone at sometime recommended Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Wood" at some point. They told me it was hilariously funny and that I would love it. I didn't find it even laugh out loud funny though it is humorous. I got tired of the language but it did make me think about how our National Parks are deteriorating. He and a friend walked a portion of the Appalachian Trail and this book is about that. I am still torn about recommending it. I must say I learned a lot but like I said - I got tired of the language - though it was nothing compared to "Julie and Julia"!

"Einstein - His life and His Universe" by Walter Isaacson was a book on CD that Clyde and I started listening last month when we went to Virginia. It is 18 CD's over an hour long. We enjoyed it but it was a lot of listening. I am glad I listened to it rather than read it because I would have quit reading it in the first chapter! There were parts that were very technical and way over my head but I am still glad that this was what we selected. I probably only listened to about 50% of it in truth. My mind would wander and Clyde listened to it when he was in the car (and he is in the car much more than I am). But I got the gist of the story. If you really love Einstein - I recommend the book - otherwise I would pass on it.

I found this book for free, laying on a table at the library. Just before Mom passed away, she was telling me the books she loved. One of the books she mentioned was "Forever Amber". I could never find it. I was quite tickled when I found the book laying on the table, so I picked it up. I don't understand why my mother liked this book. It is about a woman that chooses not to marry. She becomes a prostitute, knowing full well what that means in 17th century Britain (you can be flogged to death) and yet she continues to lie and cheat until she finally becomes a somewhat respectable wife and mother. I saw the movie that was made in the 1940's, and it obviously did not follow this story line - it was more like Camille. I can see Mom liking that because one of her favorite Opera's was La Bo heme. I think she got the movie confused with the book. If you even run across the book - don't waste your time. Besides it was written in the time when they were paid by the word - it is very wordy and gets no where very slowly!

"The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle" came along with "Dr Dolittle" when I downloaded the book. I was really quite astonished how close the actual story line was of the 2 books to the original movie with Rex Harrison. There was no beautiful woman, however and Matthew didn't go on the voyage with Dr Dolittle and Stubbins, but otherwise the stories were quite close - or at least you could tell where the inspiration came from. It was quite fun to read these books.

"Dr. Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting was a very inexpensive download on my Kindle. I needed a silly book because the last 3 books I had read were tear jerkers. This was a really fun read. If you haven't read the original and the "Voyages of Dr. Dolittle" lately - pick them up. You will probably be pleasantly surprised.

There was a picture here but it disappeared over the weekend! Oh Well

"Reconstructing Natalie" by Laura Jensen Walker, was a wonderful book. It took you through every emotion you can imagine! The story is about a 27 year old woman that faces breast cancer and ends up having a double mastectomy. To her horror, her well meaning mother told everyone at the Church she grew up in - why she was on their prayer list. There are other twists and turns in the book but it is interesting that as she is trying to find a church that doesn't know the intimate details of her life - she finds a support group that does fill her spiritual needs - in a round about way. I can't quit thinking about this book. It does end quite predictably but you want something to be happily ever after. The sad parts are so sad that the happy parts are made even happier because of them. I highly recommend this book.

Tuesday's Book Review

Wow! I am utterly amazed at how close "Show Boat" the book follows the original "Show Boat" movie - the black and white movie (and the original play). I have always wanted to read "Show Boat" by Edna Ferber and I finally did. The only difference between the movie and the book was in the book Gaylord never comes back, her father dies when Kim is 4 and after Gaylord leaves, Magnolia and her mother never speak to each other again. Otherwise it sticks pretty closely to the original movie and the play that was a hit on Broadway in the 1930's. It was a bit of a downer and I can't decide if I want to read anymore of Edna Ferber's books. I remember my parent's reading "Cimarron" and some of her other books when I was younger. Maybe I will try them - if I can find them.

"A Gift of Grace" was a free download on my Kindle. It is a beautiful story about a woman that becomes the guardian of her two nieces. Rebecca is Amish and her two nieces are not. The younger niece happily accepts the Amish ways but the older one rebels consciously and sub-consciously. In the meantime the girls cause problems with Rebecca's marriage. It was a very good book and I highly recommend it. I am getting the next book in the series.

"Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell is a book that I cannot recommend. I was so looking forward to this book. I have been on the waiting list for this book for 6 months. Almost every page has the 'f-bomb' on it! Sometimes two and three times. I only went 89 pages before I got fed up. So for me it was a very big disappointment. I don't like foul language in a person I am talking too and I don't like foul language in my books. I may not be able to stop someone from speaking the words but I can quit reading the words. That is the choice I made.

I know what you are thinking - another Mossy Creek book. Sadly "Critters of Mossy Creek" is the seventh in the series and the latest one. I will have to patiently wait for Belle Books to come out the with the next book in the series. I can't wait! By the way - I highly recommend this book too!

"The Lone Star Cafe" by Lisa Wingate was a wonderful book! I loved every minute I spent reading it. It took place between Killeen Texas and Austin. The story line was fun, the setting was pure Texas and I highly recommend the book. However, if you don't love Texas as much as I do - you probably won't love the book like did.

"Ella Minnow Pea" was a book that Heidi recommended on her blog. I was intrigued and ordered it from the library. I highly recommend it. The reviews says you will laugh out loud. I - like Heidi - found nothing 'laugh out loud' funny in it. It was was not a tragic book but a thought provoking book. I have been pondering it ever since I finished it. In fact I would say that for such a little book - it packs quite a punch!

Tuesday's Book Review

"Alice at Heart" is a beautiful book by Deborah Smith. It is a book about a young woman that finds out she is a mermaid - to put it very simply. I kept reading the book thinking Pam would LOVE this book! It entwines mythology and fairy tale lore into to a beautiful story. Alice's philosophy is: "Wish it - believe it and it will be so." I fell in love with Deborah Smith's writing because of the Mossy Creek books. I have read a couple of her novels and she has not disappointed me. As with all of the authors that I have started reading from the Mossy Creek books - I have become a big fan! I have just about decided that if I pick up a book published by 'Belle Books', I know I will like it!

I am not sure what possessed me to download "The Little Lame Prince" onto my Kindle. I hadn't even thought of this book in decades! My daughter Pam asked on her reading blog for ideas of books that she has read in her past. This book popped into my head but it is a book from my past not hers. It is a children's book about a baby prince that is dropped at his christening and because of being dropped he is paralyzed. Then he is orphaned and his uncle steals his throne away! What a sad premise for a children's book! Naturally in the theme of Little Lord Fauntleroy and Pollyanna -he is wonderfully optimistic. For some bizarre reason I loved this book as a young girl. It is very old fashioned. I doubt anyone would want to read it now (except my daughter Carianne).

I know - another Mossy Creek book! "At Home in Mossy Creek" was as wonderful as the others. I love these books!

"Take Two" was a free download on my Kindle. An interesting book. Not one I am interested in pursuing further though.

Why "Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell? I was bored and I needed an actual book. I looked on my bookshelf and realized I had not read this book in probably 40+ years. I decided to read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved this book as a young girl and read it frequently. By the time I hit Jr. High though, I doubt I ever picked it up again. It was a delightful read - very entertaining. There was one quite profound quote in the book. "Do you know why the world is as bad as it is?...It is because people think only about their own business and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrongdoer to light.... My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt."

"The Forbidden" is the second book after "The Parting". I am looking forward to the next book. The funny thing about these books was that I couldn't wait to share them with my daughter Carianne. She beat me to them! She is a Beverly Lewis fan and has been reading her books too! Not to worry, I have other daughters that will love her.

"The Parting" by Beverly Lewis was a book I bought while we were in Virginia. I bought it because I so enjoyed "The Shunning" which was a free download on my Kindle - also by Beveryly Lewis. I am finding I like the way she writes. It is in the 'Amish Genre' that Beverly Lewis writes so well. It was a good book I looked forward to the next one so, I bought it.

"Silver Borne" is the newest Mercy Thomspon book by Patricia Briggs. Heather called me weeks ago and said that I could download it onto my Kindle. I could download it but I couldn't read it until the 30th just like everyone else. It was as wonderful as the others! By the way - the cover does not have one thing to do with what I envision Mercy to look like - or anyone else that I talk too that is a fan of the books. In fact most of us that read the books would never read the books based on the cover!

Meeting the Ellis Family

This blog is long overdue - like two weeks. These are pictures of my niece, Katherine Brugger Ellis and her husband and baby. We met them in Virginia two weeks ago at 'Joe's Crab Shack' and had a wonderful time. Joe's Crab Shack is such a fun family place anyway and then to be there with such fun people made it a very enjoyable evening. This is Kat - obviously

Here is our only picture of Mitchell. Kat said that he is rarely serious in front of a camera. We saw him the next day as well when met our friends, Brian and Darlene Barrington for lunch. He was on his way to class. We were very impressed with Mitch.

This is Joseph. He was a happy baby and very good for the 2 hours we were there for dinner. He is smaller than our grandchildren but very sweet. He loved the activity of the restaurant but especially the lights. We are happy for the Ellis family. Mitchell has been accepted to BYU-Provo for the fall. He will do well there and this is just the move this family needed. The Lord is truly blessing them.