Thursday, January 31, 2013

Reading reading reading

I placed a couple of NOOK books on hold through my local library. And within two days both had become available. Then a book I'd placed on hold a month or so ago became available. Two weeks to read three books. 14 days to complete just shy of 1,000 pages. Can I do it? Maybe. One down, two to go!

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. What a weirdly predictably unpredictable tale. Creepy. Yet fascinating. I was hooked mere pages in. If you haven't read it and mysteries are your thing, this one isn't bad. Isn't bad at all.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Friday Fill-In Fun!

Each Friday Hilary at Feeling Beachie posts for statements to fill in for your blog. Co-hosting this week and providing the last two statements was my auntie at It's Just Life!

This week's statements:

1. Making ______ is ________.
2. I get ______ easily.
3. The number of emails in my inbox is ________ and ________.
4. Traveling _______ makes me _________.

My answers:

1. Making cupcakes is fun, even if I can't eat them.
2. I get tired easily. (I blame my 1 year old...)
3. The number of email in my inbox is too many and I don't like it.
4. Traveling somewhere warm, sunny, beachie makes me happy.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Drumroll Please!

The following is an excerpt from an email to my family. I'm finally able to official and (semi) confidently make the announcement. I was a very difficult decision to make- I do not like change- but hopefully it'll turn out to be a great decision! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to those friends and family I consulted with as I went through the decision-making process, changing my mind over and over...and over again! I do appreciate the insight and support you gave to me and hope I can return it should the need ever arise.

Family-
I know I don't email updates as often as I should. Typically it doesn't seem there is much to report and I hate to bore you with emails about nothing.

This time however, I do have a newsworthy bit of info for you. After much consideration I have decided to accept a position that was offered to me with a different company. In mid-February I will start as a foster care consultant at Adriel (www.adriel.org if you want to check them out). I will be working with them full time. I will continue to see my current clients at Directions a couple of Saturdays per month. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but hopefully it will be a good fit for me and will help to advance my career.

On another note: last night I finished a pretty good book- back to one of my favorites- Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series continued with "The Web." I'd taken a little break from Mr. Kellerman, but decided it was time to visit once again with Alex and Robin in the 10th installment in the series. This was a weird, but good one. I recommend it!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Trust

Strive to trust Me in more and more areas of your life. Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust Me in all situations. Don't waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment- accepting things exactly as they are- and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances.

Trust is like a staff you can lean on, as you journey uphill with Me. If you are trusting in Me consistently, the staff will bear as much of your weight as needed. Lean on, trust, and be confident in Me with all your heart and mind.

(Jesus Calling for January 22 by Sarah Young)

Saturday, January 19, 2013

May Day

Just finished an interesting mystery by Jess Lourey. May Day is the first in the Murder by Month series and was recommended to me by...someone... I can't remember who at this moment. It was a pretty good tale, quirky and light, well, light as far as murder mysteries go...

Check it out here on amazon

Friday, January 18, 2013

Frrrriday Fiiilllll Innnnn


It’s Friday and I am joining up with Hilary over at Feeling Beachie for her weekly blog hop!  Check out her blog by clicking here and join in the fun!  
This Week’s Statements:
This week’s statements:
1. I am a ____
2. Sometimes I don’t know when to ____
3. My two favorite words lately are ___________ and ____________
2. I would like ____________ if ____________ didn’t happen
My Answers:
1. I am a vegetarian.
2. Sometimes I don't know when to quit.
3. My two favorite words lately are naptime and Harper.
4. I would like a chai right now if  bad things didn't happen.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Heads or Tails

I have a decision to make. Not a life or death earth shattering decision, but a decision nonetheless. One that will impact how my life proceeds from here. One that affects myself and my (immediate) family. A decision that I think I've made and then realize I'm reconsidering. I've made my mind up three times already. I've listed the pros and cons. I've discussed it with a couple people. I've prayed. And still I feel as though the correct choice is unclear.

I know it should not be this difficult to choose. But it is. Does that tell me something? Well, yeah. It tells me lots of things! But not which path to choose.

So as this weighs on me, I look at the newest, most adorable picture of Punky ever. And I feel a little less stress. Cause in a little while, I'm going home to this:

Monday, January 14, 2013

Photo Day

One thing I love: pictures. Taking them. Looking at them. I've even started editing them- with free iPhone apps, let's not get crazy here. So today I decided to post a few of my photos for your enjoyment.









































































Saturday, January 12, 2013

Heat Wave

Yes, we are experiencing unseasonably warm weather, but that's not the Heat Wave I'm talking about. I'm talking about the book. By the fictitious author Richard Castle. Yes, the Richard Castle of the tv show Castle.

Let's see if you can follow this. The character Richard Castle in the tv show is an author who follows around a homicide detective and she is his muse for a book series. The first book in the fake series is Heat Wave. So someone pretending to be Richard Castle (who, remember, is a tv character) wrote an actual, real book with the same title as the fake book in the tv show. Phew! Did you follow that?!

Once I had reminded myself a couple of times that the characters in the book are BASED on the tv characters and are NOT those characters themselves I could get into the book. I'm reading about Heat, not Beckett. And Rook, not Castle. (Ha! I just got that- the rook IS the castle...)

Anyway. If you happen to be a fan of 1) the show or 2) mysteries then this is a pretty entertaining book and receives a recommendation from me.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Friday Fill-In Fun


Hilary over at Feeling Beachie  has once again offered four statements to be completed for the Friday Fill-In.
This week’s statements:
1. When I __ I ___
2. It is pretty funny that ____
3. It may be strange but ___
4. How ______ made me ______
My answers:
1. When I studied I always needed a snack.
2. It is pretty funny that it is raining on the day I actually have time to use the hair dryer.
3. It may be strange but I don't mind FOLDING laundry, it's hanging it up/putting it away that's the real chore.
4. How motherhood made me re-prioritize my life is not shocking.
Phew! Those were toughies today!

Monday, January 7, 2013

On a Roll!

Just finished another book! That's TWO already this year! I am on a roll!

This one was MUCH better than the last one. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah. I must say, with every book of hers I read, I like her better and better. I actually cared about these characters. I thought I knew how it was going to end...and then I thought I didn't...and then I did...

An emotional read- put this one aside for later if you are grieving or- wait, no spoilers! Let's just go with grieving. If you are grieving don't read this one just yet, it might be a little too much. Hopefully that's not too much of a spoiler....

I did like this one and give it two and a half thumbs up on my completely arbitrary and ever changing rating scale.

Read more about it here.

Friday, January 4, 2013

The Red House

Sometimes when I like a book I read other books by the same author. I started with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. Excellent read. Recommended it to others. Still own a copy. So I tried out another book "A Spot of Bother." This one I didn't really care for. A promptly donated the book. Then I read somewhere that Mr. Haddon had a book call "The Red House" and apparently the article made it sound interesting. Well, Mr. Haddon, I think this is where we part ways.

A story of a family going on vacation, excuse me, on holiday, it is a British story afterall. But I made no connection with the characters. The style of writing didn't hook me. The plot seemed nearly non-existant. What was the point of this book? I'm not sure...just a family on vacation, I suppose. No deeper meaning or message for me.

Curious Incident? Thumbs up. A Spot of Bother? Thumbs down. The Red House? Thumbs neutral.

The Red House

First Friday Fill-in of 2013!


Hilary at Feeling Beachie  offers 4 statements each Friday for her Friday Fill in Fun –hop on over there and join in if you want to.  
This week’s statements:
1. Every time I see a ____ I oh an ah…
2. I don’t have a  bone in my body
3. I like ___ on my burgers
4. If I had one more hour in the day I would _________
My answers:
1. Every time I see a puppy I ooh and ahh...
2. I don't have a carnivorous bone in my body.
3. I like cheese on my VEGGIE burgers.
4. If I had one more hour in the day I would read! 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Yawn

I am currently sitting in bed, one cat at my feet, the other curled up in the basket of clean laundry. And at this point I don't even care! Being tired will do that to you. There are more important things.

My Punky had a bad night. A really bad night. She's generally a well-behaved, good-natured, easy going kid. But she's got a cold. And got her flu shot on top of that. She's not been napping well the last few days. She's just not herself. Last night we were up for two hours, slept for a half hour and were up again for another half hour before zonking out and sleeping later into the morning than ever. Too bad dad had to leave for work at his normal time and mom couldn't fall back asleep before she needed to be up for work...

More than the sleepless nights, it is difficult to know she doesn't feel well and also know there is really nothing I can do for her. She's a good kid, she doesn't mean to keep her parents up at night (that won't happen for a few more years!). She's the girl who giggles when you chase her. She's the girl who looks to see who is watching when she figures out something new. She's the girl who smiles every time she sees the kitties. Not the girl who fusses when she bumps into something...

I hope my tough cookie is back to normal soon.