tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44156677354985584202024-03-15T03:52:52.928-05:00Living LifeBonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-71962217558733940662023-06-09T16:33:00.000-05:002023-06-09T16:33:38.722-05:00Reading and Finding Joy in Sharing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Satisfy; font-size: x-large;"><i>"Reading was a joy, a desperately needed escape --I didn't read to learn, </i></span><i style="font-family: Satisfy;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I was reading to read." </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Satisfy;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Christian Bauman</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcZ8_Wm_Anp_ElXmBl1DYDyBj8ODThMeOYe5jKre82rRWMc-8qmzU5uD4UE_Uk_hdmse23qLSYMzPS-yRwq8knmKmkdKokd3ScVtmLrkc651EGgsXuiGT_mNPPFNiZD7XxHkZB2Du1xMyWds2XuLNGVv_Chueghptigy1-xstM8C8uZkxfOIvp8hN/s3192/64C42B15-E86E-4F9D-A4E9-7A3A9BF363E9_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3192" data-original-width="2716" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcZ8_Wm_Anp_ElXmBl1DYDyBj8ODThMeOYe5jKre82rRWMc-8qmzU5uD4UE_Uk_hdmse23qLSYMzPS-yRwq8knmKmkdKokd3ScVtmLrkc651EGgsXuiGT_mNPPFNiZD7XxHkZB2Du1xMyWds2XuLNGVv_Chueghptigy1-xstM8C8uZkxfOIvp8hN/w340-h400/64C42B15-E86E-4F9D-A4E9-7A3A9BF363E9_1_201_a.jpeg" width="340" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">Books... whether sharing with my grandchildren, sitting in front of a classroom of </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">smiling faces anticipating a story or curled up with my reading buddy, reading has always been a favorite pastime ... my happy place. Now, as I navigate this unexpected journey, reading and sharing the love of reading has become not only a passion but a lifeline. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">********</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-style: italic;">"There wasn't time for withholding, not in this short life when you were only given to know a few people, and to have a true exchange with one or two."</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">The book I am sharing today was one of my top reads of 2022. There was a lot of positive chatter and reviews for <i>Fellowship Point, </i>by Alice Elliot Dark when it came out almost a year ago. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iBLwSPaMQcSaojD_6b7fgNDgpysW0AL1evXK76FNbR1CiLHrXlrzTavY8jl4qBBvwWSH17GxxrxnypoMsGPswH9Q1kAZy_PzIzeQVuRAvFLvcbXnwPJsB7TAsQVAVT_DLF3xpBfqy4nV2faCypRrYkET5_R7xxMBETfBgeyBM2oIbCw4_x5--ofj/s1798/47EC5677-D530-46E0-BE6D-DFE9D8BDF6C3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="1198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iBLwSPaMQcSaojD_6b7fgNDgpysW0AL1evXK76FNbR1CiLHrXlrzTavY8jl4qBBvwWSH17GxxrxnypoMsGPswH9Q1kAZy_PzIzeQVuRAvFLvcbXnwPJsB7TAsQVAVT_DLF3xpBfqy4nV2faCypRrYkET5_R7xxMBETfBgeyBM2oIbCw4_x5--ofj/w266-h400/47EC5677-D530-46E0-BE6D-DFE9D8BDF6C3.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">Here is a brief set up. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">Agnes Lee and Polly Wister are lifelong friends, and two of the three remaining property owners of Fellowship Point, a mostly undeveloped property in coastal Maine. Agnes, a celebrated children's book author, suffering from writers block, is being pressured to write her memoir. Polly a devoted wife and mother, is caring for her husband. When it is discovered the third property holder, Polly's nephew is wanting to teardown the vacation homes and destroy a sacred indigenous gathering place to build a resort, Agnes and Polly must join forces to protect the peninsula they love. Polly will be forced to choose between her sons and her best friend. Both women, in their late 70s, will face </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">uncovered past decisions.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">There is no other way to say it, this book wowed me. At almost 600 pages, I was not ready for it to end. Multi- layered, character driven <i>Fellowship Point </i>checked all the boxes for me. Alice Elliot Dark masterfully weaves themes of love and loyalty, aging, caring for the natural world and owning the past, to create a beautiful story of a life and friendship. </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen;">The ending was perfect!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">If you've read <i>Fellowship Point, </i>I would love to hear your thoughts. If you haven't read it, it is worth exploring. I always want to hear what you are</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">reading and loving. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">********</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;">I know there are so many newly published , highly hyped books vying for our attention. There are books placed on the shelf to be picked up later, or missed because it didn't have a celebrity endorsement. There are so many fabulous backlisted books to be picked up while waiting for that newly published bestseller everyone is talking about. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><i> <b>"If you haven't read it, it is new to you." Ann Patchett</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Marck Script;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Happy Reading!</span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Marck Script; font-size: x-large;"><b><i> Bonnie</i></b></span></div><p></p>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-43706907663882214712023-04-10T18:23:00.000-05:002023-04-10T18:23:14.001-05:00Not What I Expected<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHH17vn2secjkWrKs9fAinRGs1Bt1LuJI6yDvnl9BRbCJ6bblSNGzS3YqdZsqRFmyzRhURoEsS372FdgUmrRe6NOup_eb3x2iFC1-4NRgqQObTKvOzZmpnsjyhIySsA6v74CrWuwLX3W_P-ijl5LYLVaz--xcio7lPZazFUqDW-miPQTyb8mJAv9_w/s4032/8E51190F-E349-41DE-9519-275DA362B0A4.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHH17vn2secjkWrKs9fAinRGs1Bt1LuJI6yDvnl9BRbCJ6bblSNGzS3YqdZsqRFmyzRhURoEsS372FdgUmrRe6NOup_eb3x2iFC1-4NRgqQObTKvOzZmpnsjyhIySsA6v74CrWuwLX3W_P-ijl5LYLVaz--xcio7lPZazFUqDW-miPQTyb8mJAv9_w/w480-h640/8E51190F-E349-41DE-9519-275DA362B0A4.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">I have wanted to return to this space for awhile. </span><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">I have played with content, trying to zero in on a direction, the right time. As often happens, life is saying now.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Whenever I have been away for awhile I begin my post with "it has been awhile; a lot has been going on around here." And, once again, it has been awhile and a lot has been going on around here. Little did I know what was going on then was the beginning of what is happening now.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">My husband has been experiencing both mobility and memory issues for a while. He has been able to hide a lot. I have been in denial. He has made excuses. I have spent valuable time angry. After countless doctor's appointments, tests and scans, we know what it is not. It is not a brain tumor, it is not a drug interaction and it most likely is not Alzheimer's. What is suspected is a Parkinson type disease. We are not in a battle, we are on a journey.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">I am returning now because I find writing is both calming and healing. I have no advice to offer, but if sharing my questions, anxieties, and mistakes encourages anyone who suddenly discovers they have been moved from being the passenger to the driver,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"> I will be happy. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">And friends, because, it is what I do, I am going to probably spend some time writing about books. What can I say?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">So, for today... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;">Look for the light... light will always conquer darkness.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Marck Script"; font-size: xx-large;">Bonnie</span></div>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-65303786328885778032020-10-08T21:47:00.002-05:002020-10-08T21:47:33.143-05:00Thursday Book Talk<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>"Take all the money from my wallet but tell this story to my children. They only know pieces of it. It's time for them to know all of it. Tell them I loved them very much, that they were worth the years I spent without seeing my brother.<b> Tell them to walk in the shade. To listen with their eyes, to see with their skin, and to feel with their ears, because life speaks to us all and we just need to know and wait to listen to it, see it, feel it."</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25UtM-Y-PsPSg-0wsGnDHo3x3-uOK9fVOQeuFQfj_0zQmRSFxAEF6TAk7EV9Q8n_nMCVxowHhErY2YxoDZ_DdTYG1AjM0HYatera0RrSzlqm7MAPxi0F6r1pEogpZZ9zDKYZPWj0xM3g/s2048/A751CC6F-6DD2-4058-8F7D-FF9704FC6EA8.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25UtM-Y-PsPSg-0wsGnDHo3x3-uOK9fVOQeuFQfj_0zQmRSFxAEF6TAk7EV9Q8n_nMCVxowHhErY2YxoDZ_DdTYG1AjM0HYatera0RrSzlqm7MAPxi0F6r1pEogpZZ9zDKYZPWj0xM3g/w300-h400/A751CC6F-6DD2-4058-8F7D-FF9704FC6EA8.heic" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Oxygen; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">I am always on the lookout for a story so beautifully told it takes my breath away. This is how I felt about "The Murmur of Bees", by Sofia Segovia and translated by Simon Bruni. These are the books I find the most difficult to write about. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Set in an area of northern Mexico, with ground fertile not only for growing sugar cane and maize, but for superstitious tales and rumors of witches roaming in the night. One morning when a beloved elderly Nana is discovered missing, a search party is sent to find her. Nana Reja is found under a bridge holding a mysterious bundle; a second bundle beside her. When the swaddling is removed, a baby is discovered wrapped in a blanket of bees. In the second bundle a hive is found. Nana Reja is insistent both the baby and the hive be taken back to the hacienda. Some who viewed the strange child with the facial deformity, thought him to be evil. Word spread he had been "kissed by the devil." The old nana believed differently. The wealthy landowners Beatrix and Francisco Morales became his Godparents, named him Simonopio and cared for him as their own son.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With his bees always with him, leading and teaching, Simonopio discovers he can see, hear and feel the future. His extraordinary gifts prove to be beneficial in sensing danger and protecting the Morales family during a time the world is being ravaged by the Spanish flu pandemic and with a revolution brewing. Ultimately he will need to use his gifts to protect himself from the one who he knows as "the coyote." </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"The Murmur of Bees", Sofia Segovia's first novel to be translated to English, has all the characteristics of a page turner: mystery, tragedy, magical realism and family drama, and yet, it is not a quick read. At almost five hundred pages, this is a book deserving of attention and patience. Like so many of my favorite books, my heart ached when I turned the last page. It was not the ending I had hoped for, yet it was the perfect ending. The last one hundred pages are beautiful; I immediately reread those last chapters just to more fully absorb, appreciate and ponder the beauty of it's conclusion.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy</div><div style="text-align: center;">and</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Reading!</div></span>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-21600922107040920172020-09-27T18:10:00.000-05:002020-09-27T18:10:00.604-05:00I'll Cheer You to the End<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51eKuJOjjzKyxAVcsfLrfen5Pu9olO6P5HCVD0Aoc0QWbwH-Eyt00lxizQUtqkRjAnuUmUeeDEtTJ2YeoWEEJ3IdKIq9JatKpVBqTtYU0iahYneZR6fkTPwbhOvwebLkwA8XAIVzYqJM/s2048/FC639DB5-8505-4A30-B512-08FDE7758607.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1677" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51eKuJOjjzKyxAVcsfLrfen5Pu9olO6P5HCVD0Aoc0QWbwH-Eyt00lxizQUtqkRjAnuUmUeeDEtTJ2YeoWEEJ3IdKIq9JatKpVBqTtYU0iahYneZR6fkTPwbhOvwebLkwA8XAIVzYqJM/w525-h640/FC639DB5-8505-4A30-B512-08FDE7758607.jpeg" width="525" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">How are you doing friends? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here we are just beginning to wade into Autumn; I couldn't be happier. I love everything about this time of year. It makes my heart happy and feels me with so much hope. The crisp morning air is perfect for walks when time allows. It was such a morning when I caught my social distancing friends chattering away one cool sunny morning.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are you still hanging in there?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Do you feel like things are beginning to feel somewhat normal? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't either. I've been in school three weeks, it has helped even though it has kicked my backside. Some days have been easier than others; and, it sure helps when younger teachers are saying they are whipped at the end of the day as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I know we will come to the end. Perhaps the end will not look quite like where we were before, but we will turn the corner when the time is right. I know, we are ready now, aren't we? It's hard, but let's hang in there. Let's give grace to not only our friends and family, but those we might not like so much. Be gentle with yourself. No one is breezing through this.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am rooting for you, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">for me, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">for our country</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and the world. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We can do this... I promise!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Have the very best week ever!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hugs!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">(shhh.... I'll be back with some book talk.)</span></div><p></p>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-22185056518243514842020-08-28T21:09:00.000-05:002020-08-28T21:09:09.049-05:00Reading During a Pandemic<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b> "Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book."</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>Jane Smiley </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7SzlmVUZhwpUGgvhM49XUJUBsuPVXQyt8B_NTcSN1owAE3w1Iqsirp1pvEUniDXTUdN-uMK9Jyr0Gj8x97CxlEQcvP89Xl4Z423qAJjqKNuPkppABbAsdX9neUcCijghiBX6Dx119R4/s640/IMG_1135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7SzlmVUZhwpUGgvhM49XUJUBsuPVXQyt8B_NTcSN1owAE3w1Iqsirp1pvEUniDXTUdN-uMK9Jyr0Gj8x97CxlEQcvP89Xl4Z423qAJjqKNuPkppABbAsdX9neUcCijghiBX6Dx119R4/w384-h512/IMG_1135.jpg" width="384" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Friday friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is today a good day to talk about books?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> It has been awhile hasn't it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When the schools closed in mid-March due to the pandemic spreading through our state, I quickly began dreaming of the books I would have the time to read. I picked up book after book, finding nothing held my attention. These were books I would normally devour. I soon realized my reading was broken. You know reading is my passion; not finding a book to dig into was extremely distressing. I could only clean my house so often, and after bingeing on a few Netflix's series, I longed to escape into a good read. With the bookstore and the library closed I began downloading. Friends my reading was all over the place. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's begin with two books totally out of my wheelhouse, but helped pull me</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">through my reading drought. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTKThpl4b06Ohi0yH_SVc0hA04v4ObbXUpaQg5wO_vdC3f68LCb0IQW0x-KpWVZevafunxK2-oR1TVYwIqUGibrap9u1QLxwnJ3Dopi6epmN2fBfkGfICJ2UEIyHUwD1ePcqDVYlwPKM/s640/thumbnail.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTKThpl4b06Ohi0yH_SVc0hA04v4ObbXUpaQg5wO_vdC3f68LCb0IQW0x-KpWVZevafunxK2-oR1TVYwIqUGibrap9u1QLxwnJ3Dopi6epmN2fBfkGfICJ2UEIyHUwD1ePcqDVYlwPKM/w307-h410/thumbnail.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll Be Gone in the Dark</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Michelle McNamara</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"</span><i style="font-family: georgia;">I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer</i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> is a true crime book by Michelle McNamara about the Golden State Killer. The book was released posthumously on February 27, 2018, nearly two years after McNamara's death and two months before an arrest would be made in the case"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">True crime is not the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">genre I normally pick to read. This one, fellow readers, is creepy; I frequently double checked my doors while reading. Not being easily frightened, I believe what really bothered me was I lived, though several years after he became inactive, in the area in northern California where he frequently selected his victim. I frequently walked the trail he used to stalk and move between homes in the area. I suppose I just knew too much about the area, and I realized no matter the precautions taken, we are still vulnerable.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sadly, Ms. McNamara died from a drug over-dose before finishing her book, and before the Golden State Killer's identity was discovered. She writes she was becoming so obsessed with this case she lost all interest in other areas of her life. Though this killer had retired, I cannot help but believe Michelle was his last victim.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Creepy and impossible to put down.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">***</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span face="">Okay, I'm going to continue with the fright fest. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Co1VVI1n8tr1uCyIn9MHXv3Pwe4q9s_75M3VMXT3htKZz3092YR4nv-f8In8PWnZNcjGt5pu2R-442F5U0szbTMF39AMKRdLhMLjuVyJ0qrrPYl2Yzk8YfGbkt302xS4r-crLqszlfk/s301/fullsizeoutput_2704.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Co1VVI1n8tr1uCyIn9MHXv3Pwe4q9s_75M3VMXT3htKZz3092YR4nv-f8In8PWnZNcjGt5pu2R-442F5U0szbTMF39AMKRdLhMLjuVyJ0qrrPYl2Yzk8YfGbkt302xS4r-crLqszlfk/s0/fullsizeoutput_2704.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"In the latest thriller from New York bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father's bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound -- and dangerous-- secrets hidden within its walls? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I actually listened to this one on audible. I found myself pulling a few more weeds in the garden, and taking a little bit longer to vacuum around the house just to find out what was going to happen next. Though <i>Home Before Dark</i> didn't keep me up at night, it did keep me listening and guessing how it would end. This would be an excellent selection for you Halloween reading.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You know I love pairing books and food; sometimes all you need is a big bowl of popcorn. Toss in a handful of candy corn. Grab a favorite snack and settle in with one of these nail biting novels. Don't forget to check your windows and doors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Who knew I could be pulled to the dark side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Has your reading changed during quarantine?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I would love to hear about it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's what I am digging into this weekend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And friends, it is a real book that I can hold in my hands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2KPZfgRE_2cJfrCrWGuIbz24TvX9_pqN6LtDoc2x3SZw1MBfT9yzhoke9rO7lGkNRcvPz2tAV9G5CMAOPJ4ppqWPYTb9Qbz8dkIFBMsi_YT-oJBAd_gTylQjJNTjdQeWAFS08iX3uwE/s853/thumbnail.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2KPZfgRE_2cJfrCrWGuIbz24TvX9_pqN6LtDoc2x3SZw1MBfT9yzhoke9rO7lGkNRcvPz2tAV9G5CMAOPJ4ppqWPYTb9Qbz8dkIFBMsi_YT-oJBAd_gTylQjJNTjdQeWAFS08iX3uwE/s640/thumbnail.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What fun things are you doing this weekend?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy reading friends!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-37157306984288813892020-08-12T17:44:00.000-05:002020-08-12T17:44:17.788-05:00Wednesday Thoughts<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">If you feel that you are not strong enough to let your creative voice become heard, start with a whisper Your voice will come."</i> unknown<b> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ta-DqJhlz9V4zOpK_r8ssxl97a8eVX8a2RD5EYFlGmq5xtoc5WJHeVJA6clM7pntEIcw8duoHTZJSo5lsmUxXoUrwVXpf-z2pQRvJc0eVaAYHcIMCFbV9O6kawqYx3A2Wkn7nKraY08/s772/fullsizeoutput_2702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="640" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ta-DqJhlz9V4zOpK_r8ssxl97a8eVX8a2RD5EYFlGmq5xtoc5WJHeVJA6clM7pntEIcw8duoHTZJSo5lsmUxXoUrwVXpf-z2pQRvJc0eVaAYHcIMCFbV9O6kawqYx3A2Wkn7nKraY08/w340-h410/fullsizeoutput_2702.jpeg" width="340" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> <span style="font-family: georgia;"> I know I posted of my return and then went quiet... again. It was only for a few days this time. I am still figuring out where to take <i>Living Life</i> from here. What do I want to do in this space. Shortly after writing about taking a break from Facebook, I sat and read back through ten years of my own writings. Reading through the years, I discovered the post when I found my voice... when I became a little more confident with MY words instead of trying to imitate or impress others. While reading your comments (some made me teary... such kind words) I remembered how much I truly enjoyed writing and connecting here. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;">So... let's see what happens! I will continue with my disclaimers, and I'm almost always unedited, there will be mistakes... no judging. I hope you will stop by and leave a comment. (One day I may figure out how to reply individually.) Please let me know your thoughts.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Hello... are you still there?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'll be back soon to share some of my favorite books from the past several months. Oh my, what Covid has done to my reading life! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Find something that makes your heart smile! </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hugs!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ta-DqJhlz9V4zOpK_r8ssxl97a8eVX8a2RD5EYFlGmq5xtoc5WJHeVJA6clM7pntEIcw8duoHTZJSo5lsmUxXoUrwVXpf-z2pQRvJc0eVaAYHcIMCFbV9O6kawqYx3A2Wkn7nKraY08/s772/fullsizeoutput_2702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-71359621274207498462020-08-02T11:50:00.002-05:002020-08-02T11:50:39.285-05:00Sunday Thoughts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LbFIOOPZ1cgoaas7zV9CJBjRNTZiVS9apf4kzeaaxm-6wogieLER9-n0-zmmZCAFXYocS_o18AtUY8eEVcUgS0Wcz7eY7iJ5x0en-32FygTNagxQOD-wr-dmJ6NX4sZIDq-UlyIdX84/s792/thumbnail.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="792" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8LbFIOOPZ1cgoaas7zV9CJBjRNTZiVS9apf4kzeaaxm-6wogieLER9-n0-zmmZCAFXYocS_o18AtUY8eEVcUgS0Wcz7eY7iJ5x0en-32FygTNagxQOD-wr-dmJ6NX4sZIDq-UlyIdX84/s640/thumbnail.jpeg" width="640" /></a><font size="1">copied from "Brainy Quote"</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font size="1"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font size="1"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoy your day!</div>Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-84218991894451307402020-07-30T14:49:00.000-05:002020-07-30T14:49:06.121-05:00Facebook Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I signed onto Facebook so many years ago. It has been nice to reconnect with friends and acquaintances from the past and keep up with friends nearby whom I don't get to see frequently enough. I have enjoyed sending birthday wishes, seeing pictures of children and grandchildren. It has been a great way to catch up. Most often I have signed in to acknowledge milestones, laugh at a meme, get some inspiration from a sassy blonde who knows how to work a crown and wears a lot of pink, and just say hi!</div>
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Now it is time to tune it out for awhile. Facebook has become a battleground. It is not somewhere I need to linger. I know, I should be strong and skip over what I don't want to see, but I am guilty of getting sucked down the rabbit hole. And man, that hole can be sad and paralyzing. As we have sunk deeper into this pandemic it seems Facebook has become the platform for anger, meanness and fear mongering. I am a believer if something does not make you better, than it is time to put it aside. And, for me I think it is time for me to bow out of Facebook for awhile.</div>
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I do hope, if any of my Facebook friends are reading this, you might take pause to think about what is being shared and posted. I know how easy it is to sit behind a screen and feel anonymous. I do it here and on instagram, pretending to be a writer, a book reviewer or whatever I want to be at any given moment. I am guilty of sharing information I haven't fully checked out... last night trying to be super helpful I forwarded a phone number that ended up being a UK number. Friends, I get it! Perhaps before sharing we should ask: is it true... is it helpful... is it kind... am I being part of the solution.</div>
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More than any moment during my lifetime have I felt the need to really pay attention to those reading or listening to my ramblings. We are in a dark time. There is so much going on around us. I don't know when or if we will ever go back to exactly the way we were. I do know,</div>
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I want to be surrounded by light and I want to be a lighthouse. </div>
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Know behind this screen I am smiling and cheering you on. If you see me out and about, I promise there is a smile behind my mask just for you!</div>
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Just a note to those who commented on my last post... it was so good to hear from you. Thank you for visiting and commenting. I have missed meeting you here. I really am going to try to do better. A couple of you ask if I am going to teach this year. Yes I am. I am not going to lie, I am a bit nervous, but I have an amazing Headmistress. I know we will be doing everything possible to stay safe. Thank you again! The new Blogger is sort of throwing me. Let me know if it is still possible to reply individually to comments. Hugs friends!</div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-60359166703503084312020-07-25T13:21:00.002-05:002020-07-26T07:12:50.120-05:00Let's Chat!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmX9pIFB641RP0zhqkYQgNKK_Ogj0LSa4PVBwjYHiAmtZTzL-dTogotMexZ4yvcrcAH8BwFk3QLTjZIK2Lr4fUkbIPycoARdmG7OIEDoZoeyo6bTp63ogNgnNcdRzygkM8DYQSeDOKeiM/s1600/thumbnail.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="798" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmX9pIFB641RP0zhqkYQgNKK_Ogj0LSa4PVBwjYHiAmtZTzL-dTogotMexZ4yvcrcAH8BwFk3QLTjZIK2Lr4fUkbIPycoARdmG7OIEDoZoeyo6bTp63ogNgnNcdRzygkM8DYQSeDOKeiM/s400/thumbnail.jpeg" width="233" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">How are you doing? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">I have thought of you often. I have wanted to check on you; to be honest, I haven't known what to say, so I have remained silent. I decided early on it would be my mission to keep my people, my friends, grounded by staying positive. Most days are good, but some days, I will admit, I do not quarantine very well. Do you know what I am saying?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">We are certainly not where we planned, are we? I've said it before, tell God your plans and watch him laugh. We are in a serious place. A place where what we do as a whole will define when and how this ends. Perhaps the simplest thing we can do to move through the pandemic is to have faith, give grace and be kind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">The day after tomorrow will come! And when we step out into the sunshine what a celebration we will have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">Stay safe my friends!</span><br />
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-11036691071813051892020-02-14T14:43:00.000-06:002020-02-14T14:43:46.490-06:00A Book for February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you are enjoying your day in the way you most enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We exchanged our Valentine's this morning before I headed out to school. I spent my morning sugaring-up my children before returning them to their mamas. Valentine's Day is always a fun day in the classroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been wanting to share my favorite read of 2019, and today seems like the perfect day to share this beautiful love story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"<i>Dearly Beloved, he began. They were the words that started weddings, not baptisms, but the people in the Church were his beloved, so dear that as he spoke, his heart and throat grew tight."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cara Wall's debut novel is a character-driven story of four individuals, two couples, as they navigate the challenges of life, love and marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Charles always believed he was destined to be a Harvard academic until he attends a seminar on faith and discovers a desire to study theology. He meets and falls in love with independent Lily, a devout atheist with no desire to play the part of a minister's wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">James, an activist wanting to create social change, falls deeply in love with sweet Nan, the daughter of a southern minister, who will change the course of his life. Though he cannot buy into the full philosophy of faith, he believes the ministry is a way to remedy the ills of the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These two couples are thrown together for better or worse when Charles and James are called to co-minister a church in Greenwich Village, in the early sixties. Neither man is the whole package the church leaders desire, however, one has what the other lacks. Nan is happy living in the parsonage and leading the children's choir. Lily wants nothing to do with the church community or Nan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was one of those books that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. "<i>The Dearly Beloved" </i>simply took my breath away. Through the slow building of her characters, first as individuals then as couples, Cara Wall writes a meditative first novel exposing the fragility and strength of both love and faith. This is not your typical love story, but it may be the perfect book to read as we finish out the month when we celebrate love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is your favorite love story?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Reading!</span></div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-39185832415336242392020-01-19T13:19:00.000-06:002020-01-19T13:19:35.939-06:00"bird by bird"<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Well it has been a long time, almost a year, since I last posted here. In January 2019, I had high hopes of coordinating my blog and my public Instagram (bookstagram) account (bee_tweenthelines) to share my love of books and blooms, and as it says in my Instagram profile, "with a sprinkling of fun in the kitchen. " I had good intentions. Then, I answered an ad (what was I thinking?) to write book reviews (I refer to them as book reports) for a neighborhood publication. In my mind this was going to coordinate beautifully. I have said it here before, "if you want to make God laugh, tell him/her your plans."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Before I begin, I am going to preface this next bit with, all is well. I feel compelled to explain where I have been to put it behind me and perhaps return to my earlier plans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Early last year my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. It threw us for a loop. To be honest, I think it surprised his GP as well. He had none of risk factors. Nothing in our health system moves quickly; everything seems to take two weeks. It was found by accident and, thankfully, very early. The tumor was very small and slow growing. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He had a lung resection surgery in May. There was no cancer found in the margins nor in the lymph nodes. Recuperation has been long, but reports continue to come back showing no recurrence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I was scared;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I knew I had to stand strong. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I have never shied from saying I am a person of great faith, and this was to be a test. Whether I passed or failed is not my judgment. I did my best. I found my strength and peace knowing God was present.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were blessed with good friends who helped us find the best oncologist and surgeon, filled our freezer with food, changed schedules to be present when needed, and best, held us in their hearts and prayers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thumbs up, we are doing well and ready to move forward!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Okay, so this is where I have been. I had to get it out of the way. Now will I be able to keep all my plates spinning? I don't know. I like to think I can, honestly though, if I didn't know before I now fully realize, nothing is in my hands. I do enjoy meeting you here and connecting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The random picture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Though my book reviews are purely voluntary, meaning I do not get paid..... <b>I am published</b>. (Insert laughing emoji here.) It is a nerve wracking challenge for me. To be honest, each month I expect to be cancelled. I don't know how long I will keep up with it. I have two of the very best editors. (Everything I write here is unedited as if you couldn't tell.) I write, send it off to my people; between keeping up with children and jobs, they correct my spelling, punctuation, run-on sentences and basically tell me when I have totally confused them. Here's to those who have my back!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A favorite quote, and I will use it to close...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"bird by bird"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ann Lamont</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If my laptop continues to work...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hope to see you soon!</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-67153728574625310702019-01-21T15:17:00.000-06:002019-01-21T15:17:00.862-06:00Taking Risk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most young children are risk takers. There is little, if any fear of being made fun of. Why would there be, children see themselves as stars. Some might call this arrogance; I believe it is innocence. It doesn't last long. Somewhere around eight or nine, cliques and groups begin to form. It only takes one person to zero in and share a weak spot. Suddenly all the confidence once held secure disappears. The innocence is gone. It is easier and safer to blend in, to be one of the crowd. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know the exact moment this happened to me. It is history, and though I have long let the incident go, I keep a tight fist around the fear of failing. A little less than ten years ago I signed on here, wrote a little blurb and after a few days, probably weeks I hit publish. I shared this step toward conquering my fears with a sweet few. If I did share, I would sort of whisper it, in hopes no one would know what I was talking about. I didn't believe anyone would want to read anything I wrote; if they did, they for sure wouldn't take me serious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This trip has never been about gaining a following, although I do appreciate each and everyone who visits, reads and stays. It was and is about stepping away from my safe place, facing a fear, taking a chance and finding my voice. And friends, you have allowed and encouraged me to try on many voices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I guess, I might as well stop here and tell you, I have, once again, taken a deep breath and jumped. Several months ago I was looking through our neighborhood magazine when I came upon an ad asking for writers, no experience necessary. I folded the page down and put it away. Weeks later I found it, turned to the dog-eared page and stared at it. At dinner I told my husband about the ad and ask his thoughts. I went through all my ifs and buts, the biggest being my lack of qualifications. He didn't hesitate to encourage me to submit something. Once again, I set it aside to ponder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few weeks ago, going through the mail I happened upon the January edition of the magazine. Flipping through, reading about new neighbors, family pets, well-kept yards and child athletes, I happened, once again, upon the ad asking for writers. This time I folded back the page and placed it by my computer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">A couple of weeks ago, after publishing my last post here, I wrote a letter to the contact person stating I would like to write about books, if this fit into their vision. I stated all the disclaimers I post here... I am not a writer, but I have a passion for reading and love sharing this passion. I wrote about my blog writing and my book talk on Instagram. The letter was pitiful...<u>no exaggeration</u>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I sent it! If I could have retrieved it I would have, but it was gone. I slowed the rising panic by assuring myself the letter would be read and quickly discarded. The next Monday </span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">morning I checked my email and there waiting to be opened was a response saying my letter had been forwarded to the editor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">My blood pressure might have gone up a little. Soon I had a very nice response from the editor saying they would like for me to write book reviews and perhaps help with other stories; would I like to write a book review for the March issue. I said yes... what was I thinking?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">My first review is finished. It is due at the end of this week, but I will send it out tonight. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I am not a brave person. I am much more sensitive than I want to admit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">This is not a whisper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">(I know this has been long. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Sorry, I am a southerner; I can't say anything in 30 words or less.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">I am sharing this adventure with you, because I hope, if there is something you are wanting to do... please, just take a deep breath, close your eyes and fly. Yes, we may fall, but we will know we tried. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">That alone is success, don't you think?</span><br />
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Hugs!<br />
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-39046380337494091882019-01-12T12:47:00.001-06:002019-01-12T12:47:45.463-06:00Weekend Meanderings<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Happy New Year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm not going to apologize this year for being late with my New Year wishes. You should know by now this is just how I roll. I do hope you are having a good January, reading some really good books, and looking forward to something fabulous in the coming months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to and confident of good things happening this year. I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I feel like it is a set-up to fail. Usually I just plow through the year taking it a moment at a time. This year, I feel I need to place my focus somewhere. With this in mind, I decided to follow so many who select a "word" </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">for the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things happened in 2018. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some doors closed, and as of now, the windows remain shuttered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Though I have long known we do not live in a fair, kind or gentle world, this fact came to visit early in the year, and pretty much decided to hang around for awhile. I use the word "visit", because a visit will at some point end. <b>No worries, all and everyone is well</b>... life is just being life. Sometimes you just have to stop, step back, breathe and adjust. As a person of faith, I do believe things happen for a reason and God has a plan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've thought about my word selection a lot. I want share, inspire and heal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The word I am going to hold in my heart for the world, for you and for me is</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "zapfino"; font-size: 68px;">hopef</span><span style="font-family: "zapfino"; font-size: 68px;">ul</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> Romans 15:13</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Happy New Year my friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I wish for you so many wonderful things this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Hugs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">***just an after thought: I'm still fighting with this "vintage" laptop, but we are most definitely going to get back to some book talk soon. Please visit me on instagram @bee_tweenthelines. Hugs!</span></div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-62931518275266708842018-09-26T21:23:00.001-05:002018-09-26T21:23:08.060-05:00Summer Reading Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friends, I am going to be honest with you, I honestly thought Autumn would never get here, and now, I am a bit concerned we may never see cooler temperatures for more than a day or so. I am one of those who is distressed when seasons and holidays are rushed. Though Autumn is my favorite season, I refuse to welcome it before summer takes her last bow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that Autumn is officially here, it is time to look back on this past summer's books. Early in the season, after listening to a podcast questioning the definition of "literary fiction", I made the decision to mostly read authors new to me, genres I normally do not gravitate to and books I could find at my local library. It was a great reading summer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With a To Be Read list several pages long, I always had a book ready to be opened. I am not an exceptionally fast reader... I read about 20 books over the summer. I found new authors, a mystery series I fell in love with and now want to read from the beginning to the end (I will never catch-up), and I discovered books so moving I had difficulty recuperating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is a recap of books I most enjoyed over the summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u><i>Gods in Alabama</i></u>, Joshilyn Jackson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What would you do for those you love?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plot driven, strong character development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a bit of a mystery, and a twist at the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="text-decoration: underline;">The Night Circus</i>, Erin Morganstern</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">WOW! WOW! WOW!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Atmospheric, strong character development,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">beautifully crafted. I can't believe I kept moving this</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">book down on my TBR list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">Reading People</u>, Anne Bogel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">non-fiction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A simple yet enlightening look at why we do the things we do</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and why some folks drive us crazy. A good reference for deciphering the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">many personality test available. Find someone to read along with you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Take some of the tests.... loved this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">The Lost for Words Bookshop</u>, Stephanie Butland</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For anyone who loved </span><u style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine</u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, will</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">enjoy this one. It begins a little slow...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">layers are gradually peeled away, making this a really good read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">Southernmost</u>, Silas House</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This one is at the top of my favorites for the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It grabbed my attention from page one, and slowly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">stole my heart. A profound statement on just loving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">Into the Water</u>, Paula Hawkins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I enjoy how this book started slow and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">gradually, gained speed. This mystery is not solved until</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">the very last page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">Where the Crawdad's Sing</u>, Delia Owens</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I loved this book! Oh my gosh, from page one I felt as if someone</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">was holding my heart in their fist and squeezing. Heartbreaking, but so full of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;">Perennials</u>, Julia Cantrell</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The perfect ending to my summer reading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Set in one of my favorite towns, Oxford, Mississippi, this is a story of</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">family bonds, what cements them and what shatters those bonds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Perennials</u> is not a fast paced tale... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">do you really want to rush a beautiful sunrise? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One word description....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bittersweet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now the series that hooked me? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Louis Penny's Three Pines Mysteries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have been hearing about this series for awhile; not wanting to get tied up waiting, I have avoided anything labeled number "whatever" in a series. I actually began somewhere around #7 and realized I probably should go back to the beginning, #1, <u>Still Life.</u> I am still a newbie to "Three Pines", but I am loving them. As I moved from one to another a nostalgia I can't explain enveloped me... I not only want to read them.... seriously? I just want to move to Three Pines and be a character in these books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> My summer reading was an eye opener and ever so enjoyable. There are a lot of good, entertaining, well-written books to be picked up and read, not considered literary fiction. I believe there is a book out there for everyone (let me know if you need help finding it).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So... Autumn is here. I've finished my first book, bought a pumpkin scented candle and baked pumpkin bread. Now I just need Mother Nature to kick it into gear and give us some autumn like temperatures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Reading friends!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-41395032996785494352018-09-19T09:00:00.000-05:002018-09-19T09:00:05.796-05:00Milk and Cookies - BEE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdm-woMIXmv0Miy7I-IoJE-M9oX3SE_-nw-jHLQHgEFf4Y6PHEZYWQiuWcECQdRTqIlcIbPFbiT1s2ZIjiNpH3jJtId26pAW1N4PUemZ84X5gvGzWBNod1ElAmamZHCgMOqs6JDo5iIU/s1600/IMG_6107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdm-woMIXmv0Miy7I-IoJE-M9oX3SE_-nw-jHLQHgEFf4Y6PHEZYWQiuWcECQdRTqIlcIbPFbiT1s2ZIjiNpH3jJtId26pAW1N4PUemZ84X5gvGzWBNod1ElAmamZHCgMOqs6JDo5iIU/s400/IMG_6107.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How do you feel about bees? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I know they can be pretty scary to children and adults alike. The years I have spent in the garden I have learned a lot about these little yellow and black creatures. I discovered they are most often more intent on finding nectar than using me as target practice. The times I have been stung we were two moving objects fated to collide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Britta Teckentrup's beautifully illustrated book follows a day in the life of a bee, as she searches for food, all the while spreading pollen along the way. <u>BEE</u>, is a gentle lesson on the enormous importance the bee has on our landscape, and ultimately our survival. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This picture book has everything I love, bright and beautiful illustrations, simple text and a lesson.</span></div>
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*****</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I may have made bee skip cookies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Children love iced sugar cookies. Even more, they love to decorate them. I've tried a lot of sugar cookie recipes, and this may be my favorite. I am almost sure it is from a long ago episode of The Pioneer Woman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u>Sugar Cookie Cutouts</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cup butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (yep, that's 3 sticks)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp. vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tsp. baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">zest from one orange</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Using a mixer (on medium) cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reduce speed to low and slowly add in flour mixture; mix well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Divide dough in half. Form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight. If I am making these with my grandchildren, I usually freeze one disk for later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, and pre-heat oven to 325℉</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let dough soften then roll out to about 1/4" thick. Place cookies on pan and bake until lightly brown. I start checking at about 15 mins. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let cool and ice using your favorite cookie icing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Royal Icing</span><br />
(I don't usually measure ingredients for my icing,<br />
these are approximate amounts. It is all about the consistency you want.)<br />
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2 2/3 cups Powdered sugar<br />
4 to 6 tablespoons milk ( depending on consistency)<br />
you can use water<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
(most recipes don't call for vanilla.<br />
I think the icing taste better)<br />
2 tbsp meringue powder<br />
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In a mixer with the whisk attachment combine 4 tbsps. of milk and the meringue powder. Whisk until it begins to get frothy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk, a little at a time, to obtain desired consistency.<br />
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I tend to start with a thick icing to pipe around the edges.... thin and flood the inside. Tint icing using your favorite food coloring. I actually like the powdered, but can sometimes be hard to find.<br />
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When doing this with children I eliminate the meringue powder, hand them a plastic knife and let them have fun.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Someone in my house thought they were pretty yummy without the icing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Reading friends! </span><br />
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-1169733498490937422018-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:002018-09-05T09:00:03.319-05:00Book Talk Wednesday - The Dinner List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AN HOUR."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>That's what Audrey says. She states it with a little bit of an edge, her words just </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>bordering on cursive."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> The Dinner List</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a section in the Sunday edition of our local newspaper titled High Profile. The front page is taken up with the picture and biography of someone who has accomplished good things, usually as a philanthropist, a politician or in their career. Though the article can be a little lengthy at times, there is a small insert on the second page where the guest is ask several questions. Almost always one of the questions is "who would you like to invite to dinner?" Do you know who you would invite?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sabrina is urged, by her roommate, to put together a list of five people, living or dead, she would invite to a fantasy dinner. The list is made and put away. Fast forward ten years. Sabrina shows up to her 30th birthday celebration to find the table filled with those from her list: a favorite professor, her dad, her boyfriend, her best friend and Audrey Hepburn. Sabrina is confused, but as the night evolves the reason this dinner is taking place on this night becomes apparent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>The Dinner List</u> is a bittersweet character and dialogue driven story of betrayal, abandonment, redemption and learning to let go. Once the layers begin to peel away we discover the true reason this group is brought together. I promise, Audrey does have a role at this dinner party. Oh, there is a big OMG moment I did not see coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Structuring a chapter, let alone a complete book around food can be a bit risky. The story can stall and become a bit boring. Rebecca Serle successfully keeps the story moving by alternating dinner conversation and events of the last ten years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I received an early copy of <u>The Dinner List</u> from Flatiron Books and Goodreads for an honest review. When I first began this book, I was a bit concerned, but soon became engrossed. It may not make my top five list... it is a good read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you made your dinner list?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please share!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>The Dinner List</u> hits the bookstores September 11th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Reading Friends!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, my list? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mother, my seventh</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">grade English teacher, Laura Bush,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ann Lamont and my daughter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(readers and writers)</span></div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-81548746427585444522018-09-04T08:00:00.000-05:002018-09-04T08:00:02.649-05:00Back to School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's my first day back in school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> It is always exciting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's always a little bit of a honeymoon period, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">then the children figure out I'm pretty much a push over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm working on a routine of writing and scheduling, rather than writing and posting. Stay with me, it may take me a few weeks to build my stamina. I'm fully expecting to need a nap when I get home this afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm going in....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is going to be a great year!</span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-66880685024731362622018-08-23T22:26:00.002-05:002018-08-23T22:26:36.022-05:00Introducing Milk and Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Children are made readers on the </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>laps of their parents."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Emilie Buchwald</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgey0vg_1e3bgv1rhnEs7qtx7VRX6MlapyRLiHTr0TVisTo-vutUpDcwREJULTWZsfWB_ek9HfMfoSXfyE000_YqOPbEq-v_UlgKPh1kFNO-jGJeCDfAvO7LwIbmTii6hAp_lHMJNyPxv8/s1600/IMG_5937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgey0vg_1e3bgv1rhnEs7qtx7VRX6MlapyRLiHTr0TVisTo-vutUpDcwREJULTWZsfWB_ek9HfMfoSXfyE000_YqOPbEq-v_UlgKPh1kFNO-jGJeCDfAvO7LwIbmTii6hAp_lHMJNyPxv8/s320/IMG_5937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friends, it is back to school time. I have had so much fun this past week and a half, following my former pre-schoolers and sending happy messages on their first day. There is just something exciting about a new school year. I still have a little over a week before I head back, but I have been working in my classroom cleaning, sprucing-up and organizing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of my "jobs", besides teaching Pre-K 4, is taking care of our children's library. Just before the school year begins, a teacher friend and I get to go to a local bookstore, spend a few hours perusing children's books and selecting a <b>really</b> nice bunch of books to bring back to the school for parent's to purchase and donate to our school library. I may not be the perfect person for the job; I assure you, no one enjoys it more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now </i><i>this is going to sound off track, but it is just an example of how my rambling </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i>crazy brain runs.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> few weeks ago, playing around in the kitchen, I was mixing up a batch of my, go to, chocolate chip cookies. I am a bit like the the mouse in <u style="font-style: italic;">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</u>. I can begin one thing which will make me think of something else, which will make me think of something else, and so on and so on. You're following me, right?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxoPLreLV6tU4Hqt3Kiegsmh8uvov6IpGVLiA4FIR_Q23Skev3FxY4fgd6c6G-x34syCgVDDSSL5aQaROvOpNkku0kxnudfvvz2jv4mcaJZm2kPe1E_WVUNHYPV2aZwkrtuXW8wDhfvk/s1600/767680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxoPLreLV6tU4Hqt3Kiegsmh8uvov6IpGVLiA4FIR_Q23Skev3FxY4fgd6c6G-x34syCgVDDSSL5aQaROvOpNkku0kxnudfvvz2jv4mcaJZm2kPe1E_WVUNHYPV2aZwkrtuXW8wDhfvk/s400/767680.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">image from Goodreads</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, while tossing together all the ingredients, I ventured down that street (you know the one I'm talking about) named Memory Lane. I had those warm fuzzy memories of coming home from school, finding a plate of M &M cookies and a glass of milk waiting on the table. I would sit on the kitchen stool while Mother cooked supper, and we would talk about my school day. A couple of cookies and a glass of milk and I was an encyclopedia of all that happened in the classroom and on the playground.... no holding back... no secrets kept. Trust me on this one, I was pretty much a sell-out for a good cookie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I moved on from thinking of the past, to wishing I could share the cookies cooling on the rack with my grandchildren, after their first day of school. I thought about how fun it would be to sit, with a warm cookie, a cold glass of milk in hand while sharing a book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The light bulb went off!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Milk and Cookies</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">(and children's literature)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Again, I am throwing together a couple of my favorite things to share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In addition to sharing my thoughts on the books I am enjoying, I am going to occasionally</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">share a favorite children's book and perhaps...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a cookie recipe (because you know I love to play in the kitchen).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAy0Qv37hM4jFezSURXgO2C42YZRUeVf4GoZClwm_Ai-7UBH-ce1UL1BqLYiwCpUvivkzHh_s2b_x9XNhf1KkPvz94mtS0sq6LuVgRR67tARd9e7IS6AfiCdNMhkfUMXUUs412jSxxUI/s1600/IMG_5953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAy0Qv37hM4jFezSURXgO2C42YZRUeVf4GoZClwm_Ai-7UBH-ce1UL1BqLYiwCpUvivkzHh_s2b_x9XNhf1KkPvz94mtS0sq6LuVgRR67tARd9e7IS6AfiCdNMhkfUMXUUs412jSxxUI/s400/IMG_5953.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I believe...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we read, and share a love of reading, with children,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">we are creating readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you can read you can do anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If we create readers, and they can do anything...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Imagine the possibilities!</span><br />
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****<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Readers, I love sharing the things that excite me, and make my heart smile, with you. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. Writing and putting this out into space, tying it to my Instagram account, is totally out of my comfort zone. You make it easy, safe, and so much fun. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So.... </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">using my best southern manners, I say....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Thank you so very much!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Have a great weekend friends,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">do something that makes your heart sing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Reading!</span><br />
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-9473070145861271142018-08-15T09:30:00.000-05:002018-08-15T09:30:13.864-05:00Book Talk Wednesday-- Southernmost<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>'The rain had been falling with a pounding meanness without ceasing for two days and then the water rose all at once in the middle of the night, a brutal rush so fast Asher thought at first a dam might have broken somewhere upstream. The ground had simply become so saturated it could not hold any more water. All the creeks were conspiring down the ridges until they washed out into the Cumberland. There was no use in anyone going to bed because they all knew what was going to happen.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>They only had to wait.'</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlecqztVZp-L8nCjuG3PJx_kPFy-LrzP1ckCyQvQ0EaxllRlbOF51rbEYweEuQsf6E-pZP0aZDzJ5d82Ho7aogagiUjVuqrSQG2IDgl2fPLJWXzTOdJJzH74w8Z1OmpNFCMMFJF9mjsY/s1600/IMG_5917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlecqztVZp-L8nCjuG3PJx_kPFy-LrzP1ckCyQvQ0EaxllRlbOF51rbEYweEuQsf6E-pZP0aZDzJ5d82Ho7aogagiUjVuqrSQG2IDgl2fPLJWXzTOdJJzH74w8Z1OmpNFCMMFJF9mjsY/s400/IMG_5917.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't usually begin by copying the complete first paragraph, but I can't remember the last time I read a book whose first paragraph so symbolically sets the stage for the story that is about to unfold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Asher Sharp, a small town Pentecostal preacher, wanting to help two men, after their home is destroyed, finds himself questioning long held beliefs. He alienates his wife, his congregation and his community. After serving up a sermon on tolerance, Asher is fired by the Church hierarchy.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the Courts award Asher's wife full custody of Justin, he takes his son and leaves for Key West in hopes of finding and reconciling with the brother he turned against years earlier. In search of a brother, Asher and Justin discover the importance of just loving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"I've studied on it a lot, Lydia. You know I don't believe that way anymore. All my life I've thought I've understood everything in that Bible, but now I know that none of us can know the mind of God. He's too big for that."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><u>Southernmos</u>t is a timely and beautifully told story of re-evaluating ones beliefs and the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">consequences incurred. Asher discovers, what I believe, "love thy neighbor", truly means. I promise this is one of those reads that will make you sit and ponder long after you've turned the final page. <u>Southernmost</u> touched my heart and conscience in so many ways, and is going to the top of my "best books of year" list </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">If you are looking for a book that will stir up a great book group discussion...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">this may be the one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perfect Pairings</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May I suggest you pour yourself a nice tall glass of iced tea and head out to the porch. Heck, just take the whole pitcher outside, you are not going to want to put this book down. </span><br />
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Happy Reading Friends, and</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-10611214743043149702018-08-10T14:29:00.000-05:002018-08-10T14:29:51.571-05:00Banana Bread <div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've often confessed here, and on instagram, reading makes me hungry. What can say! If food or a meal is an important element in the book I'm reading, I am usually up trying to find something to grab to satisfy my craving. Often it means dinner plans are changing, or I am going to be pulling down a cookbook and stirring up something in the kitchen. (This may be the reason I can sit down with a cookbook and read it like a novel.) A good book is always better with a beverage and a snack. Do you agree?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the novel <u>The Lost for Words Bookshop</u>, Loveday, is taken aback by a cookbook mysteriously delivered to the shop where she works. While perusing the pages she feels there is something familiar about it and memories of her mother are stirred. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mother loved to cook. There are so many aromas from the kitchen that take me back home and to my mother. Banana Bread is one of my fondest memories. No one else in my family particularly cared for banana bread. I loved it! It was a special treat, and something Mother made only for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is not my mother's recipe. I dearly wish it were; her recipe is in hiding somewhere, hopefully to be found. I have tried several banana bread recipes, and nothing really made me happy. With a few over-ripe bananas, more in the freezer and a sudden desire to experiment, I mixed up a recipe that brings back those memories. And, most importantly,.... it has my sweet Bonnie Rose's approval (wink wink).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To compliment <u><i><b>The Lost for Words Bookshop</b></i></u> I am offering up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Bee's Banana Bread</b></i></span></div>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSExaQ5XDqmAjFzX-9-bHE2slnTJ7xG-mSwA7a8jhdLYkOGqKxC4j4jkEpNgmWUoPeRPKWwqIa0v4DQ4JZrsr37gLJlT6ySRgFh81Xq9pi2FMK6JO8XClcXAKuuRoaFrs6J5htsYmu7lU/s400/IMG_5868.JPG" width="400" /></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup butter, room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cups flour, sifted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 heaping tsp. baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup buttermilk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4-5 ripe bananas, mashed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(This is a lot of bananas, you may feel the need to decrease the amount.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pre-heat oven to 350℉. Prepare two loaf pans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cream butter and add sugar. Beat until smooth. Add salt and eggs, one at a time, and mix until well blended. Add flour and soda alternating with buttermilk. Stir in bananas. (I leave my bananas a little chunky.) Pour mixture into pans and bake for about 45 mins. Test the center with a toothpick before taking out of oven. It should come out with no crumbs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This bread is moist, dense and tasty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Happy Reading</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enjoy! </span><br />
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******<br />
I hope you like this idea I have of pairing a book with a beverage, food, meal, or perhaps an outing. This, like everything I do, is an experiment and a work in progress. Let me know your thoughts.<br />
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Hugs!<br />
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-29152370903909713932018-08-08T09:30:00.000-05:002018-08-08T09:30:03.723-05:00Wednesday Book Talk -- The Lost for Words Bookshop<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"A bookshop is not magic, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">but it can heal your heart."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Lost for Words Bookshop</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I see a book about books, bookshops, libraries or people who read books, it is a safe bet, I will be picking it up, (quoting my grandson) "because it is my favorite". </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps I am drawn to these books </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">because I understand the healing power of books and rooms filled with books. If I begin to feel the world tumbling down, and that "half-full glass" of mine springs a leak, I am most at home among books. I can walk between the stacks of a library or bookshop, touch the bindings, breathe in aroma of paper and glue, and absolutely know, without a doubt, I am in the company of good friends. There is someone somewhere within all those pages who can talk me off the cliff and ease whatever is worrying me. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes... it is just the perfect place to hide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>The Lost for Words Bookshop</u> is more about this refuge and the comfort we bibliophiles find within books and in those rooms filled with books, than books. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Loveday is hurting. She is wounded by the events of a childhood ended far too early. Seeking shelter, she finds employment where she is most comfortable, a bookshop... a used-book bookshop owned by the most charming Archie (oh, how I fell head over heels for this man). Loveday is not a people person, and enjoys the solitude she finds sitting at a hidden counter preparing newly acquired books for shelving, leaving the owner to most often handle the customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three separate deliveries of books mysteriously appear, threatening to bring Loveday's past crashing into the present. This collision may be what she needs to reconcile with her past and begin healing, but first she must discover if these books are a coincidence, or does someone know about her past and want to do harm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This one started a little slow. It took a chapter or two to engage with Loveday, but I soon became very protective of her character. There is mystery with a little bit of romance, and a lot of feel good. <u>The Lost for Words Bookshop</u> is a nicely told tale with equally good character development. If you enjoyed <u>Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</u> (I loved it) or you know the healing power a room full of books can offer, <u>The Lost For Words Bookshop</u> may be your next perfect read!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you read this one? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As always, I would love to hear your thoughts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and what you are reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*****</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Perfect Pairing</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Archie is by far my favorite character in <u>The Lost for Words Bookshop</u>. Oh how we all need an Archie in our life. He would often treat Loveday with a hot chocolate and nibble from the cafe next door. So to honor Archie, and to pair with <u>The Lost for Words Bookshop</u> I am offering up banana bread this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will be sharing the recipe later this week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Reading Friends!</span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-68374266553015701442018-08-06T21:06:00.000-05:002018-08-06T21:06:27.770-05:00A Few Technical Problems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQZButcAv-hGen7g6O5Eh_dx19g0PgFT06w_2tREMvltIF-ZsIcEFY1cbeDZtTcWx1o79K11MBygLkYRMfLqXF04_Dan7OwJ1g6-CM5pIP1PaXclpke7qQE0vd_6HDxLkQ86qe3M8T0Q/s1600/IMG_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQZButcAv-hGen7g6O5Eh_dx19g0PgFT06w_2tREMvltIF-ZsIcEFY1cbeDZtTcWx1o79K11MBygLkYRMfLqXF04_Dan7OwJ1g6-CM5pIP1PaXclpke7qQE0vd_6HDxLkQ86qe3M8T0Q/s400/IMG_5674.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I signed on tonight to begin writing my post for Wednesday. While checking around, I noticed a message saying I had 14 comments awaiting my moderation. In the past I have been notified of these by email. I have received nothing. Please be assured I love hearing from you and am not ignoring your comments. These only showed up tonight. I will be honest... I have checked and thought I stayed away too long. I was okay with that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now here is my second problem. I have spent the last hour trying to reply to each individual comment. Blogger will not let me. Again, your comments are so appreciated and I do not take them for granted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps this is only a glitch tonight. We will see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Again, I love hearing from you and will continue to try to respond. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hugs! </span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-58562840339473978192018-08-01T06:00:00.000-05:002018-08-01T07:01:58.654-05:00Wednesday Book Thoughts .... Why We Do the Things We Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances;</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">if there is any reaction, both are transformed."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">C.G. Jung</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_mpLgb_TP7DaqnXyQ7Ib-LLFa_2g-OVzlzj0b9h6QlD2J9lhQ5SehDs6yVDGuTl7dHvWnWQagLMqW-Wg2XhrlnEm0Pe8mWcIYOc_vuooKDZxN4CJDeijJOw1VBnm_wQvXT4k-zcPqkA/s1600/IMG_5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_mpLgb_TP7DaqnXyQ7Ib-LLFa_2g-OVzlzj0b9h6QlD2J9lhQ5SehDs6yVDGuTl7dHvWnWQagLMqW-Wg2XhrlnEm0Pe8mWcIYOc_vuooKDZxN4CJDeijJOw1VBnm_wQvXT4k-zcPqkA/s400/IMG_5865.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I discovered Anne Bogel around the first of the year. Okay, this is not exactly true. I discovered her blog, "The Modern Mrs. Darcy" and her podcast "What Should I Read Next" awhile back. I only started faithfully following and listening around the first of the year. I am embarrassed to admit I resisted enjoying Anne's writing and reading thoughts out of, perhaps..... envy? She is doing what I have dreamed of for so long, and she does it <u>really</u> <u>really</u> well. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her podcast is one source and cause of my TBR list being so long and growing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I discovered she had a book,<u> Reading People</u>, published last year, it immediately was placed on my summer reading list. Seriously a book titled <u>Reading People</u>. This was a book made for me.... a book about people who read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yep, here I am red-faced once again. It only took a quick Goggle to find out </span><u style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Reading People</u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> is not about lovers of a good read, but about "seeing the world through the lens of personality" (it says that on the cover)... reading (a verb not an adjective) people. It may have dropped a book or two down my list, but I was still intrigued.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Long ago in a faraway land and in another life, I administered personality test for a bank. Part of the training to prepare for this project was to actually take the test. I remember being told, along with my results, I was perfect because I was a planner, a people pleaser, and, this last description will be branded in my brain forever, <b> pretty dull.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Today, this would not be much of a surprise, nor would it bother me so much, though being told you are dull is still a bit hurtful. As a 26 year old.... I was devastated!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I spent years working to prove my results were manipulated... just plain wrong! I worked tirelessly to overcome being shy and be the life of the party. When you have to work at it, it is not always pretty. I am here now, older and wiser, to tell you it was exhausting. Oh, had I only had <u>Reading People</u> as a reference.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not only does Ms. Bogel share her love of reading by offering book suggestions on her blog and podcast; she has given us an enlightening guide to explore why we are who we are and how we relate to those around us. She shares her own stories, her curiosity, knowledge, and research in giving the reader the resources to discover the potential in not only ourselves, but those around us. I felt like I was having a comfortable and fun discussion with a good friend. Oh, there is plenty of literary comparisons for the bibliophile. Yes, the books we love, the movies we watch, the characters we identify with may be a result of our personality. Who knew?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you have ever wondered why you couldn't understand a friends actions... plans... why you hear one thing and your spouse hears something totally different, this may be a book for you. I loved it! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you read this one? I would love to hear your thoughts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And let me know what you are reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Reading Friends! </span><br />
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<br />Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-17838769569285814572018-07-11T04:00:00.000-05:002018-07-11T04:00:04.747-05:00Wednesday Book Thoughts -- A Night Circus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The circus arrives without warning.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not."</i></span></div>
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The Night Circus</div>
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Erin Morgenstern</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPR6PTM57_DqO8FwNo-b8_Ed6GbujMmvHk-Nvgjh4l8Hq1MwNDvbrRBxv2XkBctalVhvu322SFdnzV1KcuB9pgTgV7RdhFPd3XjM5-gydbtaDNLgwYWjghIvl4v4eFXLDxbj5mgi6Hvc/s1600/IMG_5642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPR6PTM57_DqO8FwNo-b8_Ed6GbujMmvHk-Nvgjh4l8Hq1MwNDvbrRBxv2XkBctalVhvu322SFdnzV1KcuB9pgTgV7RdhFPd3XjM5-gydbtaDNLgwYWjghIvl4v4eFXLDxbj5mgi6Hvc/s320/IMG_5642.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wish I could tell you how many times I have picked up this book and placed it back on the table or shelf in various bookstores.... my mistake! </div>
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Published in 2011, I may be telling you something you already know, Erin Morganstern's <u>The Night Circus</u> is a treat for the senses. I found it a bit slow in the beginning, but soon realized I was completely immersed and pleasantly drowning. It is a fantastical tale of a mysterious circus, and those who are manipulated within it's grounds. </div>
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Is it slight of hand... smoke and mirrors... or is it truly magic? </div>
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Who is the magician and who is the puppeteer?</div>
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This breathtaking fantastical tale has something for everyone.... mystery, manipulation, betrayal, murder and romance. Beautifully written, with well-developed characters. </div>
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(There are no clowns in this one.)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <i>"You will be fine", the fortune-teller says. </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"There may be decisions to make, and surprises in store. Life takes us to unexpected places sometimes. The future is never set in stone, remember that."</span></i></div>
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This may be one of my favorite reads this summer!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgFT98m1QuFTyRWu2Pv3QD4SFQRLI16K2NRdnyudqJ-D_4rhtoHMJ6oZcUxI77SduwgI2R_UelN80cBASbSD6uSP5x9EFtEH-_8K8wZcNyoNWZU0YRxPzjIvsHe5yKXPF4Ko3KvTZohU/s1600/Facetune_10-07-2018-12-01-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgFT98m1QuFTyRWu2Pv3QD4SFQRLI16K2NRdnyudqJ-D_4rhtoHMJ6oZcUxI77SduwgI2R_UelN80cBASbSD6uSP5x9EFtEH-_8K8wZcNyoNWZU0YRxPzjIvsHe5yKXPF4Ko3KvTZohU/s400/Facetune_10-07-2018-12-01-28.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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To compliment you reading enjoyment might I suggest a rich dark red with a sliver </div>
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(or two... you're not going to want to put this one down) of nice chocolate.</div>
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Would love to hear your thoughts on this one.</div>
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Happy Reading my friends!</div>
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Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415667735498558420.post-44158895563398007332018-07-09T13:18:00.000-05:002018-07-09T13:18:23.960-05:00Where to Pick Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYslu2JJtYgpEJEVtuep6tAx8i5xWPrGDfStT1ryToS882l2eD88NzbJjmtdWxRMN2QbawrjrRm2MSkwLscRhUnxohkj5LepTCglATNkLF6xaitOOWEHpNJ3MicWR12NkTpdEhY2ZAulA/s1600/IMG_4534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYslu2JJtYgpEJEVtuep6tAx8i5xWPrGDfStT1ryToS882l2eD88NzbJjmtdWxRMN2QbawrjrRm2MSkwLscRhUnxohkj5LepTCglATNkLF6xaitOOWEHpNJ3MicWR12NkTpdEhY2ZAulA/s400/IMG_4534.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">July!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was a busy busy spring... wrapping up the school year, enjoying extended visits with my beautiful daughter and amazing grandchildren, and of course... reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You know I do the reading for you... right?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, it all for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I've been posting a lot on my (somewhat) new instagram account, bee_tweenthelines. It is a heavy on book suggestions, with a sprinkling of blooms and fun in the kitchen. It is a public account. If these things interest you, I would love for you to join me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have warned you in the past...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> When those squeaky wheels in my brain start turning, I can be a bit dangerous. Stir in time and a few conversations with my daughter (there may have been some bubbly involved)...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">it can get explosive around here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJaGRrW52dVfUPejnPH7rim77DZNPjTvyLxHHklS1uVtigCYWbb1VaOiKXUwS3ROqGpYi7EPBg7ZnRHKpW6410-D4BHnYHl7wxe1JtQ4sReX_KltHpBmWGmHy8RUxmF06GRQzrSQHxco/s1600/IMG_4062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJaGRrW52dVfUPejnPH7rim77DZNPjTvyLxHHklS1uVtigCYWbb1VaOiKXUwS3ROqGpYi7EPBg7ZnRHKpW6410-D4BHnYHl7wxe1JtQ4sReX_KltHpBmWGmHy8RUxmF06GRQzrSQHxco/s400/IMG_4062.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know if anything will become of all this talk; hopefully I'll have something to share this fall.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll keep you posted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, I'll be reading, cooking and sharing with you here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSskBhPzf9L_9nS4iVwzkbTNQHLF8K6jSwKuhwkQZ21X2FuNHVMMjBRK_qtD1cMvjVGHLF0nbwtczOm_CCuF5I8lXgtZFFLUOTphUCFe-HdjSRRE6cfzmTQCf-w8metOldZjET3kXv74/s1600/IMG_5450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSskBhPzf9L_9nS4iVwzkbTNQHLF8K6jSwKuhwkQZ21X2FuNHVMMjBRK_qtD1cMvjVGHLF0nbwtczOm_CCuF5I8lXgtZFFLUOTphUCFe-HdjSRRE6cfzmTQCf-w8metOldZjET3kXv74/s320/IMG_5450.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_vmXNCTrMvsIE_yu7ieVe8-WOKRrMBblwygtNWqYRqP8p7ItJ1vXKrTVJSajNMwt1L2MnuhEq582YmiKfkuGKEtHrTh2W7U7TLcT4ePXoPSUEWrj_5mPDyCZLa1xaKQ86-Fd_SRmmTU/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_vmXNCTrMvsIE_yu7ieVe8-WOKRrMBblwygtNWqYRqP8p7ItJ1vXKrTVJSajNMwt1L2MnuhEq582YmiKfkuGKEtHrTh2W7U7TLcT4ePXoPSUEWrj_5mPDyCZLa1xaKQ86-Fd_SRmmTU/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now I'm off to see what you have been up to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Reading Friends!</span></div>
Bonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285041048746416249noreply@blogger.com5