Five Favorites (Vol 9) & What We’re Reading Wednesday (Vol 2)

By bobbi
July 23, 2013
5 Comments

We’ve got a lot of linking today for one small post.

This is Day 3 of Jen’s 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge.

This is linked to Hallie’s (guest hosted by Grace) Five Favorites

Lastly, Fave #4 is linked to Jessica’s What We’re Reading Wednesday. Enjoy!

~ 1 ~

New School Supplies

Fall may still be a couple months away but it seems a lot closer with all the back to school supplies in the stores. As a kid, picking out new school supplies ranked up there with opening Christmas presents and decades later that hasn’t changed. Happily, my daughter shares my enthusiasm for journals, notebooks and cute pens. Bella and I went to Target the other night and we were giddy picking out new school/ office supplies. It was a lovely mother daughter bonding moment. 🙂

~ 2 ~

Photo Challenges

I love those daily photo challenges you see on Instagram and Facebook and I’m currently participating in two – #fmsphotoaday on Instagram and #31dayfunphotochallenge on Facebook.

A friend of the family, Carole, created the FB one so I made the cover shot for her. 🙂

Here are a few other photos I’ve posted so far.

Day 1: Black & White (As long as he stays out of my house we’re good. 😉

Day 2: Something that starts with the first letter of my name – Brian & Beach.

Day 5: Tiny – It is amazing that a tiny round piece of gold can hold so much meaning.

Day 10: My Favorite Color

~ 3 ~

My Kindle

Our house is filled with books on numerous book shelves and I do prefer to read non fiction books in paper back so I can highlight and make comments in the margins. However, when I read fiction it must be on my Kindle (or Kindle app on my iphone) or I’ll never get any reading done. I love that I can read a few pages on my computer or my Kindle then open the app on my phone later in the day and it will sync to where I left off on my other devices. I don’t have big chunks of time to sit and read so I fit in a few pages when I can. And if I’m reading a “I-can’t-put-this-down” book then you’ll see my reading on my phone as I’m folding laundry and stirring spaghetti sauce or scrubbing the shower. (Who am I kidding? I cant remember the last time I scrubbed the shower, but I digress.) The point is I love having my current reads at my fingertips at any time!

~ 4 ~

What I’m Reading/ Fave Book of the Week: Angela’s Song by AnneMarie Creedon

I love my reading list on GoodReads.com and I have been trying to alternate reading a “regular” fiction book and a Catholic fiction book. Since I did Austenland last week, this week it was Angela’s Song by AnneMarie Creedon, available in paperback or on Kindle.

Amazon Description:

Angela ‘Jel’ Cooke is a widow and mother of three who stays busy so as not to have to face the fact that her marriage was damaged and her husband, Devin, died before it could be repaired. Her good friends realize that no amount of home made lasagna, volunteering at church or late night games of Yahtzee can heal Angela from past regrets. When she meets Jack, the teacher of a class she is taking, he challenges her to face her demons. What follows is the poignant, yet often hilarious saga of how Angela overcomes her guilt and learns to love herself and others.

Many of the stories I read have a lot of action and tension that forces me to keep turning the page but that wasn’t the case with this book. There wasn’t a big, dramatic story arc but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There was an easy pace of getting to know Angela and her story and watching a romance unfold. There were times when I thought Jack, the boyfriend, was a little too perfect but then again, he reminded me a lot of my hubby, just an unbelievable man of God. The writing is well done and this is a great novel for those who like their books to be very “Catholic.” Catholic elements and teaching were entwined throughout the story. For some that is a good thing, for others it’s a turn off.

Personally I could go either way but I will say that some of what was written was speaking to me directly. I happened to be reading the end of the book after I had an argument with Brian. As I was sitting there reading one of the character’s words about marriage and sacrifice and carrying the cross, I rolled my eyes and muttered something like, “Yeah, but wait until the honeymoon is long over…” As I kept on reading the Holy Spirit was at work and the words touched my heart I could see how silly and selfish I was being by staying angry at Brian. I swallowed my pride and apologized and in the end was happy to make up with him. 🙂 If a book could do that, that’s pretty good. That gave it a grade of 4 out of 5 stars. Go check it out.

~ 5 ~

“Angela’s Song” Playlist

Author AnneMarie Creedon gets major kudos for creating a playlist for her book on Spotify. It contains all the songs mentioned in her book – from Frank Sinatra to Lady Antebellum to Black Eyed Peas. Pretty cool.

Have a blessed day!

PS – Don’t forget the Pinterest Party Link-up runs until Aug 6 and you can use a new or old post. 🙂

Five Favorites (Vol 8): Summer Edition & What We’re Reading Wednesday

By bobbi
July 10, 2013
6 Comments

Today I am linking this post with Hallie for Five Favorites and Jessica for What We’re Reading Wednesday. (Scroll to #5 for that.) 🙂

~ 1 ~

Beach Bonfires & Multi-Weinie Roasting Stick

This weekend we went to a beach party with two other Catholic families and we had so much fun! (And Catholic style, 3 families equaled 14 kids. ;-)) We had a bonfire and I tried my new hotdog roasting stick that held 4 hotdogs at once. (Which I picked up at Target, natch.) It worked great and kept tiny hands in the sand and out of the hot fire pit. Although, I relented and let them roast their own marshmallows when they promised they wouldn’t use it as a flaming light saber. 😉

~ 2 ~

Black-Out Curtains

On those days when we aren’t watching the sun set over the Pacific, the boys are in bed and lights out by 8:00 PM. However, it makes it hard when it is still bright and sunny outside. We bought some denim black-out curtains similar to these and they are an answer to prayer. They really block out the light and make it feel more like a dark night so the boys can go right to sleep.

~ 3 ~

Imagine Dragons – Night Visions

So far this album has been my soundtrack of my summer. On those occasions when I get to go to Target and Costco solo, you’ll find me driving down Highway 1 singing along. Here is my current fave of the album.

~ 4 ~

Link-ups!

Summer gives me a little more time to spend on the blog but I must admit that lately the majority of my blog posts are link-ups to other blogs. Heck, even this post is being linked TWICE. So which are my favorite link-up’s? Here they are…

Five Favorites by Hallie (Wed) – Of course!
What We’re Reading Wednesday by Jessica (This is my debut contribution. Scroll to #5.)
Theme Thursday by Cari (Thurs)
{pretty, happy, funny, real} by Like Mother, Like Daughter (Thurs)
7 Quick Takes by Jen (Fri)
Catholic Woman’s Almanac by Suscipio (Mon)

I don’t have a place to play on Tuesday so I stay home and have my own link-up – A Pinterest Party. (Yes, that was a shameless plug and here are accompanying photos!)

Link-up your post! (Old or new.)

This week’s post: Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 7): Dinosaur Kits for Your Little Paleontologist

What are your favorite link-ups??

~ 5 ~

I love that summer also allows me to stay up late reading and not worry about an alarm clock in the morning. (Well, unless you count the two year old bouncing on my head in the AM.) I love to read but I have a habit of starting five books at once and only finishing one or two, months later. Plus, I love to read fiction but I am never sure which books are worth the read and which are a waste of time (or worse, immoral.) Then a friend told me about Good Reads.com and I love it. Imagine it as Instagram for readers. Instead of looking at your friends photos of the day, you can see what books they are reading, how they rated them, and any comments or reviews they had about them. I love it. You can check out the books on my lists here: https://www.goodreads.com/bobbi_rol

Which brings me to Housewifespice’s new link-up What We’re Reading Wednesday.

I just finished two books this week.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Amazon.com Description:

Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Predjudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

This was a fun summer read. I am a big Austen fan and when the author talked about the BBC adaption of the book fans know the scenes she mentioned by heart – Darcy after his swim, Darcy and Elizabeth exchanging looks at the piano, etc it reminded me of years ago when my sister and I would watch and swoon together. I was eager to revisit the P&P love. I’ll admit that at first it was a little hard to get into it because the premise seemed a bit unbelievable but once I got into it I was thoroughly enjoying it and rooting for my favorite characters. If you aren’t looking for anything terribly deep, are an Austen fan, hopeless romantic and love a love story (no matter how improbable) then you’ll want to check it out.

The Night Sky: A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back by Maria Sutton

Amazon.com Description:

This extraordinary and unflinchingly honest memoir takes us on a riveting journey into the hearts and souls of three enigmatic people whose destinies are forever changed by the events of World War II. The secrets of misguided love and passions are revealed as the author journeys between the past and the present to solve the mystery of a handsome Polish officer with piercing blue eyes and sun-colored hair. Maria Sutton takes us to the dark green hills and valleys of the ancient Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, where the woody fragrance of birch trees and new-mown hay fills the fresh, crisp air after a heavy rain. Vicariously, we see a sunrise over Poland obscured by brightly colored swastikas on warplanes and then we will be taken into suffocating cattle cars, lice-infested stalags, and to the Dachau death camp. Further down a country road, the hearty laughter and beer steins clinking with each salute to the Fuhrer s astonishing victories can be heard. As Maria takes us on this odyssey to solve a decades-long mystery, she learns the family secrets of untold heroism, quiet courage, and a mother s love and of tragedy, disillusionment, and heartbreak. At the end of her long journey, Maria uncovers a shattering and painful truth. But the secret, however heartbreaking, would also become the greatest gift she would receive.

I don’t often read non-fiction books for “fun” but I received a free copy of this book and thought I’d give it a try. I was intrigued by the author’s journey and how it personalized history lessons of the past. I was especially interested in the refugee camps since Brian’s family spent time in a refugee camp after the war and before immigrating to the United States. There were a few parts when the story dragged and jumped around a little but as the author got closer to the truth I could not put the book down. I was excited and heart broken as she learned the truth about her father and other family members. In the end, I loved how the experience strengthened her and gave her peace. Well worth the read.

Well, that’s it for this week! Thanks again to Hallie and Jessica for hosting!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 47 / 7 Quick Takes (10/5/12) Mash-Up: Heat, WTH Gas & Zombies

By bobbi
October 5, 2012
No Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

AND

Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.

– 1 –

{happy}

I Love You, Fog – This morning Brian worked the early shift and he told me I could go out and take a walk at the beach. It has been awhile since I’ve taken that trail. It started out foggy but then it warmed up and the sun came out. Although I am not complaining about the fog! I was soo happy to see it return after this week’s heat wave!

– 2 –

Source: Brokensports.com

Daddy Long Legs – My hat goes off to all those people who have endured the summer heat for three long months. We had a heat wave in Carmel (with the hottest day hitting 90 by the coast) and we barely lasted three days. Although I was ~~a major grouch~~ able to remain incredibly cheerful, the kids were like zombies on the couch begging for cups of ice. I was hunting high and low for shorts that would fit the boys since it was never hot enough all summer to buy any new ones. I finally found some in a box of too small clothes and for three days the boys looked like retro basketball players with their too small, short-shorts. We are so cool-weather spoiled, it is ridiculous.

– 3 –

{happy}

Spoiler Alert – Remember when I was telling you about Ryan Charles Trusell and his publication Ora et Labora et Zombies? Well, we got the next two letters this week and Brian and I were so happy! Well, at first we weren’t though, because it caused a little ruckus in the house. After I told Brian about the novel and encouraged him to read with me, he became intrigued and got into the story too. So the other day when he got the mail and found the envelope he was excited to open it right away. I told him it had my name on the envelope so it was actually my mail to open. (Okay, so I was teasing him a bit.) I told him he could read it first but he knows the rules – he can’t give me any spoilers or tell me what happens. Well, later I asked him how the next installment was and he said, “It’s getting good! So-and-so does such-and-such…” Nooooo! He broke the only rule he had. Now he knows he is not allowed to read the upcoming installments until I a have read it first. LOL.

– 4 –

{funny}

Here is a sample of things the boys do in the room with me, while I am on the computer. There’s nothing quite as fun as leaping from couch to chair, especially if you happen to land on your brother.

– 5 –

{real}

WTH! – After my walk this morning I went to go fill up my car with gas. I could not believe how much the prices have jumped up in just a week! It is flippin insane! The guy who got gas before me paid $136. That is a huge tank and huge bill!

– 6 –

Monkey See, Monkey Do – Speaking of WTH, speech therapy has been going well for Andrew and John-Paul. Andrew still needs a lot of work with the blends and clarity in general but we are making progress. JP is not as bad and has been saying words clearly and making short sentences now. I knew he was making progress when he came into the room exclaiming, “What de heck!” Now he says it all the time. Brian just gives me that look that says, see what you’ve taught him. I don’t get it. I was proud that I was able to control my language to not say “what the hell” in front of the kids. I guess we better stay away from the holier homeschool groups for awhile.

– 7 –

I was debating whether the next take should be about a new soup recipe I tried (that Brian loved!) or about all the awesome church feast days in October. However, I just looked at the clock and realized I am late starting dinner. We are having homemade (lower fat) mac ‘an cheese, ham steaks and broccoli. Yum! So I’ll save those other takes for later.
Have a great weekend!

7 Quick Takes (9/14/12): Sneezing, Sewing & Old Movies

By bobbi
September 14, 2012
3 Comments

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

– 1 –

This Is Why We Don’t Have A Cat – Over the past two weeks we’ve been touch and go with a cold bug tagging each of the kids. This week it finally hit me. At first it started as allergies due to a bad experience with Target. I know, the store I love! Well, it wasn’t really Target’s fault but one of their shoppers. I purchased a slip cover for our horrid front room couch that has an even more horrid slip cover that always comes off. (It is taking the word “slip” too seriously.) I opened it up and as I was placing it on the couch I started sneezing like crazy. I then realized that the cover had cat or dog hair all over it. I pulled the cover off and folded it back into the box but the damage was done. My allergies went crazy. (It’s weird but I know it’s my allergies when the roof of my mouth gets really itchy.) Well, slowly my allergies went into a head cold and sore throat and if you call my house and hear a raspy whisper answer the phone, don’t hang up. It’s just me.

– 2 –

Silence Is Golden – However, I’ve noticed a curious thing with not having my normal voice, I can’t ~~yell at the kids when I am mad~~ moderately raise my voice to demonstrate my displeasure. Yesterday, I almost blew my top, but not being able to talk loudly, I had to take a deep breath and firmly but calmly and quietly correct Child A. This automatically had a calming effect on me interiorly and I then calmly corrected Child B. I swear I felt like Michele Duggar when she sweetly corrects her kids (at least on camera.) I walked into the kitchen and Brian was smiling at me. I think he is secretly praying that my voice takes a long time to return. 😉 But seriously, it’s amazing all the little lessons God can teach you when you are quiet and humble enough to listen.

– 3 –

Pass the Visine – Okay, okay. One more quick take about being under the weather. (Cut me some slack, guys, it’s been a slow news week.) Along with the stuffy head and raspy voice, I have been wearing sunglasses outside the house all week, despite the clouds and the fog, because my eyes are so red and watery. I looked in the mirror the other day and saw puffy eyes, bags and dark circles and I swore I aged 10 years in a week. Man, if this keeps up I’m going to have to break down and buy some kind of cover up/ make up. I’m also really resisting the urge to watch the movie Mr. Skeffington just to witness Fanny get ill and age 20 years after always looking so youthful. (I love that movie!)

– 4 –

Movie Night – I think I’ve mentioned this before but one of my favorite times of the day is when I put John-Paul and Andrew to sleep. After prayers and bedtime stories, it’s lights off. Usually I would sit in the room 5-10 more minutes while they dozed off. Now they are out within minutes but It is so quiet and peaceful that I find myself staying in there 15 – 20 minutes just to read. No emailing, texting or web surfing allowed. I can only read. One of the books I finished last month was To Kill A Mockingbird. Can you believe I had never read the book nor seen the movie before, particularly since I love B&W classic movies? Now that I’ve read the book I was going to rent the movie but I noticed that our local theater is playing the movie on Nov 15 as part of the TCM Event Series so I think I’ll wait and watch it on the big screen.
BTW, if you are a classic movie fan, next Wed, Sept 19th they are playing Hitchcock’s The Birds and on October 24th it is a Halloween Double Feature with the original “Frankenstein” (1931) followed by “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). Sounds fun!

– 5 –

Catholicism & A Zombie Apocalypse – Speaking of reading, I was going to do a Quick Take about Ryan Charles Trusell and his new, innovative novel Ora et Labora et Zombies but I think it is too exciting to merely mention it quickly so I made a separate post instead. Check it out.

– 6 –

Making It Count – Hey, did you notice that I am now hosting Making It Count Tuesday? Sarah and Pam are unable to do it right now so they were kind enough to let me oversee it. If you are not familiar with Making It Count, it runs every 2nd and 4th Tuesday. You simply start with any one of those fabulous ideas you’ve found online. Then, do it. Make it. Cook it. Create it. Take it from the screen, give it life and let it bless your world. When you’re done, snap a photo, write about it and share it with us. Make your time online count.
You have until Sunday night to participate in this week’s MICT. Or you can come back on Tues 9/25. I hope to see you there!

– 7 –

Sew what? – Speaking of getting creative, as readers of this blog know I am not exactly skilled in the sewing department. (Duct tape to hem pants, anyone?) However, I’ve been trying to correct my ways and spread my creative wings and I’m thinking about trying a simple sewing project – such as making your own cloth napkins. How hard could that be? (Famous last words.) I was thinking of buying a simple sewing machine with some birthday money I have saved but let me ask you a question – what is the minimum I should spend on a machine. I don’t need anything fancy but I don’t want it to be so cheap that it doesn’t work properly but I honestly don’t know where to start. So if you could recommend a brand or price range I’d really appreciate it! Thanks.
Okay, my time is up and I made it to the last take. Have a great weekend!

New School Meets Old School with “Ora et Labora et Zombies”

By bobbi
September 14, 2012
No Comments

Over the last week or so numerous blogging top guns such as Jen Fulwiler and The Anchoress and Dorian Speed have plugged Ryan Charles Trusell and his publication Ora et Labora et Zombies as well as his printing/publishing company called Labora Editions.
The unique thing about Ryan’s book is twofold. First it is a Benedictine zombie apocalypse novel. Yeah, get your head around that one. But first read what Ryan posed on his website:

While his wife, Ava, is out of town, Dr. Thomas Schutten is off for a week to take care of their eighteen month old son, James, and to enjoy the last few days of carnival, and then… something misunderstood and mysterious… and his world changes, almost overnight, into a dangerous place. Information services stop, society begins to pull itself apart, and Dr. Tom does the only thing he knows to do; he follows his own emergency plan and flees with James to the nearby Benedictine monastery, where he and his wife serve as oblates. They have agreed upon the Abbey as their meeting place in emergency circumstances. Now, without word, without news, with only hope… he waits.

Ora et Labora et Zombies is an epistolary novel, told through letters. In this case they are Tom’s letters, written to Ava while he waits for her to join him and their son at the Abbey. All that stands between them is time and uncertainty… and zombies?

Second, his novel isn’t available in book format. Rather it is written in the form of Tom’s letters to Ava – real letters. The handwritten letters are sent as a weekly serial through the mail. Real paper. Handwritten letters. Watermarked stationery. The mail box. Anticipation. Egads, I swoon at the thought. It is new school meets old school.
Okay, I admit when I first heard about it I kept thinking, whaaaat?? But after reading over his website and all the great things others were saying, I couldn’t help but order the first set of letters. I’ll let you know what I really think after I receive them. I can’t wait. 😉
You can order your copy here.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: books

Five Favorites (Vol 9) & What We’re Reading Wednesday (Vol 2)

Five Favorites (Vol 8): Summer Edition & What We’re Reading Wednesday

{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 47 / 7 Quick Takes (10/5/12) Mash-Up: Heat, WTH Gas & Zombies

7 Quick Takes (9/14/12): Sneezing, Sewing & Old Movies

New School Meets Old School with “Ora et Labora et Zombies”