Having a nice Fall?

Is anybody missing a few leaves? If so, I think they got put in our yard by mistake.


Martina destroyed her homeless shelter! So we had to recycle it.


She quickly found some good low income housing though.


She moved right in!



What's happening -

I just signed up for something really fun.It is a secret Santa through Bloggers! You sign up and fill out a form that tells about you. Then you will receive a person and another person will receive you. You send your person gifts and you get gifts in return! Doesn't that sound cool? Here is the link - Holiday Swap You have to sign up by Nov. 12 so hurry!

I also just signed up to be a book reviewer through "litfuse" the button link for the site is on the right. I will not be reviewing my first book till Feb. but I am really excited about this! I have been thinking about signing up to be a book reviewer but didn't know if I really had the time. Well, you choose the ones you want to do, so if I am having a busy month, I just don't sign up for that one. Or if I am not interested in that book, etc. This sounded like something I could handle.

My husband's birthday was Mon. I had a little party for him on Sunday. I baked a cake (yes! I baked! only for birthdays) a white cake with yummy cocoa frosting. We had icecream, presents, family, good time. On Mon. for dinner I made him one of his favorites, Lasagna.

The Steelers win again! They are now 6 - 2, yea!!!!
We have had really nice weather. I am almost afraid to tell you. I don't want to jinx it. Monday it was 70! But only high 50's today, maybe we can squeek out a 60?


Books I have read - I read two great book this past week!

"Casting Spells" by Barbara Bretton, it took my four months to get this book from the library (I was on a waiting list that long), It was absolutely worth the wait! I loved it! This is certainly not the type of book usually read, but I am hooked! It is about a small town in VT that secretly harbors Witches, Vampires, Trolls, Werewolves, Faeries etc. The main Character, Chloe, is half witch and half human whose powers have not developed yet. If her powers don't develop soon the town will be doomed! Of course there is a mysterious death - enter handsome investigator! This is part mystery, suspense, love story, and funny! Very fun, quick, quirky read!


"Boneman's Daughters" by Ted Dekker. Boy I love this Author! He is Freaking amazing! He is every bit as good as Stephen King and Dean Koontz! It is suspenseful on every page. A serial killer is kidnapping young girls, breaking their bones, and leaving them to die. Ryan Evans is an intelligence officer who is alienated from his own family. When the BoneMan kidnaps Ryan's daughter, Ryan must take on this deranged killer himself to save her.

Contests - "At Home with Books" is giving away 5 copies of "Kissing Games of the World" by Sandi Kahn Shelton.

On to the next Holiday

Hmmmm... Who's the new bird at the feeder? I don't think I can identify him. Stripes, fur, chubby cheeks? Nope not in my bird book. Well as long as he gets along with the other birds and doesn't eat more than his share, he can stay. What's happening - Well, I am not a big fan of Halloween, sorry guys! Never have been. So, my household kind of skips over that "Holiday" and I use that term loosely. I've never considered it an actual holiday. Its OK, all the kids that I watch know I don't celebrate it. We make up for it at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Martina, on the other hand, dressed as a homeless person for Halloween!


On Sunday, Ashley, Micah, Glen and I all went to the corn maze. It was fun doing something all together. This is an areal view of it when it was green. It was all dried and brown when we went. It is a 10 acre maze! If you are not from the area, those are the NY Finger Lakes. We live right between the two biggest ones (Cayuga and Seneca). Knitting - Still knitting Christmas gifts! Can't post any pictures, sorry. But after Christmas I will post pictures of everything I had knitted. Kind of a catch up post. I did finish my scarf to go with my hat. so now I have a nice set for the winter. I really like them. I love it when you actually like something you knit!

People have asked me if I sell the things I knit.. No. It would not pay to try to sell them. To recover the cost of yarn (expensive these days) and the time put into it, who would want to buy a $20.00 hat or $30.00 socks? I would have to sell them for very cheep and It wouldn't be worth it. So I just enjoy making them as gifts.



Books I have read - Before the Read-a-thon I was reading "The Well and the Mine" stopped reading it so I could read other books, then tried to go back to it and couldn't get into it. This is a book that I have been wanting to read so I think I will try again in a couple months. Instead I read "Place Last Seen" by Charlotte McGuinn Freeman. I give this book 3 1/2 stars, 50% good and 50% boring. It was about a child, 6 yrs old with Down Syndrome gets lost in the Sierra Nevada's on a hiking trip with her family. It was all "Search and Rescue" stuff which I love! It was the other part - the flash backs, that was boring. It did have a good ending though.

Caution, SPOILERS below!!!!!!
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I have actually read quite a few books about lost children, search and rescue, abductions, etc. and they ALL have happy endings. That's what people want. They children are always found, alive, and returned to their parents. So, the whole time I am reading this I am thinking, she will be found as always. Everyone thinks the mom is a little "off", I thought she just seemed like a normal grieving mom. They don't like to have the parents help in a search because of lack of training, fear that they will ruin the evidence and throw off the search. Through the whole book the mom insists that she can find her because she know her daughter. So naturally I really thought the mom would be the one to find her, showing everyone! But... Months later one of the searchers goes back again and finally finds her body. Sad, very sad but refreshing to have a new daring ending! I am glad it ended this way. Because life doesn't have a happy ending.

Contests - Nikola at "Nikola's Book Blog" is giving away 6 copies of "Coffeehouse Angel" by Suzanne Selfors. Sounds like a real fun book, I want to win! Also - Dar at "Peeking Between the Pages" is having a couple different giveaways. 5 copies of "The Gate House" by Nelson Demille, and one copy of "Pendragon's Banner" by Helen Hollick. So stop over there and check them out!

Speaking of contests.... I won a book from Peeking between the pages!!!! I am excited to win this book! It is "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent. So, you see, it can be done, you can win! But you don't win by not trying.

Top 5 - I love Thanksgiving so much I thought I would get started on my top 5 Thanksgiving lists. Top 5 favorite things to cook for Thanksgiving dinner (may not be your fav. to eat, just to cook). And if you are new to my blog, post your top 5 in your comments so we can all see them.

1. Stuffing - I love to make a huge bowl of stuffing, its pretty good if I do say so myself.
2. Candied yams - my family always request this, it is kind of fun to make. If you want my recipe let me know, its easy!
3. Pumpkin pie - NOT from a can but from an actual pumpkin! Hmmm imagine that!
4. Squash - its so easy, split it open pop it in the oven
5. Brown and serve rolls - again, my kinda cooking, put them on a tray and pop them in the oven.

Notice I don't have the turkey on there. I love turkey, and I do a great job of roasting one but it is not my favorite to do, kind of a pain in the butt. What are your favs to cook? I think I will do a recipe exchange post, maybe next time.

Back to normal

I am posting a day early (Tues. being my usual day). My hubby has been working in PA for the past week! I didn't see him for days! He came home on Sat. and I couldn't even spend time with him because of the Read-a-thon. So... he is taking tomorrow off. As soon as I get the daycare kids off to school we are taking off. We will go to the new WalMart in Waterloo that everyone has been to but me! Go to Tim Horton's for coffee and goodies! etc. I will have to be back by 2:00 so I can prepare for the kids after school. But it should be a fun day for us.

What's happening - Wow, what a weekend! It was fun doing the read-a-thon and I would (will) do it again. It was exhausting! There were times when I think I was sleeping with my eyes open and there were times where I was reading and my eyes were slits (I swear they were open 1/16 of an inch). For a while Ashley was falling asleep and I would keep her awake then there was a while when I was falling asleep and she would keep me awake. It was a real good time for us to be together. It was so much better with another person. Next time Ashley is going to make sure she has the whole weekend off.
Me - concentrating on "Goat Song"

Ashley - Enjoying "Big Boned"

Martina - She doesn't like to be left out of anything!

She says she is soaking the information up through her fur. I don't believe her.


When it ended At 8:00 am on Sunday Ashley and I took naps for about 1 1/2 hrs. then she went home. I took a shower, changed my clothes, and cleaned up the living room and kitchen. I turned on the football game (the Steelers) and went back to sleep. I slept through the whole game. I awoke just in time to see them win and walking off the field, 27 - 17. Yea, Go Steelers. They are now 5-2.

My husband called me around 5:00, said he would be home around 7:30 so I went back to sleep!
When I woke up at 7:00 I realized I had to go get milk. When I was driving I couldn't read the road signs! everything was blurry. I think I was brain dead. My eyes were tired.
Sun. night we watched Amazing Race and my recording of Trauma and went to bed. I slept real hard! But I felt fine the next morning.

Books I have read during the Read-a-thon -
Roseflower Creek by J L miles - 5 stars, excellent book. It was about living in poverty and abuse. Very, very sad book. I can't even say it had a happy ending because the ending was even sad! Very well written, loved the Characters, very good discriptions, I felt likeI was right there. I have "Cold Rock River" also written by her, I think I will read that next after I finish "The well and the Mine"

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch - 5 stars loved this book as well! It was about debutant gone wild. Kinda like what happens when the grow up. Funny, sad, well written story. With a happy ending! LOL

Goat Song: a seasonal life, a short history of herding, and the art of making cheese by Brad Kessler - I gave this book 4 stars (I may have given it more if I didn't have to read it so fast) I liked it but it was a little slow in spots. Otherwise it was very interesting! I love books about farm life and animals. There were a lot of facts in here that I didn't know, so I learned some things.

Crossing Over by Ruth Irene Garrett - I also gave this one 4 stars. It was a good memoir but I felt that she generalized too much. If the reader didn't know anything about the Amish they would think that they were all like this. Good thing I live among the Amish and I know better. I believe her story! I just know that they are not all like that. She had a bad experience so I am sure it tainted her life. It was an interesting book and gave some good details of Amish life. OH! also, she was from the "Old Order Amish" and that makes a difference too. I have another book of hers "Born Amish" which I will read as well.

I started "Busy Woman Seeks Wife" but quit reading it. It is British and I do not care for British books. I don't know why, I just haven't found one yet I liked. It started out slow and never got better, wasn't funny or interesting.
Also started "Night Flight" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Also wrote The Little Prince, one of my favorite books!) but was reading it during a very tired time so I think I will start it again. It is a very small, thin book.

That wraps up my reading episode! What a trip.

Knitting - I made a gorgeous hat! which I just love. Now I am working on a scarf to match. I don't think you can tell but the yarn has a little bit of sparklies in it. It is very soft wonderful yarn! Would definitely use it again.



Top 5 - websites you go to regularly (yes, you can only pick 5!) and not counting email.
1. Blogs
2. Shelfari
3. Paperbackswap
4. Ravelry
5. Liberarything

Finished!

Wrap up survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? The middle of the night, around 2-3:00am
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Roseflower Creek and Girls in Trucks
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, loved it
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The cheerleaders wer great and some of the challenges were fun.
5. How many books did you read? 4 total and started 2 others
6. What were the names of the books you read? Roseflower Creek, Girls in Trucks, Goat Song, Crossing Over, Night Flight (1/4 way through) started Busy Woman Seeks Wife
7. Which book did you enjoy most? both Roseflower Creek and Girls in Trucks
8. Which did you enjoy least? Busy Woman Seeks Wife
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? No, they were great!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? I would love to do it again if my schedule permits it.
What role would you be likely to take next time? Reader, for sure!


Summing it up -

total hrs. reading - 20 hrs. and 2 min.
total hrs. blogging (and reading blogs) - 2 hrs. and 58 min.
total hrs. doing stuff (not reading time) - 1 hr. (this was bathroom, getting food,making coffee, kissing husband goodbye, etc.)

total pages read - 1,038

total books - 4 (and part of two others)

6:45 AM

Can't hardly keep my eyes open.
We had some oatmeal with my husband before he left for work.
It kinda revived me for a little bit.

940 pages so far!!! Woo hoo! I should make 1000 hopefully.

At 8:00 I will nap for a while. Then I will be back for my final Read-a-thon post.

Late, or should I say - early

4:35am dead tired, so hard to stay awake.
I have read 844 pages so far.

Tired, so tired, are we done yet?

2:30am, I have read 744 pages total. 64 since my last count.

I drank some juice.

"That's all I have to say about that."

Children's books

Mini challenge from - Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile
5 of your favorite children's books -
1. The Little Prince - In my opinion, the best children's book of all times!
2. James and the Giant Peach - Roaldl Dahl is an awsome writer but this was my favorite
3. Heidi - I didn't read this till I was teenager! I loved it and cried through half the book
4. Ramona the Pest - Who doesn't love Beverly Cleary?
5. The Pokey Little Puppy - I remember this story as a very young child



So far read 680 pages total! On page 126 of Goat Song.
Ate an apple for a snack.

Yoga

Yoga mini challenge from Jehara.
Ashley and I took 10 to do this Yoga challenge.
Funny coincidence because I was going to suggest to my daughter that we do some stretches or exercising. So this was perfect. AND my daughter just happened to have a Yoga Journal magazine in her book bag!
We did - A Rise and shine sequence by Kira Ryder, consisting of poses such as - Baddha Konasana, Virabhadrasana, Bhujangasana, or in laymans terms - Bound angle pose, warrior pose, and Cobra pose.
It was fun and a good pic-me-up.

I don't know how many hours, don't know what time it is

Total pages read - 597
Goat song, Brad Kessler - 43 pages
Busy woman Seeks Wife, Annie Sanders - 47 pages

Goat Song is great, a non fiction book about a husband and wife running a goat farm.
Busy Woman Seeks Wife, I don't really care for. Its British. Nothing about the british, I love the accent, LOL I just don't care for British books. So here's one for paperback swap.

The pizza tasted great! I didn't realize how hungry I was till I took that first bite.
Going to have ice cream real soon, my second favorite food! yum!
Is this reading challenge an excuse to gain a fews pounds? I will have to some serious exercising in the days following.

Talk to you in a few! Hours that is.