Check Out Kleenmaid Appliances!

The accents.

Oh, how I love the accents.

I also love the area. And the adorable Koalas.

Yes, I’m talking about Australia.

I’ve never been. I WANT to go someday.

Why am I talking about Australia? Well, because I was contacted by Kleenmaid Appliances.

Here is information about them from their webpage:


Kleenmaid appliances were first made available in Australia in 1984. In December 2009 Compass Capital Partners acquired the Kleenmaid brand and spent millions of dollars and almost 2 years creating the "Next Generation"
Kleenmaid appliance collection.

Since 1984, Exceeding Expectations has been the driving force of the combined worldwide network of designers and engineers who manufacture Kleenmaid appliances. Today our own technical team—with more than 35 years experience—demand excellence in every product bearing the Kleenmaid name.

As I browsed the site I kept thinking, “Why can’t AMERICA have these awesome appliances? They look so shiny!”

I also liked how each appliance is created with the environment in mind. You can get energy saving items, no problem.

Even better, if your appliance breaks down, you just have to go to the website to find a repairperson in your area.


Do you want to win a Kleenmaid Eco-Sensitive Dishwasher worth $1799? Go to Kleemaid Appliances Facebook page and leave a comment in 25 words or less how your life could be improved with a new dishwasher. (Yes, unfortunately this is for Australia residents only. I know I have readers from there so good luck!)


Maybe one day other countries will get a chance to have a Kleenmaid store near them.

Because I could really go for a new shiny oven.

The Summer of the Dancing Bear

About the Book: Bianca Lakoseljac’s debut novel, The Summer of the Dancing Bear, is a mesmerizing combination of love story and mystery all rolled into one .  The young protagonist, Kata, explores a most unfamiliar world of the gypsy tribe that has befriended her and embarks on a quest to discover the fate of a neighbour’s missing child. Memory and magic play dominant roles  in the story until the shocking denouement that reveals Kata’s own family secrets and forever alters her perceptions of life as she once knew it. Engaging and original, the novel fuses history, myth, and tradition in a whimsical literary voice that reminds us that the complex and innocent humanity in us is too often haunted by human tragedy.

About the Author:  . Bianca Lakoseljac is the author of a collection of stories, Bridge in the Rain (Guernica, 2010), and a collection of poetry, Memoirs of a Praying Mantis, 2009. She is the recipient of the Matthew Ahern Memorial Award in literature. Her writing has appeared in journals and anthologies such as Canadian Woman Studies, Canadian Voices, and Migrating Memories: Central Europe in Canada. Summer of the Dancing Bear, which chronicles the rite of passage of a 14-year-old girl befriended by a gypsy clan, set in the former Yugoslavia, is her first novel. Bianca divides her time between Toronto and Woodland Beach on Georgian Bay.

My Thoughts On The Book: I grew up with gypsy tales as a child.  My family had many gypsy stories that would tell us as children and because of that I was excited about reading this book.  It was not a disappointment.  This book was everything I dreamed it would be and more.  Lakoseljac portrayal of  Kata's consciousness is culmination of a confused and dream-infused vision. Thoughts and images come to her suddenly - sometimes she has been dreaming, and sometimes she finds herself in a remote spot near a marsh or woodland with no idea how she got there. Sometimes it affects her health, and her loved ones and neighbors become alarmed for her. The author always fills us in on the events that lead to the spell, and poor Kata must work through the significance of her visions. Readers will find themselves wishing they could help, because Kata is a very sympathetic character.  Regardless of Kata's sudden and unpredictable visions, this book has a tight plot and is extremely rewarding. It honors the oppressed and wandering Romany gypsy tribes, portraying their lust for life as well as their humanity and enlightened traditions. Kata learns the part she will play in their tradition, and the reader is treated to a captivating story.  I would highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer:  I received this book  free from Guernica Editions via Net Galley Publishers in order for a fair and honest review. This book is a must read!

Five Minute Friday: Here

It’s a FiveMinuteFriday free write flash mob!  Ok, so you ask...what is that?  It is where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes all writing on the same topic and then sharing them. Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here at Lisa-Jo's blog. And every week Lisa-Jo picks a post that catches her eye and shares it down there in her side bar – look for the spot that   says “Featured Five Minute Friday."  I started a few weeks ago when I found I was having some mild writers block and have loved it.  Ok, it is time to get busy with today's topic:  Here.

GO

Here I am sitting on my couch writing about whatever comes to my mind dealing with the word here.  I am thankful to God this morning that I am here, because it certainly beats the alternative.  Here is where I want to be, sitting in my living room, in my house, in the coolness of the morning, enjoying a cup of coffee, and the sound of my husband sitting at his desk tapping away at the keys.  Here for me is just one weekend away from going back to the classroom.  I begin working again on Wednesday and then on Friday I won't be here because I will be in West Palm Beach, Florida attending my 40 year class reunion.  I never dreamed I would make it to here.  I always felt I would die young but here I am at 58 and still going strong with a few medical issues.  I am glad I made it here.  Here is my favorite place to be right now.  I love living in the rural south and in Rock Mills, AL.  It is a wonderful place here and I am so glad I get to be part of it.  Here is where I am and here is where I want to stay....at least for now.

STOP
Today was a tough topic....but I managed to write for five minutes without blanking.  Have a great weekend.

Inside Natalie's Closet: Back to School Outfits!

School.

It (thankfully) starts back up on the 17th.

This means that it was time to shop for some back to school outfits.

Most of my readers know that I LOVE shopping for my kids. (For me? Not so much.) (Unless it’s books. I LOVE books.)

Anyway, I had some Gymbucks to spend at Gymboree and I got the following for Natalie.

(Don’t worry, Tommy won’t go naked. I get his clothes mainly at Target as he feels he’s too old for Gymboree.)

This is going to be her first day of school outfit.

Love this one, but not a fan of the shoes. She insisted.

Making farting noises. We’re classy like that.

Her favorite part of the shirt? The sparkles on it, of course.

She also insisted on the hat.

Final outfit!

Pointing out a bug. “I won’t go near it,” she explained.

It is going to be so weird not having her around during the day. I’m used to her constant chatter.

And look! Tommy isn’t naked!

Doesn’t he look thrilled?

He wasn’t a fan of the hat. But I love hats so he allowed it.

I mean, when he was tiny, I put him in hats all the time..

Aw.


So, if you have kids, when do they start school?

Skillet Apple Pie

We had a fifth Sunday night service at our church on Sunday.  Our service is a combination service with the Nazarene Church, Rock Mills Baptist Church, and Paran Baptist Church.  Everyone brings a finger food to share and after the service we have a wonderful time of fellowship.  One of the ladies from the Nazarene church brought a skillet apple pie that was to die for and she brought me her recipe this week so I had to share it.  I love apples and this recipe is amazing

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 2 pounds Braeburn apples
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350º. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
2. 2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.
3. 3. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Optional Ways to Serve:  Serve with butter-pecan ice cream or vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce drizzled on it, or just plain vanilla ice cream.  I personally like it by itself.

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Calling It Babysitting

I stared at the TV in confusion.

What did she just say?

Did I hear her wrong?

“I need to go wake him up,” she had said in a cutesy voice, “because he’s babysitting this morning.”

It wouldn’t have been so strange. Had she not been talking about her husband. The father of her children.

The FATHER.

I was watching that 19 Kids And Counting show and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Michelle’s comment. I wanted to shout, “Jim Bob (I’m not kidding, that’s his real name) is not babysitting. He’s taking care of HIS children!”

It’s always been one of my pet peeves when people call a dad watching his offspring babysitting. When Tom watches OUR children? He’s TAKING CARE OF THEM. Like I take care of them. If I want to have a girls night out, I don’t go, “I’ll have to see if my husband can baby-sit the kids.”

Hopefully in the future people will stop referring to fathers as babysitting.

And hopefully Michelle Duggar begins to understand that Jim Bob is also a parent and that he’s not babysitting their bazillion children.

He’s taking care of them.

Wednesday Hodge Podge - Volume 87

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge questions and answers courtesy of Joyce over at From This Side Of The Pond.   We are all so glad you dropped by and would love it if you would maybe play along today.  If you do decide to play, after you have read my amazingingly bright answers then do a posts for yourself and then add your link to the bottom of Joyce's post (click here to get there) and then hop round to the neighboring countries. Here are my answers-

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you want to accomplish or do in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

Joyce mentioned her daughter's blog last week and I hopped over there and did my own list.  My number one thing I want to accomplish is to take an Alaskan cruise.  I have been to 48 of the 50 United States and Alaska and Vermont (I know you were thinking it was Hawaii) are the only two I am missing.2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be run by remote control?  I think we have four for the televisions, one for the DVD, one for the stereo. So our total is five....I think.  As far as what I wish had a remote? I'm going with the iron just like Joyce. Then I too wouldn't drive away from the house wondering if I'd turned it off. I could just hit the remote.

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?  I believe it is attainable and I have it.  that is of course with the exception of going to Alaska and Vermont.  I have a loving hubs with a great sense of humor and thinks the world turns around me.  I have wonderful children, which I always wanted.  I have grandchildren, which I always wanted.  I have a career I love (notice I said career....not a job).  I sing professionally with two amazing women as Still Magnolias.  I sing in church, I get to sing with Rhonda from time to time, I take pictures, craft, travel, live life to the fullest and love the life I have.....yep....I have it all.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?   South Pacific no contest.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop?  I am all about a great view so choosing just one is tough. The view down onto Niagara Falls from the 29th floor in Niagara Falls, Canada, the view from the Empire State Building in New York City, the view from the Space Needle in Seattle, the view of London from the Eye would all be my favorite places rooftop experiences.  Then of course you could go to the view of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, view from Mt Ranier, view from the top of the Smokies (the Chimneys)...my list could go on and on.  In my life I have seen many breathtaking top of the world views of some amazing places.  Yep, I have done so many....and know there are many more out there for me to see.

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?  What bothers most....mosquitoes does not bother me....the heat and draught are my biggies, with heat being number one.  Of course as a school teacher I could say....that it ends.  LOL

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge lands on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

July was busy, fun, hot, productive, lazy, and amazing! 

8. Insert your own random thought here.  I have been watching the Olympics off and on since it started on Sunday night.  I love the opening ceremonies and this one was amazing.  I loved the history lesson they provided.  Monday night I cried when Missy Franklin won the gold in swimming.  I cried again last night when the Fab Five won the gold in gymnastics. It makes me so proud to see these young people achieve their dreams.  Have you been watching?  What is your favorite event?

Have a wonderful day and I will be back hodgepodging next Wednesday....I also start back to work then too....sigh...summer will be over.  Don't forget to hop over to Joyce's blog and see how the others answered....or post your own blog and link up.