Project 365-Week 43

The year is winding down and I am looking forward to Thanksgiving.  I have so much to be thankful for this year.  It also means a few days off.  That never hurts my feelings.  Project 365 is a lot of fun and a great way to chronicle the week.  If you want to join in it is never to late.  Just click here and jump over to Sara's site and look at what everyone else did.  There are some amazing photos...and some amazing stories.  You won't want to miss out on either.

Sunday, October 21st

This was Frank's sign for the week.  I thought it was kind of cute.

 

Monday, October 22nd 

 Frank got a new sign for his business and framed it up nicely.  It sits at the edge of our driveway and looks lovely.  I think it will definitely be seen.  Don't you?

Tuesday, October 23rd

 Roanoke is having a huge Fall Festival on Halloween.  Each business is putting up decorations reflecting what they do.  I have tried for over a week to get this shot but the parking spots were always taken when I made it back to town or it was too dark.  I managed to get the beauty shop today.

 

Wednesday, October 24th

This little lady was enjoying her afternoon coffee when I came through.  As can see from the sunset in the window it was getting late.  I hope she is drinking de-caf or she will be up all night.

Thursday, October 25th

We prebowled this week because I had a special choir practice.  I decided to make Mandarin Orange bread when I got home.  I thought I would include the recipe if you feel like getting adventurous.  It was delicious.

Friday, October 26th

 

This is what my fifth block class looked like on Friday.  I normally do not have any vacant seat.  Between the band, football team, and cheerleaders I lost a sizeable chunk of my kids.  Our football team played in Eufaula for Regional Championship tonight the and our girls Volleyball team played in Montgomery for the Area Championship at noon today.  Students were excused if they went to the game and saw either Mr. Reyes or Coach Rob.  The football team won their game, but the Volleyball team lost.  Frank and I went to Party City and Sams to get supplies for our booth at the Fall Festival.

 

Saturday, October 27th

 

 

Frank and I were up early on Saturday getting ready to go to a Burgess Family Reunion at Cheaha.  Cheaha is the tallest point in Alabama. It was so very cold when we got there.  We got the spot ready for the rest of the family and then we built a fire in one of the grills after we gathered some wood.  Glenda and I walked down to the lake and I caught some shots of her staring at the water and the leaves.  I got Marcie collecting wood, Frank enjoying the fire and Tula trying to stay warm.  Before you ask....no I am not a Burgess.....but a lot of our church members are....AND I actually went to school from the sixth grade in West Palm Beach with one of the cousins.  We found each other sometime over the year on Facebook through the Forest Hill High School reunion page and we only live about an hour from each other.  How funny is that?  Gina and her parents were there and I really enjoyed catching up with her.  Her dad used to manage the Publix we shopped at when I was younger.  They lived two blocks over from us in Mrs. Carlson's sixth grade class together.  It defintely is a small world.  Did I mention that I love family reunions....even if they aren't mine.  You learn alot about people at them.  I have had a wonderful week and am looking forward to next week. See you next Sunday with another week in photos.  Have a good one!

Heaven Changes Everything

About The Book: 

A shattered leg, kidney stones and a lump diagnosed as hyperplasia. Times were tough, money was scarce and the bills and frustrations were piling up. It was into this stressful life that God sent Todd and Sonja Burpo an interruption in the form of a life-threatening illness and emergency surgery for their almost four-year-old son, Colton - an interruption that would include his unforgettable journey to heaven.

How did they cope? And how can they help us keep thoughts of eternity in mind in the midst of our own overly busy, stressed out lives?

In Heaven Changes Everything: Living Every Day with Eternity in Mind Todd and Sonja share their family's responses and reactions to the Heaven Is for Real experience in fifty unique inspirational readings based on excerpts from their story. They answer questions about what it's like to struggle with and question God, to doubt, to even get angry with Him and they offer their own insights into what God might be doing with those interruptions he allows into our lives.

Each reading closes with a scripture to provide biblical reinforcement of the ideas shared and a take-away thought or action point to help you incorporate the reading's inspiration into your daily life.

Keep the hope of heaven alive in your life. Heaven truly is for real, and it changes everything

 

About The Authors:  Todd Burpo is the pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska, where his sermons are broadcast locally every Sunday via radio. Todd also spends time working as a wrestling coach for junior and high school students, as a volunteer fire fighter, and as an administrator at Overhead Door Specialists.
Sonja Burpo is a busy mother of 3 and works at Moreland Realty as an office manager. Sonja is passionate about children’s ministry and also works side by side with her husband as an administrator for his garage door company.

 

 

My Thoughts About The Book: 
As I read the book I found myself asking if I would live my life  differently if I  knew what the ending would be? In the Burpo's book Heaven Is For Real, their 4-year old Colton Burpo makes a trip to Heaven and his story is told. In this  book, Heaven Changes Everything  the Burpo's share 42 inspirational daily readings based on excerpts from Heaven Is For Real.   The readings share  personal experiences and thoughts based on their story and their lives.  The readings offer comfort and encouragement for everyday life such as financial difficulty, stress and parenting. Each reading is designed to help you live "every day with eternity in mind."  This book would be a great gift for just about anyone and a wonderful teaching tool.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Sneeze Blogging Program. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

A Home For Lydia

 

 

About The Book:  A Home for Lydia, the second book in a new romantic series from popular author Vannetta Chapman, centers again on the Plain community of Pebble Creek and the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges to their community from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways.  Aaron Troyer simply wants to farm like his father and grandfather before him. But instead he finds himself overseeing the family's small group of guest cabins nestled along the banks of Pebble Creek. That also means he must work with the cabins' housekeeper, Lydia Fisher. Lydia is the most outspoken Amish woman Aaron has ever met, and she has strong opinions about how the guest cabins are to be run. She also desperately needs this job. Though sparks fly between boss and employee at first, when the cabins are robbed, nothing is more important to Aaron than making sure Lydia is safe.  Together they work to make the vacation property profitable, but can they find out the identity of the culprit before more damage is done? And is Lydia's dream of a home of her own more than just a wish and a prayer?

About The Author:  Vannetta Chapman writes fiction full of GRACE. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her first novel, A Simple Amish Christmas, quickly became a bestseller. Chapman lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.  For more information, visit her at her webpage --www.VannettaChapman.com; her blog -- http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com  her facebook page  --www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks, and on pinterest -- http://pinterest.com/vannettachapman.

My Thoughts About The Book:  The book was touching.  The story of Lydia and her family was heart breaking.  I felt as if I had know Lydia, Miriam, and their families forever.  This was one of those books where you don't plan to put it down until you are finished.  Chapman did a wonderful job making her characters real.  If you are a fan of Amish literature then this is a must read for you. 

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the NetGalley Publishing Group and Harvest House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Natalie's Halloween Costume

Guess who Natalie is going to be for Halloween?

Naturally.

A Disney Princess. Merida from the movie Brave.

Guess what doesn’t work?

No matter what I do, the wig looks frightening.

Plus, Natalie says it itches her “real hairs.”

So. I decided to whip out my sewing machine and come up with something.

Kidding.

I don’t sew. Or knit. Or, you know, CRAFT in general.

But that’s what Etsy is for, right? You can PAY someone to do the crafty stuff. So I did that. I typed in Merida hair and came across something that I thought would work.

Something that hopefully won't itch Natalie's "real hairs."

I will share that next week!

(Tommy is going as Boba Fett. I think I spelled that right this time. In another post I wrote Bobba Fett and all the Star Wars junkies were like, “Nooo! Wrong! Bad!” Sorry guys. Anyway, his photo will come soon.)

Five Minute Friday - Voice

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that I post here at 1 minute past midnight EST every Friday. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday
No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. The cool thing is that it is unscripted. Unedited. Real.  It started because Lisa-Jo had been thinking about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take 5 minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.  So now on Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes.  Your words. This shared feast.
Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.  OK, are you ready? Won’t you please give me your best five minutes on:::

Voice

Go:

My thoughts are muddled with ideas about voice.....I am woman hear me roar.  I was a huge fan of that song when it first came out because I so wanted to be that woman...one who was not afraid to use her voice to make a difference.....but alas I was not.  It took me many years to find the courage to use the voice, or voices inside me.  You see I have been given many voices....one to gab with, one to teach with, one to speak up with,  one to write with, one to sing with.  I love it when my voice is stong and makes chills rise on someones arms...whether I am speaking, singing, or writing.  I love it when I use my voice to be heard against some injustice.  I love to use my voice to tell people about MY AWESOME GOD!  This is my story....this is my song...praising my Savior....all the day long!  There is a piece of a bible verse that says, " listen to his voice, and hold fast to him."  I wish I could tell you where it comes from...but I cannot.  I just know that if I am still and listen....I will hear His voice.  I use Hwy 22 on my way to and from work to listen for the Voice.  Oh yes...I love to use my voice.  I sing because I am happy....I sing because I am free....for His eye is on the sparrow....and I know He's watching me.....and yes when I sing....my voice is definitely heard.  I have a voice with a broad range and lots of volume.  I rarely need a microphone to be heard.  I guess that is the teacher in me....learning to have my voice heard over 30 talkative students. November 6th I will use my voice to vote for the President of the United States.  I don't take that voice lightly either.  It is a voice that I think is very important and I don't take it for granted.  How about you?

STOP: 

Time seemed to fly by today.....Hope you have a great week and I will see you again next week.  Until then....Vaya Con Dios!

Babycakes

About The Book:  Kit Bellamy was raised on pie. Mamie Sue’s Peanut Pies, to be exact, the family company her scheming brother-in-law sold out from under her. Now Kit needs a new recipe for her life—and sleepy Sugarberry Island is the first ingredient. Running mail-order cupcake business Babycakes is a chance to get her baking on again—until she meets tall, dark, and adorable lawyer Morgan Westlake. New to the island to raise his goddaughter, he’s as mouthwatering as any of Kit’s creations. It’s just her luck that he’s the spawn of the very law firm that helped crush her dreams…   Fortunately, Kit’s new friends can assure her that Morgan is no typical Westlake—and that even lawyers, not to mention single dads, need romance. If Kit can just be persuaded to follow her appetite—and set another place at her holiday table—her sweetest dreams just might come true…

About The Author: Donna Kauffman is a USA Today bestselling author of over 50 published books and an erstwhile baker.  In attempting to research her new Cupcake Club Romance book series set in a cupcake bakery, and run by a former highly esteemed pastry chef, she immersed herself in the world of all things cupcakes!  Through her blog, she  journals her attempts to learn about baking, pastry, and all delectable things made with butter, flour, and sugar. One cupcake at a time! There are wonderful photos, recipes, and laughs.  the Cupcake Club consists of three books to date:  Cupcake Club #1, SUGAR RUSH, and Cupcake Club #2, SWEET TALK, are available now! Book #3….BABYCAKES is coming October, 2012! (And look for HONEY PIE in 2013!)  Be sure to check out her wonderful blog.  Believe me it is definitely worth the effort.

My Thoughts On The Book:  I adored this book.  I loved Kit and felt a strong bond with her from the beginning.  This book, although a third in a series, is a stand alone.  I had no trouble connecting each character.  Donna Kauffman is a master wordsmith.  The down-home charm of this book make it a fun read.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the NetGalley Publishing Group and Kensington Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.


Wyoming Bride

About The Book:  This is the sensational second novel in Joan Johnston’s new Western historical romance series set in the world of Bitter Creek.  The recurring question in the story is can secrets and second chances ever lead to love?  After three months in a mail-order marriage, Hannah Wentworth McMurtry is a widow—pregnant, alone, and near death in the Wyoming wilderness. Though she is saved by a man with a face cut from stone, she still grieves the husband who died on their journey west. Hannah needs a husband, but does she dare marry another stranger?  Flint Creed has also lost someone he loved—when the woman he hoped to marry chose his younger brother instead. Now he must find a ranch wife of his own. But every female in the remote Wyoming Territory is too old, too young, or already married . . . until he discovers Hannah on the prairie. Flint doesn’t pretend to love her, but he doesn’t tell her he loves another woman, either. Hannah doesn’t pretend to love him, but she doesn’t tell him about the child she carries. Though danger surrounds them on the Wyoming frontier, the greatest threats of all are the secrets within—revelations that could destroy the new life Hannah and Flint have begun to cherish.

Show More

Show Less

About The Author:  One of the most popular romance writers in America today, former attorney and college professor Joan Johnston has over 10 million books in print world-wide – including the New York Times bestsellers SISTERS FOUND, THE COWBOY, THE TEXAN, THE LONER, THE NEXT MRS. BLACKTHORNE and NO LONGER A STRANGER.. The Price represented a milestone in Johnston’s career as her first hardcover original.  Joan Johnston has an eclectic background. Now the bestselling, award-winning author of forty-five novels, she was formerly an attorney with Hunton & Williams in Richmond, Virginia and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Miami, Florida. Joan also worked as a newspaper editor and drama critic in San Antonio, Texas, as a director of theatre in Southwest Texas, and as a college professor, most recently at the University of Miami, Florida. Joan has a B.A. in theatre arts from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, an M.A. in theatre from the University of Illinois in Urbana and received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.  Joan loves to travel and visited England and Scotland to do research for her Captive Hearts series (Captive, After the Kiss, The Bodyguard and The Bridegroom). She also made journeys to Tahiti, Australia and Bali–for a South Seas, WWII novel that she hopes to write. Joan’s books have appeared on the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller Lists.  For her Bitter Creek series, Joan toured the legendary King Ranch in South Texas and took a course on tracking (humans and animals!) from a Deputy Marshal deep in the Big Bend country of West Texas. She also traveled to Australia to tour the big cattle stations there and see what life is like Down Under.  Joan is a member of the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America and Florida Romance Writers. She divides her time between homes in Colorado and South Florida.  Johnston recently became a grandmother for the second time. Her daughter, a teacher, lives in the Tampa area. Her son, a budding novelist, lives in Orlando.

My Thoughts On The Book:  I fell in love with gutsy Hannah from the beginning of the book.  Her devotion to family and will to protect them was intriguing.  I usually hate coming into a series after it has started but I had no trouble getting up to speed on who the characters were, their relationships,  and what was going on.  Johnstons characters are very believable and lifelike. This was a great read and I did not want to put it down once the story began and whirled me up inside it.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves western romance settings.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the NetGalley Publishing Group and Random House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.