Sunday Check List…

Good morning.

It has been another busy week and today and tomorrow are pretty crazy too.  This afternoon we have a Christmas party here – about 20 people with kids in the house.  Tomorrow I am supposed to head to the cities for a board meeting but I am feeling so overwhelmed I am thinking I may cancel that.

I have to get my son in the Navy’s Christmas box out and I have a big mailing to do for my job.  You ever get that feeling when you just feel pushed to do one more thing.. one more thing….

that’s where I am at.

I am going shopping this morning before Church to try to make the most of my time today. 

As for books that have come in:

 

I am reading Round House today and I have to finish it to get a review written for a magazine deadline.  I am really hoping to get it finished today.

I am looking forward to Survivor Finale tonight…. love that, but will miss my weekly watching of the show!

I hope your Sunday is a little more relaxing than mine

 

Sunday Check List

 

Good morning and Happy Sunday!  How is everyone doing with their turkey comas?  We are good and pretty clean here…. I sent the pumpkin bars (dangerous!) and a lot of turkey home with College son when he left yesterday.  I made turkey soup for dinner last night, Al ate the last of the stuffing…

This morning I am helping out with a volunteer fair and should be back home around 12:30.  I am hoping to get all my 2012 challenges updated so I can start promoting for 2013.  Oddly…. I find that exciting!    I love new beginnings. 

 

Today…

I am still reading The Forgotten Road by Randall Arthur

I am listening to One Second After by William R Forstchen and this is weird – I am listening to nothing in my car or on my kitchen cd player as I am out of audio.    I know…. I need to get to the library or something….

I am planning to work on the Challenges this afternoon and a work out. 

I am hoping to catch up on my posts that need to be written this week.

I am working on something fun for the Team Kickin It blog with Amanda from Reading and Running.

I am looking forward to a gun permit class I signed up for that will be next weekend.

 

 

Here are the books that graced my doorstep this week:

 

 

I am excited to do some reading in my near future too! 

What are your plans for this Sunday?

 

Sunday Check List – I survived!!!

Good morning!  I am home and so happy to be here and have a pretty mellow day ahead of me.  A much-needed mellow day.   I just came off a week of Monday – small group study, Tuesday – Book Club, Wednesday – help with students, Thursday – Pampered Chef Party and opening night showing on Breaking Dawn 2, Friday – left for St Paul for the Literacy Institute which went until Saturday at 3 pm then drove home and arrived around 6:00 pm at my door.

This week is way less busy.  Yes, it is Thanksgiving week but it will be College Son coming home and our traditions are have a nice dinner then we dish up throughout the day whenever we are hungry and watch movies and play board games.  I ♥ LOVE ♥ our traditions and really look forward to them. 

As for today…

I am reading Forgotten Road by Randall Arthur

 

I am listening to Steve Jobs (yes still…) on my IPOD, finishing up Abraham on my CD player and still listening to The Quilters Homecoming in my car.

 

I am planning a possible lunch date with a friend who is in town for the weekend and possibly helping the library decorate this afternoon for Christmas.

 

I am hoping I can keep the next 5 weeks a little mellower.

 

I am working on finishing up my challenge updates and some fun discussion posts, and putting life and posts back into Kickin It (my neglected fitness blog).

 

I am looking forward to a meeting on Tuesday afternoon that is going to lead to my winter project (more later) and a nice weekend with one of my sons. 

 

Here are the books that graced my home this week:

That is it.  On with my day, what id your plan for today?

Sunday Check List… Heading Into CRAZY Week Head First!

 

Good morning and happy Sunday wherever you may be!    Today is another stick close to home day for me.  After church I plan to be here the rest of the day doing a little cleaning out of the storage area, reading the book club book, and hopefully catching up on the challenges I set for 2012 as that was the plan this weekend and I have yet to get started.

Starting tomorrow life gets a bit…

nuts.

Monday – work during the day, evening small group study

 

Tuesday – work during the day, book club at my house at 6:30 potluck

 

Wednesday – work during the day, work with the students in the evening

 

Thursday – work during the day, Pampered Chef party at my house at 6 pm, possibly going to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn Part 2

 

Friday – leave at 8 am for the Cities for the next part of our Bremer Literacy Institute stay overnight in the cities

 

Saturday – Bremer Literacy Institute until 3 pm and then drive the 3 hours home.

 

 

Mmmmmm hmmmmmm.  A little busier then I like life. 

 

Today I am reading The Language Of Flowers.

I am listening to Steve Jobs on my IPOD, Abraham o my kitchen CD player and The Quilters Homecoming in my car

I am planning a healthier life style… food wise, work out wise

I am hoping today I will complete cleaning out the storage area and be able to start moving things from the spare bedroom that I am storing into the right area. 

I am working on my blog updates

I am looking forward to Tuesdays book club AND the new chairs arriving for the book room on Tuesday.  SSSQQQQQUUUEEE!!!!!

Don’t freak out on the prices on them – I paid no where near that, they were on clearance.

I need to get the books I owe people out of my house and to the post office.

I want to relax tonight with hubby after a busy and hopefully productive day while watching Amazing Race and eating the new steak recipe I got from my friend.

I am watching the dogs play.

The books that entered my house this week are:

 

Holed Up In A Bedroom in Georgia

 

Good morning from Georgia.    On Thursday morning, College son (Justin) and I landed in Florida and had a wonderful two days exploring and experiencing Universal Studios – Harry Potter World (I know that’s not the right name, but that’s what I keep calling it)  We had a blast, rode the rides, had the butter beer, enjoyed the sun! 

As you can imagine – all you Harry Potter addicts out there… the park was AMAZING and I highly recommend it to all ages!  Here is a quick little clip that I took of the area but this did not capture it all… I wish I would have filmed more. 

 

 

Then Saturday morning we packed up out of our Orlando hotel and drove our rental car two and a half hours to St Marys Georgia to where my Navy Son (Brad) is living.  He has weekends off so we came to stay with him our final two days of our vacation.  It is a blast seeing where he lives and it was awesome to have both boys in the same place!

Justin (left) and Brad in front of Brad’s house in Georgia.

 

We hung out at Brads did a little food shopping at Wal-Mart for our weekend and then later went to a Hibachi restaurant which was fun and oh so delicious!

Hibachi! MMMMMMMM

One of Brad’s friends came over last night and we played cards until about 10:30 last night when I was too wiped out to play any more.  They continued on to the wee hours of the morning so that is why I am holed up in the bedroom… I am awake but no one else is.    I woke up at 6 am and caught up on emails and a little writing.  Now I am going to jump in the shower and start my day.  I have been quiet long enough  

My reading is still lacking due to the activity in my life right now.  I know the boys are watching the game later and I will do a little reading then and a trip to Wal-Mart to look for some new luggage (part of my long story about my bad horrible experience with Spirit Airlines)

Tomorrow morning we pack up early and head back to the Orlando Airport and fly home.  I will be back in Minnesota tomorrow evening landing around 5:30 pm and then driving the three hours back home.  The rest of the week I plan to keep as quiet as possible

Morning Meanderings! SUNDAY and MUD SNOBS!

 

Good morning!  I totally skipped out on posting yesterday.  Friday I had a three hour bike ride and then came home and hubby wanted to go out to eat and by the time I was home from that I was exhausted. 

Saturday morning I was up at 5:45 to get ready and meet at my friend Amy’s with Paula and Courtney so we could drive the two hours to Brooklyn Part and take part in the 5K Mud Factor… which was….

a bust.

After participating in the AWESOME Muckruckus in August which was from start to finish mud mud and more mud, sticky mud, watery mud, thick mud, stinky mud, you name it – it was mud…. this was pretty much not what we thought it would be.

The Mud Factor took place in a corn maze which for the first three miles of the 3.2 run was just dirt trails and the occasional obstacle.  Some of the obstacles were small piles of dirt to go over… some were where they had dug a little hole for you to either jump in or over, but mud free.  There was some of the cool rope climbing and tough girl stuff like that – but not enough to make this a win.  At the very end there was a small slide down a hill into a little mud… very little, and at the very end you crawled through some thick mud under plastic ropes. 

All in all we agreed it was too much money ($70 to register, $10 for a t shirt, $10 for parking and $5 for them to hold your bag of clothes to change into in a place that was watched).  The Mud Ruckus was $100 registration but it was for MS and it included parking, a t shirt, your bag keeping, and food at the end. 

Anyhoo – live and learn and it was still a good time hanging out with friends.

Pics were taken on a disposable camera which I have not turned in yet so watch for them to show up later this week. 

 

BOOKS.

A few books did come in the door this week, as my reading has slowed so has my review requesting. 

The bottom three are review books, the top is an audio version of The Knife of Never Letting Go which I purchased.

This morning I have church and later tonight I have a get together.  I hope to work on the book room a bit this afternoon and if it warms up perhaps cleaning out the garage for next weekends family get together.. I think it will be an audio day.

What are you doing today?

Morning Meanderings… A Night With Sandra Brannan

 

Oh what a night, is what is in my head right now!  My friend and fellow Bookie Susan went with me yesterday afternoon to drive the 2 1/2 hours to Minneapolis to go to a book event at Magers and Quinn Booksellers (also where Michelle from Red Headed Book Child) works.  We arrived around 4:35 pm where we checked out the book store and then Sandra found us. 

The three of us went down the block to a Thai restaurant that was fun and delicious and then we proceeded to talk for the next two and a half hours about books and research and life and well… we had a BLAST!  We then went back to the store for Sandra’s book event where we shared more about her books, the direction they are going – and what might be coming next!  SSSQQQUUUEEEEE!

We were there until about 9:45 pm when we made out way to the parking ramp and started out trek home – but no complaints coming from this chick – we had so much fun – Sandra is so down to earth and so filled with awesomeness – really – if you get a chance to meet her do not hesitate to do so. 

 

 

That was a great night! 

As far as books that entered my home this week – it was a mellow week and the top two I purchased last night:

I have to run, I am meeting a friend this morning and then I want to get home to read and chill today – my life explodes back to BUSY tomorrow.

Morning Meanderings… The Occasional “Non Bookish” Perks Of Writing Reviews

Good morning.

Obviously there are a lot of perks to reviewing books.  First of all the delicious books that arrive on your doorstep and you get the pleasure to read and chat about.  And of course there is the conversation itself that generates around the book, and of course, the relationships we book bloggers build together as people who love to read and love to chat books. 

Occasionally, we can be asked to review something other than books just due to something we mentioned we enjoy and I think that is kind of fun too.  In the past I have been given the occasional movie to review, at one time reader glasses, and a couple of years back… a bookshelf. 

In my mail yesterday, this arrived:

Telestrations is a “telephone like game”  Sketch, Pass, and Guess!  It is no secret that I love board games, and this would not be the first board game I have been sent to review.  I think when we are at the cabin in a couple of weeks with friends I will try it then.   

 

I also had a few books trickle in this week:

Yesterday we car shopped – we think we found something, Hubby is processing (its how he shops, looks… and thinks….) So we will know more on Monday but I am excited to hopefully have that over with.    This morning I am going to church and then packing for my week at Camp Benedict that starts tomorrow afternoon.  I will talk more about that on Tuesday morning. 

If you are a book reviewer, have there been any cool things that you have been asked to review other than books?  Have there been any not so cool things you have been asked to review?  (I remember once they asked me to talk about Ug Boots…. I told them they had no connection to books or to my life whatsoever… I couldn’t do it.) 

Morning Meanderings…. Late,but posting anyway

Good morning!  I am currently in Wisconsin getting ready for the Muckruckus which we will do at 11:30 this morning.  Funny enough, where we went to eat last night had a poster on the wall advertising a book sale in Hammond Wisconsin so……. we are going to stop by there before we go to the Muckruckus…. yup, that is how we roll.

 

Ok… the above paragraph is no longer true.  I STARTED to write this post YESTERDAY morning in Wisconsin and it was taking SO long to upload pictures I could walk away from my computer, have some coffee and come back and still wait.    With two other girls waiting for me so we could get moving… I had to give up… however, since I did have something I wanted to say for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshots, I still am posting…. as well as ending with a little Sunday Salon.

 

For this mornings Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Alyce from AT Home With Books, I wanted to post some pics from last weekends (August 4 and 5) Camp Benedict Bike ride…. I biked 104 miles day one (My first 100 (Century) in a day)… and I biked 75 the next day.  It was wonderful weather and wonderful people to hang out with!

The Riders!

Left: Sheila, Me, Belinda

LUNCH TIME – day one!

After day one… riding 104 miles (the most miles I have EVER rode in one day)… we thought this would be a funny picture

The shirt I wore day two….

At the end of day two, Me, Connie, Belinda, and Sheila

Two gorgeous riding days, 173 miles combined…. I wish this ride was more than once a year!  LOVE this ride.  LOVE the people who ride it. 

Ok, now for the Sunday Salon…
Yesterday, as I mentioned above, I was in Wisconsin for the Mudruckus (which,I am pretty sore from but that is a different story….)  We drove there on Friday and went out to dinner Friday evening.  AT the restaurant we ate at they advertised a book sale in Hammond Wisconsin on Saturday… about 24 miles away from where we were staying… AND in the opposite direction from where we needed to go.

Did I mention the two girls I was with are both from my book club?

SO yup, we traveled the 24 miles in the wrong direction for our event early Saturday morning so we could check out there book sale.  While not an overly impressive one (mainly older titles), they were still 50 cents a book and I walked out with these treasures:

Turns out they were 12 for $3.00 (top two are movies, and the right side one is audio. )  I paid $4.00 for the stack.

Later this week, I am getting new books shelves in the book room.  It will be a huge project to empty that room out, but I think the ending results will be wonderful and give me a home for all my books as well as help me get organized.  When all is said and done I am pretty sure I will have a nice pile to donate to the library.  I will be documenting the “before, during, and after as well.

Today, I will be laying low.  After a slide into mud yesterday during the Mudruckus I landed so hard on a rock it took my breath away and I am still hurting.  I think I am just bruised with a capital “B”.  At least I am able to sit a little more comfortably today. 

Morning Meanderings… Sunday GO TIME!

 

Good morning!  I am literally heading out the door here, up at 4:30 am, in full bike gear and off to ST Joseph MN for The Tour Of Saints ride.   My friend Amy and I are doing this one and I am super pumped, it looks like the weather will be close to perfect

Here are the books that arrived in my home this past week:

I am super excited about all of them! 

I will be back early afternoon yo put up a review.  See you all then!    What has arrived in your house this week bookish wise?