Tag Archives: Book Date

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

I am currently reading. I.M. : A Memoir by Isaac Mizrahi. As most of you know he is a designer, talk show host and much more. I am enjoying reading about his childhood and how he was always interested in fashion and design. Being gay in his Jewish neighborhood made things difficult for him in addition to being overweight. I am glad he was able to get through that and become successful.

It was a funny coincidence, I just got some sheets at TJ Maxx and they happen to be designed by him. I had to have these sheets- the kitties look like Angel Phoebe in her polka-dotted bikini.

 

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

  I just finished Between Two Worlds by Tyler Henry. As many of you know, I am a fan of Theresa Caputo, The Long Island Medium. Click here to read my post about her.  I had never heard of Tyler Henry until I saw his book at Barnes and Noble. I like to go in there and make a list of books to get from the library ( I am cheap).

I believe some do have the gift of communicating with those that have passed. He seems like the real deal to me just like Theresa. He first started getting visions when he was 10 years old and has become more focused with time. I watched an episode of his show on E ( Hollywood Medium) and was impressed. My hubby laughs at these shows when I watch them. I told him that I need to believe these are true. I believe in God, but I like knowing our loved ones are with us always.

Two nights after Tallulah went to The Bridge, some of my cats kept looking behind me on the couch. I kept turning around and not seeing anything so I hoped it was her spirit. Then I spotted a ladybug. In Tyler;s book, he writes of seeing a ladybug at his Grandmother’s funeral and knowing it was a sign from her. Reading that reassured me that my ladybug was a sign from Tallulah.

Penny will be here with her tips tomorrow and to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

I have been reading a lot lately. Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life by Gisele Bündchen was surprisingly good. I am not even sure why I chose to read it. I tend to dislike gorgeous supermodels ( jealousy).  She is a very kind woman and wonderful mother. Being that she is only 38 years old, I am surprised at how wise she is already.

Live Long and…What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner with David Fisher is also a good read. My hubby is the real Trekkie around here, but he doesn’t care for memoirs so I thought I would give it a try. I have read some of his other books too and always enjoyed them. He shares a lot of what he has learned in life with stories of how he learned it.

One Heart at a Time by Delilah was also really interesting.  If you have ever listened to the radio at night, you must have heard her radio show. I don’t usually listen to the radio at night, but over the years, I have heard her show. I had no idea she had so many children, most adopted. I also had no idea she had lost one to sickle cell anemia and one to suicide. She also has an incredible foundation that helps people in Africa. When I read about someone so dedicated, it makes me feel like I have wasted my life, but it also motivates me to want to do something-just not sure what yet.

I apologize for all the bold print above, I couldn’t get it to go away.  Joanie hopes she is awww…worthy  posing with some of the books.

 

 

The Year of Living Happily

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

The Year of Living Happily Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World by Alli Worthington is a wonderful guide to help find your way to happiness.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

 

KaTwo is my book model.

I had never heard of Alli Worthington. Apparently I have been hiding my head in the litter box once again. She has written two other successful books prior to this one. She also hosts a weekly podcast. On top of all that, she is a very involved mom to 5 boys.

The Year of Living Happy is an easy read. There are 100 “lessons” in it. Each is a page and a half long and includes a quote from The Bible. At the end of the page is a question to get you thinking of how this lesson applies to your life. There is space to record your answer and use it as a journal too.

For example, she quotes scripture, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” She then tells us to write down the fruit we want to see in our heart and life. On another page, she wants us to think of something perfectly imperfect in our life right now.

Most of these are simple lessons we have all heard before, but tend to forget. There are several lessons reminding us to be thankful and forgiving. She also suggests relaxing, recharging our batteries, breathing deeply and simple ideas we are often to busy to think about.

I think this would be a great gift for any woman ( sorry guys, this one is geared for women) in your life that needs to slow down. It is a beautiful book/journal with a pretty ribbon book mark built-in. There is also a spot in the front of the book with a presented to -from-date which would really personalize your gift.

My only complaint was a typo I found. The word quiet was spelled quit. I know that is not a big deal, but I expect more of a larger publisher.

I review for BookLook Bloggers

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Mewsic and More

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?And we are also joining Mewsic Moves Me (hosted by Curious as a Cathy, Xmas Dolly, JAmerican Spice and Stacy Uncorked.)

Being that it is Halloween time, I am going to try to read a vampire novel. I have been afraid on vampires since I was a kid and my aunt let me watch Salem’s Lot. I slept with my neck covered until about two years ago ( when the hot flashes started). My friend and fellow blogger, Marie (Athena’s Mum) has written a trilogy of vampire stories. I have enjoyed all her cat themed books so I am sure these will be good too. If you are interested, you can get the kindle edition of Poet’s Blood for free right now. Click here.

The Mewsic theme for this week is songs with hand claps and finger snaps. I couldn’t think of any with the finger snaps, but I have 3 with hand claps.

  1. Take the Money and Run ( Steve Miller Band)-

2. More Than A Feeling ( Boston)-

And because I spend a lot of time with an almost 3 year old:

3. Sesame Street If Your Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands-

And here are Brody and Trouble. I am so happy that Brody has a friend, she even cleans his ears for him sometimes.

Mewsic , Books and More

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?And we are also joining Mewsic Moves Me (hosted by Curious as a Cathy, Xmas Dolly, JAmerican Spice and Stacy Uncorked.)

I am currently reading Once Upon a Farm by Rory Feek and I recently finished his other memoir, This Life I Live: One Man’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life and the Woman Who Changed It Forever.

I was not familiar with Rory or his wife , Joey  who passed away in 2016. They had a tv show about their life together, but I didn’t know about it until I read these books. They both were country writers and singers. She helped raise his 2 daughters and sadly, when they finally had a child, Joey was diagnosed with cancer and only survived until the child’s second birthday.  Despite life’s problems, he maintains a positive attitude and writes of what he has learned from life.

Today is a freebie day on the mewsic so I chose songs written by Rory.

  1. Blake Shelton’s Some Beach- I always liked this, but had no idea that Rory Feek wrote it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTT2LEyjdC4
  2. Joey and Rory-When I’m Gone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcpjSMmWUDw This was recorded in 2012, long before she was diagnosed with cancer.

 

The Hundred Story Home

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We are joining McGuffy’s Reader’s Sparks (even though she is on hiatus), Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard is a touching memoir of one woman’s quest to make the world a better place.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

Kathy Izard was a graphic designer, happily married with four daughters when she felt what she described as an “insistent whisper”. At the time, she was volunteering at a local soup kitchen in Charlotte, NC. One day, while working at the soup kitchen she meets a man who was formerly homeless and later became a famous author, Denver Moore. He asks her one simple question that changes the course of her life. “Where are the beds? ”

Prior to that , Kathy thought the soup kitchen was doing a great job serving the homeless of Charlotte. She had never given a thought to where they go after they eat. This one question inspires her to quit her job so she can find a way to create homes for the homeless.It takes a lot of work, prayer and donations, but she finds a way.

Throughout the memoir, she revisits her childhood. Until she was six, she had a fairly normal life with two sisters and her parents. Eventually, her mother’s bipolar disorder takes her away from the family for years.The author realizes now how easily her family could have become homeless because of this. So not only does she provide homes for the homeless, she finds a way to keep them stable once there through medical and psychological care.

Unfortunately, her focus on helping the homeless takes her away from her family and even when she is with them, she is not giving her all. It takes finding a letter of despair her college aged daughter wrote to make her realize this. Eventually, she finds a happy medium between work and family, but it takes a lot of effort.

I highly recommend this book as an inspiration to anyone that feels they are not living the life they were meant to live. Kathy Izard says, ” I wrote The Hundred Story Home not to convince you to help solve the homelessness in your community but to help solve the homelessness in you. ”

This book also has a reader’s guide and FAQ from readers at the end. I think it would be perfect for church groups or book clubs. It would also be a great gift for a friend that needs a little push to living their dreams.

I am going to spread the joy and give this book away so if you are interested, just tell me in the comment section. We will announce the winner on Wednesday’s post. I can only afford to mail it in the USA though, sorry, but books are heavy.

 

I review for BookLook Bloggers

 

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

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We are joining McGuffy’s Reader’s Sparks (even though she is on hiatus), Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? I am skipping the Mewsic hop again this week. My post gets too long when I do the reading and mewsic hops together. Next week, I will do the Mewsic one.

I just finished Trooper: The Bobcat Who Came in from the Wild by Forrest Bryant Johnson. In 1987, the author found a baby bobcat trapped in a cactus plant. He rescued him and kept him for many years, until Trooper died of old age. I found this book fascinating, I enjoyed reading of the special bond these two shared. Trooper is such a sweet cat that he even befriends a stray cat and brings him home to share dinner. He ends up joining the family too and spends all his time with Trooper.

Trooper lived in Nevada where people can own bobcats, well, back then they could, the laws could be different now. They had a large kitty door put in so he was able to come and go as he pleased. I think you will all love this book as much as I did.

Our spark today is from Trouble, take time to stop and smell the flowers, just don’t eat them because they could be poisonous.

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

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We are joining McGuffy’s Reader’s Sparks (even though she is on hiatus), Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope by Naomi Judd with Marcia Wielke was excellent. I have read all her previous books and admired her honesty in telling all the details of her life, mistakes and all. This book is the same as she gives all the details of her severe depression including being so desperate that she endured electroshock therapy. It seems hard to believe that someone so successful could get into such a deep depression, but heredity plays a role in this too.

I’ve Been Thinking . . .Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life by Maria Shriver is also well worth reading. Each chapter tells a lesson she has learned in life as well as a prayer or meditation at the end to tie in with the lesson. I have always admired the Kennedy family’s dedication to the service of helping others less fortunate.

My spark for today is a quote from Maria Shriver, “Time is our most precious resource, but very few of us use it as wisely as we could. We rush around so much that sometimes we forget to actually live. ”

Joanie was not particularly cooperative for her photo shoot.

Penny will be here tomorrow with one of her tips and Wednesday we will be showing photos of Moo’s first stop.

 

Hopping Monday

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww…Mondays, McGuffy’s Reader’s Sparks and Mewsic Moves Me ( hosted by Curious as a Cathy, Xmas Dolly, JAmerican Spice and Stacy Uncorked.) Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? And it is day 14 of the  A-Z Blogging Challenge.

  Joanie is modeling my N creation, a necktie. I had made a nectarine, but it was basically a small orange ball so I decided to make this instead.

My Spark for today is a quote I found on Pinterest, but it did not list the author. ” We are stars wrapped in skin-the light you are seeking has always been within. ” So lets all shine 🙂

Today’s Mewsic Moves Me is our choice for a theme so I chose songs with the word Star in the title.

  1. Bad Company : Shooting Star (1975)

2. When You Wish Upon A Star (1940)-Pinocchio movie

3. Madonna’s Lucky Star ( 1983)

 

I am reading a sad memoir by Joyce Maynard titled The Best of Us: A Memoir. She is a famous author who was single for many years after divorcing her first husband. She finally meets and marries her true soul mate, but their time is cut short when he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It is very sad, but reading about the start of their relationship has reminded me of my own and how much I love my husband. Please don’t misunderstand me, I always love him, but sometimes life gets in the way and it is easy to take someone for granted. This is a great reminder to not do that.