booklover1983's Xanga

Misc.

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:04:50 GMT

1. Check out my vacation pictures from FL this summer.They are in the pictures folder on Xanga. We left on Friday August the 1 and came back on Tuesday August 5. We had fun. I got burnt in some wierd places. Two of which I have pictures of. We have an idea that it may be the spray on sunscreen we used the first two days. Then I switched to SPF 50 cream. My Dad, sister, and me went and we had fun. I was really tired by the time we got home Tuesday night at almost 11:00 PM so I took Wednesday off work to recover. I did some laundry etc. I decided I missed some of the people I work with but not really my actual job.

2. On the job front nobody wanted me as a teacher(I refuse to teach in certain bad schools). So instead my current company is going to keep me when we go to the new big building and put me in medical records and let me work 4 days a week and sub. teach 1 day a week to get some experience. Please pray that goes well. September is going to bring some adjustments for me. I won't be around the people I have been working with for the past 2 years. They are in the process of hiring for the medical records department. Right now there is the director and me. I am kinda scared of who they are going to come up with because they are going to pay less than what they pay me and they want lots of part time people. Makes no sense to me. I answered the phone today and got at least four calls asking if we were hiring. I was really scared by one of them on the phone. She had an attitude and spoke horrible. Oh well. Right now I have no choice and I am grateful for a job with health insurance. Please pray for my loans coming out. I have over 70,000 dollars that I have no idea how I am going to pay back. I really did not know they were adding up like that. It makes me feel overwhelmed thinking about it.

3. I don't want to end on a bad note. The up side is I have read lots of good books lately :) I have been really lax about crossposting. So for book reviews and giveaways visit my google blog. http://www.abookloverforever.blogspot.com

Boo Mama's Before and After

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:06:38 GMT

The Before and After "bloggy extravaganza is an opportunity to get a little blogosphere accountability when it comes to household projects.

Do you have a room that needs to be painted? A closet that could use some organization? Any other random household projects that you've been procrastinating about?

Yeah, me too. I've been battling a serious procrastination problem.

Happily, BooMama's Before & After event is the perfect solution. Just write a post in the next few days, listing your project goals (The Before), and link up to the Mr. Linky on This Post over at BooMama's. Then, on July 25th, check out BooMama's again for a place to link up your results (The After).

My goals include:
1. Paint my sister's room one color. I was going to paint her room for her birthday over a year ago.
2. Paint my sister's ceiling in her room.
3. Replace the light fixture in our bathroom.
4. Organize the tupperware cabinet.
5. Organize her(mostly) bookshelves/entertainment areas.

Before pictures:

Life

Wed, 28 May 2008 22:51:38 GMT

I did it. I graduated with my Masters in Biology. The past two months have been very stressful and hetic. Orals were a big let down. Things at my current job are crazy with several people changes. Right now I am filling in for one of the people they fired. Which is fine because I need to work a Saturday to catch up on my hours from when I was out with my job interview. Yes ... I had a job interview at a high school. I would be teaching Zoology, Genetics, and Science Skills and Reasoning. They have not called me back. So I don't know. I have filled out an online application and now I am working on my cover letter to my resume to send out to the private schools. I need serious prayer help to find a new job this summer. My current position at work ends this summer anyway. So please pray for me. It does not have to be a teaching job just something that uses my degrees.

Quote

Tue, 06 May 2008 21:53:56 GMT

“Are you bored with Life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”

- Dale Carnegie

Book Reviews

Thu, 01 May 2008 02:06:33 GMT

It is May FIRST,
time for the FIRST Blog Tour! (Join our alliance! Click the button!) The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!

Today's feature author is:

LISA SAMSON

and her book:

Finding
Hollywood Nobody

Navpress Publishing Group (February 15, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Samson is the author of twenty books, including
the Christy Award-winning Songbird. Apples of Gold was
her first novel for teens

These days, she's working on Quaker Summer, volunteering at
Kentucky Refugee Ministries, raising children and trying to be supportive
of a husband in seminary. (Trying . . . some days she's downright
awful. It's a good thing he's such a fabulous cook!) She can tell you one
thing, it's never dull around there.

Other
Novels by Lisa:

Hollywood Nobody, Straight Up, Club Sandwich, Songbird, Tiger Lillie, The Church Ladies, Women's Intuition: A Novel, Songbird, The Living End

Visit her at her website.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One

Hollywood Nobody:
Sunday, June 4

Well, Nobodies, it's a wrap! Jeremy's latest film, yet another remake
of The Great Gatsby, now titled Green Light, has shipped out from
location and will be going into postproduction. Look for it next spring in
theaters. It may just be his most widely distributed film yet with
Annette Bening on board. Toledo Island will never be the same after that
wacky bunch filled in their shores.

Today's Hottie Watch: Seth Haas has moved to
Hollywood. An obscure film he did in college, Catching Regina's Heels
(a five-star film in my opinion), was mentioned on the Today show last
week. He was interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air. Hmm. Could it be he'll
receive the widespread acclaim he deserves before the release of Green
Light? For his sake and the film's, I hope so.

Rehab Alert: I've never hidden the fact that
I don't care for bratty actress Karissa Bonano, but she just checked
into rehab for a cocaine addiction. Her maternal grandfather, Doug
Fairmore, famous in the forties for swashbuckling and digging up clues, made
a public statement declaring the Royal Family of Hollywood was "indeed
throwing all of our love, support, and prayers behind Karissa." The man
must be a thousand years old by now. This isn't Ms. Bonano's first
stint in rehab, but let's hope it's her last. Even I'm not too catty to
wish her well in this battle. But I'm as skeptical as the next person. In
Hollywood, rehab is mostly just a fad.

Today's Quote: "It's a scientific fact. For
every year a person lives in Hollywood, they lose two points of their
IQ." Truman Capote

Today's Rant: SWAG, or Party Favors. Folks,
do you ever wonder what's inside those SWAG bags the stars get? Items
which, if sold, could feed a third-world country for a week! And have you
noticed how the people who can afford to buy this stuff seem to get it
for free? I'm just sayin'. So here's my idea, stars: Refuse to take
these high-priced bags o' stuff and gently suggest the advertisers give
to a charitable organization on behalf of the movie, the stars, the
whoever. Like you need another cell phone.

Today's Kudo: Violette Dillinger will be
appearing on the MTV Video Music Awards in August. She told Hollywood
Nobody she's going to prove to this crowd you can be young, elegant, decent,
and still rock out. Go Violette!

Summer calls. Later!

Monday, September 15, 4:00 a.m.

Maybe I'm looking for the wrong thing in a parent.

I turn over in bed at the insistence of Charley's forefinger poking me
in the shoulder. "Please tell me you've MapQuested this jaunt,
Charley."

She shakes her tousled head, silhouetted by the yellow light emanating
from the RV's bathroom. "You're kidding me right?" She slides off the
dinette seat. Charley's been overflowing with relief since she told me
the truth about our life: that she's not really my mother, but my
grandmother, that somebody's chasing us for way too good of a reason, that my
life isn't as boring as I thought. We're still being chased, but
Charley can at least breathe more freely in her home on the road now that I
know the truth.

Home in this case happens to be a brand-spanking-new Trailmaster RV, a
huge step forward from the ancient Travco we used to have, the ancient
Travco with a rainbow Charley spread in bright colors over its nose.

"Where to?" Having set my vintage cat glasses, love 'em, on my nose, I
scramble my hair into its signature ponytail: messy, curly, and
frightening. I can so picture myself in the Thriller video.

"Marshall, Texas."

"East Texas?"

"I guess."

"It is." I shake my head. Charley. I love her, I really do, but when it
comes to geography, despite the fact that we've traveled all over the
country going to her gigs ever since I can remember, she's about as
intelligent as a bottle of mustard. And boy do I know a lot about bottles
of mustard. But that was my last adventure.

"If you knew, then why did you ask?" She flips the left side of her
long, blonde hair, straighter than Russell Crowe, over her shoulder.
Charley's beautiful. Silvery blonde (she uses a cheap rinse to cover up the
gray), thin (she's vegan), and a little airy (she's frightened of a lot
and tries not to think about anything else that may scare her), she
wears all sorts of embroidered vests and large skirts and painted blue
jeans. And they're all the real deal, because Charley's an
environmentalist and wouldn't dream of buying something she didn't need when what
she's got is wearing perfectly well. She calls my penchant for vintage
clothing "recycling," and I don't disagree.

"Is this really a gig, Charley, or are we escaping again?"

She shakes her head. "No phone call. I really do have a job."

I feel the thrill of fear inside me, though there's no need right now.
Biker Guy almost got me back on Toledo Island. (Yeah, he looks like a
grizzled old biker.) To call the guy rough around the edges would be
like saying Pam Anderson has had "a little work done."

I've been looking over my shoulder ever since.

But more on that later. We need to get on the road. And I need to get
on with my life. I'm so sick of thinking about how things aren't nearly
what I'd like them to be.

I mean, do you ever get tired of hearing yourself complain?

I flip up my laptop, log on to the satellite Internet I installed (yes,
I am that geeky) and Google directions to Marshall, Texas, from where
we are in Theta, Tennessee—actually, on the farm of one of Charley's
old art-school friends who gave her some work in advertising for the
summer. Charley's a food stylist, which means she makes food look good for
the camera. Still cameras, motion picture cameras, video, it doesn't
matter. Charley can do it all.

"Oh, we've got plenty of time, Charley. Five hundred and fifty miles
and . . . we have to go through Memphis . . ."

My verbal drop-off is a dead giveaway.

"Oh, no, Scotty, we're not going to Graceland again."

The kitsch that is Graceland speaks to me. What can I say?

And you've got to admit, it's starting to look vintage. Now ten years
ago . . .

I cross my arms. "Do you have cooking to do on the way?"

Yes, highly illegal to cook in a rolling camper.

"Yeah, I do."

"And do you expect me, an unlicensed sixteen-year-old, to drive?"
Again, highly illegal, but Charley's a free spirit. However, she refuses to
copy CDs and DVDs, so in that regard, she's more moral than most
people. I guess it evens up in the end.

"Uh-huh."

"Then I think I deserve a trip through the Jungle Room."

She rolls her eyes, reaches down to the floor, and throws me my robe.
"Oh, all right. Just don't take too long."

"I'll try. So." I look at the screen. "65 to route 40 west. Let's hit
it. And we'll have time to stop for breakfast."

Charley shakes her head and plops down on the tan dinette bench. The
interior of this whole RV is a nice sandy tan with botanical accents.
Tasteful and so much better than the old Travco that looked like a cross
between a genie's bottle and the Unabomber cabin. "You're going to eat
cheese. Aren't you?"

"I sure am."

And Charley can't say anything, because months ago she told me this was
a decision I could make on my own.

Freedom!

"I've rethought the cheese moratorium, baby. I know you're not going to
like this, but three months of cheese is enough. I can't imagine what
your arteries look like. I think it's time to stop."

"What?" Cheese is my life. "Charley! You can't do this to me."

"It's for your own good."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

"Because summer's over, baby, and we've got to get back to a better way
of life."

I could continue to argue, but it won't do any good. Charley acts all
hippie and egalitarian, but when push comes to shove, she's the boss.
However, I'm great at hiding my cheese . . . and . . . I'm going to
convince her eventually.

But still.

"This isn't right, Charley, and you know it. But it's too early to
argue. And might I add, you have no idea what it's like to have a teen with
real teen issues. You ought to be on your knees thanking God I'm not
drinking, smoking, pregnant, or"—I was going to say sneaking out at
night, but I've done that, just to get some space—"or writing suicidal
poetry on the Internet!"

We stare at each other, then burst into laughter.

"Just humor me this time, baby," she says. "We'll come back to it soon,
I promise."

I don't believe her, but I hop into the driver's seat, pull up the
brake, throw the TrailMama into drive, and we are off.

To read the rest of the first chapter go here: http://fictioninrathershorttakes.blogspot.com/2008/05/finding-hollywood-nobody-by-lisa-samson.html

My Review: This is a unique and captivating series. It is for mature teens and up (to me) because of the topics including drugs and premartial sex. Lisa Samson is known for writing books with unique twists. The plot and characters are great. I highly recommend the whole series. (It does help to read them in order.) I can't wait to read Romancing Hollywood Nobody coming in the fall.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Big Picture
(NavPress Publishing Group April 15, 2008)
by
Jenny B. Jones

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jenny B. Jones is the author of A Katie Parker Production series. The other books in the series are In Between and On The Loose. Though now an adult, she still relates to the trauma and drama of teen life. She is thrilled to see her writing dreams come true, as her previous claim to fame was singing the Star Spangled Banner at a mule-jumping championship. (The mules were greatly inspired.)

Jenny resides in Arkansas, where, as a teacher, she hangs out with teens on a regular basis.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Sometimes there’s a fine line between comedy and tragedy—and Katie Parker is walking it.

School is winding down for the summer but Katie Parker is having a bad day. After leaving the drive-in, where her imploding love life was the main attraction, Katie arrives home to a big surprise on the Scott's front porch.

Her mother, Bobbie Ann Parker, a former convict and recovering addict, wants to take Katie away from her family, friends, and church. Now Katie's life will be changed by a series of dramatic choices as she struggles to understand what family and home really means.

Katie is forced to walk away from In Between, leaving behind a family who loves her, a town drive-in to save, and a boyfriend who suddenly can’t take his eyes off his ex. When the life her mother promised begins to sink faster than one of Maxine’s stuffed bras, Katie knows she needs to rely on God to keep it together.

But where is he in all this? Can Katie survive a chaotic life with her mother—and one without the Scotts? And if God is there, will he come through before it’s too late?

A Katie Parker Production series offers teen girls real-world fiction balanced by hope and humor. The The Big Picture helps us realize that the difficult chapters in our journey are only part of God's big story for our lives.

You can read the first chapter HERE

"A heroine to love. Jones just gets better with every book, and The Big Picture is her best one yet."
~BARBARA WARREN, author of The Gathering Storm

"Such inspiration in a package of fun and faith!"
~EVA MARIE EVERSON, author of the Potluck Club series
My Review: I loved the whole Katie Parker series. This is the third and final book (for now). It is a series that you do not want to end. Jenny creates lively, unique, interesting characters that come alive off the pages to live in your mind. I love how Katie has evolved through the series. I do not want to spoil it for everyone because of course you will be going to get the whole series soon. ;) I highly recommend the whole series.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall (National Book Award for Young People's Literature )

This enjoyable tale of four sisters, a new friend, and his snooty mother is rollicking fun. The girls' father is a gentle, widowed botany professor who gives his daughters free reign but is always there to support or comfort them. Rosalind, 12, has become the mother figure. Skye, 11, is fierce and hot-tempered. Jane, 10, is a budding writer of mysteries who has the disconcerting habit of narrating aloud whatever is occurring around her. Batty, four, is an endearingly shy, loving child who always wears butterfly wings. The family dog, Hound, is her protector. The tale begins as the Penderwicks embark on a summer holiday in the Berkshire Mountains, at a cottage on the grounds of a posh mansion owned by the terribly snobbish Mrs. Tifton. Her son, Jeffrey, is a brilliant pianist, but her heart is set on him attending a military academy like her beloved father. The action involves Rosalind's unrequited love for the 18-year-old gardener, Skye's enmity and then friendship with Jeffrey, Jane's improvement in her melodramatic writing style, and Batty's encounter with an angry bull whom she rather hopefully calls "nice horsie." Problems are solved and lessons learned in this wonderful, humorous book that features characters whom readers will immediately love, as well as a superb writing style. Bring on more of the Penderwicks!-B. Allison Gray

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

By: Jeanne Birdsall
Book Summary: THE PENDERWICK SISTERS are home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! But the adventure they get isn’t quite what they had in mind. Mr. Penderwick’s sister has decided it’s time for him to start dating—and the girls know that can only mean one thing: disaster. Enter the Save-Daddy Plan—a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. It’s high jinks, big laughs, and loads of family warmth as the Penderwicks triumphantly return.

My Review: I loved both books. The second is probably my favorite but you need to read them in order to catch all the details and the essence of the characters and the history. The characters come alive in the pages and are very lovable. The four sisters are unique and interesting. The father the same. I took Latin I and II so I enjoyed the parts where he spoke in Latin and the children did not know what he was saying. Rosalind the oldest decides to start taking Latin in school to figure out what he says. He is a Botany Professor. I love the different plot lines and tensions. I especially like the endings. The books are appropriate for elementary and up. I am 25 and I liked them as much as my 5 and 11 year old cousins. I highly recommend both books. :)

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:42:58 GMT

I Passed my Oral Comps. I am now going to graduate with a masters degree in Biology. :)

Now for a late Sunday Salon Post:

*Besides studying for my orals I managed to finish "Out of the Devil's Mouth" by Travis Thrasher

*Fellow Adventure Seekers: In the winter of 1928, the Prescott family contacted me about joining an expedition to the Amazon jungle in search of their missing son, Louis. The following is an account of our ill-fated journey into the unknown. It is a tale of adventure, mystery, and intrigue.
I didn’t leave anything out because I knew you’d be interested in hearing all the astonishing details—attacking snakes, foreboding jungles, killer jaguars, pools of piranha, breathtaking cliffs and waterfalls, and yes, even a forbidden city—it’s all in here.

And a few other . . . surprises.

Take the leap with me. You’ll enjoy it.

Henry Wolfe, 1929

* I loved this book. It starts with Henry being chased by the mob because of an article he wrote on Bugs Moran. The place is Chicago 1928. The action does not stop from there. Henry escapes to be offered an adventure to accompany Kate Prescott to the jungle to find her missing brother who went to the Brazilian Jungle and never returned. He did send letters home in which he mentioned looking for a Lost City. So of course Henry Wolfe the adventurer extradnoaire is intrigued. Along for the journey is a variety of characters including one of Henry's old friends Max. One of my issues with the book is it refers to a previous adventure which implies there is a book one which there is not. Through twists and turns this book holds onto you. I cannot wait to read another Henry Wolfe adventure so Travis Thrasher please hurry up and write. ;)

Update Life and Giveaway

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:18:48 GMT

The Presentation is over and it went okay. On to the last big thing for my masters degree: ORALS

I need prayer as I am having a hard time focusing and studying. My orals are Monday April 28 at 3:30. I have to pass. Please Lord.

American Idol: My favorites are Carly and David Cook.

I LOVE BOOKS!

So for the Bloggy Giveaway I am offering a $15 dollar Gift Card to winners choice of Amazon, B+N, Booksamillion, or Christian Book Distributors (USA). To enter leave a comment on this post(only once) saying who your favorite author is and book. I will use the random number generator to pick a winner Saturday April 26 at midnight. Bloggers and nonbloggers alike can enter just leave me a valid email address to get ahold of you if you win. :)

Have fun!

P.S. To find over 600 more contests to enter go here: http://www.donttryit.com/bloggy_giveaways/2008/04/bloggy-giveaw-1.html

Life

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:40:04 GMT

This is your life

Are you who you want to be?

Crisis - Crunch time- my own fault for procrastinating. I wonder if it can be a condition (jk). I took Wednesday off from work so hopefully my presentation will be done by the time I am presenting at 4. I wonder how the days go by so quick. It is like my life is flying by. I am now debating if I graduate do I want to walk when I should be focusing on graduating. Gez Louise Focus Brittanie Focus. lol

Long Time

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:56:51 GMT

Sorry everyone. I have been spending the majority of my time trying to keep up on my other blog www.abookloverforever.blogspot.com

Of course this is the one I post personal information about me on. The month of April is very big for me. I have a presentation due on April 16 of the research I did last summer. And I have graduate school orals on April 28. I am a little freaked out because there is a lot of stress at work right now too. We have a whole new computer system we are adjusting too. Several of the people I work with I will be glad to never see again. That is awful I know but trust me. I will be celebrating my 25th BD next Wednesday April 9. In addition I still need to be looking for a real job ASAP.

So the month of April is going to be very stressful and has the potential to be the worst month of my life. I would gratefully appreciate any prayers offered.

Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:37:12 GMT

*** Leave a comment on this post to win a copy of Truffles by the Sea.***
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Truffles by the Sea
Bethany House (February 1, 2008)
by
Julie Carobini

ABOUT THE BOOK:
If you read, Julie's first book, Chocolate Beach, then you might remember Gaby as Bri’s dramatic, lovesick best friend. Unfortunately, things get worse—much worse—for her before they get…well, best not to give it away.Sometimes all a girl has left is chocolate...Gaby Flores has a penchant for drama and an unfortunate knack for dating Mr. So Wrong. After breaking off yet another relationship, watching her apartment building burn to the ground, and discovering that her dippy delivery guy has run off with most of her business, Gaby decides it’s time to turn things around.So she moves to a tiny waterfront loft and takes on a new motto: “Be gullible no more!” With help from her friends, she works to rebuild her flower shop—and her life. But when legal troubles and quirky neighbors and two surprising romances enter her beachy world, Gaby’s motto and fledgling faith are put to the test.Can a young woman prone to disaster in both work and love finally find happily ever after?

My Review: I loved it. It was even better than the first!(which I loved) And the ending might just surprise you. :) I am also giving away a copy. Just leave a comment on this post.

"Truffles by the Sea is delightful! Julie Carobini has a new fan in this reader, and she's earned a spot on my keeper shelf." --Kay James, RomanceReaderatHeart.com

"This book is a delight to read, and the author has us rooting for Gaby from page one. This girl's never-say-die attitude is incredible, and her life is filled with all kinds of foibles. This is chick lit with heart – about so much more than finding a man.... While keeping the light chick lit tone, this book satisfied while avoiding the tired old formulas. Just when I’m ready to give up on the genre, I stumble across an author who can write without relying on stereotypes." --Cara Putman, writerinterrupted.com

"I liked Julie Carobini's first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini's second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination.... It's a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you're the one by the sea." --Jill Hart, RadiantLit.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julie Carobini is an award-winning writer whose stories often spotlight her family, the sea, and God's timely work in the lives of those around her. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their three children in Ventura Beach, California.She also likes to blog! Go leave her a comment at Waves of Grace.

Julie left you all a special message:

To celebrate my upcoming CFBA tour March 5-7, I'll be giving away a copy of Truffles by the Sea AND and a 1/2 lb. box of yummy truffles to three of your readers.All they need to do is drop by my blog http://juliecarobini.blogspot.com/ during the tour and leave a comment and a way to contact them if they win!