My Reading Blog

Memorial Day - A Day of Remembrance and Thanks American Flags blowing in the breeze, lining the streets of towns Parades and Memorial Services celebrating our Heroes Cemeteries adorned with flags and flowers One day set aside to remind us of how fortunate we are One day set aside to be thankful for those men and women who died fighting for our country One day set aside to thank those who have served and are currently serving One day set aside to enjoy our freedom A service held before the NASCAR race to honor our Heroes Bagpipes playing Amazing Grace A 21 gun salute  The bugler playing Taps The Star Spangled Banner sung The Blue Angels soaring overhead Remembering those who have passed   Thankful that God has blessed us  Praying that God will keep our Heroes safe Praying that God will comfort those who have lost so much. Memorial Day - A Day of Remembrance and Thanks

Goodread summary:  " Sally St. John Brainerd is on the run from the authorities, who want to question her about her possible involvement in her father's murder. FBI Special Agent James Quinlan goes undercover in the picturesque town of The Cove-home of the World's Greatest Ice Cream-where Sally seeks sanctuary. But The Cove and its elderly residents harbor sinister secrets of their own. After Quinlan and Sally discover two dead bodies, Sally vanishes, and Quinlan turns to his partner Dillon Savich to rescue her from a place where no one should be held. Quinlan discovers she is indeed the key to a murder-but whose murder?" An excellent read.  Coulter had me under her spell within the first few pages of this book.  There were twists along the way and it was not until the end that it all came together. Finished:  May, 2013

Our Dell computer is five years old - not new, but not really OLD.  It still runs XP, so we're just a little behind on technology, but it serves us well for what we want to accomplish. Checking and sending e-mails Surfing the internet for information Facebook Playing games Storing pictures and documents Keeping track of our banking Just the mundane stuff - nothing big! But lately it has been getting slower and slower.  Sometimes opening websites, sometimes not.  So we disconnected it and took it to our friendly Staples store.  I said that it was running very slow and that it sounded like it was going to take off for the moon.  They laughed and said how slow is slow.  Well, they found out when it was connected.  The tech asked a lot of questions and "Hmmm, it sounds like the hard drive.  For a price, we'll do a diagnostic on it."  I said that would be fine.  More questions and left saying a prayer that it wouldn't die y...

Goodread Summary:  "Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story—a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean  imagines every mother's worst nightmare—the disappearance of a child—as it explores a family's struggle to endure, even against extraordinary odds. Filled with compassion, humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers' hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one." A heart wrenching story about loss only to be found and then lost again.    It is so easy to see how a loss of a child can tear apart a marriage or bring it closer.  I could only read it for a while because the subject matter took a lot out of me.  It was well written, but I had a hard time relating to the Mom.  She went ...

Goodread summary:  "From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes a powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard: the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time - and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya...

A beautiful day Sunny, warm, a slight breeze A phone call A hug Happy Mother's Day Greetings from many at church A flower A card A faith bracelet & my favorite chocolates Dinner with friends With a lake view A glass of wine Delicious food Sitting on the front porch Enjoying conversation & peacefulness Remembering my Mom & how much I miss her.

This past weekend, we again made a trip to Illinois - this time for a special celebration.  Our twin granddaughters turned three.  How quickly these three years have passed. I remember: The night they came home from the hospital Trying to figure out who was who Their smiles and cooing Swaddling and rocking and singing Helping Mommy to figure out how to care for them by herself Wondering how I was going to care for them by myself Helping Daddy to care for them when I went home and Mommy was teaching Crawling, walking, babbling, talking, playing, learning, developing. And then they turned one and then two and now three. More independent, more sure of themselves, wanting to learn, absorbing everything that is said, growing and developing and testing.  Each differently, and yet they are similar in so many ways.  M is the goer and P contemplates everything.  M can't sit still and P will sit with books or an activity for a long time. ...