My Reading Blog

Goodreads summary:  " The twin jet plane en route to Denver from Hong Kong is merely a green radar blip half an hour off the California coast when the call comes through to air traffic control: 'Socal Approach, this is TransPacific 545. We have an emergency.' The pilot requests priority clearance to land - then comes the bombshell - he needs forty ambulances on the runway. But nothing prepares the rescue workers for the carnage they witness when they enter the plane. Ninety-four passengers are injured. Three dead. The interior cabin virtually destroyed. What happened on board Flight TPA 545?" Michael Crichton has once again written a fast paced, exciting novel.  Interesting read about the airline industry and how the manufacturers investigate problems and accidents.  I think back on some of the flights I have taken and now wonder about the "air worthiness" of those airplanes.  But, as was stated in the book, it's safer to fly than to drive one...

Last week I wrote about our Jar of Memory Questions.  Today, I'm sharing my answer to one of them. What did you enjoy in the winter? This question didn't trigger any fond or exciting memories.  I grew up in Central Illinois and we had snow and cold.  I never learned to ice skate or ski.  I remember we played in the snow, built snowmen, forts, had snowball fights and sledded.  I remember walking the five blocks to school in the snow and cold.  When I was going to college, I remember we had an extremely bad snowstorm.  I was about 15 miles from home, the roads were terrible.  It was a blinding snow and blowing across the open highway.  I made it home by going very slowly.  I pulled into our driveway and promptly got stuck.  Dad wasn't too happy, but I was so glad to have arrived home. Maybe that's why I don't really like winter, cold and snow and why we moved to Arkansas to get away from the bad winters.  Of course, we ...

Several years ago I was looking for a meaningful gift to give to some family and friends.  If my memory serves me, I found it on Everyday Cheapskate website.  It was a glass jar filled with strips of paper with thought provoking questions written on them which would spur a trip down memory lane.  I printed out the questions, cut them apart, put them in a quart glass jar.  Along with the jar of questions, I gave each recipient a blank journal to answer the questions. I also made one for hubby and me and we started out on a roll, answering at least one or two questions a week.  Since hubby isn't a "writer", he would tell me his story and I would write it down.  As I said, this was several years ago (more like four or five).  We haven't progressed very far, but the jar and journal are still on my table. I've been trying to come up with my OLW since December and nothing hit me, but this morning as I was pondering what to write about, the word "rememb...

Last week was my "first" week of RETIRED.  Humm.... just what does that mean? I can't say that it felt any different.  We just got back from being out of town for 10 days, so it was catch up time.  Picking up Max, unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning up the dead lady bugs that had accumulated on the floor, grocery shopping, mail...  The list seemed endless - retired???? Then a voice mail saying my aunt was in the hospital in Florida.  Many calls trying to figure out what was happening.  Many more calls checking up on her on a daily basis.  Thinks are improving. Now this week, things are slowing down, but how do I wrap my head around being retired?  How do I stop my brain from making my mental "to do list" of things that HAVE to be accomplished?  How do I decide what I REALLY want to do as opposed to what NEEDS to be done and when?  How do I answer people when they ask "what are you going to do now that you're retired?" This is go...

Our Holidays seemed jam packed with lots of pleasant memories and today I'm reminded of my OLW for 2014 - Embrace.  Here's some of the moments that I embraced during Christmas and New Year's. Christmas Eve - dinner with our dearest friends and then worship embracing the birth of Baby Jesus. Christmas Day - spending time with friends, good food, lots of laughs and preparing for our trip to IL. Day after Christmas - early to rise so we can get an early start for our 10 hour drive.  Hugs and kisses from the girls (and Mommy too).  Gyros -  a must when we are in IL.  Look what Santa brought us, come play with us... Saturday - Christmas dinner with our kids and granddaughters.  The smiles on the girls faces - the delight in helping others open presents, Chinese gift exchange, laughs, oohs, I want that, pouts, trades, steals.   A sleepover.  Learned to play Mario on the Wii - Grandma has a lot to learn. Sunday - playing and reading....