Llama's
Baby Llama's
Ducks, Chickens and Geese
Goats
Peacock
My hubby feeding the Deer.
Want to check this out? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit some folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation button on my side bar.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "Z'
Today is the last letter of the alphabet. It's "Z". It's also the last day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. My word for today is Zoo. We have a little zoo here, it's not a big fancy one like the big cities. It's just a small one with some animals for children to look at and feed.
Llama's
Baby Llama's
Ducks, Chickens and Geese
Goats
Peacock
My hubby feeding the Deer.
Want to check this out? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit some folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation button on my side bar.
Llama's
Baby Llama's
Ducks, Chickens and Geese
Goats
Peacock
My hubby feeding the Deer.
Want to check this out? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit some folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation button on my side bar.
Friday, April 29, 2011
REVIEW - DEED SO
This book is doing a blog tour this week. So I bumped it up on my list. This book is also for 1 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge
MY THOUGHTS: I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The line of history in the book is right on target. All the tense times of the Civil Rights movement, along with the Vietnam War, is changing the face of America and Haddie. When the trial starts Haddie is thrilled to me a witness. But the outcome of the trial sends Haddie into frustration. And what is the secret in Haddie's own family that causes so much trouble? You'll have to read the book to find out. I highly recommend this book, it's written beautifully.
MY RATING: 8-12
[This is a free review book.]
Outdo Yourself Challenge
"Deed So" by Katharine A. Russell
Product Description(Amazon.com)
It is 1962, and Agnes Hayden Bashford, Haddie, a brainy Southern teen from a tradition-bound family, dreams of breaking free from suffocating expectations placed on girls and from Wicomico Corners. She vows to escape to the exhilarating world beyond its narrow borders, like her handsome, older friend Gideon Albright who is going to Vietnam. A series of shocking incidents brings the outside world crashing down on her peaceful village, exposing long-buried family secrets and setting Haddie on a collision course with an unstable firebrand who will have to silence her to protect his identity. Haddie witnesses the fatal shooting of a black teen by a white down-on-his-luck farmer trying to protect his retarded son. The resulting murder trial attracts outside agitators and political aspirants, and pits townspeople against each other. Excited about being a witness in the trial, Haddie sees her moment of notoriety dissolve into frustration and discomfort and tragedy claim the people around her. The racially-charged case exposes civic fault lines and secrets within Haddie's own family, shattering her comfortable home life, and unleashes an arsonist who terrorizes the community by night. In Deed So, a young girl and an entire town lose their innocence in the last year of innocence, the year before the Kennedy assassination, the civil rights struggle, feminist activism and the Vietnam War changed America forever.
Paperback: 438 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 18, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 145377503X
ISBN-13: 978-1453775035
MY THOUGHTS: I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The line of history in the book is right on target. All the tense times of the Civil Rights movement, along with the Vietnam War, is changing the face of America and Haddie. When the trial starts Haddie is thrilled to me a witness. But the outcome of the trial sends Haddie into frustration. And what is the secret in Haddie's own family that causes so much trouble? You'll have to read the book to find out. I highly recommend this book, it's written beautifully.
MY RATING: 8-12
[This is a free review book.]
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "Y"
Almost done. This has been a real challenge coming up with all these posts. Today's letter is "Y". I've come up with the word Yellow. You don't really realize how many things are yellow until you start looking for them.
Our backyard filled with Dandelions.
A Scrapbook page I done.
My Great Nephew Noah having a Sponge Bob pop sickle.
My son when he was in Cub Scouts.
This sign for donating blood.
And of course you can't forget the Daffodils.
Head over to Arlee's place to check out the A to Z Blogging Challenge. To visit some folks doing the challenge, just click the navigation button on my side bar.
Our backyard filled with Dandelions.
A Scrapbook page I done.
My Great Nephew Noah having a Sponge Bob pop sickle.
My son when he was in Cub Scouts.
This sign for donating blood.
And of course you can't forget the Daffodils.
Head over to Arlee's place to check out the A to Z Blogging Challenge. To visit some folks doing the challenge, just click the navigation button on my side bar.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "X"
Well I finally got to a letter I haven't got anything to post........well maybe. Have you ever wondered where the letter "X" came from? What exactly is it's origin? So I went Google searching and found several interesting articles about the letter "X". Here are a few things you might like to know.
You can read the whole article here.
You can read this article here.
I also went to Photo Bucket and found some pictures of things that start with the letter "X".
X Ray
Xylophone
X Box
Want to check out this A to Z Blogging? Head over to Arlee's place. You can visit a few folks doing the challenge by clicking on the navigation button on my side bar.
You can read the whole article here.
English adopted the letter X from Greek and Etruscan roots. You’ll most often find an X at the start of words with Greek origin. You’ll find the letter X used in other languages too, but mostly preceded by a vowel rather than starting a word.
You can read this article here.
Since its inception, the letter “X” has struggled to establish its own identity, so it may be no coincidence that /x/ is commonly used to represent the unknown in both language and mathematics. “X” is derived from the Phoenician letter samekh, meaning “fish.” Originally used by the Phoenicians to represent the /s/ consonant (denoting a hard “s” sound), the Greeks borrowed the samekh around 900 BC and named it “Chi.”
I also went to Photo Bucket and found some pictures of things that start with the letter "X".
X Ray
Xylophone
X Box
Want to check out this A to Z Blogging? Head over to Arlee's place. You can visit a few folks doing the challenge by clicking on the navigation button on my side bar.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "W"
The letter today is "W". Words, war, window, wrap, water, warning. My word is Window. I love looking at windows. They seem to tell a story if only they could talk. I always wonder how someone decides what kind of window to put in their houses. Is it money, decoration, or just because. The windows in our house are kind of ordinary, with the exception of the one on the stairway landing. So today I'll be showing you some windows of our house.
The stairway landing window, inside.
The outside of the same window plus a couple more.
The kitchen window, it's one of my favorite windows in the whole house.
The window on the garage, overrun with Trumpet Vine.
These are the windows on our barn.
Want to join in on the A to Z Bogging Challenge? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit some folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation button on my side bar.
The stairway landing window, inside.
The outside of the same window plus a couple more.
The kitchen window, it's one of my favorite windows in the whole house.
The window on the garage, overrun with Trumpet Vine.
These are the windows on our barn.
Want to join in on the A to Z Bogging Challenge? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit some folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation button on my side bar.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "V"
Today is the letter "V". Very, vittles, vitamins, vacation, vermillion. My word is Vacation. A few years ago my son went to Hawaii for a vacation. It took 12 hours on a plane to get there. A few weeks before he got there they had a hurricane. So some of the trees were broken and some debris laying on the beaches. But he said it was well worth the trip. What island did he go to? He was at Kaual.
Standing on the beach
Some broken trees on the beach
The view from his hotel room
He also took a helicopter ride around the island. These are the pictures he got.
What are some vacations you have taken? Want to check out this A to Z Blogging Challenge? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit a few people doing the challenge? Just click on the navigation buttons on my side bar.
Standing on the beach
Some broken trees on the beach
The view from his hotel room
He also took a helicopter ride around the island. These are the pictures he got.
What are some vacations you have taken? Want to check out this A to Z Blogging Challenge? Head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit a few people doing the challenge? Just click on the navigation buttons on my side bar.
REVIEW - MISS HILDRETH WORE BROWN
This book is for 1 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge(49/200)
I've moved this book up on my list of review books. Olivia deBelle Byrd is having a Blog Tour this month. So I wanted to get this posted. I will also include several other bloggers that are participating in the blog tour just in case you want to go check out their reviews of the books.
April 27 My Life In Not So Many Words
April 28 So Many Books, So Little Time
April 29 Peeking Between The Pages
April 30 Under The Boardwalk
MY THOUGHTS: I loved reading this book! Ii's like taking a stroll through someone's memory book. I could really envision myself right there with her. My favorite story is "Success". It's about Olivia and her cousin David building a putt-putt golf course in her back yard. They were only 10 years old, but they built that course and played putt-putt golf there. What wonderful times they must have had. If you haven't read this book, you should put it at the top of your list of books to read. It is full of laugh-out-loud parts and you will truly enjoy reading this book.
MY RATING: 8-12
Olivia has also supplied me with some info you might like to read.
Praise for
Miss Hildreth Wore Brown
Anecdotes of a Southern Belle
“Olivia deBelle Byrd follows in the footsteps of Southern humorists Fanny Flagg and Bailey White to create a delightful book of personal essays dedicated to delving into the mysteries of the modern Southern Belle—a woman no longer lost in coy mincing, but straight talking, cheap, and spunky enough to reject overpriced coffee and Victoria’s Secret. With a dry wit worthy of Dorothy Parker, Byrd muses on everything from the state of our Christmas sweaters to the great assumption of Southern life—our mamas were crazy, so it isn’t a great surprise we get a little sideways. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown is a great gift book, a great take-to-the-hospital book; possibly even a great take-to-the-viewing book to give the bereaved a laugh while they loll around the funeral home. A must-have for anyone with a taste for the absurd and a sweet tooth for all things Southern.”
—JANIS OWENS,
author of My Brother Michael
“With Miss Hildreth Wore Brown, Olivia deBelle Byrd proves that she is the real thing—an authentic Southern Belle with stories galore. I can’t wait to give this hilarious and heartwarming book to all my sweet friends.”
—CASSANDRA KING,
author of The Same Sweet Girls
“As a fifth generation Southerner, I thought I knew all there was to know about Southern culture. However, Olivia deBelle Byrd has taught me a thing or two. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown covers everything from Sunday church, beauty pageants and Northern exposure with humorous insight. This is one that you’ll want to savor with a mint julep!”
—MICHAEL MORRIS,
author of A Place Called Wiregrass
“Olivia deBelle Byrd is a wonderful writer if you happen to enjoy wit, talent, charm, and good looks. Anyone who has ever cracked a grin at the works of Nora Ephron or Fannie Flagg owes it to herself to read Miss Hildreth Wore Brown, which is the warmest, wisest, funniest book I’ve read in a month of Sundays. It’s like lunch with your wittiest friends—full of heart, love, and juicy gossip. It contains so many hilarious lines I can’t wait to dine out and pretend I was clever enough to come up with them myself!”
—ROBERT LELEUX,
author of The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy
“I’m warning you, this book will knock you to the floor quicker than Holy Ghost wine—you won’t know what hit ‘cha, but you won’t be able to stop laughing. (One more thing—but promise not to say nothing—I think it’s pitiful the way Olivia carries on about her husband Tommy in the pages of this book. That poor man—I heard Tommy’s so upset he’s threatening to run off with Benny Hinn’s ex-wife.)”
—KAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS,
author of Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?
(‘Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV)
“Miss Hildreth Wore Brown is the perfect guide to becoming a good Southerner for those not inclined to be nice. We have long known that a Southern woman can say anything about anyone and be excused if they finish it with: Bless her heart !”
—RON HART,
syndicated Southern humorist and author of No Such Thing as a Pretty Good Alligator Wrestler
“Although my own deep Southern roots go back to more sharecroppers than characters like Olivia deBelle Byrd’s Miss Hildreth (whom Huck Finn would have identified as one of “the Aristocracy”), I nodded often in recognition of my own experience and laughed out loud many times as I savored Byrd’s down-home stories. Pour yourself a glass of iced tea, turn off your cell phone, and settle in for a delightful read.”
—GLORIA PIPKIN,
great-granddaughter of a Civil War widow, longtime former teacher, author, and editor
[This is a free review book.]
Outdo Yourself Challenge(49/200)
I've moved this book up on my list of review books. Olivia deBelle Byrd is having a Blog Tour this month. So I wanted to get this posted. I will also include several other bloggers that are participating in the blog tour just in case you want to go check out their reviews of the books.
April 27 My Life In Not So Many Words
April 28 So Many Books, So Little Time
April 29 Peeking Between The Pages
April 30 Under The Boardwalk
"Miss Hildreth Wore Brown" by Olivia deBelle Byrd
Product Description(Amazon.com)
While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said,“Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any. On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing. With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Oliviade Belle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms. The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt LottieMae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama. Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church,where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (May 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1600377483
ISBN-13: 978-1600377488
MY THOUGHTS: I loved reading this book! Ii's like taking a stroll through someone's memory book. I could really envision myself right there with her. My favorite story is "Success". It's about Olivia and her cousin David building a putt-putt golf course in her back yard. They were only 10 years old, but they built that course and played putt-putt golf there. What wonderful times they must have had. If you haven't read this book, you should put it at the top of your list of books to read. It is full of laugh-out-loud parts and you will truly enjoy reading this book.
MY RATING: 8-12
Olivia has also supplied me with some info you might like to read.
Praise for
Miss Hildreth Wore Brown
Anecdotes of a Southern Belle
“Olivia deBelle Byrd follows in the footsteps of Southern humorists Fanny Flagg and Bailey White to create a delightful book of personal essays dedicated to delving into the mysteries of the modern Southern Belle—a woman no longer lost in coy mincing, but straight talking, cheap, and spunky enough to reject overpriced coffee and Victoria’s Secret. With a dry wit worthy of Dorothy Parker, Byrd muses on everything from the state of our Christmas sweaters to the great assumption of Southern life—our mamas were crazy, so it isn’t a great surprise we get a little sideways. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown is a great gift book, a great take-to-the-hospital book; possibly even a great take-to-the-viewing book to give the bereaved a laugh while they loll around the funeral home. A must-have for anyone with a taste for the absurd and a sweet tooth for all things Southern.”
—JANIS OWENS,
author of My Brother Michael
“With Miss Hildreth Wore Brown, Olivia deBelle Byrd proves that she is the real thing—an authentic Southern Belle with stories galore. I can’t wait to give this hilarious and heartwarming book to all my sweet friends.”
—CASSANDRA KING,
author of The Same Sweet Girls
“As a fifth generation Southerner, I thought I knew all there was to know about Southern culture. However, Olivia deBelle Byrd has taught me a thing or two. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown covers everything from Sunday church, beauty pageants and Northern exposure with humorous insight. This is one that you’ll want to savor with a mint julep!”
—MICHAEL MORRIS,
author of A Place Called Wiregrass
“Olivia deBelle Byrd is a wonderful writer if you happen to enjoy wit, talent, charm, and good looks. Anyone who has ever cracked a grin at the works of Nora Ephron or Fannie Flagg owes it to herself to read Miss Hildreth Wore Brown, which is the warmest, wisest, funniest book I’ve read in a month of Sundays. It’s like lunch with your wittiest friends—full of heart, love, and juicy gossip. It contains so many hilarious lines I can’t wait to dine out and pretend I was clever enough to come up with them myself!”
—ROBERT LELEUX,
author of The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy
“I’m warning you, this book will knock you to the floor quicker than Holy Ghost wine—you won’t know what hit ‘cha, but you won’t be able to stop laughing. (One more thing—but promise not to say nothing—I think it’s pitiful the way Olivia carries on about her husband Tommy in the pages of this book. That poor man—I heard Tommy’s so upset he’s threatening to run off with Benny Hinn’s ex-wife.)”
—KAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS,
author of Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?
(‘Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV)
“Miss Hildreth Wore Brown is the perfect guide to becoming a good Southerner for those not inclined to be nice. We have long known that a Southern woman can say anything about anyone and be excused if they finish it with: Bless her heart !”
—RON HART,
syndicated Southern humorist and author of No Such Thing as a Pretty Good Alligator Wrestler
“Although my own deep Southern roots go back to more sharecroppers than characters like Olivia deBelle Byrd’s Miss Hildreth (whom Huck Finn would have identified as one of “the Aristocracy”), I nodded often in recognition of my own experience and laughed out loud many times as I savored Byrd’s down-home stories. Pour yourself a glass of iced tea, turn off your cell phone, and settle in for a delightful read.”
—GLORIA PIPKIN,
great-granddaughter of a Civil War widow, longtime former teacher, author, and editor
[This is a free review book.]
Monday, April 25, 2011
A TO Z BLOGGING CHALLENGE - "U"
It's time for the letter "U". Very hard letter to write about. But here goes. Umbrella, under, unexpected, unfinished, up(on top). Well, my word today is all of the above mentioned words. It's a hodge podge of words today.
Umbrella - which is used a lot this week as it's rained every day.
Under - my old desk had a shelf under it that I could stack books, but I got a new desk and it doesn't have one.
Unexpected - I was looking around the garden and found this flower popping up. It is still kind of cold so it was unexpected.
Unfinished - This is a doily I started last year. It lay unfinished for a few months. I finally just ripped it out and started a new one. I didn't really like the way this one was turning out.
Up(on top) - This is a peacock that I snapped while at the park. He was strutting his stuff up on top of a shelter.
If you want to check out the A to Z Blogging Challenge, head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit a few folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation buttons in my side bar.
Umbrella - which is used a lot this week as it's rained every day.
Under - my old desk had a shelf under it that I could stack books, but I got a new desk and it doesn't have one.
Unexpected - I was looking around the garden and found this flower popping up. It is still kind of cold so it was unexpected.
Unfinished - This is a doily I started last year. It lay unfinished for a few months. I finally just ripped it out and started a new one. I didn't really like the way this one was turning out.
Up(on top) - This is a peacock that I snapped while at the park. He was strutting his stuff up on top of a shelter.
If you want to check out the A to Z Blogging Challenge, head over to Arlee's place. Want to visit a few folks doing the challenge? Click on the navigation buttons in my side bar.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
REVIEW - DELIRIOUS
This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge(48/200)
The 50 States Challenge(Massachusetts)
MY THOUGHTS: This book is written with lots of twists and turns. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing who, what, when, where and why. It starts with a little yellow post it note on Charlie's computer that looks like his hand writing, but he doesn't remember writing it. The post it note says: "If not yourself, then who can you believe?" Well that starts a series of mysterious things that Charlie can't explain and can't figure out what is going on. And does Charlie figure it out? You'll have to read the book to find out.
MY RATING: 5
[This is a free review book.]
Outdo Yourself Challenge(48/200)
The 50 States Challenge(Massachusetts)
"Delirious" by Daniel Palmer
Product Description(Amazon.com)
One day, Charlie Giles is an up-and-coming electronics superstar. The next, he's a prime homicide suspect as his former employers are picked off one by one. Charlie watches his life unravel as his company and inventions are wrenched from his control, and his family is decimated. With nowhere else to turn, he enlists his schizophrenic brother to uncover the dark family secrets that lie at the heart of the unfolding terror. "Delirious" is a mind-bending story where the line between what is real and what is imagined twists and turns...an addictive literary puzzle that every reader will want to solve.
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758246641
ISBN-13: 978-0758246646
MY THOUGHTS: This book is written with lots of twists and turns. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing who, what, when, where and why. It starts with a little yellow post it note on Charlie's computer that looks like his hand writing, but he doesn't remember writing it. The post it note says: "If not yourself, then who can you believe?" Well that starts a series of mysterious things that Charlie can't explain and can't figure out what is going on. And does Charlie figure it out? You'll have to read the book to find out.
MY RATING: 5
[This is a free review book.]
REVIEW - MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
This book is for 3 of my reading challenges.
Outdo Yourself Challenge(47/200)
Vintage Mystery Challenge
A-Z Challenge(Titles(M)
MY THOUGHTS: If you have never read an Agatha Christie book, this is one I recommend you read. It is full of intrigue, mystery and of course murder. And with the help of Hercule Poirot and his grey cells they solve the murder on The Orient Express. M. Poirot must solve the murder of M. Rachett. A man who is not who he says he is. There are 12 suspects to go through and figure out where they were at the time of the murder. And how did the murderer get off the train in the middle of a blizzard or did he/she? You'll have to read the book to find out.
RATING: 5
Outdo Yourself Challenge(47/200)
Vintage Mystery Challenge
A-Z Challenge(Titles(M)
"Murder on The Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Product Description(Amazon.com)
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.
Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books, Inc.; 35th THUS edition (1975)
ISBN-10: 0671784749
ISBN-13: 978-0671784744
MY THOUGHTS: If you have never read an Agatha Christie book, this is one I recommend you read. It is full of intrigue, mystery and of course murder. And with the help of Hercule Poirot and his grey cells they solve the murder on The Orient Express. M. Poirot must solve the murder of M. Rachett. A man who is not who he says he is. There are 12 suspects to go through and figure out where they were at the time of the murder. And how did the murderer get off the train in the middle of a blizzard or did he/she? You'll have to read the book to find out.
RATING: 5
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