Book 22

Brainless and entertaining.  Story number 2 in Rules of Play by Nora Roberts is titled The Heart's Victory.  Is it some of Nora's best writing, perhaps not.  But it was just what I needed to start the summer with reading fun.  What else am I planning to read this summer?  I am hoping to finish Janet Evanovich's series about a bounty hunter; I've read the first 9 books and first novella.  10 more books and two more novellas to go.  Might not happen as I am also trying a new series.  Funny story, I got a book from my friend JB with the note that it is brainless and entertaining.  I set it aside cause it was MAY, but when Mommy arrived and we started talking books, she asked if I had tried Robyn Carr.  "I think I have that author on my shelf to read," I quipped back.  Indeed it was the one and same so I am trying out Robyn Carr's Virgin River series.  I've also ordered The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (http://henriettalacksfoundation.org/), The Hundred Dresses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hundred_Dresses), a Tree Grows in Brooklyn (which also has a movie from 1945) and Daring Greatly (which is supposed to be super powerful).  Please message me if you are interested it reading and discussing any of the above.

I did spend about an hour on the library site looking for and requesting books.  My LRHB is going to read every Amelia Bedelia story.  He's finished two and LOVED the humor!  Actually, I should say that he is reading all of the ones by the original author.  It seems that her nephew has started writing books about Amelia's childhood.  I'm not sure we'll venture there when there are so many books and so little time.

Read a book!

Read this...

Lots of read this and that out in FB land.  However, I found this today and rolled!  Enjoy!

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/05/30/worst-end-of-school-year-mom-ever

School's Out for SUMMER!

Technically, we are sadly finishing week one of summer fun.  Sigh.  Where did it go?  Swim team started.  check.  Doctor's appointment to discover that Teen Boy doesn't need surgery, but will be in his boot another three weeks and will start physical therapy next week.  check.  Finished working and attended a work end of year gathering.  check.  Laundry?  nope.  Cleaning up post guests?  nope.  Migraine?  check.  Post May Migraine only lasted one day, for which we can be truly grateful.  Baseball finished?  nope.  We've got 4 games this week with potentially one or two more next week.  Getting caught up on useless reading?  check. Teen boy received his driver's license?  nope.  Not with a boot.

But the sun is shining (the wind is gusting) and I missed spots yesterday sitting poolside thus getting the season's first sunburn.  Today we make a list of summer projects.  And goals.  And fun.

I LOVE SUMMER BREAK!  One week down and 12 to go.  Oh happy dance time!!

House of Crazy

Let me start by saying that I am INCREDIBLY BLESSED.  I am and I know it.  However, it doesn't mean that I can't poke some fun at myself and my family that BLESSED me with their presence.  They all clean up after themselves, they all fix their own breakfast and lunch and mostly they just love us to pieces.  But, apparently after living far, far away from my family for the last 19 years, I've gotten used to small holiday events.  Something I NEVER thought I'd say.  Mind you, I did house of CRAZY two years ago, but I wasn't working so maybe that is why it was easier/less stressful.  Even though I took four days off.  And I didn't have to go with the swim team far away for the state meet, so that made life easier.  Yet, life was Crazy.  Crazy, Crazy Crazy and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  The one smart thing I did do, was go back ALL DAY after my four days off.  Second to last day of school carries its own crazy, but one that seemed easier.

I cannot point to any one thing that made life Crazy.  Perhaps it was just the culmination of everything.  Work.  Staples in the LRHB's head.  Broken plumbing.  A non-driving graduate that had to be chauffeured everywhere the entire time including grad rehearsal and every party.  Having a party at the house where almost everyone came in the first 30 minutes.  Who knew 6 pm was a good party time?  Did I mention the graduate was on CRUTCHES?  Oh yes, nothing easy.   Perhaps it was the baseball game that got SLEETED out.  Or fitting in an MRI, and having to wait and wait and wait for the results, not knowing what the summer held.  Perhaps it was the blending of everyone's different lives in one home for 10 days (think TV - some watch nothing but sports, some watch 24/7 but game shows and news).  But everything was special.  Watching the grad chat with the grandparents about stuff.  Or play cards.  Or watch movies.  Watching all of them adore the LRHB when he was injured or playing baseball or making his First Holy Communion.  College Boy putting family first to be here for first one brother's big day and then the other's big day on a different day and still finding time to spend with the grandparents.  It was crazy, and blessed and special.

And to think, we have another graduation next year.

Books, Books, 18-21!

1. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume is not unlike Forever in that is pushes ones comfort levels when it comes to the topic of sex while telling a compelling tale.  If Forever made you uncomfortable, pass this one up.  
2. Starting Now by Debbie Macomber is a return to her Blossom Street Series.  We visited with old characters and met new ones in this delightful tale.  If you haven't read this series, it is a great trip to Seattle with characters that are easy to befriend.  It starts with The Shop on Blossom Street.
3. I returned to the nonfiction with When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner, a rabbi.  This book originally released in 1981 carries words of wisdom true still today.  A go-to book perhaps not initially for the one in the midst of the grieving, but rather for those around them.  This is a go back and read kind of book for people that truly want to be present and helpful during grief.  Thanks to my dear friend J.J. for recommending it!
4. Carry On, Warrior is a book I actually pre-ordered and then didn't even read quickly.  In fact, I treasured it slowly, a little at a time, fearing the day that is would be finished and I wouldn't have it to read.  I desperately wanted to meet author Glennon Doyle Melton on April 11th and have her sign it, but (sigh) it was Hero Daddy's birthday and he came first.  I LOVED this book and as soon as my Crazy Mama returns it to me, I will promptly have to pass it along, again.  At my kids book club, I read the other moms excerpts from it and they all want to read it.  That's why Crazy Mama has it.  It made me laugh, OUT LOUD; it made me cry, ALSO OUT LOUD, not that quiet sniffling thing.  Get it.  Now.  Read and Share.  Now, how many books have I said that about?
5. Opposites Attract (story 1 of Rules of Play) by Nora Roberts is my most recent read.  I would hide out at night and fall into the story while I was living in the house of crazy during graduation week.  Don't get me wrong, I love the house of crazy and will detail it in a separate post.  However, sometimes a good old fashioned romance is the perfect escape.  I hadn't read my good friend Nora in several years, so it was a nice reunion.  I have started the second story and hopefully will find that as brainless and entertaining. 

Not really a post...

This is not really a post, but just a drive by.  To tell you I'm not resolving at the moment, but I am.  I'm not reading at the moment, but I have.  I've got tons to do for the household guests descending in hours, but I felt  that before I could do that for others, I needed to fill my soul.  So I caught up on my blogs.  And then I drove over here to give you some direction.

Looking for a great laugh?  Go here:
http://momastery.com/blog/2013/05/16/still-got-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=still-got-it

Looking for a place to give?  Go here:
http://momastery.com/blog/2013/05/12/the-power-of-a-circle-of-women/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-power-of-a-circle-of-women

or here:

http://www.kateleong.com/2013/05/gavins-trust-project_13.html


About me... my Teen boy is done with high school and with swimming.  Both bring a boatload of emotions to me that I will hopefully explore in the future.

In the meantime, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I did, and more on that later.

Happy Friday!

Surviving the Band Trip

I did survive the band trip.  Part 1 - 15 hour bus trip:  With a little help with my Motrin Nighttime, I was able to sleep on the bus.  Probably to the dismay of my co-chaperons.  I slept through one whole stop on the way down; a stop I didn't know we were making.  Actually, I think I slept through one on the way back too.

Part 2 - Tour Day was fabulous!  The trip to the 6th Floor Museum was interesting and informative.  For those of you like me that have NO IDEA what this museum is, it is about the assassination of JFK.  We got those headsets to wear and walked through the exhibits.  It was very cool.  But the most cool thing was our tour of Dallas Stadium.  Now, I am not a fan of the Cowboys.  In fact, I root for their arch enemy the Redskins.  And I wore my Redskins shirt there as did Teen Boy - such fun!  But that place is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!  I took a bunch of pictures to share and learned so much stuff.  Like the Jonas Brothers played some video game on the BIG SCREEN.  And it is the largest this and that and the lockers are made of some special wood imported from Africa and cost about 10K a piece.  Dinner that night was at a Mall Food Court.  I ate soup and a sandwich from the SoupMan (apparently he's only called the Soup Nazi by Jerry and his friends).  This mall had some VERY upscale shops and then some places I would be able to afford.  It also had a pond with turtles so I took a picture for the LRHB.

Part 3 - The performance.  They played the absolute best I have EVER heard them.  And my boy rocked his solo.  They deserved this trip, this chance to play in a beautiful concert hall.  The performance was followed by another pizza buffet.  UGH.  And then fun at the Go-Kart place.  Now, I got my kicks on a motorcycle racing video game inside and even came in FIRST.  A fun time was had by all in spite of a too early departure to hang at the hotel and then have a family style meal at Buca Di Beppo (I miss that place!).  Crazy times rocked the hotel that evening but I was super proud of our teens and how they handled being in a hotel with another band that had slightly different rules (like NO rules!!).

Part 4 - Six Flags over Texas.  The kids had a ball riding the roller coasters and I enjoyed the train and the antique cars and hanging with my girl Momma R.  I got the horrid news from home while in the park.  I hoped, oh how I hoped that the kiddos would be protected from the news.  D*MN that social media.  Lesson of the day - it is okay to have fun when sad things happen.  Teen Boy lost his 1 week old phone on a roller coaster.  Perspective - it is only a phone.  I think it ruined his day.  Add lack of sleep (his room missed bus roll call!  Too funny!!) and poor diet and he discovered that those things do not make for a happy boy.  I finished the day with a funnel cake.  Just so much goodness in that funnel cake!

Part 5 - Ride home.  Those bus drivers rocked that ride home!  We came back in just over 13 hours - such joy!  Yes, I am recalling sleeping through another later night stop.  I do still have a crick in my shoulder from bus sleeping.  But breakfast was Sonic. Everyone else lined up at McDonald's or headed to Denny's where I thought the waitress was quite rude so I convinced Teen Boy to walk farther down the road with me to Sonic.   YUM!  A good time was had by all, I think.  Just gotta figure out how to get the pictures off of my phone!