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Showing posts from April, 2010

Book Review The Raindrop by Brian D. McClure

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I love kids books, but after reading the same ones over and over I get bored.  I was so excited to be able to review The Raindrop!!  The illustrations are beautiful, they look like oil paintings.  About the author: Brian McClure is an Ohio native and founder and president of The Universal Flag Company.  Inside his Universal Flag program, he has set up a non profit, whit benefits suffering in third world countries. "I am just a raindrop; I am smaller than small.  What am I doing here? I have no use at all..."    The raindrop feels like he is insignificant and only a small drop of water.  What does it matter what he does? The Earth is in the middle of a drought and needing every drop of water it can get.  As the raindrop makes his way through the water cycle, he learns that while he is only one drop when all the drops add together, they make a huge impact. This is a great story with a moral that everyone can relate to.  My older kids like to read it because they are learn

Book Review: Hiking Through by Paul V. Stutzman

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Title: Hiking Through Author: Paul V. Stuzman Publisher: Synergy Books ISBN-13: 978-0984076055 Release Date: April 6, 2010 Summary (from author's website): "After losing his wife to breast cancer, Paul Stutzman decided to make some big changes. He quit his job of seventeen years and embarked upon a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,176-mile stretch of varying terrain spanning fourteen states. During his nearly five-month-long hike, he battled brutal trail conditions and overwhelming loneliness, but also enjoyed spectacular scenery and trail camaraderie. With breathtaking descriptions and humorous anecdotes from his travels, Stutzman reveals how immersing himself in nature and befriending fellow hikers helped him recover from a devastating loss. Somewhere between Georgia and Maine, he realized that God had been with him every step of the way, and on a famous path through the wilderness, he found his own path to peace and freedom." This is a great book! This

Book Review: The Language of Secrets by Diane Dixon

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Title: The Language of Secrets Author: Dianne Dixon Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 978-0-385-53063-7 Release Date: March 23, 2010 Summary: (taken from the author's website ) "Justin Fisher appears to have the perfect life—a beautiful wife, a baby son, a glamorous job as a luxury hotel manager, and the lavish spoils of his prosperous in-laws. But beneath this charmed existence, lies a dark secret: Justin’s past is a puzzle with missing pieces. His search for the truth begins with his attempt to reconnect with his parents: a visit to 822 Lima Street—the house where he was born—a place made unforgettable by a haunting song his mother sang to him when he was a child. Justin is shocked to discover his mother and father are dead. But the real jolt comes when he visits their gravesite. There, he finds a weathered headstone bearing his name; and an inscription that says he died before his third birthday. And so begins Dixon’s intriguing tale spanning almost four decades and thou

I Love Clowns...

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Check out my new blog at alwinfield.com For Mama Kat's Writers Workshop this week's topic is What I fear most and why. Hmmm.  Do you hire high school kids to come to your child's birthday party dressed as clowns so that your child will tramatized for their whole life?  Do you let your children watch It (ok now that movie is cheesy and I recognize the actor who plays the clown but then..) and then not even thinking about it you by said child a clown doll?  Are you crazy or just really mean?  Come on Mom you traumatize me and then wonder why as a teenager/adult I will have nothing to do with clowns?  Really? Do you know any normal people who put on crazy make up and then play with kids?  I don't think so.  Demented thats what they are!! Even dogs in clown costumes are scary.  That dog used to be nice and sweet, but now he is Cujo.

Book Review: Queen of Your Own Life

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Summary: “Queen of Your Own Life is a philosophy, a decision and an invitation to happiness for women who have made the tough but rewarding journey to the midpoint in their lives. Kathy Kinney (best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show) and Cindy Ratzlaff (marketing genius behind the launch of The South Beach Diet) have been best friends for more than thirty years, and have helped each other navigate the ups and downs of their lives with humor and grace.” This book is geared to women who are over 40 and entering the second half of their life. However, even though I am not 40, I think that this is a book every woman should read regardless of their age.  The authors do an amazing job of helping women fix the problems in their life that are preventing them from being truly happy.  As a woman I usually blame my happiness or unhappiness on my circumstances.  If I had a better job, or a boyfriend, or was finished school, then I would be happy.  This book explains why thinking like that

Sunday Stealing

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It's that time again. Leave me a link if you steal this, so I can read your answers!!  I got this form Cute Stuff, who got it from the host (click on banner) and he stole it from someone. 36. If you suddenly became single or are single, do you think you could last in a relationship for 12 months or more?  Yes 37. Do you forgive or forget?  Forget 38. Do you trust people?  No, everyone lies 39. What are you not looking forward to? My oral Spainish presentation 40. Do you get mad easily?  Sometimes 41. Tell us about the last time you were told you that you have pretty eyes.  It ha been a while 42. Do you have strange dreams?  Yes 43. Ever licked someone's cheek or forehead?  LOL  Yes 44. Tell us about the last time you fell asleep in someones arms.  I always fall asleep in someones arms 45. When did you last play a game?  We played Life a couple of weeks ago 46. What do you have on you at all times?  My cell phone 47. Do you go out in public without ge

Drumroll please...

And the 3 winners of Just Let Me Lie Down are * Kayla * Tabatha * Glenda Congrats!!  You have 48 hours to respond to the email I send you or else random.org will pick a new winner.  Thanks for entering my giveaway!!

Book Blog Hop

I am participating in this week's Book Blog Hop hosted  by Crazy for Books !!  Head over their and add yourself to the McLinky if you want to join.  If you are visiting me from the blog hop, leave me a comment with a link to your blog so I can check out your blog and return the love.  BTW...My giveaway of Just Let Me Lie Down, ends tonight at 9 pm eastern.  Have a great weekend, thanks for visiting, and enjoy my blog!!

Are You Wearing Blue?? The Autism Book Giveaway

Since today 4/2 is World Autism Awareness Day, I am giving away 3 copies of The Autism Book by Dr. Robert W. Sears.  The book summary says "What every parent needs to know about early detection, treatment, recovery, and prevention."  In Jan of 2008, I was taking a class classed called Working with Children with Special Needs.  One of the assignmnets was a book report.  So I had asked my mom to look on amazon.com and see if she could find any interesting books.  She called me a little while later that she found a book and it was about Jacob.  My son was almost 22 months at the time.  She said the child in the book lined up his toys and then would leave them and if anybody touched them he would freak out and throw tantrums.  When I asked her what the book was she wasn't sure but was going to look it up again.  She called me a little later and said it was about autism.  This was a turning point in our family.  If you don't have expereince with speacial needs and the