Romance Teaser and Giveaway

by Carol17 Comments
Lauren pushed away from the porch railing. Caleb was here. Why did that feel like something to celebrate? The rubber squeak of the balloons yanking against their ribbons, the fragrant homemade pizza smell wafting out the open windows and the rustle of the breeze in the trees faded into the background. Caleb strode through the gravel, looking shower-fresh in a blue T-shirt and worn jeans. He was every inch the salt-of-the-earth man she believed him to be. (pg. 129, A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart) Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. I cheated for a good reason though. This one just came in the mail yesterday from Harlequin Ambassadors with four others to give away. Here's the...
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Hidden Gems

by Carol9 Comments
I don't usually participate in The Bumbles Monday Movie Meme, but I couldn't resist today. The topic is Hidden Gems, movies you loved but that might have been overlooked by others, and I have three I just adore. Shallow Grave (1994) Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston), and Alex (Ewan McGregor), three completely unlikable housemates, face a moral dilemma when their new roomie, Hugo (Keith Allen), turns up dead of a drug overdose, leaving behind a suitcase stuffed with cash. Their decision to chop up the body, bury the bits, and keep the loot leads to a well-deserved descent into paranoia, betrayal, and dementia. Big Night (1996) Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect....
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The Emperor’s New Clothes

by Carol8 Comments
Yeah, I know I talked about The Emperor's New Clothes back in February, but this times it's a musical version, script, lyrics and music by Dave and Jean Perry, performed at our local Center of Music and Art. Amber was there every day last week for Drama Camp and Friday night was their performance. The kids all did a great job. It was a funny show, cute with a bunch of laugh-out loud moments. Amber was one of the sister tailors, with lots of lines and solos, all of which she remembered. Of course, she was wonderful, but I might be a little biased. ...
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Game Night – Treehouse

by Carol3 Comments
Treehouse Designer: Andrew Looney Manufacturer: Looney Labs Year: 2006 Playing time: 20 minutes Ages: 8 and up Players: 2 - 4 Last weekend, as we were on our way out the door to the fireworks, David said to grab a game to take with us, something to play while we waited on the sidewalk the hour or so before the explosions started. So, what game to bring? There were only four of us, set-up had to be easy, it had to be one David could carry in his pocket, and it couldn't be something that would blow away, since it was an outdoor, pretty crowded area. Treehouse was perfect. All the pieces come in a small tube. The game can take up a small area and wind is not an issues, unlike with cards. It consists of of plastic pyramids and a die. In the initial set up, one set of three pyramids is set up as the "House," the black set in...
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Rainbow-walker

by Carol5 Comments
Last week, I talked about the real Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman. Today, we're looking at the legend he left behind. I read "Rainbow-walker" in American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg, although I'm sure there are many versions of the story available. While the story does focus on Johnny's love of apple trees and his mission to plant orchards west of Pittsburgh and help others do the same, his love of animals struck me most. He heals them and talks to them. They are his friends and companions during his trek through the wilderness. On days when he found no settlers or friendly Indians to spend the night with, he slept out in the open with a fox or raccoon curled up beside him to keep him warm. One of the animals he healed, a large black wolf, became his friend, followed him constantly as they both grew older. I have to admit to bawling during the part of the story when the...
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