Game Night – Looking forward to the Origins Game Fair

by Carol1 Comment
Next weekend we're going to the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. It runs the 23rd thru the 27th, but we'll only make it there on the Sautryday. This'll be our third year and I've been looking forward to it. It's a weekend of friends, fun and games. The list of exhibitors is huge and includes some companies I've mentioned here before, including Mayfair and Rio Grande Games. There are special events, tournaments, open gaming, guests, all of which are listed on their website. And I can't forget to mention the great people-watching. Amber'll be going for the first time this year. I hope she enjoys sampling all the new games and seeing the art show. Hopefully, we'll come back with some new games, some suggestions, some photos and who knows what else....
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Momotaro the Peach Boy

by Carol1 Comment
Today's Friday Fairy Tale post takes us on a trip to Japan to meet Momotaro, the Peach Boy. This is actually one of Japan's best-known folktales, although I had never heard of it before.  The story is available on-line here, but I read a copy I borrowed from the library which seems to be a fairly faithful retelling. Peach Boy retold by Gail Sakurai, illustrated by Makiko Nagano (Suggested reading level: Grades 2-4 ) An old man and his wife are sad and lonely because they have no children. One day, while washing clothes in the stream the woman finds giant peach which she takes home as a treat for her husband. Before they can cut it open, it bursts and a baby boy pops out, an answer to their prayers. They name the child Momotaro, which means Peach Boy. The boy grows up big, strong and brave. When he is a teenager, he decides to go on a quest to kill the ogres...
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Another Teaser from Montana Destiny

by Carol7 Comments
When Marilee remained silent she added, "For now, why not just enjoy his company. And if things start heating up, you're going to have to trust your instincts. Hey. You're a big girl now, playing in the big-girl league." (pg 70, Montana Destiny by R C Ryan) I have a feeling that I'm going to want to smack Marilee sooner or later. She's one of those women who is so wrapped up in her independence that she can't see that the man's one of the good guys and really loves her. Of course, that's a character often seen in romance and she'll figure it out before the book's over. 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 received my copy from the publisher...
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The Museum of Whatnot by Kevin Wilson

by Carol6 Comments
"The Museum of Whatnot" by Kevin Wilson I stumbled on this gem at Fifty-Two Stories this morning. Janey is the curator and only employee of the Carl Jensen Museum of Whatnot. The MOW is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the acquisition and preservation of the everyday made unique. Things that are ordinarily junk but not junk because someone, somewhere, made it more than that by their collecting, hoarding, and preserving it. Some of the museum's exhibits are creepy, like the toenail clippings, and some are sad, like a boy's collection of letters cut from magazines. Janey spends her days taking care of theses collections, of other people's stuff, things they cared about for whatever reason, but has no things of her own, things she feels attached to, things she wants. Her belongings come and go, she doesn't hold onto anything, or anyone for that matter. Her life is changed by a regular visitor to the museum,...
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Another Week in the Books

by Carol5 Comments
First, I've got a couple of winners to announce. Congrats to the winners of The Knight Life: "Chivalry Ain't Dead" by Keith Knight. michelle Ryan I hope it gives you a laugh or two. David's team won their softball game on Friday. I think that makes their record 4-2. Amber and I have decided that if David's going to get in shape, we need to too, so she started going to a kid's class at a local gym three times a week. I figure I can workout while she's in class. So far, we're really enjoying it. And our pool's open now. Amber can actually touch the bottom this year. She and David were swimming Saturday and Sunday, but the water's still a little cold for me. I ended up weeding the garden, a major task right now. We kind of let it get a little overgrown. I imagine the two little bunnies that are living in the backyard are going to love the garden,...
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