Over the Top Award

by Carol8 Comments
Freda from Freda's Voice awarded me this lovely award! Thank you very much!! Here are the rules: Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people and let them know. Your cell phone? On Your hair? Curly Your mother? Creepy Your father? Missed Your favorite food? Italian Your dream last night? None Your favorite drink? Cocoa Your dream/goal? Read What room are you in? Office Your hobby? Books Your fear? Ants Where do you want to be in 6 years? Beach Where were you last night? Home Something that you aren't? Hungry Muffins? Blueberry Wish list item? Socks Where did you grow up? Ohio Last thing you did? Lunch What are you wearing? Sweater Your TV? Off Your Pets? Mutt Friends? Loud Your life? Good Your mood? Happy Missing someone? No Vehicle? Saturn Something you're not wearing? Earrings Your favorite store? On-line Your favorite color? Purple When was the last time you laughed? Earlier Last time you cried? Book Your best friend? David One place that you go to over and over? Groceries Facebook? Nope Favorite place to eat? Out Single word answers are hard. Just so you know, I don't...
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The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu

by Carol5 Comments
The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu The title sums this book up. It answers a myriad of questions with brief, usually only one or two paragraph, clear responses, so while you may have to look elsewhere for more in-depth info, this gives you at least an answer to start with. It covers everything from outer space to math to animals. It answers questions like "What is a booger?" and "How does a cellular phone work?" The sheer variety of topics is amazing, really. "What is Euclid's elements?" I had no idea. "How thick is a lightning bolt?" I never even considered the question. It even explains why women in some countries wear veils. Of course, it can't cover everything. For example, I wanted to see what it said about Christmas - nothing. But I did find "Are angels real?" In many religions, angels are powerful spiritual beings who live with God but who sometimes become involved in the...
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Movie – Disney’s A Christmas Carol

by Carol8 Comments
Disney's A Christmas Carol I truly enjoyed this re-imagining of Dicken's classic story. We all know the basic plot. Scrooge is a bitter old man, with no joy or charity in his heart. He is visited by three "spirits," the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, who convince him that he needs to change his ways. I read the story a couple of years ago, but from what I remember, the script stayed very close to the original, with some added flying and chase scenes to make full use of the 3D. The 3-D, by the way, was very well done. Sometimes I get tired of all the 3-D movies that have been coming out lately, but I thought it worked nicely in this case. This was the creepiest version of the story I've seen, but I mean that in a good way. The ghosts could be downright scary at times. I was thankful that we were seeing it in the middle...
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Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

by Carol7 Comments
Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas I really enjoyed this mystery set in Victorian London. London is a beautiful city, and never more so than when it rains. The streets gleam, the buildings all take on a dappled color, and the lights from butcher shops, tobacconists, and tea shops cast a cozy shade of ochre upon the pavement. (pg. 31) Thomas Llewelyn, the narrator, is at the end of his rope when he is hired by enquiry agent Cyrus Barker as his assistant, a position that thankfully includes room and board. The two work together to solve the mystery behind the murder of a young Jewish man in London's Jewish ghetto. It's vaguely reminiscent of a Holmes-Watson relationship, with Thomas as Barker's apprentice. The strength of this novel, for me, was the characters. Barker is certainly an eccentric and surrounds himself with an odd cast of character, including Llewelyn who has a past as both an Oxford student and prison inmate. The household also...
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Two more challenges

by Carol6 Comments
I really enjoyed the challenges I did last year, so am re-joining a couple of them, even though I said no more challenges. These don't count, since they're not really "new." First is the 100+ Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye. I'm just setting my goal at reading 100 books. If I read more, great. Also, I don't think I'm going to complete the A-Z Challenge this year. Maybe, but probably not. I'm going to give it another shot in 2010. Becky's hosting it at A to Z Challenge....
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Guest Post about Christmas Shopping by Pat Snyder

by Carol8 Comments
I want to thank Pat Snyder, author of The Dog Ate My Planner, for guest posting today. Her story about Christmas shopping made me laugh. ONLY ONE WISE MAN BROUGHT GOLD Ever on the lookout for time-savers, I was blown away when my friend Jean said she didn’t do Christmas shopping for her adult children. “I’m terrible,” she said. “I just write a check.” “Not terrible!” I told her, feet still hurting from last year’s hunt. “Money’s what they want! Money’s what they need! I’ve never seen one of them return it.” The prospect of a shopping strike left me reeling. Mentally, I fast-forwarded to two weeks before Christmas under a no-shopping plan. I am sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping red wine (for my health) and tucking three checks into gift envelopes to be hung from the tree. I have purchased lovely cards for my spouse and my mom. And I’ve gone to the Heifer International website (http://www.heifer.org) and notified my out-of-town relatives...
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