Carol's Notebook – Page 347

Shadow and Light by Jonathan Rabb

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 by Carol3 Comments

I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow and Light, but man, is it complicated. It starts off with an apparent suicide at a film studio, but Hoffner knows it's not that simple. Hoffner is a good character, determined and solid, but horrible at relationships, he's drinks too much, and is probably too friendly with the criminal backbone of the city. On the other hand, it seems like the criminals are more help than the system. The more he digs, the more grime and muck rises. And maybe that's how Berlin was at the time. Somehow, the crime syndicate, the sex trade, the movie studios, the rise of Nazism, all intertwine. To be honest, I'm not sure I got it all, but it didn't matter. Rabb immerses you in this world, and if you don't quite understand every bit, that's okay, because I don't think the characters do either. We meet several historical figures, but I don't know enough about the time and place...

April

April 1, 2015March 25, 2015 by Carol8 Comments

April Alone among the tulips and daffodils, a frog whispers, "Princess, come, pick me up, take me home with you. Release me from my curse - only you can. In your bed let me sleep. By your side let me eat. Love me, kiss me, make me a man." This is my A post for the A to Z Blogging Challenge....

Readers’ Workouts – 3/31/15

March 31, 2015 by Carol4 Comments

So, here are my steps for the week. I have been hitting my 8,000 goal consistently. And here's my current workout plan. I just finished week 9, more or less. Tuesday - 4 mile run on the treadmill followed by 20 minutes on the leg and ab machines. It was a long 4 miles. :( Wednesday - 15 minute ab workout. 15 minutes of dumbbell arm exercises. Thursday - 60 minutes on the elliptical Friday - 3 mile run on the treadmill on the hill setting Sunday - 6 mile run on the treadmill. It's funny, but I think the 6 miles was easier than the 4 on Tuesday. I wish I knew what made the difference. Monday - 1 mile walk with the dog I almost always listen to audiobooks while I'm walking and running. This week I finished Shadow and Light and started Gorky Park. How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog. Thanks!...

Blogging from A to Z (April 2015)

March 31, 2015March 25, 2015 by Carol5 Comments

Tomorrow starts the annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I decided last week to participate again this year. I'm not going with a theme. I had a couple of good ideas, but didn't get them pulled together - maybe next year. If you want to join in the fun, the sign-up linky is here. Thanks to all our great hosts: Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts Nicole Ayers @ The Madlab Post Author Stephen Tremp Heather M. Gardner AJ Lauer Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian Matthew MacNish @ The QQQE Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary L. Hennessy @ Pensuasion Lee McKenzie @ The Write Game Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot Susan Gourley @ Susan Says John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing Lisa Buie-Collard, Author...

7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow by Bob Merritt

March 30, 2015 by Carol2 Comments

The sermon series at our church during Lent was based on 7 Simple Choices for a Better Tomorrow, which is why I picked up the book. The seven choices do sound simple, but each takes work and dedication. Give it one more day Manage you loads Give yourself time Find you rhythm Have barbed-wire discipline Try things you can't do Avoid the fall It gave me a lot to think about. It makes you really look at what you're doing and encourages you to make spiritual disciplines a part of your life. He encourages you to evaluate. I like Merritt's style. He's down to earth and has a lot of true life stories to illustrate his points. I think while I got a lot out of it, my husband would too, if he reads it. Merritt is a hunter, a fisherman, a guy's guy, at least it seems like it. I'm just going to share a couple of passages I highlighted to give you an idea of what the...

A Day in My Life

March 27, 2015March 30, 2015 by Carol19 Comments

Trish, at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity, is hosting A Day in the Life event today. I somehow missed that it was coming up, but it's such a fun idea, I decided to go ahead and share my yesterday, even if I don't have any photos to share. 6:20 am - The alarm went off. I woke up my husband and he headed to the bathroom. We only have one bathroom to use between the three of us in the morning, so who uses it when is a practiced routine. When he came back in the room, it was my turn in the bathroom and then I woke up my daughter. I fed the lizard and had some cereal for breakfast. 7: 20 am - Drove my daughter to school. I'm one of the women who just throws a robe and shoes on. No one sees me anyway. 7:30 am - I'm back home. Yesterday I went back to bed for short...