I is for Iguanodon

I is for Iguanodon

by Carol11 Comments
I'm a little sad the I isn't for Ice Cream today, but none of my family wanted to go out for ice cream last night. Instead, I is for Iguanodon. When my daughter was little she had a major dinosaur obsession. We had books upon books, and figures and stuffed animals. And of course there must a million dinosaur species, including the flying and swimming ones. One I remember though, is the Iguanodon, mostly because of its odd thumb. It has five fingers on its front "hand," erect and spiked thumb used for defence or perhaps foraging, three middle fingers and a grasping fifth finger. Even though no Iguanodons were featured in Jurassic Park, I'm taking today's post to talk about seeing it in the theater this past weekend. (Tomorrow's J is being held for a fairytale character/creature.) In the early 90s I read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, I loved it, and went on to read The Lost World. And 20 years ago, like most...
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H is for Handwriting and Holmes

H is for Handwriting and Holmes

by Carol18 Comments
Most of us learned cursive writing in elementary school, but our personal style of writing is, in theory, unique to us. I've read, and watched, a lot of mysteries over the years and occasionally a bit of handwriting becomes crucial in discovering who the villain is or isn't.  Handwriting analysis is a process that relies on extensive knowledge of the way people form letters, which characteristics of letter formation are unique and the physiological processes behind writing - the ways in which a person's fine-motor skills can affect his or her handwriting and leave clues about the author's identity. It is also possible to have two samples and distinguish if it's probable that they were both written by the same hand. I wrote the little bit above quickly and, to be honest, I don't think I want to know what it says about me. The dot on my i looks like an apostrophe. In Game Drive by Marie Moore, which I just...
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G is for the Great Smoky Mountains

G is for the Great Smoky Mountains

by Carol9 Comments
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and though I've never been there, the photos I've seen are just gorgeous. It's an area of gorgeous scenery, wild creatures, trails, festivals, and music. It's also the setting for Wayne Zurl's series featuring Prospect, Tennessee's Police Chief, Sam Jenkins.   Title: The Great Smoky Mountain Bank Job (Sam Jenkins Mystery) Author: Wayne Zurl Read by: David Colacci Category: Mystery- Police Procedural Audio published: July 28, 2012 by Mind Wings Audio Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Purchase: Amazon MP3  Sam Jenkins’ law enforcement colleagues know he’s quick to ask a professional favor. But when a beautiful Treasury agent asks for his assistance, he balks. Special Agent Lucy Frobisher wants Sam to re-open a forty-three year old investigation and find her father’s killers. Reluctantly, the ex-New York detective turned Tennessee police chief delves into the robbery-homicide and finds himself back-tracking events in the 1960s, chasing down a group of...
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F is for Fiesta Fiasco

F is for Fiesta Fiasco

by Carol7 Comments
Fiesta - a celebration Fiasco - a humiliating failure A party that turns into a fiasco can't be good, can it? Title: Fiesta Fiasco Author: Ann Whitford Paul Illustrator: Ethan Long Category: Picture Book Published: March 1, 2007 Rating: 3½ out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository There is a desert party in the works in this spicy book. It is Snake's birthday, and Iguana, Tortoise, and Rabbit are shopping for birthday gifts to bring to his fiesta. But what presents should they buy for Snake? In a sneaky twist, Rabbit convinces them to buy gifts that aren't for Snake at all--but for him! This is a cute little story. It's funny and teaches a lesson that can be hard for kids. When you're picking out gifts, think about what your friend/brother/sister would actually want, not what you want. (Hmm, maybe I should rethink what I ordered for my husband's birthday.) I like the desert animals and how whimsically they're drawn. The warm colors and cartoonish animals...
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E is for #EstellaGram

E is for #EstellaGram

by Carol16 Comments
I have been having a blast joining in on The Estella Society's (Bookish) Photo a Day Challenge. Here are some of the photos I've posted on Instagram with the #EstellaGram hashtag. http://instagram.com/p/XsgAjJhLac/ http://instagram.com/p/W7bbAWhLfs/ http://instagram.com/p/W2iKRRBLan/ http://instagram.com/p/WvTGCaBLQk/ Join in the fun and you can follow me on Instagram here....
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D is for Diamonds

D is for Diamonds

by Carol7 Comments
Diamonds have enchanted people for centuries. They are symbols of love, excellence and purity.  They may be used to represent power, strength, brilliance and are of unparalleled beauty. It would be quite a treasure to have as many diamonds and jewels as you could imagine. But what if they fell from your mouth whenever you spoke? In Charles Perrault's "Diamonds and Toads" that's exactly the gift a young woman is given. She is the younger daughter of a widow. Of the two girls, she is of course the nicer, more beautiful one, but the mother's favorite is the older sister. The mother makes the younger one work all the time, including going twice a day to a fountain over a mile away to draw water. One day while at the well, she meets a poor woman who begs for a drink of water. The young woman kindly agrees and holds up the pitcher for the woman to drink from. We're not surprised when the...
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