Game Night – Bohnanza

by Carol3 Comments
Bohnanza Designers: Uwe Rosenberg Manufacturer: Rio Grande Games Artist: Bjorn Pertoft Year: 2000 Players: 2 -7 Time: 45 minutes Ages: 12 and up Who knew that being a bean farmer could be so much fun? The theme behind card game is that you're a farmer with a couple of fields that you plant beans in, trying to make as much money as possible in the process. An odd rule in this card game is that you can't change the order of the cards in your hand, you have to play them as your draw them, unless you make some good trades and deals. It's all about trading, which can be a little tough for me at times. I'm not real good at cooperation, which I may have mentioned before, and don't like helping people out if it's possible not to, meaning I don't win often. It is a fun game, though and the card illustrations are awesome. It's a great addition to game night, since...
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The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater…That Grandma Knit by Debbie Macomber and Mary Lou Carney

by Carol4 Comments
The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater...That Grandma Knit by Debbie Macomber and Mary Lou Carney, illustrated by Vincent Nguyen (Suggested reading level: Ages 4-8) Amber (9) and I read this together before bed last night. At the beginning, right before his birthday, Cameron gets a package in the mail from his Grandma Susan, who always gives him the best presents. Unfortunately, when he finally gets to open it, it's a sweater, "a truly terribly horrible sweater." Amber said it actually wasn't that bad, that it was pretty, but maybe better for a girl. Anyway, Cameron tries to ruin it, to get rid of it, but it keeps coming back. Finally, when his grandma comes to visit at Christmas, she tells him about knitting the sweater and why she picked the colors she did. Suddenly the sweater didn't look truly, terribly horrible anymore. It looked good. It looked like something Cameron would be proud to wear. It was a sweet little story that we both enjoyed. I...
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Awards

by Carol15 Comments
I have received some wonderful awards lately that I wanted to share. I received this one from Ryan over at Wordsmithonia. If you haven't already, stop by and visit him sometime. In addition to bookish posts, he's got some great top ten lists and a favorite fictional character feature. I want to pass this on to a few blogs whose looks I love. Sweet Vernal Zephyr The Christmas Spirit Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings Thanks so much to Esme at Chocolate & Croissants for the Let's Be Friends Award. I just love her blog's name. In addition to book stuff, she's posted some great recipes lately that I'll have to try. I want to pass this on to Jen at The Movieholic & Bibliophile's Blog and Stacy at Stacy's Books. And, finally Alice of Hello, My Name Is Alice has given me The "Uplifting Blogger" Award. Thanks so much!Alice, by the way, in addition to being a blogger, is a wonderful photographer. I'm passing this one on to a couple of...
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The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

by Carol1 Comment
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado, illustrated by Liz Bonham (Suggested reading level: Ages 4-8) This story was read aloud during an Advent workshop we attended at our church. It is a perfect Christmas story to share with kids. Joshua is the crippled lamb of the title. He hates being different from all the other lambs, but he has a special friend, Abigail the cow, who always reminds him that he is special. One night, Joshua has to stay in the stable, because he can't keep up with the rest of the flock who are heading to a new pasture. That night, though, he is one of the first to meet Jesus, and gets to help him stay warm. This is a touching story, but not a tear-jerker. The sweet story reminds us that we are all special and that our difficulties can end up being blessings, a wonderful lesson for all of us, not just kids. I wish I had gotten this book...
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Guest Post by Hope Edelman

by Carol6 Comments
Thanks to Hope Edelman for taking a page in my notebook to share a little about her story today. TAKING THE SHORT WAY HOME When my husband first expressed interest in traveling to Belize, I confused it with Ibiza. I thought he was talking about an island off the coast of Spain. That’s how meager my knowledge was about Central America. After a few days of internet research, however, I learned that Belize is the smallest and least populated country in Central America, tucked between Guatemala and the Yucatan Peninsula; that until 1984 it was known as British Honduras, which is why the national language is English; and that for such a small country it has exceptional cultural diversity, with citizens from an entire rainbow of races and ethnic backgrounds: Mestizos; Mayas;  Creoles; Scots; East Indians; Lebanese; Taiwanese; and Garifunas, who are believed to be descended from 19th-century shipwrecked African slaves. It seemed to be a safe country, and also an interesting one...
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