Pondering with a Purpose - lost talent

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)

2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt: Talented?

Do you do something... that you learned in school or as a child... that your children have no idea how to do?

I was so proud of myself when I learned how to type by touch.. on a manual typewriter at 85 wpm. My kids use two fingers! do they even teach touch typing anymore? Or 10-key? I remember my first job was typing up available rentals for a rental agency. I used an electric typewriter and it was done on 'stencils'. Not the kind of stencils we use today to paint pretty pictures! I got the job because I could type so fast. And then I went on to get a job in a real estate office where my 10-key skills came in quite handy. Do they teach that anymore?

How about sewing or cooking? I took both of those in school... and I taught my own kids how to cook.... let's just leave it as, "Mom can you fix this?" in the sewing department.

So what I want to know is this: Is there some talent you have that your kids just don't have, or even care about?

I'd love to hear your comment, or read your linked up post... or better yet... both!

Happy Pondering.

six word saturday.......not sure

sometimes the greater good just stinks!

I love the beagle... just because

But did I push her out?

I guess I will never know

I DO know she was great!

And so is the little one!


I wish it didin't ever happen!

Friendship Friday - my best friend

I often join Ramona on her Friendship Friday... 

and I have been rather particular lately about her subjects. I don't tend to participate if I don't feel that I have anything productive to offer to her topic.

This week the topic is pets and it is a perfect opportunity for me to pay tribute to someone who was very near and dear to me.

for those of you who have been following me for some time you know Muttley....

Well... this picture was taken some time ago... and Muttley went away on Monday night...

I'm not really sure how to say good-bye to my best friend of 10 years... and although I know that time heals all wounds, I cannot help but wonder if I had something to do with her early demise... you see....


On April 5th we introduced Trixy into our lives:

do you think that Muttley thought she was being replaced?

She certainly wasn't... but.........I cannot help but wonder if that is what she thought........

Muttley will always be:

- the dog that broke the curse (I never had a dog live past 3-1/2 before her)

- the first dog  I allowed to sleep with me

- the first dog that was allowed to climb up on the furniture

There will never be another Muttley... but she will always remain in my heart.

RIP my very best friend!

Pondering with a Purpose ... Hot much

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)

2. Look at the week's prompt

3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.

4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.

5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.

6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt: Hot?

Some like it hot... do you?

Now when I wrote that I realized that the question I just posed could be read in many ways.... I had intended it to mean to you like it when the weather is hot... but as soon as I wrote it I realized that I also like my coffee and tea hot, and my water ice cold. I'm not a huge fan of iced tea or iced coffee... although with the weather being so darn hot over the past few weeks I have been pouring my coffee over ice on the weekends.

Don't you love the way I digress during these ponderings?

So... do you enjoy the hot weather? I DO NOT! (reminds me of Green Eggs and Ham.... I do not ... Sam I Am!) It seems as if the weather seeps into my bones and I am in a constant state of sweat... (now do you thing hot flashes have anything to do with that?) ... I am either sweating or sticky from sweat. I cannot drink enough ice water to ever quench my thirst and ... just forget about the nights... I'm not sure when the last time I slept more than 2 hours at a time was. And then I see people actually running in this weather... and I do know that there are people who really enjoy the heat... I am just not one of them ... give me a nice cool breeze during the day, a bit of a crisp bite in the air at night and I am one happy camper!

How about you? Hot or not?

I'd love to read your post as your link up, or read your comments... or better yet... both!

Happy Pondering.

Wordless Wednesday - Taco Salad

Homemade taco salad on a homemade shell!

Six word Saturday - Hunger Games

Looking for copy of Hunger Games

My daughter has not read them

I did... but borrowed the books

She wants to read all 3
Have a set to loan me?
I will return when she's done

Buy This at Allposters.com

Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, go to Show My Face. and Cate explains it all....feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.

Follow Four Fill in - 3rd Friday of 5

Follow along and join in the fun with Hilary at Feeling Beachie

I spend so much time driving in a day that I've become a homebody once I get there!

I don’t like fighting but I love agreeing

When I watch television I ­­­­usually end up crying about something!____

I have my drivers license in my wallet.

Pondering with a Purpose - Life or Living

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)

2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt: Life or Living?

Are you living your life . . . or is your life your living?
Are you making choices you WANT.... or choices you are FORCED to make?
And are you okay with that?

Heavy subject... I know... but it gives you something to think about...
What makes you tick? and are you happily ticking along?

I just had a conversation with someone about "the Master Plan" and how it does not always work out that way... and then what do you do?  My reply?  PUNT! And I have spent most of my life punting.... and to be perfectly honest with myself (becasue that is all that matters) I would have to say that I am living my life on my own terms... not the other way around. Sure there have been some MAJOR roadblocks thrown my way.. but I have worked very hard (some people would say I am lucky.... if luck = work, then I'm lucky!) to get to the point where I can live in a house, feed a dog and still have enough left over to buy a fresh cup of coffee every morning. I have worked ---  full time --- since I was 19 years old (pheww.... that's 33 years!) and I don't feel bad about spending my money, nor do I feel like I own anyone any explanations.

I raised three children, moved three times and now live in a house I love ... although I don't think I'll ever buy again and would be just as happy renting right now!

I know we all complain about how things are and how much life stinks... but the truth is that I feel very lucky to have accomplished what I have and my life is not making me make living choices... my living is allowing me to make life choices.

How about you? I'd love to read your take on this subject. Please write a post and link up... or leave a comment... or better yet ... both!

Happy Pondering

Wordless Wednesday --- What WAS and What is

This WAS a pelican

This is a BAD dog!

linking up with Hilary and Ramona.....

Gone to the Forest - A Book Review

Another book I was sent by Free Press ..

Gone to the Forest by Katie Kitamura


As a member of the Free Press Book Tours group on Book Blogs I am always given an opportunity to grab one of their books and write a review. 

I was forwarded this description: FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF THE LONGSHOT comes this gripping saga about the destruction of a family, a home, and a way of life. Set on a struggling farm in a colonial country teetering on the brink of civil war, Gone to the Forest is a tale of family drama and political turmoil in which fiery storytelling melds with daring, original prose. Since his mother’s death, Tom and his father have fashioned a strained domestic peace, where everything is frozen under the old man’s vicious control. But when a young woman named Carine arrives at the farm, the tension between the two men escalates to the breaking point. Hailed by the Boston Globe as “a major talent,” Kitamura shines in this powerful new novel.

I was extremely excited to read this book as it looked like it would be right up my alley. The story is one of family turmoil, depression, recession and a raging political war. It really could have taken place anywhere, at any time. 

This novel is written in such a way that it is difficult to tell whose point of view it is written from. It goes from past to present and back again; sometimes looking inward at the characters, and other times looking outward FROM the characters. Unfortunately I did not care for this writing style as it was very difficult for me to follow. I found that I did not particularly care for any of the characters and because of that the story really did not move me.

By the end of the book none of my questions were really answered..


I was sent this book for an unbiased opinion and receive no compensation.

Six word Saturday ---- And they say it is hot!!!!

extreme heat warning in affect ----- REALLY?

Don't they know we feel it?????

Or sweat, or be simply miserable?

But seriously..... serious records have broken

Did you know that July 2012

Was the hottest month on record?

and they've kept records 117 years!

Follow friday four fill in - All even numbers

Following Hilary at Feeling Beachie ... won't you join? It's fun! 

 

 

1. when I was little my mom  would say: "If I say the sky is purple, the sky is purple! I am always right."
2. mustard is my favorite condiment
3. I don’t like to celebrate valentine's Day because I haven't had a valentine in a VERY long time!
4. My ­­­­­­­dog's toys and blankets takes up more space in my house and I can neverseem to keep the house clean!

Pondering with a Purpose - Goals

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)
2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt: Goals

Do you set goals for yourself that are unattainable? Or are you like me? You set goals and then you beat yourself up when you don't meet them?

Me?  Well I set goals for myself all the time and then make justifications as to why I haven't met them... for a great example... I said I would post half of a chapter of Ferry Tails on my blog every Sunday and then I just stopped... but it doesn't really appear as if anyone has missed them... (that would be my justification for not continuing) :)

I have felt like I have not completed anything for soooooo long and then I stop and reconsider the fact that I have finished 7 novels and have made the commitment to publish one a year and have managed to fulfill that promise to myself..... SO why do I feel so bad if I don't write everyday????

I would love to hear what you all have to say about setting personal goals and how you either fulfill them or justify missing them......


 I would love to hear your comments, or read your post that is linked up... or better yet both!

Wordless Wednesday - I'm Ready!!!! Let's Go!

Linking up with Ramona at Create With Joy and Hilary at Feeling Beachie

Dead Ringer - A Book Review

I was approached by Astor + Blue Editions to review the Allen Wyler novel: Dead Ringer.

I jumped at this opportunity as I had thoroughly enjoyed reading and reviewing Wyler's earlier novel, Dead End Deal (review here) ...

I was looking forward to reading more scientific thrilleresque drama and Wyler did not let me down.

Dead Ringer:

While speaking at a Hong Kong medical conference, neurosurgeon Dr. Lucas McCrae slips the cloth off a cadaver’s head during a routine medical demonstration, and is overwhelmed by what’s staring back at him: The face of his best friend, Andy Baer.

Stunned, McCrae races back to Seattle to discover that Andy is in fact missing and may have been murdered by a gang of body snatchers who operate a legit funeral business and make a fortune by selling recovered body parts to medical researchers.

McCrae teams up with an unlikely pair—a beautiful but hardnosed female cop and a gang member whose family was victimized by the cadaver ring—to try and expose a macabre web of corruption that involves law enforcement, politicians, funeral home curators and murdered prostitutes.

Internationally renowned neurosurgeon Allen Wyler takes us deep into a nightmarish scenario, shockingly ripped from recent headlines, to deliver a horrifically plausible, page-turning thriller.

###

EDITOR’S NOTE

Medical research has always been a cornerstone of medical innovation, and thus of our society. But throughout history, many suspect that the gathering of human bodies for research has never been purely ethical or legal. Many believe that today, sophisticated international syndicates exist that traffic in body parts for medical research; the most recent incident appearing in the New York Times just weeks ago. (http://nyti.ms/NfU5kU)

We feel this crime has been elusively clandestine, easily dismissed, and in many cases overlooked for cynical reasons. We would like to go on record as agreeing with ethics scholars that everyone involved in the medical community, be they students practitioners, media or affiliates should remain vigilant and forthright; and embrace the high standard of responsibility inherent in the ethical conduct of medical research, especially when it involves human remains.

My review: This subject matter is beyond deplorable yet Wyler handles the situation with ease. The pages just seemed to turn themself as Lucas McCrae's world is literally ripped away from under him. The characters are believable and I found myself despising the bad guys (exactly what you want to do when you read a good book!)


I loved the fact that Wyler is also a Sandford fan and he mentioned him several times in the book.


I highly recommend reading this book!!

Six Word Saturday - - - This is it!

Began writing again... it feels great!

Hopefully things are going to stay calm

Had a great visit from grandson

How about you... can you describe your life in six words?

Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, go to Show My Face. and Cate explains it all....feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.

Friday Four Fill In --- i feel old!!

Another Friday with Hilary .... won't you join the party for Friday Four Fill In?

1. I have no desire to go back to school
2. I love the smell of the ocean because it brings about a sense of calm.
3. I wish that my tummy would magically disappear
4. In one month I will be a month older.

Pondering with a Purpose - Legacy

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your blog - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)

2. Look at the week's prompt

3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.

4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.

5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.

6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt: Legacy

What is it that you want to be remembered for... and don't tell me you haven't thought about that!!!

I think all of us think about this... what is the difference we wish to make while we are here?

I really had NO clue until Jared (my oldest) was born... and I was 29 years old when that happened... and as soon as he was put into my arms I knew what my purpose was... I was born to be a mother... a mother SO much better than the one I was given. And the next 15 plus years was spent in doing everything... and I do mean EVERYTHING possible to make sure that my children did not have the childhood that I had and that they knew they were loved... NO matter what!!!

But then something happened! They grew up and didn't need me as much anymore. That is when I started writing.... and I discovered that was really my purpose in life.. to share stories of absolutely horrific things and have people read them. To be perfectly honest with all of you... I never expected people to read my books... silly ... .huh???

So now... I think that my legacy should be raising great kids... and I have already seen that they have become SO much more than I ever hoped to be... they are happy!!!! AND being the vessel that enables people to see the much darker side of people.  I sure hope that does some good someday and that I am still alive to see it!!!!!

How about you? What do you want your legacy to be?

I would love to hear your comments, or read your post that is linked up... or better yet both!