20 years and still going (and Book Blurb Friday!)

I know I said I was going to post reviews of some good summer flicks, but yesterday my husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage, and I thought that cancelled everything else out. In fact, if you want to get technical, I have known my husband 24 years now-we were friends for two years in college, then dated, got engaged, and were married two years after that. My husband remarked at dinner that soon we will have lived with each other longer than we did with our families. Interesting...

Anyway, we both decided that since we were doing a lot of work on the house (replaced a patio door, about to tear out and replace our living room carpet and remove wallpaper to paint), and since we have two small trips planned(my husband is taking the kids camping, and we are all going to Washington DC)presents this year weren't necessary. We were just going to go out to dinner.

Well I, also now known as super idiot, at least went along with the "no-gift" plan-my husband didn't. He has heard me talk off and on about maybe getting a plain gold wedding band to wear when I don't want to wear my engagement ring/wedding band wrap combination. I have started taking them off when I'm at home because I don't want to lose a stone. (My wedding band wrap has two rubies and I have already had it to the jeweler to reinsert one of the stones-I'm afraid I won't know one has fallen out next time...)We were enjoying dinner when my husband asked for the time and when I turned back, a ring box was sitting in front of me-I now have my wedding band!

I'm also glad it's

Book Blurb Friday! This is where Lisa Ricard Claro, from Writing in the Buff, posts a picture meant to serve as a fictional book cover. It's your job to write a blurb about the book in 150 words or less to entice a prospective reader. Are you up to the challenge? Here is this week's picture and my story


What Her Eyes Have Seen

The three-alarm blaze totaled the charismatic cottage, and the all-American image of the Lawrence family went up in smoke. Neighbors were stunned to learn the blaze was no accident, and firefighters claimed a member of the Lawrence family, daughter Tara, was the likely culprit.

Police found Tara huddled in a blanket in the families’ backyard, but when they questioned her, she spoke not a word. Neighbors described the girl as an underachiever compared to her family –the mother, a former Rhodes Scholar and lawyer, her father a neurologist, and her brothers both honor students and great athletes.

Authorities say Tara finally cracked under pressure and killed her family, but social worker Monica Perry believes differently. She feels the pain of what really happened in that house has led to the girl’s silence, and she hopes to reveal just what Tara saw. (141 words)

This is a little dark even for me, and at first I was leaning towards the super natural side, but I never got there. I am very curious to see (lol, couldn't resist) what everyone else did!

Just one of those days (and Succinctly Yours!)

I am a not feeling very well, and the heat made everything worse. I put off doing laundry until today because of spotty rain showers the past couple days, and I wanted to hang the clothes outside to be a little more power conscious. But while I saved electrical consumption, I put out a great deal of physical energy consumption, and each trip oustide left me drenched in sweat. What was I thinking? I was going to review some movies in this post, but I needed to whine more...

Thank goodness for Succinctly Yours, another writing meme that piggy backs on the idea of Susan of the Stony River Blog.

Grandma Goulash posts a picture and you are to write a 140 character or word story about it. You can also use the word of the day in your post if you wish. This week's word is arbitrary. Here is the picture and two takes this week (one poetry and one prose):

Dad went for a Coke and I glanced at all the old tools. He was like his tools in a way-a bit worn, but still a force to be reckoned with.  (138 characters)

I ran my hand along the bench,
Wood shavings cascade to the floor,
This room's a silent tribute,
To the man who is no more. (132 characters)

I sort of fell into the poem while trying to cut down another piece, but I still didn't get everything I wanted out of it so I tried again and it took me longer than it should have to do two. I will come around soon!

HOT! (And Book Blurb Friday!)

Most of you probably don't need to be told how hot it is where I am, and that's probably because it is just as hot where you are, but I'm going to tell you any way. Today it was 93 at 11:00 AM, and 100 by 1:30 PM, and that was in the shade and on grass! (Do you feel hotter already? My mother always said that she grew hotter if she knew the actual temperature, and I think she's right!)

So, even though I detest the whole process (lathering the kids down with sunscreen, packing all the necessities for the pool, piling in the car, arriving at the pool, getting abused by kids in said pool, coming back home, then dealing with all the wet necessities and showers), this is exactly what we have been doing almost five days straight. We took only one day off to do grocery shopping and errands...  Are things as hot your way?

Oh well-summer goes by quickly so I better not complain. I'm just glad it's

Book Blurb Friday! This is where Lisa Ricard Claro, from Writing in the Buff, posts a picture meant to serve as a fictional book cover. It's your job to write a blurb about the book in 150 words or less to entice a prospective reader. Are you up to the challenge? Here is this week's picture and my story:

What the Statue Told Her
Aubrey began working on her family tree when she was in grade school, but after her parent’s sudden disappearance when she was 12, her once passing interest became a serious pursuit. Some thought it a bit strange for a young girl to be digging about in the past, trying to locate estranged family members. Authorities believed her parents were dead, but Aubrey believed differently, thinking that somebody knew something.

The largest piece of the puzzle came to Aubrey in the form of a note that read, “The girl will tell you,” and it lead straight to Shady Oaks Cemetery. Friends warned it was a cruel joke, but Aubrey went looking for the “girl” anyway.

She now stood facing a statue resembling her in every way, and as she stared, a tear slowly rolled down the marble face, and a voice in Aubrey's head started to speak… (146 words)

As usual, I don't like my title very much. Do the rest of you struggle with your titles too? I can't wait to see what everyone wrote!

What I got last week (and Succinctly Yours!)

I needed (okay, maybe wanted really badly!) another fast computer in the house. We have our dinosaur computer (painfully slow)used just for word processing in our redone basement, but let's face it-it's still the basement...

• I needed the portability of a smart phone (I love my phone but typing on it for long periods of time isn't fun.)
  
• I needed the processing power of a desktop (I love our main computer but I am stuck in one locale and everyone else loves it too!)
  
• I needed the convenience of a laptop(but I didn't want a huge machine to lug around).
  
• And let's face it-who wouldn't want the fun of a tablet pc?
  
• I wanted a combination of all of these all rolled into one...
  

What I got was: my new HP TouchSmart tablet laptop. It is only four pounds so very easy to move around. It has an i3 processor, and although not the fastest out there (they have i5 and now i7), it's quick enough for me. And I can toggle between entirely touch screen like a tablet (the screen flips 180 and lies flat on the keyboard), or use my included stylus or keyboard at any time while the laptop is upright. It came loaded with Windows 7 which I am slowly getting used to, but a very bare Microsoft Office that I may or may not upgrade. And you may not be able to tell but the case is pretty snazzy-no excess fingerprint problems! But the bottom line is I'm loving this new machine. (I haven't let anyone else touch it although both my kids are quite interested-LOL!)

Can I hear a collective "ooh"? But it's also time for Succinctly Yours, another writing meme that piggy backs on the idea of Susan of the Stony River Blog.

Grandma Goulash posts a picture and you are to write a 140 character or word story about it. You can also use the word of the day in your post if you wish. This week's word is obscure. Here is the picture and my story:

It was our place, a place we had been to a thousand times before. But I never knew him until that day-when he slowly tore my heart in two. (139 characters)

It's way too late to come around your blogs now, but I can't wait to check what you all wrote tomorrow!

A little R & R today (and Book Blurb Friday!)

We spent the entire day yesterday at Hershey Park (getting there 20 minutes before it opened and leaving about 2 hours before it closed), and when I say we are tired I mean it! I did some "light" housework today, my daughter was either on or in her bed, and my son (who never sleeps in) didn't get up until 8:30. Unfortunately, my husband was up and out the door by 7:45, so he is feeling a whole lot worse than the rest of us. I actually sat and read a few magazine articles outside this afternoon because the weather was just right, and since energy to do anything else was next to null, dinner consisted of spaghetti and a side salad. (Yes, I was LAZY today...)

As far as crowds, we couldn't have picked a better day. The weatherman was calling for a passing shower at 2 pm that we never got (although there were a few annoying spitty type raindrops that fell earlier in the day for 5-10 minutes), and since it was overcast until around noon, I think it kept some people away. The most we had to wait in line was about 15 minutes, and that was for a very popular roller coaster-otherwise it was almost walk on type status for many rides (except for some coasters)all day.

We did think that my son would ride the coasters since he is tall enough now, but he has a small fear of heights so no go. I hope he gets over this when he's older, but you never know. Anyway, we had a good time but I have no pictures to share. I don't know why we didn't take any...

Oh well-I'm glad it's

 Book Blurb Friday! This is where Lisa Ricard Claro, from Writing in the Buff, posts a picture meant to serve as a fictional book cover. It's your job to write a blurb about the book in 150 words or less to entice a prospective reader. Are you up to the challenge? Here is this week's picture and my story:

Bridging the Past
Amber has a lot on her mind this lazy Louisiana morning. Divorced after 25 years of marriage, she decided to use the Internet to track down old classmates who could help her remember the girl she used to be. But as e-mail responses trickled in, a name caught her eye-Michael Stanton, the boy she first loved then hated.

Amber dated Michael in her senior year, but after a three-year relationship he broke things off in a simple letter, and she never heard from him again-until six months ago. At first she didn’t respond-that was a painful time and she didn’t see the sense in reopening mended wounds. But after a casual first reply, it didn’t take long for all those old feelings to come back.

So Amber stands wondering, will this old wooden bridge join her past life to the one she hopes will be her future? (147 words)

I just loved this photo and wouldn't have minded spending some time on it myself... Can't wait to read all your stories!
PS.  I did get a delivery today that I am loving and will share later this weekend!

Weekend wrap up (and Succinctly Yours!)

Silly 'ole bear!

We were quite busy this weekend; it seems somebody (it must have been me)mentioned to my son that we could redo his bedroom this summer-he still had Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore painted on the walls from when he was a baby (not to mention clouds on the ceiling and balloons)and he was so embarrassed by it that he covered up my masterpieces with super hero posters. (Yes, I was the crazy one who at five months pregnant decided to draw the three characters free-hand, paint them, and then get up on a ladder to do clouds on the ceiling-I did the step ladder thing when my husband was at work, and probably not the smartest thing...) Needless to say, it was a lot of work, and although I know he wanted a more grown up room, I hated to see the "nursery" go...

I will miss Piglet too!  He was over the changing table...

It was pouring down rain when we did this Friday, so our timing couldn't have been better. My son and I worked on just one wall Friday, and they we enlisted the help of my husband and daughter Saturday. It took all day Saturday -we moved out most of the furniture and toys, tarped the floor, my husband did the ceiling, and then we all did the walls. It took two coats, and I think it turned out pretty good. We are doing a Star Wars theme-I ordered a couple Star Wars giant posters, a 3 foot tall peel and stick Yoda, and then he wants glow in the dark "dot" stars on the ceiling. He wanted the ceiling blue as well, and we did it to try it out, but I think it's way to dark in his room now, so I'm hoping to convince him to go with a traditional white to match his trim...(A request was also put in for a life sized Darth Vader that I would paint, but I'm trying to push him away from this-mucho work and I don't think Lord Vader would show up well with the dark blue background.)  I'll put up more pictures when we do the posters. Have any of you done themes for your kids' rooms? 

I made my son to the lower areas-now I need to touch up the trim, LOL!

Now it's time for a lighter note and Succinctly Yours, another writing meme that piggy backs on the idea of Susan of the Stony River Blog.

Grandma Goulash posts a picture and you are to write a 140 character or word story about it. You can also use the word of the day in your post if you wish. This week's word is renegade. Here is the picture and my story:

With their small boat broken by rocks near the shoreline, the kids could only wait, but help did come-in the form of another small boat! (136 characters)

I can't wait to stop by and see what everyone else did. (I had a hard time with this week's photo.)

Nothing better than chocolate (and Book Blurb Friday!)

Tonight has been a trying evening-first we were made to sit and wait for someone from Lowes to come out and measure for a replacement sliding glass door (I just don't get the 2 hour window that repairmen give when they make an appointment to come out to the house), and since I gave my son a "trim" back before school let out, the plan was to do another tonight. Let's just say that I will pay any amount of money to have someone else do this next time! I still don't know why he was making such a fuss, but the end result was an angry mom and dad, a pouting kid, an early bed time, and a dose of chocolate for me! (Chocolate always cures, but just for the record, I think I did even better than I did the last time, but still, never again...)

I'm glad it's

 Book Blurb Friday! This is where Lisa Ricard Claro, from Writing in the Buff, posts a picture meant to serve as a fictional book cover.  It's your job to write a blurb about the book in 150 words or less to entice a prospective reader. Are you up to the challenge?  Here is this week's picture and my story:

So the Story Goes
The dilapidated old house was left to Deborah in the will, and though Deborah’s husband had been in the attic earlier declaring it unfit for man or beast, she had to see for herself.

Deborah’s husband was right in some aspects-the thick layer of dust and cobwebs indicated years of neglect, and trash was scattered amid the boxes on the rotted wooden floorboards. But as she started rummaging through the bits and pieces of her grandmother’s life, she came across a rusted typewriter and a box filled with what looked like the makings of a novel.

Curiosity more than anything made Deborah sit down to read-she never knew her grandmother could write. But as the words began flowing into Deborah’s head, the story about kings and queens seemed to come to life, and Deborah soon found that she too was a part of the story… (145 words)

This picture was really interesting so I can't wait to see what everyone wrote-unfortunately it's almost 12:30 AM so I will stop by tomorrow!

So the Story Goes

Fourth of July (and Succinctly Yours!)

If you ever stopped to think of all the freedoms you enjoy throughout the day, it would really make your head spin, especially when you think that what we take for granted isn’t found everywhere, that what I have people fought and died for. I don’t know…just something with a little more meaning to think about this Fourth of July.

Now it's time for a lighter note and Succinctly Yours, another writing meme that piggy backs on the idea of Susan of the Stony River Blog. Grandma Goulash posts a picture and you are to write a 140 character or word story about it. You can also use the word of the day in your post if you wish.  This week's word is expedient. Here is the picture and my story:

Kay rubbed her legs together to think. When asked to make her fly, the genie turned her into one-the lamp had caused some loss of hearing. (139 characters)

Okay, this is my feeble attempt at some humor instead of my usual serious responses to this writing meme. I am looking forward to stopping by and reading yours, and I'm hoping all of you have a wonderful July 4th!