Book Review

I finally finished Who by the Fire by Diana Spechler who so kindly sent me a copy to review.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn't wowed by it and I think that is because I read it at night before I went to bed. Which means I would read a chapter or two and fall asleep repeat night after night!

At any rate this is a book that takes place about thirteen years after the youngest of three is kidnapped. The brother quits college and moves to Israel to become an Orthodox Jew and he blames himself for his sister's kidnapping. The oldest sister is a hot mess and decides to go to Israel to get her brother to come home. The story follows a few different characters including the mother and a man who wants to help her "rescue" her son. I particularly enjoyed the ending and was one of those neat endings that makes you feel good inside.

I think this book is worth the read and I think you should all run out and buy it! ;o)

The anti-Christmas tree house

I was thinking maybe I should post about why I haven't talked about Christmas yet. Jamie and I went out two weeks ago to get a Christmas tree because in the three years we've lived in this house we've never had a tree. And really there is no room for a tree, the house is pretty damn small! But this year I was bound and determined. So, on our way to church one Sunday we were detoured out through Chester Springs and there was a cut your own tree place.

When we lived in Selinsgrove we did this every year and our tree was always $15 or less. Oh, silly me for thinking it might be similiar in price. This place was charging $8 a foot. The smallest tree we could find was as tall as Jamie. Um, no thanks. So, once again no tree for us.

We have, though put our cheap ornaments on all our plants outside and put lights up and a holiday mat on the front porch. I also have a garland with lights I put over our entry into the kitchen so we aren't devoid of all things Christmas. Oh! I also have stockings hung on the stairs with care, because of course we don't have a fire place.

Seriously, I can't wait for a larger house! This stuff drives me batty!

Anniversary

Today is Jamie and mine 8th wedding anniversary. We both forgot it. We're actually going to a really nice restuarant on Thursday so we'll celebrate then.

I meant to bring in pictures to scan, but that obviously didn't happen! This picture is stolen from Facebook from my mom's wedding last summer.

Jamie and I met in January 1997 at a fraternity party. My best friend was dating his best friend and she dragged me out one night. J and I spent the entire night talking until 6 am and walking around West Chester. I had actually been watching him for some time since we had shared an art history class the semester before. He was too busy hiding under his baseball hat to notice me! We had our first date a week later on Super Bowl Sunday, we went to see Jerry Mcguire and ate at the Olive Garden.

That November I moved in with him and we've been inseparable ever since, it's a lovely thing marrying your best friend! We've been through a whole hell of a lot of things from our first house burning down to losing my brother, our best friend. But we're in it for the long haul and we're looking forward to what this year will bring!

Happy Anniversary honey!!!

Such a product whore

Sorry, but seriously this might be the coolest contest ever. Check this out at http://www.mooshinindy.com/ -

If I were to win this package, I would give three of the computers to the following places:

One would go to my church for their academy. I know they are in need of technology and this would greatly help them.

One would go to my high school (or middle or elementary, wherever they deem it necessary) because I know budget cuts have been awful and schools are so in need of new technology.

(I think I'm seeing a theme here!)

The third computer I would solicit friends and family for someone they know that is in need of a computer. Whether it's a college student who desperately needs one or nonprofit or something else entirely. That would actually make a great blog post and readers could vote....hmmmm....

For the fourth, we need it desperately. Our computer is six years old and barely turns on and we are lucky if it turns off. It took Jamie two hours last night to print one thing which was for his business. Jamie is a contractor and given the economy this year we haven't been able to put the money away for a new computer. It would be a beautiful thing to blog at home in a matter of minutes and not hours, to create artwork (since we are both artists) without waiting for stupid Illustrator or Photoshop to load. If I didn't work with fast computers at work, I'd be in trouble. But poor Jamie doesn't and continually tries throwing the computer on the street!

That would be the 2nd thing we would do is donate our used computer (once Illustrator and Photoshop were taken off since those puppies are expensive) is to give it to the family down the street that are barely scraping by and they have two girls that could really use it for playing with and experiencing new things.

So- there you have it - now go enter this for yourselves!

Mmmmm Books!

I received my review copy of Who by the Fire by Diana Spechler so keep an eye out for a review for the book coming soon. I think I'll have to put Edgar Sawtelle on hold to read this one first!

Turkey

Okay, so I do have a good story in regards to Thanksgiving. We were supposed to go up to Central PA to visit friends and my mother and her husband and my aunt and uncle. Well, since Hera hurt herself we weren't comfortable putting her in the kennel.

This meant we were doing Thanksgiving with Jamie's family. His mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother, his two sisters and their boyfriends/fiancee's.

So, dinner was to be at 4. We got there at three to visit and give presents to his great grandmother. The turkey was out of the oven resting and we were all ready to eat. His mother called his sister at 4:30 asking where she was. She said I just got out of the shower we'll be leaving in 10 minutes. They live over 1/2 an hour away.

It makes me so mad that she is so ignorant of everyone else's feelings. Not to mention a 99 year old that wanted to eat! We ended up eating without them and when they finally showed up we were out the door. She does this at every family gathering and it drives me crazy!

Wow

Sorry for the complete silence but I had off last week for my birthday and obviously Thanksgiving. I didn't do too much since Jamie had to work but I got a couple miles of walking with Sasha, some knitting done and reading. Thanksgiving we went to my MIL and celebrated Jamie's great grandmother's 99 birthday!

Saturday two good friends came down from Central PA for some steak and lots of wine.

And this morning Hera got her stitches out and seems to be doing pretty great which is a huge relief.

Coming up Jamie and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary on the 8th, which is quite fitting! We don't have much planned but we have a gift certificate to Sullivan's so we'll forego our usual Gilmore's jaunt.

I promise to be back with more exciting items soon!