Category: Book Stuff

My how book blogging has changed… and I am sad

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)182 Comments

This past year – especially the latter part, I have felt a difference in the book blogosphere…. blow ups on twitter, and sadly some of the bloggers that I swear are the ones that helped me in the early days, that made me ♥LOVE♥ book blogging have drifted away – posting rarely or not at all… and that… makes me sad.  I know lives change, priorities change, but there was a time I could list the blogging gurus of the community – and now… I just don’t know.

At BEA (Book Expo of America)  this past year I seen some book bloggers throw fits about not getting a book they wanted, running and grabbing every book they could, and loudly speaking their displeasure if they waited in a line for a book that ran out of stock before they got one.   I was ashamed at the fact that they did not realize that they were a part of something bigger… they represented a great whole…  and were giving us as Book Bloggers a bad name.  Honestly… it reminded me a bit of the snotty selfish girl in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory….

"I got a golden ticket to BEA and now I want ALL THE BOOKS NOW!!!!! GIMMY!"


(It made me think that maybe BEA going forward should have a criteria for book bloggers that attend…

  1. You must be an established book blogger (4+ months) – showing consistency in posts and book reviews…

(just thinking out loud…)

And ok… I kid a bit above so this does not seem like a downer post because really – it’s not a downer post.  It’s more about changes and accepting them and knowing that we still are a community of women and men who enjoy reading and talking about books. 

So what does this have to do with me and my role as a Book Blogger?  I still love book blogging.  There are so many wonderful things about this community that I love.  I did not know three years ago when I started that I would someday meet many of you. (*waves!*) That is still like a dream to me… and that just made me love it more.

I wish I would have found book blogging years ago so I could have been more a part of the evolution of it all.  As it is, I am still glad we had such good years together and hope that the community will build strong once again.

I do try to do my part by helping bloggers who email me with questions, connecting bloggers to one another through the Monday meme, and making it a point to comment when I can…

I don’t think what we have is over.  I think it is changing yes, and change can hurt a bit.  I want to hang with people who want to talk books… who get excited about new authors, new releases, and the next great read coming around the corner.  I will continue to do that as long as I have a passion to do so and for me… that passion still burns strong. 

Note:  I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago when I noticed another book blogger friend went off the grid.  I wasn’t sure I would publish it, it was more just to words to my thoughts.  Then I seen a post at My Friend Amy’s that said a bit of what I had been thinking too.  She encouraged me to post my thoughts and here they are. 

If you are a book blogger – or if you are a person who just likes to talk about books as well as other things… what do you think of all of this?  Have you noticed any changes since you started blogging?  If you are a reader – have you noticed changes in the blogs you like to read – for better?  For worse? 

Morning Meanderings… CONFESS IT! Where Are They???

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

Good morning! 

*YAWN!*

Had a pretty full day yesterday, but a good one too… work, hanging out a bit with College son before he heads back to Mankato, went to the gym, had a missions meeting, and dragged myself home to read a bit.  Today I have a full work day as I am off from work after today until the 9th of January.  I rarely take time off just for the sake of doing it, but I need to get some writing done, and then mid January I will go to full-time while our office manager has her baby.

 

As I was flipping through my year in review recap, I seen a couple posts I had early 2011 that were kind of fun and I think worth repeating.  One was the “Where are they post?”

last year i did a post where you had to say where your books were and how many… this was for us to share the number of books that are lying around our homes in places other than boxes or shelves… for instance here is what I seem to have going on as I do a quick count:

kitchen table:  8 books

kitchen counters:  2 books

upstairs living room recliner:  4 books

front room by rocking chair:  1 book

downstairs family room recliner:  3 books

bedside table:  2 books

decorative hall table:  1 book

Antique buffet table in living room:  12 books

 

GAH!  I think that about does it.  That is all the books I have that are not in the reading room on the shelves, or in boxes from book sales. 

How about you?  Does your home show you are a reader?  😀

 

 

 elliptical on Monday:

 450 calories

 tread mill and elliptical on Wednesday:

 650 calories

 

2011 – The Good, The Bad, and the UGH

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

I have been looking forward to doing this post for WEEKS!  Yes, I know it is a lot of work to go through everything I have posted in 2011, but as of late I have been thinking “Dang.  I have read some great books lately!”  That leaves me wondering about all the books I have read this year that I am not even recalling right now but truly probably need a SHOUT OUT as the best of the year….  I also… may occasionally label a bad post… or an UGH.  😛

Join me now as we jump on the internet express and go back back back to…. (all pics are clickable and lead back to the posts/reviews)

January 2011

Good:  Yes it was a COLD Minnesota January when I finally caved and allowed myself a listen of an audio about a dog.  I had no idea that choice would leave me raving the rest of the year about it!  😀

Good:  If Shiver was impressive, Linger was icing on the cake.  A worthy second to this trilogy and best book of January.

Best Meandering post(s) of January:

When reading Habits Just Get Embarrassing!

Good:  This is where you recommended to me GREAT audio!

February 2011

Good:  This is the audio that made me very impressed with Anita Shreve.  Best audio of February!

Good:  A Tiger in The Kitchen was such an EXCELLENT read!

Bad:  Pro?  Con?  Why or why not?


Morning Meanderings…. The New Classics (a list from Entertainment Weekly of what the new classics are)

March 2011

Good: I cant help it – if you are looking for good audio – look no further than the Harry Potter books narrated by Stephen  Fry or Jim Dale

Good: What started out as a review to cook by for a book (coming out this March 2012!) turned out to be a pretty delicious read as well.

Good:  Polar Plunge… this pic is before I hit the water….

Ugh:  Morning Meanderings…. BUSTED by the snoring husband

April 2011

Good:  Audio love – this one rocked and the movie did too!

Good:  I heard about it… I coveted it, and then I read it.  Just as good as I had hoped.  BEST of April!

Good:  What is your most treasured book?

Bad:  I don’t care what cha all think of her…. I just don’t like her.  😛

May 2011

Good:  Audio book for May…

Sadly (BAD) no book stood out for me to call best of May 2011….. (this was also probably the month I read the least)

Good:  Dinner with author Beth Hoffman (CeeCee Honeycutt) while in New York

Good: Reagan (Miss Remmer’s Reviews) and I run the Info booth at BEA…..

June 2011:

Fantastic audio!  I almost fell off the lawn mower laughing!

First book I read entirely on my NOOK and best read of June!

UGH:  2 weeks after I return from BEA I seriously wipe out on my bike

Good:  A week after the bike injury I take a girls road trip to Chicago with my peeps 😀

Good:  E Readers YAY or NAY discussion

A great book bloggers get together in New York for dinner!

Good:  Dinner with Adriana Trigianni in New York

Good:  Valued info I learned at the Book Blogger Con

Good and UGH:  The post where I made a you tube video of me being the Crocodile Hunter 😯

July 2011

Good:  Fantastic memoir audio about food and more food!

Bad:  And again… no book that stood out in July

Good:  Danielle wins my Harry Potter VLOG contest!

Good:  Warrior Dash!!!

Good:  Our book club chooses a new Queen

August 2011

Good:  If you loved the book… you will love love the audio!

Good:  Awesome read!

Good:  A week at AIDS camp

Bookies 10 year anniversary!!!!

September 2011

Good:  Awesome audio of the month!

Good:  This series is so fantastic I must insist you read it!

Good: The second in the series and just as fantastic as the first!

October 2011

Good:  Certainly you have heard of this one… on audio, read by Jim Dale?  Fantastic!

Good:  Incredible read

Bookies classic review night

Bad:  We had to put our puppy of 15 years down  😦

November 2011

Good:  This was so interesting!


Good: Rounding out the series nicely – I applaud Patrick Ness

This was such an amazing non fiction read!

December 2011

Good:  Audio at its best!!!!

This was not the best audio of the month, but if I had listened to this any other month it would have beat out the other audio.

Fantastic dystopia read!

Great discussion post

So in recap here are the books of the year:

and the audio:

and over all.. best of the best:

Do you have a “best of” for the year?  I would love to hear what it is!

Morning Meanderings… Pumpkin Rolls and Candied Pretzels

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Author’s note:  I started writing this post on Wednesday morning… while making a pear french toast bake for our office brunch party, trying to get the car loaded with the punkin rolls, white elephant gift, and pretzels, as well as get myself ready… I had to forfeit the post and RUN!  Now… here it is a day late…. but I think worthy.  😀

Good morning!  Flying by the seat of my pants here – I have my Pear French Toast bake in the over and am waiting for it to be done so  can take off for our office party this morning.  We are doing a breakfast brunch theme and yes, another White Elephant gift exchange (this will be my 4th this year – see Mondays post for more details on this 😀 )

Monday after working and shopping I was home at 4:00 pm and started cooking – 10 pumpkin rolls.  Yes…. TEN.  😯  Always the optimistic, I tend to forget how much time things can take and about 10:30 last night… back aching, kitchen a mess, but happy as I was listening to Hunger Games on audio for most of my baking time…

I finished.

I think they look good and that is what I am giving my co workers this year.  That, and two coated pretzel rods which I worked on when my oven was full of pumpkin loafs a baking.

I had first learned how to make a pumpkin loaf back when I worked at Wal-Mart.  One of the guys there was wonderful at making these and every Christmas we could order them.  When I left Wal-Mart, he gave me his recipe.  Now here it is for you:

Pumpkin Rolls

you will need:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin (from a can)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp butter

1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
  4. To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
  5. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

So delicious!  I used these for office gift giving.  They also freeze well. 

Then for fun, I made some candied pretzel rods.  I melted chocolate, white almond bark, and caramel.  I alternated between dipping in chocolate or almond bark, adding caramel, or rolling in crushed candy cane or crushed  Reese’s Pieces. 

 

 

In bookish news… I just finished Hunger Games on audio last night… awesome!  AND I am about half way through the Christmas Cookie Club which is honestly… giving me ideas…. 😀

When Authors Attack…

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)111 Comments

In 2009,  I wrote a review of a book that I had accepted from the author.  When I read the synopsis, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what the book was going to be about.  I was wrong. The book was non-fiction/memoir type, and upon reading the book, while I found the author to be an incredible writer… the choices made in the book did not sit right with me… honestly… they were borderline bizarre.

My review, I thought was fair.  I pointed out the parts I really enjoyed, commending the author for beautiful descriptions.  In the end, I mentioned in a sentence or two that while I appreciated the writing, parts of the book dragged a bit and I did not agree with some of the actions/decisions that were taken in the book.  I even encouraged my readers to look at  reviews other than mine as some reviewers really enjoyed the book.

Unknowingly to me at the time… I had opened up the gates of Hell.

The author…. pounced.  She called the company who had sent me the book.  She not only came after me personally on her own website but she also commented on the comments I received on the post calling me judgmental, shallow, and narrow-minded.

I emailed the publishing company who had sent me the book because I felt terrible.  I was a fairly new blogger, I felt my review was kind, but I also wanted to be honest in my opinion and true to my readers.  The publishing lady that I had dealt with on many books (and still deal with)  told me not to worry about it, and said at least I did not say that if I ever met this author in person I would slap her across the face, as apparently one reviewer said on Amazon.  😯

When this author mentioned my review on her own site, she did not mention me by name… I believe she said something like “some people” are narrow-minded and the “some people” was a link back to my blog.  The beauty of that was, she linked to my blog.  Not the review.  So…. I buried it.  By that I mean I started reviewing like crazy.  If anyone linked to my blog to see my review, they had to look through pages of many good reviews to get to the one that was so-so.  My point in doing this was I was hoping that these readers could see that I was a good person, I read many books of all genres, and I write fair reviews. 

Why bring this up after all this time?

I really don’t know, other than the fact I was thinking about this book and author the other day and admit that I peaked on Amazon to see how the book was faring.  Recent reviewers were for the most part not impressed…. many of their opinions were much as mine were, only theirs were more verbal.  I had to dig deep into the reviews going way back to find a series of positive ones.

I guess what I am getting at here is that many of you that read my blog here are also book reviewers.  Like me, I am guessing that you probably try really hard to be careful what books you are offered for review that you say yes to.  As time goes on, I have become more and more selective.  Yet, even with the best of intentions, we are going to come across books that we just do not enjoy and yet, we have agreed to review.

So to book bloggers I offer this:

1.  Yes be selective in the books you agree to read and review

2,  Keep your reviews honest – dont sugar coat them, your readers want your true opinion

3.  It is just an opinion – yours. 

4.  Keep all your thoughts about the book – do not make them about the author.  (*I have tossed this one around for a long time in my head, and while my review comment in a way touched the author as it was a non fiction memoir type, I certainly never meant for it to personally offend.)

5.  Not every book is going to be a win. 

To authors who experience a poor review I offer this:

1.  I adore you for all your hard work and understand (and hopefully am someday there too) that your book can be like a child.

2.  Do not take negative reviews personally, not everyone is going to love your book.  (Just like parents, not everyone is going to love your child as you do. 😛 )

3.  I love it when you visit the review and I think my readers do too.  If you want to participate in the comments that is awesome, just keep it positive.

4.  Angry, defensive responses shine poorly on you.  By being bigger than that, you can still ensure a positive experience for the readers and possibly pick up a few readers as well.  (Again, a review is just an opinion).

5.  I am one person, even this post is just my thoughts.  I can speak only for me and my experiences. 🙂

Note:  In the two and a half years I have been blogging, I have only had the one negative author experience.  Most authors are amazing and generous people.  ♥

There have been books that I have not enjoyed that my readers have gone on to read and loved.  The beauty of the melting pot of book lovers!  😀 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, but please do not point out books or authors.

Have you ever had a hard book to review?  Again, please leave book titles and authors out, but I would like to hear how you handled the review. 

Have you ever had a poor review you had written, but a positive author experience with the same book?

Bookish Gifts for Your Bookish Friends

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments

It is that time of year  again when I start thinking of Christmas and the gift giving.  I love finding the perfect gift for people.  I know I appreciate a well thought out gift and find it funny when people say to me that they would not get me a book because of course I have so many already…

those who know me well.. know a bookish item is perfect for me as that is what I love.  After all, the gift of a book to me is like the gift of adventure.

That said it got me thinking of what I would consider good bookish gifts this year and I thought I would post a list of the items that I think would be very appreciated by fellow book lovers:  (*Note that all gifts listed below are clickable pictures that will take you to where you can purchase and/or see more about the item.

 

 

 

1.  The Chaos Walking Series

Seriously the best series I read this year and totally gift worthy.  Believe me – you will want to give all three books as each book leaves you ready to jump head first into the next.  A little adventure, a little sci fi, a little YA, and a lot of dystopia… this series has a little something for everyone… and I personally found it to be even more amazing than the Hunger Games.  See my reviews of these books here, here, and here.

 

 

 

2.  The Banned Books Bracelet

I have coveted this bracelet since the first time I saw it.  What a cool and unique gift for your favorite book lover!  In both adult and teen titles. 

3.  Readers Journal

Not everyone you know who loves to read is also a book blogger.  Even some of your book blogger types (me included) still enjoy writing in a journal.  This little beauty is the pick of the crop because:

Title, Author, Date Published, Category (Fiction, Non-Fiction, etc.), Date Started, Date Finished, 0-5 Star Rating, “Inspired me to learn about these subjects”, followed by a full page for “Notes”.

Throughout the journal are places to fill in fun information:

~A 2-page spread about your “Biblio Style”, including favorite authors, favorite books, favorite places to read, favorite genres, etc.
~A page to show, basically, what kind of books are currently on your book shelves.
~A page to fill in authors that have most influenced you.
~”Reading Trees”, to track how reading one book influenced you to read another book.
~A page to make your own little award ceremony for books.
~Literary face-offs, where you check who you like the best from lists of authors and literary characters.
~A favorite quotes page.
~Two page spread concerning books being turned into movies.

Seriously?  I just ordered two of these this morning.

4.  The Steve Jobs book by Walter Isaacson

This hot little item is on my wish list and I think on many other book lovers as well.

5.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (ON AUDIO!)

I would never forget the audio book lovers in my life and my recommendation for this Christmas season is Ready Player One.  Narrated by Will Wheaton it is a treat for the ears!

 

 

 

6.  Awesome movies made from books

Celebrate life-long friendship this holiday season with the film adaptation of Lisa See’s best-selling novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Set in both 19th century and present day China, Snow Flower is the tale of two women and their descendants who share a life-long bond as sworn sisters. This touching film is from critically acclaimed director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club).

This tale set in a travelling circus during the Great Depression stars the dreamy Robert Pattinson, and the loveable Reese Witherspoon, as two star-crossed lovers who must overcome many obstacles in order to be together. Not only is the film a great love story, but Witherspoon also dons some fantastic outfits and makeup, which would be great inspiration for any stylish woman!

Both of these movies were made from exceptional books.  I have seen both movies and can honestly say they are both gift worthy.

 

 

 

7.  Fun book shelves

Most big time book lovers are always scrambling for space to store their precious treasures.  A great gift is to give them is a unique way to do just that.  Do you not just love this shelf?

8.  Bookish Board Games

300 trivia cards, including 8 bonus Jane Austen trivia questions.  Super bookish party fare!

In Liebrary, players are given a book title and the plot summary and then asked it create the most believable first line of the book. The object of the game is to bluff other players into believing that their first line is the correct one. The more outrageous the better.  Come on!  Doesn’t that sound so fantastic?

9.  Trilogy that have gone GLOBAL!

We have been talking Hunger Games for the last two years.  Now – next year the movies will start and if you have bookish friends who have yet to read the series (shudder the thought!) then what an incredible gift to give!  This will be the gift that keeps on giving. 

 

 

 

10.  Harry Potter Boxed Complete Hardcover set

With the release of the last and final installment of the Harry Potter movies, we are truly at the end of an incredible era.  (Pause for a moment of silence)…………………………………………………………………….

To have all the books in hard cover in mint condition to the Harry Potter fan in your life?  Priceless.

That’s it for now… I have a DVD copy of Snow Flower and The Secret Fan as well as a DVD copy of Water For Elephants which I will choose two winners for next week from those who leave a comment letting me know what bookish gift they would like to receive this Christmas. 

Monsters Of Men by Patrick Ness

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

In this third and final books of the Chaos Walking Series Todd and Viola are coming into the biggest war of their lives.  This is not one of those series where you can pick up any book and start it… and get it.  No, you must know where Todd came from in The Knife Of Never Letting Go and how Viola came into the picture.  You must understand the level of sacrifice already given before you enter this world again in The Ask And The Answer…

The Spackle are more… more than one could have imagined and The Mayor…. well, will one ever fully figure him out?

Viola is working with The Answer, and Todd is working with … well, with The Mayor.  And The Spackle (wondering what a Spackle is… well, its not something you do to the walls…) are coming in as the third part to a war that we thought was two-part… but no, Ness would not make things as simple as that.

What do you do to save the place you have come to know as home?  What do you do to save the one you love?

And how do you look at all that is happening and not take it personally?

Yes.... you must read all three

Lets just put it out there.  I ♥ Patrick Ness.  It’s ok…. I told my husband too.  😀  I mean you know its bad when I get excited about the font in a book.  I do.  I did.  I still think it is brilliant and if you have read none of these books then you have no idea what I am ranting about but that…. needs to be corrected.

I am always shocked, appalled, and even thrilled by the courage of an author to do away with key characters.  In this way, Patrick Ness did not let me down in any of the three books.  My advice to new readers – don’t get attached to anybody.

Knowing that… imagine my fear page after page…. never knowing who was going to be wiped off the planet at a moments notice…. this sort of dystopia novel really can bring out the tingly feelings of anticipation, of fear, of the big…. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?  (And of course what I fondly refer to as “back turning”… when something happens that you are all like (NO WAY!) and you have to turn back a few pages to read that again and go there again…. only… to be shocked again.  (Mmmmm hmmmm…. it’s that good.)

I wish I could avoid this rambling and choppy review but I finished this book over a week ago as we landed in Honduras and without taking down a few notes on my thoughts (my bad…. my bad indeed) I left here a week and a half later hanging on to remnants of excitement but not sure where I felt them or how to share them with you. 

I can however say that this is the best trilogy I have read this year and I do not take series lightly.  If you are looking to end the year on a high reading note – I highly recommend you start on this series and then…. feel free to rant and rave here with me…. 😀

Alison is screaming “Don’t Miss This Book”!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

DON’T MISS THIS BOOK!!

Good morning, Book Journey friends! 

I am honored to be your substitute host today while Sheila is spreading her joy across the globe.  I had the pleasure of meeting Sheila in May 2010 at the Book Expo America in New York.  She is just as lovely in person as I hoped she would be, and we hit it off right away!!   I’m not only a friend and fellow book blogger, I’m also a loyal reader of Book Journey, so I figured I could stop by and we could keep one another company in Sheila’s absence.

Me and Alison

Photographic proof!  This is from BEA 2010.  With all the time we spent together this past May, I don’t have a photo of the two of us…Sheila?  Do you have one??

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the Alison from Alison’s Book Marks.  I have a little book blog on the other side of the Internets where I chat about an eclectic mix of books.  Any book that is being read in my house is discussed on my blog – right now, The Man is working on KILLING LINCOLN; the 6 year old is tackling his first “real book”, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID; the 9 year old, is reading HOLES by Louis Sachar; and I am currently reading HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET.  I am blessed with a reading family!!

There is one book I read this year that I can’t stop talking about with my book friends – THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday; Hardcover; 400 pgs.; September 13, 2011: 978-0385534635).   

I would send you over to read my review of the book, but I think Sheila’s review was much better.  Not only do I feel this is the best book I have read all year, but it has also earned a place on my Book Shelf of Fame, where I place my all-time favorites like THE BOOK THIEF, EAST OF EDEN, THE HELP, SARAH’S KEY, and HARRY POTTER.

I went into this book knowing very little.  In fact, I didn’t even read the blurb on the back cover. All I was told was that there was magic and mystery, all wrapped up in a cast of characters one will not soon forget.  It did not take me long to get sucked into the mystery of the Circus, which is a character in and of itself. 

I read quite a bit, as you might imagine, and always looking forward to the next great book, but this is one of the few books that I can’t wait to read again and again. The next time I experience this book will probably be listening to the audio, by Jim Dale (of Harry Potter audio fame!) There are all these wonderful little details that I can’t wait to experience all over again.  There was a reason for everything – the color of a dress, the shape of a tree, the taste of a dessert.  This book was an all-sensory experience! 

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern is a special book.  I hope you read it this winter, and be sure to come back and chat with us when you do! 

*Note from Sheila:  Alison ROCKS!  She is a lot of fun and I enjoy her blog and her friendship.  Her review of Night Circus is awesome and it is linked here so check it out… and Alison, you asked if I had a picture of us from BEA 2011…. I do:

Me and Alison - BEA 2011

Morning Meanderings… Honduras – Day Five

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning.  😛

I did it again… I set my alarm according to my cell phone… got up, showered, and dressed… and then realized that it was actually an hour earlier than I thought it was.

😯

I had turned off my data and wifi in Honduras so as not to get the bill of a lifetime and due to this, my cell phone never updated to the correct time.

We are now in Tegucigalpa and it is good to be here.  For one… the internet is much better and it is not taking me two hours to upload pictures and write a post. 

I did not get many pics yesterday other than our traveling.

A little hut along the roadway

 

Of course… who would I be if I did not mention the coffee?

Cafe Americana - 18.9 limperos = 1 American dollar

 

Honduras limps can make you feel like you have a lot of money in your pocket but it takes 18.9 of the Limperos to equal one dollar.  It feel weird to be paying 39  limps for a mocha coffee and a cookie until you think… until you realize this is only a little over $2.00.

Today we are going to AFE (the school fro the kids in the dump) and out to Manuelito, where my Honduras missions began, working with the street kids.  Today, will be like a reunion.  🙂

Currently… two books completed for the week and one audio.

Morning Meanderings.. Day Two and Three in Honduras

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning!  This is my actual coffee cup from yesterday morning.  And yes, the coffee is good.  😀

On Sunday we had an opportunity in the morning to go up even further into the mountains and see a Linca Village.  It was beautiful and here are a few of the pics:

 

 

At 3 pm we went to the church and we were there until 5:30 pm.  A wonderful service in three languages – Spanish, English, and we had Dima with us who shared the stage and spoke in Ukrainian. 

After service, we went to dinner with the Pastor and his family.  The food was amazing.  We ordered two platter meals that were to feed 5 people each.  We had 13 in our group and could not finish it.  There was a tortilla and bean and cheese appetizer, then french fries with a yummy sauce, then beans, and the main dish:

On Monday we worked all day painting the outside of the church and the outside of the classroom walls.  The weather was pretty nice.  It seems to rain with a fine mist in the mornings and then slowly burns off it was pretty warm by early afternoon.

Dima and Boris (from Ukraine) and me outside painting in La Esperanza Honduras

 

Yesterday I took Asus (laptop) in the van with us as leaving electronics in a hotel in this are could be risky.  I had it under one of the seats in the van so it was not seen by passer bys… when I went to take it out last night it was covered in water… someones water had spilled o the seat and went through it on to the floor… soaking lap top.  Boris on our team is a computer genius and he quickly pulled out the battery and wiped everything down.  He told me to not use it for two days to give it a chance to dry… but ahh…. yeah.  About that.  I had to communicate pics… so I am taking my chances.

I am posting my pictures on Facebook and if you would like to see more, go there.  I am Sheila DeChantal.  If I do not know you make sure you send a little message if you are friending me so I know you are a Book Journey reader.