Meanderings – Page 12

Saturday Snapshot – The Empty Bowls Fundraiser

Published on October 24, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)25 Comments

I am still here. Sporadic at best… and I guess that is my life now… but here.

Today is a dreary cool fall day in Central Minnesota. The sky is overcast. The air is damp. A slight chilling breeze makes this ideal sweater wear or a light jacket.

It is definitely soup weather.

I guess that makes today a perfect day for the Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser here in ~~Stars Hollow~~, Brainerd. One of the many MANY things I love about our community is how we help one another. Today’s fundraiser is a combination of two non profits (I LOVE this!), our local Soup Kitchen teaming up with our Crossing Arts Alliance.

How does that work?

Beautifully.

Artists have donated beautiful hand made bowls to the event. Local restaurants have donated the soups and bread. For $20 you get to choose a lovely bowl for yourself, mingle with the locals, and enjoy delicious soup. The $20 goes to the Soup Kitchen…. keeping food in everyone’s tummy is important.

So for today’s Saturday snapshot I wanted to show you pictures of some of the gorgeous bowls that have been donated by our local artists:

Gorgeous right? I can’t wait. I am off to get ready now. I am going with my cousin and a few friends to taste the soup and get out of the house for a bit.

Tonight I will be making soup I just have not decided what kind to make yet. Perhaps I will be inspired today…. of course, you can always give me ideas in the comments below as well… or perhaps Weekend Cooking has something delicious in mind….

Have a lovely Saturday!

Passing The Baton…

Published on October 15, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

So here is a story.

In February of 2009 I was a fairly new blogger. I had about 6 months in. I was in Florida with my husband for the equipment auctions when a blogger named J Kaye, messaged me. J Kaye ran the blog j-kaye-book-log. She was the creator of the Meme “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” and I loved it – the book conversation, the linking up, the going back to read the comments because she always responded to the comments. J Kaye was contacting me to say she was dropping out of blogging to work on her career as an author and would I be interested in taking over the meme.

Me?

The meme had over 200 followers. For a newbie like myself, this was a goldmine of bloggers and book lovers that would follow the meme to me and perhaps like the way I chatted up books. SO of course I said yes, promising to love the meme and nurture it and…

I did.

It’s Monday never missed a Monday from the time I took over the meme. I even posted when I was in Honduras and this past year when I was in Australia I passed it on to another blogger to watch while I was away. The meme went on…

until April.

When my life hit the rocks, the meme as well as pretty much everything else came to a halt. While, after a while I started posting again, for whatever reason I could not wrap my mind around keeping up with It’s Monday. I planned to bring it back in September and in the past 4 weeks, I forgot about it twice. It seems to be something I can no longer commit too… yet I love that meme and in many ways, it brought me many readers who have stuck with me through it all.

So…

I did what J Kaye did. I looked for a follower of the meme who was a consistent blogger. Someone who would take it over and love it as I had, and hopefully I too can participate in the meme without the pressure (self inflicted I am sure) of owning it.

AND…

(Of course she can choose her own meme button… I was just playing around)

I am pleased to announce that Kathryn from The book Date will be taking over It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? I am so excited to see the meme continue in her capable hands. I will help with the transition of directing traffic her way and I will probably participate myself 🙂

Thank you to everyone who has patiently hung in there with me while I figured this out. I am happy with this decision. I don’t know how many years J Kaye had It’s Monday, but I had it for 6 years and it will go on.

On another note…. canning today and finishing up between today and tomorrow. I have been enjoying some down time at home, book club and the Gone With The Wind review was on Tuesday and yes – there are some fun pictures to go with that. I am listening on audio to Admissions and enjoying it.

Morning Meanderings…. Channeling Scarlett

Published on October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

The crispness of fall has hit central Minnesota.

On Sunday it was beautiful and 80 degrees… these past two days the temp has dropped to the high 30’s…. the sky s hazy… the wind has that biting chill.

I am sooooo not ready.

I have never been a fan of winter and this year – tripley so…. I don’t like the cold, the wet, the slip. I stay inside and this year… that scares me a bit.

Ahhh…. and I digress. It is not winter. It is Fall. And tonight…. is book club.

Tonight my home will turn into Tara, the plantation from Gone With The Wind. We have been encouraged to dress the part…. you know I love that. There will be sweet potato pie, fried chicken, corn bread, a Scarlett drink, and…. Angie in my book club is bringing “Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give A Ham sandwiches”.

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my book club?

So today…. I bustle around prepping my home, making signs, dropping my large dog at a friends, baking, and prepping fun discussion questions.

Should make for fun discussion and fun pictures.

Also – I have a giveaway going on my latest book sale haul. Be sure and check out that post as the winner will be announced on Thursday morning. 🙂

Have you read Gone With The Wind? What do you think would make a great discussion question for our group?

Saturday Snapshot… A Look Into Minnesota Libraries

Published on October 10, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

I am still surprised how time gets away from me. I thought for sure I would have posts up this week but the book sale ended and a board retreat began and meetings this week and canning and a friend having surgery and company and delivering apples to neighbors and…

well you get the picture.

Along with all of that was the annual Minnesota Library Association Conference which is always a good time. I believe this is my fourth year attending. They have one day that is focused on Friends of the Libraries – ie. workshops, brainstorming sessions and awards. The second day while more oriented to libraries I also find interesting as there are sessions that share what other libraries are doing and the speakers are exceptional.

So today, for Saturday Snapshot I thought I would give you a little peek into the MLA….

I am on the Board for the Minnesota Library Association of Friends. This group is a plethora of information! A retired judge, financial adviser, and a past State Librarian who I love to talk to. We had a booth that I sat at when there was no session I was interested in attending.

Here is the group I attended with. These women are so much fun! L: Diane (Brainerd check out desk), Laurel (Reference desk), Julia (past Brainerd Librarian and now Mankato), Darcy (Children’s Librarian) and Jolene (our Lead Librarian for Brainerd).

They also have a small silent auction both days of the conference that assists in raising money for the Minnesota Library Foundation. I took pictures of some of the fun and interesting ones…. I love that Night Circus is paired with Freakshow wine!

Of course… I love a good silent auction and when it all ended I had won a few goodies…

The books were all one auction… I had my eye on The Child Garden. LOVE the cover! The audio book was not getting bids, and the package of homemade cards I LOVE as I try to send out cards every week. I love cards and messages 🙂

I left with a good deal of ideas! I came home yesterday afternoon and today is audio and catching up on laundry, mowing the lawn and apples waiting to be processed. A lazy Sunday (or as lazy as it gets for me) is just what I am glad to be a part of. I love being a part of this but the larger group stuff takes its tole on my through my grief and alone time… or time with just Al and I is what I long for to recharge 🙂

Morning Meanderings… Final to Banned Book Week and 6 Months

Published on October 4, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

This is the post that should have been yesterday however with the book sale… my overextended schedule this past week and my inability to sleep through the night – I did not get it posted. I did not forget – just had to let it go for a bit. 🙂

Soooooo. with that…

Here is the final day of banned book week post. Let me just say, what a week. I am bummed it hit during our Fall Book Sale as I had no time to really dig into the books or the posts. Thank goodness for all of you who grabbed the banned book week banner and waved it high. Here are the final day thoughts on banned book week from wonderful readers:

Laurel at An Interior Journey shares her thoughts on the banned book, Forever by Judy Blume. I was a huge Judy Blume fan growing up!

Kai at A Fiction State of Mind talks about the trending Magna books and their tendency to be banned as well as her thoughts on the book The Color Of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa.

I do hope you will check out their posts as someone this week will have a picture within their post and if you find that post (AND comment on the post) and email me (journeythroughbooks@gmail.com) to tell me who’s post you found it on you will go into a special drawing for…

This mug will be shipped directly to one of our commenters on the Banned Book Post you find THIS picture on:

**Important note** A few of you have emailed me with your responses of where you found the above picture and something I did not anticipate is that some of the blog posts this weeks used the above logo in their posts which is not the giveaway one. Look closely at the picture – it will be the one above which has a frame and my website on it. Sorry about any confusion – I will be more creative next year 🙂

Thank you to all who participated in banned book week! Please check out my posts of earlier this week and catch up on the great reads and giveaways. I will announce our winner for the Banned Book Cup tonight with Its Monday What Are You Reading so you still have time to look for the image hiding in one of the banned book week posts as described above.

Real quick – here is what has come in the house in the past two weeks as bookish! I am not going to link them as I usually do as I have so much going on today just trying to catch up on a weeks worth of not being around. Laundry and canning are on the itinerary as well as white chicken chili, and I need a new audio 🙂 Later today watch for my thoughts on the Banned Book Gone With The Wind. It is also 6 months today since Justin’s accident. Unbelievable. It has been the hardest 6 months of my life and I can not imagine what the next 6 months will hold. I am indeed a broken mess of a person just trying to find a new normal that I can accept. Thank you as always for being a part of my life – even those who I only know from your words here… thank you.

Morning Meanderings…. BANNED COFFEE?????

Published on September 30, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

Good morning. I am here…. still drinking tea. I have had no time to go out and purchase a coffee grinder for the Coffee beans that await me. Yes… yes… I could pick up ground coffee but now it is a thing. Coffee grinder or bust.

Why does banned book week always have to be so BUSY? We are in our final day of the fall books sale set up, this afternoon I have errands to run for a meeting tomorrow, find tables for the children’s books, mow my lawn, can tomatoes, and tomorrow starts the sale where I will be from morning until night the next three days.

*sigh*

So badly I want to pick up one of these books we are chatting away about but alas…. no time this week.

Anyhoo…. more posts today for you and for me! Got to love these great banned book posts! Here is what is out there for you to enjoy today:

Jon at the Rogue Scholar posts about Fahrenheit 451 (Ca you imagine having to hide your books? Well read Fahrenheit 451 and start the night terrors!)

Sue at Book by Book shares what she is reading this week for banned books!

Janet at Writer’s Flow has much to say about banned books including quotes and pictures!

Bex from An Armchair By The Sea writes about 4 banned picture books with a nice giveaway!

Stacie at Sincerely Stacie gives her opinion on Banned Books and on a recent attempted banning!

Wesley at Library Educated made me smile this morning with his Banned Book Week Word Search!

Nise at Under The Boardwalk shares two banned books that she is reading to her grandchild (yes… banned books for everyone!)

Becca at I’m Lost In Books gives us Lessons In Censorship with some FUN gifs included.

please note if you were scheduled for a post but do not see yours linked here it is because when I looked this morning the post was not up. I will check again later and add you to tomorrows if they pop up. 🙂

Please look at my other posts this week as each day I have links to awesome bloggers sharing banned books – reviews, information, giveaways, and fun stuff!

This mug will be shipped directly to one of our commenters on the Banned Book Post you find THIS picture on:

And that’s it for now. Back to the library I go…. I have about 9 more days of fairly business and then hopefully life can go back to a low simmer for awhile. The craziness… takes it tole on me.

Morning Meanderings… Banned Aid

Published on September 29, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Good morning! Day 3 of BANNED BOOK WEEK! I sit here this morning drinking tea as I bought this delicious coffee I can not wait to taste from Caribou Coffee and forgot that I had given away my coffee grinder because I never used it and now…

well…

the coffee will have to wait.

I have more great links for you this morning as friends around the bookish world share their thoughts on banned books today. I just love these posts and find them so interesting! I learn something every year! So here are today’s posts:

Erin at Quixotic Magpie writes about one of my favorite and ironic banned books, Fahrenheit 451 (got to love a banned book about book burning!) Brilliant really.

Julie at My Book Retreat is talking about a book I still want to/need to read: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (I am going to look for this one at our library today!)

Sheree at The Electric Reader is chatting about Childhood Favorites of the Banned Variety. Fun post!

*please note if you were scheduled for a post but do not see yours linked here it is because when I looked this morning the post was not up. I will check again later and add you to tomorrows if they pop up. 🙂

AND do not forget to check out the posts from yesterday and Sunday.

A little later today my friend Andrea will have a guest post here about banned books.

This mug will be shipped directly to one of our commenters on the Banned Book Post you find THIS picture on:

Yesterday I put the Banned Book Window up in the library. I think it turned out fairly well since I just grabbed a bunch of books off my own book shelves and made a few signs about why they were banned. *As a banned book lover I tend to have A LOT of banned books on my shelves.

And now I need to get ready to go back to the library and assist with set up for the sale that starts on Thursday. SO MANY BOOKS. Seriously…. It is a bit crazy how many books we will have at this sale.

Banned Meanderings… Yes. It Is That Time Again

Published on September 28, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning from Minnesota. Day 2 of the Banned Book Week Already. GAH! How time flies… and I finished Gone With The Wind yesterday (more on that BANNED BOOK later).

We have some book lovers that want to share with you their thoughts on banned books. Be sure to check them out as well as yesterdays entries as well. Banned books are near and dear to my heart ad I think if you read the posts you will learn something fascinating about a book that you have quite possibly read. Didn’t know you were a bad banned book reader did you? Well…. you probably are.

Check out Janet at Writer’s Flow with I Read Banned Books And You Can You!

At Chaos Is A Friend Of Mine you can read an excellent review of the banned book Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers. I still need to read that one!

Debbie at The Friday Friends shares a personal banned book encounter and her enjoyment of the book The Changeling. (You also have a chance to win a pair of banned book socks!)

At Kay’s Reading Life you will get a first hand experience of what it is like to work at a Library and handling the Banned Book questions of patrons! She also features some pretty amazing banned books to read.

Melinda at MHDeanCollectibles tells us what the current top 10 banned books are AND there is also a link to a Benned Book Giveaway hop! Seriously? How can you pass that up?

At Sally Whitney shares the right to read and why students should have the right to read The Kite Runner and The Bluest Eye.

Lisa at Lit and Life talks about growing up with banned books.

All excellent posts – I read them myself and love love love the remarkable topics being discussed this year. Spend a little time with your COFFEE CUP and explore these posts. Educate yourself on our right to read.

I do hope you will check out their posts as someone this week will have a picture within their post and if you find that post and email me (journeythroughbooks@gmail.com) to tell me who’s post you found it on you will go into a special drawing for…

This mug will be shipped directly to one of our commenters on the Banned Book Post you find THIS picture on:

So that’s it for this morning. Set up for the Library’s fall book sale starts this morning and I am also setting the library window to banned book week as well. SO….. off I go!

WHAT Banned book are you reading this week?

p.s. I just realized this moment that I forgot to post It’s Monday What Are You Reading last night. My bad. Fell right out of my head. Next week then…..

Morning Meanderings… Can you?

Published on September 26, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

I woke up crying this morning. That may be a bit TMI… but I do want to keep it real here and this site is not only my bookish release – it is also my record of what life is now like in this after Justin world.

With that said – the word for the week is CANNING.

With a couple of people offering me up the tomatoes they were not going to use themselves, I have found that the process of canning keeps my mind busy, and while doing so, I am listening to Gone With The Wind for book club – so double duty.

Today I thought I would share with you for Weekend Cooking and Saturday Snapshot, a look into my canning world – and a recipe bonus.

I inherited a lot of tomatoes.

And more than what is pictures as I went back to this one ladies house two times with 4 totes and filled them all each time. So I have been making salsa (red and green), spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, sliced green tomatoes for friend green tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, basil tomato sauce… and enough cucumbers to make 12 jars of pickles.

One of my favorite recipes is the one for salsa. I LOVE salsa. I love to make it fresh but I have discovered a salsa recipe that Al and I both devour with satisfaction. And that is what I will share with you today:

You will need:

14 cups of cored and peeled and then chopped up tomatoes

5 cups of dices onion

5 cups of diced green pepper

1/4 cup of fresh diced jalapeno peppers

5 Tablespoons of cumin (I use the hotter one I find in our local grocery)

1/4 cup of Cilantro

1/4 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Still all of this together and simmer in a large pot around 20 minutes. Process into hot sanitized pint jars with a 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in the bottom of each jar. Seal and place in a large boiling hot water canner for 15 minutes. Be sure that all lids seal before storing (I leave them on my counter for a day to check them.) Delicious with chips or over chicken. Also makes a lovely gift.

Today… I continue. I have tomatoes ready to make another batch of the basil tomato sauce, and apples ready to start apple butter. Later today I am going to try my had at home made siracha which involved my peppers witting in a vinegar bath overnight. We will see….

On another note, Banned Book Week starts tomorrow… CRAZY how fast that came up. For those of you signed up to participate I will send out an email today, for the rest of you – its not to late to sign and be sure to participate too as there will be giveaways and a lot of fun!

Be sure to check out Weekend Cooking and Saturday Snapshot for other things cooking and happening around the world.

Morning Meanderings… Storms, Canning, and Miss Scarlett

Published on September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

I am amazed how I can fill up my time.. so much that days go by and I realize I have not posted a thing. So determined I am to keep my mind busy that I plan to post, and then before I know it, it is 5 pm and I need to plan dinner. There is good and bad in this… the good is I am busy for sure. The bad is I know I fear a time when I am not.

For busy now – canning has preoccupied my time. I have been busy processing tomatoes and enjoying it. Yesterday I canned spaghetti sauce, salsa, pizza sauce, and 7 jars of pickles.

Today I plan to do the same.

It is a stormy day outside – the good old thunder and lots of rain type. It cramps my style a bit as I like to use my deck for the cutting of the tomatoes, but I can make do. I am listening to Gone With The Wind now, having to set the book aside as I have no time to read, so have switched to audio and find I am really enjoying it as well as accomplishing my book club read while canning at the same time.

So… a quick update on my relationship with Scarlett, and Tara, and well.. the clan.

Currently, I have made my way into part 3. Scarlett is still fretting around in her “Scarlett Scarlett Scarlett” attitude… ooh, a more self centered woman I do not think I have met.

I am finding however, in all the petty worrying about the lack of pretty clothes, judging all other women as homely or unkempt, her (still) attempts at winning Ashley’s heart and her belief that any man that pays her a lick of attention *cough cough Rhett cough* must surely want her passionately for marriage. AND for that, I give Rhett credit for laughing in her face every time she inquires about it. Oh Scarlett… still trying to add notches to her marriage proposal list while she complains about the down side of war (stinky wounded, needy people, having to work in the hospital, and a child that she admits she often forgets she has). I have to give author Margaret Mitchell credit… I am finding Gone With The Wind to be brilliantly witty and a take on the war that I have never heard before and admittedly…

enjoying it.

Tonight I have a city Library Board Meeting and prior to that I will change the window at the library to Banned Book Week, because yes, Banned Book Week is almost here! If you have not already, please check out my Annual Banned Book Week Meme – it is fun, there are giveaways, and I am thoroughly looking forward to it. Join in!