Morning Meanderings… The Final Week Of January

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Good morning!  I have today off and while I have a check list of errands to run and things to do… I am still enjoying hot tea this morning and chilling in my house as the wind and snow blow outside. 

January, book wise has been very good to me.  Its like I broke through the Willy Wonka glass ceiling and now I am no longer too tired and too busy to enjoy some great reads.  AND I have read and listened to some pretty amazing books this month.  I plan on doing a recap later this week of the month and I am excited to review what I have read and update the few challenges I had signed up for this year. 😀

One more thing before I move on with my morning, through my blog visits this week I seen a good looking read over at Estelle’s Revenge, The Midwife Of Hope River.  Stop by and read her review.  This one goes on my wish list. 😀

Currently reading: March With Me by Rosalie T Turner

Currently Listening to:  The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (in house), The Gilly Salt Sisters (in car)

Any books showing up that you are adding to your reading list?

Morning Meanderings… You even get obsessed with a movie?

1j

Good morning all.  Another cold morning here in Minnesota but I think we are on the upswing.  Currently 4 degrees… practically a heat wave. 

When I was in Mankato for a bike ride this past October my college son and I went to the movie Pitch Perfect.  It was good, really good.  This past week it came out in dvd and I rented it and now, returning it (LATE!) today, I can tell you I have watched it 5 times over the weekend.

5. 

Yup.

I love the music, love the humor… really, it is the music though.

In other news, tonight will by my swearing into the Library Board.  EEP!  Sounds a little scary, but a whole lot of fun.  I think.  I hope.  It will be ;).

And lastly, a plug for my 12K challenge.  We have 22 people signed up so far and we start February 1st.  If you haven’t checked it out, please do…. it’s going to be fun and we have a great team!  😀

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Do you have any movies that you can watch again and again and again?

Morning Meanderings… Dang… It is COLD Outside

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Good morning from the middle of Minnesota.  Current temp, -22F.  It’s true.  Here is the warning I just pulled off the weather website:

Wind Chill Warning remains in effect until noon CST today.

The National Weather Service in Duluth has issued a Wind Chill Warning, which is in effect until noon CST today.

  • Location: northeastern Minnesota including the locations of Walker, Brainerd, Aitkin and Hinckley.

  • Wind Chill values: expect wind chills of 25 to 40 below zero. Winds this morning will be a bit lighter than yesterday, but morning lows will be colder. The coldest wind chills will occur through about 10 am.

  • Impacts: Frostbite can occur on exposed skin within 5 to 10 minutes in these conditions.

Mmmm hmmm…. sun lover me…. why do I live here?  Oh yeah, because I LOVE spring through fall… and yes, spring is coming. 😀

I was on the North shore this weekend… I know I know… why not go where it is even colder?  And I took a couple pics of my jeep that was going to go in a post on Saturday but I have no internet at the cabin and when I drove into town to use their internet my laptop battery died and well… anyway… no pics.  BUT – here they are now:

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Friday afternoon when I arrived in Finland Minnesota. Mmmm hhhhhmmmmm there is a Finland Minnesota.
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Saturday morning, when I woke up at 6:30 am in Finland Minnesota.

Anyhoo…. got to use a shovel….

Today I am off work but busy with a couple appointments that I need to get ready for so wanted to pop in and say its cold but I am a Minnesotan therefore chances are I will survive this too.  Later I will be posting my review of Level 2 (do not miss this!) and I though since I am rambling and random this morning, I would leave you with this funny book trailer that was with my Shelf Awareness email this morning:

morning Meanderings… Packing Up and Off I Go!

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Good morning! Happy Friday! 

This morning I am packing up the jeep and Sammy (the dog) and I are heading to the cabin for the weekend.  I need some “get away and write” time so here I go. 

Going with me are several books to read while I take breaks and of course some movies for the late night “my eyes are too tired to write” times. 

I will be checking in throughout the weekend when I pop into areas that have internet.  Someday I am really hoping the cabin will have internet… that would be pretty awesome.  😀

I hope you all have something wonderful planned for the weekend… be it books, or getting out and enjoying whatever weather you have happening!  😀 

Oh and if you are looking for a fun health challenge this year… click the button below. 😀

1M

Morning Meanderings…. Fitness and Reading

1j

Good morning all!  😀  I am back to work today and that’s good because I do like my job. 😀  I am on the next couple of days and then I believe I am going to the cabin this Friday for the weekend and I am pretty stoked about that… it’s been since November since I have been there.

Yesterday among other things, I finally put up my fitness challenge that I was working on since early December and then busy times happened.  I am kind of excited about it!  I know there were a dew of you waiting for me to get it posted and I finally have:

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Mmmmm hmmmm…. there she is!  😛  The 2013 12K Fitness Challenge is on!  Well, almost on.  It officially starts on February 1, but the sign up is on.  I hope you stop by Team Kickin it and read what it is about.  There is something for all levels… all goals.  If you know anyone who may be interested in joining me on this adventure, please send them my way. 😀

In bookish news, I am about half way through Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans and I am liking it. What an interesting concept!  I hope to get that finished in the next day or two here. 

Hope your mid-week is awesome 😀

Morning Meandering…. Challenges For Me!

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Good morning!  These bonus days off have been AWESOME!  Yesterday I had a couple of meetings and a couple of errands in the morning and then the rest of the day was mine – *insert mwwwwaaaaa haaaa haaa laugh here* .    I updated my sidebar, wrote a review, cleaned up some tabs and yes – I ever read.  😀

I have missed books.

Then last night after setting up the rest of my 2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge, I stared looking for other challenges I wanted to be a part of…. and here is what I came up with:

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The audio book challenge is always a fun one and really, not a big challenge for me as I am constantly listening to audio every day.  Still… I like to play. 😀  Here is how she sets it up:

There are five levels to the challenge

  • Flirting-Listen to 6 Audio Books
  • Going Steady- Listen to 12 Audio Books
  • Lover- Listen to 25 Audio Books
  • Married-Listen to more than 25 Audio Books
  • You Define the Relationship- Create your own challenge (choose your own name and level starting as low or going as high as you’d like)
This is a fairly laid back challenge and I want it to be as enjoyable as possible.
  • Audio Books can be any genre

  • You can cross challenges

  • You don’t have to be a blogger to participate. You can tell us about what you are listening to in the comments of the monthly link up.

So using Teresa’s  guidelines, I am going to up the level and say I will go for a goal of 40 audio books this year and I will call it the ADDICT Level 😉

 

And Lori is having an A to Z Challenge that looks like fun so I thought I would try that too:

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This challenge is simply to read a book that has a title that starts with each letter of the alphabet. 

I think that is about it.  Last year I had signed up for about 7 and just couldn’t keep up with them and honestly I don’t know how I did on them.  They are fun though, so here I go again :D.   It feels good to be getting back on track.

Today on my day off one of the things I will be doing is reading Lenore Appelhan’s debut book, Level 2.  Lenore is awesome, a book reviewer and someone I have had the privilege of meeting in New York.  You can find Lenore at Presenting Lenore, stop by and congratulate her on release day!

Morning Meanderings… Coughing Into Sunday

1j

Yesterdays 5k was a blast!  While not the most impressive obstacles…. at one point we had to carry a block of wood around a large area and through some ropes set at different levels… (what is that… a Minnesota thing?) we did have a good time.  😀

One of the obstacles was to go up over this wooden board.  You climb it with a rope and then go over the other side.  It was about 10 feet high and it was set up pretty unsafe.  I couldn’t get up it, there were no foot holds, and my friend Amy got to the top but seeing there was nothing to help you down but to jump on to the icy ground she and I chose to walk around those.  Later we were talking to friends and found out one of them broke a rib on that thing and another a finger.  😯  The worst thing that happened to us is that ever since I quit running, I keep coughing.  Too much cold air in the lungs I guess.  *cough*

Today is a pretty low-key day (YIPPEE!!!!).  I am going to church this morning, then picking up a few groceries and then home to dive into a book.  I bought Jodi Piccoult’s new one, ‘Between The Lines’ yesterday and I am looking forward to diving in.  The house is warm, my blanket snugly.  I may see if Al wants to go see a movie later today – there are a few good ones out there. 

As for books that came in this week… tis the season!  Something about winter and being surrounded by books… makes me so happy!

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Don’t these look good?  AND a couple of audio too!!! 

I have Monday and Tuesday off this week due to an abundance of hours used the end of December and the first of January and I am looking forward to a doing a little work in the book room, a Library meeting, coffee with a friend, and mmmmm…

MORE BOOKS!  😀

How has your weekend been?  Anything fun?  Have you seen any good movies?

Morning Meanderings…. First 5k Of The Year Eve

1j

Good morning!  The house is feeling nice this morning, warm and cozy.  I went to bed last night at 7 pm and got up at 7 am this morning.  I finally feel caught up on my sleep.  I feel rested and ready to move into these next 5 days off. 

Soon here I need to get ready to go have lunch with some awesome friends.  We couldn’t find a way to get us all together before Christmas so we are meeting today for lunch and our Christmas celebration.  I am looking forward to it. 

As this post is titled, tomorrow is the first 5k of the year.  It is called the Iceman and is in Dayton Minnesota.  As far as we know, my friend Amy and I have never been to Dayton Minnesota, but we are on out way there tomorrow morning for our 11 am run.  I am both excited and a bit anxious.  😀

The weather has gone weird here… warmer this week, like in the 20’s ans then yesterday it rained an froze over night.  I hear that the roads are ice rinks and that school has been cancelled.  Tomorrow it is supposed to drop to the teens and rain/snow mix…. not the best 5k weather….  but I guess we will see.

Later today I am going to share with you my review and our awesome book club experience with author Sandra Brannan…. I will also revile what she sent us in the box…

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Really… this is worth stopping in later for 🙂  Hope your ay and weekend are fabulous, I just finished listening to Gods In Alabama and wow.  I need to find more by this author! 

Morning Meanderings… Anticipating Book Club.

1j

Good morning!  My second day off of the New Year and I am chilling this morning with a great cup of coffee and the laptop. 

Yesterday was full but in good ways.  I helped the Library take down their Christmas decorations and put the new window up about the Winter Book Club program where we are featuring different book clubs in the area and their favorite reads in the window.  Ir was fun to do the first three.  I forgot to take a picture but I will get one when I stop in today.  After the Library I had coffee with my friend Connie where we brainstormed our winter retreat coming up in February, a 5K I will be working on setting up in June, and the Wine and Words Literacy event being planned for August. 

Last night I watched the city council meeting on tv and was voted in as a Library Board Member.

I think, it’s going to be a fun year.  😛

Today I am anticipating tonight’s Bookies Book Club meeting and review of In The Belly Of Jonah by Sandra Brannan.  Sandra will be skyping with us tonight.  Usually I am working on Tuesdays and I run from work to prepping dinner for my hubby to book club, but today being a bonus day off – I am excited to take my time planning what I will be bringing for food and who really knows what else could be up my sleeve… 😀

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My question(s)  to you this morning (as I seem to be in full Book Club mode) is… are you in a book club or have you ever been?  What do you read as a group?  How do you choose your books?  Do you do anything besides reviews – ie… travel together, go to movies or other events….

Morning Meanderings… I Need A “Do-Over”

1j

Happy Saturday ya’ all!

I hope the start of the New Year has been wonderful to you!  Over here, I think I am officially going to start the new year n the seventh. 

This week has been a blur pretty much from the 29th of December last Saturday when I worked seven hours on my day off and moving forward.  Every day I have had big commitments that I had to work towards and the new year here was merely a blur – a connection of one ay to another just like all the rest.

I admit…. I am a little saddened by that.

For years my tradition has been to post a book on January 1st that was one that I had been waiting to read and excited to review.  I think that traditions goes back to just after high school, long before I was blogging and back when I was writing book thoughts in journals (oh yeah… I still have them).  Sadly, I have not read one page yet this new year.  I pick a book up, and never get it opened.  The closest I have come to reading so far this year is when I fell asleep with a book on my lap, ready to read…. but not quite connecting eyes to page.

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Ok, ha… not really like her…. more like in the recliner, all the way back with a blanket…. but you get the idea.  😛

So this morning I am off to set up for a 10 year anniversary party for tomorrow.  Then I need to  do some shopping for it, then I have to train someone in for IHN for tonight (still in our serving of the homeless week through tomorrow morning), and then I have my hubbies Christmas party for our company tonight.  (*insert smile here*)

Tomorrow I will be tearing down IHN at 5 am and then prepping the final touches on the 10 year party that will start at noon.  When all is said and done with that – after clean up, I am off the radar (work wise) until Wednesday.  😀

Seriously, I am not going to be such a downer…. good things are coming…. I just need to get there. 😀

Happy Saturday everyone!  😀  Read something for me 🙂