Category: Meanderings

Morning Meanderings… Where Art Thou ______________?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

Good morning!  😀

See what happens when I get a bonus day off… I come in late… taking my own sweet time, padding around my house doing things I usually do not have time for in the mornings I work like… reading all my emails, standing on my deck with COFFEE CUP and enjoying the fall morning, and then finally… sitting down to write my morning meanderings.

So I am at the grocery store… hmmm… probably three times since the weekend, and if that makes you shudder… well, it does me too.  I do not like grocery shopping (thus the reason I am in there almost every other day) and with it just being hubby and I at home… I usually do not need much. 

However these past few days as I walk through the aisles I know I am forgetting something and it is a necessity item.  I find myself walking through the toothpaste and bathroom items aisle hoping something will catch my memory… and then I am in the cleaning supplies…. is it dish soap?  Laundry soap?  No… well stocked in both…

Garbage bags?  Toilet paper?  Shampoo?  No…. no…. and no….

Then… it is when I get up in the morning (errr…. the last two days) that I remember.  It is…

COFFEE FILTERS

Yup.  Me.  Without coffee filters.  It is pretty tragic really. 

I have been using a paper napkin … probably not the best thing to do is run hot water and coffee through the blue flowered napkin die and the drink it… but… eh…. whats a girl going to do?  😛

I have today off from work because I had too many hours accumulated the last two weeks so I will be taking today off and next Tuesday is well.  This is good as I have a few house projects to catch up on, my lawn, and I am working on setting up my spread sheet for Banned Books Week which I am having some fun with.  😀  If you are interested in participating you can check it out here…  there are still some banned books I would love to see reviewed during the week like:

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Charlotte’s Web, EB White

Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison

Native Son, Richard Wright

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Frank L. Baum

Howard’s End, EM Forster

A Room with a View , EM Forster

Bonfire of the Vanities, Thomas Wolfe

Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

The War of the Worlds, HG Wells

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein

All The Harry Potter Books

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Enrenreich

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Just to name a few.  😉

Have a great day – I will be back this afternoon with a review of a book that BLEW ME AWAY.  I borrowed it from the library on audio but know I must own it…

Morning Meanderings… Whole Lotta Fun Stuff Coming Soon!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Good morning!

*yawn*

*stretch*

Ahhh…. I am so glad it is Sunday!  I have a few commitment s at church today but by noon it is smooth sailing home do not pass go and collect your $200!  (Ok… maybe I dont get to collect money but that would have been cool.  😛

Last night we went out to dinner with some friends for my hubby Al’s birthday.  It was a lot of fun but out poor waitress had her hands full.  The place was paced they were understaffed and when we ordered our food it took FOREVER to arrive. 

BUT – it really was about hanging out with the friends and I did have a blast doing that!  We caught up and I took a picture of my hubby and two of his good friends.  (I also would have taken a picture of us girls but that was about the time my camera decided that it had a low battery.  GAH!!!  So my friend Amy took a pic and when I get it from her I will post it.)

L: Robb, my hubby Al, and Chad

No… I did not tell everyone to wear gray so it was not a theme party… even though the girls wore gray too, except me… I wore black.  😀

In other more bookish news – today I want to prep a few things coming up.  Banned Books Week is coming so soon and I have contacts to make on that yet today.  I also made a sidebar link (upper right) for anyone who may want to get involved…. lets just say we are going to have some fun up in here, up in here.  (Just go with me today…. lot of songs in my head…..)

I made a new Review Policy button (left sidebar) mainly because I am receiving emails from authors and publishers saying they could not find my review policy.  It has always been on the sidebar and it used to be along the top tabs but now I see it is gone so that apparently is a lie… I will fix it.  😀  I also updated my policy which was a little outdated.

I also know a few of you are chomping at the bit to get into the fall read a long with Word Shakers and I plan to prep that today too so this week I can get info out to those interested in participating. 

SO you get it things to do…. but it is miserable and rainy outside which for once I think is awesome as I can stay in and play all day on Asus (Laptop) and read!  😀 

Morning Meanderings… I Went To Bed With Patrick Ness Last Night

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)46 Comments

Oh!  Good morning!  😛

Sorry about that post title… I couldn’t resist….

hee hee

Oh and if you are a newbie to Book Journey and popped over because of the post title… welcome.  Coffee is on, help yourself.  😀

I am hoping most of you are familiar with Patrick Ness, author of the Chaos Walking series.  These books have pulled me fully into them.  When I read The Knife Of Never Letting Go, I could hardly put the book down.  Now I am making my way through The Ask and The Asking and finding it just as brilliant.  I can’t even put into words what this author has created within these pages… 

so to get to the point of the post title… at 7:00 pm last night (hey I know it was early… I am not proud! :razz:) I decided to go lay down and read since hubby and the new upstairs tv was bugging me (tv, not hubby) and I did not want to go downstairs.  Once in bed and covered with a warm blanky (yes Minnesota has turned cold on me), apparently I was a little too comfortable and by 7:30 I was asleep, book open and tucked under my hand. 

This all explains why at 5:00 am this morning I was wide awake, up and chatting on Twitter with COFFEE CUP, trying to pretend I was a sane person. 😀

As for today’s Saturday Snapshot *waves to the amazing Alyce from At Home With Books* you would think with all I have been up to lately I would have lots of pictures to choose from (Tailgate party on 9/11 for Fallen Firemen, two birthday parties, the North shore a few weeks back) but sadly… I do not.  However, I did go out to dinner with three of my friends this past week and our food looked so delicious I could not resist…. (kudos by the way to friends who understand when I whip my camera out to take pics of odd things like ummm… what we are about to eat.)

Sliced avocado and grilled chicken sandwich w/ sweet potato fries
Grilled Salmon covered in Rum Sauce (SO GOOD!) w/ a sweet potato and brown sugar
Roasted chicken salad
BBQ Bacon cheeseburger

Ok if you think this food is making your mouth water… wait until I post my book club review later today with the food we served.  😛

Stop over to At Home With Books to add your own Saturday Snapshots to the group.  It is a lot of fun!

Finally before I go get ready to start my day I need to announce my final BBAW winner for yesterdays giveaway of The Night Circus!  Using random.org for yesterdays post comments our winner is:

Jeanne at Necromancy Never Pays

Jeanne, email me your address and I will have this shipped to you right away! 

Morning Meanderings… A CRAZY Week and let’s give away another copy of The Night Circus

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)92 Comments


I can’t believe I made it…. holy smokes what a big week…

It wasnt just work, although that was busy too… it was several days of big evening plans with little gap between work and other commitments.  Pretty much I dragged myself home after 9:00 pm three times this week and my body feels it.  Workouts went to the wayside… no time for that, laundry has been washed but not dried and put away, and books…. have not been read.

BUT…

today is Friday and I am off (off off off…. it echo’s nicely don’t you agree?) I have no plans today, no commitments… and there is a real good chance I may not leave my house.  (Probably not true… I do want to mail some books today and maybe stop at the library….)

Mostly though… I am hanging out.  I am writing a couple of reviews, I am making plans for Banned Books Week, and I am reading.  Ahhh… such a great word.  😛

In other random news…. Audible.com is having an AMAZING sale on their audio with over 200 titles now at $4.95 each.   Oh my goodness, I am so excited and found several great titles for myself and I bet if you pop in, you will too.  I picked up The Kitchen House, Outlander, Night Road… all for $4.95 each.  If you want to check out the sale the link is on this banner below.

AND – this is uber exciting!  I also seen that The NIght Circus on audible is being read by …… wait for it…. wait for it….. Jim Dale!  Yes, Jim Dale who narrated for the Harry Potter books… Jim who is totally totally totally scream worthy….. (did I say totally?)

Anyway because I am sooooooo excited about The Night Circus, and because I see so many of you are as well… I am going to offer up another hard cover copy today for the last day of #BBAW.  To enter you just need to be anywhere Amazon delivers, and answer this question:  (*when I put my BBAW post up later today you can get a second entry by commenting on that one as well)

Todays BBAW topic is about blogging.  As a book blogger yourself, or as a reader of blogs, what do you like to see the most on blogs.  Or in other words, what keeps you coming back to certain blogs (layout, memes, book topics, variety, the writing, giveaways, etc…)

 

And finally – my winners of the last two days of giveaways…

Vicki (I’d Rather Be Reading At The Beach)

 

Alexia’s Books and Such

 

Yay to both winners!!!  Now don’t forget to enter todays for The Night Circus!!!!!

Morning Meanderings… Burning the Candle at both ends (and a giveaway!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments

 

Why why why did BBAW have to fall on such a  busy busy busy week?

Uhhh…. I mean….

good morning!  😛

Really though, I had to laugh last night when I finally was able to sit down with New Laptop (Asus) and do a little Twitter, and a read the comments on my post about Community.  How funny that I put the fun and importance of commenting, when I was way too tired to do it myself.

I dont even know how to explain this craziness but thought it might be fun to try…. I will start with Tuesday:

Tuesday 6:00 am up

have coffee, write a morning post

work by 7:30

work like crazy getting ready for a weekend group fair

leave work at 2:45 to return cotton candy machine from this past weekend event

at 3:15 stop in to Best Buy just to “look” at flat screen wall mount tvs as a possible gift for hubbys birthday (which was Wednesday)

3:45 leave Best Buy with (you guessed it!) flat screen tv and mount and an appointment with a dud to come out to house on Wednesday afternoon and hang it on wall for me.  (YAY!!!)  (BEST Wife ever award I am sure!  :razz:)

4:00 make stop at grocery store for a few items I need for book club

4:20 home, tv unloaded and hidden in spare bedroom, now vac house for book club

4:50 start cooking my 1940’s style food for review of Postmistress ( post will be up for this event yet this week)

5:30 downstairs setting up chairs, now looking for my review notes… which I do not find until the next day and they were in my car the whole time

6:10 first Bookie arrives and helps cut up oranges and lemon for the water.

6:20 second Bookie arrives and helps me cut rye bread into squares for finger sandwiches

6:30 – 6:45 the rest of the Bookies arrive with food and books as it is our annual book sale for charity

6:45 – 7:00 we drool over books, “shop”, grab food and head downstairs

7:00 – 9:00 have an awesome discussion about the book and WWII

9:10 pm the last Bookie leaves

9:10 – 10 Try to read posts, try to leave comments….. TIRED.

10 – BED

5:15 am – (Now it is Wednesday) I went to bed earlier than I usually do so now I am up early.  Start coffee, write morning post after checking out BBAW topic

6:30 am – pull myself away from laptop and get ready for work

7:30 am I am at work and start my day

work consisted of two meetings, creating check ins for evening event, phone calls, prepping paperwork for students, copies, more class schedules…

at 2:40 pm the tv dude calls and I hurry home to let him in and so he can put the tv on the wall (it is Al’s birthday!!!)

3:00 – 4:30 pm the dude hangs the tv, relocates the cable, while I rearrange the room by stitching out the couch for the recliner, a little table for Al to put his work magazines and relax in style.

4:45 – on my way back to work to finish up what I was working on and prep for a meeting at 6:30 the same time I am due to help the students check in, then I need to pop back upstairs to talk about an upcoming Honduras opportunity.

7:30 pm – I am still at meeting when hubby Al texts me and says he is home… GAH!  He beat me home!  Friend Wendy offers to take Chance home for me at 8 so I can go now…. thank you Wendy!!!

7:40 arrive home, thankfully he is still going through mail and has not seen said “AWESOME BIRTHDAY GIFT!”

Now I show him the living room which in my typical husband fashion, comments on how he likes how I arranged the room…. does not notice tv.  I assist in the observation.

Wala!!!!  He sees it.  Hubby happy – he watches TV until 9 and then goes to bed. 

I again try to read posts and blog.  Not happening.

Bed by 10 pm.

 

I know… right?

Today will be much the same… work (soon actually) until 3:30, grab hubby something for dinner and at 5:30 I have dinner with friends for Sandi’s birthday.  *Note to self – do not forget gift!*

Briefly – I know  have to pick a winner yet for yesterdays giveaway and I will post that tomorrow morning as I have run myself out of time… in the meantime… NEW giveaway starts right now for today in honor of BBAW.

This one is a book yet to be released – but it is one that is creating BUZZ:

Serious…. cover crush here… this book is released on September 27th and II will have this shipped to you directly from Amazon.  SO – anyone who access to an Amazon delivery is welcome to enter for this one.

Here is how…

Respond in a few sentences an answer to todays BBAW topic…

Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these and share your thoughts today!

Winner will be announced tomorrow along with the winner from yesterdays giveaway as well.  😀 

Morning Meanderings… A Winner… A New Giveaway… And BBAW

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)28 Comments

Good morning! 

Last night was a wow wow wow book club meeting at my house…. it was a discussion over the book Postmistress, and I read this last fall  and found it to be an ok read, but not one I wanted to review again…. well… last nights discussion made me change my mind.  Later this week I will share the food, the discussion… did I mention the food?  😀

The winner of yesterdays BBAW giveaway of The Night Circus is: (using random.org)


ReviewsbyLola

GAH!!!  WOO HOO!!!  Congratulations.  Send me your address (no po boxes please) to journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

And now… another 24 hour giveaway of another smoking hot title that was released recently…

This beautiful new book is sitting on my kitchen table right now.  I have two copies – and one is about to go to one of your homes! 

To enter, leave a comment here telling me which book released (or yet to be released) in 2011 have you been most excited about.   (You can get in on a second entry for this book by commenting on my BBAW Community post that will go up yet today. )

Morning Meanderings… BBAW – Time For A Giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)71 Comments

Oh I am so excited it is BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week).  I look forward to this each year as a time to celebrate those of us who blog about our love for books.  I have to tell you, three years ago, I did not know Book Bloggers existed.  When I blindly stumbled into this world… I have never looked back.  My life changed that day for the better.

I wish I could put into words how much I enjoy my time chatting books with all of you.  Each of you who stop in and visit, I enjoy your comments so much.  As we carry on conversations and for those who have blogs that I read too, I get to know a bit of you and that is pretty cool. 

This week I hope to celebrate with all of you our love for books.  So this morning I am giving away one of the books I have been hanging on to for a while for just such an occasion….

a new (still in the gift wrap) copy of The Night Circus!!!  SSQQUUUEEE!!!

I have not read this one yet but from the hype I have heard this is one not to miss!  I hope to read my copy  yet this week and I am excited to be able to share it with one of you!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post about what you enjoy most about book blogs.  Also note – you can receive a second (and possibly a third) by commenting on my Blog swap interview also posted today.  **Giveaway is open as well to international.  😀

**This is a one day giveaway…. tomorrow morning I will announce the winner.  😀

Morning Meanderings… Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)48 Comments

Good morning!  😀

No!  Dont run away!  It’s me!  😛

I have been itching to do some revamping of the site for a while now.  It was tradition to do blog updates and face lifts during the Bloggiesta but with no Bloggiesta this year – I had to suck it up and make the changes on my own. 

Working with CSS always makes me a bit nervous, but the very first time I messed with it, Natasha from Maw Books walked me through it step by step on Twitter.  Now I am a bit braver, and this time even learned how to add a textured pattern to the background.  (Note it did take me about three hours of messing around and tweaking but alas… I am happy with the results.)

Dont worry I am not one to continuously change my blog look… when other book bloggers do that often I get confused and unsure if I am on their blog, usually scrolling to the top to make sure whose blog I am on!  😛  Although… the occasional coat of paint gives a whole new look don’t you think?

My next task is to put some time into the sidebars… the books on them are outdated and I have had a few ideas I have wanted to implement for a while now but just have not done it. 

And of course, today is 9-11.  Ten years…. hard to believe isn’t it?  Ten years ago I was working at Wal-Mart when I heard about the first plane… I remember wondering if I should go to the school and pick up my kids… it was a time where you really felt you should be with your family.  I did stay at work, as we were encouraged to do so… but do you recall how quiet the skies were when they stopped all flights?  ANd I recall how odd it was to hear that first plane in the air days after the tragedy.

Where were you ten years ago when you first heard?

Morning Meanderings… The Magical Powers Of Friends

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Good morning and happy Saturday!  Another gorgeous day here in Minnesota… we have had low 80’s the past few days and looks like the weekend will stay true to that as well so as you can imagine…  I am smiling over here.  😀

A couple of evenings ago I went to my friend Cindy’s house in Motley with Sara and Heidi.  We had this in the planning for a while, she has a beautiful piece of property and is always doing new and creative things with her yard so it is fun to go and get ideas. 

Of course the day came for this to happen and it was all up in the air.  I had a crazy day at work, we were all trying to coordinate car pooling (it’s about a 25 minute drive), what time we could all leave…  suddenly it seemed like just “one more thing on the agenda”.

I told my hubby before I left that I wouldn’t be late, that I would rather just stay home but we had planned this so I was going.  I had laundry I should be working on, the yard needed mowing, and honestly… I was just tired. 😯

I pick up Heidi and Sara and we chat our way to Motley… catching up on each others lives since our last get together and as we near Cindy’s I can almost feel the stress melt away.

Cindy's home

We sit around a fire and talk and laugh.  We eat amazing food (thanks for grilling Jeff!) and we pick apples from her trees, tour her latest creative decorating in her home, eat some more, and stay until it is so dark we are just shadow people sitting around a fire…

Our fire at Cindy's

BUT  we are all smiling.

As we drive back to Brainerd, we actually had this discussion in the car about life being busy and we have to remember while it can be one more thing on the agenda…. its a good thing.  A really good thing. 

My dinner!

Friends.  Food.  Life. 

All good.

Beautiful grapevine growing over the bench

The moral of my story this morning (as I sit with COFFEE CUP at the kitchen table and count my blessings for having great friends) is that all of us need to make time for this kind of stuff.  Hanging out with friends, and just being…. not doing.  All that other life stuff…. can wait.

Have a super awesome day.  I am running around today picking up the last-minute things I need for tomorrows annual tailgate party.  We are having a fundraiser for a memorial for Fallen Minnesota Firemen and tieing that in with the memory of 9-11.

 

(Pictures are linked to Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot… which is a great weekly meme of the pictures of our lives…)

Morning Meanderings… Crawling To The Laptop

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Good morning.  This morning, Coffee Cup  and I are basking in a little morning “lounge time”.  I did not realize what a crazy pace I was keeping this week until last night when after coming home from my friends camp fire, I promptly fell asleep in the recliner while reading blogs. 

I have had a busy week at work and a big event this Sunday that I have been working on – a 9-11 Tailgate Event and donation for Fallen Minnesota Firemen.  There is a lot of detail work that I am trying to make sure I have taken care of…

we have ordered a large inflatable slide and bounce house for kids, a cotton candy machine, I have food coming from Famous Dave’s and about 40 tailgate vehicles…  today I need to go and meet with the guy who is bringing the road closure signs, and do a little last-minute preparation. 

Anyway, doing this on top of my other duties, Wednesday meeting, and last nights hang out in Motley MN has suddenly wiped me out.  😛

I may just remain in the recliner for a little while longer this morning….  😀

I hope going into your weekend is amazing….. I have a little bit of commitment each day but for the most part… I think I will be home working on a few projects and prepping for next Tuesdays book club meeting here over the book The Postmistress.

 

Oh… and completely random as that is the way I roll… found this Harry Potter clip…. yeah, still can’t let go.