Morning Meanderings – Page 50

Morning Meanderings… Missed What Are You Reading Post

Published on September 3, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning! Stop the rumors! I am still here – just living it up on the last big weekend of summer! I missed the Monday post entirely! 😛

We were at our cabin for the weekend with friends and had a BLAST! We (Al and I) left Thursday afternoon, and pour friends arrived later that night. We spent the weekend at Splitrock lighthouse, toured a brewery (small one), archery at the Temperance State Park, and drove to Soudan MN to tour the Soudan Mines – which are well worth the time if you are ever in the area.

Al and I arrived back home yesterday afternoon and I had a meal to make for a friend, and we had friends come over last night as well to catch up with each other. 😀 It was a fun fun four days.

I have missed blogging and have oodles of reviews to catch up on and hope to get them rolling out this week and starting this afternoon. I cant wait to catch up with all of you as well. Missed you fellow online book lovers! 😀

Here are a few pics of our weekend:

**Amy and I trying our hand at Archery**

1ca — **Go time…. we feel like Robin Hood.**

**The Soudan Mines – a half mile under ground in Soudan Minnesota.**

992912_10151739698461153_546031770_n — **The mines from the train that traveled us around 3/4 of a mile through the underground tunnels.**

That’s my update. I hope to be around way more often than I have been the last few months.

Did you do anything fun this past Labor Day weekend?

Wine and Words 2013 (The recap)

Published on August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

Over the past 6 months you may have heard off and on this blog about Wine and Words. This was a small idea as a fundraiser for our Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library that went from a “maybe” to a full-blown event, largely part of my absence from the blogesphere.

We held the event on Friday August 23rd with 5 wonderful authors gracing us with witty conversation and peaks into their mind about their latest book, writing, and life as an author.

William Kent Krueger and his wife joined us and wow…. what a down to earth fun guy. I have never spent time with him before and found him to be humble and delightful. He wowed the crowd. He spoke about his newest books, Ordinary Grace and Tamarack County (which just released a week ago today).

Lorna Landvik emceed our evening and we could not have picked a better person to wrap our event with humor and great intros of our authors. She was a gift as once she started the program – I was free to do whatever was needed as she totally had this.

Sarah Pekkanen (SSSQQQUUUEEEEE!) and Wendy Webb were awesome! Sarah’s newest book, The Best Of Us came out in April and Wendy Webb’s The Fate Of Mercy Alban (centered around the Glensheen mansion in Duluth MN) was an author you wanted to hear more about.

Sandra Brannan always sweet always so down to earth you cant help but love her was a fun addition to the group. She talked books and bloggers (YAY!) and she had the Bookies stand up (they adore her!)

Our goal for this evening out at the Beautiful Arrowwood Lodge was 100 people. That night we had 177 excited women and men join us for our debut event. The room was filled with book lovers.

We had so much fun! We had dinner, listened to the authors, a silent auction, and we sold ducks for $5 for people to see who was the “lucky duck” and won a Kindle Fire. Free wine was offered during the social hour.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was when we were done with the event and Gail (my right hand in this venture) and I made our way to the bar area to check on our authors and we found them all together in a booth chatting away like old friends. I nudged Gail and said “Oh look! They are bonding!!!”

The numbers are still coming in, we did receive 20% of the book sales that night. And I think we are safe to say we cleared over $5000. 😀

I have been tired all weekend – but good tired. Cant wait to see what is going to happen next year!

Morning Meanderings… New Books!

Published on August 11, 2013August 11, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Good morning! I am still here! 😀 I just got home yesterday afternoon after a two day summit in the cities on Thursday and Friday for work. Friday night I went to stay at my cousins house to go to the Muckfest on Saturday morning and we wound up going to the Vikings game which was fun!

The Muckfest was in Wisconsin which was a 45 minute drive from their house and we had a blast at that too… heres a sample pic but I think I will save the rest for a post sometime soon:

Yup… thats me… hanging around. 😀

Anyhoo… books have showed up in the house and here they are:

Fun titles! Love Does and Courageous Leadership were books I purchased at the summit I was at and they both come with a free audio download which I am excited about! We heard the authors speak and it was a lot of fun.

I am currently posting on my hubbys laptop as mine bit it this past week. I think the battery dies and I have yet to look into the costs of replacing the battery or just going new. Hubby said I can have his laptop as he rarely uses it but I am not a fan… it works differently than mine, does not resize my pictures and Pic Monkey (which I use all the time) it will not let me save my pics… I have to do it a different way.

Anyhoo – I am off – full day of activity and lots to do now that I am back in the house! Hope your Sunday is incredible!

Morning Meanderings… Checking In/ Life Eruptus

Published on August 6, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)5 Comments

Good morning! My goodness it feels great to sit here this morning and actually type up a morning meanderings. For the record, I miss you… I miss our chats, and our book discussions and as I said in yesterday’s post I am not leaving, I am just moving at the speed of light right now. 🙂

Wine And Words, the big event for our local Friends Of The Brainerd Library has taken off beyond my goals and it is both exhilaration and a little frightening all rolled into one. Our goal was 100 tickets to be sold and we are currently at 132. Two weeks of ticket sales left to go – I am thrilled with our turn out! 😀

Between plans for that event, a mud run this weekend, the Brainerd Library sale in a week and a half… all is looking fantastic. I hope you are all as well enjoying your summer.

Morning Meanderings… Working On My Groove

Published on July 30, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Good morning! I am working on getting back in my blogging groove as I do have things to say, and books to review – I just am juggling a lot now and need to figure out how to do this between all I have going on and that pesky need called sleep 😛

This morning I got up and ran/fast walked 4 miles on the trail. It still seems like a crazy thought to know that I am going to run a half marathon in October – but no matter how I cross the finish line (crawling, drooling… muttering something about not being able to feel my legs…) I will finish. Tomorrow I plan to get up even earlier and go for 6 miles – that will be a first ever but I am doing it. 😀

In bookish news – audio is keeping me afloat. That poor book I keep hauling to the cities, to the cabin, to the chair, to the deck…. it just is not getting opened. AND it is not the books fault. DO NOT blame the book. It is all me…. putzing around on my laptop or eyes too tired to read so I just don’t. *sigh*

I really really want to read that book.

In other crazy goodness – we sold our 100th ticket to Wine and Words yesterday afternoon at the Book Event at the library. HAZAH!!!! 100 tickets was our goal for this first year and I am thrilled to say we have reached it and we are still three weeks out. If you live in the Brainerd lakes area (or around it) please plan on coming. It is going to be so much fun!!!

Ok – I am out – work today, maybe a bike ride later if the weather holds out…. oh, and by golly…. I will also be posting a book review. I know I know… be still your heart. 😀

Morning Meanderings… A Few Books and A Few Blabbers

Published on July 21, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Good morning! I hope this sunny Sunday finds you well. 😀 I have had a fairly productive weekend – there are still things to do but I have been moving forward on the big MASTER LIST I made on Friday morning. YEE HAW. Yes, I just said that. Well… I typed it so I thought it so it is like saying it.

I think.

Maybe.

Anyway – I have not been around to do a Sunday post on the books coming in for a few weeks so here is what has been waiting on the shelf to be Book Journey checked in:

Some fun looking reads in my future. 😀 They all speak to me for different reasons but from this group the ones that are really sticking out for me at this moment is Susan Wiggs The Apple Orchard, Barbara Delinsky’s Sweet Salt Air (I have not read her in years!), Frozen and The Forever Marriage was from Ann Bauer speaking at our Library a couple of weeks back and the book she described sounded harsh and painfully real and well… I must read it 😀

Currently I am listening to Dad Is Fat (hilarious!), The White Princess, and starting The Twelve all on audio. My book reading has suffered this month… I have been wanting to read Ordinary Grace, that book has traveled with me last weekend and from the living room to the bedroom to the car… and I have yet to get going on it. Maybe today….

I hope your day is wonderful – I am at Church this morning, perhaps a bike ride this afternoon, a little work on my list and then possibly a motorcycle ride with friends or a movie tonight. 😀

Do any of these books I posted call to you?

Morning Meanderings… One Fun Weekend

Published on July 20, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)24 Comments

Good morning! I am enjoying a seriously wonderful weekend and I hope you are too. This is the last of the quiet lay back weekends until the second weekend in September (and that is Al’s birthday so who knows). This next weekend I am at the cabin with my son, then the 1sr weekend of August is the Camp bike ride, then Wisconsin mud run weekend, then Library sale, camp week, Wine and Words and then camping the final weekend of August. The first weekend of September brings on another bike ride and a fall kick off party.

It’s all things I really enjoy… its just a bit overwhelming when you look at it as a whole.

Last weekend was a lot of fun and that is what I wanted to share with you today. My college son and I spent time in the cities together doing back to back 5k’s – both were messy… both were fun. For Saturday Snapshot I thought I would share some of the moments:

R1-07003-0000_0001 — **On Saturday July 13th we joined 1700 people for the Go Commando 5k**

R1-07003-0015 — **My son Justin going over the big spools**

R1-07003-0019 — **…Justins was better.**

R1-07003-0029 — **Moving on up in the world**

R1-07003-0012 — **The mud crawl to the finish…**

R1-07003-0016 — **My big splash – yes, that is me under the mud… somewhere**

Ok, as I posted these pictures I realized there are way to may fun pics for me to put the two events into this post. Next Saturday I will post the Color Run pics. Also fun… very colorful. 😀

Note: No books were harmed in the making of this event.

For more Saturday Snapshots, pop in at West Metro Mommy to see what others are taking pictures of and add your own if you wish 😀

Today… I have this master to do list that has been accumulating and multiplying for weeks. I wrote it all out yesterday and started chipping away at it then and will continue to do so through Monday. I plan on working on that until about noon, possibly taking a bike ride and then later reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.

What’s your Saturday looking like?

Morning Meanderings… It’s Me… Not You.

Published on July 18, 2013July 18, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Good morning! Yes I am alive.. no broken bones, no disappearance in the Bermuda Triangle…. none of that. I have just been busy. (Not a shocker if you know me 😀 ).

Between bike rides, mud runs, work, volunteering, Library, Wine and Words, time with family, commitments to my home(like mowing the lawn and laundry…) , running in the mornings (yes week 3 and still on track!), and this week helping out with an evening kids camp, I find little time to blog.

I do not think there is any fear of me leaving the blogesphere – I am still reading and listening to audio and have reviews to write… it’s just when I finally stop moving at night around (9:30 or 10 pm) I find I can not wrap my mind around writing intelligent and interesting reviews. For that I am sorry as I have read some GOOD books!

In August I have something every weekend. A big bike ride, the fall library sale, a mud run in Wisconsin, a week-long camp, Wine and Words, and ending with our annual trip to the cabin with friends. Life will slow down again friends…

This morning this happened:

Nothing like replacing the coffee grounds with flax-seed….. mmm hmmmm… bags look a little alike and they are in the same cupboard. Thankfully I seen this before I went to brew… 😉

I miss commenting, I miss blog time, I miss gushing about the hot books you must read…. and I am coming back. Thanks for hanging with me. 😀

Morning Meanderings…A Dress Made Out Of A Book and The Bookies Have A New Queen!

Published on July 11, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Good morning! I didn’t meant to drop off the face of the blog there!

Tuesday was our Book Club coronation of the new Queen and I have been so busy this week – home late Tuesday, home late yesterday…. I just didn’t get back here. Now however, late but here… I can give you a bit of low down on the event… As always…. we had to prepare speeches of why we should be Queen… I prepped a power point… here are a couple of samples of that:

**I had a little flashback to our first meeting in August 2001.. the sign I wrote to start a book club and the first book we read.**

**Then I ended with some strange power rapper move….**

Anyhoo… it was fun…

**Brenda’s dress top was made out of BOOK. Yes book. It was awesome!**

Above is a little sample…. and below another sample of the night…

in the end… we had a new Queen

z32 — **Our new Queen – Angie!!!! (Her speech was reading a story she wrote about bookish fairies – and it was soooooo good! (She should publish it!)**

and we are all set for another year…

z40 — **Who’s the dude? Well that is Sharon’s husband and he has been our annual chef – grilling for us each year!**

It was a great night with a great group of girls who I adore. I love this event. I wish I could tell you all the fun speeches of singing, stories, speeches, games, audio, and more. I can’t express how utterly cool I think it is that we all do get into this the way we do – dressing up, planning what we will say….

so wonderful! 😀

Ok work today, maybe a movie later, somewhere in between we are serving the homeless in our community the next few days and with me out of town this weekend I am working to make sure that is all secured into place with volunteers and back up 😀

Morning Meanderings… Rescuing A Dog A Year Later…

Published on July 6, 2013July 6, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)32 Comments

Good morning! It’s a hazy lazy Saturday here, overcast skies, a little drizzly rain. I was up at 6 a.m. and ran my 4 mile scheduled run this morning before the rain started although I need to learn to train in all-weather conditions 😀 .

Today for Saturday Snapshots I thought we could look at a year with Mater. Mater is a beagle/basset hound who came into our lives last July after he was abused by his original owner. He had been fed beer (yes, beer) to the point that he could no longer go to the bathroom… here is Mater at 4 months old when he was rescued:

Mater had to have a surgery that would cost $3500 to fix the damage inside him or he would need to put down. The original owners could not pay the amount so the wonderful people of Pequot Vet covered the bill from a charity fund they have. While waiting for his forever home, Mater was put into a foster home where he fell out of the back of a truck and broke his shoulder. He needed surgery and pins in his shoulder.

This weekend a year ago, my Navy son Brad was home and while over at house for dinner one night he was sharing the story of Mater. A friend of his worked for Pequot Vet and had Mater with her at a get together. By the time I heard this dogs story, I was hooked. I called the vet the next day and they told me they had already interviewed and turned down 10 families for this dog. They wanted him to have a forever home, they did not want money for him – just the promise of a good home.

I was on the phone for an hour with the vet and left the conversation with giving him references. Later that day they called back and said Mater was ours.

**Mater a few days after he came to live with us. So wiped our from playing that he fell asleep with the bone in his mouth.**

**As he got bigger, being loved by Sammy (also a rescue).**

It has been quite the year. I am not used to bigger dogs and Mater has knocked over chairs and plants with his tail (think the movie Beethoven). He has chewed shoes, books 😯 , mail. But he is loveable and loved.

Tonight we are having friends over to grill so I hopeful that the rain is not an all day thing. Tomorrow morning my friend Amy and I are off to our annual bike ride in St Joseph Minnesota – The Tour Of Saints.

Check out other Saturday Snapshots here. Hope your Saturday is awesome. 😀