Morning Meanderings – Page 51

Morning Meanderings… Best Personal Quote of 2013 and a Haunted 4th!

Published on July 5, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)12 Comments

Happy July 5! I am hopeful that you all had a wonderful 4th of July, filled with whatever makes it great for you – be it family, food, fireworks, movies, books, bonus day off, or whatever! 😀

I actually had a pretty great one considering I went into it with no plan. I worked in the morning, roller bladed 6 miles with College Son, we went out for appetizers at a nice local restaurant with a patio area where we discussed books and movies and when Justin (College Son) asked me if I had read the book World War Z, my now infamous response was,

“I have not read that movie”

Ahhhh…. I am patenting that line. That is kind of priceless.

I then went home and read on the deck and napped a bit too… and later we went out to a local restaurant where Al and I met up with Justin and a couple of his friends and thanks to Four Square ( a new addiction) I found out that this place that I have frequented for years… apparently has a history of a possible haunting. OOH! The tip of Four Square said to ask the staff about it and ask to see the basement tunnels. Ummmm…. ok! 😀 SO we did ask, and we did get to see a bit of the basement which the tunnels have collapsed but we still seen part of it. (Here is a link to a story that apparently was in our local paper back in 2010)

It may have been cheesy but it was cheesy fun and when we went to the basement it was just Justin, Branden, and I… the other two decided to stay at our table. 😀

**Me… in the basement where the severed head was found…. Ok…LOL, not really, I am in the basement and there was a severed head but it was a mannequin head mixed in with their storage.**

Today I am trying to do a little catch up. I am seven weeks out from Wine and Words (EEEP!), I have emails to write, a wine glass sponsor yet to find, an author skype idea yet to implement…. Bookies book club has its annual Queen event on Tuesday and I must go look for a dress… I do however have the idea for my speech ready and kind of excited. 😀

Basically – it is go time around here. I hope you are still enjoying the holiday weekend! I plan to get back to my book this afternoon 😀

Morning Meanderings… A Reading Suggestion (or two…) For Your 4th Of July Weekend

Published on July 4, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Good morning! Happy 4th of July! While I am not a big holiday person… I am thrilled to say that College Son will be in town today and he and I are going to do my day 3 half marathon training together (more on that later) and that is enough of a celebration for me. 😀

So what else am I doing today? Well I am going to work until 1:00 (do not boo hiss me…. I get so much done on days like this! 😀 ) Then hang with College Son then maybe Al and I will go to a movie later. That is my kind of day!

For many of you (and me) today kicks off the start to the long 4th of July weekend. Having today, tomorrow, and the weekend at your leisure. Many of my friends are going to be out on pontoons, grilling, camping, fishing… and we are having great weather for all of this! If you are spending time enjoying the rays and kicking back this weekend I have a book recommendation for you:

Beth Hoffman’s new book is amazing. Teddi Overman has always had an eye for fixing up old furniture and making it beautiful again. When a lucky connection as a child one day leads her to her dream job, her life is beautified much like the pieces she works on.

I can not even begin to tell you how much I am loving this book. Teddi has so much in her that I appreciate about people – she is honest and fair, she has a heart for animals who are injured or abused, she has a heart for people, family, and she is smart and witty too. I even connect with her on the refinishing old furniture part, more on that in my review. If I knew her, we would be friends 😀

I am not done with the book yet, but this is what I am reading this weekend and enjoying every minute of it. Pick up a copy for yourself and be emerged, as I have been, in Teddi’s world.

Secondly – for those looking for a little bit of highly engaging adventure with enough “POW!” to make you think….

Dan Brown’s Inferno is packed with so much thrill… so much chill… that even though I finished it early yesterday while mowing the lawn (in audio friends… do not panic – I was not reading and mowing 😀 ) I am still thinking about it and wondering if it going to warrant me pulling out the spoiler page for this review so we can chat openly about it.

Dan Brown is an author that I tend to forget how good his writing is and while world espionage, politics, and religious crisis are not my usual go to topics… Dan Brown does it in a way that totally sucks me in. HIGHLY recommended… you will see my gushing review coming up if not later today than tomorrow for sure. 😀

There you go… reading recommendations for your weekend. 😀 Hope it is a wonderful one! I have no big plans for tomorrow but Saturday we are having friends over to grill and Sunday I am doing a 50 mile bike ride with my friend Amy.

What are you doing with your weekend?

Morning Meanderings… Picture This

Published on June 29, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

Good morning! Happy Saturday and all that! I feel like I woke up and my day exploded. Today is a full one, I need to be into work in about an hour to check off the students who are attending a feed the starving children event and a Minnesota Twins game. Then I just realized that I am doing a meal train for a family tomorrow with a new baby – thank goodness for the email reminder! I need to get on that. Then at 3:00ish my hubby and I are leaving to go listen to bands in the area for the Lakes Jam.

And that will complete Saturday. 😯

For now, I want to share last weekends pics as part of the Saturday Snapshot. I was up North last weekend with 4 friends. The plan was to do some extreme biking, but the weather was not cooperative. It was foggy, cold, and drizzly….. we did bike, but not as far as we would have liked, and we did go exploring some amazing sights of the North Shore…

**This is Palisade head – about 10 miles from our cabin if even that. It hangs on Lake Superior.**

10 - Copy — **This is the rushing water of Temperance State Park. It’s amazing to watch and to hear!**

**Pretty and definitely a force to be reckoned with – you look in awe but keep yourself safe as well. The water is moving fast and there are no guard rails.**

20130622_204523 — **I took this picture from the car window – thus the funky coloring. It is fascinating to watch the water pour out of the rock.**

And because I love the sound – I recorded a little bit of it:

We had a great time despite the weather. We did a little shopping, exploring, biking, hiking, running… we played board games and watched a movie. It was a good time. 😀

Please go over and see other Saturday Snapshots! It is fun to see what others are doing in their part of the world.

Have a super Saturday – I need to get moving here but am hoping to post a yummy yummy recipe a little later today that you will thank me for 😀

Late Morning Meanderings…. Partying into the night

Published on June 28, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Good morning! I am late on this post by about two hours. I did not wake up until 8:30. 😯 This is crazy as I do not remember the last time I was still in bed at 8:30. I am usually up by 6:30 at the latest 7 days a week. I love looking at the clock and knowing I have a few more hours to sleep if I wake up at 2, or 3, or 4…. but last night – I slept straight through until 8:30.

Weird.

Last night I had the House Party for Lisa Jackson’s Tell Me book. We had 9 people here and it was a lot of fun enjoying hor duerves, wine, laughing and chatting up the book. It was a gorgeous night and we sat out on the deck chatting away. We ended a little after 8:00 pm and I talked with a couple of my friends until a little after 9, but still no reason for me to sleep so long…

Here are a few pic’s from last night:

We had a great time – and that last picture… I will share the recipe on that one tomorrow for Weekend Cooking. SO DELICIOUS!

SO today – thanks to my late start I have not done a whole lot. I cleaned out a cupboard, started a load of laundry and am now catching up on a little paper work. I am going to do a run to the library soon to drop off donated books. I may work in the book room today, I have a few things I need to organize. All of this – while listening to Inferno by Dan Brown.

What are you doing with your Friday?

Morning Meanderings…. Coffee and Crime

Published on June 27, 2013June 27, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Good morning. 😀 Last nights annual meeting at work was the last of the big “events” on my work plate for a few weeks. The next big one will be our annual picnic potluck on July 28th, but for the next couple of weeks anyway – I can catch up on the regular to do’s and after the BIG RUN a couple of weeks back and this meeting, I am ready to relax a bit. 😀

Tonight I am having a House Party for the Lisa Jackson thriller “Tell Me” that was just released earlier this week. As busy as I have been as of late I have not had time to plan the dynamics of this get together but last night I sat down and brain stormed and think I have a good plan.

They sent me a box with plastic wine glasses with the book title on them, 12 inserts of the book (the first chapter I believe), a hard copy of the book, two book bags, a bag of chips and a jar of salsa.

My job is to take this box of goodies and turn it into a lively discussion that will engage myself and my friends. Last time I did this it was a bit easier. When I won the Hope Springs House Party package they sent coupons, relationship questions to discuss, real wine glasses… I had something to go on – in fact one of my guests (Amy you always crack me up! :D) even dressed as Meryl Streep.

For tonight I am playing off the “crime” theme… I don’t want to give away all my plans but I am thinking crime scene tape, finger printing, and probably mug shots. Wine and cheeses will be served and a yummy hor duerve that my cousin in law brought to the cabin this past weekend that I still can’t get out of my head – it was that good! 😀

So – pictures will probably be up tomorrow morning right here so be sure to stop back and get the details on how it went 😀

Ok I am off to work and then to build a crime scene… 😀

Morning Meanderings… Things Are About To Get Crazy

Published on June 26, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)6 Comments

Good morning. Happy Wednesday. This is a full day for me – work, and a big meeting tonight so I will probably have an hour off today (maybe) between working and then meeting prep. I should be out of there around 8:30 pm and then home to maybe hopefully mow the front yard ( yes after 8:30 pm) because tomorrow I have a fun gathering here at the house at 6:00 pm for the Lisa Jackson book, Tell Me.

I just realized yesterday that this coming Monday is July 1. It sort of freaked me out. Suddenly I realize I am only 7 weeks out from Wine and Words, 4 weeks out from The Camp Benedict Bike Ride, 6 weeks out from Camp, and 5 weeks out from the Fall Library sale and the Muck Ruckus MS Mud Run.

So ummm…yeah. Lots of great things coming up but when I think of them as a whole I get a little anxious thinking of what needs to be done to prepare for each one. Currently I have two events that involve fundraising (hate fundrasing!)

Camp Benedict is the Camp for those infected and affected by AIDS I am on the board and we each raise money for the bike ride which supports the camp.

The MS Muckruckus raises money for Multiple Sclerosis. I am hoping that I will able to complete my goals so I can help college son raise money as well as he will be joining me for this event! 😀

In bookish news I have been reading Joshilyn Jackson’s new book for a while now. Just yesterday I finished the audio version of Dorothy Benton Franks new book and that review will be here on Friday – do not miss it. 😀 I started listening to The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers last night. So far so good but everything has happened so fast I worry about sustainability…. we shall see 😀

I hope everyone has a great day! If you are doing any crazy (or not so crazy) events this summer… share with me here! I like the company! 😀

Morning Meanderings… Are You Listening? We Are Learning Something Here!

Published on June 21, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning! Friday! Glorious Friday! I am packing my bags for a cabin weekend with my friends Belinda, Sheila, Rhonda, and Farrah. We are going to do a little biking, a little hiking, and hanging out and catching up. I feel so behind, we are leaving in a couple of hours and I have yet to go and buy my groceries or clean out the jeep. But when I get moving – whew! I will be fast! 😀

Todays Audio Book Week discussion topic is:

Where do you learn about great audiobook titles? Buy your audiobooks? Share your secrets with the rest of us! We’d particularly love to know what narrators or publishers are active in social media or do a great job communicating with listeners.

I learn about great audio from other audio book lovers. Alison from Alison’s Bookmarks reads and enjoys books and audio very similar to my own taste. Occasionally we will chat about what we are listening too and what we recommend only to find out that whoever recommends it, the other has usually already listened to it. 😀 Kathy from Bermuda Onion is another audio book lover who reviews titles that have me adding to my list. By watching the blogs, googling for titles and/or reviews – I can usually find great audio to listen to.

If you are new to audio (first of all – AWESOME! You are going to love your new audible world! It will open up reading time you did not know you had! 😀 ), ok again… if you are new to audio (SQQQUUUEEE!!!!) then I recommend watching what people are saying about audio books you are considering. Not all audio is great audio. Shoot, some audio is not even good audio…. but find people who’s reviews you trust and seriously dig in. 😀

Where do I buy my audio? I am a BIG fan of audible.com. Audible has great audio that you download to your computer or smart phone and off you go. I use audible all the time – AND they have samples of each audio book (and ratings!) so you can listen before you buy. 😀 If you are new to audible.com they offer your first audio for free! That is huge – audio books can run between $20 – 50! If you are new to audible and want to try it I have a link on my right side bar – go and check it out!

Audible.com works by credits, you can purchase a credit (or two) a month that automatically comes off your credit card – but do not panic, this is not like old school Columbia House where you are committed to so much time or so many books – nope, you stop any time you wish. And your audible credit (which is good for one audio book of your choice) is so much less costly than purchasing an audio book from a store. I have used audible for three years now. For a little over a year I stuck to one credit a month – but then I moved up to 2 credits a month. I needed more audible 😀 AND for their members they have these great sales that are $4.95 audio books – or like now they have a two for one credit sale going on… which… I bought two audio books last night off that deal.

The last part of todays topic I have trouble answering because I do not know the answer. I do not have a lot of time for Facebook or Twitter so I do not really know who is on their. 😀

This is probably my final post for the weekend (unless I get a review in yet today!) I am leaving for the cabin and not taking lap top along. I have no internet service there so it is really a waste of time to try to connect places and a waste of space in my luggage. 😀 Hope you all have an awesome weekend – as I wrap up audio book week here, I want to once again tell you to give it a try. You may surprise yourself 😀

Morning Meanderings… Where Do You Do The Audio You Do?

Published on June 20, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Thursday already. Seems like this week flew by. I feel like we have hardly grazed everything we could discuss about audio books and now the week is almost over. Did you know June is audio book month? Really … I could talk audio the rest of the month and as you know – I review a lot of audio books. 😀

So today’s discussion question from the lovely Jen of Devourer of Books is:

What do you do while you listen? Any particular tasks or games that you find amazing for audio time?

When ever I talk about the audio I am listening to, I receive at least one comment about either 1) where do you find the time or 2) how do you listen to several at once?

The time part is easy. My hubby and I had our kids young and currently one son is in college and the other in the Navy. We own an excavating business which keeps my hubby busy about 12 + hours a day and he keeps farmers hours (up at 5:30 am in bed by 8:30 pm) so I have a lot of time where I am either hanging out alone or awake alone. 😀

I listen to audio:

1. When I get up in the morning while I make the bed, shower, pick out clothes, makeup and hair and get ready for my day. That’s usually 30 minutes of audio time. (audio on IPOD)

2. I go into the kitchen and while I check email and pour myself a cup of coffee or make an egg (I don’t personally make the egg -a chicken did that, I just cook it 😉 ) I listen to the audio either in the cd player or the one on my phone. that’s about 15 – 20 minutes.

3. When I drive to work I listen to audio in the car which is only a 3 mile drive but I listen to audio whenever I am in the car as I am usually driving alone so I listen away. (probably about a minimum of 30 minutes a day on that one.)

4. I listen to audio when I cook or dust, or fold clothes – any task that is not noisy when I do it. (back to the audio on my phone or cd player)

5. I listen to audio while I mow the lawn. The lawn takes me about 2 1/2 hours and I love it as that is full on undiluted audio time. (Ipod)

6. Occasionally if I am web browsing on the weekend, I will listen to audio while I do that (phone, IPOD, or cd audio )- whichever one hold my attention at the time)

7. Sometimes when I am filing papers or doing easy tasks that just take time, not my full attention – I listen to audio.

To answer the second question – how do I keep them straight. I don’t really know. They are usually quite diverse in genre as well as narration and I am able to pick up where I left off. For instance, currently in the IPOD is Inferno by Dan Brown – male narrator, “puzzley” mystery type. On my phone is The Last Original Wife and it is more funny, the female narrator has an awesome southern twang that I am enjoying very much. Is This Tomorrow is the audio cd in the jeep and this is more literature style, female narrator with a raspy type even paced voice (Xe Sands is the narrator which is usually awesome – but I don’t know about this one… more on that in my review). As you see, each is very different from the other.

To those of you who have not tried audio or think you have to sit in a chair staring at a wall to listen I hope I just showed you that audio is to be listened to and mixed in with your life. There are so many ways to listen to audio that I do hope that either this post or a post that someone else writes on this topic today triggers for you a way that you could give it a try. Earlier posts this week gave suggestions of what to listen to, and now you know when to listen 😀

But Sheila…. I don’t have an empty house like you do! I have kids, and a spouse who works regular hours and it is summer so I have beach dates with other parents and …..

Anyone can carve out a little time. 😀 Go forth and walk, clean, jog, mow, do the dishes, cook, dust, drive, bake, shower, clean out the frig, organize your books, do the windows, plant your garden, pull weeds, sweep the deck, file papers, work on crafts, build something in the garage, clean the garage, mark items for a garage sale, riding on the back or a motorcycle (I have done this!) clean a closet, hang clothes on a clothes line, eat lunch, paint your nails….

all while listening to audio. 😀

Have a fab day. It is storming out this morning and I am on day 5 of my half marathon training. The first 3 days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday were 3 mile walk/runs. Yesterday was a scheduled break (there are 2 a week) and today is a 3 mile that I will be doing at the YMCA this morning before work so I had better get moving 😀

Later tonight I am hoping it clears up and dries up so I can mow (Yes – to audio!)

Morning Meanderings…Audio Mid Week – “Whatcha Listening to?”

Published on June 19, 2013June 19, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)31 Comments

Good morning! Happy Wednesday! Hazah and flowers to you all! Ok… no idea why I am giddy.. maybe because it is my first break in my half marathon training and I did not have to run this morning… maybe it is because I am going to the cabin in two days with friends to bike ride and that is exciting too…. I really don’t know…

Today is mid-week through audio book week and today we are supposes to answer the questions provided by Jen at Devourer Of Books:

Current/most recent audiobook:

I am listening to three right now. The Last Original Wide is on my phone – its a fun one!

Is This Tomorrow is in my car…. interesting…

And I am just starting Inferno this morning when I get ready for work. A friend of mine who is in a different book club read it and said they really enjoyed it and now several of my other friends are reading it too… I am curious, I have enjoyed what I have read of Dan Brown in the past.

Current/most recent favorite audiobook:

If we are talking recent audio, I am going to have to go with Quiet. I took away so much on this non fiction books about introverts. Incredible listen.

Favorite narrator you’ve discovered recently:

Hmmmmm….. I dont know about favorite but The Good House was narrated by Mary Beth Hurt and I loved how well she portrayed the characters!

One title from your TBL (to be listened) stack, or your audio wishlist:

Celebrating the healing power of food and the magic of New York City, A Place at the Table follows the lives of three seekers who come together in the understanding that when you embrace the thing that makes you different, you become whole. A Place at the Table tells the story of three unforgettable characters whose paths converge in a storied Manhattan café: Bobby, a young gay man from Georgia who has been ostracized by his family; Amelia, a wealthy Connecticut woman whose life is upended when a family secret comes to light; and Alice, an African-American chef from North Carolina whose heritage is the basis of a renowned cookbook but whose past is a mystery to those who know her. These characters are exiles – from homeland, from marriage, from family. While they all find companionship and careers through cooking, they hunger for the deeper nourishment of communion. As the narrative sweeps from a freed-slave settlement in 1920s North Carolina to Manhattan during the deadly AIDS epidemic of the 1980s to the well-heeled hamlet of contemporary Old Greenwich, Connecticut, Bobby, Amelia, and Alice are asked to sacrifice everything they ever knew or cared about to find authenticity and fulfillment.

I am excited about this one. I think it sounds really good!

So that’s the audio post for today. Stop by Devourer Of Books and see what others are saying to these questions… I know I will be! 😀

I am off, full day at work, a meeting afterwards for camp planning and a gym date tonight with my friend Kate.

If you listen to audio, I would love to hear how you would answer these questions – better yet, write a posy and add it to the link at Devourer of Books.

Enjoy your day 😀

Morning Meanderings… Late Kick Off To Audio Book Week

Published on June 18, 2013 by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

HI all! I missed the official kick off to Audio Book week yesterday so today I will play some catch up…. here is what yesterdays topic was:

Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience.

I discovered audio books about three years ago. Prior to that – I thought they were something outdated and something my aunt and uncle who travel from California to Minnesota each spring in an RV listen to (and that part is true…)

And then – I received an audio book for review and a whole new world was opened to me. I know there are many of you out there who have told me that you just cant get into audio – you can not focus, it’s boring… I have heard all of the things you said…

But listen up. I don’t sit and listen to audio. I listen to it while I mow the lawn which really passes the time and keeps it interesting. I listen to it while I cook and it keeps me patient and in the kitchen (two things I am not good at), I listen to it while I get ready in the morning in the morning for work and while I drive and I LOVE it. Audio books triple (yes, triple) my reading each year.

My challenge to you – please try it. My recommendations are:

80’s lovers – you will not go wrong with Ready Player One – Will Weaton is awesome!

mystery lovers – it was the James Patterson (wait wait here me out…)Michael Bennett series that hooked me!

Chick Lit – Joshyln Jacksons books are so fantastic and she reads them herself – southern fun! Backseat Saints, Gods In Alabama…. soooo good!

Historical Fiction – 11-22-63 was so amazing – yes its long yes its worth it!

For fun – Lucia! Lucia! By Adriana Trigiani sooooo good!

Non Fiction – Rob Lowes Things I only Tell My Friends and The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Day 2:

How do you decide what you’ll listen to? Do you mostly listen, or split time between listening and reading? Particularly if you split time, how do you decide what you’ll consume in audio and what in print?

A lot of the time I look at other reviews to see what people are listening to and what they think of it. Jen (Devourer Of Books) has a Sound Bites meme that each Friday she has people link up their audio books they have listened to that week. This is a great resource when you are looking for your next great listen. It seems like I am always pr using Audible.com looking for something great to listen to.

This time of year seems like I mostly listen as I am so active outside and on the go. When it comes to choosing if I will read of listen to something many times I will hear about something wonderful on audio and then go that route – other times it could be a book club book I know I will not have time to sit and read so I will download it on audio. Audio books truly help me “read” more books then I ever could before.

So that is the first two days of the audio book week. I hope to post an audio review later today. To check out more on audio book week stop over and see Devourer Of Books posts.

This morning I am on my way to do my day 3 training for a half marathon this fall. The past two days of training have been good but I have a long way to go. I have walk/jogged the training session (3 miles) each day and cant wait until it fills a little smoother, a little more natural. I will keep you posted.