Morning Meanderings – Page 72

Morning Meanderings… Now That is A World Book Day Story!

Published on May 16, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning and happy Wednesday! 😀 Truly how did I forget that spring is so much work? Every spare moment I have I am cleaning the deck, assembling lawn furniture, pulling weeds, redoing my hosta beds, mowing the lawn, planting…. and then looking around thinking, “I should really sweep out the garage, I should clean up that storage space, hmmmm…. can I make the yard scrabble board I found on pinterest?”

Ok Ok… that is not what I planned on chatting about this morning so let me just pack away “complaining about the to do’s Sheila” and bring out “I could do a back flip that is so exciting Sheila”….

Oh good… here I am…

SO, last week I mentioned that I had one copy left of the World Book Day book, Hunger Games. AND I knew where I wanted it to go, to Greg who works in the same building I do and who I figured was a prime candidate when we had a conversation about a month ago about the Hunger Games movie that went something like this:

Greg: So, do you know anything about that movie Hunger Games?

Me: Uhhh… YEAH! I seen it opening night and it was fantastic!

Greg: Well, isn’t it about kids killing kids?

Me: Now Greg, you say that like it is a bad thing…. (LOL, ok that’s not what I really said… let’s try this again…. 😛 )

Me (take II): It is hard to explain, it’s a book I never thought I would read but if you can say it is done well and tastefully… it really is an amazing read.

Greg: I don’t know… I will probably pass on it or wait for it to come out in DVD.

(Flash forward to last week when I brought him the final copy I had and offered him to read the book and asked him to put on the mask he wears when he is working at his stained glass business…. because, like I said in last weeks post… that’s just good Hunger Games humor.)

So now I bring you to present time… well, yesterday afternoon to be precise….

Scene: Greg comes up into the office I work in….

Greg: You ruined my weekend.

Me: Wha????

Greg: I could not put that book down. At first I thought it was so strange but then…

Me: Prim?

Greg: Yes! Wow, and ….

Me: Rue?

Greg: Yes! Wow when she ……………………………………….. (I wont say here in case anyone has not read the book/seen the movie)

Me: I know, right?

Greg: I will be finishing it later today.

Me: So, do you want me to bring in Catching Fire and Mockingjay for you to finish out the series?

Greg: That’s what I came in here to ask you.

Me: 😛

So yeah – that is a World Book Day WIN! I have the books packed up to go into work with me today where I am sure I will have a discussion with Greg about the ending of Hunger Games. 😀 I love book wins, and Hunger Games has been one I have recommended over and over again to reluctant readers and seen them come out the other side of the book with a “WOW!” 😀

Anyhoo… Wednesday… work, finish up the lawn this afternoon, work with the teens later tonight and then maybe try to finish up my hosta garden.

How about you whats happening on Wednesday? Books? Gardens? The ever growing lawn?

Morning Meanderings… Christening The New Chair By Book

Published on May 15, 2012May 15, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)43 Comments

Good morning, happy Tuesday and all that. Looks like it will be another beautiful day here in Minnesota. Yesterday was fantastic – hot, with a little breeze….

and I sat in my new Mother’s Day Chair.

There it is! On the back deck, ready for me!

And every good chair needs a good book to be part of its maiden voyage (yeah I am stretching it here, but I am on a role…. 😛 ) and that said…

Myself, and Insurgent were on that chairs maiden voyage on the deck. Yesterday afternoon I basked in my favorite time of year with my favorite pastime….

Today, I work, I ride bike, I mow the lawn…. the last two while listening to audio.

Have you spent any reading time outdoors yet? if so, what book(s) have been part of your Spring 2012?

Morning Meanderings… Sunday Salon Style

Published on May 13, 2012May 13, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments

Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day!

It is a lovely day here today in Central Minnesota. I have a few commitments this morning, think hubby and I are joining some friends later for a motorcycle ride, and later yet… a road trip to hopefully pick up the chair I posted earlier this week as my hopeful Mothers Day gift (*fingers crossed!)

I did have some books enter the house this past week:

Some great reading here! AND on top are a couple of audio and I have already dug into Come Home.

Then this past Friday I went to garage sales which I have not done in probably over a year – mainly because I used to always look for books and I have no need of doing that anymore between the review books, books i purchase, and Library sales… HOWEVER, I have a friend who RAVES (” a brand new crock pot, still in the box $5! One of those buffet things I have always wanted! A set of dishes that int he store would go for hundreds of dollars, I got it for $15!) about her finds and so…. I caved… and then this happened:

This is why I can’t go to garage sales. It was a large church sale. I was minding my own business, wandering through nick nacks, shoes, blankets…. alas over to the books just to see if they had any treasures….

I love Claire Cook, had to grad that one. I read Pamela Morsi a long time ago and found her hilarious, better grab that one, I have The Help in hard cover, but what if I want one to loan out so grabbed that one, I have a copy of Mrs. Kimble, but I think it will be good when I review it so I can do a giveaway now too, Small Island – new to me, Thirteenth tale I have in hard cover, and Bel Canto I have always wanted to read – I already have, but again… what if it would make a good giveaway.

See my problem? 😯

This week should be a nice one for me, not too heavily overloaded. Now that the weather is getting nice I am getting selfish about evening meetings and commitments, I want to garden, I want to ride bike, I want to read on the deck in the new (ahem) chair, I want to be outside!!! 😀 Next weekend I will get to go to the cabin with College son. I can not wait!

How about you? Any plans for today? For this week?

Morning Meanderings… Spending Time With BEES

Published on May 12, 2012May 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)53 Comments

Good morning. 😀

By the time you read this I should be on my way to the cities to join my friends for a bike ride this morning for MS. I left town at 5 am, and the ride starts at 8 am.

Last Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to go and hang out with my friend Amanda who has just started Bee Keeping with her husband. I can not lie, once I seen her in that bee- outfit… I knew I had to go and check this out. Lucky for me, she understood my crazy thirst for knowledge and invited me into the hive…

literally. 😛

The had just bought more bees and would be moving them into their new homes. I came over to help.

This is a picture of me (left) and Amanda (right). There are the bees they had just purchased. They had bought four of these boxes and we were going to place two of them in their new homes. Amanda says each box contains around 10,000 bees.

SSSQQQUUUEEE!!!!

This is the boxes that the bees will be placed in. I am sure there is a better name than “boxes” I just do not know it… 😀 The smoker thing in the background helps to mellow the bees as soon we will be letting them out of the boxes you seen in the first picture and dumping them in their new homes.

Inside the boxes are these slats where the bees will make the honey. The section to the front with the two holes is for a liquid we pour in that the bees will drink and it keeps then from getting ill or infected by mites and dying. (I hope I am remembering this right). This is a new unused bee box, that is why it looks so clean.

In each of those boxes you seen in the first picture is a Queen in her own little box. Crazy right? She has to be protected at all cost. Amanda here will now replace the wooden cork in the end of this little box with marshmallow. Yup, you read that right. Then, once placed in her new home… in about three days the worker bees will eat the marshmallow enough to set her free among them. All hail the Queen!

After Amanda and I thoroughly spray the bee boxes with a sugar water that makes it hard for them to fly… we pour them into their new home.

After the bees are in the box, Amanda carefully replaced the slots where they will go to work making the honey!

Just playing with the camera… I feel like an Oompa Loompa. 😀

Before the lid goes back on this big hunk of food goes on top and I can not remember what it is called. 😀 This will feed the worker bees, who in turn feed the Queen for the next several weeks. When the weather warms up the bees will produce their own food.

This is one of the bee homes that they started several weeks ago… you can see on the central grids that work is being done.

Amanda says that every few weeks you need to check these for a couple of things. 1. You want to remove these little sacks you find on them which I am told is the worker bees making a new Queen. Rude right? Apparently if the bees feels that the hive is too full they will attempt to create another Queen and then take the existing Queen and leave the hive to make a new one. By scraping off these sacks you are assisting in preventing that.

2. She checks for the Queen. You want to make sure she is within the box somewhere. This is easier said than done. As the bees fill up these grids, another box of grids is added to the existing one on top. Amanda says by August (harvest time) the boxes should be stacked so tall she will need a step-ladder to get into them. Currently these older homes have only two stacked so not too deep… still, we are looking for a single Queen bee among the 10,000. 😯

How do you pick out the Queen? She is larger and longer than the others, has longer wings and is more of a buttercup coloring .

Looking for the Queen….

The experience was incredible. I was not nervous at all. When we started working with the older bee homes they were more aggressive, not liking to be disturbed. Several went for my face mask, which was kid of like 3D as they hit the mask in “attack” mode. Before we left the area we had to wipe each others outfits down, Amanda said I was covered with bees.

That is my contribution to this weeks Saturday Snapshot. Stop on over and see Alyce at At Home With Books to see what others are taking pictures of around the world. 😀

Morning Meanderings… The Last World Book Day Book

Published on May 11, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Good morning!

It’s Friday! *insert dance here*

In the office I work in, downstairs there is a business called Shining Light Studio. Greg Rosenberg works with stained glass and if you check out the link to his site, you will see that amazing things he creates.

A few weeks ago he and I were discussing the Hunger Games Movie. Greg wanted to know what the movie was about having heard a few rumbles about it and I of course, was all too ready and eager to gush about The Hunger Games.

Flash forward to World Book Day and my book I was handing out was indeed Hunger Games. I was thrilled of course to give out this great read but knew I wanted to get one in Greg’s hands and get him reading this book…

I had a request though…. 😀

This week, I finally had time to connect with Greg again and brought him the book. My request had been that he wear the mask that he does when he is working with the glass and chemicals because for some reason I find that to be very, “Hunger Gamesish”

He obliged.

Thanks Greg! Enjoy the book!

As for today – I am actually going garage sailing. I know… freaks me out a bit too! I have not gone in over a year, but a friend has been gushing about her finds lately and this used to be something I loved to do so thought I would hit a few this morning. 😀

I will be back here later to put up my book review and work on a couple of things for tomorrow. 😀

Morning Meanderings… Mother’s Day Wishes

Published on May 10, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)13 Comments

Good morning! Barreling towards the end of the week already! WOW! Today is my last day of work for the week and it is going to be a fun one. Myself, and two co workers are going out to lunch for a late Administration Week celebration, then a little shopping.

Later tonight, I have a dinner/birthday gathering for a friend I used to work with. 😀

Then – this coming Sunday is already Mother’s Day. Normally we just go out to lunch and maybe a few starter plants for the yard… but this year I have my eye on something…

I already have this and love it:

(If you are an audio lover, I highly recommend this – I use my credit every month AND they often have some great sales for members with $4.95 titles…. I really load up them 😀 )

For me though…. I seen something when I was in the Cities last week at Fleet Farm that caught my eye. I stopped at out local Fleet Farm last night to see if we had it too…. and

we do:

It is up on a display stand, so I am hoping you (and my hubby) can see it well. But once I seen it….. OOH! I am thinking new reading area on the deck? 😛 I don’t know if it “Will Be Mine”… but a girl can always dream 😀

Anything you are planning on doing or hoping you will be getting for Mother’s Day? Guy’s who read this, are you thinking about mom’s, wives, or even sisters with kids?

Later today my review is going up for Still Alice, the one I just read with the Bookies. This was an exciting review to write!

Morning Meanderings… Book Club Of Laughter and Tears

Published on May 9, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

Good morning! Happy Wednesday!

I am about to gush about my book club again. 😯

I can’t help it.

Last night we met to review Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It is a book about a women with Alzheimer’s, and it was a book I absolutely did not want to read. I did of course, read it, and I am so glad I did.

I knew our discussion was going to be good no matter what each of the eighteen Bookies thought of this book. Love it or hate it, this book was going to hit a nerve or a heart string in each and every one of us….

and so it did.

I spent 2 1/2 hours with these amazing women discussing the book, the characters, and people in our own lives that have experienced this disease that honestly, scares the nutter butters out of me. We ate food centered around the book, and we ate food mentioned that is supposed to be good for brain power and memory (dark chocolate and blueberries). We laughed, and we cried.

Driving home after 9 pm, I had to once again think how lucky I am to be part of such an amazing group of women. The topic was not an easy one. One of our members found that it hit so close to home that she could not come and discuss it with us, but instead sent a letter along with another member saying what a painful topic it was, her thoughts on the book, how it touches her personally, and she would see us next month.

And that is what I LOVE about us. We keep it real. A book can generate raves, or it can cause pain and anger, yet we stick together, appreciate each others opinions, even when they differ from our own. I can not even begin to tell you how that makes me feel, what a level of security and trust we bring to each meeting.

Our review will go up on Thursday (I can’t wait!!!) . Today I have a book tour review for In The Bag.

As I head out to work, I will leave you with this, have you hugged a book club member today? 😀

Morning Meanderings… BOOK CLUB TUESDAY!!!

Published on May 8, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. I woke up to a light rain (again) pattering on the back deck as I let the dogs out but today… I dont mind. After I write this I will be on my way to work, after work to the store to get my ingredients for tonight’s Bookies review of Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

To all of you who have said to me “I can not believe you have not read this one yet!” or “That is one of my favorite books!” Now that I have read it, I can not believe I had not read it yet either, and yes, I think it is quickly rising in my mind to on of the best books I have read this year. Our review will go up on Thursday.

So as it clouds up over here in Central Minnesota, my mind is circling around ideas of if I can make pumpkin ravioli for the first time ever and serve it to 18 girls in my book club successfully, or….

am I better off making enchilada’s… a safer recipe I am more familiar with…. 😀

In Shelf Awareness this morning, one of those lovely morning reads that pops in my email and makes me smile, this was stated about the best book club reads out there right now:

Top Book Club Books in April

The following were the most popular book club books during April based on votes from readers and leaders of more than 32,000 book clubs registered at Bookmovement.com:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James
3. Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay
4. The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
7. Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel by S.J. Watson
8. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
9. Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I have read #1, #5, #7,#8.#9, and #10. How about you? Have you read any of these? Would you agree with their choices? I would have to add Still Alice should be added to that group. I think our discussion tonight is going to be deep, and amazing.

Morning Meanderings….Bike Rides past….

Published on May 5, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)49 Comments

Good morning! 😀

This weekend I am right on top of some great picture happenings (I hope!). Later today I think I am going to a friends property to help her when the BEES come in. Yes, she is a new Beekeeper! I didn’t know that Bee Keeper outfit was on my bucket list… until I seen her in, and now I must got here. SO… she is supposed to call me if that is going to work out for later today.

Then tonight, me friend Amy and I will take off for the first bike ride in Minnesota that starts tomorrow morning. It is called the Ironman, mainly because it goes no matter what the weather and not once, has the weather been nice in my five years of this ride:

2008: storming and lightning: 30 degrees out

2009: Rain and snow flakes

2010: Light rain (the best we ever had for conditions)

2011: Hail and storms – my friend Wendy and I skipped the ride went shopping and to a movie instead.

Now, tomorrow calls for isolated thunderstorms, 80% chance of rain. 100% annoying…

Just once… if it could be nice.

The ride is a 30, 45, 60, or 100. My goal is always the 100, but the weather messes that up. I will leave it up to Amy what we do.

In the meantime, for Saturday snapshots I thought I would post a few pics from last years rides to hopefully get me ready to RIDE!

MS150…. a two day ride where we call this the Bike Cemetery.

..ummm… later that same day of the MS150… mile 71 to be exact.

Stop by At Home With Books and see what else is being discussed at Saturday Snapshots. As for me, I will be back in a nit, helping with a seminar this morning… need to write a couple posts and pack! 😀

Morning Meanderings… Some Days Just Fall Apart…

Published on May 4, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Good morning and happy Friday!!!! The weekend is upon us and not a moment too soon 😀

So I have to share a TRUE story of what happened here yesterday.

I got off work yesterday afternoon with every intention of going to Kick Boxing. I got home, wasn’t sure what time the class was, left a message with the teacher, got busy responding to comments, and then finding out the class was at 5:30 and I still needed to make dinner for Al and a lunch for him (he has been working overnight on a road project) I decided I could not be super woman, took off my cape and resigned myself to cooking.

When food was done I text Al, believing he was in the office behind our home, and told him dinner was done, his lunch was packed come and get it! He called me and said he had actually went to the job site (30 minutes away) early to get some prep work done and would be gone for the night. Our conversation then went something like this:

Me: Seriously? You couldn’t have sent me a quick text and let me know that you were leaving early?

Al: Sorry, didn’t think of it.

Me: I could have went to kick boxing, but I didn’t think I had enough time to make you dinner and do that. If I would have known, I could have went to the class.

Al: *silence* (He is good at that)

Me: Well, fine. Dinner is done I guess for whenever, see you in the morning then.

Then I decide, well I am home, and it is nice out and I should start mowing the lawn. It is a three hour project and I thought I could start it, do the front, and finish the back tomorrow. I go to the garage and our college sons car has been parked in such a way that I can not get the mower around it. I go back in the house and scrounge for keys… I find keys. I then spend the next ten minutes trying to start the car. It will not turn. It is a newer car (mistake purchase by our son but that is another story….) so I think maybe it has a button you need to push before the key will turn, I search around…. nothing.

I call Al.

Al: Hello?

Me: Is there a secret to starting Justins car?

Al: Not that I know of. Why?

Me: I need to move it to get the mower out… I cant turn it on.

Al: So you got the keys out of the shop.

Me: No, they were in the house.

Al: Those are to his old car.

Me: Fine… I got this….

I get the CORRECT keys, move the car get the mower out… FINALLY! Wasted time: 20 minutes, but we can still do this! I mow 1/4 the front yard and run out of gas. I go to the garage and thankfully find a container that has a little in, hopefully enough to finish the yard… and I put it in the mower and go to start it and….

break the key off in the ignition.

Yup.

Now I am sitting in the front yard on the mower staring at the key slot wondering if I am being PUNKED. I take the broken key and try to hold it to where it broke off inside and turn… after three attempts… it works.

I continue mowing now trying to think of how I will shut it off when I am done… I need not have worried, about 15 minutes later…. I ran out of gas. 😯

So now… what?

Frustrated, I am determined to finish the front lawn. I grab the empty container to put in the jeep to go get gas and I must have bumped my IPOD (which ear buds are still in my ears) and suddenly Adam Ant is playing You Dont Drink and Dont Smoke which is a great 80’s song… and I break out in dance in my garage.

Yes I did.

The.. whole… song.

The odd thing is I did not know I had any music on my IPOD… I only use my IPOD to download books. 😀

I did get gas, I did finish the front lawn with a broken off key, and I lived to tell the story. 😀

So the moral of this is, may your Friday put a little dance in your step. 😀