Morning Meanderings – Page 79

Morning Meanderings… Significant Bloggy Moments

Published on February 15, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)20 Comments

Good morning!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day! I really did. Al is still out-of-town but he sent me a lovely dozen assorted colored roses to my work yesterday…. “ahhhhhhhh”

Then last night I had dinner over at friends of ours homes which was a lot of fun. I went over early to chat with my friend Amy, I brought a bottle of wine and dessert and she made stuffed shells which were delicious! It was really a nice evening and we ate and talked and it was really kind of nice. Her husband Chad and their older daughter joined us at the table and by the time I pulled out of their driveway I was shocked to see it was going on 10 pm. I never meet to stay that long but apparently the conversation was just what I needed. (Thanks friends!)

In staying with Reagans week of Book Blogger Reader Appreciation this week. her question on the table was what significant moment have we had in out blogging life… I think like a defining moment. For me that has to be BEA.

The Book Expo was a new thing to me. Apparently Brainerd Minnesota is placed directly under a large rock and I had never heard of such a thing. An event for book lover…. publishers, authors, and book bloggers all meet in one amazing week in New York. KNow what else was new to me?

New York.

I don’t have a lot of time to give you the story I would like to this morning as I am currently typing on borrowed time but I have to say that BEA was a defining moment in this bloggers life. People you commented with on-line…. were there in the flesh. AND most impressive to me, they were exactly like they were on-line. REAL PEOPLE. I chalk that up to being readers…. we are real.. 3 dimensional. There was not one person that I thought “wow, they are so different from I thought they would be”.

Meeting people whose blogs you enjoy is wonderful. It strengthened the community for me. It gave me new people to read and follow. We had meals together, we went to book parties together… a dream really… a dream come true.

I wish I could say more and I wish I could add some pictures of the experience but I prepped none of this last night. I came home, I went to bed. 😀

Do you have a defining moment on your blogging life? Share it here… and be sure to check out Reagans week of events and posts she has going on over at Miss Remmers Reviews.

Morning Meanderings… Have you seen this?

Published on February 14, 2012February 14, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)35 Comments

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!! This calls for coffee! *runs and trips over dog trying to get to the coffee pot*

Any way – good morning! Life is – BUSY. I only made it around to the first 31 IMWAYR posts yesterday, but I did find something pretty cool at Cindy’s Love Of Books. The awesome Parajunkee organized a few bloggers together to make a fun vlog that makes me smile every time I watch it…. and oh yeah, I have watched it a few times now:

Is that not……

awesome sauce? 😛

Standing ovation to:

Tynga’s Reviews

My Five Monkeys

Rabid Reads

Bookish Brunette

Book Faery

and of course Parajunkee

For my valentine’s day nothing big here… hubby is out-of-town and I work and then I hope to work out. Friends have invited me over for dinner and if I am doing that I am bringing along a fun desert that I seen on someones blog recently… (I think it was a blog…. it may have been Facebook…. gah… I don’t recall)…

I have two giveaway winners to announce from my birthday giveaways last week. From my Judie Fein, Life Is A Trip review I offered a $10 Amazon gift card. That winner (using random.org) is:

Diana Mack!!!

your gift card was emailed to you this morning!

And… the winner of the book, Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children is…

Kristin D from Kritters Rambling

Kristin send me your address to journeythroughbooks@gmail.com and I will send the book your way!

And….

The $10 Amazon gift card from this post goes to :

Hannah at Word Lily

your gift card was emailed to you this morning!

Any plans for you this February 14? Any themed books you are reading this week because you are just that cool? (I am reading Bravo Valentine by Adrianna Trigiani).

Morning Meanderings…. Sunday Salon?

Published on February 12, 2012February 12, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

Good morning and happy Sunday! It’s the wee hours of the morning here but that’s what happens when you heat your home in the winter with a wood stove that sits out behind your home… when its cold… you have to get up at odd hours to fill it…. AND once dressed and tossing pieces of wood into the mammoth wood stove in frigid air for about ten to fifteen minutes… you kind of come back in the house… AWAKE.

😯

For years now I have seen the Sunday Salon posts pop up around the blogosphere. As of late I have considered doing this, but then wonder if it is not what I already do anyway between the morning meanderings and the Monday What Are You Reading (which recaps my reading week… past and future).

This morning (remember, I have been up a while…. had time 😛 ) I Googled Sunday Salon and found this to be the originator. While the main link explains it is like a mini read a thon… the posts I have read are a mix of books and life and I like that. I do like reading about what others are doing in their piece of the world, so I am going that style.

And so… I begin….

This past week has been a good one. The early part of the week was my typical work days and attempted work outs. Tuesdays are good because there are a couple of classes my friends like to go to and I make it a point to be at the gym with them Tuesday evenings. Unfortunately the gym times have become few and far between so I need some strategic planning there to juggle the additional hours I took on at work for the next couple of months but ~~keep~~ MAKE working out a priority. I had started Team Kickin It this year to support me in these work out goals and have not really loved on that for a while now. I need to get SERIOUS. (I want to look more like my Avatar chick on that blog and lets just say that currently… not so much. 😯

Thursday was my ____ birthday! Yup I am ____ years old! I know, right? 😛 I had a lunch date, and then that evening I went to a wine tasting with a few friends of mine and had a great time unwinding and eating delicious hor duerves!

I was hoping I took a picture of the pretty wine in my glass or of my friends… but no… I took a picture ( or 7) of the ceiling in the restaurant we were at:

I think you can understand why I was distracted… 😛

Friday I had a lunch date with my Wal-Mart peeps…. my core group of co-worker friends from times gone by…. always a blast! Friday night I had a surprise home invasion by a group of friends who came bearing 10 (yes 10!) large balloons, my favorite bottled water and a French Silk Pie. Mmmmmm…….

Saturday was a pampering day. I slept in (ahhhhhh!) until about 8 am. Yes, that is sleeping in for me. 😀 I read a bit and then had an appointment, then tanned (I know I know…) and then went and had a manicure and pedicure done…. I like doing this for many reasons 1. I do a horrible job if I try to do it myself. 2. They shape my nails I am so hard on, nicely. 3. I can read while they do this, always a fan of the multi task. I was reading SPIN by Catherine McKenzie which was pretty good and took up most of my spare time throughout the day. I finished it last night.

I am also reading We’ve Got A Job by Cynthia Levinson, and starting to read (in baby steps) my nemesis book (see yesterdays post) Jane Eyre. I am still listening to 11-22-63 and LOVING it (audio all the way on this one!!!) A trip to the library brought me home with three more audio books and two I have already given up on… Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison (within 30 minutes of listening and a disgusting dialogue I knew this one wasnt for me) and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne which I think is just this audio version that was a negative…. the story bored me (maybe that’s just Hawthorne?) a bit too much thee and thou for me to stay focused. Note to self – do not pick audio from the library shelves – find what you like at home them reserve it on line so the library will have something you actually want to listen to in house. 😀

As for today…. I woke to the sad news about Whitney Houston. I had just noticed yesterday she was on a cover of one of the tabloids while I was in the check out line, it was something about her struggling and I thought what a tough life she has had….

In other Sunday news, this morning I have church, at 12:30 I am going to go work out at the gym (YES I AM!), then I have a couple things to pick up for an awards event tonight, at 4:00 I play floor hockey and then will rush home to change and get ready for the 6:30 event….. I don’t want to say much about this but I have a fun plan for tonight….. here is your only clue….

Morning Meanderings… Come Into My Reading Room

Published on February 11, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)56 Comments

Happy Saturday all!

I love days that are wide open and this one is…. well not completely, I do have a couple of commitments this morning but as I get into the afternoon it is a get out of whatever free card! 😀 I will not have to leave my house…unless I want to…. I can read or write or bake, or work out, or watch a movie… or all of the above!

For Saturday Snapshot today (*waves at Alyce*) I thought I would take you inside my book room….its been awhile since I have posted pictures of it and the space has quite a history…

The History:

Originally growing up this was two bedrooms – one was mine, one was my great grandmothers
in 1996, after I inherited the home, the two bedrooms were mine and Al’s and our son Justin’s
After we remodeled and finished the basement off the two bedrooms became our son Brad’s and a spare room
In 2001 we took out the wall between the rooms, remodeled it and became our home office
In 2006 we moved our office down to our business and this room… became my library 😀

The Books:

Personal collections (upper shelf around the ceiling)
Books purchased at book stores
Books from Library sales
Books given to me as gifts
Books picked up at estate sales (hello original Nancy Drew hard covers!)
ARCS
Books I have won

They are about 50% read.

Stop over to Alyce’s At Home With Books and see others posting for Saturday Snapshot.

I would love to hear where you keep your books! I think it is fascinating how we collect them and how we store them! 😀

Morning Meanderings… Recap Of A Pretty Sweet Day

Published on February 10, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Good morning all! 😀

Birthday yesterday was pretty sweet… even with hubby out-of-town he was in contact with me throughout the day. 😀 I worked, had lunch with Ann Marie, I did a little shopping and then met up with some friends at a wine tasting event for charity and we enjoyed wonderful appetizers and conversation. Thank you Key, Wendy, and Sandi… seriously you made my evening! 😀

For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook you may have also seen this:

That would be my college son and he made me smile when I logged on to Facebook and had this waiting for me. He called me later to tell me that he got up early to do this before class started. My heart melts for that kid….

Then last night at the wine tasting event we sat in a different part of the restaurant that I have not sat in before, a little room to the front of the dining area and when I looked up….. oh my…

I probably do not need to tell you that the wheels in my head started turning… looks like an eye hook screw into the wall and then a heavy cord or band to loop through the book…. oh seriously…. this is pretty darn cool… and a little Harry Potterish too… (think flying books!) I may need to give this a try in my reading room… maybe… I am not sure… but maybe… 😀

Yesterday I posted two giveaways – check them out here and here. 😀

As for today I work, I hopefully work out… and then a quiet evening at home is just what I need….

Birthday! Fun story! Oh, and a Giveaway

Published on February 9, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)150 Comments

Good morning!
*yawn* * Stretch*

COFFEE!

I am up and not quite ready to go but feel good… and am up at least 😀

Yes… it is that yearly event today. Another birthday and I have a fun story and a giveaway for you!

Here’s the story….

Right before Christmas I made a wish list of books I was hoping to someday own…. on that list was the book Miss Peregrine’s School For Peculiar Children. See exhibit A:

I have liked the reviews I have read on this book, it sounds mysterious…. and I would like to read it… so put it on the list. THEN….

I signed up for a couple of the Secret Santa sign ups on line and when my first one came guess what was in the package? That’s right…. SSSQQQUUUEEEE!!!! The book!

I was so excited and added it to the To Be Read pile! And then a package came from a publishing company….

Well… that’s just funny! So I put that on the TBR pile as well to offer a giveaway along with my reading of this book.

Then a bookish friend sent me a gift for Christmas…. She is so sweet…. what could it be?

Yup. NO kidding…. a third copy of this beautiful hard cover book. I couldn’t even believe it myself. I had taken the title off my wishlist previously but somewhere somehow….. the book just kept coming! 😛

So when me second secret santa package arrived I was curious but I waited until Christmas to open it…. and

(oh you already know….)

TRUE story! 4 copies of the same book in a matter of a two-week time frame. So yea, I have 4 copies of this book that I still need to read. 😀

Today – I want to have a giveaway to celebrate my birthday! I will choose the winner(s) Sunday morning here. One random commenter will receive a copy of this book (I know you are surprised…. you thought it would be something else….. LOL) and one winner will win a $10 Amazon gift card.

All you have to do is leave a comment here… 😀

I will have another giveaway later today.

SO what do I have going on today? Work for one… and a birthday lunch… and then later I am going to a wine tasting with a couple of friends for charity. That’s my day. I leave you now with a song that I LOVE and I am going to probably dance in my house while I get ready for work. 😛

Oh and a special thank you to my BEA roomy and book pal Care from Care’s Online Book Club who sent me a sweet card in the mail. You rock Care! Your card made me SMILE. 😀

Morning Meanderings…. Well…. that’s new!

Published on February 8, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)26 Comments

Morning all! 😀 I was gone all day yesterday as I figured I would be… finally landing home around 8 pm, tired… and wanting nothing more than a cup of tea and Laptop. I read an responded to comments and then found my way through my emails in my personal emails, and then my book emails. Two things in the book email that caught my eye:

To the upper left on the sidebar is a new Linky follow widget. I have never had a follow widget before and not sure if I want one now… but this is the first time I have been able to link to one on wordpress so thought I would put it up for kicks. I am impressed with Brent and Linky coming forward with a solution for those who are going to lose the GF (Google Friends) follow widget.

Secondly, Audible.com (oh how I love them!) is having a sale:

Sorry audio book listeners but I must take you down with me…. I do love audio and at this price I had to check this out. SO what did I get?

That’s enough to entertain me for a while. The first two are new to me, but Gorky Park I read as a teenager and loved it – in fact in hind site, it is probably the first serious topic book I have ever read. To this day I am still impressed that I got into it, survived the book, and enjoyed it enough that all these years later I still carry pieces of it in the edges of my mind. I am ready to visit the park again.

Morning Meanderings…. Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.

Published on February 7, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

Good morning. 😀

Did you all watch the game on Sunday? I didn’t… not really. I was supposed to go to a friend’s house and instead got caught up in cleaning a spare room that needed attention and after tearing that all up… well I had to big of a mess to leave. 😀 It was on the tv in the other room… and I watched the half time show and a few commercials… which really is what I enjoy most about the Super Bowl.

Which brings me to my point. I being an 80’s chick…. LOVED 80’s movies. AND if you have never had the opportunity to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off get to your last standing video store (they will be thrilled you did!) or Netflix and rent this classic 80’s movie. You will thank me. 😀

One of the Super Bowl commercials was a spoof off this 80’s movie and I LOVED it and laughed because I knew “Ferris” then… and I know Mathew Broderick now (well… know of him… not like I know him like we chat on-line or car pool). As always I find the Super Bowl commercials BRILLIANT (not all… but some) and this one… well…. ROCKS.

LOL… I may need to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off some day soon… LOVED that movie!

In book news, SPIN releases today and my super plan was to have my review go up today as well…. but thats not going to happen. I am reading it … .but not done yet. 😀

Today I work and then tonight I have a two hour work out session with my friends Amanda and Christie (Wendy if you are out there… care to join us? 😀 )

Click on the pic to check out the Team Kickin’ It update!

Morning Meanderings…

Published on February 4, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)42 Comments

Good morning! SATURDAY!!!! Did you know this is my favorite day of the week? I love Saturdays, they are days that only have things “to do” in them (usually) that I put there… not put there for me :D. Today is one of those Saturdays. I am going to go help a friend this morning and then hit the gym for Zumba after that.

Then I think I will be home. I would love to do a little reading… and little writing.

For Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot I thought I would post some old pics’. Don’t you love old pictures? I always look at them in awe when I think how much photography has changed in just a couple of generations…. we can do so much with a picture now…

This is my Uncle Dallas on the bike and my mom, Elaine riding on the back. My mom said her nick name growing up was "ping pong" because her hair was white blond as a child.

This is my my Great Grandmother (left) holding my Aunnt Jackie and my Great Great Grandmother (right) holding my Uncle Dallas) — This is my Great Grandmother (left) holding my Aunt Jackie and my Great Great Grandmother (right) holding my Uncle Dallas)

Neither of the pictures have dates on them but my mom was born in 1948 so I am guessing the top pic has to be the early 50’s and the lower pic as my Aunt Jackie is older than my mom would have to be mid to late 40’s.

That’s it for this morning… working on a review for this afternoon. 😀

Morning Meanderings… Bookish whereabouts….

Published on February 3, 2012February 3, 2012 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Good morning! A quiet one here at the DeChantal home but a productive one book wise…. 😀

This morning I woke up at 2:30 am…. probably because I went to bed at 9:30 (I know – so weird for me, I am a midnight girl!) Awake, I worked on my bedside read of Every Last Sandwich by Lee Lipenthal. I have been struggling a bit with this one and hope to finish it later today.

I went back to sleep about 3:15 am and then got up at 6:15 am. First stop would be brush my teeth and I turned on my audio book of 11-22-63 by Stephen King and continued on his adventures back in time…. (it sounds odd – but trust me it is FANTASTIC!).

Then I got in the jeep and went to fill our wood stove (yup… I am on stove duty the next three weeks!) and listened to Bitter Melon by Cara Chow my current car audio. I am enjoying this one too! Back in the house I made coffee to Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick… also getting good.

Now – as I continue to get ready for work and back to 11-22-63, I have to say yay for the weekend. I really have nothing planned other than work outs and maybe some reading and writing.

How about you – what is on your weekend agenda? 😀