Tag: Sunday Salon

Good morning!  I totally skipped out on posting yesterday.  Friday I had a three hour bike ride and then came home and hubby wanted to go out to eat and by the time I was home from that I was exhausted.  😯

Saturday morning I was up at 5:45 to get ready and meet at my friend Amy’s with Paula and Courtney so we could drive the two hours to Brooklyn Part and take part in the 5K Mud Factor… which was….

a bust.

After participating in the AWESOME Muckruckus in August which was from start to finish mud mud and more mud, sticky mud, watery mud, thick mud, stinky mud, you name it – it was mud…. this was pretty much not what we thought it would be.

The Mud Factor took place in a corn maze which for the first three miles of the 3.2 run was just dirt trails and the occasional obstacle.  Some of the obstacles were small piles of dirt to go over… some were where they had dug a little hole for you to either jump in or over, but mud free.  There was some of the cool rope climbing and tough girl stuff like that – but not enough to make this a win.  At the very end there was a small slide down a hill into a little mud… very little, and at the very end you crawled through some thick mud under plastic ropes. 

All in all we agreed it was too much money ($70 to register, $10 for a t shirt, $10 for parking and $5 for them to hold your bag of clothes to change into in a place that was watched).  The Mud Ruckus was $100 registration but it was for MS and it included parking, a t shirt, your bag keeping, and food at the end. 

Anyhoo – live and learn and it was still a good time hanging out with friends.

Pics were taken on a disposable camera which I have not turned in yet so watch for them to show up later this week.  😛

BOOKS.

A few books did come in the door this week, as my reading has slowed so has my review requesting. 

The bottom three are review books, the top is an audio version of The Knife of Never Letting Go which I purchased.

This morning I have church and later tonight I have a get together.  I hope to work on the book room a bit this afternoon and if it warms up perhaps cleaning out the garage for next weekends family get together.. I think it will be an audio day. 😀

What are you doing today?

Oh what a night, is what is in my head right now!  My friend and fellow Bookie Susan went with me yesterday afternoon to drive the 2 1/2 hours to Minneapolis to go to a book event at Magers and Quinn Booksellers (also where Michelle from Red Headed Book Child) works.  We arrived around 4:35 pm where we checked out the book store and then Sandra found us. 

The three of us went down the block to a Thai restaurant that was fun and delicious and then we proceeded to talk for the next two and a half hours about books and research and life and well… we had a BLAST!  We then went back to the store for Sandra’s book event where we shared more about her books, the direction they are going – and what might be coming next!  SSSQQQUUUEEEEE!

We were there until about 9:45 pm when we made out way to the parking ramp and started out trek home – but no complaints coming from this chick – we had so much fun – Sandra is so down to earth and so filled with awesomeness – really – if you get a chance to meet her do not hesitate to do so. 

That was a great night! 

As far as books that entered my home this week – it was a mellow week and the top two I purchased last night:

I have to run, I am meeting a friend this morning and then I want to get home to read and chill today – my life explodes back to BUSY tomorrow. 😀

Good morning.

Obviously there are a lot of perks to reviewing books.  First of all the delicious books that arrive on your doorstep and you get the pleasure to read and chat about.  And of course there is the conversation itself that generates around the book, and of course, the relationships we book bloggers build together as people who love to read and love to chat books. 

Occasionally, we can be asked to review something other than books just due to something we mentioned we enjoy and I think that is kind of fun too.  In the past I have been given the occasional movie to review, at one time reader glasses, and a couple of years back… a bookshelf.  😛

In my mail yesterday, this arrived:

Telestrations is a “telephone like game”  Sketch, Pass, and Guess!  It is no secret that I love board games, and this would not be the first board game I have been sent to review.  I think when we are at the cabin in a couple of weeks with friends I will try it then.  😀 

I also had a few books trickle in this week:

Yesterday we car shopped – we think we found something, Hubby is processing (its how he shops, looks… and thinks….) So we will know more on Monday but I am excited to hopefully have that over with.  😀  This morning I am going to church and then packing for my week at Camp Benedict that starts tomorrow afternoon.  I will talk more about that on Tuesday morning. 

If you are a book reviewer, have there been any cool things that you have been asked to review other than books?  Have there been any not so cool things you have been asked to review?  (I remember once they asked me to talk about Ug Boots…. I told them they had no connection to books or to my life whatsoever… I couldn’t do it.)  😛

Good morning!  I am literally heading out the door here, up at 4:30 am, in full bike gear and off to ST Joseph MN for The Tour Of Saints ride.   My friend Amy and I are doing this one and I am super pumped, it looks like the weather will be close to perfect 😀

Here are the books that arrived in my home this past week:

I am super excited about all of them! 

I will be back early afternoon yo put up a review.  See you all then!  😀  What has arrived in your house this week bookish wise?

Good morning and happy Sunday!  We have had a full week of sunny days so needless to say, I am happy!  😀  Sunny days usually equals good reading time for me, and this weekend with no heavy plans I have had a wonderful time enjoying books and audio.

I am on day 6 of my cleanse which is no bread, dairy, no beverage other than water, basically fruits, vegies, a little brown rice, olive oil, protein shakes.  Actually I have become pretty creative in my cooking and have made a few things that I suspect I will continue to make and eat after the cleanse is complete.  After day 10 (FRIDAY!) I can add in chicken and fish.

Here is what arrived at my house for review this week:

All great looking books, the top one, Mirror Mirror is a DVD. 

On Monday our library had its June Brown Bag Author event and I picked up this:

Shawn Lawrence Otto was interesting to listen to… his book about the topics our presidential candidates are not discussing like global warming and water shortages.  Not necessarily a book I would have normally picked up, but after listening to him talk and chatting with him afterwards I am curious what else he has to say.

I am very excited about Yes Chef!  I see this one on Shelf Awareness this past week and ordered it right away!  Yes Chef is a genre and type of book I love – Food Memoirs!!!

And finally, I did a little garage saling with a friend on Friday morning and I found three audio books to bring home.  😀 

That’s what books have entered my house this week. About 20 left the house in giveaway packages so I think I am ahead of the game 😀  Tomorrow at the Library will be Margi Preus, with her book Heart Of The Samurai, A 2011 Newbery Honor Book.  I am interested in hearing her talk and plan on having a Minnesota Authors segment coming up soon.

Hope your day is SUPER FAB!  This is my last quiet weekend for a while so I am soaking it up 😀 

Good morning!  😀

The sun is out (*fingers crossed) and hopefully we can stay dry and start soaking up this rain!  My yard is good, but I went on two bike rides in the past few days  with my friend Kate, and then Amy, and we seen flooded yards and streams about to spill over.  It is eerie…. but not as crazy as Duluth.

My weekend has been fairly low-key, I have read a bit both Friday and Saturday.  I listened to audio while weeding my garden, cleaning out a spare room, boxing up books I am shipping out tomorrow afternoon, and mowing.  Today I will have a little more of the same while I complete laundry, the lawn… and perhaps this afternoon sit in my swing for a while with a book 😀

I really love weekends like this.

This past week I received a video in my email that just this morning I finally watched.  It’s a recap of world book night, something many of us book lovers were involved in (I handed out Hunger Games) and I have a feeling next year it will be even bigger.  Watch this short 90 second video and then know at the end, I call dibs on making those cupcakes… I have an idea for that 😀 

Have a SUPER Sunday everyone!  My blog hop giveaway is still going on for a book of choice valued up to $20 at Amazon or Book Depository. 

Oh and I am a super goob (yes I said goob!) I totally forgot that my guest post was going up at Ryan’s(Wordsmithonia) yesterday, while he is on vacation, I am taking all of you to Maine!  Stop by and read all about it! 😀

Any fun things happening for you today? 

Good morning.  I am sitting at my kitchen table looking out on another gloomy rainy windy day.  GAH.  SO much for our weekend plans.  We were going to head to our cabin later this morning with some friends on motorcycles and stay over night and come back later tomorrow since we all have tomorrow off….

however in light of today… and apparently tomorrows forecast… that doesn’t look like it is going to happen.  The only two nice days we had this past week I was too busy to enjoy them… now that I am sitting on oodles of time… the weather is not cooperating.  😯

Our local movie theater is currently under construction while it is being made from Movies 10, to Lakes 12… word on  the street is better seating and concession stand.  I think it opens next weekend but I will not have time then as I am lifting off for BEA.  (SQQUUEEE!!!!)

So enough about the gloom…

here’s something that makes me happy – BOOKS!

Quite the assortment of goodies that came in the mailbox this week… I don’t think I requested The Meryl Streep Movie Club but now that it is in-house it looks interesting…. but I SSQQQUUUEEEDDDD when I seen A Night To Remember in audio.  Thank you Audio Jukebox.  You are my Jukebox Hero (and yes, later there will be a song!)

BUT… that is not all!  You may recall I went to some garage sales on Friday….

YAY right?  I think these will all go to my book shelf to the cabin, which this last weekend when I was there felt it could use some more books.  😀  The top one “Haunted Lakes” is just the type of fun books I like to keep there anyway – I like a good mix of books that anyone can pick up – quite a few about Minnesota, I picked up a couple about birds this week too and forgot to add them here….

Last weekend Justin looked at the three books I brought with me to read.  “Do you have anything less chickie?” he said.  I pointed to the shelf and he found himself a good mystery that he sunk into.  I love that.  😀

So that’s the books in-house this week… I need to go get ready for church and then come home and write-up a couple of reviews while we decide what we will do with our day.  I hope your weekend plans and the weather is cooperating for you…  I can always dig into a book this afternoon.  A few, as usual, are calling my name… and I really need to finish Jane Eyre.  😀

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?