Articles

I read 36 books this year which is more than I anticipated.  They covered a variety of subjects and were reads that were for my Book Club, for review purposes, and for my own enjoyment.  Of these books, these were my favorites from the year.  Some actually came out in 2011, others were ones I…

You can see all about my day at MISSION OF HOPE on Wednesday at the post below this one. It was a wonderful day of giving to others.  I can’t wait to participate again next year! On Friday, we celebrated Christmas with Pat’s family.  It is so fun to watch all the kids open their gifts…

For the second year in a row, I was chosen by CEPIA and the RANDOM ACTS OF ZHU to hand out toys to a charity.  I again chose MISSION OF HOPE in Cedar Rapids because of the awesome work they do to help out the least, the last and the lost. December 21, 2011 was…

Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb Published October 21, 2009 My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found this as a cheap Kindle buy and knew I couldn’t go wrong with a Wally Lamb book. I wanted a Christmas story and even though Christmas wasn’t the focus of the whole story, it was still a…

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the wisdom of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires…

I love to bake and have been getting my goodies made up for Christmas celebrations.  I’ve made: Pumpkin Bread Almond Bark Dipped Ritz Bitz Peanut Butter Star Cookies (my Christmas Favorite)  Spritz Cookies (my Grandma made them every Christmas, and my mom, and now me) Peppermint Sugar Cookies (With Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses) Almond Bark…

Several craft ideas using scrabble tiles perfect for gifts and scrabble lovers.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN By: Garth Stein Published: May 5, 2008 Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny…

The weeks are getting quite busy now and I have lots to share from our week! Every year we celebrate the day we got our house, December 15 – 8 years ago now- by having “Family Day”.  We have a special meal complete with sparking grape juice.  Then after dinner we decorate our Gingerbread Houses together. …

On November 1, 2011, I began using APOTHEDERM Stretch Mark Cream.  The directions stated that I was to use it twice daily, applying to the stretch mark areas and seeing results in as little as 14 days and up to 12 weeks.  Trust me, I was skeptical.  It has been nearly 7 years since I…