Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Live in My Head Rent-Free

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Hope your week is going great. Still in real estate hell, so say a prayer for me. Saw the doctor yesterday. Guess what? I am allergic to a lot of stuff. I could have told them that. At least I know most of what I am allergic to now. Also had more bloodwork drawn for more specific triggers. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is about: 

• Books you can’t stop thinking about
• Books that left a lasting emotional impact
• Books you quote, reference, or mentally revisit
• Books that shaped your perspective or imagination

This should be an easy one. Let's see. 

Top Ten Books That Live in My Head Rent Free

Joshua by Joseph F. Girzone: If you ever wondered what would happen if Jesus returned to live among us, this is a book you might want to consider. Loved all of the Joshua books. The author was a Catholic priest dedicated to making Jesus better known throughout the world.

The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino: While all of Mandino's books are thought-provoking, this remains my favorite. It features the "Memorandum from God," which you are meant to recite daily. This memo helped me through a dark period of life.

Beyond Me: Living A You-First Life in a Me-First World by Kathi Macias: I read this book early on in my blogging adventures. It's how Kathi and I became such good friends. A true call to discipleship, her unique approach to well-known Scripture was refreshing and renewed my interest in Bible reading. 

Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by Brieane Oleson: This book is all about being a relationship-focused, purpose-driven business. What happened at PacSun became a Harvard Business School Case Study. 

Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life: Flip That Switch NOW! by Bob Proctor: I was fascinated by this book when I first listened to it. Proctor reminds us that the only thing we can change is ourselves, and in understanding that, we can change our lives.

Dad's Runaway Butt by Dawn McMillian: This book reminded me how good it is to laugh. The cover caught my eye, and I read it in the middle of Target. I laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face. I can't stop giggling every time I think of it. 

The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson: This book is about the impact of grief and how sometimes it takes a community to help a family heal. 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: As I stated in this post from a "Journey Through Christmases Past" article, Dickens showed us what a world without charity, kindness, generosity, and social responsibility looked like. This one book gave Christmas its spirit. 

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough: This book proves that forbidden love and generational trauma create an enduring story, and how ambition can be both wonderful and destructive. 

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder: This book shows that sometimes the hero really is just a shy, quiet guy who is motivated by doing the right thing without expecting any reward. 

Photo credit to articular on Magnific (formerly FreePik)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is on hiatus until September. Check back for more prompts then.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Would You Go Skydiving? Why or Why Not?

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

We are saying hello to Wednesday again, and that means it is time for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. This is such a fun meme because it is short, sweet, and manageable most weeks. Gosh, real estate is kicking my butt. 

This week's prompt asks, Would You Go Skydiving? Why or Why Not?

The answer to that is an emphatic no. You all know that I have this goal to live to 110, right? Well, if not, you know now. While I am not risk-averse, I don't believe in going out of my way to do things that could interfere with that goal, injure me in any major way, or lead to my untimely death. It's bad enough I drive most days for my job. I am convinced drivers in Massachusetts and Connecticut are either insane, distracted, high, or entitled. None of which is good. So, I will avoid things like skydiving that will just increase the odds that I die too young, while totally admiring people who are willing to attempt it. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

It is Tuesday again, which means it is time for Top Ten Tuesday. This week's prompt is to share books I want to read by new-to-me authors. Since I read a lot of books by authors who I do know--limited reading time and not wanting to waste it kind of thing--I am reaching outside of my regular lists and TBR pile. 

Top Ten Books I Want to Read by New-to-Me Authors

1. The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson
2. Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian
3. Andy Griffith's Manteo by John Railey
4. Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham
5. Daphne & Me by Jane Leeves
6. The Boy Behind the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Grew Up to Create Narnia by Suzanne Poulter Harris
7. Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom
8. A Christmas Carol Devotional by Rachel Dodge
9. A Betrothed's Betrayal by Deb Marlowe
10. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

Photo credit to articular on Magnific (formerly FreePik)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is on hiatus until September. Check back for more prompts then.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Stores or Other Physical Places I Wish Still Existed

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are having a great week. Today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is taking us on a trip down memory lane. We are talking about stores or other physical places we wish still existed. 

Considering that so many stores of my childhood are just distant memories these days, that could be a long list (problem with being over half a century old).

When I was a kid, we had a local mall in our city called Fairfield Mall. Its anchor stores were Two Guys (closed 1982) and Caldor (closed 1999). After Two Guys closed, Bradlees moved in. They closed all their stores by 2001. Fairfield Mall closed soon afterwards. I have so many memories there:

• Taking the Pepsi Challenge in the food court. Still a Pepsi girl.
• Sitting at the Koffee Kup counter having tea and a donut with my uncle, who always ordered a coffee and a cruller. 
• Playing video games and pinball at the Just Fan arcade. 
• Getting soft serve at the in-mall restaurant.
• Going each week to choose the Top 40 singles I didn't own from Caldor.

More stores from my childhood that are no longer around: Woolworths (closed 1997), where I ate a lot of fries at the lunch counter; Waldenbooks (closed 2011), where I shopped for new titles; Child World (closed 1992), where we loved to browse with my mother, and PaySaver (late 90s), which was a local discount retailer. 

One place that no longer exists from my childhood is the field of wildflowers next to my childhood home. The housing authority built a 62+ independent living facility in 1976 as part of an urban renewal project. We lived in that house until 1980, when my parents sold it because my mother had cancer and could no longer help my father manage it. We moved into a single-family home in another area of the city, but I had relatives who lived in the housing authority's building, so I often got to visit our old apartment building. 

What are some stores and physical places you wish were still around? Hope you enjoy your trip down memory lane as much as I did. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Titles That Include the Word "Hope"

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

It is Tuesday again, which means it is time for Top Ten Tuesday. This week's prompt is sharing book titles that include a specific word we choose. Today, I chose "hope" because it appears in the titles of many of the genres I enjoy and is a positive word in a tumultuous world. Here are my...

Top Ten Book Titles That Include the Word "Hope"

1. Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham
2. The Prodigal Son's Holiday Hope by Jill Kemerer
3. Sermonsnacks: Help, Hope, and Encouragement for Today by Don Collette
4. No Hope for Gomez by Graham Parke
5. Because of Bethlehem: Love if Born, Hope is Here by Max Lucado
6. Hope: Indigo Ballet Series by Grier Cooper
7. Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott
8. A Place Called Hope by Philip Gulley
9. A Tapestry of Hope by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller
10. His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham

Photo credit to articular on Magnific (formerly FreePik)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is on hiatus until September. Check back for more prompts then.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Have You Ever Attended Your High School Reunion? Why?

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday from the overly tired, rather cranky real estate agent. I will be on the road early this morning, but will likely check in with you later as we talk about an interesting subject this week: Have you ever attended your high school reunion? Why?

Like some of you, high school was a time of terrible bullying and loneliness for me. Actually, I was made fun of from the day I entered first grade until the day I graduated high school, so one might think I don't attend these events. 

Lo and behold, one of the least popular kids ever to walk the face of the planet coordinated our very first high school reunion ten years after we graduated. All by myself, I might add, because again, I was unpopular. Also because our class officers were no longer local, and someone asked me to. I gladly turned the reins over to the popular kids, who have coordinated all the others. 

This summer, our class will gather for our 40th high school reunion at a classmate’s home. We’re still deciding whether we’ll go (the husband and I graduated together), but here’s what I’ve realized: life has a remarkable way of leveling the playing field. Somewhere along the way, it stops mattering who was popular or invisible, who fit in or who didn’t. Adulthood redistributes confidence, success, and happiness in ways childhood never could. In some ways, I am still that shy, unsure kid. In others, I have outgrown the desire to feel anything less than equal to my former classmates. I no longer feel the pain of their past judgment. I don't allow my worth to be defined by anyone but me. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Something to Know Before Visiting My Country/City

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are having a great week. I am feeling very accomplished since I blogged all three days this week. Though my mornings have been full, I find sitting down after supper gives me time to check in with my fellow bloggers.

This week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge asks us to share something to know before visiting my country/city. In our case, it's a town. 

There are so many neat things to know if you are planning a trip to Wilbraham. Here are my top three:

1. We have great local coffee shops/breakfast places. In addition to the two well-known chains, we have several others scattered throughout our town, so no matter where you live here, you will find a wonderful place to stop and pick up coffee/tea/soda/juice and enjoy a variety of foods.
2. We have several working farms. Not only are these farms a great place to pick up flowers, herbs, and produce, but some host live events. 
3. Looking for an amazing private school for students in grades 6 - 12? Then you need to consider Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Founded in 1804, the student body represents more than 30 countries. The Lil' Princess attended school there for grades 9 - 12. Best decision we made. 

I look forward to learning more about your countries and cities/towns. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (June-August)

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

It's another crazy real estate Tuesday. I am on the road by now, but I look forward to visiting your blogs later. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday, we are sharing our favorite books by our favorite authors. I will pretend that doesn't feel like choosing your favorite child.

Top Ten Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors

• A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard: Though I have loved every book of Charlotte's that I have ever read, this one was so special that it touched my heart in meaningful ways.
• Beyond Me: Living A You-First Life in a Me-First World by Kathi Macias: The first book that connected me with one of the most talented authors in Christian writing. This true call to discipleship is life-changing.
• A Christmas Journey Home, also by Kathi Macias: This novel is as timely today as it was back then. 
• No Bells by F. M. Meredith (also known as Marilyn Meredith): Love that my favorite member of the Rocky Bluff P.D., Gordon Butler, is the focus. 
• Dispel the Mist by Marilyn Meredith: This book features the Hairy Man, a Native American Bigfoot. 
• The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder: Seeing Almanzo Wilder as a hero makes my heart flutter, but this is my favorite because it shines a light on the dangers pioneers faced. 
• Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery: It is in this third book of the AOGG series that Anne realizes she loves Gilbert.
• Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott: Of the three favorite authors of my childhood, Alcott is not as beloved as the first two. [Cheryl ducks to avoid virtual tomatoes.]  However, I enjoyed this book the most because Jo has matured but is still herself. 
• The Lost Hours by Karen White: I fell in love with Karen's books even harder with this novel. It blends friendship, tragedy, and a quest for the truth.
• Strong from the Heart by Jon Land: Have loved this series since I started reading it, but in this one, Catilin is so human as she battles demons from her past, deals with her half-sister, and so much more. She can always kick butt, but here we get closer and more personal with her. Oh, and more Colonel Paz is often a good thing. 

Note: Linked many of these to reviews, but all the giveaways are long over. 

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks: Which books are you looking forward to reading this Summer? (June-August).

Should I answer all the books I buy but never read? At least when the Lil' Princess spends $10 on a Kindle download, she reads it. My book-buying ban failed this year, so I am not paying attention anymore. 

So, what am I excited to read this summer...

• The three books in Bull Cusano's The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club series
• Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts
• Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the second in her Katrina & Goode series.
• At least one book by local authors that I grabbed at recent book events
• One book from my TBR Pile

Now, will I likely get to all these? No. Not if real estate keeps up at this pace. Retirement is getting closer all the time. :) 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Typical Day in My Life

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy hump day! In the words of the B-52s: 

Wearing next to nothing

'Cause it's as hot as an oven

It's another day of blistering heat in the Northeast. Might have a thunderstorm today, and the weekend looks rainy.  At least if it rains, I won't have to water the garden. 

Do I dare share a typical day in my life? It's really boring. Talking about paint drying could be more entertaining. 

• The alarm rings at 6:00 am. 
• Prayer time and sharing Instagram content to my stories.
• Out of bed by 7:00 am. 
• Shower, get dressed, dry my hair (while doing some squats). If it's a workday, put on some makeup so I don't frighten the world.
• Feed animals and let the dog out.
• Small breakfast at the house or on the road.
• Desk work, phone calls, social media marketing, or appointments until sometime between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. 
• In between the above, make sure the dog gets walked around 11:00 am, and that I have something that looks like lunch between 12:00 and 1:00 pm (often at my desk or in the car).
• Feed animals. 
• Start laundry while making supper.
• Eat with the other half or with the other half and our daughter (sometimes son-in-love). 
• Do dishes and clean the kitchen.
• Fold clean clothes. 
• Take a snack upstairs to my office to blog and finish paperwork. 
• Social media time.
• Prepare for tomorrow.
• Say goodnight and I love you to my kids. 
• Bed sometime between 11:00 pm and 2:00 am, depending upon how much real estate work there is.

Now, about that paint drying...

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What is your favorite flower?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! By the time you read this, I am likely on the road. Tuesdays are usually overloaded in my world, but it is all good stuff. Today, we are talking about favorite secondary or minor characters. This should be a fun one.

Top Ten Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters 

• Mr. Edwards from Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He helps Charles build their house in Kansas, and he crosses a swollen river to deliver Christmas presents to the Ingalls girls. One of my favorite characters from the books and the television series.
• Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables is one of those busybodies that we all love to loathe, but she had her softer side that crept out from time to time, and she was a good friend to Marilla, especially after they became housemates after the deaths of Thomas Lynde and Matthew Cuthbert.
• Molly Weasley from the Harry Potter series is a loving mother to her clan and unofficially adopts those in need, such as Harry. Though no one could replace his mother, Molly makes a wonderful surrogate for him. Oh, and she has no problem being fierce when one of the kids is in danger. 
• Rebecca/Tiffany from Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard was a fabulous character. I can't say much without giving the plot away, but she definitely shook things up in Willow Ridge. 
• Gordon Butler from the Rocky Bluff P.D. series would eventually move into the major character category, but when he started, he was the bumbling, clutzy cop everyone poked fun at. If anything ridiculous happened, you know Gordon would be right in the middle of it.
• Nick Two John from the Tempe Crabtree series was a mentor to Deputy Tempe Crabtree and the owner of the local inn. He spends most of the series helping and frustrating Tempe as she explores her Native American roots. 
• Rosemary Charles from On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts is the reporter who covers the story of Joy, Laura, and other women from their knitting group going on strike around the holidays to encourage help from their spouses. She has a fun reporting style, and she bets the newspaper's photographer that the women will win.
• Nola Middleton is introduced to fans of Karen White's Tradd Street series in The Strangers on Montagu Street. She gives her estranged father, Jack, a run for his money, but she becomes a great character throughout the rest of the series, and even gets her own series once she is an adult. 
• General Billy Starkey from The Stand by Stephen King might seem easy to forget, but what he endures during the early pages of this novel sets the stage for all that will come later. A career soldier, he realizes that once the superflu has been released, the world as they know it will end. His mental breakdown and eventual death linger in the minds of readers throughout the story.
• The appearance of Marley's Ghost in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is shocking and the catalyst for what happens to his former partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, for the rest of the night. He has been dead for seven years at the opening of the story, and in that time has learned a valuable lesson, which he hopes to impart to Scrooge to save him from a similar fate. 

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks: What is your favorite flower?

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) for the image

This was an easy post for me. I've always loved carnations. They are the first flowers I pick when choosing a floral arrangement at the store. Pink, white, and purple are my favorite colors. I prefer carnations to roses on Valentine's Day. 

How about you? What is your favorite flower? 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Celebrity I'd Like to Meet

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Wednesday has come around again. Hope this week is treating you well. Today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge prompt is: a celebrity I'd like to meet. 

This is such a hard prompt, you know I can't narrow it down to just one. If we are talking about celebrities from my era, I think Michael J. Fox and Brooke Shields would be amazing to meet. I would also say that being part of Modern Prairie has given me a new appreciation for Melissa Gilbert. It would be nice to meet her in person.

Though I am not a country music fan, I imagine that meeting Dolly Parton would be life-changing. And since we are talking music, I should add meeting Taylor Swift to the list. My daughters are huge fans. 

Have you met any celebrities? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What is your favorite sports team?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Hope your week is starting off well. I've got a couple of closings this week, which is always a good thing. I will be attending a wonderful local event tonight, which should be a blast. 

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie. I am going with books I can't believe I haven't read yet. These are often books I am excited about, but because of other commitments, I don't get around to reading them. The year in parentheses is the year I bought them or added them to my Goodreads "Want to Read" list. 

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe

 I Haven't Read Yet 

1. Murder As A Fine Art by Dave Morell (2013)
2. Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and The Spending of an American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. (2014)
3. Diary of A Stage Mother's Daughter by Melissa Francis (2014)
4. Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delaney (2015)
5. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (2015)
6. The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin 92106)
7. Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas (2016)
8. The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper (2017)
9. Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy (2018)
10. A Vineyard Christmas by Jean Stone (2018)

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

We are talking about favorite sports teams for Tell Me Something Tuesday. Hands down, my favorite is the Boston Bruins. I've been a fan of hockey since I was a kid, watching it on Channel 38 out of Boston. Back then, Fred Cusick was the play-by-play announcer, and Derek Sanderson was the color commentator. 

My husband played in high school and as an adult. My son played from pre-school through high school. My husband figured I was the one for him when I told him how much I loved the clack of the puck hitting the stick at the first Bruins game we attended together. You used to be able to get Bruins tickets for $25 then. 

We didn't think we would ever see a Bruins Stanley Cup win in our lifetimes, but it happened in 2011. My team is overdue.

What's your favorite sports team? 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Few Happy Memories from My Life

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Say hello to Wednesday again. It creeps up so quickly. In this week's post, we are sharing a few happy memories from our lives. There are many I could share, but here are three that are in the top five highlights:

• Marrying my best friend. There is no one I would rather go through this crazy life with than my husband. We have known each other since high school, and began dating when we were 21. Yeah, it's been a few years. :)  He is the kindest, most loving person I know.
• Seeing my children through to adulthood. Each experience was different. I was barely out of high school when I had my son. The two girls came along after I was married. I've been a single parent, a working parent, a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, a pet mom, and probably a few other things during the last 39 years. With the youngest on the cusp of graduating, I am a mom in transition. It is all good and such a blessing. 
• Signing my first book contract. There is something special about that first contract. It's like proof that what you've been doing for likely years, maybe decades, is worth sharing with the world. Admittedly, I never get tired of signing them. I've been blessed to do that five times so far. Maybe next time I will be signing a contract for agent representation. We will see what the future holds. 

What are some happy memories from your life? 

Top Ten Tuesday & Tell Me Something Tuesday: How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Tuesday is here again, and I am still trying to catch up from last week. Two more unexpected real estate blessings came my way yesterday, so it is 1:00 am on Tuesday morning, and I still haven't finished my work. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday sounds like a fun topic: April Showers. I just don't have time to participate. Hope you all enjoy touring the blogosphere to visit others. 

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

How do I celebrate my birthday? Usually, we are in the Outer Banks or driving home from the Outer Banks, so it involves a meal out, maybe a small treat, and gifts from the family. We should be home for this birthday, so I don't know if anything will be different. Either way, it's good to make it through another year with good health, a wonderful family, and all my wits about me. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: What Were You Like as a Child?

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday! Well, after a day that involved a dusting of snow followed by sunshine and warmth, then rain, big snowflakes, and finally cold wind, today should be sunny and warmer. 

April 7, 2026

It looks like today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge allows me to talk about my favorite subject: me! Okay, that was a joke. As an empath, though, I do feel a lot of stuff and talk about a lot of stuff. 

This will shock anyone who has only known me as an adult: I was a shy, anxious, and quiet kid. I'm still anxious and shy, especially in new settings or with people I don't know well, but quiet left a long time ago, and it is not likely to ever return. 

Born the last of three girls, my middle sister is four years older, and our oldest sister is seven years older than I am. I'm the only sister to have lived her entire life in Massachusetts, and I am the only Gen Xer. Both my sisters are Baby Boomers. 

With the difference in our ages, I got to spend a lot of time alone and had to learn to entertain myself. The good thing is that I developed a great imagination and a love of reading. 

Mom and I

We had a huge family because my mother was one of eight or more, and my father was one of five. We had family that lived in Massachusetts, and relatives that lived in Quebec and Montreal, Canada. My mother and father were the youngest of their siblings, so all our aunts and uncles were much older than they were. Our cousins were teenagers or married when I was still in single digits. Not sure why, maybe because we lived in the same house as our Meme and Pepe, but we hosted the holidays at our house. 

Oldest sister, one of our maternal uncles, middle sister, and I

All three of us danced. My oldest sister liked tap, the middle one acrobats and jazz, and I liked ballet. None of us liked the same things, and we weren't really alike in temperament. We were known as the oldest, the prettiest (middle sister), and the smart one (me). 

Middle sister and I (the only year I took tap)

Because I was so small and bashful, I didn't make friends easily. I kept to myself, and teachers allowed me to help out because I could read at a third-grade level when I entered first grade. Being a teacher's pet did not ingratiate me with my classmates. I was teased pretty much from the day I entered school to the day I graduated high school. Time and life have leveled the playing field, but I will always feel like the kid who didn't fit in anywhere.

I lost my mother when I was 14, and my dad would eventually remarry. This would bring two brothers into my life. I looked after the oldest of the two boys since I still lived at home. The youngest was born after I moved out. 

Many days, I still feel more like that doe-eyed little one in my mother's arms than a career woman who has built a successful business from the ground up. I am, however, grateful that I have been blessed to do what I do, and I feel those difficult, lonely days of my childhood prepared me to approach my real estate business with kindness and empathy for others. 

We are driving to Maine today, but I will definitely visit your blogs to learn more about you. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Favorite Book Blogs and/or Book Bloggers

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy hump day! The week is flying by. Maybe I can work from home tomorrow, but this will be a day of going to and from places. 

When I glanced upon this week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge prompt, all I could think was: Why not ask us to pick our favorite child? Those of us who have had or have been around children know how well that would turn out. So, I simply can't do it. I love you all for a multitude of reasons. I love connecting with my blogging friends because:

• They have interesting things to say.
• They often have a different perspective than I do.
• They make me laugh and smile.
• They share of themselves and their lives, which is a blessing I don't take for granted.
• They make me feel less introverted.
• They help me feel like I matter.
• They inspire me to continue blogging.
• Seeing their comments reminds me there is something special about carrying on a conversation with someone you might never meet in person, but who you feel you still know. 

Thanks to all of you, especially those who engage with this blog--and me--regularly. It means the world to me! 

Realizing this post is also a way to increase readership for bloggers, here are some I frequent regularly:

The Book Date

Socrates Book Review

Book'd Out

Readerbuzz

Cindy's Book Corner

Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs

Caboodle of Cozies

Inside of a Dog

Long and Short Reviews

George L Thomas

Reading Freely

Lydia Schoch

That Artsy Reader Girl

Read! Bake! Create!

Read All the Things!

Reading is My Superpower

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Genre I Want to Read More of This Year

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Seems like Wednesdays always creep up on me. I guess it doesn't mean much for me since I often work weekends. 

Today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is all about genres we want to read more of this year. Now, in the past, I would set myself a goal of reading more in a genre I don't typically read: sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, and steampunk. This year, I tossed that out the window. It didn't even make the bookish promises list. 

Why?

Because I want to read what I want to read, which boils down to mysteries and seasonal romances. That doesn't mean other genres won't catch my eye or that what I agree to review will be in those genres, but as part of seeking balance and setting boundaries, I'm being more intentional with everything, including reading. 

What is a genre you want to read more of this year? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Green Book Covers and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Do you prefer single narrator, duet/dual narration, full cast, or "graphic audio" audiobooks?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We are celebrating by sharing our Top Ten Green Book Covers. This one should be fun!

Top Ten Green Book Covers

Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki

The Messiest Monster on Mill Street  by Sarah Sparks

Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke

The Disappearance of Billy Moore by Aaron Paul Lazar

Hex the Halls by Mindy Kalsky et al.

The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein 

Currant Creek Valley by RaeAnne Thayne

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks what kind of audiobook narrator we enjoy: single, duet/dual, full cast, or "graphic audio." 

I would have to say a single narrator, because if there are too many different voices or music and sound effects to go along with what is being spoken, I find it distracting. A single narrator has to be more creative and make the listener believe they are each character as they are reading. 

Looking forward to viewing your blogs later today.