Name that tune...

Obscure song lyric:

"See the girls with the dresses so tight.."

Name that tune...bonus points if you know the band.

True Colors

I finished True Colors by Kristin Hannah, the same author who wrote Firefly Lane. This is a story about three sisters, Winona, Aurora and Vivi Ann. Winona is the oldest and seems to be out-shined by Vivi Ann all the time. Vivi Ann, the youngest, is the prettiest and most loved by their father. Aurora is the middle child and the peace maker. This story, much like life, seems to forget about Aurora and centers mainly around Winona and Vivi Ann. Winona is always competing with her youngest sister over boys and her father's attention. Vivi Ann is clueless to the competition.

We follow along through their lives and loves. Vivi Ann is courted by the man Winona loves. Their father is looking for ways to keep his land in the family and Vivi Ann comes up with all the best ideas. But will Viv always be the apple of her father's eye? We see a lot of the father in the beginning, yet in the middle of the story he is awol. I found myself wondering if I had missed the part where he died. Nope, he showed up again at the end. It was a little awkward, like she had forgotten about him.

A lot goes on in this book, yet it didn't hold me like Firefly Lane. I think there was more care in developing the girls in Firefly Lane than there was in this book. Some of the story line seemed quite familiar to her first book too. I was a little disappointed because I was so pleasantly surprised by her first book. I would call this book a chick-lit, story of the lives of sisters.
I would not call it any where near as good as Firefly Lane.

I give this a 3 out of 5

The Lake That Stole Children

I just read The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark. This is a wonderful story told along the vein of a Grimm's fairy tale. I loved that is was set here in Michigan too!.

It is set in a small fishing town and is centered around a fisherman, his wife, his son and his daughter. His boy wants to be a great fisherman and he longs to use the great lures and the pole his father uses so he can cast out far into the lake. The fisherman is a very stern father and scolds his son when he doesn't listen.

Children from this small town have gone missing. The parent don't know where to turn. One night the fisherman's boy is drawn to the lake, and he cast's out into the middle of the lake. When he gets a bite on the line, it is too strong and he is pulled into the lake and taken hostage by the big glass fish that lives in the lake.

This is a wonderful fable with colorful descriptions. It is a young adult/adult book and I checked out the reviews that it got on Amazon and was a little surprised. Some said they wouldn't read this book to children because of some of the messages. For example, the wife blamed the father for her missing son. I disagree with the reviews. I think this is a book that could bring about some wonderful teaching moments for children. Sometimes parents get upset with each other, it is normal. Relationships take work. Sometimes we think we want something without stepping back and wondering if we are ready for it. Is there something the father could have done different? Maybe the son should have sat down and explained to his father that he wanted to be great like him. The teacher in me found many great conversations that could be had when this book is shared, and I found that when I sat back and thought about the story it was much deeper than I even realized when I was reading it.

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

A little story

Once upon a time there was a mom and a wife.
She would talk and breathe and because of that...she sucked.

the end

Maybe

Dear child,

When I say maybe... I mean no,

I just don't have the energy to put up with your attitude if I were to come right out and say no.

Love,
Mom

Bark up the Right Tree

Bark up the Right Tree is written by Jessie, a dog who was abandoned when one of the boys in her family who had emotional problems, started abusing her. She was left at an animal control shelter and from there she went through many changes until she was finally rescued by Ruth, who helped her write this book.


In her book, Jessie shares with us the changes she went through, how she went from a happy go lucky dog, to a very sad and confused one. Along the way, in her book, Jessie shares with us important things to "paws" and consider, such as "Take a chance and step out in faith. A miracle may be brewing", or "Be grateful for challenges. The bumpy road teaches us more and demands more of us than the smooth road does." She tells us of her time in the shelter and when she was adopted by Ruth. She talks about the dreams that Ruth had about finding Jessie and working with her to help animals and children find homes. Jessie shows us the life lessons she has learned and how we may apply them to our lives.


This is a very uplifting book that gives you renewed faith in what we can accomplish when we look to serve others, how even the smallest of us can bring about change and make a difference.
It was a great read too with short chapters that were entertaining. If you are a dog person, this is a definite "must read"! Ten percent of all proceeds from the sale of the book go to help animals and children in need of homes. Stop by Open Doors and check them out. Jessie has a DogFest coming up in August that looks like a lot of fun. Its in Hillsdale New Jersey and promises to be a day of fun. If you are near there, check it out!!


I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

My idea

I was struck by an idea while driving home from work today. I don't know why I thought of this, but I've heard great ideas usually come out of the blue. Do you know how you can support a child in some third world country? While I know they need help, I've always wondered why we as Americans think we have all the answers and have decided we need to be the saviors of the whole world. That is all well and good, but why, when we are so dysfunctional, don't we try to get our crap together at home first? Hence my idea....I will go down to the local homeless shelter and take a picture of a homeless person/family you can adopt. You can then send the money to the shelter, who will in turn, supply the family with the things it needs to get back on their feet. You will receive pictures and updates of all the good your money is doing for someone in your own back yard. I think its genius! Since the economy is taking a tanker and more and more are out of work and loosing their homes, I predict that the shelters wont be able to take them all in without extra help.