Ahh summer..who has time to read???

UUggg....I have been so lazy in the reading department.  I have taken to mobile home improvements and knitting while enjoying summer shows like America's Got Talent (yeah for Howie, I was so sick of the Hoff!) and Last Comic Standing.  I have been trying to get through some reading, well one book really...not going so well.  I receive books to review from time to time and some times it is a chore to get through them.  I do have 2 that I received the other week I am anxious to get to, but I feel like I should read them in order, so I am trudging through.  


I have been listening to Wild Ride by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer.  This is a story about a small town girl Mary Alice Brannigan, Mab to her friends, who leaves town only to herself back at the local amusement park renovating the rides and attractions.  Being back brings back memories of standing out in high school, being different, and having a crazy mother who believe the very park she is working is a haven for demons.  Mab resented her mother and always dismissed her crazy accusations, but when she is run over by the metal clown she has been lovingly renovating, she knows something is very different in the park.  It just so happens that her mother was right in a way, there are demons in the park, being held prisoners.  Since these five demons are the worlds worse, there is a group of people who are guardians and are sworn to make sure the Untouchables never escape.  One by one, they do escape and somehow, Mab finds herself having to join the Guardia, protect mankind, and admit her mom wasn't as batty as she thought.



This is a fun story that has had a few surprise twists and some not so surprising turns.  It a story about demons and powers, so don't look to deeply into it, but if you are looking for a light entertaining read, this one is perfect.  It would be a great book to take to the beach and enjoy the surf and sun.


I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

Waiting for Jack

I have recently read Waiting for Jack by Kristen Moeller. This is a book about how some of us tend to wait for the one thing that will finally make us happy, whether that thing is finishing school, getting married, losing weight, making money....you understand.

I was really excited to get this book, because I am one of those people who are waiting to be fulfilled. Let me tell you I am 44 and still waiting.

This book is broken down into 3 sections, body, mind and spirit. In the first sections the author tells us how she got to the point where she realized that she has been waiting her whole life for the "one thing" that will complete her. She also addresses how we look for things outside of ourselves to make us happy. The second section she talks about how we wait for a purpose, love, the right place among other things and in the last sections she looks at how we box ourselves in, our preconceived notions and what we thing life is.

Each section ends with a list of questions to help us reflect on out thoughts and things to practice. It was an easy read and her stories and the stories from others were helpful and interesting. I read through this book quickly so I could give a review, however this is a book in which you would want to take your time and really take in each chapter. When I finished the book I thought well there wasn't really a moment I thought, "So that's what I need to do." I did see my thoughts and mannerisms in there, but nothing that showed me how to fix it. I thought well that stinks, I thought I would be fixed. It wasn't until a couple of days later when I was reflecting on what I want to include in my review when I realized that is not how this book works. I was waiting for a book that would fix me! (shaking my head) I need to take my time and absorb each chapter, reflect in the ideas and take each day at a time. I got it...and I am going to do just that, reread this book slowly, applying the ideas, daily.

This book will not fix you. You have to stop waiting for perfection. This book WILL take you on a journey, if you take the time and are serious about it, to help you start living each day and stop waiting.

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

Best Quotable...Young Frankenstein

Well, I'm back. Things have finally settled down in tourist-land and I'm not working such long hours. I have 6 books lined up for review, but this weekend, instead of reading I watched a movie with my mom.

"Young Frankenstein" is a classic Mel Brooks movie (a tamer one than say "Blazing Saddles"!) that has some great quotable lines I found myself repeating with the movie. I thought this would be a great entry for a best quotable movie...so here they are...

Dr Frankenstein: "What knockers!"

Inga: (in german accent) "Why, sank you doctor"

Dr Frankenstein: (when stuck between a bookshelf and the wall (in a high pitched voice)) "Listen to me very carefully, do not put the candle back!"

Inga: (from behind the bookshelf) "PUT ZE CANDLE BACK!

When asked who's brain he got Igor responds:

"Abby someone"

Dr Frankenstein: "Abby who?"

Igor: "Abby Normal"

Dr Frankenstein sulking at the dinner table...

Inga: "You haven't touched your food"

Dr Frankenstein pats his food with his hands..."There are you happy?"

Inga (from back of a hay wagon): "Would you like a roll in ze hay?"

(rolling back and forth): "Roll, roll, roll in ze hay!)

This is such a great movie. If you have not seen this movie, you must rent it. I also discovered that Aerosmith wrote their song "Walk This Way" after watching this movie. There is a scene where Igor meets Dr. Frankenstein at the train station and walks down 3 steps hunched over stating, "Walk this way" Igor the hands the cane to Dr. Frankenstein and he hunches over and uses the cane down the 3 steps like Igor. Aerosmith thought it was hilarious and it inspired a classic song!

Is He Lying To You

Is He Lying to You? is written by Dan Crum, who is an ex-CIA polygraph examiner. Dan Crum walks you through how to tell if a guy is lying to you by showing you how to ask questions, what questions to ask, when to ask and what to look for. He differentiates between the types of lies men tell and why they might be telling them. He tells you the four reasons why men deceive and whether they are harmful or not.

Dan explains that a lot of times we go into situations with certain biases and that we need to learn to set those aside. He shows you how watch a guy to determine what his "normal" behavior is before you ask questions to see if he is truthful.

Some of the points in this book I knew intuitively, such as when a guy answers a question with a question or tries to make you feel guilty for asking the question, he may be deceiving. I think there are times we may know that people are not being truthful, but we don't always trust our gut, this book shows you when to trust those

instincts.

I thought there was some great information in here, however I'm not sure it was very ground breaking. If you are a woman in the dating scene, you may want to read this book. He does recommend you journal about the guys, and for me this would never work....I don't journal, I've always wanted to, but I have a really short attention span and basically I can't write as fast as I think and by the time I slow down enough to write my thoughts, I'm bored. But I digress. If you are meticulous, this book my be an asset.

As I finished chapter one I saw "FREE BONUS: Go to ......to get a free download..." and "EXCITING BONUS: Go to ....get free excerpt from my new book..." At first I thought, "how nice, when you get this book you get a free scorecard and tools to help you and a look into another book," however when I got to chapters 9 and 10 and he has the EXCITING BONUS at the end of every chapter it felt a little desperate and, I don't know, like what we were getting out of the book wasn't as important as us needing to buy his next book.

I give this book a 3 1/2 out of 5. Probably would have been a 4 if he wasn't trying so hard to sell us his next book.

Tulip Time

I live near Holland and work in the tourist industry. This week is
Tulip Time which means tourists from all over come to see our tulips. This means we work from 8:30 to sometimes 7:30 doing demonstrations and trying to sell our wares. This means I wouldn't have time to read, let alone blog...but as you can see I am blogging. It hasn't started out to busy...seems like the tourist business is feeling the economic crunch.

Too much time saturday

Found this website and thought the pictures were funny, but seriously....if you are posing toys and taking pics, maybe you have a little too much time on your hands!
Carry on!

Be the Noodle by Lois Kelly is a book written per the wishes of a dying mother. It is 50 ways to help you, as the title says, be a compassionate, courageous, crazy-good caregiver.

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I have to say the only reason why I decided to review this book was for a friend who is studying to be a social worker and has no free time to read. I agreed to read the book and let her know if it would be a great resource for her. I am blessed for doing so.

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I have had a mother go through a bout of cancer and she has survived, so I thought I was far from needing a book like this. Unfortunately, people sometimes wait to late, or avoid things that are sad, uncomfortable or make us face mortality. Let me tell you, even though this book deals with death, it is actually a very empowering book. It brings to light situations we may all face when dealing with a loved one who is dying. Sometimes, when we have a glimpse of things that may occur, it doesn't seem as scary. It can give us the tools, ahead of time, that we will need to make things easier. This book is probably the most important tool you will need.

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The book is broken down into 3 sections. 1) Wham! Bam! Welcome to the caregiver club, ma'am...here we find help with managing visits, just being there and she's got the power. 2) Conflict and crisis: when the wild, wicked and weird start hitting the fan...here is a look into foul moods, hesitating on hosp-ice, and sharing everything with others. 3) Being laid off: saying good-bye to the hardest job you never wanted...addresses dew vs. fog, sadness vs. grief and writing a killer eulogy.

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From being tossed into and coming out the other end, this book holds your hand through it all. I cannot tell you how much comfort I felt in reading this book. I know that if and when I'm in this situation, I will not be alone even if I am on my own.

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I give this book a 5 out of 5. You will want this resource on you shelf, you will gain so much.

Melissa and Tammy and Popular

Many of the best and most ground breaking shows get canceled way before their prime....but let me back up a minute.
Today on CNN.com I saw that Melissa Etheridge and her partner Tammy have split after 9 years. This got me thinking about one of my most favorite tv shows "Popular". This was a show about a group of high school students, the populars and the ones on the other side. This show was funny and well written. Tammy played Nicole the mean conniving cheerleader who took her popularity seriously and woe to the person who gets in her way. This show featured a lot of great actors such as Leslie Bibb (Iron Man 1&2, See Spot Run), Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect), Carly Pope (24).
Tammy's character was mean and her lines were biting but hilarious....for example:

"Sure, I'll put Carmen on the squad. When hell freezes over and/or Melissa Joan Hart gets nominated for an Oscar."

"Sugar D., stop staring at Mary Cherry like she's a Hot Pocket."

"Maybe 10 years of vomiting has ruptured your ear drums."

If you have NetFlix, you must rent this show and watch. It was truly awesome.

In a pinch

If you ever need to pluck a stray hair that might be growing from your chin and it might really be bothering you because since you are 44 stray hairs seem to be growing out of places that should not grow hair on women and its always darker while the hair on you head and eyebrows seems to only grow grey and you are at work without tweezers...needle nose pliers will work.



Just a guess.

Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy

I recently read Danny The Dragon Meets Jimmy by Tina Turbin and illustrated by Aija Jasuna.

I thought the illustrations were wonderful, colorful and really drew you into the story. The story however fell short for me.

Jimmy is at the beach with his mom, dad and sister, where he finds a special shell that talks. When he shows the shell to his family, however, the shell remains quiet.

We find out that there is a dinosaur, Danny, and his navigator, Skipper, in the shell. The family is surprised and Jimmy asks how they got in the shell, how they get out, and where are they from. Jimmy asks if Danny and Skipper can stay and his parents agree that it is a good idea.

I like how Jimmy is a polite and helpful child. I like that the story features a family that hangs out together and sits down to eat together. It was sweet and imaginative, but it didn't flow. At dinner, when they discovered Danny was in the shell there were a lot of questions, but the next thing we know they go outside to play with friends and the questions go unanswered. At the end of the book, Jimmy asks the questions again, and Danny says he will answer them some other time, but now its time for bed. I can't imagine any child asking a question and letting it go without an answer...heck my 23 year old wont leave me alone until I answer her, I know a young'un lives to ask "why" and would not let it go, sometimes even when they do get an answer they still don't let it go!!

I also received a DVD of the story. This DVD was kind of like a read along, with Carol Downing (Associate Director and Classroom Teacher of the Blossom Montessori School of the Deaf) signing beside the pages. The dvd had some staggering statistics like 93% of all deaf children are born to families with hearing parents and only 10% of them learn to communicate effectively with them. I like that the author used her book to bring this issue to the forefront and gave an alternative to deaf children to enjoy the book.

I give this a 4 out of 5 if only for the great illustration and positive examples.

Too much time Sat...

Been off on a little vacation so I haven't gotten to post this past week. But for your enjoyment, I have this weeks "Too Much Time on Their Hands" candidate. Found on Woman's Day website, this entry showed how a sharpie in the right hand (a hand with a lot of time) can transform anything...even an extremely expensive Lamborghini.

Good Medicine

I recently finished Good Medicine by Carol Roberts, MD. I must confess this was a tough read for me.

I read the back cover of this book and I was really excited. Here it is...

"Attain a Healthier You-Naturally-With this Breakthrough and Doctor-Proven Guide Filled with the latest thinking on traditional, holistic and alternative care, Good Medicine: A Return to Common Sense represents a sea change in approaching illness and attaining optimal health. This authoritative and easy-to-understand book from renowned Dr. Carol L. Roberts offers a new perspective on how human beings are put together, integrating the physical body and the spirit within. Comprehensive chapters on nutrition, digestion, toxins, heart health and even sex make it easy to customize your own wellness plan.

You'll learn:

-How to break the habit of foods that can literally kill you, and replace them with nutrient-rich superfoods (it's easier than you think)

-Why your digestive system is the gateway to optimal health, and how to give it a preventive tune-up

-The man-made toxins that are causing millions to suffer from diseases like asthma and liver damage, and how to get them out of your life

-Secrets to boosting energy and sexual performance that don't require an expensive prescription

-Straight talk on vitamins-what works, why, and how much you should (or shouldn't) be taking

-Why spirituality is as important as traditional medicine, and how to implement the right balance in your own wellness goals

If you're tired of being sick, tired of taking expensive drugs-or just plain tired-this book will show you how to shape your well being with proven, practical techniques."

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I'm not sure how to break the bad foods. The chapter entitled, "What Should I Eat, Doctor?" we are told to eat whole foods, fresh and organic foods, drink lots of water and eat the right fats, among a few other things. This is really not anything new, or anything I don't already know, for that matter. She ends the chapter by saying, in bold print, this is an evolutions, not a revolution...but I found no clear idea of how to break the habit

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The section on the digestive system was very informative and helpful in my understand of how it plays a part in keeping me healthy and there were suggestions of supplements that help along with the amounts needed. As far as the toxins and how to get them out of your life, again I think it fell short. She talked about fasting, colonics and chelation therapy. The last of these three is a "procedure invented to treat sailors who were poisoned by lead based paints used on battleships. The procedure involves the administration....of a synthetic amino acid with several chemical binding sites...This quality allows the chelating agent to pull the metals out of storage in the bones, liver, kidneys, of the brain..." (pg108-109) The author states, "A simple safe treatment like chelation therapy could make major heart surgery a thing of the past, reduce the incidence of stroke, and prevent and treat one of the underlying causes of cancer and dementia - metal toxicity"; however the American Heart Association found no scientific evidence to demonstrate any benefit from this form of therapy and states that the FDA has not approved it for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

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The positives were that most chapters Dr. Roberts gives us some suggested readings and I did come away with some good suggestions for supplements. The negatives were she suggested some treatments and tests that would not be covered by insurance and could be expensive. An example if having your hair tested for chemicals in your body. Sounds like a great idea and I would love to do it, I just don't have $100 to $230 to do it.

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I am all for alternative medicine, I do believe doctors treat symptoms and not problems, i do believe the medical profession has turned from treating patients to making money, I am just not sold on a lot of what was in this book. That said, I did glean some good things and this book did receive 5 stars for 13 out of the 15 reviews at Amazon.

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I give this a 3 out of 5.

ABDC

Thanks for voting for Blueprint Cru....but this week I have to say...Poreotix should win! I think they should bring back some of the best for an Ultimate America's Best Dance Crew.

Best dance of all the shows was Quest Crew....



With the second best dance Blueprint's Lady Gaga challenge...

Too much time Saturday

Wow...this cat is patient and his owner has too much time on his hands!

Latest Quotable.Movie

Zombieland came out on video not too long ago and I have to say this is one of my favorite movies. I don't usually like movies that are gross, but when it is in a dark comedy (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) I don't mind it. Zombieland is in a league of it's own. Different than anything I have seen it is laugh out loud funny.

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I watched it again last night with my hubby just before we watched ABDC (you better have voted!!) and I realized this is a great quotable movie!! Bonus.

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So hear are the lines that are best to quote...

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"Double tap"

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"Let me begin my three part apology by saying I think you are a wonderful human being..."

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"You wanna feel how hard I can punch?"

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"You almost knocked over your alcohol with your knife."

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I forgot one...

"This is so exciting, you are about to learn who you're gonna call...ghostbusters!"

ABDC

I thought Lil Mama was annoying, but Omarion is worse...its a sad world when we have to look to JC Chasez for serious critiques. Shane please come back...please...and SERIOUSLY???? WHO IS NOT VOTING FOR BLUEPRINT CREW???


Come on people....work with me here.

Huh???

When we first signed up with AT&T for our internet my husband and I had the same email address. He likes wrestling while I think of it as a violent bloody soap opera...but I digress. He has since gotten his own email and I am thankful. Today I received an email from TNA that my hubby had subscribed to and scrolled to the bottom to find the unsubscribe link. This is what I found...



Parts of this message may contain promotional information about TNA Wrestling. If you do not wish to receive any further emails from TNA Wrestling, safely unsubscribe, or write to:

TNA Wrestling

209 10th Avenue South, Suite 302,

Nashville, TN 37203www.tnawrestling.com

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Notice "write to"??? Are you kidding me? Who would write to them (wasting money on a stamp, not to mention the time to find a writing utensil, paper and envelope....who uses those things anymore?) to ask to be taken off an email list???? Somehow those 2 words justify my stand on wrestling being ridiculous and inane.

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I rest my case.

The Devil in the Junior League

I recently read "The Devil in the Junior League" by Linda Francis Lee.

This is a story about Fredericka Mercedes Hildebrand Ware, a 28 year member of the Junior League of Willow Creek. The members are the creme de la creme of Willow Creek and they view themselves as modern day Robin Hoods, schmoozing money out of their husbands to do charity work. Frede (pronounced Freddy) comes from old money and while her husband has the fine old Texas name but no longer has the old Texas money. Frede lets her husband, Gordon, handle "their" money and this leads her into some trouble that results in her having to make a deal to get her new neighbor, Nikki Grout, accepted into the league. Nikki, however is NC (someone with no class) even though she is very rich and is just not socially acceptable.

We follow Frede as her perfect world is turned on end and she finds out that it's ok to let your hair down and be a real person.

This was such an enjoyable book. I could hear Frede's southern drawl and she made me laugh out loud. For example Frede says,"I never could resist a challenge. My mother said it was because I had to have everything my own way. I say what's wrong with having everything my way, as I see it, it's not my job to make anything anyone else's way." This was one of those books I started to get sad with nearing the end, cause I knew the ride would soon be over. I am anxious to find more books by Ms Lee.

I give this a 5 out of 5.

Too much time Saturday

Today I celebrate the people who had so much time on their hands they came up with useless and inane holidays. I know there are some who may throw Valentine's day in that category and while it is purely a holiday for consumerism...I think you will agree that these holidays are just ridiculous. I was inspired by an article I stumbled in Woman's Day and thought I would look for a few of my own (thus confirming I have too much time on my hands).

Today was Proposal Day (get your e-card here) and Alien Abduction Day (article here) and I think as a woman I'm a little insulted these happen on the same day.

March 21 is Fragrance Day and the 22nd is National Goof Off Day...(I vote we have this holiday more than once a year..I will take it as a monthly or weekly holiday if at all possible, thank you)

March 23rd is National Clean Your Home Office Day and National Chip and Dip Day...I celebrate the latter one quite often. March 24th is National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day.

I am personally looking forward to March 27th which is National "Joe" Day. This is the day where you get to be Joe for the day.

Apparently there is practically a holiday on everyday! If you check out Bizarre American Holidays or Holiday Insights if you would like to find out more weird holidays.

How to Lose a Client

I just finished How to Lose a Client by Becky A. Bartness.

This is a story about Kate Williams, a lawyer who has recently moved to Phoenix and started her own criminal defense law firm. As Kate is at the salon, she meets Tuwanda, a lady who works for Pole Polishers Inc. Tuwanda's boss, Tangerine, is looking for a new lawyer to represent her, her business and her employees. Kate passes her business card to Tuwanda and she soon finds herself on retainer. Tangerine leaves a thumb drive of delicate information with Kate and then seems to disappear. Kate then finds herself with hair dyed Bozo red, kidnapped more than once and responsible for a an older homeless guy who thinks she is his adoptive mother...you thought you had bad days.


I haven't had so much fun reading a book since Janet Evanovich. It has been a long time since I have picked up a book and could not put it down.
I have been trying to find an author like Ms Bartness and this happens to be the third in a series. I cannot wait to go back and read How to Ruin a Vacation and How to Lose a Job and I am anxiously awaiting what befalls this great character in the future. If you love Janet Evanovich as much as I do you will LOVE Becky A Bartness...this is a must read!

I give this a 5 out of 5!!! LOVE IT!!

Too much time on their hands

Poor cat...because his owner had too much time on his hands...he was subjected to this humiliation...

Static Cat vs Balloon

See more like this on kontraband.com

Toxic Ingredients

I just finished Toxic Ingredients The Top 10 Factors That Get Your Kid In Trouble by Inspiring Indy. This book is the result of three years of experience from a program Mr Indy created for the Youth Service Bureau in Covington, La. This programs works with teens who are coming out of jail and/or who are on probation. The author states, "Over the past three years these details have consistently showed up over and over again into what I have put together in this book..."

This is a easy read that gives you the ten factors and what you can do as a parent to help your kids out. One of the "parenting ideas" he gives is that "far too often parents(and people in general) hear one thing and jump in it with their own thoughts or opinion, which in turn, shuts off the whole conversation...". This book has a lot of great proactive things for parents to watch out for and do.

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I give this book a 5 out of 5.

Saturday's too much time

I can't believe it's Saturday again so here is your "People with too much time on their hands" offer.

Sometimes you can doo some very cool things with your time...case and point, OK Go




Wicked cool people!

Quick & Easy Tips to Lose Weight

I just finished Quick & Easy by Georgina Salgado Chavez.

The book opens with...

"I designed this book to inform you about the causes, side effects, and the solution for weight gain."

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There is a lot of information and statistics in these pages. I'm not sure it isn't anything I haven't heard before...it's just all contained in one book. When I read through it the first time I was floored by some of the information, but when I went back through it I thought some things sounded off so I did some research. For example, tip #28 it to include good fats in your diet. Here she states: "Olive oil is another great fat, but beware of frying, it can become carcinogenic." After I read that my heart dropped...I may inadvertently been poisoning my family. Thing is, just because its in a book (or online) doesn't means it is gospel. You should check it out with reputable source. So I looked all over the internet and basically it seems to come down to the smoke point of oils. Olive oil has a low smoke point and that means that it can't take high heats that are normally associated with frying foods. When an oil is at its smoke point it is close to its flash point at which point it will burst into flames. Also, if I understood all the info I found, when you overheat oils it alters their chemical compound at which point it can become bad for you to ingest. Maybe that is what she meant by her statement...it seems as long at you keep the oil within its frying temps you are fine to fry foods with it.

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Tip number 38 is to beware of what you use for body care. She states that your skin absorbs 90% more than your digestive system. She warns us to watch what we put on our body stating if you can't eat it you should not use it. She also reports that "some studies indicate that lipstick has 180 chemicals that are carcinogens, and most women eat around 4lbs of it a year." So, again, I did a little research and found an article that states the Canadian government declared two chemicals in lipstick to be toxic. This article state "D4 and D5 toxins are found in such everyday items as body lotions, hair-care products, soaps, baby bottle nipples, cookware and home cleaning products. Both chemicals are linked to uterine tumors and other types of damage to the female reproductive system in animals. Effects in people have not been studied, despite the likelihood of near universal exposure. According to an analysis of Environmental Working Group’s own database of ingredients in over 41,000 personal care products, D4 and D5 are in more than 1 of every 7 products. "

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All in all, this book has 49 tips, some very simple recipes, and a list of good food suggestions. Some things I didn't really agree with(believe) but it actually helped me because I took a little control and did my own research which empowers me and drives things home.

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I think this a handy book to have and refer to for a little extra help for a healthier lifestyle.

I give this a 3 1/2 out of 5

People with too much time on their hands

I have decided to dedicate Saturdays to the people who have too much time on their hands. What do these people do with their time? All their brain power? Talents?
They come up with stuff like this...



I know its not the cure for cancer, poverty or the greenhouse effect...but it brings laughter to those of us who drive ourselves crazy worrying about all of the worlds problems.

Thank you ;)

The Last Goodnights

I just finished reading The Last Goodnights by John West. This is a true story about John's assistance in his parents suicide. In the forward Mr West explains:

I don't know what my booze bill was for that time, but I'm sure it was big. I had a good reason, though: I had to kill my parents. They asked me to. Actually, they asked me to help them with their suicides, and I did. And if that doesn't justify throwing back an extra glass or three of Jameson's on the rocks, then I don't know what does.

Usually I read to escape the problems of life for a while and the subject of this book seemed to guarantee a box of Kleenex in my future. With a forward like this, though, I thought I would be able to associate with his sense of black humor and wouldn't get too overwhelmed with the emotions I would surely find in the book.

John's father was Louis Jolyon "Jolly" West, a well know psychiatrist who examined Jack Ruby after he shot Lee Harvey Oswald and was chief psychiatrist for Patty Hearst's defense. Jolly approached John with his desire to end his life when his cancer started to eat him alive. Even though their relationship was strained, John felt it was his duty to put all that aside and heed his father's wishes. John's mother, K, had midstage Alzheimer's disease, plus osteoporosis and emphysema. She too expressed her wishes to John that she wanted to make the decision about the end of her life.

The back of the book reads: Intimately told, The Last Goodnights points out the unnecessary pain and suffering that are often forced upon dying people and their families, and honors the choice to live or die with purpose and dignity. In the end, this story is not just about death -- it is also about love, courage, family and autonomy. It fell short. I was not drawn into this book at all. It mostly seemed to be a book about John patting himself on the back for doing "the right thing". His father did seem to be bad off, and by page 64, John had already "honored his father's wishes", and forced enough pills down his throat to kill him. I'm not kidding, the night after his father returns home from double hip replacement, John is twisting his leg to inflict pain so his father will wake up long enough to take more pills to kill him. The bulk of the book is about his mother who really does not seem that bad. He gives us scenes of her debilitating disease, but honestly I feel I forget more than his mother did. And it seemed to go on and on, for 167 pages I saw a lot of "poor me" on both John's part and his mother's but no concrete evidence that it was truly that awful. I came away with more of a feeling that his mother had depression than anything else, and that John was anxious to help his mother die even getting upset when they had to move the date back. There is an interview on ABC that has a lenghty excerpt.

Needless to say, I didn't need the Kleenex.

I give this 1 out of 5 stars.

We're number 2!! We're number 2!!

Our little town made the national news!!
Who knew??
Go check it out

Michigan Town One of the Happiest Places in America - ABC News

Stumble find

I found the greatest site stumbling around today....

Stumbleupon rocks out-loud!!!

http://myfirstfail.com/

Parenting out the window

I was born in 1965, so I was too young to enjoy free love and all that. I do embrace that time in history though, often wishing I could have been an original hippie. I was born in the Midwest in middle class America. I was taught manners, had a mom that was always home, and chores. Something has shifted though and I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Somewhere, parents stopped parenting. We moved from the simple life to I MUST HAVE THAT! This in turn has moved us from the stay at home mom, to the, "we bought so much crap now we both have to work". I don't know...I'm not sure if it is even all the consumerism that is the cause for 2 income families or if its the economy itself. In any case, moms aren't home and when we are we are too tired to do anything, let alone deal with Johnny's temper tantrum properly. We give in and let him have whatever he wants or promise to buy it for him if he will just shut up or go play somewhere else. Just watch Supernanny...I don't remember my friends pitching fits and getting what they wanted....and I KNOW I didn't. Swear to God, my mom chased me around the coffee table to give me a spanking...I have no idea why, but I was naughty and that was my punishment. She started laughing (it was quite comical) and so I thought, "mom's laughing, she's not mad anymore, I must be off the hook." Nope, still got spanked. While I don't agree with spanking (personally I did time-out or take away prized possessions as punishment) the point is she followed through. She didn't decide it wasn't worth her physical exertion to teach me a lesson...she knew if I was to grow up and be a decent human, I needed to learn life lessons when the consequences were easier to handle, rather then when I'm older and a consequence could be prison.

When I was young, schools were safe. We played outside all day and all the moms in the neighborhood watched out for us kids. There was community and we didn't even stop to consider that the world wasn't a safe place. We rode bikes with out helmets or pads...we played kick the can after dark...I morn the passing of my youth and the fact that my child cannot have what I had. I know where he is at all times...I teach him to open doors for ladies, and say yes please, or no thank you. I look around and I see kids my children's ages and they are rude, self serving and spoiled. Now believe me, my kids are far from perfect, as am I, but at least try to be kind in front of strangers, know what I mean. And let me tell you, when these kids do get a job, they suck. Work ethics are out the window, they want their money just cause they showed up..."what do you mean I have to actually do work for my check?"....AAhhh I don't know....

Black Friday

I recently read Black Friday by Alex Kava. This is the 7th book in a series about Maggie O'Dell, a profiler.

The story starts with three college students and friends at the Mall of America. Rebecca and Patrick came with Dixon to Minnesota for the Thanksgiving holiday. While at the mall, Dixon intends to join two of his childhood friends in a little "big business mayhem" by carrying backpacks around that will disrupt computers and cause the business to loose money. On the busiest day of the year, this electronic blackout will cause people to realize how vulnerable we are to terrorist attacks. These three were offered a new IPod for their troubles, only as they are about to begin, Dixon finds out his grandma is in the hospital and talks Rebecca into taking his spot, giving her the IPod. The backpacks do not contain jamming devices but bombs which were detonated by remote control.

Maggie O'Dell is called in to determine what terrorist group may be behind these suicide bombers. As the authorities are sifting through the wreckage, looking for clues, an anonymous tip is given to the media saying that Patrick is one of the bombers who has gotten away. We find out that he is Maggie's step brother which now makes this case very personal for her.

The Project Manager is very proud of his skills to shake things up and terrorize. He planned the bombing and has more up his sleeve. He is so good in fact, he got Timothy McVeigh to take the fall for his execution of the Oklahoma City bombings. He has more planned, too.

I thought this sounded like a great concept. America proves to be susceptible to attack and we seem to have a very short term memory, as a nation. I did not realize this was part of a series, so I think I lost out on a lot of the nuances of the relationships. Maggie had apparently been poisoned in a previous book, and lost her mentor/boss. It seems she has a relationship with her doctor, but this was brief and not quite clear at the beginning of the book. As she traveled to Minnesota, she runs into Nick Morelli, which she seems to have a past with, although again it wasn't really clear. Also, we read a lot about Patrick and his infatuation with Rebecca , Dixon and his grandparents and Rebecca's past, however the writing digresses without coming back to bring closure to any of these story lines. The book seemed to be going in one direction, only to jump to another plane altogether and move in a different direction. Perhaps I need to have started with the first in this series to be able follow, which is a shame. I think books in a series should be able to stand on their own and be able to draw you in to the point you want to go back and read from the beginning. I didn't get that with this book.

I give this 3 out of 5 stars.

Surrogates

I just watched Surrogates and I thought it was a good movie. Very thought provoking. I liked the song at the end, so I actually watched the credits to see what the song was and who sang it. (I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin) As the roles/actors was scrolling by I noticed one character was named "Big Woman". I find this slightly offensive. Who wants the title "Big Woman"? I checked it out on IMDB and found she was played by Christine Mascott, whose only other movie credit was in "The Invention of Lying" in which she played "Woman #2"..... I'm not sure if she is moving up or down in her choice of movie roles.