And The Winners Are...

Winners of the book giveaway are:

about the author- won by Pamela at The Dust Will Wait

The Reader-  won by Allison at Allison Says

Hannah Coulter-  won by Pat at Back Porch Musings

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered.  I used the Random Integer Generator for the results.  So few numbers, but it worked.

Winners please e-mail me with your snail mail addresses so I can get these books to your door.  My e-mail address is:  junebug57 @ gmail dot com

I will have another book giveaway soon.

Book Giveaway!

I want to give away these three books.  To enter, just leave a comment choosing which book you would most like to receive.  There will be three winners, one book each.  I will draw names to choose the winners.  Let me tell you a little bit about each book.

Hannan Coulter by Wendell Berry:  

Hannah is a member of Port William, Kentucky. She is twice widowed, alone, and in her seventies when she recalls her childhood, young love and loss, and raising children. She has strong opinions (some of the author) about old ways and how they should remain. It is interesting to get the insight of an older generation. It gave me some understanding and good thoughts to remember.  I liked the grandmother the most of all the characters in the book.  I think you will too.  

about the author by John Colapinto:  

"Just how did Cal Cunningham-a twenty-five-year-old bookstore stockboy who is new to Manhattan and who has never written anything---publish a bestselling novel that sells to the movies for a million dollars?" "About the Author" is his first-person account of how he performed this remarkable feat." This was a very readable book.  I was satisfied with the ending.  It is pretty explicit, just so you know.  

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink:  

"When fifteen-year-old Michael Berg falls ill on his way home from school, he is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover, enthralling him with her passion, but puzzling him with her odd silences. Then she disappears. Michael next sees Hanna when she is on trial for a hideous crime, refusing to defend herself. As he watches, he begins to realize that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder." Sounds pretty interesting, right?  It was a good book, easy to read quickly.  I was not happy with the ending though.  Quite a few things made me wonder.  Sexually explicit.  The setting is Germany several years after WWII.  It involves a moral dilemma.  I hope to see the movie sometime in the future.

Please tell me in the comments which book you would like and I will set a deadline of next Monday evening.  

*Time's up.  I will post the winners tomorrow.  Thanks for entering.  

Fun Monday-The Foot Challenge

Fun Monday

Gattina at Writer's Cramp is the hostess with the mostest this week:

Please show us what you wear on your feet inside your home ! Do you wear slippers, flip flops, shoes or nothing ? just take a picture and show us your feet !

I wear my comfy house shoes most of the time in the winter or my UGGs.  Most of the spring and summer I go barefoot.

Sweetheart Smoothie

Sweetheart Smoothie

Recipe from The Joy of Food by Kitchen Kimberley

Ingredients:

1 medium banana, cut into chunks

1 naval orange (see tips), peeled and sectioned

5 whole fresh strawberries, hulled

1 (8 oz.) container Hiland strawberry yogurt

1/2 c. Hiland orange juice

1/2 c. ice cubes

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in blender container.  Pulse, then blend until smooth.  Garnish with a whole fresh strawberry and share with your sweetheart!

Tips:

If you can find them, blood oranges would add extra tang and a nice, rich color to this smoothie.  Blood oranges are typically available around Valentine's Day.

For a variation, use light grape or cranberry juice in place of the orange juice.

Enjoy!

Fun Monday-Landmarks

Fun Monday is being hosted by Pamela of The Dust Will Wait.  She requests that we show her some landmarks of our hometown.  I have shown this landmark before so I will direct you to this post.  For more Fun Monday participants visit Pamela.

Wordless Wednesday-Tiffany

For more Wordless Wednesday go here.

Fun Monday-What Are You Reading?

AOJtheLurchers is the place to find all the Book Worms for Mon Funday. Clink the Link to find out who's reading what.

Here's the challenge: OK, I know that pretty much all of you out there are bookworms.

So for Fun Monday on 2nd February, firstly tell me what book you are reading now. What's it about? Are you enjoying it and why? If not, why not?

And secondly, if you were to be stranded on a desert island, what one book would you take with you.


I am reading a few books right now.
I am reading "Hannah Coulter" by Wendell Berry for a blog book club called Hannah Coulter Book Club for Copy Cats started by Lynn in Wi.  Hannah is a member of Port William, Kentucky.  She is twice widowed, alone, and in her seventies when she recalls her childhood, young love and loss, and raising children.  She has strong opinions (some of the author) about old ways and how they should remain.  It is interesting to get the insight of an older generation.  It gave me some understanding and good thoughts to remember.  


I am reading "About the Author" by John Colapinto for another blog book club called the PMS Book Club started by Holly of AFF.
I'll give you the back page:  "Just how did Cal Cunningham-a twenty-five-year-old bookstore stockboy who is new to Manhattan and who has never written anything---publish a bestselling novel that sells to the movies for a million dollars?"  "About the Author" is his first-person account of how he performed this remarkable feat."  It reminds me of the book "A Bear Went Over the Mountain."


I am reading "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink.  I thought the movie looked interesting, so I decided to read the book first.  Then I will go see the movie.  Again, I will give you the back of the book description:  "When fifteen-year-old Michael Berg falls ill on his way home from school, he is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age.  In time she becomes his lover, enthralling him with her passion, but puzzling him with her odd silences.  Then she disappears.  Michael next sees Hanna when she is on trial for a hideous crime, refusing to defend herself.  As he watches, he begins to realize that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder."  Sounds pretty interesting, right?  


I am reading "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado for my Sunday School class.  I'm sure that everyone has heard of Max Lucado or even has had a yearly calendar with his quotes.  Here is the account from the book:  "David's life story is punctuated with nevertheless.  The runt of eight brothers, nevertheless, he was chosen to be the King of Israel.  Nicknamed "Twiggy" by his nine foot nine inch adversary, nevertheless, he slew Goliath with a strip of leather and a pebble.  As king, he committed the double crime of adultery and murder, nevertheless, he was called "a man after God's own heart."  Do you need a nevertheless to be written into your biography?  Fortunately, God has plenty to go around."
Also, if stranded on a desert island, I have to admit I would want the Bible with me.  Because I would be doing a lot of praying once there.  

For more Fun Monday participants, go here.

Operation Love Zimbabwe

Mozi Esmé

The day-to-day adventures of a 1-year-old American bebe growing up in Mozambique.
She and her mommy are having a two-week special on their blog so that more people will be aware of the things that are happening there. Please... go visit them and learn more about what is happening to the people of Zimbabwe.

I found this blog at Pamela's.  I think it is a wonderful thing.

Wordless Wednesday-Red is the Color

Red is the color.
For more Wordless Wednesday, looky here.

Warning: Christian content

More Garage

The exterior of the garage is completed with insulation inside.  The garage is 30 X 40 so there is plenty of room for an office in the end with the door and storage.  We will be able to work on the inside now.  It has two Genie garage door openers.  I haven't figured out what to ask the genies for yet.  For now, they can just open the doors for me.  So many possibilities...

Obama Daughters

These beautiful girls are going to have the world at their feet!

Wordless Wednesday-President Obama Takes Oath

History maker!  

Wordless Wednesday Here.

Just a Spoonful

Just a spoonful of sugar...

Fun Monday-The Inside View

Latecomer to Fun Monday this week.  Here's my view inside the front door.  Julie at Another Chance Ranch is this week's Hostess.  Please visit her for more fun. 

U2 Live at the Lincoln Memorial

What a very great tribute today! Enjoyed all the speaker and singers.

Honestly, the world could be a better place if people only tried harder.  And at the same time.  

Obama-Cheney

Obama, who has been receiving intelligence briefings for weeks, already knows what a scary world it is out there. It is unlikely he will wildly overcorrect for the Bush administration's abuses. A very senior incoming official, who refused to be quoted discussing internal policy debates, indicated that the new administration will try to find a middle road that will protect civil liberties without leaving the nation defenseless.
Excerpt from: Newsweek

*Edit: Cheney pushed for expanded presidential powers. Now that he's leaving, what will come of his efforts? The new president won't have to wait long to tip his hand.

Welcome to my Lodge!!

Could I get a few suggestions for the interior design?  Looks like I need a few suggestions for the exterior too.  Well, you know Rome wasn't built in a day!  It's just blossoming along.  I'll come back later to view your suggestions.  We're thinking a fireplace and an indoor swimming pool might be nice.  A few spare bedrooms and a kitchen bigger than Dallas? We kind of like the wide open spaces.  Let's the breeze in.  A room with a view!  No need for jealousy now!!  

Wordless Wednesday

July 13, 1975  (33-1/2 years)
For more Wordless Wednesday, go here please.

Kiva.org

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.

100% of every dollar you
have loaned will be used by your entrepreneur to build their business.
Please consider loaning to Kiva.org. It is a wonderful enterprise.  I have 

two $25 loans out and $23 have been repaid so I loaned that out again.

It takes so little to help someone build a business if we all work together.

Wordless Wednesday

The color "green."  For more Wordless Wednesday, go here.