Father's Day Gift for Hubs

This is what I made my hubs for Father's Day.

This post is has a LOT of photos.

(click on pics to enlarge)

 This is a joke as the birds are always 

trying to build nests in the grill :)

When hubs opened the lid, he said "oh cool, meat!"

 Hard to see, but there is an owl embossed on the paper. 

And there are two pages left to add more pics.

It was fun to make :)

Names and Stuff

So I had planned to tell you a story about something that happened to me & my friend L when we were teens, but then I realized, that I have two friends named L and you wouldn't know who I was talking about.

Well the L I was going to talk about is about my age and we were friends during our teen years and did many crazy teen things together. The other L was my older sister's friend growing up but has become my friend as well in the last 10 or so yrs.

I thought I could maybe differentiate by calling them Big L & Little L according to age, however, the older L is actually quite small & the younger L is tall, so not little. I also figured calling them old L and young L would just be rude.

So L (who was originally sis's friend) will now be know as LT, and my teen friend will be know as LDR. Until I forget this and just call them L again, in which case you can just try to guess which one I am talking about :p     Hint LDR lives far away, LT lives close.

So if anyone else ever wants to be my friend, you must not have an L name or I will never be able to blog about you. Use your middle name instead or make one up. I don't have any W named friends that I can think of. I'll just call you Wilma :P

Since we are on the topic of names... I have a sister & sister in law with the same 1st & 2nd names (the 2nd name is spelled differently, but still). I also have a brother, brother in-law & nephew with the same 1st name. And it isn't even a common name like Steve or John. The brother in-law & nephew are father and son, so the same name thing kind of makes sense.

I luckily found a husband with such an unusual name, no one I knew was going to have it. Fortunately, it is not hard to pronounce, unlike his last name, which everyone in my family butchers. I do not have his last name, since I didn't actually marry him, but my son does. And it really isn't that difficult to say.

Anyhow, I thought my husband's name was unique - his father heard the name as a last name on TV and liked the sound of it, so he named his son that. Their last name is a common Portuguese last name. So one day I Googled my husband's name, and lo and behold their is someone in Trinidad (where my in-laws are both originally from) with that exact same name! He is a sports writer and quiet popular. All the Google hits were for him and not my husband.

I am kind of glad I didn't find anything on Google about my husband because that would have been kind of creepy...no?

And this concludes todays' ramblings about nothing :)

Haven't fallen of the face of the earth

I know I haven't posted much but book reviews lately, I apologize.

I have been doing some crafting. I hope to have some photos up soon, but some are for a swap and some are for a Father's day gift, so both will have to wait until the recipients have received them :)

I actually have several projects on the go, but again, most are surprises and will not be posted for awhile.

Nothing happening on the job front. I have been submitted for several bank contracts but nothing has come of them. Of course, if I do get hired, it will be during the summer - Murphy's law :P

I grew some veggie plants from seed, but have yet to finish weeding the gardens to get them planted. I think that has to be done this weekend - can't procrastinate forever...or can I? :)

So I am alive & well. I hope you are all enjoying a lovely spring/summer :)

Hope to post something interesting soon.

Book review - When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad

Publisher's blurb: When romance calls, will she choose to answer?

Hannah Gregory is good at many things, but that list does not include following rules. So when she must apply for a job as a switchboard operator to support her two sisters, she knows it won't be easy. Hello Girls must conduct themselves according to strict-and often bewildering-rules, which include absolutely no consorting with gentlemen while in training.

Hannah doubts it will be difficult to keep that rule-until a handsome young lawyer starts getting under her skin.

With historic details that bring to life the exciting first decade of the twentieth century, Lorna Seilstad weaves a charming tale of companionship that blossoms into sweet romance.
My review: I really liked this book, mainly because the lead female character was not a pushover. I like strong-willed woman :) This book has a lot of interesting plot twists to keep you engaged. I would recommend this book to others.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Book review - Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

Publisher's blurb: When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who's determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their relationship--and their belief that God can work through every circumstance--survive?
My review: I liked this book well enough, but I found it was flimsy. Not memorable. It all seemed nice and expected. I would still probably recommend it to others.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Book Review - Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock

Publisher's blurb : Stunning coming-of-age drama set during the Great Depression and Prohibition

When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.

Eve can't wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At seventeen, she considers her family to be "good people," not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is anything but what it seems.

When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?
My Review: I really liked this book right from the beginning. I was drawn right into the story. I did find Eve a tad naive, but it was a different era. It had a nice little unexpected twist which was nice too. I would definitely recommend this book to others.  

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Book Review - Jennifer by Dee Henderson

Publisher's Blurb: It's a summer of change for Jennifer O'Malley.

The busy physician has a pediatrics practice in Dallas, Texas, and meeting and falling in love with surgeon Tom Peterson is adding a rich layer to her life. She's sorting out how to introduce Tom to her family--she's the youngest of seven--and thinking about marriage.

She's falling in love with Jesus too, and knows God is good. But that faith is about to be tested, and in a way she didn't expect. The results will soon transform her entire family.
My Review: I picked up this book 1st out of my 5 books to review - it was small and short. I thought it would be an easy read. It was anything but. It was boring from the get go. The characters were one dimensional and I never connected with them. I understand this is a prequel to a series. I never read the series, maybe that is why I found this book so difficult to get in to. I really disliked this book and would not recommend it to others.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".