The Tole Fairy

Back in the day when I was into painting,
I had a wonderful teacher. Her classes were in high demand, because her creations were not only beautifully designed, but comical and a joy to look at.
She lived in her own magical world, and loved to tell stories as she taught. (Sometimes she'd even teach in costume!)

One such night she told us about the Tole Fairy.

She said that many times as she had tried to create her designs, she would struggle and fuss - never quite getting it right.
She would finally get frustrated and stuff it in a trunk somewhere, to get it out of her sight and forget about it.

Days, weeks, or months later, she would run across it and find that the tole fairy had visited while she wasn't looking, and changed it into something wonderful that she absolutely loved.

I was charmed by that thought, and even found that the "fairy" began to visit me too sometimes. When I'd leave her class depressed and downhearted because I felt I would never paint as well as she did - I would put my piece away, and a few days later when I went to take it out in the light of day, (sometimes with thoughts of destruction in mind) I would find in it's place a delightful piece of art!

The magic happened when I removed it from that room full of talented artists, stopped comparing my work to theirs, and accepted it for what it was - my best effort created from my heart.

Creativity flees when you try to force it to conform to someone elses' ideal, but step back, and look from a different point of view, and it often becomes all that it was meant to be.
.
2 cents, please.
.

Tradition # 8 Last Minute Panic...

This story was handed out by a neighbor about 25 years ago. I've kept it all these years because I've never found a better description of what Christmas preparations can be like.
I'll wager that there's not a mother anywhere who can't relate to this on some level.

Enjoy...


Funny Funny Mother

See Mother. See Mother laugh. Mother is happy.
Mother is happy about Christmas.
Mother has many plans. Mother has many plans for Christmas.
Mother is organized. Mother smiles all the time.
Funny, funny Mother.

See Mother. See Mother smile. Mother is happy.
The shopping is all done. See the children watch TV.
Watch, children, watch.
See the children change their minds.
See them ask Santa for different toys.
Look. Look. Mother is not smiling. Funny, funny Mother.

See Mother. See Mother sew.
Mother will make dresses. Mother will make robes.
Mother will make shirts.
See Mother put the zipper in wrong.
See Mother sew the dress on the wrong side.
See Mother cut the skirt too short.
See Mother put the material away until January.
Look. Look. See Mother take a tranquilizer.
Funny, funny Mother.

See Mother. See Mother buy raisins and nuts.
See Mother buy candied pineapple and powdered sugar.
See Mother buy flour and dates and pecans and brown sugar and bananas
and spices and vanilla.
Look. Look. Mother is mixing everything together.
See the children press out their cookies.
See the flour on their elbows.
See the cookies burn. See the cake fall.
See the children pull taffy. See Mother pull her hair.
See Mother clean the kitchen with the garden hose.
Funny, funny Mother.

See Mother. See Mother wrap presents. See Mother look for the end of the Scotch tape roll.
See Mother bite her fingernails.
See Mother go. See Mother go to the store ten times in one hour.
Go, Mother, go.
See Mother go faster. Run, Mother, run.
See Mother trim the tree. See Mother have a party. See Mother make popcorn.
See Mother wash the walls. See Mother scrub the rug.
See Mother tear up the organized plan.
See Mother forget the gift for Uncle Harold. See Mother get the hives.
Go, Mother, go. See the faraway look in Mother's eyes.
Mother has become disorganized. Mother has become disoriented.
Funny, funny Mother.

It is finally Christmas morning. See the happy family.
See Father smile. Father is happy. Smile, Father, smile.
Father loves fruitcake. Father loves Christmas pudding.
Father loves all his new neckties.
Look. Look. See the happy children. See the children's toys.
Santa was very good to the children. The children will remember this Christmas.

See Mother. Mother is slumped in a chair. Mother is crying uncontrollaby.
Mother does not look well.
Mother has ugly dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Everyone helps Mother to her bed.
See Mother sleep quietly under heavy sedation.
See Mother smile.
Funny, funny Mother.

...Author unknown

On Giving Thanks...

Just a short thought today, before going to devour the turkey -

This past October in General Conference, I couldn't help but notice how many times the scripture that states:

"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments”

was mentioned. (9 different talks.) So, I'm thinking that was more than a gentle nudge that we are not doing this nearly enough.

I liked how Elder Bednar said that we should offer a prayer every so often, that is to give thanks only, not with any personal agenda, or to ask for any blessings, just thanks. period.

We have so much compared to other places in the world.
We really do need to appreciate it more.

Psalm 100:
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,...Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing...Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations.

Just my 2 cents.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Scary Story part 3

Despite popular demand, the saga continues...
(See parts 1 & 2 below)

Tina moaned and rubbed the back of her neck. She tried to push herself up to a sitting position, but her arm buckled beneath her from the pain.
She tried to get her bearings, - where was she?
She squinted, willing her eyes to adjust to the dark. Somewhere a light, - was it from a fire? flickered on earthen walls. Was she in a cave? How did she get here? She wished she could remember.

A shadow passed before the dancing light - something large and stooped over, that dragged one foot as it lumbered past.
A chill swept over her, and she felt the hair prickle up the back of her neck.
She felt woozy, and her eyes rolled back. She was out again.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Back at the cemetery, Mark, Charlene, and the rest of the friends, followed the trail of footprints on the dusty dirt road. Whatever was being dragged made the trail easier to follow. The trail led up to the back fence, where there was a break in the fence-line. From there, they struggled to see where it led through the fields of sage brush.

"Stop!" Derek told them - holding out his arm, as a mother bracing her children against a fall.
He knelt down, and retrieved a fragment of green yarn from an outcropping of brush.

"We're definitely on the right track - this is from the sweater Tina was wearing," he said, squinting off into the distance.

"You guys just had to pick the darkest night of the year to go joy riding, didn't you?" Cindy said, with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Back off Cindy," chided Brent, "that's not going to get us anywhere - besides, we gave you all a choice in the matter, if you'll remember.
Now stop the blame game, and let's concentrate on what we're here for.
What's out there? Does anybody know what's up this way?
...Where could that..... - thing - be taking her?"

"This path leads up into the hills. There are some caves up in there." Mike answered.
"...I used to go up there with my uncle to pasture his sheep," he explained when they all turned to look at him.
Silence fell over the group. They looked in the direction of the hills, the hopelessness of the situation dawning on them.

Finally, Derek spoke - "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
-Silence-.
"...There's no way we are going to be able to do this by ourselves. We're going to have to go back and get some help."

Gravely, they looked at each other - knowing that they would all soon be held accountable. And, at some point, Tina's family would have to be notified. None of them looked forward to that...
They turned, and headed back toward the car.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Silence reigned as they traveled the road back to town. Each member of the group avoiding eye contact with the others, as they struggled with their own emotions. Finally, as they pulled into town, Brent said, "So... where do you want to start?"

""Sherrif?" Mike said, looking for support. "Sherrif" they all agreed, nodding.
.

Baking Tip

...Baking soda, and baking powder are not, I repeat not interchangeable.
That's all I'm sayin'...

Scary Story Chapter 2

Up in the night tonight - I just can't force myself to go to bed.
I realized after everyone turned in and left me alone, that I have that test at the hospital tomorrow, and I'm feeling a bit edgy about it, I guess.

I started this scary story just as a lark the other day, with no intentions of going any further, but my sister wants a second chapter - so, as per her request (and since I need something to do) - ta da!

Chapter 2

Brent, Charlene, and the rest of the group drove back to the cemetery, leaving a cloud of dust boiling up on the dirt road behind them.
Each member of the group scanned the scenery through the windows as best they could in the dim light, in case Tina had attempted to walk the long road back to town. They careened through the gate, and stopped near the spot where the car had been parked earlier.

In one swift movement, they all piled out of the car.

"Hold on, you guys - we need a plan so we don't all end up getting lost!" Mike chimed up, feeling guilty for his part in the calamity.
The group of friends circled around him.
"Let's team up in pairs, and spread out so we can cover more area," he added.

"I've got some flashlights in the trunk," Brent said, as he walked to the back of the car to retrieve them.

"What? You had flashlights all along, and yet you left us here in the dark? You really are a jerk Brent!" Cindy scolded.

Brent and his friends grew quiet, the seriousness of the situation taking all the humor out of them.

Mike passed out the flash lights, and started dividing them into groups...
"Oh, no you don't" - Charlene stopped him short, we will divide boy/girl, boy/girl - we're not giving you a chance to ditch us again!"

"Aw, come on, you guys," Derek complained, "give us some credit - we're not stupid enough to do that again. This is not a game anymore."

"OK, well, just the same..." Charlene added, a little less abruptly.

Armed with flashlights, and buddies chosen, they fanned out to search the cemetery.
They covered the small area in a short time, and bewildered, gathered back at the car to decide what to do next.

"Maybe she walked out through those fields out of sight of our lights," Brent offered, "Let's make some noise - maybe we'd have a better chance of her hearing us."

He leaned inside the car door, and honked the horn repeatedly. The rest of the group yelled and called out to her as they took a second sweep of the area.

"What's that?" Mike asked, shining his light on the ground just off the path.

"It looks like footprints - maybe some kind of ...dog?" Cindy observed.

"If that's a dog, I'm a munchkin!" Mike gulped.

"Look, there are more prints over here," he said, following the trail of prints.
He swallowed hard as the footprints merged with a set of small human prints. It looks like there might have been a scuffle here," he noticed, seeing that the tracks became numerous and smudged as they led past the edge of an open grave.

As he shone his light around, something inside the grave caught his eye. He stooped, and looked more carefully.
Both he and Cindy gasped - "It's Tina's shoe!"
They called out to the others in the group. "You guys, come over here - we found something!"

As the rest of the group trickled over, Mike gingerly jumped down into the hole and retrieved the shoe.

"Yup, that's hers alright - I went with her to buy these just the other day," Cindy said, looking gravely at Mike, she added - "This can't be good, can it?"
Mike turned away quickly to hide the sense of dread that was building inside, fearing that Cindy had hit the nail on the head.

As the others joined them, they showed them what they had found.
"Shine your lights all around here, you guys - let's see if we can find which direction she went." They walked slowly and deliberately, so as not to disturb any existing footprints, and combined the beams from their flashlights to make the light more intense.
They walked down the path a bit, when Derek pointed - "Look, it looks like something is being dragged here." They all looked at the spot Derek had directed them to, the blood draining from each face.

Just Playin' Around....(Scary Story part 1)

I was blog-hopping tonight, and I ran across an old contest on a publisher's blog from last Halloween. It was called the "Scare your pants off" contest. I read all the entries, and apparently, it was supposed to be just a couple of paragraphs that were the 'teaser' to a scary story.
I thought it sounded like fun, and even though I'm a year too late (typical me) I wanted to play anyway.
I broke all the rules, I'm sure, and it's way way too long, but the contest is over sweetie, so get over it! Hee hee....

Anyway, without further ado, here's my non-entry:

The moonless late October night was too delicious for Charlene and her friends to let pass unexploited. Fall semester had been stressful and difficult, and they needed to break out and let loose some frustration.
They exited the library, and loaded into Brent's car.

"Where to guys?" Brent asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror.

"Do you want to check out that Spook Alley that just opened up the street?" Derek offered.

"Naw - that's lame," Cindy complained, "let's go ride out to the old Wheeler place, or somewhere really creepy like that!"

"Are you sure you want to do that girls?" Mike teased, the wheels turning in his head. He sensed an opportunity for some real mileage here - scare the girls half to death, and they could get real clingy...

"I know just the place." He elbowed Derek with a wink when the girls all approved.

They drove down a long country road, giggling and trying to out-do each other by recounting frightening urban legends.

Tina sat quietly, pressed next to the back passenger door. She hated it when they got this way. Being scared was not her idea of fun.
She wished she had opted to stay at the library and just walk back to the dorm, but the truth was, she was afraid to cross campus by herself on a night as dark as this...

They drove through the old rusty gate which hung precariously by one hinge.

"Last chance to change your mind girls," Mike tortured, with an evil grin.

"You have got to be kidding!" Charlene protested when she realized where he had taken them. "Not this old deserted cemetery!"
The girls grew quiet, having second thoughts after all.

There were no street lights in this out-of-the-way relic of a small town's past.
Many of the neglected old graves were just mounds of earth, and some were so ancient that they had since sunken into deep eerie depressions. Most of the headstones no longer stood as straight monuments, but tilted, cracked, or toppled over all together.

Tingling with nervous tension, they all climbed out of the car.
"Leave the lights on Brent, it's too dark to see where we're walking," Cindy requested, a shudder passing through her.

"Okay," Brent acquiesced, nudging Mike and Derek.
He held his fingers to his lips in a shushing gesture.
He motioned for the other guys to follow him, and they quietly crept back into the car. Brent turned on the lights - and then started the engine.

He drove past the girls, his window rolled down - all of them guffawing and waving at the girls as they drove around the trail and back out through the gate.

Tina froze, as the other girls screamed and ran after the car, engulfed in the cloud of dust that trailed behind it. Out of breath, they huddled together, cursing themselves for letting themselves get into this situation to begin with.

Without the aid of the headlights, they stood, frozen.
They were afraid to move in any direction, not knowing where the graves were located, and terrified of tripping over, or worse - falling into one of them.
Several terror stricken minutes passed, when finally they saw two specks of light which were Brent's headlights returning to the scene of the crime.

Filled with relief, but at the same time frothing with righteous indignation, the girls plotted their revenge.
They practically fell over each other clambering back into the car, and ordered Brent to "get them out of there - NOW!"

Brent peeled out, throwing gravel as the wheels spun through the gate. All of the boys had a second laugh at the girls' expense.
The mood was ugly on the return trip, as the girls minced no words letting the boys know just how funny their little "joke" had not been.

They arrived at the dorms, and unloaded, deciding what - if anything, to do next. They were at a stalemate as to whether to go get ice cream, or just call it a night.
Cindy turned to make sure everyone had given their input. She looked panicked, searched left and right, then said, "Uh, guys - where's Tina?"

Everyone stopped talking, stunned.

"Cindy, do you remember seeing her get back into the car?"

Cindy, suddenly very pale, croaked, "...No, I don't remember seeing her at all since we first got out of the car!"

Now, all of them feeling panicked, ran to Brent's car and urgently climbed back in...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

...Tina groaned, and pushed herself up from the ground where she had landed after everything had gone black.
She brushed off the gravel that clung to her cheek.
She looked around disoriented. Where was she? It was too dark for her to get her bearings. She turned, looking up into the star sprinkled sky.

She took a step, and dropped. She found herself waist deep in - what, a ditch? Just then, horror gripped her as she realized where she was. She had fallen into an ancient grave!
She scrambled desperately to get out, losing a shoe in the process. She shuddered as she stood, planning to just leave it there, but the realization hit her that she was also all alone, and that she was going to have no choice but to walk home.

She knelt and with a trembling hand, reached into the hole to try and retrieve it.
She heard the crunch of gravel behind her, and felt a whiff of warm breath cross her neck. Relieved, she turned and grouched; "It's about time - where have you... wha?...

Aaauuuuugggghhhhh!!!!!

...To be continued - or not...

Weekend Festivities

Well, Halloween is over, and we did party it up a bit.
I did a Halloween dinner that was lots of fun. (This is not a regular thing - I've always wanted to do it, but this year is the first time ever that I've actually had the time.)
Here's our Tricked out Halloween treats:
Horrid Hors D'euvres

Chili with Bat cheese

Mummy Dogs


Not all of my family dressed up, but here are those who did:
My oldest daughter was a belly dancer, and yes, she does dance too. (she made her costume herself)


My youngest daughter (in the red) & friend - they write and illustrate their own Manga-type stories, and were dressed as characters from them.

My grand daughters:


My son and his wife were James Bond and his Bond girl - awesome costumes, but I'm afraid my photo of them wasn't great.
That's our celebration in a nutshell.

In Closing...
...Can I just say that I am a fan of Christmas music, I really am - but hearing it played on the radio the day after Halloween is something I'm never going to get used to! I know the retailers are frantic to make a profit this season, but geeze! It still grates on the nerves a bit...
...Just one person's opinion.
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Travel Recap

Sunday's family time is over, so playing catch up.
We had planned to go North for our sister getaway, but that didn't pan out, so I suggested a place my younger sis had told me about down South - and we switched gears.

Our medieval feast didn't work out either (no kitchen here) but hey - if this pack of wandering grannies are anything - we are flexible! We opted to eat out! (A better plan anyway - no work, and no dishes!)

After quilt shopping, pharmacy hopping, and a short dash to the hospital (long story - I said pack of grannies didn't I?) Nothing serious, we just had to buy a part - ha ha! ...We found us a Chili's. (We don't get Mexican at home, so why not?)

Then we went to the B&B to party. We read poems, told stories, and yes, even danced a little in our crowns of Autumn leaves - just celebrating Fall, and Sisterhood.

This is our B&B - it is in a little neighborhood of old restored pioneer homes. We rented this whole house, which sounded big in the description, but was only a 2 bedroom with a fold out sofa and a roll-away... Hard to believe that a family of 10 once lived here! ...luckily, when they restored it, they added plumbing!

For some reason they spoiled me and gave me the biggest room. It looked so authentic in every detail - we had been talking about "hauntings" earlier, so when we went up there, I said; "Well, if any room in this house is haunted, it would be this one," just because some of the other rooms had things that were not true to the period, but this one looked like someone from that era could still be living there.
As soon as the words left my lips I regretted it, because then I was freaked out and couldn't go to sleep!
This bed was SO cozy - it not only had a down comforter - it had a down mattress cover too! Ahhhhh ...Like curling up on your mother's lap.

...The desert is still blossoming like a rose... The weather was perfect.

We needed an extra person to take photos, because we were always one short - but oh well. My 3 sis's on the front porch.

This lovely lady in the center had made us all quilts! She had a little story about each one, telling why she chose the colors etc. Truly touching and amazing!

We were right across the street from this historical building - I've driven by it a million times, but never been inside. This time we took the tour.

This is another famous landmark that I've been hearing about for years, but never been to. They serve a killer "malted" called a "concrete" that everyone needs to try before they die - we had that and one of their deli sandwiches, and I seriously didn't need to (and couldn't if I'd wanted to) eat anything else all day long!

I've hiked around the canyons here, and seen all the volcanic rock, but I had never seen the volcanoes they came from. This time we checked them out.

...All that and a little bit of shopping was as much fun as we could cram into a day and a half, but it was worth it. Hoping to do it again before too long...

*One faraway sis wasn't able to join us this time - so this travel log is dedicated to her - we missed you sis! Hugs!

With this I take my leave and bid thee fond farewell - and to exit on a "medieval" note, take a peek at this, and have some silly fun!
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Book Report - "Wesley the Owl" ....*Spoilers*

I haven't been doing many book reports here anymore, but this latest book I just finished impacted me to the point, that I just wanted to talk about it.

Many times I'm attracted to a book by it's cover & title, and this one was just "cute" enough to get me to look. As I read the description, it captured my imagination, and it "followed me home."

Wesley the Owl is not a novel - it's a memoir, written by a young botanist from Caltech, who was entrusted with a rescued baby owl to take home to raise and observe.
Owls are the type of creature who "imprint" on the person (or creature) who takes care of it, and bond for life - thus, as the quote from the Little Prince goes; "If you tame something, you are responsible for it forever"

It was so fascinating to learn about Owl behavior in the wild - and in captivity. Many survival techniques are taught to the creatures by their "parent", but when the "parent" has no knowledge of that behavior - what then?
Wesley appears to learn a few behaviors from his human parent, that are foreign to owls in the wild - and misses out on learning some that would have been crucial for him to return to it.

Not just an interesting story, but also a touching one - it is apparent through the book, that this Botanist also "imprints" on the owl - as she chooses her bird over "the latest boyfriend" time and time again, and, at the end of the book, ends up still single. ("Love me, love my owl.") Mainly because many aspects of the owl's care are difficult for the average human to tolerate (Like the mouse thing - ick.) and they are put off by it.

I also learned a bit about the behaviors of Botanists, which can be even more strange than wild creatures they care for! ...Such as the one who became obsessed with black widow spiders to the point that he not only kept them and raved about their "cuteness" at the office, but refused to kill them or damage their habitat at home - letting them breed freely and take over his house and yard - until he ended up in an "institution" of a different kind. Hmmm...

As the book progresses, Stacy (the botanist) and her owl not only bond, but learn to communicate with each other, and is a very touching and tender story. But this book conveys a little more than that - it teaches that all living things are individuals and have a soul - it also passes on a reverence for all life.
I don't think I'll ever look on any creature in exactly the same way.

Read it - you'll love it!

Summer Book Trek 2008 Wrap Up

The Summer Book Trek is over - here's my wrap up...

1. How many fiction books by LDS authors did you read?
Officially six - but I read a few others on the side...

2. Did you read more than you would have read if you hadn't participated in this book trek?
Absolutely.

3. Did the reviews posted by other participants influence which titles you read? How?
Yes, I did find many other books that I want to read in the future.

4. Did the Whitney awards influence which titles you read? How?
No, it didn't - sorry.

5. Did the many, many virtual blog tours that happened this summer influence which titles you read? How?
I only got in on a couple of those, but I would say that it was helpful because I like reading the author interviews and reviews by other bloggers.

6. Did you finish all the books you had planned to read? If not, why?
Pretty much, I did remove one or two from my list toward the end because I was also trying to keep up with my church book club and was getting a bit overwhelmed.

7. Did you discover any new authors whom you now love?
Yes!

8. Did you nominate any of the books you read for Whitney awards?
No - but I may still.

9. Would you be interested in another LDS themed reading challenge either this winter, or next summer?
Yes, I believe I would...

Time to Move the Books...

Moving the reading list so I can start over for Fall...

Spring / Summer Reading List

* "Breaking Dawn" Stephanie Meyer
* "Howel's Moving Castle" Diana W. Jones
* "Far World - Water Keep" J.Scott Savage
* "The Princess and the Hound" Mette Ivie Harrison
* "All's Fair" Julie Coulter Bellon
* "Delicious Conversations" Jennifer Stewart Griffith
* "Fool Me Twice" Stephanie Black
* "First Day" Allyson Braithwaite Condie
* "The Accidental Tourist" Anne Tyler
* "Dreamland Lake" Richard Peck
* "Love, Stargirl" Jerry Spinelli
* "Austenland" Shannon Hale
* "The Counterfeit" Robison Wells
* "Wake me When it's Over" Robison Wells
* "Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons"
* "Voice in the Night" C.Paul Anderson
* "Closing In" Kerry Blair
* "On Second Thought" Robison Wells
* "Stargirl" Jerry Spinelli
* "Digging up the Past" Kerry Blair
* "Hazardous Duty" Betsy Brannon Green
* "Stargazing" Peter Hill
* "The Glass Castle" Jeannette Walls

Book Review - The Princess and the Hound

*****The Princess and the Hound
by Mette Ivie Harrison
Dust cover description:

When duty steers Prince George into betrothal to an enemy king's daughter, he is surprised to find he admires the prickly, forthright princess, despite her apparent indifference to any but her beloved pet hound. As George attempts to win Beatrice's heart along with her hand, evidence of treachery back home leads him to startling truths about animal magic—the stigmatized gift of animal speech, which he secretly possesses—as well as information about his betrothed.

This is a very different kind of fairy tale - one in which the princess is not necessarily drop-dead beautiful, and she doesn't swoon at the sight of the prince, yet I love how they grow together as they learn who each of them is, and help each other not only to come to terms with that, but to become better because of it.

I didn't say that well at all - this book is way better than my description of it LOL! The first few chapters give background information about "animal magic," and that was a bit slow for me and took some time to get through, but it was well worth it.
I will probably read this one again someday...
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Summer Diversions

With gas prices up the wazoo, and busy, busy schedules, (not to mention the added expense of extra family members living here - and don't forget the "billion dollar dog")...there won't be much vacationing going on in our household, so we are doing our best to find relaxing diversions here at home.

We have finally started filling up the back yard pool, we attend the local celebrations (see "Men in Skirts" below), we read, and rent videos - but if we want to go somewhere and see the sights - it's the Travel Channel all the way! My armchair will be as far as I'm going this Summer...

I love ghost stories - and I love lighthouses, but put them both together and I am one giddy, giddy girl!

So, Friday night when my daughters turned on "Most Haunted", and it was an episode on haunted lighthouses, I joined them.

It reminded me of earlier this Spring, when we had our "Sister's Tea" - and we had to find Victorian ghost stories to share. I had looked and looked, and had the hardest time finding anything, but then I remembered looking up some lighthouses on the internet and reading that some of them were haunted, so I did a search on "haunted lighthouses". I was amazed at how many I found! Lighthouses for some reason are especially hauntable. Apparently, lighthouse keepers are such dedicated and meticulous folk, that they continue to do their work - even after they're dead!

Here are a few of my favorite stories that I found:

Owl's Head light:

The story is told that the ghost of the lighthouse keeper here returns and not only keeps the brass polished, but frugally turns down the thermostat. (If I'm ever haunted, I want a ghost like him - one who cleans!) It is also told that he appeared as an "imaginary friend" to a young girl of a more recent lighthouse keeper and told her to wake her parents and tell them to sound the fog horn. There are a few other great stories about this light - less ghostly, but cool. You can find them here.

Tillamook Light:


Or, "Terrible Tilly" as some call it, is a pretty creepy place. It is no longer in use because it isn't up high enough to be safe from the crashing waves, and it was rendered unusable by one nasty one several years ago.
It was built on a rock that the native Indians considered to be inhabited by evil spirits. Only weeks before the cornerstone was laid, a terrible storm sank several small ships, and 25 people lost their lives. Witnesses to the tragic event, reported spotting a ghostly ship making it's way among the wreckage, as if picking up the souls of the dead. Keepers at the light often reported hearing bone-chilling groans on the stairwell leading up to the light. A Coast Guard vessel once reported seeing a ghostly ship breaking through a dense fog.
Tillamook Rock is currently being used as a depository for cremated human remains!
Creepy, creepy place!


Seguin Island Light:


Seguin Island Light was the scene of the most gruesome story I found, so if you are prone to goosebumps, skim over this one!
Seguin Light sits on an island 10 miles from Boothbay Harbor. Although it's fairly close to the mainland (3 miles to the nearest shore), in the winter it would get very isolated. One keeper, newly married, brought his young wife out with him to tend the light. Becoming very bored, the wife complained about not having anything to do. Thinking it would occupy her, and keep her mind off the boredom, the keeper ordered a piano to be brought to the island before the next winter set in. Winching it up the side of the rocky ledge that is Seguin, he proudly presented it to her. The wife was delighted, but could not play without sheet music. Fortunately, one song had come with the piano, so she set to playing it. By this time, the island was icebound, no other deliveries could come in. She played her piano, though. The same song, over and over and over again, driving her husband insane. Even when he had had new sheet music brought out to the island, she kept playing the original tune. Finally he'd had enough, took an axe and chopped the piano to bits. When she complained, he turned to her and chopped her up with the axe. Then he killed himself. It's said, on a quiet night, you can hear the tinkling of the piano floating up the Kennebec River. The keeper has also been seen, still tending to his duties.

Haceta Head:
My favorite haunted lighthouse of all is Haceta Head in Oregon.
The ghost here haunts not the light itself, but the lighthouse keepers cottage.
It is supposedly haunted by "the grey lady" who they have lovingly dubbed "Rue." They suppose that she is the mother of a baby who had drowned, and is buried in an unmarked grave on the property. It is said that she wanders still, searching for her baby. She has been attributed to moving objects around, and has even been seen on few occasions. One such occasion was when a workman was doing some work in the attic, and turned around to see her watching him. He fled the attic and refused to go back.
Later, when he was working on the upstairs windows, he broke a pane of glass. He then repaired it from the outside, but refused to go in and clean up the mess he had made. That night, scraping noises were heard in the attic, and the next morning, when someone else checked out the attic, they found that the glass had been swept into a nice neat little pile.
This lighthouse keeper's house is now a bed and breakfast, is on the top ten list of "most haunted" lighthouses, and is on my top ten list of places I want to visit before I die.


Being thousands of miles inland - this is as close to the beach as I can get.
So, Happy Travels, from my own little piece of the beach!
:)

Book Review - All's Fair

****I read on the internet that Julie Coulter Bellon would be at a book signing just a few miles from me on Saturday, so I ran over to meet her.
She was the nicest sweetest lady!

Dust cover description:

"Dr. Brandon Shepherd is finishing out his tour of duty at a small medical outpost in al-Qaim, Iraq. During an emergency evacuation of two wounded soldiers, the helicopter carrying him and his colleague, Dr. Rachel Fielding, is shot down and they are captured by insurgents. They are chained to a wall and pushed past their limits of endurance while their hope for rescue dwindles by the day.

Back in the States, political opponents Kristen Shepherd and Ryan Jameson are squaring off over a heated campaign. When Kristen finds out her brother Brandon has been kidnapped, both Kristen and Ryan band together and use all of their political connections to find him. They soon find themselves swept up in international intrigue that could cause Kristen to lose everything she holds dear. Will she risk it all to bring her family together once again?

All's Fair is a book of suspense, adventure and romance that will keep you guessing until the last page. Is all really fair in love and war? Only you can decide."

I've already finished reading "All's Fair." It grabbed me right from the opening scene where Kristin has run out on her own wedding, and ends up hiking through the rain and the mud in her wedding gown - great stuff!
This book is full of edge-of-your-chair action, politics, and military intrigue. I had a hard time putting it down!

I really admire Julie for joining in on "Operation Care and Comfort" for our soldiers in Iraq.
.

Review - Delicious Conversation

****Susanah, a 30-ish single gal, is forced to re-arrange her life's plan when the company she works for goes belly up. A new home (which needs a lot of work), a new business, and a new singles ward keeps her very busy as she tries to sort it all out.

*Warning: If you are contemplating going on a diet, you may want to hold off on this one for a while - all the talk of delectable food could be distracting! Ha ha!

I read a few harsh reviews of this before I picked it up, so I was a little hesitant, but personally, I thought it was delightfu.
It did drag a little for me at first, but it picked up a few chapters in.
I would consider it a "light" read, but it definitely has it's moments - (the description of the over thirties singles ward had me laughing out loud!)...and I love the idea of the "Chocolate Bar"!
The author has a fresh writing style, and an interesting sense of humor.
The situations the heroine encounters are quite unique (and some are just darn funny,) - not your usual stereo-typical scenarios (like the home demolition projects, and the 187 year old tortoise...)
It does end a bit predictably, but happily - so who cares, right?

(OK, maybe it was a little convenient that both "husband" choices were not only hunky, but rich, rich, rich)

A fun read, and I may just throw caution to the wind and try some of the yummy recipes too!
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Review - Fool Me Twice

*****Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black

First of all, I want to know how someone as nice a Stephanie (I'm assuming here) could contrive a plot as twisted as this! LOL!
Don't turn your back on anyone in this book - almost everyone has an evil agenda of some kind!
Seriously, so suspenseful - a real page turner!
There was a point where I wondered how the main character could ever come out of her predicament in one piece...
(But I'm not telling!)
Awesome, awesome book! Five stars.
.

Summer Reading Thing 2008

Here we go again...
I love all these Summer Reading challenges, because hey - it's too hot to go outside, so what else am I going to do?
I'm going to use the same reading list as the other challenge - I hope that's ok - there's only so much one woman can do, after all...

****Austenland Shannon Hale
****First Day Allyson Braithwaite Condie
*****Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black
****All's Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon

I've already finished the first two, so I'm adding:
*****The Princess and the Hound Mette Ivie Harrison
and:
****Delicious Conversation Jennifer Stewart Griffith (it's about chocolate - it's got to be good, right?)

Summer Book Trek Review - "First Day"

*****Frist Day by Allyson Braithwaite Condie

Jobs. Missions. College. Love. In the sequel to Yearbook, the characters are in the middle of it all. Two and a half years after we left off, Andrea Beckett is a junior at Cornell University in New York. She's caught up in the whirlwind of finals, decisions about jobs . . . and decisions about love, too. Dave Sherman has returned home from his mission, and they will have to decide where their romance is going. In addition to everything else, Andrea just received the assignment to teach early-morning seminary to a group of eight high school students, who all have their own decisions to make and challenges to overcome. Meanwhile, Andrea's brother Ethan is serving a mission in Brazil. The language is new, the culture is different, and sometimes being Elder Beckett is harder than he expected.

I didn't realize when I started this book that it was a sequel, but I never felt lost or that I missed a lot by not reading the first book (Yearbook). This book totally stands on it's own.
It started out a little slow for me because of the switching back and forth between characters, but I soon got the rhythm of it and got into the story.
I really enjoyed this story about individual growth and making choices, and I absolutely loved how the author summed it all up at the end - but I won't spoil that for you...
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Summer Book Trek Review - "First Day"

First Day by Allyson Braithwaite Condie
This one started slow for me until I got used to it switching back and forth among the different characters.


I didn't realize that this was a sequel until I got checking around and read some other reviews of it. This book totally stands on it's own - I never felt that I was lost, or that I missed something somewhere, as often occurs in a sequel.