The Best of Romance (at least for me) - Jamie

I'm pretty sure if you've found this blog, you know that I love reading and writing romance because I love the happily ever after of those stories. Want to know what else gives me those warm fuzzy feelings?

I love reading the announcements for anniversaries celebrating fifty years or more of marriage, especially the ones that share how the couple met. In this day where long term marriages seem to be something of a rare species, when I stumble across one, especially one that sounds like it has been through plenty of ups and downs and survived, I always pray that my husband and I will someday be one of those couples.


I actually met one of this amazing couples in person at the eye doctor

one day. I wasn't too sure about them at first, but as we started talking I realized how much they still loved each other after 72 years of marriage. Their marriage survived while he served the country in war, when they lost an adult child to cancer, and other illnesses, but they still live together in their own home and are able to lovingly tease each other as they waited. They were a hopeless romantic's dream come true.

Speaking of marriage, I have always loved Billy Crystal but I was recently reading an interview with him and after I read his comment about marriage to his wife, I think I will love him forever. He was asked if he had any advice on how to stay married to the same woman for 43 years? "There are no secrets. I'm no Dr. Phil. But we laugh a lot. Janice has always made me laugh. As I write in the book, I can't bear to think of life without her; I want to go first because I don't want to miss her. I'd like to think there is a heaven and it starts from the happiest day in your life. I'll be 18 and Janice Goldfinger will walk by me in a bikini, and I will follow her and it will start all over again."



And, of course, some of the very best romance in my opinion still comes from fairytales. When real life tales of romance seem to be in short supply, I turn to my favorite animated classics to get my Once Upon a Time / Happily Ever After fix. There are several that I enjoy, but none that I love as much as I do Tangled. I like Flynn/Eugene's quick wit and Rapunzel's determination even when she is afraid. You see this couple actually spend time together, talk to each other and grow to care for one another. I've long ago lost track of how many times I have watched this movie and I can guarantee you that I will watch it many more.

There are many other little things that give me warm fuzzy feelings about love and romance too - but this blog couldn't possibly cover them all. Most of them have to do with my husband and a special look he will give me, or when he takes my hand, or I remember the night I met him and he gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek...

What is one of your favorite romantic inspirations? This hopeless romantic would love to know.

Back to School by Delia

Today is the first day of school and for the first time in forever, this means more to me than the return of peace and quiet at my house.  It's time for me to go back to work.  Last winter, about halfway through the school year, I was hired by our district to do administration work for our school lunch program.  I only work on days when we're feeding kids, so the last day of school was my last day of work and the first day of school means back to the daily grind for me as well.

I say I do admin work, my husband refers to it as my "torturing children" job.  See, I've got the attitude that if you're going to do a job, you might as well have fun with it.  I've told kids that we've implemented a new school rule that if they owe lunch money, they have to eat lunch sitting on the floor under the tables.  I say this with a smile to the little kids, but love delivering that line with a dead serious face to the older kids, just to see their reactions.  As school was winding down last spring, I told the kids that the last day of school was going to be "Sing-along Thursday" and instead of telling me their student number for me to enter into the system, they were going to have to sing it to me.  I heard a wide variety of musical styles that day, including numbers being rapped, an opera version and one kid even sang his to the tune of Smoke on the Water - you've gotta love a kid who gives the proper respect to Deep Purple.  I've got a whole bunch of new torture ideas in mind for the coming school year as well as making the lunch menu a little more fun - we're having spARGHetti on International Talk Like a Pirate Day with a side of Walk-the-Plank garlic bread and I'm really looking forward to lunch on Halloween.

Life is too short to not take advantage of fun opportunities when they come your way.  If an opportunity comes your way that doesn't seem very enjoyable - you've got to make it fun - otherwise, what's the point in getting up in the morning?

Review: An Eternity of Roses ~ Stacey

Yep, I totally missed my Tuesday post, and I'm a bit stumped for a topic, so I'm going to share a review for a book I recently finished. 

Two lovers separated by an evil curse. 

A desperate quest through time. 

A love that wants to beat all odds.

And all the while, deadly danger brews around a two-thousand-year-old secret society and the enemy that lives to decimate it.

"...‘Til the end of my life, I shall belong to you as your husband.”

That was the promise Adrian made to Emmaline. And then, he was gone forever...

It is 1807. Adrian Segrave, Viscount Bournemouthe, and Lady Emmaline Deramore are about to wed and British Society teems with excitement at this imminent love match. But Madeleine de Brandeville, a mysterious Frenchwoman, has her lustful and ambitious sights on the groom. When she sets her cruel plan in motion, she leaves devastation in her path.

Heartbroken, Emmaline embarks on an adventure she'd never imagined having. As the world changes and chaos brews, her fate becomes linked with the Valthreans, a group of immortals who must learn to face a deadly enemy that threatens their place in the human world. But all the while, there is one thing she wants more than any other—to get back her man.

When she finally finds her prize and the intense blue flame of desire burns once more, her worst nightmares are far from over and the toughest battle is yet to begin. Will love win the war in the end?

Stacey's thoughts: An Eternity of Roses is a sweeping, epic tale of the undying power of true love. On the cusp of their happily ever after, Emmaline and Adrian are ripped apart by an evil witch who wants Adrian for herself. Emma never gives up the search for the man she loves, despite years of hardship and heartbreak during her quest. An Eternity of Roses is more than just a book to read, the amazing imagery lets you immerse yourself in the story and experience every single low and high right along with the characters. I also liked the secondary character Max and look forward to his book, A Lifetime For Revenge.

You can get An Eternity of Roses here: Amazon US (ebook), Amazon US (print), Amazon UK (ebook), Amazon UK (print), Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, iTunes, All Romance eBooks) 

That's it for me this month. Now I'd like to know, what are you reading??

Finding my Zen - Jamie

I am feeling overwhelmed by chaos this past month. Medical issues prevented me from attending my planned trip to Atlanta which I was disappointed about, but the issues have been resolved and I am finally feeling much better than I have been in a long time, at least physically.

The summer has rapidly dissolved and I can't believe school is less than a month away. My oldest has so many things to do before he leaves for college next week it's making me twitchy to think about it. He and I have a VERY different sense of priorities and time management. I'm doing my best to keep my mouth shut because it is time for this little bird leave the nest and I am constantly reminding myself it will all work out just fine.

I feel bad for my youngest because the learning curve of sending our oldest off to college means that school shopping for the youngest has sort of gotten lost in the shuffle which is fine with him. He'd prefer to ignore it forever. Unfortunately, ignoring it doesn't mean that school won't eventually start anyway. On top of all the school stuff, he's been practicing his driving all the time as he has his driving test next week and is really nervous about it.

Then there are the usual stressers of life - car repairs, ants invading our house, trying to get our yard work done, household repairs, etc. The fun never ends, does it?

Through it all I've been doing my best to take deep breaths, keep my faith and trust that things will work out the way they should. Right about now though I'm also ready to let Calgon or a really good book take me away from it all for a while. Or maybe even my trusty little Outback for a long weekend getaway to someplace nice and peaceful. That sounds really nice right about now.

What's your favorite escape when life gets too hectic?

August ponderings by Delia

Gosh, I almost forgot about posting this week.  I'm out of town at the moment and things never seem real when  you're not where you belong.  I knew this was going to happen and had noble plans of writing a post last week and just scheduling it to magically appear this morning (isn't technology grand??) but that didn't happen.  So, here we are, sitting here together wondering if I have anything witty or relevant to say.  Uh...don't hold your breath.

Let's just talk a little bit about something I've been thinking of lately: the selfishness of giving.   That statement may seem contrary, but not really, if you think about it.  The reason I've been thinking along these lines is because this week is our family's yearly pilgrimage to Keller's Lake Day Camp.  It's a simple camp, held from 9-3:30 for five days the first full week of August.  It's for the mentally handicapped - some children, mostly adults.  Our family has been volunteering there in various forms for over 10 years with a few years missed in the middle during our time living in Hawaii.

Keller's Lake is one of the highlights of our summer and those days go by much too fast, for both campers and staff.  It's not exciting by any worldly point of view, we do arts and crafts, go boating and swimming, toss a line out to maybe catch a fish or two or just have a very haphazard game of basketball.  There's no fancy, high-tech games and we don't even have flush toilets (pit toilets in August definitely make you shorten your time in the bathroom as much as possible).  What it is is just a good, old-fashioned fun time enjoying the out-of-doors.

Though we'd all like to think we volunteer for the campers, we don't.  As much as anyone would like to think differently, people volunteer because it feels good.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.  If you're doing something that makes you feel good while also bringing joy to others, it's a win/win.  It doesn't take anything away from your donation if you feel good while doing it.  Volunteering isn't about painful self-sacrifice, because, unless there's something mentally wrong with you, people don't bring pain into their lives unless it brings them some sort of benefit.  You may hate exercise, but do it because you know it'll make you healthier, you donate time or money to the organization of your choice because it gives you warm fuzzy feelings.  Frankly, I enjoy giving time to the day camp, not only because I enjoy myself there and I love spending time with the campers, but I also love to watch the other volunteers.  Many of these people aren't very well off, some are well below the poverty line, but they know they can make a difference in someone else's life and they don't need money to do it.  And I'm willing to bet that close to 50% of the volunteers are under the age of 25.  Isn't that wonderful?  You hear so many bad stories about young people causing problems, yet here's a whole group of kids who are giving a week of their summer vacation to help a person in a wheelchair go to the bathroom, or to feed someone who is unable to feed themselves.

So, as much as I love helping the campers, I also love the warm feeling I get inside from helping them and watching others help as well.  That enjoyment doesn't take away from what I do, it only enhances it.  What I'd like for you to do is to find something you enjoy doing, then see what you can do to help others enjoy it as well.  Do you like to read?  Why not volunteer some time reading aloud at a nursing home?  Like to knit?   Volunteer to teach others at your local community center.  Do you know someone who's a live-in caregiver for a parent suffering from Alzheimers?  Give them the afternoon off by offering to parent-sit free of charge, so they can do something we all take for granted like wandering the mall or simply having a relaxing lunch in a diner with their spouse or best friend.  Though you'll feel great for doing these simple things, it won't diminish the value that it gives to others.  Everybody wins.

The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Superstitions

Being that it's the 5th Tuesday, we're due for an extra post.

So, referring to the title of this post, I found this book a couple of years ago (I think at my mom's rummage sale) and thought I'd share a couple fun superstitions. You can get your own at Amazon; there are 32 used copies available starting at $0.01!!

First, because Delia loves her chickens: A crowing hen presages (foretells) evil and maybe personal serious illness. 

If a hen lays an even number of eggs, it's unlucky.

Yikes, that's no fun!

Here's a better one, Delia: Free range hens scrapping and feeding together is a sign of good weather.

And I like this one, too: Hen entering the house...expect a visitor.

Um...yeah...the hen!

Moving on for Donna. She loves horror and supernatural stuff. (So does Delia, but she already got the hens.)

A baby born at midnight can see ghosts.

If you want to prevent Gremlins from messing with your machinery, lay an empty beer bottle nearby and they'll crawl inside.

Yeah, because those Gremlins are such lushes, you know! Donna's Gremlin is named Sunshine, and I don't think she'd fit inside a beer bottle. *grin*

Last but not least for Donna: A necklace of peach pips will drive demons away. Don't ever cut that peach tree down!! While you're at it, and add a couple wren feathers around the house, too. They protect against sorcery.

Now, Jamie. I know you've got lots going on, so we're going to keep positive thoughts going for you.

If you see a donkey, it means you'll have good luck. So next time you meet an asshole, think of him as a donkey and things will be looking up. Even better if you're then hit by bird droppings.

As a Scorpio, your upcoming lucky dates are: July 30, Aug. 5, 9, 13, 17, 18, 27  Wishing you a wonderful day today!!!

You know those headaches you get? How about you try this folk remedy: wrap the skin of a snake around your temples. If that doesn't work, then apply a poultice of cow dung and inhale the dried moss collected from an old human skull. (Surely one of those will work. Positive thoughts, remember?)

Now, this last one is to prevent bad luck: If you leave your house, but then need to return for something you forgot, make sure you sit down and count to 10 before you leave again. 

Well, that's about it for now. I hope everyone enjoyed this journey into the mystical unknown.

Oh, wait, I've got one last one for Delia and Donna, since Delia kinda got jipped with the hens.

If a cat jumps over a corpse, the corpse will become a vampire.

Have fun with that one, girls, and pick a handsome corpse! LOL

~ Stacey

Summer Recipes

Hello! The gardens are flourishing, and I already have zucchini ready to pick. So I'm going to share a couple of my favorite recipes for using those fresh & tasty treats that always grow in such great abundance. 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
~~~

 

3 eggs-
3/4 cup vegetable oil-
1/2 cup sugar-
2 cups shredded zucchini-
2/3 cup brown sugar-
2 tsp vanilla extract-
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder-
3 cups flour-
1-1/2 tsp baking powder-
1 tsp baking soda-
1 tsp salt-
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans, optional)

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Beat eggs in a big bowl; add the rest of the ingredients,

including the dry mixture, and mix well.  Add a heaping cup of chocolate chips and mix in.  Spray 2 bread pans
with Pam, or grease with shortening or vegetable oil.  Pour the batter into the 2 pans and bake in a 325 oven
for about an hour.  I usually have to give it an extra 5-10 minutes (I have an electric oven).  Cool (or serve
warm a la mode!) and enjoy!

Zucchini Raisin Bread
~~~

Mix together:
 
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Then add:
 
3 beaten eggs
2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins or currants
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix well, divide between two greased bread pans.
Bake about an hour at 350, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

 

~~~

 

I hope you'll give both of these delicious receipes a try. If you do, please stop by and tell me what you think. :-)

I'd like to share a picture before I go. This is one of the several flower beds my mother-in-law works so diligently to keep pretty & weed free. The perfect view when I step outside with my morning coffee.

 

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful week!

 

~ Donna