Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
I hope your day was filled with peace, joy and love! As well as a visit from....

Thursday Thoughts

~My son had, until last night, shoulder length hair. Although I thought he looked really cute, I never said anything. We all know that it wouldn't be cool to a 14 year old to have your Mom think you're cute.

~Anyway... last night he had his hair cut. It's actually pretty short. It's not a "buzz" but it's really close. I even saved a few locks of his hair. Again, I think it looks good and this time I told him :o)

~Why did he decide to cut it? He is "shadowing" at a Catholic High School on Monday. He has to be in their dress code and his hair was too long. I thought he'd have it cut just enough to meet their "collar-length" requirement. He decided he wanted it shorter. I'm still getting used to the "new" J. He looks so grown up.

~My husband took him to carpool this morning and said that H, the girl we carpool with, started screaming with excitement when she saw J. I told him that she probably spent the entire ride to school texting all their friends about his hair. He attends a rather small school and has told me that there are two other boys with longer hair. I'm interested to hear how his day was.

~My friend's boyfriend has offered to write a letter of recommendation to the high school for J. He is an alum and runs their IT. I can't believe it. What a kind thing to do!

~It amazes me that Thanksgiving is next week with Christmas coming right on its heels. My day planner is filled and more events keep getting added. I'm sure everyone knows how that is.

~Tonight is the season finale of one of my guilty pleasures... Project Runway. This is the first season I've watched and although, I've heard it's definitely not one of the best, I really like it.


~After the finale is the finale of Models of the Runway. It follows the models that the designers use. It's catty, fun and, definitely, a guilty pleasure. So, with that in mind... I'll be enjoying another guilty pleasure while I watch... Haagan Dazs Coffee ice cream! Yeah... that's right I'll be eating ice cream while I watch size 0 models strut down the runway. Sort of defines "irony"...don't you think?!?

Teaser Tuesday

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
"Langdon could only stare. The idea of "order from chaos" was one of the great Masonic axioms."
The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown
page 104

I am starting this book tonight. I read Angels & Demons recently and, like most readers, enjoyed it more than The DaVinci Code. I am on the library waiting list. I think I'm #339. I'm not in a huge hurry to read it so being that far down the list was okay with me.

At book club tonight, my friend, S, loaned me her copy. YAY! What a nice gesture. She is such a nice person. Besides having very similar tastes in books, she and I share a love of handbags. I look forward to seeing what she's carrying every month. I don't think she switches every day, like I do but, honestly, she rarely carries the same bag twice... to book club, at least.


Tonight, she was carrying a vintage black Dooney & Bourke All Weather Leather drawstring bag. She said it was a consignment store find. It is in gorgeous vintage condition... a little beat up with wonderfully aged patina. D&B AWL bags just get better with age... kind of like... well, you know :o)


I carried a black studded shoulder bag. It's another one of my "rocker chick" bags. There's a lot of hardware on this bag, too. Carrying this bag while wearing a pair of jeans tucked into tall black boots, a black sweater, a leopard print scarf and some black and gold chandlier earrings has become one of my favorite outfits.

First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?


"Arnold Bacon would have made a fortune if he hadn't taken his father's advice."
Timeo Danaos
Twelve Red Herrings
Jeffrey Archer
This first line is a little different. It's the first line of a short story in a collection I'm reading by Jeffrey Archer.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately. Not that I've been reading bad books. On the contrary, actually. It's just that I've not really been a reading mood. What?!? How does that happen? I'm not sure, really. I've just found myself not reading when I normally do... before bed, waiting in carpool and other random times. So, I figured a few short stories might nudge me back. Short stories don't feel like a commitment, you know. I can read one or two before bed and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Jeffrey Archer is a fabulous author! While not great literature, his stories and novels are tightly plotted and well-written. They hold my attention like few other authors and I know I won't be disappointed. I've been reading his novels since, probably, high school and will re-read one every so often. They are as good now as they were the first time I read them. While my favorite is definitely "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less", I am always amazed at the ending of "First Among Equals". It is beyond brilliant! The last line (and no peeking if you read it!) is perfection!


I carried my Vera Wang black satchel today. It's been two days since I switched bags. How is that even possible?!? Well, we were hit by a fall snowstorm that dumped 22" on us. So, we didn't go anywhere... even school. It was cancelled Wednesday and Thursday. It was a fun few days. We were completely lazy with snow shoveling being our main form of entertainment :o) Tunnels were built in our backyard, courtesy of my son and my daughter drank lots of hot chocolare. But, like any Denver blizzard, it's just a memory... well, except for the piles and piles of snow! I love our blizzards. Twenty-two inches of snow on Wednesday and it'll be 60° tomorrow.

It's a Footloose First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"Her satin shoes left damning footprints in the pearlescent dew on the moonlit garden path."
Haunting Jordan
PJ Alderman


I cannot believe how long it's been since I've blogged about First Line Friday. It's about time I get my act together and start doing it again every Friday.

I've already blogged about this book and i'm breaking one of my FLF "rules" as it's no longer in my TBR pile... it's my current book! Anyway, it's a great book and I'm really enjoying the premise even though I'm not normally into "supernatural" mysteries. I'm looking forward to reading other books in this series.

I like how the story is told in both times... 1890 with Hattie and present day with Jordan. I don't feel like I'm missing any of the story and I feel more connected to Hattie, the murder victim. She's a real character not just a plot device. One of my favorite lines, so far, is when Hattie tells Jordan, "We want you to solve my murder." What a great line... even if it isn't a first line :o)

We spent a lazy day around the house today. The kids were off school as it was a teacher comp day for conferences. We needed this day, too. We're all (well not my son) recuperating from being sick. M went to school on Monday but was home the rest of the week. She just had a fever and a dry, tickle cough. No "hiney" flu... we took her to the Dr. and her tests came back negative (as well as any type of flu and pneumonia). My husband is fighting the same crap (sorry to be so crude but, really, that's the best word for it). He was also tested and was also negative to the flu. So, we just took it easy today. We watched Footloose tonight. What a movie to bring back memories! J and I saw it on one of our first dates. It definitely holds a special place in my heart. As much as everyone remembers the "Footloose" song, my favorite song from the movie is Deniece Williams' "Let's Hear it for the Boy". Why? Because it's one of our "songs". When I first heard it, the lyrics reminded me so much of this great guy that I had just started dating. Did I know he would become the love of my life, my husband, my best friend and the father of my children? Yeah...I did. We double-dated on our first date with my friend, D, and I told her that I would marry him. Just about four years later, I did!

Anyway, here's the original video...if it doesn't make you want to throw your hair in a side pony, wear a neon sweatshirt and leggings with stiletto heeels with baby doll socks... you weren't an 80s girl like me.

Snowy Saturday Ramblings

~It snowed here for the first time this season. My son is "jonesing" to snowboard. Yes, there are two resorts open. Loveland opened on Wednesday and A Basin opened Friday. Ski season has begun!


~The Rockies are in the NLDS against the Phillies (sorry, Lori...lol) and game 3 was supposed to be here tonight. But because of a little snow (less than an inch) and cooler tempertures (Ok, the game time forecast was 28° and falling), it is postponed. I'd call them all wimps but, really... I was more than happy to watch the game in my nice, warm family room cuddled under a blanket :o)

~M was at 6th grade Outdoor Lab all week until Thursday when we received a phone call. She was in the clinic with a fever. So, J and I drove the hour drive into the mountains to retrieve our baby :o) She has had a fever ever since... poor girl. Apparently, she wasn't the only one... the nurse told us that many kids had left OL because of illness. She doesn't have the "hiney" flu (from my favorite morning show... Dom & Jane... do you get it? H1N1... kind of clever, I think). Every year, M will have a bout with a fever and it lasts a few days. Hopefully, she'll go to school on Monday.

~I bought two books at B&N Tuesday night. I was there for book club. There was an endcap of a book that I had heard about on some blogs. It was 50% off and, basically, staring me in the face. So, I picked it up. Then, I began to wonder...why is it 50% off... it's a fairly recent release... does that mean it's not that good? I'll draw my own conclusions. Do you want to know the title or should I be like the girls in my loop and not mention it? That drives Lori @http://lori-thequeensnewthrone.blogspot.com/ CRAZY. Hmmm, I'll think about it...

~The second book is Haunting Jordan by PJ Alderman. From Amazon... "RITA-nominated author P. J. Alderman weaves present-day supernatural sleuthery with nineteenth-century intrigue in the first book of an enchanting new mystery series set in picturesque Port Chatham, Washington.

Jordan Marsh left L.A. for the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Port Chatham in pursuit of some much-needed R & R. As the prime suspect in her cheating husband’s murder, she had been hoping to immerse herself in the restoration of the charming Victorian she’d just bought—and put all talk of homicide investigations behind her. But as she soon discovers, the coldest of cases cry out to be solved, too.
For this old house comes fully furnished—with two garrulous ghosts who have a century-old murder of their own they’d like her to look into. Now, if Jordan can keep the L.A. police at bay, and sort through a suspect list of shady characters circa 1890, she might just clear a wrongly accused man’s name—and her own."

I'm really looking forward to reading this and I hope, hope, hope it's a great book, It's the first in a series and I love to read series books. There's not really a better feeling than to walk into a bookstore and see a new book in a series I love!

~I'm so completely happy that Fall is here! I have worn boots and jeans every day this week! Not only do I absolutely love my fall wardrobe, but seeing the fall colors in the mountains is always so wonderous. I hope you take a minute... or two... or three... to enjoy the beautiful fall colors.

~Like I said, it's pretty cold here today and I'm CRAVING a DQ Bizzard :o) I I'm going to try to talk my husband into making a run to DQ later. Cross your fingers that it works. My Blizzard of choice... chocolate ice cream with Butterfinger... soooo yummy!!

~We've spent the day inside today. J is watching The President's Cup (there is ten hours of coverage... he's in HEAVEN!), J is doing homework and M is trying to get better. For that reason, I can't post a picture of today's bag... there isn't one. My bag yesterday, though was one of my fall favorites (although, I do carry it all year). I carried my Louis Vuitton Mini Lin Ebene Speedy 30. I absolutely adore this bag! Because I'm too lazy to go out to the car and get my bag to photograph it, I found this picture in my files.Yes, I keep random handbag pictures in my files...I'm a purse nerd of the highest order :o)
She's Sophina Brown, a STUNNING actress who starred in "Shark" along with James Woods (still a little ticked that it was cancelled). I think she looks so effortlessly chic in this picture and her bag (my bag...lol) just pulls the whole look together.

~Oh, the book that I referred to earlier... The Day the Falls Stood Still
By Cathy Marie Buchanan
What do you think?

Teaser Tuesday

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Prologue...
"Physicist Leonardo Vettra smelled burning flesh, and he knew it was his own."
Angels and Demons
Dan Brown

I started reading this years ago when The DaVinci Code was released. However, I never finished it. Why? I have no idea. Everyone says it's better than The DaVinci Code. I was talking to a friend who mentioned that she had just re-read it. Since I was between good books... I wasn't reading anything that was capturing my attention... I found my copy and am giving it another try. So, far, so good. My friend, R, did say that the illustrated version is the best way to read the book. I'm on the waiting list at the library but I think I'll just order it from Amazon.
I chose this cover to put on my blog because it is an "ambigram". How cool is that?

Wow... it's been awhile since I've blogged. I've been reading other blogs but not really commenting. I need to get back into the "blogosphere". I'm not ready to blog every day like we did in July but if I set a blog goal, I'll have to accomplish it.

I carried my purple Vera Wang hobo bag today. It is absolutely the PERFECT shade of purple. I also have a black Vera Wang satchel that I love and I wish I would have bought it in that shade, too. You see, I have no problem having two bags in the same shade or even two bags in the same style but different colors. It's all about what bag is better to carry on a certain day. If I'm doing a lot of shopping, a shoulder bag is more appropriate. A lunch with my girlfriends... most definitely a satchel is a great accessory. You would think that I put a lot of thought into this, but, really, I don't :o)

Patrick Swayze 1952-2009

Patrick may be gone but Johnny will forever live on in our hearts!

Meggie's Remains by Joanne Sundell

From the author's website...
"Afraid of men, afraid for her sins, afraid for her sanity, and right now afraid for her life, Meggie McMurphy flees Boston once the fiendish terror--so long stalking in her nightmares--surfaces in the light of day. She escapes west to Denver in the wild Colorado Territory, hoping to lose herself among the multitude of townsfolk. The year is 1874.

Twenty-five years old, alone, and near penniless, Meggie struggles to find honest work and to keep the dark secrets of her past just that: a secret. Not so easily done when the handsome, foreboding westerner Ethan Rourke, stumbles upon her on a snowy Denver street. Why it's as if he'd stepped right out of the pages of her beloved romance, Jane Eyre! Safe to encounter such a man on the romance page, it is certainly unsafe, even deadly, for her to encounter such a man in the flesh. Men belong ... six feet under, six feet away ... where to stay safe, the devil must stay!

Hired as a teacher, not in Denver, but in an isolated mountain town in rugged Ute country, Meggie is determined to make a home for herself in Hot Sulphur Springs. There she keeps up her masquerade as Rose Rochester, yearning for a normal life--for companionship and even love--all the while knowing it's only a matter of time until the monstrous changeling from her nightmares will find her, killing any possibility of a life at all."

I was very excited to read this novel for a few reasons...
~ I live in Denver and my best friend lives in Hot Sulphur Springs. So, I am very familiar with the two main settings and was interested to see how Ms. Sundell would capture these towns in 1874.
~I'm a fan of well-written romances. I'm not afraid to admit that I love them.
~As readers of my blog know, I'm a huge fan of first lines and this novel has a great first line.
~Meggie comforts herself in the pages of Jane Eyre, arguably one of the greatest romance novels ever written. I was intrigued to read how Ms. Sundell tied the stories together.

Obviously, I had high expectations and was not, at all, disappointed! This is a fantastic read. Meggie, the heroine, is damaged by her abusive past but determined to make a better life for herself. Ms. Sundell took care to write her main character with depth and believability. Many heroines in romance novels are one-dimensional and, almost, a caricature. This is not Meggie. Her actions and reactions are believable given her past. It's difficult to read some of her flashbacks but it's an insight that the reader needs to appreciate her.

Ethan Rourke has all the great characteristics necessary for a romantic hero without being over the top. This book is definitely not a "bodice-ripper" and Ethan(whose initials mirror those of Jane Eyre's hero, Edward Rochester) is written to be both sensitive and strong. He is confused by Nutmeg (his nickname for Meggie) but comes to love her because of who she is.

I was a little concerned when I realized this book contained "paranormal" aspects, as I don't usually like that genre. The paranormal aspects in Meggie's Remains are integral in the storyline. I never felt, when reading, like it was added just to satisfy a genre "requirement"... sadly, I've read books where that was not the case.
Whether a fan of "paranormal" or not, a reader will not be distracted by these events. There was not a time when I thought it was contrived or the author tried too hard.

I never leave the dust jacket on a hardback I am reading. I was pleasantly surprised when I took it off to find that the cover was "printed" on the book itself. I wish more hardbacks were published like that. It was also printed on whiter paper than most hardbacks. This made it a lot easier on my eyes... especially right before bed :o)

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was well-written, which is an absolute must for me. I read this book with a more critical eye than usual as I knew I'd be reviewing it. It is, in my opinion, carefully plotted, populated with interesting secondary characters and a perfectly descriptive tour of my beloved Colorado as I imagine it was in 1874. Meggie's Remains was a wonderful introduction to a new-to-me author, Joanne Sundell, as well as a reminder of a classicly beautiful romance, Jane Eyre.

September 11th

The Good Old Days

I was flipping through the channels yesterday and saw this documentary on Turner Classic Movie channel. It is a "travelogue" of sorts of 1949 New York City. I LOVE classic movies but to see the real thing was truly fascinating. My favorite... the clothing. People just dressed better back then. Women were wearing dresses, gloves and hats. Men were in suits and Fedoras. While I appreciate casual attire, it saddens me a bit how our society has devolved (yes, it's a word. I looked it up) in terms of what's considered appropriate public attire. I'm not saying that I want to wear a hat and gloves when I'm at the grocery store, although, I distinctly remember my grandmother wearing both to church every Sunday, I do not ever care to see a pair of underwear hanging out of a pair of pants. Can someone please tell me who decided that pajama pants should be worn at Target? I LOVE pajama pants!! I have probably five pairs and I change into a pair as soon as I get home but, I won't ever wear them in public. With my luck, I'd wear them to drop M at school and, on that day, have to go into the school for some unexpected reason! Yes, I know I'm very old-fashioned but, really... watch this video and appreciate their style.

Today, we celebrated my sister's birthday. My mom always makes the dinner of choice for whoever is celebrating their birthday. K's choice? Breakfast for dinner!! We had pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast, bacon and OJ! Breakfast for dinner ROCKS!! It's a mix of comfort food and breaking the rules, I think, that make it so much fun. My Dad would always make it for us when my Mom was not home for dinner.

I carried my zebra tote today. Sometimes, I wish I designed handbags... as I would never use a black fabric for the lining. It's such a pain to try to find anything in the black abyss that is some of my bags. I would line all my bags in a bright purple Pucci-esque print.

Teaser Tuesday & 100

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
"Percy swallowed hard. She was unprepared for this question."
page 14
The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
Leanna Renee Hieber


I was browsing at Barnes & Noble and found this book. The title as well as the cover caught my attention. Reading further, though, I realized it also has paranormal aspects to it. I don't usually read paranormals but this has so many aspects of novels I love, I'm going to try it. The setting is especially my "cup of tea". It's set in Victorian London amidst "the growing shadows of The Ripper". So, I'll read at least my 100 pages and, hopefully, it'll be great as it's the first of a series. I love series... always something to look forward to.


I did end up with a new phone. No, it's not the latest and greatest Iphone... I'm just not that cool! M actually considers it a downgrade as it's an LG EnV and I had the LG EnV2. I just like front of the new phone better. it doesn't look like a calculater :o) It's basically the same QWERTY keyboard on the inside but just better keys on the outside. I also like the color...it's an "Army" green... the same color as the Jeep
I want. Yeah, I'm "matchy-matchy" like that.

This is my 100th blog post! It is surprising to me that I love to blog as much as I do. Here's to my next 100! Thanks for reading.

First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"1874~Colorado Territory
The stench of death hung in the air, molded, gray, dank rotting."
Meggie's Remains
Joanne Sundell

This first line is very descriptive... almost too much so. Not in a bad way, though. It throws me right into Meggie's dream. I'm wondering if it's really a dream or a flashback remembered in her dream.

Wow, it's been two weeks since I last blogged. School started for J and M. They just finished their first week. It was great but already...a lot of homework. Tomorrow is M's 11th birthday. She is foregoing a party. Instead, she is going to a movie and lunch with her BFF. She's so grown-up... that's exactly the way I like to spend my birthday. Although, their choice of movie wouldn't be mine...but then, I'm not a sixth grade girl.


My bag today was a white bag. I still follow the "No White after Labor Day" rule, so I've been wearing a lot of my white bags. I know it's silly but I just can't seem to wear white comfortably after that day...even if Stacy and Clinton say it's OK.

First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"Gwenda was eight years old, but she was not afraid of the dark."
World Without End
Ken Follett


I love first lines that begins with a character, rather than something like, "The sky was blue and the grass was green." While that is one way to begiin a novel, I love when you are immediately introduced to a chracter. Is Gwenda the heroine of World Without End? Will she make it out of the dark? Is her lack of fear a catalyst for a bigger event? Those are things I think about when I read this line.

World Without End is the sequel to Pillars of the Earth. I loved Pillars, even with it's flaws. It's a novel that readers either really like or really hate. I think it has one of the best first lines, though... "The small boys came early to the hanging."

I finally bought World as a paperback... although, at over 1000 pages, it's still a hefty read. I'm not sure when I'll start reading it. It's just nice to know it's there. Sometimes, I'll look at my bookshelves and my TBR pile and wait for something to jump out at me. I know this will be a go-to book... when nothing else strikes me. I'm not saying that this isn't going to be a great read as I'm sure it is. I just know it'll be a book I can put down and come back to... a "comfort" book, so to speak.


Today, I carried two different bags. I used a Kathy Van Zeeland Cheetah print bag for work and, later, when we went shoe shopping for J, my bag was my Vera Wang black satchel with patent trim. Before you think I'm crazy, I have to say that I'm completely organized and switching bags is a very simple process. With minor changes... my wallet is a Dooney & Bourke, my planner is a black & white Fleur-de-Lis and my phone now has a white faceplate... this is all I carry...

Teaser Tuesdays and Teachers

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"They talk for ten more minutes, interrupted only by the woman getting up put more quarters in her dryer. Finally they finish, and the woman gathers up her papers before retrieving her clothes."
page 40
New Tricks
David Rosenfelt


These setences touch on one if the funniest parts of this series. Andy's friend, Kevin, runs a combination laundromat/legal aid. It's called The Lawdromat.

This is the latest in the Andy Carpenter series. He is a New Jersey lawyer who inherited a subsrantial fortune from his father. As a result of that, he can pick and choose which cases he takes. Dogs, especially Andy's Golden Retriever Tara, play a significant role an each novel. I'm a cat person (we have three) and like dogs when they're someone else's so I was surprised how much I enjoy these books. I think it goes beyond the dog. It's really about being an animal lover. These novels are also just really good mysteries. My favorite thing, though, is Andy. The stories are told in first person and in a very conversational way. While the author is great at setting scenes and creating dialogue, it's Andy's voice that is at the heart of the novel. He is witty, wry, clever and very smart.

Today was Registration for J & M. They will be in 8th and 6th grade, respectively. We went to J's school first. He wasn't even with us as he didn't feel so great. It started at 11am and we showed up at 10:45 and were probably sixth in line. Not bad... considering when we left, there were probably 75 families in line. It's a small school so I'm hoping that when we go back tomorrow to get J's picture taken, we won't have to wait too long.

M's Registration was a fiasco! I'm not sure why, though, nothing changed from years before. The line to pay fees was at least a half hour long. "I should have paid online" was something I heard several times and something I thought, too. I was helping at the PTA table so I made M stand in line. She had a great time because some of her friends were with her. She really wanted Mr. A. He's the only male teacher (besides the PE teacher) in the school and he's very cool! J was in his class two years ago and it was the best experience! Mr. A had told me that he was pretty sure he'd have M in his class as the school tries to put siblings with the same teachers if it's a good fit and with M... it's a great fit. She was so excited. She was on the phone all evening with her friends discussing who is in which teacher's class. One of M's friends, H, is having a hissy fit because she's not in Mr. A's class with M and some other girls. Apparently, her Mom will be calling the school tomorrow to try to switch her into that class. Good luck! Our school is very strict on changing student's class assignment. There has to be a very valid reason and H's hissy fit isn't one. I'd be very surprised if they change it. The sixth grade is set up so that they change classrooms for Math, Social Studies, Science in order to get them prepared for middle school. So, H will see all theses girls, anyway. M even told me that she gave H seven reasons not to switch classes... not because she doesn't want H in her class but because M's a little politician and is trying to be diplomatic :o)


Because I had so many registration papers, a water bottle and, of course, my book, I carried my huge black woven tote. It's large enough to carry it all and still fit over my shoulder.

First Line Friday & Handbag Genius

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?
"I was arrested in Eno's Diner."
Killing Floor
Lee Child
That is a perfect first line. Short, to the point and really creates anticipation as to what happens next. It also says, to me, something about the narrator. He is a no-nonsense man who gets right to the point. I can truly appreciates first lines that meander... with a enough description to fill a paragraph. However, reading a first line like that is a pleasure, as well. Several of the author blurbs on the back actually mention the first line and first scene.

This book is our November book club choice, so it's actually pretty far down in my TBR pile. Like I said before, some book club books are out of my comfort zone. This is definitely another one. I would not have chosen this if I was browsing at Barnes & Noble.


My bag today was my Liz Claiborne cheetah print bag with red patent handles. I wore black, white and red and it set the bag off perfectly. There is a zippered divider pocket in the bag that always fall down... drives me crazy! Today, I put my planner in it to hold it up. I'm a genius! It worked... the bag stayed divided. Wow...I'm sure MENSA will want me now... NOT!!!!

Teaser Tuesday

I LOVE Teaser Tuesday.
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
"He nodded in agreement. The boat began the broad left turn that would take them into the canal of Arsenale."
page 111
Death at La Fenice
Donna Leon

This mystery is our September selection. Technically, it's not my current read as I will begin it tonight when I go to bed. I've never read one of these mysteries as I didn't think it would be appealing to me. That's one of the great things, I think, about belonging to a book club... reading books that you might not have otherwise. I now read several authors that I found through my book club, ones I know I never would have chose off the bookstore shelf.

My book club met tonight an there were three new people. They were a welcome addition to our discussion. We read a superb mystery, The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson. I cannot recommend this series highly enough but the books need to read in order. We read his latest in anticipation for his visit to our group in about two weeks. He is one that a book club friend recommended and that we later read and discussed. I'm very happy to have found him.

My purse for today a black studded "motorcycle" bag. I absolutely love "motorcycle" handbags. I have four of them... two black, one burgandy and one dark hunter green. They're a little edgy without being gaudy. A lot of women won't carry black bags in the summer but one of my favorite summer color combinations is black and white. If white is the dominant color in my outfit, a black bag just "pops" the outfit.

31 of 31 YAY!!!

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"If it had been raining twenty miles west of Dallas on April 1, 1934, H.D. Murphy probably wouldn't have become the most famous dead motorcycle cop in America.
Go Down Together
The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
Jeff Guinn

I love "what if" sentences. Although I know the premise is false but it gives a sense what what is to come. And, obviously, with the subject being Bonnie and Clyde, it won't be good.

I'm probably like most people, I know the "legend" of the Bonnie & Clyde... mostly from the "romanticized" movie version with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. The truth of their story is far from that. It did, however, launch them into infamy.
From Publishers Weekly...
"Starred Review. Journalist Guinn (Our Land Before We Die), in this intensely readable account, deromanticizes two of America's most notorious outlaws (they were never... particularly competent crooks) without undermining the mystique of the Depression-era gunslingers. Clyde Barrow, a scrawny kid in poverty-stricken West Dallasin the late 1920s, stole chickens before moving on to cars, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Buck. In 1930, he met 19-year-old Bonnie Parker, and during the next four years Clyde, Bonnie and the ever-revolving members of the Barrow Gang robbed banks and armories all over the South, murdering at least seven people. Bonnie, who fancied herself a poet, wrote, Some day they'll go down together, and they did, in a Louisiana ambush led by famed ex–Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. With the brisk pacing of a novel, Guinn's richly detailed history will leave readers breathless until the final hail of bullets."

Wow!! I did it. I blogged every day in July! There were only a few days when I think I rambled... just to write something on that day. I may do it again... not soon, though. Thanks to everyone who read and commented during July. I love to read the comments. Please keep commenting if you read something interesting... or something maybe not so interesting :o)

Not only did I blog every day in July but my good friend, Lori at http://lori-thequeensnewthrone.blogspot.com/, did too! Hey, Lori...WE ROCK! Congratulations, my blogging buddy :o)

I did notice that I'm concluding my month of blogging every day with my own "First Line Friday". It's kind of karma, I think.


My bag today was my big Zebra handbag. M carried a cheetah print bag. It was like our own little zoo...lol.