Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Month in Review - February

Wrote 2059 words

Sculpted 0 babies

Tatted 0 crosses

Sewed 0 sock monkeys

Knit 0 hats

Exercised 20 days

Read in the Bible 28 days

Wrote up 0 backlogged book reviews

Saturday, February 24, 2018

William picked George Lucas for his person for the Wax Museum he was doing for school. I made him a wig for his costume. The original date for the Wax Museum ended up being postponed because of a snow day.

It was really loud, so it's hard to hear him, especially at first.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Winter Camp Out

William has wanted to sleep outside in his igloo since he made his first one, but it has been in the 10-20 degree range at night. Last week, it was going to be in the 40's so I agreed to let them sleep in the "community" igloo.

After about an hour, the boys came in needing to use the bathroom. About 10:45, they came in with their blankets and pillows. In the morning, I asked Will if they came in because it was cold or because there were weird noises. He said it was mostly because of the noises.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Homemade Wig

William's class was doing a Wax Museum and he needed to dress up as the person he picked, so I needed to make him a wig.

I crocheted a base made to fit Will's head. I used only the front loops so I could attach the hair to the other loop.

I wrapped yarn around a notebook I had and cut it along one side:

I ended up with pieces about 7" long

I attached the yarn in every other loop:

Originally, I was going to make all the yarn gray, but looking at pictures, I realized that he had darker hair at the bottom and lighter hair at the top, so I used three kinds of yarn.

The next step was to separate all the yarn into the individual plies:

Next, I brushed the yarn:

We ended up with a lot of fluff that brushed out:

The final step was to iron the hair:

Some comparison shots:

Book Review: "The Reluctant Groom" by Kimberly Rose Johnson

About the Book When everything goes wrong, can two friends discover true love?

When Ray O'Brien's world is turned upside down, Katie Fairchild wants to help, but the personal cost is high. Neither desires a marriage of convenience, but when Katie blurts the first thing that comes to her mind, Ray can't dismiss her offer of marriage. It would solve all his problems except for one thing--they aren't in love.

Can these two friends team up for the greater good and perhaps find love along the way, or are their expectations impossible?

My Thoughts "The Reluctant Groom" is the first book in the "Brides of Seattle" series. I thought it was a cute twist on a marriage of convenience story set in modern times. It isn't easy to make that kind of story line fit into a contemporary setting, and I think Kimberly Rose Johnson did a nice job of making it believable and had a good "why" behind it. I did like that Ray and Katie had known each other for awhile, so it didn't seem unrealistic that they fell in love so quickly. The book was a quick read and I enjoyed it. The other conflicts/struggles that take place during the book help to round out the story and make it realistic. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Kimberly Rose Johnson

About the Author Faith Hope and Love Reader's Choice Finalist, Kimberly Rose Johnson, married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/index.html

"The Reluctant Groom" is available paperback:

Series: Brides of Seattle
Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Sweet Rose Press (February 25, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0998431540
ISBN-13: 978-0998431543
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.4 x 8 inches

and in Kindle edition:

File Size: 2499 KB
Print Length: 140 pages
Publication Date: March 1, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B077XN4LHB

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Book Review: "The Sea Before Us" by Sarah Sundin

About the Book In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a ÒWrenÓ in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin's practiced pen with this powerful new series.

My Thoughts Since I picked up her Wings of Glory series, Sarah Sundin is on my "automatic read author" list. If she comes out with a book, I read it. "The Sea Before Us" is the first book in the Sunrise at Normandy series. The WWII history and depth of research makes the book become real. I feel as if I'm there and the characters are my friends. Biblical truths are woven through the book and the characters developed and grew. Besides the romance in the book, there is also a mystery that needs to be solved, which had some interesting surprises. The main story line between Wyatt and Dorothy reaches a "happily ever after", but there is a secondary story about Wyatt and his brothers that is not concluded and will (I assume) continue on through the next two books. I look forward to reading Adler's and Clay's stories.

About the Author Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era and is the author of Through Waters Deep, Anchor in the Storm, and When Tides Turn in the Waves of Freedom series, as well as Wings of the Nightingale and the Wings of Glory series.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in northern California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups. Her novels When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were both named to Booklist's 101 Best Romance Novels of the Past 10 Years. Through Waters Deep was a 2016 Carol Award Finalist and won the INSPY Award, and her novella in Where Treetops Glisten was a finalist in the 2015 Carol Awards. In 2011 she received the Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.
Please visit Sarah at www.sarahsundin.com, on Facebook at SarahSundinAuthor, and on Twitter at @sarahsundin.

"The Sea Before Us" is available in paperback:

Series: Sunrise at Normandy (Book 1)
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 6, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800727975
ISBN-13: 978-0800727970
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.5 inches

and in Kindle edition:

File Size: 10296 KB
Print Length: 386 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800727975
Publisher: Revell (February 6, 2018)
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B0741F7VN8

I got a free copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway: "Phoebe's Light" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book

Title: Phoebe’s Light

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Historical romance

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she’s doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a “minder” on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Macy, a man whom she loathes.

Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary’s journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe’s shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way—just in time.

In this brand-new series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her signature twists and turns to bear on a fascinating new faith community: the Quakers of colonial-era Nantucket Island.

My Thoughts I jumped at the chance to review "Phoebe's Light". I enjoyed reading Suzanne Woods Fisher's Amish series and was intrigued to read this first book in her new series about Quakers on Nantucket. I enjoyed the sections from Mary Coffin's diary and how they were in a different font and looked like the were actual diary pages (I especially liked when Mary scratched out something she'd written). There were twists that I didn't expect and there were things that I figured out who was behind them, but not the reason they did them. The book was well written and easy to read. I knew that the Puritans and the Quakers did not get along, but did not realize the extent of the tensions. I could tell that a lot of research went into this book and I learned things about early Nantucket and desire to learn more. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing, The Newcomer, and The Return in the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Stroll down Petticoat Row

Thirty years ago, I talked my sister into going on a trip to Nantucket Island. It’s one of those places that had always intrigued me. As a girl in the 1930s, my mother’s family vacationed in Nantucket; she even has a lightship basket to show for it. I expected the island to be interesting and beautiful, and it certainly did not disappoint. But something else happened as I walked down Centre Street one morning. This island captured my imagination in a way that’s hard to put into words. At the risk of sounding a tiny bit sun touched, I could practically see 19thcentury people on the roads, hear the “thee’s and thou’s” in their speech, even smell the strong scents of a bygone century—the musky perfume of rendered whale oil, the burning wood of the blacksmith, all mingled with the bracing sea air.

Centre Street has a local nickname: Petticoat Row. It comes from the 1800s, when men were at sea for long periods and women stepped into their shoes to keep businesses going. Nantucket women gained a reputation for being strong and capable. Their competence was encouraged by the Society of Friends (Quakers), the island’s dominant religion, which believed in the equality of men and women in all aspects of life. That hasn’t changed. Today, half of all Nantucket businesses are run by women.

Petticoat Row stuck in my mind, and eventually became the hook to contract a series of historical fiction with Revell Books. The ‘Nantucket Legacy’ series covers the rise and fall of Nantucket’s whaling period, when it became the wealthiest port in the world.

First up is Phoebe’s Light, releasing in February 2018, a novel about a spirited young woman who seeks her fortune only to find out she already had it.

After reading about Phoebe, I hope you’ll consider planning a trip to Nantucket (though try to go off-season. The population swells five times in the summer!). When you go, include a stop at the Petticoat Row Bakery (35 Centre Street)—the very location where Phoebe grew up, albeit a few centuries ago. Don’t leave the island without trying the Morning Glory Muffins, an island favorite. So worth the trip!

Nantucket’s Famous Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 ¼ cup flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup raisins

2 cup grated carrots (4 large)

1 apple, shredded

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

½ cup pecans or walnuts

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Sift together sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the fruit, carrots and nuts and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with oil and vanilla. Combine with dry ingredients and blend well.

Spoon batter into cupcake tins lined with muffin papers. Fill each cup to the brim. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. These muffins needs 24 hours to ripen their full flavor. They freeze extremely well.

Recipe courtesy of Pamela A. McKinstry, Sconset Café