Sunday Salon: Celebrations and planning






We've had a wonderfully busy week.  Thursday the 23rd was our 15th wedding anniversary! Truly, our wedding doesn't seem that long ago.  I guess the saying "time flies when you are having fun" is true.  We went out to dinner at Ruth Chris steakhouse.  It was our first time there and the staff was truly friendly and the food delicious.  James had fun flirting with all the girls and talking video games with the guys.  They comped our dessert - a very chocolatey creation called chocolate explosion which just melted in our mouths.  Then Saturday the 25th was hubby's 53rd birthday.  I promised him when we got married I wouldn't combine the dates and do a duel celebration.  Have kept my promise so far. *grin*   Yes, he's spoiled.  

Finally received all of James 7th grade curriculum and spent the weekend organizing, going through all the books, setting up notebooks, figuring out lesson plans and schedules.  85% done.  We were supposed to officially start on Wednesday the 22nd, but since we didn't have any books, starting on Monday. 


May look like a lot but it's only 7 subjects.  Really!  ahem....  The bottom shelf contains the curriculum for mandatory courses along with teachers manuals.  The top shelf contains all the extra stuff:  character, faith, creating writing, photography, nature, game development, etc -  the fun stuff!!!  We'll get round to them eventually.  I'll be posting a "what we're doing for 7th grade" soon!

Hubby also has an ad coming out in Tapeop magazine for his latest Warmenfat design in late september so we've been working like mad on the copy for the past week.  Done, submitted and we can breath for the moment.  Now we just need to redesign the website.  Never a dull moment in the household. 

More later, guys and dolls! Have a wonderful week!

I'm still here plugging away!



I'm still here just haven't had a whole lot of time to post.  7th Grade is starting on August 22nd, two weeks earlier than we normally start and I don't even have the majority of the curriculum yet.  *facepalm*   Finally had meeting with our teacher counselor through visions who okayed choices, then headed out to homeschool store to select everything.  Had to wait until meeting since they are providing the funding.  I usually have everything already in hand by the beginning of August and plans done so feeling a bit stressed.  Will be picking up in a couple days. There are a few things not available through the store and it would take too long to wait for the school to do their ordering so went ahead and ordered directly. 

Printed off all the tables of contents of everything and have been working up lesson plans.  About half done but really, really, really need the books to complete plans.

 "A little whine with that cheese ma'am"

"Oh yes, thank you."

I read an absolutely awesome book last week. Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson.  Yes, she finally wrote a new story which references the O'Malley series quite a bit and I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Reader Copy.   Will be writing up my review in the next week or so.   Have to say that once I finished it, felt like had just  finished a gourmet dinner with a fine Bordeaux wine and filet mignon and was so satisfied and full didn't want to read anything else.  Haven't picked up another fiction book yet.  

Heading back out to Arizona on Friday to visit my folks for a few days. Mom is doing much better which means Dad is doing a whole better as well.   Hoping once get all plans laid out, life will get back to normal or as normal as our life can be and I'll be able to catch up on review posts, visiting blogs and get back into editing my latest WIP.

Tootles!


TLC Book Tour: The Prisoner of Heaven

The Prisoner of Heaven
Synopsis: Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julián, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city’s dark past. His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s and the early days of Franco’s dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love and ultimately transform their lives.

Full of intrigue and emotion, The Prisoner of Heaven is a majestic novel in which the threads of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game converge under the spell of literature and bring us toward the enigma hidden at the heart of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a collection of lost treasures known only to its few initiates, and the very core of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s enchanting fictional world.
After reading and being pulled into the drama and intrigue of The Angel's Game, (review here) and The Shadow of the Wind (review here) I was quite excited to read The Prisoner of Heaven.  The story takes you into Fermin's past and Daniel's present, blending the two story lines until they meet in 1957.  It wasn't as deep and mysterious as the other two books, but more of an emotional character read.  It is intriguing and will engage you from page one until the very ending which leaves you with the feeling of wanting more.  Even though the story can standalone I would definitely recommend reading the other two books first so you'll know what's going on.  Makes me want to go back and reread the other two books now.   Check out the thoughts of the rest of the participants of the tour.   I have a couple treats for you.

Trailer of The Prisoner of Heaven


Plus download a free short story Carlos has also written called A Rose of Fire.  




Thank you to TLC Book Tours for asking me to be part of the tour, Harper publishing for providing me with a copy of the book and Carlos Ruiz Zafon for creating such an interesting series about 1957  Barcelona and the Cemetery of Lost Books.

Happy 13th Birthday to James

James and Grandma


Happy 13th Birthday to James


He's a teenager!  And his comment this morning was "I don't feel any different than 9, 10, 11, or 12."   LOL!
He has taught us so much including the meaning of unconditional love, don't sweat the small stuff, never hold a grudge, patience beyond measure, and how to look at life in a whole new way. He's our miracle child, a blessing to our life. We almost lost both of us bringing him into this world. So his birthday is always a celebration, a reminder to live life in the present, to look forward to the future and never regret the past.
 
 
There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child.  ~Frank A. Clark

 While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt