Getting back into the swing of things.

Sorry, it has been a while. We have been dealing with some family health issues. Although it is nothing that is not manageable, we have found that we have had to make some major changes at home. So with work, home, animals, and kids, we are just now starting to feel like we are getting back to normal.

We have a lot coming up with our kids, as well as, our 4-H club. One of the upcoming things the kids in our club love to do is going to Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat.

 

 

We have had so much fun with this in years past. Last year, we collected over 120 lbs. of food for our local food bank! The kids enjoy dressing up (early) and going Trick or Treating.

 

Our first year, I figured it would primarily be the younger kids who enjoyed dressing-up, however, I have found this gives the older kids a reason to dress-up when they might normally skip it.

 

Earlier this month we were working with our local Tractor Supply Company for their bi-annual Clover Drive.



 

 

 

We are very excited because our local store helped to raise over $800,000 for local County, State, and National 4-H programs.

 

I plan to have a post dedicated to the Elder and why we are such large supporters of 4-H and what it did for her. I can suffice it to say, for now, that it helped her do a complete turn about. I don't know that she would be half the person without this great program.

 

Speaking of the Elder, we also had the joy of celebrating her 20th birthday. Some days I look at her and see my 14 year old young lady and then I blink and she is grown; and then I realize I couldn't be prouder.

 

I should have some pictures and information from our upcoming adventures this weekend.

 

 

Stay safe!







Catching up

I recently got a call from one of my best friends of all time.

We have not spoken in about three years. Although it may seem a bit out-of-the-blue, it seems that every couple of years one or the other of us calls to check on the other. Although I have remained friends with several people from my high school days, this is truly the one person I can say that it doesn't seem like we have missed a beat; it truly feels as if not much time has passed since we last talked.

The issue for some people? My really good friend is a guy.

Although I love my brother completely, I can honestly say I am probably closer to "Ace" than I ever thought of being with my older brother. I am sure it has some to do with the fact that my actual brother is six years older than me, and was out living his life while I was still at home testing my wings.

I was not only his friend, but also his sister's - his baby sister being significantly younger than all of us. I think both of his sisters are amazing, and he has a mom that could rival any of the women in my family for the strength, character, and the love they are known for. And his little (not anymore) boy is probably the coolest young man I know.

I spent more time following him around to rodeos, with his sister, and holding our collective breath as we waited for these eight seconds to be up.

He truly thinks I could not have married anyone better for me than my husband, which I kind of agree with him. And my husband is secure in the knowledge we have an incredible marriage where we love and respect each other.

So while I won't fill you in on all of the "stuff" going on in his life I will say we have both had a long journey this time to catch up on.

So while I am playing catch-up, I have slowed down on the reading - just a bit- and should have a review up for you soon.

Divorced and Desperate Series

This has been a busy and HOT week for us in sunny Arizona. However, it does afford me a little more time to sit back and enjoy reading, as we try to limit our time outside because of the heat. Whereas most other parts of the U.S. attempt to limit their time outside during the winter, this is when we get the most accomplished. With that being said, I was able to (re-)read three of my favorite books from the Divorced and Desperate Series. 

These books take you on the journeys of three best-friends, Lacy, Sue, and Kathy, as they deal with the lemons the tree of life has handed them. There are two others, although I have yet to dive into them, here are the first three in the series.

Lacy:

Divorced, Desperate, and Delicious

Description:

Ever since photographer Lacy Maguire caught her ex playing Pin the Secretary to the Elevator Wall, she's been content with her dog Fabio, her three cats, and a vow of chastity. But all of that changes when the reindeer-antlered Fabio drags in a very desperate, on-the-run detective who decides to take refuge in her house—a house filled with twinkling lights and a decorated tree. (Okay, so it's February, but she has a broken heart to mend, a Christmas-card shoot to do, and a six-times divorced, match-making mother to appease.) For the first time in a looooong while, Lacy reconsiders her vow. Because sexy Chase Kelly, wounded soul that he may be, would be an oh-so-delicious way of breaking her fast. Now, if she can just keep them both alive and him out of jail . . . 

My take:

This book grabs you with action from the get-go, as Detective Chase Kelly fights for his life, a life he no longer thought was worth living. That was until he stumbled into the yard of Lacy Maguire. I love the action, mystery, and character depth. It does not matter how insignificant a character is, you seem to get to know them, or at least enough to know what part they play in each of the lives of Chase and Lacy. You will laugh (I know I did) and feel for these two as their lives are drawn deeper together. I highly recommend this book. It does have a few racy scenes, but they are easily skipped over, if you are not a big fan of romance novels.

This book is currently a free download at Amazon and can be found here.


Sue:

Divorced, Desperate and Dating

Description:

Sue Finley murdered people...on paper. As a mystery writer, she knew all the angles, who did what and why. The only thing she couldn't explain was...well, men. Dating was like diving into a box of chocolates: sometimes the sweetest-looking specimens were candy-coated poison. After a breakup with a bank robber and a divorce from a cross-dresser, she gave it up for good. Then came Detective Jason Dodd.

Raised in foster homes, Jason swore never to need anyone as much as the parents who'd abandoned him. That was why he failed to follow up after experiencing the best kiss of his life: real passion was addictive. But when Sue Finley started getting death threats, all bets were off. The blonde spitfire was everything he'd ever wanted -- and she needed him. And though this novel situation had a quirky cast of characters and an unquestionable bad guy, he was going to make sure it had a happy ending.

My take:

While the old saying may very well be true that "no publicity is bad publicity" and "free publicity is the best publicity", Sue wishes she was paying her publicist for hers. As Sue is drawn straight into one of her novels, she wonders who exactly she has pissed off, as her local police force chalks it up to just another publicity stunt. 

I loved how unpredictable this book was. You truly don't get a sense for who her stalker is until the very end. The quick wit of the characters will draw you in and make you fall for them.

You can find this book on Amazon here.


Kathy:

Divorced, Desperate and Deceived

Description:

Of the Divorced, Desperate and Delicious club, Kathy Callahan is the last surviving member. Oh, her two friends haven't died or anything. They just gave up their vows of chastity. They went for hot sex with hot cops and got happy second marriages -- something Kathy can never consider, given her past. Yet there's always her plumber, Stan Bradley. He seems honest, hardworking, and skilled with a tool. 

But Kathy's best-laid plans have hit a clog. The guy snaking her drain isn't what he seems. He's handier with a pistol than a pipe wrench, and she's about to see more action than Jason Statham. The next forty-eight hours promise hot pursuit, hotter passion and a super perky pug, and at the end of this wild escapade, Kathy and her very own undercover lawman will be flush with happiness -- assuming they both survive.

My take:

Kathy just wants to live a happy life with her son Tommy. Sure she craves to have the companionship of a man, but she knows all men are liars and cheats, aren't they? As she goes on the run from the guys trying to kill her plumber, she learns to open her heart, even to another man that has lied to her. Kathy hopes her guardian angel stays close or she may not make it through this ordeal to see her son Tommy again.

You can find this book on Amazon here.

I really don't know if I will continue to read the other two books in the series. I feel as though I will pretty much be picking up anew with the novella, which is next in the series. I feel as though my questions had been answered and I really do not see a need to continue on, but you never know. I truly did enjoy Christie Craig's writing style and love her humor, so I probably will...

There is a box set that can be found here. But honestly, with the first book being free, it may be cheaper when you purchase them separately.

Hope you have a wonderful week of reading! 

The Legacy Human (Singularity #1) by Susan Kaye Quinn

Review:

I loved how this book flowed throughout. You gain a full picture of each of the main characters and how their lives are intertwined. Elijah Brighton, the main character, loves his mother and would do anything to save her from the disease ravaging her body.

The in-depth look at immortality as an ascender will have you choosing a side within the first few chapters. Would you want to be an ascender or a dissenter?

I got the book at Amazon here.

Description:

What would you give to live forever?   

Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender--a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid--after all, they're smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he's yearned for within reach... including his beautiful ascender patron. But once Eli arrives at the Games, he finds the ascenders are playing games of their own. Everything he knows about the ascenders and the legacies they keep starts to unravel... until he's running for his life and wondering who he truly is. 

When immortality is the prize, winning the Game is all that matters.   

The Legacy Human  is the first in Susan Kaye Quinn's new young adult science fiction series that explores  the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world...  and how technology will challenge us to remember what it means to be human.  

Final Thoughts:

I would highly recommend this book, especially if you liked either The Hunger Games or Divergent. This book is definitely one I will reread and keep on the shelf for 4-H Girl when she gets a little older. I can't wait to see what Susan Kaye Quinn has in mind for the next book.

Welcome!

Welcome, everyone! This is the first "official" post on the blog, but I hope to have at least a couple of books I read over the weekend posted within the next couple of days.

4-H girl will be joining us occasionally as a guest blogger, when she finishes the books she is reading.