90 years old!!!

 
A whole life, almost a century and still going strong.

My beautiful granny Odete, turned 90 years old today.  You know, all the women in my family live very long lives, which is such a blessing.

It still hurts that my other granny Jacinta passed away last week, it's heartbreaking in so many ways, mostly because I wish that I had the time with her to forge as strong a bond as I have with this grandma.  But, I can't dwell on what could have been.

She is now officially the last grandparent I have, my word.

Over the years you have heard me speak about her at length, about what she taught me and how we used to sit for hours with a cup of tea and just talk and talk and talk.

She was there for all the important moments in my life, she watched me grow from a small child into a teenager, watched me go through the teen craziness and then onto a young woman, and she was also there when I met my husband, when I cried, when I jumped up and down with giddiness when he proposed and for my wedding.

I don't know if I would be half the woman I am today, if it weren't for my granny.

So thankful to have had her in my life and I only hope that she is around for many, many more.

Happy Birthday Granny, I love you more than words could say!!!

31 Days of Autumn 2013 - Day 2

31 Days of Autumn 2013 - Day 1

Ohhhhh my favorite thing in October is the 31 Days of Autumn.  Each day, captured in a snapshot, and shared with my readers.

Now I know that there have been previous years where I haven't exactly been very good at posting my photo every day, but I am so excited to be actually surrounded by everything Fall right now, that I know I'll be able to keep up.

So, are you ready?  Anyone else joining in?

The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot - TLC Book Tour

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 24, 2013)

Heather Wells is used to having her cake and eating it too, but this time her cake just might be cooked. Her wedding cake, that is.

With her upcoming nuptials to PI Cooper Cartwright only weeks away, Heather’s already stressed. And when a pretty junior turns up dead, Heather’s sure things can’t get worse—until every student in the dorm where she works is a possible suspect, and Heather’s long-lost mother shows up.

Heather has no time for a tearful mother and bride reunion. She has a wedding to pull off and a murder to solve. Instead of wedding bells, she might be hearing wedding bullets, but she’s determined to bring the bad guys to justice if it’s the last thing she does . . . and this time, it just might be.

 

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband.
Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.


My Thoughts:

First thing I thought?  Darnit, this book is part of a series and I haven't read the previous ones. 

I'm iffy like that, I'm the type who HAS to read a series in order, so I'm a little hesitant at first if I come across a book that is part of one and I haven't been following along.  Thankfully though, most times I am lucky enough in that the book I read can be a stand alone novel and I don't have to feel like I missed out on anything.

So was the case with this one.

Oh my word, can I just say that as much as I'm not a mystery fan, I have started enjoying these kinds of books? 

What a fun story this one was.  There was craziness, and chaos and a little drama and comedy too.  And if that wasn't all, out pops up Heather's mom who once upon a time took off with all of her earnings AND ran away with her manager LOL

Things couldn't be more crazy for Heather, who is having to plan her wedding while trying to solve a murder.

I honestly couldn't put this one down, and I've now gotten my hands on Meg Cabot's previous books in The Heather Wells Mysteries series.  Books 1-4 will now be read and I'm sure enjoyed just as much as this one.  I think I'll go as far as saying that I'm becoming a mystery genre fan, and all thanks to Meg Cabot.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/30/2013

Good morning everyone :)

Sure hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was actually quite busy, including a very early Saturday morning trip to Boise and Meridian. 

I'm hoping to take some time today to get around to visiting you all, I always feel awful when the Happy Homemaker Monday slips by and I don't get around to all the participants, so I'm going to try very hard to get that done.

Alright, on to today's HHM!!!

The Weather:::
64 degrees this morning.  We got more rain overnight and I can honestly tell you that I've seen more rain here in the past two months than in the 7 years I was in Arizona.  Goodness!!!

 

Right now I am:
Enjoying a very hot cup of coffee with Vanilla Creamer and lounging in my Cath Kidston pj's with pink soft socks on.

Thinking:
That I could just take the whole day off and do nothing but lounge in my pj's with hot cups of coffee  and a good book.   

On my reading pile:::
I wasn't really enjoying The Welcome Committee of the Butternut Creek, so I switched to A Wreath of Snow  by Liz Curtis Higgs and this one I'm really enjoying :)   

On my tv:::
Downton Abbey Season 4 - It premiered last week in the UK and you know me, I don't wait until January for it to come to the States, I have to watch live.  

 
On the menu for this week:::
I'm still compiling the new menu, so only have meals assigned for today and tomorrow.  I have to get to the commissary on Tuesday for grocery shopping too.

Monday - Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Tuesday - Chicken a la King with Noodles 
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday - 
Saturday -
Sunday -

On my to do list:::
Laundry - wash, dry, iron, put away
Homeschooling
Tae Kwon Do


What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Last night I finished the knitted cuff I was working on, today I'll be starting the second one and then I'll have my pair complete.  Jasmine has been wearing hers everywhere and she's loving it.  I ended up giving her the grey pair because that's the color she wanted and I am out of grey.  Also have the crochet stash buster blanket I'm busy with.

Looking around the house:::
Just did the dishes, so the sink is empty.  Once they are dry I'll have to get them all packed away.
Did a big house cleaning on Friday so don't have much in the way of cleaning to do, aside from the daily pick up and tidy here and there.

From the camera:::

On my prayer list:::
Many people, many family members. 

Bible verse, Devotional:::
God brings us to the end of ourselves to show us how much, how desperately, we need him. We need the power of his Spirit to help us walk in obedience, no matter the cost. We need his help to forgive as we’ve been forgiven, to love as we’ve been loved, to be patient with others as he’s been patient with us. Only through the Spirit can we break the power of sin in our lives—whether it’s addiction or bitterness or gossip. So remember, it’s not by your might or power, but by God’s. Admit your dependence on him. - Zechariah 4:6