{ I really and I mean really, don't like driving }

 

Honestly, the more I drive, the less I like it.  The drivers in our city are by far, some of the worst I've ever come across.  I have never seen such reckless driving, and it's no wonder the highways are littered with police cars and people pulled over.

If I could avoid driving, I surely would.

I don't know about you all, but it's nerve wrecking for me.

I apologize for the lack of photos on this post, but I haven't had the chance to take many, I find that lately I'm getting on with my days and by the time I realize that I didn't take a single photo, it's far too late as I'm literally climbing into bed.

{ And the thunder rolls..... }

While I'm dreaming of Spring and Summer, the weather outside is clearly reminding me that they are nowhere to be found.

It is a pretty gloomy winter's day around these parts.

Rain, foggy, bitter cold and so grey that it's making me feel a bit cabin feverish.  It also makes me want to lay in bed all day and do nothing.  Imagine if that were an option, just drift in and out of sleep, have someone provide you with meals, clean the house and take care of everything else while you rest the day away.

{ National Geographic’s 100 Parks, 5000 Ideas - TLC Book Tour }

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: National Geographic (February 12, 2019)

Filled with helpful travel tips and beautiful National Geographic photography, this expert guide showcases the best experiences in the top national, state, and city parks throughout North America.
In the sequel to the best-selling 50 States, 5,000 ideas, National Geographic turns to the United States’ and Canada’s most pristine–and adventure-filled–national, state, and city parks with 5,000 ideas for the ultimate vacation.

Showcasing the best experiences, both obvious and unexpected, each entry in this robust guide provides an overview of the park, detailed travel advice, fascinating facts, insider knowledge about wildlife, and expert tips for hiking, biking, camping, and exploring. From the geysers of Yellowstone National Park to the Everglades’ Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail and the stunning peaks of Banff and Jasper in Alberta, each page will fuel your wanderlust.

Plus, explore the natural beauty tucked away in cities like New York’s Central Park and Boston Commons, and find bonus parks with day-trip suggestions to nearby neighbors. Top 10 lists throughout highlight best-of destinations for river trips, monuments, panoramic views, beaches, and more. This comprehensive book provides all the inspiration and information you need to plan your next park visit–and make it a memorable one.

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

I was super excited to be on this tour and given the opportunity to review such an awesome book. 

With Summer just a few months away, we've been talking about going somewhere, taking a small trip or even just a weekend family getaway.  We don't want to go far, we want to be able to stay within State, and this book has so many ideas and options for our State.

The book is divided into the different States and provides not only information on big national parks to visit, but also day trips, what to bring, how to get there, if there are multiple park entrances and where they are located and so on.

Not only filled with tons of ideas for the perfect family vacation or day trip, but the photography is absolutely breathtaking, pulling you straight into the pages and making you wish you could climb right on in to enjoy the scenery.

If you're planning your family vacation for this summer and looking for a great place to visit, within your State or any other State in the country, this is the book for you.

{ The Woman in The Lake by Nicola Cornick - TLC Book Tour }

Paperback: 320 Pages
Publisher: Graydon House; Original edition (March 1, 2019)

In the tradition of the lush historical dramas of Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine, USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Cornick’s The Woman in the Lake is a delicious tale of jealousy, greed, plotting and revenge that spans the generations between decadent Georgian society and present day.

London, 1765
Lady Isabella Gerard, a respectable member of Georgian society, orders her maid to take her new golden gown and destroy it, its shimmering beauty tainted by the actions of her brutal husband the night before.
Three months later, Lord Gerard stands at the shoreline of the lake, looking down at a woman wearing the golden gown. As the body slowly rolls over to reveal her face, it’s clear this was not his intended victim…

250 Years Later…
When a gown she stole from a historic home as a child is mysteriously returned to Fenella Brightwell, it begins to possess her in exactly the same way that it did as a girl. Soon the fragile new life Fen has created for herself away from her abusive ex-husband is threatened at its foundations by the gown’s power over her until she can’t tell what is real and what is imaginary.

As Fen uncovers more about the gown and Isabella’s story, she begins to see the parallels with her own life. When each piece of history is revealed, the gown—and its past—seems to possess her more and more, culminating in a dramatic revelation set to destroy her sanity.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 02/25/2019 }

Good Morning everyone and a very Happy Monday to you all :)

I want to start by thanking the Lord for a new week and a new blank slate for us all.  Remember that God's mercies are new every morning, so take full advantage of that and let this new week be one of blessings and joy.  That is what I wish for each and every single one of you.

In my last post I talked about feeling a bit out of sorts, maybe it was the stomach bug I had, combined with a sense of almost being lost and not really knowing what I was doing last week.  Trust me, we can be in our mid 40's and still have days where we wonder just what in the world we are doing.

But, with God's fresh mercies, I'm grabbing life by the reigns and moving on forward with a fresh new week.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, mine was wonderful and quiet as always, which is what I prefer.  I AM feeling tired today, because Curt and I were up until well past 11pm watching an episode of Kitchen Nightmares.  If that show doesn't make you question every restaurant you eat at, I don't know what will.

Anyway, let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday, as I have a busy day of homemaking ahead.