Folding Towels and Other Nonsense

 Just curious... how do you fold your towels?  Do you start by folding them in half hot dog style (long ways) or hamburger style (short ways)?  That's how we referred to certain folds when I was teaching, hot dog and hamburger.  Makes sense, right?  

When I was growing up, my mom taught me to fold short ends together first.  As an adult, I have always folded them vertically first.  Also, do you fold it in half, half, half, or half, half, thirds?  I like thirds. It fits better on my shelf that way.

According to Martha Stewart,  you should start lengthwise in thirds.  Go figure!

And what kind of nonsense is this?

Triangles???????

Moving right along...

Sorry!  This is where you groan!

Another groaner!

Last, but not least...

Have a great week!  And remember to visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Do We Have any Fears in Common?

Snakes!

Sharks

Nightmares

Rejection

Criminals

Dementia

I really thought I could think of 13 things I'm afraid of, but I just can't!

I gave it my best shot!

Visit more Thursday Thirteen.

P. S.  I miss you, Daddy!  Yes, it's been 20 years, but not a day goes by that I don't think of you and wish you were still here.

Why Coffee?

 

I do a lot of crafts, and with the holidays almost upon us, I'm seeing a lot of gift card holders.  Many of them are coffee-themed, and I just wonder... why do people assume teachers drink coffee? 

I realize Starbucks has more than coffee these days, but it wasn't always that way. I always gave away my Starbucks cards, and I received plenty of them over my years of teaching.  I like tea and Coke, but I don't drink coffee.  

Anyway, I just wondered why people assume teachers drink coffee.

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Sunday Synopsis

 

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of my all-time favorite books is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and I enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns, too, so it wasn't a surprise that I liked this book as well.

The book begins in Afghanistan in 1952 and proceeds through 2010. Some of the novel takes place in France and some in the U.S., but mostly in war-torn Middle East.

This novel differs from his previous two in that there is not one main character. Each chapter is written from the point-of-view of a particular character, all different for each of the nine chapters, and as it turns out, they all have one character in common, and it may not be who you think it is. However, this is not a mystery book. This is a book about human nature. One of the main themes of this book is the relationship and love between siblings. Additionally, there is a question of whether memories are a blessing or a curse. It is about inequality, sacrifice, and love in its different forms.

Hosseini is a master at creating complex, dynamic characters. This book is so well-written, and the characters, although set in a time and place I cannot truly understand, are relatable. I liked it so much that I think I've convinced my husband to read it. I highly recommend it.

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Not a Nice Surprise

I'm going to tell you a little story about a time that I got a nasty surprise.  I used to mow the lawn myself back when I was a single gal, and I would only wear one pair of shoes to do so.  I used to leave them on the back porch so I wouldn't drag in grass, dirt, and mud.  Mowing the yard was also the only circumstance under which I would wear sneakers without socks.

Well, one afternoon I went out to the patio and sat down to put my shoes on.  When I put my foot in the first shoe, there was a nasty surprise in there waiting for me.  A huge bullfrog!  Eeeeek!  Oh my gosh!  That is so gross!  This wasn't some cute little green tree frog.  No, Sir!  It was a giant greenish bark-colored toad.

Now, I don't mind most insects and such, and a spider doesn't scare me, well, not too much... but frogs?  It's not that they scare me.  Snakes are way worse than frogs, and they DO scare me, and lizards and geckos are only slightly better than snakes, but I still have a certain disdain for frogs.  I could definitely live without them, regardless of how many bugs they eat.

Needless to say, I screamed and threw my shoe.  And I never wore it again!  After that, I kept my shoes in the garage instead of on the patio, and I wore (old) socks every time after that as well.

What's a Not-So-Nice Surprise you've experienced?

Bring on the frog memes!

Last one, I promise!

Have a hoppy week!

Be sure to visit Random Tuesday Thoughts and Happy Tuesday!

Sunday Synopsis - Tai Pan

Tai-Pan by James Clavell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book number 2 in the Asian Saga. After reading and loving Shogun, I was so looking forward to this one. This is not a sequel, however. There are 5 books in the series, but all except one are actually stand-alone books.

When I first started this one, I wanted to stop. I didn't like it, but my husband encouraged me to keep going, so I did, and I ended up liking it a lot.

This book is set in the 1840's at the founding of Hong Kong. The Tai Pan, Supreme Leader of all China's tai pans, is a Scott named Dirk Struan. The book is mainly about his struggles to keep his fleet as the leading established fleet in Hong Kong and to prevent his rival from sabotaging or taking over his role. These business dealings are accompanied by themes of love, family, politics, and strife between England and China. It's another long book, although not as long as Shogun, but it is well worth the time spent reading it.0

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Happy Random Tuesday

 Hi everyone.  Hope you're having a happy day.

I'm so ready for summer to be over!  I know Labor Day is technically the end of summer, but we're due for upper 90's and 100's for a while still.

Speaking of Labor Day, did you have any plans?  My husband grilled steak, but that was the extent of our plans.  Rain and heat (and a broken foot... still) prevent me from wanting to do too much.  It's been four months since I broke it, and it's still only partially healed.  Insurance denied the bone stimulator.  No idea where I go from here except to wait longer.

How about let's laugh a little?

Just kidding, honey!

Have a great week!

Visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts for more fun!

Sunday Synopsis - Turtles All the Way Down

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

John Green wrote The Fault in Our Stars, which I liked, and Paper Towns, which I didn't. So I wasn't sure if I would like this one. Turns out, it's somewhere in the middle of like and not like.

Aza is a 16 year old who suffers from depression, anxiety, and OCD who is also grieving the loss of her father. Her best friend is Daisy. Aza and Daisy reconnect with Aza's childhood crush, who happens to be the son of a wealthy businessman who is wanted by police, yet successfully missing. Daisy, who is poor, really wants to find him to get the reward. Aza and Davis begin dating, but her OCD and other issues get in the way, and her relationship with Daisy is suffering as well for the same reasons. She knows she is difficult to get close to.

Green makes it easy to see how Aza's disorders can spiral out of control, but she is not a truly sympathetic character, nor are Daisy and Davis, either. I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters except perhaps Aza's mom. I have mixed feelings because it does so well with the teenage mental issues. It has also been made into a movie just as the other two Green books I mentioned, but I'm not sure I will watch it. And I won't include any spoilers in case you decide to read or watch it.

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Fun Photos

 Margaritaville Lake Resort in Montgomery, Texas on Lake Conroe

Visit Wordless Wednesday for more fun photos!

Happy Random Tuesday

 

My husband and I had a great time at Margaritaville Lake Resort last week, then going to see our daughter. I feel so much better after having seen her.  Her scan won't be for another 6 weeks, so they must not be too concerned.

The view from our room.

Meanwhile, my foot is still broken.  It has had a Jones Fracture since April 25.  I remember the date vividly because it happened when we were visiting my mom at the hospital.  The top of the bone has begun to fuse, but not the bottom.  I'm trying to avoid surgery, but my insurance won't cover the cost of a bone stimulator, not that there's a guarantee it will help.

Let's move on to some more happy stuff:

I hope someone besides me "gets" this!  Bye Felicia!

This is sooo me!

Have a great week, and visit Comedy Plus and Stacy Uncorked for more happy randomness!

Sunday Synopsis - True Crime, Bitter Blood

 

Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder by Jerry Bledsoe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When you begin reading this book, the characters don't fit the profile of the southern family pride this book depicts, and you may wonder why this part is included. But trust me on this... it is important and the story will come full circle and help you better understand how these crimes happened.

This is the story of three families in North Carolina who are connected by marriage, status, and ultimately, by death. The common denominator is a woman called Susie Sharp Newsom Lynch, and later, Fritz Klenner, her cousin. The story is about power, status, obsession, alleged insest, a custody battle, and murder, actually, multiple murders.

You may decide you don't like any of the characters, as there are only a few likable in the bunch, and there are a great many characters. It is somewhat difficult to keep track of who is who and why they are important to the story.

Bledsoe didn't leave out any detail, but he unfortunately repeated details numerous times. This book could have been one third shorter without leaving anything out. Towards the final chapters, I just wanted it to end.

The actual story is quite interesting, I just didn't need to read the same events over and over. I can't say anything more without giving away too much of the plot, but if you like true crime, and you know how to skim when you realize you're not being told anything new, then this book might be for you.

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