Thursday Thirteen

 I would not describe myself as having a green thumb AT ALL.  But my husband and I have been trying to keep some plants alive for a long while.  Some are dying, and a few are thriving.  These are the plants:

Amaryllis (pictured)

Jalapeno

Cilantro

Ivy

Cactus

Basil

Orchid (pictured above)

Asparagus Fern

Elephant Ear

Sago Palm

Ficus

Dracaena

Philodendron

What plants are you trying to keep alive?  Or does it come naturally for you?

 Let me know in the comments.  Share any secrets you have!

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Happy Random Tuesday

 I'm gonna go hit the sack after I write this post.  I suppose everyone knows that "hit the sack" as well as "hit the hay" both mean going to bed to sleep.  But do you know why those expressions are mainstream?

One theory is that sheets were cut from items such as burlap bags and grain bags (sacks).  Hit the hay could mean sleeping in the barn where a farmer's hay was stored, but it also referred to mattresses that were stuffed with hay.  Regardless of meaning then, we know what it means now.  But hitting the sack does not always equal sleep.  In fact, more often than not, it's a struggle to get to sleep no matter how tired I am.  You, too?

And if not for insomnia jeopardy, reading is often the culprit.

Sometimes the Internet gets the best of me.

Here's hoping we can all sleep tonight!  Please visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Sunday Synopsis

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is so much amazing content in this book that is not covered in the movies! So much! This is also where the series turns even darker. That began at the end of book four, but book five is dark, and it needs to be.

Just before Harry is to start his fifth year at Hogwarts, he must fight off dementors that have come to Privet Drive and threaten not only him, but Dudley. In order to save them, he must use magic. This is not his first offense, so Harry must defend himself in court or risk expulsion. It doesn't help that the Ministry of Magic refuses to take seriously the threat that Voldemort has returned.

In response to Voldemort's return, the Order of the Phoenix is formed and consists of The Weasleys, Dumbledore, Mad Eye Moody, Sirius Black, and even Severus Snape as well as a few others. Harry has a hard time believing Snape is actually on their side. At school, several teachers are let go by new headmistress Delores Umbridge, appointed head of the school by the Ministry of Magic.

Harry and his school chums begin meeting in secret to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts because Umbridge is teaching directly from a textbook rather than practical skills. They call themselves the DA, Dumbledore's Army. Most of his classes are teaching what he needs to know to pass the OWLs, Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Meanwhile, Snape begins teaching Harry Occlumency to try and prevent Voldemort from breaking into his thoughts. But when Harry discovers something Snape does not want him to know, he refuses to teach his any longer, and Harry begins having even more and more vivid dreams involving the Dark Lord.

I won't spoil the book, but suffice to say, it is amazing! This series is one of the best I've ever read.

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Happy Random Tuesday

 

Image Credit

This might fall under the heading, "You know you're from Texas when..." but I remember that in middle school in the 1970's, part of physical education classes was a unit on dancing in both 7th and 8th grades.  This was the only time P.E. was co-ed, and it was embarrassing!  We didn't learn the "cool" dances of the 70's either.  We had to do the Cotton Eyed Joe, the Schottische, and (shudder) square dancing.  Did you ever learn these dances or have dancing in school P.E.?  I'm 100% sure they don't do that unit today!  It gives us something to look back on and laugh!

Here's a few laughs!

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

Sunday Synopsis

Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stephanie Plum, bond enforcer. It sounds a lot more glamorous than it is, and frankly, Stephanie is tired of all the "bad" in life. While she is questioning her career choice, Grandma Mazur has gotten herself into a pickle. Her husband of 45 minutes has died, and his mobster cronies believe Grandma has the keys, literal keys, to financial freedom. The problem is, Grandma doesn't have the keys, doesn't know where they keys are, and didn't even know they existed.

And Stephanie has more than just finding the keys on her plate. She makes her living by locating FTA's (failure to appear) and getting them "rescheduled for their court dates." She has some doozies this time including a professional shoplifter who is able to give her and Lulu the slip multiple times. Stephanie's and Lulu's shenanigans provide much comic relief, and the love triangle with cop Joe Morelli and security expert Ranger provide romance.

Janet Evanovich manages to keep the storylines fresh even through this 26th book. But if you haven't read the previous books, you could pick this one up and still have a funny, twisty, read.

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Thursday Thirteen

 

13 songs I heard today.

1.  Tiny Dancer by Elton John

2.  Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, live version

3.  Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper

4.  Loves me Like a Rock by Paul Simon

5.  Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago

6.  The Wind by Cat Stevens

7.  Psycho Killer by Talking Heads

8.  The Chair by George Strait

9.  Roar by Katy Perry

10. Amazing Grace by John Newton

11. Baba O'Riley by The Who

12. Slip Kid by The Who

13. Woman from Tokyo by Deep Purple

Kind of a varied list!  Don't forget to visit Thursday Thirteen for more fun!

Happy Random Tuesday

 Maps.  I'm no good at reading them!  I can follow directions, and I can follow my GPS, but if asked to locate something on a map, chances are it will be difficult for me.  Everything on maps is so little!  I am trying to get better, though.  I remember my dad folding out his map and determining the route when we would take trips.  And remember key maps?  Those were fun, huh?  How about you?  What grade would you give yourself on map reading?

Map of the World if there was no land...

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Sunday Synopsis

Dying for Daddy: The True Story of a Family's Worst Nightmare by Carlton Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The real events of Dying for Daddy took place in Sacramento County, California in the 1990's. Jack Barron's 34 year old wife Irene died suddenly, and no cause could be found. Perhaps it was a rare genetic disorder because in the next few years, both Jack's son and daughter died, both age four at their deaths. But officials began to have suspicions when Jack's mother died not long after his daughter. A genetic disorder was quickly ruled out.

Jack was the grieving widower, father, son... until he wasn't. Friends and family members began to question how four seemingly healthy people could die, all in the same family and all within years of each other. It seems to me that the first death was under very mysterious circumstances, but to wait until four are dead to investigate? That is unreal.

While I hate that this event occurred, I believe the writing could have been much better. Far too much description was wasted on the backgrounds of Jack's parents and grandparents. Much of the story was repetitive. The part where Jack is being questioned by police also went into far too much detail since basically Jack's only words (over and over) were, "I didn't do it." The reader doesn't need the word-for-word retelling of questioning that elicited the same response the entire time.

And worst of all, the book had no ending. It just stopped. We as readers did not find out if he was held over for trial, what that trial was like, or whether or not there even was a trial, and surely not the results. It literally just stopped. There is nothing worse. For these reasons, I can only say that the book was okay.

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Careful! They'll Get Stuck in Your Head!

 If you are of a certain age, you will likely remember these ads!

1.  My bologna has a first name...

2.  I am stuck on Band-Aid brand

3.  From bikes to trains to video games

4.  Ancient Chinese secret!

5.  Meow, meow, meow, meow

6.  Hey Mikey! He likes it!

7.  Plop! Plop!  Fizz!  Fizz!

8.  Sometimes you feel like a nut

9.  Who wears short shorts?

10. I'd like to teach the world to sing

11. When you say Bud...

12. Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce...

13. On the label, label, label

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Happy Tuesday

 Happy Tuesday, everyone!  I've missed you.  But, no time for chit-chat today.  Just some laughs.

Anyone else?

Please visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts. Have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

 

The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction, and Philippa Gregory is my favorite author, but while most of her books rate five stars, this one only got four from me, and I will get to the reasons why soon.

In the beginning of this book, Queen Mary has died and Protestant Elizabeth I has come to power. She faces a number of challenges, particularly the change from Catholicism to Protestantism and the fact that her country is bankrupt. Additionally, the French are threatening to invade Scotland. She must also rule in a country that experienced weak leadership from its first female ruler. Add to this her desires as a female, and the fact that she is expected to wed and produce an heir.

In the midst of this comes her childhood friend, Robert Dudley, tried and convicted as a traitor. Nevertheless, Dudley has ambitions of being King, and thus woos Elizabeth all while his own wife remains constant in her faith and her love. Will Dudley set aside his wife Amy and marry Elizabeth? Will his ambition get the better of him and alienate those who already know him as a traitor?

A few things bothered me as I was reading. All of a sudden, about halfway through the book, Elizabeth began calling her advisor by the word, "Spirit." It did not fit with all of her other dialogue. And also in about the middle of the book, a habit was noted over and over that she picked at her fingernails. These two things did not add to the characterization, and in fact, detracted from the realism.

Also, if you read up on the real Amy Dudley, you may find some particulars about her which weren't included in the novel and actually did add to the characterization and drama. And last, the novel just ended without resolving all of the conflicts and answering the questions I had as a reader. This is not typical of Gregory, so for these reasons, this book only earned four stars from me, which is actually still really great.

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Thursday Thirteen - Snacks

  

I know that eating snacks may not be good for me, but I'm craving a snack right now, so that's what I'm listing here:  some (not all) of my favorite snacks, in no particular order.  My scale won't thank me, but what the heck?!

1.   Sour cream and onion Lays potato chips.

2.  Peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich.

3.  Fiber One brownie.

4.  Ben & Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream.

5.  String cheese.

6.  Frosted Flakes. Must be eaten out of my favorite bowl.

7.  Peanut Butter M&Ms.

8.  Munchos (especially on a road trip!)

9.  Toast and chocolate milk (the no-sugar variety)

10. Single-serve Velveeta Shells & Cheese.

11. Chocolate milk shake.

12. Buttered saltine crackers.

13. Cheetos - crunchy or puffy (but not the flamin' hot kind).

Do you like any of these?

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