Totally Random and a Coffee Chat

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Have you ever wondered why they put nipples on mannequins?  Isn't the purpose of a bra (well, at least one of the purposes) to hide your nipples under your clothes?  So they build mannequins with nipples and don't put bras on them.  Yeah.  That makes perfect sense!

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Ryan Anderson (Houston Rockets) and Evan from the Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise... Similar? They remind me of each other.

Now that they are side-by-side,  I only see it a little bit.  I mean, I can tell why one reminds me of the other, but they really don't look much alike.  Facial hair?  Hair color? Hmmmm.

Today, coffee chat asks us:

Create a phrase or statement, that you carry 

with you throughout the coming year.

I've never given that much thought.  I don't have a mantra.  I guess I could take this Facebook quiz which will tell me my mantra, based on.... what?  Let's find out.

That's a pretty good mantra, I suppose.  But it's not something I would say.  I'd say something snarky like, "It is what it is."  Or "The glass isn't half empty or half full; either way, it's got the same amount of liquid in it."

Maybe my mantra should be, "Don't rock the boat," based on things that are going on in my life lately.  It could also be, "You can't be right every time."

 Or perhaps I need a Biblical mantra such as, "Judge not, lest ye be judged," or "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Oh, who knows?!  I think I'll just decide my mantra on the fly as things happen!

Have a great week!

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Small Things

I am once again joining Rachel Ann from Home Sanctuary in an attempt to bring some peace, order, and beauty to my home and life.

In reference to being organized she says,

"If you struggle to stay organized at home, part of the problem isn't so much with YOU.

It's with your tools.

You've GOT to have the right tools, or it will always feel too hard to do anything...

Today's Small Thing is to take stock of your cleaning supplies.  

Make a list of the things you need, and have them ready to go...by next Wednesday."

She recommends keeping the cleaning supplies near the area where you will be using them.  For example, get a plastic container or some kind of organizer in each room, particularly under each sink in your home.  She suggested this years ago when she was blogging about "small things" to do, and I did it.  I love having my cleaning supplies under the counter in each bathroom and the kitchen, right at my fingertips. After taking stock, I realize I need Comet and cleaning wipes.  It's a great tip and makes cleaning easier.

You can read her entire blog post here.

Happy organizing!

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Home Sanctuary

A few years ago, I participated in a project on Rachel Ann Ridges' blog known as Home Sanctuary, and she has graciously invited us to join her again.

At this time, I only know that Monday's theme is "peace."  I'm including a poem.

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Best wishes!
Forgetfulone


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Wordless Wednesday

Fighter planes doing a fly-over at the Abilene Christian University Homecoming Parade October, 2015

Linking up at Wordless Wednesday and Image-in-ing

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Sunday Synopsis

Freepick

Happy New Year!

Instead of a synopsis of one book, I'm going to break down my year in reading.

In 2016, I read 37 books +; I didn't log each children's book I read in class this year.

Of those 37 books,
29 were fiction
5 were historical fiction
and only 3 were nonfiction (looks like I need to improve in this genre)
Of my 37, 11 were young adult novels

I abandoned one novel:  Still Alice

Amazon.com

I may go back to it, but it's a difficult read for me, depressing, about early onset Alzheimer's.  I haven't seen the movie and likely won't.

My least favorite book this year, the much anticipated and most disappointing, was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Amazon.com

I should have listened to the warnings not to ruin my memory of Harry Potter by reading this script, which was not actually written by J. K. Rowling.  Too late.  It wasn't true to the characterization and history of the series.  I know some people liked it, but I'm entitled to my opinion.

My favorite series was The Selection by Kiera Cass, a young adult series that I usually describe as being a cross between the Hunger Games and The Bachelor.

Amazon.com

It's definitely not as violent as the Hunger Games, but it's a very similar dystopian society.  And there is plenty of PG-rated romance and "girl drama."

I am currently reading Me Before You.

I have not seen the movie, and I'm not sure I will.  I am enjoying the book more than I thought I would.  I put off reading it because I thought it would be too sad or too mushy, but I'm finding it to be a study in human nature, and I'm liking it so far.

I've been sifting through the 105 books I have in my "to read" list on Goodreads.  There are books on there I had totally forgotten about such as Wake by Lisa McMann, A Truth Worth Tellin' by Toni Teepell, and The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

My favorite book of the year was The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, a historical fiction piece centered around Katherine of Aragon and her relationships with Prince Arthur, Henry VIII, and Our Lady the King's Mother.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philippa Gregory does it again! I adored this book! The characters just come to life, and the one you don't like from a previous book is the one you root for in whichever book you are currently reading. Gregory has a way of doing that. She uses rich, historical details, not just events, but culture, allowing the reader to vividly picture the scenes and actions in the book. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it ended with her in court without the result, likely because it's an event in a different book, but I literally gasped at the end of this amazing novel.

View all my reviews

If you have suggestions about books I should read or a review you'd like to see, please let me know in the comments.  Thank you for visiting, and Happy New Year!

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