Jenner's Take a Chance Book Challenge: Pick a book by the cover

As I told you all before, I'm not a fast reader. It takes me awhile to get into a book and if it doesn't initially grab me I'm probably not going to read it.

I'm passed the phase in my life where I feel obligated to finish it.

Jenner's has come up with a unique challenge on her book blog and I've decided to give it a try.

Why aren't you playing along?

For this challenge I picked a book based on it's cover alone. This is much harder to do than you think.

The book I picked was entitled Twisted.





I picked this book because I loved the picture of the twisted pencil on the front cover. Laurie Halse Anderson is the best selling author of "Speak", but having never read that book I wasn't sure what I would be in for with this book.

The main character is a teenage boy named Tyler. He has a tumultuous relationship with his father and school is not going very well for him.

The school library journal said this about Twisted:

Grade 9 Up–Socially inept Tyler Miller thinks his senior year of high school is going to be a year like no other. After being sentenced to a summer of character building physical labor following a graffiti prank, his reputation at school receives a boost, as do his muscles. Enter super-popular Bethany Milbury, sister of his tormentor, Chip, and daughter of his father's boss. Tyler's newfound physique has attracted her interest and infuriated Chip, leading to ongoing conflicts at school. Likewise, Tyler's inability to meet his volatile father's demands to be an asset, not a liability adds increasing tension. All too quickly, Tyler's life spirals out of control. In the wake of an incident at a wild party that Bethany has invited him to attend, he is left feeling completely isolated at school and alienated at home, a victim of twisted perception. Tyler must tackle the complex issues of integrity, personal responsibility, and identity on his own as he struggles to understand what it means to be a man. His once humorous voice now only conveys naked vulnerability. With gripping scenes and a rousing ending, Anderson authentically portrays Tyler's emotional instability as he contemplates darker and darker solutions to his situation. Readers will rejoice in Tyler's proclamation, I'm not the problem here…I'm tired of feeling like I am. Teenage concerns with sex, alcohol, grades, and family are all tackled with honesty and candor. Once again, Anderson's taut, confident writing will cause this story to linger long after the book is set down

This challenge continues to surprise me by rewarding me with books I would normally have walked right past at the library.

What are you reading?

Weekend Update: Fish, Canoes, Swimming Pools

Here's the view from the canoe (hey that rhymes). Hubby and I decided to spend his last vacation day out at the lake. It was a lot of fun; We had a picnic and let the kiddos swim awhile and then we took the canoe out for a little ride.

The kids got to fish for a while. It was great because they were actually catching blue gill and sun fish. We tend to get bored fast when we aren't catching anything, if you know what I mean.

Here's oldest holding up one of those fish. I guess the fish didn't want to have his picture taken. He must have been embarrassed to be caught by a 10 year old. LOL

The rest of the weekend was spent clean up this joint and at the pool. Sunday even daddy came to the pool, which was really fun. We had super cheese fries with our lunch...how can you go wrong with that??

What did you do this weekend?

Sunday Citar

I'm playing along with fresh mommy for this week's Sunday Citar. It's my first time participating so I hope I'm doing it right.

I decided to feature some Winnie the Pooh quotes because I love Pooh and his simple philosophies.

I hope you enjoy them too.

~If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.

~ If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.

~It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

To read more quotes or to play along click on visit Tabitha's blog.

Let's get crafty Saturday; an award, a shout out and other random thoughts

Today I wanted to give a shout out to Janis for the nice award she gave me on her blog.

If you've never stopped by her blog you really should. She is quite the crafty lady.

If you stop by, encourage her to submit her most recent project to the chirp. It's too cute.

Today I decided to start what I hope to be a regular feature called Let's get crafty Saturday.

How do you like my new button???

So for my first Let's get Crafty Saturday post I'm showing off some recent scrapbook pages. When I say recent that means I made them recently, but they do not feature recent photographs. LOL

These are pictures from middle daughters holiday concert. The photos did not come out very well and I debated about scrappin' them at all. But then I fell in love with the paper and decided I would throw the photos down anyway. I think the arrow is a clever touch, if I do say so myself.

This is my son learning to play soccer. It was the first time I tried to put the photos into a circle. They were all cut with the Georg cartridge and I think the title is from alphalicious, but I can't say for sure.

In case, you haven't noticed I'm not a very organized person.

Another random thought: My friend Shannon posted a request for cards for her birth mom who just found out she has cancer. Her addy is

Kathryn McGinnis, P.O. Box 193, Hope, Idaho, 83836

If you have any interest in playing along with Let's get Crafty Saturday, let me know and I'll hook up Mr. Linky.

Fun and Games 7 with (the world famous) Jenners: Wacky Word Problems

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I suck at math. Seriously. I was in the "special" class in high school, which I have to tell you was mortifying and convinced me there was something wrong with my brain.

I do not know how to add things that have letters of the alphabet in them.

I have trouble balancing my check book.

I loathe word problems.

So how can I pass up the opportunity to write a few pointless one and play along with Jenners. How does she come up with all this nonsense???

1. If a monkey insulted my sister four times and then spit at me, who would kick the monkey but six times over?
2. Sally bought six apples for her trip to the beach; Alex brought two apples and Billy brought zero apples. How many apples should Sally and Alex share with Billy to make sure everyone has the same amount of apples?
3. If you subtract my net worth from that of say Oprah's net worth, then add those two figures together, whose funeral would be more widely watched on National TV?
4. Two dogs, plus five kids, plus four irritated adults equals?
5. If x equals the sum of y then how many x's does it take to equal 57 whys?
6. Blog comments, plus blog followers, plus words of affirmation equals what?

The answers:

1. Obviously my sister; I would just not talk to the monkey and secretly hate it for up to five days.
2. Sally, Alex and Billy are siblings. They aren't sharin' nothin'!
3. This is a trick question. The answer is, of course, is my funeral would be more widely watched. Everyone knows that net worth is not measured in dollar amounts but in how many people feel better for having known you.
4. One disastrous camping trip.
5. One two year old
6. A shameless plug for followers and comments, and my love language---so spread some love and leave a comment. Better yet follow me here and on twitter. Everyone is doing it and you know you want to.

Thanks for visiting today! To read more of these crazy word problems click on Jenners button above.

Writer's Workshop: What are you paranoid about?

I inspired one of this week's prompts at Mama Kat's! How cool is that? Unfortunately it brought back memories of my all too recent disastrous camping trip.

This week's prompts include:

1.) Tell us about a "dirt cheap" you've taken this summer.

2.) When I grow up I want to be like...

3.) Describe a difficult moment that you survived.

4.) List 5 things you like to do while camping...or 5 places you'd like to go.

5.) What are you paranoid about?

I feel like I've covered three and four this week so let's tackle number five.

The answer is drowning:

I have an irrational, child-like fear of drowning. I can swim. I used to be able to swim pretty well. That being said, I'm not sure I would be comfortable being dumped by helicopter into a giant lake. However, if that would somehow become my reality, I'd give it gung-ho effort to make it to the shore.

Here in lies the real problem. Stamina. I don't think I could make it even if I really wanted to. Maybe I could make it if I floated on my back for a short while when I was tired, but still I'm not willing to wager any fundage on this.

Now being the awesome, most Divine parent alive I am trying not to pass this irrational fear onto my children.

Do you think it is wrong then that when we go to the pool the number one rule is "No drowning" instead of no running???

Seriously, what do you think?

Suckation 2009 - the highlight and blooper reel

My sister wants to kick my a** because according to her as long is she is on the trip no vacation can suck.

She wants me to include a few additional bits and pieces that I forgot to write about yesterday. And as I explained before, you don't want her on your bad side.

We had a nightly visit from a ....

Nope not a screech owl...a donkey. Yep. Almost every night around midnight two very excited donkeys were would bray somewhere off in the distance.

Also worthy of noting is the fact that my brother in law tried to empty the charcoal from his little grill by balancing the bottom grate on two marshmallow sticks.

This scene when something like this....

BIL: "What out. I'm going to dump this."

SISTER: "What?? You're gonna what?"

BIL: "I'm going to pick this up and dump it into the fire."

ME: "You should move that chair. He's going to catch it on fire."

BIL picks up the grate and manages to balance it for .02 seconds before the hot coals fall all over the then dry leaves.

BIL: "Quick...I need water or do you think I should pee on it?"

SISTER: "You are a f**king genius. I mean seriously, a f**king genius."

Plus the blooper reel would not be complete without and honorable mention of the time when my sisters 9 month old lab puppy climbed up into one of the kids little chairs and sat with us by the fire.

Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera.

Today was a much better day. We spent it at an amusement park near our house. Everyone had big smiles and lots of fun and best of all the dog stayed home.