Scribbles and Scrambles~More Fresh Air...or Maybe Sucking Air...

I've blogged about the Fresh Air Fund a couple of times. This organization exists to help city kids find fresh air and respite from some pretty tough neighborhoods.

If you are planning to be in NYC in March, and you like the idea of running a half-marathon...well then, keep on reading. If you just like the idea of helping kids who don't get a lot of old-fashioned Americana moments, keep reading as well.

Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities. Whether its a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities. Just $10 will send one child on a bus ride to his or her Friendly Town host family. $24 provides a child with a week of swimming lessons. $42 provides a day of Career Awareness classes. A gift of $50 can fund a camp counselor for a day. If you can give as much as $91, you provide a child at camp with meals for a week.

We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.

On March 21st, the Fresh Air Fund-Racers will take to the streets at the NYC Half-Marathon! Thank you to the Fresh Air Fund-Racers and their supporters for participating in this world class event. You are making a huge difference in the lives of thousands of Fresh Air children!

We have limited availability for this amazing race. If you would like to run, please register here right away.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ Snow Way 500...

I told you that I'd share the Toad-Boy plays in the snow adventure.

The number uno thing to know about Toad-Boy...his driving is...well, can I delicately say this?

Bad.

How's that?

His first driving experience, in a parking lot, ended when the car high centered on a concrete barrier and the oil filter busted and shot hot oil all over. (How do you top that?) His next adventure included me in the teaching seat...that's when my hair began to turn gray. He drove from his grandparents to our house, 2 miles, little traffic, DRIVING his grandparents car. All was great until we drew closer to our driveway. Here's a bit of what I remember.

"Slow down."

"Okay."

"Toad-Boy! Slow down! Now. You have to turn."

"Okay."

"Slow down!!!!!"

"I am!"

"Augh. Slow. STOP! STOP! STOP!"

Crunch! Followed by hysterical laughter. Fortunately the car only lost a headlight. However, his dad had to beat on the walk-in garage door frame in order to get the door closed.

Which brings me to the snow story.

And I don't think I can do it justice here.

So, you'll just have to wait. I promise it's worth waiting for.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Princesses and Space

Two book reviews for you. I was offered review copies of these...and they both appealed to me.



Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess
~ Jerramy Fine
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gotham; Reprint edition (February 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592404332

My Review:

I'd like to gush over this clever and quirky memoir. I'd love to say that every woman needs to pick up a copy and get in touch with her inner princess. But I'm not sure all women should encourage the inner princess to think for them.

Jerramy Fine is a charming writer. At times engaging to the point of reader risk of a Debritt's breach while attempting to eat and read at the same time. Fine's story is a sweet lesson about making your own truth, the power of positive thinking and acting, and of being the mistress of your own destiny. One does not have to be a clone or victim of one's upbringing.

Her insider and well-studied knowledge of all things English makes the book a fast and educational read. And there were very few icky over-shares within the pages which is nice. I sometimes get very annoyed with the need to wire each page of a book with an F-Bomb.

But the drunken exploits sometimes got a little long and I found a spots of bogginess when clear, crisp details would have made the trip easier, I wasn't always sure where she was going from snippet of thought to the next. Her humor was either bubbly and free-spirited fun or snarky, and as nice as both of those can be in a memoir, sometimes the transition felt jerky. And there were a couple of scenes that left me cold or confused as to why they were included. Very religious at times, but think mystical/spiritual vs. traditional.

So. I can't recommend it to all women. But if you are a royal watcher, Anglophile, a princess in a former life (or future one for that matter) you could find this little jewel to be the missing stone from your tiara.


Comfort Living: A Back-to-Basics Guide to a More Balanced Lifestyle (Paperback)
~ Christine Eisner
Paperback: 84 pages
Publisher: Lifestyle Design (November 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984228209

Product Description

With simple tools and do-able steps, Comfort Living will guide you in creating a home that transforms the way you experience each day. No big investment of time or money is required. Filled with exercises, ToolBoxes, photographs and planning pages, this book becomes a personalized experience for each reader, customized to individual needs and wants, much like a wedding planner or baby book. Just as comfort food does more than satisfy hunger, Comfort Living realigns your surroundings so that they support your priorities and feed your soul.

My Thoughts:

A very succinct guide to making a dwelling place into a life enriching environment.

Less than 100 pages, several of which are journal pages and fill-in-the-blank forms, uncover common issues that make our homes less than havens.

I found some valuable information going beyond the usual cutting clutter, organizing and decorating advice. It's not cookie cutter design or transformation plan, instead, Eisner helps the reader discover the inner drives and needs that will make their space uniquely satisfying.

I recommend this for those who want their helpful hints in to-the-point bullets rather than long drawn-out detail.

There is a companion journal. My thoughts on it:

I recommend the Comfort Living Guide, however, I wasn't real impressed with the companion journal. It's small enough it'd get lost in my purse and not leave me enough room for scribbling. If you can get both for a great price, or love the whole idea of a matching journal with the book, then sure, go for it. But if you think you have to have it in order to use the information within the guide don't let passing on the journal keep you from purchasing the Comfort Living Guide.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ Sighlent Night

This month is whipping by at a speed faster than light...Whoa! What was that? Another day? Seriously? It's the 15th. Christmas Eve at my house in 9 days. YIKES! And 5 days after that we have 4 house guests for 5 days. YIKES!! (Say that really fast a few times. : )

I just, like the day before yesterday, changed my summer comforter and bed stuff for the warm, brown and flannel winter wear. My closet is clean....but Christmas presents are tucked in various and assorted crannies of two different rooms.

Rob has plans to do some serious house projects on his break beginning late afternoon on the 23rd...the day before our Christmas Eve. I am so not going to do or say anything that gets in his way. I may serve soup by candlelight so as to hide the dust. And all those coming are near and dear ones who love us, come to see us, not necessarily the house, though they all celebrate progress.

23 and I have decided to get rid of all the baking ingredients we have including red and green sugar. Oy.

The snow has been falling on and off and the temperature is hovering in the teens, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. So after work, with icy shivers I exited my toasty car and rushed across the icy gray chunky parking lot and I picked up some more items to make that goal possible and hauled them home. 23 had the little ones so with the help of the 2-year-old we melted, dipped, sprinkled, baked and used up some items that needed to be outta here.

And now. Now I sit in my cozy living room looking at things that need to be done and knowing that there will be a scramble to do it. But, the dogs are wrestling and playing near my feet and 23 is reading Christmas books out loud deciding which one she'll read to her class of 5th and 6th graders tomorrow night. And. I know that Christmas doesn't have to be stressful. I'm finishing up this post, closing my computer and then going to sigh off some stress, curl up with a now quiet dog and listen to a story.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Christina Berry's The Familiar Stranger

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Familiar Stranger
Moody Publishers (September 1, 2009)
by
Christina Berry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. All that confusion must have influenced her decision to be team captain of a winning team on Family Feud.

Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, released from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Familiar Stranger, go HERE


My Review:



The characters and the drama of a marriage-on-the brink pulled me into this story immediately. Good writing and a twisting, intriguing plot line kept me turning pages. Though not perfect this is a terrific debut novel. Some pacing issues and some slight characterization quirks caused me to pause a bit. I also didn't find the details of some aspects of the story to be completely believable, there are some "but" moments.


Denise and Craig are in a cold war. Their marriage has degenerated to the point that polite, simple sentences are the only safe communication. The reasons that this relationship is so strained becomes apparent as the story unfolds.

The story begins as Craig is preparing to do something permanent to take care of this situation. But there is an accident. Then Craig wakes up with amnesia. Yes. I know, very soap opera...but by this point I was invested in the story and the writing. Denise and Craig discover that the puzzle pieces don't fall into place at all. As a matter of fact there seems to be a never ending pile of puzzle pieces. The story twists and turns from there.

There is a pretty strong faith element within the book.

By the time the novel resolved I was satisfied. I will be eager to read the next book Berry cooks up.

Serials and Scenarios ~ A Pearl of an Idea

A book full of encouragement and inspiration for the recipient and all royalties going to help others might be the thing for that hard to buy for person on your Christmas list.

Pearl Girls from Michael J Garvey on Vimeo.

About the book:

With His love and grace, God covered the unexpected pain in my life of becoming an adult orphan and transformed this pain into a pearl. We are all Pearl Girls. Each of us has been touched by God's gift of love and grace, and it's a gift that I want to share with others. That's why I am launching Pearl Girls.

Actually, my very first gift from my parents was a pearl. The gift of my name. Margaret means "precious pearl." So perhaps this is what I was always supposed to do. My heart's prayer is that Pearl Girls will be a blessing to others - to the women who contribute their literary talent to the Pearl Girls projects; to the readers who are inspired and comforted by the life experiences shared through these projects and to the women and children who will benefit from the proceeds given by Pearl Girls to various charities. This is a win-win for everyone, and each of us has a special part in making the Pearl Girls projects "blessed sellers."

After the first Pearl Girls tea in Atlanta, I went to my brother, Claude's home to help sort through our parents' boxes in his basement. It was an emotional experience and tedious process to discover what was in each box, to decide what to do with each item and to discard those belongings which we needed to let go. After several long hours of sorting, I received an incredible hug from heaven - a confirmation that Pearl Girls is something that is meant to be. I discovered a three strand necklace of painted pearls belonging to my grandmother from the early 1900s! Isn't that amazing?



Feel good about buying it. It’s about Connecting Hearts and Souls to Impact the World.

100% of the royalties go directly to two charities:

WINGS (women in need growing stronger). The proceeds will help fund a Safe House in the Chicago suburbs. It costs $50 a night to provide safe shelter for a woman and her children. During this economy, WINGS is receiving even more phone calls for a safe place to stay. Already, the Pearl Girls have provided 60 nights with the advance royalties. www.wingsprogram.com

Hands of Hope. The proceeds will help build wells in Uganda for school children. Can you imagine a child at school without a water fountain in the hallway where he or she can grab a quick sip of water in between classes on a hot day? These children have to drink from puddles and other water sources which carry diseases and parasites. It costs $12,000 to build a well in Uganda. Already, the Pearl Girls have provided funds to build ¼ of a well. www.handsofhopeonline.orgFirst and foremost Margaret would like you to highlight above all else that 100% of the book’s royalties go to Charity.


Share your own story:

Inspired by the many women who opened their lives and shared their stories in Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, we have created sister site, Post-a-Pearl. A place to continue the connection and encouragement the book began. I hope you will take the opportunity to connect through the Post-a-Pearl site. Please post your own Pearl story and reach out to share your own story with others. Collaborating is an important purpose of Pearl Girls. We connect to make a difference in the world.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ Snow Way!

Loads of snow dumped onto unprepared people always makes for a few stories. One in particular was especially amusing today.

And of a devotional nature.

One of my co-workers was stranded at home. A husband unavailable, a car nestled safely inside a detached garage, no garage door opener, a stuck entrance door.

No problem she decided -- after she panicked. She'd just get the opener from his truck. Which happened to be buried in snow up to her waist. Dressed in her professional attire, she dug, dug, dug, stopping only on occasion to attempt to reach him by cellphone. He was in an area with worthless reception, of course.

After finally getting the door opened she launched herself onto the seat and looked, dug, and finally despaired. No opener. She called someone who told her she could give her a ride. After sweating buckets, and embarrassing herself in front of any neighbors who might have seen the unladylike contortions during her hunt, she headed back in to wait for her ride. While she waited she decided to read her daily devotional.

Anyone want to guess the topic?

Trusting in God. Things happening to show us His power and our weakness and need for Him. Etc. Etc. She read it twice. Said a few heartfelt prayers and laughed. Then her husband called. Told her where the garage opener was. She caught her friend before the gal even left her house. And my co-worker arrived at work on time.

Her trip was spent thanking God for the lesson and she got to share all the details with her work buds.

I do love God's sense of humor.

Next week I'll share about Toad-Boy and the Indy Snow 500.