The Dinner List

The Dinner List 

I'm reading this book called The Dinner List by: Rebecca Serle. The premise is that game we've all played at some point or other, where you list the five people, living or dead, that you would like to sit down and have dinner with. In the book Sabrina walks into her birthday dinner with her best friend since college and seated at the table are her father who abandoned her when she was little. A favorite college professor. Audrey Hepburn. And her Ex-Fiancé and the love of her life. Her dinner List! And it got me thinking; who would be on my list? Of course, my list has changed over time. Some names came easy, right away. Others I had to think about and consider. But I thought I'd share my list with you. And would love to see who's on yours! So, let's play! 

1. My only sister, Debbie. There are some things in life that a girl can only share with a sister. And I lost mine in 2001. Stupid cancer! I still miss her very deeply and I always will. What I wouldn't give to have one more dinner with her! 

2. Father Damien. A Catholic Priest who gave his life for the Hawaiian people. He went as a missionary to the island of Molokai to live and minister in the leper colony. Where Hawaiians who had signs of the disease were forced into a hundred years before I was born. Where he eventually died of Leprosy himself. 

3. My Great, Great Grandmother Sixkiller, of the Cherokee Nation. That's right, I am 1/16th Cherokee Indian. I would love to hear what her life was like. And how she met and married the European man who became my Great, Great Grandfather! 

4. Andrew of the Bible. One of the 12 Disciples. Andrew was a finder! He went and found his brother Peter and introduced him to Jesus, and we know how that turned out! And when the other disciples told Jesus to send the crowd away, it was Andrew who found the boy with the loaves and fishes that ended up feeding the 5,000.00! 

5. My Favorite Fashion Designer, Diane Von Furstenberg. The only one on my list still living. She is credited with inventing the wrap dress. She uses bright colors and bold prints which I love. And is a Feminist Icon that has done a lot for Women! 

So, there you have it, my Dinner List. (At least at this point in my life! I do reserve the right to change my mind!) What Five People, Living or Dead, would you want to sit down and have dinner with? 

What I Know Regarding Roe (or in a tough Political climate, a tough conversation about abortion bans)

HERE IS WHAT I KNOW; 

1. EVERYONE IS PRO-LIFE 

    What do I mean by that? I mean Everyone wishes all Pregnancies were planned. That all babies were wanted and loved. That women were never raped or sexually exploited. That children were never neglected, abused or worse. That there was no such thing as Sex Trafficking or Incest. But that is unfortunately not the world in which we live. All of those things, and worse, exist. And I see it, working at a Family Law Firm and volunteering with Dress for Success, an organization that helps women get back on their feet. I see women and children who have been abused by their partner or the system, or by both.  

    No one, and I mean no one, not the most liberal person you could possibly think of, when it comes to abortion, is sitting around thinking "you know what the world needs more of . . ." or "man, what I'd really like to see more of in this country . . ." No. Everyone wishes there were never a need to have an abortion. But sometimes, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, it is necessary. 

2. LIFE BEGINS AT . . .

    Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." One of my favorite passages is Psalm 139 where we are told that God knit us together in our mother's womb. That we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Which I believe whole heartedly, but as we see in Genesis, God formed Adam first, and then breathed life into him, making him a living being. First Breath = Life. 

    Also, you can freeze embryos for years, even for decades, to be used later. You can't freeze a baby. Because only one of those is a living, breathing being.  

3. THE BIBLE DOES TALK ABOUT ABORTION 

    

    Now obviously the word 'Abortion' wasn't invented yet, so the word itself isn't in the Bible, but it does describe it pretty well. But before we dive into that, let's look at what the Bible says about the life of the mother vs. the life of an unborn child. Some states are banning all abortions even to the point of the mother losing her life. But in Exodus 21:22-25 it says if two men are fighting and injure an unborn baby, a fine should be paid to the woman's husband, suggesting that the fetus is property, not a person. (Not my thoughts, just telling you what the Bible says) But if the fighting men harm the pregnant woman, even accidentally, they are to be put to death. Suggesting higher value is placed on the mother's life, than that of her unborn child. 

    And Numbers 5:20-31 tells us that if a man thinks his wife has cheated on him, he is to call the Priest, the Priest will come and give the wife a drink, and if she has been unfaithful the drink will cause her pain and make her womb to open and cause her to miscarry the baby. That is an Abortion. Right there in the Bible. 

    

4. NOT HAVING A CHOICE IS SLAVERY

    No one should have their choice taken away from them. America is the Land of the Free! Not being allowed to make your own choices in life is not having freedom, Slavery, plain and simple. And we fought hard to end slavery! And a woman's choice of when and how to become a mother should be made by her, her family and her doctors. Not by a room full of middle-aged white politicians jockeying for positions, or for control. 

    As we watch what is happening in our world today, I have some questions I ask you to ponder in your own mind and heart. Ask yourself this: should all those Israeli (and American) women that were raped by Hamas, should they have lived, then be forced to carry, labor and deliver their terrorists children? How would you feel being forced to do that after living through hell? You might think well, the rape isn't the baby's fault! No, it isn't. But I would also add to that that it isn't the Woman's fault either! 

    And a girl too young to consent to having sex, who's body isn't even fully developed yet, it should be up to her, her parents and doctors. Not Law makers intent on criminalizing these women and girls making the most difficult decision of their lifetime, and the doctors just trying to help them, instead of the men who are causing these pregnancies with no regard for the women or the children! Men's bodies are never regulated or controlled by the Government. Why is that? 

5. CHOICE GOES BOTH WAYS 

    

    For the girl who has been sex trafficked, or has a horrible home life, or even the sex worker, having a baby could save her life and put her on a different and much better path in life. But having that choice taken away from her and forced into abortion after abortion so she can continue turning tricks for her trafficker is definitely slavery. Choice = Freedom. No one should take another's Choice away from them! You and I make choices every day. And whether or not we agree with someone else's choice, doesn't give us the right to make them for them. Or to force them into what we think is right. If you believe the Bible, then you know that God willingly gave us Free Will. Who are we to take it away from someone else? We should not be playing God! Only God is God, and He chose to give us Free Will! 

6. LIFE DOESN'T END AT BIRTH 

    Many people say they are Pro-Life, but what they actually mean is that they are Anti-Abortion. Because as soon as the baby is born, they stop caring about that child. We cannot require women, no matter the circumstance, to have a baby, and not have programs up and running to support them. For example, a drug addict who has no money, so let's say she does sexual favors for her supply and ends up pregnant. The abortion bans in many states force her to have that child. The same people advocating to take her choices away, knowing she was a drug addict in the first place, also want to force her to be drug tested before giving her Food Stamps, Access. Wic, etc. Now taking away her only resources to feed the baby you just forced her into having. We have to do better! Is having countless women and children living in the streets really pro-life? What kind of life is that? 

    Now of course, Adoption is an absolutely wonderful answer to this problem. But as we all know, many of these girls and women in these difficult and sometimes impossible situations do not, nor are they equipped to, make such an unselfish, rational and loving decision like doing what is best for their unborn child. Nor, in many cases, would their abuser/controller allow them to. Many times, their Situation, Poverty, Addiction, Abuse, etc. leave them with no way out. And the thought of having another human being to take care of in these impossible circumstances is overbearing! They see no way out. They have no way out! If we could help them, educate them, provide resources to them, it could be a very different story. But we don't want to do that. 

7. WHAT IS NEEDED

    If, like me you consider yourself a Christian, we are put here on this earth for two purposes: to Love God and to Love People. That is it! That is our mandate. In Matthew 22: 36-40 Jesus was tested with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Carlos Whittaker says, "We should not stand on issues, we should walk with people." I love that so much! (If you're not following him, you need to be! He's one of the best Worship Leaders, Speakers and Authors out there! He's funny and real!) These girls and women don't need our judgement. Or our condemnation. They don't need unloving people standing outside their clinics hurling hatred and insults at them. Telling them God hates them! Because He absolutely does not! God is Love! And anyone who loves God must also love people. (I John 4) What they need is the most beautiful word in the English language: Grace. Unmerited Favor. Just like we've been given. Do not stand on the issues but walk with people. Love them. That is what you are called to do. 

MY JOURNEY INTO MOTHERHOOD: 

    Here's just a little background of my journey to becoming a Mother. I'll try to keep a long story short! A couple years after getting married we decided we wanted to have a baby. And according to plan, we got pregnant and had a bouncing baby boy! A baby boy that never slept through the night till he was well over a year old. Who had colic, and too much energy, that he could only get out by screaming constantly. And in nursing him, I found out that I am prone to Mastitis (breast infections) And in the months I nursed my baby, I had four of them. Even ending up in the hospital with a 104 temperature. And in the middle of all that, when he was just 7 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. I cried for weeks. I honestly thought I will never sleep again! I started having severe abdominal pain and ended up in the ER. Then put right into the hospital for emergency Gal Blader surgery, while I was pregnant. I was scared to death. I thought I'm going to lose my baby because I was unhappy about being pregnant again so soon. Then my second son was born, just 16 months after the first. He was Healthy. Thank God. And to my amazement he slept solidly through the night from about 7 weeks on! 

    A few years later we decided we wanted to try again for a girl. Baby boys are so precious, and I would have been happy, of course, to have another one, but I really wanted a girl too. As a boy mom, I could name all the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers and every Dinosaur to ever walk the earth. But I grew up loving Barbies and all the girly things and wanted to be able to share that with my daughter. But as we were ready to start trying, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. I had to have Surgery and Radiation and then I would be on Thyroid medication for the rest of my life. And my doctors advised us that I should wait a full year after radiation to get pregnant. Then as the year was up, we started to second guess our decision. Kyle would be in first grade and Zach in Kindergarten. With both boys in school all day, did we really want to get back into diapers, etc. Um, not really! We loved our life, were more than happy with two kids. Decision made. Then we found out we were already pregnant. And guess what? "You're having Twins!" 

    Now having two kids so close together was good practice for having twins. But when you have one baby and two parents you can take turns. There were nights with our first baby, when John would wake up in the middle of the night alone in bed and come out to the living room to find me with baby in my arms, walking, bouncing, singing. Kyle and I both crying! And say, "I have a few hours till I have to be at work, let me take him, you go get a little sleep." With twins, no one sleeps! That first year is extremely hard! After that it's so much fun though. Each of our kids had a playmate. 

    I like to joke that I had one planned pregnancy, but I have four kids! And what's more than that, what I also had, was the fact that I was in a loving relationship. A Marriage of equal partners. And had a wonderful support system surrounding me! Made up of my big Family, many friends and the Churches we were a part of! When I, who loves to work, took a part time job during tax season when my boys were little, my mom and my sister would watch my boys at no cost to us. My sister-in-law was even my labor and delivery nurse when my girls were born! As Youth Pastors, I would walk into Church, and there were numerous students just begging to hold my Twin baby girls. Or that would stop by the house to help me get my four ready and out the door. People bringing us groceries and other necessities. The list of help we received is endless. And I know I am Blessed and privileged! And how loved we are! But I also know it's not like that for everyone. I cannot think of a more difficult job in the entire world than being a single parent. It was, at times, tough for me, even with all I had going for me. I can't imagine trying to do it all completely alone, or even worse, with someone doing more harm than good to me and my child. 

    My point here is that we don't know what someone else is going through. Or why they make the decisions they do. Nor is it our business. For us to judge them when they are at their worst is wrong. And we do not want to go back to how it was before Roe v. Wade. Rewatch Dirty Dancing to remind yourself in an easy to digest way, what it would have been like for women who found themselves in an impossible situation with no family to help them. Pregnant, abandoned by the father without a second glance. Having to work to support yourself and couldn't take time off to have a baby, even if they wanted to go with Adoption. No Insurance. In no position to take care of a child. Women lost their life trying to end a pregnancy and find a way out of a horrible situation. How is that pro-life? It isn't. Pro-Choice is Pro-Life! 

LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE. 

DON'T STAND ON ISSUES, WALK WITH PEOPLE. 

Surviving 2020 The good, the bad, and the funny!

 Well, they say that Hindsight is always 2020 vision. This year started out so promising! A new Year, a new Decade! 20 Years removed from the fear that was “Y2K.” So Full of Hope! But what happened certainly has been unprecedented. None of us could have seen it coming or predicted what took place. But if you are reading this, than like me, you survived the year that was 2020! Each of us has walked through the muck and made it out the other side. The whole Human Race, collective, together and alone. It’s a lot to process. I know. But I’m going to try. To put into words the Good, the Bad, and the Funny of 2020! This is the story of this year, as it happened to us; Buckle your seat belt!

 

The Bad:

1. My Husband had a Heart Attack. In February. He was only 53 and a healthy eater. But has a family history of heart disease.
2. COVID 19. A global Pandemic, like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetime.
3. Nation wide Shut-down.
4. I was furloughed from my job.
5. 3 of my Kids’ jobs shut down.
6. I had to have oral surgery during all this.
7. Grocery store shelves were scarily empty, and you couldn’t find toilet paper.
8. They stopped making Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper due to an aluminum shortage! I mean come on! This is one of life’s necessities!
9. I received a lot of hate from friends and family for speaking out against an immoral President and speaking up for Black Lives Matter. 2 things that I would deem worthy of speaking out for. I really do try not to post too many political statements, but sometimes I just have to say something! My husband doesn’t like me to, because of course it’s hard to see someone you love be attacked. But A. If Immoral behavior was wrong when Bill Clinton was President, which it was! Than it is wrong when Donald Trump is President, who is even worse! Leaders should be held to a higher standard! And B. Yes, All Lives Matter, but that can’t happen until Black Lives Matter! Love always champions others! Saying Black Lives Matter does not take away from any other life. The strong have to speak up for the hurting. Make America Kind Again!
10. Our Refrigerator went out, in the middle of the shutdown. Yay!
11. And the our Oven stopped working.
12. My Daughter went through a tough break up.
13. Tiger King! The worse! If 2020 was a T.V. show!
14. Both my Daughters in Law’s Fathers faced Health Crisis’! Which of course affected them, my sons, and my grandbabies.
15. Many people I know lost their parents and other family members to the Corona Virus. Having lost both my parents and my In Law’s, I can’t imagine going through that when you couldn’t even be with them as they past, or have a proper funeral. Or gather with your family and loved ones for comfort while mourning your loss.
16. My Sister in Law lost her only sister on Christmas Eve. My heart breaks for her, as I know what loosing your only sister feels like. There are just things a woman can only talk about with her sister. I miss mine terribly even still.
17. People I know and love got the virus.
18. A lot of people lost their businesses and their livelihoods.
19. My brother’s cancer has come back with a vengeance. And other people I know and care about were diagnosed with cancer this year.
20. My Daughter was diagnosed with some Health Issues.
21. My Daughter admitted to us just at the beginning of the shutdown, what we had suspected, that she has been dealing with an eating disorder. So we had to try to get her help remotely.
22. We couldn’t see our Families.
23. We couldn’t go anywhere!
24. Survived the Hottest Summer ever on record in Phoenix!
25. I have to work, sometimes for 8 hours or more wearing a face mask.
26. More that 1 member of my family dealing with Anxiety issues during all this.
27. I had to give up, among other things, my Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza this year. As my husband, due to his heart attack, is high risk. It just isn’t worth it!
28. No big Family Gatherings. Like making my mom’s Christmas Cookies all together. Or having our annual Family Christmas Party!  
29. My BookClub couldn’t meet!
30. No Gatherings. No Christmas or Birthday Parties. No New Years Eve Party! 
    

 

You know this has been a tough year, when it can turn an eternal optimist, like me, someone who always sees the glass as half full, who can always find the silver lining, and look on the bright side, to get discouraged. I have said repeatedly this year (to God, and to those closest to me) “I can not handle one more thing to worry about!” I need this to end! Enough is enough! I can’t handle anymore! But it is not in my nature to let evil win. I am determined to have the good out weigh the bad! And I have so much to be Grateful for! We all do. So here is my Silver Lining. The good things I could find in this otherwise horrible year.

 

The Good:

1. The timing of my Husbands heart attack. If it had happened just weeks later, none of us would have been able to be with him in the hospital.
2. My sweet Granddaughter was born! This will forever be the absolute best thing to come out of 2020!! She has brought so much Joy into our lives!
3. My Daughter in Law, a Nurse, was on Maternity Leave, so she didn’t have to work during the unstable, frightening beginning of the Pandemic.
4. Both of my girls thankfully still live at home. Had they been out on their own, having to deal with all this alone, it would have been devastating.
5. Husband now works from home!
6. I got a new job! Even though my hubby’s heart attack happened on the day I was there filling out my new hire paperwork, which postponed my start date, and it shut down a month later I still had it.
7. All through the shutdown my other job, a Law Firm (essential) even though we stopped seeing clients in person, allowed me to get out of the house. I need that!
8. My Daughter got a second part time job, now like her mother, works 2.
9. We never ran out of Toilet Paper!!
10. My Daughter started as a Youth Leader at our Church, once they opened back up. And is doing really well.
11. Daughter met a nice new guy to start dating!
12. Our oldest son turned 30!! And though we couldn’t celebrate it, how we would have liked to, Friends and Family from all over sent Birthday Cards for a Socially Distanced Party!!
13. We saved money not using as much gas, not shopping or eating out, Etc.
14. We found a really good Therapist, Dietician and Group that specializes in eating disorders for my daughter! She is doing really well! We are so grateful and proud of her!
15. We had the extra money to do all that! Other years, that might not have been possible.
16. We, our Kids, and Grandkids have all stayed mostly healthy!
17. I started having regular Zoom meetings with all my Brothers and Sister’s in Law, as well as with our Small Group, to stay connected.
18. My girls thrived during quarantine! They found very creative and crafty new hobbies! From Knitting, and Crocheting to Painting and Plants. They played games and put together puzzles.
19. I discovered coloring is very therapeutic. Doing puzzles, for me, not so much! I’ll stick to Reading!
20. I had lots of extra time to read! I had set a goal to read 27 Books this year, but ended up reading over 35!!
21. Was able to get caught up on shows we’d been wanting to watch, but never seemed to have the time before. 
22. Thankfully I don't have school aged children at home that I had to home school! That could have been a disaster! 
    
23. Found new local businesses to support in our community.
24. Met a lot of our neighbors while out for our daily walks, since more people were home.
25. I was still able to get my hair cut whenever I needed to, as my stylist lives with me!
26. My Husband got lots of opportunities to lead Worship! Plus we got to watch him live from home! 
27. We celebrated 33 Years of Marriage this year! 
28. With more free time and nothing to do, my Hubby's been online shopping! Surprising me with a Kindle for Reading and a new Kate Spade Bag!! #Score 
    
29. We voted in a new President!
30. Dress for Success found new ways to help women in the community!
31. Churches were forced to look outward rather than inward and find new ways to be!
32. Teachers, Nurses and other Essential Workers became the Heroes! And it’s about time!!
33. People put up Christmas Decorations early! And more houses than ever decorated this year! And we all needed it!
34. My favorite Radio Station started playing nothing but Christmas Music early, and kept it going longer that other years!
35. 2020 Memes! The whole world found something that united us! Disdain for 2020!
36. We each got a Pod! The group of people you still saw and got together with. For us it is our kids and grandkids!
37. Hamilton!!
38. Jimmy Fallon at Home!
39. Drew Barrymore’s new Talk Show.
40. Of all the people in the world, who would have thought it would be Dolly Parton who saves the world?! A children’s book needs to be written about that! At the very beginning of the Pandemic she had the wherewithal to donate a million dollars to COVID research. And they are saying it’s greatly due to that that we have a Vaccine so quickly. Dolly, you forever have our gratitude!
41. A Vaccine! My Daughter in Law got it the day after Christmas! And my Husband get’s his January 7^th. Thank you God!

 

So, you see, the good outweighs the bad! Even in the most horrible of times! Grace abounds! I don’t know what all you have lived through this year, but I do know that it was hard. You are not alone. 2020 was unlike any other year. But it is ending! Thank Goodness! And we survived! We made it through! And I am Praying 2021 is very much different than 2020. That Blessings Abound! I am Wishing you, and all of us, Health and Happiness! Prosperity and Purpose! Gifts and Goodness! Love and Laughter! Tenderness and Togetherness! And a much Happier New Year! Here's to 2021! 

What To Read While In Quarentine Or Self-Isolating

With the Coronavirus Pandemic, and everyone having to spend more time at home right now, I thought I would Curate a List of Books to Read, no matter your age or what genre you like to read. All Books having to do with Isolation, weather by choice or due to circumstances. Some of these books I'm sure you may have read, or at the very least have heard of. I have read them all, and would not recommend them if I didn't like them. Give them a try & let me know what you think. And add any other suggestions you might have.  

I felt so strongly about this that it is bringing me back to my Blog! I know it's been way too long since I have blogged. But I will leave that for another Blog Post at another time.  So, if you are looking for something to read while feeling isolated, I got you covered! 

Biography/Memoir: 

 A true story of a man so full of social anxiety that he escapes into the woods to live as a hermit. Living completely alone, he stole books to read for entertainment! I found this so interesting. I listened to this one on Audio. So good.

 Hiding in an attic with her Jewish family & others from the Nazis during World War II, 

this young girls diary is both enlightening & heart wrenching. 

Everyone should read this book in their lifetime.

A brilliant Doctor gets terminal cancer & writes about the ending of his life. 

This book is both eye opening and heart breaking. 

Be prepared, you will cry. 

Historical Fiction:

Set in France in World War II. But different than any other WWII fiction you've read!

You get the perspective of a young blind girl forced out of Paris to stay with her reclusive uncle, 

and a young German boy forced into the Nazi Party.  

 

A young family move to Alaska in the 70's to self isolate themselves.

Which as it turns out, in this case, isn't the healthiest thing for them. 

The backdrop of Alaska becomes another character of the book itself!

Science Fiction: 

I don't read a lot of Science Fiction, but this one was pretty interesting. What if there are parallel universes happening simultaneously? And what if you could access them? 

Would you explore the roads not taken? And what would you do to get back to the life you built? 

Christian Fiction: 

A young girl riddled with anxiety, won't go outside of the old Museum she & her mom run & live in. 

True confession time; I don't read a lot of Christian Fiction, because it can be cheesy & predictable, but this is neither, and I actually really liked it.

This book will challenge your thoughts on God and why terrible things happen. 

If you've never read it, now might be a good time. 

It's not what your think.

 

Mystery: 

 A little girl abandoned, grows up alone in the marsh land.

Someone is killed and the girl, now a young woman, is arrested & tried for the crime.  

But who did it? This one is also a good listen on Audio. 

Classic:  

For those of you, like me, who love to read or re-read the tried & true Classics, 

this one is for you.

Orphaned & an outcast, will Jane be alone and exiled again? 

 A great story of teens in the 50's and society's expectations of them.

When two of the young men find themselves in a situation 

that requires them to hide out in an abandoned church.

Non-Fiction: 

Need a great reminder to be thankful? 

Or how to find things great and small, in the everyday and ordinary to be grateful for? 

This book will stay with you forever & inspire to start your own list of gifts. 

Young Adult: 

From the writer of The Fault In Our Stars. 

This is a story of a girl who wants to escape, and the boy who wants to find her. 

The Book is much better than the Movie!

I love this Book so much! It's about a guy planning on dying and a girl learning to live. 

I love books that make you feel! Whether that is laughing or crying. 

But if you only read books with happy endings, this isn't the book for you. 

Children's: 

 For young boys. 

A story of crime, punishment and redemption. 

A good one to read it as a family.

 Well, as an extrovert, if I had to be left alone, 

what better place than the Plaza Hotel? 

So cute!

 If like me, you have grandbabies that are obsessed with Trains, 

there is no better book than this one! 

The opposite of Isolation, a toy train for the first time ever, finds himself out in the big world, 

and just want's to make his way back home! 

This is an oldie but goodie, if you can find it. 

An actual favorite of mine as a girl! 

What could a girl possibly find to do alone with nothing but a box and her imagination?!  

I believe you should be able to get most of these titles from Amazon, Kindle, or on Audible if you prefer to listen to books on tape. And even though most Independent Bookstores have temporarily closed down, many are doing curb side pick-up. So, Happy Reading. And stay safe. I'm Praying that you and yours remain Happy and Healthy.

My Summer Is All Booked!

 

 A lot of my Summer Reading time has been devoted to the Neapolitan Novels. I have had them on my To Be Read List for quite some time now, written in Italian, translated into English. (I feel smarter already, don't you?) Having finally assembled all 4 in the series, I determined this was the year I would read them. But I have to admit I'm not loving them. Though they, in theory, are everything I usually love about Books . . . Set in Naples Italy, the 4 Books follow 2 Girls who meet in the 1950's throughout their life time. The ups & downs of female friendships through the years & in this case decades. They started out strong for me as these two little girls meet & it's their shared love for the Book Little Women that binds them together, and makes them want to be writers when they grow up! (Be still my Feminist, Little Women Loving heart!) But they are some of the most violent I have ever read. Set in the streets of a very poor neighborhood in Naples. The third book is my favorite so far & I've yet to read the last in the series. It's so heart breaking when a Book doesn't live up to it's potential for me. Though many people all around the world love these books & they are pretty highly rated. They are just not my cup of tea.

Here's one that did live up to it's potential for me; The Boston Girl! I'm finding that I'm liking Historical Fiction more than I thought I did. And anything that makes you see from a different point of view is very interesting to me. And this protagonist was ahead of her time! And I'm glad I found her in mine! It's an easy read & well worth it!

 And what would a Summer Reading List be without an Elin Hilderbrand Book?! The quintessential Summer Read! Her Books, always set on Nantucket, and this one about Identical Twins very different from each other & from most characters you read about before is a fun one!

Look at this a male Author! :) I am a John Grisham fan! But this one isn't his typical Court Room Drama, of which I've read many & really like. Camino Island is set in Florida about an Author, a Bookstore, and a Crime. It's different for him and I really enjoyed it! If you love Books, you will like this one! The Perfect Beach Read!

Okay, so I didn't read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this Summer, I read it a long time ago. But Netflix just came out with an Original Movie of it, staring Lily James, who is also in "Mamma Mia Here We Go Again" this Summer. And you have to see it! (And you also have to see Mamma Mia!) So Good!! 

I hope you are having a fun filled Summer, complete with good Books, good Movies and great Memories! And as always, let me know what your Reading & Watching in your Booked Summer!

Kyle

28 years ago today;

You made me a Mother.

 

 

Such a Beautiful Boy.

With the Personality to match!

 

 Always such a fun kid!

And to this day, still the Life of the Party!

 Always so Creative! 

And on Trend.

 Never afraid to say "I Love you Mom"

even in front of your high school football teammates!

 So Giving and Caring,

Smart & Funny.

 A Superhero to all who know you!

Full of Imagination.

 Getting to watch you become a Father 

this past year has been nothing short of Amazing!

 Being your Mom may have had it's challenges at times,

but I have always loved having a front row seat to your life.

Happy Birthday!

I Love You Son!

 

My First Glamma Photo Shoot

Of course I had to have my first "Glamma" Photo Shoot when both my babies were here together.  My favorite find on Black Friday was at J.C. Penny's this T-shirt that reads "Love My Tribe" along with the babies onesies that say "New To The Tribe". Here are some samplings of the pictures taken by my talented daughter Erica;