Journal Entry ~ 6/30/20 ~ with pictures

A few sentences about each day...

June 21, 2020 - June 27, 2020

Sun/21 ~ Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad and to my awesome hubby :)  We had Church at the Lion's Park today with a picnic to celebrate the father's afterward.  It was such a nice time of food and fellowship.  We followed the picnic with a nice Sunday Afternoon Nap.  Kaylee feel asleep on the couch while Laken made Doug a Father's Day Card.  She's one to wait until the last minute but they are always very elaborate :)

Mon/22 ~ It was so hot this morning but then this afternoon storms rolled in and cooled the temperatures.  We went for groceries as we usually do on Mondays and I got this sweet little Cross Stitch Kit.  I'm not letting myself open it until I get my current crochet WIP done though :)

Tues/23 ~ I've been crocheting, crocheting, crocheting on my WIP.  I really want to dig into learning Cross Stitch!  We decided not to cook tonight and instead went to Sundae's for hot dogs and ice cream.  I got my favorite Peanut Butter Sundae with peanuts on top!  yummy...

Wed/24 ~ Kaylee found out that we got Sundae's without her (she was at work) so she "insisted" we go for lunch today.  She had to twist our arms...Not!  Laken wasn't feeling too perky this evening.  Her temperature was normal.  I think she has just been staying up too late at night and was overly tired.

Thurs/35 ~ I hung the laundry out on the clothesline today but when I started to hang the second load, I heart thunder.  I barely got the first load off the line when it poured down rain.  It moved through pretty quickly.  I got my WIP all joined and started working on the border this evening.  It is going to take a while to get all the rows of the border completed.

Fri/26 ~ We have been looking everywhere for Mountain Pie Irons!  I know we went to at least 5 stores and looked online and everywhere is sold out!  Laken really wants Mountain Pies at her party in late July so we figured we better start looking now.  On the way home from work this morning, Doug stopped by the little bait shop near our local State Park and lo and behold:  Mountain Pie Irons!  Daddy saves the day...again!  We went back to the State Park in afternoon to fish and relax.  It was a beautiful day even if it was a bit windy!

Sat/27 ~ It was supposed to storm so we had thought our plans to make a trip to Swallow Falls would have to be put on hold.  When it hadn't rained by noon, we decided to make the 1 hr 30 min drive and just see what would happen weather-wise.  We had some rain on the way once we hit Garrett County but by the time we got to Swallow Falls and parked it had slacked off.  We had a nice time at the park and then stopped at IHOP for supper (my first time).  I plan on writing a post with more pictures sometime this week.

Until next week,

Colletta

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? ~ 6/29/20

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week.

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What I read last week (click on the picture to read my review):

I didn't finish any books last week as I spent all my free time trying to get my crochet WIP done.  I need to balance my reading/crochet time better!

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What I'm Reading Now:

Blurb:

Granddaughter of a corporate billionaire, Nellie is the heir apparent, next in line for the corner office. Logan Cooper is the guy that fixed her Jeep.

Falling for the blue-eyed mechanic is easy.
Telling him she’s rich is a bit harder.
Convincing her grandfather that status isn’t everything is impossible.

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What I'm (Probably) Reading Next:

Blurb:

Lord Morley's life will change forever when he wins a game of cards and a family of sisters to go along with it.

Miss Standish in none too pleased to have become the responsibility of yet another Lord, even if he is full of charm and goodness. Her responsibilities are to her sisters first.

With the repairs on the castle moving forward nicely and concerted efforts in a season in Bath made to find suitors for them all, Miss Standish and Lord Morley must determine where duty stops and matters of the heart take over.

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What are you reading?

Colletta

Also linking up to:

Sunday Blessings ~ 6/28/20

Carol at Slater's Funny Farm hosts a Sunday Blessing link up.  

I thought:  what better way to bless and be blessed than with scripture and prayer.  The following are taken from Serenity for a Woman's Soul 2020 Creative Planner for this week.

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."

Proverbs 3:5-6

I want to walk on paths of righteousness.  I want to honor You, my God.

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Blessings,

Colletta

Book Haul ~ 6/27/20

This week I added the following books to my TBR "shelf":

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Linking up to:  Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon,  Mailbox Monday



Happy Reading!

First Lines Friday, 56 and BBH ~ 6/26/20

Today's "First Lines" and "56" are from:

First Lines

Nellie stood at the floor to ceiling window, looking out over San Antonio.  She sucked in a deep breath and counted to ten then continued to twenty in an effort not to grip her grandfather's neck and squeeze.

 Page 56 / 56%

Since the steak took up his whole plate, roasted vegetables and a baked potato sat on a separate plate.

 Q.  When you run out of bookshelf space, what do you do? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

 A.  Why, get another shelf, of course!  But really, if a book has been on my shelf for years and it hasn't grabbed my attention enough to read it, I pass it on to a fellow reader friend for her enjoyment.  Other than that, I don't keep books that I've read.  I pass them on to the next person.  Recently I've been reading exclusively on my Kindle.  So no problem :)

Colletta 

Also linking up to:

  

Work In Progress ~ Lexi's Ombre Afghan ~ 6/25/20

I didn't get a Book Review written for today's post as intended because I decided to work on getting my current WIP finished.  It is for my Angel from Church, Lexi, therefore it is now named "Lexi's Ombre Afghan". 



   

The colors I am using are Red Heart Ombre in  Spearmint, Violet, Sea Coral, Deep Teal, Anemone, and White.  I'm using a 5.5mm (I) hook.

I've been working on the afghan of and on since probably January!  I've been doing a lot of reading instead of crocheting lately.  The last two evenings I've crocheted my fingers off trying to get the piecing done.

This is where I was at when I picked the project basket back up on Tuesday evening.

After binge watching "Beauty and the Beast" on Netflix, the picture below shows where I was when I started at 8pm on Wednesday night.  I still had some crocheting, tying in the ends and joining to go.

Three and a half hours later and it was completely joined together!  This time I listened to The Message on Sirius XM while working.

Below is the yarn I have left for the border.  It should be plenty.  I'm hoping to get the border done fairly quickly but in all actuality, I does take a while to go around the whole afghan a total of 8 times as there will be 8 rows on the border.

I'm going to try to get it done by next week sometime so that I can get started on a new craft I picked up and want to give a try.  You'll have to stay tuned to find out what it is :)


What are you working on?

Colletta

Wondering Wednesday ~ Getting to Know My Dreams ~ 6/24/20

Welcome to Wondering Wednesdays hosted by A Baker's Perspective, a weekly post to learn more about me and other bloggers.

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Today’s questions is – What did you think life would be like once you graduated high school, and how is it the same or different today?

My Answer - For as long as I can remember, even as a child, what I really wanted to "be" was a wife and a mother.

I graduated high school in 1996 and went to our local Community College for 2 years.  Then I got a job but all the while I was looking forward to becoming a wife and mother.

My husband and I started dating in March of 2000.  Got married in September of 2000 and had our first daughter in June 2001.  For a while I thought she might be an only child as I just wasn't ready to go through pregnancy again but when Kaylee was around 5 I knew it was time for another child to be added to our family.  Laken came along in February 2007 and our little family was complete.

Now, we're getting ready to celebrate our 20th Anniversary, Kaylee is 19 and Laken is 13.  I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I love it!  You could say I'm living the dream!  Most days...anyway!

What were your hopes and dreams as a teenager?  Did they come to realization?

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 6/23/20 ~ with pictures

A few sentences about each day...

June 14, 2020 - June 20, 2020

Sun/14 ~ It was such a busy few days that it was nice to have a normal Sunday.  After Church and Fellowship, Doug and I took a much needed afternoon nap!  I took a walk outside to prune the flowers.  Doug has been faithfully watering them and they are looking very good.

Mon/15 ~ Laken decided to start a new puzzle this evening.  She was putting puzzles together left and right at the beginning of the quarantine but hasn't started any new ones in a few weeks.  We found another Disney 4-pack of puzzles at Hobby Lobby so she started putting together the "Princess and the Frog". 

Tues/16 ~ Laken finished her puzzle already.  She worked on that thing nonstop!  We played with the kittens, Punkin and Peanut, a good bit.  They are so friendly and come running when we call them.  I think they are both boys but I not good at being able to tell when they are this young!

Wed/17 ~ I sent out invitation for Laken's "Birthday Party".  Her actual birthday is February 2nd so we promised her a summer party for her 13th birthday.  We are going to go camping and have her friends come over to the campground for the afternoon/evening.  We're in full blown list-making and planning.  Laken is VERY excited  :)

Thurs/18 ~ I didn't take the time to journal this day.  I can't remember anything of note happening.  I promise I'll do better...  Here's another cute kitten picture:

Fri/19 ~ Today is the last day of the work week for Doug and Kaylee.  Kaylee actually got home early tonight as they got finished with all their work early.  We dropped Laken off at a friend's house for a sleepover at 4pm.  Then we took my Dad shoe shopping for Father's Day.  He found a pair he liked within 15 minutes and we were done!  I wish it were that easy for the girls to find shoes!

Sat/20 ~ Today is my Mom and Dad's 45th Anniversary.  We took them out to eat at Applebee's for lunch.  It was very yummy and we didn't have to wait at all.  We must have gotten there as soon as they opened because it got very busy very quickly.  We had a nice time out and about :)  No picture today so I'll add another flower picture :)

Until next week,

Colletta

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? ~ 6/22/20

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week.

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What I read last week (click on the picture to read my review):

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What I'm Reading Now:

Blurb:

She loves him. Which is why he can never know the truth, even if it means saying good bye.

Quintin Lockhart has been in love with Esther since they were children. After an extended trip to India, she’s finally back on English soil. But it becomes painfully obvious after their first meeting that Esther isn’t ready to fall into his waiting arms.

Esther Collingwood’s trip abroad was not at all the lovely adventure she’d been hoping for. Backed into a corner one fateful night, Esther saved herself the only way she could, sacrificing another woman’s happiness in the process. Unable to forgive herself, Esther determines she doesn’t deserve her own happily ever after.

Struggling to understand the change he sees in Esther, Quintin tries desperately to show her that he still cares. But Esther, drowning in heavy shame, refuses to listen to her own heart. When all that happened in India comes to light, will Esther be able to work through the darkness inside herself and find happiness with Quintin once more?

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What I'm (Probably) Reading Next:

Blurb:

Want to play a game…
When research chemist Kiera Underwood receives a cryptic phone call about her twin brother, she tries to contact him to no avail. Her twin sense tingles, warning her that something is wrong. When he doesn’t return her call, and the manager at Oceanic Labs claims he didn’t come into work that day, she heads to Cold Harbor. But when she arrives in town to find the door to her bother’s house ajar, she races to the lab to question his fellow employees.

Solve the puzzle and save your brother…
Kiera’s not prepared when an attempt is made on her life and Blackwell Tactical operative and former Army Ranger, Cooper Ashcroft delivers her second shock of the day. Someone killed the lab supervisor and stole a deadly biotoxin. The main suspect? Her brother, and Blackwell Tactical has been hired to bring him in. If that wasn’t shocking enough, she’s suspected of colluding with him. She had nothing to do with the theft or murder, and despite the evidence staring her in the face, she knows that her brother is innocent of all charges. She sets out to prove it, and she’s soon the victim of a near abduction thwarted by Coop. He’s faced with the reality that she’s telling the truth and someone has likely abducted her brother—perhaps killed him—and now Kiera’s very life is in danger, too.

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What are you reading?

Colletta

Also linking up to:

Sunday Blessings ~ 6/21/20

Carol at Slater's Funny Farm hosts a Sunday Blessing link up.  

I thought:  what better way to bless and be blessed than with scripture and prayer.  The following are taken from Serenity for a Woman's Soul 2020 Creative Planner for this week.

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"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:2 NIV

Renew my mind, heavenly Father, so that my thoughts might please You and my actions reflect Your great love.

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Blessings,

Colletta

Book Haul ~ 6/20/20

This week I added the following books to my TBR "shelf":

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Linking up to:  Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon,  Mailbox Monday



Happy Reading!

First Lines Friday, 56 and BBH ~ 6/19/20

Today's "First Lines" and "56" are from:

First Lines

Lord Quintin Lockhart pulled his hat further down atop his head and squinted out across the field.  Dozens of white specks covered the grey land.  For a moment, he imagined them other-worldly spirits, come to haunt the winter field and strike fear into the most stalwart of hearts.

 Page 56 / 56%

With a firm course of action in mind, Quintin rolled to the side and sat up.  His feet brushed against the soft rug with extended out from under his bed.  Cotton hold was where he belonged.  It was time he returned.

 Q.  Do you visit indie and/or used bookstores? Also, have you ever worked in any? (submitted by Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)

 A.  I would love to say that I only shop indie or used bookstores but there aren't any in my area (that I know of).  I live in a very rural area and other than the Dollar General, which is 10 minutes away, it takes 30-45 minutes to get to any store.  Of any type.  I mostly shop online these days.

Colletta 

Also linking up to: