First Lines Friday and 56 ~ 12/21/18

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

 

 

Finding oneself at the mercy of a crazed gunman isn't all fun and games.

 

 Page 56

John studied her in a way that caused her pulse to throb in her neck.

 

Colletta
 

Also linking up to:

 

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/20/18

 

~Laken had her Christmas Band Concert last Thursday evening.  It was her very first concert performance and she was a bit nervous!  She started playing the flute last year (lessons only) but this was the first year she was able to be in Concert Band.  We got her all gussied up and she did great!  I love going to Christmas Concerts.  It makes my Christmas so much jollier :)

~I actually took the time to paint my fingernails!  I used to get manicures at a salon but gave that up due to the cost.  Now, I usually keep my fingernails cut short but they have gotten a little bit of length to them recently.  I really wanted to paint them a nice, Christmassy red but only have summer colors  :(  I finally picked out a pale pink from my collection and gave them a few coats :)


~I've been "off" for quite a few weeks, as my cousin Steph had broken her collar bone and was off work.  Monday was her first day back to work, so I'm back on duty.  I get Dex ready for school and he gets on the bus with Laken.  Damon gets to hang out with me and Kaylee for the day on M-W-F.  He is such a ham :)

~I rejoined Sparkpeople.com to track my food and exercise.  It is a lot like WW online but FREE! 


~My Mom, Laken, Kaylee and I have started making cookies and fudge for Christmas.  So far we've started with Sugar Cookie cut-outs.  Today we're making Chocolate Chip Cookies and "Almond Joy Cookies" (a recipe I found on Facebook).  We're also making Nut Horns, M&M Cookies, Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Butter Fudge.  :)

What are you thankful for today?

Colletta



Wednesday Medley ~ 12/19/18

Come join Terri @ Your Friend From Florida every Wednesday.

1.  Wednesday, December 19, 2018, is National Hard Candy Day! So the first question today is to ask if you enjoy hard candy, especially the kind we usually see during this festive time of year?  What is your favorite?  Which hard candy brings up the best memories for you if any?

I like Hard Candy (or as we call it:  Hard Tack) but not as much as the hubby does!  I like the fruity flavors and he likes the black licorice.

2.  Holiday shopping!  Are you finished? If you could spend an entire day in just one store, which one would it be and why?

We are finished!  And all wrapped!  Some people are going to hate this answer and I, myself have a love/hate relationship with WAL-MART!  The sad thing is that I go in for just a few items and am in there forever!  Sometimes it feels like an entire day :)

3.  What holiday dessert describes you and why?

This is a funny question!  lol  I guess fudge.  I little bit solid and a little bit squishy!  haha

4.  What is your least favorite holiday side dish?

Ewww!  Any vegetable but especially the pickled eggs!  Argh...even the smell!

5.  Now be real!! There is one on almost every tree. What is the ugliest tree ornament you have ever seen?

I participated in a work ornament exchange a few years back and received the ugliest "rustic owl".  It doesn't make it out of the box :)

6.  Tell us something random about your week!!

We started making cookies and fudge last evening.  We spread it out over a couple days.  The hubby wants to make extra fudge to take into work so we still have that to make...  Slowly but surely, we're getting there!

Colletta

Tuesday 4 ~ 12/18/18

This meme looked like it would be fun to participate in!

Head over to Toni's Tuesday 4 to get the questions each Monday.

About Christmas Chapter 2
1.   Do you drive through your neighborhood to look at other people's holiday decorations?
Not ever year.  In fact, so far this year we haven't.  We've only seen the houses that are decorated on our normal travels.
2.   Are you counting the days to Christmas with excited anticipation or dread?
Excitement!  Al the presents are bought/made and wrapped.  Only thing left to do is bake the COOKIES!
3.   When was the last time you had a photo taken with Santa?
I was very shy as a child so I don't think I EVER had my photo taken with Santa...
4.   Do you make a Christmas list for your family or friends? No, I don't.  Nobody has ever asked me for a list.  I guess I'm an easy person to buy for!


Colletta

Book Review ~ Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble

 

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 Blurb:

 

 In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger’s memories . . . before they cost her everything.

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks—and vivid dreams of being strangled—she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor’s murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked—by a man she’s only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent agrees to help her: Agent Marc Everton.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there’s no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her—before she remembers too much.

My Thoughts:

 

Colleen Coble does not disappoint!  This book was so interesting.

I always love revisiting places I've read about in prior books of a series.  This is the 3rd book in the Hope Beach series and I loved them all.

There was an interesting plot of  "cell memory", where the recipient of a transplant has memories that belonged to the organ donor.  I don't know how much credence I give this theory but it made for interesting reading.

There were times throughout the story where I just couldn't believe that the main characters weren't more scared or leery.  There many threatening notes but the characters kept plugging away like it was nothing.

I enjoyed the plot twist that dealt with Josie, Elin's daughter.  I'm glad things came together the way they did.

This was a great romantic/suspense/mystery.  I can't wait to see what is next from this author!



Colletta

What I Am Reading ~ 12/17/18

Today I'm reading:

Lucy Scarpelli, an Italian dressmaker from New York, befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's making her summer wardrobe. It's an unlikely friendship, but one that Rowena encourages by inviting Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating clothes that hide her physical injury, Rowena encourages Lucy to dream of a better future. One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what man will accept her family responsibilities? Rowena also deals with love as she faces a worrisome arranged marriage to a wealthy heir. And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, takes up with a man of dubious character. All three women struggle as their lives, and those of each unlikely suitor, become intertwined in a web of secrets and sacrifice. Will any of them find true happiness?

What are you reading?

Colletta

Scripture Memory Verse ~ 12/16/18

This Week's Memory Verse:

 

But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Galatians 4:4-5 NIV

Colletta



Weekly Weigh In ~ 12/15/18

At this point of the year, with the Holidays and goodies upon us, I'm basically trying to maintain.

I have been able to exercise again which is great!  My foot is feeling so much better.

On to the WEIGH-IN:



Highest Weight Ever ~ 297.0

12/14/18   ~  281.6



Total:  -  15.4



How was your week?



Colletta

Print Only 2019 Reading Challenge

I found another 2019 Reading Challenge that should be an easy one for me.

Print Only 2019 Reading Challenge

As I only read print books, every book I read will count :)

I'm going to go for the 41+ = Collector’s Edition level

Go sign up!

Colletta

52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge ~ 2019

I've decided to join a book challenge in 2019!

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Sign up HERE.

It lends really well to the 2019 Goodreads Challenge where I'm also going with a goal of 52 books in 2019.

I'll be keeping track of my books read over at Goodreads.

What bookish challenges are you participating in next year?

Colletta

First Lines Friday and 56 ~ 12/14/18

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

 

 

New York City

Summer 1895

Lucy's eyes shot open.

Something was wrong.

 

 Page 56

Sofia had suffered enough drama for the day with Mrs. Flynn arguing with Lucy.

 

Colletta
 

Also linking up to:

 

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/13/18

 

 

~We went to a new-to-us Christmas Tree Farm on Saturday.  We had a great time!  There was a gift shop by the parking lot but to get to the trees we got to take a wagon ride up on the hill.  There were rows and rows and hills and hills of Christmas trees to pick from.  To make it even more festive, the temperature was only around 25F.  But...there were blankets on the wagon to snuggle under :)

~The girls got some Blue-Raspberry Kettle Corn at the Christmas Tree Farm.  It was yummy :)  Luckily, they got two bags of it so we could all share :)


~As if we hadn't been out in the cold enough Saturday, that evening was our little town's Christmas parade.  Kaylee is in the Community Band so we stood outside and waited and waited and waited for the parade.  Finally, it started and we got to see the band and the Santa float.  But it was freezing!!!!


~Later that night while trying to get warmed up, the hubby and I watched my very favorite Christmas movie, "White Christmas"!  After I warmed up a bit I decided to work on the Christmas gift I'm making while we finished the movie.  It was a wonderful day :)


~I finally had a day where I was able to check off all 5 items on my "5 to Thrive" checklist!  I actually got a workout in and was able to mark that off the list :)

What are you thankful for today?

 

Colletta



Wordless Wednesday ~ 12/12/18

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Colletta



Wednesday Medley ~ 12/12/18

Come join Terri @ Your Friend From Florida every Wednesday.

1.  National Ding-a-Ling Day is observed across the United States each year on December 12.  Ding-a-Lings on this day call the people they haven’t heard from in a while.  It may be an old classmate, co-worker or neighbor from years ago.  Or perhaps a call will go out to the child who used to mow the grass during the summer.  How about that couple who carpooled for soccer. There are all sorts of people in our lives who manage to slip out of our lives who would love to hear the ding-a-ling of a call from you or me.  So tell us who you want to call today!


I've never heard of National Ding-a-Ling Day!  What a wonderful idea!  I would want to call my best friend from high school, Erica.  We exchange birthday cards and Christmas cards but NEVER get to talk to each other and I don't know why...  Life just gets in the way, I guess.

2.  Each year on the 12th day of December, people across the United States recognize National Poinsettia Day.  I am including this "National Day" too because my neighbor's poinsettia from last year is blooming beside their house!!  Have you ever tried to plant a poinsettia outside?

I live in Pennsylvania and have never even known that you can plant a poinsettia outside!  I assume it would be way too cold here in PA.

3.  Do you believe in Bigfoot?  What size shoe do you wear and do you have trouble shoe shopping?

I do not believe in Bigfoot :)  lol  At least, I don't think I do!  lol  I wear a pretty average shoe size of 8 so I have a fairly easy time shopping for shoes.  My Mom, however, wears a size 5 and has a terrible time finding shoes at the store.  She ends up having to order hers online.

4.  What is one thing you refuse to share?

I refuse to share my Reese Cups!

5.  Are you finding that this Christmas is stressful? More or less than last year?  

I'm finding this Christmas to be pretty stress-free so far.  All our shopping is done and most of the presents are wrapped and ready to be given.  Last year, we were finishing up our addition to the house so it was pretty stressful.  I'm glad to be settled in this year!

6.  Tell us something random about your week so far!

We put our Christmas tree up last night!

Colletta

Tuesday 4 ~ 12/11/18

This meme looked like it would be fun to participate in!

Head over to Toni's Tuesday 4 to get the questions each Monday.

About Christmas Chapter 1
1.   What is your favorite Christmas show/animated show?


My absolute favorite Christmas movie is "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney!  We watch it every year.  In fact, we just watched it Saturday evening  :)

2.   What holiday character do you think you're most like?


He isn't really a holiday "character" but I hope I'm Christ-like in my daily walk.

3.   Favorite Christmas/holiday song?


My favorite Christmas Song is "Jingle Bells" by Shedaisy.  For your listening pleasure:





4.   If you have an all holiday music radio station when do you start listening to it?


We started listening to Christmas music on the Hallmark Christmas Sirius XM station on Thanksgiving while we were preparing our Thanksgiving meal.


What are some of your favorite Christmassy things?


Colletta

Book Review ~ Gabriel's Atonement by Vickie McDonough ~ 12/11/18

 

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 Blurb:

 

 All Gabe Coulter ever wanted was to live a comfortable life as a successful gambler, but a confrontation with a disgruntled cowboy who’d just lost to Gabe leads to a family man dying in his arms. Even though it was self-defense, the only way Gabe knows to get rid of his guilt is to return the money he won to the man’s wife.

Lara Talbot sees Gabe as a derelict like her husband and wants nothing to do with him. But as she struggles to provide for her family and makes plans to claim property in the upcoming Oklahoma land rush, she wonders if God might have sent the meddling gambler to help.

My Thoughts:

 

As the first book in the Land Rush Dreams series, this book was just OK for me.

It was rather slow-moving and dry.  The author kept introducing new characters and it got a bit confusing keeping them all straight especially when I wanted to be reading about the main characters.

I really liked the idea of a gambler who changes his ways because of a death-bed promise he made to his mother.  Gabe was a likable character despite his profession.

I wanted to like Lara's character but she just fell flat for me.

I have book three of the series on my shelf but I might just gift it to a reader friend of mine along with this one.  Hopefully, she'll enjoy it more than I did.

Sorry for the bummer review, but I had to be honest :(

 



Colletta

What I Am Reading ~ 12/10/18

Today I'm reading:



In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger’s memories . . . before they cost her everything.

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks—and vivid dreams of being strangled—she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor’s murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked—by a man she’s only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent agrees to help her: Agent Marc Everton.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there’s no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her—before she remembers too much.

 

     

What are you reading?

Colletta

Scripture Memory Verse ~ 12/9/18

This Week's Memory Verse:

 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


John 14:6 NIV

 

Colletta



Weekly Weigh In ~ 12/8/18

On to the WEIGH-IN:



Highest Weight Ever ~ 297.0

12/7/18   ~  282.0



Total:  -  15.0



How was your week?



Colletta

First Lines Friday and 56 ~ 12/7/18

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

 

 

Elin Summerall bolted upright in the bed.  Her heart pounded, and she touched her throat and found it smooth and unharmed.

 

 Page 56

Flashes of lightening lit her bedroom as she snuggled under the sheet and opened the first diary.  She'd been dying to read it, and she wasn't about to go back to sleep and fall into that nightmare again.

 

Colletta
 

Also linking up to:

 

Thankful Thursday ~ 12/6/18

 

 

~It is DECEMBER!!!  We're all excited about turning the calendar to December and all things holiday.  We have lots of activities coming up so stay tuned!

~The hubby gave me my Christmas present already!  It is a new PC!  My laptop was slowly dying so he bought me a new desktop PC and I'm loving it.  I very rarely moved my laptop from my desk anyway, so we decided a desktop would work perfectly and the price was unbeatable. :)

~We've finished all our Christmas shopping!  Doug and I made a quick shopping trip to finish up the little bit of presents we still needed to buy.  I feel so accomplished and actually a bit relieved that we can now sit back and enjoy the Season.  I am making one present and am well on my way to finishing it up.  Bring on Christmas :)

~The hubby has been on vacation this week.  He picked this week as it is Hunting Season here in Pennsylvania.  He so rarely has time to do things for him so I'm glad he's getting to do something he enjoys.  Along with hunting, he's been watching a great deal of Hallmark movies :)

~I had my first Christmas Party of the year on Tuesday evening!  Our Church Ladies Group usually has a potluck dinner once a month except in December we go out to eat so no one has to cook!  We also do a Christmas exchange.  My Mom actually drew my name this year and got me a whole bunch of Bath & Body Works lotions and body washes in Sweet Pea, one of my favorite scents :)

What are you thankful for today?

 

Colletta



Wordless Wednesday ~ 12/5/18

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Colletta



Book Review ~ Weaver's Needle by Robin Caroll ~ 12/4/18

 

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 Blurb:

 

 Two recovery specialists.
One murder.
A hunt for the Dutchman's Lost Gold Mine becomes a race of survival.

Former Army MP Landry Parker fell into the recovery specialist role quite by accident—to help her ailing father. Now that she’s on her own, she is determined to prove herself and honor her family legacy.

After being shot in the line of duty, former police officer Nickolai Baptiste became a recovery specialist, and he’s good at his job—maybe even the best.
      
A potential client pits Landry and Nickolai against one another to find the Dutchman’s Lost Gold Mine map that was stolen from her murdered husband, and the potential payday is too enticing to pass up. The trail takes them from New Orleans to Weaver’s Needle in Arizona where legend claims the mine is hidden. Landry and Nickolai are no strangers to adventure, but the unlikely partners quickly discover there’s someone after the treasure and there are those who want to ensure the lost mine in Arizona’s Superstition Mountain stays lost forever.

Can Landry and Nickolai work together despite their distrust of each other to save the legend before more innocent lives are lost? Will they find the real treasure isn’t the gold, but something more valuable. . .true love and understanding? 

My Thoughts:

 

I don't think I've ever read a book involving recovery specialists or a modern day treasure hunt complete with treasure maps and clues.  This book was so much fun to read!

 

I loved the competition between Landry and Nickolai as well as their verbal sparring with each other.  Their dynamic with each other was very well written.

 

I couldn't for the life of me figure out for sure who the bad guy actually was.  That is a big plus for me when reading a mystery.

 

The setting was amazing.  It was so interesting to read about the Superstition Mountains and the history and culture of that area.  The author did an amazing job of writing it into the story.

 

I've read other Robin Caroll books but nothing like this one.

 

Loved the ending and the whole book!

 



Colletta

What I Am Reading ~ 12/3/18

Today I'm reading:

 All Gabe Coulter ever wanted was to live a comfortable life as a successful gambler, but a confrontation with a disgruntled cowboy who’d just lost to Gabe leads to a family man dying in his arms. Even though it was self-defense, the only way Gabe knows to get rid of his guilt is to return the money he won to the man’s wife.

 

Lara Talbot sees Gabe as a derelict like her husband and wants nothing to do with him. But as she struggles to provide for her family and makes plans to claim property in the upcoming Oklahoma land rush, she wonders if God might have sent the meddling gambler to help.

 

     

What are you reading?

Colletta

Scripture Memory Verse ~ 12/2/18

This Week's Memory Verse:

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1,26

 

Colletta



Weekly Weigh-In ~ 12/1/18

I did decidedly better this week on the eating front.  I drank my Slim Fast shakes for breakfast and lunch about 75% of the time.  I tried to work on my portion control at supper and limit my snacking.  Snacking is still something I need work on but I'm trying to keep it to cheese and crackers.

As for exercise, I've been trying to rest my heel and the Plantar Fasciitis is ever so slowly easing up.  Today I want to try to ease back into some exercise.  I'll probably try to do 1 mile with a Leslie Sansone DVD but if it hurts, I'll back off.

I'm still drinking plenty of water and haven't had a single drop of pop this week.  I like the fact that I'm not dependent upon caffeine to wake up and get through the day.  I actually find myself craving water now!

On to the WEIGH-IN:

Highest Weight Ever ~ 297.0

11/30/18   ~  279.4

Total:  -  17.6



Exercise Last Week

See Above



How was your week?


Colletta