Today's Yin is Yesterday's Yang

Yesterday we had an early day. Our morning schedules overlapped each other and everyone needed to be ready and out the door by 7:40. Sunday evening we put our heads together and figured out a shower schedule and decided who was getting in the shower and when.

Monday morning came and went perfectly. I dropped the kids off at school and as I was pulling back into the driveway my husband was pulling out and was headed to work. I thought to myself, "This morning went off without a hitch...how perfect...how peaceful. A great way to start the new week."

Today, however, was the exact opposite. GGRRRR!! I use my radio as my alarm clock. I didn't sleep well tossing and turning most of the night. I finally fell asleep and didn't wake up until 6:50. I am usually up by 5:45. I saw the clock and thought maybe I was dreaming so I jumped up and ran to the dining room to look at the clock out there. No luck...it really was 6:50. I couldn't figure out why my alarm didn't go off. After investigating I learned that the volume somehow got turned down so I never heard it. Regardless of that issue I woke the kids up and within minutes everyone was moving around. Yes, the chaos ensued.

When all was said and done everything worked out fine. Even though it was a rushed morning I dropped the kids off at school in plenty of time. But as I was driving home I had to laugh. It's so ironic how you can have such a smooth morning one day then 24 hours later you are running around and freaking out.

But isn't that life? Isn't that what happens all the time...even with things you don't even realize? As I was making the beds I contemplated the concept of yin and yang. Everyone has good days, everyone has bad days. You can't have light without the dark. You can't appreciate your health if you've never had sickness.

Over the past few years I've realized that bad days don't have to upset us or piss us off. I try to look at it this way--perhaps crappy, stressful days can be used to our advantage and can help us appreciate the good days.

As I get older and my kids reach adulthood I've learned to look at things through a balanced perspective...or at least I try to do so. I try to appreciate everyday, good or bad.

Contemplating my moments of yin and yang reminded me of a name sign I made a couple of years ago...

Yes, "Balance" (and, of course, the Holey Pokey)...that's what it's all about!

More fun to come...until then,

Breathing Life Back Into My Blog!

Goodness! Have I been lost in my own little world or what?!?! I'm sorry to say that I can't blame my lack of posts on being overwhelmingly busy filling orders. Oh, sure, I always have orders to process, but as of late they are trickling in since the holiday season passed. But that's okay...I'm very grateful that my little business is still moving along and not dead in the water.

However, since it's been calm and quiet regarding orders most of my attention has been directed toward getting my home life together...something that was a big necessity! We recently bought a new dishwasher and a washer and dryer. Next on our list is a new refrigerator. I never thought I'd be so excited over new appliances, but most of them were getting really old and worn out.

Along with the new appliances my husband relocated his office space right after the new year so that took my time and attention, too. But that's how life is...change...change...change, right? There's always something! Needless to say, the result of my redirected focus has left me with a very neglected blog.

But I am getting myself back in the game now and I plan to keep my nose to the grindstone regarding my business. I love to create and share things on my blog and I plan to get posts out on a much more regular basis. Fingers crossed that I can keep my word!

Meanwhile, I've decided to share a painting I created a few years ago that reminds me of someone 'living in their own little world'! I call this little story book house painting 'Curly's House'...



Okay...on my way to do some laundry in my new washer and dryer! Woohoo! More sharing to come soon...until then,

Gold and Silver Fever

The men in my family are fans of those reality TV shows that chronicle a group of men spending thousands upon thousands of dollars digging for gold. I have to say that every once in a while I sit down and watch these shows with them. While I find the idea of digging for gold in these freezing cold climates insane, I have to admit that some of the men are true characters and I find their stories intriguing.

However, as I sit and offer my point of view calling these men crazy, in actuality this dream of moving heaven and earth to find gold is not a new concept. People have been digging, hoping and dreaming of finding their own pot of gold for centuries.

Recently I came across this interesting graphic that breaks down how people have digging for gold and silver, too, over thousands of years.

Presented By GreatSouthernCoins.com visit greatsoutherncoins.com

In reading the facts listed in this graphic I learned some interesting information:

-- I didn't realize that at one point silver was considered more valuable than gold.
-- While I did know that some of our country's most prosperous cities grew out of the gold rush I didn't realize how quickly they grew. At the start of the gold rush San Fransico had only 200 permanent citizens. However, in only six years that number grew to 36,000! Now that remarkable!
-- Silver is making a big comeback. I did know about this fact. I have a friend who, a few months back, needed cash rather quickly. She took some old silverware that she had wrapped up in her attic to the local jeweler. Thinking she only had a couple hundred dollars worth of silver she quickly learned that in reality she had over $1200.00! Now that's pretty cool and a nice surprise!

I found this infographic interesting and I'm sure if you take some time to read it you'll learn some new facts, too!

More interesting things to come...until then,

My 'Sugar Skull' Art

I just learned how out of it I am. Up until about a week or so ago I had never heard the term 'sugar skull'. I had the TV on for background noise...as usual. I overheard the term sugar skull and I wondered what it was. The term floated around in my brain for a few days and finally I decided to look it up. This is what I learned:

"The Sugar Skull is one of the main symbols or images seen during the Day of the Dead festivities and represents the past ancestors of Mexico. The reason they are called "sugar skulls" is because the authentic sugar skulls were made out of clay molded sugar."

Then I went on to do a search for images of sugar skulls. I was fascinated with how colorful, ornate and pretty they were. I love to paint with color and last night I sat down to paint my first sugar skull...

The realization of how out of it I really am materialized when I showed the painting to my daughter and husband. They both already knew what a sugar skull was. My daughter rolled her eyes and informed me that she learned all about this stuff in school in Spanish class. DUH! Apparently I've been hiding under a rock for far too long! Oh well, I'll have to get over it!

Meanwhile, I had a great time painting it and I hope to be able to paint more!

Okay...got more orders to fulfill so I'd better get off this computer and get to work!

More sharing to come soon...until then,

Artificial Christmas Trees

When I was very young...around 3 or 4 years old...I had a serious allergic reaction to our family's real Christmas tree. I have a very vague recollection of waking in the middle of the night struggling to breath. The next thing I recall I was sitting in the emergency room with my parents. I remember being very scared. Thankfully my parents got me to the hospital in time, the allergy shots quickly went into gear and I was fine.

Having this allergic reaction resulted in our family having to get an artificial tree. To this day I have never had a real tree in any of my homes. But I don't regret it. I do enjoy how a real tree can look...we have many friends who trek out every year to the tree farm and get these sweet, sometimes 'Charlie Brownish' looking trees. They look very sweet. But as for my family we have the good, old fashioned fake tree. But I truly don't mind!

My daughter and I get into the holiday decorating mode the day after Thanksgiving. My husband and our two sons go up to their friends' hunting camp for a couple of days while we stay home and set the stage for the upcoming holidays. We don't need to rely on any man's muscle to stuff the tree into our van, drag the tree home, carry it into our house and complain as they set it up. We simply go down to our basement, unpack it piece by piece and get it done on our own! Yes, we are women...here us roar!

Over the years my kids have complained about having an artificial tree exclaiming that they'd like a real one. But honestly, once we get our tree up it looks so beautiful! Here's a photo from Christmas a couple of years ago:

Ahhh! I just love looking at that picture! In my opinion it oozes the essence of this sweet and wonderful season!

Aside from the fact that I'm never in the mood to deal with a serious allergic reaction I really do love artificial Christmas trees. I've heard people complain that they can be a bit pricey when you first purchase one, but over time they definitely pay off. Plus they are beautifully shaped and the size is included on the box and, if you prepare yourself, you figure out what size will fit your home. Our friends always guess at what size they need and, over the years, they've gotten a few that we were too tall and they ended up having to cut off the tree tops. Another positive point in favor of an artifical tree is you don't have to worry about watering it. Needles don't fall all over the place as the tree dries out. And one year I recall another family we are friends with brought a few bugs in with ther tree! Yuck!

We've had prelit trees since they came out with them a few years ago. One year we pulled our tree out, put it together and plugged it in. And guess what? The lights didn't work! Now mind you, I was all snuggled up at home and wasn't about to run to the store and try to find a new tree after putting this one up. So I went down to our basement found a couple strings of old lights and put them on the tree. Voila! We were set!

In my opinion there are many more positives to having an artificial tree. They're always gorgeous, less expensive in the long run, safer from fire hazards and we don't need any men around to help us carry it home and set it up!

So as the days get shorter, the nights get longer and the weather starts to get much cooler my excitement starts to rev up. Halloween is right around the corner and then Thanksgiving. Before we blink it will be that time again and I can hardly wait!

But okay...I've been focusing lately in living in the present moment! I'll try to enjoy the here and now and not get too far ahead of myself. But every once in a while I can daydream about what's ahead, right?

Well, I better get in gear as I have a busy day. I'm sure I'll have more to share soon. Until then,

Fun drawings...

I thought I'd share a couple little drawings I made in the past. I'm a nervous type of person and I have a hard time sitting still...that is unless I'm completely exhausted! Then I can lay down and sleep without much trouble.

But every once in a while when I'm sitting around filling a little bit of time...like when I'm on the phone with someone and I get put on hold...I doodle. And during the cold winter months I seem to have more time on my hands so I'll take out my drawing pad and play around a bit.

Here are a couple pictures of a few little doodles I made...

"Dreaming of Chocolate"

"Hope"

"Girls Dream"

"Shoe on a Pedestal"

"My Kind of Tea Party"

I hope you enjoy them...I always have fun when I'm creating!

More fun to come soon...until then,

Back from vacation

We got back from our family vacation a couple of days ago and now I'm ready to roll. There's a lot to be said about getting away from your regular humdrum days.

We vacation in North Carolina every summer staying in different cottages with family and friends. This year we had a great view of the ocean right out our front door...

Once we crossed over the dunes this was ours all day everyday...

One morning we woke up to this stunning view...

Ahhh...it doesn't get any better than that!

While on vacation I had several customers call and email but I had limited internet access and my cell reception wasn't great. I got a bit nervous when I couldn't get back to my customers and thought, "I hope I don't lose my customer base while I'm on vacation!" A couple of them are repeat customers and I'd hate to lose this precious asset.

Thankfully everyone that I put off for a few days completely understood. The common thought was that everyone needs a vacation from the hectic days of life!

So now I'm back in full swing, revitalized and completely grateful that I have a job that I love!

More fun and sharing on the way...until then,

Invitations for Birthdays

Right now I am enjoying a much needed family vacation at the beach in North Carolina. My family comes down here every year and because my kids are still in high school...well my oldest just graduated...we have to take our yearly vacations during the summer months. For some reason it always works out that our vacation week coincides with my youngest son's birthday. We've celebrated a number of his birthdays down here and sometimes I feel bad. I often think that we should pick a different week for vacation so we can throw him a nice party at home with a bunch of his friends. But other times I figure he has nothing to complain about. I'd love it if I could spend my birthdays at the ocean!

So every year I promise him that one of these summers he'll be able to have a big birthday bash at home. (I really hope I can keep that promise!)

This summer we waited until the last minute to make our vacation plans which gave me some time to at least consider a party at home for him. I came across a website that sold a large variety of party invitations and fortunately they offer beautiful invitations for birthdays. Being that I do a large volume of printing on my own home computer I could easily print some of my own. But heck...it seems so much more fun to buy them!

They offer so many different types of invitations at Invitation Box that I was a bit overwhelmed when making my decision. After my initial searching I narrowed it down and considered my son and how he likes to spend his time. He plays a variety of sports with baseball being his favorite so I searched for a sports theme invitation. He's turning 14 and since some of the styles were for much younger boys I decided to also look into the adult themed invitations, too. Luckily I found a nice variety that suited my son's tastes.

Meanwhile, as I continued on through the website I remembered that next year my husband will be celebrating his 50th birthday. Hmmmm...I definitely have to keep this website in mind! I've never had a big bash for him and I know I could find something that would work for him.

So even though we had to celebrate my son's big day down here at the beach and we didn't have a party at home I'll definitely keep InvitationBox.com invitations for birthdays in mind for my husband's up coming big day.

Okay...I'm off to relax a bit more at the beach! I'll have more interesting things to share with you soon...until then,

The Financial Aid Process

Since our oldest child recently graduated from high school and  will be heading off to college soon we've had a full year of learning about how to navigate the financial aid system.

While it is a very intimidating process my husband has a good understanding of how it all works. Plus our local high schools offer financial aid workshops for parents and students. We attended our first workshop when our son was in his junior year. Then we went to another one when he was a senior.

We all know that obtaining a higher education is costly. Over the past couple of years we've learned that our home state, Pennsylvania, is one of top states where the cost of tuition for a public 4-year institution of higher education is the most expensive. What a frightening statistic! We do not want our children to be burdened with thousands upon thousands of dollars of student loan debt hanging over their heads for 20+ years beyond college!

So we--mostly my husband--hunkered down over the past year or so and went to work to figure out the financial aid process. Here's a very informational graphic provided by snhu.edu that will help guide you through the process:


Brought to You by SNHU.EDU Online College Programs


This is a very large graphic but if you take some time to look it over I'm sure you'll find it helpful. The financial aid process can cause worry, but if you take your time and research the process then it isn't quite as bad as you might think!

Okay, more sharing to come soon...until then,

Quote and some catching up to do

I've been super busy the past few weeks. My kids finished up the school year and my oldest son has officially graduated from high school! Wow! The years have simply flown by.

He has done so well and is now hoping to get a summer job so he can save for when he goes away to college at the end of August. I'll miss him so much, but I know he's ready to sprout his wings and get to flying on his own. He's a fantastic person and I know he'll be successful no matter what direction he takes in life.

Meanwhile in trying to play catch up with my work world I found this wonderful quote in my Daily Guru emails:

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his
pictures."-- Henry Ward Beecher

Loving that thought this morning!

Here's a photo of  a wood burning that I created a few weeks ago. I certainly dipped my woodburning brush that day...

As you can guess I've been pining away for a trip to the ocean!

More fun and sharing on the way soon...until then,

Illustration Friday - "Faded"

Today's topic for Illustration Friday is 'Faded'.

Here's my contribution...

"As mom's memory faded I discovered a craziness in my own mind."

This is a photo of a wood burning I created a few years ago right after my mom was diagnosed with 'mild cognitive impairment'...the doctor's polite way of saying, "Your mom has dementia."

I was completely overwhelmed with how I would handle every aspect of her decline. If you look closely there are two sets of eyes--one set my mom's, the other set mine. If you have ever loved someone with this horrible disease you notice how their eyes change. As their mind goes the eyes become vacant...faded. You wonder where your loved one has gone. It's simply horrible and I am forever changed because of it.

More to come soon...until then,



Online Coupons for Frugal Folks Like Us

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "My husband and I are a couple of tight wads!" Some people will find that irritating, but many will have a bit of respect for us. We've managed for the past several years to survive on a tight budget and the only way we've been able to do that is through frugal living.

With that being said I want to share my thoughts on online coupons, where to look for them and how we've fared with them in the past.

Best Online Coupons has a huge variety of online coupons shared on their site and I'm confident you'll find some of your favorite stores listed there. I see Macy's, Old Navy, QVC, Dell, 6pm, Target, Best Buy and Dicks Sporting Goods just to rattle off a few. They offer newly released online coupons, expiring online coupons and a variety of hot online coupons. And what makes it so easy is you can see the online coupon code right there along with the expiration date. I added that site to my Favorites right after I discovered it!

And how about travel coupons? Over the past few years my husband and I saddened our children by announcing that we weren't able to take a family vacation because money was too tight. However, by mid summer we seemed to have a change of heart only because we were able to find some pretty good travel deals. If you are like us in that manner of thinking then check out this link--Expedia coupon code 2012. You find a large number of discounts offered on airfare, hotels, car rentals and more. In a brief scan of the page I see lots of 'last minute' deals which are right up my husbands alley! I saw one for Las Vegas and got a bit excited. We went there two times many years ago before our kids were born and we always talk about going back. Now that the kids are growing up and becoming more independent I would definitely feel more at ease leaving them at home with my sister or mother-in-law.

Over at Deals2.com it's unreal the online coupons and coupon codes you'll find to help save a few bucks. Regarding travel they also have a large variety of links and I saw quite a few listed that we've used in the past. Their Expedia coupons range from Disneyland Resorts and Maui Hotels to car rentals. Right from your computer you could check out a vacation package and book it, Then click back and book your car rental! Or if you like to take cruises they have cruise packages as well.

Another list of Expedia coupons includes offers for destinations such as Galveston Island, Los Angeles and a few more deals for Las Vegas! Woo! I'm really going to have to take a look at these offers. My sister just got back from Vegas last week and hearing her talk about her trip and share her stories really has me ready to get back there.

I'll be sure to share my decision with you soon. Although I'm drooling over the thought of a trip to Vegas for just my husband and I, I have a feeling we'll be doing our regular family vacation this summer. I've shared with you that my oldest son is heading to college in the fall and the thought of taking a vacation with out my kids at this major life turning point doesn't seem likely. But who knows? Maybe we'll take two vacations! With all the deals I'm finding we might be able to swing it!

Okay, more sharing on the way soon...until then,

   

Illustration Friday - 'Sight'

The topic for today's 'Illustration Friday' is 'Sight'.

Here's my contribution...

"She sees the world through rose colored glasses and it drives everyone nuts!"

More fun to come...until then,

"The God Box"

I just finished reading a lovely book called 'The God Box' by Mary Lou Quinlan.

I connected with this author on a number levels. I lost my mom several months ago but at times it's still feels as fresh as if she only passed yesterday. I have many fond memories of my mother and I miss her every single day. But reading this book reminded me that my mother truly lives on through me. My mom, like the author's mother, was a devout Catholic and throughout her lifetime she constantly shared her faith with all of us.

I can easily recall the countless times she would offer to pray for a friend or loved one who might be struggling with one of life's difficulties. My mom's practice of praying for others was very similar to Mary Lou Quinlan's mom, Mary Finlayson. The only difference between my mom and Mary was that Mary wrote down all of her petitions to God on tiny bits of scrap paper. After writing her prayers she folded each piece of paper up until it was very small and stuck it in her God Box. Once Mary tucked each little prayer in her God Box she believed the issue was no longer something to worry about. Her prayer was with God and the worry was His to handle. What a wonderful practice of letting go and letting God handle your worries!

The night before her mother's funeral Mary Lou, her brother, Jack and her father were exhausted and trying to hold themselves together. Everything in the house reminded them of their loving mother and wife. Suddenly they remembered the God Box but realized that even after all these years they had no idea where Mary kept it. Determined to find this box they went on a search throughout the house. Finally Mary Lou discovers not only one God Box but ten of them stuffed full of prayers that her mother had written down over a 20 year span.

The book shares how Mary not only prayed for her family, but also friends and even strangers. She prayed for help with simple life decisions like what kind of flooring to choose as well as overwhelming life scenarios such as loved ones dealing with infertility and her own battle with cancer.

In The God Box, Mary Lou Quinlan shares with her readers the emotional journey that unfolds as she discovers the varied wishes and concerns of her mother over the years. You learn about her family from the early days to the present and many of their struggles and happy times in between. This sweet and loving tribute will warm your heart. You will laugh. You will cry. And it's likely that you will finish the book with a desire to create your own God Box.

I highly recommend this darling book...it's a quick and highly inspirational read!

More to come soon...until then,

No More Rack

I've posted about No More Rack in the past but I am writing about this fun and fabulous website once again. Every day right before noon I get emails that feature their daily deals. I have to say that my heart skips a beat when I see those emails come through. I love to shop, but nomorerack.com makes my shopping experience even more enjoyable because of their rock bottom prices. I tend to be frugal and with three teenagers who constantly have their hands outstretched wanting more cash my pocket book ends up looking pretty thin. The low prices they offer grab my attention easily. And just recently they've begun hosting 'Evening Events' which include even more deals starting at 6:00 PM. So the shopping fun continues as the day wears on.

Previously I wrote about their 'insanity deals' which have included super hot items such as an iPod touch, a Playstation 3, an HDTV and more at incredibly low prices. They use the term 'insanity' for a reason. It's unbelievable how low their prices are. But with that being said you have to understand that those items are really hard to come by. But the good outweighs the bad as far as I'm concerned and I'm still pleased with the other wonderful items they offer.

From toys to clothing to jewelry to sports memorabilia to kitchen gadgets and so much more their selection is growing by leaps and bounds. I am a purse fanatic and I also love to buy jewelry, especially bracelets. These items are offered on a regular basis and after lots of daily drooling I finally bit the bullet and bought a purse from No More Rack. I love it! It's covered in sequins and bright colors all on a black background. It's right up my alley and I was very happy when I received my purchase. With that being said I realized another fabulous benefit of No More Rack...their super low ship fee. They only charge a $2.00 flat shipping fee per item. That's just about unheard of!

Take a few minutes to stop by their website and sign up for their emails. I'm confident you'll find something of interest and, if you are careful when it comes to spending money you'll be pleased with their prices!

Okay, gotta run now...more fun on the way...until then,

Omaha Bankruptcy Attorney

Bankruptcy. It's an intimidating word. I get a knot in my stomach just typing it. Thankfully my husband and I haven't had to deal with bankruptcy, but being self employed I have to admit that the subject creeps into the back of my mind every so often and I get nervous...very nervous. As the saying goes, "No one knows what the future holds", and with a high anxiety personality like mine I've contemplated the subject and how we would handle it if it were to become a reality for our family.

Though not an issue for us we have a family friend who has had to live through bankruptcy. And we have another friend who could be headed down this same path if he can't work out his debt issues. In talking with these friends over the past few years I've learned a little bit about the different types of bankruptcy.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy can completely wipe out credit card debt, medical bills and utility bills, but the bankruptcy court could order you to sell some of your property so you can repay your creditors. However, this practice varies from state to state.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows you to work out a repayment plan in bankruptcy court regarding your mortgage and auto loans. And if you have credit card debt or medical bills you may be able to reduce or eliminate those bills as well.

Although I shouldn't generalize I blame the bad economy for one friend choosing to file for bankruptcy. He and his wife were self employed as mortgage brokers and they basically lost everything in the drastic economic tumble from a few years ago. But many people have gotten in over their heads financially through a variety of means and many times it can only be blamed on reckless financial decision making. No matter the reason bankruptcy occurs more often now than ever before and it doesn't seem to have the stigma attached to it as it did in the past. Just about everyone I know has had to deal with looming debt of some sort. Many friends have made great changes in the way they handle their money and worked very hard to get their financial lives back on track. Others feel they have no other option but to consider bankruptcy. Since there is no 'one-size-fits-all' answer everyone has to choose the path that works best for them.

Bankruptcy laws were created to help you get out of debt. If you are feeling completely overwhelmed and nervous and need some guidance you can find relief. Contact an Omaha Bankruptcy Attorney for advice on the subject. They have the expertise and experience in helping people figure out a solution to their debt issues.

Bankruptcy can be an intimidating subject, but there is help out there so don't be afraid or too embarrassed to ask. You certainly are not alone.

Okay...more discussions to come...until then,

Catching up...

It's been a while since I've posted some of my own artwork so I thought I'd pop in here for a quick update on my work and my life.

I recently created this painting for a close family friend. She's a teenager and as we all know teenagers have so much garbage and muck to muddle through...especially girls! And I add the part about girls because I have two sons and one daughter so I know from experience. Girls are so much more emotional and sensitive where boys just ignore anyone who is being a jerk to them. Oh the stories I could share!

Anyways...back to my painting...I heard the quote before and when my good friend asked me to paint it for her daughter I was thrilled! I got an image in my head right away with what I wanted to paint.

Meanwhile, things on the home front have been so busy. To update my weight loss...I'm down 11 pounds now! Woohoo! So happy about that! I just hope I can keep it up. I continue to go to the gym about 4-5 days a week now. Plus my daughter and I walk in our local park when it's warm enough and when I can fit  a walk into my schedule.

My oldest son is graduating this year so we are gearing up for a busy couple of months. He runs track so we have lots of track meets to attend over the next several weeks.

My daughter was a the lead in our high school's spring musical. Then a week after the musical was over on a whim she auditioned for our local symphony's Rising Stars competition. She was chosen to move on and compete on the next level. On March 24th she performed a solo on stage and was chosen to move on to the next and final level of the competition! That takes place on April 14th. I'm so amazed and proud of her courage to get up and sing in front of a large crowd! I honestly don't know where she gets it!

Then our youngest son plays baseball so we're getting busy with that as well. So far they've had two scrimmages and opening day is next week.

Needless to say the next few months will be insanely busy! I hope I can keep up with posting! I miss my blog when I'm away!

More to come soon...until then,

"Superman's Cape"

I just finished reading a book called "Superman's Cape" by Brian Spangler.

This book touched me emotionally on many levels. Sara, a widow, is struggling to cope with her husband's unexpected death. It's bad enough that she has to face such a painful loss. But the fact that her husband was murdered in a robbery that was witnessed by her two young sons was, at times, too much for me to take.

I'm a mom and happily married. I can't image how hard it would be to move on with my life if something happened to my husband. Multiply that fear a thousand times and imagine my children watching him die? I could hardly let myself go there. But the book was so good, I couldn't put it down.

Sadly for Sara, life marches on. She is dealing with this deep loss, going broke and in a panic trying to figure out how to help her young son, Jonnie, who tried to save his dying father with his 'Superman's Cape'.

Overwhelmed with worry over Jonnie regression, Sara's older son, twelve year old Kyle, has a breakdown. Crying over the loss of their former life he runs out of their home and ends up getting lost in the Croatan National Forest, located behind their home. Kyle isn't familiar with the woods or any of the wildlife that it sustains. Wearing my 'mom hat' for nearly 18 years now this subject matter scared the daylights out of me! And to add to this horror a hurricane is fast approaching.

Meanwhile, a local TV station reports on this tragic story and chooses to send out two novice field reporters. It just so happens one of these reporters, weatherman Jacob Hanson, has a 'gift' and can see things before they happen. He reluctantly gets involved in the family's search for Kyle.

This story kept me on my toes from beginning to end. As I said, being a wife and mother put a perspective on the story that was heartbreaking, but the author has a way of keeping your interest. No matter how sad or scary it was I couldn't put the book down. I simply 'had' to find out what the outcome was for this grief-stricken family!

If you are like me and enjoy stories that feature a touch of the paranormal then I highly recommend this book. It was a page-turner and a quick read. I look forward to having a chance to read any future writings by Brian Spangler.

Show More

Show Less

More to come soon...until then,

Man Cave

The Author of this post is Solomon Dejesus

We just bought a new house, and believe it or not, my dream to have my very own “Man Cave” is going to come true. We’ve always had to use any extra space for the kids, or the office, or the guest room, but this house has the perfect little spot that is too small for any of those things, but just the right size for a Man Cave’s essentials: couch, mini fridge, and a tv. Once I saw this room, and my wife agreed to letting me fulfill my lifelong dream, I was sold. That is all it took. I knew we had to have that house. I went out and bought myself a mini fridge, and a nice, comfy, totally ugly couch off Craigslist, and now I’m researching Satellite Television in Georgia. I tell you what, this is seriously a dream come true. I can just chill alone in my cave after work for a little while and relax. I really crave the solitude and so I am beyond thrilled about my cave.

Book Review of "Post Secret"

Postsecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Loved it! Thought it was so interesting to hear other peoples secrets. Some were funny. Some were sad. Some made you think. Lots of emotions were brought to the surface by reading this. It's a fun book.


View all my reviews