The Devil and Miss Prym

This Coehlo book was so not something I would have picked up on my own, but it was the first book we read for our local book club. 

Quick Summary, A stranger arrives in the small village of Viscos and entices the barmaid into helping him find out if people are good or evil.  He has gold bars that will go to the town if they kill someone.

This book brings up some great questions and gives some background knowledge on key players that I don't want to delve into too much or risk giving away too much of the story lines. 

As you read, you see what people are willing to do for money.  It's also interesting to see the mob mentality take over and people just do something because everyone else is doing something.

I'm currently reading Sarah's Key (for this month's selection) and it remidned me somewhat of how silent people were when the Jews were being rounded up and taken away.  How seeminly NO ONE did anything about it.

This is Viscos.  Some people are very willing to offer up someone for the chance of a lot of money.  Yes, Viscos is a dying village with no youth, but will money bring youth to them?  Will it bring tourists? Will it curse them? Will they kill for money?

We talked at our meeting how people who loved this book read it as a philosophy style of book and those that read it as fiction were not as intrigued.  I read it as fiction and it took a bit to get into it, but I really enjoyed our conversation and talking more about it.  If I were on my own, I think I would have given up on the book and would have been missing out.

Have you read this? Have you read anything else by Paulo Coehlo?

Recent Posts That Have Me Nodding My Head v3

And again... this is what I've found interesting and feel everyone needs to read.. ;)

I am loving everything Law Momma has to say lately.  After Amendment 1 did NOT pass in North Carolina (I can't even begin to talk about how disappointed and annoyed with other human beings this makes me) she wrote a LOVEY post about her Christianity and how she is taking it back.  How God and Jesus are love, accepting and nice.  Now, if ALL Christians DID that, I don't think there would ever be as many people who automatically think Christians = hate.  Because, I'm high up on that list after MANY MANY bad experiences.

And then she went and talked about letting boys be themselves, just like we push our girls to do, which I completely agree with.  I feel so bad for boys who have parents who don't encourage their interests if it doesn't fit in with what they think is the 'right' thing for boys to do.  If girls can be and do whatever they want, so CAN boys.

Then, Time Magazine decided to join the controversial topics of the week with their Are YOU Mom Enough?  What the blog? Firmly said about everything I wished I could come up with.  Magazine covers don't start Mommy Wars, mommy's do.  Get over yourself, get some confidence in your choices and do your thing.

What did you read that's worth sharing?

A day in the life of MillerMama....

Hello everyone! Today we have my friend Miller, a fellow mama who cheers for the Buckeyes! If you would like to share a day in your life, leave a comment to this post or email me at pinkflipflops44 at gmail dot com! Thanks! ;)

I decided to pick a day that was a little out of the ordinary to share. On this Monday I was home with my 8 ½ month old daughter, Amelia, in the morning because her sitter had a doctor’s appointment. You can read about one of my more typical days from a few months back here: It's My Life

*disclaimer – the pictures I inserted are not actually from this day because I am not that organized. They are a compilation from what was on my phone.*

 6:10am – My alarm goes off later than normal but I’m still tired. Amelia was up more than usual last night, and I know I have a long day ahead of me. She’s still getting over Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease from last week, so I’m trying to be patient but man, I miss sleep. Hit the snooze button.

 6:20 – Lay in bed knowing I need to get up and shower before Amelia is up for the day and my husband goes to work. Otherwise I will have to find a way to corral her that doesn’t result in her throwing a fit.

 6:40 – I am out of the shower, getting my hair, makeup, etc. done as quickly as possible. I hear Amelia stirring and “talking” in her crib and I know I am on borrowed time.

 6:50 – She’s up. I get her a bottle and wake up my husband so I can prop her in bed with him. She’s crawling and climbing everything so one second of inattention can be a disaster!

 7:00 – I’m done getting ready and retrieve her from our bed. We head downstairs and I plop her in her walker so I can make coffee. Must. Have. Coffee. My husband follows shortly after.

 7:30-8:00 – Amelia plays on the floor while I drink my coffee and watch the Today Show. The hubby leaves for work. Breakfast for the munchkin (fruit puree with oatmeal mixed in) and I grab a granola bar.

 8:30– Get Amelia dressed and it’s playtime. Her current favorites are her activity table and cloth piano that she crawls on. Oh, and the cable box. And the cat. I spend a lot of time chasing her around and trying to prevent her from hitting her head on things.

9:30 – Fix her a bottle and park her in her swing, which in all reality she is probably too big for. But hey, whatever works. She is a power napper, and by that I mean that under no circumstances does she sleep for more than half an hour. I throw a load of laundry in and park myself in the recliner to veg out for the remaining 15 minutes of her nap.

 10:00 – She’s awake. It’s like clockwork. What do people do whose children nap for an hour or two at a time? I can only dream. We play some more.

 10:40 – The sitter calls to let me know she is home, so I rush around collecting bottles, her diaper bag, etc. and we’re out the door to drop her off (about 5 blocks away).

11:00 – I rush home and change into work clothes (didn’t want to get spit up on my shirt or have food flung at me), then head out the door for my 45 minute commute and hope to make it to work by noon. I’m running short on paid time off after Amelia’s recent illnesses.

 12:00pm – Make it to work and start checking email. I work in the Disability Services office of a state college, and we were selected for an advance screening of a new show from the Sundance Channel featuring four women in wheelchairs. One of the stars is supposed to be getting in this afternoon in time for a reception and the screening. First email I see – her flight is delayed. Great.

[ Source ]

12:30-3:30 – I eat a microwaved frozen lunch at my desk and try to run damage control as we find out the star likely won’t make it at all. Proceed to make numerous phone calls/ send emails to find out if we can video conference her in at the event, and deal with countless interruptions from my boss.

 3:30-4:30 – Video conferencing is set up. Shew. Try to get some other work done, check some of my message boards, and browse prices online for the Nook or Kindle I’m hoping to get for my birthday next week. Normally my work day would be done at this point.

 4:30-5:30 – Work on billing statements I send out to students for our services, then head up to the reception.

 5:30-7:45 – Reception and screening are a success, despite the star of the show connecting through cyberspace. I’m impressed with the show as reality TV goes, and our students ask some great questions during the Q&A. I duck out a few minutes early hoping to get home before Amelia goes to sleep.

 7:50 – I’m on the road and it’s raining. Great. Call my husband and Amelia went to sleep super early (normal bedtime these days is 8:30) so I won’t get to see her tonight. Ugh. Decide I may as well stop for gas. I have to fill up twice a week thanks to my commute.

 8:45 – I’m home and exhausted. It’s been a long day and it’s been awhile since I’ve spent a day in heels. Still have to gather all of Amelia’s stuff for the next day and wash bottles since my husband did it all of last week.

 9:30 – I tiptoe into Amelia’s room and smile at her all smushed up against the side of the crib. I get ready for bed and check Facebook and Words with Friends on my phone before I am out for the night. My hubby comes up to bed about an hour later, and I’m already sound asleep. 5:45 is going to come early tomorrow morning!

Thanks for sharing!

What kind of footwear do you wear to work? I totally go for comfort since I chase 4 year olds and every time I've dared to wear heels, I've had to chase someone.  No bueno.

Suggestions for June's Group Read!

How the heck is it June?????????????????????

Here is what we've already discussed..

The Year of Fog
Winter Garden
The Violets of March
Rebecca
State of Wonder
The Invisible Bridge
The Postmistress
The Scent of Rain and Lightning
Still Missing
The Sandalwood Tree
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Something Borrowed
The Blue Orchard
Sammy's Hill
In the Woods
Shanghai Girls
The Weight of Water
Water for Elephants
The Color Purple
The One That I Want
The Secret Garden
House Rules
American Wife
Firefly Lane
Middlesex
The Reader
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Awakening
Pride & Prejudice
I See You Everywhere

30 books.  Wow!  What will be the 31st? Suggestions are open until May 18th and then I will add a poll to the sidebar!

The Year of Fog Discussion 1

Hello everyone, it's Kyria from Travel Spot, filling in for Emily today! I was a bit behind last month, and am just catching up on Winter Garden (what a strange book, by the way!). However, this month I am well prepared! I am finished with The Year of Fog and am excited about the discussion.

First off, let me say that I love that this book is set in San Francisco! Every place she talks about, I know. It's kind of fun! When she talks about the Great Highway or Ocean Beach or Potrero Hill, I can see it in my mind. This made this book really special for me (on her website, there is actually a map of all the places that she goes out looking). However, other than that, I felt depressed the entire time. I can't imagine losing a child. But enough about what I think, let's get to the questions, shall we?

Discussion Questions, Chapters 1 - 45:

1. How do you feel about Abby and Jake? Do you like them? Do you like any one more than the other?

2. How much was Emma a factor in Abby’s relationship with Jake? AfterEmma’s disappearance, what did they discover about each other? Why was it awkward for Abby to see Jake turn to religion? Why was he skeptical of her insistence that Emma didn’t drown but was kidnapped?

3. How does Abby’s eye as a photographer shape the way she sees the world around her? What does she see that others don’t? What kinds of images captivate her the most? What does her approach to photography indicate about her approach to life?

4. Are Ramon and Jake entirely different, or was there a common thread that attracted Abby to each of them? What keeps her from sleeping with Nick in chapter 40? What has she needed from men in general at crucial points in her life?

5. Do you think Jake and Abby will last until the end of the book?

6. What is your theory of what happened to Emma?

Thanks for joining in! And thanks to Emily for hosting! See you on May 24th for the 2nd and final discussion of The Year of Fog!

Thanks, Kyria!! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Recent Posts That Have Me Nodding My Head v.2

Two weeks in a row? Can it be? Here is what I've found fasincating in the blogosphere this week..

Why I'm Opposed to NC Ammendment 1 by LawMomma is an EXCELLENT post on why marriage in North Carolina and really, the United States should not be denied to same-sex couples.  It's absurd.  And I'm glad she touched on the fact that she is Christian and if Jesus would be in support of equal marriage rights.  I mean he did say to one love another, did he not?

Let Her Dream by The Wannabe Athlete focuses on all of that LOVELY advice been there done that mom's want to give new moms.  If it's unsolicted? 95 percent of the time, it's unwanted.  Callie brings up good points, let them dream and figure it out themselves.  And WHY are women so hellbent on saying, "THAT WILL NEVER WORK?"  Arses.

As I was reading Everyday Isha, it reminded me why I teach.  Even after spending an extra day long (on teacher appreciation day, with no appreciation) I love my job.  My families may not verbally thank me, but their children do daily.  Thank a teacher.  Seriously. 

What did you read this week worth sharing?

A day in my life...

If you would like to participate and share a day in YOUR life, leave me a message in the comments or email me at pinkflipflops44 at gmail dot com! No matter how boring you think your day is, someone else is out there wanting to read it!

5:36 - I wake up and hear Isla crying.  I pretend to be sleeping and wait until my husband wakes up about 30 seconds later.  He goes to the bathroom and checks on her, brings her into the room so he can go BACK into her room to locate her pacifier and she cries and cries as I try to comfort her.  She is a daddy's girl and she did NOT want him leaving her with me.  He comes back with the pacifier and takes her back to bed.

6:06 My girl is crying again, so I go in, rock her and put on her music.  She's out.

7:25 I hear Isla talking and go get her for the day.

We nurse and I change her diaper and then we come out and listen to classical music on the tv and play for until she starts acting as though she could use a meal.

8:36  Breakfast time.  I eat half an English Muffin with peanut butter and strawberries and 1/2 a banana with my coffee and Isla has half a banana, half an english muffin, some blueberries and milk in a sippy cup.  I ate all of mine.  She did not eat all of hers. ;)

After we eat, I go and get her dressed for the day and we come back out.  We read The Alphabet Book twice and the Animal book twice.  We nurse and then we go back to my room so I can get dressed.  I get dressed and she plays in my room.  She starts laying her head on the floor so I ask if she wants to take a nap.  She sits up and puts her hands up.  I take that as a yes.

9:50 Isla is down for a nap and I do my hair, check the laundry, get our bags ready for work, write out a blog post and try to catch up on some Internet stalking, while watching In Plain Sight on demand.

10:20  Isla is crying, I go in and she snuggles in.  We sit down on the couch and she cuddles in for a few more minutes and then plays with the remote and we play with her music table, read Goodnight Moon and Baby's First Numbers and then have a snack.

11:00 I eat some guacamole with chips and a coke and Isla has graham crackers and avocado. I nurse her and we are off to daycare.

11:38 She is dropped off to daycare and I am on my way to the store because half-way to daycare I realized I had forgotten to brush my teeth.  Whooops.  Must by toothbrush/paste.

12:00 I get to work.  Finalize some checkpoints, clean up the room, organize my thoughts and talk to my assistant.

12:30 Kids arrive.  We head down to lunch.

1:00 Free choice time! Kids play with whatever, I run through letters with a little girl, do some sorting / patterning activities with a little boy and girl, referee some boys, run the lists for certain well loved toys, pass out folders, have kids pick what songs we will sing at carpet time, and basically ran around like a chicken with my head cut off!

2:15 Clean up time.  Today's clean up was later than normal because the Art Table was busy with a Mother's Day project and we weren't doing a small group today.  After clean up we head over to the carpet and do the pledge of allegiance and than calendar time.  We finish calendar time with songs,  today's choices were the ever popular Alligator Song, 5 Little Monkey's Jumping on the Bed and 5 Yellow Ducks, followed by our CD Song, My Mother is a Baker.

2:45 Recall and Snack time.

3:00 Read Brown Bear, Brown Bear as a class as we are practicing for our performance at the end of the year.

3:10 Head down to the gym to ride bikes and play.

3:45 Kids are goneeeee.  Try to finalize one more time, can't figure it out, organize stuff, address envelopes for post office and head out the door.

4:15 Do my thing at the post office and off to pick up Isla.

4:38  Isla and I are on our way home.  We get home and play and I put broccoli and asparagus in to roast in the oven and start some mac and cheese on the stove top.  Dinner is smoked pork leftovers and baked beans with what I'm making tonight.

yeah, she reads goodnight moon, while playing with the mouse and using screwdrivers, don't you?

5:40  We all sit down to eat dinner.  Isla whines until I am basically handing over my whole plate.  She LOOOOVES baked beans.

6:06 Isla is getting ready for bed with her dad and I clean up the kitchen.  We all go out to the living room to play/work/hangout but Miss Isla is a teething mess.  Super whiney and by 6:45 I am putting her tush in bed, even though she napped from 1:00 to 3:45!

7:00 I'm done ha.  Chill on the Internet, type this up, watch The Voice, cook spaghetti for small group tomorrow and get our bags around.

11:00 Lights out...

What Isla is Reading...

One of the things I was looking forward to the most when I was pregnant, was sharing books with my baby.  We've read books since the very beginning but just recently she has begun to carry books over to me or pretend to read them herself.  It is so stinkin' cute.  She even has a few favorites that are driving me a tad crazy since I read them about 5 times a day.  Luckily, we have a ton of books so I can trade them out frequently.

Here are her current favorites...

The Alphabet Book by P.D. Eastman - I like this book because there are many ways you can read it, if you are on multiple re-reads per day.  You can point to the pictures as you say them, you can just say the letters of the alphabet, you can just read, you can talk about colors, you can talk about letter sounds.. yeah I nerd out about simple reading with my 11 month old!

Animals - (sorry, it is currently in the bedroom with the sleeping child but its a bunch of pictures of animals with the names written next to them and a blue cover with a rabbit on it haha) - This book annoys me the most, but that's cuz I hate books that don't really have a story.  But we point to the animals and we make (very bad) animal noises.  She cracks up when her dad makes the sound for snakes.  But not her mom.  I apparently am NOT funny.

Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman - I love this book too.  Isla likes to kick her feet when I say, GO, DOG,GO! Once again, you can just read it, you can point and talk about the pictures, you can count things.  Good book.

Alice in Wonderland by Jennifer Adams - I loooove this one.  It has beautiful colors, simple words and perfect for an 11 month old attention span.  We point out the objects that the words talk about, we point to other colors, we count objects.. Good times! The awesome pictures make up for the fact that there isn't a story. ;P






I am currently trying to get her more interested in MY favorites. ;)  Goodnight Moon, Hop on Pop and Guess How Much I Love You.

Recent Posts That Have Me Nodding My Head

I like sharing.  Especially, when I read something good and feel like others need to read it.  I've shared a few links in the past, but I never remember enough on a consistent basis to make it a regular thing.  With that said, here are a few things that have me nodding my head, thanks to Sluiter Nation for the inspiration...

Book Blogging, A Breakdown by Roof Beam Reader... Adam poses some good thoughts / reasonings behind how to be a thoughtful reviewer in the age of blogging/ goodreads.

Empowering Daddy by GR Professional Mommy mentions important information to moms.  Help let dad be involved, you don't and SHOULD not be doing it all.  Trust your husband.


Who I am, Not Who I See by Love Every Day Life reminds me that we aren't alone when we are confident in our abilities and self and still struggle with what we see in the mirror.  Beautifully written by a beautiful lady.

What have you read lately that had you nodding your head?

A day in the life of ?????

Could it be you?

If you would like to share your day in the life leave a comment here or email me at pinkflipflops44 at gmail dot com!!

I can't believe I've had enough days in the lives for 6 months, but now I no longer have a stash of them! I'm always a nosy nelly, so even if you did one before and want to share another day, have at it!

Oh, and I am now back to part-time.  Rejoice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Um and I will have a one year old in 24 days.  I suppose I should send out the invites to her birthday.  And um get the pinata.  And um everything else.  AHHHHH!!!!