Em

Good Saturday Morning!

I hope this post finds all of you well and I hope that you are enjoying the last weekend in September. It is crazy to think that Monday will bring on a whole new month. The month before the so called Holiday Craziness begins. The month of ghosts and goblins. Bobbing for apples and pumpkins galore. October happiness to be my favorite month and I can’t wait for the excitement that it will bring. Speaking of excitement, today I am going to post a review of a book that is unlike any other books I have reviewed thus far. It’s titled How to Find the Right One and Make it Last! By Charles A. Johnson. I was excited to review this ‘self help’ book because I considered myself happily married to the right one. It intrigues me to see if I did think “by the book” and if we were meant to be. Well, here you go, friends!

Summary:

 We all want that special someone in our lives. But isn't it odd that one of life's most important lessons tends to receive the least amount of focus. It's no wonder why we have so little success attracting the love, passion, romance and fun that we all need and desire.

The problem for many busy and successful people is that they do not know where to find and meet the right partners, how to approach dating, or what it takes to build and sustain a healthy, loving relationship. To address these issues, I have taken a unique approach and have written this book about real people, like you, who struggle with finding love and the right companionship. Many who have used my techniques have been able to find happy rewarding relationships.

This book provides real world experiences and proven dating strategies and techniques. It's a guide that can be used to change your life and bring you the romance and love you've always wanted.

Review:

As I mentioned, I was very excited to do this review. The perspective that I might have on finding the right one is probably completely different because, well, I fully believe that I found the right one and that we are already making it last. I was excited to look at my relationship from another perspective to see if I followed the guidelines of Charles Jonhson’s book, or if I did things off kilter. When I started to read his introduction, it made me ever that much more excited nervous because it seemed like he was going to ask questions that I never really asked myself when I first started to date my loving husband. When I got further in the book, I became a little disappointed. A lot of the wording seemed to take a shallow sense. This started to turn me off from the book. I hate to think about finding the right one comes down to looks, dental work, and a makeover. Don’t let my frustration deter you dear friends. As I got further in to the book, I started to realize that the author wrote about this because when it comes down to it, finding the right one starts off with the initial attraction, which is looks. He was very honest in what he has seen starts a relationship for success. I found an appreciation for that. Dress to impress, give off the right signals, be open to adventure, communicate, create a balance, and love with all your heart. Charles Johnson, I think you are on to something.

One thing that I really like about this book is the questions. It was fun asking the husband the questions that was posed in the book and in turn answering them. We didn’t find out anything new about our relationship, but that didn’t bother me. Just made me realize that I am lucky enough to be in a relationship that will, without a doubt, last. For all the singles out there, tread wisely. This book is a great starting point, but I will forever be a strong advocate of fate. There is a true love waiting out there for each and every person. This, ultimately, was Charles A. Johnson’s moral of his book also. Love will find a way my friends. Prepare yourself to be swept away in the tides of love.

Looking for more? Read on, my friends, read on.

How to Find the Right One & Make It Last! can be purchased at:
askcharlesjohnson.com

About the Author:

After more than 20 years in the military and 16 in a corporate environment, Charles Johnson found another calling in life. In both the Air Force as well the many companies he founded or worked in, Charles managed and mentored diverse teams across Europe, Asia and North America. But he wasn’t your typical corporate manager.

Charles always focused more on the whole person and how to help those who worked with and around him find balance and achieve both personal and professional success. He found that he was helping people not only get well-deserved promotions or the financial recognition for their work, but he also helped them identify and realize what makes them happy.

Helping others create a life and a lifestyle where their happiness is a priority and life balance is the primary goal became Charles’ new life work. He became a certified life coach and author and has dedicated himself to helping single people find and select the right life and marriage partners and make it last.

Surrounded by three sisters and eight female cousins, Charles had a significant female influence growing up. With the knowledge he gleaned from that experience, he spent the last 25 years coaching and mentoring hundreds of single professionals and up-and-coming, career-minded men and women -- including his own four daughters. He found himself providing guidance to help these otherwise successful individuals improve their personal confidence by updating their image, polishing their social skills and providing insight into the art of establishing and maintaining relationships.

Charles has connected and helped hundreds of couples find marriage or committed partners and coaches them on how to make relationships last. He has been married for more than 33 years and three of his four daughters are now married. Charles has found happiness and balance in his own life as well, pursuing his passions as an avid traveler, photography enthusiast, art collector and a supporter of various charitable causes. He enjoys basketball, football and tennis. His greatest passion is writing about hope and how people can achieve their dreams and still have a balanced and complete life.

 
Em
Happy Saturday Morning, Friends!
This morning I am enjoying a hot cup of coffee while watching the geese fly in. My (sick) kitty is on my lap, and my husband is sitting by me. Life. Is. Good.  It is on this crisp Fall morning that I am pleased to bring you yet another book review of a great book: Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn.

Summary:
New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...
Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.
Strive, determination, honesty, loyalty and love. These are just few of the characteristics that author Jerome Charyn placed in the main character, Jack Dalton. The main character, that is only eleven years old. The main character, that grew up way too fast. Jerome Charyn did something in this book that made me fall in love with it right away, which was his starting paragraph. The author sets up the maturity of this eleven year old to prepare the reader that this boy is no ordinary boy. This boy is going to be extraordinary.  “It was late. I’d had a big fight with Mama. She said the Army wouldn’t take a soldier who was eleven (pg.  7).” It was right after this that you also found out that Jack has a ‘fiancĂ©e’ named Mauricette, they are in the middle of World War II, and his father died on the island of Bataan. All of these facts combined shaped Jack into the boy that he is. It is because of Mauricette (Coco) he started a fire and ran away, it is because of the war that his father died, and it is the death of his father that makes him seek out other means as a way to live.
I will just get down to the true grit that shapes this novel, The Leader. This is an unforgettable character and it is this man that shows Jack how to survive. In this man, Jack saw true friendship. It was this man that falsely accused Jack of being a traitor and threatened Jack into stealing. This was a very Jekyll and Hyde moment of the book because Jack struggles with ‘the Devil’ inside of himself as he searchers for his true identity. The fact that Jack, or Mr. Dalton as The Leader liked to call him, struggles with identity and who his really is at the tender age of eleven shows that life lessons can happen at any stage of life. By the end of the book, Jack has protected his mother, confessed to stealing, known what heartache is, and become a local hero through his thoughts and words. It was through all this that Jack stayed loyal to the one man that betrayed him. It was through all this that Jack never made it Back to Bataan and he realized that some goals in life will have to wait. They might be unachievable right now but never unreachable.
What made this book jump from good to great was the ending that brought it all together. In the first chapter, we listened  in on a telephone call  between Mauricette and Jack and how their love for each other is strong. The book ends with Mauricette calling Jack to express the same feelings. To me, this was a lesson in itself. With everything that happened between the beginning and the end, this showed me that humanity is still alive and present. That no matter what happens, life still goes on. No matter how hard times may get, there is hope for survival. I never knew what to expect turning the page or what path jack’s life was going to take, but throughout it all, Jack stayed true to himself. This book was admired to say the least and I would recommend it to young and old alike.
There you have it friends. If you are wondering what to read next, look no further.  Thank you to Nicole from Tribute Books for yet another great read. Want to know more about the author? Read on. Want to purchase the book to see what happened to Jack? Click on the links below!
I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday and I will talk to you soon!
-Cheers!
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”
New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”
Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.
Purchase Back to Bataan here:
Em
Happy Friday Friends!
Another week has passed us by, the air is getting chilly, and the talk of snow fall has started! Yes, this is a true story. I think that the weathermen are jumping the guns on the next season approaching, because Fall technically has just started. I love Fall and will refuse to see snow fly this early. My nights curled up with Apple Cider, warm thoughts, and Fall movies haven’t even started. This Fall is going to be different from all the other ones. It is going to be better. The reason for this is that I have a house that overlooks water and Fall is even more beautiful when you can see geese land in the water that is your back yard. Fall is better when you wake up to fog on the water and when you can use coffee as a hand warmer. Ahhh yes, Fall is definitely in the air.
Today, I can’t help but think of how much I miss my sister. As you are all well aware of, my sister and her husband put on their crazy pants and joined the Peace Corps. I am so very proud of them, but I miss them all the more knowing I won’t see them for a very long time. It’s different when you know you can pick up the phone and talk, but not so much in this case. Our conversations are held to weekly e-mails and blogging. As I am breathing in the refreshing air of fall, they are drinking out of coconuts in the warm air by the ocean and having Spaghetti-Oh sandwiches. It is because of these contrasts that I bring to you Fridays list. Drumroll please…..
Only in America….
·         can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance
·         do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front
·         do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke
·         do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters
·         do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage
·         do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place
·         do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight
·         do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille
·         all the back-pain relievers are on the bottom shelf
·         does every single toaster have a setting so high it burns the toast to a terrible crisp which no decent human being would eat
Well friends, enjoy this Fall Friday. Remember to hug the ones you love. Remember to enjoy life. Remember that life is grand.
Happy Friday.
-Cheers

Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
-          Emily Bronte
Em
Good morning Friends!
Do I have a treat for you today! Not only am I going to post on this chilly Friday morning, but I will be getting back into my old habits of lists on Fridays. Things must be getting back to normal for me because I know this is out of the ordinary as of late. Things are slowing down for me, but the stress seems to be lingering. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, I am happy that things are slowly getting into more of a routine and I am feeling more comfortable with life. I have been taking some time to re-evaluate things, and let me tell you, things are good. So let us all take a deep breath in and slowly let it out as we get back to the abundant things of life. As my past posts have been mentioning, sometimes things work out. Sometimes in the way we plan and sometimes not. When life happens in an unexpected way, we are then stuck with dealing with the facts. Does it sometimes seem unfair? Most definitely. I do believe that things happen for a reason, but lately, I have been having a hard time remembering that. It is especially hard when the hopes are high and bad things happen to great people. This is such a struggle for me. I have a very optimistic attitude (as you all are well aware of) and I do believe that it rubs off on people, as I want it to. The down side to this is when something so great is an inch away, hopes are up, happiness is abundant, and then it all comes crashing down. When this happens, I do know that there is a rhyme and a reason why, but it is hard to see sometimes. I know if may seem like I am talking in circles, but that is life. A confusing, amazing, brilliant, and frustrating ride. When life comes crashing down, it is then that I am thankful for everything around me. It is times like these that I look for a pick me up. A reason to celebrate.
Finally, friends, we have made it to the list of the day. Today’s list is one that will help you celebrate this great Fall month. My list will give you insight on what you can celebrate each day of the month, as well into next month if you need a bit more celebration.
Real National Holidays that you may or may not want to Celebrate:
September
September 1 is … Emma M. Nutt Day (Who is that?)
September 2 is … National Beheading Day  (this might be on the ‘may not want to’ list
September 3 is … Skyscraper Day  
September 4 is … Newspaper Carrier Day (Dogs love this day)
September 5 is … Be Late For Something Day
September 6 is … Fight Procrastination Day (That’s ironic)
September 7 is … Neither Rain Nor Snow Day (Ummm, what?)
September 8 is … National Date Nut Bread Day and Pardon Day (Pardon me?)
September 9 is … Teddy Bear Day (I celebrate this every day)
September 10 is … Swap Ideas Day (I have an idea…)
September 11 is … No News Is Good News Day (Crap)
September 12 is … National Pet Memorial Day and National Chocolate Milkshake Day (I hope the two aren’t related)
September 13 is … Defy Superstition Day
September 14 is … National Cream-filled Donut Day  (This is today my dear friends. Induldge)
September 15 is … Felt Hat Day (Where would I get one of these?)
September 16 is … Stay Away From Seattle Day and Collect Rocks Day
September 17 is … National Apple Dumpling Day
September 18 is … National Play-doh Day
September 19 is … National Butterscotch Pudding Day
September 20 is … National Punch Day (As in the drink or fist? )
September 21 is … World Gratitude Day and International Banana Festival
September 22 is … Hobbit Day and Dear Diary Day (Dear Diary, today I met a Hobbit.)
September 23 is … Checkers Day and Dogs In Politics Day (Isn’t the dogs name checkers?)
September 24 is … Festival Of Latest Novelties
September 25 is … National Comic Book Day
September 26 is … National Good Neighbor Day and National Pancake Day
September 27 is … Crush A Can Day
September 28 is … Ask A Stupid Question Day More (Come again…)
September 29 is … Poisoned Blackberries Day (Don’t celebrate this by indulging in them though)
September 30 is … National Mud Pack Day (As in packing mud or is this a group called the Mud Pack?)
October
October 1 is … World Vegetarian Day and Magic Circles Day
October 2 is … Name Your Car Day (Too late)
October 3 is … Virus Appreciation Day (I don’t know if this should be appreciated…)
October 4 is … National Golf Day
October 5 is … National Storytelling Festival
October 6 is … German-American Day and Come and Take It Day (Come and take what?)
October 7 is … National Frappe Day (I hope you have a Frappe day!)
October 8 is … American Tag Day (You’re it!)
October 9 is … Moldy Cheese Day (Its going to be a gouda day!)
October 10 is … National Angel Food Cake Day
October 11 is … It’s My Party Day (I can cry if I want to)
October 12 is … International Moment Of Frustration Scream Day (Ahhhhhhh!)
October 13 is … National Peanut Festival
October 14 is … Be Bald and Free Day and National Dessert Day
October 15 is … White Cane Safety Day (Do I need to buy one?)
October 16 is … Dictionary Day (Good ole Webster)
October 17 is … Gaudy Day (What did you call me)
October 18 is … No Beard Day (I think I can pull it off)
October 19 is … Evaluate Your Life Day (Hmmmm.)
October 20 is … National Brandied Fruit Day
October 21 is … Babbling Day
October 22 is … National Nut Day (Isn’t this the same as the nut festival?)
October 23 is … National Mole Day
October 24 is … National Bologna Day (Why does this follow the Mole day?)
October 25 is … Punk For A Day Day (You talking to me?)
October 26 is … Mule Day
October 27 is … Sylvia Plath Day (I hope this day doesn’t end like her…too soon?)
October 28 is … Plush Animal Lover’s Day and National Chocolate Day (Lonely people unite!)
October 29 is … Hermit Day (Must I say it again?)
October 30 is … National Candy Corn Day (Okay!)
October 31 is … National Magic Day and Increase Your Psychic Powers Day (Shouldn't this be Halloween or National Eat all the Candy you can Day?)
There you have it friends, a reason to celebrate each and every day. We should do this no matter what, but if you need some more inspiration, you know where to go! I hope your Friday brings grand splendor and happiness. I am off for a day of shopping and Fall Festivals. Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year?
Cheers to you all!
Em
Good Morning Friends.

It is a good morning indeed. My coffee is hot, my energy is high, and I am gearing up to start this Tuesday morning! I do have work to do today, so I am going to keep this short.
I just wanted to let all of you know that as you grow and experience more things in your life, know that there will inevitably be obstacles to encounter. But don’t worry that they will seem too great6 for you to handle, because you can. You may doubt yourself at times, but know that if you have faith in yourself, you have everything. Being happy and confident is the key to be successful. If you know you are capable of anything because of who you are, you will always reach your destination. I know many of you are going through things in your life, whether it is deciding where to live, what to do, how to keep up with life, work, friends, or protecting your kids from this world that can be cruel at times. Life may not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. Look ahead of you, never behind. Have faith in yourself. I know I have faith in each and every one of you. If you do have faith in yourself, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Remember, life is what you make it…and more.
-Cheers!
Em
Happy Friday Friends.
Well, we made it through yet another workweek. Friday’s are great and you will never hear me say different. J I can’t stress to you how much my mood lightens on Friday’s (yes, even more so than usual). I hope to get back into the swing of things (and yes, this means back to my Friday list). But that we will tackle next week.  For today, I will grace you with yet another book review. Today, it is my pleasure to bring to you a review for the first book in The Red Serpent Trilogy by Rishabh Jain.
Summary:
The Red Serpent Trilogy presents a highly evolved vampire to fear: cold and callous, powerful and dangerous, possessed by mystic promises and destroyed only by silver. It is the year 2021 — the human world has degraded, its inhabitants unworthy of the supernatural gifts bestowed upon them. Compelled by ancient prophesy, an ancient vampire army takes the human race by force, sparing few lives. They await the second coming of their king, Anaxagoras, which will hurl the world into a final battle that will free the vampires from their infinite hiding. But by the hands of fate, there is one human who may save his entire race.
The Red Serpent Trilogy is a celestial fusion of science fiction and fantasy, unfolding conflicting intentions for the survival of both the human and vampire races. But in a world ruled by supernatural and mythological forces, there is only room for one race, and neither will go easily. The few survivors of the fatal vampire onslaught escape to an asteroid space station, Regnum, where they thrive as they keep an attentive watch on the vampires on the earth below. But unbeknown to himself or anyone else, Alex, half human half vampire, holds the keys to secrets that will help him realize his duties and cement his
fate as either a human or a vampire.
Review:
“In order to have peace, there must be war.”
The thing that struck me best about this book was the pure creativity the author uses to put a new spin on the whole Vampire phenomenon that has circulated throughout novels. Rishabh Jain really digs deep into the realms of reality cleverly mixed in with artistic features and writes a book that is unlike any other. There were times that the book took some predictable turns that left me wanting some more suspense. Also, some of the footnotes seemed unnecessary to me and caused interruptions in some of the most climatic parts, which drew away from the story. All in all though, as I mentioned, the author really took the vampire theme and made it into his own. As the human race slinks into extinction and the vampire’s take over, Alex’s (the main character) struggle comes on with a vengeance as he fights for his life, his race, and his family. He is left questioning who is really on his side and whom he can trust.
About the Author:
Rishabh Jain was born in India. He is currently a mechanical engineering student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Want to read more? The Red Serpent Trilogy can be purchased at:
Paperback
Price: $12.99
Pages: 131
ISBN: 9780984752201
Publisher: AJ International Press
Release: August 14, 2012

There you have it, friends. Here’s to the start of a great weekend. I hope today will bring you many joys and tomorrow will bring you rays of sunshine as Fall floats in with color galore and delightful smells aplenty.
-Cheers!
Em
Hello Friends.
Today, I am a force to be reckoned with. I should say that my contentment is a force to be reckoned with. Right now, in this moment, I am content. It took me a bit to get here since I last gave you a life update, but I am in a place now where I can again stop and listen to life. I can take those walks I have mentioned. I feel it was a long time coming and I apologize for the lack of updates. Well friends, prepare to be overloaded with information about yours truly. What has happened you may wonder. Well, here is the happenings of Em in the last five months. I will give you the version that is on caffeine, because I fear you will get bored with my novel is I explain everything in depth. Here it is:
April: applied for a job 150 miles away from Duluth. Got the job. Lived in a hotel for a month then moved in with a college friend. Cory was still back at the old house.
May: Still living with my friend in Hudson, WI. Cory and I are still apart. Learning a new job. Found out that my sister will be leaving for the Kingdom of Tango for the Peace Corps in August. Put our house up for sale. Sold it in a week. Starting to look for a house in Amery, WI.
June: Still living apart. Had a garage sale and sold most of our belongings. Very bittersweet. Found out that the in-laws closed on the Historic Amery Theater. Starting to renovate. Put in an offer on a new house in Amery, WI. Closed on our old house and have an accepted offer on the new house. Still living apart.
July: Work getting busy with the start of school. Long long hours. Still living apart. Closing date for the new house set for August 31st. Getting stressed at work (which is unlike me). A lot of questioning going on. Some tears were shed. Some thoughts about what is right. Still working on the theater. Still living apart. Cory gets a job close to my work….with opposite schedules.  
August: My sister leaves for Tanga. So proud of her, but sad to see her go. I will post more on this at a later date…(seriously). Closed on our lovely home. Theater coming along. We finally get to live together (and elvis). I survived my first semester at my new job. I saw my family. Had some laughs, some hugs, some down time.
September: Content.
I think that is it in a nutshell. A lot of emotions and thoughts and struggles, but it was all worth it. There is no question in my mind about what is right for us now because I know this is the life I was meant to lead. Along the way I have learned lessons that I will never forget. I think the lessons I learned are a good reference for anyone who has ever been stressed out or has doubted themselves. To you, I raise my (coffee) cup and say congrats for facing reality, because reality is scary in every sense of the word. To you, I say this:
Don’t ever try to understand everything; some things will just never make sense. Don’t ever be reluctant to show your feelings, when you’re happy, give in to it! When you’re not, live with it. Don’t ever be afraid to try and make things better, you might be surprised at the results. Don’t ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don’t ever feel threatened by the future. Take one day at a time. Don’t ever feel guilty about the past because what’s done is done. Learn from any mistakes you might have made. Don’t ever feel that you are alone; there is always somebody there for you to reach out to. Don’t ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine (Imagine that!). It’s not as hard as it seems. Don’t ever stop loving, don’t ever stop believing, and don’t ever stop dreaming your dreams.
There you have it friends. Hopefully my posts will start becoming more frequent. I hope I can make your day happier. Put a smile on that beautiful mug of yours and we can become close friends once again.
Fall is around the corner. Colors are changing; Apple Cider is being warmed up and placed in the hand of friends. I can’t wait! My favorite season is almost here. Expect my good feelings to be sent to you.
-Cheers!