Good Morning!

We once again have arrived to yet another drizzly Wednesday morning. Grab your coffee and settle in for what shaping up to be a long day. Nothing beats a cozy rainy day at home, but when you have to dash from your car to buildings and people are coming in wet, sometimes sun seems like the better option. It is a day like today that I think we all need a pick me up. The best option I have to give you is a re-cap of my weekend. How will this cheer you up? I am not sure. It will bring some sun into my day though and it is my blog after all. So without further ado, I bring to you my adventures from this past weekend.

I mentioned to all of you that this weekend was going to be filled with a weekend celebrating our friend’s marriage. Now, Cor and I were both very excited to take the weekend off and see friends and just enjoy ourselves as we revel in the bliss of two lives becoming one. Well, this weekend was just that and then some. First of all, I must say that the bride to be has to be one of the greatest people I know. Even in the midst of her wedding, she still asked if I needed anything and had a part to thank everyone involved. I mean, she is just such a great person. This weekend seemed to be more about the guests than the lovely couple. We arrived to an island via ferry to hugs and a gift bag filled with what I would consider a full course meal (okay, so maybe it was just chips, jerky, cookies, and so on, but that is more than what I eat for breakfast and lunch most days). After settling in, Cor and I went exploring on the island. I don’t think my pictures do it justice, but this place was amazing. I felt like I was Baby in dirty dancing at the resort they went to. We felt like we should have brought Polo shirts and loafers while drinking brandy. It was rustic and amazing! Again, the pictures don’t do it justice.  It was hands down one of the neatest places I have been. After some good eats, we went and sat around a bonfire the size of a small swimming pool and just got to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.

Saturday was equally as grand. After breakfast and coffee, Cory and I headed back to our room overlooking the lake, lit a fire, and took a nap. Yes friends, this was how relaxing the weekend was. After the nap, we headed to a fish fry (awesome!!) and ended the night with dancing and drinks. I can’t stress enough just how splendid it was. It has been awhile since Cor and I could just enjoy each other’s company and talk and then have close friends around as well. It makes me realize just how lucky I am. I know everyone thinks this, but I think my close group of friends has to be one of the best.

Sunday was the wedding ceremony. We all sat on blankets, drank coffee, and watched two great people join hands in marriage. It was such a neat experience to sit on the grass in the outdoors as the sun was peeking through the trees. Truly an unforgettable moment for all of us!

Well friends, I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the weekend. I have another three day weekend ahead of me as we celebrate Memorial Day this coming weekend. Spring clean up, here we come!

-Cheers!

Good Morning!

And indeed it is, my friends. The sun has been out, the semester is winding down, and just all around joy and excitement is in the air. I am loving every moment.

I bet a couple of you have been wondering where I have been (or not). Well, my lack of posts is a good indication that I have been busy. My days are filled with getting ready for the summer semester and my weekends are filled with adventures. It has been since the end of March that I have actually been able to spend some time at home and this weekend is no different. Before I jump the gun here, I will just give you a quick recap. A couple weekends ago, I made the drive home to celebrate Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, my mom had to work on the actual holiday, so we moved it up a weekend. I know the day is past, but I just want to give a shout out to my mom. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. My mother is the most beautiful woman I ever saw and know. I truly strive to be like her because I don’t know a person who is so caring, giving, so beautiful and much more. I once read that a mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. This is my mom in a nutshell. She brings so much joy and laughter to my life each day and I am so proud to call her Mom. We celebrated by drinking coffee, catching up, having margaritas and fried pickles (mmmm!), shopping, and scanning Pintrest. There may be some Pintrest weekends coming up here soon! It was a delightful weekend.

After a short week at work, I again packed up for a weekend trip to Fargo, ND  to see Cory’s sister graduate. One graduation party, three bottles of homemade mead (aka diesel oil), some bad karaoke, 6 beers, and some late night/early morning Catan and 35 Taquitos later, we were back in the car making the six hour drive home. It was a very successful weekend if I don’t say so myself. J (Congrats on your Fashion Apparel Buying Sewing Branding Selling with an emphasis in Design Drawing and Retail degree Paula! (Did I get that degree right? I feel I missed something)

We got back and settled down for another short work week. This weekend we are off to see two lovely friends get married on an island. Let’s just say that my excitement is hard to contain. Weddings, first of all are awesome. Everyone is so happy and are there to celebrate. It is just a great time all around. Secondly, we are so happy for this couple and are so glad to be able to witness them getting married. Third, have a mentioned it’s on a flipping island? I mean, it just doesn’t get better than friends around all there to celebrate this jubilant occasion. I will definitely have pictures!

After this is done comes Memorial Day. It means yet another long weekend for me and I plan on taking full advantage of my first weekend at home in two months by opening the windows, turning on some music, and spring cleaning. This may not be exciting for some of you, but I am pumped. I get three whole days to do whatever I want! This also involves getting outside and cleaning up the yard from Old Man Winter still, some grilling and brews may also be in the itinerary. Yes, friends. Life is good.

If you need a good pick me up, here is another cat video! Yes, I know you are excited.

Get out there and enjoy this great day! Summer is almost here!

-Cheers!

Good Rainy Saturday Morning, Friends.

Yes, this winter weather seems to be hanging on and mother nature’s throwing all of us a curve ball. The robins seem to be balls of puff as they hunker down to weather the rain and you can actually hear a tree fall down in the forest. It is days like this that a good read is most welcome. Well, friends, it’s your lucky day. Prepared to be warped into a world of Pharaoh’s and sun-dwellers in Michael Stewart’s book 24 Bones.

Summary

Every five hundred years the phoenix dies.

Samiya, born-into-shadow, is soon to battle her born-into-light brother. Abandoned by their parents, neither wishes to play the preordained role of beast and hero. When their loved ones are taken hostage, they are forced to follow the path laid out in myth, culminating in a battle first fought six thousand years ago in ancient Cairo. A mythic clash where one defeats the other and both become gods.

To break free from their fates, Samiya and her brother must unravel a mystery twisted by cults, greed, and magic. But myth is a powerful force and failure to live up to it may not only destroy their lives but the lives of the ones they love most.

When the phoenix dies, the only certainty is flames.

Review

Every once in a while, I find myself reading a book without really understanding the big picture at first. This is one of those books. I had the privilege to review one other book my Michael Stewart before reading 24 Bones., so I thought I knew what I was in for. His book 24 Bones was not what I was expecting at all. Don’t get me wrong, I thought this was a very powerful read that touched on subjects that were unexpected as the book itself. War, family ties, mythology, balance just to name a few. Prepares yourselves for another epic ride as we tumble into the world of Pharaoh’s, the Void, and a battle for the record books.

The first thing that surprised me about 24 Bones was the pure knowledge that the author knew about Ancient Egypt and some of the mythology and facts along with that. With this, he took us into the present (and possibly the future) but never once deterred from the ancient stories as the character carried the stories of the past with her. It was quite admirable how some of the paragraphs read more like a history lesson that was intertwined with the main characters. What started to really draw me in was the concept behind the words that can be broken down to good versus evil. This is where the knowledge of Ancient Egypt came into play. The story goes that when Osiris died, his spine was broken into individual bones and separated up within separate groups. Now the  battle between good and evil is brewing and Osiris spine needs to be, for lack of a better word, reassembled.

When one of the main characters, Samiya, takes her own mother in custody because she knew what a piece of the spine was, she was on the evil side, but then I started to question her motives, and if she was just acting evil for the sake of the good. But again, it was her mother who dedicated her to this side for the sake of ‘balance’.  This book distorted the lines of this so called good and evil. I found myself not knowing which side to root for, who were the good guys, and I had no idea how it was going to end. I have to applause Michael Stewart once again for a suspenseful book and once again, a very gripping conclusion.

Yes, friends, this is the perfect book to make your rainy day more electrifying. Step in from out of the rain and discover a world unlike any other.

About the Author

After crewing ships in the Antarctic and the Baltic Sea and some fun in venture capital, Michael anchored himself (happily) to a marriage and a boatload of kids. Now he injects his adventurous spirit into his writing with brief respites for research into the jungles of Sumatra and Guatemala, the ruins of Egypt and Tik’al, paddling the Zambezi and diving whatever cave or ocean reef will have him. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and SF Canada, and the author of the Assured Destruction series, 24 Bones, The Sand Dragon, Hurakan, Ruination and several award winning graphic novels for young adults.

Purchase the book:

Kindle

Happy May Day, friends!

I know I have been absent on here lately, and I apologize. Some great things have been happening on my side of the line though. Flashback: remember those posts about me somewhat complaining about being bored all the time and I just want to do stuff? Well I take that back. It seems that free time is non-existent lately and I find myself looking forward to the first day I have no plans. I have no idea when that will be, but it is going to be glorious. Usually my weeks are filled with work, helping at the theater, or trying to get a start on spring cleaning while my weekends were free to do as I pleased. Well, that is no more. I don’t remember the last day that I slept in past 8:00 or sat down and just read for a couple hours and wasted time. Even my weekends seem to be taking a turn and are getting even busier than the work week. I haven’t been home for a weekend since my work conference at the beginning of April and it looks like it will stay that way through May. Don’t get me wrong friends. I am not going on a tangent of complaints right now because these past couple of months has been great. They have been filled with fun, laughter, a lot of firsts, good food, and just great memories. I have hopes that the upcoming future may prove to be the same.  Yes friends, great things are happening and I can’t wait! The upcoming events includes, but is not limited to: graduation parties, Mother’s Day, one epic Wedding Weekend of a great friend (yay!), theater opening, family time, barbeques, bike rides, and the theater opening!! (I know I already mentioned this, but felt it should be added again for emphasis) Yes, spring/summer is around the corner (despite the fact that we are indeed in a winter storm warning for tonight).

I will give you a little bit of update as to what I have been up to. *Disclaimer* It’s not much.

Well friends, that’s about it. I hope you receive many May Day Baskets (do people still do that?) and I will talk to you again soon. In the meantime, here is a cat video.  Enjoy!

-Cheers!