Wordless Wednesday - Worn Out Prairie Dog

After a busy day of checking out this...


and wrestling with this...


it's no wonder Hoover, the black-tailed prairie dog, ends up like this...


For more (mostly) Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Cheerios Spoonfulls of Stories Contest

Cheerios is sponsoring a children's book contest and accepting entries from now to July 15, 2009. I haven't looked into it yet, but you can check it out at their main contest website and can register here.

According to Simon and Schuster, the contest is open to previously unpublished children's book authors. Winners will be announced in March 2010.

Teaser Tuesday - BoneMan's Daughter

Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Should Be Reading. MizB asks us to:

(1) Grab our current reads.

(2) Let the book fall open to a random page.

(3) Share two (or three) teaser sentences from that page somewhere between lines 7 and 12 (avoiding spoilers).

We're also supposed to share the book title and author so others can find the book themselves.

Here's my teaser for today, from BoneMan's Daughter by Ted Dekker :

"I love you, Mother, and I will learn whatever you have to teach me. But don't expect me to live the same life you live, hopping around from party to party, man to man, looking to fill the hole in your soul with social fluff."

I've just started this book. So far I've been introduced to Ryan Evans, a navy intelligence officer serving in Iraq, and his estranged wife, Celine, and sixteen-year-old daughter, Bethany. We've had the first inkling that the BoneMan, who previously killed someone at Bethany's high school, is out of prison. He'd served 2 years and Celine was one of the people who helped put him in jail.

(Thank you to Miriam Parker at Hachette Book Group for this book!)

Monday, Monday!

Today is the last full day that KaiserMommy and her family will be here in West Texas with us.

We've LOVED having them, but tell me... how am I supposed to concentrate on anything else with this face around the house?

Fiber Arts Friday - Current Quilt Project

Here's where I am on my current quilting project.

It is planned to be another wedding wall-hanging. The idea is to construct one that looks like a stained glass window, with a large central heart in warm colors surrounded by a background of cool colors. The black fabric will be the backside of the quilt (and I'm using it for sizing reference at the moment).

(It's on hiatus right now to avoid the Kaiser stepping on pins. Yow!)

Click here for more Fiber Arts Friday!

Yes to Carrots Lip Gloss and Lip Tints

In November, I started reading Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. After reading the section on making our bathroom cabinets more earth-friendly, I started looking for a more natural shampoo and conditioner.

I was very happy to find Yes to Carrots in December. I'm on my second bottle of shampoo and conditioner. (Thanks guys!) I've also tried out several of their moisturizer creams -- including my current favorite, the body butter.

This week the guys at Y2C sent my an early sample of their new line of lip gloss and lip tints.

I'm not always a fan of lip glosses because they have a tendency to either feel heavy and sticky or else wear off in 5 minutes. I've tried out the "Carrot Kiss" lip gloss (because who could pass up a name like that?) and "Sunset Pink" lip tint. Both of them have a nice peppermint-y tingle and are non-sticky. I love the colors, too. The "Carrot Kiss" is less orange-y than I was expecting and more of a fun coral. The "Sunset Pink" is a great springtime shade that is not too neon pink. It actually feels like I'm doing something healthy and moisturizing for my lips. The lip tint has more staying power than the lip gloss, but the lip gloss has some fabulous shine to it that I also love.

I ended up giving some to Kaiser Mommy to talk about on her product review site (when it goes up). I'd love to give the rest to my readers.

Here's what was available:

• "Rose Bliss" lip gloss (will be sent to KymberlyBH)
  
• "Flirty Pink" lip gloss (will be sent to meg's mommy)
  
• "Playful Nude" lip gloss (will be sent to AnnMarie)
  
• "Cotton Candy" lip tint (will be sent to Melonie)
  
• "Natural Smile" lip tint (will be sent to Carie)
  
• "Chocolate Kiss" lip tint (will be sent to lilly)
  
• "Coral Sunshine" lip tint (will be sent to Amanda)
  

If you don't get one of the free glosses or tints, in the US you can find some at a Walgreens or Target near you. (I think they're also having a sale on the Y2C shampoos and conditioners at Target this weekend, in honor of Earth Day.) There are also "where to buy" suggestions on the Y2C home page for other countries.

Wordless Wednesday - Kaiser's Quilt

It is April 17-25 is the First Annual Bloggers Quilt Festival. In honor of that event and KaiserMommy's visit to West Texas, here is the quilt I did for the Kaiser.

He's about a year older now, but still just as cute!

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Harry Potter Revisited!

Here's an announcement for next month. There will be no Online Book Club pick for May.

Smash at Great Books and Fresh Coffee is having a Harry Potter Revisited! contest with a first book reading (my favorite Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) to be discussed May 1.

The TexasRedBooks Online Book Club is going on hiatus until after the HP Revisited readings are over. Come play along!

April Book Club Discussion - The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Ok, so it's still April 20 (barely). Sorry for the slacking. We picked up KaiserMommy and her family from the airport tonight, so it's been a rush trying to get the house ready and fridge stocked and mostly toddler-proofed (at least we tried).

How is your April going? Crazy busy yet?

Did you have a chance to read The Choice by Nicholas Sparks?

• What did you think?
• Was the choice at the center of the book the one you were expecting?
• Were you expecting to have the love story be told by Travis instead of Gabby for much of the book?
• What did you think about Travis's choice and the way the book turned out?

I'm going to put my thoughts on these questions in a comment so people don't accidentally read them if they're not ready to discuss yet. Just add your own comment to let us know what you thought.

New Awards! and Moving News!

Happy Monday!! DeSeRt RoSe has given me two great awards!

The first award was the Premio Dardos Award. This award acknowledges the values that bloggers show in their efforts to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

The rules to follow are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Thank you so much! Here are the bloggers I'm naming for the Premio Dardos Award:

• Michele at Reader's Respite
• Melissa at Book Nut
• Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
• Natasha at Maw Books Blog
• Leslie at Mrs. Flinger
• Amy at My Friend Amy
• Rachel at p.s. i quilt

Please check out these bloggers.

The second award is the You Don't Say award. This is what this award means...

"We give and get awards for having a great blog and being a good friend. What I want to award is those people whose comments have meant THE WORLD to me. It takes time to visit a blog and leave a comment ... I wanted to recognize some special bloggers whose comments have made such an impact on me. The “You Don’t Say?” Award is awarded to these special bloggers in hopes that they will pass the award along to 5-10 of their best commenters!"

Here are some of my best commenters:

• Daryl at on the m104
• Smash at Great Books and Fresh Coffee
• James at The Sky's the Limit
• Jill at Jill Jill Bo Bill
• Shan at Memories With Meg
• Eton at Passionate Fiction
• Melonie at Wandering Quail Road

Please visit these bloggers and leave a great comment!

In addition to this great award news, I have moving news for you. TexasRed Books is moving from http://texasredbooks.blogspot.com to http://texasredbooks.com. This move will still be with Blogger, who will continue to forward from the old address to the new address and should continue to forward my Google "Followers." The new address will start working today or tomorrow, so please re-set your subscription or readers.

Fiber Arts Friday and Bloggers Quilt Festival - First Quilt

I come from a family of quilters. I have quilts made by my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. When we go visit my husband's grandmother, she and I talk quilts.

You'd probably not guess that I'd never quilted before 2001.

The story goes something like this -- Once Upon a Time... (sorry, was I showing my fairy-tale-addiction again?)

Anyway, about a month into a new job that involved mostly computer work, I wandered down to the local farmer's market on a Saturday morning. There were lots of cute shops around the edges of the market area and one was a scrapbooking and fabric shop. I was definitely in the mood for a distraction that involved physical creativity. The shop had classes coming up that would teach us how to make crazy quilt blocks. They also had these cute pre-packaged kits (i.e. scraps of coordinating fabric and embroidery thread in a ziploc bag).

I'll blame it on the lack of coffee, but within the space of a few hours:

• I'd signed up for the class and bought the "perfect" kit;
• Then, a few hours later, I'd gone to another fabric store and bought yards more fabric (because I'd decided I needed to make an ENTIRE crazy quilt, not just one section);
  
• Also, I'd decided it should be a quilt for a queen-sized bed;
  
• And that I should make it as a Christmas present for my mother (It was October, by the way).

Well, I never said I was good at that "moderation" thing.

Here's the resulting quilt -- my very first.

I love it when a plan comes together!

It's far from perfect, but I had lots of fun. (You may notice, though, that most of my quilts now are either much smaller baby quilts or much-much smaller wall-hangings.)

For more Fiber Arts Friday, click here. For more pictures of bloggers' favorite quilts, click here.

The Haunted Mesa - Louis L'Amour

Plot Summary: Adventurer Mike raglan is called into action when his friend Erik Hokart disappears in the Four Corners area of New Mexico. Erik was an important inventor who had been planning a semi-retirement in a house he wanted to build on a mesa in a remote area. When things started to seem strange, he contacted Mike, who made his living investigating and disproving the so-called paranormal around the world. Mike couldn't get away immediately, but came when Erik sent his journal to Mike just before disappearing.

My Challenge: This fall Caribousmom set up a challenge to read along a certain theme from our To Be Read piles. I had just gotten most of our things unpacked and realized how many of my husband's Westerns now lived with my books in the guest room. Considering that (nearly) hundreds of books by world-wide best-selling authors now lived at my house --- which I'd never read --- my challenge was clear.

I don't know that I'll make it through 4 Westerns in the 6-month period (how sad is that?!?!) but I have made it through my first. My husband recommended The Haunted Mesa because its almost not even a Western.

My Reaction: The story is set in the American Southwest, but the focus is more Science Fiction than Western. Throughout the book, Mike discovers that his friend has been taken into an alternate dimension by the Anasazi -- precursors to the Navajo in the area. The Navajo's myths said that the Anasazi escaped from the Third World when it became evil. Still, we have few records of the Anasazi now -- only a few archaeological shards of pots and other clues. In L'Amour's story, the Anasazi found a way to return to the dimension (this Third World) from which they came.

In a typical Science Fiction story, the hero would have entered the alternate dimension around page 100, if not earlier. Many of the modern sci-fi books I've been reading have their protaganists falling into some version of Wonderland within the first 20 pages of the story -- often with no choice on their part. In contrast, in The Haunted Mesa, by page 250 out of 360, the main character has still not entered this dimension.

Rather than focus on the alternate dimension, L'Amour focuses on the choice the main character must make to enter the Anasazi's homeland and the preparations he must make. In addition, the author talks about the nature of the dimension Mike will be entering. According to Mike's analysis, it is a dying society, where the oligarchy restricts questions and free thought:

"I suspect a once-progressive society became locked into a pattern which they are strugging to preserve,a nd we constitute a threat. At the same timethe powers that be are eager for some aspects of our knowlege, especially those aspects that can help them maintain the status quo" (p175)

You won't be surprised to hear that this book was originally published in 1987. This description doesn't sound unlike what an American writer might have said about the USSR at the time, does it?

It was interesting reading this book. It was a plotline that seemed familiar to me, as a sci-fi reader, but was very different from what I was expecting. I'm still not used to Louis L'Amour's voice. I'm going to keep reading, though, and see what his Sackett series is like.

Did you enter any book challenges this year? How are you doing in yours?

Book Review Link-Up

I've been pleasantly surprised at all the fabulous book reviewers I've found online in the past year. It's been such an encouraging and supportive community. Here's another way we can support each other:

If I have reviewed a book that you've also reviewed, please send me an e-mail with the link to your review or leave the link in a comment for me and I'll include the link to your review in my blog post. This way readers will have easy access to a variety of opinions about the same books and we will have created an unofficial blog tour.

To let you know how ideas like this spread over the internet, I found this policy over at DeSeRt RoSe BoOkLoGuE. She got it from Dewey as a Weekly Geek challenge, who picked it up from Darla at Books and Other Thoughts. Thanks for the great idea, guys!

Wordless Wednesday - Prairie Dog

I've been debating posting these pictures. Here is the newest member of our family:

He's just absolutely adorable -- a baby black-tailed prairie dog. He's considered an exotic pet (although he was born about 5 miles from here). Prairie dogs as pets is not allowed everywhere, but as of September 2008 the US ban is no longer in force. His name's Hoover and he loves sweet potatoes, which he's eating here, and most other vegetables.

For more (mostly) Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Teaser Tuesday - The Liberation Diet by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley (2)

Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Should Be Reading. It asks us to:

(1) Grab our current reads.

(2) Let the book fall open to a random page.

(3) Share two (or three) teaser sentences from that page somewhere between lines 7 and 12 (avoiding spoilers).

We're also supposed to share the book title and author so others can find the book themselves.

I'm still working my way through The Liberation Diet by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley. Here's my teaser for today:

"In the 1960s trans fats were found to be harmful, but the food industry wasn't willing to let go ov the goose that lays the golden eggs. They did everything possible to keep the deadly saturated fat theory alive. Extensive research was caried out on trans fats in the 1970s and 1980s, all demonstrating the harmful effects on humans, but it took over twenty years for the FDA to do anything about it, mostly because the food insdustry lobbyists fought off the attack on trans fat."

The thought behind this book is that many of the conventional approaches to healthy eating do not have a solid nutritional or scientific basis. You can find out more about this book at the authors' website.

I'm not too comfortable seeing conspiracies in my food choices, but its an interesting idea. I can tell the difference now that the public tide has turned, though. Trans fats are outlawed in some cities. Online cooking programs are emphasizing the importance of local, natural foods.

Even the White House has a vegetable garden planted now. We have a big garden here in West Texas. Part of the motivation behind these choices are economic, but a large percentage of them are health-based.

What about you? What are you doing differently for your health this spring?

Sad News - Thalon Bruce Myers

Less than a week after the family and blogging world mourned the loss of Maddie Spohr, the news has come out that Shana and Rich, of Gorillabuns, just lost their son, Thalon.

Please send out your prayers and best wishes to the family.

Thank you to Dutchblitz for helping spread the word about this tragedy. Please visit Sarah at Whoorl for a beautiful tribute and more information about donating to help the family with funeral costs.

Easter Wrap-Up

So, here's what I learned this Easter:

(1) If I want Easter to feel different from other days, I should probably start planning for that earlier.

(2) Church Easter dramas are best when they involve Easter Ninjas.

(3) Those guys who wrote the egg dye instructions weren't kidding when they said "put down newspaper."

(4) West Texas does not like thunderstorm - hail - tornado nights.

(5) Lots of places here close for Easter -- not just Thanksgiving and Christmas.

(6) My husband would much rather be working in the yard than folding clothes and watching "Easter Parade."

(7) My Lenten Intention not to worry about my job was a good idea and should become a permanent attitude.

What about you? Did you celebrate this weekend? Learn any good lessons?

Fiber Arts Friday - Book Covers

It's my second Fiber Arts Friday -- and this time I'm actually posting on a Friday.

I won a handmade giveaway from Melonie, over at Wandering Quail Road, so long as I paid it forward with three handmade giveaways of my own.

Here are pictures of the three quilted bookcovers that are almost ready to go out the door.

For more Fiber Arts Friday, click here.

Awards -- Online and In Person

Some online blogging awards are very dainty. Some of them are beautiful and delicate. Last week my good blogging buddy Smash gave me one that I find absolutely hilarious! Take a look at this -- its the Zombie Chicken Award!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."

Can I admit something? Once upon a time, I was afraid of zombies. I never watched shows or read books that involved zombies, mummies, vampires... the whole lot. Why? Because I'm a big wimp, that's why.

So, fastforward a few years to the 1990s and my addiction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Suddenly, I had a whole new world of "scary" to investigate. In addition to books like Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson, I got brave enough to investigate Shaun of the Dead, the best zombie romantic comedy, EVER!

So, in the spirit of Shaun of the Dead, here are my picks for Zombie Chicken Award Winners:

• Daryl at On the M104
• Kat at Sassy Irish Lassie
• Janie at Sounding Forth
• Melanie at This Ain't New York
• Melonie at Wandering Quail Road
  

In addition to the online award, last weekend I received an award in person from West Texas Writers for a short story I entered into their annual short story contest. At the Celebration of Writers, I received an Honorable Mention for my story about two private eyes investigating identity theft in Dallas. Thanks, guys!

Aidan's Post -- Harry Potter

The last weekend in March I was in New Orleans. I was there for one college friend's wedding, but also got to catch up with another. We had a wonderful seafood dinner & I got to meet her husband and sons for the first time.

As usual, the conversation somehow turned to books. (Shocking, I know!) My friend was explaining to her oldest son, Aidan, about me writing this blog and talking online with people about books. Like many book fans, Aidan wanted to know if I'd read some of his favorite books and if I'd written about them here. The answers were "yes" and "no."

To correct that oversight, today I'm writing about my love for the Harry Potter books. I'm sure many (possibly most) of you have read part of J. K. Rowling's series about a British boy who discovers that he is actually a powerful and famous (or infamous) wizard with more adventures, friends, and responsibilities than he ever thought possible when he lived in a room under his aunt and uncle's staircase.

I was given the most recent part of the Harry Potter saga, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, for Christmas and loved it -- especially the footnotes and extra comments that were added to the stories described in the seventh Harry Potter book. (I didn't get the super-dooper version of the Tales, like someone I know was drooling after!)

I have also loved all of the Harry Potter movies and can't wait until the next one, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, comes out in the US this July.

My most favorite, though, of all the books and movies and everything else, was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- the very first of the books. As much as I've enjoyed the entire ride, nothing compares to the introduction I got in 1998 when a friend of mine convinced me that I should give a try to a "children's" book as a study break at Christmas. Like so many people, I was in awe of the J. K. Rowling's magical world and felt instantly connected with the characters she created.

If you haven't read the Harry Potter books, I highly recommend them, even if you've seen the movies, or are trying to stay away because they're overhyped or whatever. (If you're very lucky you may even be able to win copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone from White Trash Mom here!)

I agree with Aidan that these books are great!

Sad News - Madeline Alice Spohr

There is sad news in the blogging world today. We lost Maddie Spohr, whose mom writes
The Spohrs are Multiplying (be patient, it's understandably overloaded today), on April 7. Maddie was preemie who has had several health problems in her short life.

Right now, the best thing we can do right now is contribute to the Spohrs' March of Dimes page in Maddie's honor. You can get to that page by clicking the picture of Maddie in the upper left corner of the blog page or by clicking here.

Other ways of spreading the word are to Tweet with #maddie and to contribute your Facebook status. Mine now reads: Madeline Alice Spohr 11/11/07-04/07/09 Please give to the March of Dimes in her memory http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?w=131032674&u=marchformaddie&bt=2

Wordless Wednesday - Gardening

The last week of March, our parents came out to spend Spring Break. We put them to work and transformed this:

into this:


and are working on growing these:


For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Teaser Tuesday - The Liberation Diet by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley

Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Should Be Reading. It asks us to:

(1) Grab our current reads.

(2) Let the book fall open to a random page.

(3) Share two (or three) teaser sentences from that page somewhere between lines 7 and 12 (avoiding spoilers).

We're also supposed to share the book title and author so others can find the book themselves.

Here's my teaser for today:

"Ever wonder why we call the French a paradox? They eat a lot of saturated fat yet they have much less heart disease than Americans. The unfortunate truth is that Americans have been indoctrinated into the low-fat cult, so instead of changing our views to match science, we ignore or label the truth as something else. Some will say the reduced rate of heart disease in the French is due to wine consumption. If that's true, they why don't we do what the French do? Eat lots of saturated fat with red wine. It clearly works better than our low-fat diet, and it tastes better too."

This is from The Liberation Diet by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley. The thought behind this book is that many of the conventional approaches to healthy eating do not have a solid nutritional or scientific basis. You can find out more about this book at the authors' website.



Heart disease runs in my family, so I have a vested interest in checking out ideas on this subject (I have a feeling the general topics of eat less + move more will most likely show up again -- maybe I can combine that with more wine, though...) I'm also interested in this book because Annette is a member of West Texas Writers with me.