Yard Improvements

Our garage was getting too crowded for PChad to be able to have enough room to work on his car, so it was time to look into getting a shed in our backyard.

First we scoped out a spot.  With a long narrow yard the options were few, so the lone tree had to go.

We discovered 36 hours before our shed was being delivered that we had to prep the ground ourselves, or there would be grass underneath it!  So before dropping the kids at school I called for a load of gravel while PChad worked on tree removal.  After I dropped the kids off I ran into the garden store for a tarp, landscaping fabric & a wheelbarrow.  I had to hurry, the gravel was on it's way!

PChad got to work & after he had taken all the grass out I told him, "that wasn't where I thought we were putting the shed," but apparently I was mistaken, he wasn't going to move it, ha!

The gravel was all put in place & ready for the shed which would arrive the next morning!

Our shed arrived!

I tried not to be in the way while I took pictures, so you'll have to excuse all the reflections in the window...

Walls are up!

Roof on!

Decorative trim, this thing is fancy!

Doors going on!

In 3 hours our shed was built, now it's time to put some stuff in it!  The price was right, & Rainforest Sheds did a great job!

Beach Blondes & Spring Fling -review

Beach Blondes is a book about a girl named Summer from Minnesota who goes down to Florida to stay with her cousin for the summer before her last year of high school.  On her flight she meets a woman who does a tarot card reading & tells Summer that she will meet 3 guys, one is a mystery, one is dangerous, & one is the right one.  Chaos ensues as she tries to determine which one is which.  This was an enjoyable book, a slight deviation from what I normally read as it was about 17 year olds rather than adults.

After I finished reading Beach Blondes I realized there were more books in the series, so I picked up 'Tan Lines' which is about the second summer, but as I started reading the book, it kept referring to things that had happened over Spring Break.  I realized I had the 'Spring Break' book, so I checked it out.  Here's where I started getting confused.  According to the publishing dates, the order is:
1. Beach Blondes (1995)
2. Tan Lines (1996)
3. Spring Break (1996)
4. Sun-Kissed Christmas (2010)

I don't have the Christmas book, but the Spring Break book refers to things that happened over Christmas, so I assume she decided to go back later & write those books to fill in what had happened.


When I was reading Spring Break there were several pop-culture references that didn't line up with the publishing dates.  The book was first published in 1996, then re-published in 2010.  They listed several bands which had not formed yet in 1996, & they referred to Heath Ledger having died.  What I don't understand is why the author felt the need to try to update some of these notes in the book.  The new bands & references didn't mesh well with the other things happening in the book, & it made me not enjoy it as much.  True, the book itself never states what year it is, but usually a publishing date will let you know that the book is written about that year or earlier.  I probably would have enjoyed these books better if I read them before they were re-published & had things changed.

Hunger Games -Review

This weekend, PChad & I went & saw Hunger Games.  We had both read the books, & were eager to see how they adapted them for the movie.  While I was reading the book, I was interested in what the people of Panem would have seen on the televised version of the Games.  I went to the movie with that in mind.

I was quite pleased with how well they stayed with the book.  There were some parts (like how Katniss gets the Mocking Jay pin) that were different, but it was understandable that  it would take too long to show how it came about in the book.  The cornucopia was not gold (as it was in the book), & I’m not sure why they wouldn’t have made it gold, but I could look past that as well.

 

I was a bit confused about some of the casting as well.  I thought they did a pretty good job with Katniss, Peeta, & Gale.  Katniss’ Mum, & Prim, & Rue were all excellent along with the other tributes.  I’m not sure why they felt they needed to put Lenny Kravitz in as Cinna, & Woody Harrelson seemed an odd choice for Haymitch.  I think the movie itself was strong enough that they didn’t have to go with big named people for these roles, as long as they got good actors, as was demonstrated with the three main characters.

 

There were a few scenes from the movie that I wish had been longer.  The part where Peeta is down by the river hiding in camouflage, we barely get a glimpse of him, & in the next scene he has removed most of his camouflage.  I wonder how many hours make-up worked on him, for a 5 second shot in the film.  I understand the movie was already 2.5 hours, but I was a bit disappointed with that scene.

 

All in all, I was very impressed with the movie, & I’d love to see it again.  It will definitely be added to my list of movies to buy!

Beneath The Night Tree -review

Beneath the Night Tree by Nicole Baart, is a story about a single mother who is also parenting her younger brother with the aid of her grandmother.  The four of them are living quite functionally for what appears from the outside to be a very dysfunctional family.

 

 

I was about 2 chapters into the book before I figured out that this is the third book in a 3 book series.  Normally this would not bode well, but the story is so well told that I understood what I needed to for the book to be enjoyable & complete on it’s own.  Reading the other 2 books will be welcome prequels to this book.

 

I liked how real the people in the book are, just because they are Christians doesn’t mean that their lives are easy, or that they don’t have struggles.  I’d definitely recommend this book, & though I’d probably recommend they read the 2 previous books (After the Leaves Fall, & Summer Snow) first, this is also a good stand alone novel.

The Perfect Man -Review

A month or so ago, PChad & I attended a wedding & had 5 hours to kill b/w the ceremony & the reception.  Since we had a babysitter at our house, we couldn’t go back to pick up our books, so we headed to the local bookstore to buy a few magazines before we headed to Starbucks.  The only magazines that I could find that I was interested in were around the $11 mark, so I thought that I might as well look for a book, since I was sure I could find one for about the same price.

I’m a bargain shopper, & I always want to get the most for my money, so I looked for a good thick book, so I wouldn’t run out of things to read.  One of the things I look for when I’m in a hurry, is a book that is priced in British Pounds.  I figure that if the book is good enough to be imported, it has to be pretty good.  I found “The Perfect Man” by Sheila O’Flanagan, & it fit all the above criteria, so I bought it.

The main character of the book is a lawyer turned author, who wrote a book called “The Perfect Man”.  She ends up taking a job to be the keynote speaker on a Valentine’s cruise, & brings her sister along as her personal assistant.  Since she is the author of a romance book, everyone seems to think she is a total romantic, which couldn’t be further from the truth.  Both she & her sister have be unlucky in love.  The story begins as the sisters board the ship, & meet other guests, bringing more characters into the story.  As the story unfolds, we find that many of the characters have troubled pasts, leading them to be cautious about love & letting others get close to them.

Even though this is a romance novel, I was pleased to discover that the 1 or 2 brief love scenes were very tastefully done, & they did not detract from the rest of the story in any way.

This book has seen me through the 5 hour wedding wait, a flight to Alberta, 90 minutes of being abandoned in a ski lodge, a flight back to PEI, & all the moments between.  At 600 pages, I never had to worry about finishing the book, until last week.  At the end I really, really wanted to find out what happens, so I wanted to finish it, but I also wasn’t ready to be done the book, since it was such a good story, but finish it I did, & if the rest of Sheila O’Flanagan’s books are 1/2 as good, I think I may have found a new favourite author!

A Slow Burn, & Life In Defiance –Reviews

A few months ago, I reviewed the first book in the “Texas Trilogy” Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth.  I raved about it’s realness & how well it was written, & to say I was excited to read the rest of the trilogy would be an understatement.


I had a bit of reading time on my trip this summer, so I took A Slow Burn & Life In Defiance the next two books along hoping to find the time to read them.  I have to tell you, it is a shame that there were only three books in the series.  I enjoyed every page.  There are some books that I get so engrossed in that I want to hurry up & read to find out what happens, yet I don’t want to read them TOO quickly because then they will be over.  All three of these books were like that for me.

The characters are all flawed, some in very obvious ways, others not so much.  There were bits of each person that were very relatable, maybe not that I share the exact trait with them, but I could understand where they were coming from & why they did the things they did.  Even though these are Christian Fiction novels, they don’t wrap up neatly with everyone living “happily every after”.  That’s what I like about them, there are  no platitudes.

If you haven’t picked up these books yet, you really should.  They are a great read, extremely well written, & very real.

A Night Out On The Town

Last night, the cross-stitch group I am a part of, went on it’s annual summer dinner & theatre evening.

I met up with the ladies for dinner & then it was on to see “Johnny Belinda” at the Montgomery Theatre in North Rustico.  The play was great, and for being in a small town theatre, the acting was superb!

I just couldn’t believe how great the play was.  I hadn’t heard of it & didn’t know any of the story line before we got there, but it really was excellent.  If you have the chance to see this play, I definitely recommend that you go see it for yourself.

Daisy Chain –review

When I look for a book in the Christian Fiction genre, I have a few favourite authors I usually stick to.  I’ve never read a book by Mary DeMuth, nor have I heard of her before.

Well, I’m ready to tell you that if you haven’t read Daisy Chain, you are missing out.  The story is so different from any other Christian Fiction that I’ve read before, and so well written, that I was hooked right from the beginning.  At first I thought that because it was so different, I would be able to pick it apart, but the more I read, I discovered that the main character’s situation is very bizarrely true to reality.

I don’t want to give anything away, because by doing so, I worry that I might taint the book for other readers, but this book is definitely in my top 10 Christian Fiction books, AND it’s the first book in a trilogy.

Nothing excites me more than reading a great book & discovering it’s part of a series, so I can continue following the characters.  I just can’t say enough good things about this book.  It’s definitely going to be one of my top recommendations, and now I need to find the next books in the trilogy!

Twenties Girl –review

It was mentioned to Sophie Kinsella at one time, that she should write a ghost story.  She thought about it for awhile & decided to do so.  Had I known before I got this book that it would be centred around a ghost, I probably would have never gotten it, even though I’m a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella.  Well, I am very glad that my friend April sent me this book, because Twenties Girl, true to Sophie Kinsella’s form, delivered intrigue, suspense, romance & humour.

The story revolves around Lara, a young woman who seems to be stuck in a bit of a slump.  She can’t get over her boyfriend who suddenly broke up with her without warning months ago.  The new business she recently started with a friend has been left for her to run whilst her friend takes a very extended holiday.  And Lara feels she has to keep all this secret from her parents because she’s just not sure they would know how to deal with it.

When Lara’s little known Great-Aunt Sadie dies at the age of 105, Lara dutifully goes to the memorial service, and is embarrassed that none of the family really know what to say since none of them made any effort to know her when she was living.

At the service, Sadie appears before Lara & won’t leave her alone until she promises to help her find a necklace which has gone missing.  It might sound a bit hokey, and as far a ghost stories go, I’m not a fan, but this book is just another example of why Sophie Kinsella is such a popular writer.

The Moment Between –Review

It took me awhile to get into this book, and by awhile, I mean six chapters.  If I was the type of person who could stop reading books once I started them, I’m pretty sure I never would have finished the book, but by chapter nine I had come around & decided it was a pretty good read.

It’s the story of Abigail, a woman who grew up having to act as a mother to her bi-polar sister.  Her father clearly favoured her sister to her, and that has influenced much of the way she lives.  When tragedy strikes, Abigail flees to Canada and finds hope in an unlikely source.

If you have the tenacity to stick through the first few chapters, I’d recommend this book, but if you don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to reading, then I’d say you could pass this one by.

Carolina Isle -Review

I am not a big fan if historical fiction.  There are a few books here & there that I have enjoyed, but I am definitely more of a modern fiction fan.  Fortunately, Jude Deveraux writes both.

Carolina Isle is the story of 2 cousins from very different backgrounds who are tired of their respective lives.  Luckily, it just to happens that they look almost exactly alike, so they hatch a plan to trade places, both imagining the other girl’s life to be more desirable.

I have to say that there were elements of this book that were a bit predictable, but the over all storyline had me captivated right up ‘til the end.  In my opinion, Jude Deveraux has a real gift of hooking the reader & keeping them on tenterhooks through to the last page.

Take Two -Review

Take Two is the second book in Karen Kingsbury’s Above The Line series.  I am a big fan of series, and as I mentioned in the review for Take One, this is the fourth series, so there are some of the same characters we’ve been following for awhile & are familiar with.

In this book, we continue to follow Andi as she figured out what her own faith looks like when she lives across the country from her parents.  While not always making the “right” choices, the choices she makes (I felt) were very true to those that a girl in her situation would make.

The other central character in the book, is a wife & mother of two small children, whose husband is out of the house for weeks at a time due to his hectic schedule in the movie making business.  Again, there is a certain realness to her character that is refreshing in the Christian fiction genre.  When her husband is gone, she resorts to eating junk food much of the time & just has a real difficulty coping with managing the household on a very limited budget while her partner is away, and for the most part, unavailable to her.

I would definitely recommend these books.  It seems to step away a little bit from the predictability that has been present in the first three series, and is shaping up to be a very realistic series.

Letters From The Manse -Review

I first heard about this book a few weeks ago at a Christian Women’s group.  I was interested in it mainly because the book is made up of letters that a new pastor’s wife wrote to her family just after moving to Prince Edward Island.

What is so remarkable about this book, is that Joan & her husband Blair, moved from city living in Ontario, where they had modern conveniences, to such a remote area of the island (they were seven miles from the small town of O’Leary) that they had no power, and they had to learn how to cook on a coal stove rather than gas.  Blair was pastor to 3 churches in the area, which lent certain struggles of it’s own.

She started writing her letters in 1949, just after moving to the island, and continued for the next year & a half until they had their first child & discovered that they just didn’t have the time for writing anymore.

I think the length of the book is perfect, it’s a rather short 130 pages, but the interest of it is the culture shock she experiences, and after awhile, as they adjust to rural living, it starts to lose it’s snap.

I’d recommend this book to any wives in the ministry, as I’m sure we can all relate to some of the tales she tells, and also to those who want to take a look back at what yesteryear on the Island looked like.

I'm With Cupid -Review

I'm With Cupid is an interesting take on the modern love story.  It's a story told from Cupid's point of view.  Cupid finds himself frustrated with the human race, and in an act of desperation, sends out a true love arrow to an "undeserving" woman.

We watch as her relationship begins on a rocky road, and just keeps getting bumpier & bumpier.  The guy she falls for is far from being ready for a committed relationship, but for some reason, that doesn't seem to be what causes most of the problems for this couple.

What I really liked about this book, is that while it is a romance, the primary purpose is not to titillate, but to teach us something about love.  I also appreciated that there were no explicit bedroom scenes, as most modern romances seem to think are necessary.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, light read, and want to take a break from the run-of-the-mill romance novels.

Every Now & Then -Review

Every Now & Then is the third book in the Sept. 11 series by Karen Kingsbury.  I read the first two books a few years ago & just realized a while ago that Karen Kingsbury had written a third book in the series.

I think that due to the time in between reading the first two books & this one I had a difficult time keeping all the people straight.  There were also a number of references to things that had happened in the last tow books, but I couldn't really remember what those were.

I re-read the backs of the first two books after I realized that I had no idea who some of the central characters were & that helped a bit, but it would definitely have enhanced my reading experience had I read the other books more recently.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that I wasn't clear on all the history of the characters.  In this book, we are introduced to a new main character & the story is set a few years after the terrorist attacks.  He has moved from New York to California which I think also breathes new life into the story.

Alex is a K9 police officer who has a great partnership with his dog, but is pretty closed off from the rest of the world.  He is crippled by what he lost in the twin towers, but not willing to admit to anyone, including himslelf, that he needs help from anyone.

I would definitely recommend this book, though I would also advise reading the first two books first as they lend to the story quite a bit.

Chasing Harry Winston -Review

This is a story about 3 friends who live in New York.  Adrianna is a serial dater, Leigh is engaged to a man she isn't sure she loves, and Emmy's long-term boyfriend just left her for his personal trainer.

They start out by making a pact involving Adrianna & Emmy, in which they must change their dating modus operandi to the complete opposite of how they currently date.

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be.  Lauren Weisberger's previous 2 novels (The Devil Wears Prada, & Everyone Worth Knowing) were both far superior to this.  It was a good story, but not as gripping as her other works have been.

If you are someone who doesn't have a whole lot of time for reading, I probably wouldn't recommend this book, since there are better ones out there.

Julie & Julia -Review

When I first heard about the movie "Julie & Julia", it intrigued me. Granted, it wouldn't have been my first choice of a movie to go see, but I figured that if someone else was going & invited me along, I wouldn't object to seeing it.

Well, the opportunity never came for me to see the movie, but a friend of mine lent me the book. Over the last few weeks I've been slowly plugging away & finally finished it the other night.

After reading the book, I can say that I am glad I didn't shell out the cash to see the film. I'm not saying it was a bad film or a bad book, but it just wasn't up my alley.

I could connect a bit with the main character at the beginning as she decided to teach herself how to cook. I'm not that great a cook & it's not one of my favourite things to do, but as the book went on I just was finding myself turned off more & more by all the details about cooking! I almost felt like I was in the kitchen wasting hours of my time trying to get the oil to drop in the mayonnaise just right, when I personally couldn't care less!

She also started a blog about her cooking experiences. I could relate here too. It was a way for her to connect with the outside world. A way for her to share her triumphs & struggles with complete strangers, who for one reason or another have deemed her blog worth reading.

There were funny moments & there were times that the book just seemed to drag for me. I wouldn't say that it was a bad book, it just wasn't something I was very interested in. I would recommend it for people who are interested in cooking & like to read, but it just wasn't my cup o' tea.

Anne Of Green Gables -review

Since I live on Prince Edward Island, the home of Anne of Green Gables, I figured it was time I read the book. It's been awhile since I saw the movie, but I remembered the main parts of the storyline quite well.

I found that the movie & the book were pretty accurate to each other, which was nice. Of course there's a bit more detail in the book, which in some instances, I liked, & in others.... not so much.

I found some of Anne's monologues to be exhaustively long & seemingly without purpose. I was too worried that I might miss something vital to skip over them though. Other than that the story was quite interesting, & since at the end of the book Anne is maturing & speaking up less, I think I might enjoy the next book a bit more.

One thing I really noticed in the last weeks whilst reading this book, is that Anne has real ups & downs of emotion. She can go very quickly from the highest of heights, to the depths of despair. I saw that mirrored in Asher. He can be playing nicely outside, but when I tell him to come in for lunch.... BAM! Tears & protestations! I know that three-year-olds' emotions & reasoning skills are not fully developed. I can see that in Anne's case, being passed around from one home to the next, those would not have the chance to mature. But after a few years with the love of a family, she has finally had the chance to love & be loved.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue -review

Awhile ago, after I had read Twilight, I discovered there is a manuscript (which Stephenie Meyer has now decided to finish) of the same story from Edward's point of view. One of the things I really enjoyed about Twilight, was that the story is told strictly from the main character's point of view & that we only know what she knows.

One of the next books I read was Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. Rachel is just entering her 30s. She has a job which she isn't particularly fond of, but it pays the bills. She has a best friend (Darcy) that she met when they were 5 & lived on the same street. But she still hasn't found the right guy.

Rachel met Dexter while they were both at law school. She didn't think she was good enough for him, so she introduced him to her friend Darcy. Now Dexter & Darcy are engaged, but Rachel feels an attraction to Dexter.

As is common with books in the Chick-Lit genre, the reader starts to sympathize with the single girl who's just trying to find love & we start to find fault with the relationship that Dex is in, trying to find an "out" for him.



Something Blue is the second book in this series & I was delighted to discover that the first part of the book covers some of the same ground as the end of Something Borrowed, but from Darcy's point of view. Suddenly Darcy isn't such a cow! We can start to understand her way of thinking a little bit!

What I found particularly interesting about these books is how similar things happen in our lives. We hear one side of the story & start making judgments about people/situations. It can colour our whole perception. But once we hear the other side of the story, it takes on a whole new meaning. Sometimes it's unintentional that we start thinking badly of someone because the person relating the story doesn't fully understand the other person's rationale for acting the way they have.

All in all, I really enjoyed both of theses books and would recommend them for more mature readers as there are some sex scenes, though they aren't particularly graphic

Reconstructing Natalie -review

I was a bit put-off by the opening lines of the book. It's not too often that you open a Christian fiction book to chapter 1 & read, "I'm a bit obsessed with breasts."

In fact, I believe this is the third time I have picked up this book to read, but I had never made it past the first few lines before. Sometimes you just have to be in the right mood to read a book & I found that to be the case with this one, for me.

It's the story of a 27 year-old, single woman who discovers that he has breast cancer. I found it to be a humorous, honest story, following her journey through the valley she found herself in. It deviated from the typical "chick-lit" story, in that there were quite a few low points in the story, but altogether it was an enjoyable read.