Pecan and mimosa trees

We're still finding some wonderful things growing on our new homestead. Above is a little mimosa tree. Eventually I hope to transplant this to a better area. The boys had asked for a mimosa tree on our new homestead. My mother-in-law has a couple in her yard that they love to climb when they visit. According to the boys, the mimosas make great climbing trees. Since they had already asked for one, we were excited to find this little guy already growing.

I'm pretty sure there are two pecan trees at the back of the property. It remains to be seen if they will produce, but if they do I plan on making a lot of pecan pies!

Wild pink roses

These wild roses are just one of the pretty "wild things" we have found growing on our property. They grow abundantly in our rural area but some people like them better than others.

Some people think they are a nuisance because they are very thorny and they grow across the ground and take over things. In the photo above, they have entwined themselves into the wild plum trees. Personally, I think they're very pretty. With a little time and care, I think they could be trained to stay put in one spot.

The tangled lives and tangled yarn of crocheting

Several months ago a friend from church began teaching me to crochet. Several men and women get together on Sunday evenings at church to crochet and catch up with each other. The gatherings remind me of old fashioned quilting bees. Of course, we are crocheting instead of quilting, and everyone is working on their own projects instead of one big project. But we encourage each other and admire each other's work, and the more experienced of the group help the inexperienced get past any snags they may have hit.

It also gives everyone a chance to catch up on what's been going in on in our lives. That gives us the opportunity to encourage each other through life's challenges, too.

I spent the first couple of months working on simple dish rags until I could really get the hang of crocheting. A few weeks ago I started this blanket/afghan. I've really enjoyed working on it. And if I'm sitting in front of an open window, I can cover my legs with the part that I've already finished while continuing to work on the unfinished portion!

This blanket will be a gift to myself. No matter when I finish it, I will not use it until we are in our own house. It will be a house warming gift to myself, I guess. This blanket has come to represent the new life I am working on.

Like my yarn, my life often becomes tangled almost beyond recognition. It takes patience, dedication, and the support of family, friends, and my Jesus to untangle the knots and continue on.

I'm actually going to miss working on this blanket whenever I actually finish it!

Book review: Fade to Blue

Fade to Blue B&H Books (May 15, 2011) by Julie Carobini



A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR:

I grew up as Julie Navarro, in a family of truly right-brained individuals. Among us you’ll find writers, artists, and musicians, all of us willing to talk about the arts at a moment’s notice.


Over the years, I’ve published several hundred articles and stories in magazines and books, including Aspire, Decision, Expecting, Focus on the Family, Key Magazine and God’s Abundance: 365 Days to a Simpler Life. As I wrote, I found a common theme cropping up: my family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around me.


Maybe it was time to incorporate those interests into novels, I thought.


And so I did. Not once, but twice. Both times, God shut both doors and windows. So I continued to write and dream and raise my kids with Dan. Eventually I decided to write romantic seaside novels, and that’s where I found my voice.


When I’m not writing, marketing, or editing for others, I’m driving my kids around town, imagining that my mid-sized SUV is actually a sleek sailing yacht.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Suz Mitchell is the determined dreamer we should all be and won't allow her ex-husband Len's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, she moves with her child across the country to California's central coast and lands a sweet job restoring priceless paintings at the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the ocean.


To her utter surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, is also now working at Hearst and jumbles the dreams inside Suz's heart. While sorting out the awkwardness of their past split and current spiritual differences, a repentent Len shows up eager to restore his family.


Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Fade to Blue, go HERE.

Tornado and wind damage

You've probably heard about the storms and tornados that ravaged the southeastern states at the end of April. In my part of South Carolina, we were very fortunate to have avoided serious damage.

It seems kind of trivial compared to the damage and death that occured in places like Alabama, but I did get a little damage here. I'm not really sure if a tornado touched down, but it seems like a lot for wind alone to do.

I was standing outside checking out the sky when several of my privacy fence panels went flying by. They flew across the yard and slammed to the ground, breaking into several pieces. These panels cost about $35 each, and we lost four of them. But at least I wasn't standing in their path!

Book review: Hidden Affections

Hidden Affections Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Delia Parr


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Delia Parr, pen name for Mary Lechleidner, is the author of 10 historical novels and the winner of several awards, including the Laurel Wreath Award for Historical Romance and the Aspen Gold Award for Best Inspirational Book. She is a full-time high school teacher who spends her summer vacations writing and kayaking. The mother of three grown children, she lives in Collingswood, New Jersey.




ABOUT THE BOOK:

Betrayed by her husband, Annabelle Tyler wears the burden of legally being a divorcee, a difficult position for an upstanding young woman to find herself in.


While attempting to start a new life for herself, an unexpected turn of events once again has Annabelle married--this time to Harrison Graymoor, the most eligible, yet elusive, bachelor in Philadelphia. Harrison assures her that he will secure an annulment immediately, unaware that the constable has sent word of the marriage to the press in Philadelphia. And here things continue to go awry.


Harrison's past, a philanthropic cousin with his eye on Annabelle, and the appearance of Annabelle's ex-husband threaten the tentative relationship growing between Harrison and his "wife." For two individuals set against marriage, there are certainly a lot of second thoughts regarding the one forced upon them.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Hidden Affections, go HERE.

Book review: An Unlikely Suitor

An Unlikely Suitor Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Nancy Moser


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of over twenty inspirational novels. Her genres include contemporary stories including John 3:16 and Time Lottery a Christy Award winner, and historical novels of real women-of-history including Just Jane (Jane Austen) and Washington's Lady (Martha Washington). Her newest historical novels are Masquerade and An Unlikely Suitor. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Sister Circle Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com and her historical blog: http://footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com/



ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's designing her 1895 summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invites Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.


One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?


Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn't love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?


And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class--but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?

As the lives of three young woman--and their unlikely suitors--become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?



If you would like to read the first chapter of An Unlikely Suitor, go HERE.

Bunny rabbit babies

Remember bunny Foo-Foo? Now that she's about three years old, we decided to see if she wanted to have a family. The bunny behind her is on loan from a friend. The male bunny's name is "Nothing."

When he came over, the first thing my 8-year-son asked was, "What's his name?" The reply from the owner was, "Nothing." The bunny's owner told my son he could name him.

Weeks later, the owner asked little Adam what he had named the bunny, and Adam said, "Nothing." So that's it... the rabbit's name is "Nothing."

After dating for a few weeks, Foo-Foo and Nothing had two beautiful, hairless babies.

 
Unfortunately, Foo-Foo wasn't a good first time mother. She gave birth and then left them to fend for themselves. She never tried to nurse them or anything, and the babies didn't even make it 24 hours.

Since a lot of animals don't do well as first-time mothers, we decided to give Foo-Foo another chance. She and Nothing are dating once again. Let's hope her instincts will be better this time!

Book review: To Win Her Heart

To Win Her Heart Bethany House (May 1, 2011) by Karen Witemeyer



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.


After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late1800s.


Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House. When she visited her publisher back in January of 2010, she was interviewed by the staff. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she develops her story ideas and a description of her bumpy journey to publication, click here to listen to a podcast of that interview.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

After completing his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past.


Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs in the town her father founded. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she's reluctant to trust him. Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.


Eden believes she's finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth about Levi's prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?


If you would like to read the first chapter of To Win Her Heart, go HERE.