Welcome To My World

I guess that it is about time for me to write another post. Heaven knows there has been such an explosion from the last one that I haven't really had time to soak it all in. I cannot understand who or why anyone would choose me for this Google Blog of Note recognition. I have read so many beautiful ones with gorgeous pictures and art work and great discussions that I was very surprised. I think my age intrigued them as it did a lot of you. But I thank whoever the powers that be who did pick me. It has been a great ride.

I'd like to give a warm welcome to all you newbies that have read my last post and some of you who have read further into my blog. Your comments have all been appreciated . I thought it was interesting that some of the first responses commented on the books and they each picked different ones! A lot of you share my love of Susan Boyle's story and many of you had read some of the books as well. Some expressed the wish that their mothers and fathers or grandparents would blog. I second that idea. It has been a great blessing to me. I shall try to get back with as many of you as I can. I am interested in reading your blogs as well.


I received this lovely award from Truestarr at Prospero's Cellphone and though I don't usually do these sorts of things, I thought I would just do one. Thank you again, pal. Please visit Prospero's blog - she writes from Greece and I enjoy reading her.


Ten Things that Make Me Happy:

The feel of a gladiola petal

Seeing fishermen out on the bay for the first time this Spring

A good cup of tea

Seeing Susan Boyle launch the socks off someone

One of my children coming home to visit

Going swimming in Green Lake, Minnesota

Driving my Bayliner all over the Green Lake

Seeing my husband smile when he sees Matilda

Hugs from my grandchildren - even the big ones

When a procedure at the hospital is over.

My friend, Cindy tagged me with a list of questions I could answer, and I don't have them anymore. Sorry, Cindy. But please go visit her. Thank you so much again.

My son Jim took his dad out of the resthome for ride yesterday and Bill was so appreciative to be sprung as we say when we take him. We have had beautiful weather for several days now. Snow is still on the ground but it is melting each day very rapidly. Course we here in Wisconsin know we will see more snow and cold before summer arrives, but it does give us hope that it is coming! Nice to go out and not worry about falling on your butt.

And I shall end by thanking Midlife Jobhunter for all her help. I could not have even started without her. Now there's an entertaining blog to visit, believe me. She rocks.

Winter 's Passage

I am listening as I type to my favorite CD. It is Susan Boyle’s singing like an angel. I love her voice and her choice of songs is varied and done well. When I first heard her on U Tube, I cried for her success and for the beauty of her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”. And the reaction of the judges and the audience thrilled me. I’ll bet I played that spot from U Tube over 100 times.

Not only do I love the story of her success, but the fact that here was this gal staying at home taking care of her mother all of her life and the emerging like a butterfly from its chrysalis to becoming the most beautiful songstress of all. You go, gal. And she has went!!!! I know my grammar!

I recently read several books. I have read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell and seen the movie. Any resemblance of one to the other is purely coincidental. The movie was all about Julia Childs and the book had very little about her and was about the life of the writer. I do not recommend it.

I have also read again for the umpteenth time The Day before Winter which is about the Bennett families who live on this island near Nova Scotia and are lobster fishermen. I love these books for Elizabeth Ogilvie has written about the same families in a trilogy and then about other citizens of the island in other books but I feel as if I have lived there and that I know all of them personally. And I am a fisherman and I love the water.

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg is a great novel. She brings her life as a teacher of creative writing to people who never have even thought of writing a word (even in a blog) and finds that each have unique strengths and insight.

For Christmas from my Republican son, I got a copy of Going Rogue by Sarah Palin and I read it. “But Mom, she’s a Babe!” That she is, but her book did surprise me somewhat. I did enjoy the look into Alaska and the things I learned about that state. I also thought it was interesting to see the backside of a political campaign and what life on the campaign trail was like. She has done and been a lot more things than just a mayor and governor of a little populated state. According to her account, she has traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan and Europe as a private citizen, of course, and served on a lot of committees and boards in the United States. Other than that I realize a lot of the book is self serving and perhaps not too accurate as to the differences she has had with various reports of her life. I find it difficult to believe her explanations. It is written in a defensive style throwing in digs now and then at her detractors. Let’s just say that she and Katy Couric will never be close, nor do I think she and John McCain will either. She is a master mud-slinger

I also received a copy of Dave Barry’s “The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog” . (I don’t know where my underlining icon went) This was written in his usual hilarious fashion and one could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. Lots of LOL’s in this one.

And last, I received “The story of The Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke. This is about a man who was to join the other three Magi to view Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. He sold everything he had to buy three jewels to present to the new-born King. However on the way he had to use these to help others and so had nothing left to give Him when he arrived. All based on the Scripture which goes “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these, thou hast done it to me.” A very moving book.

Winter is soon over. Tho last night we had a snow squall that laid 7 inches down in about an hour. I am hating winter this year, but last night was so beautiful with all the branches and everything clothed in sparkling white that I could not help but be stirred by its beauty.