Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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We are the third generation to live in, and enjoy, our farmhouse and the land that surrounds it. We have fields, woods, hills and valleys with a small creek that runs through it. I played in the water as a child, as my mom did before me, and as my children and grandchildren do now. As soon as it's warm enough we take our dogs there almost every day to cool off and play. We even got to sneak in a few visits already this month with the summer-like weather we were having. These photos are from last year and we can't wait to get back to our daily dips. With two retrievers we chase a lot of sticks!

Our swimming hole

Allie, the golden retriever, wades into the water to get a stick.

Cassy, the chocolate lab, leaps into the water every time!

Both girls successfully retrieve their sticks to be tossed again. And again. And again.

Love these libraries!

I saw the link for this on Shelf Awareness (3/27/12) and it brought up a great article Reused Libraries Rejuevenate Communities. In the last few years a trend has developed where buildings that were originally used for something else have been renovated into new libraries. The results are quite unique, often save the area money and preserve a bit of history. These are just two examples from the article. Wouldn't you love to visit and just curl up with a good book?

This library was converted from an old barn in New Hampshire

Can you tell that this library in California was formerly a roller rink?

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Children, toddlers especially, have boundless energy with which they can torture their parents. Hell, if all I had to do all day was color, watch Blue's Clues, eat a snack and nap, I'd have boundless energy, too. But no, I am the one getting out the crayons, trying to keep my children from consuming the crayons, picking up broken crayons and putting away the crayons. (And while I'm on the subject, why don't those folks at Crayola either add some vitamins and minerals or make them taste bad? My kids love eating them and I'm tired of telling them no and having to buy more. Put up or shut up, Crayola. Fortify them or make them taste bad. This isn't rocket science.)

 ~page 134 (ebook)
 Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves by Robin O' Bryant

 

Review: Kowalli SnuggleBoots

I was lucky enough to win these adorable fleece SnuggleBoots from Ashley Suzanne. Within days I also received a nice email from Alizah, owner of Kowalli confirming the details and then the booties arrived! In no time they were on the baby boy's feet. I was so pleased that I offered to put a review on my blog.

We chose Antipasto, pistachio green with eggplant trim, and the colors were true to the photos. The material is a soft Polartec fleece that's lightweight but very warm. The booties are well constructed (made in America) with a small elastic band hidden at the ankle to keep them on. A cuff on top can be folded down or pulled up to cover higher on those little legs. Sizes are 0-6 months or 6-12 months. The smaller size seems accurate since our little guy is 4 months old and still has a bit of room to grow. Now that our cold weather has returned he really needs them too!

Thank again to Ashely Suzanne for hosting the giveaway and to Alizah at Kowalli for her kindness and wonderful booties. This is a product I would definitely recommend for little feet! Check out her website for other baby products to keep your little person warm.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Diary Of An Eccentric this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

 A few cute ones for the grandkiddos this week and more ebooks for me. I still prefer "real" books but I have been having trouble charging my Nook Color and it's driving my crazy! I've gotten very attached in a short time and I don't know what I would do without it. I hope lots of goodies made their way to your house last week!

Thelonious Mouse by Orel Protopopescu, Anne Wilsdorf
Won from author

Howard B Wigglebottoms Learns To Listen by Howard Binko
Won from Mommy's Musings

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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It's been such a busy week and the weather has been gorgeous so I haven't spent much time inside. I'm way behind with blogging but I've enjoyed lots of sunshine so it's a good excuse!

Today is my youngest child's 19th birthday. Where has the time gone? It's so cliche but so true. My feisty little ball of energy with the adorable grin has grown to be such a fine young man and we are so very proud of him. He still has that grin too!

Happy birthday handsome! Your mom loves you.

Out for a cruise

Following in daddy's footsteps

Preschool grad

The Wright brothers playing in the mud

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Diary Of An Eccentric this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Only one book came in the mail but I'm still collecting those free ebooks. I can't resist! I hope you are having the wonderful weather we are enjoying here. It makes me want to get my hammock out early!

 Calico Joe by John Grisham
For review and giveaway from Doubleday

A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…
In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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I'm a little late today but I've been outside enjoying this wonderful weather! Last weekend my kids decided to build a swing set for the kiddos. My hubby also built one twenty years ago when our kids were very little. He looked at photos to get ideas, created his own and continued to add to it over the years. Even when our kids outgrew it we left it in our yard for nieces, nephews and other little visitors. Now the grandkids are using it but they also needed one of their own. My boys got ambitious and created their own version with a playhouse included. They are lucky to have such a terrific example to follow and the kiddos are lucky to have such fun places to play. And I like it too!

Our swing set

The crew checks their work

First swing for the happy girl!

Little helper boy with grandpa

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Winner Cows Can't Quack!

Congratulations to:

Chris H

I sent you an email. Please respond with your mailing address. Thanks to everyone for entering and I'll have another giveaway posted soon!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Diary Of An Eccentric this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

A few goodies came my way last week and it wasn't only books. The little prince of the family has new booties for his sweet tiny feet! What did you find in your mailbox?

Kowalli Snuggleboots
Won from Ashley Suzanne for my new grandson

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans
From Sterling Publishing for review

Dead Is The New Black by Marlene Perez
Bought - sale (ebook)

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Bought - sale (ebook)

 
 



 
 Three Wee Peas by Laura Yirak
Free (ebook)

My Happy Book by Moira Butterfield
Free (ebook)

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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  I know it’s premature, and yesterday we had snow and freezing winds again, but we also had “balmy” weather last week in the 60s. Spring is on the way! This is NY state so we will be doing this back and forth with the weather well into April or even later. I am sooooo ready for things to turn green and the flowers to bloom. Needless to say I envy those of you who already have blossoms. I decided to post some of my favorite photos from last summer that I took at my house. Aren’t the colors beautiful?

Home libraries

I would love to try every one of these. 

Somebody needs to test them out right?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Diary Of An Eccentric this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I only got one book in my actual mailbox but I got more ebooks and goodies from the library. I just can't resist either one! I've even lucked out with some cute ebooks for the kids. That was one of the reasons that I picked the Nook Color so that we could really enjoy the illustrations in childrens books. It was worth it!

Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers
From NetGalley for review (ebook) 

 

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Thomas Kinkade

Won from The Shady Glade 

 Digger The Dinosaur by Rebecca Kai Dotlich  

Free from Amazon

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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My daughter-in-law took this photo early one recent morning. She said my son has complained their bed was too small but she didn't think it was much of a problem. After looking at her own photo she now knows why. When the kids join them they all gravitate to one side of the bed, and it isn't hers! Isn't it cute? I kind of miss this... but I don't really. I loved doing it with my kids but then I was ready to move on to a full night of rest with lots of room. It's my son's turn to be the parent. I can snuggle with the grand-kiddos whenever I want and still have my bed to myself.

My boy being strangled snuggled by his kids