Close Ups - answer #3

Did you guess what this was?

Answer: A reflector
(It's a good thing I took the photo when I did because Hubby snapped it off with the weed wacker!)

You're all too smart again! I'm glad people seem to be enjoying this. Thanks for joining in!

A point goes to:
Lenore Webb, bermudaonion, Cindy Smith, stacybuckeye and DoingDewey

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 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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Two years ago (October, 2011) our family took an amazing trip that my hubby won to Universal Resort in Orlando. Yes, people really do win these things! I wrote a post about it and included some photos in a previous Saturday Snapshot. I hope you don't mind if I share a few more of my favorites here today. These are mostly touristy spots along the City Walk.

Main entrance to the park

Hard Rock Cafe

NBA City Restaurant

Our favorite place to eat - Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville! (Yep, that place - "stepped on a pop top, blew out a flip flop...")

One of Jimmy Buffett's actual planes parked (permanently) by the restaurant

Of course we had to be dorky tourists posing by the Universal trademark

My favorite place with my favorite guys, the beach at our humungous pool at the Hard Rock Hotel

Close Ups #3

Here's another close up from one of my photos. Join in by adding your guess in the comments below. Comments will be hidden until I reveal the answer Sunday. What do you think this is?

Close Up #3

Teaser Tuesday

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!

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Scary Mommy Manifesto
Please solemnly recite the following before proceeding:
*I shall maintain a sense of humor about all things motherhood, for without it, I recognize that I may end up institutionalized. Or, at the very least, completely miserable.
* I shall not judge the mother in the grocery store who, upon entering, hits the candy isle and who doles out M&Ms to her screaming toddler. It is simply a survival mechanism.
*
*
*I shall try my hardest to never say never, for I may end up with a loud mouthed, bikini-clad, water gun-shooting toddler of my own.
*I shall remember that no mother is perfect and that my children will thrive because of, even in spite of, me.

~pages 9 & 10
Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler

It's a riot!

Close Up - answer #2

Did you guess what this was?

Answer: Our basketball hoop

You people are too smart! Everyone got it right again! I'm going to have to make these harder (sometimes). Look for another one later this week. I'm going to try to post these Wednesdays. Thanks for joining in!

A point goes to:
Cindy Smith, Jenn Jenn & Jenni, bermudaonion, Kaye and Stacybuckeye

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 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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A few years ago (June '09) I posted photos of the progress of some baby birds we had at our house (details are here and here). Robins make nests everywhere around my house and we just had a new batch of birds take flying lessons from their momma last week. She built her nest in the eves of our porch and when our dogs went to investigate the babies hopping and "flying" in the driveway, momma bird chased one dog all the way to the backyard! (No birds were harmed but my dog was scared and we were entertained.) I thought I would put up old photos again since it's quite timely.

Week 1 - Robin builds nest in wreath on my porch (I still have the wreath with the empty nest!)

Week 2 - beautiful blue eggs

Week 4 - ugly baby birds

Week 5 - cute baby birds

Week 6 - hungry baby birds

Week 6 + 2 days - crowded baby birds

Week 6 + 5 days - learning to fly baby birds, and they never came back

Winner!

Congratulations to:
holdenj 

winner of both books!
Sweet Salt Air

365 Golf Tips & Tricks from the Pros

(I have sent you an email. Please respond with your mailing address and thanks for participating!)

Close Ups #2

Here's another close up from one of my photos. Join in by adding your guess in the comments below. Comments will be hidden until I reveal the answer Sunday. What do you think this is?


Close Up #2

Review: Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

It's not like I meant for Danley to get hurt. . . .

 




Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.
(Goodreads.com)
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Review
I don't know if I would have chosen this book on my own but I'm glad I did. The story is told in journal style by twelve year-old Julian, the main character who is growing up in the 1960s. This is an assignment in response to an incident he was involved in that's not revealed until much later. Although he's not happy, he takes to it and the events slowly unfold that led up to the suspension. That may have been the teacher's main intention but I found the rest of his life more interesting. Details of  friendships, budding romance, school and home were well done and it took me back to my own middle school days, the good and the bad. The characters were interesting and quirky (I do  love quirky), and more mischievous than malicious. Peer pressure is definitely a factor when the boys get together. The struggle to make the right decision but still fit in weighs heavy on young minds.

I enjoyed following Julian's growth and introspection throughout the school year. I really liked reading the journal entries, I just didn't find them very believable coming from a boy that age. It was too well written. I still found it to be a good story and would recommend it to others. 

Author
Publisher  
Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook arc in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 5/28/13
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Pages: 288 (hardcover)
Type: middle grade fiction

Close Up #1 - answer

Did you guess what this was from Close Up #1?

Answer: A dandelion!

And everyone got it right! So that's a point for Belle Read, bermudaonion, Stacybuckeye, Jenn Jenn and Jenni, Gina R, Kaye.

Thanks so much for playing. I think I will try to keep doing this. Look for another Close Up later this week, probably on Wednesday.  :)

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget to enter! Two giveaways end tomorrow (6/14).
*Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky
*365 Golf Tips & Tricks from the Pros by Jay Morelli

Please join me for Close Ups!

I used to participate in some fun memes on other blogs that involved close up portions of photos. Readers were invited to guess what the entire photo really was. The people that created these posts had such clever ideas and sometimes I actually guessed correctly! Since I'm always taking photos myself I thought I would try a little experiment here and create my own version. If it goes well maybe I can make it a weekly event.

Example

Can you tell what it is? It's popped up in my photos before but I think you can figure it out even if it doesn't look familiar. Take a guess...

*

*

*

*

*

Answer
It's Monkey Boy's favorite hat!

So let's give another close up a try. List your guesses in the comments below (that I am hiding for now) and Sunday I will give you the answer and show you the original photo. If it goes well maybe I will keep track of points and give away some little prizes from time to time.

Close Up #1

Teaser Tuesday

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!

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Letter to my children 

Dear Children,
I am your dad. The father of all five of you pale creatures. Given how attractive and fertile your mother is, there may be more of you by the time you read this book...
So why a book? Well, since you've come into my life you've been a constant source of entertainment while simultaneously driving me insane.
~pages 3 & 4
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Dolce Bellezza 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.
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I'm trying to get to some of the books I already have but I still pick up some new ones from time to time. I have a really weird mix this week. I hope sunshine (we need some!) and good books have found their way to you!

365 Golf Tips & Tricks by Jay Morelli
For review and giveaway from Sterling

The Space Book by Jim Bell
For review from Sterling

The New York Times Book of Mathematics edited by Gina Kolata
For review from Sterling

Special Dead by Patrick Freivald
For review from NetGalley (ebook)

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson
Free from Barnes & Noble Free Friday (ebook)

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer
Free from B&N Free Friday (ebook)

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot (originally hosted by At Home with Books) is now hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 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 lucky to live in the country with lots of beautiful land surrounding us. The wildflowers here are amazing and change from spring to summer. I  love to take photos whenever I get the chance. This week we had Monkey Boy here for a whole day so we went for a walk and took the camera.

"Come on, Grandma!" Monkey Boy is ready to go.

Monkey Boy is starting to fade...

Nap time!