Happy Mother's Day!

I am incredibly blessed to have an amazing mother who is always there for me. Who I talk to every day and see almost as much. Who is there every time I need her (and even when I don't!). Who is there for all of us, my husband, my children, the rest of our family and even my friends. Who has set the bar very, very high for me to become even half as good for my children but I will continuously strive to do so. And I will find great joy in that effort because she taught me well. Thank you mom. I love you with all my heart.

I have also been blessed to have other mother figures in my life. Wonderful people who have mothered me when I've needed that strong yet soft shoulder to lean on. Amazing grandmothers, now in their 90's who have loved me and spoiled me yet weathered great hardship and loss in their own lives. Favorite aunts who have played with me and also spoiled me and have been there whenever my mother couldn't. And for one aunt in particular, who may not have actually given birth to children of her own but who has mothered me and others in the way we needed it most. Friends who have grown up with me and who I've found along the way in my lifetime. They've been there when I've needed them to confide in, to lean on, to laugh with. They've helped guide me when felt like I would pull my hair out and didn't know what to do next. And then they were there later when we could actually laugh about it. Without them I would have gone stark raving mad by now.

And my husband, who has always been there no matter what, who is my rock and my love. The man who never thought "in sickness and in health" would mean long term sickness so soon in our lives. He was already a terrific husband and the best father but when I developed chronic illnesses several years ago with our children still so very young, he never flinched. He stepped in to mother me and the kids all of the times we needed it most. He took over all of the shopping, the cooking, and many household chores that I preferred to do since I worked part time, and he continued working his full time job and coaching many of the boys' sports. While I am fortunate that I have manageable conditions I know it hasn't been easy for him. He's never complained and I hope he knows how much he means to me.

So happy Mother's Day for all who mother in one way or another. You may have children, you may not, but you have been a special person to someone who has needed you. Enjoy the day.

my Saturday Friday Fill-in

I didn't get the chance to post this yesterday but I still wanted to do it. This such a fun meme and I appreciate Janet hosting it each week. Join the fun here and visit other blogs to see what they have to say!

#123

1. Apples are to oranges as oranges are to apples.

2. ed the spammer is an A.S.S. (as I recognized in a recent post) and that's all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear the pitter patter of little feet. Nope, I was wrong. That was years ago so now it's the shuffle shuffle of very large teenage sneakers.

4.We should always honor and cherish our flag. So many have sacrificed for all that it represents.

5. Do what you want to do, but have a good alibi.

6. The Candy Man was coming to town and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in the wagon was a bucket filled with chocolate! (I HAD to get my chocolate comment in somehow.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing at home after a stressful day, tomorrow my plans include going to my son's baseball game and Sunday, I want to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom, grandma and family!

Awesome photo

Here she is! My kicking-cancer's-ass cousin at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life near her home in California. I mentioned all that she has been through in a recent post during her two year fight against brain cancer. She had surgery to remove a malignant tumor from her brain on Monday, April 13th . She called me that same evening at midnight to chat (I wasn't surprised), was able to go home two days later and went to the relay on Saturday to walk (mostly ride) the survivor's lap. Our very awesome aunt, who is staying with her for a month, is pushing the wheelchair. She's going to her chemo treatments and her kids' activities every chance she gets. Those both keep her busy and worn out. I just wanted to share a happy photo with all of you who have been so supportive and caring as I've mentioned her in the past. Thank you for your kindness and please keep those prayers coming. We want this to be the treatment that works!

TWO big giveaways - TEN winners!

Testimony
by Anita Shreve

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Anita Shreve is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen novels, including Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club, and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange Prize. She lives in Massachusetts.

Visit www.anitashreve.com
Become an Anita Shreve fan on Facebook

Paperback edition to be released May 5, 2009.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Made In The U.S.A.
by Billie Letts

The bestselling author of WHERE THE HEART IS returns with a heartrending tale of two children in search of a place to call home.

Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father.

While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy's old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.

MADE IN THE U.S.A. is the alternately heartbreaking and life-affirming story of two gutsy children who must discover how cruel, unfair and frightening the world is before they come to a place they can finally call home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hatchette Books has been so very generous to allow me to give away five copies of each book! So, if I'm doing the math right, that's ten winners! I just received my copy of Made In The U.S.A. and haven't received my copy of Testimony yet so I don't have reviews ready. I have read books by these authors before and loved them! I can't wait to read these as well.


Rules:
*To enter, leave a comment with your email address.
*You can only win one book but you will automatically be entered for both. If you would prefer only one, please tell me so in your comments.
*Contest will end Friday, May 15, 2009 at 11:59 EST. I'm sorry but Hatchette Books will only accept entries from the U.S. and Canada. No P.O. boxes please.
*The winners will be chosen by Random.org.

For extra entries:
+1 Become a follower, also for those who already follow, but you must let me know on your comments.
+1 Tell about a great, or not so great, prom outfit that you or someone else wore once upon a time.
+1 Share this contest somewhere and leave the link where it can be found.

Good luck and have fun!

Mailbox Monday

~ May 4th

Thank you to Marica from The Printed Page for this weekly meme. Join the fun and check out Marcia's great new blog design that she created herself!



The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers
by Angie Fox

(Sequel to The Accidental Demon Slayer.)
Demon-slaying powers should come with an instruction book... Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that's another story. It's not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

This was an ARC request from Shelf Awareness from Dorchester Publishing. Available in May, 2009.

Made in the U.S.A.
by Billie Letts

Two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in an old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.

This is from Hatchette Books for a blog tour and giveaway.



From the library

what they always tell us
by martin wilson

Thoughtful and moving, this is a powerful debut novel about the bond between two teenage brothers - and the year that changes everything.








Burn
by Suzanne Phillips

With thought-provoking prose, Suzanne Phillips explores the psyche of Cameron, a bullied freshman who ultimately does the unthinkable: he kills another student. As she did with Chloe Doe, Suzanne has found a way to make this seemingly dark story ultimately redemptive. But she also dares readers to look at the behavior that provokes violence as having the potential to be as dangerous as the violence itself.

It's Suzanne's hope that Burn will inspire readers to take a precautionary stance against bullying rather than waiting to react to it.

We have our winners!

The winners of the contest for the James Patterson books are:

1st place - nfmgirl
from Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World

2nd place - Melissa

from Melissa's Bookshelf

3rd place - Erika Lynn

from Kiss My Book

nfmgirl will receive two books - Run For Your Life and The 8th Confession.
Melissa will receive one book - Run For Your Life
Erika Lynn will receive one book - The 8th Confession

I've sent emails to each of the winners so please contact me with your mailing addresses.
Thank you to Hatchette Books for your genorosity.


This was such a fun contest! I loved reading all of your comments about your favorite birthday traditions and gifts. There were so many touching comments. I hope you had fun writing them. If you haven't read what everyone had to say, check them out. They are sure to make you smile.

Thank you also for all of your kind birthday wishes. I don't usually bring it up or do much to celebrate because I have more fun doing for others on their day. I'm more comfortable giving than receiving. My husband just reminded me of that when I drilled it through his head that I didn't want anything again this year. We haven't exchanged gifts for the last several years except small, personal items. Well, that's the game plan anyway. My husband doesn't stick to that very well and he gives great gifts. I really, really appreciate it but I truthfully don't want anything and we need to spend our money on other things. I feel terrible when I don't get him anything for his birthday and then a few months later he gets me something. Not fair. He was better this year and almost stuck to the plan. He gave me a goody bag with nail polish, body lotion, foot lotion and some sweet cards. I told you he was thoughtful!

I also appreciate that my mom has my kids clean the yard and the porches each spring as their gift to me. That is my favorite gift even though they aren't crazy about it. Hubby did ask the boys if they would like to chip in for me to go for a hair appointment. I would prefer they not spend money on me but boy did I need to have my hair done! I went for my new spring "do" and got a hair cut and highlights. I had been sick all week and wasn't able to do much but I dragged myself to that salon. It had been a long winter and my hair could verify it. I wasn't missing that appointment, no way! And my mom is still making my kids clean the yard (hopefully). Woo hoo! They still called from their various weekend activities and wished me a happy birthday and told me they loved me. (*sniff, sniff*) Without force! That's huge for teenage boys, at least at my house. And after a day of special messages from family and friends I got to enjoy a quiet dinner out with my hubby last Saturday. It can't get much better than that! Happy birthday to me.

Friday Fill-In

Thank you to Janet for hosting each week. Join the fun!

#122

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is always smile and keep your mouth shut!

2. Yuck! to clams.

3. When I think of carnivals I think of cotton candy, ferris wheels, rigged games and carnies with no teeth.

4. Tulips are my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include family photos, a cup full of pens and pencils, a computer and lots of dust. It's a good thing my desk is at home.

6. Snow in May makes me wanna cry.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to my son's baseball game in the nasty, wet, cold weather (please be canceled!), tomorrow my plans include going to my son's baseball game if today's game gets canceled and Sunday, I want to enjoy the sun and not go to any baseball games in the nasty, wet, cold weather!

* I think this is the first time I didn't mention chocolate in at least one of my answers! :) *