I had read Nora Roberts books in past but had not read any in recent years. I remembered enjoying her books, so when Nightwork was picked as our monthly book club read, I was looking forward to reading another Nora Roberts book. I was not disappointed, Nightwork was a different type of book then I remembered Nora Roberts writing. (One reviewer calls it a Romantic Suspense Novel) I found the book to be an exciting read in which I eagerly anticipated what would come next.
Book Highlights
The book follows the life of Harry Booth. When he is only 9 years old he turns to a life of stealing in order to help support his single mother who is very ill. When she dies he leaves Chicago, but he continues his "nightwork". Over the years he perfects his craft and becomes a "master thief". However, he is a thief with his own code of morals, which I found very interesting. He also was very careful never to draw attention to himself. As he moved to various towns during his life, he changed his name to keep his past behind him.
He settled into a comfortable life, getting a job as a teacher and buying a beautiful home in a small southern town. He meets a woman he adores, Miranda Emerson and everything seems to be going his way, until some dangerous associates from his past catch up with him. His first response is to leave in order to keep those he cares about safe, but that doesn't work. The bond between Harry and Miranda has become strong and he finds that he must address his past straightforward and reclaim the life he wants.
Book on Amazon
The book is available on Amazon in the following formats: Kindle, Audible, Paperback, Hardcover. Here is a link to the book on Amazon Nightwork
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We live in an apartment that has wall to wall carpeting. While it's wonderful to have that nice carpeting underfoot, it can also be a problem.
As we are aging, we find ourselves a little less nimble and steady on our feet. So taking a cup of coffee from the kitchen to the living room to enjoy, can and has been problematic.
Hubby and I both have issues with balance. Years ago we could and did bring cups of coffee or tea into our living room without a problem. Nowadays, with our aging bodies, we find that getting that cup to the coffee table without spilling, is a feat not often accomplished without incident.
So our once nice looking wall to wall carpeting was showing signs of spills and stains. Even if we quickly grabbed paper towels to blot up the spill.
That being said, hubby did some research and found the Bissell Little Green Pro. It is a small but mighty spot and stain remover for carpeting, upholstery and more.
Easy to bring out, light in weight and a powerhouse in cleaning, our once stained carpets are now clean and looking like new again.
Not only good for carpets, but it can also be used for furniture, pet beds, and car interiors. It's small in size but big on cleaning. It only weighs about 7 pounds and according to it's description on Amazon, it is 10 inches deep x 13.5 inches wide and 12 inches in Height. So being so small it's also easy to find a place to keep this handy dandy cleaning machine.
So now when we have an unfortunate accident, it's easy to get our little Green Machine out and clean the area that is affected. We have already put it to great use for our own little messes and also for our pet's messes. (We have a conure, who is not yet toilet trained). Cleaning up after our loved pet's messes has just become so much easier. This is also great for puppies that are in the process of toilet training. No messes are too small or big for this handy little machine. Bissell has many other options for you and your own personal needs you can check out this page, https://amzn.to/4gk1h2l to find the one that best suits your needs.
We are happy that we found this carpet cleaner as the stains were really an eyesore. Now, we don't have to worry about those nasty spots and stains anymore and life again is enjoyable. When you have stains on the carpets, it doesn't matter how often you vacuum, it just doesn't feel clean and it looks really nasty. Not anymore!
I hope this helps you to make a great decision as far as keeping your carpets clean and fresh.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
This Collection features an outline drawing of a pink sunflower with green leaves, is printed on a variety of items for the home. This collection can be colored/painted in by hand, and or enjoyed as they are.
This would make a pretty design for wall art in for a girl's bedroom. She can enjoy the simplicity of it, or she can paint it in.
There are a variety of different canvases to choose from on Zazzle. Be sure to check the details for the one(s) that you are interested in. In addition to the finish or the material used, there might also be more or less sizes to choose from.
From my artist perspective and experience, acrylic paints dry much quicker on the faux wrapped canvas, as compared to stretched canvas. So blending mediums may need to be used to extend blending time on the faux wrapped canvas. Either option can make a pretty room addition.
A personalized canvas tote bag can be a fun choice for shopping, carrying gym clothes, shoes, etc. Zazzle has a variety of tote bag styles to choose from. The budget tote has a lighter weight fabric than the other tote bags. Handle color choices can vary depending on the bag style that you choose.
Tips:These can also be painted in or simply used without the addition of painting it. If one does choose to paint on the canvas tote bag, be sure to place a flat sheet of cardboard between the fabric layers, to prevent bleed through. Also, do this for painting of tshirts. There are acrylic paints that are made for multiple surfaces, and also especially for fabric. I recommend checking these out for the painting of any fabric.
Another home type item are the canvas aprons from Zazzle. They come in a choice of yellow, white, and khaki. They also come in a choice of adult style and children's style. The adult style has three pockets across the bottom, and it comes in a standard length or the long length. The child's apron doesn't have any pockets, and only comes in one length.
If you choose to paint an apron, be sure to refer to the tips listed under the tote bags above.
Be sure to check out CherylsArt store on Zazzle for more pink sunflower themed items, including personalized notepads, posters, tshirts, and kitchen towels, through the link below.
For added inspiration, you can also scroll down on any product page on Zazzle, to find other products to possibly transfer that design to. Be sure it fits on the product before ordering, and even see if you can edit the product to get the design to fit within the dashed lines on the product.
You can also make a request below in a comment, and I will see what I can do. Zazzle has a lot more products to choose from.
Cheryl Paton
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
The battle of the hardwood floors continues! Upon the positive recommendation of a friend with a senior dog I tried the Anti Slip pads to evaluate if this was a tool for the older dog arsenal.
The stick on paw pads are shaped like the bottom of a dogs paw and are peel n stick. There are little rubber treads all over the stick on pads to help with traction on smooth floors.
Installation
The pads were easy to install and my dog tolerated them well. Did he love the pads? No But he didn't try to remove the pads either. I do think the tolerance would be dog specific as dogs can be very picky about their feet. However, compared to other senior dog products for traction the pads were one of the least intrusive.
Do They Work?
Yes, they do help with traction.
Price Point
There are a few manufacturers on the market, search dog paw protectors online to examine the selection. The prices do vary.
Recommendation
This is a product I ultimately returned. The product did work for my situation as I found the removal of the product was too cumbersome and difficult.
My friend loves the pads and reports the pads fall off regularly after a few days and she simply replaces the pads with no muss, no fuss. If the pads I used had fallen off that would be highly preferable than attempting to unstick the pads.
I definitely believe the pads are worth trying to evaluate if they are a good fit for your dog.
Which Product Helped The Most?
After weeks of evaluation and a few trial and error attempts, I found the best solution actually using 2 products simultaneously : Dr. Buzby Toe Grips for the rear paws and the Tiger Toes socks for the front paws.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
He sometimes watches her go about her day and wonders if she has
any idea how much of herself she gives to the world around her.
She is naturally giving, not because she has forgotten herself or
believes everyone else should come first, but because kindness is
simply part of who she is. She knows who she is. She takes care of
herself, yet when she moves through life, she sees beyond her own
needs. In the smallest decisions and ordinary moments, she thinks of
others. She notices what people need. She does what she can. Often
without fanfare. Often without anyone realizing how much thought she
has put into the simplest things.
And he loves her for all of it.
When they first met, she saw something in him, too.
She could see beyond the person standing in front of her. She
sensed the road he had traveled and the pain he had carried. She
didn't try to rescue him. She didn't sacrifice herself for him or
make his wounds her responsibility. She simply understood that
someone who had traveled such a difficult road might need a little
more tenderness, a little more patience, and a little extra loving
care.
So she gave it freely, simply because that was who she was.
And slowly, without either of them fully realizing it, she became
the place he had been searching for his entire life.
Home.
Not just a house. Not just a person he loved. But a feeling he had
never truly known before. When he looks at her, he sees quiet after
the noise. He sees safety after uncertainty. He sees somewhere he
belongs. He sees a life where he can finally exhale.
His life before her had not been easy. He had known pain, carried
scars, and traveled through experiences that changed him. But it is
never lost on him that, without her, he might never have understood
love the way he understands it now.
That is why he wishes he could lend her his eyes.
Just for an hour.
He wishes she could see the woman he sees, the kindness she
doesn't always notice in herself, the beauty that goes far deeper
than what can be seen, and all the quiet things she does that make
his life better. He wishes she could understand that when he looks at
her, he doesn't just see the woman he loves.
He sees his fairytale hero.
He sees the person who helped heal wounds she didn't create. The
person who erased pain simply by loving him with patience and
sincerity. The person who saw his truth and accepted him without
asking him to become someone else.
Most of all, he sees home.
And so, through this song, he gives her the only gift he knows she
truly needs to understand his heart:
His eyes.
Because if she could see herself the way he sees her, she would
finally understand the depth of his love.
"Borrow My Eyes" is
his thank you to the woman who gave him more than love; she gave him
a place in this world where he finally feels he belongs.
*********
"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
This is a memoir of a childhood time during the 1950s in the suburbs of New York City. It was a magical time of neighborhood rivalries when the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees all called New York home.
Ebbets Field Postcard (Source: Wikipedia Commons)
Doris Kearns Goodwin was a very young girl as the 1950s began, and shared a deep love for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team with her father, who taught her early on how to keep score. This was a time before night games began, so daytime baseball games were the norm. Doris would listen to the afternoon Dodgers game on the radio, faithfully filling out the scorecards in the little red score book her father had given her, then describe the narrative of the game to her dad each evening when he returned from work. From this humble beginning came the start of her coming-of-age story related in the memoir “Wait Till Next Year”.
Doris’ stories as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, peopled by Jackie Robinson (her favorite player), Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider and Pee Wee Reese, also included her recollections of her family, neighborhood and childhood friends. She describes what it was like to grow up in Rockville Centre, Long Island in a time when neighbors were extended family; a time defined by post-war suburban growth, early television broadcasts and Cold War anxiety.
A delightful memoir of a girl, an era and a game! A growing-up time which came to a close for Doris with the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn in 1957 (along with the Giants) and the death of her mother.
Author Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin
Goodwin is an American historian, biographer and political commentator who specializes in US presidents. She worked as a fellow under Lyndon B. Johnson, which inspired her writing as a presidential historian. Her Wikipedia story is here.
Summary
I was given this book by a friend who knew what a huge baseball fan I am. The gift came from a recent evening at the Kansas City Royals ballpark where, between innings, we had a discussion about the many baseball-related books we’ve each read.
In addition to enjoying the book from a baseball-fan standpoint, I really enjoyed it from the fact that Doris Kearns Goodwin is just three years younger than I am and her descriptions of her life in the 1950s and the baseball teams and players she talks about were SO familiar to me, growing up in New York State in the 1950s. It was like she was describing MY childhood days!
Plus, I was mostly a NY Yankees fan (still am), but also followed the Brooklyn Dodgers during their time as a New York team. I never forgave them (just like a lot of other Dodger fans) for leaving Brooklyn and never cheered for them again. Doris Kearns ended up moving to Massachusetts as an adult and gave up on the Dodgers; becoming a Boston Red Sox fan!
Wait Till Next Year is very well written, well worth reading by anyone. It will especially appeal to fans of Baseball, and people who were young in the 1950s. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have passed it along to my brother, another huge baseball fan!
*Book review of “Wait Till Next Year” was written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Sometimes, we just want a delightful movie to watch that doesn't cause
stress or tug too hard on any emotional strings. That is exactly what
I was looking for last Sunday when I found the movie, "Meet Me in the
Margins".
I was also thrilled to find a new-to-me actress that I really like.
Merritt Patterson has a really kind and intelligent persona. Someone I
would love to have as a friend and the type we all need in our families to
provide a calm presence in any situation. I also like both of the
prominent male actors in the movie. Liam McIntyre and Austin Valli
both seemed thoughtful and attentive. They listened and heard when
others were speaking. Being heard is something we all value!
"Meet Me in the Margins" is based on a best selling romance novel by
Melissa Ferguson. I enjoyed the movie so much, I now want to read the
book, which I have already downloaded to my
Kindle, that inspired the movie. Most often, I prefer the book for
greater detail. Once the book is made into a movie, I don't always
agree with the actor choices. However, in this case, I will already
have a faces attached to the characters. Since I liked those faces,
that is perfectly fine with me.
Meet Me in the Margins Synopsis
Meet Me in the MarginsCheck PriceSavannah Cade (Merritt Patterson) has been working on writing her first romance novel for 3
years. She already works as an editor for Pendleton Publishing, but
they do not publish romance novels. Therefore, she has all the normal
concerns about publishing a book, plus the appearance of communicating with
the competition.
She has confided in a few co-workers about her book, but it is not
universal knowledge. When the owner's son is introduced during a
meeting as a new employee, Savannah is not really paying attention.
She accidentally drops her manuscript during the meeting. William Pendleton
(Liam McIntyre) helps her pick up the pages and discovers her secret, but keeps the
confidence.
Later, she leaves her book draft in a rarely used room in the Pendleton
Publishing building. When she returns to retrieve it, she finds that
someone has been leaving critique notes in the margins. Thus, the
title, "Meet Me in the Margins". The notes recommend ways to improve
the content, which Savannah decides to use. As the exchange continues
and more notes are left, she wonders about the identify of her mystery
developmental editor. Some of the notes seem to be directly related to
her own personality, not just the book. She starts looking at
co-workers with a questioning eye. One in particular, Sam Swift (Austin Valli), seems the most likely individual since he is always encouraging her
and it is believed he has a crush on her.
Of course, the identity is revealed before the movie ends, but by then they
are already "friends" through the writing process.
___________
I highly recommend this movie for light entertainment on a laid-back
day. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, I watched it on Pure Flix which is linked through Amazon in the video images.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you have a child at home who loves Sesame Street and is learning his or her letters, you both will love Play-Doh’s Sesame Street Cookie Monster-themed set, Lunch Letters. It allows you to create either just individual ABCs or complete words and, eventually I suppose, short sentences. Imagination enters the play, too, when you make alphabet soup for Cookie Monster’s lunch.
This Hasbro playset includes the Cookie Monster figure that you can feed as well as a bowl, lid, knife, spoon, fork, roller, presser tool, playmat, four small cans of Play-Doh modeling compound and 45 molds. It is recommended for individuals aged 3 and up and is marked set number 25255 with the UPC code 5010994543181.
Here's the original television commercial for the set from Youtube so that you can see the toy in action:
It is a set from 2010, which means that it is retired, a bit hard-to-find and therefore often expensive. What is it worth today? The three years prior to writing this post, I can see that a set has sold for as much as $299 but also as low as $30, depending on condition and other factors.
This set would make a great addition to your child’s learning tools or to your Play-doh or Sesame Street collection.
Image at the top of the page was made with some assistance from Chat GPT.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
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