Review of Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

Seasons of the Heart Series - Book 1

This is a rather unique book for the historical Christian romance genre because it is written from the viewpoint of a 12 year old boy.  In all honesty, the only reason I picked it up to read is simply because it was free for Amazon Prime Membersfor our Kindles.  I am so glad they offered this book free now!

I had absolutely no problem relating to Joshua, the boy in the book.  He doesn't like change and neither do I.  Even a change for the better, or one that is an improvement, I resist.  I prefer the comfort of consistency. 

Quite by accident, Joshua overhears a conversation between his grandfather and his Uncle Charlie.  Much to his distress, he fears a lot of changes are coming in his simple farm home life and he plans to do everything he can to stop them, including asking for God's help with a rather unusual request.

Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

Book Review by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

 By Janette Oke Once upon a Summer [Audio CD]Both of Josh's parents are dead.  He lives with his grandfather, his grandfather's brother, Charlie, and his aunt Lou.  He adores Aunt Lou.  Even though she is only 5 years older than he is, she has been the only mother he can remember.

Grandpa and Uncle Charlie not only plan to ask their newly widowed father, who Josh has never met, to move in with them, but they decide it is their responsibility to select a husband for Aunt Lou.  Joshua is not happy at all about the idea of his family structure changing.  He doesn't like the idea of an "old man" who will require care coming to live with them.  And, he certainly doesn't want to lose his Aunt Lou to marriage.

It is actually funny listening to these two older gentlemen discuss how to handle different situations.  They even make a list of acceptable suitors for Lou while she is sleeping and completely clueless about their "plans".  Since Josh is ease-dropping on the conversation, he is not clueless.  He makes plans of his own, which include asking for Divine intervention.

I can appreciate Josh's antics to make every suitor unacceptable.  What he didn't expect at all was that he would find an ally in his "Gramps" when he joins the household.  He becomes close friends with the "old man" and together they make things happen.

The real life situations, the family changes mixed with humor, is quite entertaining.  I actually hated to see the book end!  So much so, that I gladly paid for the second book in the "Seasons of the Heart" series to be added to my Kindle.

My Book Recommendation

I can easily recommend this book to anyone!  I thoroughly enjoyed Janette Oke's unique approach by writing a Christian romance from the perspective of a young boy.  It was very easy for me to embrace his entire family.  Each member reminded me of someone I have known in my own life, which made the book even more enjoyable.

You should be forewarned though, this first book will certainly whet your appetite for more!

 Once Upon a Summer (Seasons of the Heart) (Volume 1) Seasons of the Heart (4 Book Series)

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Review: Will a Sunlight Lamp Help SAD Disorder?

If you suffer from seasonal depression, known as SAD or seasonal affective disorder, then this is a very important question for you. My review is based on my experience, and I am not a medical professional. Your results may vary, but here's what I've discovered while using a sunlight lamp to help with SAD disorder.

The author's sunlight lamp.

The lamp in the picture is the sunlight lamp that I've used on my desk in my home office for several years now - and I love it. It helps improve my seasonal depression (SAD disorder) during fall and winter (also referred to as the winter blues). It also provides excellent lighting at my desk while I'm working all year round.

The sunlight desk lamp gives off light that is soft and natural, not harsh and hard on my eyes. I don't claim to fully understand the scientific explanation, but the light from this lamp simulates the colors of natural light, so that the light produced appears similar to sunlight. It's a cool sunlight, though, so don't worry about the lamp producing heat. Mine stays on for hours every day, stays cool and does not heat up the area around it. Instead, during the daytime it balances the light I work in (the lamp is on my left and I'm fortunate to have a big window on my right). When it's dark outside, the lamp provides all the light I need across my workspace.

Don't confuse a sunlight lamp with a sun lamp; a full-spectrum sunlight lamp won't give you a tan. While there are claims that a full-spectrum lamp helps produce vitamin D in our bodies, I'm skeptical of that. Don't stop your supplement if you take one. However, having a good amount of natural light most definitely puts me in a better mood. Like many others, I suffer to some degree from seasonal depression (or SAD disorder) and having plenty of soft "sunlight" to work in most definitely lifts my spirits during the winter months. I've used this lamp long enough to know that that claim is absolutely true, at least for me, and I would recommend using this lamp if you suffer effects of seasonal depression or live in a low-light latitude.

Inexpensive to Operate, Long-Life Light Bulb

The official light output of the sunlight lamp is 150 watts though it only uses 27 watts of energy. In other words, it's inexpensive to operate.

The bulb life is 10,000 hours and, while I haven't measured the exact hours, I've used my current lamp for over four years and just recently replaced the bulb. Given that the light is on for many hours most days, I'd say the bulb probably lived up to its long-life promise.

Other Features of the Sunlight Lamp That I Like

• The touch on/off switch. My previous lamp had a toggle switch (we lost that lamp in a fire) and when I ordered this one I didn't even realize it had a touch switch. What a happy accident! I really enjoy being able to just touch the switch to turn the light on. 
• The lamp looks nice. It's not a decorative lamp meant for a fancy living room, but it's sleek, nice-looking, and looks pretty as well as professional on my desk.
• The small footprint. The lamp does not take up a lot of space on the desk. The base is about 8 inches long and 6.5 inches wide. 
• The height is adjustable. My lamp is adjusted to about the highest point I can get it, about 18 inches high. That works for me. Occasionally I'll want to contain the light a bit, so I'll lower it by pivoting the lamp at the neck and adjusting the top. It's simple to move and stays put nicely at any height. 
• It only moves when I want it to. The lamp doesn't slide on the desk though I can pick it up and move it easily if necessary. I like that it doesn't slide. It's also heavy enough that it doesn't tip.  
• It's also available as a floor lamp, which would be absolutely perfect for people who do hand crafts. Placing the sunlight floor lamp next to your comfy craft chair would be a wonderful idea! (Think "gift idea"!)

So, Will a Sunlight Lamp Help SAD Disorder?

Based on my personal use, I do believe that the sunlight lamp helps improve seasonal depression, but I'm not a doctor so if SAD disorder is a problem for you, seek out a professional opinion. Or order a sunlight lamp and try it for yourself.

Do you use a full-spectrum sunlight lamp? For SAD disorder or just as a nice desk lamp? Feel free to share your comments about how you like it.

P.S. Replacement bulbs for the Sunlight lamp are sold on the product page or pick one up at your local Walmart.

Quick Links: Order your sunlight lamp from Amazon.com

Or find one on eBay:

~ Susan Deppner

Meet the Reviewer

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Reviewing the Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop

Dry Sweep Or Wet Mop With One Tool

Here are some reasons that I feel that every home (large or small) needs a Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop. How often do you find that you need to sweep up a small area in your home that does not have carpet on it? It is not big enough of a job to pull the big old vacuum out. There are times when a small area of non-carpeted floor gets soiled by a spill or muddy footprints. Do you mop the entire floor or could you just do the small surface area?

There was a time when I would have dragged out the vacuum for those small jobs or I would have filled the mop bucket up and mopped the entire floor. I no longer do that for those small jobs. I use my Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop, instead.

Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop

What I love about this handy little sweeper/mop is that it can do two jobs for me. If I just want to sweep a little dust off of the floor, then I can use one of the disposable dry cloths. It picks up hair (helpful with our cat), dust and dirt really well. They are easily placed on the sweeper edge by pressing the ends into the four little slots and removed just as easily. I just wad them up and toss in the trash basket.

When my husband, cat or the grandkids track in mud from outside or if I happen to spill something in the kitchen, all I have to do is get one of the wet cloths and attach it to the sweeper/mop. Once the area has been mopped, I just toss the soiled sheet into the trash.

Storing the Swiffer Sweeper Floor Mop is easy, also. The head folds down so that it doesn't take up much room in my little cleaning closet where I keep all of my cleaning supplies.

You only have to purchase the sweeper mop once, then as needed you can purchase refills in both the dry and wet versions.

I like to get the Dry Cloth Refills in the 48 count box because I sweep my tile floors just about every day with this little broom or dust mop tool. If I am going to run the vacuum on the carpets then I will use it on the tiled floors, too. But for those quick little once a day tasks of sweeping the floors this little sweeper works like a charm.

The wet sheets come in a smaller count of only 12. That is just fine for my needs because I don't use them as often. I do not mop my entire floor with this handy little tool, although I could if I wanted to. If it is an all floor job, then the mop bucket and mop come out of the cleaning supply closet. I use the Swiffer wet cloths and sweeper for the small little mopping jobs that come up once in a while.

If you are like me and find that just about every day there is a small little sweeping job staring you in the face, I can highly recommend using this product.

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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Steve Berry's The Amber Room Book Review

If you love thrillers like Ian Fletcher's James Bond stories, you will likely enjoy Steve Berry's books. If you have been to St. Petersburg, Russia, or you are going there, you will definitely want to check out his first book as shown here, The Amber Room. If you are going to Russia and you have the chance, I would definitely recommend reading the book before your trip.

Steve Berry's fictional work The Amber Room is especially fascinating because it is based on the existence of a man made marvel and World War II mystery the site of which you can actually visit in Russia. The book is a mystery thriller, set in the world of art and based loosely on the true story of the Amber Room, which legend says the Nazis took when they invaded the Soviet Union.

I was particularly interested in The Amber Room because I had the opportunity to visit the port of St. Petersburg, Russia, for two days on a cruise. St. Petersburg was my favorite port and it was while on a cruise ship excursion to the truly resplendent Catherine's Palace in Tsarkskoe Selo that I learned of the existence and saw first hand The Amber Room.

The Amber Room that we visited that day in Catherine's Palace is actually a replica of the original Amber Room, recreated by Russia and Germany after the war because the original room is still missing. However, even this replica of the original room was beautiful as I suppose it should be since it cost $6 million dollars to create.

This book was interesting and entertaining but be warned that it also contained violence, sex and profanity. With regard to  profanity, Berry has since said that this is his only book that has excessive profanity. He said, "It was an experiment, as there's a character in that story who says just about anything. He was fun to write but I learned that excessive profanity is not all that necessary." In any case, I am sure that this book would be rated R, if they rated books in the same way that they rate movies. If it had been a movie, it would have probably been too violent for me although the idea of this book as a movie is actually intriguing.

If you can tolerate the issues, I do recommend this book. I have since enjoyed many more Steve Berry novels. If you are a reader and looking for a new author to 'consume,' do check him out.  The Amber Room and his other novels are available in all formats from hardcover through to Kindle. You can click here to order your copy of The Amber Room from Amazon.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

More Action & Adventure Reading:

Which Is the Best True Grit Movie?
What do you think? Which of the True Grit movies is better?

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The Best Picture Hooks for Drywall

Available on Amazon

These hooks for hanging pictures are so amazing I'd be willing to do an Infomercial about them!

I first noticed the hooks advertised on TV a few years back, and remember thinking I really should give these a try. Well, I finally did...and yep, they're amazing. 

They're called 'The Monkey Hook', in fact the package says 'The Amazing Monkey Hook', with each hook holding up to 50lbs. Actually, they have hooks for various weights, so be sure to check the package to ensure it's the weight you wanted.

You don't need any tools whatsoever to put up a picture..not one tool. There's no mess, no major damage to the walls, no hammers, no plugs for the wall, and no nails for screws. Best of all, there's no need to try and find wall-studs. Use these directly on the drywall, where there isn't a stud, even for those heavier pictures.

For women, or at least for me, I found these hooks to be a HUGE time saver. I no longer ask my husband to put pictures on the wall.

How They Work:

They're shaped in a curve.

With the end of the curved hook, simply work a little hole into the wall then turn it upwards inside the wall where the hook then grips onto the drywall, leaving you with a nice little, but strong hook to hang your pictures on.

The absolute best part is they barely leave a mark on the wall. All you see when the photo is taken down is a tiny pinprick where the hook initially was.

If you've never tried The Monkey Hook, don't hesitate because it works exactly as it claims it does. I highly recommend these hooks. They're all I use now.

I'll add that I trust the hooks more than I do hooks that just stick to the wall, especially for heavy items.

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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