A Girl Named Samson (photo created in AI) |
A Girl Named Samson (photo created in AI) |
Get Ready to Wear Your Leprechaun and Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day!
St. Patrick's Day is only a week away. Last year, we let the holiday slip-up on us and we were not prepared to wear our green. For me, I work at home, so there was no one around to pinch me for not wearing green. However, our son works in an office that has apparel restrictions.
Thinking outside of the box this year, I wanted him to be able to have fun wearing the traditional green shamrocks or leprechauns. The only things I could think of that would be hidden apparel that he could wear were undershirts, boxer shorts and socks. It is already too warm to wear a thick undershirt and you can't really show off boxer shorts in the office setting. I thought socks would be the perfect choice.
I had no idea there were so many St. Patrick's Day socks available! Since he still needed to appear to be in dress code with his black socks, I opted for black socks with green shamrocks, but I also purchased the socks with the St. Patrick's Day puppy on them for after work.
If you are free to wear whatever your heart desires on St. Patrick's Day, there are a lot of fun designs on socks for you. Choose from leprechauns, clovers, lucky horseshoes, the puppy I chose, just plain green socks or a combination of fun designs.
Whatever your preference, embrace the luck of the Irish and have fun
sporting the green on St. Patrick's Day. Above all, avoid being
pinched!
Be sure to look for the socks that ship from Amazon for faster delivery!
Which is your favorite?
Parquet St. Patrick's Day Dog Novelty Socks for Men…Check Price Good Luck Sock Men's St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Socks, AdultCheck Price 15 Pairs St. Patrick's Day Socks Shamrock Clover Stripe Crew Socks Green Irish Leprechaun Socks for Adults Men Women Party Holiday Gift Cosplay, 15 StylesCheck Price Triple M Plus Men's Mid Calf Green Dress socks,One size fits most men; Sock Size 10-13. (Bright Green/Black 1 Pairs)Check Price
March 17th St. Patrick's Day Some Facts and Fiction You May Not Know!
What do you know about St. Patrick's Day? Is it Fact or Fiction? Read on and I know you will learn something new!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Crafting in St. Patrick's Day Green
Craft ideas for St. Patrick's Day! Creating crafts in green is a fun way to add to the pleasure of St. Patrick's Day.
The Famous Wigleys Corned Beef Reviewed
Enjoy the "Best" corned beef! Wigleys Famous Corned Beef will not disappoint. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day and the traditional boiled dinner.
Galway Bay - A Must-Read Irish Historic Fiction
Galway Bay is a story of an Irish mother's love and so much more. A beautifully-written historical fiction based on a the epic tale of a family who survives the Great Starvation.
Irish Mug Reviewed
An Irish mug for St. Patricks Day or just to celebrate your Irish ancestry.
Alaska is an epic novel by James Michener that spans an unimaginable length of time and describes Alaska and it's people from the beginning. From the formation of mountains and land masses to Mastodons to modern times. As soon as I pick up where I left off in the story I find myself surrounded by the people in the unique land that eventually became a U.S state.
Steve Berry explains how he came to read his first James Michener novel then goes on to tells us a bit about James Michener the man and author. Michener was reportedly an orphan, adopted by Mabel Michener. He lived in poverty in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for at least a portion of his childhood. Then as a young adult, he traveled the country by train (in boxcars to be more specific) and found odd jobs. James Michener wrote his autobiography in 1991 titled The World is My Home. He attributes his curiosity about people and their lands. I feel that his curiosity about people, their cultures, and their lands as well as his love of travel shines through his writing.
Alaska is a historical novel. Fiction. But based in fact. The Fact and Fiction chapter explains some of the examples in which fact and fiction come together. For example, it is widely accepted that the order of the arrival of humans in Alaska was The Athapascans first, followed by the Eskimos then followed by the Aleuts (with the Tlinglits being offshoots of the Athapascans). But the time of their arrival is unclear and possibly somewhere between 12,000 B.P.E and 40,000 to 30,000 B.P.E.
This novel has me hooked. I am writing this before I've finished the novel but due to the length, I feel that's acceptable.
Michener describes how the land was likely formed. How the collision of plates created the Aleutian Islands and the mountains of Alaska. How the Mastodons and Mammoths arrived, lived, and perished in the area. The arrival of humans. And how conflict begins as soon as different groups live in proximity of each other. As time moves on, we learn about the Russians who settle there under Tsar Peter the Great and how others such as Vitus Bering and Georg Stellar explore the area. The story goes on to include the introduction of different religions; Shamanism, Russian Orthodoxy, and eventually Christianity. The area transfers from Russian ownership to American. Then comes the Gold Rush and moves on to more recent places and events.
I wish I could write the review this story deserves. I can't. Some online reviews describe the beginning of the book as slow and hard to get through. For me, I enjoyed thinking about the massive number of years that it took for the land to form over time, mountains being sent to great highs due to the movement of the plates and volcanos forming due to the geographical events that are beyond my comprehension.
I am amazed that Alaska was settled at all. People walked to get there. They rode in tiny kayaks to hunt whale for survival and to change their location Conflict, war, and slavery occurred long before I had imagined. Larger ships began to move people up the Yukon and into the land but became frozen in the ice and stranded for months until the thaw. Humans have gone through a lot to find and keep a home.
The writing is beautiful.
"And each one was formed by some segment of the Pacific Plate bulldozing it's way into the North American Plate, submerging along the edge, and causing such tremendous commotion and movement of forces that the great mountains erupted as a consequence. When one looks at the glorious mountains of Alaska he sees proof of the power of the Pacific Plate as it noses its way north and east... "
"The ten children were like a collection of colorful flowers, for the clothes they wore were varied in design and color. Some wore short tunics with stripes of white and blue, others long robes and heavy boots, but all wore in their hair some ornament, some flashing bit of shell or ivory"
I find myself cheering on the adventurers, crying with those who have suffered loss, and booing the villains. All while learning how Alaska became a place where humans chose to call home.
I have two regrets with reading this book. First, I regret that I don't have more time that I can dedicate to getting comfy in a chair and reading for days upon days. Second, I'm not sure that starting this novel during my winter holiday break was the best choice. My area was hit with a powerful ice storm that wrecked havoc in our county followed by an Arctic blast that was most uncomfortable. Choosing to read Alaska during that time frame was almost as bad as choosing to read Jaws before going to an ocean beach for the first time. Other than those two things, I am enjoying this immensely.
Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown graduated from UNC Greensboro. She began her writing career helping small businesses with content creation and published five nonfiction self-help books dealing with real estate and finance, receiving "First Runner Up" in the Eric Hoffman Book Awards for 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now, finalist in the USA Best Books Awards for How To Open and Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorate, and Real Estate Staging Business and for 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now, and Honorable Mention in Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award for Private Mortgage Investing. In 2017, after winning the First Annual Anita Bloom Ornoff Award for Inspirational Short Story, she began writing fiction in earnest, and published Sunflowers Beneath the Snow in January 2022. Her second novel, An Enemy Like Me, launches in January 2023. Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and mentoring others. Learn more at www.terimbrown.com.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is an absolute gem of a movie. I discovered it while perusing American Airlines' in-flight entertainment selections during a recent flight home from California. This comedy/drama was released earlier this year and received enthusiastic positive reviews from film critics and audiences alike. However, likely because it wasn't promoted heavily or well, it had only a short run in theaters and I hadn't heard about it before. (Such a shame to stint on the marketing for such a terrific picture!) It deserves a much wider audience.
I am delighted to share my review of this wonderful, delightful, inspiring movie, which is available to purchase or rent via DVD or streaming media.
Paul Gallico started his career in the 1920s as a sportswriter, sports columnist, and sports editor of the New York Daily News. After switching to writing fiction in the late 1930s, the prolific author wrote 41 books, numerous short stories, 20 theatrical movies and 12 TV movies and had a TV series based on his Hiram Holliday short stories. Two of Gallico's most famous works were the short story The Snow Goose (1941) and the novel The Poseidon Adventure (1969), which was also adapted for the big screen.(Source)
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1958) was the first of Gallico's four novels about the adventures of Mrs. Ada Harris, a war widow and hard-working charwoman for London aristocrats. Mrs. Harris's adventures continue in the subsequent books in the series, Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (1960), Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Parliament (1965), and Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Moscow (1974).
Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris has been adapted multiple times for stage and screen:
Here are the main characters of this charming movie set in the mid-1950s:
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a story about how kindness, courage, honesty, hard work, a willigness to dream big and a single-minded commitment to achieving your goals can, indeed, make your dreams come true.
It's a modern fairy tale grounded in some historical fact. Director Anthony Fabian takes some liberties with Gallico's story. In an interview for a July 22, 2022 article in Town & Country magazine, Fabian said, "The key to this story is that it is magic realism, so it has to have an equal dose of magic and reality. If you go too far into magic, you won’t believe it; if you go too far into the realism, it wouldn’t have that uplifting fairy tale quality."
If you are reading this on a mobile device and the video player doesn't display, you can click on this line to watch the MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS Trailer (2022) on YouTube.
There are multiple options for watching this movie, including:
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Mrs. Harris Goes to New York Kindle edition.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs. Harris Goes to New York Paperback
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Mrs. Harris Goes to New York Audible audiobook (Unabridged) — narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Juliet Stevenson.
This wonderful story encourages us to dream big but also keep our priorities straight. I definitely plan to rent or buy the movie so I can watch it again and plan to get the audiobook as well. Both the movie and the book would make a lovely gift for any occasion, as well as a great stocking stuffer.
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Before we ever read the first word in the book, the title tells us what to expect. What the title doesn't reveal is how and why Selena loses her position in society.
This historical fiction is set in Hertfordshire, England in 1817 and paints a vivid picture of how easy it was for a young woman, or even a whole family, to have the ton (high society) shun them.
Imagine having everything you have ever known or expected your life to be,
stripped from you because someone else made a mistake. By no fault of your
own, you have to learn how to make a living for yourself while watching the
world you once knew carry on without you. Becoming an employee in a house
where you would previously have been received as a desired guest and ushered
into the drawing room for tea with the countess. Instead, you will now
be expected to use the servants entrance and consider yourself fortunate
that the countess has favored you enough to even allow you to be her
companion.
That is what happened to Selena Lockhart in "A Fall from Grace" by Jennie Goutet.
A Fall from Grace
(Clavering Chronicles Book 1)Check Price
___
As the lone female occupant of a broken down stagecoach, Selena needs shelter from the snow storm and other danger. She believes her salvation must lie within the walls of a nearby home which is lit well enough for her to see in the distance. Dispute her lack of warm clothing, she sets out for the house and has plenty of time to recount the events that put her in this frightening situation. Her father's extreme gambling problems followed by his subsequent death; her fiance's recindment of his offer of marriage; insufficient funds to sustain her mother & sisters; all combined to create this life she was so ill-prepared to live. She was equally unprepared to be greeted by the cynical landowner who did not readily welcome her in out of the cold.
_____
Following Selena's story of becoming a companion to a bitter and unhappy widowed countess, caused me to consider what a truly difficult situation this would have been for a young lady who was raised in a wealthy home with the expectations of a prosperous marriage and continued position in high society. It would require a strong and determined individual to make this unwanted transition in life status.
Since this is a Regency Romance novel, the reader can rest assured there will be a developing romantic relationship throughout the book. However, I was equally interested in watching the other relationships develop in this book.
I highly recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys clean & wholesome romance novels.
At publishing time of this review, "A Fall from Grace" is available for free with a Kindle Unlimited Subscription. Or, you can purchase it with the link below.
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I recently read the first two books in the "Bradwell Brothers" book series by Kasey Stockton. The third book will not be released until April, 2023.
I have really enjoyed this series, thus far, because the author included unusual or funny circumstances, as well as giving her characters an abundance of humorous wit. I can hardly wait for book three to be available.
The books are in the Regency Romance genre, which means they are historical fiction that takes place during the British Regency (1811–1820) time period. This series is clean and wholesome, therefore it can be recommended for any age. It almost seems educational as it peeks into the historical British social classes and what is acceptable behavior for ladies and gentlemen, as well as the family hierarchy of the wealthy class.
There are 3 Bradwell brothers. At the beginning of the series, their
mother still reigns over the Bradwell home and all 3 bachelor brothers
reside there at Chelton most of the time. Henry, the middle brother,
was bequeathed the "hunting box", a separate family home, that is his
private getaway when needed. As with all siblings, the brothers have
similarities and shared memories, but each has their own individual
personality. They are so well described that I can easily envision
James' concerned & watchful eyes, Benedict's looks of confusion or
misunderstanding, and Henry's quiet reserve. I feel like I know these
boys.
Sensibly Wed (Bradwell Brothers Book 1)Check PriceJames Bradwell chose to attend his godmother's ball in hopes of finding a suitable wife. As the oldest brother, and heir to his father's estate, James is mindful of his family duties. However, he resents the girls in attendance who merely seek his company because of his wealth. Desiring a brief escape from the marriage mart, he slips into the library, but quickly finds he is not alone.
Felicity Thurston would much rather be reading than attending a ball. Not only does she suffer with anxiety attacks, but she is certain she will never find someone who loves her "as her father loves her mother" at a superficial social event. In an attempt to avoid a particularly unappealing man, Felicity slipped into a dark room and closed the door behind her. To her delight, she realized she was alone in the library. She lite a candle and began pursuing the book shelves. When she hears the unmistakable creak of the opening door, she blew out her candle, hoping to not be discovered. Unfortunately, hot candle wax dripped on her hand and she yelped.
And, that is how Felicity and James met, and how they were discovered: alone together in the library during the ball. How scandalous! Before they even exited the room, the gossip was spreading quickly throughout the ballroom.
Felicity and her parents quickly left the ball, but James already knew what was going to be required of him. He was at their home early the following morning proposing marriage. Soon after Felicity and her parents accepted his proposal, she found out his last name. Of all the people in the world, how could she possibly be engaged to the brother of the only man she had ever hoped to marry.
And, that is just the beginning! You will need to
read the book to
find out what happens next.
Pleasantly Pursued (Bradwell Brothers Book 2)Check PriceDorothea Northcott has escaped her impending doom. She simply could not be "deposited" at her lecherous chaperone's home, but she couldn't tell her guardian, Lady Edith Bradwell, about her cousin, Lord Claverley, and his despicable desires either. She felt her only salvation would be to run away and seek employment. While she greatly appreciated her godmother's efforts to see her sponsored and properly introduced to society, Thea would forgo that for a simpler, safe life. She had found a position working in a kitchen and would be content marrying a humble man.
Benedict Bradwell had been searching for Thea for months. He followed her trail of jobs until he finally found her working as a kitchen maid. However, she was not happy to see him and she did not want to be returned to his mother and her home. When Benedict explained that is mother was worried sick over her disappearance, Thea acquiesced and agreed to return with him, but only if he agreed to her one condition: she would not be forced to go to Lord Claverley's house or forced to remain at Chelton.
Benedict's plan to sneak Thea back to Chelton, was just the beginning of "interesting" situations they faced. Without a proper chaperone, Thea had to dress as a male servant for the duration of a journey that would take four days, including nights in various inns. Their verbal sparring made the trip, as well as the entire season, a fun journey for readers.
Perhaps you have figured out what happens in terms of romance, but the
book is worth
reading, regardless.
Imagine that you are a young woman in 1940's Russia. You are a mother raising a young son alone as you work in a library and study to gain your degree. You are forging along in everyday life when suddenly your country is invaded, and you are facing a world at war. In this riveting novel, Kate Quinn gives a look into the life of Mila Pavlichenko, a young history student and mother who joins the Russian military and becomes a world-famous sniper.
If you are looking for a sweet, romantic easy to read book, you will love "The Social Tutor" by Sally Britton. It is the first book in her Branches of Love series and quite a delightful read.
Earlier this week, I was without electricity for approximately 5 hours.
Since I couldn't cook, work around the house due to the dark, or even work
on my computer, I grabbed my Kindle and settled in to read. I opened it to
"The Social Tutor" and was immediately allowed to relax as I was pulled into
a lovely story set in the early 1800's in England. A time when women were
expected to marry someone who benefited their family whether they were in
love or not.
I am a huge historical fiction fan and I prefer clean romantic stories. "The Social Tutor" was the perfect choice for me! When the electricity was restored, I was already so deep into the book that I didn't set it down until I had finished reading the entire book.
It had been made perfectly clear to Christine Devon that she would marry someone who would bring wealth, business associations and hopefully a title to her family. Her father would give her one season in London to complete this mission.
Christine was the second daughter in the household. Her older sister had failed to make the desired alliance and was relegated to overseeing her father's household. He would not waste any more money on her.
The Social Tutor: Branches of Love, Book 1Check PriceBecause she was under so much pressure, Christine knew she would need help. Since her mother had died years before, she had never been taught how to attract a man's attention, engage him in an acceptable conversation, and make him choose to marry her out of all of the eligible young women in the "marriage mart".
Thomas Gilbert had been friends with Christine's mother. They had shared a love for horses and Mrs. Devon had taken him under her wing to teach him about horses. It was Thomas's desire to add a horse breeding venture to his family's farm. With the right horse selections, he believed he could bred champions and sell them to society members who demanded the best.
Christine decided she would ask Thomas to tutor her. In exchange for the lessons, she would allow him to borrow the horses she had inherited from her mother. Even though Thomas wasn't exactly sure at first how he could help her, the offer was too good for him to pass up. After all, Miss. Devon owned the best horses in the area and their offspring would be highly desired.
They agreed to meet every 3rd day until Christmas (only a few months) to prepare her for the social season which would begin immediately thereafter. Thomas had no idea just how naive and trusting Christine was. He knew she would be eaten alive by both the men and the women of society and he suspected that is what happened to her older sister. Without their mother's direction and oversight, it would be like a lamb among wolves. Out of loyalty to her mother, he could not let that happen to Christine.
Perhaps, you think you have already figured out what happens. Maybe you
have, maybe you have not. Either way, it is a charming romance to read. I
have no doubt, you will want to continue reading through the entire
series.
I rarely read a series where I would say the author saved the best book for last, especially when I enjoyed all of the books in the series. However, in the case of "A Daring Proposal", I do think Jennie Goutet saved the best 'til last.
Perhaps this book was my favorite because the main character has been a part of the previous two books and I already liked her. Maybe, it was because I just liked the true historical story line so much. Most likely, it was both.
Each of the books in the series could be read independently, but I do think, in this case, Phoebe Tunstall's character was developed over the entire series. Therefore, even though it is my favorite, I think the series should be read in order. Otherwise, you might miss just how unusually "daring" Phoebe becomes in "A Daring Proposal".
Phoebe Tunstall has already enjoyed four London seasons. There is a concern that she may well end up being considered "on the shelf" by potential suitors. At 22, she is far from an old maid, but society tends to focus on the newest, brightest stars that appear on the scene. Phoebe was not looking forward to another season, especially since her sister, brother, and best friend were all now married. She would feel alone in the crowd.
A Daring Proposal (Memorable Proposals Book 3)Check PriceBecause she often stayed in her vivacious sister's shadow, Phoebe was
viewed by society as shy, perhaps disinterested or unavailable, as she
attended to her elderly aunt. Something Phoebe shared with no one, including
her twin sister, is that her heart was unavailable. For as long as she could
remember, she had loved someone who viewed her "like a little sister".
Still, she realized she needed to marry, even if it wasn't a love match, and
a fifth season might be her last chance.
When her friend, Lydia, suggested she accompany her and her husband to Brussels instead of staying in London, Phoebe surprised herself by considering it. As she mentally recounted Frederick Ingram's suggestion that she do "something daring", she decided she would do just that and accept his sister, Lydia's, invitation to go to Brussels. She would cast off this despair, all expectations and embrace the opportunity to travel somewhere new.
That turned out to be the best decision she could make because "somewhere new" offered her the opportunity to be someone new. Well, at least, someone new to Brussels society, where she was immediately received as a desirable partner at every ball & social gathering. Little did she expect to catch the eye of someone she had known all of her life or to be caught in the middle of a war.
_______
We may not immediately think of Brussels as the setting of a war, but it was in fact, the location of the Battle of Waterloo, which ended with the final defeat of Napoleon, and as in all wars, with many deaths.
Jennie Goutet did a masterful job of threading the story of "A Daring
Proposal" into the fabric of real historical events and real people.
This entire "Memorable Proposals" series is truly wonderful. I highly
recommend all three books to anyone who enjoys historical romantic fiction,
but especially "A Daring Proposal" because of it's historical accuracy.
A Regrettable Proposal: A Regency Romance (Memorable Proposals Book 1)Check Price A Faithful Proposal: A Regency Romance (Memorable Proposals Book 2) [Paperback] Jennie GoutetCheck Price A Daring Proposal (Memorable Proposals Book 3)Check Price Memorable Proposals Boxed Set: A Complete Regency CollectionCheck Price
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