tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49489011235474667312024-03-13T13:28:16.826-04:00NotesFromtheVoicesWelcome! On this blog, you will find book and magazine reviews, my adventures and more. You'll never know what will end up here.
The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.comBlogger609125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-11762443476647131252023-11-15T13:36:00.000-05:002023-11-15T13:36:22.776-05:00Update on 50 by 50<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">In October, I celebrated
my 50</span><sup style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> birthday. It was a great one!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">At age 50, I started
a new job as a newspaper editor and got a newer vehicle. I feel blessed
and grateful.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2o9Z6YK_ftPqrKHAUmA8sFr6cb78BJRbS7DK1ELovT1qIkEsosVmh4A6CkKGUJy-IMhmxdvEhzLKZjxW_GTfYnJD1ZmAJF8BVpaaOzb5KGcoTvmDZgLnnyNOPVV_gkfz1bLS_hka3K_GeBdXNqt6NCycOhWEGQ64gN-cjJTeu6bpphmAGlgnDcRJLa0E/s3777/IMG_20231021_224550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3777" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2o9Z6YK_ftPqrKHAUmA8sFr6cb78BJRbS7DK1ELovT1qIkEsosVmh4A6CkKGUJy-IMhmxdvEhzLKZjxW_GTfYnJD1ZmAJF8BVpaaOzb5KGcoTvmDZgLnnyNOPVV_gkfz1bLS_hka3K_GeBdXNqt6NCycOhWEGQ64gN-cjJTeu6bpphmAGlgnDcRJLa0E/s320/IMG_20231021_224550.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>I rode several rollercoasters for my 50th birthday. </h4></td></tr></tbody></table>On Jan. 1 of this year, I decided to do something big for my 5oth birthday by
completing a bucket list. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br />I worked up to 70 hours a week in a previous position as an editor, so I didn’t have
a chance to complete many items. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">My goal is to get as many items on this list completed before Dec. 31 with the help
of my son James aka The Tall One, and close friend/Road Junkie partner in crime Bennie.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One recent adventure was the Masterpiece Escape Room in Indian Trail, N.C. I must confess this was not my first escape room. Bennie and I tried to escape one a</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">a few years ago in Florence and failed.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">My goal was to complete one successfully. </span>And we did it with little over a minute left. It wasn’t easy. We had to get inside and get out of a hermit’s house. This hermit was responsible for 12 missing people throughout the years.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We had a good time and worked together well. There were a few scary moments, but
overall, we did well and had made some good memories.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">I have made some progress on my list. No pressure. If I don't finish them by Dec. 31, I will roll them over to 2023.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">50 by 50 list</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Do a cosplay at a Comic Con.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn how to play pickleball.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Do goat yoga.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Visit a new place.</span> <b>(COMPLETED at Power House Food Hall in Rock Hill,
S.C.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Get a massage </span><b>(COMPLETED at PWIC Med Spa in Bennettsville)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Donate blood at least once in 2023.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Read at one book at month </span><b>(HAVE DONE THIS EACH MONTH. This month, I am reading “Holly” by Stephen King.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Organize and catalog my massive home library.</span> <b>(AM WORKING ON THIS NOW. I am confident I will have it completed by Dec. 31.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">9.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ride a mechanical bull. </span><b>(Completed at the 2023 Pageland Watermelon Festival.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn how to use Canva.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">11.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Attend a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">12.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Cook three new dishes.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">13.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ride several roller coasters.</span> <b>(COMPLETED at Scarowinds in October).</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">14.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Attend Christmasville in Rock Hill.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">15.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go outside my comfort zone.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">16.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Climb a rock wall.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">17.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Get a makeover.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">18.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go on a hike.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">19.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ride across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston with my eyes open.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">20.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Eat dinner at a restaurant owned by a celebrity chef.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">21.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Attend a wine tasting.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">22.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Sing karaoke. </span><o:p></o:p></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">23.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Have afternoon tea.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">24.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go horseback riding.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">25.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go to a concert <b>(COMPLETED at the 2023 S.C. Jazz Festival.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">26.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go indoor skydiving.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">27.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ride on a train.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">28.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Stay at a nice hotel.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">29.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Complete an escape room </span><b>(Completed Sept. 9.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">30.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go paintballing.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">31.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Take a helicopter ride.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">32.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn three magic tricks.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">33.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Attend a murder mystery dinner.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">34.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go to a drive-in movie.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">35.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn a line dance.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">36.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Make a public speech. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(COMPLETED at the Rotary Club in Cheraw.)</b></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">37.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Take an interesting class.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">38.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn to make a signature cocktail.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">39.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">See a Broadway show. </span><o:p></o:p></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">40.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Arrange a scavenger hunt.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">41.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go ice skating.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">42.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn how to use chopsticks.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">43.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Wrap a snake around my neck.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">44.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go axe throwing. </span><b>(Completed in July.)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">45.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Learn how to change a tire.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">46.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go to a roller derby.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">47.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Have a drink at a rooftop bar.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">48.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Milk a cow. <br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p role="presentation" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">49.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ride around a race track.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">50.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Do
something special for my 5oth birthday.</span>
<b>(COMPLETED at Scarowinds in October. I rode several rollercoasters and screamed
like a crazy person.)</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-47500344677592977722022-07-16T12:32:00.005-04:002022-07-16T12:32:53.924-04:00BOOK REVIEW: Finding Me by Viola Davis<p><i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">“Who am I? I’m the little girl who would run after school every day in third grade because these boys hated me because I was …not pretty. Because I was…Black.”</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYY3Dpm9BBSftURh_D15-G_dxf86Ndg67arM9ZWXdFrzPbmRdZG_JOT_qOQVvH7waImpueaoJBJSTFgqa6IMyrdNM_XMCBDQqO0WnSJ7ljAryx6Z6f679OtL-DH5mEzr67Bq7eIaBX8IcXdbD8_G65VHDhIhkUiSRdWw0n3nfuuNjZAQPn3oGBYaG9g/s1920/7-7-22%20Book%20Nerd%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYY3Dpm9BBSftURh_D15-G_dxf86Ndg67arM9ZWXdFrzPbmRdZG_JOT_qOQVvH7waImpueaoJBJSTFgqa6IMyrdNM_XMCBDQqO0WnSJ7ljAryx6Z6f679OtL-DH5mEzr67Bq7eIaBX8IcXdbD8_G65VHDhIhkUiSRdWw0n3nfuuNjZAQPn3oGBYaG9g/s320/7-7-22%20Book%20Nerd%20(1).JPG" width="213" /></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>–“</i></span></b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>Finding Me” by Viola Davis</i><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I could recommend one memoir to read in 2022, it would be “Finding Me” by Viola Davis.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">This memoir by the award-winning actress was amazing.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Reading “Finding Me” was like having a conversation with her about how her life experiences made her the person she is today.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Davis said the book is her story</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">, starting<span style="color: #0e101a;"> from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. On the book jacket, she said, “This is the path I took to finding my purpose and my strength, but also to finding my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.</span>”<span style="color: #0e101a;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">She went on to say</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">,<span style="color: #0e101a;"> as she wrote <i>Finding Me</i>, her eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. They are bogarted, reinvented to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. <u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">“So I wrote this for anyone who is searching for a way to understand and overcome a complicated past, let go of shame, and find acceptance. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be...you. <i>Finding Me</i> is a deep reflection on my past and a promise for my future. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you,” Davis wrote.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">These words hooked me and made me want to read this book.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Davis was the fifth of six children born in St. Matthews, S.C. She was born in her grandparents’ house on a plantation. She spared no words in talking about growing up “po” and being bullied.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <i>“Growing up food insecure, washing my clothes by hand in cold water the night before I had to go to school, hanging them up and if they were still wet the next morning, wearing those wet clothes even if I’d pissed the bed—everything had been hard for me.”<u></u><u></u></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>–“</i></span></b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>Finding Me” by Viola Davis</i><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Davis grew up in a condemned building infested with rats, no hot water, gas or plumbing. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Her reason for becoming an actor </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">began <span style="color: #0e101a;">during the drama portion of a summer Upward Bound camp. “He </span>(a camp instructor) <span style="color: #0e101a;">gave me the ingredient that I needed to be an artist, the power to create. The power of alchemy, that magical process of transformation and creation to believe at any given time I could be the somebody I always wanted to be," Davis wrote.<u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">One of the favorite things I enjoyed reading about was when she adopted her daughter Genesis in 2011. Her joy about one of the best moments of her life leapt off the pages. After all the roles and accolades she had achieved, she wanted joy.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">This was an amazing book with Davis being open and honest about her life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>“I own everything that has ever happened to me. The parts that were a source of shame are actually my warrior fuel,” she says. “I see people -- the way they walk, talk, laugh, and grieve, and their silence -- in a way that is hyperfocused because of my past. I’m an artist because there’s no separation from me and every human being that has passed through the world including my mom. I have a great deal of compassion for other people, but mostly for myself. That would not be the case if I did not reconcile that little eight-year-old girl and FIND ME.”<u></u><u></u></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>–“</i></span></b><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>Finding Me” by Viola Davis</i><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I have always loved the work of Viola Davis but reading this book has made me love her even more. I highly recommend this book.</span></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-54964102332015845932021-09-06T16:25:00.004-04:002021-09-06T16:25:45.512-04:00COVID is the worst<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It has been almost two weeks since my son was diagnosed with COVID-19. COVID is the worst because there are very few ways to treat it. And you can't be near your loved one. So I am calling a few times a day and praying. I visited him on Saturday. He stood at his window and waved at me standing outside of it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> There are 608,946 people in South Carolina who have or had COVID. My son is one of those people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">He isn't just a number. He is a 15-year-old wise-ass who loves to play video games, read anime, and sing. He is not sure what he wants to do with his life but I want him to be able to have a life. </span></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-77615960617985574142021-08-26T10:30:00.001-04:002021-08-26T10:30:06.880-04:00BOOK REVIEW: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid<p><i> “The Malibu fire of 1983 started not in the dry hills but on the coastline. It began at 28150 Cliffside Drive on Saturday, August 27 – at the home of Nina Riva – during one of the most notorious parties in Los Angeles history. The annual party grew wildly out of control sometime around midnight. By 7 a.m., the coastline of Malibu was engulfed in flames. Because, just as it is in Malibu’s nature to burn, so was it in one particular person’s nature to set fire and walk away.”</i></p><p><i>— “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid</i></p><p>This part of the prologue of “Malibu Rising” hooked me from the beginning. Taylor Jenkins Reid did a great job sharing the Riva family story. The story is told in two parts from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and 7 p.m.-7 a.m. with Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party being the focus. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHMojZjrqSc/YSelM6NiRrI/AAAAAAAATzg/IVokby56fUgG9L4k4OlbC3t-21bM6DKIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/8-12-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHMojZjrqSc/YSelM6NiRrI/AAAAAAAATzg/IVokby56fUgG9L4k4OlbC3t-21bM6DKIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/8-12-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>The book went back and forth between the 50s and 80s to help readers understand the story of siblings Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit Riva. To know their story, you have to know the story of their parents, legendary pop star Mick Riva, and his wife June.<p></p><p>The book started on the day of the party and anticipation is at a fever pitch. </p><p>Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer,<br /> and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.</p><p>Nina is not looking forward to this party because she has been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Her brother, Hud, must confess something to Jay that will not go over well with him.</p><p>Jay can’t wait because the woman he can’t stop thinking about has promised she will attend.</p><p>The youngest sibling Kit has some secrets, which include a guest she invited without consulting anyone.</p><p>I loved the Riva siblings. Their bond kind of reminds me of my brother and me. We would do anything to help the other. Nina dropped out of school to make sure her siblings were provided for. Two of my favorite sibling scenes were when they found out about the death of their mother and when they surfed together.</p><p>My only issue with the book was the second half of it. Once the author got to the party, there were too many secondary characters to keep track of. I wish she had just focused on the family and maybe one or two side characters. </p><p>The theme of my book reading this summer has been nothing heavy. It has been a long and tiring summer for me so I want my reading time to be light and frothy. Reid delivered this to me.</p><p>Last week, I read that this book is being developed as a TV series for Hulu. I am quite interested in seeing who will be cast for it. </p><p><i>Stay cool, stay safe, and keep reading!</i></p><p><br /></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-74404425064313860322021-07-09T15:43:00.008-04:002021-07-09T15:44:32.540-04:00BOOK REVIEW: The Other Emily by Dean Koontz<p> </p><p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">It
is hard to write about "The Other Emily" by Dean Koontz.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">It
is not because it is a bad book. I was pretty pleased with and enjoyed it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">But
how do you write about a book without giving away key plot points? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4GXhXTboI0/YOimw1iVciI/AAAAAAAATn8/4QiQl2m9YT0WW1_7SmxRyimZg2E0a-tCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/7-8-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4GXhXTboI0/YOimw1iVciI/AAAAAAAATn8/4QiQl2m9YT0WW1_7SmxRyimZg2E0a-tCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7-8-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">The synopsis is simple. Emily Carlino vanished 10 years ago after her car broke
down on a California highway. She was presumed to be one of serial killer Ronny
Lee Jessup’s victims. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">Her
remains were never found. Emily was the love of writer David Thorne’s life. He hasn’t recovered from losing her or from the guilt of not being there to
save her. Since then,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thorne has sought
closure any way he can. He visits with Jessup regularly in prison, desperate
for answers about Emily’s final hours so he may finally lay her body to rest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">Then
Thorne meets Maddison Sutton. Everything about Maddison from her face to her
kisses is just like Emily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is she Emily?
Or an irresistible dead ringer? Either way, the ultimate question is the same:
What game is she playing? Whatever the risk in finding out, Thorne is willing
to take it for this precious second chance. It’s been ten years since he’s felt
this inspired, this hopeful, this much in love and he’s afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">Reading
this synopsis a few months ago made me want to read this book. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">I
finally was able to check it out from Marian Wright Edelman Public Library in
time for my vacation. I don’t regret it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">“The
Other Emily” is part love story, part thriller, and part science fiction with <br />a generous helping of a serial killer and a dash of what is going on in this
book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">I
will admit the book was slow getting into at the beginning. It took me about 14
chapters to really commit to it. The book has 96 chapters. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">If
I am not interested after three chapters, I am done with a book but it was Dean
Koontz so I didn’t want to give up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">Once
the action got started, the pages flew by for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">Koontz
is one of my favorite authors behind Stephen King. This book was weird and to
say that you will suspend your disbelief is the understatement of the year. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">The only main gripe was how Koontz kept writing about how much Thorne loved Emily.
I get it. He loved her and felt guilty. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">I
was okay with the ending and I will leave it at that because I don’t want to
spoil it for anyone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">If
someone reads this book and wants to discuss it with me, you know where to find
me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="copybody" style="mso-hyphenate: none;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif;">This book will not land in the top ten of my favorite Dean Koontz books but it
wasn’t a bad way to spend a vacation morning in the sunroom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-58226993046195922702021-05-13T14:14:00.005-04:002021-05-13T14:14:49.355-04:00BOOK REVIEW: Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Davis<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FC0xAkBr_kU/YJ1scLj_xlI/AAAAAAAATa0/eOt-1vuU-usHQ2tII0xKeyHMBHjUEaloQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/5-13-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1618" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FC0xAkBr_kU/YJ1scLj_xlI/AAAAAAAATa0/eOt-1vuU-usHQ2tII0xKeyHMBHjUEaloQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/5-13-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" /></a></div> Reading has always been one way for me to cope with a bad day or a way to take a break from the world.<p></p><p>I did not realize how much I needed an escape until I read “Tokyo Ever After.” This was the book I needed during a very busy and complicated time.</p><p>This book by Emiko Davis was a combination of the movies “What a Girl Wants” and “The Princess Diaries.” Mixed in with some cool narration and an Asian twist and you have “Tokyo Ever After.”</p><p>Izumi Tanaka has never felt like she fitted in as a Japanese American in her northern California town. Raised by her single mother, Izumi has never known who her father was. But then Izumi finds a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity in a book her mother has. He is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan and this means Izumi is a princess. Soon, Izumi is traveling to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of visiting. She learned quickly that it would not be all fun and games being a princess. </p><p>Izumi dealt with lots of traditions and customs, Japanese press, and family. It was remarkably interesting to see how she balanced both worlds. I cannot imagine being on the verge of graduating from high school and having to learn to be a princess while trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life.</p><p>The author did not make her transformation from an American to a princess an instant transformation. It was gradual and you got to see the screwups and bumps. She did not grow up as royalty but did an amazing job learning so quickly. I learned a lot about Japanese royalty that I did not know.</p><p> It was a very quick read. I wish it would have been a little longer and a little more focused on the romance aspect but overall, I was incredibly pleased. This book was a young adult version of a Hallmark channel movie. I enjoyed finding out if Izumi would crumble under the weight of the crown, or would she live out her fairy tale.</p><p>My only issue with this book was the ending. But now that I know there will be a sequel to it in 2022, I am feeling much better. <br />Also, I received this advanced copy from the book’s publisher Flatiron Books. The book will be released on May 18. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>.</p><div><br /></div>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-88587030094920432162021-04-08T16:46:00.000-04:002021-04-08T16:46:00.781-04:00BOOK REVIEW: The Cousins by Karen M. McManus<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnoLpnIEoq4/YG9gmxYai4I/AAAAAAAATVc/lMmn0IvH6WUdfu1m7V0JUicuKBmq6XcrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/4-8-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnoLpnIEoq4/YG9gmxYai4I/AAAAAAAATVc/lMmn0IvH6WUdfu1m7V0JUicuKBmq6XcrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4-8-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" /></a></div> The young adult book genre has come a long way from when I was a teenager. The books were kind of hit or miss for me then. “The Outsiders” by SE Hinton was a good example but many of them were not so I started reading adult fiction early.<p></p><p>As an adult, I read both adult and young adult fiction a lot. </p><p>The young adult genre has improved greatly with some good books written to appeal to readers of all ages.</p><p>One of those books is “The Cousins” by Karen M. McManus. In it, you meet Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story. </p><p>They are cousins who barely know each other. Years ago, their very wealthy grandmother disowned their parents with a one-line letter: "You know what you did."</p><p>Years later, the cousins are surprised when each one of them receives a letter inviting them to work at their grandmother’s island resort for the summer. Their parents saw it as an opportunity to get back into their mother's good graces—and get their share of the Story money. The Storys were like the Kennedys except without all the politics.</p><p>I loved this book because it was an easy read that was filled with twists and turns. I could have finished in a day, but I paced myself and took two days.</p><p>The story was told from the viewpoints of the cousins and flashes back to the past from the point of Milly’s mother Allison. </p><p>I wanted to know why the parents were disowned. The answer and the conclusion of the book were very surprising. </p><p>Each of the cousins were unique with their own backstories. </p><p>This experience helped their relationships with each other grow as they tried to figure out what happened so many years ago.</p><p>This book was a good bridge between two heavy books that I have been reading. I enjoyed it and I hope McManus will write more about the Story family in the future.</p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-4885952153434038872021-03-29T12:02:00.000-04:002021-03-29T12:02:23.919-04:00BOOK REVIEWS: Crossing the River: Seven Stories That Saved My Life and Later<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_IsXFhP3cg/YGH55ZPWFxI/AAAAAAAATTg/nrrJI-KsGVEe6CKwVd7CekX2z0IwdeTYACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Agent%2BKitty%2Band%2Bbooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_IsXFhP3cg/YGH55ZPWFxI/AAAAAAAATTg/nrrJI-KsGVEe6CKwVd7CekX2z0IwdeTYACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Agent%2BKitty%2Band%2Bbooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This month I have selected two books from my stack to review — “Crossing the River: Seven Stories That Saved My Life” by Carol Smith and “Later” by Stephen King.<p></p><p><b>Crossing the River: Seven Stories That Saved My Life</b></p><p>There is no template for grieving. Everyone grieves in their own way. On Tuesday, my mother would have been 64 years old, but she died of breast cancer in September 2010. I am still grieving after 10 years.</p><p>It was one of the reasons I was interested in this book. Since the day her son Christopher was born, Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Carol Smith did everything to make his life easier.</p><p>He was born with a congenital developmental defect that blocked his urinary tract and damaged his kidneys. With lots of medical help and a kidney transplant, he survived. Smith gave up her newspaper job and moved to California from Seattle to get remedial therapy and support for him. Things were going well. Then suddenly Christopher was dead at seven. And Smith was left alone to cross the river of sorrow. She did in the only way she knew how—her work.</p><p>In "Crossing the River", Smith faced that loss by throwing herself into the medical beat at her newspaper by writing a series of profiles about people coping with their own momentous challenges from life-changing injuries to a medical diagnosis. </p><p>The story that resonated with me was the one about Seth, a young boy with Progeria. This is an extremely rare, progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly. </p><p>By writing and sharing his story, Smith was able to see how life was not measured in time but in the little moments such as helping a child learn to ride a bike or to express love. </p><p>It took me a while to finish this book because it was not an easy read. I would read a story and take a few days to digest. Smith’s writing was gut-wrenching and raw. I cannot imagine what I would do if something happened to my son. "Crossing the River" was gifted to me by Abrams Books and will be published on May 4.</p><p><b>Later</b></p><p>It is not a new year without a new book from Stephen King. "Later" was a fast read at 256 pages.</p><p>Jamie Conklin sees dead people. But not like the kid in the movie "The Sixth Sense". </p><p>As the son of a struggling single mother, Jamie just wanted an ordinary childhood. Born with an unnatural ability, his mom urged him to keep it a secret. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine as he discovers when a police detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.</p><p>This is King's third published work with Hard Case Crime, following the release of "The Colorado Kid" and "Joyland". </p><p>I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could have read it in one sitting but spread it out over three days.</p><p>"Later" is many things. It is a thriller, a ghost story, and a supernatural-coming-of-age tale. It was the perfect book to curl up within a recliner with some hot chocolate and some Girl Scout cookies.</p><p>"Later" is available at bookstores. I strongly suggest you read it now instead of later.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-19491149763864408302021-02-05T18:43:00.001-05:002021-02-05T18:43:22.073-05:00Day 4/5 Day off comfort<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.65pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am taking some well-deserved time off from work to clean,
read and spend time with the furry ones. My outfits are all about comfort and
running errands. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.65pt;"><br /><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.65pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7PTzkMWoSA/YB2qEsCSYXI/AAAAAAAAR6Y/hmkbg80j9OEpThQgrAics6R-OAYcENUcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1339/20210204_155229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1339" data-original-width="722" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7PTzkMWoSA/YB2qEsCSYXI/AAAAAAAAR6Y/hmkbg80j9OEpThQgrAics6R-OAYcENUcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210204_155229.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: red;">DAY 4<br />
•Tangerine black and white hoodie <br />
•Nike leggings<br />
•Nike shoes<br />
•Matching masks and cap</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.65pt;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have had the Tangerine black and white hoodie for a long time. I recently found the Nike leggings and shoes at Goodwill. Both were in great condition. The mask and cap were from Target. The word of the day is comfort.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.65pt;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #262626; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gdo1_vWY-Yk/YB2n_vgyEtI/AAAAAAAAR6E/HBhjsdgbBskz4nISA3IkePXmWXyTja7BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1191/Day%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="669" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gdo1_vWY-Yk/YB2n_vgyEtI/AAAAAAAAR6E/HBhjsdgbBskz4nISA3IkePXmWXyTja7BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Day%2B4.jpg" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #262626; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med", serif; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: red;">DAY 5<br />
•Aeropostale shirt<br />
•Black House White Market jeans <br />
•Chuck Taylor low tops</span><br /><span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #262626; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love those Black House White Market jeans. They are my favorite. <span style="font-size: 18pt;">I got the Chucks when I lived in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. I am way overdue for another pair of them.</span></span></p><br style="color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med", serif; font-size: 24px;" /><p></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-64671535159917417992021-02-01T09:31:00.001-05:002021-02-01T11:47:04.185-05:00DAY 1: Clearing the clothes clutter<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I have too many clothes. There
I said it. For this month, I will be decluttering my three closets. Hopefully, when
this is over, I will have more space and a ton of stuff to donate. And yes, I have three closets in my one-bedroom apartment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIxtjuu22hs/YBgQQ03nWUI/AAAAAAAARus/fYg70pl0PYEu1PgE0mPCJN2-1d9p564DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1281/20210201_084048.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="848" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIxtjuu22hs/YBgQQ03nWUI/AAAAAAAARus/fYg70pl0PYEu1PgE0mPCJN2-1d9p564DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210201_084048.jpg" /></a></b></div><b>DAY 1</b><span style="font-family: "Minion Pro Med", serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">•Signature Jacket</span><br />
</span><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">•Style and Co. denim pants</span><br />
</span><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">•Black sweater<br />
•Black boots from Target</span><span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">This project started when I realized
I had items in my closets that I have not even tried to wear. Some items have
immediately gone into the donation box. If I look in the mirror and do not feel
good about it or if I am not comfortable while wearing it, then into the box it
goes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "Minion Pro Med",serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">For Day 1, I went a little bold. I have had this Signature jacket for years.
I think I brought it at the Goodwill in Goldsboro, N.C. I love the pattern on
it. It will probably remain in my closet. The Style and Co. denim pants fit
perfectly. The black sweater is one of many I have. The black boots from Target
have become a staple in my wardrobe this winter. I love boots. These black ones are the right
height and keep my feet warm. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-width: 0%; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-47757697062385999642021-01-29T11:02:00.003-05:002021-01-29T11:02:37.122-05:00BOOK REVIEW — The Baddest Girl on the Planet hooks the reader in a few words<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcN0PW6Zols/YBQxQCbPEPI/AAAAAAAARsI/kZif__0JO44EHZgPKHbk9f3Jo9GibSxPACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1-14-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcN0PW6Zols/YBQxQCbPEPI/AAAAAAAARsI/kZif__0JO44EHZgPKHbk9f3Jo9GibSxPACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1-14-21%2BBook%2BNerd.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">"My husband is not the
first man to disappoint me.
That honor goes to Mike
Tyson, who I met the summer I was nine, the summer
I left Hatteras Island to stay
in Ohio for two weeks with
my Ohio friend, Charlotte."<br /> — Evie Austin, The
Baddest Girl on the Planet</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was hooked from these
first two lines at the beginning of The Baddest Girl
on the Planet by Heather
Frese.
I wanted to know how
Evie met Mike Tyson and
how he had disappointed
her.
Evie, a native of Hatteras Island, North Carolina, and baddest girl on the
planet, has not lived her life
in a straight line. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This book
tells her most definitive life
moments through stories
such as an unplanned pregnancy with her high school
sweetheart at 19 or a trip to
Las Vegas with a male pen
pal that goes off the rails.
Reading about Evie's
first few months as a mother brought back memories.
I could feel her tiredness
and her fear that her son
may not love her along with
her second-guessing on
whether or not she could be
a mother. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another thing I loved
about the book was how
Evie's story is told. It was
not told in a linear fashion
or just in the first person.
At one point, a list of letters
written to Dear Abby illustrated Evie's frustration.
I enjoyed reading this
book because I needed to
have an escape from my
life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the first of
many books I hope to read
in 2021. I was mailed a
copy of this book from Blair
Publishing in Durham a few
weeks ago and finally made
some time to read it.
The Baddest Girl on the
Planet is only 228 pages
and I didn't want to see it
end. Evie is very spirited
and doesn't allow life to
take her down.
This book is the winner
of the Lee Smith Novel
Prize and is available to the
public on March 2. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If I didn't mention it, this
is Frese's debut novel and a
very good one. I can't wait
to see what she will write in
the future.</span></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-70048753562869433742020-12-17T11:33:00.000-05:002020-12-17T11:33:22.850-05:00Have a Holly Jolly Bookmas!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LohA4doEROM/X9uH_E0swHI/AAAAAAAAQgU/wQSF4H9y8lcvBK7XWEYq0OUb0xX44ZHzACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/12-10-20%2BBook%2BNerd%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LohA4doEROM/X9uH_E0swHI/AAAAAAAAQgU/wQSF4H9y8lcvBK7XWEYq0OUb0xX44ZHzACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/12-10-20%2BBook%2BNerd%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Let’s be honest about 2020. This year will not be on anyone’s best year ever list. It has been a challenge with everyone dealing with COVID-19, trying to stay employed, and just being able to face each day. <p></p><p>These are some of the books I have read or plan to get before this year is over that were gifted to me. They have kept me sane and functioni<br />ng while giving me a brief respite. They include something from various genres, including thrillers, memoirs, young adult, and stuff in-between. </p><p>It has been a very busy year. I am thankful that there weren't any disruptions for where I am a reporter/book columnist/whatever is needed to be done. </p><p>Maybe you will find a good gift to give to someone or simply a way to end the year on a good book note. This is not a best of 2020 list. This is just a list made by a cat-loving book nerd.</p><p>Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And don’t forget to read!</p><p><b>A Good Neighborhood <br />Therese Anne Fowler</b><br />With little in common except a property line, two families in a tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood find themselves at odds over a historic oak tree in Valerie’s yard, and the blossoming romance between their two teenagers. What does it mean to be a good neighbor?</p><p><b>A Week at the Shore<br />Barbara Delinksy</b><br />The lives and relationships of the three sisters are forever changed when they reunite at their family’s Rhode Island beach house. A Week at the Shore is the ultimate escape at a time when readers need it most.</p><p><b>Big Lies in a Small Town<br />Diane Chamberlain</b><br />Two aspiring young artists arrive in a small town 80 years apart. Morgan Christopher is serving time in jail for a crime in 2018. She can get out of prison if she completes an old mural from 80 years. The process of restoring the mural to its former glory allows Morgan and the reader to travel back in time to 1940 to learn the story of the original artist and why the mural was never installed.</p><p><b>Featherhood<br />Charlie Gilmour</b><br />This memoir tells the story of a baby magpie falling out of its nest into the author’s hand and changes his life. Because of the bird, Gilmour deals with the impending death of an estranged father and becoming a father.</p><p><b>How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth<br />Terry Virts</b><br />Written by one of the only four astronauts in history to have piloted a space shuttle, performed spacewalks, and commanded the International Space Station. Virts covers everything from the basic rules and procedures of space travel to space-station cuisine.</p><p><b>Joy of Work<br />Marie Kondo</b><br />Marie Kondo brings her organizational skills to help all of us who have messy offices. It is a chance to use the KonMari Method to throw out workplace clutter and bring in productivity and happiness.</p><p><b>Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains<br />Kerri Arsenault</b><br />In this nonfiction book, Arsenault shares how the paper mill sustains her hometown of Mexico, Maine for over 100 years. Also contributed to the destruction of the environment and the decline of the town’s economic, moral, and emotional health in a slow-moving catastrophe, earning the area the nickname “Cancer Valley.”</p><p><b>One of the Good Ones<br />Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite </b><br />Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances leaving her sister Happi and others to pick up the pieces. The book explores the differences in how society places value on the lives of black people.</p><p><b>Summer on the Bluffs<br />Sunny Hostin</b><br />The View co-host Sunny Hostin made her literary debut with this novel about a life-changing summer for three adopted godsisters. It is the first book in a new series about the historic town of Oak Bluffs.</p><p><b>Never Forget<br />Martin Michaud</b><br />A homeless man’s suicide leaves many unanswered questions. Why did he have the wallets of a recently murdered psychiatrist and lawyer who has vanished? Montreal police detective Victor Lessard and his partner worked to solve the mysteries to stop the killer.</p><p><b>The Baddest Girl on the Planet<br />Heather Frese</b><br />Learn what the baddest girl on the planet does when a bag of pastries, a new lover, or a quick trip to Vegas can’t fix after some career issues, bad romance choices, and a loved but an unplanned child.</p><p><b>The Black Kids<br />Christina Hammonds Reed </b><br />This novel will take you back to Los Angeles in 1992. Read through the eyes of Ashley Bennett as she juggles her two lives and tries to figure out what it means to be one of “the black kids.”</p><p><b>The Fixed Stars<br />Molly Wizenburg</b><br />In this memoir, Molly Wizenburg shares her story about letting go of who she thought she was and embracing her real self.</p><p><b>The New Husband<br />D.J. Palmer</b><br />How well do you know a person? It starts on a chilly pre-dawn morning with an empty boat containing a live dog and a bloody deck. It picks up 17 months later with Nina Garrity rebuilding her life after the day she discovered her husband Glen had been leading a double life and ran away with another woman. This new life for Nina and her two children now includes Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter’s school. Fitch is perfect. But is he too perfect?</p><p><b>The Survivors<br />Jane Harper</b><br />Kieran Elliott’s life changed 12 years ago with two young men dead and a young woman missing. Elliott has returned home to help his struggling parents. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge in the murder investigation that follows. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away. This book will be released in February 2021.</p><p><br /></p>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-5566906390980891432020-08-01T12:31:00.001-04:002020-08-01T12:31:43.541-04:00Finding a new hobby<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JXf6AVjS8Bc/XyWXreh1vOI/AAAAAAAANc4/NWgyqffpeVgSpIgZbuLOWDPzxT2DnfpeACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_5954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="219" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JXf6AVjS8Bc/XyWXreh1vOI/AAAAAAAANc4/NWgyqffpeVgSpIgZbuLOWDPzxT2DnfpeACLcBGAsYHQ/w328-h219/IMG_5954.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before with the stool</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am a bit of a workaholic. I admit a do spend a lot of time at my desk. A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with my son about hobbies. He plays a lot of video games and I joked he needed to get a hobby. He told me that my hobby was work. It kind of hit a nerve. I love to read in my spare time but I would like to have a hobby. So I started looking at different things. I thought about knitting but I don't have that kind of patience.<br /><br /></div><div>Then I saw on Facebook where The Village Marketplace in downtown Bennettsville was doing private one-on-one paint classes. The post asked, "Want to learn how to re-create a piece you have?"<br /></div><div>I thought I know of an item that needs to be refresh. So for my recent Road Junkie column for the newspaper. I attended a condensed class, which taught me how to prep, clean, paint, distress, and seal a small piece of furniture. Normally, the class is three hours and cost $50 and includes all supplies. </div><div><br /></div>The Village Marketplace is a Dixie Belle paint premier retailer, which means they are the only store in this zip code that sell the paint and products. <br />I came to the class with a stool that had seen better days. <br /><div>I chose In the Navy blue to paint it. Confession time: I have never painted a piece of furniture before. I have painted many walls so I was very nervous about this.</div><div><br /></div><div>It started with prepping the stool by using a putty knife to scrape away loose pieces of paint. The 150 grit sandpaper was used to sand everything down.<br /></div>After using Krud Kutter to takes off the grime, it was paint time. <br />As you can see from the photo, the stool turned out pretty well. I was worried that I would mess something up. <br /><div>This will not be my last time. As Ed , who did the class, put it, "It is not hard. It is just a learning experience. It's just paint. You can always change it if you don't like it."</div><div><br /></div><div>For information about the classes or the store, email thevillagemarketplace@outlook.com, on Facebook at The Village Marketplace or on Instagram at thevillagemarketplacesc.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnIGWFKE_NM/XyWW3HuXliI/AAAAAAAANcc/4vZwRZHT4q4olGfjhZSZR_DsLmnVkmv5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_5989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BnIGWFKE_NM/XyWW3HuXliI/AAAAAAAANcc/4vZwRZHT4q4olGfjhZSZR_DsLmnVkmv5wCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h214/IMG_5989.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The finished product</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-76804701966249745782020-07-09T11:16:00.000-04:002020-07-09T11:16:49.020-04:00The New Normal<div>Greetings! It is July and things are still interesting in the new normal. A year ago at this time, things were so different. No masks, no social distancing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Recently, I had a scare. I got a stomach virus and had to go to the doctor. I didn't realize symptoms had been added to the COVID-19 list. Long story short, I had to take the COVID-19 test and self-quarantine. I will admit I was worried for those six days. What if I had it? What if I got worst? I worried about dying and leaving my son. I worried about my two cats. All of this while being alone in my apartment with two cats. </div><div><br /></div><div>My test came back negative and I ended with a very bad sinus infection. It made me think about my life and the choices I had made. One of the first things I did once I was able to get out was to visit Lake Paul Wallace. It was nice to just walk and take photos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bU-FELvQ-QA/XwczhdRIAsI/AAAAAAAAM2Y/p0QovUsTCkgebfKO1q1e7vWhyKqQmS5dQCK4BGAsYHg/s2928/Lake%2BPaul%2BWallace3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2928" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bU-FELvQ-QA/XwczhdRIAsI/AAAAAAAAM2Y/p0QovUsTCkgebfKO1q1e7vWhyKqQmS5dQCK4BGAsYHg/w256-h179/Lake%2BPaul%2BWallace3.jpg" width="256" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="3072" height="170" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TZnH9rH2Jk/Xwc0N_g2LSI/AAAAAAAAM3A/E3ttOYmZJvkTHHjmB_Pa1WNAdHM50WhZQCK4BGAsYHg/w256-h170/Lake%2BPaul%2BWallace4.jpg" width="256" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1QEv4o6Yes/Xwcz9kx-AmI/AAAAAAAAM2s/NsFX_iTD4IokuvgYEdXC9WgMBMyT-YJJwCK4BGAsYHg/s3072/Lake%2BPaul%2BWallace1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="3072" height="170" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1QEv4o6Yes/Xwcz9kx-AmI/AAAAAAAAM2s/NsFX_iTD4IokuvgYEdXC9WgMBMyT-YJJwCK4BGAsYHg/w256-h170/Lake%2BPaul%2BWallace1.jpg" width="256" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I can't imagine having COVID-19 or losing someone I love. All of this is scary and makes me anxious. We have to keep going. Wear our masks, social distance, and pray things will get better. </div><div><br /></div><div><font color="#d52c1f">Daily Dose</font></div><div><font color="#d52c1f">1. I am thankful for my son aka The Tall One!</font></div><div><font color="#d52c1f">2. I am thankful for my friends and family.</font></div><div><font color="#d52c1f">3. I am thankful to be alive and healthy.</font></div>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-28408872809484051522020-04-03T16:07:00.001-04:002020-04-03T16:07:36.789-04:00A New Normal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezGU2OIAIk4/XoeG0xDN_7I/AAAAAAAAKi8/ean_-YVk4FUdB-4SOgwXkVv2wkZdJz-4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/my%2Bhome%2Baway%2Bfrom%2Bhome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezGU2OIAIk4/XoeG0xDN_7I/AAAAAAAAKi8/ean_-YVk4FUdB-4SOgwXkVv2wkZdJz-4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/my%2Bhome%2Baway%2Bfrom%2Bhome.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my home away from home with three desks and tons of magazines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Cooking:</b> Gorton's Simply Bake Tilapia Signature Seasoning with macaroni and cheese from Carl's Food Center and Bush's baked beans. </span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Listening:</b> Blinding Lights by The Weeknd on Apple Music. This song makes me move.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Reading:</b> "You Are Not Alone" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Watching:</b> Grey's Anatomy--I am old school. Had to go back to the beginning.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Podcast listening:</b> The Daily from The New York Times</span><br />
<br />
It is April. March felt longer than January. I am writing this from my desk at the newspaper where I work in South Carolina. I am adjusting to this new normal. I am so thankful to still have a job and to be healthy. I am being very careful and definitely washing my hands more. Social distancing does not bother me since it is the theme of my life.<br />
<br />
My goals each day is to be positive, do the best possible job and make it home safely.<br />
The city I live in has curfew now. Each night from 10 p.m.-6 p.m., we need to be inside. No complaints from me.<br />
<br />
Now that things have slowed down considerably. I had a chance to rearrange my office and give it a good cleaning. I am fortunate to have a huge office with three desks. So yay! I changed things around so I can at least see the trees outside my window. It has improved my mood greatly.<br />
<br />
I missing see my son who lives in another county but it is for the best. We use Google Duo to see each other and talk several times a day.<br />
At home, I plan to work on some cleaning and organizing projects.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">My projects:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Clean and organize my nightstand.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Clean and organize the refrigerator.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Each week, unpack three boxes.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Pack up the winter clothes. If I am not feeling something, I will donate it.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Unpack the spring clothes.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Clean the bathroom cabinet.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Buy a bathroom thingy to organize the bathroom.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Go through my memory totes and get rid of items.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Buy a lamp for the walk-closet. Also organize all three of my closets. Yes, I have three closets. Please don't judge.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Get the linen area organized.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Organize official documents.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Organize photos. Find and print photos for photo albums.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Wash, clean, and vacuum the Jeep.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Organize my desk at home.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Clean Agent Kitty's areas (litter, living room, and sunroom).</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">— Organize my stationery, greeting cards and other office supplies.</span><br />
<br />
I think these projects will keep me busy during April. Have a good weekend and be safe!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-78845049961096985052020-02-28T12:50:00.000-05:002020-02-28T12:51:51.647-05:00It is more than ice skating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q8IyveNtLY/XllTD3aZxoI/AAAAAAAAJyI/WkatFoEoOgIX0UHKOO-5ZrXlDxsNa0ITgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2-27-20%2BRJunkie%2Bme%2Btrying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1547" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q8IyveNtLY/XllTD3aZxoI/AAAAAAAAJyI/WkatFoEoOgIX0UHKOO-5ZrXlDxsNa0ITgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2-27-20%2BRJunkie%2Bme%2Btrying.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
<br />
The first time I went ice skating was when I turned 21. I wanted to do something besides taking the ceremonial first legal drink.<br />
<br />
So a group of friends and I went ice skating in Charlotte. I was young and fearless with strong bones.<br />
I loved it until I fell and developed an irrational fear. I was scared I would fall, someone wouldn’t see me, and end up cutting off all of my fingers. I stopped skating.<br />
<br />
Let’s fast forward to December 26 of last year when I was in Rock Hill visiting my family. The tall one and I stayed with my brother and his family. All of them were sick so we got to roam around Rock Hill eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts.<br />
<br />
We ended up in Old Town Rock Hill, which is the downtown area. As we walked around, we heard music and followed the sound to the Founders Holiday Ice Rink.<br />
The tall one had never been ice skating. Now that he is 14, there are not many “firsts” left to experience with him.<br />
<br />
I didn’t have to talk him into it but I had to talk myself into it even after I paid the money and was holding the skates.<br />
<br />
As I made my way onto the ice, I gripped the side of the rink. I was no longer a graceful twenty-something, I was now a clumsy woman of a certain age who was worried about breaking some bones.<br />
It was fun watching the tall one make his way around the rink. At one point, he fell. He laughed and got back up. It took me forever to get around the rink. A five-year-old and her mother took pity on me and gave me this blue thing to help me balance and not fall.<br />
<br />
What had happened? I had let an irrational fear rob me of my proficiency and courage. But as I plodded slowly around the rink, I watched my son skate fearlessly around. Occasionally, he would come by and take my hand to guide me.<br />
<br />
A couple of years ago, the tall one was in a car accident and broke his arm in two places. After healing, he hesitated to try things but there he was skating. Now he wasn’t pro but he didn’t fall much. And he wasn’t worried about breaking his arm.<br />
<br />
“If I do, you have insurance and I drink a lot of milk,” he said with a laugh.<br />
<br />
For a few hours, we had a chance to bond and laugh. Moments like these are getting harder to have with him getting older, getting ready for high school, and girls.<br />
<br />
I remember when he would tell me everything that happened in his day from the time he woke up and had breakfast to all the details of his favorite TV show. Now, it would be easier to have all his teeth pulled than to have a conversation with his mom.<br />
<br />
While taking a break from skating, we talked about things that were benign to me but world-ending for him. He didn’t want solutions. He just wanted to know that I was listening.<br />
<br />
So for a few hours one afternoon after Christmas, I tackled an irrational fear and watched my baby continue to take flight in life. There will be more times that I feel like I am being left behind. But like that afternoon on the ice, I know he will always skate back to me.The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-84206421519823494502019-11-11T10:47:00.002-05:002019-11-11T10:47:40.075-05:00BOOK REVIEW: The Institute by Stephen KingI waited patiently for six months for Stephen King to release a new book. It only took me about a week to finish the 500 plus pages of the new Stephen King novel, The Institute.<br />
<br />
I will admit to wondering for the first part of the book about the night knocker but by the middle of the book, it all made sense<br />
This book had me from the moment the parents of Luke Ellis were killed and he was kidnapped from his home in the middle of the night. Luke woke up in a room at the Institute, which was a secure compound hidden deep in the woods of Maine. Luke was in a room that looked exactly like his room at home except for the fact that there were no windows.<br />
<br />
Luke is there because he displayed signs of psychic abilities, which will be advanced and exploited.<br />
He started in the “front half” but all residents eventually graduate to the “back half,” which is bad. It is even worse to go to the “back half” of the “back half,” which is awful on a whole other level.<br />
There were times I would have to stop reading because some of the incidents in the book made me furious or made me cry.<br />
I think this book hit me so deeply because I have a 13-year-old and couldn’t imagine something like this happening to him.<br />
<br />
The last few Stephen King books have left me feeling like he was rushing trying to finish them. The ending of this book was very satisfying.<br />
I would describe The Institute as Carrie meets (the Netflix show) Stranger Things.<br />
Stephen King is 72 years old and has published 61 novels. I tend to cherish each book that comes out because one day, he won’t be here to write. There is so much I could say but I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who might want to read it.<br />
<br />
I’ll just say when you read it, keep some Kleenex nearby.<br />
Also, I wonder if this book will eventually be made into a movie or a limited TV series. It has all the necessary ingredients for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-12727431982066577832019-09-09T14:25:00.003-04:002019-09-09T14:25:34.206-04:00Commemorating a sad occasionIt is hard to believe that it has been nine years since my mother died.<br />
My mother, Josephine Lowery, died Sept. 7, 2010. She is buried in the cemetery at Unity AME Zion Church in Kings Mountain, N.C.<br />
I have never visited her grave. It is a combination of reasons. The distance is more than three hours from where I live. I just can't make myself go because I miss her so much.<br />
When I want to be near her, I visit Glencairn Garden in Rock Hill. When she was alive and undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, she lived down the street from the park.<br />
And on good days, she would walk up the hill to sit in the park and as she put it — “wallow in God’s splendor.”<br />
The park was her happy place and shelter from the storm of breast cancer. I loved walking with her. We would sit and talk. Or I would read quietly while she sat there.<br />
Before her death, the city of Rock Hill was buying most of the homes on the street to expand the park. The expansion has been beautiful.<br />
Glencairn Garden started as the six-acre backyard garden of Dr. David and Hazel Bigger in 1928.<br />
And years later, the Garden is an 11-acre paradise. When you are there, you forget that you are in a bustling city of more than 66,000 people.<br />
Glencairn Garden was one of the last places we visited together before she was hospitalized and died.<br />
I don’t have a green thumb but she would tell me about the different flowers in the garden and how she wanted a garden like this after she moved.<br />
My favorite spot is near the Veterans Garden with a fountain and swings at the furthest end of the park. This is near where my parents’ home used to be.<br />
There is a brick wall, which features seals honoring each branch of the service — Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard — and a final one recognizing prisoners of war and persons missing in action.<br />
I love to sit in those swings and listen to the sounds of the fountain.<br />
I usually bring my journal and write a letter detailing what is going on in my life. I imagine at times she is standing behind me reading it over my shoulders.<br />
After writing, I walk and take in the beauty of the park. Sometimes I am there for 30 minutes while strolling across the Japanese Bridge to the Cascade Fountain and pond or for a few hours trying to see as much as possible.<br />
Rock Hill is more than two hours from here. Sometimes I tell my brother and aunt that I am in town and other times, I head to Chick-fil-A and quietly leave.<br />
It has been nine years since she died. When the end came, I was holding her hand and telling her how much I loved her. She was only 53.<br />
I wish she was still alive so she could tease me about being back in South Carolina. I wish she could see her grandsons turning into pretty decent young men. I wish she could see me doing what I love. I don't think I will ever stop missing her.<br />
<br />The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-89348863922892763732019-06-03T09:49:00.002-04:002019-06-03T09:49:33.199-04:00Where is the time going?It is hard to believe that it is June 3. It has been a rollercoaster ride of a year.<br />
<br />
It has included everything from the saga of trying to get my S.C. driver's license to having a kidney stone in May and having to be rushed to the emergency room. If you live a state with the Real ID and there is a deadline. I strongly suggest you start now. I started in April. In the process, I discovered my name was spelled wrong on my birth certificate. To fix it, I needed both my mother's birth and death certificates. I also needed my marriage certificate. It was quite a journey but it is over now.<br />
<br />
As for the kidney stone, I have drank too many sodas in the last few months and it caught up with me. The stone was huge and painful.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
But currently, I am here at my desk writing and my son is asleep in my apartment! Yay!!!! I have him for the next few weeks.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sketLD8tj54/XPUbLVyOfEI/AAAAAAAAGf0/pCH4yw17ficaF84eY9qjS4SdqA1t2xWjQCLcBGAs/s1600/JJ%2Bclimbing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sketLD8tj54/XPUbLVyOfEI/AAAAAAAAGf0/pCH4yw17ficaF84eY9qjS4SdqA1t2xWjQCLcBGAs/s320/JJ%2Bclimbing3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JJ climbing at the MWE summer reading kickoff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KEBT8AZr-c/XPUbeI4mlbI/AAAAAAAAGgI/HiTQZb31lG0hkpGq1Ubx-SEuyf41iO13wCLcBGAs/s1600/JJ%2Bclimbing5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--KEBT8AZr-c/XPUbeI4mlbI/AAAAAAAAGgI/HiTQZb31lG0hkpGq1Ubx-SEuyf41iO13wCLcBGAs/s200/JJ%2Bclimbing5.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keeqP97HzM8/XPUbeTwgvdI/AAAAAAAAGgM/JsMpdbkkuPgNl83iw1_aLybVom0zkovPwCLcBGAs/s1600/JJ%2Bclimbing6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keeqP97HzM8/XPUbeTwgvdI/AAAAAAAAGgM/JsMpdbkkuPgNl83iw1_aLybVom0zkovPwCLcBGAs/s200/JJ%2Bclimbing6.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwzVzcMJ8do/XPUbjzYFSwI/AAAAAAAAGgY/q0HXfNGZoMoJq7XfA78wWMS1jym60vIGwCLcBGAs/s1600/JJ%2Bclimbing8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwzVzcMJ8do/XPUbjzYFSwI/AAAAAAAAGgY/q0HXfNGZoMoJq7XfA78wWMS1jym60vIGwCLcBGAs/s320/JJ%2Bclimbing8.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Teenagers are not easy. I know I was once one myself but was I that moody. Probably. Here in S.C., we are embracing the AC after an unusual heatwave. I have seen a glimpse of the future and it involves wearing lots of skirts and dresses.<br />
<br />
Here are some photos that sum up the last few weeks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OG0Nq73o27c/XPUaYQUhnTI/AAAAAAAAGfU/WbVWg4IqqK01BagblWoMhro0osF_jFppgCLcBGAs/s1600/Art%2Bin%2BSeven%2BMonogram%2BBoutique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OG0Nq73o27c/XPUaYQUhnTI/AAAAAAAAGfU/WbVWg4IqqK01BagblWoMhro0osF_jFppgCLcBGAs/s320/Art%2Bin%2BSeven%2BMonogram%2BBoutique.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ArtFields 2019 in Lake City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaN1N_gqSeU/XPUaZBHR86I/AAAAAAAAGfY/LpHDuZ7rEhUmt2sVf7I9mrINjbYCkpxkgCLcBGAs/s1600/Bear%2Bin%2BMind%2BRJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaN1N_gqSeU/XPUaZBHR86I/AAAAAAAAGfY/LpHDuZ7rEhUmt2sVf7I9mrINjbYCkpxkgCLcBGAs/s320/Bear%2Bin%2BMind%2BRJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And I didn't mention that I will pick up my nephew on Thursday. So I will have two 13-year-old guys and a teenage male cat. The struggle is real.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Daily Dose</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">1. Being able to spend time with my son.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">2. Payday candy bars</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">3. Air conditioning</span>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-70803296919153617292019-02-21T10:42:00.000-05:002019-02-21T10:52:39.523-05:00Book brings back memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUz7fnfwgQ/XG7JH5lsjfI/AAAAAAAAFec/SbquuDBQXSopQoqneKpABx7BCVdHwhDRACLcBGAs/s1600/20190211_130932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1051" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUz7fnfwgQ/XG7JH5lsjfI/AAAAAAAAFec/SbquuDBQXSopQoqneKpABx7BCVdHwhDRACLcBGAs/s200/20190211_130932.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: red;"><i> I write a book column for the newspaper I work for called the Book Nerd. This is my February column, which is a review of "The Girls at 17 Swann Street" by Yara Zgheib and my recovery from an eating disorder.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i>"I tell people that I am a dancer. I have not danced in years, though. I work as a cashier in a supermarket, but my real occupation is anorexia." </i><br />
<i>-- Anna, "The Girls at 17 Swann Street" by Yara Zgheib</i><br />
<br />
This line from "The Girls at 17 Swann Street" by Yara Zgheib spoke to me.<br />
In the book, you meet 26-year-old Anna Roux, a former ballet dancer who has an eating disorder that has taken over her life.<br />
On a good day, Anna will eat some apples and some popcorn. She is 88 pounds and in danger of dying. Her husband, Matthias, has checked her into a residential treatment center for eating disorders at 17 Swann Street. It is there that Anna and others fight to regain control of their lives.<br />
<br />
<i>"The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists' list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound."</i><br />
<i>-- Anna, "The Girls at 17 Swann Street"</i><br />
<br />
Zgheib did a great job of showing the effects of the disease on a person and their loved ones.<br />
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. Every 62 minutes at least one person dies as a direct result from an eating disorder.<br />
Anorexia nervosa is a horrible disease that not only takes over your mind, body, and soul but it also impacts those close to you.<br />
I know because anorexia used to be a constant companion for me. At one time in my life, thoughts of eating and not eating consumed almost every waking moment.<br />
For instance, most people love apples. For me, eating an apple triggers a memory of how I used to cut the apple in half. Then cut each half into fourths. And then cut each of the fourths into four more pieces. It should take a person no more than five minutes to eat an apple. It took me an hour.<br />
In the book, Anna's motivation was to save her marriage and to get her life back.<br />
For me, the motivation was to be a better mother to my son. When you weigh 80 pounds, it is hard to take a very active toddler to the playground. It was like trying to run a marathon when your son just wanted you to get on the monkey bars with him.<br />
The average woman needs to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain her weight. I was surviving on 800 to 900 calories.<br />
Reading this book brought back memories of a dark and scary place. It is a place where one day I almost gave up because I couldn't keep living like that.<br />
But I didn't because I refused to let down the one person who would always wonder why I didn't fight hard enough for him. So I got help.<br />
If you are looking for a happily ever after book or one where all the problems are summed up neatly, this is not the book.<br />
This is about a struggle that Anna will have throughout her life. The struggles, the relapses and the thoughts associated with eating don't go away magically overnight.<br />
Each day is a struggle. Zgheib captured it best in a recent interview-- “To have anorexia is to lose your ability to concentrate, your body heat, your hair, your period, your personality, your relationships, your dreams. Sometimes your life.”<br />
I wish I could say I am completely recovered but I am not and will never be. Like a person who was addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is always there in the background. So I take it one meal at a time and remind myself of what will happen if anorexia returns in its full force and how it will probably kill me.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-88242488993671336082019-01-31T09:39:00.000-05:002019-01-31T09:39:05.614-05:00Is it too late to say "Happy New Year!"<span style="font-size: large;">Happy 2019! </span><br />
<br />
It has taken me all month to write this post. 2018 was quite a year. I ended up with a new job in another state that was only an hour and some change from my son. Things haven't gone<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
as smoothly as I would like but I'm okay.<br />
I moved to SC (where I said I would never go back to), dealt with my son's father (who is not cool with me being so close by), moved twice in one year, made new friends, made strides in my job, dealt with two Hurricanes, lots of flooding and other cool stuff. 2018 had a lot of change in it. I also had to make sure the kid and the cat adjusted to everything as well.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsax7uoWWKc/XFMBHFfXQjI/AAAAAAAAFQM/NuZvBeeQh0gfwu66zsY-EhCVEXUiVqoSwCLcBGAs/s1600/Agent%2BKitty%2BKitty%2Bmodel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsax7uoWWKc/XFMBHFfXQjI/AAAAAAAAFQM/NuZvBeeQh0gfwu66zsY-EhCVEXUiVqoSwCLcBGAs/s320/Agent%2BKitty%2BKitty%2Bmodel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agent Kitty was okay with the move.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Instead of resolutions, I set goals for 2018.<br />
My first goal was to stop taking things so seriously. I want to enjoy life more. (For the most part, I tried to do this. I did a lot of new things such as going to a ball and wearing makeup.)<br />
My second goal, which was not to work so hard. I feel like I base my life around work. In 2017, I started saying no more and focusing on me. In 2018, I want to have more of a work/life balance. This is still a work in progress.<br />
My third goal was to volunteer more. I didn't get a chance to do this.<br />
I will always continue to try reading more. (I did and continue to write a column about it for the newspaper.)<br />
I wanted to be a better mom for my son and a better friend and family member to others. I have been a better mom.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-BKyqs65bc/XFMBLUKj0zI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/f78hbmVXAK0J6lwX-rugH7tCmyqc269GQCLcBGAs/s1600/walking%2Bthe%2Btight%2Brope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="943" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-BKyqs65bc/XFMBLUKj0zI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/f78hbmVXAK0J6lwX-rugH7tCmyqc269GQCLcBGAs/s320/walking%2Bthe%2Btight%2Brope.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is nice living closer to this one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I want to put myself out there more and meet new people.<br />
My final goal was private. I don't want to jinx things but I hope by December 2018 that things will 360 degrees different in my life. The goal was to find another job. This happened.<br />
And now, it is 2019. I have set some more goals for myself. My son has urged me to put myself out there more, meet new people and do more things. So I am going to do this. I am not sure how but I will.<br />
<span style="color: blue;">2019 goals</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will try to not work as much.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will drink more water.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will send more snail mail.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will improve my finances.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will dance more.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will try at least one new recipe each month.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">-- I will step outside my comfort zone more. </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-88074981209910196952018-11-11T16:09:00.001-05:002018-11-11T16:09:14.738-05:00Moving, hurricanes and Comic Con-- recapping a crazy Fall of 2018It is Nov. 11 and a lot has happened. A lot!<br />
<br />
I moved out of a three bedroom house into a one bedroom apartment with a sunroom. The place is huge. I love it. Agent Kitty loves the sunroom even more than me and has claimed it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wJidTrJ1U8/W-iZ9oyKUCI/AAAAAAAAEIw/h8JlhTZUZUg_h1fqvNccmrNhqserd-J_wCLcBGAs/s1600/AK%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bsunroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wJidTrJ1U8/W-iZ9oyKUCI/AAAAAAAAEIw/h8JlhTZUZUg_h1fqvNccmrNhqserd-J_wCLcBGAs/s320/AK%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bsunroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My bedroom is large enough for my queen size bed, dresser, and chest drawers. There is still room for three bookcases and possible a twin size bedroom. I officially started living here Sept. 3. And for a few weeks, it was heaven.<br />
Then came a little hurricane called Florence came for an extended stay. In the end, there were no deaths in Marlboro County but a lot of damage and devastation. Southeastern North Carolina had a ton of damage. A lot of people have lost their homes and world.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oQeRIoXHFjY/W-iaPtliuiI/AAAAAAAAEI4/mNvRGqWPaYME3zpg4qqz9gG1d3MI7sy2gCLcBGAs/s1600/hurricane%2Bdamage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1600" height="199" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oQeRIoXHFjY/W-iaPtliuiI/AAAAAAAAEI4/mNvRGqWPaYME3zpg4qqz9gG1d3MI7sy2gCLcBGAs/s320/hurricane%2Bdamage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Marlboro County had a lot of flooding. The thing I remembered the most was wondering if it would ever stop raining. The rain started on Friday, Sept. 14 and continued until the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 16. The power went out early Saturday morning. I spent that Saturday wondering if it would ever stop raining. Then the shingles started coming off the house. The second-floor apartments had several roof leaks up there.<br />
Eventually, what is up must come down and water started coming down the light fixture in my walk-in closet. Later, it sounded like it was raining in the closet. I was catching water in three large totes. Every 30 minutes, I had to empty one. Then water started coming down my bedroom and bedroom closet walls.<br />
I had to leave my apartment with Agent Kitty. I called a friend and she sent her husband to pick the two of us up. We stayed a week. Agent Kitty enjoyed it a little too much.I had some damage and am now filling out insurance forms to replace some stuff.<br />
It could have a lot worst. My upstairs neighbors lost most of their stuff.<br />
<br />
<br />
I celebrated my 45th birthday on Oct. 12. I had nice birthday. I ended up heading to Florence with a friend to go thrift store shopping and having dinner. It was was nice way to turn 45.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oXr_IBpvgM4/W-iZgl00sHI/AAAAAAAAEIg/GfMUf6R5flQJj2Fwe_X6joZiQ4e9MIxkQCLcBGAs/s1600/Fayetteville%2BComic%2BCon%2BEmo%2BJJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oXr_IBpvgM4/W-iZgl00sHI/AAAAAAAAEIg/GfMUf6R5flQJj2Fwe_X6joZiQ4e9MIxkQCLcBGAs/s320/Fayetteville%2BComic%2BCon%2BEmo%2BJJ.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emo JJ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mkcp5nSItvw/W-iZfUnXNZI/AAAAAAAAEIc/OQ1yFcWfsnIOfeBdAPZVLxGhspqzWWgzgCLcBGAs/s1600/Fayetteville%2BComic%2BCon%2BJJ%2Bwith%2BTardis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mkcp5nSItvw/W-iZfUnXNZI/AAAAAAAAEIc/OQ1yFcWfsnIOfeBdAPZVLxGhspqzWWgzgCLcBGAs/s320/Fayetteville%2BComic%2BCon%2BJJ%2Bwith%2BTardis.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A week later, I attended the 2018 Fayetteville Comic Con with JJ. I have been to two Comic Cons in the past but this was the first one where JJ was old enough to do participate without me hovering nearby.<br />
This was not my area of geekness. I am very geeky on my own. I wanted my son to be amongst his people enjoying comic books, games and other things. So for the second time this year, I was the personal assistant with the camera and the money. Librari-Con was one thing but the Comic-Con was a whole different ballgame. The Crown Coseuliem was filled with a variety of genres, mediums (films, television, comics, books, games, and anime), and levels of geekness.<br />
Once we arrived, I was given a salute and JJ disappeared in the crowd.<br />
So I explored and truly learned that no matter what the interest, you could find something there to cater to it. Cosplay was a big part of the Comic-Con. I had a chance to do some serious people watching. At one point, I saw a cute Pennywise the Clown and creepy Michael Myers. My favorite was a giant Robot Mech. I was amazed at how much detail had gone into it and the fact it took a year to make.<br />
I loved the fact that people felt comfortable enough to be themselves. I saw everything from Darth Vader and Boba Fett to various Harley Quinns and Poison Ivy.<br />
Overall, it wasn't a bad way to spend a Saturday.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ChSPdBwzg8I/W-iZqsX91aI/AAAAAAAAEIk/Dtxqyjbz3cYR3wAaSpZTDHLn0Ek7o_4-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Me%2Band%2BBobo%2BFett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ChSPdBwzg8I/W-iZqsX91aI/AAAAAAAAEIk/Dtxqyjbz3cYR3wAaSpZTDHLn0Ek7o_4-gCLcBGAs/s320/Me%2Band%2BBobo%2BFett.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobo Fett and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: red;">Daily Dose</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">1. I am thankful for my son.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">2. I am thankful for my life.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">3. I am thankful to be 45!</span><br />
<br />
<br />The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-1970728336816755542018-07-09T14:10:00.003-04:002018-07-09T14:10:58.627-04:00Visiting 'home'<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xBYpcW94Hk/W0OkbouvV6I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/KLujqEOTwrkLvitkMJgAXegjChoul2FRwCLcBGAs/s1600/riding%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bconvertible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xBYpcW94Hk/W0OkbouvV6I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/KLujqEOTwrkLvitkMJgAXegjChoul2FRwCLcBGAs/s320/riding%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bconvertible.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Riding in the convertible!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Happy belated Independence Day!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For the first time in forever, I had the Fourth of July off. Actually, it was three days. And it was amazing. It was a chance to visit Eastern North Carolina. I consider this area home because it is the place where I feel like I found myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I hadn't been back since I moved in February. I have been homesick so I didn't want to go back. When I left SC on July 5, I was more than ready to go back. I just meandered up I-95.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I exited after Fayetteville because I wanted to have a pit stop in Goldsboro, NC so I could go to my favorite Goodwill and hit up Books-a-Million. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I never go thrift store shopping with a clear goal in mind. I always start in shoes and then head to dresses. I take a break and go to books. Then it is back to skirts and shirts. I have mastered the art of the scan while making my way down the different rows. Overall, I brought some books, a purse and a cool pair of boots.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once back on the road, I headed for exit 171 for Roanoke Rapids, NC. I lived there for almost five years. It was there I felt like I got my groove back, met my best friend and made other friends. I was able to work at a daily newspaper and get lots of magazine writing experience. It was a good experience. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqSAxsD-3_Q/W0Oke0qC_LI/AAAAAAAAC6U/4kZciKxMLt0agxOy9Fndpms82AFl4OfpACLcBGAs/s1600/view%2Bof%2Bthe%2Blake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqSAxsD-3_Q/W0Oke0qC_LI/AAAAAAAAC6U/4kZciKxMLt0agxOy9Fndpms82AFl4OfpACLcBGAs/s320/view%2Bof%2Bthe%2Blake.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beautiful Lake Gaston</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I stayed at Lake Gaston with my best friend. It was a nice relaxing vacation with good food, plenty of conversations and some adventures. My favorite was heading to the Donut Shop in South Hill, Va. Those were some good doughnuts and the bacon was very crispy. South Hill has a really cool Goodwill, where I was able to add to my clothing collection. My bestie brought a convertible so we rode in it with the top down.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uwID4ZjEJNk/W0OkhBFFcII/AAAAAAAAC6Y/Q1V-4hHWsSE5xVYi1b7emqFqSLYL60jdgCLcBGAs/s1600/with%2Bcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1212" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uwID4ZjEJNk/W0OkhBFFcII/AAAAAAAAC6Y/Q1V-4hHWsSE5xVYi1b7emqFqSLYL60jdgCLcBGAs/s320/with%2Bcat.jpg" width="255" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back home with Agent Kitty, who was grumpy that I had been gone.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">While on vacation, I went to visit some friends who were under the weather. My friend and mentor Gary had just had heart surgery so I wanted to check in on him. My friend Ruth can no longer use her right hand so I wanted to see how she was doing. It was nice to visit places I consider home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today, I'm a little sad because I miss my friends. I am still adjusting to South Carolina and trying to make new friends. But making friends is not easy when you are an older adult. I won't have much time to ponder this because I am about to move from one part of Bville to another part. I'm excited because it has a sunroom, which I plan to turn into my library.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">DAILY DOSE OF GRATITUDE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">1. I am happy to be healthy.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">2. Tahitian Treat to drink</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">3. Packed and ready to move!</span>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-79220093203950501382018-07-03T10:27:00.001-04:002018-07-03T10:27:37.345-04:00It's been awhile...It will be five months on Thursday since I moved back to South Carolina. I am finally adjusting to moving away from ENC and Pickle Land. I have learned to take it day by day. The positive bonus of all of this is being able to see JJ more and to go to his school activities.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Recently, we had an early holiday together!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBPlenJxPek/WzuFGZ1e6XI/AAAAAAAACvo/ohjzR5NcvOM82lWp1OJ2cw_Mhy88PSLJwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBPlenJxPek/WzuFGZ1e6XI/AAAAAAAACvo/ohjzR5NcvOM82lWp1OJ2cw_Mhy88PSLJwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5347.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta have the Avengers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQEErOmvztI/WzuFvQzjlWI/AAAAAAAACv8/OcM0-zPWXzwN7k6C0PRt7tZmUmVPi5YrQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQEErOmvztI/WzuFvQzjlWI/AAAAAAAACv8/OcM0-zPWXzwN7k6C0PRt7tZmUmVPi5YrQCEwYBhgL/s200/IMG_5416.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited the Hamlet Train Station!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KuaRhCJMGJw/WzuGmyzyVdI/AAAAAAAACwE/ytgUgrpX7uAf8ljnlxt4KZhQVQSoN7HMQCLcBGAs/s1600/JJ%2Bswimming%2Bat%2Bthe%2BLAke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KuaRhCJMGJw/WzuGmyzyVdI/AAAAAAAACwE/ytgUgrpX7uAf8ljnlxt4KZhQVQSoN7HMQCLcBGAs/s320/JJ%2Bswimming%2Bat%2Bthe%2BLAke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilled at the Lake!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, it was a wonderful time! I missed my friends and ENC but I am closer to him!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">DAILY DOSE</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">1. I am thankful for being a reporter!</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">2. I am very thankful for my son!</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">3. I am thankful for my life!</span>The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948901123547466731.post-12492116680842443262018-04-23T11:05:00.003-04:002018-04-23T11:05:27.176-04:00Unpacking more than boxesIt took me roughly two weeks to pack up my life in Pickle Land and move to South Carolina. It was two weeks of packing during every spare moment I had.<br />
<br />
It is taking me much longer to unpack. I am about halfway there. A few weeks ago, I found some of my photo albums and an album with articles I wrote while in college. The first story that I had ever written was in there. I showed it to my son.<br />
<br />
I took my son on a trip down memory lane. I showed him pictures of me as a child, in high school, in school, and with his dad.<br />
<br />
One photo that made him pause was a photo of me at 73 pounds in a bikini. It was taken at a Memorial Day cookout when I was in the mid-20s. I can still hear the sounds my friends made when I stepped outside to the pool. At the time, I thought they were amazed by how good I looked. No, they were shocked by how skinny I was.<br />
<br />
Years ago, my son's father shared my ED story with him. I am not ashamed of my fight with ED but it was my story to tell. Plus, my son was about six when he was told. So my son and I finally had an honest conversation about it. It felt good to tell it from my point of view. He asked many questions.<br />
<br />
I will never be fully recovered from ED. This knowledge keeps me on my toes and helps me noticed when things are not right. But I am in a better place than the young lady in that photo. For the most part, I am pleased with where I am with my weight. No longer do I hide from the mirror. I have some curves and I like them.<br />
Spring has arrived (depending on the day). I will be wearing more dresses and skirts. A long time ago, this was a major no-no. I didn't want my thighs to show because I thought they were enormous.<br />
<br />
As I write this, I am rocking a dark grey dress, a long grey, and black sweater, fleece lined leggings and boots. Years ago, Virginia Slims used to advertise their cigarettes with "You've come a long way, baby."<br />
<br />
I agree 100 percent. I have come a long way.The Thrifty Book Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607693192817101145noreply@blogger.com0