tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73011126550549977342024-03-12T16:58:57.781-07:00The Bright SideMaking the world a better place, one annoyingly upbeat post at a time.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-39938759454386889522015-01-06T10:48:00.004-07:002015-01-06T10:48:57.494-07:00And That's How I Know It's Going to Be a Good YearI decided last week that 2015 is going to be a good year. I had no proof, and no particular basis for that decision. It was just one of those things that popped into my head, and I decided to go with it.<br />
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And although technically the new year started almost a week ago, it didn't actually <i>feel </i>like the new year until yesterday. My husband was back to work, my kids were back to school, and I could settle back in to my routine of normal life. (Or, at least, "normal" life.)<br />
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It was lovely. The house was quiet. Things actually stayed clean and put away after I cleaned them and put them away. I got to go grocery shopping by myself. And I got to catch up on the two issues of <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a> that had been sitting neglected on my side table. Like I said... lovely.<br />
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But there were two other very specific things that happened yesterday, and I decided to let them set the tone for the year.<br />
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First, I decided to step on the scales. I had been purposely avoiding that over the holidays. Because calories don't count if you don't think about them. And I knew I wasn't going to do anything about it until after the holidays anyway, so I decided that ignorance was bliss. So of course I got on the scales expecting the worst, and thinking about how much I was going to have to work to take off the extra holiday pounds.<br />
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Only... there weren't any extra holiday pounds. In fact, there were 4 pounds fewer than there had been at the beginning of December. I don't know how that happened, but I'll take it. And I'll appreciate it for the awesome way to start a year that it is.<br />
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The second thing that happened was at the end of the blissfully quiet trip to the grocery store that I mentioned. I decided to restock my fridge, and picked up a case of <a href="http://www.reddsapple.com/AV" target="_blank">Redd's Strawberry Ale</a> (because it's delicious. Trust me. You should totally try it.) Being well past the age of legally purchasing alcohol, I didn't think anything of it. Until the cashier asked for my ID.<br />
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I said "really?!" And she said "yeah!" And then she actually <i>looked </i>at it before approving the sale. And I know, some places require ID before any alcohol sales. (But I've been there many times, and they don't.) And I know that some cashiers always make it a habit to card everyone, regardless of their age. But I'm going to choose to believe that she really needed to see my ID because she thought I looked kind of young. Because being almost 37 and having to prove that you're over 21 will make you feel good. Every. Time.<br />
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So here's to a fantastic year, my friends. I hope yours is off to as great of a start as mine is.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-78102069736481481362015-01-02T22:27:00.000-07:002015-01-02T22:27:01.539-07:00A New Challenge for a New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because it was so much fun last year, I've signed up to participate in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>Reading Challenge for 2015. My official goal is to read 36 books this year. My more personal goal is to actually make time to review all of them this time. We'll see how that goes.<br />
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I'd like to invite you to participate with me. Because, really, what's not to love about anything that encourages you to read more?<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-41435420308454029072015-01-01T17:14:00.001-07:002015-01-15T11:21:53.328-07:002014 Reading Challenge Recap (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And here we continue with my reading list for the 2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge. (If you missed Part 1, you can find it <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-reading-challenge-recap-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you missed the explanation of the challenge, you can find it <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/because-i-love-challenge.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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Here are the books that I read during the second half of last year:<br />
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<b><i>The Book Thief</i>, by Markus Zusak</b><br />
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<b><i>There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom</i>, by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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This was a fun book to read with the kids. Sachar is not my favorite author of all time, but he is an entertaining story teller. (My main problem with him is that his writing style is a bit awkward at times. I found myself spontaneously editing from time to time, just to make the dialogue flow more comfortably.) But it definitely wasn't enough of a problem to keep me from reading more of his books.<br />
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<b><i>No Talking</i>, by Andrew Clements</b><br />
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This was another fun read with the kids, and I instantly became a big fan of Andrew Clements. He has a very realistic style that is easy to read, and he has the ability to tell a good story with a good lesson without being heavy-handed about it.<br />
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<b><i>The Whole Truth</i>, by David Baldacci</b><br />
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This wasn't my favorite Baldacci book ever, nor was it particularly memorable. It was fast-paced and entertaining, though, like his books usually are, so if you like him you'll probably enjoy it.<br />
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<b><i>King and Maxwell</i>, by David Baldacci</b><br />
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This is the 6th book in the King/Maxwell series. I haven't read all of them yet, but I have read several, and always enjoy them. I like the characters, and the way they interact. It always makes for a fun read.<br />
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<b><i>Legend</i>, by Marie Lu</b><br />
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I like YA novels, and I like dystopian novels, so I was bound to enjoy this one. And it definitely didn't disappoint. I found myself completely immersed in the story, and not wanting to let the characters go. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.<br />
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<b><i>Gone Girl</i>, by Gillian Flynn</b><br />
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I loved this book. It completely sucked me it to the story, and was very hard to put down. I spent the first part of the book alternating between "no way, he couldn't have" and "yeah, it's always the husband." The second part was mostly "wait - what?!!" and the third part was a bit of "wow, that's messed up." (On a side note, the movie was also very well done. I recommend both.)<br />
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<b><i>Sideways Stories from Wayside School</i>, by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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Another good one to read with the kids. It's in the same old slightly-awkward Sachar style, but other than that we all enjoyed it. The stories are silly, obviously, but it was always fun to watch the kids make the connections, and figure out why the silliness was important.<br />
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<b><i>Wayside School is Falling Down</i>, by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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Fortunately I bought these as a set, because the kids were ready to go right into the next one as soon as we finished the first.<br />
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<b><i>Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger</i>, by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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Not necessarily as good as the first two, but still fun. The kids really enjoyed all three of them.<br />
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<b><i>Someday, Someday, Maybe</i>, by Lauren Graham</b><br />
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Like many people, I picked this up because I was a fan of Lauren Graham as an actress, and I was curious to see if she could write too. And also like many people, I wasn't disappointed. It's a really cute story (nothing earth-shattering or life-changing, necessarily, but cute.) The characters are likable, which makes their stories compelling. And there is plenty of the wit and whimsy that you would expect from someone like Graham.<br />
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<b><i>Loser</i>, by Jerry Spinelli</b><br />
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I immediately fell in love with the main character, and enjoyed every bit of his story (and instantly became a Jerry Spinelli fan.) The kids loved the story too, and often found the adventures laugh-out-loud funny. It was a great book to read with the kids, and made for some really interesting/thought-provoking discussions.<br />
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<b><i>Holes</i>, by Louis Sachar</b><br />
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This was probably my favorite of all the Sachar books we read this year. Setting my problems with his writing style aside, it was a really good story (for kids and adults.) I'm kind of sad that it took me so long to get around to reading it.<br />
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<b><i>The Mouse and the Motorcycle</i>, by Beverly Cleary</b><br />
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I loved it as a kid, and loved it just as much when I read it again with my kids. This was another time when it was a good thing that I picked up the whole set, because as soon as we finished this my kids were begging to move on to the next one. (We're in the middle of it right now.) I'm so glad that books like this are still around, and still just as popular as they were when I was a kid.<br />
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<b><i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i>, by Stephen Chbosky</b><br />
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Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. It was beautifully written, with such wonderfully flawed and real characters that I couldn't help getting completely lost in their story (and didn't even mind the emotional roller coaster that it took me on.) This was a fantastic way to end the year, and I'm so glad that I finally got to read it.<br />
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And there we have it - my 2014 reading list. Please feel free to share your own thoughts. And remember that it's okay to disagree with my opinions. We all have our own tastes, and that's what makes life interesting. :)<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-23668736561944909462015-01-01T15:05:00.001-07:002015-01-01T17:16:25.767-07:002014 Reading Challenge Recap (Part 1)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ9YkPz3gJo_j7_0-MS_xDXjsU2n0ZPtzriFCZrSUBLOrFdVaBGHqhdnhz_XEm2W33bpHmD-6-bK7Al3GhJZVJ7C1OFTt3JZEnECH2btbucfwZdTfTlzjmY-7j1Pfj-sG37y5zlIdCNDN/s1600/Completed.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ9YkPz3gJo_j7_0-MS_xDXjsU2n0ZPtzriFCZrSUBLOrFdVaBGHqhdnhz_XEm2W33bpHmD-6-bK7Al3GhJZVJ7C1OFTt3JZEnECH2btbucfwZdTfTlzjmY-7j1Pfj-sG37y5zlIdCNDN/s1600/Completed.gif" height="200" width="173" /></a>As you may recall, this past year <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/because-i-love-challenge.html" target="_blank">I committed to the Goodreads Reading Challenge</a>, with a conservative goal of reading 26 books in 2014. I'm happy to say that I met - and exceeded - my goal, ending up with a total of 33 books. (Go me!)<br />
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Participating in the challenge was a lot of fun, and I discovered some really great books. I was even good about writing reviews of what I read... for a while.<br />
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But then August came, and my kids went back to school. And between my duties as room mom, and art teacher, and library volunteer, and PTO board member, and Girl Scout leader... I got a bit busy, and failed to make time for writing. I have to admit that I'm kind of disappointed with myself for that. But we have to deal with things and move on, so here we go.<br />
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Here is a quick recap of the books I read during the first half of the year (when I was still making time to write about them.) You can follow the links if you're interested in the full reviews.<br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul</a></i>, by Douglas Adams</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">Innocence</a></i>, by Dean Koontz</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">The Fault in Our Stars</a></i>, by John Green</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">Accidents & Incidents</a></i>, by Riley Graham</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">Hounded</a></i>, by Kevin Hearne</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-lost-symbol-by-dan-brown.html" target="_blank">The Lost Symbol</a></i>, by Dan Brown</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-divergent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Divergent</a></i>, by Veronica Roth</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7350006103516px;"><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-21-day-sugar-detox-by-diane.html" target="_blank">The 21-Day Sugar Detox</a>,</i> by Diane Sanfilippo</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-mighty-miss-malone-by.html" target="_blank">The Mighty Miss Malone</a></i>, by Christoper Paul Curtis</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-stuart-little-by-eb-white.html" target="_blank">Stuart Little</a></i>, by E.B. White</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-dragonslayers-volume-one-by.html" target="_blank">The Dragonslayers, Volume One</a></i>, by Matthew Maynard</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-aspen-by-rebekah-crane.html" target="_blank">Aspen</a></i>, by Rebekah Crane</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QaEjiNceUnjSR6joK0-GP04ovZiWFBXa3r2IBJP-U9LQpkolkeE1KDL0HIFLJYfiMZp1Jl5Xr0N2MLD8iQ8-cEP1wsG8KiiVoV_AsnJ8vuUWJhjRisSyqAcProHojE5rRszn0y0jap-Z/s1600/Aspen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QaEjiNceUnjSR6joK0-GP04ovZiWFBXa3r2IBJP-U9LQpkolkeE1KDL0HIFLJYfiMZp1Jl5Xr0N2MLD8iQ8-cEP1wsG8KiiVoV_AsnJ8vuUWJhjRisSyqAcProHojE5rRszn0y0jap-Z/s1600/Aspen.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-insurgent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Insurgent</a></i>, by Veronica Roth</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhncjTY81jiiIG7iVpTrikMKYh6Uxdk-QZeJ0qjX07A34T8SQ5av-62J60koOVeUtIH81xVeOHPptVXJTdw0OEe8M7kmG1sEPPC4WXsKM_RZhppq9lCjKMyDFVfH0-w2x4zQQZIAmBoXLg/s1600/Insurgent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhncjTY81jiiIG7iVpTrikMKYh6Uxdk-QZeJ0qjX07A34T8SQ5av-62J60koOVeUtIH81xVeOHPptVXJTdw0OEe8M7kmG1sEPPC4WXsKM_RZhppq9lCjKMyDFVfH0-w2x4zQQZIAmBoXLg/s1600/Insurgent.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-allegiant-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Allegiant</a></i>, by Veronica Roth</b><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-tale-of-despereaux-by-kate.html" target="_blank">The Tale of Despereaux</a></i>, by Kate DiCamillo</b><br />
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And there you have the first half (or so) of the year. If you'd like to see my book list for the rest of the year, visit Part 2 of my recap <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-reading-challenge-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<b><br /></b>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-9212124322904088462014-11-25T17:50:00.000-07:002014-11-25T17:50:23.412-07:00Celebrating MocksgivingA few years ago I had strep throat during the third week of November. So rather than try to put together a Thanksgiving feast while running a high fever, I decided (with full support from my family) to push our celebration back a week, and just pretend that it was Thanksgiving once I was feeling better. Thus the term "Mocksgiving" was born.<br />
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And if you know me at all, then it should come as no surprise that our postponed celebration was just as festive and happy as it would have been had it been celebrated on the "right" day. Because my family has always subscribed to the "it doesn't matter what the calendar says; we can celebrate whenever we want to" philosophy. And it has served us well over the years.<br />
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Once again we found ourselves ignoring the calendar this year. Because of the way that our schedule is going to work out, the kids and I decided to have Grandma over for dinner this past weekend and give thanks a little early. And even though it was kind of a last-minute decision, it still worked out just fine. We were just as happy, we had just as much fun, and we were just as thankful as we would have been if we had waited until Thursday.<br />
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In fact, I got so into the celebration that I even suspended my "no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving dinner" rule and turned it on while I made breakfast. An impromptu dance party quickly ensued.<br />
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Dinner that evening was fairly simple (as my family tends to prefer.) And the kids got to help, of course.<br />
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We made most of our traditional Thanksgiving foods. Including the baked chicken in place of a turkey. Because that's what I do.<br />
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Because it's easier. And tastes just as good. And once you get it on the plate you can't really tell anyway.<br />
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And the result was exactly what I was going for. Because these two little smiling faces make everything worthwhile.<br />
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In the end, it never matters what the calendar says. We can be joyous and happy, no matter the time or the reason. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-69563502410815156152014-08-25T17:15:00.001-07:002014-08-25T17:15:45.333-07:00Yellow Butterflies and Funky Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Yes, friends, it's Monday. And once again that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! </i><br style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">If you missed my take on LML, you can find it <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-come-join-my-movement.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-monday-tickle-fights-rain-and-bbq.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b>An Abundance of Butterflies</b><br />
We have to deal with some unpleasant things here in the Sonoran Desert... scorpions, spiders, and snakes, just to name a few of the worst. But there is another far more pleasant thing that we get to see a lot of this time of year.<br />
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<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;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58rwcGi7_vV0gL-aXscAnL4NWQV9IrE13iXTBVGMZ58-7gXD72fZfWYxYE8Rqe3EENiD12JBFZiZZLjJzUSN11B4dZ9W1hRE4UY6PXU3Rg2SgTQuY7gZu1vMUbL-gvrcsXub5-yVJCKlo/s1600/Butterfly.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="288" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/arthropoda/phoebis_sennae.html" target="_blank">arizonensis.org</a></td></tr>
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I'm not an expert, but from what I could learn, I believe they are cloudless sulphur butterflies.<br />
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I don't know if there are more of them this year, or if I just didn't notice them as much in years past. But lately I have been seeing these happy little yellow butterflies everywhere.<br />
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Okay. To be fair, I don't know for sure that they're happy. But I like to believe that they are. At least they always give me a smile<br />
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<b>Play That Funky Music</b><br />
I freely admit that I am not much of a singer, and I have no rhythm for dancing. But for some reason, when I'm driving alone, none of that matters. I can turn up the music, sing along as loudly as I want, and do some awesomely terrible dancing in my seat. I'm sure I look like a crazy person while I'm doing it, but it makes me feel better, so I continue unashamed.<br />
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The music varies, and I always enjoy a wide variety. But lately I've discovered that it is absolutely impossible for me to be in anything less than a fantastic mood when I'm singing along to this song:<br />
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<i style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn!</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">Please leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. </span></i><br style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;" /><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-4159917809307342132014-08-20T23:27:00.001-07:002014-08-20T23:27:36.306-07:00Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't typically do a lot of movie reviews here, but since <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">I reviewed the book by John Green</a> earlier this year, I thought I would follow up with a review of the adaptation.<br />
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I'll skip the plot synopsis here, because it very closely follows the story laid out in the book (which you can read about in the above link.) I know that people have differing opinions about how closely a movie should stick to the source material. Should it make you feel like you're re-reading the book, or should it only share the title, and completely - and sometimes regrettably - rewrite the entire plot? (I'm looking at you, <i>World War Z</i>.)<br />
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I don't think that either option is necessarily correct or incorrect; it all depends on the individual project. In this case, I thought it was very well done. There is enough of the original book kept in tact that John Green fans can relive his beautiful writing, and there is also enough creative variation to make the movie stand on its own.<br />
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The passion involved in making this movie - from the writer and director through the entire cast - is obvious, and makes a tragic story that much more beautiful to watch. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940362/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Shailene Woodley</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5052065/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Ansel Elgort</a> are brilliant, and their on-screen chemistry made me fall in love with both of them. They are sweet, and smart, and witty, and completely bring to life everything that we all love about John Green characters.<br />
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This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a feel-good movie. There are some charmingly funny moments, but there are also some very brutal moments. Even though I knew what was coming, and thought I was prepared for it, I still sobbed like a baby. But at least I wasn't alone in that, because the entire audience was doing the same thing.<br />
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As far as adaptations go, I give this one a thumbs up, and recommend it just as much as I recommended the book. When you're in the mood for a beautiful story of love and loss, this is the one for you.<br />
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*****<br />
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Want to see what other people have to say about the letter F this week? Be sure to visit <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">ABC Wednesday</a>.<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-40921272479772725502014-08-06T22:25:00.002-07:002014-08-06T22:25:50.312-07:00Party Like The Doctor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I'm sure many of you will recall, last November marked the 50th anniversary of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0" target="_blank">Doctor Who</a>. And when my kids found out that it was coming up, they asked if we could have a Doctor Who Party. Being a fan of the random reasons to celebrate (remember the <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/12/random-reasons-to-celebrate.html" target="_blank">12/12/12 Party</a>?) of course my answer was "Sure. Why not?"</div>
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The party was small, and kind of thrown together without a lot of time to plan ahead, but it was still a huge hit. And it led to the conclusion that we must have another one some time. In fact, we eventually decided that we should mark each series premier and finale with a party. Because... why not?</div>
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So in preparation for the Series 8 premier on August 23rd, I thought I would help us start getting ready to celebrate its return. </div>
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I haven't really started the preparations for this party yet (that's coming soon) but I figured I'd share some of the things that we did last year, in case any of you would like ideas for your own Doctor Who Party.</div>
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Of course my daughter and I had to do our now famous Dalek nails.<br />
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And I made some Sonic Screwdrivers.</div>
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But the food was the most fun part.<br />
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The wormhole pizza was okay.</div>
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And the DW pizza was okay.</div>
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I was a little disappointed with the TARDIS pizza. (I'll have to experiment with that one a little more before next time.)<br />
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But the Dalek pizza was definitely the best.<br />
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We had some fruits and veggies.</div>
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And of course lots of other fun treats.<br />
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If you get all of those references, then you can live your life happily, knowing how awesome you are. If there are some that you didn't get... you should really watch more Doctor Who. :)</div>
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The next party will include even more fun and games (I'm thinking "pin the face on Cassandra" will have to be a thing.) So come back after the 23rd and I'll tell you all about it. I'd tell you more now, but, you know...<br />
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If you'd like to see what other great things that people are doing with the letter D this week, be sure to hop on over to <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">ABC Wednesday</a>.</div>
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Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-12696875695202026182014-08-04T11:12:00.001-07:002014-08-04T11:12:07.824-07:00Quiet Houses, Girlfriends, and Motivational Coffee Mugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAkHWwaqy5umHItFNkiIn_JrM0cvi66ogqRjQhwdBO1IUQi7Y3vtJ00HmKQWaGpdc8yJ2OdagGiKtoelhO-Rxyf9QN64ye_kBNRBIccve_GiwAF5ecVjpQOWD-6AvGA1AJGpPjdAG_lzQ/s1600/LMLMondayLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAkHWwaqy5umHItFNkiIn_JrM0cvi66ogqRjQhwdBO1IUQi7Y3vtJ00HmKQWaGpdc8yJ2OdagGiKtoelhO-Rxyf9QN64ye_kBNRBIccve_GiwAF5ecVjpQOWD-6AvGA1AJGpPjdAG_lzQ/s1600/LMLMondayLogo.jpg" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Yes, friends, it's Monday. And once again that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! </i><br style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">If you missed my take on LML, you can find it <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-come-join-my-movement.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-monday-tickle-fights-rain-and-bbq.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b>Back to School Time!</b><br />
My kids went back to school last Thursday. (I now have a first grader and a third grader - I can hardly believe it!) My daughter was incredibly excited. My son was dealing with it as a necessary evil. And I was... well, if you have kids, you know how I was feeling.<br />
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Sure, I'm going to miss having them with me all day. But it's been a very long time since my house was this quiet, and I have to admit that I'm thoroughly enjoying it.<br />
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<b>National Girlfriends Day</b><br />
Last Friday - the day after the kids went back to school - happened to be National Girlfriends Day. And with perfect timing like that, I just had to take advantage of it. Since several of my friends have first graders this year, we decided to mark the day with an our-kids-are-finally-in-school-all-day-so-now-we-can-have-adult-time lunch. It was fantastic, and I am blessed to have such wonderful friends.<br />
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Because this is true, and a very important thing to have in life:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV5UEIB6hpi_zdajt9vRdaesNimWBwAjo6EuVlRjzonBRt48HZj8NX7qltk9rMBaXTNlr4RsUMZtwXysbcetYewaaydqoN2xlnxt5YnhOu3pkNHRbANaS9H45LHsEv-aFftbHQeoKJw4d/s1600/friends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV5UEIB6hpi_zdajt9vRdaesNimWBwAjo6EuVlRjzonBRt48HZj8NX7qltk9rMBaXTNlr4RsUMZtwXysbcetYewaaydqoN2xlnxt5YnhOu3pkNHRbANaS9H45LHsEv-aFftbHQeoKJw4d/s1600/friends.png" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, this is also true:<br />
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And perhaps most importantly:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBREGUESl19vxvQQXnMO0ywsUdyU21lrMXDPnoiwfvnP7emIxx9_zydkXDLcCe4fHqX8BgMCms8npspyTUtl_0Wh4Yd07rJP3teHxJsdJeVo__cIMxEwDgPrxgo3Z6tMSJG73_jTVPrvMU/s1600/friends3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBREGUESl19vxvQQXnMO0ywsUdyU21lrMXDPnoiwfvnP7emIxx9_zydkXDLcCe4fHqX8BgMCms8npspyTUtl_0Wh4Yd07rJP3teHxJsdJeVo__cIMxEwDgPrxgo3Z6tMSJG73_jTVPrvMU/s1600/friends3.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Motivational Coffee Mugs</b><br />
Y'all know that I love coffee. A lot. So it stands to reason that I also love coffee mugs. And I have a lot of really cute ones that I love to use. But lately, this one has been my favorite go-to mug.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4obvbDX0XATkh8chcOrQMV3haLPMsLck7r7GQ337qzRqnrmMoQcZrVcPvDYn_bcUcgJsgVDsFhf7wD36e80jlzPg0Qy6KIx7Vy1B2_HcHBdpCOenc3XHUagjfc38a5jeLCFC50l1AoYH/s1600/20140804_100200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4obvbDX0XATkh8chcOrQMV3haLPMsLck7r7GQ337qzRqnrmMoQcZrVcPvDYn_bcUcgJsgVDsFhf7wD36e80jlzPg0Qy6KIx7Vy1B2_HcHBdpCOenc3XHUagjfc38a5jeLCFC50l1AoYH/s1600/20140804_100200.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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It makes me smile every time I use it, and helps remind me that yes, life is most certainly good.<br />
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<i style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn!</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">Please leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. </span></i><br style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;" /><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-46115696152781564542014-08-01T10:12:00.001-07:002014-08-01T10:12:52.551-07:00May/June/July Reading Challenge UpdateAs you may recall from <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/because-i-love-challenge.html" target="_blank">my post earlier this year</a>, I decided to take part in the 2014 Reading Challenge through Goodreads. I set a conservative goal of reading 26 books this year, and (despite some recent setbacks) I'm still doing well.<br />
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I started off the year really strong, and was loving how many books I was able to make it through. I was also happy that I was well ahead of schedule to reach my goal, because I knew that sometimes in life there just isn't much extra time to do the things we love, like reading every day.<br />
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This summer was one of those times, and sadly I was only able to finish two books in the last three months. However, I'm still at 69% of my goal, and three books ahead of schedule, so I guess I'm still doing alright.<br />
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Here is a recap of what I did manage to read this summer. You can find the full reviews by following the links below.<br />
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<a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-allegiant-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Allegiant</a> by Veronica Roth<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnL7flmo3gCR7T_fW-WTkbRPitsheb05I19MM9ox5fY_mJmVLO3bOXO6J4VNMBN-dPhd8-AbW1qVwQ82WYn8_GQNStQ31PuOyBnxhdCHvVgjRrEQoR5uTIuQTa-VU1iqk2_cC4nzbuwC4/s1600/Allegiant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnL7flmo3gCR7T_fW-WTkbRPitsheb05I19MM9ox5fY_mJmVLO3bOXO6J4VNMBN-dPhd8-AbW1qVwQ82WYn8_GQNStQ31PuOyBnxhdCHvVgjRrEQoR5uTIuQTa-VU1iqk2_cC4nzbuwC4/s1600/Allegiant.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-tale-of-despereaux-by-kate.html" target="_blank">The Tale of Despereaux</a> by Kate DiCamillo<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-65137823897460200392014-07-31T14:12:00.001-07:002014-07-31T14:12:02.075-07:00Book Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despereaux Tilling is a mouse like no other. Born with his eyes open (which is simply unnatural, and quite disturbing to his family) and with ears that were much too big (also unnatural and disturbing) he is destined to be set apart from the rest of the mouse community.<br />
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He steps further outside of typical mouse-like behavior as he develops a love of reading, is mesmerized by the light and the beauty of the world, and falls desperately in love with the human princess. Eventually this leads Despereaux to being banished to the dark, deadly dungeon.<br />
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In the dungeon lives Roscuro, a rat who also loved the light of the outside world, but has now been trained in the evil ways of the rats. Through a series of unfortunate (and slightly ridiculous) events involving a chandelier and a bowl of soup, Roscuro is left bitter and hateful, and determined to exact his revenge on the princess.<br />
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And finally we have poor, poor Miggery Sow. Traded by her father for a handful of cigarettes, a hen, and a red table cloth, her new "uncle" is dark and abusive, giving Mig "a good clout to the ear" every time he is unsatisfied (which is almost always.) This abuse not only leaves her with cauliflower ears, but also very hard of hearing, and (understandably) extremely dim-witted. (Basically, the poor girl never had a chance in this world.)<br />
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Eventually Mig is brought to the castle that Despereaux and Roscuro call home, and becomes a chamber maid for the princess Pea. Once there, Roscuro pulls Mig into his revenge plot, leading her to believe that she can somehow trade places with Pea and become the princess herself. And so it becomes Despereaux's destiny to take on the role of mouse in shining armor, and rescue his lovely princess.<br />
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This is a sweet story, filled with adventure, heroism, and a very wide range of emotions. I had never read it before (and honestly wasn't eve sure what it was about) but my sister recommended it for my kids, and so we read it together (complete with the dramatically performed voices that my sister insisted on. Good times.)<br />
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Although some of the more complex themes were lost on my six-year-old, she still really enjoyed the story, and got invested in the characters and their adventures. My eight-year-old was better able to understand more of the subtleties, and got a little more out of the story than his sister did (while also loving the characters and their adventures.)<br />
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I really enjoyed the book too. It was silly, but sweet, and had enough thought-provoking elements to keep adults entertained. If you have kids, I would recommend enjoying this one together.<br />
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On a side note, I haven't seen the movie adaption, but my sister strongly recommends that you avoid it. According to her (and I trust her as reliable) the movie is terrible, and does not do the book justice at all. So if you've seen the movie, and it left you with no desire to read the book, keep in mind that the book is much, much better.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-4405731928539956332014-07-30T17:14:00.000-07:002014-07-31T13:07:21.581-07:00Celebrity Grammar SnobberyIf you've been on Facebook at all over the last couple of weeks, there's a good chance that you've seen people posting the video of Weird Al's "Word Crimes." If you haven't watched it yet, you really should.<br />
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I've always loved Weird Al, but I respect him even more now. (Being an admitted grammar snob myself, I suppose that's no surprise.) He says several things in the song that I've said for years. But maybe now that a celebrity has said it, people will start to listen. ;)<br />
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The best thing about this song is that within just a couple of days after it was released four of my friends had sent me the link to it, and suggested that I would appreciate it and/or that I should adopt it as my new theme song. I love how well my friends know me.<br />
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And if you happen to be a fellow grammar snob (or appreciate funny grammar snobbery) then after you watch Weird Al's video you should also go check out <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/" target="_blank">The Oatmeal</a>. All of his stuff is fantastic, but I particularly love his grammar related comics, like <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally" target="_blank">"What it means when you say literally"</a> and <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon" target="_blank">"How to use a semicolon."</a> Great stuff.<br />
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I hope this has given you a few laughs, and helped brighten your day a little. To see what other people have to say about the letter C this week, please visit the <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">ABC Wednesday</a> page.<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-86535360220331855652014-07-29T12:45:00.001-07:002014-07-29T12:45:01.327-07:00Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again picking up right where the previous book left off, <i>Allegiant </i>finally brings an end to the story of Tris and Tobias, and all of the other characters that we came to love (and hate) in the first two books of the series.<br />
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After the shocking revelation at the end of <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-insurgent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank"><i>Insurgent</i></a>, when everyone learned that the factions did not simply evolve the way that they had been led to believe, society is left in even greater turmoil.<br />
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While some believe that the faction system should be completely abolished, others still feel a strong allegiance to the only way of life they've ever known. Meanwhile, a smaller group is determined to venture outside of the walled-in city to discover the full truth behind their existence.<br />
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The truth, it turns out, is nothing that they ever could have imagined, and understandably difficult to adjust to. With a history of genetic manipulation and the government's repeated attempts to correct their mistakes, the great moral question of genetic superiority/inferiority has become an increasingly heated source of conflict. Now Tris and the others must decide which side they will take.<br />
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None of those answers come easily, and while everyone struggles to come to grips with their new reality, Tris and Tobias's relationship (as always) is put to further test. Unlike the two previous books, which were told entirely from Tris's perspective, this one alternates point of view between Tris and Tobias. It's an interesting change, and makes sense as far as the plot is concerned, but it does take some getting used to.<br />
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I know that a <i>lot </i>of people had a problem with the ending (with varying degrees of passion and anger.) I won't give any spoilers here, but I will say that it was a bit emotional. Personally, though, I didn't have a problem with it. A "happily ever after" ending to this kind of a story would just seem out of place.<br />
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Overall, I enjoyed this one, as I did the rest of the series. It wasn't my favorite (in my experience, the rest of a series rarely lives up to the first one) but it was still a fun, exciting read, and I thought that it concluded the story nicely. I think Roth has quite a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing how she develops as a writer.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-54043268879535951692014-07-28T21:00:00.001-07:002014-07-28T21:00:50.286-07:00Volcanoes, Water Babies, and Frozen Concoctions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Yes, friends, it's Monday. And once again that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! </i><br style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">If you missed my take on LML, you can find it <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-come-join-my-movement.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-monday-tickle-fights-rain-and-bbq.html" style="color: #7600a9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<b>Volcanoes (and Great Views)</b><br />
Our summer plans changed a lot this year, due to several unforeseen circumstances, so we didn't get to do most of the things that we had planned. (That's just the way life goes sometimes.) But since the kids will be heading back to school later this week, my husband and I decided to take a few days last week and squeeze in some fun.<br />
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We headed up to Las Vegas, where unfortunately the weather isn't any better than it is in central Arizona, but at least it was a nice change of scenery. And the views, as always, were fantastic.<br />
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We decided to stay at The Mirage this time, which was nice.<br />
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We had a pretty great view of the volcano. (It was impossible to get a good picture at night because of the reflections.) But we got to watch all of the "eruptions" from our room, which was cool. The kids got a kick out of it every time.<br />
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And during the day, the volcano's waterfall made a pretty nice background for a photo of some adorable children. :)<br />
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<b>Water Babies (and Relaxing by the Pool)</b><br />
Speaking of adorable children...<br />
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Most of the times that we've vacationed in Las Vegas, we've done quite a bit of sightseeing and exploring. We still did a little bit of that this time - Hershey's Chocolate World wasn't open yet last time we were there, so we had to check that out - but mostly this trip was more about relaxing and enjoying the end of summer vacation.<br />
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My husband and the kids (who are fortunate enough to not be allergic to the sun) spent a lot of time in the pool. And I (the one who is not so fortunate) spent a lot of time in the shade. But that was good too.<br />
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I had a nice view.<br />
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And plenty to keep me entertained.<br />
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<b>Unbeatable Frozen Concoctions</b><br />
Far be it from me to advocate overindulgence. But when I'm in Vegas, there's a pretty good chance that I'm going to enjoy the free-flowing alcohol at least a little bit. There are plenty to choose from, of course, but during the summer the frozen drinks are definitely the way to go.<br />
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And if you're anything like me, when you hear the phrase "frozen concoctions" you immediately think of wasting away again in Margaritaville.<br />
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A bit overpriced, perhaps, and it always takes forever to get a table. But it's still one of my favorite places to visit at least once while we're in town. If you're a fan of Jimmy Buffett, and/or the island atmosphere, you kind of have to love it there.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn!</span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Please leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. </span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-87910920568651285272014-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:002014-07-23T08:31:26.226-07:00Being BipolarI've shared a lot with y'all over the years, but there is one thing that I've always held back. It's not so much that I was hiding it. It's just that it can still be really, really hard to talk about, even after all of these years.<br />
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Because the thing is, mental illness still comes with a stigma. Sure, things are better than they used to be. There are much better treatment options available, and people in general are starting to be more understanding and less judgmental. But we still have a long way to go.<br />
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When I was in my early twenties, I was (mis)diagnosed with depression. I had already been suffering from chronic pain for many years, which, understandably, is depressing. But there was more to it than that. And even though I had suspected for years that I might be bipolar, I was too afraid to speak up. Because I was afraid that I might be right. And I was afraid of what it would mean.</div>
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After remaining untreated for much longer than I should have, I finally reached a breaking point. And it was during a week-long stay in the mental health wing of the hospital that I was finally diagnosed and began receiving the treatment that I so desperately needed.<br />
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<i>Okay, I have to pause here for some incredibly painful honesty. Even though I've come to terms with my illness, and I know, logically, that it's nothing to be ashamed of... it is still terrifying to talk about it so openly. To tell someone that you were hospitalized for mental illness means holding your breath and waiting for the judgment. And the look of "oh, I didn't know you were </i>that <i>crazy."</i><br />
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So even though it's scary, I still have to talk about it. Because the more of us that do - the more that we can be open and honest about it - the less painful and scary it will be.<br />
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I don't want people to be scared of talking about this. I don't want people to be ashamed, or feel like it's better to suffer in silence than to get help. We should never, <i>ever </i>have to go through this alone.<br />
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A big thank you to ABC Wednesday for inspiring me to share this story. To find more beautiful "B" posts, be sure to visit the <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">their page</a>.<br />
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Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-37450844364913122652014-07-21T22:36:00.000-07:002014-07-21T22:36:32.085-07:00The Return of LML Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Those of you who have been with me for a while might recall a thing I started a couple of years ago about wanting to see more LML (love my life) in the world, and less FML. (You know what that one means.) If you haven't read it, <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-come-join-my-movement.html" target="_blank">please go check it out</a>.<br />
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Not long after the idea for LML, the idea for LML Monday came along. In a nutshell, it was all about focusing on life's little happy moments, finding reasons to smile, and trying to make Mondays suck a little bit less. If you haven't read that one either, <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/07/lml-monday-tickle-fights-rain-and-bbq.html" target="_blank">please check it out too</a>.<br />
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Sadly, LML Monday kind of died late last year. I lost momentum. It fizzled out. Things happened. More stuff happened. It wasn't that I stopped seeing the LML moments. They just never made it to the screen. And that always kind of made me sad, but I never did anything about it. Until now.<br />
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As <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-new-beginning-again.html" target="_blank">I mentioned last week</a>, I'm kind of at a point of new beginnings right now. (Or at least I'm trying to be.) So in keeping with that, I thought I'd try the revival of LML Monday that I've wanted to see for a long time. Join me, won't you? Let's see where it takes us. :)<br />
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I'll leave you with this, as we start the week...<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-26786568241110015682014-07-16T23:23:00.000-07:002014-07-16T23:23:55.031-07:00A New Beginning. Again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've followed this blog at all over the years, you know that I've had my fair share of stops and starts. There are always several factors involved each time, but the end result is that I just stop writing for a while. And then eventually I start again. And stop again. And... you get the idea.<br />
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That's just the way things go sometimes, and I've learned to accept it. And each time it happens I do my best to make it a learning experience, and be happy with the opportunity for personal growth. Because as frustrating as it might get sometimes, there will always a bright side. You know that.<br />
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So I take the time that I need, and I work through it, and then I start again. Because that's what you do when life gets you down.<br />
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And so that's what I decided to do. Again.<br />
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As I sat down last week and started thinking about writing again, it occurred to me that it had been a while since I had checked in with <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">ABC Wednesday</a>, and I wondered where they were in the current round. Of course (because that's just always the way things seem to work out) it turned out that the new round was about to start. Perfect! So I decided to take it as a sign that I was meant to participate. :)<br />
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I don't know if I'll finish the round this time, any more than I know if I'll stick with any of my current plans. But there's a reason that the "get back on the horse" cliche exists. You have to do it. Usually several times. So here I stand, back on the horse, trying to be brave.<br />
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On a related note, if you find yourself curious about why this happens from time to time (or just want to know something a little more personal about me) be sure to come back next Wednesday. We'll find out together if I'm really as brave as I think I might be.<br />
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*****<br />
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Want to read some other awesome "A" posts from this round? Be sure to check out <a href="http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">ABC Wednesday</a>.<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-92151024976942987602014-07-08T18:01:00.000-07:002014-07-08T18:01:46.117-07:00When Things Don't Go As PlannedAs <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2012/04/embarrassing-moments.html" target="_blank">I've said before</a>, I am I firm believer in sharing my embarrassing moments, particularly so that others can feel less alone when they have their own. So even though I asked everyone that heard about this not to tell anyone else (so word wouldn't spread about how dumb I am) I realized that I still have to share it. Particularly because of the bright side that came with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNQQv3PQ33ea4a1SibapTIncKYwTFmkN7dWZdQFw6jhC_saFeh5P26NonGp1LnL1zB1_NB9Lm2cxt_zEvCDnGGR4IAxyM4pIhOBVSlSI8tlRQpPVWIQ3ZAaHaBE-blRXpOfcOQhcMrwG7/s1600/mcdonalds-Strawberry-Sundae.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNQQv3PQ33ea4a1SibapTIncKYwTFmkN7dWZdQFw6jhC_saFeh5P26NonGp1LnL1zB1_NB9Lm2cxt_zEvCDnGGR4IAxyM4pIhOBVSlSI8tlRQpPVWIQ3ZAaHaBE-blRXpOfcOQhcMrwG7/s1600/mcdonalds-Strawberry-Sundae.png" height="200" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because... yum!</td></tr>
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Last night after dinner, I decided to take my kids to the local McDonald's for dessert (to celebrate National Strawberry Sundae Day. Because that's the kind of thing that we do.) We're rapidly approaching the end of their summer vacation, so it seemed like a good idea to go out for some fun and enjoy a treat together.<br />
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Unfortunately our quick trip down the road didn't go quite as we had planned.<br />
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Because, displaying my incredible brilliance, I locked us out of the house. And the car. Yep. The kids and I were in the garage, with my keys hanging securely on their hook in the kitchen. It was one of my worst "I-Can't-Believe-I-Did-That" moments ever.<br />
<br />I felt terrible (and dumb) and of course my less-than-happy reaction upset the kids. But when they started to cry I realized that I had to show them that everything was okay. So first we called my husband, because getting his key was the only way we were getting back in to the house. Then we set about figuring out how to pass the time until he got there to rescue us.<br />
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And that's when my son decided that since we couldn't drive to McDonald's, we should walk there. It would be fun, he said. And a good adventure. I was hesitant, because while the dust storm warning had been cancelled it still looked like there was a good chance of some rain moving in. But that was okay, he said. If it rained, we'd just get wet. No big deal.<br />
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I was just starting to consider the idea of giving it a shot, when what he said next convinced me. We needed to do it, he said, "because we should always try to make the most of our situation." As it turns out, he really does listen to me now and then, and he is apparently growing up with the "find a bright side" outlook that I can't ever argue with. It makes a mother very happy.<br />
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So we decided to go for it. It was a long walk, and fairly exhausting. But we made it. And we even avoided getting rained on. Plus there was the promise of ice cream to keep us going.<br />
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We ended up not walking the entire two miles to McDonald's, once we realized that there was a Dairy Queen on the way (and a half a mile closer.) So we stopped to rest, and wait for my awesome husband to come get us.<br />
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And we finally got our sundaes.<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-48619003597893787372014-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:002014-07-07T12:31:17.090-07:00Tell the Truth Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is <a href="http://www.dates.abouttravelingtheworld.com/special-holidays/tell-the-truth-day/" target="_blank">Tell the Truth Day</a>, and it got me to thinking. And while I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject, it seemed like a good time to offer some food for thought.<br />
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For the most part, I consider myself a pretty honest person. I tend to not hold much back, and most people who know me well know that I'll usually tell you what I'm thinking.<br />
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Except when I don't. Because we all tell "little white lies" sometimes, don't we? Did you really not hear the phone, or did you just not feel like talking right now? Do you really have plans tonight, or do you just not feel like going out? Does she really not look fat in that dress?<br />
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Some people would say that the truth is always better.<br />
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And maybe that's true. Although I'm not sure that telling every little truth is worth making someone cry. Maybe it's better to take Thumper's advice.<br />
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Personally, I try to strike a balance. I don't think sparing someone's feelings is the worst thing in the world, so sometimes avoiding the whole truth might be better. But at the same time, telling those little lies all of the time just because you think they aren't hurting anyone probably isn't the best way to go either.<br />
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Are little white lies the gateway to a larger evil? Perhaps not. But like anything else that becomes a habit, it becomes increasingly easy to do, and we start to become desensitized to it. Eventually, it just becomes a part of who we are. And I don't know about you, but that's not the kind of person I want to be.<br />
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So today, like every day, is a good time to think about who we are, and how we want to live our lives. I don't want to just drift along doing whatever seems easiest. I want to make a conscious effort. I want to put some thought into what I say and do. I want to be the kind of person that I really want to be.<br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-78506922177064039442014-05-01T10:07:00.000-07:002014-05-01T10:07:14.521-07:00March/April Reading Challenge Update<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">As you may recall from </span><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/because-i-love-challenge.html" style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #7600a9; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">my previous post</a><span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, I have decided to take part in the 2014 Reading Challenge through Goodreads. I set a conservative goal of reading 26 books this year, and so far I'm doing great. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #ffe4e5; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">Since I was on vacation at the end of March to the beginning of April I did't get a chance to do March's recap, so here it is for the past two months. In March and April I read eight more books, which puts me at 62% of my goal, and I'm now eight books ahead of schedule. With that in mind, I think I may have to adjust my goal. It turns out I'm even more of a devout reader than I thought. :)</span><br />
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Here is a brief recap of what I've been reading lately. You can see the reviews for any of these books by following the links below.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-lost-symbol-by-dan-brown.html" target="_blank">The Lost Symbol</a> by Dan Brown</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-divergent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Divergent</a><i> </i>by Veronica Roth</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-21-day-sugar-detox-by-diane.html" target="_blank">The 21 Day Sugar Detox</a> by Diane Sanfillipo</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-mighty-miss-malone-by.html" target="_blank">The Mighty Miss Malone</a> by Christoper Paul Curtis</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-stuart-little-by-eb-white.html" target="_blank">Stuart Little</a> by E.B. White</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-dragonslayers-volume-one-by.html" target="_blank">The Dragonslayers, Volume One</a> by Matthew Maynard</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-aspen-by-rebekah-crane.html" target="_blank">Aspen</a> by Rebekah Crane</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-insurgent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank">Insurgent</a> by Veronica Roth</span><br />
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<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-78904626156109223552014-04-30T14:23:00.001-07:002014-04-30T14:23:37.337-07:00Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This second book in the series picks up right where <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-divergent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank"><i>Divergent</i></a> left off. Following the horrifically violent events that the factions just went through, everyone can see that a war is inevitable, and they are all but forced to choose a side.<br />
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Some will escape their factions because they disagree with the prevalent attitudes. Some will defect to a new faction out of misguided beliefs (or a simple lust for power.) The factionless will suddenly have more of a voice and a place in society.<br />
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And while everyone's beliefs and way of life are changing and being increasingly tested, so is the relationship between Tris and Tobias. Part of me liked the way that they developed as characters, and how those developments made their relationship evolve. But part of me was irritated by it, wasn't always able to accept Tris's decisions.<br />
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Once again Roth left us with a fairly shocking cliffhanger, which of course left me with a fairly strong desire to rush out and find out what happens next. But it also left me with a bit of an emotional hangover, so I'm going to have to wait a little while (and read something a little lighter for the palate cleansing effect) before I can come back and finish the series.<br />
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For me, this book was slightly slower to get into than the first one. (It took me almost a week to read, rather than just over a day.) But I still really enjoyed it, and the payoff was totally worth it.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-36435083305616182532014-04-30T13:30:00.001-07:002014-04-30T13:30:21.495-07:00Book Review: Aspen by Rebekah Crane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Born under a tree at an outdoor music festival, to a teenage mother who didn't even know she was pregnant, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor could be expected to have had a somewhat less than typical childhood. But as she begins her senior year of high school, it isn't her irresponsible (yet somehow always well-meaning) mother that is causing most of her life's current complications.<br />
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After a devastating car accident that left her with a broken leg, and tragically cut short the life of her popular classmate Katelyn, Aspen is wracked with guilt. To make matters worse, and ensure that she can't get past the guilt, she is also being haunted by Katelyn's ghost.<br />
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Tumultuous emotions continue when Aspen discovers that the recent tragedy has somehow increased her popularity at school. Is it because people feel sorry for her and want to try to make or feel better, or because they're just really noticing her for the first time? <br />
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And things are complicated even further when Aspen is suddenly befriended by Katelyn's best friend, and begins to develop a close relationship with Ben, Katelyn's boyfriend at the time of her death. By way of their very nature, both relationships are complicated and confusing at first. But both happen so naturally (and never once seem at all contrived) that their development seems perfectly suited to the characters.<br />
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I completely and totally loved this book. As much as <a href="http://findabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-reading-challenge-update.html" target="_blank">I enjoyed <i>Playing Nice</i></a>, Crane's first novel, this one completely blew it away. Her writing style is developing beautifully, and I can't wait for her next book. (And the next one, and the next one.) This one instantly sucked me in, and I absolutely devoured it. (Seriously. I neglected just about everything else in my life for a whole day just so I could finish it.)<br />
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Crane has an uncanny ability for writing YA fiction, with completely believable characters, incredibly realistic dialogue, and stories that kind of put you through the emotional wringer. If you're a YA fan, you should absolutely add this to your reading list.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-57961585076528272202014-04-29T19:11:00.000-07:002014-04-29T19:11:14.615-07:00Book Review: The Dragonslayers, Volume One by Matthew Maynard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Scott Phillipson's life changes dramatically when his parents are suddenly murdered in a drug raid gone wrong. (Wrong not only because the trigger-happy police officers overreacted, but also because they shouldn't have been there in the first place. A clerical error sent the raid to the wrong house.)<br />
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While the government drags its feet on the subject of taking responsibility and making amends for the wrongful deaths, Scott struggles to make ends meet. And when his pizza delivery job puts him in a position to become a courier for the local arm of a drug cartel, it's an opportunity that he can hardly pass up.<br />
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The legal vs. moral question in the war on drugs (particularly when it comes to marijuana) gets even more complicated when Scott connects with Dr. Romano, an oncologist who has recently discovered that a medical treatment derived from the marijuana plant might actually be able to extend her patient's life.<br />
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Regardless of any logical arguments that Scott may have for being involved with drugs, he cannot escape the fact that it is an incredibly dangerous business. Pursued on one side by a drug cartel, and on the other side by the relentless (and somewhat less than ethical) Officer Cavanaugh, he is kept on his toes - and often running for his life.<br />
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This is Maynard's first novel, in a genre that he has dubbed "liberty fiction," and I think it was an excellent debut. It is fairly fast-paced and has plenty of gripping action to keep the story going, but there are enough other elements to the story that it is more than just a typical action/thriller. There are traces of love story, and medical drama, and just a bit of a stab at religious hypocrisy, all mixed with a brutally critical look at the world of law enforcement and the war on drugs.<br />
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The only problem I had with the book was that it took me a little while before I could keep the multiple story lines sorted out. All of the characters were introduced within their separate stories before eventually all coming together and revealing how everything fit into place. This is a common literary technique, and there was nothing that the author necessarily did wrong. For me, this format just sometimes seems a little jumpy, and makes me work harder to keep up.<br />
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Other than that minor personal-preference issue, this was a great book, and I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-71507360015696420262014-04-29T13:43:00.000-07:002014-04-30T12:24:50.552-07:00Book Review: Stuart Little by E.B. White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mr. and Mrs. Little's youngest son Stuart is born surprisingly small, and rather mouse-like. But they love him just the same, and choose to overlook (and never reference) his appearance.<br />
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This loosely-woven story tells of Stuarts mishaps (like getting stuck in a rolled up window shade) and adventures (like sailing a toy ship out on the lake.) Eventually he befriends an injured bird, and when she suddenly disappears he sets off to find her. More mishaps and adventures follow, right up until the abrupt ending.<br />
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My kids and I read <i>Charlotte's Web</i> together last year, and we all really loved it. When I came across this one by the same author, I couldn't really remember if I had read it as a kid. But I figured we could give it a try, and see if Stuart was on the level with Charlotte. Sadly, he was not.<br />
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It kind of seems like people either love this book or hate it. And while I wouldn't necessarily say I <i>hated </i>it (because that's a bit strong of a word) I definitely didn't like it. My kids got a kick out of a couple of the sillier scenes, but they absolutely did not like the ending. (Leaving it up to the reader to speculate about the outcome is okay in an adult or young-adult novel, but not a children's book.)<br />
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I didn't freak out too much about the premise, like some people have. Sure, a mouse being born to human parents is weird, but in fantasy fiction anything can happen, so I can get past that. What bothered me more was the lack of a real story line (or even any really compelling elements, for that matter.) Nothing about the book seemed to fit together, or have much of a purpose.<br />
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Obviously, I don't recommend this book (even for the younger readers in your life.) If you want an E.B. White classic, go for <i>Charlotte's Web</i> instead.<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7301112655054997734.post-29654498425777878022014-04-23T18:32:00.000-07:002014-04-23T18:33:10.486-07:00Mind-blowing InformationMy daughter and I joined my son for lunch in the school cafeteria yesterday. As a reward for the school's great attendance during the recent state testing, the administration had hired a DJ to entertain the kids during lunch, and he was excited for us to share in the fun. <br />
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The kids were all having a great time listening to the music. It was fairly loud, as I had expected, and most of the music was kid-oriented, which I also expected. But it was cute watching the kids enjoy themselves, so it was all good.<br />
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Before we were done, the DJ (for some reason) played "Footloose." Of course none of the kids were at all familiar with it, or cared at all about it. But anyone who is old enough to appreciate eighties music like I do just can't help but love that song. Before I knew it, I was singing and bopping along with the music, much to the amusement of the second graders around me.<br />
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One of the boys asked me where that song came from, and I told them it was from a really old movie called <i>Footloose</i>. He just kind of shrugged, obviously dismissing it as an "old people movie." Then I did a quick calculation, and realized how long ago that movie was made. I know I'm dating myself here, but I asked the kids "can you believe that I was in kindergarten when this song came out?"<br />
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Jaws dropped, and the looks I got were priceless. For an eight-year-old mind, the thought of an old lady like me being in kindergarten is apparently just to much to process. :)<br />
<br />Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11413447755151180514noreply@blogger.com0