Erin, thank you for this! I plan on reading more by him. It seems that many writers are not as good after a certain point. Isabel Allende's first few books, for example, were far better than her more recent ones. Nonetheless, it is a bit disappointing.

Barb, you said it perfectly, far better than I could. It's so true about not feeling discouraged if one eventually needs to go on meds. I used to think that I'm a failure if I need to go on them. I am so thankful for them now! It reminds me of how some new mothers get depressed when they realize that they need to have a c-section. I know a few who have been depressed about it for quite a long time. My attitude is: Relax. The whole point is to have a healthy child and mom. Who cares how the baby was delivered? You tried, you did your best, now let it go. I see blood pressure and all health problems the same way. Try your best and don't get down on yourself if you need meds or whatever.

I read The Water is Wide - 4 Stars - Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors now. I loved “Beach Music” so very much. His writing style is just wonderful. This book is a memoir. Conroy spent a year teaching at an all-black school on an island off South Carolina. He was faced with endless challenges. Since it was 1969, racism was a huge problem. Another challenge was the awful administration. Towards the end of the book, I realized that they made a movie based on this book. I now remember seeing it when I was about eleven (so long ago!) and it made a big impression on me. Some of my favorite quotes: “I learned that politicians are not supposed to help people. They simply listen to people, nod their heads painfully, commiserate at proper intervals, promise to do all they can, and then do nothing. It was very instructive. I could probably have enlisted more action from a bleached jellyfish washed ashore in a seasonal storm.” “No man or woman has the right to humiliate children, even in the sacrosanct name of education. No one has the right to beat children with leather straps, even under the sacred auspices of all school boards in the world.” “White guilt, that nasty little creature who rested on my left shoulder, prevented me from challenging Mrs. Brown on this or any other point. At this time of my life a black man could probably have handed me a bucket of cow piss, commanded me to drink it in order that I might rid my soul of the stench of racism, and I would have only asked for a straw. Blacks who have gone through the civil rights struggle have met a hundred white boys and girls who would dive head first in a septic tank to prove their liberation from the sins of their fathers.” “In the fantasy of the races conceived in my mind, all blacks were noble people who had struggled against a repressive social order for years and who were finally reaping the tangible rewards of this struggle. All whites, especially myself, were guilty of heinous, extraordinarily brutal crimes against humanity.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Kindle book on sale today - true crime and mystery.

So deeply sorry. Praying.

I tried every single natural method for several years. In the end, I had to go on meds and am so grateful for them. No side effects whatsoever. For me, blood pressure is one of those things that I can't fool around with. Too much effort and wishful thinking for too long. I still try to be as healthy as possible, but I had to face up to reality.

I read Life's That Way - 5 Stars - These days I’m truly out of touch when it comes to TV and popular culture. I’d never heard of Jim Beaver until reading this book. Whether you’ve heard of him or not, it really doesn’t matter. Jim Beaver’s wife was diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer. Around the same time, their two-year-old daughter was diagnosed as autistic. Rather than calling every single friend and family member, he started sending emails, since that was more efficient. This book is a collection of all those open, honest, and heartbreaking emails that he wrote over the course of a year (2003-2004). I would recommend it to pretty much anyone – those who are grieving especially. I feel so grateful to have found this book. It reminded me even further of what’s important in life. It can change one’s perspective. I love it. Perhaps you will too. I’m sharing my top three favorite quotes here. There are far too many quotes to include. All the other quotes that I love can be found on my Good Reads review. “On the other hand, comfort of a sort is providable. It consists in large part of copping to the inability to be comforting. As contradictory as this seems, I (and, I’m told, many other people) have found it immeasurably more helpful for someone to say, ‘I have no idea how you must feel,’ or ‘I can’t imagine your pain.’ Just saying this and making clear that you hear and acknowledge the pain, though you have no answers, goes light-years beyond any attempt to repair a griever’s spirits. The knowledge of a loving soul’s presence and willingness to be present and to hear and absorb one’s grief is a powerful resource for the griever. I’ve had more comfort from people saying, ‘I don’t know what to say,’ than from a hundred people telling me good reasons I shouldn’t feel as bad as I do. I know that whatever is said to a griever by concerned friends, whether ultimately helpful or distressing, comes from the very best of intentions. But if you happen on a broken heart, stand nearby, whisper, ‘I’m here,’ and never, ever, tell it you know how it feels.” “With all the thousands upon thousands of people suffering from this disease, how can I find her pain and mine so surprising, so unexpected? How can we not all know about this stuff on a daily basis, if so many go through it? Are we all really so isolated from the trauma and torment around us? People in my own family have gone through this. I’ve sat by the deathbeds of friends who lived every moment of this. Yet this is all so utterly unexpected and so much more than I believed it could be. It’s like having lived all one’s life in a cavern, only to have the harsh light of a thousand suns blasted in upon you. Except this light is dark, pitch-dark, and throbs rather than pierces. How can I not have known what so many people have gone through? The only answer I can conjure is that a kind Providence keeps us blind to the intensity of suffering so as to keep us sane, until that day when the suffering is our own or that of someone we love beyond imagining.” “Pray, hum, and give a ferocious hug to the ones you love most. You never know when you might want that hug with all your soul, and not be able to give it or get it.” Alone - 5 Stars - This graphic novel is simply remarkable. There is almost no text, but the story is so powerful, that it speaks for itself. Cider with Rosie - 1 Star - I was looking forward to reading this memoir, the first in a three-part series. I was especially looking forward to it since this part of the series was based in one of my favorite places in England – the Cotswolds. Unfortunately, this book was so dry and boring. I didn’t care for the writing style. Towards the end, I really didn’t like how he and his friends tried to rape a mentally handicapped girl. Granted, they were young, but that was so disturbing. They weren’t successful. What bothered me especially was a seeming lack of shame and remorse. Other than that, nothing much happens, given the awful attempted rape, that’s a good thing. MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Kindle book on sale today.

About 15 years ago (can't believe that it's been that long!), I got a horrible plantar wart from a pedicure several years ago. It was so deeply embedded that I had to have surgery and spent a month on bed rest. I refused to go again for a long time. A few years ago, I started having regular pedicures once again. I go to a place that I trust and that's clean, as far as I can tell. I also make a point of being the first customer for the morning. Not sure if that helps or not, but hopefully, things have been sterilized overnight. Hopefully! I once read that one should bring Clorox wipes or something like that and insist that the therapist wipe everything down first. But that's not the type of person that I am. I'm shy about insisting on things. They play the worst, absolute worst music there and I'm too nice to even complain about that. I need to learn to be more assertive.

I read The Private World of Tasha Tudor - 3 Stars - Tasha Tudor lived a simple, country life on a farm in Vermont. When I say simple, I mean back to the 1800’s simple. This book is a delightful collection of photos and illustrations. Some of her words are included, but not as many as I would have liked. There really isn’t that much to read. I bought it used and the sellers included a few news clippings about her children and the fight over her estate after her death. What a nightmare. Some of my favorite quotes: “I always wanted to live in Vermont, and because I always get my own way, this is where I settled. The first thing I did was plant daffodils – over a thousand. The road was impassable, so I carried them in by backpack.” “I enjoy solitude. It's probably selfish, but why bother about it. Life is much too important, as Oscar Wilde said, to be taken seriously. I feel so sorry for those mothers who are devastated by loneliness when their children fly the coop and don't want to live at home anymore. They feel lost, but look what exciting things can be done. Life isn't long enough to do all you could accomplish. And what a privilege to be alive. In spite of all the pollutions and horrors, how beautiful this world is. Supposing you only saw the stars once every year. Think what you would think. The wonder of it!” “I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionnaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare.” “When I'm working in the barn or house I often think of all the errors I've made in my life. But then I quickly put that behind me and think of water lilies. They will always eradicate unpleasant thoughts. Or goslings are equally comforting in their own way.” “You should see my corgis at sunset in the snow. It's their finest hour. About five o'clock they glow like copper. Then they come in and lie in front of the fire like a string of sausages.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Kindle book on sale today (mystery/crime/thriller)

Kindle book on sale today - the most recent one in the Fannie Flagg - Elmwood Springs books. The correct order is this: 1. Welcome to the World, Baby Girl 2. Standing in the Rainbow 3. Can't Wait to Get to Heaven 4. The Whole Town's Talking - on sale today.

Thank you for letting me know.

Kindle book on sale today. Not sure if I would like it or not. Fantasy is not usually my thing.

Robin, you are always so kind and sweet. Thank you.

Kindle books on sale today. Not the greatest of all sales, but still discounted. These are from the Bronze Horseman series (historical fiction/romance genre). I keep hearing about this series, but I have not yet read them. The following is the correct order. Children of Liberty - prequel to the series Bellagrand is next - but is not on sale. The Bronze Horseman Tatiana and Alexander - not on sale The Summer Garden - not on sale Tatiana's Table - not on sale

I read The New Church Ladies: The Extremely Uptight World of Social Justice - 3 Stars - I’ve been hesitant to post a review of this book, since I’m sure that I’ll offend many. First, the fact that I even read this book will hit a nerve. Then, the fact that I’m reviewing it, oh, the outrage. I really dislike political correctness. If you happen to have drunk the PC Kool-Aid, please read no further. Years ago, I was an undergrad in one of the first colleges to be involved in the whole stupid politically correct rubbish. I was right there in the thick of it, when all that nonsense started. In one class, we were asked to do a mock interview. To warm things up a bit, we were requested to joke about something, only to realize that the joke part was a trick question. The instructor, a complete idiot in my mind, said she hated jokes. No, not just for the purpose of the mock interview, but she hated jokes overall, since they always end up offending somebody. At the time, I thought, what a sad way to live one’s life. Now, we have an entire generation of college students, who are just like her. They cannot seem to find humor in anything and get offended by the smallest thing. This is why some comedians such as Seinfeld and Chris Rock, now refuse to perform in colleges. Everything is labeled racist, sexist, prejudice, you name it. For me, this book was hilarious and insightful, but it’s also obscene, and so I cannot recommend it to anyone. No. Not a single soul. Those who need to read it probably won’t. Everyone will eventually find something in this book that they will find offensive. My favorite quote: “If you’re really sincere about the idea that diversity is a good thing, you need to quit insisting that everyone should THINK exactly like you do. Unanimity of thought—especially when it’s enforced through speech codes and laws that restrict and criminalize ideological dissent—is not tolerance, it’s totalitarianism. Tolerating different ideas is the most important form of tolerance.” I also read None Dare Call it Conspiracy - 3 Stars - This was a thought-provoking read. Although it was quite dated, unfortunately much of it is still relevant today. Some interesting quotes: “If you have total government it makes little difference whether you call it Communism, Fascism, Socialism, Caesarism or Pharaohism. It's all pretty much the same from the standpoint of the people who must live and suffer under it.” “FDR once said ‘In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.’” “If you study Marx's Communist Manifesto you will find that in essence Marx said the proletarian revolution would establish the SOCIALIST dictatorship of the proletariat. To achieve the SOCIALIST dictatorship of the proletariat, three things would have to be accomplished: (1) The elimination of all right to private property; (2) The dissolution of the family unit; and (3) Destruction of what Marx referred to as the "opiate of the people," religion.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

The only one that I've liked so far is the one by Drunk Elephant. I don't care for their packaging, however, and feel that I'm being ripped off, but as far as their texture and consistency goes,. Drunk Elephant is my current favorite. I don't like any serum that's too liquidy. Those frustrate me. I also am not a fan of things that come out in droppers.

I am loving your pictures! Yes, I want more also!

I'm still catching up on reviews from books that I read while we were away. I haven't gotten much reading done in the past week. I've been far too busy and too tired. While on vacation, I read The Geography of Genius - 3 Stars - I read Eric Weiner’s “The Geography of Bliss” several years and loved it. In that book, he travels the world searching for places of happiness. “The Geography of Genius” follows the same formula. Here he searches for certain places and time periods of genius and innovation. Since I love travelogues, I enjoyed those parts most of all. He visited seven places where a genius golden age has flourished: Athens, Florence, Hangzhou, Edinburgh, Calcutta, Vienna, and Silicon Valley. I particularly enjoyed the Florence part, since we had just been there. Here are two pictures of our museum day there. I enjoy Weiner’s humor and conversational writing style, but all in all, this book wasn’t as compelling as I had hoped. I have to admit that genius doesn’t interest me that much. I think that it’s often overrated and there is more to life than mere genius. Yet it was certainly thought-provoking and led to some interesting conversations with my husband, things that may not interest you and that you may not agree with, but I thought to share anyway. We believe that everything we have is ultimately from God and that the source of all learning is the knowledge of God. We also believe that there are holy spirits and angels that inspire people to know and realize things and/or to create things. All these things are ultimately used for the benefit of mankind. We talked about how these geniuses were inspired by God whether they were aware of it or not, although we believe that most were aware of it. I know that Michelangelo was. The point is that they didn’t come up with all their genius on their own. Sorry for rambling a bit! My favorite take-home concept: A culture cultivates what it values. It makes me rather depressed about the country that I live in and what it values. Some of my favorite quotes. Sorry that there are so many. “What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.” “This less-is-more phenomenon holds true not only for individuals but for entire nations. A good example is the “oil curse,” also known as the paradox of plenty. Nations rich in natural resources, especially oil, tend to stagnate culturally and intellectually, as even a brief visit to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait reveals. The citizens of these nations have everything so they create nothing.” “We are at our most creative when we have something to push against. Creativity does not require perfect conditions. In fact, it thrives in imperfect ones. The block of marble from which Michelangelo carved his masterpiece, the David, had been discarded by other artists. They considered it defective, and they were right. But Michelangelo saw that defect as a challenge, not a disqualifier.” “For the Greeks, Brady explains, virtue and genius were inseparable. You could be the greatest poet or architect in the world, but no one would consider you so if you were an arrogant jerk. I marvel at how that differs from our modern view of genius. Not only are we willing to overlook character flaws if the character in question produces brilliance, we have come to expect them from our geniuses. Think of Steve Jobs and his famously peevish personality. Only a true genius, we conclude, could get away with that. That’s not how the Greeks saw it. A man was judged not only by the quality of his work but also the content of his character.” “Great civilizations rise to greatness for different reasons but collapse for essentially the same reason: arrogance. No civilization, no matter how great, is immune to this “creeping vanity,” as professor of education Eugene Von Fange calls it. Here he is describing the decline of classical Athens, but his words could just as easily apply to any golden age that has begun to lose its bloom. “Soon, their sons, coddled in the use of all the great things their fathers and grandfathers had pioneered, became as helpless as newborn babes when faced with the harsh reality of an aggressive and changing world. It doesn’t take an Einstein to see signs of this creeping vanity in the Valley. Bling has reared its shiny head, and that is never a good sign. You’ll recall that this was the case in Athens, too; the city’s decline can be traced almost exactly to a concomitant rise in luxury, and a taste for gourmet food. When it comes to golden ages, bling is the canary in the coal mine.” “Some education is essential to creative genius, but beyond a certain point, more education does not increase the chances of genius and actually lowers it. The deadening effect of formal education manifests itself surprisingly early. Psychologists have identified the exact year when a child’s creative-thinking skills plateau: the fourth grade. This brings us to a remarkable finding. While the number of degrees conferred and scientific papers published has grown exponentially in the past fifty years, the “rate at which truly creative work emerges has remained relatively constant,” says sociologist J. Rogers Hollingsworth, writing in the journal Nature. We are experiencing a flood of expertise, and even talent, but no bump in creative breakthroughs.” “Socrates says. Recognizing your ignorance is the beginning of all wisdom.” “We may be inspired by nature—a walk in the woods, the sound of a waterfall—but something about an urban setting is especially conducive to creativity. If it takes a village to raise a child, as the African proverb goes, it takes a city to raise a genius.” “Many a genius has done his or her best thinking while walking. While working on ‘A Christmas Carol’, Dickens would walk fifteen or twenty miles through the back streets of London, turning over the plot in his mind, as the city slept. Mark Twain walked a lot, too, though he never got anywhere. He paced while he worked, as his daughter recalled: ‘Some of the time when dictating, Father walked the floor . . . then it always seemed as if a new spirit had flown into the room.’” “’People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily by interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and the challenge of the work itself—not by external pressures.’ She warns that many schools and corporations, by placing such emphasis on rewards and evaluation, are inadvertently suppressing creativity.” “The problem with paradise is that it is perfect and therefore requires no response. This is why wealthy people and places often stagnate.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

I'm delighted to see your update. You have been in my thoughts and prayers, so much.

I hope that you find the best plan that works for you. It's not easy. At first, "The Obesity Code" and his fasting book made so much sense to me and I got some results as well, but that approach is not sustainable for me in the long-term. Thank you for reminding me to read "52 Loaves". I've only read "Flirting with French", which I loved. I need to look into his other book also. Now you have me thinking about bread ?!

Kindle book on sale today.

I'm catching up on reviews still. While on vacation, I read Beach Music - 5 Stars - Pat Conroy wrote the beautiful introduction to one of my all-time favorite books, “Gone with the Wind”. My rule with classics, not that I read them as often as I probably should, is to read the introduction after completing the book. Once I finished “Gone with the Wind” and then read Conroy’s introduction, I knew that this would be an author that I need to look into. “Beach Music” is the first book that I have read by him. It grabbed me right from the start and I was hooked. Even though we were on vacation, it was often pretty much all that I could think about. Part of the story takes place in Italy, specifically Rome, and I finished this book right before we arrived there. Perfect timing! Here's a picture that we took of the Piazza Navona in Rome. The writing is gorgeous. The story is riveting and had me laughing and crying. The characters are superb to the point where I missed them so very much after finishing the book. For me, that’s definitely a sign of a phenomenal book. While reading, I looked up Pat Conroy and was amazed at how quite a bit of the story is similar to his own life. I was reminded of a quote by P.D. James: “All fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction.” I can’t wait to read more books by him. How sad that he’s no longer with us. This is definitely my favorite book of 2018, and now one of my favorite books of all time. Some of my favorite quotes: “American men are allotted just as many tears as American women. But because we are forbidden to shed them, we die long before women do, with our hearts exploding or our blood pressure rising or our livers eaten away by alcohol because that lake of grief inside us has no outlet. We, men, die because our faces were not watered enough.” “When you have been hurt you lose your trust in the world. If the world’s mean to you when you’re a child, you spend the rest of your life being mean back.” “I don’t know why it is that I have always been happier thinking of somewhere I have been or wanted to go, than where I am at the time. I find it difficult to be happy in the present.” MY RATING SYSTEM 5 Stars Fantastic, couldn't put it down 4 Stars Really Good 3 Stars Enjoyable 2 Stars Just Okay – nothing to write home about 1 Star Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Kindle book on sale today.