I finished the Portland Storm series. Now I have a book hangover and the next book in the series is due out next week. Today I dealt with the book hangover by deep cleaning the apartment. Not sure what I will do tomorrow.

Hello everyone! I spent the long Easter weekend at my parents reading, eating and playing with the nieces and their cousins. It was a very very enjoyable weekend. I discovered a new (to me) romance series titled Portland Storm and I have read several of those books. I've also made some progress in To the Lighthouse which I hope to continue with this week as I am off. I read quite a few Bamse comics to the kids on Saturday, my sister's best friend's (who also happens to be bil's cousin) son wanted some quality cuddle time with me and for me to read, and what can I say I am a sucker for a kid who wants to listen to books. Kareni I just found out that the next Ivy League series book is out in 10 days (from yesterday I think). I plan on getting caught up on my Medieval World reading this week. So far this year I've read: Read so far this year: 1. The Child Catchers by Kathryn Joyce 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 3. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen 4. The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen 5. The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen 6. Blond Date by Sarina Bowen 7. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 8. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson 9. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson 10. With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin 11. Falling from the Sky by Sarina Bowen 12. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb 13. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen 14. Än finns det hopp by Karin Wahlberg 15. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 16. Shooting for the Stars by Sarina Bowen 17. The Deal by Elle Kennedy 18. Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen 19. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan 20. All Lined Up by Cora Carmack 21. All Broke Down by Cora Carmack 22. On the Fly by Catherine Gayle 23. Breakaway by Catherine Gayle 24. Taking a Shot by Cathrine Gayle 25. Light the Lamp by Catherine Gayle

My library has self-check out AND self-check in. Same machine, you just press a different button on the screen. It is great because I always know that the books have been scaned and what I still have out.

I could try and feel bad but...I really don't ;)

Swedish tv used to always show them during the easter break here. And my mom read me the books when I was growing up. But I think I will be trying Mere Christianity for C.S. Lewis month.

I have the postcard version of her book and it is so relaxing but I would love some recommendations for pens to use for coloring. The ones I have bleed a bit.

My German is dodgy at best but I understood that, good one!

The police in a neighbouring county put up that there was a new website where you could see where they had their speed traps :)

I've seen it on amazon a few days now so thinking no joke.

Thought it might be fun to collect the day's April Fools jokes from around the world. I'll start it off: My employer claimed that they are going to stop our "Healthy living hours"* and replace it with a doggy day care that the Adult Special Ed students are running. We will be allowed to take the dogs out for a walk instead. Amazon has gone retro. *We get one hour a week that we are paid for when we are supposed to do something that benefits our health. We can take this hour whenever it fits our schedule. I start late on Thursdays because my workouts are outwith my hours. And no this is no joke, it is part of my benefits package.

Congratulations and best wishes for you and your family Eliana. The happiness really radiates from the pictures.

Pam have you read Mystics, Maverics and Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey among Hasidic Girls? I think it might be right up your alley. I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

Oh I saw this article on a friends fb page today (a friend who was a virtual friend first and is now one of my best friends) and I thought it sounded like colleges the WTM kids would go to, and look they do :D

But did you at least meet them in well lit public spaces the first time? I've meet virtual friends in real life several times. The one that loses me cyber security points is the one where I did meet her in a well lit public space but then promptly got into her car and drove all night (NJ to Chicago). So you aren't the only one who fails cyber security :D

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I did enjoy it very much! I am hoping to start a reading club at my high school. I just need to get rid of some of my other responsibilities first. I went home sick today and I will stay home tomorrow too. The head aches, and the sore neck and a general tiredness have just overwhelmed me and I need to take some time to myself. I've got a doctors appointment on Wednesday though. The nurse was extremely apologetic when she realized how long I had been waiting for an appointment. Hopefully I'll get a start to some answers. I have been sucked into a new (to me) romance series The Rusk University series by Cora Carmack. Set at a fictional Texas University it is about some of the football players. Sweet, funny and with a bit of sex, just what the doctor ordered.

The Jungle is the reason I am very suspicious of processed meat, especially when I am in the US. I read it in high school and I try very very hard not to think about it.

Between head aches and the Young Entrepreneurship Regional competition this past week has been a hellish week, but none of my companies made nationals (thanks be!) so things on that front should calm down. This week we only work four days (Good Friday is a holiday) and then I have Easter break so I am looking forward to a reading week. I did get some Woolf read today and am planing on reading more during the week. I'm reading To The Lighthouse and so far I am...confused. I have no clue what is going on, if we are jumping back and forth in time or if we are on a linear progression, and who the heck everyone is. But I shall keep going. Other than that I am reading romance books and listening to A Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer Fleming (a book and series I think many of my fellow BAWers would enjoy) My firsties had to choose their free reading books for this term on Friday. The rules were: at least 200 pages (I did allow some 198 page books 'cause I'm cool like that), no Twilight, and as the afternoon progressed also vetoed Fifty Shades of Grey (both Twilight and Fifty Shades were vetoed on account of the fact that the language is dubious at best). There were a few books chosen that I wasn't terribly happy about but I have decided that they fall under the At least they are reading banner. Two students made me very happy. Student 1 has SEVERE dyslexia and I told him he could listen to an audio book instead. He still chose a reading book! And student 2 is a Somali boy who hasn't been in the country for more than 3 years. He chose A Separate Peace. He is a sweetheart and super smart and he just makes me happy. His classmates don't always get how smart he is but before they graduate I think he will blow their socks off. Read so far this year: 1. The Child Catchers by Kathryn Joyce 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 3. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen 4. The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen 5. The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen 6. Blond Date by Sarina Bowen 7. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 8. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson 9. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson 10. With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin 11. Falling from the Sky by Sarina Bowen 12. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb 13. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen 14. Än finns det hopp by Karin Wahlberg 15. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 16. Shooting for the Stars by Sarina Bowen 17. The Deal by Elle Kennedy 18. Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen 19. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I talked to the doctors office earlier in the week and they were working on finding me an appointment. I had a missed call from the main switchboard at the doctors yesterday so I am assuming I will have a time in the mail on Monday, so hopefully we will work something out. And next week I only work four days and then I have Friday and the following week off for Easter break (yay!) The links are to my reviews of the books on my blog. I've got a reveal with an excerpt from Sarina Bowen's latest book The Shameless Hour coming on April 1st (no joke) and a review of the book later that month. The Shameless Hour is the latest book in the Ivy Years series that Kareni got me reading, and which I still have a bit of a book hangover from so I am super excited about that. Kareni, I think you will also like the last two books on my read this year list. So I am going to make another attempt at my read so far this year list: 1. The Child Catchers by Kathryn Joyce 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 3. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen 4. The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen 5. The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen 6. Blond Date by Sarina Bowen 7. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 8. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson 9. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson 10. With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin 11. Falling from the Sky by Sarina Bowen 12. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb 13. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen 14. Än finns det hopp by Karin Wahlberg 15. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 16. Shooting for the Stars by Sarina Bowen 17. The Deal by Elle Kennedy 18. Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen 19. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

Well.........in my case it was a character in a book who did it and it seemed like a fine idea at the time (I was five and my parents are STILL telling that story)

It's okay I'll be proctoring National Tests (standardized tests) in April and May and I can guarantee I will need to be amused, is it okay if I start the treads instead?

Growing up I was told that only two things in life are certain, death and taxes, I would like to add a third: the Hive will ALWAYS find something to disagree on. I find that comforting.

I take it we can now conclude that not only are cupcakes controversial here but what one puts on them is equally controversial?!

I use them. I have really cute word class and punctuation posters with owls that I use with the teens and they think they are cute and fun (I teach ESL). I've also used literature units and holiday type stuff. I wish more of the holiday stuff wasn't so little kid focused but I understand why :D. Make stuff you want to use, if you would use it I'm sure others would want it too.

I call it yummyness and it has never complained. I shave to the knee You all made me drink coffee today. I have a regular coffee pot and I let my electrical grinder grind my beans.