I Feel So Unnecessary

Publication Date: January 8, 2013 Publisher: Midnight Ink 288 pages Synopsis: Crafts editor Anastasia Pollack takes an extra job in an assisted living facility  leading a crafts class to earn some extra cash. When her mother-in-law's roommate is killed. Anastasia sets out to prove her um, difficult mother-in-law is not the killer. But will Anastasia's craftiness lead to her demise?  My review: This is book 3 in the series and the first one I've read. I found it to be a humorous read with a neat mystery and well developed characters. I'll definitely be checking out the other books in the series. Rating: 4 stars * I received a complimentary copy from Midnight Ink via netgalley in exchange for a review.

C.S. Lewis' thoughts on the Holiday season: Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival. This is important and obligatory for Christians; but as it can be of no interest to anyone else, I shall naturally say no more about it here. The second (it has complex historical connections with the first, but we needn't go into them) is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality. If it were my business to have a 'view' on this, I should say that I much approve of merry-making. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business. I see no reason why I should volunteer views as to how other people should spend their own money in their own leisure among their own friends. It is highly probable that they want my advice on such matters as little as I want theirs. But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone's business. I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of present...

Dad (to Mom): Have you seen so and so lately? Man, she looks awful. I don't know what it is but if it's a disease she's got it. Maybe it's the goosemumples or something.

Today we had a visitor- a preacher that visits every other week. Unfortunately I fell asleep in the recliner while he was here. When I woke up he had already left. My husband said to me, "Did you know that while you were asleep you let off these HUGE farts every 15 minutes?" "OHHH NOOO! I did? Whoops."

On the way to my doctor's appointment my husband came up with this little ditty:   I will drop you off and go and find a space. Then I will come inside and join you in that horrid place. Where they'll check you out and give you lots of meds. Then I'll take you home again, where you can rest in bed. I call him Dr. Goose

 Synopsis from Goodreads:   The infamous rake, Lord Richard Hamilton, has finally chosen his bride—the very appropriate Miss Emma Grey. The ton approves, Lord Grey is pleased, Lady Grey delighted, and Emma is over the moon, but her uncle, (the blasted) Duke of Arden opposes the match, and Emma is ordered to move to the duke’s estate to think things over. Richard Hamilton refuses to take things lying down and concocts a plan. A plan that should have brought the lovers together and had them married within a month. It was a simple matter of masquerading as the duke’s gardener, compromising the lady, and then having the duke rush them off to Gretna Green. Alas, he underestimates the duke’s intelligence and the tangled situation on the estate—never had he imagined that compromising a lady could be so difficult. His endeavours lead to a comedy of errors, charades, and knotty love affairs. Yet he forges ahead in spite of pesky house guests, a flea bitten mattress, his ...

So Scott was in line at the drive-thru at McDonald's. There's a truck with a trailer attached in front of him and a truck behind him. The person in the truck behind him starts blowing and yelling at the truck in front of him to go on. The truck behind him then gets out of line and goes in front of the truck with the trailer, gets out of his car, and goes inside. Scott then gets to the window and tells the worker: "I thought it was going to get McUgly there for a second."

 Native American Pontiac Parker is a bit of a quirky fellow. He had daily rituals that puzzle and intrigue his new wife Maggie. On His wedding day a riddle is taped to his front porch. That one is soon followed by more clues. They soon find themselves on a quest to solve the puzzle. A sweet love story with two newlyweds, a loving mother-daughter bond, and an intriguing mystery that leads the couple on a quest to solve the mystery. The author has written a novel with well developed characters, vivid descriptions, and an interesting plot. I recommend it. Rating: 3 stars Get it here:

 Synopsis from Goodreads   Memorial Day Weekend -- known in the wholesale floral industry as the Dead Holiday. May 24, 1973 boosted it to a new level: murder. Twin Cities' press dubbed it the Orchid Murder. Whispers of betrayal and greed escalated to accusations of adultery, police incompetence, even ties to organized crime. Millions of dollars changed hands--and an innocent Norm Wartnick was caught in a vortex or recriminations and branded Murderer. Jerry Snider and Joe Friedberg, two of Minnesota's top trial attorneys, were incensed by Wartnick's plight. Knowing they would battle enormous peer pressure and even greater odds, Snider and Friedberg placed their careers on the line in a six-year struggle against a judicial system determined to justify an attorney's betrayal of his client.  My review: The Orchid Murder: Untangling a Web of Unsolved Murders and Legal Malpractice by Christine  Hunt My rating: 3 of 5 stars A murder, a lazy arrogant ...

Why You Are So Very Necessary Each person is a part of “ the great all that is , e verything that exists, the cosmic consciousness, all that ever was or will be” or whatever other word you like use to describe God. What this means is that every individual has their own individual place within the whole. If you think about that for a moment you will see that this means no one person can take the place of another. If they did there would be a hole in the whole! Now that just wouldn’t do would it? You Have a Life Purpose Because we are unique, we each have a place within the overall plan. This is different for everyone because everyone is different. So it will not do at all for you to compare yourself to somebody else. Someone who feels useless or inadequate or someone who competes with others is unable to see themselves clearly. If they did then they would be able to validate their own unique contribution to the world. As well as the unique contributions of those other peopl...

I love to read, I read anything. I've been known to read TV Guide when there's nothing else handy. But what I love to read the most is mysteries. I like escaping into a world of murder and mayhem. Thankfully I had family members and teachers who encouraged my love of reading. One of those first people to encourage me to read was my mother- she would talk of reading Nancy Drew when she was a child. That got me intrigued so when I was a curious 7 year old I visited my school library and checked out some Nancy Drew books. From then on I was hooked on mysteries and I've been reading them now for over 30 yrs. and it's all thanks to my mother.And yes I still read Nancy Drew. My Mom What were your favorite books to read as a child?

My Mother has two kinds of arthritis- osteo and rheumatoid. She has osteoarthritis in one of her knees and in her back and rheumatoid in her left knee and foot. She can't get a shoe on at times and has trouble walking. She takes methotrexate, which seems to help...when she takes it. Let's just say she a weeee bit stubborn. She also has a weak bladder and is supposed to catherize herself three times a day. Woo wee! That sounds like a hoot, don't it?  Anyway...with her two kinds of arthur she has trouble doing that and she recently had a conversation with her urologist about the catherizing. Dr. I.P: Freely: "Have you been catherizing yourself?" Mom: "No, my back hurts plus I  have arthritis. I have trouble doing it." "Well, we all get arthritis as we age, it's normal." So this is where my big mouth butted in and I said, "She has rheumatoid arthritis. I think it's a bit different from the other." Yes I do talk back to...

272 pages Published April 2012 Thomas Nelson Publishers Mitch Stokes makes a case  for Christianity amidst all the skepticism of religion today. This book aims to prove the rationality of applying Christian beliefs to science and to life in general. This book was an enjoyable read, it was interesting and well reasoned.  I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Christian apologetics and to curious non-believers. Rating: 3 1/2 stars *Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been feeling a tad crampy lately. I really should go hide in a cave for a few days. In fear of being even bitchier than I usually am I called into work today. The husband found my excuse amusing. "Hi this is Lisa, I won't be into work today. I'm having female problems and even Aleve ain't working." Aleve- The Wonder Drug-except when you're cramping like a sum bitch. What's been some of your call-in excuses?

I got a wild hair a few days ago to clean and straighten up some clutter. In the course of doing so I came upon the husband's nasty, ratty shoes that he kept after getting a nice, new shiny pair. "I'm throwing these away", I said. "Nuh uh", he exclaimed. "Uh huh". "Nuh uh. Those are my work shoes." "Work shoes? All you ever do is work your mouth." "You threw my work shoes away, now I won't be able to work my mouth." If only.

While on our way to our local neighborhood Wal-mart The Husband asked me: " Was that a rose bush in that yard?" "I didn't see it there", I said. "Did you say the devil is right here.?" "Oh. My. Gosh. You need to clean out your ears." "Buhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuh." was his oh so very mature response.

  Anthology I: The Other Side by Hamidah Gul My rating: 3 of 5 stars A collection of short stories from THE OTHER SIDE'S point of view. Stories about the world ending and where your wishes come true-but that might not be such a good thing. In some ways this collection of stories reminded me of The Twilight Zone. They were creepy, but in a good way. View all my reviews

From Goodreads:   Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full. A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, TWELVE MONTHS is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit. My Review: Twelve Months by Steven Manchester My rating: 4 of 5 stars A poignant, heartwarming book about what a per...

 Synopsis from Goodreads-   Rick & Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures (Journey to the Kingdom), tells the story of a father and his daughter, Rick and Wylie, who, due to the actions of an evil wizard, become separated, whilst on holiday in Hawaii. Wylie has to work her way across a huge and dangerous mystical forest. Rick, along with some of his friends, enters the mystical forest to go in search of his daughter. Both Rick and Wylie endure trials and tribulations, and are finally reunited in the forest. Together, they succeed in awakening the sleeping kingdom,  a place that has been hidden from the evil wizard for more than half a millennium Rick &Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures by And Katsina My rating: 3 of 5 stars An intriguing fantasy for kids. It had likeable characters and an interesting plot. The one thing I had a problem with is it might be a bit long for kids. Other than that it's an enjoyable book. View all my r...