Wondrous Words Wednesday 8-20-14

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy at Bermuda Onion's Weblog. You can share new words that you've encountered or spotlight words you love. Feel free to get creative!. If you want to play along, grab the button at Kathy's blog, write a post and then go back and link up using Mr Linky. 

I found a couple of words in my reading last week and so far this week. Not many though.


1. apse - N.  a large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically in the east end and usually containing the alter.

from French Masquerade - a short story by Paulita Kincer

"They climbed to the second floor and Joanna thrust him forward into the apse where the stained glass windows soared above him so he could be bathed in the blue light."

I have not been to Paris and I do not think this is particular to Paris, but I still can't picture it in my mind. So I found this image on the internet.

Then I went back to the story to remember where Joanna and her Argentinian sailor actually were. At Sainte-Chapelle, a 13th Century Gothic chapel . This is what I found and now it all makes the image understandable. Gorgeous! I glad I searched further and discovered this image.

2. dichotomy - N.

Dichotomy is defined as a sharp division of things or ideas into two contradictory parts.

from Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

"The dichotomy of the image was something Tully knew she'd always remember, but from the moment she got out to the plane until she reboarded the flight for home five days later, she had precious little time to think about imagery."

I should know this word, in fact I know I have looked it up before, but I don't use it and so I had forgotten its exact meaning. I knew the di- had to do with two, so I could sort of figure it out. But I needed to look it up again.




Until next time.
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros as a place to share the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter in a book you are currently reading, or hope to start soon. Since we were camping and I was not able to participate last Tuesday, I will share the first paragraph in the first chapter of a book I finished while camping.

I See London  I See France
Paulita Kincer
isbn 978-1-304-69888-9

    "I've had enough, Caroline." He tossed the words down the stairs like an empty laundry basket.

      Obviously, that was a subtle signal my husband Scott needed some time alone. It's not like I immediately followed him up the stairs to continue the fight I'd started with a few well-placed comments about the leak in the bathtub not fixing itself.

You can read my review HERE.


And this week I am reading:

Firefly Lane
Kristin Hannah
St Martin's Griffin

They used to be called the Firefly Lane girls. That was a long time ago-more than three decades-but just now as she lay in bed listening to the winter storm raging outside, it seemed like yesterday. 

 In the past week ( unquestionably the worst seven days of her life), she'd lost the ability to distance herself from the memories. Too often lately in her dreams it was 1974; she was a teenager again, coming of age in the shadow of a lost war, riding her bike beside her best friend in a darkness so complete it was like being invisible. The place was relevant only as a reference point, but she remembered it in vivid detail; a meandering ribbon of asphalt bordered on either side by gullies of murky water and hillsides of shaggy grass. Before they met, that road seemed to go nowhere at all; it was just a country lane named after an insect no one had ever seen in this rugged blue and green corner of the world.

Until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Reading Reading Reading

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted every Monday by Sheila at Book Journey. This is a very active meme and one sure to entice you to add to your list of books to be read. Join us at Sheila's blog and check out what other bloggers are reading this week 

This week I was able to do a lot of reading. My husband and I spent 5 days camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our plan was just to spend time together, doing nothing or at least not much of anything. We stopped at Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City SD and purchased a bottle of my favorite wine, Red Ass Rhubarb. We drove to Sheridan Lake and looked around the camping sites. I looked for chokecherries but did not see any, although my sister and sister-in-law have picked some recently.  And I spent lots of time reading! 

Sleight of Paw by Sofie Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book in a giveaway on the Cozy Chicks blog a couple of years ago. My copy is signed by the author and I also received the next installment, Copycat Killing.  Although I found a couple of typos it did not distract from my enjoyment of the story. This is the 2nd in the Magical Cats Mystery series and there are some references in the story about the solving of the first murder, but this book can stand alone. I may, however have a bit of insight into the murder in the first book, Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

Kathleen Paulson, is a librarian and owner of two previously feral cats Owen and Hercules. I should probably say, she is owned by the cats. Owen and Hercules are magical cats. Owen can make himself invisible and Hercules can walk through unopened doors. Kathleen talks regularly to her cats and they "talk" back. Their abilities will help Kathleen find some clues to the death of a former and much loved teacher in Mayville Heights, MN. Agatha Shepard's death has Kathleen and her friends, Maggie, Ruby and Roma searching for the cold-hearted killer. Of course, there is professional help too, from handsome Detective Marcus Gordon. Kathleen finds that keeping secrets is never a good idea when there has been a murder.

If you like animals, cats in particular and quirky lady protagonists, then read this fun cozy mystery. I liked it a lot and it was a good read as my husband and I camped in the Black Hills of SD last week. I am on to read the next one, The Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly and then I will search out the 1st in the Magical Cat series

I will be linking this post to several memes today. Since the short story and book by Paulita Kincer are on my Kindle, I will add them to the Ebook Challenge hosted by Sarah at Workaday Reads. And for the first time, I will link up on Paulita's blog, An Accidental Blog for her Dreaming of France meme. 

I read this short story by one of my favorite authors on my kindle. 

I can't review this short story on Goodreads, they don't show it as a possible read. So here is short synopsis of a short story. 

Joanna's husband Simon has the flu. He quit kissing her on the lips. He turned away from her in bed in a fit of coughing. He moved into the spare room, and after a month he packed a bag and moved out of the house. Their only son Ben was going off to college, what could she do. So her friend Sylvia talked her into go back Paris to drown her sorrows in wine, museums and men with accents. Will the sights in Paris fill the void or will she realize she can't go back to the Paris that she remembers from her younger days? It is a short story with a happy ending, and I feel a prelude to the story that became I See London I See France

I See London I See France by Paulita Kincer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caroline Sommers finds herself suddenly alone with her kids when her husband of 15 years walks out in a huff. She begins to wonder what happened to the happy fulfilled women she was before she married and before she became a stay at home, homeschooling mom to three. She remembers feeling most alive when she was traveling, and impulsively sells her minivan ( after all it was bought with an inheritance from her grandmother) and packs up Jack, Maggie and Henry at travels to Europe. As she shepherds her kids to London, to Scotland then to Paris and Provence she finds herself wondering. Should she chose love or lust in the arms of a European man she meets in Scotland? Should she try to rekindle the unrequited love of an older Frenchman she met while in Provence 16 years ago as a college student? Or should she give the father of her children and the man she truly loved once a second chance?

Paulita Kincer gives voice to many of our concerns as wives and mothers. She does it with humor, and insight into Caroline and Scott's life. She touches on the importance of taking care of yourself, but knowing that the needs of your children are first.


This next week I hope to finish Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and start on Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly.
And I plan to ready the camper for our next outing, do some sewing and maybe, just maybe clean out a closet or two!  Maybe!

Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Saturday Snapshot ~ Dakotah by John Lopez~ Aug 16

Saturday Snapshot is hosted every Saturday by Melissa at West Metro Mommy Reads.  To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you ( or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky portion of Melissa's blog. Photo's can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online. 

The three shots below were taken Thursday evening at the Dakotah Steakhouse in Rapid City South Dakota. My sister and brother-in-law took us to dinner to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. It actually was in June, but we finally got a chance to drive to Rapid City to visit. The sculptor is a South Dakota native and his sculpture are made up of found objects. This is an American Bison with an eagle on his side.

 Can you see the eagle beak and feathers?  Also the wheat shafts in his talons? It is great fun to look at his sculptures and find the objects he used.

If you have a chance look up his work on the web. John Lopez Studio. His work is amazing.


We were camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota this week, so I was away from technology. I did not take many pictures, but we had a great time, just relaxing and driving through the beautiful Black Hills.




Until next time,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Saturday Snapshot Flowers and Fruit

Saturday Snapshot is hosted every Saturday by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads. She gives us a place to share pictures that we have taken or have been taken by a friend or family member. 

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

My sister walks every day in a wilderness area not far from here home. It is her time of personal reflection and she is starting to be come quite the photographer. She has always been an avid gardener, so she is drawn to growing things. These are pictures she shared recently. 

 Chokecherries ready to be picked and made into jelly or syrup. Yummy. We are staying with my sister and her husband this coming Thursday night. We may get to sample some jelly. My fingers are crossed!

 I do not know the names of these two flowers, but aren't they pretty. Growing wild in her neighborhood.

Until next time.
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

What's In A Name 2014 - Completed

I joined this challenge again this year. It is one of my favorite, if not THE Favorite.  Charlie at The Worm Hole did an amazing job this year, picking categories. 

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

• A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
• A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
• A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
• A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
• A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

Late in February, Charlie added a sixth category: book with a school subject in the title ( The History Boys by Alan Bennett, Angelology by Danielle Trussoni, Mastering The Art Of Soviet Cooking by Anya Von Bremzen. 

Tonight I finished the 6th book to complete this challenge. Since January 1, I read:

• A reference to time : A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury
• A position of royalty : The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
• A number written in letters: One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
• A forename or names : Peony in Love by Lisa See
• A type or element of weather: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
• A school subject:  The Driving Lesson by Ben Rehder

Thanks Charlie for taking over this challenge. It was great. I will look forward to 2015. 

Until next time,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

The Driving Lesson : What's In A Name 2014 - Bonus

The Driving Lesson by Ben Rehder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I did not know what to expect after the first paragraph. But it turned out to be a wonderful coming of age story about a grandparent and his 14 year old grandson.

Charlie Dunbar is the only son of Glen and Sarah Dunbar. Charlie is what I would call a typical 14 year old. He knows right from wrong, but he can be "bullied" into making a wrong choice by someone calling him names. So starts the journey of Charlie and his Opa.

As they travel across country from Abilene TX to Seattle WA and stops in between, Charlie "Bud" and his grandfather learn to trust each other, learn to be honest with each other and generally have a great time.

This story touched me. I am a grandparent. I wonder if I would have made the choice Charlie's grandfather made if my diagnosis had been terminal? Would I have been brave enough to share with a young, almost adult grandchild. I doubt it. This is a great story. I cried, I laughed and shook my head in amazement. I recommend it for all.


View all my reviews