DWTS: Go Kate!

OK, I don't typically blog about tv. but since my surgery, I seem to be watching a lot more tv than usual. 

I'm loving Dancing with the Stars this season.  I've always been a fan of Kate Gosselin-- I know she can be a little tough on people, but she certainly speaks her mind and gets things done.   I feel bad for her, too, because she looks scared to death every time she's performing.   And really, I would too... after all, most of the others are performers by nature, but Kate's tv career involved simply being herself while a camera happened to follow her at home.   So, anyways, I'm rooting for Team Kate.  

I'm also a fan of Niecy Nash.  She's such fun on Clean House, and her character on Reno 911 is pretty darned funny (though I don't watch the show by choice-- this is what happens when you're married to a cop, LOL). She seems like she's having such a great time dancing, too. 

I was surprised that Buzz was the first one to be announced as "safe" last night. His dancing skills aren't the greatest, but I really have to give him credit for even trying it at his age.

I'd like to see Pam Anderson voted off next.  The first night, I thought she was high-- did you get a look at her eyes? Maybe that's just her normal personality, who knows.   Between that and her constant writhing in front of the cameras (even in the background when others were interviewed), I've seen more than enough of her. 

So.... who are YOU cheering for?

Incidentally.... has anyone tried any of these DWTS exercise videos?   They looks like fun to me!

Blog Tour: An Absence So Great

An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick~ blog tour March 29th- April 2nd

Publisher's summary:

While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning. 

Jessie gains footing in her dream to one day operate her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.

This was one of those books that I picked up and found myself finishing the very next day... the characters drew me in immediately.  Jessie's internal struggles as she tries to put the past behind her are so real, and something everyone can relate to in some way.  The author's writing style is very easy to read, descriptive without being overly focused on every detail.  I'll probably be looking for more books by this author the next time I visit the library.

My copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Book Review: The Hidden Flame

The Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn & Janette Oke
Return to Blessing #1

PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: After the death of Jesus, his followers are growing. As Abigail joins the early church, she begins to see hope again. But when two men vie for her heart, can her newfound faith survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension? 

The Hidden Flame sounded like an interesting read, but, unfortunately, I haven't made it past the first third of the book.  I keep picking it up, reading a bit, and then finding my attention wandering. I have started, and finished, several other books in the time since I first began this one, and that's rare for me.  The writing and storyline just don't seem to flow, and there are too many details to keep straight- it's distracting me from really getting into the story.  

I rarely write bad reviews, as I can usually find things that I enjoy in any novel.  This one, however, fell short for me.   If I make it through the entire book I'll gladly update this review.

This book was provided for me in return for my honest review by Bethany House publishers.

7 Quick Takes: Post-Op Edition

1.)  Remember when I said I wouldn't be blogging for a while?  Well... I wasn't thinking about the fact that a large part of my recovery time from my recent surgery would involve sitting/laying on the couch, with a laptop readily accessible.   I might actually wind up blogging more while I'm recuperating than I normally do!

2.) I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution tonight and LOVED it.  Every month I get mad when I read our school's menu for the month.  "Breadsticks and dip"?  "Nachos and cheese"?  Those are hardly entrees in my opinion... and my child is not allowed to buy on those days.   I love Jamie's plan to make changes all across our country!

3.) True fact: I am way, way, way more tired than I am in pain from my hysterectomy.  My doctor told me this would happen, and I didn't believe her.  The pain is there, don't get me wrong, but the sheer exhaustion from doing simple things (like showering) still amazes me. 

4.) I am having serious withdrawal symptoms from... my BlackBerry.  The port where the charger plugs in broke the day after I got home, and so my cell company sent me a new one.  Well, apparently the new one is a refurbished model, because there are all kinds of things wrong with this one.  I am NOT happy.  I'm one of those people who depends on my BB for everything, and I feel a little lost without a functioning BB.  And, since I can't drive, I have to wait until Monday for DH to be able to take me back to the store to get things fixed.  Again. 

5.) One of the best things about my BB was a free app I had recently discovered-- Slacker Radio.  It's a free radio program, and it, along with some $5 headphones, pretty much kept me sane in the hospital.  You pick a station and listen to your choice of music categories for free-- and you can "heart" the songs, so that your favorites pop up in the rotation more frequently.  They have a free website that does the same thing for your computer.  (Slacker Radio is not compensating me in any way- I just happen to be a fan!)

6.) I am worn out from the health care debate, both on tv and in my real life, arguing with friends and family.    I simply can't talk about politics, especially Obamacare, any more right now... my brain is overloaded.

7.) I really do not talk about my surgery non-stop in real life... but it is a pretty big factor in everything I do right now.  Not being able to drive is strange, and it's really hard not to lift my son up.  But, hopefully, in another week my restrictions will be lifted a little and I'll start to feel more normal.. 

7 Quick Takes is hosted at Conversion Diary!

Bloggy Break: Hospital Time

I had a major surgery on Monday.   I'll be off of work for six weeks, and doubt if I'll be up for blogging much before then. Your prayers for a speedy recovery would be most appreciated!

Blog Tour: Raven's Ladder & Lady Carliss

Raven’s Ladder:

PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar.
 But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng.
Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control.
 If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen.
 As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors.

Lady Carliss:

PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life, she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue.
 While there, Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out.  She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton, or let him die so that others may live.

Both of these books are a little outside my normal choice of genre for reading, and as such, I'm not sure I can give them their due justice in review.   Neither one is something I would have read if not for this opportunity to try something new... and unfortunately, I discovered that these tales of knights, swords, kings, and fortune hunters simply do not draw me in.  I struggled to focus on the stories and found myself easily distracted.  However, if these are your kind of stories, I think you will enjoy the adventurous tales and the colorful details.

These books were provided in return for my honest review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.