Food For Thought

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you're happy and you don't know it, see a psychiatrist.

A Tailor-Made Bride

I just read the most delightful book, about a young and talented seamstress who moves to a small town in Texas, and immediately clashes with the local livery owner.

Hannah moves to Coventry, Texas to open her own shop. JT, whose livery is right across the street, hates anything to do with beauty and vanity. So he decides to dislike her before they even meet. But what he soon finds out is that she is the sweetest, friendliest, and most humble woman he's known. How, then, can she be in a business that promotes vanity and feeling superior to others? With these conflicting thoughts, he wrestles back and forth with wanting to court her and wanting to stay away from her. And when Hannah becomes best friends with his sister, he tries to protect Delia from turning into the stuck up and flirtatious woman that he thinks she will become. But when he realizes Hannah is only trying to help Delia attract the man of her dreams, he may start to change his mind.

This is a heart-warming story, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, and a few harrowing ones. The characters are endearing, and the plot is full of fun suspense. If you love any sort of romance or historical fiction, you will absolutely love this book! It was such an easy and relaxing read. I flew right through it, much faster than I usually get through books. Then I gave it to my mother in law and she read it in two days, and loved it! I highly recommend this book!!

A Tailor-Made Bride was published last year, and is the first novel by Karen Witemeyer. She has two more books out so far, and I am off to find them, as I am sure they will be as wonderful as the first! To go to her website, click here.

Food For Thought

Can a Tyrannosaurus Rex do push-ups?

The Walrus and the Carpenter

A poem by Lewis Carroll

The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might.

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright - 

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done.

"It's very rude of him," she said,

"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,

The sands were dry as dry.

You could not see a cloud, because

No cloud was in the sky.

No birds were flying overhead -

There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Were walking close at hand.

They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand.

"If this were only cleared away," 

They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose," the Walrus said,

"That they could get it clear?"

"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"

The Walrus did beseech.

"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,

Along the briny beach -

We can not do with more than four,

To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,

But never a word he said.

The eldest Oyster winked his eye

And shook his heavy head -

Meaning to say he did not choose

To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat.

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,

Their shoes were clean and neat -

And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,

And more, and more, and more -

All hopping through the frothy waves,

And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock

Conveniently low,

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax,

Of cabbages, and kings,

And why the sea is boiling hot,

And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,

"Before we have our chat - 

For some of us are out of breath,

And all of us are fat!"

"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.

They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,

"Is what we chiefly need.

Pepper and vinegar besides

Are very good indeed.

Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,

We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,

Turning a little blue.

"After such kindness, that would be

A dismal thing to do!"

"The night is fine," the Walrus said,

"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come,

And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but

"Cut  us another slice.

I wish you were not quite so deaf -

I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,

"To play them such a trick,

After we've brought them out so far, 

And made them trot so quick!"

The carpenter said nothing but

"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said.

"I deeply sympathize."

With sobs and tears he sorted out

Those of the largest size,

Holding his pocket-handkerchief

Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,

"You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?"

But answer came there none -

And this was scarcely odd, because

They'd eaten every one.

9/11 Remembrance

One Tuesday Morning

In remembrance of the September 11th attacks, Karen Kingsbury wrote the 9/11 series. In the first book, One Tuesday Morning, two men - one a firefighter and the other a businessman - meet in a stairway of one of the twin towers. Both have the same face, but have never met before. Only one of these men makes it out alive. Not remembering who he is or what his life was like before that day, he winds up living the other man's life, and learns lessons about love, faith, and courage along the way.

This three book series is very moving, will touch your heart, and quite possibly will make you cry.

Click here to go to the series page on Karen's website.

Let's Roll

Please take time today to remember the men and women who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Please remember those regular citizens who fought and died to save our nation's capitol. Please honor our military, police, firefighters, and rescue workers who helped out on that day. Please stand strong for the United States.