Happily Ever After Cafe discussion

Gotcha, Julie! You're doing great. ☺ Participants Post #6 , updated: 7/31/12 10:10 a.m. PST. Please let me know of any errors. Thanks!

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Time's up for me. Here's my final update:

The 50 States & Capitals Points Challenge
Duration: 9/1/11 to 8/31/12
Participation Level: Marvelous Mountaineer
Total Points: 107/125

Arizona
In the Company of Darkness by Kerrie Droban (7/24/12)★★★
State = 1 point
Phoenix - State Capital = 3 points
Phoenix - largest city = 2 points
Phoenix - nicknamed "The Valley of the Sun" = 1/2 point
Phoenix - most populous state capital = 1/2 point
Phoenix - 6th most populous city in the US = 1/2 point
Phoenix - home of famous political figures Barry Goldwater, John McCain, & Sandra Day O'Connor = 1/2 point
Phoenix - the modern canal systems of the city follow the paths laid out by ancient Hohokam canals = 1/2 point
Phoenix - the site of the Phoenix Zoo/Papago Park was once a prisoner of war camp housing German soldiers during WWII = 1/2 point
Phoenix - numerous movies and TV shows have been filmed here = 1/2 point
Phoenix - cite of where Miranda Rights became a part of US law following the landmark case Miranda vs. Arizona = 1/2 point
Total = 9 points
California
Across Eternity by Aris Whittier (9/5/11)★★★★
State = 1 point
Total = 1 point
Having Her Boss's Baby by Susan Mallery (3/14/11)★★★★1/2
Riverside - Heart of California's citrus industry = 1/2 point
Riverside - Home of Riverside Fox Theater where the first showing of Gone with the Wind took place = 1/2 point
Total = 1 point
Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr (10/11/11)★★★★★
Sacramento - State Capital = 3 points
Sacramento - site of Sutter's Fort = 1/2 point
Total = 3.5 points
The Players Club: Scott by Cathy Yardley (12/29/11)★★★★1/2
SanFrancisco - seat of the CA Supreme Court = 2 points
SanFrancisco - known for it's many landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge & Alcatraz = 1/2 point
SanFrancisco - more than 3/4 of the city was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire = 1/2 point
SanFrancisco - SF's Chinatown is the oldest in North America = 1/2 point
Total = 3.5 points
Florida
Last Resort by Rebecca Boschee (4/24/12)★★★★1/2
Total = 1 point
Illinois
Murder List by Julie Garwood (10/19/11)★★★★
State = 1 point
Chicago - largest city = 2 points
Chicago - nicknamed "The Windy City" = 1/2 point
Chicago - home of the second busiest airport in the world (O'Hare) = 1/2 point
Chicago - The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed 1/3 of the city = 1/2 point
Chicago - hosted the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 = 1/2 point
Chicago - hometown of Barack Obama & Oprah Winfrey = 1/2 point
Chicago - setting of numerous TV shows including ER & The Bob Newhart Show = 1/2 point
Total = 6 points
Indiana
Truth Or Dare by Lori Foster (5/23/12)★★★★★
State = 1 point
Total = 1 point
Kansas
Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Shirley Kiger Connolly (9/26/11)★★★
State = 1 point
Stony Point, NY - site of King's Ferry & Stony Point Battlefield (Revolutionary War sites) = 1/2 point
West Point, NY - site of the United States Military Academy = 1/2 point
PA Original Colony = 3 points
Philadelphia, PA - largest city = 2 points
Philadelphia, PA - former national capital = 2 points
Philadelphia, PA - site of the 1st & 2nd Continental Congress = 1/2 point
Philadelphia, PA - nicknamed "The City of Brotherly Love" = 1/2 point
Total = 10 points
Louisiana
*Riding the Storm by Sydney Croft (8/31/12)★★★★★
State = 1 point
Total = 1 point
Mississippi
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (1/23/12)★★★★★
State = 1 point
Jackson - State Capital = 3 points
Jackson - most populous city = 2 points
Jackson - named for Andrew Jackson = 1 point
Jackson - hotbed of civil rights activity in the 1960s = 1/2 point
Jackson - birthplace of Faith Hill = 1/2 point
Total = 7 points
Montana
Prince Charming by Julie Garwood (6/19/12)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Cincinnati, OH - Home of Proctor & Gamble founded in 1879 = 1/2 point
Cincinnati, OH - Home of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first regular professional baseball team and predecessor of the Cincinnati Reds = 1/2 point
Cincinnati, OH - A major source of supplies and troops for the Union Army during the Civil War = 1/2 point
Cincinnati, OH - Setting of Kim Harrison's urban fantasy series The Hollows = 1/2 point
Total = 3 points
Nevada
Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon (6/12/12)★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Las Vegas - largest city = 2 points
Las Vegas - billed as "The Entertainment Capital of the World" = 1/2 point
Las Vegas - setting of the TV show, CSI = 1/2 point
Total = 4 points
New York
Covet by J. R. Ward (11/30/11)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
NY Original Colony = 3 points
Total = 4 points
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks (2/7/12)★★★★1/2
New York - most populous city = 2 points
New York - previous U.S. capital = 2 points
New York - the most linguistically diverse city in the world = 1/2 point
New York - home of many landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Empire State Building = 1/2 point
New York - the largest battle of the Revolutionary War was fought on the site of present day Brooklyn = 1/2 point
New York - global hub of international business and commerce and home of the New York Stock Exchange = 1/2 point
Total = 6 points
North Carolina
Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose (9/13/11)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Original Colony = 3 points
Raleigh - State Capital = 3 points
Raleigh - named for Sir Walter Raleigh = 1 point
Raleigh - birthplace of Andrew Johnson = 2 points
Seattle, WA - most populous city = 2 points
Total = 12 points
Oregon
The Shack by Wm. Paul Young (2/16/12)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Total = 1 points
Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr (4/17/12)★★★★★
Grant's Pass - named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant's success at Vicksburg = 1 point
Total = 1 point
South Carolina
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (5/31/12)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Original Colony = 3 points
Charleston - former captial of the Carolina colony = 2 points
Charleston - named for King Charles II = 1 point
Charleston - site of two British attacks during the American Revolution = 1/2 point
Charleston - severely damaged by a major earthquake in 1886 = 1/2 point
MA Original Colony = 3 points
Boston, MA - State Capital = 3 points
Boston, MA - largest city = 2 points
Boston, MA - site of many events/battles of the American Revolution including the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill = 1/2 point
Boston, MA - birthplace of Paul Revere = 1/2 point
Boston, MA - book publishing hub that is home to Houghton Mifflin, St. Martin's Press, Beacon Press, and Little, Brown, & Co. = 1/2 point
Boston, MA - home of several prestigious colleges including Harvard and MIT = 1/2 point
Wilmington, NC - a major city for American film & telvision production = 1/2 point
Wilmington, NC - home of 3 German POW camps during WWII = 1/2 point
Total = 19 points
Texas
Soldier by AKM Miles (10/1/11)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Total = 1 points
Firestorm by Ann Jacobs (1/5/12)★★★1/2
Houston - largest city = 2 points
Houston - former capital = 2 points
Houston - named for General Sam Houston = 1 point
Houston - home of NASA's Johnson Space Center (aka Mission Control) = 1/2 point
Houston - sheltered more than 150,000 residents of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina = 1/2 point
Total = 6 points
Virginia
The Christmas Throwaway by R.J. Scott (12/11/11)★★★★1/2
State = 1 point
Original Colony = 3 points
Total = 4 points
Washington
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas (6/24/12)★★★★★
State = 1 point
Friday Harbor - the only officially incorporated town in the San Juan Islands = 1/2 point
Friday Harbor - home of Friday Harbor Laboratories, a world famous marine biology facility = 1/2 point
Total = 2 points

*newly added

Update 8/31

Congrats, Julie! So neat you did so well. Participants Post #6, updated: 09/08/12 11:28 a.m. PST. Please let me know of any errors. Thanks!

The U.S. in skillets!
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Sadly, time's up for me too. My original post (message #21) is updated with my final status, which wasn't as good as I had expected. Anyway, this was a fun challenge. Thanks for creating it, Lisa Kay!

Congrats, Dina! Glad you liked it. Participants Post #6, updated: 09/09/12 8:03 p.m. PST. Please let me know of any errors. Thanks!

license plates
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