Quick Updates from the Moderators Showing 1,651-1,700 of 2,648

[Brandi]

I haven't been able to get any pleasure reading done lately. Lots of authors I review for have/had books coming out in the early part of the year. Love the books but doesn't leave me much room to read stuff I would want to read to relax my mind.

I went to the doctors about a very sore knee. I could barely get up but after a few steps it would get better. The doctor did a few simple tests and discovered that I probably have cracks/fissures under my kneecap which is causing the issue. He said there isn't much I could do about it but take an anti-inflammatory. It is like spontaneous arthritis in the knee. On the plus side, he said i have really good muscles keeping my knee together so that was good.

Hoping that everyone is doing better and thoughts and prayers to those that are not.

[Lesley]

Brandi wrote: "I haven't been able to get any pleasure reading done lately. Lots of authors I review for have/had books coming out in the early part of the year. Love the books but doesn't leave me much room to r..."
Ouch, that soundssore Brandi, hope the anti-inflammatory ease the symptons. Also that you soon get some 'pleasure' reading done. Weather in UK cold & damp so not much incentive to do anything much housekeeping wise at the moment so reading in front of the fire. Waiting for better weather & inspiration.

[[deleted user]]

Hello, everyone --- long time, no chat, and I'm sorry for being out of touch. I haven't had time to open a book since last week, and I have a review that I need to take care of today, then I finally get to start the Bad Luck Wedding Dress. I had to work an extra-long day yesterday, ending with a presentation to the clinic board last night...my first one. It went fine, but I was a bit of a wreck, and today I was exhausted.

Things are certainly never dull in this group - checking the latest updates, it seems the flu season is in full swing. We have widespread cases here in California.

And, between the tornadoes & other near misses in the updates, 2017 is off to a roaring start. I'm so relieved that Melinda and Lola escaped the chaos, and I hope Lola, Jina and Linda have all recovered - or, in Jina's case, well on your way to recovery.

On Thursday, Ray & I will "celebrate" our 27th anniversary, but we have to wait until the weekend to mark the occasion -- he's on call Thursday night. We are going to Napa Valley from Sunday-Tuesday, when the rates are lower, and have a couple of days to act like wine country tourists. Maybe a spa visit, too, as our gift to each other.

That's about it for this round of news; my notifications from GRs have stopped coming again so I need to check and see if the latest update derailed my settings. I'll check back in tomorrow.

God bless.
P

[Lesley]

Paula wrote: "Hello, everyone --- long time, no chat, and I'm sorry for being out of touch. I haven't had time to open a book since last week, and I have a review that I need to take care of today, then I finall..."
Congratulation for your wedding Anniversary, enjoy your trip.
Bob & I celebrated our 45th Wedding Anniversaryon 15th Jan. We just went out to lunch as we have two or three fund raising events to attend in March as both our boys, John, Mark & Tracey, John's wife are raising funds for Cancer Research. John is taking part in a 'White Collar' Boxing Match which he is currently in training for. He has never boxed before. Not sure I'm looking forward to seeing him being 'thumped'. Tracey is going to walk 10,000 steps a day for the whole of March and Mark has arranged a Black Tie Dinner Dance.
I'm currently reading Just Breathe (The Protectors) book 2 by Leeanna Morgan and catching up on my Melissa Foster reading whilst waiting for the next Eternity Springs book
Hope the rest of the group are doing ok.

[Lola]

Congratulation to You All !!!!! Lesley Wolf and I were married 46 years last Nov. WOW hard to believe it has been that long! I hope Muhammad Ali's spirits helps John out a little bit lol. He was one of a kind!
I was so sorry to hear that Mary Tyler Moore passed away, she was a pioneer for women on TV. But Carol Burnett was my favorite back then, when I think of her coming down those stairs as Scarlett O'Hara with those drapes as the gown ,I still laugh!
I have been getting a jump start on my spring cleaning, still have a ways to go . May get it finished by next spring lol.

I just haven't gotten in to reading our last book , I will make my self though soon. I did listen to Luke & Matt's stories ,I love the audio books they always gives me a different perspective to the story.
Love Lola

[Lesley]

Lola, Congrats on 46 yrs married.
It's too cold & miserable he in UK to start Spring Cleaning. It was very cold frosty & foggy he this morning, all you want to do is either stay in bed or curl up in front of the fire.
I also hope Muhammad Ali's spirits helps John out a little bit. John is looking for some entrance music, do you know if Muhammad Ali had a particular piece of music when he fought? I'm afraid we are much into boxing & the only music we know is from the Rocky film.
I've never tried audio books as I'm never alone in the house long enough to listen to them & don't like putting things in my ears. Think I might have to treat myself to a descent sent of headphone & give one a try. Love to all Lesley

[Lola]

Hi Lesley ,
I don't remember if Ali had a song. There is a song you hear at a lot of sporting events here , We are the Champions, by Queen, maybe that one would work.
I like listening to books when I am doing my housework , I get into the story and the work goes by faster. My iPod helps being able to move around, and the small foamy earbuds do not bother my ears, I do not like the ones that come with the iPod.
Love Lola

[Lesley]

Lola wrote: "Hi Lesley ,
I don't remember if Ali had a song. There is a song you hear at a lot of sporting events here , We are the Champions, by Queen, maybe that one would work.
I like listening to books wh..."

Didn't think of that one Lola, thanks.

[[deleted user]]

Hello ladies! It's been a busy couple of days, finishing a project for the clinic, running errands, and now getting ready to celebrate our anniversary with a quick trip to Napa Valley. Yesterday we started our mini-holiday with a trip to Best Buy to replace the Mac computer we bought in 2004! It was a relic, and a real pain - so outdated it couldn't be upgraded, and so slow I could take a shower while it was booting up. We have a spanking new iMac with a 27-inch screen - not the top of the line, but it was on sale and is SO much better than its predecessor that I am in nerd heaven!

Today we are leaving to check in at the Harvest Inn for a couple of days, including a couples massage and a couple of too-rich suppers. Hopefully a little time to read, too. I've not been able to stay awake to read this week at all.

I'm thinking of you and hoping you all have a blessed weekend. I'll check in when we get home on Wednesday!

Paula

[Jina]

Lesley wrote: "Lola, Congrats on 46 yrs married.
It's too cold & miserable he in UK to start Spring Cleaning. It was very cold frosty & foggy he this morning, all you want to do is either stay in bed or curl up ..."

Hi Lesley,
You could try Rachel Platten "Fight Song". Heather listens to it when she is doing the most difficult therapies. It helps motivate her. She also listens to "Keep on trying" by Poco. I hope these help anyone who needs a boost as both are sweet and inspiring songs.
Hugs,
Jina and the girls
Ps. Sorry so late in messaging. I am still sick. I am still peeling and now have a cough and my kidney function is around 40 and I have swelled up. According to the scale I have 18 extra pounds of water my kidneys are struggling to get rid of. I am trying to get rid of it with "diurex" medicine. (I am taking double the recommended dose) I hope to feel better soon as its hard to keep up with appointments when my legs are so heavy. I love you all and am reading good now since evenings are spent with my feet up. Spring cant get here fast enough. :)

[Jina]

Brandi wrote: "I haven't been able to get any pleasure reading done lately. Lots of authors I review for have/had books coming out in the early part of the year. Love the books but doesn't leave me much room to r..."

Dear Brandi,
I hope your knee feels better. Have you tried "Copper fit" sleeve for your knee? Its an awesome product and helps my sister Joni who has had surgery on both her knees. She is very active at 37 years old and plays on a adult volleyball and basketball leagues as well as she coaches a teenage group for softball. She wouldnt leave the house without her copper fit. I hope you feel better soon.
Love and hugs to you,
Jina and the girls

[Jina]

Paula wrote: "Hello ladies! It's been a busy couple of days, finishing a project for the clinic, running errands, and now getting ready to celebrate our anniversary with a quick trip to Napa Valley. Yesterday we..."

Dear Paula,
Happy anniversary to you and your husband. I hope the trip was indulging and refreshing for you both. I have always wanted to visit the Napa valley and learn about wines and how to pair a particular wine with a meal for its best presentation and taste. I dont drink much at all but my old doctor was always saying how certain wines have certain benefits if drank in moderation. I like champagne and at my sister's wedding 10 years ago I had to do a toast and being shy and having stage fright the liquid courage of 2 bottles (mom and Dad gave me their bottle after I finished mine) I did (according to my mom) a lovely toast. I have a tendency to forget what I said when stressed or scared from public speaking. My sister Joni wasnt upset with me so I guess I did ok. My Mom likes "spritzers". I haven't tried one but they sound refreshing.
Take care and be kind to yourself. My girls and I are reading "the Bad Luck Wedding Dress" together. We are enjoying it very much and should be finished by Tuesday if we continue to do the amount of pages we have been.
With much love,
Jina and the girls

[Melinda]

Happy Anniversary ,Paula

[Melinda]

Jina,
Sorry you are not doing so well. Keeping you in my prayers. Take care of your self. Glad that you and the girls are reading our book together.

[Lesley]

Paula wrote: "Hello ladies! It's been a busy couple of days, finishing a project for the clinic, running errands, and now getting ready to celebrate our anniversary with a quick trip to Napa Valley. Yesterday we..."
Hope you have/had a wonderful time.

[Lesley]

Jina wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Lola, Congrats on 46 yrs married.
It's too cold & miserable he in UK to start Spring Cleaning. It was very cold frosty & foggy he this morning, all you want to do is either stay in ..."

Thanks Jina, I will have a listen to them. Hope you are soon feeling better. Take care xx

[Jina]

Dear group,
The Bad Luck Wedding Dress is a very interesting read. My girls laughed out loud at Katie-Cats antics. (Youll have to read it to find out who Katie-Cat is) The time period is fun and Jenny being such a brave independent young woman with her own business in that setting is inspiring and reminds me just how far the "women" in our society have come. The male counterpart ,widower Trace, is at times clueless and completely lost but so protective and loving (he fights it but he's already a goner. Lol) This book has a "villain" and that element surprised me, if someone terrorized me in the same way, I would not be as brave as Jenny and I would get me a concealed carry permit immediately. Im not sure if I would just throw in the towel and go home to Daddy. Lol And I cant forget to mention Jenny's mom, a whirlwind of a woman who is beautiful and uses her beauty and power of "feminine wiles" to get what she wants. ( Monique divorced Jennys father twice and is currently on her third marriage to Jennys father. Lol) I figure I have given y'all enough spoilers. It is another wonderful book that showcases just what a talented and versatile writer our Emily is. For those of you who have read it, what would you do if faced with someone terrorizing you in the way that Jenny is?
Hugs to all,
Jina and the girls

[Lola]

Sorry I haven't started our book yet, I got the books from Readers Choice that I have to judge .So I am reading them first.

On a personal note, Please pray for my Sister Verna !! She had an EKG yesterday and they found that she has had more than one silent heart attacks , she has been dizzy and blacked out a couple of times. She goes in for a Angiogram on Monday. Surround her with all our love. Love Lola

[Jina]

Lola wrote: "Sorry I haven't started our book yet, I got the books from Readers Choice that I have to judge .So I am reading them first.

On a personal note, Please pray for my Sister Verna !! She had an EKG y..."

Dear Lola,
We are praying for your sister. Keep us posted. Hopefully it will be good news at the doctor. My grandfather had what the doctors said was "probably a hundred" mini heart attacks but evidently he was an onery man and lived well into his 80s. My father had a couple but after his quadruple bypass 20 years ago, he hasnt had any trouble since. And you know about Heather so even though I am no doctor ,I have a lot of faith in the medical technology we have available to us nowadays. Maybe a pacemaker like Heathers will help monitor and respond if she needs it. As always I love you and am here for you whenever you need me. Be kind to yourself too.
Hugs and prayers,
Jina and the girls

[Linda]

Dear Lola,
I am so sorry to hear your sister is having health issues. I will certainly keep her in my prayers. We will just trust God to be with her and help the doctors find the best treatment for her.
I am hoping to drive down to see my parents this weekend. Their 63rd anniversary is Sunday and I want to surprise them. We can only stay overnight but it will be good to see them. It is about a six and a half hour drive so it will be a quick trip. Dave and I have not had a weekend away in years so I am looking forward to spending time alone together.
Take care everyone.
Love Linda

[Lesley]

Lola wrote: "Sorry I haven't started our book yet, I got the books from Readers Choice that I have to judge .So I am reading them first.

On a personal note, Please pray for my Sister Verna !! She had an EKG y..."

Send lovexx

[Lola]

Thank You My Sisters of the Heart! Verna will be 75 on Feb. 20, I will have to find her something fun to send her. I hope they can fix everything Monday by just blowing out her arteries or what every they call it. Love You All, Lola

[Melinda]

Lola,
Keeping you and your sister in my prayers.

[Jina]

Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Linda... I hope your trips were lovely. Paula, how did your manuscript do with your writing coach? I am sure he/she loved it. I cant wait to buy it and read it for myself.
Is anyone here on pinterest? I started a board called "book group". I have saved cross stitch bookmark patterns, pictures with clever saying about books and people who love them, book art sculptures, creative writing prompts, art with books and other things that involve books. Feel free to "follow" me if you want. Its linked to my Facebook like Goodreads is so you can find me that way if you wish.
Emily... I hope you are getting all sorts of cuddles with your grandbaby Noah. I would love to see a picture of the cutie pie.
Take care everyone. I am here if you need me.
Hugs to all,
Jina

[Lola]

Dear Little Sister,
I just got an email from Verna her procedure went great they removed the blockage and put her on Lipitor. Thank You All for your prayers and good wishes! Like I have said before I don't know what I would do without all of you!

Now please send me some good wishes too, Wolf is driving me crazy !!!! I know it is because we are together all the time and the winter blues are getting to us, but sometimes I just want to pop him a good one! So please send me peaceful thoughts! COME ON SPRING!!!!! Love Lola

[Melinda]

Lola,
Spring is coming and then you will not be in each other's hip pocket.
Mom feels the same way with dad since he is in the house all the time and it has been raining. You are not alone. Too much time together is just as bad as not enough time.

So glad that your sister's procedure went well and she is doing better.

[Melinda]

Jina wrote: "Dear group,
The Bad Luck Wedding Dress is a very interesting read. My girls laughed out loud at Katie-Cats antics. (Youll have to read it to find out who Katie-Cat is) The time period is fun and Je..."

Jina and the girls,
I agree with you about The Bad Luck Wedding Dress book. Hope you and the girls are having a good day.

[Lesley]

Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Linda... I hope your trips we..."

Hi Jina & everyone
Thank you for asking about Judy & Mark.
Judy started another round of chemo today, a different drug this time which means that more than likely she willnow loose her hair on top of the fact that she now has no use in her right arm. I just hope she can tolerate it better this time & it does some good.
Mark had a better chemo session last Friday but mentally he is rather low at the moment as his wife Tina's Dad died last night after a short spell in hospital & however positive he tries to be I think it brought it home that, very likely, it could be him next. It really makes you wonder sometimes what one family has done to deserve such bad luck.
Good news about your sister Lola. Hope everyone else is doing ok. Love & hugs from Lesley x

[Lola]

Hi All ,
Some of you may not remember but I was a Housewife (AKA Domestic Goddess) for 46 years. Home alone after Jen started school, so it has been a total change of life for me. For Wolf too, he was use to being with people all day since he did phone work and had to enter act with them . Now just me and the dog (not even the chickens) to keep him company lol. Everything is better today.

Dar Lesley ,
I am so sorry about Marks Father-in-law. I hope both his and Judy's treatments go well, tell Judy Wolf lost his hair and when it came back in all his gray hair was gone, it was the color from when he was young. A little thing to hold on to. Love Lola

[Lesley]

Lola wrote: "Hi All ,
Some of you may not remember but I was a Housewife (AKA Domestic Goddess) for 46 years. Home alone after Jen started school, so it has been a total change of life for me. For Wolf too, he..."

Thanks Lola, I tell her x

[[deleted user]]

Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Linda... I hope your trips we..."

Hi, Jina -- I'm late replying and I apologize. I honestly can't tell you where the time has gone since we got back from our trip to Napa (and we ended up staying over because we weren't ready to come home yet!). The trip itself was so relaxing - no TV, no social media, nothing but a couple of wine tastings at favorite places, a few fantastic dinners, and daily naps. It was lazy and perfect.

Then we got home, and the rain started again -- it's raining every. single. day. It's the wettest winter we've had in more than 10 years. Trees are falling, with rock slides, mud slides, bridges washed out, roads washed out, power outages...unbelievable. I've been in tropical storms that were lighter than this! On the up side, other than extreme southern CA, our long-term drought has subsided, and then some. On the down side, we found a few leaks in our house, and one of them is enormous, around a bathroom window. We have so much work to get done to bring our 35-year old home up to snuff, but until the rain stops for a decent length of time, we can't plan anything, so we're packing the leaky area with towels. We've had over 3" of rain in the last 24 hours, and it's nowhere near moving out.

So I'll be canoeing my way to the grocery store, the nail place, and later to the theatre to see a movie I've been waiting for for two years. I'll swim it if I have to. I'm irrationally excited. Such is life in the boonies.

I'm going to try to read through and answer all the messages I've missed. Wishing you the best.

I also have a few Pinterest Boards that might be of interest - one is called "Addicted to Reading" and it's my favorite; all quotes and memes and illustrations that appeal to me as a reader.

There are a few others - recipes, travel destinations, etc. - and a few that are just for fun. And then there's the inevitable eye candy. I have one board for each book I'm working on at the moment, images that inspire me, or help me describe my characters.

As for the writing coach, he moved back to LA and was supposed to call me to go over his comments on my manuscript. He told me I showed "a lot of promise" as a writer, but he hasn't called to follow up. It's disappointing. I'm the only one who didn't get to meet with him, and it's because the road washed out the day we were supposed to go to the coast. He moved two days later.

SO...I sent the manuscript to an author friend of mine and she loves the story. Gave me some great feedback.

NOW I'm looking for a few beta readers that are not writers - to read it chapter by chapter and tell me what works/what doesn't/what questions they have. So if you're interested in being one of my betas, let me know. You'll get completely unedited, unproofed work, so be prepared.

I've just enrolled in a copy-editing certification course; and registered for a writing workshop with some of my favorite indie authors in Charlotte, NC in June. So I'm just going to keep moving forward and see where the muse leads. My outline is finished, now it's just a matter of bringing the scenes to life.

Thanks so much for asking. It means a lot to know there's interest in the project, which is so dear to my heart.

P.

[[deleted user]]

Lola wrote: "Dear Little Sister,
I just got an email from Verna her procedure went great they removed the blockage and put her on Lipitor. Thank You All for your prayers and good wishes! Like I have said befor..."

Lola, what great news about Verna! And I get exactly what you mean about Wolf. Ray and I love being together, and I especially love when he has a string of days off together, but by the end of our anniversary week, I was ready to call an Uber and take off to parts unknown. Of course, I have no idea what I would do without him after about 24 hours...so it's just those little habits that can crawl under your skin for a bit. LOL.

Hang in there - spring WILL come. xo

[[deleted user]]

Lesley wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Linda... I hope ..."

Oh, Lesley, God bless you all. Chemo is so difficult, and unpredictable. I hope things go as smoothly as they can for Judy, and that both of them feel the strength of our prayers. I watched my dad suffer the depressive effects of cancer treatment -- mom seemed to take it in stride, but she wasn't one to let anyone in on what she really felt, at least not very often. She had a much more positive disposition and a stronger faith than my dad, and it made the journey so much more difficult for him with his history of depression and alcoholism.

Is there anything that Mark feels passionate about, something that engages him and lifts him up? I pray that he will find the light in the darkness.

P.

[Lola]

Thanks Paula, You have to imagine it is like having a 3 day weekend for 365 days lol. I would love to read part of your book!!! I promise to be truthful.

Have any of you who color seen the chalk-style coloring books ? I just found them on Amazon , I ordered one it supposed to be here today .They look really fun, the page is black like a chalkboard and you color in the white parts. Verna's Birthday is on the 20 th so I sent her the "Family is everything" book + a gift card for supplies . I hope it cheers her up. Love Lola

[Jina]

Paula wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Linda... I hope ..."

Dear Paula,
"We" (the girls and I) would love to be a group beta reader as we read many books aloud to each other since Heathers eyesight and often migraines make it difficult for her to read for any extended length of time. We love reading to her and she loves being read to. My favorite parts of reading is when we read something humorous and the girls get a case of the giggles. And then they usually make me read the funny part again so they can giggle all over again. Its like watching a baby get a belly laugh, its addicting and adorable and you dont want it to end. I hope the rains end soon and damage to your house is at a minimum. We are currently starting on getting our roof fixed and adding a roof over our back deck so the rain wont damage the floor by our back sliding glass door anymore. It will also allow Heather to go outside in nice weather. She misses it immensely but cant tolerate heat or sun with her medications. We will eventually put walls up and screen it in so bugs too will be at a minimum. So glad you have authors you can spend time with and pick their brain. Its priceless to have friends with the same interests.
Be kind to yourself.
Hugs,
Jina and the girls

[Jina]

Lola wrote: "Thanks Paula, You have to imagine it is like having a 3 day weekend for 365 days lol. I would love to read part of your book!!! I promise to be truthful.

Have any of you who color seen the chalk..."

Dear Big Sister,
I haven't seen or tried one of those type color books. Let me know how you like it. Love you oodles,
Jina and the girls

[Lesley]

Paula wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and L..."

Hi Paula, Did you enjoy your film?
Mark has always been a very social person but sadly at the moment he doesn't have a lot that he can do because he is so tired all the time. He continues to go to work when he can & he is currently arranging a Charity Fund Raiser Dinner & Dance in March for Pancreatic Cancer. When we suggest anything all he says is that 'they want some normality' which unfortunately they aren't going to get at the moment. Lesley

[Lola]

Jina wrote: "Lola wrote: "Thanks Paula, You have to imagine it is like having a 3 day weekend for 365 days lol. I would love to read part of your book!!! I promise to be truthful.

Have any of you who color s..."

Hi Little Sis,
Tell Our Girls to be watching for something coming soon from Auntie Lola. Love You More Lola

[[deleted user]]

Lola wrote: "Thanks Paula, You have to imagine it is like having a 3 day weekend for 365 days lol. I would love to read part of your book!!! I promise to be truthful.

Have any of you who color seen the chalk..."

That coloring book sounds fantastic...and what a thoughtful gift for Verna, too.

Those of you who are so kind as to offer to help me get my book ready for public consumption...thank you. So as not to distract from the importance of what we do in this group - for Emily and for each other - I'm thinking of organizing a beta reading group/discussion board, but I need to figure out the best forum: Goodreads, Facebook, or something else. I'll sort that and get back to you, with deepest appreciation. You ladies are the BEST of the BEST.

[[deleted user]]

Jina wrote: "Paula wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Paula and Li..."

Jina, there's nothing better than a good case of the giggles, except in a movie theatre...or church. But my mom and I had the same sense of humor, and far too many times we nearly collapsed trying (and failing) to hold back laughter at the worst possible moments. Including church. From the choir loft, we could watch people falling asleep, toupees shifting out of place, and all sorts of things that would get us started. Laughter is good for the heart and the soul. You will probably laugh at my spelling errors too.

[[deleted user]]

Lesley wrote: "Paula wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,
Lola and Lesley... how are your family members doing lately? I hope your sister and Judy and Mark are doing well. I am keeping you in my prayer..."

The process of establishing a "new normal" is never easy, especially when life takes such drastic swings, and you're beyond exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually. This "new normal" concept is one I'm using in my book...because it's a part of everyone's journey after a loss, difficult illness, or traumatic event.

I loved the movie. I loved it so much I sat through it twice. And this morning I woke up anxiety-free, started listening to the soundtrack, and felt absolutely euphoric. Mind you, I have no idea why the story has had such an effect on me. It's really a mystery to me...but I don't spend a lot of time on it. I just want to enjoy those moments of happiness that good stories - in print, on film, or both -- bring us.

[Lola]

Which movie Paula? Does it have a color in its name ? ;D I am hoping the coloring will calm her like it does me. Love Lola

[[deleted user]]

Lola wrote: "Which movie Paula? Does it have a color in its name ? ;D I am hoping the coloring will calm her like it does me. Love Lola"

You guessed it...the sequel. My head is still in the clouds. #SorryNotSorry

[Jina]

Paula wrote: "Lola wrote: "Which movie Paula? Does it have a color in its name ? ;D I am hoping the coloring will calm her like it does me. Love Lola"

You guessed it...the sequel. My head is still in the clouds..."

Dear Paula,
I have not seen or read the book yet. Does the movie stay true to the book? I have it here to read but been putting it off since some girlfriends of mine made it sound bourderline abusive. I shouldnt judge it without reading but I keep thinking of "The girl with the dragon tattoo". That book and movie I couldn't finish either one. So I am kinda gun shy I guess. But since you like it so well it makes me think I am being too critical. Glad you liked it and had a great time.
Hugs to you,
Jina and the girls

[Jina]

A question for the group:
How do you choose your next book to read? I myself have a shelf for the books I want to read "first". Currently I have about 50 books of various genres that I just "cant wait to read". When I finish a bpok I get stumped on which to read next. I read about 5 books all at the same time. I read by location. Lol I have one in the car so I read thay if I am waiting in a waiting room or parking lot or riding instead of driving. One in my purse is read at doctors office waiting rooms. One by my bed for when I cant sleep... etc...
Then how do you choose your next book to purchase or check out from a library? Do you go from recommendations? Reviews? Book cover and excerpt from the back of a book?
Lastly, whats the oldest book you have? I have a book the was wrote in the last few years of the 1800s. Its a weird textured cover which feels similar to leather. Its a deep green color and on the inside its various childrens stories. The font and illustrations are neat and the font is black blue or red. (Its red for authors notes, conversations and the red also appears in the penned illustrations. Its a really cool book.
Have a great weekend!!!
Love to all,
Jina

[Melinda]

Jina,
I have a pile to be read but sometimes I just see a title or cover and that book gets read next. I tend to read certain authors first. Sometimes the next book has to be one that I need to get the review done. Sometimes it is where I am so if I am having a rough day. I do not want a mystery but a light book with a happy ending.
I also tend to always have more than one book going at a time. One book is history and the other 2 to three depends on what I need to review or if I need a Happy book. I am so glad that someone else reads more than one book . My oldest book is from the 1870's and it is pat of a series about a girl and her journey thru school , college and life. I started on these type books because of a paper that
I wrote for a graduate school project which covered how a girl's real education compare to the information that was written in fiction at the time. It was interesting.
Thanks for asking the question and sharing.

[Jina]

Dear group,
I feel like I am hogging goodreads. Lol Sorry if I am posting too often. But I wanted to let you know. A couple weeks ago we took Heather to Chapel Hill for dental surgery (we thought). When we got there and they were getting her in preop we found out that they were only planning a cleaning and werent prepared so it got cancelled and we went home. Wednesday we were back at Chapel Hill to see the oral surgeon. Heather suffers terribly from mouth pain. She has one tooth that is a good tooth but there is no jaw bone holding the tooth in so its open to air and real painful. Her wisdom teeth are impacted and growing sideways into her other molars so they need to go, (they also give her earaches. Many times I took her to the doctor thinking she had ear infection but the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her ears, so it has to be the teeth or possibly her jaw). Her jaw is dislocated. That happened when she had her first heart attack. She had clamped her teeth together (which also made it super hard for me to breathe air into her while doing CPR.) But the EMTs had to pry her mouth open to intubate her and she had that tube for several weeks during her coma. So Monday EARLY in the morning she is getting her 4 wisdom teeth pulled, the tooth that hasnt any bone around the root and possibly one of her bottom front teeth thats crooked because her mouth is so crowded. Please pray for my girl, and patience and calm for me. Then in 6 months or so however long it takes her to completely heal, they will tackle jaw surgery to put the bottom jaw back where it goes. They told us its a 4 hour surgery per jaw bone to fix what Heathers got wrong. The surgery Monday has been told to me will be at least 4 hours. ( I am picking my books for the waiting room. I am going to start "The Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness. Thank you secret Santa , Jessica, for the whole series. You rock!!!)
Thennext Saturday the 18th our girl Heather turns 20. We are thinking of doing a surprise bonfire for her with cake and ice cream and a few of our friends. Since Heather cant eat and only has a gtube our celebrations for her have to have an element that doesnt involve food. We will try to get her to taste some frosting and ice cream. She has just relearned how to chew even with a dislocated jaw. Its just extremely painful for her. Love you all to pieces,
I will let you know how everything went when its over and Heather is resting.
Hugs,
Jina

[Lola]

Wow With this I do know what you are going thru, Jen had to have the same wisdom tooth surgery , not fun. Now I really hope my delivery gets to you on time! Know We All Love You and our Girls. Lola

[Lola]

Oops Forgot , I will put Heather on our Prayer list !! Love Lola

[Lesley]

Oh Jina, I will be thinking about you & your brave Heather & hoping all goes well & that she has a Happy 18th birthday. You will certainly need some books that you can 'loose' yourself in whilst you wait for surgery to be over. Love to you all xxx