Fancy meeting you here and a big thank you!

Back in April, I wrote about doing a book giveaway here and asked a question. I have too many books so that after I read them, I usually like to give them away so that someone else can enjoy! I can't possibly keep every single book that I buy, although there are a lot that I do keep! ☺ So I asked:

Would it matter to you if I did a book giveaway and the book had been read once?

I had a very positive response and a lovely comment:

Mama Hen said...

What a great idea!!! We who love books do not mind if they have been previously read. My town library is going to be undergoing renovations for the next 9 months, so they will be closed, and not accepting donations (which is what I usually do with the books I'm not going to read again). So, if you don't mind, I'd like to use your idea and copy you! Would you mind? And if you send me your address, I'll start with a giveaway to YOU, if you like, just for being such a neat person with generous ideas!

Now, Mama Hen (aka Teresa) has a lovely blog over at Hen Scratches and we "met" through our blogs, and also through a lovely series of coincidences. When she started following my blog, I hopped on over and checked out her blog. She had made mention of some blogs that she enjoyed, not only mine but also A Happy Honeybee, who headed up the Little House Christmas Stocking swap that I participated in over at swapbot.com. What a coincidence is that? And then, on another post, Mama Hen talked about the Little Town on the Prairie Read-Along going on at Beyond Little House and, when I commented on that one, I found out what her "name" is over there too. So, not only are we blog friends, we are Laura Ingalls Wilder friends as well!

Back to that there comment up there ↑ I did end up sending Mama Hen my address and....well just look at what she sent me!

First the box. The box was beautifully adorned with old -timey pictures having to do with books and reading. Loved it!!

Including this bookmark, which she had in safely wrapped in plastic so that I could use it. I love the picture and the quote Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

And she couldn't decide which book to send...so she sent five! And I haven't read any of them and they all look really good. I can't wait to read them!

Plus, she had written a lovely note on a postcard that she had gotten from The Happy Honeybee in a swapbot swap. And she also included her own personal namecard which she received in the same way! I was so flattered that she chose to share them with me. I think that Teresa and I must be kindred spirits!

So...a big thank you to my friend Teresa (aka Mama Hen, aka TLynn). You are awesome! And I'll be optimistic and say that I can't wait to meet you at LauraPalooza next year!!

It was a very good day!

Yesterday was a good day. A really good day, actually. The weather was beautiful and I spent the day with family. What more could I need?

Pictures. I forgot to take a single picture...

However, my daughter made something special for me. She has a blog over at From My Classroom Window (I may have mentioned that a time or two☺)

Isn't this awesome (daisies are my favorite...and hers)? I ♥ you, Jamie!

We also all went out to an early dinner yesterday - Jim and I, along with our kids, Jamie and Jon (we missed Brittany :(), my brother and my mother-in-law. The service was slow (restaurant was busier than they had expected to be), but the food was good and I enjoyed our time together!
My kids gave me a new thistle bird feeder and a lovely spa/pedicure kit which I love! And my son came over before we were leaving to go to dinner and brought a cake with him. He didn't make it, but he did pick it up at the store (impressive) and he wrote "Happy M-Day" (funny and impressive, especially if you know my son!) The "M-Day" were written in blue frosting. Those were the two pieces that my brother and I got. My brother started laughing at me because my lips and tongue had turned a lovely shade of blue...until I started laughing at him because his lips and tongue were also a lovely shade of blue. For a very long time!

And there are definitely no pictures of that! ☺

Happy Mother's Day

My mother and her mother - 1933

Missing my mom on this first Mother's Day without her...but so very thankful for my children and time today that will be spent with family...

I'm slowly trying to do a bloggy catch up, as I've spent the last couple of days trying to catch up on other things (not totally successful there ☺).

I received an award this week from the wonderful Julie over at What Else Is Possible?, one of my new favorite blogs.

Thanks Julie!

The rules for this blog state that I need to tell you seven things about myself and award this to 10-15 other blogs...
Here's seven things:

1. I used to be a morning person, but my husband isn't. While our kids were growing up, in order to spend time with him, I learned to adjust more to his schedule. Well, that's not true. I would stay up late to see him (after a full day of work he would have to work in his shop most every night) and still get up early with the kids.
2. I hate it when people use the word retard in a derogatory manner.
3. I don't like reality tv.
4. We didn't get cable till our daughter was in college and got rid of it over a year ago (for a total of about 10 years). Don't miss it.
5. I'm a nerd and I'm proud of it.
6. I take too much everything personally, therefore my feelings are easily hurt.
7. I can't pick just 10-15 blogs to pass this award to.

So, this is the deal...if you follow me and we did the A - Z Challenge together, then I choose YOU for this award! ♥

Winner of the Little Town on the Prairie book!

I took all the correct answers and numbered them in the order they were posted. There were four correct answers and random.org chose....#4!

Patty C said...

Xanthophyll is from the Spell off in Little Town on the Prairie. It is in the Literaries chapter. Thanks for posting fun contests....it is fun to see what other fans know and their thoughts on her works. Patty:)

May 1, 2011 9:24 PM 

Patty, congratulations and email me your address! I will send your book right out to you!
Thanks to everyone who entered.

I'm here!

I've been catching up on some work for the past few days, I'll be here tomorrow with a new post, but just stopping by with a reminder. In case you missed my X post...I have a contest/giveaway going on and you have till tomorrow at midnight to venture a guess! Remember you MUST be a public follower of my blog, you have to leave a comment on my blog to enter, and I will trust that you won't look back at the other comments. It's all for fun! I'll let you know who wins on Friday. Good Luck everyone!! ♥

This is what I've been trying to say...

I have had so many thoughts today, but I just could not put them into words. And then this was posted on facebook...

"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." -Martin Luther King Jr.