by Sarah | Mar 4, 2014 | All About Me, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Books have been my favorite thing for as long as I can remember.
No, really. I’ve often shared the story of how my first nightmare ever was of me destroying my favorite book, [amazon_link id=”B000IYCL4Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bongo[/amazon_link].
So what better way to start my Top Ten Tuesdays then with my favorite books? Trust me, this sucker is going to be a tough list. I have to say this list is “currently” or “for now”. I’m always reading and finding new books, and sometimes forgetting them. So I could come back in a year with a totally different list (or it may stay much the same).
So without further ado…the list.
10. [amazon_link id=”1451657889″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wicked As They Come (Blud #1)[/amazon_link] ~Delilah S. Dawson — A unique story of vampires in a combination of the modern and a steampunk world. It’s #10 because it took me a little to get through it and get totally caught up, but once I did I was hooked. Loved it!
9. [amazon_link id=”1419709704″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Splintered (Splintered #1)[/amazon_link] ~ A.G. Howard — Wow. I loved this take on Alice in Wonderland!! Totally imaginative and fun. Both the [amazon_link id=”B00FJ7NTP2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]novella[/amazon_link] and [amazon_link id=”1419709712″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]book 2[/amazon_link] are on my wish list.
8. [amazon_link id=”1594744769″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children[/amazon_link] ~ Ransom Riggs — I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book. It kept me enthralled with the unusual children based on real photographs. I’m looking forward to [amazon_link id=”1594746125″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hollow City[/amazon_link]!!
7. [amazon_link id=”031257357X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Still Missing[/amazon_link] ~Chevy Stevens — An amazing heartfelt story about life after the abduction. The ripple effect carries throughout Annie’s life after she gets home…and the answers she finds have surprises of their own.
6. [amazon_link id=”1439102813″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Still Alice[/amazon_link] ~Lisa Genova — Painful. Beautiful. (Warning: not a recommended read if you have someone in your life with Alzheimer’s, it might be too painful)
5. [amazon_link id=”0425247449″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]What Alice Forgot[/amazon_link] ~Liane Moriarty — A driven mom falls of an exercise bike and hits her head – losing 10 years of her life. The life she remembers is not the life she’s living.
4. The Demon Tales Series ~Kerrianne Coombes — Kerrianne’s take on the classic fairy tales is amazing (and hot). Starting with [amazon_link id=”B00816NFJ8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Beauty and the Beast[/amazon_link], to [amazon_link id=”B0098M0IYY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Cinderella[/amazon_link], to [amazon_link id=”1618855964″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Snow White[/amazon_link], and [amazon_link id=”1618859056″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Rapunzel[/amazon_link], I’ve loved every story. I have my hot little hands on [amazon_link id=”B00H29N3A6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sleeping Beauty[/amazon_link], too & can’t wait to read it!! I know the author has more coming, I follow her on FB 😉
3. [amazon_link id=”0061962155″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Confessions of a Prairie Bitch[/amazon_link] ~Alison Arngram — Confession here, I did NOT like the TV series Little House. I know, it’s a travesty since the books are in my top 10. Mostly because I thought the TV show strayed too far from the books…and to me that was sacrilege. I LOVED the book. That all being said – I liked this book so much it is the ONLY non-fiction book on this list, especially since I’m not a fan of memoirs in most cases. Alison’s recounting of her time on Little House almost made me want to try watching it again (almost). She displayed humor, grace, and a nice dose of snark, just how I like my peeps.
2. [amazon_link id=”0060754281″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Little House Series[/amazon_link] ~Laura Ingalls Wilder — first books I read, and read religiously. I’m now reading them with my girls and they remain my favorites. They mean too much to me not to. (P.S. the only adaptation I like of the books to film of any kind is the miniseries from a few years back done by Disney.)
1. [amazon_link id=”0545162076″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Harry Potter series[/amazon_link] ~J.K. Rowling — This is the first year I can say that this series makes my top 10. My first read-through I was more “eh” over the series. I didn’t “get” the madhouse fandom. After a second read-through in 2013 I’m totally on board. My girls love them, my husband loves them…the teen never got into them, but that’s okay.
*
And that’s my list for this week. I may revisit this in six months and see if it still stands.
What about you? What are your favorite books? I’m always looking for new recommendations?
Feel free to join me for Top Ten Tuesday! If anyone is interested, I can create a linky 😀
by Sarah | Mar 3, 2014 | All About Molly, Autism, Redefining Perfect, Russell-Silver Syndrome, Special Needs
One of our family’s favorite board games is SORRY! We play round after round on family game nights.
One thing no one ever likes is getting “Sorry’ed” right back to their start. One or all of us have been known to whine and groan over the inevitable gleeful “SORRY!”
No one likes being told to go back to start.
Now, that’s what we have to do.
Almost six years ago Molly received her “official” diagnosis of Autism (as well as Russell-Silver Syndrome). We foolishly felt relief at the diagnosis thinking now we could get help. We didn’t know what the road ahead of us held.
Now we’re drowning.
Since Molly is so high-functioning (possibly Asperger’s?), that our concerns are often set aside by others (i.e. the school) until a specific behavior presents itself. Every year we go in and try to be prepared for everything, but one of a few things happens.
- She starts off so off-kilter by the change of schedule/new event that any quirk seems mild by comparison
- Her behavior is so beautifully spot on and normal that any deviation is like a sudden attack on everything we thought we knew (or rather, they thought they knew)
- A new behavior develops that not even we suspected
This year we have reached a breaking point. The school has set her on a new behavior model because she degraded so tremendously after Christmas break. She isn’t listening to her teachers, she’s refusing to do anything, and she is avoiding tests like the plague (w/ standardized testing in a few weeks, this is not good, even w/ IEP accommodations).
The development of a possible learning disability on top, plus lack of focus, and weird tics and behaviors at home had Erik and I at our wits end.
We called the doc and got her in for her annual physical and set about finding out the next step.
Our pediatricians best advice?
SORRY! GO BACK TO START!!
So we must return to the geneticist that gave us our initial diagnoses. We’ll need to use him to unravel the confusion we’re currently in. There may be treatment for ADHD, we may see about getting her into a local ABA treatment, we aren’t sure what’s going to happen, but we have to go back to the beginning.
Again.
It’s a never ending process of hurry up and wait.
Mostly, Erik and I need to find local support. We find ourselves at such a loss so much, that we’re grasping at straws that aren’t there. We don’t know how to handle things, and that’s something that’s really hard for both of us to admit.
Now we wait until May to meet with Dr. E again, six years after our last appointment. Hopefully he’s able to help not just her, but us, figure out how to go forward now.
All we want is for her to be happy.
At peace.
Peace is so hard to come by.
*~*
Written for Things I can’t Say’s Pour Your Heart Out
by Sarah | Mar 1, 2014 | Photography, Redefining Perfect, Scavenger Hunt Sunday
All taken w/ Canon Rebel XS.
1. Unusual Crop
2.Details
3. On the Ground
4. Blooper
5. Color
You can find more pictures over at my flickr account.
by Sarah | Feb 25, 2014 | All About Home, All About Me, All of Us, Photography
Three years ago I started on a trail like this, and didn’t get far. I wish I’d stuck with it, I might not be where I am today.
<<–Do you see that? Almost 30,000 photos taking up 67.2GB of space on my hard drive (external).
I’m fortunate to have a photo managing program that automatically sorts by month and year when I’m in management mode, but still. 30k worth of photos?
And do you know how many are ‘sorted’ in any way shape or form? Maybe 3%
What’s worse? Probably 10% of them are missing the META data…no date (or WRONG date), nothing.
When I want to find a photo, unless it’s been taken in the past few months, it’s a scavenger hunt with pictures and my undependable memory.
So today I bit the bullet and started to remove the clutter.
I now have images sorted by human/family pictures, and not so much. Then divided into years. In the process I did manage to remove 300 photos just by virtue of knowing they weren’t necessary.
Over the next month or two I hope to whittle down all of the blurry, duplicate, needless shots. Most especially of my family. Also, so I can find photos I can use for blog posts, or just for fun.
Then, I want to back them all up (Hello new [amazon_link id=”B003MVZ8NI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]DVD+R[/amazon_link]’s) on discs and store them somewhere safe.
Lastly, I want to print some out to have on hand.
My family deserves better than this disorganized mess. and my brain will be much happier in the end.
(Soon, I’ll be starting the same de-clutter concept on my house…it’s worse than my photos…we are such packrats)
by Sarah | Feb 12, 2014 | All About Erik, All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Indiana State Museum
This weekend the Indiana State Museum is hosting their 11th Annual Art Fair!
And the best part, is preview night is on Valentine’s day!
I’m not usually a big hearts & flowers – “I LOVE Valentine’s Day” type of girl. In fact, Erik knows that if he gets me something on Valentine’s I’m more likely to be annoyed than all lovey-dovey about it. I don’t like to make it a “thing”.
However, this year? When I got the option of going to an Art Fair filled with art by 60 Hoosier Artists representing 21 countries, along with some cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on this big romantic day – I was all over that. Erik and I are going to make a date of it.
I love that we can view, and even buy, beautiful pieces of work from local artists. You can preview some of the artwork now on the Indiana Art Fair Facebook page. I, personally, would rather spend the night enjoying beauty and supporting local artists, than worrying about flowers and hearts. It’s the ideal compromise for me – it’s a date, without the pressure of the label the day brings. It’s a total win-win.
The Indiana Art Fair Preview night is on February 14th from 5:30 to 8PM. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members (as a bonus, your admission ticket to the Friday evening reception can be redeemed for free admission to the Indiana Art Fair on Saturday, Feb. 15).
If you can’t make it on Valentine’s Day, you can still see the Art Fair from 10AM-5PM on Saturday the 15th – and the cost is included in the regular museum admission ($10 adults, $9 seniors aged 60+, $5.50 child aged 3-12).
Have you been to the Art Fair before? Do you plan on going again?
*~*
*Disclaimer: In exchange for this post I was given two tickets to the Indiana Art Fair. All opinions are my own.
by Sarah | Feb 5, 2014 | All About Family, All About Ripley, All of Us
For a few years now I’ve wanted a dog. I just thought our family was one-shy of completion.
A month ago we made an attempt to adopt an adorable little girl. The shelter was rude, horrible, and left us with a bad taste in our mouths and worries we wouldn’t find another.
Then last week I dared peek again at a different shelter. I found an beautiful mixed breed mutt that seemed perfect. We filled out an application and went in to meet the lovely lady at the adoption center. However, when we walked in, I saw this face:
I knew right then.
She was the one. It helped that when we looked at the list of available dogs–Erik wanted to meet her, not the pup I had my eye on.
Within 24 hours we brought her home.
We’ve renamed her “Ripley” (as in Ellen Ripley of the Alien movie franchise, Erik’s favorite movie).
She’s smart.
Sweet.
And a total mama’s girl.
I’m in heaven.
The kids are too.
And despite her sad history, I think Ripley is fitting in perfect into our little family.
We feel complete.
Like a hole has been filled.
I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of Ripley around these blog parts. 😀
As a side note, I also would have been happy w/ a cat, but my allergies would never allow it. ~sigh~
Also, I’m now going to look into volunteering at this shelter. They were so amazing.
Books have been my favorite thing for as long as I can remember.
