DISHWASHER BLUES

Well, we often don’t appreciate things until we have to do without. Thus is the case with my dishwasher. To think I complained about having to EMPTY it!

My daughter went to start the dishwasher, one of her jobs, and low and behold it didn’t start. I went to check out the situation, figuring she didn’t shut it all the way. To my horror, SHE DID!

My dishwasher was broken! After finally coming to terms with it being broken and realizing I would actually have to do the dishes by hand, I had to think about going about the task. Oh yeah, fill up the sink with soapy water, clean, and rinse. Right, that’s how it works.

Of course this had to be one of those times where not only the dishwasher was stuffed full but the sink had been overflowing with dirty dishes as well, waiting for the next load. I had to actually take dishes out of the sink to fill it. When I completed those dishes, on to the ones in the dishwasher…this just didn’t seem right.

Over a half-hour later, the counter and stove were covered with drying dishes. Wow, what a workout!

My husband, being a fireman and having to work twenty-four-hours at a time, had to work the following day so I had to endure yet another day of washing dishes. Though I must admit, nothing was as bad as that first time. Now I was keeping up with them. Yeah, I had to do them several times a day but it was manageable that way.

A couple of days later, off to the stores we went in search of a new dishwasher. Three stores later and we found the one we were looking for. You can only image my horror when the salesman said it would take THREE days to get!

THREE DAYS, are you kidding! Now the decision…go to yet another store, possible finding one we can take home right then and there, or exhibit the skill of patience? Let’s see…Okay, thinking of those in Africa with so little, maybe I need a lesson, here.

So patiently I wait, and wait, and wait.

And in that time, a miracle occurred…my husband did a load of dishes!

See, even in the worse of situations, something good can come of it.

MICHAEL BUBLE

I first discovered Michael Buble through Blake Shelton this past year. After Blake released his video, Home, I searched Youtube and came up with Michael Buble. Come to find out Michael sang it before Blake. I still can't tell you which artist I prefer to singing it more. They both bring something different to the song.

In the past few weeks I've discovered a couple more songs of Michaels that I fell in love with. I purchased them on itunes and spent my two hours cleaning the house, listening to the three songs over, and over, and over, and over again.

Really, the entire time…they're that good.


CRAZY LOVE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ov4BTDJId8

EVERYTHING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKtB2EhdaE

HAVEN’T MET YOU YET

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdiobXckUdY&feature=rec-LGOUT-real_rn-HM

Enjoy!

JIMMY WAYNE VIDEO

I just had to share this amazing video on Youtube I just discoved. What an amazing message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUiW-zC8qNo&feature=channel

READING DISCOVERY

I purchased this book on a recommendation. I did get quite a bit from it though I have to admit I had a hard time following it in many parts. The information was a bit confusing at times. I guess if we can get even one thing from a non-fiction read, it was worth reading.

I did enjoy reading some of the segments of the author's novels. One particular book intrigued me enough to check out the author on the web. I was surprised to find out he wrote over 75 books, and is the author of a childhood movie I saw, The Apple Dumpling Gang. Even more intrigued, digging deeper I was saddened to find that he is no longer living.

All in all, I would suggest this book to any struggling and or new writer.

I also plan on purchasing one of his novels that was reference in the book, Katie, Kelly, and Heck. It sounds intriguing.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WRITING - ENTRY #3

One thing that I'm constantly hearing is that author's need to promote themselves. Now days you need to have a Website, Blog, a presence on Facebook, Twitter and more. Publishing houses need to know that you’re willing to market yourself, thus your books.

Sometime ideas come to me in rapid succession, and other times I have to think for some time before one aterializes. I keep a daily log of what I plan to do each day. In that log I've scheduled the days I need to add to my Blog.

When an idea comes to me for a blog entry, I write it down on a sticky note and place it on my schedule for a particular day in my binder. When I get another idea, I write it down and place that sticky note several days from the last one, and so on. This way when I come to the day that I need to write an entry on my blog, the idea is already there.

Works great!

A BOOK TO REMEMBER

Hard to believe that after seeing three Nicholas Sparks movies, this is the first book that I've read by him. This is also the first book that I've read AFTER seeing a movie. It's always been the other way around. I've never been interest in reading a book after seeing the movie. I mean, why would I?

Being a romance writer, and having two of his movies, A Walk to Remember, and The Notebook, on my list of all time favorite movies, I craved to read the written words. I aspire to write such novels one day. With that in mind, I set out to read, A Walk to Remember and right after it, The Cliffnotes.

The book was very good, so good I couldn't put it down and on the second day of reading it, I stayed up well past midnight to finish it. I even cried, though I had known the whole story. I was surprised at how different the book was from the movie...both in good and bad ways.

In the end, I would have to say that both the movie and the book stand alone. Both were brilliant, wonderful stories, each bringing something different to the final product.

I've just started the Cliffnotes and can't wait to get a glimpse into how an author created such a masterpiece. I plan on reading The Notebook, next. It will be interesting to see how different the novel is from the movie, as this one was.

All in all, A Walk to Remember will remain an amazing story that will resonate in me forever, with characters that came alive and will never leave me.

FIREPROOF YOUR MARRIAGE

Every marriage that isn't rock solid would benefit from seeing, FIREPROOF. What a great movie, bringing hope back to those who feel they are losing the battle to keep their marriage alive.

Most Christ centered people know that without God, a marriage (and a meaningful life) has little chance of surviving. Fireproof gives the hope Christ centered Christians already know...that if one makes Jesus first in their lives, God will work everything else, out.