Archive for May, 2009
Doggy Swim Time
May 20th, 2009 | 
Author: 
Warmer weather means time for the dogs to dip in the creeks to cool off. Mandy, the farm beagle, is the only one who swims in our pond. She’s already earned her swim badge for this year.
On the other hand, Spot, the giant horse puppy and onlooker in the photo, is afraid to go any deeper than 3 or 4 inches in the water. At one point he went far enough in so that the water was touching his chest. He did NOT like that!!!
Sadie, our mini collie, is a creek dog. She loves to lay in the shallow part of the creek and let the water rush around her. Of course, she’s a muddy mess when she gets out, but at least she’s cool. LOL
Honey, our Chow mix, really isn’t much of a water dog. She prefers lounging in the shade. I guess her reasoning is that with all her fur, it would take too long to dry off if she hangs out in the water.
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And The Winner Is…
The winner of Mary Byers’ book Making Work at Home Work is *drum roll please* commenter #5 – LaDonna!!! She says…
I am a Distributor and Team Leader for a company that produces Gourmet Candles, Bath Products and (coming soon) a top line Mineral Makeup. I can do Retailing, Fund-raising and Team Building. I am always looking for information to help me be even more productive. I think I would glean a lot from this book!
LaDonna’s website is Dakota Heart Scents. Stop by and visit her when you have a few extra minutes. 
I enjoyed reading about the different kinds of work you ladies do at home. Let me encourage each of you to purchase a copy of Making Work at Home Work – you won’t regret it. It’s available from Amazon for $10.18 and Christian Book Distributors for $9.99.
Oh, and here’s Random.org’s results:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
5
Timestamp: 2009-05-20 14:16:02 UTC
I Went Krogering!
I love it when the Farmer suggests a trip to Krogers. Of course, he usually has an ulterior motive like buying a tray of sushi or some Diet Cokes for $1. This week, it was the Diet Coke that motivated him. (For those who don’t live near a Krogers, affiliate stores with similar sales are Kroger, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, QFC, City Market, Hilander, Owen’s, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker’s, Gerbes, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy.)
When we got up this morning and the Farmer suggested a trip, I threw together a quick list, scrambled to cut yesterday’s coupons, and headed out the door. Even with a lack of pre-planning, we did pretty good.
Before coupons, our total came to $100.75.
After coupons, our total was $68.31 or a savings of 43%.
We bought 61 items for an average of $1.11 per item. However, quite a few items when combined with coupons were almost free.
Here’s some of the deals… (By the way, I don’t keep track of what newspaper inserts the coupons came from, but all of my coupons are newspaper, not printables, except for a couple of Krogers’ coupons.)
Diet Coke 2 liter – 5/$5
Since the Farmer drinks this by the gallon, we purchased 10 and used a Kroger coupon for $1.50 off 10 soft drinks.
Final price – 85 cents each (definitely beats the Wal-Mart price of $1.38 each!)
Ritz crackers – $2.50
Buy 1 Ritz cracker, get 1 Wheat Thins free (up to $3.49 value – even though Wheat Thins were on sale for $2, the full value was taken at the register giving me some overage)
Final price – $1.25 Ritz, $1.25 Wheat Thins
Wheat Thins Family Size box – $4.69
Free box of Wheat Thins up to 15 oz.
Final price – Free!
Hillshire Farm Keilbasa links – B1G1 free (store sale)
Final price – $2.24/each (regular price $4.49)
Kraft Salad Dressing – $1.67
$1.50 off coupon
Final price – 17 cents
Kraft BBQ sauce – $1.00
75 cents off coupon (some areas rec’d a $1 coupon making the BBQ sauce free)
Final price – 25 cents
California Pizza – $5
$1 off coupon
Final price – $4 (Purchasing a California pizza also prompts a catalina coupon (a deal that prints out with your receipt))
Hot Pockets – $2.50
50 cents off coupon, doubles
Final price – $1.50
A1 Steak Marinade – $2.50
$2 off coupon
Final price – 50 cents
French’s Honey Mustard – $1.49
50 cents off coupon, doubles
Final price – 49 cents
Dove candy bar – 75 cents
B1G1 free coupon
Final price – 37 cents
Gatorade 32 oz – $1
$1 off 5 coupon
Final price for 5 – 80 cents each
Pringles (large canister) – $1.65
50 cents off 1 coupon (doubles), $1 off 2 coupon
50 cents off e-saver coupon (I totally forgot this was on my Krogers card!)
Final price for 3 – 82 cents each
DiGiorno Flatbread Pizza – $5
50 cents off coupon (doubles)
Final price -$4
Jell-O refrigerated snacks – $2.75
50 cents off coupon (doubles)
Final price – $1.75
Now that the weather is nicer, I purchase convenience foods for those days when we’re outside most of the day or when I’m inside writing and hubby comes in wanting a snack. Lest you think we buy all snack foods, we also got cucumbers (61 cents each), slicing tomatoes (98 cents/lb), cantaloupe ($1.50), Wonder white bread ($1/loaf), cool whip ($1), Campbell’s chicken broth ($1), Starkist Tuna (94 cents), Van Camp baked beans ($1.39), and Quaker Granola Bars ($2).
What deals did you score this week at the grocery store?
What I Learned about Potting Soil
Today I’m blogging over at Garden Vines about the differences in potting soil brands.
If you enjoy gardening, whether veggie, flowers, or both, come join Jendi and me at Garden Vines. We offer glimpses of our gardens and share what we’ve learned through research and trial and error.
P.S. – Don’t forget that today is the last chance to sign up to win a copy of Mary Byers’ book “Making Work at Home Work.” Just leave a comment HERE.
Review: Blood Bayou by Karen Young
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Howard Books (May 5, 2009)
Can Camille face Jack? Has he truly changed from the man he used to be? Will Camille be able to prove that the man she let out of jail didn’t murder Jack’s sister? Will she survive long enough?
Murder, lost love, random accidents, reconciliation, and a twist of humor make Blood Bayou an exciting, suspenseful read. I enjoyed how author Karen Young created believable, well-rounded characters with flaws, emotions, and a past.
Suspense is a genre that I started reading and enjoying in the last year, and Blood Bayou is one of the best I’ve read.
Karen Young is the author of thirty-four novels with more than ten million copies in print. Romantic Times magazine and the Romance Writers of America have given her fiction numerous awards. She is a frequent public speaker and lecturer who lives in Houston. This is her first Christian novel.
Visit the author’s website.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Howard Books (May 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416587500
ISBN-13: 978-1416587507
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Luanne Richard opened the door to her killer wearing a smile and little else. With a drink in one hand and invitation and mischief dancing in her eyes, she sensed no danger. After several martinis, her instinct for danger was hazy at best.
She’d been lounging on the patio in her bikini when the doorbell rang. It had occurred to her that a cover-up might be the proper thing, but she wasn’t much into doing the proper thing. Never had been. It got really boring trying to live life properly. Now, glancing through the peephole, she saw he was alone and thought it might be fun to tease him a little. No one
around, as far as she could tell. So she let him in, closed the door, and turned to face him.
That is when she saw the knife.
She sobered instantly. And when he raised it and lunged, aiming for her throat, she recoiled on instinct alone, tossed her drink at his face and somehow—miraculously—managed to
evade that first vicious slash. While he cursed and blinked gin from his eyes, she turned and ran on bare feet.
She raced through the huge house wondering frantically how to escape. She cursed her carelessness in leaving the gate open when she drove home from the club. It came to her that
she stood no chance while inside, so she flew through the living room and made for the den and beyond—the patio. She prayed the door was open, that she’d failed to close it when she got up
and came back in.
Please, oh, please . . .
Halfway there, she took a quick look over her shoulder and screamed. He was close and gaining. He would be on her if she didn’t do something. As she streaked past a very expensive Chinese vase, she gave it a push to tip it over, thinking to trip him. He stumbled but didn’t go down. He picked it up, tossed it aside, and laughed. Laughed!
This couldn’t be real. This kind of craziness happened in nightmares to other people, not to her. Hadn’t she had enough grief in her life? Hadn’t she tried her best to fight the demons that tormented her? Hadn’t she often resisted temptation? Was she to be damned for the times she didn’t?
I’m sorry, God. I’m sorry. I’m sorry . . .
No! She wasn’t going to let this happen. She had a lot of life to live yet. She would change. She had changed. Nobody understood how hard it was for her to keep to the straight and narrow. She kept to the path. Almost always.
Once out on the lawn, she realized she couldn’t make it to the front. It was too far away. He’d overtake her before she got halfway there. And there was no time to punch in the security
code to open the gate. She was trapped. Mad with fear, she ducked around lush landscaping, making for the walk that led to the pier and boathouse. She veered to avoid the cherub fountain and stumbled, twisting her ankle painfully. She flung out a hand for balance only to have it slashed on the lethal thorns of a pyracantha. Sobbing now, she dashed through a grove of wax myrtles, wincing at the slap and sting of limbs before finally reaching the pier jutting over the bayou. It was her only chance.
She looked again over her shoulder. He’d slowed, knowing she had no place else to run. The knife blade glinted brightly in the sun. She whimpered, trying to think. Blood dripped from
the gash on her hand and her ankle throbbed. Scalding tears ran down her cheeks. What to do?
“Gotcha now, Luanne,” he taunted. “The boathouse or the bayou, babe. What’s it gonna be?”
Not the bayou. Never the bayou.
She had a fear of Blood Bayou. It had almost claimed her once. None of the romantic legends spun about it held any charm for her. The water was too dark, too still, too deep, too alive with slimy things, predatory things. The bayou was death.
She was out of breath and in pain when she remembered the telephone in the boathouse only a few feet away. Checking behind her, she saw that he was still coming, but moving almost
leisurely, as if enjoying the chase, savoring her fear. Anticipating the kill?
The thought made her leap onto the pier. Hot from the August sun, the wooden planks burned the soles of her bare feet. Below the pier, black water slapped against the pilings, disorienting her. Don’t look down! Eyes straight ahead, she finally reached the boathouse door, grabbing at the latch, fingers clawing. Panic and blood from her wounded hand made her clumsy,
all thumbs, as she worked at the strange fastener. But at last she got it, wrenched it open.
Inside it was dark and dank and, like the bayou, smelled of rotting vegetation and decaying fish. But it was sanctuary and she scrambled inside, slammed the door shut, and set the bolt. It would not keep him out for long, but it offered a few precious seconds. Her eyes struggled with the dark. It was her only chance. But one thing nagged: Why was he giving her this chance? No time to worry about that. She flew to the wall-mounted phone, grabbed the receiver, and punched in 911.
He was at the boathouse now, rattling the door. Terror leaped in her chest. With her heart in her throat, she strained to hear the ring connecting her to 911. But nothing. In a panic, she jiggled the button up and down. Listened for a dial tone. Nothing. She frantically pressed the button up and down again. And again nothing. She gave an anguished cry and slammed the receiver against the wall. The phone line was dead!
She screamed at the thunderous crash. He kicked the door open. It slammed against the wall, shaking the boathouse to its foundation. As she watched, petrified, he took an unhurried step inside, filling the doorway. With the sun behind him, he loomed as large as a truck. He paused, no doubt to let his eyes adjust to the dark interior. He took his time. Then he began to move slowly toward her. “I’ve got you now, sugar,” he taunted, his smile grotesque.
Incoherent with terror, all she saw was the knife. She scrambled backward, desperate to get out of his reach. But he kept coming. With a bump, she backed against the sleek hull of a
boat. Trapped! Below was bottomless, black water. Sobbing, she looked at him piteously. She was going to die. The bayou was going to claim her after all.