Mailbox Monday - July 13

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

I am posting this early because we are home and I have a closing Monday morning. Our drive home from the Outer Banks was painless. We arrived Saturday morning and I tried not to overdue it right away. Yesterday was my birthday, so all the kids were here. They went all out and bought me a neat gift:

I also received a gift card, so I bought a few books I had my eye on and picked up a few new Kindle freebies. I also signed up for three free months of Kindle Unlimited. Not sure how much I'll use Prime Video, but we will see how that works out.

While we were away, two books arrived in my mailbox.

These Kindle freebies are on my new device.

With my Kindle Unlimited subscription I grabbed the first book in The Time Hunters series, so I can read it before the second book.

How was your week? Are you reading a lot or have you been distracted? What was one of your favorite recent reads? 

Book Spotlight: Taming Your To-Do List by Glynnis Whitwer

No matter how much we accomplish in a day, we nearly always feel a little guilt over what we didn't do. Taming Your To-Do List exposes a seismic shift in society: from one in which most of us were proactive to one in which we carry the burden of having to respond--to every email, text, tweet, and message we receive. This creates a cycle where everyone else sets the priorities for our days rather than us directing our own lives. The result? We procrastinate, putting off the important stuff for later while we tend to the "urgent" stuff right now. It's time to take back your schedule! Ready to tame your to-do list? This book shows you how.

File Size: 4485 KB
Print Length: 201 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800736028
Publisher: Revell (June 18, 2019)
Publication Date: June 18, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07NDMNQT1


Purchase here!

Book Review: Ketty Lester: From The Cotton Fields To Grammy Nominated "Love Letters" to Little House on the Prairie by Revoyda F. Buckley

For fans of Little House on the Prairie, she is known as Hester-Sue Terhune. To her family, she is Re-V or Vorda--a unique name given to a talented woman who had careers as a pop/R&B singer and an actress in movies and television.

Ketty Lester: From The Cotton Fields To Grammy Nominated "Love Letters" to Little House on the Prairie brings you through Buckley's beginnings as the fifteenth child to a farming family, to leaving home and attending college for nursing, to her performing in clubs as Ketty Lester and recording records, to her acting career which spanned decades.

Told in a style as if you were sitting across the table with Buckley asking her about her life, you discover she has loved and lost, she has known the challenges of having a career in a competitive industry, she dealt with discrimination and unequal pay, and she has met and worked with other amazing industry professionals.

This is a story told in chronological order which includes several pictures, her filmography, and discography.  This autobiography held nothing back. It will make you admire and feel compassion for Buckley. Though she is now retired, her mark on music and film remains.

As a fan of Little House on the Prairie, I am glad I read this story. I learned more about this talented woman than I knew before. Though the editor in me wanted a more polished version of the story, I totally believe that there is a lot to be said for being true to yourself and telling an authentic story in your own way, which is just what Buckley did.

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher:  Elite Publishing House (April 20, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0578662337
ISBN-13: 978-0578662336

I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I was not compensated for in any way.

Vacation Memories

We are coming to the end of our 2020 vacation. Though it has been a very different experience as a result of the pandemic, it has still been a blessing to be away.

We walked around a lot this year and visited a couple new places to eat. 

Whether we are on Cape Cod or at the Outer Banks, Theo loves the beach. 

I will be back to a more regular blogging schedule next week. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Mailbox Monday - July 6

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Good morning from the Outer Banks. I hope you had a nice weekend. This is the second week of our vacation. I didn't get to the bookstore in Manteo yet, but I am looking forward to going today. Here are some photos from this past week.

Puzzle time

The Christmas Shop in Manteo

Theo getting ready for the beach

July 4 on the beach in Kill Devil Hills

I should have a book waiting for me in the pile of mail when I get home on Saturday. I also downloaded these two this weekend.

What arrived in your mailbox last week? 

An Imperfect Christian Mom's COVID-19 Diary #12

 

It's Independence Day in America. A sad day this year. So much of the focus is on what divides us. So many lives, actions, and happenings politicized for the benefit of one party or another. Add to that the many who have lost loved ones this year and are still not able to grieve normally or gather with family and friends due to the current circumstances. All this is so distancing.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, not all parties agreed; yet they worked together for the common good. Maybe we should watch the movie Independence Day with Will Smith and Bill Pullman to remember we are better when we all pull together. That seems so silly to say, but we really need to give more attention to having compassion for each other, helping each other, and remembering how great America is.

We were blessed to be able to vacation this year, but even we are staying closer to the vacation home than in other years. When we go out, everyone has masks on. Some restaurants have not survived the pandemic or are working at reduced capacity per restrictions or with reduced hours because of travel restrictions leading to no international work staff. Think of how those international students who planned to spend their summers working here are feeling, too. What has this pandemic cost them?

As things open up, some states are experiencing new spikes in cases. An end to this situation seems far away. A vaccine trial has been delayed. Maybe a pause or a push back in re-opening is on the horizon.

I'm okay with adjusting to this new normal, but my heart yearns to see forgiveness, compassion, and peace reign. Little acts of kindness mean so much--like the car full of teenagers who paid $5 toward our Dairy Queen bill yesterday simply because I let them into the drive thru line. I pray we can move forward as a country to a better place.


Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

~ 1 Peter 3:8-9

Book Review: Inspired Mama by Sez Kristiansen

A guide to intentional living for mothers is what readers find in Inspired Mama by Sez Kristiansen.

Stressed and overworked, Sez finds herself in a fetal position on her son's bed, alone because her husband has taken their child and disappeared to let her figure out what's going on with her, and fearing she is losing her mind.

If nothing else in this book were relatable, the opening to Inspired Mama reminds all mothers how vulnerable we are. Feeling responsible for our happiness, and for everyone else's, we put ourselves last and limp through life talking down to ourselves when we can't balance all our roles. Kristiansen wants to help you change all that.

Inspired Mama is about living an intentional life. It's about freedom of mind, life, and comfort zones. Through journaling, meditating, becoming mindful, practicing gratitude, finding a community to inspire and empower you, and more,  you can learn to live an authentic life tailor-made for you.

Intentional living is important because, without out that practice, we can find ourselves trapped into living lives that may make us unhappy and resentful. Kristiansen's book is a great place to get started. She shares her story and offers advice on moving you forward. In addition to her helpful advice, you'll find inspiring quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Check out Inspired Mama to see if it's right for you.

Paperback: 165 pages
Publisher: TCK Publishing (January 19, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1631610783
ISBN-13: 978-1631610783

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.