Crimson Eve

Last night Jesse and I took a big step toward buying our first home. We attended a class in Green Bay through NeighborWorks which teaches first time home buyers what to do to get pre-approved, how to clean up your credit, and most of all to find out if you are ready to buy a home. The class was a little intimidating: lots of information, a few horror stories, etc, but we're excited about the possibility maybe in the next six months to a year.

I have a blackboard/corkboard in the kitchen where I post notes and invitations. On the blackboard, I put up a new piece of Scripture just about every week. I used to really push the kids to memorize them: every time they got one down, they got a candy bar. Now I post it and hope that they notice. The last few weeks I've been putting up powerful quotes that move me. This week's is: Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? from Corrie ten Boom. What a beautiful reminder of where we need to keep God in our lives!

Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins is the third book in the Kanner Lake series, and while it doesn't pack the punch of the first two books, it's still a fantastic read! Carla Radling, Kanner Lake real estate agent, takes a dashing Englishman to look at a reclusive property, but instead of buying the house, he tries to make Carla buy the farm! (Sorry, couldn't help myself) She manages to spray the hitman with pepper spray and get away, but with his threat to kill anyone she asks for help, she flees to Washington trying to figure out who wants her dead and how to save herself from this methodical hunter. The story is told alternating chapters between Carla's run for her life and her diary from when she was 16 years-old that holds the secret to the killer's motive. Along the way Carla learns she can trust in the Lord when there is no one else she can count on. Collins never fails to deliver a visceral thriller with a message. Don't start this one late at night, and don't read it when home alone!

I always have a ton of books on my wish list, so many that the classics that I want to read tend to get shoved to the bottom of the pile. So along with my resolution to read biographies of all the American presidents (I'm up to Madison because I keep reading parallel history books), I'm establishing a new resolution for my reading: every month I will read one classic, if possible dealing with the holiday that month. So this month I've brought home Dracula by Bram Stoker. It's not completely the original vampire story. Varney the Vampire and Dr. John Polidori's The Vampyre came earlier and heavily contributed to the legend, but this is considered to be the best. I last read it in fifth or sixth grade with my parents during Book-It (remember that, where you got free Pizza Hut personal pizzas?) I also ordered The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins for some mystery in my Halloween season.

No picture today, Blogger picture services are down.