Once in a Blue Moon

I had a fantastic holiday weekend, I hope you did too! We had a cookout here on Saturday, one at my mom's on Sunday, and for Molly's birthday she and I went to Eclipse and then did some shopping. I was so grateful to God for providing me with the strength to get through all of it. I did miss church and the parade on Sunday because of the pain, but otherwise God held me up. It all collapsed on Tuesday however, and it's only been getting worse because of the humidity. The dampness in the air sets in my joints making just waking up in the morning a miserable experience. I've learned over the course of my illness to take each day as it comes. I'm grateful when I can do more, and when I can't, I don't beat myself up anymore. When I struggled with guilt and frustration, I took it out on my family and myself, making the situation worse. I'm grateful to God for the wisdom he's granted me in the midst of the pain. Even on the worst of days, I still find things to thank him for in my prayer journal. I am content.

Once in a Blue Moon by Leanna Ellis isn't quite sure if it's a conspiracy thriller, contemporary romance, or family drama. Brynda Seymour's mother died forty years ago as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. She was raised by her Nana, but has spent the time since living life on the edge, engaging in risky behavior and always falling for the wrong guy. When she's contacted by Howard Walters who claims that her mother's death is part of a conspiracy from NASA, she's pulled into his paranoid world where she meets his son Sam, a former preacher. Sam and Brynda have immediate chemistry, but can she fall for a guy who believes in the Lord who allowed her mother to leave her orphaned at nine years old? Ellis is very skilled at creating fully fleshed characters and writes with a terrific sense of humor. Her books always have a light touch, guaranteed to make readers smile. While the books struggles to settle into a genre, it's still an enjoyable story. The truth about Brynda's mother is rather shocking, but Ellis handles it with grace and there's an excellent message of acceptance and learning to let go.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Ruby's Slippers

My rheumatoid arthritis has been acting up for the last few days. Saturday and Sunday it was hard to even make it out of bed. I'm doing better today, but my hips are killing me. While the pain gets me down, it's the mental part that makes it hard for me to be up physically or emotionally. I had so many plans for this weekend and today. I wanted to get the girls' room clean, clean up the living room from the remnants of Christmas morning, do the laundry, etc. And I can't do any of it. I hate days like this. I've been doing well the last couple of months. I've been keeping up on laundry and housework, and I feel so good doing it. I love being able to serve my family, and by doing those things, I feel like I'm really taking care of everyone. And when the house is clean, everyone else is in a better mood. There is more time to do other things like bake or play games. I don't like asking the older two kids to do the work, because I get so much attitude, it's easier to do it myself or let it go completely undone. So on days like today, I want I want to snuggle deep into the blankets, put a heating pad on the worst spots, and not talk to or see anyone until I feel better.

Hopefully as the weather warms up the pain will lessen. It's not too cold out today, but it's extremely windy. I went to the grocery store this afternoon, and as I was walking back to the car, a big gust swept up. You know how when you take a small baby outside and they make a small squeaky gasp when they feel the wind? That's how I felt in the wind. It was so strong that I could exhale, but I couldn't inhale until I got into my van. Our road is almost completely drifted shut in spots from the wind. Is it too early to be looking forward to spring?

Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis is a haunting story of a woman's quest to know her earthly father and in doing so discovers her Heavenly Father. Dottie Meyers has lived her entire life on the same small Kansas farm where her mother and grandmother were born. Her sister Abigail fled their small town for the bright lights of Hollywood and only returns to the farm when she wants something. So Dottie isn't completely surprised to find Abby searching through their mother's things during one of her visits and then leave without a word the following morning. She doesn't have time to consider the mystery, because a tornado whips through the farm destroying everything and leaving Dottie in a three month long coma. When she wakes up, she sees things in surprisingly bright colors, starts humming songs she can't remember the names to, and finds a pair of ruby slippers by her bed that were left by her long-lost father. Dottie takes the slippers and goes on a quest to find him and to discover why he abandoned their family over thirty years ago. On the way, she picks up three friends with journeys of their own. Ellis very cleverly plays on the conceit of the title. The slippers are supposedly from The Wizard of Oz, and several themes from the movie are used throughout the book, including Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I found myself looking for specific plot elements from the movie and was completely delighted with how Ellis used some of them and twisted others making them all her own. The book never becomes a parody or silly; Ellis handles the similarities carefully to please fans of the movie without annoying anyone who isn't. While Dottie doesn't exactly discover there's no place like home, she learns what the word really means. I loved how Ellis writing reflects whatever Dottie is going through, from the no-nonsense style in Kansas to almost dreamlike when she first wakes up to clarity as Dottie makes personal discoveries. This powerful novel brought a smile to my face.

I'm starting a new book contest today. I'm giving away two copies of Karen Linamen's Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight. It's a funny and smart look at how to make real changes in your life that you can stick with. To enter, drop me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Jan. 1st. I announce the winners here and post my review on Friday. Good luck!

Lookin' Back Texas

Did a song start running through your head when you read that title? If it doesn't ring a bell, play the video, then come back. I'll wait for you. When that book arrived in the mailbox a few weeks ago, immediately Waylon Jennings started singing in my head. And every time I even thought about the book or looked at it, he started all over again. I have a confession to make: I grew up with the Highwaymen. My parents had their music on 8 track, and we listened to it in our 1976 Dodge Charger (blue with black stripes on the side). It didn't get much cooler than that in 1978. Dad had Willie Nelson's The Red Headed Stranger on LP, and I remember looking through all of the drawings inside trying to make sense of the story. The first time I ever heard Hey Jude was Jessi Coulter's (Jennings' wife) version. When I was about Mia's age, we would go out into the woods to chop wood for the stove. Mom and Dad would have me sing to keep the bears away. My song of choice was always Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (apparently my singing voice was so awful, it even frightened wild animals). While Mom and Dad weaned me on The Beatles and KISS, we also spent plenty of time with the Highwaymen. I'm hoping now that I've finished the book, I can put the song to rest. It worked that way with Melody Carlson's These Boots Weren't Made For Walking...oh wait, Nancy Sinatra just started growling in my head.

Lookin' Back Texas by Leanna Ellis is a startling look at the damage a lie can do to a marriage and a life. Susannah Mullins is going home to attend her father's funeral. But he's not dead. Susannah's mother Betty Lynne is so angry at his leaving her, that she has pronounced him dead and bought the casket. Susannah has returned to her hometown of Luckenbach, Texas in years, and when she does, old friendships and rivalries are quickly re-ignited. But trouble really starts when her husband Mike and son Oliver come to town exposing a secret Susannah had kept in the depth of her heart for over sixteen years. Ellis has a real ear for dialogue making it zing with humor and cut with truth. Many of the characters are typical fiction: small town=quirky, but Susannah and her family are real and multi-faceted. She's very angry with her mother, but can't help seeing those same flaws in her own life. She's tried so hard to be completely different that her mom, but they are both hiding secrets and desperately trying to control everything around them to keep those secrets from spilling out. Ellis doesn't go overboard on the Christian aspect of the book; it's important to Susannah, but she knows that her faith doesn't make her perfect nor does it stop her from sinning. I truly enjoyed this book about faith and family.

Gas hit $4.00 a gallon here today. Of course just before Memorial Day weekend. Jesse's going to Sun Prairie to spend the weekend with his brother, Dave. Me and my gas-guzzling van are going to stay close to home.