AND THE WINNING CAPTION IS....

Ship's Log 02.28.2013





I wish to thank everyone who participated in my first WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH A TWIST.  I hope you return next week and try again .... 

May I say that I have one adorable granddaughter.....

That being said , I really loved all of the captions , but I had to pick one.....




AND THE CAPTION I CHOSE IS :

"Oh, this is just so much fun waiting up for Santa to arrive ! They only "think" I'm tucked in my bed, sleeping peacefully - with visions of sugar-plums dancing in my head !!! Little do they know ..... !"

Thank you , Brenda , your caption was priceless......

Please come back next week everyone............or maybe sooner ?  God bless ...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH A TWIST

Ship's Log  02.27.2013

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH A TWIST

Ahoy Mateys! I am following the footsteps of some great bloggers, by posting my own Wordless Wednesdays.....Ye never know what I be postin', so make sure ye be checkin' in each Wednesday to take a look-see....


I be askin' ye to caption me pictures, so be sure and leave yer caption in me comments...each Thursday, I will be repostin' the picture with the best 'caption' givin'......




CAPTION THIS:

This be me granddaughter, Cassie.....What say you ?  How would ye be captionin' this picture ?

Leave yer response in the comments....and I be askin' that ye not post anythin' I won't be approvin' of Mateys...........

Be sure and check me blog tomorrow fer the winning caption.............God bless..

Pets Are Family Too

Ship's Log  02.25.2013

Let me introduce you to some of our extended family members.....our pets.

Norman Fred

First,  we have Norman Fred, we simply call him Norman.....unless he is in trouble.. Norman is a chihuahua/minpin mix..He can be one of the sweetest dogs.........When is he not ? Anytime someone comes to the door or tries to leave the house..You see, Norman is a chronic 'barker', to say the least..He MUST announce anyone who enters our home and he HATES when anyone wants to leave our home..we honestly do not know why..He adores our grandchildren , as long as they don't 'love' on him to hard or yank on his paws, but hey, who would want that? 

 

So, this is Norman, our dark shadow dog.......

                                                            

Peter Pan

This is Peter Pan, aka Petey....he is our chihuahua/pug mix. Just like Norman and Petey are opposite colors, so are their personalities....Petey DOES NOT adore our grandchildren...he chooses to hide from them....Petey announces when people arrive at our house, but unlike Norman, he lets them leave without any fuss...he is actually happy when they leave, especially the grandchildren...He does, however, absolutely LOVE both of my sons-in-law....and I mean he can't get enough of them when they come through the door...still haven't figured out why..

So, this is Peter Pan....our light shadow dog..

Stewart Little Jack Sparrow

Finally, I would like to introduce you to a little guy who graced our presence for about seven years before leaving us.... This is Stewart Little Jack Sparrow, we called him Jack for short...

Jack was a beautiful black and white guinea pig and he was the last guinea pig we will ever own. Over the course of ten years, we have had ten guinea pigs come and go. Some passed away and others were given away...Jack was my own guinea pig and he passed away March 2012...I still miss him...

So, this is Jack, our little angel pig. 

Thanks for dropping by my blog and meeting my pets.

And remember, pets are family too, so treat them as such........God bless..

What kind of pets do you have? Let me know in the comments below .

I SPY WIT' ME LITTLE EYE

Ship's Log  02.23.2013





Ahoy Mateys..This be I SPY WIT' ME LITTLE EYE Saturday...

Each Saturday, I will be posting a review, or two, or three.....of  books I have read . If I miss a Saturday here and there, don't make me walk the plank, it just means I simply forgot. Hey, never claimed to have a good memory. 


Let's start this off with a book I read this past week. 

UNDERCURRENT by Michelle Griep

Here is a brief description :

Professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked down into a swirling vortex...and a different century. Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn't commit-or did he? He can't remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn't in his plan. Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik's innocence. He didn't count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik's absence. 

My review of Undercurrent by Michelle Griep

My oh my, what a wild ride .  Vikings here, Vikings there, Vikings everywhere.. This book is indeed an adventure to behold. From the moment Cassie got thrown into this other world, I found myself wondering how she was ever going to survive.  I had no idea of the Viking ways and I care not to experience it myself. Michelle did a fantastic job with her descriptions of the people and places. There is so much action from beginning to end, I found myself completely exhausted by the time I finished reading it....a good exhaustion...

I have pulled a few passages from the book to perhaps peak your interest enough to pick up a copy for yourself.

    Packing crates crushed to splinters behind her. 

    She shoved over the bucket and tore ahead. The alley opened onto another road soon. A busy street would surely provide more hiding opportunities than this worthless passage had offered.

    Her arm dripped blood, her hair smelled like puke, and a cramp pinched her side with lobster claws, but she wouldn’t let any of that slow her. She bolted forward, leaving the alley behind.

    And ran headlong into the snare of a man’s viselike arms.  (Page 125)

**********

    So be it. More than once his feet gave way as he returned up the rise. He’d pitch forward, only to right himself for a step or two, then lose balance again. The freezing rain pelted against him as if archers loosed thousands of icy arrows. Cold and strain trembled through him. Sweet Jesu, if he struggled this much on solid ground, how much more did Cassie on a crumbling ledge?

    Conceding to the gale’s advantage, he abandoned his upright battle and dropped to all fours, clawing his way to the cliff’s edge. “Cassie?”

    Hard enough  to see in the dark, but the downpour made it worse.

    “Cassie!”

    Lightning exploded. Intense white lit the cliff brighter than day. No ledge remained where she had stood.

    “Nooo!” His cry reverberated with the next roll of thunder.   (Page 166)

And if those aren’t enough to get you, how about this:

    

And with no time to spare. Larger than a wolf, bigger than a man, a demon creature rushed at him. A misshapen muzzle with fangs impossibly sharpened aimed at him. Dead, glossy eyes trained on his own. This close, the sight of the thing drained his courage.

    The overgrown wolf reared on hind legs, revealing surprisingly naked innards. Shaken by the milky-white flesh beneath the fur, Ragnar froze.  

(Page 277)

I wish to thank Michelle Griep for giving me the opportunity to win her book, so that I could read and review it. 

You can buy a copy of this book at Amazon.com with the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/Undercurrent-Michelle-Griep/dp/1936835029

I encourage you to visit Michelle's blog, she has some great things to say and you don't want to miss her Fun Friday videos.....here is what she has to say about herself:  

 

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write...except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

Check out her blog here :

http://writerofftheleash.blogspot.com/

Thank you for reading my review. Please join me again and feel free to comment below. God bless.

COLD, COLD GO AWAY

Ship's Log  02.22.2013

Ahoy Mateys...all of us fall prey to those pesky colds each year and I am nursing a cold right now....hence my blog today.

First of all, how does one know that it is just a common cold? Well, here are the symptoms of a head cold, or aka the common cold:

Sneezing
Runny nose
Nasal congestion
A stuffy nose
Mild fatigue
Itchy or sore throat
Low-grade fever (up to 102° F or 39° C)
Cough
Watery eyes
Muscle ache
Mild headache
Loss of appetite


But, be warned, you could also have an ear or sinus infection. If you have any of the following symptoms, I advice you to seek medical help:


Fever of 103° F (39.5° C) or higher
Chills or sweating
Difficulty in breathing
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Ear pain
Unusual sleepiness
Persistent crying
Severe headache
Persistent cough

Now, I don't know about you, but I always try to do all I can to relieve my cold symptoms naturally, before resorting to medicines. Medicines and I do not go well together........

So, what I did is I looked up some home remedies to share with you today. 


Remedy # 1

Drink a lot of hot liquids, such as tea and soup. This helps to relieve nasal congestion and keeps you from getting dehydrated. Drinking diluted lime juice in a warm glass of water is said to relieve symptoms as well.

Remedy # 2

Garlic is said to help because of its antibiotic properties. I do not recommend hanging it around your neck....I've heard that some people do this.....simply adding some garlic to your soup should help.

Remedy # 3

Blow your nose often, one nostril at a time, very gently. By keeping your nasal passages clear, you won't turn into a sniffling machine.

Remedy # 4

Eucalyptus oil is said to be good for clearing up those nasal passages. Apply the oil on the sides of the nose. 

Remedy # 5

I like this one. .  A nice warm bath or shower.. Yes, I do like this one and it does help to clear up your head, if not for a short while.

A few other things that could help are avoiding caffeinated drinks, sleeping with an extra pillow under your head (something I also do) and trying a salt water nasal spray.



 Now any doctor or friend will tell you that one thing you must do when you are nursing a cold (besides not coughing and sneezing on everyone) is to get plenty of rest.

 

 

Good advice.... I can tell you from experience, that if you do not let your body get the rest it needs,    you will become a miserable, cranky pants. 

So,  my advice to anyone (including myself) who is nursing a cold, to do your best to relieve your symptoms... If not for yourself, for those who have to be around you. 

Before you know it, you will be your chipper self again real soon..

Thanks for visiting my blog today.   If you can add to my list above, you are more than welcome to mention them in the comments below.   Here's to getting over this head cold as soon as possible....God bless..

 

LET'S GO BIG

Ship's Log  02.21.2013

AHOY MATEYS.....I BE GOIN' BIG TODAY

WHY YE MAY BE ASKIN' ?  BECAUSE I REALLY BE WANTIN' YE TO GET A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS COVER OF FORSAKEN DREAMS BY ME FAVORITE AUTHOR MARYLU TYNDALL............

TOO BIG ? NAH....NOT BIG ENOUGH...

THAT BE BETTER...DO YE SEE IT NOW ? 

NOW, I KNOW THAT IN THE WORLD OF TEXTIN' ALL CAPS MEANS THAT YE BE YELLIN' AT PEOPLE, BUT THAT NOT BE THE CASE HERE, MATEYS...I AM JUS' SO EXCITED THAT ME CAP'N BE HAVIN' A NEW RELEASE........PLEASE BE SPREADIN' THE WORD FER ME....

WHAT SAY YOU? WILL YE DO THIS CHAPLAIN A HUGE FAVOR AND SHARE THIS POST WIT' YER MATEYS AND TELL THEM ABOUT ME CAP'N? 

HERE BE THE LINK TO GET FORSAKEN DREAMS:

http://www.amazon.com/Forsaken-Dreams-Escape-Paradise-Tyndall/dp/1616265965

HERE BE A DESCRIPTION FER YE WHO HAVE YET TO READ ABOUT IT:

They Left Everything Behind to Build a New Southern Utopia

Colonel Blake Wallace has seen enough death to last a lifetime. Weary and disillusioned, he slumps beneath the weight of defeat and loss. With his entire family murdered by the North and his name appearing on a list of officers wanted for war crimes, Blake organizes a shipload of southerners who, like him, long to escape the horrors of war and start a new life in a verdant land called Brazil.

Eliza Crawford can barely remember the days of her youth spent in opulence and comfort at her Georgian home. She can't help but wonder how different her life would be had she not met her late husband, Stanton Watts, a general in the Northern army. Now a war widow, Eliza is rejected by both North and South. Desperate to keep her marriage a secret and escape her past and pain, she longs to start over again in Brazil.

But once the voyage begins, troubles abound. Dangers at sea  and enemies from within threaten to keep Blake and Eliza from the new life—and love—they long for.

NOW IF IT BE PLEASIN' YE, GET YERSELF OUT THERE AND HELP MAKE THIS KNOWN TO ALL THOSE ASHORE AND THOSE AT SEA.......

I BE THANKIN' YE FER STOPPIN' BY ME BLOG TODAY, MATEYS.....I'D BE APPRECIATIN' A WORD OR TWO FROM YE IN THE COMMENTS....GOD BLESS YE.

EARLY ARRIVAL !!!!!!!

Ship's Log  02.19.2013

Yes, you heard right .   FORSAKEN DREAMS by MaryLu Tyndall is now in stock on Amazon.com . 

http://www.amazon.com/Forsaken-Dreams-Escape-Paradise-Tyndall/dp/1616265965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361292828&sr=8-1&keywords=marylu+tyndall



What are you waiting for ?   Head over and pick up a copy for yourself and perhaps a copy for a friend....share the love..

Isn't the cover of this book gorgeous?  Just imagine what you will find inside..........

As I have said before, MaryLu has a way of bringing you right into her books, as though you are right there experiencing everything the characters experience.. When I read her books, I get so many different emotions going........at one point I may cry, another I may get so upset that I want to smack certain characters. (in those moments, I need to remind myself that those people are just characters in a book)  At other times, I find myself gasping and clutching my chest, hoping and praying that certain characters will make it through a certain peril safely.   Yes, I said PRAY....that is how REAL these characters are for me.  Of course, there are those moments when I find myself smiling or laughing out loud. 

For me, the best parts of any of MaryLu's books are the parts where God is so present that you can feel Him reach out through the pages.  I almost always walk away with a Heavenly touch once I've completed one of MaryLu's books.   I've told MaryLu that I am so grateful that she always stays true to the talent that God has given her and that I pray she never changes so drastically that her 'talent' cannot be found anymore.  I know that everyone else feels that way as well.

So, her books have it all :   Joy, Laughter, Anger, Peace, Adventure, Sadness and more importantly a Godly presence to tie it all together. 

If you've never read anything by MaryLu Tyndall, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Forsaken Dreams  (or any of her books)  and find out what she has to offer.  If you are already a MaryLu Tyndall fan, then I know that you will be picking up a copy for yourself.   May I ask that you pick up another copy for a friend?  Perhaps someone who has never read MaryLu's books before.  Help spread the word for MaryLu......the more souls that can be touched, the better..

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today..........God bless

TIME IS TICKING......

Ship's Log 02.18.2013

LESS THAN 11 DAYS LEFT

Yep, that's right, less than 11 days left before the release of FORSAKEN DREAMS by MaryLu Tyndall. You can pre-order a copy today....no standing in line, no rude salesman....the book will be delivered right to your door. 

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Forsaken-Dreams-Escape-Paradise-Tyndall/dp/1616265965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361076182&sr=8-1&keywords=forsaken+dreams+by+marylu+tyndall

CBD.com
http://www.christianbook.com/forsaken-dreams-escape-to-paradise/marylu-tyndall/9781616265960/pd/265960?product_redirect=1&Ntt=265960&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP



Here is another look at the book trailer:

Did you know the Escape to Paradise series was based on an actual historic event?

 After the American Civil War, the victors from the North swarmed down upon the South, a land already ravished by war, with one intent in mind--to make the South pay for what they'd done. You could hardly blame them. They felt they'd been dragged into a long war in which they had lost many of their young men. I am neither a North or South sympathizer. I hate any war, but what the North did to the South afterward, would make your skin crawl. 

This is why over 100,000 Southerners fled the South after the war. Some went north, some west, some to Mexico, and others to Brazil. Conservative estimates derived from newspapers, available numbers, and descendants tell us that perhaps close to 20,000 Southerners came to Brazil to resettle after the war. The crew of the ship, NewHope, in new release, Forsaken Dreams, harbor many of the same dreams and hopes as these historic people. And like these immigrants, they had no idea what they were up against! Running away from God and from your problems isn’t always a good idea. Nor is believing that creating a perfect Utopia was going to be easy.  That is, if you even survived the journey to Brazil in the first place, a journey often fraught with disease, starvation, shipwreck, storms, thieves, and even violence on board the ship. After these hopeful Southerners landed in Brazil, they faced tropical diseases, bugs the size of men’s hands, crop failures, overwhelming heat, flash floods, and a host of other problem. Some Utopia, eh?  

I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Forsaken Dreams. And I am sure I will devour it once it is in my hands. Just like every book MaryLu has written, this one is sure to take me away from my everyday life and send me on a new adventure. 

If you have never read any of MaryLu Tyndall's books, you have truly missed out. God has truly blessed her with the talent of creating wonderful stories. I encourage you to pick up any of her books and give them a try. Maybe even start with Forsaken Dreams. 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I would love to hear from you. If you've read any of MaryLu's books, do tell.........help spread the word. 

GOD BLESS

Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof

Ship's Log   02.15.2013



Ahoy Mateys ... Today I wish to share with you a very special book...a book that truly touched my soul. 

Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof

Description:

A marriage of convenience endures a rocky start in the Appalachian Mountains! When Lonnie Sawyer's alcoholic father catches arrogant bluegrass musician Gideon O'Riley stealing a kiss from Lonnie, he forces the two to get married immediately. But the harsh realities of life quickly turn Gideon's affection to anger. Will they ever experience true love?


My Review:

I knew just by looking at the cover that I would enjoy this story. Joanne Bischof spun a tale that totally captivated my soul. Gideon and Lonnie's story will tear at your heart strings. Two young people who at first seem so incompatible. But, as the story progresses, you can feel God's presence helping them to overcome hurt, fear and hopelessness. Several times I found myself gasping, grimacing, laughing and crying. It is a wonderfully written story that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for something that will leave you feeling closer to God and his promises. "His eye is on the sparrow".

http://www.christianbook.com/still-my-soul-cadence-of-grace/joanne-bischof/9781601424211/pd/424212

Great news:  THOUGH MY HEART IS TORN the second book in The Cadence of Grace Series comes out on April 2.........Why not head over and buy both? 

Description:

Gideon O’Riley has two wives—but he doesn’t know it.

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.
 
Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.  
 
Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob. 
 
Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

 
Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

http://www.amazon.com/Though-My-Heart-Torn-Cadence/dp/160142423X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360963572&sr=1-1

Thank you for visiting my blog today....God bless