Winners and a Sunday Drive

I'm a day late announcing my winners because my husband wanted to take a drive down to the Ohio River yesterday.

He needed to get away for a day and it was beautiful here finally.

We left pretty quickly so I didn't take a camera. I wish I had. We passed so many fields

Beautiful farms and homes

I love the rural areas. I'm just a country girl at heart. I didn't grow up in the country but my house was on the edge of town and I had a farm across the street. I had the best of both worlds. Most of my cousins lived on farms so they called me "town girl". I spent a lot of time at my Grandparent farm so I still feel like a country girl.

Homes getting ready for the 4th of July. We saw lots of flags.

So you are saying, if she didn't take a camera what are these photos of? Well I'm cheating and using photos from the country roads where my Grandparents farm is and all the places I remember when I was growing up. The 1st red brick home is their house. The rest are places near by. This is the small country church I grew up in.

I miss those simpler times.

We did have a wonderful Saturday (actually) drive down around southern Ohio and over into Kentucky.

Country roads are best .

Did your family ever take Sunday drives?

Ok, now for the winners.

Relyn is the winner of "The Long Journey Home"

Karena is the winner if "The Randolph Legacy"

and

Amy is the winner of "Caleb's Crossing"

Ladies, send me your addresses at my email and I'll get them sent ASAP! Happy Reading.

smash585@earthlink.net

Current Books and a Giveaway!

I am doing something I HATE to do!

I am reading 3 books at one time.

I started this book because it was on an all time favorite list

of an author I really enjoy reading.

All of the reviews are 5 stars.

They do warn that it is a bit long but so worth it.

I'm trying, but I may have to give up. It's a bit like Alice In Wonderland.

I really do not know what the point is or

where it is going and I am on page 120 of 538.

Has anyone else read this and should I keep going?

I have loved all of the books by Geraldine Brooks that I have read so far so I was sad when I read Marie's review of her latest book here http://www.bostonbibliophile.com I do like a lot of the same books that Marie likes, but we may disagree on this one. Well she had a giveaway of this book and I got it! I am currently reading it,

(Little,Big is on the shelf right now)

and I have to say it is keeping my interest.

Last Friday Marie asked on her Friday Finds, what books did we add to our shelf this week? Since I can not spend any money on books right now I have not been adding any new books but I had something exciting happen last Saturday so I have a list!

While I was sitting at my craft show last Saturday,

(which was a bust :{ ) looks like a mustache instead of a pout LOL,

Sorry I digress.

I planned to continue reading Caleb's Crossing but I left it in my car,

which my daughter needed so that left me at the show without my book.

Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrr

As luck would have it the local library had a free book booth there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So,

Here are the books I added to my shelf! FREE

The 1st one here on top, I read this week.

(Caleb's Crossing went on the shelf with Little, Big too)

The Randolph Legacy by Eileen Charbonneau

I really liked this book!

Is is historical fiction with lots of twist and turns to keep it a page turner. She gives you enough info to string you along so you can't put it down. I really have not read a book this interesting in awhile.

The next 3 I also picked up. BTW, I really support our public libraries so I asked if I could leave a donation and she was very pleased so I did.

I have no idea if I will like any of these but they all sounded like good reads and I could not pass up free books. I tried not to be greedy.

Now on to one of the books I found at a garage sale. My copy is Old, published in 1922 so it doesn't look like this.

I am trying to include a classing here and there through out the year so I hope to start this one soon. The fact that mine is vintage makes me like it more ;) plus it cost me .25!

OK, so now for the give always!

I reviewed The Long Journey Home here

http://theeccentriclady.blogspot.com/2011/06/long-journey-home-book-review.html#links

I received it as one of my Library Things early review books.

If you would like to receive it, I will pass it on.

Leave the title in your comment and I will draw a name to see who will receive this book.

I will also pass along Caleb's Crossing as soon as I finish it. (I started reading it again today) Leave this title in your comment and I will draw names to see who gets this book.

I might as well pass along The Randolph Legacy also! Do the same thing.

I will draw the names Saturday June 25th. Please only one book per comment.

It's always fun to get a free book so I hope some of you will leave a comment to be included in my giveaway. Hope you have a wonderful week.

Some New Items I'm Working On

Living in the country with limited bandwidth is really cramping my style here on my blog!

I have to go into town and work on my blog somewhere I can find wifi.

So I apologize for the long brakes in between post.

I have lots going on right now also.his weekend. One is a long established sale in a cute town here in Ohio. It is the Yellow Springs street fair. I'm testing the water with this one to see if the people who go to this show like the things I create.

The 2nd show is in a well known town with over 50 antique stores. Waynesville, Ohio. This is a newer venue and I have committed to the 2nd Sat. through out the summer.

Sunday will be my daughters graduation party. Shes doing the cooking I'm doing the decorating!

I have lots of preparations to do and to day I will be going for a job interview! Actually in just 20 minutes!

I really need this job so I hope i make a good impression.

I'll leave you with some photos of the things that have been also keeping me from blogging.

I'll be here more often after the shows and party. Have a great weekend!

I have these items at 2 different craft shows t

"A Long Journey Home" book review

I received an advanced copy of "A Long Journey Home" by Margaret Robinson from The Library Things early reviewers. This is my review of this memoir of the mother of Augusten Burroughs'.
Having read Augusten Burroughs memoir, I was curious to see his mothers story. Since I found “Running With Scissors” a rather disturbing book and one I have been cautious to whom I recommended it to, I knew Margaret’s story would be a difficult one. Many others have been critical of Margaret saying she is trying to justify her actions or that her description of life doesn’t really gel with her sons books. Everyone has their take on their life and even siblings raised in the same house will remember things differently.
I read her story with an open mind wanting to hear her side of the story and try to understand her feelings. It is helpful to read how she perceived her upbringing and how her parents treated her. I am sure her mother would feel she was misunderstood by Margaret also.
That being said, I do feel a respect for Margaret that she has been able to overcome so many obstacles and remain positive. Mental illness is after all a disease of the brain and maybe some of her memories or stories are eschewed but they are how she remembers them.
I did find the writing choppy and sometimes hard to follow. It took me several weeks to finish because it was a hard story to want to read about and sometimes the story seems to drag. I am glad I read it and felt much more positive at the end than I did with “Running With Scissors”.
Margaret’s story is one you should read if you want to understand mental illness especially if you have someone in your life that is affected with it. The lesson I think you can take from this book is that we must embrace who we are, be true to ourselves and respect others for who they are.

If you would like to read more of Margaret and her poetry please visit her web page here

http://www.margaretrobison.com/home.htm