Farmers Market

I finally got to the Farmers Market today after months of not going. Oh, how I missed it! This is the first time that I have gone to the Bluffton Farmers Market - loved it! I dropped David off at the gym and headed into old town to find it. The street was blocked off, so it was easy to find. I wish I had my camera, but alas, maybe next time. I found several organic farmers and every vendor was local :) I got fresh yellow beans, baby turnips, a huge sweet potato, gorgeous baby purple/white eggplants, a couple of granny smith apples, a tiny little cantelope and some local, raw Tupelo honey. It was so enjoyable, can't wait for next week :)

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – what kind of name is that? Does it tell you what the book may be about? Not me.

I started reading this book because I have enjoyed every other book Donald Miller has written. Little did I know it was going to be his best work yet! I finished the book and wanted to read it all over again. That’s how good it was.

Donald Miller teaches us about the store of our lives by telling us how he is changing the story of his. It’s basically the story of how his book “Blue Like Jazz” is turned into a screenplay for a movie and how they have to change the story in the book to make it more interesting for people to watch.

I loved how he came to the realization that his life wasn’t interesting enough to hold someone’s interest and how he could change the direction, or story, of his life.

Very motivating. He showed me that everyone can choose to live differently and doesn’t have to be stuck in the same old routine; that your story can be inviting to others and they will join in.

Donald Miller got me off the couch, on my bike and eager to find the next chapter in my own life.

Two thumbs up! Pick yourself up a copy and read it! And then give someone you know a copy… Head over to Thomas Nelson Publishers, they’ll help you out.

Fearless by Max Lucado

As part of the Thomas Nelson Publisher Book Review Bloggers, http://brb.thomasnelson.com, I had the opportunity to read Max Lucado’s Fearless before it was released. The full name is Fearless, Imagine Your Life Without Fear. This was my first ever Max Lucado book. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but people I know always say his books are great. I can say that it was ok, but I would be hard pressed to go to great.

In the world we live in, there are a lot of reasons to be fearful – terrorism, job loss, the economy, violence, and death, to name a few. Mr. Lucado tackles many topics and offers scriptural back up to combat each particular fear. I am sure that if you are a person that lives w/ fear on a daily basis, this book will be comforting to you. I have to admit, it is nice to be reminded of the bible verses. I would definitely suggest this book to someone that I knew was going through a particularly scary or stressful time. It does not however, make me want to run out and purchase another book by Max Lucado. – borrow one from the Library maybe, but probably not buy one..

The Noticer - review

I signed up to be a reviewer for Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ and I just finished reading the book "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews. It is the story of an small town on the ocean in Alabama where people just live ordinary lives. An old man named Jones shows up and helps people "notice" things about their lives that they can't see. Jones has been in and out of the town for as long as people can remember, but no one really knows him. He just shows up unexpectedly and talks folks through situations, from being homeless under a bridge to learning how to speak to your spouse and saving your marriage.

This book is a fairly easy read in which each chapter tells a different story. The story line changes as the old man, Jones, drifts in and out of people's lives and there is only one person whom Jones revisits during the book. In each story there is a small nugget of wisdom that anyone who reads will be able to pull from. We all go through life with a bit of tunnel vision, the author reminds us to open our eyes, and our perspective to see the whole story, to change our perspective and to change our lives.

I read this book as a downloaded e-book. I believe that I would have enjoyed it more having the actual book in my hands as opposed to my computer. Living in a coastal town myself, it would have been easier to see myself in the characters if I had been sitting on the beach reading or by the side of the pool instead of on my living room couch, indoors, by myself. It would make a great book to read on vacation. I have never read anything else by the author, Andy Andrews, but would be willing to try after reading this one.

The Serpent

Poisonous? Not poisonous? Anyone a snake expert?

Pretty flowers for a dreary day

It is dark, dreary and cold outside (60 degrees) and we haven't seen the sun since Saturday. I thought everyone might need a little shot of gorgeous.

1st set - success!

The bluebirds have successfully raised their first set of babies. Over the last few weeks, mama and papa were busily feeding the little chirping sounds coming from their house. We never actually saw the eggs or babies, but we sure heard them. Those parents never quit feeding them. From sun up to sun down, they brought food to the house. Constantly.

Then one day, they just weren't around much. We gave it a day or two and then checked the house. Sure enough, a well built nest was inside, but nothing else.We promptly cleaned out the nest (under instruction from the lady at Birds Unlimited) so mama and papa could start all over again.

And...they got right back to it. All day long, bringing nesting materials into the house. I'd love to be able to get a camera inside to see how they do it. Hopefully next time we'll get to see the babies!