Dog Praying

Too cute not to share! Enjoy!



"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9

My baby girl loves snow!

Lady Isabelle is a true snow dog!!! She loves biting at the snow when it's thrown at her and she loves to zoom around the yard! She's a crazy dog! I love her.

Photo of the Week - Week 1

I've been inspired in the past to try to take a photo a day for an entire year, but I know that is impossible for me. I'll try a photo a week..... Actually, I think I've tried this in the past unsuccessfully. 2011 is a new year!


Week 1/52 - January 2, 2011 - Photo taken from our back deck towards the West. AMAZING colors.... Lasted only a few minutes. Thankfully, my camera was handy and I was able to capture it!

Book Report: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

(Image from Barnes and Noble)

Good Law, I have to say this was one of thee BEST books I have EVER read! So much so that it earned the a place in my top favorite books. To date, only six books have made into that spot... THE HELP joins REDEEMING LOVE by Francine Rivers, SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA by Arthur Golden, THE GIVER by Lois Lowry and THOSE WHO SAVE US by Jenna Blum. Stiff competition, in my opinion!

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett was recommended to me over a year ago and I finally read it last month! Seriously, I don't know why I waited so long!!!! I even had it on my book shelf, loaned it to a few friends... and still hadn't read it. Maybe it's because the cover didn't appeal to me. I admit it, I totally judge books by their covers. And to be quite honest, even though I read the synopsis, I didn't realize what THE HELP meant. Oh, how ignorant I was....

Speaking of ignorance.... it is prevalent throughout this book. It's set back in the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi when black women worked for white families... cooking, cleaning, raising white babies. The title simply signifies these amazing women.... they are THE HELP. Everything they(and blacks in general) went through, how they were treated is upsetting.... reality, upsetting reality. It baffles me how ignorant the white folk were back in the day... and it wasn't even that long ago. Thank God, the world has come a long way since then.

You will fall in love with the characters. You will love their stories! You will love the chances that they take. And you will love the hope that is created for these amazing people in the decades to come! I know it's fiction... but I can't help but believe this very story occurred over and over and over.... which is so disheartening.

I also want to share with you that I read this book in print. But a friend shared with me that she actually "read" it via audiobook. I decided to reserve it from the library and am now "re-reading" it. Wow... what a treat!!! The publisher did a great job choosing four different readers. "Hearing" the accents brings the characters even more to life. And I am excited to go through this journey again.... won't you take the journey too?

Book Report: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

(image from bn.com)
I wanted to badly to like this book.... but I can't go on. The writing style is not for me, it's incredibly boring and drawn out. I am actually extremely surprised this has received such high ratings! I really enjoy reading WWII/holocaust books but this one didn't do anything for me. Part of me wanted to push on because I've had two people tell me how amazing it is, but when I asked another friend if I should waste my time finishing, she said "I wouldn't". There was my answer.