Dog days of Summer

It's hot. It's 100 degrees almost daily in my corner of Louisiana, along with the humidity, and sometimes, you honestly wonder how you're going to breathe as you walk to your car. Or even to the mailbox.

How's the summertime where you are? Pleasant, or at least bearable? I know I shouldn't complain, and I don't usually, but today...WHEW! Makes me grateful for air conditioning and popsicles though :) That's something right? Is it still wrong to complain if the grumbling makes us grateful for other things? Hmmm....that's a post for another day. lol

I hope your summer has been a blast! Ours has been busy, and mostly fun. Birthdays and parties and beach trips and lots of frozen yogurt... Regardless, as July is fading away (or in some cases, torching away) into August, well, I can't say I won't be glad to see it gone and Autumn come! Unfortunately that change in temp won't occur until probably late September here.

When does Fall arrive for you? When does school start back? (for you or your kids...or both!) I'm looking forward to the end of August, when Little Miss starts her first dance class (basic ballet and tap!) and then a week later...PRESCHOOL!

AGGHHH!! I have a daughter almost in preschool! When did this happen? I love it and hate it all at the same time :) If you're a mommy, I'm sure you get that. lol

Happy end of summer, everywhere. Let's toast a popsicle (or two!!)

A little something...

I'm curious today. What's your little something?

You know, when you've had a really bad day, or a really bad night - you wake up (or are getting ready for bed) and you do...what? Hot bubble bath? Candy bar? Soda? Special tea? A new book?

What is your self go-to reward for surviving a night of little sleep or for handling a stressful day at work or for meeting a deadline you never thought you'd make? etc.

For me, it's Starbucks. I don't get it all that often because A. it's expensive ($3.86 for the smallest size!) and B. It's high in calories. Yeah, my "tall, not fat, white chocolate mocha with NO whip" is still 270 calories! Can you imagine if I got it bigger, regular milk, WITH whip? Oy. (Seriously, it takes just as good without all that! Try it!)

I got one today, even though I really didn't have that big of an excuse other than Little Miss woke me up at 2:15 a.m. to go potty, (SO PROUD of her for being able to do that from a sound sleep in middle of the night, with no accidents, at barely 3 years old!) and I'm starting to get a mild allergy drip in my throat. Not exactly "I DESERVE A TREAT" worthy but I'll take it ;)

(Hey, the way I see, after surviving last week of Little Miss's hand/foot/mouth virus, well - I deserve Starbucks daily for the next decade)

So what's your little something? Or what is your BIG something that you save toward to really celebrate/commiserate? :)

(I need ideas for a new one that's cheaper than $3.86) haha

Scribble Chickie

Visit me today at Scribble Chicks!!

AND...visit me (post from this previous Sunday) at a new group blog I'm participating in - GIRLS, GOD AND THE GOOD LIFE! The link is HERE!

See ya there ;)

Beach quiz

In honor of summertime... :)

BEACH QUIZ

(this was especially fun since I'm in the middle of writing up a beach proposal!!)

My results:

You do things your way, and you always get results. You'll work as hard and long as it takes.
You are completely fearless. You refuse to let fear control you. You are proactive, and you try not to let anything slide. You avoid lazy thinking habits. You always have a way when your will demands it. You don't consider failure an option.

Well...I'd say the above is accurate for me except the fearless part. I hate roller coasters. And being dizzy. And heights. And feeling closed in. And spiders...and any winged bug...lol yeah. Not fearless!

What'd you get? :)

Another sweet read by Robin Jones Gunn

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Canary Island Song
Howard Books; Original edition (July 5, 2011)
by
Robin Jones Gunn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.

It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.

Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world. She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.

ABOUT THE BOOK
When Carolyn’s grown daughter tells her she needs to “get a life,” Carolyn decides it’s time to step out of her familiar routine as a single woman in San Francisco and escape to her mother’s home in the Canary Islands. Since Carolyn’s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday, the timing of Carolyn’s visit makes for a perfect surprise.

The surprise, however, is on Carolyn when she sees Bryan Spencer, her high school summer love. It’s been seven years since Carolyn lost her husband, but ever since that tragic day, her life has grown smaller and closed in. The time has come for Carolyn to get her heart back. It takes the gentle affection of her mother and aunts, as well as the ministering beauty and song of the islands to draw Carolyn into the fullness of life. She is nudged along by a Flamenco dance lesson, a defining camel ride and the steady gaze of Bryan’s intense blue-gray eyes.

Is it too late for Carolyn to trust Bryan? Can Carolyn believe that Bryan has turned into something more than the wild beach boy who stole her kisses so many years ago on a balmy Canary night?

Carolyn is reminded that Christopher Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands in 1492 on his voyage to discover the New World. Is she ready to set sail from these same islands to discover her new life?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Canary Island Song, go HERE. Purchase your copy of this latest hit by RJG HERE.