03.07.17
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Blog Awards #12: Sunshine Blogger Award – Number 2!

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Image Credit: The Green Onion Blog

Many thanks to the incredibly nerdy The Green Onion Blog for nominating me for another award!

Here’s the link to the post where I was nominated:

The Rules:

  1. Thank the person(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you
  3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions
  4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or on your blog.

The Questions:

1. Can you describe your ideal man-cave/woman-cave/library, and what kind of things we would find in there?

My ideal woman-cave / library would be a replica of the Beast’s library in Beauty and the Beast. However, I’m excited to be building a smaller version in my own house – The Lady Lounge! Eventually, it will contain my desk, my laptop, my humongous bookcase, my American Girl dolls, and a reading nook!

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2. What was one of your most prized toys/possessions when you were a child?

My first 18-inch American Girl doll, Stephanie. I still have her, nearly 20 years later. It’s funny – She’s one of the look-alike dolls (Originally called “American Girl of Today,” now called “Truly Me.”). However, when my parents bought her for me for Christmas in 1997, the company didn’t make a doll with brown hair and green/hazel eyes, so the next best thing was blonde hair with bangs, and bright green eyes. To me, however, as a 9-year-old, she was perfect. I took her everywhere!

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3. What book/comic book movie adaptation do you wish they would make that has not been done yet?

Oh, goodness. This was the hardest question for me! I’d love to see Stargirl’s story to be continued. She’s had a few live-action and animation roles, but nothing in a movie, yet!

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4. You won a $500 gift card to the bookstore, what do you buy first?

Score! I’d immediately buy all of Jane Austen’s works.

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5. If you had to cosplay any character, and had access to whatever you needed, who are you going as?

Wonder Woman!

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6. You can have any robot-pet, what kind of robo-pet do you get?

A hedgehog!

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7. What was the worst mark you ever got in school?

High school Spanish was the worst! I flat out failed a couple tests, and got a zero on one assignment because my teacher could tell that I had rushed and used Google Translate.

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8. What would be the absolute worst villain/monster after you?

One that takes books away!

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9. If you were going colour blind, and get to choose which colour you lose, what colour will you never see again?

Orange.

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10. If you could own any fictional vehicle, what are you driving?

The Invisible Jet.

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11. You get one protein, one fruit/vegetable, and one dairy product, for the rest of your life, what are your choices?

Seafood, mushrooms, and cheese.

Nominations:

  1. Aliexpress Fashion Review
  2. The Watts
  3. TrevnJess
  4. Not-so-modern girl
  5. MovieBabble
  6. Reads & Reels
  7. Flexi Reads
  8. Elazar Abrahams – TV and City
  9. midnightmusings
  10. goldenquotesrb
  11. Julius – Logical Quotes

Questions for the Bloggers:

  1. If you could have one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?
  2. What was your favorite subject in school?
  3. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  4. What’s your favorite superhero movie / TV show?
  5. Name three books that you read as a child that left a lasting impression on you.
  6. What’s one of your favorite childhood memories?
  7. When did you get your first cell phone?
  8. Which TV cast would you love to meet?
  9. If you had the opportunity to buy a one-way plane ticket tomorrow, what destination would you pick?
  10. Do you have a favorite game show?
  11. If you could have any pet (real or fictional), what would you get, and why?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.05.17
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Tag #18: The Makeup Book Tag

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Image Credit: YouTube

I found this tag on Thrice Read – They found it on Pirate Lady Pages!

Primer – Pick a book that left a lasting impression on you.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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Concealer – Pick a character you wish didn’t exist.

I don’t have a good answer for this one – I think most characters, if written well, should exist!

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Foundation – A favourite first book in a series.

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

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Powder – Pick your favourite last book in a series.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

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Eyebrows – Pick a book you think everyone should read.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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Eye Shadow – Pick a book with your favourite colours on the front.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth – I love the combination of greens, blues, and a bit of yellow.

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Eyeliner – Pick a dark and mysterious book.

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews.

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Mascara – Pick a long book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

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Blush – Pick a book with a cringe-worthy romance.

Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel.

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Highlighter – Pick a book that brightens your day.

I can’t pick just one. For this, I’ll pick anything with the American Girl historical characters. They give me such nostalgia!

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Lipstick – Your favourite book kiss.

The first kiss between Allie and Noah in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. It makes me melt – Every. Single. Time.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.03.17
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Commentary #49: Rec’d and Wreck’d – Music Albums!

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Image Credit: Shealea at That Bookshelf Bitch.

Here’s the links to my previous Rec’d and Wreck’d posts:

Ready?

Here we go!

The Rules:

  1. Download the Rec’d & Wreck’d header and include it in your post.
  2. Specify what you’re going to Rec’d & Wreck’d. If you were tagged to do a Rec’d & Wreck’d post, let us know and mention the person who tagged you.
  3. List three things you would recommend (rec’d). Rave until your heart’s content.
  4. List three things you would like to wreck (wreck’d). Rant until your heart’s content.
  5. State your challenge for the next Rec’d & Wreck’d post. Here’s an example:
    Rec’d & Wreck’d challenge:
    – Type: Books
    – Genre: YA Contemporary
    – Prompt: I’m looking for a book that can make me ugly cry
  6. You can open the challenge to all your blog readers, but you should nominate at least seven (7) people to do your challenge.
  7. Do not forget to link back to the original post on That Bookshelf Bitch. That way, more people can learn about the feature and join in on the fun!

Rec’d

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Image Credit: Wikipedia

(1) Glee: The Music, Volume 1 – Many of you know that I am a huge “gleek.” I’ve loved the show from Day One. The same goes for most of the music. I own most of the CDs. This CD will always be my favorite. It has a great mix of songs from the first season. “Don’t Stop Believin'” is my favorite, but they also feature “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Sweet Caroline,” and “Defying Gravity,” to name a few. If you haven’t listened to their music, I highly recommend it!

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Image Credit: Wikipedia

(2) …Baby One More Time, Britney Spears – I begged and begged my parents for this CD! I had a huge poster of Britney on the back of my bedroom door. I finally got it for one of my birthdays, and I think I wore it out with my CD player!

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millennium_cover

Image Credit: Wikipedia

(3) Millennium, Backstreet Boys – This was another CD that I begged for and pleaded. My parents gave it to me for one of my birthdays. My favorite song is “I Want It That Way” – And yes, I did dance in front of my mirrored closet doors, singing into my hairbrush!

Wreck’d

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Image Credit: Wikipedia

(1) A Thousand Different Ways, Clay Aiken – I tried SO HARD to love this album. But, it just didn’t sit well with me. I absolutely loved Measure of a Man (2003) and Merry Christmas with Love (2004), but this one was disappointing. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it’s not my favorite.

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playon

Image Credit: Wikipedia

(2) Play On, Carrie Underwood – As much as I love Carrie and her voice and her music, I regretted buying this album. This one has the least amount of play time for me. Similar to Clay Aiken, I loved her albums Some Hearts, Carnival Ride, and Blown Away, but not this one. Her singing felt different, and a little strange.

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(3) I can’t actually come up with a third one – I can’t! I love most all music. I tend to have love/hate relationships with individual artists, or a certain song, rather than a particular album.

That’s all!

Do you have any Rec’d and Wreck’d recommendations? I’d love to hear them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.01.17
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Getting Personal #63: March Goals

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Image Credit: Entrepreneur Delights

It’s already March 1st! Is it just me, or does the year seem to be flying by?

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Here are my goals for March:

  1. Complete my Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam Prep class.
  2. Take, and pass, my CPC exam (a.k.a., boards).
  3. Be a volunteer for the 2017 District Orchestra Assessment at my alma mater.
  4. Write at least 1,000 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.
  5. See Kong: Skull Island.
  6. Positively geek out over Beauty and the Beast.
  7. See Power Rangers.
  8. Finally implement my receipt organization system.
  9. Visit TCC to review my transcripts, make sure everything is straight, and apply for graduation!
  10. Celebrate birthdays!
  11. Move at least my American Girl dolls from Mom and Dad’s to our house.
  12. Make progress with emptying / organizing the garage.

Here’s the breakdown:

Complete my Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam Prep class.

  • This opportunity presented itself in the beginning of February. One of our friends, Shana, took this class last fall, and passed her exam (boards) on the first try!
  • I was lucky to get a slot – I paid about a third of the cost of a typical CPC exam prep course, and my work department graciously bought my books.
  • So far, so good: I’ve been in class since February 20th, twice a week, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on campus.

Take, and pass, my CPC exam (a.k.a., boards).

  • I’m scheduled to take the test on Saturday, March 25th. I have five hours to answer 150 questions. Fortunately, it’s paper-pencil, and multiple-choice. That, I can handle!
  • I should know my results about a week to 10 days after the test, since it has to be fed through a Scantron machine at another location.

Be a volunteer for the 2017 District Orchestra Assessment at my alma mater.

  • I wasn’t able to do this last year, so I’m excited to help!
  • This weekend (Friday and Saturday) is when all the middle school and high school orchestras in the city of Chesapeake descend upon my alma mater, Oscar Smith High School, to perform several pieces and be assessed by a panel of judges.
  • I’ll be working the registration table for a few hours on Saturday. I’ll be rocking my Rehearse-A-Thon T-shirt from my orchestra days!

Write at least 1,000 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.

  • I think I set this goal too high for the last two months, so I decided to scale it back a bit. I think I can handle 1,000 words!

See Kong: Skull Island.

  • This is one of those movies that we’ve been excited to see for a long, long time.
  • We first saw glimpses of this when we were on our honeymoon in Orlando in November 2015 – There’s a new ride based on the movie opening soon in Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Positively geek out over Beauty and the Beast.

  • I can barely wait until the 17th, you guys. This movie looks so good!
  • I’m currently searching for a shirt online that will be worn to the movie.
  • I always dreamed of having the Beast’s library!
  • Personally, I think Emma Watson, as Belle, is a perfect fit. As well as Luke Evans (Gaston), Kevin Kline (Maurice), and Josh Gad (Le Fou).

See Power Rangers.

  • Originally, I was a little skeptical about this one. I didn’t watch a lot of Power Rangers as a kid, but I’m actually excited for this movie. It looks really sleek and modern. Bring it on!

Finally implement my receipt organization system.

  • It may be just a series of envelopes, but hopefully it will eliminate a lot of the stress I’ve had! Stacking the receipts for the month, by date, has not been helpful! Fingers crossed.

Visit TCC to review my transcripts, make sure everything is straight, and apply for graduation!

  • Oh, boy. Here we go!
  • I’m really excited, and a little nervous. I think I only have one class left (Legal Writing), but I want to be absolutely sure!
  • If that’s the case, I plan to fill out my application for graduation and make sure everything is in order, all in one fell swoop.
  • It’s so close, I can almost taste it.

Celebrate birthdays!

  • My parents are having a big shindig for a family friend this weekend. I’m excited! We’re bringing angel food cake and Cool Whip!
  • We want to call Al’s mom this weekend to wish her a Happy Birthday!

Move at least my American Girl dolls from Mom and Dad’s to our house.

  • I’m tired of not having all my dolls (I have five total) in one place! It’s definitely happening this month – Hopefully this weekend!

Make progress with emptying / organizing the garage.

  • The warmer weather we’ve had recently is giving me the itch to finally empty out and organize our garage.
  • I want to put one of our cars in there by the end of the month, hopefully! That’s the ultimate goal.

Do you have any goals for the month of March?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.01.17
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Writing Prompt #47: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 9)

Week #9: How Did You Do & Feel?

I feel really good about this challenge right now. I’m really glad I picked Wednesdays for these posts – They’re in the middle of the week, and it gives me a chance to compose my thoughts over the weekend, if need be. I’m happy with my progress so far!

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.28.17
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Getting Personal #62: February Goals Recap

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Image Credit: Quotlr

The end of February snuck up on me! Wow!

Here’s the link to my February Goals post:

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Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Begin my journal adventure. – Did not accomplish.
  2. Finish my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. – Did not accomplish.
  3. Donate blood. – Did not accomplish.
  4. Celebrate our 6,000th donated pint at our blood drive on February 4th. – Accomplished!
  5. Finally see Hidden Figures! – Accomplished!
  6. Buy a desk. – Did not accomplish.
  7. Buy a shelving system for my dolls! – Did not accomplish.
  8. Move my huge bookcase, books, and dolls from Mom and Dad’s to our house. – Did not accomplish.
  9. Make at least three new recipes! – Semi-Achieved.
  10. Successfully co-host the PEO meeting on February 13th. – Did not accomplish.

Here’s the breakdown:

Begin my journal adventure. – Did not accomplish.

  • I didn’t write one single post!

Finish my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. – Did not accomplish.

  • I didn’t write a single new word.

Donate blood. – Did not accomplish.

  • I got close! But, my iron wasn’t quite high enough. Here’s to April!

Celebrate our 6,000th donated pint at our blood drive on February 4th. – Accomplished!

  • Hooray!
  • Mr. Barry Katz was lucky #6,000. He’s been a regular donor for years.

Finally see Hidden Figures! – Accomplished!

  • We went to Cinebistro in Hampton – It’s a great place!
  • If you haven’t seen it, it comes highly recommended!

Buy a desk. – Did not accomplish.

  • I finally started to make space for this desk in the Lady Lounge, but I haven’t 100 percent decided what I want to buy.

Buy a shelving system for my dolls! – Did not accomplish.

  • See above – I’m still not happy with my options at the moment.
  • Any tips for a shelving unit that has at least 20 inches of height?

Move my huge bookcase, books, and dolls from Mom and Dad’s to our house. – Did not accomplish.

  • See the above two!

Make at least three new recipes! – Semi-Achieved.

  • For the Super Bowl, I made Pillsbury’s S’mores Pretzel Cookie Bars!
  • Tonight, we tried Campbell’s Skillet Meals for the first time!

Successfully co-host the PEO meeting on February 13th. – Did not accomplish.

  • Unfortunately, the week before the meeting, I came down with the flu!
  • Although I was feeling better by the day of the meeting, I didn’t want to infect anyone.

Final Thoughts

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to two out of 10 goals. I’ll take it!
  • The one goal that was Semi-Achieved: I want to get back to home cooking! We ate a lot of pre-packaged food this month (frozen pizza, Bertolli meals, etc.), so I want to get back on track again.
  • The seven goals that I didn’t accomplish: This one hurt, a lot. But, I’ve been busier this month for several different reasons (See more in tomorrow’s post!). Plus, being sick for the better part of a whole week was frustrating!

Did you have any goals for February?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for March!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.26.17
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Book Review #29: “The Whistler”

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Image Credit: Amazon

This was another book that I picked up with the generous Barnes and Noble gift card from my parents. John Grisham has always been one of my favorite authors – I give partial credit to his writing for getting me interested in the legal field!

When I bought this book, this marked one of the first times I bought an author’s newest book within a few months of its release. With Grisham, I’ve typically found copies of his books at libraries and thrift stores. However, as I’m wrapping up my Paralegal Studies degree, I’m finding that I want to read as many new legal-themed books as I can get my hands on, even if it is fiction.

The Whistler is a powerful thriller, full of twists and turns. I liked the setup of the Board on Judicial Conduct (BJC) – Grisham followed a different angle of the legal profession with this one. 

I liked Lacy and Hugo working together. I’m partial to books set in Florida, too.

No spoilers – But there’s a big bombshell almost smack in the middle of the book that made me stop reading for almost a whole week. It was too painful!

To be honest, I almost gave up on the book altogether.

However, once I picked up the pieces from the bombshell and soldiered on, it got better. At the end, I felt it was a very long book. I thought it could have been about 100 pages shorter. There were several characters that weren’t crucial to the overall story, and they muddied the waters quite a bit. It got a bit confusing to keep up with, and that always bothers me with novels.

Despite a few pitfalls, I liked the structure of the book. When I got completely engrossed, it was really hard to put the book down. I found myself flying through 4-6 chapters for several nights in a row!

Grisham disappointed me a bit with this latest work, but The Whistler had enough drama, mystery, and intrigue to keep me interested!

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.25.17
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Hot Topic #18: What’s Up With Washington?

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Image Credit: InspirationSeek.com

Disclaimer: This post contains strong language.

Sigh.

I’ll admit, I’ve put off writing a post like this. I try to be an optimistic, positive, and enthusiastic person. I also try to bring those qualities to my writing, and the blog. There’s so much doom and gloom and bad news!

However, I cannot be silent anymore.

My shock has finally lessened, and I’ve accepted that Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States.

Does “accepted” that mean that I agree with it? Does that mean I’m okay with it?

Absolutely fucking not.

What I mean (or what I’m trying to say) is that I know / understand that Trump is our President now, and we all have to deal with it.

As I’ve attempted to write this post in a coherent manner for a great many days, I’m just stunned at how literally everything has changed since November.

Nearly four months ago, our country was preparing for / bracing itself to find out whether a billionaire businessman, or a powerful woman, would be elected to lead our great nation.

When I woke up on Wednesday, November 9th, my greatest fears were realized. I immediately felt sick. No, scratch that. I felt like shit. I could barely process the barrage of CNN News Alerts on my iPhone. I didn’t want to go to work. I wanted to curl up in a ball, terrified of what just happened and scared as hell for whatever was going to come next.

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But, through it all, I held my head high.

I’ve had several fascinating, informative, and civil discussions with my husband, my dad, my manager, and a handful of others. I’ve attempted to swim through all the media coverage and social media discourse, and come to my own conclusions.

I want to share what I think.

Bear with me, this may get a bit lengthy.

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Yeesh, you guys. I can’t even number this list – I just have no clue where to even start.

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Okay.

Deep breath.

Here we go.

  • Healthcare: It’s maddening to think that they think they can simply “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. It took SIX YEARS – Yes, that long – to enact what’s currently in place. I want evidence of their so-called solution. For more, see Hot Topic #17.
  • Jobs / The Economy: It’s nice that certain companies have said, “Yes, we’ll keep our plants / facilities in the U.S.” Will that actually happen? Who knows.
  • Immigration: His immigration ban already failed once. We shouldn’t be focusing on the countries he’s listed. The U.S. has its own problems! Plus, there are millions of refugees trying to escape terrible wars, famine, and more. Shouldn’t the U.S. government be a bit more compassionate? The FBI and the military have been focusing on terrorism since September 11, 2001 – We shouldn’t be stopping immigration based solely on fear.
  • “The Wall”: I roll my eyes and snicker every time I hear about this. This is not the answer. This is not the solution!
  • LGBTQ Rights: I’m going to borrow a quote I’ve seen on social media in the last couple of days: “It’s not about bathrooms, just like it was never about water fountains.” More to come about this, in a future blog post, or two.
  • The Dakota Access Pipeline: Everything else in Washington seems to be pushing this issue to the back burner, which makes me mad! For more, see Hot Topic #16.
  • Crime: Trump needs to get over himself, attend his daily briefings like all other Presidents in the history of our country have done, and stop using alternative facts and/or fake news. The inflated crime statistics, the 45-year-high murder rate – Nope. Try again. FALSE.
  • Relations with Russia: Once again, John Oliver is fucking brilliant. Check out his most recent episode of Last Week Tonight: Putin.
  • The Media: I lead you to John Oliver again: Trump vs. Truth. Also, the most recent frightening development – Yesterday, when several news organizations (CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, BuzzFeed, The Guardian, and the BBC) were outright BANNED from the White House press briefing? Yep, that’s absolutely terrifying. In that same article, Trump was quoted as saying that “… much of the press represents ‘the enemy of the people.'”
  • Planned Parenthood: Voting to de-fund Planned Parenthood because they perform abortions? Oh, my God. Give me a break! ZERO federal funds are used for abortions – Not one penny. Here’s the simplest explanation I could find: How Federal Funding Works at Planned Parenthood. For more, see Hot Topic #12.

Well, readers, this is all I can muster to write, for now. Thanks for reading / listening. You all mean the world to me.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.23.17
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Awesome Authors #2: Lois Lowry

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Image Credit: QuotesGram

This installment of Awesome Authors is all about Lois Lowry. She is a prolific writer. Fun fact: She lived at Fort Jay on Governors Island for a while, which is where I lived for the first two years of my life!

She’s written over 30 books!

A Summer to Die (1977)

a-summer-to-die

Image Credit: Wikipedia

I can’t remember when I first read this one (probably in high school), but it’s always stuck with me. This is one book that I think about often, and I definitely want to get my own copy. Without fail, I always cry when I read this one.

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Anastasia series (1979-1995)

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Image Credit: Amazon

I loved these books as a kid! They were so funny. There are nine books in all.

Lowry also wrote a four-book series about Anastasia’s brother, Sam (1988-1999).

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Number The Stars (1989)

number-the-stars

Image Credit: Amazon

I was assigned to read this in either fourth or fifth grade; I can’t remember which one. At the time, I struggled immensely in understanding this book. I remember how frustrated I was with the quizzes and tests on it!

A few years later, I re-read it, and it struck me how she beautifully told the story of a little girl in a tragic time. This is a hard book for me to re-read, but I have read it multiple times. I find that I gain a greater appreciation for it each time I do.

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The Giver (1993)

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Image Credit: Amazon

Confession: I’ve never read this book the whole way through. I started and stopped several times while I was in school. The last time I tried, I think I was in high school.

However, I watched the movie adaptation (2014) with Al last year, and seeing that inspired me to finally read it all the way through. It’s on my TBR!

The other thing I learned, in researching for this post, is there’s actually a full quartet of books:

  1. The Giver
  2. Gathering Blue
  3. Messenger
  4. Son

The whole quartet’s going on my list.

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I’m also a big fan of the Dear America / My Name is America / The Royal Diaries books – I want to own all of them, someday. Because of this post, I just realized that Lowry wrote Dear America: Like The Willow Tree (2011).

Another book of hers that I want to read is Autumn Street (1980).

What about you? Have you read any of Lois Lowry’s books?

Come back in late March for another installment of Awesome Authors!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.22.17
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Writing Prompt #46: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 8)

Week #8: Express Gratitude to Three People.

  1. To Stephanie – Thank you for being amazing! I’m so grateful that you agreed to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. You are a wonderful friend and a great pastor! Thank you for always greeting me at church with a smile and a big hug! You are loved and treasured, friend.
  2. To Kristian – You are an awesome woman. From the minute I saw your blog, I knew we had a connection. Thank you for your support. Thank you for turning me on to this challenge! I’m so excited to meet up with you later this year. No excuses!
  3. To Diana – I’m grateful that you’ve shared your life and world on your blog. Your faith is amazing to me. You are a pillar of strength. Thank you for being so open and honest. I’m grateful to be able to read your words. You’re a beautiful friend!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂