Image Credit: Thrive Global
Thanks for tagging me, Kristian!
Here’s the link to the post where I was tagged:
The Rules:
Image Credit: Pretty Wild World
It was hard to pick just two quotes!
Image Credit: Country Living
Tag – You’re It!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: Nova’s Namaste 365 Blog
I was tagged by the amazing, talented Kristian for this post. Thank you, Kristian! Check out her blog at Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.
Here’s the link to Kristian’s post where I was tagged:
This post was created by Nova. Her blog is Nova’s Namaste 365 Online.
Here’s the link to the original post:
This is what Nova has asked:
“I would love to pass a blog post, as if a journal, around. For the person tagged, I’d like you to just introduce yourself and tell us from what STATE/COUNTRY you reside. I’d like you to write something interesting about where you live once you’ve identified that. Then you can add a couple of your own details, if you’d like.
Each person who is tagged, please tag someone at the end of your post, and create a pingback to this post
Most of all,
Have Fun! 💖💚🌼
Thank you!!”
This is me:
One of my all-time favorite photos. This was taken by my husband, Al, on Christmas Day 2012.
This was taken after a fresh haircut in September 2016. I’m debating going back to this length.
One of my favorite photos from our engagement shoot, July 2015. Credit: Stellar Exposures
One of my favorites from our wedding day – November 14, 2015. Credit: Drew Brink
Dancing at Nick and Savy’s wedding – October 14, 2017.
The day we adopted our two furbabies – December 2, 2018. Al is holding Phineas and I’m holding Ferb. They are our goobers!
I love so many things.
God, and my relationship with Christ.
My parents, Jim and Karen.
My wonderful, amazing husband, Al.
My in-laws, Bruce and Debbie.
Our miniature pinschers, Phineas and Ferb.
So many family, friends, family friends, and church members.
Nature – Flowers, trees, dogs, cats, turtles, frogs, rainbows, sunshine, thunderstorms.
Where I Live – Virginia, U.S.A.
I currently live in Portsmouth, Virginia, in the United States. I’ve called the Hampton Roads area my home for the better part of 26 years. This is the southeastern part of the state. We are also known as the “Seven Cities” – Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, and Suffolk.
I’ve only lived in five other cities in my whole life – New York City (Governors Island), Alexandria in Northern Virginia, Chesapeake (where my parents still have the same house they purchased in 1992), Farmville in central Virginia to attend Longwood University (2007-2011), and a small apartment in Newport News (2013-2014).
My corner of Virginia gets a “taste” of all four seasons every year, but every year is different. There are years where we’ve had blizzards and nearly a foot of snow, multiple hurricanes, and brief hints of spring and autumn. Hampton Roads is surrounded by water on two sides – The Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean – plus multiple swamps, rivers, and creeks. To get most places, you have to cross at least one bridge or use a tunnel. We are about 45 minutes from the northeastern North Carolina border.
I enjoy living here for many reasons. One of the best is the rich history we have. Jamestown, Portsmouth, and Williamsburg are all part of the early settlers and colonial eras. Yorktown became famous during the Revolutionary War. Norfolk and Portsmouth have significant shipyards. All five branches of the military have bases or installations here – Air Force (Langley), Army (Fort Eustis), Coast Guard (Portsmouth), Marines (MAGTF), and Navy (Craney Island, Naval Station Norfolk, Oceana). NASA Langley is located in Hampton, and it recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary. I could go on for days and days. It’s a pretty cool place to live!
Thanks for this awesome opportunity, Nova and Kristian!
I invite Jenna, who is the author of Bookmark Your Thoughts, to continue this journal!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: Brady’s K-9 Fund (BK9F)
I stumbled upon this story on Facebook recently. Way to go, Brady!
Here’s the link to the post from my local news station:
In Ohio, the local news has been following Brady Snakovsky for nearly a year now. At that point, in November 2018, Brady had raised enough money to donate more than 50 vests to K-9s in nine states. That’s incredible!
Image Credit: Brady’s K-9 Fund
Bulletproof vests for police K-9s can cost more than $1,000. Brady got the idea when he and his mom were watching an episode of “Live PD,” where a K-9 did not have a bulletproof vest. With his mom’s help, Brady started a GoFundMe.
As of June 2, 2019, Brady has raised enough money to donate 85 vests. Currently, there’s a waiting list of 57 officers whose K-9s need the vests.
Now, Brady’s K-9 Fund is officially a non-profit organization.
The most recent dogs to be vested are K9 Mike, K9 Lemm, and K9 Hoss. They all serve with the MTA Police in New York City.
Other dogs have been vested in Ohio, Connecticut, California, and South Carolina.
I think Brady is an awesome kid! I’m so happy he was inspired to help these amazing dogs, his mom was willing to help him get started, and how his message has spread. Way to go, Brady!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: Amazon
Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for pulling me out of what looked like a long reading slump.
I finished the series for the first time roughly a decade or so ago, after waiting what felt like FOREVER for Deathly Hallows to be available at the library.
Late last year, I decided I wanted to re-read it all. And it did not disappoint!
I was surprisingly nervous when I started reading the first few lines. Having read all the books, and seen every movie adaptation multiple times, I wasn’t sure how this re-read would go. Thankfully, I was worried for nothing.
I was instantly transported to Rowling’s London. I fell in love all over again. Her writing is truly spellbinding. I couldn’t put it down, promising myself one more chapter.
I felt almost the same way as I did when I was first taken by these books. I was a “late bloomer” with the books. While my friends had read and re-read the books years before I started, I was a bit of a fantasy snob. I declared I wasn’t interested in a book about wizards and witches. J.K. Rowling, darling, you proved me wrong.
Nearly 20 years after first falling in love and wanting more of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, and Dumbledore (and having to actually wait for the next book to be released!), I’m so happy I decided to re-read this book. The minute I closed the book, I wanted to go downstairs and crack open The Chamber of Secrets.
5 out of 5 stars.
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Photo from Coral Gables, Florida. Found on Facebook.
I’ve been doing a double-take when I look at a calendar. It’s June. We’re basically halfway through 2019 now. It feels crazy!
Here are my goals for the month of June:
Do you have any goals for the month of June? Let me know in the comments!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Welcome back! I don’t know about you, but May seemed like a really long month! It’s been a mix of heat waves and cooler weather here, so we’re in for a long, hot summer.
Here’s the link to my May Goals post:
Ready?
Here we go!
I didn’t work on the garage, but I made a lot of progress with my office. I organized all of my doll things, and got a lot of trash and recycling out. I made two runs to Goodwill, and have plans for at least one more.
We watched Solo: A Star Wars Story with Nick, Savy, and Mia at their place on May 4th. So much fun!
We had a good trip to the farm to see Al’s parents. Nick, Savy, and Xeno joined us on Saturday night. We watched The Majestic and North By Northwest. So much food! When we got home Monday night, my parents invited us over for skeen burgers and fun with Debbie D.
Look for more book reviews in June!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
I try my hardest to post Book Reviews within 24-48 hours after finishing the book. However, life has been pretty hectic recently. I finished Columbine in mid-April, just after the acknowledgment of it being 20 years since the tragedy. I’m just now posting my review.
I have a special connection with this book. The author, Dave Cullen, came to Longwood in the spring of 2010 as a guest lecturer. I was able to interview him for an article I wrote for the student newspaper, The Rotunda. He graciously signed my copy when I bought it at his lecture. It was strange, reading his message from March 17, 2010. That feels like a lifetime ago!
I’m glad I re-read this book. I remember how I felt after I read it the first time. Part of me wishes I’d re-read it before now, before nine years had passed. However, I still felt similar emotions as I did the first time.
I have to give major props to Cullen on his research and dedication to this book. This is one of the best accounts I’ve read of the events that occurred on April 20, 1999. And Cullen goes deeper than that. He covers the massacre, but also delves into the lives of the shooters, their families, and survivors.
It’s not perfect, but as someone who originally read memoir-style books such as The Journals of Rachel Scott: A Journey of Faith at Columbine High and She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall years ago, when the tragedy was still relatively fresh (I was almost 10 when it occurred), I appreciate the time and effort Cullen devoted to this book.
If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. Cullen makes it clear that he is a journalist first, and it’s evident throughout. His amount of sources is simply incredible. It’s very dense, and tough to read, but it’s an important work. I’m glad Cullen devoted many years to writing this book.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones
Here are my goals for the month of May:
Do you have any goals for the month of May? Let me know in the comments!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones
Here’s the link to my April Goals post:
Ready?
Here we go!
I got so close to donating blood this time. For women, you have to have a hemoglobin “score” of 12.5 to be eligible. My highest score was 12.4 – I hate it when that happens!
We celebrated my Dad’s birthday in early April. Yay!
We loved both Shazam! and Avengers: Endgame. We went to see Shazam! with our friends Mike and Shana after a lovely dinner at Chili’s. Al and I just saw Endgame on Saturday afternoon, and we’re still recovering from it emotionally. Such a good movie, though. It’s like the final satisfying chapter of a really good book. Look for a huge recap here on the blog in about a week!
As of this writing, I’ve added more than 9,000 new words to my 2013 WIP for Camp NaNoWriMo, April 2019. I’m very pleased. And, I still have tonight to add some more!
We got to see Emily and Matt twice last weekend! My parents hosted a wonderful dinner at their house for us and several family friends on Thursday night, a wonderful reprieve from the absolute nut house that was my work last week! And, they came over for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, with my dad, to meet our dogs. We got to talk to Matt a bit more and learn about his life in England. I didn’t want them to leave!
Al helped me schlep more than six boxes of books and DVDs to 2nd and Charles on a rainy Sunday afternoon. They don’t take a lot of bestsellers or well-known authors / series, but they did buy $34 worth of items from me. They also offer store credit as an option. The stuff they didn’t take, we dropped in their “Free” bin on the way out. It felt so good!
I was able to go through quite a bit of paper for shredding in my office, and filed several things away. Bit by bit, it’s coming together. I’m hoping to buy my stand-up desk by the summertime.
I didn’t have the money on hand to justify the planters this month, but hopefully it will happen in May. The mosquitoes are already emerging!
Did you have any goals for the month of April?
Come back tomorrow to see my May Goals!
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Found through Didi Oviatt
Here’s the link to Didi’s challenge post:
As John finishing packing the Bel Air, Evelyn sat back in the passenger seat. She pressed her hands to my stomach, and sighed. She lost herself in her thoughts.
This is a good thing. I think. We both need to get away for a few days. Think about us. Think about the future. Our future child.
I know John’s been stressed about work. So have I. But, everyone needs a vacation now and then, right?
Evelyn’s thoughts were interrupted by the slam of the trunk.
John smiled at his beautiful fiancee as he opened the car door. Although he was an admitted workaholic, and recovering alcoholic, Evelyn’s idea to take a few days off felt good.
“Are you ready to hit the road, my dear?”
He leaned over to kiss Evelyn on the cheek. She smiled, and grabbed his hand. She moved it around her growing belly. The slightest butterfly kick startled them both.
“Oh, Evelyn! Wow. This is so neat. When did this start?”
She smiled.
“Last night. But you were sound asleep. I think this vacation is going to do some good. You haven’t slept well in months.”
John started the engine, and hung his head.
“Running a construction company is challenging. And we have lots of deadlines. But, for the next few days, we don’t have to worry about anything. Come on, darlin’, Let’s get out of the city!”
John carefully navigated the Bel Air out of Chicago. They didn’t really have a destination, just driving along Route 66 to see the sights. They both were long-overdue for some fresh air and R & R.
They played the radio for a while, but eventually encountered mostly static. Evelyn didn’t mind. She could see the stress slowly melting away from John, and that made her happier more than anything.
They both worked hard at John’s company, and they fell hard for each other shortly after Evelyn was hired. Several months ago, through a co-worker, Evelyn figured out she was pregnant.
Thankfully, John was a good man. He not only stuck around, but he’d proposed at the groundbreaking of their biggest project – A new, innovative, revolutionary neighborhood designed for everyone.
Evelyn was lost in thought again when the radio went from static to music again. She smiled, and reached for John’s hand. Her beautiful engagement ring sparkled in the spring sunshine.
“Do you have the map, dear?”
Evelyn leaned forward and pulled out the road map. It was well-worn. John had used it many times on his travels back and forth from Chicago to other architectural sights. His biggest “hero” was Frank Lloyd Wright.
However, taking this trip on Route 66 was different. And in the best way. John smiled, stealing glances at his pregnant bride-to-be. This trip would be legendary. A few days away on the surface, but one of the first trips with Evelyn, out of the city, and not on business.
As the sun started to set, she started to notice the colorful, painted billboards for a diner and a motel next door. Evelyn laughed, putting a hand on her stomach again.
“Our child is signaling they’re hungry, dear. And I am, too.”
John smiled and took her hand.
“We’re in for the adventure of our lives, dear. Let’s eat. And celebrate.”
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
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