The Hate You Give-A Book Review

I listened to this book on my Audible app. The narrator is Bahni Turpin. In today's society it is 'fashionable' to bash cops. I figured that is what this book would be about. I was surprised to find that it was about so much more than that. 
 But mostly it is about Star. Star is from a gang-controlled neighborhood, who attends a mostly white school outside the neighborhood. Her daddy has a store in the neighborhood and her mama is a nurse working at a clinic. She has an older  brother (from another mother) and a little brother. One night, while she is attending a party, she runs into an 'old friend' that she has grown apart from. They leave the party together. He is pulled over by a cop and asked to exit the car. Then he is shot by this cop who thought he had a weapon, but it turned out he did not have one.Star finds out that her friend was supposedly a drug dealer and a gang member. She becomes the witness that is called into the Grand Jury to give her testimony to what happened. The Grand Jury does not find the cop guilty and the rioting begins in her old neighborhood.

The book is very riveting when giving the perspective of officer involved shootings from the side of a black person. I cannot imagine living my life with that much fear of people who are supposed to protect me. But, I am also a white person who can see the side of the cops who are afraid of every traffic stop they make, regardless of the color of the person they are stopping. Most of you know I have a cop son. And I worry all the time about him being shot. I think it is going to take BOTH sides to be able to walk a bit in the shoes of the other side to solve our racial problems. I wonder if it will ever happen.

The characters in this book are very well developed and will be hard to forget. I think this would be a great book for all high school (or even middle school) kids to read. The racial issues in America are a real problem. It is past time to figure out how we can all live together and get along. 

This book will get **** from me! 
.   

Currently, A Life List

Outside my window...

It is a beautiful day outside my window. I have my fingers crossed that the bitter cold days are gone. The sun is shining and it is 58 warm degrees. We have not had any rain here so we are in a high fire warning area. Remember our wild fires of last year?? We do not want a repeat of those.


Pondering..

Since Valentine's Day I have been in a bit of a funk. Another horrible school shooting. How many more kids will have to be killed before 'the greatest country' in the world can figure out how we are going to stop these incidents? I have been reading about countries such as the UK, Australia, Japan, and Germany and their LACK of violent gun crimes because they have such better gun control than we have here in the United States. I am not against the 2nd Amendment,but I don't think when the founding fathers wrote this they knew their would be weapons invented that could shoot out 60 bullets in a matter of seconds. I cannot understand why such weapons are in the hands of any citizen. Pray for America!! 


Watching...

I have been following the students of Parkland as they make their voices heard. And I find it beyond disturbing that people are calling them 'crisis actors'. The far right just want to silence them, in my opinion. What these kids have been through is horrible. I cannot imagine my own kids or grandkids ever going to a school that is shot up by a madman. 






Reading...

Currently I am reading Into The Water by Paula Hawkins. This is the book club selection for March. It was also recommended by friends. I am listening to Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan. This is the second in a series of three books. I reviewed the first book here. I doubt that I would have bought this book. Since it was a freebie I will listen to it as I go to sleep at night.

 



Creating...


I've been getting pages ready for March in my Bullet Journal. I love my bujo!


Learning...

I've been learning how to track such things as what I'm eating, my moods, my steps (I bought a Very Fit Pro (like a Fit Bit but much less expensive), my sleep 

 





Planning....

Planning for March. 



 

Drinking....

I'm doing really well on drinking water. We have a soda once in awhile, but I don't buy it to keep at home anymore. Lots and lots of water.



What's in the kitchen...

I will admit that I am not doing as much menu planning as I used to. I really need to get back to that. But we are eating healthy and dropping a few pounds. (very, very slowly) and neither of us are starving. We still eat out too much. I'm working on that too. 


A quote to share...

Photographing...

Paige and Blake going to Homecoming dance

Paige and Harley shopping for prom dresses

Harley has returned to being a brunette

A final thought...

Hopefully I am going to get back to normal soon. It seems with being sick, being winter, and just a simple lack of wanting to be on my computer I don't get around to visit my friends as much. I will be seeing you all soon out there in blog-land. Have a wonderful week!

More Book Reviews

I'm still in the middle of my "being very lazy" spell. Just no ambition to get up and do anything. So I listen to books. And sometimes I read. I have discovered the listen/read books at Audible and sometimes I will read and other times I will listen. And it's great when I fall asleep while listening because  it's easy to find my place again. I also have a nagging cough left from my cold a few weeks ago. It is exhausting.

For my first book:

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is the real life story of Corrie ten Boom from the Netherlands. She was helping hide Jews from the Germans and her family was captured and sent to the concentration camps during World War II. The story shows how her faith carried her through the horrors of the camp and her long fought battle to return to her beloved home. It is not really full of the horrors of the concentration camps (like some of the books I have read) but more about how she kept her faith that she would be able to stand the terrors of the capture. I really liked this book and will give it **** stars. It will stay with me for a long, long time.

Next I listened to (and read some):

Sydney Rose Parnell is a Railroad Police Special Agent who is brought in to help solve the murder of a young woman whose boyfriend is the main suspect. Sydney discovers that she knew this man, who has been severely burned by an IED, while she herself was serving in the Marine Corp in Iraq. Their platoon was hiding a horrible secret which most were unable to leave behind when they came home. It is threatening to unravel Sydney's world. This is the first novel of this author. She did a fabulous job. The story takes you on a thrill ride from the beginning of the story to the end. The characters are all well-developed and the storyline is intense. The side stories are all well-developed as well. In the end I fell in love with Sydney Rose and my hope was she survived not only finding the monster that killed the young woman, but the monsters who followed her home from Iraq. Both real and perceived. A solid *** for a really good story. 

Off to my next books. Already started reading one and listening to one. I need help! I need to get things done. Just not today!!

Happy weekend everyone.    

Currently....

Outside my window...

It's cloudy and cold here. 25 right. Supposed to get some snow later.


Pondering

I just can't ponder too much right now without getting my blood pressure going high. So for today I will let it go!



Watching...

Did you all watch This Is Us after the Super bowl? I was kind of let down after all the hype. I wonder if this show will be enduring now that we know about Jack's death. And all the kids are grown and apparentlyl damaged in one way or another by it. I can't see it staying as interesting to me in the future. I already am not as drawn into the second season. What do you guys think?


Reading...

I'm currently listening to The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. And I'm reading 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal. It gives you one new habit for every week of the year. 

Creating...

I haven't been very creative so far this year. I don't really know if I am ever very creative. I haven't even put up my February mantle yet. Don't know that I will at this point. Might just wait to see what the remainder of the month brings.


Learning...

I've been learning that sometimes you just have to let nature take its course when it comes to your health. You can't hurry what doesn't want to be hurried. The last episode of gout took it's time to leave. But I am finally better.


Planning....

My plans have to do with getting a master bedroom cleaned. WOW!


Drinking....

I have started to challenge myself with drinking more water. My goal is for 64 ounces of water a day. Means I don't get far from the bathroom. But I hear that will slow down as my body adjusts to my drinking more water. I have been needing to do this for sometime. We do not drink soda/pop in this house anymore!! YAY, us!!



What's in the kitchen...

Harley and I have been on a salad kick lately. I've been buying those little prepared salad bowls at the grocery store. I know they are more expensive but I feel like I waste less so in the long run they work out. We have soup and salad, sandwich and salad, or chicken/beef and salad. Oh so good!


A quote to share...

Photos that have been stuck in my phone...

Darian and his intended, Mattie

Balloons released for Richard's birthday January 9

I got to pin Justin's badge on him in his promotion ceremony

Ali came and spent two weeks with us In January

celebrating Harley's birthday
Harley and Paige

just a bit of snow

The shirt says:
"Awesome since 2000"

A final thought...

We have celebrated two birthdays recently. Darian turned 20 on January 31. He got a pass and spent it with his fiancée. And Harley turned 18 on February 4. We ate at Red Robin with Justin and Paige (and Justin's lady, Heather). Was a good time with bottomless French fries!  

Just Some Quick Book Reviews

I've been listening to Audible a lot this year. Here is a few I've finished.

This book is the February selection for the on-line book club I am part of. This is a coming of age book that is set in the 1970's and 1980's in Virginia. The main character of the book is 'Rocky' who adores his older brother Paul. The song Only Love Can Break Your Heart is Paul's favorite song. Paul is 9 years older than Rocky and they have different mothers. Paul is a bit of a 'bad boy' who smokes, drinks, and eventually abandons his brother and doesn't come back home for years. The family that lives across the street from Rocky and his family are very wealthy and Rocky's 'old man' (his dad) seems to covet their lifestyle. There are many dramatic connections between the two families. I liked the story. It held my interest. I loved the characters. Even the ones I didn't like. I would give this book *** a good story.

Next, I listened to The Buried Book .This book deals with a mother abandoning her 9

year old son Jasper with only a change of clothes and his Bible. She leaves him with her brother. Jasper is desperate to find his mother which leads him on an escapade that will uncover some dark secrets in the world of murder, gambling, Indians and scandal. This book takes place in the 1950's.  I really liked it. I loved most of the characters. Even the stern Uncle. I will also give this book *** as a good story.

Then I listened to Say You're Sorry.Morgan Dane is a young widow and mother of three. She needs to return to work and accepts a job as a DA. But, before she starts to work her neighbor, Nick, a teenage boy who Morgan knows well is arrested and charged with murdering his girlfriend. Morgan leaves the job before she even starts to become the defense lawyer of Nick. Morgan ends up taking on the town, the police, and the DA to uncover the real killer. A good thriller. *** stars again.

Finally, I listened to All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir. I had never hear of Brennan Manning. Maybe you have. But he was  a boy who grew up to be a priest and a evangelist. He left his priesthood to marry a woman with two daughters. The book tells the story of an imperfect man who battled with alcoholism and other demons. I loved the story. I know we do not live in a perfect world. Sometimes we put too much onto the heads of our religious leaders. This will break that myth apart. **** stars for this unforgettable story.

What books are you into right now??

Oh What A Month-January Favorites

Oh what a month January has been at this house. First of all it has been very, very cold. And then warm, like spring. And now very, very cold. I have suffered through another episode of gout in my foot. The left foot this time. But it is so much better today. Finally!! I also had a pretty nasty head cold. Not the flu! Thank you Lord.

As I told you in my final Currently of 2017 Darian suffered a health problem while visiting his girlfriend at Christmas. Upon returning to the post he was put through a battery of tests. Including an echocardiogram. He has a heart murmur. How this was missed all these years is beyond me. But that is his final diagnosis. He is now awaiting a Medical Board of Review from the Army to see how he proceeds with his Army career. Other than the one episode of "fainting" he has not had any other symptoms. But the Army will err on the side of being safe, I'm sure. So we await that news.

Also as we wait on that news we have gotten other news. Darian became engaged over the holidays. And although we do not have a wedding date we do know there will be a baby coming in May. This grandma is not happy with the progression of these affairs, but it's not the end of the world. Time will tell what the future holds for all of us. We will be happy to have all of my blogging family and friends continue to pray for Darian and his now 'future family.'

On to the favorites!

My first favorite of the month came to me free from Grove Collaborative. I've told you before how much I like using this service. It is a Mint Argan lip remedy. I have found it to be extremely hydrating and nourishing to my winter chapped lips. And free is always a plus.

While we are still at 'The Grove' I have to talk about my new favorite dish washing tool. It is called the Crystal Clear Glassware Cleaner. Harley is horrible about rinsing out a glass after drinking from it. So often on the bottom is dried orange juice, tea, milk, or whatever. (I know you would think an almost 18 year old could rinse her glass). And since I have been hand washing dishes lately,(Waiting to get a new dishwasher)I really like this tool. It is made with earth friendly materials and removes lipstick from the side of cups and glasses like magic. Also, the head is removable and can be replaced. The one I am currently using is my second one. The first one fell apart the first time I used it. I contacted Grove and they sent a replacement; which I received in two days. They have the greatest customer service.

Next, is Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. Have you ever used this?

I love it. I have gone through several tins over the years. I've used other cuticle creams but this is, by far, my favorite. I think it might be because I love the smell of lemon. Give it a try.

 I am in love with my new phone case. I tried to find a picture of the one I have but I can't. This is the same brand. But mine has pink glitter. I spend a lot of time moving the glitter around. It is so mesmerizing. I feel like a teenage girl. LOL!! Anyway, I like it. So there!!

Lastly, I have a favorite song.Such power in these lyrics. I am a 'champion of women' and I love this song. We have a special love for Carrie Underwood at our house. And it is because of a funny little story. When Harley was about 6-7 years old she loved the song Jesus Take The Wheel.  She was also just learning how to print. So, she copied the words of this song into a notebook. For a long time she thought she was the original 'song writer' because she had written the words down. We tease her about it to this day. Good thing she is a good sport. Anyway, enjoy my new favorite song....

 


That's is folks. My favorites for January and a bit of catch up news. What is going on with you?? What is a favorite for you this month??