Book Review: Cross Fire by James Patterson

I just read Cross Fire by James Patterson. It is Alex Cross "lite." 

Alex Cross is a homicide detective in Washington D.C. His specialty is hunting down serial killers. He really did not accomplish that in this book. He went from murder to murder, never connecting the dots, and just happen to stumble upon the murderers. That was disappointing.

The wickedly brilliant criminal mastermind Kyle Craig returns in Cross Fire. He is the best part of this novel. His character was far more interesting than Alex Cross. However, the ending did not match the rest of the book. In fact, the ending was disappointing, abrupt, and very un-Kyle like.

I recommend the book if you are looking for a quick read without using much brain power - maybe while traveling on a plane or train. It is also easy to put down and finish reading later. There was no suspense that made me need to keep reading.

I hope the next three books in the series pick up the pace again and Alex actually solves the mystery. I'll let you know. 

Book Review: Love is Murder by Sandra Brown

This is a fantastic book! Love is Murder is a compilation of 29 stories selected by Sandra Brown in the "romance suspense" genre, romantic stories with a terror twist or vice versa. Some of these authors were very familiar - like Lee Child - while others were new. Of the 29, 20 were my favorites. I know, I know!

The most brilliant story of them all is Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire. It is a short story about her series Bullet Catchers, an elite protection organization. The main character in Diamond Drop is Donovan Rush. He is a courier for diamonds from Antwerp, Belgium to Paris, France. He must deliver diamonds for a new client, Boisvert Jewelers. The story is smart and fast-paced with a twist at the end.

Oh, there is the Hot Note by Patricia Rosemoor. In Love is Murder, Patricia writes a short story regarding her series about Shelley Caldwell, a homicide detective in Chicago, Illinois. Caldwell must solve supernatural mysteries, along with her half-vampire/half-human boyfriend.

And, definitely do not miss the Black Ops, Inc. series by Cindy Gerard!  Black Ops, Inc. is a private security and espionage firm. Her short story is Dying to Score about a reconnaissance mission in Central Guatemala by Crystal Debrowski Reed a/k/a "Tinkerbelle" and her husband Johnny Duane Reed, along with Luke Colter a/k/a "Doc Holliday" and Gabe Jones a/k/a "The Archangel." Johnny is seriously wounded in the shoulder, and Tink and her companions must extract Johnny before they are overrun by mercenaries of a Mexican drug cartel.

I am usually not a fan of compilation books. This one, however, is the exception. I really hope you read Love is Murder. Two thumbs' up!

P.S. I cannot wait to give my list of "new" authors to my sister Julie. She feeds my library addiction. (Thank goodness!)

Book Review: The Man in the White Suit by Ben Collins

To enjoy this book you need to be a fan of Top Gear U.K.  You need to understand the epic global phenomenon of "The Stig."  And, that most importantly, the Stig's identity is never revealed. No one knew his name, saw his face or heard his voice. After Season 2, the black-suited Stig chatted about who he was, so he was fired. Ben Collins remained in secrecy as the white-suited Stig for eight seasons. By then, the press started questioning that Ben Collins was the mysterious Stig, although Collins repeatedly denied it. Collins was not officially fired from Top Gear U.K. until his autobiography - The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane, and Me - was published. So that brings us to the book review.

This was a long read for me - I do not know British expressions or internationally acclaimed racing car drivers. Nevertheless, the book was enjoyable. Collins has lead a very interesting life. At the age of four his sole ambition was to be a fighter pilot...His father instilled in him the love of speed. Ben took the eye examination for a fighter pilot and failed. He was crushed, but he never lost his passion to excel. For his 18th birthday, his father's gift was a trial in a single-seat racing car at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. The racing car driver was born.

The book basically has three components - Ben Collins the racing car driver (including movie stunt driver), the Stig, and a member of the British Army. His recollections of his army training were quite amusing. As the Stig, Ben coached hundreds of celebrities from Tom Cruise to Lionel Ritchie around Top Gear's Dunsfold racetrack, each person vying to be the fastest celebrity in "a reasonably priced" car. The competition is fierce. Ben has also tested hundreds of exotic supercars and family cars around that track too. Manufacturers (owners, designers, engineers) even listed to the Stig's comments and suggestions for improving or tweaking their cars. Amazing.

With rumors of Top Gear U.K. considering another Stig, a terrible racing accident in Romania, and the birth of his baby girl, Collins decided to give up the Stig and just be Ben Collins. Certainly he needed a less-franatic, less-traveled life. Even though the producers were looking for another racing car driver(s), the parting was not amicable when Collins published his book. That's silly. "You told everybody that you were the Stig before we could fire you." Ridiculous.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ben Collins's autobiography. Of course, I am a rabid Top Gear U.K. lunatic. It was good to finally know the man behind the mask. Two thumbs' up!

Book Review: Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

 I finally got my hands on the latest Alex Cross installment (thanks, Julie) - Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson. This one was creepy!

Alex Cross has to investigate the murders of three serial killers. The first murderer is killing tall, pretty blondes, the second is killing young gay men, and the third is killing young pregnant women. As awful as that sounds, James Patterson does a good job of making these murders palatable.

While trying to solve these crimes, Alex lands on a website's hate list and the blogger is stalking him. At one point, the blogger sets Alex up for an assault arrest. Yes, Alex is arrested and must spend a night in jail. The police's top profiler/detective in jail! Alex is then assigned as noncontact status, and he can only answer the phones and filing. Thankfully, Alex manages to continue to work the cases from the desk and eventually is relieved from suspension and back to finding the killers.

Disappointment in a couple of incomplete side items. (1) One of the serial killers installs cameras and microphones in Alex's house. This issue is never addressed again in the book. Alex should have found that killer's laptop and the equipment, but it is never brought back up again. Throughout the book, the serial killer listens to Alex's family life and conversations, but it is not resolved at the end. Just a little something that should have been tweaked. (2) One the serial killers injects Alex with drugs. Alex is taken to the hospital when he collapses. No one believes Alex that the unsub stuck him with a needle, and no one bothers to check his hip for the puncture mark. Instead, they just believe their brilliant psychologist is actually a drug addict. What?! This made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

As usual, two thumbs' up for James Patterson. His books flow easily and are a quick read. I even went back and reread parts of the book, something I rarely do.

Book Review: Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs writes other novels besides the Mercy Thompson series I enjoy. I've started reading the companion series called Alpha & Omega (Charles and Anna).

We're introduced to Charles, a werewolf, in the first Mercy Thompson novel Moon Called. Charles is one of the sons of Bran, the Marrok, the "king" of the werewolves. Charles is the only natural-born werewolf. Female werewolves cannot have children because changing into a werewolf during a full moon is too violent for the baby to live. However, Charles's mother was a Native American Salish woman, the daughter of a medicine man. She used the knowledge of her father to keep from changing while pregnant. She carried Charles to full term, but was so weak she died after his birth. She did, however, pass her magic to Charles, who can change easier and faster than other werewolves.

Charles's role in the pack is assassin. His father sends Charles to eliminate rogue or dangerous werewolves. When they discover an out-of-control Alpha in Chicago, Bran sends Charles to eliminate that werewolf. If possible, definitely start this series with a short story called Alpha & Omega: A Companion Novella to Cry Wolf. The first actual novel involving Charles and Anna together is Cry Wolf when Anna goes to Montana with Charles. The novella is the story of Charles and Anna's meeting and falling in love, as well as the story of the bad werewolf and his pack. It is the best start to this series.

This is a must-read series for those interested in werewolf folklore. To keep this blog short, I'll discuss Cry Wolf in another post. Most definitely two thumbs' up!

Book Review: Extinction Machine (Joe Ledger, Book 5) by Jonathan Maberry

After 11 long months, I finally have my hands on the fifth book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry - Extinction Machine. This man is a genius. His Joe Ledger novels are unlike any other. I re-read the other books in the series while waiting for the next one to be published. Yes, they are that good. Maberry's books flow quickly so you get caught up in the action right from the beginning.

Brief bio - Joe Ledger, a Baltimore detective assigned to a counterterrorism task force, is recruited by the government to lead a new ultrasecret rapid-response group called the "Department of Military Sciences" (DMS). His job as team leader is to battle monsters, mutants, genetically-altered humans and whatever nastiness is thrown his way. Ledger is the uber-fighting machine. In Extinction Machine, the ever mysterious Mr. Church has promoted Ledger and now he commands 200 people at the Warehouse, the third largest Dept. of Military Sciences field office located in Baltimore, Maryland.

In Extinction Machine, since the alien crash in Roswell, New Mexico, someone has been collecting parts and pieces of all the crash sites around the world including alien DNA. Now the aliens want their technology back. Ledger must locate a kidnapped president and deal with a despised vice-president, China, and a good-turned-evil organization in the U.S. Of course let's not forget the alien/human hybrids that have been breed to fly the alien spacecrafts. When the president is kidnapped, the vice-president takes over and is out to destroy Joe Ledger and DMS and take control of the world's most supercomputer MindReader owned by Mr. Church of the DMS. The vice-president declares Ledger a terrorist, an enemy of the state, and now the feds and soldiers want Ledger dead.

I encourage everybody to read this series. You do not have to be a sci/fi fan - I certainly am not. The books are more action/adventure. The sci/fi in the book is explained well and believable.

I certainly hope this is not the last Joe Ledger book. The ending was too tidy, too sentimenal. It made me nervous. I may have to wait a year to get my latest Joe Ledger fix, but the books need to keep on coming!

Book Review: The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Kudos to my sister Julie for finding this brilliant story. The authors are total geniuses. This fabulous book is The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell. I am usually not interested in historical fiction. I find those books dull, boring and hopelessly incorrect. However, The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series is amazing.

I loved this book. I absolutely could not put it down. But, I had a tremendously difficult time writing a review. There was so much that I wanted to say, however I could not get my thoughts organized. So, forgive me for my lack of imagination, but here is the amazon.com description of the book. Please do not let my lack of originality keep you from reading this awesome, awesome book.

An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.

But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb's sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ's own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. The enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.

From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.

Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ's own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines. 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Blood-Gospel-Sanguines-Series/dp/006199104X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363738061&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+gospel

Book Review: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

Vampires, werewolves, and fairies! Oh my!! The series of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs is wicked cool. This is a fantastic series. Definitely begin with Book #1, Moon Called. I have enjoyed these books so much that I'll write a separate review for each book.

In a world where vampires, the fae and werewolves co-exist with humans, Mercy straddles the line as one of the few remaining "walkers" from a Native American magical bloodline - she can shapeshift into a coyote. As a child, Mercy was orphaned and was raised by a pack of werewolves. She ran away from the pack and an early marriage in her teens. Now she lives alone, the owner of her own car repair shop. The Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack is her neighbor, her old boss is an ancient fae, and she fixes car for the vampire seethe. This is one cool chick.

Moon Called focuses on an apparent clan war among werewolves. When Mercy takes in a newly-made teen werewolf she discovers someone is performing experiments on werewolves and creating new werewolves to sell. She seeks refuge in her childhood pack when the Alpha is badly injured, and must solve what evil is preying on young werewolves.

Moon Called is a tautly written action thriller in a believable alternate universe. Briggs outlines a creative, highly detailed society in which they live without long detailed explanations. Her characters are well-written, sympathetic and entertaining. There are a ton of characters to cheer for, and among these different supernatural species only Mercy is friend to them all. Well, almost all.....

Movies: Skyfall (James Bond)

I am seriously, seriously worried about Nana and Miss Julie. They both recommended the latest James Bond movie Skyfall. So, the family sat down to watch it together. Epic fail!

The story begins with James Bond getting shot and believed killed in action. Of course, he wasn't. You cannot kill off James Bond and still have a James Bond movie. Anyway, Bond returns to help Queen and Country when Mi6 headquarters are bombed. Mi6 is moved to Churchill's WWII tunnels. (Why wasn't Mi6 - a "secret" organization always located in secret location?) The bad guy just wants to kill M.

I have disliked the new James Bond movies since they replaced Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig. It is not Daniel Craig's fault. The storylines are unBond-like. They have forgotten who James Bond is.....a suave, debonair, ruthless, cold-blooded killer. After all, he has a license to kill. The new Bond is too vulnerable, too hesitant, too flawed. During the movie I kept thinking "Bond would never do that." "Bond wouldn't let that happen." Jason Bourne is more Bondesque than James Bond.

The new Q

Not only have the storylines fallen apart, so has Q (Quartermaster). Desmond Llewelyn portrayed Q from 1963 to 1999, who will always be the real Q. Then, John Cleese was Q from 1999 to 2002. He was good and put his own sassy spin on the Q character. Why didn't they return with John Cleese? With all these Bond changes, they need some consistency. Instead, there is a new Q played by Ben Whishaw. He is a cutie and does a good job, but they have made Q all about computers. Huh? James Bond is about gadgets, gadgets, gadgets. I was so disappointed there were not any cool gadgets in this movie.

The evil agent Silva

Finally, there was the worst villan. Javier Bardem portrays Raoul Silva, a former Mi6 agent also believed to be killed in action. This character is just freaky. He is totally obsessed with M as "Mommy" and just wants to kill her. My 15-year-old said "awkward," left the room and never returned during the I-want-to-be-gay-with-Bond scene.

When the movie finished (thank goodness), I thought "weird and boring." My 14-year-old said "uninteresting and disturbing." I totally agreed. Oh, I was concerned about watching a James Bond movie with my teenagers because of sex scenes. Miss Julie said not to worry. Um, wrong! There were two naked-with-Bond scenes and we were all uncomfortable being in the same room. Perhaps I'll let them watch a James Bond movie with Pierce Brosnan was Bond - just with Daddy.....

Opinion? Two thumbs' down. So, now what do we do about Nana and Miss Julie??

Book Review: The Black Echo (Harry Bosch, No. 1) by Michael Connelly

I am so glad to have finally read the first in the series - The Black Echo (Harry Bosch, No. 1) by Michael Connelly. The problem with starting a series from the middle or end is that you don't get the character development or history from the beginning.

Although I knew from other books that Eleanor Wish was the mother of his daughter, I did not know when they met or under what circumstances. That story is told in the very first book of the Harry Bosch series - The Black Echo. It is a very good story. Of course, Eleanor does not tell Harry that he has a daughter until three years later (I think). If that is the correct timeline, it makes sense after reading this book. The book also includes a bit of Harry's history in Vietnam as a tunnel rat. His service is referred to in other books, but it is really explained in this first one. His freight of tunnels isn't just because he was a tunnel rat, but actually happened in the tunnels. "Out of the blue and into the black....the black echo."

Interestingly, the story begins after Harry's fall from grace in the Robbery-Homicide Division. I always thought that story would be its own book. Not so. When Harry returns from his suspension, he is assigned as a homicide detective for LAPD's Hollywood Division. He is called out to the homicide for a street junkie. Everyone wants to write the death off as an overdose, except Harry. He recognizes clues that it is actually a murder. And, he recognizes the victim - a former Army buddy/tunnel rat from Vietnam. But, it seems that only Harry wants the truth!

Each of the Harry Bosch books stands alone, yet I recommend reading from the beginning of the series with this first book. I had several "ah ha!" moments when part of this story connected with his other books. Definitely, two thumbs' up.

TV: How the States Got Their Shapes

Did you know that Atlanta gets more rain per year than Seattle? But, Atlanta is built on bedrock so the ground cannot absorb all that water. Or, that Nevada's state line was lowered into Arizona's territory so that Nevada would include part of the Colorado River? Why? Because Arizona sided with the South during the Civil War. Cool, huh? Did you know it took Canada and the U.S. decades to agree to a treaty that determined the Maine and Canadian borders? Know how they finally decided. Watch the show! 

As part of Steven's homeschooling courses, he is learning history. But, I did not want all of his lessons to come from books. Reading, reading, reading. Good to know, not always the right way for a particular student to learn. I discovered a fantastic TV program on the History Channel: How the States Got Their Shape. Today's lesson was "A River Runs Thru It." Hence, the paragraph above.

I enjoy the mini-quizzes. Which river is longest? The Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado or the Ohio? Nope, not the Mississippi. It is the Missouri River. What is the water source for the City of Las Vegas? No googling........ Lake Mead. But, is Lake Mead actually a "lake"? No. It is the reservoir at the Hoover Dam. Where is the Hoover Dam? It is located on the Colorado River about 24 miles from the Strip southeast of Las Vegas.

It's a very enjoyable show with information about the states, but not presented in a boring documentary sort of way. The host Brian Unger travels to each state, showing the area and asking local citizens questions about their state. We do not have cable or satellite TV so we were watching it online at http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes but then discovered it on Amazon Instant Videos. We have Roku and watch the episodes thru that service. We have Amazon Prime so these particular TV episodes are free (otherwise they're $1.99 each). They're also online at Amazon.com or DVD. 

I recommend the TV show for everybody - It is informational, interesting, entertaining and fun.

TV: Body of Proof

The third season of Body of Proof has started - Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on ABC. I really like this show. Dana Delaney portrays a medical examiner in Philadelphia named Megan Hunt. Of course, medical examiners perform autopsies, not investigate murders. And, no woman who stands on her feet all day would wear her fabulous platform pumps..... but I like it anyway.

The end of season two was a shocker. The writers were killing people off right and left - people who worked with the medical examiner. At the end of season two, Dr. Hunt's medico-legal detective Peter Dunlop was stabbed and she was calling for help. This season starts off Dr. Hunt's returning from a three-month leave of absence after Peter's death. Okay.....so they did kill him off. Answered that question. I am always surprised when a main character is removed from the show. He was the secondary character after Dr. Hunt. Boom! He's gone.

Season three begins with a two-part episode called "Abduction." Someone is killing U.S. combat veterans and removing their spleens. Ew. Dr. Hunt must discover who are the killers and why the veterans are being killed. Soon after she makes a startling discovery, Dr. Hunt receives a phone call that the killers have kidnapped her daughter. She has something they want back. Hum, interesting.

Although I enjoyed the episodes, anything involving the U.S. military makes me squeamish. The mainstream media does enough trash talk about our armed forces, so I dislike when they're portrayed as bad in movies, books, TV. Of course, the allover message of the show was our veterans need more help, but still.......

I still recommend the show. Two thumbs' up!

TV: The Taste

I am enjoying The Taste on Tuesday nights on ABC. It's a twist from the typical cooking competitions. There are four judges - Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey. Each judge selects four chefs for their kitchen. Whatever the challenge may be, each cook prepares just a bite, or taste. The judging is blind so the judges don't know if they're voting off one of their own people. I like that. It's all about The Taste.

Of course, the entire world knows Anthony Bourdain. He's my favorite chef. I hope his team wins even though my favorite contestant is not on Team Anthony. More about that later..... I am aware of who Nigella Lawson is, but I've never seen her TV show or read her books. I have no idea who Ludo Lefebvre or Brian Malarkey are, but I'm cheering for Ludo instead of Malarkey. It's a personality thing. Malarkey shouts just for the sake of shouting. That drives me nuts. Ludo is a classically trained French chef so I understand him and what he wants in his kitchen.

You just have to make it past the first two episodes - the auditions - and then the show gets interesting. This week was Episode 5: Sandwiches. I t-o-t-a-l-l-y understand that challenge. Making a good sandwich is actually difficult. One slip up and it can go from awesome to awful. My Dad loved sandwiches. He was always putting different combinations together. And, that's why I like diners. You can always get a good sandwich at a diner.

Khristianne Uy

My favorite chef-contestant is Khristianne Uy (Team Malarkey). She is one cool chick. She creates dishes that even my picking tastebuds would try, and I like her stories. My least favorite is Gregg Drusinsky (Ludo Team). Too arrogant, yet a crybaby. Annoying.

We're halfway thru its short season, so we'll know who the winner is soon. I hope you'll give The Taste a try. I'm enjoying the show.

TV: Project Runway Season 11

I am one of the original Project Runway fanatics. I breathed Project Runway each week and couldn't wait for the next episode. By the time a TV program is popular, I'm bored with it. I recently had a Project Runway marathon. I watched all of Season 10 and then caught up with Season 11. I'm b-a-c-k!!!!!

First, there's the adorable Tim Gunn. I want to be Tim Gunn when I grow up. He's just a cutie and so polite. I wonder if he'll give heterosexual men "gentlemen" lessons? Tim Gunn's Grooming & Manners. I can see it......

Second, Season 11 is Teams Edition. Normally, I hate teams projects during the other seasons. But, Season 11? Now, this I like. Of course, I don't always agree with judges. In fact, I rarely agree with the judges. Even if they actually choose my top and bottom picks, their final votes are not the same as mine. Most of the time.

Third, guest judges! This week the adorable Divine Miss M (Bette Midler for those who don't remember Bette Midler as a mermaid, but that's another story) was a guest judge. She doesn't have a very good poker face, at least for the worst outfits. I thought that was hysterical. "Ew, what is that?!" I agreed with Bette. This week's materials were flowers and hardware. I'm amazed at what people can do with fabric much less flowers and mini-blinds. It was a cool challenge. One team did an awesome job - 1950s Doir, plus coordinating colors (Go Stanley!!) - the other team was just horrible. They forgot all the outfits are supposed to be cohesive. 

In the photo, Dream Team's (stupid, I know) creations are on the bottom. Classy, feminine, beautiful. Team Keeping-It-Real's (which they don't) outfits are the top row. The judges said there was no "losing team" this week because everyone did an amazing job. Hum....I don't think so. Thankfully, Joe was eliminated for his bulky, oversized sweater dress. No wait, he called it a coat. Nope, he called it a sweater dress again. Whatever. It's a mess. (Top row, far right). If the model is a size Two and the dress makes her look like a size 32, then I don't want it. Apparently Joe was more interested in "his vision" than a flattering silhouette. 

So, four designers are gone. I agree with those choices.

Finally, they replaced Michael Kors with Zac Posen. Now, I love Michael Kors. If I ever win the lottery, I'm buying all my clothing and accessories from Michael. But, Zac Posen has been a breath of fresh air this season. Of course, he's a cutie too.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to family and friends who made this a lovely Christmas for my family, especially for my boys.

The past 2-3 weeks have been filled with unexpected but delightful surprises. In particular, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to the St. Stephen's Secret Santa who "adopted" my boys for Christmas. I don't know who you are, but I'm so thankful for your generosity. You took the time to shop, wrap, and deliver their presents. Now, that's an act of kindness. Thank you.

2013 is just a day away. I've decided to approach it with optimism, to relish in all the kindness I've received in the past few weeks. It was overdue and desperately needed. It was just what I needed to put me back on my feet and headed down a good path again. I must practice what I preach - Focus on the positive and be thankful. Whenever I feel like Madame Blueberry, I think of The Thankfulness Song from Veggie Tales. Every time I hear it, it puts a smile on my face.....you should try it too.

And, Happy New Year.

The Thankfulness Song

I thank God for this day, 

For the sun in the sky, 

For my mom and my dad, 

For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground, 

For His love that's all around,

That's why I say thanks every day! 

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

I'm glad for what I have, 

That's an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares, 

'Cause He listens to my prayers,

That's why I say thanks every day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9WCXp9VEA4

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Jeff did the cooking. The boys and I cleaned. The day before Thanksgiving we decorated the house with Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. I have enough Christmas stuff to decorate 2 or 3 houses, but I used the decorations sparingly. I needed it to feel like "the holidays," but I didn't want to suffocate Jeff. The results were lovely. 

Thanksgiving this year was exactly what I needed to get out of the doldrums. The presidential election on November 7 really threw me into a tailspin. I was positive that Romney would win. I was positive we'd get out of this economic quagmire, but now we're further into it. So, Greece and Spain weren't good enough examples..... Twenty-five million people unemployed wasn't enough.... $16 trillion dollars in debt wasn't enough..... I should have seen it coming -- with half of the country or more booing at God, it's no wonder Obama was reelected. 

A quote from a Czechoslovakian newspaper summed it up for me: “The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.” -Prager Zeitung

I read article after article proclaiming Onward Christian Soldiers, but I didn't feel it. I shut everything out and consumed myself with reading books. But, that finally wore me out too. {I have so many book reviews to write, but haven't had the motivation to write them.}

The day before Thanksgiving, I came across an article about singing nuns. It's a cloistered convent - the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles - that have produced a CD called Advent at Ephesus. http://benedictinesofmary.org/ From their website, "every Benedictine of Mary vows to detach herself from the ways of the world, continually turning to the ways of her Redeemer." And, I realized "That's it!" Detach from the ways of the world. So, I'm turning off all the mental noise in my head. It's time to focus on my faith, family & friends.

So, I'm very thankful for this Thanksgiving. It gave me the chance to sit back, enjoy family, and just breathe.

American Heritage Girls

American Heritage Girls is a nonprofit scouting program dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. The organization offers badge programs, service projects, girl leadership opportunities and outdoor experiences to its members. This program of character building has successfully served thousands of girls since its inception.  

Given the pop-culture icons present in today’s society, there is an obvious need for a cultural change for our nation and its daughters; a need for girls to know the love of Christ, the joy of lasting friendships and the fun of new wholesome experiences –in essence, the need for a ministry for girls that has transforming significance.  Please watch their promotional video "Countering the Culture." http://www.ahgonline.org/media_player.asp?messageID=15146 

Patti Garibay, executive
director of American
Heritage Girls, founded 1995

As Girl Scouts becomes more secularized, American Heritage Girls is growing. “Over 90% of the people who come to us have left the Girl Scouts,” said founder Patti Garibay. “We’re like the best kept secret.” In the 16 short years since its inception, AHG boasts 18,000 members and has expanded to 45 states and four countries. It has become the fastest-growing all-girl scouting organization. According to the group, membership spiked by 50% last year. While AHG is a Christian group, it includes girls from all faiths. Today, it is considered the premier faith-based national character development and leadership group for young women.


The American Heritage Girl Oath: “I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community.” Creed: “As an American Heritage Girl, I will be:  Compassionate, Helpful, Honest, Loyal, Persevering, Pure, Resourceful, Respectful, Responsible, Reverent.”

For more information about AHG or to learn how to start a troop in your area: American Heritage Girls, 175 Tri County Pkwy Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45246. Phone: 513-771-2025. Email: ahg@ahgonline.org. http://www.ahgonline.org/ 

AHG Troop TX2928

Congrats to AHG Troop TX2928 from Houston, TX, for being presented with the 2012 Archbishop's Trophy - for outstanding contributions of service to the church, community and home, by participating in numerous service projects totaling more than 610 hours to the community. Service projects included but not limited to care packages for soldiers in the Middle East, Wreath across America, assistance to a women crisis shelter, a homeless shelter, adopting two large families for the parish Adopt-A-Family Christmas project and Scouting for Food with their brother Cub Scouts. TX2928 has more than 50 girls (presently K-10th grade) and draws members from at least four other Catholic parishes and protestant congregations. Currently there are eight AHG troops in the greater Houston area.

Friday Night Lights

I remember my high school years fondly, um, for the most part. The best part was football on Friday nights! And, nothing was better than the marching band! (Drums being the favorite, of course. Boom. Boom. Boom-boom-boom-boom!) I couldn't wait for halftime to see the marching band on the field. Their music was loud and heart-thumping. But, what's happened to the high school marching bands of today?

It seems like the band directors have forgotten the marching band's important role - firing up the football team and spectators' spirits. Give us a good song that we can clap our hands, stomp our feet, and cheer our team! Not any more....seems a lot of band directors think their program has to be artistic. Hum, no. I'm not at the ballet, or a symphonic orchestra.

For instance, in September 2012, a Pennsylvania high school marching band's halftime performance commemorated the Russian Revolution (St. Petersburg: 1917) - brandishing red flags, military uniforms, hammers and sickles. Historians and parents of students have lambasted the choice of entertainment which remembers an event that gave way to Communism and the deaths of hundreds of millions. Poor history. Poor "artistic" vision. Gee, just want their parents wanted to see at halftime. Forget the school song - Let's praise Stalin. Weird. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2208331/Pennsylvania-high-school-marching-band-commemorates-1917-Russian-Revolution-half-time.html#ixzz2AE9b8GVe.

Well, on Saturday evening, the boys and I went to a local Marching Band Festival. I went with trepidation. I just want good marching band enthusiastic songs. I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part.

Band #1 - This band director went for artistic. Their program was for King Arthur. Hum. They know we're Americans and he was a British king, right? We have lots of patriotic songs. How about a performance for George Washington? 

Band #2 - This band director also went for the artistic. The program was entitled, "What If?" Hum.....well..... I have absolutely no idea what this was about. Truly. It was really cool that the tuba players actually held their tubas on their shoulders while they marched and played. Cool.

Band #3 - This program was Jake & Elwood, you know, The Blues Brothers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! It was loud, it was peppy, it was foot-stomping. The crowd went wild! We danced, clapped and sang our way through this performance. Whew! Finally...a real high school marching band.

Band #4 - Another fantastic high school marching band performance. Their program was The Incredibles. The audience really cheered when their mascot saved the damsel in distress from the evil-masked-guy-in-black. This band was loud, and fun! Great entertainment. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Band #5 - This band director chose artistic with Fantasia Hispaniola. The music would have been better for an orchestra. It was too classical for a marching band, though some seemed familiar. I did enjoy their performance, though. Their dancers were fantastic! I paid attention to them the entire time. Lovely.

Band #6 - Another favorite of the evening. Their performance was Seminole Supermen. They played amazing renditions of Spiderman and Batman themes, with "I need a hero" thrown in between. When their dancers created the Batman symbol at the end, the crowd went wild. This performance was fun, fun, fun. Thank you!

Band #7 - Thank you to another great band. Their theme was Rock And Roll All Night. Yes, great rocks songs that their parents knew and enjoyed. It started with a trombone soloist playing the beginning stance to "Renegade," a 1979 hit song by Styx. ... "Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long." Unbelievable performance. I could hear this young man's solo, yet couldn't hear other full bands as well. This was another fun performance of the night. It has to be more fun for the marching band when the audience is so into their performance. It makes everybody happy! And, this marching band is huge....three times the size of the other marching bands. Naturally, they were good and loud. Add their dancers into the mix and they covered the football field from end zone to end zone. Wicked cool. Oh, and, they have the most awesome red, white & blue minutemen costumes.

Band #8 - This band director chose artistic "Revolution...In the future." Hum. The band and dancers are "the rebels fighting a revolution in the future." Seriously. Don't think Star Wars (which would have been great), but Buck Rogers. I have no idea what the music was. The dancers were dressed in...black and silver...um, space-aged outfits. They jumped around like they were fighting. It was silly. I felt so sorry for the students. It was a difficult performance and they obviously had worked very hard.

The band directors who went for "artistic" seem more concerned with marching band competitions than actual halftime performances. This is sad. As a parent of a trombone player and future high school marching band student, I wouldn't want that for my child. I want him to have fun, and if the spectators are cheering, singing and dancing with the songs they're playing, then that makes it all worthwhile....at least, as my point of view as a parent.

It's that simple.

Religious liberty is our first, most cherished freedom. It is why the Pilgrims left England - They wanted independence from the established Church of England. In 1620, they sailed the Atlantic for 63 days on the Mayflower...seeking freedom of religion. It is why this country was founded..... Religious freedom is an absolute right, and includes the right to practice any religion of one’s choice, or no religion at all, and to do this without government control.

Did you know that we have two freedoms granted by the First Amendment regarding religion? The First Amendment contains two clauses about the Freedom of Religion -- The first part is known as the Establishment Clause and the second as the Free Exercise Clause: (1) The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from passing laws that will establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. (2) The Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government from interfering with a person’s practice of his or her religion. 

Our rights to Freedom of Religion and the free exercise thereof means: (1) The Freedom of Religion is an inalienable right. (2) The First Amendment provides for the Freedom of Religion for all Americans. (3) The Free Exercise Clause provides that government will neither control nor prohibit the free exercise of one’s religion. (4) The government will remain neutral.

Yet, on March 21, 2010, Obama signed "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" a/k/a ObamaCare into federal law. The Obama administration’s unprecedented mandate attacks the freedom to practice religion without government interference. Under the HHS mandate, employers (private citizens who own businesses and with premiums paid by their employees) must provide insurance coverage that includes abortion-inducing drugs as well as contraceptives and sterilization procedures. The requirement to fund and facilitate such activities violates the core religious and moral convictions of Catholics and others.

This video explains the problem with the HHS mandate in sixteen seconds. I hope you'll watch it. It's that simple. ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enC0eFJgmpA. Thank you to the Archdiocese of St. Louis for producing this video.

"My girl likes to party all the time."

There's a great YouTube video making the rounds. It starts with Michelle Obama's video played at the Democratic National Convention 2012. Michelle says, “If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune. Because that is not what we do in this country – That is not who we are. That is not who we are.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiGjE4_k0jI. Oh really? 

The video then chronicles Michelle's vacations with her girls (plus her mother and cousins, etc., etc.) - Yes, 16 vacations in three years. This does not include family vacations, or Obama's vacations, or Obama's 100+ rounds of golf, or her "official visits" like hanging out at the Olympics. Nope. However, it does include the $500,000 trip to Spain with 40 of her "closest friends." But, why should we care? Conservative numbers estimate she spent over $12,000,000 of taxpayer's money on her vacations. Actual figures are not available because the White House redacts information, so the true total is unknown.

Of course, the $12,000,000+ total does not include the 2012 Spring Break trip of 13-year-old Malia Obama to Oaxaca, Mexico...with 12 of her closest friends...and 25 Secret Service Agents. Neither parent accompanied their 13-year-old daughter. This trip was also paid with taxpayer's money. I wonder if we're also paying for all the concerts that Malia attends?  Hummmmmmm..... Particularly unnerving is their ignoring the State Department’s travel advisory for Americans not to travel to Mexico. Perhaps that because regular American citizens cannot travel with 25 Secret Service Agents..... Or, regular American citizens cannot afford travel - or gas, or peanut butter, or electricity, or housing..... - at all.

Andrea Tantaros of the New York Daily News says it best - "Material girl Michelle Obama is a modern-day Marie Antoinette." Oh, I like that. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/material-girl-michelle-obama-modern-day-marie-antoinette-glitzy-spanish-vacation-article-1.200134#ixzz29zVVC1ek