Ramblings From An Un- Caffeinated Brain

If you read my post yesterday, then you are aware of how beautiful my morning coffee is, just sitting on the tray, waiting for me to drink. The picture I posted yesterday was of my coffee ready to drink, meaning it was plunged and waiting to be poured into mugs. At present I am waiting for my coffee to steep. When I am waiting for the coffee to steep, I think, blog. I take wild leaps in my morning thinking. For now, we will refer to what I do as thinking, humour me.

  • Why do three (3) teens require ten (10) cups in one day? Mind, most of the day they are at school and cross country practise.
  • Is my husband truly losing his hearing or is he just not listening? I think he is not listening when I speak. I wonder, when I speak, do I sound to him like the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons?
  • Why do teens enjoy re-carpeting their floor with not only discarded clothing from the day, but the clean laundry I lovingly put on their beds that day, thereby contaminating the clean laundry with the sweaty discarded running gear? Guess who washes 3 loads of laundry a day?
  • When the cat spits up a hairball, why is it always directly in my path to the bathroom? I have learned to slip on slippers, no matter the hour.
  • Surely, my teens are not the only ones to leave bathroom fans on as well as every light, in every room they walk passed or through. Please tell me I am not alone.
  • As for me, I truly love books. They bring me comfort and joy. From the feel to the smell. All my senses (except taste-I am not that far gone!) delight me. There have to be other book lover’s out there who feel as I do.

Finally, I have a enough books to build myself a fort to hide inside and read. Just the idea of hiding in a fort reading brings a smile to my face. Nothing could make me happier! I will be posting several book reviews in the next few days, so please check back. For now I smell the allure of my coffee, and am ready to begin my day.

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Mornings-Wordful & Wordless Wednesday

How I begin my mornings.


For more WW participants head to:

Mom Blogs

To view other Wordful Wednesday blogs head over to:


OrdinaryAndAwesome.com is the Chronicles of headquarters as well as the home to several original awards and memes.

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To Be King-Teaser Tuesdays


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is mine:

“Is this what it means to be King? he thought. To be continuously quarrelling, stamping, and snarling? To feel I’ve not one loyal friend, not one person to trust implicitly?”

~Page 93, Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick

What are you reading?

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Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge


I know, another challenge I am joining, even when I said no more. This challenge is designed to help those of us clear off our bookshelves of books that have been sitting around for 6 months or longer. I am rather guilty of owning books that have been sitting around. I buy one, see another I need to read, and so on. Eventually, I have full shelves. My goal is to read 40%. The Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge runs from 10/01/2009-11/30/09 and anyone can sign up here.

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What Are You Reading Monday?


I am trying a new Meme created by J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog saying what books I read last week and what books I plan to read this week.

Last Week I Read:

  • Footsteps In the Dark by Georgette Heyer (352 pages)- I read this for the R.I.P. IV Challenge and I m pleased I did. This was my first time reading anything by Georgette Heyer and I found this to be a delightful cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more of her books.
  • Bo’s Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol (256 pages) – I read this book for a tour and my review will go live on the 29th.
  • The Gift of An Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir by Katrina Kenison (320 pages) a book I would recommend to any parent. My review.
  • Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Kollick (469 pages) – for a review

This Week I am hoping to read:

  • Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick (496 pages) for a review.
  • Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris ( 387 pages) – for a tribute tour of his life and a review
  • The Ice Chorus by Sarah Stonich (328 pages) – for a review
  • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (640 pages)- Each week I try to get to this novel and run out of time!

Check back next Monday to see how well, or not so well, I accomplish my reading goals.

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Time-Quoatable Sunday

The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it.”
~ Plutarch

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”
~ Theophrastus

If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.”
~ Maria Edgeworth

All my possessions for a moment of time.”
~ Elizabeth I

An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.”
~ Bonnie Friedman

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”
~ Will Rogers

My favourite Quote:
Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”
~ Carl Sandburg

To join in the fun or to see what other topics are being quoted visit A Daily Dose of Toni

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The Sunday Salon

The Sunday Salon.com

I am joining what is know as The Sunday Salon. I decided it would be best to use the site’s own words to describe to others new to this wonderful weekly event, rather than muck it up. The following is directly from The Sunday Salon (yes, I did ask first).

“What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library’s vast reading room. It’s filled with people–students and faculty and strangers who’ve wandered in. They’re seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they’re all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they’ll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon’s literary intake….
That’s what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it’s all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week’s Salon get together–at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones–and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another’s blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one’s earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. See below for how to join the Salon.

Now for the fun!

I had a lot of fun visiting all of the BBAW events! I added a lot of new titles to my ever growing TBR list. I cannot wait for next year.

I enjoy being able to take time on Sundays to curl up with a good book or two. Today I am going to begin reading two books for future review:

Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick (for a review), 458 pages.
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris (for tour to honour his life and a review) 387 pages.

I am still crossing my fingers that I am able to dig my teeth into Outlander this week! Happy Reading and please feel free to leave comments or suggestions!

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Book Review: The Gift of An Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir

Title: The Gift of An Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir
Author: Katrina Kenison
Publisher: Springboard Press, Hachette Book Group
Published: September 7, 2009
ISBN-10: 0446409480:
Hardcover: 320 pages
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The Gift of An Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison is a beautiful, poignant memoir of a mother facing mid-life and the reality that in a few short years she will have an empty nest. Katrina’s son Henry is 17 and beginning the process of choosing the college that is the right fit for him. Her younger son Jack is entering High School, in a new town and the challenges that come with moving, beginning High School, and just being a teenager. Through all of this Katrina herself is wondering who she is, as she is no longer employed, her family has temporarily moved back in with her parents while they build a new home, and her role of mother has once again been redefined.

The novel is not only a beautiful memoir, but also offers up sage advice from Kension’s life and numerous quotes she has collected over the years. Kenison writes an excellent and insightful memoir of coming of age, of Henry’s turning into an adult, Jack entering the world of High School, but also herself. She weaves together three years of emotions, friendships, hardships, battles won and lost, lesson learned, and above all unwavering, unconditional love.

This novel touched me deeply on several fronts, as I am a mid-life mother of 3 teenage boys, and my oldest like Henry, will be searching and visiting colleges. Will my son tour my Alma mater, like Henry did? Kenison, through her experiences has helped me see these years as neither painful nor bittersweet, rather years to be savored and enjoyed. Every moment is precious and in the everyday, in the ordinary, we can and will find happiness. Throughout the novel Kenison shows by example how one must let go in order to move forward. In her learning to simplify and enjoy the ordinary events, she has shown me, gently, how I can be a better mother, that now is a time for my children to be gently guided on the path to discovering who they are and who they want to become. It is also through this very path that I too will emerge changed.

I highly recommend this book to any parent, but especially those whose children are approaching or already in the teen years.

My gratitude to Hachette Book Group for sending me a copy to review.

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Looking Forward-Aloha Friday


Seeing how it is Friday, today’s question is going to require as little brain power as possible.

The question for today: What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

This weekend we have absolutely nothing on the schedule (yay!) and I am looking forward to curling up with my cat, a carafe of coffee, and getting lost in a good book or two!

Visit An Island Life for more fun Aloha Fridays.

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Uncaffeinated Thoughts on a Thursday

My sweet husband is making coffee, well actually still grinding the beans and since I must be awake I might as well share with anyone willing to read my blog, what I am thinking. Trust me, there will be no profound moments, I have not had any caffeine.

Why do I remember to do things at odd hours? I always think I should ring my parents and then realise it is quarter of midnight. This sadly, happens quite often. I have been meaning to order my son’s birthday cake for 3 days now. I remember when I wake and as I am falling asleep around 2 am. Neither time would she appreciate me ringing her up to place a cake order. Surely I am not the only one who does these things?

For those who do not know, I am a night owl. I have by virtue of being a mum, been made to wake in the scary early hours of the morn. However, I remain a night owl. I think best after 11pm. So for anyone reading this post, you are catching me when my grey cells are asleep. There is not even caffeine to soothe them. I can smell the coffee, so it should not be much longer.

So what do I do while the house is asleep? I read. I adore books, as I have mentioned in times past. I usually have to force myself to put a book down so I can get a few hours of sleep. I get lost in books and lose all track of time. It is truly a wonderful experience. My husband dislikes reading for pleasure, I cannot even comprehend that!

I have been meaning to post this, see something else I forgot! It is Book Bloggers Appreciation Week and there are some fantastic contests going on, as well as reviews and interviews. Information can be found here at BBAW! Better late then never.

As I have mentioned loving the aroma of my coffee and have mentioned on more then one occasion, my love for food, I figure I shall share a fact about myself. I detest the smell of food cooking. Odd for someone who loves to eat, but there it is.

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