The Care And Handling of Roses With Thorns

The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorn by Margaret Dilloway 

was the latest BlogHer Book Club read.

The main character, Gal, is in her mid-thirties, 

a high school teacher and struggling with kidney disease.
 

But, she has a passion for roses. 

Growing and breeding roses.
The story focuses on her goal of trying to win a rose competition 

and the unplanned arrival of her teenage niece into her home.

I really enjoyed this book.
The rose breeding was fascinating to me.

Gal is a strong character, and she feels real.
A flawed woman who learns more about herself.
And learns to love.

A good read!!

It made me want to go out and plant things.
Grow things.

I don't have many hobbies, besides reading.
What are your hobbies?
Have you grown anything?

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Confession: My Foursquare Addiction

 

It's time to admit that I have an addiction. 

Well, I have many addictions, 

but the one I'm talking about today is my addiction to Foursquare.

What is foursquare?

It's a smartphone app where members can note their locations with their phone 

and can find out where friends are. 

You earn points for every check in.

You can leave tips and read other people's tips.

You can upload photos. 

You can unlock specials.

Foursquare has 20 million registered users.

I've been an active fourquare user for well over a year. Maybe closer to two years. 

I currently have 30 mayorships and 28 badges.

My highest points in one week was 346 points.

 I'm competitive. 

I check-in everywhere.

During my long morning commute to work, I check-in to intersections. 

I like being able to see where friends are going and where they've been.

I guess it makes me feel less alone?

I've checked-in at my children's schools, my local gas station, my grocery store, my mom's house, Target, Walgreens and anything and everything in between.

I realized that I had addiction when I checked-in 

at the emergency room with my sick child.

I'm not proud of that moment.

So, I've decid

ed to detox.

To completely quit.

 The only reason I might still occasionally use it is to unlock specials.

"Specials" are when businesses offer discounts and freebies when you check-in. 

That's it though.

Cold turkey.

Are you on Foursquare?

Were you addicted?

– 

Summer Storm

 

I love the big summer storms that build up and roll in, 

majestic, explosive and energizing. 

A break in the intense Texas heat. 

dampening our drought. 

A change in weather and pressure. 

 I embrace these storms in nature...

but not in my life. 

Change is hard. 

I'm trying.

 

What Alice Forgot

I was intrigued by the main theme in this book, What Alice Forgot by Liana Moriarty.

The main character, Alice, wakes up on the gym floor, thinking she's 29, in love with her husband and expecting her first child.  Imagine her surprise when she's told that instead she's actually 39, getting divorced and has three kids?!

The idea that you could wake up one day and have forgotten 10 years of your life?
Scary and crazy.

But also thought-provoking.

10 years is a long time.
I think we all go through a lot of change in that amount of time,
whether it's getting married or having kids...
or personal growth or decline.

It makes me wonder if past-me would have liked present-me...
and inspires me to work on future-me.  

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

 

My Artist's Way

I have always wanted to do the Artist's Way.
My mom did it years and years ago.

I actually bought the book and was planning on doing it this summer.
And then, BlogHer offered a chance to use
Julia Cameron's Artist's Way Toolkit.

I was so excited!

I downloaded the app for my iPhone and my iPad.
It helps you:

• UNBLOCK yourself with exercises
• TRACE your creative process in your own personal Creativity Notebook
• RECEIVE Daily Inspirations, Affirmations, and Artist's Date ideas from Julia

Now, unfortunately, I didn't utilize this as well as I could have.
I had some family emergencies come up,
and I got caught up in that.

But, the times I did check in online or through my iPhone, I loved it.
The biggest thing I learned from using it (and not using it),
is that I need to make time in my life for creativity.

You can take a tour of the toolkit. 

I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.