Still Picking up the Pennies

From popular Christian voices Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer,  The Flirtation Experiment  inspires you to strengthen your marriage with a fun, unexpected approach that leads to the depth, richness, and closeness you desire.   Romance novels, Hallmark movies...the immense demand for romantic stories reveals a deep, unsatisfied longing that can be found in many marriages, but does it have to be that way? Is it possible that the best marriage has to offer can grow, rather than fade after you say “I do”? Lisa and Phylicia say, “Absolutely yes!”   From popular Christian voices Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer, The Flirtation Experiment inspires you to strengthen your marriage with a fun, unexpected approach that leads to the depth, richness, and closeness you desire.  After reading The Flirtation Experiment, wives will…  be filled with hope and encouragement for how they can make a powerful, positive change in their marriages,  • become e...

 I am not sure where my love of receiving mail came from. Maybe it was while I was in the United States Air Force. I remember, in basic training waiting for my name to be called during mail call. Waiting and waiting, while it seemed like everyone else in the flight received envelopes and care packages from loved ones. A simple envelope or box from home may seem like nothing, but when you are the one that does not receive one for days and days on end, it does become something.  Fast-forward 27 years, I still love getting mail. I love getting mail that has surprises and encourages me. Imagine getting a box full of items focused on the blessing of God's grace. Well, that is what the God's Glory box does. Each month I get a box full of blessings but even more this company donates to Feeding America each time a purchase is made.  January 2022 God's Glory Box looked like this Disclaimer: the t-shirt did not come wrinkled, I was in a hurry to take a peek at the items inside the ...

 In another post, I told you all about my love of getting mail. And what woman does not like makeup, beauty supplies. I love make-up but honestly, I am intimated by purchasing it. There are so many name brands, shades, and it is overwhelming. I get overwhelmed by purchasing makeup but still like it. In comes IPSY. IPSY is a beauty bag subscription. Each month I receive 5 deluxe size samples and a cute makeup bag. Sometimes there are full-size products and makeup brushes.  Here is what the January Bag looked like Each month you get a card explaining each product included in the bag.  I received two face masks, which I love using. A dark spot concealer, concealer, eyeliner, and a bronzer. I like that on the IPSY website, you can click the learn option to see a video showing how to use each product.  On the first of everyone month, the style of the beauty bag is announced. There is an option to pick one of the products or you can be surprised and not choose a product. T...

  Criminal psychologist Erin Larson's dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases. Nathan Campbell's father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin's help to solve the case. She's good at what she does. The only problem? She's his ex. As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted--and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget. The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from  USA Today  bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard. My review:  I love getting new book...

  CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing. Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn't at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It's hard to trust a woman who's already betrayed you. Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning--the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos. Can Brynn surrender control to a man who doesn't trust her? And can Jack ever get over what she did to him? The fate of the world--and their hearts--hangs in the bal...

   The Healing of Natalie Curtis by Jane Kirkpatrick Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis isolated herself for five years after a breakdown just before she was to debut with the New York Philharmonic. Guilt-ridden and songless, Natalie can't seem to recapture the joy music once brought her. In 1902, her brother invites her to join him in the West to search for healing. What she finds are songs she'd never before encountered--the haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans. But their music is under attack. The US government's Code of Offenses prohibits American's indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages as the powers that be insist on assimilation. Natalie makes it her mission not only to document these songs before they disappear but to appeal to President Teddy Roosevelt himself, who is the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law. Will she succeed and step into a new song . . . and a new future? ...

  Present Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons--but she'll certainly never reveal the real one. 1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiancé's baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined. This dual-timeline story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of a mother-daughter dynamic, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and...

Pasty Fest 2021 I very rarely take selfies and just about never post them but here is the most recent photo of me. I am on a mission of self-care, love, and acceptance. I have let my hair grow and used a curl enhancer on this day. Most everyone that reads my blog knows we are from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We chose to live here. Winters are long and severe. The natural beauty and nice people are unlike anywhere else. This past weekend my hubby and I set out to experience the Calumet Pasty Fest 2021. We have never actually attended before, which is amazing due to the enormous love he has for pasties. We had a free day (but the cost of the pasty we share). We were even given free bottles of water.  We made it but only the tail end of it. Most of the pasty vendors were sold out or only had frozen pasties for sale. We walked the length of 5th street, we were able to see the cars that were left from the car show.  I saw the old-style tray on the Corvette's window so I had t...

Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all. As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities? Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way. My Review: I loved thi...

  After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance--reserved for incompetents and traitors. Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company's plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him--and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body. About the Author James R. Hannibal  is no stranger to secrets and adventure. This former stealth pilot f...

 At the beginning of 2021, I knew this was the year for change. I did not know what the change was going to be, then I read Crystal Paine's blog MoneySavingMom's post on her Word of the Year. I don't remember what her word was, but I chose the phrase Follow Through, I posted about it here. I updated a few times monthly here and here., but then being the procrastination Queen I fell off the bandwagon for monthly updates, so here is my mid-year update.  I did fall off the bandwagon for monthly updates but I did not stop working hard at following through with things I started. One of the projects I have wanted to work on is going to art/craft fairs as a vendor. I have been researching local events and have a few in mind. I have been also working on making a good inventory. Here are a few products I have been working on. I am trying my hand at many differnt type of crafting with my Silloute Cameo 4 Cutting machine. I have been making a numerouse different styles of wine classes...

  Former CIA sniper Kadance Tolle possesses a special set of skills and a rare pedigree. She comes from a family of assassins, and by saving Lyndon Vaile's life she risks being found by them. Despite the danger, Kadance feels compelled to help Lyndon discover who is after him--and his research that seems to prove that the Ebola virus was manmade and is about to be weaponized. With shadowy figures pursuing them and a Mastermind watching their every move, Kadance and Lyndon must scramble to stop an impending bioattack at the State of the Union address. But their warnings fall on deaf ears, and it becomes increasingly clear that there's no one they can trust--except perhaps each other. Strap in for a breakneck story that will have you up all night, hurtling toward the last page as the clock ticks and time runs out. Editorial Reviews From the Back Cover She saved his life. Now they're in a race to stop a deadly attack. Former CIA sniper Kadance Tolle possesses a special set of ...

For the past 2 or 3 years, my family and I have been through a lot of emotional stuff most not good. We experienced a few household changes. We did a ton of remodeling to the bedrooms (some of them not quite done yet ;) ). The carpet was torn up that had been put in when the kids were little. Laminate wood floors were put into the bedrooms and hallway. We love the new floors, they are so pretty. The master bedroom was painted. Sheets, comforter, and (soon) curtains were ordered.   My husband and I decided we needed some happiness in the house. It was time for a puppy! We have thought about getting a puppy that we get to train and love for years and this was the time. We went to a few shelters and while there were tons of dogs, none of them seemed to be THE right one. Then it happened a person my hubby works with had a litter and a person backed out of purchasing one. We went to see them. There were two that we could choose between a little girl and a little boy. We knew exactl...

  Present Danger Rocky Mountain Courage #1 by Elizabeth Goddard Former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner is working as a detective in Montana when he comes across a body in the national forest during a search and rescue mission. He's committed to finding the killer, even if it means working alongside his old flame, US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors. When Terra discovers that the murder victim had ties to a powerful and dangerous trafficker of archaeological artifacts, the investigation takes a deadly turn--one that hits too close to home. As Terra fears she lacks the courage to face what comes next, Jack is more determined than ever to protect her. But he's failed her before. And if he fails this time, it will cost them far more than just their hearts. Join bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth Goddard as she plunges you into a web of deceit made of hidden crimes, open threats, and long-buried family secrets in this gripping first book of an explosive new serie...

  Synopsis: Steve Skipper is one of the most prolific artists in the realms of sports, civil rights, equestrian, portraiture, and Christian artwork. Skipper has shattered barriers of race and education in the art world. His works are on permanent display in some of the most hallowed halls in America, including: the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, International Sports Halls of Fame, the Lyndon B Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, and has been honored with unveilings at Chelsea Piers in NYC, the MGM Grand and Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, and Millennium Gate Museum in Atlanta. With no formal training, Skipper openly gives credit to Jesus Christ for his gifts and for every opportunity that he has been given. An ex-gang member and drug addict, Skipper was transformed into an internationally respected artist.  Rent/buy Colors of Character on DVD or on-demand from the comfort of your own home, and watch wherever you watch movies! Buy Link:  LINK My r...

  Though she hopes for a quiet, uncomplicated life for herself, Dorothy Clark wants nothing more than to stir others up. Specifically, she dreams of writing something that will challenge people as much as Harriet Beecher Stowe's  Uncle Tom's Cabin  seems to have. But in 1850s Mesquite Springs, there are few opportunities for writers--until newspaperman Brandon Holloway arrives, that is. Brandon Holloway has seen the disastrous effects of challenging others and has no intention of repeating that mistake. Instead of following his dreams, he's committed to making a new--and completely uncontroversial--start in the Hill Country. As Dorothy's involvement in the fledgling newspaper grows from convenient to essential, the same change seems to be happening in Brandon's heart. But before romance can bloom, Dorothy and Brandon must work together to discover who's determined to divide the town and destroy Brandon's livelihood. With this second novel in the Mesquite Spr...