THE SHACK By William P. Young

My husband and I went to listen to William P. Young give a lecture at Warner Pacific College, here in Portland, Oregon Monday night.

I raised my hand and told the author that I felt the book was really two stories rolled up into one book and I asked him if he wrote it that way intentionally or if he wrote it in bits and pieces. He said, he started the book because his wife, Kim, wanted him to write something down that he could give to his children. He intended the story to be that gift to his kids for Christmas. And originally he went to Office Depot and printed out fifteen copies for his family and friends, never intending it to go any further than that. Today, The Shack has sold over 4 million copies.

He answered my question by saying that he started out by writing the conversations, as questions he wanted to ask as a child but was never allowed to ask.

He was warm and funny but even more. He was Real. He spoke from his heart about difficult subjects and he had the audience on the edge of their seat for the nearly two hours he shared his story with us.

Here is a short clip of him talking about growing up in Boring, Oregon. Yes, there is a place in Oregon that is truly Boring.

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: Sir Walter Scott Marmion, Canto VI, Stanza 17. There was some controversy about Shakespeare but the general consensus is Sir Walter Scott

Turning TRASH TO TREASURE, we’ve all heard the phrase. But how’s a person to do it?

I’d be lost without my husband around but, with him leading the way, it’s easy. He’s a wanna be carpenter – some of the time.

Both his brothers work with wood all day, while my husband sits in an office pushing paper to support his family. But at home, he manages to express himself with scraps of wood he finds at recycling centers. Here's just one example of what he's made with his scraps of wood.

Here's a story I wrote about Recycling Your Way to Romance, which was published by Romantic Homes magazine.

If you want to read the entire story of how to turn trash to treasure, read it here.

And the next time you think about throwing something away, think again.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY - Lit ?

Okay, it's only fun if you don't google it, until after you answer it.

Who wrote, "Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave, When First We Practice to Deceive."

It kinda goes along with my Mark Twain Quote of the Week.

My theory is, if you don't lie, you never have to be careful what you say. Okay, I know there are other reasons to be careful: you might hurt someone's feelings, offend someone, journey into the toxic topics of politics and/or religion, without even thinking about it but at least people won't have to guess where you stand on the subjects.

Happy Thinking. . . and try not to get tangled up by your tongue.

The Orphanage - SHOCKTOBER post

The Jacketflap of the movie said “terrifying horror thriller” well worth seeing. It was worth seeing but, IMHO, it wasn’t terrifying or horrifying - not in the least.

It was more like "a little creepy". Along the lines of Nicole Kidman’s "The Others".

My husband and I watched it together. He kept saying, “Where’s Carlos?” whenever anything was wrong. And it’s true. Where was the husband all the time? [A bit of a spoiler here] No wonder he wasn’t in her thoughts at the end.

Another quiet song I love

Another one of my favorite songs:

TEN LITTLE WITCHES

My niece helped me decorate.



It's that Black Cat/Bat time of year again.

HALLOWEEN DREAM

Ten little witches
wait impatiently for Halloween night,
Finally one says,
“I’m ready to go out and cause a fright.”

The second one cackled
and held up her sturdy broom
The third one giggled,
as she flew across the room.

The fourth one said,
“Let’s create a little fear.”
The fifth one laughed,
“I’ll make sure the coast is clear.”

The sixth one zoomed high into the sky.
The seventh one said, “I’m ready now to fly.”
The eighth witch brought along her little black cat.
The ninth witch cried, “I forgot my favorite hat!”

Johnny woke up and thought,
“That must have been a dream.”

But the tenth little witch yelled,
“Happy Halloween!”

And Happy Birthday Luke!!!

Myrna McDaniel – THE DOLL DOCTOR

Myrna McDaniel has a job most girls might envy. She gets to “play” with dolls all day long.

She’s been restoring these little ladies since 1995. The dolls range in age, from the mid 1800's up to modern dolls of today. She also takes care of teddy bears and other stuffed animals.

“It's so satisfying to hand a childhood treasure, which has been restored to its original state, back to its owner. Tears of joy often flow!”

She takes in a lot of very ill patients and her clients are amazed at what can be done to bring their little loved ones back to life.

Today's dolls are not like the dolls of the 1960's and earlier. While they may be well made, the just don't have the same feel as a great old Mama doll that cries and can be cuddled. It's also very hard to repair most of the new dolls, as the bodies can't be taken apart to "get in there" and mend their maladies.

All in all, it is a very fulfilling job to be able to restore these "friends" back to health. However, creating the “cure” is not an easy process!!

If anyone has any questions, or sick dolls in need of repair, you can contact Myrna here: cmcdan2347@sbcglobal.net