Reading the Bible in 1 Year: The Death of Moses

Generosity and Divorce are themes as we Read the Bible this year

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: History of the Children of Israel

The Nation of Israel - Reading the Bible in 1 Year

Friday, November 21, 2008

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". And etiquette requires that you send your regrets, if you won't be attending. You are supposed to respond one way or another.

And now for EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY:

Portland State University envisions city as its green lab. Read all about it here.

PSU plans to use a $25 million donation over ten years to become a leader in sustainability. How cool is it to get a $25 million donation and what an earth-friendly thing to do with the money.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY - A Question of Etiquette


QUESTION: What does R.S.V.P. mean? And, if it is written on an invitation, are you supposed to respond even if you aren't coming to the event?

I guess you got two questions - for the price of one - and FREE is a very good price.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NaNo WriMO- Portland Center Stage Offering a Reward

If you are involved in the Nano WriMo and coming to Portland, Oregon for the holidays, you should click on this link: here.

Who wouldn't want a family four-pack of tickets to Dickens A Christmas Carol?

I think it is wonderful of Portland Center Stage to reward writers for staying on task.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris




I sat down a few weeks ago to watch a show with my husband and daughter, which is a rare occurrence in my house. Usually, I’m reading a book or writing. Anyway, we were watching True Blood on HBO, when I got a little uncomfortable. I mean I turned to my 20 year-old daughter and said, “Can they do that on T.V.?”

She shook her head, like I must be an alien pod person, and said, “It’s HBO.”

I said, “Yeah, but can they do THAT on t.v.?”

She looked at me like I’ve been living in a cave or something and groaned, “Duh. They can do whatever they want.”

So anyway, I’ve been enjoying the series but a friend told me the books are even better. So I ran out to my local Borders and bought Dead Until Dark.

It’s a quick read at 292 pages. And I read the entire book on my airplane ride from North Caroline to Portland, Oregon.

So, you can grab this story and finish it in no time. And, to be honest, I liked the story better in the book than on t.v. Not that the actors aren’t all gorgeous on HBO but Sookie Stackhouse comes across as a smarter character in the book – at least to me. And, Bill Compton seems stronger in the novel than in Hollywood.

This isn’t a Twilight experience even though it has romance and is a vampire novel. It’s more complicated in some ways.

In Dead Until Dark the vampires have “Come Out of the Closet” and are living amongst the humans. They drink synthetic blood – or at least the ones who are “mainstreaming” and trying to live their lives without sucking off the humans around them. Plus, there are more characters with special abilities than were found in Stephanie Meyer’s books. Sam is a shapeshifter and Sookie is a clairvoyant and – I have a feeling – there’s more to it than that.

VB (Vampire Bill) and Sookie seem like star-crossed lovers. They both are unique and drawn to each other. But, VB isn’t all good. He’s got one wicked temper when pushed too far. And, with super human strength, a bad temper is a real BAD thing.

I just bought the second book in the series, Living Dead in Dallas, and I’ll update you all after I read that story.

But, if you like a quick story that keeps you turning the pages, Dead Until Dark is a fun book to pick up. And if you don’t have time for a quick story, you can always turn on the t.v. and watch the HBO show. But, remember, the books are better.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Wedding Photo Challenge




Rena
challenged writers to post their wedding picture on-line. Brenda posted her photo here. Kelly posted her picture here.

3 kids, 3 dogs, numerous pets and homes later, my husband, Lars, and I have been married for more than 25 years. It's hard to believe that the years have gone so fast.

Do you remember taffeta dresses? These are horrible!!! But at least they make me look thinner ;-) There's always a silver lining.

The wedding party is my sister Brook, my sister Tammy, Linda, Andrea and my niece Shawna. On the men's side is Skip (Dan), my husband's brothers and my nephew Michael.

We were married at Crystal Lake Church, which was also called the Little Church in the Woods. Our marriage has lasted longer than the church. The Little Church in the Woods isn't there any more.

It was a beautiful setting but no one told us there was going to be a parade the day of our wedding, which blocked off all the roads to the church. My aunt and uncle couldn't make it and some of our friends never got to the church. But, luckily, the reception was on-site so by the time the reception was over - so was the parade.

Maybe some people might have gotten upset - I didn't even notice. I was just so happy to finally be Mrs. Kasch.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Craaa-zzz BizzzzEEE Day - TGIF


It was a busy day at work.

After work, I rushed off to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Then, I hurried from that celebration to The Lucky Labrador to catch up with Kidlitosphere blogging conference attendees. It was a quick reunion - my son Jake stopped on the way home from work with me.


I ran home picked up my daughter and drove to a friend's party in Vancouver, Washington.

It was a fun - but busy - night. How'd you spend the evening?