Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

It was a dark and stormy night. The perfect time to go sit in a big comfy chair and listen to ghost stories.

That's what I did on Tuesday night. My daughter and I drove over to Barnes & Noble at Clackamas Town Center to listen to Lisa with a group of other like-minded people: readers.

We were all there to hear bits and pieces of Lisa Schroeder's newest release: Chasing Brooklyn, published by Simon Pulse. And we weren't disappointed.

Even the cover is haunting:

It was a cold, wet, night in the Pacific Northwest, as we drove across town to listen to Lisa. So consider yourself lucky as you cuddle up in your snuggie and listen to a few of the words Lisa shared with us:



I'm not sure if you'd actually call it a sequel to I Heart You You Haunt Me but some of the characters make appearances so maybe . . . I guess you'll just have to read it to find out.

2010 - we celebrated all day

The kids all went out. I only caught MacKenzie and Luke quick enough to take a photo.

Then we all went out for lunch.

and the food was amazing.


and the dessert was even better


and I loved the Creme Brulee
Another picture of us enjoying the food at Sinju in the Pearl

Then a few short hours later we went to dinner at Bo and Sue's where we had traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches.
Guess it's time to start another die---t.

How did you celebrate?

Death Masks

We've had death masks made but not Mackenzie. So before she takes off for France, to study for a semester, we wanted to immortalize her in marble - but we could only afford to do it in plaster. So here's the process.


This is the mold that was made by pouring the mixture onto Mackenzie's face. It looks 3-D but this is just the form that was made first, then the plaster had to be poured into the mold:






Doesn't she look like a little flower?








In the end, it needs a little touching up to fill in the gaps where air bubbles left holes. But I think it turned out pretty lifelike. What do you think?

Unexpected Snowfall

It created a huge commuter hassle but it was a winter wonderland while it lasted.

Bow Hair

MacKenzie and I were playing with our hair. She wanted to show me a new hair style so she tied my hair up into a bow.

First she had to straighten my hair because it is full of waves then she straightened it-one layer at a time by pinning it up and doing a little bit at a time.

 

Then she separated it into a side ponytail.

And split the hair in two. Then she began pinning it into place
 

Until she had a bow sitting on top of my head.
I asked my husband if he liked my new hair style.



He didn't seem to like it so well. He said it was "interesting".

Answer to New Year's Question

Answer: Tournament officials instituted a "Never on Sunday" policy in 1893 to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services.

New Year's ?

QUESTION:

When is the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California not held on January 1st?

Make a guess in the comments then come back around 3:00 to see if you were right.