Enquiring Minds Want To Know

Enquiring Minds Want To Know is a weekly meme hosted by Dollycas' Thoughts. How well do you know your favorite bloggers? This meme is designed to help us find out a little about each other each week. A Mr. Linky is provided so we can keep up with each other. Please help this meme to become a success. Join in and answer Dollycas' questions each week... It's fun and entertaining.

It's week thirteen and here are the questions and my answers for the week: These are easy ones, due to Thanksgiving!

1.) What is your favorite vegetable?

That's a hard one in a way. I like veggies a lot, but I suppose my favorite is the potato. I like potatoes fixed just about anyway you can think of. I love baked potato's, mashed potato's fried potato's, you name it... I like it!


2.) What is your favorite fruit?

I'm a diabetic so I get most of my sugar intake from fruit, because it is natural and I can eat it without worrying about it. Strawberries are definitely my favorite, but they are a lot better when they are in season, so in the winter time Banana's become my favorite for a little while.



3.) Do you grow any of your own fruit and vegetables?

Once upon a time this was a working farm and we grew and raised just about everything. Now we have come down some to our old standards but probably grow a lot more than most people still. We have about a 1 acre garden in the summers and have lots of fruit trees as well. We grow: beans, corn, potato's, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and tons of other stuff. We have apple, peach, cherry and pear trees and a grape arbor as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had in mind to post something to do with Thanksgiving each day this week, but as fate would have it, I was extremely busy. My youngest daughter Allison did a little research here and there for me and came up with a couple of really good Thanksgiving crafts, some good Thanksgiving recipes you might want to try and a little information on Thanksgiving Traditions.

From our family to yours we want to wish you very happy Thanksgiving and offer you these ideas for the holiday season! Have a great one!

THANKSGIVING CRAFTS:

Finger Puppet Pilgrims

What You'll Need:

• Construction Paper: white, brown, black and yellow
• 2 short or one long cardboard tube (s)
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Peach and pink crayons
• Black marker
• Pattern (Click HERE)
  

How To Make It:

1. Color a 2" X 6' section of white construction paper with the peach crayon. Cut out section then cut in half. You should now have 2 - 2" x 3" peach pieces.
2. Glue the peach strips to the top of the 2 cardboard tubes. These will be the faces.
   
3. Cover the remainder of the cardboard tubes with black (man) and brown (woman) construction paper, overlapping the peach face a little.
4. Cut 2 collars from white construction paper using pattern. Glue to top of shirt, wrap around and glue in place.
5. Cut woman's hair from yellow construction paper using pattern. Cut man's hair from brown construction paper, cut a strip about the width of the woman's hair. Wrap around the back of the cardboard tubes, peach paper in the front, and trim if needed. Glue in place.
6. Cut hat from black paper and bonnet from white using patterns. Cut a small strip of brown for the hatband, glue and trim. Cut small strips of white paper for the buckle. Glue to the hatband. Glue hat to man's head and bonnet to woman's head.
7. Use pink crayon to add rosy cheeks.
8. Use black marker to add eyes and smile.
   
9. Insert fingers into bottom of tube and play with your puppets!

Styrofoam Turkey

What You'll Need:

• A 2 13/16" X 3 7/8" Styrofoam egg
• Brown paint
• 2 googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners: 2 red, 2 orange, 1 yellow
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paint brush
• Serated knife

To Make Your Thanksgiving Styrofoam Turkey Craft:

1. Use a serated knife to carve the very bottom off the styrofoam egg so it will set up.
   
2. Paint the egg brown and let it dry. (tip: setting the egg on a dixie cup is a great way to let the egg dry)
3. Glue two googly eyes onto the egg.
4. To make the feathers, cut a pipe cleaner in half, twist the ends together to make a feather shape and insert it into the back of the egg. Make 2 - 3 "feathers" of each color.
   
5. Cut a small piece of an orange pipe cleaner off and insert under the googly eyes for a beak.
6. Cut a small piece of red pipe cleaner and insert as a waddle next to the beak.
   
7. Cut an orange pipe cleaner into quarters. Take two of the pieces and bend in half and insert into the bottom of the egg as feet.
   

THANKSGIVING RECIPES:

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz. ) packages of gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1 oz.) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30 oz. ) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamon or cinnamon
• 1 (12 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions:

Bake the gingerbread according to package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamon into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of the gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be filled in punch bowl.

Favorite Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 (16 oz.) packages of cut green beans
• 1 cup of water
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimento peppers, drained
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (2.8 oz.) can French-fried onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the green beans in water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and cook 6 minutes, under tender. Remove from heat, and drain.
   
3. In an 8 X 8 inch baking dish, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, pimentos, and pepper. Stir in the green beans. Sprinkle with French-fried onions.
4. Bake, uncovered, 30 - 40 minutes in a preheated oven, until the casserole is hot and bubbly in the center.

THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS:

• Turkey and Trimmings. From the first Thanksgiving to today's turkey burgers, turkey's are an American tradition dating back centuries. According to the National Turkey Association, 95 percent of American's eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep fried turkey from the south.
  
• Time Out for the Pigskin. Throughout the United States, football on Thanksgiving Day is as big a part of the celebration as turkey or pumpkin pie. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, traditional holiday football rivalries have become so popular that a reporter once called, Thanksgiving " a holiday granted by the State and the Nation to see a game of football."
• Parading Around. The first American Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1920, organized by Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, not Macy's as most people believe. The NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade actually began in 1924, and has grown into an annual event of balloons, bands, and floats, enjoyed by more than 46 million people each year in person and on TV.
  
• Making a Wish. Does your family fight over the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey? Known as a "lucky break" the tradition of tugging on either end of a fowl's bone to win the largest piece and its accompanying "wish" dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.
  
• Giving Thanks. Last, but certainly not least, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the people and blessings of the past year. From pre-meal prayers to providing holiday meals to the homeless, the holiday is truly a celebration praise and thanksgiving.
  

Reveiw: Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

Publication Date: September 2010
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 352 pp
Genre: Historical/Contemporary Romance
ISBN-13: 9780307458834
ISBN: 0307458830

(Received for review through Library Thing Early Reviewers)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Borders, IndieBound

Author's Website: www.susanmeissner.com

Excerpt: Click HERE!

Book Trailer:

Lady in Waiting Book Trailer from Susan Meissner on Vimeo.

Other Books by the author: White Picket Fences, The Shape of Mercy, Blue Heart Blessed, Days and Hours, Sticks and Stones, Widows and Orphans, A Seahorse in the Thames, In All Deep Places, The Remedy for Regret, A Window to the World, Why the Sky is Blue

Synopsis (Book Blurb):

Love is a choice you make every day.

Content in her comfortable marriage of twenty-two years, Jane Lindsay had never expected to watch her husband, Brad, pack his belongings and walk out the door of their Manhattan home. But when it happens, she feels powerless to stop him and the course of events that follow Brad's departure.

Jane finds an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale and discovers a Latin inscription in the band along with just a one recognizable word: Jane. Feeling an instant connection to the mysterious ring bearing, her namesake, Jane begins a journey to learn more about the ring - and perhaps about herself.

In the sixteenth-century, Lucy Day becomes the dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young woman whose fate seems to be controlled by a dangerous political and religious climate, one threatening to deny her true love and pursuit of her own interests.

As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more influence over her life than she once imagined. It all comes down to the choices we each makes despite the realities they face.

Thoughts:

Author, Susan Meissner has created a novel that lets the contemporary and the historical walk hand in hand. In Lady in Waiting, Meissner tells two stories, about two different woman, joined by the journey of one ring. One in modern day Manhattan, the other in sixteenth century England.

Jane Lindsay feels helpless to change her circumstances. Her husband Brad walks out on her after twenty-two years of marriage and leaves her to face some difficult choices in her life. Throwing herself into her work as an antique dealer she comes across a ring with a long history. With one word of the Latin inscription intact and not much to go on, Jane will start a journey to find out about the ring and the other Jane who wore it.

Lady Jane Grey has decisions of her own to make. She no longer wishes to be a pawn in a political game of chess that centers around the death of Henry VIII and the subsequent rule of his son. Jane is only a young girl and her life isn't her own, will the choices she makes alter her world and history alike?

Susan Meissner weaves the past and the present together with such finesse that readers will be enthralled by her novel. The engaging characters of both Jane Lindsay and Lady Jane Grey will captivate readers of both historical romance and contemporary romance. Meissner has a knack for being able to make her characters jump off the page. These women become women we think we might know someone like or women we wish we could be like. Strong and determined and even though they face great obstacles they are still make those necessary choices and live with the consequences, good or bad.

I really enjoyed the contemporary portions of the novel. Jane Lindsay was dealing with situations that every day women face and the feelings they deal with when something upsets the balance of their lives. The historical portions would usually be my favorites in most novels considering I'm a former history major and I enjoy historical romances very much. But, I was really surprised at how much the contemporary Jane caught and held my interest. The premise of both women interacting with the same ring was very poignant and seemed to tie everything together well.

This is the first book I have read by Susan Meissner and after reading this one I definitely want to go out and get some of her other books as well. The writing was edgy and the style resonated with me. Her character development was excellent and she was able to hop back and forth between time periods seamlessly and really captured my interest. I would definitely recommend it to my friends who love contemporary and historical romance.

Lady in Waiting is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Susan Meissner has spent her lifetime as a writer, starting with her first poem at the age of four. She is the award-winning author of The Shape of Mercy, White Picket Fences, and many other novels. When she is not writing, she directs the small groups and connection ministries at her San Diego church. She and her pastor husband are the parents of four young adults.

Review: The Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox

Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer.

Publication Date: November 2010
Publisher: Synergy Books
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Children's Book
ISBN-13: 9780984504008
ISBN: 0984504001

(Received for review from Phenix & Phenix Publicity)

Purchase: Books-A-Million, Borders, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble

Book Website: www.rustyandgingerfox.com

Synopsis (from Book Website):

"The Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox" is a children's book about 2 baby foxes named Rusty and Ginger growing up in the wild and experiencing wonderful adventures. Rusty and Ginger make friends with some friendly deer, dangerous animals (including cougar, bobcats, a wolf, and some bears), find safety on Treasure Island, and befriend 2 little girls who help them open the treasure chest they find there. Inside the chest, the foxes and the children both find exciting treasures.

Thoughts:

Tim Ostermeyer, photographer and author of Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox has crafted a beautiful children's book filled with amazing photographs and information about the wild animals Rusty & Ginger meet on their adventures.

There are so many things that I like about this book. It is an excellent example of a great picture book, that is also educational for young readers. Ostermeyer is a gifted photographer who has used his experience in wildlife photography to give readers a close up encounter with nature. These photographs enhance the story and bring 2 baby red foxes, Rusty & Ginger to life.

The use of fact strips on the sides of the book describing the traits and characteristics of the other animals Rusty & Ginger meet were very well done. These strips help educate the reader about animals like the cougar and the bobcat, the wolf and the bear as well as deers and even humans. It gives examples of how fast these creatures can run, what and how they eat, and the kinds of things they participate in. I thought it was very interesting and I think young readers will really enjoy learning along with Rusty & Ginger.

The adventure of finding the treasure chest on treasure island will appeal to many young readers who are interested in not only real wildlife, but also using their imaginations. My daughters who are a little older (10 & 12) enjoyed the book as well. The photo's are remarkable detailed and the facts were interesting, as well as the overall story. I would recommend this to anyone with children or grandchildren who love animals and adventures.

Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




Tim Ostermeyer is a Master Photographer who has won over 250 first-place awards for his photography. He has been named 'Photographer of the Year' nine times by various organizations, and has had fourteen images published in the Professional Photographers of America Loan Collection books. Tim has a studio in Allen, Texas, and travels around the world taking photographs of wildlife.

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is designed to show case books that are about to release that we can't wait to get our hands on...

My choice this week is, Shadowheart, the final book in the Shadowmarch series by Tad Williams. It will be released the week of November 30th. I love a good fantasy epic every once in awhile!

Synopsis (Barnes & Noble):

The Long awaited concluding novel in Tad William's thrilling epic Shadowmarch series.

Southmarch Castle is about to be caught between two implacable enemies, the ancient, immortal Qar and the insane god-king, the Autarch of Xis. Meanwhile, its two young defenders, Princess Briony and Prince Barrick, are both trapped far away from home and fighting for their lives.

And now, something is awakening underneath Southmarch Castle, something powerful and terrible that the world has not seen for thousands of years. Can Barrick and Briony, along with a handful of allies, ordinary and extraordinary, find a way to save their world and prevent the rise of a terrible new age - an age of unending darkness?

Interview: Cheryl Landmark

Please join me in welcoming Cheryl Landmark, author of Wind and Fire to Debbie's Book Bag, this evening. I had the opportunity to ask Cheryl a few questions to find out a little more about her and her writing.

DEB: Cheryl, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
CHERYL: I would be happy to, Debbie. But, first of all, I would like to thank you for having me as your guest today. As a newcomer to the world of publishing, I appreciate your willingness to promote and support my writing.

I was born and raised in Northern Ontario, Canada, and have lived here all my life. I love it, even with all the snow and cold in the winter! I wouldn't live anywhere else. I'm married with no children except the furry four-legged canine kind. I work at a full-time job as a sales analyst, but I still manage to find time to write. From as far back as I can remember, I've always loved reading and writing and that passion has never waned over the years. In fact, I think if anything, it's become stronger over time.

DEB: Tell us about your book, Wind and Fire?
CHERYL: "Wind and Fire" is the story of a young woman struggling to rid her world of a ruthless, evil Demon Master, who is bent on conquering and dominating it. To do so, she must embark on a perilous journey that will test her courage and the fledgling powers buried deep inside her. She must use that power, which manifests itself as white fire, to help free her mother, the Mistress of the Wind, from the ice tower where Zardonne, the Demon Master, has imprisoned her.

DEB: What was your inspiration for this book? Have you always been interested in Sci-Fi and Fantasy?
CHERYL: The inspiration probably came from the many fantasy/sci-fi novels that I've read over the years. Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkein, and David Eddings are a few of the authors that I enjoy reading and who have inspired me to set my imagination free. The Fantasy genre is fascinating to me, so full of rich, magical, mystical worlds and characters. As a writer, I love the freedom to create a whole new world that is limited only by my imagination.

DEB: What kind of research did you do for your book?
CHERYL: No research, just pure imagination. I seem to have an overactive mind that's constantly whirling with idea's, characters, scenes, dialogues.

DEB: What is your normal writing day like? Do you have things that have to be in place for you to write comfortably?
CHERYL: I don't follow a strict regime or schedule when I write. Since I work full-time Monday to Friday, I have to find a few hours here and there to sit in front of my computer. Sometimes, it might be for only an hour or two and sometimes , when the writing bug really hits me hard, it can be for several hours. When I'm in the groove, however, I need to have quiet around me. I don't listen to music or have the television on in the background. Fortunately, my writing room is far enough away from the living room that my hubby can watch television but it doesn't distract me from writing.

DEB: What was it like when you first got the world that your book would be published?
CHERYL: After so many polite, form-letter rejections from publishers, it came as a complete shock when Asylett Press asked me to send them my complete manuscript after reading only the first three pages of it, which is part of their submission process. My hubby sent their e-mail to me at work and I can still remember floating around on cloud 9 for the rest of the day! It was a totally awesome feeling that, finally, all of my hard work and those countless hours spent in front of the computer were going to result in a published novel.

DEB: Do you have advice for new writers?
CHERYL: Never give up, never stop dreaming. Don't let those polite, form-letter rejections puncture your balloon or stop you from doing the thing you love. Believe in yourself and persevere and, one day, you'll add your name to that list of published authors.

DEB: When you're not writing, what kind of books, do you like to read? Do you have a favorite author?
CHERYL: My preferred genre's for reading are fantasy, mystery, suspense, and paranormal. I enjoy reading the works of several authors, including Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks, Dean Koontz, Kelley Armstrong, James Patterson, Stephen King, to name a few.

DEB: What are you working on right now?
CHERYL: I have another fantasy novel in the works right now, which is almost complete. Only a few more chapters to go, woohoo!! As well, I'm writing a dog detective series and have several more partially completed manuscripts of different genres that hoping to polish into novels.

DEB: Tell us one thing people might not know about you?
CHERYL: Hmmm, let's see. That's a tough one. I'm usually very shy and quiet, but, every now and then, I let my crazy, wild side out. I once dressed up like Simon the Chipmunk for a Christmas Party and sang Chipmunk Christmas carols with two of my friends who were Alvin and Theodore. I surprised a lot of people at the party who never thought I would do such a thing. But you know what they say, still waters run deep!

Review: Wind and Fire

Wind and Fire by Cheryl Landmark

Publication Date: May 2010
Publisher: Asylett Press
Format: Paperback, 232 pp
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9781934337707
ISBN: 1934337706

(Received for review from the author)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Books-A-Million, IndieBound

Author's Website: www.3.sympatico.ca/cheryl.landmark

Excerpt: Click HERE!

Other books by the author: Shadows in the Brook

Synopsis (Author's Website):

Zardonne, Master of the Dark Rift, has ripped a hole in the fabric of Tellaron and invaded with an army of hideous demons.

Oblivious to dangers and evil brewing beyond the borders of the quiet Ardis Valley where she lives, nineteen year old Tenya toils through a life of dreary loneliness and drudgery, plagued by strange, disturbing visions, yearning desperately for the beautiful mother she had not seen since she was three. Her life is abruptly turned upside down when she is abducted in the middle of the night and sent on a perilous journey that will test her courage and the fledgling powers buried deep within her. For not only does she discover that her missing mother, Elea, is a powerful sorceress able to control the forces of the wind, Tenya also learns that she herself possesses a singing power that manifests itself as white fire throughout her body. Can she find her mother, and the strength to use her own powers, in time to save Tellaron from the evil Demon Master? Her world depends upon it.

Thoughts:

Wind and Fire by author, Cheryl Landmark is what might be referred to as a quest story. Quest stories generally involve a central protagonist with an all important task or goal to complete, along the journey the hero will face obstacles that will try to stop or hinder him in the pursuit of the goal. Some examples you might be familiar with include: Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars movies, and the Harry Potter books.

Our protagonist in Wind and Fire is Tenya, a young girl who has no idea of the potential she possesses. Her days are filled with loneliness and her nights are filled with terrible visions she can't control. She misses a mother she believes has abandoned her and has no idea of the war that is brewing around her.

Zardonne the Demon Master has returned from the Dark Rift and imprisoned the Mistress of the Wind in an attempt to take over Tenya's home of Tellaron. The Mistress of the Wind, Elea, is Tenya's missing mother. Tenya learns of the power within herself after she is abducted and sent on a mission or quest to find her mother and save her world. Her own powers transform her body with white hot fire and she must learn to harness it if she is to succeed.

Landmark has done an excellent job of world building in her first novel. Readers are quickly introduced to Tellaron and what the people of Tellaron are like, what they are facing and what Tenya is essentially fighting for. The character development in Wind in Fire seemed a little rushed for me since the book is only just over 200 pages. That being said, I still liked Tenya very much. She was smart and determined and I think both YA and adult readers will be able to identify with her and find something about her that interests them.

The idea of finding a lost parent isn't something new in novels, but when you add the aspect of magical powers, such as harnessing the wind and fire to the mix, it becomes something new and refreshing. I did find the book a little "wordy" in places, the writer could have easily said the same thing without a lot of flowery words, but description in most novels is everything and I know that was probably where Landmark was coming from. As a first effort, I think the book is well done, barring a few editorial mishaps and I think readers will really enjoy it. Quest stories are always well received and this is a good one. I want to know more. I want to see these characters again. A book 2 perhaps??

I recommend this one to both YA and adult readers who enjoy quest stories and books with new and interesting worlds.

Please join me later this evening for an interview with Cheryl Landmark!

Wind and Fire is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




Cheryl Landmark lives in a quiet, picturesque hamlet just west of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, with her husband Mike and canine kid, Misty. She loves dogs, reading, jigsaw puzzles and of course, writing fantasy novels in her spare time. Wind and Fire is her first published novel With Asylett Press. She is also the author of a self-published book called Shadows in the Brook, which is available through her website.