Ladybug thank you note to husband

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Word of The Day

doula-/doo-luh/noun- A woman who assists during childbirth labor and provides support to the mother, the child and her family after  childbirth

Doula derives from Greek doula-Servant-woman, slave

Book Review-The Day The Falls Stood Still-by Cathy Marie Buchanan

Cathy Marie Buchanan will be remembered for her evocative and tender debut novel. Her attention to detail, the novel's unique storyline and Buchanan's appealing characters combine for an emotional read. Niagara Falls is a setting of stunning beauty and frightening power, demonstrated unerringly by the force of the water and its influence on the lives of the town's inhabitants.The Falls play an integral part in the unfolding story of Bess Heath and her family, in which Bess grows from a self-centered child to a resourceful woman,capable of great love for those in her family who are most important to her. Buchanan is as adept as an artist while painting a scene  using the backdrop of Niagara Falls through the various seasons to depict the correlating changes in the lives of Bess and her lover, Tom. Tom is a man whose very existence is closely connected to the mysterious power of the Falls. He has an uncanny knowledge of its ability to give and take. He never loses his love and respect for the water. He believes too, that the water is made capable of great damage through the intercession of reckless and unscrupulous men. He eventually becomes so attuned to the river and Falls that he becomes a liability. Bess must choose between her love for him and her trepidation towards crossing those who want to harness the Falls for their own purposes, which will ultimately affect the lives of her parents and townspeople. Through careful research Buchanan immortalizes the destruction of Niagara Falls while she chronicles the lives of Bess and Tom and their friends and families. The Day The Falls Stood Still, unique in style and content is written with the authority of experience and I look forward to more from this far from fledgling author. ( )

Book Review-On, Off by Colleen McCullough- Audio Book

I listened to On, Off by Colleen McCullough on an audio book borrowed from the library. I found myself intrigued by the story and eager to listen every day for more clues to the identity of the brutal killer of a minimum of 14 mixed race girls. The body of a victim is discovered by accident in the refrigeration unit at the Hughlings Center, a research facility. Detective Carmine Delmonico is brought in to discover the murderer. McCullough soon involves Carmine in a romantic entanglement with Desdemona Dupre, who is in a management position at the Hug as the facility is called. I felt this part of the book to be the least interesting, mainly because while Carmine is somewhat intriguing, both characters lack any real appealing characteristics. The eccentric group of suspects are far more interesting. I found that the book took longer to find its way to the end of some scenes than necessary. This caused the action to slow down and made me want to fast forward until I found another action-packed scene. I kept expecting there to be a reason why McCullough set the story in 1965. I never did find one. After some research, I did find that McCullough was a neuroscientist for twenty years before she was published, so that explains the setting in a science research facility. Ultimately, I think the book was too long. There were many passages that did not seem to move the story along in the least. While it may have served the purpose of explaining some motivations for characters actions, it was not necessary in helping to discover the identity of the murderer. The two main characters, Carmine Delmonico and Desdemona Dupre were equally uninteresting and so, seemed well-matched for each other. Still, I did ultimately listen to the whole audio book so there must have been enough happening for me to finish the story. I don't think I can highly recommend it, but I would not discourage any of her fans from giving it a try.

Word of The Day

contentious-kon-ten'shes-adjective-argumentative,quarrelsome, causing disagreement

"There are those that would call me contentious but I consider myself adamant, I mean, when you're right, you're right, there's not much else to say, is there?"

Book Review-The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Apparently this book has made an impression on its readers, as it has been spotted everywhere from doctor's offices to fast food restaurants. I enjoyed the story and its characters a great deal. The plot was suspenseful enough to keep me turning pages, although it could have been boring based on its subject matter, the relationships between the help and the families who employed them in the homes of Jackson,Mississippi. I mean how much can be written about a day in the life of a maid? Well, apparently, a great deal. Stockett not only shows us the day to day grind of the help, but how they take an important role in the life of the white children they have a substantial hand in raising. She reveals that many of the "housewives" of Jackson, Mississippi had more than
what they were wearing to the next house party on their mind, what with the infidelity , the alcoholism, the insanity that ran in families, and more. Stockett quite literally brought tears to my eyes when the pastor of the black church presents one of the maids with a gift for her brave actions on behalf of the other members. What the author reveals is that while the "help" did not have monetary means, they had the support of a loving community behind them at all times, something not enjoyed by the white members of the community. In a frightening climax, we learn that one person can make a difference in the life of many. And that in this case "the help" was truly the one with the resources and the fortitude to be of incomparable assistance to the person assumed to be the more fortunate, in more cases than one. I don't want to give away any of the story since much of the pleasure I experienced in reading this book is in what happens in the last two chapters, so I hope I am summarizing the important message that "The Help" showed me without giving away any of the story line. I recommend this book heartily.