{a thought for Thursday} The heart of a small boy

"People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy ...  and I keep it in a jar on my desk." -- Stephen King

{read: time travel fiction} 11/22/63 by Stephen King

The 1950s and early 1960s are as much a character in 11/22/63 as Jake Epping/George Amerberson, and Stephen King brings the time period to life. Who knew that the 1950s stank of cigarette smoke and air pollution from factories? It reminded me of the way Pat Conroy evokes the sense of place in The Prince of Tides, and it's been a while since I've read anything in which the setting was such an important part of the story.

To make a long (800+ pages) story short, Jake finds a time travel hole and sets out to stop the assassination of JFK. But the hole drops him into the 1950s, so he has some time to waste before it's time for his main mission. I was impatient at first and wished that the story could have been shortened by 200 or so pages by dropping Jake closer to the 1960s, but the story soon won me over. This is compulsively readable and gets harder to put down the closer you get to the end.


11/22/63 by Stephen King (Scribner, 2011)
My rating: 4 stars

{a thought for Thursday} Minds like empty rooms

"Now, 75 years later in an abundant society where people have laptops, cell phones, iPods and minds like empty rooms, I still plod along with books." -- Harper Lee

{read: Christmas novel} Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

I first discovered Rosamunde Pilcher with her bestselling book The Shell Seekers, which became one of my all-time favorites. Although I read her other books, none compared to that one until Winter Solstice. Re-reading this tale of loss, sorrow, and the journey to grace and hope has become one of my annual Christmas traditions.

Elfrida Phipps plans to while away her retirement years in a quiet English village after a life spent in London on the stage and the tragic death of her lover. But once there, she becomes friends with Gloria and Oscar Blundell and their little girl. When tragedy befalls the Blundells, Oscar asks her to help, and it's off to Corrydale in Scotland for a time of grieving and, they hope, healing. With no plans to celebrate Christmas, they settle in for the winter. Yet when various relatives and acquaintances end up on their doorstep, they reconsider their plans -- not just for Christmas, but for their future. This is a heartwarming story of relationships among friends and relatives, men and women, and children and adults. (I know, that's just about everyone.) It's not sappy, but it has a message of grace and hope that I always find inspiring and grounding.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (Thomas Dunne Books, 2000)
My rating: 5 stars

{crafts} Last Minute Christmas Crafts

Need a few ideas for some last minute christmas crafts? Check out these projects posted on Random Thoughts of a Supermom:

I don't know about you, but these last few days before Christmas are just a little crazy!

*last minute shopping trips*

*wrapping presents*

*baking lots of goodies*

But if you are ahead of the game this year and are looking for a few quick crafts to tackle before Saturday, here is a list of a four SUPER fun and SUPER easy crafts to try!

#1

If you need to add a little bit of Christmas cheer to your house, you could make a Christmas version of my Candy Bottles. Just add red and green M&M's {or maybe even peppermints} and some vinyl letters, for a quick Christmas craft that can be used throughout the year.

#2
 I also added a little more glitter to my decor this year with some simple letters that I framed.  Cut out the letters of your choice, coat them with glue, sprinkle with glitter, and then framed them.

#3
To keep the kiddos busy, you could let them make these SUPER cute Rudolph Candy Canes. Check out the tutorial over on my friend Liz's blog Sugarplum Creations.

#4 
Check out this really great tutorial on how to make a Tulle and Pearl necklace over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff. This would be a great last minute gift for your sister or friend. I'm thinking of making one using some red tulle I have left over from wrapping presents:)

{a thought for Thursday} Deadlines

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by." —Douglas Adams

{wordless wednesday} Gazebo Enhanced

Happy Wordless Wednesday - An improvement over last week!