Friday, September 21, 2012

Activity Review: Day Out with Thomas / Crossroads Vilalge

This isn't my normal review, but for all the good we got out of this day I just had to write something. Ivan turned 4 this year, and if you have ever heard anything about him, you know he adores Thomas the Tank Engine and all his friends. In fact, he really only has Thomas toys, Thomas books, even a Thomas blanket, towel and clothes!

I decided, since he loves Thomas so much, that we should do the Day Out with Thomas for his birthday. It's held every year at Crossroads Village. I didn't like the tacked on fee, but honestly the price wasn't too bad. And while we were there they gave us information about their Halloween and Winter programs. And those tickets are even cheaper! It's a fee to get into Crossroads Village and then a little extra for a train and/or boat ride.

We never did find the boat, but we saw lots of other great bits of history. There are lots of old houses and barns that were rescued from within Genesee County, before they were destroyed. They have employees in each house that will give you a small tour and tell you about the home's history. They are filled with antique furniture and pictures of the family that owned the homes. This picture shows the boys standing in front of a steam-tractor.

All the employees were wonderful. They were friendly to the boys and really got down on their level. I'm impressed with how long everything there held their fascination. There was a lot of Thomas type stuff going on, but my boys didn't shy away from the Cider Mill, the straw-maze and all the houses and business.

Shoot, they even had fun at the broom shop! She was also selling little pot-scrubbers. She told me they were great for cast-iron pans, and were made of the same material as the brooms. I love my cast-iron pans, but detest cleaning them. I decided to give it a try. She wasn't kidding, best thing I've ever owned. I'm going to get some more next time I go down.

I'm saving the best story for last. CW had me buy him a ty beanie baby from the general store. I bought a bonnet, like you see on Little House on the Prairie. Can I just insert here that those women knew what they were doing with those things! I wear it when I mow the lawn, keeps my hair out of my face and the sun out of my eyes.

Well, back to the bear. Somewhere between that purchase and the car, he was lost. I called and messaged them to see if someone turned it into Lost and Found. They messaged me back and gave me a number to call. I called her and left a message. I really didn't think she was going to be able to help me. But she calls me back and says that no one turned one in, but after a hunt she did fine one final bear (a small miracle considering they were on clearance) and she mailed CW his bear! I mean, not asking anything of me, just got my address and CW's name and boom, right to our door! You'd have thought it was his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. It's now his favorite doll.

We will be back. It's a great family day-venture. There are lots of hotels in the area, and even some camping. But it's less than a 2 hour drive for us, so it easy to make a day of it. I'm not sure how busy they get for the regular days, but if you want to go see Thomas, buy in advance.

And if you weren't sick of looking at my kids, I made a YouTube video of all the pictures and videos I captured with my phone.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Product Review: Shadow Witch

Do you love getting prizes in the mail? I do! Shadow Witch sent me these little beauties. My only regret is I only have my camera phone to capture them. This first shot shows these gorgeous hair combs - they look so antique...like something a flapper might wear from the 20s. Speaking of retro, she crochets pillbox hats now! She also made me these earrings, the best I've ever seen. All the pretty blues, my favorite colors! And they hang down a bit, but are so light.

Next up, she made these 2 horse protection charms for the boys. And I'm not saying they work, or whether or not I believe in the magic - we know how persnickety E-Bay is about that right now. But I do know that since hanging them up in the boys' room and telling them they were sent to protect them...they are going to bed easier. Well CW is, we are still working on Ivan. But Ivan does touch and kick around his - which is shown below. And it does calm him down that way.
And finally this little baby. I thought it was a hat for a baby-doll at first...and I thought and thought, and duh! It's a bowl! lol It's a wonderful autumn colored bowl which is now the centerpiece on my kitchen table. I'm glad I got Chris to move the mixer off it finally!

So go see Shadow Witch at her E-Bay store and see what treasures she has available. I do know she's been working on witch hats, pillbox hats, berets, . What is really sweet, are the mini-witch hats she makes, great for decoration!

Egads! I almost forgot she also sent me a huge selection of vintage cross-stitch maganzines. Christmas, Fall/Halloween, and Spring Cross Stitch magazines. I love the Stockings, but I'm not sure about the sewing part. lol Wait...I know someone who sews, maybe we can team up! Shadow Witch has vintage knitting, crochet, and cross stitch magazines. And did I mention the jewelry? Up, this woman has a little bit of everything!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Book Review: Blue Straggler

by: Kathy Lynn Harris

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Kathy Lynn Harris' clever debut novel is a laugh-out-loud, yet poignant, story about good friends, bad choices, quirky families and new beginnings & a Texas version of Bridget Jones's Diary or Anna Maxted's Getting Over It with the wit and humor of a Melissa Banks story.

Just what is a blue straggler? A blue straggler is a star that appears to be disconnected from those stars surrounding it in its globular cluster and has an anomalous blue color and high luminosity relative to those stars that surround it.

But this is not a story about astronomy.

Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life.

She blames many of her personal demons, and there are many, on a self-proclaimed condition called "RODA" -- short for Recurring, Obstinate Dread and Anguish. She's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonful after spoonful of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge.

Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Idamarie -- owner of a local cafe and fourth-generation Texas woman with the big hair to prove it -- and her quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.

As a series of sometimes humorous, often semi-tragic, events send her reeling, Bailey packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas, in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past.

Chock full of memorable characters, this novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio to a small mountain town in Colorado and back, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also her own, and finding love along the way.

In the end, you'll ask yourself, as Bailey does: Are bad choices passed down through generations like tarnished wedding silver, frayed quilts and not-so-tasteful costume jewelry? Can we really define family and home for ourselves, or does the past always determine who we are today?


This story was a much quicker read than I expected. I wasn't expecting much, and thought it was another blah chick lit-romance. I started meeting the characters and I'm thinking, "yeah he likes her and after some turmoil they'll get together." It just didn't grab me much.

But it was well written and the characters were fun. So I kept reading. I totally understood Bailey's family, they are like that in Michigan too. Not that they were horrible, but feelings were considered something to ignore and they were constantly telling Bailey to stop overreacting. Her brother was the golden boy, and she felt invisible.

So when she finds out about her great-grandmother who ran to Colorado, she followed the trail to see what she could find out about this woman whom her mother refused to speak of. When she gets there and sees the mountains and feels the blessed cool, she falls in love.

What if she really doesn't belong in Texas?

It is full of heartbreak, frustration, romance and a fair number of surprises. Good job, Kathy!
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