Book Review - Into the Fire by Irene Hannon

 

I've read (and enjoyed) several novels by Irene Hannon over the past few years.  This one was no exception.  As usual, the characters were intriguing.  I did feel that Bri in particular could have been fleshed out a bit better, but I enjoyed both of the main characters.  The book is suspenseful, with several twists coming into play.  The faith element centered on forgiveness, but otherwise was not a main part of the novel.  I did find it a bit odd that all of the characters had extremely traumatic backstories, too.  Overall, though, this was an intriguing read that kept me interested throughout.  

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher but was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

First College Concert

Malachi performed in his first concert at NKU this past week.  Besides all of his siblings and Nathaniel and me, we were joined by my parents, Nathaniel's sister and two of her kids, and 3 of Pilot's friends.  Malachi had quite the cheering section.  It was a really good performance, with songs I already knew I liked, like" Dance Macabre" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and a couple that I wasn't as familiar with but really enjoyed.

The kids and I got to see both Malachi's and Pilot's dorm rooms before we headed home.  Malachi came home with us, and Pilot joined us the next day.  They had a couple of days off for fall break, so they had a long weekend at home.

In other news, the big camping trip is coming up.  Lydia tried on this sweatshirt to see if it would still fit Acorn:

It's a bit small, but it will work for camping.  She does get cold outside, so Lydia likes to make sure she has something warm to wear.  Most of the dog clothes she got from Sherri last year are way too small now, as Acorn has grown tremendously since we first got her.  She's still a small dog, but she's not teeny tiny anymore.

 

Boys and Birds

 

Harry is always popular, so I got a few new pictures of him.  The boys were happy to pose with him, too.

We let the chickens and Harry into the yard for a while the other day.  They enjoy exploring.  Several hens let themselves out of their yard daily, but not all do, and of course, Harry can't fly out.  So we let them all have a turn.

Also, Lydia brought me this the other day:

She was so excited and called it the best caterpillar ever.  I naturally had to inform her that it's a tomato worm, and I generally feed them to the chickens.  She was horrified because "it's so pretty!"  We compromised, and she set him loose by the mailbox.  I didn't bother to let her know about the others I fed to the chickens.

Gyunay has been building with his magna tiles.  He makes some pretty cool buildings.

And we made a quick trip to my parents' house this weekend.  The boys wanted a picture.  The boys always want a picture!

Ballet at the Palace

 I took the younger three to the Louisville Palace yesterday to see the ballet Cinderella.  The kids had a blast.  The setting is incredible.

Emry was not comfortable anywhere near the balcony rail, but Gyunay loved it so much he said he wanted to live there.

Both boys were thrilled to find a statue of St. Michael the Archangel and asked for a picture of it:

All were amused by the water: 

Book Review - On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

 

I had plenty of time during an infusion yesterday, so I read most of On Moonberry Lake then.  The setting on a lake in a small town is very nice and would lend itself to a beach read.  The book has a Mayberry feel, which is not a bad thing.  The author is good at crafting unique characters, but perhaps too many were packed into one story.  Some of the energy going into making more outlandish characters should have been spent on strengthening the plot.  The main character is all right, but her struggles don't read as things she really has to struggle with.  Also, for those who pick up this book for a good Christian story, this one is more New-Agey than Christian.  Overall, I think the author has promise, but it doesn't completely deliver in this story.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher, Revell, but was not obligated to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.  

September Harvest Totals

 Beans, Blue Lake - 1.3 lbs

Beans, Crescent - 2.2 lbs

Beans, Dragon - 14.7 oz

Cataloupe - 1 (about the size of a softball, but delicious)

Cucumber, Edmondson - 7

Cucumber, green - 3

Eggs - 214

Kale - 1 bunch

Pepper, Bulgarian sweet - 2

Pepper, Bulgarian hot carrot - 1

Radish - 1

Tomato, Black Krim - 5

Tomato, Druzba - 1

Tomato, San Marzano - 1

Plus cilantro, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint, radish pods, and cherry tomatoes