getting ready for turkey day

not sure about you 

but team brookes goes thru

a little routine each year as we gear up

 for turkey day.

have i mentioned my fave holiday is turkey day?

well, it is.

probably because it's smack dab in the middle of 

'the season'

and it surrounds good smells, good food and family.

good stuff, i tell ya.

so

this little old process of gearing up starts early for us.

like just after we put the halloween stuff away. 

i fully realize we 

have a whole three weeks until the big day

but who's counting?

certainly not me.

first thing we do:

we listen to christmas music

probably not what you would expect.

i know.

so for  those of you

who aren't crazy about listening to carols in november,

better not come over here.

just saying.

and

 believe it or not, 

it was my girls who

cranked up pandora's christmas radio 

without a word from their mother.

have i corrupted them, or what?

yeah pandora!

2. start making soups

we love eating soup for dinner around this time of year.

some of our faves:

apple vichyssoise

(pretty much apple, potate leek soup)

harvest butternut squash soup

split pea with ham

add bread and salad.

num.

lastly,

we love to ring in thanksgiving with a thanksgiving tree.

now normally i don't put up this bad boy until 

the week of thanksgiving.

but with nothing but time on my hands

and no living relatives in my vicinity to give me a hard time,

i'm wide open.

bring on the tree.

(pics to come,

it's not quite up yet...but it will be)

in the meantime
here are some pics from past thanksgivings

2007
starfish, sparkly coral and golden oak leaves

thanksgiving tree,
aka: homecoming-red-white-and-blue-tree
2008

2010
fleur de lis, peacock balls, gold sprigs

mulling over what will be on the tree this year

tell me how you get ready for thanksgiving.

or not.

8 weeks in fayetteville

we've been here in 

fayetteville

just shy of 8 week.  

now i understand it's no

washington dc

or 

my beloved san diego.

but here is my 

top 5 

reasons why

my little fayettie is carving out

 quite the place in my heart.

1.  when i take my daily morning

jaunt around the hood

at o'dark thirty in the morn.

each and every single driver who passes me

also gives me a morning wave.

can you say southern hospitality?

love a morning waver...

love.

2.  the brand spanking new library

just down the street.

oh how i love thee

and your brand new smell

3.  the lovely

fresh

organic

produce stand 

on the way to the library.

who doesn't love locally grown produce?

not to mention

paying it forward 

to a local homegrown business.

3.  my little fayettie is

teaching the heathen west coast family

some old fashioned manners.

my girls are quickly learning that 

a good old fashioned

"yes, ma'am" 

and 

"yes, sir"

is a good thing around here.

even momma is learning.

4.  we live in the absolute best

"stomp-the-sewer" 

neighborhood of all time.

plenty of:

kids

cul de sacs

unfenced back yards
with just enough humidity to make

it some good 

sweaty fun.

gates four

kids unite!

5.  my front porch 

and 

back deck

 

perfect to

reflect on how lucky i am

to have been given this opportunity.

after completing this little list,

i realize the things that fill me

are the simplest things

in life:

a welcoming, warm environmnet,

a good book,

fresh food,

the sounds of my kids enjoying the moment

and a spot to enjoy it all.

God is good.

Teenagers

I guess there is a reason

people let out huge sighs when
referring to their teenagers.

The Brookes fam
now have three of them.

14
13
13

Team Estrogen
in full effect.

Can you say
Roller Coaster?

I'm definitely smart enough to
realize that there are plenty
of families out there
who have done this before me.

And made it through
to tell the tale.

Yes.
I'm talking to YOU.

Looking for tips,
strategies,
cool stories
or just stories
to help the masses
(like me)
gain knowledge
and expertise
during this really fun stage
of parenting.

Start dishing...

So far I know
this to be true about my
three teenagers:

1. They like to be told
you are proud of them.

2. They like when mom and dad
think they are responsible
and put them
in positions to show this off.

3. They like
firm, safe boundaries
(even though they act like they don't)

4. They are still little kids inside growing bodies.

I know I've got good girls.
Just want to keep it that way
and do this right.

A book I picked up
that I'm learning good stuff from is:

Five Love Languages of Teenagers
Gary Chapman

Look for another post
clarifying all the good stuff
I learned from this book.
Stay tuned...

Please press my comment button
to lend your thoughts,
share your experience
or just chime in.

The best resource out there are peeps like YOU.

5 Friends

Five Friends

Yes.
Five friends I think about every day.

Let me give you a little background here.

I have decided these five items have become my friends
because I have a goal, you see.

I am very goal oriented,
if you want to know the truth.

Hence,
let me tell you about my goal.
Retract, let me show you my goal.

This is the new
NOOKcolor

Normally, I'm not the most gadget-y gal.
But I made one mistake, one fatal mistake.

I went to the Nook station at
Barnes & Noble
to take a little looksie.

Uh oh.
Danger zone.
Turn back!

Too late.

I was sold.

And when I found out that the Nook has an e-reader contract
with all Public Librarys across our great nation.
That's right all my fellow readers out there.
Translation: FREE E-READER DOWNLOADS!

Not to mention this little e-reader is in FULL color
AND
it has wi-fi.
Need to check email? Facebook? Your fav bloggie?
You have arrived, my friend.
This has it all.

Needless to say, meet my new goal:

NOOKcolor.

So,
why haven't I up and bought it yet?

I've got to save for it.
(remember that goal oriented part?)
This bad boy ain't cheap,
but I do believe it's well worth the $249 (ouch!)

So, back to the reason I'm telling you about my 5 friends...
These 5 friends are going to be good to me to meet my goal.
They will make me money and save me money.

Friend #1:
The public Library
I've mentioned this guy before but I can't deny my love affair with him.
This guy will help me utilize my future new e-reader without breaking the bank.
I will save money and prevent from spending money when I spend more time here.
Who doesn't love that deal?

Friend #2:
eBay

This is the greatest invention since sliced bread.
I'm sure most of you know the value of this bad boy.
If you have not met him, please, please, please
familiarize yourself with him.
He will not only make you lots of moolah,
but de-clutter your cabinets, closets and life.

Hint:
Anything that is easily shippable AND has a brand name
is even more friendly to this guy.
Get to know him!

Friend #3:
Mr. Craig and his famous list

See Friend #2 for easily shippable items.
This guy is for the big, bulky and "too much hassle" to ship.

Think:
furniture, appliances, wall mirrors.
You get the picture.

Smaller audience than Friend #2 but just as valuable for
making and saving money.
Plus, it's environmentally sound
(ahh, you can sleep a little better knowing you are
recycling good stuff to people who need it for cheap prices.)

Friend #4:
Home Made Lunches

Paying for lunches out can be a serious money pit.
If small people in your house pack lunches,
and big people in the house pack lunches this
can add up to oodles and oodles of money saved.

*Just make sure you've got good and healthy stuff to pack in those lunches.

Easy!

Finally,
Friend #5:
Still thinking about this one.
Thought you people out there in cyberland
might be able to help me out.

What is your favorite friend (method)
that helps save or earn you cold hard cash-ola?

Spill.

I'm all ears.

Can't wait to hear your ideas.

My Little List of Thanks

As we close out my favorite holiday

Thanksgiving

I am humbled by all that I am thankful for in my life.

Here is a little list of my thanks:

1. I am thankful for my faith:
It grounds me, comforts me and sharpens me daily.

2. I am thankful for my husband:
He humbles me. He strengthens me. He fills my love tank.

3. I am thankful for my three beautiful daughters:
I love claiming that I am their mom. They make me that proud.

4. I am thankful for the strongest tribe there is to surround me:
My family and friends hold me up and raise my bar.

5. I am thankful for the Navy that provides for our family:
It is never dull, always stable and painfully rewarding.

6. I am thankful I can stay at home to take care of my family:
There is nothing more gratifying than the daily grind of
raising my girls and supporting my husband.

7. I am thankful for my health:
It allows me to fully enjoy the life I've been given.

There are so many more things that make me stop to say thank you.
These are the biggies.

I might have to make an addendum later when I go through my day
and remember more that I should have listed.

Having said that...

I would love to hear about the things that
would be on your little list of thanks.

As always,


for visiting.

I Can't Wait...

I'm so excited.

I must share my good news.

Not only did I find out that
one of my oldest and dearest friends is
coming for a quick visit,

BUT

to top it off
my dear, sister-in-law
(after some slight finagling)
is going to piggy back and join us in that visit!

Let me explain what
these two gals mean to me:

Corine is one of my original life-long friends.
She is the one that knew me when I was still yet to wear make up.
She is the one that knew me when I was listening to
The Theme From Greatest American Hero
(Believe It or Not)


Corine moved into my neighborhood when we were both in 7th grade.
This is was just the beginning.

Here we are in 9th grade.

Do you like the matching sweaters around our necks?
How about the bangs?

Here we are in 9th grade again.
We both did tall flags for our Junior High.
That is when our school was called Junior High,
not Middle School.

We were at the Bonita Fest when they still had a parade.
Go Bonita Crusaders.
Are their colors even Black and Orange still?

Fast forward 3 years.
12th grade graduation

How's that for 80's big hair?

The Navy moved me far away from San Diego.
Here we are at one of my visits back home.

We didn't even plan the denim duo.

20 year High School Reunion

That is my dear friend Corine.

Now, let me tell you about Heather.
Heather is someone I could not live without,
another life-long friend.

I talk to Heather daily...
no matter the miles or time zone.

We have talked each other off many ledges over the years.


I love her dearly and am SO happy she is not only my friend,
but family.

You see...

Heath is the one that connected me with my (then, future) husband.

Here we are, circa 1995, in the back room
while we worked at Hot Dog on a Stick
(I only had a crush on her brother at this point)


2004
One decade later,
on one of her many trips to visit.
Heath helps celebrate Michael's 40th.

Heath's High School Reunion
2005
I was her "date"

Corine, Heather and I go way back.

I'm so excited I get BOTH these
great gals all to myself for a much needed
girls-only
visit.


Here is a list of things we plan on doing:

1. Eating Well
2. Drinking Wine while eating well
3. Talk about the latest and greatest
4. Laugh heartily
5. Enjoy the comforts only found with those life long friends.

There is nothing like it.
You can't buy it.
You can't plan for it.
Life long friends just happen.




I am rich in friendship,
rich beyond words...

Heath...Corine...
Can't wait to see you both.
Love you, ladies!

Tell me about one of your lifelong friends...

As always,


for visiting.

Tweens, Teens and Screens

Went to a recent PTA meeting at the middle school. Little did I realize
I would be turning that meeting into a blog post.

The meeting talked to parents about the ever changing land of technology
and the role our kids (and us) play in that land.

Kids primary way of connecting is through technology.

Here are some statistics:

84% have internet access at home
66% have a cell phone
70% have a TV in their bedroom
29% Have a laptop


Kids between the age of 8-18 years of age spend up to
53 hours a week in
front of some type of screen
(computer, cell phone, tv, hand held game, game console, ipad)

That's as much as 7 hours a day...
add texting and it's as much as 10 hours a day


I thought I'd share the nuggets I personally got out of the meeting:

1. As parents, it's better to provide guidelines, limits and consequences
rather than lay down the hammer with rules regarding technology.
In fact, having a family meeting and deciding together is the most effective
way of ensuring all will actually follow those guidelines.

2. Kids NEED direction and limits up front...despite what you may think,
parents remain the greatest influence in your teen's life...
use that influence in a positive way.

3. Make sure your computer is centrally located and not behind walls or doors,
especially in bedrooms.

4. When it comes to your kids having a social network account,
make sure you are a FRIEND of your kids and you know their password.

5. Warn your kids of posting personal information online
(phone numbers and addresses)


6. When the appropriate age, NOT letting your teen have a FB account
could have a negative effect socially.
Technology isn't going anywhere. Walk into the light...

7. Be proud of turning off electronics during dinner
and perhaps even 30 minutes before bedtime.

8. Inform your kids to "expect" any parent to read what they are writing on Facebook.

9. Don't accept a "friend" you do not personally know.
Define the word know and friend.

10. Be knowledgeable and conservative with privacy settings.

11. Create a family SOS text for your teenager when they need help.
"I lost my contact" means come get me...no questions asked.
Respect that.

12. Continually educate yourself with the technology your kids use:
visit their favorite websites regularly.


Navigating through the world of technology can be a very scary thing,
even for adults.

It's our job to walk our teenagers through this uncharted territory
with character, caution and good decision.

Here are some additional resources available to help:
Web Filters
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/
Websites
CommonsenseMedia.org
(Check game and movie ratings for age appropriate media)
NetSmartz.org
National Center for Missing & Exploited children
http://www.safekids.com/
Online Safety & civility
getNetWise.org
http://robinraskin.com/
raising digital kids
http://www.whattheyplay.com/
family guide to video games

Publications
Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age
The Plug-In Drug
Negotiation Generation

This is serious stuff.
I got a lot out of that meeting.
Came home, sat down with my girls and
discussed much of what is in this blog post.

Hopefully we all think of these things as we watch our kids spend
hours in front of monitors and screens.

Let me know if you have further tips on
how you monitor technology in your home
and if you have found this post useful.

As always, thanks for visiting.

Summer List Check Off

In May I posted a
"25 Things To Do This Summer"

We have been working hard trying to tackle just those things.

Some things we've checked off...
others, well, we are still working on.

One of the things we did do was

4. Use the Ice Cream maker that we've owned for 2 years now
and have yet to use

Why, I ask, had we not gotten our ice cream maker out sooner?

Actually we have had it out, just failed to put the ingredients in it and turn it on.

Now we know.

Easy peasy...

All we needed was:

Heavy Whipping Cream


Whole Milk


Vanilla


Sugar



How's that for 5 ingredients or less?

Oh, and don't forget your ice cream maker!

Turn it on for 30 minutes and voila!
Summer treat ready to eat.

You can even get tricky and make gourmet flavors like:
coffee
peaches & cream
eggnog
mint chip
butter pecan
fresh strawberry
...and more

Check out this summer treat, Homemade Popsicles

Tell me what summer treats you have made this season?

As always, thanks for visiting

What Fills You Up?

You know the days.

You feel GREAT, full, peaceful and joyous.
You feel good about your life.
You feel good about the things in your life.
You feel good about you.

Today's blog post is about how women get filled up
and left with that feeling of pure contentment.

I did a post a while back on Aunt Gertrude's
inheritance and what you would choose to buy with it...

We all know material items only get us so far in the
"what fills you up" department.
Yes, nice things are nice to have, but do they really
give us peace and ultimate contentment?

One of my loyal followers requested I do a blog post
on how women revive or empower our souls.

This is a tricky one.

This answer will be different for each woman
who reads this.

All I can do is answer this for me.

In my life I have found that these are the things
that work for me when it comes to being filled up:

spending time with God

keeping my inner circle of friends those
who are strong and continually raise my bar


listening to GREAT music

walking in nature


accomplishing tasks through hard work and determination
(this can be anything from refinishing a piece of furniture,
learning a new skill or making a financial goal)

giving my time, talent or resources


We women need to stick together on this.
We are constantly empowering our neighbors and we may not even know it.

Let's share ways in which we can do this for each other.

Feel free to share how you do this for others or for yourself.
As always, thanks for visiting...

Would love to hear how YOU are get revived, refilled, and empowered.

Miss Frugality Shares Her tips

Do you ever run out of money
before you run out of month?

Requested by a Simply Brookes fan
(yeah for fans!)

I decided to post some of my personal favorite
money saving tips when the budget gets tight.

Here are a few things I do when I don't want to zip the credit card,
but use what limited budget is actually in the bank account, however small.

1. Rather than head to the mall, head to the walking trail.
This will kill time, it's good for you and it's free!
Free workout...no membership fees
$0

2. Rent a movie.
Rather than take your family to a movie theater and
pay exorbitant prices for tickets and snacks. Stay home,
order a movie OnDemand, watch in the comfort of your own home and
eat your favorite pantry snacks.
Entertainment at home.
$5

3. Eat in.
Pack your lunch when you leave for the day.
If you are running errands, come home to eat!
This one is a slippery slope.
Simply put...EAT AT HOME.
Hello PB&J.
$0

4. Clean a closet.
Take the time to sort through that utility closet you've been telling yourself
you need to go through. Better yet, actually MAKE MONEY by setting aside items
you can sell on craigslist or clothing you could sell at your local consignment shop.
Potential to actually make $$!

5. Catch up on your reading list.
Relax in your favorite reading nook and read that book you've been meaning to get to.
(Hopefully you even got it at the library...another money saver).
More entertainment at home.
$0

6. Take the family out for ice cream instead of dinner.
That's right. Eat at home (Top Roman, anyone?) and for a "treat" pack the kids in the car
and trek down to your nearest and dearest local Golden Arches. You can get sundaes or ice cream cones for less than $1.50...and that is all without even getting out of the car.
Cheap Treats.

7. Go to a FREE museum or monument.
Walk around, eat your sack lunch, go home.
Perfect day of no spending.
Entertainment for free.
$0

8. Wash the car.
No, I don't mean the kind you drive thru and let the guys hand dry.
Heck, you will burn calories doing this yourself.
Put some elbow grease into it.
Get out the vacuum and don't forget the Armor All.
$0

Hopefully that gave you some ideas or revived some oldies but goodies.
Tell me ways YOU stretch your budget at the end of the month.

I love this stuff...

As always, thanks for visiting.

25 Things To Do This Summer 2010

Things we will try to tackle this summer:

(*note: I'm not used to 3 months off for summer...I just came from year-round school system
where 6 weeks was pretty much all you got. This much time off is a bit new to me)

1. Explore more DC Museums
(indoor ones..hear the humidity is a killer around here)

2. Get the snow cone maker down from the top shelf
and buy some fun flavors to go with it

3. Wii Family Smack Down

4. Use the Ice Cream maker that we've owned for 2 years now
and have yet to use

5. Take a ton of pictures while at
Disney World
(Never been before!)

6. Cook dinner on the grill

7. Pump up the bicycle tires and
cycle to the District
on the W&OD trail with lunch in our backpacks.

8. Try out new recipes with what is fresh, organic and in-season

8. Take advantage of having one-on-one time with Missy
while her sisters are at Girl Scout Camp.

9. Visit the Library regularly

10. Dare I say,
spend a weekend in New York

11. Check out Great Falls Park in the summer

12. Write in my thankful Journal

13. Read more books than my book club requires

14. Watch World Cup Soccer

15. Have a family sleepover
in the basement

16. Hit King's Dominion

17. Take a self defense
course with my daughters

18. Make Root Beer Floats

19. Plan our family vacation
for NEXT summer

20. Bathe the dog
and paint his toes nails summer shades

21. Let Daughter Of The Week
make dinner for the family
(while her sisters take care of clean-up)

22. Get the girls CPR certified

23. Find a new hiking trail and tackle it

24. Celebrate
my two new 7th graders and brand new high schooler!
(Buy new school tee shirts!)

25. Count my blessings!

Would love to hear what is on YOUR summer to do list...
As always thanks for visiting.

(I "borrowed" this blog post idea from the award winning
WHATEVER blog. Please visit...it's worth it)

Live to be 100!

I'm always looking for healthy habits to incorporate into my life.

Here are a few tips to
living a long and healthy life...

1. Look on the bright side:
“Life is 10% what happens to us, 90% how we DEAL with what happens to us”.
Having a positive outlook reduces stress

2. Get lots of sleep:
Make it a habit to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Studies show there are long term health benefits to this simple solution.

3. Maintain close relationships:
Whether it is your spouse or a close friend. Make those connections. These relationships extend your life and add quality to it, keeping stress down and blood pressure in check.

4. Be a giver:
Those who consistently give their time to their community live longer and healthier lives.

5. Go to Church:
People who regularly attend church, synagogue or temple will get an extra 7 years to their life.

You may already have all these down.
You may have most...

Here are also a few honorable mentions:

Ladies, get your mammograms yearly after 40...

If you are over 50, get your colonoscopy...

Don't smoke...

Drink a glass of red wine nightly...

Pray...

What are ways YOU will live to be 100?
Love your comments...

Favorite Freebie...Being Gracious

This is one I'm constantly working on

BE GRACIOUS...DAILY

I have realized at my 40 plus years,
to live this
you will be rewarded many times over.

Here is what I know brings happiness:

1. Be slow to take credit...
quick to give praise
(who doesn't love the humble achiever?)

2. Thank those in your life, often.
(This is true for the grocery clerk or for your most loved ones,
put it in writing and it is even more home hitting)

3. Being gracious does not monopolize conversation.
(It's always nice to hear what others have to offer)

4. Pay attention to people
(People like to be "heard". It makes them feel important)

5. Be mindful of what comes out of your mouth...
(Think before you speak...I work on this daily and fail often)

6. Point out the good
(Even with the most difficult chapters in life, you can always find the good )


7. Have Positive Energy
(be the person people enjoy being around)


I pray to be this person daily.

I don't always succeed.

How are YOU GRACIOUS in your life?
Would love to hear how you do this...

As always, thanks for visiting.

*for more on tips on being a gracious person try this link

Go Green and Save Money

TOP 5 Ways YOU Go Green
(And Save Money In The Process)

Don't worry, I want to hear from you, too!
I'm going to ask you to send me your TOP FIVE...

but for now here are my top 5:

1. I know you've heard about turning off lights when they are not in use...
I will ask you to go one step further.
Ready?

UNPLUG all outlets in EVERY room you DO NOT use daily.



That is right, the coffee grinder that you only use once a week (unplug it!)
How about the lamp in the corner of the guest room that no one uses until Grandma and Grandpa come to visit (unplug it!)

You will be amazed at the savings from this tiny tip.
I was so excited when I got my electric bill after doing this, I even went BACK around the house to make sure I didn't miss any plugs.
Don't forget the garage and back yard.
It works!

2. Shop at consignment shops, thrift stores or
second hand apparel shops.




Not only are you re-using goods, you are also saving money.
Things are never full price when they are "gently used".

Don't forget about Ebay, Craigslist and Garage Sales?

**For an added bonus, list/sell your OWN items
and put some green backs in your wallet and do good for the environment.

I recently took my three daughters to a new found second hand clothing store.
We scored.
New clothes for everyone, name brands and a fraction of the cost.
The girls were thrilled and can't wait to go back for more loot.

3. You've seen me post this before:

USE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY



Rather than purchase new books,
simply check them out at your tried and true, local library.
If they don't have what you are looking for,
put your name on the waiting list or request that particular book.
They'll let you know when it's in!

4. This is an easy one...

DITCH THE PLASTIC DISPOSABLE BOTTLES OF WATER




You already know these suckers are filling up our land fills and are a complete waste of money.

Purchase a inexpensive reusable, refillable water bottle and buy a Brita!

Refill your water and be on your way...

5. Finally,
RECYCLE YOUR ALUMINUM CANS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES.
TAKE THEM DOWN TO A RECYCLE CENTER AND WALK AWAY WITH CASH!




It is very appealing and easy to simply collect your cans, bottles
and milk jugs for your curbside recycling.

You can actually look up the location of your local recycle collection center and
YOU will be the one walking away with the cash.

My daughters and I decided to make a concerted effort to collect these recyclables.
We kept a jar of all our collection earnings.
We called it our DISNEY JAR.
We used the money for "extras" on a family trip to the Happiest Place On Earth.

We were also proud of our efforts.

I know you are already doing things
that are GREEN in your house.

Please take a minute and share how you do it.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom and ideas.

And as always, thanks for visiting.

Favorite Freebie... A Reading List

As I spent this past week or so sightseeing and spending time with my family I got to enjoy life through the eyes of another. While my darling mother was being dragged on running trails, through the Tidal Basin and off to soccer tournaments she managed to steal away with enough time to read a book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, I'd been raving about lately.


Here is Grandma in the favorite family reading spot.
(She's also going to kill me when she sees I posted this picture in her jim jams)

As I listened to her excitement throughout the story and each turn the plot took I thought about my own favorite reads. I have mentioned my favorite freebie, the library, before and still stand by it.

This is why having a reading list is my favorite freebie this week.

I do so love books and actually keep a "book book" (thank you Kim Stansel for letting me copy your bright idea) to record all that I have read and all that I want to read
(have I mentioned I have a terrible memory, hence, the "book book").


I am asking you, my loyal blog visitors, if you'd be so bold to leave your comments on favorite books YOU'VE read. I'd love to hear the titles of YOUR favorite 5 or even A favorite if you can't actually pin down THE favorite (impossible if you ask me).

Here is my humble attempt at nailing down five worthy favorites:

Favorite Five (...in no particular order)

1. Book Thief, By Markus Zusak


2. Angela's Ashes, By Frank McCourt


3. Outlander, By Diana Gabaldon
(*Beware, this one might be a bit racy)




4. Poisonwood Bible, By Barbara Kingsolver



5. The Kite Runner, By Khaled Hosseini


Again, this is just Five of my favorites from a long list of favorites. Any of these are definitely worth picking up if you haven't already done so. I am always looking for great reads and LOVE to hear about ones that will go on "my list".

As always, thank you for visiting.

PLEASE leave me your comments and add to my list of favorite reads...