This Perfectly Imperfect Life

The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove: A Novel by Susan Gregg Gilmore My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very good southern read. While it revisits some common themes found in southern fiction set in the 60's and at first I found myself thinking of The Divine Secret Of The Ya Ya Sisterhood, The Secret Life of Bees and Fannie Flagg, it surprised me by finding a voice and story all its' own. View all my reviews The Shack by William P. Young My rating: 1 of 5 stars I can appreciate the loss and re-discovery of faith after suffering a life altering tragedy. I can appreciate what the shack represents. I appreciate the idea of the book as a whole. What I don't appreciate is the writing, which I didn't like and found the tone be at times patronizing/condescending and even insulting. Overall, the story didn't work for me. The fact that “interest in making it into a move” is mentioned at least twice in the last pages at the back of the book as well as on the bo...

My first Crocus! :-) Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

To bring a smile to your Monday, head over to New Jersey Through My Eyes for today's posts.

Scroll down for a few more! Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Snow outlines roofs above and weeds below Smoke drifts from chimneys Fog lumbers about slowly Cars line up at the traffic light to turn onto the highway Clocks tick Bluejays argue The tea kettle boils A Cardinal sings despite the cold, gray morning Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Aka, 'I took too many photo's again weekend' :-)

"Super Moon" rise over the Kittatinny Mountains, Saturday, March 19, 2011. For more photo's, head over to my other blog, New Jersey Through My Eyes .

Had a nice St. Patrick's Day yesterday. Weather was gorgeous, in the 60's, sunny and not a cloud to be seen. The breakfast bookclub met for lunch to discuss Colm Toibin's novel Brooklyn at the Pub and we had a great time. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC on tv and cooking dinner for us & Mom. She's been in a bit of a mood lately but aside from one overly rude comment directed at me, dinner was pleasant enough. Today it's warm, getting up into the 70's, hazy sunshine and a great breeze. I've been enjoying the quiet. Some of the buds on the Forsythia bush have opened revealing its' bright yellow flowers. Our friends are getting married today. Then Hubbs called around noon. He was rear-ended while stopped at a red traffic light. He's okay ( THANK GOD!!! ) but our suv is not. He wasn't at fault, the police told him the other driver is fully at fault. But we won't be driving the suv for ...

"Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves that." -John Paul II Pope, Speech in Galway, 9/30/79 A safe and Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate! Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

While I love posting photo's of my New Jersey for you here, I'm debating on expanding the blog to include more than just photo's. Thanks for hanging in here with me during this brief intermission!

PS~ I've brought back the Irish music to my blog! Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's been an emotional read but I did like it a lot. Toibin does a fantastic job of of painting an emotional picture of what Eilis Lacey is feeling in leaving Ireland for the US and what she experiences in her first years here; I feel like I've been through this journey with her, and as parts of it were very similar to my Nana's, she will remain with me for some time. My Nana never talked in any detail about what she went through before leaving Ireland, during her journey across the sea & once she arrived here and I had hoped reading this novel would give me at least an idea of what she went through. It did more than that and at times was very difficult for me to get through but I am glad I've read it; glad for the understanding it has given me of a woman I love dearly but never fully knew. View all my reviews

A gift for myself, just because, just to make me smile. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

It always seem to happen overnight, as if my magic. The Snowdrops are blooming along the back fence. A beautiful sight for sure. I also discovered the beginnings of the Peonies, Bee Balm and Bleeding Heart peaking through the soil. It is surprisingly Warm outside. Must be a south-westerly breeze. I ventured onto the front porch to get the mail earlier this morning expecting the chilly bite that's been in the air all week but was shocked by the warmth! Tomorrow soaking rains are supposed to arrive. Spring is in the air! Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The day ended with a beautiful sky! (Pictured above). Bitterly cold all day though despite abundant sunshine but the calendar has turned another page and the days are noticeably longer. A Forsythia bush down the road is in full bloom, defying the cold and basking in the strong light of day. Tiny, pale green leaves have begun to grow from the branches of the Butterfly Bushes and red buds have appeared on the Rose bushes. I do miss the snow. There's not much left here on the coast, a random, dirty pile protected by shade. When we were at our place up north last week, there was roughly 8"s on the ground; beautiful! But at least as the last of the snow fades, blooms will begin to emerge and carry me through. This evening I learned that at the end of February 2011, the President officially designated the month of March as Irish-American Heritage Month and I have to say I'm quite happy about it! Here's the link to the Proclamation: http://irishamericanheritage.com/Proc...

Here's a great link I like to pass along each year at this time: http://womenshistorymonth.gov/ Take some time this month to appreciate those who have come before us, those who have helped pave the way for us today and those who are paving the way for tomorrow. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman My rating: 5 of 5 stars An unexpected surprise of a novel! Different, eccentric, transportive. Incredible. Engrossing. Unique. Any of the 'chapters' could stand alone. A new all time favorite and now my favorite Alice Hoffman novel. View all my reviews