Happy Independence Day!

It's a beautiful Independence Day. The sun is shining, the grass is green, and I decided it would be a good time to take Reba outside for some fresh air and pictures in her patriotic scarf (she's an All-American dog, what can I say?!).

We started by trying to play frisbee. She loves to catch the frisbee. Unfortunately either the wind is blowing, or I'm a really bad frisbee thrower (probably the latter), because it didn't take long before the frisbee landed on the roof and slid into the gutter. Oops.

So with no frisbee to play with, my little fur-friend decided to roll in the grass - her favorite thing to do on a sunny day when she is outside. Then she let me take a few pictures. Not too many, mind you - she was more interested in sniffing the grass, and trying to avoid the camera lens (I am convinced she knows when I'm trying to take her picture, and looks away on purpose). But here's a few pictures of Reba, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July!

Josh Turner, Round 2

Last time I saw Josh Turner (in 2010 - my first country concert!), I said that if he was in town again, I would go see him in a heartbeat. Well, last night I got to do just that, although he wasn't quite "in town" and we had a little bit of a drive to get there!

Josh Turner is not the first artist I have seen twice, because technically I've seen MercyMe and Tenth Avenue North twice, thanks to the Rock and Worship Roadshow. But Josh Turner is by far my favorite artist that I've seen twice. And I'd see him yet another time if given the opportunity!

The second time around was even better than the first. With the release of Punching Bag about a year ago, Josh Turner not only has his hits that have been around for several years, but he also has a whole new album to add to his repertoire. So it was fun to hear old favorites, and some new ones, too.

What also made this concert fun, was the 2.5 hour drive to get there. So it was a grand adventure, and without further adieu, here's some pictures (because you know I took some....and you probably would rather see pictures than read a novel, anyway.....).

Singing "I Wouldn't Be a Man"

What a voice!

The venue.

Such a great evening!

My concert buddy. I love this girl, and am so glad she moved to the northwest!

The Josh Turner truck!

We didn't get to meet Josh himself, but we did get to meet some of his band members. This fellow hails from Austin, Texas, via London, England, so he has an awesome accent. We had to get a picture since my friend, K, is also a Texan. :)

Was it worth it? You bet. And if you get the chance to see Josh Turner live in concert - do it. He puts on a show you will greatly enjoy!

The Blessing of Sunshine.

I've been feeling very blessed lately, in many different ways. Today, I was feeling blessed to live where I live because, well, it's beautiful - especially in the summer! I must admit that I am still not a fan of snow after about the first month or so. Give me sunshine and a blue sky anyway. I guess that is the California girl in me.

I have a 1-hour lunch break. Oftentimes I run errands, or go walk around a local grocery story (fun, huh?). Sometimes, in the winter, I just stay at work and eat in the staff lounge. Today, I decided to go to the park.

We have many parks in this town. Some are prettier than others. One of my favorites has a beautiful man-made pond right smack dab in the middle of it. As you can see from the picture, it also has a fountain. You might also notice the swan. Believe it or not, it's fake. I didn't believe it at first, either, but trust me - the thing is a floating, plastic piece of art, designed to scare the geese away (not so sure it works).

The park makes for a pretty great place to plant oneself for awhile to read a book. And that is exactly what I did today. All the benches were occupied by others with the same great idea, so I found a nice flat rock amongst a forest of irises, pulled out my ham sandwich and my book, donned my sunglasses, took off my sweater, and felt very refreshed about 30 minutes later. Eventually I put away my book and took a walk around the pond. It's a decent sized pond, so also makes a nice place to walk to get a little exercise.

Needless to say, I had a delightful hour enjoying God's beautiful creation and feeling blessed to live in such a lovely area.

Where did you eat lunch today?

Cheeseball!

Last spring, I helped a friend plan an engagement party/Bridal shower for her sister and her sister's fiance. She was looking for interesting things to serve, and I suggested a cheeseball. This is the recipe we settled on, and I have made it several times since then. As it has become a favorite of mine, I thought I would share the recipe with all of you.

Cheeseball

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

2 c (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions

¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 tsp season salt*

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained very, very very well

½ cup pecan pieces

Combine all ingredients, except pecans, in mixing bowl and mix well. Chill for several hours or overnight, then form into a ball. Coat cheeseball in pecans and chill for several more hours. Serve with crackers. Can also be served in a bowl, without the pecans/cheeseball shape.

*I usually add this ingredient. However, when I made this last night to take to an event this weekend, I omitted the season salt as I needed to make sure it was gluten free and I couldn't find anything on the bottle saying season salt was gluten free. I since did a google search to find out that Lawry's Season Salt is, indeed, gluten free. But the cheeseball is just as good with no salt, or a little table salt thrown in, too.

The Piano Guys

If you have not yet been introduced to the amazingness that is The Piano Guys...allow me to introduce you.

Dear blog readers.....The Piano Guys.

The Piano Guys....allow me to introduce you to my blog readers, who I'm sure will become big fans.

The Piano Guys actually consists of a piano guy, and a cello guy (and a bunch of backup guys). As they say, the first thing you should do after naming your group "The Piano Guys" is go find a cellist (ha ha ha). They do instrumental covers of popular songs, and then they do a music video that usually features the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen.

They released a new video this week. Their version of "Home" by Phillip Phillips (of American Idol fame). I like the original song....but I LOVE The Piano Guys version. They took a good song and made it amazing. Enjoy!



Other The Piano Guys Favorites:
1. What Makes You Beautiful (originally performed by OneDirection)
2. A Thousand Years (originally performed by Christina Perri)
3. Peponi [Paradise] (originally performed by Coldplay)
4. Beethoven's Five Secrets (a mashup of Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Secrets by One Republic)
5. Over The Rainbow/Simple Gifts (based on the version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and the Shaker hymn)

Actually...just visit their channel. Everything they put out is fantastic.

Happy Listening!

I Just Gotta Say.....

....There is not much that smells better than fresh cut lilacs in the spring.

I love this time of year!

Book Review: The Bridesmaid (Beverly Lewis)

When updating my “Book Reviews” tab, I realized that somehow (don’t ask me how!) my review of The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis never got published! I loved this book so how the review never got shared is beyond me….let me remedy that now!

The Bridesmaid is the second book in Beverly Lewis's Home to Hickory Hollow series. This book is special in that we met the main character, Joanna, in the first book in the series, The Fiddler. While the series takes place in a location familiar to readers of other Lewis novels, and while each book can stand alone with its own story, it was really nice to hear Joanna's story, having gotten to know her in the first book.

Joanna Kurtz is the classic story of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." While she has stood up with many of her friends at the altar, she has never had the opportunity to stand up as a bride.

Joanna meets Eben Troyer, and falls in love. The only problem is Eben lives in Indiana....and his plan to marry Joanna depends on his brother. See, his brother has gone off to the English world, and unless he returns, Eben can't leave his family in Indiana. 

There is also a side story in the book, also focusing on Joanna, on the fact that she is a writer. She writes stories. And that is certainly not encouraged in the Amish community! In fact it is frowned upon.....will it backfire on her? And will Joanna become a bride, finally? You'll have to read to find out.

As usual, I enjoyed this book. Another winning series from Beverly Lewis!

I received this book from Bethany House publishers. The opinions in my review are entirely my own.