Book List 2015

Once again I could just link you to my Year in Books on Goodreads, but that would just be too easy.  It does take a bit of the surprise out of it for me, because they've already told me how many books I read - not counting all those kids books I read repeatedly when Jason was here visiting.

This year Goodreads even told me how many pages I read.  Do you think they were copying me from last year?  I did list all my pages and listening time in last year's book list.  I will have to redo it, though because they didn't differentiate between books I read and books I listened to.  So, I may already know how many books I read, but I don't yet know how many pages and hours.  Shall we see?

Also, once again I'll link to any reviews I did.  I wonder if I did a better job rating and reviewing this year?  I meant to.

January

1. 84 Ribbons (Ballet Trilogy #1) - Paddy Eger
2. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life - Bruce H. Wilkinson
3. Hidden - Catherine McKenzie
4. Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (Mitford Years #10) - Jan Karon (audio)
5. The Summer Guest - Justin Cronin
6. Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack #12) - L.A. Meyer (audio)
7. Forgiven (Firstborn #2) - Karen Kingsbury

1493 pages | 28 hours and 10 minutes

February

8. Life Drawing - Robin Black
9. The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) - Lois Lowry (audio)
10. Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2) - Lois Lowry (audio)
11. Found (Firstborn #3) - Karen Kingsbury
12. Messenger (The Giver Quartet #3) - by Lois Lowry ( (audio)

615 pages | 13 hours 56 minutes

March

13. Son (The Giver Quartet #4) - Lois Lowry (audio)
14. Living a Life That Matters: from Nazi Nightmare to American Dream - Ben Lesser, (audio)
15. The Moon Sisters - Therese Walsh

288 pages | 16 hours 54 minutes

April

16. Sycamore Row - John Grisham (audio)

20 hours 50 minutes

May

17. Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton
18. When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life - Squire Rushnell (audio)
19. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler (audio)

448 pages | 12 hours 51 minutes

June

20. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement - Carolyn Maull McKinstry, (audio)

7 hours 58 minutes

July

21. The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1) - Agatha Christie (audio)
22. Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace #1)- M.J. Arlidge
23. Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes #1)- Andy Lane (audio)
24. The Thread: God's Appointments with History - Ronald, L. Dart
25. Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard - Laura Bates
26. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy - Mark Logue and Peter Conradi (audio)

1029 pages | 22 hours 23 minutes

August

27. Confessions of a Prayer Slacker - Diane Moody
28. Smoke - Catherine McKenzie
29. Eight Twenty Eight: When Love Didn't Give Up - Larissa Murphy and Ian Murphy (audio)
30. God's Favorite Place on Earth - Frank Viola
31. Rose Under Fire (Code Name Verity #2) - Elizabeth Wein (audio)

744 pages | 19 hours 1 minute

September

32. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1)- Stephen King
33. Divided We Fall - Trent Reedy (audio)
34. The Good Neighbor - A.J. Banner

430 pages | 10 hours 42 minutes

October

35. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Cheryl Strayed (audio)
36. The Dog That Saved Stewart Coolidge - Jim Kraus
37. The Martian - Andy Weir

721 pages | 13 hours 6 minutes

November

38. Come Rain or Come Shine (Mitford Years #11) - Jan Karon (audio)
39. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower #2) - Stephen King
40. Obsession in Death (In Death #40) - J.D. Robb (audio)

399 pages | 21 hours 55 minutes

December

41. Devoted in Death (In Death #41) - J.D. Robb (audio) 12h 16m
42. Frozen: The Junior Novelization - Sarah Nathan (audio) 2h 18m
43. Evening Prayers for Every Day of the Year - Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

366 pages | 14 hours 34 minutes

• Total books - 43 (compare to 49 in 2014)
• Total pages - 6533 (compare to 9931 pages in 2014)
• Total time - 200 hours  (compare to 151 hours in 2014)

Source for page numbers - Goodreads and/or Amazon | Source for audio book lengths - Audible

I did a slightly better job of writing at least a short review of the books I read.  Out of the 43 books I read, I wrote a review for 17 of them.  I always have a hard time knowing what to say beyond stating whether I liked it or not.  I should at least start doing that.  Oftentimes I have every intention of writing something, but then I've moved on to the next book, and I never get back to it. 

How many books did you read in 2015?  I'd love to hear some suggestions for my 2016 reading list.

*if you happen to click any of the book covers and buy  from Amazon, they say they'll pay me a small percentage.  Every little bit helps, and I thank you for your support!

Three Important Things to Consider Before Throwing a DIY Wedding

If this is the first time you visited my blog, you may not know that I married my lovely husband Jeffrey almost 30 years ago. In those days, many couples planned their wedding days on their own with the help and support of their family and friends. In today's modern world, it sometimes seems impossible to host a wedding and a reception without a professional wedding planner. After announcing your engagement, you should consider a few things when deciding whether to go it alone or work with a planner.

How Much Help Do You Have?

The DIY option is great for those who have a lot of help and support. You might have your mother, future mother-in-law, cousins, sisters and best friends ready to assist you every step of the way. If you want a smaller ceremony and don't have a lot of family or friends, you might look at whether the venue you selected can help. For example, the Chevy Chase Golf Club has wedding planners who can help you pick a location at the country club, find caterers and decide on decorations. Similar venues may offer help as well.

What Does Your Guest List Look Like?

Hosting a DIY wedding and reception is generally best when you want a more casual affair with just a handful of guests. Make sure you decide up front on how many people you want to invite. If you find that the list keeps growing and spiraling out of control, it's time to get some professional help. A wedding planner can assist you with finding invitations, addressing and mailing those invitations, working out a menu with your caterers and ensuring that you have enough seating on hand for all your guests.

How Much Money Can You Spend?

Whether you plan your big day on your own or with the help of a professional often depends on the budget you have in mind. Wedding planners can charge an hourly rate or charge one set fee based on the amount of work and help you need. If you find yourself pinching every penny to save money and bring your wedding in under your budget, you may not have enough left over to afford professional help. Working with a planner, however, may be exactly what you need to stick to your budget.

Consider all these options when deciding whether to work with a planner or have a DIY wedding.

Surprising Book Facts

I'm working on my 2015 Book List, and I came across this image on Facebook.  I'm not sure where this information came from or even if it's true - but if it is, it is very surprising to me.  Or at least very hard to believe or understand.  There are so many books available - books on every conceivable subject full of stories about everything under the sun.  You'd think everyone would be able to find something of interest.

But, apparently, they aren't even looking.

Just sad.

Things You Can Do To Prevent Mold

Mold within a home isn't just unsightly, it's dangerous. Certain types of mold can pose serious health risks and lead to respiratory distress which can prove fatal to the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems. It's important to know what steps you can take to prevent mold from forming within your home.

1. Dry wet areas immediately.
   Mold requires moisture to grow. If you find an area in your home that is wet due to a leak, dry it as quickly as possible. Look for areas that are frequently wet and do what you can to identify and solve the problem. Doorways, improperly sealed windows, basements, and other areas where outside moisture may seep in or a leaky pipe may cause problems should be watched carefully to ensure mold isn't forming out of sight.
2. Ensure your home is properly ventilated.
   Proper air flow will ensure that moisture dries quickly. Areas with high amounts of moisture, such as a laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen should have a good air flow through them to ensure nothing molds. Dishes tucked away at the bottom of the sink, laundry buried at the bottom of the pile, and other oft-overlooked culprits of mold are usually the things people forget about.
3. Use mold resistant products.
   Mold-resistant drywall and sheetrock is available for purchase. If you're renovating your home, consider using a type of material that will resist mold growth and help keep your home safe from an insidious threat that you may not even know is there until it's too late.
4. Direct moisture away from the home.
   Ensure your gutters are in proper working order, and make sure the ground around your home doesn't slope down towards the foundation. If water is frequently entering your home from outside, it could be because your home's drainage is compromised. Speak with a landscaper to fix the issue and keep your home dry.

If you already have mold in your home, you should contact a professional company right away to remove it. There are a number of companies that offer mold remediation DC. Employing the services of any one of these companies can make the difference in your quality of living. However, doing what you can to prevent mold from forming in the first place is important.

Some Culture and Some Sport

Nobody guessed what we were going to do this weekend.  Actually, nobody even guessed at all.  My mom asked for some hints over on facebook.  I guess I did leave it wide open - it could have been anything.

So, for those of you who have been anxiously anticipating the answer, here's what we did this weekend:

1. Saturday night we went to a ballet.  We saw the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre's performance of The Nutcracker.  I'm not sure ballet is something we'll make a habit of attending, but it was interesting.  I especially liked watching the little bitty kids.  And the theater itself is really neat.
   
   
   
2. And Sunday we went to an NFL football game.  We saw the Indianapolis Colts play Houston.  It was fun walking around the stadium and checking everything out.  When it comes right down to it, it doesn't really matter what sport it is - basketball, baseball, football - they're all about the same.  I'm not saying the actual games are the same, but all the silly things to keep fans interested, I guess, are all about the same.  It's crazy, and it's very tiring.  We had a good time, but I was really wiped out by about the 3rd quarter.  There's something about the lights and the constant noise that is really wearing.
   
   
   

So what did you do this weekend?

Bundle and Save

If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to save money.  Have you ever looked at your monthly bills and wondered if there was a way to cut them down?  Why do things like cable television and Internet access have to be so expensive?  There aren't many of us who would be willing to cut those things out of our lives, but there are ways to save on the bill every month.

The key to saving on your Internet service is to look for phone and Internet bundles that package multiple services together with significant discounts.  It's hard to believe, but sometimes you can get television, Internet, and home phone services bundled together, and it won't cost you much more than it would cost to get just one of those services.  It will definitely cost less than using one provider for cable television, a different provider for Internet, and another one for home phone service.  Companies want all of your business, and they'll usually give significant discounts when you bundle your services and use just one company for all of your needs.

Many companies offer promotional deals to get you to sign up with their services.  While that sounds like a really good deal, be sure to check the length of the promotion and whether you'll be locked into a contract which will require you to pay higher prices after the promotion runs out.  It often ends up being a good deal anyway, when you average the cost of your payments over the length of the contract, but just be aware of when or if your monthly bill will increase and prepare for it.  Our cable and Internet provider offers promotional deals, and when they run out, we have to call to find out what the current promotion is so we can get our discounts back - which my husband needs to do about now to see if we can get our bill lowered again.

If your provider isn't willing to give you the latest promotional pricing when yours runs out, you may want to look into other providers in the area.  It's a crazy game, but most companies offer their promotions to new customers but not necessarily to their current customers.  So, switch providers if you have to in order to get the better prices.  It seems like a pain, but you'll end up getting newer equipment and perhaps some extra movie channels for a while.

Besides saving some money every month, bundling your services means you'll also have the convenience of only having one bill to deal with.  Oftentimes you can save even more by signing up for paperless billing and automatic payments.  Which, of course, means that once you've got it set up, you don't have to do anything but enjoy your services. 

Until it's time to look at lowering your monthly payments again.

Try Something New

Let's play a guessing game.

Next weekend Jeffrey and I are going to do, not one, but two things that we have never done before.  Who wants to guess what we are going to be doing?  Mom (Ruthie), you are not allowed to guess since Jeffrey already told you.  The rest of you feel free to chime in with your guesses.

I can tell you that we will not be going zip lining - because we already did that last month.  I had been wanting to do that for ages, but Jeffrey wasn't so sure he wanted to do it.  He changed his mind pretty quickly once we got out there.  We had a blast! We are definitely going to have to do that again.

But not next weekend.  Next weekend we are going to do two completely different things.  Get your guesses in now, and I will let you know after the weekend - and see if anyone guesses correctly.

Should You Hire a Professional Cleaner?

You may have several surfaces that you need to have cleaned. Should you attempt to clean them yourself? Many people try to avoid the cost of hiring a cleaning company by trying to do the cleaning on their own. However, some jobs are just too big for the average person to handle. Also, some cleaning jobs involve the cleaning of biohazardous materials. Obviously, these items are incredibly dangerous and need to be cleaned up in a very specific way. Otherwise, the health of the people doing the cleaning could be put in jeopardy.
 
Here are some of the advantages of hiring a cleaning company.

1. The job will be done right the first time
   You run the risk of not doing the cleanup correctly if you attempt to do it yourself. This can create additional problems at your home or business that could have been prevented if you had simply called a professional cleaning company in the first place. The pros will take a look at the surface that needs to be cleaned. They will then determine what the substance is that needs to be removed. These two pieces of information will allow them to figure out exactly how they will go about cleaning it off. Different substances require different cleaning chemicals to completely remove them.
2. Many cleaners do not harm the environment
   You might be one of the many people who are concerned about possibly harming the environment with chemicals used in the cleaning process. If this is the case, there are now many professional cleaning companies that exclusively use cleaning products that will not harm the environment. This was not the case 10 years ago. However, the general public has recently expressed a desire to use cleaning products that are safe for the environment and the cleaning industry has responded. Do you need to hire an experienced concrete cleaner? You can get in contact with one by visiting http://actcleaners.com/.
3. You can avoid contact with dangerous substances
   You may find yourself in a situation where you have potentially harmful substances that need to be cleaned up. This requires much more than your average cleaning chemicals to do the job right. There is a special protocol that must be taken to ensure that all traces of the substances have been removed from the area. There are special cleaning solutions that need to be used to clean substances like feces and medical waste. A cleaning company will know what to do.

Holiday Shopping with Less Stress

I used to work retail, so maybe that's why I don't really like shopping.  Any time.  At this time of year I especially want to avoid stores at any cost and only go out if I absolutely need something.  You know I like to save money, but are any of those holiday sales actually worth braving the crowds?

For those of you with mile-long gift lists, the question is - Is it possible to still get something for everyone on your list, without actually having to brave the insanity of holiday shopping?  Nowadays the answer is a great big YES!   Here are some ways to get all of your holiday shopping done with as little stress as possible:
 

• Shop online.  I know this is probably the most obvious one, but oh, what did we do before we had the Internet?  Not only can you shop at the obvious online retailers like Amazon and Rakuten (formerly Buy.com), you can also order online from most of your favorite stores.  While you're shopping, be sure to check for extra savings, like extra savings with an online coupon code and cash back on your purchase, and you can get an even better deal than you would have if you'd gone to the store.  Most retailers will ship your order for free, whether to you or to your recipient, if your order is over a certain dollar amount, or you can order online and pick it up in the store.  A lot of stores have special parking for customers who order online, and all you'll have to do is run in and get your order.  An advantage to ordering from a physical store is that, should your recipient need to return or exchange the gift, they can do it right at their local store.  No messing with shipping it back and waiting.
• Make something.  In my case I'd probably bake something.  My daughter Beth loves to crochet, and people love getting a handmade blanket, hat, or scarf.  The key is to use your talents and skills to give someone something they can't, or won't, actually make themselves.  If you're looking for inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to look, and if your gift recipient is also on Pinterest, check to see what he or she is pinning to get an idea of what they might like or want.  I personally pin lots of things I like but would never be able to make myself, and I have a friend who has made me several of them!  There are also sites like Etsy where you can buy handmade items online.  If you don't have the skills or time to make something yourself, you can still give a unique gift, and support the real people who make the things they sell.
• Buy gift cards.  This may sound a bit impersonal, but as long as you know what restaurant your gift recipient likes to eat in or what store he shops at, you have a gift that is guaranteed to please, and you won't have to brave the crowded retail stores.  Right now many places are offering some special bonuses when you buy gift cards, so not only will you get a gift to give, you'll also get a little something for yourself.  Olive Garden and Steak & Shake are two restaurants that are giving an extra $5 or $10 to you when you buy a certain dollar amount in gift cards.  Our local grocery store sells many different gift cards, and they're giving 4x the fuel points on gift card purchases now, making it really easy to save extra money on gas when purchasing gifts.  There aren't a lot of people buying holiday gifts at the grocery store, so it's pretty safe.

Those are just a few ideas for surviving the holiday shopping season.  I'm sure you have some of your own, so feel free to share.  You might have just the suggestion someone is looking for.  Of course, if you love shopping and the crush of crowds, feel free to disregard all of this and Carry On!

Help Kristen and Ryan

My precious friends Ryan and Kristen lost their 7 week old firstborn son on Thanksgiving.  Along with their devastating loss, they are now faced with the emergency and medical expenses and the cost of planning a funeral.  Please, if you can help at all, it would be greatly appreciated.


And please, keep these young parents (and their extended family) in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.