This will be a very short post.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  Any special plans today?  Are your Sundays for relaxing or is it hectic like every other day?  I am going to take my own advice today and check off my action items from yesterday’s “To Do List” that  I didn’t accomplish.  I didn’t even open a book yesterday, which never happens.  I carried it everywhere I went but didn’t read one page.  Today will be different !!!  I will be posting a book review that I highly recommend everyone read.  It was exceptional !!!  I will be RELAXING and READING !  Hope you find time to do the same.

Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan (Rating 5)
Harper-Collins Publishers
ISBN: 78-0-06-154778-2
At the request of the author’s friend, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from book’s back cover): Anna O’Shea has failed at marriage, shed her job at a law firm and she’s trying to re-created herself when she and her recalcitrant nephew are summoned to the past in a manner that nearly destroys them. Her twenty-first-century skills pale as she struggles to find her nephew in nineteenth-century Ireland. For one of them, the past is brutally difficult, filled with hunger and struggle. For the other, the past is filled with privilege.
  My Thoughts: This was definitely not the type of book that I would have picked up for my reading pleasure. I also have to say up front that I misunderstood the synopsis of the plot in regard to time travel, given to me by Mr. Frank Daniels, the author’s friend, until I received the book. With all that said and the fact that there was a genuine warmth from Mr. Daniels’ initial email for his friend, I was going to try and give this book a fair and undivided attention that I would give books that are from my usual genre of books.
  The main character, Anna O’Shea was likeable and could be identified with, which pulled me into the book from the start. The author initially conveyed the fast paced corporate world of today where personal relationships are ships passing in the night until it’s too late to turn back or is it? What about other relationships where bitterness lies instead of forgiveness? Where childhood experiences mold us as adults or should we learn from them? Can love be found in the simple life, do we make our own happiness or do we depend on others? In a split second Anna and her troubled nephew, Joseph, are about to find out! The reader is taken back to Ireland in 1844 when the British ruled and owned Ireland. Do our ancestors mold our futures? Does the saying “history repeats itself” true?
  My Opinion and Rating:(Rating 5) This book was hard to put down. Amazing!! Interesting!! A little bit romance, mystery and history all in one book. The author’s writing style, nothing less than phenomenal, in the way she interweaves a gripping fictional plot with non fictional facts of history without boredom. The characters are bigger than life. I had a very hard time putting this book down. I thank Ms. Sheehan and Mr. Daniels for giving me the opportunity to read this exceptional story and I strongly recommend that everyone read this book.

This will be a very short post.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  Any special plans today?  Are your Sundays for relaxing or is it hectic like every other day?  I am going to take my own advice today and check off my action items from yesterday’s “To Do List” that  I didn’t accomplish.  I didn’t even open a book yesterday, which never happens.  I carried it everywhere I went but didn’t read one page.  Today will be different !!!  I will be posting a book review that I highly recommend everyone read.  It was exceptional !!!  I will be RELAXING and READING !  Hope you find time to do the same.

As I stated earlier, my day got off to a late start.  But my routine was the same, only a few hours later.  One blog that I visit daily had not posted her Aloha Friday question yesterday by the time that I signed off, so I headed straight over to her site to see what her question was so I could comment.  With coffee mug in hand and only 1/2 cup down, I started reading her new posts.  Still not fully awake I thought I saw my name…..read it again….and sure enough….my name was there.  It was like winning the gold medal !   Xmas Dolly (http://thenewxmasdolly.blogspot.com) had passed this award on to me…..

Our blogs are so different in content but through emails, we have found that we have a lot in common in “real life”.  She has a wonderful sense of humor that comes across on her blog…stop by when you get a chance.  However, I will admit, I am trying to convert her when it comes to reading.  She has promised to read at least one book and post her review on my site….only thing…she hasn’t yet said what year that will be (lol).  Now for the criteria:
The rules for accepting this award:
1.Thank the link to the person that gave you the award (I did that immediately).
2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered & whom you think are fantastic (since I am a new blogger, I feel that all blogs I follow fall under this category)
3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they’ve won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!
  1. “Mash” is a nickname I was given by a coworker..it is the first syllable of my last name when pronounced correctly (most people think its because I was a nurse by profession)
  2.  Talking about my name….my sis-in-law, hubby’s sister…we have the same exact name first, middle and last name
  3.  I wish I still had my last job…loved it…but had to leave due to medical reasons.
  4.  Hubby and I will be married 29 years in April (day before my surgery) and we were together 7 yrs before (started dating him when I was a senior in high school and then through college)
  5.  While in high school (school trips) I visited Italy, Spain and Africa (what an education !!)
  6.  I usually wake up between 5-6am (thats why I was off kilter today)
  7.  Favorite season is spring. 
Passing this on to (in no particular order):
     Reading At The Beach              Rundpinne   
     Booking With Bingo                 Libby’s Library News
     Bermudaonion                          The Crazy Life of a Bookaholic Mom
     Bibliophile By The Sea              Socrates Book Reviews
     Book Chick City                       Peeking Between The Pages
     I’m Booking It                          The Ladybug Lounge
     Crazy For Books                       Books Are My Magical Escape
     One Persons Journey Through A World of Books
ENJOY !!!

I usually post a lot earlier than I am today.  I got up much later than I usually do and now my routine is off kilter.  I feel like the day is gone and I haven’t accomplished anything.  And on days like this it seems that everything goes wrong on top of it.  I get so frustrated and upset with myself that I got up so late.  And to make matters worse, I had a Honey Do List but it was a list for me and I only have one action item crossed off.  Does this happen to you?  Do you have those same feelings?  It is almost time for when my newsletter gets delivered and I didn’t want it to be a blank email (lol).  So there will be installments for later today, which consists of the following: 
  1.  An award that I received
  2.  The criteria
  3.  Passing on the award
  4.  Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan review, which a lot of visitors have shown an interest in.
I am sorry for not being organized today. 

As I stated earlier, my day got off to a late start.  But my routine was the same, only a few hours later.  One blog that I visit daily had not posted her Aloha Friday question yesterday by the time that I signed off, so I headed straight over to her site to see what her question was so I could comment.  With coffee mug in hand and only 1/2 cup down, I started reading her new posts.  Still not fully awake I thought I saw my name…..read it again….and sure enough….my name was there.  It was like winning the gold medal !   Xmas Dolly (http://thenewxmasdolly.blogspot.com) had passed this award on to me…..

Our blogs are so different in content but through emails, we have found that we have a lot in common in “real life”.  She has a wonderful sense of humor that comes across on her blog…stop by when you get a chance.  However, I will admit, I am trying to convert her when it comes to reading.  She has promised to read at least one book and post her review on my site….only thing…she hasn’t yet said what year that will be (lol).  Now for the criteria:
The rules for accepting this award:
1.Thank the link to the person that gave you the award (I did that immediately).
2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you’ve recently discovered & whom you think are fantastic (since I am a new blogger, I feel that all blogs I follow fall under this category)
3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they’ve won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!
  1. “Mash” is a nickname I was given by a coworker..it is the first syllable of my last name when pronounced correctly (most people think its because I was a nurse by profession)
  2.  Talking about my name….my sis-in-law, hubby’s sister…we have the same exact name first, middle and last name
  3.  I wish I still had my last job…loved it…but had to leave due to medical reasons.
  4.  Hubby and I will be married 29 years in April (day before my surgery) and we were together 7 yrs before (started dating him when I was a senior in high school and then through college)
  5.  While in high school (school trips) I visited Italy, Spain and Africa (what an education !!)
  6.  I usually wake up between 5-6am (thats why I was off kilter today)
  7.  Favorite season is spring. 
Passing this on to (in no particular order):
     Reading At The Beach              Rundpinne   
     Booking With Bingo                 Libby’s Library News
     Bermudaonion                          The Crazy Life of a Bookaholic Mom
     Bibliophile By The Sea              Socrates Book Reviews
     Book Chick City                       Peeking Between The Pages
     I’m Booking It                          The Ladybug Lounge
     Crazy For Books                       Books Are My Magical Escape
     One Persons Journey Through A World of Books
ENJOY !!!

I usually post a lot earlier than I am today.  I got up much later than I usually do and now my routine is off kilter.  I feel like the day is gone and I haven’t accomplished anything.  And on days like this it seems that everything goes wrong on top of it.  I get so frustrated and upset with myself that I got up so late.  And to make matters worse, I had a Honey Do List but it was a list for me and I only have one action item crossed off.  Does this happen to you?  Do you have those same feelings?  It is almost time for when my newsletter gets delivered and I didn’t want it to be a blank email (lol).  So there will be installments for later today, which consists of the following: 
  1.  An award that I received
  2.  The criteria
  3.  Passing on the award
  4.  Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan review, which a lot of visitors have shown an interest in.
I am sorry for not being organized today. 

Hosted by An Island Life http://islandlife808.com
From An Island Life: In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
  My question is:
      (thinking that today’s question involves the Olympics, I do not want to duplicate)
Its winter, if you could be anywhere, where would you be? 
  My answer:
Aruba Radisson…our(hubby and me) favorite vacation spot.  Would be on the beach with a frozen Pina Colada and a good book.  Calgon Take Me Away (lol for those that remember)

http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/
And…here we go!
1. Johnny Weir, if memory serves me right, was a gold medal athlete.
2. I haven’t been watching the 2010 Olympics.
3. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud is a saying I never heard.
4. If it doesn’t hurt anyone, go for it, if you get an urge.
5. Having sweet dreams are a lot better than nightmares.
6. What does it take for people to be kind to each other?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to possibly watching the Olympics with hubby, reading during commercials, tomorrow my plans include doing some housework, laundry, computer & blogging items, reading and Sunday, I want to RELAX & READ!

Hosted by Storytime With Tonya and Friends http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST
“I’ll get more wet cloths and try to bring down the fever, although it might have gone beyond cooling'”
     From Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan