What time is it? What day is it? Where am I?

Flowers for your viewing pleasure -




What do you think this is, a lounge?

WHAT'S HAPPENING - I am kinda out of sync since the Read-a-thon. So this is not my usual blogging day. Don't let it throw you. I really enjoyed the Read-a-thon. I think Ashley did too. I got a few new followers and visitors from the Read-a-thon, Welcome! This was my second one. I will definitely be doing the one again in Oct. I am thinking about reading for charity. I will think about it between now and then.
So my week off (without kid watching) was nice, I did get a lot of cleaning done and a few days of shopping.
The weather has been pretty good. 50's and 60's which for NY is good! It has been sunny almost everyday! The kids are thrilled to be able to go outside to play. I am not quite prepared, I need to get my lawn chair out and cleaned so I can take out a book or knitting while I am with them. I have been walking around the large yard we have looking at all the flowers we have coming up.

TV -
Dancing with the Stars - Buzz went home last week, and this week Aiden Turner (soap star) went home.
American Idol - Big Mike was voted to go home BUT... was saved by the judges last week, this week YAY! Andrew and Katie (the child) go home, finally I agree with both choices!
Survivor - The villains just seem to be digging them selves a hole, of course with the help of
Russel (can't stand him!)
Glee is back!!!! Yay, funny as ever.
Does anyone know what the heck happened to Mercy????? It hasn't been on.


KNITTING - Working on more felted clogs.
I got this new knitting book with lots of great patterns! BUT... I started one of the patterns and it seems that the book was written in Germany then translated into English.Well that should be fine, you'd think. Its not, because it is not an American pattern, it is a translated
German pattern so the wording is all wrong! Totally different that we are used to. Every single row I have to try to figure what the heck they want me to do, I am figuring it out but it is all trial and error and very time consuming. If this turns out it will be a miracle!

BOOKS - Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison, by Piper Kerman
I got this book from "Librarything Early Reviewers"

This book tells it all, starting with the crime she committed, the sentencing, and the prison stay until her release. Piper is a very strong and brave woman, not only for what she went through but for writing it all down for everyone to read.
This book was interesting right from the beginning. She uses great detail to describe everything. In 2004 Piper is sentenced to 15 months in a Minimum Security Woman’s Prison Camp in CT for money laundering. To say she got in with a bad crowd is an understatement! She was involved with a group of international drug traffickers. She doesn’t fight the system, she knows she has committed a crime and confesses to pay the consequences.

By page 50 I already had tears in my eyes. She was so scared and I was so scared for her. It was very heartwarming to hear her tell of the other inmates giving her things such as toothpaste, soap, etc. that they had to purchase themselves.
You very quickly get to know all the other prison “Dorm mates”. Piper does an excellent job of character development. I really felt like I knew every single person in this book.

Before I even started this book, I had made up my mind to dislike this tough, bad girl who “did the crime and had to do the time”, but I very quickly found out this was not the case! Piper is a very likable person, a person like you and I who just got into some bad stuff for a while. I really genuinely liked her and felt for her.

I absolutely loved this book! This was a memoir to its perfection. I am only sorry that I can only give it 5 stars, it deserves many more!

CONTESTS -
A Sea of Book is giving away 3 copies of "Apologize Apologize" by Elizabeth Kelly - HERE
Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell - HERE
Toni at A Circle of Books is giving away 3 copies of "The Cradle" by Patrick Somerville - HERE

TOP 5 - NOT COUNTING the top networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, or FOX)
What are your favorites shows from other networks (HGTV, Discovery, History, ESPN, ect.)

1. House Hunters (HGTV)
2. Cash Cab (Discovery)
3. Dirty Jobs (Discovery
4. Deadliest Catch (Discovery)
5. Design Star (HGTV)