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Would you like a romantic summer read that is jam-packed with historical information?  Boxcars, by Jim Barfield, just may be the ticket.

Be sure to add a comment to this post and your name will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Jim Barfield’s premier novel.

Boxcars tracks the adventure and epiphanies of two hunted Nazi outcasts, a young Roma named Elsa, and David, a teenage Jewish violinist, turned French Resistance fighter.  They see each other through the fog and smoke of a train wreck.   Detined to cross paths again, they begin to rely on each other and deepen their relationship.  David and Elsa find that despite their different backgrounds, they have more in common that their Nazi enemy.

How and why any author gets his start is intriguing.  Some authors know right from the beginning

Photo Friday: Baby You’re a Firework

Thanks to a post on BlogHer.com, I decided to try my hand at photographing fireworks.  I have my […]

Recovery from Osteomyelitis is no picnic. I find out there is no such thing as a cure. Duckie will always be considered infected, to some unknown degree. First, I find that out, then I find out other things. We’re in and out of stories, and around the bush and back. I’m happy I have a sense of humor and some training in problem solving: Asking 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis, Pareto Charting, Process Mapping.

For those of you just tuning in to Duckie’s story please click this link for Part One, “WII:osteomyelitis as Veterans:Duckie (Putting a Healthcare Puzzle Together)”

Sky Game
Duckie and Mr. Incredible at a Chicago Sky Game. Duckie is an avid fan.

 

A quick aside: Duckie married a mildly mentally impaired man, Mr. Incredible. They live with us until the two of them get annoyed with Loved One and me. They stay with Mr. Incredible’s parents until the same happens over there. Duckie stays with me while she recuperates. Mr. Incredible visits. He needs predictability. Nothing is predictable here.

My sister, Bonita plans a trip with Mom the second week of June for the past 13 years.  […]

NaBloPoMo and Photo Friday: Planes, Trains, Automobiles

  Related articles #NaBloPoMo Post 7: Past Influences (theredkimono.com) NaBloPoMo: Mother and Four Sisters Journey East (Day 1) […]

Rocky died. Just a week after Loved-One got him from the G-Kids. They brought over four new koi, […]

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civ...
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, look on. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week I learned that Congressman John Dingle from Michigan (my birth state) just became the longest sitting member of congress, 57 years.  He appeared on The Colbert Report this week.  I wish I had a clip from that show, which shows Dingle has a great sense of humor.  His smile sort of reminded me of Johnny Carson‘s or Dad’s for that matter.

John Dingle expressed the same sentiments, but with less twinkle in his eye,

Another gauntlet picked up by The Black Tortoise: NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month)  Every work day of June I will be posting something here or on Once A Little Girl.  I will abstain from posting on Saturday and Sunday.  Those are my days of ReWoMeN (ReconnectWorshipMeditateNap.)

I plan short, to the point posts, which are a little low on pictures.  Part of the time I’ll be traveling with three sister and a mom.  Sorry in advance if some of my posts are just too darned personal.  On the other hand, some of you may like a little insight into the personal side of The Black Tortoise.

So, with that as a starter, here’s a bit about my upcoming trip.

Photo Friday: Get Hopping

My water garden has a pretty strong eco-system.  Each year we get frogs and tadpoles.  Loved-One and the […]

Photo Friday: Ear Ye, Ear Ye

Ears are interesting to look at.  No two are alike. Ears are as unique as fingerprints:  Some are […]