Rutherfordton, NC 28139
=============================
WINE REVIEW Revisited:Original review June 2, 2012
Don Quixote Sangria
I originally rated this 3 out of 5 stars. Well after a second bottle opened this past weekend, I have given this light Sangria a 4 out of 5. This time we added sliced fresh strawberries and oranges.
Of course, my higher rating could be because we were drinking this bottle among friends at a "finger food" pot luck dinner at Four Paws Campground. Scott I had shared and finished the bottle at this dinner. Feeling goooood!
============================
RV LIFE:
As mentioned just above, Four Paws had a "finger food" pot luck dinner. All the campers were invited to bring finger foods and enjoy the food and company. I brought LITERALLY, FINGER food.
Recipe from http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/cheese-finger-food-685121/
Cheese-Finger Food
Ingredients
Mozzarella string cheese
Green bell pepper
Cream cheese
Instructions
1.Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as
smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and
then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
2. Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny
horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.
3. For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin
side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it's about half as thick. Then cut
the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the
fingers with dabs of cream cheese.
==============================
AUDIO BOOK REVIEW:
Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
At first I rated this 3 stars. After the initial excitement of Amy, the wife gone missing, it was difficult to follow until I realized there were two points of view going on.
One of Amy, the missing wife telling the days PRIOR to her being missing.
The second story of Nick AFTER his wife is missing.
What a sick & sad relationship.
Gary's review from June 2012, is excellent!
At the conclusion, the book kept me thinking and it all fell together. Very sad.
View all my reviews
Below is Gary's review from Goodreads.com, which I think is well written and explains the book clearly.
Gone Girl is astounding. It is a gripping story of the courtship and marriage of a narcissist and a sociopath who appear to be experiencing the normal setbacks of life during our recent financial meltdown: job loss, relocation, mounting debt, family illness etc. etc. It is easy to identify with them individually which makes it harder to know who to root for when the wife disappears on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary and the husband becomes the prime suspect. Neither seems to be telling the whole truth yet they both remain likable. Each one alternates as narrator so not only does the point-of-view shift but so does your allegiance. Once the media circus begins we are treated to an updated Bonfire of the Vanities with a touch of Silence of the Lambs to keep us on edge. The climax is startling but also strangely inevitable. Filled with humor and insight, and enough murder and mayhem to satisfy even the most jaded reader, it is a peculiar hybrid that you won't soon forget.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Session: Dr. Morgan Snow with Steve Berry's Cotton Malone, Lee Child's Jack Reacher & Barry Eisler's John Rain by M.J. Rose
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Although the concept of the book is very cool.
Dr. Snow is a sex therapist. This short story brings 3 strong male characters from other mystery books, to be analysed or given therapy without them realizing it because they would never come in on their own.
So the story within the story on how these men end up discussing their personal sex history, preferences, etc.
Just begins to touch on the erotic, but barely. The male narrators describing what is going on may be more of a turn on for the men, than it was for me.
Good concept, but not developed enough.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Session: Dr. Morgan Snow with Steve Berry's Cotton Malone, Lee Child's Jack Reacher & Barry Eisler's John Rain by M.J. RoseMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Although the concept of the book is very cool.
Dr. Snow is a sex therapist. This short story brings 3 strong male characters from other mystery books, to be analysed or given therapy without them realizing it because they would never come in on their own.
So the story within the story on how these men end up discussing their personal sex history, preferences, etc.
Just begins to touch on the erotic, but barely. The male narrators describing what is going on may be more of a turn on for the men, than it was for me.
Good concept, but not developed enough.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life's Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore by Ian Urbina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought this would be more of a comedy read. The book was read as just everyday goings on. Those everyday happenings that can drive us crazy and make us ponder what is the point?
Do telemarketers really accomplish any thing besides annoying us?
How much harm to the environment has AOL done by sending out millions of CD's in hopes to drum up subscribers. I'm very happy with google and gmail, thank you very much. Although the AOL CD's can be recycled into Christmas ornaments, glassware coasters, mirror balls, etc.
I like his counter-annoyance tactics. He gives quite a few suggestions.
In spite of bringing up many annoying subjects, I think this is a "feel good" book. It's not "just me"...these things bother other people also.
I will be reading/listening to this again and taking notes for my counter-annoyance action plans.
View all my reviews
Life's Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore by Ian UrbinaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought this would be more of a comedy read. The book was read as just everyday goings on. Those everyday happenings that can drive us crazy and make us ponder what is the point?
Do telemarketers really accomplish any thing besides annoying us?
How much harm to the environment has AOL done by sending out millions of CD's in hopes to drum up subscribers. I'm very happy with google and gmail, thank you very much. Although the AOL CD's can be recycled into Christmas ornaments, glassware coasters, mirror balls, etc.
I like his counter-annoyance tactics. He gives quite a few suggestions.
In spite of bringing up many annoying subjects, I think this is a "feel good" book. It's not "just me"...these things bother other people also.
I will be reading/listening to this again and taking notes for my counter-annoyance action plans.
View all my reviews
=========================
BOOK REVIEW:
Violets are Blue by James PattersonMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I've read quite a few James Patterson books and this was definitely not a favorite. Catches your attention with the gruesome murder scenes, but what was the point? Never really found out what all the murders were about.
I rarely figure out mysteries ahead of time. I like that I am not inquisitive enough to try to figure it out and "ruin" the ending for my by already knowing "who done it".
This book, I knew from almost the time a certain character was introduced that the "mastermind" was this character.
I ended up skimming over a lot of useless details about the murder scenes,the descriptions of the way a person dressed or looked, etc. Just wanted this book over with.
And then, the last chapter is titled "Violets are Blue". I never understood the meaning of this title.
I won't give up on Mr. Patterson, since this is one bad apple amid many sweet apples I've had the pleasure of devouring in the past.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I am totally NOT interested in Wall Street. So this book being about greedy Wall street and the headhunters that go along with it was a turn off. I skimmed through all the details about making contacts and job offers, etc. But the murder mystery part was pretty good. An unexpected conclusion, but one character that was leading us to think may be crooked or a murderer, never materialized and never explained her behavior.
I did decide to not finish this about 3/4 of the way through, but the next day I picked it up because it was a good "who done it" story and I found I wanted to find out who did it.
For the most part, it kept my interest, but I felt it didn't really follow through on some of the characters and just left you hanging.
I did decide to not finish this about 3/4 of the way through, but the next day I picked it up because it was a good "who done it" story and I found I wanted to find out who did it.
For the most part, it kept my interest, but I felt it didn't really follow through on some of the characters and just left you hanging.
I loved the Cheese-Finger Food recipe.
ReplyDeleteI will be using it the first opportunity I get. Since I don't care for green peppers I will probably try carrots, M&Ms, Cheeze-it pieces, or something else for the finger nails.