I'd rather be knitting

April 21 - May 4, 2014

Riverside Rv Resort - Sevierville, TN

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"A bit of trash now and then is good for the severest reader. 

It provides the necessary roughage in the literary diet." 

Phyllis McGinley

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CONTENTS

RV LIFE, Catching up

PETS

BOOK REVIEWS

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RV LIFE:
Yep, I'd rather be knitting than typing this blog.  But, it has been a while and the longer I wait, the less I remember. Luckily, there hasn't been much going on to report. Life is just calm right now. THIS is how RV life should be. We have a 3/4 empty campground with a site along the Pigeon River. Nice!

Catch up:
Delaware, Mar 23 - April 15, 2014

She's lost that sparkle in her eye. She's getting old.

We spent over 3 weeks in Delaware and I did not venture up to my home town. I did not connect with my knitting friends, I did not connect with my former co-workers, I did not connect with my rescue friends, I did not even go North to visit my Brother. Nor did I bother passing by our former house to see what it looks like after Hurricane Sandy. But, my Brother did come down to Delaware to visit us. He also brought his constant companion, Poppy.
Poppy was a foster dog of mine, who we were thinking of keeping, but then one of my Eng Setter fosters was being returned. That would have put us at 5 dogs in a compact Cape Cod house. I felt that 4 was our limit. I asked my Brother, if he'd like to adopt Poppy. He had gotten to know her quite well from pet sitting and going to dog rescue events with me. He adopted her and they have been together ever since.

Of course, Scott & Rob discussed computer gaming. My Brother, Rob was a happy recipient of Scott's old and outdated (Scott's opinion) computer and has had upgrades since from Scott's old hardware.

We were in Delaware to see Scott's parents in South Jersey and help clear out his childhood home.
Scott's younger brother, Dan, his wife Keri, and their son,  Nat stopped by the RV one day to see our set up.

Nat & Dan

Dan is on the right, Nat is on the left in case you couldn't tell, since they both have facial hair. Doesn't Nate look more like a Luigi? Oh, those big brown eyes! He's a cutie!

While clearing out the attic, Scott reminisced when he saw childhood PJ's & toys. The attic was quite full... out of sight, out of mind.

Here are a few things we came across below...

Simple sewing machine

This machine is much easier to figure out than my touch screen computerized embroidery machine. I knew that I shouldn't take this because of lack of room...TWO sewing machines while living in an RV? It would be different if I used them often, but I rarely do. But oh the convenience of this little gem. I'll find room!

My Mother-in-Law's wedding dress and veil.

 My Father-in-Law's high school football helmet.

Lots & lots of suitcases. Pinterest has plenty of ideas for these.

 

West Virginia, April 16 - 20, 2014
We got a late start leaving Bear, DE and a 370 mile ride to WV. Ideally, we prefer 200-250 mile days, but there wasn't much between DE to WV. We prepare for the long drive with sandwiches, snacks, water, caffeine pills, audio books, crafts, & kindles. Oh what a long day for Scott, the driver. Like I said, we started out late, at about 11:30am. Then we hit construction backups, then we hit an accident backup. We recognized the red pick up truck that wast turned on it's side. This vehicle was speeding and weaving in and out of lanes. What a jerk. His/Her reckless actions caught up to him, but unfortunately, he involved another vehicle which was also overturned.
Planned to stop at a Pilot truck stop since we get such a great discount with our RV Plus Pilot/Flying J credit card. It's always an adventure getting diesel towing the 5th wheel behind us. Many times the RV spots don't leave enough room to comfortably turn around or maneuver, so we end up in the trucker's area. Sure enough, we go around and pull into the truck area that is backed up with semi's. Oooh, we see an open spot. I wonder why no one is in this one? The 3 lanes next to us are blocked with yellow tape. We pull up to the pump that is really no pump at all. There's a spot for the pump, but none there for now.  We circle around again and notice there are only two lanes open with a back up. The semi's take a long time to fill up. Scott decides to take his chances on finding diesel a little further down the road, which we did. All these delays to an already long travel day. We are finally getting close to our destination. We see a sign for the park, but there is a blue sign across it stating "closed". What??? We have reservations! We turn off the main road onto a side road for 12 miles that will lead to the Corps of Eng. campground. What a long 12 miles. Go up a hill, go down a hill, the GPS is saying "left curve ahead", then immediately "right curve ahead", then "winding road ahead". Well duh. I think we know that! Further and further we slowly drive away from civilization. I'm a nervous wreck and glad I'm not driving. There is no shoulder on this road and no room to spare if two trucks pass each other. A sign says 2 miles to go. Ah, that's good. No closed notice on this sign.
We arrive around 7pm. The gates are CLOSED! Oh no! It really is closed! Is there room to turn around? Where do we stay overnight. What a crappy day. Scott gets out to check the gates. Ha, ha, they got us! The gates were closed, but not locked. In we go.
Well, it turns out, that the campground IS closed! It is only open to volunteers helping to clean up for open season. The ranger stopped by the next day and laughed and said he looked up our reservation and it was fine. Just a glitch in the system and we got in, while others couldn't.

Coffee this morning (4/17/14)  outside. Although the temps dropped close to freezing just the night before, today the temps quickly warmed up to a pleasant 55° and sunny in the morning and 70° this afternoon. I had a lovely afternoon of reading and crafting.
Both Scott and I are on a somewhat "high". Scott was happy to be free of family commitments and I'm happy because he's happy.
We're staying at a very secret campground. I say secret, because we can't seem to find it listed on all the normal sites we look at to find RV Parks. We usually check RV Trip Wizard, RV Park Reviews, & Good Sam Club. Gerald Freeman COE in Sutton, WV. What a find! We are 20' from the water, pull through, well spaced sites. Across from the water is just woods, where we can spy on deer roaming in their natural environment and relaxed. The 3 geese that greeted us or more likely tried to get rid of us, are not very happy with Devin's presence. Upon Devin's arrival, they were honking and honking and finally took off and have not seen them nearby except for a fly by.
We're at another site with electric only...sigh. Internet is iffy. But oh the peace and the view is wonderful.

Catch up:
Cedar Key - FL, Mar 5 - 11, 2014

Lyla spots her first pelican!

Cedar Key is not only gaudy touristy, but it is a litte bit margaritaville and artsy.
This fisherman on the right is made out of chipped ceramics as is the fish he is attempting to reel in.
This piece of art is right next to the Cedar Key Arts Center, which is definitely a must see if you like local good quality crafts.

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PETS:

I'm not sure if I've shared this photo before...

I am on the left. There is no room in our king sized bed for Scott!

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AUDIO BOOK REVIEW:
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lighthearted murder mystery set in the 1930's (?). Georgiana is royalty...sort of. She is a "Lady" and is in line for the crown...34th in line. Georgiana is an independent, resourceful single woman and broke. She may not have money, but she has friends and her royal name to influence. This book is an easy and enjoyable read following Georgiana's adventures to make some money, to lose her virginity, to clear herself and her brother of murder charges.
A little comedy, a little mystery, a little romance. Very enjoyable read.

Highland Surrender by Tracy Brogan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent narration. I love listening to the Scottish accents.
A great romance also with mystery and suspense thrown in.
A marriage planned from birth to a family that you have been taught to hate.
Luckily, even though the family may be evil, his/her forced marriage is not what you'd expect. Husband & Wife have never met and have been growing up being taught to hate the other's family. How will the husband treat his new wife? Will the wife escape? Accept? Give in?
Why do the families hate each other?
Read this very enjoyable book to find out.

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very odd book. I almost quit 4 hours in. But because I was knitting while listening, I just let the audiobook continue. I'm glad I did.
The narration is lousy (the book version may be a better choice), BUT, that may be the way the author wanted it, since he was one of the narrators. Both female and male narrators were very monotone which added to this depressing story. Yes, be prepared, this is not a happy story in any way.
The book starts by describing the day to day lives of 2 totally different families. One is a military family escaped from Iran (naturalized US citizens). The other "family" is a recovering drug and alcohol addict, who's husband has left and she begins an affair with a married man.
We explore the lives, attitudes of all the characters and how they eventually merge together.
I found it interesting to listen to the lifestyle of the Iranians. Their thought process, the eating habits. (According to the book, when they drink tea, they put a sugar cube in their mouth, sip the tea and slurp is through the sugar cube. I'll have to try that.)
Trouble begins with a mistake on the city tax office's part. From their is a whirlwind of errors, misunderstanding, stubbornness that all escalates and merges these two families together forever. Unfortunately, the merge is by way of a totally downward spiral. One action leads to another, etc.
It reminds me of the movie "Falling Down", starring Michael Douglas, or a darker type of "Thelma and Louise".
I first rated this only 3 stars, but after writing this review, I have to increase the rating to 4 stars.

Catch up on Park Reviews

RV PARK REVIEWS:

March 22, 2014 - overnight

RV Resort @ Carolina Crossroads - Roanoke Rapids, NC

$34./night

Our rating 4 out of 5

Sites: Average spacing between sites. Some had a shade tree, some had a gazebo.

Hook ups: FHU

Pets: Very pet friendly, most sites had dogs. Nice dog park.

WiFi: Free/Good

Full review on

March 21, 2014 - overnight

New Green Acres - Walterboro, SC

$30./night

Our rating 3.5 out of 5

Sites: Large shaded sites amid a pine forest. The gravel sites need to be re-leveled and more gravel added. Large muddy ruts from RV tires in many sites.

Hook ups: FHU

Pets: Very pet friendly. A really nice dog park converted from a miniature golf course, so there are obstacles for the dogs to climb and agility equipment added. Plenty of room to run.

Satellite: Might be difficult with the heavily wooded pine trees.

Walterboro, NC seemed like a nice little town. There was a chili cook-off while we were there, but being only there overnight, we did not attend.

Friendly people, but park seems a little run down.

Constant din of Interstate 95 traffic, but it didn't bother me too much.

March 5 - 11, 2014 - 1 week

Cedar Key RV Resort - Cedar Key, FL

Site#21  $34./night

Our rating 5 out of 5

Sites: For a resort type layout, the sites were spacious with a lot of green area behind the site. Cement pads and picnic table.

Hook ups: FHU

Laundry: Only a couple of washers/dryers outside on a covered porch

Pets: Very pet friendly. A small dog park with poopy bags supplied.

WiFi: Very good

Verizon Internet: Good

Satellite: Good

Activities: While we were there, they had a pot luck dinner. We sat with a couple that just arrived. There seems to be cliques and were told "these seats were taken" even though there was no indication.

Mail delivery accepted: yes

Area/Town/Sights: 8 miles from the quaint town of Cedar Key, FL. Lots of restaurants, plenty of boat rentals, plenty of souvinier shops. Parts of town are quint historical buildings and part of town is just very touristy.

We really enjoyed our time hear. We were very happy with our site, with the dog park, with the area to walk the dogs. Clean and safe park. We will consider wintering here.

February 26 - March 4, 2014

Torreya State Park - Bristol, FL

$18./day

Our rating 4 out of 5

Sites: Dirt/grass.. Decent space between sites. Most are fully shaded with pine and live oak trees.

Hook ups: W&E Dump station near the entrance of park.

Bathrooms: Nice bathrooms, some are even private like in a house.

Laundry: Outside behind bathrooms. Only $1. per load. Only 1 washer and dryer, but worked fine. No where clean to fold your clothes.

Pets: Very pet friendly, lots of trails to walk the dogs.

WiFi: no

Verizon Internet: Good

Satellite: We were able to set up our Sat, but it was almost in the next site, since park is heavily treed.

Book Exchange: There is a nice large lodge in the middle of the park, with couches and a wood burning stove. A book exchange and puzzles are in this lodge.

Activities: Ranger activities, trails, 

The downside to this park is the dump station is too far away and because the sites are dirt, we constantly has to sweep the sand out of the RV. It got very muddy after a rain. 

Getting old isn't so bad...yet

March 23 - April 15, 2014 (24 days)

Lums Pond State Park - Bear, DE
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CONTENTS

RV LIFE
LIFE IN GENERAL

SIGHTS

BOOK REVIEWS

CRAFTS

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RV LIFE:
It is so nice that the weather has finally turned. When we  arrived, a short 3 weeks ago, this was the weather.

But Spring has finally arrived, a perfect 68 last evening. It's rare that I/we sit outside at night with a campfire, but I just couldn't resist. The perfect temperature for me. A glass of wine hidden in a thermos because the State Park is alcohol prohibited. Oh, I'm such a rebel. A roaring fire, blog until I can't see the keyboard any more, then bring out my Kindle paperwhite and read until I have finally run out of firewood. Life is good.



I've come to realize after just about 3 years of full time RV'ing, that it takes at least 2 years before you really settle down in the day to day life. We have been full timing as tourists until this past Winter. Tourist have a different viewpoint than someone "just" living in an RV. Tourist are looking at the next destination/adventure with excitement. The new places you'll go, the new things you'll learn. There was a time when I was excited to try boondocking. Been there, don't like it. There was a time when it didn't matter if we did not have full hook ups. No big deal walking to the bath house to do my business or take a shower. Not anymore. I like the convenience of not having to get out of my P.J.'s just to go. I want to take a shower in my own place and not have to remember to bring a towel, shampoo/conditioner, soap, sandals etc. Sandals are essential. I don't want my feet to touch the usually yucky looking floor. Oh damn! I forgot my shaver! Hairy legs for another day. Our poor parrot, Swayze has a dirty cage because we have no water hook ups. So I've just been changing the newspaper and a wipe down.
This RV really is our home and I want the conveniences of a home. So for me, full hook ups and good internet connection are what I prefer, but I still want privacy. No resorts with a pool and your neighbor 10 feet in front of us and in back of us and across from us. Scott is still fine with less. Scott is not of the mindset of staying in one place longer as of yet. As we are planning our trip back towards Tennessee, he was going to book a week in Maryland, a week in West Virginia, then a week in Tennessee. No way Jose! Our RV seems to be feeling it's mileage. Something is always needing fixing. I'm feeling the mileage. I want to be in a place long enough to pull out my sewing machine and finish a project before moving again and having to put everything away. I want to bring out our hammock, put out our lawn ornaments, put out our grape vine lights. It's just not worth it for a week...or even two anymore.
Please notice, I never said I was unhappy with this lifestyle. It's just the adventure part, the excitement part has waned. We just need to slow down.
I'd love to go back to Port Townsend, WA and that area, but oh, all the stops along the way to get across the country. If we traveled there with my month stay plans, it would take a year to get to Washington. It is still very enjoyable to know we can pack up and head anywhere in the USA. I just need to slow down.
If we buy a house in Tennessee next month fine or wait until this Fall?...Fine. And if we don't, fine. We'll try to Winter in Florida. Yep, all Winter! That would be a first.
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LIFE in general:
Yes, I'm getting old. No surprise really, but sometimes I look at my life from outside my self. I laugh at myself and cry at the loss of my youthful looks. I have just changed my settings on my computer from the default size of small to medium, which has 125% larger fonts. Oh, how nice is that? My icon labels are larger, my window tabs font are larger, ahhhh. Yep, I'm getting old. The eyesight is worsening, but I'll work through it.
While working on some counted cross stitch, I realized that a magnifying glass has become essential for me to cross stitch. Sigh. But at least I have the magnifier, so I can still do my crafts, although it takes more of an effort.
One of the nice things about getting old is that I don't care so much what others think of me. I'm not out trying to catch a mate. If I'm looking for friends, they must accept me as I am. I've been wearing my hair up in a "messy" top knot and I love it! Some may think it is for older people, but I find it kind of bohemian. If only I would let me hair go natural gray. I'm not quite ready for that. I've tried two times and gave in after an inch of gray roots.
I can wear my beautiful knitted shawls, scarves, etc without feeling old fashioned, weird, etc. This is my handwork and I want to enjoy it, even if I wear a beautiful lace piece with a t-shirt. I can!
I can not go out without make-up. Again, take me as I am. Make up may help me look an itty bitty bit younger or, not so blah, but it's gotten to the point that there is not a dramatic difference anymore, so why bother daily?
I am truly thankful for a husband that doesn't seem to age, but accepts me and my aging. Scott has NO gray hair, except for his goatee and mustache, which he does occasionally dye to match his hair. Scott was actually "carded" the other day because the sign said they card anyone that looks under 35 years old. Scott & I are 57 years old. Ooooh, don't you just hate him??? We are only 3 months apart in age and Scott is the older one, but he definitely looks younger. Again, because I am secure in his love for me, I can handle this injustice.
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SIGHTS:

We took a 75 mile ride down to Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach, DE.Scott's sister and BIL own Rehoboth Bay Marina, on the bay. We were told to park in the reserved parking area, where it said "violators will be towed". Hey, we know the owners!

Cindy on left is Scott's Sister and owns Marina with husband, Chris

Nice marina that is filled with mostly seasonals, but they do keep a half a dozen slips open for "walk-ins". It's a campground for boaters! 30 amp electric & fresh water for each slip. Dump station, fuel station, bathrooms with nice tiled showers, free laundry! Walking distance to the Ocean and Rehoboth Beach attractions.

They also have 7 pontoon boats for rental of which we were offered when they arrived in season. Dogs welcome! Jet ski rentals too!










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BOOK REVIEW:
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I certainly enjoy historical romances. This fits the bill. A quick, easy read.
What I enjoyed most was the main female character is down on her luck, but not defeated and not expecting any handouts. But she will not be the passive martyr anymore!
I liked her attitude shown by the quote from the book:
"If you fell out of a tree as a child, I'd clean you up and bandage your knees, and next I looked you'd be out climbing again. You never learned your lesson."
Oh, she'd learned her lesson: Climb harder.

AUDIO BOOK REVIEW:
Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sweet story. Very goody, goody. Some romance, some cooking, a little drama. An easy listen and feel good story.
Good narrator with an upbeat voice.


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CRAFTS:
I still have not been doing much in the past 3 weeks...maybe next week things will quiet down. But prior to visiting my parents in Florida, prior to 3 travel days, prior to the dog rescue issues, and prior to helping clear in-laws house, I had time to knit all day.

Ruched cowl

Ruched fingerless

Headband

These were made with a lovely alpaca wool I purchased at Black Sheep Gathering last year in Oregon.

Little needed to live happy

March 23 - April 3, 2014 (12 days)

Lums Pond State Park - Bear, DE
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CONTENTS

RV LIFE

BROWSING THE WWW

HOUSE HUNTING

PETS

BOOK REVIEWS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

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RV LIFE:
We are currently in Bear, DE. Yeah!...Not! But it IS better than the desert or Texas.Lums Pond State Park has large, spread out sites, with large shade trees, an open field and a huge pond. My idea of comfort.
We have been in three different sites so far at this park. There are only 8 sites with electric, none with water or sewer. We weren't able to make reservations very far ahead, because of not knowing our schedule because of our engine trouble in Texas and looking at property in Tennessee. We were only able to book for 12 days. The weekends fill up here from Spring through Fall.
In those 12 days, Scott has been busy helping his family clear out the family home of 50+ years & visiting his parents in an independent living apartment (Mom) and assisted living (Dad). I have been glued to the computer cleaning up records, taking on more responsibility for the English Setter Rescue.Yes, more responsibility! But the good news, it is mainly computer work, not people work. It has been very time consuming, actually like a real job but I can set my own hours.
Nearing the end of our 12 days, I knew the family home was not ready to be abandoned yet. I suggested to Scott that we should stay longer. He agreed, but where to go??? There really is very little in the way of RV parks in this area of DE/NJ. There is a 2 week limit here at Lums Pond State Park. Hmmm, maybe...if I reserve the next two weeks under my account (reserve America) and not Scott's, we can get away with staying longer, IF there are any open spots.
Turns out, the 2 week limit is only from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. Found one site available with electric for the time we need except for the weekend, of course! So we decide to reserve a no utilities site for the weekend and then the electric site for 10 days.
Boondocking is not for me. It seems every time we try to boondock, it is overcast and cold. The RV heater sucks up battery power quickly and is inefficient. I do not like being cold in my home.
And yes, our weekend boondocking was not fun...for me. I don't like having to think which outlet is wired for solar power/battery or what lights and appliances I can run at the same time. This RV is my home, I'm not "camping". I'm spoiled by having to space heaters available to make the RV toasty warm on a dreary, rainy day. We have the Mr Buddy or something like that propane heater, but it uses up the little propane bottles within a few hours.
Now Scott on the other hand, was very happy with our two day boondocking experience. Everything worked as it should. He did a great job installing the solar panels and wiring. He also wired the generator, so he doesn't have to take it out of the bed of the truck to run to the RV. I'm happy for him. I did let him know i don't enjoy boondocking, but if he want's to do it again, I can put up with it.
Electric! The little things that make me happy. Prior to our weekend boondocking, I was wishing we had water and sewer, but after boondocking, I'm THRILLED to just have electric again!
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BROWSING THE WWW:
Wow! The World has survived without my blogging regularly.
Wow! My family has survived without my blogging regularly.
Wow! Fellow RV'rs, crafters, readers have survived without my blogging regularly.
Wow! I have survived without blogging regularly.
Things have calmed down once again in my life. My stress level is lowered, yet I'm still quite depressed, but I can now "hide" that fact and function again.
Life has gone on all around me.
Susan from Beluga's Excellent Adventure has left Florida is moving North.
Carla from Cozy Be Gone is getting ready to head out from their Winter stay in Alabama. She has become quite the blogger with info on what to do, where to go, RV mods, etc.
Marikay from Merikay's Dream is no longer parked in their driveway. They closed on their house recently in California. She is officially a full timer, although they really have been for a couple of months, just not traveling yet.
These are the 3 main blogs I keep up with.
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HOUSE HUNTING:
We still have the itch to settle down into a house again. I am very concerned about the commitment again. We will be heading to Tennessee vis West Virginia next. There is lots of real estate available in Tennessee. Especially, since we are open to looking at houses throughout the state, although we prefer the Eastern, mountainous area. I hope that I have learned my lesson about collecting "stuff", just because we will have the space. Living in a RV proves how little we really need to be happy. I still remember purging our NJ house of the things we've had and not used for 20 years, just because it was there was room and it was out of the way. Now with emptying the in-law's house, again, the things we keep for "memories" yet they are stored in the attic or basement and never to be looked at again, until moving. Suddenly all those "precious" items that were saved are no longer precious! We're told to just throw them out or donate. My greatest lesson learned is that we don't need much to be happy.
I keep thinking what it is that wants me to have a house again and be stuck in one spot.
1) I was not unhappy just staying home instead of going on vacation. As long as I find my sweet spot to relax, I am happy in the same place day in and day out.
2) I want a bigger kitchen.
3) I want room to foster dogs.
4) I want a fenced yard for the dogs to be able to run.
That's about it. I've traveled plenty. I've seen many places I never expected to. I am ready to settle and if anyone wants to visit, that's fine. They can come to me instead of me going to them. I'm glad we have experienced full time RV'ing and will continue if the almost perfect home and property don't appear.
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PETS:
Devin has been having a blast at Lums Pond State Park. Because it is practically empty, except for weekends, I've been walking him with a 25' lead. He loves running and bouncing around. Grabbing sticks and giving them to me. He has great recall while on the long lead. He doesn't pull on the lead and he returns periodically for a fly by to check in with me. Now if he would only do that off leash also. Devin has also been able to take regular quick dips in the pond that is really a decent sized lake.
And of course, Devin is known for enjoying the little luxury of comfy chairs.
I visited a dog rescue friend recently & of course I took our two Setters. Lynne has a fenced in back yard which Devin would really enjoy. After some running around and sniffing her two Setters, Devin settled down.

Settled into the Lynn's comfy chair.

And then we've been  clearing out the in-law's house. We don't want to leave the dogs in the RV if they can be with us. So sure enough, Devin settles in nicely while we work.

Ahhh, leather, nice!

And then of course, "Home is where you park it". Devin always settles in his blue chair at each site we stay at.

Ahhh, just right. (Lums Pond in the background))

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AUDIO BOOK REVIEW:

The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio version. Oh when will this end? I tried, but after many hours just had to end my own torture of listening to this book. The killer is definitely a sicko, but the story just rambled on and on. I couldn't figure out who was who and dreaded trying to finish.
BOOK REVIEW: (Kindle edition)

Soul of Flame by Rebecca Ethington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series continues to keep me obsessed. This is the 4th in the 5 book series. Joslyn learns her strengths & how to use them.  Joslyn learns how to deal with love interests Ryland and Ilyan. Her hatred for Edmund grows. The book is leading up to the battle of good vs. evil.
I am still in awe of the imagination of these fantasy/paranormal writers.

Coming Home by Laurie Breton
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm so glad this was free.
At 57 yrs old, I just don't have the patience for an 18 year old girl getting married, (at least she wasn't pregnant), and then after knowing someone for a short time, decide to marry the other. That's a fickle 18 yr old for you. No mention of how she broke the news to her ex fiance.
And then she and her wanna be rock star hubby start having problems. Gee, I couldn't see that coming. Relationships developed so quickly that I felt like I was reading an abridged version of the book. I did not finish.
I have been enjoying Young Adult books, but this one is more teenage, NON adult genre.
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
It's been a while since I've reviewed a restaurant. We haven't been eating out much.
Italian Kitchen - Pennsville, NJ

Our rating 3.5 out of 5
We've ordered take out a number of times from here.
They have an excellent pumpkin cake roll with cream cheese filling.
Their chef's salad is huge and full of all the goodies a chef's salad should have.
I was expecting the garlic sticks to be typical "Olive Garden" type which I'm not impressed by. These garlic sticks aren't very garlicky, but they taste homemade. A deliciously seasoned dough that I just can't enough of.
Chicken and Italian Strombolis were: full of meat and cheese. Yum.
I was disappointed in their pasta dinner though. Very plain tomato sauce and over cooked pasta.
The pizza was also just ok. Probably the best in Pennsville, NJ, but that is not saying much.