Happy Halloween!!!

Do you have plans for tonight? We will stay home and pass out treats for little ghosts and goblins that appear on our doorstep, while my son and his wife takes our grandson out in his Yoda costume.

Our neighborhood is usually pretty quiet on Halloween. Not many houses on our street are lit up. Most people are off to parties or taking their kids trick-or-treating. So, because we’re just about the only house on the block with a light on, ghouls think it’s kind of a waste of time.

That means we enjoy even more the ones who do show up!

Here’s a little trivia about this spooky holiday: Why are bats one of the symbols of Halloween?

In ancient times, people gathered around giant bonfires to ward off evil spirits. Small flying insects were attracted to the warmth and bright lights these fires created … the same insects that were natural food for bats.

The people would see the bats flickering in and out of the light from the fire and they became part of the Halloween lore. This connection grew stronger with the discovery of the vampire bat in the 17^th century and tales circulated throughout Europe of bats that drank blood.

It soon became a natural association – a creature that drinks the blood of its prey in the dark of night!

Contest Craze Mini Challenge: Scariest Word

This mini challenge is being hosted by Benji at The Non Reluctant Reader. Stop by and visit her blog if you get the chance ... it's lots of fun!

For this challenge, I had to look in the 13th chapter of the current book I'm reading and find the scariest word. Then, I looked through Google Images to find an appropriate picture to match that word. I know the picture I picked isn't scary, but I really like it!

Grey Pine by T. Lloyd Winetsky

My word: Ghostly

My Image:

Contest Craze Mini Challenge: Lucky Number 7

Jessi at The Elliot Review and Cindy at Princess Bookie's Contest Craze are hosting a Lucky Number 7 mini challenge from now until September 25. The idea is to pick up a book you are reading, turn to the seventh page and find the seventh word. Then look that word up on Google Images and find a picture that you like (or can tolerate, anyway). For more information and complete rules, check out The Elliot Review or Princess Bookie.

Grey Pine by T. Lloyd Winetsky

7th Word on 7th Page

Ponderosa

Picture

This young lady must really enjoy the fresh scent of pine, baby!

If you get the chance, stop by Jessi and Cindy's blogs and take part in the fun Sunday challenge! Then, comment on my post so I can see what sort of fun ideas you came up with!

National Tell a Joke Day

Three nuns were attending a hockey game. Three men were sitting directly behind them. Because their habits were partially blocking the view, the men decided to badger the nuns, hoping they would get annoyed enough to move to another area.

In a very loud voice, the first guy said, "I think I'm going to move to Utah. There are only 100 nuns living there."

Then the second guy spoke up and said, "I want to go to Montana. There are only 50 nuns living there."

The third guy said, "I want to go to Idaho. There are only 25 nuns living there."

One of the nuns turned around, looked at the men and in a very sweet and calm voice said, "Why don't you just go to hell. There aren't any nuns there."

Happy Valentines Day ...

... to all my readers and visitors!!!

Holiday Trivia

 

• The first “Book of Carols” was printed in 1521.
• Wencelas (907-929) was the king of Bohemia and was noted for his piety, compassion and generosity. The carol about him dates from the 19^th century.
• It was the English who started the custom of kissing under the mistletoe in the early 17^th century. It was customary for a man to remove a berry each time he kissed a girl under the mistletoe. When there were no more berries left, no more kisses were exchanged.
• The Christmas classic “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was written by Clement Clark Moore in 1822 as a gift to his children.
• Electric lights for Christmas trees were first used in 1895.
• “It’s a Wonderful Life” appears on TV more often than any other holiday movie.
• “Rudolph” was created by Montgomery Ward in the late 1930s for a holiday promotion.
• “Jingle Bells was originally written for Thanksgiving.
• If you received all the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you would receive 364 gifts.
• The first state to recognize the Christmas holiday was Alabama.
• Christmas became a national holiday in America on June 26, 1870.
• During the Christmas-Hanukkah season, more than 1.76 billion candy canes will be made. Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorate the Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided have the ends bent to depict a shepherd's crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes.
• During the Christmas buying season, Visa cards alone are used an average of 5,340 times every minute in the United States.
• The Christmas season begins at sundown on 24th December and lasts through sundown on 5th January. For that reason, this season is also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.
• The movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) features more than 52,000 Christmas lights, about 8,200 Christmas ornaments, and nearly 2,000 candy canes.
• The Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas carols.
• Mrs. Claus, Santa's wife, was first introduced in 1889 in the book “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride” by the poet Katherine Lee Bates.
• Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.

I've Been Tagged and You're Next!

Susan at Suko's Notebook tagged me with this meme and now, I have to share things I like and dislike. They can be anything, but I chose to share my thoughts on books ... similar to what Susan did after Lisa at Books on the Brain tagged her!

I like that thrill of opening a new book, the special feel of the crisp pages.

I like getting new books in the mail.

I like adding new books to my shelves, whether they are brand new or used.

I like browsing the shelves at book stores, especially used books with that special musty smell they have.

I like discovering a long, lost book buried somewhere in a secondhand store.

I like curling up against my pillow at night and reading myself to sleep.

I dislike finishing a book I’m really enjoying.

I dislike not knowing which book I should read next.

I dislike forgetting to take my book with me and finding myself with nothing to do.

I dislike books with poor editing, such as misspelled words and severe punctuation mistakes.

Now, I have to pass this on to some of my other blogging friends. So, Katy at A Few More Pages, Nely at All About {n}, Maryann at It's Not All Gravy and Lori at Lori's Reading Corner ... YOU'RE IT!!!

I'm a Featured Blogger!

Heather at Mommy Loves Giveaways is featuring Reading Frenzy at her blog today. Please stop by and check it out!

While you're at it, sign up to be one of her followers. When she says she loves giveaways, she isn't exaggerating. She always has such fun items to offer. Many of them are for those with children or grandchildren, but she often has other items, too.

Thanks, Heather, for featuring my blog! I really appreciate it.

What kind of reader are you?

This was a really fun quiz:

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Book Snob   You like to think you're one of the literati, but actually you're just a snob who can read. You read mostly for the social credit you can get out of it.
Dedicated Reader	 
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm	 
Literate Good Citizen	 
Fad Reader	 
Non-Reader	 
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I came across it at A Few More Pages. I'm not sure I agree with it and I wonder if it makes me sound a bit eccentric! Oh, well.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. There are places I hope to someday go.

2. I wish the sun would come out and the wind would blow those clouds away.

3. Standing in the middle of the road is never a good idea.

4. We're due for more snow by the weekend, oh boy.

5. He went out tiger hunting but chickened out when he saw the real size of those massive creatures.

6. Sometimes, I can't help my mind from wandering .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relax with my book, tomorrow my plans include some serious writing and Sunday, I want to take a break and go for a drive (if the weather allows).

Where's Santa?

Do you know where he is?
Follow his route around the world
at the official NORAD Santa Tracker!

A Christmas Wish List

Whenever holidays or birthdays roll around, my family asks, “What do you want us to get you?”

I don’t always have a quick answer and they jump in with, “We could get you a book … well, no, you already have more than you can read now.”

So, I did a little brainstorming and came up with some ideas for gifts readers would enjoy. These are items that could definitely add to the reading experience.

Here they are, presented in alphabetical order:

World atlas:

These are great for finding locations within the story you are reading.

Book light:

Wonderful for reading in bed or in the car without disturbing those around you.

Bookmark:

It goes without saying that you need these for keeping your place.

Candles:

Great for adding a little ambiance, especially if you’re reading a romance novel.

Dictionary:

I often refer to a dictionary for new words I find in books I’m reading.

Lap blanket:

For curling up on cold winter evenings with your book.

Post it notes:

I use these a lot when I’m reading. They are really handy for marking pages you want to refer

back to for a quote or phrase. I often put one in the front of the book for keeping lists of new words.

Spiral notebook:

If you like to keep track of the books you’ve read or key sentences

you find in a story, these are very handy.

Tea:

A warm cup of tea is a very pleasant drink when reading.

Tea set:

Well … to drink the tea, of course!

Tote bag:
The perfect item for taking all of the above with you on a weekend away.

Other items that can come in handy are a nice journal, a special pen to write with,

highlighters, memo pads, paper clips and a thesaurus.

That’s my list! Some of these items make super stocking stuffers, too. I’m definitely going to share this with my family. Feel free to copy it and add your own special wants so your family will get you presents they know you will enjoy. I know there are other presents I’d love to have! But when I mention those to my family, they just roll their eyes and say, "Uh, huh!"