Jayson Wolfe Series

The Jayson Wolfe series is written by Anita Stansfield. The Sound of Rain is the first book about a struggling musician named Jayson Wolfe, returning to Oregon, twenty years after he first moved there. He reflects on his teenage days, which involved him and his brother and mother escaping his abusive drunk father. He meets a new friend Derek and has a crush on Derek's sister, Elizabeth. He and Elizabeth's relationship is tested through tragedies and growing relations. It was a pretty interesting novel with a lot of unexpected twists.

Shadows of Brierley

Shadows of Brierely by Anita Stansfield is a series of books based on her previous book, Towers of Brierley. I read Towers back when it first came out in the year 2000. It was hard trying to remember who the characters they were referring to in the Wanderer, that debuted in Towers. I almost needed to read Towers again. Overall, it is how the Scottish family first got involved with the LDS church, by hearing a preacher and reading the book. The first book seemed similar to one of her other series, In Search of Heaven. The Wanderer deals with religion, mental illness, and has a bunch of soap opera like twists.

Thanksgiving

On Friday, Mom and I went to Michael's and she got a silver sleigh and some red, green, and silver ornaments to fill it up. She also bought 2 more bags of the rust, bronze, and gold balls to fill up her glass candle holder. Mom and I went to Hobby Lobby and she got a white glittery faux candle to match the blue and silver bulbs we put in the candle box. She also bought some miniature snowman candles.

On Saturday, I made three snow globes, with Angel, Gingerbread, and Nutcracker ornaments, in cracker jars and a canning jar. Mom made a wing necklace, a gold key necklace, elephant earrings and peacock earrings and a necklace. I got a cold on Saturday night, and spent most of the night, coughing and having to use my inhaler.

On Monday, I took my library books back to the library. Then we went to Walmart and got groceries for Thanksgiving Dinner and mom bought dad a couple of Christmas presents. She also found a fall basket wreath in the clearance and bought some butterflies, holly berries, and pine cones to fill it for Christmas. We made Grandma Cleone's Cinnamon Apples.

On Tuesday, Mom had to go to the dentist to get a filling and a crown. We went and got more groceries at Smith's and Walmart. Mom bought a double glass drink dispenser with a shelf for parties. She also bought some poinsettias to put in her new wreath. I bought the movie, Sarah's Key and she bought Soul Surfer on DVD.

On Wednesday, Mom and I made two Pumpkin pies, Carrot Pudding, and chopped all the vegetables for the rice dressing. We all cleaned the house and did the laundry.

Thursday was Thanksgiving. Shadow woke me up at 4:30 in the morning to get scratched and Dad got up at 5 to put the turkey and dressing in the oven. We watched some of Macy's Parade in the morning, while I was setting the table with napkins, plates, and silverware. Mom and I went shopping at Old Navy for jeans, because they were 50% off. Ryan flew in from California around 2 PM and Dad picked him up from the airport, while Mom and I were taking a nap. We ate dinner around 5 pm. We had turkey, bacon, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice dressing, Cinnamon apples, cranberries, rolls, and gravy. I made grape juice mixed with Sprite to drink. After dinner, we watched the movie, Soul Surfer. I gave my dad some Blueberry Cordials, I gave Ryan some Peppermint Bark, and Mom some red and green Dots, and they got me some vanilla Tootsie Rolls as Thanksgiving treats.

On Friday, Dad had to work in the morning. I painted the buttons on my button tree, pink, yellow, green, and blue. I took down the Thanksgiving decorations and I put out the table runners and two tubs of decorations for Christmas. Ryan and I went and saw Breaking Dawn Part I. I thought it was bit more graphic than the other three films, but definitely an entertaining film. Mom and I watched the movie, Winnie the Pooh, while I was decorating.

On Saturday, Ryan went snowboarding with his friends and one of his friends broke her leg so they had to go to the hospital. Dad put up the Christmas Tree in the front room. I decorated it with rust and gold ornaments. I changed the fall basket wreath into a Christmas one, by adding gold poinsettias and present boxes. We went and ate dinner at Brick Oven Pizza and then showed Ryan, Dad's tax office.

Today, We went to Church. I put up more Christmas decorations, like glass trees and Christmas themed pillows on top of the cupboards. We dropped Ryan off at the airport in the late afternoon.

Button Tree

I took an old canvas that I didn't care for and painted it orange and then glued some old buttons on it.

Then I painted the canvas and buttons with Gesso and waited for it to dry.

Then I painted the buttons in pink, blue, green, and yellow:

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a series by Sophie Kinsella, consisting of six books about a woman named Rebecca Bloomwood, a shopping addict and often gets in over her head with her debt. The books have her meeting the love of her life, traveling to America, planning a wedding, meeting a long lost sister, and preparing for motherhood, while having a shopping addiction. There was a movie version of the first book, starring Isla Fisher, but it was set in New York instead of England, making Becky an American.

Kauai

On Friday, Mom and Dad left for their trip to Kauai. On the way, they had a three and a half hour layover in Honolulu airport on Oahu. They flew on Hawaiian Airlines over to Lihue. They stayed at the Kauai Inn in Lihue, on the south shore of the island, which they hard time finding at first. Their GPS led them to a field, so they had to call the Hotel and ask how to get there.

On Saturday, Mom and Dad went to Wal-Mart and a farmer's market and had Puerto Rican tacos. Mom picked up the taco and all the juice ran out and onto her clothes. They drove to Poipu Beach and ate dinner at Brennecke's right on the beach. Mom got a smoothie version of Lava Flow, which is a Strawberry Pina Colada (which is called a Miami Vice in other parts of the world). Dad spilled his coke on the table and the floor. I call those two "Messy" for a reason. They went and saw Wailea Falls, which is right next to the main highway, so they didn't have to walk far. Their lanai at their hotel has been visited by two cats, whom Mom was glad to scratch while she can't be with Shadow.

On Sunday, Dad went to church in Lihue, so Mom could have some time to rest. He received a lei because he was a visitor in Sacrament Meeting. Then my parents drove up to see Waimea Canyon, which Mom compared to driving on the road to Hana on Maui, which is a very nauseating road with a lot of turns. They ate sandwiches at Grinds Cafe. Then they went and saw Wailua Beach.

On Monday, Mom and Dad drove up to the Kilauea Lighthouse and Tunnels Beach (where surfer, Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a tiger shark and lost her arm). Dad was planning to go snorkeling there, but the waves were too rough. They also went shopping at the Coconut Marketplace. They went and ate seafood for dinner at the Lemongrass Grill. They went to Hilo Hattie and mom bought a dress.

On Tuesday, they went to a Farmer's Market and Mom bought a blue and green ring. They also saw Opaeka waterfalls on the side of the road. Dad went snorkeling at Poipu Beach while Mom was being attacked by birds on the beach, wanting her Macadamia nuts. They went and ate pizza for dinner.

On Wednesday, Mom and Dad went to the Salvation Army to see if they had any crafts or floral prints, but they didn't find anything. They went to a couple of the malls. In the evening, they checked out of their hotel and went to the airport and had a layover in Honolulu.

Today, Mom and Dad returned from Kauai after flying all night. They were dead tired with the time difference, so they both came home and went to sleep.

Adventures in Cat-Sitting

While my parents were in Kauai, I watched the movies, Battle: Los Angeles, The Roommate, and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

I did a lot of crafts. I painted a canvas and glued buttons on it. I made eight snow globes for the neighbors and friends as Christmas gifts. I used ornaments such as snowmen, penguins, trees, present boxes, Santa, candy canes, and bears.

I walked over to Wal-Mart, which is a couple of miles away from my house and got a Christmas table runner, some garland ties, some red buttons, some acrylic paint bottles, two glass jars, some treats for Thanksgiving gifts, and some blueberry muffins. It took me 100 minutes to walk back and forth.

I started decorating for Christmas. I put some silver and blue bulbs in a couple of glass vases. I took the flowers out of the candle box and put blue and silver bulbs with a red faux candle.

I read a book each day. I read Before My Heart Stops by Paul Cardall, Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton, The Carrie Diaries and Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell, Forest Born by Shannon Hale, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Postmistress by Sarah Blake.

I babysat Shadow, feeding him tuna every morning, which my dad usually does. One morning, I caught Shadow coming out of the laundry room, with my dad's garments in his mouth. Guess he figured Dad didn't need them since he was in Hawaii. He would wake me up in the middle of the night, wanting a scratching or to crawl under the covers with me. One night, he was laying next to me and kept rubbing his paw on my chin every time I fell asleep and made me wake up. He certainly lives up to his name! He likes to shut the door in the bathrooms and lock himself in and I have to go open the door for him to let him out. We have bought doorstops for when we are not home. He also likes to hide in one of the chairs at the table and jump up and bite your arm when you walk past.

Christmas Music

My favorite songs:

• Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) by Amy Grant
• The Christmas Waltz by Johnny Mathis
• Faeries (from the Nutcracker)
• It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams
• Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
• Mele Kalikamaka by Jimmy Buffett
• Oh Holy Night
• Somewhere in my Memory (from Home Alone) by John Williams
• White Christmas
• Wonderful Christmas by Paul McCartney

Homemade Snowglobes

Buy a plastic snowglobe from Michael's

Unscrew the lid and the pull out the cork and the instructions.

Buy ornaments you want for the globes. Glue the ornament on the cork with a glue gun and let dry.

Cut ribbon into pieces to go around the lid.

Glue the ribbon around the side of the lid.

Fill an upside down globe with fake snow with at least 1/4 cup. Turn cork upside down and push into globe. Then attach to lid and tighten.

Glue a Christmas themed or colored button on the seam of the ribbon to hide where you cut it.

You can even try larger jars you have left over from canning.

Cats, Teeth, and Shopping

After Dad set up the Temple Square Christmas Village on the coffee table, Shadow was enamored by its mere presence. He kept chewing on the trees and trying to sit in the middle of all the building. He knocked the archway with the eagle on the floor and broke off the eagle. I glued the eagle back on with ceramic glue. One Morning, Shadow kept trying to bite Moroni off the temple. I kept hearing Mom yelling at him, saying, "Shadow, don't eat Moroni!" Shadow had already broke the eagle off of the archway the night before and I had glued it back on.

Dad had to go buy a new water heater, because our old one was leaking water onto the floor.

Mom went to the Dentist. She has one cavity and has to get a crown on another tooth. Her medications are making her teeth die, which is very unfortunate. She bought a quilt for fall at Wal-Mart.

I got all my Christmas shopping done this week, which I am grateful for. I bought an Olay Pro X face brush (which scrubs your pores), Adele's 19 CD, and Itunes Gift card with the money Dad gave me for my birthday. I also dyed my hair (dark brown) for the first time in 5 years. My hair still has some red highlights in it, unfortunately. I guess I can't escape my Scottish heritage. Ha ha.

Halloween and My Birthday

Monday was Halloween. Mom and I went to JCPenney, because she got some cash back when we shopped there last week. She bought an Indian elephant necklace. We went to Michael's crafts and bought some plastic snow globes you can feel with ornaments and snow and tie a ribbon on them. We're going to give them to our neighbors for Christmas. I passed out the candy. I wore my pumpkin shirt and my green and black striped socks.

On Tuesday, I took down all the Halloween decorations and put up the Thanksgiving ones. Mom and I went back to Michael's crafts to get some more snow globes for Dad's coworkers. I pushed Mom in her wheelchair from Michael's over to Target. Mom bought me some DVDs and Books for Christmas, and I wrapped them. We went to Arby's for dinner and my dad paid for two sister missionaries to eat. Afterwards we went to Dollar Tree to get some spices and a new spoon. I finished reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

On Wednesday, I finished putting up the Thanksgiving decorations and the flag outside. Mom and I went to Wal-Mart and got groceries so I could finish making Bear Creek's "Darn Good Chili" for dinner. Dad had to work late. I finished reading The Reader by Bernard Schlink, a book about a may to december romance and the Holocaust.

On Thursday, Mom and I went to KMart and she bought a table runner with Turkeys on it for Thanksgiving. We went to Tai Pan Trading and they didn't have any baskets. I had push the cart and her in her wheelchair, with one hand each. She bought 2 candle holders, 2 candle jars, a candle warmer, a snowman cupcake candy jar, and 2 glass pitchers. She got a free orange teapot and a cinnamon candle with her coupons. I filled the two large candle holders with gold candles and ornament balls of rust, gold, and bronze. I finished reading Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy.

On Friday, Dad had to go to the Utah Tax Commission in Salt Lake for classes all day. We watched the movie, Soul Surfer, which is the story of Bethany Hamilton, the surfer with one arm. I went through the basement and the kitchen, and got a box ready to donate to the D.I., full of old jars, tablecloths, crafts, and books.

On Saturday, I made myself a Blueberry Cheesecake, from my Grandmother's recipe, with a graham cracker crust, a layer of cream cheese, a layer of sour cream, and a layer of blueberries. I finished reading I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, about twin boys, one with schizophrenia. Mom made a pink beaded necklace. We went and ate at Red Lobster to celebrate my birthday. We watched the movie, Away We Go.

Today was my birthday. Mom and Dad got me a new red coat from Macy's, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on DVD, Michael Buble's Christmas CD, some cash, and Kelly Clarkson's Stronger CD. I made a Chicken Ranch Lasagna for dinner. I let Mom and Dad watch The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and they both thought it was weird. This was the first time they had seen a Twilight movie and they haven't read the books. My brother called me to wish me a Happy Birthday. I finished reading A Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve, about a woman who finds her dead husband has been living a double life.

Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer is the true story of surfer, Bethany Hamilton, who at Thirteen, was attacked by a Tiger Shark while surfing at Tunnels Beach in Kauai. Her left arm was bitten off by the shark at the bicep. The film deals with Bethany trying to surf again after her ordeal and her trying to find the good in something bad, through her Christian faith. The movie stars Annasophia Robb in the title role.