Cleaning, Pillars and Win a Book!

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Read on to find out how to win a hardback book...

The weather has been quite nice out here lately -- still warm but far less humid and bearable. Unfortunately, now Dakota is a bit under the weather (on our first walk of the day yesterday, she plodded sedately at my side the entire way. Dakota is seldom sedate), so we haven't enjoyed it as much as we might have.

I have done quite a bit of weeding, so that's something. And, yes, I actually enjoy weeding. It really makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I can look at the results and feel good about it.

Speaking of which, I've been watching the show "Hoarding: Buried Alive" which is a bit like a car accident that you can't look away from. But, every time I watch a show, it inspires me to clean and purge my stuff. This week, I gave DD (who has shows a frightening tendency to be a hoarder -- she attaches memories and emotion to everything she owns, including trash. She had used tissue paper crumpled up and stuffed away in a drawer that she didn't want to throw away because it came from a gift "Grandma gave me.". I want to get her a new comforter for her bed. The one she has is eight years old, torn and has some stains. "I love this comforter, I don't want a new one, I'll feel awful if you get rid of it." Oy.) ... so I gave her a paper grocery bag, sent her to her room and told her not to come out until it was full of stuff to give away or throw away.

Then I did the same thing. To look at our house, you wouldn't think we have that much stuff to get rid of. My house is pretty well clean and uncluttered (my DH is a neat freak -- I fall somewhere between DH and DD, lol). Still, I found plenty to fill my bag.

We went to Goodwill yesterday and donated four bags of stuff and DD's old bike (that was amazingly painful for her, but she managed), and then a bag of books to the library. It felt WONDERFUL.

I'm also purging my own bookshelf, and thought I'd offer some to you folks if you're interested. I'll give away at least a book a week (sometimes more depending on what I find) and I'm only giving away books that are new or like new.

So ... today I'm offering a hardback copy of "Kiss Me While I Sleep" by Linda Howard.

Here's the blurb:

Efficient and unapologetic, Lily Mansfield is a hired assassin working as a contract agent for the CIA. Her targets are the powerful and corrupt, those who can't be touched by the law. Now Lily is playing a deadly, unauthorized game, seeking her own vengeance, compromising her superiors and endangering her life. Fellow CIA agent Lucas Swain's orders: either bring her in or bring her down. Yet he too is drawn into the game with Lily Mansfield, dancing on a tightrope, trying to avoid a major international incident while battling a tenacious foe dogging their every step. Vigilantly watching her back, Lily doesn't see the lethal peril directly in her path . . . or that loyalty has a price.

If you want this book, just leave me a comment -- you can say other stuff too, but mention that you'd like to throw your name into the hat. I'll draw a winner Sunday and announce it on Monday.

Good luck!

========================

In Pillar Place: Monarch, Omicron hatched. Another boy, apparently shy because I had a terrible time getting a picture, and I never did get a really good one:




We have well over a dozen pillars who have started cooking in their chrysalis', and another many who are still eating like pigs. Yesterday, I found yet another egg (unbelievable!), so we're up to "V" in the hurricanes (we named the one before Ulysses, because they don't have a U hurricane name, and the last egg is Virginia, because their name -- Virginie -- was too weird).

I imagine things will be fairly quite over the next week or so, but they we're going to be buried in butterflies (there are worse things *G*).

=====================

You Are Alive and Energetic

You are most comfortable when you are mixing things up a little bit. You like novelty in small doses. You are drawn to harmony and compassion. You value commonalities over differences. You have a deep and interesting inner world. Your thoughts are vivid and interesting. You believe that if you look closely enough at people, you can appreciate them more... flaws and all.

The Ocean Test

About 75%...

=====================