Welcome July 2024!
This month we’ll talk about some sparkling, bookish news to start off this month.
Included in this post:
*News From Carol Baldwin
*Goodreads Update – July 2024
*Don’t Forget….Author Catherine Michaels – New Release
*Fun and Learning Printables for your Kids – Author Rebecca Lyndsey
*Our 4th of July Taco Bar Was a Hit!
First off, lets hear news from Author Carol Baldwin.
News From Carol Baldwin
Here’s a wonderful article written about Carol Baldwin’s news on Medium by interviewer, Teri Gault.
Thank you, Carol for sharing your words of wisdom on getting a published.
Click here to read more. ► Author Carol Baldwin On How to Get a Publisher to Publish Your Book
Goodreads Update – July 2024
My Review
“The Women,” by Kristin Hannah is not a “pleasant” book, but an important one to read. If you are interested to know more about the Vietnam War and what men, and yes, women, had to endure and life in the 60s, this book is one to read.
*Note: Author Kristin Hannah describes the scenes in this book as though you are right there. *Trigger warning for those who may be find these details disturbing.*
Personal note: This 480 page took awhile for me to get through. It was one which really hit home. Our brother served two tours in the Marines and Vietnam. I remember when I was in 5th grade, a year before he returned, watching the news of the soldiers departing the plane to come home. The news reporters were commenting how quiet the officials and crowds were, since many people in those times were against the Vietnam War. It made me sad at the time and makes me sadder now that I’m older and have learned so much more. Many of those young men and women joined, instead of waiting to be drafted. That’s is exactly what our bother did. He served his four years with dignity and love for his country. He did not pass away in the war, but as a result of it.
I highly recommend those who want to know more about what happened during the years of the Vietnam War and our world in the decades of the 60s and early 70s.
“The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers,” by Laura Oliver is a comprehensive guide writing book filled with concise and valuable information. She presents many ideas on how to get started, maintain plots and gives beneficial advice to enhance one’s writing skills.
I enjoyed the examples she shared and insightful tips and tricks which will help with common writing challenges such as, writer’s block, self-doubt, and lack of inspiration.
This 228 page book was a fast and easy book to read with many concepts learned in each chapter.
“America’s Deadliest Twister: The Tri-State Tornado of 1925,” by Geoff Partlow is a book one will think about a lot after reading.
This 160 page book may appear small but is packed full of the history of the disastrous damage the Tri-State tornado caused in the Midwest in 1925. Hitting the southeast part of Missouri first, it wiped out counties through southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana, killing and injuring many families, leaving many homeless and jobless.
One has to remember, the warnings for these kinds of storms were not in place at that time. We have come a long way creating safety measures to alert those in danger.
Communities also learned about relief efforts in their regions and teaching others on manage large disasters.
If you are a curious reader of history and science, you’ll find yourself looking more facts up after reading this book.
Don’t Forget…
Catherine Michaels has a new release in July!
► Click on the picture below to read last months interview.
Fun and Learning Printables for your Kids – Author Rebecca Lyndsey
Author Rebecca Lyndsey has these awesome links share from TPT, “Teachers Pay Teachers. ” TPT is the one of the largest platforms for PreK-12 resources, created by a community of educators.
Check these out and click here! ► or the image below.
Our 4th of July Taco Bar Was a Hit!
This year for the 4th of July, I decided to do a repeat on a meal/snacks for our festivities. It was such a big hit in the past and easy to do, once you get all your ingredients.
A huge time saver for me was to prepare most of the cutting and chopping, (instead of the tomatoes,) the day before and have a few crock pots on hand. We have one regular sized crock pot and one which has three compartments. (Two small ones and one large one in the middle.) Doing it this way, your food will stay hot throughout the evening for those who want to snack.
Suggested Things to Buy:
Ground Beef – Cooked, crumbled and mix with your favorite taco seasoning. (I added this on warm to the large one in the middle crock pot.)
Your two smaller crock pots on the sides can hold Refried Beans or Mexican Flavored Rice. (I didn’t add the rice this year. If I do this again, I think I’ll look into ordering that side from our favorite Mexican restaurant to save time.)
Taco Shells – Soft and Crunchy
Tortilla Chips
Chopped Lettuce, Tomatoes and Shredded Cheese
Guacamole – homemade or store bought.
Chopped Green Onions
Sliced Black Olives
Sour Cream
Sliced Jalapeno Peppers
Salsa and/or Taco Sauce
In our regular, single Crock Pot, I made …
Cheese Dip
Here’s the recipe you’ll find in the book Cat Michaels and I wrote, “Just Between Sam and Me.” (Dad and Link’s Famous Queso Dip)
This recipe feeds a large crowd. Cut in half, if needed.
1 16 oz. box of processed cheese
1 14.5 oz. can of undrained tomatoes with chopped green chili peppers. Hot or mild, your choice
1 lb. of cooked hamburger
1/2 cup water, more if needed, depending on desired consistency
Your favorite chips for dipping
Cook hamburger until no longer pink and done. Stir to crumble.
Place processed cheese in a crock pot, add canned tomatoes, cooked ground beef, and water. As the cheese melts, stir to the desired consistency. Once it’s done the way you like it, serve in small bowls and dip with chips.
This is also a great way to make a plate of Nachos. Place chips on a large plate or platter. Top with tomatoes, green onions, avocados, lettuce, and sour cream, if desired.
Tell Us About You!
Lastly, tell us what you have been up to. Any new projects?
How was your 4th of July?
As always,
Happy Reading!
Rosie
Hi Rosie, some great book suggestions there, including Cat’s swoon worthy summer read. I really enjoyed my arc copy, I must write my review.
Glad you enjoyed your July 4th celebrations.
Hi Sandra, thank you so much for your comments today.
So excited for Cat and how she’ll finally get to celebrate her hard work on her new book! Yay!
The 4th of July comes quicker every year and is a big event at our house. The Taco Bar is a fun one to make for lots of guests.
Thanks again and have a wonderful rest of the summer, (winter for you.) 🙂
Awesome blog packed with beach reads, recipes, and our author/teacher friend’s new online store, and a shoutout for Cat’s upcoming book release. I haven’t read The Women yet, but it has gotten great reviews and it’s on my reading list. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Rosie!
Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed it, Julie. 🙂
I found out about “The Women” on Goodreads and saw so many reviews for it, it made me curious, too.
Hope the rest if your summer is a fun one.
Such a great post! So many great things!
I’m excited to see someone I know on TPT! Thanks so much for sharing! I often wonder what I’m even doing on there since I’m not a teacher and I’d probably make much better resources and know how to put them in better categories if I was actually a teacher. I know nothing about common core standards so I never know what to put so I don’t think my stuff gets noticed as much.
I already downloaded her free resource and might use it for my student on Monday for our OT session.
Thanks!
Thank you so much, Jessica!
You were the first person I thought of when Rebecca shared her TPT info with me.
Jessica, you homeschooled your girls all their years so, “You are a Teacher!!” I think you do a fantastic job with your activities and have used them here at home. 🙂
Thanks always for stopping by and have a great weekend. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe and shout out about my sweet beachy romance launching 17 July. I’ve read other Kristen Hannah novels, but not this one. She is a brilliant writer but very intense. her book sounds as if it truly resonated with you-:D
So excited for you and your new book, Cat! 🙂 Counting down the days.
Kristin Hannah is a great writer and have enjoyed most all of her books I’ve read. Yes, this one touched my heart for reasons listed.
Taco Bars are so fun for a big crowd. I hope you try it sometime. Maybe for one of your book clubs?
Thanks for your note today, Cat. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing my new TPT link! Much appreciated.
I can’t wait for Cat’s book to be released. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and it’s the perfect summer romance read. People are going to love it!
Your taco bar sounds so yummy! We do something like that at where I work every once in a while.
So excited about your work with TPT! They will be so helpful for teachers and all the learners. How wonderful! 🙂
Cat’s book is great and will be here soon. So excited for her!
I couldn’t wait to tell you all about how fun and well our Taco Bar turned out. I bet your teachers loved those lunch days when you have had them.
Thanks always, Rebecca for stopping by. I know you are busy and I always enjoy hearing from you. 🙂
Thank you for featuring me! I’ve heard that THE WOMEN is a great book. Thanks for your honest review.
I enjoyed your interview and I know it will help so many. Thank you for allowing me to share it, Carol. 🙂
“The Women,” by Kristin Hannah is a great book, but hard to get through. Like I said in other comments, we should all understand what happens in these wars and the behind the scenes of those who endured. She did a great amount of researching and did a beautiful job relaying the events during that time.
Thanks again for your comment today, Carol 🙂
Great blog!! I really want to read that book the women! It sounds really good. I miss John a lot. He was very proud of his time in the Marines. He always said it made him the man he ultimately became. He was bitter when he came home but time and perspective helped him to find some positive affirmations. Hindsight is always 20/20. Your taco bar sounded awesome!! Glad you guys had a great time. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Glad you enjoyed this, Robin!
Yes, he was always so proud of the time he served and we were, too.
“The Women,” by Kristin Hannah is a hard book to get through. I think about those nurses who had to see so many difficult things. It’s a great book and we should all know what they went through, as in all wars.
Our Taco Bar was a wonderful hit and will do it again. It’s easy once all the prep work is done. 🙂
Thank you for stopping by with your comment today, Robin!