Review – A Season of Miracles

A Season of Miracles
by Rusty Whitener
Kregel Publications
269 pages

Looking back on the 1971 Little League season, Zack Ross relives the summer that changed his life…

Gunning for the championship is all that matters until twelve-year-old Zack meets Rafer, a boy whose differences make him an outcast but whose abilities on the baseball field make him the key to victory.

Admired for his contribution to the team, Rafer turns everyone’s expectations upside down, bestowing a gift to Zack and his teammates that forces them to think—is there more to life than winning or losing? And what is this thing called grace?

MY REVIEW:

Reading this book I think I expected a “typical” baseball or sports book about how young boys learn life lessons through sports. What I got instead turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year.

Interlaced with the baseball theme is a story about young boys and fathers and God. The neighborhood boys from the Robins Little League team meet to practice in a field one day and see another boy their age, Rafer, sitting with his back to a tree watching them. Rafer is “touched” and sees and processes the world differently than the other boys do. But interestingly enough Rafer is able to teach lessons to the boys and adults around him, even if unintended.

This book is small, only 269 pages, and what I thought would be a very fast read took a little longer than I anticipated because of the thoughts presented within. Sometimes I would come across the thoughts and stop and ponder them a while and savor some of the lessons to be had.

I honestly think this book can be enjoyed by anyone, whether a baseball fan or not. And fortunately for us all this book is in the preproduction stage of becoming a movie.

 

** Thank you to CFBA for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Pumpkin Candy Bracelet

PROLOGUE:

When I knew that we would be meeting the kids at the pumpkin patch I decided to get my Grandma-ness in gear.  You already saw the cookies, but I also had seen the Pumpkin Candy Bracelet Tutorial and since it was so darling I decided that Brooklyn needed one too.

This was seriously easy to make and took probably 10 minutes!  I used 9 candy pumpkins on this bracelet just as the tutorial did.

 

THE STORY:

It fit and looked darling on her!  I really think she liked it.

 

You can ever so barely see it on her wrist through the window.  This pumpkin patch had a really cute little house made of hay and Brooklyn had fun playing in it with her Daddy and Grandpa.

 

She fiddled with it a lot.  And I think it looked so cute on her!

 

Everything is so much fun when you are 3 and have your parents and grandparents with you to be certain you’re having a grand time!

 

And you can look girly with your pumpkin bracelet even when riding a tractor!

 

EPILOGUE:

When we finished enjoying the pumpkin patch we left to go have dinner at a nearby restaurant.  Brooklyn got in her car seat with mom and dad and we got in our truck and met them there.

Loni got out of their truck and walked toward me saying “Grandma!” with her hands cupped.  Uh oh….  In her hands she had all the candy pumpkins and little ribbon ties!  She said Brooklyn was so upset when it fell apart. 

I’m assuming it came undone at the knot and that my 4 or 5 knots in the dental floss were not enough.  So my caution to anybody else planning to make this bracelet is – be certain to tie it very tight!

We reassured Brooklyn that Grandma would either fix it or make her another one.  I’m not sure if she was dismayed that it broke or disappointed that she no longer had the bracelet.  Either way… it was a grandma fail moment.  Fortunately I had a bag of Soft Sugar Cookies to hand to her at that moment and redeem myself somewhat!  :)

 

* Linking to Get Your Craft On, I’m Lovin’ It

Soft Sugar Cookies for Brooklyn

Being a grandma is one of the absolute best things in the world.  Case in point, here it is Tuesday and we get to meet the kids at a pumpkin patch after work today.  Seeing your granddaughter midweek like this truly is priceless.

So it got me to thinking – I truly believe that being together and doing things together are what memories are made of.  Time spent with her and all my family absolutely warms my heart.

BUT…wouldn’t it be EVEN BETTER if I enhanced that time a bit?  I mean, I AM a grandma after all.

So I decided she needed some fall sugar cookies to make the event even sweeter.  I looked at the cookie recipes and ideas I had saved on my computer and decided I’m not quite ready to take the “serious decorated” cookie plunge yet. 

 

The recipe I chose said on her blog that these are her husband’s favorite cookie.  Good enough endorsement for me!  They did turn out wonderful and reminded me very much of the pink frosted cookies you can buy at Walmart.  I will say that I’ll continue looking at recipes though because using Crisco didn’t excite me.  But the flavor sure did!   :D

 

One word on the frosting – don’t make it too runny….ask me how I know.   After this I added more powdered sugar.  ;)

 

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES
recipe from Nursery Rhymes & Sweet Times

3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup Crisco (I buy the sticks, so much easier – and use the butter flavor Crisco)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl cream together Crisco, sugar and vanilla. Add egg and milk, beat until light and fluffy.  In another bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to sugar mixture 1/3 at a time until mixed together.

Scoop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets using a small cookie scoop.  Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.  I baked mine until the edges were ever so barely browned.

Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, then move to a wire cooling rack.  Frost cookies when they have thoroughly cooled.

FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Add just under 1/4 cup milk to the powdered sugar in a bowl.  Beat until smooth, adding more milk or sugar to get desired consistency.  Add food color and spoon on to the top of the cookies.  Top with sprinkles while frosting is still wet, then leave on plates or wire cooling racks until frosting sets.

This recipe made 22 cookies using my cookie scoop.

 

** Linking to Tasty Tuesday

Hat #4 for Red Andrews Dinner – Brangelina Hat

This was the first time I’ve used a bulky weight yarn for a hat and I wasn’t sure I’d like the final result.  It’s Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and I *love* the color (barley) and enjoyed knitting with the yarn.  And one thing about it, knitting with big yarn means you finish a project very fast!

So when my lovely model (husband!) and I headed outside for the photo shoot he told me that this is the most comfortable hat I’ve made – and said that without any prompting from me!  I did tell him I’d make one for him since all these hats were for charity and I’m a little embarrassed I haven’t knit a hat for him yet.

The pattern is by Crazy Aunt Purl and is called the Brangelina Hat.  I bought the yarn at Michael’s, of course using a 40% off coupon.  I think this pattern and yarn might be my “go to” combo for hats for charity going forward.

A note about personal goals/quotas – I had said at the first of the year that I planned to knit a hat a month to donate to the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner in OKC to follow in my mom’s footsteps.  Of course when you say something like that life will happen and I’ve only gotten 4 done so far.  But here’s the thing about personal goals/quotas – even if you don’t make the number you hoped for, there will still be 4 people that will be a little warmer this year with my hats.  I’ve looked at this several different ways and it all comes out good to me.  I’ll try again next year for more.  :)

And in case you want a reminder, here’s the previous 3 hats I knit:

Hat #3 – Cross Skull Hat
Hat #2 – Hurricane Hat
Hat #1 – Classic World War II Watch Cap

 

** Linking to I’m Lovin’ It, Show and Share, Get Your Craft On

Review – Love’s First Bloom

Love’s First Bloom
by Delia Parr
Bethany House Publishers
320 pages

From Goodreads:  Ruth Livingstone's life changes dramatically in 1838. When her father, a pastor to fallen women, is accused of murdering prostitute Rosalie Peale, Ruth flees with Rosalie's daughter to a New Jersey village. There Ruth lives quietly as "Widow Malloy"---until brash newspaper reporter Asher Tripp arrives. Will he discover her secret and endanger her mission?

MY REVIEW:

Set in 1838, this historical romance about young Ruth Livingstone’s life as Widow Malloy told quite a few history lessons along the way.  Things we take for granted in the 21st century were definitely not commonplace during this time.

Widow Malloy arrives in a small village in New Jersey with a toddler in arms, staying with some friends of her father.  After some tragic events transpire she’s not really sure what she will do next, all the while trying to figure out the feelings she’s starting to have for a new man in town.  But each of them are keeping secrets not only from each other, but in fact from the entire village.

While there some predictable parts to this novel it didn’t take away from the reading enjoyment.  The author threw in enough plot twists that I looked forward to my reading time with this book each day.  I would definitely recommend it to anybody that enjoys historical romances.

** Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

Birthday Card for Lynne’

I forgot to post the card I made for Lynne’ in her birthday post!

 

I had a little trouble capturing the exact colors – of course it all worked together and looks better in person.  :)

When Lynne’ was a young toddler I always used to call her my Little Ray of Sunshine.  Every morning I’d hear her sing-songing in her room and when I went in there she was standing in her crib, looking out the door with the biggest grin on her face.  As I entered the room she’d start that bouncy dance that littles do and you really couldn’t help but smile back at her.

The colors in this card reminded me so much of that time.  So even though there’s no sun on the card, it really does say Little Ray of Sunshine to me.

CREDITS:  Paper and Ribbon - Stampin Up;  Flower Stamp – Morning Star Stamps; Sentiment Stamp – Stampabilities; Glittery “stuff'” on flower - Stickles