tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76895875915458906302024-03-05T02:22:31.417-05:00Lisa M PottsPursuing love, laughter and my elusive museLisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-12045549421876168202011-12-28T20:05:00.000-05:002011-12-28T20:05:40.339-05:00Next Year Has To Be Better, Right?I realize my posts have been sporadic of late but I swear it's not my fault. At least not directly. A gremlin (I suspect the same one that William Shatner kept seeing outside his airplane window) has climbed inside my hard drive and caused all sorts of evil things to happen.<br />
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I was planning on buying a Mac with my tax refund, but I don't know that I can survive with just my iPad for two whole months. We will see. Forgive what may seem like slacker behavior on my part during that time and know that I will continue to visit your wonderful blogs when I can.<br />
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On a more pleasant note, I just finished Stephanie Perkins' second novel, <i>Lola And The Boy Next Door</i>, which made me feel all melty inside (review to follow soon). Damn that woman can write! So I wondered if any of you have read anything lately that caused a strong reaction, good or bad. Please share.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-71631902518795262382011-12-22T20:50:00.000-05:002011-12-22T20:50:55.114-05:00Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Movie ReviewLet me just start by saying I'm not a big action movie fan. At $7.25 for a matinee ticket, I usually look for something more character driven to sink my box office bucks into. But I'm also one of the millions of people who check out <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/" style="color: blue;">www.rottentomatoes.com</a> to get a consensus review for a movie. And with a whopping 93% "fresh" rating and comments praising it as the "action movie of the year", <i>Ghost Protocol</i> was hard to pass up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOD9UrnwHg1q8EctezbuTXcvifLhL3a712Ka081XvPMnujagmifFg5Xe5az8eJiJN0mAJK41VE6bheoSlSSeW4OMgAf4yMgR47zj_811y0MDnPPEMmqGTX8Ym04uHeSjzFHtbUwvAbZQJ/s1600/mi4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOD9UrnwHg1q8EctezbuTXcvifLhL3a712Ka081XvPMnujagmifFg5Xe5az8eJiJN0mAJK41VE6bheoSlSSeW4OMgAf4yMgR47zj_811y0MDnPPEMmqGTX8Ym04uHeSjzFHtbUwvAbZQJ/s320/mi4.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br />
I'm not a rabid follower of the franchise, although I did see the first one back in the 90s. Don't worry, you won't have any problem following this one even if you haven't seen any of the others.<br />
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You do want to pay attention once the lights go down, though, because the pace is fast and you might miss something if you are away from your seat. If you aren't on the edge of it during the briefcase scene toward the end of the movie, then you haven't been paying attention.<br />
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<i>Ghost Protocol</i> is fun for the whole family (no sex and not too much cursing). My daughter loved all the cool gadgets and asked on several occasions, "Do they really make those? Where can you get them?"<br />
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My son loved the cars. I told him to save his money.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuUssPBBtxAi39mT1-9J5XDiZJscp-bught24F_0Bx-23s5gz_Lil78RTmh5khxecOZyL3Fobq8WroA-oPHhLizD-jYrCz6VWHt-_YmCryS-s8HaUwir9zPdkzFmhsdqr0UToTXZBKsCW/s1600/BMWi_i8_Gallery_Exterior_02-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuUssPBBtxAi39mT1-9J5XDiZJscp-bught24F_0Bx-23s5gz_Lil78RTmh5khxecOZyL3Fobq8WroA-oPHhLizD-jYrCz6VWHt-_YmCryS-s8HaUwir9zPdkzFmhsdqr0UToTXZBKsCW/s320/BMWi_i8_Gallery_Exterior_02-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">BMW i8 hybrid</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>And I enjoyed seeing how well Tom Cruise has held up over the years (he'll be <i>fifty</i> next year). After the whole couch fiasco, I think this might just be the movie that redeems him. Even my kids thought he was cool and that's saying a lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua8puRTxtVmnZDxiQTmUOSPsyLKO6PzXxAumileTQcsIbGHXfpebNBSMdi8D7EElIPUMSWDvyqEvoIBWyGWIx-mjkxOTRs43V2-1Q1YA1nv6kB7QUzuAMQPEtANpX0bI_9_Dfc1BfWOqW/s1600/tom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua8puRTxtVmnZDxiQTmUOSPsyLKO6PzXxAumileTQcsIbGHXfpebNBSMdi8D7EElIPUMSWDvyqEvoIBWyGWIx-mjkxOTRs43V2-1Q1YA1nv6kB7QUzuAMQPEtANpX0bI_9_Dfc1BfWOqW/s320/tom.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hello, Maverick.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>And if you're one of those people who like rating systems, I'd give this one <b>four stars</b>, <b>8 out of 10</b> and a <b>highly recommended</b>.<br />
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Since I won't be posting again until after Christmas, I would like to wish you all a very merry holiday. And remember, one out of four presents are re-gifted. Think about it.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-51012538531196317172011-12-15T21:54:00.000-05:002011-12-15T21:54:07.097-05:00Bah Humbug Blahg Fest!<div class="ii gt" id=":88"><div id=":89"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47q_2_GvX5CxlfbqAN68yOj4vJ5v8Lh-5wahLESRnUpd-CXJHErkmHSwihULL8tVvhHqa66lhsxdf0hmnskSP1EZAiaot0I24GE0zrihBF-1Mov01ok2OcSWUP7MLOLFxpqyQhq3W56kT/s1600/tree.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47q_2_GvX5CxlfbqAN68yOj4vJ5v8Lh-5wahLESRnUpd-CXJHErkmHSwihULL8tVvhHqa66lhsxdf0hmnskSP1EZAiaot0I24GE0zrihBF-1Mov01ok2OcSWUP7MLOLFxpqyQhq3W56kT/s1600/tree.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Better late than never, I always say! I got my days mixed up and thought this was supposed to post tomorrow. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with 12 things I disliked enough to talk about, but I did want to mention my top five: </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>1. All those self-righteous people who say, “You're not finished Christmas shopping yet?!” You know the ones. The aspiring Martha Stewarts who not only finished buying presents in November but who also make their Christmas cookies from scratch and string popcorn for their trees.</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>2. Non-peppermint candy canes - who thought this was a good idea?</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>3. The Bell Ringers – This is not a reflection on The Salvation Army as a whole, just the internal conversation all these “Santas” stimulate every time I pass them on my way to spend money that I don't really have (or would rather be saving to spend on myself later). <i>Oh gawd, do I have any change? Is it wrong to give a handful of pennies? Look at him with that smug smile on his face. I bet he hasn't put any money into that kettle thingy. How does he know I didn't give to the last guy I passed? Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't...sh!t, now I have to give him something. They better not change shifts while I'm in the store because if I have to go through it again with a new guy, he's getting this gum wrapper.</i></b> </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>4. Remakes of classic Christmas songs - As much as this will break my daughter's heart, I don't want to hear Justin Bieber sing anything, but especially not a Christmas classic like The Christmas Song. Don't mess with tradition.</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>5. The local mall - I suggest avoiding it completely between September and February. Amazon RULES!</b></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">May all of us finish our Christmas shopping before Christmas Eve (that's what I'm shooting for anyway).</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Have a great weekend!</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div></div></div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-8421891232013463082011-12-13T22:14:00.000-05:002011-12-13T22:14:16.569-05:00Let It Snow Book ReviewFrom Goodreads:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1uy6MvIn5tI7A8XM1luRlgAmu4dolILHQVfRKKVt9_j2eU0wCcIGoUYMRaGobOfhlPQ4jXX2O4Jdg0ypw2FAZQ2MxCCPtxf0PmVnP_DHcref8SAH8LJa9BgFVfMfhGI6M38j_axSQJTH/s1600/letitsnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1uy6MvIn5tI7A8XM1luRlgAmu4dolILHQVfRKKVt9_j2eU0wCcIGoUYMRaGobOfhlPQ4jXX2O4Jdg0ypw2FAZQ2MxCCPtxf0PmVnP_DHcref8SAH8LJa9BgFVfMfhGI6M38j_axSQJTH/s320/letitsnow.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><span id="freeText7846284056966213318">Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. </span></i><br />
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<i><span id="freeText7846284056966213318">Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.</span></i><br />
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<span id="freeText7846284056966213318">I really enjoyed this one. John Green is one of my favorite authors (Will Grayson, Will Grayson is FABulous) and this was my first chance to read Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText7846284056966213318">The thing I enjoyed the most about this collection is that the characters are interwoven throughout the stories. All of the protagonists attend the same high school and know each other by varying degrees.I loved the way each of the authors played off the other sections of the novel and it had me wondering how the writing process worked on this one.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText7846284056966213318">All of the stories were sweet and funny with just enough setting thrown in to really put me in a holiday mood.</span><span id="freeText7846284056966213318"> I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a Christmas themed story or a good contemporary YA romance. </span><br />
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</span>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-90779591723445398532011-12-08T21:50:00.000-05:002011-12-08T21:50:34.566-05:00We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6AUQhUd33xqIHdTwOXUOUy9nowIwirn3o1INkZ6r9WIG_m-IsYguxDIn_F9AHMEYr2m7i571BrkmrFLYvAqGbFnPV81YrMyYXJB3deBN0K9rvS5ETbjmE130x5lN51BpSquD0z9NoanF/s1600/tears.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6AUQhUd33xqIHdTwOXUOUy9nowIwirn3o1INkZ6r9WIG_m-IsYguxDIn_F9AHMEYr2m7i571BrkmrFLYvAqGbFnPV81YrMyYXJB3deBN0K9rvS5ETbjmE130x5lN51BpSquD0z9NoanF/s1600/tears.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
I was <i>supposed</i> to do a book review on the blog today. This was <i>supposed</i> to be an average, ordinary Thursday. But if I've learned anything over the years it's that life sneaks up and clobbers you when you least expect it. And maybe that's what keeps us all from dying of boredom.<br />
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My dad walked out of my life twenty-five years ago this past summer. Within a year, he'd divorced my mom and remarried his secretary. I got birthday cards for a couple of years and then nothing. I heard he moved out of state and was raising a family with his new wife.<br />
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I never tried to contact him because it hurt too much to even think about what I would say. I remained deeply angry until I had kids of my own and managed to forgive him which I would compare to being able to take a deep breath again.<br />
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Today, our family lawyer called. He'd been contacted by my dad's wife stating he was very ill and wished to speak to me. When Mom told me I began sobbing. I don't know where the pain came from but it overwhelmed me. I became that young teenage girl who wondered if she'd caused her dad to leave and why I wasn't worth his time - the young woman who stayed in a bad marriage for far too long because I was determined my relationship wouldn't end up like theirs.<br />
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And as I reapplied mascara before work, I wondered if I <i>should </i>call him. Would it do either of us any good? Would it be worth it? I imagined how the call would go. I ran through different scenarios in my head. None of them ended up helping me make a decision and I still haven't.<br />
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I don't usually talk about anything too personal on the blog but I wanted to get these feelings out in the open because I've learned it helps me work through them. I know some of you may have gone through similar experiences and I would love to know how you ended up dealing with it.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-69740242998199382332011-12-06T22:58:00.000-05:002011-12-06T22:58:01.727-05:00Christmastime Is Here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmUd8DKt7OScsnYMpe_obObAilWlRa4zGYJxk-1XDjev6dSwXS_8IpX2Hkp_6Zhd1kq-68qUxCKGwN2FnXacY0RkKu0b6or47X3gtW6qWETcNev2O4nD7JZwJyKRn8ijdWNjkXxrL6TxZ/s1600/cbchristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmUd8DKt7OScsnYMpe_obObAilWlRa4zGYJxk-1XDjev6dSwXS_8IpX2Hkp_6Zhd1kq-68qUxCKGwN2FnXacY0RkKu0b6or47X3gtW6qWETcNev2O4nD7JZwJyKRn8ijdWNjkXxrL6TxZ/s320/cbchristmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>...as if you haven't noticed. <br />
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Hello elves and elfettes! I've missed blogging over the past few weeks but really needed the break. I've been decorating the house and catching up on all of the upcoming blogfests.<br />
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Even with all the warm fuzzies, it seems the holidays are never complete without a dollop of frustration, but I'm saving that list for <a href="http://grumpybulldog.blogspot.com/2011/12/bah-humbug-blahg-fest.html" style="color: blue;">The Bah Humbug Blahg Fest</a> hosted by the one and only Grumpy Bulldog. If you haven't signed up yet, you should consider it. <br />
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There is also <a href="http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2011/11/deja-vu-blogfest.html" style="color: blue;">DL's DeJa Vu Blogfest</a> where something old will be new again.<br />
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Last on my list today is a plea for help. I've been reading quite a bit of erotic romance, one of my guilty pleasures, and after all of that steamy dialogue I've found the male voice on my GPS is lacking that certain something (and if I'm not mistaken, he yelled at me today when I missed several turns in a row).<br />
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I would love to make driving in the car more enjoyable. So if any of you have found a sexy male voice (perhaps with a French accent) please share him!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOeUR2_2HSMjINrodZX9lSPQadtum1kYxYIczdmI6ji0t8hq0cdk23nDjwPUckXOm7-L-7L_AMFZfeGU0EbvMkMbuoFORoiMHN8hMAXdTNuMeKfadQQvLT2CxUEdtIyY9GJbVBJRzYbQA/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOeUR2_2HSMjINrodZX9lSPQadtum1kYxYIczdmI6ji0t8hq0cdk23nDjwPUckXOm7-L-7L_AMFZfeGU0EbvMkMbuoFORoiMHN8hMAXdTNuMeKfadQQvLT2CxUEdtIyY9GJbVBJRzYbQA/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="fr"><span class="hps">Tournez à gauche</span><span class="">,</span> <span class="hps">s'il vous plaît.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>On second thought, I may have a wreck.<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://grumpybulldog.blogspot.com/2011/12/bah-humbug-blahg-fest.html"><br />
</a></h3>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-21213814283360387332011-11-25T18:33:00.000-05:002011-11-25T18:33:00.527-05:00Thankful And Looking Forward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko3Mha1rcDR21uGH4gKWF5OYFSVVy_qIlfWdouAgzRrZ0w2GfbpZJehCDmce9i_R0225TFRYka6T65-WDO3C4U2EX4pZoxHSYCZ6tJCg5uMkGUTnfC8NmJKDwNFerdcWMOk-pwlfKg3TP/s1600/awesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko3Mha1rcDR21uGH4gKWF5OYFSVVy_qIlfWdouAgzRrZ0w2GfbpZJehCDmce9i_R0225TFRYka6T65-WDO3C4U2EX4pZoxHSYCZ6tJCg5uMkGUTnfC8NmJKDwNFerdcWMOk-pwlfKg3TP/s1600/awesome.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Dropping in from my hiatus to express my gratitude to those of you who have "checked in" on me cyberwise and to also wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.<br />
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I've been perusing your blogs, and I'm constantly entertained by all of your witty, wise and heartfelt posts about everything from writing to parenting to relationships and beyond.<br />
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Along with Christmas decorations (which I'll be putting up tomorrow), this time of year brings out all of the new reading challenge posts for the remainder of 2011 as well as the year to come. As I've almost reached my Goodreads goal of fifty books this year (only one to go!), I thought I would get my goals in writing for the upcoming month to keep my scattered brain on track.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/2011/11/2011-holiday-reading-challenge.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR24DIm2XC0qHnRZ5gTSJwxMuLrl-3l7ob6N9P-ULUtDmWiYIIFrLkpXTpldecH9VnKbC5qNXM4yjj75vR5V7WteX0tnp6rVKhcHxGUytVtDe-vCvUVMWY8CQIyKPLqYi7F_qaSe3Tag7/s1600/Holiday+Challenge+Button.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going for the <b>"Buddy The Elf"</b> level and planning on reading 5-9 holiday themed books before the end of December.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bookloversinc.com/2011/11/10/the-bli-holiday-reading-challenge-2011-sign-up/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90FznSIwjwb2MGJNrkDVhfdGvDWmUl8vN5EZXCPxHC2mDk8QhRfGvZKHwTQe2NAM79mTdnd2H_C-EeDuGgNrriRtl5f6SRcO6-6ChufP1FpYgaMjDod7roWmpdcKsG9IYo04IGBzb8lDN/s1600/BLIholidayreadingchallenge2011.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm aiming for the <b>"Serial Mistleto-er"</b> level here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://christmasspirit-truebookaddict.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-spirit-reading-challenge-2011.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRfw-fDWJ1hIyxQ204LJ2EQK6jMVDArAQw0XScTCFHzhfWx2i8HnKNjnLswh1vNE6in2dWbnxRz128zGgnOy_xizRnp_E1-mvIu_0J89aGKx3EAk8KE-mK4Iyxqj8nyQrwgOfm03T3vU_/s1600/xmas+reading+challenge2+lg.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going with the <b>"Christmas Tree"</b> level on this one which is 5 or more holiday books by January 6th. And I'll probably throw in the <b>"Fa La La La Films"</b> bonus level because who doesn't like Christmas movies?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've already got some wonderful books lined up to read:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Holidays On Ice</b></i> by David Sedaris</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Miss Read's Christmas</b></i> by Dora Saint</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Let It Snow</b></i> by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>A Christmas Memory</b></i> & <i><b>One Christmas</b></i> by Truman Capote</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>A Child's Christmas In Wales</b></i> by Dylan Thomas</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</b></i> by Barbara Robinson</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>A Christmas Carol</b></i> by Charles Dickens</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Gift Of The Magi</b></i> by O. Henry</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>The Polar Express</b></i> by Chris Van Allsburg</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll be returning to regular Tuesday and Thursday posts starting December 6th. Talk to you all soon!</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-37975872828995263882011-11-11T09:20:00.000-05:002011-11-11T09:20:53.393-05:00An Apology And A Hiatus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNdvmknTa6FhaldMogAQeh-h7XmHlG3CAeELjhYGrXtnNaJi8bwHa425sSfOx62O-QQ5lU0X3TUTnJCoGS3y7eeki4-Z8Z8gcQaAhFlBMrWDgHVDI2Bf0Lz2gn1bCkRJywGaqi48PyYab/s1600/beagle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNdvmknTa6FhaldMogAQeh-h7XmHlG3CAeELjhYGrXtnNaJi8bwHa425sSfOx62O-QQ5lU0X3TUTnJCoGS3y7eeki4-Z8Z8gcQaAhFlBMrWDgHVDI2Bf0Lz2gn1bCkRJywGaqi48PyYab/s1600/beagle.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To all of my bloggy friends out there I would like to apologize for being a bad neighbor. I have failed to comment on any of your blogs for the past couple of weeks, although I've visited when I could.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Unfortunately, things going on in my life unrelated to writing/blogging have left me emotionally and physically drained. Almost as if my creative juices have been sucked out by some sparkly vampire.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For that reason, I'm taking a hiatus from blogging for the rest of November to recharge, which makes me feel a little guilty as I didn't even consider NaNo this year. I hope to be back to normal by December and ready to celebrate the season with all of my wonderful writing buddies.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I hope you all have a magnificent month and that those of you participating in NaNoWriMo reach your goals.</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-79894467853939236782011-11-04T09:35:00.000-04:002011-11-04T09:35:42.443-04:00Spooktacular Hop Winners!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjbee8UMUDsLpQbl6wqU2wzX3O2KOdjogfymuo2uCDFURLL3Mo8NkbFnMmYMflY92g0-goGL7qpLdsOdi-PQ-P4EcKYb7P3kJ94HdI8E3qeZuKbGMtdpp05cdK-wMqUJnpgpICWRSXM7h/s1600/CONFETTI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjbee8UMUDsLpQbl6wqU2wzX3O2KOdjogfymuo2uCDFURLL3Mo8NkbFnMmYMflY92g0-goGL7qpLdsOdi-PQ-P4EcKYb7P3kJ94HdI8E3qeZuKbGMtdpp05cdK-wMqUJnpgpICWRSXM7h/s320/CONFETTI.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Congrats!</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Angela D. - Dracula</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer S. - The Haunting Of Hill House</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kristi H. - Signed ARC of The Replacement</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">All winners have been notified by email.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to everyone who entered and have a wonderful weekend!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-57432505288321716532011-10-27T00:01:00.012-04:002011-10-27T21:55:46.973-04:00YA SPOOKTACULAR - STORY 2 PRIZE PACK!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frenzyofnoise.net/p/yaspooktacular.html"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKwhhT4QuIfbithWYeJwmNzt2mN9eludylalnAOTgAuZBHKzYhzxhuRY0rx_JrQcuP38ZfQJcZWdXoFwuMO0O3bQIYRJepgYBaXrVfQ_2p98Xo1Dd92tE-4MGST69rVFsvh-kerqprXl3/s400/yaspooktacularheader.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Welcome, ghosts and goblins, to the Story Two prize pack giveaway. I hope you've all enjoyed the YA Spooktacular this year as much as I have. Are these spooky tales great or what? And there's more to come!<br />
<br />
If you missed the beginning of <b>Story Two</b> just click on the banner below to be magically transported.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.readingteen.net/2011/10/ya-spooktacular.html"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzslMiK1uBUqvWOPY-XbSiZ5_ZaDIP4-xBnP7_rECVHcb1TF361MqfWHXTMm0qsB4r8iG1Y0DpcN8L4UY4S-hdLK5ThfM5u0UvPZ0eis_2dpgHszNG-0KB9AC5ExglFd6-ZnhfVS-XH5Cy/s320/partytime.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And if you missed <b>Story One</b> click below to start from the beginning:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2011/10/ya-spooktacular.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9TVcHONguO6a6Q6SoQ3T8Zd6njcsXx3DcVi-VeNEIEAJYMVan8jhEExhN8pnXWFNBq0_DL6lyZn7F9FwAnpzKc4lUG_xYAkr5o8IeOmXTj5iGyisO-pK8q61A2VAMbRpGT_4vz-gOiPS/s1600/pondintheforest.png" /></a></div><br />
I'm really excited be part of the YA Spooktacular for a second year, hosted by Frenzy of Noise & Wicked Awesome Books.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, you got to follow along with Story 2: <b>PARTY TIME</b>. Today, you can enter the Story 2 Prize Pack.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Let me remind you of the awesome stuff up for grabs: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ul style="text-align: center;"><li> <i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children </i>book/poster</li>
<li>Quirk Books Tote Bag</li>
<li>Signed copy <i>Swoon/Swear </i>by Nina Malkin<br />
</li>
<li>finished copy of <i>Fury </i>by Elizabeth Miles<br />
</li>
<li>signed copy of <i>Cryer's Cross </i>by Lisa McMann<i><br />
</i></li>
<li><i>After Obsession </i>(ARC) by Carrie Jones</li>
<li>signed copy of <i>Ashes</i> by Ilsa Bick </li>
<li><i>Entice/Need/Captivate</i> by Carrie Jones</li>
<li>signed copy of <i>Carrier of the Mark </i>by Leigh Fallon</li>
<li>copy of <i>Cold Kiss </i>by Amy Garvey</li>
<li>finished copy of <i>Darker Still </i>by Leanna Renee Heiber</li>
<li>SWAG </li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Told you it was awesome! All you have to do to enter is fill out the <span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/frenzyofnoise.net/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dC1mRElSMERrTDEwT2ZfeFdYUDI0VWc6MQ#gid=0" style="color: blue;">FORM</a></b></span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't forget to check out <b>Story Three: The Corn Stalker</b> tomorrow at <a href="http://www.pageturnersblog.com/" style="color: blue;">Page Turner's Blog</a> and remember to enter for the grand prize drawing at either <a href="http://www.frenzyofnoise.net/" style="color: blue;">Frenzy Of Noise</a> or <a href="http://www.wickedawesomebooks.com/" style="color: blue;">Wicked Awesome Books</a> starting October 31st.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And if you got lost anywhere along the way and don't want to miss out on all of the bonus "tricks and treats", just click on the YA Spooktacular banner at the top of this post for a summary of all the creeptastic fun. Good luck!</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-31625189383693697172011-10-24T00:01:00.013-04:002011-10-24T00:01:01.360-04:00Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCg4nQziGlKbj_82CPdN0knJ81GPvcw3WgXr5IapeAoi7XfrwKVTRVjkM52xDizViCabbv7SO6M_wnYbz3Kgjl7FIHhqXvwZGBuwXdsfwKnjTgL_4L92fyKxVclr9rz29dd4-rWE2Jnqd/s1600/Spooktacular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCg4nQziGlKbj_82CPdN0knJ81GPvcw3WgXr5IapeAoi7XfrwKVTRVjkM52xDizViCabbv7SO6M_wnYbz3Kgjl7FIHhqXvwZGBuwXdsfwKnjTgL_4L92fyKxVclr9rz29dd4-rWE2Jnqd/s400/Spooktacular.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> & <a href="http://www.thediaryofabookworm.com/" style="color: blue;">The Diary Of A Bookworm</a> for hosting</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've been discussing haunted places in my hometown all month long on the blog, so I thought it was about time for a "treat".<br />
<br />
What better way to share my love of the Halloween season than by giving away some of my favorite creepy reads?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Here's what you can win:</b></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPVBjiP0dR_cvWjmHzsS25ljzluj8cE0s2TMPxiUfCft9hVPzB3Pr6167FuFZMMmFh2CXySBGm5JwNh9PQWDunNolJYq84gM3MNX_F8uIa1bQxB3aWJz-qaM8a00KhIzoQnBdMEpELJvF/s1600/Dracula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPVBjiP0dR_cvWjmHzsS25ljzluj8cE0s2TMPxiUfCft9hVPzB3Pr6167FuFZMMmFh2CXySBGm5JwNh9PQWDunNolJYq84gM3MNX_F8uIa1bQxB3aWJz-qaM8a00KhIzoQnBdMEpELJvF/s200/Dracula.jpg" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">THE classic vampire story</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVmaRb_nA0Ku3_bRtv5Bv88J6zcCLO0Dl8alcD6I_eP02DkHNHpHbQwsNdSvBRHHd447ctMrWSUiVmWoosdXV6SW6zzbiPX3rsldsdRIvlxPVPO6foYGpPVDrmMqAA8geEBnjFsqlOWxG/s1600/thohh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVmaRb_nA0Ku3_bRtv5Bv88J6zcCLO0Dl8alcD6I_eP02DkHNHpHbQwsNdSvBRHHd447ctMrWSUiVmWoosdXV6SW6zzbiPX3rsldsdRIvlxPVPO6foYGpPVDrmMqAA8geEBnjFsqlOWxG/s200/thohh.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you've only seen the movie, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">you don't know what you're missing</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGol2niTKJjE7b0XWOVxVOKepCvo7_hyphenhyphen-Sr_SqvbrdXQUlh9LWqqhlvsVM3rZAdM3Vy-Dfv9UBl_NGbp4Khdv4-0Ny9JaK7Nv1dJXLnGjc-8Op3h7KvgYTga4yZMK3YmdkAw5cHJ82de5/s1600/replacement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGol2niTKJjE7b0XWOVxVOKepCvo7_hyphenhyphen-Sr_SqvbrdXQUlh9LWqqhlvsVM3rZAdM3Vy-Dfv9UBl_NGbp4Khdv4-0Ny9JaK7Nv1dJXLnGjc-8Op3h7KvgYTga4yZMK3YmdkAw5cHJ82de5/s200/replacement.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SIGNED</b> ARC</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There will be three winners and the only thing you're required to do for entry is to give me your name and email address on the <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dF9CaVdFY0FlMFVGMXZKRVdfaFVZdVE6MQ" style="color: blue;">FORM</a></span>. If you would like extra entries for following and tweeting, just enter those in the appropriate fields as well.<br />
<br />
Contest runs from now until midnight on Halloween. I will announce the winners on November 3rd. And please don't forget to visit the other fantastic blogs participating. Find the complete list <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop_17.html" style="color: blue;">HERE</a></span>.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-28105509849706683662011-10-20T20:36:00.000-04:002011-10-20T20:36:31.305-04:00The Scariest Destination Of All<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thanks so much for visiting My Haunted Hometown with me this month. I've had a blast introducing you to all of these creepy places this Halloween season.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZLJ_b1JoI4iHP-GKcTD33B5OiAZ9b6SzSBm6K4ce91zDjOrZAr1hPUKRHnTzEfKzjd4A1L6aTokyxVWa5Gl0Szg1M6IQlKNQxqbUovJ28u4KXdU_fNZpLiaEPy_08_9NbeNUkW6NnSB/s1600/evilgerm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFZLJ_b1JoI4iHP-GKcTD33B5OiAZ9b6SzSBm6K4ce91zDjOrZAr1hPUKRHnTzEfKzjd4A1L6aTokyxVWa5Gl0Szg1M6IQlKNQxqbUovJ28u4KXdU_fNZpLiaEPy_08_9NbeNUkW6NnSB/s400/evilgerm1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Unfortunately, my own home has turned out to be the scariest place of all this past week as my youngest is suffering from pink eye and bronchitis while my oldest is in bed with pneumonia. And that is the main reason for this succinct post.<br />
<br />
I will be back next week with a couple of great giveaways. I wish you all a happy and <i>healthy</i> weekend.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-7555151022200060322011-10-18T09:50:00.000-04:002011-10-18T09:50:43.007-04:00My Haunted Hometown - Waverly Hills<blockquote>'Tis now the very witching time of night,<br />
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out<br />
Contagion to this world. </blockquote> ~William Shakespeare<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWv4s8TWyDTUS2dR1J2ixNnnofRW2N-NW9MqrQQFXc9o0SZx1NrtRR7W9x2I4VKFFG8jsquxc6-wSgHWa6A-vHLXnTCKJjdCoxHhOAwtulK-j4B0XCt8Bbk50mycAbkA5SWoFsXfNE5iMY/s1600/waverly.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWv4s8TWyDTUS2dR1J2ixNnnofRW2N-NW9MqrQQFXc9o0SZx1NrtRR7W9x2I4VKFFG8jsquxc6-wSgHWa6A-vHLXnTCKJjdCoxHhOAwtulK-j4B0XCt8Bbk50mycAbkA5SWoFsXfNE5iMY/s640/waverly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
In the early 1900's, Northern Kentucky was ravaged by an outbreak of the "White Plague" otherwise known as tuberculosis. This prompted the construction of a new state of the art TB hospital.<br />
<br />
The building that still stands in Louisville, Kentucky, was opened in 1926 with 435 patient beds, but by 1932, patient numbers had increased to 480 with nearly 100 applicants on a waiting list.<br />
<br />
The sprawling 160,000 square foot facility was comprised of five stories and a basement. Like other tuberculosis sanatoriums, it was situated on a hill because elevation to drier, purer air was thought beneficial to sufferers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk20V9N1m8mZ3xcaPtv0voPR7NJ7Xn9WtOFEwzG_1aWn8QMECq_mEDVmpyywUfDExz6QEEmeqjrXntRi4H-EIJnLchzHxdpWYYpGKLOY2fVImpfpQJV8sdACdzuKlZv-6lrRJWs-aAcRn3/s1600/patients.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk20V9N1m8mZ3xcaPtv0voPR7NJ7Xn9WtOFEwzG_1aWn8QMECq_mEDVmpyywUfDExz6QEEmeqjrXntRi4H-EIJnLchzHxdpWYYpGKLOY2fVImpfpQJV8sdACdzuKlZv-6lrRJWs-aAcRn3/s320/patients.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Nearly 8000 patients died there from 1926 to 1961 when the hospital was closed. In order to keep up patient morale, a body chute was constructed to dispose of the dead so they would not be visible to the remaining patients. This "death tunnel" stretched 525 feet underground to the bottom of the hill where the bodies of the deceased were collected by the family or cremated.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLk5xInJY5e0yZmZrTiX3duRCv1xwpjvJpQTXlojkMUBsnuAVu_gA_XHXl2KdM8PA4Fhh4biNfHhi6AmVDbXzvGnKgfOWM28xvFsPnUjqqRQOm1uIUuqTpM9Rg-cPDm4xgm11CpLsBKw_/s1600/450px-Waverlyfront.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLk5xInJY5e0yZmZrTiX3duRCv1xwpjvJpQTXlojkMUBsnuAVu_gA_XHXl2KdM8PA4Fhh4biNfHhi6AmVDbXzvGnKgfOWM28xvFsPnUjqqRQOm1uIUuqTpM9Rg-cPDm4xgm11CpLsBKw_/s320/450px-Waverlyfront.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The sanatorium currently hosts tours with all proceeds going to restoration of the building. The current owners plan on turning it into a bed and breakfast for ghost lovers. If you visit Waverly Hills today, there is a good chance you might run into the spirit of a child that haunts the third floor and has been known to play with toys brought in by visitors. You might also hear the disembodied voices of children chanting "Ring Around The Rosy" up on the roof, encounter an apparition of one of the two nurses who died in room 502, or cross paths with the shadow people of the fourth floor.<br />
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The sanatorium has been featured on <i>Ghost Hunters, Scariest Places On Earth, Most Haunted</i> and The Travel Channel's <i>Ghost Adventures</i>.<br />
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Waverly is open to the public year around for tours and overnight stays. And don't expect to be able to go whenever the mood strikes because there's a waiting list.<br />
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Are you adventurous at heart? Would you spend the night at Waverly Hills?Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-51893619116687237502011-10-13T21:39:00.001-04:002011-10-13T21:41:46.316-04:00My Haunted Hometown - Colville Covered Bridge<blockquote>Gravedigger, when you dig my grave could you make it shallow so that I can feel the rain?</blockquote><br />
Dave Matthews, lyrics from "Gravedigger" <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Just a short ride to the East brings us to the next location on My Haunted Hometown tour, The Colville Covered Bridge in Bourbon County, Kentucky.<br />
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Built in 1877, the bridge is 124 feet long, 18 feet wide and crosses over Hinkston Creek near the city of Paris. It is one of the few Kentucky covered bridges still passable by car.<br />
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Of course, traversing through this piece of history is not for the faint at heart.<br />
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In the past eighty years, at least three travelers who entered on one side, never emerged from the other, and it's said their spirits haunt the space in between.<br />
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All three deaths occurred in the 1930s. A young couple on their way home from prom lost control of their car and plunged into the water below. They were found the next morning drowned in the front seat.<br />
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Then there was the elderly Sarah Mitchell who headed out across the bridge by foot on the way to the doctor, but fell dead before she made it to the other end.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRdJRcnU0ft_NyLpqIl9-Lskk9At2kM3A4iwhKAPaVgu5bMzVca23FW0VL9uMzbq2OOEYfvZyMGF5K5nC-sLg0sq956gwzSsHJc63hps0wa1NY6v-_c-rn5fYEXyZF1RssTJAuKsNJmcW/s1600/colville-bourbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRdJRcnU0ft_NyLpqIl9-Lskk9At2kM3A4iwhKAPaVgu5bMzVca23FW0VL9uMzbq2OOEYfvZyMGF5K5nC-sLg0sq956gwzSsHJc63hps0wa1NY6v-_c-rn5fYEXyZF1RssTJAuKsNJmcW/s400/colville-bourbon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Even today, nighttime travelers make their way to the center of the bridge only to see light coming through the floor beneath them as if a car had gone into the creek and the headlights were shining up through the water. Or they hear an elderly woman coughing and crying out for help.<br />
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I doubt the living linger too long though. Would you?Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-65693661481833337562011-10-11T23:12:00.000-04:002011-10-11T23:12:26.018-04:00My Haunted Hometown - The Seelbach Hotel<blockquote>The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always -- take any form -- drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!</blockquote><br />
Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvJo5qqVb0M6l2fQjCFbQG7LXtL5C2vfvDoo0g7zoL2YLcvXp3IhzFi-sM0cBqVxwruhS10hlA_CxJXryEmU105000gZEJQM3SEZ_HP_ZFiSAU6qnXdF2H1bP8epeFS_GbtbM_32on6QF/s1600/seelbachoutside.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvJo5qqVb0M6l2fQjCFbQG7LXtL5C2vfvDoo0g7zoL2YLcvXp3IhzFi-sM0cBqVxwruhS10hlA_CxJXryEmU105000gZEJQM3SEZ_HP_ZFiSAU6qnXdF2H1bP8epeFS_GbtbM_32on6QF/s400/seelbachoutside.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The Seelbach Hotel, located in Louisville, Kentucky, was opened in 1905 with an original cost of approximately $990,000.<br />
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The rich and infamous have visited the hotel over the years, including Al Capone and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who even featured the hotel in his novel <i>The Great Gatsby</i> as the location of Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wedding. <i>The Hustler</i> starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman featured scenes shot in the old Seelbach billiard room (now known as the Oakroom, the hotel's 5-diamond restaurant).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7A_8Zk8yfaBpvm2C-7Try96Y0L29b5FA58nixIPptl8bclptN9I9-pyKGNmb42q-fZc5JZCM8iF4dx4uDXhgFxDnn7cFPjeb4yKrJ8V8bKkZeyji5XlHYjRut0Chem2lIMQ6x590HuCu6/s1600/seelbachloby.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7A_8Zk8yfaBpvm2C-7Try96Y0L29b5FA58nixIPptl8bclptN9I9-pyKGNmb42q-fZc5JZCM8iF4dx4uDXhgFxDnn7cFPjeb4yKrJ8V8bKkZeyji5XlHYjRut0Chem2lIMQ6x590HuCu6/s320/seelbachloby.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But perhaps the most famous resident of the hotel is Patricia Wilson, also known as the lady in blue. In 1936, Wilson, age 24, had moved to Louisville from Oklahoma with her husband. His work schedule wreaked havoc on their relationship and by 1940 they were separated.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmijfnBg3lQzeZlXH-LMLE2f1p6BBg-2VvfUG7RUcXod22N7LkqCLcHM3BrpiPUf6s1h5ZiBGU3JnngNSUgH81ya-fbmv35gpuduZQfQ63NzFtaLrvLxC-54MqaaqEAVVrXXCKBQhLKrf/s1600/bluelady.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmijfnBg3lQzeZlXH-LMLE2f1p6BBg-2VvfUG7RUcXod22N7LkqCLcHM3BrpiPUf6s1h5ZiBGU3JnngNSUgH81ya-fbmv35gpuduZQfQ63NzFtaLrvLxC-54MqaaqEAVVrXXCKBQhLKrf/s400/bluelady.jpeg" width="199" /></a></div><br />
In an attempt to work things out, the couple agreed to meet at the Seelbach for a romantic weekend, only Patricia's husband never showed. He was killed in a car accident on the way to their rendezvous. Patricia was devastated by the loss. Later that day, her body was found at the bottom of a service elevator shaft in the hotel. No one seems to know whether it was an accident or if she deliberately jumped.<br />
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In 1987, different staff members reported seeing Patricia Wilson on both the Mezzanine Level and the eighth floor. In both cases, a woman in a blue dress with long black hair was seen walking into the elevator, despite the fact that its doors were closed.<br />
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In April 2004, a couple on their honeymoon awoke to find their room freezing cold and the overpowering scent of a woman's perfume in the air. Others have reported disembodied footsteps in the hallway and electrical objects turning off and on. The sightings continue to this day.<br />
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For over 100 years, the Seelbach has been a place for the weary traveler as well as the unexplained.<br />
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I've been there several times including my senior prom, but have yet to experience the lady in blue. While it's thrilling to think about, I would probably be terrified. I'll stick to watching <i>Ghost Hunters</i>.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-43731703002663038522011-10-06T11:55:00.000-04:002011-10-06T11:55:07.293-04:00My Haunted Hometown - Fairview Cemetery<blockquote><b>It's no accident that the church and the graveyard stand side by side. The city of the dead sleeps encircled by the city of the living.</b></blockquote> Diane Frolov, Northern Exposure, Lost and Found, 1992<br />
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Historic Fairview Cemetery, New Albany, IN, started as five acres of land on the edge of the city. First known as the Northern Burying Ground, it is the final resting place for the majority of the town's earliest families. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3smfSubzD-e30znbQRh6CRLyFQw2TnY8S832eoPmZtyxkjoHNu6aBEN1zo8OSBeLNsb5PcWhwBzxIEd1slckKP_irGZJYnU__PI21x4Hwxqz8HfnsUj49AaxWVi2pf98LfdzVTy5v4Pcs/s1600/DXG004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3smfSubzD-e30znbQRh6CRLyFQw2TnY8S832eoPmZtyxkjoHNu6aBEN1zo8OSBeLNsb5PcWhwBzxIEd1slckKP_irGZJYnU__PI21x4Hwxqz8HfnsUj49AaxWVi2pf98LfdzVTy5v4Pcs/s400/DXG004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Now covering 85 acres, the cemetery holds the entire Culbertson family, <a href="http://virginsheets.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-haunted-hometown.html" style="color: blue;">whose house we visited earlier in the week</a>, fourteen victims of the Lucy Walker Steamship Explosion of 1844, and several Revolutionary War soldiers.<br />
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One of these soldiers, Richard Lord Jones, born 1767, joined the army as a fifer at the age of ten and served three years during which he was captured by the British. Legend says after dark you can still hear him playing his music throughout the cemetery grounds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4MhPe7krrPjYVAvRTpwXzGR6BxpPnW23YC9ZY0La2l3FdrzirGl55rRYAXCGtHTsLs75C4nC8-NrdnPYXSffpxlV04TwKzE1drBhwtipSTYmVm9lpejcqCVJ7pusaNOlUad8qUM5WaOt/s1600/DXG003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4MhPe7krrPjYVAvRTpwXzGR6BxpPnW23YC9ZY0La2l3FdrzirGl55rRYAXCGtHTsLs75C4nC8-NrdnPYXSffpxlV04TwKzE1drBhwtipSTYmVm9lpejcqCVJ7pusaNOlUad8qUM5WaOt/s400/DXG003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It is my plan to visit Fairview on All Hallow's Eve to see if we can pick up anything digitally if the kids don't chicken out on me before then ('cause I'm not going out there alone).<br />
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<b>Has anything not easily explainable ever happened to you in a cemetery?</b>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-43695640779103469112011-10-04T22:58:00.000-04:002011-10-04T22:58:31.223-04:00My Haunted Hometown<blockquote><b>Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.</b> </blockquote> <i>ARTHUR C. CLARKE, 2001: A Space Odyssey</i><br />
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The Culbertson Mansion in New Albany, Indiana, was the home of William Culbertson, once the richest man in the state. Built in 1867 at a cost of $120,000, this French Second Empire-style mansion has 25 rooms within 20,000 square feet, and was completed in November 1869.<br />
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Features within the three-story edifice include frescoed ceilings, a carved rosewood and mahogany staircase, marble fireplaces, fabric wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. The tin roof was imported from Scotland.<br />
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The house has seen many owners and changes since Culbertson and his family roamed the hallways. At the time of his death, William Culbertson willed the home to his third wife who sold it at auction in 1899 for $7,100. During the past century it has belonged to the American Legion and would have been torn down to make way for a gas station if the local historical society hadn't intervened in the late 1960's.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In 1985, the carriage house behind the mansion was opened as a haunted attraction during the month of October. It has raised nearly $600,000 since, with all the proceeds going to a restoration fund. The first floor of the mansion is completely finished and the second floor is well on its way.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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Every year, the kids and I head over to the main house for ghost stories. For the admission price of two dollars, we get to trek by candlelight up the long winding staircase to the attic. There we hear about all the odd happenings that have taken place in the mansion including a small stuffed doll that moves from bed to bed in the children's room, and Misty the ghost cat, a favorite of the Culbertson family, that has been seen walking up and down the main staircase when the moon is full.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There have been inexplicable noises -- footsteps, murmurs, and doors slamming -- and sightings of a ghost dubbed the "lady in gray" that some believe is Culbertson's second wife, Cornelia, who died of cholera in 1880. Of his three wives, she lived in the house the longest. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmOLwo7IaOAq6TtNp982C1S94F_GTHHbeuvA5yQcXaBVQgyM4HzyiD2bX2viKubz7QNPn4_ZxYumuh_HcQ3mppCjNyC2_tz1hzvQbBnxvpgzP8jYl6rbfbKEDMuPy6epycaqj-jdeMbyh/s1600/culbertsoninside.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcXewkBDgKAOCeh_1J3fQMA9ZmRGZ-P5YMoNSJuP2LEo9O5WJSvbpjP93E2cHD4WsPZa44PNclp4SqGh3tP5eHcL1gcQQ3YUjN_a4QcnZEIFi4x9NNZqfHDf46TtpC7eMc1RPkU-bu8Kq/s1600/CorneliaCulbertson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcXewkBDgKAOCeh_1J3fQMA9ZmRGZ-P5YMoNSJuP2LEo9O5WJSvbpjP93E2cHD4WsPZa44PNclp4SqGh3tP5eHcL1gcQQ3YUjN_a4QcnZEIFi4x9NNZqfHDf46TtpC7eMc1RPkU-bu8Kq/s1600/CorneliaCulbertson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cornelia Culbertson</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The creaky floorboards and the wind whistling through the lone attic window always add to the experience. Every year as we're making our was back down the steps, I tell the kids not to step on the cat. I've never seen Misty, but I figure it's good to be prepared. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll be back with another spooky stop in my haunted hometown on Thursday.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-85550488026303093622011-09-29T20:10:00.000-04:002011-09-29T20:10:29.517-04:00Wait...What Month Is It?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB8MQBpgmDcuRqNy0L-UGm6R2UEBdsM8ox1zabdrzfdCbFcHsr7PMQPS_Xz1MNOauym4RkOzsRCetdV2xlTN4ZQDURoWIlSSeWEMjBYHkwkF5xNywf43aC6MD1EKjGa5JwTD_qAKpkT1o/s1600/october.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB8MQBpgmDcuRqNy0L-UGm6R2UEBdsM8ox1zabdrzfdCbFcHsr7PMQPS_Xz1MNOauym4RkOzsRCetdV2xlTN4ZQDURoWIlSSeWEMjBYHkwkF5xNywf43aC6MD1EKjGa5JwTD_qAKpkT1o/s320/october.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Every October* I look forward to pulling out the horror DVDs and working my way through both the classics,</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">and some more recent favorites before the witching hour on Halloween.</div><br />
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But in recent years, I've also tried to add some horror novels to my fun-stuff-to-do-in-October list. Besides Stephen King, I haven't read too much of the spooky stuff so I'm asking for your help. <b>Are there any books about things that go bump in the night that you'd recommend?</b> I'm looking for stories that forced you to leave the light on long after you finished reading. The stuff nightmares are made of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGm8zdRqXay3OEIqIoIUl3U4cN0bOvNU-T1HinH5H4n4RkrsQinZanf8ahyNlfI2T1WMfYRoma69v73h912sJOLbitDG6anumaKaHYnJGDECLA7w-iM478-BTUK1CCAAolR5toOAF-wG4o/s1600/womaninblack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGm8zdRqXay3OEIqIoIUl3U4cN0bOvNU-T1HinH5H4n4RkrsQinZanf8ahyNlfI2T1WMfYRoma69v73h912sJOLbitDG6anumaKaHYnJGDECLA7w-iM478-BTUK1CCAAolR5toOAF-wG4o/s320/womaninblack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The only new one I have so far is <i>The Woman In Black</i> by Susan Hill that will soon be released as a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe (Pssst...if you haven't seen the <a href="http://youtu.be/arixaTWmIA0" style="color: blue;">trailer</a> yet, you should. It has everything a creepy movie should have, freaky moving toys, little girls reciting weird rhymes, and dead people popping up beside you at the window). <br />
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Last year I did a popular series of posts about my haunted hometown and I plan on bringing those back from the grave this October. Plus I'll fill you in on some new creepy places I've found this year. And at the end of the month I'll be participating in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop because who doesn't love to win stuff?<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend!<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, I'm aware it's not technically October, but I love it so much I figured close enough! </span>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-41560899644388582912011-09-27T09:36:00.000-04:002011-09-27T09:36:45.939-04:00Book Review - You Are My Only<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=limpo0c-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1606842722&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10421534-you-are-my-only" style="color: blue;">Goodreads</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhFfFyprahaY_IddFkreio17yvFU3QCwyTeh3derwIIAxSOgkckvMvI1be6Hm_94X8VgLF-JtzOYGMlsTttv5ND5vpHTa1PuoK6BsERehfOSQKHKOVCZYG-ebMoPiHf_5UIYUL40Kc34k/s1600/yamo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhFfFyprahaY_IddFkreio17yvFU3QCwyTeh3derwIIAxSOgkckvMvI1be6Hm_94X8VgLF-JtzOYGMlsTttv5ND5vpHTa1PuoK6BsERehfOSQKHKOVCZYG-ebMoPiHf_5UIYUL40Kc34k/s320/yamo.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>Emmy Rane is married at nineteen , a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock. Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the “No Good.” One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that opens Sophie’s eyes, giving her the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever…</i><br />
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<i>The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.</i><br />
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When I read Beth Kephart's last novel, <i>Dangerous Neighbors</i>, I knew I'd found a unique gem and told everyone who would listen to go out and buy it. I eagerly awaited her newest release, <i>You Are My Only</i>, and I wasn't disappointed.<br />
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As I read her luscious descriptions and insanely poetic use of the English language, I found myself hoping the story would never end. <i>You Are My Only</i> is a heart-wrenching mystery, full of intrigue and just a touch of romance thrown into the mix. As near to perfect as I've read in a long time. I urge you not to miss this one. Highly recommended.<br />
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You can pre-order from Amazon here - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1606842722/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=limpo0c-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1606842722">You Are My Only</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=limpo0c-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1606842722&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
And for the stories behind the books, you can also visit Beth's blog <a href="http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">here</a>.Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-9901433825908543642011-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:002011-09-23T09:12:53.198-04:00What I Did On My Summer Vacation Blogfest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFaeFWRMdZezQLYuebRUem2XkgUEA4ALGZZnh8D0owoGsR_UILnY5ZnzCP57AuUMPQqZv6ZGdxNfW_hS6owwPV2HjjtRerwNw74fHbt64OZ_bQsTkzEr2cCkiXtJijIrBqfSBU-UpapCq/s1600/What+I+did+on+my+summer+vacation+Blogfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFaeFWRMdZezQLYuebRUem2XkgUEA4ALGZZnh8D0owoGsR_UILnY5ZnzCP57AuUMPQqZv6ZGdxNfW_hS6owwPV2HjjtRerwNw74fHbt64OZ_bQsTkzEr2cCkiXtJijIrBqfSBU-UpapCq/s1600/What+I+did+on+my+summer+vacation+Blogfest.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First, I want to thank <a href="http://writing-art-and-design.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">Michael</a><a href="http://writing-art-and-design.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a> for hosting this blogfest. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else did during the summer months.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I, unfortunately, did not travel to any exotic locations over the summer due to lack of funding despite the fact that I logged 2700 hours at my day job during the season (I'm asking Santa for a raise this year).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's not to say my summer wasn't a productive one. From June 21st through September 22nd I read twenty books, wrote four short stories and five flash fiction pieces. I posted to the blog 25 times, including four blogfests and three book reviews. I also celebrated my one year blogoversary and have been doing some heavy volunteering for my daughter's softball league (Go Hurricanes!).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We spent quite a few days at the newly renovated waterpark just up the road from us.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZWNb0KXJ-Gr1Cvr1bHzg06e2t30T6B8r6qjWTKfVRpsXMy6rzZGbFMS9hod32AXf7l3iv48lxVkAJiUCazh-wEilE5mojXU2_k2N_pYnTWzjoJj4DHYfkEq-eSizSc0HJQF9hoESi7gC/s1600/atlantis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZWNb0KXJ-Gr1Cvr1bHzg06e2t30T6B8r6qjWTKfVRpsXMy6rzZGbFMS9hod32AXf7l3iv48lxVkAJiUCazh-wEilE5mojXU2_k2N_pYnTWzjoJj4DHYfkEq-eSizSc0HJQF9hoESi7gC/s320/atlantis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTePnubBjSKg5U-iHyBSH33QBv0HqCgEZHOPgjqXnQIsW7UbsOyl8CCShnmc1UO7b0OhkJFqtTRbWRTaSytAvijoKbTkQISpiCgqnM4q2wt7OGonnC9tNRQQO6nrYfZp7A10D7_3-1yARQ/s1600/atlantis2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTePnubBjSKg5U-iHyBSH33QBv0HqCgEZHOPgjqXnQIsW7UbsOyl8CCShnmc1UO7b0OhkJFqtTRbWRTaSytAvijoKbTkQISpiCgqnM4q2wt7OGonnC9tNRQQO6nrYfZp7A10D7_3-1yARQ/s1600/atlantis2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And I did manage to plan a day trip recently to a local orchard/winery/petting zoo where I sampled the spiced apple wine and the kids got licked by goats (Ewww). So we all had a great time!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhC38xRPmLbKaFUcziX45o4HELKFNpT8GJoxSPqEnncylMI8lO5NWacwQZC2jVdPBpD_-tyYOhs6WflpcCRppfMFmGy_Ls6PEI7Lf5SSssC-tRnaktqZOiCix0XGdA4kOm7lwhkxb6_Y/s1600/hubers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhC38xRPmLbKaFUcziX45o4HELKFNpT8GJoxSPqEnncylMI8lO5NWacwQZC2jVdPBpD_-tyYOhs6WflpcCRppfMFmGy_Ls6PEI7Lf5SSssC-tRnaktqZOiCix0XGdA4kOm7lwhkxb6_Y/s400/hubers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That sums up my summer “staycation”. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What was your favorite part of summer?</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-17427625891143806002011-09-19T01:00:00.001-04:002011-09-19T01:00:11.093-04:00Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q1e7oCpbvmSFrPl3anUcP1vrx0h3dexBi0L6BeShaPmG0x9QQCVzArtIJNRcDKFtNw6wnhN737nAsovLjjBWU_yN5gCQhDq3jDje7kffksbTix9NqT4Eyo_hLCAE1HB14-X-ger4XvjR/s1600/WorstMoviesEverBlogfest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Q1e7oCpbvmSFrPl3anUcP1vrx0h3dexBi0L6BeShaPmG0x9QQCVzArtIJNRcDKFtNw6wnhN737nAsovLjjBWU_yN5gCQhDq3jDje7kffksbTix9NqT4Eyo_hLCAE1HB14-X-ger4XvjR/s320/WorstMoviesEverBlogfest.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thanks to <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">Alex</a> for hosting another fun blogfest!<br />
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I normally can find some redeeming quality for every movie I see. But some are so disappointing that I feel the need to warn people about them. You know the ones. You exit the theater feeling like you've been violated. And it's even worse because you paid money to feel that way.<br />
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Even if you can see them for free, the five movies I'm about to list will rob you of precious minutes of your life,<br />
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First on the list is <i>Jaws 3</i> originally released in 3D. This was the first 3D movie I had ever seen and I was so excited. I expected things to jump off the screen at me, to be nearly able to feel the teeth of America's longest standing reason not to go into the water. What a crock. The 3D was laughable and the plot even more so. By the end, I was hoping everyone would be eaten.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBawEZrjDhQSbP6LViNiiQnf-gHkO7R2Bl4bsG61sOPKAOOb5QGmrzdctUjWoPJ518fJpP9AsxoIB9ndmUSIaKJkm-5TX_Vv2nbylGkw1OqcnOCpBt5Jr7fh0wGLHr_9CfrOnWn_2TLLy/s1600/epicmovie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBawEZrjDhQSbP6LViNiiQnf-gHkO7R2Bl4bsG61sOPKAOOb5QGmrzdctUjWoPJ518fJpP9AsxoIB9ndmUSIaKJkm-5TX_Vv2nbylGkw1OqcnOCpBt5Jr7fh0wGLHr_9CfrOnWn_2TLLy/s200/epicmovie.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><br />
<i> </i><br />
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<i>Epic Movie</i> - I guess we have <i>Scary Movie</i> to blame for all of these lame spoof films that came after it, but this one was particularly agonizing to sit through. I didn't crack a smile the whole 86 minutes of seemingly endless torture.<br />
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I watch a lot of horror movies and I've seen some real stinkers. But <i>Leprechaun</i> tops my list. Even with my fear of little people in creepy makeup, this one just didn't do it for me. Most famous quoted line from this movie, "I NEED ME GOLD!" 'Nuf said.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyPxCvDG1IPiF0lNYPr0KOyohOqLjduhL5ih3B-vk4pulRtsMFfgnR-NdxeVMD0RkCCB2_fsrM7iQWJI2DPQ79wvx0raBycMToBhMkUbBKwwPAtmjdtl61Mh6df8ipjjTllk-7Jy7THjd/s1600/sonofmask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyPxCvDG1IPiF0lNYPr0KOyohOqLjduhL5ih3B-vk4pulRtsMFfgnR-NdxeVMD0RkCCB2_fsrM7iQWJI2DPQ79wvx0raBycMToBhMkUbBKwwPAtmjdtl61Mh6df8ipjjTllk-7Jy7THjd/s200/sonofmask.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyPxCvDG1IPiF0lNYPr0KOyohOqLjduhL5ih3B-vk4pulRtsMFfgnR-NdxeVMD0RkCCB2_fsrM7iQWJI2DPQ79wvx0raBycMToBhMkUbBKwwPAtmjdtl61Mh6df8ipjjTllk-7Jy7THjd/s1600/sonofmask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<i>Son Of The Mask</i> - I got roped into watching this one by my kids and I may never forgive them. Although I did find the baby scarier than the little guy in Leprechaun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAc6pA_Lc-e31PLPxgUtPGZrLLVEz2_XxknjFG-9UcGLSS9yZu70IEUrk05YC3zBi11cujdf1uUihOdccWjU-hiok3wfe86q6hWmWSd2zmDG5Vt4ELHryWkkWLD2ZL01E_hHZkETMrZoW/s1600/sisterskeeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAc6pA_Lc-e31PLPxgUtPGZrLLVEz2_XxknjFG-9UcGLSS9yZu70IEUrk05YC3zBi11cujdf1uUihOdccWjU-hiok3wfe86q6hWmWSd2zmDG5Vt4ELHryWkkWLD2ZL01E_hHZkETMrZoW/s200/sisterskeeper.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><br />
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And last but not least I've chosen <i>My Sister's Keeper</i> - The acting wasn't bad and even people who hadn't read the book expected to bring tissues to the theater, but the reason this made my list was because they completely changed the ending of the story from book to screen. And this wasn't a minor change - a different character died! Unforgivable.<br />
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If you've enjoyed this post, I'm sure you will love visiting all of the other <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/2011/08/ffw-marketing-tips-quiz-answers-and-my.html" style="color: blue;">participating blogs</a>. That's what I'm off to do.<br />
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<b>What's the worst movie you've ever seen?</b>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-60766506686221975722011-09-15T20:04:00.001-04:002011-09-15T20:06:56.605-04:00Wrap It Up, I'll Take It!<div class="ii gt" id=":6w"><div id=":6v"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJX34kyzr9yG9AMj-pD_6JTs5X2uz6tKuK-sIraXX62G6LdBOdGQE8tfuzT9yh-tFtiCuQAoLsQ0v5YZH01Bge9hDXqjWIKFJezEysnLaMjq2RWb9E6thURokTz4iL8L3CuOHeI19n5RQu/s1600/campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJX34kyzr9yG9AMj-pD_6JTs5X2uz6tKuK-sIraXX62G6LdBOdGQE8tfuzT9yh-tFtiCuQAoLsQ0v5YZH01Bge9hDXqjWIKFJezEysnLaMjq2RWb9E6thURokTz4iL8L3CuOHeI19n5RQu/s1600/campaign.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As you know, I'm a Campaigner and I've really enjoyed visiting all of the wonderful blogs in my groups over the past two weeks. The first challenge was so much fun and since I've always been a statistics freak, I thought I would pass along some info I noted while travelling through the massive linky list.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>80% of the Campaigners took part in the first challenge. </b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Out of the 384 entries, I found 45 wordpress blogs and 266 set up through blogspot. The other 73 consisted of actual domain names, there were some through Weebly, and a couple directly linked to social networking sites (i.e. Facebook).</b> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Roughly 75% of the participants stated they didn't normally write flash fiction and approximately 25% said this was their first ever flash piece.</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I say kudos to all of the participants because I read some really great flash entries. <b><br />
</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In other news, the wonderful <a href="http://pillowofthecommunity.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">Blogger Formerly Known As</a> has given me the <b>One To Follow</b> award. I would like to recognize five other blogs that I believe are very worth following:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHv9zjmY2BIXKRIMOOoRFO3Ce-czgzPWiclYO_q6x9-00i5X-5nQc6q2Tuo9BHu2KU05F74PjkuxKtZemdU_Vb7Dgd50RXsjXOvrE3guhUbbnytoOBqFFEgqGdnnuFD28aEiusWn2GfkHV/s1600/followfest5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHv9zjmY2BIXKRIMOOoRFO3Ce-czgzPWiclYO_q6x9-00i5X-5nQc6q2Tuo9BHu2KU05F74PjkuxKtZemdU_Vb7Dgd50RXsjXOvrE3guhUbbnytoOBqFFEgqGdnnuFD28aEiusWn2GfkHV/s200/followfest5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sara @ <a href="http://crowriverwriter.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://crowriverwriter.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Rosie @ <a href="http://eastforgreeneyes.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://eastforgreeneyes.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Kate @ <a href="http://kate-swenson.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://kate-swenson.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Nadja @ <a href="http://nadjanotariani.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://nadjanotariani.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Shelley @ <a href="http://shelleykoon.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://shelleykoon.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I also received <b>The Irresistibly Sweet Blog</b> award from <a href="http://www.kthanna.com/" style="color: blue;">K.T. Hanna</a> and I would like to pass this one on to the following five blogs:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBYo6Sx8OFW-Six2ALv9YDB5jfmXr4Rgl7DghQVpQgR-fkc0Lkh0pu0mFnluGhp2Q-I2sZiU6swZfUhAsN8wEqCv0DIPYrQhtyNTCDKyeJ-MifkK6s0fE3IvEBAt2UtJ3Wyvatig5fuNL/s1600/the%252Birresistibly%252Bsweet%252Bblog%252Baward.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBYo6Sx8OFW-Six2ALv9YDB5jfmXr4Rgl7DghQVpQgR-fkc0Lkh0pu0mFnluGhp2Q-I2sZiU6swZfUhAsN8wEqCv0DIPYrQhtyNTCDKyeJ-MifkK6s0fE3IvEBAt2UtJ3Wyvatig5fuNL/s1600/the%252Birresistibly%252Bsweet%252Bblog%252Baward.png" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Crystal @ <a href="http://www.littlebundleofcontradictions.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>littlebundleofcontradictions.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sarah @ <a href="http://emptywhitepages.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://emptywhitepages.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dawn @ <a href="http://dawnmalone.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://dawnmalone.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Claire @ <a href="http://www.clairemarriott.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://www.clairemarriott.com/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Marie @ <a href="http://marieandrewsauthor.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://marieandrewsauthor.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you haven't visited their blogs yet, you should head on over and introduce yourself. You won't regret it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After being tagged last week, I was glad there were no rules with these two awards to list quirky things about myself because I'm actually pretty boring and I don't think I could have come up with anything else.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll be back on Monday with a special post for <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/2011/08/ffw-marketing-tips-quiz-answers-and-my.html" style="color: blue;">Alex's Worst Movies Ever Blogfes</a><span style="color: blue;">t</span>. If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">May your weekend be glorious and your muse submissive!</div></div></div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-60224248601190010732011-09-13T21:58:00.000-04:002011-09-13T21:58:58.039-04:00Tag Me, Baby!<div class="ii gt" id=":8p"><div id=":8q"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDhZuxZsVzcj8o_mUWiBB8VJ9Az2jbf1sxncROcZJqgL4Z84INb05efiS_mVPBBqRLh5NiF23TMmOH6ktD6t6N_UcTpuB-ORJQgmC2-bPJEdGXFjx-Lbnxmrq8XsEAvrik8zv49ltij8/s1600/tagged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDhZuxZsVzcj8o_mUWiBB8VJ9Az2jbf1sxncROcZJqgL4Z84INb05efiS_mVPBBqRLh5NiF23TMmOH6ktD6t6N_UcTpuB-ORJQgmC2-bPJEdGXFjx-Lbnxmrq8XsEAvrik8zv49ltij8/s1600/tagged.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I've been tagged by <a href="http://alliewilde.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">Allie</a> and it couldn't have come at a better time as I was drawing a big nothing when I sat down to do blog posts this week. Here are 10 random facts about moi:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1. I find things innapropriately funny. Like when people fall down. My kids included.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2. I have trouble spelling certain words with repeating consonants. I always repeat the wrong one and have to correct. Like <strike>dissapoint</strike> disappoint. This annoys my friend <strike>Jeniffer</strike> Jennifer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">3. I've always wanted to belong to a huge family with tons of brothers and sisters that are forever in each other's business. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">4. <strike>Midgets</strike>, <strike>Dwarves</strike>, Little people freak me out. If they 're wearing clown make-up, even worse. I had a bad experience at the circus once. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">5. I eat my M&Ms two at a time by color and find it very disturbing when someone just rams assorted colors in their mouth at the same time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">6. I dropped out of college my Junior year to get married (although I'm single now). I've thought about going back and finishing, but I haven't convinced myself that it would be worth my time at this point in my life.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">7. While I was married, I hardly ever read a book. After the divorce, paranormal romance got me back into reading, JR Ward's Black Daggar Brotherhood to be exact. These days I read what I write, YA.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">8. I once lost a pet in a lawnmower accident. My dad ran over my hermit crab, Hermie (original, I know) when I was eight.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">9. There are certain movies that the family and I watch on a regular basis: Galaxy Quest, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Haunted Honeymoon, Clue and Arachnophobia.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">10. I love lists!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now I would like to tag five of my new Campaign buddies. You should definitely check out their wonderful blogs. These ladies ROCK!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Shari - <a href="http://sharibird.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://sharibird.blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Jodi - <a href="http://jt52weeks.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://jt52weeks.blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Angela - <a href="http://angelawritenow.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://angelawritenow.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Christy - <a href="http://christyfarmer.wordpress.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://christyfarmer.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Clare - <a href="http://clarekirkpatrick.wordpress.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://clarekirkpatrick.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com</a></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">See you all back here on Thursday!</div></div></div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-37476244690177964702011-09-08T00:01:00.006-04:002011-09-09T09:38:31.244-04:00First Campaign Challenge!<i></i> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OW9F0cFfTetAUP1YxynmtGrB5JToPNr2ndlZwwDYfZyqwNiV6QwPt5k5ewz3ZjlAN2UhLrGndy1xGyA0vxiWpUir2ZMGjZVJxkqhzbAKkiAz9HAVMTlWNehDaxYyNtmP2407IbEEmr8I/s1600/campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OW9F0cFfTetAUP1YxynmtGrB5JToPNr2ndlZwwDYfZyqwNiV6QwPt5k5ewz3ZjlAN2UhLrGndy1xGyA0vxiWpUir2ZMGjZVJxkqhzbAKkiAz9HAVMTlWNehDaxYyNtmP2407IbEEmr8I/s1600/campaign.jpg" /></a></div><i></i> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I hadn't even seen the challenge until Tuesday when I visited one of my fellow campaigners and noticed their entry. When I went to Rach's site for the deets, there were already over 100 linkys! Call me impressed. You campaigners are really on top of things. I just hope I can find the time to read them all because the few I've seen so far have been awesome. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The rules:</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Write a short story/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction" target="_blank">flash fiction</a> story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words <u>will</u> be included in the word count.<br />
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If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)<br />
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For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My entry is below and I managed exactly 200 words<i>.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkDTAoOITPCqNb4P0IYARJ3u0PHEr9qkqNOCNpLpbNzrmpgDK_kxlRv8UHQflGQsTa-oOylyQWvJWt-sSFb-LaJZJfqK0iMCSLrzWjtxDvPexHiePIg06lerzLxjAm1j4Zzvjq0Hd0j3t/s1600/creephouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkDTAoOITPCqNb4P0IYARJ3u0PHEr9qkqNOCNpLpbNzrmpgDK_kxlRv8UHQflGQsTa-oOylyQWvJWt-sSFb-LaJZJfqK0iMCSLrzWjtxDvPexHiePIg06lerzLxjAm1j4Zzvjq0Hd0j3t/s1600/creephouse.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i> </i></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><i>Hear No Evil</i></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>The door swung open. A brutal November wind invaded the kitchen and ushered in the last of the dead leaves that had gathered on the porch. They crunched under my feet as I hurried to close the one entrance I'd left unblocked. Our only way out.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Jake looked pale, much worse than when we'd arrived. The blood had soaked through his shirt again and his breathing seemed shallow and forced.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>I sat down beside him on the floor and held his hand.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“<i>It won't be long now. Help will be here soon.” I hated lying to him. How many times had I wished he'd never been born? I'd take it all back if I could. Trade places with him right now. Nobody deserved what he was going through.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“<i>I'm so cold,” he said opening his eyes. “ I wish Mom was here.”</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“<i>Me too.”</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>I slid the last of the antibiotics under Jake's tongue and quietly picked him up.</i><i> </i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Stillness coated the house, but I knew what to listen for.</i><i> I must have missed a way in. </i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>They were moving fast now. I thought I heard their whispers when we slipped out, braced against the cold as the door swung shut.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Don't miss the other entries at <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-campaigner-challenge.html" style="color: blue;">Rach's</a> and have a great weekend!<i><br />
</i></div>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7689587591545890630.post-8211507430708143572011-09-05T11:05:00.001-04:002011-09-05T11:06:44.990-04:00Award Winning Reads Challenge Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrp1VaNop3p7BQ4SyKO-pZHmeCvT-RHw3HVO7I02IZGhMK5A6nW5SiU7T6-8JbjP92oQQkTb2UwmqUQSxtXbKB1ck97rpSVcqjkRtWaA6BMl_GCKZ2dUPBd3mXxYfy1zdaEGORDPxq-2i/s1600/winningreads.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrp1VaNop3p7BQ4SyKO-pZHmeCvT-RHw3HVO7I02IZGhMK5A6nW5SiU7T6-8JbjP92oQQkTb2UwmqUQSxtXbKB1ck97rpSVcqjkRtWaA6BMl_GCKZ2dUPBd3mXxYfy1zdaEGORDPxq-2i/s200/winningreads.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<br />
This is the last day in the challenge and I am thrilled to say that I read all of the books on my original list and reviewed all but <i>On The Jellicoe Road</i> by Melina Marchetta, only because I just finished reading it today (talk about cutting it close).<br />
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The challenge was to read as many Newbery and Printz award winners or nominees as possible between Memorial Day and Labor Day- May 30th until September 5th. <br />
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<div>There were 4 levels of participation-</div><div><br />
Level 1- Underachiever: Read 3 books</div><div><br />
Level 2- Nerd: Read 6 books</div><div><br />
Level 3- Brainiac: Read 9 books</div><br />
Level 4- Teacher's Pet: Read 12 books<br />
<br />
I signed up at the Brainiac level and the nine books I read are:<br />
<ol><li><i>When You Reach Me</i> by Rebecca Stead - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/98793106" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>The Giver</i> by Lois Lowry -<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/98764788" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>Bridge To Terabithia</i> by Katherine Paterson - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/173242096" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>Going Bovine</i> by Libba Bray- <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/173241541" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>On The Jellicoe Road</i> by Melina Marchetta</li>
<li><i>The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things</i> by Carolyn Mackler - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/173242225" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak - <a href="http://virginsheets.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-book-thief.html" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
<li><i>Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging</i> by Louise Rennison<i> - </i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/173242683" style="color: blue;">my review</a><i><br />
</i></li>
<li><i>Please Ignore Vera Dietz</i> by A.S. King - <a href="http://virginsheets.blogspot.com/2011/07/please-ignore-vera-dietz-book-review.html" style="color: blue;">my review</a></li>
</ol>I really enjoyed this challenge and hope the lovely ladies that put it together will do so again next year. My favorite book by far was <i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak.<br />
<br />
Since I'm done with this challenge, I could really use some suggestions of what to read next.<b> What has been your favorite read this year?</b>Lisa Pottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.com6