Not only is it Wednesday, but it’s National Wine Day!  Woo-hoo!  Who else out there likes a good glass of wine with a book at the end of the day?

We’ve been talking about what we’ve been reading this month and after a frustrating search of my local bookstore (who will remain nameless to protect the wicked), I began to question shopping at big name stores.  Tell me if you have this same problem, you are in the bookstore, looking for a new author, walking slowly down the isle where your favorite genre is, and you can’t seem to find anything because some the of the big name authors for that genre dominate the shelves.  It’s not that you don’t like that author, but you want to find something new, or maybe you’ve already read everything that author has out on the shelves.  You know what I mean?  Frustrated, you give up and grab a coffee on the way out.

That happens a lot to me.  I like going to bookstores.  It’s one of my favorite happy places.  When you first walk in and smell all those books…. *sigh* There are endless possibilities when you first enter a bookstore.  You never know what you might discover when you walk the isles and that’s awesome!

Or it used to be.

So, dejectedly I head home and jump on Amazon, and that’s where I find some new books.  Not only that, but with my Prime membership, I know those books will be here in two days.  Yay.

Does this sound like you?  I was curious where you find your books now?  Do you have places that you discover new authors/stories that you are excited to try?  I have a Goodreads account that I try to keep up with, but honestly the best place that I’ve seen for book recommendations has been Amazon.

You know what I miss?  I miss the small bookstore.  The bookstore that was around the corner when you were a kid, that was run by a nice lady that I swear was always reading.  When you would walk in, she would know what books you have read and love and she would tell you about a new author she just got in that she knows you would love.  Would you like a store like that?

Morning!  (I know I put an exclamation mark there, but really I’m waiting for my coffee pot to finish brewing so until that happens I can’t be held responsible for what I write.) *heehee*

TGIW, right? *Hump day!*  What I can’t believe is that it’s already the middle of May and summer is just around the corner.  When do your kids get out of school? I know some that will be out next week and a few parents that may or may not be panicking.  We homeschool, so for us, our schedule is a bit more relaxed, with our family we kind of school all year (so if we are sick or in this case moving – we just moved to Florida), then we won’t be behind.  I have been researching different kinds of curriculum, thinking about what we might use for next year and have been reading homeschool blogs.  One in particular that I wanted to mention here called, There’s No Place Like Home, by Shelly Sangrey.  She just started a series called, “Why Should we Homeschool,” that kind of outlines a few reasons that some families choose this path for education.  Our family occasionally gets asked why we made this choice, but I think that homeschooling is becoming more common and less surprising to people so I don’t get asked this question as much as I used to.

Secondly, I’ve been reading a lot about Tiny Houses.  If you haven’t heard of this movement, basically the concept (and this varies) is downsizing from a typical American home (which I’ve read is around 2,500 square feet) to something much smaller (for our discussion here, something under 500 square feet).  The reasons for people following this path are as varied as the styles of housing, but I can tell you that what appeals to me is the financial freedom that comes from owning your own home, less maintenance, and much smaller monthly bills.

There are at least four or five shows, that I know of, about this movement, one of the most popular on FYI called Tiny House Nation, where they show a tiny house being built, but also how the family or couple downsizes their belongings to fit into their new home.  I have to say, the concept when I first saw it, was intriguing but not anything that I was seriously considering.  But, as time has gone on, this lifestyle has begun to really begun to appeal.  I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to be mortgage free at a young age?

To give you a real look at what this all might entail, I highly suggest you check out the blog called, Tiny House Giant Journey, by a couple named Guillaume and Jenna.  They decided to build their own tiny house on wheels (THOW), and have been traveling ever since.  Their blog covers everything from cost of materials they have used, to what living tiny means not just for them, but for others. (They also profile other tiny housers.)  It’s a great blog and they are very responsive with questions.

The book that I have been reading that goes with this theme is called, Tiny House Living, by Ryan Mitchell.  The pictures are great and the book breaks down different aspects of the Tiny House Movement.  A great read.

If the question in your mind right now is if we are considering going tiny, I would answer yes, we are in that stage.  We’ve gone back and forth over whether we should build our own or have someone build ours it for us; but knowing my husband as I do, I feel like he leans more towards the “we should build our own” camp; which honestly freaks me out a little.  We’ll have to see how that discussion ends up.

What have you been reading lately?  Any great blog posts?

Happy Friday the 13th!  How’s your week been going?  Things have been progressing for our friend Catherine this week, although I’m honestly not too sure if now things are going to end up the way that I had planned.  🙂  I hope you enjoy this week’s “teaser” and please, feel free to comment below.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Her power was draining. It had been so long since Catherine could even remember feeling such pain, but she couldn’t let the spell overcome her at this point or it was all for nothing. Outside, the lightening was flashing and the wind was howling, as if the world could sense the turmoil going on inside. Catherine dropped to her knees in front of the fire, her arms spread wide, hands out as if cupping the very air. Sweat dripped from her brow, clinging to her pale dress.

“What should I do?” whispered Hester who clung to the table in anticipation.

Catherine breathed deep, pulling her scattered thoughts in. “It is almost done, my friend. Please stand watch. I can’t protect us.”

Hester nodded and slipped from the room. Catherine sent what power she could spare with her friend. If they we caught now, the punishment would be severe.