we liked it so much we went back

My dad has a name for it. He calls it, "The Keys Disease". I have it bad. I wrote the message below in the sand and at the time I wasn't sure if I was speaking it to my husband or to that sweet, salt air and soft sand.





We went back with my sister and her husband. We arrived just in time for sunset and it was beautiful.










Each day we hung out on the beach and in the sand bar. Each night we played games and watched the beginnings of Shark Week {which seemed appropriate, but not at the same time given our surroundings during the day}.

I learned that my brother-in-law could do this...



and that my sister has the teeniest bit of a mean streak...




One morning we went to this adorable place called the Midway Cafe for breakfast. Midway because while you dine or shop you will be 80 miles from Miami and 80 miles from Key West. It was delicious, and the ambiance was fabulous. I wanted to go there {still want to} every single day for breakfast. If you find yourself near Mile Marker 80 you should definitely check it out.



Kellie tried their coffee and thought it was delish. They roast their own beans!











Did I also mention that I wanted every single thing I saw in the gift shop including the art on the walls!?  And this sweet, little sign...

On our way down to the house we passed a used bookstore and I was dying to go in! So we took a few minutes to meander through the shelves and shelves of old books. I found quite the treasure! A teen romance novel from 1948. Jean Craig Finds Romance. I cannot wait to read it and see how the times have changed! I'll have to post a picture of the book. 

We then went back to the house and got out to the water where we spent the rest of the day. The guys threw the Frisbee around for a bit while Kellie and I read.



We found several hermit crabs and I just loved checking them out. I am sure it was not a shared affection. I made sure they were put right back where I found them.




Then we found this guy...



and I screamed a bit and laughed at myself a lot.



He was really quite beautiful, and I instantly regretted that one time I ate crab legs and vowed never to do it again.



The next morning was perfection. Serene, gorgeous bliss. Andrew and I enjoyed the quiet company as we sat out there together with our books. I don't think anything could make me more happy or content then to be on the beach with a book.



That particular morning happened to be Kellie's birthday so we wrote a message for her in the sand.








Then while she and Jorge enjoyed the quiet morning, Andrew and I went inside to whip up a batch of birthday cinnamon rolls.







We had a wonderful weekend. I am so sad we aren't there right now. Keys Disease indeed!

under the big top

I love it when books have pages like these.

I just read the last words of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and I am ready to start in on the first few again. This is a story worth reading. It's the classic good versus evil with a little bit of whimsy, camaraderie, and romance throughout. I could not put it down!

I thought about reading it awhile back when I saw it on a friend's coffee table. The title and cover intrigued me, but my abhorrence for the circus deterred me from reading the book. Then the movie trailer came out and I was captivated by it once again and requested the story from the library.

The tale that Gruen weaves is nothing short of beautiful. Of course there is the love story, but it's the loyalty and love that a few of the characters have for their animal friends and the longing for good to overcome evil that had me reading long into the night. There are a few scenes that are gruesome and a few that are graphic, so those of you that are faint at heart or want to preserve some innocence may want to skip it.  

However, the real facts and history of the old time circus found within the pages are fascinating and have me planning a trip to the Sarasota Ringling Museum. The sweet rapport between a circus clown and his dog, 12 magnificent horses and their rider, and a young vet and his elephant is enough for this animal lover to call this book a favorite. Then add in some unlikely friendships and a damsel in distress and you've got a darn good story. 

You won't ever find me in line for a show when the circus rolls through town. I cannot condone a show that causes big cats and elephants to be enclosed in tight quarters for the sake of entertainment, and I think this book showcases my point. But I do so love this story and it endears me toward those who love these animals while out on the road.

Check out the movie trailer!

date night

My heart really goes pitter patter when Andrew says the words, "You wanna go to Barnes and Noble tonight?" I could live there. I have day dreams of getting locked in after closing time and the shelves upon shelves of books would be mine for the whole night! So when the Mister wants to go on a date and take me to that page filled haven I can't get in the car fast enough.

When I was in college and studying Children's Literature I spent many a night sitting in a bookstore reading Children's books to review them for class at times, but mostly just to enjoy them. It became a habit and now I cannot walk into a book store without having a stack of children's books in my arms within 10 minutes. Whether you are a teacher or not, whether you have kids or not, children's books are something to be read often. They are chock full of wisdom, real life, some of the best humor, ridiculously silly characters, gorgeous artwork, and endearing-tug-at-your-heartstrings moments. 

So our Barnes and Noble dates always include a hefty stack of kid's books and some other books I am interested in checking out or reading. Last night I went with the intention of discovering a new children's book I would fall in love with and checking out Tim Keller's new book, King's Cross. I was successful.

Our community group at church is studying the book of Mark through a study by Tim Keller so the timing of his new release couldn't be more perfect! This book is going to be really good. I am looking forward to digging into it.

My children's book discovery, A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C.Stead is a downright gem! The illustrations are done by Erin E. Stead and won her the 2011 Caldecot Medal. (I love husband and wife teams.) You should go to Amazon and check out the preview of this book. It is precious! If you have a child in your life, this would be a great gift. But if you don't you could always place it on your bookshelf or coffee table. I am going to do both!

favorite Christmas stories

I said I would post about some of my favorite reads from this past year a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to sit down and devote any time to that. So instead, I will tell you about my favorite children's books for Christmas time. The first thing you should know is that even if I weren't a teacher, I would still love children's books and collect them. So while I don't have the pleasure of hearing the pitter patters of little feet in my house yet, I still have a basket of children's Christmas books. I probably have close to 60 kids books in my Christmas tub, but only about 10 of them make it into my Christmas book basket next to the tree.

I have spent a good amount of time in Barnes and Noble every single December for the last 7 years combing the shelves and display tables for new and old Christmas books alike. Each time I go, I collect and take stacks of books to a cafe table and read them while sipping a peppermint hot chocolate. As I read, I make two piles: "Those that Didn't Make the Cut" and "Those that I'd Like to Add to My Collection". I jot those titles down or (more recently) take a picture of them with my iPhone. Then I return December 26th with a list of books that I hope to snag for half price (usually with a gift card that I received the day before).

I am fond of so many of the books that I have collected over the years, but the stories that are dearest to me are the stories that retell the nativity of Jesus. As a little girl I was captivated by Bible stories. My favorite part of the day in Elementary school was when the teacher took out these lovely picture cards that beautifully illustrated a portion of the Bible and read to us from the back of each one. Is it any wonder then that the Christmas books I love the most are beautifully illustrated stories about my most favorite person?

Here are just four of my favorites:

1. The First Christmas by Carol Heyer

This is a gorgeous book! I cannot wait to read it to my kids one day after I have read them the account from Luke. It is a straight forward account of Jesus' nativity. The words are great, but I seriously cannot get enough of the illustrations. No frills. Simply perfect.

2. Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

This book is written by one of my favorite Children's book duos. It is one of the cutest and most endearing stories. Mortimer takes over Jesus' nativity scene each night, kicking Jesus out of the stable each time. Until one night when he overhears the family in the home talking about who Jesus is and realizes his error. 

3. Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer

Humphrey is a self-absorbed camel who complains about losing his blanket and carrying such a heavy load along this long journey that his master is forcing him to go on. His tune quickly changes the moment he lays eyes on a tiny baby in a manger.

4. This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten

I think the illustrations in this book are beautiful. This story is written in a style similar to "The House that Jack Built." I love the flow of the lyrical prose. I think this book may be one that the kids ask to hear over and over again. I have been bold enough to read it in the public school classroom and my students have always asked to hear this one again.

Happy reading and Merry Christmas Eve! 

to read a book for the first time

is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one.  -Chinese Saying



As 2010 comes to a close, I have been thinking about all the books I have read this year and I am reflecting on them. Some I have to ask myself, “What were you thinking? That was a waste of time!” While others I treasured and wish to read again.

I love books that can speak to me and that I can connect with. I don’t read just for the sake of reading or entertaining my mind. I read because I want to learn more about something I find fascinating. Or I read because I want emotions to be stirred up within me or because I want to find common ground with the characters in the story. I love reading so much that I tend to create attachments to the stories and characters in my favorite books so much that the thought of only reading them once would be likened to meeting an intriguing person, whom you connect with and could see yourself being great friends with, but who you only meet for one conversation and then you never pursue the friendship. That wouldn’t make any sense at all.

My favorite books are dear to me because they have made me feel something, inspired me, brought me great joy, allowed me to live vicariously through another person’s wonderful adventure, taught me about myself, others or the world around me and/or have allowed me to gain new perspective and insight.

I want to blog about books since I love them so much. However, I fear blogging about my favorites will bring about judgment and snickers from much more intellectual readers. You see, I don’t consider myself a literary. I just love reading. I’ve tried reading some of the greats. Some of the classics, and quite frankly, I don’t “get” some of them and others I can’t read without thumbing through the dictionary every few paragraphs (which is laborious when you don’t have the luxury of the iBooks features on the iPad, and sadly I do not). I know I am no scholar, though I would love to be, so forgive me if you’ve read thus far and think that I am going to wow you with my book choices and reviews. That will not happen. But if you love reading like I do and for similar reasons then we could be great book friends.

I’ll come back soon and blog about one of my favorites from this year’s reading list.

In the mean time I will leave you with a great quote that sums up exactly how I feel when I have just finished reading a book that has become one of my favorites.

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." -Paul Sweeney

Can you relate to not wanting to finish a book because it is so good?

** I found the image above at ApartmentTherapy.com and have always wanted to use it for something! So glad I could finally share it!