Random Happy Tuesday

 

Yep!  A day late and a dollar short!  Well, not quite a day and with inflation, who knows what dollar amount!  Did you ever wonder where the phrase, "A day late and a dollar short" came from?  I bet you can guess that it is believed to have started during the Great Depression when so many people lived in poverty.  The first record of the phrase being used in print was 1939, but it surely came about many years before that.  But that's me today... late.  It's still Tuesday where I am, though.  How about we just move on?

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Sunday Synopsis

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! At times it was a little hokey, corny, or cheesey. I felt the authors (Patterson and Parton) tried a little too hard to give it that "aw, shucks" country feel. But getting past that, it was a good story that was told quite well.

AnnieLee Keyes shows up in Nashville hoping to make it big in the country music industry. It is easy to tell that she is running from something in her past, but the reader will not know exactly what until near the end. Thankfully, the story has a satisfying resolution.

AnnieLee meets Ethan Blake at a honkey tonk where she asks to get onstage and sing during "open mic" time. Ethan is mesmerized by Annie with the first notes out of her mouth. He also happens to know the owner of the bar, Ruthanna Ryder who also happens to be a retired country music star. Eventually, as much as AnniLee will let her, Ruthanna takes her under her wing and tries to guide her in her quest for country music stardom. Things are going well for AnnieLee until her past catches up with her.

The story is a good mix of description about how the music industry operates with a little humor stirred in with the drama. As I was reading, Ruthanna Ryder always conjured images of Reba McEntire in my head, yet I'm wondering now if I was supposed to be picturing Dolly Parton. Well, it doesn't matter.

This is a fast-paced book with dynamic characters, a well-developed plot, and an actual ending. It is also less grizly that some of Patterson's other books.

View all my reviews

Random Happy Nonsense

 Hello, friends!  I'm so excited.  We're going to New Orleans tomorrow.  We are going to a basketball game at the Smoothie King Center, and we have reservations at Brennan's restaurant. 

My husband and I love the food in New Orleans!  Gumbo, muffalettas, roast beef po' boys, grilled oysters, and so on.  I don't know what else we are going to do. I'm sure part of it will involve Bourbon Street and Harrah's.  I've been on a swamp tour and sight-seeing in different sections of the city, so I'm open to suggestions if you have any good ideas about what to do. Luckily, Mardi Gras is over!

How about some funnies?

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit my friends at Comedy Plus and Stacy Uncorked!

Sunday Synopsis

 

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would have liked to give this more than three stars because the premise is interesting, but it's really only a 3 star read at best. The main character, Samantha, is back in her hometown to help her uncle take his own life (she's a nurse; he has cancer). 20-something years ago, her parents and sister were killed and her home completely burned in a fire. She was only 13 at the time and ended up living with her aunt (Michelle, also know as Mitch which was confusing) and her cousin. There is no love lost between her and the aunt and cousin, but that is beside the point.

This is a story of lies, secrets, and betrayals, which sounds like a great story-line. However, the author went off on tangents with the numerous characters, many of whom added nothing to the plot. There is a big twist at the end, but an avid reader of thrillers can probably guess at some of the details. There really was not a satisfying ending, either. Big bomb drops, no follow-up.

Maybe the author is going to write a sequel. If she does, I hope it will have fewer characters, more character development, events directly related to the conflict rather than tangential events that change nothing, and a satisfying conclusion, all of which were missing from this book. Which makes me wonder why I gave it three stars. Hmmm.

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Happy Tuesday and Random Nonsense

 I imagine that most of you watched the super bowl like we did.  It was tense, to say the least!  What did you think of the half-time show?  It was pretty spectacular, but not my favorite.  I think Lady Gaga's and Katy Perry's are my favorites in recent memory.

What did you think of the commercials, because, let's face it, that's why many of us watch!  According to USA Today and the 160, 000 people that registered to vote for commercials, the best one was State Farm's "Like a Good Neighbaaa."

  That was pretty funny, but my favorite was the "Mayo"  commercial from Hellmann's, which only ranked 12. 

What can I say?  I'm a cat lover!  Here's a link in case you didn't see it. Mayo/Meow!

Some of the Superbowl memes are pretty funny...

This is my fave, and probably true!

Travis Kelce's mom!

Have a good week, and please visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts.

R.I.P. Toby

 Heartbreaking news.  His music reminds me of both good times and bad in my life, but it especially reminds me of  when my children were in elementary school.  Good times listening to Toby with them,

Image Credit

Happy Random Tuesday- Getting Ready for the Big Game!

 Are you ready for some football?  I'm not a huge fan, but I'll be watching, of course.  Mainly for the entertainment and the commercials, though.  Which team will win?  I have no idea, and I have no dog in this fight, but I do know that it is the same matchup as 2020, and KC won that one.  I also know that however old I am, that's the same for the Superbowl.  The SB started the year I was born.  Now if I could just remember those darn Roman numerals!  😉

I hope the commercials are better than they have been the last few years. The halftime shows have been pretty good. The performer is usually someone I'm a little familiar with, but not someone I listen to frequently.  For example, I only know a handful of Lady Gaga songs, but she is amazingly talented, and her halftime show in 2017 was dazzling!  Anyway, I think Usher will be fun to watch.  

Moving on...

Have a great week and don't forget to visit Random Tuesday Thoughts and Happy Tuesday.