Better To Give Than To Receive!

We all remember what it was like to be a kid at Christmas time.  The wonder, the awe, and the excitement of everything...  Well this year my daughter wanted a Kindle for Christmas.  (This was really the only thing on her list other than an ipad.)  As an avid reader myself and Kindle lover, I was very excited to learn that my parents had purchased each of the three older grandchildren Kindles.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas, all I heard from Katzya was how she really hoped for a Kindle for Christmas.  I think this photo captures the moment of surprise beautifully!  Katzya was so shocked when she opened this package, and it took her a split second to realize just what was in the box.  I love the look of surprise on her face!  We all know it is better to give than to receive, and making other people happy couldn't be conveyed any better than in this picture.  

PS:  No, I did not buy her an ipad.  Like a good parent, I bought her pajamas and flannel bed sheets.  You have to be cozy while you read your Kindle, right?!

"Is this REALLY what is in this box?!"

Saturday Blog Hop: Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope this blog post finds you all safe and happy after this weeks Halloween fun!  We had all sorts of fun carving our pumpkins and getting our costumes ready.  This year K decided to be Little Red Riding Hood and she had to have a black wig to go with her costume, however after trying it on she really was not very impressed with it.  Soon it became a prop to use on the dogs, and the effect was not quite Little Red Riding Hood.  It was more like Cher on a bad night in Las Vegas!  

Have a great Saturday and thanks for stopping by on the Blog Hop!

Larry doing his best imitation of Cher...

Stewart can't even keep a straight face in his costume!  He thinks the idea of Cher is a bit ridiculous!

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Book Review: Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon

On occasion you start reading a book by a new author and you instantly know that you have just stumbled upon greatness.  That is exactly what happened when I picked up Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon.  Much like Sara Gruen in Water for Elephants, Garzon hooks the reader from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the last page.  Her writing style is smooth, vividly descriptive, and easy to get lost in.  Her characters are rich, well rounded, and she makes you feel as if you intimately know them.  

There is an optimistic sentiment through the entire book for the characters to come out on top.  You find yourself hoping that this family recovers from the personal trouble that they each face, and that they can begin to heal and grow as a family.

You don't need to be a horse enthusiast to enjoy this book.  The constant undertow is a developing love story that is attractive to both the older teenager and the adult audience.  This novel moves at an effortless pace that will have you curled up in your favorite chair reading well into the evening hours.  This being Garzon's first novel, I can't wait to see what is next.  One thing I know for sure is that this is a new author who is going to take the literary world by storm! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

We Are Back!

Larry the Labrador



We have had an amazing summer in the Browning-Smith household!  It has been full of friends, family, horse shows, and of course: dogs!  We have had one new addition to our household this summer.  His name is Larry.  Larry found us while on vacation, and we just couldn't leave him behind!  (The animal shelter there was in a very rural area, and they said that Larry would most likely be euthanized due to his age and overcrowding.)  Larry is between 10 and 12 years old, and it is almost as if he has been our dog for his entire life.   He bonded with me instantly which has created some separation anxiety issues, but hey who can blame him for being a bit scared of being left behind again?  There was some thought that we would adopt Larry out to a new home, however due to his age he will most likely live out the rest of his life here at Rainbow Acres.  That is unless the absolute perfect home comes along....





Saturday Blog Hop: The Happy Box!



Do not pay attention to my terrible hair in this picture.  I know I look like Kramer off of Friends....

Part of my quest to be an "urban farmer" has made me look at the food that I eat.  I have determined that I eat terrible because it is easy, so I recently joined a CSA program in our community.  It is called "The Happy Box".  You decide what vegetables and fruits that you want to receive, and they pick and deliver your produce once a week.  It is all organic, and it tastes amazing!  I swear I eat more produce this way strictly because I get so excited to eat it.  Opening that box on Friday is always so exciting because you never know what you are going to get, and I eat things I would never have eaten before because they are delivered to me.  Pictured below is the photographic evidence that I am not the only one who is excited about "The Happy Box".  It turns out Stewart likes organic produce too!

Stewie and his organic carrot!

Urban Farming: Chickens

Dixie!

Okay, so confession time: I love chickens!  There is nothing like sitting on your deck, sipping a glass of wine, while watching your chickens frolic in the yard.  The problem?  I live in the middle of the city....  This has not deterred me from my dream of becoming an urban farmer though.  (I really want fresh eggs!)  All winter I have been researching chickens, and finally I purchased these 6 little girls from the local feed store just a few weeks ago.  I built an indoor chicken coop over the weekend, and an outdoor coop will soon follow.  I love listening to them chirp and cheep, and they are everything I imagined they would be!  Katzya and I named them: Dixie, Dorothy, Demi, Daisy, Dolly, and Diane (after my mom!).  It will be a few months before my fresh eggs start rolling in, however I am in love with these fuzzy little critters already! 

Watching our new arrivals!

Saturday Blog Hop: Goodbye Fenway

This week has been particularly hard on our family due to the death of one of our "pack" members. I have a variety of animals that bless my life, and each of them are treasured members of my family. That is why I have not blogged for the last 2 weeks. We noticed that our kitty, Fenway, was unstable on his feet last Friday and we immediately took him to the veterinarian. She did a number of tests on Fenway and his blood work showed that he had elevated ammonia levels and he had a fever of 105 degrees. We were looking at the possibilities of a liver shunt, toxoplasmosis, or FIP for a diagnosis. Fenway continued to get worse over the course of a few days, and his blood work came back negative for toxoplasmosis. A liver shunt was ruled out since he had a fever, so we are thinking that he had FIP. (He had the majority of the symptoms for this disease...) He was making no improvements in his ability to walk, and was having a hard time eating so we made the painful decision to euthanize him.


Fenway was a rescue kitty from the humane society. He is featured along with his brother in one of my December blog posts. I was supposed to only foster both of these boys, but after it became obvious that Abner would never be a candidate for adoption, we decided to keep them. Fenway was only a 5 pound kitty, but the hole that he has left in my house and heart is big enough for an lion. Fenway was always purring and snuggling with us, and even with his last breath he continued to purr. My house seems empty. He was a constant fixture on the couch or in bed, and I miss him greatly.


There are times I wonder: "Why does this one need me?" I wondered that with Fenway. He was such a perfect kitty, and I often thought that I would place him without Abner because I just didn't need 2 more kitties. I guess the answer is that God knew Fenway needed me, even though I didn't know that myself. I was able to give Fenway a home where he was safe, fed, and above all: loved. I have no regrets with this rescue. My only regret is that I couldn't have loved him a little longer....