The Books I Read This Year

Posted on by Mandy

One thing I did resolve to do this new year was to write down the name of every book I read this year. I thought it would be fun to see how many books I read and also take some suggestions from my readers on what to read next.

1. Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) – Stephanie Meyer
2. New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2) – Stephanie Meyer
3. Eclipse (The Twilight Saga) – Stephanie Meyer
4. Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) – Stephanie Meyer
5. Homer’s Odyssey – Gwen Cooper
6. When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence-Squire D. Rushnell
7. The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
8. A Grief Observed– C. S. Lewis
9. Dickens of a Cat, A: and Other Stories of the Cats We Love– Callie Grant
10. Lizzie– Dorothy Shawhan
11. Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life– Spencer Johnson
12. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters: A Novel– Elisabeth Robinson
13. The Help– Kathryn Stockett
14. Bergdorf Blondes– Plum Sykes
15. Some Day You’ll Thank Me for This: The Official Southern Ladies’ Guide to Being a Perfect Mother– Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
16. One Mississippi– Mark Childress
17. We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle– Celia Rivenbark

And Then Mother Nature Stomped On My Child’s Heart

Posted on by Mandy


It has been extremely cold here in the Mississippi Delta for the past few nights. Last night was no exception, so I cranked the heater up before going to bed and watched the local forceast on the Weather Channel. I could see light snow dancing all around our city on the radar, but it didn’t look menacing enough to warrant any attention, so I went to sleep.

By 6:30 AM this morning, I could see we got a light dusting of snow overnight. By 7 AM, it was coming down pretty good. It was beautiful…so serene to watch, and that’s exactly what I did while having my morning coffee. I excitedly woke E.B. up for school and showed him. We did the “IT’S SNOWING!!!!” victory dance and he babbled on and on about making a snowman, snow cream, and hitting me with a snowball.

We had big plans when he got out of school for some fun in the snow, y’all.

It snowed all morning, but only tiny flurries that never amounted to anything. By 2:45 PM when I picked E.B. up from school, he walked outside to the car in a dumfounded state. “Where is the snow, Mama???!!!”, he cried. I explained that it just wasn’t a big snow this time and the sun was out and it had all melted. He then immediately demanded that I make the sun go back in and bring back the snow, all while huge crocodile tears streamed down his little face.

Oh, the heartbreak!

He eventually let it go once we got home. However, guess what we’re in for Wednesday night/Thursday morning? Snow SHOWERS! Showers are totally way bigger than flurries, right? I’m not telling E.B. yet, though. I hope we wake up Thursday morning to canceled school and work and enough snow to make the biggest snowman ever.

But not before I go to the grocery store. Because that’s what people in the South do before it snows.

The Quiet

Posted on by Mandy


It’s 7 AM here, and I’ve been up since 6. I’ve had time to take a long, hot bath, enjoy my coffee and read blogs at my leisure. I’ve seen the sun rise into the sky on this bitterly cold morning. My hair is air-drying, I’ve had breakfast, and pretty much have taken my time doing whatever I want.

E.B. spent the night with my parents. I have to go in to work today, so instead of rushing around to get him awake (which is a huge job in itself), rushing to get him fed, dressed, and to brush his teeth with countless negotiations and stalling, rushing to get out the door and get the car warmed up and both of us to where we need to go in the morning, he is still asleep at his granparent’s house and I am here, taking my own sweet time. It’s so quiet. No rushing.

Although these lazy mornings are heavenly, I miss the craziness just a bit. I haven’t been able to be completely selfish and leisurely in the mornings since he was born. However, on quiet mornings like this, I appreciate motherhood even more. He is my company, my cover-hog in the bed, and the very thing that keeps me going, even when I don’t feel like it. And the craziness of each new morning is worth every bit of it just to spend another day with him.

I can’t wait to get off work.