Josie Martin returns home from college for the summer with a secret. Her relationship with her professor crashed when he asked her to end her pregnancy. Back at home with her family still recovering from the loss of her father the year before, she struggles with whether to give her baby up for adoption or raise him or her as a single mother. Tripp, her best friend who had wanted to date her last year, will be devastated by her news, along with her family.
Tripp Colton has loved Josie for a long time. While he supports her plans to open a Louisa Alcott-themed bed and breakfast, her mother’s dream, he struggles to accept that she only wants friendship from him. And then he hears a rumor…
I loved the bookish theme to the mother’s dream. Josie’s parents had even followed the Little Women theme when naming their children. Josie had turned her back on her dream of becoming a writer to pursue her father’s dream for her. The similarities between the lives of the Little Women sisters and the characters in this series will be plain for all who’ve read the classic novel.
I couldn’t put this book down. What a gripping, multi-layered story! Steadfast love shines in the lives of believable, flawed characters.
Unexpected twists, along with similarities to the much-loved classic novel, kept me turning pages. Recommended!
Parmesan Buttered Noodles is a great side dish. I’ve serve it with chicken and steak. It’s a nice change from potato sides. Tonight, I’m looking forward to serving it with pork chops. It’s an easy dish that takes minutes to prepare.
I usually use medium or wide egg noodles. When preparing egg noodles, I often add 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the boiling water to enhance flavor. Alternatively, I sometimes use either chicken broth or chicken stock for half the water. For example, if the noodles require 1 quart of boiling water, half—or all—can be substituted with broth and cooked as normal. (I use beef bouillon when serving with steak or other beef main courses.) If I do add bouillon, broth, or stock, I cut back on the salt or omit it.
It’s a choice. Water is also fine. 😊
Cook the noodles per package instructions. Set aside.
Take a ¼ cup of the cooking water and add to a small saucepan. Add 4 tablespoons of butter. Cook on medium heat. Once it begins to softly bubble, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain noodles. Toss with buttered sauce and parmesan cheese. Place in a serving dish.
Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.
My husband and I love this dish. And I especially love how easy it is to prepare with just a few ingredients.
Experiment with other types of cheese for a refreshing change.
George Washington became the first President of the United States in 1789 to a nation in debt from the Revolutionary War. Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of Treasury, proposed the first national internal revenue tax to reduce the national debt. Congress passed a tax on distilled spirits in 1791.
Frontier citizens living in Western Pennsylvania violently opposed the tax. Dangerous roads made it difficult for farmers to haul corn and rye to eastern markets. They often distilled their grain because it was easier to preserve and store.
The excise officers only accepted cash as payment, which was out of the ordinary for the time period. Many refused to pay the tax.
Others resorted to violence. They threatened excise officers, which was enough to make some leave. Other officers were tarred and feathered before deciding to leave.
President Washington issued an admonishment in 1792, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully. Instead the situation escalated.
In July of 1794, about 400 rebels burned the home of a regional tax collection supervisor near Pittsburgh.
Washington responded by leading 12,950 men in a militia force to Western Pennsylvania. Perhaps the former general enjoyed wearing full military dress once again.
The rebels had scattered when the forces reached Pittsburgh. Out of about 150 men tried for treason, only two men were found guilty. President Washington pardoned them.
This historic event marks the only time that a United States President directly commanded ground troops.
The movie script based on the novel, In Shady Groves by Yvonne Lehman.
I’ve been intrigued with the idea of writing movie scripts for a while. A decade ago, I spent several months digging into how to write scripts. I read scripts for popular movies as part of my study.
So when I discovered Lori Marett’s script for Yvonne Lehman’s, I couldn’t wait to read it. Marett is a talented screenwriter, and I loved that she wrote a script for one of her mother’s novels.
This script did not disappoint. Rather, it kept me turning pages from start to finish.
Windsowers is a story about the Biblical prophet Hosea and his wife, Gomer. I couldn’t put it down. Yvonne Lehman wove a masterful tale of tragedy, betrayal, and brokenness that Marett has captured into a script.
How I hope to see this one day at the movies! Well-done to this talented mother and daughter team. Recommended!
This wonderful book is filled with stories of hope and reflection.
It is divided into sections by topic. The author includes his own reflections written in first person to introduce each new topic. Each section contains several stories written in third person.
Topics covered include honesty, friendship, hope, judging others, and overcoming adversity.
The author’s conversational style reminded me of sitting around the dinner table as a child, listening as my dad told story after story. We sat long after the meal had been cleared from the table as my dad enthralled us with events from his past. These reflective thoughts took me back to those days.
Renewing Your Faith in the One Who Hears Every Prayer
Hurricane Helene struck Florida on September 27, 2024, and then moved inland to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and East Tennessee. The storm caused tragic loss of life and terrible devastation. In a recent conversation with friends living in hard-hit North Carolina and Tennessee, I was heartbroken to learn that about four hundred people are still missing.
Dailey’s nonfiction account of the months following the hurricane was a book I couldn’t wait to read. While her home wasn’t affected, she quickly learned that flooding had rendered a friend’s home unlivable.
What could she do to help? The author prayed with her husband for guidance. That was the beginning.
This account of how God used one woman and her family—and hundreds of volunteers—to care for those devastated by Hurricane Helene inspired me.
My heart is full. Page after page is filled with miracles, examples of how God provided for needs before they knew they needed it.
When I had the opportunity to bake a breakfast dish for a gathering at church, I decided to play around with a recipe for apple bread. This one received lots of compliments!
Ingredients
2 cups peeled apples, thinly sliced and then halved
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
2 cups sifted bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bread baking pan with cooking spray.
Sift the flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and stir. Set aside.
After peeling the apples (3 small apples provide about 2 cups,) slice thinly and then halve the slices. I did this to more evenly spread the fruit throughout the loaf.
Place sliced apples in a small saucepan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of sugar over the apples. Cook over medium heat, stirring often to coat the slices with cinnamon sugar. Cook the fruit for 7 minutes until it just begins to soften. Remove from heat and set aside to cool about 5 minutes.
In a separate mixing bowl, thoroughly blend 2/3 cup sugar with the butter until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Pastry blenders work well for this. Beat 2 eggs and stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Gently fold the cooked apples into the batter. Stir in 4 tablespoons of milk.
Stir the reserved dry ingredients into the batter. If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of milk. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Try to tuck the apples poking out on top into the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.
Many people prefer to eat a slice of this delicious bread with cream cheese. It’s also good without it.
I love the combination of cinnamon and apples. I might even add a smidge more cinnamon next time. 😊
This bread takes about 20 minutes to prepare, including slicing and cooking the apples.
Livvy Miller’s dreams of winning the Cake That baking competition will cover her debt on The Sugar Cube, her cupcake food truck, and bring in new customers. The business she’ll lose by shutting down her truck for the show’s duration is a concern. After praying about her decision, she decides to trust God.
Evan Jones wants to win the baking competition so he can give his parents a dream vacation, who have sacrificed so much for their family.
I love to watch cooking competitions, so I was excited to discover one as a novel setting. This book met the marks for culinary lovers and contemporary romance lovers. I loved the unique setting!
Lovable characters—and some not quite so lovable—stole my heart and had me rooting for them. I enjoyed the story.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Merry Irving, an itinerant pet-sitter, is glad that her current job has taken her far from the scene of a terrible murder. She knows that she was the intended target. Her job involves three rambunctious dogs to try to distract her worry. When a dead body is found next door, she fears that she has been followed.
Semi-retired police detective Dave Brady has befriended her. He’s among the police officers working the scene. Is she innocent? Why do so many people end up dead when she’s around?
This cozy mystery grabbed my attention. Real, believable characters. The heroine seemed too trusting at times. Sometimes the author allowed scenes with the dogs to release too much rising tension.
Even so, this book was a page turner for me. Surprising twists bring real danger. I was worried for the heroine’s safety and read quickly.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence at the Pennsylvania State House (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia—but it wasn’t unanimous.
There were many discussions among delegates in the weeks leading up to the adoption. All thirteen colonies sent delegates, but not all were ready to commit treason and risk their lives by voting for independence in May and June of 1776.
In May, the colonies that did not support independence were New York, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, where the Continental Congress met.
Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, proposed that Congress declare independence from Great Britain, and prepare a possible plan of confederation.
Lee’s resolution was debated. The five colonies still weren’t authorized to vote in favor of independence. Some delegates were so against the resolution in early June that they threatened to leave the Continental Congress if it passed. On June 10th, in light of this opposition, Congress postponed discussions for three weeks.
Yet they continued forward in the meantime. A Committee of Five—John Adams of Massachusetts, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston of New York—were tasked with drafting a declaration on June 11, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document from June 11th to June 28th. The committee revised it for him to rewrite, and it was given to Congress on June 28th. The delegates edited the declaration for the next two days.
Delegates from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Pennsylvania received authorization from their colonies to vote for independence in mid-June.
That left New York and Maryland.
Samuel Chase, a Maryland delegate, went to the Annapolis Convention to persuade them in favor of independence. It worked. Maryland now supported separating from Great Britain.
Unfortunately, the approach of British troops convinced the New York Provincial Congress’s to evacuate on June 30th, without first authorizing New York’s delegates to vote for independence.
The New York Provincial Congress didn’t meet again until after the Continental Congress voted on July 2, 1776, when twelve colonies voted for independence and one colony, New York, abstained.
Even though the vote was cast on July 2nd, the Continental Congress continued to tweak the declaration’s wording.
Congress was finally satisfied with the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and it was approved.
As President of the Second Continental Congress, John Hancock signed his name in bold letters on July 4th, to ratify the document. He was the only delegate to sign the Declaration of Independence that day.
The heading of the original July 4th document sent to the printer read: “In Congress, July 4, 1776, A DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN GENERAL CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.”
The New York delegates weren’t authorized to declare independence until July 10th. Their vote changed from abstention to approval.
On July 19, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to insert the word “unanimous” into the heading. It now reads: “In Congress, July 4, 1776, The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,” because of New York’s changed vote.
John Adams, future second President of the United States and Signer of the Declaration, wrote to his wife after the vote for independence passed on July 2, 1776. He predicted that July 2nd would be celebrated by future generations as a great holiday to commemorate our country’s independence.
He envisioned it as a day that would be celebrated with parades, games, shows, bells, sports events, bonfires, guns, and illuminations all across the country.
Adams was right about the celebrations and the holiday. He just got the date wrong.
Sandra Merville Hart 