Musing Moments

****Thank you to #NetGalley  and  Westminster John Knox Press  for the opportunity to review this book!  This is an amazing book about a topic so many in America have been discussing in their homes and their inner circles!  The question of questioning the meaning of religious, Christian, follower of Christ, whatever you choose to call it, what does it entail? If you don’t subscribe to the conservative viewpoint where solid lines are drawn, are you wrong, evil or ill-informed? This author was raised in a conservative religious background where to question was to not be devout in faith and thinking conflicting views could possibly be courting evil.   “The religion that raised me taught me to ignore my intuition and suppress my emotion.”  This attitude can be so confining that there leaves little room for open-minded people seeking a greater more encompassing understanding of Christianity.   After entering motherhood, she really started stepping ba...

  Thank you so much #NetGalley for the chance to read this and review it!   This is one of those books that you  really don’t know quite what to expect but are pleasantly surprised.  Humorous too!  Quickly you are drawn in to the story and the mind of the central character Georgie. Georgie has always walked the line, done what was expected of him, no more, no less, held a steady job, has a home he calls his own. But wonders, has he ever really lived and just thrown convention out the window to see if there is more to life than what he is experiencing? Could he be more?  Could he become a world traveler and change who he is into someone more exciting, more satisfied, more hopeful?  Haven't we all been down that path in our minds? This touches on some of these questions head-on. The desires of the main character are written in such a way that Georgie is relatable to anyone that has ever dared to dream. What if you/I had taken a different path, done...

  *****Special Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to read this novel and write a honest review!    This is an interesting storyline with the added input of flipping back and forth in time to the period pre-ADA (American Disabilities Act) and to current times, 2026.   The story is told from three different perspectives, our main character Rosalynn, who is in a wheelchair from a childhood accident, her teenage daughter and Rosalynn’s mother.   While on a road trip escaping for safety from a hurricane barreling down near Rosalynn’s home, we learn the story of all three women and how they are interconnected.   It is generational sharing at it’s best, as one can clearly see the similarities and differences between the three women connected by blood. It is both moving, reflective and excellent character development shown of all three women. The additional challenge of introducing a disability in the storyline was handled effortlessly.   It gave the ...

God saw fit to bring specialness in my life in the terms of my grandchildren!   Autism is not something I was familiar with until the birth of my grandson Ty Ryan Glasmeier.  Why is it we never really embrace things far from the norm until they directly touch our lives?  I wish I had done more, been more (knowledgeable) when he was born but since then, I have done what I can to get educated, promote awareness and push others to look at the numbers of how many have autism, of all varying degrees. We need more financial protections for these kids, their families and the adults in our communities with autism. Please take the time to have your voice heard on this subject, far too many with autism are non-verbal and if not you, speaking for them, who will? Click Here for Video

I’m Catholic but wasn’t raised in the church.   Welp, actually I started out in the faith and was baptized Catholic. When my parents divorced, that was the end of two relationships, my dad with my mom and my dad with the Catholic Church.     Divorces were so shunned in those days no matter the circumstances surrounding them. One concept I picked up from the early days of that faith was the love of God and the power of prayer. My Grandma Gliatti was devout in faith and tried her best to instill it in her grandkids.   It hit the mark with me. After exploring many faiths, I found myself certain Catholicism should be my chosen religion.   No, I do not agree with everything but, the practice of how they experience ‘service’ feels like home to me. It is structured; each element plays a part in the faith journey and exemplifies my faith.   Critical to this faith in Catholicism is making the sign of the cross on the forehead and saying the words “In the name of...

  Thank you to  #NetGalley for the advance copy and to Morehouse Publishing for bringing this gem to print! First, this is not my normal type of read. Given that, I was pleasantly surprised. This little book is a keepsake for everyone. It is the book that you lay on your coffee table, night stand, desk by your calendar and when time permits, pick it up, anywhere anytime and read a few pages.  This is that book you give someone and know they will thank you after opening the cover and diving in. So many books with a spiritual nature are written for biblical scholars and everyday folks are more baffled trying to take something concreate away to apply to every day life. This book is not like that! Each chapter begins with a personal intimate story by the author followed by Blessings.   These Blessings, as the author calls them, are prayers which are essentially words of encouragement, reflection, sensitivity, and compassion. The word choices the author uses calm the ...

I had the opportunity to read this book thanks to #NetGalley.  Thank you again! TBP 11/2026I This is a story that takes place during the Gilded Age and will be well liked by historical fiction buffs!   The main character Mariah, she is 18 years old.  After a tragic accident takes out most of the family, her mother Isabella Bishop decides to basically sell off her only daughter to a rich old man John Whitten.  With this marriage, Isabella will be accompanying her young daughter as will Isabella’s mother so that all of their basic needs will now be taken care of thanks to the marriage Mariah is not wanting.  With a heavy laver of guilt, she agrees.  Thus, they enter the world and the main home of John Whitten and all its glamour and stuffy protocols.  The story revolves around all of the central characters that live or work in the main home.   This has all the makings of being a great epic film around a strong female lead, Mariah. She is a young...

  Shush, don’t move a muscle! I am seeing signs of life.   I hold my breath and watch the movement from the side of my eye so knowing if I move my head it will end.   It is as if living things have a sixth sense when they are being watched and then they react, as soon as they detect it. I want to see where this moment ends.   The beauty is shown clearly on this living being of God’s masterful hand of artistry.   Ah, it will fly in to and out of who knows how many lives and time zones. It will pass the eye sights of perhaps only a few or maybe thousands more.   But the one thing that stands true always and every day is it will cause more people to stop for a just moment to simply look, take it in and admire beauty of life.   A butterfly is flipping in wings on the breeze of a new day.   Ah, all is well with the world in this single solitary moment in time. 

What a hoot!  Lisa Cheek tells her true story of her life in and around relationships.  Starting with her parents from day one, she is surrounded by folks who say “I do” only to say not much later “What the hell was I thinking?” and promptly divorcing.  Who wouldn’t be somewhat colored and scared of the idea of commitment? We follow Lisa’s exploration of what makes a long-term marriage work and does the ideal man exist approaching her wedding day. The man she is slated to marry, Big Johnson, seems to be the man that should be right for her on this, her  big day .  But she is taking time to assess by processing her past, piece by piece, or in this case, man by man and taking us along for the crazy ride.  She has sheer honesty in her story-telling of many Mr. Wrongs and potential Mr. Rights.  She makes us laugh and makes our hearts drop when she is disappointed, whether it is a failed relationship for her or someone arou...

  Some books you pick up to read and are not sure what really grabbed your attention when you put in on your to-read list. Promise Me by Jill Mansell is one that quickly proves it is a delicious treat! The story centers around Lou, a kind caring woman who has had a few hard knocks in life, particularly with men! She finds herself out of job and a home and visits a dear longtime friend Sammy. In the town he lives in, she bumps into Edgar Allsopp. Edgar is a man known to the town as a recluse with personality like sour milk. The ornery 80-year-old knows she is the one he wants as his caretaker so he makes an offer hard for her to refuse. He is relentless in his pursuit of her saying yes!   As their relationship progresses, we learn a whole lot about several other people from the little town of Codwolds. The small village is full of charm and likeable characters, all with a story. Each leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Many other side stories also develop with these ...

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! This story is about Yakira Mitchell, a young woman devoted to creating a home for discriminated Chinese American women at a low point in their lives.   It takes place during a time when Chinese essentially had no rights; 1880’s post-Civil War. Massive numbers of white Americans hated them and were barbaric towards them.   The story is about not only the political environment and culture of the period but also the perseverance of courageous others fighting this hatred.   Yakira and her close inner circle fought to try to overcome the obstacles in society.   It also reflects the Chinese’s deep faith.   Americans brought Chinese over to this land with them leaving everything they knew and loved behind to serve the needs of this country and for opportunities. They did menial tasks at low wages no one else wanted to do.  Once some of the significant jobs were complete, e.g. railroads ...

 With it being  #AutismAwarenessMonth, it is important to reflect on so many families touched by the challenges of having a special needs child or adult family member with this diagnosis. It is used, the diagnosis of autism,  for treatment protocol and to aid understanding.  But to use a label like autism to  define any human being exclusively is wrong.  Each one is so much more.  Please discourage those that put down special needs individuals to stop, ignorance in society hurts us all, especially those most venerable.   A video I made 11 years ago on my grandson Ty Ryan.  Click below: Video

 Thank you to #NetGalley and the author Tiffany Blaine for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! #WheretheWhiteLightBends  Publication Date:  May 12, 2026 This story opens with Margaret, a wife, mother and grandmother to what appears to be the perfect nuclear family. She's married to Artie, has two daughters, Julia and Sydnie and some grandchildren.  The story unfolds prior to a dinner party for the family at Julie’s gorgeous immaculate home with everything planned to the T by Julia, like everything else she does; perfection is her goal.   Over a relatively short period of time, the reader gets an inside look at the inner thoughts and feelings of the main characters.  The grandchildren also carry secrets and are often overshadowed by the adults in the room leaving little time for them to be as open with their parents as perhaps they would like.   Thus, cracks in the family show at all levels.  Artie does not show up at the dinner par...

  Too often people forget that old adage KISS . It bears remembering and keeping it foremost in your mind! Today people have such a low attention span and get bored so easily. Sometimes the more you say, the more lost people get.   (Claim: Guilty on both counts!).   This causes most listeners to tune out and miss the point.   Think about that before you ask a loved one, “Did you hear what I said?” The same thing is true in written communication. I once had a boss that told me my emails to prospective clients needed have every other word cut, in some cases sentences.   When I did as he suggested, I quickly found the message was more precise. My previous blog had hundreds of followers from multiple countries.  My entries were longer. That was then, this is now. As years have passed, I had to change as our culture has, we live in a fast-paced society!   I’m an avid reader.   However, did you know when I see a book over 500 pages, I will not rea...

  I am reading a book called The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English. It is excellent and has stimulated quite a bit of dialogue in my home. The book delves into many unwed mothers in Ireland who were put in a home for young unwed mothers to spend their pregnancy under the tutelage of nuns. Babies were given paper bracelets for identification and then these mothers were forced to give up their babies to adoptive parents. Years later, this historical fiction story tells the tale of discovering roots between these moms and their grown children. My stepson, Dan was adopted as a newborn. I met him when he was 18, and married his divorced adoptive father.   I saw firsthand some of the concerns around adoption, feelings children sometimes experience of questioning why they were given up, how would their live have played out if they were with their original biological mother, anger for some strange reason at their adoptive parents or at their blood mothers for their feelings of havi...

  So mysterious and hard to visualize that she is not sure if she should be afraid. Like a lion in the forest, he comes out of nowhere.   He makes little noise.   She double checks the windows and the doors.   In the still of the night, everything seems amplified.   She has been somewhat expecting this to happen to her, it does to so many, she just didn’t know when.   She tip toes through the house with her flashlight and her cell phone in hand preset to dial 9-1-1. As she turns the corner into the kitchen, there stands the Easter Bunny!

Some of us are blessed to have an angel of a friend in our life. Someone who takes the good parts of our personality and the bad but maintains unconditional respect and love for you. Hang on to those kind of friends. It is truly empowering.   https://youtu.be/f0J2HmhjDKU

  Each of us deserves to be accepted regardless of how different we are. This month, Autism Awareness Month is a wonderful reminder that differences don’t necessarily define us as everyone varies, even in the spectrum of autism.     1st Video I did for my grandson, click here