The Angel Chronicles Book 2 Gilded Wings
Matt and Emily are back again in the sequel to Amy Lignor's The Angel Chronicles Until Next Time. In Gilded Wings the angelic pair are sent off on their second mission, innocent of how "truly dark human nature can become..."Last April I shared my thoughts on the first novel in this series and I'm happy to be apart of Amy's blog tour to share an excerpt from Gilded Wings.
Myles and Gregori stood when Anya whispered in their ears, reminding them to stand when a lady enters the room.
Hope looked over at Drew. “Mr. Parrish, the breakfast table is always lit up by your presence.”Drew stood and took her hand. “Miss Hope, you’re a breath of fresh air.” “More like hot air.” The biting words came from Max’s mouth.Hope looked over at him. “Good morning to you too, Max. It’s always a pleasure to see you. I was worried about the carriage accident you and your father had last week. I am so happy you’re both well.”Max looked a bit confused as he glanced at Anya. “Yes, well...I have to run,” he said, jumping up from his chair.Mr. Carrow glared at his insolent son. “You will sit down and finish breakfast with this family. We have guests.”“I’m sorry, Father, but I have to go into the office today. I’m meeting with Mr. Morgan.”“J.P.? Why?”“We have a deal going through which I sent you the papers on last week. I’m working on the arrangements.”“With Carnegie? I have told you both that Andrew Carnegie will never sell the steel company. It’s his life.”
David Ferry, “That Now Are Wild and Do Not Remember”
Where did you go to, when you went away?It is as if you step by step were goingSomeplace elsewhere into some other rangeOf speaking, that I had no gift for speaking,Knowing nothing of the language of that placeTo which you went with naked foot at nightInto the wilderness there elsewhere in the bed,Elsewhere somewhere in the house beyond my seeking.I have been so dislanguaged by what happenedI cannot speak the words that somewhere youMaybe were speaking to others where you went.Maybe they talk together where they areRestlessly wandering, along the shore,Waiting for a way to cross the river.—David Ferry, “That Now Are Wild and Do Not Remember”
Be Your Own Personal Sun: Tips to Stay Positive
I think one's attitude can effect every facet of their life. Much like one needs light to see the magic a kaleidoscope holds, one's attitude can cast a spell on their day in either a positive or negative manner.Wouldn't it be great if we could wake up to gentle birdsong like a fairytale princess? Unfortunately the reality is most mornings can lean toward the chaotic and can easily turn sour. Having a negative attitude could transform a not so good morning into the worst day ever! However if you’ve got a positive attitude your so-so morning could develop into a great day-even if things continue to make your mouth pucker.
I'm a naturally positive person. But being my own personal sun hasn't always been easy for me. Over time I've learned a few things that help me to maintain a positive outlook.
- Be grateful. Keeping a gratitude journal or even acknowledging things you're grateful for can really help you focus on the good things in your life, even if during a particularly difficult time it's a smile from your child or a hot cup of coffee.
- Nurture your spirit. Do things that bring you pleasure and make you feel good. For me that's writing, crafting, reading, and though I don't do any volunteering now, in the past giving of my time has enriched my positive outlook in way I never imagined.
- Surround yourself with positive people. I've learned keeping a positive spirit and surrounding yourself with “the glass is half full” types can really help you remain positive in ways a "Debbie Downer" never could.
- Exercise. I never thought I'd say that but it's true! I've never felt regretful after a workout, in fact just the opposite has happened. On occasion while running I've burst into laughter because I was enjoying myself so much!
- Disengage from negative self dialogue. Don't berate yourself or focus on the things you may not exactly be thrilled about body wise, etc. If negative self talk is something you struggle with, I suggest you look in the mirror and tell yourself at least five things you like about yourself every day. Patting your own back is not a bad thing.
love & positivity,nicōlephoto: I took at Lake Mirror in Lakeland, the quote just happened to be shared by Margarita Bloom on their facebook page as I was writing this post-so I went with it!
Moving Abroad A Few Tips
In a few short weeks my life is going to become a whirlwind of activity.My husband will finally be through with his two year remote tour. His homecoming is something we've been looking forward to for what feels like an eternity and that alone is enough to get all of us excited and create a bit of chaos in our day to day lives.However when you add on moving our entire family from Miami to Italy one's life can easily go from a tad bit chaotic to a downright tornado!The key to not having your life spin out of control with any relocation is to be organized.This article on planning your first relocation offers some excellent advice like scoping out the area and checking classifieds for rentals in advance of your move.I've been doing this since almost the moment I found out we'd be relocating to Italy. Doing so has allowed me to figure out exactly what we'll be able to afford as well as how far our money will go. It's also given me some practice in the Dollar to Euro conversion rate when trying to figure things out like cost of living etc.In the Air Force most families PCS during the summer, but we're moving in late Winter early Spring so availability of homes was an initial concern of mine. However, since I've been checking the classifieds regularly since about August I'm reassured that there will be plenty of potential homes for us to choose from.It's been my experience that people not in the military generally think that the government picks up the tab for our move. Though they do cover the cost of moving and other expenses we still need to make sure we have the money to move and any other unexpected expenses that may come up. We'll also need to pay for hotel rooms, food, and travel expenses from airports. Yes many of this will be reimbursed, but one must have the money upfront.Being organized and understanding how long things can take to get done is also important. I'm going to have to organize our movers from two locations (our storage locker) and where we've been living with my in-laws.Because movers will typically pack anything I need to be prepared when they come and have the rooms they are to pack ready to go. I've already gone through my boys' closets and cleared away any clothes they've outgrown. I'll eliminate more clothing prior to our moving day.In the military and for most people moving (especially overseas) we've needed special documents from passports to visas. I'll also need a power of attorney to "be in charge" of our move since my husband will still be in South Korean when the movers come. Keeping track of all of the things I'll need and will have to do can feel daunting, but with detailed lists and having things organized well in advance I'm hopeful that things will go smoothly.
As someone who has moved quite a bit here are my five tips for a successful move.
1. To Do Lists are Your BFFThere is so much to remember with a move. From transferring or cancelling utilities to small things like going away celebrations with friends. Having an ongoing list helps keep you organized and on task.2. Investigate your new cityAs I mentioned earlier researching the housing market is important, but it doesn't hurt to check out the neighborhoods in your new city, or in the case of a move abroad, learning about the culture, history, or even to begin studying up on a new language. All these things I've done, I've even begun studying for a new drivers license! It also doesn't hurt to look into cell phone carriers and banking.When it Rome folks! When in Rome!3. Keep, Trash, Donate.These three words so simple, so important. Before the movers come or you begin packing moving is the perfect opportunity to rid your life of things you just don't use, won't need in you new home, or quite frankly is just useless junk taking up space. This is also a good time to consider how long you're going to be with out your items once packed. If it's more than a few days or in my case up to 12 weeks packing can be daunting. It's my mission however to go with as little as possible. I just don't want to lug around so much stuff -however I know this is probably not the most prudent thing to do. However TLF (temporary living facilities) on base will have things like pots and pans and essential house hold items so I won't have to worry.4. Document, document, documents!In the military especially an official move means lots of paperwork which seems to double exponentially for every family member when that move is take the military member abroad. From medical clearance, to schools, to your vehicle. Keeping track of all of these documents is important. As not having one can really put a fork into your plans. However even if your move isn't a military one there is still bound to be paperwork, making sure you know what you need and where it is when you need it is crucial.5. Breathe.Moving is stressful. If you've managed to stay organized and things are going smoothly and even if their not-which let's face it, even the most organized of relocation is bound to have a few kinks. Try not to stress. Enjoy this adventure. Good and bad.love & becoming an expat,nicōle
My Impression of the Windows Nokia Lumia 920 AT&T Review
My favorite feature was the camera. It does take great photos. However my favorite photo application Instagram isn't on it. I did discover a similar ap called Lomogram but it just wasn't the same, so that was a major Debby downer for me.My boys LOVED all the games available. I liked that there are a ton of fun FREE ones that my boys ages 8 and 4 actually liked to play.What I didn't like: This phone feels clumsy in my hands. I also didn't like that on occasion I can feel the components on the inside vibrating or moving around. I thought this was totally weird and shouldn't happen on a smart phone. Made me wonder if Nokia had slipped in tiny smart phone gnomes to do all the magic smart phone thinking.The camera does take awesome pictures, I just would've liked to see more settings for it.Navigating through this phone took some getting used to. The screen scratched easily with very little abuse.Overall impressions: This is a nice, feature-rich Windows phone. Would I switch permanently from my iPhone, no I wouldn't but it is a fun alternative to an iPhone.
I received the Nokia Lumia 920 from M80 in order to facilitate my review on behalf of AT&T.My Impression of the Windows Nokia Lumia 920 AT&T Review
My favorite feature was the camera. It does take great photos. However my favorite photo application Instagram isn't on it. I did discover a similar ap called Lomogram but it just wasn't the same, so that was a major Debby downer for me.My boys LOVED all the games available. I liked that there are a ton of fun FREE ones that my boys ages 8 and 4 actually liked to play.What I didn't like: This phone feels clumsy in my hands. I also didn't like that on occasion I can feel the components on the inside vibrating or moving around. I thought this was totally weird and shouldn't happen on a smart phone. Made me wonder if Nokia had slipped in tiny smart phone gnomes to do all the magic smart phone thinking.The camera does take awesome pictures, I just would've liked to see more settings for it.Navigating through this phone took some getting used to. The screen scratched easily with very little abuse.Overall impressions: This is a nice, feature-rich Windows phone. Would I switch permanently from my iPhone, no I wouldn't but it is a fun alternative to an iPhone.I received the Nokia Lumia 920 from M80 in order to facilitate my review on behalf of AT&T.Hangin Out With Some Swans
The other day I paid a visit to Lake Mirror in Lakeland, Florida and hung out for a bit with some swans.Needless to say I had an amazing experience!
I love swans! They are my absolute favorite bird!