Fleeting Moments on Main Street

It's been a crazy summer..
Crazy meaning whirlwind of events.
Crazy meaning out of the ordinary.
Crazy meaning there were times I felt like I should be committed (to a mental institution).
Crazy meaning unexpected.
Crazy meaning good!

It all started the beginning of June. Actually I guess it was the end of May.
My dad used to be on the local Water Authority for the town I grew up in. He still goes to the meetings and still gets involved. Turns out they own a house that they were taking bids to move or tear it down. Out of the blue the one evening, when we were at mom's, we decided to go check it out. We walked around, peeked in windows, talked about it, and suddenly in the space of about 2 weeks, went from not even looking at buying a house, to having our offer accepted, and beginning the journey of owning our own house.

It's taking some work, painting, new roof, obvious landscaping,  but we are excited about the prospect of owning a place of our own. 

Along with that comes change. C is not completely thrilled to leave his hometown where he has lived his whole life. I on the other hand am returning to my hometown where I spent most of my "growing up" years. However, it is the end of living on Main Street. After 23 years of living along main street, I will reside on a "quiet residential side street". Hopefully with lots of beautiful sunsets.

We spend most of our evenings working at our house, with whatever family members it suits to help. Painting, floor sanding, removing wallpaper, flooring, gutting bathrooms...we hope to move the end of September. We'll see how it comes along.

Firestorm Lisa Tawn Bergren

Firestorm follows the life of hotshot boss Reyne Oldre. After a tragic encounter with a major firestorm, Reyne builds her walls, hides behind her fears and becomes a no nonsense kind of girl. She leaves the front lines and becomes a fire specialist. Along the way, Relyne battles her way through all that she encounters. Including Logan McCabe, a smoker jumper, with undeniable charm.
 When a second fire threatens all that she holds dear, Reyne needs to choose to give her fears to God, or hide behind her well built walls.
I often find myself cringing at what I call the "cheese factor" of Christian Romance, while this book had a few of those moments, growing up as a firefighters daughter, and now the wife a firefighter; this book grabbed me and held on for dear life.
Follow Reyne as she battles through fires, life, loss and love.

This book was provided free of charge by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Dont Judge a Book by it's cover story...

*Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?

She’s just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can’t—something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.

All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter’s death alone.

But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett’s one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie’s past and her strange gift. It isn’t long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world—the Vatican.*

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They say dont' judge a book by it's cover. All too true in this case. From what I read about this book, I was expecting a Peretti-esque book. Not so.

The first few pages drew me in. I felt the plight of the main characters. However, as it continued I found myself having a harder time getting into it. It proved to me, to be less Christian thriller; and more of a pointed expose of the Catholic faith.

Perhaps if I had been able to sit down & read it at one shot, I would have been less confused, and more drawn into the story.

Either way, If you get a chance, give it a shot. Just know that it might not be at all what you expect.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Who am I?

I must have been standing nearby when the genealogy bug bit my dad. Cause it's in my bloodstream too.
Who am I?
 I'm Michele Frey. I was born a Newswanger. I come from Sauders, Zimmermans, Weavers, and Shirks. (The kind that couldn't come up with names other than Joseph & Peter.) In that line, I can trace back, way back. Me, Aaron, George, Esther, Peter, Joseph, Peter, Joseph, Peter and on back thru to when Peter & Maria came across the ocean to America.
 Should I choose to go back thru the Sauders, or Weavers. I could do that. And tell me, who in Lancaster Co. doesn't know of the existence of the Zimmerman Book. I come from a long line of talented people. Entrepreneurs, Iinventors, Singers, Engineers. (drill a tunnel thru a Swiss mountain from both ends and meet in the middle kind of engineers.) People who helped out others in need. People I've never met, but their stories I have heard many times over.
  I'm related to so many people, & alot of them, I know that I'm related to them.
  Not so in my husbands family.
  A recent genealogy book re sparked my interest into his family. When following his family back, it stops at his Grandfather. He was a foster child. His last name at birth was Frey, or Fry. We don't know for sure which one. He has 2 brothers. At least that's what we think. The book that I read recently said at 17 he went back to live with his birth parents for a brief time, but left because it wasn't a nice situation. That was new information for us. He died in 2006.
  For someone like me who can run into someone at Walmart and possibly be related, and possibly know how we are related, I find this situation frustrating and somewhat sad.
  When I run across someone on facebook with the same last name-spelled either way. I search their faces for familial resemblance. I search county websites for news of people with the same last name. I've spent hours searching obituaries for women who would have been born the same year Grandpa's mom was born. I attempt to find places that give free information like birth records. I have news for you. Even free birth records online are not free. I hope that someday. Hopefully sooner rather than later, that I can get some answers. I'm not looking for a big Frey/Fry family hug, or even a reunion. I just want to know where he comes from.
  The odds of me even knowing my husband are very slim, had it not been for grandpa's mom giving him up. It's a startling idea. How one choice can absolutely change many lives. Grandpa Frey was raised in a Christian family. Because of that choice, I have a husband with a Christian heritage that cannot be replaced, no matter what the genealogy search uncovers.

The Strainer Saga

One upon a time there was a girl who got the brainy idea that winter would be the best time to find a lower priced food strainer on eBay.
That girl was me.
So I began scouring eBay. What I really wanted was one like my Mom has. All metal parts. Built to last.
So, when I came across this gently used beauty with a low opening bid, I went for it.

As I researched further, to my dismay I noticed these beauties go for upwards of $230-$300. Sadness filled me as I gave in and began looking for the less durable, still workable, partially plastic ones.
That's when I found this one...

 It was located in my state. It was used once this past summer. So I put in a low bid, decided it was also going to be my final bid. I was still dreaming of finding an all metal steal at a yardsale or goodwill or something.
As I was continuing to scour the web, I came across this one.

Also in my state, also used once this past summer. Thinking it was the same one I had bid on, I noticed it wasn't showing my bid. Instead of looking in my bidding history, I chalked it up to a glitch in the system and once again entered my low final bid.
That's when bad things started happening.
When I got the email that I was the winning bidder, I was reservedly elated. I won it, I own it, but it's still not exactly what I wanted. Oh well. As long as it works. That's when I noticed the strainer 3 picture was missing the tray. Oh boy.
About this time, the email came in saying I won strainer 2.
I have to admit the first thing that I thought when I realized what I had done was
"What is Curt going to say about this!"
To my amazement, he just snickered and rolled his eyes. Said something about "I'm not helping to do it this summer", and then asked if maybe one of my sisters would want the one.
Put it this way. Had it been reversed, my reaction would have been, shall we say, less rolling eyes at ridiculousness and more steaming from the ears. I have a good man, he teaches me alot.
So I ended up with both strainers, and yes strainer 3 was missing the tray. I contacted the seller, He hadnt realized it, so he refunded 1/2 my money. I'm sure I can find a tray elsewhere on eBay.
Fast forward 2  or 3 weeks to yesterday.
"Congratulations you are the winning bidder of ....Strainer 1.
Confusion Moment - Wait, What?
Elation Moment - Yay! It's the one I wanted!
Elation Moment - It was a steal!
Freak out moment - Did I add one too many zeros when I put in that bid?
Freak out moment - Will Curt be just as understanding now that there is a 3rd strainer headed our way?
He was still nice about it, but for some reason I wont be surprised if my ebay password mysteriously changes.
So my dear readers, This is the question.

Do you think now would be a good time to tell him that the stainer will not attach to our counter-tops or tables, and I need either a new table or a picnic table outside so it will work?

Yeah, I didn't think so. :)