Back in the Hospital

Hi All, Pam's back in the hospital. Same issue. She'll check in when she gets home.

My Bridegrooms Book & Tote Bag Winner!

Hello friends,

I'm pleased to announce that Karen from Karen's Korner is the winner of my Bridegrooms book & fun totebag giveaway!



Stop by her blog & tell her congratulations!

Wordless Wednesday (Almost)

Happiness!





There's still time to enter my book & tote giveaway!

Musical Monday

My beautiful friend Diane from Good Mourning, Glory! is taking a little bloggy break. Until she's up and running again I'm going to take over hosting duties for Musical Monday.

No theme this week, just show us what's moving you today.

This week I picked Waiting All My Life, by Rascal Flatts. My husband & I were lucky enough to get away this week and we had a chance to fall in love all over again. This song is one that we both love & I hope you enjoy it!

Finding My New Normal

I used to drink. Often. I don't think I was an alcoholic. I didn't need any help to quit. I just needed to be told that one of my health problems was pancreatitis. If I drink I could die. Simple.

Chris has been off on vacation this week so we decided to go camping for a few days. I was worried. When we camp we drink. And I really, really wanted to drink. I was in a manic phase of my bi-polar, which happens very rarely. My manic is full of happiness and chatter. I was happy, but we were camping, so I wanted to drink.

We were driving out of the park to get firewood. Do you know what the closest thing is to the entrance of just about every state park? A party store. Heavy on beer, wine, liquor, ice, firewood and usually bad pizza.

I was going to have to face down a party store & leave it without buying any beer. I so did not need this.

Out of the park we go & onto the main road. What's the first place we see selling firewood? Pizza & Cream. 35 flavors of ice cream and pizza. No beer. Across the street? The Polka Dot Cow. Again pizza and ice cream. No beer. Kitty corner and the last building at the intersection? A sit down restaurant featuring frog legs (blech).

I beleive God knew that I might not be able to stand up to the temptation, so instead of a gas station/party store to buy wood, He gave me ice cream and pizza.



I chose the Play-Doh flavor. Bright yellow vanilla flavored ice cream with bright bits of sugar cookie dough. My happiness remained, my sobriety remained unchallenged and the Play-Doh ice cream rocked.

*Don't forget to enter my book & totebag giveaway below.

The Bridegrooms Review & Giveaway

I'm lucky enough to be able to review books for WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. The latest book they sent me is The Bridegrooms, by Allison Pittman. Here is the publishers description:

Tragedy hits the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother of four vanished. Eight-year-old Vada virtually grew up overnight and raised her three younger sisters while her father lost himself in his medical practice in the basement of their home.

Now, Vada is a grown woman, still making her home with her father and sisters. Her days are spent serving as an errand girl for Cleveland’s fledgling amateur orchestra; her evenings with Garrison Walker, her devoted, if passionless, beau.

Dizzying change occurs the day the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to town to play the Cleveland Spiders and a line drive wallops the head of a spectator. The fan is whisked to the Allenhouse parlor, and questions swirl about the anonymous, unconscious man.

Suddenly, the subdued house is filled with visitors, from a flirtatious, would-be sports writer to the Bridegrooms’ handsome star hitter to the guilt-ridden ballplayer who should have caught the stray shot. The medical case brings Dr. Allenhouse a frustration and helplessness he hasn’t felt since his wife’s disappearance. Vada’s sisters are giddy at the bevy of possible suitors. And Vada’s life is awakened amid the super-charged atmosphere of romantic opportunity.

I really enjoyed this book. It's different, interesting and fun. The characters are believable and I really fell in love with Vada and her family. This book has a great Christian base, but you don't need to be a Christian to enjoy it.

The plot keeps you guessing and dips into women's rights as they looked in the 1800's. This book is about love, self discovery and finding and following your happiness.

This book was provided for review and giveaway by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

To make this the perfect beach read, I'm throwing in an adorable flower print tote bag I picked up from Target. Just throw in a beach towel, sunscreen, and a bottle of water and your set to go.

Leave a comment on this post for one entry.

Be or become a follower of this blog for another entry (leave a seperate comment).

Tweet about this giveaway & send me a URL link (leave a seperate comment). Can be done once a day.

This contest will end at midnight on Thursday, May 27th. Make sure I have a way to reach you if you're my winner.

*Sigh*

My computer has contracted some type of virus that requires a trip to the Geek Squad to fix. That means I won't be able to blog for another few days.

I hope my readers will still stick with me given my many absences. I have 3 great giveaways lined up and will get to them as soon as my computer is de-virused.

Musical Monday

Well one of my best bloggy friend, who I have had the pleasure to meet in real life & who I love dearly usually has a feature called Musical Mondays. I'm talking about the beautiful Diane from Good Mourning Glory. Well today she didn't post a Musical Monday, but this song has been stuck in my head all week, so I'm sharing it with you anyway!

As you may have read I ended up in the University of Michigan hospital again last week. I really appreciate all of the love, prayers and good thoughts that came from Screaming Mimi readers!

All week this song has been going through my head, as I have felt like there was, in fact, a black rain cloud over my head. But then when I watched the video it made me smile, cause I'm a Winnie the Pooh fan from way back.

So here is my Musical Monday for the non-official Musical Monday.



**I so still have my book review & tote bag giveaway that I will put together today, along with updates to Oskar's Blog and also Mimi's Year In Books.

Brief Intermission

Mimi was supposed to have a new post with a giveaway today, but she has taken a detour to University of Michigan Hospital.

She hopes to be back to her blog tomorrow evening or sometime Wednesday.

Great Giveaway Coming Up!

I'm excited to announce that I'm going to be hosting a review and giveaway from CSN stores. If you're unfamiliar with CSN they carry everything from cribs to housewares. Trust me, if it's for sale, you can get it through one of the online CSN stores.

I picked this adorable Reston Lloyd lemon yellow colander.

It's so sunny and happy, I can't wait to get it! And even better once I get mine, you'll have a chance to win one for yourselves!

I hope you all had a fun, relaxing & loving Mother's Day!

Country Bob's Winner & An Apology!

Hello friends! Sorry I've been a bad blogger lately, don't you hate it when life gets in the way of blogging??

I have 2 winners for my Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce giveaway.

SueAnn from SueAnn's Journey and

Natalie, who doesn't have a blog that I can find, lol!

Congratulations ladies, I will be sending you an e-mail today to get your shipping addresses.

Stay tuned to Screaming Mimi, I've got some great books to give away, along with some really cute tote bags!