Flower Friday: Spring Blooms – Lilacs – Daffodil – Winter Rose #Spring #FlowerFriday #Lilacs #WinterRose

On By MischenkoIn Flower Friday, Plants and gardening47 Comments

I discovered Flower Friday while visiting Lorilin@Bugbugbooks and decided to start sharing some flower pictures from our gardens along with some information about them. Please check out Lorilin’s blog if you haven’t already for book reviews and more!

2019 shares:

This week’s share:

Winter is finally behind us!

Spring blooms

20190409_073333.jpg

I do love winter, but spring is a special time too. I have high gratitude for all the beautiful blossoms and a fresh start.

20190524_061307.jpg

I thought I’d just do a quick Flower Friday today sharing some spring blooms we’ve been enjoying.

“Each day, each season, each cycle offers something of beauty. Let us notice and give thanks.” – Diane Mariechild

Continue reading “Flower Friday: Spring Blooms – Lilacs – Daffodil – Winter Rose #Spring #FlowerFriday #Lilacs #WinterRose” →

Q&A With Author Carol Buckley – Founder of The Elephant Sanctuary & Elephant Aid International

On By MischenkoIn Reads4 Comments

I was very excited to learn that the trial regarding Tarra the elephant is now over. I’m unsure what Carol’s plans are for Tarra, but wish them all the best regardless. Here is my original Q&A with Carol.

ReadRantRock&Roll

collage-2017-07-04 (1)

Earlier this year I read a few books about an elephant named Tarra. The first one I read was titled Tarra & Bellawritten by Carol Buckley. It’s a book about an elephant (Tarra) and the unlikely relationship she had with a dog named Bella at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. After reading it and learning about Tarra, Carol Buckley, and The Elephant Sanctuary, I had to learn more. I picked up Travels with Tarra, a book about Carol Buckley and Tarra before her life at the sanctuary, and Just For Elephants, another book about an elephant named Shirley who is retiring from a zoo and being moved to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. If you’d like to see my original reviews/posts on these, you can click on the titles below.

bella-and-tarra.jpg

Tarra, an Asian elephant, was brought to…

View original post 2,177 more words

Life Update…

On By MischenkoIn Life68 Comments

Hey, guys. I just wanted to post a quick update to explain some of the things that are going on with me. My oldest son is now in Los Angeles and doing okay–staying very busy in fact. It’s affected me in weird ways; I suppose because I know this is just the beginning. It’s very possible he’ll be moving and because of the distance, it’s making me feel a little negative. On one hand, I’m so very proud, but on the other, I miss him incredibly. It’s weird how just taking one out of the equation changes the family; the children are missing big brother as well.

My youngest son has found ways to get around his broken arm, but he’s very much looking forward to getting his cast off. He can’t write or ride his bike and it’s also affected his Lego building (his favorite activity), so believe it or not, it’s been a big adjustment for him. It’s amazing how strong he is though and how well he’s adapted. Children truly are resilient! The good news is that he should have it off before it’s time for swimming this summer.

My husband broke his hand last week and because he’s a firefighter, he’s now on light duty for six weeks or more, which puts him at work daily versus the every third day shift I’m used to. Not a huge deal, but it switches up our outdoor work plans quite a bit during this ‘go time’ in spring.

I’m laughing as I type…Minor changes, right? My body is still extremely sensitive. It seems that everything over the past three weeks (albeit minor) has caught up with me and it’s thrown me into a whirlwind of on and off depression and anxiety, something I haven’t dealt with in some time. It’s good to think forward, but my mind works in strange ways (intrusive thoughts) and it’s sent me to a strange place. I’m thinking too far into the future–full of the ‘what if’s’ again. A few days ago my husband asked me: “Why can’t you just take life as it comes?” The truth is: I don’t know. What I do know, is that after everything I’ve gone through in repairing my physical health, I still have a long way to go with my mental health as well.

Continue reading “Life Update…” →

A to Z Challenge: “Q” John Q “Justice Of The Heart” #StevieWonder #JohnQ #AtoZChallenge

On By MischenkoIn A-Z Challenge, Movies, Music19 Comments

I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn.jpg

I suppose I’m cheating a little bit for “Q” because it was impossible to find a favorite film starting with this letter. So…I’m going with John Q for this letter which seems fair enough.

John Q is a film about a man named John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington) who has a young son recently diagnosed with an enlarged heart. During a baseball game his son Michael (Daniel E. Smith) collapses and they rush him to the hospital where they’re told he’s going to need a heart transplant to survive. The issue is that do to their HMO insurance (which was recently downgraded), the hospital refuses to put Michael on the organ recipient list or perform the surgery at all without a down payment of $75,000. After John and his wife give their all to raise as much money as possible, they–along with friends, family and the community–are only able to raise roughly a third of the money needed. The hospital refuses to help them and John’s wife Denise (Kimberly Elise) tells John that he has to do something; she’s not taking no for an answer when it comes to her son’s life.

kim-elise.jpg

Denise Archibald: They are releasing him, now you need to do something! DO YOU HEAR ME?! DO SOMETHING!

John takes matters into his own hands…

Continue reading “A to Z Challenge: “Q” John Q “Justice Of The Heart” #StevieWonder #JohnQ #AtoZChallenge” →

Music Monday: “Going To California” by Led Zeppelin #LedZeppelin #MusicMonday

On By MischenkoIn Music, Music Monday32 Comments

Music Monday-

This meme was created by Drew @ The Tattooed Book Geek. You pick a song that you really like and share it on Monday.

musicmonday

Last time I shared: Music from Into The Spider Verse

This week’s share:

Led Zeppelin “Going To California”

I’ve always loved Zeppelin. This song popped into my mind the moment my oldest son informed me that he’d be going to California, and since it’s happening this week, I decided to share it. Hope you enjoy.

Continue reading “Music Monday: “Going To California” by Led Zeppelin #LedZeppelin #MusicMonday” →

A to Z Challenge “P” The Princess Bride “Storybook Love” #AtoZChallenge #ThePrincessBride

On By MischenkoIn A-Z Challenge, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Movies, Music16 Comments

I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn.jpg

The Princess Bride is a classic fairy tale adventure which shares a story within a story. It begins with a sick grandson (Fred Savage) and his grandfather (Peter Falk) who reads him the story The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

DrGfmlMVsAED_0V.jpg

As the story is told, we’re introduced to Wesley (Cary Elwes), a young farm boy, and Buttercup (Robin Wright), his one true love. There isn’t anything Wesley wouldn’t do for Buttercup.

Buttercup: “Farm boy, polish my horse’s saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.”

Westley: “As you wish.”

Buttercup: “Farm boy, fill these with water – please.”

Westley: “As you wish.”

bride5.jpg

Continue reading “A to Z Challenge “P” The Princess Bride “Storybook Love” #AtoZChallenge #ThePrincessBride” →

A to Z Challenge: “O” Out of the Furnace “Release Me” #OutOfTheFurnace #PearlJam #ReleaseMe #AtoZChallenge

On By MischenkoIn A-Z Challenge, Movies, Music9 Comments

I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn.jpg

My movie choice for “O” is Out of the Furnace starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Shepherd.

The film is about two brothers who are both struggling to re-enter society due to different circumstances. Russell (Bale) has just been released from jail after serving time for driving while intoxicated which caused a horrific accident resulting in deaths. He returns home to his girlfriend, who has moved on with another man; his brother , who struggles  with demons from multiple tours he endured in Iraq; a dead-end job as a mill worker; and  a deceased father. Rodney (Affleck), Russell’s brother, is bare-fist boxing for money to help pay for his gambling debts to John (Dafoe), a bar owner/bookie he’s involved with. Russell tries to steer him in the right direction.

PY426FLILRJMHH4DACXRFUWTK4.jpg

Russell: “Come work at the mill. There’s nothing wrong with working for a living.”

Rodney: “Working for a living? I gave my life for this country and what’s it done for me? Huh? What’s it done for me?!!” Continue reading “A to Z Challenge: “O” Out of the Furnace “Release Me” #OutOfTheFurnace #PearlJam #ReleaseMe #AtoZChallenge” →

A to Z Challenge “N” Nacho Libre “Religious Man” & “Encarnación” #AtoZChallenge #NachoLibre #JackBlack

On By MischenkoIn A-Z Challenge, Movies, Music, Reads20 Comments

I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn.jpg

“N” was more difficult because there were a handful of movies with great music to share besides Nacho Libre including Napoleon Dynamite and Night at the Roxbury to name a few. All are funny movies, but nothing tops Nacho Libre in my opinion. Any movie with Jack Black is at the top of the heap for me.

The film begins with Brother Ignacio (Jack Black), a monk who grew up in a Mexican orphanage and now (as an adult) cooks for the children living there. The monastery doesn’t have much money and Ignacio is forced to use the same old ingredients repeatedly,  which doesn’t please the children. As a child, Ignacio always dreamed of being a wrestler, but he’s motivated even more now to make money for the children. He secretly becomes the luchador Nacho and pairs up with a man named Steven Esquelito who hates orphans, but joins in for the money anyways.

51Kqa4jT-QL.jpg

Continue reading “A to Z Challenge “N” Nacho Libre “Religious Man” & “Encarnación” #AtoZChallenge #NachoLibre #JackBlack” →

A to Z Challenge: “M” Mystic Pizza “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” & “These Are The Times To Remember” #AtoZChallenge #MysticPizza

On By MischenkoIn A-Z Challenge, Movies, Music30 Comments

I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn.jpg

My film choice for “M” is Mystic Pizza starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor. This movie is a coming-of-age story following three young girls from the seaside town of Mystic, Connecticut. Two of the girls are sisters and one is their best friend, but all three are just out of high school and work together at Mystic Pizza: a pizzeria  famous for a sauce with secret ingredients.

Continue reading “A to Z Challenge: “M” Mystic Pizza “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” & “These Are The Times To Remember” #AtoZChallenge #MysticPizza” →