Thursday Memes

THURSDAY



I am apologizing in advance for my responses to today's meme.  As you may have noticed, I tend to be a bit of a chatter box,  not only in real life, but here in cyberland where my fingers take over for my mouth.  So just warning you that because of today's questions, my answers might be lengthy.

http://btt2.wordpress.com/

This week's question:

I’ve seen this question floating around the blogosphere a few times the last couple of days, so thought I’d pass it forward.

Which Book Changed Your Life?

I really had to think about this one.  There have been so many books in my life that I have taken much from but the first one that came to mind after reading the question is the Left Behind series (13 books total).  It is written by 2 ministers that have taken The Revelations from the Bible and incorporated it as a fictional read. 

If you believe in God and the afterlife, you need to read this collection.  A friend, who doesn't enjoy reading, was the one who introduced me to this collection.  It read like a fast paced action novel and it only took the first chapter of the first book and I couldn't put it down, and read the entire collection in a few weeks.  I knew about The Revelations but reading it in a fictional light was both eye opening and enlightening.  I have many relatives that have read this book and we have had some really profound discussions about this series. (I do not want to say too much in case you decide to read this series).  This is a collection that should be read!!!

Hosted by Lori from Dollycas's Thoughts

From Lori's site:

It struck me recently how much time I spend on this computer every day, blogging, chatting or playing games on Facebook, emailing friends and relatives, making cards and calendars, etc. etc. etc.

We depend on each other for book reviews, giveaways, encouragement, friendship, but how well do we really know each other?
WEEK 17 QUESTION
I know you are all busy with the holidays so I am only asking 1 question this week.

1. Share with us a favorite childhood holiday moment?

  This is going to be a very bittersweet answer for me, as I sit here typing, and remembering  like it was yesterday.  This childhood memory goes way, WAY, back.  I was in 2nd grade. 

  My Dad loved the holidays and buying gifts.   Every year it was a tradition, that he would take my sister and I Christmas shopping for my Mom and then out to eat.  But this year he didn't and we couldn't figure out why.  So that Christmas Eve morning, there were 3 brown lunch bags tied with ribbons, one for my mother, sister and me, under the tree.  Of course we had to shake, feel, etc. because Mom, my sister and I couldn't figure out what he was up to.  After the three of us did the shaking and feeling we all came up with the same answer, it felt like there were walnuts in the lunch bags.  I can picture my Mom's face as she said to us...."I think your father has lost his mind.....walnuts?  in brown lunch bags?"  We couldn't wait to see what was going on but Dad said we were not opening presents until Christmas morning.  And of course, we wanted to open those first but he said those would be opened last.  We ripped through all the other presents because we wanted to know what was in those bags and what he was up to.  Finally, it was time to open our lunch bags that were tied with ribbons!!!!   And sure enough.....walnuts!!!!  However, there was a small jewelry box that the walnuts were surrounding.  And in each jewelry box was a diamond ring!!!   The look on his face was priceless, which I can still recall, because of all the emotions he was feeling....he was so happy that he pulled this off, so happy when he saw the look on our faces, so happy that he was able to give the three of us diamond rings, he loved diamonds!! 

Of course my Mom got the largest diamond, my sister's was a little smaller than Mom's and mine, remember I was only in 2nd grade...about 8 years old, got the small diamond ring.  From that day to today, I have had that ring on my finger.  Sadly, I lost my Dad when I was 16, but have so many precious memories, because he was always up to something and he lived each day like it was his last.  One thing that makes me really sad when I think about him, is that he never got to meet his grandsons, and my oldest son looks just like my Dad!!!

  Lori:  thank you for this question...even though it was a bittersweet memory, I got to share a little bit of my Dad with you.