Book Review: Cowgirl Trail by Susan Page Davis

Maggie Porter returns home to her family's ranch after some time in San Francisco unwinding with a cousin after the death of her mother. However, the ranch is not the same as she remembered it. Her father isn't himself and the cowboys are about to strike due to changing working conditions. Maggie soon learns that her father is not only dying but in debt and out of money. The men strike at the worst time, right when they need to drive the cattle to market.

Alex Porter has worked at Rocking P ranch for seven years and is now the loyal foreman. However, his boss starts cutting away at their compensation, and without a raise many of the cowboys are starting to struggle. Alex does not agree that the men should strike as the most crucial work of the year is ahead of him, but the others leave him with no choice. When the boss’s daughter returns home and takes matters into her own hands he feels responsible to keep an eye on her as much as he can to make sure she succeeds.

Cowgirl Trail was an enjoyable fifth installment in the Texas Trails series. It tells of two young people who haven’t admitted that they are in love with each other, and who seem to be pulled apart because of misunderstandings and secrets. Of course, it becomes obvious that everyone's lives might be easier if they were all honest with each other, but the characters are as human as we are and make mistakes. It is a beautiful story of learning forgiveness and honesty, and as with the rest of the books in the series I had a hard time putting it down. Cowgirl Trail stands alone quite well and is a great read but it does tie into the other books in the series as well.

I received this book for free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

Are you struggling to get through each day or week? Is your to-do list never ending? Do you need some simplification in your life? Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is packed with tips and strategies to keep from being overwhelmed by the daily grind of life. Crystal Paine speaks from experience as a homeschooling Mom who runs her own business. She offers simple strategies and organizational tools that when implemented, can help you go from feeling behind all the time to actually having time to do things that make your life more enjoyable.

I was very interested in reading this book because I am one of those people who always have a to-do list. I don’t seem to have that busy or hectic of a lifestyle, so I couldn’t figure out why I always feel stretched so thin. Crystal advises her readers to not take on more than they can realistically handle, which may mean saying no to requests from family and friends. As I read the book, I took notes and made sure to do all the activities she suggested in order to gain a head start in de-cluttering my life. I read a chapter a day, and tried to implement her strategies bit by bit. Before I had even finished the book I started feeling much more relaxed! Some of the chapters were not as relevant to me as others, but everyone struggles in different areas and I definitely got help where I needed it! Her website also has printable copies of some of the organizational worksheets she recommends.

If you are ever stressed out over life, I highly recommend this book! Like I said, I have started using her methods and feel so much better! My house is neater already and I have more time for guilt-free Netflix time!

I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The House Project: An Overdue Update!

First off, I must say that Bruce has been VERY busy with the house over the last few months. The pictures I am going over in this post are from work done in October and November, so there is more to come in my next post! The big accomplishments for this post are the completion of gas lines, an AC return vent, and some prep work for the hall bathroom.

Below you can see the gas lines he ran in the kitchen for the range top.

The valve you see in this picture will be used to turn the gas supply to the stove on and off. Since the knobs for the range will be in the front of the stove, this is a future child-proof precaution.

This picture shows the flexible gas tubing running up through the ceiling.

Here you can see the flexible tubing that will supply the oven with gas.

Don't let the simplicity of the pictures fool you! It was a lot of hard work! After the gas lines were run Bruce had to make sure they were airtight so they would pass inspection, and, well, because we don't want gas leaking out the lines on a regular basis! He subjected them to stricter standards than they will have to meet for inspection, and after much tweaking and sealing off areas, they passed his approval!

The next step with the gas was to paint the external pipes for protection from the elements, and seal the areas where the pipes exit the house to prevent insects and varmints from having a way in! I was able to help with his part! Bruce put a coat of paint on the pipes, and I went back and sealed them and put on a second coat.

To all those who like to take "selfies", try taking a picture while caulking around a pipe. You are not allowed to mess it up!

The finished product!

Below are some pictures of the painted and sealed pipes! I was pretty proud of it!

Another small matter was the mechanism to keep our french doors closed. The two doors in the middle have a normal knob, but the two on the outside of each set don't. We got full-sized doors instead of side lights, and to keep them closed Bruce installed a pin locking mechanism, and we stitched straps to attach to the pins. It worked out pretty well! They are situated in the hinge of the two inner doors, to where they aren't visible when the doors are shut.

At this point Bruce started working on the hall bathroom as well. He placed boxes for wall sconces to go on either side of the vanity mirror.

He also built a pony wall between the toilet (which will go where the box is sitting) and the shower. If you saw the house before we started, you know that the shower is in the new addition, and the original bathtub was off to the left in what is now part of the dining room!

In this view you can see the big picture, with the master bathroom in the background. We will have glass over the pony wall, and a shower door to the left.

Finally, Bruce did a wonderful job installing this air conditioning return. It has intakes on two sides: one facing the dining room and the other facing the master bathroom. That way we have sufficient air flow in both spaces. Below is the dining room side.

Here is the side facing the master bathroom:

And another closeup, this time from the dining room again:

And finally, from the Bathroom side again. It took him much time and care to get everything situated properly in just the right spot!

I am super stoked about the project right now! It is moving forward with some great momentum and we are hoping to be able to move back in this summer! At that point, we will have everything done except the finishing work on the master suite. We still have a ways to go, but are so much closer to being able to put the walls in!