Book Review: The Winnowing Season (Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series)

 

THE WINNOWING SEASON by Cindy Woodsmall

Book Description: The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?

My Thoughts: I love anything By Cindy Woodsmall so I’m a bit biased, but how can I not love her writing! She draws you in and has you hooked from page one! I really enjoyed book one of this series and anxiously awaited book two and it didn't disappoint me. It was great to read more about Jacob’s past and how it affects his relationship with Rhoda, as well as his family. I felt the confusion and heartbreak of the main characters as they dealt with the obstacles God placed in their way. I cant wait for book 3! What is in store for the King’s and Rhonda? What will Leah eventually chose? I want to know more.

Below are a few things that might interest you about the book above, the Amish Vines and Orchards series, as well as the Author herself -



Read an excerpt: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/amish-vines-and-orchards-series/the-winnowing-season/excerpt/

What you missed in book one, A Season for Tending:

In a community where conformity flourishes, seeds of Rhoda’s odd behavior were planted long ago. Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden? 

Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business. 

Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable, 

Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions. 

Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?

My Review of book one: http://kryssiruss.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-season-for-tending.html

Book three, For Every Season Releasing September 17, 2013.
Find Cindy Woodsmall:

• on Facebook: Cindy Woodsmall
• Website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/

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

Hellmann's Real Tastes Better

Hellmann’s was a proud sponsor of one of the nation’s most celebrated food festivals – the 30th Annual FOOD & WINE Classicwhich took place in Aspen in June.  To celebrate Hellmann's announcement of their mission to transition to 100% cage-free eggs in all its products by 2020, the brand teamed up with Chef Tim Loveto offer food lovers everywhere a behind the scenes look from the Classic.

In its bid to bring REAL to fans at the Classic and those at home, Hellmann’s® created a video series featuring Chef Love that offered an exclusive insider’s look at many of the FOOD & WINE Classic’s famed events.  Designed to show home chefs how they can bring the delicious food enjoyed at the Classic to their own tables, Chef Love shared the secrets and essential ingredients that help make up some of America’s favorite dishes.
you should to try Chef Love’s Turkey, Avocado BLT recipe: http://www.hellmanns.com/recipes/detail/13356/1/turkey-avocado-blt. It is Delicious!!



Chef Tim Love whips up his Spicy Chicken with Creamy Avocado Sauce at FOOD & WINE Classic. His tip - add a little Hellmann’s® to blended avocado or guacamole to make it even creamier


Chef Tim Love Behind The Scenes Video: Click here to view it on you tube.





What do you think about Hellmann's promise to make the switch? Sound off about it on their Facebook page facebook.com/hellmanns and enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win various prizes including a Grand Prize trip to next year’s FOOD & WINE Classic.
disclosure: by posting, I am eligible for a drawing through One2One Network, but all opinions expressed above are my own.

A great promo–Kids Sail Free!

As moms, we love creating unforgettable memories with our families. When those memories come courtesy of an amazing deal, it just makes it all the more worthwhile! Our friends at Norwegian Cruise Line are offering families both with their "Kids Sail Free" promotion and we just couldn't wait to tell you about it.

Kids sail free this fall on Norwegian Cruise Line! That means when you book a select Fall 2012 cruise between now and July 7th, kids under 18 sailing as a third or fourth guest in the stateroom sail free. Imagine your family on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship this Fall, sailing to destinations such as The Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii and more! Like all good things, this promotion won't last forever. In fact, you have to book your cruise before July 7th in order to take advantage of this incredible offer.

My Parents take cruises all the time and they are thrilled by this promo and the option to take the grandkids along for the next adventure. I urge you to think about taking advantage of this offer too! Learn more about it here - http://www2.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/freestyle-family-fun/overview.

 

"Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Norwegian Cruise Line vacation exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place."

One Slient Night an FFH Christmas

Have you heard of FFH? They are my absolute favorite band! I have been a fan since high school and I go see them every chance I get. Never heard of them? They are a Contemporary Christian band with in my opinion the most uplifting music ever.

About FFH (taken from FFH.net) -
Pop vocal group FFH has released thirteen projects, sold more than two million albums, and garnered 24 radio hits, including seven No. 1 singles and ten Top 5 radio singles. In addition to multiple Dove Award nominations, FFH has been recognized at the Inspirational Life Awards as well as the Billboard Music Video Awards. The group has performed more than 1000 dates since 2000 and continues to be a favorite on the tour circuit. FFH is also known for its work with the “Make-A-Wish Foundation,” Kurt Warner’s “First Things First Foundation,” and for its contributions to national ad campaigns for Coca Cola and IBM.

I want to help them spread the news about their new album - One Silent Night. This is their first Christmas album and everyone is pretty exited about it. I know I am!! It came out on Oct. 11th and its on my shopping list. If you are looking for a little something to put you in the Christmas spirit this year check out One Silent Night.

One Silent Night Features:

• BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
• JINGLE BELL ROCK
• ONE SILENT NIGHT
• I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
• THE BIRTHDAY OF A KING
• O COME O COME EMMANUEL
• WINTER WONDERLAND
• GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE
• O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
• HEAVEN AND NATURE SING

You can learn more about FFH and sample their music by following them on Facebook, twitter, FFH blog or their website.

I’m a GetGlue junkie

I joined almost 2 months ago and here is my activity -
My check-ins

View Krystal Russell's check-ins on GetGlue

My Stickers

View Krystal Russell's stickers on GetGlue

The only thin I dont like about it. You can only get 20 of your stickers a month so for someone like me who has over 400, its going to be more than a year before I see them all :(

Spotlight on Nellie Bugs!

So I’m sure you are all rolling your eyes about how much I talk about Nellie Bugs Tutu’s and More. Yes, I enter EVERY contest and giveaway for their products. NO, I don’t hold stock in the company. LOL! I’m just a huge fan of Sadie and her talents of making every girl feel like a princess!

I recently purchased the hot pink zebra tutu and Lila looks adorable in it. As an added bonus all tutus come with a matching set of Allie Clips. She was a little scared of all the tulle at first, my fault, but after she got it on she was telling everyone we saw she was a princess!

I’ve also been lucky enough to win a few of those contests and giveaways mentioned above. I won a set of Allie clips, a loopy bow, and headband, as well as one of her NEW items not even available in her shop yet, a rose-petal filled tutu.

The rose-petal tutu arrived a few days ago and when I opened it Lorelai said “Oh, pretty!” I told her it was hers and she demanded to wear it right away, saying “My tutu!” She even wanted to wear it to bed. I'll have to add pictures of her in it soon. I also just today won another tutu in the One 2 Try giveaway so I will add pictures of that one as well!

Sadie is a WAHM of three girls and wife to Rachael; you can read more about her on her personal blog. I love reading her blog and I’m sure you will too.

You can also follow her shop blog at Nellie Bug’s Tutus and more, where you get to see new items first.

And if you’re looking to buy your own princess something to make her feel special, check out her Etsy shop or website!

Be on the Look out........

for more about nelliebug.com. You all have heard me talk about Sadie owner and creator of Nellie Bugs Tutu's and more. I LOVE, love all her items and I want to share what she has to offer with you. I have been lucky enough to have won a few items from her as well as purchased a tutu. So bee on the look out for pictures and more from Nellie Bugs!

What's your top Ten?

OK time for a little nonsense and fun - What are your top ten's?


TV Shows:

1) Grey's Anatomy
2) Life Unexpected
3) Vampire Diaries
4) The Amazing Race (even though the couple we were rooting for got kicked off)
5) Chuck
6) Hell's Kitchen
7) Law and Order SVU
8) 19 Kids and Counting
9) Law and Order
10) Supernatural

CD/Artist Palylist:

1) Wicked the musical
2) Glee Vol 1
3) Glee Vol 2
4) Casting Crowns (self titled album)
5) All I Ever Wanted (Kelly Clarkson)
6) Almost There (MercyMe)
7) Every Thing By FFH (what? I love them!)
8) Warren Barfeild (self titled album)
9) Rascal Flatts Greatest Hits Vol 1
10) Hannah Montana movie soundtrack (hey, I have a child who loves her)

Books/Series:

1) Wicked by Gregory Maguire (I like the whole the Wicked Years series)
2) The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
3) The Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4) Father Goose by Marie Ferrarella
5) Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts
6) Anything by Nicholas Sparks
7) The Shunning by Beverly Lewis
8) All of Jodi Picolt books
9) Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
10)Letter to my Daughter by George Bishop

Movies / movie series:

1) Miss Potter
2) Twilight, New Moon
3) Love Comes Softly series
4) Finding Neverland
5) Becoming Jane
6) The Wizard of OZ
7) The Harry Potter Series
8) 27 Dresses
9) The Davinci Code, Angels and Demons
10) The Chronicles Narnia

I love the Duggars

Good morning! I always try and start off the day praying for family friends and people in need. A family that gets a lot of my prayers lately are the Duggars. I watch their show on TLC and love how close they are and how connected to God they seem to be. I really aspire to have our family run as smoothly as they do. Come on if Michelle and Jim Bob can do it with 19 kids, how hard can it be with only 2?

I always search for the latest news on the duggars and baby Josie and when I ran across this article at Mamapop.com, it really hit home to EXACTLY what I feel, so I want to share it with you....

19 Kids and Still Counting: Why The Duggars Will Continue to Have Children and Why We Need to Shutup About It Already
Posted by Karen Sugarpants
The Duggars have been under a lot of fire recently after the recent pre-mature birth of their 19th child, Josie. Josie was born 4 months prior to her due date after mom Michelle had complications with pre-eclampsia.

Criticism from the medical and parenting communities have been both harsh and sometimes completely false in terms of medical risk:


“ ‘The risks of additional pregnancies start to go up dramatically after four,’ warns Dr. Jeffrey Richardson,a Ventura, Calif., obstetrician who had practiced for more than 30 years.”

“ ‘Postpartum hemorrhage, dysfunctional labor, preterm labor and early miscarriage are all risks.’ ”

To which I say, OH REALLY? I have never ever heard that claim before. Ever. Just because someone is a doctor, (he is a general surgeon, by the way), doesn't make them an expert in another field.

People are outraged that Michelle and Jim Bob have put baby Josie in grave danger by conceiving her. Other parents are wagging their fingers and saying "I told you so," and "it was bound to happen since they didn't stop having kids."



The fact is, this could have happened with baby # 1 or 2 or 7. It can happen to anyone and I don't believe Michelle and Jim Bob increased their risks any. I mean, baby # 18 was just fine, as were the 17 before that. Obviously Michelle's body can handle pregnancy and childbirth very well. I know some of you will disagree with me, and that's fine - but you can't deny that she had 18 healthy children before baby Josie.

You might as well hold your criticism; it doesn't sway the Duggars. Michelle had a miscarriage after conceiving on birth control pills and her doctor said the pills were the cause. Now the Duggars are avoiding birth control and abstaining after babies (40 days after a boy, 80 days after a girl) like the Bible says.

Adds Michelle: “It is not as if we’re going for another (child) immediately. This is going to be a year of different focus for me, getting Josie through her first year of life.”

As it should be.

The Duggars say in People: “Each child is a gift from God.” Jim Bob adds, “The negatives don’t bother us.” Agrees Michelle: “Our hearts haven’t changed.”

I don't know at what point the Duggars will decide to stop having children, but in watching the show, I have observed the following:

The kids are well cared for. They eat nutritious food, they are always dressed nicely, and they are clean. They speak kindly to each other, they help each other and teach each other. They are grateful for what they have, they make do with what they don't, and they love each other.

I don't care if Michelle and Jim Bob have 100 more children, they are doing something right. Those children piled into the tiny room where baby Josie was being kept in an incubator, and the room was quiet. My two children would be hooting and hollering and I'd be hard-pressed to keep my 5 year old from knocking something over. The older Duggar children explained the situation to the younger ones, engaged them in seeing their newest sister and cried at how small Josie is. They are a close-knit, compassionate bunch.



As for Josie, she is recovering from a bowel perforation and now weighs more than 2 pounds. The Duggars will relocate to Little Rock Arkansas, for the next year to care for her. “Josie has been off the ventilator for two weeks now, and they are increasing her feeds little by little,” says Jim Bob. “We pray that she grows strong.”

Michelle is 43 years old. Personally I wouldn't be having babies after that age, but many people do without complication. Personally I wouldn't be having 19 kids and counting either but that's the Duggar's business and as long as they are caring for them the way it appears they are, I don't believe it's our place to criticize them.

It's all too easy to make snap judgments about a family this rare. But if you watch the show at all, you'll see this family is strong in their values, comfortable with who they are, and waist-high in their faith. You're not going to change the way they do things. Regardless of the clown car jokes, all those kids can't go back to where they came from.

Aww Cute!

Google is a wonderful thing sometimes. I ran across this really cute teddy and just had to find out more about it. And I thought it would be nice to share a heartwarming story of this famous bear. He goes by the name Tatty Teddy, or is otherwise known as the Me to You Bear.
By the end of his story, I promise you would feel all fuzzy and warm :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The oldest, smallest house you can imagine was about to be knocked down. All the things that once made the house nice and cosy had been thrown outside and piled up in the front garden, from the soft springy bed the owners slept in, to the old wooden floorboards they used to walk on…

…and even, surely by some mistake, a little brown teddy bear.

He was trapped amongst all the other unwanted things, and couldn’t move. Then, one day, a very cold day, something fell from the sky… A little snowflake.

It landed on the teddy bear’s little nose and then was followed by many more. He began to get cold, very cold indeed. More and more snow fell, heavier and heavier. The little bear was now so cold that his nose started turning blue… So cold that his brown fur started turning grey.

He was cold, unloved and all alone in the world, and felt very, very sad.

Winter finally passed and the weather got warmer. One beautiful spring day, a little girl was playing near the old house, when she spotted the grey bear in the pile of unwanted things. He was like no other bear she had ever seen and she pulled him out from where he was trapped.

She dusted him down and lifted him high in the sky to look at him.

“A grey teddy bear… With a blue nose?” she thought. “How strange!”

The teddy bear wanted to cry. He thought she didn’t like him and would throw him back with the other unwanted things.

“But he’s lovely!” she continued and she fell completely in love with him.

She ran home as fast as her little legs would carry her, to see if her Grandma could patch him up as a lot of his stuffing had fallen out, and he was very much in need of repair.

She looked on as her Grandma replaced his stuffing and patched up his holes. His stitches had started showing where the fur had worn away, but the little girl thought he looked perfect.

It was all cosy and warm in the little girl’s house and the bear felt all cosy and warm in his heart. However, his nose was still blue and his fur was still grey, and they would never return to brown.

He was unique among teddy bears.

The little girl gave him a great big hug. She loved him more than anything else in the world, her little grey, blue-nosed…

…Tatty Teddy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awww! Tell me, wasn’t that sweet? It made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy. If you want more, here’s a flash version of the Tatty Teddy story in a flippable storybook.

Song of The Month Club | FFH

Was just browsing my favorite bands website and stumbled across this..

Song of The Month Club | FFH


how awsome! I cant wait for Roberts next unemployment check. Its not much so I dont feel too guilty for spending a little money on me.

Why Do Readers Enjoy Snuggling Up with a Good Book.....about....Snuggling Up? - NY Times

Its been one of those day. The kind where all you want to do is grab a good book, your favorite blanket & pillow, then lounge all day long. After letting my husband take over the chores and kiddo duty I did just that today. It felt great just to sit back and relax.

I ran across this article tonight that I thought was fitting. So I wanted to share.......

So in another interesting NYTimes article, reporter Motoko Rich discusses a humorous study that proves why we enjoy snuggling up with a good book......that may coincidentally be about snuggling up with someone. As a result of our depressing economic times, studies have shown that readers are more apt to choose a book that allows them to escape into a dream world where romance is perfect and everyone is happy. Harlequin Enterprises reported that sales of romance novels were up 32% from this time last year. This increase in romance sales is interesting because of the sluggish market that currently exists otherwise. Rich quotes one lawyer who is an avid reader herself and notes that her philosophy on the situation is that readers enjoy escaping to a world where there is a happy ending because it brings a sigh of relief to their life, unlike their daily involvement with the current depression. Two great attributes of romance novels are: 1) their inexpensive price because romance novels ( avg. $7.99) are typically half the price of an average trade paperback (avg $15.99). and 2) their attractive marketing ploy to consumers. This ultimately means that because romance novels are usually written in sets and sequels, a consumer will usually go on to make further purchases on the rest of the series especially if they enjoy the author and trust their work. Barnes & Nobles also noted that other escapist books such as sci-fi and fantasy are currently popular.
Rich compares the popularity of romance novels to that of the obsessive "Gone with the Wind" days of Margaret Mitchell from history.

Bottom line is why do we want to read books about crime and depression when are living in those times at the present. Everyone wants to have a happy ending. So I ask that the time you are traveling on the train, take a look around at the covers of the books being read around you. Most likely they are positive outcome novels and if not, the reader is probably reading something they "have to" for a certain class or business meeting.

Funny enough my favorite books to devour are romance novels and I've just finished my third one today. I say devour because I read through them so fast and so often. Before moving around a lot I used to have over 500 of them. The hubby got sick of packing and moving them every year so that number has started to dwindle, for now....