tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322338022024-03-13T10:00:59.762-05:00The Borrowed Book (SAMPLE)Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-24187628684224737692012-07-21T00:00:00.000-05:002012-07-21T10:32:55.660-05:00Winners!!Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our
"puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter
notifications, coming! This week's winner is: <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Kaity-Jane - <i>Inescapable</i> by Nancy Mehl! </span></b><br />
<br />
Congratulations, Kaity-Jane! Please use the button in the upper right side
of this page to email me with your email address. Then, sit back and
wait for your book to arrive. Thank you all so much for stopping by <b>The
Borrowed Book</b>!Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-58175102069739938002012-01-19T20:47:00.001-06:002012-01-19T20:47:26.145-06:00<script src="http://www.jigzone.com/zes?i=161589CF26C&m=F0250A892F.824EC2D&z=0&y=XL" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/161589CF26C">Amelia's Journey Jigsaw Puzzle</a></noscript>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-87454402662254682022012-01-19T20:15:00.002-06:002012-01-19T20:30:12.095-06:00Spyglass LaneReady to laugh? Swoon? And then put on your thinking cap?<br /><br />Then let me tell you about a new line of cozy mysteries for e-readers for only .99 each. Spyglass Lane Mysteries is a collection of Christian cozy mysteries—modern-day whodunnits with colorful characters and plenty of wholesome romance. The mysteries are authored by some of Christian publishing’s favorite and best selling authors.<br /><br />New mysteries release every Thursday and there are 21 mysteries now available in this line for just .99. So what are you waiting for? Check out the books below and click the link to purchase for your e-reader.<br /><br />If you would like to be notified each week of the latest book release click <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=spyglasslanemysteries">here</a> to sign up for our email newsletter or <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SpyglassLaneMysteries">here</a> for our RSS feed.<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"> <div style="font-size: 6pt"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/asuspicionofstrawberries.jpg" alt="A Suspicion of Strawberries" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suspicion-Strawberries-Scents-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B006UMKPDE%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006UMKPDE" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119333" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> A Suspicion of Strawberries (The Scents of Murder Series)</b></div><div>By Lynette Sowell<br /><br /></div><div size="8pt">A facial gone wrong, or murder? Andromeda Clark must uncover the truth to save her handmade soap business.<br /><br />The heartbreaker diva of Greenburg, Tennessee is dead. Andromeda Clark knows that her cherry facial scrub didn't accidentally kill Charla Rae Thacker from anaphylactic shock. But Andi's soap business is in trouble and tongues are a-waggin'. To save her business, she searches for the one who tampered with her product. And now Andi's long-time, long-haul trucker boyfriend Ben decides it's time to settle down and stay in Greenburg for good. How can a woman breathe?</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/anothergravematter.jpg" alt="Another Grave Matter" /> <div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Grave-Matter-Volstead-ebook/dp/B006VH1Y9M%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006VH1Y9M" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a></div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Another Grave Matter (The Volstead Manor Series)</b></div><div>By Anita Higman<br /><br /></div><div size="8pt">Volstead Manor has caught on fire, and the last of its murderous secrets flare hot enough to drive Bailey back to her sleuthing. A villain, who remains shrouded in darkness until the end, threatens to destroy Bailey, and once again, the mansion ignites with malevolent mischief. While she unearths a family secret from Prohibition that’s hidden deep within the cellar, she becomes entangled in a ticking-clock race to save her own life. Will the foul surprises never end at Volstead Manor, and will Bailey’s burning desire to marry Max go up in smoke?</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/anotherhourtokill.jpg" alt="Another Hour to Kill" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Hour-Volstead-Manor-ebook/dp/B0062QPUUQ%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0062QPUUQ" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/100755" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Another Hour to Kill (The Volstead Manor Series)</b></div><div>By Anita Higman<br /><br /><div><div size="8pt">Where Bailey Walker lives, being neighborly takes on a whole new meaning. Bailey has survived the mysteries of Volstead Manor, but her latest threats are more ominous than ever. Did her neighbor B.J. die of natural causes? Or was he murdered? And why does the new neighbor, Vlad Tepes, always seem to be watching her? While searching for a lost treasure and planning a wedding the size of an amusement park, Bailey must discover what monster is still lurking in the neighborhood. Will she unravel the puzzle in time, or will Bailey merely provide the villain with Another Hour to Kill?</div> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/anotherstabatlife.jpg" alt="Another Stab at Life" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Stab-Volstead-Manor-ebook/dp/B005R5GG1K%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005R5GG1K" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle<br /></a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92282" target="_blank">Buy for other devices</a></div></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Another Stab at Life (The Volstead Manor Series)</b></div><div>By Anita Higman<br /><br /></div><div style="font-size:8pt;">Bailey Walker has just lost everything—her family, her job, and her home. She has nowhere to go except the dilapidated mansion she’s just inherited from her granny Minna. Unfortunately, Bailey discovers that the house has a history as shadowy as its hidden passages and finds the neighborhood overflowing with some rather quirky folks—as well as one particularly appealing bachelor. Bailey feels like she’s trapped inside the pages of a gothic novel but with a comedic twist. In order to honor her grandmother’s wishes and stay at Volstead Manor, Bailey must unravel a string of mysteries and secrets, which all seem determined to stay happily ever buried.</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/bandroombash.jpg" alt="Band Room Bash" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Band-Room-Mayhem-Maryland-ebook/dp/B006FJSTAS%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006FJSTAS" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109069" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Band Room Bash (The Mayhem in Maryland Series)</b></div><div>By Candice Speare Prentice<br /><br /></div><div style="font-size:8pt;">This murderer is playing for keeps. When Trish Cunningham and her oldest stepson, Tommy, find Georgia Winters, the English teacher at Four Oaks High School, dead in the band room, the suspect list is lengthy. The teacher had a number of enemies—including Tommy Cunningham. Once again, Trish pulls out her notebook to collect clues. Detective Eric Scott, suffering from unrequited love for Trish’s best friend, Abbie, pointedly asks Trish to butt out. But despite the detective’s warnings, she jumps in as usual and finds herself embroiled in a mystery that has its roots in thwarted love and revenge. The finale could be Trish’s swan song.</div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/candycoatedsecrets.jpg" alt="Candy Coated Secrets" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Coated-Secrets-Meadows-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005VGN0E6%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005VGN0E6" target="_blank"> Buy for Kindle<br /></a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94024" target="_blank">Buy for other devices</a> </div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Candy-Coated Secrets (A Summer Meadows Mystery)</b></div><div>By Cynthia Hickey<br /><br /></div><div style="font-size:8pt;">When a carnival train crashes in front of Summer Meadows’s house, she does what comes naturally – she acts without thinking and volunteers to lead an elephant to the fairground. The animal’s trainer follows close behind but disappears when they reach their destination. When Summer goes looking for the trainer, she finds something altogether different – a woman hanging dead in the shower of one of the trailers. A carnival slew of mishap and misadventure ensue when Summer and her fiancé, Ethan, set out to solve the murder.<div><br /></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/chocolatecoveredcrime.jpg" alt="Chocolate-Covered Crime" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Covered-Summer-Meadows-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005ZXEGMK%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005ZXEGMK" target="_blank"> Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/98932" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Chocolate-Covered Crime (Summer Meadows Mystery Series)</b></div><div>By Cynthia Hickey<br /><br /></div><div style="font-size:8pt;">Summer Meadows' chocolate candy business is booming. She's overwhelmed with her April Fool's Day wedding plans, and against her family's advice, hires her cousin to be her wedding planner. But then her cousin is found murdered and more mysteries keep occurring at family parties. Can Summer resist the urge to investigate when she and her dysfunctional relatives are dipped into a plot of unrequited love, internet scam, and jilted hearts? Could the murderer be related to her and have Summer targeted next? Will her fiancé' support her sleuthing antics, or is he another suspect with something to hide?</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/diedinthewool.jpg" alt="Died in the Wool" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Died-Massachusetts-Mayhem-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006CWIVV0%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006CWIVV0" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/107203" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Died in the Wool (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series)</b></div><div>By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery<br /><br /></div><div style="font-size:8pt;">Hone your investigative skills with Died in the Wool, a mystery filled with humor, suspense, and romance. Monah Trenary is battling for city funds for her beloved library. When a rival for the much-needed monies winds up dead, Monah is considered one of the prime suspects. When a second corpse weighs in, police detective Mike Brockman discovers that, according to the evidence, Monah and monkshood are a lethal combination. Can Monah and proven sleuth Casey Alexander find the real killer before this librarian is booked for murder?<br /></div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/everybodylovedrogerharden.jpg" alt="Everybody Loved Roger Harden" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Everybodys-Suspect-Georgia-ebook/dp/B005UHITSI%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005UHITSI"> Buy for Kindle<br /></a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94022" target="_blank">Buy for other devices</a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Everybody Loved Roger Harden (Everybody’s Suspect in Georgia)</b></div><div>By Cecil Murphey </div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;"> Psychologist Julie West and Reverend James Burton arrive late for dinner on Palm Island – but just in time to discover their host, millionaire Roger Harden, murdered. Ten possible suspects share closed quarters on the secluded island, all of them with deep secrets and sufficient motive to have wanted the wealthy benefactor dead. Can Julie and Burton ignore the mysterious attraction developing between them long enough to discover who among them didn't love Roger Harden enough to let him live?</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/fudgelacedfelonies.jpg" alt="Fudge Laced Felonies" /> <div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fudge-Laced-Felonies-Meadows-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005UHJ04U%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005UHJ04U">Buy for Kindle</a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94024" target="_blank"><br />Buy for other devices</a> </div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>Fudge-Laced Felonies (A Summer Meadows Mystery)</b></div><div>By Cynthia Hickey</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">While transplanting the rosebush her church’s handsome greeter, Ethan Banning, inadvertently killed, Summer and Ethan discover a hidden stash of diamonds, a rusty can full of cash, and a bloody-gardening glove. This discovery sets Summer and her candy-making aunt on a search for a killer. As Summer gets closer to the truth-not only of the theft but of her true feelings for Ethan-the diamond thief hatches a plan to hush the feisty sleuth.</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/georgewashingtonsteppedhere.jpg" alt="George Washington Stepped Here" /> <div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Washington-Stepped-Maxwell-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005UHJ2FW%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005UHJ2FW">Buy for Kindle</a> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94025" target="_blank"><br />Buy for other devices </a> </div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>George Washington Stepped Here (The Karen Maxwell Mystery Series)</b></div><div>By K. D. Hays</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">For years after her divorce, Karen Maxwell handled administrative paperwork for her brother’s private investigation agency while he ran around town doing the “fun” part—the investigation. When his partner retires, he finally offers her a chance to take a case of her own. She soon finds out why. The assignment involves the theft of the local historical society’s most treasured artifact, and her brother figures everyone involved is a little crazy. While Karen poses as a volunteer at the site to catch the thief, she meets a host of dedicated historical re-enactors, one of whom happens to be tall, handsome and unmarried.</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/gonewiththegroom.jpg" alt="Gone With the Groom" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Groom-Bridal-Mayhem-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0061XRVI4%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0061XRVI4" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/100753" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Gone with the Groom (The Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series)</b></div><div>By Janice Hanna</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">The best laid plans of brides and men go awry when Annie Peterson’s future son-in-law Scott disappears. Have pre-wedding jitters caused Brandi’s fiance to take flight, or are more sinister forces at work? Surely Annie can solve the riddle. But who could be behind this apparent kidnapping caper? Maybe the drug company Scott works for has hidden motives. Perhaps it’s the handiwork of Otis, Scott’s deceitful dad. But then again it could be the shady wedding photographer, or the “political enemies” of Scott’s mother. Will Annie solve the mystery and recover the missing groom, or will she suffer “regrets only”? </div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/homicideatblueheronlake.jpg" alt="Homicide At Blue Heron Lake" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Homicide-Heron-Mainely-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B005R5AU5I%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005R5AU5I" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle<br /></a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92035" target="_blank">Buy for other devices</a> </div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><b>Homicide at Blue Heron Lake (The Mainely Mysteries Series)</b><div>By Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;"> Emily Gray returns to the lakeside community of Baxter, Maine, expecting a peaceful week in her family's island cottage. Instead, she and her high school crush, Nate Holman, discover the body of Henry Derbin, an elderly island resident. Amid rekindling her old friendship with Nate and trying to make sense of the murder, Emily shares her faith with an old schoolmate. When a second body turns up, the cottagers on Grand Cat Island are frightened and baffled. Is this why Mr. Derbin forbade everyone from going on his land? Can Emily and Nate overcome past hindrances to their romance long enough to dig up clues that will help solve both murders?</div><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/innplainsight.jpg" alt="Inn Plain Sight" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Massachusetts-Mayhem-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006JT8A6W%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006JT8A6W" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/111400" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div></td><td style="font-family: times new roman;" valign="top"><br /><div><b> Inn Plain Sight (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series)</b></div><div style="font-size:8pt;"><div><span style="font-size:100%;">By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery</span></div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">Come along as bride-to-be Casey Alexander works to solve the murder that hijacked her shower. She’ll find that the victim’s propensity for blackmail, gossip, and downright meanness has created a long list of suspects. Unfortunately, Casey’s fiancé is at the top of the list. Armed with her ever present Post-It Notes and the help of her best friend, Casey follows the clues to a killer hiding in plain sight. </div><br /></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/kittylitterkiller.jpg" alt="Kitty Litter Killer" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Litter-Killer-Mayhem-Maryland-ebook/dp/B006L9DL00%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006L9DL00" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/113928" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Kitty Litter Killer (The Mayhem in Maryland Series)</b></div><div>By Candice Speare Prentice</div> <div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;"> Trish Cunningham is pussyfooting with a murderer. Amateur sleuth Trish has retired from her short-lived crime-solving foray. No more walking deliberately into danger. Now her short-term goal is to see her best friend, Abbie, marry fiancé, Eric Scott, in three weeks. But the brutal murder of Abbie’s ex-husband could ruin the nuptials, especially since Abbie was the last one seen with him—when they had a hostile argument at the local convenience store. With evidence pointing at Abbie and the possibility of jail looming in her best friend’s future, Trish comes out of her self-imposed sleuth retirement. And as the clock ticks down to the wedding date, Trish once again puts herself in reach of a murderer’s claws—this time to protect her best friend. </div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/murderinthemilkcase.jpg" alt="Murder in the Milk Case" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Milk-Mayhem-Maryland-ebook/dp/B0069CH23Q%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0069CH23Q" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/104864" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div> </td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Murder in the Milk Case (The Mayhem in Maryland Series)</b></div><div>By Candice Speare Prentice<div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;"> Will Trish Cunningham’s discovery sour her on milk forever? When mommy and wife Trish Cunningham finds the body of pharmacist Jim Bob Jenkins behind the two-percent milk, she know she’s having a bad day. Worse, she’s a suspect in the murder. Sleuthing to exonerate herself from criminal charges, she shakes up a murderer who has nothing to lose by killing anyone in the way—including Trish. </div></div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/nippedinthebud.jpg" alt="Nipped in the Bud" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nipped-Garden-Gate-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B006QZHYAM%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006QZHYAMY" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b> Nipped in the Bud (Garden Gate Mysteries)</b></div><div>By Susan Sleeman</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;"><strong>WHEN YOU FIND YOUR BOSS PUSHING UP DAISIES. . .</strong><br />Life in full bloom, landscape designer, Paige Turner, scores her first landscaping contract to spruce up the park, her radio talk show shoots to number one, and her retail shop is simply blossoming. Yes, her life is a bed of roses. Until she finds City Manager, Bud Picklemann served up on the blade of her favorite shovel mere hours after she’s threatened to have his head on a platter, then the thorns come out. And there is none thornier than the local police chief declaring Paige the one and only suspect and threatening to plow her under.<br /><br /><strong>YOU’VE GOT TO FORMULATE A PLANT OF ATTACK . . .</strong><br />Paige teams up with dashing attorney, Adam Hayes to weed through the list of suspects, and clear her soiled reputation. A bigmouthed Parrot who often spouts Mr. T-isms, and a giant pickle mascot join in quirky Paige’s quest to once again cultivate control of her life.</div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41sCuD2PPJL._SL160_.jpg" alt="The Wedding Caper (The Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series)" border="0" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Bridal-Mayhem-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005PZ749U%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005PZ749U%22" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92032" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a> </div></td><td valign="top"><br /><div><b>The Wedding Caper (The Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series)</b></div><div>By Janice Hanna</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson, has reason to be concerned and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband’s job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can’t imagine it. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that…doesn’t she?</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/treasureatblueheronlake.jpg" alt="Treasure at Blue Heron Lake" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Heron-Mainely-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0062QPJ98%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0062QPJ98" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/100750" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div></td><td valign="top"><div><b><br />Treasure at Blue Heron Lake (The Mainely Mysteries Series)</b></div><div>By Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis</div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">Emily Gray has accepted a job working for the Baxter Journal and plans a feature story on Lakeview Lodge. Owner Jeff Lewis tells her and Nate Holman a mysterious legend about a hidden treasure and murder. Now the hunting lodge is plagued by an intruder who thumps around in the night. Nate and Emily try to help their friend discover who is invading the resort. Things turn more sinister over the Christmas holidays, when one of Jeff’s employees is murdered, with Jeff as a suspect. Is the legend of an old lumber baron’s lost treasure behind the crimes? Jeff’s faith is shaky, and his family rejects him. Nate and Emily try to help him through the crisis. In the midst of the turmoil, Nate graduates from the Police Academy and proposes to Emily. Their life together begins with unmasking the murderer at Lakeview Lodge.</div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/wherethetruthlies.jpg" alt="Where the Truth Lies" /><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Where-Massachusetts-Mayhem-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0065QVPT8%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0065QVPT8" target="_blank">Buy for Kindle</a><br /><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/103047" target="_blank">Buy for other devices </a></div><br /></td><td valign="top"><div style="font-size:8pt;"><b><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Where the Truth Lies (The Massachusetts Mayhem Mystery Series)</span></b><div><span style="font-size:100%;">By Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery </span></div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">Casey Alexander refuses to believe her aunt committed suicide. Convinced a murderer is hiding out in her aunt’s sleepy hometown, she’ll do anything to uncover the truth. But as her personal investigation produces mounting evidence, the danger to Casey grows. Now she’ll be forced to trust certain residents of Pine Mills for help, including local nursery owner, Luke Kerrigain…the man with whom she’s falling in love with…and who may be stalking her. Prompted by strange clues and a mysterious stranger, Casey does a little more digging. The secrets she unearths will turn lives upside down and threaten the peace in Pine Mills’ small community—especially when she discovers that the truth can sometimes be hidden in a lie.<br /></div><br /></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width:150px;text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /><div style="font-size: 6pt"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worth-Weight-Maxwell-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005ZK81CY%3FSubscriptionId%3D0YJ5WH0XEWNGWWCW4M82%26tag%3Dwwwcszonecom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005ZK81CY"><img src="http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com/wp-content/themes/education/images/smashwords/worthitsweightinold.jpg" alt="Worth Its Weight in Old" /><br />Buy for Kindle<br /></a><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97293" target="_blank">Buy for other devices</a> </div></td><td valign="top"><br /><div style="font-size:8pt;"><b> <span style="font-size:100%;">Worth Its Weight in Old (Karen Maxwell Mystery Series)</span></b><div><span style="font-size:100%;">By K.D. Hays </span></div><div style="font-size: 8pt;margin-top:8px;">Paintings slashed... Furniture broken… Someone is wreaking havoc at the Blue Moon Art & Antiques Gallery. Fledgling private investigator Karen Maxwell goes undercover as a salesclerk to find out who’s behind the vandalism, and why. She learns little from friendly clerk Vicki and Eric, the shop’s surly, tight- lipped porter, would run over her with a hand truck before he’d answer any questions. The guilt may even lay with the shop owners themselves, despite the fact that they’re the ones who hired her.<br /><br />Karen’s investigation seems to be going nowhere—just like her once-promising relationship with Brian, the handsome blacksmith who could sweep her off her feet in a minute… if he’d ever take a break from working with the church youth group. Frustration mounts as her dreams of romantic evenings turn into endless rehearsals for the church Christmas play. If Karen can’t crack the case soon, she may find herself busted back to plain, old office manager, her dreams of a career as a private investigator—and a life with Brian—as old and busted as the Blue Moon’s vandalized antiques.<br /></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-80792709089777140832011-11-08T23:30:00.001-06:002011-11-08T23:30:59.699-06:00Weekly Drawing<div style="text-align: justify;">It's fun Friday at <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Borrowed Book</span>, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.<br /><br />Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Borrowed Book</span>, get another entry.<br /><br />Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!<br /><br />Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.<br /><br />It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)<br /><br />This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by DK Publishing, and their great resource book, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gun-A Visual History</span>.<br /></div><br /><script src="http://www.jigzone.com/zes?i=2C157672258&m=F0250A892F.824EC2D&z=0&y=XL" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/2C157672258">Gun A visual histo Jigsaw Puzzle</a></noscript>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-36772916579591116412011-11-01T15:09:00.003-05:002011-11-01T15:11:17.319-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;">It's fun Friday at <strong>The Borrowed Book</strong>, and you have several chances to win. Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.<br /><br />Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention <strong>The Borrowed Book</strong>, get another entry.<br /><br />Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!<br /><br />Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.<br /><br />It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)<br /><br />This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Lauraine Snelling, who is celebrating the release of her latest book, <strong><em>Valley of Dreams</em></strong>.<br /></span><br /><br /><script src="http://www.jigzone.com/zes?i=D0157460E88&m=F0250A892F.824EC2D&z=0&y=XL" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/D0157460E88">Lauraine Snelling. Jigsaw Puzzle</a></noscript>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-74029147363006365362011-10-27T11:34:00.009-05:002011-10-27T12:03:38.670-05:00Our weekly drawings are changing...we're making them more fun!! As always, followers of <strong>The Borrowed Book</strong> are automatically entered. HOWEVER...<br /><br />Now you have several chances to win!<br /><br />Here's how - instead of leaving a comment, leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.<br /><br />Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention <strong>The Borrowed Book</strong>, get another entry.<br /><br />Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!<br /><br />Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FOUR entries.<br /><br />It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)<br /><br />This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by one of our own BB staff members, S. Dionne Moore, who is celebrating the release of her latest book, <strong><em>Promise Brides</em></strong>.<br /><br /><script src="http://www.jigzone.com/zes?i=BB15732548C&m=F0250A892F.824EC2D&z=0&y=XL" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/BB15732548C">Puzzle Feature Jigsaw Puzzle</a></noscript>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-53793481982667966112010-03-26T06:00:00.000-05:002010-03-26T06:00:10.430-05:00The Greatest Country and Western Songs of All Time<span style="font-size:130%;">* Her Teeth Were Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure<br />* I Changed Her Oil, She Changed My Life<br />* I Flushed You From The Toilets Of My Heart.<br />* I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You<br />* I Would Have Wrote You A Letter, But I Couldn't Spell Yuck<br />* If My Nose Were Full of Nickels, I'd Blow It All On You<br />* If You Don't Leave Me Alone, I'll Go And Find Someone Else Who Will<br />* Mama Get The Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)<br />* My John Deere Was Breaking Your Field, While Your Dear John Was Breaking My Heart<br />* My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, And I Sure Do Miss Him<br />* Pardon Me, I've Got Someone To Kill<br />* She Made Toothpicks Out Of The Timber Of My Heart<br />* Thank God And Greyhound She's Gone<br />* They May Put Me In Prison, But They Can't Stop My Face From Breakin' Out<br />* When You Leave Walk Out Backwards, So I'll Think You're Walking In<br />* You Can't Have Your Kate And Edith Too<br />* You Done Tore Out My Heart And Stomped That Sucker Flat<br />* You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-31835697354361658202010-03-19T06:00:00.000-05:002010-03-19T06:00:06.301-05:00To Exercise or Not to Exercise<span style="font-size:130%;">1. It is well documented that for every mile that you jog, you add one minute to your life. This enables you, at age 85, to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5,000 per month.<br /><br />2. My grandmother started walking 5 miles a day when she was 60. She is now 70 and we don't know where she is.<br /><br />3. The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hide when it's time to do housework.<br /><br />4. I joined a health club last year, spent about $400. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up.<br /><br />5. I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I am doing.<br /><br />6. I don't exercise at all. If God meant us to touch our toes, he would have put them further up our body.<br /><br />7. I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.<br /><br />8. I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.<br /><br />9. The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.<br /><br />10. If you are going to try cross country skiing, start with a small country.<br /><br />11. And last, but not least, I don't jog - it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-30180235004319328452010-03-12T06:00:00.000-06:002010-03-12T06:00:00.508-06:00Mothers of Famous People<span style="font-size:130%;">The following are some little known quotes from the mothers of famous<br />people in history:<br /><br />MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on<br />braces, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"<br /><br />COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, you still could<br />have written!"<br /><br />MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do<br />you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"<br /><br />NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, if you aren't hiding your report card<br />inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me."<br /><br />ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat? Can't you just<br />wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"<br /><br />MARY'S MOTHER: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I<br />would like to know how he got a better grade than you."<br /><br />ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But it's your senior picture. Can't you do<br />something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"<br /><br />GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money<br />across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"<br /><br />JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story. Now tell me where you've really been<br />for the last forty years."<br /><br />THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the<br />electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!"<br /><br />PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young<br />man, midnight is past your curfew."</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-59908163746350783112010-03-05T06:10:00.000-06:002010-03-05T06:10:00.490-06:0030 Ways to Say No<span style="font-size:130%;">I'd love to, but...<br /><br />1: I have to floss my cat.<br />2: I've dedicated my life to linguini.<br />3: I want to spend more time with my blender.<br />4: The President said he might drop in.<br />5: the man on television told me to stay tuned.<br />6: I've been scheduled for a kidney transplant.<br />7: I'm staying home to work on my cottage cheese sculpture.<br />8: It's my parakeet's bowling night.<br />9: It wouldn't be fair to the other Beautiful People.<br />10: I'm building a pig from a kit.<br />11: I did my own thing and now I've got to undo it.<br />12: I'm enrolled in aerobic scream therapy.<br />13: There's a disturbance in the Force.<br />14: I'm doing door-to-door collecting for static cling.<br />15: I have to go to the post office to see if I'm still wanted.<br />16: I'm teaching my ferret to yodel.<br />17: I have to check the freshness dates on my dairy products.<br />18: I'm going through cherry cheesecake withdrawal.<br />19: I'm planning to go downtown to try on gloves.<br />20: My crayons all melted together.<br />21: I'm trying to see how long I can go without saying yes.<br />22: I'm in training to be a household pest.<br />23: I'm getting my overalls overhauled.<br />24: My patent is pending.<br />25: I'm attending the opening of my garage door.<br />26: I'm sandblasting my oven.<br />27: I'm worried about my vertical hold.<br />28: I'm going down to the bakery to watch the buns rise.<br />29: I'm being deported.<br />30: The grunion are running.</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-15227067691072023582010-02-26T06:00:00.000-06:002010-02-26T06:00:11.938-06:00Things to Ponder<span style="font-size:130%;">1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks? </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?<br /><br />3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?<br /><br />4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?<br /><br />5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?<br /><br />6. Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?<br /><br />7. Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?<br /><br />8. Why do 'tug' boats push their barges?<br /><br />9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?<br /><br />10. Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?<br /><br />11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light" ?<br /><br />12. Doesn't 'expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?<br /><br />13. Why are a 'wise man' and a 'wise guy' opposites?<br /><br />14. Why do 'overlook' and 'oversee' mean opposite things?<br /><br />15. Why is phonics not spelled the way it sounds?<br /><br />16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?<br /><br />17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?<br /><br />18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?<br /><br />19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?<br /><br />20. Why is bra singular and panties plural?<br /><br />21. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you<br /><br />know the batteries are dead?<br /><br />22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?<br /><br />23. How come abbreviated is such a long word?<br /><br />24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?<br /><br />25. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-6601736795837259302010-02-19T06:00:00.000-06:002010-02-19T06:00:06.114-06:00Women's Compact Instruction Book<span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #1 - Never do housework. No man ever made love to a woman because the house was spotless.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #2 - Don't imagine you can change a man-unless he's in diapers.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #3 - What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.<br /><br />Rule #4 - If they put a man on the moon-they should be able to put them all there.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #5 - Tell him you're not his type-you have a pulse.<br /><br />Rule #6 - A man who can dress himself without looking like Forrest Gump is unquestionably gay.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #7 - Men are all the same-they just have different faces so you can tell them apart. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #8 - Women don't make fools of men-most of them are the do-it-yourself types.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #9 - The best way to get a man to do something is to suggest they are too old for it.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #10 - Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #11 - The children of Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Even in biblical times men wouldn't ask for directions.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #12 - If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him checkbooks.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rule #13 - Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means you laugh at his.<br /><br />Rule #14 - Sadly, all men are created equal.</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-44997240536036731962010-02-12T06:00:00.000-06:002010-02-12T06:00:03.339-06:00State SlogansAlabama: Yes, We Have Electricity<br /><br />Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!<br /><br />Arizona: But It's A Dry Heat<br /><br />Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything<br /><br />California: By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda<br /><br />Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother<br /><br />Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet<br /><br />Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water<br /><br />Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids<br /><br />Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism<br /><br />Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money)<br /><br />Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ... Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good<br /><br />Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S"<br /><br />Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free<br /><br />Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn<br /><br />Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States<br /><br />Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names<br /><br />Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign<br /><br />Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster<br /><br />Maryland: If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It<br /><br />Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)<br /><br />Michigan: First Line Of Defense From The Canadians<br /><br />Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes ... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes<br /><br />Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State<br /><br />Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work<br /><br />Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-Wing Crazies, And Very Little Else<br /><br />Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest<br /><br />Nevada: Bars and Poker!<br /><br />New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone<br /><br />New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!<br /><br />New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets<br /><br />New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney ...<br /><br />North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable<br /><br />North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States!<br /><br />Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan<br /><br />Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing<br /><br />Oregon: Spotted Owl ... It's What's For Dinner<br /><br />Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal<br /><br />Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island<br /><br />South Carolina: Remember The Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender<br /><br />South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota<br /><br />Tennessee: The Educashun State<br /><br />Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English)<br /><br />Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus<br /><br />Vermont: Yep<br /><br />Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?<br /><br />Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers!<br /><br />Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?<br /><br />West Virginia: One Big Happy Family ... Really!<br /><br />Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese<br /><br />Wyoming: Where Men Are Men ... and so are the Women!!!Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-73794050799307564152010-02-05T06:00:00.000-06:002010-02-05T08:46:59.310-06:00Top 10 Women's Tee-shirt Slogans<span style="font-size:130%;">10. Guys have feelings too. But like...who cares?<br /><br />9. Next mood swing: 6 minutes. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">8. Please don't make me kill you. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">7. And your point is... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">6. I used to be schizophrenic, but we're okay now. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">5. Of course I don't look busy...I did it right the first time.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">4. All stressed out and no one to choke. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">3. I'm one of those bad things that happen to good people. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2. How can I miss you if you won't go away? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">1. Don't make me mad! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-49941895001550086962010-02-04T22:10:00.007-06:002010-02-04T22:48:45.600-06:00The Strange and Wonderful World of Publishing<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/S2uibF4ga_I/AAAAAAAAB2U/rcVXLjd5kiY/s1600-h/book+and+pen.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434615961671986162" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/S2uibF4ga_I/AAAAAAAAB2U/rcVXLjd5kiY/s200/book+and+pen.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ah...writing.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">When I started this journey, I had no idea the twists and turns the road would take. Just this week, for example, I received two emails that typified the highs and lows of publication.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">The first was from my agent on a proposal we sent out based on Ellis Island. The first publisher said pass, which really stunk, because no matter how many books you publish, rejections hurt!</span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">The second publisher is "still looking." </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">Believe it or not, that is really good news. Editors are not going to waste their time on books they can't seriously consider, so if one says they're looking...that's a good thing.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">The second message came from my editor at Barbour regarding books two and three of my mystery series. After months of no news, it now appears these books will NOT be released as an omnibus. Instead, they will be released as single titles next year (tentative dates are May and November, 2011). What a surprise!</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">Barbour has plans in the works for a new line of books that will incorporate a few of the mysteries formerly contracted for Heartsong Presents. Hometown Mysteries is the series name being bandied about. I can't wait to see the final direction Barbour decides to take on this. I'll keep you updated!</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway, my point is this...there are highs and lows that come with pursuing your passion. Having taught a lesson just last night on the benefits of perserverance, I guess I'll just keep a steady supply of chocolate on hand and keep plugging along.</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-44726146348700783242009-12-18T11:27:00.002-06:002009-12-18T11:32:44.041-06:00Christmas Eating Tips<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/Syu8lxO3NRI/AAAAAAAAB0s/jTc8jDljADU/s1600-h/candy_cane_v782.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416630333900010770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 193px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/Syu8lxO3NRI/AAAAAAAAB0s/jTc8jDljADU/s200/candy_cane_v782.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#006600;">1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.</span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it.. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!</span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.</span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#006600;">5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?</span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.</span> </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#006600;">7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.</span> </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?</span> </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#006600;">9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.</span> </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand and wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"</span> </span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;"><strong>Have a great and Merry <span style="color:#cc0000;">Christ</span>mas!!</strong></span> </div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-45572794168760495642009-12-10T11:52:00.003-06:002009-12-10T11:55:03.223-06:00New Bookcover!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SyE1gyB0rZI/AAAAAAAAB0U/g-wAQImA2JA/s1600-h/Calico+Cover.blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413667064377552274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SyE1gyB0rZI/AAAAAAAAB0U/g-wAQImA2JA/s200/Calico+Cover.blog.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">It's always so much fun when I get to see my latest bookcover. This one is the mock-up for my Summerside Press book, <strong><em>Love Finds You in Calico, California</em></strong>, set to be released in July, 2010. While the cover is not definite, I've already fallen in love with it. Sure hope my publisher decides to use it!<br /></span><div></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-88806538765081129682009-11-10T06:00:00.001-06:002009-11-10T06:00:02.148-06:00Tuesday Devotional<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkZW7dpMYI/AAAAAAAABus/tbQhlZRu3Jc/s1600-h/max_kitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384362711207981442" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkZW7dpMYI/AAAAAAAABus/tbQhlZRu3Jc/s200/max_kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Max’ism – Be Persistent</strong><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:1-8%20;&version=31;">Luke 18:1-8</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Max is a very persistent fellow. . .must be the Ludwig in him coming out. This was evidenced the other day when he felt like playing and I didn’t. Max brought his squeaky to me and dropped it next to my chair.<br /><br />“Not right now, Max,” I said.<br /><br />He nudged it with his nose until it touched my feet.<br /><br />“No, Max,” I repeated.<br /><br />He picked it up, squeaked it, then wedged it tightly between my crossed ankles. Laughing, I called to my husband. “Check this out. Look what Max is doing.”<br /><br />My husband came into the room and together we pretended to be fascinated by the T.V. Max stared up at me, finally growling low in his throat.<br /><br />“Did he just growl at you?” my husband asked, laughing.<br /><br />“He sure did.” I picked up the toy and tossed it into the kitchen. Max scrambled forward to retrieve it. “He’s persistent, that’s for sure.”<br /><br />Which got me to thinking. God said we are to be persistent in approaching Him. We are not to give up nor surrender the powerful weapon we have in prayer. God will bring justice for His chosen ones, those whom He has called members of the household of faith. The question then, really is do we have enough faith in Him in to keep seeking?</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-75604539246354890742009-11-03T06:00:00.000-06:002009-11-03T06:00:08.430-06:00Tuesday Devotional<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkY6oolNAI/AAAAAAAABuk/_gJRBJf_jWw/s1600-h/max_kitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384362225117246466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkY6oolNAI/AAAAAAAABuk/_gJRBJf_jWw/s200/max_kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Max’ism – Living Water<br /></strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:1-13;&version=31;">John 4:1-13<br /></a><br />“Max’s water dish is empty!”<br /><br />My voice echoed back to me through the suddenly silent house. Funny how fast kids can disappear when there are chores to be done.<br /><br />Heaving a sigh, I grabbed his dish, gave it a good scrub, and replenished the water. Max watched me the whole time, his eyes fastened to the bowl and his tongue darting out to wet his lips.<br /><br />“Poor puppy,” I crooned. “You were thirsty, huh?” I set down the dish and watched as he lapped at the cool water.<br /><br />“Good grief, Max,” I said, picking up the bowl when he’d finished and filling it again so I wouldn’t have to do it in the morning. “You were thirsty.”<br /><br />Eyes fixed on me adoringly, his tail thumped against the tile floor—his way of showing appreciation. All of this reminded me of another story, and of living water which Jesus said once a person partook of, would cause them never to thirst again. Suddenly, I realized what a gift it is that Jesus recognized my condition and took care to see to my need. And I’ll be careful. . .that Max’s bowl is never dry.</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-43908425969976202982009-10-27T06:00:00.000-05:002009-10-27T06:00:08.697-05:00Tuesday Devotional<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkYk0A0cRI/AAAAAAAABuc/eacyWJHfpvs/s1600-h/max_kitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384361850214576402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkYk0A0cRI/AAAAAAAABuc/eacyWJHfpvs/s200/max_kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Max’ism – Setting Boundaries</strong><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020:1-20;&version=31;">Exodus 20:1-20 </a><br /><br />I have a full time job, which means for a large part of the day Max is alone. . .with the cat. While not ideal, the situation worked for a while, but gradually I started coming to home to more and more messes—a trash can turned over, things scattered around the floor, not to mention the little gifts Max sometimes left behind. You know what I mean. All of that was inconvenient, but it wasn’t a major problem until I found him tangled up with an appliance. Yep. Somehow, he’d managed to worm his way into the storage closet, tip the vacuum over, and entangle himself in the power cord. I shudder to think how long he was in there. I’m assuming it was a confrontation with the kitty that led to his predicament. Either way, I knew I had to do something.<br /><br />So, it was off to Wal-Mart to buy baby gates.<br /><br />Knowing what an athlete Max is, I thought it wise to buy gates too tall for him to jump over. He was curious at first, sniffing the new contraptions with interest. But then he discovered what they were for. The first time I left for work with the gates up and Max secured behind them, confined to the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom, he pouted, and whined, and cried, sadly watching me leave from the window next to the door.<br /><br />I ran home at lunch to check on him. While he still wasn’t happy, he wasn’t tangled up in a cord, either. I turned the radio, having heard that any noise in the house helps keep a pet from feeling lonely. It took nearly a month, but Max has accepted that there are days he’ll be confined by the gates, and he no longer whines when I leave, content to play with the crate full of toys I’ve bought him, and listen to Bob Barker announcing the winner on the Big Wheel.<br /><br />Which got me thinking.<br /><br />Boundaries are a good thing. They keep us from harm. They limit the trouble we get into. So why do we buck against the boundaries God has set for us, knowing that He placed them with our best interests at heart? If we’re certain that our God loves us, shouldn’t we be glad that He cares enough to see to our welfare?<br /><br />I know I am. And I think Max is, too.</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-24421146893903431732009-10-23T06:00:00.000-05:002009-10-23T06:00:00.305-05:00Friday Funnies<span style="font-size:130%;">OLD IS WHEN ...Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Honey, I can't do both!"</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />OLD IS WHEN...Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN...A sexy babe catches your fancy and your pacemaker opens the garage door.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN...Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN...You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN...You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of the police.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN..."Getting a little action" means I don't need to take any fiber today.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN..."Getting lucky" means you find your car in the parking lot.<br /><br />OLD IS WHEN...An "all nighter" means not getting up to pee!</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-3822066777598496572009-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:002009-10-20T06:00:03.781-05:00Tuesday Devotional<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkYQqxiu1I/AAAAAAAABuU/Oo-tCrjyHcA/s1600-h/max_kitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384361504137198418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkYQqxiu1I/AAAAAAAABuU/Oo-tCrjyHcA/s200/max_kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Max’ism – Now That’s Talent</strong><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:14-30;&version=31;">Matthew 25:14-30<br /></a><br />I’ve always thought Max was a smart dog, but he really impressed me one day when my husband pulled out the treadmill do his running.<br /><br />Determined to get in shape for a ski trip we are planning over spring break, my husband has been running faithfully for about three weeks. Each time he turns on the treadmill, Max sits next to him, watching the belt speed by. Worried that he might try and grab the belt with his mouth, or get his paw stuck, I usually encourage Max to move away. But today, I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to him…until my husband called my name.<br /><br />“Come see what your dog is doing,” he huffed.<br /><br />So I went into the living room to watch. Max took his squeaky, carefully set it on the front of the treadmill, and waited patiently until the vibration of my husband’s pounding feet knocked it onto the belt. The squeaky then shot off the back, sailing into the air a good foot before hitting the ground. The moment the squeaky fell onto the belt, Max dashed around to the back of the treadmill and tried to catch the squeaky before it fell to the floor. Over and over he pulled the same trick, each time coming just a little closer to catching the toy. My husband got to laughing so hard he had to stop running.<br /><br />“Now that’s talent,” he said.<br /><br />“No kidding. I need to write a Max’ism about it.”<br /><br />Basically, I thought it was such a neat trick I wanted to tell people about it. I didn’t want to hide Max’s little “talent.”<br /><br />Which got me to thinking. God has given each of us a talent—something He wants us to use for His glory or the furtherance of His kingdom. What are we doing with the gifts He’s given us? Are we showing off our talent—using it for Him? Or are we hiding our talent, content to keep it buried where it’s of no use to us or the One who bestowed it?<br /><br />If I’m serious about serving the Lord, I going to have to use everything He’s given me, even if it means digging up “an old talent.”</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-4030351615751515292009-10-16T06:00:00.000-05:002009-10-16T06:00:08.144-05:00Friday Funnies<span style="font-size:130%;">TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM BAD 80'S MOVIES<br /><br />Smart people wear thick glasses, button-down shirts, and slacks. Dumb people wear football uniforms.<br /><br />Your dog is way smarter than you.<br /><br />France is populated entirely by attractive young women and Gerard Depardieu.<br /><br />Every Southern town has a fat redneck sheriff named "Smokey."<br /><br />Mexico is populated entirely by vacationing frat boys.<br /><br />Parents always come back from vacation a day early.<br /><br />There are no ugly prostitutes.<br /><br />It's only possible to win any sporting event in the last three seconds of the game.<br /><br />The best way to escape your enemies is to drive on the wrong side of the road.<br /><br />A student who's failing every class can still rig up an elaborate device to answer his phone when he calls in sick.</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-73030540019990553762009-10-13T06:00:00.000-05:002009-10-13T06:00:03.520-05:00Tuesday Devotional<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkX6jLXe1I/AAAAAAAABuM/mGWzI7w4Z78/s1600-h/max_kitchen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384361124140907346" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d_M0Wy825-Y/SrkX6jLXe1I/AAAAAAAABuM/mGWzI7w4Z78/s200/max_kitchen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Max’ism – My Four</strong><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202:1-11;&version=50;">James 2:1-11</a><br /><br />Max is not a people person kind of dog. There four people in his life that he loves—me, my husband, my son, and my daughter. Oh, he tolerates a few others—my son’s girlfriend, a couple of my daughter’s friends, and the cat. But on the whole, Max pretty much believes in the old saying, “my four and no more.”<br />That was made evident the day we invited the varsity football team over to our house. As part of pre-game day tradition, parents of varsity football players have started making dinner for the team on Thursday nights. Around 5:30, the first boy arrived. Max barked when the car pulled into the driveway just as he always does, but when the boy came into the house, Max promptly grabbed his pant leg and started tugging. I couldn’t get him to stop. Fearful that his actions might turn even more aggressive, I shut Max up in our bedroom for the duration of the meal. It would have worked, if my daughter hadn’t gone into the bedroom for something. Out shot Max, barking, growling, the hair on his back standing straight on end. I must admit, I laughed when I saw all twenty of those macho football players pull their feet up onto the couch. Fortunately, once Max warmed up to everyone, he was pretty much content to ignore the intruders and everyone went home without a scratch.<br /><br />Later that night, Max lay curled up on the loveseat next to me, his cold little nose tucked into the crook of my arm.<br /><br />“It’s funny how he can be so loving to us, and so aggressive toward everyone else,” my husband said.<br /><br />“Yep. I’d say he’s partial to us,” I replied, laughing.<br /><br />But that got me to thinking.<br /><br />Are there certain people I show partiality to? Do I show favor to some and not others? Has my church become a place where I’m content to say, “my four and no more?” Too many times, I’m afraid the answer to these questions would be yes. Even more frightening is the idea that my favor may be influenced by a person’s wealth or position in the community. I guess that’s why God saw fit to warn against showing partiality, and why I’m inclined to listen.</span></div>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32233802.post-89156512983708532262009-10-09T06:00:00.001-05:002009-10-09T06:00:07.866-05:00Friday Funnies<span style="font-size:130%;">WHAT'S YOUR BUSINESS SIGN? Instead of Astrological Signs, how about these ..<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">1) MARKETING<br />You are ambitious yet stupid. You chose a marketing degree to avoid having to study in college, concentrating instead on drinking and socializing which is pretty much what your job responsibilities are now. Least compatible with Sales.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">2) SALES<br />Laziest of all signs, often referred to as "marketing without a degree." You are also self-centered and paranoid. Unless someone calls you and begs you to take their money, you like to avoid contact with customers so you can "concentrate on the big picture." You seek admiration for your golf game throughout your life.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />3) TECHNOLOGY<br />Unable to control anything in your personal life, you are instead content to completely control everything that happens at your workplace. Often even YOU don't understand what you are saying but who the hell can tell. It is written that Geeks shall inherit the Earth.<br /><br />4) ENGINEERING<br />One of only two signs that you actually studied in school. It is said that engineers place ninety percent of all Personal Ads. You can be happy with yourself; your office is full of all the latest "ergodynamic" gadgets. However, we all know what is really causing your "carpal tunnel syndrome."<br /><br />5) ACCOUNTING<br />The only other sign that you studied in school. You are mostly immune from office politics. You are the most feared person in the organization; combined with your extreme organizational traits, the majority of rumors concerning you say that you are completely insane.<br /><br />6) HUMAN RESOURCES<br />Ironically, given your access to confidential information, you tend to be the biggest gossip within the organization. Possibly the only other person that does less work than marketing, you are unable to return any calls today because you have to get a haircut, have lunch AND then mail a letter.<br /><br />7) MANAGEMENT/MIDDLE MANAGEMENT<br />Catty, cutthroat, yet completely spineless, you are destined to remain at your current job for the rest of your life. Unable to make a single decision you tend to measure your worth by the number of meetings you can schedule for yourself. Best suited to marry other "Middle Managers" as everyone in your social circle is a "Middle Manager."<br /><br />8) SENIOR MANAGEMENT<br />(See above - Same sign, different title)<br /><br />9) CUSTOMER SERVICE<br />Bright, cheery, positive, you are a fifty-cent cab ride from taking your own life. As children very few of you asked your parents for a little cubicle for your room and a headset so you could pretend to play "Customer Service." Continually passed over for promotions, your best bet is to sleep with your manager.<br /><br />10) CONSULTANT<br />Lacking any specific knowledge, you use acronyms to avoid revealing your utter lack of experience. You have convinced yourself that your "skills" are in demand and that you could get a higher paying job with any other organization in a heartbeat. You will spend an eternity contemplating these career opportunities without ever taking direct action.<br /><br />11) RECRUITER, "HEADHUNTER"<br />As a "person" that profits from the success of others, most people who actually work for a living disdain you. Paid on commission and susceptible to alcoholism, your ulcers and frequent heart attacks correspond directly with fluctuations in the stock market.<br /><br />12) PARTNER, PRESIDENT, CEO<br />You are brilliant or lucky. Your inability to figure out complex systems such as the fax machine suggest the latter.<br /><br />13) GOVERNMENT WORKER<br />Paid to take days off. Government workers are genius inventors, like the invention of new Holidays. They usually suffer from deep depression or anxiety and usually commit serious crimes while on the job ... Thus the term "GO POSTAL"</span>Elizabeth Ludwighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00056509500051387657noreply@blogger.com0