Random Thoughts for the Start of 2018. . .

2018 is off to a BIG start at our house.  The hubbs got back safely from Florida after a few delays.    He got his name up in  lights on the jumbotron for being ranked number three in the country in sales.  This is huge since he was laid off  in May of 2016 and then re hired in December of 2016.  You just do not realize the satisfaction I find in this whole ordeal.   It was not his direct manger that laid him off it was the pointy heads at corporate that have no clue what goes on at the sales level. 
Enough of that, because we have been too blessed to be ugly about the pointy heads.  I do believe God moves in mysterious ways.   We have made huge strides in paying our house off and saving for retirement.  I recently read the book by one of Dave Ramseys group called "Retire Inspired" by Chris Hogan.  This was an awesome addition to the Dave Ramsey collection of Financial Peace.  I highly recommend it to anyone that has done the Financial Peace class or who has read the book "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey.  Full disclosure:  I am not being paid to write this, I write what I feel, love and believe in and I do love and believe in each of these programs.  We are saving and giving like crazy and it feels good!!  Could not have done it without Dave and his program.  I would not have gotten serious about it without knowing the facts behind his plan/program and that is what the class gives.  I dabbled at this plan until I took the class.  If you have the opportunity to take the class I highly recommend it. 
Stay tuned, work is really busy this time of year and I feel very overwhelmed most days.  I use my blog as a means to vent some days and as a means to chronicle what is going on in our family.  You never know what you might read about hear at the Pampered Mom???

Financial Friday and Eyes Wide Open. . .

Long week of work and lacrosse, not upset this week has come to it's end.  After our hiccup with the hubbs and his lay off last year we have been working very hard on our finances.  If you have followed anything on my blog you know that I read a lot, especially when it comes to finance.  I have almost finished Chris Hogan's "Retire Inspired, It's Not an Age It's a Financial Number" (Chris works with Dave Ramsey).  It is really enlightening.  I highly recommend this book, and it does not matter what age you are.  In fact I would recommend reading it in your 20's so that you can retire inspired.  I really wish I had started sooner with thinking about things like this and thinking about saving rather than the immature notion of immediate gratification.  That may be another one of those all too important life lessons you have to learn for your self.
Our life changed, our thought process changed, and our eyes were opened wide when my hubby was laid off two weeks shy of his 25 year anniversary with his company.   Update on that in case you did not know.  The hubbs is back with his same company, at his previous managers request, after 6 months of looking for another job.  He did get a raise and with their new product launch has been making a great bonus and we are taking full advantage of this extra income to pay off our house.  An irresponsible response to this extra income would be to buy new cars that we do not need or take lavish vacations etc. . Because we have been debt free, except the house, for a couple of years now that was not our response to this extra income.   It would be so great to be free of house payments so that we could really save for our "Inspired Retirement."   We are not only paying down the house but, we are adding to our retirement savings.
Yes, I have two boys getting ready for college in one year and in four more years.  We have been saving for college since the boys were born, it is never too early to start a child's saving fund for college.   College is important but do not skip saving for your retirement to save for your kids college.  This is not a Dave Ramsey thought and I do not remember exactly where I heard it but it makes a whole lot of sense.  Banks will let you borrow money for college, they will not let you borrow money for your retirement.  This one is a Dave Ramsey, kids can get jobs and help pay for their college.  You do not want to have to depend on your kids to support you in your retirement.  It is not their responsibility.
Recommendations for today:  If you have kids start a college saving fund, no mater what age you are start a retirement fund (IRA, ROTH IRA etc. . .),  read a book on finance (Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, or Thomas J Stanley), and last but not least enjoy this beautiful day.
Stay tuned because college planning is coming. . .

What will Everyone Be Reading. . .

Big T finished his round of tests and Sprat is starting his final exams.  It will be a relief when this is all over.  Sprat will be spending his summer in football camps and workouts and Big T will be attending a couple of lacrosse camps.  I hope we might find time to work in a beach trip but, not sure if that will happen or not.   We may have to do a few weekend trips to the lake in between football and lacrosse camps.
I competed the Mercedes Killer by Stephen King and I am reading Finders Keepers the follow up to the Mercedes Killer also by Stephen King.  These are both really good books, my hubby loves Stephen King.  I like some of his books but not all of them.  I have recently found BookBub, a site where you can download some books for free or a small fee.  I have always been more of a real book person but I decided I would try this BookBub and see how I like it with my tablet.  I found a free download called The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown.  It turns out this is a series and I love that.  I started it last night and I think I am going to have to read this whole series.  It was pretty good, it had some humor, action, and love.  This is  a really easy read and does not require a lot of thought and for the summer that is exactly what I need. 
Check out BookBub and see for yourself.   I will finish Finders Keepers, that is the one that the hubby has already read so, we discuss it along the way.  We sort of have our own private book club.
What is everyone else reading this Summer?  I am always looking for new books to peak my interest.

Happy Monday. . . .Read On. . .

I have said numerous times that I read all the time; if it is not a text book it is a novel, magazine or blog.   My hubby is also an avid reader, of course he loves his war novels and history.  He loves Stephen King and has many of his novels.  I am very thankful that our kiddos both like to read.  Big T took after his daddy with a love for history books and Sprat likes a good mystery just like his mama.  I did not find my joy of reading until I was out of college and I found Robin Cook.  If you do not know him, he writes medical mysteries and I love them.  I was never a Harlequin romance girl, I did not care for those at all.  I even found a series of knitting murder mysteries, yes knitting.  They are easy and very interesting.  Give me a good murder mystery and I am set.   In the last several years, a group of my girl friends formed a book club and I joined.  I thought I needed to broaden my literary awareness beyond murder.  I have really stepped out of my zone in the books I have read with this great group of ladies.  This is not a hard core book club so if we do not finish the book it is no big deal.  We all have families and kids and they are very understanding when life happens.  I have tried to read every book but, I must admit there have been a couple that I did not read.
     One of our books we chose was sort of a murder mystery, "Gone Girl."   I was finishing this one up when my dear hubby got hurt.  He decided he needed something new to read and when I finished he started reading it.  I do not think we had ever read the same book, I thought this is going to be fun to talk about when he was finished.  I was very impatient for him to finish because I wanted to know what he thought and I wanted to see the movie.  I swore I would not see the movie until we both had finished the book.   I think you can gauge a good book by how you feel about the characters, I had definite feelings about both of these main characters.  I will not spoil the story or the movie if you have not seen it.  You will have definite feelings about this book and the movie.   The hubbs is now reading, "The Help," another good book and movie if you have not read or seen it.  
    I have started a new Stephen King  book that my mom gave Big T.  He is knee deep in another book right now so I did not think he would mind if I borrowed it.   I will let you know how I like it.  I only have a few months before I am back in my text books for school.  I will be taking a public speaking class and a Constitutional Law class.  Looking forward to August.

Knitting mysteries. . . .

I went to a used book store today with the family.  This is not a local store so I was excited to see what they had.  I really should have gone by myself.  I could not find what I was looking for but I found something I didn't realize I wanted.  Big T got a book on strange tells of the Civil War, it tells of strange phenemenon during the war.   Big T also got a book on Black Beard, he and hubby are going to share that one.   Sprat got a Mad magazine, I guess he figures he can waste his time till school starts.
I picked up one of my knitting mystery books, "Skein of the Crime" by Maggie Sefton.  I know they have the cookiest names for the books but, I really like the characters.  I have already read, "Knit One Kill Two"  and "Fleece Navidad" and "The Killer Stitch."  These we're really good.
I was looking for the new James Patterson book.  I only found it in hard back.  I guess I will have to wait or check it out at the library.  I have to finish my Jack Reacher first though.

What is everyone reading??????

What has everyone been reading this summer?  I am looking for some new books to read.  I have a little break till school starts and I have to start reading text books.   I am still in my book club but I read this months book so fast I am looking again.  I have one of the "Jack Reacher" books  and I am reading it now, should be finished with it soon.  I enjoyed the distopian books Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  I was not sure I would like them, but they were very interesting.  I read some Maggie Seftin books, they are mysteries that are set around a small town in Colorado.  They are centered around a group of women that knit and crochet.  Each book has a recipe and a knitting pattern.  I loved these.  I may have to pick me up some more of them.  Happy reading to all.

Book Club. . . Insurgent. . .

New book for the club is Insurgent, the second in the trilogy by Veronica Roth.  I liked the first one, Divergent and I really like Insurgent.  I read it in record time.   It is really one that you cannot put down.  These are all based on Dystopian society.  They are very violent books so if you are the least bit iffy on violence I would not recommend them.  Certain parts of the first one did bother me just a bit but I was able to move on.  I am not sure when the third book is due out, but I cannot wait.  I like these characters they seem like real people.  They battle with their own emotions and their own demons just like anyone has to in life today.  Their demons may be a little more far fetched than what we face but I could relate.  
I don't like the Vampire books or movies, have never been able to get in to those.  I don't like mushy romance novels.  I guess I like the mystery, murder, and gun blazing novels.  I do like a little romance in my gun blazing novels though, just a little.  I don't know if book club will pick the third one to read or not, but I am hooked and will have to read it when it comes out.  I heard that they are making a movie about this series too.  I might have to check that out.

Book Club. . . Divergent. . .

We had book club on Saturday night.  We always have a blast.  This group of ladies are the best.  We have a great mix of women younger with young children and older with older children.   To be a diverse group we all get along well and we are not afraid to voice our opinions on any subject.  No shock there I am sure.  This month we read Divergent by Veronica Roth, it was good we all enjoyed it.  We are going to read the second book in this series for next month, Insurgent.  These books are on the Dystopian world after everything falls apart.  At the rate we are going these are looking more and more like a fore shadowing of our fate.  Ahh, but that is for a month of posts.
I enjoyed this book, it is not one I would have picked for myself.  I am glad I read it and I am sure I will enjoy the second one as well.  I personally prefer murder mystery books.  I would recommend this one though, it does have suspense, twists, some romance and mystery.  I like being in a book club because this encourages me to read other things and spread my wings to venture in areas I would not normally go.   So far we have read:  Water for Elephants, The Memory Keepers' Daughter, Wicked, and Divergent.  All good books, I think my least favorite was, The Memory Keepers' Daughter, just because it made me cry so much.    I am also reading Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child.   This is in the series that the movie Jack Reacher was based on.  It is good, I have not seen the movie but I think I would like it.
I like to read the books before I see movies.  When I was younger I always heard people say; "oh, the book was so much better than the movie."   Back then, I could not imagine a book being better than a movie, but now I see what they are talking about.   Your books give you more insight into characters that movies just do not have time for.   Sprat seems to be like me on this subject.  He read all of the Hunger Game books and read the first one before he saw the movie.  He agreed the book was much better than the movie.  He is anxiously awaiting the second movie.
I did not like to read when I was growing up, I did not begin to enjoy it until I found my murder mystery books.  The first author I got hooked on was Robin Cook, I think I like him because he wrote medical mysteries.  I am so glad that my kids have found subjects and authors that they enjoy at such an early age.   Both boys love to read and read well above their age level.  The each have very different interests when it comes to reading too.

What a wonderful crazy week. . .

Received news of a wonderful blessing, a windfall actually.   God is good!  I made a 98 on my computer exam and I am so happy for that.  I turned in my rough draft for my term paper in my Ethics class and feel good about it.  I am getting ready for two wonderful weeks with my boys out of school.  I get only one week so they will get to visit with Memaw  while I have class two days.  We are still working our way through Dave Ramseys' program to be debt FREE with great progress.  Everyday we get a little closer. I finished my third book with my new book club.  On a side note, I am not buying these books I am getting them from my local Library.  This month we read, "Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Greggory Maguire.  This was by far my favorite book so far.  I have a new respect for the Wicked Witch of the West.  Great book, I would highly recommend it.  We start our new book, "Submerged" by Cheryl Kaye Terdif.   Today is the beginning  of Holy Week and we had a great service today and the Childrens' Choir sang "Hosana"  one of my favorite Hymns.  So proud of our Choir.   I must add that  I just watched Kansas beat UNC !!!!  yipeeee!!!  I am an ABC fan, Anybody But Carolina.   But I digress, God is good and he does watch out for those in need and those praying for help and guidance.  He proves this to me daily and I am so thankful.

New Book for Book Club

We are now reading "Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West."  I was skeptical at first of this book.  I am only half way through it but, completely hooked.  It is a little racy in places but has been interesting too.  I am wondering if the new "Oz" movie is based on this book?  I hope I will be through with it by the time we meet.  We are meeting earlier this month because of Spring Break.
The story is very entertaining.  So far she was born green and has an aversion to water, with no reasonable explanation.  Her father was a minister and her mother was a socialite.  Cannot wait to see where this ends up.  Stay tuned. . .

Book Club Reading Selections. . .

After talking with our local librarian about our book club, she gave me a list of books that might be of interest.  Here is a list she gave me:  The Fallen Angel, Backfire, Shadow of Night, Sandcastle Girls, Creole Belle, and Next Best Thing.  These are all fiction titles.  Here are some non-fiction titles:  Wild, Unbroken, Killing Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe:  The Final Years, and The Amateur.  You can also google to find the latest book club lists.

I think I would like to read the Marilyn Monroe book or the one about Lincoln next.  They both seem like they would be worth while.  If you are interested in joining a book club you can always start one of your own or check out your local Library and see what they have to offer.  The group I am with started on Facebook.  

Book Club, Book # 2

The second book we are reading for book club is "The Memory Keepers Daughter."   This title reached out and grabbed me, the book has been very different than what I was expecting.  It has it's tear jerking moments and then it has points where you want to smack the main character.  I have not finished but, I am only a chapter or two away.   We have our next meeting on Friday, I am excited about it because I have not been on Facebook since we started the book.  I cannot wait to hear what everyone else has thought about this one.  We wrote comments on Facebook when we were reading the first book and I kinda liked that.  It was neat to see what everyone else was thinking while they were reading the book.  I have missed that about not being on Facebook.  
I was not sure I would do well in a book club.  I read slowly and I really have to be in to a book to read it.  The book we have read and this one were not books I would have picked for my self so, I feel like I am broadening my horizons.  I personally like a good mystery; medical murder mysteries.   The first book we read was "Water for Elephants," it was hard to get around some of it but I am glad I read it.   I cannot wait to find out what we will be reading next.

Book Club. . .

Had our first book club meeting last night.  It was a lot of fun.  I only knew one person going in to this club.  I met three very nice ladies last night and enjoyed getting to know them the way women always do.  We talked about our kids and having kids and what we did when we were kids.    We enjoyed good food and fellowship and discussed our book.  We read "Water for Elephants."
I enjoyed the book.  There are parts of it that are very graphic with regard to sex and hurting animals.  I am an animal lover so that was hard for me to get around.  Overall I did like the book.  I still have not seen the movie.  I tried to watch it before I read the book and I could not get past the animal cruelty.  I am a softy when it comes to our four legged friends.  If you have not read the book I would recommend it.  It does make you think about how you treat others.
Our next book may be "The Memory Keepers Daughter."  I have not read this one yet so I am pretty excited about it.  I have heard good things about it.