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My Fall/Halloween Checklist for 2020

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Here is my fall checklist for 2020. I would love to know what is on your checklist. Feel free to join me as I begin to check things off the list. *********************************************************************************  ******************************************************************************* Happy Fall Everyone! KathieyV

Home-How to Re-Soften Your Towels

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I have noticed lately that my towels are no longer soft.  The towels have taken on a very coarse or rough texture, and they just don't feel very pleasant to the touch.  I found an article on The Spruce that was titled how to soften your towels, and I thought I would give it a try. Here is a quote from their site that may explain why towels lose their softness.  "Every towel will eventually become stiff and scratchy if  body soil, body oils, detergents, chemicals, and minerals from hard water are left in the fibers  after washing. Most of the time, the softness can be brought back to the towel fabric simply by stripping away the gunk and then following the easy steps to help prevent the problem in the first place." Here is the list they give of what you will need to correct this problem Supplies Hot water Distilled white vinegar Household ammonia (optional) (I bought distilled white vinegar on Amazon.) Tools  Washing machine Clothes dryer Wool dryer b...

Kathiey's Vlog

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Quote of the week Books One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London I am not enjoying this book.  I just want to finish as quickly as possible.  If you watched my Try A Chapter video I was impressed by the first chapter of this book.  It was actually sweet.  An older lady attempting to help a young insecure woman.  It quickly shifts to superficial to me when the protagonist is the star of a show called Main Squeeze.  It is a bit like The Bachelor.  For me, it is extremely dull and shallow and I don't care what happens to the characters.  My only hope for the book is that somehow the first chapter appears in the later chapters.  I plan to finish this book but I am not excited about it. Movies This week I randomly choose a movie on Amazon Prime.  I decided to watch "Legal Action" Here is the description from Amazon, "Successful big city lawyer Casey McKay travels to a small rural town where he reluctantly agrees to defend his no-good ex-brother-in...

Journal Prompt-What is your favorite season of the year and why?

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The answer to this question comes to my mind immediately. I don't even have to think twice about it. My favorite season of the year is fall. One reason it is my favorite season is that I live in North Carolina.  The NC summers are so hot and humid that beginning in June, I start to count the days until fall.   In the summer, even in the early mornings, when I walk my dog, I end the walked drenched with sweat, not the healthy sweat you get with a workout but the sweat produced by humidity.  I just don't feel good in the summer, but I savor the days when the weather cools, and you can go outside and take a deep breath of the cooler air and feel revitalized. There are so many marvelous things to love about fall other than the weather.  I love the colorful leaves, the spiced pumpkin lattes, a warm soft sweater, pumpkin patches, and apple cider donuts.  There is such a joy in being able to open your windows at night to sleep in the coolness under several warm ...

Five Book Reading Wrap-up

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(There is an Amazon link to each book.  If you are interested in a bit more information, just click on the link.  I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you click on the link and buy anything at all, I get a percent of the sale with no cost to you...thanks:-) ********************************************************************************* Book 1  "Watching You" by Lisa Jewell Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction Good Reads Rating-3.93/5 My Rating is 3.5/5 Overview I found on Amazon. In Lisa Jewell’s latest “bone-chilling suspense” ( People ), no one is who they seem—and everyone has something to hide. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware,  Watching You  will keep you guessing as “Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace” ( Booklist , starred review) until the startling revelations on the very last page. From Good Reads Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics...

Journal Prompt-Share a Time You Helped Someone in Need.

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Over the years, I would like to think that I helped someone along the way. Regarding helping someone, my mind goes back to my years as an RN. I worked in hospitals and clinics and met many in need of a touch to ease their physical and emotional pain. Working as a nurse allowed me to help and comfort others.  I remember the many hands held, the many hugs shared, and the many prayers prayed with my patients.  For me, the most memorable was a young man in his twenties. He had terminal cancer to the point where his bones would spontaneously break for no apparent reason except for the disease ravaging his body. He was in constant pain. I remember thinking back on how I dreaded to see such discomfort. I soon decided to change my mindset. Instead of the focus being the suffering, I began to see it as a chance for ministry. I began to hold him up in my prayers. I went in early for my shifts to pray with him.  Sadly, I don't remember his name, it was over 30 years ago, but I clear...

Genres- What is Magical Realism????

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Magical Realism depicts a picture of the real world with the addition of magical elements.  Magical Realism can also be called marvelous Realism, according to Wikipedia.  Many would say if there is magic, it must be Fantasy.  It seems the line becomes a bit blurred between the two, but the defining characteristics are the story takes place in the real world, not a fantasy world, and in this world, magic is thrown in as usual. Quotes that describe Magical Realism Magic Realism , (also known as Magical Realism  or  marvelous Realism ) is a  style of fiction and literary  genre  that paints a realistic view of the modern world while also adding magical elements.  It is considered a subgenre of Fantasy , and is sometimes called  fabulism , Wikipedia "Magic Realism is based in our reality, and when fantastical things happen, none of the characters see the magic as strange, but it's just accepted. So it's the wri...