Books by Jodi Picoult

Publisher's weekly:
Picoult bangs out another ripped-from-the-zeitgeist winner, this time examining a condemned inmate's desire to be an organ donor. Freelance carpenter Shay Bourne was sentenced to death for killing a little girl, Elizabeth Nealon, and her cop stepfather. Eleven years after the murders, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers, which complicates the state's execution plans. Meanwhile, death row has been the scene of some odd events since Shay's arrival—an AIDS victim goes into remission, an inmate's pet bird dies and is brought back to life, wine flows from the water faucets. The author brings other compelling elements to an already complex plot line: the priest who serves as Shay's spiritual adviser was on the jury that sentenced him; Shay's ACLU representative, Maggie Bloom, balances her professional moxie with her negative self-image and difficult relationship with her mother. Picoult moves the story along with lively debates about prisoner rights and religion, while plumbing the depths of mother-daughter relationships and examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of having heart. The point-of-view switches are abrupt, but this is a small flaw in an impressive book.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Picoult's fluent and absorbing storytelling will welcome her new novel, which, like Harvesting the Heart, explores family dynamics and the intricacies of motherhood, and concludes, as did The Pact, with tense courtroom drama. In the small town of New Canaan, N.H., 33-year-old Mariah discovers that her husband, Colin, is having an affair. Years ago, his cheating drove Mariah to attempt suicide and Colin had her briefly committed to an institution. Now Mariah's facing divorce and again fighting depression, when her eight-year-old daughter, Faith, suddenly acquires an imaginary friend. Soon this friend is telling the girl how to bring her grandmother back from the dead and how to cure a baby dying of AIDS. As Faith manifests stigmata, doctors are astounded, and religious controversy ensues, in part because Faith insists that God is a woman. An alarmed Colin sues for custody of Faith, and the fear of losing her daughter dramatically changes meek, diffident Mariah into a strong, protective and brave woman & one who fights for her daughter, holds her own against doctors and lawyers and finds the confidence to pursue a surprising new romance with TV atheist Ian Fletcher, cynical "Spokesman of the Millennium Generation." Though the novel feels a bit long, Picoult's pacing stabilizes the increasingly complicated plot, and the final chapters, in which Mariah fights for Faith's custody in court, are riveting. The mother-daughter relationship is all the more powerful for being buffeted by the exploitative and ethically questionable domains of medicine, media, law and religion; these characters' many triumphant transformations are Picoult's triumphs as well. Agent, Laura Gross.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


***I have read several books by Jodi Picoult. They are hard to read sometimes, as they deal with tough issues. However, they always show the other point of view that you never thought about. For example, in her book "My Sister's Keeper", a baby was born in order to give a transplant to her sister. The child/donor decides, when she turns 13, that she wants the rights to make her own decisions about what can and can't be done with her body. She was the baby that was born solely to keep her sister alive, and she wants to not have to do it anymore. It is much more complicated than that, of course. That is just a synopsis. From my view, I automatically think who could sit back and watch their sister die, knowing that they have the organ inside themselves to keep that sister alive. So, like I said, it shows another point of view that you usually don't think about.

As for the books I have posted above, the last book I read "Change of Heart", is equally as hard to read. It kept me up at night. Very disturbing. I did learn some new things, and the twists and turns kept it interesting.

I put "Keeping Faith" on here, too because a couple of the characters from the "Keeping Faith" book wind up in "Change of Heart", so you may want to read the other one first (though, it's not necessary).

Anyway, I think I will go read something about gardens or lullabys now... I am beyond disturbed. I don't want to give any of the details away, but "Change of Heart" is a good book. I will just leave at that.

The babysitter

I was headed to bed last night, and this is the scene I passed. I couldn't pass up taking a picture. I asked LeCount what was going on. He said that Jaden had asked him to babysit her babies. He was so into watching the game that he had forgotten he was still holding the baby. Thank goodness they weren't real!

Nap Nanny

Wow! I saw this in a magazine... Perfect for when your baby is sick and has trouble breathing laying down. Where was this when I needed it 4 years ago? Great for preemies that need extra care (feeding tubes, etc) This is such a great idea, but is kind of hard to see just by looking at the picture. You can see the web-site here: http://www.napnanny.com/ordernap.html

If I were any better, I would be twins

I got this in an e-mail, and I just have to share it. I know this is probably just a fictional story, but it has a great moral to it. So, here it is, along with some more pictures of our Easter bunny:

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good
mood and always has something positive to say. When someone
would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any
better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee
how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked
him, 'I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Eac h morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can
choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the
positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut
away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your
choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower
Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often
thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of
reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd
be twins...Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone
through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied... 'Then, as I lay on the
ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or
I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked

He continued, '..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled
me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I
knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said
John.
'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The
doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply.
I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'.'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on
me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude..... I learned from him that every day we have the
choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything .

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Good things are coming

There has been a lot going on lately. Between looking for work (work that I can do and not put my girls in day care), working, and other small income-generating projects, it has been chaotic. Ebay has pretty much ground to a halt, but I don't want to admit it. I was so busy with that, so I miss that income and work already. I am only selling a couple of things a day now :0( I guess that is how it will be until late spring.

As far as work, I have been doing the audits, and hopefully, I will be able to get more for February. They are on-going, so it will be continuous income for 2 years. Thank God for the great people that came together to make it possible!!!! I can't thank them enough, but I want to thank you again: Thank you Andrea and Patrice for watching them on the 8th!!!! Thank you Grandma Leslie for watching them on the 9th and 12th and again for my interview on the 16th!!!! Thank you Aunt Janet for watching them on the 13th!!!!

Now, cross your fingers there are a few jobs that are part-time flexible positions that would work well in the evenings and the weekends. There is one that I went for an interview for yesterday that I am really hoping to get. I don't want to jinx myself by telling too much, so I will wait patiently. I will post an update when I know more about the position... For now, just pray for me!

A few hours with friends

We had fun yesterday playing with friends at Peter Piper. I got to visit and catch up with my friend Tiffany, and the girls each had someone to play with. Christopher (Tiffany's oldest) is just 2 months younger than Jaden, and Emmanuel (her youngest) is almost exactly 1 year younger than Morgan (his birthday is on the 21st, and Morgan's in the 22nd). Now, I wish I had gotten a picture of Emmanuel. He is so sweet... Well, both of them are! Here is the video of Christopher and Jaden playing air hockey. Jaden thought that she was supposed to get the puck in her slot to win... So, between Christoper nailing the puck in her slot and Jaden putting the puck in her own slot, she kept losing. LOL!!! She laughed with excitement everytime it went into her slot. I was laughing too hard to correct her for awhile. Then, she finally figured it out. Maybe next time she will win. Is anyone up for a challenge?

Money Saving Tip #7~ Eat at your favorite restaurants for FREE!

No, this is not one of those SCAM/SPAM e-mails. This is real :0) We are able to eat out about twice a month (sometimes more, depending on which assignments we feel like taking) for free. This is how it works, there are hundreds, possibly thousands of companies that are set up to evaluate customer service. These "mystery shopping" companies each have their various clients. You can find a list of 112 mystery shopping companies here: http://www.ratracerebellion.com/jobs-mysteryshopping.htm What you do is you sign up for the companies that you want to work with. If you like On the Border, you would pick the company that has them as a client. If you like Furr's, Golden Corral, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc you just find the company that has them as a client and you watch out for shops as they come available. They even have "Three Forks" as a client, so you can go to upscale places, too. Now, you have to follow their guidelines EXACTLY. If they reimburse $46 (like our dinner did last night), make sure to stay at or below that amount. You have to pay for your meal upfront, but some of these companies repay pretty quickly. We'll get our $46 back from last night in 2 weeks.

Now aren't these cuter than disposables?

They are even cuter when she's wearing them!!!

Money Saving Tip #6~ Discounted postage

If you buy a lot of stamps like I do (mostly for business reasons). You can get them at a discount!! Yes, you do not have to pay face value! Don't go to the post office asking for discounted stamps because they will laugh you out of the store. You can find them on-line. Here is one of the distributors of stamps: http://www.hgitner.com/postage.html You can't pick the kind you are going to get, so you may have to put 1 or 2 more stamps on the letter, but who cares!!

Money Saving Tip #5 ~ Make your own laundry soap

Recipe costs approx. $2.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled.

makes 10 gallons!!

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

That is 180 loads of laundry washed for $2!!! Can you beat that? Plus, you can make it smell the way you want and change it up. For this batch, we will make half apple cinnamon and half peach. The scent choices are endless!!
By the way, I had to get the washing soda and Fels-Naptha soap in the mail. If you can not find it in a store near you, here is where I got the Fels-Naptha: http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/?Click=2 I bought 5 bars of soap at one time to cut down the cost-per-bar. You can purchase the washing soda there, too, but it is expensive to ship. I ordred mine from Church and Dwight Co., Inc. They are the makers of Arm & Hammer. To order directly from them for $3.99 a box & no shipping charges, call: 800-524-1328.

Our Easter Bunny a few months early

We have a bunny that lives in our back yard. He has been there for a few weeks now, but I never have my camera with me when I see him. Today, I tried to get the girls to be still and not scare him so that I could get a good shot... That didn't work, so this is the best picture I have of him for now!

Audits

Wow! So this is what I have been up to. I am kind of wrapping up Ebay sales until spring/summer. I have been going strong at it for some months now. I am the "silver" level in the power seller program. I don't know how people are able to get past silver without running themselves into the grave with work. Just the little bit that I have sold is almost non-stop work: buying the items, taking pictures, listing the products, keep listing the products, send invoices, pack and ship the products... Whew!!! Now it is off season, but I am always looking for something that might sell. Even though I only have 75 items listed now, I could find something that sells any day now, and I will have to jump on it.

Now, as for the other stuff I have been up to, besides taking care of my girls... I had an opportunity to put in for a special assignment through one of the mystery shopping companies that I work with. The assignment is a 2 year contract to do audits. Each audit takes 2 full days to complete. I was able to get 2 assignments for this month (so 4 days). That means that I have to find a sitter for those days. Luckily, we have great family and friends!!! Morgan and Jaden stayed with their cousins on Thursday (Andrea & Patrice). They had so much fun, and they didn't even care that I left. It made it easier to work knowing that I didn't have to worry about them. On Friday, Grandma Leslie came to our house. When I got home from work, the girls were actually MAD at me for coming home!!! They wanted Grandma to take them bike riding. So, I guess I don't have to worry about them missing me!

The audits are intense. It is 35 pages of instructions, and 45 pages to fill out!!! After the second day, I had to get on the computer immediately to report the data. That took another 2 hours!! I was so exhausted, but I think it will get easier with practice. I love the fact that I have these kinds of opportunities, and I hope I can find more of them. This will be steady work for at least 2 years. I already put in for 2 more of the assignments, so we'll see.

So much to say

And no time to say it. Hopefully I will be able to post something tomorrow. I am tired!! Good night!

I will be out of the office

for a little while. I got a great opportunity, and I had to seize it. Unfortunately, it has left me drained. It is only a 4 day assignment for now, but it is all day. Plus, the Ebay stuff, and data entry. I am exhausted. So you probably won't hear from me for a day or two... But, I am still here, I promise :0)

Money Saving Tip #4~ Block Cheese

Block cheese can be a pain, but it can save you several dollars a month (depending on how much you use) over shredded cheese. In order to make it to where it isn't so much of a hassle, this is what I do:

1) I buy about 6 to 10 pounds of block cheese at a time (you will want to compare prices to make sure you are saving over shredded). If it is on sale, I will buy more.
2) I cut out time in a day (about 30 minutes needed) to work with the cheese all at one time.
3) I shred all of the cheese at one time, but I have them separated according to the package they came out of. For instance, I grated 8 pounds of cheese today, but they were in 2 pound packages. Each package had a different expiration date, so I did not mix the cheese.
4) I put the shredded cheese on paper plates and put it in the freezer uncovered for 10 minutes.
5) After 10 minutes, I take it out of the freezer
6) Then, I put the shredded cheese into pre-marked ziploc freezer bags (with the type of cheese and expiration written on the outside)
7) All of the bags then go into the freezer for another 30 minutes.
8) After the 30 minutes, I take one of the bags out to be available in the refrigerator. The rest of the bags stay in the freezer until needed.

A cold SNAP!!

I don't know about other states, but in Texas you learn the meaning of the phrase "cold snap". The weather is so unpredictable. It was about 80 degrees on Sunday. On Monday, it was at freezing. Not only that, but it decided to rain... Morgan and Jaden loved the ice!

I guess I made a New Year's Resolution

I never make New Year's resolutions. It is not intentional. When I was younger (in my teens), I used to make them. They always started out the same way (with good intentions). I truly believed I would be able to "stick to it this time". I stopped making them without really realizing it until after the year started, and then, I just didn't believe I could bring my resolution into reality.
Now, I have made a resolution without realizing it until now (5 days into the new year). You may have noticed my posts about little things you can do to save money. While looking for the ingredients that I needed to make my own laundry detergent, I signed up for an e-mail newsletter called "Everyday Cheapskate". Today's e-mail was called "What Do You Need to be Happy?" (found here: http://www.moneyrulesdebtstinks.com/ ). I clicked on the link, and then, I saw the post labeled "My Year to Stop Being Wasteful" (found here: http://www.moneyrulesdebtstinks.com/?p=431 ) That is when I realized that on 12/28/08, I had already started my New Year's Resolution ( http://ilovemykids08.blogspot.com/2008/12/living-amish-like.html ).
This is a true milestone because I KNOW this resolution will actually happen. There is a BIG difference between this resolution and the ones that I made in my teens (this is, also, something that I just discovered). This is my first resolution that is not superficial. This is about changing the me inside of me. This is about doing something that I can be proud of and believe in. This is a RESOLUTION REVOLUTION! This isn't about losing weight, or getting tan before summer. This is about a change that lasts a lifetime!
In the article "What Do You Need to be Happy?", you can find this:

When people say they want happiness, what they’re really looking for is contentment, that feeling of satisfaction that does not go away once the carpet is a few months old, the car has lost its “newness” or the holidays are over. He went on to suggest that happiness is the result of a “happening” and when the event is over, the happiness goes away. The contentment we seek comes with satisfaction and fulfillment that are not tied to specific events but rather based upon things that do not change, like warm family relationships, connecting to God and expressions of sincere gratitude.
(for this and more: http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/ed_cheapskate.asp?ID=39220 )

My baby is turning two on the 22nd!

These pictures were taken 1 year ago, a few weeks before Morgan turned 1. She only had a few teeth, as you can see. Between her lack of teeth & unusual hair (it was straight underneath, curly on top, with one bad patch in the back of her head), she is so cute! Time has flown by, and she sure has grown! She talks non-stop, and tries to keep up with Jaden. It reminds me of when I was growing up. I was the oldest, and my brothers were just like how Morgan is with Jaden~ constantly following me & copying me. I remember my mom telling me that they were doing that because they love me and want to be like me. I didn't fall for that line back then, it was just annoying!! LOL!!! Now, I see what she was talking about. It is so cute to see Morgan doing the same things that Jaden is doing, but it annoys Jaden sometimes. Oh, how history repeats itself! I just hope Jaden doesn't take after Grandma Leslie and tie her sister up in the car (the infamous story of how Aunt Carol made Grandma Leslie mad, so she tied her up and hung her from the clothes hook in the car)!!! Let's not repeat that one!!

Health Insurance

Anyone who has not seen Sicko, needs to pick up a copy to watch soon. It was very interesting. I saw it when it came out at the theater. The reason I am thinking of this now is because LeCount and I are officially insured now (after over 1 year without insurance). On January 1st our insurance coverage began. It's not a moment too soon because I need an antibiotic for a sinus infection, and the cost of my preventative migraine medications are draining us... So, why am I not happy? Because we still do not have our insurance cards. The insurance company says that we are insured. We can go to the doctor and get prescriptions, and they will reimburse us after we submit a claim. YUCK!!! Can I just have my card?!?!?! I am insured, but I still have to front the money to be seen by a doctor and pick up my prescriptions!? My head hurts, and this sinus infection is getting the best of me. The last thing I want to do is pay $300 to see my doctor! They are taking the premiums out of LeCount's check every two weeks, so I shouldn't have to come up with more money to see a doctor. I am very frustrated. Of course, it doesn't help that I don't feel well... I guess it's off to Minute Clinic in the morning. :(

My 2009 Horoscope~ Aquarius

You have an innate talent of attracting like-minded people, but sometimes you can be reluctant to express affection individually because of your broad love for mankind. You are often more energized by people responding to your positive ideals rather than to who you really are. You are so enthusiastic in serving mankind that you sometimes leave yourself out of the equation.

As you start trusting and accepting that your inner desires are just as important (if not even more so) as helping others, you'll begin to have a deeper understanding of who you are.

Aquarius is all about a new vision in 2009, and working to move our planet toward the highest and healthiest quality of life. You are highly energized with this wonderful alignment, and your inspiration is rekindled to move energy in grandiose ways. You are able to utilize these high frequencies in order to create new structure and value in people's lives.

This is no time to sit back and let anything slip through your fingers. Express yourself and move forward with your visionary ideas. As you forge ahead, you find a reworking of meaning on a deep level, and discover possibilities as you connect with your highest star.

Your ideas have always been ahead of the times, and now you are a shining example of what the Earth force can assimilate into everyday living. You realize that the world was created with structure, and outdated modes of living that no longer serve mankind are being recognized around the world. It's time to let go of anything that holds you back. New thinking is on the horizon, and people are ready to align with the quickly changing energies of the planets. Your leadership skills will help humanity make these shifts, and you will feel supported by those who understand the need to create peace and harmony.

Be inventive in channeling your dreams into reality. As you find a place to manifest this energy, it will become easy for you to usher in a better world. The time to realize your highest ideals is here!