Fair Days!

A to Z blog hop at Patterings
Welcome to A to Z!
We'd love to have you join the fun, either blogging your way through the alphabet with us, or simply visiting. =) We dearly love visitors.

This week is the letter F.

If you're joining in the meme, be sure to link up with us at the end of this post. Since this is a blog hop, you can grab the code for the linky down there too. Find more info about the A to Z meme here.
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This week we've been working the DuQuoin State Fair and it's been... interesting, yes, and fun. The week has been slow as far as business so we've had time to sit and rest (which is nice, to an extent). Thankfully, the weekends are busier.

Fonzie, me, and Toby. Resting before the evening crowd arrives.

Working the fair is a family thing for us--we're there, working together. We take turns working the monkeys and pitching in where and when needed.

Fonzie spots me sneaking a picture of him.

Monkeys don't miss a thing. Fonzie may be busy shaking hands, but he sees everything that goes on...including friends and family members as they come and go.


My oldest working Fonzie.
Fonzie is an old pro at shaking hands.

It's been very hot this week and people have been concerned about the monkeys working in the heat--but they don't mind the heat. White face Capuchins are native of Central and South American jungles and they are made for the heat (but not the cold). We have lots of water and snacks for them and fans, but often they'll move out the fan breeze. On the other hand, we've been boiling in the heat and humidity.


But I have to admit, the best part of working this fair has been the friends we've made and spending time with family members. God gave us great neighbors at the fair and it's been great talking with them.

God's also given us a great family and I've loved hanging out with them this week.
Kids, grandkids, monkeys. Does it get any better than this?

We are blessed.

Of the thousands of pictures snapped so far this week, this is my favorite and it was a press-the-button shot. Imagine our surprise and my glee when I discovered that I caught him-who-shall-remain-nameless pouting! It's too good not to enjoy. I love this guy and I'm so thankful for him. An injury at work made it so he's been able to spend the week with us--resting and healing some (hopefully) while escaping the boredom of being stuck at home. I'm so glad he and his family have been with us!

So tell me, what's your favorite thing about the fair?
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If you're joining us for the A to Z meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter F, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here. Also, if you don't have the linky gadget on your site, click the link to get the code so you can add it.




Heat, Please?



Today I'm at Jewels of Encouragement with Absorbing Heat.

My dad taught me trick for hummingbird feed that carried over to my spiritual life.

Enough Yet?

A to Z blog hop at Patterings
Welcome to A to Z!
We'd love to have you join the fun, either blogging your way through the alphabet with us, or simply visiting. =) We dearly love visitors.

This week is the letter E.

If you're joining in the meme, be sure to link up with us at the end of this post. Since this is a blog hop, you can grab the code for the linky down there too. Find more info about the A to Z meme here.
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Lately, I've had enough of...

  • Running crazy. Life ebbs and flows, and the past 10 days have been on the super busy side for me as I've raced the clock, getting ready for this next event.
  • Sewing. I've been sewing monkey clothes for Fonzie. His old ones are wearing out fast and we have 11 straight days of work, starting today, so I've made him some new ones, and boy, are they ever cute! =) 
  • Sniffing and sneezing. Having a cold this last week has been soooo much fun (sarcasm oozing there)! But all good things must come to an end, and so will this cold. Thank goodness. The sooner the better. LoL.
My husband says we've been expending a lot of effort getting ready for this next event. And THAT sums up it all up, so nicely. =)

In the midst of all this, one verse repeats in my mind, making me smile every time. 

As a teen in Ecuador, there were earthquakes one year. I was living with my basketball coach, Donna Voth. I learned a lot from her. Donna seemed to enjoy the earthquakes. I remember her grinning and quoting a verse while dove for a doorway. The verse? 
Even so come, Lord Jesus!
And that verse has made me smile for the last week as I've slogged through these things I've had enough of.


So tell me, what have you had enough of lately?
What have you been expending effort on?

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If you're joining us for the A to Z meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter E, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here. Also, if you don't have the linky gadget on your site, click the link to get the code so you can add it.




One of my favorite books

This is really and truly one of my favorite books. I read this while on the road, traveling back and forth to Cincinnati with the monkeys. Life was in one of those totally crazy times and I was worn out--physically, mentally and emotionally. I only meant to read the first hundred pages because time was so tight, but after a few paragraphs there was NO way I could stop before hitting the end of the book.

I laughed enough to make my husband ask what was so funny. I cried enough he asked what was wrong. And I laughed and cried at the same time. I love Kirstie Donovan. I love all the characters and hated to see the last paragraph come to an end.

Karla Akins, the author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots put us in Kirstie's head and heart. We got to experience life with her--the good, the bad, and the ugly, all laced with a generous dose of humor. I don't have an autistic child, but thanks to Kirstie, I have a glimmer of what a mother's life must be like with one. It's given me compassion for families with autistic children.

The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots
Pastor’s wife, Kirstie Donovan, lives life in a fishbowl, so when she hops on the back of a bright pink motorcycle, tongues start to wag at the conservative, century-old First Independent Christian Community Church of Eels Falls.

Kirstie loves roaring down a road less traveled by most women over forty, but she’s not just riding her bike for the fun of it. Kirstie has a ministry. However, certain church members have secrets to hide, and when God uses Kirstie’s ministry to fill the pews with leather-clad, tattooed bikers, those secrets could be exposed…and some will stop at nothing to hide the truth.

Join Kirstie and her motorcycle “gang”—two church matrons and a mouthy, gum-smacking non-church member—as they discover that road-toughened bikers are quite capable of ministering to others, and faith is fortified in the most unexpected ways.


Let's listen in on a few questions Karla answered...

How did your book come to life?
I learned to ride a motorcycle at the tender age of 47. And so many funny things happened to me, I thought the same concept would make a good book. I also wanted to give a little insight into what it’s like being a pastor’s family, what it’s like to live with autism, and how it feels to go through some of the things Kirstie goes through.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
This is a tough one! There are many quirky characters in the book. Of course Kirstie is my first favorite because she’s a pastor’s wife like me. I guess my second favorites would be Opal and Atticus. Opal is someone in her 60s who’s never married and scared of her own shadow. You’ll have to read the book to find out who Atticus is.

Why will readers enjoy your book?
If they like reading about how people relate to one another in hilarious and unexpected ways, they’ll love it.
(Patty here: This is so very, VERY true!!)

Is anything in the book based on your own life?
The fact that I’m a pastor’s wife who rides a motorcycle, of course, is something like me, but Kirstie isn’t like me at all. She has a lot more energy! Ironically, when I wrote the book, a couple of things that are in the book did happen to me later. I write about Alzheimer’s and had no idea at the time that my mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s would come to live with us. I write about the preacher’s son’s trouble with the law, and had no idea we, too, would be experiencing some of the same heartbreak. You can read about that on my Prison Ministry page on my website. It’s almost as if the Lord was preparing me well for what we were to go through. Sort of a foreshadowing. God is so good that way.

What is your favorite scene in the book?
Oh my goodness, that’s so hard because there are so many that I love. I love the scene with the pastor’s family’s pet bull mastiff when he interrupts a church meeting after a swim in the pond. I also love the part where the women get locked in a Harley Davidson dealership after hours. But perhaps the best part is when they all go to jail. Then again there is that love scene…




Purchase The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots here.

Here's what readers are saying:
Pastor Aaron Donovan isn't perfect, but his wife is--perfectly hilarious. Kirsten Donovan is not what some of the congregation think she should be, but she's exactly what others need to keep their spirits charged and their engines revved. With three sons, an oversized dog, crazy friends, and a hankering for the rush of the wind in her face, Kirsten meets life with a gentle grace--and big black leather biker boots.

With unpredictable hilarity, author Karla Akins captures the trials and triumphs of life as a pastor's wife, complete with autistic kids, dogs, grumpy congregants, motorcycle gangs and all. I'm getting a copy for my pastor's wife! ~Davalynn Spencer.

I love to read a good book. And boy did I get my hands on a good one this time!

The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots! is a zany, exciting, and hilarious story of Kirstie Donovan, a pastor's wife from Eels Falls, Indiana, who decides (with the help of a few friends of hers) to get her very own Harley and start riding motorcycles. This, much to the chagrin and of course disdain, of a few not-so-supportive members of her rural little church, the First Independent Christian Community Church of Eels Falls.

Kirstie has a lovely knack for getting herself into trouble. Between wearing leathers to ride her bubble gum pink Harley, and trying to minister to rough around the edges bikers, Kirstie and her "gang" of Lady Eels on Wheels, find themselves in many adventures and a bit of trouble throughout the entire book.
And of course, every pastor's wife has that one person (or more) who does their level best to make the pastor's job more difficult, and Kirstie and her husband, Aaron are no different. But they continue to show the love of God even to these people, while ministering to and drawing in bikers to their little 100-year-old church. As the Harley's rumble in, things start jumping, and Kirstie finds that she has a motorcycle ministry!

If you love a story that is full of adventure, laughter, and excitement, The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots! will meet all your requirements and then some. From the moment I started reading, I laughed, I cried, I got mad (hey, sometimes people just make me mad - real OR fictitious), and I laughed some more. Along with that I found myself watching and cheering as one person after another either came to know the Lord or grew in their faith in Him.

This book is a definite must-read! ~Shelley Wilburn

I'm not the only one loving and talking about The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots.
This is a fantastic book!!


Karla Akins is a pastor's wife who rides her own motorcycle. She is the mother of four boys and one step-daughter, and grandmother of five. She lives in North Manchester with her husband who is the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church, her twin teenage boys with autism, mother-in-law with Alzheimer's and three rambunctious dogs. Karla and her husband have been in ministry together for 30 years. You can contact Karla for speaking engagements via her website at KarlaAkins.com. A more detailed bio can be found here: Biography

You can connect with Karla online here...
Twitter: @KarlaAkins

Website: KarlaAkins.com

Blog: KarlaAkins.com/blog

Facebook author page: facebook.com/karlakakins

This is one of those books that I can highly recommend. You do not want to miss this one. 
Really.

In case you missed it earlier, you can purchase The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots here.

Doomed, I Say!

A to Z blog hop at Patterings
Welcome to A to Z!
We'd love to have you join the fun, either blogging your way through the alphabet with us, or simply visiting. =) We dearly love visitors.

This week is the letter D.

If you're joining in the meme, be sure to link up with us at the end of this post. Since this is a blog hop, you can grab the code for the linky down there too. Find more info about the A to Z meme here.
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I'm doomed!
This last weekend we returned home from an almost two week road trip. It was a great trip, even if it was a work trip. We stopped by to see my parents, visited one of Dad's fishing lakes, and simply enjoyed the traveling.

So why am I doomed?
Well, I had this GREAT list for blog posts for this A to Z meme we're doing. I mean, this is my favorite meme because it gives me the perfect opportunity to post some of the things that pop into my mind (which could be scary if there weren't a thread connecting them all together). Two days ago I went looking for my list...

It's GONE!
I'm doomed, I say!!

For a girl who lives off her lists, losing one, especially one like this, is awful!
So, I've been trying to remember some of the cool things I jotted down for the letter D...but it's just not happening. It's like my brain has been drained.

One thing I know wasNOT on that list is this, which is something I did a lot of...
Drive by shooting.


I don't know what I was taking a picture of (it certainly wasn't in this picture! LoL) but I got a good shot of how I looked as we drove West... like a tourist with the camera clenched in my hands or plastered to my face.

When we saw these huge rocks in the middle of nowhere and nothing, guess what we saw?



Go ahead, guess
What do these rocks look like to you? (Remember, it ties in with the letter D.)
Think outside the box.
Goofy is good...
;-)

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If you're joining us for the A to Z meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter D, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here. Also, if you don't have the linky gadget on your site, click the link to get the code so you can add it.




A New Happy Place

In the past few weeks we were able to do some traveling--yes, it was for work, but still, we enjoyed it. A highlight was getting to visit with my parents in the mountains of Arizona. A humongous treat! =]



I'm at the Barn Door today, with pictures of our visit to Hawley Lake. But I couldn't resist putting a few others on here because this place jumped onto my short-list of happy places.


The hills and pine trees go right to the edge of the lake making for a picturesque and peaceful place to sit and just be still. I wanted to sit and soak in the silence and beauty, but there wasn't time for a long visit--just enough to run around and get pictures...pictures I'll enjoy looking at many times for a virtual visit to the lake.


Won't you join me at the Barn Door for more about Hawley Lake?


A Constant

A to Z blog hop at Patterings
Welcome to A to Z!
We'd love to have you join the fun, either blogging your way through the alphabet with us, or simply visiting. =) We dearly love visitors.

This week is the letter C.

If you're joining in the meme, be sure to link up with us at the end of this post. Since this is a blog hop, you can grab the code for the linky down there too. Find more info about the A to Z meme here.
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In the past year I've been doing a lot of traveling. From the beaches of Puerto Rico to the mountains of Arizona--and the one thing that remains a constant is the clouds. They captivate me sometimes.

An Arizona mountain lake my dad fishes in.

Storm clouds over the high country of New Mexico and Arizona.

A sunset in Puerto Rico.


Clouds seen from the airplane window. Stormy below but beauty above. It's a good reminder for me--when there are storms in my life there's still sun and beauty above.

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If you're joining us for the A to Z meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter C, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here. Also, if you don't have the linky gadget on your site, click the link to get the code so you can add it.



Do You Have the Right Vowel?


I was missing out on many of God's blessings for me because I was using the wrong vowel.

I'd love for you to join me today at the Internet Cafe today where I'm posting about Got to vs. Get to and how important it is to get the right vowel there.

Beach Time

A to Z blog hop at Patterings
Welcome to A to Z!
We'd love to have you join the fun, either blogging your way through the alphabet with us, or simply visiting. =) We dearly love visitors.

This week is the letter B.

If you're joining in the meme, be sure to link up with us at the end of this post. Since this is a blog hop, you can grab the code for the linky down there too. Find more info about the A to Z meme here.
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Traveling is much on my mind these days. The other day I got to thinking about visiting my sister last year, in Puerto Rico. It was fantastic! The beach has always played a big part in our family--from our days on the coast of Maine, to the south Pacific beaches of Ecuador, so getting to visit Cheryl was a double dip of home for me. So, I indulged myself and took a mini virtual vacation by going through my pictures from Puerto Rico. I loved it!! here's some highlights from that virtual vacation. ;-)

The Beach...

My first glimpse...


Pirates Cove...
This place made my imagination run wild.




This is where you'll find me. Right there under that palm tree...that is, if I'm not at Pirate's Cove.



Toward the end of a great day spent on the beach. One last glimpse...


Can't get away? Turn on your fave music and virtually visit somewhere. Is it as good as a real, in-person visit? No. But it sure beats nothing! Worked for me. By the time I reached the last pictures of that photo file I was smiling and relaxed, ready to forge ahead in the here-and-now of my life. It was time well spent for me.

What about you? Where do you like to virtually visit when you just can't get there in real life?

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If you're joining us for the A to Z meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter B, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here. Also, if you don't have the linky gadget on your site, click the link to get the code so you can add it.




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