Happy Birthday, Reece!

My younger son is ten years old today! Boy, time sure does fly.  He's in double digits now.  With each passing birthday, we realize how much closer they are to leaving the nest.  *tear*  Happy Birthday my sweet boy.  You will have a great day today!

Love, Mom
xoxoxo

Cat Thursday--Tribute to Jasta

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)

Authors and their cats is on standby this week so I could post a tribute to my friend, Amy's (Passages to the Past) beloved kitty, Jasta, who passed yesterday.  

Image Credit:  Amy Bruno

Amy had this to say about Jasta on her Facebook page:

"I am sad to report that we lost our sweet little Jasta kitty this morning. Long story short, they aren't sure what happened and why she was so ill at such a young age. She was only a little over 3 years old. She came into our lives around Christmas 3 years ago. Our neighbor found her outside but couldn't keep her. We weren't sure we could keep her either, but she was too damn cute so there was no way we couldn't. This was at a time in my life where I wasn't sure we would have more kids so she was my pseudo baby and I loved her beyond words. I know you aren't supposed to have favorites, but she was mine. She loved to play "bat the kibble" with me. She would sit on the stool next to the kitchen bar and I would slide her a piece of kibble and she would bat it off the counter and jump down to gobble it up. She would do it over and over, it was just hysterical! She was named after a heavy metal singer and the name really suited her personality. She was our wild child, part kitty and part squirrel. Jasta honey, I will miss you terribly and I am so sorry that I wasn't with you when you passed. We love you so very, very much. Rest in peace, my sweet girl."

It's always so sad to hear of someone losing their beloved pet.  Our hearts go out to Amy and her family.  Although we have probably all read this beautiful quote about the Rainbow Bridge, I thought I'd share it again today in honor of Jasta.  It never ceases to touch my heart.  RIP, dear Jasta.

click to enlarge

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Take Control of your TBR Pile this March!

Just found out about a month long challenge from my friend Lianne over at The Towering Pile.  It's the Take Control of your TBR Pile hosted by Kimba the "Caffeinated Book Reviewer" .  It takes place in March and involves reading only books from our own shelves or TBR piles.  This couldn't have come at a better time because one of my goals in my Bookish Goals post yesterday was to read the majority of books in 2013 from my personal library.  I have no tours scheduled in March (and plan to keep it that way) and though I have a backlog of review books, I'm going to try to get several of them read between now and then and I might allow myself one review book in March.  Hey, if Kimba can still read her "new releases on my gotta have it now or die list-excluded..I will still read those, even though they will not count..LOL" then I can read one review book, if I choose (even though I know it won't count *smirk*).  Even better, Kimba is also having the Take Control of Your TBR Pile Read-a-Thon during the month from March 15 - 18.  More details on that will be coming soon.

The rules from Kimba's blog:

• Link-up! This is open to everyone. If you do not have a blog then link your Facebook or Goodreads account. 
• Beginning March 1st, 2013 and ending March 31, 2013 at midnight read books from your TBR pile ALL books must have been published before March 2013. 
• Post a review to Goodreads, your blog or Facebook then link it to the Rafflecopter for an entry. 
• Rafflecopter will close on April 2, 2013 at midnight and a winner will be chosen. Open internationally as long as Book Depository or Barnes and Noble ship to you. Prize: New 2013 release. I will do pre-orders as well. 

Can't wait to explore my shelves and see what I can read in March! Will you be signing up too?

Top Ten Tuesday (1): Bookish Goals for 2013

I have not participated in Top Ten Tuesday previously, but I saw this week's topic and since I haven't yet outlined my bookish goals yet for this year, I thought I would join in.  It's a great meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  I really think it will give me more opportunities to interact with other bloggers and to get me writing more on this blog.  Here goes....

1.  Make a more concerted effort to catch up on my backlogged review book stack.  I have stopped accepting new books for review (with a few exceptions) and I will be almost exclusively participating only in Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours (gotta have my fix of new historical fiction).

2.  My Goodreads goal is once again 100 books read this year.  I only made it to 52 last year (6 less than 2011), but I think every year is a new opportunity to strive for our personal best.

3.  I was originally going to limit the number of challenges I signed up for, but...you know...didn't (more on that later) so now my goal will be to complete all the challenges I signed up for.

4.  Start reading books for tours earlier.  In the past, I always wait until the last minute and that never ends well.

5.  Start reading more non-fiction.  Last year, I started A Non-Fiction Adventure, a long term challenge similar to The Classics Club, but focusing completely on non-fiction, and then I didn't even read one non-fiction book.  What gives?

6.  Write reviews right away instead of putting them off.

7.  Keep my reading challenges updated as I finish a book instead of waiting for a month or longer.  I update and keep track of all reading challenges at Challenges of The True Book Addict.

8.  Finish transferring my current book catalog (yes, I keep a physical catalog of all the books I own...well, the fiction ones anyway...otherwise, I'll keep buying books I already own) to the new catalog and start working on adding my entire book catalog to my library blog, A Library, Collected.

9.  Revamp my perpetual challenge, 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge, into a long term challenge, also in the vein of The Classics Club.

10.  2013 reads to be taken from my own books.  At least the majority of them.  I have a home library of 3000+ books.  Need to start making a more serious dent.

There you have it! If you'd like to read about my new life goals for 2013, you can check out my new page, A New Life, at my blog, A Brave Heart.

One more wish of happy new year to all! Let's make it a good one.

Cat Thursday--Grumpy returns

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)

I just can't get enough of Grumpy cat.  I found these over on Facebook.

This kitty's reaction to Grumpy cat....

Happy New Year to all my wonderful Cat Thursday participants! Here's to another year of fun with cats. *hugs*

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TuesBookTalk Jan/Feb Book Selection: Les Miserables

TuesBookTalk Read-a-Longs on Twitter (@tuesbooktalk  #tuesbooktalk) and on Goodreads will be reading a classic in January and February, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (since, sadly, I was unable to keep up with Historical Tapestry's read-a-long at the end of last year...doesn't it feel funny saying last year the next day? LOL).  Our first discussion will be on Tuesday, January 8.  Our chats take place on Twitter at 9:30pm ET/8:30pm CT on Tuesday nights.  If you can't join us on Twitter, feel free to share your thoughts in the Goodreads group.  Get the full reading schedule HERE.  Hope you will join us!

Happy New Year!

I apologize for the Grumpy, but I couldn't resist! On a serious note though, I'm wishing you much joy and health in the new year.  I'm looking forward to making my new life a great one!