Gilded by Deborah Davis

Gilded by Deborah Davis is a captivating history of socially exclusive and elaborately developed Newport, Rhode Island, which--of course--only matters to those who care. Dating back to A.D. 1000 when Norse sailors visited the area and to the Native Americans who used it long before the ships landed, this non-fiction book reads like a very good novel. Think "Lives of the Richer & Famouser"! Outlandish extravagance well established by the Mrs. Caroline Astor set the mark for all the Vanderbilts, Oelrichs, and Fishes to follow.

The author delineates the changing fortune of Newport through tales about many people who lived or vacationed there. Standards were set, then changed. Some residents changed with the times, others clung to the old ways of the Gilded Age. The storyline takes the reader through world events effecting this cloistered community and ends at the present time. Its an exhilarating history lesson that can also rank among excellent beach reads not because its light-weight, but because I could not put the book down.

5/5 stars

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But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.   ~ Isaiah 33:2

Teaser Tuesdays -- Gilded

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/ . Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

++Grab your current read

++Open to a random page

++Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

++Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

From Gilded How Newport Became America's Richest Resort by Deborah Davis    p. 82

Mamie, Fish, the third member of the Newport Social Strategy Board, was an unlikely candidate for the role because she was always breaking--then rewriting--the stuffy rules of society. Mamie decided that Newport dinners, often lasting three to four hours, were interminably long, so a meal at her house was a speedy affair.

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For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.  ~ Psalm 143:11

I've Created A Monster!!

I've created a monster!!

 Oh---it's an---orange elephant. Whew. Except for the ears and tail, this cute little pattern is knitted in one piece! Can you believe it?! Of course you can. It is now bagged and tagged (crime shows, anyone?) and ready to be dropped where a child can find it. This endeavor is the project of http://www.thetoysociety.blogspot.com/  The pattern is available at http://www.angelfire.com/art2/oasisguild/news2_5.html#top You'll need to scroll part way down the page to find the pattern. This one is made with GGH Samoa and size 5 needles. Orange elephant is lounging near the impatiens and verbena on the deck table. So cool....

Meanwhile at the front door, this peony shrub stands straight and tall, loaded with buds.

Loaded with tightly rounded buds that are yet to open though the ants are crawling all over them, trying to do their job. Soon. Soon they will bloom.

How does it stand so tall, you might ask?  Using my mother's method, I tied the stems with an old knee-high stocking. Works perfectly. Doesn't cut into the stems. Doesn't show.

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Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.~~ 1 Peter 4:8

Friday Fill-In #177

http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/
And...here we go!

1. My grandchildren never fail to make me smile.

2. I'm looking forward to camping & boating.

3. Television is what I'm listening to right now.

4. Potato salad must have lots of celery in it!

5. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus was the best thing I ate today.

6. Today was quite restful.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the lake, tomorrow my plans include boating and camping, and Sunday, I want to do more boating and camping!

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Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. --Luke 18:40–41

Books 'n' Flowers 'n' ....Life Jackets?

Lovely Margot at http://joyfullyretired.com/ sent the ARC Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong. Thanks to Margot for what appears to be a fun read!

I've finished filing the pots on our deck starting with this so pretty George & Martha geranium sharing a pot with a Dusty Miller and Bacopa.

Petunias and violas are such a colorful combination along with a few other small plants along the railing of the deck.

For accent, we have...life jackets!! So, we bought a larger pontoon this spring. The seller told us he left the life jackets on the boat for us. OK, that was very nice. We thanked him. As we cleaned the pontoon the other day, I opened the storage bins under the seats and began tossing the jackets onto the lawn. DH carried the heap to the corner patio in the back yard.

Twenty! There were 20 life jackets of every size, style, and color on that boat! All these in addition to the ones we already have!

Most of them will be donated to our church garage sale, although my hair dresser asked me for one to fit her 3-year-old nephew. Comin' right up!!

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Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.   ~ Proverbs 10:12

Trouble in Bloom

Trouble in Bloom by Heather Webber

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

After struggling through 165 pages of this book, I skimmed through to the end. Nina Quinn finds herself involved in a weakly written tome in Book 4 of this series set on a reality TV program. Of course, there's murder, her uncertain romantic status, and many short, choppy sentences. The writing put me off and made me wonder if the author struggled to get this book written. This was an unpleasant reading experience for me because the writing simply did not flow. If you're a Nina Quinn fan, you might want to skip this not-so-cozy book.

View all my reviews >>

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Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!  ~ Psalms 42:11

Mitered Blanket Progess

This blanket is humming along nicely, thank you. I must be in the mood for this project because I rarely enjoy a project that is so repetitive. However the color changes, the constant decreasing on each square, and the puzzling together of the squares equal a fun and engaging process.
Of the darker colors, one set is dark blue and the other is meridian blue. All four blue shades are discontinued Cascade 220 yarns while the cream is Plymouth Encore. True to form, the Plymouth Encore has a more pleasant hand for me. All in all, this is shaping up to be a very special blanket for DGS#4's birthday this summer. I know---exactly when he doesn't need it. He's been requesting a blanket for a couple of years now, so he'll be thrilled. Even in July.

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And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.    ~ Colossians 3:15

Friday Fill-In ##175

#175

By Janet

And...here we go!

1. Salsa and chips.

2. Brats with sauerkraut and you've even got mustard.

3. By the time I get home, I'll be hungry again!

4. Being finished is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.

5. And I was dreaming of reading on the beach.

6. Guacamole...is there anything else better?!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to lots of knitting time, tomorrow my plans include grandson's baseball games and Mother's Day dinner and Sunday, I want to go to the lake!

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Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! ~ Psalm 66:5

Dogs On Thursday

Since Lailah loves riding in our vehicles, we've trained her to be our chauffeur! Here she waits as one of her minions--that would be DH and I--pumps gas into the Tundra. No word on whether she'll be allowed to steer the pontoon, however!

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3