2009 Book Challenge

January 17, 2009 by

To help with my 2009 goal to read more, I decided to enter a book challenge. There are 2 options for the challenge. I’m going for option 2:


1) The first option is to simply buy one book and read it. The book you buy and read should be a book you have chosen for yourself for pleasure. It should not be work related and books read to your children do not count.


2) The second option is to buy one book a month and read it. I am asking that those of you who will probably already have one book read by January 2 choose this option. Books can be on your other challenge lists, it is only necessary that you buy them and read them! The challenge will end December 31, 2009. Head over to the 2009 Book Challenge and sign up.

Here’s my book list for the challenge:

  1. She Wanted It All – Kathryn Casey

  2. Lust Killer – Ann Rule

  3. Too Late To Say Goodbye – Ann Rule

  4. Gone Forever – Dianne Fanning

  5. Murder So Cold – Patricia Springer

  6. A Descent Into Hell – Ann Rule

  7. Pure Murder – Corey Mitchell

  8. Because You Loved Me – William Phelps

  9. The Darkest Night – Ron Franscell

  10. Such Good Boys – Tina Dirmann

  11. Never Leave Me Again – John Glatt

Filed Under: 2009 book challenge, book challenge, book lists, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Satin & Cheetah Pillowcase Give Away

January 16, 2009 by

No kiddy give away this time ladies, this give away is hot and it’s just for you. This red satin and cheetah print pillow case has just been added to the inventory of Sharmooz Luxury gifts. Not only is this pillowcase soft and sexy, it could lead to a good night’s sleep. Satin pillows are also great for protecting your hair. Because I have my hair colored regularly (Don’t tell anyone), I use a satin cap or scarf to tie my hair at bedtime. On those nights that I desire a little romance, I leave the satin cap and scarf behind. Although I’ve been told that it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing on my head, I just don’t feel sexy. Usually by morning my hair is tangled or going in a 100 different directions and I suffer the consequences of not covering my hair when I brush it.

I don’t own satin sheets and pillow cases, but I am thinking of investing in a set. Oh baby! In the mean time, I could use this red hot number to rest my head on. It would be great for napping or resting my head while reading a book and sipping tea too. Can you picture yourself on this luxurious pillowcase?

You can claim it and receive it by Valentine’s Day. Sharmooz Luxury Gifts wants you to pamper yourself this Valentine’s Day. Ann Tillage, owner of Sharmooz is offering one of our readers the pillowcase shown. Visit Sharmooz and leave us a comment on your favorite luxury gift.

We will randomly select a winner from the posts, so please leave a valid email address. This give away is open to all US and Canada residents 18+ only. It will end midnight February 6, 2009. You will have 2 days to claim your prize. Failure to respond to the email will result in disqualification.

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Enjoy browsing Sharmooz and good luck!

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Die, My Love

January 11, 2009 by

I finished my first book for 2009, Die, My Love. For those who missed my initial post, one of my goals for 2009 was to read more. This was the first book that I’ve read by Kathryn Casey. I found her book well written and engaging. Usually if a book doesn’t get my attention by Chapter 2, it becomes difficult for me to continue reading. I had no problem finishing this one. I polished it off at the doctor’s office yesterday.

If you are a true crime reader, you won’t want to miss this baby. It’s about a renowned Richmond, VA college professor who marries a pretty, but dysfunctional Texas attorney who can’t pass the bar or hold a job. After 3 children and a lot of drama, the marriage eventually unravels. They go through a bitter divorce. The professor’s ex-wife and sister in law work to make his life a living hell. They send emails and make phone calls to his neighbors and colleagues to tarnish his reputation.  They take it to another level and accuse him of emotional abuse and work to have him jailed.  Calling these women wicked would be an understatement. 

The professor fights back and wins custody of his three children after convincing the court that his wife is unstable, lazy, manipulative, untruthful, and wastes money. His bitter ex-wife moves back to Houston, TX with her sister and a court order to pay the professor child support for the three children. The professor moves on with his life. He starts dating after finding someone on match.com and works to get his life back on track.

Things appeared to be going well, but unfortunately his nightmare was not over. On the day before Halloween in 2004 he is gunned down in his driveway while retrieving his morning paper, and left to die in a pool of blood. Who would murder a man in his driveway while his children sleep in the house?  His ex-wife or his ex-wife’s sister. He was hated equally by both.

There are no eye witnesses to his murder, and his ex-wife and her sister live a thousand miles away in Houston. They both claim to have been in Houston the time of the murder. To complicate matters, the sisters look alike and would do anything for each other. They use each others cell phones, cars, cloths, homes, money, and the list goes on. They weave a tangled web. So who’s the murder? Now that I won’t reveal, but I would recommend that you read the book to find the answer to that question.

I don’t remember this murder in 2004, but I googled it after I completed the book and was surprised to find that the murder was covered nationally and on Court TV. It was interesting to see the characters in the book up close.

I would be willing to exchange books with other true crime readers. If interested please leave a comment. Also, we want everyone to let us know what you’re reading, we would love to hear about the books that interest you too.

Filed Under: 2009 book challenge, 2009 goals, book challenge, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Baby’s Growing

January 10, 2009 by

Xavier, are you eating Gran’s chips & dip?  Even though he got caught on camera and dip is all over his face, the response was no.  Whatever you ask him he shakes his head no. This picture was taken Christmas Eve.  It’s hard to believe that he is now 15 months.  I hope that he knows how much Gran loves him.  My eyes tear up with joy just looking at this picture. 

It has been amazing to watch all of the stages that’s he has been through.  As you can see, he loves potato chips and french onion dip.  Gran loves them too.  He is definitely a chip off the old block.  He just smiles and dances when he sees a plate containing these favorites.

Gran’s a little worried about her little sweetie.  The doctor said he is under weight.  He eats little and runs all day, so he’s burning up whatever he consumes.  I would love to hear from all of my readers, especially any moms who have experienced this problem and what steps you took.  Xavier has always been small, he was born about 2 weeks early.  Should I be concerned?

Filed Under: french onion dip, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Winnie The Pooh Returns

January 10, 2009 by

Are you a Winnie The Pooh lover?  I am and I’m thrilled to hear that a new Winnie The Pooh book will be published in 2009.  The anticipated date is October, almost 80 years after the original book. 

I decorated my daughter’s nursery in a Pooh Bear theme.  That was almost 30 years ago.  I still call her Pooh Bear.  I have a 15 month old grandson now, and I love to dress him in Pooh clothing and read Pooh books to him.  He too is becoming a Pooh Bear lover. 

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is the new book.  They’re keeping the details under wraps, but I’ve added the book to my list of Christmas gifts for Xavier.  I’m sure it will thrill the young and young at heart. 

Filed Under: children's books, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Your Penis Is Mine!

January 9, 2009 by

Your penis is mine, your penis is mine, your penis is mine. Do I have your attention? I wanted to share this post with you because I believe the world is becoming more insane each day. I’m thinking that maybe I’m seeing it as insane because I’ve finally matured and gathered my senses, and when people do things out of the ordinary it gets my attention. You ask what’s out of the ordinary? How about setting your husband’s penis on fire.

A 44 year old Australian woman is accused of just that. She saw her husban hug another woman last week and became jealous. She poured an alcohol based substance on him as he slept, set him on fire and he died from the injuries. She wanted to burn his penis to let him know that it was hers. She stated, “I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else. … I didn’t mean this to happen.”

Now think about that statement. Let it penetrate slowly. Where is it written that you set your husband’s penis on fire to claim it? Couldn’t she have claimed it by whispering “it’s mine” in his ear in a moment of passion? Hell, she could have claimed it over bacon & eggs on the kitchen table, but to rationalize setting her husband on fire is beyond my comprehension.

Well she rationalized it. When her husband realized he was on fire, he jumped out of bed knocking the alcohol based substance over, which caused the fire to spread. It eventually razed their house and their neighbor’s. He later died from his injuries. She has now been charged with his murder.
Becoming insecure when you think your husband may be giving his affection and attention to another would be natural. But wouldn’t you simply ask who the woman was that he was hugging rather than burn his penis. Now, if he didn’t come back with the right answer one of us would have been out the door and his next conversation would have been with an attorney. Some things are not negotiable with me and sharing my man is one of them. I would hope that my husband would introduce me to whoever it was that he was hugging, especially if I was standing there. If he made the mistake of not introducing me, we would have a serious conversation.

On that note, what happened to people engaging in verbal conversations and discussing whatever is happening with each other? Has society lost the ability to converse? The only thing that I can think of that would cause me to become violent is someone trying to hurt my children. You will see the claws come out and a bitch rearing her ugly head. I could loose all sense of right and wrong on that one. But a penis, I’m just not willing to go to jail for.

Between this post and the one where the husband is demanding his kidney back from his ex-wife I’m just beside myself. I pray for the world in which we live. Would love to know your thoughts on this post.

Filed Under: cheating husbands, cheating spouses, domestic violence, family abuse, infidelity, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

I Want My Kidney Back, Tramp

January 8, 2009 by
Dr. Richard Batista donated his kidney to his wife, Dawnell, in 2001.


Yes, you read the title right. There’s a nasty divorce going on, and one party wants their kidney back. Lets look at the players in this saga, Dr. Richard Batista and his wife Dawnelle, a nurse. The plot, Richard Batista wants the kidney back that he donated to his soon to be ex-wife. The soon to be ex-wife will most likely die if she doesn’t keep the kidney. If she doesn’t give the kidney back, Dr. Batista wants her to cough up (no pun intended) $1.5 million as a part of the divorce settlement.

In June 2001, Dr. Batista donated a kidney to his wife after two other transplants failed. Dr. Batista claims that he donated his kidney to save his wife’s life and to turn their marriage around. The marriage had been suffering as a result of his wife’s medical problems. The kidney transplant was successful; however, it failed to hold the marriage together as Dr. Batista had hoped. In 2005, Dawnell Batista, filed for divorce.

Dr. Batista states that it was a wonderful experience donating his kidney and he would do it again. He only regrets the marriage. Do I sense a lack of sincerity here? If he was sincere, why is he is asking for the kidney back? His wife obviously needed the organ to sustain her life or she wouldn’t have needed the transplant. A surgeon certainly understands this. He also knows that if his ex-wife gives the kidney back, she either goes on dialysis or dies waiting for another donor and another possible transplant failure. Did I mention, the recipient is the mother of his three daughters ages, 8, 11, and 14.

Why is this bitter divorce happening after such a loving and courageous act? Dawnelle Batista had an affair. That’s right after everything her husband did, she betrayed him. According to Dr. Batista, she became so healthy after the kidney transplant she started taking karate lessons. She became good enough to earn a black belt. She injured herself, and starting taking physical therapy. She also starting sleeping with the physical therapist. Tramp!

Dr. Batiste’s ego won’t allow him to get over the fact that his wife had an affair and moved on. He’s a surgeon, lives in a million dollar home, he’s a devoted father, and was a faithful husband. Dr. Batiste said the pain that his wife put him through was unbearable. Now I don’t condone anyone stepping outside of their marriage and I’m sure the good doctor’s pain is real, but must she pay for her indiscretion with her life? According to Dr. Bastiste, she’s going to pay one way or another. Either she gives the kidney back or she pays him $1.5 million dollars for the kidney. Is he enraged or what?

I’ve tried to imagine the conversation with his three daughters. Sit down girls, daddy wants to talk to you. Your mother had an affair, and now daddy wants his kidney back. Now that tramp, your mother, may die as a result, but let the chips fall where they may.  I only donated the kidney so we could keep the marriage together. Now that it has fallen apart, I want her to pay with her life. Whoa!

Now lets step way out there and discuss what’s he going to do with the kidney if she does give it back. Place it on a mantle like a trophy and gloat that he won. She’ll regret divorcing me when she’s on her death bed. Look kids, see what daddy retrieved from your worthless mother. His reason for taking this sick fight public, he’s tired of trying to negotiate with her and there have been times that she’s kept the children from him. I wonder why?
The good news is that experts believe that Dr. Batista has a very slim chance of getting his kidney back, and he’s just making a fool out of himself. On another note, I believe that Dr. Batista donating a kidney to his wife is an admiral act. I don’t know what went through his mind when he made his decision, but I’m sure he thought that his wife would truly have a part of him forever. I have to wonder if he told his wife his reasons for donating the kidney, to sustain her life and to turn their marriage around. If he did, his reasons obviously didn’t mean much to her.
I’ve seen Dr. Batista on the news, a very educated and handsome man who can surely find someone who can and will appreciate him with his one kidney now. My advice Dr. Batista, let her have the other kidney and move on with your life. She still has your children to raise regardless of her character.  Also, I would suggest that you move on because she is now considered a deadly weapon is capable of kicking your ass.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this bitter divorce and the Dr.’s demand for the return of his kidney .

Filed Under: bitter divorces, divorce, doctor wants kidney back, Dr. Batisa, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Children’s Book Give Away

January 4, 2009 by

We’ve found a gifted writer of children’s books and wanted to share her site with our readers. Yolanda Cullagh, wife, mother of four, grandmother, and author, has written the Dragonfly Dreams Series of children’s books. Dragonflies are everywhere. They are in her books, and on her tee shirts and jewelry. They are adorable. Her first book is Sebastian the Dragonfly (shown). Sebastian is a beautiful bluish-green color. He loves to wind-surf and go on safaris. I fell in love with him. Her second book is Sabina. Sabina is a Beach Fly who loves to build sand castles.

Because I fell in love with Sabastian we chose to review that book, and found it to be quite delightful. It’s the perfect bedtime story for any little boy or girl. I was particularly impressed with the hardback cover on the book and the brilliant colors. It is beautifully illustrated as well. In addition to the books, Yolanda has adorable screen print shirts of Sebastian and Sabina. The books and tees would make a great gift set.

Yolanda has offered a signed copy of Sebastian the Dragonfly to our readers. You could be the winner of this unique book. Here’s how: visit Cwingbooks and leave us a comment on Yolanda’s site. You may earn extra entries by:

  • 1 Entry – Follow or subscribe to our blog
  • 1 Entry – Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this give away
  • 1 Entry – Place our button on your sidebar
  • 1 Entry – Subscribe to our Giggles & Sugar Kisses Newsletter
  • 2 Entries – Blog about this give away and link back to us

This give away will end February 5, 2009. It is open to US and Canada residents 18+ only. Posts with invalid email addresses will be disqualified, so be sure to enter a valid address. We will randomly select a winner from the posts. If you don’t leave a valid email address, we have no way of contacting you. Good luck!

Filed Under: children's books, dragonflies, Uncategorized

Die, My Love

January 3, 2009 by

One of my goals for 2009 is to read more books. I’m a fan of true crime stories. Anything by Ann Rule is a must, I love her. I decided to pick up a few books by Kathryn Casey to add to my reading arsenial as well. I’m starting 2009 with Die, My Love. This book caught my attention because Ann Rule stated it was “One of the best in the true crime genre”. Also, because the murder took place two hours from me, in Richmond, Va. A murder in a familiar place is always intriguing.

You ask what is this book about? The murder of a Virginia college professor and two look alike sisters. One is his ex-wife, a pretty, little petite number from Texas. Did I mention she was an attorney?

I read Chapter 1 and it has my attention. I can’t wait to curl up in front of the fireplace with my blankie and a nice, hot, cup of tea with this one. What’s on your reading list for 2009? Leave us a comment and let us know what book you’re reading or you intend to read.

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Happy New Year

January 2, 2009 by

Happy New Year from my family to yours. Well, it’s hard to believe that 2008 is over. I’m looking foward to 2009, but I’ve been reflecting on 2008 today. All in all, it was a great year for me. I hope that 2009 is just as good. In 2008, I was able to spend time with my family and strenghten my love for them, make strides with my blog and business, keep my job of 30 years, travel, and meet new people. I lost a friend, but I made a new friend too. I believe I’m better off with the new friend, so maybe it really isn’t a lost but a tradeoff, lol.

I’m not into New Years Resolutions, but I do have a few goals for 2009:

  • Attend church more often
  • Give my on-line boutique more attention
  • Continue with my blog give aways/reviews
  • Work to increase traffic to my sites
  • Exercise more (Buying a treadmill)
  • Complete a few home projects that I’ve been wanting to do for years
  • Increase my savings account
  • Purchase new computer
  • Purchase new camera
  • Read more. (I love true stories by Ann Rule and Kathryn Casey)
  • Take a nice vacation or cruise
  • Keep my readers informed of my journey on all of the above

What’s your goals for the New Year? Leave a comment and let us know what you’re striving for in 2009.

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