Not This Time by Vicki Hinze

Beth and Sara were roommates in college, more like sisters than just friends.  After college they went into business together and built a successful computer technology firm.  As best friends and business partners they had a solid relationship until Sara married Robert.

Beth has a strong dislike for Robert and is suspicious of his motives for marrying Sara.  Did he marry Sara because he loved her or because she is a wealthy woman, who outside of business, has little confidence and is easily controlled?  Beth’s obvious dislike of Robert is difficult but the women try to work through it and remain friends.  In the small town where they live there are two groups of people; those who agree with Beth’s opinion of Robert and Robert’s friends.

There is a terrorist attack at a wedding that most of the town is attending  and just hours later Sara learns Robert has been kidnapped.  Who is responsible for the attack and the kidnapping and are the two events related?  With Homeland Security investigating the terrorist attack and the FBI investigating the kidnapping there are lots of questions being asked  with lots of conflicting answers.

During the investigations Beth begins to suspect Sara’s love for Robert is not what it seemed and perhaps their business is at risk.  And in the midst of all this Beth is reunited with a man from her past that makes her question herself and her common sense.

There is a lot going on in this book; acts of terrorism, kidnapping, questionable friendships, affairs of the heart, past hurts affecting the present, and people just being people.  The book moves at a fast pace, is suspenseful, entertaining, and has a spiritual message.  This is the third book that revolves around the people of this small town and often the author alludes to those earlier books.

Although, Not This Time stands alone as a story the back stories from the first and second books was, to me, not confusing but somewhat bothersome in the frequency and vagueness of the references. I liked the book but would have liked to have read Forget Me Not and Deadly Ties first.

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group free of charge in exchange for this review.

There is a young woman I know that is struggling with depression.  To make matters worse she has been ill for several weeks.  Not seriously ill just the bothersome kind of stuff that makes you feel bad.

Sometimes she stays home from bible study because she feels so bad then, I think, she beats herself up because she is depressed.  Vicious circle.

When she does come to bible study she apologizes for not having much to say. What she doesn’t know is that when she isn’t at the study there is a void where she belongs.  When she is there the room is full, complete.

Today she came to bible study and it was  difficult for her.  But she was there! There was no void but blessing instead.

Today I am thankful for the presence of a beautiful young woman at bible study.

Love (Photo credit: Noël Zia Lee)

love;

      is seeking to make someone happy

Hi Peoples,

It seems there has been a little blip here in Teddy’s world.  I have learned that in  Mama’s house there is a 3 times and you are in trouble rule.

I get a little bored when Mama is at a place she calls work–I have to find something to do.  I mean when Mama is at  the place called work–where ever that is–there is no one here to pet me or scratch my ears or rub my tummy or throw my ball  or toss my fishy or shake the fun feather thing.

Well, I found the funnest thing–in the bathroom.  Not the tub or the people litter box. Those are fun but the paper on a roller is super fun!

Play with it long enough and it all comes off the roll and you can take all over the house.  It’s so light weight it just floats around and it’s easy to tear and shred and even chew.

The first time Mama laughed.  I was so glad I could make her happy after all she has done for me.

The second time she was a bit bothered by my efforts to make her laugh.  I mean I thought this was a good game.

The third time was when I heard about the 3 times and you are in trouble rule.  Mama can be very, shall we say stern, when she doesn’t get her way.  In this case getting her way meant me not having fun my way.

Seemed like a good time to get out of her way and take  cover.

Filed under: catkid, Teddy, Tuesday, Uncategorized Tagged: fun, rules, take cover ]]> http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/tuesday-teddy-learns-the-3xs-rule/feed/ 20 Patricia IMAG0014 IMAG00151 IMAG00161 IMAG0022 IMAG00062 anotherpaw http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/sunday-love-is-a-willingness/ http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/sunday-love-is-a-willingness/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:00:23 +0000 Patricia https://todayithink.wordpress.com/?p=7992 ]]>

My heart in your hands (Photo credit: aussiegall)

“Pure love is a willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return.”

Peace Pilgrim

Unsaid by Neil Abramson

Helena was a veterinarian who truly loved her animal patients.  She not only cared for them physically but also cared for them as fellow travelers through life.  When there was no other option she mercifully, and  unhappily, ended their lives.

Now Helena is dead.  She is dead yet lingers in this earthly realm trying to come to terms with the decisions she made about life and death and telling the truth or telling a lie.

Helena’s husband, David, is so grief-stricken he can hardly hold his life together.  There has been a lot of loss in his life and now he must go on without Helena.  He is not alone; there are dogs, cats, horses, and a pig, all rescued by his wife.  They miss her, too, and need to be cared for.

Helena had two secrets she kept from David that are revealed when her friend, Jaycee, asks him to help save a chimpanzee named Cindy.  Jaycee has taught Cindy to communicate with people through sign language and a computer program.  The funding for her research has been stopped and Cindy is to be moved to another facility to be used in experimental medical  research.

Cindy’s future is a torturous death, in the name of science.  Jaycee has spent four years with the chimp teaching her, studying her, and loving her, all with Helena’s help.  As a lawyer David can help if he will.  Not really an animal lover himself he is not interested in Jaycee’s case until he learns of Helena’s involvement.

All the while Helena is observing what is happening to David, her animals, and Jaycee.  She wants to right the wrongs she feels she has been a part of.  She cannot move on until she is at peace with herself.

The book while sad and melancholy is a testimony of love; the love of husband and wife, friends, and animals.  It questions our morals and ethics and how we justify cruelties of life.

Neil Abramson, himself a lawyer and animal advocate married to a veterinarian, has written a sensitive and thought-provoking novel that is not always easy to read.

Anyone who has lived with and loved an animal will understand the connections the people in the book have with animals.  Those who have never had an animal touch their heart should read it and perhaps they will think differently about human-animal relationships and the importance of animals as part of life on earth.

love;

     is a funny face

Happy Valentine’s Day

Mama says I am not very good at sitting still and posing for the camera.  She is right but only because she put this silly heart thing on me. 

I don’t care if it is Valentine’s Day!

Filed under: Teddy, Tuesday, Uncategorized, whatever! Tagged: hearts, silly, Valentine Day ]]> http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/tuesday-give-me-a-break/feed/ 16 Patricia IMAG00101 IMAG0009 IMAG00131 anotherpaw_thumb.jpg http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/monday-the-truth/ http://todayithink.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/monday-the-truth/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:35:10 +0000 Patricia https://todayithink.wordpress.com/?p=8058 ]]>

 You better believe it!

Image via Wikipedia

There is a new game in blogland and I was invited to play by Judith at I choose how to spend my life it’s called Tag You’re It. 

The rules are to tag back to who tagged you, answer 10 questions that are Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments  (I don’t know Mrs. Sparkly but if you visit Judith she will point you on your way to meeting her) and tag 5 other bloggers.

So here goes:

1) Describe yourself in 7 words

   Bookworm, Daydreamer, Funny, Intelligent, Mama-cat, Night-owl, Quiet

Maybe I cheated with the hyphens but sometimes I break rules.

2) What keeps you up at night?

Mostly reading, but I really am a night-owl so I don’t like to give up and go to sleep.

3) Whom would you like to be?

When I was young I would have had a different answer but with age I have found I like me and have no desire to be anyone else.

4) What are you wearing now?

Nasty navy knit pants–you know the kind, too short, baggy knees and butt–turtleneck tee shirt and my Storehouse navy long sleeve polo and 2 pairs of socks.

5)What scares you?

The thought of being seriously mentally ill, the kind that hurts you and everyone you love.

6) What are the worst and best things about blogging?

The worst is spending too much time on the computer writing and reading.  The best is the writing and reading.

7) What is the last website you looked at?

I think it was Judith’s so I could get the link.  If that doesn’t count, well, I don’t remember.

8) If you could change 1 thing about yourself what would it be?

I would be more outgoing and friendly.  Is that 2 things?  Darn another broken rule.

9) Slankets yes or no?

I would say no, I like my afghans.

10) Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

Judith has a dog, Lottie, and they take walks around the beautiful place where they live and sometimes share pictures, that’s how I know it’s beautiful.  She’s lived in a lot of places.

Okay, first part done.  Now to tag 5 bloggers.

1) How the cookie crumbles

2) Wazeau’s World

3)I’ve been thinking about…

4)In the process of living

5)One Wild and Precious Life

Today, I think I am done playing for now.