Bargain Book Bonanza #31: Another Library Book Nook Bundle

Before we went to Texas last month, I went to the library book sale in La Pine and picked up a few things.  I spent $6.00 on all the books above, and $2.00 on all of the movies.  $8.00 for all of this! 

The funny thing is, I have already read several of the books and seen most of the movies.  I am into old favorites.  Kind of.  This is my third copy of The Poisonwood Bible on hand and I have never finished that book, even though it is a Barbara Kingsolver and I think that I should like it.  The subject matter just seems to get to me though.  Someday I'll read it all the way through.

You can't go wrong with having an extra Little Women, Gulliver's Travels or The Three Muskateers on hand.  And, The Lovely Bones gives me a copy to send to my BFF Nancy and leaves me with one to keep.  Score!

I haven't read this Harlen Cobin book, but his are always a fast read and fun.  I haven't read this particular Bridgett Jones book, nor have I read The Shipping News, though I have seen the movies that have been made from them.

I don't remember if I have seen Goodfellas or Vanilla Sky, but I have enjoyed watching the others, many more than once.  For .25 each, though, I feel no regrets in my choices.  We still have VCR's around here.

This is the book that I began reading when I got home.  It is very strange, and took me forever to finish it.  Worse, it still sticks in my mind.  It just kept going on, and on, and on. 

Coldheart Canyon was written in 2001 by Clive Barker.  I have never read any of his other books, but he also writes plays and is an artist, director and produces films.  The story is about this movie star named Todd who gets a facelift gone bad and needs to stay out of the public eye as he heals.  His agent helps to find him a home in an isolated canyon outside of the city of L.A. and that is where he walks into a nightmare.  In the basement of the home is a tiled room, known as The Hunt, which was built by the devil's wife, Lilith to punish some guy centuries ago.  That is all that I will tell you, but there is some real weirdness in this book and it is not for everybody. 

You can't help but like Tammy, the director of Todd's fan club, who notices that Todd is gone and goes off to find him.  Tammy is the best character in the book, in my opinion. 

So, there you go!  To see what bargain books that others have bought, or to highlight your own, please just "CLICK HERE"         to go over to Baja Greenawalt's Cozy Book Nook and check it out!

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Shelter Cove Resort at Odell Lake, Oregon:

Source:  Travel Byways and Get-a-ways.com

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

On our way back from Eugene on Christmas Eve day 2011, Cary and I stopped at Shelter Cove Resort at Odell Lake to check it out.  It had been several years since we had stopped by.  Our company, La Pine Redi Mix, Inc. provided the concrete for the foundations of the lodge years ago, in the middle of December.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Ken and Trula Kieblock now own the resort, and have developed it into a destination point, in both winter and summer.  We met up with Ken, and here he is driving his cool rig. To learn all about the resort itself, please visit their website when you are all done here at Oregon Gifts, by "CLICKING HERE".

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

There is a store, r.v. parking, a marina, cabins and a lodge at Shelter Cove.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

There wasn't much snow when we were there, but there is now!

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Willamette Pass Ski Resort is the mountain with a bit of snow on it behind the lake.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

A plaque honoring the camp dog is next to the fire pit.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Kokanee Lodge has four units,  that people sign up for years in advance to rent.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This foundation was poured around 16 years ago, next to the lodge.  Ken said that someday they will build sister lodge to Kokanee.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

In January, I did a post about Trapper Creek, which is on the road to Shelter Cove.  To see that post with a lot of info about the area, please "CLICK HERE".

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

During the winter, there is a sledding area, cross country skiing and snowmobile trails.  Downhill skiing at Willamette Pass Resort is just across the highway.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

During the summer, there is a campground at Trapper Creek, where you can fish and otherwise enjoy Odell Lake.  For more information on Odell Lake, here is the Wikipedia Link.

I hope that you enjoyed the tour!  We plan on going back this summer with our trailer and doing a bit of camping here.  It is a super place.


~ Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Join in and Show Your Valentine's Day Stuff!

It is that time of year once more, Valentine's Day will be here soon.  My friend Jessa Irene, of the wonderful blog "A Holiday Haven " is hosting a Valentine's Day party and blog hop, and it begins today!  You can post your favorite Valentine's ideas, decorations, table settings, gifts ... share with others whatever you would like, as long as you stay on theme.  All you need to do, when you are done here at Oregon Gifts, is to click on the box below and follow Jessa Irene's instructions:

Now that the kids are grown, I rarely decorate for Valentine's Day any longer. though I still do have some tableclothes and a few things in storage.  Maybe this year I might, if we get the dining room back into shape in time.  (The guys are almost done with filling in the holes that are in the ceiling and walls from December's leak.)

For my first party post, I would like to show you photograph of a vintage color plate that was originally posted in The Delineator magazine in February 1918.  I am enlarging it so that you can take a closer look.  I scanned it out of a Butterick book that I have had forever, which was written in 1977 by Becky Stevens Cordello, called "Celebrations".  It has all sorts of neat things in it for all the holidays.

Source: "Celebrations" by Cordello, ~ Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

So, every so often until the 14th, I'll be posting something cheery or pretty and adding it to The Valentine's Day Party.  Thanks, Jessa, for putting this on for us! 

~ Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Book Blurb Friday #49 : "Haunted San Antonio"

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

"Haunted San Antonio"
by Kathy Matthews

Rachel Hernandez is a full-time river taxi driver/tour guide on the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas.  She had grown up on the boats and knew the river by heart.  Both of her parents had been guides before her. 

Rachel was a spirit magnet.  She knows where to look for them, and they like keeping an eye on her.  Rachel's favorite spirit is the young and beautiful actress Lilian Dutcher, who had died a tragic death by falling from the balcony of The Esquire in 1946.  To those who know where to look, Lilian can be easily spotted from the middle window above the ivy in the building next door. 

Bad spirits are out there too, such as the evil Hector Director (the man who pushed Lilian, but wasn't blamed).  Hector now resides by the well at the Alamo. 

Read and learn about the most haunted places in San Antonio! (150)
 

Okay, so I made that all up.  But I do see a LOT in that there picture, which really is next door to The Esquire Tavern.  To read my blog post about The Esquire, please CLICK HERE.  For more possible San Antonio sightings, you might want to check out this post too: "Can you spot some faces in these places?".  Also, for pictures of our tour along the River Walk, please take a look at this link:  The River Walk Area of San Antonio, Texas.

Thank you, Lisa, for choosing one of my pictures again this week!  Oh, here is the photo I took at The Alamo at night, of the newly named bad man, Hector Director.  He really is scary looking:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I am participating in Lisa's Book Blurb Friday, from over at Writing in the Buff.   It is fun, and you can play too!  Pretend that the picture on the top of this post is the cover of a book.  On the inside jacket, you have 150 words to entice the reader to buy your book.  Lisa gives us a week to think about next week's entry (she's gracious like that).  Please CLICK HERE on Friday to read what everybody else wrote!

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Family Dogs: Sepia Satuday 111

This week's Sepia Saturday theme is dogs.  After you are done here at Oregon Gifts, please visit my friends and read their stories over at Sepia Saturday.   If you have some old photos and perhaps a story to go along with them, you are welcome to join us too.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This picture is of my Great-Grandmother Maude Craig Traylor Bennett standing beside her sister Echo Craig.  The little boy is my Grandfather (my Mom's Dad), Floyd Albert Traylor who is standing by a very happy dog (sorry that I don't know his name).  Grandpa was born in 1912, and he looks to be around 2 here, so lets say that this picture was captured in 1914, for the sake of argument.  Here is the blog post that I wrote about that gets us started on that side of my family: Groundhog's Day and Grandpa T.'s Birthday.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

The mother in this picture is my Great-Grandmother Talitha Letsom Hedrick.  The children are my Grandma Florence Hedrick Traylor, my Great-Uncle John Hedrick and my Great-Uncle Homer Hedrick.  The dog is Jack.  This was taken at their farm, known as Jack Creek Ranch, located near Hardscrabble, not far from Drain, Oregon.  Grandma T. looks as if she is around 8 here, so I am guessing that this photo was taken around 1920.

Talitha, or Litha, married Benjamin E. Hedrick.  Great-Grandpa Ben wasn't in the picture above, so perhaps he was the one taking it.  Here is Great-Grandpa Ben with his farm horses.  I know that they are not dogs, but still thought you would enjoy seeing them.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

As I was going through The Letsom Letters, I came across one that was written to Great-Grandpa Ben from his friend William Larsen on May 23, 1906.  William is just dropping his friend Ben a line, and telling him about how much he does not enjoy his logging job.  I thought that you guys might enjoy reading it.  It has nothing to do with dogs.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

This last picture is of Cousin Danny Hedrick with Otis.  It was probably also taken at Jack Creek Ranch when Danny and Lyle were visiting their Grandma Litha and Grandpa Ben Hedrick.  Danny was born in1925, and though it is kind of hard to tell by this picture, I am guessing that he was around 10 in this picture and that it was taken in 1935.  I might be a couple of years off here.  Otis sure looks a lot like Jack. 

I wrote a post about Danny and Lyle's mother, Flora, a couple of months ago, and you can just CLICK HERE to read it.  This is an excerpt from Flora's diary in 1928, where she talks about a day of shopping with the boys.  Danny was 3 at the time, and Lyle was 2.  Lyle transcribed and typed it out years later, and has included it in The War Letters.   

By the way, on the page before, Flora had noted that the neighbor's home had burned down.  That must have made quite an impact on Danny, and that is why, for some reason, he said what he did.  They were probably explaining to him why it was dangerous to play with matches and he was perhaps reminding himself not to burn their home to the ground.  Note to self.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

So, there you go!  Happy Sepia Saturday to all.  I am still not doing well with this surgery and go back to the doctor this afternoon.  My neck is all swollen now, and I hope that I do not have an infection. (I did, but am on meds and am feeling much better now.)  I am still working on getting around to those of you who commented on my last week's posts.  I appreciate you all so much.


Take care and God bless,


Kathy M.


After you are done here at Oregon Gifts, please visit my friends and read their stories over at Sepia Saturday.  If you have some old photos and perhaps a story to go along with them, you are welcome to join us too.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.