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Summer Fun at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science
If you are looking for something to do in the Dallas area this summer, look no further than one of my favorite local destinations: The Perot Museum of Nature and Science. There is so much to explore there this summer that I wanted to share all the goings on! I was recently invited to Family Media Day at the Perot Museum, where they kicked off the morning with a film in The Hoglund Foundation Theater with DREAM BIG 3D. Narrated by Jeff Bridges, the film is a celebration of human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small. I will warn you – I cried, several times. Yes, in a movie…
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Book Review – The Simplicity of Cider (& Giveaway)
I’ve been nose deep in a book for weeks now – as my dusty tables and dog hair-littered floors can attest. Today I’m featuring wonderful book from Amy Reichert titled The Simplicity of Cider. If you have not read this yet (she’s wonderful), there’s a giveaway further down so you have the chance to win your own copy! Review It almost feels like the wrong season for this book to be released as apple season is still a few months away – and this story will leave you with a longing for apple cider donuts or one of Sanna’s crisp ciders. Despite the pastry cravings, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait for Amy Reichert’s return…
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(Cook)Book Review: Breakfast in Texas
BREAKFAST IN TEXAS by Terry Thompson-Anderson Genre: Cookbook / Southwest Cuisine Publisher: The University of Texas Press Date of Publication: April 18, 2017 Number of Pages: 312 Scroll down for Giveaway! Texans love the morning meal, whether it’s bacon and eggs (often eaten in a breakfast taco) or something as distinctively nontraditional as saag paneer omelets, pon haus, or goat curry. A Lone Star breakfast can be a time for eating healthy, or for indulging in decadent food and drink. And with Texas’s rich regional and cultural diversity, an amazing variety of dishes graces the state’s breakfast and brunch tables. The first Texas cookbook dedicated exclusively to the…
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Family Travels: The Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
We hit the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun over spring break with our kids – and a whole bunch of college students. Confession: Cancun didn’t immediately come to mind as a family destination, and I don’t know why because it’s a fabulous spot. Spring break snuck up on us so I handed the planning reins over to my favorite travel agent with instructions to find me something warm, family friendly, and a short flight from Dallas. Cancun fit the bill, and of all the options, the Hard Rock Hotel topped the list. What I found is that it was a decent mix of family and partiers, and for the most…
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Blog Tour: Before the Rain Falls
Before the Rain Falls opens as one of the main characters, Della Lee is convicted of murder – in 1943. The second chapter brings us to present day – on her first day home from prison. Curious? You should be, and I’m joining up with Lone Star Book Blog to bring you a change to win one of three signed copies of this amazing book which is making my list of must-reads for 2017. So join me! BEFORE THE RAIN FALLS by CAMILLE DI MAIO Genre: Women’s Fiction / Historical / Family Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Date of Publication: May 16, 2017 Number of Pages: 334 Scroll down for Giveaway! After…
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All You Never Wanted To Know About a Barium Swallow
I have spent the better part of the past few years coughing like a retired coal miner with a five-pack-a-day habit. Except the closest I’ve ever been to a coal mine is rail cars clattering past on the tracks, and I despise the smell of cigarette smoke (which made for a rough go while I tended bar in college). I digress. For a long while my condition was brushed off as asthma. Well-controlled asthma, to boot, save the fact that I constantly suffered post-nasal drip and felt like an invisible elephant was sitting on my chest. (I call her Bubbles – she’s cute but kind of a bitch.) Finally, I found…
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Book Bonus: Interview with Remember No More Author Jan Newton
As a pitifully struggling writer myself, I’m fascinated by the writing process of actual published authors, and when possible, avail them to allow me to pick their brain for insight. It’s a wholly selfish act, I confess, and I am thrilled that Jan Newton, author of Remember No More – a superb crime thriller set in rural Wales – kindly agreed to my tomfoolery. You can find my review of Remember No More by clicking HERE. Please join me as I talk to the lovely Jan Newton! 1. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE STORY? The real inspiration behind the story is an area of mid Wales, between the Brecon…
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Weekend Reads: Remember No More by Jan Newton
Review I confess, I was initially drawn to Remember No More in part because of the synopsis, and in part due to the fact that I spent nearly four years in this part of Wales. Jan Newton does not disappoint with her writing nor with the stunningly depicted setting. This the perfect book to get lost in on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and I confess I devoured it in one sitting. Newton’s debut novel is well crafted with a tightly knit story that twists and turns. While I thought I might have figured out “whodunit” midway through the story, she so skillfully dropped red herrings that I was fully in doubt of my detective work.…
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Changes, They Are A’Comin’ (To This Blog)
It’s time to shake things up here and I have big plans for the blog. After 9 years of blogging as Momma on the Rocks, I’m going to be getting a new name and a new look, and refining my focus just a skosh. This will remain a lifestyle blog, but with a stronger focus on the things that keep me sane – namely, essays, travel, and books. And of course, coffee. Because normal around here really is a setting on the dryer, and anything that makes my life (and hopefully yours) better or easier is a plus. And…everything is better with coffee. (And it goes so well with reading,…
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Book Review: A Dog’s Way Home
Review If you’ve read author W. Bruce Cameron’s previous dog-centric books (A Dog’s Journey, A Dog’s Purpose), you know that he is a master at both tugging on our heartstrings and telling a wonderful story from the perspective of a dog. In his newest novel, A Dog’s Way Home once again finds that sweet spot of humor, emotion and drama as Bella’s story unfolds and captures the love, devotion and personality of this sweet dog. You’ve heard stories of dogs traveling hundreds of miles to find their beloved owners – now we get to see it from the unique perspective of the dog herself as she tries to get home to her Lucas…
