Another one!! Yes!! Another one!!

Now I get excited pretty easily. But there are a few things that get me more excited than others. And one of the Very Best Ones is when I can introduce a Newest Crusader.

Drum Roll Please

And our newest one is KMont of Lurv a la Mode. She proves it's never to late to find this Incredibly, Wonderfully, Beautifully made Romance.

And of course this calls for a video




Oh - what the heck - why not two for a change???




And I'll even throw in July's Calendar picture too!

And another one bites the dust!

Thanks to the power of Twitter and with Kwana's (who just celebrated a birthday) tweet, I found us Crusaders another one to add to the Crusade. Maria has just discovered the love that is North and South and Richard Armitage. In Celebration, rather than another video, I thought I'd share my June calendar pic. My team laughed and oohed and aahed when I turned to this months calendar picture.

YES!!!!!

Thanks to Mollie, another Crusader has been found. It seems like quite some time since we've had us a new one, but Rhiannon Hart has recently fallen under it's spell. Be sure, fellow Crusaders, to see what our newest member has to say.

And I know there are others out there!! I'm just waiting to hear from you - yes I mean you!! *evil grin* If , has done a post on North and South - and I've somehow missed it, just let me know you can be added to The Crusader list!!

And of course this gives me another excuse to check out the YouTube videos. So here's a new one I hadn't seen for your viewing pleasure.

You're never too old to learn new tricks!!

Oldest son Brent was over last night - as an aside it was nice to spend a Friday night with him - weird but nice - and he was showing me some videos on YouTube and I learned something I did not know!!!

If you watch the video on YouTube itself and click the little square box on the bottom right hand corner - the one between the triangle box and the speaker box, the video plays on the whole screen!! When I saw him enlarge the first video, I got all excited and asked him how he made it do that, so he told me. So of course - me being me - after he left, checked it out on the second North and South video on the left side bar.

The famous "KISS" in the famous 'TRAIN SCENE" up close and in slow motion - verra, verra nice!!

And speaking of North and South - Jessica - I'm still waiting to add you to the Crusader list!! I know you've wa-atched it. And anyone else whose watched it and want to do a review - it's been a while since there has been new blood.

And - just in case I'm not the only one who did not know this and wants to see what I'm talking about - here's the video

We interrupt this program

Even though I'm in the middle of par-tey city here where free book are starting to flow like hot cakes (yea - I'd hate me too with that kind of statement) to bring you news of great importance...

Fellow Crusaders - a new Crusader has joined our ranks!!!!!

Monroe With a Twist has just finished watching North and South. Naturally she LOVED it. And as has happened so many times, it looks like she's not satisfied watching it just the one time - she now wants her own copy.

So go drop in and welcome our newest Crusader to the ranks of those whose aim is to get every romance reader who loves romance (which would be all of us) to watch this. And just so you know that I'm 'workin' it - I was chatting up this myself with Elizabeth Hoyt last night and she promised me she would watch it.

A little bit of this - a litte bit of that

A Little Bit of This

Attention Crusaders!!

There is something that has been brought to my attention that needs to be rectified. I almost gasped in horror when I realized it. In fact – I do believe I did gasp!

It seems that Lea of ClosetWriter, the one who has been holding the best kissing scenes poll, has not seen the (almost a lock) potential winner!!

Yes Crusaders – she has not seen North and South!!

I Know!!

I find it hard to believe myself. And not only has she not seen it, neither have two other bloggers who have romance blogs, Cecile and Kara. The most romantic four hour movie evah and they haven’t seen it. This situation must not be allowed to continue! How can Lea fully appreciate the (almost a lock) potential winner without ever having seen the lead-up to the Most Wonderful Kiss, without knowing what John and Margaret have gone through; without feeling his heartbreak?

How can she make it a proper and fair vote without coming to know that the John Thornton we meet at the beginning isn’t really a true representation of who he really is – a caring and ‘passionate’ business man, a man who is confident in his business affairs yet so unsure that a young woman of a higher class can actually love him?

And you can see why one tears up when Margaret’s father explains John Thornton’s tragic history. You need to see the ™ by Carrie 'Fist of Doom'. And the costume drama of it all, the score, the cinematography, they all must be watched and savoured.

Lea, Cecile, Kara and any other romance bloggers who haven’t seen this, I implore – nay – I beseech – that you find some way, some opportunity to set at least four hours aside to watch this. I say at least four because there is every likelihood that seeing it once just won’t be enough! So many of The Crusaders rented this but then went on to purchase a copy of their own. There was even one Crusader who had her DVD break down once it played North and South – refusing to play any other movie.

Please – for the love of all things romance – ease my mind and my heart and my romance loving soul – watch this and let us know how much it affects you. Stand proudly and become part of The Crusaders! Join US

And a little bit of that

Kitten update

Well, I have my kitten. She is adorable, full of kitten fur and a delight – with reservations. She purrs like a machine. I have given her the name de plume Calliope, The Calico Cat to go along with Zina The Princess Nota Warrior Cat. She is mostly black with orange highlights and a white ruff. When I figure out how to download pictures with the new camera (and when I find the cords and stuff I need to do this) I shall post pictures.

However – and I am not used to this – she is a counter kitten. She loves to jump up on the counters. Lisa, my middle sister will think this hilarious as I laughed at her counter cat Willis and her inability to break Willis of this habit. And of course I can’t mention her adorability without mentioning the leather chair she has already scratched the hell out of one of my *sob* new leather kitchen chairs.

Zina lives up to her name in Nota Warrior Cat and seems to be almost afraid of this little kitten half her size. I thought Zina might have her nose out of joint about getting a little sister – but she seems more puzzled, bordering on terrified of her new little sister.

And in honour of the newest addition, here is something I find hilarious!!

WHAT PETS WRITE IN THEIR DIARIES

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary..

Day 983 of my captivity...

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are
fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I
nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an
attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it
clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am.
Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was
placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event.
However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that
my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what
this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my
tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and
snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly
released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is
obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with
the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My
captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell,
so he is safe. For now.................

Time to Rally the Troops again - and another weighs in!!

It's the semi-finals at Lea's blog on the best kissing scene. Now I'm not going to tell anyone how to vote - there are some awesome movies to pick from

but

North and South is not in the lead at the moment

*gasp of horror*

Plus she has a mighty fine contest going on! You have to Check. It. Out.

And if that all isn't great, be sure to check out Sarah's blog. She just posted her thoughts on The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie - and she loves it too!!

Another one!

I like to think I have a built in radar when it comes to people talking North and South. But it seems my Richard Radar was on the fritz and I missed a Crusader!!

How could that happen??

Well - when I saw the date she posted it on, I realized that yes indeed it happened when I was in a scrambled up funk.

So to correct that oversight - I announce boldly that Bev of Cubie's Confections is a Crusader. She has posted her thoughts here!!

I hope you like the video - I was forced to watch many of them - an onerous task I must say, to get just the right one. In the end I couldn't choose. It came down to what I thought was better versus the 80's music lover

A New/Old Crusader - and........

My Crusader nose seeks them out! While blog hopping the other day, I noticed that Leya of Wandeca Reads had posted a most luscious video with scenes from North and South in it.
"Wait a minute!" I thought. "She said she recently watched it, but I don't remember seeing a post where she blogged about it."
So, me being me - a teeny, tiny on the obsessive side - asked her about it in the comment section. She emailed me and said yes, she had blogged about it, but didn't remember to actually publish her post. But she did send me the link. So I direct all Crusaders to Leya's thoughts on North and South!

And.....

I happen to know of another blogger who will be settling down soon to begin watching this for the first time. She plans on watching one episode a night. We shall just see if, like Lay's Potato Chips, she can stop at just one.

You realize what this means don't you??
Of course! Another video



or two



Oh heck!! Why not three!




And now I have to skedaddle!! Tomorrow is TBR day - and I've picked me a big book this time - and *gulp* I still have a ways to go!

*^*^*^*^ETA*^*^*^*^

OK - I obviously haven't skedaddled yet *sigh - this is a addicting place isn't it*
But I may as well combine two obsessions!

Rosie - and I quote:

I have absolutely no problem recommending this book to any reader that wants to read a story that has multi-layered and complicated characters

and:

While Gabriel St. Croix is certainly a tortured and dark hero he is not mean spirited or cruel. We, as readers understand him better than the people he meets because we know his back story and his thoughts. This discovery and understanding of Gabriel is an integral part of the reading experience. It's not hard to understand why Sarah Munroe falls in with him.

Mind you - she doesn't give it quite a 6 out of 5.

Be sure to visit her to see what else she thinks of it. I think she likes it.
And..... she has one very naughty husband! She has promised to 'get' me for laughing.

Our Newest Crusader

Syd, who posted the delightful interview, has now joined the ranks.
She's posted her thoughts on North and South - and even has videos to prove the wonderfullness - some I've never even seen and I thought I'd seen them all!

Just a quick shout out

for all fellow Crusaders.
Be sure to stop by Carolyn Jean's blog. She is our latest Crusader. I don't know how the girl is doing it, but she's parceling out her North and South viewing. She actually STOPPED it halfway through episode 3!!
I was looking through YouTube for another video to post. Is it just me or do there seem to be more every single time I check?
Anyway - since the obsession has never really gone away, here are a few more in honour of our latest Crusader



And keeping in mind that some have not seen this yet who may want to, here's another one that I don't think has spoilers


Now!! I really must kick my ass in gear, get away from YouTube and get to work!

Quickly ducking in again

Nancy is off looking for food they don't sell in the States that she misses. She dropped me off at home and either she has stopped at Walmart and is taking a while - or she is lost.

But until I get that phone call to come and find her, I have time to do another quick post and send you to Kaya's. She has a wonderful post on what makes North and South so special for her.
And speaking of North and South, I had a friend over on Friday night and yep - we watched it. She LOVED it and is planning on finding her own copy. She doesn't have a blog so I can't add her - but still - another Crusader.

Now I gotta run 'cause I'm supposed to be working on the back bedroom. My whole house is in chaos at the moment - not just the back bedrooms. And I've had to make some real tough choices on what to throw out. It's painful to the pack rat in me.


PS:

Busted!! She wasn't lost. Nancy was indeed at Walmart. She got me some green garbage bags for more purging.
I told her I just had to comment on Kaya's wonderful post. I'm trying to talk her into watching North and South but she's not going for it -------yet


(the pain, the pain)


PPSS

Krisitie's sister Nancy here. Procrastination is her middle name.......

She's right you know.

Nope - it's never far from my mind

An absolutely Perfectly Beautiful Combination

Enya and North and South

This says it all



And because sometimes when I get started, I can't be stopped



WoW!! I've struck gold tonight. Here's another great one! Just to show it's more then just John and Margaret



Help!!!! I need someone to stop me


So! Any Crusaders have a favourite?
Anyone who hasn't seen this yet tempted?

Hmmm, I think I may just have to watch this again. It's been a while now.

One just never knows!!

Sometimes following stats can come up with the most wonderful rewards. You see - I found another Crusader!! One I might never have found.

Ally Blake recently watched North and South - and surprise - she loves it! She's also a fellow Higgins fan!

I was going to do this last night

Well in fact I did do it last night - I mean I'm doing it now and it's actually tonight but I'm going to wait until tomorrow morning to post it - then I know Katie has something special coming later today (or really tomorrow because right now when I'm doing this post it's tonight - but you will be reading it tomorrow for me or today for anyone reading it now)

Anyway I was so excited I couldn't help posting - but didn't want to take away from the deserted island excitement - but I have my own personal exciting news.

SQUUEEEEEEEEE - LOOK AT WHAT I WON!!! Six - count 'em SIX Westerns. I'll be howdy m'ams like there's no tomorrow!! And Wendy says they are Very Good!!

And in other news - I think all us Crusaders need to go and offer *cough* encouragement to Rosario. She's read the book - now she just needs to see the series. And maybe, just maybe once she does, she will steal that life size poster of Guy for me.

Our Newest Crusader*****UPDATE***** Yet another Crusader!

Well, we have us another one! C2/CSquared, who won a copy watched it, loved it and wants to know the best thing we thought about it.
How can we put it into words?

**********

And another one gone, and another gone, and another one gone for this show!!

Ag of In My Books has just reported in. And amazingly, she reported in tomorrow - today. At least here it's today. Where she is, it's tomorrow.

She's also posted a great video courtesy of YouTube that I haven't seen. I know - hard to believe I haven't seen them all isn't it?

All you Crusaders

Say hello to our newest Crusader LeeAnn. She just finished watching it and yes - she has become one of us! I can move her from the Maybe Crusader to the Confirmed Crusader!
And you may not have noticed a little addition I added to the sidebar. Yes - I figured out how to do a poll. Be sure to vote - heh heh!

I don't watch a whole lot of TV and since partner Kate informed me last night Lost is once AGAIN on hiatus, that will be even less. But two shows I do watch are AI and DWTS - and wouldn't you know it - they run against each other.

I didn't watch AI last season - but *sigh* I got hooked again this one. So for your video delight, here are a couple of clips from last night's AI that really impressed me. I liked last night's show quite a bit as they sang songs from the year they were born and since most of them were born in the 80's and I'm an 80's kind of a girl.......

First up - David Cook who sang a really unique arrangement of Billy Jean


And then the one I'm routing for Michael John's singing Queen

An another update on the 'unofficial' Crusdade and other stuff

Alyssa of Alyssa's Book Blog is our most recent Crusader. And as with so many others, she's not content with just borrowing it from the library - she must have her own copy now too.

AND...... there is another Maybe Crusader! Bonnie Vanak, one of my favourite authors has purchased this one herself and is going to watch it as a treat. I think it will be one fine treat!



After watching all the videos yesterday I watched it again last night.

And I really love the phrase Carrie and Sula came up with - The Fist of Doom!


In other blog news, Zeek has a good review of one of my favourite books!

And while Ames is going through withdrawl in NOT buying books, I've been on a bit of a tear myself.

My recent buys include:

Distracting the Duchess by Emily Bryan
(who also writes as Dianna Groe)










Catch A Shadow by Patricia Potter
I've loved her Westerns - not so much her RS but I read a pretty good review of it somewhere










One Real Man by Janette Kenny
I got this one because it was a good price and the shallow me kicked in and liked the cover











The Chase by Cheryl Sawyer
This one I got because it was for sale at a bargain price at Giant Tiger and I've never tried her before










Secrets by Heather Cullman
I bought this one for the same reason I bought the Cheryl Sawyer book. I wonder what's happened to Heather Cullman. I used to read her but it looks like she hasn't had one out for a while now










The Song by Jean Johnson
Now this one fits into that which is part of my insanity. I have four in this series now and I haven't read any of them. I like the covers though - shallow, shallow, shallow









(you can tell I'm on vacation this week can't you?)

And further tax update - hopefully no one from the Canadian Tax Department will be reading this.
I may have alluded to the fact that I ah, um, haven't sent in my taxes for a couple *cough 4 cough* of years. Well, I gave Ryan my little accountant son, all my tax stuff. I hadn't worried too much because I knew I was getting a little bit back. Turns out it wasn't a little. He did them and brought them over yesterday. It seems I'll be getting over $1,200 back.
I mailed them today.

Swept From The Sea
starring Vincent Perez, Rachel Weisz and Ian McKellan
And in further news - I got this movie from the bargain bin at the grocery store. Looking at the cover is there any wonder why I was curious?
It looked very intriguing. Has anyone seen it and most importantly - does it have a HEA? I've never even heard of it before!

And because only the "Official" part is over.........

Sarai has posted her thoughts on North and South. A Crusader she is!!

And because I haven't done one for a while, and one can never see enough of them, thanks to the wonders of YouTube, here is another great video from North and South



And in other news - we have us a brand new blogger. Shannon is the newest one to welcome to the fold. Silly girl - she thought by starting a blog she would lighten her TBR pile.

I tell you - somedays I must be kept away from YouTube




(of course it's only the songs that I like! The video footage doesn't really matter)



Leaving YouTube Now I must

In this wonderful world of romance bloggers

There are some who have very different tastes then me. A book I love, Super Librarian Wendy can be just meh about or a book that Jennie of Jennie's B(ook)lg has truly enjoyed is one that I'm just so so over (and I'm just using you two as an example *g*)
Even Katiebabs and I don't see eye to eye on every book - she doesn't really enjoy Jo Goodman for example, whereas I think she's the bee's knees. Jo Goodman that is - though I do think the same of Katie.
But we all share a enormous, passionate love of romance books so it doesn't matter if our tastes don't match all the time.
Then there are some romance bloggers I'm in total sync with. I think I'm most in sync with Renee. So, knowing our tastes are so similar, she was the only one whose blog I visited and pretty much said "You have to watch this movie" during the 'Official' North and South Crusade.
Well folks - she did finally get a chance to watch it. And guess what - we matched again! We have us another Crusader~