The Odyssey- Book Review

Long tried Odysseus was far from home for more than two decades, 10 years fighting the Trojans and 10 more lost at sea. In Poseidon’s domain on his way homeward he faced many trials. Slaying a monstrous Cyclops, going to and escaping from the dreadful Hades and staying on the island of the nymph, graceful Calypso for 6 years. Homer’s work mainly describes the sorrows of royal Odysseus and his finding a surprise upon his homecoming.

The book begins with god-like Odysseus’s son powerful Telmacha getting information from Athena that his father is about to return home and that he should go and search for him. Wise Telmacha decides to go to Sparta from Ithaca. When he arrives he is showered by gifts from the king of Sparta. Going farther inland he receives no tiding of his father. Disappointed mighty Telmacha returns homeward but alas, the lowly suitors set up a wicked trap to slay heroic Telmacha. Only by the help of crafty Athena did great Telmacha get to Ithaca from harm.

Meanwhile sorrowful Odysseus was stuck on an island with the fair nymph Calypso without ship and without crew. Wise Athena decides it’s time to take matters into her own hands so she tells goodly Calypso to let Odysseus go free so Calypso tells god-like Odysseus to build a raft and leave the island, so Odysseus does as he is told and builds a goodly raft which will ride to waves well. But Poseidon was not through with Odysseus and crashed his vessel on the Phoenician shore. The king from this land graciously received him and had him tell his story.

Odysseus tells his story well and starts with his first trial, the Cyclops. Odysseus and his companions were traveling through the Mediterranean Sea when they saw an island. They decided to stop and gather supplies. While Odysseus and some of his men were scouting they came to the cave of the Cyclops. Odysseus and his companions tricked the monster and escape however Poseidon was not pleased.
Our hero’s next stop on his journey was the underworld where no man had ever come back alive from. Receiving information from a goddess Odysseus learned that he had to find someone in the underworld who could give him instruction on how he could return home. The spirit in question told Odysseus to go around Sicily and above all else not to eat the sun god Helios’s cattle which were found on an island on the way. Royal Odysseus thanked the spirit and left the realm unharmed.

As the ship of god-like Odysseus got close to the island of the sun god Odysseus’s men began to complain of fatigue so they docked on the island of Helios but not before Odysseus made them swear not to eat the cattle, the all made the proper oath and landed on the island. This is where things got ugly. The winds turned against the crew and their destination so the ship was forced to stay on the island. As supplies became low the crew became hungry, they decide to kill the cattle and eat them without Odysseus’s knowledge. Odysseus’s comrades had sealed their fate.

The sun god was furious and called on Zeus to deliver punishment to the ship that was already nearly home. The father of the gods sent a lightning bolt to strike the vessel but spared Odysseus because he had not eaten the cattle. The hero winded up on the shores of Calypso’s island and was held there for six years.

As Odysseus finished his story the Phoenician king took pity on him and showered him with gifts and goodly garments also giving him a ship and a crew to carry him to his homeland. Odysseus thanked the king with winged words and came from the king very rich.



Once the Phoenicians brought royal Odysseus back to his homeland the wise goddess Athena disguised him as an old man so that he might not be recognized. He introduced himself to the swineherd who was very loyal to him and showed his son Telmacha that he was his father. Father and son began to plot the demise of the suitors who courted Odysseus’s wife.

Meanwhile Penelope decided that enough was enough and made a contest that would determine her fate. She said that she would give her hand to whoever could bend Odysseus’s bow and shoot it through twelve axe heads. All 108 suitors tried and failed. Finally Odysseus disguised as an old beggar completed the task and then father and son proceeded to slay all of the 108 of the wicked suitors. Odysseus was once again king of Ithaca and had earned his wife’s hand through the trials that made Homer’s epic one of the most renowned books ever written.

How To Be A Great Guest

Years ago my cousin and her family of 5 came to visit. This was back in the days where I cleaned for days, made lists of things to do to entertain guest, and planned out the perfect meals. We both had little kids and it was a blast. I spent a ton of time and work getting ready for our guests. Now, when special guests arrive I am much more relaxed and remember it is okay to wait and vacuum after they leave. Along the journey of life, having guest and raising kids I learned some valuable lessons. One important life lesson was taught by my dear cousin.

My cousin gave me a wonderful thank you gift when she visited us. It wasn’t a tangible thank you gift like you may think. It was a gift from her hands and heart. When she was at our home she gave me a thank you gift in the form of offering her gifts. She has the gift of organizing and I do not. She got into my cupboards, cleaned and scrubbed and helped my toss things I thought I needed. I was humbled and so grateful. It meant the world to me.

She then went onto label my cabinets. Yep, she placed titles on each cabinet so we would know what went where. It was awesome. This didn’t take all of our fun time. But it did bond us together, made me smile that they were there and helped our household function better.

Using your talents to bless the family you are visiting can not only be a surprise for them but it will make you feel good too. And it doesn’t have to stop with you. Maybe your son can mow the lawn, your husband change a light bulb or teach their kids how to throw a ball. No matter what it is a thank you gift in the form of the heart is the best kind of all.

Finally, when my cousin left and I went to wipe down the bathroom and clean the sheets I found not sheets at all. She had placed them in the wash. And when I went to scrub the bathroom down I arrived to the greatest thank you gift of all. A sparkling, shiny, spotless bathroom. I actually cried after they left. I didn’t feel worn out and tired. I just felt blessed.

How can you help a Family Cope with Moving?

Dad came home and gave us all the news. He had been offered a job in someplace called “Flagstaff” Arizona. I remembered hearing a little bit about the state Arizona but knew nothing. After all, I was only in the third grade. But moving? It didn’t sound like an adventure. It sounded tragic. How could we leave our house? I had written my name in the concrete. It was ours. And we knew not only all of our neighbors but had many close friends I can’t remember living without. And what about school? My teacher surely couldn’t live without me or so I thought in my 9 year old mind. I helped her correct papers and I was waiting for the next year when I had hoped beyond hope to get to have Mr. Holgren as my very own teacher. We couldn’t move.
But we did. We no longer live in the era where families stay in one place. Often they are separated by many miles. And friends serve an even greater role. They can become just like one’s family. Moving is a major life change and is stressful for adults and kids alike. There are ways you can help make the transition easier.
Offer your support. Come help clean and pack. Packing can be never-ending. Help the family host a garage sale. Getting rid of stuff can be helpful. Offer the family a gift. More than a card you can give them a special gift to remember. A personalized gift can make all the difference in the world. A personalized frame, blanket with photos, or fresh towels. For the kids pack a fun gift basket full of treats for the trip ahead. Make a DVD of photos of all of you together.
Moving is life altering. It can be especially difficult for kids. Making new adjustments to a new place, new school, new friends, and a new home are all treacherous adjustments for the child experiencing them. Another fun idea is to send a gift basket to their new home. Just think how happy they will be arriving to a basket made of love. We all grow when we are stretched but having others walk us through hard times can make life a whole lot easier. So get moving, and put together a personalized gift for the people you love!

You Gotta Watch!!!

Google, will you never end the great technological advances?



Watch Gmail Motion today!

Bless Someone Today With A Gift Basket

I love to give gifts baskets. There is no better feeling for me than giving someone a little something to make life a little brighter. I don’t mean giving a gift basket when you are expected to, at holiday times or birthday celebration. I mean just because. No matter where we are in life the trials get harder and even everyday life can be difficult to manage. So what better way to make life better for someone else than giving them a surprise just because gift basket.
I like most people am on a tight budget, but every time run to Wal-Mart or Target I make sure I hit the clearance isles. I look for those little fun things that could make a family or friends day better with a surprise gift basket made with love.
It doesn’t take much. Candy is always fun gift basket filler, stationary, a little plant, new pencils and pens can all make a gift basket recipient feel loved and cared for. I collect items for several months. Sometimes I really score and find a cool item or two at the dollar store. Alone it may seem just okay but put it together with a theme gift basket and WA LAH you have a wonderful creation. Then I wait. I watch for when I hear a friend having a hard day.
I always keep a few gift baskets on hand. I can find them at garage sales and often they are like new and I always peruse the craft store as well. I put together the basket and write a little note that lets them know I appreciate them.
I love to send my daughter to the door, she rings the bell and we drive off quickly before anyone notices us. Our record is 13 seconds! Try and beat that. I will never know what the reaction is of the people we gave the gift basket was. But I do know one thing, the joy I had in making that basket makes me feel like I am the blessed one. It also helps me forget my own problems and somehow puts life into perspective.
So the next time you get a chance, pause and think of how to bless someone else. A gift basket is only one myriad of ways to make someone else’s day, and life that much better.

I want an iPad2 JUST FOR FUN!!!

Out of The Box Valentine's Day Challenge

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  What a wonderful day to celebrate those we love.  For the significant person in our lives there may be  a heartfelt card, a romantic dinner date, flowers and maybe even a beautiful gift basket full of things to pamper ourselves. This might also be the night where the evening ends with a marriage proposal.

School children will have their Valentine parties where they will exchange their cute Valentine cards.  Heart shaped cards will be cut out , glue and glitter carefully placed, along with a special message written and proudly presented to their parents as they get home from school.  What a special day!

It is easy to share our love with those closest to us.  This Valentine’s Day I would like to challenge us to think a little outside the box.  Not everyone feels all warm and fuzzy on this day.  In fact,  there are many people who find themselves feeling very isolated and lonely.  If we take time to look for these people we will find them in all walks of life.  You may find them sitting in a nursing home thinking about the loss of their loved one.  It may be a spouse who has recently gone through a painful divorce .  It may be that single person you know at church who has never found their life partner.  It may be that child in your child’s school that  just doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids.  It may be the family in the house down the street who live in difficult circumstances. 

So, my challenge this Valentine’s Day is to find one person who needs to know that someone notices them and thinks they are special.  We can find creative ways to show them that we do think they are special.  We could go to that nursing home and visit, helping someone to reminisce about their loved one who has passed.  We could send a creative gift basket to the person we know will be home alone  on Valentine’s Day.  It may just be a special card that will make the person or child feel as though they have worth to someone.  Maybe the family down the street could use a bag of groceries that has the makings of a special dinner.

Valentine’s Day is all about love.  As we share our love with our families, this year let us share our love to just one more person.  It  may affect someone in ways we will never know.

A Furry Best Friend

A Furry Best Friend

Our Guest Writer, Gretchen Bell, has written a fun recipe that you can use to share with your best friend. The furry ones, of course.

How Can I Say Thank You To Our Music Teacher?

What to give your music teacher…………….

Music is a wonderful thing.  Walking down Main Street at Disneyland would never be the same without the music playing.    A parade would lose its magic without music.  A funeral without music would lose its heart.  Music shapes our world.

While some people are born with natural talent most of anyone who can play a musical instrument has learned the gift of music from a music teacher. Music teachers are people we all should thank because without music life would be so much different.  Music teachers take the time to teach step by step piece by piece always moving a student forward. They inspire and add joy to the world one student at a time.

A music teacher must be patient, creative, and change their teaching style for each student they meet. So how can you thank these wonderful folks?  Here are some great thank you gift ideas to give a music teacher.

 thank you gift ideas for a music teacher

• A biography of their favorite musician (You can find these books at your local book store)

• Write a thank you letter pointing out all you appreciate about your teacher and make sure you point out how they have affected your life.

• A themed Music Gift is a great thank you gift basket idea for a music teacher (You can find awesome gift baskets on the internet.   They specialize in themed baskets and take all the hard work out of it for you.  You can find a perfect basket for the musician and they will even deliver.

• Write a letter to the editor at your school or local community. There is no greater thanks than announcing it publicly.  This costs very little but will mean so much to your instructor. Letting others know what a neat teacher you have will resound over and over again and is one of the highest honors a teacher can receive from his/her student.

• If you like to bake make music shaped sugar cookies.  This is a great idea for little kids who are taking music lessons.  You can find music shaped cookie cutters in almost any craft store.  You can decorate them and attach a note saying how special and how much you appreciate your music teacher. 

• Every music teacher can use a music bag.  They always have music and places to go.  You can even personalize a music themed bag with your teacher’s name.  You can get this done at Planet Gift Baskets as well.

It is a fun to thank your music teacher with a personalized gift or thank you gift basket. The important thing is to remember to say Thank You to those who serve you and your kids.

Saying Thank You To Your Child's Coach is Important

It’s that time of year again.  Summer is fading away, school will soon begin and before we know it the leaves will be falling and autumn will have arrived. I love this time of year.  The air is crisp and cool and as the leaves change colors so a new season is determined to begin.  It can be a beautiful but busy season for a family with kids.

 No long can they sleep in till noon, play video games and chat on face book, endlessly.  Pool days and summer time jobs will be replaced with homework and yep sports!  Sports are a huge part of our American culture.  Parents and grandparents, coaches, spectators, and the players themselves love the competition and work.  But let’s face it. It’s not just the kids who work hard.

  It’s the mom and dad the take and pick up, help buy shoes, find the perfect cleats, bring snacks on their turn, wash dirty uniforms that get placed in the laundry only hours before the big game and on and on. 

So if it had to be said all parents should get a huge thank you gift basket delivered to their door for each season.  But we all know if you are a parent, its part of the joy and work of being a mom or dad.  But there are those coaches that people want to thank.  You watch their dedication to your child and multiple others kids on the field. You know they are standing in the hot sun or cold field when they could be hitting balls or skiing on a mountain with their own family. But instead they are there, rooting, cheering, and training your son or daughter.  Are they perfect?  For sure not.  There are times you know if you could just offer your advice it would go smoother or better?  At least is seems that way. But overall you appreciate their dedication and the many hours they volunteer.  But as the season ends everyone is tired, and even though you thought about doing something great for the coach you have run out of ideas. Everyone has signed a gifted ball before, given a gift certificate and signed a cared. You want to do something unique.  Well, a thank you gift basket is the key.  It can be filled with the coach’s favorite treats, a gift card for a night on the town, flavored coffee and even a personalized shirt.  The possibilities are just endless.  But just think how grateful he will feel long after the games are played when he sifts through the wonderful thank you gift basket that was filled with love and fun from his biggest fans-the parents!