The Horse from the Sea by Victoria Holmes

{ Cover Credit}

It's 1588 in Ireland, and Nora is a peasant girl who loves horses. Tensions between the English, Spanish, and Irish are growing when the most unexpected event happens: a shipwrecked Spanish stallion and sailor wash up on the beach below her cottage. The horse is huge and beautiful, nothing like the shaggy mountain ponies Nora is familiar with. The sailor is hardly older than her 14 years, injured, and desperate. Against all common sense, Nora agrees to help the boy somehow get back to Spain. If he is found, he will be hanged and her family will undergo no pleasant circumstance's as well. She will have to keep the secret not only from English soldiers, but also from her family. And then there's the horse to think about, too...

Pros: I loved the setting.

Cons: The facts seemed to fluctuate as the story needed.

Altogether, I found this book to be a fun read. My rating is three stars.

~Margaret Rowena

Days 26-30

This challenge has been so much fun. Here is my final post-

26- A childhood memory
I am not sure how old I was, perhaps 6 or 7. My brother and I started a drawing club in our crawlspace. It's a little room beneath the stairs that we all used to regard as the most incredible place on earth. We drew all sorts of things, mostly strange monsters. I filled a whole notebook with my art forms! I wonder whatever happened to that book...

27- A physical feature I love

Eyes. They are different on everyone and so very interesting. If it weren't for the creepy factor, I would ask people if I could simply look at their eyes. Just kidding ;)

28- A scar I have and it's story
Two summers ago, I was camping with my family. One of my dogs was chained to a tree, and I was standing between her and the tree. My dog saw another dog, went all crazy, and ran toward it. The chain caught me by the ankles and I was down in a heartbeat. I now have this gnarly- looking light purple spot on the back of my left ankle. (Too bad it has faded so much)

29- Hopes, dreams and plans I have for the next 365 days
Hopes: That I will go to eastern Europe next spring
Dreams: That I may write the first several drafts of my story
Plans: A wedding, a conference, music lessons, camping trips, birthdays, friendships

30-A motto or philosophy
Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal if your mind...

Days 21-25

21- Something I know I do differently than most people
The way I play "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" by Debussy on the piano- I use different rhythm and even a few odd notes.

22- A website
A blog page I found today has some very cute blog flair. Other than that, I don't do much web surfing. Blogger and Facebook are my haunts. I do know a ton of ah-mazing blogs, though; check out the above page to see 'em.

23- A way in which I want to be remembered
I want to be the slightly eccentric old lady with long grey hair that lived with her multitude of animals in the middle of nowhere. She wrote under a pen name, so none of the skeptical neighbors knew that the nutty old lady was actually writing published books.

24- A movie no one expected me to love
Everyone thinks I am nuts for liking the old Alice in Wonderland. Yeah, that's all I got. The people I watch movies with are pretty unabashed by weird movies. Oh, they were surprised by my adamant dislike of Chicken Run. P.S.- I really want to see the new 'Alice' with Johnny Depp.

25- A recipe
Take a good slice of wheat bread. Homemade is ideal for this; thick and full. Slather some creamy peanut butter on one half. Don't be shy! Then spread some Nutella on the other half. If you want, put another piece of bread on top. You have just made the most wonderful sandwich in the known world.


Who's ready for a random photo?

Have a delightful day, everyone!

~Margaret Rowena

Days 16-20

16-A song that makes me cry
'Morning' from Peer Gynt by Grieg, played by a good orchestra. I found a YouTube video for you to listen to. It's so full of soul.

17- An art piece
Once again, I am on the wrong computer so I can't give you a photo of any of my art. But I can put up....... Miss Mona! :)

18- A time when I felt passionate and alive
I had just finished a good book. It was one in the morning. The moon was bright.

19- A talent of mine
Piano. I may not be Lang Lang, but I love it enough to practice.

20- A hobby of mine
Happiness in the form of sunlight and music on summer evenings.

Little Girl

My Grandpa was so sweet. He noticed my lack of photos for the challenge and emailed me some of his to choose from:


I still have that beanie baby, and his name is Foxie, but I don't know what has happened to the pinecone and bunny dress.


When I look at old photos of myself, it feels like I was living a different life in a different place and with a different mind set, being four years old. Wow. People change so much, it just overwhelms me to think of it. I wonder... how will I and the people I love change in the next month? Year? Decade? Only one to find out- Stay tuned into life!

Thank you, God, for giving me a life to live! You supply me with joys and sorrows and LOVE.