Did You Know Tuesday - Otter Pops

It's the first week of Summer! Yay! I love the slow, leisurely pace of the Summer months. I will confess to a love of frozen fruit flavored treats, too. 

Last week I saw a reference to Otter Pops online and it took me back to my childhood. I loved Otter Pops and the similar Fla-Vor-Ice pops. 

Otter Pops were originally marketed in 1970 by National Pax. They are still made and sold today (I saw a huge box at Wal-Mart last week and it took all my will power not to buy!) These pops have 40 calories and come in flavors including: 

Alexander the Grape 
Sir Isaac Lime 
Little Orphan Orange 
Rip Van Lemon 
Louie-Bloo Raspberry 
Poncho Punch 
Strawberry Short Kook 

In 1995 the company tried to replace Sir Isaac Lime with Scarlett O'Cherry, but a well organized protest by fourth graders stopped this change. (Too bad -- the cherry frozen fruit pops sound delicious!) 

Do you remember Otter Pops or Fla-Vor-Ice from your childhood? Are you still a fan of these frozen treats? They are part of summer nostalgia for me, and always fun (and delicious!). I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Music Monday - "All Summer Long" by The Beach Boys (1964)

If I was making a playlist of my favorite summer songs, "All Summer Long" by The Beach Boys would be high on the list.  

This song was written in 1964 by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and it's the title song of The Beach Boys' All Summer Long album.  The harmonies are wonderful, and that is a xylophone you hear in the background, along with a piano.

The lyrics capture old fashioned summer fun like:

"T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs
(T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs)
We've been having fun all summer long
(All summer long you've been with me)
I can't see enough of you
(All summer long we've both been free)
Won't be long til summer time is through
(Summer time is through)
Not for us now
Miniature golf and Hondas in the hills
(Miniature golf and Hondas in the hills)
When we rode the horse we got some thrills
Every now and the we hear our song
(Every now and the we hear our song)
We've been having fun all summer long"

Here are two minutes of retro summer happiness:



Do you like the Beach Boys?  What is your favorite of their songs?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Dear Abby - Meet Emma (A Rescued Pet Spotlight)

Dear Friends,

How is your week?  Is it hot in your part of the world?  It is very hot here in the deep south.  I am enjoying extra time in front of fans, which are in every room here.   I am also grateful for air conditioning!  I do not like hot weather, and will sometimes lie on the foot of the bed about two feet from a fan.

In other news, a tree surgeon came to my neighborhood and worked on a tree.  Then there was a big wood chipper right out front of my house and it made a fearsome noise!

On a much happier note, I have a beautiful little friend to introduce you to today.  Emma is a 2 year old Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund mix).  As a proud Doxie mix (Dachshund/Jack Russell), I love Chiweenies, and my Momma does too!

Abby:  What is your background and how did you end up in rescue? 

Emma:  Not much is known about my story. I was found with my sisters and brother and we didn't have a mom. We were brought back to Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN and united with Snow, who became our surrogate mom. Snow was a great mom until we could be on our own even though she was heartworm positive. We stayed with her until we were all old enough and then we went to different fosters home until we could be adopted.   (Emma and Mama Snow pictured below.)

 

Abby:  How were your first days at your new home? 

 

Emma:  It only took me a few minutes to get used to my new space because I'm pretty saucy. I was introduced to my two new brothers, Monte and Roscoe. Even though I was smaller than them they didn't treat me with kid gloves and we started playing and rough housing right away. My Mom and Dad let me sleep in bed with them and I quickly found out they were going to treat me like the tomboy princess I am.

 

Abby:  What are a few of your favorite things? 

 

Emma:  I love cuddling up with my humans or my siblings (in addition to my brothers, my humans just adopted a doxie named Raya from the same rescue I'm from!), meeting new foster siblings, carrying around my favorite toys (the wubba, spike ball, or chew ring), and getting ANY and ALL attention from everyone I meet.

 

Abby:  Do you have any tips for people who want to adopt a rescue pet? 

 

Emma:  My humans foster so I get to meet new foster siblings and teach them all about living in a home. Each new sibling is different - some of them warm up right away and others can be shy. Sometimes you have to go slow when someone new comes to a new space because it can be scary. It's kind of like if you went to a new country and you didn't speak the language and everything was loud and unknown. So if you adopt a rescue pet just remember that there will be a transition period. Go at their pace!

Abby:  Is there a rescue group you want to send a shout out to ?  

 

Emma: Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN. They're a small but mighty rescue that help the hardest cases - seniors, bonded seniors, animals that have medical issues, etc. The rescue is foster based and runs on donations, so volunteers and helps is always welcome.

 

What a wonderful rescue story!   Emma, thank you so much for visiting today.  I love it that your humans foster.  That is great, and you get to make lots of new pupper friends that way, too.

 

Dear friends, if you have any comments of questions for Emma, or if you would like to be featured here, please leave a comment below.

 

Thank you for visiting!  Have a good weekend!

 

Love,

 

Abby xoxoxo 

 

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Mystic Summer by Hannah McKinnon

Book Synopsis
A chance run-in with a college boyfriend puts a young woman’s picture-perfect life in perspective in this warm-hearted and lyrical novel—from the author of The Lake Season.

Since finishing graduate school, Maggie Griffin has worked hard to build an enviable life in Boston. She’s an elementary school teacher in a tony Boston suburb, a devoted sister, and a loving aunt. With her childhood best friend’s wedding quickly approaching and her own relationship blossoming, this is the summer she has been waiting for.

But when Maggie’s career is suddenly in jeopardy, her life begins to unravel. Stricken, Maggie returns home to seaside Mystic, Connecticut, where she expects to find comfort in family and familiarity. Instead, she runs into Cameron Wilder, a young man from her past who has also returned home, and whose life has taken a turn that puts Maggie’s city struggles in harsh perspective. When tragedy strikes for Cameron, Maggie is faced with big decisions as she weighs what matters most and strives to stay true to the person she’s become.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of a New England summer when past and present collide, Mystic Summer is a gorgeous novel about looking back, moving forward, and the beauty that blooms when fate intervenes.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Author Bio

Hannah McKinnon is the author of The Lake Season and Mystic Summer. She graduated from Connecticut College and the University of South Australia. She lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with her family, a flock of chickens, and two rescue dogs.

Connect with Hannah

Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Mystic Summer.  Giveaway is open to readers in U.S. and Canada, and ends on 6/24.  The winner will be notified by email, and will need to respond within 48 hours.  The author or her publicist will mail the book directly to the winner.

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Book Review and Giveaway - A Golden Cage by Shelley Freydont

Book Synopsis

The author of A Gilded Grave returns to Newport, Rhode Island, at the close of the nineteenth century, where headstrong heiress Deanna Randolph must solve another murder among the social elite.

With her mother in Europe, Deanna is staying with the Ballard family, who agree to chaperone her through the summer season and guide her toward an advantageous marriage proposal—or so her mother hopes. Relishing her new freedom, Deanna is more interested in buying one of the fashionable new bathing costumes, joining a ladies’ bicycling club, and befriending an actress named Amabelle Deeks, all of which would scandalize her mother.

Far more scandalous is the discovery of a young man bludgeoned to death on the conservatory floor at Bonheur, the Ballards’ sumptuous “cottage.” Deanna recognizes him as an actor who performed at the birthday fete for a prominent judge the night before. But why was he at Bonheur? And where is Amabelle?

Concerned her new friend may be in danger—or worse—Deanna enlists the help of her intrepid maid, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe Ballard, to find Amabelle before the villain of this drama demands an encore.

My Review
A Golden Cage is the second book in Shelley Freydont's Newport Gilded Age series.  (I enjoyed reading the first book, A Gilded Grave, last year.)

Deanna Randolph is enjoying staying at the Ballard family's "cottage" while her family is in Europe.  However, when an actor from a traveling theater troupe is found dead in the Ballard's conservatory, and a young actress goes missing, the mystery begins.  Deanna works to solve the mystery with her lady's maid and friend, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe.  

I love how atmospheric this book is.  The historical details are wonderful, and the author does a great job at evoking the Gilded Age.  I found the glimpse of the traveling theater troupe particularly interesting.

Deanna is becoming one of my favorite mystery amateur detectives.  She is so smart and determined, and pursues solving mysteries in a time when women had very little freedom.  I really like her friendship with Elspeth, and the way they bridge class differences to work so well together.

The mystery in A Golden Cage was well plotted, and it kept me guessing until the end.

This is such a delightful read, and I recommend it highly to other fans of historical mysteries.   Anyone who misses Downton Abbey will particularly enjoy this read, with the nice interplay of upstairs and downstairs life.

Author Bio

Shelley Freydont is the author of the Liv Montgomery, Celebration Bay Festival Mysteries, (Silent Knife, Trick or Deceit),the Katie McDonald Sudoku Mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty dance company mystery series. Her Newport Gilded Age Mystery seires began in June 2015 with A Gilded Grave, followed in June 2016 with A Golden Cage. 

Shelley loves puzzles of all kinds and when not writing or reading mysteries, she’s most likely working on a jigsaw, Sudoku, or crossword.

As Shelley Noble, she’s the author of the women’s fiction novels, Beach Colors, Stargazey Point, and Breakwater Bay as well as several novellas.

She lives at the New Jersey Shore and loves to hear from readers.   

Author Links

Website www.shelleyfreydont.comm

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyFreydont

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Freydont/e/B001HCUVP4

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ShelleyFreydont 

Purchase Links

Amazon –  B & N 

Giveaway

Win a copy of A Golden Cage - Winner’s Choice - Print or E-Book.  Giveaway ends 6/19.

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I received a copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.