I never realized that when I started writing my first Patio Time that it would be what brings me healing from God. All of us have a past. Not all of us have trust issues, but I did. I always said that if I couldn't trust my own father, how could I trust my Father in heaven. But not all of us grow from our childhood surroundings without some type of damage. I can honestly say that I used my upbringing as a crutch and an excuse for not growing. Everything I thought I was failing at, I blamed on my life as a child in West Virginia. That's how I began most of my Patio Time. Growing up, as a child, in West Virginia, I blamed failed relationships, lack of financial gain, and listening to the wrong people. I also spent years of trying to fix everyone who had alcoholism because my father was an alcoholic and wanting to heal everyone who had cancer because I watched my mother die of that horrible disease. When you're a child, you can't process death or addiction. I realized I was holding myself back because I could never get close to anyone. Whenever I tried, I would always push them away. Maybe because I was thinking everyone leaves. One day, I went on my patio, sat in my rocking chair, and started writing about things that went on in my home and my small community. Patio Time is a collection of my life and circumstances in that little rural area with a lot of dysfunctions. I guess it's true: what goes on behind closed doors stays behind closed doors. But with this writing, I realized that I had all I needed, just by my surroundings and the love of the community. I often found that my solace came from playing in the mountains and creeks. Patio Time is my perception of the lessons that I learned from every situation. I am hoping that this little collection will move the heart of others who need to realize they are exactly where they needed to be at that time. All the situations that happened to me, can clearly, and has, taught me a lesson of life. I never realized it at that time, but as an adult, I see it clearly now. My goal is for someone to read any page of my book and see their own life and be able to look back and see the beauty and how they were molded as an adult. What my readers don't know is that I was an Italian child who was given away to a white couple in West Virginia in the fifties. Skin color was never an issue in my family but so prevalent in that era. My parents showed nothing but love to me. But a lot of burden comes with that scenario. I grew up with molestation, alcoholism, physical and emotional abuse along with bullying. But with all of that exposure, I still could find something to be thankful for in every one of those situations. I lost both of my parents--my mother when I graduated from high school and my father shortly after. Patio Time has been a way to express the memories that I was trying to forget. Now I'm grateful for my writings. I am hoping that my journey is a light for others.

Vicki Hart Halleland has dealt with depression virtually all of her life. She has had a lot to deal with—her breast cancer, her husband being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and more. Although her life may not have been smooth sailing, she had no reason to end it all. Yes, she was depressed, but she was not the only person in the world to suffer from this disease. Within a twenty-minute conversation with Dr. R.—the psychiatrist that the Social Security caseworker recommended—she has come to the conclusion that the author is indeed suicidal and immediately orders her to go to a psychiatric hospital. This is where the nightmare begins . . . In You’re Taking Me Where? Halleland reveals the “dark” side of life and what trusting the system can do to a relatively sane person. She shares her experience inside the mental institution and the damage that a short twenty-seven hours did to unravel the two years of therapy that she spent with Dr. Hall, her personal psychologist. Delve inside her thoughts as her anxieties grew and see how she used humor to cope with her depression. If she didn’t laugh at it all, she would have lost it and cried the whole time. The author has been able to control her depression with medication, support from family and friends, and of course, with the help of a caring and compassionate therapist. Although her experience was a terrible and frightening ordeal, Halleland used humor to turn it around.

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

You don't have to live in your dream house to make your living spaces feel more like home. Home is meant to be a place to belong. A place to gather and connect. A place of beauty. A place to restore your soul. In Restoration House, author and designer Kennesha Buycks will encourage you to embrace your home and your story so you can create mindful spaces that give life to you, your loved ones, and all who enter. Tips from Restoration House have been featured in Better Homes and Garden, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and The Washington Post. Kennesha will teach you how to: Make the best out of your living space, whether you're renting or a homeowner Create a home your visitors will feel comfortable in Decorate your home on a budget Make purposeful design decisions that are beautiful and functional Restoration House is ideal for: Christian women of all ages who want to make their houses feel more like home Housewarming gifts, Mother's Day, birthdays, and holiday gifting

Living underground is not a bed of roses. But I'm living a dreamers life, with a dream, in a place, a time that makes a difference, when one is born in the Americas, and experienced growing up with ration cards, steel bands, calypso, Jazz bands, rock 'n' roll, free sex, passion, can-can in fashion, bomb scares, Coca-cola, Pepsi, bubble gum, all fought for and won, a place in the sun, while men walked on the moon.

A young widow… A grieving brother… Could a second chance heal them both? Widowed too soon, leaving her alone with a young son and a broken heart. Drew’s only priority is to rebuild a life for herself and her son. Love is the last thing on her mind. As long as he can remember, Ben has secretly loved Drew. But now his only job is to be there for his older brother’s widow and son, not act on his forbidden feelings. No matter how strong they are. Despite the promises she made to her dying husband, Drew never expected to be able to open her heart again. But shared grief brings healing, and when Ben finds a way to make good on his vow to his brother. It’s not only laughter and happiness he brings back into Drew’s life—it could also be love.

Shows techniques, materials, step-by-step directions, safety advice, and hundreds of color illustrations for building decks, porches, and patios.