Lavender & Coffee Stains

Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.

That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this exercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.

"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head. AND you don't have to have your words up on Sunday. Take all week if you want! Read the FAQ for more information.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
   
   ~ I only read three (3) from my pile so I wouldn't complain. But I would have preferred to start the reading time like everybody else, anywhere in the world. It was less demanding for me, to say the least.
   
   
   
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
   
   ~ Like everyone suggests, have a young adult (YA) book or any light reading material handy to start with.
   
   
   
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
   
   ~ Nothing. This is just my second year. :) I'm still enjoying it as it is.
   
   
   
4. What do you think worked really well in this year's Read-a-thon?
   
   ~ The blog feeds as well as the main site were helpful.
   
   
   
5. How many books did you read?
   
   ~ Only 3 books.
   
   
   
6. What were the names of the books you read?
   
   ~ The President's Daughter by Jack Higgins
   ~ The Rainmaker by John Grisham
   ~ The Eight by Katherine Neville
   
   
   
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
   
   ~ The Eight by Katherine Neville
   
   
   
8. Which did you enjoy least?
   
   ~ I enjoyed all three, actually.
   
   
   
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year's Cheerleaders?
   
   ~ I thought they did well in doing their duties as cheerers. :) I guessed they enjoyed visiting other read-a-thon(ers) blogs. :)
   
   
   
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
    
    ~Highly likely that I'll be participating again. I will still be a Reader. :)

Title of book(s) read since last update:
~ The Eight by Katherine Neville
~ The Rainmaker by John Grisham
~ The President's Daughter by Jack Higgins



~ It may be a typical action novel but the playing out of reality in the story line was just enough for me to continuously turn the pages with much anticipation and excitement.


Number of books read since you started:
~ A total of three (3) books and I'm signing off with the reading.


Pages read since last update:
~ 598 pages (1st book) +
598 pages (2nd book) +
304 pages (3rd book)
excluding the cover and the few pages before chapters 1. :)


Mini-challenges completed:
~ Eva's Honouring Dewey Mini Challenge
Staci's Signs You're In A Read-A-Thon Mini Challenge
Erin's Reading Madness Trio
Tammy's A Nod To Fiction


Other participants you've visited:
~ kwesifriends of Sweet Reads
infogoddess of Book Journeys
Bart of Bart's Bookshelf
sumthinblue of Bookmarked
claire of Kiss A Cloud
Natasha of Maw Books Blog
tanabata of In Spring it is the Dawn

• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Honoring Dewey
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Taking A Break
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 4
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Staci's Signs You're In A Read-A-Thon Mini Challenge
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 3
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Erin's Reading Madness Mini Challenge
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Morning Start
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 2
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 1
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

Twenty years after his affair with a beautiful Frenchwoman in Vietnam, Jake Cazalet finds out he has a daughter. He must keep it a secret -- but years later, when he is President of the United States, someone discovers the truth.

And when his only child is kidnapped by a terrorist group, he must count on British operative Sean Dillon and FBI agent Blake Johnson to find her.

Mouth watering creamy custard filling baked in a special pie crust and cooked to the right tenderness with a caramelized top.

Title of book(s) read since last update:
~ The Eight by Katherine Neville
~ The Rainmaker by John Grisham



~ I've always been a Grisham fan. It was due to my regret and frustration of university education choices. I should have tried to get in the College of Law back in my university studies since I took a multi-disciplinary course and Pre-Law was one of them. I always wondered what if and there were too many what ifs-and-then.

Anyway, this book was such a fun read that I again, regret, not taking it the first time. Rudy Baylor was an underdog and he became a David vs The Goliaths. Although a little predictable in the end, it's a Grisham book that endears the author to me. :)


Number of books read since you started:
~ Done with two (2) books


Pages read since last update:
~ 598 pages (1st book) + another 598 pages (2nd book) excluding the cover and the few pages before chapters 1. :)


Mini-challenges completed:
~ Staci's Signs You're In A Read-A-Thon Mini Challenge
Erin's Reading Madness Trio
Tammy's A Nod To Fiction


Other participants you've visited:
~ Blondie Rocket of Reading Comes From Writing
Samantha of Bookworms and Tea Lovers
Deborah of Books, Movies and Chinese Food

• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Staci's Signs You're In A Read-A-Thon Mini Challenge
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 3
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Erin's Reading Madness Mini Challenge
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Morning Start
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 2
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 1
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Morning Start
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 2
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 1
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon
  

a lower score is better, with ZERO being the perfect score.

Dear Me,

I slept like 4:00 am today and just woke up a quarter before 10:00 am. I know, I overslept. I shouldn't have gotten out yesterday but the event I attended was something I would really like to be informed out and to show my support as well. I had no regrets with that and although right now, I'm feeling a little down because I wasn't able to clock in at the desired time, I am trying to accept the fact that I wouldn't be able to finish all four books for the next nine (9) hours.


Upon waking up, I tidied up the house cluttered with my little son's toys and what-have-yous. After that, I prepared his breakfast so hubby could feed him. While brewing coffee, I am bloghopping and reading everyone's entries. Also, I'll be doing some mini-challenges (although mini-challenges are supposed to serve as breathers which I am not in need of...hehehe) for fun till the next comes to a close.

• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 2
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon: Progress 1
  
  
• 24 Hour Read-A-Thon
  

1. The President's Daughter by Jack Higgins
   
   
2. The Rainmaker by John Grisham
   
   
3. The Hitler File: The Essential Facts by Patrick Delaforce
   
   
4. The Eight by Katherine Neville

It was such a fun day of carnival-themed festivity! There were jolly clowns who performed as well as games such as pachinko, doughnut ring toss, cups and boxes stacking. Playing those four games would earn a player four sweet gift certificates!



I wasn't intent on playing and instead was willing to shell out more than three hundred pesos just to purchase a box of those mouth-watering choco doughs! But new friend

When it was first sold in 1937, no one knew how wildly popular these sweet treats would be.

But doughnut lovers today, over 60 years since the first batch was sold, can’t get enough of the hottest, freshest confectionary indulgence.

Clearly, it's no simple doughnut that would spur thousands to stand in line for hours. Krispy Kreme - made from a 72-year old secret recipe - is reportedly a favorite by President Clinton, beloved by NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and so loved by crooner Jimmy Buffet that he wrote a song about it. The pillowy pastry has been featured in nearly 80 movies and TV shows. Even A-listers Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman profess to be fans. And to cement its status, Krispy Kreme artifacts were inducted into the Smithson Institution's National Museum of American History.

It is decidedly the celebrity of doughnuts and a phenomenon abroad - complete with devoted acolytes and a consistently growing following - so it was only a matter of time before the Philippines got their own little piece of the dough.

True enough, by 2006, when the first Krispy Kreme opened at Bonifacio High Street, the Philippines broke Asia's records for the Longest Line, Most Doughnuts Sold and the Earliest Customer to Fall in Line. As soon as the conveyor belt that whisked the light, melts-in-your mouth doughnut started, and the Hotlight ("hot doughnuts now" red neon sign) flicked on, the shop swelled with eager customers. Krispy Kreme calls it the "Doughnut Theater"—and the sight and smell of one of their doughnut machines that can glaze a little over three thousand doughnuts an hour, was the reason behind the opening-day record breaking lines that caused pedestrian snarls.

Since then, they have opened ten stores across the metro, breaking new records (setting the one for the earliest drive-thru to line-up when the Mall of Asia Drive-Thru store opened) and continuously innovating to take sweet-tooth satisfaction to new heights.

Which is why, coming in the wake of their success, Krispy Kreme continues to push the envelope for sweet-tooths across the Philippines with the introduction of the Chocolate Karnival. After all, what else can trump already established cult favorites than the introduction of the Greatest Chocolate Show on Earth?

Launched recently, the infamous Hot Original Glazed gets itself a decidedly chocolate-y make-over with the addition of the Chocolate Glazed Doughnut to Krispy Kreme's wide range of melt-in-your-mouth doughnut offerings.



For true sweet tooths and chocoholics, a single doughnut is the ultimate experience. Combining the pillowy perfection of Krispy Kreme doughnuts with the rich, decadent gloss of chocolate, it's where one will find love at first bite. Be sure to hold off for other treats as well—variations of the Chocolate Glazed come in Chocolate Glazed Traditional Cake, Double Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Glazed Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Glazed Vanilla Cruller Cake, Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles, Chocolate Glazed Strawberry Filled, Chocolate Glazed Raspberry Filled, Chocolate Glazed Custard Filled and the Chocolate Glazed Kreme Filled.