Monthly Archives: February 2016

Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Helen Kurtz ran a small family owned pizzeria, but pizza was not her specialty. Helen was known for her famous spaghetti and meatballs; everybody loved her spaghetti and meatballs. Wife, mother, business owner and exceptional spaghetti cook, who could ask for anything more?

But one day Helen received some bad news. She had gone to the doctor and the tests came back with the dreaded “C” word, Cancer. It didn’t look good. But Helen was a fighter, she fought that cancer and she won. Yes, that cancer went into remission. Life was good.

But it did not last, for eventually the cancer returned. This time it was terminal, she had 2 months to live. But Helen did not despair for she was a fighter.

Helen called all her friends, and then she started cooking. She made a huge pot of spaghetti and gathered all her friends together at her house. There she served them all spaghetti and meatballs. She then passed out the recipe and broke the news about her cancer.

You see rather than have everyone mourn her after she had passed; Helen brought them all together to celebrate life. It was her special way to say “Goodbye” to everyone.

Helen passed away shortly afterwards, but she left us with a legacy. A legacy written on recipe cards, a legacy written with love. So the next time you sit down for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs remember Helen Kurtz.

She taught us the lesson that we need to love those who are with us now while they are here, not after they are gone. She taught us to celebrate life, all with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

An Amish Market By Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin, and Vannetta Chapman

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amishmarketAn Amish Market

By Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin, and Vannetta Chapman

Book Description

All the color and variety of a quaint Amish shop in a charming collection of novellas by four of your favorite authors. Feel free to come in and browse!

Love Birds by Amy Clipston

While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in town. Seth’s friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the beauty in Lloyd’s creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will she lose any hope of a future with him?

A Bid for Love by Kathleen Fuller

Every week, Hannah Lynne brings her home-churned butter to the local market. And every week Ezra stops by to purchase some. Hannah Lynne knows not to read too much into it—Ezra is a confirmed bachelor and barely even glances her way, despite any hope to the contrary. But when Ezra bids an exorbitant amount to win the quilt she had her heart set on, Hannah Lynne can’t stop her heart from taking over her mind. Could Ezra finally be in the market for love?

Sweeter Than Honey by Kelly Irvin

Shattering a jar of pickled beets wasn’t the impression Isabella hoped to make on her first trip to the local Combination Store of Bee County, Texas. But as embarrassed as she was by the accident, she didn’t think it warranted the frosty reaction from the handsome manager of the store, Will Glick. As she soon learns, though, Will’s heart has been broken one too many times. And now, for some reason, Isabella finds herself determined to be the one to repair that broken heart and renew his faith in love.

Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman

Stella Schrock works at the Old Mill in Nappanee, Indiana, with new employee David Stoltzfus, a recent widower. When strange happenings begin occurring around town, it appears as if someone wants to close the mill. Stella and David have to work together to solve the mystery of what is happening at the Old Amish Mill, and in the process they might just find that God has more in store for their future than they would ever have dreamed possible.

My Review:

4 Authors pack this book with 4 Amish novellas. A good concept, you can read one and put it down without missing anything until you pick it up again for the next story. Each story is enjoyable and easily finished in a few readings so it is perfect for those who don’t have a lot of time to read a large book. I enjoyed it, my mother who loves this genre loved it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”