Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee (Book Discussion Questions)

Title: Somebody Everybody Listens To
Author: Suzanne Supplee 
Pages: 245
Content: V=1, D=1, S=1, L=2

***Spoiler Alert!!!  Don't read these unless you've read the book!***

1. Retta obviously wants to become “somebody everybody listens to” in her music.  Do you think she also wants to be somebody everybody listens to in her everyday life?

2. Were you surprised when Retta’s mom left her dad for King?  Do you think there is any way that her mom and dad’s relationship could have continued? 

3. Retta’s mom was obviously cheating on her dad, either physically or emotionally, long before she ran away with King.  Was she right to do this or did she deserve the happiness?

4. Retta begins to feel as though maybe she and her dad pushed her mom to run away – do you think this is true?

5. Chat tells Retta “you’ll be sleeping in your car permanently unless you scrape together some originality.”  There is also a quote in the book that says “it is your own true voice that will carry you.”  Yet, at the end Retta doesn’t sing her own song but “I’ll Fly Away” written by Albert Brumley.  Still, Chat hears that un-original song and offers to help Retta out.  Why?  Do you think Chat changed or was it Retta who changed?
(Hint: Retta was able to make the song her own because she was not just imitating someone, but was truly connected to the song on an emotional level.)

6. When Retta’s mom ran away with King, Retta was prepared to stay and take care of her daddy until he told her to go.  At one point her narrative says, “Lots of people probably left their families in times of trouble, but for some reason, I didn’t have it in me to be one of them.”  However, Bobby McGee thinks she is making a mistake.  Do you think Retta was right to lay down all of her dreams or is a family crisis more important?

7. Do you like country music?  Why or why not?

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Now announcing... JustByJo.com!

Now announcing… JustByJo.com!  This is my “official” website but I will actually be selling my handmade cards on Etsy.com.

In order to "get the party started" I am hosting a contest!  This contest is mostly on facebook but for my friends who don't have a facebook or who have found this blog I am also posting it here.  You could win a pack of eight handmade cards... just by guessing the number of origami lucky stars in the wineglass!  Please only guess the number of stars inside the wineglass.
This is what 10 stars looks like next to a penny (and one on the penny.)
 .

Here are the stars in the wineglass:



Please post a comment with your guess before September 1st.  Whoever gets closest without going over will win. If everyone goes over, whoever is closest to the number will win. In the event of a tie I’ll solve it the old fashioned way – drawing names from a hat.

Here are some pictures of the 8 cards you will be recieving.




If you are a guy and are thinking, “What am I going to do with a pack of handmade cards??? I would be ridiculed if I sent such beautiful cards to any of my man-friends!.” Well, who says you need to keep them? Give them to your girlfriend or mom as a present on special days. Or keep them to send if you’re the type that forgets birthday’s and mother’s day until the last minute.

If you win, I will need your address and will then ship the cards and envelopes to you for free.

Included with the cards are eight envelopes slightly larger than the cards themselves. The cards are placed in individual plastic sleeves and are put into a beautiful ivory organza bag.

If you would like to buy something from my Etsy.com shop then you can use coupon code “kickoff111” when you purchase it to receive 10% off your purchases! Please note that (as with amazon, ebay, and anywhere else) you will have to create an Etsy account to purchase something. This coupon code will end on September 1st (but you don’t have to buy anything to make a guess =)

Any questions? Ask! No questions? Then what are you waiting for… guess!

My new website: http://www.justbyjo.com/
Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/justbyjosephine
Blog: http://justbyjosephine.blogspot.com/
Now that my shop is officially “out there” I hope to be posting here more regularly and I might create a Facebook page.

Thanks for reading and come back soon!