Roxie Looks For Purpose Beyond The Biscuit

Hi, I'm Roxie. A dog. The short stories in this book share life as I see it from my paws and through my eyes. Hopefully, my observations will help you on your journey. The biggest lesson I have learned is this: We all must learn to move beyond the biscuit-beyond immediate gratification-and discover the clues, lessons, and opportunities that surround us. To do that, though, we must pay attention. I focus on where I am. The smells in front or to the side of me or the cool beach sand beneath my body. If a cat is nearby, I want to go up and get to know it. Of course, they ignore me. That's another story. Every time I smell, stare at, or paw something, there is a reason. In part, this book will allow you to pause and reflect on your present moments. I hope my simple stories and insights will motivate you to ask deeper questions about your stories and to reflect on the who, what, why, and where of your purpose. My person, Steve, and I found each other for a greater reason than giving me a place to sleep and eat. You will learn that as the relationship I have with Steve continues to develop so does our purpose. It continues to evolve as I believe it does for all of us-canines and humans.I am a work in progress. And so is Steve. And so are you. I offer a hearty "Woof!" to all of us as we slow down, move beyond the biscuit, and embrace the wonders life has to offer.

You can find countless books dedicated to student success and resilience. But what about the faculty? What do we do to help college faculty cultivate their professional and personal growth and resilience? During more than three decades as a teacher and workshop facilitator, Steve Piscitelli noticed that many educators can become isolated from their colleagues and their larger institutional culture. They become "islands" disconnected from the potential power of the teaching and learning community. That isolation can affect teaching efficacy and resilience. To encourage educators to embrace the power of collaboration, Piscitelli outlines the "7Rs" for success: relationships, relevance, resources, rainbows, responsibility, reflection, and resilience. He created thirty-seven scenarios, based on real life issues. Each shows how to apply these seven themes to better adapt to professional and personal challenges educators face. The scenarios raise questions about the classroom, work-life integration, collaboration with coworkers, and interpersonal relationships with supervisors. Every teaching and learning situation-every one-gives us the opportunity to take stock of and strengthen our own resilience level. And we do not have to do it alone. That is the beauty of our calling! And that is the strength of this book. It recognizes the power of a collegial teaching and learning community. Piscitelli supplements the information and scenarios with links to brief thought-provoking videos (approximately sixty seconds each) that encapsulate major themes and discussion points. More information at www.stevepiscitelli.com. I think it's brilliant. I often feel like I'm on an island as a professor. -Ashli Archer, Professor I like how you let people know that even though you have developed a table of contents, they might want to skip around. The flexibility will be very appealing.-Erin Hoag, VP of Financial Services and Strategic Development, Innovative Educators This book will be a welcome resource! -Todd Stanislav, Director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning Wow, you are covering some controversial topics! This book is going to be different and invaluable!-Pam Ranallo, Co-Owner, Innovative Educators Your scenario addressing the issue of favoritism vs. jealousy demonstrates amazing insight and ability to address the "hard" topics. Bravo!-Karen Armstrong, Career Counselor I think this is a wonderful idea and have never seen anything along these lines before!-Mary Boone Treuting, Director of Center for Academic Success and the Center for Teaching Excellence

In this charming repackage from a beloved series, Alice doesn’t feel like fitting in. Alice McKinley likes her life, but she senses things are changing. She gets a little bored by her best friends Elizabeth’s and Pamela’s obsession with clothes and makeup. She’s just not that interested. And though she is very interested in her boyfriend, Patrick, she’s not entirely sure how to keep their relationship going. Alice is struggling to figure out how she feels about things—and then how her feelings fits into what other people think she should be feeling. Getting older is even trickier than Alice thought—is she ready for the challenge? As Alice stumbles her way through the minefield of early adolescence, there are plenty of bumps, giggles, and surprises along the way. Every girl should grow up with Alice, and with this irresistible new look, a whole new generation will want to.

Taking cues from works by Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Matisse, pastry chef Caitlin Freeman, of Miette bakery and Blue Bottle Coffee fame, creates a collection of uniquely delicious dessert recipes (with step-by-step assembly guides) that give readers all they need to make their own edible masterpieces. From a fudge pop based on an Ellsworth Kelly sculpture to a pristinely segmented cake fashioned after Mondrian’s well-known composition, this collection of uniquely delicious recipes for cookies, parfait, gelées, ice pops, ice cream, cakes, and inventive drinks has everything you need to astound friends, family, and guests with your own edible masterpieces. Taking cues from modern art’s most revered artists, these twenty-seven showstopping desserts exhibit the charm and sophistication of works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Henri Matisse, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Avedon, Wayne Thiebaud, and more. Featuring an image of the original artwork alongside a museum curator’s perspective on the original piece and detailed, easy-to-follow directions (with step-by-step assembly guides adapted for home bakers), Modern Art Desserts will inspire a kitchen gallery of stunning treats.

More than 100 extraordinary desserts—with photos and meticulous instructions—by the creator of the internationally acclaimed blog Cafe Fernando: “Superb.” —David Lebovitz, bestselling author of My Paris Kitchen Written, styled, photographed, and designed by Cenk Sönmezsoy, The Artful Baker shares the inspiring story of a passionate home baker, beginning with his years after graduate school in San Francisco and showcasing the fruits of a baking obsession he cultivated after returning home to Istanbul. Sönmezsoy’s stories and uniquely styled images, together with his original creations and fresh take on traditional recipes, offer a window into the life of this luminary artist. The Artful Baker is comprised of almost entirely new content, with a few updated versions of readers’ favorites from his blog, such as Brownie Wears Lace, his signature brownies topped with blond chocolate ganache and bittersweet chocolate lace (originally commissioned by Dolce & Gabbana and awarded “Best Original Baking and Desserts Recipe” by Saveur magazine); Raspberry Jewel Pluot Galette, inspired by Chez Panisse’s 40th anniversary celebrations; and Devil Wears Chocolate, his magnificent devil’s food cake. Covering indulgences from cookies to cakes and tarts to ice creams, recipes include Pistachio and Matcha Sablés; Tahini and Leblebi (double-roasted chickpeas) Swirl Brownies; Sakura Madeleines; Sourdough Simit, the beloved ring-shaped Turkish bread beaded with sesame seeds; Isabella Grape and Kefir Ice Cream; Pomegranate Jam; and Blanche, a berry tart named after the Golden Girl Blanche Devereaux. Each has been tested by an army of home bakers with varying levels of skill, equipment, and access to ingredients, and revised to ensure they’ll work flawlessly in any kitchen. Measurements of ingredients are provided in both volume and weight (grams), and where a volume measurement isn’t useful, weight measurements are provided in both ounces and grams.

Book 1 of Cowboys & Brides From New York Times and USA Today-bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a contemporary Western romance filled to the brim with sexy cowboys, gutsy heroines, and genuine down-home Texas twang. Colton Nelson was twenty-eight years old when he won the Texas Lottery and went from ranch hand to ranch owner overnight. Now he's desperate to keep the gold diggers away. It shouldn't be too hard to find a pretty girl and hire her to pretend to be his one-and-only. Laura Baker's got mixed feelings about this-she's on the ranch to work, not to be arm candy. On the other hand, being stuck for a while in the boondocks with a gorgeous cowboy isn't half-bad. What neither Colton nor Laura expects are the intensely hard lessons they have to learn about the real cost of love... Fans of Linda Lael Miller and Diana Palmer will thrill to this moving story of a marriage of convenience between a cowboy who has it all...and the woman he could never have enough of. Cowboys & Brides Series Order: Billion Dollar Cowboy (Book 1, Cowboys & Brides) The Cowboy's Christmas Baby (Book 2, Cowboys & Brides) The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride (Book 3, Cowboys & Brides) How to Marry a Cowboy (Book 4, Cowboys & Brides) Praise for Bestselling Contemporary Western Romances by Carolyn Brown: "An old-fashioned love story told well... A delight."-RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars "Sizzling hot and absolutely delectable."-Romance Junkies "Funny, frank, and full of heart... One more welcome example of Brown's Texas-size talent for storytelling."-USA Today Happy Ever After "Alive with humor... Another page-turning joy of a book by an engaging author."-Fresh Fiction

“Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed, ‘cuz Dixie Cash is the best good-night reading around!” —Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters series The Domestic Equalizers are back! Author Dixie Cash’s delightful small town Texas hairdressers-turned-sleuths take on a new case in I Can’t Make You Love Me, But I Can Make You Leave. A former Queen of Country Music, a long way from Nashville, faces a murder rap when her back-up singer and hated rival is found dead in the fading star’s dressing room—and the Equalizers (“Don’t get mad, get evidence”) must prove her innocence. At once wacky and heartfelt, Cash’s latest is a country hoot! (Publishers Weekly calls it, “one of her most entertaining cases yet.”) Fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Karin Gillespie who have yet to experience the zany delights of Dixie Cash should definitely start now!

Highly regarded dog behaviorist Gwen Bailey shares her proven system of training a puppy. Gwen Bailey's bestselling puppy care guide has helped hundreds of thousands of owners throughout the world raise a problem-free dog. It is now updated with the latest findings in canine behavior and a completely new user-friendly design, and answers many of the questions she has received from dog owners since the first edition. The Perfect Puppy teaches new puppy owners how to raise a well-behaved dog. Bailey's aim is to show puppy owners how they can influence their puppy's behavior for the better, and how to mold his future character. She uses her proven system of training a puppy using only positive rewards-based methods, coupled with a lot of play and fun Full-color photographs show how to housebreak a puppy, how to teach it to obey, how to prevent biting, chewing and other problems, and to generally be a good canine citizen and a beloved member of the family. She provides step-by-step training, a valuable socialization plan, and games that incorporate learning. The contents include: The raw material - how breeds affect behavior A puppy's view of the world The new family, life with a puppy Developmental stages Socialization Housetraining Behavior control and leadership Toys and games Preventing biting, aggression, chewing Handling and grooming Good manners and learning to be alone Training your puppy Adolescence and beyond.

THREE TIMES THE FUN AND MYSTERY... Elvis has left the building, but he's forever memorialized at the Heartache Motel. Filled with drag queens, Rock-a-Hula cocktails, and a vibrating velveteen bed, these three novellas tell the tales of three amateur sleuths who spend their holidays at the King's beloved home. DINERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS by Terri L. Austin A Rose Strickland Mystery Novella (follows DINER IMPOSSIBLE) When Rose and the gang head to Graceland right before Christmas, they get all shook up: the motel is a seedy dump and an Elvis impersonator turns up dead. Rose discovers missing jewels tie into the death and her suspicious mind flips into overdrive, questioning her fellow guests, the staff, and even a cute impersonator who keeps popping up. Will Rose be able to find the murderer and get home by Christmas day? It's now or never. QUICK SKETCH by Larissa Reinhart A Cherry Tucker Mystery Novella (prequel to PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY) Sassy Southern artist Cherry Tucker and her poker-loving boyfriend, Todd, pop into Memphis to help Todd's cousin who's been hustled out of his savings, right before Christmas. Staying at the shady Heartache Motel, Cherry can't tell a shill from a mark and fears everyone is playing them for chumps. Cherry and Todd quickly find themselves in a dangerous sting that could send them to the slammer or mark them as pigeons from cons looking for an even bigger score. DATELINE MEMPHIS by LynDee Walker A Nichelle Clarke Headline in Heels Mystery Novella (follows BURIED LEADS) Crime reporter Nichelle Clarke thinks she's going home for Christmas. But a quick stop at Graceland proves news breaks in the strangest places. When the King's home gets locked down with Nichelle inside, she chases this headline into the national spotlight-and the thief's crosshairs. Christmas dreams of blue suede Manolos fade, and all Nichelle wants from Santa is to land the story before the thief cuts off her news feed for good. Praise for HEARTACHE MOTEL: "I was laughing out loud and couldn't stop turning the pages as I read the adventures of amateur sleuths Rose Strickland, Cherry Tucker, and Nichelle Clarke, who find themselves at the Heartache Motel in Memphis, just in time for Christmas." - Gigi Pandian, Author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series "Heartache Motel, written by three talented storytellers, is three times the fun and mystery...It is the perfect rainy day, sunny day, I don't feel like getting out of bed book. Have your Happy Holidays with a 5-star humorous set-of-three mysteries " - Heather Haven, Author of the Humorous Alvarez Family and Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries "For a fun, Elvis-loving mystery treat, no place is better than the Heartache Motel. Sit back and let Man-Margret check you in to follow the clues to Christmas filled with cozy mystery at its best." - Nancy J Parra, Author of the Baker's Treat Mysteries and the Perfect Proposal Mysteries "I loved all three stories. They are fast paced, great reads and I predict will inspire you to read more of these author's books. Five stars " - Lynn Farris, Mystery Books Examiner for Examiner.com "Easy to read and quite enjoyable...If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, you'll want to read Heartache Motel. Fans of Austin, Reinhart, and Walker won't be disappointed and this is a great way to dip your toes if you're interested in reading a new author or genre." - Literary, etc. Books in the Henery Press Mystery Novella Series: OTHER PEOPLE'S BAGGAGE HEARTACHE MOTEL Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all....