I hope your new year started out well. Mine did. It's hard to realize that it is now 2014 and 2013 is over and done with. Many events happened last year that I'll treasure and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for this year.
Being busy with all kinds of little things, I haven't gotten to finish writing the Graham Quartet like I had hoped, but I think I can finish it tonight. (I hope!) Never would I have dreamed that that first post I did about the Quartet would some day turn into such a long story! But perhaps it is a good thing it is so long, because this way I can keep posting it on Fridays and spend the week writing Triple Creek Ranch - Book 3. Would you all like that?
If you haven't gotten your first book in the series and you have a kindle, be sure to visit Amazon tomorrow because you'll be able to get it for on sale for $.99! And I'm trying to get book 2 put together. Pray that my illustrator will be able to get pictures scanned and sent to me. Right now she has no idea when she can get over to her friends' to do it. Pray that she can get over there soon.
Oh yes, now the fun! January is here and it is time for the yearly guessing game!
Question One: How many books to we have? (Don't count cookbooks, song books or ones we're getting rid of.) Here are some hints to help you. And no, we haven't counted them yet.
In 2009 we had 4,011
In 2010 we had 4,262
In 2011 we had 5,215
In 2012 we had 5,610
In 2013 we had 6,004
Question Two: How many "new" books did I read in 2012? (These are all chapter books. No little kids books counted.) Hints to help.
1994 - 30
1995 - 82
1996 - 54
1997 - 35
1998 - 52
1999 - 76
2000 - 48
2001 - 43
2002 - 18
2003 - 42
2004 - 53
2005 - 75
2006 - 41
2007 - 40
2008 - 58
2009 - 57
2010 - 74
2011 - 77
2012 - 109
2013 - ?
Put your guesses as comments and next week I'll give you the correct answers. :)
And now that you've figured out your guesses, you can read the next part of this long story.
Graham Quartet - Part 18
With a chuckle, Mr. Bryant perched on the corner of his desk and folded his arms. “Well, Tim, I’m not sure of everything, but this new manager doesn’t like “revealing the secrets of their fine craftsmanship,” to quote the man directly. We’ve had several complaints come through here, but the manager hasn’t given in yet.”
“What’s the new manager’s name, anyway?” Matt wondered.
The newspaper editor scratched his head with a frown. “Uh, let me think a minute . . . I think it’s Duck— no, Swan— that doesn’t seem right either. Wait a minute, I’ll find out.” And he quickly hurried across the room to a large filing cabinet and after rummaging through some files, pulled one out and after scanning a few things, announced, “Gooseman. I knew it was some kind of bird.”
“Thanks. We’d best be going now. Thank you for your time, Mr. Bryant.” Matt shook hands with the editor.
“Any time, any time,” Mr. Bryant nodded, shaking hands with the rest of the Quartet. “And if one of you writes up a complaint about the lack of tours in the factory, I’ll print it.”
“I just might do that,” Tim half promised before following his siblings into the cold, winter day.
It was overcast and looked like it might begin snowing as the Graham Quartet made their way down the street. They weren’t sure just where they should go next so their steps were slow.
“Let’s stop at the cafe for some lunch,” Elsa suggested. “We might think better with full stomachs.”
Matt and Tim were in instant agreement and Selena offered no objections.
Soon, seated in the warm and friendly cafe at a table near the front windows, the Quartet were enjoying juicy hamburgers and steamy, salty fries. Tim had been the only one interested in a double fudge milkshake, the others had chosen hot cocoa.
“Where should we go next?” Tim asked, his mouth half full of his lunch.
“Not here,” Matt breathed to his brother, glancing around the crowded cafe.
“I want to stop by the store and pick up some more yarn,” Elsa said. “They didn’t have what I wanted the last time I was there.”
“Sounds good.”
“Well, if it isn’t the Graham Quartet live and in person.” a new voice at the end of their table startled the Quartet and they looked up.
“Hello Mr. Stone,” Elsa smiled at the newcomer. “How are you?”
“Oh, just fine,” the older man replied. “So, what mystery are you all working on now?”
Matt glanced quickly at Elsa. What were they going to say? Mr. Stone was known for not being able to keep any kind of secret and he was so nosy.
Neither of them had to reply, however, for Selena answered, “We’re trying to figure out how Tim can stand to eat a cold milkshake on such a freezing day!”
Laughing, Mr. Stone slapped Tim on the back. “So, you’re the mystery now, huh? How’s it feel?”
“Mysterious.”
With another laugh, Mr. Stone moved away and perched on a stool at the counter leaving the Quartet to give a collective sigh of relief.
“Let’s get out of here before he finishes eating,” Matt whispered, glancing over at the counter where their unwelcome visitor was busy talking with one of the waitresses.
Tim gulped the last of his milkshake as the Quartet slid from their booth and headed for the door. It was a quick getaway. “Now we just have to stay out of Mr. Stone’s sight the rest of the time we’re in town,” Tim noted.
Turning a corner, Selena, attracted by something she saw in the window of a shop, paused to look.
“Selena!”
Quickly Selena glanced up and realized that the others were already on the next block. As she hurried after them, the door of the shop suddenly opened and the next moment Selena found herself on the ground, knocked over by a stranger.
“I beg your pardon, young lady,” the stranger said, offering his hand to help her to her feet. “It was careless of me not to look before I opened the door. You are not hurt, are you?”
Still a little dazed, Selena managed to say, “I’m all right. I’m sorry, I should have watched where I was going—”
“No, it was my fault entirely,” the stranger insisted with a slight bow.
Looking up, Selena gave a small smile and said softly, “I’d better be going. I have people waiting for me.”
With another slight bow and a touch to his hat, the stranger crossed the street and Selena hurried down the sidewalk.
“What happened, Selena?” Elsa asked as she reached them.
“Yeah, who was that man?” Tim added.
But Matt, taking one look at his sister’s face, said, “Selena, what’s wrong? You’re nearly as white as a sheet! Are you hurt?”
“Let’s get to the car,” Selena gasped, gripping her brother’s arm with a hand the shook.
“It’s right over here.” And Elsa led the way across a street to the parking lot.
Not a word was said until all four siblings were in the car. Then Matt, who had climbed in the back with Selena, demanded, “Selena, are you all right? What happened?”
Selena didn’t even seem to hear him. “Elsa, start the car. We have to leave!”
“Why do we have to leave?” Tim wondered. “We’ve still got all afternoon to find things out.”
“No, we have to go now!” Selena insisted, her face still pale and her shaking hands gripping each other.
Seeing her sister was upset about something, Elsa started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Where are we going, Selena?” she asked.
Selena was too busy scanning the sides of the streets to answer until Matt touched her arm.
“Selena, what happened?” His voice was anxious. “Did someone threaten you?”
“No.”
“Then what—”
“Matt, wait,” Elsa said, pulling over to the side of the road as soon as they had left town, “let’s find out where we are to go first. I don’t want to just drive around—”
“Elsa! Don’t stop!” Selena almost screamed. “Drive! To the cabin!”
“What’s the new manager’s name, anyway?” Matt wondered.
The newspaper editor scratched his head with a frown. “Uh, let me think a minute . . . I think it’s Duck— no, Swan— that doesn’t seem right either. Wait a minute, I’ll find out.” And he quickly hurried across the room to a large filing cabinet and after rummaging through some files, pulled one out and after scanning a few things, announced, “Gooseman. I knew it was some kind of bird.”
“Thanks. We’d best be going now. Thank you for your time, Mr. Bryant.” Matt shook hands with the editor.
“Any time, any time,” Mr. Bryant nodded, shaking hands with the rest of the Quartet. “And if one of you writes up a complaint about the lack of tours in the factory, I’ll print it.”
“I just might do that,” Tim half promised before following his siblings into the cold, winter day.
It was overcast and looked like it might begin snowing as the Graham Quartet made their way down the street. They weren’t sure just where they should go next so their steps were slow.
“Let’s stop at the cafe for some lunch,” Elsa suggested. “We might think better with full stomachs.”
Matt and Tim were in instant agreement and Selena offered no objections.
Soon, seated in the warm and friendly cafe at a table near the front windows, the Quartet were enjoying juicy hamburgers and steamy, salty fries. Tim had been the only one interested in a double fudge milkshake, the others had chosen hot cocoa.
“Where should we go next?” Tim asked, his mouth half full of his lunch.
“Not here,” Matt breathed to his brother, glancing around the crowded cafe.
“I want to stop by the store and pick up some more yarn,” Elsa said. “They didn’t have what I wanted the last time I was there.”
“Sounds good.”
“Well, if it isn’t the Graham Quartet live and in person.” a new voice at the end of their table startled the Quartet and they looked up.
“Hello Mr. Stone,” Elsa smiled at the newcomer. “How are you?”
“Oh, just fine,” the older man replied. “So, what mystery are you all working on now?”
Matt glanced quickly at Elsa. What were they going to say? Mr. Stone was known for not being able to keep any kind of secret and he was so nosy.
Neither of them had to reply, however, for Selena answered, “We’re trying to figure out how Tim can stand to eat a cold milkshake on such a freezing day!”
Laughing, Mr. Stone slapped Tim on the back. “So, you’re the mystery now, huh? How’s it feel?”
“Mysterious.”
With another laugh, Mr. Stone moved away and perched on a stool at the counter leaving the Quartet to give a collective sigh of relief.
“Let’s get out of here before he finishes eating,” Matt whispered, glancing over at the counter where their unwelcome visitor was busy talking with one of the waitresses.
Tim gulped the last of his milkshake as the Quartet slid from their booth and headed for the door. It was a quick getaway. “Now we just have to stay out of Mr. Stone’s sight the rest of the time we’re in town,” Tim noted.
Turning a corner, Selena, attracted by something she saw in the window of a shop, paused to look.
“Selena!”
Quickly Selena glanced up and realized that the others were already on the next block. As she hurried after them, the door of the shop suddenly opened and the next moment Selena found herself on the ground, knocked over by a stranger.
“I beg your pardon, young lady,” the stranger said, offering his hand to help her to her feet. “It was careless of me not to look before I opened the door. You are not hurt, are you?”
Still a little dazed, Selena managed to say, “I’m all right. I’m sorry, I should have watched where I was going—”
“No, it was my fault entirely,” the stranger insisted with a slight bow.
Looking up, Selena gave a small smile and said softly, “I’d better be going. I have people waiting for me.”
With another slight bow and a touch to his hat, the stranger crossed the street and Selena hurried down the sidewalk.
“What happened, Selena?” Elsa asked as she reached them.
“Yeah, who was that man?” Tim added.
But Matt, taking one look at his sister’s face, said, “Selena, what’s wrong? You’re nearly as white as a sheet! Are you hurt?”
“Let’s get to the car,” Selena gasped, gripping her brother’s arm with a hand the shook.
“It’s right over here.” And Elsa led the way across a street to the parking lot.
Not a word was said until all four siblings were in the car. Then Matt, who had climbed in the back with Selena, demanded, “Selena, are you all right? What happened?”
Selena didn’t even seem to hear him. “Elsa, start the car. We have to leave!”
“Why do we have to leave?” Tim wondered. “We’ve still got all afternoon to find things out.”
“No, we have to go now!” Selena insisted, her face still pale and her shaking hands gripping each other.
Seeing her sister was upset about something, Elsa started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Where are we going, Selena?” she asked.
Selena was too busy scanning the sides of the streets to answer until Matt touched her arm.
“Selena, what happened?” His voice was anxious. “Did someone threaten you?”
“No.”
“Then what—”
“Matt, wait,” Elsa said, pulling over to the side of the road as soon as they had left town, “let’s find out where we are to go first. I don’t want to just drive around—”
“Elsa! Don’t stop!” Selena almost screamed. “Drive! To the cabin!”
What is the hurry?
Any ideas of what is going on?
I'd love to hear questions or comments.
And don't forget to put your guesses in for the two questions!
And don't forget to put your guesses in for the two questions!
For the first question I'll guess 6,450.And 87 for the second one. Selena saw the man in the picture.
ReplyDeleteI guess you have 6,328 books. And then you have read 74 books.
ReplyDeleteThe story is really getting exciting!
-Christian
Hmmmmm.....I'm going to guess 6,200 books for the first question and 80 for the second question.
ReplyDeleteThis story is awesome!!!
I'm delighted to hear you are enjoying this story! :) I hope you like the rest of it as it gets posted. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to guess 6,254 for the first guess and 97 for the second. I can't wait top see what happens in part 19! How many parts are left?
ReplyDeleteUm . . . There are at least 10 more parts. I'm not quite finished with it so I'm not sure how many are left. :)
ReplyDeleteMy book inventory guess is 7,189
ReplyDeleteand my guess at new books read is 83.
For question one, I will guess 6412.
ReplyDeleteFor Question two: 87
goodness I hadn't been on here for several weeks..but this part of the story was certainly exciting! I wanted to keep reading!:)
ReplyDeleteMy guess for total books is 6425..and for books read is 82.
Hope you're staying warm!;)