{"id":763,"date":"2008-11-03T10:56:16","date_gmt":"2008-11-03T15:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=763"},"modified":"2008-11-03T10:56:16","modified_gmt":"2008-11-03T15:56:16","slug":"blessed-are-the-meddlers-by-christa-a-banister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=763","title":{"rendered":"Blessed Are the Meddlers by Christa A. Banister"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is time to play a Wild Card<\/span>!<\/strong> <\/span>Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a>. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book’s FIRST chapter!<\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n
Christa A. Banister<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Blessed Are the Meddlers<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NavPress Publishing Group (August 15, 2008)<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Christa Ann Banister lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband, Will. They love to play Scrabble and throw darts on a map, dreaming about exotic travel locations. In addition to writing fiction, Christa is happily employed as a freelance writer for her many, many clients.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Product Details:<\/p>\n

List Price: $ 12.99
\nPaperback: 265 pages
\nPublisher: NavPress Publishing Group (August 15, 2008)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 1600061788
\nISBN-13: 978-1600061783<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Paging Mr. Knightley<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like that book I read in the 9th grade that said \u201c\u2019tis a far<\/p>\n

better thing doing stuff for other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) in Clueless, 1995<\/p>\n

People tell me I\u2019m a modern-day Emma.<\/p>\n

Of course, I\u2019ve never worn a corset (thank goodness) or particularly cared for taking tea with those cute little cucumber sandwiches. I\u2019m actually more like the Emma that Alicia Silverstone played in Clueless: a relatively well-dressed, modern girl with a sunny disposition and a weakness for wanting to help make people happy \u2014 especially in love.<\/p>\n

Now that I am happily hitched, I take it as my solemn duty to make sure all my girlfriends are paired up too. After all, when I was hopelessly single, there were times when I could\u2019ve used a major relationship intervention. So that\u2019s where I come in. I\u2019m like eHarmony without the pesky questionnaire and quarterly payments. Or that persistent aunt who\u2019s always trying to fix you up with, oh, her tennis instructor. And unlike either of the aforementioned, I offer the personal insight of a trusted friend.<\/p>\n

Who can argue with that?<\/p>\n

My most recent adventures in matchmaking started a couple of months after I married the love of my life, Gavin, and officially became Mrs. Sydney Williams (n\u00e9e Alexander). I was sipping strawberry shortcake smoothies with my friend Jane after our weekly Pilates class. New to the Twin Cities after accepting a job as an on-air reporter at KARE-11, Jane and I had bonded immediately. Not only do we both work in journalism (I\u2019m a full-time freelance writer and aspiring novelist), but we also<\/p>\n

attend the same church and share a mutual dislike for Pilates,<\/p>\n

despite its obvious benefits.<\/p>\n

On the surface, Jane is one of those enviable women who seems to have everything going for her. She has flawless skin that glows without a single drop of Clinique, and her silky blonde hair is cut in an effortlessly chic, Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) bob. Her workout clothes are even impeccably selected, black-and-white Juicy Couture sweats with robin\u2019s egg blue accents that bring out the unusual color of her eyes. Despite her exquisite taste in, well, just about everything, Jane hasn\u2019t been as lucky in love. And with my past experience of having gone on every bad date imaginable before meeting Gavin \u2014 unfortunate stories to which Jane could relate all too well \u2014 I desperately wanted to help. So after her initial uneasiness about yet another blind date, I set her up with Weston, the lone single guy in my hubby\u2019s touring band.<\/p>\n

From what I could tell, Weston seemed normal enough. Sure, he only owned three T-shirts that he wore in a predictable rotation (the Police reunion tour shirt always came first, then his vintage Led Zeppelin, followed by a fading, slightly torn Foo Fighters tank top circa 1997). Another red flag was the winsome flakiness that often goes hand in hand with his choice of occupation. But what Weston did have going for him was a great deal of charm, a killer smile, and enviable chops as a drummer. In fact, Gavin says he\u2019s one of the best that he\u2019s ever worked with \u2014 and trust me, Gavin is particular about his drummers, very particular. Unfortunately Weston wasn\u2019t nearly as adept at keeping time with his own life. He was always running at least twenty minutes late. But as far as truly heinous flaws go (i.e., the crucial deal breakers that Jane and I agreed upon, including long stretches of unemployment, bad manners, extreme commitment phobia, issues with cleanliness, severe<\/p>\n

Mommy attachment, or a surplus of chest hair), Weston was in<\/p>\n

the clear. Or so we thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first everything was going reasonably well,\u201d Jane said as we settled in at Jamba Juice the morning after her disastrous date. \u201cHe was twenty minutes late and wearing the Led Zeppelin T-shirt just like you predicted, but I planned for that. What I didn\u2019t plan for was when he asked if I\u2019d like to see his feet. He kept insisting they were really, really cute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? He wanted to show you his feet?\u201d I asked, feeling slightly nauseated. Feet aren\u2019t exactly my favorite body feature \u2014 especially guys\u2019 feet, which tend to be far more unkempt. In my opinion, a good pedicure could benefit anyone, especially a nonmetrosexual male.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were eating guac and chips. I nearly lost my appetite,\u201d Jane said. \u201cI said no at least three times, and he took off his socks and shoes anyway \u2014 right there in the restaurant! Apparently he\u2019s rather proud of his hairy hobbit feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEwww,\u201d I said. \u201cThat\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re telling me,\u201d Jane said with the dramatic tone she typically uses in her news clips. \u201cIt only went downhill from there. He started talking about his pets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d I asked curiously. \u201cBut I thought you loved animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I do,\u201d Jane began. \u201cBut apparently not the way Weston does. He has five dogs and three cats, and they all sleep in the same bed as him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGross!\u201d I said, wondering how in the world Gavin hadn\u2019t picked up on Weston\u2019s peculiar lifestyle. I mean, it\u2019s great that Weston is responsible enough to take care of eight pets and play the occasional out-of-town show. But he\u2019s definitely headed toward wacko zookeeper territory, not exactly an aphrodisiac.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and he told me precisely where each animal sleeps. Boo Boo, his calico cat, sleeps right by his head just like a human. His golden retriever, Pesto, lies next to Rosemary, his cocker spaniel, at the foot of his bed. And Nacho \u2014 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNacho?\u201d I asked quizzically.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Nacho, is another one of his dogs,\u201d she said matter of-factly. \u201cBottom line: I can\u2019t deal with that many pets.\u201d \u201cSo did the night get any better?\u201d I asked sympathetically. I mean, how much worse could it get?<\/p>\n

\u201cA little. But only because I told him I needed to head home and feed my fish,\u201d Jane added with her trademark cackle. For the record: Jane\u2019s laugh is an interesting cross between Chandler\u2019s ex, Janice, from Friends and Cameron Diaz\u2019s California girl giggle that can be heard in any number of her movies. It\u2019s loud and distinct, but somehow Jane manages to make it endearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOooooh, that\u2019s cold!\u201d I replied. \u201cGuess you won\u2019t be seeing him again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he still asked for my number,\u201d Jane said. \u201cCan you believe that? He didn\u2019t sense that things weren\u2019t going well.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s unfortunate.\u201d I sighed. \u201cWell, at least we can cross Weston off your list of potential boyfriends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d She sighed back. \u201cWho else can you set me up with, Syd?\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the funny thing about matchmaking. No matter how terrible a job I\u2019ve done in the past, my friends (and even a few of my clients) just keep coming back for more. It\u2019s practically my second job, even though my success rate is highly suspect, probably in the neighborhood of, oh, one for forty. It\u2019s a good thing I\u2019m not matchmaking on commission or I\u2019d be poor \u2014 really poor.<\/p>\n

Just when I thought I\u2019d be taking an extended break from setting up my girlfriends with their most recent Mr. Wrong, one of them would quickly remind me of my greatest success as Cupid: the day I introduced my friend Rain to Stinky Nate, who is now her husband.<\/p>\n

At first blush, it probably seems a little rude to call someone, let alone a friend, Stinky Nate. But Nate, a barista at my favorite downtown Minneapolis coffee shop, Moose & Sadie\u2019s, is stinky and couldn\u2019t care less. Much like Matthew McConaughey, he prefers the au naturel approach to personal hygiene. Basically, Nate\u2019s the guy who\u2019d make any environmental activist\u2019s attempts to go green seem paltry in comparison. Nate showers only on special occasions (thank goodness he did on his wedding day, one of his few nonstinky moments) and doesn\u2019t wear cologne \u2014 or even deodorant for that matter. Inspired by the way cats, his calico in particular, clean up by licking themselves, he\u2019s been in constant pursuit of a more feline-like way to keep himself fresh.<\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t succeeded, though, which makes him smell less than desirable. Especially in the sweat-soaked summer months, which were rapidly approaching.<\/p>\n

But I knew Rain, a strict vegetarian who sews her own smock tops and only wears jewelry woven from hemp, would find someone like Stinky Nate simply irresistible. Of course, Rain maintained she wasn\u2019t looking for love. Whenever I\u2019d suggest a setup, she\u2019d remind me that she was a feminist who was more than happy to spend the majority of her free time in the company of her two favorite musicians, Billy Joel and Helen \u201cI Am Woman\u201d Reddy. She needed a man like a fish needs a bicycle, she said.<\/p>\n

So I did it the old-fashioned way: I slyly introduced them when Rain and I met at Moose & Sadie\u2019s for breakfast before church one Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m pretty sure it was love at first sight, even though I\u2019m not naturally inclined to believe in that sort of thing. Nonetheless, Rain and Nate totally hit it off and went out two days later (so much for swearing off men, huh?). And from the first wheat germ smoothie, their chemistry was palpable. Nate proposed a couple of years later (with an engagement ring made from hemp, natch), even though Rain had vowed she\u2019d never marry.<\/p>\n

Now that the stinky\/hippie couple is married \u2014 and happily so \u2014 I\u2019ll admit that I can\u2019t help but feel pleased whenever I see them together. Same goes for my best friend, Kristin, and her current beau, Justin. Even though I went out with Justin first (and trust me, it\u2019s far less complicated in hindsight than it sounds), I encouraged Kristin to be patient with Justin when he was having trouble making up his mind early on, and it\u2019s paid off big-time. They\u2019re not only sublimely happy, but they\u2019re talking about getting engaged soon. Thinking about Kristin getting engaged makes me think of how much I miss her. Ever since she accepted a teaching job in Duluth, which is a little more than two hours away, I hardly ever see her, save for the occasional weekend visit.<\/p>\n

Despite my successes and the ever-growing number of singles in my social circle, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean I\u2019m destined for the soul mate\u2013finding business, no matter how many of my girlfriends try to convince me that it\u2019s my gift. But in the name of love, I\u2019ll always give it my best shot.<\/p><\/div>\n

MY REVIEW:<\/h3>\n

Happily married Sydney has had some success in matching up a couple or two and thinks it would be a good thing to do the same for her other friends and her sister. Her intentions are pure – surely they all deserve to be as happy as she is with her new husband Gavin. Blessed Are The Meddlers<\/a> chronicles the results of her attempts in matchmaking and counseling.<\/p>\n

Blessed Are The Meddlers<\/a> is witty modern chick lit that should appeal to young women. It is full of quirky characters who are primarily Christians who are attempting to follow God’s will for their lives. Multiple POV’s were a bit confusing at times and prevented the emotional identification with the characters that usually keeps me engaged in the story. Nevertheless, most fans of chick-lit will probably enjoy this book.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book’s FIRST chapter! You never know when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=763"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":772,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions\/772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}