Sunday Bookends: Fighting for joy, not reading a lot, making plans for comfy and cozy watching and reading this week

/ Lisa R. Howeler

It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.

This week I’m joining up with Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer and Kathyrn at The Book Date.

What’s Been Occurring

I’m writing this post this week with a heavy heart. I’m overwhelmed mentally and emotionally with world events and personal situations. I almost didn’t write a post this week but I also know that trying to keep a routine and do something other than sit and cry about things is good for me so here I am.

I rambled about what has been going on in my world in my post yesterday if you would like to check it out.

Today we are huddled at home with cold wind and weather swirling around outside. I have taken almost no fall photos this year so I am hoping that there will be some sun tomorrow and I can take a few, even if it is only of the leaves on the ground.

Unrelated to my week or what has been occurring, but did you know I host a Clean/Christian Fiction Book Club on Facebook? If you’re interested, you can find it HERE. Soon we will be offering giveaways and author parties and chances for readers to meet new authors. I hope you will join us to discuss any clean or Christian books you are reading right now.

What I/we’ve been Reading

I didn’t read much at all this week.

I am reading Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy Coco and Walls Crumbling: A Seth Browne Novel by Alicia Gilliam.

Both are very good but I think I am enjoying Walls Crumbling a bit more. Alicia is such a good writer.

You can find her books HERE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alicia-Gilliam/author/B09PZ6SGTW?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

I am also listening to Death at the Seaside by T.E. Kinsey and I feel like I will never finish it because I keep getting interrupted. I am determined to finish it this week!

Little Miss and I will finish Gone Away Lake this week.

The Boy and I will probably finish Red Badge of Courage this week.

The Husband is reading The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman.

What We watched/are Watching

I watched way too much news this past week and I will be changing that this upcoming week. I plan to watch Strangers on a Train for Erin’s and my Comfy, Cozy Cinema (see our last comfy, cozy post about that feature and how you can get involved). 

We watched The Lady Vanishes last week and it was very good. It was an early Hitchcock film but more joyful than some of his films.

I watched Forgotten Way Farms on YouTube and that was so relaxing and nice. I also watched several Newhart episodes. Having my 9-year-old daughter ask to watch Newhart never gets old either.

This upcoming week I also hope to watch as much calming, fall stuff as I can, along with reading more. I need to decompress, even as I think of all those in the world who don’t have that option.


What I’m Writing

Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage is almost done but took a bit of a back burner this week, partially because I filled my mind with too much news and partially because I didn’t know how to end it. I think I’ve found my ending but it’s not what I wanted. Sadly, it is apparently what was meant to be and a character I didn’t want to be guilty is. Sometimes characters tell me their stories and I don’t like them.

I forgot to share a couple chapters from the book for Fiction Friday but will share a couple more this Friday.

I have joined a couple of other bloggers to co-host a blog link-up on Thursday nights/Fridays called Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot. Bloggers can link their favorite blog posts on any topic from the week. You can learn more in this post: https://lisahoweler.com/2023/10/12/weekend-traffic-jam-reboot-add-your-links/

On the blog this week I shared:

What I’m Listening To

This week I listened to a lot of Matthew West and Brandon Lake.

Little Miss actually asked for Matthew West. His music is such a comfort to us when we are feeling down.

Blog Posts I Enjoyed This Past Week

I am behind on reading blog posts but I’d love it if readers would leave their own favorites this week in the comments for me to look at.

Now it’s your turn

Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.

Mention the group on Facebook and the blog share link thing..Weekend Traffic Jam

Discover more from Boondock Ramblings

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

14 thoughts on “Sunday Bookends: Fighting for joy, not reading a lot, making plans for comfy and cozy watching and reading this week”

  2. I will continue to pray for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. I don’t begin to understand the factors or politics or even religion in either. I am heartbroken for all of those who are missing loved ones.

    I have been watching Mrs. Maisel and finally finished it. We then started Lessons in Chemistry which is based on the book of the same name. It’s a little slow starting, but I think the book may have been, too.

    I just finished another Louise Penny book. I’ve got four writing things to be done by Thursday. One of them is finished. I hope to get quite a bit of another done tonight yet.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I’m sorry Lisa. The news in the world is distressing. Sad. Troubling. I cannot sit and watch long episodes of news. I take it in small doses.
    My husband is sick. I think it is an asthma flare up. If he is not better by tomorrow, he will need to see a doctor.
    We had storm damage last month. We are making progress with repairs. We have a new roof! We bought our home in 2011. The roof had been replaced by the previous owners in 2001. We are so thankful to have this complete! New gutters are next. A new vent for the dryer is next. The current way is the dryer is venting into the attic which is terrible. We want it to vent out through the roof. I love crossing things off the list.
    I am almost finished with reading a book about the cold case of solving who may have turned in the Otto Frank family to the Nazi’s during World War II. The name of the book is The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan. I did not know there were several people who had been under suspect. Then, I hope to read an Agatha Christie book, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. And another book, The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.
    Have you seen the movie, Penny Serenade with Cary Grant? It is a tearjerker, but a wonderful and memorable movie.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I am late on responding. How is your husband doing?

      The roof project sounds like a much needed one. Glad you got it done.

      That book about Otto Frank sounds very good. Someone else was talking about it the other day, but I can’t remember where I saw it.

      My husband read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I need to get to it soon.

      Okay, I watched Penny Serenade this week at your suggestion and I did not like it as much as I hoped. It was sooo sad! lol! But the acting was very good.

      Like

      Reply

      • My husband did go to the doctor on Monday. He does not have pneumonia, but he is being treated for bronchitis. He has since been able to return to work.
        Some of the things about the story Penny Serenade that I like is it brought out the grief the couple had afterwards. How each of them struggled. I have known couples that did not make it. Did you notice that in this story the husband for the most part let the wife make the decision about adoption? When my dad told me about my mom or his first wife’s pregnancy, it was as if he was not the one in charge for this subject. Children and childrearing, etc., was the responsibility of females. We live in a different society and culture where the couple together make decisions.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • I think what I didn’t like how was at the end they were almost like, “Well, they’ll have another child to raise and that will keep them together.” But at the same time I did like how they showed them working through that grief together because that wasn’t something movies focused much back then. It was just so sad, though.

          Like

    • lol! I don’t think so either but Erin chose it and the name of the feature. Next week’s won’t be either. Rebecca. Have you seen that one? It’s super creepy! We should have called it Comfy, Cozy, and Creepy! Next year we will rename it.

      Like

      Reply

  6. I actually read a portion of one of my childhood favorite authors this week: “Houseboat Girl” by Lois Lenski. It was a very nice diversion from the weight of this world. My prayers & my heart are so full also.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

I love when people leave a comment so we can connect and I can meet new readers!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.