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, Deb at Readerbuzz, and Kathyrn at The Book Date.
What’s Been Occurring
Yesterday Dad, Little Miss, and I took my mom leaf peeping before all our leaves are gone. We didn’t have a very pretty year because of the warmer, dry temps we had in August and part of September but we did see some pretty trees on our drive.
We drove on some back roads (a.k.a. dirt roads) near my parents and eventually ended up at a house and former farm where some of my dad’s distant family used to live.
Throughout my whole life anytime we decided to go for a drive around the area or anywhere else, what normally would have been a routine or sightseeing trip became a weird adventure. My parents are 80 now so I thought our days of adventure were over but once again a simple leaf peeping trip became a little weird. First we passed a field of modern art sculptures all lined up in a field – sort of weird.
And when we stopped at the distant relative’s house things also got very weird.
We didn’t know who still lived at the house Dad used to visit as a kid, so Dad climbed out of the car and disappeared over a hill between the house and garage for a bit while he looked for the homeowner. While waiting for him, Little Miss, Mom and I watched another car rip into the long driveway, continue between two trees and stopped near our car. I rolled my window down and apologized for being in the way but the woman frowned and just said, “That’s fine.”
She went into the house without even asking why we were in her drive. I decided it was time to look for Dad in case she was really ticked off at us for being there, so I climbed out after telling my mom that the woman looked very familiar. I thought she looked like the manager of our local Dollar General.
A few minutes later, my dad and another man were walking from the back of the house, up the hill, and the woman, who had left the house to put the dog on a lead, marched toward my dad with her finger pointing at him and said, “You get your car out of my driveway!”
I panicked. Our trip was taking a very dark turn and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get my dad away from the crazy woman. But Dad was smiling and so was the man. I couldn’t see the woman but then she was patting my dad on the shoulder and I realized she was messing with my dad – probably how he picks on her when he stops in at the Dollar General.
In the end, we all had a good conversation and Dad shared some memories of visiting the former farm years before – like when he was 12 or 13.
After that, we took the long way home, and Little Miss and I spent the afternoon having dinner with my parents before heading home.
Today I have to pick up The Boy from a friend’s house and we will stop for lunch at my parents on the way back. Hopefully, we don’t have another weird adventure.
What I/we’ve been Reading
The Case of the Innocent Husband (A Mac and Sam Mystery Book 1), Murder Handcrafted by Isabella Alan, and The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.
The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene (A Nancy Drew Mystery)
The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Little Miss is reading the first Harry Potter book at night. I love that she’s reading but she starts too late at night and then I have to tell her that it’s time for bed and she tries to make me feel guilty by saying things like, “But I only have 15 minutes of the chapter left to go!”
Stupid Kindles and their ability to tell you how many minutes of a chapter you have to go.
We are also reading The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright on some nights. For school/during the day we are reading Johnny Tremain.
The Husband just finished The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christies and is getting ready to read book 99. He is going to read The Satanic Verses by Salaman Rushdie for book 100.
What We watched/are Watching
Last week I watched a lot of Lovejoy and Murder She Wrote, Blithe Spirit with Erin for our Comfy, Cozy Cinema, and Reading Rainbow for old time’s sake.
What I’m Writing
I am still writing Gladwynn Grant Shakes The Family Tree and announced on Instagram that I will be pushing off the release date to 2025 so I can take some more time on it. I was pushing myself too hard to get it done before the end of October and now I realize that I am stressing myself out about a book that I am not under a publishing contract for and that I am writing more for fun than anything else.
If anyone would like to read books one or two, though, you can find them here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1KSQJXP
On the blog last week I didn’t share a ton since I was working on the book, but here is what I did share:
- Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot: Come Link Up With Us!
- Comfy, Cozy Cinema: Blithe Spirit (1945)
- Comfy, Cozy Care Package Giveaway!
What I’m Listening To
I was listening to Ever After by Karen Barnett but I am not a big fan of the narrator so not sure I’ll finish it.
Photos From Last Week
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.
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You did have an adventure! It seemed quite alarming at first. Your current reads are all looking good. I could easily add these to my TBR pile.
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I often have adventures that could go weird at any moment 😂
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Love your story! My parents were not chatty with strangers, in general, so we didn’t have many fun adventures like that.
We had a long highway drive yesterday and saw some color along the way, but the colors seem very muted this year.
Glad you’re not too stressed over the book! It’s so impressive that you’re on Book #3!
I like the title of The Case of the Innocent Husband. Sounds fun!
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Our colors are muted too sadly.
This is my tenth book overall to write with some of the others being duds – quite honestly 😂
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Lovely pics, and that’s a funny story. Glad it was all right in the end. Ha! YOu are def a crime buff. Even what you watch on TV! You’ve made me think I need to read a Chandler. .#Bookdate
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I am in a crime/cozy mystery kick right now for sure, but I enjoy historical fiction as well.
I’m glad that story turned out okay too. I was really not sure what was going to happen!
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Loved reading your day leaf peeping, a little bit of tension there for awhile but great it all turned out well. Ah, your Little Miss is a true reader! Good to take the pressure off yourself for your writing.
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Yes, that story could have ended up a lot differently for sure. Glad it didn’t.
I love that she is reading but I would love for her to pick the book up earlier than right before bed time.
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Fall color’s not great on this side of the state either, at least in my neck of the woods.
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I had such high hopes. Sigh. Maybe next year.
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Me too. We do have some color but many of the leaves are just turning brown and falling off or seem to not be changing at all. (sad face)
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I found a few today in our yard so that was exciting
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We also did some leaf peeping here in Minnesota this weekend and the colors were at their peak! Your retelling of your car ride with your parents and your daughter had me smiling the whole time… it is something you will each remember always! I also love seeing what Nancy Drew book you’re currently reading! I have my collection stored downstairs and the cover pictures always bring back such great memories! Have a great week!
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You would think these Nancy Drew books would be super tame since they were written for younger people and in some way they are. They are written rather simply with more of a “telling” rather than “showing” style. But some of the subject matter – dang. This last one was about a possible cult in the mountains and it was making me nervous for a bit there. Ha! I’m enjoying reading through them. Sure, the writing is dated, but the story still holds up pretty well.
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I had to look up leaf peeping, since that is not a term that I have heard before. And now I see why—since it’s not an activity we are able to participate in. Our trees don’t change colors much where we live. Your pictures are gorgeous.
I was always able to talk my mom into letting me stay up “just to finish a chapter” long before we had Kindles!
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I always did the same thing. Mom would say how happy she was that I was reading but … oh man… she said the same thing I’m saying now. I have become my mother.
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Your leaf photos are pretty and it sounds like you had quite the adventure! I just finished It Had to be You by Mary Higgins Clark. It was a fun little mystery about a 10 year old murder.
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I have not read anything by Mary Higgins Clark but my mom has read just about everything she put out. I have one upstairs I need to read soon.
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What a fun afternoon you had with your parents! Sometimes it’s good to know
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sorry I hit reply too soon! Sometimes it’s good to know you can still have weird adventures together! I’m going to check out some old Reading Rainbows too, now that you mentioned it.
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I love how that show gave us so much information and how even now I can learn from it!
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OK, that is a weird and wild drive! I’m glad the woman was in on the joke! But, I would have been a bit worried.
I bought some beads in an attempt to make some beaded bracelets. I’m sure there’s an easier way than what I’m doing, though. I finished The Guncle Abroad. I really enjoyed it and am now reading Sandwich. I’m only a few pages in so I don’t really know what it’s about.
We finished The Umbrella Academy which was just plain weird. Now, we’re watching It Ends with Us. I read the book and wasn’t impressed so we shall see. I have several blog posts to finish this week as well as the mini retreat I give at church in March (haven’t even started that one).
Have a wonderful week, Lisa!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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People in our area have weird sense of humors. Oh…wait…I do too. Ha! That’s why I fit in so well with so many around here.
I heard The Umbrella Academy was weird. My husband wanted to watch it.
I am not really interested in It Ends With Us but let me know what you thought.
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Eh…it was pretty true to the book, but I didn’t really like the book, either. There is a sequel so I’m curious to see if they will make a movie from that. Apparently Blake Lively’s wardrobe caused a bit of a stir because it didn’t “fit” the somber nature of the film (it’s about abuse).
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Oh jeez for a second I thought your family was ending up in a horror movie with your dad not coming back and you leaving to go look for him and then the lady pointing her finger and yelling at him. LOL
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I didn’t know what was going to go down that day. I tell ya’ if I didn’t go on adventures with my parents I probably wouldn’t have anything to write about. Ha!
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I love the fall foliage pictures! Beautiful! We are still waiting on peak colors here in Illinois. I’m glad that everything went well when your dad disappeared over the hill! Quite the story!
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We had so much rain and wind today, I’d imagine alot of the leaves are now gone. I was afraid to look outside. Maybe there will be a few nice ones left to look at later in the week and next week.
Yeah, my dad always has weird stuff happen to him. Keeps life exciting I guess.
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Nice photos of the colorful fall scenery!
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Thank you!!
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Yay for adventures, even when they are a little weird! I have not read Ever After yet, but I will avoid the audio. I hate when a narrator ruins the book for us. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
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I keep calling the book that but it’s actually Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett. I have some kind of mental block with that title and am always writing it wrong.
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LOL, it sounded right to me! I knew what you were talking about 🙂
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I’ve never stopped at a former home but I have called my grandparents old phone number just to see who answered.
LOL! I never thought how the Kindle telling you how much longer you have could be used against you.
Your reads all sound good and right up my alley.
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we don’t move too far away from home around here so I know who lives in my grandparents old house — that would be my parents. Ha! I don’t know who lives in my maternal grandparent’s house and don’t have a number for it so I probably never will.
I hope you have a great week. Thanks for stopping by!
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