It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
Last week was a crazy week in some ways and I detailed that more in my Saturday Morning Chat. The long and short of it is that there were some health issues within our family, everyone is okay, and my brain is trying to recover from it all.
Yesterday I didn’t have tons of time for my brain to recover since our daughter had a friend over and they tend to be a little crazy when they get together. They had a lot of fun, though, and it was a good day. And they weren’t really that crazy. We went to the playground and then they had fun splashing in the bathtub in their bathing suits. Earlier in the day they went to two Easter egg hunts as well.
And I did have some downtime for reading and watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, at least.
Today we are going to my parents for Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Currently:
I’m reading Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor and Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jamie Jo Wright still thanks to the aforementioned crazy week. Both are very good. I’ll probably be finished with Murder in an Irish Village today and Night Falls… later in the week.
The Secret Garden is also being read but slowly.
Soon to be read:
The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold
The Mystery at the Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew)
What We watched/are Watching
This week I watched Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.
I also enjoyed relaxing to my favorite YouTube farmer, Farmer Pete:
There is something comforting about watching Pete and his wife work on the farm – feeding the cows and the chickens, fixing tractors, cooking beef brisket and just doing what they do every day.
I also watched this interview with two of the authors I am in a multi-author project with.
You can learn more about our project by watching this video or visiting our Facebook group.
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.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
It’s still been very cold this past week so we have been lighting a fire every other day. We lit one last night as the temperature dropped to somewhere around 22 degrees. It looks like temps will warm up this week as we move into Good Friday and Easter.
I wrote a bit about our week last week in yesterday’s Saturday Afternoon Chat post if you want to catch up on other “events” of our week. Spoiler – there weren’t a lot of events actually.
What I/we’ve been Reading
I’m reading A Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor. It is very authentic Irish and I’m enjoying it.
I just started The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett but will probably read this one very slowly because of some books I’m reading for tours and to review for Clean Fiction Magazine. I already know the story of The Secret Garden from watching the movie.
I have also started Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jamie Jo Wright. This one is for a book tour in April. I honestly think it is going to be too creepy for me but I guess it is good to branch out once in a while.
Just Finished:
Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan and The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes.
Currently:
I enjoyed both of these books and will have reviews up soon.
Soon to be read:
The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold
Who Brought The Dog to Church? By Tracy Smoak
When You Returned by Havelah Mclat
What others in the family are reading: The Boy is reading Horus Rising and listening to A Tale of Two Cities. Little Miss is listening to The Railway Children and we are reading The Middle Moffat together.
The Husband is reading Do the New You by Steven Furtick
What We watched/are Watching
This weekend I watched all things Little House on the Prairie. This year is the 50th anniversary of the debut of the show and they are holding a festival with many of the old cast members in California. I have been watching the show and some footage from the festival such as interviews with Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler, etc.
I didn’t realize how attached I was to the show until I saw Melissa Gilbert come out in front of all her fans and begin to cry and then I began to cry as well. I have good memories of running home from the bus stop to watch the show when I was a kid. I’ll ramble about that in a future blog post.
Here is the video I watched of the Melissa Gilbert interview if you are interested:
My daughter and I watched a couple of the episodes based more directly on stories in the books, which we read over the last couple of years and then watched three more that were loosely based on stories. I, of course, had to watch with her the episode when Laura pushes Nellie down the hill to prove she has been lying about not being able to walk. After that one, Little Miss was hooked and asked to watch more.
Earlier in the week I always watched Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Lark Rise to Candleford.
Over the weekend I watched original Perry Mason episodes with The Husband.
What I’m Writing
I am on the epilogue of Cassie and then I will be beginning book three of the Gladwynn Grant mysteries.
This post cracked me up, especially this line: “This was all just to warm up to the topic of my husband being a human Winnie the Pooh, but one who wears pants of course.”
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.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
If you want to know what has been going on in our world lately, you can hop on over to my post from yesterday.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Currently:
We had a nice week weather-wise so I didn’t read as much as I wanted to but I read more than I used to. I’m almost halfway through Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan and The Middle Moffat and I am enjoying them both.
I am also continuing All The Light We Can’t See and hope to finish it . . . eventually. That’s all I can say.
I am reading through Do The New You by Steven Furtick with my church e-group as well. I have three chapters to read before our online session this week.
Soon to be read:
Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor. I’ve started this one and am enjoying it.
Death At A Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly. This is a Netgalley read.
The Secret Garden for Middle Grade March
Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jamie Jo Wright
What We watched/are Watching
Wednesday night I had two hours to myself which is a very rare thing. I decided that I was going to watch a movie that has been sitting in our DVD collection for years — The King’s Speech. I had planned to finish the last couple of chapters of the book I’m writing in between watching but I ended up being so enthralled with the movie, I ended up abandoning that plan.
Later that night I watched a Lark Rise to Candleford episode. On Friday and Saturday, I started a mini-binge of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.
Little Miss and I had a Dr. Quinn binge yesterday afternoon as well and then I added an episode of Little House on the Prairie. I wanted to finish out the night with an episode of The Waltons to relive my childhood and teenage years but The Boy took over the TV to play a video game with a friend so that Waltons episode will have to wait for tonight.
Friday The Husband and I watched an episode of McDonald and Dodds. I hope to watch more of that show this week.
What I’m Writing
I am on the last chapter of Cassie, then I will work on the rewrites. I also am brainstorming ideas for the third book in the Gladwynn Grant Mysteries and will announce a title for it soon.
Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing is on a two-week book tour and you can enter to win a paperbook copy of it and a $50 Amazon gift card HERE.
What I’m Listening to
Little Miss and I am listening to Caddie Woodlawn on Audible and The Boy and I are listening to A Tale of Two Cities.
Photos from Last Week
And one I found from my dad in January right after his 80th birthday, riding an old sled down the snow-covered dirt road in front of his house.
I’m a little biased on this post since it is my brother’s weekly post where he shares three good things that have happened to him during that particular week.
I didn’t participate in this one because I didn’t think I could write about ten green things since I don’t like green but Marsha did a great job talking about the green things she liked.
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.
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.
I needed to get my youngest out of the house this week, so on Monday she and I went to my parents and had some lunch with my mom while my dad took Zooma the Wonder Dog for an impromptu walk.
Dad was planning the walk and decided Zooma could come along with him since she loves following him wherever he goes when she visits. I wish I had grabbed a photo of them walking together because Zooma really looks like she has a huge smile on her face when someone takes her on a walk.
Little Miss and The Boy took her on another walk Friday since the weather was almost as warm as Monday and we knew today would be cold and rainy.
I walked a little bit down the road and the cats followed me, apparently very confused about why we had walked off the property for the first time in probably four months.
Both of their tails were puffed out so I guess they really were alarmed. Or they were having a fight with each other. Usually, those tails only puff up when they encounter an animal outside the family, though.
Yesterday there was a book sale in a town close to where we get our groceries but I was a good girl and didn’t go. I have enough books to read – both physical and digital.
Still, I did find myself wondering what treasures I was missing out on by not going. What if someone gave away a whole set of Nancy Drew books and I missed them? Eek! The stress of it all.
I kept telling myself that I must be strong and simply grab the Nancy Drew books I haven’t read yet one at a time on Thriftbooks instead. Besides, there is an even larger book sale going on in a town 45 minutes from us in April so I will try to hold out until then.
Our area is also getting a bookstore soon. I don’t know what kind of books they will sell but it will be nice to have a bookstore near us – even if it will be a 45-minute drive. Actually, it might be best it is that far away from me.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Just Finished:
I finished Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower on my phone and computer because I borrowed it through Hoopla and Hoopla books can’t be sent to my Kindle. Grrr. This was very annoying but I wanted to finish this series and not pay an arm and a leg to do it. To explain – I have no problems paying a higher price for books I feel like I will read over and over, but I wasn’t sure I would read this book over and over so I wanted to read it for cheaper than what it was being sold for online. I read the first two books for free on Libby, but they didn’t have the third.
This book has never gone below $13 for Kindle and $20 for hardcover and there is no paperback. Someone said it’s probably because it was released in 2020 and they didn’t release a paperback because of all the craziness – I don’t know.
All I know is that I usually only spend that much money on books I know for a fact I’ll read again or are by authors I absolutely love. All that being said, I have enjoyed this series and I might purchase them in paperback/hardcover in the future – but I had to know for sure I liked how the series ended.
Yes, I am that reader. *wink* For what it is worth, I did like how the series ended, even though a little of it was predictable. I don’t feel that predictability is bad if done correctly and this was done correctly for me.
I also read a moving novelette by Donna Stone called A Wedding to Remember.
The story was very moving, with a beautiful message. The characters were well fleshed out for such a short read and Donna’s writing is so entertaining and well done.
Her story had me laughing and then wiping my eyes. It was only 57 pages so it was a quick read but I was completely caught up in it.
Here is a description and link:
Kaitlyn is competent, smart, and capable—except when a series of disasters threaten to derail the perfect intimate summer wedding she’s arranged for herself and her fiancé, Emerson, at a picturesque Victorian Bed and Breakfast.
As events unfold, one thing becomes clear. Emerson has neglected to arrange some pretty important details, leaving Kaitlyn second-guessing her laid-back, forgetful groom. From appearances, he may not be ready to make a lifelong pledge.
In the midst of the chaos and doubts, Kaitlyn encounters her groom’s elderly Aunt Sophie, and her husband, Weaver. Sophie assures her Emerson’s love is real, and she should know true love when she sees it. Sophie and her husband are a walking testament to commitment, even though Alzheimer’s daily chips away at Weaver’s memories. Kaitlyn wants to let go of fear, but it’s hard to trust her heart.
Is Emerson simply forgetful, or is the wedding a failure before it gets underway?
I am currently reading The Middle Moffet by Eleanor Estes for Middle Grade March and Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan (which is actually the pen name for Amanda Flower).
I am also reading All The Light We Cannot See but I am not reading it fast because it is a heavy topic.
Soon to be read:
Fields of Fire by Ryan Steck. I need to read the first two books in his series because I applied for and received the ARC for the third book that comes out in June, but I have been wanting to read it anyhow.
Mystery at the Lilacy Inn, A Nancy Drew Mystery.
What everyone else is reading:
The Boy is reading Horus Rising and listening to A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Little Miss and I are reading Pocahontas by Jean Fritz for school during the day and Rosco Riley Rules at night before bed.
The Husband is reading The Running Grave (a CB Strike novel) by Robert Gailbraith.
What We watched/are Watching
The Huband and I watched a documentary about June Carter Cash called June last week on Paramount Plus. It was interesting to learn about her life separate from and with Johnny Cash. She certainly was not a perfect woman, but she knew that, and I think she did her best to live the best she could, especially toward the end of her life. She also put out some amazing music, including two albums within two years of her passing away.
I remember well when Johnny passed away because it was the day before my grandmother passed away. We were watching on the news in Grandma’s room about Johnny dying. He passed away only four months after June.
The Husband and I also finished up the first part of season one of CB Strike and are on to episode five.
I watched an episode of Rosemary and Thyme on my own, but I read more this week than watched things.
I hope to watch some more Lark Rise to Candleford and Rosemary and Thyme this week.
What I’m Writing
I am two chapters away from finishing Cassie, which releases in August.
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.
The cover of Miracles on Maple Hill caught my attention at a used book sale so I grabbed it up to read with my 9-old daughter at some point. There are actually two covers to the book – the original and the updated one I have.
When a friend mentioned she was reading the book and then I saw someone else online mention they were reading it, I decided I would read it for fun as well. I read it in February but it is timely that I am writing about it during Middle Grade March, which is when some readers pick up middle grade books to read or read again.
I don’t usually read middle-grade books at any time but last year I read When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr and enjoyed it so decided I’d try another one. I now, incidentally, have a stack of them I want to read.
The story follows Marly and her family as they visit her mother’s grandmother’s house in rural Pennsylvania. The family lives in the Pittsburgh area but decides to visit Maple Hill to help Marly’s dad who is dealing with PTSD from being a prisoner of war and presumed dead. The book doesn’t specify which war but the book was published in 1956 so it could either be World War II or the Korean War.
Marly’s family includes her mom, dad, and brother Joe. When they arrive in Maple Hill, Marly’s mom hopes that the time at the farm, even if it is only weekends, will help her husband feel better and less hopeless.
When they arrive they meet neighbors of Marly’s Mom’s grandmother, Mr. and Mrs. Chris. It’s a little confusing is Chris is the man’s first or last name since the wife calls him both during the book, but it doesn’t really matter. They are a sweet older couple and when Marly first meets him he is tapping maple trees for sap.
According to information online, Sorensen based the book on her real-life experiences while visiting Edinboro, Pennsylvania.
Someone I follow (though I can’t remember who) had mentioned that this book took place in Pennsylvania but I completely forgot that until I started it. The fact that the book begins and ends during maple syrup collecting and cooking season was interesting to me since that is the season we were in when I started the book.
My husband, in fact, had just come back from a demonstration at a local farm where they collect the sap and make maple syrup. He had attended it for work as a reporter/editor at the local paper and I suggested he use a quote from the book for his story. He ultimately rejected that idea even though he liked the quote.
“The sap running gives me a feeling I can’t describe,” Mr. Chris said. “Like it is the blood of the earth moving.”
Mr. Chris has a lot of great quotes in the book including: “Everything has its own sap, I guess,” he said. “It’s got to rise, that’s all. Nobody knows why. It’s like the sun in the morning.”
There was one disturbing scene in the beginning of the book that made me almost abandon it. In the scene Marly finds a nest of baby mice. Her mother is disgusted and tells her husband to do something about it. He tells Joe to throw the nest into the stove downstairs where they have just started a fire.
Marly is horrified but the rest of the family doesn’t understand what her problem is. The mice can carry disease, they argue. They needed to go. To Marly the mice were alive – they were potential pets and she decides she can never just accept that a life can be snuffed out because it is inconvenient. She is comforted when Mr. Chris agrees when he discusses the mice living in his sugar shack and how they have become his friends.
I’m glad I didn’t give up on the book based on that scene, however, because it is a pivotal motion that launches off changes in the family as the book progresses. We go from a dead and dark feeling inside the father where baby mice don’t matter to him to a place in his life where life becomes bright and enjoyable again. I won’t spoil how we get there or the incidents that show that but it is very heartwarming when it begins and continues.
I sobbed through much of the last three chapters of the book. Things became tense, the family had to rally together, and I wasn’t sure who would be left when it was over. I knew this was an older book and they didn’t always end on a happy note (hello Old Yeller) so I read it with trepidation. I will not ruin the ending for those who never read the book but I will say I was not disappointed with the ending and felt a sense of hope based on it.
According to Wikipedia, the Hurry Hill Maple Farm Museum in Edinboro features an exhibit dedicated to the book and the author.
The book won the 1957 Newberry Medal and was illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush.
Sorensen, who was born in Utah, was called a Mormon writer but once said she did not have a great deal of interest in Mormons or the faith. Despite that, she wrote several adult books tying her faith into life and is considered by most to be a Mormon author – even though most of her books had nothing to do with the Mormon life. She wrote seven children’s books and nine adult books.
I enjoyed Maple Hill and will be looking for other books by her to read in the future.
Have you read this or any of Sorensen’s other books?
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
I am still reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr but slowly. It’s a different type of book for me and the topics are a bit heavy so I haven’t been as eager to read it as other books. I do want to finish it, however, because it is a Pulitzer-winning book and my friend wants to know what I think of it. From what I have read so far, I think I will like it.
I also started a cozy mystery, Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan and so far I am enjoying it.
I was thrilled this past week to find the third book in the Magical Garden Series by Amanda Flowers on Hoopla. I’ve been wanting to read it but have been refusing to pay full price for it on Kindle. I know. I’m an author and I didn’t want to pay full price, but hear me out. I like these books but I don’t feel like I will read them over and over so buying them really didn’t appeal to me. I was able to read the first two books on Libby but they didn’t have the third book, which I could only find on Hoopla.
The downside of Hoopla is I can only read the book on my phone because their books can’t be transferred to a Kindle like Libby books can.
I don’t think I’ll be reading a ton of books through that app because my phone is not very big and reading books on it is not fun, but they do have a lot of books I would like to read.
So, anyhow, I am also reading Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flowers.
Soon to be read:
Spring is coming so I hope to pick out some spring reads but probably later in March and early April, including The Secret Garden, which I have never read, and maybe The Wind in the Willows. I also have a mystery book based on Beatrix Potter I want to try, even though I have heard mixed reviews on it. I would love to read through Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink but that may wait until next winter. We will see.
Recently Finished:
This past weekend I finished Miracles on Maple Hillby Virginia Sorensen and cried through the last three chapters.
It was a sweet book with a touching story. There were only a couple of disturbing scenes that I could have done without but I think the one was specifically put in there to show how some of the characters changed throughout the book. And by disturbing I just mean uncomfortable. Not “dirty”, of course.
DNF’d I did not finish Blessed is the Busybody – for now at least. I may go back to it but I was ready for a cozy mystery and it started to get dark from the get-go. I also was hoping for a more faith-based read but this was more like “faith-based people and conservatives are stuck up” and I wasn’t in the mood for that. I read enough of the “we’re better than them” from both “sides” on the news today. I don’t need it in my books too.
That attitude may change as the book goes on, however, and the writing was really strong and entertaining, so I will probably return to this book at some later date – maybe in the spring.
What everyone else is reading:
When we went to my parents’ yesterday I was very impressed that everyone took a book with them. It’s not like we ever have time to read since we are busy visiting but I guess everyone feels more at home with a book with them, “just in case” they want to read.
The Husband is reading The Innocent by Harlan Coban
The Boy is reading Horus Rising (based on World of Warcraft)
Little Miss is reading Fortunately the Milk again but she and I are also reading Pocahontas by Jean Fritz for school.
What We watched/are Watching
I have been watching Lark Rise to Candleford on my own.
I was watching Miss Scarlet and the Duke but just found out the guy playing The Duke is leaving so I don’t really feel like watching the rest since I know there will be no satisfactory end to it.
The Husband and I finished up the first part of season one of CB Strike last night.
My sister-in-law told me eons ago I should watch The Gilded Age so I hope to start that this week.
I also watched this video with Just A Few Acres Farm which I really enjoyed. Pete talked a lot about the way of the world these days and how he isn’t sure how to fit in with it. I could truly relate.
What I’m Writing
I am plugging away at Cassie and hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks.
I plan to start writing book three in the Gladwynn Grant series once that book is finished.
I am listening to A Tale of Two Cities with The Boy for school.
I am listening to Caddie Woodlawn at night with Little Miss.
I am also listening to In This Mountain by Jan Karon when I do housework and I think I mentioned last week that it caused me to all out ugly cry while doing the dishes the week before last.
For music, I am listening to Shane Smith and The Saints and Needtobreathe.
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.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
The weather was 22 degrees (F) with a wind chill of 12 and the fire lit on the first try for me. I was thrilled and since I couldn’t feel my toes at that point because I hadn’t wanted to turn the heat up and use up heating oil, I stuck my feet out toward the woodstove, opened the book I started this week – Miracle on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen – and proceeded to read for the next 90 minutes. I also made myself some hot cocoa and a type of Chex Mix concoction with sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup, baked in the oven.
After I read some, I worked a bit on my novel, cooked some steaks and roasted potatoes for me and my daughter since The Boy was at a friend’s house and The Husband was at a work event. It was a very relaxing day and it was mainly relaxing because I shut social media completely off and was more intentional about doing the things that help to relax me.
My week wasn’t super busy this past week. I had dinner with my parents on Wednesday when my mom made dinner for Little Miss and I because we were borrowing their car to take Little Miss to Kid’s Club at a local church. Our headlights are still out on the car that hit a deer ran into in October.
On Thursday I planned to take them sone dinner I had cooked and return the car but as I headed out, the rain we’d been having all day turned into snow. No warning. Just snow and it started piling up. I thought it would be a brief snow, but instead, the roads became slick and I ended up staying home.
I took them lunch the next day instead when I took their car back, grabbed my car, and headed 20 minutes north to pick up the groceries from Aldi.
It looks like Saturday will be the last super cold day for the week, even though night temps will be low. Day temps, however, will be in the mid-40s to mid-50s starting Monday.
Today we are all staying home and having a family day because my husband has been working so much. We plan to make pizzas. usually visit my parents on Sunday but the kids and I will see them tomorrow most likely. I have been having Little Miss interview her grandma for history and I think we will do that again this week and add her grandpa in as well.
What I/we’ve been Reading
I finished Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson and while Craig is a great writer, I will be taking a break from his books for a while. I was very annoyed with this one and how I had it figured out way before it finished. I’m not a fan of books where part of the characters are ghosts and I know they are but the author tries to pretend I don’t know. Plus, almost the entire book was “in Longmire’s head” and not really action, like the other books have been. That was disappointing because it was almost like Johnson ran out of things to write about and it was only the seventh book in the series. I will read other books in the series later, but for now, I need to read some books that are a little less dark and … well, strange.
Saying the above sentence may be fairly ironic when I say that the next book I am reading, at the urging of a friend, is about World War II, but it’s a different kind of dark, okay?
I am reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr because a friend read it and wants to know what I think. It’s not my usual read, but I’m giving it a try. It’s interesting so far but it is a little jarring because you only read about a character for about two pages and it switches to another character or place and it does that throughout the whole book.
It is a Pulitzer-winning book and was recently made into a movie on Netflix, though, so what might be a bit jarring to me apparently didn’t matter to a lot of other people.
I mentioned above I am also reading Miracles on Maple Hill, which is a middle-grade level book but something I feel like I needed this winter.
I liked that the beginning of the book featured a story about collecting sap and making maple syrup because we are in that season in Pennsylvania right now and my husband just visited a large maple syrup operation at a farm near us. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the book’s setting is Pennsylvania. Because the family comes to the rural area from the city it makes me think of the many people who visit our area from Philadelphia.
Up Next (or soon):
Blessed Is the Busy Body by Emilie Richards
Fields of Fire by Ryan Steck
I know I’ve mentioned before that I am a mood reader so I like to have a couple of books going so that I can pick whichever one my mood fits at that time. I have to say that I am finding it a little stressful to have more than two books going at a time so I have decided to only switch between two books – one a little lighter and one a little heavier.
I am not a fast reader and do not usually have a high read count at the end of the year but I am proud of myself that I have read nine books so far this year. I think that is the most I have ever read in two months. At least one of those was a carryover from 2023 and two of them were middle grade reads, but still, better than other years and I’m glad I’m reading more and watching things less.
What We watched/are Watching
This past week I watched a lot of Lark Rise to Candleford. I also watched a couple of YouTubers, but I read more than I watched this week, which is an unusual thing for me.
This week I hope to catch up on All Creatures Great and Small and Miss Scarlet and The Duke.
What I’m Writing
I made a lot of progress this week on Cassie, which releases in August.
Little Miss and I are listening to Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink on Audible. I am listening to In this Mountain by Jan Karon (A Mitford Series book) and crying through it. I’ve read this book before but somehow having it read to me by an amazing narrator (John McDonough) makes it even more emotional. It is also emotional because since I first read the book something happened in my family that makes it easier to relate to Father Tim’s tragic situation. There is nothing like standing over one’s dirty dishes and sobbing to make that person (me) realize how much I’ve shoved down over the last decade of my life.
This week I will set In This Mountain aside and start listening to A Tale of Two Cities because The Boy and I are reading/listening to it for English. We set it aside for a couple of months but are going back to it.
Photos from Last Week
I haven’t touched the Nikon in more than a month but I hope to change that as the weather warms up. Here are a few photos from the new cellphone instead.
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.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing.
I’ve just sat down to start this post after watching Little Miss and The Husband sled down the hill behind our house after an unexpected snowfall. I’m not sure why I didn’t gather wood today to start a fire since it would have been the perfect day for it, but instead, I sat under a big fluffy blanket and read a book, watched some Lark Rise to Candleford, and watched others out in the snow while I sipped tea. I also cooked some roasted potatoes to go with small steaks The Husband cooked. It was the first time we’d been able to eat roasted potatoes in probably a year since our oven had been broken. It’s been nice to have it fixed.
We added a salad with red peppers to it and it was the perfect dinner.
Later today we plan to have lunch with my parents and then come home to light the fire and have a cozy night before the week starts over again.
What I/we’ve been Reading
Currently Reading:
What book was I reading yesterday? Not really a cozy one, but still very well written – A Walt Longmire Mystery: Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson. I read a couple chapters of it and then moved on to a cozier read in Nellie by Amy Walsh.
Nellie officially released Thursday and is a sweet, cute book about a young woman who pretends to be a cook to get a job to help her family.
Here is a quick description:
Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium.
Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity — though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal.
Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale. As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House?
I should have Nellie finished this week and I will probably start another cozy mystery to offset the darkness of the Longmire book. I forgot that I had planned to start Blessed Is the Busybody by Emilie Richards in early February so I think I will start that this week. I also want to try The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert, but will probably hold off on that one until Spring. It feels more like a spring book.
Recently Finished:
The Cat Who Went Into the Closet by Lilian Jackson Braun
These books can be hit or miss at times but this one, though not heavy-hitting at all, was actually very good.
Up Soon:
Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson
Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac (previewing it for Little Miss for school. I also have a choice on the same topic by Jean Fritz.)
The Mystery At Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene.
The Husband is reading a book by Dean Koontz, or was at least.
The Boy is reading Horus Rising by Dan Abott.
Little Miss and I finished The Borrowers this past week. I hope to start another book with her soon but we haven’t decided on which one. We started listening to Caddie Woodlawn by Carold Ryrie Brink the other day on our way to pick up groceries and she is enjoying it but I don’t think it will replace our bedtime listening of The Great Christmas Pageant Ever or Fortunately the Milk.
Friday night she asked me to read to her before bedtime because we’ve been listening to audiobooks. She asked if I would read her part of my book, Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing.
I did but found myself critiquing my writing so it wasn’t as much fun for me. I think tonight I’ll suggest I read her something written by someone else. I’ll even read her The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder again! (If you’re new here, this is a bit of a joke because she wanted me to read her the Little House and Paddington books over and over again last year and the year before.
What We watched/are Watching
This past week I watched the French film Amelie as a buddy watch with Erin at Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.
I also watched Lark Rise to Candleford but actually read more this week than watched things. What I’m Writing
I am continuing to work on Cassie, which releases in August of 2024.
If you want a little sneak peek, you can check out my blog on Friday. I think I might have a little tidbit to offer up from it.
This week I’ve been listening to Needtobreathe’s Caves.
An audiobook version of In This Mountain by Jan Karon.
A podcast featuring old Jack Benny radio shows.
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.
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
The Cat Who Went Into The Closet by Lilian Jackson Braun
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
Do The New You by Steven Furtick
Recently Finished:
Sisterchicks Do the Hula by Robin Jones Gunn
This book wasn’t horrible but there wasn’t really an actual plot and that annoyed me. I kept waiting for something to happen – like a mystery or a trial they had to overcome or .. well, anything really. Like a plot maybe. Once I decided and accepted that was never going to happen it was much easier to skim ahead and just see what happened at the end and move on to the next book.
Update: I went back and read some of the parts I had skimmed and decided the book is actually very sweet. A bit slow but sweet and relaxing. I think I’m going to try the first book in the series, which I heard was better, and other books in the series as well. I was excited to see that they are now on Kindle Unlimited and it looks like the author updated some terms, etc. for now.
Up Next or Soon:
Hidden Figuresby Margot Lee Shetterly
Bury Your Deadby Louise Penny
Bats Fly At Duskby Erle Stanley Gardner
This week Little Miss and I finished The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz. I hope to finish The Borrowers with her this week but she’s been reading Fortunatly the Milk by Neil Gaiman to me.
What We watched/are Watching
This past week I watched Miss Austen Regrets and wrote about it on the blog. I really enjoyed it. The rest of the week I watched Lark Rise to Candleford and Miss Scarlet and the Duke. What I’m Writing
I’m plugging away on Cassie and hope to have it finished at the end of this month so I can start the third book in the Gladwynn Grant series.
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.
