Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot February 13

February 12, 2026 / Lisa R. Howeler / 8 Comments

Welcome to the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, where we offer a place for bloggers to link up and get a fresh set of eyes on their posts. We also feature one blog a week, letting our readers know about the blog and providing a link so readers can learn more about it. Please feel free to post new blog posts or old ones you want to bring attention to again.

Look for the post to go live about 9:30 PM EST on Thursdays.

Let’s introduce our current hosts for the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot:

Marsha from Marsha in the Middle started blogging in 2021 as an exercise in increasing her neuroplasticity. Oh, who are we kidding? Marsha started blogging because she loves clothes, and she loves to talk or, in this case, write!

Melynda from Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household – The name says it all, we homestead in East Texas, with three generations sharing this land. I cook and bake from scratch, between gardening and running after the chickens, and knitting!

Lisa from Boondock Ramblings shares about the fiction she writes and reads, her faith, homeschooling, photography and more.

Cat from Cat’s Wire is a bookworm, movie fan, crazy cat lady, armed with beads, cabs, wire and a very jumpy brain which loves to go down rabbit holes!

Rena from Fine, Whatever writes about style, midlife, and the “fine whatever” moments that make life both meaningful and fun. Since 2015, she’s been celebrating creativity, confidence, and finding joy in the everyday.

We would love to have additional Co-Hosts to share in the creativity and fun! If you think this would be a good fit for you and you like having fun (come on, who doesn’t!) while still being creative, drop one of us an email and someone will get back with you!

WTJR will be highlighting a different blogger each week this year! We invite you to stop by their blog, take a look around and say hello!

This week we are spotlighting: Happy Retirees Kitchen

A little about Pauline:

Happy Retirees Kitchen is an interactive food blog, where I share my home cooked, delicious and sustainable recipes and tips. I cook simple food, aiming for a healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet. I hope you enjoy reading about our life here in Tropical North Queensland on the east coast of Australia. I enjoy cooking for family and friends, and sharing many stories with you including my adventures with food, our garden, and whatever else seems interesting at the time.

Thank you so much for joining us for our link-up!

And now some posts that were highlights for me this past week:

Throwback Tuesday: 5 Tips for Battling Cabin Fever While Homeschooling by Slices of Life ||

|| Valentine Blues – Upcycled Denim Heart by Apple Street Cottage || ||

||Journaling 2025 and 2026 by Jeanne Selep ||

|| From my children’s book cabinet – Krabat by Cat’s Wire || ||

|| Should I Go Grey? Beauty Chat by Is this Mutton ||

|| What’s so good about sliced bread? by Pandora and Max ||

Important things to know about the link-up:

This link party is for blog posts only. All other links will be deleted.

Please link only blog posts you created yourself.

Please link directly to the URL of your post and not the main address of your blog.

Please do not add links to videos, sales ads, or social media links such as YouTube videos or Shorts, Instagram or Facebook Reels, TikTok videos, or any other “social media” based content.

But do visit other blogs and give the gift of a comment.

Notice: By linking with Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, you assert that content and photos are your own property. And you give us permission to share said content if your post or blog is showcased.

We welcome unlimited, family friendly content! This can include opinion pieces, recipes, travel recaps, fashion ideas, crafts, thrifting, lifestyle, book reviews or discussions, photography, art, and so much more! Thank you for joining us!

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Sunday Bookends: Severe cold weather, a new-to-me author, and a needed cry

February 8, 2026 / Lisa R. Howeler / 18 Comments

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.

As I am starting to write this post on a Saturday night our WiFi is out so I am using the unlimited data on my phone plan to draft this. Our internet company thinks the severe cold is our issue. (Update: It came back this morning and they still think it was the nasty cold).

This weekend’s weather here is taking the cake for this winter.

When I woke up this morning it was -6 without the windchill. The feels like temp was -30F (0 Celsius).

That temp continued to drop throughout the day.

Today our high will be 8F.

Obviously, we are staying hunkered down at home today.

We have three cats, Scout, Pixel and Cass and it is driving them crazy right now that they cannot go outside. We live in a semi rural area, so we normally let them outside in our backyard for a little bit, and they explore between the house and our wood pile and a little bit beyond and then they come back in. Scout is the hunter and sometimes we’ll disappear for a day and warmer weather coming back on occasion with a dead bird mouse or other animal.

Pixel is our home body. She mainly sits on the back porch and watches to see what scout does. Cass is new to us after being dropped off near our property the day before Halloween last year. So I’m not totally sure of his habits just yet, but he seems to be more like a hunter like Scout..

The bitter cold weather we have been having for the last month has meant keeping the cats in more than usual though. This is driving them absolutely insane and they pace in front of the door or smack each other around and have all out cat fights. I like winter in some ways because it means I can stay inside and write or read but right now I am ready for some warmer weather if only to get these cats out of the house and out of my hair. It would be one thing if they just enjoyed curling up but these are roaming cats and for them just to sleep all day isn’t really an option. They do sleep a lot, however.

I needed to slow down yesterday and have a good cry.

Another friend of the family passed away, and I realized I’d been telling myself I didn’t have time to sit down and cry about it.

Yesterday was his funeral and the severe cold and the possibility of me coming down with something kept me from going.

I busied myself throughout the day and then, right before dinner, I thought about how he is gone and I won’t see him again and I let myself have a good long cry.

I don’t like to break down and cry because I worry if I do I won’t stop and I’ll fall into a very deep depression. The problem is that I also sink into a deep depression if I hold in my sadness so it’s probably better to let some of the pressure off with a good cry instead.

What I/We’ve Been Reading

Just Finished

I finished The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham last night.

It was very good but different than I expected with a lot more cerebral and deep descriptions and a more artistic ending than I thought it would have. There was also very little sleuthing with the guy I thought was the main character – Albert Campion – but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I will eventually post a review of it.

In Progress

I am still rereading The Blue Castle (I will have a post up Monday for anyone reading along with me) and am also reading – for the first time – Return of the King by JRR Tolkien.

I just started a Murder, She Wrote because I want to read something I don’t have to use my brain for a lot. Ha!

This one started out a bit more bawdy than other ones I’ve read and I’m not sure what I think of that. We will see how it goes.

Up Soon

I am still rereading The Blue Castle (I will have a post up Monday for anyone reading along with me) and am also reading – for the first time – Return of the King by JRR Tolkien.

I just started a Murder, She Wrote because I want to read something I don’t have to use my brain for a lot. Ha!

This one started out a bit more bawdy than other ones I’ve read and I’m not sure what I think of that. We will see how it goes.

What The Family is Reading

Little Miss and I are still reading The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy.

What I/We’ve Been Watching

Last week I watched Love Me or Leave Me with Doris Day and James Cagney and episodes of Murder, She Wrote and All Creatures Great And Small.

Today I am going to watch my farmer on YouTube ( Just A Few Acres) because he’s finally back with a video.

What I’ve Been Writing

Last week on the blog I shared:

Winter of Cagney: Love Me Or Leave Me

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot for February 6

Book review: Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan

Classic Movie Impressions: After The Thin Man

A Good Book and A Cup of Tea (or coffee) Bookish Link Up for February

Sunday Bookends: The frigid cold, good mysteries, and old mystery shows and movies.

What I/We’ve Been Listening To

I am listening to Shakespeare. The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brenden O’Hea because I found it more interesting to listen to than read.

Some Housekeeping

Erin (Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs) and I host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea. This link-up is for book and reading posts or anything related to books and reading (even movies based on books!). Each link party will be open for a month. You can find that link up for this month here.

Each week, I host the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot with some great hosts. It goes live Thursday night but you can share any kind of blog posts (family-friendly) there until Tuesday of each week. You can check my recent posts on the sidebar to the right for the most recent link-party.

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.

This post is linked up with The Sunday Post at Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer, The Sunday Salon with Deb at Readerbuzz, and Book Date: It’s Monday! What are you reading hosted by Kathyrn at The Book Date. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Reading Reality.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot for February 6

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 / Lisa R. Howeler / 10 Comments

Look for the post to go live about 9:30 PM EST on Thursdays.

Yes, it is still very cold and snowy where I live.

I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Ha!

Seriously, though, the sun was hitting the snow just right this morning and there were all these beautiful sparkles which was much prettier to me than what our backyard looks like without snow. So, I am enjoying how pretty the snow is. I am just not a huge fan of the severe cold, which we are getting more of this weekend.

In cat news, I came downstairs this morning and found our old cat actually laying near our “new” kitten (who we’ve had since the end of October when someone dropped him off at our house or he wandered here, or I don’t know….). The cats traditionally hate each other – all three of them – so to see our old cat tolerating our kitten was quite a surprise.

I had to get photographic proof!

I hope you are all doing well and are either warm or cool enough to be able to function right now. Hang in there and enjoy the warm or cool days while you can!

Now, let’s introduce our current hosts for the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot:

Lisa from Boondock Ramblings shares about the fiction she writes and reads, her faith, homeschooling, photography and more.

Cat from Cat’s Wire is a bookworm, movie fan, crazy cat lady, armed with beads, cabs, wire and a very jumpy brain which loves to go down rabbit holes!

WTJR will be highlighting a different blogger each week this year! We invite you to stop by their blog, take a look around and say hello!

This week we are spotlighting: Wisdom and Wrinkles

A little about Laura:

I’m Laura , a 46-year-old recovering helicopter mom learning to fly solo as my nest gradually empties.

After 18 years of blogging about the chaos of raising four kids, I’m now navigating the unexpected adventures of midlife with hot flashes, reading glasses, and a whole new perspective.
These days, you’ll find me working from home alongside my husband (yes, we’re still talking!), managing a household that’s somehow both quieter and louder with just two kids still under our roof. I’m documenting this grand adventure of reinvention – from surviving menopause with my sense of humor intact to redefining my role as mom to young adults, while discovering who I am beyond the chaos of kids in school.
Join me as I share the laughs, tears, and unexpected wisdom that come with embracing this next chapter. Because while my wrinkles might be multiplying, so are the reasons to smile.

Thank you so much for joining us for our link-up!

And now some posts that were highlights for me this past week:

|| When Hope Is Out of Focus by A New Lens ||

|| Snowmen and Cardinals for Winter in the Kitchen, 2026 by Debbie Dabble Blog ||

||When Is the Last Time You Had Fun by Coffee and Cocktails At the Casa ||

|| Creating My Photo Gallery Walls by Crafty Gardener ||

|| Handmade Valentine Cards and Toilet Paper Roll Valentine “Love Bugs” by Amy’s Creative Pursuits ||

Important things to know about the link-up:

This link party is for blog posts only. All other links will be deleted.

Please link only blog posts you created yourself.

Please link directly to the URL of your post and not the main address of your blog.

Please do not add links to videos, sales ads, or social media links such as YouTube videos or Shorts, Instagram or Facebook Reels, TikTok videos, or any other “social media” based content.

But do visit other blogs and give the gift of a comment.

Notice: By linking with Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, you assert that content and photos are your own property. And you give us permission to share said content if your post or blog is showcased.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot For January 30

January 29, 2026January 29, 2026 / Lisa R. Howeler / 11 Comments

Look for the post to go live about 9:30 PM EST on Thursdays.

Negative 10, people!! Negative 10! Fahrenheidt! That is how cold it is supposed to be overnight tonight. I am ready for these arctic temps to go away already!

Tomorrow our high is 7. SEVEN! AGAIN!

On Monday our high is going to be 26 and I can’t believe I am saying this but I can’t wait for it to be 26F! Ha!

I hope you are all doing okay wherever you are!

Now, let’s introduce our current hosts for the Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot:

Lisa from Boondock Ramblings shares about the fiction she writes and reads, her faith, homeschooling, photography and more.

Cat from Cat’s Wire is a bookworm, movie fan, crazy cat lady, armed with beads, cabs, wire and a very jumpy brain which loves to go down rabbit holes!

WTJR will be highlighting a different blogger each week this year! We invite you to stop by their blog, take a look around and say hello!

This week we are spotlighting: Honey Bears and Sydney Beans

A little about Kristin:

I’m Kristin! I am a Mom to a 15 year old, HoneyBear & a 11 year old, SydneyBean. I am married to a supportive & amazing man who loves me despite my crazy gene! Together we have a Couples Podcast called How Was Your Week, Honey?

I am learning to live without my Mom, who passed in 2013 and the ups and downs of being pretty newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I love cooking, reading, crafts, and all things beautiful. I am an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and I go by she/her pronouns.

I enjoy politics, music, pop culture and sports. As a family we love to explore, adventure and learn about what we can do to love and care for our community!

Thank you so much for joining us for our link-up!

And now some posts that were highlights for me this past week:

|| 34th Anniversary and more by Nancy’s Fashion Style||

|| Old and New: Denim on Denim by It’s All Fine Whatever Tickles the Fancy ||

||Our Cozy Little Life – Wintering by Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs ||

|| || Our Favorite Faux Pho! by Scratch Made Food For Hungry People || ||

|| A Fall Hike In Irvine Park and Hoffman Hills by Amy’s Creative Pursuits |||

|| Postcards from Canada by Deb’s World ||

Important things to know about the link-up:

This link party is for blog posts only. All other links will be deleted.

Please link only blog posts you created yourself.

Please link directly to the URL of your post and not the main address of your blog.

Please do not add links to videos, sales ads, or social media links such as YouTube videos or Shorts, Instagram or Facebook Reels, TikTok videos, or any other “social media” based content.

But do visit other blogs and give the gift of a comment.

Notice: By linking with Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, you assert that content and photos are your own property. And you give us permission to share said content if your post or blog is showcased.

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I am a blogger, homeschool mom, and I write cozy mysteries.

You can find my Gladwynn Grant Mystery series HERE.

You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube.

Sunday Bookends: A lot of snow, some cozy reading and watching, and some more snow

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026 / Lisa R. Howeler / 30 Comments

As I am starting this post on Saturday night, we had temps — er – temp of 5. In the morning snow is supposed to start and when it all ends Monday night, we are supposed to have close to 18 inches of snow.

I really hope we don’t get as much as they say, though, because the high temp is supposed to be 15 degrees, which I think means this will be a very heavy, wet snow. We live in a rural area so that could mean power outages. We have a woodstove that could keep us warm downstairs but we would have to worry about our pipes freezing since we do not have a generator. I believe that’s something we will need to invest in at some point soon. Our neighbors have generators, which I think they purchased after a tornado hit here on our street about six years ago, wiping out power for several days.

I’m sure many of you, if you are in the Northern and Middle U.S. are facing a similar situation as us. Stay safe out there, everyone.

Since we are going to be snowed in, I have been planning how to get through it all without worrying too much. I plan to watch movies, read books, and sip tea or cocoa.

To keep themselves occupied, Little Miss has been video chatting with her friend and The Boy has been chatting with his friend and playing video games. The Husband has been cleaning the house (he’s much better at that than I am) and reading and doing a little work for the newspaper he is at the editor at.

He expects to be snowed in Monday and will work from home. As long as we have power that is.

Erin (www.crackercrumblife.com) and I held our Crafternoon Zoom call yesterday and it was very nice to chat with people from all over the world. We chat while we craft and if you are interested in taking part, please let me or Erin know. It is just a relaxed time to chat, make new friends, and forget about our troubles. We keep conversations as free of politics or hard stuff as much as we can.

UPDATE:

It is 12:24 P.M. as I am finishing up this post and it is about 10 degrees out (-12 C) and we have about six inches of snow on the ground. The snow is supposed to stop sometime tonight and we are expected to have up to 18 inches of snow when it is all done.