I’m starting to re-read this one today. It’s # 51 in the “In Death” series by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). I only have 4 more before I dive into the newest paperback in my collection, “Desperation in Death” #55. #56, “Encore in Death” is due to be out in hardback at the end of this month. I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait – 6 months at least, before they will allow me to pre-order the paperback. It’s another character-building exercise for me. :0)
In the meantime, I’m thoroughly enjoying the world of Lieutenant Eve Dallas, futuristic murder cop in New York.
I’m enjoying working my way through some biographies of people I find fascinating. I’ve read one on Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn, so far. I’m reading one of Cary Grant now, and I have one on Johnny Carson and another on Rush Limbaugh waiting. I got these from the library book sale and they are a wonderful change from my usual reading.
I ordered some used books from ThriftBooks.com recently and they should be delivered soon. I feel rich when I have books on the way or have just received a good handful. :0)
Reading for pleasure is a very personal thing – unique to each individual.
My husband and I don’t even use the same SALT, so it hasn’t surprised me that our reading tastes are so vastly different.
We do agree on a few authors – Robert B. Parker and Lee Child – to name two just off the top of my head. I was surprised, though, that my husband decided to try one of Linda Howard’s books recently. She is a ‘new’ author to me – recommended by a friend – and I enjoy her writing a lot. I’ve just ordered my third ‘tranche’ of used paperback books by her. My husband likes her work, too, and so now we have a new thing so we can keep track.
I have a list on my computer of the books of hers I have ordered and read. We keep the actual books I’ve received on our communal desk area in the middle of the room between our computer areas in our office. They stay there until both of us have read them, and then they find their way upstairs. We have agreed to check with each other before the books go on the stairs to be taken up. :0)
I just ordered more Linda Howard books. My husband and I are both enjoying them. I’m keeping a list of the ones we have and have read, and ones we have ordered so it makes it easier when I’m trying to order more.
Since we try to watch our money, we buy used paperbacks or the Kindle versions when applicable. I toggle back and forth when I find a book we don’t have, seeing what it costs used on Amazon vs Thriftbooks, buying from both sources.
One of the packages that I told you the UPS driver left on our robot on Wednesday to spend the night outside before we found it and another package before the rain started Thursday was the “Abandoned in Death” book by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) that I pre-ordered in February for when it was available in paperback.
I was in the middle of another book, but dived into my much-anticipated book as soon as I could. Once I started it, I found it very hard to put it down. Life and obligations kept getting in the way, so I found myself last night reading in the living room until early this morning to finish it.
It was like a reunion with old friends you feel as if you haven’t seen in forever. As usual, the ‘crime’ was all encompassing. I can never figure out who the perpetrator is, no matter how much I think about it.
The next book in the series, “Desperation in Death” will come out in paperback in December of this year, and I’ve pre-ordered it. There is another – #56 – “Encore in Death” – that will come out in hardback in February of 2023, and will probably be available in paperback sometime late in the year.
I always feel a bit sad when I’ve read all available paperbacks for awhile. It’s good that she’s such a prolific writer that I have something to look forward to.
I have finished re-reading the Jesse Stone series, and the Spenser series. Now I’m re-reading the Sunny Randall series. Once I finish those, there are only a few books left – some wonderful westerns and other stand-alone books.
It makes me a bit sad to be coming to the end of the re-read, but I’m delighted to have the collection so I can enjoy it again whenever I would like.
Some good friends have recommended authors new to me, so I’m looking forward to diving into some new worlds soon. :0)
A. A. Milne – Winnie the Pooh – Illustration by E. H. Shepard
One of the many ‘perks ‘ of getting older is trouble remembering things.
Just this morning I was reading an email from a dear friend who talked about what she was going to cook for dinner. THAT reminded me that I had neglected to take our dinner out of the freezer. I finished answering her email and then found some painted bottles online that were absolutely STUNNING.
I remembered again that I needed to go to the pantry to get our dinner out of the freezer. I got up, stopped in the bathroom, poured water in Amber’s dog bowl and then came back to the computer. I saw that I had forgotten to refill my coffee cup, so I got up and started to go to the kitchen. I stopped, grabbed my wallet and the record of our blood pressure and blood sugar we used this morning to take back to the kitchen. I put them away in the dining area and then came back to the office.
I again saw my coffee cup. I picked it up this time and went to the kitchen, refilled it, and brought it back. Then remembered I was supposed to go get our dinner out of the freezer…
My husband came in and wanted some help. I helped him and then sat back down at the computer. THEN remembered I was supposed to go to the pantry.
I got to the kitchen and couldn’t remember why I went in there. Had to come back to the office and sit down. THEN I remembered.
I actually got our dinners out of the freezer this time. Please shoot me.
I’m very lucky to be surrounded by books I want to read. I will never have enough time to spend with them. I’ve been bouncing back and forth from my computer to my recliner/book/throw/coffee lately, feeling very spoiled, indeed. I DO manage to get a few things checked off my to-do list each day, but a bit grudgingly. :0)
boredart.com
I found this recently and I WANT ONE! Such a clever idea. I’m trying to convince my husband to make us one. It makes me smile every time I see it. I’ll print the pic and keep moving it around under my husband’s nose. We might give him a hat to shield his eyes (and ours).
My husband and I both are voracious readers. He prefers his tablet, and I prefer real books. I really prefer hardback books, but have switched to paperbacks because of cost and storage space. There is something really satisfying to hold a book in your hands, turning pages, rather than swiping a screen. I do have a tablet, and take it when we go to sit in waiting rooms, but that’s the only time I use mine.
My favorite books are my art books. I have some that are how-to’s, trying to teach me watercolor techniques, for example, or how to draw feathers. (I haven’t mastered either of those things, but I LOVE to see what others have done and dream of one day getting closer to doing a bit of it myself.
I have a few books that are illustrated books – I guess for children – but they called to me. I love the creativity and the skill employed in these. They make the stories and characters come alive for children and adults, like me, alike.
My idea of a perfect ‘old-folks home’ is beds with large pillows in a library. Everyone would have headphones attached to their playlist of favorite music. Sweet animals of all kinds would visit the residents freely. Food and drink would be available, plus a playroom with art supplies. Residents who wanted to could help children find books that would delight them, or read to groups. Nice fantasy.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and Trigger – Chicago Tribune
“Trigger” was ridden by Rogers in every one of his motion pictures, finding his own fame in the process. After Trigger died at age 33, his hide was stretched over a plaster likeness and put on display, also reared on two legs, inside the museum. He was mounted, then, not stuffed.
taxidermy-Lonesome George-smithsonianmag.com
I bring this up because, when my husband and I talk of end of life issues, my husband always says he wants me to have HIM ‘stuffed like Trigger and mounted in the living room.’ That would be a form of immortality – I guess – a way to feel as if your life had made a difference to someone.
Some people will be remembered by some special talent – their singing, dancing, writing, creating, building, teaching, entertaining….
Most of us won’t do anything so wonderful that we’ll be remembered by the world for something we have contributed, but that’s okay. If we are remembered from time to time by someone we touched in some way, that’s immortality too.
I think of all the people who have made my life wonderful – my family, my friends, strangers who have taken the time to be extra kind, people I’ve never met, but who have made my heart sing with joy through their talent, who have made me laugh so hard I have trouble catching my breath.
Little means more than living on in someone’s memory and heart.
Good morning. It’s sunny, but only 33 degrees F. out there this morning. This abrupt turn toward winter causes me to want to burrow in, stay under my throw in my recliner in the living room, watching TV or a movie, reading, or zonking out for awhile.
All of my good intentions are deferred, my focus on staying warm, cuddling with my husband and our animals, drinking coffee.
According to the weather folks, it’s supposed to warm up mid week. I’ll plan to try to get out and get the greeting robot at the bottom of our driveway repainted then.
As of this morning I have reached my first weight goal- to regain the 30-pounds-off mark! Can you see the balloons, streamers, confetti? Can you hear the horns? :0)
My next goal will be 5 more pounds down. This sounds doable – thanks to Maria – who suggested I break down my goals into doable chunks, rather than looking at the entirety.
My husband loves me. We celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary last June. Neither of us is easy to live with, but we have had the great opportunity to build and share our lives – a priceless treasure. I have to tell you that things get more challenging as we age, but the love that brought us together back in the Dark Ages, when I was 14 and he was 17, remains strong. It’s us against the world. We can still make each other laugh, and he can still melt me into a puddle.
Although we lost our precious daughter, Jade, when she was two months old to SIDS, we won the lottery on sons. There is no greater joy than to see a child grow up, make their own way, be happy, and still be very, very close, respecting each other as people, enjoying whatever time we can spend together. Our son has chosen to live and work in Thailand. We don’t seem him physically very often because it costs a fortune for all the flights and he spent a full 24 hours getting to us the last time. Happily, he arranged a secure chat program that we use on a daily basis, sharing thoughts, questions, pictures, etc. He also arranged a conference call program where we can see each other and talk and laugh real time. I LOVE seeing his face, his smile.
My husband and I are retired, so we can spend most of our days as we like – a real quality of life issue. We enjoy new found fun of creating yard art together, plus mailbox decorations, plus stained glass together. We are very different people, not even using the same salt – but we truly enjoy ‘fighting’ over what we want to make next, figuring out how to make it happen, what colors to use. and more.
I can indulge my love of trying to grow flowers and veggies. I love it when the weather is such that I can spend time outside puttering around, celebrating successes, learning from failures.
I can lose myself playing in my art room – a chance to try new techniques with a large trash can alongside. :0) I have the luxury of showing the better things on my page on Etsy
The days aren’t long enough to do all I would like to. I’m constantly deciding what I would like to do next, knowing I’ll run out of time or energy before I want to.
I have the luxury to wile away time enjoying a new thing – for example, I think I’ve told you that I love finding things on Pinterest. I’m a sucker for clips of America’s (or any other country) Got Talent. Today I found Brian Justin Crum. This man can blow you away with his voice.
I didn’t become unexpectedly rich this week in money – but in all other ways, I’m flying high. :0)
I have always enjoyed the month of April. “Ray and Sarah” make it an even better month. :0)
It is only the third of April and already it’s shaping up to be a much better month for us.
My husband and I both received our second COVID vaccinations last Monday.
My spring veggie garden is in and seems to be doing well so far. I have planted Butter Crunch Leaf Lettuce, head lettuce, spinach, crookneck yellow squash, zucchini, cabbage, and broccoli. I will be adding radishes and celery starts to the main garden in the next day or two. We also have two planters with tomato plants.
We have a nice group of contractors replacing the back porch ceiling, installing some new shutters to replace some that fell off the front of the house two stories up, and sealing the place in the roof soffit squirrels had gotten inside and raised havoc. The combined project should be finished Monday by the end of the day. They are on Home Advisor and the name of the company is Safe Elite Transformations.
Continuing our fight with the gremlins that have been plaguing us – my husband was able to fix the riding mower – twice, due to two different problems – and got the lawn mowed. He also was able to get the push around weed whacker running and did some of the heavier weed whacking.
I weed whacked in the front and then used the leaf blower to clean things up. I’ll do the back today.
I will use the opportunity of the fluorescent light fixtures and ceiling fan being down from the back porch ceiling and see if I can clean them up a bunch before it’s time to put them back up.
Either the guys will paint the rest of the wood on the back porch or I will do it myself once this project is finished.
Today would have been my parents’ 79th wedding anniversary. (My dad would have been 103 this year and my mom 100). I think of them often. I was very lucky in my choice of parents. I have so many wonderful memories. :0)
So things are definitely improving around here since April started. I hope that a new leaf has been turned over and that we can continue making progress on what seemed like an endless list of things that HAVE to be done ASAP.
I’ve been taught that to think of yourself first is selfish. We didn’t talk about it that much that I remember, but somehow I felt guilty even considering what I wanted. Now that I’m older and supposedly wiser, I think that making yourself a priority and meeting your own needs is important, if not essential, to then reaching out and helping others. I admit I’m still ambivalent, feeling a twinge as I typed the last sentence, but I think that when you are hurting, it takes up all the oxygen in the room, no matter how hard you try to move past it and carry on.
I always have a long to-do list. Only in the last several months have I listed my time on the elliptical trainer in the garage and my yoga practice as “priorities” for the day, rather than merely included on the list as “shoulds” IF the time and energy are found when the other things are done. The same thinking has applied to the idea of including some FUN in my day – even if only a little bit of time – done when the ‘important’ things had been accomplished.
Even if it’s “selfish,” I am now actively considering what I want.
I’m considering it a priority to eat right – but to also enjoy any splurges with gusto.
It’s a priority to keep moving, doing ‘regular’ exercises or work outside, or talking a walk, or SOMETHING to make me as strong and healthy as possible.
I’m consciously making time each day to do something that brings me joy, whether it be reading a favorite book, playing in my art room, enjoying the good weather outside, learning something new, reaching out to a friend, etc.
I’m trying to push the ‘shoulds” to the bottom of my to-do list. If I can check one off, that’s great, but not of the highest priority anymore.
I’m working at trying to alleviate stress – something that has been taking up a lot of time and effort lately. A favorite quote is “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are”. (Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt)
My sweet daffodils which shot spears of green up around the well house in anticipation of glorious blooming are now dull and frozen-looking. I don’t know if the plants will bounce back now that temperatures are warming and the snow is melting, but I hope so.
I am trying to get some seeds started for my raised bed, square foot garden. I have read a bunch, but really have no clue what I’m doing. I used a seed tray starter kit, filling it with seed starter medium, planting some seeds and marking them, sprinkling some fertilizer, spraying them carefully with water and covering them with a transparent cover. They have been sitting on the dining area table, the best place for getting whatever sun there is.
I planted spinach, lettuce, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and green peppers. When I saw that some had sprouted, I took the transparent lid off. I have been turning the tray each day, trying to provide equal sun and encourage the sweet little sprouts to grow up straight. Some sprouting has been good. Some of the seeds haven’t done anything.
I would love it if I end up with some nice plants to put out in the garden when the time is right, but the biggest thing for me at this point is the HOPE. The PROMISE of spring. The CHANCE of new life, The ANTICIPATION of being able to play in the dirt again sometime reasonably soon.
I hope that you are seeing – or creating – some signs of spring wherever you are.
The forecast shows a slow warming trend here, so maybe we’ll be able to find our driveway in the coming days! I am hoping that I can convince my husband to wait at least until tomorrow afternoon before trying to negotiate our way down to the street that runs in front of our house.
Our microwave finally gave up the ghost, so this spoiled lady has been having to get off her duff and do some cooking, rather than simply heating up delicious, healthy frozen meals from REAL FOOD and STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’ in Greenwood.
Yesterday I cooked a chuck roast in the crock pot all afternoon. We had some of that, plus some rice, gravy, and peas. I am planning to spoon out some of the leftovers into oven containers to heat up for tonight.
I am learning to be careful what I gripe about! Not long ago I was griping because I wanted some comfort food to help us through the ice and snow we’ve had for about 3 weeks now. At that point I was taking my microwave for granted. NOW that has all changed.
In times like these, we learn what a great life we have and how VERY much we have to be thankful for. We cancelled Lunch Bunch for today. Yesterday I talked to one of my Lunch Bunch friends. Not only was she snowed in, but her main water pipe had burst and she was waiting for the plumber to come and try to repair it. Plus my heart truly goes out to the people suffering in Texas. I gripe about small annoyances while they try to get warm and find SOMETHING to eat.
Diets, extra lardage, and inconveniences, such as the lack of a microwave don’t even get on the bottom rung of what is important right now. May we all get through this winter so we can enjoy the promise of spring.
I am in the middle of a re-read of book # 47 (of 51) of the J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) In Death series before diving into the newest one to come out in paperback.
I’m lucky because reading is such a large part of my life.
My parents started teaching me to read when I was very young, exasperated that my mom, dad, and brother were all engrossed in a book, a crossword puzzle, and a comic book while I sat in the middle of the living room bored out of my mind. I looked from one to the other and finally said, in a loud voice, “I wish to HELL I could read!” Instead of beating my rear for the language, my mom got one of my books, sat on the floor with me, and began to change my life.
I became a teacher, earning my Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist, using my guitar to help my sweet students learn phonics so that they had the tools to sound out unfamiliar words on their own. (That, and other things the public school frowned on, led me to start my own reading clinic, teaching students from kindergarten to adults who needed missing parts filled in so they understood what they needed to do to make sense of things.) We never actually made a profit, so I had to move on after 3-1/2 years to make money to help support our family.
After going through the school system myself, and then, particularly while earning my Masters while working full time, I lost my love for reading. I would find myself reading the newspaper, a magazine, or a paperback book as if I would be tested on it when I finished, the tension gathering in my neck and shoulders. It took me awhile, but finally I was able to relax again and simply dive in to learn something new, share someone else’s experience, or just dream.
Now I can’t imagine trying to live without reading. I find it difficult to name something else that changed my life for the better as much. It has saved my sanity – I THINK :0).
I am lucky to have several authors that I consider so wonderful I want to enter the worlds they have created over and over. Each time I do that, I find something I missed or have forgotten that enriches me, deepens my appreciation or understanding, fills my heart again.
I hope that you, too, are surrounded by people who share their expertise and creativity with you through their writing.
This is my favorite time each year, where my husband is FOUR years older than I. This all changes when I add another year in March, but for now until then, I smile. I think it’s quite endearing that he reaches all the hard birthdays before I do, thereby making it much easier for me.
We had a really nice birthday celebration yesterday. I basically just went with the flow, doing whatever he wanted to do. He particularly liked the pineapple upside-down cake, so that felt really good. He ate two pieces!
Today we (at least “I” ) am back to our eating-good-food-with-portion-control eating plan. My husband wants to eat more of the cake – and I think he should feel free to do that. He is at his goal weight now. His blood sugar is under good control right now – and it IS his birthday week.
We preordered more meals from REAL FOOD in Greenwood last night and will pick up our meals on Monday.
For Reading Addicts via Cathy Ruggiero
I have sold over half of my paperback collection of Janet Evanovich books now. It’s a bit bittersweet because I like her writing and her sense of humor, but I’ve read each one of these twice or more and it’s time to share the wealth. We’ve sold two books so far today that we’ll mail at the post office later. I will try to get another shelf cleaned out today.
My decluttering/purging project of the moment is to combine my collections on the shelves in my bedroom, plus the ones in our guest room. I don’t know if I can make that much free space in my bedroom, but that’s the goal.
I hope you have a nice Thursday planned. If not, I hope for something wonderful to surprise you. :0)
We have now eaten two frozen meals from REAL FOOD in Greenwood. 964 East Center Street, Greenwood, AR 72936. (479) 414-6337.
We liked last night’s meal – “Home Fries, Roasted Chicken, Bacon and Cheese” even better than the first night’s, and that’s saying a lot. :0)
I have asked the owner if she would consider posting at least ball park estimates of nutritional information on the website so that we can try to plan around the one GLORIOUS meal we’re eating each day. (We are doing a combination of intermittent fasting and very light lunches. If we have a snack, it’s a keto-type one.) This afternoon the choices for the coming week should be posted.
I’m also going to concentrate on my exercising more, now that our weather is cooling off a bit. I’m aiming for elliptical trainer in the morning and yoga stretches in the afternoon, with as much walking in-between as I can get in.
Our last BistroMD meal last night was Salmon. It was mostly edible, but my husband and I both used lots of tartar sauce. (Usually I don’t use anything except maybe a squeeze of lemon on salmon, so I was really disappointed). Neither of us could identify the side veggie, but we each took one bite and that was it. I just looked it up online and it was eggplant with 5 spices. (Maybe it would have been better if they had used 6.) We are in celebratory mode now because we are moving on. (We still have some snacks from both South Beach and BistroMD, but time will tell if we are hungry enough to eat them.)
Today I will cook some pork chops. We will have a side salad and a celebration of small portions of black eyed peas with onion. We will eat half of this tonight and the other half tomorrow. Monday we pick up our order from Real Food. I’m eager to try that.
As with so many things, their competitor has already sprung up in Greenwood. It’s called, Stu’s Clean Cookin’. I was impressed with the ad in the paper. They list calories, fat, carbs, and protein for each meal listed. They identified some as “low carb,” “contains dairy,” and “contains gluten.” I like that.
So – just as we needed them, we have TWO nice companies preparing frozen meals we can try! I will be doing a lot of label reading. I plan to at least have several meal options available in the freezer while trying to get back into the swing of meal planning for keto eating.
Tonight we eat the last meal from BistroMD. This program was not a good match for us, and we are happy to be able to move on. Sad to say, I didn’t lose any weight over the past week – just held my own. (I didn’t get any taller, either.
If I grew about 5 inches, I would be in MUCH better shape. I have a massage next week and will encourage my wonderful therapist to redouble her efforts to pull on my head, legs, and arms enough that my problem might eventually go away. :0)Â (One can dream….)
We are looking forward to a week off. We have ordered some hand-prepared frozen meals from Real Food in Greenwood. We will pick up our order Monday. Some of our Lunch Bunch friends say their food is delicious!  In the future, we will do a combination of keto meals and meals from Real Food – if we like it – concentrating on portion control, good choices, and exercise. Fingers crossed.
Our BistroMD first week’s food was delivered yesterday afternoon. The package warned of dry ice, but it was all melted. The food seemed to be good and cold, though.
One thing that is different from the other plans we have tried is that they want you to take out the food for the next day, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge to thaw slowly. I do that with meat, chicken, and fish, anyway, but this is the first time we have done it with frozen dinners.
Our first meal was dinner last night. My husband had “Beef Stroganoff” and I had “Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken.”  These are both from the Diabetic Menu, since we are both trying to avoid any added sugar.
We both thought our dinners were OKAY, and certainly better than the South Beach frozen stuff. (We both had really LIKED the “White Bean Chicken Chili” and “Cheeseburger Soup” in tiny bowls from South Beach for lunch and dinner, though, so we don’t want to rush to judgment. We may still be in withdrawal from finishing those.) This is more nutritious than what we have been eating lately, with the veggies being included in the meal, rather than depending on the customer to add good choices as a side. The Beef Stroganoff included mushrooms, and broccoli, with linguini. The Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken included carrots and a barley salad with spinach, red onions, and slivered almonds.
A drawback, as far as I am concerned, is that they did not have a keto eating plan choice. Since my husband has Type II diabetes, though, and my goal is to simply lose the lard in the most healthy way I can, this is certainly worth a try. It looks like they are arranging the day’s food to be around 1000-1200 calories. I am hopeful these good people can help us lose the lard and eat healthy.
I was able to do my yoga stretching yesterday for the first day since I got bitten/stung by the ants last week, and I’m planning to do that, plus a good amount of yard work today as my exercise.
creativeartworksblog 