Share Your Shelf-July

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we've read the month prior. Here's what I read in July-

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff-

I loved this one. This is the author's second novel and I love her writing. Her first novel The Bright Years was also really good, but I liked this one more. 

An emotional family drama that begins with a house on fire, both literally and figuratively. Leo and April Torres flee their burning home with their two small children and the problems of their troubled marriage. They set up temporary living in April's childhood home with her parents whom they adore. I don't want to say too much more about the plot as this is a book that unfolds gradually, in a way that feels natural and satisfying to the reader. 

The novel is told from the perspectives of both April and Leo as well as April's mother Deb. The characters are complex and woven together in a way that's tender and moving. Themes of abandonment, caregiving, parenting, forgiveness, the meaning of home, and lasting love are all part of this well written novel. 

Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  

Set in Australia and told in a dual timeline format, this is the story of Mabel at age 81, and of the child and adolescent Mabel, as told from her point of view. At the age of fifteen Mabel was the youngest Australian to be convicted of murder. 

In the present day, when Mabel's elderly neighbor dies in his kitchen and she discovers the body, she is once again thrust into the spotlight and once again becomes the object of much unwanted attention and suspicion. When a pair of Youtube journalists approach Mabel with an offer to tell her story she accepts. She hopes that by telling her story in her own words she'll put the attention to rest. 

I enjoyed this one a lot, there are some unexpected pieces to the story, humor mixed with sadness, and overall I found it to be a great read. 

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck

Travels With Charley was one of the books mentioned in The Correspondent, and I've been working my way through the the 40 or so titles mentioned in that novel that I hadn't previously read. This was one of them. In fact, I'd never heard of this particular book, although I've read a lot of Steinbeck.  

In 1960 author John Steinbeck drove a customized camper truck he named Rocinante (a nod to Don Quixote) approximately 10,000 miles around the outer edges of the US of A. His traveling companion was a standard poodle named Charley. 

Steinbeck's purpose in taking the road trip was to reconnect with real Americans and the landscape of a country he felt he'd lost touch with in recent years. He explains that much of what he knew of America was specific to major cities and he wanted to really earn the title 'American author'. 

The book reads like a travelogue and leaves you wanting a road trip, although maybe not one that lasts 75 days. After finishing the book I discovered there are some elements of fiction (maybe embellishement is a better word) added for the sake of making it more readable, but I didn't mind that. 

The book is engaging and in some ways dated, but not so much that it's not enjoyable. 

Share Your Shelf-May/June

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we've been reading. I had a busy spring, draining in many ways, so didn't read as much as I would have liked. I didn't post my May books so am lumping them in with June in today's post. Here we go-

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

A somewhat confusing fictional tale that follows author Grady Green after his wife, Abby, disappears on the very night his newly published novel reaches the bestseller list. A year later, he's gifted a stay on a remote Scottish island, where nothing is quite as it seems. Grady becomes convinced he's seen Abby, despite believing she's dead. The story unfolds through alternating perspectives, with chapters told from both Grady's and Abby's points of view.

This is the kind of psychological thriller that's incredibly popular right now, but it's not a style I particularly enjoy. The story started off strong, and I was genuinely excited to see where it was going. Unfortunately, the second half completely lost me. 

This was my book club's June pick, and while some members really enjoyed it, we all found ourselves scratching our heads as we tried to connect the dots and make sense of what had actually happened.  

Like Mother Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight

Billed as a domestic thriller, and I'd say the description fits. NYU student Cleo arrives home to find her seemingly perfect mother, Kat, missing and blood on the kitchen floor. As the police search for Kat, Cleo begins investigating on her own. In the process, she uncovers secrets about her mother's past, including her childhood in a series of foster homes before being placed at a home for teens called Haven House, as well as the truth about her current job as a fixer for a powerful corporate law firm.

The story is told through alternating first-person perspectives from both Cleo and Kat, with news articles and therapy transcripts woven throughout. I was drawn into the mystery from the very beginning, and with so many possible suspects, the story kept me guessing until almost the very end.

I enjoyed this one. It's a fast-paced, engaging domestic thriller with plenty of twists. 

Lost, Found, Kept: A Memoir by Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

I went to high school with the author and when her book was released several months ago she let us know on our class Facebook page. Our high school was huge and we weren't close friends back then, but everyone knew everyone at least a little bit, and it's been fun reconnecting with classmates-turned-adults online. 

I found the topic intriguing and added the Audible version to my library right away. I didn't get around to listening until this past weekend, and found the book well-written and the story gripping. I listened start to finish in almost one sitting.  

When her fiercely independent, aging mother is involved in an accident and suddenly needs help, the author returns to the childhood home she has not set foot in for more than two decades. There, she discovers the staggering extent of her mother's hoarding and is faced not only with the daunting task of emptying the house, but also with confronting long held family secrets and the pain of her past.

Told with gentle yet unflinching honesty, Lost Found Kept reads like fiction. Kossman's voice is compassionate and engaging,  drawing readers into both the literal and emotional mess as she navigates grief, memory, and the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters.

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

When Kim, a photography teacher living in Melbourne, Australia, is approached by a man who claims she may be the victim of a U.S. child kidnapping case from 26 years earlier, her life is thrown into turmoil. As she investigates the striking connections, it becomes increasingly apparent that she could be the missing toddler, Sammy Went. Desperate for answers, she travels to the small town of Manson, Kentucky, determined to uncover the truth.

I expected this to be more of a mystery, but it leans instead toward a story of family dysfunction and the fallout from that. Parts of the plot felt cliche to me, so I didn't love it. I did want to see the mystery unraveled so stuck with it, and was rewarded with a twist I hadn't anticipated. 

 

The Shepherd's Life:A People's History of the Lake District  by James Rebanks

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I have a bit of a love affair with the English countryside. A book about a sheep farmer set in England's Lake District? Yes, please.

Born in 1974, the author grew up on a small sheep farm owned by his grandfather and worked by both his father and grandfather. In this memoir, he chronicles a year in the life of a traditional sheep farmer in northern England. Organized by season, the book captures both the harsh realities and the quiet beauty of farming in the Lake District.

Throughout the book, the author defends the increasingly rare way of life of upland sheep farming. He writes about his determination to remain connected to his family's heritage, preserve the landscape, and pass down generations of agricultural knowledge and traditions to his own children.

This won't be a book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It's a slow, thoughtful read rather than one to race through in a single sitting. It offers a glimpse into a way of life that's completely different from my own, and now I need a trip to the English countryside.

Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea 

This book was excellent, but it's also incredibly heavy. A sense of sadness lingers throughout the entire story, making it an emotionally intense read. I don't usually include content warnings in my reviews, but the rape scene is especially difficult to read. Despite that, the writing is beautiful, the characters are richly developed, and I was completely invested in the story. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Set on Summit Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the novel unfolds in a place that seems far too beautiful and peaceful to be the setting for such a horrific crime. Becca Eckersley, a first-year law student and the daughter of a powerful attorney, has been brutally murdered, leaving the police with more questions than answers.

Investigative journalist Kelsey Castle, still recovering from a violent assault of her own, arrives in Summit Lake to uncover the truth behind Becca's vicious rape and murder. As she digs deeper, she's drawn into a tangled web of secrets and what feels like a cover-up of some sort.

I really enjoyed the structure of the novel. The chapters are short, which kept the story moving at a great pace, and the narrative alternates between two perspectives. We follow Becca in the months leading up to her death and Kelsey in the present as she investigates the case. Through Becca's perspective, we also get to know her college friends, and those flashbacks add depth to both the mystery and the characters. Altogether, it made for a compelling and engrossing read.

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

This checks two boxes in terms of my current reading goals, as it's both a classic and one of the titles mentioned in The Correspondent. 

To the Lighthouse is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf, and centers on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. 

The story centers on the Ramsay family and their guests during visits to their summer home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Much of the novel focuses on the characters' inner thoughts and emotions rather than external events. A planned trip to a nearby lighthouse is delayed, and over the years the family experiences loss, change, and the effects of time. When they finally make the journey to the lighthouse, the trip symbolizes acceptance, reconciliation, and the enduring power of memory.

The novel is known for its stream-of-consciousness style and its exploration of themes such as time, perception, family, art, and the search for meaning.

I say it with every classic I read, but the writing in these novels always feels so elevated. When I sit down to summarize the plot, it often seems as though not much actually happened, yet that isn't how the novel feels while I'm reading it. It's rich with depth and emotion, and leaves me with plenty to think about.

If you've read something you loved recently send it my way. Share Your Shelf is hosted by Joanne (Slices of Life) and Dara (Not In Jersey) , so hop over there for some recommendations and reviews and to add your own books to the link. 

Happy 4th everyone! 

Share Your Shelf-April

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we read the month prior. Between all the blogging and all the life-living, I didn't read as much as I would have liked. Here's how April looked-

The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

This was our book club selection for May and I mostly enjoyed it. The author normally writes contemporary romantic fiction, and she couldn't quite get away from that style as much as she needed to in this book. Overall though an interesting read about a historical figure previously unknown to me. Here's a bit of trivia for you-George Washington asked to be a pall bearer at her funeral. 

The Indigo Girl is a work of historical fiction based on real life horticulturalist Eliza Lucas, who learns  how to grow and extract dye from indigo plants on her family's South Carolina plantation. 

Eliza is sixteen when her father leaves her in charge of his three South Carolina plantations. Her father was mortgaging the properties to further his military career and soon her family is in danger of losing everything. When Eliza learns how much the French are willing to pay for indigo dye she thinks this might be the answer she's looking for. 

Eliza finds allies in an aging horticulturalist, a married gentleman lawyer and a slave with whom she makes a dangerous deal. He'll teach her how to make the 1000 year old dye and in return she'll break the law and teach him to read. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I continue to try for a classic each month and in April it was Jane Eyre. My favorite thing about reading these classic novels is the precision of the language and the deliberate word choice.  That alone usually makes me bump up my rating, and while this novel met that criteria the storyline here wasn't my favorite. My daughter told me she read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys which is something like a prequel to Jane Eyre and she liked that much better. 

The novel Jane Eyre follows an orphaned girl, Jane, who endures a harsh childhood before becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall. There she falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester, but discovers he's hiding a dark secret that upends their relationship. 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 

This is an older book (1989), one that was extremely popular when it was released, yet somehow I missed it. I had a one year old in 1989 so Goodnight Moon was likely more my speed. 

The Remains of the Day won The Booker Prize that same year, and was made into a feature film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. This is also one of the books mentioned in The Correspondent and I'm working my way through that list this year. 

The story is told in the first-person narration of an English butler named Stevens. Stevens lives and has worked as a butler for more than thirty years in a stately home called Darlington Hall. In 1956 he takes a road trip from Darlington Hall to the west country of England, with his primary purpose being a visit to Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper who left twenty years earlier to get married. 

Stevens has received a letter from Miss Kenton, and believes it hints that her marriage is failing and she might like to return to her post as housekeeper. Though Stevens never says so outright, the reader knows without a doubt he has held on to repressed romantic feelings for Miss Kenton. 

Much of the novel is comprised of Stevens's memories of his work as a butler during and just after WWII.  He's an  unreliable narrator who lies to himself most of all, yet he's also a likable character which is not an easy balance for an author to achieve. 

Upon Lord Darlington's death the  house is sold to an American gentleman (Mr. Farraday) and Stevens realizes he is unable to interact with his new employer in the way  Mr. Farraday would like. He needs to learn to banter. 

"Perhaps it is indeed time I began to look at this whole matter of bantering more enthusiastically. After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a foolish thing to indulge in-particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth." from The Remains of the Day 

The voice of the butler never wears on the reader and the writing is exquisite. Stevens is stoic and ever proper in word and deed, but it's what's left unsaid that feels so profound. Feelings of regret, of love lost or missed altogether are written about in a way that's subtle, but the reader feels them nonetheless.  

The novel is quiet and moves at a very gentle pace. I liked that. It's not anything like most of what we read today, and while not a lot actually happens, the story is poignant. When I turned that last page the emotion lingered. 

This won't be everyone's cup of tea (pun intended) but it's definitely mine. Five stars for me. 

'What is pertinent is the calmness of beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, it's own greatness, and feels no need to shout it." Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day 

Hop over to (Slices of Life) or (Not In Jersey) to see what others are reading. 

A Bookish Post

Sometimes a letter in the April A-Z blog challenge lands on just the right day and today is one of those. It's the first Thursday of the month and I usually share what I've read the month prior on this date, joining Joanne (Slices of Life) and Dara (Not In Jersey) for Share Your Shelf. 

Conveniently my word of the day going along with my theme of The Things We Keep is books. 

 Day 2-B is for Books 

I used to buy a lot of books, but it's rare these days I actually purchase one. I love the public library and that's mostly the way I read. I also subscribe to Audible because we're on the road a lot and I like to have something to listen to when I drive. 

I don't typically hang on to novels unless they have some special meaning. I have some here on my bookshelves that guests can pick up if they're so inclined, but usually I read and then pass them on. 

Most of the books I hold on to are older and spark a memory. 

Many relate to travel. 

We've traveled a lot and I love buying books, coffee table or otherwise, from the places we visit. When we lived abroad I especially loved getting my hands on the DK Eyewitness Guides to various cities and countries we were visiting. Seeing them lined up on my book shelf makes me smile still. 

I have a lot of books that would fall under the category of 'religious' too, commentaries, Bible Study aides, lots of topical books, and these I hold on to because I sometimes want to refer back to them or because they taught me something. I have the Bible I was given when I was nine years old and its another book treasure I hold on to. It's the KJV so not my go-to on the daily, plus the cover is coming apart, but I won't part with it. 

I have a collection of children's books too, many of which belonged to my girls when they were little that I now read to my grandchildren. Some of the series we owned I've passed on to them to have in their own homes, but it's nice to have books here to read when there are littles in the house. 

I'm so glad my girls both love to read, and sometimes one of us will tell the others they need to read a particular book because it must be talked about with someone asap. Part of the fun of reading for me is talking about the book with other readers when I'm through. 

I think books are meant to be shared. But! There are some books that hold the memory of a place in time, or the person who gave it to me, read it to me, or lived it with me, that I cherish and those books are for keeps. 

Now let's talk about what I read in March, all from the local library-

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 

I feel like I was on the wait list for this one forever, but finally snagged a copy and read it in a day and a half. Then I gave it to my daughter and she read it in a day. And, my younger daughter also happened to be reading it at the same time too. I was a little worried that by the time I read this one I'd find it over hyped, but that was not the case at all. Five stars for me. 

Such a wonderfully original story told in the form of letters written by a woman who had a successful career in law and now spends her days corresponding with all manner of people-family members, authors, corporations, university deans and more. I loved it. 

I'm not going to spoil anything for those who haven't read it yet (I definitely recommend), but in her letters to various people she and the recipient of the letter often share what book they happen to be reading. This appealed to me, and I found a list of the books mentioned. My plan is to read them all. Most are well known, some are classics, and there are about forty in total. As it happens I've read quite a few on the list already, but I'm going to see if I can get to them all. 

Also, read The Correspondent. So good! 

Bel Canto by Anne Patchett

This is one of the novels mentioned in The Correspondent and since I like Anne Patchett's writing and hadn't read this one I thought I'd start here. It was published in 2001. 

I loved this book. Ann Patchett writes beautifully and her characters are fully known.The novel is very loosely based on an actual event, when terrorists took over the Japanese ambassador's residence in Peru in 1996/1997. I didn't remember that happening so it didn't impact my reading, but there are some who have strong feelings about basing a novel on the incident. 

Bel Canto (beautiful singing) tells the story of a group of party goers taken hostage in an unnamed South American country. The group were guests in the Vice-President's home where a birthday party was being held for a wealthy Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa. The world renowned and much loved soprano, Roxanne Coss, was also there as the invited entertainment. Mr. Hosokawa has a love of opera, and the voice of Roxanne Coss in particular. 

Terrorists storm the party with a plan to kidnap the country's president, not realizing he was a no-show at the event. They now have a large group of captives, and end up releasing all but the wealthiest men and also Miss Coss, so are left with about 50 in total. 

The hostages are held for four months and in that time bonds are formed, relationships develop, and above all we see music connect people very different from one another. 

The Engine House by Rhys Dylan 

I think there are about twenty books in the series featuring this same detective and I plan to read more. This one came out in 2021 and had been on my Goodreads list ever since. I need to read a good mystery now and then and this fit the bill. 

A landslide on the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales reveals the remains of two bodies, and as a result DCI Evan Warlow is called out of quiet retirement back in to police work. He was the original investigator on the case of the missing persons eight years prior. 

He's working with a new young team now, and carries the burden of wondering what he might have missed in his earlier investigation. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, plus the Welsh coastline makes the perfect backdrop for this slightly dark, atmospheric mystery. 

James by Percival Everett 

This is a reimagining of The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn told from the point of view of Jim, an escaped slave. In this telling Jim becomes the central figure and we hear about his experiences as a slave, and his life as he journeys down the Mississippi.   

I revisited Huck Finn last month in anticipation of reading this one, and I liked having read the two close together. The first half of James follows the Huck Finn storyline pretty closely, but then takes a very different turn a little more than halfway through. 

While I enjoyed the story it felt like something was missing. The women were not given enough attention (based on the little bit we are told there should have been more) and there was a depth of emotion overall that I was missing. Still a clever flip on a classic tale. 

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox

A debut novel that kept me reading til the very end. At times it felt like a YA novel, but it was still a very good read. Party of Liars is described as a psychological thriller with a broad audience. The plot centers around a death that occurs at an over the top sweet sixteen party in the Texas hill country. 

Sophie Matthews wealthy father (and his young second wife) are throwing a huge party to celebrate her big day in their supposedly haunted mansion. There's a large cast of characters, and the whodunit aspect of this one kept me guessing.  The story is told using multiple points of view, which in this instance I really enjoyed. The author has another book releasing in July (Pretty Dead Things) and I'll definitely read that too. 

Share Your Shelf-February

Hello friends. It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we've read the month prior. The link to join or to see what others are reading is hosted by Joanne (Slices of Life) and Dara (Not In Jersey).  

Here's how my February looked-

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I've been reading (or re-reading as the case sometimes is) a classic piece of literature every month and this month it was Huck Finn. I chose this one because my book club is reading the Pulitzer Prize winning James by Percival Everett in March, and the stories are related. I've been told you can read James having never read Huck Finn, but I thought it might be a good time to revisit this American classic. 

First things first...I listened to this one on Audible. It's narrated by the actor Elijah Wood who does an excellent job. That being said, I'd forgotten about how often the 'not nice' word is said in this book, and hearing it said aloud many times over was jarring. So there's that. 

At the start of the narration there is a little spiel about the times in which this book was written, the accents and language, the saltiness if you will, but the first time that word rolls off the narrators tongue you're shocked. Or at least I was. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is told in the first person and the tale is known for it's very colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. It's set in 1840's Missouri and begins where Tom Sawyer ended. Huck has faked his own death/murder to escape his abusive father and he soon reunites with Old Jim, an escaped slave. The pair decide to float down the river to the town of Cairo Illinois, a freed slave settlement,  but of course they run into more than a few problems and adventures along the way. 

It took me a couple of chapters to get in to the flow of the storytelling as Twain wrote this in vernacular English and I had to really concentrate to follow it at first. Quickly though I was caught up in the story and am glad I revisited this one before diving in to my book club selection. James is the same story but told from the slave Jim's point of view so it will be interesting to compare. I've just started that one so will share my thoughts on that next month. 

The Museum Of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

I liked this one, although it got off to a very slow start for me. I loved this author's book Honor, and while this one wasn't quite as good, it was still an engaging read, particularly once the plot picked up.

Which I'm gonna say was almost too late.  

Remy Wadia left India for the US, taking with him a barrel of resentment directed towards his cold and sometimes cruel mother. He married an American woman and has kept his distance from his mother and homeland ever since.  Now he's returned to Bombay with plans to adopt a baby from a young pregnant girl, and to see his elderly mother once more. She's in the hospital and has completely stopped talking. 

Remy is overwhelmed with guilt for not realizing how serious her illness had become and he devotes himself to her recovery before planning his return trip home to America. In searching for something in his mother's home he stumbles across an old photograph that needs an explanation. Family secrets are revealed, and Remy finds himself reexamining his entire childhood and the relationship he thought he understood with his parents. 

I gave it three stars because I felt like I was two-thirds through before I was invested in the plot. 

This Book Made Me Think Of You by Libby Page

I loved this one. An original plot, and a tender read I finished in mostly one sitting. 

Five months after her husband Joe dies Tilly Nightingale receives an unexpected gift. Before his death Joe had arranged with a local bookseller to give Tilly a book a month for that first year she'll spend without him. There's also a letter of encouragement to go along with each book, and I especially loved the way the author didn't rush or minimize the grieving. Really well written. 

Through the gifted books Tilly finds her way through grief and loss, finds courage to step out of her comfort zone, and along the way discovers new things about herself while also getting reacquainted with the person she was prior to her husband's death. Four big stars for me. 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy 

Emphasis on the word dark. Why is this book so popular? I don't think Reese Witherspoon and I have the same taste in books lol. This is one of her book club picks, and  I started to mark it DNF, but knew there was a twist coming and was curious enough to see it to the bitter end. Eh. 

I've heard it described as an atmospheric eco-thriller and honestly if I'd heard that before reading I would for sure have passed it by. The seed bank topic was a little bit interesting, and such a thing does exist (there's one in Norway designed to protect biodiversity in the case of a worldwide catastrophe) but the author got a little preachy and it went a bit strange for me. The twist was definitely twisty, just not enough for me to give this one more than three stars. 

The plot follows the Salt family (dad Dominic and his three children-Fen, Raff, and Orly) living as the last inhabitants of a remote island near the coast of Antarctica (Shearwater). They've been given the task of protecting the world's largest seed bank, and now tides are rising and the island is being evacuated. Researchers who had also been on the island working have already left, and the family is charged with packaging up the seeds for transport off the island. 

In the middle of this work, there's a terrible storm and a woman (Rowan) washes ashore beaten up from her voyage and barely alive. Rowan isn't completely truthful about why she's there and the family might just be keeping a few secrets of their own. 

It sounds pretty good doesn't it? And parts of it were, but overall it was not for me. 

So what have you been reading lately? Send anything you loved my way please. And I hope there's time for a good book in your day today! 

Marching In To Monday

Good morning friends. What a weekend it has been and I pray for our nation and the world. I pray especially for our troops, for their families, and for God's perfect peace to be over all. Psalm 46:1 tells us 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.' May we turn to Him now. 

Awkward segue here into the ordinary comings and goings of our weekend, but it's a topsy turvy world we're living in, and my blog will be a little topsy turvy too. 

Linking as usual this Monday morning with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books). 

I took very few pics this weekend but it was a busy one nonetheless. Friday morning I worked on the tax organizer and there isn't anyone who would find a picture of that very interesting, is there? I certainly don't. Completing this organizer every year is one of my least favorite tasks. 

I played Mah Jong Friday afternoon and then hubs and I went to a local spot about 5 to check on a reservation we have there next weekend. We wanted to see the space as there will be fourteen of us and we wanted to make sure it was going to work, which it will. We ended up having dinner at the bar and neighbors came in and ended up seated next to us. Small town livin' y'all. 

Saturday morning I was up in the early morning hours to make the two+ hour drive to Atlanta for a baby shower. The shower was at 11:30, but I left extra extra early in order to meet a friend for coffee beforehand. It was wonderful to catch up in person. 

The shower was lovely and who doesn't love celebrating a momma-to-be. The festivities wrapped up around 1:30 and I was back on the road headed home. 

Atlanta traffic, no matter the day or time, is the worst. Carry on. 

I got home about 4:30 and hubs made me a cup of tea while we chatted, then we were back in the car to meet up with friends who are renovating their house. They wanted us to see what all they're doing, and it kind of makes me want to build a house. I mean. not really, but a little bit yes. We got Mexican food afterwards and it was a nice relaxed evening. 

Sunday was a beautiful day. We went to church, then had brunch out afterwards, then made a stop at the grocery to get our pork butts for the coming weekend's BBQ. We'll have hubs mom here to celebrate a big birthday with her great-grandchildren and we'll be doing BBQ for Friday night's dinner. 

The weather was spectacular, sunny with temps in the upper 70's, so I took my book and sat beside the waterfall and read for two hours. 

As an aside, hubs has kept these plants in full bloom in our lower level garage all winter with just a grow light and he pulled them outside today. 

So glad one of us has a green thumb! 

Looks like we'll  have another bumper lemon crop this year. 

As I was closing the book on the very last page friends pulled up to our dock and asked if we wanted to go for a boat ride. 

Yes please. 

They had their two dogs with them and they were dying to get off the boat and into the water. 

We did pull up to a beach at one point and let them run and they were so happy. 

Me too. Sunshine is good for the soul. 

I made a salad for dinner and hubs ate some of the leftover pasta from my Friday night meal, so an easy peasy end to the weekend. 

 As we roll into this next new week may your faith be bigger than your fear.

Jammin'

As in jammin' a lot into a single post because I'm behind here. If you neglect your blog for a few weeks  days life just rolls right on by without comment. Still I'm going to go back and comment. We've had a busy couple of weeks here and I want to catch up. 

Am I always saying that, because it feels like it? 

Backing up to last Friday when we celebrated Mardi Gras with some neighbors. So fun! The hostess grew up in New Orleans and funnily enough the couple who not that long ago moved in next door to them also have roots there. 

The couple hosting made a wonderful New Orleans style meal of gumbo (delicious!), red beans and rice, and shrimp creole. Guests brought a spicy crab dip, a spicy sausage dip, and I made Emeril's creole relish tray with white cheddar crackers which I will definitely be making again. So good! 

Our hosts had a king cake for dessert because I think that's the Mardi Gras law. We ate all but two pieces and guess where the baby was? Not in one of the twelve pieces we cut. Is that considered unlucky? 

Another guest brought some bourbon balls topped with gold glitter and the next door neighbor from NOLA brought homemade pralines for everyone to take home. Si délicieux! We all had a cup of brandy milk punch too, which I'd never tried before, and it was so yummy. 

Hubs and I got up early Saturday morning to make the drive to daughter2's house in Tennessee for Sugar's birthday celebration. She's officially 2 and completely adorable. There was a sweet Minnie Mouse theme and everyone had 'ears' to wear. 

My son-in-law grilled a brisket, and his parents were in town for the weekend too. Friends came by with their little ones and the kids played while the adults chatted. There were of course cupcakes for the birthday girl made by her momma, baker extraordinaire. She even made the edible bows for the ears, which were mini Oreos.

It was low key and perfect for this age. Three dogs were also in attendance and they mostly behaved. 

It was a chilly weekend and we spent most of it indoors watching Olympics with a side of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Sunday the grandparents were left in charge while the parents had a little day date. We let the kids nap maybe a little too long, but everyone was partied out. The kids too lol. 

We watched the Superbowl Sunday night, but were not invested in the teams and overall the game wasn't very exciting. I finished my book club book while listening to the game and my book was much more interesting. 

We drove home Monday morning and were back at the lake by lunchtime. I unpacked, did laundry, then washed my hair to get ready for our monthly wine club dinner happening that evening. 

Never a dull moment. 

Tuesday hubs had his guitar lesson, I made some phone calls and did some paperwork, took a walk, then had book club that afternoon. We read The God Of The Woods and it received mostly positive reviews. I was home for an hour, then back to the clubhouse to play Mah Jong. 

Wednesday morning I was guess where? You guessed it. Back to the clubhouse to help with a Mah Jong lesson. Hubs and I had lunch then we headed to the store. I don't know if you've seen the ads for having a song personalized, but hubs had one written for me and he played it when we got in the car. It's a beautiful song and the lyrics are so so sweet. A truly thoughtful special gift I will treasure. 

After the shopping and errands were done I came home and made sugar cookie dough for Thursday. My granddaughter was coming over for a little while Thursday morning to spend some time with us while her momma ran an errand and I thought it would be fun to make some heart shaped cookies. 

With lots of sprinkles. 

Pink of course. 

After Little Miss and her momma went home hubs and I headed to a friend's house for a welcome home celebration. Our friend has been in the hospital for months following an accident and was finally able to come home on Thursday. Friends and neighbors lined the street, made signs, waved balloons and pompoms, and cheered as they pulled in. It was fabulous. 

There are so many good people in the world loving their neighbors well. Don't let the internet, the news, or the angry loud voices on social media tell you otherwise. 

Everyone left once they were in the driveway as it was a long day and I'm sure overwhelming on many levels. 

We got home and my daughter called and said the boys wanted to come by so we could see the Mancub's school project, and I'm gonna say we are here for it. Living a few miles apart is everything I hoped it would be. 

As soon as they left I showered and changed for a fun author event with a few women from my book club. It was billed as a conversation with two local writers, Shelley Burchfield and Carolyn Newton. Your ticket included light refreshments and a signed copy of one of their books. Both of these women were so engaging and they complemented one another well. 

I hadn't read anything by Carolyn so opted for her novel called Songs Of The Dead Road. It's described as a work of historical fiction about Jan Balik, a Polish composer who uses music to cope with the trauma of WWII, including the loss of family and his time in a Soviet orphanage and labor camp. 

And that brings us to Friday. Or Valentine's Day as we're calling it here. I'm headed out of town on Saturday leaving hubs here to man the fort, so we decided to celebrate a day early. 

By celebrate I mean cooking a nice dinner at home together which we haven't done in a while. 

I jammed a lot in here, but I think you know jammed posts are kinda my jam. Wishing you a weekend filled with the people and things you love. 

Linking today with Friday Favorites hosted by Erika and Andrea