Merry Christmas

I hope everyone who celebrates it had a very Merry Christmas! 

Wordless Wednesday: Pink sunset

Merry Christmas, Baby by Elvis

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Tree

Always Grateful

I LOVE this quote! However, I feel it is important to be grateful every day of the year rather than only the thirty days of November. My children and I keep gratitude logs. We take the time to write something that we are grateful for each day. I am always grateful for my husband, my children, good health and happiness. Then we look at our day and pick something additional that we are grateful for from that day - like the fact taht we went to tap dancing class or saw a gorgeous sunset or a pretty flower bed while out walking. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who will be celebrating today! I am ever so thankful for the gift of my family - immediate and extended - and true friends. Life can be hard sometimes and it is the love and understanding and compassion of support of said family and friends that sees me through. I am most thankful for my husband and our children who bring me joy, love and happiness every single day - even when times are tough. What are you grateful for?

Have a happy day!

Teaser Tuesday: Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce:

He had the expression on his face that I had been watching for months. It was a funny mixture of looking grave and not being able to get on with it. If the war lasted for twenty years, I wasn't sure I would ever get used to that.

Wordless Wednesday: Hufflepuff scarf

Teaser Tuesday: Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce:

I didn't know the answer to lots of the problems but I did know that a kind response was better than nothing. I hated having to throw the letters away.

Joy is Gratitude

Movie night

For a special birthday

Acts of Imagination

"IMAGINE THE SOLUTION AND WORK TO MAKE IT REALITY. WHOLE WORLDS PIVOT ON ACTS OF IMAGINATION."

The Doctor

Series 11

Episode 5

Wordless Wednesday: Beauty

Teaser Tuesday: Cowboy Christmas Jubilee by Dylann Crush

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Cowboy Christmas Jubilee by Dylann Crush:

With Christmas coming up, Kenzie would probably tell Santa she wanted a dog. He'd have to figure out a better excuse to head her off before she made the request. His schedule was barely sane keeping up with Kenzie.

Sunset

Review: Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery

Silver Tesdal owns a portable bar that serves the weddings and many events in Happily Inc. She wants to expand her business and goes to the bank for a loan - where she is turned down. Drew Lovato works for the bank and is in line to take it over but not in time to help Silver now. So he devises a plan that doesn't initially sit well with Silver. The two had a relationship he summer after high school but Silver broke up with Drew before he went to college. Then she found out she was pregnant.

Fast forward over a decade and Drew and Silver are living and working in Happily Inc again. Drew manages to become business partners with Silver. She is reluctant at first but then gives in because what he says business-wise makes sense and she wants to expand. The thing is, they had a child together and Silver kept in touch with her and now she has to share that knowledge with Drew.

There were elements of this book I really liked - the humor, the friendships, the emotions. I also liked Silver and Drew as people but I didn't feel the spark between them as a couple. They had really good moments together but they were supposedly so 'hot' together in the past but it wasn't in their present story.

I like this series and look forward to continuing with it but Silver and Drew's story was so-so for me. 

The Cuckoo's Calling trailer

I want so very much to see this series. I have enjoyed the books (through the third one so far) and I want to see how it adapsts to the screen.

Yay!

Friday!

NaNoWriMo 2018

NaNoWriMo - which stands for National Novel Writing Month - has begun today. This is my tenth year participating in the challenge and I am so very grateful to have found this community of writers. The basis of the challenge is to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel during the month of November. It may sound a little daunting when put that way. So let me say that that equates to 1,667 words per day. There, that's better. :)Here is their website if you fancy giving this a tyr: www.nanowrimo.org

Happy Halloween

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe night!

Teaser Tuesday: The House With the Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from The House With a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs:

"Of course it's real. You saw it didn't you? One of the troubles with human beings is that they can only see out of their eyes."

Gorgeous blooms

Who's the Doctor

Love this!

Halloween photo wall

Gorgeous flowers

Just Breathe

This looks so beautiful and tranquil to me! It has been a crazy week and I needed the reminder to Just Breathe and take things as calmly as possible. 

Wordless Wednesday: Pretty cloths

Teaser Tuesday: Te Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (2)

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith:

"I've told you this before: plenty of people hang around the likes of me to gauge how the investigation's going. They can't leave well enough alone, they feel compelled to keep explaining themselves."

Doctor Who (Series 11) at San Diego ComicCon

Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 4 trailer

Dewey's 24-Hour readathon

We went to a Halloween party this evening and had a great time! Now my kids and I are going to read this until they go to sleep. 

Stack of books

This is the reading stack for my girls and I for tomorrow's Dewey's 24-Hour readathon! We are so excited! We have a couple of other things to do tomorrow ( a tap dance show for a senior center and a Halloween event) but other than that we will be reading! Some of these books are for us to read together and some are for separate reading. There will be snacks and dineer and lots of togetherness. We are looking forward to it a lot!

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library

My kids and I read together every night. We are currently reading - and almost done with - Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. It's a wonderful book. We thought it was part of a series and we looked it up to find out. It IS part of a series so we are very excited about that! It's the first book in the series so thank goodness for that. Also, while doing our search we found out that there is a movie based on the book. The above is the trailer for said movie. We will be watching it once we have finished reading the book. 

Wordless Wednesday: Autumn on My Mind crochet square

Teaser Tuesday: The Silkworm

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith:

It had been a long time since he had investigated a missing person case. There would be satisfaction in returning the runaway Quine to his family.

I'm the Doctor

In our home we're still reeling over the awesomeness of this episode! 

On their own

We saw these while we were out exercising as a family yesterday. These were the only ones - in a cluster like this growing wild on the side of a hill. They looked so lovely to me. Also, they looked really strong because they look perfectly fine and we'd had a strong storm the night before. Nature amazes and inspires me. It can be simultaneously strong and fragile but it's always beautiful.

Learning to tap dance

I've started taking tap dance classes and I LOVE it! My kids have been taking classes for a year and love it as well. They are helping me to learn but I thought having a tutorial might help too.

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

I am currently reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith. I am enjoying it a lot! I would like very much to see the television show based on the series. I will wait until I have completed the book but I am looking forward to the show. 

Why are you calling me madam? Doctor Who

My kids and I love Doctor Who! L-O-V-E! We each have our favorite Doctor, as well! However, we all agree that Jodie Whitaker as the thirteenth Doctor is brilliant casting! Check out the above clip to get a feel for her in the role if you haven't seen the episode already. If you have, well, just enjoy this scene again! You're welcome. 

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkins

Teaser Tuesday: The Other Girl by Erica Spindler

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from The Other Girl by Erica Spindler:

"Where are the footprints? Whoever did this would've been dripping blood. Where's the trail?"

Room on the Broom

My kids (and my husband and I) LOVE this book! We have been reading it for years during October! They will love hearing this audio version I am sure!

Book club

I went to my first gathering of the book club I joined today. It was fun and I enjoyed it a lot! We discussed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. It was a good book that I liked a lot but didn't love. Most people felt the same way. One woman did love it while another did not. Still our discussion was pretty good.

Our next choice is called The Other Girl by Erica Spindler. She is a pretty popular author from what I've read this afternoon but I've never heard of her. The book sounds really good, though. I'm looking forward to reading it. Here is the description from Good Reads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Justice for Sara and The First Wife Erica Spindler comes The Other Girl, a chilling new thriller about a ritualistic murder of a college professor that sends a small town cop back into the trauma she thought she’d put behind her.

"Explosive.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A fantastic thriller from one of the best in the genre!” —RT Reviews

A horrific crime. One witness—a fifteen year old girl from the wrong side of the tracks, one known for lying and her own brushes with the law.
Is it any surprise no one believed her?

Officer Miranda Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana PD is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t always so. Miranda comes from the town of Jasper, a place about the size of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong one. She’s worked hard to earn the respect of her coworkers and the community.

When Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re unprepared for the brutality of the scene. This murder is unlike any they’ve ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she’s seen the worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a faded newspaper clipping about that terrible night fifteen years ago. The night she’d buried, along with her past and the girl she’d been back then. Until now that grave had stayed sealed…except for those times, in the deepest part of the night, when the nightmares came: of a crime no one believed happened and the screams of the girl they believed didn’t exist.

Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop. Not just any cop—the one who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common—except Miranda.

Sincerely

Thank God It's Friday - a song

A good day

Wordless Wednesday: Sky

Teaser Tuesday: Vision in White by Nora Roberts

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Vision in White by Nora Roberts:

A Saturday night date. A guy who interested and attracted her across the table. Yeah, that was just enough. A week from Saturday? Well, you just couldn't tell, could you?

Hello October

Review: Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

I really enjoyed this book! Natalie and Ronan are wonderful together. This a slight case of opposites attracting in that Natalie is an eternal optimist with a bright and sunny outlook about life while Ronan is not. He's quiet and enjoys a good brood. I think he's entitled to that brooding though considering he was dealt a major blow and something huge was changed within his family dynamic. He needs to learn to accept that he is still very much a part of his family and loving Natalie helps him do that. Natalie wants family and she gets frustrated with Ronan because she thinks he is ignoring the family he has right in front of him.

This is a wonderful book, full of heart, charm, humor and love. Natalie and Ronan are both artistic people (he's a world-renown glass artist and she's a mixed media artist still finding her way) and their artistic endeavors through the book were fun to read about.

If you like a love story with a bit of spice and a happy ending then I think you'll enjoy this book. Also, if you like quirky small towns, giraffes, characters with a lot of great imagination (dragons) and family dynamics you'll like this book. Did I mention that there are giraffes? 

Another block for my Greens afghan

Movie we want to see

Teaser Tuesday: Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery:

When he'd chosen a dozen pieces he sent Atsuko an e-mail, telling her he wanted to talk. A dozen pieces for a dozen charities. They could auction them off and use the money to make a difference.

Happy Fall!

Wordless Wednesday: Heavenly coffee

Teaser Tuesday: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Eleanor Oliphant is Copletely Fine by Gail Honeyman:

"What about your family? Do they live close by? Any brothers or sisters?"

"No, unfortunately," I said. "I would have loved to have had siblings to grow up with. It's actually one of the greatest sources of sadness in my life."

Tulips

Wordless Wednesday: Fall colors

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb:

"It's a goddamn con, is what it is." And at least she understood a con. "Nothing but a goddamn con that took twelve lives, put eight more in the hospital, and scarred a kid and her mother."

Currently reading: Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb

Lieutenant Eve Dallas puzzles over a bizarre suicide bombing in a Wall St. office building in the latest in the #1 New York Times bestselling series…

For the airline executives finalizing a merger that would make news in the business world, the nine a.m. meeting would be a major milestone. But after marketing VP Paul Rogan walked into the plush conference room, strapped with explosives, the headlines told of death and destruction instead. The NYPSD’s Eve Dallas confirms that Rogan was cruelly coerced by two masked men holding his family hostage. His motive was saving his wife and daughter―but what was the motive of the masked men?

Despite the chaos and bad publicity, blowing up one meeting isn’t going to put the brakes on the merger. All it’s accomplished is shattering a lot of innocent lives. Now, with the help of her billionaire husband Roarke, Eve must untangle the reason for an inexplicable act of terror, look at suspects inside and outside both corporations, and determine whether the root of this crime lies in simple sabotage, or something far more complex and twisted.

The In Death series by J.D. Robb is one of my favorites! I am currently reading Leverage in Death which is the 47th book in the series. So far it is fantastic! I HIGHLY recommend this series if you like police procedurals, mysteries or thrillers. Of course this series has romance too in the form of Eve and Roarke's marriage (my favorite!) and others which I don;t want to spoil for anyone who may be early-on or thinking about reading the series!

Hydrangea

Wordless Wednesday: crochet square

Teaser Tuesday: The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

Teaser Tuesday is newly hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson:

"When one friend has a problem, another friend helps."

True, but the principal reason I invited him is to convince him that the problem is not only my country's but his - and all of NATO's - too.