Christmas party, Christmas and Post Christmas

Wow the past couple of weeks have flown by! My book club got together for the annual pot luck dinner and Yankee swap party. The book was Anne of Green Gables which was actually well received and we had a pretty good discussion in spite of all the distractions- holiday stuff, food (lots of it and all delicious) and presents. Our Yankee swap was loads of fun and the gifts were really thoughtful. No one wanted to swap - which is half the fun. This is our group now. We have lost a couple of members (illness, moving) but still keep in touch.

Here I am in my gift- an apron. So cute I don't want to wear it and get it dirty!

Our next book for book club is The Orphan Train. I read this during the summer and really enjoyed it. Christmas was a nice holiday for the family. My daughter, her girlfriend and I went to the late church service which was very moving and really got me into the Christmas mood. Christmas day had a quiet start. We opened our stockings and then had breakfast and opened gifts. Before going to my brother's for dinner we watched A Christmas Story- one of my holiday favorites. Every year I make a chocolate house decorated with candies and use that as a centerpiece. It takes about 10 minutes to be demolished!

It gets very noisy at my brother's with all the kids who are so excited. I am not a big fan of New Year's Eve so will be celebrating with my family and a few of their friends in Rhode Island. I plan on doing lots of reading. Just trying to figure out what books to bring with me. Looking forward to some quiet time. Happy New Year to all! I wish everyone a healthy and happy 2015.

Post Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is over and all of a sudden it is Christmas. Our book club met the Monday before Thanksgiving. It was a small group but we had a really good discussion. The Invention of Wings was really good, maybe one of the best books I have read this year. Again, my favorite genre- historical fiction. Well researched and thoroughly enjoyable. I had a smaller group for Thanksgiving this year. Only 14! Plenty of food as usual. My son's new dog, Nellie, seems to be settling in nicely. She is only 6 months old and still a puppy. Very sweet. Our next book is Anne of Green Gables- a classic. One of our members is from Korea and is not familiar with many American classics so she requested that we pick one this year. I don't remember ever reading this one. Will be interesting. Currently I am reading the latest Jacqueline Winspear novel- The Care and Management of Lies (another historical fiction book) set in England at the beginning of World War I. A different story from the Maisie Dobbs series. Here is a picture of Nellie and my son are her first hike to a local state park- Sleeping Giant.

Oh no! We meet this Monday.

For most of the month of November I have been off by one week. In the sense that I have one more week than there is in reality. I just realized last Monday that Thanksgiving was only 11 days away. Luckily I had already ordered a ham (for my daughter) and my mom buys the turkey. Everyone brings something so that removes some of the pressure. But I only have one oven (big mistake when building our home)so everything has to be coordinated. I also realized last Monday that my book club meets in a week, Monday the 24th, and I had not even picked up the book at the library. So I am in for some very heavy duty reading this weekend, in addition to going to church for altar guid duty on Saturday and Sunday mornings, etc. On another note my son adopted a dog- a sweet little (for now) rescue named Nellie. Nellie is 6 months old and is a lab mix. Mix of what we don't know but she is a quick learner, friendly, fairly well behaved and playful. She loves my son. He is in charge of everything, that was part of the deal in adopting her, and he has taken her to the vet (and paid), licensed her at the town hall and has even cleaned up her 2 (only 2) accidents. Next on the list is obedience school. She is a sweetie.

Time marches on

When I last posted I was beginning the chore or wading through our 4000+ pictures from our trip to China and Hong Kong. Well I have not made significant progress on the pictures for several reasons- life, life and life. Doctors' appointments, volunteer work, Election day work (I am the Moderator for Absentee Ballots in our town). It all adds up plus I don't like to sort pictures when I am tired. And I try to include time for my sewing and reading. So, the pictures are slowly coming along. And I finally finished one of my Goodreads giveaway books- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. First, our book club did meet in October at a local vineyard. It was a lovely setting with a beautiful sunset. Everyone contributed to our little potluck supper. The vineyard supplied the wine naturally. We had a fairly good discussion and it seemed that everyone enjoyed the book. I would not have read it otherwise. Our next book is The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. The Karen Fowler book was interesting. The narrator, Rosemary, started her story in the middle. Then went back to the beginning and finally to the end. It is the story of Fern, a chimp who is brought home to be raised side by side with Rosemary, as her sister, as an experiment by her parents, in particular her father. The story delves into the relationships established both simian and human and what happens when Fern is sent away to "The Farm". There is humor and sadness. I liked Fowler's writing style but confess that I was quite a few pages into the book before it was revealed that Fern was a chimp. A bit confusing for me but after I learned that it certainly cleared up the confusion. The book I just started (another giveaway from Goodreads) is The Garden of Letters which is historical fiction set in Italy in WWII. Historical fiction is my favorite genre.

Travel post #2

Have been wading through photos of the trip to China. My husband took almost 3000 and I took almost 1500! The joys of digital photography! This is a picture taken at the Great Wall- yes the only day of 16 when it rained.

Still pretty amazing but we were so disappointed that we couldn't see the spectacular vistas and appreciate the immensity of the wall. I am reading feverishly to finish A Tale for the Time Being. Book club meets tomorrow night. I really like the book. It snuck up on me. When I first started reading I was not convinced that I would finish. But now I am intrigued by the cleverness of the author and how she is connecting the spiritual, and real life situations. I think it could be a very thought provoking discussion. On another note. I do believe this is one of the best Falls in quite a few years. The foliage has been incredible. So pretty. Lots of reds, oranges, greens and yellows.

Travels and catch up part 1

Been away for several weeks. It has been a hectic 4 weeks. Last August, 2013, we booked a trip to China, a country on my bucket list (in particular seeing the Forbidden City, Great Wall, terra cotta soldiers for starters). We planned to take a tour as it would be easier for us to get around and not worry about the language, hotels, etc. Then in September, our son's friend (and ours also) announced his engagement and the wedding was to be the week before we started our tour. We rearranged our flights so that we could attend the wedding and then continue west to begin our tour. So. We flew to Phoenix and had a great time at the rehearsal dinner and wedding. The weather was hot and sunny. The wedding was at the Phoenix Zoo and the reception was in the Orangatan House. The zoo had recently started renting space for special occasions. There was a bit of free time Friday and Saturday afternoon and, in spite of the heat, I walked around Old Town and found the civic center where the community buildings were located. It was lovely and the library was huge. Lots of fountains and flowers everywhere. I loved this sculpture -thought it was appropriate for our stay,

. Thought the wedding cake was pretty special-

. We were so pleased to be included in this special occasion and it was great seeing our friend so happy.

We stayed as long as we could at the reception as our son had a very early flight back home the next day. We had a few hours to pass before we could leave to board our flight to Los Angeles.

Fourth Annual Planning Weekend in RI !

Last weekend my book buddies came together in Rhode Island to eat, drink, select books and talk about books. As the weather wasn't all that great (not nice enough to go to the beach) one of the ladies suggested we visit a local Connecticut vineyard. She was participating in a Passport to CT vineyards program and needed one more vineyard before she could enter her passport for the grand drawing. Off we went only to discover that our first vineyard was closing and we couldn't get there in time for a tasting. The second vineyard was the venue for a wedding so it was closed to the public. So we headed off to her third choice. The drive to North Stonington was quite scenic and we came to the Jonathan Edwards Vineyard.

I only tasted three white wines- all were enjoyable. We trooped out to the vineyard and had a couple of pictures taken.

. We then drove back to the house and sat on the deck, having our own little wine tasting until it started to rain.

. We moved into the screened porch and discussed books for the upcoming year. Lots of great suggestions but we finally narrowed it down. Then my wonderful husband grilled chicken for us and basically did all the clean up so we could sit, eat, and talk… It was a really relaxing and productive weekend for the group.

One of the hardest decisions - ever

Yesterday my family had to make one of the hardest decisions ever. We said good bye to our sweet little 14 year old cockapoo Buffy who had suffered from congestive heart failure for the past two years. It came very quickly- we all thought the medicine would give us more time but it was very clear over the weekend that she was having more difficulty breathing and she was not very interested in eating and she was tired. I think that was the one thing that made us all realize that it was time. She just was tired- too tired to really eat, too tired to go out, too tired to bark at another dog, too tired to even cuddle. And we all wanted to remember her as (relatively) healthy. After doing some research about the final stages of CHF I knew that I could not put her through any of that. It wasn't fair to her. And her quality of life would not be improved. So good bye my little old lady-my companion, my buddy, my shadow.

It's magic!

My last post was about the frustration of not being able to upload any of the blogs I follow. I submitted posts on blogger and google etc and a couple of people were trying to help me figure out what was going on and how to correct it. But MAGICALLY overnight something happened and all is well. Now.

Frustrated with Blogger. Can't update my list of blogs

The title says it all. I have tried this morning and this afternoon to update my blog list. You know the blogs that you follow. Usually you just click on the refresh button and up pops the latest posts from the however many blogs you follow. Now I get the message that I am not following any blogs. Well I was one day ago. Or rather last night. Ugh. This happened once before but after a day or so, and numerous times of signing out and signing, in what ever was going on stopped and the blogs came back. Updated. Try to find a contact person to get help is near impossible. And the help site is worthless. Shocking. Keeping my fingers crossed as I can't remember all the quilting and book/reading blogs I follow that it will magically come back or reappear or what ever you want to call it- return to normal.

L’arte di non fare niente, the art of doing nothing.

L’arte di non fare niente, the art of doing nothing. I just saw this on another blog and it just struck me. Summer is just the right time to get used to the art of doing nothing. It is hard to do. We have two houses that we rent during the summer and Saturdays are switch day. Lots to do to get ready for the next renters. However during the rest of the week I can try to create down time. There are some things that I have to do- a doctor appointment, checking in with my mom etc. But I really try to sit down each day and have a cup of tea and read something- the newspapers, a magazine,etc. I have finished a couple of books. Two of them my daughter gave to me for Mother's day. The first one I read was Heartburn by Nora Ephron.

This is the cover of the first edition. It is a sad with some funny bits storyL about her marriage and impending divorce from her second husband. It just made me sad- even with her wit and humorous bits thrown in. The second book my daughter gave me was The Storied Life of AJ Fi

kry. I loved this book. Couldn't put it down.I loved the way it was written, the way it was set up with AJ's little synopsis at the beginning of each chapter. Definitely a worthwhile read. I am now reading Girls in Trucks. At the beginning I was really into this book but about halfway through something changed for me. I am not sure what- I like the style of writing but I think I just got tired of the main character Sarah and her whining and antics. Hmmm. I will finish it but I wish I loved the Sarah more.

Too many books….

Book club met last Tuesday night to discuss My Notorious Life…. it was to quote a friend "like herding cats"!!! The woman leading the discussion really tried to keep us focus. I think most of us liked the book and found it interesting and many of the problems and situations in the book are still relevant in today's society. It was great seeing everyone and catching up. I did learn that unfortunately another friend is out of a job and looking for a new position which may require her to move out of the area. Sigh. More changes. I started reading the latest book in the Gaslight mystery series- Murder in Chelsea.

So far so good. I found the series to be well researched and since I just logged on to Victoria Thompson's website I have gotten some information about the following book (Murder in Murray Hill). I also have two more books from the library that can only be taken out for two weeks. Have been watching HGTV with my husband - House Hunters- which is amusing but takes up time! Plus the Stanley Cup playoffs are on and the Boston Red Sox!!! I keep a record of my books on the Goodreads site. My niece has introduced me to the giveaway section which I check almost every day. I seem to find more things on line to take up time! And I have only "won" one book which still hasn't arrived from the publisher.

52 books update

Counted the books I have read so far this year- 27- so it looks like I am on track to easily read 52 by the end of the year (unless I select a REALLY long book or one that takes a lot of time to get into and finish!). My book group met last night to discuss Loving Frank. First off I was really impressed with the book bag provided by the library near the office of my friend. Ten copies of the book, laminated pages with questions and an author biography. My friend said there is a shelf at the library with bags of book selections- maybe 20 or so….So if you can't decide what to pick for book group you can just scan the shelf and maybe something will catch your eye. Great idea which I am going to present to my library. The discussion was pretty good- people had taken the time to research Frank Lloyd Wright after reading the book to learn more about his life and work. All in all a good meeting and I was glad the book was picked as I probably would not have read it otherwise. I had picked it up and put it down many times while in the library and BN…..it didn't interest me but I am glad I read it. Our next book My Notorious Life which looks very interesting. I just requested it from the library. The dynamics of our book group will be changing come September. One of my friends, and the one who helped me start our group,

is moving to DC. Her husband has gotten a job and so they are off. Sad to see them go but they have not been happy here for sometime. One son lives in DC, the other in Providence, so it is not really surprising…. but still sad for the rest of us. It will be interesting to see how the group changes without her input. Sigh.

What's up with the 52 books, 52 weeks challenge ?

Finished a couple of books this past week. One was the book club selection, Loving Frank. We meet tomorrow night so I hope the discussion will be lively. I read two other books- The Husband's Secret and Lost Lake. I enjoyed both, in fact could not put either down….but I only gave each a 4 out of 5 star rating (Goodreads). Why? Well I guess I didn't think the ending was great. In The Husband's Secret it was an interesting ending but maybe a bit of a cop out…. In Lost Lake it was a bit predictable. I don't mind predictable in general but the story was pretty creative and mystical I think I expected the ending to be in the same vein.

Not sure how many books I have read this year but maybe it is time to take a count….I am pretty sure I am on track to read at least 52 by the end of December.

National Library Week and the Boston Marathon

Well I meant to post last week when it was National Library Week. That didn't go very well did it? Not that there was so much going on but I just didn't get around to writing anything. I was trying to finish Loving Frank (before the due date). Mission accomplished. One of my book buddies got a "bag of books" from the library near her office. At this library when your book club selects a book a patron can take out a bag of that book for the club…. I think it is a great idea. So I really needed to finish and return the book to my friend before Easter. I have also been trying to REALLY organize my sewing/craft area. Organizing is my holy grail. But I am making progress (not that anyone else can see it). I am just about done going through the bins of scraps and cutting and sorting into usable sizes. Takes time (and ironing) but at least now I don't have all these scraps overflowing from the bins. Comments on Loving Frank. I like the style of writing. I like using the letter format occasionally. What I didn't like was Frank- I don't know how much artistic license was taken but he was so self centered, arrogant, selfish….the ending caught me totally by surprise. At that point I had a bit more sympathy for Frank. Glad I read it, didn't love it. It was work to get through….Have started (and almost finished) The Husband's Secret. Lighter read. Today is the running of the Boston Marathon. My thoughts are with the runners after last year's horrible bombing. My daughter lives in Boston and will be watching- just not at the finish line.

Here is hoping it is an uneventful day- beautiful weather for it.

Another finish

I have been reading The Art Forger for my book group. I really enjoyed it although it was a bit slow in the beginning. Interesting twist regarding the art heist at the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston. Makes me want to visit the museum now. I picked up a couple of quick reads last night while at the library- Coffee house mysteries. I get hooked on these type of series….easy read and fun.

I just checked out the website for the author Cleo Coyle- a fun site!

Overflowing with magazines

My husband and I recently returned from a few weeks in Maui. These magazines have been accumulating since the beginning of December. For Christmas last year (2013) we took our two children away for the holiday so I have really gotten behind on my magazine reading. I don't subscribe to many magazines but they sure do build up if you don't read them on a regular basis.

I missed the February book club but understand that it was small group (about eight which seems to be a nice size for good discussion) and there was a quite a bit of discussion. I had requested the next book, The Art Forger, from my library and in two days I received it! Love our new service. And love being able to search the catalog and request online. This is the second book that I will have read with the setting in Boston and the story centering around the art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. While away I read several books (naturally)but not as many as I had hoped mainly due to the length of The Goldfinch. I was disappointed in it- lots of hype- and while I am glad I read it I thought there was too much background and story not having anything to do with the picture. The story supposedly centers around the art however it really is about the young man who took it from the museum and I think it is the last 200 pages or so that the story really picks up. I also decided to update my lists on Goodreads. I am in pretty good shape for the 52 week/52 book challenge this year. According to my lists from 2013 I read lots more than 52 books but I guess somehow when entering on the Goodreads site not all were recorded - or something- because Goodreads recorded only 49 books for the year. Hmmmm. Oh well.

Success!

Last week my book club met to discuss my book The Lemon Tree. Finally I found a book that people liked, enjoyed reading and learned something. And we had a really good discussion. We were missing a few people due to whatever "bug" is going around but sometimes with a smaller group the discussion is better- less distractions etc. Our next book is My Song- Harry Belafonte. Should be a good read.

MLK-" If you can't fly then run…"

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King When my book club met in September to set up our year of reading none of us realized that our January meeting would fall on Martin Luther King day. Tonight we will discuss The Lemon Tree a book recommended to me by a fellow reader. The story of two families- one Israeli and one Palestinian - it tells the story of both and the creation of Israel in the hopes of presenting an understanding of the longstanding conflict in the area. I found the book a little slow in the beginning however as I had little knowledge, beside the most basic, of the conflicts, I found it to be an informative and very interesting read. There is an interesting and enlightening show on NPR (Fresh Air), with author Sandy Tolan, which also helped in gaining more insight. I am really curious as to what type of discussion this book will (hopefully) generate and how people will view it. A book about the right to return to one's homeland and the right to live without fear in one's home to be discussed on the day of remembering a civil rights leader.

One year

Today was a bittersweet day for my family and me. One year ago my dad passed away after a long four weeks of illness.

This is a picture of my dad with his great grand daughter Chantelle. We have all made adjustments this past year to his absence especially my mom who has kept busy (sometimes it seems that she has more of a social life than I!). And there are more good days than bad and sad. Here we are tonight- my mom,one of my brothers and my husband- toasting my dad with a "wee bit of whiskey"- a new family tradition in his honor!