Books I Read in April 2023

Books & Reading, Country Life, Gardens, , , , ,
My view while reading this morning.

I have been remiss in posting my reading list for April. I thought I better get to it since May is almost over too. My only excuse is that I have been doing lots of gardening. The vegetable garden went in on Monday. The flower beds are in good shape for this time of year. I still have some more dahlia korms to plant and a few seedlings to transfer. And we are having a bit of a spring drought which means we must water, water, water! And so, at long last, here is the list.

1. Tiny beautiful things-Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar-Cheryl Strayed (Non-fiction)

And here I thought she just hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. Turns out Cheryl was also an advice columnist. And quite a good one. Her answers are essays that we can all learn something from. I was impressed.

2. Killer Cupid-Laurien Berenson

Melanie Travis can get involved in a murder investigation anywhere she goes. This time it’s on a romantic Valentine’s Day retreat with her husband. I always enjoy the books from this series.

3. Red Dog-Louis De Bernieres

This work of fiction is a take on the life of a real dog who was mostly Australian Kelpie. It takes place in Australia. Red is owned by no one and everyone. His was a short life full of adventure which is shared here.

4. We Are the Light-Matthew Quick

This story is told through letters from Lucas Goodgame to his psychologist. He is a survivor of a mass shooting that took the lives of 17, including his wife, at the local theater. The shooter’s younger brother, Eli, takes up residence in a tent in Lucas’ backyard. The two forge a bond and undertake a project that they hope will heal the survivors and young Eli. At first, I wasn’t going to read this book because it sounded depressing but it got good reviews, so I gave it a chance. The book turned out to be beautiful and uplifting! I highly recommend it.

5. Said No One Ever-Stephanie Eding

Ellie Reed takes a vacation to Montana by herself after breaking up with her fiancé and boyfriend of six years. Upon arrival, her host is taken away by ambulance, leaving her with several farm animals and a bulldog to care for. She becomes entwined in the lives of her elderly hostess Marilyn and Marilyn’s grumpy grandson. What a fun book this was!

6. The Stand-Stephen King

This book is on many “Best Books” lists so I decided to give it a read. I am reading other books while I read this one because it is 1,154 pages and I find it to be depressing. Especially since the Covid pandemic. In the story, an infectious respiratory illness wipes out 99.9% of the population. Those few who remain congregate and follow either 102 year old Mother Abigail or The Dark One-Randall Flagg. I completed the first 500 pages of this book in April.

If you only have time to read one book from this list, I recommend We Are the Light. It is more about love than it is about death. And we all need more love. Peace to you, my friends.

 

Magazines: Yankee, Country Living, Country Living the Complete Book of Fixer Uppers, Cooking Light Mediterranean Diet, Midwest Living, Horticulture, The English Garden

Spring Blooms & Planting

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, , , , , ,
Columbine

It’s really starting to feel like spring. Everywhere I look I notice something in bloom that wasn’t there the last time I looked. This columbine has been so successful that I would like to get another one in a different color. Who knows, maybe I’ll even put it in my fancy decorative urn. Until this one, I have only ever had the traditional pale pink columbine that re-seed prolifically. I’m a big fan of these fancy bi-color cultivars.

Irises

My bearded irises are starting to bloom. I love their faint grape-like scent. These used to grow in a bed beside the house, but they didn’t like it there. I moved them into the walled garden where they call be in a bed that provides sun for a portion of the day, and they seem much happier. They are spreading and give us many blooms. We also have Siberian irises that will bloom as the bearded ones start to fade. Gardening is a fine dance to be planned out step by step. Most perennials bloom for a set amount of time and you don’t want them all to bloom at once and then be done. You want to plan it, so they peak in phases with something beautiful to behold at all times.

Clematis

The clematis are just getting started with their blooms for the year. When this one peaks, it has over 50 blossoms at a time. I have another smaller plant that I grew from a shoot off this one after I separated it last year. We also have a burgundy clematis that gives us beautiful blooms, but it is nowhere near the monster that the purple one is. This one also provides a second, if smaller, round of blooms later in the summer.

Have you noticed that I have a penchant for purple flowers? I also like pinks and apricots. Really any pastel flower. But then I think about the reds and the orange and yellow variegated ones and I love them too. I guess I like them all.

Lilies

This lily reminds me of popcorn because of its colors. I don’t know what kind of lily it is. My mother-in-law asked me if I wanted starts from the ones that she had and of course I said yes. I have these growing in several places. I always enjoy plants given to me by others the most. I get to be reminded of the thoughtful person that gave them to me in addition to the lovely plants.

Ferns

These ferns were growing as weeds along the edge of our driveway. I transplanted several of them to the shady corner of my rose garden and am quite happy with their performance. They had spread so much over the past few years that I had to dig some up and move them as they were beginning to encroach on other plants. I love ferns in general. They are so lush and green. They also provide greenery throughout much of the year when other plants are dormant.

We purchased the rhododendron and the St. John’s Wort in this garden bed. All the other plants have been transplanted from off shoots or re-seedings from plants that we already had. Astilbe, red coral bells, columbine, myrtle, and snapdragons are what grow here now.

Freshly mulched

My rose bed is ready to go for the season. It looks like a simple flower bed but I already have hours worth of work invested in it. All the roses needed to be trimmed back from their winter burns. I have weeded this bed two times already. I also grow most of my gladioi in this bed because it is the sunniest one we have and in my experience, the more sun glads have, the bigger they get and the more they flower. I spent two afternoons planting glad bulbs and mulching after that. Yesterday afternoon I did the fertilizing. It will be worth it. All the rose bushes are loaded with lots of blooms. I sprung for the good fertilizer for my roses. I get the stuff that has nutrients, and prevents Japanese beetles, and black spot. It prevents a lot of heartache.

Last summer I was dubbing myself the Japanese beetle queen. I suppose Japanese beetle slayer would have been closer to the truth. I have never seen as many of these beetles as we had last year. They were on most every plant we had. I would make the rounds with my jar of soapy water, knocking beetles in as I went. I probably got 100 with each round. We even put milky spore in the yard which is supposed to kill the larvae. Fingers crossed that this year is better.

New flowers!

Does this photo look like lots of pretty flowers? It does to me too. It also looks like days worth of work which it also is. There are a few perennials for our ever growing collection. And there are annuals for the concrete planters on top of the garden wall, some for my hanging baskets, with enough left over for other urns and filling in empty spots that need a little something.

It all sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But the rewards are worth it. I find that if I put in extra work early in the season, it gives more free time to relax later in the summer. Prevent those weeds and seeds now, and it will pay off big time later. I try never to get so involved in the prepping and maintaining of the garden that I don’t take time to enjoy it. For each time I do some gardening, I also make a little time for a cool drink and reading on the patio. The dogs also hang out with me in the garden which makes it more fun for all of us. They are all trained to stay out of the flower beds and know where they can go. They think the fountain is the world’s largest dog bowl! And so, it is.

Spring Hiking & Gardening

Country Life, Gardens, , , , , , ,
A section of the Buckeye Trail at West Branch State Park

We are still hiking but our days on the trail and mileage are down about 50% for the month. We just don’t have the heart to walk a lot of day since Baxter passed to the Rainbow Bridge early in the month. We miss the way he pranced back and forth with such joy, urging us to hurry! He also told us when it was time to go since we went everyday near the same time.

You can see that things are starting to green up out in the woods. The spring wildflowers are slow to arrive this year. The weather has been rather cold and rainy. I’m sure the flowers will arrive soon. We have seen violets along the path. This area is interesting. There are purple violets, white violets, and yellow violets. I have never seen the yellow ones anywhere else and there are not very many. Maybe I just don’t get out much.

We have discovered new sections of the Buckeye Trail at West Branch State Park to explore. I imagine the trail has been there for a long time, but some wonderful volunteers have been doing trail maintenance and painting blazes, so they are easily visible. I will report back after we have gone exploring.

I am also getting the licenses on our kayaks renewed! We haven’t taken them out in a few years. I discovered that if it’s been more than three years since you renewed the license, you have to go to an official boating agent for Ohio Department of Natural Resources to renew them. Luckily, we have one here in town. The kayaks have been stored in the basement of the workshop. I have the kayaking itch and hubby agrees it will be fun to use them this year. I’m sure we’ll start out at West Branch since it’s so close to home. Later, we hope to give Punderson a try, so look for updates on that later in the summer.

American plum trees

Things in our yard are starting to green up too. Hubby just mowed for the first time, and I think our yard looks like a park. The major things in bloom for us right now are fruit trees and bushes. We have American plums, a Methley plum, and another type of Japanese plum that I can’t recall the name of. We have learned that you need two types of Japanese plums for them to pollinate and bear fruit. You can’t for instance have only two Methley plum trees and have them fruit. They must be different types. The American plums may pollinate the Japanese plum trees, but only if they flower at the same type which is apparently not guaranteed. We also have two cherry trees. One we planted last summer. The other is an old tree that has been here longer than I have. All its cherries grow in the top canopy where only the birds can reach them. We also have five blueberry bushes. They performed well last year for being so young and we hope for a good crop this year. We also have random black raspberry bushes around the property. They reseed themselves so we never know just how many or where they will be.

Redbuds

Above is a group of three redbud trees. We planted them together several years ago until they grew bigger, thinking of the group as a tree nursery. Well, we never got around to moving them and now it’s too late. The trees seem happy though and we are happy with the arrangement too, so all is well. We find several redbud seedlings a year that have made a good start. A few we have transplanted to better locations. We happily give an occasional one away, free to a good home once they reach about a foot tall.

This is the time of year when we spend lots of time picking up sticks and pinecones, clearing off flowerbeds, and weeding. Soon will come mulching and planting. There will be a brief respite when we sit on the patio and enjoy it. And then will come the watering and the weeding. Followed by more watering and weeding. And so on.

Books I Read in March 2023

Books & Reading, Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, , , , ,
Baxter & me a few years ago.

Hello, dear readers. Please forgive me for not posting for a while. Our dear Baxter, shown with me above, suddenly stopped eating even though he was still hiking two and a half miles a day with us. Long story short, he was gone in less than two weeks. Our veterinarian found metastasized cancer on his chest x-ray. Baxter was 14 years old but as far as we knew, he was in good health. Although going quickly was a blessing for Baxter, it was especially difficult for us. I will write about Baxter in future blog posts but I’m not ready just yet. So on to my list of books read last month.

  1. The Mediterranean Dish-Suzy Karadsheh (Cookbook)

This book was not what I expected. Based on the title I thought it was going to be Italian type recipes. Instead, they are Egyptian, Moroccan, and Greek. The recipes do look delicious, but most involve grains or spices that I do not have on hand. Many of the recipes also look labor intensive. If you are looking for these types of dishes, I think you will love this book. However, it is not for me so back to the library it goes.

2. Bliss on Toast-Prue Leith (Cookbook)

This book contains many delicious looking recipes for meals served on various breads, flatbreads, and crisps. I don’t really need a recipe to make most of them. I just got the book out of the library for the ideas. I do modify most recipes I make and just need the basic ideas and sometimes amounts.

3. A Christmas Memory-Richard Paul Evans

This is a very good book, as are all of Evans’ books. This one is based on the author’s childhood experiences. It is 1967 and young Richard’s older brother is killed in Vietnam, his parents separate, they move from California to Utah, and he is bullied at school. The bright spot in his life is his elderly neighbor Mr. Foster and the neighbor’s dog Beau. A story about growing up, perseverance, and kindness from where you least expect it.

4. The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2023 (Non-fiction)

Self explanatory. Interesting tidbits in addition to the weather forecasts by region.

5. Oh William!-Elizabeth Strout

Lucy Barton talks about her life as well as that of her ex-husband William. Although this book is a Pulitzer Prize winner, I did not enjoy it nearly as much as the sequel Lucy by the Sea. Lucy seems a little bit whiny to me and I don’t connect with her character.

6. Born a Crime-Trevor Noah (Non-fiction)

This is an autobiography by the previous host of The Daily Show who is from South Africa. What an amazing young man. He is the son of a black woman and a white man. Born during apartheid, this was illegal. He was a self-described naughty child. His story is enlightening and taught me many things about the culture of South Africa and what it was like during apartheid. The way Trevor turned his life around is nothing short of amazing. This book is well worth your time.

7. The Bookshop of Secrets-Mollie Rushmeyer

Hope Sparrow was a victim of human trafficking and remained captive for 10 years. She finally managed to escape and is trying to live a normal life. Hope’s mother left her some valuable books that Hope needs to retrieve. She gets a job at a family bookstore where they were stored so she can look for them. The books harbor clues that are fabled to lead to treasure. She hooks up with local, Ronan, whose family was also involved. Can she trust a man? Will they find supposed pirate loot?

Magazines: Real Simple (2), Yankee

Hope you are all enjoying spring. We were, up until today when it started snowing. Our new magnolia tree and the plum trees are not appreciative. Oh, moody Ohio!

Goals for Life

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life, , , , , ,
Me and Baxter Puppers

I was reading an article the other day about living your life to the fullest. It was geared towards middle aged people, but it still hit home for me. Here is a link to the article although it is not required reading to appreciate this post. https://www.marcandangel.com/2023/03/14/4-little-things-that-will-matter-a-lot-more-to-you-in-40-years/

I suppose the information is even more pertinent to me because I likely have less years left than the average middle-aged person. I still feel young and do the activities I have always done. I don’t have many aches and pains compared to what I hear from others. (Except for that knee I hurt a few years ago and it is mostly an occasional inconvenience.) But still. I am 60 years old. It is a biological fact that I have less years remaining ahead of me than I have already lived. Looking back, 20 years does not seem that long ago. Looking forward, that will put me at 80 years old. I must decide what is still important to me and do it now. This is the time to do the things that I think will make me happy and make a difference in the world. With longer life spans, I may well live past 80, but I need to at least get started with those things I still want to accomplish. There is no time like NOW! to take action.

I retired three years ago, and a few months before leaving my job, I made a Retirement Bucket List that I printed and framed. I wanted a plan for my path forward. Something concrete, to keep me moving. I have been less successful than I had hoped but some of this is due to the Covid pandemic.

And I have been successful on some of the items. The blog goal could be considered either way. I have 477 subscribers but earn no money from it. The most successful item on the list is number 7. We hike nearly every day that it doesn’t rain. We have covered hundreds of miles and seen many beautiful things that nature has to offer. This also leaves us with relatively well-behaved dogs! Because a tired dog is a good dog.

Other items are more of a work in progress. I am moving forward at a snail’s pace. I continue my dog rescue work. Not on the level that I had hoped to achieve, but I am still contributing and helping to save lives. Saving and improving lives must always be counted as a win. I started writing a book. Multiple books. I have chapters of different sorts saved on my computer. Still, they are something to work with.

Other items on the list, I have been less successful with. This tells me that it is time to re-evaluate and possibly make a new list. Some items I need to take a more in depth look at and maybe interpret them in a different way. The time may have passed for other things I wanted to do. I look at the dream of having a pit bull and think that I may be getting too old for this one. These are powerful dogs and I’m just not sure I have the strength to handle it anymore. Especially given the fact that I still intend to have multiple dogs and will be walking multiple dogs at the same time. There are still plenty of other deserving dogs out there who deserve a good home and would make me equally happy. We may downsize our pack a little. I think I could be happy with four dogs. Actually, it’s never that I wanted six or more dogs. There were just always dogs in need, and I was happy to have them around. Not everyone is cut out to take on some of the nutcases (and I say nutcases in the most loving way) we have adopted. Dan asked me recently if I liked having a dog as demanding as Zekie the Wonder Dog. I told him, it’s not that I want dogs with these types of issues, I consider it the price I pay because I love them. For the record, Dan loves him too. He and Dan are fast companions.

So, in the hopefully not too distant future, I may have an updated Retirment Bucket List to share with you. I’ve always heard that if you share your goals with someone, you are more likely to achieve them because you will feel accountable.

Do any of you have bucket lists? Bucket lists can make a difference in your world and possibly the world of others. And if you don’t have, or want, a bucket list, remember, you can make a difference just by being kind.

Left Brain vs. Right Brain Thinking

Thoughts On Life, , , ,
Heart ornament I made last year using the creative side of my brain.

I always assumed I was left brained, which is the analytical side because my degree is in Biology and I spent my career as an environmental scientist. Lately, I have been wondering if this is so. I also do a number of creative or right brained activities. I make felt ornaments, design gardens, do very amateur sketches, and of course, write among other artsy things.

I began to wonder if perhaps I was really right brained and just became a scientist as the result of hard work. I did have trouble with chemistry and calculus in college. Maybe that was why it took so much effort on my part? I passed calculus after much frustration and many tears.

Yesterday evening, I found a test on-line that tells you which side of your brain predominates according to your answers to their questions. Care to venture a guess how mine turned out? I was a little surprised but should have expected the outcome. I fall in the middle with 46% of my thinking being left brained. I discovered upon further research that apparently falling in the middle range is a common thing.

 37 percent of Americans are left-brained, while only 29 percent are right-brained. In 34 percent of participants, the two hemispheres exert equal influence on decision-making. -excerpt from a Huffington Post article

I don’t claim to be normal, and by the way, I think “normal” is highly overrated. In this case, there is no normal or abnormal. I find the concept fascinating, nonetheless. We all know those people who analyze every area of their lives and those who can barely focus enough to string two thoughts together.

During my career I was proud of my analytical thinking. I still am. Now, I have decided that I am also proud to have my thought processes fall in between analytical and creative or artistic abilities. Although different, both have value. By having two ways of thinking, it gives a wider range of ideas for problem solving. It allows the ability to appreciate the beauty of things as well as how they work. I think being able to see things both ways, has the potential to enable us to understand different points of view. And we all need to make the effort to understand others’ perspectives, even when we disagree with them.

I hope you all enjoy pondering this issue as much as I did. Peace to you.

Hiking the Local Buckeye Trail & an Update on Shelby

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, , , , ,
Hiking the Buckeye Trail

We have started hiking portions of the Buckeye Trail (in Ohio) near us. The Buckeye Trail (BT) runs through West Branch State Park and volunteers have begun trail improvements. Some sections are new, and others were in need of maintenance. That blue blaze on the tree (see above) is an indicator that you are on the Buckeye Trail. Follow the blazes. We saw folks out doing trail upgrades during the winter and I wish that we had gotten their contact information. I wouldn’t mind putting in a few hours to help the cause. I’m sure if I keep looking, I can find the local group.

We hike a different place every day and once in a while, we try out a new section of the BT. We generally limit ourselves to 2 to 3 mile sections. On Tuesday, we hiked a 4 mile section which was what it took to get back to the car. Once we learn the distances from section to section, we can take two cars and leave them in different parking lots, so we don’t have to hike out and back.

Our route from a hike last week.

Above is the route one of our hikes took last week. We went out the A-section of the Mountain Bike Trail and then onto a portion of the BT that we recently discovered. It is always fun when we discover a trail that is new to us. Especially at West Branch. Before the area was a Reservoir and State Park, people lived there. It is thought provoking to come upon the foundations of old homesteads. In the spring, you can often tell where a house was from the border of daffodils or other domestic flowers that still bloom there.

You can see from the mapped hike above that Shelby was with us that day. She also hiked with us on Saturday and Sunday. Those will be her last hikes, at least for a while. On Monday morning, she was limping terribly, and more than one leg seemed to be involved. She does have arthritis, but this seemed to be something more. I called our vet right away and they were able to get us in that morning due to a cancellation. Four hundred dollars later, we know that Shelby has arthritis in her left front carpus (ankle) causing fluid retention, two significant areas of arthritis in her spine, and a completely collapsed spinal disc. The collapsed disc was a surprise to us all. This is a condition that can be managed. Shelby received a steroid injection and will be on oral steroids and Tramadol, a painkiller, for three weeks. She will have a follow-up appointment in a month and then be on Rimadyl, a different painkiller, for the rest of her life.

Shelby

Shelby is feeling a little better already. Her limp is only minor now and she’s not nearly as grumpy. Our vet will sign off on Shelby’s annual paperwork that allows her to perform therapy dog visits during her follow-up appointment. Unfortunately, the vet has also suggested that it may be time to think about retiring Shelby from hiking. Definitely no hiking for the next two months. After that I may be able to try her on our walks that are on level surfaces. We’ll have to see how she does.

On another note, I have never made this a subscription blog because I like the idea of anyone who wants to, being able to read it. And I don’t intend to make it by subscription at this point in time either. But there are costs involved in maintaining the blog. There is the cost of the WordPress Subscription, the price of the domain name, and I have the cost of Microsoft 365 that I maintain other documents on. Each of these is an annual cost. There is also the cost of my time. What I have decided to do at this point is to ask that any of you who wish to contribute, do so by sending me a gift of a Chewy gift card (https://www.chewy.com/chewy-egift-card/dp/226306?nav-submit-button=&ref-query=chewy%20gift%20cards&ref=searchRedirect) or an Amazon gift card (https://www.amazon.com/gift-cards/b?node=2238192011). The gift cards can be sent to my email address sheltiequeen1@yahoo.com.

By taking this approach, I can put any gifts towards supplies for the upkeep of our furry family members. The dogs and cats do always get more deliveries than I do! And you can know that the gifts are supporting our animals, and not my grand lifestyle. Seriously, we live in an old farmhouse that was built in 1830 and our day to day lives revolve around dogs. If you are unable, or choose not to contribute, please keep reading anyway. You are valued.

Armor for Life

Thoughts On Life, , , , ,

I was talking to my brother and his wife recently and mentioned that I have certain clothes that I wear when I anticipate I may need emotional comfort. I don’t know if this is something other people do or not, but it has always been helpful for me. It is usually clothing that was a gift from someone I know, who will always have my back. Often times it is something that my brother has given me, such as the purple sweatshirt I’m wearing above. It might also be something from my daughter or from my dear friend Becky. (See post about the ring Becky gave me posthumously Dear Friends Make Life Worthwhile.)

In the instance of the sweatshirt, I know my brother will always be there for me to help in any way he can. He also believes that I am a strong, intelligent, capable person who can handle most things. Somedays, when I wear this shirt, it is like putting on armor that protects me from negativity and gives me additional energy to face the day. Other days, it is just a shirt.

Now, I know that the shirt has no actual special power. But the fact that it reminds me of a loved one, makes me feel better. What the shirt really is, is something that channels my thoughts toward positivity. It gives me focus when I need it. And having something that brings us focus, does indeed make our minds work better.

When I was in college, I made sure I always wore my opal ring on exam days. The ring was a gift from my mother. We were shopping at the mall one day shortly before my high school graduation when I saw this beautiful opal ring at the jewelry store. It had a lovely opal in the center with smaller opals on each side in a gold setting. I remember staring at its loveliness for a long time. My mom told me that as a graduation gift, she would buy me a set of luggage or the ring. I immediately chose the ring. As I wore this ring on exam days, I imagined it had magical powers and that by focusing my mind on it, it would draw through the light of the universe and show me the answers to particularly tough exam questions. I know what the ring actually did was calm me and give me focus on the matter at hand. Isn’t that part of what good test taking skill are? Remaining calm and drawing on your knowledge? Worked for me.

Silly? Yes, definitely. Who cares? These potential talismans have assisted me with passing classes, graduating college, to survive tough times, and pursue goals that I made for myself. In actuality, I did these things for myself, sometimes with the help of others. The power of the mind is an amazing thing. We just need to harness our individual ways to use it.

Everyone must draw on the resources they have to make it through life in whatever way works for them. This is what works for me. I hope you have found something that works for you. And as we make our way through life, let’s all do our bit to leave the world a better place than we found it. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote, a copy of which hangs on my wall.

“I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do…or any kindness that I can show-let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again.“

Books I Read in February 2023

Books & Reading, , , , ,
A puzzle I finished recently.

I didn’t read many books last month. It was a short month, and I spent some time doing other things. I was fortunate to be able to spend time visiting with family and friends. I got to hang out with my daughter for a whole day, I saw my nieces a few times, and other family members as well. I even met an old coworker for lunch and caught up with her. February is usually a slow month for me but not this year. I even put together two jigsaw puzzles! I haven’t worked any puzzles for a few years because of, well…cats! Puzzle pieces are not safe from cats, especially the young kitten we had. My mother-in-law gave me a puzzle case for my birthday this year. What a great gift! I am back in business. By the way, she also gave me the puzzle for my birthday last year.

I promise to read more books next month, but here is what I have to report on.

  1. A Frog in the Fjord-Lorelou Desjardins (Non-fiction)

Lorelou moves to Norway for the ideal job and has hilarious adventures learning to acclimate to the culture she finds there. The book is rich with her experiences of beauty in this foreign land. The social cues and norms are very different, she has quite the time learning the language and trying to fit in. If you’ve ever been curious about a different culture, I think you will enjoy this book. The author also has a blog about her ongoing adventures in Norway.

2. The Light We Carry-Michelle Obama (Non-fiction)

This is the second book Michelle Obama has written since leaving the Whitehouse. The first was an autobiography and an excellent book. This one is a different type of book but also very good. It’s more of a how to survive our current times and make a difference book, covering survival in the modern landscape. It focuses on two major areas, investing in our children and continuing to “go high”. There were times when I found myself bogged down by the details, but there were other times when I was greatly inspired. An encouraging read by a classy lady.

3. The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas-James Patterson & Tad Safran

This is a fun book! Henry the father, and Will & Ella his children have been living in a funk since the death of their wife and mother, five years ago. Henry has not celebrated Christmas for the children since her passing. The children sign their dad up on a dating website and odd things begin to happen. The events from the 12 Days of Christmas song begin to happen in quirky events in their lives. Chaos and mayhem ensue, and the results couldn’t be funnier to onlookers, but not so funny for the family. An unexpected Christmas miracle occurs and happiness returns. A silly book that I enjoyed.

4. Me Before You-Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark loses her job and desperately needs another. Although she has never been a caregiver before, she becomes one for recent quadriplegic Will Traynor. Will had everything-a high powered job, wealth, women, exciting adventures. He is struck down in the street during a freak accident and becomes a quadriplegic. Will no longer wants to live in his failing body. Louisa takes him on adventures to make him want to live. This book is beautiful and heart achingly painful at the same time. I couldn’t stop reading it and then had to read the last few chapters a bit at a time because I couldn’t stop crying. This book has been on my mind ever since I finished it. I don’t think I will ever look at life quite the same way again. Many things we take for granted, should be cherished.

Magazines-Akron Living (2), Pioneer Woman, Real Simple, Down East, AARP

If you can only read one book from this list, make it Me Before You. This book has the potential to change how people think about those with disabilities and even how we perceive our own lives. Compassion can make the world a different place.

Peace to you, my friends.

Books I Read in January 2023

Books & Reading, Country Life, , , ,

I just realized that I never posted my list of books read for January and that I better get to it before it is time for February’s! I guess I have been too busy watching the girls, lunching with friends, and hanging out with family to remember. This is a good thing! So, without further ado, here is my list…

  1. Wild Maps for Curious Minds (Non-fiction)-Mike Higgans

This book was so much fun! If you see it at the library, get it! It looks at many different phenomena through maps. Where are the sunny places that could help power the world? Who eats the most fruit in the world? The most meat? Where in the world can you take the longest walk in a straight line? So many things I never knew I wanted to know, and now I do!

    2. Lucy by the Sea-Elizabeth Strout

    I almost didn’t get this book because I didn’t care for the first one I read by this author. I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I loved it. Lucy Barton and her ex-husband go to a house on the Maine coast to escape the Covid pandemic. A house on the Maine coast where you can walk on the beach every day is my dream, so I certainly don’t understand her complaining. I do understand thoughts and experiences she has in regards to the situation. And Lucy has some very profound thoughts and speculation that connects us all as human beings.

    3. Animal Life-Audur Ava Olafsdottir

    Domhildur comes from a long line of midwives. On her father’s side are the undertakers. They encompass both ends of life. The story takes place in Iceland. Quite a bit of it surround tales of Domhildur’s grand aunt, also a midwife. The main character has just delivered her 1,922nd child. A winter storm is approaching. This book was just interesting enough to keep me from putting it in the to be returned pile, but not by much.

    4. Fairy Tale-Stephen King

    OMG!!! This book is excellent. It’s not a horror book as you might expect from Stephen King. It is truly a fairytale. Sort of a cross between The Hobbit and Harry Potter. I got absorbed into this alternate world. Charlie Reade helps his reclusive, elderly neighbor, finding him after a bad fall. He also cares for, and grows to love, the neighbor’s elderly dog. Charlie learns about and enters the alternate world while looking to enact every dog lover’s dream. Making his dog young again. There he encounters many good people and monsters too. The adventure takes a new direction as Charlie tries to save his new friends and himself and return order to this foreign world. I can see reading this book again in a few years. I enjoyed it that much.

    5. Everything, Beautiful-Ella Frances Sanders

    This is a beautiful book! It teaches us how to see beauty in our lives, in expected as well as unexpected places. The book is a combination of prose and drawings/watercolors. I may have to buy this book for my personal library. It’s one of those that I can see reading again from time to time.

    6. Vegan Cooking for Two-America’s Test Kitchen (Cookbook)

    A number of these recipes look good to me. I made two of them and was pleased. I didn’t have the ingredients to make some of the others, but most of the recipes do have normal ingredients. Give it a go if this is your thing.

    7. The Lost-Jeffrey B. Burton

    I love this series. It’s about Mason Reid and his Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs, aka cadaver dogs. This story comes with a murder, a kidnapping, the Russian mafia and a host of other mysteries. Lots of excitement.

    My bag of library books!

    Magazines:  Dogster (2), Country Home, The Home Edit, The Cottage Journal, Martha Stewart Living, Magnolia Journal, Mother Earth News

    Lots of good books this month. If you have time for an 800 pager, I suggest Fairy Tale as my favorite on this list. It captures that sense of magic that reminds you of being a kid.

    I hope you all had an enjoyable Valentine’s Day. This past Saturday, we hosted the annual family Valentines meal that my husband puts on every year. Lots of good food, treats, and memories were made and shared. Until next time!