currently

I am...

Reading:  Good Spirits by B.K. Borison--I just started it but I'm really enjoying it!

Listening to:  a low-fi holiday playlist on Spotify

Thinking:  I really need to sit down and check my Christmas list twice!

Feeling:  happy

Celebrating: my lesson plans worked out, and the students are actually having fun with the sensation lab!

Grateful for:  I lesson planned until we come back from our luxurious two-week holiday break!

Enjoying:  not to jinx anything--I'm having a great school year!

Weather:  15° and clear

A quote I want to share: 

"Recently single, I returned to my small town for the holidays, made a wish on a magic snow globe, and fell in love with a devoted dog whisperer. "--yeah, I would read that!

 

finished reading

I loved the crazy crew making their appearances in this holiday installment of the series (which, sadly, seems to be the last of the books).  I liked learning more about Coltin's backstory, since he's appeared in others of the series.  And his life of fame and fortune was a good match for his love interest, Gretchen Winthrop.  As with others in the series, the romance and humor are a backdrop for more serious issues, which are well-handled and not shied away from.  I was definitely rooting for Coltin and Gretchen.  And the Christmas setting was fun.  Vlad's appearance really warmed my heart.

From the publisher:

'Tis the season for a Bromance Book Club matchmaking mission! This time, they're pulling out the mistletoe for everyone's favorite country music star, Colton, and his second chance at love.

Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.

It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…

Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.

sunday stealing

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F.A.B Meme

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching?  I'm in the mood to watch The Holiday because I love it

A. Audio: What are you listening to? SIA singing Snowman

B. Book: What are you reading? I just finished a book, but might start Good Spirits by B.K. Borison

finished reading

Many years ago, I had a student who missed two weeks of school to sell Christmas trees in New York City.  He had quirky tales to tell. This book was quite like that.  I especially enjoyed the neighborhood.  Maybe not the insta-love, but I appreciated the characters' "when you know, you know" vibe.  And this story had a nod to another of the author's charming Christmas stories, The Santa Suit.

From the publisher:

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

finished reading

At first, there are a lot of characters coming at once.  And I couldn't tell them apart.  The alternating narrative didn't especially help with that, until I got the rhythm of who's who.  And I liked this band of misfits and how they come together.  The mystery elements are revealed bit by bit, and there isn't one big twist--but several small ones.  I liked the pace of this book.  The audio is great.

From the publisher:

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together....

All in a day’s work.

saturday 9

Thank You Girl

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Who were you talking to the last time you said, "thank you?" the grocery clerk and bagger

2) Paul McCartney recalls that "Thank You Girl" was inspired by all the female fans who had written them fan letters, pledging undying love. Have you ever written a fan letter? If yes, did you receive a response? a fan email--to the developers of an app, and they wrote a very kind note back

3) Recording engineer Geoff Emerick remembered that John Lennon was easily winded while recording this song. John had a bad cold and went back to bed when they were done for the day. We're in cold/flu season right now. How are you feeling? currently feeling fine--I need to set up my humidifier, though, because I notice how dry it is

4) "Thank You Girl" is this week's song because November 27 was Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for this year? that I'm well

5) While the big meal is referred to as Thanksgiving dinner, most Americans enjoy it earlier than they usually serve dinner. 3:00 PM is the most popular time for the holiday feast. When did you have dinner on Thursday? we aimed for 2, but it was closer to 2:30

6) Cranberry sauce has been a Thanksgiving staple since the late 1800s. Was it on your menu this year? no, although there were cranberries in the dressing

7) The Thanksgiving Turducken is said to have originated in New Orleans. Chef Paul Prudhomme is often cited as the first to stuff a deboned chicken into a deboned duck into a deboned turkey. Prudhomme's recipe has more than 85 individual steps and takes a full day to prepare. Did you face any challenges while cooking your Thursday dinner? not at all--it was a very simple meal

8) Leftovers are popular after Thanksgiving, especially turkey sandwiches. Some cooks recommend serving cold, sliced turkey on wheat bread, but white bread, pitas and flatbread are also popular. When you head into the kitchen to make a sandwich, what's your go-to bread? Arnold brand Oatnut whole grains bread or their Healthy Multigrains bread

9) The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season and sales. Black Friday got its name in Philadelphia back in the 1950s to describe the traffic clogging both highways and side streets as consumers raced out in search of bargains. When is the last time you were stuck in traffic? I cannot  remember--we don't really have traffic around here

three on thursday

 

One:  what a lovely, laid-back Thanksgiving day.  A simple meal shared with my parents and a family friend.

Two:  even better was sleeping in!

Three: and a leisurely drive down some country roads I haven't been on before.  Sun shining, music playing, no rush.

spreading (late) birthday cheer

 My favorite blogger, The Gal Herself, is celebrating her birthday week.  Although I am a bit late for the actual day, my sentiment is genuine.  I had a little assist from Gemini.

🎂 Cubs, Cats, and McCartney! 🎂

A cheer for the friend whom all admire so much,

With a mind full of wisdom and a writer's fine touch.

May your birthday be grand, a spectacular view,

Filled with all the great things that matter to you.

Like a game-winning hit for the Cubs under the sun,

Or a classic old tune by the legendary one.

May a good book or movie delight every hour,

With a purring cat friend demonstrating its power.

Happy Birthday, dear friend! Sending wishes your way,

May joy and great reading fill up your days!

finished reading

I had a couple of false starts with this book--but I am so glad I buckled down and read it.  What a quirky road trip adventure.  It is so well written!  I don't have a favorite among the Hill siblings; each is unique and quirky without being caricatures.  

From the publisher:

An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.

Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than she imagined for herself, it’s mostly OK. Mostly.

Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.

As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with each new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?

Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future.

finished reading

This is such a lovely, intimate look at family and community. I think I have read it before but I'm not 100% sure.

From the publisher:

Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, a tale of one man's courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.

finished reading

This was a re-read, and I didn't enjoy it as much this second time around.

From the publisher:

Despite losing her parents in a tragic accident just before her fourteenth Christmas, Susan Norcross has had it better than most, with loving grandparents to raise her and a gang of quirky, devoted friends to support her. Now a successful bookstore owner in a tight-knit Michigan lakeside community, Susan is facing down forty—the same age as her mother when she died—and she can’t help but see everything she hasn’t achieved, including finding a love match of her own. To add to the pressure, everyone in her small town believes it’s Susan’s destiny to meet and marry a man dressed as Santa, just like her mother and grandmother before her. So it seems cosmically unfair that the man she makes an instant connection with at an annual Santa Run is lost in the crowd before she can get his name.What follows is Susan and her friends’ hilarious and heartwarming search for the mystery Santa—covering twelve months of social media snafus, authors behaving badly and dating fails—as well as a poignant look at family, friendship and what defines a well-lived and well-loved life.

finished reading

I look forward to the annual holiday read from reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter and his crew.  This featured the dogs more than the last few have, and I'm here for the dogs!

From the publisher:

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter can't wait for Christmas. He doesn't care much about the season, unless it's football season. Andy's excited to finally relax and watch the games. But when there's a murder related to an old case in Paterson, New Jersey, Andy puts the games on pause.

Two years ago, a gas leak in an office building led to a tragic explosion that killed seven people. Jeff Wheeler was there to pick up his girlfriend and ran into the building to help. All he heard was the barking of a dog, Rufus, and was able to save him. The pup was the sole survivor and Jeff was named a hero. Initially, Rufus went to the Tara Foundation since his owner had died in the accident. But Andy met Jeff and liked him, respecting his courage and allowed him to adopt Rufus. Since then, Jeff and Rufus have formed an unbreakable bond.

The accident never sat right with Jeff. He believed that one of the building owners was responsible for the tragedy. Now that owner has been murdered and Jeff is arrested for the crime, Rufus is left with Jeff's sister, who begs Andy to take the case. Andy remembered Jeff's tremendous bravery and with the lingering Christmas spirit, decides to help reunite the two.

With David Rosenfelt's signature humor and hijinks, it's time to close this case for good and bid it a good night.

currently

I am...

Reading:  I am going to start Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson

Listening to:  Tinsel & Tunes

Thinking:  I should fix something for dinner

Feeling:  I might have buyer's remorse--I spent a chunk of change on a new purse.  It's an investment, it's leather, it's from a reputable company.

Celebrating: Thanksgiving means a short week at school

Grateful for:  a little vacation break

Enjoying:  finding some new recipes to try--Thanksgiving meatballs made from stuffing, ground turkey, and cranberries

Weather:  25° and clear

A quote I want to share: 

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

— William Arthur Ward

sunday stealing

 

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Revisiting Steph

1) Has anyone ever told you "I love you" but you didn't say it back? yes--it was said in public and I was mortified as he was slovenly drunk

 

2) Do you consider yourself organized? organized chaos

 

3) Where do you look first when you go clothes shopping? online

4) Do you often reflect on your past in terms of eras or milestones ("it's been 10 years since X happened")? yes, I am often shocked by how time has passed:  the other day could be months ago

 

5) Were you more recently ill or injured (flu vs. twisted ankle)? ill--last week I was sick with an allergy cold

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.