three on thursday

 

One: the assistant principal visited me during my planning period.  Just to check in with me, to see how the year is going.  We had a very nice chat.  

Two:  I managed to leave early today and get some errands done after an appointment--it was fantastic to get routine tasks done during the day!

Three:  last week, I mentioned that I sent thank-you cards to the kids who made my birthday extra special--and this week, they are thanking me for thanking them!

wordless wednesday

 

finished reading

This is the continuation of last year's The Grey Wolf, picking up after Chief Inspector Armand Gamache miraculously stopped a huge terrorist bombing in Montréal. He is immediately consumed by the unsettling thought that there is a bigger criminal scheme that he missed.  Piecing together clues from old journals, fragmented notes, and a tattered map, Gamache and his most trusted team are in a race against time.  

I thought most of this was darker than other books in the series, but I was on the edge of my seat trying to anticipate the ending.  And my beloved village of Three Pines gave me comfort.  

From the publisher:

Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.

Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.

But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.

Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning…

In a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.

From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.

dona nobis pacem

 

The world is uncertain.  I am putting peace into the universe.  Peace begins with me.

Find other peace bloggers here.

currently

I am...

Reading: The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

Listening to:  nothing

Thinking: I need to choose a new PCP because the insurance company and my local hospital are splitting up

Feeling:  discouraged

Celebrating:  at least I was able to get information and clarification from the insurance company about my options

Grateful for:  well, I am grateful for insurance

Enjoying: relaxing on my comfy couch

Weather:  45° and cloudy

A quote I want to share:  

sunday stealing

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Monday Morning Meme

1. What was the last thing you laughed at? myself--at the time of day and my still being in bed

2. Who among your friends/family "gets" your sense of humor? I'd say they all do

3. What jewelry are you wearing at this moment? none

4. If you could offer one bit of etiquette that everyone should follow while dining out, what would it be? chew with your mouth closed while not making slurping/chomping sounds

5. What's the first thing a guest would notice when they walked through your front door?  the wall of family photos

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

Another mystery for book lovers! The main character, Susan Ryeland has returned to England and as a freelance editor, is working on "the last" Atticus Pund mystery novel.  As she unravels the editorial mysteries, she is embroiled in a parallel mystery.  The fun ensues from there.  This is a great series with fantastic audio narration.

From the publisher:

Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel, and her Greek boyfriend Andreas in search of a new life back in England.

Freelancing for Causton Books, she’s working on the manuscript of a novel, Pund’s Last Case, by a young author named Eliot Crace, a continuation of the popular Alan Conway series.  Susan is surprised to learn that Eliot is the grandson of legendary children’s author Marian Crace, who died some fifteen years ago—murdered, Elliot insists, by poison.

As Susan begins to read the manuscript’s opening chapters, the skeptical editor is relieved to find that Pund’s Last Case is actually very good. Set in the South of France, it revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, who, though mortally ill, is poisoned—perhaps by a member of her own family. But who did it? And why?

The deeper Susan reads, the more it becomes clear that the clues leading to the truth of Marian Crace’s death are hidden within this Atticus Pund mystery.

While Eliot’s accusation becomes more plausible, his behavior grows increasingly erratic.. Then he is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident, and Susan finds herself under police scrutiny as a suspect in his killing.

Three mysterious deaths. Multiple motives and possible murderers. If Susan doesn’t solve the mystery of Pund’s Last Case, she may well be the next victim.

saturday 9

 

Angie Baby

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

 

1) This week's song is a spooky one about a young man who breaks into the bedroom of a troubled girl named Angie. Their encounter doesn't go well and he's never seen again. Though there's been gossip, no one knows for sure what happened to him. Does your town have any scary legends that have been passed down through the decades? when I was in college in the late 80s, the big rumor was to guard your cat because a satanic group was going to sacrifice it on a local mountain on Halloween.  People were sooooo worked up about it and it grew to ridiculousness

 

2) Songwriter Alan O'Day said he drew upon aspects of his own childhood to come up with "Angie Baby." He was an only child who often stayed home sick from school, with only Top 40 radio for company. What do you recall when you think about sick days as a kid?  staying at my grandparents' house and being pampered

 

3) Helen Reddy said she enjoyed hearing what her fans thought happened in "Angie Baby." Can you think of another song that is open to interpretation? "Every Breath You Take" by the Police is creepy but people think it's a love song

 

4) When Helen and her husband/manager Jeff Wald heard "Angie Baby" the first time, they immediately agreed she should record it. She went into the studio that afternoon and in less than 10 days, disc jockeys were playing it and "Angie Baby" became an international hit. When were you glad you acted on impulse? an impulse purchase of shoes and boots seems to have the right fit

 

Questions inspired by Halloween .... 

5) Though best known as a recording artist, Helen Reddy also acted on occasion and appeared as a singing nun in Airport 1975. A nun's habit is a popular Halloween costume. Will you/did you dress up this year? no, I didn't dress up in a costume but I wore my Halloween shirt

6) In 2024, more Americans than ever dressed their dogs up for Halloween. Have you ever taken your pup with you trick-or-treating? when I got my beloved childhood dog, Mopsie, she went everywhere with me--includig trick-or-treating

7) According to the Guinness Book of Records, the award for highest number of jack-o-lanterns in one place went to Keene, NH, where in 2013 there were 30,581. Did you carve a pumpkin for Halloween this year? no, I didn't

 

8) In years gone by, the Irish celebrated Halloween not with pumpkins but by carving turnips, potatoes and beets. Are any of those foods in your kitchen right now? potatoes--many potatoes
 

9) Some Elvis fans insist his ghost hovers in the trees over Graceland. Have you ever seen a ghost? no, I don't especially believe in ghosts

three on thursday

 

One: my sociology classes make me laugh: we applied group concepts to the movie Mean Girls, and I was surprised how many hadn't seen the film, and even more surprised that they were amazed at how the concepts fit the movie.  

Two:  I might have a birthday hangover.  The celebration yesterday was memorable and special.  My students showered me with love.

Three:  thank you cards are written and stamped, ready to post!  I wrote to the students who gave me gifts and the party planners who brought in food.