three on thursday

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 Thing one:  I had a fun day at school!

Thing two:  A package I was waiting for arrived today!

Thing three:   I'm going to turn my ceramic tree on tonight!

w.w.w. wednesday

           

 

 Welcome to WWW Wednesday! Hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading?   Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad and Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews

• What did you recently finish reading?  Fool Me Twice at Christmas by Camilla Isley and Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper

• What do you think you’ll read next?  Something Christmassy--from this list

finished reading

This holiday story is about complicated family dynamics and assumptions siblings make.  I could relate to that.  I enjoyed it.  I liked Juliet's over-the-top efforts to maintain the perfect holiday for her kids, to make up for her own childhood chaos.  I liked Gemma's efforts to live up to Juliet's perfection in her own way.  And I loved the island setting of the sister life swap.

From the publisher:

Family-oriented Juliet is a Christmas-dinner cook extraordinaire and is trying to keep it together in the wake of her marriage breakdown two Christmases ago, but the cracks are beginning to show.

Her bright and vivacious sister Gemma was always the favorite daughter. Gemma has no qualms about escaping the festive madness and the pressures of her glamorous job by jetting off somewhere warm and leaving Christmas in Juliet's capable hands.

When Gemma shirks responsibility one too many times and announces she's off to the Caribbean (again!), Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solution—to swap Christmases. She'll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break.

In the midst of all the chaos, there's Will, Juliet's dishy neighbor who's far too nice to float Gemma's boat and may secretly harbor feelings for her sister; and Marco, the suave Italian in the villa next door who has his own ideas about the best way to help Juliet unwind.

Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmas swap to remember?

november 30

 

ten things tuesday

Ten things that give me balance:

1)  Nightly meditations--especially body scans.  I use Calm and Headspace.

2)  Reading.  Especially before bed.

3)  Figuring out the solution to a household problem.

4)  Clean sheets and blankets.

5)  Fluffy socks, soft blankets, and cuddly textures.

6)  The right temperature.  Maybe on the cool side, definitely not on the warm side.

7)  Knitting.  Especially process knitting.  That's why I've been on such a dishcloth kick lately.

8)  Having a morning routine to ease into my day.

9)  Friends and family.

10) Driving.  It's such a release for me.  Unless it's a raging storm.

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.

currently

I am...

Reading:  Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper

Listening to:  my Holly Jolly playlist

Loving:  I am wearing comfortable colored jeans--

Thinking:  about fixing dinner--I hate this part of adulthood

Feeling:  feisty! 

Celebrating:  today was a good day.  

Grateful for:  the service department at my usual garage--they checked my tires when the alert came on and reassured me it is most likely due to the change in temperatures but made a plan for if it happens again

Weather:  it is 20° and partly cloudy

Enjoying:  the sense of accomplishment that I pulled together an assignment for my students to work on and they love it

A quote I want to share:  

sunday stealing

 

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Conversations

1. What is the craziest, most outrageous thing you want to achieve? read my entire TBR list

2. Have your parents influenced what goals you have? yes, they went on to have busy retirements

3. What is a fashion trend you’re glad went away. giant shoulder pads 

4. What word or saying from the past do you think should come back? nifty

5. What do you bring with you everywhere you go? identification

6. Is there such a thing as a soul? yes

7. Is there life after death? not as we define life but our energy is released into the universe

8. Do you think there will ever be a third world war? probably

9. What smell brings back great memories? Youth Dew Perfume by Estee Lauder

10. How would you like to be remembered? fondly

11. What kind of music are you into? Christmas

12. What is the biggest surprise of your life? having and surviving pulmonary emboli

13. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? bread

14. Where is the most awe inspiring place you have been? being at the top of the Eiffel Tower as the city lit up was quite remarkable and awe-inspiring

15. Describe your life in six words. Looking forward to life of retirement.

saturday 9

 

Black Velvet

1) This song was chosen because yesterday was Black Friday, the traditional day of sales. Have you begun your Christmas shopping? I am almost done--however, I have to actually mail the packages and I drag my feet doing that (I don't know why but I always do)

2)  Was there an adult beverage served with your Thanksgiving feast? there was not
 
3) Did any pets enjoy scraps from your Thanksgiving table? no pets, sadly

4) Are there any Thanksgiving leftovers in your refrigerator right now? yes--I have one serving left

5) Football is a popular Thanksgiving weekend pastime. Will you be watching any games over the next few days? If yes, which team(s) are you rooting for? no and the Patriots

6) This week's song is by Canadian Alannah Myles. She was born Alannah Byles (with a B), but changed her name to differentiate herself from her father. He was influential in Canadian broadcasting and she didn't want to be accused of riding his coattails. Have you ever received a professional leg up from a relative? there was a teacher at my school who once said to my face that the only reason I got my job was that my father was the director of the performing arts center (never mind my academic background was perfect for the job)

7) In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Instead of pumpkin pie, Canadians traditionally enjoy butter tarts for dessert. What dessert was on your Thanksgiving menu? I didn't have anything--but later, when I went to my dad's, I had slivers of pecan and apple pies

8) "Black Velvet" is a tribute to Elvis. Songwriter Christopher Ward said he was inspired by a trip to Memphis, long after Elvis' death, where he spoke to The King's fans and was touched by how much they still loved their favorite singer. Who is your favorite singer? kd lang, Linda Ronstadt, Lady Gaga, Luther Vandross, Freddie Mercury, Pentatonix (all of them are fantastic), Wynona, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill--holy moly there are too many to list!

9) Share a memory from Thanksgiving 2020. My gallbladder decided to erupt and I spent the next two weeks in appointments for its inevitable removal.

finished reading

This book is so much fun!  The dual narrative perspectives work perfectly in telling Chuck and Kate's take on the events and each other.  There are some funny moments--especially the getaway at the end!  There are some eye-rolling moments, too--especially how pushy the parents are.  But it's a fun, fast story.  A classic rom-com with holiday flair.  

From the publisher:

There are two types of relationships: fake and real.

Chuck and Kate’s used to be real, oh-so-real. But after she broke his heart four months ago, leaving him, it became all just pretense for the sake of their entwined families.

With parents who are best friends and business partners, it’s not easy for Chuck and Kate to announce they’ve split up. But with the holidays looming over them, they can no longer keep pretending.

They head home for Christmas, determined to tell the truth—and end up accidentally engaged instead. The more they try to pull apart, the more the Universe seems to push them back together, shortening the road to the altar. And when just-for-show kisses stir up forgotten feelings, things get even more complicated.

Now, with the midnight hour approaching, will Chuck and Kate’s relationship turn out to be fake or real?

the friday 56

The Friday 56

Rules: 

*Grab a book, any book. 

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.) 

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) 

*Post it. 

I'm reading  Fool Me Twice at Christmas by Camilla Isley.

From page 56:

The broadcast, however, doesn't stop within these walls.  Soon, people are bringing out their phones and texting relatives, friends, and everyone else who might be bothered to know.

I shouldn't be surprised.  A wedding between the two heirs to the chocolate crown is big news in Bluewater Springs.

And I'm a dead man.

The only chance Kate and I had to contain this morning's disaster was for no one to find out.  And I just blew that possibility.

friday 5

 

Everything but Yul Brynner

1. How have you recently kept yourself in check? I avoided shopping on Black Friday
2. What’s the closest thing to a castle you’ve been in? I've been in a few castles when I was in Ireland--Blarney and Bunratty pop into mind
3. What were the circumstances the last time you were hoarse? I had a day recently that I was doing some direct instruction all day long and was hoarse at the end of the day
4. What’s your favorite song by Queen? oh, there are so many--You're My Best Friend, Love of My Life, and I Was Born To Love You
5. For what will you likely pay a king’s ransom in the near future? my Christmas present to me (even though I don't know what it is yet)