Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Finally getting into a routine here, but Q is thwarting my attempts to go to the gym. Apparently he hates the gym daycare and screams when we step into the building. Need to figure this out quick. I hate going to the gym at night.

• Love the new Starbuck’s green cups. I’m even going to add one into my December Daily pages.

• Speaking of, I finally pulled out my Christmas crafting supplies and took stock. Grabbed a few new kits for Holiday albums, but I’m in good shape.

• Started some freelance transcription and it’s going okay. The boys interrupt me too often making for long sessions. But I’ve already made about $100 this month.

• After a broken oven and water in the basement, here’s hoping our house troubles are over for awhile.

• Getting excited about Holiday activities!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell

Title: A Magical Match (Witchcraft Mystery #9)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 327

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Seasonal Series - Catch-up

Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him. 

Finally I got ahold of this latest Witchcraft Mystery volume! I was so excited to get back into Lily’s story and world. I really enjoyed this volume much more than the last one. I loved the murder mystery, but even more I loved the interactions between all our main characters. And we finally get to meet Graciela and Lily’s mother in this volume. So great! And the reveal of info at the end of the book has got me thinking about what’s coming next for our band of San Franciscans!

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits

• #2 A Cast Off Coven

• #3 Hexes and Hemlines

• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe

• #5 Tarnished and Torn

• #6 A Vision in Velvet

• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing

• #7 Spellcasting in Silk

• #8 A Toxic Trousseau

• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lies, Damned Lies, and History by Jodi Taylor

Title: Lies, Damned Lies, and History (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s #7) 

Author: Jodi Taylor

Publisher: Accent Press 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Stars: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Seasonal Series - Scares Me

At St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, the historians don't just study the past, they revisit it. Behind the strait-laced façade of a conventional academic institution, the secret of time travel has been discovered and is being used for ground-breaking and daring historical research. The series takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through history: from the destruction of Pompeii to the trenches of the First World War; from the Great Fire of London to the burning of the library at Alexandria; from Bronze Age Troy to the time of the dinosaurs... Meanwhile, within at St Mary's itself, there are power struggles, romances and intrigues worthy of a book in themselves.

Another heartbreaking story from the wayward characters at St. Mary’s. I knew this one was going to have something big happen and I was not disappointed. I only got about 1/3 of the way into the book before I almost put it down in sadness. Thankfully I stuck with it and was rewarded with a great story of adventure and change. Oh and the big twist at the end was priceless. Love it!

The Chronicles of St. Mary’s:

• #0.5 The Very First Damned Thing

• #1 Just One Damned Thing After Another

• #2 A Symphony of Echoes

• #2.5 When A Child is Born

• #3 A Second Chance

• #3.5 Roman Holiday

• #4 A Trail Through Time

• #4.5 Christmas Present

• #5 No Time Like the Past

• #6 What Could Possibly Go Wrong

• #6.5 Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings

• #7 Lies, Damned Lies, and History

• #7.5 The Great St. Mary’s Day Out

• #7.6 My Name is Markham

• #8 And the Rest is History

• #8.5 A Perfect Storm

• #9 The Long and Short of It

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday -- Larkin Poe "Mad as a Hatter"

Such a powerful song!

Life Right Now #35

As I look outside my window: The sun is shining into my dining room, but don’t be fooled, it’s only 29 degrees out there right now…

Right now I am: Finishing breakfast, then planning on a shower before the delivery people come with our new stove. The control board on our current one is shorting out and I can’t use the oven at all. I didn’t realize how much I use our oven until I couldn’t. No baking at all this week!

On my bedside table: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan; Monstress Vol. 3

On my tv this week: Lots of The Good Place, Stan Against Evil, It’s Always Sunny, and GBBO.

Listening to: Catching up on some podcasts and lots of Nothing More

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Black Bean Soup

• Tuesday - BBQ Chicken

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Italian Noodle Soup

• Friday - Balsamic Pork Roast

• Saturday - Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bowls

• Sunday - ???

On my to do list: I still need to get to the DMV soon to get a NE license. I’m planning on getting the boys’ haircuts tomorrow. And the big task is navigating Aetna’s website to find new doctors, dentists, and eye doctors for the family. Not looking forward to that task.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Yoga; Open Gym

• Tuesday - Classes at Romp n Roll

• Wednesday - Gym; Christmas Card Class

• Thursday - Classes at Romp n Roll

• Friday - Stroytime at the Library

• Saturday - Christmas card Class

• Sunday - Nothing

What I am creating: Christmas cards!!! I have about half of them done, but now I want to switch up the designs a bit. I’ve got a few ideas pinned that I can take elements from.

My simple pleasures: Watching the snow come down (not so much going out in it), theater date with Arthur, magazines in my mailbox, having a great library system again.

Looking around the house: Things are coming together. The theater is mostly put together, but I do need to figure out what to do about the weird area by the fireplace. The master is mostly put away. I need to finish my craft area and move boxes around in the garage so I can park in there.

From the camera: The scene outside on Friday…

East of West Volume 8

Title: East of West Volume 8

Author: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta

Publisher: Image 2018

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 136

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

We catch up with Death and Babylon in this eighth volume of the bestselling series EAST OF WEST. Collects EAST OF WEST #35-38

Oh my goodness! This series is really keeping me on my toes. This volume slowed the story down just a bit to spend a lot of time with the horseman, the marshal, Death, Babylon, and the Endless Nation. We get a lot of good character interplay and some great panels. Really loved this volume but I really really need to see what happens! Who wins? Who survives, who dies? What is the meaning of the Message? Really love this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

Title: The Light in the Ruins

Author: Chris Bohjalian

Publisher: Vintage 2013

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 322

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquility is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding hospitality, and what was once their sanctuary becomes their prison.

1955: Serafina Bettini, an investigator with the Florence police department, has her own demons. A beautiful woman, Serafina carefully hides her scars along with her haunting memories of the war. But when she is assigned to a gruesome new case—a serial killer targeting the Rosatis, murdering the remnants of the family one-by-one in cold blood—Serafina finds herself digging into a past that involves both the victims and her own tragic history.

I was expecting a historical fiction novel about a. family dealing with the aftermath of WWII. I wasn’t expecting a murder mystery pushing the narrative along. Much better than I thought it was going to be. I especially enjoyed following Serafina’s involved in the case and the glimpses of her history. The whodunit kept me guessing until the last few chapters. The reveal was wonderfully staged and described. I enjoyed this random book from my shelf.

Next up on the TBR pile:

November Videos

We’ll see this one eventually, but I’ll say that it does look so much better than the Superman movies.

Might be a good thriller… apparently it was a book. Must add to TBR list.

Love this twist!

I liked the movie, but totally agree…

Definitely have to see this. I was a Nickelodeon kid in the early 90s!

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant

Title: Rolling in the Deep (Rolling in the Deep #0.5)

Author: Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit

Genre: Horror

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR: Popsugar - Lyrics; Seasonal Series - Duology

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids.  They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands.  Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.  Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

A lovely, horrifying prequel to Into the Drowning Deep. Anyone who has read the main novel knows how this prequel is going to end, but I was still on pins and needles waiting to find out the fate of the crew on the Atargatis. And the sirens were just as horrifying (maybe even more so than the novel). A great read!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spinning Straw into Gold by Joan Gould

Title: Spinning Straw into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal About the Transformations in a Woman's Life

Author: Joan Gould

Publisher: Random House 2010

Genre: Nonfiction - Fairy Tales/Folklore

Pages: 330

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

What’s your favorite fairy tale? Whether it’s “Cinderella,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Hansel and Gretel,” or another story, your answer reveals something significant about you, your experiences, and your soul. In this penetrating book, Joan Gould brings to the surface the hidden meanings in fairy tales and myths, and illuminates what they can tell you about the stages in your own life. As Gould explores the transformations that women go through from youth to old age–leaving home and mother, the first experience of sexuality, the surprising ambivalence of marriage, the spiritual work required by menopause and aging–her keen observations will enrich your awareness of your inner life.

Another long shelf resident that I finally decided to pick up. I enjoyed this exploration of fairy tales, but I caution that this is not for the feint of heart. The text is very dry and academic. The analysis of each fairy tale is deep and very long. And yet, I really did like the insights I gleamed from the text. If you really like fairy tales and literary analysis, pick this one up.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Ice Nine Kills "A Grave Mistake"

I got to see the band at the Warped Tour last summer and have been waiting for this album ever since. Love this song!

Life Right Now #34

As I look outside my window: It’s a bit gray and overcast. No rain today, but looks like the forecast is calling for rain tomorrow.

Right now I am: Cleaning up the dining room/kitchen, updating my planner, and generally checking in before I go take a shower.

On my bedside table: Lies, Damned Lies, and History by Jodi Taylor; A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell

On my tv this week: I finally finished UnReal S4. Totally called that ending. J and I watched Jack Whitehall Travels with My Father S2.

Listening to: Not much at all. Transcription projects? That’s about it.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Leftovers

• Tuesday - Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken

• Wednesday - Kielbasa Skillet

• Thursday - Sweet Potato Nachos

• Friday - Chicken and Noodles

• Saturday - Leftovers

• Sunday - Italian Noodle Soup

On my to do list: Find a doctor as we’ve now got our insurance cards. Also a dentist and an eye doctor. Figure out the washer situation (not draining properly). Get a NE driver’s license. Get started on my gym routine.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Arthur’s first day of preschool! Q has a music class; library visit; Christmas card class

• Tuesday - Zumba class; grocery shopping

• Wednesday - Personal trainer visit at the gym

• Thursday - Arthur’s art class; Drinks and conversation with a women’s group

• Friday - Arthur preschool; Storytime at HyVee; Polar Express showing at the library

• Saturday - Coffee and conversation; theatre performance

• Sunday - Family crafts at the library

What I am creating: Finishing up some SSINK cards, then I’m moving on to Christmas cards!

My simple pleasures: Nothing much this week at all. It’s been a really long week. I’m ready for Monday and the start of some sort of schedule.

Looking around the house: Nothing has been done at all this past week. Really hoping to get the master bedroom sorted today asI would really like to put away my clothes.

From the camera: Q loved this blowup Marshal at the neighbor’s house. I seriously had to pull him away from it.

November 2018 Life Goals

Let’s check in on October's goals and my progress.

• Do something special for Arthur’s 5th birthday — The day of he was sick, but the day before we went to go see The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Rose Theatre.

• Unpack to a reasonable point — Success. I still want to fix our master bedroom, but most of the house is livable.

• Join a book club — I didn’t actually join one, but I did start one of my own.

• Find a class/group for Arthur — No classes joined, but we did find a preschool and he’s starting next week.

• Find a few new-to-us places to hang out — Success.

• Launch my crafty business in Nebraska — Fail. I created an event, no one showed up.

• Go trick-or-treating! — Success!

November's Goals:

• Fix the master bedroom — We need to move a dresser, attach the mirror, move the other dresser, and then fix my outlet.

• Layout my TBR for the end of the year / start brainstorming reading challenges — Need to figure out those last minute reads to finish out 2018 and get started on my plan for 2019.

• Join/register preschool, gym, and library — I have the paperwork for Arthur’s new preschool, but need to drop everything off. I need to email the gym membership guy about joining process. And I want to get my library card this month.

• Buy some new jeans and key fall pieces — Um… living in California for almost 7 years means that I have little-to-none winter clothes. I just put in an Amazon order with new pants and sweaters. Hoping they fit!

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I seriously love Halloween so much! So sad it’s over.

• Very excited to get my crafting room set up so I can make some things.

• The summer-like fall weather was nice, but I’m looking forward to sweater weather!

• Here’s hoping my new clothes fit (bought online…)

• Contemplating my next read. I have too many choices on the self.

Next up on the TBR pile: