WEEKLY UPDATES: LOST IN LOVELY MOMENTS…

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

 

It was a great week, but I only read two books. I spent most of one day reading my second book, which was so lovely I lost myself in it.  Now my eyes are tired, but I have that satisfying feeling of time well spent.  Here I am, showing off the beautiful cover:

I enjoyed time with my granddaughter Fiona, who helped around the house while we chatted about our lives.  Here she is wearing a T-shirt I bought to show off a favorite icon (RBG):

On Amazon Prime this week:  Instant Family, and a Season 3 Episode of The Good Fight, on CBS-All Access.

Now I am ready for a nap, but instead…I’ll grab another cup of coffee and take a closer look at the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Chasing Away the Blues…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “California Girls”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Bookish Events, Etc.

WWW Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Family Time, Etc.

Let’s Begin Our Fight Again…

Bookish Friday:  “Before She Knew Him”

Friday Serendipity:  Finding Common Ground…

Review:  The Next To Die (e-book), by Sophie HannahReview:  Night Beach, by Joanne DeMaio

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

One book came in my physical mailbox!  I then received two NetGalley ARCs via my inbox.  I downloaded two purchases.

Night Beach, by Joanne DeMaio (Click for my Review)

29 Seconds (e-book), by T. M. Logan (NG – 9/10/19)

Those People (e-book), by Louise Candlish (NG – 6/11/19)

Purchases:

The Liar’s Child (e-book), by Carla Buckley

All the Wrong Places (e-book), by Joy Fielding

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WHAT’S NEXT?

I Owe You One (e-book), by Sophie Kinsella

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That was my week!  What did yours look like?  This week, my comfort food was soup and a tuna melt sandwich.  With a margarita, of course.

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COFFEE CHAT: FAMILY TIME, ETC.

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, in which we share bookish and not so bookish thoughts.  Head on over to Bookishly Boisterous to add your link.

 

The week got off to a great start after I had spent some time with my granddaughter Fiona on Sunday.  We had lunch at Yard House, followed by time at home talking and taking photos.  We have tentative plans again later this week.  She works at night and goes to school in the days, so any time she can spare feels like a treasure.

• Today I Skyped with my eldest son, who lives in Prague.  Because of the time difference (nine hours ahead there), we have to schedule it.  He now has a job as a content writer for an online casino company, which gives him a more predictable work time than his freelance assignments.  It has been almost four years since he last visited the states, so I hope he comes some time this year.
• This morning I went out to run my errands first thing so I could devote time to the Skype chat.  We always talk for more than an hour.
• I am slowly reading The Next To Die, by Sophie Hannah; I am not rushing through my books this week.
• I watched This Is Us last night, and I do love this show. As more time goes by, however, I find myself with very distinct feelings about some of the characters, just as we do for people IRL.  For example, Randall seems so judgmental at times, while poor Kevin struggles with his addiction; I get irritated with Randall, but feel such empathy for Kevin.  And let’s face it, he is more appealing, IMO.  But Randall has always had to be “perfect,” so he can’t completely relax.  He has to be so responsible and has the weight of the world on his shoulders.  Then there is Miguel, who tries to push his way into the role of patriarch, but he can never take Jack’s place.   On the other hand, Rebecca seems so aloof, but she is probably just covering up her pain.  Do any of you watch the show and find yourselves rooting for your favorites and/or dissecting the more irritating ones?
• I’ve been setting my DVR for new shows, like The Village, which starts next week.  I added the show Juanita to my Netflix queue.  I always enjoy Alfre Woodard.
• This week I have been changing up some blog headers, like this one on my Serendipity site.

• Earlier today, I went to my FB page and everything had disappeared except a few images at the top.  I sent off a message, but then, seconds later, the page was back.  Now that was either quick work, or the glitch was temporary.  Any thoughts?

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What is happening in your part of the world?  Adventures, glitches, or annoying events?

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WEEKLY UPDATES: IN SEARCH OF BALANCE…

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

Another week has flown by, and while some days brought sunshine, others brought rain…and even hail.  Indoors, I kept setting aside books, not finding anything that grabbed me, until I finally turned—successfully—to two March NetGalley ARCs, and I was able to finish them both.  What a relief!  The chaos of February brought out the best and worst of my reading mojo, so perhaps March can bring a better balance.

There was some good movie watching on Prime and Netflix, with Ben is Back, The Widow, and The Hate U Give.

Let’s grab more coffee, and take a closer look at the week.

***

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Monday Potpourri:  Finding My Routines Again…

My Journey:  A Story from the Past…and the Present…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Lost for Words Bookshop”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Book Releases, New Movies, Etc.

Hump Day Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Moving on from the Chaos…

Bookish Friday:  “I Owe You One”

Playing Around with Photos…and Posts…

Review:  Me For You (e-book), by Lolly Winston – (NG-3-12-19)Review:  In the Blink of an Eye (e-book), by Jesse Blackadder – (NG-3/19/19)

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox!  I did download two e-books that I purchased…

California Girls (e-book), by Susan Mallery

Before She Knew Him (e-book), by Peter Swanson

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WHAT’S NEXT?

The Next To Die (e-book), by Sophie Hannah

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And then I will follow my whims to select the next book.  My up-next ARCs are not due until April. 

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That was my week…what did yours look like? Below, check out my delicious chocolate dessert.

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COFFEE CHAT: MOVING ON FROM THE CHAOS…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, in which we share bookish and not so bookish thoughts.  Head on over to Bookishly Boisterous to add your link.

 

The past week has been a better one, with the chaos slowly dissipating, even as my bookish moments feel frustrating.  I have picked up a few books, only to set them down.  As DNF books, or perhaps as “maybe later” reads.  I finally settled on a March NetGalley ARC to be released next Tuesday, but I’ve been reading it slowly, as the instructions from the publisher requested not to post reviews until the week before release.  Finally…I posted it today:  Me For You, by Lolly Winston (click for my review).

• I’m also enjoying Becoming, in bits and pieces.
• Movies…yes, I’m finding some Amazon Prime flicks that have been engaging, like Ben Is Back, starring Julia Roberts; and The Hate U Give.
• I’m still loving This Is Us on TV…and I’m happy to learn that at least three more seasons are certain.
• Last week, I enjoyed a hair styling with my daughter, and on the day I was there, the salon was celebrating five years in business…with snacks and mimosas.

• I am loving my weekly styling appointments…my daily routines are so much easier when my hair feels regularly refreshed.
• I also enjoyed a mani on Friday.

• My granddaughter, Fiona, is meeting me for breakfast on Saturday.  I always love our little get-togethers.  Below, she celebrated her birthday with her dog.

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How did your week unfold?  I am definitely relieved to have some of the bad stuff behind me, including the tax appointment. 

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MY JOURNEY: A STORY FROM THE PAST…& THE PRESENT…

There is a story behind my new blog header.  An ornately designed VW bus takes me back to the 1970s, and to the era that really defined me.  The clothes, the music, and the hairstyles.  On FB, I took one of those tests, and the answer for What Decade Are You?:  the 70s.

Not only did I drive VW bugs, but I also had a VW bus.  Mine didn’t have the flowing designs, but I loved it nonetheless.

Recently, I included a very colorful VW on my Snow Sparks blog header:

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I do love many things about life in the present, of course.  Blogging, social networking, and Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Back in the 70s, we only had three or four channels on our TV sets.  And sometimes, the rabbit ears antennae did not work out too well.  But then again, we didn’t know any better.

What do you love about the past…and the present?

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WEEKLY UPDATES: RAINY DAYS, ETC.

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

Another week of ongoing issues, some related to the hack, but others from an entirely unexpected source.  Finally, by Wednesday, most of the banking problems were sorted.  I was able to sink into some good books, and read and reviewed THREE!  One of this week’s books earned favorite of February…and now I’m eager to see what March brings.  Today is another rainy day, but I have a good umbrella, so I’m not going to let a little precipitation keep me inside all day.

I enjoyed some Prime movies, as well as a new series on Hallmark:  The Chronicle Mysteries. My favorite Prime movie was called Four of a Kind, with shifting perspectives in a murder mystery.

Let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts: “Never Tell”

Rainy Day Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Chaos in My Interior…

Monthly Wrap-Up:  Welcome to March!

Bookish Friday:  “The Next to Die”

Review:  Don’t Wake Up, by Liz LawlerReview:  On Turpentine Lane, by Elinor LipmanReview:  The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox!  I did receive one NetGalley review book, though.

The First Mistake, by Sandie Jones – (NG -6/11/19)

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WHAT’S NEXT?

The Woman Inside (e-book), by E.G. Scott

And then, my next March NG book:

Me For You (e-book), by Lolly Winston (NG-3/12)

***

That was my week. What did yours look like?  Today I’m sharing a delicious apple tart which I savored last night at Mimi’s.

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COFFEE CHAT: CHAOS IN MY INTERIOR…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, in which we share bookish and not so bookish thoughts.  Head on over to Bookishly Boisterous to add your link.

 

It has been two weeks since I last wrote a Coffee Chat post.  As I studied my calendar and pondered the events of the last two weeks, everything hit me all over again.  The computer hack, the days without my laptop, and then, even worse, the banking issues that I thought were related to the hack…but were not.  Apparently some updates for my trust that I had completed with a bank official several weeks ago had not been reviewed at the other end…and those analysts were now holding everything up.  So…with a “frozen” bank account at just the time that I was expecting some direct deposits that were not going to make it into the account without aggressive action, I marched down to the bank this morning.  And stayed in the manager’s office until it was sorted.  I think it is…finally. 

• Luckily, the books I have been reading were good ones that kept my mind distracted from all the chaos in my interior world.  I have read and reviewed two books so far this week:  Don’t Wake Up, by Liz Lawler; and On Turpentine Lane, by Elinor Lipman.
• I am just starting The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides: “…A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy.”
• This afternoon I took a long nap…since my anxieties kept me awake for several hours last night.
• Now that February is ending, my two granddaughters have celebrated their 22nd birthdays…  I featured them (below) on my FB cover:  Aubrey and her dad, my #2 son, on the left; Fiona on the right.  My favorite VW from Snow Sparks is in the center.

• Last weekend, I made lentil soup in my Crockpot, and I’ve been eating a lot of leftovers this week.

• I did record the Oscars, and then proceeded to FF through a lot of it.  I had only seen one of those films nominated for Best Picture (A Star Is Born), but I had seen some movies with actors nominated for Best Actor. (Glenn Close, for The Wife; and Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me).
• I may need to see a couple of the movie contenders, but I’m thinking I’ll wait until they come to Prime or Netflix.

***

So…after a week of total chaos, I am starting to find my feet.  And my normal routines.  What has your week looked like?

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WEEKLY UPDATES: A WEEK OF UPS & DOWNS…

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

What a hellish week I have had!  Midway through, I woke up to a computer hack, which led to a lot of issues, beginning, of course, with a non-functioning laptop.  Off I went to the Geek Squad…and to deal with banking complications.  Sigh.  Naturally these events interfered with reading and blogging.  Now that I have my computer home again, with all pretty much under control, I am 2/3 through my second book of the week.  I hope to finish it today.  (Just finished it and added it to my list below, linked to my review).

Other events:  I took care of my taxes on Thursday, and on Friday, my daughter added more purple to my hairstyle.

I did watch some movies this week, including the most recent A Star Is Born, with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga…and Sam Elliott. 

I’ve set my DVR for the Oscars for tomorrow…I like to FF through parts of the show.

So…now that I’m halfway through the day, I don’t really need more coffee…but I wouldn’t mind having one of these:

Let’s take a closer look at my week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG:

Sunday Potpourri:  Rainy Days, Skylights, & Birthdays…

Tuesday Potpourri:  Releases & Hit & Miss Reading…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Don’t Wake Up”

My Book Buying Disorder…

Hump Day:  Current, Past, Future Reading…

Review:  Late in the Day (e-book), by Tessa Hadley – 2.5 stars

Review:  She Lies in Wait (e-book), by Gytha Lodge – 5 stars

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty Mailbox!  I downloaded two purchases…

Never Tell (e-book), by Lisa Gardner

The Next To Die (e-book), by Sophie Hannah

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:

Don’t Wake Up (e-book), by Liz Lawler

 

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That was my hectic week. What did yours look like?  Tomorrow I hope to make a pot of lentil soup, following a recipe I found, along with this image:

***

 

 

WEEKLY UPDATES: RAIN, WIND, & SOME HAIL…

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

We had lots of rainy days last week, some with scary winds that rattled the rafters.  There was also some hail on Friday.  Oooh.  Reading was good, though, and I managed to finish three books.  I watched a few movies on my DVR, including Season I of Big Little Lies, in anticipation of Season II soon to come.  I also enjoyed a Prime Video called All At Once (from 2016), that focused on some family issues after 9/11.  On Hallmark Murders & Mysteries, there are some new ones this month with Alison Sweeney (The Chronicle Mysteries).

My two granddaughters are celebrating birthdays this month:  Aubrey’s was 2/13 and Fiona’s will be on 2/21.  They are 22.  I barely remember that age!  LOL.

Let’s take a closer look at the week…but first, let’s all grab more coffee.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Not Here”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Habits, Old and New…

Rainy Day Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Rainy Days Again…

Bookish Friday: “I Invited Her In”

Review:  Daisy Jones & the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid – (NG-3/5)Review:  Not Here, by Genevieve Nocovo – (Author Review Request)Review:  The Making of Us, by Lisa Jewell (Library Book)

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INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox…but I received two NetGalley review books via my inbox.  I also downloaded two purchases.

The Perfect Wife (e-book), by J. P. Delaney – (NG 8/6)

Sunset Beach (e-book), by Mary Kay Andrews – (NG-5/7)

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Purchased Downloads:

The Silent Patient (e-book), by Alex Michaelides

Don’t Wake Up (e-book), by Liz Lawler

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WHAT’S NEXT?

I’ll soon start reading some NetGalley ARCs for books released in the the last part of March, but maybe not this week.  Instead, I’m pulling a couple of books from my shelves:

Late in the Day, by Tessa Hadley

 Come Find Me, by Megan Miranda

Then I will follow my moods….

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  I also enjoyed some Tortilla Sedona Soup, with the ubiquitous Margarita and a book….

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COFFEE CHAT: RAINY DAYS AGAIN…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, in which we share bookish and not so bookish thoughts.  Head on over to Bookishly Boisterous to add your link.

 

Rainy days have kept me curled up and reading…and watching movies.  But I’ve also enjoyed some outings, like breakfast at Marie Callender’s this morning.  I was craving French Toast, so I took my book around the corner and ordered some.

• I finished reading my Author Review Book, Not Here, by Genevieve Nocovo. (Click title for my review).
• Earlier in the week, I read and reviewed Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a NetGalley ARC.  The book will be released on 3/5.  (Click title for my review).
• When Big Little Lies was shown as a miniseries last year, I had saved it on my DVR.  I watched it again, as Season II is coming, and there will be an unexpected new cast member: Meryl Streep, as Celeste’s mother-in-law.  Doesn’t that sound good?

• I wonder what new issues will come along, and what the characters will still be addressing…
• I haven’t been tempted to reread the book, though.  I tend to watch movies over and over, but rereading books is not on my to-do list.  I have a short stack of books I might like to reread someday, but I doubt it will happen.
• Today is my granddaughter Aubrey’s 22nd birthday, and she is finishing out her senior year of college in May.  Last month, she and some friends took a vacation, which included a stop at this lovely spot.

• Next Thursday is her “twin cousin” Fiona’s 22nd birthday.  I like this photo of her:  she always has interesting poses.

• On the weekend, I enjoyed another Prime video that has been around for awhile (since 2016), but I had never seen it:  All At Once is the story of an artist who takes in the daughters of his friends after they are killed on 9/11.  They leave Manhattan and settle in Buffalo.
• The story begins with one girl a teen, while the other is twelve.  They push back a lot, rebelling against their guardian’s choices.  Typical growing pains with extra angst.
• Today I started reading my library book, The Making of Us, by Lisa Jewell.

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That was my week.  Did you enjoy any special adventures or really good books?

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