WEEKLY UPDATES: MOVING FORWARD…

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, with only two books read and reviewed.  But…my interior world is growing cozier, with the help of family, like my granddaughter Fiona who came by on Tuesday to unpack boxes and shred things…and then hung favorites on the wall, like this banner in my entry way. 

On Thursday, we ran errands (which means I sat in the car while she drove)…and one of these errands was for a mani-pedi…and lunch at CPK.

 

 

 

 

 

My routines are becoming more relaxed…and I am enjoying shows on Netflix (Dead to Me)  and on Prime: Big Little Lies Season II.

Let’s grab some coffee…and take a closer look at my reading/blogging week.

MY BLOGGING WEEK:

Coffee Chat: Finding My Groove…

Bookish Friday:  “After the End”

Little Beach Bungalow, by Joanne DeMaio –After the End, by Clare Mackintosh – (NG-6/25)

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INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox!

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CURRENTLY READING:

Little Darlings, by Melanie Golding

I have no ARCs to read and review before July…so I will happily relax for a bit and read from my TBR.  Then I have SIX  ARCs coming in August!

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That was my week.  Moving along slowly and rediscovering my feet…literally.  I have graduated to a cane.  Who knows what could happen next.  Exercise classes?

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What was your week like?  Enjoy your reading, blogging, and adventures.

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WEEKLY UPDATES: THOUGHTS FROM MY TINY SPACE…

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.

 

A month has passed since my life changed drastically.  In the past two weeks, I have slowly transitioned to my new living arrangements, and while my reading is still slow…I did finish Emily, Gone, by Bette Lee Crosby, a five star read. (Click title for my review).

Currently, I am enjoying Little Beach Bungalow, by Joanne DeMaio.  Our summer friends are back in Stony Point, and new layers of the story are unfolding.

I am finally loving coffee again:

In my tiny apartment, I am adding a few of my quirky favorites from my former place, and I even brought a few books and family photos:

 

 

 

 

 

My “home theater” (TV/Blu-Ray combo) is all set for watching Big Little Lies this week!

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BLOGGING:

My First Hump Day in June

Coffee Chat:  Redesigning My Life…

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INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox.  I did download one e-book.

The Friends We Keep, by Jane Green

Gradually I am making myself at home.  I do hope to read and blog more in the coming weeks.

What did your week look like?

No delightful food to share this week, except this coffee and a sweet roll one early morning.  Maybe next week?

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WEEKLY UPDATES: MOVING ON…

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.

 

Good morning!  Here I am again, finally, after missing last week’s updates.  This week has been one of settling into my new space and visiting with my eldest son from Prague.  Last Sunday, family members met at Yard House for lunch…and then I moved into my new little apartment.

Midweek, Craig and I enjoyed an outing to one of my old favorite places:  California Pizza Kitchen.

BLOGGING:

No blogging this week.  But I did read and review two books:

Those People, by Louise Candlisch – Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner

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INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox.  I purchased one new e-book…

I’ll Never Tell, by Catherine McKenzie

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What’s next?  More settling in…and adjusting to the new normal.  Here is the dining room adjacent to our apartments.  I like eating lunch in my apartment, but dinners in the dining room feel festive.

Here is my favorite section of the apartment….my office space:

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WEEKLY UPDATES: A WORK IN PROGRESS…

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 trudged by, with progress on all fronts…except reading and blogging are a bit tepid.  I have written no blog posts since last weekend…but I did read and review two books.  I am (physically) a work-in-progress, and I can happily report that my navigation skills have improved.  Today we drove across town to complete paperwork for the old condo…and snapped photos of things to sell, while listing (for our purposes) those things I want to keep.  I am hoping to move my things into the new place later this week, but the work in clearing out the condo will continue for a while, since I’m in the bystander role in that task.  Sigh.

I am being tested in several ways.  Learning to voice my needs, while compromising a bit on how and when things will be completed. 

Happy Family News:  Aubrey, one of my two granddaughters, graduated from college today.  Here she is with my #2 son, her proud papa:

She will head to New Zealand for a year.  So many exciting adventures lie ahead.

So….I am still not drinking coffee, but I will continue to  spotlight one of my favorite photos of a beverage I will soon enjoy again!  Antibiotics will be finished on Sunday…and life will be smoother for me.  I think.

BOOKS REVIEWED:

The Mother-in-Law, by Sally HepworthI Know Who You Are, by Alice Feeney

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INCOMING BOOKS:

One review book arrived in my mailbox today! 

The Road She Left Behind, by Christine Nolfi (Author Review Request)

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UP NEXT:

Now that I have a little desk area at my daughter’s house, with my laptop and my notebooks, I can start tackling my June NetGalley review books.  I have four delectable ones to decide between, and I think I’ll start with this one:

The First Mistake, by Sandie Jones

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No restaurant food to show this week…but for old times’ sake, I’ll spotlight this favorite from the past.  I am missing this delicious soup:

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WEEKLY UPDATES: A CONVOLUTED JOURNEY…

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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.

 

Last week I planned to write a weekly update post, but it didn’t happen. I had some overwhelming feelings of malaise, so I decided to take a nap. On Monday morning, I found myself on the floor, disoriented and unable to get up off the floor.

Long story short:  24 hours later, after a friend checked on me, EMTs took me to the hospital, and I was admitted.  They did a series of tests, poked and prodded, and eventually I was moved from the ER to a room, where I had a diagnosis. A seriously infected gall bladder that would be too risky to remove right now.  They put me on a course of antibiotics, did more tests, and when I started to stabilize, they discharged me until they could schedule surgery. I have several upcoming appointments and a slew of bitter pills to swallow…including the one about needing to find a new place.  Meanwhile, I’m staying with my daughter temporarily.  She is an excellent cook and well-organized with the meds.  She has set up reminders on my phone.

I hadn’t finished a book at all last week, but when I came home, I posted on Amazon my NetGalley review of Sunset Beach.  Today I read and reviewed Dreams of Falling.

My diet is restricted, of course, but I was allowed  a smidgen of coffee this morning.  Sigh.

BOOKS READ AND REVIEWED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS:

Someone Knows, by Lisa ScottolineDreams of Falling, by Karen White

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What a convoluted journey!  Tomorrow  we’re heading to my condo with lists, to decide what I can take to the new place and what has to be sold. The weird thing:  I have no feeling about that process, except I wanted to be the one to decide.  My daughter would have taken over…but then I found my voice.  No.  I want to decide these things.

I’m learning to ambulate with a walker, but that wasn’t bad…until my knee developed an infection, swelling up to twice its size, making it almost impossible to learn the process.  But after icing the knee, taking some pain medication, and patience…I was “on the road again.”

Now I’m trying to resume some of my routines.

NEXT WEEK?  I plan to clear out the fridge at the old place and collect the mail.  And find the light at the end of the tunnel.

PERSISTENCE IS THE KEY.

Have a great week!!

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WEEKLY UPDATES: BOOKISH DELIGHTS…

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.

 

I finally finished my third book of the week.  My pattern remained similar to previous weeks.  The first book flew by, the second one competed with other activities, and I was still reading the third one this morning (Saturday).  But I enjoyed each book.  I’m feeling a little under the weather, with a sore throat…unusual for me, since I take allergy pills and other medication for these issues.  I always suspect something in the air, and I did go out and about more this week.

I enjoyed my usual TV shows, although I still have a few to watch on the DVR.  I started a new Netflix series: Northern Rescue, with William Baldwin and Kathleen Robertson.  I also watched some old favorite movies, including one of my old DVDs, St. Elmo’s Fire, a Brat Pack film from the 80s that takes me back to my younger days.

It was a pretty good blogging week, too, and I had fun making new headers for some of my sites.

Let’s grab some more coffee…or even some tea for my sore throat…and take a closer look at my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  Happy Easter!

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Better Sister”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Lovely Books Tumbling Down…

Hump Day Immersion in Books…

Buried in Books:  A Journey

Coffee Chat:  Spring Break, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “The Girl He Used to Know”

Review:  Sunset Beach, by Mary Kay Andrews (NG-5/7)Review:  My Lovely Wife, by Samantha DowningReview:  The Girl He Used to Know, by Tracey Garvis Graves 

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INCOMING BOOKS (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox!  But…two lovely NetGalley ARCs THREE!  came via my inbox.  I found another title tucked in a hidden spot on my notebook! Then…I downloaded four purchases.

NetGalley:

The Long Call (e-book), by Ann Cleeves (Release – 9/3)

Mrs. Everything (e-book), by Jennifer Weiner – (Release – 6/11)

 

Twenty-One Truths About Love (e-book), by Matthew Dicks – Release Date: (10/15)

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Purchases:

The Mother-in-Law, by Sally Hepworth

I Know Who You Are, by Alice Feeney

The Missing Years, by Lexie Elliott

Stone Mothers, by Erin Kelly

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Someone Knows, by Lisa Scottoline

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That was my week.  What did yours look like? Last week, I enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie a la mode…and forgot to post it!

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WEEKLY UPDATES: AN ENGAGING WEEK…WITH SUNSHINE

 

 

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.

 

A lovely week of sunshine, offering a great mix of outings and time to curl up indoors.  With a Kindle, you can head off anywhere to read.  I managed to read and review three books this week, and they were all completely engaging.  I viewed my usual favorite shows, including The Act on Hulu and The Good Fight on CBS-All Access. On Thursday, I hung out with my daughter at the salon for my “styling,” followed by lunch with my youngest son, visiting this week from the Far North.

I struggled with blog commenting, a recent development that seemed to come out of nowhere.  I finally turned to the Google Chrome browser for most of my blog hopping.  It works…and I’m learning how to navigate there.

This week brought FOUR review books.  So, more about that, and my reading…after you grab some coffee with me and take a closer look.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Blue Mondays…Again…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Sunset Beach”

Tuesday Potpourri:  A Surreal Week So Far…

A Hump Day with Books…

Coffee Chat:  Books, Sentimental Objects, and Family…

Thursday Potpourri:  Discoveries & Remembrances…

Friday Potpourri:  NetGalley ARC Bonanza…

Bookish Friday:  “My Lovely Wife”

Review:  The Perfect Girlfriend, by Karen HamiltonReview:  Never Tell, by Lisa GardnerReview:  Stillhouse Lake, by Rachel Caine

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

One book came in my physical mailbox…and three came via inbox from NetGalley.  Then I downloaded two purchases.

Emily, Gone, by Bette Lee Crosby (Author Review Request)

NetGalley ARCs:

Seven Letters (e-book), by J.P. Monninger (NG-10/8/19)

We Are All Good People Here (e-book), by Susan Rebecca White (NG-8/6/19)

After the End (e-book), by Clare Mackintosh (NG-6/25/19)

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Purchases:

Before She Was Found (e-book), by Heather Gudenkauf

The Better Sister, by Alafair Burke

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UP NEXT: 

Currently reading a Review ARC from NetGalley:

Sunset Beach, by Mary Kay Andrews – (Release Date – 5/7/19)

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Then I will grab my little notebook and pick some more books for the week.  It will be like opening a present.

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Last night, I felt like having an Easter turkey dinner…in advance.  I brought half the plate home for today’s lunch:

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WEEKLY UPDATES: DISTRACTED BY BOOKS & MOVIES…

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.

 

The week felt long and sad, with the loss of a friend’s daughter in a car accident.  Reading helped, though, and the two books I finished were great.  I’m halfway through the third one, but decided to post this anyway.  Yesterday was a day of pampering, with a mani-pedi and a freshening of the “purple” in my hairstyle.

 

 

 

 

 

I spent the week changing up some blog headers.  I do that when I need a distraction.  I also enjoyed some Amazon Prime movies, like Destroyer, with Nicole Kidman (about an undercover cop who gets too deep under).

Let’s grab another cup of coffee and peek at the details of the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Creating Spaces…and Blog Headers

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Here’s to Us”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Books, Books, & More Books…

Books Purchased in 2019…and Those Read

My WWW Post…

Coffee Chat:  The Fierce Storms of Life…

Bookish Friday:  “Someone Knows”

Serendipitous Friday:  Images from the Past…and the Present

Review:  The Night Visitors, by Carol GoodmanReview:  The Editor, by Steven Rowley

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INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox!  I did download three purchases…

Someone Knows, by Lisa Scottoline

My Lovely Wife, by Samantha Downing

The Girl He Used to Know, by Tracey Garvis Graves

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UP NEXT:

Currently Reading:  The Perfect Girlfriend, by Karen Hamilton

I have a list of “up next” books to choose from…

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Yesterday, I took a slice of this pie home with me…after my pampering at the salon.

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WEEKLY UPDATES: BOOKS, BLOGS, & MOVIES….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.

 

What a great week of books, movies, and some good and bad outings.  Coffee with a friend on Monday; an outing with my daughter on Tuesday to look at apartments I don’t want to move into…yet; a dental appointment on Wednesday; and hair styling on Friday.  Followed by an appointment with ATT to install a new modem.  Yay!

I read and reviewed three books, all of them excellent from favorite authors.  I finished viewing Catastrophe on Amazon Prime; saw On the Basis of Sex, also on Prime; and watched more episodes of The Act on Hulu.  Thursday brought more of The Good Fight, on CBS-All Access.  Despite my spotty Internet throughout the week, I was able to spend good viewing time.

Now I hope to spend more time testing my new modem by viewing streaming shows (so far, so good), and perhaps I’ll start reading another book.

This morning I had bloodwork done at Kaiser…and then “post-fasting” breakfast at Marie Callender’s.  Let’s have some more coffee and look into more details of the week.

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Hello, April: Monthly Wrap-Up

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Perfect Girlfriend”

Hump Day Reading…

Hump Day Musings…

Coffee Chat:  Books, Movies, & Vicarious Travels…

Bookish Friday:  “The Night Visitors”

Rainy Day Musings:  Spotty Weather & Internet…

Review:  Back Stabbers (e-book, No. 8), by Julie MulhernReview:  All the Wrong Places (e-book), by Joy FieldingReview:  Before She Knew Him (e-book), by Peter Swanson

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Covers/Titles Linked to Amazon)

Empty mailbox!

One Purchased Download:

The Editor (e-book), by Steven Rowley

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WHAT’S NEXT?

The Night Visitors (e-book), by Carol Goodman

And then…

Never Tell (e-book), by Lisa Gardner

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That was my week…busy, crazy, and exciting, too.  Here’s a glimpse of today’s breakfast, enjoyed after I completed my routine bloodwork.  Like a little reward, after the 12 hour fasting.

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WEEKLY UPDATES: BOOKS, MOVIES, & INTERIORS…

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.

 

I launched the week with a wonderfully suspenseful and engaging book…and then was sidetracked for a few days with home interior stuff. I had bought some new bedding from Amazon, so I spent time redoing my bedroom.  I love recreating my space.  Here is the finished look at  Hump Day Potpourri.  Then I did some cleaning of the house, room by room, in between reading my next book, which I finally finished late last night.

Movies:  I watched Second Act on Prime, starring Jennifer Lopez.  A nice distraction.  Then I began The Act, a new show on Hulu.  More episodes come each Wednesday.  As always, I loved viewing another episode of The Good Fight.

I had another styling session with my daughter, followed by a nice lunch of Fish ‘n’ Chips with margaritas.  Yes, plural.  I didn’t photograph the lunch.  We were enjoying our chat and our laughs.  Later, you’ll see more seafood I savored this week.

Meanwhile…let’s grab another cup of coffee and check out more details of the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “As You Wish”

Let’s Share Our Bookish Delights…

Hump Day Potpourri:  Books, Interiors, Etc.

Coffee Chat:  Interiors, Books, Etc…

Bookish Friday:  “All the Wrong Places”

Review:  I Invited Her In, by Adele ParksReview:  The Ash Family, by Molly Dektar – (NG-4/9)

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox!  I did download three new e-books.

The Night Visitors, by Carol Goodman

The Library of Lost & Found, by Phaedra Patrick

The Perfect Girlfriend, by Karen Hamilton

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Back Stabbers, by Julie Mulhern (Book 8 in the Country Club Murders)

Then I plan to flip through the pages of my bookish notebook…and follow my whims.

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  As promised (above), here is another seafood meal I enjoyed this week:  a Salmon Citrus Salad, with my ubiquitous margarita.

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