* BEING A VORACIOUS READER! *

Is it possible for me to stop writing about how long it's been since I've posted anything...or how fast the time is flying? I think I've finally reached that point where I can say YES! I will not write (type) those words anymore on here. 😉

I haven't posted anything or read others' blogs mostly because I've been reading another book by my new favorite author...Kristin Hannah. This time it's The Nightingale. It is a huge paperback, 570 pages, and I hate it when I have to put it down to do anything else! The story of two sisters in France during WWII and their immense struggles.

This book is similar to Winter Garden in a few ways...women's stories during war in their homelands, sister conflicts. 

I can't say which one I "like" the most. Both kept me so involved in the story and characters...and I haven't even finished The Nightingale yet.

I've never read stories about both the suffering and strength of European women during WWII. Very enlightening and sad...and yet, these aren't books that are difficult to read...

If any of you have read anything by Kristin Hannah, please tell me about it. Thank goodness, she's written quite a few books, so I can keep on going. 😀

 (My library didn't have this, so I bought it from Amazon. I love the library, but also love buying books sometimes, too!)

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”
― Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale

* ANOTHER GREAT FIND AT THE LIBRARY *

I found another great book at the library and this is the first book I've read by this author: Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden

Oh my gosh...I LOVED this book! It kept me engaged, I'd read at night until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, and wished I could fit in some reading time at my job. 😍

I'm really not very good at writing book reviews, so I won't even try! But I will say that this book and its characters stayed with me for days after I finished it, and that doesn't happen very often. I really cared about these people and couldn't get them out of my mind.

Here's a couple of sentences from page 158:

"Is something wrong?" Nina asked.

Meredith blinked slowly. "You mean besides the fact that my father died at Christmas, my mom is going crazy, my sister is pretending to help me, and my husband...is gone tonight?"

Nina knew it wasn't funny, but she couldn't help laughing. 



"Sometimes when you open the door to your mother's past, you find your own future..."

Inside Winter Garden book flap

* Where Has the Time Gone? *

Gosh, I can't believe I haven't posted anything or commented on anyone's blogs since August 3rd!

Most of what took up a lot of time was looking online, trying to help Mark find an apartment in New Orleans that was in a safe neighborhood, fairly close to Tulane....and here's the kicker...affordable! 

I've never searched for a place to live without actually seeing the area, nor has Mark. He's been in our area all his life (which is why I'm SO sad to see him move away. And yeah, yeah, I know it's a wonderful opportunity, etc. and that he's certainly an adult...but a mom can still cry, can't she??)

Between him searching online, along with Ron and me (and thanks to a professor friend he already has down there) we found what looks like a great place! His prof friend told him which areas to stay out of and which were better. I hope the complex is everything it looks like in the photos! He's getting a tiny, studio apartment which is fine with him. I think he's most excited about having a washer/dryer in his own unit! It's a stackable, otherwise a side-by-side would take up half the apartment! Ha!

He's leaving this Thursday and a friend is going along to help drive and keep him company, which I am SO happy about. Not sure how the friend is coming back here...

Yesterday, Ron and I (and Charlie) drove to his current apartment to say our Goodbyes. I thought it would be less emotional than watching him drive away...which may or may not be true, because I cried my eyes out, and have been off and on for days. 😢 

I'm at work, so I better get back to...work!

* I'm So Proud of My Son, Mark! *

OMG! Fabulous news!!

Our son Mark just got hired to teach at Tulane University in New Orleans!! 

He has a one year contract to teach two philosophy classes and one cognitive science class. His title will be Visiting Assistant Professor. It's possible his contract could be extended, too. He'll be earning more money than he was getting presently at Washington University, and also free medical insurance!

He is very happy and excited, as are we. Classes start Aug 26, so he'll be moving soon! I'll share more info when I know more. (Obviously we will miss him, and even though we don't see him that much, just knowing he's only a few miles away has been wonderful.) 

I know I'll cry when I say goodbye to him. 🤧 I told him we'll have to Skype a lot.

* A GLORIOUS SUNRISE! *

The clouds were so beautiful this morning as I was leaving my subdivision to drive to work, I just had to pull over and take this photo. (It's not that good. I took it through the front windshield!) 

But I wanted to share it with y'all 

If you click on it you'll see a large view. 

Wishing everyone a restful weekend. 

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." -- Author Unknown

* AN INTERESTING FIND AT THE LIBRARY *

What made me pick up this book at the library? 

There were a couple of reasons, but mostly because on this cute book cover is the exact same recipe box that my mother had! Just seeing it brings back so many happy memories of my early childhood...yummy aromas from the kitchen, my mother letting me "help" with cookies and cakes. 

I also saw a photo of this box in a recent woman's magazine. I don't remember the name of it, but I wrote to them about it and was just sure they would print my Letter to the Editor....Hmmffp! LOL

I hadn't heard of this author before, but I like her writing (it's another light and easy read, similar to what I just finished "Good Riddance") and I will definitely want to read her other books. 

What about you? Do you pick up a book because of the cover? And how many times have you just skimmed a couple and pages and thought either

a) Wow, I think I'll like this! 

       ~~~ or ~~~

b) Ick, what an awful book!

I can usually tell by just the first few pages whether I would like a book or not. And I definitely don't read books I don't like! 

~~~

Our heat-wave has finally taken a break for at least a little while. High temps in the 80's this week and lows in the 60's! Turn off that a/c and save some $$$. 

That's it for now, folks! See you soon.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time." -- John Lubbock

* KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED *

Yesterday afternoon, after a long day at work (thank the Lord for air conditioning!), I received an email from Chicken Soup for the Soul that a story I submitted had made it to the first phase of their selection round! (It's a book about forgiveness.) Wow! I had a story accepted for one of their doggie books in 2017, but this soon for another one is surprising. (It was back in 2007 and 2008 that I had four stories accepted. As I've mentioned many times, I just can't get back into it very much.)

So, anyway, don't know when I'll hear for sure, but for now I'm honestly putting it out of my mind, which isn't difficult because I'm so forgetful anyway. Ha!

Oh, this isn't what I was eluding to in my July 9th post, either! 😃

~~~~

Speaking of books...I finally made it to the library today...BUT I forgot to take my list of books and authors I wanted to find. Duh. (I've been blaming my forgetfulness and other silliness on the effects of anesthesia, but that might be getting too old, so now I'm going with the excessive heat we're having and it's not supposed to end anytime soon.)

I did get three books. One from a familiar author that I like, Elizabeth Berg, and 2 others I haven't heard of: Tara Conklin and Dana Bate. (Oh and I dropped off a copy of my memoir for them to send to their "marketing department" or something like that.)

I finished Good Riddance a couple of days ago. It was typical Elinor Lipman, a fun, not profound, easy read.

~~~~

This photo makes me really happy, for various reasons...

I want to visit Switzerland and/or Austria so much some day, to see sites like this, 

AND it makes me feel I'm in a much cooler temperature! 

Stay cool or warm, depending on your part of the world!!

* I FOUND IT! *

I found it, I found it! The cute header I used years ago. Still trying to make it the correct size, but this works for now.

I've been reading A LOT and getting close to finishing Good Riddance. Even though it's about 10,000 degrees here today, I might venture out to the library...although I do have that stack of TBR books 😉

Have I shared any photos of our view? 

Here's our view from our front porch! 

(This is an enlarged photo. We're not 2 feet from the lake, but close!)

Part of our screened-in porch. I've wanted one all my life!

And white wicker? Yes! One of my best friends, Sherry, got two chairs,

a love seat and a coffee table for FREE.

  A neighbor of hers was throwing it all away!

Sherry and her husband live a couple hundred miles away now 😥 

but she comes "home" quite often. She piled all the furniture into 

her car and brought it to us. 

Note: I got the beautiful armoire on Facebook's Market Place

which is where people buy and sell used items.
I got it for an amazingly low price!

It obviously opens and has so much storage space!

Looking forward to checking out all y'all's blogs!