whatcha readin' 2019? {book 5::goal 25}

April 1, 2019 Arlene Giddings

a while ago, i read jess kidd’s
first book
”himself”
and i broke my own rule for the
first and only time ever
and wrote about a book i was reading
BEFORE
i had even finished it….
raved about it actually.

this is her second book
and it totally did not disappoint…
mysterious and gothic,
saints and stories,
characters that just draw you in so hard
you wish they were real
so that you could go visit them…

i 110% recommend this book.
i was sad to see it end.

oh! and she has a new book coming out this month!!!

5 out of 5 ♥♥♥♥'s

NEXT UP: THERE ARE NO GROWN UPS HERE - PAMELA DRUCKER

spring-sunday...

March 31, 2019 Arlene Giddings

i made a list
of all the things
that i needed to get done today…
not wanted…
needed.

things like
laundry
and kitty litter,
dishes
and the sweeping up never ending
furballs…

and had thought that if
i crossed everything off
my need-to-do
list, i would reward myself
with a drive with the camera
and maybe (most definitely)
a stop at the dairy bar.

well…i crossed everything off the stupid list
and i did get out for a drive
and the sun even made a few short appearances
while i was out so that was a nice surprise.

i ended up at this wharf/lighthouse
(as i often do)….
spring always brings me through st nicholas
where i grew up,
where all my best memories are still vivid
and driving through there
always stirs up
strong emotion…
happy and bittersweet/sad

and then to our beach…
(yes, yes, I know…it’s a public beach…)

where the sun started to set

and i remembered I hadn’t gotten my ice cream yet!
but as i got close to the dairy bar,
i realized there were 682 cars and 3 trucks and possibly a snowmobile
ahead of me so
i settled for the next best thing…
a happy meal with a new robot toy!

my “i kinda wanted ice cream but i’ll settle for a new member of the robot army” face.

all in all
a very good spring-sunday!
:)
(well, it would have been better with a sundae.)
sigh.

friday adventure on a saturday...

March 30, 2019 Arlene Giddings

i haven’t been able to get out on as many
friday adventures
as sometimes i do have to work
and sometimes,
19 needs the car
because
he has to work…

but adventures can happen on a saturday, too…
(and maybe even on a random sunday…as crazy as that sounds!)
heehee

last saturday was sunny
but so much colder than i was expecting…
but i did get out for a bit with the camera
(and very cold hands…)

there is something about
early morning light
and blocks of earthy color against a blue sky…
rolling clouds, broken barns, loud music,
and knowing you have
absolutely
nowhere to be
that just makes me
incredibly happy.

oh…and i know that everyone here
is excited for burger love
(and so they should be…such a great event!)
but…also…
THE DAIRY BARS ARE OPENING!!!!!!
heeheehee.
i apologize in advance for the
barrage of ice cream photos to come…
i can’t help it.

you still like me though, right?

friday i'm in love....

March 29, 2019 Arlene Giddings

with warmer weather and longer days
and getting back out with the camera again.
i took that photo last weekend on an early morning drive
and just as i was taking it
a gust of wind blew up
and suddenly, it was like i was in a little bit of a snowglobe…
it was like magic.

and i like magic.

with my new adorably cute Agnes pez dispenser
that someone sweetly surprised me with….
and it came with lemony candy

and i like candy.

♥ with this forgotten favorite video

♥ with this house…..I WANT A TRAPEZE IN MY HOUSE TOOOOOOO.

♥ one can never have too many red dresses…

♥ nature kinda blows my mind a little bit….and yeah, he got it, if you were wondering.

♥ i need to do this….

whatcha readin' 2019 {book 4::goal 25}

March 25, 2019 Arlene Giddings

Years ago, I read Writing Down the Bones
by Natalie Goldberg and it pushed me to write
more than I have in a long time.

I had hoped that this book, The Great Spring,
was going to have the same effect on me
but instead
it was more of a collection of short stories/essays…
which, honestly, is never my thing.

So….meh.
Nothing against the book…
just…
not my thing.

3 ♥’s out of 5 ♥’s
NEXT UP: MR FLOOD’S LAST RESORT - JESS KIDD