whatcha readin'? 2019 round up

Once again, I did not keep up to date on
all the books I had read for the year
and am forced to do a
2019 round up of the stragglers.
:)

My goal last year was to read 25 books
and I read 29!
which would be more impressive to me
if the year before I hadn’t read THIRTY SIX!

Anyway…my goal was 25 and I did beat that
so let’s place our focus there, shall we? :)

Here is a quick round up of the 10 I didn’t write about yet
(and please forgive the brief descriptions…I am going
by the book notes I wrote while reading each book):

A WEB OF ANGELS Lillian Nattel
♥♥♥♥♥

Disturbing but beautiful writing.

THE WEIGHT OF INK Rachel Kadish
♥♥♥♥

It took me a bit to get into it…
but the uncomfortable tensions between
the student & teacher caught my attention..
and kept me going.

It took me a long time to finish.
The history & philosophy bogged me down in places
but the writing was so beautiful that I kept going…

DAISY JONES AND THE SIX Taylor Jenkins Reid
♥♥♥♥♥

"But at some point, you have to recognize that you have no control over anybody and you have to step back and be ready to catch them when they fall and that’s all you can do. It feels like throwing someone you love out to sea and then praying they float on their own, knowing they might well drown and you’ll have to watch.”

Eff. That cut right into me.

Also…just gave this 5 hearts and haven’t even finished it.

(this was taken directly from my book notes. I loved this book.)

IN PIECES Sally Field
♥♥♥♥♥
I kind of love Sally Field. I really started loving her in the show
Brothers and Sisters. The memoir was very well written and
there is so much more to her than I ever realized.

THE HUNTRESS Kate Quinn
♥♥♥♥♥
I was very excited about a 2nd book
from the author of the Alice Network & this
definitely did not disappoint.
I especially loved how it make me see 2 sides
of a coin…how a person may do things in
extreme situations that otherwise, they may have never done.

CIRCE Madeline Miller
♥♥♥♥♥
I really, really enjoyed this version of Greek mythology.

MAGIC HOUR Kristin Hannah
♥♥♥♥.5
I love this author. I was very caught up in it
from beginning right til very end.
Good quick kinda light read.

BITE THE STARS Eliza Clark
♥♥♥♥♥
I picked up this book in a book sale
& loved it. And oddly enough, I can’t link to this Canadian author
from Indigo…but can find it on Amazon. That surprised me.

From my notes:
”Read like poetry…but also like swallowing shards of jagged glass…
so sad and painful.”

THE ALL GIRL FILLING STATION LAST REUNION Fannie Flagg
♥♥♥♥♥
I totally did not expect to really like this
but I friggin’ LOVED it. It almost made me cry in public.
Another happy book sale find!

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (1) Kevin Kwan
♥♥.5
Meh. It was ok. Pretty light and airy and fluffy and…meh.
But…I am reading the 2nd one so…what does that say about me.
Haha.

Even though I read more books in 2018 than 2019,
I think I am going to continue with setting my book reading goal
one book higher than the previous year…so
my goal for 2020 is 30 books.
(Although we all know that, in my heart, I am really going to be trying to beat 36…haha)

And my favorite book from 2019 if I had to choose just one…that’s a hard one.
I had a lot of 5 heart books in there. But I am leaning towards
Daisy Jones & the six (which is being made into a movie!!)
and Where The Crawdads Sing.

If you had a favorite books from 2019, I would love to know about it!
I LOVE book recommendations! :)

friday i'm in love...with 2020...

It’s a brand new year.

I love a fresh start.
I love resolutions and goals and plans and lists.
And I especially love the sound of
2020.

It just sounds balanced and even and fair.

2019 was not an awful year for me.
It wasn’t the greatest, by any definition of the word,
but it could have been worse.
2019 forced me to grow and learn in ways
I wasn’t sure I was capable of.

It was a year of healing but, just for kicks,
the house decided to also make it the year it would
throw major temper tantrums
and force me to replace an oil tank, get the furnace fixed,
buy a new washer and dryer, cut down ALL the trees
in the back yard AND replace the roof.

Which sucked at the time, but I look at it now and think…
I’m still here. I’m still standing. And most days, I’m even still smiling.

And that feels pretty friggin’ good. :)

View fullsize

If you have been here before, you know I pick a word every January
to use as a bit of a compass for the rest of the year.
Last year, I chose unfold and, honestly, it was perfect.
I went into 2019 not sure how a lot of things were going to pan out…
I wasn’t sure I would be able to stay in the house after 2 financial advisors
told me that there was no way I would be able to do it on my own.
I wasn’t sure I could handle the house even if I did stay in it.
Also, I was dating but unsure if I was really ready for that either.

I was just really, really unsure of everything that I had once been certain of.

And my nature is to plan/list/mindmap/analyze my way through things
but I decided to just let this year unfold.
And that was the perfect decision. It gave me the flexibility
to put myself out there but also the safety net to pull back if I needed to.
No expectations. No set goals. Just take it as it comes.

The allowance to unfold served its need in 2019
but now…I am ready for more.
I think I have been quietly building a foundation for some bigger goals
and now it’s time to throw in the match
and ignite 2020.

I am ready mentally to push myself harder this year in some of the areas
that I have just been treading water in…mainly…on the creative side.
I have some big goals and plans and intentions for 2020.

Ignite just felt like the right amount of heat and excitement
and butterflies in my belly. I am kind of looking forward to 2020.

And thanks for coming along on my long winded, sometimes
overly scenic, slightly wordy no-map drive. I definitely appreciate your company. :)

boxing day bliss...♥♥♥

I know it probably seems like I don’t like Christmas
because I leave everything to the very last minute….
but…I actually love Christmas.

Not the shopping. I hate the shopping.

But I love Christmas day…the excitement
and wonder, the silliness and surprises…

And this year definitely did not disappoint.

Some highlights included:

♥ watching a muppet family christmas with a friend
WHO WAS SEEING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME!
(watch out for the icy patch! always makes me laugh)

♥ my mother in laws eagle brand squares

♥ knowing that the kids had a great time celebrating with both sides
of their family…that really does make me happy ♥♥

♥ 20 telling me not to look in my stocking when he left Christmas Eve…
this was what was in it….and I couldn’t have been more excited. Heeheehee

♥ 24 surprising me with a stocking full of toys and candy…a kinder egg as big as my head…
a charlie brown book, a little sesame street purse heehee…and this smurf quilt which almost made me cry

♥ going to my parents is always my favorite part of Christmas…
my mom saved the big bird ornament for me to put on (which was
even a little more bittersweet this year) and the doll head for 24…heehee

♥ my dads excitement over his new headlamp…heeheehee

♥ sweet unexpected gifts from my brothers & parents…gift cards, lots of candy, maritime hardcore hoodies, sweaters and scratch cards and this…heeheehee…

My brother Sandy is the real artist in our family…
I doodle a bit but Sandy really has the talent…and he made each of us
a drawing of one of our favorite childhood stories that we mainly tease
each other about…mine goes like this:

Once upon a time, a poor stressed out 16 year old girl who was
uncannily very amusing and witty and quite brilliant was forced to spend
her summers babysitting her 3 sometimes rotten younger brothers
for little pay and much pain.

After a hard day of slaving over a hot stove to provide a healthy nourishing lunch
to this little group of ungrateful heathens, one of them said he was still hungry.

Being the sweet, caring older sister that she was…
she offered him her spaghetti-o’s which she had not eaten yet.

But, being the rotten little sulk that he was, he turned up his little snub nose
at it because “she had a cold and he might catch it”.

So…she threw the plate at him.

The end.

heeheehee….he will tell you there is a different version
of this but his memory is not to be trusted. :)

……………………………………………………………….

And now…another Christmas is over…
and I am completely happy. ♥♥♥
I was able to spend it with people that I love…
and my heart is just really, really is full right now.

I am looking forward to 2020…
2019 had a few speed bumps but it’s sure out going out
better than it came in. ♥

Merry, merry Christmas to you and yours!

it's only wednesday but....

I have had a very good week or two…

I have sold every card that I have painted
sometimes before the paint was even dry.

I watched a Christmas cartoon so pretty and poignant
that it made me cry…happy tears…but tears regardless.

Hot, crisp egg rolls.

Sleeping so much better every night thanks to this…
I am telling you, this is like magic for me. I hardly ever hear
the whole twelve minutes and I am out like a light. I have been raving about it
for a while and today Cam texted me to say he tried it last night,
skeptically, but that it worked for him, too! :)

A surprise drive to look at Christmas lights…and
the best house I have ever seen with lights that went in time to music…
I could have stayed there for hours,
or at least, until it felt too creepy to be sitting in front of a stranger’s house…
and the grand finale…a hot fudge sticky sundae with nuts from mcdonalds…
(PLUS I get to check “look at Christmas lights” off my Embrace Winter list)

A yearly tradition of shopping with my mom & sister in law…
I am not a big shopper, I go for the conversation and giggles,
& also because my mom always buys us hot chocolate and a doughnut after
(unless you willingly decide to have spinach…yes..little jab
to my sister in law but she loves me…heehee)
but this year, I spilled half a hot chocolate on my face, shirt, pants & table. Heh.
Can’t take me anywhere fancy.

A surprise gift left for me at work…a charlie brown Christmas tree AND A LINUS BLANKET
TO WRAP AROUND IT!!!

A couple of Christmas lunches with co-workers and friends…and one
where I got to defend my bowling championship (3 years running) but…
by losing it at curling. Blah. Whatever…I am still reigning bowling champion.
You can’t take that away from me.
(PLUS I get to check “try curling” off my Embrace Winter list)

A surprise bag of sweet cookies from someone I sold a card to and then got home
to my neighbor dropping off another unexpected but very much appreciated plate of goodies!!

And … then there was this…
sometimes someone
can surprise you…
can catch you so off guard…
can do something so sweet
& unexpected
that it brings you to tears.

I came home to a FULL TANK OF OIL today
and a surprise gift in my mailbox
from 2 of the sweetest Christmas elves ever…
I am not going to lie
that I might have been a little teary…
this was so something so unexpected
and totally unnecessary but
so incredibly sweet & thoughtful and, well…

I am literally at a loss for words
and I think we all agree that is a rare occurrence.

I might have come in to 2019 with a bit of a rough start
but going out is definitely feeling a little less scary. :)

whatcha readin'? {book 18::goal 25}

This book.

Wow.

The true story of a Canadian woman
held captive for 15 months in Somalia.

It was heartbreaking and terrifying.
I burned through this book pretty quick.

I definitely recommend.
I’ll be watching for the movie…

5 out of 5♥♥♥♥♥s
NEXT UP:: WEB OF ANGELS - LILLIAN NATTEL