books — Page 103

Saturday Morning

July 13, 2019 at 10:04 am by Claudia

Pretty porch views from this very morning.

It’s a lovely day. Right now, it’s about 72 degrees which would be a perfect high for the day. But it’s going to be about 88 degrees, so there you go. Nevertheless, it wasn’t nearly as humid this morning as it was yesterday morning. As we sat on the porch for our second cup of coffee we were greeted with birds singing, sunlight, and a slight breeze.

Both of us were outside yesterday spraying water on the whiteflies. Don insisted on helping me, which was much appreciated. He also mowed the lilac side of the lawn. We did a lot outside and by the end of the day we were so tuckered out that we deliberately watched a movie that we knew was going to be laughably bad: The Brain that Wouldn’t Die found on TCM On Demand.

Oh my heavens. It really was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. I won’t even go into the plot, what little there was. It was so amateurish – and that’s not being fair to most amateur filmmakers who would do a much, much better job of it – that we were laughing out loud for most of the movie.

Also from this morning: a spotlight on the hydrangeas.

I finished When Will There Be Good News? this morning. Kate Atkinson is such a good writer! And now I’m starting on the next, Started Early, Took My Dog (perhaps my favorite book title ever.) I put a hold on two others through our inter-county library system; her first Jackson Brodie mystery, Case Histories, and her newest, Big Sky, which was just published.

Don’s off to take some portraits. I’m going to do a little gardening and weed whacking. But not too much, as my allergies continue to be a pain in the tush.

I hope all is well with you.

Happy Saturday.

Saviors: Reading and Gardening

July 11, 2019 at 9:25 am by Claudia

This is a kind of sedum that I planted in the memorial garden. (I can’t remember the name.) I’m always surprised when it blooms. Bonus points: it spreads.

I mowed a lot yesterday and then I spent even more time outdoors pruning things in the big garden bed, trying to get at those white flies. I was happy because I love being outdoors and working on the property, but I’m paying the price today as my allergies are especially troublesome. Every time I check the weather I see this: “The pollen count today is high.”

I know. In fact, I knew that without checking the weather app.

So for today, I’m going to stay inside except for watering the porch plants and shooting water at the white flies. This afternoon we’re supposed to get thunderstorms, so hopefully, they will take over the role of ‘water cannon.’

I’m reading my next Kate Atkinson, When Will There Be Good News? Dang, I like her writing style! An absolute pleasure to read. There are two more in the series to read, as well – whoops! – make that three, as a new Jackson Brodie mystery has just been published.

Next month: the new Louise Penny, A Better Man, comes out on August 27th. Huzzah! On the same day, the newest in the “The Girl Who…” series, The Girl Who Lived Twice, will be published. Originally written by the late Steig Larsson, they are now being written by David Lagercrantz, and I have to say – he’s doing a bang-up job of it.

Deborah Crombie’s newest, A Bitter Feast, is being published on October 8th. And Michael Connelly’s newest Harry Bosch, The Night Fire, is being published on October 22nd.

All of the above authors are favorites of mine.

I like the idea of all sorts of books written by authors I love lined up, ready and waiting for me. It’s like a secret stash of good things to come.

And reading saves me in these times. Truly. I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Gardening, too.

Happy Thursday.

Flowers, Gardening & Reading

July 9, 2019 at 10:54 am by Claudia

Why do I buy just one hollyhock? I see photos on Instagram in which there are many planted in a row and wouldn’t that be lovely? I know the answer of course. I’m on a strict budget and I can’t afford to buy several of anything.

I’ve always had to wrestle with that, which I’m sure is the case with most of you. The garden beds are all perennials – except for the seeds I plant every year – and building up a perennial garden takes time and patience. We’ll have been in this house 14 years in August and it took at least seven of those years to build up the big garden bed. I’ve added other beds over the years, but only when I could afford the time and the money to do it right.

This year, after a couple of years of a little more money available than usual, we’re back to a tight budget, but we did allot a certain amount of money for mulch, topsoil, potting soil, seeds and plants for the pots on the porch.

We get so much pleasure from the porch and the gardens.

We mowed the back forty and the corral yesterday. Don also mowed the path into our woods. It’s pretty hot out there, so we were tuckered out afterwards. But it really needed it as it’s the one part of the property we feel we can neglect for a few weeks – but only a few weeks – as we’re the only ones who see it.

We took a walk this morning and I’ve already watered all the seedlings and the porch plants. It’s going to be a hot one. Looking at the weather for the next two weeks, it looks like we’re going to be hovering around 90 degrees every day.

Thanks so much for all your comments yesterday. I know that we all enjoy seeing what others are reading. I finished One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson this morning and I’m going to start When Will There Be Good News? by the same author later today. I’m reading them in order, save for the very first, Case Histories, which I don’t have on hand. I’ll find it soon. I really admire Atkinson’s ability to juggle several characters and weave every story together at the end of the mystery. More than any author I have read, she is a master of multiple points of view.

Happy Tuesday.

Saturday Morning

Saviors: Reading and Gardening

Flowers, Gardening & Reading

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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