Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Happy New Year

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One of our overflowing rivers. There’s been so much rain that they’re very high. I took this picture on the way to the library for one of our walks.

I almost didn’t post today, but I hadn’t discussed that possibility with you, so here I am.

Happy New Year!

Yet another gray day around here – we were excited to see little bits of snow on the cars and the shed roof. Sad, but true. Just a smidgen brings excitement because we’ve had NO SNOW. I know: “careful what you wish for!” But it would be nice, especially since the tree and the sparkly lights and ornaments are still going strong. Our beautiful tree is starting to dry out a bit, but there’s still no needle drop, so here it will stay.

We were in bed by 10:30 last night, after watching Dial M for Murder.

Today, I removed the 2023 calendar pages from my planner and replace them with 2024. Very satisfying! A fresh start.

We’ve been walking almost every day, and thought neither of us wanted to go yesterday, we did it. I suppose we’ll do it today, as well.

Today I start the Hilary Mantel Cromwell Trilogy with page one of Wolf Hall.  I’m back to reading more than one book at the same time, as I’m also knee deep into Michael Connelly’s newest, Resurrection Walk.

A low key day ahead for us.

I hope you had a lovely New Year’s Eve! Best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy, peaceful, and joyous year ahead.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Puzzle and Upcoming Readalong

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Finished! It’s not the best picture, but we have had dark and dreary skies all week long, so I had to use some artificial light. Sigh.

Will we ever see the sun?

Anyway, I finished it just before dinner time yesterday. I have yet to read the explanation of all the characters and symbols. I’ll do that later today.

I’m writing this early Saturday morning because we have to get some grocery shopping in before Don leaves for his gig.

I’m taking part in another readalong this year. Simon, the same lovely gentleman from England who ran the War and Peace  readalong is not only repeating it for those who missed out – he’s also presiding over a readalong of the Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel. We start with Wolf Hall  on January 1st.

I am not generally a reader or even a fan of historical fiction but when Mantel died unexpectedly last year, I read a lot about her and her books. The raves about the trilogy were unqualified and unanimous. That intrigued me, and I remember vowing to read one of them in the near future. Fast forward to this year when Simon suggested Mantel and I was immediately onboard. Since the chapters aren’t as short as Tolstoy’s, we can’t do a chapter a day, so he’s gone through every book and mapped out a certain number of pages per week. For example, the first week of January consists of pages 1 -33. He also provides a guide to all the characters. I’m really looking forward to it. The book is right by my reading chair in the den and I’m ready.

A couple of months ago, I ordered a couple of hats and a sweater from a wonderful artist in Ukraine. She makes them to order so it took a while for them to ship and then to arrive at my door. This is one of the hats – or helmets, as the Blythe community calls them. Isn’t it adorable? (Chloe is still wearing her Christmas sweater because I realized how adorable she looks in red. And it’s really a winter sweater, right?)

So. Grocery shopping and cleaning are on the docket. I’m also getting anxious to reorganize things in this house. That happens to me every January.

I’m going to store the putz houses and put the Vintage by Crystal figures back in the upstairs cabinet later today. But the tree will be lit and loved as long as it hangs in there.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

A Bleak Landscape, Puzzles, & Walking

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Gray, gray, gray.

This is the part of winter that can trigger mild depression or, at the very least, a case of the blues. Yes, it’s the lack of sunlight, but more importantly, it’s the bleakness of the landscape. That’s the way it’s been for four days now, coupled with rain. Don and I have started walking every day. Our local library is set way back from the road on a hill and the driveway is a great place to walk. No busy traffic, no muddy trails. I’ve walked it a couple of times in the past. We do 5 loops down and up. It’s a nice little walk. It’s much more pleasant with Don than it would be by myself. We only missed one day this week because it was pouring rain all day long. We want to lose weight and we want to stay fit and, let’s face it, winter is the time I tend to become a slug.

No snow in the forecast. It looks like we’re going into January with more of the same. There are two days I don’t want snow – the 16th and 17th. Those are the days I make the 5 hour drive to Rochester to watch a preview and then return home the next morning. Rochester is on the other side of the state, near Lake Ontario, so it’s in a snow belt. Fingers crossed!

By the way, we plan to keep the tree up as long as it’s safe to do so. We need the sparkle and the lights. So far, it’s over two weeks since we bought it and there has been no needle drop.

This is the Poirot puzzle I have been working on. Lots of lovely little details! I think I’ll finish it sometime over the weekend.

Don has a gig tomorrow and several more coming up over January and February. Hurrah! Tomorrow’s gig is in the late afternoon, so he won’t have a late night. It will be good for him. Not having any acting work for over four years has taken a toll on my sweetheart. I hope that changes this year.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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