Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - July 5, 2026: Independent Energy!

What. A. Weekend! I can't remember the last time I felt so good about a three-day-weekend. I wish it never had to end! I did a whole lot of 'what I wanted,' without being mean about it to anyone else, and actually feel positive and refreshed. Friday I woke up earlier than the kids (per usual...) so I sunbathed first. Once everyone woke up, I ended up home alone most of the day, as the girls took my car, and I had them drop off my son at his friend's on the way. While they were gone, I had a tasty lunch, watched an inspirational manifestation zoom, took a nap, and just generally chilled. They were gone longer than expected, so they picked up my son and his friends on their way back, and the house was FULL for an hour or so. Saturday, my daughter had to work. I watched Independence Day while my son slept in, then he and I shared lunch while I read and we watched other summer-vibe movies, and eventually picked up groceries for the coming week. Today, I'll drive my daughter to work, then chill a bit more, until I pick her up and take both kids shopping for some needed clothing. I told them afterward we can bring something home for dinner. All in all, a great weekend.

And I can think of no better way to start my Sunday off right than posting with Caffeinated Reviewer for Sunday Post, and Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon. Be sure to check out some of the other blogs on these great lists; it is truly a bright spot for me each week.

What I'm reading this week:

Well, I'm reading the same things I was last week! Hahahaha....

Three Good Things:

1. I finally bagged up the random donation piles around the house (need to add all the cups/tumblers from the front porch box). While I forgot them when I left the house yesterday, they are going out today!
2. My sliding back doorwall is scheduled for installation! Yay!! Just another week and a half....
3. My son's musical is next weekend - Thursday - Sunday. He's double cast as Louis and Welles in Freaky Friday the Musical. So we've got a heck of a week, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Start my Davincified paint by numbers! I'm such a perfectionist, I'm worried it won't be perfect. LOL But of course it won't be! The goal is for it to be fun and funky!
2. Pick up my cross-stitch again! It's been a bit since I've worked on it, but it always relaxes me, and the end project eventually will be so cute and rewarding.
3. Continue increasing my water intake. I did a pretty good job this weekend, alternating a glass of water with my other beverages, but I want to keep that up at work, which is of course different than being at home.

Five Things for Friday - July 3, 2026

 

1. OMG. I've been looking at TikTok a bit more again lately, and I got to see the 'Every little cell inside my body is happy and well' song today (in probably five different videos). I LOVE IT. Super catchy, and what great news, amiright?
2. It's a holiday weekend in the U.S., and I'm making it for me. Hahahaha... I told the kids that my goal is to do nothing, or at least leave the house as little as possible. I am the younger one's ride so I may take him somewhere, and probably do a grocery run. Other than that, I can read, write, paint, maybe work on my crossstitch, and just chill. YAY!
3. Groceries. Ugh. I am possibly the opposite of a foodie and regularly skip meals. For two weeks, my husband is working out of the country, and my son has rehearsals three nights/week. And about half of those nights, my daughter is at work. So I usually skip dinner. Which is why, for next week, I splurged on two Home Chef boxes that will feed me and have good lunch leftovers. I'm getting chicken enchiladas, and what was a chicken & orzo, but I substituted shrimp for the chicken in that one. YUM!!
4. We had three days with dangerously hot weather this week. By the end of the second day, our air conditioning said - Peace, out! Not a choice I agreed with, obviously. The next morning before I had time to deal with it at work, my husband got the ball rolling since he was seven hours ahead of us, and had his cousin who could fix it call me at work (where I can't get calls). Luckily I didn't get in trouble this time, but had to wake my kids up to deal with it. They were sleeping in the basement, where it was a few degrees cooler. I ordered them donuts and tipped the driver outrageously to go around to the back of the house and wake them up at the basement walk out. The driver instead indicated he did not speak English and left them on the front porch. Not helpful, but I hope his family can enjoy the extra tip. Kids finally woke up, and the cousin did end up fixing the air. This was all yesterday, and now it's all good.
5. My nails seem to be giving up. My last gel fill was someone different than Chloe who usually does them, and they were lifting within a couple weeks. I've had other priorities with my paychecks, so it now looks like I'm sort of letting them fall off. Huh. I also quit wearing make-up at the end of May, but literally no one has noticed (or said anything, anyway...). 

Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - June 28, 2026: New Me :)

Hello! I'm back and feeling better. My name is Becki and anxiety was ruining my life. (Hi, Becki) I'm finally doing something about it. Since starting an ongoing anti-anxiety prescription a month or so ago, my outlook is more positive and I don't consistently feel physically ill for the first time I can remember. It was bad. But now I'm on the mend. Hopefully the trend can continue.

This morning I'm joining with Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon, and Caffeinated Reviewer for Sunday Post. Lots of great peeps post with these linkies, and I've missed them! Excited to spend my afternoon doing a lot of things I'm looking forward to accomplishing, interspersed with visiting blogs!

What I'm reading this week:

I just started Ten Incarnations of Rebellion on my kindle. I'm a little worried that I don't have enough history background to truly understand the alternative history of this book, but I'm enjoying it as it's written so far. In print, I'm reading The Golem and the Jinni, which was recommended to me years ago. I bought it then, and it's sat on my shelf waiting since then. I'm liking this one too. 

One of the audiobooks I'm reading, I'm not super sure I'll finish. My best friend recommended Lights Out, but it's very much focused on sex, which just isn't my jam. Hoping some more plot points emerge and take some emphasis. LOL My other amusing audio book for my morning commute is The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck. The subtitle on that is 'How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do.'

Three Good Things:

1. I worked more than 20 hours of overtime over the last two weeks, so my check this coming weekend will be quite nice. I'm doing so much better mentally this year with finances. Money is made to flow, not hoard. I'm grateful that my income and the ability to pay for the things I (and the kids) need. My abundance only grows!
2. Davincified let me pick out a paint by number picture to share with ya'll, and I'm totally starting that today! My daughter is a cinematographer when she's at school, so I've asked for her help in creating a video, but we're both busy people who keep chilling when we're together instead of working! A co-worker said the picture reminded her of the diamond painting things. I haven't tried one of those yet, but I bet I'd enjoy it too!
3. A short work week! This Friday (July 3) we have off, so I won't bother doing extra hours for straight time, since overtime is based on 'working' more than 40 hours. Four short (8 hour) days followed by a three-day weekend? Yes, please!

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Bag up all the donation piles around the stuff and drop them off. I've got the usual pile at the end of my dresser that everyone adds old clothes to, a pair of nice dress shoes my son grew out of sitting by the front door (tried to give them away on buy nothing, but no one wanted them), and a box of water cups/bottles on the front porch (see buy nothing comment previously....). And now I can add a pile of books that my daughter is giving away to the list. I'll probably share the list and see if buy nothing wants any first...
2. Menu plan! It's just the kids and I this week, and my son has rehearsal for Freaky Friday three days over dinnertime (but he usually makes his own dinner anyway). I've got a whole list for today, but I'd like to post my menu plan for the week tomorrow.
3. Today: Get a new mailbox post and quikcrete to secure it (the hole is still there, but my son's ride backed into the mailbox post and knocked everything over - fabulous kid, still need rides, no hard feelings). Make a grocery list & shop. Make our last HomeChef meal for dinner today. 

Top Ten Tuesday: 26 May 2026

I have wanted to join in with that artsy reader girl for Top Ten Tuesday for so long. I'm finally taking a swing at it for this week's 'favorite books by favorite authors.' Be sure to visit her site to see others' picks too!

I'm purposely sharing mine before I go visiting, as I'm sure ya'll will show me more I forgot!

In no particular order:

When Women were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

God on a Harley by Joan Brady

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Calico by Lee Goldberg

Death of a Messenger by Robert McCaw

Law and Addiction by Mike Papantonio

The Ghostwing's Lie by Rebecca Mix

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

I reserve the right to change this list as needed - weekly, daily, even hourly. Going back into Goodreads for the links reminded me of different books/authors I may have wanted to include, but the graphic is made, and that's the hard part for me.

With that said, happy to chat more about any of these books - any time!

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - May 24, 2026: Rushing in to Summer

WOW! I feel like I've spent my first full week not on vacation, trying desperately to organize the rest of our summer. But it's okay, since I think I've almost been successful. LOL Things I've added to my calendar for my family for this summer (most added this week): band concert, 8th grade ceremony & celebration, two business trips, Freaky Friday performances, Pride and Prejudice auditions, no-PTO allowed days (per management), a mini bookcase craft class, Blue Lake performing arts camp, almost tickets to Jagged Little Pill (to be finalized this afternoon), leaving to return to college, graduation parties, theatre booster meeting, and payment schedules for so much of the above. Hahahaha.... The mental load is real.

While I'm getting a later start than usual, posting to the Sunday loop today was near the top of my priority list. I'm joining in with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer, and Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz. I would encourage you as well to poke your head into a few of the other blogs participating in these great linkups.

What I'm reading this week:

Honestly really excited that I got The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler back on Libby. I'm like 70% through the audio book, but my loan ran out months ago. Now I have 14 days to actually finish it. I'm also probably finishing my print copy of The Roaring Ridleys by K.M. Colley and have started Portrait of a Witch Undone by K.S. Shay on my kindle.

(Yes, I am still working through the other two audiobooks from last week, but I don't want this section to be a page on its own.)

Three Good Things:

1. I got another great Stitch Fix box! I ordered one last month for summery stuff to wear on the Maui trip with my husband. This month I asked for a little more business-y stuff so I can have something to wear besides fun graphic tees in case I get an interview or do something remotely professional at some point. I received six items and only returned one pair of slacks. I'm keeping two blouses, another pair of slacks, and two jackets.
2. Hubby is home for a couple weeks! Not gonna lie, there are pros and cons since he travels so much, but when I'm working 40 - 50 hours/week, an extra hand can be nice with all the end-of-middle-school activities this year. Luckily, my college-aged daughter helps out now since she's home, but I'd prefer she not have to schedule things that really are not her responsibility. (She is truly a saint who willingly helps.)
3. I've implemented a new plan to help out with running the house. I suspect I'm in the minority, but I greatly prefer cleaning up to cooking. I'm not a big eater (anxiety toys with my digestion a lot), and handling raw food makes me even less hungry. So I've asked everyone else living here to pick a night and what they want to make for dinner, and I'll get the ingredients and then clean up. This week hubs will make schnitzel, and my son is making breakfast for dinner (pancakes). They're also home earlier than me usually, so not having to come home and immediately start making dinner is a huge win for me.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. I've been encouraged to set up an 'individual development plan' at work. It is intended to focus on one's personal and professional goals, that may not be part of our performance evaluation about company goals. I would like to focus on my writing. Doing more of it, improving it, and potentially finding some sort of market (contests? side gigs?). 
2. I installed a step counter on my phone, to try and focus on my health a bit more. I'm pretty sure menopause is kicking my ass. While I don't usually check my weight, when I got on a scale last week, it read a full 10 pounds heavier than the last time I remember looking. Eek!
3. Now that I've got my new computer up and kicking, I need to get caught up on some book reviews, and hopefully post more here on my blog. Also, more Yelp! reviews. 

Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - May 17, 2026: New Computer, Who Dis?

I'm not sure if I'd mentioned it before, but my computer was a lil finicky and old. I had continued paying the bills as needed, and trying to squeeze out a few blog posts, but after a steady decline, we reached the point where it was doing n o t h i n g. So I came home from work one day just before I had set aside extra spending money for my April and May vacations and said, "Nope! I deserve more peace in my life than this. Time for a new computer." After dinner, hubby and I went to Microcenter, and I bought the new computer. Whooooo doggie. What took me so long? Well, I anticipated the expense being way more than it was. But after just a few hundred dollars, I'm back among the online living.

And one of the first things I'm doing (after only a few book reviews, Yelp! reviews, and paying some bills) is joining Readerbuzz for the Sunday Salon, and Caffeinated Reviewer for the Sunday Post. I've missed ya'll SO MUCH!!

What I'm reading this week:

In the meantime, I've developed the questionable habit of reading at least four books at a time. LOL Besides my regularly scheduled print book for review (The Roaring Ridley's by K.M. Colley) and my kindle book for review (All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta), I've now added some books solely chosen at my whim. I listen to a non-fiction/motivational/memoir on my morning drive (currently Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten) and a fiction book on my way home (about half-way through Weyward by Emilia Hart right now).

Since I listen to music all day anyway, I think it's working out. I'm starting the day on a bit more of a positive note usually, and I'm getting to pick books just for the fun of it, instead of always plugging away at my endless review list. Unfortunately, I just got notification that like three more audio books from my hold list are ready (I'm playing an ostrich and sticking my head in the sand), and I only got three quarters of the way through Parable of the Sower and have to wait MONTHS for my turn to come around again...

Three Good Things:

1. In all honesty, I should write a few separate posts for my vacations. In April, first I spent three days in Chicago taking my son to the Hatsune Miku Expo, then my best friend flew in from New Jersey and we went to Northern Michigan University (NMU) to watch my daughter perform in 9 to 5. A couple weeks later, I drove back to NMU to pick up my daughter and bring her home, then hubs and I flew to Maui for a week to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (our anniversary was in February, but we waited til our 'adult' daughter could be at home with our son). I now have 1.66 hours of PTO left. LOL
2. My kids are already cast in their next shows! My son is part of the teen ensemble in the Freaky Friday musical in Oxford at the end of June, and my daughter is Beulah in Come from Away at NMU in the fall.
3. Oh! I got new glasses finally too! In addition to updating my lenses for the first time in a couple years, I got a Pair base, with switchable magnetic 'tops' including sunglasses so I don't have to carry a big ole glasses case in a purse. So I'll be getting a new purse, since the tops take up so little room :)

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Review more of my trip stuff on Yelp! I've got tons of reviews up, but most are from years ago. I want to be more consistently reviewing, and all my recent travels give me lots of places to review. 
2. Complete more book reviews! I've got another half dozen or so books that I've finished reading, but need to complete my reviews and send them to Books I Think You Should Read. And then sort of the subset on this goal is to review all my emails from her and pick more books to review. Too much reading - my favorite kind of problem!
3. Order our new door wall!! For the last few years, we haven't had a screen door onto our deck (the old one got lost while hubs and his buddy tore off the old deck, and then the 'universal' replacement didn't fit). For 'just' a few grand, I can get the new fancy door with the blinds inside it, and a screen door, installed! They came and did the measurement part while hubs and I were gone, so I can order the new door and probably have it installed in a month or so as a surprise while hubs travels for work - Happy Father's Day!

The Gallery Assistant - Book Review

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli
Publication: October 14, 2025
Pages: 288 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Chloe is trying to ignore the traumatic events of September 11, but working near the dark side of the New York art world may not let her.

Chloe knew people were saying she drank too much, but they weren't there, and no one - literally no one - knew about what she had been through on September 11. She was fine, and she was getting through it. At least this was what she thought, til she woke up at home the morning after a party she had to attend at the home of an artist being represented by the gallery where she worked., with no memory of getting there. Afraid it's her own fault for drinking too much, Chloe decides to keep quiet.

While she's felt off kilter since the fall of the twin towers, it takes Chloe a little time to recognize that the suspicious events in her personal life are escalating, and she isn't sure who she can trust. This topsy-turvy thriller eventually does reveal Chloe's personal 9/11 story, and it is not as involved in the current mystery as the reader is led to believe.

Overall, the book earned 3 out of 5 stars. For as emotionally evocative as September 11 is for everyone who was an adult or close to it at that time, it's really not as big a deal to the plot as the blurb may lead readers to believe. The somewhat surface treatment of the intricacies of fine art crime in the plot left a few questions unanswered, but the story's time period and interesting characters kept the book an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence this review.