Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - December 7, 2025: 6 7!

Yet another short week. Or was it? I worked overtime Monday - Thursday, and had Friday off to volunteer at the middle school's career day again (for the 7th grade this time) and enjoy the last show of our son's theatre production of Bye Bye Birdie. He was Albert Peterson on Thursday night, and Harvey Johnson on Friday night. It was so much fun, and a great performance! Anyway, after greatly enjoying Friday off, I worked six hours on Saturday. The reason behind my madness is trying to get more goodies for my family for Christmas :) Last week was 40 hours of work, 8 hours of PTO, and 3 1/2 hours of overtime. This week will be as much overtime as I can squeeze in, and then another 8 hours next Saturday. I figure after our daughter comes back home for the holidays next weekend, I'll be working my straight hours more regularly.

It's another Sunday to celebrate the Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz, and the Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer. And their band of loyal-ish bloggers, of course!

What I'm reading this week:

I'm still reading the same two books for now as I was last Sunday: my first holiday book for the HoHoHoReadathon, My Favorite Holidate, on my kindle, and Elyse Myers' That's a Great Question, I'd Love to Tell You in print. Still a few hours left on the kindle book, but hoping to finish up the print one later today. Yesterday while I was supposed to be holiday shopping for others, I picked up a print copy of A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone for my next holiday read.

Three Good Things:

1. I'm putting together a holiday LEGO set to take in to my desk at work. It's the lil gift with purchase that ran over Black Friday weekend. I need something a bit joyful to look at while I'm there so many hours.
2. I finally got my nails done while I was off work Friday. I had tried two weeks earlier, but they were way too busy right before Thanksgiving, so I ran out of time when my appointment got bumped back and couldn't wait. I had a lot of priorities that weekend! This time, I finally was able to walk in and get them filled with a free hour on my day off. The technician suggested this cool 'cat-eye' top coat that she said is popular on Tik Tok. So my nails are red, with this cool holographic look to them.
3. It's just about new paper planner time! I ordered an Erin Condren Life Planner that came in a month or two ago, and now I get to sit down and copy stuff like birthdays/anniversaries into it. My Happy Planner for 2025 wasn't laid out quite what I was used to, so I'm going to dig up my old 2024 planner for more information. 

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. While I successfully completed last week's errands despite the snow, today I promised our son breakfast out (may not happen since it's snowing again), and he needs new boots (not really negotiable). So today after the video chat/call with our daughter, someone needs to take our son to buy some new boots. Hopefully we can find a pair at Kohl's and use the $15 discount code the emailed earlier this week (I think it's just my Kohl's Cash).
2. There is so much work at my office. And we're still taking in more than we're sending out every day, which can't end well. I need to leave on time tomorrow to pick our son up from his cast party since their show has ended, but I'll do overtime on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday I may need to make other plans during business hours and leave after 'just' eight hours, but Saturday I plan to work another eight hours, since hubs and our son are going up north see our daughter's show and bring her home for the holidays.
3. I absolutely have to finish the book review today that I started last week, and even said in last week's post I was going to finish. I mean it this time.

Holiday Wish List - Part 7

This ask has been kind of a long time coming. There was a post years ago with my beloved winter boots. I was lucky enough to get some like-new Sorel duck-style boots of eBay for like $35 (an excellent deal, even then). I've worn them for YEARS. But now a tiny hole is developing in the rubber where the toe bend is, and the laces are just about dead. Yes, I could replace the laces, but the hole!

I would love a new pair of boots to last as impressively long as these have. I'm not picky about the color combinations (my old ones are a green top with purple plaid-ish lining, I think?) but I really do like and trust the duck style with the rubber foot part. My old Sorel's are a size 8, IIRC.

Holiday Wish List - Part 6

Don't know why this one took so long to get here! Probably because I need it already and was hoping to buy it ASAP! LOL

Wayyy back when I was able to work remotely, in my home office, I had a great electric space heater. It's cold in here, and even when it's not, I run cold and would rather be cozy.

My good old space heater locked up. No more heating, no more fan. Hubs looked at it and deemed it un-repairable. It is time I got a new one!

So I'm not picky about brand/style, but I need a lil heater to warm up this one room.

Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - November 30, 2025: The One Where I Try to Ignore the Weather

What a glorious weekend. I have not left my house since Wednesday evening. We had a great dinner and visiting at my brother's house after I worked on Monday. Thursday was Thanksgiving at home (the kids went to the store for a few last minute items). Friday our son had a ride and went shopping at the mall with  a friend while our daughter visited friends. Yesterday the kids both had plans; daughter drove herself, and hubs played chauffer for our son and his friend. Today? My streak will be broken. Hubs and our daughter left for her college (and they're bringing two other students too), and our son has an appointment to get his hair done for the show he performs in later this week. He's really worried, but I think it will be less cutting, and more learning how to style it for his role as Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie (which is set in the 1960s).

Today, I'm joining up wayyy later than usual with Caffeinated Reviewer and Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon and Sunday Post. Both their titles have to do with the weather. Mine is about 'not' the weather. Anything but the weather. [I hate the weather.]

What I'm reading this week:

I am currently reading my first holiday book for the HoHoHoReadathon, My Favorite Holidate, on my kindle, and a friend picked up Elyse Myers' That's a Great Question, I'd Love to Tell You at a conference and passed it on to me when she was finished - yay! So I started my print copy of that a couple days ago.

Three Good Things: 

1. Obviously, a FANTASTIC week with our daughter. It was so nice to mostly, just hang out. Most of her plans were with friends, and she came back to be here with us when that was not going on. And hubs and our son also got to spend the days when I was at work with her, so the three of them had those days too. 
   
2. I presented the family advent calendar to the kids last Sunday while we watched Home Alone. When our son got up to get a snack or drink, whatever, he found the doorway blocked by the Home Alone House LEGO set! I got it months ago for exactly this purpose, because my research at that time said it was the only LEGO set with 24 bags. Of course, we started early, so now I get to just go ahead and schedule a few days to skip, so we have it together for Christmas.
3. We got the Christmas tree up and decorated, and the Santa and Snowman inflatables set up in the yard! I promised to putter through the rest of the decoration boxes and either display more stuff, or move it back to the storage room downstairs while everyone else is gone today.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Sometimes, a goal is just a decision. My family is not doing holiday cards this year, but I feel like I should announce it, so people don't worry that I sent them to everyone else. LOL Hubs was unemployed for a few weeks after a month long medical leave, and there are just a billion other things I'd rather spend my budgeted time and money on.
2. While I did a GREAT job catching on some posts and, as I call it, computering, I still have one more book review to write for Books I Think You Should Read, and I thought of a couple more posts for my holiday wish list.
3. I am determined to enjoy today - drive our son to his hair appointment, and then to the supermarket to get a few items I need, and a few things that will make this evening fun, and this week a bit more tolerable at work. I am a capable adult, and I can do the things. 
   

A Family Matter - Book Review

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch 
Publication: May 29, 2025
Pages: 240 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Maggie has always been close with her father, both because they love each other, and they don't have anyone else.

This emotional story told in a few different viewpoints over two timelines, has basis in fact, as explained in the author's note at the end. Dawn was an 'unfit mother' because of her deviation. After marrying Heron, and having a daughter, she met her true love. Her deviation wasn't adultery; she loved another women. And in the 1980s, being a good mother and being a lesbian were apparently mutually exclusive.

When Dawn first tells the truth to her husband, he's not sure what he should do, but at his attorney's advice, he soon changes the locks and bans Dawn completely from their daughter's life. This concise book is had to tell more of without spoiling, but it is definitely a strong historical message about the rights of women and families at the time. The frustration is real as multiple people tell the adult daughter that they were different times, but as awful as it sounds, the damage is done, and they're right - the choices and their consequences are those of a recent, but different, time.

The book was an honest look at what happened to real families. It earned 5 out of 5 stars as a succinct telling of a young girl's life when her parents aren't quite the people they each thought they were. I'd recommend this book to those who appreciate women's stories and family dramas.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions or my review. 

HoHoHoRAT - 2025

It's time to sign-up for the 13th Annual Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon hosted by the Caffeinated Reviewer. It started Wednesday, November 26th and runs through Wednesday, December 17th, 2025. Participants will read/listen to holiday/winter books, while taking part in challenges at different sites.

I signed up and was an elf last year, but didn't end up reading any holiday books! LOL This year at least I've started My Favorite Holidate on my kindle. To be eligible for the grand prize, I'll need to participate in one of the elf challenges, and finish at least two appropriately themed books. I'm in it to win it this year! LOL

Come join in the fun!

The Language of the Birds - Book Review

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson
Publication: May 13, 2025
Pages: 368 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Arizona knows she looks at things differently, but her parents have raised her to recognize the strength in that.

Arizona and her mom have continued traveling after her dad died in a motorcycle accident near one of their favorite places to set up their camper. When her mom, then, doesn't show up at their assigned meeting place after a day of sightseeing, Arizona realizes that while she doesn't appreciate being surrounded by people, she's never been so alone before either.

Arizona soon begins receiving cyphers and puzzles to solve from her mother's captors. The puzzles are intriguing on their own (though entirely solveable for Arizona), but the history of the secret sect who may be behind her mother's kidnapping is even more compelling research for Arizona.

Along with her dog, Mojo, Arizona meets a couple of humans who don't see to be completely terrible to help out with their quest. The book, and the voice of Arizona, were endearing and definitely made a reader want to continue and see how it all might end. The story earned 4 out of 5 stars as a great YA novel with a non-traditional family/household, neuro-divergent representation, and frankly, some swell humans.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.