Wrapping up some extra responsibilities at work while the manager has been on vacation (totally doable, but just a lil extra stress)
Wondering at not having more guilt over skipping my yearly accomplishments and goals posts - just out of effs to give, I guess
Working on straightening up my home office, since we've been back to the office since May. Considering maybe an extra bed so it's sort of a guest room?
Three Good Things
Having a job I enjoy, so I don't have to dread the end of long weekends.
Everyone - including me - being happy with their holiday gifts.
Enough. We all have enough.
Hope the holidays have been good for you and yours as well :)
But I don't live by books alone, right? Oh, wait. Maybe I do.
The rest of my, well, day:
Working full-time is severely messing up my ability to manage the rest of my life. Like, for real. Today I still need to do more of my theatre booster treasurer responsibilities (I HATE QUICKBOOKS!!!), get together a renewal lease for the tenants of the house we never sold, and finish disbursing my paycheck from Friday to various medical bills and other things I want to go away.
Ending on a happy note, three great things:
A beautiful day with my kids at the Michigan Renaissance Festival yesterday! If you're local and waiting to go, check out the ticket giveaway at Yes/No Detroit. After a cool-ish beginning to the week (and I think it's cool again by the end of this week), yesterday was mid-80s and mostly sunny! I got a cute huntress costume off of Amazon, but had no need for a cape yesterday!
While 'great' may be overstating it, I'm going in for my first annual physical in seven years this week. LOL I did the advance testing and am ready to hear that I still feel pretty darn healthy for breaching the second half of my first century (why yes, I am an optimist frequently).
And I'm starting planning for my baby's 11th birthday next month! He's opted to have a super fun day and sleepover with one friend instead of a party, and I admit I'm a bit relieved. My biggest planning will be a family party with his grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins over for dinner. Now to help him pick a dinner....
Every time I read, "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" I hear it in the old Monster Jam truck show voice. I should go find that on YouTube so I can prove I'm not nuts. Until then, maybe you'll just think I am. Whatever.
This Sunday I'm joining in with Deb at Readerbuzz for The Sunday Salon, and Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer for Sunday Post. It's my attempt to pretend I post something other than book reviews, except I still mostly talk about books.
Re-potted the mini rosebush that hubs gave me for Valentine's Day.
Finally returned the school library books that Jack's teacher gave him at Christmas time. The school library is only open after my work hours on Wednesdays, and we are usually at baton practice on Wednesdays. So having everyone gone meant I was free to do something else on Wednesday - return library books (luckily they don't track how late they may have been!).
Three good things:
My family comes home today! I've missed them. They all took the week off before hubs starts his new job tomorrow. I'm still new-ish at my job, so I stayed home and worked all week. It was peaceful, but I'm ready for some hugs and snuggles.
All of my work computer stuff is finally here! I've got quite the set-up, but it's way easier to learn/do my job with enough monitor space to keep it all straight.
Spring is definitely coming! We had a couple nice days last week, and although it's chilly and rainy now, there are more good days in the forecast.
Three things to-do this week:
Finish working on Jack's room. I was lucky enough to get a free dresser that fits in his walk-in closet. Now I'm emptying out the wire drawers he's been using in there (repurposing them to the basement?), getting rid of too-small clothes (just bagging them and putting them in storage while Purple Heart isn't picking up), and putting the good stuff where he can easily access it and maintain the organization.
It's spring break for the kids! Hopefully find stuff for them to do that will keep them out of my hair. Hahaha... Hubs and I are both working from home (at least I am, I think he is?), so I suppose my to-do is to work hours without being overcome with jealousy that my kids have free time all week.
Get family groceries and cook a couple dinners. No, really, it's a goal. Ski season is finally over, so I think we'll all be home for dinner. This hasn't happened in months!
Three things I wish for:
Warm spring weather.
A meeting with our landscaping guy to get it all on track for spring (weed the front garden area, plant something in the shady spot, start on a property line plan on the east side of the back yard).
Convenient vaccine appointments for hubs and I.
Hope you all have a great week, and hope you always picture Olaf in Frozen whenever you read 'good things.'
Welcome to another post for the Sunday Salon with Deb at Readerbuzz.
Her rules are simple. There are no requirements for linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
I started The Last Sword Maker by Brian Nelson last night (a print book from the publisher - thanks!). Once I finish up my review from yesterday, my kindle will turn to Prairie Fever by Michael Parker (thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this one).
I'll also be jumping in to Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small Town Politics by Heather Lende later this week (thanks again to the publisher and Netgalley).
Bookish
We're having our first book club in-person meet-up since before stay home/stay safe! We are still mostly staying home and safe for now, but figured since it's just four of us, and we're meeting outside, it's a small step we're comfortable with. We've still been meeting most weeks via zoom, although we haven't really discussed books too much. Hahaha...
Off the Blog
While a lot of people are suffering additional hardships due to job shutdowns, paycuts, etc, I've been lucky. While I only got paid for the hours I was scheduled (and I usually add in a lot of substitute shifts when we're open), I still got paid every two weeks for something! One of my old classics as a stay-at-home-mom was always focus groups. I was lucky enough to qualify for a $75 zoom focus group tomorrow! Yay for a few extra bucks in my pocket.
As a marketing major back in college, I learned enough about focus groups to get their purpose and motivation. I found a company that I enjoyed working with near my old house. I don't often drive the hour for in-person groups anymore, but this zoom one sounds perfect! Three Good Things
I always hear this like the Olaf quote from Frozen.
Anyway. Three good things, eh?
1) Hot weather! I have loved sitting on the front porch to read, and then frequently moving to the back deck in a bikini to sunbathe. The sun definitely makes things better with the world.
2) Hubby's race next weekend! He is SO excited to take the racecar he's worked so hard on to the track to see how they can do. It's a 24 Hours of LEMONS race. They're not allowing spectators, and I don't think concessions are open, but these guys will take a chance to get on the track regardless of the limitations ;)
3) My house on Animal Crossing - New Horizons is expanding again today! LOL Hey, it's a good thing for me. I take a little time each day to go shake some trees and chase some bees :)
Mailbox Monday
And now a bonus! Since my computer has been presenting me with some extra challenges lately, I thought the whole house lost internet last night. Now I think it was just my computer. Regardless, I'm not posting all this til Monday, so I may as well join Mailbox Monday, right? I did get a pretty good haul last week!
On June 15, I downloaded The Preserve by Ariel S. Winter. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this one. Sounds creepy!
June 16 was also a very fun day at the post office! The postal service to my house is pretty bad, so I keep a PO box for my special deliveries ;) I received three packages at my PO box - The Last Sword Maker by Brian Nelson, The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson, and No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O'Callaghan. Thanks to the respective publishers for all three of these.
And just like ginsu, but wait, there's more! When I got home, UPS delivered a treat next door. My neighbor brought over my copy of Legends from Mom's Closet by Sasha Olsen. I reviewed this one on Books I Think You Should Read via a pdf last month. The finished project is truly gorgeous! Thank you to the publisher.
Today I'm choosing to join in with Deb at Readerbuzz for a bit of interaction with people outside my house. LOL
As they describe it:
There are no real requirements to linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
What was your week like?
Read any good books? Tell us about them.
What other bookish things did you do?
What else is going on in your life?
Without further ado, here's my week in summary for The Sunday Salon.
Leela and Maya are motherless sisters in 1905. There's a certain stigma about their upbringing without a mother, but their father has raised them well and they are a bit more independent than their peers.
I finished reading this last weekend and reviewed it at Books I Think You Should Read, where I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. You can read the full review and enter to win your own copy - the giveaway ends April 9.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I doubt I'm the only one to think that this satire about the fictitious Brae Hill Valley High is even funnier if you know the author also has non-fiction books about education published previously. She knows too well what is popularly done...wrong. The teachers' struggles in her fiction definitely ring true. I received this one from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review, and I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Read my full review here.
I finally reached the top of the library wait list on this one. I know a lot of people read it last year (and the year before? 2018 Reader's Choice Award from Goodreads). While I've heard it compared to Where the Crawdad's Sing, I have to say I preferred Crawdads. But I'd also have a hard time comparing them, outside of the main character's background (kind of). I mean, Crawdads is fiction, and Educated is an actual memoir - a real life! I'll be writing my review for Educated soon - I think I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Okay, this one has said I'm 'Currently Reading' on my Goodreads for more than a week already, and I haven't started it. But I really do want to read it! A friend said it was her favorite of our book trivia books, but then the event was canceled, so my sense of urgency is gone.
I have several reviews due in the next couple weeks, but hopefully I can focus and fit this one in too.
Bookish
Yes, as mentioned above, our Adult Battle of the Books has been canceled. Our team has still be trying to meet up from home each week, but I struggle greatly with technology. I missed last week's meeting while trying to log on to Skype the whole time. Ugh.
In other news, publishers are still working! I got a follow-up from another last night asking if the book they sent has arrived. I don't know - LOL. I'm consolidating my trips later this week to go by the post office and pick up my prescriptions. I want to wait long enough to make sure the rent check from my tenants is there too. So I'd LOVE to see what's waiting at my PO box, but I'll wait a few more days....
Off the Blog
Uh, yeah. Still staying home. Trying to shower every 2 - 3 days. Hahahaha.... Usually just hanging out in my PJs, keeping up on laundry and dishes and trying to clean something else each day. And cooking dinner each night, which is so not my favorite.
Hoping the weather warms up soon! I'd love to get out more and get some fresh air, but I hate the cold.
Kids start distance learning officially tomorrow. They're very happy to have something to focus on.
Three Good Things
1. Everyone in my immediate circle is healthy so far.
2. Hubs is still working (from home) doing his regular job and receiving his regular pay.
3. I do love sleeping in (although that is offset by missing all the kids I usually work with too early in the morning...).
Welcome back! I've been trying to join in a nice linky every week or so, which has worked out to each of my favorites coming around once a month or so! Today I'm back playing along with the Sunday Salon gang through Deb at Readerbuzz! Make sure to visit her site and check out some of the other participants.
This was the third book in the Darkest Minds trilogy. I finished it last weekend and reviewed it on Monday. It was great finishing up the journey with these characters, and I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars. I hope movies for the second two books follow, as they did for the first book (The Darkest Minds).
I finished up this book from the Harlequin Intrigue collection on Tuesday and reviewed it here. It was a pleasant read and I loved passing the time with it on our days off of school this week. I gave this one 3 out of 5 stars.
I finished this one on Thursday. I was reading it for the adult battle of the books that will be held in April. I reviewed this 5 out of 5 star book here. I loved this book! In my googling just now to get the cover picture, I saw that it was a movie in 2018!!
I just started this on Friday, but it's a real page-turner so far! I can't wait to snuggle down and see what happens next! The beginning left me in tears, reading about the hate and racism thriving in a small community in Louisiana.
I'm also starting this one on my kindle. My old eyes definitely prefer reading the kindle after dark. I really liked the last book I read by Beatriz Williams, and I love historical fiction, so I'm sure this will be another enjoyable read.
Bookish
I'm excited to meet with the adult battle of the books team I'm on at a local pizza restaurant I haven't visited yet. Talk about a win/win! We all read We Have Always Lived in the Castle in preparation for this meeting, so I'm really interested to hear if they liked the book as much as I did.
Off the Blog
I think I'm done subbing for a bit. Well, at least the long-term, everyday subbing. I'll still go where I'm needed, but so far there's no extra shifts scheduled for this week. We'll see what happens, eh?
The kids have their regular activities for this week, plus Jack wants to start swim lessons. Okay. Maggie has a choir concert on Thursday and her baton team is performing at the high school bastketball game on Friday. Both kids are in a big baton competition on Saturday. It's always something!
Hope you're having a great spring! I'm looking forward to visiting and commenting on all the other Sunday Salon blogs :)
What a week! I'm checking and and wrapping it all up while pairing with Readerbuzz for the Sunday Salon.
It finally looks like winter here! And feels like it! Brrr...... We got around 6 inches of snow yesterday, and then it snowed some more today (although today's wasn't even forecasted). We keep teasing the kids that there probably won't be school tomorrow (spoiler alert: there is no school for students tomorrow as it's a teacher professional development day). But even though we don't have school, I did schedule dentist appointments for us starting at 9 am. At least that will be done again til June, right?
I purchased and read this one for my daughter's middle school battle of the books. I really enjoyed this middle grade fantasy book. While the title character was far from my favorite character in this book, I did like some of the fairy characters much better. If I had more time on my hands, I would totally look forward to reading more books in this series. I will definitely see the Disney movie based on this book, once it's released. I'd give Artemis Fowl 4 out of 5 stars.
I'm really enjoying this one so far. I think I've just got a couple hours left. I'm equally engaged with 1998 Ella's story, and the story of Ginger from the 1920s. According to the Goodreads listing, this is the second book in the Wicked City series! Once I wrap up this post, I'll be able to snuggle in and finish this up. Watch for my review here and on NetGalley within the next few days. Thanks to NetGalley for my electronic copy of this book.
I haven't started this one yet, but I've been on the waiting list through my local library and finally got it! I live about an hour out of Detroit and I'm looking forward to this intriguing local-ish history.
Bookish
In other bookish news, I just got back home from our first meeting for our adult battle of the books team. So fun!! I don't have a lot of real-life friends and activities on a regular basis, so I'm really looking forward to hanging out with these ladies and working our way up to this event! I think the other three on our team feel the same.
We had a great time this evening hanging out at a local restaurant, sharing some appetizers, and talking about lots of books. Our next meeting is in mid-February, and we've talked about actually reading one of our assigned books by then - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.
Off the Blog
This month is kind of crazy busy (okay, next month too). Tomorrow my 12-year-old daughter has a performance with her acappella group for the Martin Luther King Jr community event. Then she has play practice Monday - Friday for her middle school's production of The Wizard of Oz: Deleted Scenes. She is the Snicker Bird and Army Bird One. She is also participating in a Young Americans weekend camp the first weekend in February (oh, and that's the weekend for her battle of the books too). As soon as her play performances are done (February 20 & 21), she has a choir concert and a baton competition the following week.
My 8-year-old son is super excited for his Pokemon club to start this month, and will also be auditioning with a spoonerism for his school's variety show at the end of this month. The actual variety show isn't til March.
What an exciting spring!
