Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - July 12, 2026: Turning It Around

So, I didn't say anything last week, since I was still trying to ignore my bad luck and wait for it to turn. I'm feeling way more optimistic now! (and I may or may not have gotten the kids to both do a spell to end bad luck with me yesterday) 

Here's a consolidated list since July 1: 

• Daughter got a nail in her car's tire - no point in fixing, since she has a portable air compressor, and her vehicle is getting new tires this month
• Our mailbox got knocked down/backed over by son's ride to theater practice
• Daughter dropped her phone off due to a cracked screen a year ago, so insurance could replace the phone (repair not available) - replacement phone also didn't work...
• The whisper touch bracket on the master bath toilet seat broke
• Our air conditioner died during the hottest week of the year
• The wind in a crazy storm took out a third of a tree across my front garden and walkway
• Attempt to re-seat new mailbox finds a CONCRETE SLAB one foot deep
• While digging a hole for the mailbox on the other side of the driveway, a sprinkler line is accidentally broken
• Sprinkler company (after awesomely talking daughter through how to turn off the water) reschedules our next day appointment to next week (so mailbox is still in a Home Depot bucket at the street)
• Last night, hubby's first flight (of three) to get home was delayed, which caused all of his two weeks' worth of luggage not to make it to the second flight, then the third flight was delayed by a couple more hours - he ended up getting a Lyft home instead of having me stay up til 4am to go pick him up

But now? This is all out of the way (okay, still some clean up work to get done) and GREAT THINGS are coming our way!

Funny story - I'm looking into freelance writing, and a recommendation said to start a blog for practice. Umm... okay. Did that more than 20 years ago. What's next? LOL But I am going to post a bit more regularly, and my favorite post for a long time is the Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz, and the Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer. Check em out, and meet more excellent bloggers :)

What I'm reading this week:

And I plan to start the audiobook of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna West tomorrow. I like to start my day with an audio book that is self-improvement, or inspirational (without a downer part), or a good memoir, to start my work day with positive vibes. Any recommendations? Also, non-religious, please.

Three Good Things:

1. While the first night was a rainout, my son did get to perform his parts Friday and Saturday night for the musical version of Freaky Friday. I'm always so proud of him, and I love seeing live shows. We had gone to see a friend of his from school in Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief junior musical earlier yesterday, and he ended his day after his show by jumping in the lake with friends from the cast.
2. Honestly, being on the other side of all the messes that have happened in the last week or so is fabulous news! LOL
3. I'm super excited to have this coming Thursday off work, so I can be here to get our new doorwall installed! We've had a doorwall with no screen since our deck was replaced a few years ago. This is a doorwall with the built-in blinds, and a screen. And it shouldn't take all day, so I'll have some me time away from work too!

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Start my Davincified painting! Hahahahaha
2. 
   Finish The Golem and the Jinni so I can read the four books for my community's adult Battle of the Books before the event on August 13. Any opinions on the books I've got to read/process? I bought everything except the non-fiction, since the friend from work who I'm doing the battle with said she bought that one and we'll share. No one ever wants to keep the non-fiction book! LOL
3. It's been a few since I've listed this goal - I should try to straighten up my home office. It's slipped way down the priority list since I've made a really great sitting area in the family room, where I use my laptop on my, well, lap. I'll get back to it. I've been rather determinedly working eight-hour-days lately, which gets me home earlier and with a bit more energy, so I should use that well. 
   
   

Portrait of a Witch Undone - Book Review

Portrait of a Witch Undone by K.S. Shay
Publication: August 25, 2026
Pages: 368 pages
Rating:4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Maeve tries to do the right thing, but she truly doesn't think there's anyone who could understand her unique situation and help.

Maeve and her best friend Ash attempted a spell to reach the Lady of the Fens. They'd been told never to do such a thing, and it turns out it was indeed a very bad idea. Now 'unbound' magic is threatening what's left of Maeve's real magic. If it wins, Maeve would be completely insane and outcast. So her goal is to eliminate all of the magic from her, so she can just go on being herself, even without her lifetime of magic.

Maeve is pretty sold on her plan, until Ash unexpectedly finds her way into the 'Other Marsh' and in a conflict with some pretty bad stuff. Now the calls for Maeve and her originally strong magic are relentless - everyone expects her to save Ash and their legendary coven.

The story is told with an intriguing almost magical realism - the way the coven history and unbound magic work are common knowledge. If you don't already know, it's of course because you are not a witch. Maeve's research into the history, the Lady of the Fens, and what she may need to do save Ash and potentially still end the loss of herself to the unbound magic leads to some surprising meetings and conclusions.

Overall, the story and worldbuilding were unique and earned 4 out of 5 stars. This could definitely be the start of a series, with so much more history of the coven and future for Maeve and Ash left to tell. Readers who like witch stories and family drama won't want to miss this one.

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

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.

The Fox and the Devil - Book Review

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
Publication: March 10, 2026
Pages: 350 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: These characters were so engaging - in a good and evil way.

Anneke has made it her life's mission to avenge her father's death. He was a vampire hunter, and she saw Diavola leaving the scene of her father's death.

Through her investigations, she has become a valuable resource for the police, as she sees things others don't notice. But even most of her co-workers don't know why she continues working these complicated and suspicious deaths. Although many victims appear to be dead by their own hands, Anneke knows there's more to it, and she is determined to find the devil behind it all, and stop her. 

The discoveries and adventure she finds with those who also choose to join in her cause make for a very compelling book. The setting is gorgeous, and the descriptions of the world fair as told by Anneke, her friends, and the devil are amazing.

This stunning tale earns 4 out of stars, and may even be worth a re-read to pick up on even more detail in the characters, the plot, and the beautiful scenes.

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

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - January 25, 2026: Another Cold One

Wow. I'm spending an extra few minutes staring at a blank screen this morning. There's a lot. Especially murders of American citizens in the streets, kidnapping of children, and considering relations with beloved family members who voted for this. 

But then, the 'every day.' Is 'rage' becoming my new personality, even while I do nothing but work, take care of my family, follow the news, and share the angry knowledge I see?

How long can this go on? Will we see the end, or will I breakdown completely long before that? How do we all keep going??

I try to keep on keeping on. I've been advised to have a better attitude at work, and I know my immediate family deserves a better version of me. So I attempt to compartmentalize. Set it aside for a spell, write a blog post, do the laundry, maybe some LEGO and read a book, make dinner, and sleep to do it all again?

So much for my 100 percent participation! Hahaha... Today, I'll be joining some great bloggers on our weekend reviews for Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer, and Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz. 

What I'm reading this week:

I'm currently reading Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell in print. Probably not going to be on my favorite book list, but it passes the time. I don't relate to any of the characters, really, and this is a book of characters more than specific plot. I'll finish it; it's interesting. But it has an audience that probably was never meant to be me. On my kindle, I'm on to the second book of the Ryan Tapia series by Thomas E. Ricks. I finished Everyone Knows but You last weekend, and I'm now reading We Can't Save You. I'll probably go right into Big Money, Small Town after this one. I enjoy them and they're quick reads. Once I'm done and have reviewed all three, there will be a giveaway (I think for the third book) on Books I Think You Should Read.

Three Good Things:

1. Josh & Jase! If you haven't seen these British influencers in your timeline, go find them. ESPECIALLY if you're in Michigan or any cold climate. They're learning the hard way in the Upper Peninsula this weekend. Since my girls' weekend in April will be to Marquette, it was super fun to see them visiting places I'll be to (or have been to) soon-ish!!
2. Since my last post, our son got a role in a local theatre's musical production of Legally Blonde Jr! He's enjoying meeting the rest of the cast and crew, and the production is in March. He's Winthrop, one of the Harvard Admissions dudes.
3. While it's bitterly cold and we're under another winter storm watch today and into tomorrow, daylight is at least getting longer since it's past the solstice. I messaged hubs my dinner grocery list so I can hopefully stay home today (he's already out for brunch with friends). Fingers crossed that he sees it in time so I can stay here and hunker down again.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. If I do get to hunker down, it would be a great time to do a bigger goals list/vision board for 2026, right?
2. I have one LEGO set from the holidays that I haven't done yet. My daughter got me the Orchid botanical set that I have yet to assemble.
3. Once I get paid this weekend, I get to book the room for my bestie and I to take our girls' weekend in April!!! Not like I'll forget, but I'm really excited, so it's on the list.

The Bewitching - Book Review

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publication: July 15, 2026
Pages: 359 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Minerva learned everything she could from Nana Alba and the fate of Beatrice Tremblay. Will it be enough to save her?

The three timelines linked by an eventually common evil were so intriguing. Minerva grew up caring for her Nana Alba in Mexico. Her love of reading and literature leads her to graduate school in Massachusetts, where she is studying Beatrice Tremblay, a little known author of macabre tales who met with a mysterious end. As one of the scholarship students at the fancy private college, not much effort was put in to finding if she ran off with one of the young men doing maintenance at the school, returned to her family across the country, or met with a tragic end. Minerva feels that finding out is an important part of her thesis about Beatrice Tremblay as an author.

Through her solitary research during the summer term, Minerva finds that another student may have previously been looking at the same books and stories as Beatrice. Oddly enough, no one knows where he moved on to when he unexpectedly dropped out. 

Minerva is sure that the key is a rich old woman nearby who was in school with Beatrice. Luckily her grandson is in school with Minerva and arranges an introduction. Can the old woman's suggestions help Minerva find what happened to Beatrice, and more about the writing and drawing she produced before she disappeared??

While one part of Nana Alba's story of her youth gave big ick vibes, pushing through that was worth it to connect the stories of the characters. The book earned 5 out of 5 stars and would be recommended to those who enjoy gothic and historical fiction, and strong female characters. 

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

Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - January 4, 2025: Happy New Year

Happy 2026! It's already shaping up to be a good year. I've had an odd sense of...contentment? so far, and have been practicing being in the moment. I'm doing the tasks I need to do, and moving on (especially at work). I suppose it's kind of 'let them,' though I haven't read the book. 

Our son, unfortunately has been under the weather since new years day, so please send him all your good juju for a quick and complete recovery. School starts back for him tomorrow, but I don't think he'll be up to it quite yet. He's very worried about his absences, as we got tickets to a concert in the spring that will require him missing a day (it's a Sunday night concert, out of town). The administration also said they are not allowed to attend the trip for their grade if they have too many absences. But with a doctor's note for whatever time he needs off now, we'll figure it out.

I'm kicking off with a great commitment track record and joining in Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz, and Sunday Post with the Caffeinated Reviewer. Check the math - that's 100% participation for 2026!

What I'm reading this week:

I just finished The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia last night and LOVED it! Five out of five stars from me, and hoping to get the review up later today. We'll see what I start on my kindle when I go to cozy me, almost-bed, time tonight. I'm still reading The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput in print, and really enjoying that too.

Three Good Things:

1. We got our spring concert tickets for our son and me! He is SO excited!! Still need to book transportation and a hotel, but baby steps. Everything will definitely be coming from separate paychecks. Hahahaha....
2. I'm loving my new planner :) I spend new years day adding lots and lots of birthdays and the school calendar dates for the rest of this year, then added the work holidays once I was back in the office on Friday. I want to try and use the goals/habits pages more, and track my savings/paying down debt.
3. I finally got my nails done again! For nearly four weeks, they were red with a cat-eye finish (super cool!), but I went in on Friday and got them filled and fixed up with 'cherry bomb' - a red/pink glitter shade. They look great again :)

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Keep working on my home office. LOL Although it's feeling like a bit of 'burnt toast' theory now. Since it wasn't done, I read a post a few days ago about an exchange student needing housing and said to myself, "That would be cool - I'll hurry up my office and see if she needs us." Then, son has this virus, and who knows if we'll get it next. We don't need another body here right now. So the office will get done, but more likely in the right time. OH - burnt toast theory is something our daughter frequently references - if you're running late because you burned the toast, what if it's the universe shifting your schedule just a bit so you miss something horrific, or end up at the right place/right time for something wonderfully awesome?
2. I've told my family we have two goals before our daughter heads back to school at the end of the week. Goal one is cutting the cats' claws. They desperately need to be trimmed, and she's the best at it.
3. Goal two is redoing our curio cabinets. I have two curio cabinets from my grandmother, and I'd like them to represent our whole family as they want to be represented. So while everyone is home, we divvy up the shelves and display what we want displayed. Right now, it's the stuff I put in there when the kids were mall. Some baton twirling medals/trophies, a shelf about hubs & my Germany travels, a shelf with old wedding stuff.... I want everyone to put away what's in there and fill it with what we want to see from our lives.

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - December 28, 2025: The Last One of 2025

Wow. Looking back, I feel like 2025 kind of flew by. On the one hand, it feels like a succession of similar days, over and over. In reality, our daughter graduated from high school and moved away to college, my husband changed jobs and had major surgery, and our son started hanging out with a great friend group and seems more content and happier than before. I never finished a goal list or word-of-the-year or anything like that last January, so I supposed I can't much comment on it. I do remember I wanted less confrontation, more NPC energy, and just discreetly support those around me who need it. I feel like I've mellowed out and done a lot of that. Don't get me wrong - if you live in the U.S.A. and you're not regularly angry, you aren't paying attention. But I've tried to do less of taking that rage out on my own life.

While they were not listed apparently, one of my goals was definitely to blog more, and joining more regularly with Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer, and Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz definitely was the best of that! Thanks so much to Kimberly and Deb for opening their hearts and (online) homes to us weekly (and more) to build such an enjoyable community. 💖

What I'm reading this week:

I successfully finished A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone and My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely for the HoHoHoReadathon! I just realized while finishing up another review yesterday that I forgot to review My Favorite Holidate - I'll get that written and over to Books I Think You Should Read soon.

But for now, I'm reading two multi-timeline historical-ish books and really enjoying both. I just passed the halfway mark in The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia on my kindle, and am enjoying The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput in print. 

My Goodreads challenge says I've finished 77 books, but this didn't update? I dunno. Plenty of reading :)

Has anyone tried Fable? Advice? I tried Storygraph another time and left very soon. 

Three Good Things:

1. LEGO! We finished the Home Alone House as our family advent calendar (since the set has 24 bags), and everyone under our roof got more LEGO for Christmas. Our son got The Nightmare Before Christmas set he wanted, and is almost half way done. Our daughter got the Happy Plants and the Wall-E and Eve blockheads. Hubs got a technic construction vehicle, and technic Gravedigger. I got the botanical Orchid set, the 3-in-1 Camera, and the Up House!
2. I got an offer for a new job! I chose not to take it for several reasons, but after a couple years of applying within and outside my current company, it felt good to be acknowledged. I'll leave it at that.
3. Things feel pretty good. I've got fun plans, our daughter is home for almost two weeks more, and everyone had a very good Christmas. We've all got plans for New Years' Eve (even if our son comes with us instead of going to his own friends), and 'normal' is back on the radar. LOL I love the excitement and joy of the holidays, but I also like to just meander through my life as I've set it up, mostly.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Speaking of New Years' Eve, we're going to a friends' party and need to bring an appetizer or dessert. I need to decide and get ingredients for whatever that will look like.
2. Get the office back under control! Two steps forward, three steps back. The holiday presents are now almost all cleared out, so I've got some empty boxes/packaging that will easily clear out and look a billion times better.
3. 
   Decorate my new big present! When hubs was between jobs, he said he'd have less money to spend on presents, but more time if I had any ideas. LOL "If I had any ideas..." I have always had a thing for shelving units, of course, and saw a version of shelves framing a bed, if you will. So, thanks to my hubs' creativity and some base pieces from IKEA, this is mine. I've just started the decorating, but I'm excited for my evening 'me-time' curled up in my cozy bed, surrounded by some of my favorite things (which I can also see in the mirror over the dresser, opposite the bed), with my kindle and nightcap on the handy shelf right next to me. Hubs really delivered this time :)

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 hard 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!