Aren’t these little ghosts so cute? Billy made me these! I love an adorable ghost.
Has anyone else seen that movie, Kiss Me Goodbye, starring Sally Field, James Caan, and Jeff Bridges? I remember watching it with my mom as a kid and absolutely loving it. Now, I have to admit that I don’t remember much of it but I do remember that Sally Field’s husband had passed and was a ghost in it. When I was looking it up to write this post, I also see that it got terrible reviews. Well, 11 year old Erin loved it so there movie critics! Anyway, the one thing that stands out in my mind was the love and the ghost. And that is what this post is (mostly) about – books with ghosts and romance.
Now, not all of the main romance is with the ghost, in fact most of them are not. But all involve a ghost and while I haven’t read them all, they are all on my very lengthy TBR.
So what do you think? Would any of these boo it for you? (I am so sorry. It is early and I am still drinking my first coffee and that makes me goofy apparently).
I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
Hello everyone! This week Billy and I watched The Village, as part of our increasingly spooky watches for fall. I don’t think we had seen it since it came out in 2004. We obviously remembered the twist, but we had forgotten most of it so it was a fun rewatch.
And as for being a sweater weather movie, it was perfect. The mood, the weather, the scenery was all deliciously autumnal, with fog and the leaves on the ground, the big cloaks. You could almost feel the crisp in the air and the chilly nights. The costumes were long sleeved, high necks, blanket shawls. Definitely sweater weather.
This idyllic village, that is about keeping innocence alive has a secret. A pretty darn big one. And while most of the village folk go about their days bucolically tending their sheep and their farms, attending school, working together as a community, there is one small thing they need to worry about, the creatures they refer to as Those We Do Not Speak Of that live in the woods. As long as people don’t go into the woods, all will be safe. All will be good. And it seems that they are all willing to abide by that rule to keep the peace. However, there are sentry posts and alarm bells just in case, with everyone in the village knowing what to do if they hear the bell sounded.
Run. Hide.
They do have one other problem and that is medicine. They need to restore their “medicines from the towns”, as they are out. The movie begins with the funeral of a child who has passed from a sickness, and the fact that they need these important medicines is a huge part of the movie.
The movie centers on Ivy and Lucius, played by Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix. Ivy is sightless, and is not the only disabled resident. Noah, played by Adrien Brody, portrays a developmentally disabled man, who is very good friends with Ivy. He is known to sometimes break the rules, to enter the woods but remains safe and Lucius believes it is because Noah is childlike and innocent, so the creatures leave him be, knowing he means no harm. Lucius petitions the village council to venture through the woods to the towns to obtain medicine feeling that they will leave him be, as he believe that they will sense he also means no harm.
However, he is turned down, and in the interim, he and Ivy declare their love for each other, and Noah gets jealous of their relationship and stabs Lucius. Now Lucius needs medicine as well, and Ivy is the one to travel through the woods to get the medicine required.
I know this movie came out in 2004 but I am still trying to avoid too many spoilers, just in case.
All of my favorite parts of the movie are in the middle. I loved just watching the scenes of village life, even with the threat of the creatures. That gave it a little edge. I love Ivy so much, she is so bold and fearless, and I loved that M. Night Shyamalan took her character in that direction. And I love how she looks for Lucius in times of danger by holding her hand out in front of her, knowing he will find her and take it. There is such trust there. And that is how she knows that the person Noah harmed was Lucius, by running around the village, calling for him, her hand out – and this time he didn’t find her and take it.
There really are so many well done moments like this in the movie. But I also want to talk about what I didn’t like, and that was the framing of Noah, the only developmentally disabled character in the movie, as villainous. Shyamalan has been called ableist before for how he writes the disabled, and in this movie it is interesting how he has one disabled character brave and bold, the other violent. I could see why Noah was an easy choice, and how the two were foils for each other; in the beginning of the movie, Ivy tells Noah that is wrong to hit people and makes him say he won’t ever hit anyone again, and then later in the movie she smacks the crap out of him. As for Noah being cast into the role of villain, I do find it sort of icky. If Ivy represents blind faith, blind to the truth, then what does that say about Noah?
There are other cracks in this utopia, but for the most part life is easy. Except for the creatures and lack of medicine that is.
This movie is such a great combination of cozy and thriller, and it is perfect for fall. I don’t think it is a terribly frightening movie, and this is a trope I really enjoy, that of an isolated village. Erin A. Craig’s books Small Favors and A Land so Wide are two that I can think of off the top of my head that contain a similar setting and atmosphere.
This weekend we will settle in with another sweater weather movie – I am thinking something spookier, maybe The Others, or The Woman in Black.
Whatever you are watching this fall, drop your link here and let’s share our sweater weather cinema experiences!
Hello everyone! I really need all the coffee this morning! I got up early and dragged Wyatt and I to an appointment that is tomorrow. Sigh. I need to remember to buy a planner for 2027 that is a Sunday start, because the one I have totally messes with me. I love it except for that.
We had my mother’s memorial service/celebration of life on Saturday. I had been a mess all week, running around trying to get things together, and the morning of I was so afraid no one would come. However, my heart was full as person after person walked into the church, filling the pews to the back. It was such a great outpouring of love for my mother, and I felt the service was beautiful. It was a service full of my mom. We played “Keep Me in Your Heart” by Warren Zevon, “In My Life” by the Beatles, and we had a bagpiper who played “Nearer My God to Thee” and “Amazing Grace”. I managed to get up and speak along with my niece Mermaid Girl, I was so proud of her. We walked up together and gave each other courage and strength. My cousin Brian delivered the eulogy, which was full of music and song that he related to my mother and stories and memories; my cousin Meghan read a poem, “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep”. And so many people got up and spoke! I had not seen that before and was surprised honestly. My mom would have been equally shocked lol. It was very cathartic for me, and I felt so at peace afterwards. As I sat in the church, I felt very enveloped in family and friends. Friends and family who I see and talk to daily, and friends and family that it has been too long since we talked, yet there they all were. It was good.
I didn’t do much talking but I did want to read something from the book The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest. I told you, that little middle grade book had some very soothing writing about grief. This is what I read:
“Grief is a thing with weight and bulk–perhaps the heaviest thing of all. It pushes at the edge of your soul, forcing it into a different shape. You can never fill it, because it is not empty. And it will not shrink with time. But you can learn to carry it. Practice noticing it less as it becomes a more familiar part of you.
In the end, your grief will always be there, taking up space.
And I suppose that’s the beautiful thing about a soul:
There is infinite space.
You may even find that there is space for more grief. But–this is what I want you to remember–there is room for more joy. And it is your job to open your arms and welcome joy and joy and joy until your grief looks small in comparison.”
This just really spoke to my own grief, yet also gave me hope. It was important for me to say, my mom carried a sadness within her always, but she taught me to see the laughter in the sad moments, the good in the bad. She always made me feel there was hope. And love. Always so much love and joy, music and poetry and dancing.
Afterwards we all headed to the luncheon which was equally full of love and stories. I think just being with other people who loved my mom and missed her and grieved for her was a balm to my heart. I am truly truly blessed with good kind people in my life.
And then I haven’t done much since! In school, I am teaching Wyatt about Sojourner Truth and continuing on with the underground railroad, abolitionism, and then next week the Civil War. We have been painting and reading, we have been practicing his walking, doing his exercises, cuddling cats. Today I hope to get some baking in, I want to make scones but if I don’t, there is always tomorrow.
Some little things that made me smile this week: spotting kittens on a walk, Wyatt’s giant grin at walking to the house the next block over that is super decorated for Halloween, painting this cute bookmark and the way that it peeks over the top of my book, the cool weather, brownies, our Little Free Library getting chosen for two copies of their book club book this month.
And that is it for me today my friends! Thank you to all of you too, who have been commenting supporting and caring words, and messaging me with the same.
I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile, even if it is something small.
Today’s Prompt: Books That Conjure Up Happy Memories
This may end up being mostly children’s books!
Mr. Putter & Tabby Pick the Pears || Little Miss Sunshine || The Story of Ferdinand
Let’s start with Mr. Putter. There was a winter that Wyatt and I read a Mr. Putter and Tabby book every night before bed. He would snuggle up next to me, his head on my shoulder, and I would read a new little gentle adventure before saying goodnight. These were just such sweet nights, warm and cuddly, with these happy little easy stories. The kind of memory you wish you could recapture but since it was magic you can’t necessarily capture that moment again exactly – you just need to make new magic.
Then the Mister Mister books. My cousin Brian and I used to read these together when we were little. I can still see us sat on the floor, surrounded by a slew of these books.
My parents read to me often, and my mom more than my dad, and one of my favorite books was The Story of Ferdinand. I could not get enough of this gentle bull who liked to sit and smell the flowers.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone || Charlotte’s Web || Where the Sidewalk Ends
Harry Potter of course has to be on here. It was such a phenomenon! So little story. Billy is dyslexic and never enjoyed books or reading – until he met me. When we first started dating I would read books to him all the time. Then when Harry Potter came out, I started reading it to him, and then one day I said, “Ok, your turn. If you want to know what happens next you will have to read it yourself.” And he did, and now he loves books. He still listens to books on audio more but we all know that counts!
Charlotte’s Web is another book that I read to Wyatt. It is a sad book but also beautiful. I remember I finished reading this book to him on a small vacation we took to a tiny cabin on a farm. I like to be immersed in reading when I can be lol, and apparently I am extending that to my family’s experiences. We were laying on the bed, reading the end, while it was pouring down rain onto the skylight. It was just a good moment.
I loved Where the Sidewalk Ends and all Shel Silverstein growing up! No particular memory attached, just the happiness I felt reading his poems!
Outlander || The Witches ||The Bewitching
Billy and I took a trip to Shenandoah National Park one year that was pretty amazing. We stayed in Big Meadows Lodge, and we stayed in the older part that was built by the CCC. There was no television, no AC, but I had this book. I remember just reading it after a day of hiking, before dinner and I will always associate this book with that trip.
The Bewitching is a newer memory! Last year my cousin and I went to a Sip and Read in Detroit, and this was the book I got there. We would read a little, stop and talk, then go back to our books. It was pouring rain, no one else was there, and it was a fun night. It was like the grown up version of when we would read with each other as kids!
I loved when teachers would read to us in school, and I remember my favorite elementary school teacher Miss Caruso reading our class The Witches. I would always be so happy when she would tell us to put our stuff away and she would pull the book out and start reading.
Little House in the Big Woods
Finally, the Little House series. I loved these books, and I have always loved them. No specific memories, just good feelings.
And that is it for me today! I can’t wait to see what you all have shared. I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you happy!
Hello everyone. I hope you are all doing well! The weather here today is absolutely beautiful, sunny and cool. Is fall here to stay? It may be!
The Books of September:
The Breakdown: I read five books but finished 6 books in September. It took me a while to read Stillmeadow Calendar and it spread out among two months so, it was a finish I guess. I read an eclectic mix with 2 cozy mysteries, a thriller, a memoir, a middle grade, and a cozy fantasy. I absolutely loved them all honestly. I usually pick a favorite but I can’t this month. And as for settings, a few of them were magic! One was spread across four magical kingdoms, one in Deadwood Forest, and one in Shady Hollow; then returning to our own realm and world, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York.
A Good Book and a Cup of Tea favorites:
I am cohosts with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and Cat at Cat’s Wire, of the linkup A Good Book and a Cup of Tea for all things books -not just books read or reviews, but bookstore visits or author visits or whatever else bookish you can think of! You can find the link up for October here.
We have decided we will be featuring our favorite posts from the month here. I do read all the posts even if I don’t comment. I only like to comment from my actual laptop and not from my phone, which is a problem sometimes when I read the post on my phone. ( I am working on more time to read and comment though. )
Hello everyone! It is sort of dreary here today all overcast. It has been busy busy and is going to stay busy busy as we get closer to my mom’s memorial service on Saturday. But I want it to be nice as like the final thing I can do for her, a send off to honor her.
Wyatt and I are back to homeschool, and he is learning about Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad. He loved an activity that we did yesterday, having to do with the quilt maps that enslaved people used to help guide them north. I was fascinated as well to be honest. He was less interested in the quilt aspect and more in the secret code, but whatever works. We read a book called The Patchwork Path, and every time we came to a new secret code block in the text, we found one I had printed out, and he colored it and added it to a Quilt Code Key that we made. It turned out really cool honestly, and he had fun decoding.
Afterwards, I was still thinking about quilts so I listened to an Ologies podcast about quilts. It was super interesting. I love learning all these quiet ways that women rebelled expressed big feelings, through crafts, and quilting has played its part in political history. The AIDS Memorial Quilt comes to mind, which was not only about remembrance but a big gesture that demonstrated that despite how some people felt about AIDS patients, we were not going to forget them. They were used as I said during the Civil War, and also during the suffragette movement. So quilts not only preserved traditional handiwork and avenues for women to get together and be social, but also helped people find freedom and helped women get the right to vote. It’s wild to me. I love stuff like this.
I also love old vintage quilts. I have one of my aunt’s that someone gave her, and another that my besties great-great-great grandmother made. My friend didn’t want it so I scooped it right up! It needs some repair work done which I hope to figure out at some point. And just last month we got a handmade crazy quilt from our local Buy Nothing! It is on Wyatt’s bed and looks really cool. And is super warm!
I was also thinking about how my family is losing its storytellers, our older family members who have shared their stories with us and now my brother and cousins and I need to pass that on to our children for them. My family is very Scottish in background, on both sides, and my mom and my aunt were Highland dancers, and my uncle was the drum major in the pipe band. I even did a little highland dancing as a child too. We ate desserts that were Scottish that my grandmother made, heard all the stories, and I want to preserve some of that for Wyatt, and hopefully for my nieces and my cousins’ children. So, I applied to join the St. Andrews Society here in my area, which is all about being Scottish. Lol. I heard back and they said my application looks good (I had to prove I had Scottish heritage!) and that I will be initiated soon. I think it will be neat to take Wyatt to some of the Scottish Sunday Night dinners and to the Highland Games. Although now we all need to get articles of clothing in our tartan and I need to sort that because I am not sure what we will get? I did find a cute kids t-shirt that has a dragon in your family tartan on it so Wyatt can wear that. I was also thinking about getting a scarf not just in my tartan, but in the official witch tartan, which was created to in remembrance of the women that lost their lives during that horrible time in history.
I am all about fabrics and statements today, and I didn’t even realize it until just now, that these two things dovetail.
Anyway, I am excited about the St. Andrews Society. I am really committed to creating more community for our family in anyway that I can. Which for an introvert is really hard!! But I believe really strongly in community, in people coming together, and so I push myself out of that shell when I need to, and I think that this will be a fun thing to do. They have all sorts of neat events, like a Robbie Burns dinner which I would love to go to, and like I said, the Sunday dinners. I would love to move to Scotland, which I am sure is not in the cards for us, but I will take what I can get.
Wyatt’s baseball wrapped up for the year, and while it was a good time I was ready for it to be done! I will miss the sunsets and the evening sky that I could see from the field though this fall, and the big smile on Wyatt’s face when he and Billy ran the bases!
I’ve been caught more than once woolgathering while looking out at the skyline and enjoying the evening. There was just also a certain contentedness those nights too. I would chat with my friends, laughing and catching up as our kids were playing, and then when the game was over, we would go home to our house and cats, dinner already made, either a slow cooker meal or leftovers and for some reason that food just always tasted better. So while it was tough at times and made our days long, I will miss it. But I am still glad it is over for the year!
I’ve got to get dinner started in a minute, just chili and rice, but I will leave you with some photos from the old camera roll!
I hope that whatever you do this evening, you do something that makes you smile. Or, I hope that something made you smile today! Feel free to share!
One of my favorite activities during fall is just sitting around a fire with my family and friends, hanging out, having s’mores and cider. So today my post is inspired by those fires! I have not read any of these but I have added a few to my TBR!
Hello everyone!! This is just a link up to post any movie that you feel is sweater weather worthy – cozy or creepy, sad or scary!
This past week my family and I watched an 80s movie out of nostalgia – Monster Squad! This movie came out in August of 1987, when my husband and I were both 11 and 12. Wyatt is now 11, and the kids in the movie were 12, or at least they were supposed to be according to the movie. So it seemed like the perfect time to watch it!
This movie is about a group of kids who love monster movies and lore. They have a super cool treehouse clubhouse, that is decorated with all the old classic monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Swamp Thing, and the Wolf Man. However, they do like to watch modern horror movies as well. Anyway, the best/worst thing ever happens, and all of these classic monsters head to their town, as main kid Sean has possession of Van Helsings diary, which his mom just happened to find at a garage sale. Lol. Of course, it is written and German, so they have to go talk to “Scary German Guy” to have it translated. (spoiler alert – Scary German Guy is not scary at all and becomes their friend. Also Frankenstein is their friend too)
The costumes were pretty good for the 80s! I also liked the idea of them all buddying around together, like they had their own bad guy monster club too. Dracula was their leader, and he had it in for Sean and his family. I am going to say most of the special effects were pretty good for that era. Not now of course, but for the 80s. Except for any scene that involved shooting. Gunshots looked terrible.
Overall this is a pretty fun mostly tame horror comedy for families. It does have a few things that just didn’t age well though. There is some objectification of a teenage minor, the whole Scary German thing, body shaming, and then swearing at a little tiny girl! That part bothers me every single time! Billy told me that is to show just how villainous Dracula is and honestly it really does feel like the worst thing he does even though he maims and kills people in the movie. It is PG-13 so nothing too terrible at least.
For the most part though, this is a pretty fun watch with kids, even if it is just for the classic movie monsters. Wyatt enjoyed most of it, then fell asleep, as always. This kid always falls asleep during movies, even at the theater. It cracks me up. He woke up for the big ending scene though, and was appreciative of the action, although he was not as appreciative of the rap song during the credits.
This was a goofy watch but definitely fit in with our Sweater Weather Cinema! Next movie will be one for Billy and I, maybe The Village. I have been wanting to watch that one!
Whatever you are watching this fall, drop your link here and let’s share our sweater weather cinema experiences!
Hello everyone! It is becoming more autumnal around here by the day. Still not fall enough though, with this little warm up we are having – but not too warm, thankfully. I hope that whatever season you are in, that you are having more good days than bad.
Books:
I finished The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest and it was a very surprisingly beautiful book. Middle grade can be like that. It is about grief and loneliness, and friendship and self-acceptance, but it never felt too much, if you know what I mean. I really loved it.
When I finished it, I started Here We Goat Again, which is just as good as the last two so far. I love its uniqueness in terms of cozies, with the main character and amateur sleuth a yogi who lives on her great-uncle and aunt’s farm, where she has her classes. The relationships are all very sweet. Plus goats! Last week I was balking over having to buy a $6.99 Kindle version, and then lo and behold, it went on sale the next day for .99 and I scooped it right up!
When I finish it up, I am hoping to start this one.
Marsha, look! Little Jacks! I’ve been hoping to read a book by this author for a while and darn it, I am going to do it.
Screens:
Hmm what have we been watching? We are still watching Murder She Wrote; they are such easy little episodes to watch. I have to exclaim over the very 80s ness of it while we watch. I am all about this revival of the 80s and 90s that are happening around us with decor and hobbies and even some fashions. My mom had a perpetual calendar, that is wooden and has a painted covered bridge on it that she loved in the 90s and I hung it up in our kitchen the other day. Billy just looked at me and shook his head and grinned. Lol.
Billy picked our Sweater Weather movie last night, Monster Squad. Lol. It was also very very 80s. We thought Wyatt would love it but he passed out after the first half. I guess 1980s monsters just aren’t as impressive nowadays. Oh well. Billy and I thought it was nostalgic and also hysterical, although some parts just didn’t sit right anymore. You know how it is. I think I will pick a movie for tonight too.
And remember, I am cohosts with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and Cat at Cat’s Wire, of the linkup A Good Book and a Cup of Tea for all things books -not just books read or reviews, but bookstore visits or author visits or whatever else bookish you can think of! You can find the link up for September here!
In-Betweens:
Wyatt and I made our fall bucket list together last week. Then I spent Saturday morning trying to plan how to do it all! We have less “go places” activities and more at home activities this year, which is sort of different but I am looking forward to the change. It is always fun to see where we are with what we want to do every year. Some years are home years, some are years we go and do a bunch of things.
And with that, I will leave you all. I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
I hope that you are all doing well today. I had an early morning appointment this morning, my yearly mammogram. I always schedule it first thing in the morning so it is done but it is not the most fun way to start the day, especially before coffee. But I did it and got it done and I was in and out of there in 3o minutes or less. I even already have my results! (all is good)
I also have another appointment this afternoon – I had a busy summer with my mom, I have most of Wyatt’s appointments caught up, so now it is my turn. Yuck. But since I have two appointments today, I am making today a hygge homeschool day, which is slow school full of art and reading. And faffing about too, I guess.
Wyatt had a few appointments last week, his wellness and then a follow up with the orthopedic surgeon and all went great. We stopped on the way home from his surgery follow up at Cracker Barrel for lunch; Wyatt had never been there and I felt it was time. My friend Kelly said it was neglectful behavior that I had not taken him yet. She was kidding of course. Wyatt and I each had chocolate chip pancakes and they were delicious! Then we shopped, of course. I bought cute little Halloween cat salt and pepper shakers, and Wyatt picked out cookies for us to eat later that night during our movie night. It was his pick and we watched Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost. We also had stopped at the Little Free Library that is in the hospital; he liked that too.
Today when I got home from my own appointment I promptly reserved a cabin in the woods for my family in December for a weekend. I have always wanted to do that and life is short so I am doing it. And it is a trip purely for relaxation. We are not going to run around and see things, but we are going to hole up and play board games and read books and draw and watch for deer and foxes from the all season sunroom that is huge and full of windows. Wyatt will be happy as long as he can get outside a bit and can draw so that is easy. We will eat soup and bread and cheese and drink tea. It will be nice to get away for a relaxing weekend in the middle of the holiday season.
We have been getting ready for fall and Halloween around here, slowly but surely. A little here, a little there. We got Wyatt’s costume – he is going to be Mothman this year. He wanted to be something spooky. And he is diligently practicing walking with his gait trainer so that he can do a little trick or treating on foot this year!
I have a few crafts and projects lined up for us, and I want to do some fall baking too. Plus of course go to all the Halloween type events that I we can!
We had little league last night and it was so chilly on the field. We were happy to get home, where I had salsa verde chicken in the crockpot that turned into chicken soft tacos. I warmed the tortillas on the stovetop, and it was all just so tasty and warm – it was one of those good feelings you know? Being outside in the fresh air, getting a bit chilled, then heading home for a warm good dinner. I felt very content and happy.
We have our first Blackbirds event coming up this weekend, a Tigers Game on Sunday. It will be fun and it will be nice to see everyone. Then Oct. 3 is my mom’s celebration of life/memorial service. I feel like waiting was the better choice for me, I had such a hard time and now I feel like I am ready to grieve with family and friends. I have been slowly organizing that this past 6 weeks or so.
And guys, I am toying with the idea of starting a YouTube channel for books and about our life, I guess too? I am really nervous but I also think it might be fun. We will see how long it lasts. I do have a channel but it is currently private, I think, with just a spoiler video for The God of the Woods.
And with that, I will leave you with some photos. Probably of cats. I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
