I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! Well, Wyatt had his surgery! He came home same day and is doing well. In fact he is sitting next to me right now giggling away because he put something on tv that he knows makes me crazy. That little crazy kid. He is still in pain but he is doing better everyday.

Books:

I had a hard time getting into anything for a bit, but then I picked up an L.M. Montgomery book and that did the trick.

I liked this one, although it is not my favorite. I felt like Jane was more mature and practical than her parents, which sort of annoyed me. I have some things to say about this one, and I will this week when I post a few book reviews.

The other week Mermaid Girl told me that Bridge to Terabithia is her favorite book and asked if I had read it. I told her no, and she asked me to read it so we could talk about it. I have been avoiding this book all of my life because I know it is sad, but for her, I will read it. Sigh. I started it last night and the writing is very transportive, and I found myself sucked right in. I am also starting Dungeon Crawler Carl.

I also picked up a few books from the library yesterday, and two of my nonfiction holds came in. Together they make me look like I might be a bit dangerous!

I flipped through the Agatha Christie book a bit yesterday and I am looking forward to actually reading it, as it is part cookbook, and also talks about “their context in Christie’s life and times, and the roles they play in the source works.” In true Erin fashion I am sure I will pick a Christie book to read and then make one of the dishes, or maybe even two! There is a recipe for the perfect cup of coffee in there, and I have to say I am curious. I also started The League of Lady Poisoners and it is better than I had thought it would be honestly. They are both good to just pick up and read a bit from here and there, so I will be slow reading them both.

Screens:

More YouTube than shows right now, although Billy and I are watching The Other Bennett Sister together. I love it. I love Mary and her aunt and I have so much empathy for Mary’s character that sometimes it is painful to watch but that is because they have made her so real, both the writers and the actress. It is fantastic.

I am also watching a lot of YouTube with my son who has been laid up. He has to watch some of my picks too sometimes lol, and he is such a sweet kid that he doesn’t usually complain. We have been watching a lot of Rebecca’s Literary Wanderings, and I love her channel. I feel a kinship to her reading choices, and sometimes I watch and I am like “Hey! I was just going to blog about these books/activities too!” Lol.

We have also been watching Real Vintage Doll House. She left her job and is trying her hand at full time creating so she can always be counted on to have new content.

In-Betweens:

Really, nothing except Wyatt’s surgery this past week. I did work on my disability representation database and it is going well. Billy is going to convert it to a web page for me soon, as right now it is just a spreadsheet. I do have it posted but it is only in its beginning form. I have either been reading or doing work on my laptop next to Wyatt most of the time, and we have both gotten lots of cat cuddles.

Around the Internets:

Lisa of Boondock Ramblings and I host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea.  This link-up is for book and reading posts or anything related to books and reading (even movies based on books!). Each link party will be open for a month. You can find that link up for this month here.

And I think that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! I am having a hard time reading these past few days. Wyatt has surgery this coming Wednesday, and I can’t seem to focus. This always happens when I anxious. He had a big surgery last July, where he had his hips put back into their sockets, and metal put in to hold it in place. He also had tendon lengthening surgery at the same time. It was a very difficult time but now we are at the final piece of it – having the hardware removed. He can’t have it in place forever since he is still growing. I wish he didn’t have to go through any of this again though. I probably won’t be posting here for a few days, after tomorrow.

Books:

This is one of the books that I was most excited about this year, so you can imagine my delight when I won it from Lisa Loves Literature. I thought it the most perfect little summertime cozy read. I think it sort of appealed to the part of my brain right now that is seeking calm and satisfaction from cleaning and straightening, since the main character is doing exactly those things to her aunt’s inn. Lol. Review soon.

I tried to read a few different books after I finished this one, but I can’t get into anything. I think I need a nonfiction read for right now, so I have placed a few holds at the library, including the book The Smallest of Joys. While I am waiting I am going to try Jane of Lantern Hill. It’s not nonfiction but the writing style might stop my anxious brain from wandering. Plus it is L.M. Montgomery and I love her.

Screens:

Billy and I have been watching a mix of things. We watched Beyond Paradise, which I love and always wish the seasons were longer. They are done too soon! We also finally started The Other Bennett Sister and I love it, although sometimes my secondhand embarrassment and empathy kick in and it is hard for me to watch in parts.

We also watched Matilda with Wyatt yesterday. What a good movie that is. Everyone plays their part perfectly, and I love Matilda and Lavender and Miss Honey. I also loved Miss Honey’s cottage. It is so cute.

I posted a few times last week as well.

A Frog and Toad Inspired Summer

Top Ten Tuesday: Cozy Mystery Furry Companions

And just a reminder:

Lisa of Boondock Ramblings and I host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea.  This link-up is for book and reading posts or anything related to books and reading (even movies based on books!). Each link party will be open for a month. You can find that link up for this month here.

In-Betweens:

I need to do a coffee catchup post! I am trying to narrow down what to write about here and I can’t!

Wyatt and I have been working on our Summer TBR lists. His is all chosen; mine however is like 50 books long and that is beyond realistic for me. Lol. I might have a summer reading idea list or something instead. A big pool of books to choose from. Why are there so many good books out there?

We did the teensiest bit of gardening the other day! Wyatt and I went to the nursery and picked out flowers to put around our Little Free Library, and it looks so welcoming and happy. Wyatt picked out some yellow pansies and snapdragons because he wanted some dragon flowers, and I picked out the lilies.

I know one is a Stella d’Orio, and I think the other is Happy Returns. Nothing special but I like the names of things like daylilies and roses.

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today you d something that makes you smile!

Hello everyone!

Summer is coming, and this summer we want to have a Frog and Toad inspired summer! Nostalgic. Whimsical..slow and cozy. Full of books and berries and cake and picnics, fireflies and stars. Swimming, gardening, and just filling ourselves up with all the simple joys that summer has to offer.

I have spent my morning with Wyatt, making plans, although if the plans don’t work out, we are flexible. I do have a bit of Toad in me though, and I am a list maker.

I was looking at hipcamp sites, and places to rent canoes. I have promised Billy I would go on a family camping trip and eventually I need to actually do it. I am planning nights of stargazing and watching fireflies in our yard. I think we will go pick blueberries, and make jam, and bake lots of blueberry pancakes and have them with lots of fresh maple syrup. And picnics! Our family, and Frog and Toad, love a picnic! We have a special spot that we go, under a trio of shady trees, where the breeze blows off the water and keeps us cool even on the hottest days. We take our books and art supplies, listen to birds, kick off our shoes and sometimes one of us will just lay down and close our eyes, listening to the sound of the birds or the music from cars driving by, down the hill from where we sit. These days are always so drowsy, and Wyatt is happy to paint and draw the afternoon away and we are happy to let him. He is surrounded by sun and birds and flowers, fresh air. We don’t need to spend every minute on the run to the next big thing. We want to teach him to enjoy the small things too, these quiet moments.

I hope to do lots of reading, whether inside or out, and board games on Saturday nights with my brother and his kids. Afternoons picking books at the library to emerge with a giant bookstack, that we can hurry home and start reading. Swimming at my in-laws in the evening, and taking a tired boy home to bed. Movies outside on the garage wall with friends.

We are slowly planting our garden, and are thinking about pesto and turkey sandwiches, tomato and cheese sandwiches, made from tomato and basil from our garden, all on homemade sourdough bread. Fresh picked flowers in small vases scattered around the house. We planted some flowers already, all yellow lilies and pansies, and some snapdragons too, because Wyatt wanted dragon flowers, in the space around the Little Free Library. Then we added some gnomes while we were at it, because it just felt like a space gnomes would like too. Maybe we will turn the apple tree into a fairy tree, or…a goblin tree. Save the fairies for the stump in the back garden.

Of course we will meet friends for ice cream, the kids all sitting in the back of the car, carefree, happy. And we need strawberry shortcake with homemade shortcake. I want to make moth sugar, and plant milkweed again. And parades! This is parade and festival season. I think Frog and Toad would approve of that. And then there is a block party at Greenfield Village one day, and strawberry days another.

And even if we don’t do all this, or even half of it, I just want a summer that feels like a summer I would have had as a kid. Without a ton of technology. With more emphasis on small simple moments. Like I said, nostalgic, whimsical. Like a summer Frog and Toad would approve of.

And that is it from me today. I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Prompt: Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters

Today is all about honoring those fun favorite secondary/minor characters. So I decided to do the furry companions in cozy mysteries!

Huckleberry, a cute little pug, from the Farm to Table Mysteries by Amanda Flower

Oliver, a corgi who can talk to his owner, in the Chatty Corgi series by Jennifer Hawkins

Yeti, a fluffy white kitty who gets her own chapters in the Mountain Lodge Mysteries by Diane Kelly

Charles, the library cat from the Lighthouse Library series by Eva Gates

Dash, another corgi, from the Enchanted Garden series by Bailey Cattrell (I love corgis!)

Bugsy, a goat from the Zen Goat Mystery series by Janna Rollins

Towser, Lugs, and Sonsie from the Hamish Macbeth books by M.C. Beaton

Fifi (who shows up a few books in) the purebred poodle from the Campers and Criminals Mysteries by Tonya Kappes

Eddie, the cat who usually finds the bodies from the Bookmobile Mystery series by Laurie Cass (and this reminded me I want to read more of these!)

Emerson, the tuxedo cat from the Magical Bookshop series by Amanda Flower AND a bonus!

Another Violet character I could have added to my list for last week’s Top Ten Tuesday!

And that is it from me today! I will be by on Wednesday to comment on your posts since my son has physical therapy and Little League on Tuesdays now! Lol.

I hope that whatever you do today, that you do something that makes you smile!

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! I hope that you had a great week! We had a pretty good one around here. We did all of our normal life things but we also did some fun stuff, like have our last Blackbirds meeting until next fall, and also attended a book festival, which was a lot of fun.

Books:

I finally got and finished Three Bags Full.

This was an interesting read! It is told from the POV of the sheep in the flock, which I thought was really neat. I loved all of their different personalities, yet they also retained that sheep as part of a flock mentality. I am now ready to see the movie!

This week I am reading The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst. I am pretty excited about it. The setting of a house or an inn/hotel etc. is one of my favorites to read about, especially if it is ramshackle and mysterious, and I usually love Durst’s books. If I finish, which I might not, I am hoping to read How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days.

Screens:

Billy and I have been watching Beyond Paradise this week. It has been a nice return to the town of Shipton Abbott. I like how they have mixed it up, with how not every episode is a murder. I also would love to live in that town.

Other than that, we didn’t watch much else. I would like to hopefully watch a movie tonight, but we have to do a big clean (blah), and I promised Wyatt we would have a family paint session, and if we have time we are going to go visit Little Free Libraries for Little Free Library Day! Good thing I am throwing chicken in the crockpot for tonight! (Chicken verde!)

I only posted a few times last week.

Top Ten Tuesday: May Flowers

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

In-Betweens:

It is Little Free Library Week! I say that so excitedly although I am not really sure what it means or what I am supposed to do. I only learned about it on Friday and haven’t had time to really plan anything. I don’t even really know what it is people do for this. Next year I will be more prepared! I also need to track down some new books for my LFL. It seems that we have a lot of thriller/horror readers that stop by ours, plus there is an older man who likes to stop by and pick up Jack Reacher style books. We also have kids that love to sort through the large amount of kids picture books and chapter books that we have. It’s the time of year that they start showing up again, on family walks and bike rides around the neighborhood. Oo! Maybe I should put some bags in ours? I had containers of bookmarks, stickers and tea and then one morning I got up and looked and the containers and everything in them were gone! Whoever it was just took the container too! Lol. Oh well.

We have six stray cats in our neighborhood now, and they all love our porches, the back and the front. And now they are beginning to pal around and hang out together. It is wild to walk outdoors now and just see two or three cats lounging on our deck. I don’t really know what to do about it either? Or if I should? This summer I am going to start trapping and getting them fixed at the clinic (and a rabies shot). I think with life being expensive right now, people are starting to let their animals outside more often or just getting rid of them in general. I know our local shelters are packed to capacity currently. And I know that some people, good friends of mine, have indoor/outdoor cats and I know some cats don’t want to be contained, but these are different. I know the cats that are from the different neighbors’ houses and these new cats are not them. They cause an issue in our house as Mouse, a spayed five month old kitten, is apparently a territory marker! She will pee in front of doors and window areas after they have been around. It is super frustrating! I consulted a behavioralist, as this was not a medical issue, she was very deliberately choosing areas, and they confirmed it. They told me to spray every day with Feliway around the doors, windows, and outside corners of the house, and for the most part it is working, but not 100%. If anyone else has encountered this I would love to hear your solutions!

This cute little nugget is our staunch defender of territory.

And with that I will leave you all. My plan this week is to catch up on comments and visiting blogs!

I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Hello everyone!! I hope you are doing well today!

The big news around where I live the past few days is that there was a legit bear spotting! This is a big deal because we live in a very built up area that has not had bears in decades, and is said to be probably the most southernmost bear spotting in SE Michigan ever. Guys, I live 10 miles outside Detroit. This bear is about 20 miles south of Detroit. It is a big deal and of course all anyone around here is talking about. Every business is posting photos of their businesses with the “bear” there, making jokes, etc. The DNR has told us that this bear is a transient, wandering looking for a home or whatever. They are taking it seriously of course, and telling people in that area to exercise caution, secure their garbage, and they even cancelled some of the outdoor recess for kids in the location it was spotted. It is just crazy that there is a bear here. We are used to things like rabbits and squirrels, a few deer, some coyotes occasionally. But not bears!

The excitement of the bear aside, we have been just working away over here! We are wrapping up school, as Wyatt has another surgery at the end of this month. He had hardware installed last July with his big surgery, and this time he has to get it removed. So I am slowing down on school for a bit, and we will take a long break for June and then pick up again in July. We are going to do some basics to prevent summer slide, and then also do a “South American Summer”. I like to use the summers as a time to teach Wyatt about other countries, and while I know we won’t get to do an in depth study on all of the countries in South America, we are going to talk about them all, and then do more deep dives on a few of them. I think it will be fun, but then again I am a geography nerd. We are definitely doing Peru and Brazil, and I would like to add in two more country studies. It is hard to narrow down!

Wyatt also started his Challengers Little League team, and wow does he love it!! The kids have two games a week, and they only play two innings each game, which is just enough time. I have to hand it to the city that organized this as part of their Little League program, they have made a lot of kids very happy. It is completely free for our kids, they get uniforms and trading cards and it is really neat. The parents all go out with their kids on the field, help them bat, and it is a blast. Wyatt had quite the cheering section at his opening game! He had three grandparents, and my brother Devin, Chrissy, and the girls also came. It was definitely an act of love because it was freezing that day and it even snowed.

I can’t even begin to describe the smiles that Wyatt has out there. He loves zooming to the bases with his dad, playing first base and outfield (with Billy next to him) and I love watching him just exude happiness. All of the kids, honestly. Two of his friends from Blackbirds also play and it is a just a great time.

Tonight is actually our last Blackbird meeting of the year too. We are having an end of the year party in June, but today is the last meeting. I am keeping it simple and the kids are making giant poster board size paper airplanes and then playing with them outside. I think it will be fun!

Our kittens are getting to be teenagers! They will be 6 months old at the end of the month and are so goofy. Billy was commenting last night that the one he picked, Max our orange boy, is like him, all crazy zooms until he runs out of energy then he is all cuddles. Then he said the one I picked, Mouse, is just like me, a goofball klutzy calamity! I wish I could say he was wrong…. that is actually Billy’s nickname for me, Calamity, because I am always getting myself into situations. Lol.

They love to play and they play fetch with Wyatt, which is so cute. They are now good buddies with Miso which I love. And then at night Max is my cuddle buddy and Mouse is Billy’s. They have chosen their humans. Miso has usually found her own quiet spot in the den by then away from any kitten shenanigans.

And I think that is it from me this morning! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Prompt: May Flowers (This is a companion to the April Showers topic from last month. Interpret however you’d like: books with flowers on the cover, colorful covers, books set in springtime, books where flowers/plants are a common theme, titles with flower names in them, characters named after flowers, covers that are as pretty as flowers, books featuring gardens, etc.)

Hello everyone! For this one I tried soooo hard to just stick with one flower, the violet, because I love them and wild violets are always just popping up all over here in May. Other flowers not as much, but violets, and wild violets are definitely May flowers for me. However, I could not come up with ten, so I branched out and added in some of my other favorite flowers as well.

Violets:

Violet Sorrengail from Fourth Wing || Violet Thistlewaite from Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore || Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory || Violet Quigley from Crescent Moon Tearoom || Violet Beaudelaire from The Bad Beginning

Other Favorite Flowers:

Marigold from The Honey Witch || Snapdragon from Snapdragon || Daisy from The Great Gatsby

Yarrow from The Enchanted Greenhouse || Poppy from People We Meet on Vacation

And that is it from me! I hope that whatever you do today, I hope that you do something that makes you smile!

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone! Happy Mother’s Day to all the nurturers out there! Boy moms, girl moms, crunchy moms, butter moms, 90s moms, 80s moms, pet moms, mom moms, special needs moms, grieving moms, stepmoms, Foster moms. Just all the moms. I wish you a day that has some joy and wonder in it.

Books:

I have to admit, I was sulkily ignoring books last week waiting for my library hold. I didn’t want to start something in case it came in. Lol. I did absolutely devour one book though, This Story Might Save Your Life. I read it in record time! Then I waited and waited. And my book finally came in yesterday, and I was able to read a few pages before bed.

Why I wanted to read Three Bags Full so baaaa-dly I have no idea. (Sorry guys, I am a dad jokes kind of mom). But I did. And I am enjoying it so far, at least the few pages I have read. Plus now I have all my super duper sheep knowledge from reading The Sheep’s Tale by John Lewis-Stempel so I can check for accuracy. (kidding, I already knew sheep couldn’t talk.)

Once I finish Three Bags Full, I have a whole new stack of library books to choose from! I honestly don’t know which to pick. I am thinking it will be one of these two.

I also won three books from Lisa Loves Literature!! I am so excited about them, especially The Faraway Inn which I have also been pining over.

I am listening to a book too! I revived my NetGalley account and I am listening to A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham.

Screens:

Yay for a new season of Brokenwood! It is one of my top favorite shows and Billy and I have been watching it this week. That first episode took me out, it was so good. We are also watching Beyond Paradise. I love how Martha dresses. It must be the overalls. Although I will say I miss her restaurant’s old location. The new one just feels too blah.

Billy and I also watched Anaconda starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd last night. I love Jack Black, he loves Paul Rudd. It was perfectly ridiculous and silly and cheesy, as it was meant to be, and we both absolutely loved it. And Thandiwe Newton did a great job too. We had not seen her in such a silly comedic role before and she did awesome.

In-Betweens:

It’s just been a normal old week around here, living life. School and appointments, the kittens got their final shots that they needed and they were perfect, we went to the library, Wyatt had Little League. Just regular everyday things. But it was a pretty good week.

The library made some changes, including a whole renovation in the “new” addition that was built in the 70s. However, they made some changes to the maker room as well, including a low table with chairs when before they were super high tables with stools, which Wyatt was unable to access. He can now play in the makers room with no problems! We hung out in there the other day, and he looked so tiny sitting at the table. I love that room though. It is so bright, there are plants and crafts. It is just so cozy!

Posted Last Week and Other Internet Business:

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things – Spring Edition

A Cozy Little Life

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I wish Were Still Writing Today

And just a reminder:

Lisa of Boondock Ramblings and I host a monthly bookish link party called A Good Book and A Cup of Tea.  This link-up is for book and reading posts or anything related to books and reading (even movies based on books!). Each link party will be open for a month. You can find that link up for this month here.

And with that, I will end here today! I hope that you all do something today that makes you smile!

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all doing well! I am sooo ready to get outside more and do some gardening but Michigan just won’t get it together with her weather. Hopefully soon!

In January, I joined up with Little Truth Studios for her Analog Life Project and I have found that I am spending a lot less time on my phone. At first, it was a conscious effort. Now, I find myself in the middle of all sorts of other projects and I am not reaching for my phone like I used to. If I get a notification, which I have mostly turned off except for a few special things, I don’t even pick it up. I am not cutting out scrolling or the digital world entirely, but I wanted to cut it way back and I have.

In fact, I managed to get myself to yoga after telling myself I am going to get back to it for ten years! I went for a whole month after discovering there is a class in my city. I love its cozy little attic like vibe. I have gone to all kinds of yoga places and I have found I prefer this one, in an old room in an old building. Nothing flashy, nothing to prove.

I have also been enjoying writing to my pen pals, reading their letters to me which is always a bright spot, and doing some thrifting. Most of the time I just poke around and look and not buy anything, but it is fun nonetheless. Sometimes I do pick stuff up though!

I did not buy that bell but I considered it. I was super excited because I found a store that does a 50% day and they have some nice books there. On half off day, the books are like .60 cents each!

I have also been working on my embroidery as well, and Billy is painting these cute little mini pictures. We have decided that we are going to make a fun gallery wall of them, all hung together, in our bedroom.

Billy has also been working on analog “bags”. He made himself a go bag for his painting supplies that he wants to take on the go, like if we were to go hiking or picnicking or camping. He is in the process of making a specialized one for my journals and book stuff, but hasn’t stitched anything together just yet. It is all in pieces on his worktable. I am excited to get it though! We are lazy day picnic people in the summer, where we set up in the shade of three trees on a hill in a local park, and spend a few hours there just drawing and reading and snacking, and enjoying the cool breeze that blows over the river. Even on the hottest days it is cool there.

I took some pictures of his bag but they don’t do it justice. It gives you an idea of what it is though.

Right now I keep all of my hobby stuff in my bedside table – but that would be a post for another day!

And I think that is enough show and tell here for one day. I am running behind this morning and I have to get lunch for the kiddo and then start school!

What are you all up to these days?