Hello everyone!! I am sooo ready for the weekend already. We have been busy over here, good busy, but busy. Let’s see, since we last chatted what have we been up to?

Well, last Wednesday night I had two of my friends over for a coloring night! They are also mothers of special needs children who don’t get a ton of “me time”, Wyatt’s two friends, and we are also friends so it is perfect. Anyway, I had just my friends over and Wyatt’s face when they came in without A. and Z. cracked me up. And then when I told him we were coloring! He was so offended. Don’t worry, I made things up to him. Nicole and Shawnna brought treats with them, and we had such a great night honestly, just relaxing and chatting and sitting and eating, and I think the coloring aspect helped us to just chill out. We are hoping to do a similar night around Christmas! And just fyi, the caramel apple dip from Aldi is so freaking good!

Then Thursday we had our first Blackbirds meeting of the year! My dad and stepmom made the drive here, about an hour drive or so, and my stepmom showed the kids how to needle felt. They made (with the help of their parents) little pumpkins and ghosts! They were adorable. My stepmom also bought them all the tools and materials so they could take some home with them. We are going to do wet felting in the winter, maybe in February or March.

Friday, we took it easy because our weekend was full of fall plans!

Then on the way home we made an impulsive stop at our favorite Metropark to take a walk, since the day was so beautiful and we didn’t want to go home yet. And then we lucked out because our friend Roni who works there was there too! It was nice to catch up with her, and then take a little walk. It was gorgeous out. And we saw the cutest little chipmunk too!

By the time we got home, we were ready to be there. Although I did want a pumpkin pie, so I made one but not from scratch. However it was still delicious!!! And my son, who I have never seen eat pumpkin pie ever before, had a piece too!

Sunday, Wyatt and I had a slow day while Billy met up with some friends for a bit. We had plans to go to the Zoo Boo later on in the evening, and I wanted Wyatt rested. (and me too) We just hung out drawing and reading all day, then when it was time to go, popped in the car and made the drive.

We had so much fun at the Zoo Boo. I just let myself relax and let go of so much tension that I have been carrying around, and just was in the moment. We had more donuts, and laughed and just had a good time together. Wyatt wanted to stay almost the entire time, which was fine by us. We were about just being open and free this weekend, no schedules, no rules, just family and fun.

I really needed this weekend. There has been a lot of sadness happening around me, to my friends and to my other family, on top of what I am still processing as well. This weekend was awesome, and refilled my joy. And yes, I love overalls. A lot.

This week I have been playing catch up all week, but that is ok. It was worth it. Sometimes we need to just throw everything to the winds and go play. And we did.

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

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today’s Prompt: I went rogue (again)

Hello everyone! I am struggling with today’s topic, so I went with an idea for a list I have been wanting to do. Sleepy Hollow books! Or rather, Sleepy Hollow inspired/adjacent/mention Sleepy Hollow. Lol. Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite tales, and I am drawn to the story wherever the form. Some of these on the list I have read, others I have not, yet at least.

Edit: Oh my gosh. Why did I think I needed to make a post today about a perfect day using book titles? That is why I thought it was so hard!! I will do that prompt later this week. Lol.

The Betrayed || The Wishing Thread || The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

I went through a phase of reading all of these Krewe of Hunters books by Heather Graham and was super excited about The Betrayed, where even the ghost of Washington Irving makes an appearance. I haven’t thought about this series in a million years and now I sort of want to read them again!

The Wishing Thread is one I read way back in 2013, and reviewed on my previous blog Quixotic Magpie. I loved this book and have never forgotten it!

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel is one that I haven’t read but I remember it being everywhere for a while!!

The Spook in the Stacks || Sleepy Hollow Sleepover || The Mystery of the Headless Horseman

The Spook in the Stacks was on display around Halloween in my library a few years ago, and despite not having read any of the others, I picked it up because of the cat reading Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow Sleepover in the A to Z Mysteries series is one I have not read, but this was a popular series when I worked in an elementary library. I forgot about this one too, and I think Wyatt might enjoy it so I will have to look for it.

Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Headless Horseman. It’s been many moons since I read this one so I can’t really give you an opinion on it, other than I am sure it is very Trixie-like.

Crane || Splinter || Hollow

I have not read any of these but they all sound spectacular!

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

I read this one over the summer, and it was fantastic! I was drawn into this story, and I love how Armstrong made this legend hers.

And now I can’t wait to see how you all would want to spend your perfect day!

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

Hello everyone!! We had such a great day yesterday. We went to the orchard and hiking and I made pumpkin pie. It was just… a day that I really needed.

Books:

I didn’t read very much last week. I was so tired at the end of the night that I ended up turning in early all week. I did manage to finish my Murder She Wrote book though!

This was such a fun read, and I loved “being in” Cabot Cove for Halloween. Maine in the fall seems like it would be gorgeous!

This week I have a problem! I have too many books that I want to read and I don’t know where to start. I have a few I am thinking about this week.

Sigh. Such problems. Lol. I will probably read The Unknown first since that is due back soon.

Screens:

Last week Billy and I watched a movie with Jessica Brown-Findlay from Downtown Abbey for our Sweater Weather Movie, called The Banishing. It was a little meh, honestly. I expected a bit more. I will do my post on it this week.

We also started watching Below with Josh Hartnett. This one is a real ride of a show. Scary, well acted, and I would love to hear from someone with knowledge about Newfoundland accents their opinion on how well the actors are handling it.

I posted a few times last week:

October 10 on the Tenth

Top Ten Tuesday: Books by Indigenous Authors

Coffee Catch Up

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 October here! (and I am catching up on this today!!)

In-Betweens:

It was a full week over here, full of fall activities, friends, and family. And, owl pellets. Wyatt and I have been reading Poppy by Avi for his school read aloud, and I am pairing it with an owl study, specifically Great Horned Owls. However, we didn’t have a great horned owl pellet so I used what we had – a barn owl and a screech owl. I remember doing it in grade school and I thought this was the perfect time to do it with Wyatt. I couldn’t get over how many little bones we pulled out of those things! We still have to glue them all down, something I am dreading but Wyatt is excited for. Lol.

And I think that is it from me this morning. I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile, even if it is just a small thing!

Hello everyone!! Today is all rainy and gloomy, and I am reluctant to move very much yet. I will instead enjoy my coffee and chat with you all.

Wyatt has been so good lately, while my attention has been diverted to different things that I needed to take care of, and I felt like he deserved a visit to the used book store. This kid does love a good book haul!

I have to be honest, I want to read a few of those myself. Lol. I love that used book store. They offer a teacher discount to homeschool families, you can get store credit by turning books in, and everything is 50% off list. Next month I will get free a book since it is my birthday month too! Lots of opportunities to save.

And sometimes you find a treasure in the midst!

I was beyond excited to find this copy of The Stillmeadow Road by Gladys Taber. It’s not the greatest condition but I love it anyway. And I love that little swirl of leaves on the cover. So cute and autumnal. I can’t wait to start this in January!

We have also been making Halloween over here! We converted Wyatt’s old playhouse into a spooky reading room. It looks really cool at night, especially when the wind is blowing.

It would be cooler if I could turn off that street light but I am sure the city wouldn’t say yes to that request. Darn it. We still are enjoying seeing it out there.

Last weekend I had a funeral to go to. My college bestie’s mom died, and there was no way I was not going to be there for her. She lives a little over an hour away, and we haven’t seen each other as much in the past few years with life things and all, but we still will always be there for each other. She made the trip down here the week before for my mom’s funeral, even though her own mother was doing poorly. As I made the drive out there solo last Saturday, I had time to really reminisce on our lives together. The many trips I made back and forth in my 20s, at 3 a.m., alone with no cell phone on the highway. In my 30s making the drive with my husband to see her family. And then this time, retracing her steps from the week before, making the same journey to honor her mother and family and of course, Lori. That stretch of road is a bit of a timeline, and while landmarks have changed, buildings have come down and new ones gone up, and Lori and I are now different than those young things we were, I will still always make that drive for her no matter the time, if she needs me.

I wore my new red shoes, not knowing that red was her mom’s favorite color. I bought the shoes for my mom’s funeral, which seems a weird move, I know. But I wanted to add something to the sadness, a touch of joy or crazy, so I went with red shoes. They are not unusual in everyday life, but I felt like they were appropriate to add to the celebrations of our mom’s lives. Just a little smile there with them.

I am happy to report they also look super cute with jeans too.

Last week I went out for a bit with my brother. It was the most impulsive, irreverent night out I have had for a while and I had a lot of fun with him. The two of us have not hung out the two of us like that in forever, and we are going to go do it again. We started by getting a drink, and then while we were walking back to the car, my brother said he wanted to go into the ice arena that was across the parking lot to look at the ice. Just super random. So we walked around the ice arena, and the ice seemed so big and cold and invigorating, honestly. There was a man and his son skating around, and they had the place to themselves. Not many people going to open skate I guess this time of year. It was pretty cool. We didn’t stay long, just a few minutes, and then headed back to his car and this time actually got in it. We were halfway home when my brother spotted a house that had it’s entire front yard set up like a haunted maze. He pulled over and told me that we were going to walk through. So we wandered through the haunted maze on this guy’s front lawn, and the man chatted with us after, telling us that he had created it for his autistic son. It was a cool night out, windy, and it definitely felt like fall. After that I finally made it home, but it reminded me a bit of being a kid, out with your friends, just running all over town doing whatever. It was a good night. Sometimes we all need to shake the snowglobe that we live in.

And I think with that I will leave off here! I need more coffee, and I probably should get moving. Lol.

Here are a few extra photos from the roll.

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

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today’s Prompt: I went rogue

Since yesterday was Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I thought it would be good to share books by Indigenous authors. Some of these I have read, others are on my TBR. And a lot of them even look like autumnal covers which was the original prompt.

The Birchbark House || The Berry Pickers || To Shape a Dragon’s Breath

Wyatt and I read Birchbark House last year for school and we both really enjoyed it. It’s a great young middle grade book and is part of a whole series.

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. I loved this book even though it made me cry and cry.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is one that is still on my list!

Moon of the Crusted Snow was sent to me by a book fairy for one of the Top Ten Tuesday book wish list days! I absolutely loved it and hope to pick up the sequel this month – although I am running out of time! Maybe next month if not this month.

Sunflower Season is a really adorable romance set on a sunflower farm. I just love this cover!

The Legendary Frybread Drive-In is still on my TBR. I need to move it up the list.

Words Like Thunder || Buffalo Hunter Hunter || Sisters of the Lost Nation

Words Like Thunder is a book of prayers/poetry by a Michigan poet. I picked up a copy at my favorite book store in Michigan, that is in a little cabin in northern Michigan in Glen Arbor. It is really wonderful.

Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I intended to read this over the summer but then my summer became intense, so I didn’t. I still want to read it.

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina. I read this one last year and I loved it. It was so creepy but I loved the use of Native lore and the attention to the issue of Native American women who go missing and nothing is done.

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. This is my favorite on this list, I love Boulley’s books. They are well- written and I learn from them every time I read one. Boulley’s books also deal with issues like the violence against Indigenous women and also stolen Indigenous artifacts.

If you are interested in learning more about the violence that the Indigenous Community, particularly the women, experience today you can visit Not Our Native Daughters for more information.

And that is it for me today!

10 on the 10th is hosted by Marsha at Marsha in the Middle!

I am late. And I haven’t done one of these in a while but I am today. It just sounded so full of fall fun!

1. Apple cider all the way!! I am not a pumpkin flavors fan. I will eat a pumpkin roll and I will eat pumpkin pie with a ton of whipped cream, but that is it. Apple cider on the other hand is a favorite! I love it cold and warm and in a latte, and also hard cider around a fire! I am so happy it is apple cider season!
2. Lots of layers. I am at that age guys. That perimenopause age. I definitely need layers. I usually wear a t-shirt with a cardigan or sweatshirt so I can peel a layer off. Plus Michigan this time of year is wonky – cold in the morning but then can get warm during the day.
3. This one is too hard. Can’t I go to them both please Marsha? Lol. I guess I would say Harvest Fest before Craft Fair.
4. Movie nights! I am not a sports person. I called Wyatt’s baseball uniform either his costume or outfit all season.
5. I love slippers so much. The cuter the better!!
6. Ooo good one! I want all the pumpkins. I usually get orange ones for carving, and then decorate with all those fun different varieties, including white and those bluish ones.
7. Jeans unless I am at home, then it is leggings. Or rather, overalls, then leggings. I am an overalls gal. But I do wear overalls out of the house.
8. Horror movies. When I was in college, my roommates and I would go to the ahem, video store, and check out movies for Friday night. We called it Horrible Horror Movie Night, and we would look for the weirdest, dumbest ones we could find. There are some that have lived on in our personal archives, and that we still quote to each other. I think the best one we watched was House of Psychotic Women, it was hysterical.
9. Crisp and chilly day!! That is my favorite type of weather of all!! Like Winnie the Pooh’s blustery day, I also like it to be sort of windy too.
10. I do not like either of these.

And I was right, this was a lot of fun!

And that is it for 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!! We are settling into fall proper now, and it is all I wanted. The cool nights and chill mornings are giving me life after a humid summer.

I hope that all of you who are being affected by the hurricane and Tropical Storm are safe.

Books:

I just finished this one last night and I really loved it. A cozy bookstore, a cat, autumn. It was perfect for this time of year!

This week I have a few I am considering!

I am making my way through some short more classic spooky books this season, and The Willows is on my list. So I am for sure reading that. Then I am either starting Trick or Treachery, which was a gift from Lisa, yay thank you, or Mulberry Mischief. I have a feeling I am going with Miss Jessica Fletcher though. I want to wear a thick cardigan or some tweed and hop on a bike and read somewhere and feel like I am in Cabot Cove. Hmm maybe I can do this? Lol.

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 October here.

Screens:

Not much television watching has been happening this past week. We did watch The Village last week though, as part of Sweater Weather Cinema, and then this weekend we watched Casper last night, and then we are watching a spookier movie tonight. Maybe The Others or The Woman in Black.

I did post a few times last week.

Some Cute Little Ghostie Books

Sweater Weather Cinema: The Village

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories

September Wrap Up

In-Betweens:

I got a flu shot yesterday and my arm hurts today! I don’t have a ton to say here today. Lol. I will leave you with a picture of Mouse hanging out with us during a painting session.

Our cats are helpers.

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

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.

Happy Medium || Ghost Business || If I Stopped Haunting You

The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy || Love at First Fright || Haunted by Love

Entities to Lovers || Meet Cute Magic || Crazy Spooky Love

Meet Me After Life || You’re the One that I Haunt

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.