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

Hello everyone! It is a rainy morning here this morning, and I have to say, I am loving it. I needed a good rainy day. I am so ready for fall, and fall weather, and most importantly, fall clothes. We are going to Louisville pretty soon, and I know the weather there is going to be thick. Lol. I feel once I get home from there, I am declaring autumn over my own tiny domain. We will be back to school this week, then our trip, then.. fall.

Books:

I missed reading by the archive date on the Books, Iced Coffee and a Side of Dragons book I wanted to read but I will keep it on my TBR. I am still getting used to NetGalley again! I did finish Sunflower Season though.

Sunflower Season was pretty cute, although I did have to skip through some parts! There are some trigger warnings for this one – mainly loss of a parent. Because I really needed a book like that right now. Sigh. I just skipped a bunch of pages until I felt like I was past all of it. I will do a review this week.

This week, hmm. What shall I read?

I am embarking on a quest of reading short little classics this fall, that are slightly edgy, like Lolly Willowes, all the way to scary like Algernon Blackwood and The Wendigo. I am starting with Lolly and there a million editions out there. I picked this one because of that cat. No other reason. And Twig’s Traveling Tomes has been on my radar and I was so excited to get it from NetGalley!

Screens:

We finished up Tales From the Green Valley which is a bummer since I love it. But, lucky for me there are all the farms still to rewatch again if I need to. I think though we are going to start the new Anna Pigeon show. Has anyone watched that? I used to read the books all the time and I am curious about the show.

We are also planning on watching 9 to 5 starring, of course Dolly Parton. That was a blow wasn’t it? I love Dolly for so many reasons – her joy, her music, her compassion and humanitarianism. I feel like she was a real light in this world, and she will be missed. I have always loved the quote of hers, “If you see someone without a smile, give ’em yours!”

And just as sad was the loss of Tim Curry, at least to me. I love Tim Curry. Since our annual rewatch of Clue is coming up, we will be revisiting his work as well. I also learned that he passed on the same day as Dolly, and a gentleman even in death, his people didn’t release the news until the next day so that Dolly could have her day.

Last week I posted a few times:

Cozy Read for the Non-Spooky Reader

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Places I Have Visited

Fall Reads for Cozy Fantasy Readers

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 August here!

In-Betweens:

Warning, this is not the happiest in-betweens I have shared. But life is life, right?

It’s been really a very intense busy week. I am honestly exhausted and looking forward to decompressing if possible today. I spent all week doing rough things. I spent three days at my mom’s apartment, getting it packed up, things donated, and of course bringing things home. I found myself not able to part with the strangest things, like an old pair of her shoes. They are beat to hell but I couldn’t get rid of them. I had to pack them up and bring them here. Billy has been so good, and not complained once about all the bags and boxes of my mom’s stuff I have stuffed our already small house with. But, a month was not long enough for me to say goodbye to all of it, and he is very supportive.

Then, the day before Wyatt was supposed to get his wheelchair growth kit, the place called and cancelled the appointment, telling me the seat hadn’t come in. Guys, we have been waiting a YEAR for this growth kit, and he was already too big for his chair when it was ordered. His feet could no longer rest on the foot plate, but hung over the edge. His legs brushed the sides of the wheels, his seatbelt was tight, his knees practically to his chest. Needless to say, after being as understanding as I could be for a year, I went absolutely bananas (without yelling of course). Instead I took to the internet, and emailed the CEO of the manufacturer and the customer service dept of the manufacturer, asking them what the deal was, and if the problem was on their end, or with the DME supplier. I told them how long Wyatt has been waiting, the whole situation. The CEO immediately forwarded the email to quality assurance, and the manager of quality assurance immediately emailed me. They also reached out to the DME and filed a complaint. I had also in the meantime called Wyatt’s therapist, who made a call too. And weirdly, lo and behold, they found a seat that would work for Wyatt until his actual seat came in. I mean, we should still not be waiting for this seat to come in after a freaking year, but at least the kid is sitting way more comfortably. He is so happy too. Sometimes a mom has to go bonkers. And just saying, some good friends chimed in too – like Lisa who could be a professional at lodging a complaint. She left a comment on the DME facebook page that was very pointed and sharp and well written.

I also did have a girls night! We alllll needed it. My friend Jill’s stepdad who was really her Dad, just not by blood, passed away two weeks after my mom, and then Kelly’s daughter was leaving for college (she moved in to her dorm yesterday) and we all had some big feelings! It was nice to have some time with my friends, and we are planning a girls trip to Shipshewana for the day this fall.

I did have a laugh over what I brought with me. A chocolate Aldi cake, which was what we used to eat every book club for years, a High Life which I didn’t drink as Kelly had wine, and a yogurt container full of sourdough starter to give to Kelly’s husband. Lol.

And with that I will say goodbye for now. I hope that you do something today that makes you smile, and like Dolly says, if you see someone without one, give them yours!

I am so excited to share this list. This is currently one of my favorite genres and I have a TBR that is insane right now. However, I will try to keep this post from getting too long!

These are probably the three I am most looking forward to reading this fall season. I love the Lucy Jane Wood books, and also Auralee Wallace’s books, and I can’t wait for the weather to get a little more autumnal so I can read these. And Twig’s Traveling Tomes just .. I mean look at that cover. I want to go to there!

Twig’s Traveling Tomes has been described as  “a love letter to all the bookworms out there who know the magic of finding the right story.” (Stacy Sivinski, author of The Crescent Moon Tearoom) I think we all know that feeling, of finding just the right book. It has huge cozy feels, a book witch, adventures, and romance. This one releases Sept. 8!

Auralee Wallace’s The Haunted Librarian has tea and books and a librarian who can see ghosts. And these ghosts are mischievous ,and their antics are putting the library at risk. Can Amelia help them, and save the library in the process? This sounds adorable and will be out Oct. 6.

Disenchanted by Lucy Jane Wood is about another witchy introvert who prefers her books to people. This witch however would like to get rid of her magic but instead accidentally sets off a curse. I guess we will all have to read to see what happens to her!

And I think I might have a trope that I love. Hmm.

The Hocus Pocus Handbook is for fans of Emily Wilde, with fae courts and hobgolbins! This cover is amazing too. This one comes out Sept. 1.

Prudence Marsh is Not a Nobody Anymore is a cute cozy fantasy romance about well, Prudence Marsh, who readers met in Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore. Prudence is a musician who wants out of her small town and to make it big. However disaster befalls her when her instrument is smashed by a marauding thief and cursebreaker, she insists on staying with the crew until they replace her violin. And I guess we will have to see what happens when we read it. This one doesn’t come out until Nov. 10.

Love, Witches, and Wahala is on my kindle right now as an arc, thanks to NetGalley. Yay! The blurb for this one says “In this romantic, cozy fantasy debut a Nigerian witch must grapple with an ancient curse that will erase her family’s magic and doom her beloved bakery forever unless she finds her soulmate. Perfect for readers of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.” I think it sounds fantastic! This one publishes on Nov. 17.

You guys, I am hooked on the easy readable fun series of the Adenashire. A Fellowship of Curses and Cats in on my list for September and I can’t wait!! The Cat Distribution System apparently gets a bit mischievous and magical in this one.

Fall for a Fairytale is not one I had previously heard of but this cover is adorable and caught my interest. According to the publisher, Fall for a Fairytale is about ‘a wild adventure begins when a charming orc con artist convinces an orphaned fae that she could be the kingdom’s lost princess, launching them both on a dangerous mission with found family, a flying pirate ship, and steamy romance.” This one is for you fae and Orc lovers out there!

I don’t think you can get more autumnal cozy vibes than the cover for this next one. The Harvest Moon Cafe is actually more romance than fantasy, but I put it on this list since it is bit witchy witch. It is compared to the Laurie Gilmore books meets Practical Magic, and has magic, pumpkin spice, small town cozy fall vibes, and is apparently pretty steamy!

Since we are talking more romancey bookies here, let’s add in these cute haunted ghost stories.

With All My Haunted Heart is a sapphic witchy romance, where a local witch is hired to haunt a house – not unhaunt one. (is that a thing?) It looks so fun!

You’re the One that I Haunt is a book I am curious about, since the love interest is a ghost. I don’t know how this works! Is it like the movie Casper? Or will it be like Beauty and the Beast? Hm..

How Not to Renovate a Haunted House is a YA romance, with, you guessed it, a haunted house! This follows the trope of amateur ghost hunter and skeptic, with a bit of romance thrown in to boot. It looks so cute!

And phew, I am going to cut this post off here!! I may have a part two later in the season, as I still have a bunch on my list I haven’t mentioned yet!!

Do you see any you want to read?

This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links, that I would make a small commission from if you were to click and make a purchase.

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

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 August here!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt: Bookish Places I’ve Visited (Share all the cool places you’ve been that are bookish or tied to books! This includes neat libraries, book stores, places featured in books, places inspired by books, author homes/places they’ve stayed, etc. You can also share your bucket list of the bookish places you’d like to visit someday.) (submitted by Susan @Bloggin’ ’bout Books)

I thought maybe I didn’t have anything for this post, but as I puzzled it out, I found I had more than I first thought!

Thanks to a trip out to the east coast, I visited three all pretty much at once. Salem, MA (The Crucible), and then we toured The House of the Seven Gables while we were there. The next day we meandered over to Walden.

And now let’s look at another classic writer, Hemingway. I have been to the Keys a few times, and of course visited Hemingway’s house there. And saw all the kitties! I can’t find any of my own photos from that trip, but visiting his house was one of my favorite parts of visiting the Keys. That and breakfast outside at the Banana Cafe. I have also visited Petoskey Michigan, which was an old stomping ground of Hemingway’s, and have stayed at the Perry Hotel, which he had also stayed at as well. There is a statue of him in the park there; he is the one in bronze, the other guy is my dad.

But let’s stay in Florida a minute, this time further north. My dad and I once took a trip to visit a favorite author, Connie May Fowler, who was having a small seminar for would be writers, in her home! It was seriously an amazing trip. We got to visit St. Augustine, and then we spent a day with Ms. Fowler and her husband in their beach home, learning about writing. Her husband made us all lunch, and it was just a once in a lifetime vacation. She is probably most well known for Before Women Had Wings, but my favorite is her book Remembering Blue. The picture with the pig and the bottles is from her deck. I felt like it would be weird to take a fan girl photo with her in the situation, but I did have her sign my copies of her books. Lol.

Let’s stay in the South.

I have been to Savannah a few times, and of course while I was there I had to visit the house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Mercer House.

I do not have a photo of when I visited the Mark Twain Caves from Tom Sawyer. I was a kid then though, so that is not my fault.

Ok, I am at 8 books. What do I have left?

Oh duh. Anne Rice! I was obsessed with New Orleans for a long time, and had to visit Anne Rice’s house. We couldn’t of course go in, she lived there, but I did have my picture taken in front of her house – that other person is my little brother.

And then, let’s just stay here in New Orleans, shall we? We can talk about Tennessee Williams while we are at it. I saw places there that he stayed, where he ate, the streetcars that were the inspiration for Streetcar Named Desire, places where he wrote. His stamp was all over that city, with good reason. I unfortunately do not have the photos for these places but I do have these memories. New Orleans inspires creativity and writing and I am sure we could all list books that we have read that are set there.

And with that my friends, I am ending here. I can’t wait to see what you all wrote about.

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 August here!

Autumn is just around the corner, and I am seeing small signs here in Michigan that it is on the way. Last night I sat outside drinking tea, and the evening was that perfect cool evening I crave all summer. I wanted a bonfire, cider, a cozy book, conversation… all the fall things. Leaves are on the ground, and I come home from walks with pocketsful of acorns and chestnuts. I am making banana bread this afternoon, and I know I will soon be making sourdough for the week and loads of chocolate chip cookies throughout fall and winter. School will be starting for us soon, and while we homeschool and have a different rhythm to our days, I am looking forward to it. It has been a hard summer and I am looking forward to the gentle peace of fall. And with this gentle peace, I will need some cozy books, and not all of them spooky either. I made a list of books, a mix of both old and new, and they give me romance-y, Hallmark vibes, heartwarming, some spicy some not. I have a few on my TBR but not all of them, because as I told my son, as much as we want to read all the books, we just can’t; but we can make a list of them all. Lol.

I am trying to keep this list romance and women’s fiction. I will have future lists for books with fantasy elements, horror, and of course cozy mysteries!

The Last Page Cafe || Autumn at the Cat Cafe || A Fall to Remember

The Last Page Cafe sounds so wonderful, with a cafe and a book club, imperfect characters, and healing. It is also a story of friendship and second chances. Definitely a book worth getting cozy with. It releases on Sept. 29.

Autumn at the Cat Cafe looks simply adorable! Cats and books and coffee!! Small towns, fall shenanigans! This one is definitely on my own fall hopefuls list.

A Fall to Remember‘s publisher blurb says “If you love cozy small-town settings, swoon-worthy autumn vibes, second-chance romance, and The Gilmore Girls, pour yourself a pumpkin spice latte, and curl up with A Fall to Remember.” And that cover is very autumnal, I could see myself picking this one up and doing just what it says, curling up with it. I reader review calls it a clean read, but I can’t say if it is for certain as I have not read it yet. Publish date is Sept. 1.

Shortbread in the Highlands has been on my radar and it is definitely on my hopefuls list. This author also wrote Tea with Elephants, which is a book I meant to read this summer and didn’t. So maybe I will just dive into the series with this one. It takes place in Scotland in the fall and is about midlife adventures and family.

At Home in Mitford is one of my favorite reads and I always feel the pull of it in the fall. I think it is all the cozy small town feels, the generous and kind townspeople, and of course Father Tim and Barnabas.

The Treasure House is one I have seen around. I think it sounds so good for curling up with this fall. I don’t think it is one I will pick up this fall, but I am keeping it on my list for next year. It just sounds very homey, about finding your home, a place in the world and what better time to read about that with a cup of tea than autumn? This will be available Sept. 2.

Sunflower Season is waiting on my Kindle right now! I love love sunflowers so much and this one just sounds fun. It is a second chance romance with a sunflower farm setting and I am looking forward to it. This one comes out Nov. 3 which will be a great way to start the month, post Halloween festivities and spooky season.

Comfort Read got my attention with this teaser: “Kit Forrest is officially the saddest man in Cedar Falls. A year after his boyfriend turned down his proposal and left town, Kit’s beloved bookstore is falling down around him. The old brick firehouse has overstuffed shelves, a resident orange cat with an attitude problem… and repairs Kit can’t begin to afford.” He is the saddest man in Cedar Falls AND he has an orange cat with an attitude. It just sounds like it will be a great read, set in a cozy bookstore and fake dating tropes.

And since love is in the air, let’s look at The Matchmaker’s Cottage with this fabulous cover!! It is all small town charm, autumn vibes, a bed and breakfast, and forced proximity.

I think we made it to the spiciest of the reads!

Fall Me Maybe looks like a cute lighthearted fall read about a woman who thinks she is falling for her ride share driver, who literally drives her to all her potential dates. This actually sounds hilarious and adorable. It does say it is pretty steamy in the descriptions I have read, just an FYI. This one is scheduled to be published Sept. 15.

Falling Slowly is another in the Cozy Creek series, along with Fall Me Maybe. This steamy spicy romance centers on two coworkers at a luxury art retreat, which is such a cool unique setting!

Fall Too Well is for those cowboy fans out there – a more western style fall that includes a reformed bad boy and second chance romance.

Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore: This looks so cute and apparently is also pretty spicy. This is a friends to lovers trope, with small town and big fall feels!

Finally, the Pumpkin Pie Book Nook. This cover is so autumnal and I love the cat! This one is already out so if you are ready for a spicy fall read, you can grab this one now! The publisher describes this one as “A high-flying bookaholic with big dreams who can’t stick around. A protective, sexy single dad whose life is in Maple Falls. Right person, wrong timing… or the best plot twist ever? An utterly addictive autumn romance. Gilmore Girls + spice = “

And phew! That is it from me today! I will be back soon with with another Fall Reading suggestions list with for books with a witchier vibe!

Linking up with A Good Book & Cup of Tea Linky!

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

Hello everyone! I hope you guys are all doing ok. I am enjoying this morning, it is actually chilly! We will have more hot days before autumn is truly here but I am loving this teaser. I am ready to move on to fall weather and cozy time.

Books:

Speaking of cozy, last week I read two cozy mysteries and part of the Stillmeadow book I got from the library. And I guess I was feeling a bit country last week!

Pattern of Betrayal was ok, I wasn’t overwowed by it, but I love the Zen Goat Mysteries! This one is the second in the series and I just find them so cute and fun, and I love the characters and premise. I am planning on reading the third book in October.

I am also still reading Stillmeadow Calendar, very slowly at night. I just love Gladys Taber.

It’s our last week before we start school and I plan on having lots of slow days this week since we will be off to the races next week. I do have a few things I want to get done, and some projects I want to start, but I also have a few books I want to read. Dilemmas. Lol.

I don’t think Books, Iced Coffee & a Side of Dragons will take too long, and it just seems like a perfect book to end the summer with. And then I hope to start Sunflower Season. I love sunflowers and I think this looks adorable.

I have Sunflower Season on my cozy fall reading suggestions post, that will be up tomorrow with at least 9 other cozy not spooky fall reads!

Screens:

This past week Billy and I have visited an old comfort show, Tales from the Green Valley. I just love to watch people farm, dressed in historically authentic clothes, living as it was back in that era.

And Mouse and Max like watching it as well I guess.

We also continued our Kevin Bacon Movie Binge, this time watching The River Wild. Meryl Streep was so good in it; honestly all of the actors were. Kevin Bacon does smug jerk so well! I feel like even though this movie came out in 1994, it stood the test of time and was still very tension filled. Next week we will probably watch White Water Summer with Kevin Bacon where he again plays a jerk while navigating rapids.

In-Betweens:

Yesterday I volunteered at my church in the morning, and took my guys with me. We helped pack 120 bag lunches for people to pick up and take, and also 50 backpacks full of school supplies to hand out to kids who needed them.

Afterwards we went little free library-ing. We picked an area near us, and just tried to visit as many as we could before the impending rain came. We managed to visit all but one of the map, and I was even getting rained on at our last stop. I did pick up some good books and left behind good ones as well, I hope. Wyatt ended up with two, and I found four. We left more than we took though, and that always makes me happy.

And when I finish reading them, I will just stash them in my own LFL.

And that is it for me today!

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

Hello everyone! I have a few mini reviews today, two scary books and one very much not.

First up, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow. This book was a surprise. I got it from Book of the Month last Octoberish and didn’t read it. Then this summer when I was having a hard time reading, I picked it up and could not put it down! I was sucked right in to this story that is part Sleepy Hollow, part folklore, and is full of family secrets. It was the perfect read for summer or end of summer, set at a lake cabin with lots of scary things happening. I absolutely loved it!

I got this one from NetGalley and it is another creepy can’t put it down read. This book sunk its teeth in me and did not let go. I had to keep reading. Two sisters with a dark secret find themselves back in the same situation, ten years later. It was dark, dank, ugly, filled with family secrets. A book of loyalty and love and sisterhood. It was desperate, feral, violent, humid and hot. The perfect Southern Gothic thriller for the end of summer.

Look for it Sept. 8th!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for chance to read and review!

It does come with a few trigger warnings:

Domestic Violence
Brief violence toward animals

And finally, one that is not scary, but uplifting and joyful.

The Smallest of Joys is just so lovely and delightful. I read it in the mornings with my coffee and took in Shiffer’s words. If you are not familiar, Diane Shiffer has a successful Instagram that is full of vintage linens and fashions, where she presents herself as a Nana figure to her audience and offers encouragement and acceptance. This book gave me peace at a time I needed some. She talks about setting happy traps for yourself, things that will make future you smile. Or allowing yourself time to sit and just be with your thoughts. (which coincidentally, Gladys Taber wrote about as well in her book Stillmeadow Calendar. I just read that passage last night). If you need a hug in book form, try The Smallest of Joys.

“But even on our worst days, there’s also joy and beauty and humor, amusement and love. They can coexist like two currents in a river. Pain insists we pay attention to her while beauty waits quietly until we notice her. Joy waits until we call her in. But that doesn’t mean that heartache is more important than joy. Sadness doesn’t make beauty less beautiful. In the midst of your hardest days, look for beauty.”

I have been doing this, and it is isn’t always easy. But it is there. Yesterday morning I woke up and remembered my mom, and had a little cry. Then I wiped my tears and still feeling sad, wandered out to the front of the house, looking out at the street and the day. And noticed something on my porch. A vase of beautiful flowers and a handmade card from a neighbor, giving me love and encouragement. A bit of kindness on a hard morning. And even if we don’t have that, there are small things. The way a butterfly floats through a ray of sun, or a purring cat on your lap. They are there.

And with that, I leave you my friends. I hope you all find something that makes you smile today!

August Link Up

Hello everyone. I hope you are all doing well! As for me, I am a bit of a mess at times but I am managing. I even read books last week! Two very wildly different books, but I am a mood reader so maybe that makes sense for right now, that I needed two crazy different reads.

Books:

The Smallest of Joys by Diane Shiffer: I found a lot of peace in this read. It is definitely a book to be read in bits and spurts, not cover to cover. I read it mainly in the mornings while drinking my coffee and underlined and marked passages throughout the whole book. It will be interesting to read again maybe in a year or so from now, to see what calls to me then. For now though, it was like a peaceful read during a time of such huge emotions.

We Already Dug the Grave by Emma C. Wells was wild. It is a Southern Gothic thriller and it was riveting. Nothing peaceful in these pages, that is for sure. I needed something that just grabbed me and this did the trick. I will post reviews later this week.

As for this week, I am not sure what I will end up reading. I do have plans to read Gladys Taber, this time Stillmeadow Calendar, as I love her Stillmeadow books.

Screens:

We started our Kevin Bacon Movie Binge this past weekend, and of course we started with the “classic” Tremors. It was just the silly campy movie we needed. It pays homage to the creature features of the 1950s, with giant monsters that live under the ground that can sense movement on the surface. And the cast is such a throwback too! Besides Kevin Bacon, this 1990 movie boasts a cast consisting of Reba McEntire, Michael Gross (both occupying roles you would never expect which makes it even better), Fred Ward (yep Remo Williams!), and the little girl from Jurassic Park. This is obviously where she sharpened those screaming skills!

In-Betweens:

On Saturday, a new bookstore near us opened its door, holding their grand opening, so of course we had to go and check it out.

They are off to a bit of a rough start. They had a power outage the day of the grand opening, and the store was so dark and black inside; I had to use my cell phone flashlight to read some of the book titles, especially in the children’s area. They don’t seem to have all of their stock in yet so they had a lot of empty shelves still as well. However, I am pulling for them! They have some good ideas. They want to turn the store into a third place, somewhere people can take a seat in front of the fire and read, where families can play board games, or just drink some coffee and play chess with a friend. Hopefully things come together for them, the community can use some additional third places.

And that is it from me! I wish you all peace and love today, and in your upcoming week.

Hello everyone. I have been keeping busy over here, but with plenty of quiet times in between too.

I find I get really anxious antsy around dinner and afterwards, because that was when I went to my mom’s almost everyday. So last week Billy kept me busy, taking us on rides. One ride in particular was beautiful, the metropark at twilight. It was all muggy out and everything was just so overgrown and lush and green. Wading birds and deer were in the marshes eating, swallows were winging their way through the air catching their dinner, and it was just peaceful.

We also had dinner that night at the A&W near the metropark. I don’t know if this is just a Michigan place, but it’s a drive up restaurant like in old movies, and honestly I don’t think the restaurants have changed much here since they were built 50 + years ago. It is a bit of nostalgia every time we go and is always a summer bucket list item. This time Wyatt tried his first frosty mug of root beer too, which was an experience. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or not at first, but ended up really liking it. These mugs were huge and Wyatt and I didn’t finish ours but it was the perfect cold drink needed for the humid evening.

My friend Kelly has also been telling me for months that I needed to go to the reptile show that is held every month nearby. I felt like it was finally time. She goes every month, and while I don’t think I will do that, I may go again. I was very proud of myself for not bringing home a new friend! I think had we not been going all the way out to my dad’s right after (he lives 90 minutes away) for the day I may have but, I am giving myself credit here. So many adorable babies there! Vietnamese Mossy frogs, Dumpy frogs, DORMICE – these almost got me but I was unprepared for them and I had no idea what they needed. Baby turtles and albino garter snakes. Jumping spiders, dart frogs. Seriously, there was so much there.

Wyatt and I finally ventured back to the library. I knew it would be tough. I just have so many memories there with my mom when I was younger, with Wyatt and my mom. But, I needed a few books and so did Wyatt so I went. And I was right, I did cry but I am learning that it is ok.

Since I am having a hard time finding a book that is grabbing me, I did a book walk browse through the stacks, just grabbing everything that looked interesting. And if these don’t work, I will try again. I will say though, that like 80% (completely random made up statistic) of the books I picked up the blurb started with “After her mother passed away” or some variation. I think it goes to show just how important our moms are, that this is a topic in so many books. Middle grade, YA, adult fiction. It didn’t matter.

Last night I started Grief is Love, and I thought I would cry but I didn’t. So far I am finding the content to be soothing and validating. I also started That Which Feeds, but only read the author’s note at the beginning, which was fascinating and led me to wanting to read more. The author is native Hawaiian, and shares how there is a diaspora of Native Hawaiians due to being priced out of their homes. Billy’s grandmother, Malecca Kane, was Native Hawaiian, and so I try to read different histories, nonfiction and fiction, so that I can share it with Wyatt and have that lore for him.

Speaking of books, one of my friends dropped off a gift she rescued for me, along with some gooseberry jello, which was delicious. Aren’t these gorgeous? I also like that the writing style is unstuffy and stilted, and has almost poetic moments. “Sometimes in Turtle Mountain, in dead calm moonlight nights, each coyote gets up on his singing perch and pours out his loudest and finest notes.” These are also nice to flip through and a read a bit from at night.

I also got to take a nature walk alone the other day, and I feel like my mom was pebbling me with little trinkets along the way. I spotted a lone thistle, then a blue jay feather on the ground right in front of me, which I gathered up to bring home. I went off the path at one point, down a dry creek bed, and stumbled upon a rock someone had left on a mossy log, which I also pocketed. And finally, a weird mass of mushrooms that was not attractive but was very interesting. It could have been chicken of the woods but I left it alone.

I’ve also been working hard on school things, on planning for our upcoming Blackbirds meetings again, and working on other house related business. I want to paint our room without a name before school starts, I need to move one of my crested geckos to a new enclosure. We moved one already and she loves her new home. Unfortunately, now my two furry menaces love her in it too, as they can now see her more clearly. They have woken me up every night now around 2 am because I hear them trying to climb her terrarium, and I have to go chase them away. Applejack seems unfazed, and maybe even a bit taunting, as sometimes I find her at the bottom, on the glass within perfect eyesight of the cats. She doesn’t seem to care as they paw at the pane of glass separating them. Maybe she thinks they are friends. It won’t be as bad once I trim their claws and add more plants that hide Applejack this weekend.

And that is it from me today. I wish you all peace and love.

Talk to you all soon!

My mom passed away last Tuesday. She was calm and peaceful, and I was holding her hand. And my heart broke into a million pieces.

The night before, my brother and I spent the night in her room with her, mom in her bed, and Devin and I squished onto our own individual loveseats. Feet to feet, and we would sit up and talk and it was like we were in a boat. As I lay there, I thought about how the three of us were always together, and it seemed fitting that we were that night as well, all three of us together. I wondered as well when the last time the three of us had slept like that. A vacation when we were kids, maybe? My brother and I would try to sleep, and then we would talk, and then laugh at times because of something one of us would do, because if Billy calls me Calamity because of what I get myself into sometimes, then my brother is Calamity 2.0. I would say only my brother and I could have mishaps on such a night, but we apparently have followed in the footsteps of my mom and aunt Barb, who were also Calamity and Calamity 2.0.

And I am rambling.

I can’t say too much else, because I am made of tears right now. I do laundry, I cry. I make dinner, I cry. I cry in the shower. I cry in stores while shopping.

I will say everyone in my life has been very supportive and kind, and even those who I haven’t talked to in years and years having been sharing bits and pieces with me, small memories of my mom, things I didn’t remember or sometimes didn’t know. And it has been helping me, hearing these stories. I am also overwhelmed by the number of people who have commented and messaged me; my mother touched so many lives, in her quiet ways. So even while I am crying enough to fill the Great Lakes over again, I am also being buoyed up by those around me and online. I have very good friends and family, near and far. I am blessed in that way.

And I can’t write anymore today, but I will be back when I have healed a little. Thank you to all of you too, for your kind comments of support over the past few weeks.