Month: May 2024

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up: Our Life Aquatic

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

Hello everybody! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

We were worker bees and homebodies all weekend, which was nice. Billy worked more on the door/inside part of the ramp project while I did some work on our new fish tank. Wyatt has wanted one and with his mornings being so not fun these days, I decided to get one when we got a little surprise bonus check.

I had no idea that setting up a fish tank was so involved, but now I know. On Friday after dinner at our local pizza place, we decided to see if the aquarium store was still open. It was about 7 so we thought there was a chance it would be closed but we were happily surprised to find it open – and busy! The woman working was extremely helpful and kind, and is exactly the type of person you want working in your store. I can’t say enough good things. The store itself was really neat too – there were so many cool fish and little shrimp and snails and axolotls, and all sorts of things to look at inside – even bullfrog tadpoles! We saw the tadpoles inside and then the actual bullfrogs outside. It was neat.

We also got a little Mystery Snail that Wyatt named Sunny, who spent the night in a glass jar with a strainer lid on my nightstand. I heard him clinking around in there all night. We all are fascinated by him to be honest. He only had to stay one night in there because we set up the tank Saturday morning, one step closer to getting Wyatt’s fish.

Then it was time to add the beneficial bacteria! I had no idea this was a thing, but my friend Kelly did, and she also gave me some. I guess this is good for your aquarium to help break down bad stuff like waste, dead plants, etc and you can buy it but Kelly gave me some from her axolotl tank instead. Which meant a trip to Kelly’s – who has more animals than I do! Two axolotls, 6 toads, 2 tree frogs, and some baby toads that she raised from tadpoles last year. She also has a bunch of cats, but we only saw one, Pal. I didn’t get to see my favorite Buddy, but maybe next time.

We added the beneficial bacteria and then it was a waiting game. We let it cycle a few days then on Tuesday I took a water sample to the aquarium store and had them test it. I figured the woman could let us know if we were good to go, and if not, what we needed to do to get there. Wyatt was very happy when she told him things were good to go! He looked at all the betta that they had, so many colors and varieties, and finally made his choice.

Meet Moonlight, or Moon, for short. (and Sunny the snail again)

Moon is so pretty! He did a great job! He was thinking that he wanted a yellow one but when the lady told him that this was a Halloween betta ( I am pretty sure she was just calling it that and that it is not an actual type?), that was it for Wyatt. That was the one he wanted, my little Halloween loving boy. He named it Moon although I was petitioning for the names Spooky or Stormy. Moon is a great name though, and it is his fish so he wins!

The art exhibit that Billy had his work entered in opened on Thursday, and we went to that too. It was pretty neat seeing all of the small works of art, but Billy’s was the smallest. I am quite proud of him! He was interviewed by the Downriver Council for the Arts while we were there, which was neat to watch. We had a good time exploring all of the pieces on display, and it was hard to pinpoint our favorites. We all loved the lizard/dinosaur/dragon eye, which is amazing. I also could not get over the detail on that portrait! Look at Billy’s little terrariums down there! So exciting!

Oh, and I got a boba tea for the first time. Except I got boba lemonade, and it was delicious.

And now, some random photos!

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

My Summer TBR

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Ok guys so here it is. I am not a big fan of summer. Oh there are things I enjoy about the season, like the longer days and more sunlight, the easy days, the lushness of the outdoors, sunsets, fireflies, summer foods (wow there is more than I thought!), but I am not a fan of heat and humidity. I loathe being hot and sweaty, so so much. I am also one of those people who looks just awful in heat. My face gets red, always has (and so does Wyatt’s and Mermaid Girl’s too..), my hair gets frizzy. I just don’t like it. I don’t like beaches or swimming in lakes or oceans. I am a reallllll bummer about summer.

I do have so many good memories of summer from when I was kid. One of them is the summer that my cousin Brian and I spent riding bikes to the library and checking out Stephen King books. We would check them out, then go back to his house and read them. My mom, a single mom, worked everyday and my brother and I would go to my aunt’s house during the summer while my mom worked. My brother is six years younger than me so he didn’t get to go to the library with Brian and I. Sorry Devin. He was back having fun with our aunt anyway. Brian and I would ride back to his house after, then hole up in the cool darkness of the den, eat snacks, and read Stephen King together. It was a great summer, if a little spooky. Since then, I have always equate summer reading with spooky books. No beach reads for me, I guess. I do mix it up here and there, because I can no longer just binge scary like I used to, but I will forever think of summer reading and scary books together.

That being said… here is my tentative summer reading list, which I think is a nice eclectic mix of genres.

So many scary/thriller books! I can’t wait to read What Lives in the Woods, since it is set in Michigan in a town I have been to many times. I love Saugatuck, it is such a neat little artistic community. That one will be fun.

I also have quite a few that are summer camp themed – one of my favorite settings. I realize I am a bit of a sucker for a setting, and I think I am going to do a post on that in the future. There are just places and cities that make me immediately pick a book up, and summer camp is one of them. (I also love summer camp themed movies, just saying) You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight, When She Was Me, and The Last Time I Lied all involve summer camp and I am super excited about it.

I have been on a mission to find “own voices” books by authors with disabilities about characters who disabilities, especially when the representation is “casual” and You Never Know by Connie Briscoe came across my radar. The main character in You Never Know has an hearing impairment, as does Connie Briscoe. I have been compiling a list for Wyatt as well, to have in our own home library, starting with middle grade and working my way up to YA. It is important that books are mirrors as well as windows.

The Berry Pickers has been on my TBR for a little while, and I am looking forward to finally getting to it. I actually think I am going to listen to this one on audio. At the Pond is another that has been on my list; it was hard to find here so I caved and bought it for myself so that I could read it. I think it will be perfect summer reading!

I will be honest, the cover is what drew me to The Twilight Garden, as well as the word twilight. I can be so weird. But that cover is beautiful! I keep seeing Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies all over the place, and Italy is another setting that I love. Plus, it’s a cozy! Wolfsong by TJ Klune is another I have been eyeballing far too long, and I just feel like this summer is the perfect time to pick it up. And finally – The Easy Life in Kamusari. I started reading a bit of Japanese Literature this year and this one was one of those suggested reads, like if you liked this then you will like this – and after reading the blurb, I decided I probably would like it indeed!

So many! And I am sure that I will add in some older middle grade books, from decades ago because I love them. Looking at this list, I really don’t think I will get to all of these. When did my list get so long for the summer?? I will give it the old college try though!

I probably won’t start these for another week or two still, as I have to finish my spring TBR still!

When do start thinking summer? In June, after Memorial Day? Or on the first day of summer, June 20?

Thursday Morning/Afternoon Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized11 Comments

Hi everyone!! It’s been hot as blazes around here lately! Summer has arrived with a fury apparently, and I am not ready.

My heart and prayers go out to all of those who have been affected by the tornadoes; the loss of lives and devastation they are leaving behind is heartbreaking.

Things have been chaotic around here. We have two huge projects going on right now, in addition to our normal life stuff, and on top of that, Wyatt is still not tolerating his medication and we spend the first four hours of the day with a kiddo who is very nauseated and vomiting. We have been in contact with all of his doctors though, and there is a plan. It is just going to take time and use the process of elimination to see which medicine in the culprit. In the meantime, Wyatt and I have been spending a lot of time on the couch or in the bedroom in the mornings – most of the time with him resting his head on me and me just being a momma, trying to help my kiddo the best I can.

As for our projects, we are in the process of starting our cub scout troop and at the same time Billy is building Wyatt’s wheelchair ramp on the weekends and evenings. It is all sort of triggering me as I am used to my routine and with everything in a kerfuffle all the time I have to take lots of deep breaths, drink lots of tea, and find time to decompress (usually at night watching a show with Billy).

Let’s talk about the wheelchair ramp project first~ the window into a door. This felt so meaningful to me, as Wyatt has had a lifetime of windows and no doors. Now, with this door, he will be gaining independence and freedom of movement out of the house, under his own power. Or he will once the ramp is done. But this is the first step and to me it felt so huge.

Wyatt helped us pick the door, and I love it. I love the wavy weird glass ~ it casts beautiful rainbows on the hallway floor in the evening, and it feels sort of cozy when you are in the room, despite the gigantic mess of debris and my possessions pushed to one side of the office. It will be even better once the office is put to rights, which should be soon – after Billy finishes the trim, plasters, and paints… lol. Luna my leopard gecko will be happy once Billy is finished in there as well. Her little quiet peaceful world has been full of activity and even worse, loud noises and she does not like it. Her tank is just too big and heavy to move; Harlow, my pictus gecko I was able to relocate, but Luna had to stay. Miso will be happy too when the room is back to normal, as she likes to nap in the rays of afternoon sun in there and she hasn’t been able to.

The second project is one I am spearheading, the Cub Scouts! Billy is going to be the Cub Master, and I am the Pack Committee Chair, which is a fancy way to say that I do all the paperwork and behind the scenes administration. The other night I had a meeting with the vestry at my church to ask them to be our Chartering Organization (every pack/troop has to have one) and while I was quite nervous as I am quite shy in person, it went very well. They happily agreed and they are even donating to the pack to get the kids off to a good start. I am super excited.

Tonight we have a local art exhibition to attend! I submitted some of Billy’s tiny little “nature under glass” creations to an art exhibit made for it ~ Pocket Sized. It’s in the evening and Wyatt should have rallied by then, and it will be good to get him out of the house for an hour. Plus it’ll be nice for him to see the artwork, especially since he is a little artist himself. You will be able to view the exhibit online, starting tomorrow (I think)!

So it’s a bit wild around here right now! Hopefully we get some relief for my kiddo, that is the biggest concern right now for me. I did surprise him with something he has been wanting though – an aquarium. We got a little surprise insurance check refund and he has been asking and I thought this kid has to lay around for 4-5 hours a day right now, he might as well have something pretty and calming and something he wanted right? I will 100% be the person caring for it and that is fine, especially when it makes my kiddo smile like this.

And now some random photos…

And I forgot to tell you about my dad’s birthday!! I will do a mini post tomorrow for that. 🙂 Have a good one everyone.

2024-2025 Curriculum Reveal

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn homeschooling6 Comments

If you have ever homeschooled, or know someone who does, then you probably know just how much time, effort, research, conversations, and comparisons go into picking the curriculum your child uses. Our position is unique – we do not need to choose something that will be effective for an entire school district of children all with different needs. We need only choose based on our own child and their educational journey. However, despite having a much, much smaller student body, it is just as important and just as time consuming.

After weighing Wyatt’s needs, where he is academically, and how he best learns, I FINALLY made my choices and started purchasing them, always with the slightest trepidation and anxiety about making the wrong choice. And then I remind myself, when I start doubting myself, that if it doesn’t work, then we find something that does. Wyatt’s education is probably our biggest expense outside of our actual bills, and it is something we sometimes make sacrifices for. But it is 100% worth it.

The homeschool world has so many options. Secular, non-secular, nature based, wildschooling, unschooling, roadschooling. We sort of take a little bit of everything over here, and have a very eclectic approach.

Let’s start with Language Arts!

This year I am going with Blossom and Root Year 3. I am super excited! There is just so much diversity and depth included in the year 3 curriculum, and when I spoke with other parents in the Blossom and Root Facebook group, so many told us that their children loved both years 3 and 4 and not to skip them. I had told them that this year Wyatt and I did our own thing and I didn’t know if I should just skip year 3 and they emphatically said no way, it is too good. So, I am listening!

And speaking of Blossom and Root, we are also using them for one trimester of science as well. We usually use them the whole year, but this year I am mixing science up a bit! We are doing four different units of study. Our focuses this year are the Prehistoric World from Blossom and Root, Extreme Weather by Books and Willows, The Human Body by The Waldock Way, and STEM by The Waldock Way, with a renewable energy study from Books and Willows. I love The Waldock Way studies, and so does Wyatt. This is the first year we are using them for science and I am looking forward to it. We have used them in the past for history/social studies so we are mixing it up a bit this year!

Math is the most challenging subject for Wyatt, and we tend to go very slowly and really spend time on it to make sure he understands a concept before moving on. One of the perks of homeschooling! I don’t care what “grade level” he should be at, he doesn’t need to keep up with anyone, it is all about Wyatt learning and understanding at his pace. We have found he responds very well to the math teaching style presented in The Good and the Beautiful, and then if we need to supplement for a concept it is is easy for me to just make stuff myself for additional material.

History this year is also a mix of topics and creators. I wanted to focus on two topics, Government and Michigan history. I know that in Michigan, fourth grade spends a lot of time on these two areas in public schools, so I wanted to make sure we cover them. I found some great looking materials on Teachers Pay Teachers and Living Books Curriculum.

As for art and music, we are going to stick with my own studies. I have so much fun making them for Wyatt and he seems to really enjoy them. Although, I would love to hear suggestions for artists to study. We have covered so many and so many different styles as well. We haven’t done Warhol or Pollock, and they are on my list. Who else do you think I should I add? I would also like to add more women artists, we have only covered a few. I would love to hear your suggestions!

And finally, a present for me, to keep myself all organized. With all the different hats I wear, and now adding in Cub Scouts, I need to be organized, and I am a person who needs it written down. I am not into digital planners. So, I use a Passion Planner right now for my overall life – meetings, appointments, etc, and I treated myself to a Clever Fox Teacher Planner for next year. It is so cute! The one that I bought last year was really nice but was more than I needed. This one looks to be about the speed I need. It is undated which I like because we school all year, with breaks here and there so I can make the dates work for when we are actually actively in school. It has stickers, monthly and weekly pages, extra blank pages for notes, and an events area where I will plan field trips. It does have a bit more than I need, but the one I purchased last year had way more pages than I needed, and it was designed for homeschool. So although this is designed for a traditional teacher, it still will be more practical for my particular needs.

And of course I got it in the dark green, because it is my favorite and matches my Passion Planner. Lol.

We will be ending for the month of June very soon now and I am looking forward to the next school year already! We will be starting these particular curricula in the fall, and finishing up this school year over the course of 6 weeks in the summer. I would not change what we do for the world.

Top Ten Tuesday!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

This week’s prompt is:

 Authors I’d Love a New Book From (These could be authors that have passed away, who have retired from writing, who have inexplicably gone quiet, or who might jut not be able to keep up with how quickly you read their books!)

So some of these writers just don’t write as fast as I can read them, although they are pretty quick and prolific. I just want them to churn them out I guess! Karen White, I am waiting for your next book in the Royal Street series! I feel like it has been forever! Although, it really hasn’t been that long. Not as long as I waited for Emily Croy Barker’s next book however! I read The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic in 2013 and loved it so much, then I had to wait 8 years until the next book came out! Now I don’t even remember too much about the first one, and it is such a chunky book that I am not sure I can read it all over again. So I haven’t gotten to the second one. It just took too long. Lydia Kang is not too bad, but the wait always feels immense and I love her books, especially A Beautiful Poison, which is my favorite by her. The same for Shea Ernshaw and Erin A. Craig – they actually write fairly quickly but if they could release books as quickly as Stephen King that would be great. Kate Racculia, she is sort of dragging her feet on another book. I read Tuesday Mooney back in 2019 and am patiently waiting for another. Obviously though life can get in the way of writing. I know that Sarah Addison Allen took a long time off after her mother got sick, and so I often think about that when I am waiting for a new book by a favorite author to come out, that maybe there is something going on in their life. Jane Johnson is a new to me author, and The White Hare was one of my very favorite books in 2022. I can’t wait for another book by her to come out, and I am hoping it is one that is similar to The White Hare. Her writing actually reminds of the authors I am about to talk about, Barbara Michaels and Mary Stewart.

Barbara Michaels and Mary Stewart are two writers who have passed but I would love to read a new book by them. Their books are huge comfort reads for me, and my copies are very well loved. I just love their slight romance, the folklore and history, the gothicness of them. (is that a word?) I can just about always pick one of their books up and read it, and it is sad to think there will never be a new one. They were both very prolific in life though, so I am lucky to have a wealth of their books to read!

Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a nice weekend! We celebrated my dad’s birthday today and it was the perfect weather for him – sunny and in the 80s!

Read Last Week:

It’s been a little rough around here lately; Wyatt has not been tolerating some of his epilepsy medicine very well and it has been rocky. This book was perfect for winding down with. It felt less fluffy than other cozies, and I loved Oliver the corgi. I want one so bad but our life is not conducive to a dog right now so I have to live vicariously through books and tv.

Reading This Week:

I started listening to this book last year and I enjoyed it so much that I decided I wanted to read the print version instead. I am super weird, I know. Then I never got to it. Well, Billy just listened to it and wants me to finish it so we can talk about it, which I am happy to do.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday – Quotes

Coffee Catch Up

In Our Homeschool

Watching:

Billy and I have been watching When Calls the Heart – I still have lots of thoughts about this whole situation with Elizabeth. Hmmph. We are also watching the newest season of the Brokenwood Mysteries. It is such a good show.

And that is that from here today! I hope you are all doing something that makes you smile!

Book Haul!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized18 Comments

Lately I have been adding books to our home library left and right! Used book sales, used bookstores, a bunch I bought at independent bookstore day, a free one from the doctor’s office, a free book from The Good and the Beautiful, and of course books I bought from Amazon – and one book that I got as a gift for Mother’s Day from Billy and Wyatt. I don’t usually buy books too often, we are huge library users, so this has been a lot of fun, splurging on books here and there.

Let’s start with the books for Wyatt, and then we will move on to my much smaller pile for myself.

As you can see, he was a very happy helper.

Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager || The Moffats by Eleanor Estes || The Secret Door by Jenny Phillips Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish

We have slowly been collecting the Edward Eager books, as well as books by Eleanor Estes. I have been on the lookout for Carol Ryrie Brink books (besides Caddie Woodlawn) and I can’t find them anywhere for a reasonable price, so if you see them, let me know! I also have been on the lookout for vintage Nancy Drew because Lisa is collecting them.

Wyatt also chose:

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry || Old Wolf by Avi (if there is a wolf, Wyatt has to have it) Half Magic by Edward Eager || The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

And then a new one that I surprised him with, because it reminded me of Watership Down a bit. He is not ready for Watership Down and I thought this one would be fun to read with him instead.

The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow by Elaine Dimopoulos

He made my heart glad that he also really loved the map at the beginning of the book. I love a map in a book too!

And now it is my turn!

What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie || At the Pond || Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage by Lisa Howeler || The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates || The Phantom of Pine Hill by Carolyn Keene

And looky there, a vintage Nancy Drew! After looking for weeks, I found some! I was so excited when I found them on Independent Bookstore Day. I texted Lisa and asked her if she wanted me to pick a few out for her and she immediately sent money via PayPal. Lol. And since I was grabbing a few for her, I picked one out for myself. This cover would never fly these days. It is so weird to see these types of things now that we know better!

And finally, my Mother’s Day book! I probably told Billy a million times that I wanted this copy of Watership Down, and he very sweetly listened. I have begun collecting different versions and this one is just so pretty to me! I love it!

And my wild book shopping spree is over for a little bit- I have enough to read for a long while!

Wednesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Hello everyone! Happy midweek! Why do I feel like I have already lived an entire week already and it is only Wednesday morning? I must be tired this morning!

So if you caught my posts last week about Wyatt, you know we were in the hospital and kiddo had numerous tests due to some unexplained vomiting he was having. For Wyatt the biggest symptom he has when his shunt is malfunctioning is throwing up, so if he vomits more than once, we need to go to the ER. That all happened last week, and then even after being home this past week he has continued to have mornings where he throws up. I realized that there is a pattern, and it is always around the same time. It appears that on mornings Wyatt doesn’t eat enough for breakfast, his morning meds are making him sick. But it is super hard to convince a 9 year old to eat when they don’t want to, and while I explain to him why it is so important, I can only do so much. If anyone has any experience with medication and nausea, and has any other tips besides holding my child down and force feeding him (joke obviously) I would love to hear them! Right now we are having moderate success and it is interfering with school and therapy, not to mention I just hate him being sick.

However, there have been good moments! For one, I got to see the Northern Lights when they came far enough south on a cloudless night last Friday. It has always been one of my top bucket list items and I am so thankful to have seen them. The sky was a gorgeous shade of pink, and while I couldn’t see them perfectly due to light pollution I could see them better with the night mode camera setting on my phone (thanks Michigan Storm Chasers for this tip!) I didn’t get the most dramatic pictures but I could see them, and felt rather blessed to have been able to do so, even just a little.

Mother’s Day was a simple day but a very nice one. I slept in and Billy got up with Wyatt (who gets up with the dawn, I am not kidding lol) I had a tasty blueberry muffin for breakfast, and my guys gave me my gifts – a new copy of Watership Down for my collection and the cutest little custom made Lego, made to look like Wyatt. I love how this Lego Wyatt has a paintbrush in his hand with green paint – my favorite color and Wyatt’s favorite activity! There is a little wheelchair that is still on the way too. It is just the cutest little gift from Wyatt.

We met up with my own mom and my brother and his family, and my SIL’s mother for ice cream later that afternoon. It was a gorgeous day out! My brother and I took our mom for a drive while Billy and Wyatt went to Billy’s mom’s house. I just had Devin drop me off there after we dropped off our mom. The three of us had a nice drive. I had a delicious Cobb Salad for dinner, and we called it a night. Simple day, lovely day.

I have also been rolling along with getting our Cub Scout pack up and running. Billy and I had a meeting last night with the Executive Director and the Special Needs Coordinator over dinner and while I feel absolutely submerged in information, I can see it all coming together and I am very excited. And nervous, to be quite honest! I really want this to work out for Wyatt’s sake and for the other kids, and is a huge project on my heart right now.

We are also getting ready to take a month long break from school. We have already slowed down quite a bit, and then we will be taking all of June off. Wyatt has RicStar Music Camp in June, as well as a 48 hour EEG, and Billy will be working on the wheelchair ramp as well. It is just going to be a very busy month and it seems like a great place to take a break. We will pick up again after the 4th of July, school for about 6 weeks, then have a bit of a break at the end of August until the beginning of September – which is also when I am planning on actually starting our Scouts pack officially.

So that is where we are now in our lives. How are things with you?

(and now just some random photos from the camera roll)

Top Ten Tuesday – Quotes

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

This week is all about our favorite book quotes! I have more quotes than books; some books just needed more space on here I guess.

First up is Watership Down, with multiple quotes. My favorite book of all time!

“Many human beings say that they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoy is feeling proof against it.”
― Richard Adams, Watership Down

“To come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse—the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.”
― Richard Adams, Watership Down

“Men will never rest till they’ve spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals.”
― Richard Adams, Watership Down

Ok, I will move on now.

“So we dream on. Thus we invent our lives. We give ourselves a sainted mother, we make our father a hero; and someone’s older brother and someone’s older sister – they become our heroes too. We invent what we love and what we fear. There is always a brave lost brother – and a little lost sister, too. We dream on and on: the best hotel, the perfect family, the resort life. And our dreams escape us almost as vividly as we can imagine them… That’s what happens, like it or not. And because that’s what happens, this is what we need: we need a good, smart bear… Coach Bob knew it all along: you’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows.”
― John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire

“This place has atmosphere, different from a bookshop with just new books. In here you sense the weight of time, stretching way back to the past.”
― Michiko Aoyama, What You Are Looking for is in the Library

“Hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as you remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.” – TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

“When someone you love dies, and you’re not expecting it, you don’t lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time—the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes—when there’s a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she’s gone, forever—there comes another day, and another specifically missing part.”
― John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany

I am adding some in from The Last Unicorn as I am reading and annotating this book right now. I have always loved the book and the movie, ever since seeing it as a child.

“Unicorns are immortal. It is their nature to live alone in one place: usually a forest where there is a pool clear enough for them to see themselves-for they are a little vain, knowing themselves to be the most beautiful creatures in all the world, and magic besides. They mate very rarely, and no place is more enchanted than one where a unicorn has been born. The last time she had seen another unicorn the young virgins who still came seeking her now and then had called to her in a different tongue; but then, she had no idea of months and years and centuries, or even of seasons. It was always spring in her forest, because she lived there, and she wandered all day among the great beech trees, keeping watch over the animals that lived in the ground and under bushes, in nests and caves, earths and treetops. Generation after generation, wolves and rabbits alike, they hunted and loved and had children and died, and as the unicorn did none of these things, she never grew tired of watching them.”
― Peter S. Beagle , The Last Unicorn

“Farewell,’ she said. ‘I hope you hear many more songs’ – which was the best way she could think of to say good-bye to a butterfly.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

“The true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things. The swineherd cannot already be wed to the princess when he embarks on his adventures, nor can the boy knock on the witch’s door when she is already away on vacation. The wicked uncle cannot be found out and foiled before he does something wicked. Things must happen when it is time for them to happen. Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit; unicorns may go unrescued for a very long time, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

I wouldn’t say these quotes (except for the Watership Down ones) are my top ten favorites of all time, but these are the ones I was feeling this week. Have you read any of these books? Are you an annotator? It is something I just started doing and I am really enjoying it.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone. It has been a WEEK. Like, seriously, I am so tired. However, as long and tough as this week was all the news from it ended up being good. Wyatt was in the hospital in the ER and underwent a ton of testing – xrays, an MRI, an EKG, and finally a 24 hour EEG. We had mostly good results except the EEG but it gave us good information for us to work with so there is that at least. The rest of the week was stressful but here we are…on the other side, right? And that is what is important. And my kiddo is smiling and excited to paint this afternoon.

Read Last Week:

So I love this cover so much! And I loved the TV show The Larkins so much too. But this book was a bit weird and not as charming as how the characters were portrayed on the show. The characters were just not as likeable in the book, which made me sad! Plus the writing was a little gross at times especially with the descriptions of Ma Larkin and her body shape.

Reading This Week:

I am really looking forward to reading this cozy mystery. I need some cozy right now! Lisa from Boondock Ramblings sent me a copy of this book as a gift and I am hoping to settle in with it very soon. I love corgis!!

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday – May Flowers

Tuesday/Wednesday Coffee Catch Up – All About Wyatt’s Visit

A Very Personal Post – May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Books and Tom Petty Songs

Watching:

When Calls the Heart. I knew I was saving those new episodes for a reason! When I get stressed When Calls the Heart is the only show I want to watch. And yay I had new episodes to watch.

And that my friends is it from me this week! A very short little post! I hope all is well in your worlds!