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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

We actually had activities on our calendar this week, two days in a row! On Friday we took a little trip to the pumpkin patch and on Saturday, we had our Wild Hunt, a little treasure hunt in the wild that Billy and I organized. Both were so much fun! I am planning a post on our Wild Hunt for midweek, and I am so excited to talk about it. We were also supposed to go to the library’s curbside trick-or-treat but Wyatt was pretty worn out and had fallen asleep so we missed it. I guess we are not used to doing so many things anymore! I also made bread last week, something I had on my bucket list! Check that box off! Now to keep it up. I also started prepping for Nonfiction November!

Read Last Week:

I had planned on reading The Once and Future Witches but for some reason the digital download would never work! It was very frustrating. I ended up reading The Haunting of Brynn Wilder, which I think was one of the free Amazon Prime Reads for the month. It was a little meh for me – enough to keep me reading but I felt like I kept waiting for the haunting to happen but it was a different sort of haunting and it felt very anti-climatic to me. I never really bought the relationship between the two main characters either, unfortunately.

Reading This Week:

I am looking forward to this one! I usually love Kelley Armstrong and my husband and I are mini-book clubbing this one together. I am reading it, he is listening to it. It has been a while since we have done this so I am excited.

Posted Last Week:

Homeschooling; Pumpkin Week

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Spooky, Creepy, Dark and Twisty: My October Podcast List

Watching:

I can’t believe this, but we are watching Father Brown again. We just haven’t found a replacement for it yet. We are also watching Sherlock, which we are LOVING, My Dream Farm with Monty Don, Unsolved Mysteries Season 2, the Great British Baking Show, and I really want to try The Haunting of Bly Manor although I am nervous to start it because although I can read scary things, and listen to scary things, I am a wimp when watching scary things. And we are heading into the Halloween home stretch now, woohoo! Our Halloween is going to be different this year, but still fun. Chrissy is planning a little mini party, social distanced, for our kids that will have pre-made treat bags, pumpkin painting, Halloween Bingo, and hopefully a pinata, if Billy can pull it off!

Have a safe and fun week everyone!

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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

It was a busy busy week around here. So many doctor appointments and conversations with insurance companies – ugh. I got my flu and pneumonia shots this week too, so another box checked on my list. It was a week really, of busy work like that, getting stuff done – I guess we really are like squirrels over here, getting ready for winter. Making bread, collecting seeds from the garden, cleaning and rearranging – my husband is getting ready to paint our family room and I am really excited about that. It gets so dark in there in the winter that the lighter paint color is going to make a huge difference. So, lots of preparations happening around here.

Read Last Week:

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! I think it really explores relationships, especially in families, in a very unique way… I would put this on my list of one of the best I have read all year.

Reading This Week:

I am really excited to read this! I feel like I have been waiting to read it for such a long time. Yay!!!

Posted Last Week:

Mini-Post: Feeling Squirrely for Chestnuts

Book Review: Return to Virgin River

Watching:

The Great British Bake Off, Father Brown again since we apparently love that show, Sherlock, and Victorian Farm. And then starting next week we are going to start watching all of our spooky Halloween favorites, starting with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow – both the Disney cartoon and the version starring Johnny Depp.

And that is it from our corner of the world. Stay safe everyone!

Currently.. is hosted every month by Anne in Residence.

If I thought August flew by, I wasn’t ready for September. The last Currently post, I was actually sitting in my son’s hospital room post-surgery. The rest of the month was a bit of a blur. But, we can only keep moving forward – the story of 2020 for us. October is my favorite month in all the year and while it will be different for us this year, we can still get in our autumn hikes!

Anyway, on to the prompts!

Admiring: The terrariums I am seeing on Pinterest! I have plans to create a few myself this winter, to keep the feeling of green and life going throughout the cold and dark winter and wow, I have seen some amazing ones! There are seriously so many inspiring, creative terrariums out there – with snails, with mushrooms, with flowers, with succulents, some whimsical, and even some that are Star Wars themed.

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Moss and Fence || Ewok and Endor Terrarium || African Violet

Making: Bread, soup and other cozy recipe favorites, lists, lesson plans, and grocery pick up orders, and fun October spooky plans to watch scary movies and read ghost stories…

Going: To park and picnic dates, socially distanced wine nights with my friends, and back to the woods and wild for our hikes

Scheduling: Medical appointments, homeschool field trips to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard, a family yet socially distanced Halloween Trunk or Treat or at least a bonfire with my brother and his family

Wishing: I am sure the same as everyone…

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This past week was another low-key week. I did spend A LOT of time on the phone with doctors and insurance companies, and Wyatt had two appointments as well, so it was a big medical week around here. Friday and Saturday we got a chance to relax finally. Friday Wyatt and my niece Dinogirl had nature class together at the park where we hiked and searched for squirrels, then Saturday Billy and I and Wyatt took a hike together at a new trail system that just opened near us. It’s always fun to hike a new route!

Read Last Week/Reading This Week:

Not a thing. My reading was all off, which is just how it has been this year. It’s a new week though, and I am trying two different books to see if that helps.

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I started Return to Virgin River and so far I am enjoying it! I am also planning on starting Help the Witch; I love Tom Cox and this looks appropriately spooky for the season. Anyone else follow him on Instagram by the way? It’s a great account full of humor and cats and countrysides.

Posted Last Week:

Homeschooling: Acorns and Squirrels

Goodbye September

Watching and Listening:

We watched and enjoyed Queens of Mystery on Acorn – I was bummed it was so short of a series. I guess there is going to be a second season, but it is on hold due to COVID. Like much of 2020. We also found an old favorite Victorian Farmhouse on there too, and started rewatching it as well. We began a few things to sample and decide what we are going to binge next – Vera, Maigret, Outer Banks on Netflix, The Moonstone (2016), and Emily in Paris on Netflix for something lighthearted. I think we are going to stick with Emily in Paris and The Moonstone. Finally, we watched Enola Holmes for our movie night, which was cuter than we expected but good.

I am still listening to a million podcasts, with Redhanded and Casefile getting the most playtime, followed up by Homemaker Chic. I hope to add in some ghost story/haunted pods this month, so if anyone knows any, let me know in the comments! Wyatt has been listening to a few podcasts as well – Earth Rangers is his favorite, but we also listen to Classical Kids Storytime and Storynory.

And that is it for us! My thoughts are with all of you now, with the current state of this world in turmoil, that you are staying safe.

September was a bit of a ride for us this year. Two brain surgeries for the boy in three weeks, recovery times, anxiety… it was a lot. We did have some good times wedged in there though.

Wyatt had his first day of kindergarten, and we started picking books up curbside from the library. We missed all the books!

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We harvested peanuts (we grew maybe like 15, but still exciting!) We also visited the orchard with Chrissy and my niece.

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We took a mosquito laden walk around the grounds of the Henry Ford Estate, went on a picnic and hike, and attended a backyard fire with my brother and his family. And then last week I had cake with my friends at one of our distanced gatherings.

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And now we welcome October, usually my most favorite of all the months!

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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

Last week we kept things low key, and then Friday I had a social distance night with my friends – where we had cake and celebrated Kelly and Chrissy’s birthday. It was lemon raspberry and so delicious! Then Saturday we had a much needed distance picnic with my brother and his family, and my cousin and his girls. I haven’t seen my cousin in months, which is not the norm as we are as close as siblings, but..2020. So it was really good to be able to sit and chat with him again, around the chatter of all the kiddos. We finished with a small hike in the woods and said we would have to do something similar again soon.

Read Last Week:

I really loved this book, but then I usually enjoy Goodman’s work. I love a school setting, and she layers modern life against classic works in such clever ways.

Reading this Week:

I feel like reading some Gothic books this season! All that atmosphere is perfect for the moodiest season. I would love any suggestions that you have!

Posted Last Week:

My Autumn 2020 Bucket List

Homeschooling: September

Watching:

We finished both Wild Bill and Father Brown and are still searching for their replacements. I miss Father Brown! We are still watching Cobra Kai, and started the new Great British Baking Show as well.

And that is it from my corner of Michigan! Stay safe everyone.

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So Wyatt is giving us the gray hairs this month! After being home two weeks recovering from his first emergency surgery, we were back in the ER then headed to the OR again for a repeat of the same surgery Saturday morning. The doctors explained that this is how it happens with shunt revisions sometimes, nothing for years then boom boom. It was another long anxious weekend but I am glad that my kiddo is home and healing again.

Read Last Week:

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I started both of these books and am enjoying them both!! Carol Goodman never fails me, I love her work so much. And The Brave Learner is inspiring!

Reading This Week:

Just finishing up the above.

Posted Last Week:

My fall clothes shopping wish list – I kind of talked here about the sad state of my closet and how I hope to revitalize it a bit, but also thinking about what is needed right now due to staying closer to home

Watching:

Wild Bill, Father Brown, Cobra Kai – Johnny finally won me over!

And that is it from my corner of the world – hope all is well in yours. Stay safe everyone.

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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

It was quite a week. Wyatt had emergency surgery on Wednesday and since then it has been all about healing and recovery here.

Read Last Week:

I absolutely inhaled this book on Sunday and Monday. It was so good!! It actually freaked me out in parts and I loved the ending and the characters, and well everything really. Review soon. After that, I didn’t read at all, due to circumstances listed above. I did listen to lots and lots of podcasts!

Reading This Week:

I am not sure how much reading I will do. When I am anxious I tend to not be able to read very much. I did curbside pick up my grab bag of books for Wyatt at the library and my own library holds, so I have a few cozy mysteries to choose from. I may end up reading this. We will see!

Posted Last Week:

Book Review: The Conjurer

Currently..September

From Smiles to Stitches

Watching and Listening:

Father Brown, Wild Bill (Rob Lowe…), Teenage Bounty Hunters for our watch list right now. And the podcasts I am listening to like crazy are Casefiles, Redhanded the Podcast, Homemaker Chic, and Lore.

Stay safe everyone!