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This past week I decided was going to be a break week – and I legit took a break. We got up and stayed in our pajamas until noon, hung out with my mom, went for drives, played and read books, and that was about it. It was really nice. I did call the neurologist as Wyatt is due for another 48 hour EEG, and his awesome neuro said that we could schedule an ambulatory EEG instead of in hospital. This pretty much means that we take him in, they wire him up, then we get to come home. Otherwise, I was pretty absent from most of my usual life, including social media. I hope to catch up with everyone this week, and visit your blogs!

Read Last Week:

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I read Kitchen Witch by Wendy Wang which was pretty good. Last spring when I couldn’t really focus on anything, I found this series and read the heck out of them. They are all also “free” if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Once I finished this newest installment, I moved on to a NetGalley read, On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor. I was excited to start this one as it is set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior, and as a Michigander I love to read books set in my home state. I am particularly drawn to “up north” books. So far, this one is keeping me guessing!

Reading This Week:

Once I finish up Foxglove Manor, I am going to start Between the Sea and Stars.

I have oceans and ocean life on the brain right now, as I have been planning Wyatt and my niece’s last month of school – which has an ocean theme. So as they read watery ocean books, so am I. They will be “officially” done with Kindergarten in three weeks, which blows my mind! We are going to keep learning over the summer since I am the one who will have to deal with the dreaded summer slide, so we may as well just keep going! We will have a more informal school though for the summer, and start first grade in the fall.

Posted Last Week:

One lonely book review – Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Watching and Listening

We have been watching Jonathan Creek still, even though they switched up characters on us. It’s a good end to the night. I also had the realization last week that I might like these cozy mystery shows because my brother and I watched Murder She Wrote all the time as kids. My mom was taking night college classes and I am six years older than my brother, so I was able to babysit him while she was out. That basically meant eating nachos and watching Murder She Wrote. Lol. Anyway. I am still listening to my podcasts, and for some reason spring time makes me feel all goth which is really weird but ok. Maybe it is the rain. Whatever the reason, I am listening to The Grave Talks podcast quite a bit, which is all haunting, ghost type stuff. And when I don’t feel like ghosts, I listen to Ologies with Alie Ward.

And that is about it from our corner of Michigan! I hope you all are doing well!

Publisher Summary:

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life.

His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk? 

My thoughts:

I am late to the party with reading this series! I know that so many people love Penny Reid and the world she has created, and I am just getting started. I love the concept of creating this universe and allowing other authors access to it, writing books within that time and space. It’s just sort of a neat communal type creative pool that appeals to me.

I downloaded this one after reading Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott, which I loved. The Winston Brothers made an appearance in that book and I was intrigued.

This book focuses on Duane and Jessica. Jessica is a high school math teacher with a bad case of wanderlust, and dreams of following her heart’s desire of travelling the world one day. She has a pretty big bucket list and the determination to shake the dust off her shoes and hit the road. However, first she has to save money, which means teaching and living at home for a bit – also the hometown of her lifetime crush, Beau Winston, who leaves her unable to speak just by his nearness. His twin Duane on the other hand, inspires nothing but her ire. Until one hot moment of mistaken identity, that is.

This book just jumps right in, right from the get-go, and keeps the energy up the whole book. Reid did a great job of starting out big then backing off, setting up the story and challenges that the characters have to sort out. There were some big surprises in this book as well, that I never saw coming! I always like to be caught off guard, and I certainly was reading this. My friend and I were talking about feeling invested in books yesterday, and how some stories just grab you and make you part of their world – this book definitely did that. I loved watching Jessica and Duane figure out their relationship, and wondered what was going to happen the whole time, wondering how things would be resolved.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series! I am all about the fun reads right now!

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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

This is such a busy busy time of year isn’t it? I feel like all the energy that is happening around us in the natural world is echoed in my own life. While bees and birds and all the little animals are busy with spring so are we. Working on the yard, school, getting back together with loved ones after a winter spent cozy at home.

Last night we planted our butterfly garden. We waited as long as we could for it to cool off but it was still sticky gross out while we were working. My face was about as red as a strawberry when we were finished. I have always always been that person who turns red from heat like immediately. It’s awesome. This morning I got up and made strawberry shortcake for breakfast – Billy and I really enjoyed it. Wyatt acted like I was giving him poison and refused to even take a bite though. Kids are crazy! I’m going to take some over to my mom in a little while – I don’t think she will act like it is poison, hopefully!

Read Last Week:

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid: This was pretty good! I picked it up since I had read Happy Trail last week and loved it, and this book is in the same universe, which is a cool concept. Penny Reid has created a world and other authors write books in that same world – it is neat. I have to say I did like Happy Trail more, but this one was still good. However, while Happy Trail was like PG-13 this one was a bit “racier”.

Reading This Week:

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I am not sure – mermaids or witches?

Posted Last Week:

Chit Chat Coffee Time – where I talk about going to the garden center where I found lots of things for my butterfly garden

Etsy Artists – AAPI Edition

Watching:

Jonathan Creek mostly. We are enjoying this sort of quirky duo who solve mysteries. Jonathan Creek is a pretty interesting character – he lives in a windmill and invents magic tricks for a famous magician. He and his partner in crime-solving, Maddie Magellan get caught up in some pretty complex situations.

And that is about it from my corner of Michigan. What is going on in your world?

 It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

I missed the Sunday posts, but I am here for Monday! We spent the weekend doing a lot of work, which needed to be done, but now I am tired! It was a good weekend though, that was punctuated by good moments as well. Friday night I had mom’s night at my friends, and I stayed out way past my bedtime, but it was so good to be with them. On Saturday night we had tacos again before going to my brother’s house for a fire and adult beverages while the kids played like crazy. So much giggling and smiles between Wyatt and his cousin.

Read Last Week:

I loved this book! I read it all in one day, and I am ready to read more in this world that Penny Reid created. Be forewarned, I am about to go on a binge.

Reading This Week:

So, the Winston Brothers are characters that were introduced in Happy Trail, and since I had so much fun with that one, I am starting this series. I need some fun reads right now.

Posted Last Week:

Homeschool Dino Week

Book Review: Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott

The Beautiful May Be Small

What We Watched:

We are watching Johnathan Creek still, for the most part. We also are glued to Weed ‘Em and Reap, a YouTube channel, and CottageFairy, another YouTube channel. Wyatt is watching Molly of Denali, Wild Kratts, and Tumble Leaf. I am still listening to lots of podcasts, and the very best one I listened to last week was the Maritime Archaeology (Shipwrecks) episode on Ologies by Alie Ward. I am loving that podcast and I hope to listen to the Cicadaology (Cicadas) episode today.

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I have a little book that was my grandpa’s. A little “Diary and Daily Reminder”. I am told all the time that my penchant for record keeping and writing stuff down is just like him. I found this little book last year, at the start of the pandemic, and since I had a practically brand new planner sitting around that wasn’t getting used at all, I started to keep track of what I had done that day in it, rather than what I had to do in the future. When 2020 ended, I ordered another one, not knowing what changes 2021 may bring. And while I do add more to it now, I have some stuff to add to those calendar pages, I still use it mainly as a daily diary of sorts – nothing too much, just a little jot here and there of what we did.

My planner has little quotes for every week, just like his did, and the quote for this week in mine is “Look closely. The beautiful may be small.” (Immanuel Kant) I love everything about this; it is so true. I try to find the happy and joy and beauty in everyday, no matter how big or small. Some days big things happen. Sometimes, it is just that I spotted a bunny on a walk, or that I finished a really good book.

So far May has been made up of lots of little things that have made me smile. Lots of flowers, lots of sunshine, and even on rainy days, good moments spent inside, even just enjoying a tea at night while watching a British mystery show with Billy.

May is the month of the Flower full moon, and I fully can see why. I feel surrounded by their colors bursting around me, at the garden center, in yards, everywhere. I am a dandelion fan, I’m sure much to the chagrin of my neighbors who are all very good at keeping their yards perfect. I am sort of a let it grow person, and I like the home the yard provides to insects. I mean, we do cut our grass but not as regularly as most people do. And I like to see the happy faces of the dandelions popping out all over the place. Without them, how could Wyatt make wishes? I am also putting them to use making a dandelion oil infusion to add to lotion bars – a process that takes four weeks!

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I love the fact too, that I name all of my houseplants and when I bring a new one home, Wyatt will ask me what it’s name is. These two are new to the house today – Lucy the lemon tree (which I ordered one snowy January evening!), and then little Olive, because “Olive” snails.

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I do have this little corner of plants that are nameless though. A wandering dude and a pothos. Any suggestions?

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A little spiderweb in my car the other morning, lit up by the sunlight. I guess it has been a bit since I have had a passenger! I let it be.

Lately, this is mostly what my life has been about. Small moments.

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Just life I guess. The little things we usually don’t talk about as they don’t seem very newsworthy, yet this is exactly what life is made of, small moments.

What beauty have you seen around you this week?

 It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Last week was a good one. This weekend was even better. So much time outside on Saturday, which was good because it rained all day on Sunday for Mother’s Day. We still got out and went for a drive through the rain, where I spotted a new to me bird, a green heron. I always get so excited about this. Billy and Wyatt surprised me with a few nature books that I wanted – they know me so well.

Read Last Week:

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I really loved The Cottingley Secret!! But I love all things fairie so, no surprise there. Wicked Plants was a fun one to page through and read when I only had a short time to do so. Pretty interesting stuff in there!

Reading this Week:

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I am feeling in the mood for some lighter reading right now – so I downloaded these two to my Kindle. I read the Witches of Palmetto Point series last spring so I am interested to see if I still enjoy it. And Happy Trail is new to me but the mention of park rangers has me intrigued.

Posted Last Week:

Chit Chat Coffee Time

Currently.. May

The Weekend Vibe

Watching:

Finishing up Shadow and Bone. We are also still watching Death in Paradise and we have added Jonathan Creek to our lineup as well, another British mystery series.

And that is about it for this morning! I hope all is well in your corner of the world!

Today, I am impatient to get outside. The sun is shining, and I have a bunch of plants I bought last night after heading back at the garden center with my friends. I said over and over to them, that I wasn’t going to buy anything, and I really didn’t plan on it. But then, I did. Most of the cart is filled with little 99 cent herbs and veggies, like pumpkins and rue and lovage and sage, some for the garden for us to eat, and some for the butterflies. However as we wandered around chatting and exclaiming over all the plants, I found myself adding a few more.. some yarrow, some lupine, and then the plants with those cuplike leaves, brunnera. I think I am in love with those, they are so cool. We have empty space in our front garden and I think they are all going to go there, nestled in with the raspberry bushes.

I also bought the cutest teeny little prayer plant.

Reconnecting in person with some of my family has been wonderful for all of us, as all of us have been so isolated for a year, none of us had a bubble outside of the family that we lived with, and I think we are making up for lost time. My husband has been to my brother’s at least three times, Wyatt and his cousin have been together at least that many times as well. Watching them play together has been awesome, after all this time. I have visited my mom at least twice. (although I talk to her numerous times a day). My mom’s sciatic nerve has been giving her grief this week so that has been not fun, so I popped by the other day to drop off a new ice pack and to just visit with her for a bit. Then Thursday, I took Wyatt over for arts and crafts time with my niece, who spends the day with my mom while her parents are at work. The kids had fun decorating their geckos!

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And, I think that is it for this morning. Those plants are calling my name and I can’t resist any longer!

Have a good day everyone!