This weeks prompt is: books with my favorite color on the cover! My favorite color is green. To me, it is a color full of nature, life, yet so calming. The color of leaves and grass and katydids. Emeralds. Moss. Luna moths. Frogs. The patina on old copper. I love all shades of green, from deep forest greens to bright jewel tones to more muted sage and then springlike light greens.
I usually write a little something about the books in these posts, but today is just all about the cover and the color.
So…this post was originally all just cover and color. But Laurie pointed out to me that this made my post inaccessible to her as a screen reader user. So I went through and tried to do alt text. I hope I did it correctly! As the parent of a wheelchair user, I understand how frustrating inaccessibility is.
I don’t have too much to share today! Billy has been away camping this weekend, on a remote island with little cell service (I wish I was kidding!) and I will be anxiously waiting for him to get home today. Wyatt and I have had a few good days hanging out though while his dad has been out with the guys. We had a weekend of Wyatt – shopped for books, ice cream, games, painting, reading, popcorn and M & Ms, macaroni and cheese for dinner. We have both been missing Billy but will be very happy to see him tonight.
Read Last Week:
I read middle grade/YA books last week and I really enjoyed them both! The Currie book was fun because it takes place in Saugatuck, MI, which is one of my favorite places in the state. I love to visit there! I know which house the fictional house in the book is based on, but to say might be too spoilery! If you don’t want to know, don’t go googling old houses near Saugatuck. On the other hand, if you do want to know, then go ahead and google away.
The Nancy Drew was also a fun read as well. It was my first time reading Nancy Drew, and I would probably never have read one of these vintage mysteries except Lisa over Boondock Ramblings has been reading them, and it piqued my interest. It was fun read!
Reading This Week:
I love the sound of both of these. The Easy life in Kamusari sounds like it will be very slow living, nature vibes and I need that right now, but then on the other hand a bookshop…it’s hard to say which one I will pick!
Hello everyone! The sun is shining and the temps aren’t predicted to be as intense today so I am excited. We have a busy day of just errands etc, since Billy is leaving us for the weekend for a guys camping trip. I am not sure how Billy going on a trip translates to more errands for me but..somehow it did. Hmmph. Lol.
It’s been a topsy-turvy week! Nothing bad, but not what I expected. Wyatt was supposed to have a 48 hour EEG this week, and I had been mentally preparing for this for a few weeks, as well as getting our things ready for the hospital stay. However, the point of the EEG was to attempt to treat Wyatt’s nighttime DEE-SWAS. DEE-SWAS is a rare form of epilepsy that creates spike-waves in his brain as he sleeps. There is not a lot known about it, and it is not usually an urgent matter unless the person is having developmental regressions, which Wyatt is thankfully not (and pray that he never does!) However, we had the option to try valium with him at night to see if it changed anything in a positive manner in Wyatt’s life, and at first we were all for it. Right now though, after the 6 weeks this kid has had adjusting to his new medicine dose of his normal medication, we wanted to give him a break from trying anything new. So when Billy called the EEG Monitoring Unit they said if we weren’t feeling like attempting the valium now, we could wait a few months and try then. So, we go now in September. I think it is the best decision for Wyatt although it threw me off a bit. I can be flexible and pivot, I really can! Lol.
Last weekend Billy and I actually had a date night! We just went out to dinner together, but it was so nice to just get out the two of us. It has been a very long time! We went to one of our favorite local burger places. It has a great vibe, lively, filled with music, and the walls are just covered in nostalgic photos and memorabilia from the owner’s life and from the area. He named the restaurant after his grandfather, and you can spot old family photos mixed in with the Detroit area posters and tchotchke. There are also nods to pop culture a well, like the Thriller album cover near the door, movie posters and so on. It is just a neat place. While we were there reruns from the original Scooby-Doo cartoon was playing, which was my favorite growing up! So I enjoyed that as well.
I had just a regular Joe slider, and Billy and I split fries. Billy also had a slider – and then let me eat most of this dessert, a brownie sundae. I can’t resist a brownie sundae.
I also splurged on some new things for myself this week, which frankly is not like me. But sometimes you just have to. I bought myself two new plants, an Alocasia Jacklyn and a new mini-Monstera. I also bought Applejack some new plants for her tank, which she loves. I am slowly redoing all of the lizard tanks and Applejack was first up. She loves it.
I also bought myself a few new tops, a pair of shorts, and a pair of loose comfy pants for summer. I wore the pants the other day and they are so comfy and cute that I am going to get another pair soon. I feel like I needed some summer clothes that are not just rough and tumble – you know, for instance if we go out for another date night, or have an appointment. They reminded me of Martha’s clothes a bit from Beyond Paradise, and I really like how she dresses, although it is impractical for me and my everyday (well except overalls, I do wear those). I don’t have a photo of me in them, but maybe next time I wear them I will have Billy take one. I also got the shirt in white as well as the green, and I plan on styling the pants and shorts with looser more casual tees, and the shirts with more casual shorts for the most part, because I like the juxtaposition of casual and more fitted together. I wore the pants the other day with a thrifted tee I bought a few years ago, that was blue and white striped and had my hair in braids, and Billy said I looked ready for the seashore.
Wyatt and I also spent some time doing arts and crafts this week. We painted a collage of his favorite moments at music camp, and then designed little fairy homes that we want Billy to build to put outside. I also had some time to work on my corgi while Wyatt took his after- medicine naps.
All in all, it was a different week than I had planned for, but it was a very good week with lots of family time and down time. I think we probably really needed that after the go go go chaos of music camp! We also have had some disgusting weather, super high temps or severe storms or high humidity, so it was kind of an inside week anyway. Remind me, how many more weeks before cooler weather?
Just a few more random photos, including a crazy one of me. That is my snail headband to hold my hair back when getting ready lol. Billy says I am a goof, and I probably am.
And that is it from me this week! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile! (even if it is wearing a snail headband while you wash your face)
These are probably the two books I am the most excited about. I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches so these two cannot come out soon enough for me!
I don’t have to wait too much long for The Spellshop, which this cover oh my gosh. I want to live in that house! I am hoping to read this one and The Honey Witch around the same time. The Life Impossible comes out in September and it just sounds so amazing. I am all about settings and the setting for this book gives me all the feels.
Don’t these sound wonderful! I am all about Asian fiction right now, and both of these sound just so calm and like a warm safe place to visit. I can’t wait to curl up with both of these during the cold months.
And more books with cats on the cover! These two both have such a whimsy to them and I am all about whimsy. And cats. And coffee. And probably cozy little traveling caravans! I am so excited!
And that’s it. I can’t get to ten, although I am sure that after visiting everyone’s blogs today I will find quite a few more to add to this list!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everybody!! Last week was such a fun week! Wyatt went to music camp and it was just everything. He had so much fun, and I am so thankful for this camp that brought him such joy. It was a very busy week but very worth it.
You guys, I loved this book!! I don’t usually read romances but this one got my attention because that main character is a snail scientist, and I love snails. Sometimes that is all it takes. Anyway, I absolutely adored it. I loved the journey that Christa’s character went through, and it was handled very well. For those who like a clean romance, this was not a closed door book and there was some swearing for those who dislike that as well.
Reading This Week:
I feel like this is another week I might bounce between books before I find the right one. I am like the Goldilocks of reading these days! In my pile of possibles this week are:
I am also slow reading At The Pond, which has been a fun read, but also reinforces my dislike of swimming in open water.
On Father’s Day, Billy wanted a lazy day and I didn’t blame him. He has been working his tailfeathers off lately between his actual job and building Wyatt’s ramp. So a lazy day for the win over here. We ended up watching Ghostbusters Afterlife, which actually turned out to be a really good Father’s Day movie. We also realized that when Billy and I saw Ghostbusters when it came out in 1984 we were the same age Wyatt is now, and that Ghostbusters Afterlife was Wyatt’s first introduction to Ghostbusters. We just thought that was neat.
While away at Music Camp, we didn’t watch too much. We watched YouTube but for the most part let Wyatt chill out with the television since there wasn’t too much to do in the room, and he was pooped out from the day everyday. Billy did whatever on his tablet, I read. I think today we are going to have another movie night – we might introduce another nostalgic 80s movie to kiddo. We are thinking maybe Goonies, but we might just watch Ghostbusters Frozen Empire.
Monday morning we headed to Lansing for Wyatt’s second year at the RicStar Music Therapy Camp. Last year Wyatt had mixed feelings about the experience, but there were some challenges thrown in our path last year as well. Wyatt was being weaned off of a medication that was making him a bit grumpier and more lethargic, he was away from his home, and with just me, since Billy had to stay home due to a kidney stone hospitalization. Then Wyatt was thrown into an experience he had never encountered before. It was a lot for him. He had a good time and made some really good gains from his time at camp last summer, but it was a struggle. I remember at the end of camp last year, Billy was free of the hospital and was able to make the final concert and when I saw him in the parking lot I just sobbed. It was relief and also exhaustion from a very emotional week for me, and for Wyatt. This year though, Billy was able to go, and Wyatt’s new medicine is a much better one for him (despite his occasional barf from nausea…)
When we walked in, Wyatt was met with smiles and warm welcoming greetings of “Hello Wyatt!” from the staff. We were whisked right into the ensemble room where Wyatt was assigned to green group, and just like that, music therapy camp was in full swing! I’m not going to lie, entry was rough for Wyatt. He cried the first two hours, threw up at lunch, but then rallied in the afternoon. He is the toughest kid, I swear. I think all of us were a little done in that first day (although I have to admit, the therapy dogs helped me through the day..) After the long drive, the early hour, Wyatt being so upset, the throwing up… we were ready to crash in our hotel room by the time camp ended that day and just veg out. And the heat! Did I mention Michigan is having a heat wave with excessive temps? We walked outside and were blasted by the flames of the sun, I am pretty sure. Lol. So we were more than ready to grab some food and just chill. Which we did.
Day two we were able to relax a bit and have a good breakfast before heading the short distance to camp. And day two was awesome. Wyatt had a blast. I cannot say this loud enough, because my momma heart was so happy. He was just so excited to be there, he was participating, he was having fun and exploring and playing and just was a part of the entire thing. Up until day two, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right choice in enrolling him again after such a rollercoaster of a time last year. I went for it anyway, since circumstances were different this year, and I am so glad that I did because this experience was so good for him, in so many ways. I saw such progress in Wyatt, how he has matured, in his interactions with other people, with being there and trying new things. He showed everyone there his personality which is huge and full of joy. I always say I call him my sunshine boy because he brings the sun wherever he goes, and this year he was full of that sun. He really liked the keyboard this year, and also surprisingly, the triangle. It was super cute that he liked the triangle, and I actually had to order one since he wanted to take the one home that he was playing.
I would like to say that we spent our last day exploring Lansing, but that was not the case. Our tired little family headed back to the hotel, where Wyatt and his dad went to the little hotel store and bought a bunch of goodies, including ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food, which the three of us split while watching YouTube.
Day three was just as fun. Wyatt was so happy to be there. I loved that he was trying new things, unafraid, and just going for it. However, we did have to stop for a little disco nap. The entire time we were there the medicine nausea was bothering him again, right on schedule, around lunchtime. I don’t know if it was just because he was off schedule, off his routine, or what, but we would just work around it because that is what this camp does. It normalizes everything that makes our kids feel different and other in typical situations. Where in some settings Wyatt would maybe be stared at or questioned, here it was just part of another day. The camp provides everything you can think of you might need to accommodate every camper, and it just feels natural and makes me wish all situations and settings were like this. It felt freeing for me and for Billy, and if we felt that way, Wyatt must have felt it a hundred times over. It was just…acceptance. A perfect cocoon of acceptance.
The last day, Day 3, is also the big showcase where the campers all perform with their groups and parents and friends and family are invited to attend. This year Wyatt’s group was performing the Pink Panther Theme song, and Wyatt got to kick things off, with a solo on the triangle. He was adorable! Every kid did so well and you could see the pride and the joy on all of their faces.
This week was full of music. It was also full of ear to ear grins, laughter, joy, that good kind of tired, learning, exploration, and fun. We returned home exhausted (except Wyatt who took a loooonnggg nap in the car on the way home) but all ready to do it again next year. We can’t wait!
If you want to read about our adventures from last year, click here and here!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! This past week was a pretty darn good week. It was a good mix of busy and slow, which was nice. We are about to have two pretty busy weeks in a row so this calm before the storm was welcome.
I was also totally wrapped up in the book I was reading! Last week I couldn’t settle, but I guess I hadn’t picked up the exact right book. That book ended up being Riley Sagar’s The Last Lie I Told, which was fantastic. I am late to the party on reading Sagar and at least now I have a bunch of his books to read!
I LOVED this book and could not put it down. I can’t wait to read another of his books.
Reading This Week:
This week Billy and I will be taking turns going to Wyatt’s different programs at music camp, and so when it is not my turn to be with him, I will be sitting in the lobby reading this book. I started it over the weekend and so far it is funny and lighthearted. I hope I continue to like it! Maybe I should take another book or two as well, just in case.
Our evenings have been very full lately, and instead of watching a tv show at night we have just been enjoying some YouTube favorites. Lots of Alexis Dahl , a Michigan YouTuber who vlogs about Michigan history and science which we find fascinating (I believe Katja told me about her!). We have also been watching The Unexpected Gypsy, who is an artist with great personal style (braids and overalls, my fave), and The Rambling Rose, another artist.
So, not a super lot to report here this week! I hope you all are doing well!
So, the clouds outside are gathering and dark, the wind is picking up, and storms are on the way. Chores are done for the night, I have some Ginger Turmeric Tea next to me on the table (although tonight I wish it was wine!) and I thought this would be the perfect time to write this post!
I’ve seen this around on BookTube and by other book content creators and thought it sounded fun!
Is it just me or does it sort of remind you of those senior superlatives in high school?
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2024
Hands down, the best book that I have read so far this year.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024
This book was such a fantastic follow up to the first in the series, Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing by Lisa Howeler. I love Gladwynn and her vintage style, as well as the homeschooling mom who is also the barista. Such a fun series!
3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to.
I love this series set in Northern Michigan in one of my favorite places in my home state, the Traverse City area. I need to pick it up – it looks like the perfect summer read!
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
I absolutely loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and I can’t wait for this new book to come out! And I have to wait all the way until December!!
5. Biggest disappointment.
The Darling Buds of May. Loved the show, did not like the book. At all. That has never happened to me before! I do love this cover though.
6. Biggest surprise.
I received The Magic All Around from the publisher and I didn’t know much about it prior to reading it. However, once I picked it up I could barely put it down. It was so good, I could not stop reading it.
7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
I am late to the party on Sager, and I wish I had picked up his books sooner! I just finished The Last Time I Lied today and again, it was another book I could not stop reading. It was crazy good, and had so many twists and turns! I can’t wait to read another of his books!
8. Newest fictional crush.
I wouldn’t say crush but I would definitely like to hang out with Tress and talk about her adventures and see her cups.
9. Newest favorite character.
See above.
10. Book that made you cry.
Of course it is a middle grade. I loved this book! I had never heard of it honestly when I picked it up at a used book sale, I just thought it looked neat, with that cute little house and the tree. And it was a cute little book…with the exception of the part that made me cry!! It was the loss of an animal friend that did it, of course.
11. Book that made you happy.
Another middle grade! I one hundred percent adored this book, and while it gave me some anxiety, it ended up all working out and just left me with the warm fuzzies.
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
It’s a tie for me on this one. I just love love love that cover of Watership Down and I was so happy that Billy and Wyatt got it for me, but then that cover of Tress is fire.
And there you have it! My Mid-Year Book Freakout. How would you answer some of these questions?
Hello everyone!! Wyatt and I are living lazy these days, enjoying our summer break. We are taking June off and I have been just allowing us to slide slowly into our days – at least on days we don’t have therapy. It works since although he has not been getting sick from his meds, he is still very tired after taking them, and wants to take a big nap at 9 am. But I will take it over the other any day! It does have me concerned over music camp next week, which starts at 9:30 am. I guess though you never know what will change as time passes, so by next Monday he might be done with this phase too.
Relaxing for me is actually difficult. I am one of those people who feels a constant need to get things done, you know? If I have the time I think that I should be using it to check things off the five mile long to-do list that I have (as probably everyone does!) So forcing myself to not do that is…hard. Once I settle in I am ok. It is just getting there. And it has been fun. I know that Wyatt has enjoyed not having to rush about all the time, and he does deserve some lazy time where he actually feels well enough to enjoy it. For him it is all books and painting things and drawing and watching cartoons. Pretty soon the ramp will be done (well, maybe by the end of July and he will be able to go out to the backyard more easily – right now we need Billy to carry him back there, since it is too far for me to do by myself.) I’ve been reading, now that I have found the right book, and also doing a little hand stitching while I listen to an audiobook. I bought a punch needle kit of a corgi that instead of using the actual punch needle, I am hand stitching. I am loving it, although I am super slow and not that good. But it is not about that. It’s about feeling the rhythm of the slowness, the tautness of the thread, the pop sound that happens occasionally when pushing through the fabric, seeing the outline become filled with color. It is an experience to become immersed in something, isn’t it?
I have also mastered making omelettes this week, and have been making myself a feta cheese one egg omelette for lunch everyday. I just use an egg, butter, and the feta and it is perfection. There is something about that too. A simple, delicious meal.
We have been leaving the house and interacting with others, however. Last Friday our local library kicked off their summer reading program with a Family Fun Night, filled with games and crafts. Our library is two buildings – one, an old historical Victorian house, attached to a “modern” building built in maybe the 1960s? They used both buildings and three floors for family night and the staff put so much thought, love, and energy into this program. We had such a good time! We ran into my friend Kelly and her family there as well, which made it even more fun. Her daughter E. is Wyatt’s age so it was cool there was another kid there with him.
The theme for the summer reading program this summer is National Parks and Cryptids, which I thought was pretty neat! Wyatt and E. got matching glittery wolf tattoos, painted cryptid cutouts and flower pots, made buttons, met a viking and saw a dragon, pinned the hat on Smokey the Bear, and finally made it to the top floor where they got their box to collect the cards they will earn this summer. Afterwards we all went out for pizza, which was a nice way to end the evening.
The next day we woke up and decided it was an Ikea day. Ikea is about 30 minutes from our house and we typically go a few times a year, just out of the blue, need an Ikea day. It is one of those places where you wander around and think to yourself, do I really need that bright green corduroy office chair that swivels? (the answer was, I didn’t, although I wanted it…) We always buy the most random things, and Saturday was no exception. We each picked out a throw blanket – Billy and Wyatt picked out the same one, a yellow one that was super soft, while I picked out a gray-green throw. We bought a few little pink dessert plates, a bright light for Billy to use when he is doing leatherwork (wait until you see what he is making me!), a few organizing bins and boxes for our craft and homeschool supplies, and of course, chocolate. We also treated ourselves to lunch in the Ikea Cafe. I particularly enjoyed the cake.
Sunday was a big day for Billy. It was go day on the ramp! With the help of wonderful family members and lifelong friends, he started on drilling the holes for the cement, and placing the tubes. It sounds like I know what is happening, but I don’t. That is the extent of my knowledge, other than that they were working extremely hard in the heat. This weekend, the cement happens!
And with that, I should probably end here. This feels immensely long. Maybe because I stopped in the middle to take Wyatt to therapy and get ice cream?
Probably 99% of the books I read are from the library, but sometimes, I just want to have my own copy. Usually this is because it looks like a book that will really resonate with me, one that I will reread, and one that I will just be enchanted by for a long time. These are the books that have made that list of books that are currently on my wish list!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa || Jane of Lantern Hill by L. M. Montgomery || The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
The Travelling Cat Chronicles – I have been super into Japanese fiction this year and this one just sounds wonderful.
Jane of Lantern Hill – I have been wanting to branch out into other Montgomery characters and books, besides the beloved Anne. Jane seems like a great place to start!
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters || The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink || English Pastoral by James Rebanks
The Berry Pickers – I am very intrigued by this book! I feel like it could be a slow read for me, one to really take my time with and digest. Same with English Pastoral, which reminds me of John Lewis-Stempel, who is one of my favorite authors.
The Pink Hotel – I collect Carol Ryrie Brink books and this one just really appeals to me! I love books set in motels and I love the kitschy look of this cover!
The Mermaid in the Millpond by Lucy Strange || A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal || Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 