Summer Reading by an Eclectic Book Lover & Stash Shopping

Summer Reading

Tender Wishes by JoAnne Cassity – this quick read was a charming romance.  Very enjoyable summer read.   I’m not a big romance reader but I’d gladly grab another by this author.

The Miser by Lesley Egan – an interesting mystery written in 1981 by a prolific mystery writer.  This is the first novel I have read by this author.  It had a vintage feel to it because I believe it was set back in the 1960’s or the late 1950’s in California.   I am an east coast girl and that era was before my time so I did learn quite a bite.

A Certain Smile by Judith Michael – A complicated romance with characters who have depth and strong story lines.   The rich history of China was wonderful and captivating.

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver – This is a suspense novel set in California.  It is part of the Katryn Dance series with the main character a modern day Charles Manson.  It was a page turner but I generally do not care for cult themed novels.

By Adriana Trigiani:  Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler & Milk Glass Moon  - I just loved all the books in this series.  I read Home to Big Stone Gap a while ago and just had to read her other books.  They are fun, heartwarming, charming stories.  Lots of quirky sassy oddball characters that made me laugh.  My only complaint is that there are not more written in this series.

Serpent’s Tooth by Faye Kellerman is one of her Peter Decker/ Rina Lazarus novels.  It a good thriller.

While my Pretty One Sleeps by Mary Higgins Clark written in 1989.  I am not someone who re-reads but I do love this author so I am pretty sure I had read it.    I could not recall the story so I guess I am getting old.  It is a good story and I enjoyed it.     

Once a Princess by Johanna Lindsey.  This is a romance with a predictable formula but its a quick light read .     

The Brides of Christmas by Jo Beverley, Margaret Moore & Deborah Simmons.  This paper back is made up of three medieval romance tales.  Lite summer reading that is pretty predictable but also enjoyable.                                                                                         

What are you reading now?  I’d love to know.  I just finished a book by Pulitzer Prize winning author; Geraldine Brooks called People of the Book.  I totally love this one.  It is about restoring an ancient Jewish book and how it survived through troubled times.  It was fascinating and not at all what I expected.  It had ots of twists and turns which kept me entertained .

Stash Shopping & Health Issues

I have been going through a bunch of major health issues starting in March.  I do not want to bore people with the details but was being treated for a problem and then had a bad reaction to the pills I was given.  The pills caused blood clots to form in my lungs.   I was very lucky that I was proactive because many people ignore the symptoms I had until complications arise and by then it’s too late.  I landed in the hospital for 3 weeks and I was out of medical leave for a few months.  I feel much better and I went through a bunch of testing for a few other things they found.  Anyway I had 3 different parts of my body biopsied t so I decided I needed to do some serious stash shopping.   I bought a bunch of books I have wanted for a while from Amazon.  It felt like Christmas with packages arriving almost every day the week I awaited the results.  It was a wonderful distraction and thankfully all the tests came back negative.  Most of the books are by French Designers.  In one book, Stitch Graffiti I discovered that a friend of mine one of the model stitchers, congrats Berly.  Here is the list of books I bought in case you too need a stash enhancement.

1. Sweet Stitches from the Heart

2. Made in France: Cross-stitch and Embroidery in Red, White and Blue

3. Made in France: Cross-Stitch

4. Rainbow Stitches Embroidery

5. Stitch- Graffiti by Heather Holland 

Thanks for reading and please leave me a comment if you have the time, I love reading them.

Mare

Today is a “ME” Day

Today’s plans and my goals for 2013 are to purposely bring more things that make me happy into each day.  The past 2 weeks have sucked and I am partly to blame for letting it get to me so I need to get into control with all the crap that is raining on my parade.  Yesterday I had a good talk with my sister in law and she helped me wrap my mind around some of this stuff.  We were going to have a small family gathering for dinner on Tuesday night to celebrate our anniversary but we thought because of all of the mayhem going on no one would want to go.  Actually my sister in law, Janice told me that we needed to go out and celebrate more things. They are looking forward to it. Tuesday night 8 of us will be having a nice dinner.   I have big meeting Tuesday afternoon for which I will need to jump through hoops for so it will be nice knowing that evening will be nice.  Janice and I also planned a get together in September in VT at our nieces place to celebrate my brother in laws birthday.   I made a bunch of calls to friends and family this morning and my mood is slowing improving.   We have family on both side having major health issues.   When someone you care about is moved into hospice, it’s hard.   

Good news seems to be harder to come by so I need to try to cultivate some.  I know there will be a few funerals in 2013 & 2014 so I have got to re-start my happiness list to counter all the crap.  Tell me what do you do to get happy?  For over a year I have worked closely with one man who I thought was a good guy but I was so naive to hidden agendas.  Mr. Old-School derailed all the good karma I worked so hard to establish and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.  I still have to work with him and he is like the cat that just swallowed the cannery.   It totally sucks but I have to stop letting it eat me up inside because otherwise it does even more damage.  Some people just are not happy unless they do it at someone expense.  Anyway here’s to pushing past that ugly and on to finding more Happiness…

1.   Go get my favorite big cup of chai tea from Panera because I deserve it more often even if it is overpriced.  It makes me happy!  Pick up one of their French breads to have with dinner.  Their bread makes my husband & son happy too.  
2.  I am going to get my nails done, and get a 5 or 10 minute neck/back massage
3. Then on to a get haircut, fingers crossed that my favorite person is working today.
4. Pick up an anniversary card because this Tuesday will be our 25^th wedding anniversary & buy a card for someone else for no particular reason other than to say hello and make another person smile. 
5.  Buy bottle of Yellow Tail Moscato wine.  it is a wonderful Australian affordable fun wine
6. Stick wine in the fridge before I go do laundry because I hate doing laundry.
7.  Both my husband and I made vacation plans managed to combine a few side trips to meet up with some old friends.  In fact he may not be doing that much sight seeing given all the socializing we are trying to fit in.
8. I am arranging to meet up with an old friend who will be visiting the city the week after next.  He is working in Singapore now.  We worked together in London in 1999 – 2000 and in NY in 1998.  I am going to see if a few of the people that we both worked with are interested in getting together with he is here on business. 
9.  I will be traveling to San Francisco on business a week in April so I need to reach out to see if there is anyone I know in that area to meet up to make that trip a little happier. 
10.  I will be stitching or doing some finishing tonight while watching the Good Wife.  I love that show!

11.   I will also be sharing my lap with a friendly furry friend whose purrs make me feel loved.  The photo is of Murphy who is a real charmer.

Be Happy & tell me something that makes you happy if you have time to leave a comment. Happy St, Paddy's Day!

Mare