Tag: Morning Meanderings

Good morning and HAPPY FRIDAY!  I have been up for hours already but you would never know it.  I have walked the dogs and started some laundry, had a little coffee and really what has kept me busy this morning is that I wrote my review post to Gone Girl.  WOW.

That book kept me reading and readers, you know how we all love that.  I carried that book to the kitchen, to the living room, to my car, to work, and last night, even next to the grill (for those who borrow my book, I apologize in advance for the BBQ sauce on the lower corner of the final pages).  I even went up to the attic of the blog and pulled out the Spoiler Button.  I do not get to use it often… but I love it when I do. 😀

The Spoiler Button was something I created a couple of years back that led to a page where I could discuss a book in-depth with those who had also already read that book…. spoilers in that case, are allowed.  If you check out my SPOILER page, you will see all the books I have written Spoiler Pages for and some of the discussions are still going strong because some of these books became movies and that opens it all up again.  😀

I leave this afternoon for the cabin with my cousin’s wife and two other friends I ride bike with.  We are taking the bikes to the North Shore and biking tomorrow and I am looking forward to it, but will also miss Mater and the gang here.  I will be back Sunday afternoon.  I have another review to write and will hopefully be able to do that after I run a  few errands this morning and then get back here to pack. 

Any fun weekend plans for you?  I would love to hear about them!

Good morning!  As for the title of this post… not me, I am not tired.  I am pretty good…. rested, good quiet low-key week so far 😀  However, you may know I have pretty much started a dog rescue site in my home since April…

Bailey, 14 years old now, lost his best friend (and one of mine as well), Elmo last October.  One of the hardest days of my life.  I suddenly understood how people said they could never own a dog again after doing something like that… too painful.  I agree.  It took my breath away for days.

Then in April, a friend of mine finds a stray dog by her home.  After searching desperately for its owner, calling all the area vets, humane society, etc, she calls me to see if I can give him a  home.

No, is my response.  Can’t do it no way no how….

but I did let her bring him over…. and I did let him stay over night while she looked for a home… and uh….. Sam, is still here and not going anywhere.

Then, my Navy son comes home a couple of weeks ago.  He is sitting on the deck one sunny Monday afternoon and he shares with me this story about this abused dog his friend has that was rescued by the Pequot Vet.  No home, major surgery from the beer (you read that right) they were feeding it, pins in his shoulder from a recent surgery from being tossed out the back of a truck.  He is 16 weeks old.  Enter, Mater into our life.

So yeah…. I think I am done now.  Three dogs… all great, but yeah.  My quiet house… not so quiet anymore with the addition of Mater.  I know he will settle down… but currently I feel a bit like “that crazy dog lady”.  😛

So that’s what is happening here…  I am finishing up Gone Girl today and holy smokes… so good.  My friend Heidi is coming over tonight to pick it up and I am just loving it but at the rate I am going, I may have to wait to give it to her on Friday…. I still have a ways to go 😀 

Have you read anything lately that was sooooo awesome it was hard to put down?  I need a few more of those. 😀

Good morning.  A quick pop in before I go back to work this morning.  Yes, my glorious two free days are over but they were just what I needed.  😀 
I got a little sun, I got in some reading (YAY!!!), my home is all caught up on the cleaning, I had time with friends, and two days to love on the new puppy, Mater.
This morning I am sitting here with Coffee cup, one eye on my keyboard, one eye on the time trying to balance this post, my getting ready, and packing my lunch, with sailing into work at precisely 5 or so minutes early because that is the way I like to start my days, smoothly… and non rushed. 

In bookish news I have read almost the first 200 pages of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and holy smokes I wish sleep was not necessary!  What a good read… I think I know whats happening, but then I don’t… and then… GAH!!!  😀  I also started listening to Paper Towns by John Green last night and it is still in the really early part but I am already picking up themes from Looking For Alaska… 

Ok, thats my time.  Review up later today…. looks like the rain storm that hit us last night has stopped so I think it will be another lovely day for reading on the deck after work today!

Where do you like to read this time of year?

Good morning.  Day two of my “bonus” days off and I am enjoying the down time.  Yesterday I read, I napped in the sun, I wrote a bit, I blogged a bit, I visited with a couple of friends, I left the house only briefly, otherwise I layed low, listened to audio and not much else 😀 

Today I need to ship some books but other than that I plan to repeat yesterday because once you master something so well… I think it is best to repeat 😀

So what am I reading?  Well… that remains to be seen.  I started The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjallian…

… but seemed to struggle getting into… I am thinking just a bit heavy for my deck hanging out plan, so I switched to The Reunion by Lauraine Snelling…

…. and the book is perfectly fine and I may continue it today but what is calling me thanks to my friend Angie, is Gone Girl…

Which I quote Angie:  ” Has anyone read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn? I definitely need to talk to someone about this one!”  SO, my copy arrived yesterday and I may just drop everything and do that one instead.  😀

Do you find that this time of year your book attention span is ummm…. smaller?  I know mine is… I need books that grab me right away and hang on tight.  My attention span grows again as we get into fall and winter.

Its no secret here that I love the back deck to our house.  This time of year it is my FAVORITE “room”.  This morning is gorgeous as it has been for a while now and I like to get up as the sun in barely coming up, grab my coffee cup and stand on the deck listening to the earth awaken. 

I sometimes wish I was out on that deck, which faces away from the road and is quite secluded…. I wish that I would be out there in the morning doing yoga or pilates…. striking a warrior pose and preparing mentally for my day….. stretching, maybe doing a short run around the property….

but uhhh…. yeah, wishes and all that – I am not that girl.  😛

Books that came in this week:

Books I found at a sale:

Have to go… running late!

Good morning!  Popping in for a few minutes before I go garage saling this morning (which I LOVE!).  I love to find a good deal.  A couple of weeks ago I found covers for my deck chairs which was a huge score and I use them all the time.  😀

However before I plunge myself in to sale mode… we have a few winners from the Rebecca Read a Long.  And seriously, how awesome was this book?  I loved the discussion and think for the most part, we were all glad we read it.  😀  I still need to post my review…..  behind, behind, behind….. 😛

The winner of the new copy of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Mairer is….

Meg at A Bookish Affair

The copy of the DVD “Rebecca” is….

Words and Peace

and the $5 Amazon Gift Card goes to….

Christina from the Blue Bookcase

Thank you everyone for another great book discussion.  I will post soon suggestions for our next read-a-long….  I am trying to keep the reads relevant to the time of year so I am thinking Summer…..  😀

Good morning!  Wow!  Look at me, posting consistently four in a row…..LOL.  Working on getting my mojo back or something like that. 😀

I am sitting here this morning and I was looking at my side bar longingly at Yes! Chef.   I seriously thought I would have that book read and reviewed weeks ago.  I love it, I really do but when was the last time I picked it up?  Ummmm…. over last weekend while I was at the cabin.  How many pages did I read then?  Oh, about 3.  😯

But – that is what life has been like as of late – the cabin weekend was full of activity and we were on the road early, and back late…. exhausted but chatty… we could talk, but I could not read.  And then the Color Run with College Son, and Brad (Navy Son) home for two weeks which meant family dinners, and friends, and company…. 😯

and then Monday we adopted Mater, who is adorable…. don’t get me wrong…. but a handful like I did not imagine.  I have never owned a part beagle/ part basset hound before and he is high energy.  And he is barky (my word).  When he plays, he barks, and in the night-time I put him in a kennel in our entry way as that is what he is used to…. he barks.  AND his teeth are sharp so playing with him is not like playing with Sam or Bailey.  So…. anyhoo, I have work to do with the rescue puppy.

AND we are serving with IHN this week (the homeless) so I am juggling volunteers and “opportunities” that tend to arise… AND this coming Sunday is our annual church picnic which falls quite a bit on me. 

So by now, you may be seeing why I have not had time to pick up a book, or chat away with all of you on-line (which I LOVE to do!)

I do see a light (I think) at the end of the tunnel.  I took Monday and Tuesday off next week to recoup.  That should give me time to rest up, play with the dog and oh…. READ.  Books…. how I miss you!  😀

Whats happening in your July?  Plenty of reading being done or is summer a distraction for you as well?  😀

Good Morning!  It’s so nice to be back to my regular routine, sitting here in the morning with you, coffee cup to my right….  yes, that’s right… the CUP is back. 

Many of you know I took that 16 day cleanse and gave up coffee during that time as well as many other things, but COFFEE would be a big one for me.   It actually wasn’t that bad and I am not back on it like I once was, but a cup or two a day seems to work out just fine.  Some days, it is still none. 😀

AND this morning…. I did need some coffee.  Yesterday really was a 12 hour meeting day and I drove home about 9:55 pm.  This morning… I look and feel a little like a warmed over bagel.  With hair.  A bagel with hair.  Yup… that describes me.  I cant see it here in the dining room… but I can feel that my hair is everywhere.

Now…. about Rebecca.  Yesterday many of us were on schedule to have our “Party with Rebecca” here at Book Journey.  Now… as much as I would like to blame Rebecca and say that she did not show up to her own party…. that responsibility would be solely on me.  I am the one who dropped that ball.

Since my post was not 100% ready to go yesterday when I left the house at 6:30 am, I knew I would have a little time between my check in with our IHN team, and my 9:30 meeting so I took Laptop with me to Starbucks at 8:30, fully ready to finish my post and schedule it.  Except…. I had no internet at Starbucks.  😯

I tried for 40 minutes to get on-line, talked to the people who worked there, they didn’t know what was going on either.  AND since like I said earlier, my meeting was 12 hours…. Rebecca’s party was postponed and I could not even let you all know.  SO…. that all said, Rebecca will party with us today so if you were part of the read-a-long, please join me in a discussion of the book, and whatever we want to discuss about Rebecca.  😀

Today should be my first not too over the top day in almost a week.  While I do have a meeting tonight, it should not be super long and I should get home at a decent hour, which will be nice.  Thursday and Friday will be better yet, no evening meetings and Friday I do not even have to work….. WOO HOO!!!!!  I can see the light!

Good morning!  It has been one crazy weekend and my online presence has been minimal.  Having a laptop would have been…..

awkward.  😀

From Thursday to Sunday afternoon I put 800 miles on my Jeep between the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail…

Then on Sunday I took off the other direction from my home and went to The Cities to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds where I participated with friends and my son, in the Color Run…

And shortly after…

In other news, our book club last week chose out October Classic to be The Wizard Of Oz, so I was uber thrilled to find out that they are making a prequel to The Wizard Of Oz.  Have you heard this?  I am soooo excited.  Here is the trailer:

I have to go get ready, I have some finishing touches to put on a post for later today and I have a 12 hour meeting today – I kid you not.  12 hours.  😯  I will be home around 9 pm tonight.