What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie:

A Flavia de Luce Novel

by Alan Bradley

This is one I picked up from the library a couple of days ago.  It's the first in this mystery series, and I put it on reserve after seeing the series in Juhli's post about her book store wish list recently.  It is a hoot.  A mystery whose main character and sleuth is a precocious eleven years old who is a chemistry whiz.

I'm scheduling this post on Friday night (for posting on Wednesday) and I'm only about 1/4 of the way into it.  I'm not sure if I will have much time to read while I'm away at the quilt retreat, so finishing it is up in the air at this point.

Since I cancelled my Audible subscription after the first month (and my garage clean out), the company has been emailing me 'special' deals.  Today (Friday 11/1) they sent one I was totally on board with.  

In case there is election talk at the retreat that I want to tune out, I have charged my ear buds and downloaded this Audible book:  

Libby Lost and Found by Stephanie Booth

I believe it is about a megastar author who is behind getting her next book finished, and is hiding the fact that she is starting to suffer the onset of dementia.  She enlists the help of a superfan of her previous work to keep her on point with past story details.

Quilting by hand is something that doesn't take a lot of concentration for the most part, so there is nothing I love more than being read to while I do it!

Those are my books for this week.  I'm not sure how much time I will have to spend with either of them until I get home, but surely some, even if it's only in the car.  The Audible way...I don't read while I'm driving!  :)

2024 Fall Quilt Retreat, part 1...

This is a photo of the quilt I worked on at our 2021 Fall Quilt Retreat.  I haven't attended since then due to the retreat logistics, work, etc.

But, it is that time of year again, and I'm retired now (for the most part), so off I go!  Our fearless quilt-group leader has scouted out a new retreat that is all on one level, so no pesky stairs to maneuver.  Yay!

What am I taking to work on this year?  You're lookin' at it!  I will take this again, and may work on it only.  Someday I will get it finished.  I only promised it to someone 24 years ago!  

This quilt top was made by the grandmother of my bestest childhood friend, and when we attended her 25th anniversary and vow renewal in November of 2000, she took me into a spare bedroom and handed me the top, saying I was the only person she knew who would know anything about finishing it.  

Oh, how I LOOONNNGGGGG for the day I can hand it back to her done, and not have it on my conscience any longer!  On the other hand, I absolutely adore the bow-tie pattern and working on it.  It's very difficult to hand quilt at home, because I don't want Rudy under my feet and laying on the corners, etc.

I'll be back in a few days...hopefully with some progress to show! 

2024 Frugal Friday File, Nov 1...

1.  I worked a full day.  It was my last day working at my old full-time branch, as I have given notice that I am not accepting any more days this year, and not working at all after the first of the year.  I still have two weeks worth of work at another branch before the end of the year, but no more at my much-loved home branch.

2.  We live on a street that has no trick-or-treaters, so I skipped buying candy.  I got a ton of chocolate for my birthday, so we are about candied out here.

3.  Cue the lone bugler playing taps.  My magic ice maker died this week.  It gave me 8 wonderful years.  ;)  Some may call it nugget ice, or Sonic ice, or chewable ice, but I call it magic ice, and my husband told me to get another one.  (He doesn't even use ice, but he spoils me.)  Even our refrigerator's ice maker has stopped working, so we had to do something.  I was shopping online for another one, and couldn't decide whether to get the same brand or risk a cheaper version.  

Then I got a Costco add in my email, and the exact brand and model was $150 off this week.  I tried to log online, but my membership had lapsed so I couldn't see member prices.  I called Kasey, and she logged on, and ordered it for me.  Yes, it is expensive.  But hey, it was priced less than Amazon, and I didn't have to renew my membership.  I also asked her to pick up some gallon-sized Ziplock bags for me next time she goes to do an actual shop there.

Since we bank at the same bank, I was able to immediately (and with ease) transfer money for the icemaker from my bank account to hers for free.

4.  I made thank you cards and mailed to granddaughters to express my great joy at being able to share their first voting experience.  Then today I received a very sweet text from my oldest grandson thanking me for the Halloween card I mailed to him and his partner last week.  He received it today, and said it was a nice pick-me-up after a long work day to find happy mail in the mailbox.  His text made my day.

5.  I've been reloading the freezer with homecooked single-serving meals from leftovers.  Since I'll be away from home for about ten days total this month, it's nice to have meals ready for Carey.  He doesn't cook, and he doesn't much like eating out.  

He has long told me that if I die before he does, he will be one of those spouses that dies soon after.  I tell him, of course he will, because he will starve to death!

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  pot pies

Sunday:  Jambalaya

Monday:  Chicken Pot Pie Soup (new recipe I won't make again)

Tuesday:  Carey had leftovers, I skipped supper 

Wednesday:  Dublin Coddle

Thursday:  pot pies (I know, we've been eating these a lot lately)

Friday:  went out for Chinese

**designates meatless meal

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall

I'm about 3/4 done with this one.  Cannot put it down.  I should be thinking about what to pack (if not packing!) what I'm going to take to the quilt retreat, but I can't.  

If you read and liked The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, or its sequel by the same author, The Book Woman's Daughter, I guarantee you will like this one too!

 

2024 Frugal Friday File, October 25...

 

1.  I put the brakes on starting my What I'm Reading Wednesday book when two library books became available.  I'll read them first, and then get to the other when I can...or else it will be one of my 14 selections for my 2025 reading challenge to read 14 books from my Kindle within 2025.

2.  Made birthday card for one grandson, and Halloween cards for all grandkids.

3.  November will be busy, busy month for me with a quilt retreat and a short trip.  These are my equivalent of Carey's baseball trip this past summer.  We won't get a joint vacation this year, but this way we will at least both get to do something we love within budget.  And taking separate vacations leaves one of us at home at a time to care of Rudy.

4.  Yesterday was my birthday, and tomorrow is Diego's birthday, so we are having a combined celebration dinner tonight at Kasey & Beau's

5.  Girls are picking me up in a few to go vote!

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  takeout

Sunday:  family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Monday:  Chicken Burrito Bowls

Tuesday:  Lentil Soup w/ Cornbread

Wednesday:  Meatloaf/Baked Potatoes/Broccoli

Thursday:  takeout for my birthday

Friday:  family supper at Kasey & Beau's

**designates meatless meal

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Village Healer's Book of Cures 

by Jennifer Sherman Roberts

Went through my backlog of Kindle book and picked this one.  I'll start it later tonight.

2024 Frugal Friday File, October 18...

 

1.  On Saturday I made my Easy Enchiladas Casserole using up the chili left over from Thursday.  I love planned overs, and it is frugal of budget and the cook's energy to make something 'new' from work you put in previously.  Basically I layer corn tortillas, chili, and grated cheese until I run out of tortillas and chili.  I have never had success rolling up enchiladas, so I finally gave myself permission to just layer the darn things.  It used up the leftover chili, and made a couple of individual meals to put in the freezer.  

2.  Free vaccines...one of the benefits of being this old?  

3.  Monday I paid the electric bill.  It was about $90 less than last month's bill since we've been having some lower temperatures (finally!)  Tuesday we had an area-wide power outage at 4:30 pm, with a repair estimate of over 2 hours.  Carey didn't want to wait the two hours, and then wait for me to cook IF it even came back on as estimated.  So we drove 6 miles to see if anything 'in town'  had power, but no, so we drove to the city for a meal.  There went a big chunk of the savings on last month's bill.  :(

4.  Anybody else play the New York Times games?  Granddaughter introduced me to Wordle two or three years ago (maybe four?).  Then Carey and I started playing Weaver as well.  Then granddaughter said I had to try Connections.  And the other granddaughter wanted me to play Strands.  Carey sticks to just the first two.  Me?  I stay up until midnight to do all four of the new day's puzzles.  Just the free versions.

5.  I'm on my fourth library book in as many weeks.  Still wanting to read down my Kindle books...soooo many.  I have a blog friend from way back that now is a YouTube vlogger ( youtube.com/@CarolineMrsM ) who said recently that she wasn't going to buy any new books for the rest of the year, just read what she already owns.  I'm not sure I can do that, though as I was thinking about it, I realized that I may not be able to get through the ones I already own in my lifetime.  

So for my 2025 reading challenge, I think I will pick out 14 books on my Kindle to read in the coming year.  I did this quite a few years ago with physical books from my shelves, in fact, the photo at the top of my Reading List page (link found under the photo at top of the blog home page) is of the 14 books I selected to read that year.  It was very helpful, and I was able to accomplish the goal, and then I donated all the books to our library.  You may ask why 14...because it allows a book-per-month goal, so 12, plus allows 2 alternatives in case you find yourself really disliking and not finishing any of the monthly reads.

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  Easy Enchilada Casserole, sliced avocado

Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Monday:  Mexican Cornbread casserole

Tuesday:  meal out due to power outage

Wednesday:  Homemade Pizza

Thursday:  pot pies

Friday:  Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Brisket 

**designates meatless meal