What I'm reading Wednesday...

A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain

I love good time travel.  I'm about 1/3 of the way into this, and it has some...issues.  I'm going to keep reading, because counting the inconsistencies is kind of humorous.

The main character isn't at all trying to blend into the 19th century household in which she 'landed.'  She is frequently slipping modern TV-crime-fighter jargon, like 'vic' (victim) and 'unsub' (unknown subject) into her conversations with 19th century household members.  In her own time she's an FBI profiler...or is she a special agent shooting it out with a terrorist ring...or wait, she's a murder crime scene specialist.  She remembers her first case where Kentucky girls were killed and dumped on the Appalachian Trail...I suppose that is possible, but not too handy since the AT doesn't run through Kentucky.

Like I said, I love good time travel, but I don't like lazy research or laughably overused plot devices.  I will give it a bit more time, but so far, I can't recommend this one.

Making it Monday...

I had found these snowman-face images online, and I went back to try to track down their origin without success.  I don't mean to use without permission.  

These are the only four cards I will be using them on.  I needed something to make cards for the girls to write to their great-grandmother, and wanted them to have a few to choose from.  The two the girls wrote are in today's mail.  The other two were claimed by my daughter and grandson, as they decided to write to great-grandmother as well, so Ma will have a group of coordinating cards in a few days.  :)

Frugal Friday 2017, week 47...

Successes:
1.  I cleaned out my 'magic' ice maker, which keeps me at home instead of going to Sonic.  I wanted to give it a good cleaning running a water/vinegar solution through it.  I have been putting it off for awhile now, and had reverted to my bad habits.  Rudy is happy as well, as it is his favorite ice too.  :)

2.  I put off buying some clear bags until I had a chance to search a bit in my craft stash, as I was sure I had quite a few left over from a previous project.  I actually managed to find enough to meet my current need (and then some) so they will get used without any further capital outlay.  

3.  Head-achy days kept me hibernating.  Not necessarily the best way to be frugal.

4.  I supplied dressing and pies only for Thanksgiving dinner.  Kasey and Beau did all the rest of the work and expense.  I will be making Christmas dinner, but it will be a Chicken and Dumpling feast, the preparation of which I hope to spread over several days (stewing chickens and boning them) and not one exhausting day of work.

5.  I've completed my 2017 Reading Challenge.  With the help of the library and used books and shopping my own bookshelves, it was a frugal goal for the year that I am now marking DONE!

oh, and...

6.  I did NOT go out shopping on this Black Friday.  I never do.  Hate the crowds and the spending frenzy.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  leftovers
Sunday:  Sunday supper at Kasey's
Monday:  *sandwich
Tuesday:  homemade burger
Wednesday:  Mexican Cornbread casserole
Thursday:  Thanksgiving dinner at Kasey's
Friday:  leftovers

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

A Little Love Story by Roland Merullo

Love this author (Roland Merullo), and I liked this book, but I didn't love it.  About a carpenter/artist who falls in love with a woman who has cystic fibrosis.  The plot was interesting, the characters were likable, but the ending was very abrupt and left everything open.  It counted as 'a book you got from a used book sale' for the 2017 reading challenge.

Lucinda's Solution by Nancy Roman

I have followed the blog of Nancy Roman (author) for quite awhile.  I liked her first book.  I loved this one.  I'm not much of a crier, so if a book can move me to tears I count it as strong writing.  This one had me tearing up several times.  I believe the author based it on family history.  I don't know how much poetic license she took to flesh out the story, still it makes me think she comes from a very interesting family!  

The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

I am down to the final category of the reading challenge.  I thought it would be an easy category to choose a book for, but it proved quite troublesome for me.  'A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile.'  

I think I took this category too literally.  There are not that many books that I want to reread.  In fact, when I rate books on my 1-to-10 rating scale I only give a 10 if it is a book that I might want to reread someday.  When trying to select one of that short list for this category, I could think of only one that made me smile due to its humor...alas, I just haven't been in the mood to reread it this year.  So I decided to take the category prompt a bit more figuratively.  

The Diary of Mattie Spenser is the first book I read by Sandra Dallas, and I did rate it a 10.  I have since read the majority of her titles, and they brought me many hours of reading pleasure.  So in that way, yes, the thought of spending time with this book again does make me smile.  I started rereading it this morning.

Today is Tuesday...

toilet paper snowman - consumable gift everyone can use

Today I...

...saw the sun come up

...ran the cleaning cycle on the counter-top ice maker...repeatedly...then wiped it down inside and out

...did some laundry...but there is still more

...braved the hordes and shopped for Thanksgiving groceries...I forgot the red grapes

...put the groceries away

...ran the dishwasher

...took a nap

...had a nice long phone chat with my sister

...caught myself using the phrase 'hoity toity'  

...assembled a box full o' fun gift

...did some more laundry...but there is still more

...cleaned the bathroom sink/vanity


...had a nice long phone chat with my bff

...made ice 

...searched my craft stash for some clear bags for a craft project

...actually found said clear bags, and more than enough for project!!!

...used Paint program to draw/print snowman face for project

...assembled and photographed a prototype of project...see above...an effort to gift consumables that will not be clutter for recipient (and with a sense of fun)...I'm pretty sure everyone could use this...thanks Pamela for the inspiration link in your Christmas in July

...cleaned up Rudy tummy expulsion...he took my tp gag gift literally  :(

...washed my hands several times

...cleaned out fridge

...took out garbage

...put new trash liners in all the waste baskets

...emailed a friend some requested information

...emptied dishwasher

Frugal Friday File 2017, week 46...

Successes:
1.  Carey worked a couple of extra days this week.

2.  I worked yesterday.

3.  I received an email notification from my grocery store of special digital coupon savings for the upcoming holiday.  We only have one local grocery (well, we have a Wal*Mart but I rarely go to it, and almost never for groceries).  I loaded my phone with digital coupons for grocery shop.

4.  I'm going to the city for some Christmas shopping this afternoon, and I am picking up a reserved library book on the way.  I've been putting off the library trip till I had another reason to be in its vicinity.

5.  I've been saving water by not doing laundry.  :)

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  leftovers
Sunday:  Sunday supper at Kasey's
Monday:  Pasta Fagioli
Tuesday:  Meatball Stroganoff over noodles
Wednesday:  Spanish Rice w/ black beans and corn
Thursday:  Dublin Coddle
Friday:  *pizza

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

When I put library ebooks on reserve, they all seem to become available at the same time.  I laid aside Bettyville from last week for awhile since I needed to get some library ebooks read so I can turn the wifi back on to my Kindle.  (When the due date gets close for library ebooks, I turn off the wifi to my Kindle.  The books will get returned from my Amazon account, but the books stay on my Kindle and are readable until wifi to Kindle is turned back on.)

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller

Caroline: Little House, Revisited is a retelling of the Little House story from Caroline Ingall's point of view.  It was authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust.  I could always sort of take or leave the Little House stories, but I do like the idea of reworked books, and this one seemed to be well researched and it was very well written.  I enjoyed it.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

I wanted to read Our Souls at Night before I saw the Netflix original movie, but I broke down and watched it recently and enjoyed it.  I picked up my Kindle this morning and started the ebook, and made it halfway through, so it's a quick read.  The movie does very well at sticking close to the book.  Robert Redford and Jane Fonda did a great job, and I recommend the movie as well as the book.  I will probably finish the ebook tonight.  Then I need to get back to my 2017 Reading Challenge books.