This Past Week...

I wish I could say that this week was even just a little more exciting than last week...but it really wasn't. But seriously...for me right now? That's really ok.

Books...

I finished these...and they were both British chunksters!

I am not sure that I loved all of the book within a book within a book aspects of this one but it was good! But again...I was so glad when I was finished with this book! It makes me wonder why!

I love Inspector Banks books...fried breakfasts and meaty pies and complicated plots...I have always loved these books and there are tons of them!

I am still reading this...it's a glorious fantasy!

As soon as I finish my Callie Bates book I am choosing one of these unless I change my mind again which I hope I won't do!

 

Thoughts...

I think I have too much time to think about "stuff". I can't be as active yet...I am still incredibly fatigued. I can fall asleep at night sitting up at around 8 ish and then wake up wired at 9 ish. It doesn't happen every night but when it does...I hate it. It feels as though I am starting the night all over again! Roxie gets totally excited and thinks the day is starting. I can't even sneak off into another room because both Lucy and Roxie believe that the four of us should sleep in the same room and if I leave...they hunt for me and wake Den up!

Adventures...

I made bread! So easy and so good...from this book. I think I am making cinnamon bread today. Bread making is a total culinary adventure for me lately! I love this book. My loaves look just like this one only just a tad bumpier! Plus you really do not need to knead the bread! You fork it in the bowl with two forks! You never touch the bread dough! Talk about a culinary adventure!

More Adventures...

I had a check in visit with my primary doctor yesterday and he asked me why I stopped my treadmill walk at 15 or 16 minutes. I guess I just thought that was enough for me for a while but he said...why not go to 20? Sadly I had no legitimate answer so 20 minutes is my new goal. Sigh! What hard to reach number will be next on my workout agenda? No more excuses for me to slack off...I guess. But 20 minutes...it felt so good to get to 16 and then stop.

As pretty as our neighborhood is...ponds and geese and ducks and egrets and herons and people...there is no where to walk or bike. My outside walking adventure takes me down the street and back up again. Over and over and over...and I didn't even do that this week. I am thinking about getting a simple bike...then I could ride up the street and down again...over and over. Would that be any more fun? We do not live in a fun "hood". All we can do is walk up and down the street...no stores...no coffee shops...no restaurants...we have to get in the car and drive everywhere. I always saw myself living in Portland or Camden, Maine or Aspen...walkable towns...I yearn for them. Sigh!

We have been kind of stuck inside because of tree trimmers...yesterday and again today...our tree trimmer is meticulous and seems to worry about all of our trees. He even places pretty branches in a neat stack for me to use...branches that are too pretty to toss.

I am out of here!

Hugs,

Patty

 

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Let's Talk Furniture!

Why oh why did we buy leather furniture?

Leather furniture was something Den and I both thought we would love to have in the family room. We bought it this past fall...tried to live with it...and just before spring we moved it all into the living room. It looks awesome there but no one is using it. That's even better! The cats don't jump on it, sun doesn't shine on it and people don't slide their purses with huge buckles across it...making us cringe!

It's perfect tucked away in the living room!

Luckily I always slipcover our old family room furniture in white slipcovers for the summer and that's what is in the family room now. It's comfy and the kitties can jump on it and sun can hit it and I love it. I've always loved it.

So...the plan is that we will get new family room furniture in the fall but it won't be leather. No way...no leather...ever!

So now...we have too work on Den's study. His desk is too small...he wants more shelves and he hates his chair! We still need to find a refrigerator! The first one didn't fit...the second one that would fit was a brand that scared us...Maytag...so now we are looking again.

That's why we are talking furniture! I now own 4 sofas! It would have been 5 but we gave an Ethan Allen sofa that was in Den's study to Habitat For Humanity. How do these things happen? I have a Harden Cherry Sofa stored in our basement! Help!

And here is the thing about Den's study...it was perfect until he decided to change everything around...granted it is his study but it was perfect! Just enough sports memorabilia to make him happy...or so I thought. The rest of the room was western...a massive southwestern painting...and everything else arranged just so...according to my standards...and before you think "poor Den" poor Den does not have an eye for arranging things. His study is in a separate part of the house so I don't often walk by but yesterday I did...he has old football pictures leaning against wall frames...a Bronco towel on the back of a Mission rocker...and even more indiscretions!

And now we get to the basement. Den has managed to do so much without me but it's time for me to step in and start going through those basement treasures. Stuff I couldn't live without...is now in boxes and bins! Treasures from every state we lived in...how do I deal with it all? Den has put up tons of shelves and we are organizing everything on the shelves. Then we will go through it all for giveaways. It's just that I want it done now! Sigh!

Ok...

That is my furniture rant. I need to get strong enough to get started!

Hugs,

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Monday's Clear Vision?

We really do not do anything serious over the week end. And lately we have tried to simplify it even more. We might make homemade waffles or pancakes or a frittata but yesterday we had cereal with berries and it was just as good as a more complicated breakfast. Sometimes we get these huge cinnamon rolls from a shop in town. Sometimes we do apple cider donuts from an orchard outside of town. It depends on our mood. We settle on the sofa and big fluffy chair and read papers...the only time we read newspapers all week. Den loves this ritual and I try to always make it happen...only when I was really exhausted from chemo did I stay upstairs...he was so sad.

Den reads local papers but I only read the NYT and especially the Book Review! It's my guilty little pleasure that I have already read most of the profiled books in the Book Review. My bad!

So...it's easier for me to have a clear vision at the start of the week. I want to read at least three books. I want to work on the basement. I want to cook more. I want to stay up without literally keeling over into a sound sleep. I need to walk more than 16 minutes every day. I need to walk outside more. I need to focus on a more normal life. I need to try to slowly end my self imposed exile. I need to stop watching my hair grow.

That's my clear vision!

Books...

Reading this...it's filled with kingdoms, rebellions, powers, and estrangements. Also filled with YA fantasy yumminess.

Still reading this slowmoving chunkster but...it just gets better and better.

I picked this lovely book up over the weekend...it was so good! An old crumbling B & B in Alabama where people seem to come and stay but not leave. When the actual owner dies her granddaughter is left with making something out of the house. She ends up with much more than a house! This was a great relaxing book.

Some new books...from NetGalley...

From Amazon Vine...

From NetGalley...

From Amazon Vine...

Yo "gotta" love a clear vision!

Hugs,

Patty

 

 

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