Rainy Rainy Rainy Days!

We are supposed to have rain for the next few days...so much rain that the Mulching Men came yesterday...so the mulching is done! They bring a huge truck and spray the mulch in the beds...I think that Den is addicted to mulch...I never see the need but he always does! Yard after yard after yard of it! Whew! We are mulched to the hilt! We are mulched over the top! We are mulch maximized!

New books!

Supposed to be a Steven King like thriller/chiller! Also supposed to appeal to Neil Gaiman fans! Yum!



My kind of Dystopian book!


“A teenage girl on the cusp of adulthood finds herself targeted by the Revealed, a strange, secretive cult known for kidnapping 18-year-olds—none of whom are ever seen again… There’s much to admire in this debut novel.” – Kirkus Reviews...


From NetGalley...this book is about sisterhood and freedom and love in Jazz Age Manhattan!





Quirky YA British mystery? I am all over this one. And this is the second one...hunting for the first right now...



Real historical characters? Yummy!



A girl, a mysterious past...and a book store...yum!



A teen age Dexter? Oh my!

From Amazon...

"A teen girl version of Dexter meets the high stakes danger and mystery of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in this riveting debut."





Description from Amazon...yum...book from Tasha...thank you, Tasha!

"It starts in Washington when a lone gunman enters a busy burger chain and opens fire killing twenty five people. It continues in Paris, London, Sydney and Beijing. Authorities, including FBI agent Jack Rossi find no motive or any connection between the shootings causing fear and panic in the world’s major cities.

As Jack scrambles to get answers, he stumbles upon a secret world of hybrid humans, moles and a threat he never saw coming. One that could lead to the loss of an unprecedented number of lives. Including his own."



My sincerest thank you to NetGalley and publishers and authors...I am always very grateful for books! I will try to read everything! My new plan for summer reading is to get to the newest books first...SLAP to me!

Happy Tuesday!

Mulching, Digging, And Then Flowers!

Roxie and I are on the deck...bird watching. The trees have literally grown leaves overnight and the deck is shaded and private. This sweet little thing loves bird watching...she sits like this and seems totally fascinated with all the birds at the feeder, near the pond and flying overhead! I am taking advantage of these cool mornings...I just finished working out...I am munching on a frittata and I will be reading soon! Den is digging...it's his thing...he digs around the rocks, he digs up weeds and sometimes flowers but he seems very happy out there digging. Mulch is coming tomorrow and he will be even more happy mulching...I don't have to get involved until we plant flowers...later in the week!









Roxie always let's me know when it's time to go inside...she squeaks!






Finishing these...they should have been done yesterday
but I rewatched City Of Bones yesterday...while Den was out digging...I loved it even more the second time...sigh!



I think I love this book and these characters but I wish I would have read the first one.



I love having my ipad attached to my treadmill...I can walk/run/jog longer than I ever did before! It's amazing what I can do with my head in a book!

Happy Monday!

Buttered Noodles!

The town I grew up in...a small town in Ohio...was almost idyllic...we walked to school and the pool and the park and had parades and festivals for everything. It was and still is the kind of place where you can get on your bike and ride around all morning...come home for lunch...one that my mom had ready...and hop back on your bike to ride around some more.
My sister always lived a block or two from my mom...my mom was ever ready for babysitting and since my mom's house was closer to the schools...she often had my sister's kids there for lunch...typically my mom would make their favorites...including buttered noodles...and my dad would always have their favorite snacks...that's just how my parents were.

Now...my sister's daughter lives a few blocks away from my sister...and my sister does for her what my mom did for my sister. My niece just had her 4th baby...and her kids are as easily at home in my sister's house as they are in their own...my sister's cupboards are filled with their favorite snacks...toy baskets are everywhere...and some toys don't even make it back to their house but stay forever at my sister's. Eventually my niece is going to buy her mom's house and my sister is going to build a smaller house next door...not too far away...lol...right now my sister's house is the go to place for all of her grandchildren's parties.

This is my sister Paula and her daughter Emily...this is probably when Em graduated from Ohio State...before Lily, Joey, Owen and Henry!


So...that brings me to my mom's buttered noodles...

That was the lunch that every one of us begged my mom to make...it's our family's comfort food...and although every one of us can remember the taste and the kind of noodles she used...none of us can manage to make them the way my mom did...I am not even sure she used butter...I remember tubs of yellow stuff. I make buttered noodles for Den, my sister makes them, my nieces makes them, we talk about them when we are together...but when we make them...there is always something missing...




Have a wonderful day!

Which Witch!

Finished this...freaking loved it...but I am a huge fan of this author and this series. It's vampire rabid madness and I could not put it down.






Reading this...there are a number of witch books by this author but my sister Paula says that they are not really connected so you can read them in any order. So...I am reading this one now...my sister Paula loves these books. I think I do, too! The covers are always lovely!






That's all I have today! We are relaxing...doing some yard work...Den is getting us tostadas for lunch and we are having a Big Italian Salad for dinner and just staying home today...tomorrow we are driving about an hour away to a neat Farmers' Market...so today is our resting day...

Our salad recipe is from The Cozy Apron...this is her photo but mine will duplicate hers...I love her recipe!


Happy Saturday!

Summer Stuff And A Groupon Date!

Summer stuff I love...

Long flowy dresses...these are from Swell.







Short flowy dresses...these are from Ilana Kohn...








Yoga shorts under cool tunic tops...Marika is my favorite...so comfy and on sale now...






Eileen Fisher...flowy everything...these are in navy!



Creatures Of Comfort...special summery LBD...



Date night tonight with a purpose...using a Groupon before it expires!

Hello, Moro!



Reading this...scary good!


Happy Friday!