I sit to write this blog as the witching hour draws near… I hope you’ve all had a Happy Halloween! We returned from dinner and a movie, Florence Foster Jenkins, a few minutes ago. It was a nice evening with good friends. The movie was funny and sweet, and oh how we laughed!
I joined the Bradford Literary Club this month. I’ve considered doing this for years and finally made the commitment.
They meet every Friday afternoon from October through March. They have interesting programs three times a month and a card day once a month. It should be fun and all the ladies are friendly and nice.
This afternoon I finished wrapping our bushes in netting to protect them from the deer this winter. Tomorrow is to be warmer, and I plan to sand and scrap our little wooden bridge. I will also pack away our Halloween decorations, inside and out. We have prepared our gardens for winter. I swear every day seems to slip by faster than the one before it. I love the change of seasons and find myself looking forward to colder weather and a chance to hibernate inside with more time for my writing.
Two weeks ago I realized that I had nearly missed renewing my PA registered nursing license, but I hustled with the extra continued credit requirements and renewed my license just under the deadline of October 31. What a relief! I also maintain my N.Y. state license since we live so close to the NY state border. A person never knows what lies ahead and my nursing licenses are my safety net…just in case.
I was privileged to be a guest and do a reading at the Warren Women’s Club on October 10, what a lovely group of ladies. They own a beautiful mansion where they hold their luncheon meetings and other events. I autographed and sold many books, it was a great day for me.
I have read several good books this month:
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, fiction. (I loved it but then I am a bit partial to this writer, though I’ve never met her. She put her money where her heart is and bought a book store in Tennessee. And despite online competition manages to keep it thriving.) This story spans five decades of the lives of two intertwining families, the plot is layered and deals with with ties that bind us together, even at times unwillingly.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz’s debut novel, in the context of LOVE, was an unforgettable coming of age story. When the protagonist discovers a devastating family secret, she makes a series of bad life choices and pays the consequences. Story Circle sent this novel to me to review. I will add the review link later, I haven’t had time to finish the review yet.
On War and Politics by Arnold L. Punaro and David Poyer. Punaro’s memoir was heavier reading than my usual choices. It is well written, interesting recent history and behind the scenes details on wheeling and dealing at the highest levels of our government. While reading, there were times I wished I was reading fiction!
Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, Born to Run, was outstanding. I was never particularly a Springsteen fan, probably because as he rose to fame, I was up to my ears with babies and diapers. (That was back when we did not have disposable diapers.) His book was enlightening; his commitment to his craft and music, his family, and the final paragraph of the memoir knocked my socks off!
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. This coming of age novel is a wonderful and truly unforgettable story. It started out a bit slow for me but a few chapters in, I was really hooked. It was one of those I stay up late reading, ( and then wonder why I have dark circles under my eyes!) The prose was at times lyrical, the point of view voice was honest and intelligent, the characters were well developed and believable and the plot suspenseful and layered. It is my book club’s choice for the November meeting.
I discovered a new painter, Robert Duncan, I adore his work. I have three small prints and two larger ones from his vast collection of paintings. He paints country realism. He has been painting since age 11 and has received many awards. I’d guess he’s painted for more than 40 years now. Click for more information:
www.robertduncanstudios.com/store.html
One bright sunny October day we made a road trip with friends from Pittsburgh. We visited the Kinzua Bridge Visitors Center. It is absolutely fabulous! It’s not far from us but we had not been there in years. Then we stopped at Lynn Hall near Port Allegany and had a tour of the historic restoration-in-progress of the Frank Lloyd Wright style house. It is the house that Wright modeled Falling Water after. He actually hired the architect, Walter Hall, who built Lynn Hall to build Falling Water. We continued on to St Marys where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a small non-chain family owned restaurant before driving on to the Benezette Elk Visitors Center. It was late in the day and we saw at least fifteen elk in the wild and relatively close. It was awesome!
We also went to see a few good movies: Magnificent Seven, Deepwater Horizon and The Accountant, also The Last Interview from Netflicks. We are also enjoying Longmire, a modern western series. So far we’ve watched the first one and half seasons, only three and a half to go.
Till next time, keep reading my friends and make every day count.
Ann