09/29/24
Filed under:
General
Posted by:
Ann @ 3:33 pm
It is a cool rainy Sunday afternoon in western Pennsylvania; the leaves have just started to change colors. Yes, fall is still and probably always will be, my favorite change of season. I’ve started cutting back my perennial flowers for winter. My geraniums look like they could still win first place at the county fair, they are so vibrant and robust. I might try to winter them again, I’ve never had success with that, but might try it again this winter. I’ll let you know next spring if it worked.
Yesterday I baked pumpkin bread, it made our home smell so cozy and warm… It put me in the mood for fall and I transferred our winter and summer clothes to the correct closets for the coming season. I also filled a large box to donate to Goodwill. Then I transferred our winter coats to the main closet and packed away the spring and summer coats to store for next year, (some of these will also be added to the Goodwill box). It might sound a bit boring but it gives me a sense of accomplishment.
I also got to hold my youngest great grandchild. He is home from S.C. with his parents this weekend for a family wedding, he’s 5 months old, teething and very active. Though, when he’s sleepy - he’s still cuddly. So handsome, alert and sweet! His mommy and daddy moved from their two bedroom rental condo to a brand-new four bedroom home over Labor Day weekend, and became proud new home owners. All our school-age great grands like school this year and seem to be thriving. Our ten-year-old great granddaughter is in a 4-H horse club and has been showing her horse, English riding style, in area horse shows. She seems to be collecting blue ribbons left and right. She qualified to go to Harrisburg for state competition near the end of October. Our youngest granddaughter is a junior at U of Pitts, Main Campus; she loves her classes and living in the city. Another granddaughter became engaged this summer and is planning a wonderful wedding for June, 2025. I can’t help being a proud Granny!
We hosted two family gatherings this month. One over Labor Day weekend with my husband’s family. It was so much fun and he loved having both his daughters here as well as cousins from Toronto. Two weeks later we hosted some of my family. It was Community Yard Sales weekend, so we ladies had fun checking out bargains. We hosted my sister and her husband from Maryland, as well as cousins from Bellefonte, and New Bethlehem. We LOVE spending time with family!
I completed the required 30 CEU credits necessary to renew my Professional Nursing license. That’s always a relief! My son said, “Why bother Mom? You’ll never be going back to work as a nurse again.” I told him, you never know what lies ahead, best to be prepared. And so I am.
Also managed to read a few good books this month:
The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore. 2024. Historical fiction. This was my favorite book that I’ve read during the last few months. Single mother, Dr.Tucia Hatherly has not touched a scapel or a stethoscope since the fatal error made during her medical school residency. She works in a corset factory struggling to pay her rent and support her disabled son. She joins a traveling medicine show, her debt traps her to the unscrupulous charismatic showman, Huey. He needs her medical license to give his show credibility. The tension increases as they arrive in Galveston, Texas in early September, 1900. (On September 8, 1900 the worst hurricane in U.S. history almost leveled the resort island. Thousands perished.) Many plot twists and great character development. A good follow up read would be Erik Larson’s Isaac’s Storm. It’s also about the 1900 hurricane.
Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan. 2020. Fiction. (British). Melissa Byatt’s life is not what it appears - one evening she arrives home from work to find her husband stabbed and unconscious, bleeding out on the kitchen floor with their three children standing calmly around him. Shocked, she realizes that one of them stabbed him but WHY? Thickening plot twists with each chapter and good character development. This is one of three thriller/mystery series but is a great stand-alone book as well.
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 2015. Fiction. 29 year-old Hannah Martin has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She’s lived in six cities and held countless meaningless jobs. Finally she moves back to Los Angeles where she grew-up and is staying with her best friend, Gabby. An accident happens after a dinner out with her old boyfriend, or does it? Concurrent story lines give Hannah two different life choices. The reader doesn’t know the till the end which one she chose. An interesting story, for sure.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. 2024. Fiction. Evie Porter has everything a nice southern girl could want, a white-pickett-fence, a tight group of friends - the only catch - Evie does not exist. It is con-artistry at its best. This was our book club choice for this month. We had an exceptionally good discussion about this who -dun-it.
Another Woman’s Child by Kerry Fisher. 2020. Fiction. (British). Jo thought her life was full It’s a gripping and heart- breaking story. Family secrets and the sacrifices made for those we love are just the tip of the ice-burg. A death-bed promise made to her single mother best-friend, Jo goes against her husband’s wishes and takes the eighteen-year-old high school boy into their home. Their troubled sixteen-year-old daughter continues to spiral out of control and the fragile cracks in the family are ripping into gaping holes. A bit tedious at times but a worthwhile read. Good character development and many plot surprises.
We’ve been watching for the second time the PBS series, All Creatures Great and Small. It’s a real gem and I’m noticing many little things that I missed the first go-round. My husband loves it and it’s a soothing show to watch before going to bed. We also went to the movie theater to watch Reagan. It’s a wonderful movie. I highly recommend it. Dennis Quaid stars as Ronald Reagan and Penelope Ann Miller plays Nancy. It’s a 5 star movie in our opinion!
That’s all for now. Keep reading, my friends and stay well.
Later, Ann