It's still mid February and while I don't want to wish time away, boy -- it seems like a long month! At least we've had some fun -- and fun things to look forward to!
Rick was so desperate for good skiing that he headed north to spend some time with Greg, then kept going up to Sault Ste. Marie Canada, (aka The Soo). He found a spot he thought was heaven on earth.
It's time for another Cork Poppers post! This time we met at my house and our theme was "Where in the World Would You Like to Be Right Now." That opened up a lot of options for wines from about every country you could imagine and we had a few -- New Zealand, Spain and Italy!
I had high hopes for January reading and ended up with four books, three mysteries and one novel. I did clock in a lot of pages -- most were pretty big. But more important, they were good, too.
Today is Nicole's Friday Face-Off portrait challenge, in which we share portraits we have done of another. Now, if I was really doing this right, it would be something more recent than these. But, as they say, "it's been a month" (or two). So a couple of oldies. I'll kick it off with Rick. (All of these were done in watercolor on paper.)
Greetings from the Polar Vortex. Chances are if you live most places in the US, you are in it, too.
We are in the midst of a deep freeze here -- definitely not my favorite kind of weather but when you live in Michigan, you have to experience this now and then. But this is pretty extreme! When I was a kid, I don't remember them ever closing school because it was too cold. Even snow days were rare and it seemed we had more then than now.
The past week has been mostly a "friend" week with several lunches and dinners out. I've been short of companionship during the past couple of months -- self-imposed, to be sure. But now feeling good enough to enjoy the company of others. And, on top of that, my weight-lifting and arm-raising instructions have been lifted so can get back to doing things around the house I'd neglected.
I was so surprised and delighted when, on my "liberation day," Rick showed up with a dozen beautiful peachy roses. They've held up so well and I love them!
Well, I've been here before. A slow month. I could write about a lot of health things or political topics but I don't want to and you probably don't want to read them. So, it's back to revisiting the travel photo archive!
Finally -- an overview of the books I read in 2025. This was a far better reading year than I expected, with a grand total of 73 books read in 2025. Those books represented 20,573 pages. (The total books was a record since I started recording books in 2002, pages a bit short of 2022's 21,994.)
Last year's totals were 47 books and 4947 pages, so it was a great improvement!
I've listed my Top Ten (or so) below, all books by category/genre following. Please note that because something didn't get in the top ten, didn't mean it wasn't good. It might have just meant that it was part of a series and the series should be considered as a whole.
Links under the titles of each book are to my book review posts from last year with more detail about each one. I didn't include many of the mystery series I love so much here because it felt a bit redundant, but many of those would be in my favorites!The calendar has turned over and I'm doing my best to turn over with it! Some recent doc appointments have brought about some medication changes and I'm feeling much improved! What a relief! And nothing like a pretty fruit arrangement to really make your day!
I've been spending a lot of time at the computer lately, looking at old photos. No, not for blogging. Not even to delete the bad ones (of which there are plenty.) It is to add my own photos to the Aura photo frame that Kevin and Molly gave me for Christmas which is high on my "best gift ever" list. (Left: Covid days/egg hunt; Right: Good times in England)
Recently, the New York Times had an article about seven reflection questions to ask yourself that might help you have a happier new year in 2026. I enjoyed these -- they were good food for thought.
Being at the lake always makes me feel more joyful and carefree. There is usually no schedule and you can't beat the environment!
I guess I read a bit more than anticipated in December, wrapping up the year with mostly mysteries, which are my "comfort food," along with one dearly loved re-read. (OK, I read that book one chapter a month but I finished this month!) Five books -- I'll take it. And they were all worth the time.
Happy New Year! 2025 was quite a year for us. We had a damaging ice storm at the lake and a tree fell down on Rick's house during a tornado in Lansing. Rick took two long bike hikes, including a month-long trip to Canada and New England. I stayed close to home or the lake! There was fun -- our Cork Poppers and other times with good friends, a good art sale and lots of art time. But I also dealt with afib issues, a cardioversion, pacemaker, tendonitis that laid me flat for a bit, and the usual MRSA, sinus and pseudomonas infections. Add to it the tension in the US and I will be glad to turn the calendar page to 2026.
I think we were like many of you, who enjoyed multiple Christmases! As you saw in the last post, we had fun with the kids, decorating Rick's trees and doing the zoo walk. That was Monday. On Tuesday, it was our "Christmas Eve." I took the morning off so I could get a couple of things done at home (like sleep) and make cookies to decorate. But soon it was time for fun! (The clean-up would be later!)
We (I mean the collective "we") were going to build a gingerbread house. It started out well enough.
The kids have moved on to their next Christmas after a good (and exhausting!) celebration. The tree is up and will be for a bit. I need the light and to be honest, have barely had time to sit with it and fully enjoy. I've had rough holidays before. This one has been overwhelming. But, as someone once said to me when I was doing theatre and we were all tired, not always sure of the steps, "Smile, and keep on tapping!"
We're closing in on Christmas and perhaps the best part is spending time with friends and doing some fun things, a bit out of the box. As I mentioned in the last post, my friend Suzanne came for a short visit and we did some Christmas shopping. The stores are looking good!
One spot we like offered snacks (they sell sauces and rubs and such, so it was good marketing!). It made for a nice treat on an impossibly frigid, windy day. They also had a couple of singers with an accordion come in and sing holiday songs. They were rather off key at times (but then, who isn't?) but very holly jolly and it was a nice touch.
Things are on the upswing here as my friend Suzanne visits this weekend. But I thought I'd pop in the last of the home decorating pix. I'll start with this amaryllis from Trader Joe's. $7.95 and it has given me five huge blooms, still going after several weeks. I'd never seen a pink and white one before! Decorating and I didn't have to do a thing except put it on the table!
And these flowers, sent by dear friends, are still going strong -- perfect Christmas colors!
It may be the December holidays now, but in late November, we were popping corks with Cork Poppers, celebrating fall and the upcoming "busy season" with some wonderful wines and delicious foods! This time, our hosts were Mike and Kate and the theme was Wines to See Us Through the Winter.
We started out with some festive Prosecco, because what is more festive than that?
Thanksgiving may be over but my personal season of gratitude extends to you. Thank you all for such kind, supportive words. I'm pleased to say the pacemaker implant surgery is over and while I'm still sore as all get out at the site, I'm back home, getting itchy to be back in holiday mode. I'm finding typing a bit challenging, between the sling and some soreness there, so if I don't visit as often or answer your comments directly (if I have contact info for you), I know you'll understand. And again, I am so grateful for you good thoughts.
(If you're not into book chat, see the note at the bottom!)
I'm not sure what I was doing in November. Yes, prepping for my art sale took a lot of time. Yes, there were three days of the sale. But that was over mid-November and let's be honest -- I didn't prep 24/7 for that. Somehow, I only managed to read two books, both mysteries. And both were worth my time.
Last weekend wasn't my best. I was nervous about my surgery, but what was really getting to me was wanting to get the house decorated before. I was told I'd feel pretty good within a couple of days, but that didn't factor in the sinus and lung infections! Still, I have Energizer Bunny characteristics when under the gun, so I decided I would power decorate the house before. And I was making headway!
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| One tree up -- but this photo is from last year! |
(The main reason for this was that I wouldn't be able to lift my arm above by shoulder or carry more than 10 pounds for a week to ten days.)
I hope those of you celebrating Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday, whether you were solo, with family or, as we did, enjoying a Friendsgiving.
Our holiday weekend began a couple of days earlier when Rick got me along-awaited new toilet and installed it. Two trips to the hardware store later, it's a beauty (everything going down all right!). Now, what to do with the old toilet, presently sitting by the garage? I am contemplating decorating it for Christmas. We shall see. I don't have the energy to actually figure out how to get rid of it right now!
Those of us living in the US will be celebrating Thanksgiving on November 27 -- the latest day in the year that this "moving around" holiday takes place. Four weeks from today will be Christmas.
This holiday has been happening since 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their first year in the new world and a successful harvest. They shared this celebration with the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans.
You'd think after the last week, with the art sale eating most of the time, I'd be laying low. And in some ways, I would have liked to. But there was too much on the agenda -- the fun and the not-so-fun.
The fun was a belated birthday party for Rick and me and our friends Mark and Jan. Jan's birthday was in May, Rick's in July, mine in August and Mark's early this month. But we hadn't celebrated a one of them! So I decided to have a birthday party for us all.
I am SO ready for a break! Last week was a bit of a zoo (and this one is, too). Mostly all good stuff, but still, sometimes enough is enough!
The sale ended up being pretty successful. But I confess, I'm wondering if I'm getting a little old for this! We had great vendors, a lovely time and it was wonderful to see many people come and love the work -- mine and that of my fellow artists. But it was good to get it over.
It's been a good week or two and not a lazy one! I've been busy ramping up for the art sale (which is November 13-15 and if you live in my area of Lansing, MI and want more details, let me know and I can email them to you!) There will be nine of us altogether and while we're all a bit apprehensive on how sales will go with things being financially precarious for so many, it will be fun, no matter what. Still, our prices are fair (and no tariffs!) These are some of the paintings I did this year that will be included.
In addition to the framed (and matted) watercolors, I'll have lots of cards, many from photos and some original watercolors, and the felties.
It's been kind of lonesome around here of late. Rick's been north, doing his annual retreat at the cottage, which culminates with his closing it up for the year. Once the temps drop and the leaves have fallen, I'd rather be home! He's home now, but it felt like a long time! This was our first Halloween where I didn't make chili while he handed out the treats. That was a bit weird! (It was also weird that we only had 15 goblins come to the door and now I have to unload 45 packets of Oreos to someone who isn't watching their sugar!) The photo is just SOME of the leftovers.
October was a surprisingly good reading month for me. Or maybe not all that surprising. About a week of that was spent up north with a foot that prevented a lot of things I would have otherwise done, so there was more time for reading. That continued, even when I got home.
The results? Three very different memoirs, four mysteries and another holiday selection, this time essays.
It hardly seems possible that we are in the last week of October. What on earth happened to summer? It seemed winter went on and on and now we're looking toward it again.
Life has been rather routine these days. I had a wonderful time with blogger Anno who came up to Lansing for lunch, enjoyed dinner with friends, went to a farewell dinner for a friend and had our WKAR retiree lunch. That, and an appointment with the Secretary of State's office to get my handicap permit and a long delayed skin check with the dermatologist (all is well), got me out of the house! Inside? I put up a few decorations (really cutting back this year) and have been prepping inventory for my upcoming sale.
Given that life is rather dull these days, let me take you on another "Finding Old Photos" journey, this time to the Netherlands. Alas, no dazzling fall colors, as in the last post. We visited in the spring. But color? Oh yes -- there was color!
Our trip to the Netherlands in 2018 was a first for both me and Rick and it was a memorable time in a lovely country. We were only there for about four days but crammed a good deal into that time -- a concert at Concertgebouw; a stop at the wonderful Rijksmuseum where we were lucky enough to see "The Night Watch" before it went out for restoration; Anne Frank's house; a visit to the UNESCO heritage sight Kinderdijk (on a gloomy day, alas); Delft; several small towns, and we were lucky to be there in Amsterdam during "Queen's Day."
