Mma Ramotswe and Her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series

Books are an important part of my life and I thought to change things up a bit on my blog I will tell you about my favorite book series. The first one in the series is "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency", by Alexander McCall Smith. I think he is a genius to create such a deep and wonderful main character who is a woman and who lives in Africa.
Here are my thoughts on "The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon".

Each time I read a book in this series, I smile with pleasure and a feeling of peace when reading the last page. Mma Ramotswe and her world in a small town in her beloved Botswana will lift your spirits even as she solves a crime or two. Mma always happily thinks of herself as a "woman of traditional build", and has never once thought of the word "diet", bless her heart. In this installment Mma Ramotswe and her assistant, Mma Makutsi (a quirky and prickly and loyal lady) are separated when Mma Makutsi has a baby. Oh, they miss each other so much! In Botswana the old ways means less is said, rather than more, even between friends. Their painful separation causes the two friends to say more, and one of them gives the other a generous gift from her heart. The first in the series is “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”, and each one I read leaves me feeling more happy. I hope they have the same effect on you. Read one and I think your dreams will be sweet.

Photos I took on walk on wharf in California

I took a walk on our local wharf on January 12 and took some photos to share with you here.

Above are kayaks for rent and a favorite seafood restaurant.

Above is a photo of about 50 sea lions napping while floating in a sunny spot.

Puppets from Bali

We have a collection of art from Indonesia, and I have not shared any of it with you on my blog before.

These are four rod puppets we have. I took the first photo because light coming through stained glass created a glorious circle pattern on the wall around the puppets. The light circle doesn't show on the photo but the puppets turned out ok.
As you can see they are two couples and I am sure they are in love. On the left in the first photo and in the photo above is the first pair we bought from a local gal who travels to Indonesia and brings back art to sell in her store.
My husband surprised me with the lady puppet of the couple. I said I loved her and my husband said "they seemed to be a pair, maybe we should go to the store and unite them." We went to the store and there the missing loved one was, lying down on a shelf and looking woebegone. We made the purchase and hurried home to reunite the couple and they have been together ever since.

Hey, this sounds like a Valentines Post.
The third photo is a closer view of the second pair of puppets we bought. These are all rod puppets or Wayang Golek from Indonesia.

The Sparkly New Year Is Here

2014 was a good year for my husband and I and our adult sons, and I hope 2015 will bring joy to share for all of you blog friends and for my family, and healing and good health for all too.
Here is Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem
"Ring Out Wild Bells."

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring happy bells across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

... Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.