Thanksgiving List, good things at my home

 

The first photo is of my son Lane and Bounce chilling out together in front of my fireplace.

Above is my friend Terry on my patio, we are enjoying an in person visit. So wonderful.

The sun catching my red smoke bush a few days ago. It is in front of my Pride of Madeira, both were planted as small plants in June 2018 in my front yard. The Madeira bush is already five feet high and wide.

This pillow case was purchased by me this month, the mice and books are so cute, I think. I already had the pillow that the decorative case fits on, and this is on one of my living room sofas, where I sit and read.

Bounce gives the mice and books pillow his seal of approval.

These are my favorite teas, which arrived in November, all are refills except the Ahmad Tea, which is new to me. Vadham, Plum Deluxe and Taylors of Harrogate all produce fabulous teas.

We sing in church, and I sing at home and while walking: Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog friends, world wide. Here in the USA we celebrate this on November 26 this year. Are you creating lists of things you give thanks for?

Miss Plum and Miss Penny, set in a 1950s English village

 

This book is a delightful novel, so interesting that you may read it quickly, as I did. Such turmoil in a small quiet English village in the 1950s. Some bachelors and the unmarried Miss Penny lead a life of quiet pleasures, of ice skating and sharing tea, when Miss Plum bursts on the scene. She is a complete mystery and Miss Penny saves her from drowning in a pond and takes her home to recover. Miss Plum was trying to drown herself, she had lost the will to live. Miss Plum is rather young, apparently has no talents, no money, no family, and Miss Penny finds her a tedious house guest and can’t get her to leave. There is a possible air of menace around Miss Plum. Is she as clueless as she seems?

In addition there are potential love interests for Miss Penny, including a young man she loved 20 years ago, although the local bachelors find Miss Plum intriguing at first. Miss Penny is taking the occasion of turning 40 to consider her life, past and what she would like in the future. A fun tale. 

This book is brought back to print and Kindle by Furrowed Middlebrow Publishers, and they have a good list of novels from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. I am deciding which of their books to buy next, lots of them look great. I already purchased two: Vittoria Cottage by D.E. Stevenson and Family Ties by Celia Buckmaster.

My Handsome Loving Hubby, Gone Four Years Today

Yes, my dear husband, William Hangen, died four years ago today. How sad. We shared 47 happy years together, and he died a few days before our 45th wedding anniversary.

Here are some photos.

Lane, Will and Colt on Will's birthday in August 2016, he was age 69.

Above photo: Will and I on vacation in Palm Springs in 2004. Of course he took his mountain bike with him so he could explore trails. His articles and photos of adventurous rides appeared in many biking and travel magazines. Below photo: Will and I enjoying Thanksgiving in 2015. You can see 4 place settings for us and Colt and Lane. Little did we know that would be our last Thanksgiving with Will. So sad.

Will and two guys he rode on mountain trails with.

Colt, me, Lane and Bounce at our first Christmas without our darling Will. We were still in a state of shock. We adopted Bounce at Thanksgiving in 2016.

I found a spot in a city park near our house that allows memorial benches, so I bought one for Will. The park is about a block from our house, and the bench is near children's swings and a skateboard area. I had them carve a mountain bike on one of the boards. The bench says "Bike Adventures" because Will loved riding his mountain bikes every day on nearby trails, and in wild areas on many vacations and magazine writing trips. In the photo below is a rose made of straw, left there by someone, we don't know who, but someone who misses Will too.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Books, Carole and I at the Yacht Harbor and a Bit of Confusion in Blogland

 I don't aim to confuse you, but somehow on Oct. 26 this got posted with the posting date of Oct. 1. So I think most of my blog readers did not see this post before. But if you are one of the few who did somehow see it earlier, you are not losing your mind, maybe Blogger is though.

Our local bookstore needed help; they sent customers an email saying if they are to stay in business we need to do our Christmas shopping now! I debated going in the store but decided to use their online site, found three great sounding books, ordered them online, and they will contact me when I can drive there and pick them up curbside. So no going in the store. Much as I miss browsing in the store, I am a senior and am glad I can help the store in this safe way.

I haven't received these books so am not actually recommending them, though they sound wonderful.

 

"I've Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life" by Maria Shriver. This book has wonderful reviews including "wildly gorgeous, inclusive and accessible."

Below is the second book I have on order. "Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life" by Melanie Shankle. I am attracted by this cover and have been wanting to buy this, so, voila. 

 

 

"House of Trelawney: A Novel" by Hannah Rothschild. This novel was published this year and sounds charming. An eccentric English aristocratic family tries to save their family home which is crumbling around them. The author writes sly humor and has been compared to Austen and Dickens. I haven't read it, so that is what reviewers are saying. 

Just for fun here is a photo of my friend, Carole, and me on our walk around the local yacht harbor. We wore masks but took them off for the photo. We also ate lunch harbor side at an outdoor dining venue, her treat. I had fabulous crab cake, real crab, and coffee. I am on the left, the photo is rather dark. We stopped on the deck of the yacht club and the manager, her friend, took our photo.

 

This is an odd post; I accidentally published it on Oct. 26, but with the posting date of Oct. 1, so likely no one will see it unless I publish it again and pretend it is a new post, with the date of November 1. It is some sort of weird time travel to be able to post in the past! Posting on Oct. 1 when it is 25 days later. Plus now the photos and words are being difficult to load.