WEEKLY UPDATES: JURY DUTY, GET-TOGETHERS, & A MOVIE

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn weekly updates

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

What a week!  Hot weather is still streaming down, but I’m trying to stay cool.  I went out a few times, always taking my book.  I had lunch with my daughter and grandson on Tuesday…then on Thursday, I had to report to Jury Duty.  That wasn’t fun…we had to wait on uncomfortable chairs in the Assembly Room to find out if we had to serve.  By noon, I was reconciled to being stuck there at least all day…and then, good news!  Half of us were dismissed.  I then happily went to Marie Callender’s to celebrate with a pot pie and wine.  I took a piece of pie home. (Photo of lunch at the bottom of the post).

I did manage to read and review three books this week, and my Read the Books You Buy Challenge now totals 69 books.

This week, I resumed watching The Ranch on Netflix…and I loved the country songs at the beginning of each episode.  Plus, Debra Winger and Sam Elliott always make me smile.

Today I’m having lunch with an old friend who is in town…and then I’m planning to see The Glass Castle.

Sunday, I’m joining my daughter and friends for her birthday brunch:

I’m long past drinking my coffee this morning, so let’s get right to a peek into last week’s reading and blogging.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  What’s in a Name?

Tuesday Potpourri:  Past & Present Moments…

Tuesday Sparks:  “The Lying Game”

A Week in Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Jury Duty, Birthdays, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “The Identicals”

Friday Potpourri:  Visiting Prague via Photos, Etc.

Review:  Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, by Chris BohjalianReview:  Swimming Lessons (e-book), by Claire FullerReview:  Before We Were Yours (e-book), by Lisa Wingate

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INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty mailbox!  I did download three e-books (purchased).

The Good Daughter (e-book), by Karin Slaughter

The Locals (e-book), by Jonathan Dee

Come Sundown (e-book), by Nora Roberts

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WHAT’S NEXT?

I have a long list of books that I have labeled “up next.”  I started reading one that will take a while, as I only read it just before I sleep:

America’s Queen, by Sarah Bradford

The Secrets She Keeps (e-book), by Michael Robotham (Currently Reading)

Mean Streak, by Sandra Brown (I started this one, which is also a bedtime read)

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That was my week!  What did yours look like?  Here is my celebratory lunch from Thursday:

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65 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: JURY DUTY, GET-TOGETHERS, & A MOVIE”

  3. Greg Hill

    Oh my gosh look at that pot pie… and a Caesar salad to go with? Looks delicious. Howe annoying we have no Marie callender’s here lol. With a kindle and some wine. I might never leave ha ha, they’d have to push me out at closing time.

    Still hot there, huh? It’s been oddly cool here today, nice but breezy, windows open. Unusual for August when it’s usually humid! I’m liking it! Hope it cools off some there soon.

    The Ranch looks kinda fun. I’m sorta between shows after finishing up Shetland.

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Greg, and after the exhaustion of waiting around in the Jury room, I needed comfort food.

      Breezy weather sounds wonderful!

      The Ranch is a series I started a while ago, and then stopped; the Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson characters were so stupid at times that I couldn’t stand them. But after my return to the show, I’m focusing on the whole group of actors, and they mellow the idiots down just a bit. LOL.

      Enjoy your week!

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  4. Marie Callender’s resturant..the same Marie who makes all the frozen foods? The pie looks delicious. Our weather continues to be seasonally cooler. It doesn’t look good for winter. Hope the week ahead is cooler and continues to be good for you.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Kimberly, and yes, Marie Callender’s makes those frozen foods…which are not as good as the real thing in the restaurant. But they work in a pinch.

      Enjoy your week, and I hope your weather evens out.

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    1. Thanks, Anne, and the duty itself isn’t so bad…it’s the waiting around to see if you’ll serve or be dismissed. Or even if you’ll have a short hearing or a long one.

      I guess it’s the uncertainty that is frustrating.

      Enjoy your week!

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    1. I thought about doing a reread before seeing The Glass Castle, as it has been years since I read the book. But it turned out that I didn’t need it.

      Enjoy! Thanks for visiting, Stacy Renee, and have a great week.

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  11. Ooo your celebratory lunch looks amazing! I don’t even like Chicken Pot Pie that much, but now I’m suddenly craving it. That’s too bad about being selected for jury duty, but thank goodness you got released early. I’ve seen The Good Daughter on several blogs today, and it looks very eerie. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it! Happy reading, and have a great week! 🙂

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  12. Hi Laurel, glad you were dismissed from jury duty, and hope you liked The Glass Castle movie. I’ve got The Locals on hold for me at the library so I hope it will be good. And you must let me know if The Secrets She Keeps is a great read/thriller. Enjoy your week!

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    1. I am enjoying The Secrets She Keeps so far…it’s been a weekend with very little reading, but not because the book isn’t good.

      Thanks for stopping by, Susan, and I LOVED The Glass Castle. I hope to enjoy The Locals, too.

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne, I hope you’re enjoying The Good Daughter…I’m looking forward to it. I hope to watch more of The Ranch tonight…but I also have Chesapeake Shores to watch…and the Garage Sale Mysteries movie.

      Enjoy your week!

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  15. fuonlyknew

    Nice books this week. We enjoy a lot of the same authors. I want to see Glass Castles. Looks so good. And I had to serve jury duty once. Took all week and was a boring case of arson. I hope I never get called again. LOL

    My Sunday Post

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I hate getting the summons, which seems to come at least every year these days, but this time was the only time I’ve had to appear and wait. In the 1980s, I was on a case that lasted three weeks: medical malpractice.

      Thanks for stopping by, Laura, and I loved The Glass Castle. Enjoy your week.

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  16. I heard the new Karin Slaughter book being reviewed on the local radio and the person highly recommended it. I really liked Come Sundown and I wouldn’t mind reading American Queen. Enjoy all your reads.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn, I look forward to my new books…and the only problem I have with America’s Queen is the very small print! The pages seem very full of tiny words…LOL.

      Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting.

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  17. We had an incredibly hot week here too… But yesterday we also had a big storm, which made it much muuuuch better now. So I’m glad!
    Unfortunately, I have to go back to work tomorrow! Wish my vacation was longer.
    America’s Queen sounds interesting!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for visiting, and I love Sundays so much more these days, since my retirement makes Mondays come around without the angst that work always brought. LOL. And every day can feel like a vacation.

      Thanks for visiting, Evelina, and enjoy your week…despite the work.

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    1. I think being on a jury is a lot better than the waiting. I was on one once…back in the eighties, and it lasted for three weeks. It was interesting.

      Thanks for stopping by, Melinda, and enjoy your week.

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    1. Thanks, Mary, I’m always looking for a reason to celebrate with food and wine…LOL.

      It was a great weekend, with lunch, movies, and the brunch….and now I’m ready to get back into my routines. Enjoy your week. I am looking forward to Come Sundown.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Emma, and I almost didn’t make it through that third book!

      Brunch was fabulous…so much good food, mimosas, and laughter. My daughter has lively friends who are always full of conversation and jokes.

      Enjoy your week.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Kathy, and I first discovered the restaurant in the early 70s when we moved to this city…there was one tiny restaurant. Then there were two…and now three. It was later that I found the frozen foods.

      Thanks for the birthday wishes for Heather; she always enjoys a party, especially when she is surrounded by family and friends.

      Enjoy your week.

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  25. Kathy Martin

    Knock on wood! I have never been summoned for jury duty. I was in the pool for a grand jury once but no case went to the grand jury in the year I was in the pool (small, rural county). Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Kathy, and I seem to get a summons every year nowadays…but usually I just call in each night. Until this time. But I’m very happy I was dismissed after waiting all morning.

      Enjoy your week, and I’m off to check your books.

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  26. Years ago I worked in the court system and seating a jury was not easy, I appreciate that you showed up and waited even if you really didn’t want to be there. Glad you had a nice lunch. It looks so delicious. Looks like I need to get Swimming Lessons since it got 5 dragonflies! My mom read Mean Streak while she was visiting and thankfully left the book. You will enjoy Come Sundown. Have a great week.

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  29. Sarah's Book Shelves

    I liked America’s Queen! It’s been years since I read it, but hope it stands up! I liked Swimming Lessons and Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands as well! Have a great week!

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  30. That’s great about getting dismissed from jury duty! My husband had it once and it ended up being this super complicated land dispute where someone was suing the city. I was so glad that I didn’t have to deal with that! I’m really curious about The Glass Castle. I’ve had the book on my TBR for years but the movie looks really good. Not sure which one I’ll get to first but I’m hoping you’ll share what you thought of it! That pot pie looks amazing. Have a great week!

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    1. I loved The Glass Castle, both the book and the movie, but I read the book so long ago that its details felt vague and indistinct. So seeing the movie without reading the book would have worked for me, I think. I really loved the movie, and was riveted to the screen…and even tearing up at times. I hope you love it.

      Thanks for stopping by, Katherine, and I’m so glad to have been relieved of jury duty. The one time I actually served, the trial was three weeks long and very complex, too, as it was medical malpractice.

      Enjoy your week!

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  31. Oh that pot pie looks scrumptious! We’ve been doing the cabbage soup diet all week. Fortunately it is yummy. I hope the Sunday Brunch was lovely with your daughter.
    The Good Daughter looks like great suspense.
    Happy Reading!

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  32. Jury duty isn’t something I have experienced yet, but lucky for you it seems it didn’t last long! 🙂

    I keep seeing Sandra Brown’s books, but haven’t read any yet. Hope you enjoy it and your week!

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  33. I’ve been called for jury duty twice. My parents live right on the county line, and the road (County Line, of course) divides the two. Anytime there’s an issue and we call the sheriff, we always get told to call the other county because it’s in their jurisdiction. That mess finally got sorted. The first jury duty was from the other county so it was easily fixed. The second time was THE week of state testing, so the judge dismissed me. It makes me nervous just thinking of serving!

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