BLUE MONDAYS…AGAIN…

It is Monday, but it’s not raining.  I am feeling a bit blue, though.  Something I promised myself NOT to feel on Mondays.  Not since I first created this blog.

Last night, I came home after picking up my granddaughter Fiona from work…after she had blown a tire on her car.

Finally home again, I approached my garage, only to find the door wide open!  I know I closed it when I left.

Well, after trying to close the door again, I realized that it wouldn’t stop.  It just kept going up and down.

A neighbor came over to try to help…but I’m going to need maintenance staff.  Why do these things always happen on weekends?  The neighbor manually closed the door for me.  And I felt secure again.  And met my next-door neighbor for the first time!  It’s always good to know your neighbors.

I woke up early this morning, so I could be ready for maintenance staff.  They are usually quite prompt, but I want to call again to remind them.  Otherwise I’m stuck in my garage today!

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Here is my Monday morning coffee…and I just watched a show about flipping houses…on Hallmark.

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How did your Monday begin?

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A DITTY PLAYING IN MY HEAD: MONDAY’S CHILD, ETC.

Have you ever had a song playing in your head until you can’t stop hearing it?  The one I’ve been thinking about, and which I wrote a post about a couple of years ago, is a kind of nursery rhyme about the days of the week.

I’ve been thinking about it lately because of the Monday theme here on this blog, and how we sometimes think of Mondays as “blue days,” perhaps because that day signals the end of a lovely weekend.

But on this blog, we have an antidote to the blues, even if we dread the end of the weekend.  Because…books chase away the blues.

Here’s the ditty:

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace;
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go;
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for its living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

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My first child, the son who visited from Berlin a year ago, was born on a Thursday; my second came on a Saturday.  My third son almost made his appearance on a Monday, but managed to stall and showed himself early on a Tuesday morning. 

Then there was my daughter, whose labor began on a Wednesday.  After 36 hours, followed by a C-Section, she came on a Friday.  And despite the temporary negative effects of that labor, she is definitely “loving and giving.”

Even the fact that she came on Friday the 13th did not diminish the joy.  First and only girl, and what a gift she was…and is.

Yes, we have the Mother/Daughter issues…but I love getting her little texts when least expected…and she styles and colors my hair every month.  What more could I want?

Each child has brought something special to my life…and the day on which each one was born is probably not predictive of anything…but I see something in the descriptions of their birth days.  Here are all four of them captured one fall day in 1991…at a rare event that assembled all of them together in one place.

 

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BTW…I was born on a Sunday…And here is a doll I bought a while ago to “honor” that day of the week ( I am noticing in this close-up that she has “messy hair.”)  Like me, I guess:

 

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A BLUE MONDAYS MUSING….

Welcome to my Blue Mondays Musings Post.  Check in with Jenn, at A Daily Rhythm to see some options to post about.

 

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you read more than one book at once? Why, or why not?

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I can’t wait to get my hands on The Children, a novel by Ann Leary.

 

 

Blurb:  Charlotte and Sally Maynard grew up in a rambling Connecticut country house that belonged to their stepfather, Whit Whitman. Perry and Spin, Whit’s sons from his unhappy first marriage, were welcomed as weekend guests. All of the children received Whit’s love and attention, but they were also influenced, for better and for worse, by his often misguided ideals and wildly narcissistic personality. When Whit dies, he leaves the estate in the care of his wife, Charlotte and Sally’s mother, with the understanding that the home will revert to Perry and Spin when she passes away. But Joan, a stalwart sixty-something, isn’t going anywhere soon. She’s enjoying the house, which she shares with Charlotte, an agoraphobic mommy blogger, who doesn’t actually have any children. She and her sister have a good relationship, and they’re close, too, with their step brothers. But when Spin, the youngest, brings his beautiful fiancé Laurel Atwood home for the summer, she manages to subtly crack the polite veneer of the family, exposing an array of simmering resentments, old wounds, and troubling family secrets.

Told from the sharp and wryly humorous perspective of the introverted Charlotte, THE CHILDREN examines themes of money, loyalty, trust, and familial love.

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I read and loved another book by this author, The Good House, which is supposedly in production as a movie.  Click the title for my review.

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As for the random question:  I seldom read more than one book at a time, but when I do, they must be very different.  Different genres, for example.

What are your bookish habits?  What books are intriguing you today?

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LET’S CELEBRATE THE LAST MONDAY OF 2015!

Welcome to another Monday….and since it’s the first Monday after Christmas, and the last one in 2015, let’s give it a great high sign.  Let’s join Jenn, at Musing Mondays, to chat about bookish things.

Here are some topics:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Did you buy books for anyone, this Christmas (other than yourself)?

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This week I’m going to be starting my First Book of 2016, celebrated over at Book Journey.  My post will be at An Interior Journey.

No, I’m not telling the book title yet…tune in on Friday to find out…LOL.

Meanwhile, however, I’ll be catching up on books I purchased in 2014…yes, clearing out Pippa.  Then I hope to read The Swans of Fifth Avenue, a NetGalley book by Melanie Benjamin. (Release date – 1/26/16).

 

 

 

Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her friends—the alluring socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, and Pamela Churchill. By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour, jewels, influential friends, a prestigious husband, and gorgeous homes. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman—a woman desperately longing for true love and connection.

Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains an unlikely entrée into the enviable lives of Manhattan’s elite, along with unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe’s powerful circle. Sure of the loyalty of the man she calls “True Heart,” Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller—even when the stories aren’t his to tell.

Truman’s fame is at its peak when such notable celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and Rose Kennedy converge on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon, he’ll ignite a literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years. The Swans of Fifth Avenue will seduce and startle readers as it opens.

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I remember seeing some of these glittering characters in the movie Capote, as well as Infamous, so I am already eager to find out more.  One of my blogger friends, Patty, at Books, Thoughts, & a Few Adventures, Googled some of these characters and events, to add to her enjoyment of the book.

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What engages you on the last Monday of the Year 2015?

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MONDAY’S CHILD, ETC.: A DITTY PLAYING IN MY HEAD

 

Have you ever had a song playing in your head until you can’t stop hearing it?

Well, that Nursery Rhyme song about Monday’s Child, Tuesday’s Child, etc., has been running around in my mind, mostly because it’s October, and there are many birthdays this month.

Like today is my second son’s birthday…and he was born on a Saturday.  Each child’s “day of the week” is indelibly imprinted in my mind.

 

Here’s the ditty:

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace;
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go;
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for its living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

***

My first child, the son who just visited from Berlin, was born on a Thursday; my second, as I mentioned, came on a Saturday.  My third son almost came on a Monday, but managed to come out early on a Tuesday morning. 

Then there was my daughter, whose labor began on a Wednesday.  After 36 hours, followed by a C-Section, she came on a Friday.  And despite the labor, she is definitely”loving and giving.”

Even the fact that she came on Friday the 13th did not diminish the joy.  First and only girl, and what a gift she was…and is.

Yes, we have the Mother/Daughter issues…but I love getting her little texts when least expected…and she styles and colors my hair every month.  What more could I want?

 

Each child has brought something special to my life…and the day on which each one was born is probably not predictive of anything…but I see something in the descriptions of their birth days.  Here are all four of them captured one fall day in 1991….at a rare event that assembled all of them together in one place.

 

 

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BTW…I was born on a Sunday…and this year’s birthday falls on that day of the week!  And here is a doll I bought a while ago to “honor” that day of the week ( I am noticing in this close-up that she has “messy hair.”)  Like me, I guess:

 

 

 

 

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LET’S CHAT ABOUT BLOGGING & READING

Let’s enjoy Monday by musing with Jen, at A Daily Rhythm.

Here are some topics:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Does your local library ever have book sales? What are the prices like? Tell us about any great finds you have found there!

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I am loving my current read, an e-ARC I received from NetGalley.  I so thoroughly enjoyed two previous books by the author, that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one:  The Mistake I Made, by Paula Daly.

 

 

 

The Mistake I Made is the latest page-turner from one of the England’s most captivating new thriller writers. In her provocative and riveting third novel, Paula Daly focuses her masterful eye for psychological suspense and family drama on an indecent proposal that has fatal repercussions.

Single mother Roz has reached breaking-point. After the dissolution of her marriage, Roz’s business has gone under, debts are racking up, the rent is late (again), and she’s struggling to provide for her nine-year-old son, who is starting to misbehave in school. Roz is in trouble. Real trouble.

When Roz returns home from work one day and finds an eviction notice, she knows that it’s time for action—she has two weeks to find a solution otherwise they will be kicked out of their home. Increasingly desperate, Roz doesn’t know where to turn. Then the perfect opportunity presents itself. At her sister’s fortieth birthday party, Roz meets Scott Elias—wealthy, powerful, and very married. But the impression Roz leaves on him is indelible. He tracks her down and makes Roz an offer to spend the night with him—for money. He wants no-strings-attached intimacy and can guarantee total discretion. Could it be as simple as it sounds? With that kind of cash, Roz could clear her debts and get her life back on track. But as the situation spirals out of her control, Roz is forced to do things she never thought herself capable of. Can she ever set things right again?

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Last week, I did a blog post that pretty much sums up what’s happening in my blog world:  Merging & Deleting – My Interior Thoughts.

Here’s the new header at my Creative Journey site, where I merged some content from my now defunct Snow Chronicles blog.  It is my blog for posting excerpts from my novels; for chatting about writing; and for enjoying the journey.

 

 

 

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What is going on in your interior world this week?  What are you reading?

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CHASING AWAY THE BLUES…AGAIN!

Welcome to my Blue Mondays Musings Post.  Check in at A Daily Rhythm to see what others are musing about.  Here are Jen’s topics:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Have you ever won a copy of a book (other than for review)? What was the book, and what were the circumstances?

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First…I am reading a short novel (178 pages) by Richard Yates:  Cold Spring Harbor. In this classic novel Richard Yates, hailed as a preeminent chronicler of the American condition and author of the acclaimed Revolutionary Road, weaves a masterful, unflinching tale of two families brought together by chance, desperation, and desire.   I loved Revolutionary Road, both the book and the movie.  I also loved The Easter Parade and Disturbing the Peace.  All of Yates’s books make me stop and think…and then I remember them long after finishing.

Have you read an author whose work is so memorable you can’t stop thinking about it?

 

 

 

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I just downloaded a copy of Who Do You Love?, by Jennifer Weiner.  Her books are some of my favorites, too, although some are better than others.

 

 

What are you reading, pining after, or thinking about today?

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CHASING AWAY THE BLUES: MORE PURGING

It’s Monday, and I’m eager to share bookish stuff….if you are ready to join in, check out Jen, at A Daily Rhythm.

Some topics:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you read in the water (bathtub, pool, etc)? Why, or why not?

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Today I’m sharing the outcome of my latest purge.  After my house guests left for a while, I started in on the office.  And noticed that my bookshelves were overflowing…again.

And since I am determined to stay ahead of the game, here are my “before and after” shots.

 

 

And these books joined the others I am getting ready to donate…in the bookcase in the garage that I removed a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

I love having this bookcase just waiting to receive the books.  I will soon empty it into my car for its trip to the library.

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As for the question:  I used to love reading in the bathtub…but since most of my reading nowadays is on my Kindle, Pippa, no way!  I am too afraid of liquid getting into my device.

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BLUE MONDAYS NO MORE: MUSING ABOUT BOOKS

Welcome to another Monday of Chasing Away the Blues.  Check out A Daily Rhythm, to see what others are musing about.  Here are some prompts:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Have you ever made a new friend because of a book? (or books)?

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Currently, I am reading The Wrong Man, by Kate White, and I am rapidly turning pages to see what will happen next.

 

 

 

She wanted to be more daring, but one small risk is about to cost her everything—maybe even her life.

Bold and adventurous in her work as owner of one of Manhattan’s boutique interior design firms, Kit Finn couldn’t be tamer in her personal life. While on vacation in the Florida Keys, Kit resolves to do something risky for once. When she literally bumps into a charming stranger at her hotel, she decides to make good on her promise and act on her attraction. But back in New York, when Kit arrives at his luxury apartment ready to pick up where they left off in the Keys, she doesn’t recognize the man standing on the other side of the door. Was this a cruel joke or part of something truly sinister? Kit soon realizes that she’s been thrown into a treacherous plot, which is both deeper and deadlier than she could have ever imagined. Now the only way to protect herself, her business, and the people she loves is to find out the true identity of the man who has turned her life upside down. Adrenaline-charged and filled with harrowing twists at every turn, The Wrong Man will keep readers riveted until the final page.

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I am excited about a book I just downloaded from NetGalley.  Pretending to Dance, by Diane Chamberlain, has been on my wish list, and now I have it!  It will be released on Oct. 6, 2015.

 

 

 

 

Molly Arnette is very good at keeping secrets. She lives in San Diego with a husband she adores, and they are trying to adopt a baby because they can’t have a child on their own. But the process of adoption brings to light many questions about Molly’s past and her family-the family she left behind in North Carolina twenty years before. The mother she says is dead but who is very much alive. The father she adored and whose death sent her running from the small community of Morrison’s Ridge. Her own birth mother whose mysterious presence in her family raised so many issues that came to a head. The summer of twenty years ago changed everything for Molly and as the past weaves together with the present story, Molly discovers that she learned to lie in the very family that taught her about pretending. If she learns the truth about her beloved father’s death, can she find peace in the present to claim the life she really wants?

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As for the question posed above, I do recall forging a tight friendship in middle school with a girl who had many Nancy Drew mysteries.  How could I resist?

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What are you musing about today?  I have been missing from blog events lately due to my house guests.  My son and DIL from Berlin have been here since early July, and are still here, but we are finding a way to coordinate activities.

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BLUES, GO AWAY! LET’S MUSE….

 

Welcome to another Monday of Chasing Away the Blues...and Musing with Jen and the gang, over at A Daily Rhythm.

Today’s Prompts:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What book would you currently recommend to someone? Why?

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Pondering here…okay, let’s start with a book I bought last week.  I am a big fan of Orange is the New Black, and with the third season coming this next weekend, I was primed for this book:  Out of Orange, by Cleary Wolters, the real-life Alex Vause.

 

 

 

Fans nationwide have fallen in love with Orange Is the New Black, the critically acclaimed and wildly popular Netflix show based on Piper Kerman’s sensational #1 New York Times bestseller. Now, Catherine Cleary Wolters—the inspiration for Alex Vause, Piper’s ex-girlfriend, friend, and sometimes-romantic partner on the show—tells her true story, offering details and insights that fill in the blanks, set the record straight, and answer common fan questions.

An insightful, frustrating, heartbreaking, and uplifting analysis of crime and punishment in our times, Out of Orange is an intimate look at international drug crime—a seemingly glamorous lifestyle that dazzles unsuspecting young women and eventually leads them to the seedy world of prison. Told by a woman originally thrust into the spotlight without her permission—Wolters learned about Piper’s memoir in the media—Out of Orange chronicles Wolter’s time in the drug trade, her incarceration, her friendships and acquaintances with odd cellmates, her two marriages, and her complicated relationship with Piper. But Wolters is not solely defined by her past; she also reflects on her life and the person she is today.

Filled with colorful characters, fascinating tales, painful sobering lessons, and hard-earned wisdom, Out of Orange is sure to be provocative, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring.

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I would recommend a book I read last week for those who enjoy suspenseful page turners:  Crash & Burn, by Lisa Gardner, kept me rapidly turning those pages, feeling the mounting intensity with each page. (Click title for my review).

 

 

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What books are you enjoying this week?  What are some of your favorites?

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