Wheeeee!!!

As you've probably guessed already, there is no post this week. My granddaughter has been here all week and today is her last day. I have been having a blast with her and have no time for anything else...see ya next week! ♥

Part One - It’s That Time…*sigh*

I read an article about all the STUFF hanging around your house that is taking up valuable space. In some cases, it’s stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day in years. So, yes, dear readers, It’s That Time…

…to get rid of:

Books  (gasp)

Hi. My name is Dot and I’m a book hoarder…(Hi Dot)

Seriously, I’ve written about this before, but I have been making a huge effort to get rid of books that I know I’m not going to read again. I will read a book and then set it aside for a while. I will ponder. I will contemplate. I will put it in the bag for donation. I will remove that book from the bag. Finally I will make a final decision and either put the book back in the bookcase or in the bag for the final time. It’s a slow and VERY painful process, but I am making progress.

Craft supplies  (nnnoooooo!)

This isn’t quite as painful as the book thing, but there are definite pangs. I’m in the process of going through my stamps and making a few cards before deciding if I am still in love with the stamp/stamp set and either put it back on the shelf or in the bag with the books.

CDs

I have just recently been going through my CDs and playing them on a player that Marv and I got years ago to take on trips. It has a tape player and radio as well. I sometimes like to soak in the bathtub while listening to these old CDs. Some have definitely lost their appeal.

PENS THAT DON’T WORK (SO many pens!!)

Why do we keep pens that don’t work?? It’s not like they’re family heirlooms or really expensive to buy. I have gotten a LOT better at taking problem pens and chucking them in the waste basket. I will still give them a second or even third chance to let loose of some of that ink, but that’s it.

Leftover paint

Apparently this is a big problem for some home owners. Stacks of cans in the garage with only a bit of paint in each one. Since we have vinyl siding, there’s no doing anything with the outside of the house. We rarely paint inside, and it’s always something like Navaho White. Not much excitement. If I had access to a bunch of leftover paint of different colors, I would have NO PROBLEM using it! I’m a huge fan of Jackson Pollock, and I would just love to paint the inside of the garage door in his style. That would use up a LOT of paint. Same with the inside of the side door of the garage. It would sure make laundry day a lot more colorful to look at, since I spend a fair amount of time in the garage where the washer and dryer are.

So there’s the list for this week. More to come…

The 3 Amigas

Most of you know that I write this blog on Thursday night and post it to the blog site. Then sometime Friday before noon I will post the link for it on Facebook. Right now it’s after 11 pm and I am flat-out exhausted. Mary, Paula and I (aka the 3 amigas) went to Chico today and spent 7 hours having fun. None of us are as young as we once were and we almost achieved that fabled “shop til you drop” idea.

Lunch was at the Burger Hut on Forest Ave. The burgers are always a treat and the beer batter onion rings are to die for!

Then we went to 7 different stores. A lot was accomplished, and it certainly merited the trip to Chico, but OMG was I tired!

So that’s why this blog is on the short side. I’m going to bed. I’ll do better next week, I promise.

Night-night…

July 2017 Book Report

Love Thy Neighbor (2003) by Ann Turner

The subtitle of this YA book is “The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson, Green Marsh, Mass. 1774.”  This fiction book is written as if by a young girl at the start of the American Revolution. What makes it so interesting is that it’s written by someone on the “other side” of the war. Prudence is from a proud family that supports the King and is slowly shunned by the others in the town as things heat up. Even her older brother chooses the side of the Patriots. Very interesting perspective.

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The Black Vulture (1941) by Gene Ashcroft

Talk about your Gothic intrigue!! I loved this book! Old Silas Flint dies and in his will exacts revenge against those who wronged him. Everyone in the will MUST come and stay in his crumbling mansion for a certain duration and is free to hunt for hidden treasure. Whoever is still alive at the end and has found the treasure wins. Great atmospheric piece!

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Death at Sea (A Murder Mystery in 3-D) (1994) by Len Oszustowicz

Fun little book illustrated with “magic eye” pics. You’re supposed to be able to find the clues in the pictures to solve the murder of elderly Millicent Prestwood for her millions. It takes place aboard her late husband’s yacht, and everyone there is a suspect. The pics are a tad difficult to figure out, but the story is top-notch and witty. I wish the author had actually written some real mysteries.

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O Christmas Tea (2016) by Amy Woods/Kristen Eckhardt

Jan and Elaine host a famous food critic who wants to write a review of their tea room. When the critic collapses after tasting some of the tea and goodies, a rival tea room is suspected of poisoning her. The health department shuts the tea room down and the cousins now must find out who the perp is.

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The Paper Dolls (1964) by L.P. Davies

I first read this in junior high and it bothered my mind a great deal. I had never really read much in the way of psychological weirdness before. It haunted me for a long time. Reading it again recently, I was able to appreciate it much more. It takes place in England at a fancy private school. A tragedy occurs that points to something very odd going on with one of the young students, Rodney. Rodney was adopted as a baby and his parents are obviously afraid of him. Teachers Gordon and Joan do some digging and learn that Rodney has a twin somewhere. They try to find the twin and discover the results of experiments done in a concentration camp.