Category: Ruminations and Crackpot Theories

Observations on life in general.

Summer Reading List

People always seem to have a summer reading list. Then I realized I do, too, although it’s not as formalized as some I’ve seen. So here’s what I plan to read this summer, in no particular order:

The Last Time I Saw Her by Karen Robards

If you haven’t read Robards’ Dr. Charlotte Stone series, and you’re a fan of romantic suspense with a touch of paranormal, you don’t know what you’re missing. The fourth installment of the series is due out  August 25.  Okay, maybe there’s more of a touch of paranormal here. The hero? Well, he’s a ghost.

After the Storm: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo

July 14th is the release date on the latest in Castillo’s Amish mystery series. Lifetime made a movie of the first book in the series. If you like a good mystery and an exploration of a different culture, I highly recommend this series.

Devoted in Death by JD Robb (okay, this isn’t out until September, but it’s still on my list)

The continuing saga of Eve Dallas and Rourke. Futuristic police procedural. I’ve been reading the “In Death” series for years.

A Family Come True by Kris Fletcher

I love Kris Fletcher’s stories. They are crafted with such care. The characters are people you know. Always a great read.

A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

Annual summer re-reads for me. Wine, food, hot summer days & nights. What more can I say?

Superstition by Karen Robards

Another annual summer re-read. Summer on Pawley’s Island. An old murder, ghosts, and a TV reporter with more ambition than common sense. Great twist at the end. One of Robards’ best.

Omega Moon Rising by MJ Compton (hey! that’s me!)

I plan to have the final draft of the book in the Toke Lobo & the Pack werewolf series done and revised this summer. This is Luke’s story. Have to read it to revise it.

What are your reading plans for the summer?

 

 

Reading By the Season: July

JULY-A Year In Provence by Peter Mayle

We had talked about it during the long gray winters and the damp green summers, looked with an addict’s longing at photographs of village markets and vineyards, dreamed of being woken up by the sun slanting through the bedroom window.

This collection of twelve months worth of stories from the British author’s life the first year he and his wife moved to the south of France fills a need in me, best expressed in the above quote. The descriptions of the wonderful local foods and wines combined with the hot, dry weather are bliss to this misplaced-in-a winter-world reader.. I looked for a book with these elements for years before I discovered this one. The follow up book, Toujours Provence, is also good, in a different way.

Happy First Day of Summer!

Last week, I posted about lack of progress on my back yard retrieval project. My above-ground pool has been gone since September. A few plants were put in around the perimeter of the pool’s footprint. We also wanted our patio extended a bit. And work slowly progressed throughout the autumn.

For some silly reason, I thought spring would see the end of the project. That I would have a larger patio and a writing garden for this summer. I finally texted the Vanishing Landscaper earlier this week: “Let’s talk about basil, parsley, cilantro and the patio.”

The next day, I came home to this:

basil

Several kinds of basil

Patio in Progress

Stones for the extended patio

Herbs

Parsley, basil, and (I hope) cilantro

And he was at the house the day after that when I came home for lunch. He did a lot then, too.

Patio in Progress

Prepping to set the patio stones

I may have my patio by my July vacation.

I sat outside  with Alph yesterday, and envisioned it all in between writing many sentences. I decided to call it my writing garden. I hope it comes to pass this year.

 

Tiffany!

Sometimes I’ll mention “Tiffany” in my blog. Maybe I should explain who–er, what–“Tiffany” is.

Many years ago, I’d picked up my children from day care and was driving home when Y-Chromo–about 3 years old at the time–asked me about that “holiday after Christmas.”

“New Years?” I asked.

“No. It’s one Christians celebrate.”

He kept trying to explain the holiday to me, but my work-drained brain wasn’t making connections. And X-Chromo (8 or 9 months old) might have been fussing, too. This went on for several blocks. The he popped out with, “Oh! I remember what it’s called. Tiffany!”

Considering he was only three at the time, I was pretty darned impressed he was discussing Epiphany.

Several years later, I shared the story with my writing friends. They thought it was adorable. (I thought so, but I might be the tiniest bit biased.) And from that moment on, whenever one of us has a breakthrough while plotting a book, writing, or anything else in life, it’s a “tiffany.” The mispronunciation/misunderstanding has become so much a part of our language, we use it without thinking, forgetting other people might not know what we mean.

I had several tiffanies over the past weekend while I was on a two and a half day writing retreat.

Early morning on Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate NY.

Early morning on Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate NY.

My WIP, the next book in my Toke Lobo and the Pack werewolf series, is just flowing. When one is typing along and a plot point or incident you hadn’t consciously planned falls into place and it all makes sense–Tiffany!

How Does My Garden Grow?-June Version

I have chives!

chives

Aren’t they lovely? I used some in a pasta salad a couple of weeks ago.

I transplanted some basil, but I don’t think it’s going to make it.

basil

What I’d really like is my patio. And the lawn. I have a week off in July. I had dreams of sitting outside writing. Doesn’t look like that’s happening any time soon. Not happy about that at all.