Mailbox Monday - Sep 14

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

After a busy weekend, I came to post at my blogs and discovered Blogger had changed to the new version. I'm like, stop it. Between the pandemic, wildfires across the Pacific Northwest, Tropical Storm Sally potentially turning into a hurricane headed right for Louisiana, and all the civil unrest across the nation, Blogger needs to be the one thing I can count on to stay the same. I reverted to the Legacy version.

Now, on to better things. Here are some photos from the weekend.

Travis likes that there is more room to get into the pantry now.

Not to be outdone by his brother, Dwight wants to investigate the pantry, too. 

Just when I think I will give up on the garden, it grows things.

Growing wild on the outskirts of our yard.

As for books, nothing in the mailbox. Good thing, since I haven't felt much like reading. I did, however, pick up this one from my publisher's website. Colleen has several books that I want to check out.

Here is a short blurb:

Thirteen-year-old Tyler and his twelve-year old-sister, Cat, are in big trouble: at home, at school, and with the law. The verdict is in and they hate it: a year living in the mountains of eastern Oregon in a log house in the wilderness.

That's it from my neck of the woods. Hope you have a great week.

Task it Tuesday - Sep 1

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Welcome to September. It's hard to believe how quickly time flies. I didn't post a Task it Tuesday last week, but basically it was a week of meetings, errands, cooking, book reviews, and trying to catch a wink or two.

Most of the fall garden is coming in nicely. I cut back the tomato plants, the grape vine, and the blackberry bush. I am trying to decide if I will keep the vegetable garden next year or plant grass over it. A large part of me wants to be more self-sufficient--especially with the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables. A tiny part of me realizes I don't have time to turn the garden into what I want in order to make a substantial difference. With my half-hearted efforts, I don't even get a harvest large enough to can. I'm almost better off buying fruits and vegetables in the grocery store and canning those. It would take less effort. :)

As I mentioned yesterday, the Lil' Princess started school. So, I'm feeling like I need to be more productive than I have been lately. One thing I decided--I am ditching the planner. I know so many productive people use them, but they really are not for me. I have my calendar, and I am going to stick with that for the rest of the year. Going to a digital calendar is what I want to focus on.

Here is what I want to accomplish this week:

• Daily Bible reading
• Five meetings
• Start reading Morning Star 
• Finish reading Out of No Way for a September 9 review
• Start fall cleaning on Saturday
• Change outdoor decorations Sunday
• Look into getting a small dumpster
• Follow up with architect on house design
• Pray daily about a big decision 

That's pretty much what my week looks like. I'm still figuring out how to get back into the fall schedule of school drop off and pick up, but by the next week or so that should be settled. 

What is on your task list this week? Do you write a weekly task list? What is one thing on your list that never seems to get done?

Mailbox Monday - Aug 17

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Oh, my! We are back to Monday. A cool and rainy weekend rounded out a week of writing, showing houses, and meetings. Doesn't that sound exciting? A few fall decorations arrived in the mail last week, so I am getting ready to start decorating. That means we will be saying goodbye to this beach mailbox on August 31.

So much has been going on at the house. We had our pantry remodeled. The old pantry door was only a single, so I lost 18 inches of storage space I could never reach on each shelf. I chose the glass for the doors. Then our handyman cut out the wood and installed the glass. He painted them and added the handles. We changed out the wire shelving for wood shelves and added some metal baskets that slide onto the shelves to maximize storage space. I am thrilled with the results. It's not a butler's pantry, but it is so much better.

We are putting together ideas for other remodeling projects. We will probably have to take them one at a time, but I'm okay with that. I know we want to get rid of all the carpets. 

The new seeds in the garden are starting to sprout. We will see what we get.

My physical mailbox held no books this week. I'm okay with that since I have a ton to read over the next few weeks. I, did, however pick up this Kindle freebie when it came out.

An author also asked me to review this one.

I have a crazy week ahead of me, so I might not comment at your blog right away, but I will definitely stop by.

Thanks. Hope you have a blessed week.

Task it Tuesday - July 28

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Welcome back to Tuesday. Last week presented a challenge for me. I simply didn't feel like doing anything. I'm not sure why. Here is what I accomplished:

• Daily Bible reading - DONE
• Weed garden
• Update planner - DONE
• Three doctor's appointments - DONE
• WriteAngles meeting - DONE
• Walk three days - DONE
• Start Strong from the Heart by Jon Land for August review - Reading now
• Continue cleaning bonus room
• Finish chapter 2 of The Sisterhood  - DONE

Overall, I had a great week. I just didn't feel motivated. 

This week, my real estate workload should be manageable, but I definitely need to prospect more. Here is what else I have on tap:

• Daily Bible reading
• Update planner
• Weed garden
• One meeting
• Visit with my sister from out of state
• Walk three days
• Complete Strong from the Heart by Jon Land for August review
• Continue cleaning bonus room
• Write next chapter of The Sisterhood

What does your to-do list look like? Did you accomplish all you wanted to last week? How do you celebrate when you check something off your to-do list?

Mailbox Monday - May 25

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Happy Memorial Day! I am behind in getting things posted, but it was a hectic weekend.

My baby celebrated a birthday. Hard to believe he is 33.

I planted the garden.

I am learning a new diet because the Lil' Princess insists she wants to eat healthier. 

Well, at least the furry residents of the house enjoyed some relaxation.

Being busy actually feels good. I'm out showing houses again--had an accepted offer from Saturday showings. I'm still ordering groceries online and having them delivered, but I go shopping for special occasions--like cupcakes for the birthday boy. I'm editing the first full length novel I ever completed. We are making plans to visit the Outer Banks like we do each summer. 

Massachusetts is in Phase 2 of re-opening. Do you know what that means? I can get a haircut! I'm not sure when the last time is that I've been so excited about that. 

My physical mailbox had a fun little surprise this week.

I also grabbed a couple of Kindle books.

That's it from my neck of the woods. Hope you have a great week.

Mailbox Monday - Mar 30

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Well, we are back to Monday again. How are you all doing? We are healthy and fine. A lot has been happening around here: some organizing, some cleaning, prepping the vegetable garden for the seeds I ordered, and the youngest is getting ready to head back to school (virtually) tomorrow. Here are a few photos from this week:

A bright orange bird visits our birdbath

How fun to wake up to this face in the morning

A colorful surprise in the mailbox garden

Speaking of mailboxes, mine held two gifts this week.

What did your mailbox hold? Did something special arrive?

Here's hoping you have a blessed week.

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Task It Tuesday - June 18

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

I am at the point of crying mercy. My list only grows. It's like I can't check anything off it.

Okay, enough whining. Life is good, and though I am not accomplishing what I want all the time, I am still managing to get a lot done and still enjoy life.

Here is my list for the week:

• Daily Bible reading (still catching up)
• Beta read a manuscript - 80% done
• Edit the next chapter of a manuscript for the publisher 
• Blogging
• Review one book
• Make lists for vacation
• Workout - Friday (I am doing stretches while cooking these days, so at least that is better than nothing)
• Start bringing up things from the basement for vacation
• Weed the garden

Task it Tuesday - Jun 4

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

What a blessing a new week is. As you know from yesterday's post, our oldest daughter graduated over the weekend. That put me behind on some of the items on last week's to-do list. Now, both girls and I are home for the summer--though, of course, I am working (real estate stops for no one).

We have plans to so something fun on Friday. My hope is to be able to dedicate one day of the week to them. I've added them to my calendar, so that should keep me from scheduling anything in that place. Even if it is just for a few hours, that will be better than doing nothing with them at all.

Here is what this week's to-do list looks like:

• Daily Bible reading (fell behind last week and want to catch up)
• Rework the flower beds - Finish Saturday
• Beta read a manuscript - 60% done
• Edit the next two chapters of a manuscript for the publisher - almost done
• Blogging
• Review novella - DONE
• Make lists for vacation
• Workout - Thurs and Sun

Do you use to-do lists to keep you on track? Do you have a daily planner? What is the best time management tip you can share?

Task it Tuesday - May 28

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

We are quickly coming to the end of May. Both girls will be done with school by Friday, so summer vacation is on our minds. That can make tackling a to-do list tricky; though I often find it helps me focus on accomplishing things so I can enjoy more down time while I am away.

This week's list is a bit different because of the plans to get ready for graduation.

• Daily Bible reading
• Order flowers
• Buy gifts for graduation - scary that I have to remind myself to do this
• Rework the flower beds - most are done, but there are a few more plants I need to move before the landscaper comes and puts down fresh mulch
• Beta read a manuscript - 60% done
• Edit the next two chapters of a manuscript for the publisher - one chapter down, one to go
• Blogging
• Write one chapter of Amelia's Mission
• Review two children's books

What is on your to-do list this week? Any graduations or other end of school year events you're working on?

Mailbox Monday - May 6

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Welcome back to Monday. Hope you all had a great week. Mine included attending a webinar on insurance (doesn't that sound like fun), a two-day class on negotiation, renting out an apartment, doctor appointments, reading, and attending the Lil' Princess' school dance show. The girls always put on an amazing performance.

My garden is growing some, but we have had a lot of rain and very little sun. Rain is supposed to come three days this week too. I might just start building an ark.

The mail carrier brought me two presents this week.

Then I treated myself to a Kindle freebie.

Reading is slow going, but I am getting things done. Hopefully, I'll have more reading and writing time in the next couple of weeks.

What was in your mailbox? Anything special that you were really excited about?

Mailbox Monday - April 15

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Welcome to Monday! It is tax return day, so the post office will be busy. I am dropping off ours and the in-laws' returns. I don't relish it, but it must be done. The Lil' Diva and I are also wrapping up the college tours today. We think she has already decided, but we want to check out the last one on her accepted list.

This was a nice weekend. I started my barre workout program. They are 10 minute workouts, so I should be able to fit those in. I also planted the early spring vegetables this Saturday. The hubby and I joined his father at the veterans appreciation dinner that night as well. It was Palm Sunday today, so we went to the new church (still not sure if it will be our permanent place) and the pastor gave a wonderful message on how Christ's death and resurrection means the devil is defeated, but he just can't accept it. Spiritual warfare is one of my favorite topics.

I'm not reading as much lately. Partially because work has been busy, but also because I'm tired all the time. I've got an appointment with the pulmonary department now that they have discovered I have mild sleep apnea.

Here is what my mailbox held last week.

I also bought this book with an Amazon credit. 

That's it from my neck of the woods. Hope you'll share what was in your mailbox. Enjoy your week.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts - Sep 19

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

Do you have a least favorite chore? I was wondering, because I have two: laundry and vacuuming.

Hubby nicely bought me a robot vacuum for Christmas, but the dog is petrified of it. Every time I start the silly thing, he tries to bite it and barks like a madman, so it never gets used. The central vac is great, but it takes forever and it is so annoying pulling the hose out of one outlet and plugging it into the next one to keep going; especially when you have to move the couch first. Oh, wait, I don't have to do that anymore. The dog ate it, so I threw the couch away.

Laundry is just one of those things that is so never ending. First you have to sort it. Then you load it into the washer. Then you have to tug wet, heavy clothes into the dryer. Next you have to run to the dryer the minute it stops to fold the clean clothes or hang them so they don't wrinkle. And then you have to put them away. By the time you're done, there are dirty clothes in the laundry basket again. Why can't it be more like cooking/baking? Yeah, it takes a while, but you get a nice reward at the end.

I decided to do a few things for myself this week:

• Bring back to life Cheryl's Christian Book Connection
• Pay the in-laws' bills early so I can enjoy the rest of the month
• Skim some library books for research on my current writing project
• Spend time in the garden

What did you do for yourself this week? 

Task it Tuesday - Sep 18

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

This year is just flying by, and I swear I accomplish nothing some days. Oh, well. I'll just keep plugging along and see what this week brings. Here is what I want to accomplish:

1. Plant the fall garden - DONE
2. Clean my office - Maybe Friday
3. Listing photos at two houses - Today
4. Meet a friend for lunch - Wednesday
5. Pay bills - Yuck

What's on your to-do list?

Mailbox Monday - July 23

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Somehow it is Monday again. We had a nice rainy day on Sunday so my garden is very happy. Finally put the fence up around it to keep the critters out. Think the rabbits are stealing my peppers and beans.

It was a totally crazy week. Just got back into the swing of things after vacation and had appointments up the ying-yang. My mother-in-law was here for a few days so I could bring her and my father-in-law to the doctor. The Lil' Diva's senior picture photo session was this week. The Lil' Princess took off for a vacation with a friend on Friday--but not before we had to go shopping for stuff--and I spent two days tossing things into a dumpster at my in-laws' house. At least the end is in sight.

No books arrived in my physical mailbox, but I did download these Kindle freebies:

What was in your mailbox? Anything good you were waiting on? 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts - June 13

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

Oh...my...gosh! I swear this week is so crazy I want to rip out my hair. Next week should be a bit better, but the girls have finals, the Lil' Princess graduates from middle school (thank the Lord for His many blessings), and the Lil' Diva wants to try and get her driver's license before we leave for NC. Please stop the rest of the world so I can catch up.

On a good note, the garden is planted! Pics are coming. It's not a large garden, but hopefully it is manageable. Unfortunately, the crop cover I bought was missing a part, so it's not set up yet. Need to take care of that before we leave or I'll come back to eaten plants.

The gypsy moths are bad this year. When I walk the dog I can hear them chewing leaves in the woods. Yuck!

Looking forward to the Outer Banks and the beach. Hopefully I'll be able to work very little while away.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts - May 30

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

1. So glad the garden is ready for planting. 
2. Where am I going to find the time to actually plant anything? 
3. Don't fresh fruits and vegetables I've grown sound wonderful?
4. Where am I going to find the time to weed the garden? 
5. Do you think the neighbors care that the weeds in my mailbox garden have staged a mutiny and are taking over the actual flowers? 
6. Do you think the next door neighbor is tired of seeing that half empty spot where my hostas use to grow before the voles ate them?

The season has barely begun and I am exhausted. Just have to take it one step at a time, right Jesus? 

Mailbox Monday - March 26

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Can we just stop the week at Sunday? Oh, never mind, I'm a real estate agent and work most weekends. How about we stop at Tuesday. Tuesday is good. This Tuesday all I have to do is take my father-in-law to the doctor--which, for the record, takes all morning and then some. Between his doctors that are never on time and his decision not to eat much for breakfast simply so I have to take him out to get something, it's pretty much a spent day no matter how I slice it. I'm usually rushing to pick up the kids on time.

Last week was fairly hectic, but the spring market is coming and buyers are out there. I also have several closings coming up, so that lends itself to busy work.

No new books in my mailbox, but I did order myself a new one!!!! It should arrive in a couple of days.

What You Don't See Might Hurt You

Every year, residents of the small Amish community in Monte Vista, Colorado, look forward to the Ski Hi Stampede, the state's oldest professional rodeo. The rodeo is always good, clean entertainment for the hardworking farmers of the San Luis Valley. But this year, the Stampede turns deadly for one Amish man. Did rodeo fans see an unfortunate accident? Or something more sinister?

Amish bishop Henry Lapp is known far and wide for his uncanny ability to draw and remember the smallest details of anything he's seen, skills that have served him well in past investigations. He was at the rodeo that day. The problem? He didn't see Jason Scott's death.

With a murderer on the loose and members of his community being threatened, Henry must act fast. But can he solve a crime he didn't see? This time around, Henry will have to rely on his keen sense of human character and observation, skills he's honed in his role as bishop, if he hopes to crack the case.

What the Bishop Knows is a story of accepting our talents, putting one another first, and trusting that God will care for His children.

Can anyone recommend a good book on vegetable gardening? I'm looking for something that tells me what to plant when and next to what and how to combat diseases. Every year I plant pumpkins and they end up with some type of disease that kills them. It is so irritating. It's my own fault for trying to ignore the fact that I have the brownest thumb on the face of the planet.

That's it from me today. Hope you have a great week.

Mailbox Monday - May 22

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! I hope you had a nice weekend. The weather was good here and it gave me a chance to spread some mulch down and refresh that area of the yard I designated for my wildlife friends. I also sold a house. Real estate has kept me very busy this year. The market is booming: low inventory and high buyer demand have increased prices.

On the book front, I've been playing catch up. These reviews were posted recently:

Organizing for Your Lifestyle
Food Junkies
The Joyful Business Planner
Creating a Life Worth Living, Volume 1

The Friends of the Wilbraham Public Library held their annual book sale at the beginning of May. Here's what I picked up from there:

Most of them are research materials for my writing, but I did pick up a couple of novels.

Last week, Charlotte Hubbard sent me her upcoming release. She has a book tour coming up soon.

Founded by the three Bender sisters, the Amish community of Promise Lodge is thriving—and growing. In fact, residents are thrilled to welcome a charismatic new arrival—one who may not just strengthen their faith, but put it to the test . . .

When Christine Bender meets widowed Bishop Monroe Burkholder, it’s love at first sight. But Preacher Amos finds him too good to be true, and is determined to find out what’s behind his sudden, unannounced arrival. Still, the colony needs a new bishop, and everyone is excited to have a younger, more progressive leader. As for Christine, Monroe returns her affection, but her bubble is soon burst with the arrival of a young woman half his age . . .

Leola Duff claims Monroe “ruined” her and she now intends to make an honest man of him. But throughout the process of discovering the truth, Christine never doubts that Monroe is the fine man she believes him to be—and never wavers in her faith that all will work out as it should. And when Monroe is forced to confess the truth before the entire congregation, he can only pray that open hearts and minds will prevail, allowing him a future at Promise Lodge—with Christine . . .

That's it for me this week. Hope you'll share your new mailbox.