Archive for December, 2024


Finishing Friday


My newest diamond painting project. I’m calling it ‘smiling turtle.’
Just beginning.
Somebody who has bigger feet than mine only have to wait for the heels and the legs of the socks. Probably not in time for Christmas but if I can keep my hands from hurting long enough. Aspercreme is my friend.

Though energy, hands, and back have stopped much practice on violin, uke, and even recorder,  I hope to get it back. That and other yarn projects will have to wait for the healing.

I have enjoyed the heck out of playing Christmas songs some new, some old favorites from my childhood lessons. I realized in 5 days I will have to bundle them up with notes for next year. I plan to get more serious about scales, arpeggios, improvisations, and dare I dare, composing? It’s a lifelong dream. If not now then when?

Duolingo continues to keep my brain working. I usually do it while I ride at least 5 miles or over 30 minutes on my stationary bike. Now on level 2 rather than 1. Yay, that’s some improvement.

Dare I call it a habit that I started morning bed yoga? This morning my whole spine crackled. I’m hoping it was for good and not evil. I haven’t hurt anymore than usual so, maybe it’s good, eh?


Depression has been visiting for a year due to fur-babies and then one of my best friends passed.

An issue with the elderly adopting pets had me angry. My pets grew old and died. My brother died when I was 24 and he was 21. I’ve seen so many cases where the pet saves the person and vice versa. Pets should not just be for the wealthy and young. Many of us would love to even foster pets but on our budget and with disabilities that make it difficult we have been turned down. It just seems unfair, you know?

A couple of days ago, our noon news was replaced with a widely viewed Newscast for the state instead of local counties’ usual show. These days one always holds their breath when news changes or interrupts suddenly. My husband got on the web to find out why.

Around the time of the pandemic, a new newscaster came on. She was young and the make-up people overdid her beautiful face. As time went on the make-up became more flattering. She became confident. We grew to love her coming into our homes every day. She was a fur-baby lover. She had the rescue of the week on Thursdays and I think I remember her adopting a couple. She loved animals.

This is what we found out:

https://www.kold.com/2024/12/16/13-news-remembers-ana-orsini/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ana-orsini-tucson-arizona-news-anchor-dies-age-28-kold-tv/


Blood, Sweat and Tiers (Great Witches Baking Show #5)Blood, Sweat and Tiers by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again, Nancy Warren and Hollis McCarthy brought a fun whodunnit adventure. The author wrote this series in such a fashion that you can catch up and know what is happening no matter where you start. I read all her Vampire Knitting Club. Then, a bit of the Book Club. I found 5 and 6 of the Great Witches Baking Show when I needed something light. But I couldn’t read the tiny print that said which number in the series I started on. So I started on number 6 and then just finished number 5.

As usual, Hollis narrated each character so well that I knew whose point of view I was visiting. I can’t wait until I can get caught up with the series on Libby or buy the Audible version soon.

I hope you can enjoy this series. It’s light, even if it is a murder mystery.

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Crumbs and Misdemeanors (Great Witches Baking Show #6)Crumbs and Misdemeanors by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Because of the availability at Libby, I am reading this series out of order. After the fun of GingerDead, I found book 6. I dislike reading things out of order, but I figured Nancy Warren does such a nice job of filling in the needed details from the previous books. I didn’t feel I’d get lost. And I don’t think I did.

This book went nearly as fast as the Gingerdead novella. It was a fun ride.

Hollis McCarthy narrated this one, also. She could voice all the characters so well that I often forgot it was just one woman reading aloud.

Nancy Warren’s series are all so light and cozy, yet engaging. I don’t like that mysteries are always about murder. But everything else is fun. It’s always an adventure.

It was one of those sleepless nights, so I not only finished this one, but I went on to the other one Libby had available. Again, way out of order. On to number 5!

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Gingerdead HouseGingerdead House by Nancy Warren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the month it took me to read the Complete Oz book, I needed something light and short. This one was available to listen to on Libby just when I needed it.

Do you need a fun little who-done-it with a fun character who happens to be a witch? It took three hours. The bad side is that it created a crazy desire for gingerbread cookies. Luckily, we don’t have any, and I don’t like cooking.

Hollis McCarthy is a fun narrator who can act out the various characters that show up. And she was able to make me laugh at the main character, Poppy Wilkinson, with her foibles and sense of humor.

For this reason, and that I know I can’t be let down by any Nancy Warren book, I picked up a few other Great Witches Baking Show novels to brighten my sudden depression. This is not the time to get caught up in that. Right? On to the fun stories!

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Food for my soul. Peaceful. Changing the scenery to s clean, smooth, blanket.

Everything else is fattening. And since I can’t do much right now due to stupid pain, I spend time gazing out watching snow.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “food.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection: All 22 StoriesThe Complete Wizard of Oz Collection: All 22 Stories by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whew! That took a month to get through. And though I might have said it was repetitive and boring at first. I gradually felt pulled into the many implications of history and how foward thinking this author was for his time.

I listened on Audible . Eric Vincent (Narrator) did a fantastic job with his many voices of the population of Oz. At first, I was a little put off with his female voices but soon saw that even within the group of young women he had to bring to life somehow.

I wish I could have found the illustrations that were in the paper books I read to my children so long ago. That was the only thing missing.

Interesting things found in these books written in the early 1900s:

The first transgender person I can remember being presented. (Tip/Ozma)

Women at war to reseat the throne, ejecting the wizard.

Clever ways to help people talk through problems and find peaceful solutions.

When I read a few of these to my kids I felt the language rather boring, but we all loved them anyway. Now hearing someone else read the books, I fell into the rhythm and enjoyed all the adventures. I’m rather missing it. Oh, yeah! I’m reading Wicked soon. Now I will have a deeper understanding of the world that story is based in. I don’t know about Wicked yet. But I know the main lessons of Oz were kindness and helping others. Not a bad set of mottos and goals to aim for.

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It’s Beginning


To look a lot like Christmas with a new kitty!

Notice the trees only have knitted balls. And it’s snowing.

Every day we are putting them back up, rescuing stray balls. But wouldn’t trade it for anything. I really needed Sammie in my life.

Three Quarters


So much closer to the dollar than $.50!

This looks to be a promising year.

A great birthday for me is touching base with loved ones. You all know who you are.❤️❤️❤️❤️

Sunday Funny


This is one of my favorites. I stumbled over it on Facebook.

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