Dirty Rotten Tendrils by Kate Collins

The boy begins summer science camp today. He is excited and thrilled to be attending, even when it means he needs to be up and moving before 6:00 am.  I will pick him up after I finish work and we will come home from there.

It is going to be a good and busy two weeks for him and for us. 
The computer is acting funny, so the post I had planned for this morning, isn't happening. But I've started a new book as I finished Kate Collin's "Dirty Rotten Tendrils."  Collins does a fine job of crafting a cozy mystery and her books are always an enjoyable read.

Enjoy Monday....manic though it may be!




 

my friday is here

My Friday has arrived. I'm liking a four day work week. Sweet!

Netflix sent us True Grit yesterday, so I know what movie we will be watching this weekend. The boy and I went to Aldi yesterday and bought some groceries. I watered my tomatoes and have a big one that is already turning red. The girls entertained me with stories from VBS and the oldest decided she could never be a kindergarten teacher.
 
I realized yesterday I had been thinking of my friend Anne quite a bit and when I arrived home and checked email I learned that yesterday was the one year anniversary of her fall. She went into the hospital and was never able to come home again. I think of her while I'm at work and wish she was here so I could share my thoughts about my new job.


There is a song on the radio now that has the verse in it : the sharp edge of a short life.  Great line, but the older I get, the more I realize that all life is short. Some are shorter than others, but by no means is life long enough.

Guess that is why it is important to enjoy each and every day. Smile. Laugh. Relish the experience.

And enjoy Friday when it comes on Thursay!!

a decent clip

Two days of work and then I get to enjoy my weekend. I'm loving the whole three day off thing. The job is still going well, interesting new things to learn almost every day. I spent most of yesterday coding the text for another addition to the online learning library. Today I get to pack things for a conference. Never a dull moment.

I'm reading the latest Kate Collins cozy mystery novel. This one, "Dirty Rotten Tendrils" is just as cute and engaging as her other titles in this series.

The girls continue to volunteer at church. The boy is my at home helper this week. I'm loving the slower pace that comes with being between soccer seasons.

Everything is moving along at a decent clip. Summer is good.

game of thrones

Of course I've read all of George R.R. Martin's massive books. I don't remember how old I was when I first discovered them, but the complicated storyline and the hundreds of characters seem to have been 'with' me for decades at this point.

When I first saw the trailer on HBO for the TV series based on the books, I about came off the couch. TV just doesn't do 'fantasy' like this. Well, maybe the SyFy channel tries to do fantasy like this in a strictly B-movie manner. I was hopeful HBO would spend the money to roll out the Seven Kingdoms in the manner it deserved.

I'd have to say the network has done a good job of bringing Martin's story to the screen. Of course, my two favorite characters in the book have been successfully brought to life by the actors chosen to portray them. Tyrion Lannister is fantastic and I can't wait to see more of Arya Stark.

I watched back to back episodes yesterday to get caught up and realized season one will be coming to a close soon. Which, of course, means True Blood rolls out for season four.

Thank Goodness for networks like HBO who can deliver edgy programming with fantastic acting.

Defiance by Lili St. Crow

A while back the middle kid had a portion of her birthday party blow out event over at our local mall. She and 7 of her buddies participated in a scavenger hunt. The hunt included an item in Barnes and Noble, so I was forced to hang out there and monitor the situation. The oldest daughter stuck by my side and we spent a lovely 45 minutes roaming the store, sipping on icy drinks and having a good time. Of course, we found a book to buy....yes, the latest in Dru's adventures had hit the shelves and needed to come home with us.

Due to a variety of circumstances, I didn't get to dive into Lili St. Crow's latest YA gem until this weekend. But once I opened the book, I knew I was in good hands and would stay in those hands until the final page. I continue to enjoy St. Crow's writing and while her YA novels tend to be a little less intense than her adult books,  they still pack one heckuva of a punch.

By the end of the last novel, Dru's friend, Graves, a loup-garou, had been taken by the master vampire of them all and was being held captive. Dru is still sorting out her feelings for Graves and Christophe, but that is not all that needs sorting. Dru is beginning to bloom and come into her full svetocha-ness! Let the fight scenes ensue.

St. Crow writes incredible fight scenes. They are truly a thing of beauty. The pacing and the wording combine to create, what I think, is probably the best fighting scenes in urban fantasy. She does this in all her books, with all her heroines. She isn't afraid to make them hurt and the reader is pulled right along into that part of the plot. Incredible.

I believe the next title in the Dru Anderson series will be the final one. Another thing to admire about St. Crow. She knows when to wrap it in a box and slap the bow on it.

Two thumbs way up for this one, but be warned these titles are for the older YA set. They do have 'language' in them as the F-bomb is dropped and intense action/bloody scenes are included. But, if you are looking for a heroine who can take care of herself, knows her own mind and doesn't let anyone push her around....Dru's your gal.

final day of my work week

I really need to stop saving everything for Friday. I looked at my 'to do' list for tomorrow and wanted to cry. I've packed way to much into one day, yet again. But, I will make the attempt by first driving the middle kid to the license branch to renew her permit so she can return in two weeks and take her driving test. She's not quite ready for the behind the wheel portion and needs more time, which means she needs to renew that permit.

I also need to grocery shop. I did manage to hammer out June's menu last night. Now, I need to check it over and make sure it is workable as my brain was in shut down mode when I made the list.

The house always needs something done, like the yard. Ugh. Weeds need pulling, the yard needs mowing the edges need edging.

And on and on and on.

The Friends meeting went well yesterday, plus, I think we had about 30 members there. Wahoo!!!!  I hope it continues. I guess my personal email plea for folks to come worked. I've already sent a thank you to that same group and plan on doing two personal pleas for July. With that meeting coming on the heels of the 4th, we need folks to show up and vote for the new fiscal year donation to the Library.

And that is it.....as Thursday is my new "Friday"...no post tomorrow!  Have a good weekend!!

flavia de luce

Flavia, my favorite 11 year old sleuth, along with her trusty bike Gladys, pedals her way into more mischief and murder. I'm currently reading the third novel starring this young lady. I've passed along the first book to my daughter and she is on chapter four and loving every page.

Can't say enough about the 'fun' Alan Bradley has created in these books. Good Stuff.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance and hubby's office is without air conditioning. Not good. He is expecting repair people today to see if they can get things running and cooling. I'm off to work, with a two hour hiatus thrown into the middle of the day. I have a Friends meeting this afternoon. So, I will be at work longer to make up for that time away.

Hard to believe it is Wednesday already!  But, it is, and off to the races we go!! Maybe I need a Gladys in my life....I could just pedal off to my next adventure.