Friday's Fave Five - 6/10/17

Fridays are a time to look back on the week and share our blessings.
If you want to join in or check out the other participants pop over to our host Suzanne's blog at Living to Tell the Story

A day late but at least I'm here and have things to be grateful for:

1) The chance to see the flat that hopefully my son and his wife will be moving to.  It's a really nice flat with 2 good sized bedrooms and the current owner seemed a really nice person.  The kids had offered to pay the asking price but another bidder had offered slightly more.  Turns out the other bidder wanted to buy the flat as an investment and intended to let it out.  The owner wanted to sell to people who would live in the flat and the kids' offer was enough for her to buy the house she wants.  Refreshing to find someone that's not just out to get as much money as possible from a sale.  Of course lots could go wrong between now and completion but we're keeping our fingers crossed.

2) A visit from one of our DILs friends which meant cooking a Sunday roast.  With Liz being American and both of them having made lots of overseas friends on their travels we are often a base or visiting point when they come to London.  Last week her friend wanted to experience a Sunday roast dinner so we had beef with all the trimmings.  We don't actually always follow the tradition of a roast dinner on Sunday but it's nice when we do.

3)  A lovely supportive online book group.  We signed up for doing book swaps at the beginning of the year and we have just done our 3rd one.  A new book, some comfy socks and chocolate treats.  What's not to like?

4)  Living in a country that doesn't have REALLY extreme weather.  Snow already Suzanne?! Brrrr

5)  Nathan time!  I spent the day there on Wednesday and then Nick joined us for dinner.  I love spending time with him even when he's a bit grumpy.  He's doing quite a bit of dribbling and not sleeping well so we're on the lookout for teeth.

I hope you've all had a good week and are enjoying the weekend.

Wednesday Hodgepodge 4/10/17

Wednesday's Hodgepodge is brought to us courtesy of Joyce at

From this side of the pond

Pop over there to see other posts and if you want to join in add the link to your Hodgepodge blog post to the Linky List at the end of Joyce's post and don’t forget to visit at least your neighbours on the list.

1.  Have you ever spent time on a farm? Tell us a little bit about it. Have you ever grown your own pumpkin? Been on a hayride? Driven a tractor? Milked a cow?

I’ve spent very little time on farms just the odd visit here and there.  My French brother-in-law’s family were farmers so I’ve been there and my school worked with a Christian community that established themselves in Sussex.  They had farmland but also a furniture making business so that they were self-sufficient and the school would make regular visits.  I’ve also taken the kids to various “open” farms but I’ve never done any of the things on the list.

2. What's something younger you would like about you now? 

Hopefully the way I’ve raised my family.

3. What are three things you'd like to do more often?

Be more productive with my time.

More crafting.

Getting out and about.

Three things you'd like to do less often?

Procrastinate/Waste time.

Ironing

Checking/deleting e-mails.
4. What's on your nachos?
I seldom eat nachos.
5. What's the most random thing in your purse or wallet? Does it need to stay there?
Someone gave me “An Angel in your Pocket” charm and as I don’t always have something on with pockets but very seldom leave the house without my purse the Angel is in my purse.
6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Answering #3 reminds me of the battle I constantly have with myself.  I have good days when I’m really organised and productive and get loads done or take myself out.  And other days when I just please myself and very little gets done and then I feel guilty at the end of the day.  Then a little voice pipes up saying “you’re retired, it’s ok” but I guess it’s because I don’t really see myself as retired.  I stopped working.  It’s different.  I need to work out a long term plan and maybe a bucket list.  Maybe tomorrow lol.  Today I’m off to spend time with Nathan and his Mummies.  Far more important.

Book reviews (A couple I missed)

The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning, hiding the past even from her new husband and demanding Zoe do the same.

Tonight Zoe is giving a recital that Maria has been planning for months. It needs to be the performance of her life. But instead, by the end of the evening, Maria is dead. In the aftermath, everyone—police, family, Zoe's former solicitor, and Zoe herself—tries to piece together what happened. But as Zoe knows all too well, the truth is rarely straightforward, and the closer we are to someone, the less we may see.

Unfolding over a span of twenty-four hours through three compelling narratives, The Perfect Girl is gripping, surprising, and emotionally complex—a richly layered look at loyalty, second chances, and the way secrets unravel us all."

I enjoyed the way this story unfolded showing us in flashbacks what had happened in the past – how the 14 year old Zoe had driven a car, not knowing that her drinks had been spiked and been involved in an accident, killing 3 other teenagers. She had spent time in a young offenders institution and after her release she and her Mother had made a new start.
The new start included a 2nd marriage for her Mother and Zoe gained a step-dad, Chris, and a step-brother, Lucas. The past seems to be behind them but when Zoe and Lucas are preparing to perform at a concert one of the victim’s parents storms into the concert hall and creates a scene.
The same parent turns up at their house later and this sets off a sequence of events that lead to Maria’s death.
The present is told through various POVs and although it was interesting to see how the story unfolded and the way Zoe and Lucas conspired together to provide enough evidence for Chris to be prosecuted for Maria’s death there wasn’t a great deal of suspense or depth to the book. It was an easy read but not a great read.

View all my reviews


The Dress by Jane L. Rosen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Legend has it that every season there is one dress. The dress that can make your career, ignite a spark with that special someone, or utterly transform your life. For Felicia, who has been in love with her boss for 20 years; for Natalie who has sworn off men since her ex dumped her – for them and for others, life is about to change.

And all because of their brush with the dress of the season, the perfect little black number that everyone wants to get their hands on…

A lovely light fluffy read that takes various characters and weaves a story from them all linked by the LBD. Great escapism.




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Review: Lost For Words

Lost For Words by Stephanie Butland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look closely, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are things she'll never show you.

Fifteen years ago Loveday lost all she knew and loved in one unspeakable night. Now, she finds refuge in the unique little York bookshop where she works.

Everything is about to change for Loveday. Someone knows about her past. Someone is trying to send her a message. And she can't hide any longer.”

I really enjoyed this book, based around the sort of bookshop any booklover wants to spend time in, the story of Loveday’s troubled childhood and how that has impacted on her current life is told from her point of view in the present and with flashbacks to the past.
Her back story is gradually filled in while she slowly allows Nathan into her life. Fiercely independent and secretive of her past this is difficult for her to do. And of course the path of true love never runs smoothly.

Sensitively written I was willing there to be a happing ending for Loveday.


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