Thursday, September 5, 2024

Share Your Shelf - September 2024

 

It's the first Thursday of the month and that's time for Share Your Shelf hosted by


A major departure from my usual genre - when I saw this on the shelf at the library, I knew I would enjoy a book about Tsarina Alexandra of Russia only to find out when I got home that it was a book about Tsarina Catherine I (not Catherine the Great), taking place in Imperial Russia in the early 18th century.


Before there was Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. Ellen Alpsten's rich, sweeping debut novel is the story of her rise to power.

St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless, and passionate as Peter himself.

Born into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter’s powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life - the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter’s bedchamber - she knows the peril of her position. Peter’s attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar’s death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the crown for herself?

From the sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy, to the incense-filled rites of the Orthodox Church and the terror of Peter’s torture chambers, the intoxicating and dangerous world of Imperial Russia is brought to vivid life.

Tsarina is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire.

The other two books I read in August were set in and after World War I.  Both were excellent reads (I finished the Sisters of the Great War in one day!).


From the New York Times bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles and based on the true story of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France—this is “a moving tale of sacrifice, heroism, and inspired storytelling immersed in the power of books to change our lives” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author).

1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.

1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.

Based on the extraordinary little-known history of the women who received the Croix de Guerre medal for courage under fire, 
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a “rich, glorious, life-affirming tribute to literature and female solidarity. Simply unforgettable” (Kate Thompson, author of The Wartime Book Club).


Inspired by real women, this powerful novel tells the story of two unconventional American sisters who volunteer at the front during World War I

August 1914. While Europe enters a brutal conflict unlike any waged before, the Duncan household in Baltimore, Maryland, is the setting for a different struggle. Ruth and Elise Duncan long to escape the roles that society, and their controlling father, demand they play. Together, the sisters volunteer for the war effort—Ruth as a nurse, Elise as a driver.

Stationed at a makeshift hospital in Ypres, Belgium, Ruth soon confronts war’s harshest lesson: not everyone can be saved. Rising above the appalling conditions, she seizes an opportunity to realize her dream to practice medicine as a doctor. Elise, an accomplished mechanic, finds purpose and an unexpected kinship within the all-female Ambulance Corps. Through bombings, heartache and loss, Ruth and Elise cherish an independence rarely granted to women, unaware that their greatest challenges are still to come.

Monday, September 2, 2024

Prime Purchases - September 2024

  

 It's time for Tanya's Prime Purchases.

Lots of bits and pieces this month.  I was going to go to Staples for some Post-it Notes and then got lost down a rabbit hole on Amazon and ended up with two different options.

Regular, square Post-it Notes

Smaller, 1.5 x 2-inch Post-it Notes

Happy 24th Birthday presents for our grand-horse, Ginger - a new bling browband


And since she's watching her waistline, Carb Conscious Treats


A re-order of the ink and paper for my photo printer



Two types of paper for printing larger photos - Ultra Premium Matte and Premium Plus


Months of the year stickers for my memory planner




Oven liner - need to clean the oven and then set this in place

Pants hangers for pants and shorts to keep the closet organized
Olive Oil - what a deal, I found this $30 more expensive locally


A new book because our library didn't carry it
Took my car to the dealership and they told me my tires were at 1/32" and needed to be replaced.  I headed over to Costco to check the prices there and the service representative checked my tires, and they are actually at 4/32".  Bought this set of two tread gauges - one for us, one for Sophia - so we can make sure we're getting the correct information when we take our cars to be serviced.

Coming over the next 18 weeks:


How to organize your home and holidays, one week at a time.  Click on the graphic for all the details.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Around the 'Net

 

I found this when I was searching for holiday diffuser blends during Christmas in July.  It was from The Cents'Able Shoppin blog, but I can't find the post so I'm not sure what oils she's using.  I think you can find these oils pretty much anywhere - Melaleuca, doTERRA, Young Living, and others.

Do you use diffuser blends for the different seasons?

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 566

 From this Side of the Pond

It's Wednesday, time to join Joyce over at the Hodgepodge.  Copy the graphic and the questions, answer them on your blog, and then link up to the party.

1. What is one cliche you think is nonsense? What's one you think holds truth? 

Opposites attract - not necessarily nonsense but not always true.  Laughter is the best medicine - I love this one!

2. What's the last thing you broke and how did it happen? 

No idea how it happened but I broke a scrapbooking punch - a row of clouds which I used all the time!  I just picked it up off the shelf and it came apart in two pieces.  When I searched our scrapbook company's website, I found quite a few complaints of the same problem.  I contacted customer service and they gave me a credit for the cost of the punch as it isn't available any longer.

3. Are you a fan of s'mores? Have you had a s'more this summer? Last thing you ate that you wanted to ask for 's'more of'?

I love s'mores.  When I got together with a group of girlfriends from our kids' toddler days, we stayed at a cabin that had this in the kitchen along with a basket of all the fixings:


Such a cute idea!

I'm thinking about putting this under the Christmas tree for the three of us to enjoy.


4. A mode of transportation you've never tried? Will you someday? 

Spaceship?  Not likely.

5. Believe it or not, next week's Hodgepodge lands in a brand new month. What's your happiest memory from the month we're bidding adieu?

Having Vic home for the first month of his leave before his official retirement date of 1 October.  We slept late, stayed up late, had endless coffee breaks, shopped, ate out, submitted plans for the new deck, played with Malone, and just enjoyed our time together.  We're doing it all again next month!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Practicing for Paris!  Loving Duolingo.

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #179

 

I don't know how I stumbled across these post box toppers, but they are just the cutest things.  According to the Royal Mail, they have been around since 2012 but have exploded on the scene in UK cities and villages with the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Her Majesty's 90th birthday, her death in 2022, and King Charles III's coronation in 2023.  Add in the Paris Olympics and the creativity of local knitters and crocheters knows no bounds.  The pandemic created a surge in post box toppers as knitters and crocheters worked overtime during the lockdown.


It's wonderful to see the creativity and dedication of individuals in celebrating special events, and Helene Buttifant from Wells is no exception.

She has spent over a month creating a knitted postbox topper to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, which is currently adorning the postbox next to the Bishop's Eye.

The topper features all of the big players in the historic event, including King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Archbishop.

"The topper took me over a month to complete as there are so many small components to each figure," Helene explained. " It took me a whole day just to crochet the triangular pennants around the topper and add the gold tassels and lettering and crowns."

The piece has already had a gentle re-sew ('The Archbishop looked like he'd had too much communion wine', Helen said,) and has been met with delight from residents and visitors to the city.

"Lovely piece of work. Well done," one resident wrote on a Facebook post, before adding: "Almost makes me forget I can't stand the pair."

Another wrote, simply: "Absolutely beautiful."

"I just love creating these toppers and am overwhelmed by the community spirit and kind comments received from everyone who has seen it," Helen said. "I just hope our British weather is kind to it as we have gales forecast this week - so fingers crossed it stays upright!"

From the Wells Nub News, 17 April 2023

Through reading about the post box toppers, I found the Facebook group, UK Post Box Toppers and More Group, which has almost 88,000 members.  The photos are amazing!

I'll leave you with this, since you all know how much I love Christmas.


I recognize this Santa as I have one of my own.



The pattern is from Jean Greenhowe, and my Mum made Santa and Mrs. Claus as well as Mr. and Mrs. Snowman from her designs.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Around the 'Net

I never know from week to week what's going to catch my eye.  Vic didn't grow up eating dairy products and they don't really agree with him.  He did try a little slice of Gouda, one of the samples at Costco one day, and really liked it.  I found this in my surfing around the Internet which was really interesting.


This article tells you more and lists other cheeses for those with a lactose intolerance:

What Is Low-Lactose Cheese?

According to Steve Carper, author of Milk Is Not For Every Body: Living With Lactose Intolerance, there cheeses that contain less than 5 grams of sugar per serving clock in at about 2 to 3 percent lactose. For reference, whole milk has around 4.8 percent lactose, making it one of the worst offenders for sensitive tummies.

"As a general rule, the longer a cheese has aged, the less lactose it will have; over time, the lactose in cheese will convert to lactic acid," says Catherine Rall, a registered dietitian at Happy V. So those with particularly sensitive stomachs will want to avoid creamier varieties such as ricotta or cottage cheese at all costs.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 565

 From this Side of the Pond

It's Wednesday, time to join Joyce over at the Hodgepodge.  Copy the graphic and the questions, answer them on your blog, and then link up to the party.

1. What's the last thing you completely overreacted to?

Maybe the whole deck building process?  I can't really think of anything else I completely overreacted to lately.  I am frustrated that the process is taking.so.long.  I suppose it's our own fault for not asking how long the process might take.  Day 19 and we're still waiting.

2. Your top five snacks? 

Salt and vinegar chips; chips and guacamole; chips and salsa; any kind of hot dip like artichoke or crab with pieces of crusty bread; little sweet things like madeleines or mini-tarts.

3. What smell always brings back some type of memory? Elaborate. 

Burnt toast.  My aunt (in England) had an eye-level grill, something like this:


It never failed that the toast on the grill ended up burnt.  English bread smells different than American bread and the smell of it burnt is burned (excuse the pun) into my brain.  It's not an unpleasant smell, and it's one that conjures up the most amazing memories of the time we spent at her house.

I struggled with whether to use burnt or burned and resorted to Google to check it out:

  • "Burned" is the past tense form of "to burn" that is more commonly used in American English.
  • "Burnt" is the past tense form of "to burn" that is more commonly used in British English.
  • Both words are correct and can be used interchangeably, depending on the preferred dialect.

4. What's something you learned from the last book you read?

I learned that there were women in World War I who traveled to France for the express purpose of setting up libraries.  Here's an excerpt from this article:

In 1930, Anne Morgan’s wartime headquarters, the Château of Blérancourt, became a national museum dedicated to Franco-American cooperation and friendship. The legacy of the reconstruction work carried out by Morgan and her tireless cadre of librarians endures and resonates well beyond the borders of Picardie, and Bibliothèque Fessart, with its stacks-lined reading room on the ground floor and children’s room upstairs, is a treasure today. 

5. What's the next thing on your to-buy list? Will you make that purchase before the end of the year?

Right now, it's the building materials for the deck.  We're holding off on the big purchase until the permit is approved and we know exactly what will be required.  One big purchase, one delivery.  After that, I think a new fence is on the schedule but probably not until the spring. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Who remembers these kids TV dinners?  My sister and I looked forward to the couple of times a year when my parents had to attend a command function, and we had a babysitter and Kid Cuisine TV dinners.  Life was so much simpler then and treats were small and infrequent.

Monday, August 19, 2024

Life Last Week

 

A little of this and a little of that last week.  Monday and Tuesday were quiet days but then Wednesday kicked off another round of gathering information for the deck project.  In the process of calling the Call before you Dig folks to make sure all utilities were accounted for in the dig zone, we found out we need a public health clearance because we have a septic system.  The detailed plans Vic submitted to the county had to be modified to comply with public health guidelines.  The size of the document was different and what had to be marked out was different.  Really, this is the county and the county public health department, and they couldn't use the same drawings?  Fortunately, public health stamped the clearance approved as soon as we took the new documents into their office; we're still waiting for the county permit before we can begin.

In the meantime, Vic decided to install cabinets in the garage.  He has as many tools as I have craft supplies, so it was time to get them organized.  That involved removing odd pieces of wood that were nailed on to the drywall, insulating, installing new drywall, mudding, sanding, and painting the areas in preparation for the new cabinets.

On Friday, I tuned in to the December Daily live on Instagram for some of the details of this year's release.  More to come. 

The album designs for this year were released and they are gorgeous!

I decided to go through my leftover December Daily supplies from the last seven years to see if anything could go and I think I may have tossed one holiday tag!  I have so much cute stuff and I'm sure I'll use it at some point.


I did think that perhaps I'd go back and work on December Daily for 2016; I started the project in 2017, so I have more than enough supplies to add a few albums to my collection.

A quick trip to the grocery store for my new addiction, yummy squeeze of lime grain-free tortilla chips.  The brand is Siete.


And I couldn't resist a shot of these lovely flowers in all their fall colors glory.


On Saturday, we drove over to Seattle.  The son of one of the couples in our small group has been in the hospital off and on since March.  He was born with spina bifida and had a stroke.  He was not doing well at all and sadly, he died the following day.  It's heartbreaking.

We stopped at the French bakery for some baguettes and pastries for dinner, missed one ferry, and drove south of the city to try another one.  We were more successful with this one and were home in the early evening just before the thunder and lightning started.  It was quite a storm.


Facebook reminded me that the Holiday Grand Plan for 2024 starts on September 1st.  The Holiday Grand Plan combines holiday prep, home organizing and cleaning components. Each week, the Plan focuses on one room or area. Beginning just as the summer ends, you’ll work week-by-week to declutter, clean, and organize each room in your home.  Along the way, the Holiday Grand Plan tackles holiday preparations, too. Whether it’s gifts, decor, or holiday meals, you’ll be organized and ready for the holidays before they arrive.

There are printables here, Holiday Grand Plan Calendars & Checklists – Holiday Grand Plan, and two great Facebook groups for guidance and support, Facebook (Holiday Grand Plan page) and Holiday Grand Planners - Get Organized Community | Facebook.


Sunday found us with friends for a barbecue.  I brought the meat, flank steak and marinated chicken breasts which were so tender and juicy.  Our friend is allergic to onions, so I found this recipe for lemon-garlic chicken.

And to finish up the week, we found a new medical drama series on Netflix which is excellent.


Have a great week!

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Around the 'Net

 

Have you ever made risotto?

There are many varieties of risotto, 54 are listed here on Taste Atlas - I love mushrooms so Risotto Ai Funghi appeals to me, and you can find the recipe here.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #178

 

Happy 74th Birthday on August 15 to Her Royal Highness Anne, The Princess Royal. **

The Princess Royal started undertaking public work at the age of 18 and has established significant and ongoing relationships with a number of charities and organizations across the Commonwealth and has one of the busiest working schedules of any member of the Royal Family.

Her Royal Highness has been President of Save the Children UK since 1970, and it was the first major charity with which she became closely associated.  Her Royal Highness is involved in over 300 charities, organizations, and military regiments in the UK and overseas, and devotes a large part of her working life to official engagements and visits.

The Princess Royal is one of the few women in the Royal Family who regularly wears a military uniform.  She was given the honor of riding behind the Gold State Coach carrying the newly crowned King Charles II and Queen Camilla as they traveled down the Mall in 2023.

A keen equestrian, Her Royal Highness competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and is a member of the International Olympic Committee.  Her Royal Highness is President of the British Olympic Association and was a regular fixture at Team Great Britian events.  At a meeting with athletes at the British Embassy prior to the Paris 2024 Olympics, she told them:

"I hope you will feel that this is the environment which encourages you to perform at your best, although you won't know that until it happens, but if it's a personal best, you can be imminently proud of what you've achieved because you will know you couldn't have done any better."

She added, "It requires such inspiration and innovation to maintain those levels of excellence for an Olympic Games that says something enormous about your achievements and your skills. Thank you for your commitment and your support and I just wish you every bit of success and that it goes as well as you hope in every way."

**Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters.  Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family.  There have been seven Princesses Royal.  Princess Anne became Princess Royal in 1987.