CREATIVE SPARKS: SATURDAY SNAPSHOT — ARTISTIC MOMENTS — MAY 25

Welcome to our regular feature, Saturday Snapshot, our opportunity to showcase photos we or friends and family have captured.  The event is now hosted by West Metro Mommy.

Today I’m going to share some older photos that spotlight artistic people or endeavors.  In the first shot, my oldest and youngest son are posed as young artistes, outside an apartment they shared in Sacramento, CA, in 1991.  The oldest was 25 at the time, and the youngest was 20.  My oldest son is the photographer who captured the shot….and at that time, his specialty was dark themes or brooding subjects.

In the next shot, my youngest son, whose artistic endeavors lean toward building things (he has built various bookshelves for me over the years); and in this photo, we see the treehouse he built for the grandkids (and friends) among the Eucalyptus trees on my foothill property.

And in the final photo, captured in Berlin by my eldest son, who lives and works there, we see the police presence in the aftermath of a protest by artistic types; they objected to the sale of portions of the Wall to developers, which would mean taking down the sections that had been renovated as an art gallery.

Now I’m off to see what the rest of you are sharing…

FRIDAY SPARKS: BOOK BEGINNINGS & THE FRIDAY 56 — “THE HUSBAND’S SECRET” — MAY 24

Welcome to some bookish fun today as we share Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and as we showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

If you have been wanting to participate, but haven’t yet tried, now is the time!

What better way to spend a Friday?

Today’s spotlight shines on an ARC, from Amazon Vine, called The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty.  This will be my first journey into this author’s works.

Beginning:  Chapter One:

It was all because of the Berlin Wall.

If it weren’t for the Berlin Wall Cecilia would never have found the letter, and then she wouldn’t be sitting here, at the kitchen table, willing herself not to rip it open.

***

56:  Yet Tess hadn’t been wary.  She’d been stupidly secure of Will’s love.  Secure enough to wear her old jeans with that black T-shirt that Will said made her look like a biker chick.

***

Blurb:   At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter
that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died. . . .

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

***

I am eager to read this book from an author I have not yet tried.  I’ve been hearing such good things about What Alice Forgot, a previous book.

What are you sharing  today?  Come on by….

IGNITE SOME SPARKS!

THURSDAY SPARKS: RANDOM THOUGHTS ON LIFE, ETC. — MAY 23

When I found this photo of poppies on Pinterest, my mind reeled backward in time.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are about wandering the land around our home, picking poppies at will.  Not something we can do nowadays, if we can even spy a spare poppy field.

And I loved the song about Poppies, golden poppies, gleaming in the sun….

Nostalgia catapults me backwards at the oddest moments, but never more than when I’m reading or watching a movie.  Images thrust me into the oddest places in my life and my mind.

As I came here today, presumably just to check out alternate themes…and then when I actually changed the theme to this one, I thought about “followers.”

Our blogs keep track for us, and while not one of my blogs has very many followers—the largest total being on An Interior Journey, with 146—when I add up the totals of all eleven blogs, I have 772 followers.  Would I have more or less followers if I had stuck to just one blog? Definitely a random thought….and trivial, at best.

What does any of this have to do with nostalgia, or childhood, or random thoughts?  Well….random, as in traipsing all over the place and seemingly going nowhere.

Do you have days like that?

Meanwhile, I’m struggling with my reading this week.  After a promising start with my quick read of captivating Don’t Go, by Lisa Scottoline, I’ve been trudging through the books that followed.  Alternately watching movies, taking naps, and doing anything but staying on track.

 

Is it WHAT I’m reading…or something else?  How do you bring focus to your reading when your mind wants to take a journey elsewhere?

It didn’t help that I’ve downloaded some new books and two new Vine reads came in the mail.  I’m itching to grab one or more of these, and forget all about my plan for the day!

Kind of Cruel, by Sophie Hannah, is one I really want to read!

 

And The Husband’s Secret has me drooling, too….

 

Yesterday, I downloaded All the Days of My Life (so far), by Alison Sweeney.

And another download is practically shouting at me:  The Glass Wives, by Amy Sue Nathan

 

So now that I’ve laid it all out there, what should I do?  What would you do?

 

CREATIVE SPARKS: SATURDAY SNAPSHOTS — A POTPOURRI OF FAMILY MOMENTS — MAY 18

Welcome to another Saturday Snapshot event, hosted by At Home With Books.

Every week, we come together with a snapshot or two or more….sharing a glimpse of our world and peeking into yours.

Last week, being Mother’s Day, was all about family moments.  I’m going to show a potpourri of images today, starting with this one of Heather and her son Noah.

And here’s a shot of Noah with his dad; his stepbrother Braden; and his new half-sister Dayva.

 

And here’s a shot of Heather with her partner, Andy….

 

I hope that everyone had a wonderful week…and now I’m off to see what the rest of you are showcasing this week.

UNDER SIEGE: ONE WOMAN’S ESCAPE FROM TYRANNY — A REVIEW

Tyranny takes many forms, from the restrictions of freedom imposed by governments to the familial constraints that markedly prevent an individual’s personal growth.

 
Growing up in post-war Germany, the author shows the reader what her world looked like, both at home and on the larger canvas that was her life within Berlin after the building of the Wall.

 
Walled-In reveals much about the young woman’s pursuit of individual freedom, and as I read about her personal struggles and the family dynamics, much of it tolled a familiar bell for me.

 
Our lives did not mirror one another’s, since I grew up in the US and did not face the governmental restrictions that dictated her life; however, the era in which we were each born was very similar and the family dynamics I experienced echoed hers.  I could totally relate to her feelings and rooted for her escape.

 
My escape was made simpler by the governmental freedoms I enjoyed, but freedom from any tyranny can feel just as exhilarating, no matter how different the cage may be.

 
Other aspects of the story were wonderfully drawn, from the historical context in which she grew to the world at large that offered opportunities for change.  This was a beautifully told story that is even more inspirational because of the parallels between Berlin under siege and the uncompromising world of family.  Five stars.

CREATIVE SPARKS: SATURDAY SNAPSHOT — MOTHER’S DAY PLANS — MAY 11

Welcome to another Saturday Snapshot event, hosted by At Home With Books.

Every week, we come together with a snapshot or two or more….sharing a glimpse of our world and peeking into yours.

Since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I’m focused on my upcoming plans with my daughter.  Today I’ll be hanging out with grandson Noah….Iron Man is on the list of activities.

Then Sunday will bring a fun day.  Here are some samples of possible Sunday activities:

Coffee and a Mimosa at home?

 

Then some bottomless Mimosas here…or maybe at The Office, where my daughter tends bar (but not on Sunday).

 

Here’s a shot of my daughter and a friend enjoying themselves….

 

 

We’ll have food—yes, food is on the agenda, too!—at The Elbow Room.  I should have pictures of that next week.

For all the mothers out there, have a great Mother’s Day!

 

OLD & NEW CONNECTIONS IN A FEEL-GOOD TALE — A REVIEW

Another chapter in the Blossom Street series, with Summer On Blossom Street, brings another knitting class and a new group of characters to A Good Yarn, the shop owned by Lydia Goetz. Some new and old characters join the story, as Lydia introduces a new class called Knit to Quit.

Each of the women (and one man) join the class to help them with a kind of addiction, varying from smoking to getting over an old love.
New romance slips unexpectedly into the worlds of these characters, even as disappointments remind us that real life issues spring up even in a fictionalized tale.

But these real-life moments are what sets this series apart…and make us fully connect to the characters.

What new events change everything about Lydia’s life, as she prepares to adopt a child? How will Alix manage to get through the days and nights as she struggles to quit smoking? And what unexpected person arrives on the scene and shakes up Anne Marie’s life with her newly adopted daughter?

As each chapter reveals a character’s story, we are soon caught up in their moments and hoping that all will work out for that character.

As we came to a satisfying conclusion, I was reminded again that these old and new friends could return in another story…thus making it easier to say goodbye for now. Four stars.