January Faves

 

This has been a nice, quiet and easy week with no major obligations and I'm reflecting back on it with thankfulness and also  pausing to share five of the blessings that made me smile and thank God for.  I do this with other like-minded bloggers and we all link up at Susanne's blog.  There is always something to be grateful for and these are my top 5 of the past week. 

FIVE FAVES

• HEALTHY MEALS: I've been enjoying getting back to more healthful eating with more plant based foods/whole foods and way less sugar and animal fats unlike the holiday season. I've enjoyed steel  cut oats with cinnamon, blueberries, walnuts,  and pomegranate this past week.  When I can't get blueberries, I chop up a granny smith apple.  I'm thankful for whole foods! 

s'mores and oreo cookie Martinis
that my brother-in-law and his wife ordered

Dave stuck to zero beer

my cocktail was the snowbird
and absolutely refreshing

• DINNER DATE!  Dave and I had a dinner date late last Friday evening with Dave's brother Peter and his wife Kathy who is also my friend. We were in Massachusetts for a few days as it was our turn to help out with my mother-in-law who is still living alone at age 90 and doing very well but for her dementia. She does have an "angel helper" come in each evening except Sundays from 4 pm-7 pm to make sure she has eaten, taken her meds and do the laundry and cleaning.    We saved Friday night for going out with Pete and Kathy  and Saturday evening we ordered pizzas and salad and we all got together at my MiL's house.  I'm thankful we took the time last weekend to go out and help. Dinner and drinks were delicious too!  (I had the fish tacos which are absolutely amazing at this place). 

• HOT TEA:  I'm not a huge tea drinker and don't like most flavors. But every once in a while, especially on a cold winter afternoon or after dinner, I like a steaming mug if it's a flavor I like and am not allergic to (I'm allergic to eucalyptus and lavender and don't like most orange teas for some reason).  I found this new-to-me caffeine free herbal tea and it's like a splash of orange juice and sunshine minus the sugar. It's so very refreshing and comforting all at the same time. I enjoy it while reading in the evenings. It's got hints of oranges, floral rosehips, blackberry, and hibiscus. It claims to be a good dose of Vitamin C and says it helps to support the immune system. I honestly think it does as I was exposed to two people who had severe colds, and I have been fine.  I'm thankful I found this tea! 

• POP IN VISIT!  Our youngest girl, Claire, popped in for a very quick visit on her day off yesterday. She had an early morning physical/blood work and was returning a container she borrowed from me after her exam. She and I had a lovely time chatting about her new schedule beginning next week and I told her I'd pray for her regarding the 2 hour NYS exam she has to take today to obtain her optician license. So far,  she has done super well on all of them. Next week she begins Organic Chemistry which she didn't need for her BS degree in Sociology. She said it will only involve two evenings  of going to this campus so she's happy about that. I'm thankful she's able to hold down a full time job and take a class working towards getting into Optometry School. 

• MOVIE:  On Wednesday evening, I watched a super good, clean, family-friendly movie with one of my fave actresses in it. It's available on Netflix.  It's based on a true story about a high school girls volleyball team in Iowa and what happens when one of their best and most beloved team members dies. I'm thankful for good movies and the time to watch them. I highly recommend this if you like Helen Hunt and/or William Hurt. 

Those are just some little blessings that made up my week. 

I hope you have a good weekend!

Quiet Confidence

 

My "word of the year" is confidence. The scripture I'm basing it on is from Proverbs 14 (see sidebar), but today I'm meditating on the Scripture found in Isaiah 30:15 from the New Living translation:

"In quietness and confidence is your strength" 

I have seen so many secular quotes about confidence through the years.....some on social media, some in books or magazines.  Here's one I like but it's not totally true, is it?? 

Yes, it's important to "believe in yourself" but......how much better to believe in God, give your plans to Him so He can order your steps and then anything is possible with Him. When we do this, we can have that quiet confidence in ourselves. 

The above quote reminds me of Audrey Hepburn's quote (our family's favorite actress)

 

" Nothing is Impossible..the  word itself says I'm possible"~Audrey Hepburn 1929-1993~)

When we place our lives in Christ, He gives us the confidence we need to do the things He asks of us.  He is the Source of Strength.  With God all things are possible. There's nothing too hard for Him. When I'm living for an Audience of One, I'm confident. This is more true when we are living in His will and doing the things He purposes for us. 

I love these Scriptures that remind me of just Who God is and how He affects my life...my plans...my dreams....

 

 

and this

Those are the Scriptures I'm meditating on this week. 

As I move into January and the new year of 2026, I am hoping to gain confidence in sharing my story.....in sharing what Christ has done for me.....mainly with family members who don't know Him in a personal way.....who don't lean on God through the  difficult times....who sometimes have even cursed God.....

I have the tools.......

now for that quiet  confidence. 

a BOOK MEME!

I don't think I've ever participated in the "Tuesday 4 meme" but today's questions were all about books and being a book nerd, I decided to do this post while waiting for my kitchen floor to dry. 

To play along, head to this blog. 

1.  Would you tell us about a book you particularly enjoyed?

I have enjoyed most books I've read.  How about one from 2025:  I thoroughly enjoyed Heartwood. You'll have to click on the title to read why I liked it.  

2.  Do you have a favorite book series?  How about a favorite series when you were a kid?

I have several fave series I read:  The Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell.  I've read all of them in order and am currently on her 27th one that came out in 2022.  Not sure how I missed it that year.  There are two more that have since been written and the next one is on my nightstand from the library. I borrow books from the library. 

I also like the Mike Bowditch Game Warden series (set in Maine) by Paul Doiron. I have read the first 12k I believe. 

I love the Alex Cross series and have read all of those in order except the last one published.  The author is James Patterson. 

And I've completed the entire Harry Potter series as well as The Hunger Games. 

As a child I collected all the Happy Hollister books, Trixie Beldon books (oldest daughter now owns them), several Nancy Drew books (youngest girl has those) and I loved the Meg Mystery series (Oldest girl has them) and the Heidi books which are in my basement. As a teen I adored the Chronicles of Narnia. 

3.  Is there a book that you just did not like or one in which you just could get interested?

I could NOT get into Wuthering Heights in high school and I tried reading Gone Girl and couldn't get into it so returned it to the library,  but then when the movie came out on Netflix, I enjoyed it. Go figure. 

4.   Is there an author whose books you don't want to miss or one whose books you avoid?

The authors I tend to avoid is Diane Chamberlain and Suzanne Collins.  Their books are all the same in my opinion. The authors I gravitate towards are Lisa Wingate, Paul Dorion, Margaret Atwood, Patricia Cornwell, Camilla Lackberg, James Patterson (just his Alex Cross books and  sometimes his Murder Club novels), Tracey Chevalier, Tatiana de Rosnay (such GOOD historical fiction!!) Joy Fielding...among others.....

That's it for the Tuesday meme!

Happy Reading!

 

2026 Book Review #1:Black Woods Blue Sky

 

Wow.

I had discovered this author in 2013  when I read the book The Snow Child. 

This book will linger with you long after after you read the final page.

STORY SUMMARY

Birdie, a very young, single mom to Emaleen, aged 6, is often drunk or hungover. She tries to keep it together and sometimes she has to bring Emaleen to work with her.  She is a waitress at an Alaskan roadside lodge called Wolverine Lodge on the edge of the Wolverine River. Sometimes she also works in the bar late at night and has left Emaleen alone in the little cabin they rent.   Birdie has a tough life in a little tough wilderness town.  But...she remembers what life was like with her sister Liz growing up in the wilderness with their Grandma Jo. Birdie and Liz's mom abandoned them for Florida when they were just little girls. Grandma Jo now sometimes babysits for Emmaleen. 

Arthur Nielson is a very quiet man.  He is soft-spoken and has a facial scar and just one ear. He's a recluse who lives further up in the mountains and only comes down to the Lodge and town during the changing of the seasons. But...one day, he sees that Emaleen is lost in the woods and he brings her back safely to her mom.  Most of the town people avoid him, but to Birdie, he stands for everything she has ever longed:  running wild in nature. She finds herself falling for Arthur...as well as the land that he loves so well. 

Everyone warns Birdie about going to live with him in his cabin up in the mountains where is no electricity or plumbing. But Birdie and Emaleen move into Arthur's cabin on the far side of the Wolverine River.  Even Arthur's father, Warren, warns Birdie not to go. 

It is just the three of them in that vast black woods....far from telephones, roads and all human contact. But Birdie has come to believe that she is prepared.  And at first, it is very idyllic. They catch salmon together, pick berries, teach Emaleen to swim, and climb mountains high enough that it seems they can touch the beautiful blue sky. 

But very soon, Birdie discovers that Arthur is much more mysterious and dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And...."that a fairy tale like the Alaskan wilderness, can be as dark as it is beautiful". (taken from the book jacket cover).  

What happens to Birdie, Arthur, and Emaleen? Will they survive together? or does Arthur's true identity drive them apart? 

MY THOUGHTS

Wowza. This is a wonderful, beautiful story. It's kind of like an adult fairy tale. It's so well written and the plot so well developed with rich characters that I didn't want it to end. 

It's got themes of life and death; friendship and love; mother-daughter love....and the allure of the wilderness and the wild life.  It's about things we gain. And things we lose. It's about the pull of nature...particularly those wild places...the deep wilderness and the longings in each of us. 

It's about forgiveness and mercy. 

I found absolutely no editing errors in this novel. 

I highly recommend this book.

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older. 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.