Mid-Spring Faves

 

What a week! Many busy days and slower evenings......two days felt like the middle of July here in eastern New York State with a temp of 94 F on Monday!  We had to turn on the central air Monday around 2 pm and it stayed on until Wed morning when a cooler front pushed through.  I much prefer having my windows open for fresh air so I'm happy it's more Spring-like now.   Pollen is flying around so allergy tablets and more dusting have been part of my daily routine this week but it's also been a week of many blessings and things that made me say "Thank You, God". 

I'm sharing FIVE of those things called FAVES and linking up with others who do the same, at our host's site: Susanne of Living to Tell the Story.   Join us! 

• MISSIONS EVENT:  Last Friday evening, Dave and I were signed up to attend the "Christ, Curry, and Coffee" missions event at our church.  Our guest speakers were Prakesh from India and the mission organization called RiseIndia, and Audrey from the local area who is a geologist and volunteer with the Living Water Project.  They work with the lowest caste in India called the "Untouchables." I wrote about this evening in more detail here if you're interested in seeing how these people and their group of missionaries are impacting the lives of people in India. I'm thankful Dave and I had the chance to hear these amazing individuals, eat excellent Indian food from this local restaurant, and chat with some of our missions team leaders at our church.  I also am thankful we saw and spoke with an elderly  couple  (Doug and Bev) who used to attend our church but are serving (and in their 80s!) elsewhere.  Doug (age 86) and his wife Bev have served in India 40 different times for extended missions trip, working with Rise India and representing our church.  They no longer travel over to India but they are still making an impact here in our local region.  Dave and I hadn't seen them in many years.  We had a good talk reminiscing about when they taught a ballroom dancing class at our church when Dave and I first joined and took the class back in 2005-2006!  I'm so thankful for faithful Christians who shine for God! 

SoulSteps morning hike:  High Falls Area
Adam and his wife Kathryn, Celine
Dave D and me 
High Falls Conservancy Area 16 May

our destination was the highest falls
in Columbia County to the east of us
High Falls 16 May

• SOULSTEPS  MORNING HIKE: I had a scheduled hike to lead last Saturday morning and it was a perfect Spring day! Temps were in the 70s and we had full sunshine.  I originally had 8 people signed up for this hike but it ended up being just 5 of us. My husband couldn't go as he had to deal with an emergency by working from home that morning. I'm so thankful we had a great morning hike and were home by 1 pm! This trail is listed as a tourist attraction for people visiting the NYS Capital Region and we saw many other hikers as well. It is only a 50 minute drive from my house heading east towards MA. It was my 2nd time there and I enjoyed every moment of this easy hike. I'm thankful everyone had a good time. 

Irises in the front flower garden

• BLOOMS AND GROWTH:  I don't know if it was the heat wave or what but my irises are blooming about 2 weeks earlier than usual and they're bigger than ever. I have several bushes of them on the side of the house but for some reason the pic didn't  come out good.  They don't last long so I've been enjoying them this week.  I also noticed my dianthus plant, aka Diane, is back to blooming after bunny ate her previous flowers. I sprinkled chili powder around the plant and they have stayed away, thankfully!  AND my buttercrunch lettuce is finally getting bigger as are both rose bushes. I'm thankful for Spring growth and beauty. 

"Diane" is blooming again! 

Buttercrunch lettuce......I'm experimenting in a large pot

this bush will have pretty pink tea roses 
in another week most likely 
I love the little solar "buds" behind it. 
They glow so pretty at night

my small rose bush is doing better this year
it will have peach colored roses in another week or two

• MID-WEEK HIKE! On Wednesday, I had another scheduled hike to lead that thankfully I didn't have to cancel.  It was at this place just about 40 min southwest of where we live.  Rain was at 15 % and it was cloudy with a temp of 74 F.  There were originally 6 of us signed up but one woman had to cancel due to an injury.  We had so much fun!  Three of these ladies are dear friends of mine and the other is in choir with me and becoming a friend.  I love and thank God for these sisters-in-Christ.  We hiked 3 different, short trails and ate our lunch in the Japanese style garden gazebo next to the labyrinth and meditation Rock Garden.  After we got back to our town, we went out for ice cream where we indulged. I ordered for the first time this year from a soft serve place, the Oat milk ice cream (hard) which was Chocolate chunk. It was delish!  The sun came out finally about half way through the hike for which we were thankful but also the temps dropped a bit and the humidity blew out. I'm thankful for a fun day with friends. 

The first trail we took was through several
different "glens" of various trees
Maple, Willow, Walnut, Pine, Birch

Willow Pond about .3 miles in on the trail 

Melanie uses the provided flip-flop 
to play the musical bridge! 

Meditation Rock Garden

a Koi pond and bridge that leads back
to the barn and parking area
We ate lunch to the left of the bridge/pic
where the gazebo is set up with a picnic table
and several lounge chairs 

SoulSteps hiker  friends
Shawna, Maggie, Meg, me, Melanie
Landis Arboretum 20 May 

• MOVIE NIGHT:  Wednesday, after arriving home from the hike around 2:30 pm and showering and then folding some laundry, my hubby had texted that he had a work dinner, so I was alone for dinner. I had some leftovers and then mowed the yards as rain is forecast for Saturday afternoon when Dave was planning on doing it. Plus I had a lot of energy after the easy hike. After dinner, I watched the Netflix movie featuring 2 of my fave actors: Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas. It was such a good, clean family friendly movie. Such a sweet story.  And the little girl in the movie  stole my heart. She was amazing. Highly recommend this movie!  I'm thankful for a good, long day with several things that made me smile. 

Those are the main things I'm thankful for this week. 

I should also mention:  it now offiical.  We have a new car insurance agent who has helped both girls get their own policies and saved both of them hundreds of dollars. If you recall my last week post: I was beyond frustrated with the process of switching. She made it so  easy and responds right away, which is something we haven't had the fortune to have with our former agent. Praise God for competent, genuinely nice employees. 

Happy Memorial Day and Happy Long Weekend!! 

2026 Book Review #18:Dead Man's Wake

 

I just finished book # 14 in the Game Warden series set in Maine that I enjoy so much.  Once again, the author delivers an exciting, fast-paced mystery set on an island off of a lake. 

STORY SUMMARY

It's the evening of Mike Bowditch, Game Warden, and his fiancee's engagement party at his step-dad's luxurious lake house. His fiancee is Stacy Stevens, daughter of Mike's mentor and good friend Charley and  his wife Ora. 

Mike and Stacey witness a hit-and-run boating accident out on the lake in the gathering dark.  But when they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a horrible sight.  There's a severed arm floating just beneath the surface and as day breaks the warden dive team recovers not just one naked corpse but two!  One is a man with the missing arm and the other is a married woman he was having an affair with and whose husband is a member of a local motorcycle gang. 

Mike begins to suspect that this was not a boating accident but  premeditated murders. 

The hunt is on for the mysterious boater who may be able to give some answers. There are many suspects around the lake which is nicknamed "Golden Pond" after the famous movie (Although the movie was actually shot on a lake in New Hampshire).  The suspects include the violent biker husband who may have taken vegenance on his wife and her lover; a bizarre woman who claims to have witnessed the crash but then changes her story; an agressive realtor and his wife who are determined to catch trespassers on their part of the lake, and the lakes eager but young constable who seems to be hiding some dark motives. 

Mike begins to suspect  that the murders involve a trained marksman who is smarter and more dangerous than any suspect Mike has ever dealt with. As Mike and Stacey get close to finding out the truth and identifying the killer, their own lives are suddenly on the line when they confront the killer who has plans to silence them forever. 

MY THOUGHTS

In true fashion, this plot is well developed with rich characters, a beautifully described setting and a fast paced mystery. 

It's a fast read and in some spots I couldn't put the book down, reading far later into the night than I was planning. 

It was exciting to me, who has read each book in the series in order, to finally learn that Mike and Stacey are getting married and the ending of the book does include their simple outdoor wedding. 

One thing that bothered me was all the editing errors all throughout this book!  Here's an example of an editing error taken from page 181 "Or he might already was inside the boathouse...." shouldn't the word "was" actually be "be"?? 

Many errors like that all throughout the book lowers the score for me.  

All in all, I love this series and think maybe the author needs to find a new editor since this isn't the only book with editing errors in the series. What this book does have going for it besides the excellently executed plot, is that it's "clean".  There are no graphic s*x scenes nor swear words which I appreciate. I think I saw just one "F" word which seems to be rare in many contemporary novels. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17and older. (due to some mature content)

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8. 

Monday Musings

This meme originated from a woman who titled her blog Simple Woman Daybook. I haven't seen her post things in quite a long time so maybe she has stopped blogging. 

 I still like the intentionality of this "meme" so am calling it my Monday Musings 

 Outside my window…a beautiful, sunny morning with a temp of 65 degrees F at 8 AM and a prediction of 90 F later today! 

partial view of our backyard
in the morning sun

I am thinking…about what we want to put on our vacation itinerary for the end of June/early July

I am thankful for…my health and beautiful weather to take morning fitness walks 

From the kitchen…for dinner tonight: Grilled parmesan  haddock, tossed salad, zucchini/summer squash/tomato dish

I am creating…the July Hiking list for the group I lead, SoulSteps. 

I am going…I went....to the grocery store to do the weekly shopping after my fitness walk around the neighborhood.  

I am wearing…Light blue, very worn and faded denim shorts, a white short sleeved swing top with blue embroidery, my wedding band and diamond, my birthstone, silver hoop earrings, a silver-pewter dragonfly necklace and my smart watch 

I am reading…Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron; I Surrender All by Priscilla Shirer, and Speak Life, a mini devotional (author unknown). 

I am hoping…it doens't rain on Wednesday so the SoulSteps hike I'm leading doesn't have to be rescheduled. 

I am hearing…the hum of the central air as it is now 90 degrees! very early for July like temps here in eastern NY

Around the house…I've put away all the groceries, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned both bathrooms, changed the sheets on our bed, did some weeding before lunch, finished an email to a friend, and put away laundry.  Only chore I have left for the day is to cook dinner around 6 pm. 

One of my favorite things…iced cold sparkling water with lemon and lime slices.  I'm currently into Waterloo brand, Cherry-Lime flavor.  read here how they can be totally sugar and calorie free and be one of the top rated sparkling water brands in the nation. Their website also features fun mocktail recipes and if you click on "Mixologist tips" they'll tell you how to turn one of the recipes into a cocktail. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…get my new glasses tightened by my apprentice optician daughter, a trip to one of the lakes on Tuesday, book group is Tuesday evening, Wed is a SoulSteps morning hike and in the evening I have plans to attend an Adirondack Mountain Club event in Saratoga, Thursday is a housework day, Friday is open, Saturday is another SoulSteps hike I'm leading in the Berkshires of MA. 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you…

High Falls from the side where the trail ends 
Highest waterfalls in Columbia County
which is to the east of my home by about 50 min. 
I hiked to this spot with my group on Saturday morning 

HAPPY MONDAY!

Mid-May Weekend Wrap-Up

 

This is currently my view, here in the Capital Region of New York State on a Sunday afternoon at 5:15 pm.  We have had a day of very warm temps (84 F!) which is most unusual for eastern NYS in mid-May.  But  the windows are open, there's a beautiful brisk breeze and I'm enjoying iced water with lemon slices on the deck to write up a weekend wrap-up. 

Our weekend began with a Missions event at our church on Friday evening.  Dave and I signed up because  he goes on the Guatemala missions trip every winter and has been on the DR trip in the past.

 The event was titled Coffee, Curry, and Christ and the Indian food was from this local restaurant. The event was free and there were about 55 people sitting around round tables set up in our cafe area of our lobby.  Dave and I sat with our young friend Shawna, and our friends P and Anita who are originally from India.  Also at our table was a couple named A and C who are from South America.  They are also in my hiking group along with Anita and Shawna!  The mission event featured 2 special speakers:  an Indian man (Prakash)  who talked to us about his mission work with Rise India  and a woman (an American geologist)  who works for another missions organization delivering wells/drilling for clean water called The Living Water Project.   All of their money comes from churches who invest in those mission organizations. These 2 organizations meet the practical needs of people whom the world calls "unlovable" to show they are indeed loved.  We were very impressed with the delicious food, and the presentations. Here is a brochure they were giving out: 

Saturday morning brought a beautiful Spring day!  The temps were in the 50s and rose to about 75 by afternoon. I had a SoulSteps hike scheduled locally (about 50 minutes east of here) and Dave had to log in to work to work on something that he couldn't get done on Friday.  After he spent a couple of hours online, he did some yardwork and then had some other things to work on around the house/in his office. My hike involved 5 of us (originally there were 8 signed up) hiking about a mile into the highest waterfalls of Columbia County.  Here are pics of the waterfalls (there are 2 and the smaller one was seen when we took the lower trail along the stream back to the cars.  The other pic is our group pic for the day.  We were home by 1 pm! The hike began at 11 AM. 

High Falls 
town of Philmont NY

the 2nd smaller  falls was also impressive

SoulSteps members
Adam/Kathryn, Celine, Dave D in back and me

When I got home, I had to shower and check for ticks and then spent the afternoon doing some light housework and reading on the deck. I had a nice phone call from another SoulSteps member (Pat) whom I haven't seen since March so that was fun to catch up with her. She signed up for one of the June hikes. Dave and I had to run two errands (put gas in Dave's car and pick up his large sander from a young friend who borrowed it all week)  in the later part of the afternoon so while we were out, we popped over to Popeye's Chicken to grab classic chicken sandwiches and iced tea and then after dinner, we watched an old Nicole Kidman movie we had never seen. It was ok, not great. Her acting was phenomenal but the plot was a tad bit odd and disturbing when it came to the subject matter. Definitely wouldn't have paid to see it. It's currently on Netflix. 

Sunday morning we had coffee together in the family room that was gloriously sunny and cool temps and then Dave had to leave around 7:15 as he was volunteering on the Production team at church for both services. I prepared potato salad for Sunday dinner, and did my Scripture readings. I went to the 11 AM service and was able to sit with Dave as he had to be in the front row to help lift the arm chair for our pastor who is still recovering from some surgery and can't stand for long periods of time yet. The worship and sermon were amazing.  The sermon was wrapping up our Marriage, Sexuality and Singleness series and today's topic was Gender Identity issues and how we as Christ followers should be responding to people who are embracing a different lifestyle and why we should not be judgemental yet not compromise Truth. He backed everything up with Scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments. It truly was pretty blunt and important for our  congregation to hear. It will be available on you tube starting tomorrow I believe. It  truly was outstanding. 

a beautiful Sunday afternoon 
and perfect to get some reading done
the whole neighborhood was so quiet!

After church, I changed into shorts and a tee because the air was now up to 84 F!  I grilled vegan burgers and we had the potato salad with all the burger fixings.  Dave needed to  figure out some stuff regarding his July vacation so I took my book outdoors after cleaning up the kitchen and starting the dishwasher and spent a lovely afternoon on our backyard swing, then my ADK chair and then in the shade of the deck.  We had fruit and cheese for a late day snack and will spend the evening on the deck talking and planning our June and July vacations. 

What did you do this weekend? 

Whatever it was, I hope you took some time to relax and recharge!