Wednesday HodgePodge

I'm playing along with the Wednesday Hodgepodge because I liked this week's questions again! You can join in by heading to this blog. 

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

Full speed ahead.  The hiking season promises to be a good one, and we have many fun events other than hiking planned, not just with my hiking group, but with my immediate family and close friends. Spring has sprung and May is a beautiful time of year here in eastern New York State. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.  

Personally, to do, I prefer classical piano.   I practice often and majored in piano for my undergrad Music Education degree. I also prefer going to a good symphony orchestra concert vs any other type of concert. We are fortunate that for just $25 a concert, we can get lawn tickets every August to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra which does its summer residency at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. My youngest daughter and I also splurge on NYCBallet tickets every July when the ballet company does their summer residency here. 

But I also love to watch: 

Ballet.  (why was Dance left off this list??! 😂 Did you know classical ballet is considered an art form as well as a sport?)  Our youngest daughter is labeled "gifted" in classical ballet/pointe. (by 3 different instructors/professors).  She has been dancing since age 3 and minored in ballet at UNH.  She also auditioned each year  for the UNH Ballet Company and got in each year. Although she also studied tap and jazz as an elementary child, she flourished in classical ballet and then began lyrical ballet at age 12 performing in many musicals at church as well as for the dance studio. Lyrical is beautiful to watch, but I definitely preferred seeing her on pointe. Once she's fully established in her career as an optician, she may try to join a ballet company for fun. 

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner at our home is typically between 6:15-6:45.  If we go out, it's usually between 6:30-7:30 unless we are having a late lunch/early dinner but that's rare. 

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

Finding  the "perfect" Air BnB for an Adirondack excursion with my oldest daughter this summer. Still looking.....now wondering which village we're going to end up in because that "rabbit hole" led to some cute little cottages throughout the Adirondack mountains! 

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I'm naturally left handed but taught myself to print my name with my right hand, play tennis/softball/ping pong, etc with my right hand and I've always cut with my right hand as well as iron with my right hand. My oldest daughter is actually ambidextrous so maybe I am too but I like to think I taught my self to print right handed. 😏

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

our front yard

It's odd that our cherry trees have bloomed in full about 2 weeks early this year, seeing as how we had a LONG, cold winter here in NYS! 

But I'm thrilled that the blossoms have opened and the scent is heavenly. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!

X is for Xristos

 

Ok...so yes, I had to use a google search to find an attribute of God that begins with X and NOT succumb to using eXcellent or eXalted. 

I found the Greek word for Christos (Xristos) which means "Anointed One" or "Messiah".

So:  X is for XRISTOS (Christos) 

This word is used in the New Testament and Luke, writing in the Greek of course, mentions this word in Luke 23:35.  Seeing as how I can't find this verse in the Greek, I am sharing it here in the English with the New International Version: 

W is for WORTHY!

 

Oh thank God there are only 3 more letters after today. I'm so over this writing challenge.😃

Today's letter is W.  Since I'm writing about the Attributes of God, I'm choosing W is for WORTHY!!

God is worthy to be praised.  He's our Creator.  All good gifts are from His Hand.   He gives us life. He gives us breath. He gives us peace that is difficult to comprehend......HE alone is WORTHY!

2026 Book Review #16:The Widow

 

I hadn't read one of this author's novels since around 2019 so when I saw this on the "new books" shelf at the town library, and read what it was about, I was intrigued enough to take it out. 

STORY SUMMARY

In the small town of Braxton, Virginia, the lawyer Simon Latch, makes just enough money to pay his bills and hold his family together. He's married to a woman named Paula and they have 3 children: Danny, Buck, and Janie. Paula and Simon are struggling in their marriage and at this point are more like roommates and Simon even stays many nights in his office on Main Street. 

One day an elderly woman, age 85 yrs old, named Eleanor Barnett comes into the office and wants  a will done. She regrets having it done with another lawyer in town, Wally Thackerman.  According to Eleanor, she is very wealthy due to her husband, now deceased, making a lot of money by putting stocks into Coca Cola and Walmart.

Simon thinks his luck has changed by Eleanor walking into his office. He works hard at keeping her wealth under the radar but after a few weeks, her story begins to raise doubts in his mind. For example: she can't seem to produce documents like bank statements with proof of her wealth. 

A few months later, Eleanor has a bad car accident due to drinking and driving and her friend Doris, who was a passenger in the car, was  hurt.  Both of them end up in the hospital and the family that Eleanor hit, is also in the hospital. 

When this happens, Simon learns that nothing is as it seems, and he soon finds himself faced with a murder charge! Eleanor has died from poisoning and everyone thinks Simon is the one who did this. 

But Simon knows he's innocent. However, he also knows that the prosecution has circumstantial evidence that can convict him of murder!  This conviction could send him to prison for life. As his trial progresses and the jury decides he's guilty, he knows there is only one way to save himself.  

So....he sets about to prove his innocence!  Will he and a few other people he comes to know and rely on, find the real killer of the widow? 

MY THOUGHTS

This was a good book and very fast paced.  I stayed up far too late some nights to read "just another chapter".  

The characters are diverse and interesting and very well developed.

The plot moves quickly and just when I thought I knew who the killer was, a twist happens.  

There were a few editing errors I noticed throughout the book but for the most part this book is just a quick, easy mystery and in my opinion, one of Grisham's better novels.  I still prefer The Reckoning though! 

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 9.