SATURDAY POTPOURRI: OBSESSIONS…

Welcome to the weekend!  As I sit at my laptop sipping coffee and ordering groceries via my Instacart app, I am also feeling cozy.  I snapped a few more entry way photos after my little rag doll, above on the table, arrived.  Here’s another photo of her from the product page:

 

I think she needs a name! I usually name my dolls, my devices, and even my cars…but I no longer have a car.

I will think about that for a while. I am leaning towards Pippa, which was what I named my Paperwhite Kindle…which I no longer have. What do you think?

Or perhaps Phoebe. You may notice my tendency toward names beginning with “P,” like my current Kindle called Paige.

I am reading Unfaithful, by Natalie Barelli.

I also changed up the header here, along with some other sites.

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What do you like to do on the weekends?  Reading, viewing, and fiddling with blogs?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: AUTUMN TIDBITS

We are definitely enjoying autumn colors and scents…finally.  I searched through my Bitmoji images today to find something cute to share here…and also something to use as a centerpiece for my new blog header:

Tonight we are having a special autumn menu in the dining room, in honor of Halloween.  I will grab some photos of the meal…probably.

This season has not been like the kind and gentle ones we used to enjoy over the years, so I’ve had to find images that capture the feeling.

I am also viewing old shows on Netflix that conjure feelings of nostalgia.  Like the show Private Practice helps me grab the feelings.

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Now I plan to curl up with my current read, The Silent Wife, by Karin Slaughter, and enjoy the thrills and chills.

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What are you doing this Halloween season?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: ODDS & ENDS…

Today has been one of those Saturdays.  A day full of odds and ends, including a nap.

I’ve been reading a book that has been on my shelves for more than a year:  The Library of Lost and Found, by Phaedra Patrick, and I am intrigued by the main character, Martha Storm.

Martha is a want-to-be librarian, currently volunteering at the local library, spending a lot of time doing assorted tasks for others.  Her lifetime of helping grew from early years taking care of her aging and ill parents until they died.  Meanwhile, her younger sister has expected the same kind of attention from her, plus care and tending of her niece and nephew at the drop of a hat.  By this point in the story, Martha has become frustrated with how little she is noticed for anything except her good deeds.

Suddenly something happens to shake her up, and she says “no.”  In fact she says it vehemently, before fleeing the library and taking a few other unexpected actions…

I admire a character like Martha who suddenly decides to stand up for herself.  I felt invigorated after immersing myself in the book for a while, and now I hope to enjoy an evening of reading and viewing.

My weekly order from my Instacart app arrived earlier, and I feel blessed with a full fridge.  Even though I have most meals in the dining room, I like being able to hang out in my apartment and “nosh” on things instead of eating a lunch or dinner.

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How is your Saturday going?  Are you enjoying activities or just hanging out with books, etc.?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: RESTLESS ENERGY…

Today I have been playing around on Amazon, scrolling through the products and ordering things.  That’s what happens to me during lockdowns—and mine has seemingly been endless (since March 11!). I ordered the quilt set you see above.

Yesterday I ordered some stemless wine glasses.  Primarily because I keep breaking the ones with stems!  I knock them over as if they are begging for it.  Like a swipe right kind of action.

What will happen when my spending exceeds what I should be buying?  LOL

The quilt won’t arrive until the week of September 11…I hope that significant date is not a jinx!

For some reason, this quilt is not listed as a prime product, so it won’t come as quickly.  I try to restrict my orders to prime, but I liked this quilt so much that I decided to take a chance.  What’s the worst that can happen?  It will take longer to arrive.

I like my current bedspread…in fact, I am using it on my header:

But I do like being able to switch things out now and again.

So…those are my restless activities.  And I posted my lunch today:

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What keeps your restless energy in check?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: SPRUCING UP MY WORLD…

Here we are, another week behind us, with the future looking grim, even as we somehow manage to get through one day at a time.

When I feel like everything is out of my control, with the walls closing in on me, I turn to the online world.  Movies, blog visiting, and when I get to that point, I start renovating my blogs. I found a new Bitmoji centerpiece for this site, one that makes me think of carefree spring days.  Yes, we sort of missed spring, and summer is heading our way with triple digits predicted for next week.  But I will look at the playful Bitmoji Me among the flowers and the butterflies, and I will smile.

I am also searching for ways to change up my tiny space…again.

Not drastic changes.  But I am thinking of ways to fix one corner of my entry way…so I ordered a shelf from Amazon.  It will take up little space, and I’ll be able to show off a few more photos, dolls, and trinkets.

 

The best part…it folds up, and no assembly is required!  When we cannot go into shops to buy things and have to rely on Amazon shipping, simple things are best. 

Since I have been here, I have ordered chairs; a step stool; a shelf for my TBR books (below), tucked under my entry table; and a few other assorted items.

Every day offers opportunities to play around with the surroundings, read our books, and try not to think about the uncertain future.

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How are you dealing with Pandemic times?  Do the books help?  Do you have hobbies that take you out of the worries?  Hang in there!

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: COPING…

Another example of our “New Normal,” aka The Lockdown:  the breakfast arrives in paper cartons, but because I need to grasp for some normalcy in these times, I unload the items into my own bowls and mugs/tumblers.  Once done, I can relax and feel like myself.

I am still reading The Missing Sister, by Elle Marr.  My plan is to finish it some time today.

Next I will be reading And They Called It Camelot, by Stephanie Marie Thornton.

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I have enjoyed binge-watching shows and movies, and finished the three episodes of Little Fires Everywhere that are now available on Hulu.  I can’t wait for more episodes to come!  They left us on a cliff, hanging by a thread.

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My day will be a pleasant one, I believe.  Using my isolation for good and trying to keep the anxiety at bay.

How are the rest of you doing?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: MOVING FORWARD…

As a new Saturday stretches ahead of me, I am feeling the peace that comes with moving past my surgery and moving forward with my new normal.

So far, I’m slowly learning to again eat the foods I became accustomed to before the surgery, and have actually tried a few things I hadn’t eaten in a long time. 

Tomorrow I’m planning my first outing since the surgery: Fiona is coming over and we will plan our day.

 

Even though I have lots of books to read, I find myself picking them up and then setting them aside.  I did finish one book this week…and I’m more than halfway through another.  But I’ve spent more time playing with blog headers and/or binge-watching shows on Netflix.  Unbelievable is the new one that has my attention this week.

How is your Saturday unfolding?  Do you sometimes find yourself distracted from your books?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: CAPTURING MOMENTS & STARTING OVER…

 

When I created the new blog header above, I searched through some old photos and found this one I adore …my ubiquitous bench surrounded by Disney characters and books.  Things missing from my current home…except for the bench, of course.

 

The ubiquitous bench in its current iteration, at the foot of my bed:

 

 

 

I spent many happy years with books and Disney figurines…and I’m glad I took photos of them.  Now I am rebuilding my bookshelves, although I am pretty sure that I will never have as many hardcover books as I once did.  At one time, I had 1400 books, and before I moved, I had around 800…I think.

Here is the “embryonic stage” of my growing shelf:

 

There is something glorious about starting over from scratch…but I do miss what once was.  My photos will remind me, however, and will inspire me moving forward.

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Today is Saturday, and I’ve been enjoying my reading and blogging, alone in my apartment.  Bliss!

What do you like to do on a Saturday?

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SATURDAY POTPOURRI: OUT WITH THE HOLIDAYS…

It is time to bring back normalcy!  That is my mantra for this day in January 2019.  The pub table above showcased some of my Christmas items…and as I put everything away this morning, I realized that my plan to follow the “less is more” rule in my home worked out great.  Everything is back to normal!

The room is now cleared of all December items.  (Above) See that pub table without all the Christmas stuff?  And in between, the usual items.  (Below), the dining area is cleared as well.  The Coca Cola table is devoid of the miniature tree, and the candy cane and gingerbread bears are tucked away in their bins.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning!  I didn’t plan to do that…but not being able to go back to sleep afterwards meant I had things to do.

I posted my Weekly Updates…and just now I cleared away the Christmas stuff.

Am I sad?  No, I had enough of the holidays, and now I’m ready to read my February NetGalley ARCs.  I started Forget You Know Me, by Jessica Strawser, last night.  Loving it so far.

I might need a nap later…but I do have to collect my birthday boy grandson, who is 16 today.  Dinner at their home this evening.

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How are you spending the first weekend of the New Year?

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A COZY SATURDAY….

My Saturday morning has been cozy, curled up in my office finishing The Last Mrs. Parrish, which has turned into a twisty and intriguing tale.

 

As I contemplate the week ahead, I like looking at my stack of new hardcover books:  the ones on top.  Every Breath You Take, by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke, is another in the Under Suspicion series.  Every year since the series began, I have picked one of these books for my First Book of the Year.  I am planning to do the same with this one.

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The next book on the stack, What Happened, by Hilary Rodham Clinton, is a book I plan to savor.  So I will probably wait a bit before diving into it.

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So…now I am curling up here again to finish my fourth book of the week.  I’ve stacked the pillows in such a way to ensure my comfortable reading.  I also love being surrounded by the family pictures.

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What do you enjoy on a Saturday morning?  I do hope to get out of the house later, once I’ve finished my book.

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