Monday, March 20, 2023
Empty Bowls 2023
Sunday, March 5, 2023
March Bingo
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
19. Murder at Haven's Rock by Kelly Armstrong
352 pgs.
Adult murder mystery - series
Finished 2/28/2023
Goodreads rating: 4.41
My rating: 4
Setting: contemporary Northern Yukon, Canada
My comments: The Rockton adventure continues, but in a brand new location in the Yukon where their custom-built community is being constructed. Haven's Rock is almost complete, but they have been summoned because two of its builders have disappeared into the forest. The forest is again one of the characters in the story, and much of the plot seems similar to previous plots in the series, which gets a little bit boring/trying, I must admit. However, there's something about these characters and the setting AND the narrator that just keep me looking forward to more, and I'm thrilled that Ms. Armstrong didn't end the series after #7. We've still got the major players with the addition of a few new ones....Yolanda, Emily's granddaughter, who has supervised the building of Haven's Rock and ???, the handsome self-proclaimed watcher of all the comings and goings of the community from his "perch." Never a dull moment, and as much as I mutter about the similarities in the stories, I really look forward to them.
Goodreads synopsis: Haven’s Rock, Yukon. Population: 0
Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is being built. A place for people to disappear, a fresh start from a life on the run. Haven’s Rock isn’t the first town of this kind, something detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know first hand. They met in the original town of Rockton. But greed and deception led the couple to financing a new refuge for those in need. This time around, they get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.There’s only one rule in Haven’s Rock: stay out of the forest. When two of the town's construction crew members break it and go missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to track them down. When a body is discovered, well hidden with evidence of foul play, Casey and Eric must find out what happened to the dead woman, and locate the still missing man. The woman stumbled upon something she wasn’t supposed to see, and the longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.
Friday, February 24, 2023
2023 Movies
Las Vegas February 2023
![]() |
Loved this "slot" machine - spent many hours here (with my free margaritas) |
![]() |
Fran & Terry's rental |
![]() |
We timed it perfectly whilst driving down the strip to see the Bellagio fountains! |
![]() |
Van Gogh Immersion exhibit |
![]() |
Year of the Rabbit at Bellagio Conservatory. We are able to hit this every year we've been to Vegas in February together - quite a few years' worth now! |
![]() |
Love the Conservatory flowers! |
![]() |
You don't see this signage every day... |
Desert Wildlife Reserve. AMAZING! 1.5 million acres. 2nd largest in the world. 35 natural springs.
![]() |
Las Vegas mountains. Everywhere. Gorgeous. These are ones that are nearest to the Ranger Station at the Wildlife Preserve. |
![]() |
Time to go home. At the airport. I never take selfies, but this was too tempting. |
![]() |
Bye-bye Vegas. One last look at the strip out the plane window. |
Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
onion powder
Italian blend
basil
oregano
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Movie - A Man Called Otto
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Movie - Marlowe
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Movie - Missing
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
15. The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman
320 pgs.
Adult CRF/Hist Fict
Finished 2/14/2023
Goodreads rating: 4.21
My rating: 4.5
Setting: contemporary & early 20th century NYC
My comments: I very much enjoyed the metamorphosis that modern-day Abby went through, from learning the divorce-lawyer ropes from an unscrupulous mentor to trying to help divorcing partners come to the true reality of their situations. The grandmother's story was also fascinating. A truly memorable story. Cool cover, too
Goodreads synopsis: Even as a child in 1910, Sara Glikman knows her gift: she is a maker of matches and a seeker of soulmates. But among the pushcart-crowded streets of New York’s Lower East Side, Sara’s vocation is dominated by devout older men—men who see a talented female matchmaker as a dangerous threat to their traditions and livelihood. After making matches in secret for more than a decade, Sara must fight to take her rightful place among her peers, and to demand the recognition she deserves.
Two generations later, Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney, representing the city’s wealthiest clients. When her beloved Grandma Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. But among the faded volumes, Abby finds more questions than answers. Why did Abby’s grandmother leave this library to her and what did she hope Abby would discover within its pages? Why does the work Abby once found so compelling suddenly feel inconsequential and flawed? Is Abby willing to sacrifice the career she’s worked so hard for in order to keep her grandmother’s mysterious promise to a stranger? And is there really such a thing as love at first sight?Sunday, February 12, 2023
14. Lonely Hearts by Lisa Gray
303 pgs.
Adult Mystery - Series
Finished 2/12/2023
Goodreads rating: 4.31
My rating: 4.5
My comments: Fun to have a little bit of a different perspective than usual for this one, though it flips between characters a lot. It's about women who first correspond, and then marry, prison inmates. There's one particularly movie star-handsome serial killer that is the star and center of this murder mystery/fiasco. It went fast and was really interesting. I like Jessica. She's flawed, a fairly hard drinker, bleached and tattooed ... and pretty smart!
Goodreads synopsis: She found love on Death Row with her prison pen pal. She’s been missing ever since. Can Jessica Shaw track her down?
A missing persons case should be pretty straightforward for private investigator Jessica Shaw. After all, it’s what she does best. But this latest case proves to be anything but straightforward.Christine Ryan is desperate to find her childhood friend Veronica Lowe. Veronica disappeared more than fifteen years ago, not long after having a child with a Death Row inmate, notorious serial killer Travis Dean Ford. When Ford’s widow, Jordana, is murdered in the same way as his victims, Christine fears Veronica and her daughter will be next. If they’re even still alive…
Discovering that both Veronica and Jordana were members of the Lonely Hearts Club, a pen pal service for women who want to write to men in prison, Jessica realizes she needs to find Veronica before the killer does. But as Jessica follows the leads it begins to feel like someone is following her. Travis has been dead for years, so who is hunting the Lonely Hearts?
Friday, February 10, 2023
Ode to Mud Puddles by Elena de Roo
Ode to Mud Puddles
Art Technique to Try: Neurographic Art
Another tutorial from Marcia Beckett
from Google:
Also known as doodling, neurographic art is a technique which comprises drawing freeform lines or 'neuro lines. ' These are meant to enable the connection between the conscious and unconscious, gaining access to the inner self by using a specific algorithm or method.