TRY THESE Beans (over Rice) in the Crockpot!!

1 lb. dried beans

   (Optional:  soak beans overnight in cold water to reduce cook time and improve digestibility.  Drain and rinse before cooking) NOTE:  if you're starting with completely dried kidney beans, they need special handling because of their natural toxin. Pinto beans are much less of a concern, but I still recommend soaking and boiling the beans before putting them in the slow cooker.

1 onion, diced

2-3 stalks celery, diced

1 lb. smoked sausage, thinly sliced

3 bay leaves

6 cup broth, water, or a combination

     plus:  carrots, green pepper, chopped garlic, canned tomatoes???

Seasoning suggested:

          (1 tsp. Creole seasoning, plus more to taste)

          S & P

          1 T. Worcestershire sauce  

ChatGPT suggested:

For a crockpot full of beans:

• 1–1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½–1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1–2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Put all in crockpot and stir to combine.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until beans are soft and creamy.

Discard bay leaves.

Serve over rice.

Freezer tip:  Double the recipe and freeze half for later - you can even freeze cooked rice separately for a complete freezer meal.

What other veggies could I add to make it even more vegetable-y?  Carrots?  Green peppers?

Yum

39. SInister Graves by Marcie R. Rendon

#3 Cash Blackbear

listened on Libby

240 pgs.

2022
Historical Fiction Mystery
Finished 8/18/2026
Goodreads rating: 3.98
My rating: 4
Setting: 1970s Minnesota/ND in/near Ojibwe land

My comments: I like this series.  Cash Blackbear is so imperfect ....and real.  She drinks too much.  She sleeps around too much.  She's had a really tough life, being hoisted from one non-Native American foster home to another.  None of them were "good."  And she's only 19.  Talk about a tough cookie!  She lives to drink beer and play pool.  In this episode, while looking for the identity of a drowned Native American girls, she is thrust into a "holy roller" type small church in the middle of nowhere with a really odd preacher and his wife.  The story moves quickly and takes quite an interesting turn....and then it's over, so quickly!

Goodreads synopsis: Set in 1970s Minnesota on the White Earth Reservation, Pinckley Prize–winner Marcie R. Rendon’s gripping new mystery follows Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman, as she attempts to discover the truth about the disappearances of Native girls and their newborns.

A snowmelt has sent floodwaters down to the fields of the Red River Valley, dragging the body of an unidentified Native woman into the town of Ada. The only evidence the medical examiner recovers is a torn piece of paper inside her bra: a hymnal written in English and Ojibwe.

Cash Blackbear, a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman, sometimes helps Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, on his investigations. Now she knows her search for justice for this anonymous victim will take her to the White Earth Reservation, a place she once called home.

When Cash happens upon two small graves in the yard of a rural, “speak-in-tongues kinda church,” Cash is pulled into the lives of the malevolent pastor and his troubled wife while yet another Native woman dies in a mysterious manner.

36. Light It Up by Nick Petrie

#3 Peter Ash

listened on Libby

400 pgs.

2018
Adult Mystery/Thriller
Finished 8/5/2026
Goodreads rating:  4.16
My rating: 3.75
Setting: Contemporary Denver, CO

My comments: I probably shouldn't have read three of these so close together....the planning and shooting and descriptions got a little too much and I discovered my mind wandering a bit.  Excellent story, though, about legalized pot and all the cash surrounding it, and lots of really bad guys, most of them brilliant retired military, now guns-for-hire.  And you never really worry, because you know that nothing, NOTHING, is going to stop Peter from being the smartest, braves, winner.  

Goodreads synopsis: Combat veteran Peter Ash leaves a simple life rebuilding hiking trails in Oregon to help his good friend Henry Nygaard, whose daughter runs a Denver security company that protects cash-rich cannabis entrepreneurs from modern-day highwaymen. Henry's son-in-law and the company's operations manager were carrying a large sum of client money when their vehicle vanished without a trace, leaving Henry's daughter and her company vulnerable.

Then, when Peter is riding shotgun on another cash run, the cargo he's guarding comes under attack from hijackers and he narrowly escapes with his life. As the incidents mount, he has to wonder: for criminals as sophisticated as these, is this money really worth the risk? And if not, what about his cargo is worth more?

Turn 4 x 6 Index Cards Into a Cute 3" x 4" Glue Book or Junk Journal

 

Great video from Nicole from Relax. Cut. Glue showing how quick and easy it is to make the cutest, easiest mini journal  with just those index cards, glue, and scraps.:  A 💥NEW💥Tiny Tuesday Project! - YouTube  

You can take however long you want to fill it up....part of the prep is using scraps to create all the background pages, ready for ephemera, journaling, gluing, or whatever you desire!

35. Burning Bright by Nick Petrie

#2 Peter Ash

listened on Audible (purchased)

421 pgs.

2017
Adult Mystery-Thriller
Finished 7/23/26
Goodreads rating: 4.16
My rating:  4.25
Setting: Contemporary Washington/Seattle area

My comments: Ya, right.  So much of this was pretty far-fetched, but also totally enjoyable and can't-put-down-able, thus a higher rating than it probably deserved from me.  Peter Ash is so much fun to get to know, and in this one he meets a woman who is (seemingly) perfect for him and he falls hard and fast.  Lots of killing-without-caring from both the good and bad guys, which is tough to take.  But if you might enjoy swinging through the canopy of redwoods ziplining through a forest with bad guys shooting at you, you might just enjoy this book!

Goodreads synopsis: In the new novel featuring war veteran Peter Ash, an action hero of the likes of Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne (Lincoln Journal-Star), Ash has a woman's life in his hands and her mystery is stranger than he could ever imagine.

War veteran Peter Ash sought peace and quiet among the towering redwoods of northern California, but the trip isn't quite the balm he'd hoped for. The dense forest and close fog cause his claustrophobia to buzz and spark, and then he stumbles upon a grizzly, long thought to have vanished from this part of the country. In a fight of man against bear, Peter doesn't favor his odds, so he makes a strategic retreat up a nearby sapling.

There, he finds something strange: a climbing rope, affixed to a distant branch above. It leads to another, and another, up through the giant tree canopy, and ending at a hanging platform. On the platform is a woman on the run. From below them come the sounds of men and gunshots.

Just days ago, investigative journalist June Cassidy escaped a kidnapping by the men who are still on her trail. She suspects they re after something belonging to her mother, a prominent software designer who recently died in an accident. June needs time to figure out what is going on and help from someone with Peter's particular set of skills.

Only one step ahead of their pursuers, Peter and June must race to unravel this peculiar mystery. What they find leads them to an eccentric recluse, a shadowy pseudo-military organization, and an extraordinary tool that may change the modern world forever.

33. Ironwood by Michael Connelly

#2 Catalina

listened on Libby

327 pgs.

2026
Adult Mystery
Finished 7/18/26
Goodreads rating: 4.41
My rating: 4
Setting: comtemporary Catalina Island, southern California

My comments: Another good one, Mr. Connelly!  I love how he included quite a bit of Renee Ballard and a couple of good mysteries that needed solving at the same time, very interesting, went very fast, "Still" is a great character with great morals and a pretty darned sharp mind.  Enjoyable.

Goodreads synopsis: Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.

Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.
 
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway and the plane flies off.
 
An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.
 
While under orders to remain in the sheriff’s substation, he finds in the lost and found a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.
 
Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.
 
Page-turning, packed with intrigue, and bringing together an unstoppable investigative team, Ironwood continues the Catalina series with all of Michael Connelly’s signature “relentless narrative drive…evocative atmosphere, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters” (Washington Review of Books).

I Really Love to Collage - APCs for FUN!

 Sometimes I just like to take a random playing card, a color, and a focal point and see what I can create.  I tend to usually do the same sort of thing each time, but I love it.   JJ&CV in July they're playing "Reindeer Games" and every day there's a prompt for five different reindeer.  I've done a few for PRANCER.  He's the underdog (or should I say underdeer) and I've made a few cards for him this month.

For this one I needed a clock and numbers

This one required wings and something glittery

Fort this, a ticket and a destination (Gorham, Maine, where I went to college and met Steve!)

32. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

listened on Libby

410 pgs.

2026
Adult Romance
Finished 7/11/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.05
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Contemporary Canada - Toronto, Tofino

My comments: 4.5  I didn't want to like this book as much as I did (I've sort of sworn off romances", but it's a real feel-good story that was hard to put down.  I'm glad I read the end notes, because I learned a lot about the fate of the right whale, who live off the eastern Canadian coast.  The setting is Canada, from Toronto to the west coast to the Bay of Fundy, which was great.

Goodreads synopsis: 

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

31. Storm Tide by Paul Doiron

#16 Mike Bowditch

listened on Audible (purchased)

352 pgs.

2026
Adult Mystery
Finished 7/6/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.38
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Machias/Washington Country and north, Belfast area, contemporary Maine

My comments: 3.5 rated down to 3.  Although throughout this book Mike Bowditch is on leave awaiting the decision whether to reinstate him or let him go because of previous not-following-the-rules violations, he seems to make even more thoughtless decisions than I ever realized before.  Some of this was so totally not-believable.  He's got a newborn baby and he still chooses to do what I consider incredibly reckless, thoughtless things.  No wonder people hardly believe him most of the time.  I've really loved these books, but Mike is starting to let me down a bit, I'm afraid.  I probably should have rated this even lower.  Maybe I'm just grumpy today.

Goodreads synopsis: Game Warden Mike Bowditch investigates a series of brutal killings during a life-changing year in Storm Tide, the harrowing new thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron.

When the magnificent home of entrepreneur Brian Malloy mysteriously goes up in flames, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch tries to pull Malloy’s burning body from the fire but is too late. Malloy was suspected of murdering his young, illegitimate son. Now it looks like someone else has delivered a verdict.

Miles away, on a lonely stretch of icy railroad track, the body of Axl Deming, once accused of a brutal rape, is found literally cut in half. Though the two murders seem unrelated, a cryptic text from an unknown number draws Bowditch to the scene—and hints at a chilling connection. He suspects someone is orchestrating the executions of criminals who escaped justice, and for reasons he can’t explain, his own name is on the list, but the state police aren’t convinced. His search for the truth takes him through frozen harbors, trackless forests, and remote islands, far from rescue.

Meanwhile, Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could end his career. His wife Stacey, just weeks from giving birth, is being stalked by a stranger in a white van. And when he realizes someone has also been watching their home, the case turns increasingly personal.

To protect his family, Bowditch must work alone to uncover who’s behind the killings—and stop them before he becomes their next victim.

Chinese Vegetable StirFry with EASY Sauce

 For a 20 oz bag of stir-fry vegetables:

Heat 1–2 teaspoons of a neutral oil (canola, avocado, or vegetable oil) in a large skillet.

Add the frozen vegetables straight from the freezer.

Cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring occasionally.

Let the excess water evaporate. This may take 8–10 minutes for a large bag.

Add the sauce.

If using cornstarch, stir it in and cook another minute until the sauce thickens. (1 t. cornstarch & 2T cold water)

Finish with the sesame oil if you didn't add it earlier.

The Sauce:  

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1–2 tsp jarred garlic
• ½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh if you ever have it)
• 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil (add near the end)

25. A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane

#1 Kenzie & Gennaro, Boston Private Detectives

listened on Libby 

282 pgs.

1994
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 6/7/2026
Goodreads rating: 3.93
My rating: 3.75
Setting: 1994 Dorchester/Boston

My comments: Have always heard about these "gritty" Boston mystery thrillers, so I decided it was about time to read a Dennis Lehane. And that I'd better start with the first in the series. This one definitely showed its age (written in 1994) and included the "N" word dozens of times, which was really disconcerting - such a horrible slur - but the book WAS written 32 years ago. Grrr.  I won't say any more about that, but it quite unsettled me, to tell you the truth.  As much as I've heard and read about gang violence in our urban areas, to read about it so up-close-and-personal was not fun.

Goodreads synopsis: Kenzie and Gennaro are private investigators in the blue-collar neighborhoods and ghettos of South Boston-they know it as only natives can. Working out of an old church belfry, Kenzie and Gennaro take on a seemingly simple assignment for a prominent politician: to uncover the whereabouts of Jenna Angeline, a black cleaning woman who has allegedly stolen confidential state documents. Finding Jenna, however, is easy compared to staying alive once they've got her. The investigation escalates, implicating members of Jenna's family and rival gang leaders while uncovering extortion, assassination, and child prostitution extending from bombed-out ghetto streets to the highest levels of government. A Drink Before the War , the first in Lehane's acclaimed series with Boston detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, is a remarkable debut that is at once a pulsating crime thriller and a mirror of our world, one in which the worst human horrors are found closest to home, and the most vicious obscenities are committed in the name of love.

22. Dead of Night by Lisa Gray

listened on Audible

264 pgs.

2025
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 5/5/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.24
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Back & forth time periods, mid-80s, mid-90s, present time on the southern California coastline

My comments:    Pulled me in fast, at first reminded me of another book, especially the setting, but couldn't place it.  Good story, but that the protagonist stayed in this big old "Cliff House" even when she knew someone was sneaking in at night to terrorize her didn't seem very prudent...actually felt stupid.  It just didn't seem like something a real person would do.  Wrapped up very neatly at the end.  Would happily read another by this author.

Goodreads synopsis: A crime writer. A cold case. Will she survive to tell the story?

Since the sudden and tragic death of her partner, bestselling crime author Serena Winters hasn’t written a word. With deadlines looming, she packs up her grief and escapes from New York City to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California, hoping the change of scenery will cure her writer’s block.

But as news of her arrival spreads, Serena finds herself facing strange accusations that she’s here to cash in on the house’s history. When she uncovers the chilling story of a young family who mysteriously vanished from the very same house thirty years earlier, she can’t help asking more questions…

Someone in the local community doesn’t want the past dug up, though. Someone willing to push Serena to the limits of her sanity to keep the truth buried. Caught in a spiraling campaign of intimidation, and harboring a dark secret of her own, Serena soon finds herself in the kind of danger she usually only writes about…

My First MemoryDex Class at Joys

 These are the five I was happiest with on Tuesday night, 5/5/2026.  Really enjoyed it, wish it were more than every other month!

19. The Price of Honey - Lianne Moriarty

read on Kindle, then listened on Audible

34 pgs.

2026
Adult SciFi Short Story
Finished 5/2/2026
Goodreads rating: 3.49
My rating: 4
Setting: anywhere, perhaps 50-100 years in the future

My comments: Interesting, though predictable, short story about a new widow at her billionaire tech husband's funeral.

Goodreads synopsis: When a tech billionaire’s widow and ex-wives gather for his funeral, they witness a final reversal of fortune in this razor-sharp short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty.

In the car on the way to her husband’s funeral, Honey Beckett still can hardly believe that Barney is actually dead. Granted, he was more than twice her age. But he was Barney Beckett, visionary tech genius, full of surprises—by turns romantic, inspirational, and controlling. Always in control. At the service, she impulsively goes to sit with the three ex-wives: practical Rita, fiery Svetlana, ambitious Meredith. Each broke up the other’s marriage in turn—and now, one final betrayal awaits.

Liane Moriarty’s The Price of Honey is part of the Deadly Ambition collection, stories about greed, control, and the sinister side of making dreams come true. They can be read or listened to in one bingeable sitting.

Dex Appeal - Rolodex Cards - Spring Awakening