Saturday, August 12, 2023

Sunday Post #217

 


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

I didn't post last week because I was in Texas visiting my daughter, SIL, and the grandkids. Yes, the Texas heat is no joke! It was hot. 105 with 60% humidity. We enjoyed visiting. Our flight home was super early on Sunday, 5:30am, which meant we had to leave at 3:30am, but it was worth the early wakeup to avoid summer travel shenanigans. Being the first flight out there's less of a chance of delays, whatnot. Of course, they lost our luggage. Thankfully, we got it back two days later. I got back in time to join in on Anne's @Books of My Heart read-along chat on Facebook, and it was a fun time as usual!

It's been nice weather here with high 80s to low 90s for most of the week, cooling down to mid 50s at night. The evenings have been so nice!

I have a bumper crop of apples coming and a few pears. Our pear tree is really small. Last year we didn't have any fruit because a late frost froze off the blossoms so I didn't even know our trees would produce fruit. This is only our second spring here. "PicutreThis" tells me the apples are Paradise variety. The pears are "common pear" so I guess it doesn't know the variety.  I'm excited about all the fruit! I guess I need to start looking up apple recipes! I'll probably give away a bunch to friends and neighbors too. 

Paradise apple

Parasdise apple

"common" pears

Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)


This is two weeks worth of reading. I didn't read anything in Texas with not having any time to myself. Just finished Hunted on my way back from the airport in time for Anne's chat. I didn't realize I somehow skipped it in my first read through of The Iron Druid Chronicles! It was really good! Loved Dark Corners and North of Nowhere! Both were one day/sitting reads and had me on the edge of my seat! An Evil Heart and Halifax were also really good! Business or Pleasure was not my favorite (couple of niggles) from Solomon, but an enjoyable romance. 

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:





Two weeks worth. Four library lends and four from the publisher. I'm looking forward to them all! 

Instagram:

A Love Catastrophe! Peanut and my current giveaway:




How was your week?





43 comments:

  1. Aww kitty pic!! I love evenings like that, in the 50's. Great weather for sleeping! Glad you had a good trip. Funny how summer is winding down, going so quickly! I bet those pears will be so good :)

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    1. Yes, the weather is so nice, but we're getting a few hot days again. Oh well, only one more month of summer! I'm looking forward to the pears! :)

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  2. Glad you had a good visit. And that you got your luggage back. Sorry you had any lost at all.

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    1. I was so relieved to get my luggage back! At first they only had my husbands and then mine came in the next day.

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  3. Every time I read about you taking a plane I feel so inadequate with my fear of flying! And last time we went to the US they did lost one of our suitcases too!

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    1. I'm tired of flying Sophie, but it's a necessary evil to see my daughter and grandkids now that she moved to Texas. Well, unless I want to drive for 24 hours. That doesn't sound pleasant either. I hope you got your suitcase back!

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  4. Haven't had a chance to read Dark Corners as yet, but it's on my list. Have a good reading week.

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  5. It seems like we can't even travel around the block without having a few traveling difficulties. Glad your luggage was returned.

    Yes, it's hot here in Texas. I feel like someone has turned a hair dryer on my state.

    Look at that fruit! Lovely.

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    1. I know, right? Yes, that is a perfect description of how it felt. At least they have a pool! :)

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  6. I don't know, 60% humidity is pretty good. We were at 96% when I checked today. I agree with everything about the first flight. I can't do that when I visit the kid because I take mass transit. I won't go out that early in Chicago, but it is my preference for all the reasons you listed. Glad they found your luggage though it's terrible that they lost it. EEK! Those look like Bartlett pears to me. My grandparents had a bosc pear tree in their yard. I loved the fresh fruit. What a treat! You are the first to say anything less than glowing about the RLS book. I read a review, and I deemed it not for me, so I passed on reading it, but it seems well received.

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    1. Omg that humidity is awful! 60% is what my weather app said, but who knows. It was such a hassle trying to get my luggage back, but I'm thankful it was found! Yes, there was more sex than I felt necessary (I skimmed a bunch) and there was a thread about abortion that just seemed thrown in there out of left field. Felt weird to include it. I didn't mention in my review because I didn't want any controversary.

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  7. Phew. That weather sounds grueling. I am glad that you got to spend time with family though!

    That cat pic is so cute!

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    1. Yes, it was definitely just stay inside or go in the pool. I was happy to see the kids though. :) Thanks! I love my little guy!

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  8. How fun to have apples and pears! And cute cat pic. There is no way I would go to Texas in the summer. That is just too hot.

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    1. Thanks! I said I wouldn't go either, but my SIL and daughter are persuasive, lol!

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  9. That is great weather at home. I love all the fruit and it looks good without a bunch of blemishes. I always wanted a cider press (for apples) when I lived in Minnesota. Now I would probably bake stuff instead or just eat them. We like both apples and pears. You read some amazing books! I want to read Star Bringer and it's up at the library but I may delay. I'm reading the long but wonderful Fourth Wing.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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    1. It has been nice, but we'll be getting a couple of days of hot heat again Tuesday and Wednesday. Only one more month of summer, though! I'm excited about the fruit! I haven't had any fruit trees since I was a little kid and we had plums growing. I hope to get to Star Bringer before my library lend expires and I think I might break down and buy the audio for Fourth Wing since they re-recorded it. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

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  10. Kitty!!! 😍 Such a handsome ginger.

    Glad you had a nice time in Texas. The only thing I truly love about summer is all the fruit/veggies my husband hauls in from his garden.
    With the apples, you can often make pie/crumble filling and freeze it in pie sized portions for when you need it.

    I'm still plodding on with the Iron Druid books but keep missing all the read-along events! ☹️ I really need to change that! It would be good to attend at least one, lol.

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    1. Thanks for the great apple idea! I will definitely do that! We'd love for you to join on the chat! It's a lot of fun and neat to get to know the people behind the blogs!

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  11. How exciting that you have so many apples and pears coming up soon :)

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    1. Yes! I am excited! I need to look up recipes and such.

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  12. It's 105 here too but only 14% humidity because there are some storms in the area.

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    1. It's been hot here today too, and with clouds along the periphery. I imagine spotty thunderstorms everywhere.

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  13. Glad your visit was good and that you didn't melt down there. Lovely fruit produce.

    Have a good week, Rachel!

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  14. I'm glad you got to visit, but I'm so sorry you were here during some of the highest temperatures of the year! I pretty much have to do any outdoor activity before 7 am so that I don't have a heat stroke haha!

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    1. I'm not surprised by that. It is August after all, lol! It's been hot at home as well. I'll brave the heat to see my daughter, SIL and the kiddos anytime! I wish we got out and about in the area more on our visit. Next time! :)

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  15. What is it with airlines and lost luggage lately, it’s become so common it’s almost expected! I’m glad you recovered it quickly.
    Apples are so versatile in both sweet and savoury dishes, and they freeze well once prepped.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. I don't know, but flying seems to be more of a hassle than usual. I am so happy we got our luggage back! I'm so excited by the apples! I'll definitely be freezing some.

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  16. So much goodness for you the past couple of weeks. I saw a clip on TV where the luggage handlers were throwing, and I mean throwing, luggage around. Too many people have a bad attitude about life. I say, don't take the job if you don't want to do the work. Uh oh, I feel a rant coming on, so I'll shut up now. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. I've seen a similar video and yeah, not thrilled by it! Makes me just want to take a carry-on, but there's such issues with the overhead bins and jockeying for space.

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  17. Oh forgot to say, I love your header pic.

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    1. Thank you! It's a picture from one of my trips to Cannon Beach, Oregon, which is one of my all time favorite places on Earth! :)

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  18. Love the new look! And I'm jealous of your pear tree. I love pears and usually try to bottle some every fall. Wishing you a great week! :D

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    1. Thank you, Lark! I don't eat pears often, but I'm super exited by having some home grown! I do love pears tarts and crumbles. I'll be looking up recipes for sure! You too, Lark! :)

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  19. Glad your luggage made it back home too. I loved North of Nowhere. That was just... wow. I have Starbringer on my list. Hope you have a great week.

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    1. It was so good, right?! I hope we love Starbringer. You too! :)

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  20. That heat is TX is unreal, but I'll take 60% humidity any day. LOL It'll be 98 here with 90% humidity. You feel like the air is so thick and muggy that you're swimming thru it. Ugh. How cool that you have fruit trees! Hope you find some good recipes to take advantage of them.

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    1. No wonder you hate summer so much, Tanya! I do too and I don't have that kind of humidity! Thank goodness we only have one more month of summer left! Thanks! I'll be searching. :)

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  21. I can not even imagine the heat and humidity. I always forget but i think we alaways have a dry heat?

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  22. I'm glad you had a good visit even if the temperatures were unbearable. I have several of the books you read on my TBR, so am happy to see that you enjoyed them. I did finish the Castillo book and loved it. Have a great week, Rachel.

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  23. I would make a bunch of applesauce in my crockpot overnight and can some applesauce if I had access to all those apples. It is really easy to do! You added some awesome books over the past couple of weeks! I hope that you are having a great week!

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