Girls, I know, I know. This is just plain crazy. With today’s post, I have written and published three days in a row. It is going to snow. Hey, wait! It is snowing, right here on my blog.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to link-up with another one of my favorite friends, Sheila at Making the Most of Every Day. Talking about what we are reading, watching, listening to and following. RWLF, if you will. Being home sick definitely has its blogging benefits.
Reading
Actually, I am reading lots of different books. At school, I am reading versions of “The Gingerbread Man”, including The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires, illustrated by Holly Berry (not to be confused with Halle Berry). And The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst and Gingerbread Baby (no The) by Jan Brett. Everybody’s getting in on this action. Maybe I should write The Gingerbread Grandma. Runs away from everyone with her walker. I might be onto something.
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Any of these Gingerbready books would be fun Christmas gifts.
Also reading a children’s chapter book. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. Kind of slow going because I am actually having to READ it. Not listen to it.
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The setting for this book is a real community called Norvelt in southwestern Pennsylvania. So this is kind of historical fiction-semi-autobiographical because Gantos actually lived there. Norvelt was created as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA which happens to also be my mother’s name, Nira) of 1933, after the depression. It was a communal type of homestead program promoting cooperative living. The book is good but that darn reading thing is slowing me down.
Reading The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey on my phone. If reading a book is slow for me, imagine how slow reading on a phone must be. Yeah. That slow. And the book is kind of freaking me out a little. Other than that, I am going great guns with this one. According to BookShout, where I uploaded/downloaded – whichever – the book, I only have 10 hours 10 minutes and 21 seconds left on this book. And I just discovered I can read it on my laptop. YES! I just knocked that time down by at least ten minutes.
Watching
Ok. Time for a confession. Everyone I know including Sheila with whom I am linking-up today, loves “The Gilmore Girls”. So PC and I tried it, but we couldn’t get into it. I still want to give it another try, maybe next time I am sick. So I guess that is something I am not watching.
We are watching “This is Us” and some of us are watching “Sister Wives” and “Married by Mom and Dad” (PC). That’s some quality programming in those two little nuggets.
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Would attending a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance fit here? Or maybe under listening? Whatevs, we did go see them on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Neither of us had been before and we were really impressed. I was sick…oh, really?…in fact, went to the clinic the following day. That’s how LONG I have been fighting this stuff. But the concert was energizing and electrifying.
If only temporarily.
Listening
Actually this thing could fall under reading, too. I am listening to this fabulous book on Audible. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. So. Good. In fact, I listen to it on my phone at school while I shelve books. Not only to shelve books, but I am taking every single book off the shelf and putting it back on the shelf. Sound redundant? It really isn’t because so many of them are in the wrong place.
Anyway, Lilac Girls is so compelling that I don’t want it to end. I am purposely not listening to it so it will last longer. Like this week when I have been sick, I could have finished the book right up. But I am dragging my feet, even having my phone read it at a slower pace so it won’t end.
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This is Kelly’s debut novel and it is masterfully written. I am savoring every word.
Following
Follow the leader? This category always stumps me. It would seem that I should be following someone in order to be able to successfully write something here. But I am not sure who or what I should be following. Let’s see, I know. I started following someone new on Insta and Facebook. Would that count? Ooops, I lied. I thought I was following them but I wasn’t until right now. I am now. Nuhda Boutique in El Paso. My Prince and I went to the boutique last week for “Drink and Draw” (kinda like “I Painted That”). We had such fun. Drew and painted a Christmas scene.
And I discovered that they will be offering all kinds of art workshops in the new year. Drawing. Calligraphy. Some weird stuff that they said would be creativity-inspiring. You, too, can follow Nuhda. On their blog and Facebook and Instagram.
And there you have it. My RWLF for the month. I need to get a handle on this follow business before January’s link-up. Probably need to finish up some of these books, too, and maybe start looking for something to listen to and watch. Suggestions invited, encouraged. What are you RWLF – ing this month?
We were supposed to go to the musical “Elf” tonight when my Prince got home from Kentucky. I got dressed and put on my makeup. We stopped at Wendy’s for a bite of dinner and wound up coming back home. Neither of us really felt like braving the cold and the crowd to go to the play. Sad.
Pulling up the covers and putting this day to bed. Have a restful weekend, my friends. I hope I will, too.
Eskimo kisses (with the eyelashes),
Leslie
Andrea Nine
Oh Leslie, hallelujah you spoke your piece, I could not get into GG either. LOVE this festive Friday favorites posts..LOVE you more!!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yay, I am not alone in my opinion of GG. It seemed so staged, the set seemed so fake and the actors weren’t doing much acting. IMO!! I bet it gets better, like most shows, once it gets underway. But I will need a big glass of wine to get through the first episodes to find out.
Thank you, sweet friend, for always being a ray of heavenly sunshine. You are uplifting and supporting and heart-warming in every message. Love you, baby girl.
Cathy crandall
Hello! What do you mean “just plain crazy?” All your fans out here are loving this! Kinda like a “triple crown” for horses, right? Loved your review of Lilac Girls-I just tried to win a copy of that book(I’ll let you know how that turns out!) but it sounds like such a good story. So fun you & PC got to go painting together, I did that about a year ago on a girls night out but my painting skills were not the best that night unfortunately! I haven’t seen any of those shows you mentioned but we recently watched the Crown on Netflix – as much as I love history & have always wanted to visit England my Brit history is very limited but we really enjoyed the series. Glad you’re feeling better & stay warm!! C.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are the second person to mention the Crown. Now I know we have to try it. Glad to see it is available on Netflix. Hope you win the copy of Lilac Girls. It is such a good book. But I listened to it…the new way to read…and the narration was so well done. Really carried me away back in time to WWII.
I bet if you are a scrapbooker, you can paint, too. Hope you will give painting another try.
Thank you, Cathy, for always making me feel so good. Glad you are out there reading my babble. Big hugs to you!
curlycraftymom
I’ve always wanted to do one of those canvas painting classes! Brian and I should do that sometime. I’ve never thought of there being so many different gingerbread man books! Lol! 🙂 Love it!! I am reading It Ends With Us right now and OMG such a disturbing book (it’s about an abusive relationship, not sure if you’ve read it), but SO good. I also saw that it was voted best romance book for 2016 on Goodreads! It may be one of my favorites this year!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, you and Brian absolutely need to do a painting class together. Such fun. And I discovered my PC is quite
artistic.
Read the cutest gingerbread man book today. Your kids would love it…The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Kimmel. Really sweet.
It would look great with the other books you have stacked for your kids to read over the holidays.
Will add It Ends with Us to my Goodreads to-read shelf and add a sample to my Nook. I have gotten so spoiled listening to books that I may never read again!
Whitney à la mode
I love that you live such a full life and do so many fun activities! You are an inspiration!