Auntie Nettie Reads A Lot 2014 - 2nd/3rd Quarter

Well, usually I read a lot. This has been an interesting, let's say, transitional regrouping year, wherein I have had to re-prioritize my energies.

Now that the Summer Festival is well over, the 3-day Fall Festival is over, and the calm before the fall schedule really picks up, I have been enjoying the library again and reading on the commute. I'm reading a bunch of what would be considered "summer beach reads." No prize-winners or "best ofs X lists" for now. Just fun reads. At the beginning of the summer I had huge stacks of books that I just kept renewing because I couldn't get to, or into, them. It was, as the librarian and I both agreed as I shamefacedly returned them at the end of the allowable renewal cycles, a bit too ambitious. So ... this instead. A mix of fluff, chick-lit, some ARCS, some of my collections, and some books from friends.

c. 9/6/2014

I'll get to some of my serious series soon - once I reread the 500-800 page books leading up to the end of the 3-7 book series (maybe the holidays?).

The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog, please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library. 

Go forth and READ! 

April through September 2014 (2nd/3rd quarters' worth)

A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch (mine) 
The Fault in our Stars: A Novel by John Green [Do NOT read in public - and DO NOT READ WITHOUT TISSUES] (mine) 

Stitch in Snow by Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (mine, reread)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (mine)
Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight (ARC)
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (mine, reread)
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (mine, reread)
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy (mine, reread)
The Family Man by Elinor Lipman
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (mine)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (mine, reread)
Where She Went by Gayle Forman (mine)
Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders
Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Monsell 
The Fortune Hunter: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin (ARC)
Ghost Gone Wild (A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel) by Carolyn Hart
Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School Book the Second) by Gail Carringer
After Dead: What Come Next in the World of Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris
Joy for Beginners: A Novel by Erica Bauermeister
The School of Essential Ingredients: A Novel by Erica Bauermeister (reread)
Shadow Spell: Book Two of The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts
The Lost Art of Mixing: A Novel by Eric Bauermeister 
The Undead Pool (A Hollows novel) By Kim Harrison

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (mine) 
Confessions of a Latter-day Virgin: A Memoir by Nicole Hardy 

Skin Game (A Dresden Novel) by Jim Butcher

(did I skip a few? Apparently, maybe yes?!)
The Other Half: A Novel by Sarah Rayner (didn't finish)
Made to Last by Melissa Tagg
The Apple Orchard, A Novel by Susan Wiggs
For Once in my Life: A Novel by Marianne Kavanagh (didn't finish)
The Bridesmaids: True Tales of Love, Envy, Loyalty ... and Terrible Dresses by Eimear Lynch (ARC)
2 a.m. at the Cat's Pajamas: A Novel by Marie-Helen Bertino (ARC) 
The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle (ARC) 
Elemental Magic: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters edited by Mercedes Lackey (mine) 

Elementary (All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters) edited by Mercedes Lackey (mine)

Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is Your Hidden Strength by Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D. (mine)
A Shiver of Light (Merry Gentry Novel) by Laurell K. Hamilton
A Good Year for the Roses: A Novel by Gil McNeil
Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Anna Whiston-Donaldson (ARC) (Also have tissues handy)
 The Sweet Spot: A Novel by Stephanie Evanovich
Driving with The Top Down: A Novel by Beth Harbison
The Last Original Wife: A Novel by Dorothea Benton Frank
The Last Summer of the Camperdowns: A Novel by Elizabeth Kelly (didn't finish)
Bet Me: A Novel by Jennifer Cruise
Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge 
To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing by Simon Garfield (mine, non-fiction) 

Sweetshop of Dreams: A Novel with Recipes by Jenny Colgan 

Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day by Ann B. Ross 
Goodnight June: A Novel by Sarah Jio 
The Glass Kitchen: A Novel of Sisters by Linda Francis Lee 
Night Broken: A  Mercy Thompson Novel by Patricia Briggs 
That Summer: A Novel by Lauren Willig 
The Geometry of Love by Jessica Levine (didn't finish) 
Heroes Are My Weakness: A Novel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 
Charlie Glass's Slippers: A Very Modern Fairy Tale by Holly McQueen 
The Summer Kitchen: A Novel by Karen Weinreb (didn't finish) 
The Appetites of Girls: A Novel by Pamela Moses (didn't finish) 
a couple of e-books from my iTouch

Max and Mary Mission Update: Moving

I don't think Grandmary and Grumpa have lived in an apartment since I was a wee toddler, which is over 40+ years ago. They have perhaps gotten a wee bit used to living in a house, and more recently, gotten used to a house with a larger bathroom - and, in the UT house, TWO bathrooms. Oui?

As a NYC-adjacent apartment dweller of MANY years, I have gotten more used to some of the things which the folks are re-experiencing. At least the apartment is furnished - so they didn't have to haul major furniture and appliances.

Read below:

E-mail updates from Dad on Friday, 9/26:

We were awake early with people upstairs moving around, the trains in the area, and getting used to a new place. We found the mall and picked up a few odds and ends to help us settle in.

Most of you know we got here Thursday evening about 3:45 and had the truck unloaded by 4 PM with the help of about ten people.

We have all but two of the 11 bins unpacked as well as the suitcases. Things put away, dishes washed, and Mom is doing laundry now.

I slipped out this afternoon and took a few pictures of where we are staying.
Below is the front of building 18 and we are in apt. 103 we are on far side of building.

Picture below is of the apartment door. Apartment 102 to the right and 104 to the left. Mailboxes are in the foreground.

We have the west facing, back windows so stay warm, I have on AC and a fan this afternoon.

I would rather park in the back of the building and come in a back, ground-level entrance. The front has three sets of steps going down.

Looking into the front room from doorway. Two chairs, couch, and the living room is done. Dining room has nice table and chairs, and makes it so we don’t have to have big group to dinner.

 Looking down hall and seeing part of kitchen with large walk-in pantry.

Fridge is behind the light switch along with some more counter-tops. It was about 4:15 PM here and we had been out shopping this morning.

Down hallway past closet and shelves on left you see door to main bedroom. Door way to the right goes to small bedroom. 

This is the small single bed room with a desk for the computer and printer, places to put clothes and a good closet. West facing windows as well.

This is the hardest part of the apartment - an RV size bathroom with tub and shower together. Too tight for two.

I am standing in the walking closet, looking at the west facing windows with another set to the left above the two chairs. We think these two chairs and one in the living room are left over from another time. The bed is a king being made by pushing two twins together and putting a foam to cover the valley in the middle. Maybe next year they will be putting in a new queen instead.

Looking from my side of the bed toward the closet and hitting the mirror with the flash. We seem to have room for most of the clothes that arrived but leaving winter coats in a bin for a while.

With my back in the corner of two windows looking toward bathroom. Mom has to remember to go left now instead of right with her eyes closed at night.

This last shot is back into the living room from bedroom. I am wondering why they didn’t put pull-out couches in the living rooms.

J just flashed an email back after getting the first batch of photos. Yes, we have picked up the computer printer, TV, and a little food. Larry the Cable Guy will be coming in the “Late Morning” to hook up the Direct TV receiver we brought with us. He seemed to be as disappointed as I am that the Receiver is not HD. Mom thinks I need the TV, but she needs the noise to cover some of the building group.

Anyway we are pooped out today and glad that Saturday is allowing for a little more down time.
 
I think we are going to make it even if I look and feel the youngest ones we have seen so far. Bless the people that are here, and pray they are still here in the morning.
  
Love you all!

Max and Mary Mission Update: On the Move

Over the past ten days, Grumpa Max and Grandmary have successfully managed to make it from St. George, to Salt Lake, to St. George, and across the country to their new D.C. area digs. Thanks to modern texting, cell phones, e-mail, and i-chats, it's easier than ever to track and make a record of their progress.

Here are some of the compiled Notes from the Road: 
  
Saturday, 9/13

From Dad: 

In SLC, taking walk

Left home to head to SLC for training

Monday, 9/15

From Dad: It’s official 

[They have official badges and everything. Thanks to techybro J for the blurry bits to preserve family privacy, if not sanity.] 

Me to them:

What was the hardest part of the week? and why? 

Dad: The hardest part of this training week was arriving at this hotel, checking in, getting parked down stairs, having a very poorly organized desk staff, convention party people all over the building, in the elevators, and hall ways. Then not knowing what Monday would bring in the temple. Key words would be tired, frustrated, anxious, overwhelmed by visual and audio surroundings. Mom would say trying to keep dad from stroking out. 

What was the most surprising part of the week? and why? 

So far how peaceful being in the temple for a day six hours of training. More on this tomorrow. [Nope, no updates and I didn’t push, as we were both busy.]

What did you learn this week?

Still holding on this but LOVINGKINDNESS is one word Old Testament and is a key word in our work and time in the Temple. It is two words in the rest of the scriptures.

Wednesday, 9/17

Text From Dad: We are home & unpacked! 

On the road again 

Monday, 9/22

E-mail later from Dad: We thought on Sunday night that this was a good sign for us to start the trip. The double rainbow went across the sky and ended also in a double.

E-mail later from Dad: I was outside getting ready to finish packing the truck and this little guy was trying to get across the front walk and I am afraid his movement made me wonder if the trip was going to feel this way also.

E-mail later from Dad: Just before closing the gate I decided to document how I was loaded. I weighed each bag and bucket and we ended up with 450 lbs in the back. The truck was able to handle it well except in the Denver area through the ski country. We ended up gearing down like the big trucks.

E-mail later from Dad: Before getting to the Denver area on Monday Mary woke me up for a sound nap to take this shot of the strange weather in the area. We did see rain from this mess but the wind was no where to be seen.

E-mail later from Dad: It was time to take a lunch break in Green River and we picked the place with the most cars in front. Good eats and clean.

E-mail later from Dad: The river was not green as I looked out the side window of the dinner. This shows what the rains had brought down stream from earlier in the day.

E-mail later from Dad: This is a moving truck shot in the Vail Ski Resort. The Quakies really were turning and with the sun on them shown brightly.

Text From Dad: Stopped at 577 miles in Silverthorn/Dillon CO at 7:00 MDT. Hard rain now! Maybe early start in the a.m.

Tuesday, 9/24

From Dad: After 12 hour drive, 735 miles, two driving naps each we ended up in Concondia, MO

From Dad: in answer to my question about DID YOU REST and stop?

We stopped twice for gas, twice to eat, three time to P. We rest.

Wednesday, 9/24

From Mom: We are in Zanesville, Ohio after nearly 12 hours of trucks, traffic, and construction. We will see my friend Diana, then on to Kensington.

From Dad: For the record today, we traveled 12 hours lost another hour. Covered 677 miles. Three hated words for day – work zone ahead! Slow driving. We have about 6 hours and 350 miles to eat to DC by 5 pm. Hope to get away from Aunt D before 10:30. We meet them for breakfast at 8:30.

Later e-mail from Dad:
Wednesday at 11/noon [in Indiana] looking for place to eat. This is the first thing we saw when walking into the dinner. No one there the help out back outside having a smoke. We almost walked back out but stayed and was waited on and served as if we were old friends.

Before we left the place was almost full of local folks coming in for lunch. Waitress knew most of them by name what they were going to order. One of the best meals for the price and we left feeling really good at stopping there. You never know the book by the cover. See below 

I went outside and got this picture, but right now I don’t remember the town we were in but, needed food, bathroom and gas so it was a good stop off the freeway.

Thursday, 9/25

From Mom: We got here before 4:00, were unloaded by 4:00, have cookies, banana bread, muffins, and are off to dinner and a tour. We are sleeping in tomorrow morning.

Friday, 9/26

E-mail recap from Dad:
This is not the end of the day on Wednesday but the morning as we started East again.

Tuesday was a long day and we covered 735 miles. Wednesday was just as long 12 hours but we only made 611 miles because of the three dreaded words “Road Work Ahead”. I 70 had a major project going on about every 5-10 miles and slowed everyone down greatly. Thursday we traveled only 345 miles took almost 9 hours but stopped and visited for a couple of hours near Old Washington, Ohio with Mary’s college room mate and husband. We arrived in Kensington, MD at about 3:34 PM EDT and were met by five couples that had the truck unloaded and all items in apartment by 4 PM.

We were not like the snail and the luck of the rainbow saw us through all the miles with out being harmed or having truck problems. All in all a good trip. Mary figures we make the trip for $750 which covers, gas, food, and three nights in motels. Yes we are cheap and lucky. The gas prices were like the highway speed. The closer we got to DC the lower the gas prices and speed limits.

Part 2: Max and Mary Adjust to Apartment living, and Auntie Nettie Giggles ... a LOT!