So not the best week, right? Loss seems to be the only word to describe it.
My dear friend, Diane, who I had written about before, took a turn for the worse and passed quickly. The words my friends and I keep sharing —”We thought we had more time.” — are all we seem to say.
We were supposed to have lunch last week, but the smoke was too much for her to be outside and socially distanced, so we had to reschedule…because we thought we had more time.
So please, hug those you love. Call, text, email, send a note to a dear friend and make plans. Time with loved ones is something we should never postpone.
One
Call the Midwife has a new season up on Netflix. I only just discovered this show earlier this year, so I feel like I am probably trotting out old fish, because you all are probably way ahead of me on this, but I do enjoy this show. As the only female in a house of men (besides the cat), I have my own shows that I treasure and more to the point don’t have hockey, forensic files, or some disaster element to them. This is just a delightful, curl up with the knitting and have a lovely cry every so often sort of show.
Two
As a diehard history buff, I adore a good historical mystery (Yes, my Sherlock affections from last week are showing) and the Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom is one that fits the bill when I want to dig into a meaty, well written and thoroughly engrossing story.
Set in the time of Henry the Eighth, Shardlake is an unusual lawyer for his time, a dwarf who hasn’t let society’s scorn stop him from being an astute and crafty adversary. Start with Dissolution—you’ll discover what I mean.
Three
So from smoky skies to pouring rain, Seattle feels like it jumped with both feet into fall this week. So this morning—between downpours—I was out in the garden frantically picking everything that was being beaten down by the rain.
So the crockpot is full of vegetable marinara and I made an extra large batch of this Basil Pesto. I freeze it for something wonderful and bright in the middle of winter, and the extra will make a lovely pasta tonight.
Tip: To keep it from turning brown in the fridge, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of it and it will stay lovely and bright.
Photo Credit: Simply Recipes
Four
My husband has been out of town—his mother is downsizing and moving and he went to help. So having this book, The Deadly Hours, has been a tonic for a hard week.
Yet having this lovely anthology in hand, has given me just the book I needed with what little free time that can be had when he’s gone, and oh, have I been happy to have this. Such lovely writing and great stories. You all know Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors . . . and a dear friend. And I think I have found three more favorite authors. 😉
Five
As the leaves begin to fall, and there’s a chill to the evenings, I wish I was here—Aspen Alley—in the Sierra Madres Mountains on the southern border of Wyoming, between Encampment and Battle. I was doing writing research at the Encampment Museum a few years ago —in early October, and got to see it. Here is my photo, but to see some really lovely photos of this unique and beautiful spot, go visit here.
Best wishes to all of you, and take time to reach out to the ones you love.
And, don’t forget that mask. And register to vote. There. I’ll stop being bossy and let you go take another look at those glorious aspens.
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