Hi all! I'm happy to be back with another round of Sunday/Monday posts. As I've been doing, I'll be participating in:
Sunday Salon
Sunday Post
Stacking the Shelves
Monday Mailbox
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?
I know, I missed a week. I was wrapping up a long-awaited family vacation to San Diego. Well, the family vacation part was long-awaited. We have tried a few times over the last few years, but things didn't work out for various reasons, including COVID, obviously. We settled on San Diego a couple of months ago. I was there with my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. We found a wonderful place to stay right on the beach in Mission Beach. We were definitely spoiled! We did some sightseeing and just relaxed. It was great.
And I've got to show off this painting I got. It's painted on glass, so when the light comes in behind it, parts of it really light up. Found a vendor who paints these one day when we were there, and I loved this painting, so I bought one.
This past week was back to work, unfortunately. Real life is always so hard after a vacation, isn't it? Plus, we started month end craziness this week. But I survived.
Today, I bought some impatiens for my flower boxes. Those who follow me on Instagram will see how they grow (or don't) over the next few months since I usually take pictures of the physical books I read with those flower boxes. I do okay at keeping them alive, but there is a squirrel who likes to dig in the boxes to bury peanuts that people give him. I found two peanuts in the shells when I was planting the flowers. Hopefully, the squirrel repellent I have will keep him away. And hopefully I remember to use it regularly enough that it does it's job.
Enough rambling. Let's get to it, shall we?
This Past Week on the Blog:
Sunday - Disney Pin Review: Main Street Marvels
Monday - Book Review: Danger on the Atlantic by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Tuesday - Book Review: Three Shots to the Wind by Sherry Harris
Wednesday - Can't Wait Wednesday
Wednesday - Movie Review: Shooter
Thursday - March Reading Summary
Friday - Book Review: A Little Class on Murder by Carolyn Hart
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts
This Coming Week on the Blog:
Sunday - Book Review: Once Upon Another Time by James Riley
Monday - Ornament Review: Chewbacca miniature ornament
Tuesday - Book Review: Death in a Blackout by Jessica Ellicott
Wednesday - Movie Review: The Eternals
Thursday - Book Review: Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson
Friday - Book Review: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts
And I might stick a Can't Wait Wednesday and a Friday post in there, but we'll see how my week goes.
Book Haul from the Last Two Weeks:
I've had a couple of pre-orders come in over the last couple of weeks. I'm actually surprised that Once Upon Another Time by James Riley already arrives. It shipped a couple of weeks early since release day is this coming Tuesday. But, since I had it early, I've read it, and I'll be reviewing it in just a couple of hours.
My other pre-order that arrived was Cheddar off Dead, the first in a Cheese Shop mystery series from Korina Moss.
Finally, I snagged a book during a Kindle sale today. I'm very behind on Mary Marks's Quilting Mysteries, so I hadn't bought Knot Ready for Murder, the newest, yet. But when I saw it on sale today for 99 cents, I snagged it.
What I'm Currently Reading:
I am approaching the middle of #FollowMe for Murder by Sarah E. Burr. It's the first in a series about a social media influencer who gets involved in a murder mystery. So far, I'm enjoying it. The book came out a couple of months ago. My target date for the review is 4/14.
I think that just about does it for me for this week. Hope you have a good week.
I love San Diego. We live so close, but we don't visit as often as I might like. I am glad you enjoyed your vacation! The painting is beautiful! A great way to preserve the memories. I hope you enjoy your reading, Mark. There's a couple of cozy mysteries I hope to get to this month, seconds in series of which I really enjoyed the first books. Take care and have a great week.
ReplyDeleteLike your painting and flower boxes. Have a great spring!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you finally got to go on vacation. San Diego is beautiful. Good luck with all the back-to-work stuff!
ReplyDeleteI love that painting and can only imagine how it looks with the sun behind it. I love San Diego and it must have been fun with all your family members. We have an anti-squirrel bird feeder that our squirrel learned how to open just right to get seeds. They are clever little animals!
ReplyDeleteWe lived in San Diego for a year long ago, and for half-a-year more recently and have always enjoyed returning for vacations. We really love the zoo and the wild animal park, as well as birding the seaside and marsh areas.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love the look of that painting...and the flower boxes. Enjoy getting into the work routines...and thanks for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteImpatiens always brighten up a garden/patio so good luck with the growing!
ReplyDeleteI visited San Diego many years ago. I loved it. It's a great vacation spot. I love the painting. Very nice. Going back to work after a vacation is never fun or easy. I hope you get settled in. Enjoy your books and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteMy son loves James Riley's books. I love your titles with puns, so fun. Hope you enjoy them all.
ReplyDeleteFamily vacations are wonderful! I am glad you were able to finally take one. It does take some time to get back into the swing of things.
ReplyDeleteI love impatiens and plant them every year and your painting is beautiful.
Have a great week!
I'm so glad you had a nice vacation and family time. San Diego is lovely. I always get impatiens in the summer since they are one of the few things which can take the heat. In the winter it's pansies as they can take the cold.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
Sounds like you had a great vacation! My brother moved to San Diego and loved it but I have never been.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a nice vacation. Thanks for sharing the painting! Three Shots to the Wind, --another great title in this series, so punny!
ReplyDelete#Follow Me for Murder looks like an interesting one. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI've been to San Diego a couple of times now and have thoroughly enjoyed it both times!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
Your vacation sound great. I'm glad you could finally make it happen. Your books all look good too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip you had. It's wonderful to bring home a souvenir that you can bring home and put in a place where it reminds you of the trip every time you see it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the impatiens.
I really like your idea of preordering books. I'm considering doing that next year.
Your vacation sounds nice! I could do with some nice San diego weather right about now. :)
ReplyDeleteHope the squirrel repellent works- they can be quite determined and not always in a good way.
I loved all the Mary Marks series books. I am so sorry she has ended it now. Your holiday sounds wonderful. All the best with the flowers, thank goodness we don't have squirrels!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've been to San Diego (not counting the airport) since I was a kid. There are so many great things to see and do there that I really should schedule our own family vacation!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that painting! And hey! I'd rather be on a beautiful beach with my family than writing a blogpost behind my computer, lolz :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
I love San Diego! We've been on vacation there before but then we spent 3 months just north of the city with my husband's job last winter. My husband's cousin moved there a couple of years ago so we ended up in a bubble with them while California had more covid shut-downs. I think we kept each other sane. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting!
I don't think I could read a cheese shop mystery--I would be hungry the entire time!
Enjoy your week!
Glad you had a good visit/vacation. I could use one!
ReplyDeleteThe painting is very nice. I like to buy local art when I go visiting.
I hope the squirrel repellent works.
I'm curious about Once Upon Another Time.
Hope you have a good week and Happy Reading!
The San Diego trip sounds fun! It's on my list of places to visit and I love the painting! I also love your flower boxes. Update us on the squirrel repellant! We have some dedicated squirrels who are insistent on hiding things in some of our flower pots and I'd love to make them stop.
ReplyDelete