Category Archives: holidays

Boxing Day

Well, actually, it’s Good Friday, but I let myself store too many things in what would be used as a ‘guest’ room, and a few weeks ago my 18-year-old grandkid found that where she was staying was not working out … Continue reading

Posted in America, big plans, blessings, Daily life, Dealing with stress, decisions, experiences, Family, food, free week, guests, helping others, holidays, Life, memories, procrastination, Tonette Joyce, traditions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Goodreads 2023 Challenge, Part Three

It’s been a great month of reading and listening! Here are the four cozy mysteries and two romances I reviewed on Goodreads. Hope you find one that interests you! Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourists by M. C. BeatonAgatha Raisin … Continue reading

Posted in audiobooks, book review, book series, Books, contemporary, cozy mystery, e-books, Goodreads Challenge, holidays, Mystery stories, Patricia Kiyono | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

“Socially” Acceptable

I thought of the topic of the week, “How do you use social media and how has it changed”, when I found myself on one platform more and more, one that I never expected to connect with folks through:  YouTube.  … Continue reading

Posted in advice, America, audiobooks, authors, battles, big plans, blessings, blogging, book review, Books, careers, collections, creativity, decisions, descriptions, experiences, Family, favorites, food, foreign language, foreign languages, foreign publications, friends, Friendship, history, hobbies, holidays, imagination, inspiration, inspirational stories, interview, language, libraries, Life, lifestyles, Lists, Miscellaneous, movies, Music, musicians, Narration, new skills, non-fiction, novels, paranormal, performances, personal libraries, pets, poetry, pronunciations, publishing, Random thoughts, reader interview, reading, reading preferences, recipe, reviews, self-improvement, shopping, short stories, shyness, teaching, time management, Tonette Joyce, translations, using talents, weather, writers, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Finding Room to Find Things

The Monday Fox asked: “What’s first on your to-do list for 2023?” Lists are good for me, especially with all that goes on in my life. I used to have a phenomenal memory and never made a grocery list, copy … Continue reading

Posted in advice, big plans, blessings, collections, decisions, experiences, Family, goals, helping others, holidays, inspiration, Life, lifestyles, Lists, Miscellaneous, new skills, Tonette Joyce, using talents | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Spirits of Christmas Past

The two best Christmas gifts we ever received??? This is a hard one. As I said last week, my mother made my early childhood Christmases magical. Aside from the inevitable doll, nothing really stands out. I remember each of the … Continue reading

Posted in blessings, childhood, Christmas, experiences, Family, gifts, holidays, lifestyles, Tonette Joyce, traditions | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Gift of Time

Our Wednesday Fox asked, “What are the two best Christmas presents you ever received?” My first reaction was “Oh my. This sounds like a version of ‘Who’s your favorite child?’” I stewed about this topic for a good hour, trying … Continue reading

Posted in blessings, childhood, experiences, Family, holidays, memories, Music, Patricia Kiyono | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Christmas, Once Again

“How does/did your family countdown to Christmas? Did/do you have any special family traditions?” Ch-ch-ch-changes! My mother decorated early. We always got a huge Christmas tree, one carefully selected and as close to prefect as possible. Seriously, my generally tight-fisted, … Continue reading

Posted in America, blessings, Christmas, Christmas books, Dealing with stress, decisions, experiences, Family, favorites, food, guests, Holiday, holidays, Life, memories, Miscellaneous, movies, Tonette Joyce, traditions | 7 Comments

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Our Tuesday Fox asked, “How does/did your family countdown to Christmas? Did/do you have any special family traditions?” [AS] This topic had me scratching my head. My family enjoys celebrating holidays together, but we honestly don’t prepare for them together. … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Daily life, experiences, Family, holidays, lifestyles, Patricia Kiyono, shopping | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

We Need a Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute

(I may have said all of this before, but for once, I am not taking time to check. Bear with me.) I was always opposed to Christmas decorations and Christmas music before Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving, but in the last … Continue reading

Posted in advice, big plans, blessings, Books, Christmas, Christmas books, decisions, descriptions, experiences, Family, favorites, food, free week, Holiday, holidays, inspiration, inspirational stories, Kindle, libraries, lifestyles, memories, movies, novels, Random thoughts, Tonette Joyce, traditions, winter, Words | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Never-Ending TBR, Part Eleven

I’ve got four cozy mysteries to share with you this month. All four are continuations of series I’ve enjoyed and shared before. Check out these awesome offerings! Crime for the Books by Kate YoungJane Doe Book Club Mystery, Book 3Lyla’s … Continue reading

Posted in book review, book series, Books, Christmas books, cozy mystery, Goodreads Challenge, holidays, Mystery stories, Patricia Kiyono, Seasoned Romance, series, TBR List | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments