Life and Things

Well, there’s been the whole saga of selling our property, only to have the buyers back out thanks to their lenders making them jump hoops. The farm is now back on the market. Talk about being cranky! Getting to a notary and a FedEx store aren’t the easiest things when you don’t drive, and work nights.

I did the prepwork to participate in the NASH clinical trials study. Fingers crossed that I get in. I’m still slowly losing weight. It’s getting so there are times I feel my old level of enjoyment when walking. That was always my exercise of choice. I may not have had speed, but I had endurance. I could outwalk everyone I knew. Plans are to walk the Devil’s Slide Coastal Trail soon.

I know, I know! With a name like that, why would anyone walk it? It’s a cool trail that used to be a section of highway right along towering bluffs abutting the ocean. The name comes from a local  nickname for that section of the  highway. It was prone to mudslides during the rainy season, and to tourists gawking at the view and paying no attention to the road and going over. Or else it was locals going too fast and taking the plunge.  When tunnels through the mountain were finally complete, the section of highway was reopened to pedestrians. You can see the tunnels here, marking the new route, with the zigzag along the coast being the former highway.

 

 

Blog Stuff

I’m still working on updating and cataloguing past posts on Port Jericho. Its a lot of work! Other than that, it’s been quiet there too, mainly thanks to my health. I’ve started doing more Quickshots, utilizing micro-reviews mainly for the children’s books I read, along with landscaping, nature photography, and some self-help books.  

 

 

Books Read and Reviewed in January

The Campbells by Jose Luis Munuera, 3*

The Language of Bears by John Eidswick, Jan 27, 3*

Traveling the Blue Road curated by Lee Bennett Hopkins, 3*

50 Wacky Things Humans Do by Walter Foster, Jr, 4*

Become the Force by Daniel M Jones, 4*

Bubby’s Puddle Pond by Carol Hageman, 4*

Catakism by Jeff Lazarus, 4*

Crime Rhymes: From Bad to Verse by Dixie J Witted, 4*

Drawing Cute with Katie Cook by Katie Cook, 4*

Earth Science: Water by Mary Lindeen, 4*

Fantasy Genesis Characters by Chuck Lukacs, 4*

Grimms Manga Tales by Kei Ishiyama, 4*

His Royal Whiskers by Sam Gayton, 4*

The Joy of Doing Nothing by Rachel Jonat, 4*

My Turtle Journal by Teresa Westing, 4*

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy, 4*

Secrets of Ayurveda by Gopi Warrier, Dr Harish Verma, Karen Sullivan, 4*

Stick Sketch School: Safari by Billy Attinger, 4*

Total Life Cleanse by Jonathan Glass, 4*

A Wild and Unremarkable Thing by Jen Castleberry, 4*

A Stick Until… by Constance Anderson, 5*

The Ballad of Huck and Miguel by Tim DeRoche, 5*

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor, 5*

Ebb & Flow by Heather T Smith, 5*

Escape Claws by Linda Reilly, 5*

High Sierra by Fred Weyman, 5*

The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler, 5*

Inside Out: Egyptian Mummy by Lorraine Jean Hopping, 5*

Inside Out: Human Body by Luann Columbo, 5*

Inside Out: Sharks by David George Gordon, 5*

Inside Out: T-Rex by Dennis Schatz, 5*

Life in the Sloth Lane by Lucy Cooke, 5*

Manga Classics: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain & Crystal Chan, 5*

 

Best Reads of the Month

The Ballad of Huck and Miguel by Tim DeRoche

An excellent reweaving of Mark Twain’s timeless classic. I could adult see this book being used in certain classroom settings. I can also see whiny people wanting it banned.

 

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

My first historical fiction read of the year. It was about the Cottingley Faeries incident, and reading this gave me a greater understanding as to why so many people were willing to believe the photos real. It’s a powerful testament to the value of belief, and wonder.

 

The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler

The culmination to the Shadow Campaigns series. If you like fantasy tinged military fiction, this whole series is awesome. Wexler really captures the atmosphere.

 

Best Series New to Me

Escape Claws by Linda Reilly

I adored this! It’s first in a series- a cozy mystery tinged with a bit of the paranormal/supernatural. The story between Lara and Fran was just as engaging as the mystery aspect. It was really the kitties, though, that stole the show. I’m looking forward to reading the nexvwhen it comes out.