What I REad #66

Iced by Carol Higgins Clark: Famous people, famous paintings, Aspen ski slopes all combine to make this a pretty good read. Investigator Regan Reilly is in Aspen for the Christmas holidays. She is hot on the trail of an art thief, only she nor anyone else, is sure just who it might be. Not bad!
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #65

Walking Dead by Greg Rucka: Another fine novel in Rucka's Atticus Kodiak series. Atticus and his gal-pal Alena are living in the republic of Georgia, in the former Soviet Union. Their nearby neighbors are murdered in the night. Atticus finds that their daughter wasn't murdered, but was kidnapped. He sets out to find her. His quest leads him from Eastern Europe through Europe, and ending in Las Vegas. The evils of human trafficking that plague our world are brought to the forefront in this powerful novel, published in 2009. Read it!
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #64

The Body in the Sleigh by Katherine Hall Page: What I thought was going to be a "fluff" novel, turned out to be a really good read. Page writes the Faith Fairchild mystery series. This is the first one I have read.
A young girl is murdered and Faith discovers her body in a sleigh which is part of the holiday decorations in Sanpere, Maine, where the Fairchild family is spending the holidays. Faith goes on the hunt for the killer. A Sanpere teenager is blamed, but Faith knows he didn't do it and is determined to find out who did.
If you haven't read any of Page's novels, I suggest you do so.

Happy Reading,
JE

Monday's Musings

I know several bloggers that make lists, ramble on about stuff, and share thoughts that just pop into their heads, so I decided to just list some random thoughts that have darted in and out of my aging brain today.

Why does tragedy strike so close to home. A family in town lost their home and their three children in a fire two blocks away. I knew two of the children from school. I don't understand why these things happen.

I am tired of Kiddo's summer vacation. He has become a real couch potato, and definitely has his days and nights turned around. He could use a bit of an attitude adjustment.

I wonder how much I will miss going to school when school starts in 3 weeks.

As much as I love having Prof and Kiddo here, I do miss my privacy and the peace and quiet.

My little grandchildren are spectacular. So is Kiddo, but he's past the cute cuddly stage.

I am anxious to go on my vacation to Texas.

My son got a new position and a raise and I am so proud of him.

My daughter-in-law just got her master's degree. I am proud of her, too.

Have you ever wondered how they get the filling in Pop-Tarts?

Enough!

Peace,
JE

What I Read #63

Winter of the Wolf Moon by Steve Hamilton: An Alex McKnight novel, and reads much like Hamilton's first novel in this series. In fact, I thought maybe I had read this one already it was so similar. Alex McKnight is a 48 year old former Detroit cop, sometimes private investigator, who owns several cabins in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The winters there are harsh along the eastern shores of Lake Superior. Alex seems to always be recovering from some injuries he sustained mostly by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. His Native American friend, Vinnie, is mostly "white" except when being Indian works to his advantage.
In this novel Alex tries to come to the rescue of one of Vinnie's tribal friends. He encounters more than he bargained for.
Though Alex complains all the time throughout the novel about the cold and snowfall in the UP, he says he would not live anywhere else. Read this novel if you like snow by the foot and crime that is seemingly endless. Not a favorite, but readable.
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #62

Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks: This is Parks' first novel, and what a novel it is. Newspaper reporter, Carter Ross, is on the trail of story about the mass murder of 4 people on the gritty streets of Newark. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his life, and those around him, becomes. If this is the way Parks is going to entertain us, bring it on, Brad. Readers, you don't want to miss this one!
Happy Reading,
JE

"Getting to Know You" (me)

It's pretty bad when my life is so boring that I use another list on here. But this one might let you get to know me just a little bit more, if you're interested.


1. First thing you wash in the shower?
my head.

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Red

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Probably, I don’t remember
who that was. I remember hugging. Does that count?

4. Do you plan what you are going to wear?
Not any more. Used to when I worked so I didn’t have to think about
it in the morning.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
pretty happy, fairly relaxed, and a little sleepy

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red?
New Print Cartridge box

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I kissed Scarlet O’Hara on the lips? I hated that book and the movie.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? No

9. What are you craving right now? Coffee

10. Do you floss? Yes, every day before bedtime.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? sauerkraut

12. Are you emotional? Sometimes, but usually pretty laid-back.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
I counted backwards from 99. It involved bottles of beer.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
I eat mine with a spoon. I dislike drippy cones.

15. Do you like your hair? What hair!!!!!!!!!

16. Do you like yourself? Most days, yes.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Yes, only to bend his ear!

18. What are you listening to right now?
the AC running

19. Were your parents strict? Mom: not so much, Dad: God yes!

20. Would you go sky diving?
no way in hell

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
yes, especially with fruit

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes. My late wife introduced me to
Crystal Gayle once. They went to HS together.

What I Read #61

Cinnamon Kiss by Walter Mosley: The setting for this novel is 1966, the Summer of Love. P.I. Easy Rawlins is hurting for cash, so he takes on a complicated case involving stolen old Swiss Bearer Bonds with ties with the Hitler Regime. Because Easy and his buddy, Mouse, are black, they run up against racial prejudices at every turn, making their job that much harder and dangerous.
I liked this book. I think Mosley can tell the tale like no other writer. I was young during this era, and I must have lived a very sheltered life. I knew racial tension and prejudice ran high during that time, I guess I just didn't know how severe it was. I highly recommend reading Mosley's work. This is the 10th Easy Rawlins novel. I think I will grab another on the next trip to my library.
Happy Reading,
JE

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

A dear friend, Phyl, who has been a good friend since 1956, sent me this. Once again proof that once we retire we have entirely too much time on our hands! (BTW, Phyl was my first girlfriend way back in the 6th grade. We were country kids, lived a mile from each other, took Driver's Ed together and have grown older and still remain friends.)





AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES:

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

What I Read #60

Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci: It doesn't take very long reading any Baldacci novel to know why he is on the New York Times bestseller list all the time. This book is no exception! Be forwarned that it is pretty violent and graphic. There are a lot of characters involved, and at first it's hard to figure out just who works for which agency and so on. But the action is full-speed-ahead and the plot is intriguing. There is a group of vigilantes hunting down evildoers all over the world. Another group is hunting an insane, power hungry, former Soviet politico who is dealing in, not only human trafficking, but nuclear warfare. What happens when both groups become intertwined? Make sure you add this book to you summer reading list and find out!
Happy Reading,
JE

Ramblings of a Retired Mind

Thanks to my good partner-in-crime and best friend, Curley, for this one. (And she isn't nearly old enough to even think about retiring!)

I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener.

I also made a cover for my hearing aid and now I have what they call blue teeth, I think.

You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.

I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!

I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.'

I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age, and call it 'Pumping Rust'.

I've gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!

When people see a cat's litter box, they always say, 'Oh, have you got a cat?'
Just once I want to say, 'No, it's for company!'

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'A Good Doctor'!

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me. They were cramming for their finals.

As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the curve.

Some Thoughts on Retirement

I have been retired for over a month now. I love it! There is the fact that I am obligated to no one. I don't have to get up at a certain time. I don't have to go to bed at a certain time. I don't have to eat if I don't want to, or should I say when and if I want to, I can eat! Either way, it's a plus! I read, craft, work in my yard, or anything else as the mood strikes me.

Now, on the other hand, it can get pretty boring just sitting on my duff all day. There isn't the extra cash to go run around like I was used to, and eating out as often as I did isn't an option any more. I miss talking to my coworkers, and yes, I miss the kids I dealt with on a daily basis. I don't have a lot of motivation right now, but I think that will get better.

All in all, retirement is good. For one who has always been super active like I have, making adjustments in my life style will just take time. But I've got a lot of that!
Peace,
JE

What I Read #59

Skeleton Lake by Mike Doogan: Nik Kane, an investigator for the Anchorage PD is recovering from gunshot wounds, so he decides to investigate a 20 year old murder that was never solved. To be very truthful with you, I DID NOT like this book. I forced myself to finish it. I found that I would read a few pages, lay it down and do something else, and then go back. It actually took me almost four days to get through it. I would not recommend it to anyone. I brought another Doogan novel home from the library, but if it's like this one, I probably won't finish it. I don't like books, or movies with "flashbacks," and this one was full of them. Definitely not my "cup-of-tea."
Keep on Reading,
JE

Aah! Birthdays

Last night the whole family, such as it is, met at our local Pizza Hut to celebrate my son's 35th birthday. What a great time we had. As I sat there, I was reminded of the hot, sticky, humid day when L'il Bro was born. His momma was so nervous about having another C-section that we had to wait another day for her to calm down and even then, the doc just said that she had to go get it over with. But she was fine afterward. I was reminded, too, of the frail little guy who was in and out of the hospital seven times before he was six years old, being a sufferer of chronic bronchitis, which fearfully lead to pneumonia. After having the tonsils out, he recovered and has had no problems since.
I was reminded about how L'il Bro loved cowboy boots. He wore them all the time. With shorts, with his bathing suit, and to church. He wore them out!!! I remember his flying down the street in his shorts and boots on his big wheel!
I remember the first time he used the "f" word. He said it at about age 3, right in front of his "wicked" grandmother! Boy did his mom and I hear about that, and hear about that, and hear about that!
Too rapidly he grew up and got his first job which lead to his first car. I remember him coming home and telling Mom that she had to take him to the police station to get his car keys back. He had been caught speeding in the City Park (of all places). The police made him park his car, bring Mother to the station, where they both got a lecture, and then he was set free. I believe he was grounded from the car, except for going to work, for a month.
I recalled the day when families and friends, gathered in a Biblical Garden nearby, to witness the marriage of L'il Bro and Sistah. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the beginning of a new era. My wish for them both was happiness!
Now, I watch my son with his own two children. He is patient, and gentle and kind. He is that way with Sistah, too. This is a family filled with love and kindness. I am so proud of the man my son has become. As he became a year older, I thanked God for him, and the many blessings he has given us all.
Peace,
JE

What I Read #58

liars all by Jo Bannister: This was a new kind of suspense/mystery read for me. I can only describe it as two stories in one. A man is murdered, his fiancee seriously injured, and a priceless necklace stolen. Daniel, the mild mannered guy who looks for things missing goes after the necklace only to uncover more crime than one can imagine.
Brodie, the mother of Jonathan, a small child who is dying of a brain tumor, is desperately looking all over the world for a cure for her small son. Both Brodie and Daniel are forced to make sacrifices that will change their lives forever. Through it all, faith and friendship prevail.
This was a powerful, moving novel. I would recommend it to book clubs. Daniel's "conversation with God" is one of the most powerful passages that I have read in any book.
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #57

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline: Twins! Attorney Bennie Rosato has a trouble making twin sister Alice Connelly. Alice is out to get revenge on Bennie for imaginary grievances and jealousy. She kidnaps Bennie, does despicable things to her, then tries to become her! What a story! If you like action, suspense and even sheer terror, reading Think Twice is a must for your summer reading list.
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #56

Southern Lights by Danielle Steel: Finally, a novel by Steel that wasn't depressing as hell. This was a romantic, legal novel, if those two things are plausible. Assoc. District Attorney Alexa Hamilton is handed the biggest case of her career. A serial killer, accused of raping and murdering at least eighteen young women. Can Alexa handle it? When threats to her seventeen year-old daughter start arriving, Alexa is forced to take drastic measures.

I haven't read a Steel novel for years. The reviews for this one sounded pretty good. I'm glad I took the time to seek it out at the library and read it.
Happy Reading,
JE

What I Read #55

State Fair by Earlene Fowler: For some reason, the Benni Harper series by Fowler is one of my favorite reads. Benni, who is married to the Chief of Police, Gabe, gets into one major scrape after another while trying to help solve still another murder. Abetted by her Aunt Garnet Wilcox, a seventy-five year old matron, Benni goes into action. All this centers around the Mid-state Fair in Central Coast, California. There is humor abundant, but the seriousness of murder, racial slurs, and mayhem abound in this fun, easy read by my late wife's favorite author, Ms Fowler.
Happy Reading,
JE