What to read while waiting for your Bridgerton holds

   If you like me have learned of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn because of the Netflix series; and are now surprised and a bit disappointed to find the books back-ordered and/or checked out.  Allow me to share some of my favorites of the genre while you wait for your holds to come in.

Georgette Heyer:  Any of you longtime readers know of my great appreciation of this author. Sometimes described as Austen lite: her understanding of the Regency comedy of manners is excellent and her romances lovely.  This post describes some of my favorites of hers's to which I would add Frederica and Sprig Muslin which I had yet to read.

Bree Wolf's Love Second Chance romances include wonderful conversations among a great cast of characters who continue to appear through the series.  The intimate scenes are consistently between married people and almost entirely behind the closed door; kissing and early foreplay are on the page.

Emma Leech's Rogues and Gentlemen series is another great series where you meet great people and enjoy watching over the course of the series they, their friends, and their family find love.  These books focus more on the romance of the time as well as the effects of war on those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.   The intimate scenes are again mostly between married people but in a more open-door manner.

Erica Ridley's Duke of War series recounts a group of friends who have been to war and are now back.  These stories also focus on the battle scars these soldiers carried, (both internal and external) while they meet their lady loves. The humor of the Regency comedy of manners is the focus while there are some open door scenes as our couples achieve their 'happily ever after'. 

  Stepping slightly away from the Regency setting I want to also highlight a couple other authors.  Janette Oke writes wonderful clean romances of the Canadian West.  She has two series Love Come Softly, and When Calls the Heart, as well as many stand-alone novels, two of my favorites being A Bride for Donnigan and They Called Her Mrs. Doc.

Eliza Knight's Sutherland Legacy is set in Scotland during the time of Edward II and Robert the Bruce. Lords, Ladies, and Clansman fight and fall in love along the border and in the Highlands of Scotland.  These are also open door romances where the intimate scenes are somewhat described on the page. 

Any favorites of yours I missed?

Cate is 8!!

 

1. Caitlin at 8 is a unicorn loving, artist; who loves drawing & coloring, and playing with kinetic sand.  Having learned to ride her bike without training wheels this fall, after school she is often out and about visiting neighborhood friends.  However, Skye and her light-up seahorse Bubbles, are still essential at bedtime.
2. Favorite shows include Spirit Riding Free, Ryan's Mystery Playdate, Bluey, and when watching with Liam, Pokemon.  Jake, & the Neverland Pirates, Elena of Avalor, and Sophia the First still make the cut. In our house at eight years old, you can begin playing Minecraft Creative Version.  In preparation, Caitlin has also been watching Gamer Girl videos.
3. She is enjoying school; doing well in all her subjects. Her reading skills are getting stronger and stronger. She has begun reading chapter books such as Billie Brown mysteries, and Princess in Black.  Currently virtual for a couple of weeks, she is very much looking forward to being back in the classroom with her friends.
4. Favorite foods include lasagna, Shepherd's Pie, and pizza. Mostly she like cookies and milk. 
5. She was really enjoying her gymnastics class, unfortunately, that gym has recently closed.  Due to the Covid virus, swimming lessons were not possible last summer. However, we are holding out hope for the coming summer.
6. Her chosen theme for balloon and banner is Descendants, with Frozen a close second. She chose cupcakes with blue &purple frosting and donut rings for her birthday dessert.
7. She is so very much the youngest; eager to rush ahead to catch up with her older siblings, and at the end of the day such the goofy cuddle bug.  Enjoys attempting phone conversations in french with Bonne Mamy, yet still resorts to baby talk when in trouble. 
8. pictures. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2021 goals and commitment

 Happy New Year!

   We are back from a lovely Christmas break in Maine. According to the rules of our school since the kids left the state they need to attend class virtually for 2 weeks. The first week is going okay with each day bringing its own hiccups.  

   I have again set several reading goals for myself for the year, but have decided lifestyle-wise monthly commitments may increase success and follow through.

Reading:

• I plan to read 60 books over the year. 20 of which from my own bookshelves. To help with this goal I am joining the Unread Shelf challenge again hosted by Whitney.  
• I plan to read 10 from the 20th Century project hosted by Ashley of The Big White Farmhouse
• Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge this year a 'pick your own path' of many options of which I have picked some that overlap with the other two and some that have my stretching my reading muscles a bit.

Lifestyle :

• In January after my morning coffee till dinner, I'm only going to drink water
• I will aim for 8,000 steps a day
• Strength train 3x a week

2020: A Year in Pictures

Happy New Year's Eve! Wishing you all many blessings and all good things as the calendar turns and the new year starts. But first a quick look back at the year that was by way of photos. 

This princess enjoyed her tent as she turned 7

In February we went ice skating ~ Caitlin for the first time!

In March we completed our new bathroom just in time to shelter in place!

April meant a different and lovely Easter

In May the teachers drove by to congratulate the kids on a job well done!

Pool visits and trips to Rita marked some normalcy in June.

In July we carefully visited our VA family

In August we hit the waves in Maine!

Back to School looked a little different this year.

I had helpers building leaf piles this year!

In November we gave thanks for many things, including Confirmation!

We ended the year in Maine looking for the Christmas star.

A Year in Books

   Reading has always been a favorite hobby of mine and increasingly a key form of self-care, and this year was no different. Through worries about loved ones far away and the stress of virtual learning, reading has been my refuge and my pleasure.  Last January I set my Goodreads reading goal as 40 books ( I read 42 in '18, and 43 in '19), I've currently read 87 books.  

   I'm not at all expecting to maintain that pace this coming year. I am h0wever grateful for all the new book-focused Instagram accounts I have found in the corner known as Bookstagram and all of their reviews and recommendations. These accounts also provided the needed adult conversations during those moments during the spring and summer when needed.

  It was amazingly a year of few misses and many 4* and 5* reads including;

• 
  
  
  Ayesha at Last
• Brown Girl Dreaming
• The Jane Austen Society
• The Warmth of Other Suns
• A Lovely War

Summary for 2020
Books Read: 87

Fiction: 75  // Non-Fiction: 12
Kindle Books: 31  // Paper Books: 56 // Rereads: 6

Giving Thanks for November Sacraments

   Ten years ago we hosted Thanksgiving at our house welcoming several members of our extended family because the following Sunday Liam received the Sacrament of Baptism.  This year we were just the five of us around the table, but again we were celebrating the following Sunday as one of our children received another Sacrament of the Church.  Elisabeth was sealed by the Spirit and completed the Sacraments of Initiation received Confirmation.  

Personalized masks from the faculty

Her sponsor; a long time family friend

         She selected Saint Elisabeth of Hungary as her Confirmation Saint, and we pray for her continued intercession for Lisbeth.   While a different celebration with most of our family watching via Youtube and congratulating Lisbeth by phone; blessings abound!!

Daybook ~ Fall 2020

 

Thinking about:  

       Getting ready for Thanksgiving and Advent. We will be staying home for Thanksgiving this year so planning for the menu is a key component.  Have already bought my Advent devotional and considering getting a different one for us to work on as a family with my kids getting older.
    

Excited For:
    Elisabeth's Confirmation the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Given Covid it will be a quieter occasion than expected but still excited to watch her grow in faith and wisdom.  Have ordered our Christmas cards, and am beginning to think about gifts.

   
Wearing:
   Mostly jeans and clogs or wedges; I know for most fall means breaking out the boots (and I have a new pair that will get so wear) but for me, fall means my favorite wedges and wearing clogs again.  It has stayed warm this year well into fall so coats are still mainly windbreakers.

In the Yard:

    The trees have dropped about half of their leaves so a lot of raking to go and then onto the pruning.  Planted some mums, though could not find asters this year.  

Watching and Listening to:
    Enjoying the return of This is Us and recently binge-watched Poldark (Loved It!).  Together we are watching Hart of Dixie and The Good Place.  Looking forward to the return of The Crown.

The Kids: 

Elisabeth is thriving in 7th grade; enjoying changing classes, Advanced Math still her favorite.  Continues to excel at her gymnastics class, currently working on her back and front handspring.  The end of the day finds her in her loft bed reading, listening to music, and playing Minecraft.

Liam has settled well into 4th grade; and while he enjoyed virtual learning last spring is very happy to be back in the classroom.  Choose not to play soccer this fall, but is currently a Webelo Scout. Pokemon is still a favorite and he continues to astonish us with his almost encyclopedic knowledge of their different strengths and fighting types.  

Caitlin is loving 2nd Grade and doing really well; becoming more independent with reading I'm now enjoying the times when she reads to me.  She is again doing gymnastics and is at the same gym as Lisbeth.  She was definitely the child that struggled the most with the lack of playing with friends during the spring and so is very happy to be back in the classroom this fall.