Personal & Family Life...
- Super Bowl party last Sunday with friends. We've been getting together for 25 years! Who knows who won? We just had fun getting together, eating, enjoying each others' company, and watching a few commercials. (grin)
- Valentine's Day - My wife and I actually celebrated it last night at a neat and cozy wine bar in town. It was her retirement party as well. We're excited about the next chapter in our lives - moving to Puerto Rico. More about that in the days ahead.
- Hymn Discussion - for Wednesday Night Bible Study we're going over the stories of our favorite hymns. This past week we talked about "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and looked at the message of the hymn, its history, and how it has impacted us. Great discussion.
- My Dad's Birthday - My folks died a number of years back, but I recalled his birthday (1916) this past week. The celebration of my Mom's birthday (1921) is next week. Such memories.
- Selling Items - Since we're moving to PR this summer, we're getting rid of practically all our household items. So I'm listing books on Pango. (Please buy!) And my wife is posting items on FB. We're getting weird responses like: "Is this still available." Yes, are in you interested? "Pass." Goofballs! lol
- Cats, Cats, and More Cats - We have 4 strays that we feed each morning and evening. This past week it iced and snowed on Thursday and were able to get 2 of them inside (semi-feral!). But the other 2 had to make do in the garage with a heated pad in a sheltered box. They survived. Looks like a repeat performance this week with freezing temperatures in the forecast. Dang cats.
- Grrrr. Medication. Finished 2 weeks of Fluorouracil cream on my face and forehead to treat actinic keratoses (pre-cancerous skin lesions caused by swimming every day in the California sun growing up!). Now I just have blisters all over and my face is ugly - uglier than it usually is! lol
- Walked 6 miles on Saturday - part of our training to get in 15-mile-a-day shape for our hike in Spain this coming May. We're doing 6 days on the Camino de Santiago, just north of Portugal. Going with our two adult daughters and their significants and two other couples. Should be wow!
- Finally, woke up this morning to the news that my swimmer friend from college who was fighting cancer, gained the victory in Jesus and is now with the Lord. Her testimony of trust and encouragement was so powerful these past 6 months. Pray for Leigh's family, tho. Thanks.
- Finished 3 books this past week. Doesn't mean I started and finished them all in one week! Will likely post reviews on Goodreads this coming week for:
- 1) Perry's World by Jack C. Haldeman II (Star Trek #13, paperback, 1980, 132 pages) - Pretty good. 3 Stars.
- 2) Echoes of Valor by Josh Hayes (mil-sf, ebook, 2019, book 2 of his 3 book Valor series) - Really good. 4 stars.
- 3) So You Have My Secret Baby by Elizabeth Maddrey (Christian romance, 2021, book 4 in the 6 book series: So You Want to be a Billionaire) - Very enjoyable 4.5 stars.
Currently reading:
- Omega Sanction by Bob Mayer (special ops thriller, 1999, book 4 in his Shadow Warriors series)
- So You Need a Fake Relationship by Elizabeth Maddrey (book 5 in her Billionaire series)
Stalled or still on my nightstand/tablet...
- Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock (fantasy, 1967, paperback, 176 pages, first book in the Dorian Hawkmoon series) - having trouble getting past the half-way point.
- Enemy of Valor by Josh Hayes (mil-sf, final book in his Valor series) - want to start this soon, but have a few other books I need to finish up first. Dang.
- Starship Gilead: Relics of Utopia by John Graves (Mil SF, 2022). An ARC I need to get to soon!
- Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts) (futuristic suspense, 1995) - this is the first of 50+ books in this series, but I won't tackel all 50 lol. I still need to start this one beyond the "first line."
Well, that's about it for now. Comment below and share any updates you want or a link to Sunday Post. Thanks for dropping by!
P.S. I'm also the author of Ma Tutt's Donut Hut, a curious cozy mystery/magical cat adventure. My goal is to finish book 2 in the series this summer. Let me know if you want to review it. I can send a complimentary e-book copy (or discounted paperback) to those who are truly interested.
You had a busy week! Your kitty cat mystery looks so good. I just went over to Kindle Unlimited and added it to my library.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful what you are doing for the strays.
Have a great week!
Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for adding Ma Tutt to your TBR! I forgot to mention it's free in Kindle Unlimited, so that's great. And yes, we love our strays - they all let us pet them at meal time but 2 will just not come in the house. The other two think they own the place! lol
DeleteMoving to Puerto Rico sounds like an adventure! And that's neat about the feral cats- glad you are able to help them. Especially whe the weather gets nasty.
ReplyDeleteWe're going to beg our neighbors when we move to take over the cat feeding job! lol Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYou’re living my dream - retiring to a tropical beach. I’m envious ❤️ But, hopefully I’ll see that day when retirement rolls around.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We are also embarking on a new endeavor to encourage others to live their dreams. My wife started a blog at www.boomtravelandwellness.com to share our journey. Hope you can follow along and find inspiration for when the time is right for you!
DeletePretty exciting adventure! Too bad you can't take all the kitties! Cats are my weakness!
ReplyDeleteOurs too! We're going to ask our neighbors or the next people who buy our house to take care of the kitties - that they come with the house! lol
DeleteA busy week! Hope you get all your stuff sold for the move!
ReplyDeleteEmily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
Thanks! Making headway. And thanks for stopping by the blog!
DeleteWhat an action-packed week you had. We have adopted several stray cats over the years, thankfully they all decided inside was better than outside when cold weather struck!
ReplyDeleteSpain is on my bucket list of places to visit though I did spend a week on a University field trip in Portugal many years ago. They are both such beautiful countries and so steeped in history.
I hope the move to PR goes well - I look forward to reading more about it in the coming months.
Appreciate that! We'll be updating people on my wife's new travel blog as well - www.boomtravelandwellness.com - feel free to follow along! And keep your bucket list updated, our goal on the blog is to inspire others to pursue those dreams!
DeleteThat's one really busy week! I used to go to a huge Super Bowl party every year at a friend's house but they moved to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. I'm not much for pro sports. You write in my favorite genres so I'll have to check out your titles.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
Thank you! Hope you find something that interests you. Have a great week and thanks for dropping in.
DeleteWow, you've got a lot going on. I actually looked into moving to PR because it's a beautiful place. It's too far from the rest of my family, though. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWe had that a bit, but there are a lot of flights from San Juan to Chicago where some of our family is, so we don't mind making the trip when needed. Plus, we're offering free stay with us to any friends and family as an incentive! lol Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteHiking the Camino is on my bucket list so I'm jealous that you're going in May and one of my BFFs is going in September!
ReplyDeleteMoving to PR sounds pretty exciting!
Do the hike! We've walked part of the Wicklow Way in Ireland and part of the St Francis way in Italy. These are such great trips. And if you want to keep up with our travels and be encouraged to pursue those dreams, my wife started a blog called www.boomtravelandwellness.com - Feel free to follow along!
DeleteCongratulations to your wife on her retirement and good luck with your move! My friend and her family lived in Puerto Rico briefly while her husband was stationed at the base there and she loved it. She was sad when they had to move to Illinois this past fall.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for the loss of your friend. I will keep Leigh's family in my prayers. I learned today that one of my coworkers passed away yesterday from complications of Lupus. She's with her son now.
I hope you have a great week and happy reading (and writing!).
Sorry to hear about your loss as well. And thanks, we're excited about the upcoming changes. Will be posting updates about travel, reading, writing, and all that, so drop in again. Thanks for visiting.
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