Happy New Year!
Oscar and Horace are getting ready to celebrate the new year, with a little party under the gumtrees.
© Helen Mira Tanner, 2019.
Month: December 2019
Snow ~
Good morning Peoples! It snowed during the night or early this morning. I wasn’t surprised. The meteorologist said the snow was coming our way.
Much love ~
Kathy
Classic Movie Friday!
The Westerner (1940)
Gary Cooper Walter Brennan Doris Davenport
Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan) is not nice guy. Not at all. However, Walter Brennan did great bringing him to life in this film. He did win an Oscar for his performance in this movie. After hanging a man, who was innocence of the crime he was convicted for in Judge Roy Bean’s ridiculous court, a few men bring a handcuffed cowboy (Gary Cooper) into town who was accused of stealing a horse. When they bring said horse thief, Cole Harden, into the “court room” a woman (Doris Davenport) is giving Judge Bean the what for. After pleading “not guilty” Cole Harden talks himself out of a hanging, in an entertaining manner. So, there is a new friendship between Bean and Cole. There’s romance in the air. There’s a range war between cattle men and homesteaders. Tragedy strikes but Cole has a plan. Judge Bean is easy to hoodwink if one knows how to do it.
I didn’t think I was going to like this film, but it was good. Of course, Gary Cooper was in the film. That’s all I’m going to say about that! *haha* And! I can certainly see why Walter Brennan won an Oscar. Great job. Very convincing. 🙂
Enjoy!
Merry Christmas Peoples!
I love Christmas morning. I enjoy the unwrapped gifts and all the wrapping paper, ribbons, bags and bows lying around the living room. I smile at the gifts stacked in various locations near the brightly decorated tree. It’s so warm and cozy and I have such a feeling of contentment.
Rick and I went out for a short drive early this morning. It’s looking a little gloomy and there’s a fog. It’s 30 degrees with a slight breeze. I snapped a few photos, of Christmas morning, and I thought I would share them with you. 🙂 To enlarge, just click on the photo.
After we returned home, I enjoyed a hot tea and stollen. This is the first Christmas I’ve tried stollen and I liked it! It’s a German sweet bread. I ordered it from the bakery and it is delicious. Rick gobbled up waffles and coffee.
Much Love ~
Kathy
Favorite Books ~ 2019
Hello Peoples! Merry Christmas! This is it! I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath for my Favorites in 2019. I won’t be including cozy mysteries in this list. Cozies are a different list. 🙂 These are no particular order, it’s just to taxing on my brain to try and put them in order of 🙂 favorite to least favorite of the favorites. 🙂 *haha*
Lulu’s Café by T. I. Lowe
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt
Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer
Trapped by Irene Hannon
Deceived by Irene Hannon
Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason
Called To Protect by Lynette Eason
Code Of Valor by Eason
Vow of Justice by Lynette Eason
Deadly Intentions by Lisa Harris
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
I’m making Christmas cookies and brownies today! The gifts are wrapped *YAY* and all is ready ~ but the food. We always have lasagna for Christmas. We call it, The Christmas Lasagna. Creative, huh! 🙂 Do you have a traditional Christmas food you make?
Enjoy!
Happy Reading!
Merry Christmas!
Much love ~
Kathy
Ramblings And What Not ~
Hello Peoples! Can you believe it’s only a few days until Christmas??? And then, we’ll be into a new year!
Even though we have a few days until the new year, I thought I would share my favorite cover art for 2019. I haven’t read either one of these books, but I laughed when I saw the great artwork on the cover. 🙂 I think the lady and gentleman on the cover of, More Than Words Can Say, definitely look like they have mischief on their minds. *haha*
The facial expression on the face of the lady and gent on the cover of, Fall Flip, certainly look like they’re happy and having fun! 🙂 Love it!
More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer
Fall Flip by Denise Weimer
Have you read these books? What are your thoughts? Don’t you just smile BIG when you see the cover art??? 🙂
As many of you know, I joined The Classics Club. https://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/ The first book I read was Don Quixote. And now ~ Announcing the second book I’ll be reading, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe! I have been wanting to read a book by Ann Radcliffe for a long time. This should be good. Has anyone read a book by this author? I’d like to hear from you.
Before I go, I wanted to say ~ I just love this guy! Ant-man (Paul Rudd) has such a big heart! What a great character. If you haven’t seen Ant-man (2015) and Ant-man and Wasp (2018) I recommend these movies! I personally like Ant-man and Wasp. It’s my favorite of the two films, but both are definitely worth seeing!
Have a Merry Christmas!
Much love ~
Kathy
Classic Movie Friday!
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
Gene Tierney Cornel Wilde Jeanne Crain Vincent Price
Richard (Cornel Wilde) is a writer. While traveling he meets Ellen (Gene Tierney) a socialite. At the time they meet, she’s engaged to an attorney, Russell Quinton (Vincent Price). Richard and Ellen have an instant attraction, fall in love and marry suddenly. Ellen’s love for Richard is obsessive ~ to be sure. Richard has a brother, Danny (Darryl Hickman) who is handicapped. Danny and Richard are not only brothers but great friends. Danny does come to live with Richard and Ellen after they are married. However! Ellen wants Richard all to herself. She’ll do anything to make that happen. It’s shocking, the extent that Ellen will go to keep Richard to herself. She’s mentally ill!
I don’t really like courtroom drama, however, there is courtroom drama in this film and I thought, that was where Vincent Price did shine! I thought he was excessively harsh and harassing the witnesses, but he did a great job acting. I also thought it was inappropriate for him to be the prosecuting attorney. He was engaged to Ellen at one time. I have only seen a few movies with Vincent Price, but I thought this film was his best performance.
Enjoy!
The Classics Club ~ Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
When I joined The Classics Club, I decided Don Quixote would be the first classic book I would read. I was in the mood for an adventure and when I read the description of the book, Don Quixote certainly sounded like a great adventure or misadventure. And it was! All 891 pages! Wowzer! I started reading the book, November 20, 2019 and I finished reading this amazing book at 1:05 pm ~ central time ~ December 19, 2019!
Forsooth ~
Don Quixote loved to read books about knights. Yes, he did read about their adventures and their exploits. Upon his reading, he became quite an expert on all things related to knights. So, he decided to brandish a sword, dress himself in armor, acquire a mighty steed, Rocinante, and travel on a journey, over hill and over dale, as any honorable knight would do, along with his squire, Poncho and his donkey, Dapple. 🙂 Don Quixote righted wrongs, rescued damsels in distress, fought and beheaded giants, faced enchantments and brought about justice, always remembering to adhere to the order of chivalry.
“This was no other, than full persuasion, that it was highly expedient and necessary, not only for his own honour, but also for the good of the public, that he should profess knight-errantry, and ride through the world in arms, seek adventures and conform in all points to the practice of those itinerant heroes, whose exploits he had read; redressing all manner of grivances, and courting all occasions of exposing himself to such dangers, as in the event would entitle him to everlasting renown.” (p. 14)
And Poncho, our unsung hero, sidekick and faithful squire, we learn ~
“About this time too the knight appealed to a peasant in the neighbourhood, a very honest fellow, if a poor man may deserve that title, but, one who had something missing upstairs. In short, he said, so much, used so many arguments to persuade, and promise him such mountains of wealth, that this poor simpleton determined to follow, and serve him in quality of squire.” (p.52)
And I journeyed with them. What was I thinking? *ahem* Some thought our brave hero, Don Quixote, crazy, but I thought he was eccentric with a vivid imagination. And! I thought Sancho, the realist.
He met many characters on his quest with Sancho, with a variety of beliefs and opinions, some wanting to cure his insanity, others wanting to join in the fun of his adventures and prolong the experience. 🙂
Don Quixote is not an easy book to read. It’s difficult! As with any adventure, at times I was completely captivated by the story and couldn’t put it down. At other times, as I read the book, it dragged and lost my attention. There were times when I read something and when finished I thought, what did I just read? I laughed so many times and I enjoyed most of the characters.
There are a considerable amount of footnotes that do help understand the story. I think I read every footnote and I appreciated them.
Have you read Don Quixote? I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on this lengthy book.
Happy Reading!
The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Krista Davis
A BIG thanks to Berkley Prime Crime! 🙂
“America’s favorite dog comes to pet-friendly Wagtail for some rest and relaxation, but Holly quickly discovers that this perfect pup is a total scamp who takes every opportunity to run off and misbehave. During an outdoor treasure-hunting game, the star dog and Trixie, Holly’s beloved Jack Russell terrier, stumble across a dead body.”
“Holly has more than murder to worry about, though, when a man shows up after reading an article featuring Trixie in a magazine and claims that he is the dog’s rightful owner. Holly will need to prove that she is her pup’s only parent and catch a killer to restore peace to her pet-loving happy place.” ~goodreads
This was the first book I’ve read in this series and a new to me author. I liked it, the cozy moves along at a nice pace. There isn’t any sex or profanity and the crime scenes aren’t graphic. 🙂 And! It’s an interesting mystery. There were so many suspects, quirky characters, skulking around and possible scenarios, the mystery kept me guessing. Not all the characters are likable. Oh yea, there are those with nefarious purposes!
This community caters to pets and their owners, so, that certainly opens the door for many unusual visitors to Wagtail. Hey! I love collies, so, I’m right there with all the pet friendly characters. 🙂 Good mystery. 4.5 **** stars!
Announcing the winner of the drawing ~
Eileen
CONGRATULATIONS!
Much love ~
Kathy
Ramblings And What Not ~ Santa
Hello Peoples! Our neighbors, I’ll call them R & S, have three kids. One boy and two girls. Grandpa is a professional Santa Claus. That’s right, he is. He looks exactly like Santa. The beard is real and he has it all year long. The girls believe Grandpa is Santa Claus! 🙂 When they go to the shopping center and see the Santa, the shopping center hired, they whisper to one another, he’s a phony Santa! 🙂 ho! ho! ho!
To all the phony Santa’s out there! Merry Christmas! lol!
katiescottagebooks 