Oh!

Hello Peoples! Oh my word! It’s above zero! My phone informs me it’s 19 degrees right now. However, it also says, it feels like 7! ☹

Stay warm!

Much love ~

Kathy

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December 29 ~ Top Ten Tuesday ~ Favorite Books 2020

Hello Peoples! It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday. This week we’re featuring our favorite reads for 2020. My list is in no particular order. Learn more about Top Ten Tuesday at Artsy Reader Girl. Happy Reading! ☺📚

In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander

The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Molly by Sarah Monzon

Montana Welcome by Melinda Curtis

On A Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Rainsong by Phyllis A. Whitney

The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton

Much love ~

Kathy

End of December Ramblings ~

Hello Peoples! January 2021 will soon be here. It snowed yesterday and as I enter this in the computer, we are in a winter advisory. That’s right, more snow cometh! I was awake early yesterday morning and managed to accomplish a few tasks.

This morning I was up early and met a friend at a coffee. I will call her L. It was so good to see L. We hadn’t seen one another in a very long time. L talked. I talked. L listened. I listened and we had a great visit. L had a great looking cup of java and I had toast and to much tea! After we parted, Rick and I went together and took care of business. I received a quilted vest for Christmas that needed to be exchanged for a different size. I do not like to do exchanges and returns! So! Rick and I went together. It went well. The employee who did the exchange transaction was very nice. She really knew her job! She was polite and respectful. The new vest is going to be delivered to our home in a few days. Whew.

Favorite Read in December ~

Rainsong by Phyllis A. Whitney

Your Favorites at the Cottage in December ~

December 26, 2020 ~ It’s The Morning After Christmas

December 26, 2020 ~ Death Comes To the Archbishop by Willa Cather

December 13, 2020 ~ Classic Christmasy Movies

December 7, 2020 ~ Open for Murder by Mary Angela

Late last night, out neighbor brought us baclava. My first time with the tasty treat. Her husband made it. He’s a bakery chef! He loves to bake!

I snapped a photo of our Christmas lasagna and thought I would share it with you. It was delicious!

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy!

Enjoy the day!

Much love ~

Kathy

The Classics Club ~ Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

“In 1851 Father Jean Marie Latour comes to serve as the Apostolic Vicar to New Mexico. What he finds is a vast territory of red hills, and tortuous arroyos, American by law but Mexican and Indian by custom and belief. In the almost forty years that follow, Latour spreads his faith in the only way he knows–gently, all the while contending with an unforgiving landscape, derelict and sometimes openly rebellious priests, and his own loneliness. Out of these events, Cather gives us an indelible vision of life unfolding in a place where time itself seems suspended.” ~goodreads

I’m not certain I really liked this classic read, however, the story does offer the reader a clear look into the lives of two men, Father Latour and Father Vaillant and the joys and difficulties they faced as missionaries in a new and untamed land. They certainly had their work cut out for them and they never faltered. They persevered in spite of the harsh conditions they found themselves in. I liked Latour and Vaillant. They were good men who worked hard, with little encouragement. Latour traveled on his donkey, Contento. He traveled for weeks and months on his faithful donkey facing hardships along the way. I thought it interesting Latour and Vaillant met and knew Kit Carson. There’s a familiar name in American history. So, all in all as I write this review and think about the story, I find I did like it.

Happy Reading!

Much love ~

Kathy

It’s The Morning After Christmas ~

Hello Peoples! After the blizzard, we definitely had a white Christmas. It’s cold too, 12 degrees this morning! Brrr. ⛸⛄ I’m☕☕ savoring a cuppa steaming Irish tea.

I hope everyone had a fun Christmas! 🎄

The day of the blizzard, the eye doctor’s office contacted me, informing me, my new glasses were in! YEA! My current glasses were broken and I really needed the new spectacles! So! Rick warmed up the truck and after bundling up in all things LL Bean *haha* we were ready to face the storm and drive to the eye doctor’s office. OH MY WORD! The cold wasn’t the problem. I don’t even remember the cold. It was the wind and the snow! It was CRAZY! After getting blown into the truck, Rick slowly and cautiously edged the vehicle to said destination. Rick dropped me off in front of the doctor’s office. As I trudged through snow drifts, the blast of wind blew me into the entrance in a swirl of crazy snow and an explosion of wind! I was covered in snow. My boots were packed with the snow from the snow drifts. I was laughing! After stomping off my boots and shaking the snow off of me, I left a pile of snow and a puddle in the entrance. After getting fitted for my new glasses, it was back outside into the wind and the snow. After traipsing through the snow drifts, Rick pulled up in the truck and I was blown into the vehicle. There was a blast of wind and snow in the vehicle as I buckled my seatbelt. I didn’t need to shut the door, the wind blew it shut! We arrived home safely! WOW!

Much love ~

Kathy

Merry Christmas!

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and the line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room available for them.”

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:4-12 ~ NIV

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger.” Luke 2:16 ~ NIV

Happy Birthday Jesus!

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John 1:14 ~ NIV

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The life appeared, we have have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” 1 John 1:-3 ~ NIV

Merry Christmas!

Much love ~

Kathy

December Snow ~

Hello Peoples! We’re in a blizzard warning here! ⛄⛸It snowed while I was sleeping. Brrr.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

The tree is decorated, the gifts are wrapped, food is purchased and all is merry and bright! 🎄⛄⛸ So! Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Much love ~

Kathy

The Classics Club ~ Rainsong by Phyllis A. Whitney

In the beginning of this story, Hollis Sands is grieving for her deceased husband, Ricky Sands, a popular pop star. Hollis wrote many of his songs for him. The coroner and police are satisfied with a ruling of suicide, but Hollis can’t believe her husband would take his own life. Because her husband was a high profile person, Hollis is continually inundated with her husband’s adoring fans and the press. A woman, who once knew Hollis’ father, offers Hollis a sanctuary to rest, heal and write music. So, Hollis leaves New York and travels to Windtop in Cold Spring Harbor hoping to find the rest and solitude she so desperately needs. As she begins to put the pieces of her life back together, she discovers strange things are happening at Windtop. She hears a guitar playing. She sees a man in the yard outside her window at night. As she enquires into these creepy events, no one else at Windtop seems to hear or see anything. Hollis is determined to find the answers she seeks.

I really liked this story. When I started reading it, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but it was a good suspense story! It is one of the books I have listed for the Classics Club, but I hadn’t planned to read it at this this time. However, I was sorting through my classic reads and for some reason, I picked it up and started reading it. The author immediately grabbed my attention! I read the first ten chapters without stopping.

Hollis was the only character in this story I trusted. This isn’t a ghost story, however, there is ghostly music and skulking characters that appear suddenly. And! Someone is leaving Hollis chilling messages on her tape recorder. There are a few surprises and the story moves in a direction that reveals a little at a time. When the truth is brought to light, it is somewhat surprising. Highly recommend!

Happy Christmas!

Much love ~

Kathy

Christmas Ornament ~

Hello Peoples! Today I mentioned on a blog we have a Christmas ornament of Lucy stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. I thought I would share a photo I took of it today. I especially like the white fog I added around the image.🎄🙂 A friend gave me this ornament a few years ago. It says, Hallmark on the bottom. I don’t know if Hallmark still sells the ornaments???

Much love ~

Kathy

December Ramblings ~

Hello Peoples! Last night Rick and I watched, White Christmas (1954). We watch it every year.

If you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend it!

The shopping is finished and the gifts are wrapped. I will need to do some grocery shopping for our Christmas meal, but all is merry and bright. Snow would be nice. It’s very cold here, but dry. Very dry. A nice Christmas snowfall would be magical and speaking from a need for moisture, a fresh snowfall would help meet that need. Normally, we’re similar to Narnia. It’s always winter . . .

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

I noticed the park near our house is preparing the ice skating area. Ice skating on Christmas would be so fun.⛸⛸

I make a coffee cake in the morning for breakfast, but we always have lasagna for our Christmas meal. The bakery near our house has gingerbread cookies! I wait eagerly every year for those tasty gingerbread cookies. I only get them during the Christmas season and I look forward to it. My grandma was a wonderful baker! She made the most delicious treats. Gingerbread is one of those treats. And! the bakery bakes gingerbread that tastes just like my grandma’s!

Happy Happy Christmas!

Much love ~

Kathy