Today, I’m sharing a quick recap of our few days in the Isle of Palms/Charleston area of South Carolina.
We’ve been to that area many times through the years, and we went last year for spring break. We aren’t big planners for spring break, so going back to an area we are familiar with and one that other friends were going to as well was an easy choice. It was just Hadley and I going since Hayden wanted to hang back and Trav had work, so overall I felt comfortable going on our own.
Since our first Sunday of spring break was Easter, we decided to leave on Monday morning. Hadley was a big help on the nine hour drive…haha.
We arrived in the evening…
…and got settled into our condo.
The weather was gloomy, but we unpacked, got the lay of the land, grabbed some dinner nearby and then just chilled at the condo for the evening.
Tuesday was gloomy too! Ugh. I will say that spring seems to be the diciest time to go to this area…we’ve been many times in the summer and once in the fall, and the weather was fantastic all of those times.
Anyway, Hadley slept in and I took my time having coffee and watching TV. Then, I went for a walk on the beach.
I always love seeing the seashells.
This gate caught my eye…
…as did this bright green house. I don’t remember seeing it last year. This house was “Casa Margarita!”
After I got back, we got ready to head into Charleston and meet some friends. Hadley looked cute dressed and ready to shop on King St.
Once we got to Charleston, we ate at a cafe, walked around a bit…and we even passed the Charleston Library.
These girls were having the best time popping in and out of shops.
My friend and I tried to keep up, but we popped into some shops that caught our eye. I almost bought this Rainbow Row candle, but I resisted.
We were on King Street for about four hours with hundreds of our closest friends. ha! I’d wished we made it down to Battery Park and Rainbow Row, but we needed to get back to my expired parking meter!
That evening, we met the same friends at Sunsets on Shem Creek.
…and let’s just say that the name of the restaurant is appropriate.
Hadley and friends hung out on the dock after we ordered.
Ahh…so pretty.
Wednesday provided another slow morning. Honestly, it was weird being there without Trav and Hayden as both of them tend to get up and moving early. Again, I let Hadley sleep in, and I sipped my coffee on the deck with a view of the water just under those palm trees.
Then, I went for a walk as the sun was rising…
So pretty!
This day was sunny (yay!) and warmer (yay!), but it was oh so windy (boo)!
Hadley needed to get a track workout in, and Trav found this College of Charleston track near Mt. Pleasant last year.
She was ready to run, and I walked a few laps.
Beautiful day for a run (or so she said!)
Then, early afternoon, we headed over to the Wild Dunes area where some of our friends have a condo. Their back patio view is so pretty!
We drove to a part of the property for lunch, and this was our view as we walked to lunch…
And our view as we ate lunch. Again, it was a pretty day, but man it was windy.
On our walk back to the car, we saw this guy…
Back at their condo, Hadley hung with their kids, and I hung with my friend for a bit. We were going to walk on the beach, but seriously…it was soooo windy! This view was pretty, and we turned around and sat by the pool for a bit. The dunes blocked the wind, so the pool area was nice.
Sitting by the pool reminded me of the summer (2013) that we stayed at Wild Dunes over the 4th of July. This is one of my fave pool pics of the kids…
Late afternoon, we headed back to our place, and Hadley napped, and I sat by the pool and read for about an hour.
I did walk for a bit at sunset…
…and then we grabbed pizza dinner…and a pic near the Isle of Palms sign (I’m so glad she humors me).
Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well for most of this trip, so we decided to pack up a day early. It was a hard decision to make (especially since Thursday looked like the best beach day), but Hadley understood. We headed home Thursday instead of Friday because one of my friends rode home with us since I wasn’t feeling well.
We made the most of our time, and I hope to get back there again for a proper vacation.
While we were gone, Trav and Hayden went to Gatlinburg, TN for a day/night to hang with family who went there for the week. Apparently, there was a bear on the front porch as they were unpacking, but the neighbor told them about it because they didn’t see it. Then, Hayden saw this bear 😉
How was your weekend? We had a rainy Saturday and a beautiful day of sunshine on Sunday. We tried to make the most of the sunny day after dealing with rain all day Saturday at Hadley’s track meet.
Well, I’m a week late to my own (co-hosting) link up…so please excuse my tardiness.
You know who should have written this post? My husband. He’s the cleaner in the family while I tend to be the one who tidies up.
Anyway, a few cleaning products we can’t live without include:
These Swiffer dry cloths. Trav uses these to sweep our hardwood floors at least twice a week. The Homer hair is real, y’all.
I always joke that I didn’t read the “fine print” on his little adoption description.
Anyway, he’s cute, but he sheds like nobody’s business.
Speaking of Swiffer, these dusters are great too. We use them to dust before deep cleaning…or even to dust off the Homer hair off the leather living room couch.
Lastly, I love the Mrs. Meyer’s products. A friend gave us a set over ten years ago when we moved into our house just as a little house warming gift, and I’ve been buying the products ever since. I love that they are seasonal options including peppermint in the winter, but then I love lavender and mint in the spring and summer.
I’m linking up with Joyce for this week’s edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge.
Here are my answers to her prompts this week:
1. Egg on your face, putting all your eggs in one basket, a good egg, walk on eggshells, nest egg, or a tough egg to crack…which eggy idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.
Well, I try and tell my own kids not to “put all their eggs in one basket”…but parenting teens means sometimes I’m “walking on egg shells!” haha
2. April 7th is National Beer Day…are you a beer drinker? If so, do you have a favorite? Beer battered fish, beer bread, beer can chicken, beer brats…which one sounds good to you? Have you made any of these?
I’m not really a beer drinker. Occasionally, I will have one on a hot day, at the beach, or at a Mexican restaurant. I only like light beer, and Blue Moon with a slice of orange is probably my typical order if on the menu. I like beer battered fish, but I don’t have it very often. I’ve heard of beer can chicken, but I’ve never made it or the other items either.
Trav enjoys a cold beer, so maybe I should have told him to celebrate yesterday!
3. Do you have siblings? What’s the best thing about being your sibling? If you don’t have siblings, what would you say are the pros and cons of being an only child?
I do have a sibling…one brother who is three and a half years younger than me. Growing up, I always picked on him, and my mom would tell me he’d be bigger than me one day…
…that happened in high school, and thankfully we started to get along around that time.
My brother is a great guy…he’s funny, smart, knowledgeable, patient, and understanding. He remembers the most random things or knows the most random facts that just keep me rolling my eyes or laughing.
I don’t take for granted having a brother, and it’s nice that he lives so close to me. We see him and his family pretty often, and I’m glad my kids can grow up with their cousins.
He’s so randomly funny, that he’ll send me random memes, reels, and even pics like this when visiting friends in California (this was quite a few years ago)
4. How do you feel about floral scents in products? Do you have a favorite?
I don’t think I have much of an opinion on floral scents in products. You know I love a candle! I like lavender or mix like this garden party one from Trader Joe’s.
5. What’s one thing in your home that begins with the letter G that you would saw is a keeper, something you’ll hold on to? Tell us why.
The first thing that came to mind was “garden flag.” I love changing out my flags for seasons and holidays. I’ve had this same flag holder for twenty years; I probably need a new one. When we first moved into this house, the garden flag and front door wreath were the first things I put out. The inside of the house might be a mess, but at least the outside looks nice. haha
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Talk about random, but here are a couple of photos I meant to include in my Easter recap.
Easter related with a nod to Diet Coke!
Screenshot
I love following the Seaside/30a accounts. It’s always fun to see the post office decorated through the different seasons.
Today, I’m just sharing a quick little Easter recap.
First of all, I can’t believe how different Easter mornings feel now that the kids are older. Weren’t we just here?
On Saturday, the kids dyed their eggs. Of course, the day got away from us, so then it was Saturday evening, and we had to squeeze this tradition in between the final four games! (Well, for Hayden, anyway!)
Ten minutes of fun…and some pretty eggs.
Sunday was a beautiful day…
I had purchased a few things over the past few weeks, and I was happy everything fit just right in their baskets. Their baskets included candy, a gift card, and a few odds and ends like Chapstick.
When the kids were little, the Easter Bunny would always bring them a swimsuit and PJs, but now, they’re pickier about those things, so I went with tanks, t-shirts, baseball cards, skincare, etc.
The church service was beautiful.
Then, we snapped a few pics per tradition.
I appreciate the smiles on this beautiful Easter morning.
After that, we went to Trav’s sister’s house in Louisville…and I didn’t take any photos! Per usual, she (as well as Trav’s mom and other sister) out did themselves with the food. Also, the older cousins are such adults, that they help bring side dishes now too! Anyway, it was a busy day from start to finish, but it was a good one! I appreciated the morning at home, the church service, and time with family.
Well, Mondays sure “hit different” when it’s spring break! It was so nice to not set an early Monday morning alarm. How was your weekend? We had lovely weather Saturday for a track meet, and then Easter with family was great yesterday.
Did you catch my Friday post? By accident, I set it to publish at a later time?! Whoops.
Anyway…on to April and taking a look back at my Amazon purchases for March.
Amazon was my “go to” spot to pick up a few Easter basket items for the kids.
Hadley loves all things skin/body care, so I picked up these sponges for her to use with body wash.
Someone shared this game, and I thought it looked fun. If we are playing games, most likely it’s a card game, so we’ll see how this one goes.
{Over 30k bought in the past month}
Hadlley had been wanting to try the Medicube brand, so I thought these toner pads would be a good place to start.
{Over 100k purchased in the past month}
Hadley has a couple of these tanks, and she wanted one more. They are great quality, and similar to more expensive brands.
I’ve seen this car goo, and have been been curious about it. Let’s just say that one of my kids keeps their car tidier than the other. Maybe this car goo can help with the crumbs??
{Over 20k purchased in the past month}
Hadyen is constantly looking for his phone charger…maybe adding to more into the mix will help his cause?
{Over 10k bought in the past month}
When I started making Easter baskets for the kids sixteen years ago, I didn’t consider that one day I’d be putting car supplies in their Easter basket. They both like having a vent air freshener in the car.
Screenshot
I love a set, and this one has surpassed my expectations. I’ve already worn it a couple of times, and I’ve worn it as separates (the shirt is a good length to wear with leggings).
I have a pair of sunglasses that I love and wear all the time. I wanted a less expensive pair to have handy, toss in my purse, etc. These are super cute and just my style.
{Over 30k purchased in the past month}
Y’all, I thought I lost my favorite tumbler at a track meet, so I “panic” purchased another one. Well, I ended up finding my original one, but I decided to keep this one because apparently I need a back up! This is the third Simple Modern tumbler I’ve owned in about three years, and I love them. I had a purple one that I lost, so then I purchased a green one. Now, I have the green one and this almond colored one.
I’m always looking for practical spring/summer heels, and I can’t remember who shared these, but I quickly added them to my cart. I wore them yesterday for Easter, and they were so comfy. (I did size up half a size)
I’ve only recently started using face towels to dry my face after washing it in the morning. I originally picked up a box at TJ Maxx (the check out line gets me almost every time!), and when it ran out, I found these on Amazon. They’ve worked out perfectly, and I like how the lid closes shut securely.
{Over 10k bought in the past month.}
So, those were my purchases this month! What’s your latest Amazon purchase?
{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}
When I say “TGIF,” I mean it with all capital letters for sure! Only a few hours stand between me and spring break!
I was so happy to turn my 5:50 alarm off today knowing I don’t have to set it again for ten days.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week…
First of all, I feel grateful to have another year with a clear mammogram. This is your reminder to get your yearly check up.
I have two friends on my daily prayer list, one of whom discovered she had breast cancer recently at her yearly mammogram. Thankfully, it’s in the early stages and the prognosis is good. I couldn’t help but think of her as I waited for my name to be called for my screening.
Baseball is in full swing (get it?! 🤣) …and I’m still adjusting to this baseball life. Hayden seems to be having a good time, and we’ve enjoyed watching the games because we know so many of his teammates.
One of his teammate’s grandma takes awesome pics and uploads them to Group Me. It’s always fun to see what she gets!
His smile says it all…
He even pitched a couple of innings last week. He did well overall…especially for not pitching in over four years!!
I’ve had some extra Hayden time this week. He needed a haircut, so I drove him, and afterwards, we went to Orange Leaf.
This was a delicious treat on a Tuesday evening!
Hadley had a track meet Tuesday night. I love this pic of her! So many of the track pics included props, and this 95 mph one was fun!
She ran the 100m race at the start of the meet…around 6:30, and then ran the 200m almost three hours later! Gotta love track meet life! The weather was perfect, and she ran two PR’s…the races were fun to watch.
How cool was the Artemis 2 launch? I was actually pulling up to one of Hayden’s game right at liftoff, so I tuned in on my phone. I’m glad I took a few moments to watch it.
Pic c/o CNN
Hadley’s Adv. foods class had another sweet treat…She brought me a Nutella and strawberry crepe. They made the batter, made the crepes, and then filled them. This was another fun treat.
If you want a glimpse into what it’s like to teach freshmen…
I had all students make a name tag at the start of the year, so I could learn their names. I had them write their name and one favorite. This is mine, which I’ve left up on all year:
….and this is what I saw when I walked into my classroom on Tuesday! LOL
I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
(Finally) putting out Easter decor was a favorite. I love a colorful bunny!
It’s a new month, so of course I made some new book trackers. Now, I need to find the time to share them on Instagram. I should be able to do that later today or tomorrow, and when I do, I will save them to a highlight. As always, feel free to use and tag me…I always love seeing what others are reading.
Honestly, having our spring break a week later than normal is really throwing me off this week. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in school on April Fool’s Day, so here’s to hoping everyone behaves!
With the start of a new month, I’m continuing my little series of sharing a couple of fun graphics to kick off the month.
Pour into yourself this April…
Practice gratitude daily
Journal
Pray/meditate
Limit scrolling on social media
Get outside
Start your day reading your bible
Stay or get connected in a supportive community
Take nature walk
Smile
The ones that are bolded I do a pretty good job of regularly doing…so I’m going to try and work on the rest this month!
Well, it’s the last day of March. How did that happen so fast? I don’t know about you, but February seemed to drag on, but March flew by! There is something about the calendar turning to March, knowing spring is on the way, and it’s officially the downhill slide to summer.
Here’s a peek at some of the highlights of March:
We started off March with the indoor state meet for Hadley. Her 4×200 team went into the race ranked 13th in the state, and they had a 5 second PR, placing 6th in the state! She was all smiles.
Hadley had two volleyball tournaments in March, and thankfully we didn’t really have to travel for them. She had one in Louisville…
…and one in Lexington.
Here team continues to come together, and they are fun to watch. They came in 4th overall in this last tournament.
I’m still getting used to being a “baseball mom” again, but we went to the team’s auction at Legneds Field. It was nice to see some school friends and reconnect with some of the other baseball families.
One thing about baseball is…there’s some form of baseball every day. From practices to lessons to games, the calendar is full. I’m thankful Hayden can drive himself to most of these things!
I also made it to one of my nephew’s baseball games on a beautiful Saturday a couple of weeks ago. It was fun watching him play as well.
What a random St. Patrick’s Day we had! We woke up to black ice, causing a very late call for a two hour delay. Then, when it switched over to snow, the district called for an online learning day. I was thankful that I could just stay home rather than drive around in this mess.
Per tradition, I made my St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread. My brother and his family came for dinner the Sunday before St. Pat’s.
After the random snow on St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve had very springlike temps ever since…so we’re embracing the sunshine with windows and sun roofs open!
…as well as reading and walks outside whenever possible.
Outdoor track season started for Hadley. So far, she’s had two weekday meets, and she’s finding her groove in the 400 and 4×200 relay.
The professional pics came in, and they were so good.
To round out the month, I finally set out my Easter decor on Sunday. Easter kind of snuck up on me this year! I guess you could say that colorful bunnies are my weakness.
How was your weekend? Ours was pretty good! The kids were busy with their various activities, we watched basketball (and baseball!), and the sun was shining all weekend.
Before I get to today’s post, did you see my post on Friday? Last week was kind of busy, and I apparently set the post to publish late!
Anyway, as the month of March is drawing to a close, I’m sharing the books I read this month.
…and what a month of reading I had! I don’t know that I’ve ever read seven books in a month…let alone a month that’s not June or July when I tend to have more time to read. That being said, I think I finished reading one book and listening to another right at the beginning of March. Anyway, I read and listened to quite a variety this month.
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
Atmosphere:
Summary:
Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.
Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.
As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.
Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.
Quick Thoughts:
Like the tennis book, Carrie Soto is Back, that focused so much on tennis, I wondered if this one would mostly focus on space. Well, this plot included so much more. There was history, drama, romance, suspense, and more!
After I finished the book, I actually went back to the beginning and read the first few chapters again just because the book started with the end, and I wanted to re-read those details.
Fave Quotes:
“To look up at the nighttime sky is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at the same set of stars. It is to witness time unfolding.”
“Braveryis being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”
“Day in and day out, the Earth keeps spinning and revolving and sailing through the Milky Way. That is why time never stands still.”
Rating:
The Unexpected Spy:
Summary:
When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.
The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder’s tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for weapons of mass destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists – men who swore they’d never speak to a woman – until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.
Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate – and thus change the world.
Quick Thoughts:
I’ve always been intrigued by the CIA and FBI, and I love a good memoir, so this was an interesting read for me. I started following Tracy on Instagram after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Someone must have posted a reel of her sharing her thoughts about the case as a former CIA/FBI agent, so I followed her account. When I realized she had a book, I added it to my TBR list.
I enjoyed reading about her life, how applying for the CIA kind of fell into her lap, all about the days leading up to 9/11, her work in counterintelligence, her travels overseas, how she was treated as a female in the CIA/FBI and more.
Rating:
This Book Made Me Think of You:
Summary:
When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…
The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?
Quick Thoughts:
Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of romance fiction…it’s just not usually what I gravitate to. I’d heard a lot of hype about this book leading up to release, and wow did it live up to the hype!
While there are many moments of sadness with Tilly missing Joe, the idea of a year of books is romantic and endearing. What I loved about each book is that they were so different and “asked” something different of Tilly from month to month. I loved the various minor characters including the book store employees and a grief group that she meets in Paris. This book was sweetly charming with moments of tenderness and inspiration. I can’t imagine it won’t be in my top 5 books for 2026!
Fave Quotes:
“Tilly has always thought of bookshops as a gathering place: all those books lined up neatly on the shelves like potential friends she just hasn’t met yet.”
“Maybe this is what books do…They offer your own meaning among the words. They are for everyone and yet they are for you too.”
“But it’s OK to feel happy and sad at the same time. Very few moments involve just one emotion. That’s life, isn’t it? It’s messy.”
“I am the person I am because of the books I have read. My reading history is a map that shows the path of my life.”
Rating:
Here are the books I listened to this month…
Boat Baby:
Summary:
Starting in 1975, Vietnam’s “boat people”—desperate families seeking freedom—fled the Communist government and violence in their country any way they could, usually by boat across the South China Sea. Vicky Nguyen and her family were among them. Attacked at sea by pirates before reaching a refugee camp in Malaysia, Vicky’s family survived on rations and waited months until they were sponsored to America.
But deciding to leave and start a new life in a new country is half the story…figuring out how to be American is the other. Boat Baby is Vicky’s memoir of growing up in America with unconventional Vietnamese parents who didn’t always know how to bridge the cultural gaps. It’s a childhood filled with misadventures and misunderstandings, from almost stabbing the neighborhood racist with a butter knife to getting caught stealing Cosmo to read the answers to Do You Really Think You Know Everything About Sex?
Vicky’s parents approached life with the attitude, “Why not us?” In the face of prejudice, they taught her to be gritty and resilient, skills Vicky used as she combatted stereotyping throughout her career, fending off the question “Aren’t you Connie Chung?” to become a leading Asian American journalist on television. She delivers a uniquely transparent account of her life, revealing how she negotiated her salary in a competitive industry, the challenges of starting a family, and the struggle to be a dutiful daughter.
Quick Thoughts:
Again, another memoir! I’ve seen Vicky Nguyen many times on the Today Show, but I’d never heard her mention her book until recently. I think it came out last year. Anyway, I enjoyed listening to Vicky tell her story that highlights trials and tribulations of coming to America, but it’s also filled with humor and wonderful anecdotes. I also enjoyed following her journey of being a journalist, and her family dynamic is interesting as her parents have typically lived with her as is customary in her culture.
Rating:
Wreck:
Summary:
Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.
It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.
Quick Thoughts:
Ok, I don’t really know where to start with this one. I can’t remember where I saw it recommended, but I always appreciate an audio book suggestion. Before I downloaded the book, I realized it’s by the same author as Sandwich which is a book I started and didn’t read much of a couple of years ago.
Anyway, Rocky’s family is quirky which I liked. She navigated her health journey while caring for her father and dealing with her adult children which provided many complicated layers and dialogue. The wreck seemed to be secondary but it was woven into the plot. There just wasn’t a lot going on, and I guess I was just kind of bored while listening to this one.
Rating:
3.5 stars
Sandwich:
Summary:
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It’s one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
Quick Thoughts:
Since I hadn’t read Sandwich and I thought Wreck was ok, I decided to give Sandwich a second try. Obviously it was written first, so I did want to see how the characters were before the second book. Just like when I tried to read it a couple of years ago, I almost quit listening to it, but a few hours in the car by myself got me to the finish line.
Had I read this one first, I don’t think I would have read Wreck, so I’m glad I read Wreck first. The setting of a week in the summer in Sandwich was interesting as it was Rocky, her husband, her kids, and both her parents. Again, the family is kind of quirky, making for serious and light-hearted moments. In both books, there were references to abortion and miscarriage, so those ideas could weigh heavily on some readers.
Rating:
3 stars because I feel bad giving it less!
Let me know if you’ve read either of those books. It’s pretty rare for me not to feel like I can connect to characters or a plot.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek:
Summary:
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.
The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government’s new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.
Quick Thoughts:
I’ve had this list on my TBR list for quite a while. When Tanya shared her “Spring Books” post, she mentioned that the third book in the series comes out soon…So I decided to bump the first one to the top of my list.
I don’t think I’d heard of the “blue people” of Appalachia..but then I as I continued with the book, I realized maybe that I had?!
Anyway, I was immediately intrigued by Cussy, and I loved the Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville references. Cussy is strong, smart, caring, interesting, and inspiring.
This book reminded me of a mix of The Frozen River and The Giver of Stars, both books I loved so much.
This was the only historical fiction book I read this month, and as you probably know, that’s my favorite genre!
Rating:
I’ve already downloaded The Book Woman’s Daughter to listen to next!
showmeandsweettea.com 