Sunday, November 27, 2016

Thanksgiving Weekend Update: November 27, 2016


Has it really been just a week since my last update?? After I hit the publish button on Sunday, we endured a record-breaking 30" snowstorm that lasted until Tuesday afternoon, a record-breaking Thanksgiving (and Friday leftover feast) crowd, and an epic kick-off to the Christmas season with our annual family party... my cousins are the best. Now I am exhausted! We'll take our daughters to the train station in a few hours, then I'm going to curl up on the couch with a book, a blanket, and a cup of tea for the rest of the day!

Despite all the cooking, feasting, and general commotion, I did manage to finish one book this week:


My Beloved World By Sonia Sotomayor
In keeping with my Supreme Court theme, I read the memoir of the third woman appointed to the highest court... a truly inspiring account of her life up until the time she was appointed to the federal judiciary.

Now I must decide what to read next. There are still four days left in Nonfiction November. Should I begin one last nonfiction title or pick up a much-anticipated novel? Hmmm...


On the blog//
Tuesday Intro: My Beloved World
Nonfiction November Week 4: Supreme Reading

In the kitchen//



The week ahead//
It's time to put away the Thanksgiving/fall decorations and get started on Christmas! An anniversary dinner at our favorite inn... my father's 81st birthday... and then on Friday we leave for Florida. We'll load up my old car,  spend a few days driving down, and then fly back the following Saturday.  The car gets to live in FL permanently, but we must travel back and forth until retirement ;-)

I hope you enjoy what's left of the long weekend. How did you celebrate Thanksgiving? What are you reading today?


This post will link to It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

45 comments:

  1. Except for the snow, your Thanksgiving weekend sounds wonderful! I hope we go all winter without seeing any of the white stuff.

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    1. Kathy - The rest of my family lives just 15 miles away, but at a much lower elevation. Their snow has melted and I'm jealous!

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  2. The snow is pretty, anyway, but I'm sure it's not as much fun in person! I'm looking forward to some book-and-tea time myself today! Almost finished with another Persephone (Miss Ranskill Comes Home)...and I did borrow Greenbanks to read next!

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    1. Audrey - I think a Persephone book is the perfect way to wrap up this long weekend :)

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  3. The snow looks lovely! Enjoy your special afternoon!

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    1. Thanks, Patty. I think a lot of it will melt over the next coupe of days... finger crossed:)

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  4. That's quite a snowstorm! In CO, we are still mostly dry and barely cold--skiers are singing the blues, but with two of our kids traveling this week, I was thankful for the blue skies and dry roads.

    Safe travels to FL and happy reading by the fire.

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    1. JaneGS - This is officially our snowiest November ever! A couple of the ski areas even opened for the holiday weekend. Thankfully, it stopped snowing for the big travel day on Wednesday.

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  5. Nice photo! Looks like you a very large group for the holiday dinner-- how nice! Choose whichever book "calls to you". Enjoy!

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    1. Rita - We had 21 for Thanksgiving and 22 on Friday for leftovers. A record for both days. I've decided to pick up a novel next :)

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  6. The snow looks pretty, and the table is gorgeous; not to mention the food!

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog. Enjoy the week!

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - It was such a fun holiday weekend, but now I need a few days to recover! Think I'll turn back to fiction now:)

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  7. I downloaded My Beloved World from audible after reading your last post. Halfway through it and really enjoying it. Glad you had good holidays.

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    1. Pam - Sotomayor is such an inspiring woman. I thought Rita Moreno did an excellent job narrating this book! Glad you're enjoying it, too.

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  8. The snow looks awesome but, yes, I'm glad it's not us:) Glad u had a nice holiday weekend.

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    1. Diane - It's finally starting to melt, but the ground is still covered... now it looks like dirty snow.

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  9. All that snow! We've only had a little, and it's gone now. Safe travels!

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    1. BethF - Thanks. Wish we could just stay in FL now, but need to come back for the holidays and a few more weeks of work.

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  10. The snow is gorgeous and your Thanksgiving week sounds like it was amazing! I'm envious of your day on the couch curled up with a book. That is the perfect thing to be doing after a long, busy weekend. Enjoy the day!

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    1. Susie - My day on the couch didn't end up beginning until 5 PM, but I did have a very peaceful few hours :)

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  11. That is a lot of snow! Enjoy the rest of your day reading and your trip to FL!

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    1. Thanks, Stephanie. I'm looking forward to the sunshine!

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  12. I'd go with the novel. I don't read nonfiction unless I have to for work. That snowfall sounds amazing. We're still waiting for our first and can wait a lot longer if I have my way. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  13. As much as I enjoyed participating in the Nonfiction November posts, I read only one NF title this month. I'm just throwing it in and starting another novel.

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  14. Did you decide what book to read next?

    Although we didn't get any snow here, it was bitter cold and windy. We stayed mostly indoors between Sunday and Tuesday but when we were out, we were literally flying in the wind.

    Glad you had a fabulous Thanksgiving season! Wish this Thanksgiving-Christmas season was longer. :-)

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    1. Athira - I started listening to Commonwealth, but haven't settled on a print book. Maybe I'll make it a read/listen combo...

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  15. Wow! What a weekend! I'll look forward to your next book selection - in the meantime - stay warm!

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    1. Pat - I decided to start Commonwealth by Ann Patchett... always enjoy her books!

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  16. Do you really have 30 inches of snow there? Ouch. We have none here, which is strange. Good timing on the Florida trip. Although nonfiction Nov. was nice, I think it's time to get back to the much beloved Fiction. Enjoy.

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    1. Susan - We did, but thankfully it is melting now. The ground is still covered though. I just started Commonwealth by Ann Patchett... great first chapter!

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  17. JoAnn, the Non-Fic book I have been reading over the past couple of weeks is called "Truvine" by Beth Lacy. It has been getting very good reviews, as well as other writers' recommendations. It has been slow-going because I mainly don't read non-fic as fast as a good novel. A lot of research went into it. It is the true story of two brothers who were kidnapped and brought into the circus world as a sideshow act. The comments I've read that gave it less than 5 stars said that even more than about the brothers, it has a lot of material about the circus world, the circus owners, the area the brothers were from (Truevine, VA), and the era of the Jim Crow South. It is well written and I do plan to finish before returning to library, if only to learn how the brothers' mother eventually found them years later and brought them home to Truevine. That may, however, involve skipping over some of the peripheral information not necessarily directly related to the plight of the brothers. Nonetheless, I still would give it a good recommendation. In the midst of reading it, I did stop to fly through the latest adventures of the No. 1 Lady Detective in Botswana, which is always fun reading. 😊 See you on IG.

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  18. Typo ... title of book is "Truevine." I think I did spell it correctly further on in my comment.

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    1. JudyMac - Truevine sounds good! Even though I'm not particularly fond of circus settings, the rest of it seems quite appealing. I'm so far behind on the No. 1 Ladies Detective series, but am sure it was a welcome switch from nonfiction. I'm happy to finally start Ann Patchett's latest. It may take a long time to finish with the upcoming travels...

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  19. That is a beautiful snowy picture! So glad to hear you guys had wonderful holiday. I love big family get togethers even if they can be a bit crazy sometimes with all the preparation and whatnot. Our Thanksgiving was quiet but relaxing and that's was welcome indeed. I didn't get a chance to finish any nonfiction this month but always good to hear about worthwhile titles like this one!

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    1. Iliana - Crazy may be an understatement with our crowd, but it sure was a lot of fun. Some day we'll have a relaxing Thanksgiving. I loved nonfiction November, but will probably stick with fiction for the rest of the year.

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  20. Wow...snow already? Of course, we're lucky if we get any snow here in the PNW.

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    1. Melinda - Snow in November is not unusual for us, but that amount sure is!! Thankfully, it's beginning to melt.

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  21. All that snow!!! It seems like something from a novel, such a blizzard over a holiday. :) It is beautiful but I am sure you weren't ready for it. I love snow but that is a lot to begin the season with. :) I am sure your Florida home is looking wonderful about now. :) Your holiday looks lovely!

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    1. Erin - You're right, that could be a scene from a novel... and we certainly weren't ready for THAT much snow! Florida is looking pretty good right about now.

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  22. Great to hear you had a lovely Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and food; and still managed to squeeze one book in!

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    1. Jessica - My reading always seems to slow down at this time of year, but I'll get more reading time in after the holidays!

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  23. WOW! I can't believe how much snow you guys got! We had our first snowfall this past Saturday, but it was only 2". Not quite as dramatic as yours. And, thankfully, we had perfect weather for our drive down and back to Dallas. Now you're on your way to paradise. I'm a bit envious, as we are about to get some bone-chilling temps in another day or two. Oh, I just reread your post and see that you aren't planning to stay in FL. Well, I'm sure your short get-away will be fun, nonetheless!

    Nonfiction November was pretty much a fail for me, but I have high hopes for 2017 since I should have plenty of time for reading and blogging (well, after we get moved and settled!). The challenge did get me motivated to finally read Anna Quindlen's book, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. I think it's been on my shelf since it was first published in 2012!

    Hope you have nothing but sunny skies in Florida!

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    1. Les - Glad you made it to and from Dallas safely! The weather was perfect for our drive to FL, too, but unfortunately we fly home tomorrow. I've loved seeing all the Christmas lights with a tropical twist... so different from what we are used to. I was telling my husband that I'm going to want to come back in December again next year - beautiful weather and a relatively uncrowded island!

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