Playing Outside the MCU Sandbox

I went down to mom’s earlier today than usual because Pip needed to use my car in the middle of the day (he took his dad to a local annual “antique power days”, basically an antique tractor show). I only stayed for about an hour and a half, with plans to return later in the afternoon to check on her again. (More about my visit below.)

I did a load of laundry (Pip’s uniforms, so washed, dried and hung up), hand-washed dishes and ran a load in the dishwasher, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, changed kitty litter, and showered.

Pip brought home chicken dinners that we had for supper, lol!!

I read fanfic and more in Hatshepsut.

Thank you to cornerofmadenss and tinny for the birthday wishes!

Temps started out at 61.5(F) and reached 92.3. So much for low 80s. Again, no rain, unless it eventually came in after we went to bed.


Mom Update:

Mom was about the same today. ( more back here )

Posting this now for two reasons. A) so the book meme isn't overflowing with books and B) because I'm hoping to read something by an author who is not Kathi Daley next as my light reads along side Hatshepsut.


Book 89 of 2025: Answers in the Ashes (The Inn at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

I mostly enjoyed this book. ( spoilers )

This book was pretty good; I’m giving it four hearts.

♥♥♥♥

(There are two more books in this series listed on Amazon, but they aren’t due to come out until September and October.)

---

Book 90 of 2025: Once Upon a Mystery (The Bookstore at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

This book is the first in a series that spins off from the above series. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like reading about another main character. It was alright. ( spoilers )

The thing that interested me about this series is that they eventually form a group that solves murders/cold cases, and that sounded good. Also, the bookstore showcases some cats from a cat rescue, how cute is that?!! But I didn't enjoy this book enough to continue with this spin-off series. I’m giving this one three hearts.

♥♥♥

---

Book 91 of 2025: Halloween Moon (The Cottage on Gooseberry Bay) (Kathi Daley)

I enjoyed this book. I had forgotten that we met the main character in the Inn at Holiday Bay series, so this is also a spin-off. ( spoilers )

This book was pretty good; I’m giving it four hearts.

♥♥♥♥

---

Book 92 of 2025: Thanksgiving Past (The Cottage on Gooseberry Bay) (Kathi Daley)

I enjoyed this. ( spoilers )

This book was good; I’m giving it four hearts.

♥♥♥♥

---

Book 93 of 2025: Opera and Old Lace (The Bistro at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

This is another spin-off from the original Inn at Holiday Bay series I read. It was pretty good. ( spoilers )

This book was okay, but I’m starting to wonder how many murders (aka, spin-off series) a small town like Holiday Bay really needs? I’m giving it four hearts, but I don’t expect I’ll read more in this series.

♥♥♥♥

Here are the garage cats (who have moved to the deck for the summer, almost like snowbirds heading to Florida) making themselves comfy on the deck. They're very brave, but the dogs mostly leave them alone now that they're getting used to them.





( 10 more back here )

I didn’t have to do any shopping this morning, but I did go to the bank for my aunt and got in a walk around the park while I was downtown. I dropped off a book at the library on my way to visit my aunt and talked to the librarian about it (and picked up another book). I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, took Grant for a walk, cut up chicken for the dogs’ meals, and scooped kitty litter.

I visited mom, read some fanfic, finished the Kindle cozy and started another, and read more about Hatshepsut. (I have already concluded that this is not a book I’m going to be able to just sit down and read through. My plan is to read a little bit each day, and read something light in between.) I also received another GC (the Bakery) for my birthday! And tomorrow is breakfast with my used bookstore friends to round out the celebration.

Temps started out at 63.5(F) and reached 88.7. Today was supposed to be the first in a string of (supposedly) cooler days. o_O


Mom Update:

Mom was doing better than yesterday, but not great. ( more back here )

I had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I chose a light teal polish, though it looks like a brighter blue on. Still, this is the summer for experimenting with different colors on my toes, so I’m okay with it.

I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I also picked up Chinese for my lunch.

I did a load of laundry (mom’s that she sent home with me; got it washed, dried and folded to go back to her tomorrow), hand-washed dishes and did a load in the dishwasher, took Grant for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I visited mom, started two Kindle cozies (finished one), and started the Hatshepsut biography.

Thanks so much for birthday wishes from goss, mific, scriggle, tarlanx, and tozka.

Temps started out at 70.5(F) and reached 86. That I saw. It had to be hotter than that, but the clouds had started rolling in before I got home. In fact, the temp dropped two degrees the short time I was home between downtown and visiting mom.

It was so hot downtown, but just as I was pulling out of town, dark clouds rolled in. I drove through rain on the way to the garage to pick up Grant (another story), some of it quite heavy. And then it stopped, but the roads were wet. It was also wet at the garage, and about a third of the way home from there, and then dry pavement. We were supposed to get some rain later in the day, but we only got enough at our house to get everything wet. Meanwhile, the garage got a second storm and Pip said he thought they might have gotten over two inches because it came down so hard and fast.


Mom Update:

Mom was not doing great. She was lying on her bed after having a dizzy spell when I arrived. ( more back here )

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Lord of the Silent (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters, The Sound of Broken Glass (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, Kidnapped in the Kitchen (The Inn at Holiday Bay) by Kathi Daley and Through the Evil Days (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming.


What I am Currently Reading: I just finished a book last night so haven’t started another one, but I’m hoping it’ll be the book I requested on a whim, The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney. (Yes, I requested it while reading the last Amelia Peabody book.)


What I Plan to Read Next: Uncertain. I do have another library book out, but I might actually read one of my own books first.

---

Book 85 of 2025: Lord of the Silent (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

This book is so good!! ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this very much and am giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

---

Book 86 of 2025: The Sound of Broken Glass (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

This book was so good! ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this very much and am giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

---

Book 87 of 2025: Kidnapped in the Kitchen (The Inn at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

This book was okay. ( spoilers )

I'm starting to get tired of this series, but I also have the need to know what happens, so I'll most likely continue with it. Unless I forget about it when the two new books come out in the fall (there is one left to read that is already out). I'm giving this one three hearts.

♥♥♥

---

Book 88 of 2025: Through the Evil Days (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) (Julia Spencer-Fleming)

This book was (mostly) good. ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book right up until the author cut out my heart at the end; I’m deducting a heart because it still stings.

♥♥♥♥

Pip had a procedure this morning, basically an endoscopy, to remove a nodule they’d found in a previous endoscopy. The annoying bit is that the doctor looked at it and said it didn’t need to be removed. Why did they schedule the procedure, then?!! (Pip’s regular gastro doc, the one who saw him back when he got really sick and diagnosed him with celiac, had this other doc look at the pictures he took AND the tests had already come back that it was benign, so why we needed to go through this I have no idea.) *deep sigh*

I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!!), hand-washed dishes, cut up chicken for dogs’ meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. I also visited mom briefly and stopped at Stewart’s on the way home. I grilled country style pork ribs for supper.

I read more in the Clare Fergusson book.

Thank you for the additional birthday wishes from adafrog, celli, cordeliadelayne, lunabee34, malinaldarose, pattrose, reeby10, silver_chipmunk, sperrywink, thatjustwontbreak, turps, umadoshi, and vysila.

I also forgot to mention that I received birthday wishes and an invite to breakfast from my used book store friends, so I'll be meeting them on Friday! I haven't seen them in a while. It still feels weird. BC (before Covid) we saw each other several times a week, now it's several times a year.

Temps started out at 63.3(F) and reached 93.2. Again, so hot. I think we have one more day where it’s going to be this hot, then around 80, then a full week of mid-70s. That’s gonna feel so strange.


Mom Update:

Mom had her chemo today and once again it started the process of her being knocked on her butt. ( more back here )