A Guilty Pleasure

The occasional guilty pleasure lights up my life––and my library––so I'm here to share a frothy summer novel with all of you (my favorite readers). It's title is While We Were Watching Downtown Abbey, written by Wendy Wax, an author I accidentally tripped over before falling headfirst into an inexplicably fizzy pool of warm and fuzzy fun.

I freely admit that While We Were Watching is no literary masterpiece; in fact, it's chick lit squared, but it tickled my fancy enough that I read it straight through in one sitting. I'm not exactly certain what it was I found so captivating, but let it be said that I was captivated all the same. For reasons beyond any form of rational analysis, I grinned all the way through it.

Would you believe me if I said that I inhaled the tasty little tome like cherry soda, entirely against my will? Check it out, and let me know if your power to resist is stronger than mine.

{just don't be smug about it}

;)

Connecting by Feedly

RIP

I'm sure most of you are aware that Google Reader will be a thing of the past on July 1st. For months I have been trying to figure out how to stay in touch with the blogs that matter most to me, and I have finally made a decision. Yesterday, I joined Feedly and was happy to find that all of my "followed" blogs from Google Reader transferred over at the click of a button. What's more, by choosing the "magazine" format, I have been able to approximate the look I am used to, and I think this will be a smooth transition for me.

Having said that, I am not pleased with this latest action taken by Google. I'm not sure why they keep pulling the plug on services loyal customers have enjoyed over the years, and their doing so continues to erode my trust in them. Still, I am going to push forward as best I can. Who knows? Eventually, Google may let Blogger go as well, at which time I will probably move to Wordpress and get used to that, too.

For now, the main thing is staying in touch with all of you, and Feedly will allow me to do that. Just wanted to spread the word in case others are worried about the same thing I was...the prospect of losing touch with blogs and bloggers I have grown to care about.

Our connections are worth preserving!

=)

PS. You will need to make the change prior to July 1st or the data from Google Reader will be lost, leaving you to recreate the list of blogs you follow as best you can.

PPS. I just joined Bloglovin, too. It was easy to transfer my Google Reader stuff with just one click, though the site does a lot less than Feedly. However, it has a social component Feedly doesn't have. Over time, I will decide which one I prefer!

for more C posts, click below

Hanging Gardens

 

 We're pretty excited about my nephew's iTunes success.

 

 His new album, Hanging Gardens, dropped today!

(click pic to enlarge and read what iTunes thinks)

 iTunes chose one of the tracks as Single of the Week. (lower left)

THAT'S BIG.

And look where the album itself is positioned!  (upper right)

THAT'S BIG, TOO.

 "All You're Waiting For" was definitely worth the wait.

Hey, every track of this chill and vibey album was worth the wait.

(my nephew is pictured on the left)

CONGRATULATIONS TO TYLER BLAKE

AND HIS BANDMATE MICHAEL DAVID

ON

HANGING GARDENS

{CLASSIXX}

Check it out here.

for more happiness, click below

Warm, Wise, and Wonderful Willett

If you haven't read a Marcia Willett novel, let me do you a favor and recommend that you pick up one (or several) and wander across the rose-covered lanes and rocky shores of her oh-so-charming English mind. The ambience of her books is so irresistible that I've been on a reading binge of sorts, inhaling her novels one after another on my Kindle. Now that I've exhausted that source, I am seriously considering buying hard copies of the rest and finishing the feast!

In the past couple of weeks, I have read the following: The Children's Hour, Christmas in Cornwall, The Courtyard, Echoes of the Dance, First Friends, A Friend of the Family, Second Time Around, A Summer in the Country, The Way We Were, and A Week in Winter. All are steeped in family and scented in English countryside, leaving this reader as calm and content as a cozy fireside sit-down with the likes of Rosamunde Pilcher.

So grab a fuzzy blanket, settle yourself in your favorite chair, and enter the world of unique characters, intriguing family relationships, and peaceful page-turning that is part and parcel of the Marcia Willett experience. But don't be surprised when she plants a garden of past and present secrets along the way...

=)

for more W posts, click below

Get It Right and Sleep Tight!

How well do YOU sleep at night? If your answer is "not as well as I'd like," and your weariness has nothing to do with the parenting of nocturnal children, then read on––because your friend Sue is about to hand out one heck of a good tip!

You see, I have stumbled across a sleep solution that is kicking the behind of some menopause-related insomnia that's been plaguing me for more years than I care to mention. Not one to take Ambien, valerian, or even melatonin (I know, I'm a bit conservative in this area), I have finally settled on something that I AM comfortable using––essential oils.

The brand I like is DoTerra: specifically, the lavender essential oil and the Serenity essential oil blend. I simply rub two drops of each on my tootsies (yep, that's right...my feet) at night, et voila! I am off to greet the Sandman, who is keeping company with me at least an hour longer than he used to...and sometimes, two hours! I have gone from being a 5:00 am riser to a 6 or even 7:00 am riser. Instead of a meager five hours per night, I sometimes get six or seven! What could be better?? (Well, maybe being able to eat whatever I wanted to without gaining weight...) *sigh* I wonder if they have an essential oil for that?!

All kidding aside, while I'm not sure exactly how these oils work, I am convinced they do. And not just for sleep, either. The other day I had an infected bug bite that would normally have taken two weeks to stop itching. Instead, I looked up the complaint in my trusty essential oils book; was advised to layer lemon, lemongrass, and lavender on the site; and could barely even see the bump two days later. Miracle cure, if you ask me. I've also staved off a couple of colds sucking on DoTerra's On Guard throat drops, which consist of nothing more than orange, clove, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary. Best of all, I am now rubbing frankincense on the back of my neck every night to benefit my aging brain, among other things. (This a pretty versatile oil, and who wouldn't want to use a gift of the magi to improve her health, right?) You'll be pleased to know that myrrh is available, too, which was used in ancient days to combat leprosy and is still known for combatting skin ulcers, stretch marks, and weeping wounds.

Having been disappointed by many a doctor in my life, including but not limited to unnecessary surgeries and toxic-to-me medications, I like the idea of using something natural to gently move my body in the direction of healing. Essential oils are filling that bill for me, and I am a big fan!

=)

The Sweet Smell of Success: CLASSIXX

Tyler Blake (my nephew) & Michael David – Classixx

Success is sweet, and my nephew, Tyler Blake, is about to experience a whole new level of it. He and Michael David, aka Classixx, have put out some very cool singles over the years and hit it big with lots of remixes, but they tour so much it's taken them a while to release their first full album. That's all about to change, though, because their highly anticipated LP (Holding On) drops May 14th. Already, the reviews are good...and this one from the Huffington Post is especially fine. I hope you'll take a minute to read it. (Be sure to pass up the first section about Rhye and scroll down to the second part of the article, titled Classixx.)

Here, for your listening pleasure, are a couple of tracks from Holding On. Club music isn't my genre, but these California guys have a vibe that's as chill and mellow as a summer day. And listening to them is sure to make you happy.

for more S posts, click below

for more happiness, click below

The Voice

I am having way more fun than TV usually offers watching Season 3 of The Voice this year. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, this musical reality show among shows features judges Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green. Crazy fun is the order of the day, largely because the interplay among these judges is entertaining as can be.

Top five things about the show:

1. The judges are actually talented themselves, rendering their advice and comments a lot more palatable.
2. The singers are invited to audition because they are already good. Result? No painful performances!
3. The judges have an opportunity to "push their buttons" for a singer, but they do not have the opportunity to see that person before doing so, as their backs are to the performers. This is truly a blind audition; talent is the whole enchilada.
4. Every judge who pushes that button (thereby turning his/her chair around) for a contestant must then vie with the others to mentor that candidate, and the choice is up to the singer, not the judges. I have laughed out loud many times at the shenanigans that go on as these sneaky judges jockey against one another to win a particularly desirable singer's favor.
5. After the judges' teams are filled (but not before plenty of hilarity, good chemistry, and teasing as each one tries to "get picked" as a coach), the judges set up battles where two of their team members are invited to a sing-off in front of the audience. Winners go to the live shows, while losers either go home or get "stolen" by another judge who thinks that singer is too good to let go.

There is some amazing talent this year. Most every genre imaginable is not only represented but represented well. So listen up, my friends. If you haven't seen this show, do yourself a favor next week and turn it on. In fact, why not just consider your Monday and Tuesday nights filled? Indefinitely.

I promise you will not regret it!

=)

PS. And Carson Daly as a host ain't too shabby, either.

for more V posts, click below

CCR & 3 Dog Night? Outta Sight!

Three Dog Night was in rare form Friday evening.

After 42 years, the whole group is still together. And they sound great!

 Credence rocked it too, but only two of their members were originals.

 We LOVE this mountain venue near our home.

 The place is a winery by day and a theater by night...

 with lots of ambience (and a bit of magic) to spare.

Great views, too.

Except for this one, of course... *sigh*

We had lots of fun, but Friday had to be the coldest June night in California history, and I am not kidding. The wind was blowing like crazy, and the chill off the ocean was unbelievable. I had on my warmest coat with the hood up, was covered head to toe in a stadium blanket, and still froze to death. Human icicles filled the audience, and it is a testament to the talents of Three Dog Night and CCR that everyone stayed to the bitter(ly cold) end.

I suspect no one was sorry, either. (Just suffering from hypothermia.)

No worries. Frostbite was a small price to pay for the music Dave and I fell in love to...One Is the Loneliest Number, Mama Told Me Not To Come, Easy to Be Hard, An Old Fashioned Love Song, etc. from Three Dog Night...Suzie Q, Bad Moon Rising, Lodi, Down on the Corner, and so forth from CCR. Boy, did it ever take us back, waaaaay back, and we left with a heap of some old-time feeling that everything we could ever dream of lies before us...the one I used to think only the young can feel. 

Clearly, I was wrong. (Just call me Suzy Q.) Maybe the prospect of Dave's retirement at the end of this month is giving us some good joss!

=)

Don't Forget to Fly

When colors lose their luster

and your well is running dry...

just find a nook, pick up a book,

and let your spirit fly!

©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson

I have indulged myself recently in a highly pleasurable mini-binge of Adriana Trigiani novels. The ones I've liked most of all are Lucia, Lucia and The Shoemaker's Wife...and I must admit to liking them very much. Perhaps you would too, especially if you are drawn to romantic family sagas centered around a strong female, flavored by Italy and New York, and washed in warmth, humor, and pathos. With any luck at all, these culturally rich and carefully textured books will fly you to the moon and back.

Hope you enjoy the trip as much as I did!

=)

The Magic of Coconut Oil

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the joys and benefits of cooking with coconut oil. Today I want to take my enthusiasm for coconut oil a step further and confess that this wonderful substance has also become my favorite face and body lotion. It moisturizes and conditions like a charm, leaving my skin a little less like crepe paper every day. Sure, it's a bit like getting oiled up for the spit at first (greased pig, anyone?), but ere long the slippery residue absorbs and you are sitting pretty. Honestly, I am loving the difference––and I love the price, too (relatively inexpensive, and it goes a long way).

Yesterday, I even used the stuff as a hair treatment. Yep, I just rubbed it through my hair until it hung in oily snakes glistened around my face, then popped on a shower cap and let it marinate for a couple of hours. What I like about this hair salad is that it actually takes away the dryness while leaving your locks with some body. In fact, it adds to the body...and I kinda need that, these days.

So there you are, friends. My very best beauty secret is yours to keep. Can't promise you that it will work miracles, but it does work like a charm!

;)

PS. This is also a great massage oil, with antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. And as I've said before, the extra virgin, cold-pressed, organic brand (Nutiva) is even great to cook with because coconut oil includes high amounts of lauric acid, which is good for cholesterol and aids in weight loss. Some people even swear by it to prevent tooth decay. (The Mia Flora brand is not for ingestion, though.)

Old Friends

Please turn your volume up so you can hear my Playlist

as Simon and Garfunkel sing their beautiful song to you.

Old friends, old friends,

sat on their parkbench like bookends.

A newspaper blown through the grass

falls on the round toes

of the high shoes of the old friends.

Old friends, winter companions, the old men

lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset...

The sounds of the city, sifting through trees,

settle like dust on the shoulders of the old friends.

Can you imagine us years from today,

sharing a parkbench quietly?

How terribly strange to be seventy.

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,

silently sharing the same fears.

Old friends.

- Paul Simon

Last night, my husband sat with an old and dear friend, whose time on earth is coming to an end prematurely. He treasures the hours spent with this good man and mourns the reality that their time together will be far less than they had expected. This morning, I want to celebrate the value of the beautiful relationships we create in this life and the loving friends who make them possible. We are grateful for a sure knowledge that, while our mortal days are limited, the bonds we form here are eternal, in and through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (who is, of course, the oldest and dearest Friend we could ever imagine).

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

for more F posts, click below

Welcome to my Book Binge

(Or at least, I do!)

I've been enjoying some very good reads lately and am happy to spread the news about three authors who were entirely new to me last month but are well on the way to becoming old friends. If you aren't already aware of their talents, I hope you will consider looking into them. Perhaps you will even embrace them as I have.

The first is Marcia Willett, whose books come as close to Rosamunde Pilcher's as any I've run across. Set in the English countryside and peopled with charming, quirky, and mostly endearing characters are "A Week in Winter," "The Way We Were," and "A Summer in the Country." The next Willett novel I intend to swallow in one gulp (just can't seem to put them down) is "The Children's Hour." Needless to say, I'm ready to dive right in!

Simply beautiful is Kent Haruf's novel, "Plainsong." This author's writing, lean and intense as Hemingway but far more graceful on the mind, imbues commonplace events with a soft luster that pulled me in gently yet held me fast, unable (or unwilling) to look away. Haruf places his readers in deep water, but the waves roll in slowly and shimmer. I will be reading the sequel, "Eventide," as soon as time allows.

Sandra Dallas rounds out my group of three, and I thoroughly enjoyed "The Diary of Mattie Spenser," "The Persian Pickle Club," "Tallgrass," and "Alice's Tulips." I'll be sure to visit her other work too, as I love nothing better than a good book about women and the ties that bind them...to each other and to their families. I think you will find that Ms. Dallas fills that bill with style, sensitivity, a touch of mystery, and a sense of history.

What could be better?

=)

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Tendershootz Is Utah Bound!

click to enlarge

Those of you who frequent my blog are probably aware that my daughter-in-law, Heather, is a multi-talented photographer (great eye, great ideas, great edits). Those who live in Utah might be interested to know that she will be there visiting friends and family in March and has decided to combine business with pleasure by devoting two full days to photo shoots. On the 2nd, she will be in Provo; on the 3rd, she will be in Salt Lake City.

Utahans who feel like having a fun, creative photo session with pictures that are out of the ordinary might want to check out her website and consider spending a little time with our cute Heather (tendershootz@gmail.com). And just to make my blog look a little better today, here are a few samples:

Candid,

posed,

or somewhere in between,

you are sure to be happy with the results!

{i know...isn't she gorgeous?}