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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 17): 04/17/17
I'm back home from my week long trip from Hayward to Pine Cove. My daughter brought along the current stomach bug that plagued her school this holiday week so we didn't get to do all the things we planned. But we still managed to have fun.
Spring is hitting a little late there so the entire mountainside is awash in apple tree and cherry tree blossoms as well as daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinths. The lupins will be in bloom next month.
It's still pretty chill up there at night so we enjoyed a fire each night from dinner until bed time. My son turns out to have a natural skill at building them, so it became his nightly chore.
We visited two nearby lakes: Lake Fulmor on the Banning side of the mountain, and Lake Hemet near the city of Hemet.
The highlight of the trip though was probably the trip to Living Free in Mountain Center, where we got to hang out with all the cats awaiting their forever homes.
We also dyed eggs and had an early Easter celebration, so the kids and I could get home in time for school to start on Monday. What I read last week:
What I'm reading:
Up Next: As expected my "up next" set of books is exactly what it has been for the last two weeks because of my traveling.
Last Week's Reviews
Comments (50) Comment #1: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 23:22:35 I hope your daughter is feeling better now! Glad you were able to have a good time anyway. There seems to be some different viral infections going around here as well. I have a copy of Vinegar Girl on my TBR pile but haven't read it yet. Hope you enjoy it! I am really curious about these modern retellings of Shakespeare. Comment #2: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 20:34:22 Pussreboots Although we were hundreds of miles away, my daughter and her school friends all got sick at the same time, and all got well at the same time. It's definitely a virus that's going around. It's been a rough month for illnesses at school. Hopefully it's the last one. In regards to Vinegar Girl, put it on the top of your TBR. I'm about a quarter of the way through and it's delightful. Comment #3: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 23:30:13 Glad you managed to have fun! I love Vinegar Girl, hope you enjoy it too. Comment #4: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 20:40:20 Pussreboots I'm a quarter through Vinegar Girl and I'm enjoying it very much. Comment #5: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 00:21:47 Oh my goodness, that egg is gorgeous! Did you dye it? Comment #6: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 21:28:21 Pussreboots I did! My mother purchased a kit with pre-mixed dyes that were thick enough to paint on. It was our first time trying this method. Comment #7: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 00:38:17 Happy Easter! I hope your daughter is getting better. Wow.. what an amazing trip! Glad that you and your family were having a wonderful time. Love the pictures! The one with your daughter and the cat is cute. Hehe Have a great week and Happy reading. Comment #8: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 21:47:00 Pussreboots She was better about half way through the trip. My daughter wants to be a small animal vet. She's great with pets and animals seem to know it. Comment #9: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 00:45:26 Looks like you had a nice time, and there's nothing like a fire outside! Glad it was a good week. Looks like a nice mix of books. Tombquest and Vampires on the Run look fun, and Traveling Light looks like a nice road trip one. Comment #10: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 21:50:45 Pussreboots Tomquest is a fun series but you'll need to start with Book of the Dead. Vampires on the Run is excellent, but you should read The Maypop Kidnapping first. Traveling Light is a stand alone and you should read it right away if you're a fan of road trip fiction. Comment #11: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 01:22:28 Sorry a little illness dogged the trip but still sounds wonderful. Thanks for colour suggestions, going to order a few small pieces of fabric and do a "decision making" process. Comment #12: Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 10:24:22 Pussreboots I'm curious to see what colours you decide on — and to see the progress of the quilt. Despite my daughter's illness, we had fun and it was good for my son and daughter to spend time with their grandmother. Comment #13: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 04:58:30 Did you enjoy Haunting Jordan? I thought it looked interesting, and I liked the cover. My It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post. Comment #14: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 08:30:58 Pussreboots I did, and I didn't. Haunting Jordan is two stories: the modern day paranormal mystery and a historical drama where all the present day ghosts are alive. I loved the present day story but found the flashbacks to be distracting. You don't actually need to read the flashbacks to solve Hattie's death as it's all revealed again through Jordan's present day research. Comment #15: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 09:01:28 Sounds like a great trip. Too bad the stomach bug traveled with you. Come see my week here. Happy reading! Comment #16: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 08:33:01 Pussreboots The stomach bug prevented us from going to the Living Desert in Palm Desert. Otherwise we were able to do what we wanted and had fun. Comment #17: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 09:28:02 Stomach bugs = no fun. I think I have a copy of Traveling Light ... I'm so behind in my reading. Comment #18: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 08:37:02 Pussreboots The stomach bug definitely put a damper on the early part of our trip but it could have been so much worse. At least it didn't hit her so hard that it was scary and messy. It was just annoying. If you find your copy of Traveling Light, move it to the top of your TBR pile. It is one of my favorite new books this year. Comment #19: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 10:13:28 Great photos! Now I want a mountain getaway. I was recently at the beach, though, so that will be it for a while. Enjoy your reading. I loved Vinegar Girl. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog. Comment #20: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 08:40:21 Pussreboots This was a mountain getaway on the cheap as we were visiting my mom. It's been too stormy to go to the beach here and probably will be until summer. I am also loving Vinegar Girl. I suspect it will be the first book I finish this week. Comment #21: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 11:59:27 Happy Reading! I'm visiting from the Reading with Beth blog. Comment #22: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 09:33:59 Pussreboots Hello and welcome. Comment #23: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 18:12:08 Sam @ WLABB The lake looked beautiful, and that is some expert egg dying. Wow! Comment #24: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 17:59:12 Pussreboots The lakes were gorgeous — the best they've looked in years. The rain and snow has really helped. The egg dying was luck mostly. The dye we used was pre-mixed and was thick like undiluted watercolor so it could be painted on. Comment #25: Monday, April, 17, 2017 at 19:19:45 Love your photos. Gorgeous egg. I hope your daughter is feeling better. Poor kiddo. I read Traveling Light - it was good. ENJOY your books and your week. Comment #26: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 18:03:18 Pussreboots Thank you re the photos. The eggs were fun to do and my Mom found such an easy dye to use. My daughter was on the mend as of last Wednesday. She's all better now. I LOVED traveling Light and just posted my review of it. Comment #27: Monday, April, 17, 2017 at 19:42:12 My mom grew up in Hayward and my grandparents lived on a small farm there until I was about 8! Small world. Glad you had a fun week despite the flu bug! Comment #28: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 18:12:12 Pussreboots Most of the farms are gone now, or they've been turned into hiking trails. However, near where I live, there are a couple hold outs. It's common to see kids riding to and from school on horseback. Comment #29: Monday, April, 17, 2017 at 20:12:21 I really like the look of Traveling Light! Comment #30: Monday, April 17, 2017 at 18:17:20 Pussreboots I loved Traveling Light. I just posted my review of it. Comment #32: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 08:17:20 Pussreboots We did but we did it early. Sunday we were back on the road, driving home. Comment #33: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 10:18:42 Looks like a lovely trip, even with the bug! Glad you enjoyed yourself. Those are possibly the coolest eggs I've ever seen - how did you make them look like that? Comment #34: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 08:19:11 Pussreboots I made an undercoat of color using the usual PAAS egg dyes. Then I used a paper towel to get the worst of the moisture off. For the top coat of colors I used a paintbrush and Candy Apple Shine dyes. It was a kit my mother had found. The dyes come as as liquid, rather than power tablets. The dye is about as thick as undiluted food coloring. You probably could just use undiluted food coloring and a paintbrush to do it yourself. Comment #35: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 16:46:00 I'm sorry to hear about the stomach bug. I hope everyone is feeling good now. I read Haunting Jordan awhile ago and enjoyed it. Have a great week! Comment #36: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 18:41:00 Pussreboots Everyone was well by Wednesday so we did get to have some fun on our trip. Haunting Jordan was a good vacation read. Comment #37: Tuesday, April, 18, 2017 at 19:44:13 It looks like mutual happiness between Monica and your daughter! I clicked over and realized I could not linger on that site lol. I want all the animals. Lol. I am glad that you guys had a good time despite the changes. Comment #38: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 18:43:12 Pussreboots If we lived locally and didn't already have two cats, we would have adopted Monica and Betty (a cat who loved hanging out on my shoulders). Comment #39: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 02:58:02 That egg's colours makes it look really pretty! And yeah that XVI got such a high rating because I enjoyed it as well :) Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading! Comment #40: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10:45:58 Pussreboots Thank you. It was my first time using this brand of egg dye. It was thick like undiluted food colouring. We usually make our own dyes — so I want to try to recreate the effect at home. Comment #41: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 03:33:17 I really hope you enjoyed Mockingjay! Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading! Comment #42: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10:47:33 Pussreboots Mockingjay was ok. My favorite out of the series is Catching Fire. Comment #43: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 12:16:23 Looks lovely. I am a volunteer with the Cats Protection here in the UK so I would have loved the rehoming centre. Comment #44: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 10:50:22 Pussreboots It's a lovely place and has expanded since the last time I was there. Comment #45: Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 07:04:19 ovely holiday pictures! Hope you had a nice time away. The easter eggs are gorgeous too! Great looking book selection this week, I have always wanted to read Anne Tyler so Vinegar Girl appeals to me :-) Comment #46: Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 11:43:00 Pussreboots The dye my mother purchased made dying the eggs with colorful designs easy. I just finished Vinegar Girl and loved it. Frankly you can't got wrong with Anne Tyler's books. Pick up any one of them and start reading. Comment #47: Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 19:55:41 Oh sorry to hear about your daughter stomach bug. I think I enjoy fires no matter what even in summer! that egg is very unique and hippy LOVE IT Comment #48: Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 18:18:19 Pussreboots She was well by Wednesday, so we still had some time to have fun. That egg was the last one I worked on, so I was in "try all the colors" mode. Comment #49: Tuesday, April 25 2017 at 05:04:52 OH NO!!!!!!!!!! Stomach bugs! That's awful. What a pity it had to coincide with your trip. :( Comment #50: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 11:55:00 Pussreboots The illness kept us from doing one thing. Otherwise we had a good trip.
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Monica the cat head-butting my daughter.
