2017 Monday's Postcard: Virginia

In honor of my sister's Birthday, I am posting two postcards from Virginia near where she works now!! Newport News and Williamsburg, VA   Happy Birthday Alisa!!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Spain

These postcards are all from the 1970's in Spain. Granada and Seville are represented here. I spent some time in Spain last fall and I would love to go back again this year!

2017 Monday's Postcard: New York City

New York City is always a fun tourist destination and everyone is sure to send postcards when they visit! I know lots of my friends will appreciate the Algonquin postcard!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Colorado

These postcards from Colorado are all from the 1970's and early 1980's. I particularly like the ones with the train. All my postcards this year come from a box that my cousin Holly sent to me filled with postcards from friends and family from the 1930's to present day.

2017 Reading List January

                                          Walter Crane (British) At Home: A Portrait, 1872

The Night Blooming Cereus by Joan Hadley a retired florist investigates murder along the Dead Sea in Israel.
The Mystery of Cabin Island by Franklin Dixon This is the Christmas Themed Hardy Boys book.
Terry Carvel's Theater Caravan by Alma Sasse a Theater themed book by one of the Nancy Drew ghostwriters. Plus for me, it is set in the Seattle area.
Merry Wives of Maggody by Joan Hess (audiobook) part of a series of books by Joan Hess set in a crazy Arkansas small town. Joan Hess also wrote the Night Blooming Cereus under the name Joan Hadley!!
To Fetch A Thief by Spencer Quinn another mystery from the point of view of the dog
Fakebook by Dave Cicirelli (library)a man fakes his entire facebook feed and creates hilarious digital story of his life and no one guesses that he is lying.
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon Ghost story I usually like her stuff, but I just could not get into this one. Might be my mood. It is being made into a movie.
The Crooked Banister by Carolyn Keene A Nancy Drew mystery, not the best...one of the worst!! LOL reading it for a book club meeting
Home by Harlan Coben  (library) part of the Myron Bolitar series. I enjoy all of Harlan's writing. I like the humor he adds to the Myron Bolitar series. 
Trials of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton (library) True memoirs of a woman surviving in the South (Arkansas and Mississippi) in the late 1800-early 1900's.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart (library) I really enjoyed the first book by this author, Girl Waits with Gun, I really really like these! Fun and based on true stories, one reviewer calls them America's answer to Maisie Dobbs, so if you like Maisie Dobbs, you should give these a try. I hope she writes more of them!
The Deadly Ackee by Joan Hadley another florist turned detective story from Joan Hess, I guess these did not prove to be popular enough, because this is the last one.
Local Girl Makes History by Dana Frank I really enjoyed this book about 4 different places in Northern California. I have been to these sites letterboxing and it was so cool to learn more about the history of these quirky places. I highly recommend this book to my letterboxing and California friends!!
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (library) whoa, it is about race and racism in America, I liked it, Jodi Picoult always is a good read and she is always on top of the hot button issues in America.
The Trespasser by Tana French (library) I am a huge fan of Tana French and have enjoyed all her books. Set in Dublin which I enjoy reading about too
The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living by  Martin Clark Sort of a heist story, road trip, grifters, and some North Carolina atmosphere. It was just okay. I wanted to really like it a lot, but it got a little wordy and rambling sometimes.



I have been asked to put down some of my TBR list each month, so here are some on my list....I will put these on here each month and you can see how long it takes me to get to them if I ever get to them!!

To Be Read:
The Escape Clause by John Sandford
Little Deaths by Emma Flint
Sundown Towns by James W. Loewen
Celine by Peter Heller
Mischling by Affinity Konar

2017 Monday's Postcard: Florida Sunset

These postcards are from the 1980's and are of Florida Sunsets. One was sent from Tallahassee and the other was sent from Tampa. Lots of the Arkebauer and DeVries family members spend some if not all their time in Florida!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Germany

Postcards from German Airports! You know this family has the travel bug and there are lots of postcards from all over the world coming this year.....

2017 Monday's Postcard: Tacoma, WA

These postcards are from Tacoma, WA  Late 60's early 70's ...the postmarks are hard to read. But from the cost of the stamps, I can determine that much!! One of my favorite places, the Pacific Northwest!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Ontario, Canada

I just love this postcard of the Dionne Quintuplets. It is from 1939. This just goes to show that they really were a tourist attraction in Canada during that time period. The second card is from the 1970's and shows an aerial view of the some of the Thousand Islands.  The Islands straddle the NY and Ontario border. This view is of Boldt Castle on the New York side. All the cards I post this year were sent to and from the Arkebauer, DeVries and Flaherty families!!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Alaska

Last year, my cousin, Holly sent me a huge box of postcards. These cards ranged from the 1930's to the present date and were from friends and family. I am picking from these postcards for my blog this year!  Here are some cards from Alaska during the 1980's. Happy New Year Everyone!!

December 2016 Reading

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn  really fun mystery from the Investigator's Dog's Point of View. I have a bunch of these that I got at a Library sale this summer and I will be reading all of them.
The Harvey Girls by Juddi Morris (library) very interesting about the women who became waitresses at Harvey Restaurants along the Railroad in the late 1800, early 1900's. I did not know that this was a thing (like the orphan trains) and I am reading as much as I can about this history now.
Diary of a Waitress by Carolyn Meyer (library) a fictionalized account of a Harvey Girl. YA Historical Fiction. The author has other historical fiction and I will be looking for more by her.
Night School by Lee Childs (library) the latest Jack Reacher novel. This one goes back in time to an incident that Jack is involved in during his time in the Army. I really like how as the protagonists age, that these authors like Lee Childs and John Sandford, they know it is getting crazy to have your 60 year old hero running around kicking ass and taking names, so they do these "flashback" stories to times when they were younger. Very smart I think!! Nevada Barr also did this with her Anna Pigeon character.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (audiobook) Entertaining in the car. I had forgotten some of these stories!
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (library) a novella about the British Queen becoming addicted to reading. Entertaining (Alan Bennett wrote the Lady in the Van)
The Disappeared by M. R. Hall (library) Meh, this is a mystery type book with a Coroner as the main character. It was just okay. This is the second book in a series of them, so I think I might give one more a try (these were recommended to me)
Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill (library) while looking for a book on her overloaded shelves, the author discovers that she has loads of books that she purchased and never read, or kept meaning to read again and she challenges herself to a year of reading what she has in her house! I need to do this...but instead I got this book from the library while piles and stacks of books teeter throughout my house. Library books always shoot to the top of the TBR queue because they have to be returned and their life in my house is finite. The author is British and the books tend to skew to the British more than American authors, in fact I found many more title to put on my TBR list!!
Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta (library) I really enjoyed this one, It is about a woman who has been living under an assumed identity for most of her life.
Netflixed by Gina Keating a book about the rise of Netflix and how they have changed the way we watch movies and TV
Murder for Christmas ed. by Thomas Godfrey a bunch of short stories by famous mystery authors that are all set around Christmas time.
Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn (library) another of the dog mysteries, this is the second in the series and the only one that I did not get at a library sale this summer, so I had to get it from the library on loan!! ha ha
Washington Square by Henry James (library) This one had been under my radar during college when I read so many classic books. Was happy to find it and get it read.

Monday's Postcard 2016: Christmas

                                                  Norman Rockwell Christmas Postcards
I hope you have enjoyed my collection of postcards this past year. Postcards that could be found anywhere!  Next year, I am going back to posting cards from unique places. Happy Boxing Day!!

Christmas Ornaments

My friend Pam made this Nancy Drew Ornament for me!

I bought these tatted ornaments in Virginia at a craft fair

My friend, Lea gave me this Sherlock Holmes Ornament. 

I bought this ornament at a Craft Show in Bothell, WA. It represents Ryan on my tree

This ornament is made from Grits! I got it in Georgia when Ryan was doing the AT in 2015

This little beauty came from Maine in 2015

Another state represented from Ryan's 2015 AT Thru Hike I got this covered bridge ornament in New Hampshire

This is a Lilliput Lane ornament. My mom collected these little houses and my sister and I got rid of the collection, but I kept this little ornament to put on my Christmas tree to remind me of my mom. 

Monday's Postcard 2016: Quotes

Bookstores are always great places to find really great postcards. I love the photography and the quotes on these two.

Monday's Postcard 2016: Antique Floral

Some more postcards from the vintage area of my collection. Antique Malls are great places to find cards like these and many times they can be found blank, so you can mail them yourself!

Monday's Postcard 2016: Totoro

These postcards are from a Japanese cartoon, My Neighbor Totoro. or My Friend Totoro. If you have not seen the cartoon, it is worth checking out!

November 2016 Reading

Under the Stars by Dan White (library) The History of Camping in America, I really enjoyed it, the author also wrote a book about his hike on the PCT called Cactus Eaters.
Here Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn (library) About a family in Jamaica, a woman works at a fancy resort to try to raise the money to send her sister to school so she can have an education and rise out of the poverty that they live in.
I'll Have What She's Having by Daniel Kimmel (library) the stories behind the best romantic comedies. I really enjoyed this one!! But then I love hearing about the movie business.
Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas loved it it is a quilting story, so my quilting friends, Kathy Woods, Diane Steele, Suzi Robertshaw might like this one.
Night Road by Kristin Hannah (library) Local PNW author and this book is set in the Seattle area. It concerns family drama and was a bit depressing. I read it during the whole election time, so I might have been a bit depressed and was not in the mood to enjoy this. I will try some more books by this author.
The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene Nancy Drew travels to Turkey! George bullies Bess about her weight (getting a little tired of that)
Leaving Home by Jodi Picoult (audiobook)  3 short stories about leaving home.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (library) soon to be a movie. About the black female mathematicians that worked for NASA and contributed to the race for the moon.
Part of the Furniture by Mary Wesley (library) Set during WWII in England during the bombings in London, a young girl takes refuge in a house and it changes her life. I enjoyed it, but not the ending so much, it was a little abrupt. Nags at me still.
Knitting Pearls ed. by Ann Hood (library) I have read so much about quilting lately, This is a book of short stories that revolve around knitting. Some great authors in here, including Diana Gabaldon and Jodi Picoult.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (library) rereading this one because it is so funny, sometimes you just want a laugh
The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale (library) about a Victorian Child Murderer who murdered his mother. It was very interesting. The good stuff is the aftermath of the whole thing.
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult (audiobook) I have read this one before, but really enjoy my audiobooks in the car
The Making of Outlander by Tara Bennett (libarry) Really a big coffee table style picture book about the making of the Outlander TV series on Starz. Lots of great behind the scenes interviews and information and great photos too.
The Night Manager by John LeCarre (library). Spy thriller made into a great mini series on AMC.

Monday's Postcard 2016: Mary Engelbreit

I am a big fan of Mary Engelbreit's Bright and Happy Style, so I send and receive postcards like these all the time.

Monday's Postcard 2016: My Dogs are Barking!

In Antique Malls, it is very easy to find comic military themed postcards. These touch on all the marching and what not that the new recruits would have to do. I emphasize after going hiking with my boyfriend, Ryan!!