Am I back?

 It's been over a year since I last updated here. I came pretty close to just deleting everything and giving up entirely. I'm glad I didn't, because I feel like I'm ready to start back up. Like me, it'll be eclectic and quirky. Book reviews, recipes that I like, musings, school...basically whatever I feel like.

To start, I've started my eleventh year of teaching. It's my ninth year in 4th grade. My group this year is made up of really nice kids. Chatty, but nice. They're adjusting to being back in school, and I'm adjusting to being with people all day long. We've come up with some systems to curtail the chatting when it's inappropriate, and I think we'll be successful. So far, I've noticed that they WANT to learn. That's half the battle right there. We're going to have a great year!

Working my way backwards, at the end of July, I went to Disneyland with my brother Lynn and his family, and my youngest sister Shelley. We were supposed to go as an entire family last Christmas, but our flight got canceled because of thick fog. We rescheduled for July, but things didn't work out then either. We ended up having to split. We still had a fantastic time though, and I was so happy to get to spend time with my siblings, niece, and nephews. It was so much fun! The rest of the family is going at the beginning of November, and GUESS WHO IS GOING WITH THEM. Yep, me. I'm going again! I can't wait! I love Disneyland.

Going further back, on the last day of school in May, I took off right from school and headed to the airport. I was supposed to be flying to Denver, then Frankfurt, and then PARIS!! After 24 years, I was finally headed back to my beloved France. Things didn't work out with that flight, and it got canceled because of bad weather in Denver. UGH!!! When I finally got to Denver several hours late, I'd missed my connection to Frankfurt, meaning I wasn't going to get to Paris as scheduled. I spent the night in Denver, then flew to Washington DC, then on to Paris. I got there a day late, but I got there! I immediately acclimated back into French life. It was just as I remembered it, just as beloved. I was so happy to be there!

I got to do some of the things that I'd done as a missionary, plus some things I didn't get to do. I loved revisiting the Louvre, Notre Dame (under construction because of the fire, but they have bleachers set up outside where you can sit and watch), Sainte Chappelle, the Conciergerie, Sacre Coeur, Place du Tertre, and walking along the banks of the Seine to visit the bouquinistes. I had my favorite crepe (sucre citron) at my favorite creperie (I don't know what it's called, but I can tell you where it is), a delicious quiche near the Eiffel Tower, and pastries. Oh, the pastries! No one does pastry like the French.

I got to do some new things! As a missionary, I didn't get to go up the Eiffel Tower. We just walked around the area. This time, I went up! The very top was closed due to mechanical issues, but we went up to the middle stage. It was incredible! The views are spectacular. I was surprised that it was so windy, because it hadn't been on the ground. It makes sense though, because it's still very high up, even though it's not clear to the top. Air currents would be different up there. I loved walking around and looking at Paris from so many different angles. I loved seeing landmarks that I know so well.

I was brave and visited the catacombs! The catacombs are tunnels deep under Paris that go for miles. They're lined with the bones of thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands. Centuries ago, the graveyards were overflowing and there was nowhere to bury the newly deceased. The answer was to exhume all the bodies and rebury them in the catacombs. The tunnels already existed, so it was just a matter of transporting the bones and organize them. There are bones that are hundreds of years old. It's creepy and eerie, but also fascinating. They line the walls and are even fashioned into designs. There are message placards all along the way, telling where and when the bones came from. I learned that back in the 1800s, they used to hold concerts down there! They'd bring an entire orchestra down and play creepy music. That's hardcore!

I finally got to go to the Musee D'Orsay. It's the museum I was on my way to when I blew my knee on my mission. That derailed everything. I was so happy to be there! I started at the top with the Impressionists. So. Many. Masterpieces. It was glorious! I saw paintings that I've admired my entire life, paintings I'd never seen before, and the best part, my favorite painting in the entire world: Coquelicots by Claude Monet. I stood in front of it for probably 15 minutes just weeping with joy. Honestly, it was transcendent for me. I also got to see Olympia by Edouard Manet. There was a huge long line to get into the exhibit, but I got to bypass the line because of my cane (If I'm going to be walking or standing for long periods of time, I have to use a cane due to fibromyalgia). I wasn't going to turn that opportunity down!

There's more to the trip than Paris, and I'll get to that in another post. This was truly the best summer of my life. I can't believe it all actually happened. It seems like more of a dream than anything. Now I'd like to go back and just soak it all in.

As I go along, I'll try to be more consistent with posting.

Rubbish. That's me.

 At one point, I determined that THIS would be the year that I blogged consistently. Yeah, nope. This year has been HARD. There have been times where I wasn't sure I was going to continue doing anything, really. I've been exhausted, burned out, and still struggling with some pretty big health issues since my surgery last November. (Did I tell you that I had surgery? I can't remember. I had surgery in November and I'm STILL NOT WELL. Enough already.) Sometimes, we want to do way more than we're able, and that's where I'm at. I'd love to review all the books. I'd love to promote all the authors. I just can't right now because I'm hanging on by a very skinny thread that feels like it's going to break at any moment. So I guess I'm saying goodbye for now. I have hopes of reviving this at a later date, but no promises.

2022 Reading Challenge

I saw a fun reading challenge over on Instagram, so I decided to play along too. This challenge is hosted by KJ’s Book Nook.

I haven’t worked out which books I’ll be reading for each prompt, but stay tuned! My goal will be to review each book I read for this challenge. I’ll tag them as 2022 Reading Challenge. Feel free to visit KJ’s Book Nook to join in! 

Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY! Heart in the Highlands by Heidi Kimball

I'm so excited to help promote this amazing book! Heidi Kimball has done it again and produced one of my favorite books of 2021!  Heart in the Highlands is an absolutely stunning tale of love and forgiveness. I was swept up in this story and loved every bit. I loved how the Katie and Callum grew as it progressed and how they became stronger and better. Their joy was as real so me as their pain. They were the kind of characters who jump off the pages and fill the room with their big personalities. There was clearly a great deal of research that went into the setting. I felt like I was there. I've never been to Scotland, but I want to, and this was a lovely taste of what it would be like. It was so alive and real to me. Just gorgeous. Be ready to laugh, cry, scream, throw things, pick those things back up and apologize for throwing them, swoon, sigh, ugly cry, etc, etc. So many feelings happening in this book. It's a must-read! This is the kind of book that I want to start again the second I finish. Definitely a winner for me! I’m hoping for more books from Heidi soon! I’ll read anything she writes. You can too, if you enter the giveaway for a paperback copy (US addresses only)! Don't hesitate on this. Jump on the Rafflecopter and enter now! It's worth it. As for me, I'm buying a paperback copy for myself, even though I have my electronic review copy. This is one of those books that deserves multiple formats. I loved it that much! Rafflecopter Giveaway This book is available now from your favorite retailer! Mine happens to be Amazon. Click HERE to visit and purchase! *I received a review copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required.*

Book Review: An Unlikely Pair by Traci Hunter Abramson

Goodreads synopsis: “After a family tragedy, aspiring ballerina Amaliya Marcell is adrift. When she is forced to leave behind everything she knows, the lost young woman struggles to build a new life in an unfamiliar city. But when she meets a handsome world-class figure skater, she finds a glimmer of hope.

After his sister’s unexpected retirement from figure skating, Tyler Linden is devastated to give up his shot at the US national championships. His only hope is to find a new partner, a task that proves nearly impossible—until he observes a beautiful young woman at the local ice rink.

Struck by her grace and poise, Tyler takes an unthinkable risk and asks Amaliya to become his new partner. To both of their surprise, she agrees. The path to the championship won’t be easy, but Amaliya and Tyler quickly establish a solid partnership and a profound connection—both on and off the ice. But competition at the championships is fierce, and when the time comes, they will be forced to put everything on the line if they hope to achieve their dreams.”

This was my first book by Traci Hunter Abramson, but it certainly won’t be my last! I was a little hesitant at first, because semi-historical fiction really isn’t my thing. However, once I got a few chapters in, I was HOOKED. I loved the slow burn between Tyler and Amaliya, and I loved their friendship. 

Photo from Goodreads

I enjoyed the chapters with Amaliya’s parents too. I need to read the prequel novella (Dancing to Freedom) for more on them. Their story sounds very sweet! I remember hearing about Russian people defecting back in the 80s, so this story sounds intriguing.

I think my favorite part, though, was the skating. I never miss figure skating when the Olympics are on and this really brought that thrill with it! It had tension, anticipation, and exhilaration. Really a great book. I’m definitely invested in this series! The next book can’t come out soon enough for me.

This is a sweet romance with no objectionable content. The book releases on June 7.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.