How was your week? Once again, this one flew by and this week, and I suspect that the remaining weeks of 2010 will fly by just as fast. This week made me smile and smile as I accomplished a lot. I finished (5) books, but (2) were quick reads-- childrens books. I read: By Nightfall; Michael Cunningham; Dance, Dance, Dance; Murakami
(if you like Murakami and audio books you MUST listen to this one). I liked it so much that I am now listening to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
, also by this author (audio version as well). The reader is Rupert Degas and he is FABULOUS!I also read, The Forgotten Garden; Kate Morton
(last book for my Gothic Reading Challenge) - review coming. I liked it, but did not love it, and the kids books were: I Love Christmas; Anna Walker
and Llama, Llama Holiday Drama
; Dewdney....both kids books were very cute.This week's reading plans---- I'm off Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat. and Sunday, so I at least hope to read/finish (5) books this week. Bury Your Dead
; Louise Penny; Moonflower Vine
; Jetta Carlson; A Northern Light
; Jennifer Donnelly and a few other really cute kids holiday books that I plan to blog about as well.Do you have any specific reading plans for the coming week?
Thanksgiving is often a sad time for some people, so to those of you who find the holidays difficult, my thoughts are with you. I have been there.
I always use to host Thanksgiving for all my family when my children were small. There were usually about (15) of us. Things change though, and when my parents died, a year apart, I then began to dislike the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Everything changed after that and soon, we my brothers and spouses began doing their own thing and we started a new tradition as well. You see, my parents were the glue, that seemed to keep us all close.
Change and new traditions are not always easy, but we all have to remember it's ALL about giving thanks--not only for what we have, but for what we had!
This Thanksgiving, not only are my parents gone, but both of my brothers have passed away as well. My nephews and niece have family of their own, with in-laws etc to consider, so this year at our holiday table there will be just (6) of us. It is also easier --my daughter-in law makes all the dessert, my daughter buys a birthday cake to celebrate my son's birthday, which is always around Thanksgiving, and I just have to cook the bird and side dishes. I am already thinking of the leftovers --often the best part! I lost 2 more lbs last week, so this Thanksgiving I don't plan to pig-out, but I will be eating whatever I want --just smaller portions.
May your week be perfect for ALL of you whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not!
I'm not a fan of turkey or a lot of the side dishes but I love the smell of the house when it's all cooking. Maybe it just says family to me. But I do enjoy the leftovers--then you get to eat only the things you like! Hope you have a wonder holiday with your family!
ReplyDeleteI have no plans for Thanksgiving but I know I'd be spending it alone in my Penang apartment this coming week.
ReplyDeleteI like Murakami and definitely want to read Michael Cunningham's book too.
A happy thanksgiving to you too. I agree the festivals change. this year one daughter is married and will be having her own celebrations, one daughter cannot get away from Melbourne to come home so its only our son who is returning home for Christmas. Its going to be rather different.
ReplyDeleteWe're used to small Thanksgiving celebrations since we've only lived close to family for a few years, and until recently, Carl always worked every holiday. Our Thanksgiving will be quiet again this year - the three of us and our nephew.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a Murakami in a few years. I think the last was Kafka on the Shore. I need to pick him up again.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your thoughts on Moonflower Vine and A Northern Light. Both books have been in the back of my mind for a while.
My reading plan this week is to finish the 7th Harry Potter book, which I started last night.
And I'm with you on the leftovers. They're my favorite part, too!
I'm with Lisa as I just love all of the smells that come along with holiday cooking. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family as well as fitting in a little bit of reading :) Now if only my house would clean itself. Hope you have a wonderful week and Happy Thanksgiving!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have people to share the load of cooking! I agree Thanksgiving invariably makes you think of holidays past, which can be bittersweet. I actually don't like it anymore for that reason, although I love the food part!
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts about the way holiday celebrations can change over the years resonated with me. We have lost a number of family members, and this year our table will be smaller than ever. My daughter also started college this year, so she is not around for the buildup to the holiday which, for me, is often more enjoyable than the holiday itself.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, we have much to be thankful for and I am grateful.
On another note, I am eagerly awaiting your review of The Forgotten Garden :)
I know what you mean about the "parents being the glue to hold the family together"
ReplyDeleteMy husband just lost his last parent (his Dad) on Nov 4th....he had been ill for quite some time and we have noticed the extended family begin to move further away.
I told my husband I have a feeling that this Thanksgiving will be the last one where we will all be together...then I think it will be on to creating new traditions and new memories...
Congrats on your weight loss! How are you doing it? As you know I am in Weight Watchers and have lost 12 and a half pounds since Oct 2....I am ready for Thanksgiving and think I have it under control!
Have a nice Thanksgiving!
I'll have to try the audio of Murakami for the Wind Up Bird Chronicle which has been sitting half read on my desk for about a year. I think I'd prefer to have it read to me :) Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. For many years, I dreaded the holiday. Like you, families lost members and the "glue" had disappeared.
ReplyDeleteBut after my daughter married, her in-laws invited me, along with her and her husband to their home. It was wonderful! So this has been my tradition for the past few years.
My daughter and her husband do all the cooking after we arrive, so we get to experience the scent of the holiday....
Have a wonderful season!
Here's my salon:
http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/the-sunday-salon-nov-21/
Keep dropping those pounds, Diane! I'm afraid I'm going to gain some as the holidays just inspire me to overindulge.
ReplyDeleteI don't celebrate Thanksgiving as I live in the UK, but I hope that you enjoy yourself, despite the smaller gathering.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could spend the coming Thanksgiving weekend reading but I don't think I will have any time. It's the perfect time to settle down and read!
ReplyDelete"Change and new traditions are not always easy, but we all have to remember it's ALL about giving thanks--not only for what we have, but for what we had!"
ReplyDeleteWell said.. and so true! Happy Thanksgiving, Diane.
Wow, you are sure getting a lot of reading done. Now with the new puppy my reading time is only when he is napping. lol.
ReplyDeleteI can relate with you on the holidays. The same thing has happened with our family and now it's only the 4 of us and Sammy now too. It's sad but I guess times change. I hope you'll still have a good Thanksgiving with your family.
We are spending Thanksgiving just the two of us here this year so we can take more time off at Christmas since that will be a hard one for me this year. My boyfriend doesn't like turkey so we are making lobster :) Very traditional!
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like you had a productive week, Diane! Time sure is flying by these days. My reading has slowed down some, but I hope to remedy that soon. Maybe with a four day weekend coming up, I can sneak in a little extra reading.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving! It sounds like you have a nice one planned. My husband and I have celebrated with just the two of us the last few years--families are too far away and hubby always has to work the day after so traveling is out of the question. We make the most of it and enjoy every second.
Oh that is so true about the holidays being hard especially for someone like me that is alone and it just isn't any fun to go be with other families.BUT, I am a happy camper in that I have so many animals and a good friend that I enjoy and she is along too, so we are eating pumpkin pie together. What could be better. I have tons to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting our blog.
As I've gotten older, my father has passed away, and the dynamics of my family have changed, so did the Thanksgiving meal, so I understand your feelings. Now, Thanksgiving is at my home, with a very small group of family, but I am thankful for the family I can spend it with! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteP.S. You are the first person to use "like" next to The Forgotten Garden. I look forward to reading your review. A friend of mine told me I HAVE to read it! :-)
It's too bad that you didn't like "The Forgotten Garden". I still have mine sitting on the TBR shelf unread, so I'll look for your review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog! I also love to read...I have read the book by Kate Morgan (disturbing) and I look forward to your reviews.
ReplyDeleteI just finished Louise Penny's latest in the Inspector Gamache series, and am currently reading The Jungle Book by Kipling. Marvellous!
I've been keeping an eye out for reviews of The Forgotten Garden, hoping it would be stellar, so I was a little sad to see that it was just a good read for you and not a great one.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you for stopping by Mario's blog. This is Mario's mom - I just had to make a comment on your blog regarding Thanksgiving. Things do change when the parents pass on - that has happened to us too. We were so used to having the holidays with 25 to 30 people. Now for Christmas it's just our daughter & her husband. So quiet compared to how I grew up. Things change and I guess we have to change with them, but I do miss those major holidays with lots of people around. Hope you enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteThis holiday will be a bit blue for me with my oldest son so far from home. I hope you get all that reading done and that the bird turns out beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right ... this time of year can be very bittersweet when you start to lose those familiar faces who have always been around the table. The key, I think, is to focus on what you still have and learn some new traditions. I remember how hard it was the first year after my mother-in-law passed; we were all at a loss about what to do for Thanksgiving and I don't think we've really figured it out since then.
ReplyDeleteWe will have a small and quiet Thanksgiving - just my hubby, my brother, and I. But, we plan on having turkey and all the trimmings and I'm sure we will all stuff ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a nice holiday.
I'm impressed that you read 5 books last week! I'm happy with 2 but would love to read more. This will be the first Thanksgiving without my grandmother and uncle who recently passed away. I like your thoughts about being thankful for we we had as well as we have. Thanks for that reminder.
ReplyDeleteYep, this holiday is a bit sad for me, I'll tell you about it on my post tomorrow. This should be a special Thanksgiving for our family though, but that is Tuesday's post. Tells you what I've got planned...busy blogging!!!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but I hope you have a good one.
ReplyDeleteWow, 5 books in one week is great! And you still did not tell me HOW you lost so much :)
I completely understand your ambivalence about going through the "holiday change". We used to have very large holidays (30+ family members) but now we are all spread out and have families and it's fun to have our new traditions but sad to have moved on from the old ones. My mom is still having trouble with the fact that everyone can't get together in one place any more.
ReplyDeleteWe typically have Thanksgiving lunch around 1:00 and then a leftover sandwich around 8:00. Because things are changing in our household as well, we will not have the main dinner until 7:00 so that my son can celebrate with his girlfriend's family at lunch time. When I told the family the new plan they all complained that we would miss out on the sandwiches!!
ReplyDeleteSo, I am fixing one bird in the morning to have sandwiches at noon - and then another bird to have as the main meal. Who knew leftovers were so popular??
I hope this is a pleasant Thanksgiving for you and your family, Diane!
I am sorry to hear that Thanksgiving is such a tough time for you. I can understand your feelings and I hope that this year your Thanksgiving is a time of peace and renewal for yourself and your family.
ReplyDeleteWhile the holiday can be bittersweet I am glad you have found a way to be thankful and start new traditions. I hope you enjoy a wonderful day with the 6 that you will have around your table!
ReplyDeleteAging parents, children in college, nieces and nephews married and spreading out - it just becomes harder and harder to plan family get-togethers. Good for you for starting a "new tradition". Even when you can't do things the same as in the past - it's time with loved ones that really matters.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to continuing to read Girl with A dragon tattoo. I'm hoping to get a few hours after Turkey time to put my feet up and do just that.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving.
ReplyDelete