Random Book Club: A Week in Winter

Stone House is the west of Ireland home of three elderly ladies until hometown girl, Chicky Starr, returns to Stoneybridge and buys the house to turn it into a hotel. The townsfolk think she is crazy because it is not a great tourist area and they expect her to fail. This book follows the stories of the guest from the opening week. Each guest has a problem or a tragedy in their lives and most of them are sorted out amid the bucolic countryside and Atlantic waves that crash on the shore near Stone House. An easy, absorbing "listen" focused on memorable characters and their modern day dilemmas around love, family, friends and work. Maeve Binchy makes you care about each of them and her simple style of writing means your not distracted from their stories. She writes better about community and forgiveness than any other author I know and with humor that is Irish through and through.

The world has lost a great author, this is Maeve's last novel, completed just before her death. 

Have you read A Week in Winter? Any memorable scenes? Did you relate to any of the characters? 

Stranger 3/100 Rock

Stranger 3/100 Rock, a photo by DiPics on Flickr.

Sunday my family went to Rombach Farms pumpkin patch. While my son, daughter and I picked our pumpkins in short order, my husband was still undecided, and continued to look for that elusive perfect carving pumpkin. His pumpkin hunt brings to mind a certain Halloween classic, doesn't it?

While hubby was in search of the great pumpkin, I zeroed in on this fellow as he was restocking pumpkins off of a flatbed farm truck. I asked him if he was a Rombach, he replied, no, he wasn't one, but he had married the only girl. I then asked if I could take his picture for my 100 stranger Flickr group, and he wasn't so sure--I reassured him my intent was to take photo's of people I didn't know, not "strange" people. This brought a chorus of laughter from the other workers up on the farm truck. He allowed the photo's, and when I asked his name, he simply replied Rock. So, stranger number 3 is Rock of Rombach Farms.

www.rombachsfarm.com/



This picture is #3 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page

Rock, stranger, no let's say, new friend number 3, restocking the inventory.

Rock taking some good natured ribbing from the photo shoot.

My crew, on the annual hunt.

Yes!

Bonnie and Clyde made their annual appearance.

Still on the hunt.

KEEP OFF means....??

Now these are some Great Pumpkins.

I can't tell you how long he looked, but I can tell you I took most of my photo's while he was in search of the  Great Pumpkin. Too much Charlie Brown as a kid, oh Linus....

My selection, it smelled just like watermelon when I carved into it.

A mountain of pumpkins, it looks like a large lumpy piece of candy corn, doesn't it?

Time to head home for some pumpkin carving.

Time Management Pie Chart

Time Management Pie Chart

Maybe it's a gender thing, while I feel compelled to check-in on facebook, my husband resents the time I spend on social media, pinning, liking and sharing. For me, sites like Pinterest, Flickr, and facebook allow me to connect with others who share my interest (Flickr), catalog my interest (Pinterest) and stay in touch with family and friends (facebook). 

My husband would agree on this timepiece, you can check it out here Time Management Pie Chart .

What do you think? Has your significant other threatened to unplug your online time?

Dockside

We are recently back from a much too short visit to my cousin's home in Tennessee. Hubby and I spent a delightful Memorial weekend visiting and getting to know my cousin and her husband. They absolutely spoiled us. Thanks to Facebook we were able to connect and get to know one another--Cindy and I share so much in common and our hubby's connected as well! Can't wait to host them at our home come July. I think our mother's would be so happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!, a photo by DiPics on Flickr.

Our Thanksgiving card created in Picnik, a free online photo editing site. If you haven't tried Picnik, put it on your To Do list now.

My Autumn Table

Warm whites and autumnal hues, perfect for a fall day.

I've packed away Halloween and turned my decorating attention to Thanksgiving. The amber glassware is Madrid and we've inherited 4 divided plates, 4 saucers and 2 platters from hubby's Italian grandma. The amber is perfect for fall and I love layering them with my Italian Countryside dinnerware. Being that grandma was Italian, I'd think she'd agree. 

The tablecloth is a new buy from Walmart's BHG line, cheap and gorgeous! A few years ago I painted the chairs and table pedestal a chartreuse green and still love the color. The woven chargers were an end of the season clearance at my local grocery store, so much cheaper then PB's!  

Link Parties

A Stroll Through Life: 138th Table Top Tuesday