Saturdays in the Garden | New Year's Eve

OUTSIDE

It's turned into a beautiful sunny New Year's Eve afternoon.  Besides taking a walk with the dogs this morning, I haven't really stepped outside choosing instead to re-organize, clean and clean-out my closet.  Not fun really but satisfying.

It's satisfying because we're headed into winter where the cold temperatures and the high potential for snow and ice will keep me indoors a lot.  I've made some purchases lately to help being outside during winter be less unpleasant (yaktrax, balaclava, a day-glo yellow winter cap with a built in light, comfortable long-underwear).  I want to make a real effort to get outdoors more this winter for my and the dogs' sake,  Still.  There will be lots of indoor time.

A lovely early winter morning at the dog park.

Having a clean, tidy house is one way to make being indoors more pleasant.  Another thing that helps get me through the winter is planning my garden and surrounding myself with indoor plants.  Seed catalog season is fully upon us and all my favorites for 2017 have arrived.  I've also splurged on two new plant members of the household - a gardenia, a jasmine and bonus a narcissus bulb gifted from a friend.  They help make January and February more bearable!

GAK

I am one of those people, who places significance in the turnover of the year.  I don't know why as I'm not sure I have ever made some major life change that originated at the new year but at the least it seems like a convenient and appropriate time to take stock of where you are and how you'd like to move forward.  Rather than shove all of that rumination into this weekend, I think I am going to carry this through the month of January.

One way I am doing this, which also relates to the above, is that I've signed up for the Hibernate workshop put on by Heather at Beauty that Moves.  I took her Freezer Cooking class last year and it was excellent and I've been intrigued by the hibernate workshop ever since I noticed it. As I indicate above - I need help getting through winter.  It's a 4 week online workshop starting January 16th.  It involves some sewing and knitting, both of which I have zero to little experience in so it might get interesting! Hopefully I'll pick up at least one new hobby as both seem like such useful skills!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

After the success of Voltron, I stumbled upon a Japanese anime title on Netflix - Inuyasha.  It's been a fun little diversion but don't know if it will remain so for much longer.  It's getting a little frustrating and repetitive at halfway through season 2 and I just discovered that although Netflix only has these two seasons there are actually 3 or 4 more seasons and a total of like 160ish episodes. Do I care enough to seek out the other eps?  The one really good thing about it is that because it is subtitled I have to focus on it and can't multi-task which drives me crazy but is likely healthier for my brain : ).

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

I've officially polished off 117 books as of today, surpassing my Goodreads goal by 2 books: ).  I may, if I can find the time, polish off A Plain Malice and start fresh in the New Year! 

• The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (Peter Wimsey #5) by Dorothy L. Sayers:  Slowly making my way through this series of mysteries.  This one is very interesting!
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe:  A classic African novel about the downfall of a man and  his culture.
• Armada by Ernie Cline: I listened to Wil Wheaton read this one and it was fab!  Definitely a more gamer oriented book even then Ready Player One but still a lot of fun for this non-gamer.

Currently Reading:

• A Plain Malice (Appleseed Creek #4) by Amanda Flower:  I've been kind of obsessed with this Amish country mystery series and this is the last book in the series:(.    

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee:  I've seen this book lauded many places but didn't record what/who tipped it onto my TBR!  A science fiction debut novel.
• The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima: I didn't record who recommended this either but I'm pretty sure it was Kaja at Of Dragons and Hearts.  *Runs off to check* Yup that's the place.  She indicated that this was one of the best YA Fantasy series she's read in a while!
• Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain:  A historically written memoir from a nurse in World War I.  It sounds fascinating and I'd never even heard about it  - thanks to The Book Stop for bringing it to my attention!
• The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood: This was one of Mogsy at the Bibliosanctum's favorite debut authored books for 2016.  It has dragons.  Need I say more?
• The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins:  Ditto the recommender from above!  This looks like a rather more thoughtful and interesting book involving Irish folklore.
• Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde:  A historic, romance with a diverse set of characters that made Reading Reality's top ten of the year list.  There's a dog on the cover.
• Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend: This book made 500 Books top of the year list and she describes it as a quiet book focusing on women's life after 40 and a lifelong female friendship.  Sounds lovely to me.

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

MONDAY: I Watch Too Much TV | 2016 Edition - The shows I was obsessed with this year.
TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books I Read in 2016
FRIDAY: Celebrating my Book Series Addiction: 2016 - My favorite books series I read this year.

Lots of lists  - I have one more 2016 wrap-up list I'd like to post (hopefully tonight) and then call 2016 done.

Let your Freak Flag Fly:)! It's like he started to get off the couch but then got sleepy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!