Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (left to right):

• Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet by S. O'Leary and J. Grant - from Random House for book tour
• Adventurers Against Their Will by Joanie Holzer Schirm and 
• The Plots Against Hitler by Danny Orbach - both purchased and both WWII
• The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson - from HarperCollins for review
• Ten Kisses to Scandal by Vivienne Lorret - from Avon Books for review

The two WWII books were bought on a whim because The National WWII Museum had a sale for Black Friday. I have no excuse other than my love of reading anything and everything about WWII.

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
• Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets by Sara O'Leary and Jacob Grant

Currently reading:

• A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle

Yep, just one book going, at the moment. I wouldn't say I'm in a reading slump, but I'm reading awfully slowly and not as many pages per day as I normally do. My new addiction to The Hallmark Channel may be partially to blame. I keep staying up later than normal, watching gushy romantic movies. I love them. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy (book review)
• Cupidity by Patricia Wood (book review)
• Fiona Friday: Fiona's grumpy Christmas portrait (cat photo)

In other news:

While I'm still watching a gazillion Hallmark movies, Husband is "all Hallmarked out," so I've lost my movie buddy. Bummer. Honestly, I'm surprised I've lasted as long as I have. My tolerance for cheesy movies is normally pretty low and the duplication of the same elements is . . . just, wow. There's always a dead parent. Always. If someone lies, the other person is going to say, "The only thing I can't stand is dishonesty" (future Black Moment, you have just shown your hand). And, if there's already a boyfriend or girlfriend in the picture, he or she will be so clearly wrong for our hero or heroine that we are almost obliged to shout, "He's not right for you!" from the sofa. Seriously, they are so much fun to watch, those Hallmark movies. So far, my all-time favorite is The Nine Lives of Christmas because cats. Of course.

Holiday decorating is going slowly, but I got the mantel finished. My holiday mantel decorations are never the same, two years in a row. That's mostly because I forget what I've done (and often can't find the decorations used last year, even if I remember) but this year Target gave me my idea when I came across their little bottle-brush trees: $3 for the large ones; $1 for the small size. I made a little forest of those colorful trees at one end of the mantel and found a light-up house to put at the other. I got a little car with a tree on top and trailer (ornaments, technically, but they fit together) and put them about 1/3 of the way down from the house. So, the mantel tells a story:

The Schwarz family (because the house is from F. A. O. Schwarz) went to Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving. They took their trailer because Grandma and Grandpa only have one spare room. The kids stayed in the trailer, of course, since it feels more like an adventure. On the way home, the Schwarzes stopped at the tree farm (at left) and the display on the mantel shows them about to arrive home (on the right). 

Because what's the point of decorating if it's not entertaining, right?

The pinkish tinge is caused by some funky lightbulbs Huzzybuns bought. He's having fun entertaining himself, too.


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