What's on my nightstand, so to speak

Y'all remember that I was sick with the head, chest, coughing virus thing for damn near FOUR WEEKS? Do you further remember that the meds and the coughing made it impossible to sleep?  How to while away the hours while the rest of the house slept was my dilemma.

Kindle to the rescue!


Oh, how I love my Kindle.  I love me some regular hardbound books, don't get me wrong.  I hold the written word in very high esteem.

So, I have been reading.  A lot.  I finally forced myself to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.  I had tried and tried to start the first one, but it just wasn't striking my fancy.  Then finally, it did.

It's a crying shame that they were published posthumously.  I am sure he might have had a couple more good books in him.

Then I read this:

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but thank you to whomever it was.  This was a really interesting read.  And then . . . .  at the end?

There's a conversation with the author and he goes into great detail about how this was one of those novels based on his very own personal family tree.  I really enjoy those historically accurate novels where you start out based in truth and then fill in the blanks with what you think would make a great story.

After that came this one:

Ok, now this book was recommended to me twice.  And when I read the little synopsis, I was immediately leary.  I thought it would be different than what it turned out to be.  So I did what any good Kindle owner would do, I got the free sample chapters to try it out.

Yea for the sample chapters!!

If they can hook you in the first couple of chapters, you are good.  If not, you've only wasted a little time and no money.

Back to Room.  This book was so clever, so intriguing and so gripping I don't even know how the author came up with this.  It does come to some good resolutions, but not so cute and "happily ever after" in a smarmy non-realistic way.

These were both really good books and I can recommend them.  After the dark subject matter of these I decided to go with a more light-hearted read and am currently reading a new Maeve Binchy.  More on it when I finish.

Oh!!  And totally off the subject of books, I got myself a new phone this weekend.  Yea!  I still like my old phone, but it was dying.  Is anyone else irritate that phones seem to be made to last 12 to 18 months while your contract is designed for 24 months?  And then you have to baby your phone along to get to the 24 month?  I am trying to get the hang of the new phone and find all new ringtones and Caller Tunes (as T-Mobile calls them).

In a couple of days it will be April Fools Day.  And that signals the beginning of all sorts of festivities around here!  Spring, wildflower sightings, Fiesta , Poteet Strawberry Festival , Easter, Earth Day , not to mention the NBA PLAYOFFS!!!  Time for our beloved Spurs to rally.  Yea!

Yep, April is a great month.  I swear to you there are at least 2 or 3 things you can find here to do every single day.  Most of them free.  If you are bored, it's because you want to be.

Every few years I update my inventory.  I do a complete inventory of everything in the house.  We have had to do this in the past because of all the international moving we did and keeping the inventory was a chore I took on and if we made a big purchase I would try to take care of entering the item right away from the invoice.  But sadly, since we have been planted for almost 6 years I have neglected my inventory.  So along with the spring cleaning mentality I get the "let's clean up the inventory list" fever. And that is my goal for the rest of this week, to work on the inventory.  Isn't that exciting?  Don't you wish you led the glamourous life I lead?  Real Housewives of SA, here I come!  Heh.

Enjoy your day.  

A little Provence in Texas

Check this out:  Lavenderfest  is quickly approaching!  Woot!  This is one of my favorite events and I am really looking forward to it.  This is not too far a drive to go up for the day and back.

Can you smell it already?  They have free tours of the lavender farms, there are lots of speakers telling you how to grow lavender organically and music. And stuff for sale!  Lavender soaps, lotions, lip balms, honey, teas, pot pourri, lavender sachets, plants, pretty much anything lavender infused.  Here are my two favorite items:  Frozen Blueberry lavender lemonade (omg!!!) and bottles of lavender margarita mix.  What do you think of that?  That frozen blueberry lavender lemonade will rock your world, I guarantee it.

My very own lavender bushes in my front flower beds are from this festival two years ago.  They are growing well and are about to flower for the first time.  I am so excited about that!  Love, love the lavender.

Raindrops on Roses

and whiskers on kittens.

Here is what I saw today when I was out and about in between rain showers.  Firstly, I smelled these roses and then I realized they were ROSES!  There were two huge round shrubby things as tall as I am and I did not recognize them as roses right off the bat.  I didn't have my camera with me and had to make do with my phone.  And I really tried to show the beauty of the glistening raindrops on the petals and the leaves.  I swear to you it was like the bush was sprinkled with little diamonds.  That's how much shining and glistening was going on.  Here are the photos!  Enjoy.

Spectacular!  That's all I can say about those.  I sure wish you were all here to smell them.  It was a joy to behold.

And since I mentioned the whiskers on kittens:

There is Little Lester Buster on top and then his brother Stanley Manley below.  Such charming, handsome boys.  And I don't think Lester looks a thing like Hitler.

One of Jonathon's friends came over one time and took one look at Lester Buster and said "That cat looks just like Hitler".  Rachel Pie's friend who was here says "There is a website about that".  I was so bumfuzzled.  First off that anyone would think my snuggle bunny Lester looked like Hitler and that there was a website devoted to cats that look like Hitler.  It is Cats that look like Hitler  So I go there every now and again and scope out all the cute "Kitlers".  Mr. Big Ed thinks we should enter Lester Buster and  have him win.  I don't think that would be a good think to win, myself.

Another cute cat website I found is this one  It is cats that look like Wilford Brimley.  Ha!