Reading, Writing, Working, Playing

Dolly All the Time, Boudica, Paris Apartment, and so much more!

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:17:58 -0600

What's the difference between Fall and Autumn? Nothing, except how they are spelled!

Like just about everyone else, I love Fall and it is in full swing finally in Colorado, with cooler nights, some rain, and gorgeous golden trees, with a few reds, like my burning bush.

I'm bringing in the geraniums and begonias from the back deck to their home in my office where they will winter. Snow on the mountains this morning, frost on the agenda for tonight. Love it!

Here's what I've been reading:

Dolly All the Time, by Annabel Monaghan - five stars for this relaxing, fun romantic comedy set in Rhode Island in a beach town. It has elements of Pride and Prejudice--rich guy falls for working woman, obstacles are eventually overcome, love reigns. Definitely a feel-good read, without any annoying characters but just a lot of charm.

Boudica: The Life of Britain's Legendary Warrior Queen, by Vanessa Collingridge - a super interesting nonfiction look at the legends as well as the archeology surrounding Boudica. There actually isn't enough factual material to focus just on Boudica, so the author did a deep dive into the history of Rome and the expansion of their empire into Britain as well as a complementary deep dive into the indigenous tribes of Britain and how they dealt with the Roman invaders.

Boudica and Her Daughters, statue in London

The book did go on a bit longer than I would have liked, especially at the end where she is drawing parallels to Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, but I was totally enthralled with the comparisons between Boudica and Queen Elizabeth I. Mostly though, I loved reading about Iron Age Britain and how the history of the region didn't begin with the Roman invasion, which was a point the author made frequently and strongly!

The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley - since it is the season for spooky reads and I enjoyed the author's The Guest List a few years ago and it was available at the library, I struggled my way to the end of this 3-star mystery.

The premise is great--Jess, a Brit whose luck has run out, shows up at her half-brother's ritzy apartment in Paris and discovers that he is nowhere to be found, simply disappeared. With virtually no money, virtually no cell phone data left, and an enormous chip on her shoulder, Jess sets out to find out what happened to her brother Daniel. She encounters an apartment house full of creepy people and dives into the seamy underbelly of the Paris elite. It was a good story but I found myself eager for it to end--not a good sign--as I just didn't enjoy being around any of the characters. Jess was sympathetic but pretty hard to relate to.

What I've Been Watching

Just discovered Mr. Iglesis, which is so much fun. The title character, played by standup comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, is a history teacher at a LA high school. He champions his less-than-honor-role students, who are bright but not privileged like many of their peers. Think Welcome Back, Kotter meets Abbott Elementary and you'll get the vibe.

Baseball Playoffs

Now that the Yankees are out of it, and the Rockies were never in it, we are cheering for the Milwaukee Brewers. Of course, tonight we will be shifting between the Broncos and the Brewers, so it is a pizza night!

Sense and Sensibility 2026

On Sunday, I'll be going to see the new Sense and Sensibility movie with friends from my JASNA region. I haven't read any reviews so I will be going in with an open mind that is already telling me that the Andrew Davies version from 2008 is going to be very hard to beat.

Top Ten Tuesday (belated): Books That Conjure Happy Memories

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 14:01:31 -0600

I haven't finished anything since my last post, so here's a Top Ten Tuesday instead :)

The theme is lovely -- books that conjure happy memories.

Books My Dad Read Aloud

My dad was a wonderful reader, and he read his favorite children's books in rotation aloud when I was young. I have reread them all multiple times and always think of my Dad.

1. The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Graham - the adventures of Ratty, Mole, Mr. Toad, and Badger. Disney doesn't do them justice. I love the original illustrations, and when I reread the book I can hear my Dad.

2. Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne - my Dad read Kanga and Roo so perfectly. In fact, each character had a distinctive voice when he read aloud to me.

3. Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll - but not Through the Looking Glass. I've read this one on my own, and I never could figure out why my Dad didn't like it.

Other Childhood Favorites

4, Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery - the whole series, over and over. So many good memories. Anne always made me feel good.

Books I Read in School

5. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck - what a wonderful book by the quintessential American author. I've read this several times since high school. The last time was on a road trip that included Salinas. Very good memory :)

6. Middlemarch, by George Eliot - I read this as a sophomore in college in an Austen to Dickens class, where I also read Bleak House for the first time. Middlemarch has everything I love about Victorian literature--complex characters, moral dilemmas, sympathetic narrator, and wonderful setting. Just thinking about it makes me want to dive back into it.

Books My Kids Introduced Me To

7. Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller - I love modern novels of ancient mythology, and this is one that my son told me about and then gave to me. I loved it, and I love that my son gave it to me.

8. Sandwich, by Catherine Newman - my daughter recommended this book after her boss raved about it, and I loved it. I probably wouldn't have given it a glance otherwise. My daughter only recently embraced reading as a worthwhile way to spend her time, and this makes me happy.

Books Recommended by Other Book Bloggers

9. Katherine, by Anya Seton - I'm pretty sure that I first heard about this author from Constance at Staircase Wit. I love historical fiction and Seton writes such good stuff. Thinking about Katherine reminds me how much I value this bookish community.

10. The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn - I had tried other Quinn novels, but didn't feel wowed until I started reading others' reviews of this amazingly good book. It's all about giving people a second chance, even authors.

Everything Austen for Extra Credit

I started reading Austen at age 13--my Mom bought me a copy of Pride and Prejudice, and the rest is history. Austen has given me more pleasure than any other writer out there, and I love a lot of writers and their books.

September Wrap Up

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:00:47 -0600

I was able to harvest two beautiful Cinderella pumpkins, which are now gracing my hearth. I had to pick them before the squirrels started to feast on them. The garden is on its last legs, but I harvest onions and tomatoes daily and am still roasting and freezing green chilis.

Lots to cover book-wise since my last two posts have been about traveling. Here goes.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, by Stephen King - I don't read a lot of King's novels because horror is just not my jam, but he is such a great writer. I loved this five-star novella on which the movie is based.

The story is a first-person narrative by a guy serving a life sentence in the fictional Shawshank penitentiary in Maine in mid-twentieth century. He, Red, relates the story of a fellow convict, Andy Dufresne, a brilliant financier accused of murdering his wife and her lover. While the story is all about Andy's decades-long implementation of his escape from prison--and this part is totally fascinating--equally compelling was Red's description of prison life. Warning--there are some pretty rough scenes, as should be expected in a prison story, but they are part of the story and not gratuitous.

The ending is sublime, and the insights that King conveys through both Red and Andy are remarkable. First published in 1982, this incredible story is definitely already in the Classics category as far as I'm concerned. Now, I truly do need to watch that movie!

Sweet Thunder, by Ivan Doig - the third book in the author's trilogy featuring the charming and irrepressible Morrie Morgan. The year is 1920, the place is Butte, Montana, and Morrie is up to his eyeballs in trouble. He and his lovely bride have inherited a monstrosity of a house, without the income to keep it liveable--the dastardly Anaconda copper company is throwing money and thugs at keeping the union from getting into their enormous profits--and Morrie, having a silver pen to go with his silver tongue, has been enlisted to write editorials for the union-backed newspaper.

Morrie is an absolute joy to spend time with, and the rest of the characters in his world are delightful and real and sympathetic, and just good company. I especially enjoyed reading about the newspaper business during its golden age--when morning and evening editions were a thing and newsboys fought for the best corners and "stop the presses" was really yelled when a story was breaking.

The Castle in the Glen, by Rhys Bowen - I picked this up in a bookstore in Carbondale, where we stayed when we went to the closing performance of the Aspen Music Festival in August. I figured it would be a fun addition to my Reading Scotland project. And it mostly was, but turned out to be only a 3-star novel for me. The basic idea is that 20-something Emma from Australia is living in London in 1968, working for the publishing house that published her novel. She is homesick and on the brink of abandoning rainy, gloomy London for sunny New South Wales, when she is asked by a world famous mystery writer to finish her latest novel, set n Scotland, because said writer is suffering from dementia.

Yes, pretty far-fetched. But okay, I will suspend my disbelief. A mere 405 pages later, Emma solves the mystery of who this famous writer really is, why she wanted Emma to finish her book, and the real-life mystery that the mystery novel was based on. For roughly three-quarters of the book, I was pretty into it, despite the writing being just so-so (after King and Doig, my standards were pretty high), but the last quarter of the book caused an abundance of eye rolling.

I did actually really enjoy Emma's travels around Skye--I looked up a bunch of place names, which was fun. One of my issues, however, was that Emma didn't really feel Australian. The Scots she meet didn't really feel like Scots. And the 1960s didn't feel like sixty years ago. It was a fun read, but I don't think Bowen is the author for me. Oh, and the castle wasn't in a glen--it was on a promontory The title worked though--I picked it up and bought it!

Desert Star, by Michael Connelly - another Renee Ballard/Harry Bosch novel. Renee is now head of an Open-Unsolved Unit at LAPD, and she recruits Harry as an unpaid volunteer for the unit. He eagerly signs up so that he can go after his "white whale" case--the one that haunts him because he was never able to track down the killer of an entire family. He knows who dunnit, but not where they are hiding.

The Waiting, by Michael Connelly - one of the best Connelly novels. I liked it so much I actually gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. Renee is still head of the Open-Unsolved Unit, which is all volunteer. This time she recruits Harry's daughter, Maddie, who is a uniformed cop with the LAPD, but wants experience to help her fast-track her way to detective. The plot is so interesting--DNA technology is now able to help the unit solve decades-old cases, using evidence originally deemed unusable.

What put this one over the top for me was how Connelly had Maddie solve the "Black Dahlia" unsolved murder from 1947. I thought how Connelly wove the real case into his fictional world was absolutely compelling.

In addition, Renee's personal story--her estranged mother is missing after the horrible fires that destroyed 80% of Lahaina in Maui in 2023--runs parallel to the cases she is working on and really fleshes her out as a believable character.

On to TV

Season 1 cast of Everwood

Everwood on Netflix - this family drama from the early 2000s is getting lots of promotion on Netflix and apparently is currently trending. Anyway, we are enjoying it--a world-famous neurosurgeon from NYC loses his wife in a car accident and relocates to the fictional town of Everwood in Colorado with his 15-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. Drama ensues.

My kids were young in the early 2000s, I was working full-time and trying to write in the evenings. So this one completely flew under my radar. I am really enjoying the teenage angst, the single-Dad struggles, the small town issues, and the medical dilemmas that both doctors deal with in small town America.

One of the funny things about the show is that the fictional town is three hours from Denver, in the mountains, and the characters are always going there like its 30 minutes away! I rarely go to Denver, and it's only 40 minutes for me :)

And, Chris Pratt is the other doctor's teenage son. So fun to see him in his early days on the screen.

Best Medicine on Hulu - I loved Doc Martin when it was a thing, but only just started watching Best Medicine, the American version of the UK show. Josh Charles, of The Good Wife, is Dr. Martin Best, a socially awkward surgeon who had to quit his thriving practice in Boston when he developed a blood phobia. He has relocated to a small town on coastal Maine. Love these small-town shows!

We're still in season 1, but it's like deja vu all over again--all the characters have been ported and Americanized and the story lines are eerily familiar. So much fun! Last night, Martin's parents visited and guess who was playing Martin's father? That's right. Martin Clunes, the original Doc Martin!

Oh, and Annie Potts, who I loved in Designing Women, plays Martin's Aunt Sally.

So happy to be in the Fall. Let the pumpkin spice rule supreme! Hope everyone has a wonderful October.

Travelogue: Victoria and Vancouver Island

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:19:32 -0600

Victoria, BC - Inner Harbor

I was in Victoria four years ago for the JASNA AGM of 2022, and I fell in love with this lovely city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. My husband and I knew we wanted to return and spend more time, so we picked the city's annual Classic Boat Show as the best excuse for another visit.

But the boat show only took a couple of days, leaving us ample to time to explore the city and do day trips out of the city.

Butchart Gardens

Top of the things-we-must-do list was visiting Butchart Garden again. We did this in 2022, and it was spectacular. Roughly 30 minutes north of Victoria, this 55-acre, family-owned garden is one of the most wonderful gardens in the world. I particularly love the sunken garden--basically a worn-out limestone quarry was transformed into a lush paradise of color and texture that is almost overwhelming.

I actually didn't take any pictures in the sunken garden because I just wanted to drink it in and not be distracted. Here are a couple of pictures from other parts of the garden.

Sooke

One of the day trips we took was due west about an hour to the tiny town of Sooke, nestled in dense forest. There were quite a few enticing hikes, and we chose one that took us down to the beach where we found this cool waterfall flowing right onto the rocky beach.

The hike to the beach was short but vertical, taking us through a wonderful rainforest.

Chemainus

I heard about this town a few months before our planned trip, and I knew that I had to visit it as I absolutely love street art. Here is the blurb from Wikipedia about the town:

Founded as an unincorporated logging town in 1858, Chemainus is now famous for its 53 outdoor murals. This outdoor gallery has given birth to many businesses, including a theatre, antiques dealers, and eateries. The tourist industry stemming from the murals helped rejuvenate the town after its large sawmill closed in the early 1980s and was replaced by a smaller, more efficient, mill.

According to the nice lady at the Visitor's Center, the town has over 60 art installations, mostly murals, but some sculpture as well. Most of the murals depict the history of the town.

I literally took dozens of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites.

Malahat

Driving back to Victoria after visiting Chemainus, we stopped at the Malahat Skywalk. It's a 10-story spiral tower that offers incredible views of the channel separating Vancouver Island from the mainland.

While I definitely loved the views, I also really liked the elevated boardwalk that lets you stroll high up in the pine forest canopy. I kept on thinking about the Richard Powers's book, Overstory, during the walk.

This must might be my favorite image from the entire trip. This could've been the view the native peoples saw for millennia before European explorers pushed their way here. Vistas unexplored. Distant horizons beckoning.

Duncan

We stopped for lunch in the little town of Duncan, and I fell hopelessly in love with this town. We visited the local bookstore, Volume One, after lunch, and we bought Ariel Lawhon's latest novel, Pirate Queen, which my husband promptly commandeered. Canot wait to read it myself.

Fun Coincidence: Grace O'Malley is the name of the Pirate Queen in Lawhon's novel, and we actually saw a boat at the boat show earlier in the week called Grace O'Malley. As with all of Lawhon's protagonists, Grace was a real person. Great name for a boat!

Back to Victoria

Our week in Victoria was absolutely wonderful--we did lots of walking (well over 10k steps a day), found some great restaurants, strolled through the Empress Hotel like we owned the place, and visited a couple of museums.

The Maritime Museum that sponsored the boat show is quite small but had an interesting exhibit on the uniform of the navy. We also learned about Ferdinand Waldo Demara who impersonated many people including a naval surgeon. The museum had a clip from the Groucho Marx show, You Bet Your Life, that included an interview with Demara. It's in the second half of the video.

We also went to the Royal BC Museum--we skipped the featured Egyptian exhibit and focused on the local stuff, including the Natural History Gallery and a reconstructed old-timey town. There was also a partial reconstruction of George Vancouver's ship, Discovery, from the late 18th century.

But the trip didn't end there. We took the ferry back across to Port Angeles and then spent two days in Port Townsend at the Wooden Boat Festival--our 4th time attending the festival.

View of the Johnston St Bridge from our hotel room.

Road Trip to Pacific Northwest and Victoria: Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Audiobooks

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:34:14 -0600

Just back from two weeks and a day on the road. Our destination was Victoria, BC for the annual Classic Boat Show, but we decided to take four days to get there from Colorado so that we could enjoy the trip along the way.

First Stop - Birding in Utah

We knew we wanted to go back to the Bear Valley Migratory Bird Refuge north of Ogden , remembering what a wonderful place this was when we stopped over during a road trip to Olympic NP in 2016. We had an eight hour drive from CO to Ogden and spent the next morning birding.

Here's what we saw.

A parade of pelicans...

A convention of egrets...

And a host of other wonderful birds...

We also saw some sandhill cranes flying but weren't quick enough or skilled enough to snap a photo.

Then it was on to Boise where we stayed at the very cool Modern Hotel and Bar and had dinner at Fork, both of which were a repeat from our 2016 trip.

Next stop was Hood River, Oregon, again duplicating what we did in 2016--staying in a lovely hotel on the Columbia River. Here's the view from our window. The grounds were just lovely, with flowers everywhere and lush lawns the likes of which we haven't seen in quite a while.

Final stop before Victoria was Port Angeles, Washington, where we took the 8:20 am ferry to Victoria, BC.

Pro Tip: the night before our ferry, we stopped in at the ferry terminal to check things out because we are both belt-and-suspenders travelers and had the best ice cream at Welly's in the terminal building. I still don't know what "blended New Zealand style" means, but it was awesome!

What We Listened to Enroute

First Degree, by David Rosenfelt - the second in the author's Andy Carpenter lawyer series. Andy is bright, self-effacing, and definitely a first-rate smart aleck. The plot was good, and this time Andy had to get his girlfriend/private investigator acquitted of murder, so the stakes were truly high. A wonderful road trip book which helped the time and miles fly by.

The Dark Hours, by Michael Connelly - the fourth Renee Ballard book and another one in which Renee calls on her friend and mentor, Harry Bosch, to work with her when an investigation links to one of Harry's old unsolved cases. Michael Connelly just never disappoints, and this proved to be another great road trip book. Not too scary but tense enough to be captivating.

We also started A Walk in the Park, a nonfiction about hiking in the Grand Canyon, but quickly discovered that nonfictions just don't work as well on the road. I will restart this again as it was promising, just not the right time for it.

Up next is a week in Victoria, BC. See you on the flip side.

Queen's Play - Dorothy Dunnett

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:15:06 -0600

Queen's Play is the second book in Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles series. This time, Francis Crawford of Lymond, travels to France to protect the young Mary Queen of Scots, who is betrothed to Francis, Dauphin of France.

Francis goes to France at the Dowager Queen's request, and he goes disguised as Thady Boy Ballagh, a boisterous Irishman employed by Phelim O'LiamRoe, Prince of Barrow of Ireland, as his ollave, which is a sort of companion poet and scholar. As Thady Boy, Francis can be as outrageous as his talents allow--in true Dunnett form, Thady Boy engineers escapade after escapade as he strives to thwart the would-be assassins of Queen Mary while amusing and infuriating member of the French court, including King Henri and his Queen, Catherine de Medici.

My favorite scene is where he initiates and participates in a literal steeplechase, in which pairs of contestants run a course throughout the town entirely from roof to roof, or steeple to steeple, without ever letting their feet touch the ground. The book is chock full of Francis's exploits, including herding elephants, dueling, wrestling, singing and playing the lute, fighting off a cheetah during a hunt, and the list goes on. Never a dull moment with Francis.

Against this frenetic backdrop are the politics and machinations as the Scots, the Irish, the English, and the French all vie for power and prestige in turbulent 16th century Europe. Francis has to uncover who is loyal to Queen Mary and who has sold their soul in order to wear the crown. Despite Francis's antics, his underlying mission is cold sober, to protect and preserve his Queen, who is a red-haired regal child who loves Francis's riddles and wit. In so many ways, they are portrayed as birds of a feather.

Mary, Queen of Scots as a child

I love learning about the history of Scotland at this time period through these books. They are layered, complex, and always interesting. I started reading Antonia Fraser's bio of Mary Queen of Scots, since it appears that the Lymond Chronicles will parallel her life, with Francis as her faithful guardian. I'm also inspired to find a bio of Catherine di Medici.

Definitely a 5-star novel that qualifies for the Big Book Summer Challenge.

I'm going to take a mini-break from Francis and do some seasonal reading, but I am looking forward to the next book in the series, The Disorderly Knights, which will take Francis to Malta!

Belated Top Ten and Tomatoes

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:44:04 -0600

Yes, this is just how I see myself!

I enjoyed reading everyone's Top Ten Tuesday posts last week so much that I decided to do my own...a week and two days late. But it was a fun exercise to not only see what I was reading but also picking which book I wanted to feature from the books finished in the month of August over the past ten years.

2025 - Heartwood, by Amity Gaige - absolutely loved everything about this "lost in the woods" book.

2024 - Table for Two, by Amor Towles - a set of short stories, linked by location, by one of the greatest living writers. I love everything Towles writes.

2023 - True Grit, by Charles Portis - a five-star classic western; I said I was going to read other books by Portis, but of course, haven't...yet!

2022 - The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn - another five-star novel by Quinn, having a Soviet sharpshooter as the protagonist takes a lot of skill, but she pulled it off. A terrific WWII novel from a non-traditional (for me) perspective.

2021 - A Woman of No Importance, by Sonia Purnell - here's what I wrote back in 2021: "...this is one of the best books of 2021. Could not put it down. Virginia Hall was incredible--brave, passionate, capable. She persisted. Despite a prosthetic leg. Despite the old boys' network. Despite the Gestapo, betrayals, and red tape, she really, truly helped liberate France and end WWII. This is non-fiction at its finest."

2020 - Devil's Brood, by Sharon Kay Penman - an absolutely wonderful historical novel by one of my favorite historical novelists--this one is about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their three sons. If there ever was a prototypical dysfunctional family, this is it. So good!

2019 - Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide, by Tony Horwitz - Tony's last book--he died while on book tour for it--I didn't do a post on it, not sure why. I learned so much about Frerick Law Olmsted, whose journey Horwitz traced. As a student of the Civil War (that sounds pretentious, but not sure how else to say it), I loved the premise of the book, and Horwitz didn't disappoint.

2018 - The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry - I gave this four stars on GoodReads, but I had to read my post to remember what it was about. I chose it because it was actually the only book I finished in this month--we were traveling in France in August 2018, so I probably read this book on the flights to/from.

2017 - The Women in the Castle, by Jessica Shattuck - another WWII novel, but this time the main characters are women in Germany. I think this is due for a reread. I liked it, but the details are fuzzy.

2016 - Eventide, by Kent Haruf - by one of Colorado's native sons, this is a beautiful book about small-town life on the prairie. To quote myself, "I loved the experience of reading Eventide--I loved the language, the stories, the tenor, the mood. Haruf was a master of his craft--his sparse prose creates a depth of understanding and compassion that is a joy to experience."

Garden Notes

It's August and so you cannot escape some garden notes. I have been harvesting tomatoes, and I made my favorite roasted tomato soup yesterday for dinner, with homemade croutons.

I used 2.5 pounds of roma tomatoes, washed, sliced, and deseeded with two onions (also from the garden), quartered, and six cloves of garlic. I drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. A great variation is to add sliced bell peppers to the medley.

I then transferred the lot to a stock pan, added a quart of chicken stock and two bay leaves, brought to a boil and simmered for 20 minutes.

I then removed the bay leaves and pureed the soup. I added 3/4 cup of milk (or cream if you want it richer and don't mind the calories), reheated, added a few dashes of Chihuly hot sauce for fun, and topped each serving with freshly julienned basil (from the herb garden).

The croutons are painfully easy as well. Just cube some bread (I usually have some heels of rustic loaves on hand), toss with olive oil and season with S&P, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings, and roast in 400-degree oven for 10 minutes or until crispy.

Tonight we are harvesting our first ears of corn!!!

August Garden Notes and Reading Notes

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:49:22 -0600

August is upon us, which means afternoon thunderstorms in Colorado and the garden is finally starting to produce. I picked tomatoes and peppers this week and roasted the anaheims for green chili.

The picture above is our Cinderella pumpkin, now a lovely creamy golden color, but it should continue to grow and turn orange as the days and nights turn cooler. The plant has lots of flowers, hence lots of pollinators doing their thing in the garden.

August is also when our phlox are at their peak in my flower garden. You can see the white phlox behind the heron statue--I love how the white looks with the black-eyed susan.

Reading Notes

The Bookshop, by Penelope Fitzgereal - quite a short novel by quite a prolific author. I had not read anything by her before, but she comes with great credentials.

Here's her GoodReads bio:

Penelope Mary Fitzgerald was a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and biographer from Lincoln, England. In 2008 The Times listed her among "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945." The Observer in 2012 placed her final novel, The Blue Flower, among "the ten best historical novels." A.S. Byatt called her, "Jane Austen’s nearest heir for precision and invention."

Based on her bio, I should have loved The Bookshop, but sadly I found it only a 3-star read. Here's the GoodReads blurb on the book:

In 1959 Florence Green, a kindhearted widow with a small inheritance, risks everything to open a bookshop - the only bookshop - in the seaside town of Hardborough. By making a success of a business so impractical, she invites the hostility of the town's less prosperous shopkeepers. By daring to enlarge her neighbors' lives, she crosses Mrs. Gamart, the local arts doyenne. Florence's warehouse leaks, her cellar seeps, and the shop is apparently haunted. Only too late does she begin to suspect the truth: a town that lacks a bookshop isn't always a town that wants one.

I loved Florence Green and cheered for her as she worked to open a bookshop in a bookshop-less village. The problem is that I couldn't actually figure out why so many of the townspeople thwarted her attempt to do something good for the village. Most of the inhabitants went to her shop and her lending library (the village also had no library before Mrs. Green arrived) was a hit. I suppose it came down to the class system in England at the time and the fact that Mrs. Green (as she is invariably referred to in the text) didn't allow herself to be dictated to but did things her own way.

As it turns out, my paternal grandmother was a Florence Green, and although I never met her (my grandparents emmigrated to Australia when my parents emigrated to North America after WWII), I felt connected to Mrs. Green because of that coincidence.

Growing up, I always wished that my parents had stayed in England instead of moving first to Canada and then the US. I remember my Dad trying to convince me that the class system in England was oppressive and difficult to live within. Reading this book enabled me to really feel what he was talking about. Not just the way Mrs Green was treated by the lady of the manor, but also the way children were pegged at age 11 as to whether they were grammar school worthy or trade school worthy. What a waste of time and energy, talent and ambition.

The ending of the book just left me grumpy, and I had to spend more time in the garden to get my equilibrium back.

One Day, by David Nicholls - I absolutely loved You Are Here and Us by the same author, so I was confident that I would love this earlier book of his (2009). I was wrong. It was interminable and didn't rate more than 2 stars for me. Looking at reviews on GoodReads, it seems that others either loved it or felt the way I did, with lots of 1-star reviews.

The premise is great--here's what GoodReads said:

15th July 1988: Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?

The basic problem is that Dexter is a colossal jerk--beautiful, vain, cocky, alcoholic, druggy, and not all that bright. Emma is very bright, very grounded, very beautiful (of course), and very humble. I was so bored hearing endlessly about how drunk and stupid Dexter would get at parties, even well into his thirties, and after he married and had a child. And the ending was completely gratuitous and frustrating--no spoilers in case you want to read it. I liked Emma and thought she was likeable but seemingly incapable of making a wise decision where Dexter was concerned.

David Nicholls has clearly honed his craft since this book came out.

Reading Scotland Update and Recommendation

I'm currently in book 2 of the fabulous Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett, Queen's Play, and have started reading Antonia Fraser's bio of Mary Queen of Scots as a companion since so far the Lymond books are mapping to Mary's life, with book 1 covering her birth and few years in Scotland, and book 2 is all about her early days in France...and the assassination attempts on her! Great stuff.

I want to recommend the Scottish History Podcast and specifically the episode on Gregor MacGregor (July 30) and the fraud he perpetuated in the early 19th century regarding the mythical land of Poyais. It's a great story, and Owen Innes of the podcast really relates it so well.

That's all for now, folks. Looking forward to cooler weather, more rain, and an abundant harvest. Stay well and let me know what you're reading!

Double Feature: Long, Bright River and Little House on the Prairie

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 13:59:59 -0600

Long, Bright River by Liz Moore - I enjoyed The God of the Woods by the same author so much that I decided to read this earlier book, published in 2020. On the surface, the two novels couldn't be more different. God of the Woods is set in rural upstate New York, while Long, Bright River is set in the rough neighborhood of Kensington in Philadelphia. However, both stories are about searching for those that go missing.

The protagonist of Long, Bright River is Mickey, a female cop in her early thirties, estranged from her extended family and most recently from her younger sister, Kacey, who is a heroin addict who supports her addiction as a prostitute. A recent series of murders of girls just like Kacey alarms Mickey because she hasn't seen her sister around the neighborhood for weeks.

The main storyline revolves around Mickey searching for Kacey while trying to figure out the identity of the serial killer. In the process, we learn the sisters' backstory--their heroin-addicted mother died and their father abandoned them, leaving them in the care of their cold, cynical grandmother. We learn about wild child Kacey and studious Mickey, whose dreams of college are sabotaged before they have a chance to bloom.

I know this all sounds depressing, but Mickey is a great character, with grit and honor and a deep love of her sister. She learns from her mistakes and finds unexpected allies when she needs them. This is a world that is often tough to read about--the title refers to the river of people who have lost their lives to drugs and despair--but the writing is terrific, the characters are interesting and believable, and the story ends on a positive note.

I think I prefer God of the Woods, but Long, Bright River also earned 5 stars from me on GoodReads.

At 482 pages, this qualifies for the 2026 Big Book Summer Challenge.

I decided to give the new Netflix series based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House of the Prairie a try and ended up really liking it. I grew up reading the entire LIW series repeatedly but never watched the 1970s TV series. I was definitely devoted to the books and didn't care for all the liberties that Michael Landon took.

Now that I am >50 years older than when Melissa Gilbert first started her incarnation as Laura, I am actually quite happy with all the liberties that Netflix took with their source material. Here are some of thoughts about the series and some of the changes.

The Native Americans are fully part of the story. In the book, the Ingalls family's encounters with the Native Americans are always negative. They inspire fear and are described as savages. In this version, a Native American family is living in a house much older and more well-established than the one Pa builds. Laura becomes good friends with the daughter of the family, and the father is one the tribe's representatives who argues their case to the government agents. Unlike in the books, it is made abundantly clear that the Ingalls family is building a house and farming on land that is not available to them at all--they were stealing the land from the Native Americans. The script shows that Pa was deceived by the railroad company that wanted settlers to be where they wanted to run a RR line, but even after he learned the truth, they didn't leave until forced to.
The town of Independence is not 40 miles away, as depicted in the book, making the Ingalls family completely isolated. Instead, the town is bustling with lots of stores and houses--this is pretty unrealistic, as no railroad line currently runs through the town. But, it is a place where the family goes together to shop and interact with the inhabitants.

Mary is much older than Laura (and without blonde hair, although the girls are mostly dressed in blue for Mary and pink for Laura, as in the books). She is at least 13 to Laura's 8 or 9, flirts with a local boy, and has her first kiss! What this means is that Mary has a story line of her own, beyond being the goody-two-shoes as depicted in the book.
Baby Carrie is born while the family is in Indian Territory, which is what actually happened rather than what Laura wrote. This provides an interesting little sub-arc for Laura's relationship to Pa--she has always been his helper and a tomboy, and with Ma pregnant she worries that the baby will be a boy and Pa will treat her differently since he will finally have a son.
Pa has a beard, just like in the book. I always thought it was weird that Michael Landon never grew a beard as this was such a defining physical characteristic of Pa.
The writers did an excellent job of pulling Little House in the Big Woods into Little House on the Prairie, with the family and especially Laura remembering the stories and games, relatives and parties that are such a wonderful part of the first book.
Pa's brother George suffers from PTSD from serving in the Civil War, and Pa feels tremendous guilt about not being able to help him deal with it. Pa is labeled as a coward by some of the men in town when they learn he didn't fight in the war but stayed home on the farm to help his father.
Mr. Edwards is also a Civil War veteran, and an alcoholic who goes off on fiery binges. I was glad that they included the Civil War in the script--Laura was born two years after it ended, and there is nary a mention of it beyond George blowing his trumpet in LHBW.
Several African Americans are featured, including Dr. Tan, who is in the book, and Ma becomes close to the woman who owns the store and stands up to the other women in town when they exclude her friend from the Women's Society meeting.

I enjoyed the series, not so much for bringing the book to life, but because they took the raw material of the book and made an interesting variation for modern sensibilities. That said, most of the storylines were still hopelessly unrealistic. Life on the prairie in the 1870s was rough--this series made it look like a picnic. Just as Laura whitewashed much of her own story and the experiences of her family for her children's books, the NetFlix version has done something similar.

The new series has been renewed for season 2. Yep. Gonna watch it too.

Blockbusters: Whistler and The Odyssey

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:37:11 -0600

Summer is blockbuster season, and I've jumped on the bandwagon with both feet, reading Whistler, like everyone else, and going to see The Odyssey like everyone else!

Just Read Whistler

Whistler, Ann Patchett's latest novel, was such a satisfying read. So well-written that the words just flowed. My husband is currently reading it, and his comment, which I totally resonated with, is that you really like all of the main characters and enjoy spending time with them.

They are kind, intelligent, good people who do their best for those they love. I really loved how Patchett introduced the story of Whistler, the horse, and allowed it to gently and naturally become the theme for the main story arc between Daphne and Eddie and the novel as a whole, which is essentially "no one left behind."

I confess that initially I thought that Daphne and Leda's biological father would be the villain of the story, and I was relieved and happy with how Daphne's relationship with her father matured as she matured. Her understanding and acceptance and care of Buddy was profoundly moving for me.

I also loved how the novel ended. So many authors struggle with endings, and many a good book has been flawed by a clumsy ending. I am happy to remember Daphne and Eddie sitting companionably in the Met, watching the ebb and flow of life as they take a rest.

Virginia Woolf said that George Eliot's Middlemarch is "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people." I would say that Whistler is about grown-up people. Even when Daphne and Leda were children, they showed a maturity that puts so many other characters in other books to shame in which allegedly "grown up people" are perpetually adolescent. Case in point, I am currently reading David Nicholls's One Day and two-thirds of the way into the book, I am still waiting for thirtysomething Dexter to finally grow up. On the same note, Henry, Leda's son, is eighteen and definitely an adult--I found him utterly charming and would love a follow-up novel featuring him.

Just Saw The Odyssey

My son treated me to The Odyssey yesterday, knowing how much I love Greek myths, and we both loved it. I haven't spent any time at all reading the various criticisms of the movie but rather wanted to go into it unbiased. Glad I did. I absolutely loved the visuals, the casting, the special effects, the landscapes, the ancient cities, and especially the script. The theme of Zeus's law (i.e., hospitality to guests) and the consequences of violating that law really resonated with me and made the story make sense and relevant.

In particular, I loved the way Anne Hathaway portrayed Penelope. I thought Matt Damon was superb as Odysseus, Helen/Clytemnestra was incredible--Helen's bitterness was palpable. She knows the war wasn't really about her--it was economics and trade and she was just the excuse. I wish Circe had been given more time--I loved Madeline Miller's novel Circe, so I wanted more of her, but seeing her transform the men into pigs and then return them to men was awesome. At almost three hours, I know the movie couldn't include everything in Homer's Odyssey, but that's okay. Just seeing Troy was enough for me. Loved how they handled the horse--not wooden but spectacularly and realistically done.

Final note--as with Troy, the movie with Brad Pitt as Achilles, the gods were invoked, blamed, and worshipped, but they were not actually part of the story. The stormy seas were blamed on Poseidon, but we never saw Poseidon as a character. The only exception was Athena, who only appeared to Odysseus, and she didn't speak or seem to cause anything. I saw her as a manifestation of Odysseus's conscience for the part he played in destroying Troy and slaughtering its inhabitants.

Pro Tip: We did go to an IMAX showing, but not the full 70mm because there wasn't a theater in our area that offered this. My son insisted we use earplugs because he heard it was very loud--it was, and I am glad we both had earplugs in for the movie. The lady sitting next to me said she wished she had done the same after the movie was over.

In Other News

We escaped to Rocky Mt National Park last Friday for a hike--third time this year. RMNP is now the only (I think that's right) national park that has preserved the timed-entry system adopted during COVID. I am so glad they did. From mid-May to mid-October you need a timed-entry slot to get into the park during peak hours. This means that you can actually find a place to park and hike a favorite trail without feeling like you are in a busy downtown street instead of in the mountains. I know people complain, but it just takes a little planning, and it preserves this incredible place for future generations.

Lymond Chronicles: The Game of Kings

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:53:06 -0600

Constance at Staircase Wit reminded me that I really ought to read The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett, as part of my Reading Scotland project. The Lymond Chronicles consists of six books that tell the adventures of Francis Crawford of Lymond, younger brother of the Earl of Culter.

Book one is The Game of Kings, and the setting is the fluid border between England and Scotland in the 1540s (aka smack in the middle of the Tudor dynasty). Henry VIII wanted the Scots to betroth their infant Queen Mary to his son Edward as a way of conquering Scotland, and to this end he invaded Scotland and was rebuffed. After he died in 1547, the Lord Protector, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who governed during the minority of his nephew, now Edward VI, continued the policy of "rough wooing"--that is, invading Scotland and trying to batter the Scots into betrothing the now 4-year-old Scottish queen to the now 9-year-old English king.

So what does all this have to do with Lymond (aka Francis to his family)? Plenty.

Lymond has been branded a traitor to the Scots and a spy for the English, stemming from his capture at the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542. He has a price on his head and after escaping captivity where he worked as a galley slave, he has been leading a band of merry men (think Robin Hood) and running circles around the Scottish nobility who are hell-bent on capturing and punishing him for all manner of crimes that he allegedly continues to commit.

He is handsome, witty, sharp, charming--a veritable silver-tongued devil. His literary quotes and references range from Latin to French to German to Spanish. He is a classical scholar as well as an excellent swordsman and archer and rider. Women adore him, some men admire him, some loathe him, including his brother.

I absolutely loved this book. However, it did take a fair amount of work to read. I wasn't up on the history of this particular aspect of the Scottish/English conflict/relationship, and so I had a lot to learn from the outset. There are a lot of characters, many with titles that also serve as names. My book included a map and a cast of characters, and I kept on having to refresh myself on who was who.

Lymond engages in a lot, and I mean a lot, of double talk. While the author sprinkles clues as to Lymond's real character and the truth behind his apparently nefarious actions, you don't really know what is going on, what to believe, until the very end when all is revealed.

I ended up listening to the audiobook, which mercifully had the read/listen feature, so I could listen while I read. This helped enormously as the story was entering my brain via two supporting avenues. I also found this incredible website: Now You Have Dunnett: Introduction, which is "A blog devoted to a chapter-by-chapter discussion of the novels of Dorothy Dunnett." During the first half of the book, I read the discussion after each section. By the time I got to the second half of the novel, I didn't need the discussion so much, but they were still fun to read and helped explain nuances that I didn't pick up on.

In addition to the discussions, the blog post on each section includes questions about character and plot to consider, favorite quotes from the novel, and adjectives used to describe Lymond. The blog really enhanced the book for this first-time reader. It is a book that begs to be read again...and again.

Beyond the main character, Lymond, I absolutely loved Sybella, his mother, and Christian Stewart, a blind girl who helps him, and Will Scott, the exuberant young man who desperately wants to be both a hero and just like Lymond. I also really enjoyed Sir Wat Scott (father of Will Scott) and his wife Janet Beaton, as well as Molly, the owner of the Ostrich. And, of course, Johnnie Bullo and Turkey Mat as well as the dynamic English couple, Gideon Somerville and his wife Kate--I really hope we see more of them in future books.

Despite its complexity, it was enthralling and I came to truly care about the characters. In other words, moved to tears. I loved traveling around the border lands between Scotland and England and visiting Stirling Castle, Inchmahome Priory, Edinburgh, and all the various castles in between.

There are so many wonderful passages in this book, but my favorite comes near the end when Lymond says that his knowledge of leading men in campaigns is based on his knowledge of both geography and chess:

The one shows you where to go, and the other what to do when you get there.

Dorothy Dunnett was a truly exceptional writer and gifted storyteller. Her books are challenging, dense, and ultimately so rewarding.

Clocking in at 543 pages, this most definitely qualifies for the 2026 Big Book Summer Challenge.

Lawyering Up, Garden Notes, Team Norway

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 9 Jul 2026 12:37:06 -0600

July is for reading, walking first thing in the morning, watering in the evening, making salad and sandwiches for dinner, complaining about the heat...and watching the World Cup.

We are now solidly Team Norway and have been practicing rowing with the team after every win! We loved the Tartan Army, and I have indulged in watching reels of international football (aka soccer) fans experiencing American food staples. I personally have never been to a Waffle House, but it seems to be a real winner with our visitors!

When not watching soccer or baseball (the Yankees are slumping but the Rockies are better than last year...not the worst team in both leagues), I've been reading:

Open and Shut (Andy Carpenter #1), by David Rosenfelt - My JASNA friend, Pam, recommended David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter lawyer series since she knows how much I enjoy the Lincoln Lawyer books by Michael Connelly. So, I read the first in the series, Open and Shut, and enjoyed it a lot. Andy is a flippant, self-effacing, sarcastic defense attorney who, like Mickey Haller, takes his job seriously even though that means taking a lot of flak from law enforcement, prosecutors, family, etc. Andy's best friend and confidant is his golden retriever, Tara. Everyone needs a best friend like Tara.

In this first book, Andy's father, a renowned judge, just before he died asked Andy to take on the appeal of a death row inmate that he had passed sentence on years ago. Andy knows that the appeal and resulting new trial will not exonerate the inmate of the murder he was convicted for--it is an open and shut case...or is it? Of course, it turns out not to be and therein lies the basic story, with lots of other juicy tangents such as why did Andy's father accepted a huge check 20+ years ago and that he never used. Why does everyone in a photo from 20 years ago that Andy finds in his father's things deny they were in the photo? Why does Andy's estranged wife Nicole show up out of the blue and insist they try to reconcile?

The book was light on tension, laugh out loud funny at times, with interesting courtroom stuff, and no truly scary (i.e., protagonist is about to die) scenes. I will definitely be reading more in this series.

The Night Fire, by Michael Connelly - This was a perfect Michael Connelly mystery as it was a Venn diagram of his best characters. Renee Ballard is the LAPD detective working the night shift. She loops in Harry Bosch, retired from LAPD but still itching to work, and he loops in Mickey Haller, his half-brother and defense lawyer. I just love this universe and how the various characters interact, with each contributing key elements to the overall story.

As with Open and Shut, the main story thread of The Night Fire involves a 20-year-old murder, this one unsolved. I love how Renee and Harry focus on the cold cases--which seems to be a story theme these days. That's where the Thursday Murder Club finds their cases to work on as well. We have lots of interesting angles with loads of LA details--someone needs to make a list of all the places Renee, Harry, and Mickey have lunch and/or dinner. Reading these books always makes me hungry for diner food!

Garden Notes

I picked my first tomato and first zucchini, and the onions are doing great. It's been so hot, I'm not sure if we will have many peas but still hopeful. The native garden is being overrun with non-native aggressive weeds, so I've had to do some clearing out so the native flowers have room to thrive.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

Mama Finch built another nest in the wreath on the front porch, laid three more eggs, and is convinced her family will be safe this time. We moved the chairs so that the predator that got them last time has to come up with a different plan of attack.

TV Notes

Our daughter is visiting from CA this week (in order to go to Twelfth Night with us tonight at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival) and insisted we watch The Sheep Detectives last night with her on Prime.

What a fun movie. Hugh Jackman as Gary the shepherd was wonderful, as was Emma Thompson as the lawyer. The actors who voiced the sheep were marvelous, with my favorite being Brett Goldstein (of Ted Lasso and Shrinking) who was both Ronnie and Reggie, the head-butting rams ("Are we lambs or rams?").

A thoroughly enjoyable movie, especially for those of us who love mysteries as the movie really plays into the all the mystery novel tropes.

Hope you are all enjoying July and finding wonderful books that take you on fantastic journeys.

The Hobbit

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 14:49:27 -0600

I first read JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit in my teens in the 1970s, and I enjoyed it so much that I embarked on The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. However, I did abandon the quest and never finished The Return of the King.

According to my GoodReads notes, I listened to The Hobbit with my son Noah when he was about 10, which was 21 years ago. I have zero recollection of this, but that is not surprising. I was working full-time, parenting full-time, writing part-time, etc.

Lately, I've been waxing nostalgic and decided to revisit The Hobbit this year. I listened to the marvelous Andy Serkis read the novel--he voices Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movies--and he was absolutely fantastic bringing nuance and character to each voice, from mild-mannered Bilbo, to Yorkshire-accented dwarves, to stately Gandalf, to chipper elves, and so on.

It had been so long since I read (and/or paid attention) to the story that most of the adventures beyond Gollum and Smaug were as fresh as the first time I left the Shire and headed to the Misty Mountains. I'm not really much of a fantasy reader, but I do love a good adventure story, and this had adventure to spare.

I particularly loved how Bilbo grew in confidence and cunning, rising to each occasion, and mustering the courage needed to do what needed to be done. In addition to adventure, The Hobbit delivers a strong message--greed and avarice can consume even the most fair-minded creatures. It takes strength of character like that of Bilbo and Bard (the bowman who slew Smaug--I had completely forgotten that part of the story) to walk away from the lure of riches and do what is right and just and fair.

The book and the way Serkis read it is quite funny--Bilbo's internal monologues in particular are very entertaining.

Tolkien is a terrific writer and paints vivid images. However, I really wanted illustrations, so I checked out a graphic YA version from the library after I finished the audio version just to get a good look at trolls, dwarves, Gollum, Smaug the dragon, giants, elves, goblins, and the men of Lake Town.

I'm toying with the idea of watching the movies--Jackson decided to expand Tolkien's book and present The Hobbit in a trilogy of movies. My LOTR-savvy daughter Sarah recommends that I just watch the first movie, where Gandalf and the dwarves visit Bilbo in the Shire and recruit him for the quest. We'll see. I would like to find a quality hardback version with first-rate illustrations. This wonderful book deserves a place on my shelves.

Here's the movie trailer. I have to admit. It does like good!

Big Book Summer Challenge 2026

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:24:05 -0600

Isn't this a fantastic cover?

The Big Book Summer Challenge, hosted by Sue at Book by Book, is one of the few challenges I do each year. It's really a no-brainer as I tend to always have a big book or two (+400 pages) on the go. The challenge is Memorial Day to Labor Day.

I started Game of Kings, by Dorothy Dunnett, a week ago. It's the first in her Lymond Chronicles series and is part of my Reading Scotland project.

I also plan to read another historical Scottish book, The Crucible of Secrets, by Shona Maclean.

I have a hankering to reread some of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books since I've been rewatching the TV show.

And, I am almost done with a reread of Tolkien's The Hobbit and am considering a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring. It's been well over 50 years since I read any Tolkien, so it is definitely time for a reread.

In the nonfiction category, I am now committed fully to reading How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman. I opened it in May but didn't actually start reading it until about two weeks ago.

I certainly cannot fathom reading 20 books this summer as many other bloggers are setting out to do, but I know I can handle a few biggies!

Happy Solstice! And happy reading!

Reading Scotland, Garden Notes, TV Notes

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:06:31 -0600

Happy June! Blogging has taken a backseat to removing all the furniture, etc from the living room for the hardwood floor installation, which happened last week. The animals are stressed, but who isn't when all your routines go flying out the window? I tell them it will all be worth it in just another week or so, but they don't listen.

At least I can read to calm myself down...here's what I've been reading.

Devil Water, by Anya Seton - recommended by Constance of Staircase Wit, I really enjoyed this 527-page book about the Earls of Derwentwater and their participation in the Scottish risings of 1715 and 1745. The main characters are Charles Radcliffe, youngest of three brothers, handsome, charismatic, initially hopelessly naive but ultimately idealistic and a steadfast Jacobite and Catholic, and his daughter Jenny, beautiful (of course!), loyal, but a steadfast Protestant who never truly embraces the Jacobite cause (which is to replace the Hanoverian George II with James VIII, the Pretender exiled to France and Italy).

The title refers to the colloquial name of Derwentwater and the burn (small river) that flows through the estate.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the novel and characters and learning more about the history of the border region between Scotland and England and the divided loyalties, complicated politics, life in the turbulent 18th century, and the rugged, beautiful landscape. Jenny does emigrate to the Virigina colony (in the 1720s) and marries. She and her husband head to the wilderness where they acquire land and develop a farm that could become prosperous.

SPOILERS*****I had a real problem with how Seton ended the novel. Jenny's father Charles, who had been living in Europe after escaping from Newgate prison before being executed for his role in the 1715 Jacobite uprising, returns to England to join the 1745 Jacobite uprising and is captured and sentenced to death, again. Jenny learns of his fate and decides to return to England to see him again, and her husband Rob is so furious with her decision that he rapes her. Once in England, she discovers she is pregnant and is actually making it on her own, working as a barmaid and singing in the bar. Rob follows her to England, and after they witness Charles's execution, he convinces her to return to Viriginia with him, and she forgives him and goes back to the wilderness farm with this violent man! For me, this was truly hard to swallow and I ended up giving it my usual four stars on GoodReads instead of the five that I had been planning to award it

A Game of Sorrows, by Shona (MG) Mclean - book 2 in the Alexander Seaton series, this story takes place mostly in Ireland as Alexander is summoned by his dead mother's family to help lift a curse that has been placed on the family. At first, I was disappointed to be leaving Scotland for Ireland, but the story helped me understand the relationship between the Scots and northern Ireland in particular. And the story itself was chock full of great stuff--bandits, castles, banquets, journeys, and the requisite conflicts over religion. Alexander is becoming a true hero and I am ready for his next adventure, this time back in Scotland.

The Coffin Trail, by Martin Edwards - technically not a Scottish novel, the first in the author's Lake District mystery series, it takes place in, you guessed it, the Lake District. I just finished this one last night and am still mulling it over. I gave it four stars, but I wasn't completely in love with the main characters, so not sure if I will continue with the series. Daniel Kind is an Oxford don who leaves his job and together with his new girlfriend buys a rundown cottage in the Lake District and throws himself into solving a decade-old murder. Despite living with his girlfriend, he becomes close to Lauren, his dead detective father's former partner, and together they solve the mystery. Actually, he does, but she scolds him for not including her more. It takes a real leap of faith to go along with a lot of the dynamics of the story, but I am assuming that Daniel and Lauren work out the weirdnesses of the premise and become solid partners.

I loved the setting and now want to take a walking vacation in the Lake District!

However, I have to say that the title is a real downer and the cover is atrocious. I would have preferred a nice watercolor rather than B&W photos.

Garden Notes

Our mama dove sat on her eggs until they hatched, then cared for her chicks until they fledged, and we now have use of our back door once again!

I have chives all over my garden--in the rose bed to ward off Japanese beetles, in the veg beds to add color in the spring, and deck planter for the same reason. At our local coffeehouse, a barista told me about a lovely chive vinegar that he makes, so I made some. Simply harvest chive blossoms, rinse them, and crush with mortar and pestle (about 1 cup), cut up 1/4 cup of chives, heat white wine vinegar to just ready to boil. and then pour over chive blossoms and diced chives in mason jar. Seal and put in dark cupboard for three days. Strain into pretty bottle and enjoy a nice chivey pink vinegar!

Fiona is guarding the evening primrose and penstemon.

Honeysuckle in profusion.

TV Notes

I've been getting the Outlander DVDs from the library and season 2 was checked out, so we watched Decameron on Netflix instead. I'm still not sure if I can say that I liked it. It was definitely a dark comedy, and wild and crazy. I felt a profound sense of relief when it was over, but it was a good distraction from the remodel.

My favorite character by far was Misia, played by Saoirse-Monica Jackson of Derry Girls fame. Has anyone else watched this story of the plague in Italy in the 15th century?

We finished watching season 3 of Shrinking, which I thought was the best season and I am eagerly waiting for season 4. I really liked the way the characters are growing and developing and learning and bonding and coping. I thought it was absolutely brilliant casting to have Jeff Daniels play Jimmy's father. Also great to see Michael J. Fox and Candace Bergen, and then I had to laugh to see Cobi Smulders (Robin on How I Met Your Mother) as Jimmy's new love interest Sofi. Seems like the casting director is definitely raiding How I Met Your Mother :)

But, all that said, we were at loose ends as to what 30-minute comedy to watch after an hour of drama and landed on Ghosts, which thankfully my library has since I cannot stand the commercials on Paramount Plus.

I hadn't wanted to watch it before because it looked pretty silly, which it is, but it is also funny and sweet with pretty good writing that makes me laugh.

I am always on the lookout for good 30-minute comedies, so let me know what you like!

Eighteen Years and Counting, Plus Sandwich and Wreck

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:33:36 -0600

It was my blogoversary on Wednesday, May 27 (aka yesterday). Babies born when I started blogging in 2008 are graduating from high school. Platforms for blogging have come and gone, but hating change, I have stuck with Blogger and have no regrets. I would like to figure out how to download and archive my posts since I know that Blogger will not last forever. Does anyone know how to do this?

I mostly blog about the books I've read, occasionally blog about the travels I've taken, the plants I've grown or tried to grow, and just random stuff.

I love my blog--often I won't know what I want to say about a book until I start typing. Without this outlet, my thoughts would remain the muddled mess that is their comfort zone.

Mostly though, I love the blog because it connects me with other readers whose recommendations and reviews I have come to rely on to enhance my reading life. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to be part of the book-blogging community. You are treasured!

Stats: 1065 posts, with about half about Jane Austen it seems; 7160 comments; >2.2 million views, but who's counting!

I updated my Popular Posts widget to show which posts over time have garnered the most views. I honestly think the Adam Bede one was linked somewhere because why else would it be #1?

Books Read Recently

Sandwich and Wreck, by Catherine Newman - a friend of my daughter's lent me both books, and since so many people blogged about Sandwich last year, I took the plunge.

Both were wonderful, although I'll give the edge to Sandwich. It takes place over the course of a week in a holiday cottage on Cape Cod. Rocky and Nick and their two adult children as well as their son's fiancé and Rocky's parents vacation together, and in the course of the week we learn about the dynamics of the family, their backstories (aka secrets), and traditions.

I really enjoyed spending time with this family, and I particularly loved daughter Willa, a sweet, sensitive, funny, young woman. I loved reading about vacationing on Cape Cod, which is still on my bucket list.

Wreck continues the story of the family the following year The wreck is a train accident that kills a young man from the town where Rocky and Nick live, and the accident becomes a pivot point for developing family relationships and, for me, a metaphor for Rocky's health issues.

In looking at Newman's author profile on GoodReads, Sandwich wans't her first novel but feels like it is her breakout novel. Has anyone read any other of her novels? I do like her writing style. Easy to read, interesting but not too angsty. Good comfort reading when escape seems the best option.

Spring Notes

Hope everyone has a good end of May, beginning of June! It's been cool and rainy in Colorado, which I love. The garden is in--all I have left to do is throw some zinnia seeds in their flower bed and hope they sprout and bloom before the frost hits us in September!

Bird nest update - something attacked the nest of baby birds on the front porch and there were no survivors--the entire wreath with nest was upside down on the porch floor. Mama bird is bereft and keeps on asking to come inside to mourn her loss. We thought she picked a great location, but Nature can be cruel. Mama EC Dove is still sitting on her nest by the back door, so hopefully those chicks will survive. Stay tuned for more of Wild America.

Living Room Refresh

We are finally replacing the carpet in the living room with hardwood floors. This is our 32nd year in the house and 22 since our last living room refresh.

The wood will be delivered tomorrow and then it ages for two weeks before installation. Then we paint, and by then my husband should maybe be done building the new TV table with towers he has been working on (while the boat project languishes). We found a very cool end table at our local antique store that the owner is refinishing, and new couches and chairs are on order. I still need to order area rugs, but we've picked out what we want.

This is what we're doing instead of going to Scotland in the fall as originally planned.

Catching Up and Feeling a Bit of Deja Vu

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Sat, 16 May 2026 14:30:22 -0600

Since my last post, we took a wonderful trip to Cortez, CO for the annual Ute Mt Birding Festival, came home to two birds' nests in very inconvenient locations (of course), suffered through a bad cold, relistened to a couple of great audio books on the road trip, and read a couple of new books.

What to cover first?

Travelogue: Cortez

Let's go with the trip to Cortez. It was our 5th time going to the festival, and as usual it was great. Most memorable was the tour of the Yucca House National Monument, led by a Mesa Verde park ranger and expert birder. Until this trip, I had never heard of this site, and believe me, I spent a lot of time in this part of the country as a kid. It was established early, 1919, but never developed as a destination, simply preserved, which is a good thing.

The site, which is contemporaneous to Mesa Verde, is mostly unexcavated, but the ranger was able to make the lives of the people who inhabited this huge village come alive. We also saw a lot of cool birds, including a shrike, but no roadrunner, which he had sort of promised us we would see!

Brownheaded Cowbird

Northern Shrike

Cortez is a cute little town, near the Four Corners (i.e., where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona come together), and I especially love the street art. Below is a mural on one of the outside walls of the Cortez Cultural Center.

Another mural

And yet another mural

Nests with Eggs

Once home, we discovered that an enterprising House Finch had set up housekeeping on our front porch, taking advagtage of the twigs in my spring wreath to create a safe, dry place for her family.

My husband thoughtfully put up caution tape around the front porch so that Mama Finch isn't startled too often.

The other nest is that of a Eurasian Collared Dove and is situated so that we cannot go from the garage to the backyard without disturbing Mama EC Dove.

Feels like we are running a maternity ward but proud to have created a congenial habitat.

Books

Finally, we get to the books read and reread.

For the road trip, we listened to You Are Here, but David Nicholls, which I loved and knew my husband would enjoy. He did. Since we finished that on the drive home, we started Murder Takes a Vacation, by Laura Lippman, which again I had really enjoyed and knew would be a good, light book to listen to.

I've also recently read the following:

A Case of Mice and Murder, by Sally Smith - recommended by both Constance of Staircase Wit and I think also Lark of Lark Reads. It took me a little while to fall in love but now I am smitten and intend to read more in the series (The Trials of Gabriel Ward). Gabriel is an unlikely detective, but I like the way his mind works and he definitely became someone I liked spending time with. I had the whodunnit part figured out early on, but so what? A very fun read. And, I think I now have a better grasp on the Inns of Court in London, which means whenh I reread Bleak House I won't feel so lost...maybe.

The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman - #5 in the immensely popular (and rightly so) Thursday Murder Club series. It was as good as all its predecessors. These books are genuinely funny and always make me laugh out loud, but the plots are complicated, relevant, timely, and often techie (so, like Joyce, I learn something!).

I also just finished another Scottish-history novel, but I will save that for another Reading Scotland post.

The Cold

I know, I know. Everyone gets a cold. But I haven't had one in a long time, and I am a big baby. I actually took a Covid test because I felt so crummy. Negative, which is good. I am finally feeling better today, with the proverbial lingering cough

We started rewatching Outlander last night and just watching Claire and Jamie and the other Highlanders riding for days and nights in the rain was almost more than I could take!

Wild for Austen - by Devoney Looser

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Tue, 5 May 2026 16:58:00 -0600

So why did I give Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane, by Devoney Looser, five stars? I already knew Austen to be a brilliant satirist who skewered those she disdained; I've read the madcap, irreverent stuff she wrote as a teen; and I've dissected her major novels, uncovering all sorts of salacious undercurrents that belie the prim and proper Miss Jane that early biographies promoted.

Despite feeling that the author was trying a bit too hard to make her "wild" point, I just really loved diving in Austen's work and life and times...again! It was a fun book to read--comforting in its familiarity, scholarly but accessible. Looser is a professor who has a knack of expressing her points elegantly. And, there was a lot of new info about Austen that I hadn't heard.

Part I is a walkthrough of Austen's works, starting with the Juvenilia and ending with the unfinished fragments. I particularly liked Chapter 3, "The Controversial Case of Sophia Sentiment," in which Looser lays out the case that Austen's first published work was a letter she wrote to The Loiterer, an Oxford weekly for which her brothers James and Henry wrote the bulk of the copy, under the pseudonym Sophia Sentiment. Looser convinced me that teenager Jane was in fact the author of this wonderful satirical letter. in which she argues for more romantic content and fewer stuffy essays.

Part II, "Fierce Family Ties," contained a lot of new information for me. Looser discusses Jane's relationship to the Burdett family--some of her letters indicate socializing with Frances Burdett and Sophia Burdett, respectively the sister and daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, a political radical who championed universal male suffrage and endured a stint in the Tower of London.

I also learned a lot from the chapter on Eliza, Comtesse de Feuillide, Jane's cousin and Henry's first wife. Jane spent a fair amount of time visiting Henry and Eliza, and Looser makes a compelling case about Jane's exposure to the international social set that Eliza enabled, including the Count and Countess d'Antraigueses--she was an opera singer and he was a spy--and they were brutually murdered in 1812.

And here you thought you knew everything there was to know about Jane's life!

Part III, "Shambolic Afterlives," was particularly fun to read, from early literary conversations with Jane's ghost, to imaginary lovers, to erotica. The penultimate chapter, "Loving (and Hating) Jane Austen," was my favorite and probably the reason I gave the book 5 stars--here's a particularly good passage that resonated with me:

On balance, I've found and still find Austen's novels to be not only a profound personal pleasure to read and reread but also a shared vehicle to explore with others what it might be to try to live a meaningful life in a world that's deeply unfair.

Author and Austen scholar, Devoney Looser

The Correspondent

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:28:00 -0600

It seems everyone was reading The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans, last year, and with good reason. I thoroughly enjoyed this epistolary novel. It made me cry, and I haven't cried over a book in a very long time. Swept away by emotion, I happily bestowed five GoodReads stars on this gem.

Because the novel is entirely letters, it was a pretty quick read with many pages less than half filled with text. I did read a printed copy rather than an audio, which I often opt for when reading contemporary fiction, and I'm glad I did. I would have found it irritating to listen to the same addresses repeatedly.

I found I could relate to Sybil--not so much with regards to the specifics of her life (I am not divorced, I have good relationships with my adult children, and I love to travel, especially outside the US, and I have never had to suffer the grief of a child of mine dying), but I am of her general age (a bit younger actually, but that will change!) and disposition (to a degree). I enjoy writing letters to friends, although I would never presume to write to an author.

I did love the fact that she corresponds with Joan Didion and reached out to Stephen King, Larry McMurtry, and Diana Gabaldon, among others, providing her take on their books and what their stories have meant to her. As a reader, I did enjoy hearing about what she was reading and why.

I liked the story arc--how she became friends with her neighbor, how she fought with and then reconciled with both her daughter and her best friend. How she was finally able to acknowledge the mistakes she made in her professional life, as clerk and confident to a judge. How she finally was able to confront the truth about how her son died. I think in the end Sybil's story is about accountability...and the courage to be accountable.

I heard that Jane Fonda will be playing Sybil Van Antwerp in a movie version, which I think is terrific. I don't think it will be difficult to shift media on the story. There is so much good stuff there to work with.

I tried to find Evans's earlier book, Within the Walled City, but it appears to be out of print, and my usual sources are coming up dry. I have to stop in at the library this afternoon, so I may ask if they can find it anywhere. I cannot imagine that it will stay out of print long--with the success of The Correspondent, I'm sure her publisher wants to ride those coattails with anything else she has written.

Happy Belated Earth Day

I meant to spend yesterday in the garden, but life had other plans in store for me. I still need to plant spinach, lettuce, and peas as well as finish cleaning the flower beds and prepping the veg beds.

The native garden is flourishing--I'm hoping for early flowers!

Reading Scotland: The Stuarts and Kidnapped

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:25:00 -0600

Two more Scottish-based books under my belt.

The Royal Stuarts: A History of the Family that Shaped Britain, by Allan Massie - a solid three-star survey of the Stuart/Stewart dynasty in Scotland and England. Although published n 2011, it had a somewhat dated feel to it. I learned a great deal, coming from knowing very little about those that preceded Mary Queen of Scots.

Survey books like this are challenging in that each section was short enough to be digestible and not overwhelming with detail, but then I found myself wanting more info about each monarch and what was happening at the time. For example, the infamous Gunpowder Plot early in the reign of James VI/I (the VI refers to his Scottish title, and the I to his English one) is given one line. I know there is a wealth of info on this event out there, but I do believe it warrants more than a mere mention.

Also, I would have appreciated illustrations--the cover shows a passel of Stuarts but there was no info inside about who was who. I did like the family tree and referred to it often to keep straight the many people named James, Charles, Mary, or Anne.

I also reread the wonderful adventure story, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Kidnapped is actually the first book in Stevenson's David Balfour series--the second is Catriona, which I have never read and probably should.

Even though this was either my second or third reading of this book, I hadn't read it in at least 40 years and so it truly made a lot more sense this time around. I vividly remembered the first part, where 16- year-old David Balfour, newly orphaned, hears that he has family and sets out to find them. He discovers he has a miserly old uncle who, when his attempt to murder David fails, arranges for a sea captain to kidnap him and take him to the American South and sell him into slavery.

On board the ship, David is befriended by Alan Breck Stewart, a Jacobite agent (time period is shortly after the failed 1745 rising) and together they fight off the wicked sea captain and his rogues, survive shipwreck, flee through the Highlands with the British army searching for them, nearly starve, and survive all manner of dangers as they make their way towards Edinburgh and the lawyer who will restore David to his rightful place as heir of the House of Shaws! Here is a map of David's journey.

Now that I have a better understanding of the politics of the time, as well as the religious conflicts, I actually enjoyed the story so much more than when I had read it without that context.

There have been a number of film versions (1917, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1971, 1986, and 2005), none of which I've seen. I'm learning towards the 1960 Disney version, starring James McArthur as David and David Finch as Alan Breck, with a cameo by Peter O'Toole (apparently his first film role). I had a massive of crush on James McArther when I saw him in Swiss Family Robinson, so it would be fun to see him as David.

Scottish History Podcast

I've been enjoying The Scottish History Podcast. Owen Innes is a former tour guide turned podcaster. He is currently doing a series on the Scottish monarchs named James--I just listened to his latest on James IV. For me, Owen's info is at the right level--enough detail for me to get the idea of what is going on, but not so detailed that I get lost in the weeds.

Spring Roundup

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:19:00 -0600

Spring has come early to Colorado--the daffodils are just about done, as are the apple trees (both ornamental and fruiting), and the lilacs are threatening. We actually had a bit of rain yesterday, and I planted red and white onions last Sunday, but the lawn remains absolutely parched.

I am cleaning the flower beds and thinking about when to plant the lettuce, spinach, and peas.

I haven't booked our trip to Scotland in September yet. It may have to wait until next year as flights have gotten prohibitively expensive, and I don't want to fly in steerage anymore. Nor do I want to just let every company pass along the increased costs to the consumer. This consumer is starting to say no thank you. If I sound like a curmudgeon. So be it. I am embracing my Hagitude! See below :)

Just Read (past tense)

The Proving Ground, by Michael Connelly - a solid 5 stars for this newest Lincoln Lawyer novel. I loved the subject matter--how high tech is operating without "guard rails" when it comes to AI, especially those that target children with AI-companions. There is so much that I hate about AI, and I loved Mickey Haller going after it. I think this book should be recommended reading for all middle school and high school students and their parents!

I worked in high-tech for 42 years--my entire career--and industry never has and never will self-regulate. As always, Connelly's story-telling skills are first rate, and his characterization is spot on. Mickey and his staff definitely have their flaws, but they are realistically likeable characters.

Hagitude: Reimaging the Second Half of Life, by Sharon Blackie - recommended by my 30-something daughter, who is very far off from Hagitude herself, I found so much to love about this book. From the retelling of folk tales that feature both positive and negative images of older women to the Jungian discussions to the personal stories about how the author dealt with aging, this book is chock full of interesting ideas about what it means to become one of the wise women, an elder of the community.

A Room With a View, by E.M. Forster - a reread of a favorite novel, I really enjoyed getting to know Lucy Honeychurch all over again. Like Lucy, I feel in a muddle half the time myself, and I can truly relate to both her wanting to please everyone and to live her own life honestly and enthusiastically.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1, by Beth Brower - recommended by JoAnn of Gulfside Musing, this short first-in-a-series novel was delightful. Light, bright, sparkling--I'm eager to read Volume 2. As the title promises, this is the journal of a young Victorian lady who is fighting to regain possession of her inherited home when she comes of age. For some reason, it reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events--maybe due to the general quirkiness. Definitely a book to lift one's spirits when the doom-scrolling threatens to overwhelm.

Blue Lightning, by Ann Cleeves - book four in the author's Shetland series. I was eager to read this for my Reading Scotland project, and I was confident that I would find it wonderful as Cleeves has been growing steadily as a favorite mystery writer.

Alas, this is currently in the Did Not Finish category in GoodReads because...

***********SPOILERS**************

...she kills off Fran, Jimmy Perez's finance near the end. ARRGGHHH! I seriously hate it when great characters are gratuitously axed because the writer doesn't feel like having the main character's arc go in that direction. At least that's what it felt like to me. There was absolutely no reason that Fran had to die for the mystery to be resolved. I simply couldn't bear to read about her murder and Jimmy's grief and guilt over it

I think I will probably steel myself and go ahead and read the final chapters and then mark it read. But, I am not sure about reading any more in this series. And I am definitely not watching the TV show after this!

Speaking of TV Shows

Just watched Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix about Belle Gibson, the Australian social media starlet who convinced her followers that she had cured herself of brain cancer through healthy eating. I was absolutely mesmerized and appalled by the narcissism, self-delusion, and con-artistry of this woman.

As with so many scams, I found myself agonizing over the utter waste of time, energy, and talent. Belle was clearly not an unintelligent person. She was a hard worker. She was media-saavy with brilliant instincts about what works when it comes to building a brand and advertising. If only she had believed in herself enough to go for it without the crutch of making herself into a victim.

In addition to Belle's story, the TV series also told the stories of two other women, both of whom did have cancer, and how they and their families and loved ones helped them deal with their diagnosis, fought with them over treatment options, and loved them throughout their journey.

I was particularly impressed with how well produced this series was--it really physically demonstrated how addictive external validation via the internet can be. Like The Proving Ground, this show focused on the very real dangers that internet technology pose.

I also started rewatching Monarch of the Glen--the marvelous British show from the early 2000s. Set in the Scottish highlands, it is enormous fun, with fantastic scenery. In a nutshell, Archie MacDonald returns home from London to find he is the new laird of Glenbogle, his family's estate that is under water financially.

I only watched the first five seasons the first time around and will probably do the same this time. The last two seasons deal with a usurper and, again, I just didn't like the story line that developed.

I don't know if this show is available streaming. I am getting it through a wonderful, old-fashioned process called inter-library loan.

Is anyone else watching orange-loving Jamie Ding on Jeopardy? He's won over $500k and the stuff he knows is just astounding. That said, he has missed a couple of final Jeopardy questions that I was surprised he didn't know. But still--he is pretty darn impressive!

Travelogue: Cranes and Cather

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 14:49:00 -0600

Ten years ago or so, my husband and I went to Kearney, Nebraska for the spring migration of Sandhill Cranes. Every year since then, we have wanted to go back and this year, last week, we finally did. BTW, here is a link to our trip in 2014.

Roughly 80% of the world's population of Sandhill Cranes stop off in mid-Nebraska for a little rest and relaxation along the Platte River between February and April. They bulk up on corn droppings in the fields and fish in the river, find their mate, and socialize with friends before continuing on north where they breed and summer.

The town of Kearney definitely leans into the Sandhill Crane migration--I imagine this is peak season for the hotels, motels, and restaurants, with visitors coming worldwide to experience the skies filled with birds. The map of public viewing areas pictured below is available everywhere and was invaluable.

On a previous trip, we were happy with the Fort Kearny Hike/Bike Bridge and went there at sunset and sunrise and saw thousands of birds, bedding down for the night and taking off in the morning.

On this trip, we went to the bridge on our first night in town and were so disappointed. Hundreds of people lining the bridge, but virtually no birds came within 300 yards of the bridge. So, the next morning, we went to the Plautz Viewing Platform a bit east of the bridge, and were thrilled to see hundreds of birds take off. So that evening and the following morning, we went back to the viewing platform and experienced what we had remembered from 10 years ago.

Flocks of cranes fill the daytime sky as they scope out the best cornfields.

Cleaning up last year's corn crop...

Feasting on fish, bugs, basically anything they can swallow.

The Rowe Sanctuary provides blinds that you can book (probably six months in advance) as well as tours. We didn't do either this trip, but may book a blind for next year. Yes, I want to go back next year.

After the morning bird show, we headed off to the town of Kearney for breakfast and discovered a wonderful coffeeshop that does killer scrambled eggs. If you are ever in Kearney for breakfast, try Kitt's Kitchen. The staff is friendly, the food and hot beverages are great, and the atmosphere is so inviting.

On to Red Cloud

Because the crane show is really a sunrise/sunset affair, we decided to go an hour south of Kearney to Red Cloud and visit the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska. Although I haven't read even half of her novels, I consider Cather one of my favorite American authors.

The exhibit at the Center is exceptional, and I learned so much about her life and work and career. The Center offers tours of her childhood home, but we didn't have time for the tour so just stopped by to take some photos. I believe the town of Red Cloud is now smaller than when she lived there in the 1880s and 1890s, but we did find a place for lunch (Juan's Bar and Grill) across the street from the Center that made a very good cheeseburger and fries!

The house Cather lived in as a child.

Cather describes this house in detail in The Song of the Lark, which is the most recent Cather that I have read. I also picked up a couple of her later novels that I haven't yet read. Lucy Gayheart was published in 1935, and Sapphira and the Slave Girl is her last novel, published in 1940.

The road trip to Nebraska was so rewarding--getting up before the birds, watching the sun rise and listening to the world come to life, shivering in the cold with hundreds of other people who want to witness one of Earth's great migrations. Discovering new gems in the heartland. Seeing the landscape that inspired one of my favorite authors. Exploring my own backyard. Watching the sun set on a beautiful river.

Reading Scotland: Clanlands and The Redemption of Alexander Seaton

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:28:00 -0600

Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other - written and read by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, Charlotte Reather (co-writer)

Here's excerpts from the GoodReads blurb:

As stars of Outlander, Sam and Graham eat, sleep and breathe the Highlands on this epic road trip around their homeland. . Armed with their trusty campervan and a sturdy friendship, these two Scotsmen are on the adventure of a lifetime to explore the majesty of Scotland. A wild ride by boat, kayak, bicycle and motorbike, they travel from coast to loch and peak to valley and delve into Scotland's history and culture, from timeless poetry to bloody warfare.

Definitely a fun book to listen to, although the banter between Sam and Graham did wear thin after a while. I definitely enjoyed hearing about this history of the various places they visited, and their love of Scotland shines through so strongly.

I also enjoyed their Outlander anecdotes. I only watched the first three seasons, but I am planning to rewatch them again this summer. And I also enjoyed hearing about their non-Outlander acting careers--always interesting to hear about life in the theater and on the set.

The Redemption of Alexander Seaton - by Shona (aka S.G.) MacLean - the first in a series by the author of The Bookseller of Inverness, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Here's the Goodread blurb:

Is the young man merely drunk or does his tottering walk suggest something more sinister? When he collapses in front of two sisters on that dark, wet night, they guess rightly that he's been murdered by poisoning. So begins this tale set in the town of Banff, Scotland in the 1620s.

Alexander Seaton is not the young man mentioned in the blurb, but he is the one that said young man reaches out to, imploring his help, and Alexander, to his great shame, ignores the plea for help. That is just part of what he needs to redeem. Alexander has made some mistakes and had some bad luck, and is now a very educated man who cannot do the work he has felt called to do all his life, namely be a Presbyterian minister.

I truly enjoyed traveling back to 1620s Scotland, during a witch-hunting phase, when invasion from France was highly likely, given the religious and political turmoil. Who knew that map-making could have such ominous overtones? The who-dunit part of the story was excellent--and the unfolding of the mystery was detailed and super interesting.

It is a very detail-rich, historically satisfying novel. You can tell the author is writing of her homeland--she knows the landscape, the flora and fauna, the fog patterns (it is Scotland, after all!), and all the landmarks, natural and manmade. I also loved visiting the university in Aberdeen, Alexander's alma mater, with him, and hearing about his haunts and habits as a student.

Alexander is a very likeable protagonist--flawed but earnest, with a solid gold heart, and brains to boot. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Just read: God of the Woods, Dream Count, and another Birder Murder mystery

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 15:45:00 -0600

God of the Woods, by Liz Moore - I saw this book on so many blogs last year, and since I loved the premise, I fell for the hype. So glad I did because it was a fun book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Two children from the same wealthy family disappear 14 years apart from their parents' summer complex in the Adirondack mountains in upstate New York. The story alternates between the summer of 1975 when 14-year-old Barbara Van Laar disappears from the children's summer camp on the Van Laar preserve and the summer of 1961 when 8-year-old Bear Van Laar disappears from the preserve.

The cast of characters include the weird Van Laar parents, both from moneyed backgrounds--Peter is a cold, controlling banker and Alice is a debutante who never grew a spine; wealthy friends of the parents, hardworking law enforcement, a convicted escaped rapist and serial killer, camp staff including the camp manager and groundskeeper, and town folk from the nearby blue-collar town of Shattuck, NY..

The resolutions for both disappearances were different than I expected and pretty interesting in themselves. I also thought the red herrings were terrific and really had me going down a variety of deadends.

I almost had a problem with stereotypical characters, but Moore managed to step back from the stereotype and make them real. The 1970s she depicts in rural NY was not really recognizable to me--being a teen in Colorado in the 1970s, but I figured that had more to do with location and regional norms than authorial sloppiness. In other words, I enjoyed the story so much I gave the author some slack.

Has anyone read any of the other books by this author?

Dream Count, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - this was a five-star book for me. Here's the GoodReads blurb:

Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until—betrayed and brokenhearted—she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America—but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.

I really enjoyed reading about these four women from worlds that I know so little about. Even when they are in the U.S., their experiences, being international women of color, barely intersect with my own reality. However, Kadiatou's story is the most powerful and compelling. She tells of her life in Guinea--unlike the other three women, she is not born into a wealthy family--and so she must work from an early age. She immigrates to the U.S., helped by her fiancée, and it was fascinating and sobering to read about the immigrant experience. The other women were interesting to read about, but hers was the story I really cared about...and deeply.

The ending is probably one of the most satisfying endings to a story that I have read in a very long time. It is beautiful and hopeful, life-affirming but not sugar-coated. We all dream our own dreams and what is good or right or just for one person is not necessarily what another person wants.

Also, the Author's Note at the end is brilliant and definitely worth reading. She says this about stories:

Stories die and recede from collective memory merely for not having been told. Or a single version thrives because other versions are silenced. Imaginative retellings matter. Literature does truly instruct and delight—or at least it can. Literature keeps the faith and tells the story as reminder, as witness, as testament. Stories help us see ourselves and talk about ourselves.

I also read but never blogged about the author's Americanah, which was also a 5-star book for me.

A Foreboding of Petrels, by Steve Burrows - #7 in the wonderful birder murder mystery series, this one was particularly interesting as the murder took place at a research lab in Antarctica, so it was interesting to learn about life down there, the logistics and how to deal with the extreme conditions, etc while watching Dominic Jejune, chief detective, figure it all out while on required leave from his job.

This is such a good mystery series--chock full of interesting side characters--and set in the marshy eastern coast of England. Small town stuff, birding stuff, science stuff. All good!

Apart from Reading...

I've started ice skating again. I was practically born on skates--with a Canadian mother, there was really no choice. I speed skated until age 11, then shifted to figure skating through high school. And then, I stopped skating except very occasionally, sold my custom skates since they no longer fit, and didn't skate for about 20 years...while the body aged. I bought a pair of skates and have been four times in the last two weeks, with two of my adult kids, and am really enjoying the change of pace. As I say, I have the muscle memory...just not the muscles anymore. Pictures of me on the ice will not be forthcoming.

Finished season three of The Gilded Age and cannot wait until season 4 is released later this year. What an exceptionally good show. I loved everything about it. Will start current season of Bridgerton soon.

Resumed watching Mad About You--Jamie and Paul are finally pregnant. I loved this show in the 1990's and am so impressed with all the great comedians that Paul Reiser induced to be on his show. We're talking Carl Reiner, Jerry Lewis, Mel Brooks, Stephen Wright, and I know Carol Burnett shows up as Jamie's mom later on. And then, of course, there were the crossovers with other NBC shows: namely Friends and Seinfeld.

Set up to record the new Count of Monte Cristo on PBS, which starts on March 22. Gearing up to watch Death by Lightning about the assassination of President James Garfield.

Tried to watch How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, assuming it would be like Derry Girls, but too weird and spooky for me.

Watched the first two episodes of the rebooted Scrubs. Definitely a keeper!

Happy Spring! So glad we are back on daylight savings time--walks in the evening, reading on the back deck in the evening. Garden planning is underway.

Best wishes for a wonderful March full of good books!

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

jagreensmith@yahoo.com (Jane Greensmith) — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 09:15:00 -0700

In searching for books about and set in Scotland, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark, was on virtually every list I encountered and since I had not yet read it, I did.

Set in Edinburgh in the 1930s and published in 1962, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie surprised me in how much I disliked it while I was reading it but came to like it later, while I was trying to figure out what to say about it.

Synopsis: Jean Brodie is a forty-something attractive, single teacher at a girls school in Edinburgh. She teaches the middle grade girls--the 11–13-year-olds. She is unconventional in that she doesn't drill her class on the fundamentals but rather wants to instill in them an appreciation and understanding of what she considers high culture and art--classical music, poetry, classical literature, Renaissance art. She selects a set of girls from her class to become her favorites, "her set," and she takes them to concerts and other outings, including tea in her flat.

The school administration disapproves of Miss Brodie's approach to teaching and the fact that she has a set of girls who are loyal to her even as they age out of her classes and move to the senior school. The head mistress tries for years to figure out how to get Miss Brodie to "retire early" and tries to get girls from her set to "betray" her by sharing secrets about her sex life. All the girls know that she is in love with a married man, the art teacher, but having an affair with a single man, the music teacher. The girls never bow to the headmistress's pressure to spill what they know. However, one girl does tell the headmistress that Miss Brodie admires the fascists who are gaining power in Italy and Germany, and that is all the headmistress needs to finally boot Miss Brodie from the school.

I started this book assuming that I would like Jean Brodie and feel awful for the way she was treated. This was not the case. I disliked Miss Brodie intensely--she is arrogant, self-satisfied, selfish, vain, and manipulative. As a teacher, she cared not about actually helping her students but in having them do well in order to make her shine all the brighter. Her love for Mussolini and Hitler and her admiration for their Black Shirts and Brown Shirts was repulsive. She talks about being in her prime--that is, she is at the peak of her beauty, knowledge, intellectual prowess and she is gracing her students with her gifts while she is in her prime.

The writing was interesting in that the narrator never gets us inside Miss Brodie's head, but rather we see what she does and says, often second hand, not what she thinks.

The narrator pegs or labels each of the girls based on Miss Brodie's assessment, and they are stuck with those labels: Eunice was athletic, Jenny was theatrical, Mary was stupid, Monica was known for sex, Rose was beautiful, and Sandy had "little piggy eyes" and fantasized a lot, living out stories in her head. And the narrator repeated these descriptions often, reminding me of the "wine-dark sea" of the Iliad and the Odyssey. These girls were reduced to the labels Miss Brodie attached to them, and in the novel they never have a life apart from the label, except for Sandy who becomes the "one who betrayed her."

When I finished the book, I gave it three stars. After thinking about it for a while, I've upped my rating to four stars. The book is not really about Miss Jean Brodie and the Scottish or Edinburgh school system. It is an allegory for how charismatic leaders can create loyal followers who will blindly support them even when they are shown to be less than perfect.

Written thirty years after the rise of fascism in Europe and almost twenty years after WWII ended, it seems to be an attempt to demonstrate how easily a fascist leader like Mussolini or Hitler could convince seemingly reasonable and rational people to do heinous things.

It is a sobering tale, relevant now in the US like never before. Not a fun book to read, but a powerful message. Maybe it is a five-star book after all.

I've never seen the movie, starring Maggie Smith. I wonder how true to the book it is.