Elk Falls Provincial Park
Campbell River, British Columbia
September 2023
Just as the bear in the photograph above is preparing for winter, I found myself slowing down in November, curling up with my books more often than I usually do during the summer. We celebrated our 35th anniversary, enjoyed a visit with more relatives mid-month (I think that brings the total number of visitors in 2023 to a whopping 43!), and hosted a few of our neighbors for Thanksgiving. The RV is tucked in at the storage facility for the next few months, and the rainy (and windy!) season has arrived, so I see more time for reading and trying out new recipes in the coming months.
Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson (4/5)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (4.5/5)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (3/5)
Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard (5/5)
Bella: An Appalachian Love Story & Jagged Dawn: Logan's Beginning by Valerie Davisson (4/5)
The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill (3.5/5)
The Push by Ashley Audrain (4.5/5)
The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls (4/5)
Closer by Sea by Perry Chafe (3.5/5)
Movies & TV Series:
My Texas Rangers' T-Shirt from 1998
Texas Rangers are the 2023 World Series Champions! When we lived in Fort Worth (1998-2000), we fell in love with the Rangers (and their ballpark). It was also the season of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, so we watched A LOT of baseball. I loved going to games and have always been a fan of the team (which has been around since the year of my birth). Well done, boys!
Vera (Season Three) - We really enjoy this series, especially since each mystery is wrapped up in a single episode. I love seeing how the friendship between Vera and Joe continues to develop.
Anika (Season Two) - Lots more (dry) humor in this season than in the first, but overall, I didn't love it.
Bosch Legacy (Season Two) - Another follow-up season that disappointed us. Actually, the Legacy spin-off of Bosch isn't nearly as good as the original.
Thanksgiving Feast:
Most of our family came for visits this past summer and early fall, so with no relatives coming for Thanksgiving, we invited a few of our neighbors to Thanksgiving dinner. Only because I couldn't find a smaller turkey (from the company I prefer), I wound up with a 24 lb beast! I've never roasted a turkey that large and was afraid it would take all day to cook. Surprisingly, it was finished in under four hours. (It was actually slightly overdone, but that's better than an undercooked turkey, and, with enough gravy and cranberry sauce, nobody cared.) I do a lot of prep the day before and serve the majority of hot dishes in crockpots. I was even able to carve the turkey well before our guests arrived, holding it at a safe temperature in a large crock pot. And yes, we have a lot of leftovers which are in the freezer for future meals. Turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini, turkey enchiladas, turkey sandwiches, and turkey tacos, to name a few. What's your favorite turkey leftover meal?
Christmas Gift Idea:
I received my first item from MAYSON the label and I'm in love! The color is stunning and the cashmere fabric is so luxurious. If you need a gift idea, you can't go wrong with this scarf. It comes in six colors (cappuccino, navy, heather grey, skylar, black, and white sand) and after much deliberation, I ordered the skylar. It was tempting to get one in every color. ;)
On second thought, treat yourself to an early Christmas present. You deserve it!
