Happy Birthday, PFCMom!

Today is my 64th birthday.

December birthdays are not fun, especially if they fall after Christmas. Who's in the mood for another party? I think I've had three birthday parties in my whole life. Once as a child, another was a surprise party given by my older sister when I turned 17, and one given by friends when I turned 48 or 49, I can't remember which. I've tried celebrating in April which is a wonderful month with no other family celebrations, but that didn't work out either.

Noble (our daughter) and I are going shopping and out to eat. TopDad is in Iowa working on our house there. He goes whenever he has time off work. It's really cold today, high is forecast to be 26, but not as cold as yesterday (9) or tomorrow (13). So on this balmy day, we're venturing out.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Keep the Magic Going Forward

 

Now that Christmas Day has come and gone, let's keep the magic going. Not the visible trapping of the holiday, rather the interior magic of thoughtfulness and kindness, love and forgiveness. Following Jesus should be a daily habit throughout the year. 

November was busier

With increasing strength I was able to do much more in November so I didn't read as much. (Darn!)

1. Neva's Story by Austin McConnell - The author found an unfinished manuscript among his grandmother's effects and set about fleshing out and finishing the story. A valiant effort by a loving grandson, it was a sweet coming of age story. (Book was a gift from my own son.)

2. The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella - The latest rom-com from Sophie. She is such a fun writer. This one is a bit too complicated for a one line synopsis, suffice it to say I thoroughly enjoyed the twists.

3. Charity Detox by Robert D. Lupton - the sequel, or follow-up to Toxic Charity that I read in September. Both are so interesting and informative. They have changed how I feel about giving. I'm much more careful now. Highly recommend them both.

3. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella - An old friend; about a high powered lawyer who seemingly makes a mistake and flees in disgrace to the countryside where she unwittingly becomes a domestic worker. Funny! And witty and delightful.

4. goodbye, things (sic) by Fumio Sasaki - Account of a young Japanese man's transformation to a minimalist. Interesting perspective, though I don't think it aged well (written in 2015) as some of the things he said made me wonder how he was doing through the pandemic lockdowns. A few good points that made me ponder my own situation. 

5. The Story of Silent Night by Paul Gallico - Charming story of the writer and the composer of the most famous Christmas Carol and the circumstances that led to their collaboration.

6. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella - Can you tell who I was in the mood for? Sophie is one of my favorite writers. She is just so witty and inventive. This one is about a women who decides to marry an old flame while rebounding from a misunderstanding about getting engaged to her current boyfriend. Her sister is the editor of a travel magazine who pulls in favors from airport and hotel staff to prevent the couple from consummating their marriage. It is laugh out loud funny! (I'm not describing it well at all.)

That's it. Just six books finished, although I have several more that are in progress.