Friday, October 28, 2011

Drifting into Fall on This Weekly Link Round-Up


There are a few wits who maintain that Phoenix has two climates: Heaven and Hell. If the summer is Hell, then this, surely, is Heaven.  Blue skies, bags of sunshine, balmy temperatures. If the climate was like this all year round, Phoenix would be one of the most densely populated areas on earth. (Which makes me extremely grateful that we have those months of Hell.)

Next week Denis and I will be going to our storage unit to bring home all the Christmas decorations we have. I've been sitting out by the pool writing pages of notes... room-by-room reminders of how I want to decorate each location. I'm excited, too, because I have new real estate to put in the holiday spirit. With the purge of my library, I now have the tops of the bookcases on which to display goodies-- and I've even made notes for next year.

Homemade pumpkin coconut bread... YUM!
Last year I was too ill to want to lift my hand to anything holiday related. In fact, Denis is the one who cooked Thanksgiving dinner. This year might be very different.

I've started making quick bread from scratch-- like the pumpkin coconut bread to the right-- and filling the house with the most wonderful smells. It's as though something inside me wants to make this Christmas season extra special just because I'm here. I survived. And I appreciate what I have.

Anyway... enough talk about a season no one but me wants to hear about, and on to those links!


Bookish News & Other Fun Stuff

I ♥ Lists

Christmas Shopping
  • Q&A a day-- I stink at keeping diaries or journals, but I'm willing to give this one a go. It's a five-year diary in which I answer one question per day. Over the course of five years, I think it will be really interesting to track my answers!
  • How about this little mini button as a stocking stuffer-- or for yourself?

Book Candy

New to My Google Reader

My mind is still thinking of places I'd like to have one of those Read-Nests, so I'm going to go now-- hoping that one or two of my links have brightened your day.

Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

12 comments:

  1. Love that button! A reading nest looks like a cool idea -- around here, though it'd need a heating system.

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  2. It sounds like you're in for a wonderful holiday!

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  3. Cathy - That pumpkin coconut bread looks fantastic! And I am so glad to hear how much better you're feeling this year...

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  4. I'm really enjoying hearing your plans for the holidays. So glad that this will be a better, more healthy one for you!

    Those button are great and that reading nest is intriguing. I'd have to have a/c though. LOL

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  5. I'm totally jealous of your warm weather! I know it felt like heaven when I visited AZ last spring. :)

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  6. Candace-- If that button came in different colors, I'd need one to match each outfit in my wardrobe! LOL

    Kathy-- I'll certainly be trying to make it that way!

    Margot-- It tastes fantastic, too!

    Kay-- And it's your first in your new home! As for the read-nest... why not be cradled in the lap of luxury with a perfect view as you read???

    Alyce-- Ah yes... that wonderful spell of heaven before hell sets in! LOL

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  7. I'm glad you're feeling well and are enjoying this season!

    I really like the Q & A book, too. I may purchased a couple for gifts. Thanks for posting the link.

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  8. I'm glad to see you're feeling better and already planning for the holidays. That Q&A book will make a great gift. I have nieces that are difficult to buy things for. I've already tossed it in my amazon cart for later.

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  9. Thank you for bringing the Q and A a Day journal to my attention, Cathy! It's the perfect gift for a couple of my friends - and myself! :)

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  10. Hilde-- Wonderful! That seems to be the favorite Christmas gift link so far.

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