WEEKLY UPDATES: HOME AGAIN!

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn Weekly Updates

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Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

What a week I had!  I drove way north, where I found beaches and forests, and had a great time with my son and DIL.  My granddaughter tagged along and did some of the driving, although a teenager at the wheel is not relaxing.  LOL.

Not much blogging (only one post), which I wrote after I got back from my trip:  Out of My Interior World:  Family Time & Beach Time. 

We were gone from Monday through Thursday, with Monday and Thursday as driving days. (From 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday!).  But Tuesday and Wednesday were great days of exploring the sights, from beaches to forests.  The beach below had black sand…and I loved those footsteps marching along.  And someone created other marks in the sand.

 

 

August 2016 - footsteps in the black sand

Coming home is always good, though, but I think my laptop must have missed me, since it seems to be acting up today!  Or I’m out of practice on the bigger keys, having used my iPhone to comment on posts.

My coffee pot has protested my absence, too!  It would not deliver even one cup for me today, so I’ll be off to Target to get another one.  Coffee Pot Number 101?

I somehow managed to read two books while I was gone, and reviewed them yesterday:

 

Review:  The Melody Lingers On (e-book), by Mary Higgins Clark

Review:  The Girl You Lost (e-book), by Kathryn Croft

 

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Covers/Titles Linked to Amazon)

I haven’t even checked my mailbox, as yesterday was all about settling back into my home, watching shows on my DVR, etc.  (My mail comes to a P.O. box, so I have to drive to check it!).

I did download these books, though:

 

The Things We Wish Were True (e-book), by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (Kindle Prime Free Book)

 

 

 

 

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Siracusa (e-book), by Delia Ephron

 

 

 

 

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It Ends with Us (e-book), by Colleen Hoover

 

 

 

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WHAT’S UP NEXT? (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

 

Currently Reading:  Blood Defense (e-book), by Marcia Clark

 

 

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The Couple Next Door (e-book), by Shari Lapena (NetGalley – 8/23)

 

 

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And then my mood will select more from my trusty Pippa….or even one of the print books on my stack!

 

 

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What did your week look like?  I hope you had a great time!  While I was in Crescent City, I had this dinner one night.  (I had to take most of it home to the fridge, though!).

 

 

dinner on August 3

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70 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: HOME AGAIN!”

    1. Thanks, Ardis, and I agree about how rejuvenating a vacation with family can be. Maybe I should stay longer next time, though, to rest up between day-long drives. Enjoy your week, and I am looking forward to the Hoover book, too.

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  3. I always feel rejuvenated after a trip to the beach. Love the pics! I also picked up The Things We Wish Were True – hope to read it soon.
    I hope your computer worked out the bugs and is back to running normally. Enjoy the new coffee maker 🙂

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    1. Ah, yes, the computer…I was just hitting the wrong keys because I was out of practice with the laptop…lol. Thanks for stopping by, Mary, and I would love to inhale a little bit more of the beach scent right about now. Luckily, the weather cooled off a bit in my absence…but I’m sure it will be triple digits again soon. Enjoy your books!

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    1. Thanks, Heather, and I hope you enjoy Hoover, too. I have only read a couple of her YA books, so I’m eager to see what she does with the adult genre.

      As for Siracusa, I love any Ephron book, whether it’s Delia, Amy, or Hallie (or Nora!). Love them all!

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    1. Thanks, Grace, and as for the laptop, I just needed to relax into it again and to stop hitting the wrong keys…lol. New coffee maker is installed on my counter, ready to go.

      I am also eager to read the new CH book. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. You did have quite the week. Love the pictures. That’s a lot of driving but looks like it was so worth it! Wow yummy food too lol.

    Siracusa and The Couple Next Door both look good. I love a suspenseful read and The Couple Next Door looks like it would deliver.

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    1. Thanks, Greg, I think I needed a couple more drivers so that I wouldn’t have to take the wheel for such a long stretch…lol. Or more days in between drives.

      I loved my getaway, though, and next time, I’ll go to the Central Coast (only 2-3 hours away!).

      I am also looking forward to both Siracusa and The Couple Next Door. Enjoy your week!

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    1. Thanks, Nick, I did love the vacation….and I slowly settled into home, by first watching shows on my DVR and very slowly unpacking. Then came laundry and all that boring stuff. LOL. Thanks for stopping by, and I am eager to read my new books.

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    1. Thanks, Laura, and the computer problem was actually ME, forgetting how to hit the keys properly. LOL. The coffee pot, however, had to be replaced…and I did it. But then I looked at the date on the last one I bought…it was only purchased in December! What’s up with that?

      Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.

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  9. It sounds like you had a great time with your grand-daughter and your son and DIL, Laurel-Rain 🙂 That’s a lot of driving, though! And I completely know what you mean about kids at the wheel. It’s always a bit daunting, even if they do have their licence…
    That beach looks wonderful, and it’s always fun to leave marks in the sand 🙂
    Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.

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    1. I felt sorry for Fiona, since my gasps and the way I clutched at the handles probably did not give her confidence. However, teens seem to be overly confident at times, and she just seemed to speed up. LOL.

      Thanks for stopping by, Lexxie, and I loved my getaway, despite the driving. Next time I plan to go on the train, though. Enjoy your week!

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  10. Sounds like you had fun and lol at the non relaxing while your grandaughter was driving! I can’t even imagine such a long run road trip. Here I can only drive for about 5 hours (at the very most) ,and in some directions only about 45 minutes, before I hit water. Island life 🙂

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    1. We did stop several times, at restaurants and just to walk around. But the worst part of the drive was all the road work on Hwy. 101, the scenic route we chose because it was so “scenic.” LOL.

      I don’t think I’ve ever driven that long in one day…and don’t plan to do it again! Train next time.

      Thanks for stopping by, Trish, and I did have fun….and island life sounds awesome!

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  13. What a fun week! Though I agree – a teenager at the wheel is never relaxing. It sounds like you had a lovely time though. That’s too bad about the coffee maker. I’ve lost a few and it always seems like it dies on the day I need the coffee the most! That meal looks delicious but enormous. I’m not surprised you ended up taking most of it home. Have a great week!

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    1. Yes, it was an Italian/Greek restaurant, and they tended toward the lavish servings. I asked for a half-size, but they didn’t have it. LOL.

      Thanks for stopping by, Katherine, and I don’t know what it is about coffee pots, either. Maybe I should try something different. I tend to buy Mr. Coffee, but my grown kids like Keurig.

      Enjoy your week! And yes, it will be a long while before I again travel with a teenager driving…LOL.

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    1. Ha-ha…Yes, it was stressful. On the way up, I did most of the driving, but she sulked so much as we were getting ready to drive home…that I gave in and let her drive. (Wrong thing to do, giving in to her passive-aggressive behavior). I was not very relaxed….and I tried not to nag at her, but that’s the hardest thing in the world. LOL.

      I did love our visit with family and walking along the beaches. And feeling the cool breezes instead of triple digit heat. But I do love being home again. Thanks for visiting, Karen.

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  15. Literary Feline

    Welcome home! I am glad you had a nice time, even with the stresses of a teenager driver. 🙂 Hopefully your new coffeepot will produce many delicious cups of coffee for you. Not exactly the welcome home you want when your old one doesn’t work. Love the photo on the beach.

    I am not sure what we will be doing today. It was pretty quiet yesterday. I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Wendy, and the coffeepot did a nice job for me today…but now I’ll be wondering how long this one will last! The last one died way too soon.

      I hope to get caught up on my DVR recordings…I made a big dent in them yesterday.

      I think my teenage granddaughter is glad to be home, too, away from my gasps and nagging….I tried not to do that, but, well….I was terrified some of the time. LOL

      Enjoy your week.

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    1. That’s when I got it, too, Samantha, and I waited a while. But now, as I read it, I’m very captivated. I love the author’s writing style and the first person narrator whose name, incidentally, is Samantha. Thanks for visiting.

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    1. It had been several years for me, which is ridiculous, since I could have gone to one of the near beaches, within three hours or so. But I got in a rut. So glad I took this time, though. Thanks for stopping by, Jeanene…and have a great week.

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  19. adventureswithabooknerd

    Sounds like you had a lot of fun on your vacation, and I really like the footprints in the sand! I have seen This is Where it Ends on a lot of blogs this week, but I still have no clue what its about. I’ll have to look it up. Have a good week! 🙂

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    1. Yes, I have enjoyed what I’ve read of Blood Defense…I’ve been settling into being home again and catching up on other things. More reading tonight, though. Thanks for visiting, Nise, and I loved the trip, despite the horrible road conditions and long journey…LOL.

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  22. katarguelles

    Welcome home Laurel-Rain! Sounds like a fun trip and I love the pictures of the beach and the food!. That was a great way to cool down and see your family. Everyone is talking about It Ends With Us so I’ll have to grab a copy soon. I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn, and yes, that was a lot of traveling. A better plan would have been to stay longer than the two days, to make up for the two days of sheer driving. Next time I’ll take the train!

      Enjoy your week….and I had never seen black sand before, so I was impressed.

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    1. Thanks, Kathy, and my laptop issues were really just me, being out of practice. The coffeepot was an unpleasant surprise, though, since I hadn’t had it that long. A new one is now delivering coffee as I write this.

      I am eager to read my new books. Enjoy yours!

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  25. Kathy Martin

    Sounds like you had a great trip but I don’t envy you for all the driving you did. Four hours in the car at a stretch is enough for me. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Now that it’s behind me, I am astounded that I agreed to such a long trip, especially all in one day (10 hours plus stops). I will go by train next time…LOL. Thanks for visiting, Kathy, and enjoy your week.

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    1. Thanks, Elizabeth, I do wish my family members lived closer! Only my daughter and three grandchildren live in this city. My second son lives in LA, which is only about four hours away…so a shorter trip. My eldest son, of course, lives in Prague….sigh.

      Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting.

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  33. Sounds like you had a nice time. How dare your belongings protest your time away. Off with their heads, I say….whoops, wrong story. Glad you were able to get some reading done, Hope your mailbox isn’t toppling over.

    Thanks for visiting The Busy Moms’ Daily.

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    1. Oh, my inbox was definitely a mess! I did try to respond to a few from my iPhone, but it is not as satisfying as working on the laptop.

      As for my appliances, yes, OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

      Thanks for visiting, Cheryl.

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