Welcome to Thursday, a day that once seemed lost, with nothing exciting happening anywhere. But then that changed, and today I am celebrating a couple of the bookish events around the blogosphere, like Lexxie’s Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts; and Christine’s Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts.
***
My foodie snippet today comes from my current read, Send in the Clowns, by Julie Mulhern: the fourth book in the Country Club Murders series, set in the 1970s, in Kansas City, Missouri. Our MC, Ellison Russell, has stumbled upon a number of dead bodies recently, and finds herself helping to solve the murder mysteries.
In this excerpt, our MC is exhausted, worried, and exhilarated, too; she just found another body the night before…a murder victim who died in front of her. The next day, one of her potential lovers, Hunter Tafft, has come over for coffee…and to hear about her latest mystery. Her wonderful housekeeper Aggie has prepared the repast:
Aggie poured two mugs, put them on the counter, and pushed a white box my way. “I stopped at that French bakery you like and bought crescents.”
Fresh croissants? The woman definitely deserved a raise.
She added two plates to the counter. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
She disappeared in a swirl of celery green kaftan.
I opened the refrigerator and scanned the shelves. “I think we have marmalade and raspberry jam. Which would you prefer?”
“I’ve already eaten.”
I hadn’t. I grabbed the marmalade, turned to face the man in my kitchen, and steeled myself to tell him everything.
“Drink your coffee first.”
He knew me well.
I put the marmalade on the counter next to the croissants, climbed on a stool, and wrapped my fingers around a steaming cup of heaven. I kid you not. The first sip of coffee in the morning is as close as mortals can come to walking with angels. (23%).
***
Sounds good to me! Especially the part about Aggie waiting on them.
***
- This past week has been very emotional. Ups and downs, fear and anger. Disbelief. It has been like a nightmare, only I can’t wake up!
- The good thing that came out of it: I read and reviewed FIVE books! In my Weekly Updates, I talk about my hope of finding serenity, and I link to my reviews.
- After that burst of reading energy, I’ve been stumbling along this week. I finished reading and reviewing only ONE book…and I started a couple of others. Send in the Clowns, excerpted above, is moving along nicely.
- My daughter and her fiance impulsively decided to have a civil ceremony here in town, but she planned to keep quiet about it…since there is still an April 1 wedding at the beach on the schedule…but then she announced their nuptials on Facebook a couple of days ago…that secret didn’t last long. (Note the “hokey” backdrop provided by the County).
***
- The beach wedding will be a fun getaway for all of us, I guess. Since this is her second marriage, I thought they night cancel the beach. We’ll see.
- Next week is Thanksgiving, and it’s my favorite holiday! I’m having dinner at the home of my daughter’s new in-laws.
- The Saturday after Thanksgiving, a few of us are gathering for a lunch at Yard House; my son Brett and his daughter Aubrey, as well as local family, will be meeting there. I always enjoy these events.
- Today I plan to just hang out here and read…it’s cooling off quite a bit, and it seems appropriate to curl up in this cozy spot. Especially since my mood is still all over the place.
***
So…that was my crazy week. What did yours look like?
***
SERENDIPITY 
Oh how I love fresh croissants, and they never taste as good anywhere else than they do in France, freshly made in a French bakery 😀
Thanks for sharing, Laurel-Rain! Have a terrific Thursday and happy reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love to eat the pastries in France! Maybe someday…if I get over my fear of flying…lol. Thanks for stopping by (and for hosting), Lexxie.
LikeLike
I loved this book! This one ended up being more about Ellison which I really enjoyed. Congratulations to your daughter! We did the courthouse wedding when we got married and I don’t regret it for a second! It was so quick and stress-free! Now the beach trip can just be a big party without all the nerves getting involved. I hope you get to spend some time curled up in a cozy spot this coming week. I think we all deserve it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Katherine, I just finished Send in the Clowns, and it was such a quick and fun read! I do feel as though Ellison is now a friend. Can’t wait for the next one!
Yes…I’ve done the Nevada wedding, which can be fun, since it’s also a trip. But the courthouse ceremony is definitely stress-free, and I think we’ll all be enjoying the beach event like a party.
LikeLike