Go ahead and borrow that book

The Surrogate Mother ~ by Freida McFadden, 2025, literary fiction, 320 pages

She was promised a miracle.  She got more than she bargained for.  Abby wants a baby more than anything.  But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future.  That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer to serve as a surrogate.  It's an offer that will make all of Abby's dreams come true.  But soon, strange things start happening, and it turns out Monica isn't who she says she is.  The woman now carrying Abby's child has an unspeakable secret.  And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

My note:  Seeing this in the library, I had to have it, even though I have not yet finished the book I'm reading.  I went ahead and got it.  (Amazon calls this literary fiction, suspense thriller, and psychological thriller.  So which is it?)

March is Women's History Month

I am still slowly reading this book:

Separation of Church and Hate is making me think.  It is a rallying cry for anyone who is sick of people using religion as a way to hide their hate.  I blogged about it HERE.

Week in Review

• The subject I chose for TWOsday was games, HERE.
• My Wednesday word was "ubiquitous," HERE.
• On Thursday, I was thinking about Chinese proverbs, HERE.
• My Book Beginning for Friday was from More Than Words, HERE.
• On Saturday I reflected on a signifigant family anniversity, HERE.

is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Remembering a long-ago Saturday

The long-ago Saturday that is on my mind today was February 28, 1959.  Let's see, 2026 minus 1959 is 67 years ago.  That's the day I married.  I remember as we left the church, that car-loads of friends were lined up to follow us.  We got into our "getaway" car driven by a friend, but went straight through it to another friend's car going in the opposite direction.  Yep, we almost got away, except for those who happened to be parked going in that direction.  I no longer remember details, but I do remember divorcing him 14 years and three children later (also in February).  The three children, all married now, gave me seven grandchildren.  The first one made me a grandparent on grandparents day.  And now I have six GREAT-grandchildren).  This photo includes four generations (I'm wearing red):

Beginning ~ with the prologue

Beginning

He'd imagined the baby would be a boy, a son to take to ball games, to watch his favorite movies with, to teach to drive stick.  A son who would slay the Jabberwock with him, who would pick up his own sword and fight the manxome foes alongside his old man.  The way he had.  A son who would continue his legacy, the family's legacy.  An heir.

Standing with his baby girl in his arms, her head resting in the crook of his elbow, he felt the need to say he was sorry.  To apologize for imagining her a boy.  Because from the moment she was born, the moment he first saw her, it was as if a seed had been planted in his heart.  It quickly rooted there, and now, three days later, he felt it growing, filling him with pride and love and determination.

More Than Words ~ by Jill Santopolo, 2019, fiction, 350 pages

Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter.  Raised by her father, owner of New York City's glamorous Gregory Hotels, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most.  And Tim — her devoted boyfriend and best friend since childhood — feels the same.  But when Nina's father dies, he leaves behind a secret that shocks Nina to her core.

As her world falls apart, Nina begins to see the men in her life — her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her boss, Rafael — in a new light.  Soon she finds herself caught between the world she loves and a passion that could upend everything.  This is a heartbreaking novel about grief, loss, love, and self-discovery, and how we choose which life we are meant to live.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Pondering some proverbs today

Chinese Proverbs ~ by Ruthanne Lum McCunn, illustrated by You Shan Tang, 1991, sayings, 58 pages, 

From a culture rich in advice and thought, this little book is a collection  of centuries of traditional wisdom.  Each proverb is illustrated along with words in both English and Chinese.  This saying made me smile and nod in agreement:

"Do not wait until you're thirsty to dig a well" (p. 42).

Here's another:  "An old horse knows the way" (p. 36).  As you can see, it's short and the whole book can be read in a few minutes.  If you stop to ponder each saying that is included, it could take a bit longer.  Maybe that's the whole point.

My word for today is ubiquitous

Ubiquitous (adj.), pronounced yoo-BIK-wih-tus) = a word that describes some-thing existing or appearing everywhere simultaneously.  One example would be the orange man's pervasive self-advertising.  (No, I will not include his photo.)

 

Two games ~ Chess and Bananagrams

I just read that playing board games could boost your brain by "enhancing cognitive functions, improving memory, and strengthening problem-solving skills."  Besides exercising your thinking, it is also good for social health.

I remember wanting to learn to play chess because I liked  a boy who was a chess player.  Even though he was a couple of grades ahead of me in school, I knew him because he was a cousin of our next-door neighbors.  I never played a game of chess with him, but I learned how to play and still have a set of wooden chess pieces somewhere.  I also got into Monopoly as a child and played all sorts of other board games with friends and siblings.

As I got older, I enjoyed playing Scrabble.  (I am a wordsmith, you know.)  From there, I moved on to Bananagrams.  It's also about making words and using up all the tiles.  One good thing about Bananagrams is that it can be played alone, as well as with a friend or friends.

This is a game of Bananagrams that my friend Donna played by herself in 2019.  Can you make out any of her words?  Now I want to play.  I just looked across the room and see my Bananagrams bag sitting on top of my Webster's All-In-One Dictionary & Thesaurus.  It is not a "board" game, but it is challenging.

Sharing a book for our Sunday Salon bloggers

Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World ~ by Gretchen Rubin, 2023, memoir and self-help, 272 pages

This is a New York Times bestseller.  This is a quote from them:  "The author

of The Happiness Project discovers a surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love:  by tuning in to the five senses."

For more than a decade, Gretchen Rubin had been studying happiness and human nature.  Then, one day, a visit to her eye doctor made her realize that she’d been overlooking a key element of happiness: her five senses.  She had spent so much time stuck in her head that she had allowed life's vital sensations to slip away, unnoticed.  This epiphany she had lifted her from a state of foggy preoccupation into a world invigorated by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.

In this journey of self-experimentation, Rubin explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life.  Drawing on cutting-edge science, philosophy, literature, and her own efforts to practice what she learns, she investigates the profound power of tuning in to the physical world.

From the simple pleasures of appreciating the magic of ketchup and adding favorite songs to a playlist, to more adventurous efforts like creating a daily ritual of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending a flavor university, Rubin shows us how to experience each day by really connecting.  She found that our five senses offer us immediate, sustainable ways to cheer up, calm down, and engage the world around us — as well as ways to glimpse the soul and touch the transcendent.

Life in Five Senses is filled with profound insights and practical suggestions about how to heighten our senses and use our powers of perception to live fuller, richer lives.  Reading this book can help us become more aware of our own sensory experiences as we explore our own five senses, which I definitely enjoyed.  So check it out and tune in to your senses.  Here's a quote that made me smile, where the author was thirsty and stepped into a store.  What she bought made me smile, since I have it in my fridge right now:

Alongside the usual assortment of sofa drinks and energy drinks, I spotted a Snapple Diet Peach Tea.  I hadn't seen that label in years.  I paid and, as soon as I was back on the sidewalk, gulped down a mouthful.

The sweet, smooth, fruity flavor instantly transported me back to law school. ... I drank gallons of Diet Peach Snapple there.  By the time I graduated, I was thoroughly tired of it. 

Week in Review

• On Monday, I talked about being "booked," HERE.
• The words for Wednesday were "kinship carers," HERE.
• My Thursday Thoughts were about Black History Month, HERE.

is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

February is Black History Month

We are more than halfway through the month, but it is not too late to say that February is Black History Month.  Click on the label below to see what I have posted previously, and tell us in the comments what you are doing to celebrate.

• YELLOW represents optimism, justice, and equality for all.
• RED is for the blood of innocent Black lives lost throughout history.
• GREEN symbolizes the rich natural resources of Africa.

Today's words = kinship carers

This is what prompted me to post about the words "kinship carers" today:

"In England and Wales, 141,000 children are being raised by kinship carers, who in the majority of cases are keeping children out of the care system and within their loving families, saving the state billions.  Yet unlike working parents, including adoptive parents, kinship carers have no right to paid employment leave when they take on the care of a child."

AI says, "Kinship carers are relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings) or close family friends ("fictive kin") who raise children when biological parents cannot.  As the preferred, stable alternative to foster care, this arrangement helps children maintain family connections, cultural traditions, and reduces trauma.

Wikipedia says, "Kinship care is a term used in the United States and Great Britain for the raising of children by grandparents, other extended family members, and unrelated adults with whom they have a close family-like relationship such as godparents and close family friends because biological parents are unable to do so for whatever reason."

HERE is the link to the article where I learned this term, if you want to know more:  "I'm Raising My Sister’s Children After She Died.  Where's The Support For People Like Me?" by Natasha Hinde (published on 11/02/2026 in the UK).

Book lovers at the grand opening of the renovated Crown Center library

Today I'm musing about the Grand Reopening of our

Crown Center library, after it was renovated.

I wore my sweatshirt that says "I can't.  I'm booked."

They gave out bookmarks which say:

Book  Lover,  n.

A    person   known    for

traveling     to      distant

worlds  without  leaving

their seat, forming deep

emotional   bonds   with

fictional characters, and

saying   "just   one   more

chapter"    until     3 a.m.

Often    spotted   with    a

book  in  hand,  a  cup  of

coffee   nearby,   and   an 

ever-growing  to-be-read

pile they swear they'll get

to  someday. For  a  book

lover,    bookmarks    are

essential,    spoilers    are

crimes,  and  the  phrase

"t o o    m a n y    b o o k s"

simply      doesn't     exist.

At the end of the celebration, we all had refreshments.

Some of us sat around and talked for another hour or so.

Let's all try to be kind

I have not been posting the Action for Happiness calendar every month, as I have done before, but this one for Thursday made me decide to share it on my blog because it's so very important.  As a matter of fact, I think I will post the whole month's calendar now, even though we are in the middle of the month.

Week in Review

• On Monday, I mused about a Celtic unicorn, HERE.
• Wednesday was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, HERE.
• Thursday's subject was a novel of friendship, food, and books, HERE.
• Friday was Galentine's Day, HERE.
• On Caturday, I wished everyone a purr-fect Valentine's Day, HERE.

is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

I hope you have a purr-fect Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day with a cat?

It seems appropriate for Caturday.

Happy Galentine's Day!

Galentine's Day is the day before Valentine's Day.  It is a day for women to celebrate their friendships with other women.  Our Circle@Crown Café isn't open on Fridays, so this year I was not able to invite women friends here for lunch.  If you want to see photos from other years, click HERE.

A novel of friendship, food, and books

Kate & Frida: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books (Love & Saffron Series) ~ by Kim Fay, 2025, epistolary fiction, 288 pages (316 pages in LP)

Sometimes a book can change your life . . .  Frida Rodriguez arrives in Paris in 1991, relishing the city’s butter-soaked cuisine and seeking her future as a war correspondent.  But when she writes to a bookshop in Seattle, she receives more than just the book she requests.  A friendship begins that will redefine the person she thought she wanted to become.

Seattle bookseller Kate Fair is transformed by Frida’s free spirit, spurred to believe in herself as a writer, to kiss her handsome coworker, and to find beauty even in loss.  Through the most tumultuous years of their lives — personally and globally — Kate and Frida’s friendship sustains and nourishes them as they show each other how to overcome self-doubt and the necessity of embracing joy, especially through our darkest hours.

This novel is a love letter to bookshops and booksellers, to the way stories shape how we perceive ourselves, to the passion we bring to life in our twenties, and to the last precious years before the internet changed everything.

I like an online comment yhat says this is "a book about trying to find joy despite the heaviness of life."

Women and Girls in Science

February 11th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Learn more about it HERE.

The unicorn is Scotland's national animal

I just learned the unicorn is the official national animal of Scotland, symbolizing purity, innocence, masculinity, and power in Celtic* mythology.  Featured on the Scottish royal coat of arms since the 12th century, it represents strength and independence.

Celtic* mythology believed unicorns represent innocence and purity while also being associated with chivalry, pride, and boldness.  The first recorded use of a unicorn symbol was in the twelfth century when it was adopted by William I on the Scottish Royal Coat of Arms.  The unicorn is depicted chained (see below) to symbolize the Scottish monarchy's power to tame such a wild beast.

I am surprised I have never run across this information.  I am part Scottish and was called "a bonnie wee lassie" as a child.  I am descended from the Campbells of Argyll clan, whose tartan is shown HERE.

__________________________________

* The word "Celtic" used in two sentences above mainly refer to "speakers of Celtic languages" rather than to one ethnic group.

Church and State? or Church and Hate?

Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds ~ by John Fugelsang, 2025, history of religion and politics, 304 pages

John Fugelsang delivers a deeply irreverent and biblically correct takedown of far-right Christian hatred — a book for believers, atheists, agnostics, and anyone who will ever have to deal with a Christian nationalist.  I think it's amazing that 85% of those commenting on Amazon gave this New York Times bestselling book a rating of 5/5.

For more than two centuries, the United States Constitution has given us the right to a society where church and state exist independently.  But Christianity has been hijacked by far-right groups and politicians who seek to impose their narrow views on government, often to justify oppressive and unequal policies.  The extremists who weaponize the Bible for earthly power are not actually on the side of Jesus, and historically they never have been.  How do we fight back against those acting — literally — in bad faith?

Comedian and broadcaster John Fugelsang offers some answers by taking us through common fundamentalist arguments on abor­tion, immigration, LGBTQ rights, and more — exposing their hypocrisy and inaccuracy through scripture, common sense, and humor. It offers practical tips on how to debate your loved one, coworker, or neighbor on the issues that divide us using that Bible they claim to follow.

But Fugelsang’s message is about more than just taking down hypocrites.  It’s about fighting for the love, mercy, and service that are supposed to make up the heart of Christianity.  Told with a blend of honesty, comedy, and political and religious knowledge, Separation of Church and Hate is the book we need.  It’s a rallying cry for compassion and clarity for anyone who is sick of people using religion as a way to hide their hate.

Week in Review

• On Monday, I mused about the accuracy of Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day predictions, HERE.
• On TWOsday, my subject was a couple of surveys, HERE.
• Thursday's post was a request to WEAR RED on Friday, HERE.
• On Saturday, my "Caturday" post featured a couple of cute cats, HERE.

is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

This cat has a "thank you" sign

Look what I found online:

a cat holding a thank you note.

Clawdia thanked me by rubbing her head against my chin.

I'm sharing this picture on Caturday

(the day after Friday) because I think it's cute.

(Okay, you're cute, too.)

You've got to have heart, as the tin man said

National Wear Red Day is on the first Friday of February (so on February 6th in 2026).  The day is to raise awareness that cardio-vascular disease is the #1 killer of women.  Wearing red encourages women to know their risks and prioritize heart health.  I had open-heart surgery on February 19, 2009, with four bypasses.  I blogged about it HERE, if you want to know details and what my blogging friends said.  So wear red tomorrow.

Thinking about two things today

1.  Three surveys to fill out for the social workers in the office:

1. Program Survey (Yes, I'd possibly enjoy a discussion of literature.)
2. Daily Life Survey  (Yes, I prepare my own meals.)
3. Quality of Life Survey (No, I don't get bored.)

2.  Café meals:

• I pay for five meals a week delivered, so I don't have to cook all the time.
• I eat in the Café with friends as a way to socialize.

Six more weeks of winter

Groundhog Day, celebrated every year on February 2, is an unusual holiday that stretches back hundreds of years to ancient times.  According to tradition, if it’s a bright and sunny day and the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  If it’s a cloudy day and the groundhog does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, which means that we are in for six more weeks of winter.  Hmpf, as I look out my window and see white snow (and mushy gray snow) along both sides of the cleared street below, I take a deep breath and think, "Oh, well, lots more of this."  (But just how accurate will Phil's prediction be this year?  We shall see.)