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We returned from vacation and hit the ground running. I had known that we needed the break. I wasn’t even in denial as to how much. And when we got back, that realization was doubly-confirmed. And that’s okay. Life is good. Life is hectic. Life is full. Thank you, God. I’ve sort of fallen in love with short road trips – especially if the destination is the mountains. I’m not sure how keen I would be to drive cross-country anymore. We did that a lot when our boys were small. But a day’s drive, even a long one, gives us more control over our trip and it’s just a lot easier to toss everything into the car and go. I didn’t post much while on vacation. For one thing, we had no internet at our mountain cabin. We couldn’t even watch tv because the setup depended on streaming and the line had been spliced. It wasn’t repaired during our stay. We were a bit alarmed initially because Joseph had a little work to finish up, but it all worked out. We had one or two bars near certain windows and usually we were too tired from hiking to want to go online, anyway. We sat outside, cooked some great meals together, and relaxed. But now I’m home. I have internet. 😊 I can share thoughts, photos. How about this sunset?  Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
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 Lucas van Valckenborch (1535-1597) Do you like grocery shopping? If you don’t, you might think I’m being a little, um, let’s just say… a little dramatic.
Where do you buy your food? I realize that in many parts of the world, even here in the states, groceries can be and usually are purchased from small shops and markets, not gargantuan grocery stores/supermarkets. I’ve often thought how much I would enjoy shopping that way, buying high quality goods from local merchants, enjoying a chat, picking up a bouquet of fresh flowers on my way home. We have farmers markets in the greater Houston area, but not that many. Most aren’t near our neighborhood and the few that are aren’t open daily. On the other hand, our closest grocery store is really close and at least it carries some fresh, Texas produce. I’m not a fan of shopping, but I’ve always appreciated grocery stores. Does that sound odd? Who doesn’t, you might ask? But I think my view of them is not so common. I sort of see them as modern versions of medieval markets. Food is a necessity. We all have to obtain it from someplace. We always have. Holidays and seasons add fun and interest. The people working there also often add fun and interest. Something’s always going on. Supermarkets are dynamic and necessary. Super markets. Markets. Yes, they are markets and the people who work there are merchants, just like in medieval times, just like in many towns even today. And I, at least, am a villager, ambling down the aisles in lieu of a winding, village street, often seeing people I know, sometimes exchanging a few words with some of the store’s employees. A lot of them have worked there ever since I’ve shopped there, several years now. It’s where they earn their livelihood. It’s all just so human. Things change over time, but not all things change completely. There’s a timeless aspect to selling and procuring food and dry goods. I like to be aware of the timelessness, to embrace the humanity, and be in the present. So, am I way overthinking grocery shopping? Perhaps. But it’s not really all about the groceries.  So, there I was, pleased as punch that I'd consolidated my blogs. I'd feel more free to write about everything, share my interests, bare my soul.
But I have very specific interests. It didn't work at all. I'd had a garden blog for over a decade. I have a garden memoir on the back burner. But every time I wanted to write a gardening post, I stopped myself. I can't only write gardening posts on a multi-topic blog. And how many gardeners love romance? Probably a great many, if I know romance writers -- and I do. But certainly not all. So I've decided to keep Grains of Sand as a more personal blog, with book reviews, even a few interviews, for topics. It's going to be fun! Rubbing my hands together... Thank you for your patience! More soon!  June. Where we live, it's the beginning of unrelenting heat and humidity. One of our favorite escapes is to the beach. My husband likes to fish. I like to nap. I also like to swim and I love to watch the seabirds. Much as I love the mountains, the ocean always impresses me. It's just so vast. It's also vulnerable. Immense and powerful as they are, our oceans aren't immune to maltreatment. Oceans Day was first declared June 8, 1992, at the Global Forum in Rio de Janeiro. In 2008, the UN designated June 8 as World Oceans Day and observed it for the first time the following year. The impact oceans and humans have on each other is a broad topic with many subtopics. Fascinating lectures and discussions have highlighted World Oceans Day through the years. Since last year, due to Covid, the UN hosts a day-long, virtual event that we are all welcome to join. This year's theme is The Ocean: Lives and Livelihood. The schedule is posted on the website. UN World Oceans Day 2021 - UN World Oceans Day  It’s such a wonderful feeling to read the first few pages of a book and realize that a wonderful story is unfolding. Crafted by an awesome storyteller, Knight of Runes is a beautiful, enthralling time travel romance. The book is filled with mystery, action, and passion.
I’ve begun to accept that author Ruth Casie was a warrior princess or a pirate, or maybe even a ninja, in another life. Her action scenes are astounding! Even better, the romance is both tender and passionate. The relationship between Rebeka and Arik opens up and grows throughout the book. Their love for each other is deep and true. They are perfect together. I am thrilled with the way the author handles the time-travel aspect. She doesn’t give too much away too soon and creates a perfect setup for a series. Trust me, we want more of these knights! Many thanks to the author for a well-written, amazing, medieval escape! Five stars!  It’s as if we’ve moved to a new house, maybe even like we’ve built a new house – across the country. Ha.
But we haven’t. We just moved back into our renovated house. Anyone who has gone through home renovation knows how it feels. So does anyone who has moved. The amount of work is startling. The dust is startling. The amount of cleaning involved is downright shocking. And so what? Now that the worst is over, I’m enjoying the challenge. I’m also loving the updates. Are you the type of person who wants to hang the pictures almost before unpacking or do you focus on the less obvious tasks? Neither my husband nor I worry too much about the surface stuff at first. We’ve moved a lot and we’ve sort of nailed our routine. And each move – because that’s really what this is – is different, with different requirements. For one thing, we’re not quite finished with updates. There’s going to be a Round 2. At least it should be a lot simpler. In the meantime, my husband is tackling some tasks himself. This “move”, he doesn’t have to worry about setting up the electronics. But he is installing our new stove tonight. The kitchen cabinets have been cleaned, everything taken out, washed, and put back. Of course, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to purge and rearrange. This afternoon, I plan to unpack some books. We’ve had more help than we ever imagined. Our family has been wonderful. But the space has changed in all sorts of little ways and will change a little more before the renovation is complete. There’s still so much to do. Our bedroom hasn’t even been unpacked. That’s why I’ll be taking a bit of a hiatus. It won’t be for long, maybe a week or so. At least we know where the pictures will go. 😊 Wishing you all a wonderful week.  Hidden secrets could tear them apart as fast as their passion drove them together. Welcome to Medieval Monday! I have the honor of hosting Ashley York. For this last week of the spring session, enjoy a "first kiss" snippet from Lachlann's Legacy. For more more medieval romance, be sure to stop by Medieval Romance Lovers on FB. We can also be found on Twitter, #MedMonSpring21. For more of Ashley's beautiful work, be sure to visit her website. Now for the snippet: He clamped his teeth, then blew a breath, puffing out his cheeks. He decided not to answer her at all. Best if she believed he was asleep. Never had his hands, his entire body ached so, urging him to set aside his chivalry and test the desire smoldering in her eyes. A need she probably couldn’t name. No, it was better to find an experienced wench to see to him. Soon. As soon as they were done here. As soon as they found the silver, returned it to the priory, and were done with this. As soon as he could get Ethne out of his thoughts. About the book: An 11th-century highlander must deceive a lovely woman living among outcasts in order to save his priory, but it’s his heart that’s truly at stake… On the Moray coast in Scotland… Ethne’s genuine and caring nature makes her invaluable to her brother as his son’s caretaker, but he and his wife treat her as little more than their servant. When she learns their tribal leader would use her chaste status for his own purposes, Ethne plans to escape and reluctantly accepts the help of Lachlann—a handsome pilgrim she only just met at the local faire. Despite her independent spirit, Ethne feels drawn to Lachlann. Her instincts say his intentions are honorable, but can she trust him with her heart? Raised by his godfather with few clues to his family’s past, Lachlann values his freedom and the brotherhood of his highlander kin. Disguised as a pilgrim on a mission for the priory, he encounters Ethne, a warm, intelligent maiden whose courage in the face of a loveless marriage awakens an intense need to protect her. Unfortunately, Ethne is one of the very people he must deceive to explore the cave system containing clues to the lost treasure he seeks. But he cannot abandon her to an uncertain fate—or deny the simmering tension between them. With religious prejudice running high and both of them facing tests of loyalty, Lachlann and Ethne may realize the only way to fight for their futures is to surrender... to each other. Get your copy of Lachlann's Legacy here. Happy Medieval Monday!   I am sitting under our children’s gazebo, enjoying a beautiful morning. I think it’s the fifth and probably last week of our stay here. It’s been lovely. Work – a lot of it – looms in the near future. So does summer’s intense heat and humidity. I’d might as well relax while I can. So here I am, gazing out at their swimming pool, peaceful and shaded from the morning sun, and at their perfect ligustrum hedge. It’s about four years old, lush, and flowering. Ours, on the other hand, is about twenty years old, sparse, and it never flowers. I feel guilty. Ever since we moved into our current home, I’ve rather resented the fact that I have a non-native hedge along the fence. Granted, ligustrum isn’t known to be an aggressive or invasive plant and it is quite the trooper. But it commandeers the water, which stresses my newer plantings, and it does nothing for the local bugs and ecosystem. Or does it? At the moment, our children’s backyard is still and quiet. But on a sunny afternoon, butterflies flit from one flowering shrub to the next. Not a few butterflies, but a lot. Bees also visit. Squirrels scamper across the hedge, beneath the trees that comprise the greenspace behind their house. Our children’s standard green hedge gets plenty of action. In contrast, our hedge has gaps, and I’ve never seen flowers. And what have I done about it? Nothing. I’ve only just realized that in almost seven years of living there, I’ve not fertilized that hedge once. Shame on me. I might not be a fan, but the hedge is still a living thing. It’s still our hedge. It didn’t ask to be planted. It deserves a little love and care. Our garden(s) will need all sorts of attention once we’ve settled back into our house. I have a list. The hedge wasn’t even on it, but it is now and near the top. In the meantime, our daughter-in-heart has one rose bush. She mentioned liking our specimen Belinda’s Dream a couple of years ago, so of course I hunted one down as fast as I could. I don’t think Julia has time to give it a moment’s care, but it blooms away for her. That makes me smile. A rose blooming for a rose.   True love is eternal. Welcome to Medieval Monday Week 13! I am excited to be featuring a snippet from Judith Sterling's time travel romance, Return of the Raven. For more enticing snippets, be sure to stop by Medieval Romance Lovers on FB. We're also on Twitter, #MedMonSpring21. For more about Judith's wonderful books, visit her website. About the book: Margaret, Lady Ravenwood, is trapped in a loveless marriage and firmly entrenched in the medieval world. Along comes Griffin Nightshade, a historian from the future whose soul resonates with hers. He persuades her to return with him to the 1950s, but heeding her heart means courting danger from a curse that could spell her doom. Haunted by his parents' sudden deaths, Griffin knows all too well the pain born of love lost. He guards his emotions, but Margaret delves deep and goes straight to the soul. She's hard to resist…and harder to set free. The heart's desire and history's demands don't always agree. Yet true love is eternal. Enjoy the snippet: Realization dawned and struck a blow to his gut. “You saw the future.” Wordlessly, she nodded. I was right. I’m going to lose her. Nausea swept through him. “Did you look older in the vision?” “Not particularly.” She frowned and clenched her hands into fists. “I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here. With you.” See last week’s snippet on Sherry Ewing’s blog: https://www.sherryewing.com/blog Follow along next week on Jenna Jaxon’s blog: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/ Buy links: Amazon https://amzn.com/B08RYD2GW8 Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-Raven-Novels-Ravenwood-Book-ebook/dp/B08RYD2GW8 Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-of-the-raven-judith-sterling/1138556276 Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/return-of-the-raven/id1547199256   Her Royal Spyness is a thoroughly fun, clever, well-constructed cozy. Of course, it's by Rhys Bowen, so that's not surprising. I had hesitated to begin the series, not particularly excited to read about a "royal" -- it just didn't sound cozy -- but Lady Georgiana is a wonderful character. Georgie to her friends, she is only half-royal. Not only is she a great-granddaughter to Queen Victoria, she is also flat broke and has an independent streak. The combination makes for a comedy of errors and plenty of unusual circumstances, some, of course, involving murder.
The book, really, the whole series, gives us a glimpse of Britain's history in the 1930s. The supporting cast is absolutely funny and loveable -- her somewhat removed, but very glamorous actress mother, her socialite best friend, her cockney grandfather, and, of course, the delicious Darcy O'Mara. I listened to the book with Audible. Katherine Kellgren does a brilliant job with all the voices. She has an amazing talent for accents. Whatever the format, Her Royal Spyness is a fun and often hilarious escape. Highly recommended! |
Keep me away from the wisdom that does not cry, the philosophy that does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children. – Gibran Khalil Gibran Archives
July 2021
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