Carol's Notebook – Page 220

My Favorite . . Valentine’s Day Experience

February 14, 2018 by Carol7 Comments

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme. Happy Valentine's Day! We don't make a huge deal out of Valentine's Day, but a couple of years ago we went bowling and then to a local Italian restaurant, La Cucina. They had the most delicious special that night, eggplant timbale, and there was a musician playing. It was nice. I think we got cannoli to take home for dessert. Most years my husband will bring home flowers for me and our daughter and a bottle of wine. I think this year we're going out to dinner, but not until Sunday. What's your Valentine's Day experience? Join in at Maureen's Books....

Readers’ Workouts – 2/13

February 13, 2018February 13, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

There was twice this week when I went for walks and forgot to take my fitbit off the charger. We got a couple decent days when I could take the dog for a walk - I'm not used to that. So my steps for the week are not terribly accurate. This week's activities: Tuesday - Pilates Wednesday - Pilates Thursday - Elliptical, Weights Monday - Elliptical, Pilates Dinners: Tue: Chicken enchiladas Wed: Vegetarian Mexican combo (@ restaurant) Thur: Roasted chicken and potatoes Fri: Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Sat: Leftover pizza pasta Sun: Spaghetti (at my mom's) Mon: Hot dogs and baked beans Goals for February Gym - 4 times (Current: 4) √ Pilates - 12 times (Current: 5) Yoga - 1 28 pts in the #Feburpee Challenge (Current: 8) Meal ideas for next week: Pancakes (for Fat Tuesday) Stuffed baked potatoes "Skinny" eggplant parmesan French bread pizza Veggie wrap 2018 Fitness Goals: - Lose weight. Goal - Lose 25 lbs. (current: -6 lbs) - Run 4 races of any length - Hit my weekly step goal (average 8,000 steps/day) for 48 weeks. (Current total: 3) How was your week? Readers’ Workouts...

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros

February 13, 2018February 13, 2018 by Carol10 Comments

Every Tuesday Vicki at I'd Rather Be At the Beach hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or two of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon. Mine comes from A Well-Timed Murder by Tracee de Hahn. There was a crowd but none of them mattered. Agnes Lüthi had eyes for only one man, the one she'd nicknamed the Roach. The one she'd only dreamt of finding in Switzerland. She moved quickly despite her injured leg, focused on her destination, closing her umbrella when she reached the high canopy. A chain of buses discharged passengers in front of the Messe Basel Exhibition Halles, and they flowed past her toward the doors as if the world's premier watch and jewelry show might sell out of goods if they dallied. She had never before been to Baselworld, but from the look of the well-dressed crowd judged it was a fitting place to find this particular man....

Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café by Richard Dee

February 13, 2018February 7, 2018 by Carol4 Comments

Andorra Pett and her side-kick Cy have left behind their man-troubles on Earth and settled on a mining station off Saturn. They're going to make a go at running the little cafe, but there's just one problem - the body in the freezer. Apparently the old owner never actually left. And, since this is a cozy mystery, Andorra has to decide to investigate herself, instead of leaving it to the security force. Her reason is somewhat legit. The owner of the diner, the cafe's only competition, is a bit of a mob boss with ties to everything and everyone and he might be just as happy if she ended up being charged with the murder. I like the whole set up, the station is full of interesting characters, some more quirky than others. Andorra gathers a group of fabulous friends to help her and Cy out at the cafe and show them the ropes of living on the station. She also...

Gender Inequality Issues

February 11, 2018February 9, 2018 by CarolNo Comments

The following is a sponsored post. It’s been a big year for news, especially in the areas of politics and entertainment. The news from Washington, DC, as the new Trump administration made its sympathies known, has been coming fast and furious. The news has been breaking sometimes on an hourly basis, with dizzying and startling events coming out of Washington that have left many citizens feeling exhausted, as this radical new administration has taken some definitely unusual approaches to governing. Gender Inequality Issues In Our Culture As the news from the political world has continued to startle in the past year, so also has the news from Hollywood. The biggest story this year, in entertainment and also in politics and the corporate world, has been the #Metoo movement, which quickly arose after the revelations of sexual abuse broke in Hollywood. The story started with major news about film producer Harvey Weinstein, when reporter Ronan Farrow released a story in The New Yorker about...

The Bookworm by Mitch Silver (with giveaway)

February 9, 2018March 20, 2018 by Carol8 Comments

The Bookworm by Mitch Silver is a gripping thriller and enjoyable for the most part. There's so much going on though that it gets a bit overwhelming. Lara, the bookworm, is a Russian history professor who get caught in the middle of a couple of conspiracies. First, we have the WW 2 hoax that manages to draw Hitler's attention away from England toward Russia, stalling the invasion long enough that it never happens. Lara is given the Dictaphone cylinders to listen to by someone who is a little suspicious. Then we have the Alaskan oil field that is merely a prop in a "deal" between the Russian and American presidents, with no actual drilling going on. Lev, Lara's brother, discovers the charade, takes photos and barely escapes with his life. Somehow this all ties together in a well-pace novel with chase scenes, chess games, and a couple of dead bodies. The problem for me though is that it could have been fabulous, but...