The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes

The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan

Read February 2022

I really enjoyed this book, even more than the other I had read by this same author (The Keeper of Lost Things).  It was recommended to me by two friends and I ended up loving it as much as they did.  While there was one plot point that I guessed ahead of time, the story flowed well and I truly enjoyed the 'journey' with the characters.  I loved the 'live fully even in the midst of the hard stuff' message throughout.  This book grew on me and touched my heart. 

Marsha is a woman who has experienced much grief in her life.  She spends most of her time alone or with her dog, Haizum.  But then she strikes up a friendship with a bag lady who lives fully and speaks bluntly - and pushes Marsha to look past the self-set boundaries of her life.  It is a beautiful story of friendship and hope in the midst of grief. 

I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Quotes from the book...

When the music ends for someone you love, you don't stop dancing.  You dance for them as well. 

You see, people are often so very much more than they seem to be. 

A Slow Fire Burning

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Read February 2022 - Zoom Reading Circle

Well, I didn't care for this one so much.  The storyline felt too convoluted to me - hard to follow in many ways.  It was too dark and the characters were all unlikeable.  No fun to read - in fact, it was depressing.  Laura had such a bad life.  Yes, it was hopeful at the very end, but good grief... at what cost?  Theo was sort of likable but was also pitiful - and a thief.  Miriam was a victim, but also a horrible person.  Were we supposed to feel sorry for all of them?  This was just way too much 'yuck'.  I wish I hadn't read it.  :( 

My score was 2.5 out of 5 stars.  Zoom Reading Circle scored it a bit higher at 3.6.  

Quotes from the book...

Nobody felt eighty.  

She overreacted to slights, that's just how she was, and knowing a thing about yourself didn't stop it from happening. 

Paula Hawkins: On Creating Characters

Ikigai

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

Read February 2022 - Well Read Book Club

I wondered how I would feel about this book in comparison to The Year of Living Danishly (which I loved!!) especially since it talks about keeping ‘busy’ as being the secret to happiness. But it is not the American form of ‘busy’ and is more in line with the "Danishly" book than you might imagine since it means 'keeping busy by staying actively involved with community, keeping your brain and body working, etc'. 

Ikigai has to do with a person's 'reason for living'.  Finding that 'reason' is the secret to a long and happy life.  Filling ones life with purpose, staying active (mentally and physically) and having a sense of community all play into the concept of Ikigai.  The authors of this book researched The Blue Zones - areas in the world where the life expectancy is the longest.  They then interviewed residents of a Japanese village that is home to the largest percentage of centenarians in the world.  From those interviews they present nuggets of wisdom and practical tools for how to live a long and satisfying life.  

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Quotes from this book...

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.  

We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.  

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how. 

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Read February 2022

A beautiful young British woman has married the man of her dreams and is now embarking on a honeymoon cruise along the Nile River in Egypt.  Hercule Poirot, seeking a holiday respite, is drawn into a murder investigation after the bride is murdered.  There is a huge cast of characters and all are both interesting and suspicious.  :)  

I wanted to read something that included Egypt - this came to the top of the list. Although, as it turns out, Egypt didn't really play all that much into the storyline, other than being the setting.  And I think some of the names of places and temples might now be known in other ways - I wasn't always familiar with them.  

This book was far more enjoyable, to me, than And Then There Were None.  It was a really good character-driven mystery.  Throughout the course of the book I found myself suspecting first one character, and then another - a sign of a well crafted mystery!  A good, light, interesting read... and truly not dated, really, considering it was written 85 years ago! Agatha Christie certainly deserves her title of Queen of Mystery!

I rated this 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Quotes from the book...

She came ashore playing a role, even if she played it unconsciously.

And sometimes, Madam, that is all one can do - accept the consequences of one's past deeds.  

The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times

The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall

Read February 2022 - Well Read Book Club

The Book of Hope is the next installment in what I hope will be a full fledged series of books by Douglas Abrams with famous and inspiring people on how they approach life.  I read The Book of Joy by the Dalia Lama and Desmond Tutu last January with Well Read Book Club and this year we followed that magnificent book up with The Book of Hope.  BOTH books are phenomenal and I would recommend them to all! 

As with The Book of Joy, I read the hardback version (filled with photos) but also listened to the audible version.  The Book of Hope is actually narrated by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams, which was tremendous.  I appreciated how she didn't mince words about where we are with climate change, but did offer hope - much like David Attenborough in A Life On Our Planet.  She shared lots of data about how hope also helps people health wise, academically, with family success, etc.  

Not to be missed is The Message of Hope from Jane at the back of the book and the further reading section.  

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

CBS Sunday Morning - Jane Goodall's message of hope

The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall - Book Trailer

Puzzle #16 - MasterPieces Inside Out Field’s Department Store - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #16 - MasterPieces Inside Out Field’s Department Store - 1000 piece puzzle 

So after that last one was a bust (Alan Giana Scenic Beauty by Spilsbury - Dream Landscape - I pulled this one out.  I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew!  It is 1000 pieces and the border was not easy!  But I like the image and I want to see it through.  I'll go back to a 500 after this for a breather.  Or even a 300.  I do like Master Pieces puzzles but this will be the first 1000 piece of them I have done.  Those pieces are small!  And some do fit together in ways that aren't true... so will have to watch that carefully.

I did persevere and finished it.  It was enjoyable and definitely a challenge.  I was disappointed to discover that there were 7 missing pieces (I thought...) However, I found out the next day, as I was putting the puzzle back in its box, that I was only missing 1 piece.  The other pieces had gotten jostled and tucked underneath my puzzle caddy.  So, it was really only missing 1 piece, not 7.  Much better!  :)   

Overall, this one was mighty fun to work - so many things to look at in the puzzle.  Each floor of the store had different shops and people and interesting elements.  I think I would like to do more of the 'Inside Out' series of puzzles.    

Finished on February 23, 2022

Puzzle #16 - MasterPieces Inside Out Field’s Department Store - 1000 piece puzzle 

My first 'Did Not Complete'

My first 'Did Not Complete'

Well, this was disheartening.  I began this puzzle (part of a set of 4 in one box - a 'feature' I now avoid...) and very quickly realized it was not enjoyable.  Since I had begun puzzling for relaxation, mindful mindlessness, and enjoyment, I knew I wouldn't want to waste time with a puzzle that was only frustrating.  That goes against the whole point for me!  So, this became the very first puzzle that I did not complete.  I simply boxed it back up and got out a new puzzle.  Good decision - glad I set this precedent for myself.  Life is too short for unenjoyable puzzles, wine or books!

So what was it that gave me such a fit?  The puzzle didn't match the picture - it had whole ends of the edges cut off.  Colors were indiscriminate.  I should have taken a better photo before I ended... but you can see the yellow butterfly on left is right at the edge of puzzle.  Yet in the photo on the box there are pink flowers and sky to the left of the butterfly.  Same issue on right side, although not as pronounced.  And those darned funky shaped pieces.  I couldn't even figure out the border!

February 17, 2022

This was a Bits & Pieces 4 in 1 set of 500 piece puzzles by artist Alan Giana.  I really love Alan Giana!  But did not like this set.  I think the lesson learned (for me) is to stick with individually boxed puzzles instead of the cheaper sets.  

Thankfully, I later gave this set to my wonderful niece who is not nearly as picky as her crotchety aunt... she put together one of the puzzles and sent me a photo.  It was truly beautiful!!  (the cat and the puzzle both!)  :D 

Puzzle #15 Sunsout - Gathering at Yellowstone by Gerald Newton - 300 pieces

Puzzle #15 Sunsout - Gathering at Yellowstone by Gerald Newton - 300 pieces

This was a very nice 300 piece puzzle.  Sturdy pieces with good color and definition.  Nice picture that was pleasant to solve.  Simple and easy and quick.  I am quickly moving beyond 300 piece puzzles (already have, really) but don't want to diss them.  They got me started back to puzzling and are a lovely distraction.  A good mindless mindfulness exercise.  :)  Seeing this is from Sunsout company.

Finished on February 16, 2022

Puzzle #15 Sunsout - Gathering at Yellowstone by Gerald Newton - 300 pieces

 

Puzzle #14 - MasterPieces Travel Diary - San Francisco - 550 pieces

Puzzle #14 - MasterPieces Travel Diary - San Francisco - 550 pieces

This was so enjoyable.  I have really liked all the MasterPieces puzzles I have put together.  They are shorter to solve (550 pieces, mostly) and have vivid images.  And I love the destinations... dreaming of travel.  :)  This was challenging enough because of the similarity of colors in road, lights, trolleys and even sunset.  But not frustrating.  A very good puzzle experience.  

(A glass of Maddalena Pinot Grigio paired with it well.)  :D

Finished on February 15, 2022
Puzzle #14 - MasterPieces Travel Diary - San Francisco - 550 pieces

Puzzle #13 - White Mountain Country Fair - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #13 - White Mountain Country Fair - 1000 pieces - by Lori Schory.  

This was a wonderful puzzle - and my first 1000 piece.  It had large pieces and was a large overall puzzle size (filled my caddy)  I like this, personally.  

I thought of Mama the whole time... knowing she had put this very puzzle together.  I had given this one to her for Christmas several years ago and ran across it when I was at Daddy's house.  The pieces were mostly good - although White Mountain is not (at this point) my favorite puzzle company.  I wouldn't have guessed they would be below some others... I always hear such rave reviews for their puzzle.  But several pieces fit pretty well in more than one spot and the colors were a little fuzzy sometimes.  Still, overall it was a high quality puzzle and very enjoyable.  Challenging and fun. 

Finished on February 14, 2022

Puzzle #13 - White Mountain Country Fair - 1000 pieces - by Lori Schory.  

Puzzle #12 - MasterPieces Family Time Summer Carnival 400 pieces

Puzzle #12 - MasterPieces Family Time Summer Carnival 400 piece puzzle

Another puzzle from MasterPieces - this time it was a Family Time Puzzle.  It is such an interesting concept... it has 3 different sized pieces and is designed for family members to work on together, including younger children.  A neat idea and I think it really could work.  The larger pieces were all together on one side of the puzzle, middle sized pieces in the center connecting to the smaller sized pieces on the left side.  So you could have family working together at different levels of difficulty.  I like the idea.  I hate the 'Making America Great' caption on the barn and didn't see it until I had already purchased it.  :(  ugh... But the puzzle was fun to put together.  Sadness, however, as it was missing a piece.  That explains why I never could find a piece with brown and green that fit there!  :)

I also took photos to show how my puzzle caddy from Spilsbury works.  It is the Jumbo size version and has easily handled every puzzle I have tried so far, including oversized 1000 piece puzzles.  While I don't usually have to close it up with an unfinished puzzle inside, it certainly would work well to preserve the work.  

What I like most is the surface for putting the puzzle together (that is basically a piece of white poster board on the matting - it allows the pieces to move easily, and the background color helps with identifying colors in the puzzle.  The two sides keep puzzle pieces from moving around too much because they are slightly sueded or textured.  You can use those pieces in the back to cover the sides for folding OR you can sort pieces on them and even hold them in your hands as you work.  They are large, but they balance nicely in your hands.  

Finished on February 6, 2022

Puzzle #12 - MasterPieces Family Time Summer Carnival 400 piece puzzle