Happy Birthday Nora 🎂

 

"Every year on my birthday I give myself a gift. It's very simple, really.

One day to do whatever I choose. 

Whatever feels right to me."

Entranced

______________________

unbekannt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

How do you feel about celebrating your birthday?

As my birthday rolls around this year, I’ve been thinking about how people feel about their birthday arriving and whether they treat it like a celebration or not.

 

I have friends who feel it’s nothing special and prefer to ignore it, others who acknowledge it but don’t like being made a fuss of, and then others who love an excuse to take the day off work and enjoy being spoilt.

Start With You

______________________

“We’ll have to save room for it and the ice cream,” John said. “After the birthday dinner. We were going to get pizza, but you started those meatballs, so we adjusted.”

Everything went bright, as if the sun burst through the pounding rain. “You’re going to stay.”

“I repeat, it’s your birthday. No way I’m missing out on ice cream and cake. We’ll wait for the others for eats, but I think you should open your gifts now.”

“Really? It’s all right?”

“Obviously, the genius doesn’t comprehend the power of birthday. Here.”

The Witness

"Which book would you take to a desert island?"

 

A while ago, with friends, we were discussing what the title says... so it occurred to me that I had to secure the book (well, books if you want to nit pick 😉) that I would grab on-the-go to the said island...

Now, you might not agree with some of my choices - on today's shelf - but I will let you know that from time to time I change the books... some go back to the day-to-day shelf and others get eligible for that desert island trip and come here...

Just ONE of these books stays forever. I would like for you to guess which one and make yourself the same exercise - "Which Nora's book would you take to a desert island?!" 🏝

Take Care!

Quoting Nora

 

Do You Talk to Your Pet?

The big dog sat on the covered front porch of the two-story cabin. Body alert, eyes bright. When she got out of the car, she signaled release. 

He bounded to her, all hundred and thirty pounds of him wriggling in joy. 

“There’s my good boy. Best dog in the world. So smart. Just so smart.” 

She gave him a brisk rub before retrieving her market bag. 

“You wouldn’t believe the morning I had.” 

She took out her keys as they walked to the house together on the narrow stone path. 

“Minding my own business, buying supplies, and the chief of police comes into the market to interrogate me. What do you think of that?”

The Witness 

________________

PhotKing ♛ from Cambridge , UK, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Why We Should Talk to Our Dogs More

... and why many would rather confide in dogs than people.

Psychology Today

Your Dog Knows When You're Stressed

 

“Oh, for God’s sake. What does he want now?”

Her tone had Bert growling low in his throat. “Pillow.” Her code word for stand down had the dog relaxing again but watching her for any distress.

The Witness

________________

Natalia King from Austin, Texas, United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A recent study found that dogs can determine when humans are stressed by smelling their sweat and breath.

Martha Stewart

________________

She gave him a little shove.

He gave her a little nudge.

And behind him the dog growled low in his throat.

“Stop!” Fiona ordered sharply, and the dog froze. “Newman, friend. Friend. He thought you were hurting me. No, don’t back off. Simon,” she said to the dogs. “We’re playing. Simon’s a friend. Put your arms around me.”

The Search

MY - 5 Best Nora Roberts books you should read - CHOICES

 This is one of the hardest challenges for me. 

We all go through different moods through the day, month, life... and Nora has so many books that you should could read a book per day during a year, with a few days to spare and re-read your favorites 😀; hence it is very hard for me to commit to a TOP 5/10/15 or what-book-would-I-take-to-a-desert-island?...

Read the TOP 5 on top and then follow with my, today's, top 5:

📕 1    The Witness     

📗 2    Three Fates      

📘 3    Sea Swept    

📙 4    The Search 

📖 5    Valley of Silence

Readers Share 📖 BookBub

 For me this is the One (I reread the Most):

_______________

The Book I Reread the Most

Even though there are so many new and exciting books out in the world, there’s something so comforting about rereading an old favorite. 

BookBub readers tell us what book they reread the most — whether it’s a beloved classic or a newer release they can’t stop thinking about. Read on to see their recommendations!

BookBub

(Read the article to learn which book from a friend of a friend 😉 shows in the thread)

Gardening with Kids

 

He stepped back, took a clear breath, and studied his work. His mother was pretty damn strict about the gardening. It was all about respecting the earth, harmonizing with Nature, and that stuff.

It was also, Fox knew, about eating, and making enough food and money to feed a family of six—and whoever dropped by. Which was why his dad and his older sister, Sage, were down at their stand selling fresh eggs, goat’s milk, honey, and his mother’s homemade jams.

 

Blood Brothers

__________________

Seattle Municipal Archives, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Make your plans and plant seeds now and, come summer, you’ll have your pick of flowers and food. You’ll also cultivate some essential life skills: When kids tend to plants, they learn to care for the little things—and one another.

PARENTS

__________________

 

And he knew enough about people to be sure the planting of it was another mark of ownership, of settling in. Her place, done her way.

A good sign.

 

The Witness

Happy Nora's Day

 

_________________ 

“It’s your birthday. And we got cake.”

“Cake.”

John set the box down on the table, flipped up the lid. 

“Double-chocolate fudge with buttercream icing.”

The Witness

_________________ 

Guys Who Love Dogs Make The BEST Husbands

First there’d been lust, she thought, naturally enough. Then interest and several

layers of attraction. She’d been prepared—or had been trying to prepare—to shuffle all

those impulses aside and be sensible.

Now, seeing him with her dog, she felt the warming around the heart that signaled—

uh-oh—personal affection. Add that to lust and attraction and a woman, even a sensible

woman, was sunk.

Remember When

______________________

via GIPHY

They're man's best friend for a reason.

Yes, dogs are man's best friend. But they should be you're best friend, too, because they've prepared their owners for being the most amazing husbands ever. So it you're looking for love, you should definitely look for a guy who loves dogs for these reasons.

Your Tango

______________________

His hand stroked up and down her back, the way she sometimes stroked Bert.

No wonder the dog loved it. Her heartbeat slowed to the rhythm, and everything

inside her uncoiled.

The Witness

Fall Soups

Abigail had a nice fire crackling. On the stove, a pot of pasta e fagioli

soup simmered. She’d baked a pretty little round of olive bread, put together a

mixed salad she intended to toss with raspberry vinaigrette.

All the work she’d earmarked for the day was complete. She’d spent ninety

minutes on weights and cardio, exercised Bert.

She was going to treat herself to dinner and a movie—maybe even a double

feature, with popcorn for the follow-up.

The Witness

_______________________

Hearty Pasta Fagioli

Here's an Italian favorite made easier by using prepared spaghetti sauce and canned broth for the flavorful base.

Taste of Home

Getting back to nature

She imagined them sinking into cool, tobacco-colored water in the bend of a

river where fiddlehead ferns grew thick and green and moonlight shimmered in

rays through a canopy of trees.

“I want to go to your swimming hole.”

“We will.”

“In the moonlight,” she said.

The Witness

__________________________

By Jim Champion, CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9305393

how forest bathing can make us feel better

The Japanese have known for years that spending mindful time in the woods is beneficial for body and soul. Now western doctors – and royals – agree

Every day, apart from when it’s raining heavily, Dr Qing Li heads to a leafy park near the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo where he works. It’s not just a pleasant place to eat his lunch; he believes the time spent under the trees’ canopy is a critical factor in the fight against diseases, of the mind and body.

Once a month Li spends three days in forests near Tokyo, using all five senses to connect with the environment and clear his mind. This practice of shinrin-yoku – literally, forest bath – has the power to counter illnesses including cancer, strokes, gastric ulcers, depression, anxiety and stress, he says.

The Guardian

Happy in marriage?

“I’m telling you this so you understand my basic genetic makeup. My mother,

while satisfied with me on the whole, never loved me or wished to. She never

accepted I might have my own goals or desires or plans. Hers, for me, were

again very specific and detailed. For a very long time I thought she didn’t love

me because I was lacking in some area, but I came to understand she simply

didn’t love. She has no capacity or aptitude for love, and no skills at displaying

affection. Factoring genetics and environment, I also lack the capacity. I may not

have the skills for relationships, but I understand emotions and affection are

primary needs in developing and maintaining them.”

Brooks thought, What a load of crap. But he structured his response more

carefully. “Let me get this straight. Because your mother’s cold, selfish and

appears to have all the finer feelings of a sand flea, you’re genetically

predestined to be the same.”

The Witness

_________________

PEAK99 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

People fall in love for many reasons — similar interests, physical attraction, and shared values among them. But if they marry and stay together, their long-term happiness may depend on their individual genes or those of their spouse, says a new study led by Yale School of Public Health researchers. 

YaleNews

_________________

“Is he still married?”

“Yes.”

“So he can develop and maintain a relationship. You’ve got his genes, too.”

For a moment, a long moment, she watched the flight of the hummingbird—

that sapphire blur—until it whizzed out of sight.

“Why would you want to be with someone whose skills and aptitude for

personal connections are stunted?”

“Maybe I like the idea of watching them grow, and being part of it.”

The Witness

You should start a sit-spot routine

She gave him his moment while she scanned the woods. Birds called, a

musical lift accompanied by the rat-a-tat of a woodpecker hunting for lunch. The

sun through the filter of young leaves cast a dreamy light.

It would brighten as they walked, she knew, and the view would open to the

hills. She loved looking out from the high ground, studying the rise and fall of

the land. And here, in soft light and shadow, with the birdcall and the mutter of

the stream, the splashing dog—here, she thought, was more home than the

house.

The Witness

___________________________

Spending time in nature has proven health benefits, and this habit will help you reap those positive rewards

Half an hour ago, as I walked into my beautiful little oasis located just a five-minute walk from my house, I was carrying the weight of a overly long to-do list and drafting emails in my head. My stomach and shoulders were tensed and my brow was furrowed with full force, though I didn't really notice because my mind was elsewhere.

But as soon as I arrived at the creek bank, I forgot all about what I wasn't getting done and what was being asked of me in my day.

Mother Nature Network

___________________________

She rode for the loch. It was an indulgence, right or wrong, that occasionally she allowed herself. 
Whenever time allowed, she went

there to sit on the bank and dream a little. And remember. 
It brought Brigham closer to her. As close, Serena knew, as he would ever
be. He was gone. Back to London, where he belonged.

Now spring was here in all its glory. Flowers waved in the gentle breeze, 
trees were ripe with green, green leaves. The sunlight dappled

through, making pretty patterns on the soft path. 
Young deer walked through the forest.

By the loch the ground was springy and warm, though the water 
would be frigid for weeks yet, and would carry a chill all through the

summer. Content from the ride, she lay on the grassy 
knoll to read a little, and dream. 
It was solitude she had wanted, and it was serenity she found.

Rebellion 

Three Men Are Watching Every Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie and It's Our New Favorite Thing

“I planned to watch a movie with dinner.”

“I like movies.”

“I was going to watch Steel Magnolias.”

He let out a long, long sigh. “I probably deserve that.”

The Witness

___________________

Checklist app? Check. 

Tea? Check. 

Non-stop Christmas music? Check! 

You’ve got almost everything you need to make the most of this year’s killer lineup of Hallmark Channel holiday movies.

The only other thing your movie-watching marathon is missing is a podcast hosted by three ordinary men. (Yes, really.)

Brandon Gray, Daniel Pandolph, and Daniel Thompson are the voices behind Deck the Hallmark, the hit podcast. Together, they watch and then review all 37 of Hallmark’s original holiday movies.

“Just 3 dudes…watching Hallmark. What could go wrong?” the iTunes description reads.

Better Homes & Gardens

___________________

“I guess you leave him there and go home and watch ESPN.”

He studied the drums. “Some people would complain it’s sexist to assume I watch ESPN. Maybe I’m a fan of Lifetime.”

She gave up.

The Search

Who needs small talk?

“I might do that. So, how did you go from doing stunt work in LA to owning a garage in Greenwich?”

“Is this small talk, or are you interested?”

“It can be both.”

Happy Ever After

________________

When I was single and dating, my friends made fun of me for jumping into deep  conversations with guys I just met.

I've never been interested in small talk, or its cousin, flirting. I'm genuinely curious to get to know people, and I'd rather not talk if it's going to be about nonsense. Turns out, I have something in common with the "silent Finns" who are also known for not talking small, but diving into meaningful conversation — or none at all.

Mother Nature Network

________________

He’d expect conversation, and she wasn’t sure she had any more. 

Between him and his mother, she was out of what struck her 

as appropriate small talk.

The Witness

The fight over Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie

“I thought we could get another dog, a puppy, as company for Bert. You could name him, since I named Bert.”

“Two dogs, no waiting.” He considered. “It’d have to be Ernie.”

“Why?”

He nipped one of the hot peppers off the tray. “Bert and Ernie. Muppets? Sesame Street?”

“Oh. That’s a children’s program. Bert and Ernie are friends?”

“And possibly more, but since it’s a kids’ program, we’ll stick with friends.”

The Witness

____________________

By Sesameworkshop.org - http://www.sesamestreet.org, Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43713832

Are Bert and Ernie gay? It depends whom you ask.

Sesame Street has always had one consistent official answer (no, they’re not), but that hasn’t stopped the two famous felt roommates from becoming gay icons and occupying a unique role in the queer rights movement. Controversy over their perceived homosexuality has raged intermittently for decades, spearheaded by both allies and adversaries — and a new flare-up shows that it’s not going away anytime soon.

VOX

The Crying Game

Tears came along with the breath, so she pressed her face to the wood.

“You want me on my knees, that’s the way to do it.” 
Rubbing his hands over his face, Brooks dug for composure.

The Witness

_________________

By RIA Novosti archive, image #346 / Ozersky / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15579375

Women’s Tears Dial Down Testosterone

Men tend to hate it when women cry — for reasons that they often have difficulty articulating. Now, new research suggests why — men may be biologically primed to react to a woman’s tears. 

TIME

_________________

Now her eyes glimmered with tears, and Fox quite simply wanted to step into the

street into the path of a passing truck.

Blood Brothers

How to Design Your Garden for More Meaning and Connection

She gestured, waited until he stopped looking into her eyes, followed her direction. 
“You’ve got a couple of rosebushes over there. You should dig them up. 
Make sure you get good root balls, cover them with burlap, 
and take them to your mother. 
I bet your sister would know how to get them going again. 
It would mean something to your mother.”

In his throat, emotion lodged with gratitude. 
“There are times I don’t know what to say to you. Times you just blow a hole through me.”

He drew her in, held on. “I’ll dig them up,” he told her. 
“She’ll like that, and I wouldn’t have

thought of it.”

“You might have.”

“I’d throw it all out,” he stated, looking over her head at what might’ve been his. 
“That’s the wrong way. There’s some of those daffodils trying to come up on
the side of the house. I could dig them up, too. 
Savannah always liked those when we were kids.” 

Come Sundown

_____________

Photo by Marian Boswall Landscape Architects - Browse landscaping photos

Gardens can connect us to the natural world in meaningful ways, whether we’re plucking the first ripe berries of the season or pausing to watch wild birds flit through foliage. While we most often talk about the nuts and bolts of landscape design — the shrubs, pathways and irrigation systems that make them work — let’s take a moment to explore the less tangible ways we can design our gardens to foster connection with nature.

HOUZZ

_____________

She trailed off, stopped. “There’s a bench,” she murmured. “There’s a
beautiful bench exactly where I wanted one.”
“That’s your surprise. Welcome home, Abigail.”
Her vision blurred as she stepped forward to run her hands over the smooth curve of the back, the arms. 
It looked like a log, hollowed out, polished to a satiny gleam, and on the middle of the back was a carved heart with the initials A.L. and B.G. in the center.
“Oh. Brooks.”
“Corny, I know, but—”
“No, it’s not! That’s a stupid word. I prefer romantic.”
“So do I.”
“It’s a beautiful surprise. Thank you. Thank you.” She threw her arms around him.
“You’re welcome, but I get to sit on it, too.”



The Witness

How to Attract Butterflies to Your Yard

🦋

Nora's back into the Garden!  
YAY for (the) Spring(s of LIFE)




___________

“You must’ve worked half the day putting that bed in.”

“Not quite that long, but it took some time. I want butterflies.”

“You’re going to get them. It’s pretty as it can be, Abigail.”

The Witness

__________________________

By © Derek Ramsey / derekramsey.com, GFDL 1.2, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1612827

Create an inviting habitat for butterflies with careful plant selection and placement.

MidwestLiving