The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures – I mean books!
My Week
I flew out Wednesday to Salt Lake City to spend almost a week with my dad, stepmother, and extended family. The memorial service for my uncle was yesterday. There were so many family members there (family alone must total close to 75 people) and friends of my uncle or of the wider “clan,” as we sometimes refer to ourselves. It was a very moving and joyful celebration of my uncle’s life — despite the tears. Today we’ll attend church at the same church my uncle went to for almost all of his 87 years, then go over to my cousin’s house for a family open house: a chance to spend more time with cousins I rarely see these days, except at funerals. We’ve been doing so much reminiscing and catching up together; it’s heartwarming and comforting, especially since we’re a “huggy” family.
Not so comforting is the news that my aunt — the wife of one of my dad’s other brothers (who died several years ago) is very ill. She’s been fading for some years, but now she has pneumonia and heart failure, and hospice has been called in. We’re praying for her recovery, but all of us realize there may be another funeral in the same extended family sooner than any of us would like.
Meanwhile, my husband is snowed in at home, with at least 18 inches of snow from the blizzard that hit the Mid-Atlantic states this weekend. We’re hoping that he can dig out and the roads and airports are cleared by Tuesday, when I fly home!
I’m going to have a heck of a week coming up, because it’s been almost impossible to get any work done this week, and I have a project coming due soon. So I probably won’t be great about answering comments this week, but I’ll do my best to catch up with you all once I’ve caught up on my day job.
Last Week on the Blog
- Mon. 1/18: TOUR: Thread and Gone (Lea Wait) – review
- Tues. 1/19: Top Ten Books I’ve Recently Added To My TBR – Top Ten Tuesday
- Wed. 1/20: Take Control of Your TBR Pile – sign-up
- Thur. 1/21: Forbidden (Beverly Jenkins) – review
- Sun. 1/24: Sunday Post 1/24/16
Upcoming on the Blog
- Mon. 1/25: Secret Sisters (Jayne Ann Krentz) – review
- Tues. 1/26: TBD
- Wed. 1/27: In the Dragon’s Eye: Revisionary
- Thur. 1/28: TBD
- Fri. 1/29: Down the Rabbit Hole – discussion
- Sat. 1/30: News & Notes 1/30/16 – tentative
- Sun. 1/31: Sunday Post 1/31/16 – tentative
What I’m Reading/Watching
I finished re-reading Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series, devouring the entire set in under a day and a half. I’m having a really tough time settling into any of my review books, more because of my emotional state than any problem with the books themselves. So I gave myself the week off and read Nora Roberts’s Circle Trilogy, then started re-reading the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy (Dark Witch, Shadow Spell, Blood Magick) because they have some similarities (and because I love the O’Dwyer books.) I’ll probably finish the third book tonight.
New Additions to the Hoard
Cover links take you to Goodreads.
For Review
Purchased for Kindle
I don’t know when I’ll get around to the Patricia Briggs book, but it’s a series I’ve been wanting to try, and it was on sale. I started reading the Circle trilogy books from the library, but didn’t want to take them on my trip, so I bought the Kindle set. And the other is a self-pubbed historical with a hint of psychic stuff, by Maggie Sefton (who writes the Knitting Mysteries series that I like.)
Laura @trips down imagination road
I hope this week gets better for you!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Laura.
Bea
Oh goodness, what a time you’re having. *hugs* Sending best wishes for your aunt.
Bea recently posted…Cat Thursday: Sad Eyes
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Bea. Your friendship and caring mean a lot to me.
Laurel-Rain Snow
So sad about your loss, but funerals do bring out people we haven’t seen in a while, and connecting is definitely the upside.
Enjoy your books…I hope you love Secret Sisters as much as I did. Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Laurel-Rain Snow recently posted…AUTHOR’S HOME PAGE
Lark_Bookwyrm
Indeed it is. And yes, I really enjoyed Secret Sisters – here’s my review!
Lola
Sounds like it was a nice service and good to catch-up with your family despite the sad occasion and the tears. Give yourself some time to read the books you want to, the review books will still be there after that. Moon Called wans’t discounted here sadly, else I probably would’ve picked it up, eventually I will start that series. I hope you’ll have a great week!
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #162
Lark_Bookwyrm
It was really wonderful to have that time with my family; I’m so glad I was able to go.
Joann Downie
I am sorry about your Uncle, my sympathies are with you. And prayers for your Aunt as well. I lost both my parents 5 yrs ago-2 months apart, it was really brutal on me. So I totally understand.
We got 16″ here in Washington County,PA, and am glad that its over!! However, I did get to call off work…LOL,
Forbidden looks like a nice read!! Safe travels home.
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Joan. My aunt passed away peacefully on the 29th. I’m so sorry about your parents; it’s hard enough to lose one, but to lose them both so close together must have been devastating. I hope that in the years since, you’ve found healing, but I know the pain never completely goes away. I still miss my grandmother sometimes, and she has been gone for 23 years.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I’m so sorry to hear about your Uncle and Aunt. I do know what you mean about funerals being comforting though. My grandmother’s funeral was really wonderful in a way. Everybody was able to get there and after the service we all went out to a big dinner and talked and told stories and it was such fun and absolutely something she would have loved. Have a great week! I hope your husband is able to dig his way out of the blizzard to come get you.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…This Week in Reading – January 24th
Lark_Bookwyrm
Your grandmother’s funeral sounds like the way most of us would want to be remembered — with love and joy and togetherness. How wonderful that everyone was able to be there!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Your grandmother’s funeral sounds like the way most of us would want to be remembered — with love and joy and togetherness. How wonderful that everyone was able to be there!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
So sorry to hear about your aunt’s illness so soon after your uncle’s death. Hope you guys can get through all that snow soon – it’s hard to be snowed in!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 1/24/16
Lark_Bookwyrm
Well, I’m on my way home now (Tuesday), so I guess they got the airport dug out. My husband says the major roads have been cleared, but I imagine a lot of the smaller roads are still pretty snowy.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Oh, wow! It took a long time for you to manage to get home! Poor thing!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Elementals by Michelle Madow – Madow’s Top Five Addictions & Kindle Fire Giveaway
Lark_Bookwyrm
It could have been worse – I could have been scheduled to fly home Sunday, in which case my flight would have been cancelled on account of Snowzilla or whatever they’re calling the big East Coast storm.
Stormi
I have had Moon Called on my kindle forever and not gotten to it yet, but I really need too! 🙂
Stormi
Stormi recently posted…The Week In Review #73
Lark_Bookwyrm
It’s probably going to sit on my Kindle forever, too… I’ve got a lot of other books to read first!
Literary Feline
I am glad you family can be together to celebrate the life of your uncle. I’m just sad it’s under such terrible circumstances. And then to learn about your aunt. My thoughts are with you. I hope you have an easy time of catching up at work.
Literary Feline recently posted…Sunday Post: Winter Is Here
Lark_Bookwyrm
Several of us mentioned during the weekend that it would be nice if we could get together for something other than funerals. But I think it may take something that “big” to get us all in one place at one time. Maybe a family reunion would work…
Tiffany @ I Was Angelized_1st
Sorry you’ve had such a difficult week. It was nice you were able to celebrate your uncle’s life with your family. Hopefully this week goes smoother. Sorry to hear about your aunt.
Tiffany @ I Was Angelized_1st recently posted…THE WEEK IN REVIEW: “Pearly Whites” (JANUARY 17TH – JANUARY 23rd)
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Tiffany. I hope this week goes well too — I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on.
Laura Thomas
It sounds like it was a nice service for your uncle. And so sorry to hear about your aunt. Take care and have a safe trip home:)
Laura Thomas recently posted…Oh Ship! Tales Of A Cruising Chick And Other Travel Adventures
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Laura. It was really good to spend time with my cousins.
Charlie @ Girl of 1000 Wonders
Oh, Lark, that is so sad to hear about your aunt. Where I grew up, it is a common phrase “They go in threes.” It always seems to be true, but I hope that’s not the case. It sounds like the service and gathering afterward was lovely. I hope you get home safely!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Charlie. I hope they don’t go in threes, because on that side, there are only 3 left in that generation — two aunts-by-marriage and my dad. We did have a wonderful family time, though.