books Archives - Keeping With The Times

Book Review: The Alice Network

April 15, 2018 by Barb 5 Comments

Hello friends, today I have a book review I want to share … also, I’d love to know if you’ve read this book and what you thought of it … yay or nay :)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn: Historical Fiction

Historical novel set in France about two women: a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during World War I, and an American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 after World War II.

The story flips back and forth (by chapter) between “Eve” in 1915 and “Charlie” in 1947 and eventually their two stories overlap.

I enjoyed reading the chapters dealing with Eve Gardiner; cast as she was as a female spy in the Alice Network (a real life network of female spies led by Louise de Bettignies during World War I.) Kate Quinn wove together the fictional Eve Gardener and the real Louise de Bettignies quite realistically.

However, it didn’t take me long to become bored and frustrated with Charlie, the pregnant teen whose search for her cousin led her to Eve. I didn’t mind the flipping back and forth between stories, but I found Charlie and her boyfriend’s storyline unconvincing.

My thoughts: I did like the book and found it compelling enough to finish as there were a few things I wanted to see resolved. But truthfully, I wanted it to be done so I could move on to the next one …

3 stars out of 5

PS … do you have any recommendations for great WWI and WWII fiction?

Useful links:

How to Write a Book Review [wikiHow]

How to Start Your Own Book Club [Oprah.com]

Five Things Friday | May 12

May 12, 2017 by Barb Leave a Comment

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Five Things Friday is kind of like gathering around the water cooler, as in … how about those Oilers eh? sigh … sad face, happy face … sad face … maybe next year face … .

But spring has definitely sprung here. The ice is off the lake, the trees are green, and my garden is pushing up at an alarming rate. Once it starts, it’s like a whirlwind. I’ll soon be seeing anemones in bloom … gah!

Every year it seems like a miracle and there’s no thyme to waste ;)So we may as well get to it, right?

Five Things Friday | May 12

What I’m Reading

The Handmaids Tale

Actually I’m re-reading The Handmaids Tale. I read it when it was first published (suffice it to say it was a long time ago) but I was more than a little startled, and disturbed, to see that it has been republished and made into a TV mini series.

I always avoid getting political, but this dystopian classic is a must read for every woman (and man) and is more relevant today than ever. Margaret Atwood is genius and her introduction in this release is provocative.

To quote the Phoenix Gazette “The most chilling cautionary novel of the century”. Enough said.

What I’m Working On

I may have mentioned his before, but I’m taking a blogging class with Emily Quinton at Makelight. It’s called “The Thread” and I’m finding it extremely inspiring. My head is exploding with ideas so now I have to make sure I do something with it all (see below :)

What I’ve Discovered

I’ve gone back to using iA Writer to draft blog posts and keep notes. It’s simply a distraction-free, plain text editor.

I was using it a long time ago … so long that in fact I had to purchase the new version and start over. But I think it will be worth it, as yesterday I had the biggest brain dump ever! and I know I won’t be misplacing my notes. Even if I lose my iPad, my work will be in the Cloud and synced to all my devices. I can see four or five blog posts coming from it. I simply need to buckle down and do the work.

What’s Up in the Garden

Anemones
Perennial Geraniums
Yarrow
Cornflower
Lily-of-the-Valley
Delphiniums
Peonies
Daisies
Daylilies
Rabbits ;)

My Gratitude Journal

I’m so grateful for:

Being able to go to greenhouses again! I love it!
Buying fresh pots of herbs and planting my herb garden.
So thankful for the warm weather turning our world green almost over night.
Clearing out trash. Getting rid of stuff.
A GREAT haircut. I always seem to need a haircut. But this time my stylist Angela did the best job ever (my hair is finally recovering after a year of bad cuts it seems.)
Being able to buy new spring clothes and shoes. I’ve been partaking in Kelly Rae Roberts Wear Your Joy series, and even though I could almost be her grandmother, it has really helped me define my style. It has also helped me to clean out my closet :)
My family.

So that’s it for me today. We are going to be setting up the rest of our dock, and putting the boat in the lake. Fun times.

Have a lovely weekend my dear readers!

Five Things Friday | April 21

April 21, 2017 by Barb 2 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

I may have mentioned a few times that this past month has been a tough one for our family, but a person can only take one day at a time, and for now I’m simply happy to be back with my five things.

If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine
Morris West

The hubs and I were recently in Arizona enjoying sunshine and a slower pace of life. A few slow morning coffees, quiet lunches and/or dinners on patios, and leisurely walks after sunset went a long way to settling frazzled nerves.

I found this lovely chamomile at Trader Joe’s and even though my mind was reminding me that this stuff is a noxious weed at home and that I can pick it by the armloads in the summer, my heart was telling me to go for it!

July is a long way off and what’s a few dollars for handful of joy!
I also had a big bouquet of pink ranunculus but for some reason, I never did get around to photographing them … until I noticed this one turning white!

The leaves had become papery and translucent and really very beautiful:

Five Things Friday | April 21

What I’m Watching

We finished Season 4 of House of Cards and while we’re completely wrapped up in this series, the last episode felt a tad weak. However we now can’t wait for season 5 … once you’re hooked on House of Cards, you’re hooked!

What I’m Reading

I picked up The Time Traveler’s Wife at a garage sale for $.50 and thought what the heck!

It’s the love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Totally fantastical right? But Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future.

Each chapter Clare and Henry are at different ages and at different stages which can cause you to either

put the book down because you can’t follow it, or
forget about keeping track of their respective ages and simply focus on the love story (which I decided to do) at which point it becomes very interesting and even a bit thought-provoking

Right now I would recommend reading this book, but won’t have my full analysis until I finish it …

What I’m Loving

Have you heard of Sky Guide? It’s an app you can use to view stars day or night. It’s a ton of fun for $2.99!

Apple Watch: Sky Guide can send you a notification when an event is about to happen in the skies above your location, like when the International Space Station is due to fly over. You can also keep tabs on the latest solar activity.

The first night I put it on my phone it was a full moon and I took a screen shot:… and then we went for a walk … or was this before (I can’t remember :) but no matter, it was all magical!

Best Spam Comment of the Week (from Vincente)

I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish.
nonetheless, you command get got an impatience over that you wish be delivering
the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly
again since exactly the same nearly very often inside
case you shield this hike.

Well thank you Vincente, I’m very pleased my authored subject matter is stylish ;)

What I’m Learning

I’m very excited about a new blogging class being offered by Emily Quinton. I watched her video Blogging for Business Growth and a Better Life and even though I’m not a business, her enthusiasm about how blogging makes you want to live a better life really resonated with me.

I’m a real advocate for blogging and bloggers and I started Blogging Bits and Bytes for just that reason. I’m hoping this course from Emily will reinforce my own enthusiasm and perhaps even help me get back on track with my blogging series … in my own way and my own words of course.

My Gratitude Journal

I’m so very grateful to have had a couple of weeks in Arizona to finish off this difficult month
Spending time with our daughter and her family here in Arizona
Taking our daughter to the Grand Canyon when she came through (again) on her way to a blogging conference
Spending time with our other daughter and her family, even though it was cut short (we will be back :)
Flowers from Trader Joe’s
A great haircut … never scrimp on haircuts my friends!
Arizona landscapes and succulents at Costco!

Thank you for being here! and have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Five Things Friday | March 24

March 24, 2017 by Barb 5 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment.

Spring arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and the world was suddenly lighter and brighter. Although we do not have crocuses popping up outside, they are popping up in supermarkets ;)

Side note: I did not realize how cute crocus leaves are!

As I write this, I’ve travelled from Alberta to Arizona and back. I’d love to share our itinerary for the next ten days, but I don’t want to make you dizzy so let’s just move on, shall we?

Five Things Friday | March 24

What I’m Watching:

Movies

We went and saw The Founder with Michael Keaton.

I can’t say we thought it was a blockbuster, but it’s certainly an interesting story and the hubs and I agreed that Ray Croc was a brilliant man who worked hard and went after what he wanted. I’d recommend it.

This drama tells the true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

Television

After waiting like forever, we’re finally watching Season Four of House of Cards.

Love it or hate it? That’s my question to you.

We know one person who absolutely hates it and cannot stand it when Frank turns to the camera and starts talking. However, we find it startling and extremely effective.

Kevin Spacey plays the role of Frank Underwood in a way that is absolutely mesmerizing. He’s a man you love to hate and you can’t turn away. I’ve alway said that we (the audience) is his conscience, and he’s trying to convince us of something, or explain his actions away… I’ve never researched this or Googled it because I don’t want to hear anything about this series until we’re done (so no spoilers please :)

And then there’s Claire … oh Claire.

Books/Magazines

I was thrilled to finally get my hands on a copy of Floret Farm’s “Cut Flower Garden.” It’s a gorgeous hard cover book filled with ideas on how to grow, harvest and arrange florals. The photography is stunning and inspirational.

You may want to check out their Instagram feed @floretflower to get a feel for their work.

Or, you may want to check out my blog category FLORAL DESIGN. Ha Ha! Ahem … years ago I took a course in floral design and although most of my creations at that time were hideous, I’ve improved vastly since then.

Recently I asked a real life florist what it is that makes a person a florist. And she said, they are working as a florist. Oh, ha! Well, I can pretend. I guess I’m a wanna-be.

Best Spam Comment of the Week

This weeks winning comment is from Dubai Escort Service ;)

Great goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous
to and you’re just too magnificent. I actually like what you’ve acquired here,
certainly like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it.
You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible.
I can not wait to read much more from you.
This is actually a wonderful website.

OK! thank you, I did not know I was just too magnificent :)

But what is magnificent is being greeting by bougainvillea tumbling around our doorway in Arizona … and then of course you have to create a still-life …

or two

My Weekly Gratitude Journal

Save travels to and fro …
Comfy, clean hotels to stay in after a long days drive.
Seeing wildflowers on our way into the Phoenix area. They were absolutely stunning with reds, purples, yellows, and oranges. Alas, the highways were so busy, and with high speeds and virtually no pullovers, I just couldn’t capture them. But I am grateful for having experienced one of the best wildflower seasons in Arizona.
Instagram love.
Arriving home safely late at night, diving into bed, and sleeping like a baby.
A hot cuppa in the morning, and time to regroup.

So that’s it for my Five Things Friday … thanks for stopping by!

Five Things Friday | March 10

March 10, 2017 by Barb 10 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment and I’m so happy you stopped by!

It’s been so darn wintery this week: one day it’s snowing and grey, and the next it’s bitterly cold and sunny. I do love the sunny days when my dining room is awash in light!

Oh and we’re about to “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour which means an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Some people don’t like this time change, but I love it!

To recap last week … I haven’t been reading much. I’m slowly getting into “The Witches of New York.” I’m trying hard, but I may have to switch to something else for a bit (no crime in that I say.)

“This is Us” made me cry (as I suspected it would) and I can tell you I’m not looking forward to the final episode next week. I probably should run into Costco and buy up their supply of tissues …. .

Oh, and I fell … I’m not ready to explain how, but suffice it to say I have a bruise the size of two of my hands put together and it’s the colour of liver. I also have various other injuries … but I’m OK. Truly, I’m OK, I just had to share … so strange how we have to share our little mishaps … .

So let’s get to it!

Five Things Friday | March 10

Did You Know?

Instagram has a new feature where you can add a string of photos into one post! I personally haven’t created one yet (it’s hard enough coming up with one photo/day) but check out Kim’s example here @kimklassen (it doesn’t work on a computer, you may have to use your phone.) I’m really looking forward to trying it though … the possibilities are exciting.

Best Spam Comment of the Week

I really have to share some of the comical spam comments I receive … and I receive tons of them! I’m so thankful for Akismet Anti-Spam my spam catcher. It does an amazing job.

So here’s the Best Spam Comment of the Week (from Grantham) on my post How to Make Saskatoon Berry Pie:

Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware of.
I say to you, I definitely get irked while people consider worries that
they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit
the nail upon the top as well as defined
out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a
signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

Ummmm … you’re welcome? alrighty then, would you like a side of ice cream with that? ;)

What I Discovered

I recently discovered the most amazing face cloth! Introducing … the Wonder Cloth as found at Bed Bath & Beyond. You’ll have to search for it since for some reason it won’t let me link directly to the cloth.

It’s for removing makeup but I can’t bring myself to wipe mascara and lipstick all over it. Instead, I first remove my makeup and then, using a gentle cleanser, wash my face with it. Be careful though, and don’t scrub; massage gently. As an experiment I examined the pores on my face in a magnifying mirror before I used the cloth and then after. Those nasty little pores were so clean … invisible almost. I know … hopefully that wasn’t tmi, but I’m giving you a beauty secret here ladies!!

Movies I Saw and Loved

We went and saw “Hidden Figures” and oh my gosh what an amazing and inspiring story:

HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Official Trailer|20th Century FOX on YouTube

It’s a must see!!

What I’m Grateful For

Brilliant sunshine on a bitterly cold (-27C) morning.
Getting out of bed, turning up the furnace, turning on the coffee pot, and diving back into bed until the house is warm and the coffee is ready.
Finding the perfect (reasonably priced) hardware for my new kitchen/dining room drapery panels. The dining room looks ah.ma.zing!
Affordable spring blooms from grocery stores … tulip, crocus, mascari, daffodil, and hyacinth. It may be full on winter outside, but it’s full on spring inside.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

March 3, 2017 by Barb 9 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment and I’m so happy you stopped by!

But can I just start with the Oscar train wreck?

I’m really not into this annual show, and I only watch the highlights. So how about that screw-up with the award announcement for Best Picture? … and what about our fascination with it!? you’d think it was a major world catastrophe!

But oh my gosh … apart from envelopegate, what do you think of Warren handing the envelope to Faye? He obviously knew something was wrong (he looked flustered and confused) and then he handed it to her! He totally threw her under the bus!

… totally not impressed with you Warren :(

But, let us move on …

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

What Florals I’m Arranging

Tulips and birch branches on my garden bench—throw in a couple found-and-foraged bird’s nests, and you have a sweet spring vignette. Something to hang on to for these last looong winter weeks. I love that tulips are affordable right now … they’re at every grocery store checkout in our province.

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Percy Bysshe Shelley

What I’m Watching

This Is Us.

I hardly need say more. This wildly popular series on NBC has captured the hearts of audiences everywhere. But I’m going to make a little confession. I only decided to watch it when I realized Adam Newman was going to die, and my favourite actor on Y & R (Justin Hartley) was leaving … yes, ahem (bwha ha ha) I watch Y & R. I can’t seem to stop myself even though I’ve tried and tried (and succeeded from time-to-time.)

Anyway, back to This is Us. This show has made me laugh out loud, and it has made me cry … two things I don’t do very often when watching TV, and I love it when that happens, don’t you?! Five Stars for this show! No spoilers though!

What I’m Reading

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

I’ve only just started this book, so I can’t really say much about it, except that it has captivated me right from the first paragraph. I am a bit concerned that I should read her previous book The Virgin Cure first even though, apparently you don’t have to. But, if I get a chance I may pick it up before I get too far into The Witches … hmmmm, decisions, decisions!

So instead, here’s my thoughts on another book I’ve recently read:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I was a bit late to the party with this epic story, as it was published in 2005 and I only just purchased the 10th Anniversary edition. You open the cover and it goes something like this “When Death has a story to tell, you listen” and boy do you ever!

The prose is beyond … it’s like reading music, and if I was one to write in books, this book would have paragraphs highlighted, underlined, and covered in exclamation marks. A must read!

Goosebumps all the way …

What I Discovered

Remember last week when I mentioned The Magnolia Journal? Well I discovered something awesome!

Not only are there some gorgeous botanical prints in the magazine, I went to their site and discovered a free download of the same spectacular botanicals ready for framing or simply hanging on a wall as is. I printed mine on some lovely textural card stock and they are gorgeous.

Check it out here (it’s the pink bar along the top of the page). I must say, I’m not sure how long the download will last, so I wouldn’t delay!

What I’m Grateful For

Super sunny days. Even though our temperatures plummeted this week (and let me tell you it has been cold at -20C with -25C windchills!) I’m choosing to focus on the light. It pours into my dining room and makes the whole house glow.
Grocery and hardware stores that carry affordable plants and flowers.
Walks with friends … I’ve literally stepped up my commitment to getting outside and to exercising more. I’ve been taking 45 minute walks 3 times a week. Pretty good for me (especially when my old bones protest ;)
Making plans to attend Finding Stillness | Summer 2017 in June.
Online friends @alajamie that become real life friends, and then send you props to play with. I received a box full of vintage jars, letters, silky ribbons, and other ephemera. It’s like a prop chain letter where each participant takes the same props and uses them to create an image. She then posts it to Instagram with the hashtag #propbox2017. You’re allowed to add up to 3 of your own props and I used the book and the succulents. The box has since been sent on to the next participant. Lots of fun! Thank you Jamie!

Today the hubs and I are off to town to find drapery hardware for my new curtains … how fun!

Hopefully we get home before the impending winter storm hits … I feel a cozy afternoon by the fire in my future.

Five Things Friday | February 24th

February 24, 2017 by Barb 21 Comments

Hello and welcome to Five Things Friday!

I’ve been mulling over this (big/not big) idea since the beginning of the year. I needed something to replace Sunday Sundries where I not only featured images from the hashtag on Instagram, I also listed everything I was grateful for in the preceding week. Sunday Sundries was a wonderful series … I’ve documented literally hundreds of grateful moments (which I really enjoy reviewing) and it truly was an amazing practice that did my heart good. And while I continue do this in private, I felt it was time to move on.

Five Things Friday will be about what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment. I know the title is not unique in any way. In fact, if you Google it, you’ll find hundreds of hits … but no matter. This is MY Five Things Friday.

So let’s just get started OK?!

Five Things Friday | February 24th

What I’m Loving

I was sitting in my dining room this morning watching cold hard snowflakes fall outside my window and was contemplating the colours of this northern world of mine (and what will be the colours of this world for 2 more months.) And I remembered … I remembered why last autumn I saved these sprigs of yellow yarrow, even though they drop seeds and dust all over the place.

Today I’m loving dried flowers and birch branches on a cold February day.
… sunlight and shadows …

What I’m reading

Actually, I just finished reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. OH my. I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this book but once I did, I devoured it. It really does capture the horrors of World War II … oh the horrors :(

I finished it late last night and was taken completely by surprise please no spoilers here! but I have to go back and reread a chapter or two to see if I was just asleep or what … .

What I’m watching

For the last year, the hubs and I have been watching “The Sopranos”. We found the entire series (minus the last episode … ha ha) for $5.00 at a garage sale! Add in the $35.00 we spent on the purchase of the last episode, and it was $40.00 very well spent. Hours and hours of drama … I can’t say this show is for everyone but what an amazing glimpse into the world of organized crime. Most of the time I could hardly wait to clean up after dinner so we could watch one or two episodes (even though I had my eyes closed a lot of the time.) And I swear I did not breathe during the final season … and at the end I stared at the TV for many, many minutes … frozen. Then the hubs and I had a big discussion. Again, please no spoilers here!

But on a side note, do you know anyone who’s interested in purchasing the entire set of The Sopranos for $40.00? ;)

What I’m Eating/Drinking

I’m loving the Peppermint Hot Chocolate on sale at Williams-Sonoma right now (disregard the tea in this photo ;) Regular price $28.95 for 12 oz of mix, on sale for $7.99. I know, it’s still expensive but whoa! what a treat. I think I have to go back before word of this gets out ;)

What I’m Photographing

Whilst I was in Arizona, I was photographing everything from succulents to hyacinths.

Just before we left I decided to take them out of the pot to celebrate the bulbs and roots … aren’t they gorgeous?

What I’ve Discovered

This month I discovered a new magazine: The Magnolia Journal. Its’ full to the brim with inspiration, ideas, art and recipes … it’s a beautiful read and I highly recommend it.

So there you have it! Thank you so much for joining me on my first Five Things Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

5 Photography Resources to Help Capture More Life in Your Photos this Season

December 23, 2016 by Barb 2 Comments

Today I want to share 5 Photography Resources that I hope you might find helpful through this holiday season.

As I was going through my photos this morning, it occurred to me that no matter how much I love still life, I want to start capturing more of the “life” part.

I don’t have to make drastic changes … I believe my still life photography tells my life story simply because it’s seasonal, it’s all my stuff, and it’s what I’m doing at any given time.

My life right now is all about winter, trees, snow, pinecones, warm tea, blankets, fires in the fireplace, and Christmas of course. Lately I’ve begun to sprinkle landscapes into my Instagram account and truthfully, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I don’t have a lot of opportunities for capturing people, but I do have a lot of amazing scenery!

Because I’m definitely not an expert in capturing the human touch (or any other area for that matter ;) here’s a list of resources I think will be valuable in helping me achieve my goals this Christmas season:

5 Photography Resources to Help Capture More Life in Your Photos this Season

Handmade Gatherings by Ashley English. Oh my heart did a little flip flop when I saw this book (uh oh … early Christmas present to myself ;) it’s packed with inspiration … packed I tell ya!
Photo Tips to Help you Focus on Family this Holiday Season from Simple as That by Rebecca Cooper. I’ve followed Rebecca for years and she’s an amazing source of inspiration when it comes to capturing family photos.
Capture Your Christmas Photography Series by Click it Up a Notch. This site is also packed with ideas … you’ll need a week or more to go through it all.
I cannot leave out my friend Xanthe of Xanthe Berkeley, she’s brilliant, what more can I say? Perhaps you’ll even be making mini movies after you check her out … I have yet to conquer that skill, but some day … .
An Instagram account I adore @wearecaribou sprinkles photos of her children, pets, and landscapes amongst her beautiful still life images. No photography tips, it’s simply inspirational.

And of course there’s Kim Klassen who most likely doesn’t need any introduction here … but her human touch images are a.ma.zing and her classes, tips, and inspirational photographs are legendary.

I would like to wish everyone a very very Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Enjoy this magical season … don’t waste a minute agonizing over being perfect! Just BE. And get out there and capture the moment!