We are on a Break

If taking a break is so good for us (I'm sure no justification is needed here), then why is it so hard to do?

I have resisted, ducked and dived writing this post. Because although I need to, I don't want to. And even if I tell myself it's good for me, and it'll be ok, I've resisted to committing to it here.

So deep breath, pause one last time, and here goes.

I will be taking a break from blogging for the month of December.

There, I did it. That wasn't so hard, was it? Ummm, yes it was.

And by the way, December starts tomorrow.

So, for those of you who follow my reviews, my Monday Motivations, the occasional recipe, the Sunday Sermon and the regular rant, I'll see you again in January 2017.

I'll be using the time to rest and recharge my creative energy, and yes, hopefully become a better person so that I can give more to this relationship. 😉

For those of you who are regular Ten of the Best readers, I'll publish one last post this Saturday morning, and say goodbye for a few weeks. You see, I told you this was hard - I feel like I need a last goodbye before I rest my keyboard, laptop and weary fingers. So until Saturday, and then until January.

And for those of you, who like me, find breaking up hard to do, remember this isn't forever.

And in case you forget, and get all angry that you don't know what to read next, or miss your weekly social media update feeds, I have some famous words, c/o one of my favourite Friends....

And if you're looking to reminisce while you miss me (ah, so sweet!) here are some links to some pages you may enjoy.

                        



                      

A Terrible Beauty by VM Devine

A father and daughter conspire to write a novel set in Ireland. VM Devine is the pen name of Mike Mahony and Valerie Ganzevoort. After reading it, you wouldn't believe they live in sunny SA.

A Terrible Beauty is a story of the solving of a murder at Joyce's Tower. Father Luke O’Gorman returns there after fleeing a horrible incident in Nigeria where he was a missionary. Instead of escaping the emotions, they follow him home, and are echoed in his family dynamics and the tense domestic situation, getting worse by the day as the centenary anniversary of the Easter Uprising approaches. Detective Chief Superintendent Fírinne Jeffries and her team is called upon to investigate the murder that results, with the local Gardaí on full alert to the possibility of more violence and protest in the air.

I loved the setting, and the detailed scenery and history that these authors wove into the story. It was modern, realistic and also clever and classy. The telling was seamless and rich, with a great deal of research having gone into it. Lots of dialogue and action kept the pace moving and me guessing about who was going to be revealed as the gruesome killer. This mystery was refreshingly different to most in the genre, comprising much more than your average detection.

The level of detail made for a dense read - the complexity meant there was a lot of story, and this detracted slightly from me getting to know the characters better.

An enriching experience and a well-deserved 4 stars.

You may also enjoy A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George or Jo Spain's Beneath the Surface.

Look at what else I've been reading...

Shake it off

Good morning fellow exercisers.

We're shaking the dust off this morning. Cleaning out the cobwebs. Brushing off the clouds of debris that have collected.

I love the way that running clears my mind. It focuses me on what's important, and helps me think of the important things. I can wake up, scattered thoughts, mind all over the place, not even sure I can run. And then when I'm done, I'm sorted for the week.

If you're anything like me, you had a break yesterday - it being Sunday, so your brain and your body has gathered a little dust.

Thanksgiving - are you kidding me?

Thanksgiving comes at the wrong time of the year. Every year. Whether it's been a good year or a bad year, by the time November rolls around, we are pretty done. 

And, by all accounts, 2016 has been a very bad year in most people's lives. Well, certainly the people I speak to. There are a lot  more Eeyores around than Winnie the Poohs. There is more to deal with, more stress, more hardship. More evil, generally. So being thankful this year isn't exactly coming naturally.

Thanksgiving is the start of the season  of hope - advent, and then theoretically, the new year can be welcomed with optimism and renewed energy.

Are you kidding me?

Ten of the Best #73

73 and counting... the ten things from my social media feeds that I didn't read this week, but they're too good to ignore completely, so I go back to find them, and then I post them right here. And share them with you, because I'm generous that way.

But wow, that's a lot of times I've done this.

And goodness, there were a lot to choose from this week.

We'll start with the children's letters to Trump. Children have always written to the President, to tell him their feelings. Here they go - click the picture, and come back for more.

Then there was that moment when Obama reminded us what Ellen did. I still weep when I see this picture.

Friday Books - Things Unseen

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. So grateful to have made it through this year.

And so glad it's Friday and we can all visit each other and share our current reads.

BookBeginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday56, hosted by Freda's Voice, are where you'll find the parties, and the rules are easy - share the beginning and p56 of the book nearest to you.

My Book this week is Things Unseen by Pamela Power

And yes, he doesn't want to alert her, because he wants to kill her. Why? Well that would be telling. This is a murder mystery, and the plot is clever, leading you in one direction and then changing.

Things Unseen by Pamela Power

Things Unseen is Pamela Power's second novel. Her first, Ms Conception, was a cracker, and I read it in an afternoon.

The opening scene is a murder. A fairly gory one in the cottage of garden of an upmarket northern suburbs of Johannesburg home, where Emma is married to Rick, a renowned gynaecologist. Their friends Sophie and Gay are often seen, as is Craig, Emma's ex, and Ross, Emma's brother. 

The whodunnit takes place in beautiful Jozi, and it had me gripped. The plot is clever, and moves at a great pace. The parties, lunches, coffee and book shops are recognisable and the voices ring true. They gossip, are loud, real and quite funny too - light relief from the scariness of not knowing who to trust.

Things Unseen is very different to Ms Conception. It is darker - the evil is constantly lurking and threatening to loom, which when it does - but no, that would be telling.

4 stars

ISBN:9780620718431

Some more reviews.

The Steel Kiss by Jeffrey Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are old friends of mine. I have been reading their stories for a number of years. This one begins with a gory death, while Sachs is chasing down Unsub 40. But is it an accident? Never. 

In his cunning style, Jeffrey Deaver manages to convince us that this time it's different. Off to a slow start, this feels almost too layered, detailed and complex, yet you just know that you are being set up for a game where the stakes are epic, the action non-stop, and the tension gut-wrenching. 

All 480 pages are jam-packed with snide, witty remarks, smart-ass comments and observations, and great detection work. The plot is cleverly constructed, and changes direction in a sudden intake of breath. The support team of detectives and a student of Rhyme's are believable, and add colour and depth to the investigation. A modern day thriller that is very satisfying.

I was entertained in every way and relished the adventure.

A solid 5 stars

ISBN: 9781455536344

On the right side

Do you have any running quirks?

Like - your laces have to be tied just right - not too tight and not too loose? Or maybe that sweatband that has to be on your left wrist? Or what about the fact that nothing must jingle in your pocket, not your keys or your money for a drink? 

And it doesn't matter how much you tell yourself that it doesn't matter, you can run anyway. It does, and you can't.

Here are some more I found.

And the ones that both of you have are even worse. Because you remind each other. I'm not only talking about the places you always walk uphill, or that you can't cross the road here, because once someone hooted at that exact point and gave you such a fright.

I'm talking about sides, people. Yes. Like you always sleep on the right hand side, you always run on the left. And it has to be so. Otherwise, it's just, well wrong.

And all that to introduce the running music today. Which has nothing to do with running, or inspiration, but it's a very cool song. It's Matthew Mole. Take yours, I'll take mine. Side, that is.

Enjoy your run today. Smile. Have fun. Otherwise, don't bother.

More motivations 

Faithful as a Dandelion?

It's Sunday. Time to think and be.

I was pondering God's faithfulness this morning. The old hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" is my all time favourite, and I was listening to, and thinking about the words, and wondering whether to write this post.

The story about the hymn isn't really a dramatic one. Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. He wrote this:

"My income has never been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me until now. But I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness."

The flower that has the meaning of faithfulness is, surprisingly to me, the dandelion. Really? That's a bit silly, isn't it? Dandelions are flighty, fall apart in your hands, gone in a breath. Not all that faithful.

   

This little yellow, pesky, pop-up-on-your-lawn delight has a meaning that is noble, enduring, and much bigger than its humble and simple appearance.

Faithfulness is simple. It is easy to explain. God's faithfulness is always there. Ours, not so much. It's not easy, but it is simple. It's the every day putting ourselves in God's way, and opening our hearts to serve His purpose. One day at a time.

In a fairly ordinary life, Thomas Obediah Chisholm discovered the "morning by morning" faithfulness of God sustained him. May we find that sustenance too. Did you know you can eat dandelions? Maybe not such a misnomer after all?

Here's the hymn.

Happy Sunday.

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Take Time

or Embrace Your Storm