BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2021

Here's a list of the books I've read in 2021 along with some quotes that really spoke to me. 

(Most of these books are from our local library....free reading!)

1.  By the Book, Julia Sonneborn

2.  The Good House, Ann Leary

3.  Reading People, Anne Bogel

4.  Perennials, Julia Cantrell

• Happy is a choice.
• Gotta keep growing whatever life brings.
• Only those who love you most can hear you when you're quiet.
• One minute you think you've got your whole life ahead, and the next thing you know, it's all behind you.  
• You can't have two alphas in the same pack.
• Take in the world with a wider lens.

5.  Outtakes from a Marriage, Ann Leary

6.  The Children, Ann Leary   

7.  It's Never Too Late, Katie Lee Gifford

8.  The Color of Air, Gail Tsukiyama

9.  One Mountain Away, Emilie Richards

• You have to keep trying, because if you stop you might miss something extra ordinary, something that's right around the corner.
• To help someone you have to walk beside them, not judge, not advise, but simply be there.

10. Somewhere Between Luck and Trust, Emilie Richards

• Never take more than you give.

11. No River Too Wide, Emilie Richards

12. 100 Days of Grace & Gratitude, A devotional journal by Shanna Noel

13. 100 Days of Prayer, a devotional journal by Shanna Noel

14. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, Jennifer Ryan (WWII)

•  There's nothing like a good song to cheer us all up.  

15. The Color of Light, Emilie Richards (Goddess Series #4)

• Weddings bring out the inner storm trooper in even the mildest mannered.
• The deeper the darkness, the brighter the light.

16. Hanging by a Thread, Monica Ferris

17. Someone Like You, Karen Kingsbury

18. Don't Drop the Mic, T.D. Jakes

19. Unexpected, Christine Caine

20. Knit Together, Debbie Macomber

21. Dead Sea Rising, Jenkins

22. Under the Magnolias, T.I. Lowe

23. Out Live Your Life (You were made to make a difference), Max Lucado

• Here's a salute to a long life: goodness that outlives the grave, love that outlasts the final breath. May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning of your life.

24. Have You Seen Luis Velez? Catherine Ryan Hyde

• Appreciate what you've got...it's no small blessing.

25. Lulu Cafe, T.I. Lowe

• Never have someone do something for you that you can do yourself.
• We need to be heard.

26. Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder, Joanne Fluke

27. Talk of the Town, Lisa Wingate

• There's no telling what I missed out on because I let myself be afraid.

28. A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Park

• Stay calm when things are hard or not going right with you. You will get through it when you persevere instead of quitting. Quitting leads to much less happiness in life than perseverance and hope.

29. Word Gets Around, Lisa Wingate

• Maybe the point of life isn't in getting past something, but in making something of it.
• You can't impact something you don't touch.
• You've got to work with the instruments you're given.
• We're all products of our experiences. We do according to what we've learned.
• When things are out of our hands, that doesn't mean they're not in God's.
• Sometimes it isn't the drunk or the sinner who needs a shovel across the rear, it's the ones who could quote you chapter and verse about grace, but don't hand it out.

30. Never Say Never, Lisa Wingate 

• Even through the storms, God is guiding our path toward something.
• When you're up against a wolf, you gotta think like a fox.
• The biggest enemy of having our hands ready for God's work is having them full up with other things.

31. The House We Grew Up In, Lisa Jewell

32. Awake, Natasha Preston

33. In an Instant, Suzanne Redfearn

34. Hush Little Baby, Suzanne Redfearn

35. Beach Haven, T.I. Lowe

36. Driftwood Dreams, T.I. Lowe

37. No Ordinary Life, Suzanne Redfearn

38. Sever Perfect Things, Catherine Ryan Hyde

39. Allie and Bea, Catherine Ryan Hyde

• Why do we not care enough about things until they happen to us?
• Live BIGGER.

40. The Music of Bees, Eileen Garvin

41. Last Breath, Karin Slaughter

42. The Good Daughter, Karin Slaughter

43. These Necessary Lies, Diane Chamberlain

44. The Midwife of Hope River (A Hope River Series), Patricia Harman

• No matter who they are or what they've done, when you hear someone's story you see him or her differently.

45. The Reluctant Midwife (A Hope River Series), Patricia Harman

• Life can be hard, but if we hold hands, we can make it across the river.

46. Once a Midwife (A Hope River Series), Patricia Harman

47. A Midwife's Song of Freedom (A Hope River Series), Patricia Harman

• Not everyone who wanders stays lost.
• I may never be rich or famous, but I can be kind. I can do my duty to God and my Master. I can comfort.
• Children grow in their own mysterious ways. And just because they seem broken doesn't mean they won't heal.
• We all make mistakes. And sometime the mistakes can lead us in the right direction.

48. The Runaway Midwife, Patricia Harman

• All around us are miracles.
• Life - sometimes it's rough, sometimes it's smooth. It depends on how the wind is blowing. And in the end, kindness matters.
• Oh God of all, bless this community as it seeks to move forward. Help us listen to each other with respect and an open mind. In the name of all that is holy. Amen.

49. The Clockmaker's Wife, Daisy Wood

50. The Secret Keeper, Kate Morton

51. The Christmas House, Victoria James

52. Dear Santa, Debbie Macomber

53. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes

54. Books 1-16 of The Women's Murder Club Series, James Patterson 

• Audio books I've listened to while exercising.  

70. The Christmas Scarf, Kay Correll

My first book for 2022 is "The Secret of Snow" by Viola Shipman.  

HAPPY READING IN THE NEW YEAR!!

 

FIFTEEN

One of my granddaughters recently celebrated her 15th birthday. It’s hard to believe she’s 15 already, yet it’s harder to remember back to when I was 15. 

I was 15 in 1961…..

• There were no iPhones, Facebook, Instagram, texting, face-time, Zoom, YouTubes, smart TV’s, Alexa, Amazon.com or Starbucks. 

• “I did not know who I was supposed to be at fifteen." (Taylor Swift)

• I was a sophomore at Tomlinson Memorial High School in Cleveland, Tennessee.

• My Dad drove a Nash Rambler

• John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States. “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” 

• Alan Shepard became the first American in space

• The Movies to Watch included:
• 101 Dalmations
• King of Kings
• West Side Story
• The Parent Trap

• Minimum Wage was $1.15 per hour. 

• Pampers disposable diapers were available for the first time

• Popular toys: 
• LEGO Building Sets
• Ken Carson (Barbie’s boyfriend)
• Trolls  

• Most popular TV shows:  
• Wagon Train
• Bonanza
• Gunsmoke
• Hazel
• Perry Mason
• The Red Skelton Show
• The Andy Griffith Show
• Candid Camera

• World Series Champions: New York Yankees.  (This made me smile because my son is an avid baseball and Yankees’ fan. He recalls, at the age of 15, going to his first professional baseball game in San Diego with the Padres.) 

• Sprite made its debut

• The Berlin Wall was built, dividing East and West Germany

• The Viet Nam war began

• With all the Covid-19 going on today, here's an interesting fact from an article in The New Epidemics by Alan Phillips, December 2, 1961:  “…It was their U. S. counterpart, the Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, warning them that influenza had broken out of China. It looked like a new strain of group A flu virus (later confirmed and tagged A2) against which the world's population had no immunity. An epidemic seemed (and was) on its way…”

• A few hit songs: 
• I Fall to Pieces, Patsy Cline
• The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens
• Hello Mary Lou, Ricky Nelson
• Moody River, Pat Boone

• I’ve been 15 five times.    

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears

(Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick)

AUTUMN AGAIN

I'm never ready for summer to be over, but it's September and it's autumn again....

• Cooler temperatures

• Sunflowers blooming except for a couple tall stalks. My fingers are crossed that they bloom before the snow falls. 

• Fireweed has all turned to cotton

• Hunting season  

Grandson, Kaiden, gets a caribou

• Bon fires and wiener roasts

• Back to school 

Granddaughters - Izzy & Maddy (left to right)

Freshmen in High School

• Yellow leaves and mushrooms

• Digging potatoes

• Bringing in tomato plant to ripen 

• Northern Lights

• Our nights return after a summer of long days. (We'll continue to lose daylight for the next 14 weeks and then start gaining daylight again.)

• Annual trip up to Murphy Dome where my Mom and Dad’s ashes are scattered.  

•  Back to knitting  

• The lawn furniture and hammock have been put away, and the flower beds have been cleaned out.

• The geese are flying south  🥲

• We're back to sweatshirts and long pants...but I'm still wearing my flip-flops. 

50 Years Together

Dave and I celebrated our 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY this month.  

Our anniversary is on July 30th, but our kids planned a surprise party for us on the day AFTER our grandson, Andrew's, wedding.

Dave was honored to be the one to tie the knot for Andrew and Carina in a lovely outdoor wedding.

"I Do's"

Andrew and Carina and the uninvited guest in the background

Day One of being Mr. & Mrs. and

Welcome to the Family, Carina!

Granddaughters

 Maid of Honor (Izzy) and Bridesmaid (Maddy)

Grandsons

 Best Man (Kaiden) and Groom (Andrew)

Jami

Mother of the Groom

The Anniversary Party SURPRISE blew up when I started making some plans on my own a couple weeks before the party. This forced the kids to reveal the surprise that they, along with Nancy, had been planning for almost a year.  I was really sorry to ruin the surprise, but it was fun looking forward to it. The party was at the same location as the wedding, using some of the same decorations.  

This is what 50 years together looks like. 

• We enjoyed family coming in from out-of-town:

Nancy and Brandon (SIL & nephew) from PA.

They came in early (7/3) to help with the wedding and

anniversary party.

Our son-in-law's parents from MN, and

sister and niece from CO,

who were in town for the wedding. 

• PRIO to the wedding and anniversary party..... 

• We played many, many games of Nertz and Ultimate Nertz.

Ultimate Nertz

Nancy, Nicole, Andrew, Jami & Brandon

The one who most always lost was taking the picture - ME! 

 

• We enjoyed family lunches and dinners, along with many trips through coffee stands and McDonald's drive-thru.

Lunch at Salty's

Jami, Nancy, Brandon, Nicole, Maddy, Izzy

Dave and I not pictured

• We had a fun time creating our own pottery masterpieces at Raven City Studios.   

• We celebrated Matt & Jami’s 22nd anniversary (7/10)

 

💕 💕 💕

 

BACK TO THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY...

• We were joined by three other couples who have been married 50+ years:

Ed & Sandy (56 years); Wayne & Karen (56 years);

Ted & Joan (51 years); Kathy & Dave (50 years)

We're in good company! 

• Lots of fun guests pictured and several not pictured. 

Wayne, Pamela and Anja

(Wayne and I worked at the Alaska Railroad, and

Anja was one of my piano students many years ago.) 

Holly

The Trotzke's

Conan, Carrie, Josh, Sara,

Susie, Rick, Kim and Debbie

Wayne and Karen

THANK YOU for your generosity

in letting us use your property for the

Wedding and Anniversary Party. 

Kaiden and Rylee

Diana

• Our hearts are full of gratitude for those who planned this event...

Matt, Jami, Izzy and Kaiden

Nicole, Geoff and Maddy

Brandon and Nancy

• ...and for those who celebrated with us. THANK YOU for the cards, gifts and especially your PRESENCE.  It's a memory we'll always cherish. We've also enjoyed many cards and well-wishes from those not present.  

• Our song:  “Still the One”  by Orleans  

• What is our anthem for 50 years going forward?

I Will Survive?

Back In The Saddle Again?

Amazing Grace?

Help?

Love Me Tender

Don’t be Cruel, 

or

   Great is Thy Faithfulness.  

(Written by Karen Heimer)

50 years together and still going strong!

75th Birthday CARD Highlights...

I love to receive snail mail and, thanks to my daughter who invited my friends to send cards, I received 75+ cards for my 75th birthday this year. 

• Birthday paper cards are special and are filled with smiles, love and happy memories.
• A Stash “Christmas in Paris” tea bag was included in one card. I can share a cup of the senders favorite tea. 
• Enjoy the little things.
• Beautiful hand made cards are also patterns that I can later use.
• A hand delivered, hand made card was a wonderful surprise from a friend I hadn’t seen in years. It also included a real live hug! 
• I’m not getting old, I’m getting awesome.
• A Starbuck’s gift card included in the card when the sender is too far away to have coffee with.
• My times are in His hands - my early years, my middle years, and my later years. No time is better or greater than another, for all of my years work together in God’s marvelous plan for my life. (Roy Lessin)
• I’m older, so what? I only get better…at kicking time’s butt!
• God amazes me with His grace and sprinkles my days with miracles. 
• Cards filled with birthday wishes for days full of love, years full of joy and a heart full of happiness, laughter, lasting friendships, amazing memories, hope, peace, faith, happy surprises.
• I love the sparkly cards and the trail of sparkle they leave behind. 
• Personal notes filled with love, memories, encouraging words.
• 3/4 of a century looks better expressed as a DIAMOND MILESTONE.
• A shaker card filled with sequins reminds me to “Scatter Joy.”
• Don’t count the birthdays….treasure the memories.
• The more birthdays you have, the more memories you make. 
• Gift cards & fun stickers tucked inside cards.
• An acrostic of my name:  Kind, Authentic, Tender hearted, Helpul, Young at heart
• A year of new adventures.
• I’m not getting any older this year, heck, I was already old last year.  😂  
• If wisdom comes with AGE…I must be one heck of a smart ass by now! 🤣
• It’s a blessing being able to look back and count all the odds I’ve beaten, people I’ve loved, and joys I’ve experienced in my life so far.
• Appreciate how much living it took to arrive where I am today (#75).
• It warmed my heart to read: “Happy Birthday to a wonderful Aunt…who holds a special place in my heart.” 
• A list of 75 Truths I love about you (ways and reasons I’m grateful for you) from a dear friend, has been so fun and enlightening to read. 
• Age is nothing but a State of Mind.
• I’m not old…I’ve just been young for a very long time. 

Many thanks to all who sent cards, AND texts. 

I'm overwhelmed with your expressions of love.  

WE CELEBRATE SERBIAN CHRISTMAS

We celebrate Serbian Christmas in honor of my Mom. 

Her parents were both from Austria, Hungary: John Zakich came to America in 1904 on the Carpathia, where his name was changed to Zakit. Theresa Istene came to America with her father in 1906, leaving behind 3 sisters. John & Theresa were married January 8, 1911 in Bay City, Michigan and lived on a farm raising sugar beets. They later moved to Akron, Ohio where they raised eight children - my mother, Theresa Zakit Covey, being number five. 

Their family would celebrate Serbian Christmas every year on January 7th. As a child, I don’t ever remember celebrating it, but as Mom got older she started celebrating it again with our children and grandchildren. We would always get together for a meal at Mom and Dad’s house and she would pass on stories of her youth and there would always be a gift for the kids. 

After she passed away in 2008, we have continued to celebrate Serbian Christmas as a family.  

This year, because of a positive COVID test and a time of quarantine, we had to postpone our celebration until the 17th of January - but we still celebrated. I usually keep our Christmas tree and decorations up until after Serbian Christmas; however, this year because of the delay, all the Christmas decorations had been put away. Instead, we had streamers and my small Valentine tree for decorations. 

In the past, Mom told us that some years their Christmas stockings only had oranges, apples, nuts and an onion. In this year’s gift bag for the kids, I included an orange, apple, nuts, candy and a little cash, but no onion! When everyone opened their gift bags it was interesting that several cracked open and ate the walnuts and we (except for the grandkids) reminisced about the nut bowls filled with a variety of nuts along with a nut cracker around our homes at Christmas. Good memories.

It was a fun evening to be together, to celebrate our heritage and eat pizza.  

I don't know how much longer we'll keep this tradition going, but for now I think it  would make my Mom happy if she knew we were keeping her memory alive by celebrating Serbian Christmas.