Goals for 2026

 Here are some goals for 2026 (not bookish as those will be later this month)

Travel:

Not sure where I will be heading this year, but some probably visiting some favorite places and favorite people and maybe somewhere new.

 I want to take more day trips around New England

Hobbies:

Cook more

Get back into paper quilling (I failed this last year)

Create a monthly journal sheet

Paint (start doing something with my backlog of paintings)

Writing:

The well has been dry for a while, but maybe start a new project. Something just for me. Maybe I need to write just for me and not for the idea of showing anyone else.

What are some of your goals for the year?

Top Ten Tuesday: Hobbies

 This week's topic is hobbies - outside of reading, reviewing, and blogging.

It's not surprise that I do a lot of crafting:

For myself - for self care

And some of those pieces get added to my Etsy Shop

1. Painting - mostly watercolor these days

2. Card Making

3. Soap Making

4. Knitting - I knit while watching TV to keep my hands busy. I knit scarves because I don't have to think about it. Most of these go home with me at Thanksgiving for Christmas/Holiday baskets in my hometown and the local areas.

5. I also love hanging with my pups:

6. Hiking - recently took a trip to the Grand Canyon.

7. Puzzles - got back into puzzles during the pandemic.

8. Baking

9. Eating 

10. Hanging out with friends

Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Bookish Hobbies

 This week's topic is sharing more about us bloggers away from books. I'm excited to learn more about my fellow bloggers. I'm not sure I have ten non-bookish hobbies...

Hanging out with my dogs

Hiking

Hiking in Acadia Maine Fall 2020

Crafting (I own an Etsy shop)

Watching movies/TV

Knitting (something to do while watching TV/movies)

Puzzles

Baking

Does eating count? Because I do like to eat the things I bake. 😄

Forgot - Basketball!

I'm a huge Celtics fan!!!

Puzzling

I've always been a fan of puzzles. But over the past decade of so, I've done them sporadically. But the last year, I've started doing them regularly. And then the pandemic hit and they've become a weekly project.

I'm a little particular about my puzzles (shocking, I know). I pretty much stick to 1000 pieces. Anything over doesn't fit my table and anything under just seems...not challenging enough.

This puzzle is one of my favorites (not because of the subject matter - which I actually am not fond of) but because it reminds me of my childhood. This is a puzzle that my grandfather used to do. I would come for a visit (we lived 20 minutes away) and he would be doing a puzzle. And I would "help".  I remember my grandparents had a yard sale on day and they were selling many of the puzzles. I rescued this one. I'm not sure what happened to that puzzle. But I stumbled across this one day and knew I had to purchase it. 



We did other puzzles by Charles Wysocki. To be honest, he was one of my favorite puzzle artists for a long time. I thought I had completed quite a few of his puzzles, but looking at this list made me realize just how many puzzles he created. 


This one is a favorite from my childhood. It's funny because I probably wouldn't pick this one up today, but I love it. Also I put it together the exact same way...
Now I'm very partial to White Mountain Puzzles. 

Here are some puzzles I've completed this year (not all of them)


Books and Books and Books

This one has hidden objects in the puzzle that are not on the box.

This one made me crave sweets!

I do love Christmas puzzles!

I really loved the picture, but tricky putting this one together.

Are you a puzzler?

How do you pick your puzzles?

The Great British Baking Show

For the past two weeks, I've fallen down the rabbit hole of The Great British Baking Show (seasons 2 and 3). And it makes me want to bake...Everything.

It also makes me realize I could never be a baker on the show. And here's why:

I'm a traditional baker

 I don't play around and experiment with baking

When I do change a recipes, it's mostly because of spices I don't like

 I don't make up my own recipes

 I don't recognize many of the desserts they make

 I would lose it under that intense pressure

 They shoot the show in Britain (different measuring system)

I wouldn't want baking not to be fun anymore

I don't think I could handle Paul's criticism 

Clearly I wouldn't measure up, but it's fun to think about. 

But now I'm also critical of baking - in a Paul and Mary sort of way. But only just for fun.

Here's my most recent bake:

Blueberry Buckle:

Mini Review: Guide to Photography

A beginning book of photography for kids for taking photos with both cameras and smart phones.

The Good:
Colorful photos
Tips and Tricks
Assignments
Tons of information- set up in an easy to read manner
Interviews with famous photographers
Information on photography careers

The Bad:
Nothing - I enjoyed everything about this book

Overall Thoughts: Grab this one for the budding photographers in your life! It's a fantastic book to help get them started and excited.

I enjoyed this book so much that I took a few pictures after reading this book. Check them out:

* Book sent for review