What is making me happy and putting a smile on my face lately? Well, there have been books, podcasts, television shows, and a wonderful new plant for the yard that have struck my fancy this past month or so.
Sharing Books
A dear friend mentioned that Costco was not going to sell books any longer. She was very disappointed as she is a book buyer and Costco was where she bought books. I did ask if she was going to use the library, and she said no, that she liked to buy books. Boy, that is something I can understand too well. Book collecting is almost an addiction to me. HOWEVER, I adore my library and check out books frequently.
So with a mission, I started going through my shelves and random stacks of books and curated a big bag of books to share. However, I did impose one caveat: I wanted all the books to return home to me. This was readily agreed upon, as my friend likes a tidier house and would not want piles of books about. Not like the piles of books that I have stacked about willy-nilly.
These are the books that I lent to my friend:
I Capture the Castle- Dodie Smith
Old Baggage - Lissa Evans
Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks
Lady Clementine - Marie Benedict
Butterfly Room- Lucinda Riley
The Postmistress- Sarah Blake
The Personal Librarian - Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Lady Clementine- Marie Benedict
The Address - Fiona Davis
I will be doing another post soon of some of the books that I have enjoyed in the past little bit.
Podcasts
To be quite honest, I have no clue how I discovered this gem of a podcast. All I know is that I found it and have been loving listening to the Country House Podcast. Being an avid history buff, Anglophile, and lover of a rolicking good country house murder, this podcast has been a treasure. Actually, this past week, I went and downloaded the first episode and have started from the beginning.
If you want to listen to some excellent history filled with those tiny tidbits of information that make history come alive...this is the podcast for you. Most episodes focus on a specific country house, or other relevant topic, and interviews with people who live in, around or work with country houses. I am transfixed listening to the host's knowledge of history and find it a great way to detox from and ramp up for work. The hosts are knowledgeable and have a great chemistry between them. The Country House Podcast can be found on YouTube and Instagram as well.
https://www.thecountryhousepodcast.com/
instagram.com/thecountryhousepodcast
https://www.youtube.com/@TheCountryHousePodcast
TV Shows
Well, as you can tell, all things English are the name of the game in this household. And that includes a series on Acorn TV- The Chelsea Detective, which is a big hit in our house. We just finished watching Season 3 and enjoyed it as usual. Not only is the setting in Chelsea, and you see wonderful architecture and the hum of London, but the cast is exceptional. We have bicycle riding DI Max, Layla, and the cast as they solve murders and mayhem in Chelsea. And then you have Max's ex-wife, Astrid, who comes and goes and plays with his emotions like a cat with a mouse. If I had one complaint regarding the series, the Max-Astrid thing is getting tiresome.
https://acorn.tv/chelseadetective/
Plants
Sunny Sunny Days! Well, the new plant that is filling the yard with sunshine and bringing a smile to my face is the Sunfinity Double Yellow (Helianthus Annuus). I first spotted this on a gardening YouTube channel, and it seemed like a great idea for those of us who love sunflowers, but often have trouble growing them or keeping them upright! Well, after finding this plant at a nursery recently, it was planted this week and provides such a spot of sunny happiness in the yard.
For those of you interested, this gem requires sun, height is 32- 40", width 24-30", with water needed every other day. We are USDA Zone 9b (at least we think we are, but since the zones changed recently, your guess is as good as mine).
Well, hope you enjoyed some of my favorite things right now. Please let me know if you enjoy any of these as well.
Have a wonderful week- Sharon
😍