What a joy it was to be with our son, Ben, and his wife, Lisa, for Lisa's birthday last weekend in Chicago! We have missed seeing them so much over the course of the pandemic, and we eagerly spent our time together catching each other up on all the things we've been doing since we were last together. Chicago weather was fabulous, with just a hint of fall in the air, and we loved talking with Ben and Lisa and Lisa's parents, who live in Chicago, too, and we had a great time meeting Ben and Lisa's new puppy, Jordan. Fingers crossed will we get together again at Christmastime.
What I Read
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Young Readers Edition) by Anton Treuer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I Am Reading
The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Nonfiction)
Saint Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton (Spirituality)
The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Nonfiction)
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (Classic)
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (Fiction)
I read and reviewed The Hands On French Cookbook: Connect with French through Simple, Healthy Cooking also last week. The Hands On French Cookbook combines learning French with cooking French food. Pretty intriguing, right?
The 2021 Cybils judges have been announced!
Congratulations to all who were chosen to judge this year.
I hope you will all consider nominating your favorite children's and YA books from 2021.
Nominations open on October 1.
2021's Happiest States in America
Good Thing #1
Ben and Lisa in Chicago!
Good Thing #2
Their new puppy, Jordan.
Good Thing #3
All of us together in Chicago!
I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.
Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:
- What was your week like?
- Read any good books? Tell us about them.
- What other bookish things did you do?
- What else is going on in your life?
Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.
My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.
Looks like you had a fabulous time in Chicago! How fun to finally get together with Ben and Lisa and to be able to celebrate a birthday as well. My reading has slowed down a bit since I've discovered 2 good TV shows to watch this past week.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to be a CYBILS judge again!
It was great to get to celebrate Lisa's birthday in person this year.
DeleteI'm so glad you could go to Chicago and see your family. Boy, those visits are all the more precious after being delayed for so long. (Even when it isn't much longer than it might be otherwise, due to distance and all, it SEEEMS more important and more precious. I'm looking forward to seeing my cousins at a wedding in a couple of weeks -- I haven't seen them for at least two years, and some, three.)
ReplyDeleteI miss my extended family so much.
DeleteI have been to Chicago years ago to work at the university on an installation, thought it was a great place especially the science museum I went round, I even went up the John Hancock tower. I love your coffee mug
ReplyDeleteI love Chicago.
Delete🤔 I sense a theme in your good things, Deb. 😉 If you have Hulu, I know a show you might like. It's called Alice in Paris. It follows fictional character Alice as she visits real restaurants in Paris. I think you would like. You might find elsewhere too. It's worth seeking out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation, Bryan! I always get the best recommendations from my blogging friends.
DeleteWhat lovely pictures from your visit and that map showing the happiest states is very interesting. Not really surprising on the whole, but interesting.
ReplyDeleteWish the people who run things were more concerned with their citizens' happiness.
DeleteGlad to hear Chicago did you right!
ReplyDeleteWe want to go back soon.
DeleteWhat lovely pics of your Chicago family. Everyone looks so happy.
ReplyDeleteWe were all happy to be together.
DeleteFinally visiting family is one of the great things about the end of the pandemic. Now I just hope it's really ended!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I can't think of anything I am hoping for more than that.
DeleteSo glad you had a wonderful time in Chicago!
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I hope we will get to meet up again in Chicago, Emma.
DeleteI'm so glad you had a wonderful time with your son and daughter-in-law! Those times are so precious.
ReplyDeleteThe happiest states study is really interesting.
Have a great weekend!
These times feel more precious all the time.
DeleteI'm so glad to hear you had such a great trip to Chicago. It's important to be able to have some family time. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYou, too, Yvonne.
DeleteI'm glad you had such a great time with your family!
ReplyDeleteI had fun poking around the happiest states map. I was a bit surprised that so many northern Midwest states were ranked so high. I guess they like the winter better than I do!
Enjoy your week!
I think the northern Midwest states offer something others do not.
DeleteGlad you were able to meet up with family! Jordan is a cutie, looks like such a good puppy!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Jordan is a great puppy.
DeleteI should check out that French cookbook. I love to cook and I've been learning French. I'm glad you were able to get together with family.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should.
DeleteLooks like a fun get together. And the closest I got to French is something croissants this weekend, although I've been thinking of more macaroons.
ReplyDeleteI'd do anything to help learn more French.
DeleteI don't think there is anything that can beat just spending time with family. Fingers crossed for a christmas meet up. Have a great week and happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI do hope the Christmas thing happens.
DeleteHi dearest Debbie! It sounds as if you are having a wonderful time with your family! I wonder if Elza and Jordan would get along? Both seem as if they know they are the most important thing in the world...!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week, I might not get to a Wondrous Words Wednesday this week, but will let you know later tomorrow what the final plans for blog migration will be.
Lots of love,
Elza Reads
I understand completely, Mareli. I do have a WWW post ready to go.
DeleteAww, look at the puppy! How cute. I'm glad you're having a good time with your family.
ReplyDeleteWe had great fun with Jordan.
DeleteHow fun that you were able to spend such a great time in Chicago and fingers crossed you get to spend the upcoming holidays together again! And, that puppy - so cute!
ReplyDeleteJordan was so much fun.
DeleteAww that's wonderful you were able to spend time with your son and his wife. How nice. And yes it is feeling very fall- ish around here lol (we're not in Chicago but southwest Michigan, so not too far away).
ReplyDeleteI love the look of that French cookbook.
The French cookbook is a great idea.
DeleteI am so happy you had a great time in Chicago. It must have been hard to leave.
ReplyDeleteI just kept thinking that I would be seeing everyone in a few months at Christmas.
DeleteLooks like you had a nice time with your family.
ReplyDeleteI did, Mary.
DeleteWow that's terrific you had such a great family trip. Their new puppy looks very cute too. Who knew that Utah would be the happiest state of all. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what are the things that make Utah the happiest.
DeleteI’m glad you had such a wonderful time in Chicago!
ReplyDeleteThe Firekeepers Daughter really seems to be very popular with a wide cross section of readers.
Wishing you a great reading week
The Firekeeper's Daughter is a novel story, I think.
DeleteWhat a great picture! I hope Lisa had a very happy birthday and I'm sure you all enjoyed your trip! And their new puppy is adorable. I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteWe did had such a great time.
DeleteNice to see family reunions. So full of joy.
ReplyDeleteYay for family time.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you enjoyed your trip! It must have been wonderful to get together again!!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you liked Firekeeper's Daughter too! I am definitely adding the Treuer book to my TBR.
Looks like you had a great Chicago trip!
ReplyDeleteHere is my link:
https://twogirlsandtheirbookishlife.blogspot.com/2021/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading_27.html
I'm glad you had a great time in Chicago! I really enjoyed Firekeeper's Daughter. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a great time in Chicago! Time with family is a blessing. I want to read The Last Chance Library as well, it's on my TBR list. I hope you enjoy it. My link is here if you'd like to stop by: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2021/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-4.html
ReplyDeleteVery nice post ^^
ReplyDeleteI have the Firekeeper's Daughter since,well a long time now on my reading list. I do need to get to it soon. And your three good things are fabulous - always wonderful to be with loved ones..
ReplyDeleteOh Chicago trip and visit sounds perfect. Great to see the 5 stars beside The FireKeepers Daughter. It's a keeper for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos from your visit, Deb.
Happy Tuesday!
Great week for you! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy the upcoming week. Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a wonderful trip!
ReplyDeleteI can just hear the joy in your "voice" about your visit to see your son and daughter-in-law. I'm so happy for you that you were able to make that trip to Chicago. Jordan looks like a sweet pup! We're missing our daughter (whom we haven't seen in 2 years!) and hope we get to see her and her husband sometime soon.
ReplyDelete