Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: October 2014

1) A photo of me:


2) Candle scents* this month:
Starry Night. Summer Holiday. Sea Harbor. Shortbread Cookie. Pumpkin Wreath. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (Bath and Body Works). Apple Cider. Harvest Gathering (Bath and Body Works). Lake Sunset. Vanilla Satin. Maple Pancakes. Bay Leaf Wreath. Oatmeal Cookie. Mountain Lodge. Autumn Fruit. Cranberry Orange. Silver Birch.

3) What I am reading this month (you can find me on Goodreads!):
Wolves of the Calla (Stephen King) - Given the length of this book, I kept having to remind myself that only roughly a month passed during its entire 700+ pages. It never dragged. The story was rich and complex. In fact, the whole thing moved at such a steady, thorough pace, that when the culmination of this particular story reached its peak, it almost felt abrupt in its brevity -- and yet, I think it was appropriate, because I think that's exactly how some things feel. Sort of like the month long build up for Christmas, or the planning of a wedding during an engagement, and then it's just...over, just like that. My only "complaint" was really more of a personal preference. I feel about vampires the way many people feel about clowns. ::shudder:: But I was able to push past that and still enjoy the story and the further development of our little ka-tet.
Trick or Treat Murder (Leslie Meier) - Typical cozy mystery. There is plenty of lightness and fluff to go around the edges of the case in question. This was a fairly quick and easy read, which I appreciated (especially after finishing a much darker, heavier, longer book just before this one). I did  guess whodunnit correctly, but not til just before the reveal was made, and I had no idea what the motive was until they all but whacked me over the head with it. At any rate, I like Lucy Stone and her quaint little town filled with quirky residents.
No Place Like Home (Mary Higgins Clark) - I knew almost right away who the responsible party was. I don't think the book gave it away. I just got this feeling and never saw anything to disprove it. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the story as a result, though. I spent the rest of the book, watching for clues to support my suspicions and looking for the reason why, which I never did figure out until it was revealed. The only thing I really struggled with was the voice of the main character, Celia. It didn't make me dislike Celia. Mary Higgins Clark writes an a style that makes her books an easy read, but the way the book was written from various character perspectives made the first person chapters in Celia's voice read awkwardly for me.
Beyond This Moment (Tamera Alexander) - I'm just getting started with this one, but I was ready for a change of pace, so a little historical Christian fiction popping up next on my "on deck" shelf fit the bill.

4) Calendar image for the month:

I've never been fishing, but this scene makes me ache to get my camera on some fall foliage along the water. Oh, the glory of reflection.

5) New recipes tried this month:
Chili Lime Chicken Burgers - Not ready to publish this recipe yet. I liked it, but it was lacking something. Time to experiment!

6) Restaurants where I ate:
Olive Garden (for my birthday lunch).

7) Five things I am loving this month:
1. Fall foliage on social media. Since I get very little here, seeing all the fiery colored photos being shared does my autumn-loving heart good.
2. Blood moon. Seriously, so cool. And such a good motivation to take out the Precious to play.

3. Food and Wine Fest. This probably goes without saying, but I've been there every weekend, and there are so many amazing dishes on this year's menus that I don't even know if I'll get to them all.
4. The sunrises. They may take til nearly 8am, but they sure are lovely.

5. This new autumn decoration, which I was entirely unable to resist.


8) Three goals I had this month and three goals for next month:
1. T bought some shelves he's putting in the den closet so I can finally get that beast organized. (Got this one done in one day. I love it. The heap of stuff in the bottom of that closet is no longer a pile of mystery. I can actually see what I have in there and access it without risking burial by avalanche.)
2. I'm annoyed with myself. That stack of magazines is going down, but not as quickly as I'd like. Going big for October: 30. (I managed a respectable 15, but I still need to do better. Food and Wine Fest every Saturday meant that I had to spend Sundays doing my weekend housework, and there was less time for flipping through magazines.)
3. I really need to get iTunes set up on my laptop. I've had the thing since May and my iPod is acting wonky, which usually means it needs a good sync with the mother ship. (Arg. Not done. I need to find a way to tackle this in "smaller bites," because every time I attempt this, I get overwhelmed.)

1. Tend the flower gardens.
2. One magazine for each day in November. Which means I better get going, as I'll be traveling for Thanksgiving.
3. Start walking in the evenings, now that the weather has finally relented.

9) The best part of this month and the worst part of this month:
The best: First cool front. Unless you live in a location that gets the kind of heat and/or humidity we get here in Florida, you just won't fully appreciate the relief that comes with that first span of days when the highs are below 80. It's like the angels are singing and suddenly I can breathe again and I don't feel like I'm coated in sweat before the sun even finishes rising.
The worst: The non-stop coverage of Ebola and the never-ending political campaign ads.

10) A photo I took this month:

Morocco pavilion, Epcot.

*All scents are Yankee Candle, unless otherwise noted.