Sunday, January 14, 2018

Sanibel Sunday: January 14, 2018


Hello, friends. It's another sunny Sunday on Sanibel, although with a chilly breeze we'll struggle to get much above 60 today. That's well below normal for this time of year, but it's still perfect weather for a long bike ride or beach walk... or spending a couple of hours on the couch watching football and reading ;-)

Current reading//
The same books as last week - January tends to be a slow reading month for me, but two chunksters make it seem more pronounced this year.

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope

Our #PalliserParty continues. Book #4 of the series opens with the return of our hero from Book #2, Phineas Finn. Unlike the second novel, this one is completely engaging from the start and I'm enjoying the visit with old friends very much.

The audiobook (read by Simon Vance) is over 23 hours long, but I'm racing through it thanks, in part, to my new wireless earbuds! Have you tried them? They are truly a game changer! I don't know why I waited this long...

"Men will love to the last, but they love what is fresh and new. A woman's love can live on the recollection of the past, and cling to what is old and ugly." 
"Mr. Maule hated to be unhappy or uncomfortable, and therefore never allowed any aspiration to proceed to such length as to be inconvenient to his feelings should it not be gratified." 
"The double pleasure of pulling down an opponent, and of raising oneself, is the charm of a politician's life."



Very little reading time translates to a woeful lack of progress on my print book this week. It's very good but, at nearly 600 pages, I'm still less than a third done. I'm hoping for a day to read on the beach this week.


Beyond the books//

My father-in-law is coming over for dinner tonight. This Venetian Chicken Ragu is simmering in the crockpot (thanks to Patty) and the house smells so good! I'll let you know how it turns out. Maybe there will even be a Weekend Cooking post next week...


The Post  is playing at our small island cinema and was sold out all weekend. I'm hoping to see it sometime this week.

How was your week? What are you reading?

57 comments:

  1. My reading is slow now too but I thought it was just me being distracted.

    I bought some cheap over the ear wired earbuds and didn't like the feel of them. Are yours comfortable? Who makes them?

    I saw Patty post about the recipe and want to try it too.

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    1. Kathy - My reading has been slow in January for the past two years, so I'm just accepting it as normal now. The earbuds I got are by Jabra and I like them... regular earbuds always seem to fall out on me.

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  2. I'm still on the fence about my slow cooker but I think this recipe might change my mind... I was laughing about her having to cook the food overnight for photograpy, I do it because I'm out of the house for too long. :) Phineas Redux is SO much better than Phineas Finn, isn't it?

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    1. Audrey - This was a good recipe, but it didn't taste quite as good as it smelled... next time I'll need to add a but more spice, and maybe use a more flavorful red wine. Can't believe how much better Phineas Redux is... I really struggled at the beginning of Phineas Finn.

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  3. I will check out wireless earbuds! I think they will be great.

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  4. This Crock Pot dish sounds delicious; I'll be curious to hear how it works out for you! I, too, am eager to see The Post; had intentions to get out to see it yesterday afternoon and ended up napping, instead - ha! Oh, well. I spent most of my weekend reading time on Red Clocks (one of my January BOTM picks) and it has been captivating! Hope you get lots of sunshine this week!

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    1. Tara - The crock pot dish was fine, it just needed something extra... will fix it next time. Red Clocks sounds wonderful!

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  5. Oh my gosh - you've got to make some time for Heart's Invisible Furies! I had a library deadline to meet, so I had to power through it and I think it helped me get more engrossed.

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    1. Sarah - A library due date is just what I need, lol! This always happens with books I own, but there should be a little more reading time this week. The book is great so far.

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  6. I have wireless earbuds and love them. Mine are Plantronics and they work well for answering my phone (if I must) while I'm wearing them. I was always pulling out the ones actually connected to my phone, so wireless was the way to go. Have a good week, JoAnn!

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    1. Kay - I could answer the phone with my old 'wired' earbuds, but don't think there's a microphone on the new ones. Guess I'm done talking on the phone during walks ;-) So much more freedom without the wires!

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  7. Wireless earbuds --- do they allow you to do more while listening? I'm wondering the advantages ... so I can think about getting some. My reading has been a bit all over the place -- but I think I might try out Big Little Lies ... hmm

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    1. Susan - I have so much more freedom of movement... no longer tethered to the phone! The wires got in the way on my walks and while cooking or cleaning. The drawback with wireless is that they need to be recharged every few hours, but I think the trade off is worth it. Big Little Lies was a good read - a nice change of pace for me.

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  8. I am happy to hear that you are enjoying Phineas Redux. In retrospect I liked both Phineas books but I liked them a little less then the other Palliser books.

    I must give wireless earbuds a try.

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    1. Brian - I was worried about Phineas Redux after having a hard time getting into Phineas Finn, but it's holding my interest... actually making me want to race through it. I highly recommend wireless earbuds!

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  9. This is my year of taking it slow through a couple of big books--I'm attempting Les Miserables and War and Peace in year long read-alongs. I'm doing good so far with Les Miserables. Not so much with War and Peace. Hopefully it won't hurt my other reading too much, although I imagine it will slow it down. The Venetian Chicken Ragu sure looks good. I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a great week, JoAnn!

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    1. Wendy - You have some very ambitious reads planned... I read Les Mis many years ago, but have yet to seriously attempt War and Peace (though I consider it almost every year!) Good luck!!

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  10. We are planning to go see The Post today. I hope it doesn't sell out!

    I've been contemplating buying a wireless headband with earbuds. I think it might be good at night and when we travel on long plane rides.

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  11. I love my over the ear wired earbuds. Which wireless ones did you get? I may have to try some -- especially when I get a new phone. Weekend Cooking would love to see you!

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    1. Beth F - I got Jabra wireless earbuds for Christmas and love them! They came with three sizes of rubber caps, so you can choose the size that best fits your ear canal. I miss Weekend Cooking.

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  12. Deb - Our island cinema is tiny and often sells out when new releases hit the screen. We could go over to the mainland, but it’s just more convenient to wait another day or two. I hadn’t seen the headband earphones before- just googled them. What a great idea!

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  13. Here's hoping you do get that reading-on-the-beach weather. :)
    I'm reading The Idiot for TOB and have Sing, Unburied, Sing on audio (which is excellent, btw)

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    1. Care - Might have to wait another week for reading on the beach weather, but will still find time to read more! I've been waffling on Sing, Unburied, Sing... wonder if my library has the audio.

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  14. I can't even imagine listening to a book for 23 hours! LOL. I don't imagine that I will join the ranks of those listening to audiobooks...unless I go on a long road trip.

    I saw The Post...and loved it! It gave me hope. And, of course, Meryl and Tom were great.

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

    I love that photo at the top of your post.

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - LOL, some Trollope audios have been longer than that! Glad you loved The Post... it's relatively cold here today, so I'm guessing it will be another popular movie day. Hope to get in sometime this week though. The gulls looked like they were all standing at attention to me :)

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  15. Cold weather in Minnesota makes January a big reading month for me. I'd rather be walking beaches in the sunny South though. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  16. JoAnn...

    I am so sorry about the Chicken Ragu...we loved ours! I did add a bit of sugar...and tomato paste but I generally do that to sauce because that’s what my mom did...I used a really good shaved Parmesan and added some fresh parsley....Den is chomping at the bit to have it again tonight. Can our taste buds be that different?

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    1. Patty - The Chicken Ragu was fine, just a little bland... my FIL had two helpings and took home a big bowl of leftovers. The pharmacist in me always makes a recipe exactly as written the first time, then I tweak it after that. We were out of cabernet, so I used a less flavorful wine. Next time I'll make sure we're well supplied. Tomato paste and sugar will be included, and maybe a little more garlic? Also, the Parmesan wasn't as good as what I get at Wegmans. I don't think our taste buds are that different ;-)

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  17. I just got a pair of wireless earbuds for my iPhoneX and love them. They are not the pricy Apple ones but, for $13.00 on Amazon these work great:)

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    1. Diane - Mine were a Christmas gift, so am not quite sure of the cost, but I've never spent much on earbuds. Not sure I'm discriminating enough to appreciate the expensive ones, lol.

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  18. I didn't finish any books this week either, however I am just mere pages from the end Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi.
    I look forward to hearing how the Venetian Chicken Ragu turned out, as it sounds wonderful.

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    1. Jessica - Hopefully we'll both finish a book this week. The chicken dish was good, but next time I'll tweak it a bit.

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  19. 60 degrees at the beach sounds perfect to me!

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    1. Melinda - Any day at the beach is perfect to me, too :)

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  20. Ooh look at that beach pic! Looks wonderful. Although it does sound a bit chilly...

    Yummy stuff! I love it when the crock pot makes the house smell like food. :)

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    1. Greg - The wonderful smells from the crockpot let you enjoy (or anticipate) dinner all day long ;-)

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  21. I have a very nice pair of BEATS that I wear when I listen to my audiobooks, but wireless earbuds would be super nice, too. I've never had good luck with earbuds (they don't stay in my ears), so that's why I got the BEATS. If these hook around the ear, they may work for me. I'll have to check them out!

    Speaking of checking out, I got a copy of The Heart's Invisible Furies from the library the other day. I'll probably start in on that once I finish The Hate U Give. I finished The Dry a few days ago and it was outstanding! I can't wait to read the next in the series when it comes out in February.

    Have a great week!

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    1. Les - I've always had a hard time with earbuds, too, until several years ago when Sandy suggested I try some with hooks - it made a huge difference! The ones I just got (Jabra) even came with three different sizes of rubber earbud covers so you can get the right fit.

      I'm not very far into The Heart's Invisible Furies yet, and may have to concentrate on the Trollope this week... it's gotten really good. We may end up reading it at the same time! Have been hearing great things about The Dry - must investigate!

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  22. I had a really good reading week. Last week I started a reading challenge, to read 100,000 pages in 1 year. So I had to work really hard to fit reading into every spare minute I could find!

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    1. Angela - That's one ambitious challenge ... best of luck!!

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  23. I have heard of Hearts Invisible Flurries.. it's on my TBR list.. looking forward to see how you like it.

    Compared to our weather in the teen's.. the 60's sounds almost perfect.

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

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    1. Hena - I like the book very much... just need more time to read! I'll never complain about 6o degree weather! It may be a little cold here this area, but is perfectly comfortable for me. Have a good week.

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  24. What a beautiful shot of the beach. Hopefully you'll get a chance to enjoy a bike ride or walk. With books that long I definitely would need a good couple of hours of uninterrupted time to make any progress!

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    1. Iliana - I've had some nice beach walks while listening to Trollope this week... what I really need to do is find time to sit down and read a book! ;-)

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  25. I keep seeing and hearing of The Heart's Invisible Furies. Good things I hear. Having trouble getting my reading mind operating after the holidays. Slow going. It will come as it always does.

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    1. Julie - My reading of physical books (or ebooks) has been nearly nonexistent this year, but I am enjoying listening to Trollope. The Heart's Invisible Furies is very good so far, but I just haven't made the time to sit down and read. You are exactly right... It will come as it always does. Happy 2018!

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  26. Venetian Chicken Ragu sounds amazing! I bought some wireless headphones for the gym and love them. The only problem is that they don't give me much warning before the battery dies but that may just be my brand. Enjoy your reading and have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - The next time I make that dish I will add a good amount of tomato paste to thicken the sauce, and maybe more spices. Still loving the wireless earbuds.... they actually give me a warming and say "battery, medium" then "battery, low" as they run out of juice. Hope you're having a good week.

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  27. I really need to use my crock-pot more. My daughter is vegetarian now so it would require some planning but I love to eat at home but I just don't have the time most nights and sometimes there is no one home to even eat what I make!

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    1. Ti - When my daughter was a vegetarian, I used to make rice and beans in my slow cooker. Also remember a tofu dish.. tasted like stir fry, but it came from the crockpot. It was challenging to feed everyone a nutritious meal they liked back then. Good luck!

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  28. I've been reading in the morning instead of just at night before bedtime and on my lunch break at work. Getting a little more time in that way! I made a chicken thigh dish in the Crock Pot over the weekend and now we're eating it all as leftovers. Delicious!

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    1. Laurie - Funny you should mention reading in the morning. I've been considering rearranging my early morning hours, and think that would be more productive for reading!

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    2. Today I did bloggy stuff instead of reading. Now I need to work out how to fit a little bit of both into my mornings!

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  29. I need new ear buds... now you have me looking ;)

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    1. Sheila - Wireless earbuds are the way to go. I love them!

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