Sunday, December 5, 2021

The Sunday Salon: And Now It's December

Hello and Happy Sunday... hard to believe we've moved on to December, isn't it? I missed checking in last weekend. After Twin A and her new boyfriend (a great guy!) left on Sunday, I collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day. Thanksgiving week was wonderful, but exhausting! The festive activities continued into Monday with a birthday party for my sister-in-law and, on Tuesday, we celebrated our 36th anniversary. By the time December rolled around on Wednesday, I was more than ready for a quiet couple of days.


Recent reading//

 

This book, which I learned about and read during Nonfiction November, was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2021 by the New York Times. It reads almost like a travelogue as Clint Smith tours several sites central to the history and legacy of slavery, beginning with Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. He shares personal reflections, but also interviews tourists, guides, and activists encountered along the way. Smith  "holds up a mirror to America’s fraught relationship with its past, capturing a potent mixture of good intentions, earnest corrective, willful ignorance and blatant distortion." This is a must read!




by Ann Patchett, narrated by the author

Ann Patchett is a long-time favorite author and I'm pretty sure I've read every book she's written, fiction and nonfiction. Her novels, it seems, keep getting better and better, but she's always at the top of her game with nonfiction. In this collection of essays, the title essay being the longest,  I feel like I got to know Ann personally. There are essays here about her three fathers, knitting, and her pandemic experience... I pretty much loved them all. The audio added to the experience and it felt like I was listening to an old friend.



Current reading//
 
by Anderson Cooper, narrated by the author


My current read, a read/listen combination, is a holdover from Nonfiction November. I read The Last Castle  by Denise Kiernan, about the Biltmore Estate, last month and wanted to learn more about the Vanderbilt family. This fits the bill nicely, and I'm enjoying listening to Anderson Cooper on my morning walks. 


On the blog//


In the kitchen//

It's been on the cool side here in southwest Florida, so I tried this Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Greens & Chocolate. It was delicious, but I wasn't thrilled with the brand of frozen meatballs I bought. Next time I'll probably just make my own. Do you ever buy frozen meatballs? Is there a brand you'd recommend?


Slow cooker meals were appealing to me last week, so I also tried Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin from Betsy Life. It was very flavorful, a bit labor intensive up front, but a satisfying meal. I served it over egg noodles, but next time I would add small potatoes to the slow cooker instead. I'd also thicken the sauce a bit before serving.


The week ahead//

Our downstairs remodel is moving along. The office, family room, and guest room are basically finished. We had a setback with the bathroom and it looks like the shower doors will be the rate-limiting step. The bathroom will be ready by Christmas, but the shower may not. Oh, well...


How was your week? What are you reading?


The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

32 comments:

  1. I've been on a crockpot kick lately, too. The cooler weather makes me want to create soups, and the crockpot is the place for soups, I think.

    I'm glad to see how much you liked the new Ann Patchett book of essays and How the Word is Passed. Now I need to get on the waiting list for these.

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    1. Deb - We've been loving the cooler weather, but I'll eat soup all year long. Both of those books were excellent... November was an excellent reading month!

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  2. Ah, remodels. They seem to take twice as long and cost twice as much as one hoped or planned for. But, they are so exciting! Hope you have a shower by Christmas.

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    1. Helen - There will be seven of us here for Christmas, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the extra shower! This project has taken so much longer than planned, but we're happy with the overall result so far. I'll be glad when we're done.

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  3. Beautiful sky photo! Love it. The Patchett book sounds just the thing I need and I'm on the wait list for it. I like her nonfiction better! I'm glad you are getting a few days of rest after the holidays .... I know what you mean .... company & holidays can be fun but exhausting! Enjoy your week.

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    1. Hi Susan - You're in for a treat when you get to the Patchett book. I'm not sure whether I loved this one or This is the Story of a Happy Marriage more!

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  4. I have to try Slow Cooker Chicken Coq Au Vin. Sounds good. I hope you enjoy your books. Have a great week!

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    1. Yvonne - Hope you like the coq au vin, too, if you decide to try it.

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  5. Glad you loved These Precious Days. Glad to read you hd such a nice visit with you daughter and new B.F. We are always too busy around the holidays it seems (well not last year.) Happy belated anniversary.

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    1. Diane - I'm so happy we're having a more normal holiday season this year! We're still being cautious and keeping up with omicron news, but things just feel much better.

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  6. I don't understand why the ready-made frozen meatballs are never as good as I can make myself without all that much trouble. Maybe they just can't resist using too much bready stuff. (I've tried them from Ikea, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.)

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Mae - You're right about that! I'll just start making big batches of meatballs and freezing them... really doesn't require much effort.

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  7. You had a busy November! I’m happy to read you were able to enjoy family time, it’s so precious after the 2020 isolation.
    Congrats on your anniversary! Doug & I had our 37 year anniversary in June. It flies by.

    I like the sound of the Vanderbilt book, espy if Anderson Cooper is reading.

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    1. Tina - It feels like we're in a much better place than last year at this time... fingers crossed omicron turns out to be less severe. I loved listening to Anderson Cooper on my walks!

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  8. When my sister moved into her new house a few years ago they didn't have any working showers for the first week! Thankfully it was in winter so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.:) I'm intrigued by both of the Vanderbilt books now...

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    1. Audrey - Now THAT is a hardship! All we need to do is fit more people into existing bathrooms until the shower door arrives. I enjoyed both The Last Castle and Vanderbilt. Neither will be on my list of favorites, but both well worth a read... or listen! Hope all is well with you. Pretty sure I owe you an email...

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  9. I can relate to you being exhausted after all the company left! It is so much fun to have visitors, but it totally exhausts me too.

    How the Word is Passed sounds really good. The Anderson Cooper book was on my radar.

    I have not had real good luck with meatballs either. My mother-in-law buys wild rice meatballs that are really good. I think they are made by No Name.

    Have a good week!

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    1. Gretchen - It's the best possible kind of exhaustion! I love having everyone around, but so appreciated a couple of low-key days afterwards.

      I finished Anderson Cooper's book yesterday... really enjoyed listening to him while I walked. Hope you have a good week!

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  10. Hmm I will have to try that slow cooker coq au vin! I have been wanting to make it but I was a vegetarian for 25 years and my cooking skills when it comes to anything meaty are still being honed. Lol.

    My son loves frozen meatballs. LOL. I am not a fan but he seems to love the Kroger brand Italian version.

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    1. Erin - I'm sure my kids all loved frozen meatballs when they were his age, too! Just bought another brand to try but, if these aren't any better, I'll be making my own.

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  11. I'll have to check out that Anderson Cooper book!

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    1. ANgela - I just finished listening to Cooper's book yesterday. Definitely worth a read!

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  12. Looks like you had a good visit. I do know how exhausting that can be. I hauled out my crockpot this week too. We'll be trying the barbecued pork ribs that came out of it tonight. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - Barbecued pork ribs are great in the crockpot, too. May I'll add it to this week's meal plan. Thanks for the suggestion!

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  13. I must get a slow cooker! Your meal looks delicious!

    I also want to read the Anderson Cooper book.

    Enjoy your week and your books. Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - If you have room to store it, I highly recommend buying a crockpot! They are so easy... and soups and stews, especially, are delicious when cooked in them.

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  14. I love crockpot meals! The Vanderbilt book looks interesting, I hope you enjoy it.

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    1. Cindy - I finished the book about the Vanderbilts and enjoyed it quite a bit... kind of hard to keep them all straight though!

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  15. I'm really looking forward to that Patchett book...high demand book at my library, so the wait is longer than normal.

    Happy to hear that your remodeling is going relatively well. We've just gone through the process of tearing out the floor coverings in three rooms and having them replaced. It only took five days...and is all done except for some touch-up painting, but it seemed like five weeks.

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    1. Sam - The Patchett book is really a gem! Nonfiction may be her true calling.

      All things considered, the remodel has gone well... a longer time frame and slightly over budget, but that's almost to be expected. We've also been lucky in that this second phase has happened without any impact on our main living areas. I'll still be glad when it's over!

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  16. I agree! Thanksgiving week was such fun, especially compared to 2020's, but it was a lot of work, a lot of noise, and a lot of dishes. ;) Thankfully, I had a lot of help in the kitchen and was able to even get out for a quick solo walk when the noise level got too high. I'm glad you enjoyed spending time with Twin A's new boyfriend. :) Happy belated anniversary to you and your hubby. Ours was a few weeks earlier in the month.

    I'm so anxious to get a copy of Patchett's latest book. You said you feel like you've gotten to know her personally. That's how I feel about Kelly Corrigan's books. I love when an author welcomes their readers into their lives like that!

    I'd like to give that soup a try since I'm getting burned out on all my regular meals in the weekly rotation. I do buy frozen meatballs and love them, but my mom isn't a fan. I get them from Trader Joe's. Just the regular meat variety.

    Glad your remodel is coming along. If the shower isn't ready, you can just tell your guests to jump in the ocean. ;)

    Have a good week, JoAnn!

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    1. Hi Les - Finally getting around to responding to your comment! You are so right in comparing that feeling of getting to know an author to the Kelly Corrigan books. I listened to two or three of hers in a row a few years ago... on your recommendation, I'm sure. Loved them!

      I made that Italian wedding soup again yesterday with different meatballs (from Publix) and it was SO much better. A TJ's opened in Ft. Myers during the pandemic, but I haven't been there yet... so many of their products I want to try!

      Things are moving along on the new guest area. I was shocked when the painters showed up early on a Sunday morning! Mattress being delivered Friday and I bought the bedding last week. Lamps next on the list.

      Not sure how much more reading time I'll get in this year, so I'll be starting to think about 'best of' lists soon. Hope you have a great week!

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