2022 Year in Books

 

I typically set a small goal to read a few books a year.  Honestly, I generally set it pretty low - like 6 books a year...that is one book every 2 months.  I always feel pretty accomplished if I meet that goal and I find myself quite surprised with several ladies on the 2Peas Refugees board state they read like 120, 180 or over 200 books.  I honestly don't know how people have time to read that many books...do they read super fast?  Do they have a job?  I don't see how anyone that works full-time, outside of the home, would have time to read 200 books unless they just work and read.  Maybe their books are very small - like 50 or 100 page books?  I don't know.  I can't even fathom reading that many books, when I am lucky to read 6.

Well, in 2021, I completed 11 books so I thought...why not make a goal of 12 books for 2022 - one book a month on average.  I surprised myself though and actually completed 23 books.

Now to many people, 23 books may sound pathetic but to me - WOWZER!!  I can't believe I finished 23 books, almost twice my goal.  I'm still keeping my goal at 12 for 2023.  

Fave book of the year...this was tough because I really liked several.  I guess my top 3 books were (in no particular order)

Enough Already by Valerie Bertinelli
Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney
A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil

Probably my least favorite book was Broken Horses by Brandi Carlisle.  While it wasn't a bad book, it really didn't talk all that much about her personal life/feelings/emotions and came across to me as more of a "look who I know" and "look how successful I am" - sorry, but that was just my take of it.  I was lucky enough to see Brandi Carlisle in concert this past September and she gave an incredible show...so much energy and the crowd was wild and loved every minute.  But her book, to me at least, just came off kind of "braggy" for lack of a better word.

I always pick a "Classic" book to read every year and one year's selection was "Breakfast at Tiffany's".  It was quite a bit different from the movie.  I really liked the character of Holly Golightly in the movie version, but in the book...she really wasn't a very likable person...she is selfish, self-absorbed and abandons people.  After reading the book, I wondered why it was even turned into a movie...guess it is a good thing they changed some major things to make the movie enjoyable.  I am glad I read the book but still not sure why it gets all the accolades that it does. I also read "Little House in the Big Woods" I actually think I read this once, many, many years ago, but I can't say for sure.  

I'm not sure what "Classic" book I will read  next year.  Hmmm..

 

November 2022 Recap

 So...here I am updating my long ignored blog.  Let's check in on my 2022 Goals for the year...

1) Daily Bible Reading/Prayer - I'm a little behind.  Not too far, but a little...I am sure I will be completed before the year is up and I plan on reading the Bible all the way through again next year!

2) Weight Loss/Eat Healthier/Exercise - Just ok.  I haven't really lost any weight but I haven't gained any..my eating habits could be healthier and my exercise habits NEED a lot of work.

3) Watercolor - well...nothing to report...instead of water coloring, I've been coloring, coloring...like in Adult coloring books...doubt I will get any watercolors done before the year is up but hey, it can be a goal for next year, right?

 

 

4) Crochet/Knit - Haven't quite had the mojo lately.  I do have a prayer shawl that is about 75% finished and an afghan in progress...but haven't had the energy lately at the end of the day to dedicate to it.

5)  Personal Journaling - Just ok...I did journal this morning and journal about weekly, but I want to push hard and journal a little each day.

6) House Projects - EXCELLENT!!!  I got 2 major projects done, that I have been putting off for a long, long, long time.  It felt so good to get them completed.  There is still a little bit to do on those 3 major projects but they are 95% completed.

7) Scrapbooking/Project Life - EXCELLENT!!  I placed my order for my recipe pages that have been completed so far and  put then in a book...I have managed to stay up-to-date on my daily photos and I am really enjoying it.  I am SUPER excited because a particular layout that I have been wanting in the Project Life app since it was first launched in 2014 was finally added in the the last update and that is going to be my main design for next year - switching it up from "Design A", which I have used since Day 1 to Pack 15 #1, which is what I used for my very first Project 365 in 2008 (paper version, way before the app came to be).  I have been asking for this design for years and I am super happy that it was finally added....it isn't much different from Design A that you see in all my Project Life pages posted here, but it is what I want - can't wait to start using that one!

8) Genealogy - good but a bit slow - just not a lot of time to work on it lately.  I did find a lot of family photos recently and decided that would be a "retirement" project...looking forward to going through them all and updating.

So, overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  Other than water color painting, I've made quite a bit of progress on all of my goals so far this year...some more than others, but still..they are steps ahead and going my way.  I'm already starting to think on next year's goals...some will have the same theme.

 

 

Sep - Oct 2022 Project Life

 I hadn't realized that I have been ignoring my blog...not that anyone has really been sitting on pins and needles waiting for updates 😁

So...here are my Project Life pages for September and October..you can click on the photo to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July - August 2022 Project Life

 I'm a little late posting, but here are my July - August photo a day pages.

Click on the photos to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

July - August 2022 Recap

 It's been a little while since I've checked in.  I've been quite busy with work and other things in my life.

So...here are  how things are going

1) Daily Bible Reading/Prayer - I'm a little behind.  I went to the beach for a week and took a break from EVERYTHING...I mean EVERYTHING.  All I did was sit on the beach all day, literally from sun-up to sun-down and chatted with one of my besties!! We had a great week.  Hope to get caught up on my Bible reading by the end of this week.

2) Weight Loss/Eat Healthier/Exercise - Pretty good, but could be better. I did get a little exercise in at the beach but not as much as I would have liked...it is really challenging living with Lymphedema and your legs feel like they each weigh about 30 pounds...my eating habits are just ok, but my meals certainly should include more fresh fruits and veggies.  However, I am making a commitment starting October 1st and I have a plan in place.  I am setting myself a 1 year goal and I feel pretty confident about it.

3) Watercolor - boo hoo!! Still no painting time

4) Crochet/Knit - Due to work and the hot weather and my beach trip...no crochet or knitting recently.

5)  Personal Journaling - Pretty good - still not doing this daily but generally a couple of times a week.

6) House Projects - Got one big project accomplished...tree trimming...that has needed doing for about 2  years...got lots of limbs that were closed to the house cut down in addition to some recent dead limbs that were hanging onto the tree after recent summer storms. 

7) Scrapbooking/Project Life - A+ - I am still current with my Project Life pages.  I pretty much keep up with it daily.  I even recently completed several recipe pages (which has been something I wanted to do for a long time) and placed an order.  The Project Life app is about to be updated with some  new templates, but also new pricing for the prints so I thought I would go ahead and order my the completed recipe pages before the price goes up.  I should be receiving the prints this week. 

8) Genealogy - pretty good - as you saw from an earlier post, I knew I had Mayflower ancestors but I never laid it all out before so it is easily tracked.  I've done that now. 

Overall, feeling pretty good...I still would like to do some water color painting...maybe this weekend - who knows?!  I'm getting my house pressure washed as I type this so that is one house project that will be done.  I have a dental and doctor appointment this week so that goes along with my healthier life style plan.  I do plan to talk to my doctor about my energy level...which right now...is practically zip.  

I'll post the Project Life/Scrapbook pages tomorrow for July and August.

Product Review - Trader Joe's Gnocchi

 In general, I love Gnocci...it can be difficult to find good Gnocchi and the best is always at a good Italian resturant.  But I have had good luck with Trader Joe products and an employee there mentioned that this was her favorite thing they sold so I decided to give it a try.

Trader Joe's Gnocchi al Gorgonzola.

This is Gnocchi with a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce.  

It is SUPER easy to cook..you just put it in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 4 minutes (I stirred about half way through and again when done).

Each bag has 3 servings but I managed to get 4 out of it because it is a pretty generous sized bag. Not bad for $2.99.

My thoughts...it was good.  The sauce was very good.  The Gnocchi was a little bit dense and chewy to me though.  It also seemed to be missing something so I added a bit of Italian seasoning to it, which helped but still seemed like something was missing.

 Later, I found that someone took it and doctored it up a bit by adding some spinach and nuts.

Would I buy again...hmmm...I'm a little on the fence.  While it had a pretty good taste, the gnocchi texture wasn't quite right - just a bit too chewy for me.  I might give it another try by adding some different ingredients to it to boost it up a little but I won't be in a rush to purchase it again.

Mayflower Heritage - Thomas Rogers

 I was watching "Who Do You Think You Are?" and it highlighted Allison Janney's ancestors, one in particular was Stephen Hopkins, who had a rather interesting story, but ultimately arrived on the Mayflower.  I, too, am a Mayflower decedent.  I have done quite a bit of research once I found a connection just to be sure I truly was a decedent.  

My ancestor on the Mayflower was Thomas Rogers (my 11th great-grandfather), who also was joined on the Mayflower by his eldest son, Joseph Rogers.  I am not descended from Joseph, but rather another of Thomas' son, John Rogers.  John Rogers, arrived in Plymouth in 1628, which is 8 years after the Mayflower [Source Colonial Families of the USA 1607-1775].

Sadly, Thomas. who was about 48, died soon after arrival (as did many settlers) in January or February of 1621.  Therefore, his portion of the promised land was granted to his surviving Mayflower son, Joseph, who was about 17 at the time.  

On 6 April 1640, “Joseph Rogers and John Rogers, his brother,” were granted fifty acres of upland each at the North River. [Source:The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633].

Although born Northhamptonshire, England, Thomas was living in Leiden, Holland at the time he immigrated.  He was a Lieden separatist (Protestant Christian who separated from the Church of England).  His wife, Alice Cosford never made the journey to the new land and she died in 1622 at the age of 49 in Leiden, Holland.

Thomas was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact.  Even though Joseph was on board as well, at 17, he was too young to sign the Mayflower Compact. 

I have much more information on Thomas Rogers that I will share in a separate post (since this one is more about my connection)

Below is a chart that show all of my ancestors that followed.  The names in yellow are the Mayflower Descendants.  

When you think of all those generations and all they survived (traveling on ships, Revolutionary War, Civil War, and other things) - it is kind of a miracle that I was even born.  Isn't that the case for all of us...imagine all that our ancestors went through and because of them...we are here!