Back from the Holidays

 

This year marked our very first Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day in Portugal. We had lovely holidays, sharing Christmas Eve with our "Portuguese family" and Christmas week with a series of Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp get togethers with family and friends so far away. Thank goodness for the Internet. It does help close the distance so wonderfully.

Here is Christmas Eve with our "Portuguese family." What delicious food we had - a traditional Xmas Eve Portuguese meal! And wonderful company as always. Our hostess took the picture, so, alas you can't see her. The woman to your right is her mother. The young woman is her daughter. And across the table from the daughte ris her husband. They are such terrific friends. 

We also indulged in binge reading, since Covid kept us more indoors than out ("outdoors" being reserved for our daily walks.) As a result, for a while I will be sharing reviews of some of the books we read - most of them mysteries, and many on this blog related to Sherlock Holmes since his major era was the Victorian Era.

But first I have to share with you a charming children's book that you can back in a Kickstarter Project:

Sherlock Cat and the Missing Mousie. I had the opportunity ro read an advance copy, and it's just delightful! 

The book is already up on Amazon and you can pre-order if you wish, but it won't be released until March. Once it does come out, I'll review it here as well as on Amazon.

And here is the link to the Kickstarter project if you are interested.  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/haestingas/sherlock-cat-and-the-missing-mousie?ref=project_facebook&fbclid=IwAR3DfOKPSriV9E58xatChK3lRD6Pu7j-wVcKgY7cD8BaO3sFW-upAIWUVTo

A more serious review of a "thriller" type book (i.e. dead bodies and the hunt for a killer) will be on my Fourth Wish blog tomorrow.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season. I will look forward to reading your posts and catching up on your news. Any good reads you discovered, please share. 

Take care and stay well. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BRAGA, PORTUGAL

 WISHING YOU & YOUR LOVED ONES A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

                                 "FELIZ NATAL E UM PROSPERO ANO NOVO"

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR WITH SOME GOOD NEWS. 😊

It's Friday Again, and Time for THIF (Thank Holmes It's Friday)

Good morning fellow Victorian Era/Sherlock lovers. It's Friday again, with some incredible new offers HERE . Check them out

:

Are you a Sherlock Holmes addict as I am? A mystery lover? Every week MX Publishing offers new riches. 

AM ON THE LAST CHAPTER

 OH MY GOSH, THE END IS IN SIGHT!

THERE ARE WRITERLY REASONS FOR MY NOT BLOGGING

 I'm posting this on both blogs, but when I finish my book, I will go back to having different posts.

BUT - I AM WRITING, which is why I haven't been posting. And I have all these pictures of Portugal I want to share!

My muse says otherwise, though. "Thou must write, and get to it right now, okay?"

The good news is that I'M ALMOST FINISHED WITH MY BOOK. I expect to finish this draft next week and send it to my beta readers. Oh Happy Day.

News about the arm? Ultra sound seems to confirm tendon damage. I see my orthopedic surgeon Wednesday, but at last meeting, when he order the ultra sound, he seemed to feel physical therapy can suffice. Thank goodness. 

Hope all is going well with all of you, and I look forward to when I can be back and interactive. But now I must hie to the keyboard for other reasons.

Everyone take care and stay well.

New Developments

 One of these days I'll be able to write a post again where I am not reporting bad news. Recently we had another death in the famiy (one of my husband's brothers — so we've been on "WhatsApp" a lot with scattered family), and I also learned that the fall had done more damage to my shoulder than I had thought. I posted this on Facebook, but realized this morning I should do so here as well to expain why I'm not posting much lately. I'm also posting this on both blogs. 

I have an appointment with an orthopedic specialist this Friday about my shoulder — last week had more Xrays taken. I should learn more Friday about whethr surgery or physical therapy is the future.

Other updates: The cataract surgery went very well and Friday I'll have one last check before my opthomologist writes a new prescription. (Here in Braga, the same doctor is both opthamologist and optometrist, which I kinda like.)

Despite all of the above, I've been writing on my book, and I have about 6 chapters left to the end before I rewrite it and send it to my beta readers.

I hope all who stop by are having a good week filled with good activities and good news.

Take care and stay well.

Cataract Surgery

Dear friends, 

sorry I've been silent again. On Tuesday I had cataract surgery and had to stay off the computer for three days. Even now, I'm keeping that eye closed just for good measure. Tomorrow I can do all things in my normal life again, but for three days I couldn't read, or use the computer. (So I listened to music and my Portuguese CDs. But really, I love being online and hated missing all the news. And no reading? Aaarrrrgh!)

But the surgery went very well. My surgeon checked the eye (left) yesterday and is quite satisfied. After my three week period of eyedrops is over, I have another appointment to get a prescription for glasses. Interestingly, the opthamologist does all the optometry testing/prescription as well. I have to say, I like the idea of one person keeping track of my eyes instead of two departments. It's a different system. And I do like my opthamologist, although I had a super one in Sacramento. She was great, too.

Rajan has an appointment next Tuesday, as it's time for him to get a new prescription.

Meanwhile, today I get to go out walking again! (I've missed that, too!)

I'll sign off for now but will be back soon. Everyone have a great day.