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Happy October, My Lovelies!  Today I'll be sharing with you my September wrap-up, a lovely recipe, and what I'm working on this month.

September was a busy month for us.  We finished our basement media room, and I love the color I painted it:  It's called "yellow frost."  


I will post more photos of this project later this month.


I also had my port taken out on September 17th, and I can't tell you how happy this makes me.  Although I dreaded the surgery, it's nice not to have that constant reminder of chemo in my body.  We also received our last CSA subscription box the same day, so I have been busy cooking and putting-up vegetables.


I made refrigerator pickles for the first time last month.  You can try it yourself by using THIS RECIPE.

I finished my first painting since treatment in September, a painting for our library.  It feels so good to be moving paint around a canvas again, but I still want to draw a little, too.  




Because I've set some personal goals for autumn, I'm trying very hard NOT to stream or scroll as much.  I want to keep up with the news, but it's hard to find a good source these days.  I've finally found a wonderful service called The Pour Over.  They strictly give the facts about top news stories without the spin.  They also give Christian perspectives for their stories that I find brilliant as well as comforting.  Please click on the graphic below for more information.




This year I decorated more than I ever have for Halloween.  I'm not really a Halloween lover, but I was inspired by Michael's of all places.  They featured a pretty line this year called "Haunted Forest," and it really spoke to me.  I'm planning on taking all the Halloween and fall decor down on November 1st and decorating for Christmas immediately after.  We have two quick trips planned for November, and I'm looking forward to enjoying Christmas decor earlier this year.


I put out all our pumpkins and pumpkin paintings. 


I've been learning new skills with floral arranging both at home and at church.  Below are some of the prettiest autumn roses I've ever seen.  Called "High Magic," they truly are magical for the season.



The red edges of these stunning roses were emphasized once the roses opened more.


Finally, we've been visiting our local farmers' market on Saturday morning.  One of my favorite vendors is a micro bakery, and we've been pleased with all the bread we've purchased from them.


This piece of art is actually pumpkin bread.


Our last CSA box featured Hakurei turnips.  Stonehollow Farmstead's CSA blog recommended a delicious soup recipe, and I made it.  The fam loved it so much, I've made it twice more!  I want to share it with you because it's a super-easy, comforting soup perfect for fall and winter.  Plus it has the added benefit of microgreens that gives it a unique flavor and nutritional boost.

Carrot, Hakurei Turnip, and Ginger Bisque


The most difficult part of this recipe is chopping the carrots and turnips.


Ingredients

3 C Carrots, peeled and diced
2 C Hakurei Turnips, Peeled and Diced
⅛ to ¼ Cup Fresh Ginger, Peeled and Diced 
Carton of Chicken Stock
1 C Heavy Cream 
Microgreens
Black Pepper

Procedure

Combine your diced carrots, turnips, ginger and stock in you large soup pot/pan.  Add enough stock to completely cover the vegetables, but don't add too much because you want the soup to be thick.

Cook on medium/medium high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Turn off the heat and carefully transfer your vegetable/stock mixture to your blender (you can use a ladle to do this or gently pour everything in).

If desired, pour a cup of heavy cream on top of everything once it’s in the blender.

Use the blender to puree the mixture, and pour everything back in your pan.
Turn the heat on medium if needed to reheat the soup slightly.

To serve, drizzle the top with heavy cream, sprinkle with black pepper and add microgreens if desired.

Leftovers store great in the refrigerator and can easily be reheated.

This recipe is from Taproot Farm.  Here is the link to the recipe.  

COOK'S NOTES:

Although we like ginger, we thought it overpowered this recipe.  The second time I made it I left it completely out, and everyone liked it better.  I would suggest a smaller amount of ginger (one eighth of a cup) if you like it.

Instead of using a blender, I used an immersion blender and blended the soup directly in the pot.  

Truly the black pepper and microgreens make this recipe even better.  I prefer rainbow microgreens, but you can use whatever you want.

Instead of drizzling with cream, we drizzled a little bit of olive oil on the soup.






This recipe is a hit!  It's a quick, comforting meal for the season.
You can add a crusty French batard to really make this meal special.








What I'm Working On In October

This month I'm participating in a fun book challenge on Instagram.  If you have an account, please follow me and I'll follow you back!


I turned some of my favorite Halloween-themed books into ghosties by using vellum.

I will share my September Reading Wrap-up soon, and I'm also working on a Halloween Tablescape Blog Hop that will be live on October 10th.



For the rest of the year and 2025 I'm making a goal to read more classics and books about art.  




Finally, I'd like to invite you to join us in our Advent Study.  Over at our Prayer Warrior Blog, we are pretending to be the Hallmark Channel, and we're starting our Christmas celebration early, like in next week early!  We will be reading Sarah Young's Jesus Listens for Advent & Christmas.  You have a week to pick up a copy and join us.  We would love to have you!




Thank you for reading my blog!  





Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill




September Wrap-Up and a Comforting Recipe

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

 




Happy Literary Friday (the Thirteenth!), My Lovelies!

How are you?  I hope you have had a wonderful week, and have fantastic plans for the weekend.

Today I'm sharing two wonderful books with animal characters:  The Otters' Tale by Simon Cooper and The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki.  I'll review The Full Moon Coffee Shop first.




According to Goodreads:

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes, coffees, and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives have veered off course—because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. After all, there is a reason the shop appeared to each of them…

My review:

I read about this book online, and the reason why I wanted to read it is because I'm interested in Japanese culture, and since it's a huge hit there, I wanted to read it.  Full disclosure: I am NOT a cat person.  I'm highly allergic to them, and since we are dog and horse people, I have been subjected to their attention for most of my adult life at all the barns we've visited and boarded horses.  How is it that cats can sense you don't want to interact with them, therefore they want your undivided attention?  (Just ask Louis the Cat at Fox Lake Farms and he'll confirm.)  

The human sized cats in this charming, magical realism story are helpful in that their purpose in running The Full Moon Coffee Shop is to give guidance to the people they've invited to the shop.  There are no menus at the shop: the Master of the Cats determines what drinks and treats each guest receives based on where they are in their life's journey.  The advice and treats are based on the guests' astrology.  I am so not interested in this topic; astrology is definitely not my thing.  I also don't think it's a big thing in Japanese culture just based on the lack of knowledge the human characters exhibit in the story.  So you might be thinking: other than the reason that she's interested in Japanese culture, why in the world did she read this book if she's not into cats and astrology?

I was asking myself this same question about halfway through the book.  But I am so happy that I didn't DNF the book because the mythology makes it so worth reading.  As the Goodreads blurb says: Cats are considered good luck in Japanese culture, and if you're good to them, you will be rewarded.  (If you're extra special you'll receive that coveted invite to the Full Moon Coffee Shop.)  The magic of this book isn't the cats, it isn't the beautiful Kyoto setting as magical as it is, and it isn't even the advice the cats freely give to the humans.  It's the connection these people have with each other and their goodness and kindness that make this book so very special.  It gives the reader all the good feels by the end, and it has encouraged me to be a better person.  I understand why it is such a hit in Japan, and I highly recommend it.





According to Goodreads:

Otters hold an almost unique place in the animal kingdom of the British Isles, being one of the very few creatures that give birth once every two years. They are the most secretive yet also the most popular mammals – they are found in every county but are so rarely seen that they have been raised to mythical status.

When Simon Cooper bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalkstream in southern England, little did he know that he would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters. Yet move in they did, allowing him to begin to observe them, soon immersing himself in their daily routines and movements. He developed an extraordinary close relationship with the family, which in turn gave him a unique insight into the life of these fascinating creatures.

Cooper interweaves the personal story of the female otter, Kuschta, with the natural history of the otter in the British Isles, only recently brought back from the brink of extinction through tireless conservation efforts. Following in the footsteps of Henry Williamson’s classic 1920s tale Tarka the Otter, readers are taken on a journey through the calendar year, learning the most intimate detail of this most beautiful of British mammals. Cooper brings these beloved animals to life in all their wondrous complexity, revealing the previously hidden secrets of their lives in this beautifully told tale of the otter.


My review:

I found this book via an Indie Bookshop in Frome, England called Sherlock & Pages.  It's a tiny little shop specializing in nature, conservancy, history, and heritage.  I absolutely love their mission, and they do the most amazing job curating their stock.  I've purchased several books from them (including a few fiction selections), and I feel confident I am set with several lovely reads for autumn.  I highly suggest you follow them on Instagram @sherlockandpages.  The reason this book caught my eye is that otters have returned to Lake Martin, Alabama, and I thought it would be fun to read about them even though they aren't the same species as the English ones.

Simon Cooper kept me mesmerized throughout this book as he weaves the story of Kuschta and her pups within their chalkstream habitat.  I found it fascinating reading about what it takes to keep an otter fed considering they don't have fat stores.  They tend to be nocturnal, and they are very territorial.  There are several lessons I learned I probably could've done without.  I learned more than I care to know about their poop called "spraint."  Spraint is not only about marking territory.  Otters use spraint like we use newspapers, to learn about other otters in their environment including otters just passing through.  I also learned how brutal a mama otter can be when nature necessitates that she ostracize one of her pups to the point of death.  An otter's life is brutal, especially for the young males without a territory.

But in spite of the harshness of otter life, I enjoyed the book so much, especially Cooper's voice.  I also enjoyed learning about the otters' habitat, the chalkstream.  There are only 200 chalkstreams in the world, and almost all of them are in England.  I also enjoyed reading about how Kuschta and her pups become a part of the rhythm of life for Simon and his family at their millhouse home.  The narrative spans the seasons within a year, and the descriptions of the immediate area, the chalkstream, the fields, and the hedgerows are enchanting.  

If you enjoy nature writing, I know you will love The Otters' Tale.  Even if you aren't normally a nature reader, you might want to expand your horizons and read it anyway!







Are you interested in reading either of these books?

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill



Literary Friday: Two Fun Books With Animal Characters

Friday, September 13, 2024

 

Happy September, My Lovelies!  It's Labor Day Weekend, and I hope you are enjoying spending time with your family and friends.




For this edition of the Tales of the Traveling Tote, I will be sharing a few of my favorite summer photographs from Lake Martin.  This is (almost) a wordless post, and I hope you enjoy my photos!





















I hope you enjoyed viewing a few of my favorite photos from Summer 2024!
Please link to the other ladies' posts below.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 
Emily with Miss Courtney ChildsThe French Hutch
 Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Rita with Miss Luna C Panoply 
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader (You're here!)


Jenna is hosting our giveaway this quarter.  Good luck: I hope you win!  



Please join us for our next Tales of the Traveling Totes shenanigans on December 1, 2024!



Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Tales of the Traveling Tote: Lazy Lake Martin Summer

Sunday, September 1, 2024

 


Happy Saturday, My Lovelies!  I hope you're enjoying your long weekend so far, and maybe watching a little college football.  Today I'm sharing with you the third August craft for early fall.



In case you missed them, I shared a cloche craft HERE and a vintage bottle craft HERE.

Today's craft was inspired by a banner I saw on Country Living Magazine's website:




Here are the supplies I used:


I found the leaves in the party aisle at the Hallmark Store.  I purchased two fall ribbon bundles from Michael's.  I also decided to use fall craft paper for the lettering rather than cutting out the letters on the leaves.  The paper is from Daphne's Diary.


Instructions:

Hang your ribbon on four hooks or pegs.  I hung mine on the pegs on my floral work table.  You could use cup hooks if you have them on a dresser, or you could use Command Hooks anywhere.

Spell out the letters on your leaves:  I chose a font I liked and copied the letters on my craft paper.  Then, I cut them out and glued them onto the leaves.  If you don't like your handwriting, you could use a stencil or even purchase large sticker letters and use them.





Pin your leaves onto a ribbon or two using the little clothespins.  You can find them at most crafts stores.  Yay!  So easy.


I added a few of our glass pumpkins and acorns that are the same colors as the ribbons.


What do you think?  Which one of my crafts do you like best?  Will you try any of them?


Please come back tomorrow for our September 1, 2024 edition of the Tales of the Traveling Tote.


Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill


Third August Craft for Early Fall

Saturday, August 31, 2024

 

Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies!  Today I'm wrapping-up my 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge, and I'm also reviewing a contemporary romance my daughter sent to me.

I pledged fifteen books, and below is a list of the books I read.  If you'd like to read my reviews of any of the books, use the search widget at the top of the page.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
An American in Scotland by Lucy Connelly
Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
Memories of the Lost by Barbara O'Neal
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

I read sixteen books, so I exceeded my pledge.  :D




Shanley Belle sent me the first book in a contemporary romance series (Bergman Brothers Series) that she loves entitled Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese (Chloe is a friend of hers).  Both characters are grumpy, so at first I didn't see any hope of a "happily ever after."  I tend to like the enemies to lovers trope because usually there's lots of really fun dialogue.

According to Goodreads:

Meet the Bergmans in this enemies-to-lovers new adult romance that tackles the vulnerability of love with humor and heart.

From the moment Willa sat next to Ryder in class, she’s made it clear she hates his guts. Her reason is a mystery, but its outcome suits him fine. Willa Sutter is the feisty, tempting chaos he doesn’t need in his quiet, tidy life. She’s the next generation of women’s soccer. Wild hair. Bee-stung lips. And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly. He’ll leverage her hate as long as possible to keep his distance.

When Willa asked Ryder to borrow his lecture notes, the silent, surly, mountain man ignored her. Ryder Bergman is an arrogant, infuriating flannel-wearing enigma. Mangy beard. Frayed ball cap that hides his eyes. And a stubborn refusal to acknowledge her existence. But Willa’s never backed down from a challenge.

Forced to work together on their final project, Willa and Ryder begin a game of pranks and practical jokes, each determined to come out the champion. But once they catch unexpected feelings, victory begins to mean something else—winning each other’s hearts.


My Review:

Both characters are juniors/seniors at UCLA, so this book is sort of a "New Adult" book.  Although it's definitely a romance...a spicy one at that...it's also an homage to two very different families:  Ryder's family is large, boisterous, and loving.  He's the exact middle child of seven, and he has one sister.  Willa (named after Willa Cather) is a top tier athlete, but she's also smart and works at a bookstore during the summer.  Her family is so different than Ryder's as it's only Willa and her mom, Joy.  They moved around a lot because Joy served in the military, so the only constants Willa has known is Joy and soccer.  Although tiny, Willa's family is no less loving than Ryder's.

Without giving any spoilers, Ryder and Willa are each experiencing life changing upheavals.  I think their circumstances forced them to mature exponentially.  They're both antagonistic in how they approach and interact with each other, and each are withholding information (definitely lying by omission) even as they call a truce and realize that they are falling in love.  There is quite a bit of synchronicity in their lives that forces them together (in the same location).  Everyone in their lives...friends and family...can see how much Willa and Ryder connect with each other, yet both continually deny it.

The third act break-up is a real doozy.

But hang in there: after all it's a romance.  An emotional yet sweet HEA soon follows.  

If you enjoy romance novels, plots centering around large, happy families, and stories about sports (there are many details and descriptions of soccer), then you should enjoy Only When It's Us.






Until next time...

Happy Reading!
Ricki Jill


Literary Friday: 20 Books of Summer Wrap-Up

Friday, August 30, 2024

 

Hello, My Lovelies!  Welcome to my party!  If you're hopping in order, you just left Cecilia's blog My Thrift Store Addiction.  Didn't you just love her transferware for fall?  I'm so excited about today's post because it's part of a tablescape blog hop welcoming fall.  I can't wait to be inspired by the fifteen other stylists participating because it wouldn't be fun to only set one table for fall, now, would it?!?!?  I will be borrowing their ideas in the near future.



Thank-you, Rita, for hosting these blog hops.
I always enjoy them and look forward to participating.  


It's a tradition in our home to ease into autumn with white and neutral things, partly because it is so hot here in Central Alabama at the beginning of the season.  Usually the first fall tablescape I put together has our white Pottery Barn leaf and acorn plates on it.  This year, I was going to do something a little different, and our daughter got upset and wanted me to use the Pottery Barn plates, so I did.  I know y'all have seen them before, but we do love them.  Another tradition we enjoy is taking our our set of white glass pumpkins;  I already have them displayed in the art studio.


The plate stack is simple with a Longaberger neutral basketweave plate under our leaf and acorn plates.  Both are resting on a willow placemat, and the table runner is a new purchase from Anthropologie.  I loved the neutral check with the highlighter yellow trim.



Clockwise from Top Left:  We have honeycrisp apple and oak scented candles on the table to help us get into the spirit of fall.

We enjoy eating breakfast outside this time of the year because the mornings are cooler.  On these special days we can take our plates and coffee outside, and the cutlery holders are also handy for this.  The coffee press and espresso cups and saucers are new for fall from the Magnolia Collection at Target.  I love how the cups and saucers are fluted.

Our centerpieces are marigolds and white violets in pretty neutral pots.

Our limelights have been out of control this year.  They have enjoyed the rain and all the heat.



I was inspired by this centerpiece from Terrain.  I love the trough look, but I decided to use the three neutral pots I already had.



Clockwise from Top Left:  I continued the neutral theme with the candlesticks and candles.  The only bright colors on the table are the yellows and oranges from the marigolds and highlighter yellow stripe on the table runner.

The pumpkin salt and pepper shaker set is made up of pretty neutrals.  The under napkin is a brown and white check in a darker shade compared to the table runner.

The brown leather napkin ring adds a little bit of masculinity to the table.


It's a simple table with lots of neutrals and textures, and I think it's appropriate for this time of the year here in Central Alabama.


Resources:

Current (new) items:

Table runner, scented candles, and salt and pepper shaker set: Anthropologie
Cutlery holders:  Blue Willow
Marigolds, white violet, two smallest planters:  Leaf 'n Petal
Espresso cups and saucers and autumn coffee press: Magnolia Collection at Target
Taper candle and tealight candles:  Root Candles from The Fresh Market


Older items:

Leaf and acorn plates:  Pottery Barn
Lace trimmed napkins and napkin rings:  Williams-Sonoma
Tealight holders and dinner plates:  Longaberger
Brown check napkins, pillar candleholder, and willow placemats:  Pier 1
White candlestick:  MacKenzie-Childs Bistro Collection
Large yellow glass vase (containing limelights):  Terrain
Largest planter used as centerpiece:  Shabby Chic


Please visit the other stylists' blogs on the hop!  If you're going in order, Belle Bleu Interiors is next!

Hyacinths for the Soul - Welcome, Autumn, the Richest of Seasons
Home is Where the Boat Is - Plaid, Petals and Pumpkins



If you like, you can see my All About Mauve early fall tablescape in our breakfast room.  It was my original plan, but Shelley talked me out of it!


Blog Posts I'm Currently Working On:

Summer Reading Wrap-Up:  August 30th
Fall Banner Craft:  August 31st
Tales of the Traveling Tote:  September 1st




Happy Fall, Y'all!


Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill


Welcome Fall Tablescape: Textured Neutrals

Tuesday, August 27, 2024


Hello, Lovelies!

I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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