{ Day 2 of Quarantine - Churros Cake }

"But God did not give me a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

As the world continues to change rapidly outside our doors, we are inside trying to make the best of our time.

For me, it is just a continuation of my usual routine, the slowness of the day, pottering around, thanking God for every moment and trying to find joy in every thing I see and do.

I know some of you are struggling at the moment, and I wish more than anything that I had the magical word to take it all away.  I don't, but the Bible does, and you can always find just what you're looking for, and most importantly what you're needing to hear.

I invite you to take this time of quarantine, to make the best of the moments you are inside with your family.  Enjoy every second, keep yourself busy and in no time, we will be past this obstacle and back to our normal lives.

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”  Mark 5:36

I love early morning light, and as soon as it starts getting bright outside, I water my plants, or get a load of laundry hanging out to dry.

This morning as I was watering the plants, I noticed that the two mats I have outside on the patio, were needing a good cleaning.  One of them Marley had actually been peeing on when he had that issue with his private parts.

I quickly hit the pause button on what I was doing, and gave the mats a good cleaning, with a water and bleach mixture.  I used the broom and gave it a good scrubbing, then rinsed it and let them sit out to dry.

In no time they were dry and looking and smelling much better.

I desperately want to get my plants in the ground, but it's been raining and before I can do that, I need it to warm up a bit more.  I think I may actually get that chance this week, as we're headed towards high 80s temperatures.

When you get your housework done, and don't let things accumulate, you will realize that it leaves you quit a bit of free time to do the things you enjoy.

I used to get a lot of questions about my routine and how I had time to read, crochet, or watch a tv show.

For a long time, I'm talking years now, I have taught myself to get my daily chores done in the morning, before I allow myself to have any downtime.  Some days I may be a bit busy and end up with no time for any of those things, but for the most part that is how my days go.

I had some lunch with Nicholas today, he was up and playing on his VR, so I fixed us some fish sticks and we had fish stick sandwiches and a slice of cake.

As the kids get older, spending time just talking is not as easy as it used to be when they were little.  They are not as keen to talk to their parents as they once were, but I have to say that I am blessed in that both my kids love chatting and talking about their days, and all things whether news, current events or whatever else may be going on.

After spending about an hour and a half chatting back and forth with Nick, I sat down and managed to read another chapter in my book.  I'm really enjoying it, I've always been a huge Tudor fan and especially when it pertains to King Henry VIII.  One of my favorites of his wives, was Catherine of Aragon, his first wife who was daughter Isabella the warrior queen of Spain.  She is fascinating, or was I should say.  Truly, if you ever are curious, read up on her, I think Isabella was quite formidable.  

After reading for a bit, I went into the kitchen and made a cake.  This cake.....what to even say other than you need to make it.  It is easy and I'm quite certain you will have all the ingredients on hand.

You know I love making cakes and try to make at least one, every week.  This was the choice this week, although I may have to make another cake at some point because this one is not going to last.  Half is already done, that's how good it is.

As you know I post a lot of stories on Instagram, if you don't follow me on there yet, be sure to go on over and send a follow request.  I share my days from morning to night, I show you my routines in real time, and I've also recently started sharing my meals as I cook them.

I did that with this cake and was immediately flooded with private messages asking me to please post the recipe.  So as soon as I was done reading, I immediately jumped on my laptop to type it up.

I guess now is the perfect time to work make some special treats for the family, right?

If you love Churros and want to make a super yummy treat, go on over to Full Bellies, Happy Kids and grab the recipe for the Churros Cake.

Once the recipe was posted, someone was at my feet wanting to play.  How can you say no to that sweet face?

We played fetch for a bit and then it was time for me to get dinner started.  I love this time of day as well, when the day starts winding down and I'm in the kitchen starting to prepare my family's meal.

This quarantine has meant easy, simple meals, and so I'll be sharing on Instagram as well, all my dinners.  Tonight I made a Creamy Ham Fettucine using some diced up ham I already had on hand, and served it with a salad.  Quick meal but filling and not expensive to make at all.

Of course in between all this, there are multiple, and I mean multiple hand washes.  My poor hands are so dry.  Not that I never washed my hands before but never to this extent.  I think everyone is feeling the same way Hahahah

And so the second day of our Quarantine comes to an end.  I end my day feeling thankful and blessed for one more day with my husband and children, and my little one Marley.

I don't know if I'll start to feel cabin fever, I don't think I will just because this is so much like my usual routine, as crazy as that may seem to some of you, but I do think that eventually, depending on how long this lasts, I may start to miss driving Jasmine to work, going to the stores without waiting in long lines.  I'll miss doing my usual shopping without worrying about the shelves being empty, and I will definitely miss the moments where we didn't have to be so incredibly crazy about disinfecting every thing within our reach.

For now though, I will do as I'm told, follow the rules, and trust in my Heavenly Father, and live faithfully through this fear.

Much blessings to all of you, stay safe, stay indoors and I'll see you all tomorrow!

{ Day 1 of Quarantine - Let's make a meal plan }

We are officially under quarantine for the next 15 days.

For many families, it is a time to really look within, to work with what we have and to make do with the food we have available.  Supermarkets are struggling to keep food on the shelves, and some items like toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer have become hot commodities.

We know we are in it for 15 days, at the very least, but obviously that could change, and we could find ourselves under quarantine for a longer period.

With that in mind, making meals for the family is high on everyone's lists.  Most families are now having to come with ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  On a normal day, it can be a bit difficult, but when you are having to use what little you have at home, it becomes important to become creative and to put some thought into the meals before hand so that you're not left struggling at mealtime.

So, let's plan our meals.

The very first thing you will need to do is a quick inventory of your freezer, fridge and pantry.

Write down all the meat you have, including hotdogs, sausage, bacon, anything that you could turn into a simple meal.

Do the same with the fridge and pantry.  Canned goods, pasta, rice, even ramen noodles become a super easy and quick meal when you bulk it up.

Flour and yeast can quickly turn into homemade bread, especially right now that bread is one of the items depleted from the supermarkets.

Here are some easy bread recipes to make:

Homemade White Bread - Makes 5 loaves
Simple White Bread
Sandwich Bread Loaf
Homemade Buttermilk Bread
Best Homemade Sandwich Bread

The trick is that meals don't need to be difficult or have tons of ingredients.  We are going for quick, easy.   You have a box of fish sticks in the freezer?  Why not serve them with a yummy homemade macaroni and cheese?  It is super easy to make especially if you use a pressure cooker.

Sit down with your inventory and start working on some quick meals.

The way to do it is to first make a running list of meals you can serve, and even split them into breakfast, lunch and dinner, before you put it down on a meal plan, that way if you want to change something or move things around, you don't have to keep erasing.

As always, keep in mind that nothing is set in stone, even after you've written up your menu plan.  If you don't feel like having something on a specific day, just shift it to a different day.  The whole idea of having a plan on hand is to take the guess work and frustration out of meal times.

Everything you have on hand can become a meal.  You just need to get creative and if you need ideas, there's always google and pinterest.  But, if a recipe you find includes items you do not already have on hand, skip it.  Use the recipes for ideas, to kick start your own thoughts and then go from there.

Quarantine means staying in.  It means not running to the store every other day for something you forgot to buy or decided you absolutely need to have.

I think we are in a time where we need to be smart with our choices and dig really deep to be as frugal as possible.

Again, keep meals simple, now is not the time to try that new recipe that requires exotic ingredients.

So I sat down, did exactly what I've mentioned above and wrote up a whole month's worth of meals.  The only thing I will need to buy, and that is something I'll ask my husband to pick up on way home, since he is still working, is milk and fresh veggies that we will no doubt run out of.

Let me show you my plan and I'll list it below too.  Also, perfect example of switching meals, I made the Chicken Fajita Bowl last night instead of the Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, so I'll be making those tonight.

Sunday March 22 - Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches (already had pork tenderloins in the fridge, and already had bolillo rolls in the freezer too), homemade fries
Monday March 23 - Chicken Fajita Bowl
Tuesday March 24 - Fettucine Alfredo (pasta, diced ham, homemade garlic white sauce)
Wednesday March 25 - Bangers and Mash, Sauteed Collard Greens
Thursday March 26 - Ajo Chicken Wings, Butter Rice (it was hard finding meat in the stores, but my husband was able to get an 8lb pack of chicken wing sections, it will be enough for at least 3 meals)
Friday March 27 - Beef Enchiladas, Salad
Saturday March 28 - Chicago style dogs
Sunday March 29 - Cheese Tortellini, garlic bread
Monday March 30 - Beef S.O.S, steamed cauliflower
Tuesday March 31 - Cheesy Onion Chicken, roast potatoes
Wednesday April 1 - Teeny's Mexican Casserole, Salad
Thursday April 2 - Spaghetti (using pork sausage), Pepperoni Pull Apart Bread
Friday April 3 - Meatball Subs (since meat was hard to find, I looked into other options.  The frozen meatball bags containing 28 small meatballs, were only $1.76, so I grabbed 3 of those.  I have a pack of hotdog buns in the freezer, so meatball subs it is)
Saturday April 4 - Chicken with veggies (using chicken wing sections), rice and beans
Sunday April 5 - Oven Sandwich
Monday April 6 - Corned Beef Hash (again, I bought a can of corned beef, not the healthiest but good for a quick meal)
Tuesday April 7 - Baked Ziti (using ground pork), Salad
Wednesday April 8 - Skillet Sausage and Potatoes
Thursday April 9 - Chicken Curry and Rice
Friday April 10 - Pork Parmigiana and egg noodles
Saturday April 11 - Bratwurst, potato salad
Sunday April 12 - Better than Olive Garden's Fettucine Alfredo, Sauteed Squash
Monday April 13 - Fish Sticks, Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday April 14 - Shepherd's Pie, Mixed Veggies
Wednesday April 15 - Lemon Chicken, Garlic Butter Spaghetti Noodles
Thursday April 16 - Sausage Gravy Biscuit Casserole
Friday April 17 - Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings (again using the chicken wing sections), basmati rice
Saturday April 18 - Spaghetti Casserole, homemade garlic bread
Sunday April 19 - Sausage rice, best beans ever


I still have meat left in the freezer, which will go towards the meal plan after April 19th.

So as you can see, it is easy to plan, organize and be prepared, it's just a matter of taking some time to sit down and compile your list, your meals and know exactly what you have and what you may still need to buy.

I do hope this helped you in some way.  We are all home, and we all have the time to prepare.

Far too often I hear people say that the reason they don't ever meal plan is because it takes too much time to do it, well, now you have that time right? 

Whatever your situation may be, just know that we are all in this together.  We are here to help each other, advise, offer tips and tricks and help each other and our families through these trying times.

If you have suggestions or just want to share how you have prepared for the next few weeks, when it comes to meal times, leave a comment down below.  I would love to hear how everyone else is dealing with the food situation. 

Blessings my dear friends, and remember Faith through the Fear!!!

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/23/2020 }

Good morning friends, how are you all doing?

We are living in some strange times aren't we?  I do hope you are all keeping the faith and staying focused through this pandemic.

Today marks the first day of our quarantine.  The kids and I will be home for 2 weeks, not going anywhere or being around anyone.  My husband however is still at work, military and anyone working with the military, are considered essential and therefore not shutting down unless absolutely necessary.

I'm not sure what the week ahead has in store, we plan on taking it easy at home.  I for one am fine with being indoors but that is because I'm a homebody to begin with.

Aside from that, we are all doing well.  I am dealing with some women issues again, I'm not sure what is going on, but could use some prayers.  I'll also be making a call to my gyn this morning just to be sure that this is normal, or if I need to come in.

Anyway, I am sending you all much love, keeping you in my prayers and wishing you all an abundance of blessings.

Let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday.

♥♥The Weather♥♥
Woke up to fog.  This past weekend the temperatures dipped down and it was quite chilly.  However, we are pretty much done with that nonsense, and moving into warm temperatures this week.  It looks like we are done with the cold.  Yay!    

Monday - AM fog, PM clouds, 71
Tuesday - Sunny, 77
Wednesday - Partly cloudy, 84
Thursday - Mostly sunny, 87
Friday - Mostly cloudy, 83
Saturday -  Partly cloudy, 64
Sunday - Mostly Sunny, 69


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
Bit crampy.  I think my continuous patch is not working properly, matter of fact I know it isn't.  This may be too much information, but we are all women here and maybe one of you has been dealing with the same, or has dealt with it in the past.

I had a patch that I placed on my stomach/thigh area (stupidly because I knew already that for some reason it doesn't work for me in that area), and that threw my body off a bit.  Then the next patch didn't stay on properly.  Then the following patch got stuck on my bra strap and peeled off halfway.  I know that I should replace the patch but I didn't.

Long story short.  The continuous patches have meant that I get a cycle one month, then not the next, then get another one the following month etc.

I didn't get one last month, and of course got one this month but I am now starting day 10 and still on it, still crampy, and still very annoyed with it all.  Deep down I KNOW it is because the patch has not been working the correct way, but I still feel a little worried because this is not normal for me at all.  So, calling the doctor here shortly and we will go from there.  How am I feeling this morning?

Crampy, little anxious and lots annoyed with what is happening. 


♥♥On my mind♥♥
Everything that is going on with Coronavirus.   There is so much happening, so many people in fear.  I think in a way I am thankful that we are not going through this alone, the whole world is together, but I truly pray that we can go back to our normal lives soon.           


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
Just my coffee, and I'll have Cream of Wheat later for breakfast, which should be around 8am.  


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
Finished Light Changes Everything from Nancy E. Turner and am close to finishing The Spanish Queen by Carolly Erickson.


♥♥On my tv♥♥
Just youtube vlogs, haven't had much time to watch anything yet.  However, with our quarantine starting, I will probably make a list of shows to catch up on.     


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥
My grocery shopping this week was quite traumatic.  I was not prepared to find a base commissary with so many empty shelves, to the point where I broke into tears on the way home.  The reality of what is happening around us is quite frightening.  However, after some running around by my husband on Friday afternoon, we were able to get what we needed, and I have managed to come up with a monthly meal plan.

The only thing we are still not able to find, is toilet paper.  Frustrating!

Monday - Pork tenderloin sandwiches, homemade fries
Tuesday - Fettucine Alfredo, Salad
Wednesday - Bangers and Mash, Collard Greens
Thursday -  Ajo Chicken Wings, Butter Rice
Friday - Beef enchiladas, Salad
Saturday -Chicago style hotdogs
Sunday - Cheese Tortellini, Garlic Bread


♥♥From the camera♥♥
During these quarantine days, I ask you to go back to the basics.  Bake that loaf of bread you've been meaning to bake for a while, work on a batch of cookies with your kids.  There is nothing like homemade food, nothing. 
      

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
It is quite dark due to the cloudy skies and dense fog outside.  The only sound is my tv playing in the background and my little heater in the corner of the bedroom.

The kids are still asleep, hubby has gone to work, and Marley is sleeping on the couch in the living room.

The house just needs a bit of tidying up, vacuuming and dusting, but other than that, it is good to go. 


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
Bathrooms, specifically the toilets.  Not exactly my favorite thing to do but we get through it right?                   


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
Not entirely sure, but I want to get some crochet done, I want to finish my book and start another, I want to bake a cake and some bread, get my seedlings in the ground, and not sure what else I will get to.


♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
* The President, our country.
* The world.  We are still very much in the throes of this pandemic and people need hope, people need prayer.  Let's pray not just for our own family and friends, but for everyone around the world. 


♥♥Devotional/Bible Verse♥♥
Yesterday's church sermon was fantastic.  It had me in tears throughout.  Churches are closed, but you can still attend online, it's just a matter of finding your church or another that you enjoy, and taking that hour each Sunday to devote to God.  We need it especially right now.

I took so many great things away from yesterday's teaching, and I wanted to pass them on to you, maybe it will give you some hope, maybe it will lessen your fears and help you get through these difficult times.

The very first thing that needs to be front and center in our minds is.......Faith through Fear.

Faith through Fear.  Remember that, repeat it, embrace it.

Not isolation, consecration.
When we go through something difficult, the goal is for God to show us something in it.
Stop wasting today's strength fighting tomorrow's battle.

This is definitely a time to stop, think and turn to God.

{ Slow days }

We've had pretty strong storms in our areas paired with Tornado watches.  I forget how quickly time flies, and when we approach Tornado season I'm always caught a bit off guard.  It's a bit earlier than usual too, we are still in March, but I guess even mother nature is out of it's usual routine.

The days have been slow, spent indoors, pottering around here and there.

I was having a conversation with my sister in law because she is very different to me in the sense of being alone, or staying home.  She prefers company, she prefers going out and being outside.

I on the other hand, have always been a homebody, more so when we were active duty military.  I quickly learned how to be home, how to be alone, and more importantly to be ok with that.

If any of you are like me, we are all pretty overwhelmed and a bit tired of the constant barrage of information, fake news, factual news, numbers of infected and dread from all over the world.

I've turned off my news, I am staying updated through my husband but personally, I need a break from it all.

I've been reading up a storm, I am now but a few pages from finishing The Spanish Queen by Carolly Erickson.  Read about 75% of the book in one night.

No doubt I will be going through my To Be Read shelf in not time at all.

Maybe we should do a Quarantine Book List, and pick a few books that we want to get through during these isolation times.  Motivate people to go through their book shelves and get reading.

My crochet basket has also been pulled out into the open, and I work on a row here and there as I go about my day.

Life has slowed down, I feel like we can breathe easier, hear the birds outside chirping louder, or maybe it's the fact that no too many people are out and so the constant hum drum noise has been muffled.

Baking has been one of my releases.  I cook and bake all the time, but if I'm being honest lately it's become more of a way to get food into my family and not so much a work of love.

Not because I don't love my family, or the baking or cooking, but because we're always running around.  I have to zip into the kitchen, quickly make a meal and get it on the table, and honestly it takes the enjoyment out of it all.
 

As the days have slowed, I've been able to be at the stove, taking my time, cooking with love and not rushing our meals.  They seem to taste even better.

Baking is the same thing, usually I would leave the baking for the weekend, especially when it comes to bread.  The rising, the kneading, is not a process that you can rush, right?

I've enjoyed being in the kitchen mid afternoon, working on a loaf of bread or a cake.

The photos above are for Irish Soda Bread and some Chili Spaghetti (though I used shells instead of spaghetti noodles).    I've made the chili spaghetti before, and last night I basically made the same, though browned the ground beef, added a jar of spaghetti sauce with meat and a can of chili. 

It was delicious, it is filling, it makes a lot and we all have leftovers for lunch today.

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a few more Homemaker Series posts, and I think that right now is the perfect time for those.  Going back to the basics, learning to make do with what you have, and making things simpler in general, is exactly what we all need at the moment.

Starting with meals. 

I am heading to the base commissary this morning, for my usual bi weekly shopping.  I usually look forward to it, but if I must be honest, I'm not quite sure what to expect.  The grocery stores in our area are depleted of food, empty shelves prevail. 

I am not sure what I will find at the commissary, if things will be as usual, if there will be empty shelves, if I will be able to do my usual shopping.  I am not even stockpiling, maybe I'm being naive or too laid back about it, but we've been told over and over not only by the military here, but by the local and state authorities, to NOT hoard and NOT stockpile because there won't be a shortage of food.

Like I said, maybe I'm being too trusting, but I prefer to get a little bit extra but not go overboard and leave others without food.

Quick Marley update, he is pretty much back to normal, we are now starting the tapering down of the steroid treatment.  Thankfully no more accidents in the house and he is back to barking at the door to go potty.  Yay!

Right, I need to get up, get some breakfast, get dressed and get things ready to take Jasmine to work.

Speaking of Jasmine, she works retail and is a cashier which means she is in constant contact with money and people and dirty things.  She is extremely good at constantly disinfecting and hand sanitizing and washing hands, but just like every other retail worker in our country, with the current situation, she is at a higher risk of contracting this virus.

I ask that you would say a little prayer not just for her, but for all those in the retail and service field, along with the doctors and nurses, pharmacy workers and so on, who are still out there working to provide us with what we need, while putting themselves at risk.  I truly do pray that the Lord protect them and keep them safe.

Sending you all blessings and love.

{ Staying in and plodding along }

Hello everyone, how are you all doing in your little corners of the world?

Are you self isolating, under quarantine, feeling ok with what is going on or beside yourself with worry?

I have family in friends, spread out all over the world, and there seems to be a bit of a mixture of feelings going on.  Some are feeling extremely anxious and worried.  Some are apprehensive but trying to keep things as normal as possible, and a very few think it's all being too much and exaggerated.

Me?

I am a Christian and while I am aware and staying informed, I am also calm and trusting that God has this battle under control.  I'm not wishing and praying that I don't get the virus, but simply asking God to let whatever is meant to happen, happen.

In the meantime, we are self isolating as much as possible, considering that our area has had no infections or suspected infections at all, so business continues as usual.  Both Curt and Jasmine are still working full time, although Jasmine's work has cut down their store hours.

Isolating for us, means Nick and I stay put, unless I'm getting in my car to drive Jasmine to work and pick up, which means a lot of hand sanitizing on car doors and before she steps into the car and after as well.

Weekends are spent inside, there are no trips downtown, no going to the stores just to look around and definitely no fast food at all.  I don't know why but I'm even more put off by drive thrus at the moment, rather fix my food at home and know exactly that it is clean and no chance of contamination.

For me as a homebody, this means spending a lot of time indoors where I am most happier.  I've finished two books, have caught up on some shows, have been pottering around the house, baking and cooking and so on.

Nick's school has been closed until April 6th, and though the kids are not expected to do any work, the lessons are still available for them.  We are choosing to go ahead and push through with as much work as we can, of course taking days off here and there too.  Would rather stay ahead and not fall too behind, right before the end of the school year.

We've also had an abundance of rain the past week and a half and more on the way.

Curt and I have gone to the store and bought a few things, but I'm keeping it very simple and not overdoing it.  We got some toilet paper, just small packs as that was all that we could find, and then a few staples that will help with filling, easy meals should the need arise.

As I mentioned above, we are not under quarantine yet but we are doing our best to prepare for whatever may come our way.

Along with doing more indoor activities, I have also been outside on the property, with my camera in hand, just walking around, watching Spring coming to life.

This little one has been building a nest on one of my hanging planters.  I couldn't understand what he was doing in there are first, then saw him with a twig or whatever it was in his beak.

We are all in a state of limbo but I truly believe that this is happening for a reason, to bring us all together, to make people stop, to relax, to spend more time with their families.

To stop and smell the flowers, literally, take walks in the woods or even just spend time out in the backyard.

I've found a renewed love for photographing the birds in my yard, and get especially giddy when the red cardinals come around.  I have quite a few around my house.

The time I also didn't seem to ever have, for reading, has been reclaimed and I've finished two books the past 2 weeks.

The Light Changes Everything, which was amazing, as always.  Just love Nancy E. Turner.

Also received, and read within an hour, one of my Paperbackswap books, Rutka's Notebook.

Oh my word, I don't even know what to say.  It was very short, just a few pages of Rutka's journal entries between January and April of 1943.  How a 14 year old girl living in the Bedzin Ghetto in Poland, felt about the atrocities she witnessed inflicted on her Jewish community, while still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and talking about boys and who she liked and friend troubles and the usual things a teenager focuses on.

It is worth a read and definitely worth a watch, if you have the time.

The book is Rutka's Notebook, and you can watch a fantastic documentary on it, on Youtube here.

I have one more review book that I've finished and am just waiting for the date to review, and then I have all my Carolly Erickson Henry VIII series books that came in from Paperbackswap.  So excited to read those, and am starting the first today:

 

In the meantime, I am so taking time to rearrange, organize and go through some boxes.  As I was cleaning, I came across this picture frame with our photos from our trip to Tombstone in 2011.  What wonderful memories from that trip, I hope we're able to return one day.

My laptop battery is starting to die, so I need to get this plugged in and charging.  I'm going to head to the kitchen, check on tonight's dinner which is in the slow cooker.  I am making Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

I also made my Irish Soda Bread with Raisins, the recipe is on the food blog if you want to try.  It's so good, I try to make it at least once a year, around St. Patrick's Day.

Well friends, I hope you all stay well, stay indoors as much as you can and that you hold fast to the Lord's hand.  He will see us through these uncertain times.

In the meantime, now is the perfect time to get back onto blogging, maybe share our daily activities during these imposed quarantines.  May just be the revival of blogging again, wouldn't that be wonderful?

{ The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley - TLC Book Tour }

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (March 3, 2020)

“My favorite kind of whodunit, kept me guessing all the way through, and reminiscent of Agatha Christie at her best — with an extra dose of acid.” — Alex Michaelides, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Silent Patient

Everyone’s invited…everyone’s a suspect…

For fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a shivery, atmospheric, page-turning novel of psychological suspense in the tradition of Agatha Christie, in which a group of old college friends are snowed in at a hunting lodge . . . and murder and mayhem ensue.

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.
The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.
Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

Purchase Links

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About Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley studied English literature at Durham University and University College London and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. She is the author of The Book of Lost and Found and The Invitation. She lives in London.
Follow Lucy on Twitter and Facebook.


My thoughts:

 It's not very often that you open a book, and before you look up to take a breath, you've gone through page after page.

Lucy has a knack for doing this in her books, and she's quite amazing when it comes to mystery novels.

The story takes off in the Scotland Highlands, which right away drew me in.  We meet 9 friends, coming together to celebrate the New Year.  It is a tradition they began many years ago.  Nothing seems out of the ordinary, unless you count the crazy storm that blows in and leaves them stranded and hunkered down in the beautiful but isolated house.

It is December 30.  Spirits are high, everyone is excited for yet another New Year in the company of good friends.

Two days later, one of them is dead and one is a killer.  But who?  And I'm not just asking who is the killer, because Lucy Foley throws a twist into this story by having us quite confused about who the victim is too.

I was not only completely into the book, but getting quite frustrated trying to figure out who was killed and who was the murderer.  I almost felt like I was in the moment as well, which was fantastic.

Truly if you love mystery and whodunnits, you have got to get yourself a copy of Lucy's The Hunting Party.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Williams Morrow Books for providing me with a review copy.