Sunday, January 25, 2026

Sunday Post 125

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Last week I said I wanted real snow. Well, I got real snow! I hope everyone in the path of the storm is doing okay. Here in Central Maryland at noon on Sunday we are getting a mixed bag of snow and sleet.  I think we have about seven or eight inches of snow so far, with sleet on top of that. It's supposed to end sometime tonight, but not before turning to freezing rain. That's the worst, so hopefully the freezing rain won't last too long.

I have a confession to make. Here is the reason why I didn't publish a Friday Features post last week.


I had started it earlier in the week and I wanted to get it done. Over three sessions, it took me a total of about four hours. The brand is Pomegranate and it's 300 pieces. At least it was a good way to celebrate Feline Friday, right?

I also did this mini puzzle on National Popcorn Day. I bought it years ago at a local gift shop and I've redone it a few times since then. I love popcorn and puzzles, so it was a perfect gift to myself.

I don't think I will start a new puzzle anytime soon because it distracts me too much from getting other things done.


IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED
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I finished listening to Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (Daisy's Tea Garden 1), written by Karen Rose Smith and narrated by C. S. E. Cooney. I wasn't crazy about the narration and I wish the mystery was more prominent, but overall I did enjoy it. I'm interested in the subplots and will continue the series.


IN PROGRESS
Week 5 in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl, talked about the benefits of an unkempt garden. I've always been a fan of this. I love dandelions and such. I'm thankful that my condo board supports not having pesticides around our building. I wish I could say the same was the case for the other three buildings in my community, but we do what we can.
Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin is of to a great start. I'm about 20% into the ARC. This is another one where I'm enjoying the subplots, as well as the mystery aspect of it. I think the mystery in this one is even stronger and more prominent than in the previous one, which I also enjoyed.
Murder with Cinnamon Scones, written by Karen Rose Smith and narrated by C. S. E. Cooney, is the follow-up to Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes. This second one is set in January, so being the mostly seasonal reader that I am, I decided to start listening to it now. I'm enjoying it even more than the first one. The subplots are still being addressed, but the mystery is more prominent in this one.
UP NEXT
I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure exactly which one I'll read or listen to next.

ON THE SCREEN
  • That '70s Show - I'm about halfway through season 1. I'm glad I found another comedy show to binge. I've been watching one episode almost every day.
  • Karen Puzzles (YouTube Channel) - I've been meaning to write about this for a while. This is my favorite YouTube Channel. Karen Puzzles has been sharing YouTube videos for years. She used to share them weekly, but nowadays it's more like once every couple of weeks. That's still a lot of videos! I only discovered her channel last year when I was reading The Puzzler, by A.J. Jacobs, and I was instantly hooked. She posts all kinds of videos related to jigsaw puzzles - reviews, puzzle hauls, speed puzzling competitions, time lapse puzzling videos, and more. She does everything from mini puzzles to giant puzzles to 3D puzzle. Her videos are very professional-looking, yet she has a fun and comforting personality. I've learned a few tips from her too. If you enjoy puzzles, this might be a channel on YouTube you would be interested in. I watch all of her new videos and I've also been going back and watching her older videos.
Yikes! I didn't watch any Hallmark movies this past week!! 

ON THE BLOG
Have a great week!
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mystery 3), by Mindy Quigley

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It's been a couple of years since I read Six Feet Deep Dish (Deep Dish Mystery 1), by Mindy Quigley. I really enjoyed it and had always intended on continuing the series. I recently listened to the second one, Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, and not long after that, I read the third one, Public Anchovy #1. I'm so glad I've continued the series. Public Anchovy #1 is not only my favorite installment in the series so far; it's one of my favorite cozies I've ever read since I got hooked on the genre five years ago.

Delilah O'Leary runs a gourmet deep dish pizzeria in the fictional town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. In this third installment, Delilah and her staff are hired to cater a Prohibition-themed fundraiser at the host's mansion. Everyone is on site, including Delilah's cat, Butterball, and ready for a festive evening until a dead body is found. At first it looks like Butterball is the culprit, but it isn't long before it's clear that the victim was murdered by one of the humans who was at the party. 

Due to a severe storm, some guests manage to leave the mansion, but several are trapped overnight. Road conditions are unsafe and the authorities are unable to make it there anytime soon, except for Detective Calvin Capone who was already there for the fundraiser. Capone, Delilah, her entire staff, and several guests are forced to wait out the storm in the mansion with the dead body on the premises, knowing that a killer could be among them. Can they leave in time before the killer strikes again?

One thing I do not often mention in my reviews is setting, but it's worth noting in this installment. The setting felt like a character itself. The details of the mansion are described so vividly I could imagine myself being there. I am not a fan of thunderstorms in real life, but I loved how it was a major factor in this book. The mansion combined with the storm at night felt haunting, but in the cozy realm. I am a huge fan of when weather factors into cozies and this was certainly the case here. It played out perfectly.

I loved revisiting all of the main characters who attended the fundraiser. There is a touch of romance, which was just enough for my liking. I enjoyed how one relationship specifically progressed and I'm excited to see what happens next in future installments. There was one main character from previous installments who was not in attendance, but she was still mentioned in this one. The closed setting in the mansion also gave us the opportunity to get to know the suspects and their possible motives. I really enjoyed the cat, Butterball, in this installment as well. He felt like one of the main characters who played an important role. Butterball also provided us with some comic relief at just the right times.

The book takes place primarily over one night, which I loved. Most of the cozies I have read take place over about one week, which is also fine. But I thought the shorter period of time in this one really worked. The entire story moved along at a comfortable pace.

The mystery is well-plotted and solid. There are enough suspects, twists, and turns that kept me guessing until the big reveal, which was epic. There were several times when I thought I knew who the culprit was, only to change my mind because of something else that came up.

Despite the circumstances of the mystery, the author still managed to bring food into the story. I loved reading all the foodie talk, which made me crave pizza so badly that I had to have some while reading the book. At the end of the book there are several unique recipes, including some that contribute to a "free from" pizza. The "free from" pizza is gluten free, dairy free, and nightshade free.

This is a cozy that will stick with me for a long time. I rarely re-read books because my TBR list is so long, but this is one that I can see myself revisiting in the future. I'd love to read it again to see if I can pick up on clues that I didn't notice before. I'd also love to experience the setting again. It was all so masterfully done.

In the meantime, I will certainly be continuing the series. I love knowing there are other books in the series that have already been published. I look forward to reading them! You can certainly dive into the series beginning with Public Anchovy #1 since it is a self-contained mystery, but if you want to follow the characters from the beginning, start with Six Feet Deep Dish and read them in order.
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Saturday, January 17, 2026

Sunday Post 124

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

We meet again! I had two appointments early last week, then the rest of the week was pretty low-key. I received my new driver's license in the mail and cancelled the appointment I had scheduled at MVA. Very thankful that is done. I'm good for another seven years. I started a new puzzle, which I will share on my blog when it's done. You will see in my blog recap below that I'm now starting to review puzzles I complete. I don't anticipate this one taking me too long, but I won't have time to work on it again until around mid-week.


We had some snow this morning, which was nice, but unfortunately it wasn't much and it didn't stick around too long. I blinked and it had already melted when I opened my eyes. We're expecting a little more on Sunday, so we'll see how much that delivers. It isn't predicted to be much. Where is my snowstorm?? I want real snow!

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED
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I LOVED  Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mystery 3), by Mindy Quigley! If you enjoy cozies and you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it. This installment in particular was so good! It's one of the best cozies I have ever read. I will review it on my blog, but in the meantime, you can read some excerpts here.


IN PROGRESS
Week 4 in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl, was about observing nature from indoors when you can't get outside. My condo faces only one direction towards a shopping center, but there is still lots of nature to be seen. There are a lot of trees, plus the vultures and crows can often be seen perched or flying overhead.
I'm about halfway through Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (Daisy's Tea Garden 1), written by Karen Rose Smith and narrated by C. S. E. Cooney. I'm enjoying this enough that I will likely continue the series after this one is done. The main characters have depth and I'm interested in seeing how their lives progress.
UP NEXT
Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin is still up next. I'm planning to start it on Sunday. This is an ARC I received on NetGalley. It released in a few months.

ON THE SCREEN
  • A Melbourne Match - This was Hallmark's second new movie of the year. It's part of their Winter Escape theme. I'm probably the only one who thought it was just okay. The scenery was nice, but the plot didn't grab me. I think I'm just really missing the non-Christmas winter-themed movies they used to air in January.
  • Winter in Vail - I had seen this 2020 movie before and really enjoyed it, so I watched it again. It's very cozy and perfect for the season.
  • Golden Girls - I really want to finish this season soon. I have about 10 more episodes to watch. I watched a couple more of them this past week. It's on Hulu, as well on The Hallmark Channel.
  • That '70s Show - I don't exactly need another show to watch, but here we are! This is my first go 'round with this show. It's pretty funny. I can see why it lasted as long as it did. I've watched the first few episodes from season 1 so far. The show airs on the Laff television network, which I get on frndly tv.

ON THE BLOG

Have a great week!
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Puzzle 125 - Landscape Mosaic Winter Art

I thought this puzzle was really fun and different. I love the mosaic art form. It took me 3:05 using 35 non-rotating pieces.

Enjoy! Feel free to share your time in the comments if you like, and if you modified the puzzle.

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Friday, January 16, 2026

Friday Features 27

Happy Friday!

It's been a while, but today I'm once again participating in six blog hops.  You can click on the host links below to find the blogs of others who are participating in each blog hop. If you're a blogger, feel free to join through the host links.

Question: Is there a book or series so precious to you that you wouldn't want it adapted for screen, fearing it might be ruined? If it did happen, would you still find yourself watching it?
My response:  I can't think of any book or series that I wouldn't want adapted on screen. When I watch an adaptation of a book, I go into it knowing it will likely be different. I see this as an extension of the world created in the book, not as a comparison.

Today's excerpts are from the paperback format of Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mystery 3), by Mindy Quigley.

Here's the beginning:
Sonya Dokter, my sous chef and best friend, perched in the passenger's seat of our rented catering van, trying unsuccessfully to tune the radio to the weather report.

And here's an excerpt from page 56:
    I turned to find myself face to face with the man who'd been talking to Jarka before the party, Count Victor von Creepazoid Whatshisname Jingleheimer Schmidt.

I have four chapters left to read, so I expect to finish it today or tomorrow and publish my review next week. For now, I'll say that I'm loving this book! I'd describe it as hauntingly cozy.

Let's talk about Fiona. She just had her 3 month mani and pedi. Unlike Bell, Fiona will not allow me to trim her claws. Only her vet or the technicians can do it. She has no problem with them. She's in and out in five minutes.

When she gets home, Bell always hisses at her. She used to hiss all day and even into the next day. This time she only hissed a few times and spent the rest of the day sulking. I don't know what her problem is. She does this even after they've both been to the vet for their annual checkups. I guess Bell is just displaying that "tortitude". Fiona used to get visibly depressed when Bell hissed at her, but now she just takes it in stride knowing her sister will eventually get over it.

In this picture, Fiona is chasing shadows. She's almost four years old and she's only now discovering how cool they are. It's become quite an obsession.

We've had very little snow so far this winter. I've put in my order for more. We've had the cold weather, just not the precipitation when it's cold. I'm hoping that changes soon because I love snow.
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Thursday, January 15, 2026

Puzzle Review - Dancing Cats, by Pomegranate

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Illustrator: Edward Gorey
Piece count: 300 (large pieces)
Size: 18×27 in.

Difficulty: 🧩🧩/5

If you've been following me for a while, you know how much I love puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles are my favorite, so I've decided I'm going to start reviewing completed ones on my blog!

I completed a 1000-piece puzzle in the fall and through December. I loved the picture, but it was very challenging. So this month, I was ready for an easier, more enjoyable experience.

Dancing Cats, by Pomegranate, was gifted to me for Christmas. The box was covered in a plastic seal. After that was removed, the lid had no seal on it, so the box was very easy to open. I then opened the sealed plastic bag inside the box that the pieces were in and I dumped them all out into the box. 

After discarding the plastic wrap and bag, I got a feel for the pieces by running my hands through them. I noticed that the pieces were larger than normal, which was also indicated by the diagram on the back of the box that shows their actual size. The pieces were very sturdy and none of them were peeling. Very high quality!

I then emptied the pieces by hand onto the puzzle board. The puzzle dust that was left in the box was minimal. Another delight! I emptied the dust into the trash can and proceeded to sort out the edge pieces, while turning all of the pieces facing up. I also sorted out the text and pieced those together. The pieces were regular shapes, so I was easily able to sort out all of the edge pieces. 

Well, that's not exactly true. As I put the edge pieces together, I realized I was missing a couple of them. It took me about an hour to put the rest of the edge pieces together.

Day 1

The next day, realizing that this puzzle, although only 300 pieces, was as large as a standard 1000-piece puzzle, I left the pieces in the box so the puzzle board was clutter-free. Normally I sort the rest of the pieces by color or pattern, but I didn't feel that was a necessary step for this one. By the way, the size of the puzzle is clearly stated on the box, so there should have been no surprises on my part. On Day 2 I just started locking in random pieces that stood out to me. The butterfly was the first section I completely finished.

After an hour I had a good bit of it done ("a good bit" is an official unit of measurement, isn't it?). I was losing natural daylight and I didn't want to turn the bright overhead light on, so I called it a day.

Day 2

On the third day, one by one, I picked out the pieces that had purple lines on them, while also occasionally finding other pieces that fit together. Working primarily on the purple lines, however, moved it along at a pretty good pace. After filling in the purple lines, I was able to complete the rest of it pretty easily.

I worked on it for about another hour and I finished it. Oh, and I did find those missing edge pieces I mentioned earlier. (My sincere apologies for originally silently blaming the puzzle maker for not including them.) I had some of the edge pieces on the wrong side of the puzzle. I had to move entire sections to make them fit correctly, and I also overestimated the size of the puzzle. So I moved sections of the edge pieces closer together and it all worked out. Also, at times I thought there were false fits, but when I held those pieces up to the light, I could see they did not exactly fit together.

This puzzle did not come with a separate poster, but the entire image is clear on the outside of the box. And what a fun design it is! I love cats, and seeing them in these quirky poses made me smile. I set the box beside me and used it to figure out where the pieces fit together. 

I've already taken the puzzle apart and put them in a zip lock bag. Normally I separate the edge pieces when I store them, but for a puzzle with only 300 large pieces, I didn't feel that was necessary. Maybe next time I complete this puzzle, I'll do it without looking at the picture on the box for an added challenge.

Overall, I really enjoyed working on this puzzle. It was challenging enough without making me feel frustrated. I was left with a sense of accomplishment after each session. I'd definitely be happy to work on another puzzle by Pomegranate again, and specifically designs by Edward Gorey.

Day 3
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Saturday, January 10, 2026

Sunday Post 123

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

I started AND FINISHED my first puzzle of the year! (This is not including a few I've done online.) It took me three hours over three days to finish this one. When I first started it, I was trying to finish it in one sitting. After I couldn't even finish the border in one hour I knew that wasn't going to happen. But I did finish it and that's what counts! 

Title: Dancing Cats
Brand: Pomegranate
Illustrator: Edward Gorey
Piece count: 300 (large pieces)
Size: 18×27 in.


In other news, my PT sessions have decreased to twice a month. I likely only have two sessions left. My monthly evaluation last week showed some improvement, though not as much as I would have liked. I'll just have to keep up with the program at home as best as possible. I think I'm ending my sessions at the right time. Their practice just bought two large televisions and when I was there on Tuesday they had both of them on, on different channels! That's way too much stimulation for me, especially in such a small space. I prefer music or nothing at all when I'm there.

I had my annual eye exam last week too. It went well overall, but my vision has changed a little bit. It's funny because I didn't notice the change before the exam, but now when I wear my reading glasses, I'm like "Oh, yeah. It is kinda blurry." So I need to order new reading glasses and I'm also getting new frames and lenses for my prescription glasses. I have progressive lenses and because the frames are small, I have trouble finding the sweet spot for reading. So hopefully the larger frames will help with that.

And with the eye exam, I was able to renew my driver's license online. I thought I would have to go to MVA to get my vision test (since they didn't have a current one on file), but since my eye doctor is registered with MVA, she was able to send in the necessary paperwork. What a relief because although they take appointments, I was not looking forward to spending time at MVA.

I had every intention of posting my normal Friday post last week, but because my eyes were dilated most of the day, I wasn't able to spend much time on the computer that day. I'd like to get back on track this week.

I have two appointments (possibly three if I decide to get my hair cut) this coming week. Otherwise, it should be a pretty low key week.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED
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I listened to A Killer Christmas (Murder, She Wrote 59), written by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran and narrated by Laural Merlington. It was not as good as the other one in the series that I've read. It took a long time for the murder to occur, and when it did, the mystery still took a backseat to everything else. I know it can be better, though, so I want to read more books in the series.

IN PROGRESS
I'm loving  Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mystery 3), by Mindy Quigley! I'm planning to finish it by the end of the week. This book is so hauntingly cozy. It takes place primarily in a mansion on a dark and stormy night. It's one of my favorite cozies, so far, that I've read in a while!


Week 3 in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl, was a little depressing. I know it's how nature works, but I'm hoping to feel uplifted in the next chapter.
UP NEXT
I'm so excited I was approved on NetGalley for Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty 2), by Uzma Jalaluddin! It doesn't release for another few months, but this is next on my list to read. I've been looking forward to this one ever since I read the first installment last year.
My next audiobook listen will be Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes (Daisy's Tea Garden 1), by Karen Rose Smith. This is the January pick for The Cozy Mystery Book Club. 
ON THE SCREEN
  • Columbo - I resumed watching season 1. I just have one more episode to go in this season. The episode I watched is called "Short Fuse". It was pretty good. I loved the scenes when they were going up the mountain, but how did Columbo overcome his fear so quickly?
  • Christmas Ever After - This is a Lifetime movie that was made in 2021. I've seen it several times. It's the perfect example of what disability representation should look like in a movie. The female lead is disabled (in real life too), but the plot focuses on her career and the love story. It had nothing to do with her disability.
  • A Keller Christmas Vacation - I enjoyed the sibling chemistry in this Hallmark movie. I love when the entire family is in the movie - both parents and adult siblings. It was a nice blend of humor and heart, although I did feel that one part dragged on for too long.
  • Taking a Shot at Love - I've seen this 2021 hockey-themed Hallmark movie before and I enjoyed it, so I watched it again. It's one of the few Hallmark non-Christmas winter-themed movies. I wish Hallmark would go back to making those.
  • Lost in Paradise - Instead, they air tropical movies like this in January. They somehow think I want to escape from winter. I don't! I want cold, snowy movies in January. Maybe that's why I had a difficult time getting into this new Hallmark movie, even though the entire cast was great.
  • Frozen in Love - This hockey-themed Hallmark movie is from 2018. It's another non-Christmas winter-themed movie that I've seen before and enjoyed, so I watched it again. It's January. Give me those winter vibes!
ON THE BLOG
Have a great week!
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