Golden Gratitude - T is for Tumbler

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

T is for tumbler - my new Stanley cup tumbler.

About 10 years ago, I bought a water bottle that I loved. It had a handle on top that made it easy for me to carry. It was made of glass, so no toxic chemicals getting into my water. It had a pretty lime green (my second favorite color after coral) sleeve that protected it from breaking if it fell.

Well, recently, it fell...and it broke. 😭

It broke my heart into a million pieces. It felt like I was walking on broken glass. (Don't worry. I didn't.) I loved this bottle so much and I was so upset it was gone. It has fallen several times, but didn't break until that one sad day. And it happened at one of my absolute favorite places to visit. Sigh...

But then I remembered the Stanley cup. What's a hockey fan like me doing without a Stanley cup??? Duh. It was a no-brainer that it was time to fix that. I didn't realize until I looked at the website that some come with handles, and up to 30 oz. can fit in a cup holder. They are stainless steel on the inside, so again, no toxic chemicals from plastic.

I knew which type and size to get. More than anything, I debated on the color.😅 I changed my mind three times before settling on cream. I chose a "clean" almost white color so I can add stickers to it. Right now, I have a Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Championship sticker (from when they won in 2018) on it, but I plan to add more. I want to add some cozy mystery stickers.

As for its purpose of being a water bottle, I love it. My water stays cold all day (I don't mind room temperature water, but I prefer cold) and, like my previous bottle, it's easy to carry. Overall, I'd say it's very high quality and worth the "investment".

I promise you, I don't work for this company.😅 I'm just a girl that's happy with her Stanley cup. A new era has begun.

Also, GO CAPS!!!🏒🏆

The Tell-Tale Homicide (Rare Books Mystery 2), by Daphne Silver

🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

The Tell-tale Homicide is the follow-up to Agatha Award-winning Crime and Parchment in Daphne Silver's Rare Books Mystery series. In this installment, rare books librarian, Juniper Blume, is thrilled to be starting a new job creating a museum in the town of Rose Mallow, Maryland. However, Juniper does not receive such a warm welcome. Among other unfortunate events, on her first day, Juniper discovers a dead man holding a book by Edgar Allen Poe that was stolen from her collection. Secrets are uncovered as Juniper sets out to untangle this mystery.

I loved Crime and Parchment, so I knew the follow-up would be a tough act to follow. I'm happy to say this is another strong installment in the Rare Books Mystery series. What first captured my attention with this series was the fact that it is set in my home state of Maryland. Once again, in this installment, Daphne Silver made me proud to be a Marylander. While the town of Rose Mallow is fictional, there are several references to areas in Maryland that are familiar to me. For readers who are not from Maryland, you will get to know the area a little better from reading this book.

But more than that, this is yet another well-crafted mystery. There are lots of unexpected twists and turns and a handful of suspects to consider. While I suspected some characters to be the culprit, I was never really sure who it was. The big reveal, which was suspenseful and action-packed, was surprising to me. Yet, it all made sense.

On the cozy side of this mystery, Rose Mallow is a charming Chesapeake Bay town that has a strong sense of community. Juniper and her sister, Azalea, are becoming closer, and Juniper's romantic relationship is growing. I really enjoyed the rest of the main characters as well. They all have depth and I was interested in getting to know them. If you enjoy furry companions, you will enjoy Clover, the dog, as well.

This isn't a culinary cozy, but there is plenty of food talk. There are no recipes at the end, but we are directed to Daphne Silver's website where we will find them there. I will definitely be looking into them. Not only does the food sound delicious, but I love how it focuses on Juniper's heritage.

Festivals are always fun to read about in cozy mysteries. They bring the community together, they're a great place to talk to people, even if it means trying to get information about the murder, or they could even be the perfect setting for the crime itself. It's also the ideal setting to talk about food. In The Tell-Tale Homicide, there is a Labor Day Festival that was inspired by a real-life Labor Day Festival in Maryland.

I also enjoyed reading the Author's Note at the end of the book. Because of it, I have added some museums to my must-visit list. The connection in this book to Edgar Allen Poe was intriguing. It made me curious to learn more about him and read more of his work.

As with most cozy mysteries in a series, this one can be read as a standalone. It's a complete mystery and you won't feel lost not having met the characters before. However, I do recommend reading Crime and Parchment first so you can see the relationships grow. The Tell-Tale Homicide, by Daphne Silver, releases today.

Thank you to Daphne Silver for providing me with a free eARC of The Tell-Tale Homicide in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Golden Gratitude - S is for Swift Service

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

S is for swift service. After the plumbing fiasco on Friday, I decided that the second toilet should be repaired proactively. It isn't leaking now, but based on what the problem was with the other toilet, I know I need to get the second one repaired as well. I called the plumber yesterday (Monday) and was able to get an appointment for today (Tuesday). I'm grateful for swift service! As a bonus, I was also able to get the same technician who repaired the first toilet and they are once again giving me a discount since they are affiliated with my property management company.

Golden Gratitude - R is for Retirement

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

R is for retirement. I'm grateful that my disability retirement was approved almost exactly 14 years ago, on November 16th. It was approved exactly one year after events that led to my decision to retire on disability were set in motion, so it was pretty symbolic that it happened on that date. I'm thankful that it didn't take long for me to be approved - just a couple of months. It didn't go into effect until a few weeks later, on December 1st, but at least I knew it was happening. What a happy Thanksgiving I had that year! Retiring on disability was one of the best decisions I ever made for my physical and mental health. It was hard to see it this way at the time, but it turns out, everything I went through the year prior to retirement was setting the stage for a better life.

Golden Gratitude - Q is for Quiet Day

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

Q is for a quiet day. After the plumbing fiasco on Friday and shopping on Saturday, I'm grateful for a quiet Sunday at home.

Golden Gratitude - P is for Plumber

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

P is for plumber. I'm so grateful for the plumber who came to my rescue yesterday. I discovered the toilet tank was leaking, or at least I was almost certain it was. I knew there was a leak somewhere near the toilet, but I couldn't find the exact source. I wasn't able to turn the water off because the floor was very wet and I didn't want to risk slipping on it. There were rugs in the bathroom, but they were soaked at this point.

At 9:30, I called the property manager (who I'm also grateful for) and he called a plumber who is familiar with my building. I was told the plumber would be here at 11:00. When he didn't arrive by 11:15, I contacted the property manager again. He informed me that the plumber was running late and that he would be here by 11:55. Wow, that's a precise time. But that's exactly when he arrived!

He wiped up all the water in the bathroom, found the source of the leak, shut the water off, and made the necessary repairs. Thankfully, the damage to the unit below me is minimal. Since the plumber is affiliated with my property management company, I received a discount on the total cost, which was already reasonably priced anyway. Making the repairs took about an hour. He explained everything in detail to me and was on his way.

I do need to buy new bathroom rugs, but I wanted to do that anyway. (I sure do miss going to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I guess I'll buy the rugs online.) Also, having the bathroom rugs there turned out to be a very good thing because they soaked up a lot of the water from the leak, which would have otherwise caused an even bigger flood.

The reason for the leak was corrosion on some of the parts. My condo is almost 20 years old and everything associated with the toilet is from the original installation. So it wasn't surprising that this happened. And I'm going to be proactive and check the other toilet in the second bathroom today. I'm guessing it will be time to make repairs to that one as well.

When the plumber left, he told me to have a wonderful weekend. I told him I would, now that the repairs were made.

Oh, and on a light-hearted note, he texted me all the pictures he took of the corrosion and the repairs so I would have a record of everything. The notification alert I have on my phone for when I receive texts is the sound a camera makes when it takes a picture - you know, the clicking sound. He sent me 14 pictures and he laughed when the "camera kept clicking". He thought that was a cool notification sound. :)

Golden Gratitude - O is for Oats and Oat Milk

To see an explanation of how Golden Gratitude works, click here. To see a list of all Golden Gratitude posts, click on the label on the right sidebar or click here.

O is for oats and oat milk, but NOT oatmeal! I do not like oatmeal, but I eat raw oats in my yogurt and I have recently started using oat milk in different ways. I've reduced the amount of coconut water in my smoothies and I make up for it with oat milk. I like the flavor and consistency it gives my smoothies. It's a little thicker and not as sweet. I like some sweetness, but not too much. I've also been using oat milk to make hot cocoa since I don't tolerate dairy milk as well. I buy an organic brand of oat milk that is unsweetened. The ingredients are simple - oats, water, and salt. (To make hot cocoa, I use oat milk, raw cacao powder, and maple syrup.)

Thanks to a friend who gave me the idea, I'm going to try making a pie crust with just oats and melted butter. I'm excited to try it when I make pecan pie for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday!