A Last Minute Post on the last day of February!

Yes I am running a bit fine with this one.  I've been spending far too much time reading other blogs amongst other everyday things I think.  Fun though.

However I have managed some decluttering for February.  I sort of cheated because I didn't actually count everything.  So whether or not I have my 28 items is debatable.

I'm fairly confident that it would be close to this number anyhow.  Not too bad a cull - and there's plenty more where that came from!

So this is how my car looked before I trotted it off to the local op shop on Tuesday.

My decluttering is someone else's gain.  That's how it works isn't it?  Op shop kharma.

I'm feeling a lot more enthused already now that the weather is cooling down a bit.  Who knows what March will bring!


Have a great weekend.
cheers for now
Wendy

I’ve just finished reading ....

{I'm no great shakes as a reviewer, these are just my personal thoughts.} 

   

The blurb from the cover:

 ‘Ex-DI Hilary Green, now working as a civilian consultant to her former Thames Valley bosses, is happy to be handed another cold case murder file. Who killed a young Oxford student at his digs more than 10years ago and why?  It doesn’t take her long to discover that the young man in question was something of a sexual athlete, and suspects aren’t exactly in short supply, and soon she’s concentrating her investigation on those he bedded and discarded.  But tracking down a killer isn’t her only problem.  She’s picked up a stalker, and his campaign of sending flowers and intimidating messages is heating up.  But when his ‘gifts’ begin to lead her to a number of missing women,  Hillary Greene realizes she may have a much bigger problem on her hands than she thought ........’

I tend to read only new release books which I track down then reserve at my local library.  Generally they are books I’ve heard about in reviews.  However, I was between books at the time and just picked this one randomly.  I’m glad I did, it was a really good read. 

A good police procedural usually interests me, particularly a good English mystery.  Apparently this is the 12^th in a series by Faith Martin.  All have the word ‘Narrow’ in the title (A Narrow Exit, With a Narrow Blade, Across the Narrow Line etc.). 

Back to A Narrow Margin of Error though – Hillary is now retired from the police force and is working on ‘cold cases’ unsolved homicides.  Initially it reads as a fairly predictable mystery, following up on suspects with the understanding that she will reach a ‘whodunit’ stage.

However, the author steps it up a bit and the pace quickens as it becomes apparent that Hillary has a stalker.  The reader is aware of the identity of the stalker, but Hillary is dangerously ignorant and this storyline runs parallel to the murder case – but (naturally) with an unexpected turn.

I found the book to be a good quick read, well written and interesting enough to keep me up reading late on a few nights.  I would give it 4 stars if I was rating it.   This one ends with a lead up to the newly released Walk a Narrow Mile, so I will look out for that one too.

Oh also!  Edwina commented that she too had read Burial Rites and enjoyed it.  It's such a beautiful but sad tale - and ever so indulgent to be reading about Iceland whilst 'enjoying' a heatware.  Highly recommend - has anyone else read it?

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I’ve been looking to these two for inspiration in the kitchen.

Just looking up different recipes and trying to perk up my lacklustre interest in cooking lately!  Blame it on summer, blame it on the heat, but I have just totally lost interest in the kitchen lately.

It’s a pretty difficult line we walk isn’t it?  I can’t really remember putting my hand up to be chief nutritionist/dietician/budget keeper/chef. 

However, between keeping up with the Paleo son who seems to either cook steak for himself or ask ‘what’s for dinner mum’,  and fairly normal diet for husband and self with a ‘eating less but eating more wholefood’ approach for all of us - and combined with the heat - it’s no wonder the kitchen is not my favourite place at the moment.

I also try to buy low salt, non-GM Australian made products, sourced locally and steer away from the Big2 supermarkets.  Sometimes (mind you I'm not really complaining) I feel that all I do is haul shopping into the house - and read labels!

Also, son has just himself scored a 2nd part time job, so I've told him he can flip his own steak in the staff kitchen!  The uni break is such a long time isn't it? 

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On another note, here's another interesting duo.  Just thought I’d drop in a shot of the cute pillow my cheeky SIL made for my husband’s recent birthday. 

Her excuse was that the vintage tea towel caught her eye as it is Irish Linen (Irish family background obviously).  Hmmm....... I wonder!

  

Cheers for now

Wendy