This And That About....My Favorite Authors Part I

Books I Adore..And The Author Who Wrote Them

I promised in my last post that I would be writing a three part series about my three top favorite authors. Well, here we go with the first post in the series. I am so excited to share about this author with you because her books have been a huge part of my life for many years now. So, without further ado, I want to introduce you to Dora Jessie Saint AKA "Miss Read."



(Image from NY Times)

I discovered my first "Miss Read" book about 32 years ago, soon after I married and moved from West Virginia to our present home state. The library I went to at that time was a tiny branch library located in a corner of a strip mall. There was barely room to turn around between book shelves but I found the space unique and cozy, and while browsing one day a colorful book cover caught my eye. It was a book that described the life of a school teacher living and working in a rural village in England. Being a teacher myself, I've always enjoyed reading any books that feature teachers and I also love anything about England. So you know this book was right up my alley! I checked it out and took it home and immediately fell in love with Miss Read and all of the quirky villagers of Fairacre! How could I not love the long suffering Miss Read (we never learn her first name) who put up with the antics of village children who attend the two room village school, the nosy and difficult school cleaner with a "combustible leg" Mrs. Pringle, the kindly Vicar and the handy man and general fixer of all things in the village, Mr. Willet. Miss Read also has a good friend, Amy, who regularly tries in vain to play matchmaker for Miss Read even though her own marriage to James has its rocky moments.

                                  (Image used in "Summer at Fairacre" by Miss Read. Illustrations done by J.S. Goodall)

Dora Saint, who chose the pseudonym of Miss Read because it was her mother's maiden name, actually wrote two separate series with a few other miscellaneous books in the mix as well. One series focused on Miss Read and life in the fictional village of Fairacre and the other series focused on life in the fictional village of Thrush Green. I have read and own books from both series, but I have to admit that the Fairacre series is my overall favorite. Dora Saint was a teacher herself in rural villages of England and was also married to a teacher. So, many of the story lines in her book are, I believe, actually based on her knowledge of what those villages and schools in rural England were actually like. Her books were published over a long period of years starting in 1955 and progressing to the mid 1990's. However, Miss Read and her students age very little in the books although the final two books in the Fairacre Series chronicle her decision to retire (Farewell to Fairacre) and her post retirement life (A Peaceful Retirement). 

The Thrush Green series has similar quirky characters that interact, gossip and share life together in Thrush Green. This series has two school teachers, Agnes Fogerty and Dorothy Watson, Charles and Dimity Henstock who are the vicar and his wife, and Dimity's best friend Ella Bembridge.  Then there are the humorous characters of Dotty Harmer and Albert Piggot. Dotty is known for making strange health concoctions which villagers warn each other to avoid or they may get a case of "Dotty's Collywobles." Albert Piggot is the lazy church sexton who would rather drink pints at the local pub than attend to his work duties. Both series have numerous other colorful characters that add humor, warmth and empathy to the books.

                           (Image used in "At Home in Thrush Green" by Miss Read. Illustrations by J.S. Goodall)

I have always been a fan of books that are part of a series. I enjoy being able to "visit" with familiar characters that reappear in book after book. There is a comfort to knowing the personality of characters and experiencing the familiar settings of places mentioned in books that are part of a series. The Fairacre and Thrush Green books fit these requirements perfectly and that is why they are my top pick to share with you.

I was saddened to learn that Dora Saint had passed away back in 2012. She was just shy of her 99th birthday when she died! You can read the New York Times article about her life here. I'm so grateful, though, that she wrote these series which I return to time and time again to experience life in these lovely villages where most problems can be solved over a soothing cup of tea.


                                                    (Public Domain Image of Cup of Tea)

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my number one pick for favorite author as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. If you would like to try a Miss Read book you can find them at your local library or at the usual big name bookstores and online book sellers. In my next post, I will be featuring another favorite author who, by the way, also loves reading Miss Read! Until then, I hope you find joy in the small moments and as Miss Read's dear friend, Dolly Clare, would say..."Love to Fairacre."

                                             
                                                                     (Public Domain Image of heart)

This and That....About A Tasty Friday Night Skillet Meal!

I know, I know....I had promised in my last post that I would be starting a series on my favorite authors in my next post. And, I promise that is coming soon. But, I got inspired with dinner tonight and decided to do a quick post on this delicious, filling and super simple skillet meal that I prepared for Mr.thisandthat and myself. Tender chicken and delicious veggies mixed with whole wheat couscous make for yummy Friday Night Fare!

I began by boiling 2/3 cups of water and adding 1/2 cup of whole wheat couscous. This whole process took about five minutes! I don't add salt to anything due to health reasons, so for flavoring I added onion powder, a few shakes of bottled "no salt" Italian seasoning and a dash of black pepper. I added these spices to the water before bringing it to a boil. That added flavor to the couscous once it was added to the boiling water. If you've never made couscous before, you will enjoy how quick the whole process is. The water boils quickly and you remove the pan from the heat after adding the couscous. Wait a few minutes and fluff. 

I began the skillet portion of the meal by chopping 1/2 of a sweet onion and browning it in the skillet in a small amount of olive oil. I then added about 12 halved grape tomatoes, 1 small can of chicken (drained and rinsed to remove sodium) and 1 small can of no sodium whole kernel corn. After all the veggies were softened, I added the couscous and voila...dinner was ready!

Of course, if you don't have issues with sodium you will probably want to add some salt and/or use regular canned corn and chicken. However, the spices, onion and tomato add great flavor to this dish without the salt in my opinion. 

So that's it for my simple but tasty Friday night skillet meal. It's pretty on the plate and filling and yummy for your tummy! I hope your weekend is off to a great start....and I promise favorite authors is coming soon!

This and That....About Autumn Styling!

Foyer Update

It's nothing but rain, rain and more rain in my part of the world today. So, it's a perfect time to do some Autumn styling throughout the house. Join me as I share an update to the foyer table as well as some pretty Fall flower arranging. The rain may be dreary, but it's all about Autumn warmth at my house!

For those of you who have been following my posts, you know that I enjoy changing the foyer table with the various seasons. If you missed any of my previous posts about the foyer table you can catch up here and here.  In my last foyer styling, I went with a "School Theme." Now that we are into October, I feel like it's time to bring out the pumpkins!

I love the cute scarecrows with the hanging legs that dangle off the table. The smaller orange pumpkin is one of my favorites that I display each year. The white pumpkin is a new purchase. I like the white color in contrast to the usual orange. I also will be able to get more use out of the white pumpkin for upcoming Holidays, using it not only for Autumn but for Thanksgiving and even Christmas!

The Autumn wreath has moved from the wreath hanger to the front door. 

And a wooden wreath is now hanging on the wreath hanger. It echoes the sentiment, "Welcome Friends!" The foyer is now ready for Autumn! But, I'm not done with Autumn styling yet!

Fall Flower Arranging

I was happy to find a "Manager's Special" on Fall Bouquets the other day at my local grocery store. I happily purchased a bouquet to bring home and arrange.

The bouquet was so large, I actually was able to make two different arrangement from it.

I used a quart jar for one arrangement, and used a pretty glass creamer for the other arrangement. Quart jars for flowers are so popular right now and I enjoy using unique vases I have on hand. I thought my use of the creamer was unique!

I tied some burlap around the quart jar to add a finishing touch. Now, where to display these beauties? Although they would look lovely on our dining table, a certain cat named Annie would never leave them alone! So, I decided to put them in a safe place on our living room mantel.

I love the layered look of all the things I love on the mantel. Some may think it's too busy, but I think it looks perfect! The flowers add a pretty touch and hopefully little Miss Annie Cat can't get to them!

A cute Autumn throw pillow adds the final touch to a living room chair. I think my Autumn styling is complete! I hope you have enjoyed seeing some styling for Fall at my house. Join me next time, when I will begin a series on three of my favorite authors. Until then, enjoy the beauty of your surroundings!

This and That....About Women's Retreat!

I'm sharing today about a special group of women that I am lucky to know. In fact, I spent the weekend with these powerful women enjoying our annual Christian Spiritual Retreat. We go on retreat about this time every year to a retreat center about an hour's drive from where we live. Sometimes it's September, sometimes it's October, but whenever we get together we enjoy so many special times.  Here's an overview of some of our fun!

Communal meals are a big part of our weekend. We're wearing party hats because our theme for the weekend was "Happiness" and we wanted to have a happy, party-like atmosphere. 

We work as partners and each cook team takes responsibility for preparing and serving one meal during the weekend. Here a cook team is happily working in the kitchen.

All of the meals were AMAZING, but I snapped a photo of this lunch. This was the best vegetable soup topped with couscous and cilantro. And that homemade pimiento cheese on warm homemade bread was some of the best I have ever tasted! Yum! My compliments to all the chefs who prepared meals this weekend!

We created "Happiness" collages that helped us to think about things that make us happy.

And we shared our collages with the group. Here, I am explaining my Happiness Collage. It's amazing how God can speak to you through art and spiritual direction exercises like this one!

We had heartfelt discussions and prayer and devotional time together. 

And time to just laugh and be silly together! We laughed a lot!! You should have seen us playing charades! Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures while we played. Next time!

Although we only go on retreat once a year, our group actually meets monthly. This group has taught me how important it is for women to have connections with other women. Over our almost nine years together, we have laughed, cried and prayed together. Strong bonds have been forged in our group over the years. We sure missed a couple of members who were unable to be with us this weekend.

This is a strong group of amazing women whom I am blessed to spend time with throughout the year. 

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." I am blessed to experience the love of these special ladies! I will end this post with a scripture from Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man (or woman?) who falls and has no one to help him up!"

So until next time,  may you have friends who bring love and joy and a helping hand when you need it to your life! 

Linking to Imparting Grace

This and that About....Debbie's Stylin'!

Happy Saturday! It is so beautiful in my part of the world today. A truly Fall day with blue skies, great temps and leaves just starting to show a smidge of color. This is the perfect day to try something new on my blog....which I'm calling "Debbie's Stylin'!"

I have to chuckle a little at myself in this post. I have never considered myself very photogenic, and certainly not a model! However, I decided to give this stylin' thing a try. Mr.thisandthat and I had a few good laughs as I posed and he snapped photos. I love my jeans and tennis shoes for comfy wear, but I also like to try more dressy outfits from time to time. 

Since I'm an over 50's gal, I try to choose age appropriate outfits that look good, are comfortable and offer style. This is my first attempt at wearing ankle booties with a skirt. Not sure if I like this look. I love the boots but possibly prefer them with leggings or pants.

I bought these boots on sale last Spring and am looking forward to wearing them more often.

I've had the skirt and black top for years, but the aqua long sleeved top is a new find. I purchased it at a local country style restaurant that also sells clothing and other fun items. It's lightweight and just perfect for this time of year when you need something to cover your arms, but nothing too heavy.

I think I prefer this look wearing low heel sandals rather than the boots. A pair of closed toe black pumps would look classy as well. I also enjoy that I can wear the aqua top multiple ways. Here I chose to wear it loose and flowing rather than tied at the waist.

I love jewelry ( I am my mother's daughter!) and enjoy adding bracelets, earrings and a special ring from my husband to complete the look.

So, that's it for my first "Debbie's Stylin" post. I believe that every gal has their own style. Tell me about yours!  Hope you have a wonderful Saturday! (And please note that Gracie also has style. She wanted to be in this photo!)

Linking With;

I'm linking this post with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish for Turning Heads Tuesday! Please visit this site! Thanks for the linkup!

This and That...About Foyer Table Update!

Fall is definitely in the air today in my neck of the world! And tonight, we're supposed to get down into the 40's. Where did summer go? I decided since we are well into September, that maybe it was time to do a re-style on my foyer table. I shared some of the previous stylings I have done on this table in a previous post. If you didn't get a chance to read that and would like to see what I have done previously, you can check it out here. 

Even though it is September, and we are approaching Fall, I just don't feel like doing the pumpkin thing quite yet. So, I decided to do a styling that gives a nod to Autumn and all things September, knowing that there will be plenty of time for pumpkins in October and November! I went through my house filling my basket with things I thought I could use...

 Then, I removed the Lighthouse items I had used previously and gave the table a good dusting in preparation for the new styling.

 I chose a pretty wreath that contains many Fall colors to display on the wreath hanger I purchased at our local farmer's market several years ago. It makes a nice accent standing next to the foyer table.

 For the top of the table, I chose to continue the fall colors by covering the top with a brown cloth topped with a yellow place mat. Since September is the traditional time for school starting, (although in our area, school actually begins in August!), I went with a pseudo-school theme. The two little "Reading Bears" are cute bookends that support a reading theme. To that, I added a school bell and an apple for the teacher!

 The school bell is an antique that was a gift to me from one of my sisters. The apple was a gift to Mr.thisandthat from one of his students. So, there is some nostalgia in the display. Here is a slightly different angle on the display.

The figurine at the back is a metal figurine I bought a few years back on one of our trips to Colorado. It doesn't really fit a school theme, but I liked the sunshine and how the colors of the figurine fit the Fall theme of the table. The school bell actually has a snow scene painted on one side of the bell. It's way too early for snow, however, so I turned it around so the snow doesn't show!

To complete the look, I added two Longaberger baskets on the bottom shelf and floor. The larger basket was given to me as a gift from one of my former teacher assistants many years ago. The smaller Longaberger basket was a "find" at a local antique barn. I love Longaberger baskets! Here is a picture of the completed foyer table display.

I think the foyer has a fresh new look now that says, "Fall is here!"
I hope you have enjoyed seeing the new foyer table styling. How about you? Are you doing any Fall decorating yet? I would love to hear about it!

This and That....About Colds and Flu Season!

So, dear readers, I've been down for the count these last few days with a "bug" of some kind. It could be the flu...it's definitely worse than a cold...not sure the exact definition. I just know I hate these maladies that start with a scratchy throat and a few sniffles and then progress into a fever, achiness, racking cough, horrible congestion and general malaise! Luckily, I saw my doc who sent me some good meds and I have good family and friends who have been lifting me in prayer, so I am starting to see the other side of this icky bug! 

I guess one "good" side effect of these seasonal maladies is that it forces you to slow down, take a break and rest your body. In my case, I just haven't felt like doing anything else other than rest! Even reading a book or watching t.v. has felt like more of a "chore" these last few days! Luckily, I have two "bed warmers" named Gracie and Annie who are my "nurses" while Mr.thisandthat is at work. They keep me company, check on my progress and haven't been too demanding these last few days! I appreciate their support so much! As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing like a warm "furball" to make you feel better! And Mr.thisandthat has taken over the nursing "shift" in the evenings with back rubs and hot soup. 

As you can see, Nurse Annie is ultra concerned with how I am doing! (Hey Mom, could you scoot over? I'm trying to nap here!)

I'm hopeful that since I have caught this virulent strain so early in the cold and flu season, I will be done with germs for the year! Do you think I'll make it? For now, though, I'm gonna keep taking my medicine, drinking my liquids and getting some rest! Until next time, hope you all are staying in the best of health! I will close this post today with a scripture from 3 John 1: 2

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."