My husband is just as southern as I am. His mom's people are from North Carolina. His dad's people are from Tennessee. And he's been with me for going on 25 years. How is it that he was surprised to hear me say "tuhmaytuhs" when we were getting groceries this evening?
Husband: "Tuhmaytuhs? There are a couple O's in there. Shouldn't it be 'toemaytoes?' "
Me: "I've always said tuhmaytuhs."
#dudeseriously #whereyoubeen #proudsoutherner #proudnorthcarolinian #handinyoursoutherncard #yourmomanddemfromsampsoncounty #comeonnow #mountainfolkheritage #robesonandcumberlandheritage
(I know hashtags aren't a thing on blogs, but these are the hashtags I used on Facebook and I thought they were funny. lol Also, Robeson and Cumberland are counties in North Carolina. My mom's mom's family are from there. Her dad's family are from the mountains.)
Then Kelly chimes in, "Remember when you ordered a spahcy chicken sandwich for me from Wendy's?"
Me: "That's that mountain ancestry coming out from my grandpa's side."
I tried to find an example of how North Carolina mountain folk pronounce long I's (the way I said it in "spicy"), but only found a brief mention (just the pronunciation really) of it at this site. "White rice".
I also found this fun and interesting video.
By the way, we pronounce "Appalachian" like app-uh-latch-un in North Carolina. No long A's.
Anyway, I may have lived in a few other states growing up (including a couple years up north in Ohio) and I've lived in Greensboro for over 25 years (which, along with a few other NC cities, is full of out-of-staters who cause our southern accents to get watered down, sadly), but those eastern NC and western NC accents are still in me. While my accent isn't as strong as my family in the Fayetteville area or the mountains, I do have a southern accent.
Some may try to sound less southern (which I don't get; if you're southern, be proud of your accent), but I wish my accent was stronger. Had I not spent about seven years outside of North Carolina and had stayed in the coastal town of my childhood or lived in the Fayetteville area where most of my family lives, I would have a much deeper accent. I have an audio tape from our first Christmas in Tulsa when I was 6 or 7 years old. My accent was so deep! lol I sometimes wonder just how deep it would be if there hadn't been outside influences.
I love being southern and love being a North Carolinian. (This is not to say that my husband is the opposite of that. He loves being southern and North Carolinian, too.) I love our accents, our food, and our beautiful land - from the Appalachians to our beautiful rolling hills, our piney sand hills to our small coastal towns and islands. I love our trees and trails and our rivers, lakes, beaches, and waterfalls. Well, I could go on, but I'll stop there. :-)
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Saturday, January 12, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
50 Questions
1. What time did you get up this morning?
7:30
2. How do you like your steak?
Well done.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I think. December 2017.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Outlander, The Walking Dead, Vikings, The Last Kingdom, Game of Thrones, Victoria, Poldark, The Crown.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would only choose to live somewhere other than the area I currently live in if it didn't exist. In which case, I would choose New Zealand.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
No time for breakfast. I had brunch after church. French toast and bacon.
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Italian and Southern American.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Vegetables (though I do love tomato sauces and will eat carrots if they're in soup or stew), Asian food, organs or other weird foods, most condiments.
9. Favorite Place to Eat?
In Greensboro: Lucky 32, Salvino, Brixx, Pizzeria L'Italiano. In Southport: Fishy Fishy Cafe, Famous Subs and Pizza, and Locals. In Asheville: Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian. In Manteo: La Dolce Vita. In Wilmington: Nicola's.
10. Favorite dressing?
I don't eat dressing or salad.
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
2007 Honda CRV.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
Maybe my church clothes. And my summer clothes. And the clothes I wear around the house because they're comfortable.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
New Zealand, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and maybe Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, and Greece.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
½ full.
15. Where would you want to retire?
The same area I live in now. I love my church too much to ever leave.
16. Favorite time of day?
Late at night.
17. Where were you born?
Wilmington, NC.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
NFL football (Carolina Panthers) and UNC Tar Heels basketball.
19. How many siblings?
One.
20. Favorite pastime/hobby:
Reading, hiking mountain trails, walking in the woods at Hagan-Stone Park, watching movies, genealogy.
21. Bird watcher?
No. I mean, I like watching birds, but I'm not a bird watcher.
22. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night.
23. Do you have any pets?
Yes. Two dogs (Pippin - toy poodle, Milo - Jack Russell) and a crazy cat (Loki - gray tabby).
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
No.
25. What did you want to be when you were little?
Nothing that I can remember. As a teenager, I thought about a few things (archaeology, travel industry, computer programming, social work, writer), but lost interest in them after a few years. Nothing has interested me since, other than being a wife and mother. Though being paid to read or travel would be cool.
26. What is your best childhood memory?
Most Christmases. I loved not only the presents, but also the tree and the pretty, colorful lights, the carols, the food, family.
One Thanksgiving or Christmas (around that time of year anyway), we visited some distant "relatives" when we were living in Oklahoma. (I think they were probably the family of my uncle Paul's wife Mary Sue. Uncle Paul had passed about two decades earlier and Aunt Mary Sue remarried John - we called him Uncle John. They weren't blood relatives, but we still called her "aunt" and we called him "uncle.") Anyway, they lived in a house in the country - quite a bit of acreage. I remember playing outside with a girl around my age, their beautiful Christmas tree, fire in the fireplace, exploring their land a bit, the cool yet comfortable weather. It was the only time we went there and I can't remember what town they lived in, but it's one of my favorite memories. I was about 7 or 8 years old.
The quiet beauty of Southport when I was a kid before everyone discovered it. It still has a small population (though sadly it's growing), but way too many visitors.
27. Are you a cat or dog person?
Cat. I like dogs, but I love cats. :-)
28. Are you married?
Yes.
29. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.
30. Been in a car accident?
No.
31. Any pet peeves?
Slow drivers, drivers who go too fast, drivers who don't use their blinkers, drivers who can't make up their minds (turning, not turning, yep turning; fast, slow, fast, slow, etc.), clothes and socks on the floor, towels on the floor, shoes in the living room, open drawers or cabinets, pantry door not closed all the way, toilet lid left up (who wants to see the inside of the toilet?), people not picking up after themselves or wiping up their spills. I could probably go on if I thought about it long enough, but I'll stop here.
32. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Just pepperoni, thanks.
33. Favorite Flower?
I love all flowers really. But probably my favorites are red poppies, orange lilies, hyacinth, hydrangeas, purple (blue) irises, light pink peonies, purple dahlias, and any red, purple, orange, or yellow flowers. And pink.
34. Favorite ice cream?
Baskin-Robbins chocolate chip cookie dough. Ben & Jerry's blueberry cheesecake. (Unfortunately, that's been discontinued. :-/ ) Friendly's individual sized Original fudge sundae.
35. Favorite fast food restaurant?
I'm not big on fast food. Chick-fil-A is good though. I used to like others (Taco Bell, Arby's), but I either lost my taste or it made me sick the last time I ate it.
36. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Zero.
37. From whom did you get your last email?
Not sure. Ancestry or Netflix or GoodReads or something else.
38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I don't have any credit cards. And if I did have one, I wouldn't want to max it out. Now, if the question were at which store would I want a free shopping spree, there are a few. Dillard's, Macy's, Barnes and Noble, Belk, or Best Buy.
39. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Not that I can recall.
40. Like your job?
Yes.
41. Broccoli?
No.
42. What was your favorite vacation?
Every time we've gone to Southport.
43. Last person you went out to dinner with?
My kids and my son's girlfriend Ashley.
44. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing. Though if I stop typing, I can hear the refrigerator running.
45. What is your favorite color?
Green. And then red, various shades of blue, light pink, plum, and lavender.
46. How many tattoos do you have?
None. I hate tattoos.
47. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:17 AM
48. Coffee Drinker?
No.
49. Dream vehicle: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in black, medium/dark gray, or military green. I'd want it totally tricked out with rugged tires and bars and looking big and "beefy", rugged and tough.
50. Dream house: Spacious brick ranch (2000 sq. ft or more) or white farm house with black shutters or maybe a Victorian, in the country. I'd want three bedrooms with big walk-in closets, living room, den, a room for my library (I'd probably use the living room if we had a den or I'd use a fourth bedroom if we didn't), formal dining room, big front porch, lots of land with woods in the back and a stream or creek and a pretty view of hills and trees from the front, no neighbors close-by, no open floor plan, bigger kitchen with a big pantry and lots of counter space (something I don't have enough of now), a good-sized laundry room (I currently have a laundry closet, so I do laundry in the hall), plenty of closets (we have no front closet and no linen closet right now), wood-burning fireplace in the living room and/or den, spacious attic, attached 1-2 car garage for my car and a detached 2-3 car garage for Charlie's cars, a basement in case of tornadoes, apartment over the detached garage for my mom or my kids if they needed it.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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7:30
2. How do you like your steak?
Well done.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I think. December 2017.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Outlander, The Walking Dead, Vikings, The Last Kingdom, Game of Thrones, Victoria, Poldark, The Crown.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would only choose to live somewhere other than the area I currently live in if it didn't exist. In which case, I would choose New Zealand.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
No time for breakfast. I had brunch after church. French toast and bacon.
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Italian and Southern American.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Vegetables (though I do love tomato sauces and will eat carrots if they're in soup or stew), Asian food, organs or other weird foods, most condiments.
9. Favorite Place to Eat?
In Greensboro: Lucky 32, Salvino, Brixx, Pizzeria L'Italiano. In Southport: Fishy Fishy Cafe, Famous Subs and Pizza, and Locals. In Asheville: Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian. In Manteo: La Dolce Vita. In Wilmington: Nicola's.
10. Favorite dressing?
I don't eat dressing or salad.
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
2007 Honda CRV.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
Maybe my church clothes. And my summer clothes. And the clothes I wear around the house because they're comfortable.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
New Zealand, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and maybe Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, and Greece.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
½ full.
15. Where would you want to retire?
The same area I live in now. I love my church too much to ever leave.
16. Favorite time of day?
Late at night.
17. Where were you born?
Wilmington, NC.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
NFL football (Carolina Panthers) and UNC Tar Heels basketball.
19. How many siblings?
One.
20. Favorite pastime/hobby:
Reading, hiking mountain trails, walking in the woods at Hagan-Stone Park, watching movies, genealogy.
21. Bird watcher?
No. I mean, I like watching birds, but I'm not a bird watcher.
22. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night.
23. Do you have any pets?
Yes. Two dogs (Pippin - toy poodle, Milo - Jack Russell) and a crazy cat (Loki - gray tabby).
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
No.
25. What did you want to be when you were little?
Nothing that I can remember. As a teenager, I thought about a few things (archaeology, travel industry, computer programming, social work, writer), but lost interest in them after a few years. Nothing has interested me since, other than being a wife and mother. Though being paid to read or travel would be cool.
26. What is your best childhood memory?
Most Christmases. I loved not only the presents, but also the tree and the pretty, colorful lights, the carols, the food, family.
One Thanksgiving or Christmas (around that time of year anyway), we visited some distant "relatives" when we were living in Oklahoma. (I think they were probably the family of my uncle Paul's wife Mary Sue. Uncle Paul had passed about two decades earlier and Aunt Mary Sue remarried John - we called him Uncle John. They weren't blood relatives, but we still called her "aunt" and we called him "uncle.") Anyway, they lived in a house in the country - quite a bit of acreage. I remember playing outside with a girl around my age, their beautiful Christmas tree, fire in the fireplace, exploring their land a bit, the cool yet comfortable weather. It was the only time we went there and I can't remember what town they lived in, but it's one of my favorite memories. I was about 7 or 8 years old.
The quiet beauty of Southport when I was a kid before everyone discovered it. It still has a small population (though sadly it's growing), but way too many visitors.
27. Are you a cat or dog person?
Cat. I like dogs, but I love cats. :-)
28. Are you married?
Yes.
29. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.
30. Been in a car accident?
No.
31. Any pet peeves?
Slow drivers, drivers who go too fast, drivers who don't use their blinkers, drivers who can't make up their minds (turning, not turning, yep turning; fast, slow, fast, slow, etc.), clothes and socks on the floor, towels on the floor, shoes in the living room, open drawers or cabinets, pantry door not closed all the way, toilet lid left up (who wants to see the inside of the toilet?), people not picking up after themselves or wiping up their spills. I could probably go on if I thought about it long enough, but I'll stop here.
32. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Just pepperoni, thanks.
33. Favorite Flower?
I love all flowers really. But probably my favorites are red poppies, orange lilies, hyacinth, hydrangeas, purple (blue) irises, light pink peonies, purple dahlias, and any red, purple, orange, or yellow flowers. And pink.
34. Favorite ice cream?
Baskin-Robbins chocolate chip cookie dough. Ben & Jerry's blueberry cheesecake. (Unfortunately, that's been discontinued. :-/ ) Friendly's individual sized Original fudge sundae.
35. Favorite fast food restaurant?
I'm not big on fast food. Chick-fil-A is good though. I used to like others (Taco Bell, Arby's), but I either lost my taste or it made me sick the last time I ate it.
36. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Zero.
37. From whom did you get your last email?
Not sure. Ancestry or Netflix or GoodReads or something else.
38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I don't have any credit cards. And if I did have one, I wouldn't want to max it out. Now, if the question were at which store would I want a free shopping spree, there are a few. Dillard's, Macy's, Barnes and Noble, Belk, or Best Buy.
39. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Not that I can recall.
40. Like your job?
Yes.
41. Broccoli?
No.
42. What was your favorite vacation?
Every time we've gone to Southport.
43. Last person you went out to dinner with?
My kids and my son's girlfriend Ashley.
44. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing. Though if I stop typing, I can hear the refrigerator running.
45. What is your favorite color?
Green. And then red, various shades of blue, light pink, plum, and lavender.
46. How many tattoos do you have?
None. I hate tattoos.
47. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:17 AM
48. Coffee Drinker?
No.
49. Dream vehicle: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in black, medium/dark gray, or military green. I'd want it totally tricked out with rugged tires and bars and looking big and "beefy", rugged and tough.
50. Dream house: Spacious brick ranch (2000 sq. ft or more) or white farm house with black shutters or maybe a Victorian, in the country. I'd want three bedrooms with big walk-in closets, living room, den, a room for my library (I'd probably use the living room if we had a den or I'd use a fourth bedroom if we didn't), formal dining room, big front porch, lots of land with woods in the back and a stream or creek and a pretty view of hills and trees from the front, no neighbors close-by, no open floor plan, bigger kitchen with a big pantry and lots of counter space (something I don't have enough of now), a good-sized laundry room (I currently have a laundry closet, so I do laundry in the hall), plenty of closets (we have no front closet and no linen closet right now), wood-burning fireplace in the living room and/or den, spacious attic, attached 1-2 car garage for my car and a detached 2-3 car garage for Charlie's cars, a basement in case of tornadoes, apartment over the detached garage for my mom or my kids if they needed it.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Friday, January 4, 2019
The Passing of a Friend
My friend Joni passed away from ovarian cancer a couple hours ago. She was just 44 years old. She was married with four kids. (Ages 12 to about 20 or 21.) We had been friends for about 16 years.
My heart is hurting. I will miss talking and laughing with her. I keep breaking down crying, even when I think I've cried all I can. But as much as I'm hurting, I know her family is hurting so much worse. I just cannot even imagine sitting by her side and waiting for her to either miraculously get better or to pass. Chemo and treatments weren't working anymore and she decided to stop and bring in hospice until it was over.
We thought she might live a few more weeks. Then things took a turn for the worse and we thought maybe another week, if that. Then the nurses said she might live 72 more hours. But she only lived a few more hours.
We (me and our group of friends) knew it was almost over and we waited with dread. Then we got the news a little after 12:30 AM that she was gone. (She lives on the west coast, so she passed a few hours before midnight on January 3rd.) And though we knew it was coming, it hurt so much. I've "ugly cried" a few times in the past couple hours. Her passing was expected, if God didn't give her a miracle, but still hard to believe.
Goodbye, my friend. Gone too soon. You will never be forgotten.
ETA: My two favorite paintings that Joni painted.
Dandelions.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Signature colors are two of her favorites - teal and pink. Her other favorite was coral.
My heart is hurting. I will miss talking and laughing with her. I keep breaking down crying, even when I think I've cried all I can. But as much as I'm hurting, I know her family is hurting so much worse. I just cannot even imagine sitting by her side and waiting for her to either miraculously get better or to pass. Chemo and treatments weren't working anymore and she decided to stop and bring in hospice until it was over.
We thought she might live a few more weeks. Then things took a turn for the worse and we thought maybe another week, if that. Then the nurses said she might live 72 more hours. But she only lived a few more hours.
We (me and our group of friends) knew it was almost over and we waited with dread. Then we got the news a little after 12:30 AM that she was gone. (She lives on the west coast, so she passed a few hours before midnight on January 3rd.) And though we knew it was coming, it hurt so much. I've "ugly cried" a few times in the past couple hours. Her passing was expected, if God didn't give her a miracle, but still hard to believe.
Goodbye, my friend. Gone too soon. You will never be forgotten.
ETA: My two favorite paintings that Joni painted.
Dandelions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Signature colors are two of her favorites - teal and pink. Her other favorite was coral.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Hopes, Dreams, and Goals for 2019
I thought I didn't really have any hopes for this year, but then I got to thinking and realized that I do. lol
So, here they are in no particular order. My hopes, dreams, and goals for 2019.
1. That God will heal my friend Joni of cancer. Things are not looking good right now.
2. That my kids will figure out what they want to do with their lives, pursue it, and succeed.
3. That we will do what needs to be done to our house to get it ready to sell. There are repairs, touch-up painting, de-cluttering, and rearranging that needs to be done.
4. If we put our house back on the market this year, that it will sell for what the asking price will be (or more) and that we can move to a bigger place in the country with some land and no close neighbors. I want a room for my library and I need a bigger kitchen with more counter space.
5. Pray more and read my Bible more.
6. Try to read more books.
7. I'd love for our church to grow spiritually and physically.
8. Be healed of PCOS and all symptoms gone. I want my hair back (normal thickness and several more inches in length), excess weight gone, better skin, risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart attack gone, etc.
9. That my kids will get closer to God.
10. That Charlie will get a raise and be able to get the truck he needs.
11. Finally tackle my closet and be able to bring myself to get rid of some things. There are clothes I haven't worn in quite awhile, but I'm having a hard time getting rid of them. lol
12. If I could finally break through some of the brick walls in my family tree, that would be awesome!
I could possibly add more to this if I thought long enough, but I'm going to stop here.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here they are in no particular order. My hopes, dreams, and goals for 2019.
1. That God will heal my friend Joni of cancer. Things are not looking good right now.
2. That my kids will figure out what they want to do with their lives, pursue it, and succeed.
3. That we will do what needs to be done to our house to get it ready to sell. There are repairs, touch-up painting, de-cluttering, and rearranging that needs to be done.
4. If we put our house back on the market this year, that it will sell for what the asking price will be (or more) and that we can move to a bigger place in the country with some land and no close neighbors. I want a room for my library and I need a bigger kitchen with more counter space.
5. Pray more and read my Bible more.
6. Try to read more books.
7. I'd love for our church to grow spiritually and physically.
8. Be healed of PCOS and all symptoms gone. I want my hair back (normal thickness and several more inches in length), excess weight gone, better skin, risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart attack gone, etc.
9. That my kids will get closer to God.
10. That Charlie will get a raise and be able to get the truck he needs.
11. Finally tackle my closet and be able to bring myself to get rid of some things. There are clothes I haven't worn in quite awhile, but I'm having a hard time getting rid of them. lol
12. If I could finally break through some of the brick walls in my family tree, that would be awesome!
I could possibly add more to this if I thought long enough, but I'm going to stop here.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Books and Movies of 2018
I enjoyed almost every book I read last year. It's going to be hard to rank them.
1. A Reaper at the Gates, by Sabaa Tahir
2. Thunderhead, by Neal Shusterman
3. Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion
4. A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas
5. The New Hunger, by Isaac Marion
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
7. A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas
8. The Burning World, by Isaac Marion
9. O Pioneers!, by Willa Cather
10. The Martian, by Andy Weir
11. A Court of Frost and Starlight, by Sarah J. Maas
12. After You, by Jojo Moyes
13. Fading, by Cindy Cipriano
14. High Voltage, by Karen Marie Moning
15. The Trickster's Lover, by Samantha MacLeod
16. The Things We Cherished, by Pam Jenoff
17. The Kept, by James Scott
I gave books 1-10 four stars out of five at GoodReads. Their order could change on any given day. I gave books 11-16 three stars. I probably wouldn't change their order. I gave book 17 two stars.
I read most of Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon (a book of novellas), but lost interest more than halfway through, while reading A Fugitive Green. I'm on page 335 of 526. I will try to finish it within the next month or two.
I started reading Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien in September or October, but have only made it to page 36. It may take all year to read it. lol
Most of the movies I watched last year were just okay. Though I'm ranking them, I wouldn't call any of them a favorite. Guernsey was pretty good though and Jumanji was funny. Black Panther was good, as in well-made and well-acted, and the action was good, but I didn't like it enough to watch it a second time.
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
3. Black Panther
4. The Christmas Chronicles
5. Victoria and Abdul
6. To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The rest were just okay and not really good enough to put on my list of best/top movies.
Outlaw King, Nappily Ever After, Tomb Raider (2018), Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Greatest Showman (though people raved about this movie, it was just kind of "eh" for me), The Man Who Invented Christmas.
The movie I didn't like was A Quiet Place. Another movie people raved about, but it got on my nerves.
I didn't see many movies last year. Very few interested me. I hope I see better movies this year.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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1. A Reaper at the Gates, by Sabaa Tahir
2. Thunderhead, by Neal Shusterman
3. Warm Bodies, by Isaac Marion
4. A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas
5. The New Hunger, by Isaac Marion
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
7. A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas
8. The Burning World, by Isaac Marion
9. O Pioneers!, by Willa Cather
10. The Martian, by Andy Weir
11. A Court of Frost and Starlight, by Sarah J. Maas
12. After You, by Jojo Moyes
13. Fading, by Cindy Cipriano
14. High Voltage, by Karen Marie Moning
15. The Trickster's Lover, by Samantha MacLeod
16. The Things We Cherished, by Pam Jenoff
17. The Kept, by James Scott
I gave books 1-10 four stars out of five at GoodReads. Their order could change on any given day. I gave books 11-16 three stars. I probably wouldn't change their order. I gave book 17 two stars.
I read most of Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon (a book of novellas), but lost interest more than halfway through, while reading A Fugitive Green. I'm on page 335 of 526. I will try to finish it within the next month or two.
I started reading Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien in September or October, but have only made it to page 36. It may take all year to read it. lol
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Most of the movies I watched last year were just okay. Though I'm ranking them, I wouldn't call any of them a favorite. Guernsey was pretty good though and Jumanji was funny. Black Panther was good, as in well-made and well-acted, and the action was good, but I didn't like it enough to watch it a second time.
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
3. Black Panther
4. The Christmas Chronicles
5. Victoria and Abdul
6. To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The rest were just okay and not really good enough to put on my list of best/top movies.
Outlaw King, Nappily Ever After, Tomb Raider (2018), Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Greatest Showman (though people raved about this movie, it was just kind of "eh" for me), The Man Who Invented Christmas.
The movie I didn't like was A Quiet Place. Another movie people raved about, but it got on my nerves.
I didn't see many movies last year. Very few interested me. I hope I see better movies this year.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Happy New Year! And 2018 Meme.
Happy New Year! I wonder what 2019 will bring us.
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1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
Nothing comes to mind.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Our cat Sadie. She had days, maybe hours left, so I brought her to the emergency vet and had her put to sleep so she wouldn't suffer. She was 16 years old.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. :-/
6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
A bigger home so that I can have a room just for my library. And a death-free year in my home and family.
7. What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 3rd. The day Sadie died.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I shopped a lot less than I have in years past.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not reading my Bible enough or praying enough.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Books, food, and Loki stuff. :-)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
None that I can think of.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
None that I can think of.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills and groceries.
15. What did you get excited about?
Church, some Panthers games, going to the mountains in October.
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2018?
Way Maker, Holy King of Israel, King of Glory, Lord You are my Song, My God Fights for Me, The Other Side, Speak the Name, This Place, What Your Mercy Did for Me, Your Great Name.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
Same.
ii. richer or poorer?
Same.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Pray, read my Bible, travel.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Nothing comes to mind.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my husband and my kids. My brother came by for a couple hours. My mom had to work.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
There's a list in the right margin of my blog. Scroll down. :-)
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone.
23. What was the best book you read?
That's a hard choice. Either Thunderhead or A Reaper at the Gates. A few others were also really good.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Just a couple days ago I heard a song for the first time called So Will I by Cross Worship. I can't get enough of it!
25. What did you want and get?
Books, just a few items of clothing, and Loki stuff.
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Maybe The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I didn't watch many movies last year.
27. What did you do on your birthday?
Nothing. My daughter Kelly's birthday is the day after mine, so we focus on her.
28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Classic, feminine, lady-like in the spring and summer. Still feminine, but with some touches of leather (vest, jackets), denim (skirts), military-style jackets (a couple green ones and a camo one), and biker-type boots in the fall and winter. And, of course, beautiful dresses and tops and skirts with heels for church on Sundays.
29. What kept you sane?
Prayer and faith in God.
30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Tom Hiddleston, Aneurin Barnard, Orlando Bloom, Jude Law.
31. What political issue stirred you the most?
None really. I'm not into politics. Though I do vote.
32. Who did you miss?
My Sadie May.
33. Who was the best new person you met?
I didn't meet anyone new that I can recall.
34. Tell a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Nothing comes to mind.
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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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