Oh dear! This seems to be happening a lot this year: I have to admit that I have not managed to finish my book this week. I am really struggling with my health and had planned to go out today to run some errands with Elder Son’s support. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning feeling really poorly, so had to cancel.
I am enjoying my latest book, though, so will try to relax with it for the rest of the afternoon. The errands will just have to wait until I’m a bit stronger.
So Friday has arrived once again! This will be a very short post because I am having a lot of health issues at the moment. My physical state is difficult enough to deal with. I have had a long list of debilitating conditions for almost 20 years, but now my mental state is pretty awful too. I try to be honest on this blog as it is a record for my own purposes as well as something that I hope is entertaining and informative in the most part. But my life is increasingly becoming a struggle to get from day to day.
Yesterday, my battle with severe depression became overwhelming and Lovely Husband had to ring for help. Thankfully, he was able to reach my mental health team and I was prescribed suitable medication. He was also able to find a friend who could collect this from the pharmacy. Managing without a car can cause real difficulties sometimes!
Today, I feel a little better and have managed to eat properly and watch some TV with LH. So that’s good.
On the house front, our former home is now on the market and we have had some viewings with some more booked in. The feedback has been reasonable, with some slight negative comments about the condition, which are to be expected. We can only hope that someone comes along how can see the potential to create a lovely family home.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that such a person comes along very soon!
Here is this week’s post about my reading journey. With all that is going on in my life, settling in to our new home and trying to sell the old one, trying to find just the right book has proved quite difficult.
First Rider’s Call by Kristen Britain
The book was First Rider’s Call by Kristen Britain, #02 Green Rider series. I had enjoyed the first book because the story was entertaining and easy to read. So, I decided to continue the series with the second book. Here is the blurb…
“Karigan may have heard the First Rider’s call, but she’s not about to let it take over her life … … or at least that’s what she thinks. She swore to complete a dying man’s mission – to deliver a sealed letter to King Zachary. Now that task, more dangerous than she could have imagined, is complete and her work is done, Karigan wants to leave the dangerous world of tainted magic and ancient magicians behind her and return home. Exhausted in both body and spirit, she plans to return to her quiet life and her father’s business.But it proves no match for the Rider’s call; ghostly hoofbeats sounding in her mind, visions of the freedom of the open road, all calling her back to the king’s service as a Green Rider. Karigan resists it, but when she wakes up to find herself – in her nightdress – on horseback and halfway across the country, her destiny is she is a Green Rider.As she discovers, it’s not a good time to be called to serve. For a thousand years the D’Yer Wall, a physical and magical barrier protecting the land from the ancient, corrupted Blackveil Forest, has held. For a thousand years the forest, an arboreal prison containing one of Sacoridia’s greatest enemies, has been quiet. Not any more. The wall has been breached, unnatural, lethal creatures are finding their way into Sacoridia, a dark sentience is stirring, and the Green Rider magic itself is failing. And in the midst of it all, Karigan is about to be called to her duty …”
And here is my response on Goodreads. Apologies for the brevity, but I am not feeling very well today.
This was a good follow up to the first book in the series. A much darker and more complex plot with a lot of danger and sense of foreboding. The author has clearly developed as a writer. I am definitely going on to read the third book.
When I went to Amazon to look for the third book in the series, I saw that there are loads more! I am unsure whether I will continue after book 3. We will have to see how it goes.
Well, I don’t think that I have ever posted on a Saturday before! To be honest, I was getting ready for bed last night when I realised that I had completely forgotten to write one. It wasn’t even an exceptionally busy day! Anyway, here are my thoughts on a Saturday for once.
We are almost ready to put our old house on the market. The estate agent has been very busy taking photos and using a drone to make a video of the long garden. She is also making a 3D walk around of the house. The brochure has been compiled and we have been able to view it this morning. In addition, the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) has also been done and uploaded to the government site.
I am quite excited about seeing the final selling pack and what it all looks like on Rightmove! We are just hoping that it doen’t take too long to sell and that we don’t have to drop the price too much. To have this final source of concern and stress lifted would be wonderful. I would love a young family to buy it. With the large garden, it is ideal for children. When we moved in 24 years ago, our boys were very young and it was the sight of them running down the garden that sold it to us!
What have I been doing apart from all of this? Well, I had intended to go into town this week with Elder Son’s support. I want to take a gorgeous photo print that ordered some weeks ago to the local framer. It will look so lovely in our bedroom. Unfortunately, I felt too weak and ill yesterday, so was unable to go. We will have to try again next week.
Here is the photo…
Heather Sunrise at Millstone Edge by Verity Milligan
This, plus her other work, is available from Verity Milligan’s site.
I did manage to wear a nice outfit for a while this week with Fetolia’s lovely The Olympian Gods scarf in the terracotta/turquoise colourway that is suitably autumnal (I also have the other colourway)…
The Olympian Gods scarf by Fetolia
Outfit of the day 22/09/25 with The Olympian Gods scarf by Fetolia
Can you spot the owl earrings and do you know of the owl’s significance with this scarf?
Anyway, I think that is all I will write today. I wish you all a very Happy Weekend.
Here is this week’s Reading Roundup post. Yet again I have been caught up with life, I suppose, have not been able to find the time to become immersed in my book. I am enjoying my new selection very much, so I hope to be able to write about it next week.
Friday has come around again and I am going to update the blog with our progress towards selling our house.
In fact, if I am being honest, we haven’t made a lot of progress to date. I had hoped that we would have the house up on the market by now, but the processes are taking longer then I realised. We have appointed an estate agent to manage the sale and we chose one mainly because she is willing to do just about all of the leg work! Because neither Lovely Husband nor I can drive at the moment, it is great to have someone who is able to visit us and our old home to organise everything in readiness for the sale process and the aftermath. She has come here at least once each week to update us and to deliver or collect documents and is currently sorting out the selling brochure and the photographs. In preparation for the photos, we have paid to have the house thoroughly cleaned, which has made a real difference. There will also be a kind of 3D walk around that will go online as soon as we are ready to go!
So, that’s really all the news on that subject.
I have been struggling with my mental health recently and treated myself to a lovely new top in an attempt at retail therapy. I haven’t bought anything from Boden before, but this gorgeous colour caught my eye and I thought that it might liven me up a bit!
Cutwork detail jersey top in vibrant pink by Boden
This is what it looks like on me…
Outfit of the day 19/09/25: with jersey top by Boden
OK, I have definitely broken one of my “rules” for the colours in my wardrobe! But, honestly, who cares? Oh, and the eagle eyed among you might notice that my teeth are now a few shades lighter than of late! I have been using some new tooth powder that really has made a difference. I don’t think they will ever be sparkling white, but I am pleased that they look, and feel, so much better.
Well, I think that is all for now, so I wish you a very Happy Weekend!
Welcome to this week’s Reading Roundup, my dear friends and fellow readers! Today, I am feeling rather amused about my most recent book. You will find out why that is later on in this post.
Here is the book that I finished yesterday…
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
I have been really struggling with my reading this year. The stress of moving house has meant that my concentration levels have plummeted and I am unable to immerse myself in a book, no matter how well written. I have had so many false starts that I have lost count. Trying to find just the right balance of gripping plot and excellent writing has been very difficult. So many have brought down my mood because many of my favourite authors write from a dark angle. Anyway, I looked through my ebook collection and chose Green Rider by Kristen Britain. Here is the blurb…
“Young heroine Karigan hardly has time to regret being expelled from school (for duelling) before finding herself committed to the desperate errand of a murdered Green Rider.
The Riders are an elite messenger corps using both horses and magic; the message is a terrible warning. Bad things from bad places are invading this fantasyland, their presence being only part of a devious, sorcery-aided human struggle for the throne. Karigan’s wild ride is beset by a variety of enemies, but aided by her own developing talents plus certain strange allies.”
This book was just what I needed! It has a fast paced plot with interesting characters and a satisfying ending.
And then I went on to the Goodreads site to write my response…
And saw that I had already written one in 2018!!! To be honest, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry that I couldn’t remember that I had read the book before. My memory issues since the stroke don’t seem to follow any rules or pattern, so they can surprise me at times in unexpected ways.
So, here is my response from 2018, together with a footnote from this year…
Note: the Goodreads’ widget doesn’t seem to be working this morning, so I have posted a screenshot of my review above. Thinking about it, the paltry three stars was a bit unfair. The book deserves four and I am going to read the sequel, beginning today I hope!
Welcome to this week’s post. Unfortunately, I have been really struggling to read books. All the stress from our house move has meant that I find it very difficult to concentrate enough to read. My mind keeps flitting from one subject to another, suddenly remembering a task that I need to do, or thinking of an item that I must order. I have tried changing between different ebooks, but that hasn’t really made any difference. Even work by my favourite authors hasn’t been able to grab me! This is totally unprecedented for me and has never happened before to this extent!
In the end, I think I may have found something that I might be able to enjoy, but it will take me until next week to finish it. I won’t jinx it by telling you which book I have chosen!
So, I am wishing all of you the usual “Happy Reading!”
So, we have reached Friday once again and it is time to write another post. Things have been pretty quiet and peaceful this week and I wonder why that is??? Hmmm, could it be because Elder Son has been away on holiday?
Seriously, yes he has. From his regular texts and calls he has been having a great time exploring one of his favourite cities and visiting towns nearby. He has also been able to meet up with his brother for an afternoon and they sent me some lovely photos, which was nice.
He is due home tomorrow evening and I expect that I will be given loads of hugs! Our peaceful existence will definitely come to an end. To be honest, I have really missed him but have been so pleased that he is able to travel by himself and sort out any small issues that he might have come across. He always charms the hotel staff. I think that the female staff want to “mother” him!
While he has been away, Lovely Husband and I have continued with the unpacking and trying to get to grips with the selling process for our former home. We have now seen some estate agents and we really must make the decision about which one to choose. It’s a bit heart versus head! One has been very efficient and works for quite a large local company, another has been very attentive and helpful and has her own small business with very few clients! I think that I am going to step back and let LH choose! We have also been able to source a recommended cleaner to absolutely blitz clean the house, so I hope that can be done quickly so we can get the photos taken. I just want to get the house on the market as soon as possible.
During the week I have been selecting some more items for our new bungalow and trying to understand how the central heating works in preparation for colder weather. The boiler is quite new, which is great, and is controlled by the Hive system. I struggled to work it out at first, but soon got the hang of it and we put the radiators on for a short while to make sure that they are all working.
The purchases were two table lamps for the lounge, a small lamp for the hallway to make sure we can easily get to the bathroom at night, and speaker stands for LH’s sound system. The existing ceiling lights in the lounge have a barely twist central piece, so I decided to buy lamps with a similar shape. I am really pleased with them and also relieved because there was only one review of these particular ones on Amazon! I usually choose items on that site that have large numbers of positive reviews, so I took a gamble this time. Luckily it seems to have paid off!
Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are the lamps that arrived today. The one on the left is for the lounge and on the right there is the one I chose for the hall…
Table lamps from Amazon
By the way, in real life the lamp on the right is about half the height of the one on the left!
Well, I think that I had better draw this post to a close now. I will be spending the afternoon trying to attach the speakers from LH’s Bose system to the new stands. Please wish me luck!
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
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