Friday, January 8, 2016

The Escape


Every now and then I just want to do nothing but escape from the real world and read feel-good books of a kinder, gentler time by authors such as Gladys Taber.  Or perhaps read Susan Branch's pretty blog.  She has a way of bringing sunshine into the gloomiest days.  And I love to see what her kitties, Jack and Girl Kitty, have been up to.  It's fun to see photos of them on Susan's table or perched high up on a cabinet or sitting on top of a stack of laundry needing to be folded.  It makes me feel like my house is pretty normal after all.  :) 

Wednesday...


To escape from the decluttering project,
needy kitties whining for treats, and the online news that gets more alarming nearly every day, and needing bird seed and wanting to
find a particular book,
I hopped into the car and drove to the Big Town to look around in the book store.  I still had a credit on a gift card to use.  Then, walking down the mall corridor, I stopped at a kiosk and bought the cutest Lang calendar featuring kitties, and marked half-price, for my little office space.


After leaving the mall, and I don't know how it happened, my car just found it's way to the resale shop.  I'm hopeless.  But I only bought a couple of books off the mystery shelf.  One is called The Ideal Man and is most likely more romance than mystery.  The ladies at the counter and I had a good laugh over the title of that book.  Does such a man really exist?  lol!  About as likely to exist as the ideal woman, I'd say!
 
Back home, BG had just gotten in from work and was hungry, so I
warmed up left-over chili from last night.  Then I settled down to 
escape into my new-to-me book to see what an ideal man looked like.  My man took to the couch and escaped into a TV program.

Thursday...

I finished the book which was about a young surgeon who had a couple of bad guys wanting to do away with her, for different reasons, and the FBI agent who rode in on his white horse to save her.  They fell in love (yep, I was right about the romance) mid-way through the book and the ending was pretty much a fore-gone conclusion.  Not even close to being about a kinder, gentler time, but it was an interesting escape read for awhile to see how it would all play out. 

I'd love to escape to a sunny climate about now.  It was dark and it rained all day.  The kind of day that is good to curl up with a good book.  How about you?  Where do you go to escape/get away from it all for awhile?


Friday...


I will be running the vacuum and straightening the house.  Old habits die hard.  I have cleaned house on Fridays most weeks for over 40 years.  You know...in case someone comes by!


Have a nice day and enjoy your weekend, too! 
xo Cheryl

23 comments:

  1. you had some nice escapes this week...i like to clean on friday too so it's all tidy for the weekend! have a good one, cute kitty calendar!

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  2. A new calendar with your favorite subjects is always a picker-upper!

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  3. i always cleaned on Saturday because i worked and now that i don't work i still clean on Saturday, that is when i clean. i escape in books and have since i was 5 years old. the book sounds like i would like it. pretty kitties on the calendar. i also escape by blogging/reading/commenting. i love a post that makes me smile or laugh ...

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  4. Good Morning, My daughter told me this morning that I needed to run my errands while it was 38 degrees and try to stay dry. It started off another drizzly day, but the weather is suppose to get colder. I am always putting things off that I really don't want to do very much. I have enjoyed catching up with you today and trying to be here a little more often then last year. Take care. Hugs and Prayers from your NW Missouri Friend. Shirley

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  5. I escape in books. And TinyKittens Livestream. Did you hear that snow is on the way? We better escape now... :)

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  6. Loved your escapes for this week, Cheryl! I am a Friday cleaner too! for the same reason! the funny thing is , it's no one comes only when things are a little messy! ~smile~
    Enjoy your weekend,
    Hugs,
    Sue

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  7. I really love that pretty cardinal and the great effect you gave it. And speaking cardinals, my yard is just full of the today so that is how I have been escaping today since I returned from grocery shopping earlier at Walmart...we all need an escape after hanging out in there for a while...lol! Really, I guess photography and editing pics is truly my escape. When the world is ugly, which it certainly be, I get out and look for beauty where ever I can find it. You mentioned your Lang calendar...I have several that were given to me by a coworker several years in a row that I cannot bring myself to throw away. Some of them are roosters, others country and Victorian scenes...I just love them! She even bought me the wooden wall holder that they fit it. Yours is lovely with the kitties. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Friday and have a great weekend!

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  8. Hope that you have some company after all the cleaning. (My experience is that no one shows when I'm prepared and have a cake, =D ) You bought a story or two and you probably will hand those off soon. No harm, no foul. LOL

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  9. That cardinal looks like he is hiding from the headlines also. You are so right. Sometimes the Great American Novel is not what is needed. An easy to read escape is just fine. For me a nice young adult book usually does the trick.

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  10. Hi Cheryl!

    I love the Cardinal - I love birds and they are one of my favorite, even though we don't have them here.

    I sometimes have to escape too! Just today, my husband and I decided to go to Walgreens to buy a few things . . . we ended up about 80 miles from home! It was a good ride, I'll post about it later.. ;0)

    There is truly nothing like a good book, I love getting lost in their pages. At Walgreens, the cashier and I were talking about, books vs. Kindles. We both decided that Kindles were great in their place, but there's nothing like the smell and feel of a good book . . . even predictable ones!

    I love your idea for the curtains! I sometimes need a change, but don't want to pay the price for new curtains - I'm trying it!

    Have a wonderful week-end!

    Hugs,
    Barb

    P.S. I love Susan Branch too!

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  11. Finally I hear of someone who also cleans on a Friday.I used to be very disciplined and clean the whole house every Friday.Not so much anymore. I did give it a try today,but will have to finish tomorrow.

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  12. Cheryl..I love your Cardinal photo, my favorite bird!! I must agree with you on the things that are going on in this world;( When I need to escape this world, I watch a Hallmark movie! Makes my dreams happy ones. smile~

    Blessings,
    Gert

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  13. Cheryl, I love to read Susan's blog also. Her cats are so cute. I had to laugh about your driving around in a car with a mind of it's own. LOL. I loved your cardinal photos. ..so pretty. Blessings to you, xoxo,Susie

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  14. Now that your Friday Zhouse Clean was finished . . . I do hope someone stopped by.
    If not . . . a good book is a wonderful option!

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  15. Susan's blog is one of my favorites, too. She seems so down to earth and I love how her house isn't all decorated and it has a cozy, down-home feel to it.
    I either read, work in the greenhouse a bit or fall into a romantic movie...or a scary one if it's during the daytime. :)
    I think red cardinals are the prettiest birds of all...so classic and a bit "I'm a little better than you" look...I just love them....and, I love farmers daughters, too. :) xoxo

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  16. Hi Cheryl, It is nice that you got some down time. Your curtains are very homey. If I were a betting person, I'd bet you are doing more reading today while occasionally checking out the winter wonderland.

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  17. such a beauty in this pretty little cardinal. A little retail therapy is always good......

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  18. Me too, on the Friday cleaning for that exact reason, but did not yesterday...as for escaping, if I was smart, which I am not...I would force myself to sew a few lines. Cause once I do, I can usually escape into that. And the time flies.

    In summer, I like to pick up my kindle and set in the swing on the front porch and read...which usually leads to getting soooo sleepy. LOL

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  19. I am sure if we lived close you would be a good friend of mine. I like to do the things you like to do. I love curling up with a good book. I especially love to read on a raining or snowy day. I will have to look into the author you mentioned and the blog. I do like to read in the era of gentler times.
    I usually clean our house on Thursday or Fridays; but lately I not getting to much of the cleaning. My husband is a jewel and will vacuum and dust for me now and I clean the bathrooms; my least favorite thing.
    Wishing for you a sweet week and I always enjoy reading your posts. Blessings for you~

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  20. I would like to escape too...but most likely in a book. Old habits die hard, I usually try to spiff up the house on Friday also:)...Years ago I would have done all the laundry whilst cooking and baking for the weekend and cleaned the entire house including scrubbing the floors...not so much of an over achiever these days:)

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  21. Oh- I understand the wanting to escape feeling, Cheryl! I usually absorb myself in some big project to escape. xo Diana

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  22. I love the curtains in your previous post. I would love to escape everything right now. Especially the anxiety and fear I feel all the time. What the heck is that all about. Anyway, I love to read, and I read all the time. Best escape ever!

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  23. I'm right with you Cheryl! Browsing through a thrift store, reading Susan's blog and the readings of Gladys Taber....delightful! Enjoy your week!!!

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