I'm Back

I am sorry that there have not been any posting for quite some time.  I have been ill and am just starting to feel more like myself.  I have Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and a few other things.  Unfortunately for me, I am allergic to many narcotics.  I discovered this when Florida changed their narcotic laws.  I have, though, found a medication that helps, but you have to have a special doctor to prescribe it.  The medication is called Suboxone.  It is a wonderful medication.  It does not have the side-effects that you normally associate with narcotics.  Now that I can move about a little more, I am looking forward to getting back in my studio.

One thing has kept me sane during the last year and that it books!  I have got to read so many wonderful books.  I am currently reading:

Tempest in a Teapot (A Teapot Collector Mystery) by Amanda Cooper 

Here is the summary provided by Amazon.com:

Tucked away in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the charming town of Gracious Grove, where time moves slowly, gossip spreads quickly, and the scones are to die for…

When her fashionable Manhattan restaurant goes under, Sophie Taylor retreats to her grandmother’s cozy shop, Auntie Rose’s Victorian Teahouse, where serenity is steeped to perfection in one of her many antique teapots. The last thing Sophie expects is a bustling calendar of teahouse events, like her old friend Cissy Peterson’s upcoming bridal shower.

Not everyone is pleased with the bride-to-be’s choice of venue—like Cissy’s grandmother, who owns a competing establishment, La Belle Epoque, and has held a long-simmering grudge against Rose for stealing her beau sixty years ago. Tensions reach a boiling point when Cissy’s fiancé’s mother dies while sampling scones at La Belle Epoque. Now, to help her friend, Sophie will have to bag a killer before more of the guest list becomes a hit list…

I have just started reading the book today, but I am enjoying it.   I will let you know more when I am finished.

I just finished reading Ten Beach Road, Ocean Beach, and Christmas at the Beach by Wendy Wax.  I really enjoyed these stories.  They are about three women who lost all their money to a Ponzi scheme swindler, Malcom Dyer.  For partial restitution they received a mansion called Bella Flora in Passa-a-Grille, Florida (near St. Petersburg).  It is right on the beach, but in serious need of a renovation.  The story tell of how they get to know each other and remodel this beautiful home.  Madeline, Avery, and Nicole are the primary characters along with Kyra (Madeline's daughter) who gets pregnant by a married movie star.   The second book shows the ladies remodeling a home in Miami Beach and working on a remodeling show.  Ocean Beach was funny and delightful.  There is a very sad part at the end though.  Christmas at the Beach is a novella (meaning a very short story).  Short it is.  It is told through the viewpoint of Kyra.  Interesting viewpoint but way too short.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series, The House on Mermaid Point coming out on July 1.

I am going back to my cookie baking now and then off to read and relax.  I will be back again soon.

Happy Reading and Crafting,

Kris