May’s Mutterings: Rants and Ramblings
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Inn at Little Washington (December 2014)
Every year, Jim and I try and spend one night at the Inn at Little Washington sometime between Christmas and New Year as a way to relax and spend some time together. This year, we decided to bring the entire crew (the kids, our exchange student, and Jim’s mom) to spend the night there. (Gift…
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Book review: One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters My rating: 4 of 5 stars I am (belatedly) and slowly making my way through the Brother Cadfael mysteries (and wondering how I missed these for so many years). I really really liked this particular mystery. The book takes place in Shrewsbury as Stephen and Matilda continue their…
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Christmas Dinner 2014
I often wonder whether our 13 year old son still believes in Santa Claus or not. It seems highly unlikely, especially given the precocious nature of his school. His sister is convinced it’s all a manipulative play, and she is probably correct. But it’s certainly fun to have a child who is still writing Santa…
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Book review: George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade
George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was an interesting book in several ways. First, it’s a fascinating look at a little known part of Revolutionary War history. The Culper Spy Ring was instrumental in helping General George Washington by…
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Merry Christmas!!
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Movie Reviews: Big Hero 6 and The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
Two very different movies, and both equally good in their own ways. “Big Hero 6” is a Disney movie and contains the classic Disney elements: a traumatic event in the first 10 minutes of the movie, a hero in conflict, and a guardian angel (of sorts) to help him. There are strong secondary characters as…
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Christmas lights 2014
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The Perfect Travel Tea Mug
I love to drink hot tea at work when the weather gets cold. I am also lazy and can’t be bothered to make tea at work (it’s a small office and making tea is too messy). Nor do I want to make the tea before I leave the house because I’m always in a hurry…
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Thanksgiving 2014
It was a festive Thanksgiving holiday for us. To begin with, it was the first Thanksgiving experience for Yinan, our exchange student. I don’t know if she was amused or appalled by the amount of food served, but she discovered that she loves mashed potatoes (or, as she calls them, “smashed potatoes”). We had 25…
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Book review: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Having only recently launched into Bernard Cornwell books (see my review of “Agincourt”), I decided to tackle the author’s Alfred the Great series. This book was not at all what I expected, and despite this (or maybe because of it), I enjoyed it…
Got any book recommendations?