I do not think it’s my imagination…I seem to have double the amount of emails from online stores…and tons from stores where I have never even shopped.  I guess I don’t get the point of all of this mad shopping…especially on Thanksgiving Day.  A news show highlighted a shopper with 5 TV’s in a cart and TV’s dropping all over the floor!  I am the kind of shopper who never needs anything.  I buy what I need when I need it so that I never have a frenzied need for anything!  Although I am still talking Den down from buying a bigger TV.  Den is like his mom…a born shopper.  I am like my mom…we don’t like frenzied shopping.  Shopping must be in the genes!

Den and I made this on Saturday…it’s the five ingredient pasta bake from The Kitchn…this recipe uses tiny orzo pasta that you do not precook.  We loved it.  It had all of the elements of lasagna…but was incredibly easy!  It has fresh spinach in it, too,  which in my head made it healthy!

I jumped ahead and read Peter Swanson’s newest book.  I could not put this book down!  I taught with Peter’s Aunt Sue and I always feel as though I know him.  I don’t, though.  I resisted reading his books in the beginning because I didn’t like the title of his first one but I was so wrong.  I am reading all of his books.  The way he writes is genius writing.  His books just pull you in…simply and cleanly.

I am really loving Tana French’s new book.  It’s another pull you in kind of book.  There is a mystery brewing in this one, too.  I am getting the feeling it has to do with genealogy.  I want to go back and read more of hers, too.

Some new titles…from NetGalley…

Our new window lights…can’t decide whether they want to be on or off!  We have had such dark and dismal weather that my window lights can’t get a grip on the weather.  So…they flicker on and off all day long!  In this photo it’s morning and they are on!

It is getting darker here by the minute!  It’s supposed to rain all day long.  We replaced some kitchen stuff…a slow cooker, a waffle maker, and we bought a Staub French Oven.  Den is happily putting everything away and moving the old ones to the giveaway bin.  I love my Staub French Oven!  Is it weird to love a pot?  I love this pot!

Patty