Our Homecoming, an Audible Book Review and the Weekly Menu

+9/*I guess I'm just a weirdo.  As we stepped out of the airport last night and into the crisp 22* night all I could think is how good it felt to be home.  The weather on vacation was perfect, in the 80's with blue skies, little humidity and cool ocean breezes.  Everyone else looked at me like I was nuts when we were walking to the shuttle from the terminal and I exclaimed "I love this weather".  Sorry folks but I do love cold crisp days and brisk clear nights.  I don't like the gray of Michigan winters but when the sun is shining....Michigan is perfect in the winter. And in the fall and spring too.  Our summers? Well, they are my least favorite...humidity is not my friend.

Speaking of friends.....There is nothing better than coming home after a vacation and walking into an immaculate house, flowers on the table and well cared for dogs that are so happy to see you that they whimper with joy.  I have a jewel in my friend Karen but it takes a village so we also had Tingting, Tami and Kirsten step in to take care of things at home as well.  I can't thank any of them enough.

On the way to the airport for our scuba vacation in Dominica, I finished listening to another audible book by James Hankins. In this novel, Drawn, the author changed his writing genre to embrace the paranormal, much in the style of Dean Koontz, who is another of my favorite authors.

In this story, four seemingly unconnected lives are "drawn" together to a remote area in New Hampshire. Unlike most of Hankin's novels this story actually had characters that you could like. There were several that you could hate as well but the lines between good and evil were clearly drawn in this novel.

In previous novels by this author, I found myself often liking the best of the bad guys since there weren't really any good guys to be found. However, in this novel, you get to know and care for the characters separately before they come together about mid book.

You get to meet Alice, a young, lonely housewife who unable to conceive a child, occupies her time with her painting. When she takes her paintings to be seen by an artist, hoping that he will consider her for the last opening available in his school, he points out that in many of her paintings and drawings is a young boy who seems to be beckoning to her. He suggests that perhaps this is her muse but Alice cannot remember ever sketching this child.

Boone was a very successful and handsome photographer who suffered a terrible accident that left one side of his face severely scarred with complete loss of sight in one eye and partial loss of sight in the other. His disability has left him with a severe case of agoraphobia rendering it impossible for him to leave his one block perimeter of safety surrounding his apartment.

Nathan is a man broken by the loss of his longtime wife followed by the disappearance of his son, Jeremy, who came home from Afghanistan suffering PTSD. Why is Jeremy suddenly reaching out to Nathan in his dreams? Is his son, whom everyone else presumes dead, in danger? Nathan
will go to the ends of the earth to find Jeremy and protect him from whatever evil is pursuing him.

Miguel is a young boy when his father starts visiting him in the middle of the night. Unable to cope with his father's abuse, Miguel beats him off with a baseball bat and has been living on the streets, alone, for two long years.

How do all four of these people end up "Drawn" to the same location. I guess you will just have to listen to or read the book....no spoilers being given here.

While in Dominica, I was able to kick off our Lenten season with Mass and Ashes last Wednesday, but my true Lenten journey is set to start on Monday.  I will use the next 4 weeks to spend more time with my Lord in prayer both at home and by attending daily Mass and scripture studies when possible.  Fasting by returning to the Fast Metabolism Diet during this period and putting money saved on wine and alcohol into the rice bowl for CSA.

So, with that in mind, I am sharing our week and the Weekly Menu. 

This afternoon we will go to Mass and then to the grocers.  While on vacation, Frank said that when we got home he wanted chili and hot dogs so that will be dinner tonight along with Chocolate Souffle as these items will no longer be included in our diet come Monday morning.

Tomorrow will be family dinner with as many of the kids as are available to join us.  Monday, Frank gets his hearing aids.  I cannot begin to tell you how excited this makes me.  Tuesday we get our taxes done in the morning and then we will go visit with Aunt Irene.  Wednesday I have a dentist appointment and choir practice is moved to Wednesday evening.  Thursday our German son, Max, arrives....we are so excited!  Friday we have a memorial service to attend for our friend Wes who died last month.  

Busy week but we still have to eat so here is the Weekly Menu.  Please stop by each day for recipes and photos.

Saturday

Chili

Hot Dogs

Chocolate Souffle

Sunday

Tomato and Cheddar Pie

Pot Roast

Roasted Root Vegetables

Scones

Lemon Cake

Meatless Monday

Dalma

Brown Rice

Tuesday

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Fruit Salad

Wednesday

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

Spinach and Mushrooms

Thursday

Steak and Roasted Veggie Salad

Fish Friday

Guinness Glazed Halibut 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Phase 3 Friendly Cole Slaw