Monday morning

The road by my house, Autumn 2011

We have had the loveliest of weather this past week.  It has given a taste of autumn, so much so that I made oven stew last Friday and located the few remaining Pumpkin Spice K-Cups Christopher had bought me last semester.

The timing of the antibiotics was not the best... as I'm on the sofa with nausea, the temperature is perfect for organizing the garage and the heat returns within a couple of days.

However, I assume the need for cleaning the garage will be there in late September when (hopefully) cooler weather is here to stay so I've propped up three pillows and accepted the need for ginger and crackers.  The last antibiotic was taken today so the nausea should reduce over the next few days.

While on the sofa, I read a book that had been on my Wish List... fortunately I saw it FREE for the Kindle on Amazon during the short time it was available.  Sometimes the free offers only last hours.

It is called Almost Amish (the novel, not the nonfiction book by the same name... although I have heard it is good).

The novel is about two sisters-in-law who take part in a TV reality show called Almost Amish.  One of them is a Martha Stewart type perfectionist who is offered the opportunity for a book and TV deal if she goes along with this reality show.  The other woman is her brother's wife and their children come along.

As you read the book, you realize it is set up as a Mary and Martha story but what I found so interesting is how both the women came to realize their own strengths and weaknesses in the three months they take part in the show.

I absolutely loved this novel!  The way the story is set up, various people come in and out of the women's lives during their stay in Tennessee's Amish Country that help them become the women God intended all along.

The "Martha" character comes to see the adverse affects of perfectionism while "Mary" deals with how her feelings of inadequacy and self doubt are affecting her family and her life.

It's not a true Amish book as they have very little contact with the Amish and I love the way the writer shows us living a SIMPLE life demands a lot of hard work.  I plan to reread the book soon and I hardly ever reread modern books.  I highly recommend it.

Speaking of books, I do thank you again if you enter Amazon through the Widget.  There aren't as many these days but I still get enough for a Kindle book or downloaded movie here and there!  Always appreciated.  :)

Picture:  Last year's color was gorgeous.  With the drought, we are already seeing the trees lose their leaves so we are not sure what to expect this year.  Some experts are saying it may be a brown autumn.