Book ~ "The Christmas Wish" (2022) Lindsey Kelk

From Goodreads ~ Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas - countryside, a mountain of food and festive films - will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer.

Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with eggnog. And family arguments. On repeat.

As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers.

Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all.

But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?

It's Christmas and Gwen is heading home with her cousin, Manny, to celebrate with her family. She's hoping it will lift her spirits because her long time boyfriend recently broke up with her to be with someone else and she has been suspended from her job as a lawyer at a big law firm because she threw a stapler at a rich client.

Christmas Day doesn't go as planned ... she's fighting (as usual) with her older sister, her brother-in-law is drunk and snarky, her grandmother hates her dress, her father finds out she's been suspected from her job, and more! She is happy when the day is finally over ... only to discover that when she wakes up the next morning, it's Christmas Day again and again and again.

Gwen suspects it must have something to do with the sixpense hidden in the rum pudding ... apparently whoever finds it gets have a wish granted. So every day she focuses on a different family member asking what their wish is and trying to fulfill it so she will hopefully wake up and it's Boxing Day.

I thought it was a cute story. I found the writing draggy and slow so skimmed a bit during the middle ... I didn't want to give up on it because I wanted to find out the ending. The story takes place in England so there are references I wasn't familiar with. It is written in first person perspective in Gwen's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Bella" (2011) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. They enjoy taking care of the dogs themselves but the best part is finding a perfect new owner for these adorable animals. Bella is an orphaned newborn cocker spaniel. She is very weak and almost doesn't survive her first night. Lizzie is determined to save the pint-sized pup. The Peterson's bottle-feed her around the clock until she's healthy enough to be adopted. But who will give this sweet little dog the home she deserves?

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Lizzie was at a birthday party at an animal shelter she volunteers at when a weak four-week cocker spaniel puppy was brought in. Her mother was sick and the owner was busy taking care of her so she asked the owner of the shelter for help. The puppy wasn't expected to make it through the night but does. Lizzie and her family offer to foster the puppy who they name Bella. Taking care of such a young puppy is a lot of work for the family. Though they try to keep Buddy away from Bella, it turns out he is the best surrogate mom for her.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Bella and Buddy, the puppies' points of view. It is the twenty-second in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

 

 I found the pattern at Yarnspirations and used a Caron Big Cake (Grape Jelly).

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

 I found the pattern at Yarnspirations and used a Caron Big Cake (Nightberry).

Book ~ "Lucky" (2010) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home.

Charles is on a backyard camping trip when he discovers a lost puppy by the stream. Lucky is scared, dirty and hungry. It's up to Charles and his new friend David to bring this dog to safety. Will they be able to find Lucky's home? 

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Charles was camping in the backyard of his new friend, David. A rain storm came up and David's mom told them to come and sleep inside instead of in Charles' tent. As they were going inside, Charles and David think they saw a puppy. The next day they go looking for it and find a tired and hungry puppy with a cut foot. They eventually catch him and take him to the vet. Then they are determined to find out who the puppy's owner is so they can return him home.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Lucky, the puppy's point of view. It is the sixteenth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

I found the pattern at Yarnspirations and used a Caron Big Cake (Nightberry).

Book ~ "Jack" (2010) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Jack is a boxer that loves to chew. Can Lizzie find him a forever home before he destroys the house?

Aunt Amanda knows that Lizzie can't turn down the chance to foster a new puppy, so she brings over a boxer with an interesting problem. Jack loves to chew up everything in sight! Lizzie is very patient with Jack - until he eats her favorite book. But when Lizzie gets in touch with the book's author, a dog fan, she feels better. Will Lizzie find the right owner for this special pup before her house is destroyed?

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Jack is a boxer puppy who was too much for his owners to handle so one day when they leave him at doggy daycare, they don't pick him up. When Aunt Amanda, the owner of the doggy care, tries to find them, she discovers they have sold their house and moved away abandoning Jack. The Petersons agree to foster him but discover they can't leave him alone because he'll chew everything. Who is going to want to adopt a puppy that is so destructive and bored?

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Buddy and Jack's points of view. It is the seventeenth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

I found the pattern at Yarnspirations and used a Caron Big Cake (Nightberry).

Book ~ "Baxter" (2010) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters dogs that are in need of a permanent home. 

Baxter is a Portuguese water dog whose owner has just lost her job. Lizzie offers to foster the puppy until they can find the perfect forever home. But Baxter can't be left alone for more than a few minutes without getting upset. Can Lizzie help this little doggy?

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Baxter is a Portuguese water dog who had anxiety issues ... he can't be left alone so he spent his days at Lizzie and Charles' aunt's doggy day care. When his owner lost her job, she sadly gave Baxter to Lizzie to foster and find a home for him. As the Petersons discovered, Baxter couldn't be left alone but they couldn't be with him all the time so the only solution was to take him to an animal shelter and hope someone adopts him quickly.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Baxter's point of view. It is the nineteenth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Spare" (2023) Prince Harry

From Goodreads ~ It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness - and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother.

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

I like reading bios/autobios/memoirs and this has to be one of the most talked about ones in a while. This is Harry's story as seen and lived through his eyes. 

The book starts when Harry is young and his life as the "spare". The death of his mother was devastating and something he never recovered from. Realizing that school wasn't for him, he decided to go into the army and took a gap year to volunteer. It was during this year that he fell in love with Botswana. The army provided him with structure and discipline. Once his tours were done, he stumbled around trying to figure out what to do then. He wanted what his brother and friends had ... a wife and family. When he met Meghan, he knew she was the one and promised to always protect her.

I found this book interesting as it gives an insight into what it's like being part of the Royal Family, as per Harry. It was long in parts as there is a lot of detail. He speaks honestly about his missing his mother, going through therapy, partying and drug and alcohol use, and more. As a head's up, there is swearing.

The motto of the Royal Family is disregard what is written in the tabloids and and papers about you, whether it's true or not. Getting no support from his grandmother, father or brother, this was his way of telling the truth, as he sees it. I think it's going to be hard for him to reconcile with his father and brother after what he's written about them in this book.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

 

I found the pattern at Yarnspirations.

Book ~ "Honey" (2009) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ In this special Valentine's Day story, Charles and his best friend Sammy meet Honey, a sweet, intelligent yellow Lab who's family is moving away - without Honey! 

When Charles brings this puppy home, guess who falls in love? Charles's mom - the cat lover of the family! Will the Petersons end up keeping Honey? Or will Honey become a service dog and best pal for Noah, a talented artist who uses a wheelchair? One thing is for certain: puppy love is in the air!

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

Buddy's mother was adopted by an owner of a local bookstore and his sisters were adopted by an author. Charles and Sammy bring Buddy to the bookstore for a family reunion. A customer comes into the store with her young dog, Honey. They are moving away and can't take Honey so Charles offers to foster her and find her a home. Then Charles and Sammy run into Harry, an older friend, who introduces them to his girlfriend, Dee, who is in a wheelchair, and her service dog, Murphy. When Charles meets Noah, who is a bit older than him, and discovers Noah is also in a wheelchair, he promises Honey to him as his service dog but then discovers there is an issue.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Honey's point of view. It is the fourteenth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Lost in Cabbagetown: A Memoir of Surviving Boyhood in 1960s Toronto" (2022) Terry Burke

From Goodreads ~ Burke takes us back to a boyhood shaped by hunger, pain, love and loss on the streets of Toronto’s Cabbagetown.

When the Burke family left Ireland, in 1959, they thought they were leaving the trials and tribulations of the Dublin slums behind. Instead, Molly, Bill and their nine children found the same poverty and hardship awaiting them in the east end of Toronto.

For their sixth-born son, Terry, growing up in Cabbagetown was a daily struggle to survive. Whether it was the bullies on the street or the gangs in Regent Park, fights were an everyday occurrence. School should have been a refuge but some of the priests and nuns were more terrifying than any street bully. The only escape for Terry was to find his way down into the Don Valley, where he could search the river for muskrat or imagine himself escaping on one of the freight trains, chucking north, up the valley floor.

But a childhood in Cabbagetown didn’t seem to last very long. Forced into adulthood and driven from home in the wake of tragedy, Terry struggled to survive on his own and find a way back to his family.

In this touching memoir, Terry Burke pulls no punches, providing a poignant story of the hardships of poverty and the enduring bond of family.

Young Terry and his family (his mother, father and eight siblings) moved to Toronto in the late 1950s from Ireland, hoping for a better life. Alas, that's not what they found. At that time, their neighbourhood in Cabbagetown, which was made up of mostly immigrants, was run down and everyone was in the same situation. Money and work was hard to come by and their father worked when he could find it. Their mother held everything together at home.

There was no extra money for anything so if Terry wanted to go see a movie or grab a bite to eat with friends, he had to get creative by collecting pop bottles, helping women home with their groceries and hoping for a tip, fetching food for drunks coming out of tavern and getting to keep the change, and more. He and his siblings were sent to Catholic schools where the priests and nuns had no hesitation to keep students in line with a strap or ruler.

Terry didn't get along with his father and left home at age 15. He had to find a job and a place to live but without a driver's license that was difficult. He did what he could to survive but then things took drastic turn and everything seemed to be hopeless.

What attracted me to this book is that it is a true story set in Toronto. I liked the writing style and and the honesty. Despite the hard times, the love for his mother and siblings was always there ... they may not have had much but they had each other. I'm glad things worked out for him.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a small dog sweater.  I recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

I found the pattern at Yarnspirations.

Book ~ "Princess" (2008) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ It seems like it's going to be just another normal Peterson family trip for haircuts - that is until Charles meets Princess, a spoiled but irresistible Yorkie pup. She belongs to one of the stylists but Princess's owner is moving and can't take the puppy with her. Charles volunteers to care for Princess until they find her a new home. 

But it doesn't take long for the Petersons to get tired of Princess's privileged ways. How will Charles ever find the right family for this high maintenance pup?

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

While Charles and his family are getting haircuts, one of the stylists rushes in excitedly tells everyone she is heading to California to study under a master stylist. She has a yorkie named Princess who she can't take with her. Charles offers to foster Princess and find her a new home ... something the Peterson family regret when they discover how spoiled Princess is. She comes with a long list of instructions and a suitcase of clothes, bowls, placemats and more!

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Princess' point of view. It is the twelfth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Freak" (2012) Jennifer Hillier

From Goodreads ~ Sitting alone in a maximum-security prison cell, Abby Maddox is a celebrity. Her claim to fame is the envy of every freak on the outside: she’s the former lover of Ethan Wolfe, the killer who left more than a dozen dead women in his wake and nearly added Puget Sound State professor Sheila Tao to the tally. Now Abby, serving a nine-year sentence for slashing a police officer’s throat in a moment of rage, has little human contact - save for the letters that pour in from demented fans, lunatics, and creeps. But a new wave of murders has given Abby a possible chance for a plea bargain - because this killer has been sending her love letters, and carving a message on the bodies of the victims: Free Abby Maddox.

Jerry Isaac will never forget the attack - or his attacker. The hideous scarring and tortured speech are daily reminders that the one-time Seattle PD officer, now a private investigator, is just lucky to be alive. Abby Maddox deserves to rot in jail - forever, as far as Jerry’s concerned. But she alone may possess crucial evidence - letters from this newest killer - that could crack open the disturbing case. With the help of Professor Sheila Tao, seasoned police detective Mike Torrance, and intuitive criminology student Danny Mercy, Jerry must coax the shattering truth from isolated, dangerous Abby Maddox. Can he put the pieces together before Abby’s number one fan takes another life in the name of a killer’s perverted idea of justice?

Ethan had been a teaching assistant to Sheila, a professor, and they had an affair. When she broke up with him, he didn't take it well and he kidnapped her. They were eventually found and Ethan was killed. Ethan had apparently killed many women and it is suspected that Abby, his girlfriend, was also involved, though she denies it. She is serving a nine year sentence in prison for slashing the throat of Jerry, a private detective, so she could escape when it was discovered what Ethan had done.

A year later, women who look like Abby are murdered and "Free Abby Maddox" is carved into their backs. Abby agrees to help catch the murderer if she is moved into a minimum security prison. As much as Jerry despises Abby for what she did to him, he agrees to help Mike, his ex-partner police officer, in doing what he has to do to save women's lives.

I've liked other books by this author and thought this one was ridiculous. It is written in third person perspective with a focus on where the action was. It was unbelievable how Abby was able to manipulate everyone just so she could get revenge on Sheila. It was gross how Jerry kept scratching at is scar. Though it is second in the Creep series, it works as a stand alone but I would suggest you read the first one first so you get the full background. As a head's up, there is swearing and extreme violence.

Coronation Park and Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail, Toronto, ON

I walked to  Coronation Park this morning ... it's been a while. It's a chilly grey day.

Knitted dog sweater

I finished knitting a medium dog sweater.  I'd made a couple for my sister's dog, Frankie, last year and recently came across a charity called ElderDog Canada who are looking for knitters to make and donate them.

I found the pattern at Yarnspirations.

Book ~ "Bear" (2009) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ 10-year-old Lizzie Peterson and her family are on an adventurous winter vacation in snowy Vermont when she meets Bear, an adorable husky called lazy and then abandoned by his sled-dog racing team. Lizzie falls in love with Bear and rescues him when he gets lost during a big snowstorm. 

Will Lizzie be able to find Bear a home where he is appreciated? When she meets Fern, a young musher, Lizzie goes on the ride of her life - and thinks she may have found the answer.

Lizzie and her younger brother, Charles, are in elementary school. The Peterson family have a puppy named Buddy plus they foster dogs and help them find homes.

The Petersons heads to Vermont on vacation to enjoy the snow. They stay at a lodge run by a couple of sisters who are fostering a husky puppy named Bear. The puppy's owner has headed off to Alaska to run in a dogsled race ... he feels Bear is too lazy and unmotivated to be a sled dog so has asked the sisters to find him a home. Lizzie gets attached to Bear and is determined to prove the owner wrong.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Bear's point of view. It is the fifteenth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

The Good Son, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at The Good Son (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road). 

Open Cribbage Tournament, Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 31 Mount Dennis, Toronto, ON

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 31 Mount Dennis (on Weston Road) had a cribbage tournament this afternoon and Gord and I were there. We've been going to them for a few years and it's always a fun afternoon.

There were 48 teams and the top prize was $280! We were hoping to do better than we have in the past there … our best has been 5 wins/5 losses and that’s how we did today. We got skunked three games (!!!!!) but double skunked the last team we played. Needless to say, we didn’t make it onto the winners board. It was a fun afternoon. A fella on the second team we played got a 29 hand (the most points you can get in a hand) in one of the later games … they are very rare and I’ve never seen one!