Book ~ "The Hitwoman Hunts a Ghost" (2014) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee has discovered the sister she thought was dead might be alive. She’s desperate to find her but all of her bosses are making unreasonable demands. Demands she can’t afford not to meet.

Once again, Delveccio, the chocolate pudding loving mob boss, needs someone whacked.

Her obnoxious boss at her day job insists she intervene on his behalf with her semi-psychic friend, Armani.

And the mysterious organization with the power to put her almost-lover Patrick behind bars has saddled her with an annoying new partner and sent her on a mission that has gone to the dogs.

With the clock ticking, Maggie (along with her snarky lizard, dyslexic Doberman and Southern belle cat) does her best to pull off every job without winding up in jail or dead ... but is her best good enough?

When Maggie was in a car accident, her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma, which she has come out of but is still in the hospital. Maggie hates working in the call centre of an insurance company but doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital. To supplement her income, Maggie has become a reluctant hit woman for a mob boss. She has recently moved back to the bed and breakfast she grew up in, which one of her aunts run, and is living in the basement.

Maggie was approached in the last book that she must do the jobs a stranger she's dubbed "Ms. Whitehat" asks of her or she will reveal information that Maggie doesn't want to be revealed. A white dog named Ghost is lost and Ms. Whitehat has tasked Maggie with finding him or else. In the meantime, her mob boss is demanding that she kill his thieving accountant within the next few days. Two of Maggie's aunts are having issues in their relationships and Armani, her semi-psychic friend is making predictions but no one can figure out what they mean. So Maggie has a lot going on.

This is the sixth in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series (#52 is coming out next month) and I thought it was okay. I wouldn't recommend it as a stand alone. You should read the first ones first as there are many references that will make more sense if you have the background, which isn't really provided here but I think needed.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, DeeDee, a dog she took in when she killed her owner, and Miss Piss, the cat. It sounds dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. I'll carry on and keep reading the series.

Book ~ "The Hitwoman and the Neurotic Witness" (2013) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ When her apartment building is blown to smithereens, bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee is forced to move back into the bed & breakfast she grew up in.

Living with her three meddling aunts is bad enough but it just so happens that the B&B is also occupied by a U.S. Marshal, an FBI agent, her old friend Zeke who’s on a mysterious mission, and a woman who claims she can see dead people. These aren’t the kinds of roomies Maggie wants to spend time with, considering that in order to pay for her niece’s medical care she supplements her income by killing people.

​Maggie avoids arrest and deals with a crazier-than-usual home life while trying to track down exactly who is blowing up the holdings of various crime families. To make matters worse, she’s walking a precarious tightrope between keeping her mobster bosses happy and protecting her murder mentor (and almost lover) Patrick Mulligan.

​Aided by the warped predictions of her semi-psychic friend, her sarcastic, demanding talking lizard and an always ravenous dyslexic Doberman, Maggie juggles keeping secrets, unraveling riddles and protecting those she loves. Can she do it all? Or will she suffer yet another unspeakable loss?

When Maggie was in a car accident, her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma, which she has come out of but is still in the hospital. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. To supplement her income, she has become a reluctant hit woman for a mob boss. 

When Maggie's apartment explodes, she ends up moving back into the bed and breakfast where she grew up, which is currently full with her three aunts, two law-enforcement officers, her sister and Gypsy, a guest who insists she can see dead people. Businesses owned by her mob boss are getting bombed and he suspects police officer Patrick, Maggie's mentor and crush, may be involved so he wants her to kill him. Maggie can't believe Patrick is involved so sets out to find out who is.

This is the fifth in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series (#52 is coming out next month) and I thought it was okay, not as good as the first four. I wouldn't recommend it as a stand alone and you should read the first four first as there are many references in this one that will make more sense if you have the background. I read the first four in February and March (so it's been a while) and it took a while to remember the back stories because they aren't really provided. For example, it's mentioned that Maggie's friend, Armani, is disabled but it's not until further along that we find out how it happened. Or you don't really have Maggie's sister, Marlene's history.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, DeeDee, a dog she took in when she killed her owner, and Miss Piss, the cat. It sounds dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. I'll carry on and keep reading the series.

"Mass (A Spiritual Journey To The Creator Within)", The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

I volunteered at Mass (A Spiritual Journey To The Creator Within) tonight at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road). It was playing last night and tonight. 

MASS is a spiritual journey into the creator within, inspired by the wisdom of the Orisha Obatala and the Buddhist pursuit of inner awakening. This journey elevates our ancestors and roots us in their strength, propelling our growth and transformation. MASS bridges ancestral veneration and self-evolution, merging traditions to guide us toward enlightenment and unity, honoring the past while igniting our spiritual evolution.

Cafe Landwer, Toronto, ON

Trish and I had supper at Cafe Landwer at Yonge/Bloor W. 

Me and Trish

Retail Retrospective, Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, ON

Trish and I checked out the Retail Retrospective exhibit in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library this evening. It was fun to check out the shopping bags of yesteryear and share the memories they brought back. It’s here until January 11 and free.

Glimpse the retail world of yesterday and celebrate Toronto’s shopping scene through the decades.

Retail Retrospective showcases vintage shopping bags from our Special Collections tracing the history of retailers that defined eras in Toronto. Rediscover the iconic and historic shops that shaped how our city shops today.

Far more than vessels for carrying goods, shopping bags can double as advertisements, status symbols and snapshots of design history. Their physical form can even tell a story—paper or plastic.

Book ~ "The Last Hitman" (2025) Robin Yocum

From Goodreads ~ Once upon a time, being a “made man” meant something. Angelo Cipriani was a member of the inner circle of the Fortuna Crime Family, one of the biggest mafia families in the Ohio Valley. Not that Angelo would ever admit to such an organization even existing, let alone to all of the bodies he dropped for his boss. Angelo even stayed loyal after taking a bullet in the back and winding up in a coma for three months. 

But times have changed. Four decades have passed and the glory days of mob rule have waned. With FBI crackdowns and new rival gangs seizing territory, Angelo finds himself on the outs with the current administration, essentially “on the shelf.” Left with little excitement beyond a crush on the local diner waitress, he does the unthinkable and puts pen to paper, telling his story of coming up, a man of honor in a world that he barely recognizes. 

But Angelo’s reminiscences are rudely interrupted by a visit from the FBI, and the realization that the past is far from dead and buried. Faced with old secrets and fresh betrayals, Angelo finds himself The Last Hitman is ready to get back to work.

This is a story about Angelo, a hitman who is trying to survive a world that has moved on without him. He's is an aging mob enforcer who used to be one of the most trusted guys in the Fortunato crime family. He’s old-school loyal but times have changed. Little Tommy, the new boss, is into dealing drugs rather than hookers and gambling like his late father and late grandfather, and Angelo just doesn’t fit in anymore. He’s being pushed aside and spends his days drinking coffee at a diner, chatting with Carolyn, the waitress he has a crush on, and visiting Nickels, an old friend in a nursing home, who is out of it on meds most of the time. Not exactly the thrilling mob life he once had. Everything shifts when the FBI shows up and pressures him to talk. Suddenly Angelo has to choose ... stay loyal to a crime family that no longer respects him or work with the feds and risk becoming a target.

I enjoyed this book. I've read a few books by this author and have liked them. I liked the writing style of this one and it was surprisingly humorous at times. Angelo had done some really bad things in his day (and was looking forward to continuing to do so) but I found him likable. Being in the mob and loyal to "the boss" was all he knew and he was having a hard time staying loyal to Little Tommy, who was a scumbag. One thing I did have trouble believing is that Carolyn, knowing what he was, didn't have an issue with what he'd done in his past and would continue to do given the chance. The ending leaves things open that there could be a sequel. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Knitted beanie

I knitted these beanies recently to donate. I combined two 4 ply skeins because my pattern calls for a 6 ply yarn ... they are thicker than the pattern calls for but warmer.

I found the pattern here and it was an easy pattern. 

I don't have a small 5.5mm circular needle so used 6.5mm so it's a bit bigger than a beanie and fits like a comfy hat.

With A and circular needles, cast on 80 sts. Place marker, join being careful not to twist sts.

• Rounds 1-8: Work in 2x2 Rib stitch pattern until beanie measures 2” (5 cm) from cast-on edge
• Rounds 9-22: Knit around

Shape Crown

• Round 1: Knit. 
• Round 2 (dec): *K6, K2tog; repeat from * around — 70 sts. 
• Round 3: Knit. 
• Round 4 (dec): *K5, K2tog; repeat from * around — 60 sts. 
• Round 5: Knit. 
• Round 6 (dec): *K4, K2tog; repeat from * around — 50 sts. 
• Round 7: Knit. 
• Round 8 (dec): *K3, K2tog; repeat from * around — 40 sts. 
• Round 9: Knit. 
• Round 10 (dec): *K2, K2tog; repeat from * around — 30 sts. 
• Round 11: Knit. 
• Round 12 (dec): *K1, K2tog; repeat from * around — 20 sts. 
• Round 13: Knit. 
• Round 14: *K2tog; repeat from * around — 10 sts. 

Finishing

Cut yarn leaving a 6” (15 cm) tail. With yarn needle, draw tail through remaining 10 sts twice, pull tightly and fasten off. Weave in ends. Block lightly. 

Book ~ "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Me and My Cat" (2024) Amy Newmark

From Goodreads ~ Be prepared to fall in love with your cat all over again as you read these heartwarming stories of pet parenthood, and the unconditional love, companionship and amusement our cats provide. 

We're all crazy about our cats. We can't get enough of them, and we can’t read enough about them. This book contains 101 of our very best cat stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul’s extensive library. Get cozy, cuddle with your cat and immerse yourself in these heartwarming, amusing, inspirational, and occasionally tearful stories about our favorite furry friends.

I love reading stories about animals plus we have two cats. Sister Sarah gave me this book for Christmas last year. There are 101 stories about kittens and cats and I tended to read a couple stories every week.

The chapters are:

• Meant to Be
• Miracles Happen
• My Very Good, My Very Bad Cat
• Who Rescue Whom?
• What I Learned from the Cat
• We are Family
• Natural Therapists
• Canine Friends
• A Cat's Purpose
• Over the Rainbow

The stories are a couple pages each so are a quick read and most were interesting, some not so much. Some were religious (not my thing). It's amazing how many were indoor/outdoor cats (ours are strictly indoor cats) and how uncaring the older folks tended to be.

Book ~ "The Widow" (2025) John Grisham

From Goodreads ~ Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune and no one knows about it. 

Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder. 

Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer. 

Simon is a small-town lawyer in rural Virginia barely keeping his life together ... his marriage is over, his finances are a mess, he has a gambling problem and his career feels stuck. Then Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow, walks into his office and becomes the most interesting client he’s ever had. She wants to redo her will and hints that she has a huge secret fortune. Simon thinks he’s finally caught a break and befriends her. But the more he gets involved in her life, the stranger things get. Eleanor has secrets, her family is complicated, she won't reveal her true assets and nothing about her past adds up. She has no one else so Simon ends up doing everything for her.

Then Eleanor ends up in a serious car accident and dies of what they suspect is pneumonia but is determined to not be. Suddenly Simon is in the middle of a murder investigation. Everyone’s pointing fingers and most of the clues seem to point to him. To clear his name, Simon has to dig into Eleanor’s hidden life and figure out who actually had something to gain from her death. What starts as rewriting a will turns into a messy, twisty mystery full of money, lies and people who aren’t at all what they seem.

It's been almost 10 years since I've read a John Grisham novel and I thought this one was okay. It was a bit long and draggy. It's written in third person perspective, usually with Simon being the focus. I found Simon to be very unlikable so it was hard to cheer for him after Eleanor died and his life got even worse. I wasn't buying the ending ... it came out of nowhere and was a disappointment considering the time I'd put into reading the book.

Knitted beanie

I knitted these beanies recently to donate. I combined two Red Heart Neon Roll With It Tweed skeins (both had colourful intertwined strands to start!) because my pattern calls for a 6 ply yarn and they were only 3 ply.

"DNA", The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I volunteered this evening at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road) for DNA, which is there until Saturday. It's an interesting story with a surprise twist at the end and the performers acted well in their parts. 

In the sprawls of an urban cityscape, ten teenagers grapple with the consequences of their actions. Adam is dead, and it’s everyone’s fault. So what now? Fixated on the adult lives ahead of them, they’ll do anything it takes to avoid responsibility. The good news? Ray has a plan but she needs everyone’s help. Presented for the first time in Toronto, Dennis Kelly’s DNA investigates morality, leadership, and the primal nature of youth.

Left Field Brewery, Toronto, ON (Liberty Village)

Gord & I had supper this evening with Christine & Alfred and Rosemary & Kevin Left Field Brewery in Liberty Village. 

Remembrance Day, Fort York, Toronto, ON

Gord and I attended the The Remembrance Day service at the Strachan Avenue Military Burial Ground on Garrison Common at Fort York. It’s always a lovely one with local politicians, representatives from the police and fire departments, soldiers and more.

There are various speakers including someone from the indigenous community and a minister.

Book ~ "Torn Asunder" (2024) Barbara Ross

From Goodreads ~ A short boat ride from Busman’s Harbor, Maine, Morrow Island is a perfect spot for a wedding - and a Snowden Family Clambake. Julia Snowden is busy organizing both - until a mysterious wedding crasher drops dead amid the festivities.

Julia’s best friend and business partner, Zoey, is about to marry her policeman boyfriend. Of course, a gorgeous white wedding dress shouldn’t be within fifty yards of a plate of buttery lobster - so that treat is reserved for the rehearsal dinner. Julia is a little worried about the timing, though, as she works around a predicted storm.

When a guest falls to the floor dead, it turns out that no one seems to know who he is, despite the fact that he’s been actively mingling. And when an injection mark is spotted on his neck, it’s clear this wasn’t caused by a shellfish allergy. Now, as the weather deteriorates and a small group is stranded on the island with the body - and the killer - Julia starts interrogating staff, family members, and Zoey’s artist friends to find out who turned the clambake into a crime scene.

Julia is living on Morrow Island, running the family’s clambake business while helping plan her best friend, Zoey’s wedding. Everything’s set for a perfect weekend until, during the rehearsal dinner, an uninvited guest collapses and dies. What first looks like a medical emergency quickly turns into a murder investigation. Then a storm traps some of the guests, along with the soon-to-be bride and groom, on the island giving Julia and her boyfriend, state police detective Tom, opportunity to ask questions.

This is the 12th (and last) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It works as a stand alone so you don't have the read the previous ones to know what's going on. It's written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. It's a quick read and a cozy mystery so there is no violence, swearing or adult activity. The "whodunit" was obvious but I was okay with that. It was farfetched that so many of the guests happened to be connected not only to Zoey but randomly to each other.

Since it was the last in the series, all the loose ends were tied up and everyone had a happy ending. At the end of the book, there are recipes that were mentioned during the story including baked lobster tails, fennel and orange salad and chocolate-covered toffee squares.

KC's tree, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto, ON

I stopped by Trinity Bellwoods Park this morning and visited KC's tree. It's been snowing since yesterday (our first snowfall of the season).