My weekly check-in with what I’m reading, watching, loving, and working on. This week, I’m turning the tables on you, watching an old favorite, loving a song Marshall shared with me, and working on everything simultaneously. We can be slightly overwhelmed and a little behind together.
what I’m reading
In a very rare season of life, I haven’t had time for my usual reading this week! I listened to one of my audiobooks on a walk, but I haven’t had time to read and study like I normally do. It’s just that busy season of life with concerts, special events, traveling, and trying to fit in decorating and gift shopping. It’s only December 5 and I’m already feeling pressed for time. So, instead of sharing what I’m reading, why don’t you tell me what you’re reading and what you like about it?
what I’m watching
I’ve shared the BBC series Dickensian in one of my period series round-ups (you can find those posts here – part one, part two, part three), but I have been watching it once a year since I found it. I was scrolling around for something to watch that I didn’t have to pay too much attention to, so I could knit or sketch while it was on, and Dickensian came to mind. If you’re a Charles Dickens fan, it’s a wonderful series that is a prequel to several Dickens classics. The prominently featured characters are from Bleak House, Oliver, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol, but there are side characters from The Curiosity Shop, Pickwick Papers, Our Mutual Friend, and a few more.
The creators and writers of this show did such a great job imagining what happened to these characters before we met them in their stories. In my opinion, they also stay true to the spirit of Dickens’ writing.
This series can stand on its own if you’re not familiar with all of the books, but I would suggest reading (or watching a movie/series on) Oliver, Bleak House, and Great Expectations so you have some reference for the characters. Knowing where those characters end up really brings out the brilliance of this series.
what I’m loving
Marshall, my oldest, and I are very similar in our love for music. We both have music playing throughout the day…while working, exercising, and driving. We sing together and have gone to three concerts together this year. While we have differing tastes in music, there is some overlap and we’ve started sharing songs we like with each other. Earlier this week, he came into the kitchen and asked if I had heard Brandon Lake’s Country Psalm. I hadn’t, so he played it for me. It wasn’t good enough to just play it over the phone, so he got his Bluetooth speaker and cranked it up so I could really soak it in. “Are you going to add it to your playlist?” That’s always to test to see if I really loved it or not. Yes, it’s getting added to a few of my playlists. While it’s not a Christmas song, I happened to have soup on the stove and was working on Christmas decorating, so it felt very holiday-ish to me at that moment.
He loved it, I loved it, and you might, too…
what I’m working on
I’m chipping away at decorating for Christmas this week. I’ve done so much Christmas decorating in years past that was a part of my business and, in some cases, it felt like a chore. Now when I’m decorating my own home, I make sure I’m enjoying it and that I do what I want to do. Some years that means making a lot of things and taking the decorations to the max. In other years, I keep things simple. I never really know what kind of year it’s going to be until I get into it. I feel like this year might be simple, but we’ll see!
Today, I need to finish a commissioned painting for a client so it can ship in time and finish decorating one of the trees at our church. Jeff is thrilled about taking me to Hobby Lobby so I can pick up a few more ornaments and ribbons. (We’re in the stage of life where we’re juggling two cars and three drivers.) He said (jokingly), “Why do I have to go to Hobby Lobby? What did I do wrong?”
And I (jokingly) replied, “Well, you asked me to decorate the trees at the church. That’s what you did wrong.”
I have been enjoying the Kurt Wallander book series by Henning Mankell. The character is famously portrayed by Kenneth Branagh – but I prefer the books because the stories are so finely detailed, justice cannot be done in 90 minutes and I prefer the characters as I see them in my mind. Henning Mankell writes with a social conscious and it is interesting to see how a detective in Sweden gets tied up with people and in situations from South Afrika and other places in Europe.
Have just finished two of Claire Keegan’s books: “Foster” and “Small Things Like These.” Beautifully written stories about people who surprise you by doing good things for others.
I’m enjoying The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. Set in Victorian London, it chronicles the life of a witty young woman in London. It is absolutely charming and once I got into it, I was hooked and tore through the whole series. Wholesome and well written!
Maybe I’ll join you & the chaos that is known as Hobby Lobby because I need more shatterproof ornaments & Target has less stock from me to choose from. I’m decorating a 7.5ft green tree.
FYI, I was in Hobby Lobby yesterday and they are already dismantling Christmas displays and emptying shelves to move in their spring inventory. Get it while you can!
Hi. This isn’t really related to this post, but I wanted to thank you for recommending the “Endurance” on a prior “Favorite Things” post. It’s not something I probably would have selected on my own, but I really enjoyed it. I hadn’t even heard of the “Endurance” before, and now I want to know more. Thanks so much!
Louise Penny’s new Inspector Gamache novel *The Gray Wolf*.
Just clear your calendar, because it’s very hard to leave in the middle.
A little bird told me that Santa is bringing me a copy for Christmas!
Thank you so much for the recommendation of “Dickensian!” I am performing in an interactive rendition of A Christmas Carol this month and have been immersed in all things Dickens since October when rehearsals began. I thought I knew a lot about Dickens but have learned even more as one does when you live someone else’s words.
I was late to the party with Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache novels but have been devouring them one by one. She has such talent at making you care so much about the characters and amazingly ties all of them together to the village of Three Pines even though the stories are really varied. I don’t want them to end!
Other than my small women’s group book at church, I’ve not been reading much else. The book cairn beside my chair is patiently waiting. After finishing making crafts and working our county Children’s Holiday Store, I’m working on 20 nativity costumes. It’s a busy time. I will be able to slow down after this week.
I’m currently reading Truman by David McCullough, the 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner. I’ve seen it mentioned more than once and finally decided to give it a try. It’s almost a thousand pages, due tomorrow (cannot renew because there is a hold on it), and I still have about 250 pages to go. Our library did away with fines for overdue books, so I’m going to finish it. I don’t usually do that, but it is not light reading, even though it’s excellent, and I want to finish it while I have it.
Marian, thank you for sharing the song, I LOVE it, will be adding to my playlist also!
I agree. I really felt this song. I am truly blessed and this song spoke my heart. Thank you.
I had to laugh at Jeff’s comment about Hobby Lobby. I have a friend whose husband loves to go to Hobby Lobby. I told her one day that the only way I’d ever get my husband there was if I was carrying in his ashes to find an urn. She laughed so hard she fell off her chair!
WOW! I so love Brandon Lake’s voice and his songs, but I have not heard that one. It will definitely be one on my list to listen to!! Thank you so much for sharing with us and thanks to Marshall for sharing it with you 🙂 It is really beautiful<3 Merry Christmas to you, Marian, and to all your family!! – Kim
I was disheartened seeing Christmas being dismantled at Hobby Lobby. Why are we in such a hurry to move onto the next thing. I feel like the holiday is over before it actually arrives.
I agree with you on the “Dickensian”, I loved it and it is worth watching more than once. Most of all thank you for sharing Brandon Lake’s “Country Song”. What a beautify song and your Son has great taste. I will definitely share it with others. Merry Christmas to you and your family and thank you for your insights, decorating tips, products, painting and so much more. Looking forward to what is coming in 2025.
Marian, your home looks so inviting normally but this time of year you seem to do the unexpected with dried orange slices, popcorn crocheted garland, fresh greens here and there, etc. Thank you for your ongoing creative eye candy.
Love your song suggestion. I’m guessing you already know about it but I LOVE both the melody and the message of the song “Go Light Your World”. I stumbled upon it accidentally about a year ago. It is wonderfully performed by many groups on u-tube.
Thank Marshall for sharing this song. Love it!
I am fully immersed in the Patrick O’Brien series about the British Navy during the Napoleanic wars. There are 20 books in the series and every one is a masterpiece of characterization and writing.
Thank you for the recommendation of Dickensian, I will check it out. Looking for something nice to have on tv while decorating. We downsized to a smaller tree on a trunk in the living room and another small one in the den and love the ease of decorating those. It’s a small house, and we had to move furniture to fit in a big tree. So much easier now. Merry Christmas!
I fell into Science fiction, not have a clue what it is called, but it’s funny and entertaining. The last book was the biography of Napoleon, which makes him a lot more human. Ever heard of the Korean band Exo? I like Growl a lot, makes you dance. I took my wooden tree down, and one box. It will be sober this year.
Marshall, what a great song. Had not heard it although I love Brandon Lake. How wonderful he pulled this from his playlist. Speaks volumes. Love period series, Ryan Ellis (music) while I’m cleaning, and Francine Rivers (reading)… when I can find the time.