A LOT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

 I don't mean to be unsociable, but a lot is happening right now. Good stuff, but a lot. See you soon. 

 

      

   

Hello dear friends. I hope this post finds you well.

We are back in Braga; we returned a week ago Sunday. Once home, we were busy finding out how to send donated goods to the Ukrainians, and two of our friends were able to send us a contact organization and pick-up locations. (Citywide, there are several collection points for hygenic goods, food, and other supplies being taken to Ukraine and border countries. So then we were busy shopping and dropping off things.)  I also was trying to find an icon to show support for the Ukrainians. My friend Isabel in Galicia had put the image with the dove in her profile picture and told me to feel free to use it for my own. And so, I pass this on to you. I also pass on the "frame" (the little flag) to show support, supplied by my friend Carla in Braga: (The sunflower was from my collection of pictures my husband shoots, and then the little flag came from Carla's frame.) 

In Braga, the organization that is collecting is SOS Ucrânia. I know things are going on in other countries as well. It is good to do whatever one can do, no matter how small. Everything will make a difference to someone. And, as the men (and many women) stay to fight, it will give them courage to know loved ones, children, elders, are in safe hands. 

Flowers always lift my spirit, and the gardens along Avenida da Liberdade are so vibrant right now with color! I don't know who plans the gardens in Braga, but they are works of art. Here are some more flowers for you this Monday morning. Hopefully they can replenish your spirit with a similar urge to keep blooming in these troublesome times. Enjoy!

How about you? Is there an organization in or near your town that can help? 

And, as for flowers, do you have a favorite flower? I have always loved (not necessarily in this order) sunflowers, lilacs, daffodils, tulips, roses, peonies, irises . . . .

 

A Trip Down Memory Lane

 Yesterday we went to Trasulfe, the village where we had our house for 16 years, almost 17. We wanted to meet the new owners of our house, and we enjoyed them so much. They love the house as much as we did, which is exactly the kind of persons we wanted to move into it. 

 

       

 

From the galería window, the scene was ever changing, due to the configuration of the land—all hills and dales. Cloud cover would drift down, then lift, then roll against slopes like ocean waves. You could sit at the window for hours and watch it constantly shift.

 

                                                        
     

Oh, the memories!

 

Many of our neighbors in the village are gone now. (I have written a poetry chapbook about our years spent in the area—on extended trips. We never did live there.) Everytime we go to Galicia, we do take a day to visit the village. So many of our neighbors are gone, and the health of the ones in this photo has become frail. We used to have these three wonderful neighbors over to the house for "meriendas" (snacks) a day or two before returning to Sacramento. In this picture, don't be mislead by the soft-drink bottles. They held home-made wine!

How about you? Do you have a special place that you return to again and again? Have you had home-made wine? Are you mesmerized by ever-changing scenery?

THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF OUR MOVING TO PORTUGAL

 

I know I haven't posted lately, but time has slipped away for so many reasons: I have been gathering blurbs for my new book, which will come out in April or May (more about that later.) I also polished up my poetry collection about Galicia and sent it to a publisher here in Portugal. I should know soon if they are interested—and I've been gathering blurbs for that. In addition, I've been jotting down ideas for mystery #3, and planning more book reviews for mysteries I've read and enjoyed. 

BUT . . . .

Monday was exactly one year after our arrival in Portugal. It was our first anniversary in our new home. Which felt big to us. On February 21, 2021, we arrived in Porto with two suitcases and a carry on, each. Our immigration attorney picked us up and drove us to Braga—first to our apartment (which was not ready to move into yet, but we dropped off our luggage) and then to a hotel we had reserved online (where we were treated so kindly, I'm still sentimental about that hotel).

So, this Monday evening we celebrated the anniversary by going out to dinner at the Centurium, a restaurant here in Braga that plays an important role in the new mystery, I've been mentioning. The owner has been a wonderful consultant for information about hotel remodels, and in general, he is a warm, generous person, who makes restaurant clients feel welcome and at home, taking time to chat with them. The Centurium is also part of the Hotel Bracara Augusta (thus, my interview with him about hotel remodels.)

Dinner was delicious, and we were joined by a special friend who is also our language teacher. The evening simply flew with great food and great conversation in a mix of Portuguese and English—flowing in both languages from her. A few brave stabs at Portuguese from us. 😋

As for the past year: What a wonderful year it has been. Heartwarming. We were excited to come, of course, and yet there is always a little twinge of trepidation about such a huge move. Well the year has flown by, and already we have a collection of happy times, thanks to the help of friends who made the transition and adjustment easy for us. I don't know what we would have done without them.

So, above is a picture of our "Braga Anniversary."

Meanwhile, we continue to settle in, and have started keeping succulents in pots, as they don't require watering so often. (Our herbs all died during a trip to Galicia.) Once our travel days are over, we will try herbs again. Until then, here is an example of our succulents (all with unpronounceable names). The bottom one is just starting to bloom with tiny yellow flowers.

Sorry it is a bit dark. When the light comes in that window, they practically glow like stained glass.

How about you? Do you keep potted plants? If so, what kind. Do you have special anniversaries besides wedding and birthday? If so, please share what they are.

A New Year and a Book Review: Panic Attack

 Happy New Year one and all. I hope your holidays were warm and rewarding, despite the continuing challenge of Covid and its many variants. Perhaps this is the year it they will fizzle away and we can go back to normal living again. 

I mentioned before the close if the year I would have some good news to report. My second book in the Braga mystery series, Deadly Verse, will be published later this spring. I'll post more about it, closer to the date, but suffice it to say it takes place during "Braga Romana," the local festival in late May that celebrates Braga's Roman history. People dress up like Romans and all sorts of performances take place both on stages and plazas in various locations, as well as on  the street. Here are a couple of teasers:

                           

             

It's hard to believe we are already in mid-January! My husband and I enjoyed the holidays with very close friends here in Portugal - our first Christmas in Portugal, following our first anniversary in Portugal, following both our first birthdays in Portugal. (So 2021 was a year of "firsts" for us.)

Being book nerds, we spent a lot of the holiday period, except for our long daily walks, curled up with books. And since we read so many books, for awhile I'll be devoting both blogs ot some reviews. On my Victorian Scribbles blog, I'll be sticking mainly to the Victorian Era. On this one I'll review other assortments of good reads. Since I write mysteries when I'm not writing poetry or children's books, you can guess quite a number of these reads are mysteries.

So the first review I'd like to share is Dennis Palumbo's Panic Attack, a thriller that kept moving without let up until the very end. The plot that finally unravels is chilling in its implications and felt all too possible:

This is the 6th in a series that 
stars Daniel Rinaldi, the 
psychologist consulted by the
Pittsburgh police for victims of
traumatic or violent crimes. 

          The murder of a college mascot at a football game is the first in a series of what appear to be random killings. The intended victim’s panic attack is soon echoed by citywide panic as the killings continue. In the unfolding plot, a pattern emerges, suggesting the murders are not random at all. But what connects the dots? Despite a high body count, this is essentially a puzzle mystery with a myriad of twists and turns that kept me—and my husband—turning pages. 
          This was our first introduction to Daniel Rinaldi, the psychologist consulted by the Pittsburgh police to help victims of violent crimes cope with the aftermath of their experiences. Rinaldi becomes more than a consultant, however: His own inclination to find answers lead him to uncover a conspiracy chilling in its implications—and very relevant to today’s social upheaval. 

          It’s hard to get specific without giving the story away, but I found this a compelling read. The varied characters from different walks of life all seemed true to life. Descriptions of Pittsburgh were vivid and plunged a reader deeper into the story. The plot turns and the outcome were believable and suspenseful right up to the last. Not surprisingly, I’ll be shopping for more thrillers in this series.

If you are into mysteries and current events, I really recommend this book. Meanwhile, leave a line and tell me how your holidays went. Happy reading, and happy posting. 

 

CHRISTMAS IN BRAGA

 WISHING YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BRAGA, PORTUGAL.

                               "FELIZ NATAL E UM PROSPERO ANO NOVO"

                                              SEE YOU NEXT YEAR WITH SOME GOOD NEWS! 😊

Street Musicians, a Special Bonus of the Historic Center

Two days ago, following our language lesson, we went walking around the historic area and decided to stop at A Brazileira for a glass of wine. The temperature was mild, so we could sit at an outside table, and we were also lured by the sound of music. 

One of the things I love about the historic center is that often there are street musicians on one or another of the many open plazas. This time, the musicians were just s few yards away from A Brazileira, so we sipped our wine and enjoyed a good BLUES concert. Both musicians played guitars, and one of them sang with a really good blues voice. I recorded a segment, but I couldn't get it to play on this blog. I really wish someone could tell me how to do that.

Meanwhile, how about you? Do enjoy street performances? Street art?