The Pecan Man

 

The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Historical Fiction Physical Book
What a beautiful, well-written book. I loved Eddie (the Pecan Man), Blanche, and mostly Miz Beckworth. Miz Beckworth is added to my literary hero list. I loved how this book made me think and, more than that, go inside my own heart to decide what I think is right and wrong. This book is short and oh, so powerful. It is a 5 star plus book.


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Keynote Christmas Season 2025

 We had a wonderful Christmas season with the Keynotes.  How I love these ladies.  It was a whirlwind as we did our final rehearsal and 13 performances and a luncheon in 11days. We have a pretty good system, but still it's a lot of work for me to decide what we are singing at each venue and make performance charts, etc. We only do our entire program once- that's in the Tabernacle performance.  The rest of the performances are shortened versions of the program.  Every member has a narration part and a solo.  

Kim Meyers, Kalynn Snow, Kyla Lawrence, Jen Pusey, Chris Tonks, Tami Peterson, Cindy Alton, Lydia Fisher, Kay Hinton, Val Jones, Connie Spilker, Cindi Witt, Carole Seegmiller (accompanist)

Ken comes to some of our performances.  When he does, he takes pictures.

Meadows FHE  There were about 60 people in attendance

Cool Yule

Performing for the sealers of the Red Cliffs Utah temple Christmas party.

At one of the rest homes:

Pictures from the tabernacle performance:

Songs in this year's program:

Keynote Christmas, 2025

A Glad Noel - with bells

It's Beginning to Look Like Christas/ Pine Cones and Holly Berries- 

Soloists,: Val Jones and Tami Peterson

Winter Wonderland

Soloist: Kalynn Snow

A Holly, Jolly Christmas

Cool Yule

Carols of Christmas

Soloist: Cindy Alton

An Angelic Christmas Medley

Soloists: Kay Hinton and Connie Spilker

Come and See

Soloists: Jen Pusey and Lydia Fisher

I See a Star

Solooist: Kyla Lawrence

Oh, What a Wonderful Child

Soloist: Kim Meyers

Dona Nobis Pacem

Come, Lord Jesus

Soloists: Chris Tonks and Cindi Witt

Sussex Carol

All on a Silent Night

with Cello

Blogger won't let me post videos, but here is the link to our tabernacle performance:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XI8UFTykgflHX95jQCCqoVi2FSVgPx7u/view?usp=gmail

It was a wonderful season, but I have to admit, I was exhausted at the end of it.  It is a relief to enter spring season and just be a singer.  I have already started working on Christmas 2026.  Our tabernacle performance is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16th, 2026.

Dr. Seuss' Advice

 

The Briar Club

 

1.    The Briar Club  by Kate Quinn  4 stars

Historical Fiction     Audiobook

I listened to this on audio.  I had a hard time following it for about half of it.  I longed to see the book.  I think it would have been less confusing if I could have seen that each chapter at first was about a different woman living in a boarding house in Washington DC in the 1950s.  It was very well read, but I was confused.  But by the end I figured it out.  It is a great story.  This eclectic group of women become almost as family to one another.  The end is incredibly tense and thrilling.  I enjoyed the author’s notes at the end and the interview with the author and narrator.  Now armed with more information, I almost want to listen to it again.  4 stars.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

 

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fiction Physical Book
Wow! This is a soul-stirring, powerful book. It makes you feel the plight of the refugee. The author actually served in a refugee camp and then used her experiences and knowledge and deep feelings to write this moving book. Refugee camps become lawless societies, which she witnessed first-hand. It is about a couple that must flee from Syria. You come to love this dear couple trying to make their way to England and freedom, but their hearts are back in their homeland where he was a beekeeper. I now understand severe PTSD in a way I never have before. I highly recommend reading this moving book. 5 stars.


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Christmas at our Houses

 I texted our family on our group text and asked them to send pictures of their Christmas decorations.  I loved feeling the spirit in their homes at this special time of year.  Merry Christmas!

And I always ask my sister, Joan to send pictures of her beautifully decorated home.  She had it all set up for her student piano recital when she took the pictures:

Our Christmas dinner

We gave each other books.  A friend gave me the top one, but the rest were from Ken.  Books make me happy.  We spend many evenings reading.

Ken's haul.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!