It Was A Jammies Day, Meant For Bookworms

/ Ally Bean

Dear Diary,

We never got the predicted deep snow, but we did get the frigid temps.  And because we could, Zen-Den and I spent Sunday at home going nowhere.

He watched football on TV.

I read.

In fact, I finished one novel, The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn.

[I don’t do book reviews on this blog.  Instead I’ll tell you that I enjoyed this historical fiction novel because it had unique characters, a predictable but interesting plot, and explained the history of women spies during WWI, something I knew nothing about.]

Then I pulled out an Agatha Raisin mystery by M.C. Beaton because I wanted a lightweight British cozy mystery to while away the rest of the day.

As one does when one is me.

I admit I looked outside and contemplated walking into the screened-in porch to brush off the snow from the winter furniture, but that seemed like too. much. effort. for a woman in her jammies all day.

[Plus, that furniture is teak which is supposed to weather the elements so that it can develop a rich gray patina and show a little character.]  

And that, Dear Diary, is about all there is to say about Sunday instant.

I’m hoping that the temps will get up into the 20s today so I can comfortably go for a walk outside, but if not I’ll keep reading.

Up next in my TBR stack is Beartown by Fredrik Backman, so you know I’ll be enjoying the book in front of me.  Thus I say fear not, for I shall keep myself entertained while avoiding inclement weather.

Yours truly,

Ally Bean

81 thoughts on “It Was A Jammies Day, Meant For Bookworms”

    • philmouse, it is a luxury to stay inside– and it’s a luxury that I appreciate to the nth degree. Believe you me. The novel about women spies was compelling– just to see what happened and to learn more about the history of it all.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Brrrrr. Winter finally showed up, and I mightily wish it hadn’t. We did get socked with about a foot or so, but that wind! Some of the drifts were almost 3 feet high! Had to shovel out the bottom of the driveway and a path for the mail carrier, but scurried back in ASAP. And it is JUST COLD. Bravo to your Jammies Day. I applaud its being held over!

    Liked by 1 person

    • nance, I know that up north this winter snow storm was much worse than around here. It’s the cold that just does me in anymore. We decided that if we could have one day wherein we didn’t have to deal with the frigid temps, then we were going to take it.

      I only wish that Jammies Day could become a weeklong festival of lazy, but alas & alack the real world beckoned.

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  7. Jammies days are the best. In fact, I just had not one, not two, but three in a row. Took Monday off special to continue the trend. Going outside today was not what I really wanted to do, but I did it. But I’m practically still wearing jammies… It’s too cold for real work clothes.

    Enjoy the day!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Tara, I’m inspired by your foresight in creating a multi-day jammie event. You are a smart woman. I know what you mean about wearing winter clothes now. Once upon a time I worked in a world where suits, hose, and pumps were required, but fortunately those days are long gone for me– and just about all women. Praise be!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. You’re not supposed to sit around in jammies and read after a fake snowstorm. You’re supposed to make french toast all day in your jammies with all the milk, bread and eggs you procured from the store the previous day fearing you might end up trapped inside for six weeks and didn’t want to lack milk, bread and eggs during that ice age forboding weather event. I guess you like to live a little dangerously… that is to be commended.

    Liked by 3 people

    • evilsquirrel13, you made me laugh with that one. I don’t quite get the milk/bread/eggs thing, but shopping in the grocery on Saturday afternoon those were the items low on the shelves. We, rebels that we are, bought the makings for nachos, our chosen food for the approaching ice age.

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  14. The 20s still sounds cold, but I’m a wimpy Pacific Northwesterner! Hope you can get out for a walk though; being inside and cozy is great, but I get antsy. 🙂 Agatha Raisin is a fascinating character; she’s so neurotic and unpleasant, but funny and endearing too. I’ve been hearing a lot about “The Alice Network” and “Beartown” on my Facebook book site. There are numerous opinions about each which can get confusing. Usually I ignore that and read whatever sounds good to me!

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    • Margaret, I know what you mean about feeling antsy. I’ll go for a walk if & when I see some sunshine and there’s no wind. I have standards, ‘ya know?

      I picked up both books at B&N. They looked interesting to me, so I bought them. I rarely read official reviews of books anymore, relying more on my whims. I left goodreads because I got confused and tired of everyone having such extreme opinions about books.

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      • My Book Club has certainly gotten burned on a few books that had stellar amazon reviews, and then were horrible. Do they hire their relatives and friends to write glowing reviews? 😉

        Liked by 1 person

        • Well you know Margaret, I think many authors do just that! I was once asked to write a review so that a friend’s husband’s book could get enough reviews on Amazon to boost the book up in the ratings. I wrote the review, the book was good, but I felt weird about the whole thing and have never done that again.

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  15. sounds like a prefect way to spend a freezing cold Sunday to me. Oh and I did like the Alice Network, but there were some distributing aspects that I guess I knew about, but didn’t want to think about.

    Liked by 1 person

    • teacherturnedmommy, it was fun, but as much as I’m a homebody at heart I do like to do some things on the weekend. One Sunday of jammies per winter is about enough for me.

      I didn’t know anything about the women spies so the novel taught me some facts, but like you alluded to, some of it was just awful.

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  16. I just don’t get snow… or maybe I just don’t get living in snow. I do get staying inside on a cold day(anything lower than the high 60s) with a great book. I’ve read several of Backman’s books, but not Beartown. I look forward to your non-review. Thanks for the recommendation of The Alice Network… it’s now on my TBR list.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, snow is something that just is around here. We both grew up around it so were aren’t scared of it, but we also know that if you can avoid it for a day when the temps are subzero, then do it.

      I hope you enjoy The Alice Network. I was taken with the characters and found the author’s quiet humor to be my speed. The novel is, however, based on a serious subject with some awful realities thrown in.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. I loved your photos. The cushions on your porch chairs looked so jaunty, ready for a good conversation. Our porch is very drab in the winter. That’s marvelous that you took advantage of bad weather to stay cozy inside.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Anne, thank you. The brightly colored cushions are a nice splash of color during our drab late winter days. We don’t spend much time out there this time of year, but when we do it’s nice and cheerful.

      Liked by 1 person

    • joey, thank you. I thought these photos showed an unusually serene landscape. Winter snow is pretty, but often by the time I get around to snapping a pic someone has put footie prints on my snow. 🙁

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  20. I’m jealous of your snow. We’ve had remarkably little this year and it hardly feels as if it’s the end of January which could be a good thing (or a bad thing, really), but I’m heartsick for a good winter snow. I loved Beartown so I hope you’ve had lots of time to enjoy it!

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    • katie, we had one ugly snow fall in November, then two pretty ones in January. I feel that’s enough of the white stuff for this winter. However, we may get more snow in February– in which case you can look for a cranky winter snow post next month! Just getting to Beartown today [if time allows].

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  21. Your day sounds lovely! But I love the cold and snow, and I’m sure if I were where you are, I’d have ventured outside to marvel at such a gloriously cold day 😄 Still, your photos look lovely too, so I suppose you can appreciate the weather equally well from inside 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Pistachios, I like cold days, but not sub-zero days. Sunday was frigid, and staying inside with book and camera seemed prudent. We don’t often get the chance to just be at home, so it was nice. Today the temps are above freezing and the snow is about 70% melted so last weekend is a pleasant lazy memory now.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Having an excuse to read, read & then read some more sounds perfect. The wrong weather can provide that perfect excuse, my excuse was being less than well and I must say that I’ve read a lot of books in the last couple of months. While I do get ill (of course), most of my cold/cough type things are violent and swift, somewhat akin to a hurricane, so this long, slow, constant dragging-on has been making me crazy. Almost quite literally, especially as I had such plans for these two months, not one of which came to fruition. But enough with the looking back. One huge bonus is that I got to read some *really* good books 🙂

    PS: That’s a very pretty picture – did you venture out, or just pop your camera out through door or window?

    Liked by 1 person

    • deb, I see that you’re putting your unfortunate illness into perspective. What a bummer of a thing to happen to you. I’m sorry. Reading books is great, but getting on with your life might be even better. Are you feeling better today?

      I took the photos by opening doors and windows. No stinking way was I going outside, even for a second, when it was below zero out there. Also, the camera lens will frost over at that temp so that the camera stops doing its thing. This I learned years ago.

      Liked by 1 person

      • D’you know, the last couple of years, my facebook feed has always been filled with people who’d suffered with viruses for 2-3 months and, whilst I always felt for them, I did wonder if they were doing all they could to get better. Yeah, I know, judgemental or what? Now I know better, for there was nothing I didn’t try. These viral nasties just have to be ridden out.

        Yesterday I would’ve said I was better. Today, less so, but on only a couple of hours sleep, no-one feels their best. I will be focussing on getting that right which may result in some changes being made to better suit my natural rhythms rather than those of Himself. They may help me with the writing too, so win-win.

        Liked by 1 person

        • deb, weird viruses can linger in your body [and your soul?] for way too long. Obviously, huh? I wonder if we modern humans, accustomed to being on the go, exacerbate the viral infection by not taking its message to heart. That is, it is saying slow down and do nothing– but we soldier on like it doesn’t exist.

          I bet that in the end when you feel consistently better you’ll find that your writing will flow out of you because you’ve had time to allow your ideas to percolate. The thoughts will come pouring out of your mind like a good cup of black coffee. Yes, yes?

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  23. You’ve hit it on the nail there Ally. In the run up to my daughter’s wedding a couple of year ago, amongst huge amounts of family stress, I did that “just hold it together till after the wedding”, insisting that nothing was going to spoil my girl’s day. A week after she married, my back went – spectacularly. This time round I was doing the “just hold it together till Mum goes away for 2.5 months, then you can get stuff done” and bang. Interestingly, I was just commenting on boundaries and managing difficult relationships on LA’s blog. Useful stuff one learns on these here random blogs, eh?

    And I say amen to that good cup of black coffee metaphor for my writing 🙂

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  24. Now that is the picture of coziness! Yay! Now you make me want to read The Alice Network! I put it on my wish list!
    Yesterday when freezing rain and snow hit, I leaped under my Sherpa blanket with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz–a book I love to read on cold, dreary days.

    Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, sometimes I think it’s best to accept the weather and just ignore it. Reading books while the temps are frigid is a perfect way to ignore. I haven’t re-read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz since I was a child. You inspire me to do so soon.

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  25. Brr. Our temps are way warmer than yours, but I still can’t get my wife to sit out on our screened porch this time of year. I give you credit for even thinking it! Your reading output is impressive; all I do is just slowly plod along. And so it goes… Do stay warm! – Marty

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    • Marty, it’s warmer out today. It looks lousy and gray outside, but I can go outside without 5 gazillion layers of clothing. The snow on the porch has melted now, saving me the bother of brushing it off the chairs, so all is good here.

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  27. Weirdly, and as much as I don’t appreciate winter, I was looking forward to our snow days on Saturday through Monday. I stocked up the kitchen, made comfort food, turned on the fireplace, and read for hours. Watched football too because I’m weird that way. But when it hit 0 degrees out and the wind shook the trees, I gave up and read in the hot bath. 🙂

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  28. I will happily make an excuse for a jammies and book day. Throw in a couple cookies and perhaps some tea and I’m set. If you like the occasional British cozy, you might enjoy Diana Xarrisa’s Aunt Bessie series. You know my highly skilled book reviews. Me like, characters warm and funny. Good books.

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    • Zazzy, I like how you think. Tea and cookies are always welcome… along with my books. I’ve not heard of the mysteries you mention so I’ll look for one. I like your reviews, they’re not much different than mine. I don’t enjoy writing book reviews [too much like college], so I don’t do them.

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  30. Good for you to take a day to read. I keep telling myself I’m going to do that, and I don’t. But, hells yes, I have no problem sitting around all day in my jammies. That’s just the way I roll sometimes.

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    • Kate, our lazy Sunday was a good thing for both of us. I felt like such a rebel by not getting dressed and by reading my day away. It was good for the soul, I tell you.

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  31. Something about a photo of chairs is so inviting and your photo with the snow is charming (and teak is nice….)
    And snow days – or
    Frigid days indoors can be quite nice – and your post reminds me why we wanted to live in a place that had all four seasons – happy new year to you (a bit late)

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    • Priorhouse, I like photos of chairs. I have a few of them because like you said, I find chairs inviting… so why not take a pic of them?

      I like living in four seasons in spite of the fact that some weeks the temperatures get a bit carried away with things. Of course, that’s part of the intrigue I suppose.

      Happy New Year to you, too. It’s never too late to say that! 🙂

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