My husband and I are heading out west in a few days, so I’m rushing around getting everything ready. Today I am washing clothes, just finished up getting my favorite “trip drink” (Fresca Peach – YUM!), and doing some other “fun” types of pre-trip chores.

We are lucky to have our son take care of our house while we’re gone, that way I don’t have to worry about it. (It’s a lot easier for him now that Sprite isn’t here, needing 24 / 7 care.) I am a very committed worrier, so having him take care of our house saves me from spending a lot of time needlessly worrying about things like: Did I turn on the alarm? Did I remember to turn the oven off? What if … You get my point.

We will be driving out to California (from here in San Antonio) making two stops along the way. We plan to visit Fort Davis, Texas our first night, and then on up to Tucson, where we will be visiting the San Xavier del Bac Mission.

Of course, no trip to California would be complete without (almost mandatory) stops: the San Diego Zoo is our first California destination. We are then planning on driving up the California coast, which I am really looking forward to doing. Did I ever mention that I am a lover of missions? I simply love walking through historical places, and missions are probably my very favorite types of places. (Lucky I live in San Antonio!)

There are twenty one missions on the west coast of California, and we plan on seeing several of them. You won’t find us on a bus ooo-ing and aaaa-ing at “the stars” homes, or on a bus going the opposite way, towards Rodeo Drive. Those things simply don’t interest us.

I’m going to be getting our audible books ready for the trip, and want to try a few new authors for both my husband and me, as well as some that we already know we enjoy. More on that later.

BB just asked if any of us has had an April Fool’s Day prank played on us, or if we have played one on anybody. Well, we haven’t had any pranks at our household, nor have we played any tricks on anyone, but as soon as I read that comment of BB’s I thought about this YouTube clip that Barb sent me last week. My husband, daughter, son, and I got a chuckle out of it.

New Way of Herding Cattle (This link is no longer available.)

(Thank you, Barb!)

Happy Easter!

Good Passover to you!

I hope everyone is enjoying a restful day, spent with family and/or friends. My son and daughter are spending this weekend with us, which makes my husband and me very, very happy. 

As the title of this entry says: Thank you for your monthly mystery book recommendations!

I (finally!) started the monthly recommendation entries fourteen entries ago. I had received several letters from Cozy Mystery readers who told me that while they could see who I liked to read, they were interested in what you all read. They wanted to get different Cozy Mystery readers’ opinions on who the really good authors are. At first I didn’t think these entries would fly.  I wondered if people other than the letter-writers would really be interested enough about “getting the word out” regarding their favorite authors. Boy, am I glad I listened to the letter-writers’ ideas!

I have found several authors through your recommendations, two of whom were actually on my  “*****YUCK” list! Yes, that’s right – two of the authors who you all have repeatedly told us about were on that list! (I have to admit that it is a rather long list, in fact it is so long that each letter has its own folder on my desktop.)

One of these authors has been recommended five times out of the fourteen entries. That’s a really high percentage – I think that’s something like 5/14, which is more than a third. (Algebra was not a strength of mine!)

Every month, when I compile the list of Cozy Mystery Book Recommendations, I take notice of why you are recommending the authors. Those comments of yours are the reason I have given some of my not so favorite authors a second chance.

I remember reading one of my new favorite authors (Joanne Fluke) many years ago, when I was still in my Cozy Mystery online reading groups. Cora (one of the two very dear friends I made in those groups) and I shared a very similar taste in our favorite authors. Cora loved Joanne Fluke, so I knew I would too. But for some reason, don’t ask me why, I didn’t like the book. After seeing her name over and over on the monthly recommendation lists, I tried her again. Man alive! What was I thinking all of those years ago? Joanne Fluke is on my favorite authors list now, thanks to those of you who recommended her. (I am always excited when I find a new-to-me author who has several books already written, so I don’t have to “wait” for their next Cozy Mystery.)

I can’t imagine why I made the decision to not continue with Joanne Fluke all those years ago. Perhaps I was in an over-all bad mood when I decided I wouldn’t continue with her. This brings me to the following question:

Have you ever decided you didn’t like an author – only to later find you actually do?