
#5JoysFriday
1) a very merry bookish Christmas
2) the biopic Blue Moon 2025 starting Ethan Hawke- heartbreaking, superb acting by Hawke
3) Christmas Eve lasagna
4)coffee!!!!
5) Meyer‘ s hand creme, snowdrop scent. Love love the smell.

#5JoysFriday
1) a very merry bookish Christmas
2) the biopic Blue Moon 2025 starting Ethan Hawke- heartbreaking, superb acting by Hawke
3) Christmas Eve lasagna
4)coffee!!!!
5) Meyer‘ s hand creme, snowdrop scent. Love love the smell.

#wintersolace #gratitude
There are really no words for the gratitude I feel for this Litsy community. It is sustained me and given me solace this month when I‘ve been shut indoors ill with a stubborn, lingering bronchitis.Your support means the world, and I am filled with a depth of appreciation. It feels as if I have been wrapped in a blanket of comfort and warmth since 12/11. 💚🥰🤗❤️

#5JoysFriday
1) poetry
2)PJ day at HS
3) Advent reading/refection
4)#MidWinterSolace
5)#ChristmasCrimeChallenge

I can‘t thank you enough Denise for this thoughtful gift for our tree memorializing #preciousPoe. Your tenderness & empathy made both my husband & me cry.
This community‘s outpouring of support & love during this time has been such a balm of comfort. Thank you to every Litten! That‘s what we do best: care for each other as we read. 💚❤️💚

#5JoysFriday
1) Em hugging the warm radiator this morning.
2) Poe on his last night at home. We said goodbye to him this past Wednesday.😢
3) a stop at Starbucks this morning with Husband & son.
4) Our first snow! 5) Coffee, always

#5JoysFriday
1) watching Macy‘s parade with Family. Love the new Mario float.
2) holiday signage in Tariffville celebrating Autumn and the coming Christmas season
3) Thanksgiving dinner.
4) My husband enjoying his Thanksgiving. His cranberry sauce was yum!
5) Poe & Em snuggled together. We do not know how long we will have Poe, so every day is precious.💛
Special 6th joy: Litsy & Littens! 💛💛💛

#5JoysFriday
1)Poe & Em catching sunshine on a cold day
2) sun setting at work last evening
3) got my books lined up for #ChristmasCrimeChallenge hosted by @Ruthiella @RaeLovesToRead -excited!
4)2 students singing karaoke at our HS bonfire last night
5) HS bonfire!!!
The bonfire fun helped erase a day of challenging HS students.

#5JoysFriday
1) glorious sunrise this week
2) the moon last night
3) Poe & I snuggling
4) that first morning sip of coffee!
5) Escapades of Tommy & Tuppence
All healing moments. Especially Tues when Dems showed up in full force! #resist Huge #joy

#5JoysFriday
1)our refrigerator covered with magnets of places, historic sites, national parks, etc we traveled to starting about 25 yrs ago.2)sunset 3)Poe hiding when its pill time 4) COFFEE!!!!! Not sure where I found this 5)Autumn from my porch #memories #Poe #naturalworld #coffee

#5JoysFriday
Too busy dining & dancing last night at a fundraiser for a local University to post!
1) river walk
2) Marcella Hazan‘s beef bolognes
3) Poe & I reading
4)Cut flowers still blooming ever after a freeze
5) my sister & I at last night‘s dinner dance!

#5JoysFriday
1) glorious sunrise!
2) my Keene sandals
3) first Pumpkin Spice latte
4) Last flowers of summer
5) my local public library

#5JoysFriday
1) incredible sun rise one day this week
2) journaling
3) maple donut & always coffee!
4) black cherry chip ice cream
5) #FCS #fallcardswap to brighten my days

#5JoysFriday
1) Rainy for 2 days- we so need this water! Plus it has cooled from high 90s to 58 degrees this morning ; high 78 today!
2) My Indie bookshop visit yesterday
3) Libraries!
4) always Litsy!
5) always coffee!
🌧️☔️📚🤗👯☕️
Anyone want to join in?

#5JoysFriday
1-2: spent a few days in green,lush Mendon VT where my brother & sister-in-law retired,with my CT sister, swimming in a reservoir,hiking to a waterfall,watching a play,reading on their porch,enjoying home cooked & restaurant meals. 3:Pepe‘s fresh tomato pizza & Caprese Di Burrata salad 4:my hummingbird visits 5: first outing for ice cream ! 🏊🏻♀️💦🥾⛰️🗻⛰️🌲🎭📚🐧🍓🫐🍉🥑🥗🥓🍳🥞☕️🍦

#5JoysFriday
1) double rainbows in sky last night.
2) my porch
3) NYC, Anne Frank exhibit & Pride parade/rally
4) my garden
5) drinking coffee out of teacups in honor of my Mom
Any Litten please join in if you wish to. I love doing this- helps my mindset & fills me with gratitude.💕💕

1) reading Mark Twain with my family
2) My porch!
3) Now that I am experiencing leisurely mornings,I am using my tea cups-memories of tea or coffee with my Mom
4) Survived 98+ degree day last weekend at our Hartford City Football game was worth it!! We won 4-nil.
5) My library is giving out all kinds of bookmarks & historical buttons for Pride month. Love them!!!
Here‘s a song to reflect my feelings as I post this:
https://youtu.be/uTUJjHwMn6E

#5JoysFriday
1) last day of school/work was Monday! Yay!!!
2) Early morning walk-was lovely/ breezy,sunny with puff clouds-the river glistened
3) won Hartford City Football game game, 4-nil!!!
4) coffee, a book & bird song on my porch
5) Em, who never ever climbs, climbed from the floor to a stack of books in my office. I was utterly transfixed watching her progress!
Tagging any Litten who wants to play.

#5JoysFriday
🥀 Roses blooming outside our school‘s entrance.
🥀 Always, coffee
🥀 books!!!!!
🥀 Sunrise through smokey haze from Canadian wildfires.
🥀 sunset this one day this week.
Tagging any Litten who wants to share their joys.

#5JoysFriday
1) coffee and a book- always!
2) my porch is finally open !
3) Memorial Day parade as it goes by my house
4) at top of plant see a tiny bird- house wren has built a nest
5)Em & Poe #catsoflitsy

#5JoysFriday
1) Mark Twain House sponsored a book interview with Michael Luo author of Strangers in the Land- my family joined in the event.
2)coffee!!!!! & poetry!!!!!
3) kitties!!!!
4) iris blooming in my yard
5) lily of the valley in my yard
#nature #coffee #poetry #family #catsoflitsy

#5JoysFriday
1) Opening season soccer game-we won ! #hartfordcityfootballclub
2) lily of the valley blooming in my yard ( the one day we had no rain this week)
3)Em-cat waits patiently for me to come to bed every night-nestles on my pillow
4) books!!!!
5) coffee always!

#5JoysFriday
🌸 National Indie Bookstore Day my-My choices are displayed on my couch.
🌸 our magnolia tree lost lots of petals due to rain-still beautiful
🌸 Spirit week at the HS-staff & students had such fun following a daily schedule of creative dress ideas- to match the first letter of my name,I was a kite for day- clipped to my back with a semi-tail! High energy, joyful chaos!
🌸 immersed in poetry thx to #AprilPoetryChallenge
🌸 Em-cat!

Today I feel spring around the corner- reached 71 today. I feel exhilaration after attending a protest in Hartford, always coffee, the “ Robert Tree” our Magnolia is starting to bloom, kitties, tonight‘s sunset, Litsy friends, the ocean at Banks Street Beach, Harwich Port,Cape Cod,books!, my first porch day with coffee & a book, sisters, hummingbirds yet to visit my garden. #hope #joy #love #gratitude #resist #nature #moodboardcontest #mbc

#5joysfriday #gratitude #Joy
Top row: 3 days on Cape Cod, MA with my 3 sisters! 💕💕💕💕
Bottom row: all today- in the 50s, my first day of the season on my porch. Neighbors out walking, bikers cycling by, birds singing. Coffee & a book! 🚶🏻♀️🚴♂️☕️📘 🪶🐦⬛🎶☀️ A taste of spring…

Crazy New England weather in CT this week. Gray clouded sky one day, then a brief appearance of the sun another day- magnolia tree bud, star hyacinth, now snow Friday & today! So so happy Litsy is working today-“Where books make friends.” Friday I missed everyone!

1) magnolia & star hyacinth
2) my family, my staff team at work, my kitties
#gratitude #WondrousWednesday

#5JoysFriday
It felt like such a long week…just started the pictured book -loving its language…sunset on my street..Litsy for the community I so needed this week-thank you!My District spec ed department-one of our staff suffered unbearable tragedy-her 5 month pregnant daughter died suddenly of an aneurysm, leaving behind a grieving husband & 3 young children-we all wept & supported each while making plans to support her- finally,4 inches of snow.

A VERY brief meditation on the end of life. Sacks found out he was dying of cancer and wanted to reflect on how even the hard things had brought him to this point. I love how he embraces different elements on the periodic table at each birthday.

Late posting. I just love this because I take the time to reflect back on the positive -which I especially needed this week-puts life in perspective.
-gorgeous sunrise this week
- the library‘s shelves for books on “hold”!
- my incredible team at work- all the love!
-always,Litsy
Tagging any litten who wants to join in sharing their joys!

Today at school students made cards,paper chains for people they were grateful for.It set such a lovely,much needed tone for the day. 1) mums on my porch 2) the moon before sunset 3) sunset tonight at the cemetery a block away 4) my son- his constant good natured giving of himself to family & friends.5) Poe looking out a sunny window.Thanks Deb,I needed to focus on joy‘s & gratitude this week. #5JoysFriday

#5JoysFriday
1) watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony with my husband & son 🏆
2)Train to Yankee Stadium - pictures from the game 🏟️⚾️
3) coffee with an ex-student & friend ☕️👱🏻
4) flower/river walk🌼🌸🏞️
5) always coffee!!! ☕️

#5JoysFriday
Left to right:
1) chicken annual bake-off with our football club #hcfc #agentsofhale always a blast! 🐓🍗
2)coffee)!!!!☕️
3)my weed/ perennial garden 🌱🌻👩🏻🌾
4,5) our day date- a scenic drive to Amherst MA to see the movie Janet Planet, walk the town & visit Amherst Books. 🩷🎥🍿📚

Misty! What a totally unexpected, and most pleasant surprise!! I'm speechless with gratitude ☺️
Thank you, thank you, thank you💕 I'm looking forward to reading this!
Unexpected #BookMail is definitely the best kind of mail ever 😊

#Midwintersolace
As we close in on the last day of January, I would like to say a massive heart-felt thank you to you all for taking this event to your hearts. It has been so lovely, reading your posts, seeing how you're celebrating hygge and supporting each other.
I never imagined that such a simple idea would connect so many of us.
Don't worry, it doesn't stop here. We will be checking in with you throughout the year with more events.
Cont. ⬇️

I just want to take time out & thank the organizers of #winterreadathon for all the effort, creativity, & time they put in for us on Litsy. I felt such delight when I read others posting, & shared my own. Of course there was also the benefit of so many new books discovered! 🤗🥰

"My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure."
???

On this day, #nationalthankyounoteday, I am ever thankful for my family: siblings(7) in laws (7),nieces & nephews(9) their partners/husbands/wives (5).And of course, my Frank & Robert.Not all are pictured, but all are loved.
Also, my work peeps & students I am forever grateful for- a thank you note to them!
To my friends, my Litten friends- thank u for adding light to my life. 💕💕💕 #winterreadathon #Dec262022 #winterreadathondailychallenge

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I have so much to be grateful for:
Sunny day
Family
Friends
Work family
Dinner
Relaxing day; still in pjs
Litsy family
Books…
My youngest brother sent me this blessing. 🍀🍀🇮🇪

I am grateful for everything in this picture- my couch, my pillows, my fleece blanket, my book, my precious Em & Poe. #gratitude

We had a family reunion with extended family from both my mom‘s & dad‘s sides of the family. One of my cousins had this picture that is the only one we know of of my mother‘s mother. She died before any of my mom‘s children were born. From left to right: my grandad( my mom‘s dad), my Great Aunt Agnes(mom‘s aunt), my grandmother( my mom‘s mom), & my mom on the floor. I am si grateful for this photo! #gratitude

#gratitude #gratefulfornature
Although the river is incredibly low right now(usually this stone slab is coveted with water), I am grateful for its sound of rushing water & the birds, ducks, herons, geese, & fish I see when I walk by & peer over the bridge.

#gratitude
I woke at 5 a.m this morning, catching the very beginning of sunrise. View from the right side of my house.No one else was awake. It was so quiet & peaceful.

My son made us fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil in olive oil last night. Fabulous! So grateful. #gratitude

Our kitties (Poe & Emmy) bring us so much joy. They are our “dog-cats” because they follow us everywhere in the house & run to the door when we come home.
#gratitude