The Shell Seekers Sunday

[Kittykatt]

Triple Dog Dare!

Pick 3 things
Do them
Post your TaDas!

»»—-Cheers! WTG! Ygg!—-««

Don't think about it. Just do it!
~~ I Triple Dog Dare ya! ~~
Good Morning!
»»————　✼　————««

[Kittykatt]

The Shell Seekers is a 1987 bestselling novel by Rosamunde Pilcher that follows Penelope Keeling, a woman in her 60s, the daughter of unconventional parents (an artist father and his much-younger French wife), as she examines her past and her relationships with her adult children, and reflects on her bohemian upbringing and wartime romances. When her adult children discover that her inherited paintings by her artist father are immensely valuable, tensions arise between family greed and emotional legacy.

The story shifts between 1984 and the mid-20th century. After suffering a heart attack, Penelope returns to her Cotswold cottage, fiercely protecting her independence. Two of her children, Nancy and Noel, urge her to sell a treasured painting by her father, titled "The Shell Seekers," to ease their financial burdens. Through flashbacks, the narrative uncovers Penelope's past: her unconventional childhood with her painter father, an unhappy marriage, and a passionate but brief wartime affair that ended in tragedy.

Penelope's life from young womanhood to the present is revealed in pieces, from her own point of view and those of her children. Much of the forward impetus of the novel involves the work of her father, including a painting called The Shell Seekers, given to Penelope as a wedding present.

The book deeply explores the impact of large inheritances on family dynamics. While Nancy and Noel are consumed by greed and entitlement, Penelope and her daughter Olivia value the emotional and artistic meaning of the painting. It is a meditation on memory, the endurance of art, and the courage to embrace change.

[Kittykatt]

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday!

Just a quick CI as DF PM is picking us up early for church - she is on the welcoming team today so needs to be there early - so hopefully BBL.

[Kittykatt]

SHEM:

“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” —Michelle Obama

[Kittykatt]

To do:
Cuddles and snack for Matilda, Jude and Freddie
Bible reading and meditation
Update latest Waitrose order
Cup of tea
Get up!
Scrub out litter trays (DH)
Change sheets on bed
Shower/wash hair/moisturiser and sunblock/ clean and floss teeth
S/S bathroom
Physio exercises
Get dressed in casual clothes
Give everyone fresh water
Cat breakfast and meds /supplements
Breakfast and meds /vitamins for me
Hang up sheets to dry
Quick kitchen clean up
Load DW
Quick PUPA downstairs
Quick dust and Hoover downstairs
Change into smarter outfit
OTD to church
Back home again, change back into casual clothes
Meat in oven
Coffee with DH
Put potatoes to roast
Put up my vitamins and supplements for the week
Weigh out Jude's and Matilda's dry food for the week
Spread buttercream on cupcakes I made yesterday
Quick PUPA upstairs
Fold laundry and PA
15 minutes in tiny front garden
15 minutes in back garden
Dish up lunch
Walk Freddie
Lap time with Freddie, Jude and Matilda
Head rubs with Freddie, Jude and Matilda
Play with Freddie, Jude, Matilda
Run DW when full
Unload DW
Post list with my plans for the week
Clothes laid out for tomorrow

Extras:

[FrenchFlybebe]

◕‿◕ * * * Good Morning! * * * ◕‿◕

Kittykatt, thanks for the start. Wise SHEM indeed. Also you make me want to read that Rosamund Pilcher book, I've been meaning to find books to read during our two week break in the Pyrenees mountains, last year I read a Ken Follett book and the year before a French novel set in the Middle Age that I enjoyed. I'll look into it.
I also wanted to read Grief is the Thing with Feathers but not sure the French translation is any good, and difficult to find the secondhand book in English (or I'll wait several weeks for delivery).
Or maybe another Ann Patchett book?

It's a sunny Sunday morning. We didn't watch the England vs France soccer game but maybe we should have. The English team was magnificent. They probably should have been in the final game instead of Argentina - if any one is interested, there are many videos reporting the clearly unfair referee-ing in the Argentina-England game so very sad for England supporters.
Kids have asked to have evening and dinner at the beach tonight, we may do that. I need to go to bed at a sensible hour though, and we all need a shower after the beach. I need to get everythign set up for my payroll week.

TADAs
all up, time in garden, dandelions un-rooted
all fed, bfast cleaned up
watched a sum-up of yesterday's soccer game
downloaded the school supply list for DS10 from the collège website
trying to find bargains for some items online - not found

TODOs
things from my list : mend the neck on a top for payroll, order contact lenses renewal
MrNG said he will cook lunch
clean my good pair of summer shoes
school supplies : put both lists on Keep
time in the Zone (week 3 was bathrooms)
make a to-do list for the week
prep for dinner at the beach

[Doggedly]

Thank you for starting us off, Kittykatt. Have a good time at church. Is there any word on when your car will be repaired?

[kitkat]

Good morning Kittykatt! Thanks for the start and the book title:)
Have you read it? Sounds like a good choice...

FrenchFly - no shortage of good books ... only shortage of time.
Anne Patchett's latest is very good (Whistler, The Calamity Club (by K. Stockett) is great, although long. I've been gifting
Theo of Golden to my friends. It's small but mighty:)

These forest fires are VERY unsettling... We are now at a "moderate" reading, which is much better than before but I've been feeling it in my throat... I really wanted to open windows, but instead, I'm running the air cleaner...

Did not get back last night - but today is a fresh start and I like those.

Starting with
meds
lol (MUST)
D2S

Walk dpup before it's warm

breakfast /other meds
pup breakfast
lol adv. etc

Pick up library hold

[Kittykatt]

Good morning/ good afternoon, FFB, Dogged and KitKat!

FFB, I would also recommend "September" by the same author - another entertaining read. Dinner at the beach sounds lovely!

Dogged, the car is booked in at the garage tomorrow (we had to wait as they're very busy). As it's certainly not going to make it up the hill in it's current state, DH will ring the RAC for a tow (he has found the towing hook - I didn't even know we had one! )

KitKat, yes, I've read all the books I've listed this week, and I've read this particular book many times - it's one of my favourites by Rosamunde Pilcher. Other books by her I would recommend include September and Winter Solstice. I'm glad the air quality is improving for you.

We had a good time at church, although numbers are down ATM as so many people on holiday. Still, 8 people have signed up for parish lunch at the end of this month, which is gratifying.

Lunch is in the oven, and Freddie has had his gabapentin to enable me to cut his nails safely once it's taken effect (I really want to get this done before his vet appointment on Wednesday, and today is considerably cooler, so it makes sense to do it today.) I'm going to change and fold laundry and PA, and then tackle the dreaded task!

[Kittykatt]

To do:
Cuddles and snack for Matilda, Jude and Freddie
Bible reading and meditation
Update latest Waitrose order
Cup of tea
Get up!
Scrub out litter trays (DH)
Change sheets on bed
Shower/wash hair/moisturiser and sunblock/ clean and floss teeth
S/S bathroom
Physio exercises
Get dressed in casual clothes
Give everyone fresh water
Cat breakfast and meds /supplements
Breakfast and meds /vitamins for me
Hang up sheets to dry
Quick kitchen clean up
Load DW
Quick PUPA downstairs
Quick dust and Hoover downstairs
Change into smarter outfit
OTD to church
Back home again, change back into casual clothes
Meat in oven
Coffee with DH
Put potatoes to roast
Put up my vitamins and supplements for the week
Weigh out Jude's and Matilda's dry food for the week
Spread buttercream on cupcakes I made yesterday
Quick PUPA upstairs
Fold laundry and PA
15 minutes in tiny front garden
15 minutes in back garden
Dish up lunch
Walk Freddie
Lap time with Freddie, Jude and Matilda
Head rubs with Freddie,Jude& Matilda
Play with Freddie, Jude, Matilda
Run DW when full
Unload DW
Post list with my plans for the week
Clothes laid out for tomorrow

Extras:
Cut Freddie 's nails
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