Exercise Update, May 23, 2025

 I am on a quest to exercise regularly and report about it here to keep myself accountable. Here is my weekly update. 

But before that, here are a few things that are happening in my yard this week.

We had a great surprise this week when a friend sent me three bare-root roses. They have been planted, and we are excited about the roses we will have in the years to come.

Dahlia

Purple sage

The first day lily has bloomed.

Tucked between the amsonia and the bleeding heart, I found a squash plant. I have no idea how it got there. I'm still debating whether or not to move it. Volunteers always seem to do best where they come up.

The wax beans came up yesterday. I always find it fun to see the seed from which a new plant comes.

We have a fence to keep rabbits out of the beans, but the birds flew over it and snipped a few off.

This poppy bloom is a little worse for wear from the several days of rain we've had.

The other rhododendron bushes are done blooming, but this one is still putting on a good show.

The spireas were covered with bumble bees, but I didn't manage to get a picture of one.

The cherries will be ripe soon.

Now onto my exercise report.

Because of Memorial Day, I had more free days this week than usual. However, I'm still happy with my effort. 

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Line Dance: This is a beginner's class, and I did well with all of the dances, except one. That was a new one, and while I got most of the steps, I seemed to turn the wrong way much of the time. Hopefully, I will figure out the right way next time. It was a good aerobic workout.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Free Day: I usually go to Strong and Balanced on Fridays, but skipped today because we had several other things we wanted to get done. I might have been able to work it in, but we had a dead car battery to deal with. However, I did a moderate amount of weeding and raking in the yard for some exercise.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Free Day: We spent the morning working in the yard before heading to a family party a couple of hours away. By the end of the day, I had over 11,000 steps, so I may have done more yardwork in the morning than I realized. Nothing was too vigorous, but good movement all the same.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

LIIT: This was an intense 45-minute workout with weights, a step, and a mat. I modified when necessary (my knees don't like a lot of jumping) for a draining but good combination of strength and aerobic exercise. 

Monday, May 26, 2025

Free Day: The gym closed early for Memorial Day, so I didn't go there for any classes today. After lunch, I went for a walk with Ward. It was about 1 1/2 miles at a good pace with some hills thrown in. It was not too strenuous, but hopefully, it made a small dent in the brownies that I had not been able to stay away from all day. 

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Line Dance: It was a good hour session of dancing with a couple of new dances. One of them was more complicated than what we had been doing, and I got most of it. A dance with a little more variety was fun. The class was a good workout, but I wasn't exhausted afterwards. A definite improvement from when I started the class three months ago.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Express Sculpt: Although this class was only 30 minutes long, it was intense. I have been feeling better with my exercise lately, as I'm not getting as sore or tired as I used to. But this class was too hard for me. There were lots of lunges of various kinds that really hurt my knees. And some of the exercises, I just couldn't do because I was not strong enough (ones involving push-ups, especially). But I kept moving with my version of the exercises. The rest of the class was filled with fit people who were not struggling. I may try something else for strength training before I try this one again. That's the beauty of the gym we belong to--there is a wide variety of classes to choose from.

Until next time...

Book Reviews

Here are a few books I've read recently. 

Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss, mystery, 2017

This is the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mystery series. In this one, Maddie helps solve murders involving local winery owners and one from the past involving a "haunted" grape press. This is an easy, fun read, but I was tiring of it by the end, especially since I had just read the first one. I will probably read another one in the future, but not anytime soon.

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto, fiction, 2021

Let me say, up front, that I did not finish this book. It's the first of a trilogy about Meddilin and her 3 Asian aunts and mother. All the men in the family— husbands, sons, and cousins —have left, and Meddie feels compelled to stay and be the good daughter. Thus, the aunts are totally involved in her life. 

Meddie accidentally kills an aggressive date, and most of the book is about them trying to get rid of the body. I stopped reading after a while because the constant bickering that went on among the aunts was starting to annoy me. Also, it was full of ridiculous situations in a French farce style. Some of that was fun, but it got tiring after a while. When discussing the book with Ward, who has read all three books, I said I can see someone making a movie out of the book that might be okay, but it's not a great read. And, lo and behold, Netflix has done just that. We don't have Netflix, so I won't be watching it anytime soon, but I would watch it sometime if the opportunity presented itself.

Ward, who read all of them, does not recommend them. He said the premise is good, but overdone.

Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson, fiction, 2024

I grabbed this book at the library because it looked like a light read. Two women, Ginny and Jackie, both hotel managers, are dissatisfied with their jobs and seize the opportunity to participate in a job exchange for the summer. Ginny works in a fancy hotel in Seattle, and Jackie works at a fishing camp in Idaho owned by her grandfather. Ginny is the good character and thrives in Idaho. Jackie is the shallow character who only looks out for herself. 

At the end, all the characters with big flaws are redeemed, and Ginny finds romance. I told Ward that it was like a Hallmark movie with a little more character development thrown in. As it turns out, many of Melody Carlson's books have been made into Hallmark movies. This will never make it to Oprah's book club, but it was still an enjoyable read.

The Mystery of the Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie, children's fiction, 2025 

Things are tough at 12-year-old Sarah's house, which is about to be foreclosed on. With her best friends, West and Hannah, they sneak into an abandoned 1950s fun house looking for the treasure that is rumored to be there. They hope they can find the treasure and save Sarah's house, so she won't have to move. The majority of the book revolves around the trio in the fun house, as they solve clues that lead them through it. The house is elaborately decorated, and the clues are difficult. While solving the clues, the trio also discovers things about themselves and each other. The book is complete with a feel-good ending. 

I found the rooms and clues interesting, and I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to make it out of the house if I'd been the one trying to figure them out. I found the feelings part of the book cliche and then remembered that it was a children's book and probably just right for the age group.

The book is the first in a two-part series. The second book is scheduled for release in September. The Mystery of the Locked Room is a New York Times and USA Today best seller, as well as Amazon's editor's pick for 9-12 year olds. Along with everyone else, I recommend it.

That's it for today.

Until next time...

Speed Blogging, This and That, and Exercise Update

 I've set my timer, so let's see where my random thoughts check in goes. :)

I've been spending a fair amount of time on the computer recently, reformatting and editing my Storyworth stories. You may remember I worked intensely on it a couple of years ago when I answered questions about my childhood and life. Storyworth (a gift from my SIL) then binds them into a book. While the book was nicely bound, I didn't like the quality of the pictures or the lack of formatting that was allowed. For example, you couldn't use italics or bold anything. Not to mention my typos.

Anyway, one of my retirement goals is to redo the book and print it myself. It is a very tedious job and frustrating at times. I have completed the initial transfer and am now looking for whatever new mistakes I may have introduced. I ended up with 138 pages, including pictures. So, it's long enough that I am really tired of it now. But I will persist because I really want to cross this off my list.

We recently heard the NIH orchestra play Rite of Spring by Stravinsky.

Encouraged by Mandy at Read, Write, Mom, I have installed the Merlin app (bird ID from Cornell) and have become a little obsessed with it. I sit on the porch or yard while it records birds and identifies them. It's really fun to see the variety of birds close by. I see a few of the birds, but many of them are hidden in the trees and bushes, singing away. 

Theo came over for another bulk cooking day, and we made 6 lbs of meat loaf, 2 lbs of green bean almondine, and 5 lbs of mashed potatoes.

There goes my timer (12 minutes this time*), so it's time to stop. But not before I do my weekly exercise update. :)

___________________________

  Since retirement, I have focused on getting more exercise. I post weekly updates here to hold myself accountable and see my progress.

I'm getting into a routine of sorts with my exercise activities. There are still many things to explore at the gym and other places, but I have found classes that are a fit for me at this time. 

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Line Dancing: This is a beginning class, and the instructor is good. I stayed for a bit and watched the advanced class afterwards, and they were doing a very complicated dance. That's what I aspire to. In the meantime, I got a decent workout in my beginning class.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Strong and Balanced: This class has two different instructors, and both have been out. Today, we were back to one of our regulars, who brings a fun atmosphere to the class. It wasn't too strenuous, but I got an all-body workout using weights.

Ballroom Dance: We had a practice party for our class tonight. We brought snacks and spent two hours dancing and chatting. It was much more relaxed than the class and was fun. I didn't dance the whole two hours, but I certainly got some good aerobic work in.

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Line Dance: We attended a line dance fundraising event for St. Jude. We were supposed to meet friends there, but the event sold out before they got there. However, the music was so loud that we wouldn't have been able to talk anyway. The local radio station was hosting, and they brought big speakers that they felt compelled to use to full capacity. I got in some good dancing for a decent aerobic workout.

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Free Day: We went to a festival during the afternoon and walked about a mile. Most of it was gentle, except at the end when we were walking back to our car. Then I worked up a good sweat, especially on the hills. Back home, I spent time in the yard doing various chores and getting more exercise. 

Monday, May 19, 2025

Strong and Balanced:  This was a standard class that focused on strength training. I went up on weights today, so it was also a little more aerobic than it has been. 

Ballroom Dance: Tonight we did the Quickstep, ChaCha, and Samba. We worked on some complicated routines that the whole class was struggling with. Those are all fast dances, and I definitely had my heart rate up during class, not to mention sweating like a pig. :)

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Line Dancing: This was our standard class, and I did well on most of the dances. However, there was one new one that I just couldn't concentrate on, but I kept moving, even if it wasn't always the right way. As always, the class joked with each other, which made it fun. It was a good hour of aerobic work, but I wasn't as tired at the end as I was the last two times. Afterwards, we did errands and I got a fair amount of walking in as we visited several big box stores.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Sculpt Express: This was a 30-minute version of Power Sculpt that focused on strengthening legs, arms, back, and abdomen. I thought I needed more ab work than I was getting in my Strong and Balanced class, so I tried this one. It was only 30 minutes, so I thought it was a good place to start. Well, that was an intense 30 minutes, and I got a good workout. I was definitely sore after this class.

Well, that's it for now. After several days of rain, today is supposed to be a dry day, so it's time to do some yard work.

Until next time...

* For full disclosure, I spent another 12 minutes adding links and pictures. I try to update my exercise daily, so that was just a cut and paste.

Iron Festival

There is a rich history of iron making in this part of Maryland because all of the key ingredients were available here--iron-rich rocks for ore, limestone for flux, abundant trees for charcoal, and water for energy.

The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society sponsors an annual iron festival to celebrate this heritage. The festival centers around the furnace and the surrounding village, and is adjacent to Cunningham Falls State Park. The Catoctin Iron Furnace was completed in 1775 and was active until 1903. The early furnace made cannon balls for the Revolutionary War. 

We only learned about the festival this year from Wally, so Sunday afternoon, we decided to see what it was about.

We took the Iron Trail from the State Park parking lot to get to the festival's central area.

There was a nice path through the woods that followed Hunter's Creek,

And sometimes crossed over it. Along the way, interpretive signs talked about different aspects of the iron-making business at Catoctin.

At the end of the trail were the remains of Iron Master's Mansion, built around 1785. This was the beginning of the Catoctin Iron Workers Village.

We got a tour of Harriet Chapel. It was built in 1828 as a non-denominational church meeting house for the iron workers. In 1833, it became an Episcopal church and is still active today.

This was the collier's house. (A collier made charcoal for the furnace.) Other houses have been restored for historical purposes, and some people live in others. A major highway passes through the village. For the festival, the highway was closed to traffic.

This furnace was built in 1857 and is called the Isabella stack.

We explored more buildings and a museum, and had an interesting talk with the head of the historic association. She is an archaeologist and quite passionate about the project. One thing that was made very clear throughout the area was the amount of enslaved labor used here. There is an African American Cemetery that the organization is planning to buy and give to the state so it can be preserved.

The weather was beautiful for our outing, and it was just the kind of outing we like. We got to hike through some beautiful woods and learn a little history. We almost didn't go, but we were glad we did.

Until next time...

Exercise and Blooming Update, May 15, 2025

  Since retirement, I have focused on getting more exercise. I post weekly updates here to hold myself accountable and see my progress.

Among the descriptions of what I did this week on the exercise front, you'll see some of what's blooming in my yard.

Japanese iris

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Line Dance: This was the second week of the beginner's line dance that started at the gym. We went over a couple of dances from last week and some new ones, including "Boots on the Ground". Apparently, this dance is everywhere, but I had never heard of it. It is done with a clap fan, which was also new to me. It was fun, but I still need a little work with my fan. The class was not too strenuous, but it gave me a decent aerobic workout.

Rhododendron

Friday, May 9, 2025

Strong and Balanced: We had a no-nonsense sub today, and not one second of the 45-minute class was wasted. I got a good all-body workout, especially my shoulders.

Dianthus

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Free Day: It rained all day, so I puttered around the house and did a little dance practice. Nothing too earth-shattering as far as exercise goes.

Portulaca

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Free Day: The weather cleared, so my puttering included some yard work with some planting and weeding. Again, I didn't push myself physically.

Kolanchoe

Monday, May 12, 2025

Strong and Balanced: We had the same sub as on Friday, and she gave us another good workout with bands and weights. The sub was a good instructor, but not as fun as the regular teachers.

Ballroom: We worked on a new routine for the Quickstep that confused everyone, including me. During the second half of the class, when we worked on the Samba, the instructor worked with me personally, but I didn't like the special attention. However, my heart rate was up, and I got a decent aerobic workout.

Yellow allium

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Line Dance: I was recovering from a migraine, so I was a little slow in class today. However, the class continued to be light-hearted and fun. Dancing continuously for an hour here definitely gave me a good aerobic workout.

Coral bells

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Free Day: We got in 30 minutes of ballroom practice while trying to figure out what we were taught on Monday. It was not too strenuous, but it did elevate my heart rate a bit.

Bearded iris

Vinca

Rhododendron

Until next time...

Speed Blogging This and That

 Hi everyone, it's time for a check-in with a bit of speed blogging. In other words, get ready for some stream-of-consciousness. 

Early morning spider web.

My mind is full of dancing right now. Last night we went to our ballroom dance class. The instructor, Olive, took a special interest in me and worked with me personally much of the time. Or just let me say, too much of the time. While Olive was with me, Ward practiced with Stephanie, whose partner stopped coming weeks ago. Stephanie is a natural, so it was good for him to learn from her. In the meantime, Olive was trying to get me to lean into my partner instead of dancing by myself, as she described it. I understood what she was saying, but shouldn't she make sure I have the steps right first? Anyway, my brain shut down, and I just wanted it to be over.

Meanwhile, while I was getting all the attention, other couples wanted Olive's help. We leave class every week frustrated one way or another with Olive, so this may be our last session for a while after we finish this one. We wouldn't have stayed this long, but we've made friends in the class. And to be fair, Olive is a likeable person, but she and the class are just not the right fit for us.

Last night's episode reminded me of when Wally was little, playing baseball. He had just graduated from T-ball to coach pitch. At the first practice, the coach was pitching to each of the kids until they got a hit. Well, Wally didn't get a hit for a very long time. I was dying on the side, embarrassed for him as he took longer than any of the other kids, wondering why the coach didn't stop and say he could try again later. I thought that if Wally wanted to quit, it would be okay, even though we tried to get our kids to stick things out. 

When we got in the car after practice, I asked Wally what he thought about practice. He said, "It was fun, but I think I need a little more practice." And that was it. He stuck out the whole season and did improve, although he was never a standout. And I kept quiet, trying to follow his lead of a positive attitude.

This morning, we went to our regular line dance class. I woke up with a migraine, but I took medicine, so by the time I got to class, my head was better, but my brain was in a fog. I call it a migraine hangover. I wasn't really learning the new dances, but I was following them okay. We are not learning formal dancing in here, like we are with the ballroom, so mistakes are called variations. A much lighter atmosphere.

I took down all of my seed-starting things today. And let me just say, the whole exercise was a failure. Some of it was because I used old seeds, and many didn't sprout. Some of the ones that sprouted promptly died, and the ones that lived didn't thrive, not getting much taller than 1/2 inch. I'm not sure why things were so bad. I think some of it had to do with watering, too much or too little, but I'm not sure that is the whole answer. There was good soil, temperatures, and light. I will try again next year. It's got to be better. 

Mother's Day was low-key and just right. Ward made me French toast for breakfast, and then Wally and Theo came over later when Theo got off work. They brought pizza, an ice cream cake, and a hanging basket. The weather was perfect, and we just sat outside on the porch and chatted about nothing important. A good time was had by all.

Ward and Theo searching recipes.

For Ward's birthday, Theo said he would teach him how to cook any dish he wanted. Ward has a few things he can cook, but not many. They chose a chicken pasta dish. Together they searched for recipes, did the shopping, and prepared the dish. It turned out well. I especially liked the tomato sauce. Ward said he was a little overwhelmed because Theo had so much knowledge to impart, but was happy with the results. Tomorrow, Theo is coming over for the batch cooking we've been doing together. We plan to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  

They added chicken, spinach, and penne pasta to the tomato sauce.

Well, the timer is going off, so that's it for now.

Until next time...

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day

 to everyone who has had a mother!

Growing up in West Virginia, I learned early that Mother's Day was started there by Anna Jarvis to honor her mother, Ann Jarvis.

Before I go any further, let me clarify the names because, if you're like me, you might get them confused. The mother, Ann Maria (Reeves) Jarvis, named her daughter Anna Maria Jarvis. So, Ann is the mother and Anna is the daughter, and I will refer to them as Ann R. (mother) and Anna (daughter).

We visited the house where Ann R. lived a few years ago.

Anna was born and grew up in Taylor County, West Virginia, where her mother was a social activist and deeply involved in her church. Ann R. advocated for mothers and formed Mother's Day Work Clubs to help women learn about sanitation and health care for their children. Ann R. also taught Sunday school, and during a prayer in one of her classes, she prayed that someone would create a day to commemorate mothers. That was in 1876 when Anna was 12 years old. 

Ann R. died in 1905, and at her gravesite, her daughter vowed to honor her mother by making Mother's Day happen. Anna started an extensive campaign during which she wrote letters to everyone she could think of across the country and met with anyone who would give her an audience. 

Anna Jarvis, circa 1909. (Library of Congress)

The first Mother's Day service was held in 1908 at Ann R.'s home church, St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church, in Grafton, WV. Anna did not attend but sent 500 carnations, her mother's favorite flower, to all who attended. Later, Anna attended a service in Philadelphia, where she was living.

Anna continued to campaign tirelessly to make Mother's Day a national holiday, and Congress passed a law making it so in 1914. It is held on the second Sunday in May, the Sunday closest to Ann R.'s death.

But the story does not stop there. Businesses started cashing in on Mother's Day, and Anna spent the rest of her life fighting against this commercialization that she detested.

Even though the commercialization continues, I'd like to think that Anna would be happy that the day she fought so hard for is still being observed over 100 years later.

Happy Mother's Day!

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/05/11/anna-jarvis-mothers-day-founder/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Jarvis

Exercise and Blooming update Update, May 8, 2025

 Since retirement, I have focused on getting more exercise. I post weekly updates here to hold myself accountable and see my progress.

Between a bad cold and travel, I hadn't exercised for over two weeks. I was surprised I missed it a little, but the rest helped with some of my aches and pains. I am sticking my toe in the water again, hoping to gain momentum to my previous levels and beyond. Here's what this week looked like. Also, I've interspersed photos of what's blooming in the yard this week. 

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Line Dance: The gym just started a beginner's line dance class I attended. The dances were all new to me, but they were at a beginner level, so I could mostly keep up. The instructor is good, and I hope to make this class part of my regular rotation. It got my heart rate up but wasn't too strenuous—just the thing to ease myself back into things.

Friday, May 2, 2025

LaBlast: This is a new class at the gym. It is a dance fitness class put together by Louis van Amstel from Dancing with the Stars. The class was vigorous, nonstop, and tiring. I definitely got a good workout. There was a variety of music and routines based on ballroom dancing. And no, my ballroom classes didn't help any in this class. However, I wasn't totally lost while doing the movements. I will try it again. 

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Free Day: Today was Ward's birthday, and my sons came over for a celebration lunch. My excuse for not going to the gym was the difficulty of scheduling among classes and birthday celebrations. I did do a little yard work, but it was mostly a sedentary day.

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Free Day: Ward and I spent about 30 minutes trying to remember some of our ballroom routines. Otherwise, it was a calm, rainy, indoor reading day.

Monday, May 5, 2025

Strong and Balanced: Today, we worked with weights, bands, and balls. It didn't get my heart rate up very high, but there was some very good strength training. The instructor said we would be sore the next day, and she was right. :)

Ballroom Dance: Going back to class was hard because I had missed two in a row from illness and vacation. I kept my spot in the class as a slow learner, but I did better than I thought I might after the break. We worked on the quick step and samba, both fast-paced dances that definitely got my heart rate up. 

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Line Dance: The class was a solid hour of movement and wore me out. I might not be remembering it right, but I think I'm not where I was before the break—not surprising. However, the class was fun.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Free Day: I did some yard work and ballroom practice, but neither was too strenuous.

Are you working on anything you're trying to make a habit of? Want to join me in weekly reporting?

Until next time...

Book Reviews

Here are a few books I've read recently.

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris, fiction, 2023.

A friend recommended this book a year ago, but I held off reading it because of the serious subject matter until recently. The story is about Sara, who was raped at a party when she was a teenager and became pregnant. Although her rapist was sent to prison, Sara's name and reputation were drug through the mud during the trial by a high-price lawyer the wealthy, important family of the town hired to protect the rapist. She fled from Georgia to Maine before anyone knew she was pregnant because the custody laws were more favorable there in case the baby's father and family ever found out about the child. Sara was afraid, with their money and influence, that they would take the child from her. 

Sara's father is dying, so she is forced back to Savannah with her 8-year-old daughter. And despite Sara's best efforts to remain hidden, all truths come out. Many complicated relationships are explored, with every character having tragedies in their past that influence their behavior. Because of the death of his wife years ago, Sara's father only speaks by quoting poetry. Depending on your perspective, that either enhances or hinders the story. The author does a good job of describing emotions from the different characters' perspectives.

This is the first book in a long time that I wanted to get back to when I was not reading it. However, toward the end, I thought the author spent too much time on the feelings of Sara's romance. But perhaps I just wanted to get to the bittersweet resolution of the story sooner.

The book is a compelling story with the underlying theme of forgiveness. Both Ward and I recommend it.

Little and Often by Trent Preszler, memoir, 2021

Little and Often is a beautifully written memoir about the year the author spent after his father's death building a canoe. Trent was estranged from his father after Trent revealed to him that he was gay. His father was a Vietnam veteran, rodeo champion, and rancher in South Dakota, and a hard, no-nonsense man who did not understand his son. This led to many years of not visiting and rarely talking. Before his father's death, Trent spent Thanksgiving with him and his mother, and the healing process was starting. However, his father died with many issues unresolved. Trent's father left him his toolbox, which Trent used to build the canoe. He had little carpentry experience and made many mistakes while building the canoe in the middle of his house, but the process was cathartic and helped him grieve. The book switches seamlessly between the present-day boat building and scenes from his childhood. 

The book was a serious read, and I thought the author tried a little too hard at the end to make everything fit. However, I would recommend the book.

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss, mystery, 2016

Ward reads a lot of mysteries and said he thought I would like this cozy mystery. The story involves Maddie, who returns to her small hometown after losing a high-powered international job. While job hunting, she agrees to watch over the town's Paranormal Museum, where a murder happens. Maddie eventually solves three murders, two in the present day and one from the past. The paranormal aspect makes for a fun setting, and even though Maddie does not believe in ghosts, strange things happen. 

The book was an easy, fun read, and I have just ordered the next one in the series from the library.

The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, historical fiction, 1999

This New York bestseller has been translated into 39 languages and has been popular since it was first published in 1999. The movie based on the book was also well-received and won several award nominations. So, this is another story that I may be the last one around who is reading it for the first time. 

The book gives a back story for the famous Vermeer painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. It takes place in 17th-century Delft, Holland. Sixteen-year-old Griet goes to work for the painter, Vermeer, as a maid and, among other things, cleans his studio. This leads to more tasks, and she eventually poses for a painting. The prose is rich and measured, but it builds tension to a plausible story of what might have happened.

I understand why this book is called a modern-day classic and highly recommend it--in case you are the only other person who has not read it. :)

Until next time...