8/01/2026

Sunday Salon - Catching Up and a Cornucopia of Blessings

A Cornucopia of Blessings


Well, it's certainly been awhile.  I believe the last time I posted the volcano was in eruption mode and I scared some folks with my close up views!  That still goes on, and off.  Sunday Salon is where Deb Nance of Readerbuzz, our charming hostess, has set aside as "a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. (For me, it's been a bit longer than that!)  It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there."  

Leading off with my favorite plant (of the week anyway)! The native Hawaiian Varigated Banana, aka Musa x paradisiaca 'Ae Ae', in its just planted stage, two years ago.  Then there's now, with a bunch of variegated bananas!


Harvested yesterday, oh joy!  They're similar to plantains and nice fried up in a bit of coconut oil or butter.



Another planting of interest in my garden is Dragon Fruit.  Here are some blooming in my friend's greenhouse.  And, what the fruit looks like, though comes in several colors.


 And, voila!  The installation of a Dragon Fruit stronghold in my garden.  They like to be in cinders, and on rock.  Plants,  like people are very particular and peculiar!  Thanks Brian for a wonderful addition to my space!

Gatherings


      Friends, family and neighbors are important and I enjoy hosting.

Before any Books of Interest I'm going to finish with this gratitude list, and some of the many blessings God has showered on us!


 Today's harvest of Winged Beans, dill & Pineapples from yesterday - it's the season for pineapples!


The recently heavily pruned lychee tree, with lots of good mulch for the garden!  Maybe now it will get back to bearing fruit, other than just 2 or 3!  There's a wake up call for you! :) 

A new Kale plant                                                      Flowering Galangal ginger


    Tropical Oregano                Lemongrass
with cranberry hibiscus in back

                                      Curry tree with berries    Water Lillies & Water hyacinths in the pond

And we do have some books to mention!

I almost don't know where to start.   I'd better limit myself to the more recently read, or of special merit or interest.


This book comes under the heading of special merit!  Who Ate Lunch with Abraham, by Asher Intrater is nonfiction, spiritually challenging, and a book which has most influenced me this year to date. 
There is a figure who appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of the Lord, sometimes as God Himself, and sometimes as the Son of Man. The appearance of this figure demands a re-evaluation of classic Judeo-Christian world views, and that is exactly what Asher Intrater does very well.  Highly recommended!



The Last Detective by Peter Lodvesey.  From the Publishers: "The irascible, corpulent, cynical Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Avon and Somerset murder squad attributes Britain's decline as a world power to the abolition of capital punishment in 1964. Spurning computer gadgetry, he sticks to common sense, index cards and gumshoeing: `Knocking on doors. That's how we get results.' The belated identification of the victim as actress Geraldine Snoo, written out of a BBC soap opera two years before, leads to one surprise after another."
A good Detective novel in the time honored tradition, though new to me.  I will be reading more of his books.


The Comfort of Ghosts, by a favorite author of mine, and her last in the series featuring Maisie Dobbs, Investigator/Psychologist,  and an intriguing conclusion for a beloved heroine.  


Bleeding Heart Yard, by Elly Griffiths.  This is turning out to be something of a round-up of favorite authors!  A stand-alone by Griffiths, and on the chilling side, but good.


The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan is a wonderful novel featuring a newly installed female policewoman, Inspector Persis Wadia, in 1950 Bombay.  She has a lot to put up with, as you can imagine!  I look forward to reading many more of her adventures by this excellent author.



This is one, loved by many, but myself, not so much!  It was our Cook the Books pick for June/July, which will have a roundup posted soon of reviews and food inspired by the novel.  My review is a few posts back here at:https://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/

Currently Reading:


About half way through, and enjoying the quirky character of Isadora, who's trying to be happy! She's pretty funny.  My first from Courtney Walsh.

Well folks, that's it for now.  I'll try to be a more frequent participant here, but enjoy a wonderful weekend full of good food, books and get togethers.





























2 comments:

Kristin (Book Sniffers Anonymous) said...

Variegated bananas are so beautiful. Every time I see one for sale I always stop to look at it. Sadly, I'm not able to own any (unless it's in a pot). I thought about doing just that but lugging my potted dragon fruit around for protection when typhoons come through was a pain in the butt. So I sold it the other week. It had two fruits growing on it :'(

Kristin @ Book Sniffers Anonymous

Nicky said...

I keep meaning to give Jacqueline Winspear another shot... I read one of her books and didn't love it, but on paper her books really seem like my thing. Maybe I was just cranky, ahaha.

I like the sound of The Last Detective, too; sounds like you've been having some great reads.

Hope you have a good week!

Here's my weekly roundup: https://breathesbooks.com/2026/08/01/stacking-the-shelves-the-sunday-post-138/