January 5, 2025 THE WEIGHT

I'm actually afraid to weigh myself right now. I've been chowing on cookies, lemon bars, brownies and candy since Christmas Eve. It's BAD. Time to get back to my routine. If I don't stick to THE PLAN--I'm out of control. Thank God I've been on school vacation-- At least I ran a lot--even in the bitter cold--AND  did a lot of yoga. Hopefully that will help balance the SCALE--a bit. I'm going back on the straight and narrow--sticking to the plan--living the clean life--logging into My Fitness Pal--TOMORROW. It's tough living when your vanity knows NO bounds. Ha! On to book news. I have really fallen in love with this French writer named Valerie Perrin. I reviewed two of her books last year and recently finished her debut novel Forgotten on Sunday.  Set in a small town in Milly, France, Justine and her cousin Jules, have lived with their detached grandparents since the mysterious death of their parents several years earlier. After graduating high school, Justine works as a nurses aide at a retirement home called The Hydrangeas. At the home, Justine bonds with a 100 year old resident named Helene and records Helene's life story that includes a lost love from the war. Justine also opens up to Helene about the death of her parents. The mystery involving the death of her parents is not the only mystery in the novel, another involves the retirement home. Investigators are brought in to find out who has been calling families of the patients, forgotten on Sunday, on Saturday nights to tell them their family member has died.  In the mix is also a guy from the Paradise Club who seems quite fond of Justine but she can never remember his name. There is a lot going on in this somewhat dark story that I totally enjoyed. The writing is beautiful, the plots--twist and turn, the characters are richly drawn and very flawed --but aren't we all. If I were you--I would definitely pick up a copy of this very different book that might help you forget how cold it is outside.