Learning to Read – Me & Duffy Brown

Yesterday, I was wrong. There’s a first for everything! LOL

I thought I was headed into a depression. It made no sense (for reasons I shared in -or is it on?- the post). But … why else would I stop in the middle of the woods I adore and want to burst into tears?

Welp… here’s the thing.

Had I been listening – or rather, reading – the signs my body was giving me the day before, I might have come to a different conclusion.

You see, the night before, as we were getting into bed, I said to my husband, “I think I’m getting a UTI,” and then I talked into my crystal water bottle, asking the water to heal and bless me, before drinking about a cup of water from it.

If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know I had a devil of a time getting to – and staying – asleep that night.

I felt like the dog’s dinner yesterday but I have to say, my _____________ (anything to do with the bladder) didn’t hurt, sting, or otherwise ache when I woke up yesterday.

I called that a win! Blessed water to the rescue, I thought!

Last night, I fell asleep during Murder She Wrote, which is on at 7pm. I continued to be asleep during the rest of our nighttime shows, right up until 10:30, when we normally go to bed. Then, I got into actual bed and promptly fell asleep until 6:30am this morning, when hubby got up.

Off to the washroom, I went…

And it felt like I had a searing hot knife between my legs.

Hello, you literal pain in the nether-regions.

I haven’t had one of these nasty infections in over a year and luckily, usually have one full prescription in the house, just in case. So, this morning, I’ve been drinking (and drinking!) and have taken the first dose of a seven-day course.

Right now, I’m drinking a homemade smoothie with a half cup of organic plain yogurt in it, to (hopefully!) put a little of the fire out and hold off the secondary infection that (too often) comes after taking a full round of the antibiotics.

Shortly after getting up today, I made the decision that walking would be impossible. Don’t ask me why moving around makes everything sooooooo much more painful. But it does.

Here’s hoping it’s only one day!!

So, you can see why I say I need to learn to read myself better.

I had all the pieces of the puzzle yesterday and made an assumption that I should have known better about. I even said there was no reason for depression!

Listen, Sher, LISTEN!!!

Nope, I wasn’t falling into a depression. I was getting sick!

It can be so confusing! It really CAN! Even when it’s your own darned body!

Okay, enough about me, and onto Duffy Brown.

You may be wondering who she is… unless you’re already a fan of cozy mysteries. In which case, you probably know that she is the author of the series, “The Consignment Shop Mysteries“!

Now, listen.

I probably don’t seem like a cozy mystery-type reader to you. And really, I wasn’t, until my mother introduced me to this series.

Oh, I used to read MC Beaton books I picked up from the library, which were the ONLY – as in ONLY – cozy-type mysteries I could stomach. I know of what I speak – I tried them all. I was desperate for new fun stuff to read and picked up anything with a muffin on the cover.

Later, I remember thinking… if I read one more “cozy” (actually “light romance”, and I HATE HATE HATE romance books of ANY kind!) with a dead body in a bakery, I’m going to vomit.

But MC Beaton, I liked a lot.

I guess an argument could be made that the late Lillian Jackson Braun‘s “The Cat Who” series was a cozy mystery before the genre was labeled… in which case, guilty, and LOVED those. I especially loved that our protagonist was a man who lived in a refurbished barn and rode a recumbent bike. Oh, and we can’t forget his feline duo of sleuths OBVIOUSLY: Two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. They were the ones who did most of the solving, truth be told. Man, I devoured those books… and there was a BUNCH. Quite the prolific writer, Braun.

Anyway, Duffy Brown…

My mom and I are very much alike in fiction. She always read it more than I did but then again, she could zip through them before I got through the first ten pages – and I’m a fast reader! She – like me – reads tons of serious stuff, so when something fun comes along – AND, it’s well-written – well, she tells me!

This series is set in a consignment shop in Savannah. I have never been to Savannah but SO want to go sometime! I loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (both the book, which I read first and the movie!). These books make me want to go MORE!

I almost can’t describe the writing style. It’s fun and funny! And, sweet, because there’s a dog named Bruce Willis. You’ll have to read why Reagan… oh, wait… you don’t know Reagan yet! She’s our storyteller and protagonist. Named after… uh… Ronald, aka, Republican President #40. <<< This is hilarious in itself since Reagan is … more liberal. And really, the mention of where her name comes from is… like… one line in the books, which aren’t at all political. They’re mysteries. Someone dies. Usually in funny ways, but not always.

Anyway, Bruce Willis, called BW most of the time, is the sweet sidekick of Reagan, who keeps getting herself in SO MUCH TROUBLE, along with her quirky friends and family.

You just have to read them.

I’m three books into the series of five so far, and one more coming out later this month! So, now’s the time to get in on the fun!

So, that’s what I’m reading. That and myself. Cuz, Lord knows I need a refresher!

How about you?