C is for Corpse, Death By Water & Queen of the Flowers

Okay, so I am on a serious crime fiction run at the moment.
These are more in two very different series of stories. The only real linkages are that they are crime and the central character for each series is a female. Actually, they are very strong women in their own settings.
Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone is an '80s woman - a private investigator, while Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher is a titled woman of the between-war years. But each is focused and independently strong in their own setting.

Hmm, that revelation only came to me when I decided to do an en masse entry for these three books. I suppose that theme really shouldn't surprise me, as I seem to be looking for what I would have considered *girly* books not so long ago. Fiction that revolves around a female lead character seems to have become my current reading of choice.

As per previous entries about other books in these series, they are a nice and easy read. Death By Water has a nice Kiwi touch being set onboard a fictional trans-Tasman P&O liner, with descriptions of Milford Sound and Dunedin as part of the storyline. All-in-all, very relaxing bedtime reading.

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Peace

As of yesterday afternoon John and I are officially no longer surrogate parents. Jesse has moved out to a semi-boarding / semi-flatting arrangement in Papakura. This is much more sensible for her as she was travelling about an hour each way every day to get to work.

So that means we are once again on our own.
I noticed the peaceful feeling almost immediately. Not that Jesse had been particularly rowdy, well no worse than any teenager, anyway. It just seems to me as though a part of me has relaxed and is at peace.
On reflection it is probably my brain letting go of the 'worry' and background thoughts that come with having another person to be concerned about.

On the whole I am looking forward to being at peace again. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It has taught me a lot about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, and it has clarified my view of parenting. It makes me admire even more the strength of character that I see in my friends doing great things with their kids. And it makes me a little bit madder at those parents who don't make their kids their number one job in life.

But that's a whole topic on it's own, and probably just as controversial as politics or religion !

In a semi-sarcastic nod to my own tendency to want to have everything 'under control'...

"For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe."
- Larry Eisenberg

Love & peace to you all.

Peace

As of yesterday afternoon John and I are officially no longer surrogate parents. Jesse has moved out to a semi-boarding / semi-flatting arrangement in Papakura. This is much more sensible for her as she was travelling about an hour each way every day to get to work.

So that means we are once again on our own.
I noticed the peaceful feeling almost immediately. Not that Jesse had been particularly rowdy, well no worse than any teenager, anyway. It just seems to me as though a part of me has relaxed and is at peace.
On reflection it is probably my brain letting go of the 'worry' and background thoughts that come with having another person to be concerned about.

On the whole I am looking forward to being at peace again. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It has taught me a lot about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, and it has clarified my view of parenting. It makes me admire even more the strength of character that I see in my friends doing great things with their kids. And it makes me a little bit madder at those parents who don't make their kids their number one job in life.

But that's a whole topic on it's own, and probably just as controversial as politics or religion !

In a semi-sarcastic nod to my own tendency to want to have everything 'under control'...

"For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe."
- Larry Eisenberg

Love & peace to you all.