Anna Patrick's Blog, page 2

Reunited halfway through Paul’s cross country aviation adventure...

Reunited halfway through Paul’s cross country aviation adventure in his plane! Seeing her against the desert mountain backdrop really emphasized how far he’s come 🥹 proud wife moment. Light the fires kick the tires, see you at home soon hubby! 🛩🖤 (at Tucson Airport , Arizona)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiV8ivKpwuC7PEdS62dQWYSZSZbuVL-yFUqn9o0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Not Alfalfa keeping an eye on the garden in case there’s a...

Not Alfalfa keeping an eye on the garden in case there’s a mystery to be solved! He must be inspired by our @bullybookclub August read, chosen by @pigdog_kenzie, @katharinewrites’ #BodyInTheGarden, for which Alfalfa and I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Calling all Anglophiles, this book is for you! Set in Regency England during war time, heroine Lily Adler overhears a murder take place while taking a breather outside at a party, and becomes a female Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery and save the day, and maybe also get the guy - her sidekick Captain Jack Hartley?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What I liked most about the story was Lily herself - she’s strong willed, intelligent and is guided by her keen instincts and sense of justice. In a time full of female suppression, stuffy elitism and idle ladies, Lily is who you hope you would have been.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Would she have been able to galavant around London administering vigilante justice in Regency England? Were we asked to indulge in a bit of revisionist history? Maybe. But for me it didn’t keep me for rooting for Lily to prevail.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So Al and I will take a page for Lily’s book and go for a wander in the garden. You never know where adventure may find you. And if it does, I’ve got my Captain Jack at my side.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@crookedlanebooks #bullybookclub
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfaGcnO2WpXZLupbC3H4UuvlRkAG87xUc_vgI0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Today Paul and I got to meet our sweet goddaughter, Inez...

Today Paul and I got to meet our sweet goddaughter, Inez Montrose! Thanks to Mandi and Nate for indulging us in monopolizing her for all the cuddles, can’t wait to spoil her 💕👑
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChQehkvptc-elAeLfIQZFAvK0K06xbmHdHSp9w0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s @bullybookclub review day, and July’s pick, from...

It’s @bullybookclub review day, and July’s pick, from @artemisthebulldog, is @johngreenwritesbooks’ #TheAnthropoceneReviewed, for which Alfalfa and I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the lines in Green’s book amounts to something like - wonders are infinite, it’s our attention that wanes. And that’s exactly what I took away from Green’s reviews as he poured over topics from air conditioning to the Lascaux caves to Canadian Geese, I contemplated many of the topics he discussed far more deeply than I had before. The book is written as a collection of reviews on various subjects on a five-star scale. Put simply, the amount of fun facts I now know is off the charts.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’ll add that I’m a big John Green fan, I’ve read all of his novels. His first, Looking For Alaska, is in my top 5 eternally. In typical John Green fashion, the topic of mental health is woven into the majority of the subjects he reviewed, and, in my eyes, he always does it justice. He also spoke a lot about navigating the last few years, and I felt like reading this book gave me permission to begin the frenzied unraveling and processing of the pandemic, and all we lost.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I laughed, I cried, I thought deeply. As far as books go, that’s really what I’m looking for. And for that I give this book five stars.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
… All it was missing was a review of the tennis ball, Al’s favorite toy. He gives it five stars as well.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@duttonbooks
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgO9fr6O8HFWF8oPNg935rbjEkTdzIq0lWeX700/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My husband, adventure buddy and favorite pilot turned 30 today...

My husband, adventure buddy and favorite pilot turned 30 today 🖤✈️ some of my favorite recent adventures of ours!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2o2oIrbpJodBR40NVA3t5vFF89brskrrNS6s0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

With sorrow, we dissent. With anger, we rise. I thought about...

With sorrow, we dissent. With anger, we rise. I thought about the horror of this day 6 years ago when I attended the Women’s March. We were there then, we’re here today, we’re not going anywhere. We dissent. (at Supreme Court of the United States)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfP3sl8LMLikjH0FQnt01i3vUvrPhw9hAcAt8U0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

This year has been hellish but at least my roses are thriving...

This year has been hellish but at least my roses are thriving 💁🏻‍♀️ a little girl was walking out front of our house and I overheard her call it “the rose house” and it melted my little black heart 🖤🌹
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cebn1FjLu1uCTlXPXf2jTMAanUwR_D5t6i8saA0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

For @bullybookclub’s February book reviews Al and I read...

For @bullybookclub’s February book reviews Al and I read #TheSevenDeathsOfEvelynHardcastle by @stuturton (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) AND #TheSevenHusbandsOfEvelynHugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (⭐️⭐️⭐️✨).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Seven Deaths: think Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey. Imagine you can play Clue as every game character in order to find out who the murderer is - one new character each day until you can put the puzzle together, which resets every night at midnight. What a dazzling use of timeline, kudos to Turton on keeping the time lapses and characters straight, I remain very impressed. The plot twist at the end to learn why this particular game of Clue is even played is highly compelling and was something I thought about days after finishing it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Seven Husbands: I was a bit torn on this one. At its best it was City of Girls meets La La Land, at its worst it was Devil Wears Prada meets Zsa Zsa Gabor. The heart of the story revolved around Evelyn, and Monique, our narrator, was a total afterthought and missed opportunity and her omission would have made the story more literary, IMHO. Evelyn’s story of Hollywood royalty in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and the social commentary that went along with that, was very compelling and would make for a great Netflix series. The unsung heroes for me were the settings, I had hoped at least one (Hollywood, NYC or Spain) would become their own character(s) in the novel, in a sense, but I didn’t feel they were fully formed. All in all, though, Evelyn’s story has a lot of themes that warrant celebration and further discussion and I hope to see her on the big screen for real!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@bloomsburypublishing @bookmarked @simonschusteruk @simonandschuster #BullyBookClub
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaNeGw-J33btjRMo8o3K7GszA2fV_GbyGgtZlc0/?utm_medium=tumblr

✨Platinum Barre club✨ 180+ classes in 2021, 15/month for the...

✨Platinum Barre club✨ 180+ classes in 2021, 15/month for the year! My second year-long challenge (Black Barre in 2019). Cheers to @shana_alexis for being my barre bestie along the way, and to the strong community of women that help us all get there together 🖤🔴 makes me fall in love with Pure Barre all over again! And the best gift of all? Combining my class count between Reston/Leesburg 😭 I’m truly so lucky to have found something that’s my workout obsession and therapy all in one. Onto the next milestone: 1,000 club! (at Pure Barre)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZnMgTaJDL1xdyAnT0KclatNfbC-pag1xfxIh00/?utm_medium=tumblr

I’m not going to go into 2022 saying “this is our year” (like I...

I’m not going to go into 2022 saying “this is our year” (like I did in 2019, we’re passed the big reveal there 😂) but rather I’m going to just creep into it, humbled and hopeful. And in the words of Amanda Gorman’s new poem: to reach toward what is next. Happy new year, friends, may you reach and may you find 🖤🍾
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYLDoBGtg2pyeyl3r-0EO8_pxpecFnQKosTGl80/?utm_medium=tumblr