The White Octopus Hotel, The Familiar Touch, Kindness, Winter Outfits and more on Monday Musings.
Monday Musings No. 204
Good morning friends! I hope that you had a lovely weekend. It’s Martin Luther King Day and a day off for many, do you have any plans?
We had a somber weekend, we lost two friends. One had a medical emergency while driving and veered off the road. My husband was supposed to be having a “boys night out” with him tonight.
Then this morning we learned that another friend passed away while sitting in his car before leaving to do errands.
Life is short friends.
On another note, I addressed this on Weekend Meanderings but it has come up again on a post of my longtime blog friend Brenda…meanness. There is no room in the world for people to be nasty, if you do not like the way someone looks, talks, eats, writes or their music, house, hair, pets, etc just scroll by.
Why on earth would you leave not only a critical, but a downright nasty comment? People have feelings, my friend Brenda cried at the nasty comments she received over a blog post. She is a 65 year old woman that escaped an abusive husband, raised 2 kids alone, and has written a FREE blog for 17 years and is sharing her life and passion. What could she possibly have written that was so offensive and warranted these comments? A post about her love of books.
Why on earth do women have to be so nasty to one another? Kindness is free friends share it liberally. And, if you find yourself here or on social media and you see or read something you do not like, scroll by or email the person directly, don’t leave unkind comments on their personal space.
Ok, on to Monday Musings.
Watched~The Familiar Touch
Read~The White Octopus Hotel
I shared this in 2025 on Friday Favorites and just got around to reading it this weekend.
Journey to a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, where two lost souls living in different centuries meet and discover if a second chance awaits them behind its doors.
“Have you travelled a long way?” she asked carefully..
A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Well, yes,” he said slowly. “Yes, you could say that. But it was worth the wait.”
London, 2015. When reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw shakes the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her office, the warmth of his palm sends a spark through her.
His name is Max Everly—curiously, the same name as Eve’s favorite composer, born one hundred sixteen years prior. And she has the sudden feeling that she’s held his hand before . . . but where, and when?
The White Octopus Hotel, 1935. In this belle époque building high in the snowy mountains, Eve and a young Max wander the winding halls, lost in time.
Each of them has been through the trenches—Eve through a family accident and Max on the battlefields of the Great War—but for an impossible moment, love and healing are just a room away . . . if only they have the courage to step through the door.
LINKS: READ+WATCH+LISTEN
Google Maps vs. Waze: I Tried Both Navigation Apps, and This One Gets You There Faster
Yes, introverts and extroverts can be good friends. Here’s how.
Fashion is done with remote work
Jodie Foster plans more French roles after ‘A Private Life’
Is self-care supposed to stress you out? Asking for a friend.
What we get wrong about dopamine.
This is why the cork on your wine keeps breaking.
80-Year-Old Makes History and Completes Life-Long Dream of Hiking the Appalachian Trail
We Asked 3 Sommeliers to Name the Best Wine Under $20—They All Picked the Same Surprising One
4. SHOPPING BREAK
With the ups and downs in the weather this month layering is key. Today I paired this classic blue shirt, with a dark blue pull over sweater, a pair of winter white corduroy pants, ballet flats and a bright red jacket. If you don’t want to wear a puffer jacket a trench would work too.
After putting this together I realized it is red, white and blue, perfect for cheering on your favorite Olympian next month.
You can see more outfit ideas at the bottom of the page or visit MyShop, be sure to sign up to see more clothing, books, style, decor and skincare.
5. In Case You Missed It~Weekend Meanderings
This weekend Juliet, Kim and I shared all of the things that piqued our interest and caught our eye, I shared a budget makeover by Melani Sanders, We Do Not Care Club, Midwinter Break, Doris Brynner and more on Weekend Meanderings.
That’s All for Now
I hope that you enjoyed my Monday Musings and that you have an amazing day. Take care of yourselves friends.
If you like the post please share and don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or Pinterest.
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
On My Radar
100% agree. Sometimes it seems like we are trending mean as a culture with terrible things happening in our country and no one held accountable. But why take the time to post a mean comment on someone’s blog! Thank you for curating these resources for your readers to scroll through to brighten their day!
SC, I honestly cannot fathom why a person would take the time from their day to say something mean. I see things every day that I do no agree with or like but I don’t write my opinion. And if I am so displeased with the offerings of a blog I simply unsubscribe.
Thank you for reading the blog!
If you really wanted to have an honest discussion on why people are so mean on-line, that would be something. Most people don’t want to find out.
Lynn,
I think that there have always been mean people and still are. Unfortunately sitting behind a keyboard allows people to be anonymous or faceless and they say and write things that they would probably never say to you face to face.
I also think there are a lot of miserable, sad, stressed people(not all) that take their anger and frustration out on people online.
Women are the worst and it is very sad.
A treasured Canadian blogger stopped posting last year for that very reason. I miss her beautiful photograpy, her passion for gardening, her family, and for her beloved provic=nce. We live in a fractured, atrocious time.
Roberta,
It is hard to put yourself online. I have been blogging for over 15 years and it is nothing like it was in the good old days. I am sorry to hear about the Canadian blogger, I have several friends here in the states that quit for the same reason.
Sadly there have always been mean people but social media allows people tp say things that they would probably never say face to face.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for following along.
If you haven’t read Theo of Golden, I think you will love it.
Thank you Julane, have a wonderful day!
Very sorry to read about the loss of your friends. This is what people don’t realise, life is so short. I’ve always said when you can choose to be nice, why be mean. Brenda is lovely, I’ve read her blog for years and I read her post regarding the mean comment.
Rita, thank you! It has been hard to go about daily chores and life and imagine think that they are gone and the world keeps going.
Kindness is free and is often a lifeline for so many.
Brenda, is a kind, generous, lovely woman and her writing and photos are beautiful. Why on earth people wrote those things I cannot fathom.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for reading the blog and always being so kind.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your friends. Losing a good friend is hard!
I do not understand why people leave rude comments. Sad world right now!
Edie, thank you. You are so right, loosing a longtime good friend is hard.
As for rude comments, I do not understand it either. People just need to move along if they come upon something they do not like.
Have a wonderful week.