Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

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Are You Listening to the Unsolved Mysteries Podcast Yet?

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My love of Unsolved Mysteries is pretty well known in my circle—and has been documented here on this blog. As I’ve written about before, Unsolved Mysteries brings a lot of warm memories to mind of time spent with my dad. Also, it definitely sparked my curiosity in all things creepy like ghosts, aliens and the unexplained.

Needless to say, when Netflix rebooted the series last year, I was over the moon. No, it’s not the same without Robert Stack, but it was still a worthy revival and one I enjoyed immensely. Of course, I went through those episodes fairly quickly. I figured I’d just have to wait another year or so until Netflix produced another season to get my Unsolved Mysteries fix.

(And before you ask, I’m just not really into traditional true crime. I found it interesting in the past, but after a bit, the whole genre seemed sort of exploitative and disrespectful to grieving families. So now I definitely prefer historical crime stories—mostly for the history—and unsolved true crime because it seems sort of useful.)

OK, back to it. I figured I’d just wait on a new season of Unsolved Mysteries to come to Netflix, but it turns out I didn’t have to wait at all because there’s a new Unsolved Mysteries podcast! And it really is terrific. Dare I say it rivals the show.

Why Unsolved Mysteries Works as a Podcast

What made (and still makes) Unsolved Mysteries so compelling is the element of the unknown.

Many of the stories presented are mysterious in so many ways, including the lack of visual elements. For unsolved crimes, there’s often no video footage. Tales from long ago often don’t have good pictures or visual evidence. And that story about a swamp monster or haunted grave? Well, you know there are no photos!

But what all these types of mysterious stories do have are people that loved the person that’s gone missing or witnesses that passionately believe in whatever cryptid they saw or whatever phenomenon they experienced. And that’s all you need for a podcast: vivid stories, passionate testimonials and first-hand narratives.

(And that theme song. Unsolved Mysteries wouldn’t be the same without that creepy theme.)

In the podcast, the guests all tell their stories brilliantly. These first-hand accounts are woven together really well with narration by host Steve French.

In 30 minutes, I get my fix of mysterious stories, creepy vibes and the perfect listen for a neighborhood walk. It’s the ideal podcast.

The Best Episodes of the Unsolved Mysteries Podcast

This podcast is still in its early days—there are currently only 10 episodes—but there are a few standouts that you should queue up:

  • The Creatures of Hockomock Swamp: I love a good cryptid story. That’s all you need to know diving into this classic Unsolved Mysteries tale.
  • Lost in the Ashes: A house fire blazes in Tennessee. After the dust settles, only two of the home’s four inhabitants are found. What the heck?
  • The Sudden Departure of Granger Taylor: This one was so detailed, it was a two-part episode. The gist: a mechanical whiz from Canada has vivid dreams predicting he’ll be abducted by aliens and returned to the earth 100+ years later. And then he disappears exactly as his visions predicted.

Alright, everyone, happy listening! Let me know your favorite episodes in the comments.

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Lazy Saturday // Wind Point Lighthouse

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The last few months have been pretty stressful over here, but I’m very lucky to be married to a sweet man that helps me take time away when I need it, especially when that time away is a short day trip to a new-to-me lighthouse.

To celebrate my birthday, we visited Wind Point Lighthouse just north of Racine, and it was a delight.

I didn’t know a ton about this lighthouse prior to visiting other than it’s one of the tallest lighthouses on Lake Michigan. (The tallest of them all is Point Sable in Michigan). So there’s no big claim to fame here, but it sure is nice.

Also, it’s one of the few lighthouses on the Great Lakes to still employ actual lighthouse keepers, which is, readers, my dream job. According to the Wind Point Light website, their job is to tend to the grounds and give tours. I would be very good at that.

Overall, the park surrounding the lighthouse was beautiful and you can walk right down to the shore of Lake Michigan. As always, I had to put my hands in the water to see if I could bear it. For being early April, it wasn’t too bad!

I’m hoping this is the first of a few lighthouse visits this year. Come later this week, I’ll be fully vaccinated and ready to do a bit of (very safe) sightseeing!

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Can We Talk About Aaron Rodgers on Jeopardy!?

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No secret here: I love Jeopardy! I remember watching it at my great-aunt’s house (now my house) and in college, I saw a live taping in Madison. Since then, I tune in whenever I can. And, yes, I’ve seen every episode that’s on Netflix (that was a big day when I saw it added).

When Alex Trebek passed, I was convince there would be no satisfying version of Jeopardy! without him.

But I was wrong. I am loving Aaron Rodgers as guest host. (He is no Alex, but he is very good).

First Impressions

Since January, Jeopardy! has been run by a series of guest hosts included Katie Couric (she was fine) and Dr. Oz (please never again). Starting last week, Packers QB and former Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Aaron Rodgers has been hosting. And while Aaron is no Alex, he is somehow perfect.

Full disclosure: My sister and I had lots of jokes about his performance after his first show. He was wooden. He was low energy. His hair was parted weird.

At the same time though, all these things made him the perfect host. As does the man’s passion for the game; the game here being Jeopardy! not football.

A Real Jeopardy! Superfan

You see, before his gig started, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran an article all about Aaron. (I cannot find this article online and I’m sorry; I actually read it in the real paper at my parents’ house.) According to the MJS, Aaaron grew up on the show and watches it every night when he’s in Green Bay. How cute! nd in preparation for his guest-hosting spot, he studied. He sat down and took notes on how Alex talked to contestants, how he handled commercial breaks and responded to answers. HE PUT IN THE WORK!

And that work is absolutely evident in how he performs on the show. He looks the part in nice but not ostentatious suits. He has the most Alex-like pacing of any of the hosts thus far. He knows how the game is played. That is a true master!

Letting the Real Stars Shine

And while I initially panned Aaron (OK panned him for like 15 seconds of the first episode) for his mellow delivery, I’m going to absolutely laud it now. See, Jeopardy! isn’t about a flashy host; it’s about someone that can deliver the answers and respond well to the players. It’s about a host that can keep the game moving and not outshine the guests.

He’s really serious about it; he’s taking it to heart. And I’d argue that’s why he’s so laid back here. He’s letting the contestants shine because he knows that’s what counts. He’s already famous; it’s the players’ moment in the sun.

Who Should Host Next? ….Or Forever???

This all being said, I know Aaron can’t host forever, so I nominate another Rodgers—err Rogers: Austin Rogers, the most delightful player of all time.

A quick P.S. here: To the guy with the snippy Final Jeopardy response on Aaron’s first day on the job, do you feel better now? What an ass.

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What I Read // March 2021

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March was a good month for reading. I feel like I got in a pretty good variety this month too (at least for me).

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Almost every winter I pick up a book like this one. I’m perpetually drawn to historical fiction set in Russia—particularly around the revolution.

This book was slow to start—a tale about a former Bolshoi ballerina auctioning off her collection of jewels—but gained speed about halfway through. I know that seems like a bit of a wait to really get into a book, but the payoff was beautiful.

If you enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow or The Last Days of the Romanov Dancers, you’ll like this book.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book came highly recommended by several friends, and it deserved every bit of the hype.

Red, White & Royal Blue was the perfect escapist book to read during the dullest months of the year. I think it might have hit even harder if I read it pre-2021, but it was still an absolute delight. Do I want to provide you with more details? Nope. I think this rom-com can stand on its own.

We Can Only Save Ourselves by Alison Wisdom • ⭐️⭐️

I don’t know about this one. I was tempted by We Can Only Save Ourselves after seeing a review on Bustle. A novel about a high-achieving high schooler that leaves her perfect life to follow a charming man and his house of followers. I mean, I love a good cult story (Wild, Wild Country anyone?).

But the book was disappointing. While I understand that, sure, a perfect student might want to rebel and leave her life behind, her motivations were incredibly vague. And the cult leader’s point of view was nonexistent. It just felt sort of toothless. Meh is my final review.

Bunny by Mona Awad • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Where on earth do I begin? I have never ever read anything like Bunny. Nevertheless, I couldn’t put it down.

This story of intense female friendship gone totally awry had me reading into the wee hours and regularly thinking WTF. It was funny, creepy and inexplicable.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I waffled between three and four stars on this book but opted for the higher score because overall it was an enjoyable read.

This book is structured the way a lot of historical fiction seems to be now: with a dual timeline. Overall, I found the story about Nella and Eliza working in the apothecary in the 1790s more compelling (I mean, who am I to resist a story about a female apothecary that sells tinctures exclusively for the benefit of women and demise of evil men?), but the half of the story in the present day wasn’t too bad.

If you liked The Taxidermists’ Daughter, I think you’ll like this.

As always, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads!

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Small Goals // April 2021

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Welcome back to my very scaled back goals for 2021! Let’s see how I did this March before diving into April.

  1. Sign up for Libro.fm. Done! When you sign up, you can choose to support Libro.fm’s network of independent sellers or a particular bookstore. Right now, my funds are going to Apostle Islands Booksellers.
  2. Clean and repaper our kitchen cupboards. Nope! How long will my fancy Caraway cookware hang out in its box until I do this? FOREVER.
  3. Work on an Easter cross stitch pattern. Done!
  4. Go on more lunchtime walks. I did go on a lot of walks this month and even did an online workout.
  5. Clean the den. Sort of, but not really to my satisfaction.

3/5. Considering how chaotic March was, I’m OK with only hitting three goals. I’ve been spending a lot of time helping my family this month, so not everything at home can get done. That’s OK. A good thing that happened this March that I didn’t plan on (but desperately hoped for) was getting my first COVID shot. That feels great.

For April, I’m still going to go easy on the goals. My parents are in need of a lot of extra help right now, so they are my first priority. These goals are a bit lower on the list, but I still like having something to think on for the month.

  1. Visit Wind Point Lighthouse. This is a little birthday excursion that Michael and I have planned. Wind Point Lighthouse is just down in Racine, so it’ll be a nice day trip.
  2. Master this baby bunny Bundt pan. I bought this super cute Nordic Ware Bundt pan. I gave it a go a few weeks ago with only one fully intact bunny. I want to bake up a dozen more for Easter with a higher success rate.
  3. Plant a few trillium plants. I’ve been holding onto a few plants until after the last frost. Here’s hoping frost is over for the season real soon.
  4. Start using my Caraway cookware. This was a Christmas gift. Time to finally put these very nice pots and pans to use.
  5. Celebrate my second vaccine dose. After my first shot, I treated myself to a shake at Don’s. I think a little (or maybe big) treat will be well deserved after the second. It’s been a long haul! (There’s still more to go, but a treat always helps.)

Alright, that’s all for now! I’ll see you soon with more about what I read last month.

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Feeling Pure Joy // A Vaccine Story

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It’s been a scary time, but since COVID vaccines started being distributed in Wisconsin early this year, I’ve started to feel more hopeful.

Early on, our friends in nursing got the shots and it was nice to think that some people we knew were protected. As eligibility requirements expanded, Michael and I jumped for joy when our parents got their first and second doses. When Michael became eligible with other educators in the state, I was absolutely thrilled. Soon, I could count almost all of our immediate family as being on their way in getting vaccinated.

Because I’m a fairly healthy 31-year-old editor working from home, I figured I’d be last in line for getting the shots. As impatient as I am, I made peace with that. What’s another few months of playing it extra safe and staying in? I’ve mastered that by now. My main concerns were seeing my parents and in-laws protected. If they were vaccinated, I was happy.

And then I got a hot tip from a coworker that there were extra doses available at a nearby vaccine clinic. I called, thinking that the odds of me snagging one of those extra shots was slim. No big deal if there were none left or there were no more appointments to be had.

But there were. And two hours later I was getting my first dose of the vaccine feeling absolute pure joy.

Walking into the building, everyone exuded happiness. Good things were happening there. Sitting with the nurse, I nearly cried tears of joy as she pricked me with the needle (it was nearly painless).

After, as I sat in the recovery area, I texted with a friend about the experience. She was coming to get hers a bit later in the day. We exchanged all-caps, !!!!-heavy messages and it felt good. It felt good to be happy and hopeful!

Walking out of the building I took my vaccine selfie with pride, complete with #igotmine sticker. As a treat to myself, I headed over to one of my favorite haunts: Don’s Diner. I grabbed a chocolate shake, cranked up some girl power tunes and headed home.

I’ve got a few more weeks until my second dose, but I already feel so much lighter. I feel hopeful, joyful and grateful.

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Small Goals // March 2021

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Nope, you didn’t miss it. I totally skipped any sort of goals for January and February.

To be honest, we spent the start of 2021 really in the shit. Lots of bad news, lots of stress—not the time to be focusing on anything other than just taking care of ourselves and our families.

Life is still hard (more on this later), but I feel ready to set a few goals for myself, if for no other reason than to propel myself forward.

But first, let’s look at December because why not?

  1. Mail our holiday cards during the first half of December. We did it. All of our cards were in the mail by the middle of the month. We sent out more than 40 so that was a feat!
  2. Do most of my Christmas shopping with small and local businesses. I think I did a good job with this. I can safely say that 75% of my shopping was done at small businesses, most of which were located in Wisconsin.
  3. Make homemade ornaments. Done. I made two ornaments from my Hello Bargello kit. I put the kit in with our decorations so I can finish a few more next year. This was a super fun craft.
  4. Tackle a Christmas sewing project. Done. I made a holiday runner for our bar cart and a lot of holiday masks. Not a lot, but definitely something.
  5. Get prescription sunglasses. Done! The people at Be Spectacled make choosing stylish glasses very easy.

5/5. These goals are a long time past, but I’m happy that I was able to check them all off my list.

Now, onto spring!

  1. Sign up for Libro.fm. I signed up for Audible last year and I really, really love it. But of course, I have that little voice telling me that I should not be giving Amazon more money. So I plan on making the switch to Libro.fm this month. It’s pretty much the same as Audible but it costs five cents more a month and supports independent booksellers.
  2. Clean and repaper our kitchen cupboards. This is such a grandma thing, but I need to put new contact paper in our cupboards. The shelves just need some spiffing up, especially because I’ve got new Caraway cookware to put inside.
  3. Work on an Easter cross stitch pattern. This has definitely been my go-to hobby lately, and I really enjoy making seasonal pieces. They let me stitch to my heart’s content without having to have a million cross samplers on my walls at all times.
  4. Go on more lunchtime walks. I was going on walks every day for a long while and then just stopped. Now that the coldest days are behind us, it’s time to get outside a bit more. Let’s say four days a week, OK?
  5. Clean the den. The den is my workspace and it’s almost always a mess. Time to clean it (and then slowly clutter it up again).

I’m hoping that these goals aren’t too ambitious for me right now. I’m pretty confident that even now, when I’m at peak stress, I can get a few done. Until April!

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What I Read // February 2021

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Only a few books to report on this month, but I’ve got a few in the works right now that I’m really enjoying. Stay tuned!

The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one-sentence synopsis was all I read before diving into this book: “A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale.”

Sounds good right?

The book was fine. Not enough photography for my taste! And I spent a lot of time asking myself, wait, why should I care about this?

The Deep by Alma Katsu • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OK, I think this book deserves exactly 3.5 stars—and that’s the general consensus on Goodreads as well.

The Deep is a satisfying retelling of the sinking of the Titanic. Can my ’90s kid brain ever get enough of it? It seems not!

But what I liked about this version was that it wasn’t just a straightforward fictional retelling focusing on the richest passengers (though, they do make appearances). Instead, The Deep follows a stewardess on the Titanic and the strange, occasionally spooky occurrences that seem to follow her on the ship (and later in life too).

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This February we got so much damn snow in Milwaukee. SO MUCH. So listening to this book about guests snowed in at a hotel in the Alps was a great match atmospherically.

I’ll tee you up and let you read the rest: An on-leave detective and her boyfriend takes a trip to visit her brother and his fiancée for an engagement party at this fancy new hotel. The luxury hotel once was a tuberculosis sanatorium, which gives it sort of an unsettling feel. And then there’s a murder. And then everyone gets snowed in. I don’t want to tell you any more!

I’ll say this: If you enjoyed The Hunting Party, you’ll really like The Sanatorium.

As always, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads!

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What I Read // January 2021

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In 2020 I read and listened to a whopping 50 books. That’s more than I read in 2018 and 2019 combined.

This year, I’m hoping to tackle a solid 40, though my stretch goal (ugh, who am I?) is 50. I’m off to a good start with five books in January.

The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes you just need a halfway decent domestic thriller to listen to while you walk around the neighborhood or do some crossword puzzles.

The Nanny, a story about a woman who suddenly reconnects with her former nanny in adulthood, is exactly that. It was intriguing and fun to listen to. Maybe it deserved four stars? Let’s go with 3.5.

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hands down, When No One Is Watching was my favorite read of the month.

Initially, I put off reading this book because I thought I knew what the plot was and had been disappointed by books like that in the past (ahem Lock Every Door by Riley Sager). But whatever you think the plot will be, it’s not that.

I won’t give a speck of it away because it’s such a good read.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read The Broken Girls by this author a few years back and loved it. I’d definitely consider The Sun Down Motel to be in the same vein as that novel. This is a solid modern ghost story.

I recommend it for an afternoon in (and aren’t all afternoons in these days?).

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my first listens of the pandemic era was The Little Strangers, another novel by Sarah Waters. Now, almost a year on, it seemed right to read one more of her books.

This novel, about a common thief trained to act as a lady’s maid, definitely kept me listening. And there were lots of little twists in here that I enjoyed. Overall, though, it wasn’t my favorite read of the month. Maybe if I read it at another time, I’d give it four stars.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This new release is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. I’ll admit that I’ve never read the book, but I have seen the movie and I loved the concept. So, of course, I had to grab this 2021 version.

It did not disappoint. It was a nice domestic thriller that had me reading whenever I had a spare moment.

As always, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads!

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Baking to Get Through It

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I never really understood stress baking, though I understand it’s a real phenomenon.

To me, baking—something that requires some precision and attention to detail—is the last thing a stress-addled mind needs to be tackling. I’m more of a stress TV-watcher or stress online shopper.

But this past month, arguably one of the most stressful in memory, I have been baking a lot.

And maybe I get it now. When I thought of stress baking in the past, I thought of the kind of stress that comes with having too much to do, the stress that comes with that certain breed of frantic anxiety.

But now I’m realizing that baking during stressful time serves another purpose.

Stress Baking to Help

First and foremost, during hard times, baking is an easy way to help and to let others know you’re thinking of them. Bringing over a loaf of bread or a dessert to someone that needs a pick-me-up or who can’t manage to bake on their own is helpful. Right now, my mother-in-law has a particular taste for sweets and is unable to bake on her own, so a batch of homemade brownies hits the spot for us both.

Stress Baking to Soothe

What I’ve really found, though, is that baking is a good way to propel yourself forward. Baking won’t help the worries of the day subside or solve any problems, but it requires enough focus to make those concerns take a backseat for a moment—and in a way that reading, TV or embroidery can’t.

So I’m thankful that I have a hobby that can take me through these hard days and can even be useful.

And if you’re wondering what I’ve made, here’s a list of what’s come out of my kitchen in the last four weeks: