Barbara (Ameise1)'s world (2)

Welcome to my 2nd thread.

It's spring here and unfortunately most people spend it in quarantine. Fortunately we have a garden that we currently enjoy very much. That makes life a lot easier right now.
I am married to Thomas and we live in Zurich. Thomas only has to go to school for one day every two weeks while I'm always at school on Mondays and Tuesdays. Otherwise I stay at home and Thomas does the daily shopping for fresh products and thus takes care of his mother, who lives not far from us. Our older daughter is a social worker and has to work at her place of work. Mostly, however, it is on the emergency telephone service. Our younger daughter, who survived the Covid19 disease well, is studying from home because the universities are closed.
I wish you all health and take care.

Here you can see a few spring impressions of my hometown Zurich, Switzerland.

    

January
# 1 The Northern Cross by Hendrik Falkenberg (4½ stars)
# 2 Oh, No, Octavius! by Michael Gallagher (4 stars)
# 3 Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (5 stars)
# 4 Dust by Patricia Cornwell (4½ stars)
# 5 Bossypants by Tina Fey (4 stars)
# 6 Body Double by Tess Gerritsen (4½ stars)

February
# 7 Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten by Christian Kracht (5 stars)
# 8 In The Frame by Dick Francis (4½ stars)
# 9 Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M. C. Beaton (4½ stars)
#10 Der Privatsekretär by Claudia Piñeiro (3½ stars)
#11 Die Stille des Todes by Eva García Sáenz (4½ stars)
#12 Village of Stone by Xiaolu Guo (4½ stars)
#13 I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark (4½ stars)
#14 Victory Square by Olen Steinhauer (4 stars)
#15 The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny (4½ stars)
#16 Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs (4 stars)
#17 The Secret Place by Tana French (3½ stars)

March
#18 Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of The Lord by Mario Giordano (4½ stars)
#19 Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea (4½ stars)
#20 An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza (4 stars)
#21 Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project by Charlie Jane Anders (4 stars)
#22 The Beautiful and Damned by Fitzgerald F. Scott (3½ stars)
#23 A Great Beauty by A. O'Connor (4 stars)
#24 Known To Evil by Walter Mosley (4 stars)
#25 Conclave by Robert Harris (4½ stars)

April
#26 Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy (4 Stars)
#27 Blood Sport by Dick Francis (5 stars)
#28 Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo (4 stars)
#29 The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan (4½ stars)
#30 Murderous Mistral by Cay Rademacher (4 stars)
#31 Dominicana by Angie Cruz (5 stars)
#32 Cinder by Marissa Meyer (4½ stars)

May
#33 Todesfrist by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
#34 Wash This Hand Clean from My Hand by Fred Vargas (4 stars)
#35 The English Spy by Daniel Silva (4 stars)
#36 Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry (4 stars)
#37 The Devil's Claw by Lara Dearman (4½ stars)
#38 Kälter als der Tod by Dario Correnti (4&frac12 stars)
#39 Cambridge 5 by Hannah Cler (4 stars)
#40 Bretonisches Leuchten by Jean-Luc Bannalec (4 stars)

June
#41 Die sieben Türen by Daniel Sánchez Pardos (4½ stars)
#42 Himmelsdiebe by Peter Prange (4 stars)
#43 Murder Swing by Andrew Cartmel (3½ stars)
#44 Mord an der Algarve by Carolina Conrad (4½ stars)
#45 Das korsische Begräbnis by Vitu Falconi (4½ stars)

July
#46 Korsische Gezeiten by Vitu Falconi (4½ stars)
#47 Der eiserne Sommer by Angelika Felenda (4 stars)
#48 Trophy by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)
#49 Retribution by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)
#50 Das Ritual des Wassers by Eva García Sáenz (4½ stars)
#51 Lüge by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)
#52 Hybris by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)
#53 Blindes Eis by Ragnar Jónasson (4½ stars)
#54 A Mask of Shadows by Oscar de Muriel (4½ stars)
#55 Provenzalische Verwicklungen by Sophie Bonnet (4 stars)
#56 Sühne by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)
#57 Zara und Zoë - Rache in Marseille by Alexander Oetker (4½ stars)
#58 Château Mort by Alexander Oetker (3½ stars)
#59 Unquiet Ghosts by Glenn Meade (4½ stars)

August
#60 Letzte Spur Algarve by Carolina Conrad (4½ stars)
#61 Dark Saturday by Nicci French (4½ stars)
#62 Das Porzellanmädchen by Max Bentow (3½ stars)
#63 The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea by Mark Douglas-Home (4 stars)
#64 All This I Will Give To You by Dolores Redondo (5 stars)
#65 Beneath The Mountain by Luca D'Andrea (4½ stars)
#66 Sanctuary by Luca D'Andrea (4½ stars)
#67 Die unbekannte Dritte by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)
#68 Die Kälte des Herzens by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)

September
#69 Das Fest der Taube by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)
#70 The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
#71 Todesurteil by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
#72 Stimmen der Toten by Elisabeth Herrmann (4 stars)
#73 A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)

October
#74 The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi-Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
#75 The Marco Effect by Jussi-Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
#76 Prague Nights by Benjamin Black (4 stars)
#77 The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen (4½ stars)
#78 The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
#79 Todesmärchen by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)

November
#80 Todesreigen by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
#81 Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs (4 stars)

December
#82 Midwinter Of The Spirit by Phil Rickman (4 stars)
#83 Provenzalische Geheimnisse by Sophie Bonnet (4 stars)
#84 A Crown Of Lights by Phil Rickman (4 stars)
#85 Irisches Verhängnis by Hannah O'Brien (4 stars)

Take It or Leave It Challenge

January
1.: Read a book whose number of title words equals the number of names you find in the title finished: 2020-01-01
The Northern Cross by Hendrik Falkenberg (4½ stars)
5.: Read a book you didn't get to in 2019 finished: 2020-01-22
Dust by Patricia Cornwell (4½ stars)
8.: Read a book for the January CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge finished: 2020-01-26
Bossypants by Tina Fey (4 stars)
9.: Read a book which you obtained in November or December of 2019 finished: 2020-01-05
Oh, No, Octavius! by Michael Gallagher (4 stars)
14.: Read a book with a LT rating of 3.8* or more finished: 2020-01-08
Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (5 stars)

February
1.: Read a book whose first word of the first paragraph starts with a vowel finished: 2020-02-02
Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten by Christian Kracht (5 stars)
3.: Read a book with a cover showing something you can wear on your face finished: 2020-02-08
In The Frame by Dick Francis (4½ stars)
6.: Read a book by an author we lost in 2019 finished: 2020-02-09
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M. C. Beaton (4½ stars)
7.: Read the next book in a series by a woman author finished: 2020-02-21 The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny (4½ stars)
12.: Read a book that is divided internally by more than chapter headings finished: 2020-02-13
Die Stille des Todes by Eva García Sáenz (4½ stars)
13.: Read a book that has at least three names of people mentioned on page one finished: 2020-02-28
The Secret Place by Tana French (3½ stars)
14.: Read a book that has something to do with elections or voting finished: 2020-02-12
Der Privatsekretär by Claudia Piñeiro (3½ stars)
15.: Read a book with a (predominantly) purple cover for the February birthstone challenge finished: 2020-02-19
Victory Square by Olen Steinhauer (4 stars)
16.: Read a book where the authors name contains 4 or more different vowels finished: 2020-02-14
Village of Stone by Xiaolu Guo (4½ stars)
18.: Read a Book written by Mary Higgins Clark finished: 2020-02-17
I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark (4½ stars)

March
3.: Read a book honoring "Plant a Seed" day finished: 2020-03-01
Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of The Lord by Mario Giordano (4½ stars)
5.: Read a book you've had in the house or on your e-device since before Jan 1, 2020 finished: 2020-03-25
A Great Beauty by A. O'Connor (4 stars)
6.: Read a book where the final page count of the story portion of the book is an odd number finished: 2020-03-28
Known To Evil by Walter Mosley (4 stars)
10.: Tour de Suisse by adding the read pages to the Swiss postal code finished: 2020-03-08
Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea (4½ stars)
12.: Read an anthology of genre fiction finished: 2020-03-19
Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project by Charlie Jane Anders (4 stars)
15.: Read a book with a country in the title finished: 2020-03-18
An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza (4 stars)

Take It or Leave It Challenge

April
3.: Read a book you might not have read this month without COVID-19 finished: 2020-04-12
Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy (4 Stars)
4.: Read a book by an author you have read before finished: 2020-04-13
Blood Sport by Dick Francis (5 stars)
10.: Read a book containing at least three different themes finished: 2020-04-18
The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan (4½ stars)

2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

I will give this challenge a chance again and I will not be disappointed if I do not reach the goal.

A book that's published in 2020
A book by a trans or nonbinary author
A book with a great first line
A book about a book club
A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics
- Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy (4 Stars)
A bildungsroman
- Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (5 stars)
The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed
A book with an upside-down image on the cover
- Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea (4½ stars)
A book with a map
- Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und im Schatten by Christian Kracht (5 stars)
A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club
- Bossypants by Tina Fey (4 stars)
An anthology
- Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project by Charlie Jane Anders (4 stars)
A book that passes the Bechdel test
- Body Double by Tess Gerritsen (4½ stars)
A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it
- In The Frame by Dick Francis (4½ stars)
A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name
A book about or involving social media
- Die Stille des Todes by Eva García Sáenz (4½ stars)
A book that has a book on the cover
A medical thriller
- Dust by Patricia Cornwell (4½ stars)
A book with a made-up language
A book set in a country beginning with "C"
- The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny (4½ stars)
A book you picked because the title caught your attention
- An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza (4 stars)
A book published the month of your birthday
- Murderous Mistral by Cay Rademacher (4 stars)
A book about or by a woman in STEM
A book that won an award in 2019
A book on a subject you know nothing about
A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics
- The Secret Place by Tana French (3½ stars)
A book with a pun in the title
- The Beautiful and Damned by Fitzgerald F. Scott (3½ stars)
A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
- The Northern Cross by Hendrik Falkenberg (4½ stars)
A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character
A book with a bird on the cover
A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader
- Conclave by Robert Harris (4½ stars)
A book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title
A book by a WOC
- Village of Stone by Xiaolu Guo (4½ stars)
A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads
- Victory Square by Olen Steinhauer (4 stars)
A book you meant to read in 2019
- A Great Beauty by A. O'Connor (4 stars)
A book with a three-word title
- Oh, No, Octavius! by Michael Gallagher (4 stars)
A book with a pink cover
A Western
A book by or about a journalist
- Der Privatsekretär by Claudia Piñeiro (3½ stars)
Read a banned book during Banned Books Week
Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

January
Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (5 stars)

February The 1990s
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M. C. Beaton (4½ stars) (July 1994)

currently reading

 Das Porzellanmädchen
currently listening

 Dark Saturday

Happy new thread

Hope I didn't jump in too soon. Just was perusing LT before heading to work and saw your shiny new thread! Great spring topper- cheerful and bright. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

>8 Ameise1: Welcome on my new thread, Anita. Being first a specialty from Zürich for you.


Luxemburgerli from Confiserie Sprüngli

Happy new one, Barbara.

So glad to read that your daughter is feeling better. Love the spring impressions: hope you continue to enjoy your garden.

>11 charl08: Thanks so much Charlotte. Today it's a bit raining but otherwise I'm very happy to be able to be in the garden.

book 22 Read in German

 The Beautiful and Damned

I actually like Scott Fitzgerald's books, but it didn't convince me that much. I think all the pleasures and sensations are too long for me. It could also have been made shorter to bring the contents of an 'impoverished' rich couple across at the end of WWI.

Happy new thread, Barbara. I'm sorry to hear that your daughter had the virus but it's impressive that she could speak to the doctor so often. I hope she's soon fully recovered.

Happy new thread, Barbara!

>8 Ameise1: I need to get back to the Underworld series with #2 The Cold Six Thousand. I'm happy to see you're working on #3. I need to find and read more by Harris, too.

book 23

  A Great Beauty

I got this book as an early review. It grabbed me from the start. It is a subject that I knew very little about.
Mick is a kind of freedom fighter for the independence of Ireland. He has many friends who protect and support him. Among them are an English lady who originally came from America and a young Irish woman. In the course of history, the underground Irishman becomes a 'diplomat' who has to negotiate with the Classe politique of the 1930s in England. This is not his thing and therefore he is supported by the English lady. This creates a love affair that is not hidden from anyone.

>14 susanj67: Susan, the health system here is very good (even during normal times) and now during the crisis I am very impressed with what everyone is doing. Since my daughter is a strong asthma sufferer, she had to report her lung values to her doctor twice a day. So he could decide how best to behave. If it had gotten worse, she would have been picked up and taken to the hospital. Here in Switzerland, nobody has to go to hospital alone if the symptoms get worse and a doctor insists on hospitalization. Such people are picked up from home and driven to the hospital.

>15 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. I love this series very much and now, staying mostly at home, I have plenty of time to read it.

book 24 Read in German

 Known To Evil

I also really liked the second volume of the Leonid McGill series.
This time Leonid has to protect a young woman on the one hand, help his sons uncover a girl trade and help a former victim out of trouble. He also reveals other corrupt government employees and finds that his wife has a much younger lover.
Fortunately, he can always fall back on old friends, but cannot avoid getting involved in various physical battles and has to find out that he is no longer the youngest.

Hi Barbara. Nice spring pictures up there!

I am glad your daughter is better. Must have been scary for you.

Have a happy new thread.

>19 EllaTim: Thank you very much, Ella. No, we weren't very afraid for our daughter. We knew that she was looked after and we were also aware that young people survive this virus without harm.

Happy Sunday, Barb! Happy New Thread! Love the spring colors in the topper and I am glad you are able to enjoy these lovely gardens.

>21 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. Happy to see you here.

Happy 2nd new thread, Barbara! Love those spring pictures. Beautiful!
So glad to read your daughter survived Covid-19 and is doing well! Switzerland sounds like they've got their act together when it comes to health care.

Happy new thread! Glad your daughter is doing better.

Happy new thread, Barbara.
The flowers are lovely. Best news of all is your daughter well on the mend.

Happy new thread, Barbara. I love your photos! Stay well.

Happy new thread, Barbara and yay for the good news about your daughter.
I love your pictures, the colours of spring are awesome.

Happy new thread Barbara my dear, hope you and the family are all well, dear friend.

Happy new thread! Didn't realize your daughter had the virus - glad she's doing well!

>23 Carmenere: >24 thornton37814: >25 PaulCranswick: >26 BLBera: >27 SirThomas: >28 johnsimpson: >29 drneutron:
Dear everyone, thank you very much for all your kind words. My younger daughter is actually on the mend. It only plagues her from time to time a violent cough, but the fever and fatigue is over.
At the moment I am at school (lunch break) and I am preparing with my colleague the next learning units for our students, which they will have in their mailbox on Wednesday.

Take care and stay healthy.

Happy new thread, Barbara!
>1 Ameise1: Really, really beautiful photos!

Happy new thread, Barbara!

Lovely pictures at the top, over here spring has also arrived.
We are still allowed to walk once a day, so I am not completely confined. With only very few airplanes and way less cars, the air is clearer than I have ever felt before.

Hi Barbara! Happy springtime bloomings. I send hugs!

Happy New Thread, Barbara ! I'm so happy to read that your daughter is on the mend. Lovely signs of spring.

Barbara--Happy new thread! Glad your daughter is recovering well. Love your spring photos up top. Stay safe and happy!

Hi Barbara my dear, glad to hear that Marina is recovering well after her bout of Coronavirus, hope you are all well. Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Catching up on old and new thread... I'm so glad Marina is getting better!!
The procedures sound identical to Italy. I called the hotline on Tuesday for a friend, and they also told me that no way would she be tested with just a cough as symptom. Tests are mainly for people who come to the hospitals and for the medical staff, and she should talk to her MD. She doesn't have one, so she used her friendship to a private doctor in Bolzano to get tested in the end (basically by blowing up her symptoms). Well...

Thank you for the lovely pictures! we also have the most beautiful spring outside, but as we're not allowed walks (200m don't count), I'll completely miss it this year.

Have a lovely, peaceful, safe and healthy weekend, Barbara.

Hi Barbara, stopping by to get caught up. Very happy to learn the good news about your daughter. These are interesting times we are living through right now. Your Spring pictures at the top of this thread brought a smile to my face. Beautiful pictures! Keep safe and stay healthy!

Happy newish thread, Barbara. Those are wonderful spring photos at the top of your thread. It's good to see that you are doing well and that your daughter is on the road to recovery.

What Meg said, Barbara. Happy Newish Thread. Love those photos, and it's good to hear your daughter's headed in the right direction.

We seem to be more isolated at home in the U.S. than you're experiencing. I'm glad you've got a beautiful garden to enjoy.

Have a wonderful easter weekend

Hope you get a good break this weekend, Barbara. I'm hoping for enough sunshine to sit in the garden and read.

Have a Happy Easter!

I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Barbara.

Hi Barbara! Thinking about you and hoping that you're all staying safe - hope your younger daughter is fully recovered from her bout of covid-19.

I wish you a wonderful sunday, Barbara.
And the best wishes to you and your family!

>31 mstrust: >32 FAMeulstee: >33 richardderus: >34 vancouverdeb: >35 Berly: >36 johnsimpson: >37 Deern: >38 PaulCranswick: >39 lkernagh: >40 Familyhistorian: >41 jnwelch: >42 figsfromthistle: >43 charl08: >44 mstrust: >45 PaulCranswick: >46 karenmarie: >47 SirThomas:
Thank you very much, dear ones, for keeping my thread warm, for the nice Easter greetings and your concern about how I'm doing.

My daughter is completely healthy again and that is very gratifying for us.
I don't get to read that much, even though the schools are closed. But I will shortly describe some books that I have heard or read.

We now have five weeks of home schooling behind us. This is great for nobody, neither for the children, their parents or us teachers. Every day we are preparing to have school conversations with the children, correct them, explain them and have psychological support talks with parents. I now work 150% instead of my 83%. Another week as described is still ahead of us, then the spring break begins. That means, do not prepare home schooling for a possible opening of the school on May 11th. At the moment nobody knows what this will look like, because social distancing still has to be followed. On May 4th we should learn how this should be implemented in practice. I think this will be even more of a challenge than it is now.

Fortunately, we have wonderful and warm weather, so that I can enjoy the garden, which is in full bloom.

I wish you health and perseverance. Better times will come again sometime.

book 25 ♫ Read in German

 Conclave

It was a very exciting story. The Pope is found dead in his bed in the morning. Now the 'machinery' starts to run. Different actors have their assigned roles, be it for the preparation of the funeral and the conclave or for their implementation. It also shows that cardinals can also be bought. It's about power and intrigue. The protagonists relentlessly treat each other. Wouldn't it be a mysterious cardinal who suddenly appears unexpectedly.
It is written very exciting and has grabbed me from the start.

book 26

 Blood's A Rover

This is the third part of the Underworld USA trilogy. At first it was again a summary of all the protagonists, before it was about Nixon's campaign on the one hand, but also about how Hoover clings to his position with all the tricks. It is about drugs, gang wars, money laundering and shows once again how corrupt the police and various secret services are. In doing so, their peers fight to the blood and go over dead bodies.
Once again it was extremely interesting.

book 27 Read in German

 Blood Sport

This was the best Dick Francis I've read so far. It grabbed me from the first to the last page.
It is about stallions that inexplicably disappear during transport and can no longer be found. If it weren't for Gene Hawkins, a secret agent who is looking for these stallions in the USA after the owner barely escaped death on a boat trip on the Thames.
With unorthodox methods and the help of the insurance agent, Hawkins sets out to find them. He soon realizes that he is dealing with an evil couple who do not stop at killing people.

book 28 ♫ Read in German

 Her Last Breath

The fifth volume by Kate Burkholder was also convincing.
At night an Amish buggy is rammed by a car so that the buggy breaks apart in all its parts. Of the four passengers, only the youngest son survives, while the father, the older son and the daughter still die on the scene of the accident. There is no trace of the person who caused the accident. It is not easy for Kate to investigate, since the deceased's mother and wife are her old schoolmates. Kate treats her former friend very sensitively and for a long time does not notice where the danger comes from.

Nice to see you posting, Barbara.

Hope you'll have a relaxing Sunday.

Happy Sunday, Barb. I have not been by in awhile. I hope you and the family are doing fine, during these trying times.

book 29

 The Gauguin Connection

This is an exciting first work from the Geneviève Lenard series and I will definitely read the other books in this series as well.
Geneviève works in a renowned insurance company. She specializes in reading body language. Even she hardly dares to trust people because she is autistic. Her boss has the greatest understanding and gives her a free hand and respects her comfort zone. But suddenly she has to find out for the European secret service why young art students are murdered and why more than a thousand confiscated weapons have disappeared. If she could do all of this from her safe office or 'safe' home, it would not be a problem. Unfortunately, she has to leave her comfort zone much too quickly. On the one hand, two men step into her life to protect and support her, on the other hand, the bad guys also threaten her life.

>53 PaulCranswick: >54 msf59: Thanks so much, Paul and Mark for stopping by. Finally I have another Sunday that is not filled with work.

Next reading:

 Murderous Mistral

Next listening:

 The English Assassin

Happy to see you posting, Barbara. It is hard to tell when restrictions may be lifted. I know here in British Columbia they are looking at 'maybe' lifting some restrictions mid-May, but it sounds like that might just be limited to start allowing some non-emergency surgeries to go ahead... nothing to do with any changes to the day-to-day life restrictions currently in place.

>55 Ameise1: - So happy to see you enjoyed The Gauguin Connection! Genevieve is such a wonderful character. ;-)

I am glad that you have a spring break coming up, Barbara; it sounds like you need it!!

>59 lkernagh: Thank you very much, Lori. I think we all have to prepare for a long wait. Next Monday garden and construction centers will be allowed to open again with all restrictions of social distancing. On May 11th more shops should be allowed to open, as well as considering opening the schools in some way, but the restrictions will still apply. Libraries and museums are supposed to open again on June 8th. Restaurants, bars etc. still have no date when they can open again.
I love the character of Genevieve Lenard and I already have the second volume on my Kindle.

>60 ronincats: Thank you very much, Roni. Yes, I actually need air to breathe deeply. I won't think about school for a second in the first week. In the second week we have to prepare for the reopening of the school, if this will be feasible with all the restrictions (no larger groups than five people, 2 meters away, etc.). I will receive more detailed instructions on May 4th.

Hi Barbara.

>49 Ameise1: Sounds intriguing. A look behind the scenes in the Vatican?

You must have been terribly busy. I can't even imagine how to deal with long distance home schooling!

Here we are waiting for the announcement tomorrow, probably some measures will be lifted. It would be nice if we could visit a library again, but I don't think it will be our government's first priority.

Wishing you a lovely spring break.

Hi, Barbara. I'm glad your garden and construction centers are opening up with social distancing; Spring should help all our psyches. There's no certain end in sight in our part of the U.S.; they're now talking about isolation through May.

book 30 Read in German

 Murderous Mistral

This is the first volume in the Roger Blanc series. I have already read the fourth volume and have now decided to read this series from the beginning.
On the one hand, you get to know all the important people who belong to this series. On the other hand, it shows why Capitaine Blanc was transferred to Provence and how he learns to gain a foothold and make friends.
A troublemaker is found burned on the garbage dump. Blanc and his team will soon find out that various regional personalities have something to hide. But who among them is actually the bad guy? More murders have to be solved before they find him.
It was a cozy mystery and I will read the other books in this series as well.

>62 EllaTim: Ella, it was a very exciting story. If you have the opportunity to read it once, I highly recommend it.
Yes, I have it very strictly at the moment. Today and tomorrow I will accompany the students with their tasks via Whatsaap call. Today we will have another virtual class meeting so that the children can see each other again and chat for a while.
I won't do anything for school next week as our spring break starts. Actually we have two weeks of vacation, but since our Federal Council will decide next Wednesday how the schools should open on May 11th and the Education Council will announce the details the following day, I will be preparing for the second week of my vacation. I'm wondering in what form we will teach.

>63 jnwelch: Joe, I'm more than happy to have a wonderful spring. That makes staying at home much easier. Our garden is a so-called natural garden and it blooms in every nook and corner. We won't have to buy a lot in the garden center.
I know that there are more and more people who have trouble staying at home. However, this measure combined with the hygiene measures actually makes sense. I'm already a little worried about how our schools should open in mid-May.
Stay healthy and hold out. Better times will come again.

© Light Art by Gerry Hofstetter / Foto Michael Kessler

greetings from Zermatt

Happy new-ish thread, Barbara! I am back from visiting my mother and trying to catch up. We had a wonderful visit and played a bunch of games!

Hi Barbara! I hope you have a somewhat relaxing spring break! Congrats on all the good reading.

>48 Ameise1: My daughter has a friend who teaches art to 11-13 year olds. It’s all remote now, and poor Amber is going crazy with how much more time it’s taking to do her job, too.

I hope you are having a wonderful, restful spring break, Barbara.

Thanks for the update Barbara. Your garden sounds lovely: hope you can get a good amount of time to relax in it. As others have said, it sounds very intense. Fingers crossed for a better future.

Dropping by to send you continued good wishes, Barbara.

Hallo, dear Barbara, hoping you're surviving this difficult and tricky passage through the plague. I'm sending transAtlantic hugs!

Hi Barbara, you must be very busy with carrying out the plans for physical schooling. I hope that it is all going well and that you have some time to relax too.

Happy weekend Barbara!

Hope all is well, Barbara.

Have a great weekend and come and update us all as soon as you are able.

Hi Barbara my dear, i hope all is well with you and the family and that things are starting to get back to normal in Switzerland. We are both well and keeping busy although Karen is going back to work on Saturday after being Furloughed from work for ten weeks.

I hope that you have all had a good weekend and send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Hi Barbara, just stopping by and hoping all is well with you,

Hi Barbara! I hope things are going well for you and your family.

Hello dear friends
Thank you for keeping my thread. The last few months can actually be booked under 'crazy'. My family is doing well so far. We are all healthy.
I started teaching again on May 11th. For four weeks, the students came to class in half classes, i.e. 11 students came from 8.15am to 11am and the others from 1pm to 3.30pm. After a week it was exchanged so that the morning group came in the afternoon and the afternoon group in the morning. We had to remove some furniture from the room so that the distance of 2m could be maintained. Several times a day it was a matter of washing hands and disinfecting tables. We teachers wore plexiglass face shields. From tomorrow on, classes will start again with all students at the same time. Social distancing still applies, especially towards us adults and among us adults. How to do this with a full room is still a mystery to me.

I have read some books (see below), but I do not yet know whether I will come to write anything about these books.
I hope you are all well. I think it will be a long time before normality returns.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz (5 stars)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (4½ stars)
Todesfrist by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
Wash This Hand Clean from My Hand by Fred Vargas (4 stars)
The English Spy by Daniel Silva (4 stars)
Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry (4 stars)
The Devil's Claw by Lara Dearman (4½ stars)
Kälter als der Tod by Dario Correnti (4&frac12 stars)
Cambridge 5 by Hannah Cler (4 stars)
Bretonisches Leuchten by Jean-Luc Bannalec (4 stars)

Good to have you back - and with good books.
I wish you a wonderful Sunday.

Thinking of you Barbara! Glad you have been able to read despite the stress of restarting classes again.

Good luck with starting full classes. We don't know what will happen when our classes restart in August.

I loved Dominicana!

It's great to see you back, Barbara! I'm glad you enjoyed Dominicana. I've yet to read it, but I am interested in it.

Best of luck with your classes.

Nice to see you posting, Barbara.

Hope that the craziness is dissipating.

Dropping by to let you know you are missed here. xx

Hope you are ok, Barbara. Please come and update us all soon.

Hey Barbara!

Hope is all well with you. Quite a change in teaching these days. Makes it a lot more challenging. Here, schools are still closed with hope for re opening in the fall. It was strange to see drive by graduations.

The new way of teaching sounds exhausting, Barbara. I hope things are going well for you and that you will update us soon.

Thinking about you, Barbara, and hoping you're doing well.

Hi Barbara my dear, hope all is well with you and the family and we both send love and hugs to you all dear friend.

I have seen that Barbara has been active on FB so I know at least she is safe and sound.

Happy Sunday, Barbara.

This is good news, thank you Paul!
I wish you all the best, Barbara!

Dear everyone
Thank you so much for keeping my thread warm and thinking of me so firmly.
The past few months have been really crazy. Schools reopened on May 11th, but only for half-class classes, i.e. half came in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Since June 8th we are back in normal operation, i.e. Classes are held on a schedule, but parents are not allowed to approach the school. Parent contact took place virtually.
We still have classes this week, then the school year is over. Our summer vacation lasts five weeks and on August 17th we will start the new school year.
We teachers can pat ourselves on the back, because we have mastered homeschooling with our students (thanks also to the great support of the parents). The children all achieved the learning goal of this school year with flying colors.
Now it remains to be seen how the start will be after the holidays. There are 39 countries in which a quarantine clause predominates when people enter Switzerland. This also includes the Balkans, where most of our students come from. Let's see who stays here in Switzerland or who goes on vacation to their home country and then has to start the new school year with a quarantine.
Thomas and I will not go on vacation, but stay at home. We also need the rest urgently and hopefully I will finally have time to visit your threads to see what you have experienced and read in the past few months.
Love and hugs, you are all great
yours Barbara

So lovely to see you posting, Barbara! Glad to see that all is well (even though it has been really busy for you). Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing 5 weeks of summer vacation.

You deserve a relaxing vacation after all you have been through, Barbara. Have a good one!

I'm glad to see you back, Barb! Enjoy your rest, sounds like you really earned it.

So good to see you posting, Barbara.
After this tough time you really deserve some rest.

>94 Ameise1: These are stressful and challenging times, Barbara, but I am thankful for this little community of friends we have developed here. Thanks for updating us and take good care of yourselves.

>94 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. It was great to have an update from you. Glad all is well, despite the craziness.

Nice to see you, Barbara! I've seen you on Instagram, so I knew you were okay. Enjoy your time to relax. Take care.

Thanks for the update Barbara. Hope you have a relaxing break with your feet up.

This are the books wich I've read since the beginning of June:

#41 Die sieben Türen by Daniel Sánchez Pardos (4½ stars)
#42 Himmelsdiebe by Peter Prange (4 stars)
#43 Murder Swing by Andrew Cartmel (3½ stars)
#44 Mord an der Algarve by Carolina Conrad (4½ stars)
#45 Das korsische Begräbnis by Vitu Falconi (4½ stars)
#46 Korsische Gezeiten by Vitu Falconi (4½ stars)
#47 Der eiserne Sommer by Angelika Felenda (4 stars)
#48 Trophy by Steffen Jacobsen (4½ stars)

>95 lkernagh: >96 Familyhistorian: >97 mstrust: >98 FAMeulstee: >99 PaulCranswick: >100 msf59: >101 vancouverdeb: >102 charl08:
Hi Lori, Meg, Jennifer, Anita Paul, Mark, Deb and Charlotte, so now the school year is over. During the next three weeks I will plan for the coming school year and prepare a lot for the first week. During the last two weeks of my summer vacation, Thomas is also on vacation. We haven't made any plans yet. We will certainly stay in Switzerland and go on excursions depending on the weather.

Above, I wrote down the books that I have been reading since the beginning of June. I will write a review of the last one. I do not know if I have the time and desire to review all the books I have read.

book 48 Read in German

 Trophy

This is the first volume of the 'Michael Sander and Lene Jensen' series and I have already borrowed the next two volumes from my library so that I can continue reading with this team. I love Danish crime novels and this series is great.
Michael Sander is a very special investigator who only takes over cases through word of mouth. Lena Jensen is a criminal detective with a bite who gets to the bottom of things and doesn't let up.
A wealthy heiress asks Michael to review her late father's actions because she found a video that showed her father was 'hunting people'.
What is the whole story?
Michael soon realizes that there is a group that actually, people selected by them, are free to hunt. He also notices that various people from this secret society are killed. Lena examines these homicides and comes across Michael. Who belongs to the innermost circle of the secret society and what does Michael’s client actually know?
The plot is written very fast and captivating. I'm already looking forward to the other books.

Currently reading:

 Retribution

book 47 Read in German

 Der eiserne Sommer

This was an interesting read. It takes you back to the time when the WWI broke out. However, this event has only marginally something to do with the plot.
The story takes place in Munich, which is still a kingdom. Commissioner Reitmeyer has to clear up the death of a young man. At first it seems that he fell drunk and froze to death on the banks of the Isar. Reitmeyer doubts it. Thanks to an old childhood friend who is currently working in patology, he learns that this man was murdered. Soon there was a second dead man, who was also murdered. Reitmeyer begins to get to the bottom of the matter and realizes that it is about blackmail on a large scale. Photos of homosexual acts circulate among the officers of the royal bodyguard and the rich and aristocratic fathers are blackmailed.
Reitmeyer receives no support from his superiors, since the officers are a taboo subject and are only subordinate to the military, so that the civilian police may not carry out any investigations. Reitmeyer's team includes a young police inspector who is ahead of his time when it comes to investigations, supports Reitmeyer and puts himself in danger.
It was an exciting read.

book 45 ♫ Read in German

 Das korsische Begräbnis

I've always wanted to read a crime series set in Corsica, and the Eric Marchand series was a hit.
Eric Marchand lived in Paris as an author. Since he has a writer's block and had found documents from his late mother that they had their roots in Korika, Eric decides to look for his family roots.
Unsuspecting and rather naive, he asks himself through Corsica and quickly realizes that the population a) is a closed society towards strangers, b) the Corsican mafia still has that to say, and c) apparently he is also from a Corsican mafia family comes from. It quickly becomes clear that he is putting himself at the highest risk in his endeavor. He falls in love with a woman whose ex-husband is the son of a Corsican mafia boss. All of this makes it difficult for Eric to gain a foothold in Corsica.
A great thriller by recognizing the landscape, the food and the traditions of Corsica.

Currently listening:

 Das Ritual des Wassers

book 46 ♫ Read in German

 Korsische Gezeiten

After the Corsican ritual and honor had been served and Eric Marchand was finally able to live in supposed calm in Corsica, new adversity was soon at the door.
The legendary Roman ship that is said to have loaded the 'treasure of lava' is found on the Corsican coast. An international team of divers is said to recover the treasure on behalf of the French government. Laurine, Eric's Corsican girlfriend, should help actively. Eric, who doesn't like the water, wants to accompany her on her dive. Of course, the Corsican mafia family Santini wants to claim the treasure for themselves and is not afraid to pave the way there with corpses.
The second volume of this series was also very exciting. I hope to get the third volume as an audio book soon.

Happy Saturday, Barb. Have a great weekend.

Nice to see you posting, Barbara. xx

>111 msf59: >112 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Mark and Paul.

book 49 Read in German

 Retribution

Ok, I admit, this series has pulled my sleeve. I really can't stop it.
After getting to know the roles of Michael Sander and Lena Jensen in the first volume, you meet them at every turn in the second volume.
Lene's daughter has since started suicide. She can't get over it because she blames herself for her daughter. This also affects their work.
A year earlier, a terrorist attack was carried out in Tivoli. Over 1,000 people were killed.
It looks like another attack is planned. Lene, who is banished to a cubicle in the police station with a computer nerd, witnesses on the phone how a young woman is killed in the subway. She doesn't believe in suicide and investigates on her own. The fact that she is trodden on the feet of the Danish secret service does not prevent her investigation. Michael is in the same case and has to save Lene again and again, even if she is extremely smart.
I am slowly realizing that Jacobsen always takes an explosive topic from everyday life, that he cleverly processes in his thriller.
I can also highly recommend this book.

book 50 ♫ Read in German

 Das Ritual des Wassers

The second part of this trilogy is also great. It is packed with old Basque myths and rituals, but also with a tragic theme of pedophilia and Stockholm syndrome.
Unai (Kraken - Inspector Ayala) is still dumb after his head injury from the last case and is therefore still on sick leave. Wouldn't there have been a bizarre murder where a young woman, handcuffed and tied, was drowned upside down in a ritual kettle. It soon turns out that this is not the only murder and one childhood friend of Kraken after another is murdered in the same way. During his investigation, he comes across the youth camp he and his friends had visited in his past. Rebecca, the leader's daughter, now a respected history professor, wanted to tell him something at the time, only Kraken had no time to listen to her at the time. Does that take revenge now?
During his investigation, he finds that Rebecca was abused by her father and gave birth to a child. All current deaths are men who are or will be fathers. Is the life of Kraken's unborn child in danger too?
Again, this plot is great. It grabbed me from the start and made me guess until the end.

book 51 Read in German

 Lüge

The third book in the Michael Sander and Lene Jensen series is about oil fracking in Greenland.
The very rich Danish company boss Nobel absolutely wants to have the right to oil fracking in Greenland. He has important investors, including a Chinese company. The test bores look promising. When the chief geologist analyzed the last hole and traveled to Denmark with the data, he was murdered on the night of his arrival.
For Nobel, Michael Sander has to find the data that has disappeared since the murder. Meanwhile, Lene has to find out who and why the geologist was murdered. Her and Michael's paths cross again and again.
Lene soon realizes that a brutal killer squad will be launched on anyone who has anything to do with the data.
In addition to finding the data and his nemesis Dirk (head of the killer command), Michael has a very family problem. Since he divorced, he has lived with his sister, who keeps trying to kill herself.
Thanks to the help of her computer nerd, Lene gets closer to Nobel and puts herself in danger. As stubborn as she is, she always has to do everything on her own.

Currently reading:

 Lüge

Currently listening:

 Provenzalische Verwicklungen

Hi Barbara!

>94 Ameise1: I hope you and Thomas are getting the rest you need and are having a good weekend. I also hope the new school year prep goes smoothly when you start it, too.

In the meantime, yay for so much reading.

Hi, Barbara.

Congratulations on a successful school year under these exceptional circumstances. Our daughter did all her teaching via Zoom online once the pandemic hit. They're still not sure how school will work when the new year starts in August, but right now they've expecting it to be in person with masks, social distancing and other precautions. We'll see. We've done a terrible job reducing the pandemic's impact in the U.S., and numbers are rising again.

I'm glad to see that Dominicana was a 5 star hit with you. Debbi and I liked that one a lot, too. It looks like you're now getting some time to catch up on your reading.

It looks like your reading is taking you to exotic places even if you will need to stay close to home this summer, Barbara. It's difficult to stay home, I know. I find myself doing more family history research in far away places as a result.

>119 karenmarie: Karen, the first week of vacation, I was extremely tired and it now took me almost two weeks to recover to some extent. We'll see what we'll do in early August. It depends on the weather.

>120 jnwelch: Hi Joe, we are horrified to see here in Europe how the United States is dealing with the pandemic. At the beginning I often watched CNN and have to say that New York Governor Cuomo deserves my greatest respect. He acts like many Western European countries and it seems that he has this pandemic well under control in his area. That would still be someone as US President, what do you think?
We will start again after the holidays as before the holidays. Full occupation, social distancing (it doesn't work with the younger children, but we've got used to that now) and fingers crossed that no one brings the virus home from the holidays.
I hope that one day Becca will be able to teach 'normal' again.

>121 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, yes, reading is currently taking me to the place we wanted to visit this summer. At the beginning of February, we considered spending the summer in Denmark. Now I'm reading a very exciting crime series from there.
It's not very difficult for me to stay at home. We have a beautiful garden so I don't feel restricted. I am more worried that since the borders are open again, our corona cases are increasing again (not like in the USA). I just hope that all those who need to be quarantined will actually do so.

book 52 Read in German

 Hybris

This time the basic theme is 'designer baby'. While Michael is looking for a missing violinist, Lena has to clarify the death of a young woman. She soon finds out that the young woman was brought to Denmark from the Philippines as a surrogate mother. Of course, everything is illegal and much worse, the one who gave the order only wants a child that is absolutely perfect. He is a co-owner of a 'clinic' that only produces the child with the very best genes. Michael soon also comes across this clinic, so that he and Lene bring the case to an end. Not without background noise, because their marriage seems to be over.
Again, it is very exciting to write.

book 53 Read in German

 Blindes Eis

I neglected this series a bit, but it couldn't be more fitting in the current CoVid 19 era.
Ari and everyone in his village are in quarantine because of an Ebola case. Therefore, it is a little quieter at the police station and Ari can deal with an old case. An inhabitant came by with an old photograph, whereupon his parents, his mother's sister and a teenager can be seen. But he has no idea who this teenager is. Ari begins to 'dig'. With the help of a journalist, the pastor and an old midwife, they come closer and closer to the history of this family.
The journalist also researches a case of child abduction.
It is written again very exciting and Ari is becoming more and more settled in this village.

book 54 Read in German

 A Mask of Shadows

I love this investigator duo Frey and McGray.
A theater group that has already performed Macbeth in London comes to Edinburgh to perform the production there as well.
There was already an incident in London during the last screening. A 'banshee' uttered a terrible scream and blood threatens to die.
Already during the rehearsals there are deaths around the theater group and every time there is a new message.
Frey and McGray are running out of time. They grope in the dark for a long time. Can you prevent further murders?
It was an exciting read.

I called my father this morning who lives in Thailand. The day before yesterday he fell unhappily and broke his right wrist. He was operated on yesterday and sent us the X-rays, where we saw the plate and screws.
When I spoke to him, I found that he had survived the operation well, he only wails about too big pajamas and a terrible mattress in his hospital bed, which feels like lying on a cot. Ergo, I can assume he's fine since he wasn't talking about pain or anything.

Currently reading:

 Sühne

Hi Barbara my dear, i am a little behind on the threads and hope all is well with you, Thomas and the girls. I hope that you are having a good start to the weekend my dear, we are recovering from yesterdays trip out and all the walking we did, more of that on my thread.

I hope that you have a great weekend and send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

>128 johnsimpson: Hi John, thanks so much for stopping by. We are all well. Thomas and I will go on holiday vacation next Tuesday. I still need to bbok the hotel.
Love and hugs to you and Karen xx

book 55 ♫ Read in German

 Provenzalische Verwicklungen

This is the start of a new series for me that takes place in Provence. Just the right thing for summer.
One can call this book a cozy mystery, with a few murders, good food and also romance.
Pierre Durand, a former Parisian commissioner who now works as a simple policeman in a dreamy village in Provence, is called to a wine cellar because a body floats in the wine tank. A recipe (Coque au Vin) is attached to the tank. This comes from the hotel chef as she organizes cooking classes. Maybe she's the killer?
Dupin is attracted to the chef and even attends a cooking class with her. Even if he is far from being a born cook.
The secretary of the police station, a former mistress of Dupin, leaves the job overnight because she is moving in with a lawyer who promises her a luxury life.
Further murders were carried out during the investigation, each time the body was draped or murdered in such a way that it fit a menu recipe.
Who is behind the whole thing? Are Dupin's women now in danger?

book 56 Read in German

 Sühne

The fifth case of the team Michael Sander and Lena Jensen is also highly explosive. This time it's about the pharmaceutical industry, more specifically a drug that can fix a deadly worm infection in Africa and is a cure for diabetes patients as it can make diabetes go away.
It is obvious that the pharmaceutical giants do not want this, of course. During the investigation, not only a pharma boss dies, but also a good friend of Michael. He also has to find out that his mentor is turning away from him.
It was exciting from the first to the last page and I hope Steffen Jacobsen is already writing to continue this series.

book 57 Read in German

 Zara und Zoë - Rache in Marseille: Thriller

This is a gripping thriller set in Marseille. A young woman is found stabbed several times on a rock in the Calanque. The profiler Zara, who works at Europol, is called on this case with a colleague. Her colleague has no idea that Zara grew up in Marseille and knows the situation there very well. Neither does he know that Zara's twin sister Zoë is firmly anchored in the Marseille drug network and is a big number there.
During the investigation, Zara quickly finds that a large part of the Marseilles police force has been bought by the various underground organizations. So she asks Zoë to find the culprits in her own way.
This story is not only about drugs, but also about right-wing populism, which is rampant.

book 58 Read in German

 Château Mort

This book can confidently be described as a cozy mystery. There is a dead man who was deliberately killed because of money, but a lot is about wine and good food and the romance shouldn't be missing either.
Commissioner Luc Verlain, who actually works in the Paris homicide squad and was only loaned to Bordeaux because he wants to look after his sick father, has to deal with old companions who appear suspicious. The cause of death of the dead is almost undetectable. Is it the perfect murder?

book 59 Read in German

 Unquiet Ghosts

This was a very gripping reading.
Eight years ago, Kathy Kelly lost her husband Jack and two children to a plane crash. Now the plane is found, but there are no other bodies apart from the pilot's bones. Did Jack and her children survive?
She has to go through hell again emotionally with all the secret services in the neck.
History jumps from today back to the past and back to today. It shows Kathy's family life, which has been shaped by the military since childhood. Not only was her father a senior military officer, so was her husband Jack and her brother. It tells about post-traumatic disorders about the returnees after an Iraq mission, but also about illegal machinations by the Gulf War veterans.
Will Kathy be able to hold her loved one in her arms again?

Currently reading:

 Letzte Spur Algarve

Currently listening:

 Dark Saturday

Thanks for the updates, Barbara. Good to see you having time to get round the threads again. xx

Have a lovely Sunday.

Best wishes to your father, Barbara - and to you a wonderful Sunday.

>137 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul.

>138 SirThomas: thanks so much, Thomas. He feels much better by now.

book 60 Read in German

 Letzte Spur Algarve

The second volume of the Anabela Silva series was also a great pleasure to read.
Anabela now lives in Portugal again so that she is closer to her father who has Alzheimer's. She is still looking for her cousin, who was given away as an infant.
Not far from where she lives, a woman is killed in a farmstead by the stroke of a horse. Commissioner João Almeida investigated. He is convinced that it was not an accident, but the prosecutor wants to close the case as an accident.
The dead woman, it seems, has something to do with animal rights activists. So Almeida Arabela asks to have a look around the shelter. Arabela wants Ameida to help her find her cousin in return.
Arabela would not be Arabela if she does not start her own investigation in the animal shelter and the surrounding area. This puts her in danger.

Currently reading:

 Das Porzellanmädchen

Thomas and I will travel to Grindelwald for a week from next Tuesday. In addition to relaxation in a wellness hotel, the goal is to take a hike in the mountains every day and to finally get to the Jungfraujoch in fine weather.

>143 EllaTim: Going to Grindelwald! Have fun Barbara. This is some kind of a mythical place to me;-) as Marc has spent a holiday there years and years ago, and keeps talking about how nice it was. So I'm hoping for some pictures.
Glad you have time for some vacation, you have deserved it, I think.

Have a great vacation, Barbara!

Have a good time in Grindewald, Barbara!

Hi Barbara my dear, it looks nice and you seem to be having a good time dear friend.

Stopping by to wish you a happy break in Grindewald, Barbara.

>143 EllaTim: >144 ronincats: >145 FAMeulstee: >146 johnsimpson: >147 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much Ella, Roni, Anita, John and Paul, we spent a dream week in Grindelwald. In the next posts I will show photos from the past few days.

When we arrived last Tuesday, it was pouring rain. Driving a car was therefore not so pleasant. But we were warmly welcomed in the hotel and moved into our room, which looks directly at the Eiger. You can also see the lower Grindelwald Glacier, or what is left of it. A little over 100 years ago, it came to the village.

 

On Wednesday morning we were rewarded with a great view. After breakfast we went to the Männlichen. Our hike led from there to the Kleine Scheidegg. We enjoyed a great view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

          

On Thursday our hike led from Grosse Scheidegg over alpine meadows to Schreckfeld. We enjoyed the beautiful view and the different plants and animals.

             

On Friday we were on the Jungfraujoch 'Top of Europe'. In addition to the fact that we enjoyed a great view, it made us very sad to see how climate change is damaging the glacier ridge enormously. The Jungfraujoch is the 'birth place' of the Aletsch Glacier. We were up in the morning, but the glacier firn was already muddy. If this continues with global warming, then this paradise will also disappear.

        

On Saturday morning we went to buy various alpine cheeses from the farmers' wives. Since it was too late for a day's hike, we went to Grindelwald First with newspapers and books. We enjoyed the view and watched the paragliders while reading.

    

The lovely fresh air! I am green with envy.

On Sunday the hike took us from Grindelwald First to Bachsse and on to the Waldspitz. It was a great hike over alpine paths with beautiful views, different animals and a high moor landscape.

      

Since thunderstorms were announced today, we decided not to go to a summit and go on a high-alpine hike. For this we went into the glacier gorge.

          

Blue hour from our balcony.

 

>154 PaulCranswick: LOL, Paul, if I sent you some, it would be stale until it gets to you.

Spectacular photos! Glad you're having a good time, and I hope you get all the cheese you want.

Beautiful pictures, Barbara. Thank you for posting them. Enjoy your break!

Beautiful pictures, love the landscape!

Will you be staying for a couple of days more?

>159 mstrust: Jennifer, we got all the cheeses we wanted 😍

>160 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. We had a gorgeous time here.

>161 EllaTim: Isn't it beautiful, Ella? Unfortunately we are heading home tomorrow.

What fabulous photos, Barbara!

>163 CDVicarage: Thanks so much, Kerry.

Simply beautiful, Barbara. Thank you for sharing.

Looks like a lovely holiday, Barbara. I'm enjoying your photos!

What remarkable places to see, Barbara. Thanks for sharing the photos!

Hi Barbara!

Wonderful photos - I particularly liked the cows sitting near the bench and #6 and #10 in >155 Ameise1:.

I hope you are refreshed from your holiday and doing well.

Wonderful photos, Barbara, thank you for sharing them.
I wish you a wonderful weekend.

great pictures, thanks Barbara

wish you a quiet weekend

Hi Barbara, stopping by to get caught up and loving the fabulous mountain pictures from your vacation! It is very sad how climate change is eroding glacier ridges.

Thanks for the pictures. Quite beautiful

Hope you have been having a great weekend, Barbara.

Hello everyone, nice that you liked my photos.
The new school year started two and a half weeks ago and I have a lot to do professionally. Fortunately, we were able to start with all the students and nobody had to go into quarantine. Touch wood that it will stay that way.
At home, the renovation began in our house. The windows have been exchanged during the last week. All are finished except for a huge panorama window, which still has to be grouted on the outside. The blind builder can come next week to adapt the blinds to the new conditions. We also had a new front door installed. With the windows and the new front door, we are now at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to thermal insulation. In February we will next install an air-heat pump as a heater, so that we are then up to date with the latest CO2 reduction and we are no longer dependent on fossil heating oil.

I know I'm not on LT very often. With all professional and private activities I have to decide what to do with my scant free time (reading or chatting). I can relax better with reading. But I think of you very often.

I've read these books since the last time I posted

Dark Saturday by Nicci French (4½ stars)
Das Porzellanmädchen by Max Bentow (3½ stars)
The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea by Mark Douglas-Home (4 stars)
All This I Will Give To You by Dolores Redondo (5 stars)
Beneath The Mountain by Luca D'Andrea (4½ stars)
Sanctuary by Luca D'Andrea (4½ stars)
Die unbekannte Dritte by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)
Die Kälte des Herzens by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)

Yesterday my daughter Isabelle came to dinner and brought me this pile of books.

>175 Ameise1: Good luck with your renovation work, that sounds very good.
I am completely with you, Barbara - reading is the the most important thing.
>177 Ameise1: Have fun with the stack of books - it looks very worth reading.

>175 Ameise1: Good to read all is going well at work, Barbara.
That is a lot of renovation, very good to reduce CO2.

Missing you, but completely understand reading is more important!

>178 SirThomas: >179 FAMeulstee: thanks so much Thomas and Anita. Yes, our household is actually well on the way to being almost CO2 neutral soon. For years now, the electricity we need has come from renewable energy such as solar, wind and water energy. When we have installed the new heating system, we no longer need fossil fuels. For our car (hybrid) we need around 200 liters of petrol every year. We don't have an air conditioning system, which is something that is frowned upon here in Switzerland. All in all, we will soon be carbon neutral.

>180 Ameise1: Wow, that's wonderful, Barbara. We are very far from that, but hope to make changes in the future. Wind power seems to be increasingly accessible here, which is positive.

>180 Ameise1: That's great, Barbara! Important to try and reduce one's footprint. We rent our apartment, it has been insulated some years ago, but apart from that we can't do much. The roof would be excellent for solar panels but unfortunately they are not allowed. I do use wind power, but for heating gas is the only option.

>180 Ameise1: Impressive, Barbara. Switzerland is good in having its environmental principles but I think they would waive the air-conditioning frowns if the climate was like Malaysia!

Have a great Sunday.

>180 Ameise1: - A CO2 neutral home, that is impressive, Barbara!

Hope you are having a restful weekend, Barbara

Charlotte, Ella, Paul and Lori, thanks so much for stopping by.
The new windows are installed. The painter came by and will now make an offer for the different rooms that we, not all at once, have him paint. The vestibule is made on October 12th. Since this room now has a large panorama window, we will completely redesign it. It should then be our 'breakfast room / coffee room'. Thomas will be laying a new floor and we will be buying new furniture for this room.

These are the books I read in September.

Das Fest der Taube by Alexandra von Grote (4 stars)
The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
Todesurteil by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
Stimmen der Toten by Elisabeth Herrmann (4 stars)
A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)

Currently reading:

 The Purity Of Vengeance

Currently listening:

 The Mephisto Club

Hi Barbara!

I hope the remodeling work is coming along. How is school going?

>188 Ameise1: Adler-Olsen's series can be confusing with the different Europe and North American titles. I have to be so careful not to read both as we get both versions in Malaysia.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>190 karenmarie: Karen, the vestibule is ready, i.e. One foot is still missing from an armchair, which the furniture company still has to send us. Unfortunately we are far from finished with our renovation. Today we're clearing our living room because the painter is coming tomorrow. We will not be able to use this room until Wednesday. Then we have to give everything again.
Classes will start again tomorrow after the autumn vacation. Until now we only had to wear masks in the classroom if we couldn't keep the distance of 1.5m. But since the Covid19 cases in Switzerland are increasing so tragically (2nd wave), we have to wear masks non-stop from tomorrow, ergo also in the school building. Our government will inform us in a good hour how things are going. I think that there will be very drastic measures again.

 

>191 PaulCranswick: Paul, since I read Jussi Adler-Olsen's books in German, I have no problems with the order. I can also 'google' the order. I didn't know there was a problem with the English versions. I definitely love this series.
I wish you a nice Sunday too.

What I've read so far in Octobre

The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi-Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
The Marco Effect by Jussi-Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)
Prague Nights by Benjamin Black (4 stars)
The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen (4½ stars)
The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4½ stars)

Currently reading

 Todesmärchen

Currently listening

 Bones Are Forever

Happy Sunday, Barb. I have not been by in awhile, but I hope you and the family are doing well. I also really enjoyed the Department Q series but stopped around book 5. I felt like that was enough.

>192 Ameise1: Hi Barbara! I see your vestibule has a travel theme! Nice. A great place to do some travel reading.

I am sorry your Covid cases are going up so much. Having to wear a mask all day does sound difficult, but necessary I guess. I hope your government will be able to find the right measures. Here in Holland there is a partial lockdown, with pubs and restaurants closed, as the main measure. But we have to wait to see if it will be enough.

I love the signs in your new renovated space.

I was disappointed by Prague Nights - hope it was a better read for you.

Dear Barbara, I saw on Beth's thread that you start back to school tomorrow. I wish you courage and patience and continuing good health with a lot of energy! This is such a scary time.
Thank you for the gorgeous pictures from your Alpine vacation. Glorious!
You are a wonderful reader! The only author I've read among your huge list is Nikki French. Now that I've finished her/their F. Klein books, I'm not inclined to start others - too much else to read.
Oh that window in your vestibule!!!!! Enjoy! Enjoy!
(Look at the number of !s you inspired!)

Good luck with your return to school, Barbara.

Hi Barbara my dear, i see that your decorating is coming on apace and just love the vestibule, i would spend a lot of time there.

I hope that all is well with you, Thomas and the girls my dear and that you are having a good weekend. We are both fine apart from Karen having a fall at work and i need surgery as i have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on my right hand and wrist. We have some good news in that Amy and Andy are expecting their first child at the end of April 2021, they are over the moon as are we and Karen has already got the knitting needles out.

Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Hope all is well with you, Barbara.

Haven't seen you around for a few weeks, Barbara.

Trust that you'll be along soon and update us.

Hi Barbara my dear, hope all is well with you and the family and that you are all having a good weekend, dear friend.

Hi Barbara!

Another well wisher here - I hope you and your family are all doing well and that school is going well.

((((((HUGS)))))) to Barbara.

Hope you can take the time to have a wonderful weekend.

Hi Barbara! Of course, It's U.S Thanksgiving today and a great time for me to tell those outside our borders how thankful I am to have you as an LT and FB buddy.
Have a nice Thursday :0)

Another fan missing you here. Hope all is well. : )

Your remodeling work sound marvelous, if a headache to live through. Hope the school year is going well.

Wishing you a great holiday!

... and here's to a better 2021!

Merry Christmas Barbara!

Merry Christmas, to you and your family, Barb. We sure miss seeing you around.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a peaceful time, remain healthy and full of hope.
I took this picture 2 years ago when we were on our pre-Christmas vacation.
Last year there was no snow, this year we were not allowed to go. Therefore, we revel in fond memories and look forward to next year.

Wishing you and yours a lovely holiday season and a joyous 2021!

Hi Barbara. Wishing you peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Barbara--Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May 2021 bring you less need for masks, loads of peace and joy, good health and, of course, books!

I hope you get some of those at least, Barbara, as we look forward to a better 2021.

Dear all, thank you very much for your Christmas wishes. I also wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

The past year has not been easy for anyone. Many have lost a loved one or got sick themselves and struggled to get well again.
This year was difficult for me, as well as for many others. It was not only a professional challenge, there was also a lot going on for us privately.
Fortunately, I always found time to read a little, but unfortunately I was unable to maintain social contact on LT. I hope the coming year will be better.
I've been sick since the beginning of December. I was tested for COVID-19 and it was negative. Unfortunately, I have all the symptoms that this disease brings with it. It started with a severe headache, flickering eyes and pain in the lungs. During the past three weeks I have been tested and monitored very often. I had various drug treatments that I had to stop repeatedly because they didn't have the desired effect. Now it seems that I am slowly getting better with a very strong cortisone therapy.
Take care of yourself and stay healthy.

Here's an update from the books I've read in the past two months:

Todesmärchen by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
Todesreigen by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs (4 stars)
Midwinter Of The Spirit by Phil Rickman (4 stars)
Provenzalische Geheimnisse by Sophie Bonnet (4 stars)
#85 A Crown Of Lights by Phil Rickman (4 stars)

>224 Ameise1: So sorry to read you are sick, Barbara, I hope the cortisone treatment will continue to help you.
Take care! (((hugs)))

I, too, am sorry to hear that you've been so sick, Barbara. I hope you are better soon.

>226 FAMeulstee: >227 karenmarie: Thanks so much Anita and Karen for the well wishes. Today it'ss a bit better. There is hope that I'll feel much better within the upcoming week, so I can finaly go back to scholl on the 4th of January.

>224 Ameise1: Sorry to hear that, Barbara! My best wishes for your health, and take it easy. I'm sure you have deserved it.

>229 EllaTim: Thank you very much Ella, I haven't suffered from shortness of breath for two days, that's worth a lot. That's what scared me the most in the past few weeks. So I couldn't sleep much either. My lungs (oxygen levels and breathing) were checked regularly. I think the cortisone cure will help.

Hi Barbara my dear, sorry to hear you have been so sick during December, i do hope that the Cortisone Treatment will do the trick and restore you to full health. Sending love and hugs to you and the family from both of us dear friend.

Barbara--So sorry to hear you haven't been well! Hope the cortisone continues to work and that breathing becomes easier. Dang. Big hugs.

Happy New Year Barbara, Thomas, Isabelle and Marina.

>231 johnsimpson: >233 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. It's getting a little better every day. I will be back at school on January 4th.
We wish you, Karen, your children and grandchildren a Happy New Year too.

>232 Berly: Thank you Kim. The virtual hug is very welcome.

Best wishes for your continuing climb toward health, Barbara. (((((Barbara)))))

Barbara

As the year turns, friendship continues

>235 ronincats: Thanks so much, Roni. After all of the drug cocktails I had to take, my gastrointestinal tract suffered. But I will get this under control at some point.

>236 PaulCranswick: Oh yes, so true. Thanks so much, Paul.

So, I've read 85 books in this crazy year. Now it is definitely time to move into 2021.
You can find my thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327888