Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2021 - Part 3

Woody & Alys pose in front of the dining room fireplace | Alys keeps watch



Midnight, Aug 2002-Apr 2021



Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, late 50s, retired. My husband Chris and I just moved from Philadelphia to northern Virginia. Our daughters, Kate and Julia, live in Brooklyn. 2021 is my thirteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Where has the time gone?!

Reading has always been an important part of my life, but it saved my sanity in 2020. I made a nice dent in the tbrs on my shelves, but also. read a fair amount of contemporary, recently-published stuff. More of the same this year, I think, along with a group read now and then. And of course I’ll keep plugging away at various series, and stay current with new series releases.

Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and have a knitting thread in the Needlearts group; stop in and say hi sometime!

My 2021 threads can be found here:
Part 1 (books 1-6) | Part 2 (books 7-16)

Books completed
April
17. Why Mermaids Sing - my comments here
18. Driftless - my comments here
19. Only Killers and Thieves - my comments here
20. Darktown - my comments here

Series Progress

Active series as of April 1:

A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2021:
* tbd

Series started in 2021:
* Harbinder Kaur, by Elly Griffiths

Series abandoned in 2021:
* tbd

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Toni Morrison Catch Up Project
Inspired by a course I took last year, I started a project to read (or re-read) all of Toni Morrison’s novels in order of publication. Below is a list of Morrison’s novels, with those I have yet to read in bold. Some of these will be re-reads.

The Bluest Eye, 1970 (read June 2020)
Sula, 1973 (read July 2020)
Song of Solomon, 1977 (read August 2020)
Tar Baby, 1981 (read October 2020)
Beloved, 1987 (read Jan 2020, this was a re-read)
Jazz, 1992 (read January 2021)
Paradise, 1997 (read February 2021)
Love, 2003 (read March 2021)
A Mercy, 2008 (read in 2009)
Home, 2012
God Help the Child, 2015

Currently reading and on deck:



Darktown

Can it be my turn? Open for visitors? If so, hello.

Hello Bill! Yes, you're first! Welcome.

Happy new thread and happy new home, Laura! I love the pics of the dogs and the little glimpses they give of the house 🙂

Happy new thread!

I hope your moving in goes as smoothly as it seems your moving out has gone.

Happy new thread, Laura. Like Katie, I like the glimpses of the new house. Good luck. I hope the move goes well. And that you soon have internet!

Happy new thread, Laura, and happy new house!

Happy New Thread, Laura! Happy New Digs! Love the Woody & Alys topper. Good luck unpacking.

Happy new thread, Laura.

>1 lauralkeet: Lovely pictures of Woody and Alys, that is a perfect watching spot.

I missed a lot, I think. What prompted the move from Philly to Northern VA? Trying to get further from Brooklyn? (Yuck yuck yuck.)

Happy new thread, Laura.

Happy new thread and happy new home, Laura!! Love the photos.

Happy new thread!

Oh wow, love the sneak peeks of the new home Laura. Good luck with everything.

Hello all! We spent today puttering around the new place. I tackled some garden cleanup in between light rain showers, while Chris started putting a coat of primer on the living room walls. I was also able to do a curbside pickup grocery order, about which I'm feeling very smug and accomplished. We can't cook yet but once the kitchen is unpacked (including pantry items), we'll be ready to go. Tonight we ordered barbecue from a local place (again, curbside pickup). Chris had chicken with baked beans, I had pulled pork with vinegar slaw, and we shared banana pudding for dessert. We will definitely go back.

>12 weird_O: to answer Bill's question, and for anyone else who hasn't been riveted to our relocation saga (HA!), here's the background on our move ...

Last fall, Chris and I started talking about finding a vacation home that would allow us to occasionally escape the city and connect with nature. Our search led us to parts of Virginia near the Blue Ridge mountains. We found a lovely property, an historic 18th-century stone farmhouse, which is definitely not a vacation home and is best lived in year-round. We made an offer in mid-January, listed our Philly home in early February, and luckily the timing of both transactions worked out pretty well.

Tonight we're relaxing at our VRBO place and I'm catching up on LT.

Nice! I’m glad the move is going well!

Laura, you're here! Umm, there... well, in the new location and here on LT. I'm excited for you. I love that you have this place in a rural area. And so historic.

>3 lauralkeet: I'm also looking forward to your continuing to comment on the St. Cyr series (CS Harris). I'm on a hold list for What the Devil Knows, which I discovered that Lori (lkernagh) had from Net Gallery, the lucky gal! I didn't read her review cause I want to be *surprised* when I finally get my hands on it.

Congratulations on the successful move! Woot!

Morning, Laura! Your dinner sounds wonderful (banana pudding, even! I love that stuff!). I'm so glad the move seems to be going so smoothly for you!

One of my favorite parts of moving is trying out new restaurants :)

Happy new thread, Laura, and happy new home! I love the pictures of Woody and Alys.

>17 lauralkeet: Thanks for filling me in on your transition. Looks like a lovely place in the two photos you've posted so far.

So glad to hear you've already had a day of starting to nest. If I remember correctly your movers arrive tomorrow or Saturday and then you can really settle in. Happy new home!!

Everything was unloaded yesterday, and we worked well into the evening getting our bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen in some state of order. Thai for dinner, another good find.

We have a lot of unpacking ahead of us and I’ll probably be scarce around here for a bit. But all is well !

Happy New House! And finding good takeout is always nice.

Happy Friday, Laura. Glad to hear things are moving along. Good luck with the unpacking and please get those feeders up. Grins...

Have fun with the nesting in your new house, Laura. Always fun finding the perfect place for things. Never mind having a great excuse to sort books. :D

Indeed! Happy nesting and can't wait for more photos!

Happy Easter weekend, too, Laura. Maybe those wild turkeys will lay eggs you can snick for a huge omelette on Sunday!

Happy new thread and happy new home!

Cherry trees blooming in our front yard

Hello everyone, and happy Easter to those who celebrate. We are by no means fully unpacked but I hooked up our internet yesterday so I think it's safe to say I'm back!

I spent all day Friday unpacking and organizing the kitchen. Several boxes were delivered to the kitchen, but others were left in different rooms, which became apparent when I had unpacked all the kitchen boxes and still hadn't found our dishes. There's one more large box left to unpack, hopefully today. We have more pantry and cabinet space, which I'm quite pleased with, and I ordered a few organizing things to make better use of the space. This included alphabetizing my spices; we'll see how long that lasts!

Saturday I spent a bit more time on the kitchen, as well as the master bedroom. Our bed and nightstands are set up and I finally found the clothes that belong in my dresser. But I'm mostly still wearing the stuff I packed for this week, and tomorrow I need to track down the box with the rest of my "everyday" clothes. Wouldn't you know, I found the "dressy" clothes and the "summer" clothes first?!

The "public" areas of the house are still a mess. Chris is painting the living room, so we've put the living room furniture and boxes in the dining room and family/TV room. There's a disassembled sofa in the TV room, but too much other stuff in there at the moment to be able to set it up! We're making progress, though, so I'm sure we'll get there. There will be stuff we don't know what to do with right now, but fortunately we can schlep it upstairs out of sight.

Yesterday we went to the weekly farmer's market, which is rather small at the moment but I think will have more vendors as the produce season kicks in. Nevertheless, we bought apples & potatoes from one stall and meat and eggs from another. The latter farm is located just down the road from us, and we can shop there during the week as well. Nice! We also visited the library branch to get our cards (we registered online but needed to stop in to complete the process). It looks like a really nice place, so I'm excited to make frequent use of it.

And then there are the birds. Our breakfast room looks out on a garden and we're in the process of getting bird feeders set up. But even with a minimal setup, we've already seen several different bird species: blue jay, mourning dove, hermit thrush, northern cardinal, brown thrasher, white-throated sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, and dark-eyed junco (yes, I'm keeping a list!). We think a mourning dove is building a nest. It's made repeated trips to forage and bring bits of nesting materials back to a tree. There was a load of activity from about 7-8:30am, and it's just gone quiet.

Today I need to find and unpack several boxes:
* that last box of kitchen stuff
* the lamps that go on our nightstands so it's easier to read at night
* My everyday clothes
* Coats suitable for wet spring weather (April showers and all that).
* Sheets, towels, and other linens.

Dinner will be roast chicken with potatoes and green beans, a regular "weekend" dish for us. I use Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken recipe.

Wow, Laura, thanks for the wonderful update.

I'm happy for you.

"And then there are the birds." Music to my ears.

Happy Easter, Laura. It sounds like you both have your hands full with the new house. Good luck, my friend. I love your bird list and I am quite impressed, you were able to identify the white-throated sparrow, the hermit thrush and the thrasher. I have not seen the latter two, yet this year but I should soon. I love those thrashers too. Their large size and long tails come in handy for ID purposes. We have been seeing lots of juncos out back too, as they are fattening up for their trip north.

Sounds great!

Laura, sounds like things are going really well with the new house, hurrah! There will always be boxes that end up in the wrong place when you move - that's just part of the process. They generally turn up after a while.
Wonderful news about the farmer down the road. I'd love to have such easy access.
And the birds! Bird lovers' paradise.

Good morning! Your move sounds like it’s going great - library and farmer’s market.
When my parents moved, the remote control for the tv got thrown in some random box at the end. Thus my father unpacked many more boxes than expected as he hunted for the remote, lol.

I’m wondering if you’ve read The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman? I just started it so I can’t speak to its overall quality, but the beginning has really grabbed me.

Wow! Sounds like you are making excellent progress. We still have boxes that haven't been unpacked since our move a year and a half ago.... *sigh*

Happy to hear you're settling in. How lucky that your farmer's market has already started. Ours won't start outside until the end of this month so I'm still ordering online and just doing a pick-up. Although I did snag some basil plants yesterday. Too early to plant outside, but I'll give one to each of my sisters for Easter.

It sounds as though things are going well. The last time we moved the removal men were too efficient for me and had packed my shoe rack before I was ready, meaning I had to travel to our new house and spend the next three days wearing my slippers. Fortunately I did not have fluffy ones but substantial mules/clogs style. We shall be moving again within the next year as my husband will retire next February and we shall have to leave our tied house so I'm interested in anyone's moving experiences at the moment!

Hi Laura.
Everhything sounds so peachy. I'm envious all over again. I *so* want to move to a place that has *actual-really-and-true* spring. Love the birding list and the photo of your blossoming (plum ? cherry?) trees.

Helllooooo Karen, Mark, Jim, Paws, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Katie, Betty, Kerry, and Sandy!

>38 raidergirl3:, >42 CDVicarage: I love the move stories about remotes and slippers!

>39 japaul22: I haven't read that book, Jennifer. I'll keep an eye on your thread to see what you ultimately think of it.

>40 katiekrug: We still have boxes that haven't been unpacked Oh yeah, this will happen. I'm sure of it.

>37 PawsforThought:, >41 dudes22: The farmers market is open year-round, apparently, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it changes with the seasons. There are also several CSA options (community-supported agriculture), and I've signed up for one that begins at the end of May. I'll pick up a box of produce from the farm each week.

>43 SandyAMcPherson: They're cherry trees, Sandy, and are very common in these parts. Washington DC has an annual Cherry Blossom Festival that's kind of a "big deal" for tourists (at least it was, in the before times). I'm happy to have a few trees of our own -- all blossoms, no crowds!

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After a cold snap earlier in the week, today is warm and sunny, and temperatures are supposed to get increasingly warmer over the next few days. So we've decided to take advantage of the nice weather and grill farmers market bratwurst for dinner. I'll roast the chicken tomorrow. I had to go to the store for buns and some other essentials, and a variety pack of citrus TRULY hard seltzer fell into my cart. Very refreshing on a warm day, and after all we've been working soooo hard.

Speaking of which, I'd better get back to it.

>43 SandyAMcPherson: I'd better get back to it
The Hard seltzer?

It sounds like you are making great progress! And you have your priorities right! Good luck with the rest of your unpacking. I can't wait to see more pictures.

Glad that your move is going well, Laura!

>45 SandyAMcPherson: ha ha ha good one, Sandy! I managed to hold off until early evening before enjoying a cold one.

>48 lauralkeet:, >49 scaifea: Thanks Beth and Rhian.

It may be a while before I post any photos, at least of the inside of the house. But I promise you that I will!

Oh, those trees in your new yard are lovely! And congrats on the great start you seem to have on settling in!

>49 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

It was a productive day. I managed everything on my list (>33 lauralkeet:) except finding the coats suitable for wet spring weather. I opened a number of vaguely-labeled boxes and found many nice things, but not the coats. I suspect they are in the basement, because the coats were hanging in the garage and pretty much everything in the garage was delivered to the basement. I have not even set foot down there yet, but my source (aka Chris) tells me it is chock-a-block. It is not a large space, but there are definitely things down there that we need to find and bring upstairs. That's a project for another day.

The grilled brats made an excellent dinner, served on brioche buns with a nice spicy mustard and chased down with a TRULY.

In other news, Chris found one of our TVs and set it up. It's not the TV we ultimately want in our Family/TV Room, and it's not even set up in the TV Room itself (because: too many boxes), but at least we have the option of mindless television after a hard day's work.

Wonderful to hear about your progress Laura.

>51 brenzi: thanks Bonnie!

Why aren't you reading anything? *ducks and runs to the basement where Laura won't go*

I too am anxious to see some house photos. So get on that, will you. Sounds like you are enjoying your new home. Good!

>33 lauralkeet: I am seriously impressed. You've had your "stuff" for, what?, 3 days in and that was the whole list? And you were able to cook an actual dinner? and the WiFi was up and running? Good job!!

>53 laytonwoman3rd: umm .... I'm reading at bedtime! Currently stuck into my third mystery in a row, Why Mermaids Sing, 3rd in the Sebastian St Cyr series set in Regency England. After this I'll be ready to leave the mystery genre for a bit.

I also requested three books from the library. Squeee!

>54 weird_O: Bill, I posted exterior photos on my previous thread and I am more than happy to repost here. Will do so in my next post.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Oh no Reba, that's not my entire list, that was just my list for YESTERDAY. I'm not that efficient!

The house was originally built by a Pennsylvania Quaker, and the original section (first photo) dates to 1791. The second photo is a 1970s addition. It extends behind the vine-covered part of the front, forming an L-shape. The entrance to the 1970s addition is the one we’ll use day-to-day; it leads into a sort of foyer/small sitting room. The current owners remodeled the kitchen and it’s very nice.

To add to what I posted before ...

There’s a terrace off the back, with a garden. The breakfast room looks out onto this space, which is where we've seen all the birds so far. This photo is from the real estate listing:


And here are the floor plans. On the main level, the side entrance (1970s addition) enters into the "Keeping Room". The gray/light brown areas represent an addition by the previous owners. They moved the kitchen from its original location to create a home office, which will be our Family/TV Room. There are steps leading up from the Keeping Room to the "loft," which initially is "the room where we put everything we don't know what to do with," but will likely become a place to store crafting things. Note that this section is not connected to the other part of the upstairs, which is accessed via a curved staircase in the dining room! There are two bedrooms up there, which we will use as guest rooms.

>57 lauralkeet: Umm - what’s a ‘keeping room’?

>57 lauralkeet: I love looking at floor plans! This is so cool, thanks for sharing.
A keeping room sounds vague. Kind of a foyer/mud room/entrance? But I love the phrase!

Wow! Lovely house, Laura. Thanks for reposting the photos.

>58 SandDune:, >59 raidergirl3: The Google displays many definitions of "keeping room," most of which say it is a multipurpose room adjacent to the kitchen. Label was applied in the colonial days. Could be what we call the family room.

>58 SandDune:, >59 raidergirl3:, >60 weird_O: I had never heard the term "keeping room" until I saw those floor plans. All of my knowledge has come from Google, so I have the same understanding as Bill. I would not be surprised to learn the term was used to "tart up" the property listing with historic/colonial language.

In this house the side entrance leads directly into the Keeping Room, so it is a bit like a foyer. It is indeed adjacent to the kitchen, as Google says, and also adjacent to the master bedroom and the family/TV room (formerly home office). The previous owners furnished it as a sort of sitting room, smaller and cozier than the living room. We will probably do something similar, especially since we are planning for the living room to be a library.

Lovely to see the pictures and floor plan. As for the boxes, I recall that when my folks moved from their last detached house to their townhouse in New Jersey, my father decided that any boxes that had been moved from the previous house to the current house without being opened would be taken directly to the Salvation Army. I see this in your future!

Morning, Laura. I love the updates, the house photos and the floor plans. That yard looks awesome and should be very birdy. We should be getting ready to put out our hummingbird & oriole feeders. I probably will do this next week sometime.

Looking forward to hearing your feeder reports.

>62 ffortsa: Two moves ago, we had boxes that sat in the basement unopened for over a year, and eventually we made the same decision as your father. When we moved to Philly our daughter Julia helped us unpack, and she started a box labeled "Check this s**t", to be reviewed a year later. I think we rescued one thing from that box.

>63 msf59: Hey Mark, here's a feeder update!

We've set out three feeders which I hope are squirrel resistant: a caged tube feeder for small birds, a "Perky Pet Feeder Home with Chimney," and a Droll Yankee Whipper. We also put up a suet feeder. They haven't been up long and it always takes birds a while to start visiting. Meanwhile we're seeing plenty of activity on the ground and in the trees.

Yesterday we took a break from packing and spent the day outdoors. We visited a local nursery to buy herbs and a few plants for the terrace garden. The plants went into the ground and the herbs into large tubs. We also did some garden cleanup. The previous owners had kind of stopped tending to the outdoors (due to aging/health, I believe), so there are a lot of leaves and branches to clear.

Today I need to make more progress on indoor stuff.

Thanks for sharing the floor plans, Laura. Sounds like things are coming along. Good luck finding the coats!

Your place looks great!

I love seeing the photos again, the new photos, and the floor plans! Thanks for sharing.

Love the photos and especially love the floor plans. What a great house!! and the garden is beautiful too!! I'm loving that it was built by a "Pennsylvania Quaker in 1791" because my Pennsylvania Quaker ancestors were in the Shenandoah Valley then. One of them might even have visited your house :)

>65 karenmarie:, >66 drneutron:, >67 katiekrug: Hi Karen, Jim, & Katie. Happy to oblige with the pics!

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Today I've been mostly "repositioning": moving things that were delivered to the "wrong" room to the correct space. Some things found their way upstairs that belong downstairs, and vice versa. All boxes of books and living/dining room things are now in the living & dining rooms, to remain unpacked until the painting is done. Oh, and we need bookcases before we can unpack the books (our previous house had built-ins). I cleared all the non-family room stuff out of the family room so we can place the furniture. We just sent the carpet out to be cleaned today and it would be nice to have the room ready when it comes back.

We might venture into the basement this afternoon ... yikes.

All your unpacking sounds like hard but rewarding work, Laura. Hope you continue to enjoy settling in.

>69 lauralkeet: sounds like a lot of stair climbing!

Okay, so: the basement.

First, the good news:
1. I found our rainy-weather coats and moved them into the coat closet.
2. The overall level of "stuff" was not as bad as I had imagined it to be. We started sorting and rearranging, and brought a few things upstairs.

But then:
THERE WAS A SNAKE. RIGHT OVER MY HEAD.
EEEEEEEK!

This was not entirely a surprise. Our home inspection found several skins in and around the crawl space, and we asked to have them removed. We have since seen other skins, and have come to understand that this is a very common issue in these parts. The snakes are harmless and actually play a beneficial role: they control mice.

Late this morning, Chris called me over to a spot in the front yard to see a snakeskin which, I kid you not, was about 7 feet long. And this skin had not been there earlier in the day. I went back to doing whatever I had been doing and about 10 minutes later, Chris came back to report he'd found the snake in a shed. And yes, it was verrrry long.

So I should have been on alert in the basement, but I wasn't. Chris came to my rescue and suggested I back slowly away from the area I was working in. And then I had a mild freak out. I think this was a different snake from the one we saw earlier. I don't know if that makes it better, or worse! Yikes.

Glad things are going well (except for the snake). Four years later, I still have a few boxes that haven't been unpacked from our move.

Happy Wednesday, Laura. I like your feeder update up there. A nice beginning. I posted this on my thread: "I use the Audubon app to track my birds too, for mostly lifers. I have also been using eBird heavily too, to not only keep track of my sightings but my daily checklists too." You should think of signing up for eBird. You can also use it to explore your county and find the "Hot Spots", in your area. It is invaluable.

Yikes, on the snakes but at least they can keep the rodent population down. Silver linings...

Thanks for the tip about eBird, Mark. I have an account, I just haven't made much use of it. It's useful to know the different ways you use Audubon and eBird.

>72 lauralkeet: NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE

I'm sorry, Laura, I know you've just moved in, but it's time to burn the house down, salt the earth, and leave.

>72 lauralkeet: Chris came back to report he'd found the snake in a shed. And yes, it was verrrry long. Oh can I come and see the snake, please, please, please? I suppose it’s a bit of a long way and a trip to the zoo might be more practical! But on any sort of snake related outing (of which I have had several, thinking about it) I’m always the one wanting to hold the snake (venomous snakes excluded of course).

EEEK to the snakes. But I do love me some Samuel L. Jackson!

>76 scaifea: - And this made me snort my coffee.

>77 SandDune: There are two kinds of people...

>78 katiekrug: Once again, you laugh at my pain, Katie. *sigh*

>79 scaifea: - I can't help it. You express it so movingly... :D

ETA: And really, I'm laughing at Laura's pain, as she now has to find a new house.

>80 katiekrug: Ha! Well, that's true, I guess. Okay, I'll allow it.

Snakes in the basement is not a positive feature, at least not to me. When I was a kid, I had nightmares about snakes. Think Indiana Jones. (How were Spielberg and his confreres able to so perfectly replicate my worst dream?) My wife's good friend Rosie had copperheads in her basement.

>76 scaifea: Don't DO that to me when I'm trying to swallow!

>82 weird_O:, >77 SandDune: There seems to be a difference of opinion regarding herpetology here. I'd say garden snakes: good.....copperheads: bad. I'd much rather have a nice milk snake or garter snake around than a hornet's nest under the eaves.

>76 scaifea: I'm sorry Amber, but all I can say in response to your suggestion is NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE. We're staying. Can we still be friends? 😀

>77 SandDune: Rhian, this is especially for you (Amber, please avert your eyes!):



Snake, Parts 1 and 2
Wow, on my screen these actually line up pretty well!

>78 katiekrug: - >81 scaifea: Katie and Amber, you two are really making me smile today.

>82 weird_O: We aren't exactly thrilled about the snakes, Bill, and will probably take some action to seal up likely points of entry and put some repellent around the house. But I've been following a local Facebook group for about two weeks now and the topic of snakes has come up more than once. Snakes do appear to be part of country living around here, and achieving total elimination is a sisyphean task. Plus, the benefits of controlling mice can't be argued with. I'd rather have snakes that don't destroy our property, than mice that do (and also poop everywhere).

Whoa!

>84 lauralkeet: Wow, that is a big snake! (To me at least, we don't have big snakes in these parts.) I don't envy you, but I think I agree that I'd rather have a (non-dangerous) snake or two than a wasp's nest. Especially since I managed to get stung by a wasp AND a bee last summer. But if I got to pick a mouse-eliminator I'd go with a cat!

A rare visit to see your snake!

The keeping room at my nana's house was where people sat to keep the cook company, near the kitchen. Smaller and cosier, it might be called a snug in Britain? Does that work for your keeping room, Laura, as an idea?

Re your snake: I do like a good working snake who keeps things rodent free. I would prefer that they did their work outside, however. Being rural, you likely have a good food supply for them. Secure the perimeter, sez I, and hope they don't get any wintering over ideas.

Ah...a black snake....very good ratters.

>83 laytonwoman3rd: Apologies, Linda.

>84 lauralkeet: Oh, of course we're still friends! I just can't visit you. Ever. EVER.

We had the same kind of black snake get in the house when I was a kid, and I'm not sure how my mom and I survived that. We both have full-blown phobias. I didn't feel safe or comfortable in our home for a couple of years afterwards, really. It was in-actual-fact traumatic for me.

Funny story, though: My dad decided to try to do something to make both my mom and I feel safer in the house after this incident. So he took the idea of cowboys sleeping inside a circle made with their lassos (lassoes?) as inspiration and - I kid you not - he bought enough rope to encircle the entire house. Proof that my dad is a national treasure (of some sort or another). I'm fairly certain that the rope is still there. We don't need to discuss the fact that the snake got in through the pipes, but the best thing is when people visit and ask him how he got that rope all the way around the house. I mean, honestly, folks.

Also, I will take mice and rats and I will happily get stung every dang day over even a low percentage change of a snake near my house. Any kind of snake.

>84 lauralkeet: You have snakes, we have groundhogs. Either way, it's a losing battle. At least yours keep the mice down... 😂

OK...I'm generally snake phobic but if I was sure they were harmless and if they couldn't get into the house I could live with that. I'm wondering how they feel about cats -- maybe you could have inside cats to control mice there and outdoor snakes to control the garden mice..just a thought.

Ah, country living.

>85 brenzi: Exactly, Bonnie, although I used stronger language for the snake in the basement (rhymes with "fire truck"). 😉

>86 PawsforThought: Bees and wasps *shudders* I had bad childhood experiences with both that make me very jumpy around all stinging insects, so yeah I'd take snakes over wasps any day. Our 18yo kitty was a pretty good mouser in her day, but she's out of practice. Also old.

>87 tiffin: Tui that *might* work for the keeping room. I could see it as a room where people would gather for drinks before dinner, and sort of mingle and chat. Good lord, when was the last time any of us hosted a gathering like that?!

>88 laytonwoman3rd: Every animal has their purpose in the animal kingdom, don't they Linda? They're just doing what they were made to do. Live and let live, I say.

>89 scaifea: I totally respect your position on that, Amber. If you're ever passing through we can meet up at our very nice library branch, and I would gladly find snake-free accommodation for you! Also, your dad is the best.

>90 drneutron: We probably have groundhogs around here too, Jim, and I agree that's another losing battle. I'm actually hoping the dogs will keep the groundhogs (and maybe snakes?) at bay. We need to have some fencing done before we can let the dogs run about.

>91 RebaRelishesReading: good thought, Reba! I wouldn't mind a "working cat."

>92 ffortsa: yep, you got it, Judy!

>93 lauralkeet: Meeting up at a library branch sounds like the perfect compromise! I'll still bring my lasso, just in cases.

Wow, your new house has everything, Laura. I'm not a big snake fan, but can tolerate them outdoors. In the house, not so much.

Hey guess what? I finished a book! This was also the first book checked out from my local library (as a Kindle edition). And now my first hold is waiting for pickup. Squee!

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17. Why Mermaids Sing ()
Source: Library loan - Kindle

When two young noblemen are found brutally murdered under similar circumstances, Sebastian St Cyr joins with the local London magistrate to investigate. The killer’s pattern correlates with a John Donne poem, and the victims’ families were all connected to a sea voyage from India a few years earlier, where the ship was caught in a storm, the crew mutinied, and lives were lost. The murderer seems to have detailed knowledge of the voyage: were they a passenger? And if not, then what is the connection and their motive?

As Sebastian gradually pieces together the details leading to a suspect, there are further developments in his personal relationships. Sebastian and his father are on better terms than in previous books, and Sebastian seems to be making headway in convincing his mistress, the actress Kat Boleyn, to marry him despite the likely societal consequences. But if you think Sebastian’s personal life is going to settle down, think again.

I really enjoyed this installment in the series. Both the mystery and Sebastian’s story arc were well-crafted, and I’m eager to see what happens next.

Love the house photos and the snake adventure! We always seem to get waves of mouse invasions and I think I'd prefer the snake any day. Old houses (ours is about 1802) have so many entry points.

I'm about to start the St Cyr series...glad to hear you're still enjoying them.

That looks a lovely snake!

When we went to Thailand I was also very taken with the monitor lizards and I saw this today... (I think Amber should definitely avert her eyes for this one).

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/lizard-...

I was very happy to learn that apparently when it was removed it was just taken outside and released behind a bush, rather than any more drastic removal methods

>99 SandDune: OMG, Rhian, that's incredible. I'm glad you enjoyed my snake photos!

Today was a gorgeous day so we decided to spend it doing outdoor work, because we're expecting rain tonight and tomorrow. With the onset of spring we are discovering more green growing things in various areas of the property, which is a really pleasant surprise. But the beds have not been well tended -- in fact I'd say they've been left alone for probably a year -- so cleanup is in order. This is one of those jobs that I never like doing at the end of the season, but right now it's very satisfying.

The paint for the living room arrived today so Chris will have no trouble keeping busy on a rainy day. I need to organize our household files in a new filing cabinet and I may brave the basement again (eek).

>99 SandDune: Oh, definitely NSFA (Not Safe For Amber)!

>99 SandDune: Godzilla indeed! I'm glad the monster got laughs instead of screams.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: Ha, that's a good one.

>103 ffortsa: me too Judy!

Happy Friday, Laura. I had a tufted titmouse visit my feeders last year. It was only the second time I have seen one in my backyard. They move quickly, so this was the best photo I snapped before it departed. This is a suet feeder, so it seemed to be attracted to that one.

Happy Friday back at ya, Mark! "Our" tufted titmouse has become a regular visitor to our tube feeder, which is filled with black oil sunflower seeds. There's also a downy woodpecker who likes the suet feeder.

Last night we attended an online event co-sponsored by the Loudoun County Public Library and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. The subject was "Birds of Loudoun," and the speaker took us through the most common species and some of the less common ones, too. He discussed ways to encourage birds to visit your property, and described some of the Wildlife Conservancy's programs. I learned we can expect to see many of the same birds as in Pennsylvania, but I also learned I had mis-identified a bird earlier in the day. I thought I'd seen a Black-Capped Chickadee, but it turns out they don't come this far south and what I'd seen was the nearly-identical Carolina Chickadee.

The Wildlife Conservancy has several bird walks coming up during migratory season so we might register for one soon.

Ha! I appreciate that you are all looking out for my mental well-being! I will very much not click on that link.

>61 lauralkeet: I wondered if the term "keeping room" meant a "Still room", common in British and perhaps European homes?

>99 SandDune: Some years ago we took a driving trip of western Australia and saw monitor lizards that size crossing the road. We asked in a shop what they were called. "Oh, those are goanna's" said the lady. "I have them in my attic, nearly everyone does".

I think I would prefer to have black snakes in my basement :)

>108 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, I was not familiar with a "still room" so I googled i. A still room is defined as a room in a large house used by the housekeeper for the storage of preserves, cakes, and liqueurs and the preparation of tea and coffee.

I'll keep looking, but I haven't found the housekeeper yet. 😀

Here's another funny thing about the Keeping Room: it is located in the part of the house added in the 1970s. So where our TV/family room was originally believed to be a Hessian outpost in the Revolutionary War, the adjacent Keeping Room is a completely modern invention. This just strengthens my belief that it was a term coined by a realtor at some point along the way.

>109 RebaRelishesReading: Oh wow, Reba. I think I'll take snakes over monitor lizards any day!

>109 RebaRelishesReading: I'm suddenly very happy to be living right here, where the worst thing to be found living in your house is a mouse or two.

And I feel strengthened in my belief that Australia was never meant for people to live in.

Probably you know the thing about people either minding spiders or snakes but almost never having a phobic reaction to both? I like snakes but spiders scare me silly. I try to behave and catch and release, but it is so hard. Anyway, you'll get used to the snakes. I bet they sun on that patio. Probably you will come to recognize them and give them names. Mice are so disgusting, truly, compared to snakes. Quiet and efficient and all they leave is an old skin now and then, not the mess that mice make.

A truly enchanting property, I know you will be very happy there.

>98 vivians: Yay for St. Cyr adventures. My great escape and relaxation "medicine".
I just reviewed Book 16 yesterday. It was a 'gooder'.

>97 lauralkeet: I was glad to read that your first foray into the library at your new locale was a CS Harris, Laura. You'll also enjoy The Postscript Murders, when you feel like adding another mystery to your reading plans. I did review the book and it was nice to see your encouragement to do so.

Can't say that I would be pleased with house-snakes but I guess that's part of the ambience in rural Virginia (I think that's where you are now, yes?).

>111 PawsforThought: LOL Paws, your comment about Australia cracked me up!

>112 sibylline: Lucy, I agree with you about mice being disgusting. We had issues with mice in a previous home. They were just messy and gross, and nested in some very inconvenient places that then had to be dealt with.

----

I thought I'd venture down to the basement again yesterday, but it didn't happen. NOT because I'm wary of snakes (well, maybe a little bit because of that), but mostly because a lot of the stuff is Chris' so he needs to be involved, and I need help carrying heavy boxes upstairs. He was busy painting the living room (future library), which I'm excited about. Meanwhile, I organized our household files into a new filing cabinet, and put the stationery and other supplies away. I also unpacked our boxes of gardening books and shelved them on bookcases in the Keeping Room. Not exciting, but satisfying.

"The Wildlife Conservancy". I hope you do register for a few of these walks. You get to learn about some good birding areas around you and of course see some cool migrants. I wonder why they split up the black-capped chickadee and the Carolina chickadee. I will have to look that up. I did see boreal chickadees while I was in MN but they have distinctive brown markings on them.

>115 msf59: Hi Mark! I am curious about the two chickadee species as well. On Cornell's All About Birds site, the photos look identical! The information on the Carolina Chickadee says it was named by Audubon on his travels through South Carolina, and also this:
Carolina and Black-capped chickadees hybridize in the area where their ranges overlap, but the two species probably diverged more than 2.5 million years ago.

Hi Laura!

>72 lauralkeet: Congrats on finding the rainy-weather coats. Yikes, snakes.

>84 lauralkeet: Good attitude. Keep them out of the house, but let them keep the rodent population under control outside.

>90 drneutron: We have groundhogs in addition to snakes, Jim, but still love living where we do.

>93 lauralkeet: I get more upset when wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get into the house. I keep fly swatters everywhere.

>97 lauralkeet: Congratulations on finishing a book. I just discovered that the first in the series is at the library branch I need to return 3 books to next week.

>110 lauralkeet: From Merriam-Webster: Definition of keeping room
: a common room (as in a colonial house) usually used for multiple purposes
First Known Use of keeping room: 1771.

>116 lauralkeet: That is interesting, regarding the chickadees. I just wonder why they didn't combine the two. They have done that with other species.

>117 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by, I enjoyed your comments. I think you'd like the Sebastian St Cyr series. Sandy turned me onto it and just wrote a favorable review of the latest book (#16 I think), so it's good to know the series holds up well over the long haul.

And thanks for the official definition of a keeping room!

>118 msf59: Good question, Mark. Let me know if you discover any new insights.

>112 sibylline: Except for that Jim Stafford song...

>114 lauralkeet: Book on shelves = house becomes home. Happy making (thank you Mamie)

Oh jeez, here I was, reading through and planning my post: cherry blossoms! birds! a living room that is a library! a keeping room! a public library you like! a lovely spot out back for outdoor dining when the weather permits!

And then I read about the snakes.
To quote my beloved Indiana Jones: I HATE SNAKES!!! (I tried to do a gif but it was too complicated.)
>84 lauralkeet: That photo made me shudder.
In my defense, I remind you that I grew up in central Florida where we ran first and asked later whether the snake was poisonous. I have some pretty vivid memories involving the beasts.
It's another reason to retire to western Oregon. No snakes. Well, the occasional 9-inch garter snake when you hike in the coast range but that is why P always has to go first! LOL

>121 RebaRelishesReading: So true.

>120 laytonwoman3rd: that's quite a throwback, Linda1

>121 RebaRelishesReading: You got it, Reba, and I shelved more books today. Happy camper! We don't have enough space for all the books at the moment, so I'm trying to be intentional about what gets shelved, and where. I thought we did an okay job of boxing our books up by genre and/or category, but I'm finding strays here and there that need to be "reunited" with similar books. So, lots of organizing going on. But it's fun.

>122 EBT1002: Well Ellen, I can understand your reaction. Fortunately in Virginia there are only two types of poisonous snakes so most are harmless.

----

In other news, remember the nesting vultures I mentioned before? We put them to work today. There was a dead raccoon in then middle of the road (hit by a car), and Chris decided to move it out of the way. He put it on the very edge of our property, near the road but far from the house. It's not at all close to the vulture nesting site, but they found it and appear to be taking care of it. What's gross to us is a feast for them.

>57 lauralkeet: What lovely photos.
'
>114 lauralkeet: I'm not sure that I would be a basement person either! Look forward to eventually seeing the library.

>124 PaulCranswick: Happy to oblige, Paul. Here's a sneak peek at the living room / library. Chris finished painting yesterday so we placed some furniture and shelved books in one of the built-ins.

>125 lauralkeet: - That green is lovely!

That's gorgeous!

Hi Laura!

>123 lauralkeet: I thought we did an okay job of boxing our books up by genre and/or category, but I'm finding strays here and there that need to be "reunited" with similar books. So, lots of organizing going on. But it's fun. *smile*

>125 lauralkeet: Everything about that room is appealing. Beautiful color choice.

>125 lauralkeet: ❤️💙💜💖 and rather, 💚, too.
That green is very similar to the feature wall in my studio.

Hello Katie, Jim, Karen & Sandy! I'm really happy with the color, too, and I must give credit where due. Chris is really good at design and color. He bought samples of four colors and we tried them out on the wall before making a final decision. That's when I got involved. I nearly always defer to Chris in these matters, with one exception: he is color blind and often confuses browns and greens (early in our marriage he kept buying sage green chinos and honestly thought some were green and some brown). Anyway, I had to make sure he knew this color was a gray-green, and could see the difference between the four colors we tested. For anyone interested, it's Farrow and Ball's Card Room Green.

>130 lauralkeet: " he is color blind and often confuses browns and greens (early in our marriage he kept buying sage green chinos and honestly thought some were green and some brown)." My husband has the same problem. He cannot distinguish the green in olive, sage, etc, and refers to all those shades in clothing as brown. I guess it's a real "thing"...I thought he was just wacky!

>125 lauralkeet: Oh, that's lovely! I'm reading Austen right now and I think it could be set in that room!

>130 lauralkeet:>131 It's an epidemic! My husband wears a green sweatshirt over his green workpants (every day) and objects to my daughter's annoyance at the uniformity by saying "but it's a brown top!"

Just adding my oohs and aahs over your gorgeous library space.

>130 lauralkeet: Farrow and Ball's Card Room Green
Thank you ~ I made a note of that paint name!

I need to repaint the studio and wanted to improve on the paint colour I had before (Benjamin Moore Crownsville Gray). The hubs called it "Ammo box green" and indeed it was very greenish.

Over time it has "yellowed" and looks rather dreadful. It was also a colour that looked rather awful at night in incandescent light. Later I tried fluorescent and then LED lighting, but by then, the paint had aged and the results were unpleasant.

Strange that Chris is good at colour choices with a colour blindness handicap. Obviously not serious. Maybe an advantage?

>125 lauralkeet: Oh that is going to be one truly wonderful, warm, welcoming, delightful space!!

>125 lauralkeet: Oh I love that room Laura. So inviting.

>125 lauralkeet: Lovely!!!!

>131 laytonwoman3rd:, >133 vivians: Linda & Vivian, I had no idea the "green/brown" colorblindness was so common.

And thank you, everyone, for commenting on the room. Maybe we should have an LT meetup here!

>125 lauralkeet: Lovely!
We had those greens in the livingroom of our first appartment, way back in the 1980s. And always had grayish-green (with a touch more yellow in it) somewhere in our houses. For me those are calming colors.

I would LOVE to attend an LT Meet Up here! Can we face the bird feeders too?

Morning, Laura. How is everything going with the house. It looks like you are making a dent. Seeing any interesting birds?

>139 lauralkeet: Maybe we should have an LT meetup here!

Now that's just downright mean. So very herpetophobia-ist of you.

>140 FAMeulstee: "calming colors": I like that!

>141 msf59: Mark, thanks for remind me I need to snap a pic of the bird feeders. So far we've seen a lot of common birds at the feeders: mourning dove, cardinal, white-throated sparrow, carolina chickadee, nuthatch, titmouse, etc. The other day we saw our first house finches; perhaps they've just arrived in the area? We've also been enjoying the antics of a chipmunk and adjusting our feeders to thwart his attempts to steal food.

The other day, while walking the dogs on the country road that crosses with our street, we saw a Pileated Woodpecker. Fabulous.

>142 scaifea: Oh no ... I had forgotten about that ... I'm sorry Amber!

Meetup? Oooooo. I'd come (if invited, of course).

>144 weird_O: OF COURSE you'd be invited, Bill!

>125 lauralkeet: I love the color. How nice to have built ins.

You color is very similar to a Behr color that I used in our guest bathroom. I love the sage-y- greens.

>146 BLBera: They are nice, aren't they Beth? Yesterday we unpacked a bunch more book boxes and have filled both built-ins, plus two bookcases we brought with us that are in the Keeping Room. We still need bookcases in the living room/library, but perhaps not as many as we thought.

We also arranged more furniture in the living room/library, which is giving us an idea of what actually "works" in there. It's a long room but it's amazing how quickly it fills up once you put sofa and chairs in there.

>147 dudes22: I'm rather partial to sage-y greens too, Betty. I like a good hunter green too, but that would have been too dark.

>139 lauralkeet: "Maybe we should have an LT meetup here!"
You set the date and I will be there!!!

Morning, Laura. Happy Friday. I hope everything is going smooth at the new house. I am getting ready to head out on another guided walk, but as just an observer this time. Spring migrants have been slow arriving. We need to warm up a bit more, I think.

>149 EBT1002: Excellent, Ellen!!

>150 msf59: Hiya Mark. I hope you had a nice walk today. It was a bit brisk here.

Also, since you asked, here's a look at our bird feeders:


The house feeder is most obvious but there's a Droll Yankee tube feeder on the left near the tree, and if you look closely you'll see another feeder between those two, towards the back of the shot. The green top of it stands out more than the feeder itself. Our patio and breakfast room are to the left of the tree so when we look out the window the house feeder is to our right, the tube is in the center, and the third feeder is to the left.

And for those interested in our progress unpacking and settling in, here's a glimpse of the family room, which we set up yesterday. It was a bit of an ordeal because the sofa, a sleeper, had to be disassembled to get it out of its former location (basement TV room with a tight staircase), and therefore reassembled here. We used a very helpful video from the manufacturers, so it wasn't difficult just time-consuming. And it definitely required two people to maneuver some of the pieces. The rug, coffee table, and credenza were in the living room of our old house. Chris built the coffee table and credenza. Not pictured: TV atop a Chris-built TV cabinet.

This room is in the oldest part of the house, reportedly a Hessian outpost during the Revolutionary War (in the exterior photo in >57 lauralkeet:, it's the vine-covered section of the house). It served as a kitchen until the previous owners added a modern kitchen and turned this room into a home office. The ceilings are super low -- I'm only 5 feet tall and can easily touch the beams. Like most rooms in the house, there's little to no built-in lighting, a situation we will have to remedy for reading & knitting purposes.

>151 lauralkeet: I love the bird feeder set-up you have in your backyard and plenty of cover for the birds. Do you have a birdbath going?

>152 lauralkeet: The family room looks great too and the pooch looks comfortable.

I'm fairly new to this group so I'm just sort of half paying attention as I scroll through threads, taking mental notes about which ones I want to come back to later. I had to full stop here.

First, I saw the house and I was like "OMG! I love it! Where can I find one?!?"
Second, I saw the snake. Then I was like "Just kidding. Burn it to the ground."

There is not third. I'm overly focused on the snake and can't come up with a third.

>153 msf59: Yes Mark, we do have a birdbath on the patio near the tube feeder. Birds and chipmunks are both enjoying it. It actually has a motorized pump to make it gently burble. Chris is currently on a run to the hardware store to get something to fix a nearby electrical outlet so we can get that part working.

>154 SKNF: Welcome! I'm always happy to have new visitors here. I hope you'll return despite the snake.

----

In bookish news, I finished Driftless this morning. Made me cry therefore it gets 5 stars, and I need to wallow in my emotions for a while before writing a review. Many thanks to Mark and Bonnie for recommending it so highly.

Sometime today I'll start Only Killers and Thieves, which I'm pretty sure is another Bonnie rec.

>155 lauralkeet: I loved Driftless too (yay Bonnie & Mark for recommending.) Didn't you love July?

The house looks beautiful - congrats.

I am not surprised that you do have a birdbath and a bubbling fountain to boot. I had a solar one, a couple of years ago but never replaced it.

Hooray for Driftless! I am so glad you loved it. We are going to read the follow-up, Jewelweed, later in the year, if you want to join us. I also loved Only Killers and Thieves. Not sure who had read it first, Bonnie or me. LOL.

>157 msf59: Oh you read it first Mark but I may have loved it more. I think it was my Book of the Year a few years ago.

You've got some good reading in store Laura.

>158 brenzi: Your warbling about Only Killers and Thieves may have trumped my warbling, Bonnie but no matter, it worked in the end. Sorry, I chose to use the dreaded "T" word.

Midnight, Aug 2002-Apr 2021

Last night our sweet Midnight quietly left us. When I fed her around 8pm, she was completely uninterested in her food and immediately returned to sitting on our bed. I came into the room around 10pm and she was gone. Her appetite was off this week, which is not entirely unusual, but I'd been watching closely for any signs of distress. On Thursday she was behaving like a typical kitty, getting in our way while we were trying to unroll our bedroom carpet. Yesterday she refused breakfast and I worried a little bit; when she refused dinner I became more concerned.

Midnight had hyperthyroid and kidney disease which we managed for at least 5 years. While she was always petite and never weighed more than 10 lbs, in recent years we had to work hard to keep her weight steady at 5 lbs through diet and medication. She was a sweet little girl, often overshadowed by the dogs' more boisterous personalities. In the past year she became more interactive with us, and we'll miss her snuggling in our bed at night.

Hi Laura!

>151 lauralkeet: Yay for the bird feeders. You’ve got a nice variety.

>152 lauralkeet: I love the exposed beams and wall color – it may be deceptive because of how photos change colors, but we have a similar wall color in one of our halls and the dining room. I didn’t realize Chris was such a good furniture builder. And 5 five feet tall – funny, I always envisioned you as tall and willowy.

>160 lauralkeet: I’m so sorry, Laura. She had a good long life with a family who loved and cared for her.

Oh, I'm so sorry that you've lost Midnight, Laura. *hugs*

So sorry, Laura. It's hard to lose a pet.

I'm so sorry you have lost Midnight, Laura.

>152 lauralkeet: This looks very cozy. I also have an old house and frequently complain about lack of overhead lighting!

So sorry to hear about your loss, Laura. *hugs*

>160 lauralkeet: So sorry to hear this news, Laura.

>160 lauralkeet: Oh, I'm so sorry. Losing a pet is such a hard thing to go through. Sounds like she had a good life (despite illness) with you.

I'm so sorry you've lost Midnight.

Sorry, to hear about Midnight, Laura! Bummer.

So sorry about Midnight.

Oh Laura how sad. And it sounds very unexpected which makes it so much worse.

Sorry about your kitty, Laura. It's so hard to lose pets.

Thank you so much, everybody. I have been feeling sad and out of it today. I know: normal given the circumstances. We took a nice long walk with the pups and did some work outside, both of which were therapeutic.

An additional "thank you" goes to Karen for saying, "I always envisioned you as tall and willowy." It made me smile to think of anyone picturing me that way.

And finally, a silver lining today: we received word that we could sign up for our vaccines so we now have appointments booked on Wednesday. Yay.

Sounds like you're feeling a bit better, at least I hope so. Congratulations on getting appointments on Wednesday for your vaccines!

I'm feeling better this morning. We're having a spot of cooler weather (it's only 43F as I write this), but it's sunny. Walking the dogs this morning I heard cows off in the distance, and I saw my first bluebird of the year. Yay!

Karen and Mark have said they're seeing less bird feeder activity due to the cold weather, but ours have been busy especially first thing in the morning. I've fallen into a routine of recording my sightings each morning and throughout the day, using the Audubon app on my phone. The number of species visiting the feeders has increased considerably over the two weeks we've been in this house. It started with really common birds like Mourning Doves and Cardinals. We have a pair of each who are likely nesting nearby. They have now been joined by the Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Junco, White-Throated Sparrow, Caroline Chickadee, House Finch, Goldfinch, Gray Catbird, and Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. In the past couple of days we saw our first Chipping Sparrow, and an Eastern Towhee has made repeated visits. I love all the activity and variety.

In other news, we bought a dog bed primarily for Woody, who is less likely to get up on his favorite chair these days. I love the Orvis beds but balked at the price, because a) he has a history of chewing things up, b) I wasn't sure whether he'd actually use the bed, and c) there was a strong possibility that bossy Alys would claim ownership, and Woody always backs down to her. So I bought a less expensive memory foam bed. Woody ignored it at first so we covered it with a familiar-smelling dog blanket, and he showed interest. As did Alys. You can imagine how pleased I was when this happened:

>175 lauralkeet: So cute. Is that King-sized?

Sorry to hear about Midnight, Laura.

Sorry about your kitty, Laura. The poochies look content.

A couple of hours ago, the clouds had parted, allowing the sun to shine. 'Twas lovely. Now the sky is clouded and it's gloomy. I'm afraid the only thing I can do is read. Oh woe is me. :-)

>176 Caroline_McElwee: In the dog world this might be called queen size, Caro. It's not the largest bed available but it's close.

>177 SandDune:, >178 weird_O: thanks Rhian and Bill. Much appreciated.

18. Driftless ()
Source: On my Kindle

This was an excellent book, and I normally like to write thoughtful reviews for anything that earns a 5-star rating. But I can't summon my book review mojo. And besides, Bonnie wrote the best review ever, saying everything I would want to say. So please just go read her review here: https://www.librarything.com/review/45123704

>175 lauralkeet: - That's a great photo. I remember when I decided our border collie Grace needed a new bed and I ordered her one from LL Bean (right up there with Orvis). She wouldn't use it no matter what I tried (including trying to lie on it and show her it was nice) It finally was used one Christmas Eve when we found a dog outside on our street in a snow storm with no tags. And his "undersection" looked like it had been frozen to the ground and gotten the skin pulled off. We ended up taking him in for the night and he got to use the bed (and got blood on it). At least it was finally used.

So sad to hear about Midnight, but it sounds, well, like the nicest way to go, quietly.

Lovely photos of the family room and library and, of course, the dogs on the bed together!

>181 dudes22: Great story, Betty! I love how you tried to show the dog that the bed was nice. Imagining that scene made me laugh. I'm pleasantly surprised our two are sharing the bed.

>182 sibylline: Thank you Lucy. I agree it was "the nicest way to go," and while I was absolutely shocked by it, it was better than having to make the decision and act on it.

>175 lauralkeet: I LOVE this feeder report. Yours have been hopping. I am seeing many of the same birds but more sporadically. I am still waiting to see my FOY chipping sparrow & gray catbird. Never had the latter at my feeders or a towhee either. Hummingbirds and orioles should be arriving over the next two weeks. We just need it to warm up.

>180 lauralkeet: Hooray for Driftless! 5 stars is just about right.

>184 msf59: I was excited to see the chipping sparrow, Mark -- a FOY and I think a lifer. I haven't paid close attention to the many kinds of sparrows before, but we recently borrowed a book from the library, an atlas of birds found in this county, and it has made us look more closely.

I'm a bit late, but I'm so sorry about Midnight :(

I love the pic of Woody and Alys. Where did you end up getting the dog bed? I still haven't puled the trigger on a new one for Nuala...

Hey, a few of us are kicking around a DC area meetup in July - now that you're in NOVA, are you interested in coming into the city? I'll keep you posted.

>186 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I appreciate your sympathy, as well as all the kind thoughts expressed here. As for the dog bed, we went with this one, $70 on Amazon. It's not a name brand but again, there was some likelihood that it would not fulfill its intended purpose due to chewing or Alys' bullying. I'm sure the LLBean and Orvis beds are better quality, but this will do for now:
https://smile.amazon.com/JOYELF-Orthopedic-Removable-Washable-Squeaker/dp/B06XQ4...

>187 drneutron: Jim, thanks for letting me know about the potential meetup. Please keep me in the loop!

>188 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I am hesitant to spend a lot for a new bed because Nuala might hate it. I will take a look at the one you linked.

>187 drneutron: - Where's my invite? A 3-hour train ride is nothing!

>175 lauralkeet: Aww... There was just too much "new", and that familiar blanket did the trick. Do they seem to miss their "little sister", or was there little interaction with Midnight? It was a bad week for the animal chums. My niece's family lost their yellow lab, Benjamin, who was her husband's dog before they were married. The kids will miss him a lot; he took anything they dished out. Our local newspaper columnist, Christ Kelly, lost one of his kitties (he has a LOT), the one he called his best friend, and wrote a very poignant column about it. We're all such softies when it comes to our four-legged loves.

>190 laytonwoman3rd: It's a familiar and somewhat smelly blanket, Linda! I mean for a dog it's perfect, but it does smell like ... well, dog. The dogs don't seem to be reacting to Midnight's absence. But even before the move she kept her distance from them. Woody and Midnight occasionally came face-to-face and she was fine with that, but she kept well clear of Alys the maniac.

I'm sorry to hear about your niece's lab. They are such sweet, goofy dogs. We still miss our dear Lilly, who left us 3+ years ago, and talk about her like she's still part of our daily lives.

>189 katiekrug: once we get a plan, we’ll definitely let you know!

>155 lauralkeet: Any book that makes you cry and gets five stars is going right on my wish list. I'm going to Seattle this weekend and I hope to fit a bookshop visit into the time we're there. Driftless is one I'll watch for!

Your new home continues to look lovely and I can't wait to visit. I trust you will ensure no snakes attend the gathering. ;-)

Okay, but have you read Rock Island Line? I see that Driftless is second in the "July Montgomery" series. My compulsion to read series in order just kicked in....

*toodling over to Bonnie's thread to read her review, as instructed*

>193 EBT1002:, >194 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Nope, I haven't read the first in the series. Bonnie and Mark warbled loud and long about Driftless, and I just dove right in. I'm not sure either of them have read the first book.

-----

Good news: our first vaccine dose is done! We got the Moderna vaccine. Everything went smoothly. The vaccination center is at a shopping mall in a former department store. Second shots were being administered on the ground floor, those needing first shots were shown to the escalator. We checked in and received our vaccination record cards, then stood in a quickly-moving line to wait our turn, got the jabs, and waited the obligatory 15 minutes. We treated ourselves to coffee and pastry on the way home. Once home, we registered for our second shots 28 days from today. Yes!!!

I’m just catching up, Laura. No idea how I lost your thread. Your house looks lovely. I guess as long as the snake stays in the basement I could tolerate it, but I wouldn’t be using the basement for anything. When I was a kid, our house was brick and covered in vines. Every once in a while there would be a black snake gliding out of the vines. I don’t ever remember one getting inside. I’m sorry about your cat. Pets are a wonderful part of the family. St Cyr.... I should get back to that series. It’s been ages.

Congrats on getting that first vaccine dose!!!!

I'm catching up on 3 months of news, Laura, and I'm so sorry about Midnight.

Your new house is gorgeous (now I need to go back to the last thread to read the saga). And you seem to be more moved in than we are 5 years after finishing our house! Love the bird updates. And hooray to the vaccines.

And UGH SNAKES - I had to skim that photo very quickly. One reason never to move to Australia.

I'm catching up on threads tonight, too, Laura.

That was a very poignant memorial you wrote about Midnight. I'm glad you didn't have to make that tough decision about her ending. I can well imagine the shock of the unexpectedness of it, though.

The dogs snoozing together was a lovely antidote. Wishing you all the best through life's ups and downs. Really great that you even have a booster vax scheduled.

Sweet Thursday, Laura. We are going camping in Michigan for the weekend. It will be a bit cool but we will be prepared. I saw a pileated woodpecker yesterday. Have you seen one? One of my favorites. On the feeder front, I truly love my flat feeder but can't keep the squirrels off of it. I will have to get another baffle for that pole. Always something...

>196 NanaCC: I'm trying to tolerate the snakes, Colleen. A day or two ago Chris told me "our friend" was back (we hadn't seen a snake since I first reported it here). Apparently they like the (hot water?) pipes running along the ceiling near the boiler. And now we're having a snap of cold weather, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a snake toasting its little belly down there right now. Ugh.

>197 EBT1002: It's quite a relief, Ellen. For the first time, we started having conversations about "normal" activities we might resume, and when. Naturally we will wait to be fully vaccinated, but the whole topic has been shelved for so long, it's kind of weird to be thinking about it.

>198 cushlareads: Cushla!! It's always great to see you. Our relocation is less of a saga than you might think. We still can't believe it was only 3 months from concept (hey, let's start looking at houses) to completion (moved in).

As for how "moved in" we are, at this point we have a couple of rooms being used as staging areas for anything that doesn't have a home yet whether that's furniture or unpacked boxes. One of those rooms is upstairs, so out of sight out of mind. The other is our dining room, and some of the stuff there needs to go down in the dreaded basement. But first we need to unpack what's already down there, and clear out some stuff the previous owners left behind: an astonishing quantity of hazardous stuff that can't be thrown out in the trash. 20 years of paint and various chemicals. Egads. Fortunately there's a hazardous waste collection event this weekend so we'll make a dent in it.

>199 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy, thanks for your kind thoughts about Midnight and the pups. Our pets add so much to our lives!

Hi Laura!

>175 lauralkeet: Very sweet pic of Woody and Alys sharing. Doggy-smelling blanket to entice was a very good idea.

>195 lauralkeet: Congrats that you’ve gotten the first dose and are scheduled for the second. Coffee and pastry are a great reward.

>201 lauralkeet: I must admit I’m not fond of snakes in the house. Is it good that Chris told you, or would you rather have been left in ignorant bliss?

The Wayne and I are also #TeamModerna :)

The feeling that one can finally start to *think* about doing things that have been off the table for over a year is a lovely feeling. I know exactly what you mean.

>202 karenmarie: I'd rather he told me, Karen, 'cause I can then avoid going down there. I don't anticipate spending a lot of time in the basement once we're fully settled. But right now, we're working together to clear out the stuff the previous owners annoyingly left behind so we can put our own stuff on the shelves and get the boxes out of there.

>203 katiekrug: It's a good feeling, Katie, but a weird one too. It doesn't seem possible somehow.

Isn't it amazing what a sense of relief you feel after getting the vaccine? Congrats on the first dose. I am three weeks post my second one now! I also got the Moderna.

>205 BLBera: Go #TeamModerna! It's funny Beth, before we had our shot it seemed everyone I knew of had the Pfizer shot. But now you and Katie got Moderna, and so did my brother and SIL. Good luck with your second jab!!

I'm starting to work my way through a list of books I don't own but want to read someday. I started this list pre-pandemic with the intent of getting the books from the library. But many were not available in digital format so when the libraries closed, my reading list went into hibernation. I have since resurrected it and started requesting books from the library.

Only Killers and Thieves was one of the books on my list (finished yesterday), as was Darktown (current read). And I have three more requests in at the library:
* Square Haunting
* The Debatable Land
* Zorrie

I'm excited about getting "caught up" on some books I've wanted to read for some time.

I've just started Square Haunting and it seems like it will be very good.

>206 lauralkeet: That is funny....Craig and I got the Pfizer shots. Our daughter in Virginia just got her second Moderna stab yesterday. I wonder if there's a geographical pattern, or what determines where which one gets distributed.

>209 laytonwoman3rd: my daughter in CT got Moderna and her hubby got Pfizer. Their kids got J&J. Here in MA, I got Moderna and my daughter and her hubby got Pfizer. It seems to have been dependent on which location you were able to book an appointment.

>208 japaul22: It's good to hear that, Jennifer. I know Beth enjoyed it, and I think it was her review that put the book on my list, but hers was the second favorable review I read here. I'm not sure but the first might have been Caroline. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it.

>209 laytonwoman3rd: >210 NanaCC: Like Linda, I thought it might be geographic but Colleen's experience says otherwise. I'm sort of fascinated by the logistical challenge of vaccine distribution. I'd love to get a "behind the scenes" tour of how the supply chain works. Nerdy yes, but that's how I roll.

Morning, Laura!

Another Moderna person here - we get our second shots on Tuesday.

Our second jabs were at a big clinic that was offering both at the same time. It was second for us so we were put into the Pfizer line without question. I have no idea who/how the decision was made for those who arrived for their first shot.

>212 scaifea: good luck, Amber!
>213 RebaRelishesReading: I think our big clinic offers both as well, Reba, at least it seemed that way during the registration process, which said we were registering for "Pfizer or Moderna." I didn't know which one I was getting until I sat in the chair. Presumably for second shots they separate you into groups depending on which one you had first.

19. Only Killers and Thieves ()
Source: Library loan

Tommy and Billy McBride have grown up on an Australian cattle farm. In 1885, the farm was threatened by severe drought and the ensuing economic hardship. Their father refused help from his former employer John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the district. The small staff of indigenous people left to find better work and escape the tensions of life on a struggling farm. And then one day, traged strikes.. Tommy and Billy are forced to get help from Sullivan, who forms a posse to seek revenge on the indigenous community he unquestionably believes was responsible. The boys join the search, which affects each of them profoundly, but in different ways. As unthinkable acts of violence are committed against indigenous people, Tommy realizes his idea of justice is radically different from Sullivan’s, and he pays a high price to extricate himself from this web of cruelty.

On the surface, this novel was a fast-paced story of revenge. But Paul Howarth is going for something deeper here: an indictment of white colonialism through a heartbreaking account of its bigotry-driven violence.

>215 lauralkeet: "a heartbreaking account of its bigotry-driven violence."

*shudder* You're a brave soul, Laura!

>215 lauralkeet: >216 SandyAMcPherson: I concur with Sandy. I mean that seriously. I used to read the tough stuff but in the last . . . five or six especially, I mostly just can't, or only one here and one there. It's worthy of serious debate though, does knowing the full extent of human depravity do us any good? I read a great deal of holocaust literature in the seventies and eighties and then, mid-book, I stopped. Could not read another word. I'm mired in Book 6 of the Knausgaard ouevre in the long section on Hitler, I know it is a left over from that reading era. How did Chris do with that final book? I know he's a fan like me. I'm a fan, totally, actually more in awe than ever.

Whenever you get a room done take a picture, living vicariously through you and Roni and others who have recently moved to dream houses. I love my house, but I'm so so aware of all the things not done!

Vermont seems to be very Pfizer dominated. Maybe that is changing but I haven't encountered more than a handful who have had Moderna.

Yesterday on a walk in a new place I met some women coming in the other direction and we all started pulling out our masks and I said, "I've had my vaccines and I'm clear. We're outside. Don't bother!" And they said, "Us, too!" and we were all momentarily overjoyed, grinning!

Enjoy Square Haunting, Laura. I'm pretty sure you will. Warning: it did add quite a few books to my WL. Is the library in your area open, or do you do curbside pick-up?

>216 SandyAMcPherson:, >217 sibylline: Hi Sandy & Lucy. Only Killers and Thieves is a dark read for sure. The violence is pretty graphic. I can't say I was prepared for that, but this was a Bonnie recommendation and she never steers me wrong. I recommend it, but you need to know what you're getting into.

>217 sibylline: Lucy, I confess (on Chris' behalf) that he never got to the 6th Knausgaard. I'm not sure why, maybe just distracted by other books or maybe swayed by reviews?

I love the story about meeting friends unmasked! I can't wait for that.

>218 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I promise not to be mad at you when my WL grows! Our library is fully open although they are still offering curbside pickup for those who request it. And I think returns are all done through a drop-box. They have a nifty inside pickup setup for holds where the books are shelved by requester's last name, and there's a self-check kiosk that scans your card and the book.

>217 sibylline: I also went through a holocaust intense reading experience in the 70s and just do not want to go back there. Even WWII generic is a stretch for me though I did manage A Woman of No Importance.

>220 quondame: that was a really good book but yeah, kind of intense.

I made bread yesterday! I've been making sourdough bread regularly for almost a year but I can't recall the last time I made a yeast bread.



I used a King Arthur Baking recipe, The Easiest Loaf of Bread You'll Ever Bake. I need to improve my loaf shaping but other than that, it really was quite easy. We enjoyed a few slices slathered with butter (Kerrygold of course, thanks to a discussion on Amber's thread a while back).

Hi Laura!

>206 lauralkeet: Bill and I are all Pfizered-up and Jenna gets her second dose of Pfizer on the 29th. My neighbor and her daughter/SiL, who live 2 miles away, are all #Team Moderna. Go figure.

>215 lauralkeet: I think I’m going to avoid this one.

>222 lauralkeet: Brava! And I’ve become a Kerrygold convert, too, also thanks to Amber’s thread.

>222 lauralkeet: Looks delicious!! Now I'm going to have to go make myself some breakfast.

>222 lauralkeet: Oooh, those look so good! And I have to give credit where it's due: I'm a Kerrygold convert because of Julia (rosalita).

>222 lauralkeet: Doesn't that look good!! I have to admit we've tried the Kerrygold butter, and other than finding it spreadable right out of the fridge, we can't see that it's all that. So we'll splurge elsewhere.

>222 lauralkeet: Looks yummy! I think I have bread envy.

>222 lauralkeet: Yum, Laura, that does sound good. I'm not a bread baker, but that does look very tempting.

Our library recently opened for limited hours for 30 minutes of browsing, and I have really enjoyed being able to walk in and look through the stacks again.

>226 laytonwoman3rd: I like the spreadability a lot, Linda. I bought a block, not the tub of (more?) spreadable butter, and was pleasantly surprised at the texture. The taste is also better, but it's the spreadability that tips me into the "buy it" category. I'm still buying the regular stuff for daily cooking & baking.

>227 PawsforThought: It's pretty good, Paws. I generally prefer breads with a bit more going on like sourdough, whole wheat or multi-grain. But I wanted to start with something basic.

>228 BLBera: I'm glad your library has re-opened, Beth. So far I've just popped in to pick up holds. I'm not sure whether ours limits the browsing time. I wouldn't mind wandering the stacks one of these days.

>222 lauralkeet: >226 laytonwoman3rd: Love the bread Laura.

I use a spreadable butter called Clover, not sure if you will get it in the US.

Thanks Caro. We have a Clover brand here, but it appears to be made in California, and is different from the UK version.

I should've warned you about reading Only Killers and Thieves when you were feeling down about the loss of your kitty Laura. Sorry about that. Btw he has a new book coming out. Dust Off the Bones is a continuation of the story of Billy and Tommy McBride. I'll be looking for it.

I used to make bread when my kids were young but no one wants to eat bread in my family anymore. So butter is moot. Oh they'll eat it if they're out eating but not at home. 🤷‍♀️Yours looks really good though.

>232 brenzi: no worries, Bonnie. But it sure was a dark book! That said, I'm intrigued by the possibility of a sequel.

We don't eat a lot of bread, other than in sandwiches for lunch most days. But I'm not a fan of mass-produced sandwich break like Wonder. I'd much rather have store bakery bread or, now, homemade.

Bread envy for sure! My DH and I got Pfizer, but my mama is #TeamModerna. I'm really happy to hear that you're on your way!

We met our niece and her husband for an unmasked walk last week - such a pleasure! I'm getting take-out for Ma and me (a thing I didn't do for a year), but that's the extent of my willingness to return to regular life. Our church has in-person services, but no. We're still in the NYT's "very high risk" category, so I'm being patient. I can't tell you how much I long to get back in the pool, but no.

Meanwhile, I'll look into July Montgomery but say no thanks to killers and thieves. I think you already know that I'm another fan of *Square Haunting* - one of the few good books I've managed this year.

>180 lauralkeet: I know exactly what you mean about Bonnie's reviews, Laura! Her review of that very book won her a book from me this last month and caused me to order the book.

>222 lauralkeet: Looks great - I am fasting at the moment but the smell of freshly baked bread is unfortunately easily and wistfully remembered.

>234 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I don't have too many post-vaccine ambitions either, at least not yet, even though we are not in a high-risk category. I am most looking forward to doing my own grocery shopping. I never thought I'd say that! Even though delivery and curbside pickup have been a godsend, I'm looking forward to making my own choices, especially produce and alternatives when something isn't available.

>235 PaulCranswick: That Bonnie, she just hit me with another BB this morning Paul: Willy Vlautin's The Night Always Comes. *shakes fist*

>235 PaulCranswick: >236 lauralkeet: Bwahahaha You both know you love it. Stop shaking that fist at me Laura! Haha.

You're absolutely right, Bonnie. I don't know what I'd do without your book recommendations.

Hi Laura!

>229 lauralkeet: I still buy ‘regular stuff’ for baking because it always takes so much, but if I only need a couple of tablespoons, I’m using it for cooking in addition to toast and baked potatoes.

I never stopped doing in-store grocery shopping although it was and still is very stressful. I’ve taken baby steps about expanding my repertoire since becoming fully vaccinated though - I even went to the thrift store and looked for (and found) some books. The thing I miss most about pre-pandemic times is the weekly book sale team sorting meetings - all those lovely books to go through and determine whether to keep and store for the next book sale or send off to the thrift shop. Looks like we’ll be able to get back to 2 people at a time in the book sort room although I don’t quite know how we’ll do it yet. Our team is a combination of book savvy and brute strength to move racks and boxes of books. I'm on the book savvy side... *smile*

Hi Karen, happy Friday. I'm looking forward to resuming in-person grocery shopping next month, once we are two weeks past our second dose. I am really grateful for the delivery and curbside pickup services I've used this past year, but I really want to be able to choose my own food again, especially meat and produce. My past two curbside orders have required a follow-up trip inside the store to compensate for out-of-stock items (for example, hoped to make salmon for dinner but they were out of salmon, so I needed to buy something else so for dinner that night). This is a serious first-world problem but grocery shopping is (to my surprise) one of the things I'm looking forward to.

20. Darktown ()
Source: Library loan

In 1948, Atlanta’s first Black police officers went on duty. A small cohort of 8, they were assigned to a “precinct” located in a nearly-derelict YMCA building. They were segregated from white officers in every possible way. Their work focused exclusively on African American neighborhoods, access to police headquarters was extremely limited, and they often lacked access to police records required for investigations.

In Darktown, officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith witness events which later appear to be connected to the murder of a young black woman, Lily Ellsworth. The police department is uninterested in Lily’s murder, so Boggs and Smith begin investigating on their own. At the same time, rookie officer Danny Rakestraw finds himself in an uncomfortable partnership with a veteran of the force, blatantly racist, with ties to all manner of corruption inside and outside the force. Eventually Rakestraw’s path crosses with that of Boggs and Smith, and they devise a way to collaborate on solving the case.

This was a decent crime novel that also shed light on the challenges faced by Black police officers. I’ve had this on my “want to read someday” list for a very long time, and I think I might have enjoyed it more had I read it when it was published in 2016. But since that time, far too many real-world events have turned the spotlight on systemic racism in American law enforcement, which affected how I experienced the novel. While I’m glad I got around to it and satisfied my curiosity, I don’t plan to continue the series.

>241 lauralkeet: Actually there is a third Darktown novel scheduled to come out in August, 2021. I have been debating whether I "can take it", or not. I did read the second in the series last year.

>242 laytonwoman3rd: oh, thanks Linda. I amended my review. What did you think of The Lightning Men?

>240 lauralkeet: I’ve done my grocery shopping online since about 2006, Laura, so I’m one who definitely won’t be returning! Book shops yes, occasional household shopping, yes, but grocery shopping no. Under normal circumstances I will pop in to the supermarket in town to get a couple of bits and pieces, but the only time we ever usually do a full shop is the week before Christmas when we’ve failed to book a delivery slot early enough.

>241 lauralkeet: I found DarkTown very interesting Laura, particularly because of the period it was set. From a U.K. perspective, knowledge of racism in the U.S. tends to jump from the civil war to civil rights by way of To Kill a Mockingbird, so it was interesting to read something set outside those periods to get more perspective on later events.

>244 SandDune: Rhian, I'm surprised how much I want to go back to in-person shopping. In part, the supermarket in our new community is convenient and much nicer than the one where we lived before. But their online shopping experience is lacking in one significant way: there is no interaction about items that are out of stock or substituted. I receive a summary of these changes at pickup, but with the services I used before our move I had an opportunity to accept or decline a proposed substitution, and sometimes suggest something different.

I'm really glad you found Darktown interesting and that it filled gaps in your knowledge. I do think it's important to write about these things, so I think my feelings are more about my reading preferences at this moment in time, rather than about this book in particular.

Well Laura, I have to say when I read Darktown in 2019 I was infuriated by all it revealed about policing in Atlanta after WWII. Still I liked it a bit more than you and I really liked Lightning Men. I've been hoping another one was on the way.

>243 lauralkeet: I have to confess I don't remember Lightning Men as well as Darktown, and my review isn't much help. I think I was trying so hard to avoid spoilers that I recorded almost nothing about the story. "... there were times when the parallel story lines with several common elements made it a little difficult to keep everything straight." I gave it 3 1/2 stars, as opposed to the 4 I gave the first novel. I finished it just before the world turned upside down in 2020...so that could have a bearing on my recollection or lack of it.

>246 brenzi: Bonnie, I think my experience reading Darktown must have been mood-related, and influenced by considerable focus on race over the past year. It's not a bad book, and it's not a difficult read, it just didn't grab me.

>247 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. I've written reviews like that too, especially for mystery/crime novels. Or anything in a series, where you don't want to give away anything to someone who hasn't started the series yet. It's a challenge, for sure.

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Well here it is, a new month already! I only managed to read 4 books in April, a new low but there's no doubt our move took over my head space for a while. Despite my slow reading, this has been a chattier-than-usual thread, which has been wonderful. Since we're well past 200 messages and it's a new month, I'm off to create a new thread.