kath / mckait 75er's Challenge ~ Thread #2 for 2011

1. World Voyagers : The True Story of a Veterinarian a Renaissance Man and Stewart the Cat by Shelton & Wood
2. The Dead Path by Stephen M Irwin
3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
4. The Surgeon by Tess Garritson
5. Over The Falls by Jenny Gardiner
6. The Charming Quirks of Others: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith
7. Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester
8. The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 * star - loved it, breathtaking, keeper, will re-read. Possibly life changing!
4.5 * star - very good, possible keeper
4 * star liked a lot recommended
3.5 * star - very satisfying
3 * star good read, nothing extraordinary, worth 1 read
2.5 * star- failed potential but somewhat engaging
2 * star A mixed bag not worth reading unless desperate
1.5 * star It was a book
1 * star Fail ! A bunch of words cobbled together

Onward!
Current read Henrietta Lacks

Hey, am I first?

ETA Yes, I am! Yay! Sorry for the lousy back-to-school days. I always thought the adults were much harder to work with than the kids, too.

I'm planning to be in Lancaster PA in October--how far away is that from you?

lolol

yep.. you are first! :)
Welcome !

Lancaster is pretty far, sadly. I am in the south western corner.. sort of.
But October? who knows!

Woot! Five is mine!

Damn! some folks beat me to it

but I am HERE...for the long haul

*******STARRED********* you bet

>3 ronincats: My brother lives near Lancaster, PA...Christiana....don't tell him i told you...we're not speaking to each other at the moment...he's a prick/prig...i'm not

;-}

Excelsior! Avaunt! And so on.

Woot! Found you again, Kath!

Well, here you are!

yep.. I are here..
I woke feeling as if I had not slept at all.. and turned on the coffee pot.
Apparently dan forgot to set it up. I hope that is not an indication of how the day will go :P

I hope not either, Kath! Good thing it is Friday!

From Oliver's party last night. Aunt Katie gave him a book..
Dragon Keepers #1: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer

The first thing he did is pull off the dust jacket and sit down, open the book and say "read!"

Smart kid you have there for a nephlet, Kath!

He is 2 Stasia.. (looks 3, he is a tall boy! ) his mom reads to him every night. That is the shirt I got him for Christmas too :) made my day..

Good! You needed something to make your day!

Hi Kath, just checking in ... smart nephew you have there.

Hi Kath! :)

Hmmm...let me see...wouldn't that be "Great Granny Auntie Old Lady"?

THAT was passive agressive, I must say, harking back to the coffee-pot thing.

gotta love your morning coffee, eh? I am drinking right now!

>12 mckait: What a darling! Ah, another budding reader - it warms my soul.

Good Morning!
REAL coffee in the morning, cappuchino in the afternoon! Life is good.

Got a break this AM as the big kids have to go get their numbers for the race tomorrow.
Little kids are watching TV (each in their own room!) - such a treat for them and much needed downtime. I feel like I've been hit by a happy train - slept like a rock!

Kath, I'm so sorry your work days suck... seems like more than usual. You are either nuts or have amazing reserves of inner strength. I would wash windows on a skyscraper before i would do your job. Those kids are so lucky.

TGIF.... have a good weekend. :)

I would wash windows on a skyscraper before i would do your job

Seconded! Agoraphobia and all, I'd rather do that in a high wind with lightning and sleet than do one day of Kath's job.

I am here!

makes me all warm and fuzzy to see a youngin' happy to get a book for a present :)

I am nuts.. no doubt about it

Luxx... I thought of you.. he got jammies with monkeys and skulls on them :)

yesterday a teacher had to get her mouth stitched up..
.....

no down time.. :( but!!!! it is friday .. yayayayay!

okay.. I am making chicken tortilla soup, cause i want some.
Doing laundry, and screeching to a halt to try to stop and breathe

Hurrah! Chicken tortilla soup and no work for 60 hours or so!

Have a Good Week end.

yaaay....it's officially the weekend, Kath. Chix tort soup is good comfort food... mmmmm.....

Hmm, I also had chicken tortilla soup for dinner, with corn chips and cheese. Mine was leftover from last weekend, though. (Sometimes soups and chilis are even better from the freezer..defrosted and reheated, of course.) :) Mmm...

Happy weekend!

I came back because I forgot to add that Oliver is totally adorable! And he loves books - how wonderful.

Such a great picture!

>24 mckait: yesterday a teacher had to get her mouth stitched up..

When I first read that, I thought it meant that she was talking too much, or said something bad. It took me a while to figure out what you meant.

My brain get mushier by the minute.

mine too terri...lol

I love chix tortilla soup. Yes.. with cheese and chips sprinkled over the top.. so good.. maybe i will have some for breakfast :)

I love chicken tortilla soup too, Kath. Send some my way, would you? I am still at work.

Have a great weekend!

Sad for you Sasia .. truly.

go home soon.. Wish I could send some your way.. this is one of those
mmmmmmmmmmm really good this time pots.

Another couple hours and I can head home. The soup sounds delicious and I have now drooled all over the keyboard making typing on it. . .interesting :)

Morning Kath- I did not know you started a new thread but I found you anyway! Hope you are enjoying Henrietta Lacks and have a good Saturday. I'm off to the environment!

Holy guacamole, Batman! Kath's got a new thread! Way to go!

Another note in the Strange but True files.
I am doing a lot of laundry today. Bedclothes, etc.
I have a front loading washer.
I buy the soap for front loaders that lies on its side and has a tap..
you squeeze a little soap into the dispenser.. and you are done.
The top of the washer is sort of nose level to me.
I also have Downy in a similar dispenser. I use it for some things and not others. I do use it for bedclothes and towels. I use very little..

I just went down to put in my final ( I hope ) load for the day, and the entire top of the washer was coated in blue. During cleanup I decided it was the fabric softener and not the soap, as it didn't suds even a little when I washed it from my hands. And of course the expensive bottle of Downy was half empty.

It was not that way an hour or two ago when I put in the jeans.. but ..
The container was not knocked over, nor is it split.

I am getting weary of weekend mystery theater...
:-/

Almost finished with Henrietta Lacks..

OMG

omg

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/08/arizona.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=...

Sharron Angle's 'Second Amendment Remedies'?

OMG, indeed. I saw this on Yahoo this afternoon. Now, I have nothing against guns, per se....only against the "fools" who own them...so, what is this, 10 points for the Tea Party??? makes me sick and not a little bit ashamed

Wondered what happened to you today, Kath...the laundry gremlins strike again...hope mine don't act the same on Monday.

***thanks for the eCard on FB....so sweet****

;-}

3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 4 stars

finished. Nothing more to be said aside from .. more terrible than I imagined.

on to fluff.

HI Kath

Great photo!

kat - I think you've received a hidden message to stop using fabric softeners. I have heard they are very bad for your dryer as the wax in them ends up clogging the filters. I don't know if it is true, but I don't use them at all any more. I use those dryer balls that keep your clothes fluffy. OK, end of commercial.

Thanks Linda :)

Those things work?? interesting.. I look at them all the time.. I never heard that ab out softener.. I will have to give this some thought. :P

Angus did it ;)

Morning Kath- Boy, I had to go looking for your Thread ! Where is she, anyway? i hope you have a good Sunday and are immersed in a good read!
ETA- I picked up the audio of Angelology yesterday. Yah! I've had my friend's book copy for months now. i plan on getting to it soon.

Passing through.....

Hello! Very weird.. I posted here this morning .. clearly it isn't here.
hmm

Angelology is so good, I look forward to your thoughts.

Hi Lucy !

I read a bit of a gory mystery yesterday..more on that later.. and a short fluffy thing by an author that I think I like better when she writes non-fiction.
I will catch things up later.

nook reading seems to go faster than book reading.. why is that?

What kind of aura is surrounding you lately, Kath. Too many strange things.

:( I know~

check-in *smooch*

Have a great Sunday, Kath!

A warm {{{{hug}}} on this Cold morning!

;-}

Good morning!

hugs back jude! It sure is cold!!!

Hi Joanne :)

4 Surgeon by Tess Garritson

a 3 star murder mystery. A serial killer stalks a previous victim who by either accident or design has escaped death at his hands.

5. Over the Falls by Jenny Gardiner
3 stars

This was meant to be a DT book, but publisher difficulties and so on..
it is an ebook only. It was written by the author of WINGING IT: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me

I loved Winging it. This one is contemporary women's fiction and pure fluff.
It is good for what it is.. Harlequin-esque .. and I was looking for something just like it yesterday.

Yo! Wondered what happened to you....somebody has been reading (but not I)

Have never read Tess Garritson.....folks keep recommending her books...but, you know how it goes...my bookshelves are groaning, threatening rebellion....

Maybe I could use some Fluff....but i'd expect my Fluff ain't yours

{{{{hug}}}}}anywho

;-}

I think I got this one of hers as a freebie for nook.. no doubt to entice us to buy others? It was okay. I wasn't bowled over, but .. I was rather horrified so?
It lived up to itself :P

The other was also okay. I get really impatient with fluff.. but sometimes I just want to read it. This might be better for someone else. I wish she would write another non fiction :P

~~~pretty quiet here.....

good morning !

Good morning, Kath! Have a great Monday!

I read The Surgeon and The Apprentice - they were OK but not enough to entice me into the rest of the series. If you are looking for a great mystery, I recommend The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe; it was excellent!

Hello and welcome Colleen! What an interesting screen name ! I bet there is a story behind it? I will have taken a peek at The Calling and added it to my ammy wish list.. .. yikes! Another series .. terrifying! lol

ooops! didn't mean to ignore you stas.. I was blinded by a new series.. :P

#63: Kath, The Calling is available for the Nook. I downloaded it from B&N. Let me check to see if it is lendable. . .

Woot! It is! Would you like me to lend it to you? Never done it before, but I expect we can figure out how to do it. You just need to keep in mind that you only have 14 days to read it.

63: Kath, I'm in the U.S. Foreign Service and sometimes life overseas is a three ring circus so...

I hope you both enjoy The Calling which is creepy and atmospheric and very well written in my opinion. I have the second book in the series on my wishlist.

Finally caught up on both of your threads Kath! Glad to see your Nephew had a good birthday party!

Oy. Such a day today. Hope you're still free, as in not arrested for massacring the idiots who so richly deserve it.

I did a Lend Me Book. It was really easy. You just need the person's email address. And, the 2 weeks does not start until you "pick it up."

Kath- I hope you had a good Monday!

I'm ignoring all references to a new series....

Hi all.. what happened to the weekend? sheesh!
It was a monday.

Stasia is kindly loaning me the book for nook, but I have to charge it.. so I will most likely pick it up tomorrow Stas.. Thank you ! and it was nice to talk to you today :)

Caro.. I understand .. I do.. I am almost afraid to see if the library ebooks include Ian Rutledge books..

I am very very tired.. :P

I hope you get it all right, Kath! Let me know if you do not, and I will attempt to re-send it.

Have a great Tuesday!

It should be fine.. I will try to get it this morning.. or after work today..
I am running a little late. .rough night..
unusual for me to have bad dreams.. but I did..
and dunc had me up a lot with bathroom issues..

Sorry to hear that you (and Duncan) had a rough night. I hope today is not too rough for you.

thank you stas. fingers crossed

Hiya kath, hope duncan is ok and sorry to read about the bad dream. May I recommend Tension Tamer tea before bedtime? I've been sleeping like a baby with the stuff.

mmmm I like that tea :)

Lynda, I usually sleep well and dream good and interesting dreams. Last night was just ..unusual. I am unaccountably filled with ..dread. It is dread, and I can't figure out why. I am worried about my son who is sick.. and that figured in.

Duncan has been in a delicate state since christmas. My fault he wasn't feeling well.. I let him finish off some meat and gravy that I didn't want to eat yesterday.
Stupid of me.

Morning Kath- Hope you have a better day today! We are getting a little snow right now! "Little" is the key word!

{{{{{{hugs}}}}} this morning!

I understand pet/people food issues...I have to be careful of how much "people food" i give to my old cat....her digestive system tends to, uh, over react..

I understand,too, those weird feelings of "dread"....nasty buggers!

Have to go into town today....try to get all my bizness done before the snow hits.

;-}

Home... Terrible drive. Nearly went into a ditch.. went off the road twice.
I have a mile long curvy hill and it wasn't touched. Rt 65 not touched.
horrible drive. =8-O

Kath, no snow here as yet, but the prediction is for it to begin around 6:00. Perhaps a snow day for both of us tomorrow?

Don't tell Will I'm hoping for this. I went back to work yesterday for the first time since my surgery October 18th. I'm sure he and Simon the Sheltie were doing back flips of joy in a quiet house without my presence.

#81: Yikes, Kath! I hope you have a snow day (with Linda, of course) so that you do not have to make that drive tomorrow!

We never have a snow day. Well.. almost never.
They used to keep the road well cleared as we also have a rehab facility
( PT) there.. no longer.

But that doesn't mean that I won't call off :P
Not when the roads are so bad.

>#81 Hope the central PA snow plows do a better job- heading out into it now. Expect school delays tomorrow.

gee wiz, be careful out there will ya :)

I used to hate driving in the snow....that I do not miss

I don't mind it usually kara... today though.. whew!

Be safe Helen!

Kath, Glad you got back to the place you love the mostest safe and sound. We've a band concert to attend at school this evening and it ain't lookin' to nice out there. Stay warm and cozy :)

Good grief Lynda.. be careful.. hopefully the roads will be cleared when you go out.

Sorry you had a lousy drive, Kath. Glad you are home safe, finally. I don't work at the library on Tuesdays, so I didn't have to go slip-slidin' on the hill today. Hubby's meeting tonight was postponed, so we shall both stay in where it's warm.

Hope you have a restful evening, and that Dunkers digestion has settled a bit!

So far I haven't seen a flake. Kinda disappointed.

Home safe- not too bad, but the usual idiots going too fast.

My friend and neighbor margie just called me. Her son was driving home through the same town I had such problems today on RT 65. He lost control of his car, went over the median and was hit twice. He is ok.. but, shaken .

I'm home. Mostly traffic in the South Hills. Main roads okay. I don't have the right car and I HATE THE SNOW...

Glad you're safe, Kath.

Glad you are too,(((( Nancy)))

Glad you made it home safely Kath, and that your friend's son is okay. I hope the weather improves soon.

ETA Hope Duncan's better soon, too.

Kath- Sounds like a harrowing drive home! Yikes! Well, your home now and I hope they get those roads clear for you tomorrow. Get some rest!

oh noes! Our roads are getting bad here too. Ugh, I hate winter! :/

Yikes! I know you are all being super-careful on the roads. I'm gonna worry about you anyway. :{

Hi Kath!!!!
Hope you get a day off tomorrow. Or at least that the roads are cleared.

It's so good to be home from FL - especially since we are getting a storm tomorrow morning. I'm not going anywhere. Glad I got home today .
Bridget and family left FL on Sunday about noon and drove like crazy to get ahead of the storm. They just missed it and all is well. Whew!

Dunkers! Baby! Hope you are feelin' better, 'ol boy! :)

Well.. I am feeling much more positive about summer, since I have time off then..
Winter = work in too many ways.

Cee dear, you have no idea how very relieved I am to find you here.. safe and sound.

Dunkers sends snerfles to Auntie Cee...

Glad you're home safe, Kath. Hope you get a snow day tomorrow. All the schools here are closed tomorrow because of the storm they say will come in tonight.

*sipping an Irish Coffee*

Stay safe on those roads. So scary!

brrrr cold, headache.

Many of the districts we serve have delays. We do not. We never do. IF the district where our school resides closes... we close. Sometimes. Aside from that, no.. And also parents are told that if their district is on delay, they may drive their kids in. Some do. I have seen them put kids into a taxi ... alone. Great eh?

When the kids have delays, it makes for a hectic but shorter day. pros and cons..
We have one parent who convinced their bus driver to pick up their chold on a day the district was delayed. I could tell some stories that would have your hair standing up straight off your head. Too much for y'all and too much to type.

well.. it looks like all of our districts that we serve are either delayed or closed.
We are neither. Not even delayed. More evidence that the lunatics are running the asylum.

#104: More evidence that the lunatics are running the asylum.

As if any more were needed! Travel very safely today, Kath - if you decide to go in to work.

Well.. the district where our school sits has closed. Our school has not. The rule is that if that district closes so do we. Most of the districts we serve are now closed. So much for that. Barb lives on the road that I slid off of yesterday. She can see cars sliding down from her kitchen window.. and giving up and parking at the bottom instead of going up.

interesting

I am just waiting. I may go in late.. or not at all..
we shall see...

The snow started here around 6:30 -- too late to call off school (for some reason they have to see it before they believe it, not entirely unwise, I guess), anyhow I made the call NOT to send my little darling to school -- I know just what is going to happen. They get them all there and then decide after an hour or two to send them all home. We could get 8-10 inches but the real factor is big afternoon wind. She's been so tired lately and mid-terms are next week, soooooo..... she can rest and study. We have a no internet during the school day rule, sick or snow day, so she'll sleep and then study. Nuttin' else to do!

Kath- I hope you get to stay home! I'm off today too! Yah!

nope. I am leaving. All districts that we serve are closed.
asses.

As am I for going..

Kath,
I'm praying for you whether you like it or not. :)
Don't know what else to do with you.
Logic/clear thinking/warnings/begging/common sense don't work! :P

Hope you (and car) get home safe and in one piece.
Check in when you can... I have no doubt we are all in for stories of your adventures for the day.
heavy sigh

Hope you are well, Kath. *Waves*

Idiots. That's what they are, idiots.

Kath,Hope you made there and back ok today.

sorry...but you work for ass jacks!

check in when you can :)

What Richard said, Kath!

So, just to be a resident contrarian, does your program stay open because your kids and their families need you more? These are special needs kids, yes? So is the special needs nature of the program what results in its staying open....??

But of course, it could stay open for good reasons and you might still be working for/with idiots.

Everything outside is grey and white... ahhh beauteous!
Hope you are safe and warm.
Time for reading - and/or a nap.

home
roads were fine when I left work...
we ran to store and dinner and they are getting bad again.

Hope all is well with all of you...
just in, back soon...

Glad you're home safe, Kath. So tell us, how many students were absent today? If it was a high percentage, they were absolutely nuts to carry on.

Happy you are home, sorry the roads are getting bad again. Our snow pretty much all went away.

there were 12 students there out of 140
full staff .. including kitchen for 6 student lunches

No comment.

ok... one comment :P

you should have heard the comments in my head
We cleaned and did laundry..
then I read a book.
Whatever..
tomorrow may end up being similar :P

just glad you got there and back safe :)

Kath, you work for idiots! ...oops.. sorry, did that come out? :-p How does your school stay open when the district is closed? And the parents who brought their kids in in this weather... no comment.

My company was closed today ...and even then 2 people went to work! Weirdos..

agreed nuts and wierdos

I bought a new tv... one that has a DVD player for my bedroom..
I am pretty excited.. i got it set up . . . finally !
I am so tired!

WooHoo! Does that mean you can watch something besides football, etc?

Movies? Popcorn? Beer? Push over... partay in Kath's crib!
All furkids invited! ;-)

climb in.. there is room! popcorn in bed? beer for sure!
Sounds fun :) What should we watch first?

6. The Charming Quirks of Others: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander Mccall Smith

A vine book read and reviewed! three stars ... meh~

Another snowy morning.. brrrr!

So, are the lunatics keeping your school open again today???

*sigh*

We have another snow day. My son is not happy with the disruption to his routine, but he will live. In fact, he is sounding perkier now.

My computer is not happy since updates yesterday, but I'm trying to keep it going here long enough to get my current son's school project done. Then it's probably off to the "computer doctor" for an attitude adjustment . . .

Stay safe, Kath!

Mornin' Kath!
It's a beautiful snowy world outside here. Hope your world is safe today.

You are really knocking out the books this year!
Have a happy! Tomorrow is Friday! :)

sorry he wasn't happy :( terri...

one kid whose district was closed...his mom put him and 2 other kids in the car and drove for nearly an hour to bring him in. Most of our districts were on a 2 hr delay.. she brought him in on time.. through the snow. And came backe ( late) to get him.

Last year we had kids on 2 hour delays.. and they were sent in on a day we had a half day. We brought them in, fed them and sent them right back home. It was enough to keep some of them out of the house for as much as 5 hours though.. since they come such a distance..

just sayin

I don't know how you do it, Kath...

.......an sending a {{{{{BIG HUG}}}}}}....we're going to need them on this cold night!

;-}

now I have to sort out a new phone system.. long story....

Good luck with the new phone system, Kath. Stay safe in all this driving around you are having to do!

*waves*

Whoohoo....a new tv with a dvd player AND a new phone system? Oh wait.. the phone system is for your house or something at work? If work, then bleeah, if home, then whoohoo stands.

Sorry you had a meh read with Charming Quirks, Kath. I can't read McCall Smith .. I tried and she just bores me.

Better luck with your next read... if you can tear yourself away from your new tv. ;-)

If you have to install a new phone system, then Dan has to take you out to dinner ... to a nice place ... this weekend!
No two ways about it.

New phone due to phone issues with comcast.. They keep saying it might be my equipment.. so I got a new phone with a couple of "baby" phones. I then got rid of one upstairs... it was old and so?

Well.. then I lost internet service because ???

Anyway..it is sorted due to trial and error and plugging and unplugging and
I now feel like crying :(

What a whiner :P

I usually like Dalhousie novels.. but maybe I am just "over " her or ?

The tv is a whole different thing. I haven't watched it yet, really...I have been going at a run since yesterday morning.. I just now sat down for more than 10 minutes. I was on here while I ate. I am feeling =8-

You so deserve a nice hot tub, with candle light, and sweet music and then a warm comfy pj and crawl into bed with a wonderful book and then a long good night's sleep! Or whatever would make you feel cared for, and relaxed, and recharged.

Or just win one of those $1,000,000+ lotteries!

#142: Or just win one of those $1,000,000+ lotteries!

I like your thinking, Karen!

me too! that would solve it :)

I hope you have a good Friday, Kath! Try the lottery today for sure. We are cheering you on!

seriously... I hear the snowplow out there.. wow.
hard to believe...

Thanks stas... it will be okay..
a couple more excedrine and coffee and my headache feels like it is receding a bit.
I can do it! :PPPP

Morning Kath- Just get through this one! Are you guys off Monday?

>142 maggie1944: Dr Maggie, Your prescription is perfect!
You could do all that, Kath!

Candle light in the bathroom (shower or tub) is so relaxing/sensuous/soothing.
Everyone should try it.

Once again, TGIF! :)

And just one little detail. When you light the candle(s), then turn the bright glaring overhead lights off!

glitter-graphics.com

;-}

>131 mckait: Oh bother, said Pooh, I seem to have the bridge book in the collection somehow, and I swear it's not because I bought it. I understand, and even forgive, the need for bridge books in a series, but I expect the bridge to have goldsmiths' shops and trinket-markets and prostitutes at the on and off ramps, if I'm going to walk across them. Like that bridge over the Arno in Florence, whose name escapes me because I had three hours' sleep. I don't do well changing poopy diapers at 3am for 160lb old ladies who are mad as hell they are being molested.

I have to chuckle, though, because the dog (who sleeps with me) acted exactly like a miffed spouse: when I came back to bed, she gave me a miffed glare, rolled pointedly onto her *other* side, and sighed noisily. In case I didn't get the point, she stood up, kicked me, turned around three times, and sighed heavily again. So typically wifely! AND she doesn't have sex with me.

Apparently I've married outside my species.

Happy Weekend! to you :)

>149 maggie1944: Well, ya! Of course you turn the lights off, Dr Maggie! :)
I know, I should never assume...

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
I would like to put a disclaimer in here for Caro and Angela -
The accident-prone must be supervised by an attentive adult. lol

>151 richardderus: I just want you to know, RD, I have never as a wife "turned around three times" (in the manner of which you speak) in bed. I only do that when I get up to go pottie... sometimes.

Hi Kath, I think it's about time that someone I know wins the lottery so why not you? Go for it :)

Sorry karen, I missed your first post. Pls forgive?

Good suggestions.. and believe me, the lights are always low at my house!
And I agree .. some folks should be supervised when in low light and dangerous situations. Like flying. * ducks*

Marcia is back to being unhappy in her life which means that she is being mean and vindictive at work. Goddess help me. Anyway.. the aitch with her.. it is friday and I don't have to think about her until TUESDAY!!! hooray!

We had a half day today for the kids, I then had paperwork to do and a class for TAP~IT technology. I enjoyed that :)

I am going to be home all evening and do as little as possible tonight. I will catch up with laundry etc tomorrow. I am so fried. Now are there any volunteers to open the bottle of wine for me? Anyone?

Love the turtle GIF :)

hugs and happy weekend to you too Kara and all of you!

I'd open the wine for you, Kath...but my arm isn't THAT long...to reach to your house

Relax, my friend....

Another vote for TGIF. It was a bad day at my version of Black Rock yesterday, and I was still a little shaky this morning when I went for my gym training, but things are looking better now. And I've got three days off.

I may open a bottle of something spirited myself.

mine is open!! hope y'all open one too :)

Is Monday some sort of holiday that I don't remember?

Sounds like you have Monday off at least - a three day weekend!! (Both my boys are off, too, but alas, not me.) :(

#160: Me either, Joanne, so we can commiserate together.

Martin Luther King Jr. day - moved to Monday from Saturday, his Birthday.

yep.. MLK. Often, we don't get it off.. this year we do. Our entire schedule is based on the whims of Michele the magnificent. This year she shortened the Christmas break and gave us MLK. She also changed the summer schedule again. More days and fewer hours... as demanded by parents who do not want their preschoolers at home.

I am glad to be off.
I am finally ( maybe) going to start Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories today.
I need to run to the grocery store in a bit and then start laundry and THEN!
I can read :)

Has anyone seen ficusfan's thread?

ok.. I keep seeing this meme so I had to investigate:

Fiction 1 DESIREE Annemarie Selinko
Fiction 2 THE SILVER CHALICE Thomas B. Costain
Fiction 3 GOLDEN ADMIRAL Francis Van Wyck Mason
Fiction 4 KISS ME AGAIN STRANGER, Daphne du Maurier
Fiction 5 HOTEL TALLYRAND Paul Hyde Bonner
Fiction 6 BATTLE CRY Leon Uris
Fiction 7 THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY Ernest K. Gann
Fiction 8 PRINCE BART Jay Richard Kennedy
Fiction 9 THE ECHOING GROVE Rosamond Lehmann
Fiction 10 STEAMBOAT GOTHIC Frances Parkinson Keyes
Fiction 11 THE CAINE MUTINY Herman Wouk
Fiction 12 IN THE WET Nevil Shute
Fiction 13 ZORBA THE GREEK Nikos Kazantzakis
Fiction 14 EAST OF EDEN John Steinbeck
Fiction 15 CORPUS OF JOE BAILEY Oakley Hall
Fiction 16 NINE STORIES J.D. Salinger
Non-Fiction 1 THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Norman Vincent Peale
Non-Fiction 2 ANNAPURNA Maurice Herzog
Non-Fiction 3 THE SILENT WORLD Jacques Yves Cousteau and Frederic Dumas
Non-Fiction 4 MAJOR CAMPAIGN SPEECHES Adlai Stevenson
Non-Fiction 6 THIS I BELIEVE Edward R. Murrow
Non-Fiction 7 A MAN CALLED PETER Catherine Marshall
Non-Fiction 8 THE WORLD AND THE WEST Arnold Toynbee
Non-Fiction 9 THE POOR MAN'S GUIDE TO EUROPE David Dodge
Non-Fiction 10 PRINCE OF PLAYERS Eleanor Ruggles
Non-Fiction 11 ANGEL UNAWARE Dale Evans Rogers
Non-Fiction 12 POSTCARDS FROM DELAPLANE Stanton Delaplane
Non-Fiction 13 HOW TO PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF ALL THE TIME Tommy Armour
Non-Fiction 14 PEOPLE PLACES, AND BOOKS, Gilbert Highet
Non-Fiction 15 ELIZABETH AND PHILIP Geoffrey Bocca
Non-Fiction 16 THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM Ogden Nash

Are the NYT Best sellers from the week I was born . To the best of my memory I have only read 2 of them.
A MAN CALLED PETER Catherine Marshall and
THE SILENT WORLD Jacques Yves Cousteau and Frederic Dumas

http://www.biblioz.com/best_sellers.php?a=0&i=44365157

I have one of Gilbert Highet's books, but not the one on the list. I read Dale Evans Rogers' Angel Unaware a lifetime ago!

Morning Kath- I'm glad you are off for MLK! You need it, my friend! I'm really enjoying Angelology. Very fresh and inviting. Have a good Saturday!
BTW- "Atlantic" sounds very interesting!

Hi Kath!


glitter-graphics.com

OK here is my birthweek list.

Fiction 1 EAST OF EDEN John Steinbeck
Fiction 2 THE SILVER CHALICE Thomas B. Costain
Fiction 3 GIANT Edna Ferber
Fiction 4 STEAMBOAT GOTHIC Frances Parkinson Keyes
Fiction 5 THE CAINE MUTINY Herman Wouk
Fiction 6 THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY Tom Lea
Fiction 7 THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA Ernest Hemingway
Fiction 8 SIRONIA TEXAS, Madison Cooper
Fiction 9 DON CAMILLO AND HIS FLOCK Giovanni Guareschi
Fiction 10 QUEEN'S GIFT Inglis Clark Fletcher
Fiction 11 THE MAN ON A DONKEY H.F.M. Prescott
Fiction 12 THE MAGIC LANTERN Robert Carson
Fiction 13 EXECUTIVE SUITE Cameron Hawley
Fiction 14 THE HOUSES IN BETWEEN Howard Spring
Fiction 15 THE BOUNTY LANDS William Donohue Ellis
Fiction 16 THE GOWN OF GLORY Agnes Sligh Turnbull
Non-Fiction 1 TALLULAH Tallulah Bankhead
Non-Fiction 2 A MAN CALLED PETER Catherine Marshall
Non-Fiction 4 THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Norman Vincent Peale
Non-Fiction 5 ABRAHAM LINCOLN Benjamin P. Thomas
Non-Fiction 6 THE LAST RESORTS Cleveland Amory
Non-Fiction 7 THE BIG CHANGE Frederick Lewis Allen
Non-Fiction 8 BEYOND THE HIMALAYAS William O. Douglas
Non-Fiction 9 THIS I BELIEVE Edward R. Murrow
Non-Fiction 10 THE GLITTER AND THE GOLD Consuelo Vanderbilt Balson
Non-Fiction 11 THE SEA AROUND US Rachel Carson
Non-Fiction 12 THE GREAT ENTERPRISE H.A. Overstreet
Non-Fiction 13 THE HERBLOCK BOOK Herbert Block
Non-Fiction 14 HUNTER John A. Hunter
Non-Fiction 15 LYING IN STATE Stanton Griffis
Non-Fiction 16 DIVIDED WE FOUGHT David Donald

I think I've read five, but The Sea Around Us is one of my very favorite books, so it must count extra.

The Herblock Book? Never heard of that one, I have to say.

ouch! you got me with that one Helen! THE SEA AROUND US Rachel Carson looks good. There is a beautiful sounding new edition out..

I have put it on my wishlist.. to await a day when I once again will buy a book.. lol

Love the GIF Cee :)
and there are several that I have never heard of stas..

Oh, Good Lord...did they even have "printed" books when I was born...or were we still using papyrus/stylus???

Have a good weekend, kiddo! I don't do Laundry until Monday.... READING...i promise i will try....

;-}

The Sea Around Us is the book that built her reputation and gave her the credibility needed for Silent Spring to have the effect it did. Advances in science have made some of her text out-of-date, but a lot of it is descriptive, and it is so well written that it is still relevant.

It is pretty easy to find good used copies - in many editions.

Hi jude my friend! nice to see you here..
I like to get the no fun stuff out of the way on saturday so sunday is
free for me. I have made a pot of chili, finished the laundry and will make a pot of stuffed peppers in a bit, for tomorrow.

Helen.. I have seen that! I will most likely pick on up sometime when I am buying books again. I have to make a bit of a dent in the 2-300 on the tbr pile :-/

I have begun Atlantic and so far I am liking it.

Me, too, kat...getting the chores done first. Good advice from a mother...

I am working on my laundry and my dishes. Also, planning recipes and menus (not too complicated since I'm cooking for me).

Reading, reading, reading....need to....do it.....

lol, my kids still do it! work first was our motto..
they grumbled while getting it done, but were glad
when they had sunday free for fun stuff!

I go into the food store and wait for inspiration.
Sometimes it depends on what happens to be on sale..
sometimes mood or weather. I try to do enough cooking on the
weekend to last a day or two after. I am a huge fan of leftovers.

Enjoy your three days off, Kath. I liked your birthday list (and Helen's, too) better than mine. I only recognized a few titles from the dark ages when I was born. ;-(

I am like you in that I want to get my work out of the way before I start playing...or in your case, relaxing. I'm doing laundry this morning right along with you. No making chili, though. Mine's in the freezer!

What will you be reading this long week end?

Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories today... and a murder mystery on my nook ..

I just put a sliced meatloaf in the freezer :) for another day. :)

{{{{{hug}}}}}

I try to do Laundry on days when the hardware stores are open...my washer & dryer are old...and I'd hate to be stuck with a broken washer and no help available...besides, I live alone..and the laundry basket isn't full until Sunday night.

I cook with leftovers in mind...3 to 4 days worth of meals...don't like to cook for just one day...sometimes the last thing i need is to stand by the stove. I made a casserole yesterday that should last today and tomorrow. I usually cook with whatever needs to be used out of the freezer...and what's in the cupboards..I only buy meat when it's on sale...keep a good selection of dried/canned beans on hand...eggs & cheese....frozen veg....potatoes/onions...i cook simple but good food...my weight can attest to that!

I hate to do dishes!

;-}

I hate to do dishes too, but I hate dirty ones in the sink more... :P
My food on hand is different now than it was when the kids were home.
Black and kidney beans, tomatoes in various states, pasta galore. A frozen roast or two..onions.. rarely potatoes..fresh and frozen broccoli and cauliflower..
and my secret vice.. frozen jalapeno poppers :)

Frozen jalapeno poppers...are to die for!! Damn, now i have to put that on my grocery list for next week
;-)

i buy potatoes because I make a lot of Potato Soup...and can't live without Mashed Potatoes..at least not for long...and I bake potatoes in the microwave....because with cooked potatoes on hand, i'm halfway to dinner.....with eggs and cheese and whatever..

i keep chicken in the freezer, in various forms....venison in various forms (not a lot of beef except ground)....i do have a little pot roast "on ice"
though......frozen pasta (ravioli and tortellini)

life is good

;-}

When I do have potatoes, or sometimes I guy 5 lbs.. just to par boil and keep in the fridge to make home fries or? I am totally unable to make good potato soup. I gave up long ago when I found Bear Creek. Theirs is good. Mine is not.
I love potatoes! That is why I don't buy them often. IN the winter I like to bake 6-8 and put them in as a lunch for me or part of one for dan. Or just to have for dinner when I get home. I can always find something to top it with.

I keep chicken in the freezer too.. forgot to mention it :)
ha ha on the poppers :)

Bear Creek Potato soup Mix??? I saw that they carry that in my grocery Store now.....I don't know if my potato soup is any good, by other folks' standards..i think it is...i've got some recipes...i'll send you the links if i can find them

Home Fries are to-die-for!!

Potatoes, in themselves, are not fattening....it's the glop we love to top them with , that is...that's why I sometimes have just a Loaded Baked Potato for dinner....grinning whilst eating...yum yum....toppings all over the plate

;-)

how about home fries cooked with bacon, baby!! yum

And that is exactly right..
butter
cheese
bacon..

sigh

You should see what I can do to an innocent cauliflower.

151/153 I have actually kicked Grant in the face (several times) with my feet. I am a very active sleeper! Poor baby!

I like Bear creek soup mixes!

They are really good. I always have them here for emergency food :)
as in I just do not want to cook today.. that and good bread or even toast..
food! filling and yummy.

Cheese? Bacon? Stop, you're hurting me!

Cauliflower....as in "Caully Cheese"? (with cheese sauce....and i add a bit of cayenne to mine)

Here are some Potato soups...they do work with some tweaking:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Veggie-Potato-Soup

this is a Crockpot recipe..it makes a lot....with some personal tweaking it's good.

another:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Winter-Chowder

use broccoli if you don't like brussels sprouts, but they are so good in soup

i'll stop being bossy now......

;-p

random LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EikL7FIOm4

Kath- You guys talking food again! My stomach is grumbling. My wife is at her nephews birthday party. I'm on my own for dinner. At least I have a steak to cook up!

just finished cooking the stuffed pepper for tomorrow. It always tastes better the next day so...

Leftovers will turn into stuffed pepper soup on monday :) with the help of a little V-8 and rice etc.

I am reading Atlantic.. and loving it btw.

I am warning you! I may need to unstar you if you keep it up with this potatoes, and bacon, and pasta, talk. I am doing good on my new years effort to lose some of my little old lady fat and flab~ eating veggies and good stuff, exercising, and avoiding the potatoes, bacon, and pasts...for now.

No, seriously, your talk of cooking for more than one day needs to seed itself in my brain. I am always picking something up because I've not planned ahead.

OK, enough out of me.

Karen ... when we went out to eat the other night, the woman in the next booth
kept talking LOUDLY about weight watchers points and etc...so I feel your pain.
I will behave fr a while. If you spend a weekend cooking .. say three or four things and then freeze portions.. maybe it would work for you? Having things ready to eat might help?

I am full of good advice, but I am likely to eat pick up food or bad food when I come home from work and save the good stuff to send with dan for lunch. Still.. I like to having to worry about what to cook :)

Glad I waited till I ate my supper before I read this thread!
I hate cooking.
But, drat it, I get hungry!
So... since no one else around here cooks... :P

btw Ron wants you to know he's "racing" through Working the Sea - he's ALREADY on page 68! He finds it interesting - all American names (that's a good thing).

Sorry... double posted. Computer acting weird. Or maybe it's me. :(

I am glad he is racing through it and finding good names.. lol
It gave me pleasure to send a book for him too..

Hiya Kath, Hope your weekend is going well. I also did most of my laundry, still have towels but as long as we're clothed, I'm moving in the right direction.

#188: That was great, Kath! Thanks for posting it.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Good morning everyone..

Lynda.. laundry is one of the most dissatisfying of chores... no matter how hard you try, unless you are a family of nudists, you are never really caught up.
:)

I was looking for something else stas, and that popped up. Made me laugh.
Someone on FB mentioned watching something on HULU. It is a British comedy called The Book Club. I spent way too long watching it. Books play a part.. as in they mention titles and sort of begin to think about discussing them. It is more soap opera-ish? anyway.. it is okay. So I thought I would mention it here..

I do not do 'soap opera-ish,' so think I will stay away from The Book Club.

I know exactly what you mean about laundry. Sometimes I wish I did belong to a family of nudists. Good thing I don't though - Sherman would never be the same :)

There is a family on my street that I have heard rumors about.. lol
To each their own!

I am going to have to get Catey to post the video she was showing us last night. I think you would get a hoot out of it, Kath.

ok :) I will be on the lookout!

It will be at least a couple of hours, since I am not even home from work yet, but I will post it here.

Morning, Kath!
You still have 2 whole days! Any plans now that your chores are done?
Got more snow last night - I need a long walk in the woods. :)

wow! you are here early.. !

Wait until full light to walk.. I don't want to have to come out to look for you :P

A long walk in the woods sounds good, Claudia! Kath and I will form a search party if needed.

Morning Kath- I was posting my review of Unbroken, as you were stopping by. Yes, that's a picture of my tbr, some of the "M's". This also helps me to remember what I have in store. Please steal away! Not walking for me until Tuesday!

7. Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester

Read, rated and reviewed. Now I need a nap.

Kath - nice review. I enjoyed reading it.

Very nice review indeed!

Kath, this is the video I was telling you about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ssXJtzFOjA

Kath- Great review of "Atlantic"! You gotta thumb!

Nice review, Kath. I'm glad you liked it as it's one I plan to get to eventually.

Veeerrrrrry interesting! Nice review there, Kath! Thumb!

I have to admit, the only other book I read by Winchester was The Man Who Loved China which should have been titled "The Man Who Loved Himself". I say I found the book disagreeable, but maybe it was Needham (main character) that I didn't like. :P
Anyway, I've heard he is a good author, so I should give him another try.

Glad you enjoyed it. The sea is entirely fascinating!

Nice review! Glad you liked it.

I was your sixth thumbs-up for Atlantic, Kath. Nice review!

Wow... thanks all :) I am glad I read it, but it was rather exhausting.. lol

I wandered off to read another book..
Stasia.. thank you for the nook loan of

8. The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe 3 stars

A very serviceable mystery, if a little gory. I don't think I will continue the series, but I am glad that I read this one. Possibly more later...

Stas... lol the video.. thank you!

Hi Kath! Hope you are having a good Sunday...I'm reading and hubby is watching football...a very good Sunday around here. :)

Loved your review of Atlantic : Great Battles, Kath. I'm sorely tempted to add it to my obese wish list ..but I shall desist.

217: oh, I'm sorry you didn't like The Calling :(

Late checking in....Felt like crap today.....sinus headache and my back hurt....hauling wood from the garage yesterday, I knew that last wheelbarrow load was too heavy, but I pushed it around back anyway...dummy me! kept ice on the pain this morning and took my meds...i'm ready for bed...and soon...I am almost finished with the book i have been reading for, what, 30+ days now.....Slowpoke doesn't even cut it

Lazy Sunday segues into Laundry Monday
;-}

Wait! Careful doing laundry tomorrow, Jude! The hardware store might not be open! MLK day. lol

Do I know where your thread is, or did I lose it again? Don't recall reading it lately????

* shuffling off with magnifying glass to find Jude's elusive thread*

>223 -Cee-: My thread is dormant....you haven't missed a thing.

The hardware stores should be open tomorrow, in this unenlightened neck of the woods.....besides, i need clean undies!

;-}

#218: Glad you enjoyed the video. Sorry you did not enjoy the book more.

I hope you have a nice day off Monday!

Happy day off, Kath! I really need to get my hands on Atlantic: Great Battles.

ETA: #211 ROFL

Stas and Colleen.. I didn't NOT enjoy the book. Remember, for me 2 is a good solid read. I just don't think I will pursue the series..
I am glad I read it :)

I am posting my updated star ratings on my profile and in the top post..
:)

#226: I am glad you enjoyed the video too, Lynda!

#227: OK. For me, two is well below anything I would read, so your rating makes sense now what I know your scale is.

I have to start making sure I comb my hair or something when I leave the house.
I was at the store getting stuff for chix fajitas before I take dunc for a nail trim
it is 9F and very cold
a very old bent little lady in a dress and boots was walking to the bus. I terrified her when I stopped to offer her a ride. She was lugging her shopping.
:(
she was going to wait for a bus
sad :(

Hi Kath!
I don't think it was your hair! lol
Though you should comb it at least once in the morning!
This woman probably places great importance on her independence...and it keeps her going. Like you! Stubborn! LOL ;-)

Today, I am gonna try to sign up for soc sec benefit. When I get it, it will all go to paying off my mortgage! Hope I live long enough. Also, hope it doesn't go bust before I do!

Dunkers will be so handsome! Have a good one! :)

On the topic of little ole ladies lugging their shopping and waiting for bus....if it were me, and it could be, I might be hoping to be doing my strengthening exercises by doing that walking and hauling.

I bought a house with stairs because I believe oldsters should walk up more stairs if they can, not less!

Yeah.. I get that.. but it was so blasted COLD!!! brrrr 9F!!

Still no reading for me today. I have spent the last hour trying to sort out Duncan's medical records. ( I keep copies of anything pertinent at home )
I am probably going to start reducing his meds or spacing the injections differently, based on his Na/K ratio the last few months. This is good thing :)
I am also trying to sort out his age. Hard with a former stray/rescue. I am thinking he was 2 in 2004. That would make him 8 ish? Impossible.

If I do get to read I think it will be my Dec LTER

Sigh, had completely lost your thread... *bad Chatterbox*

I really enjoyed Inger Ash Wolfe, but as much for the character of Hazel Micallef as for the mysteries. I thought the second book -- while still far from cozy -- was very strong, with any gore making sense in the context of the plot. I'd rate it as one of my fave books of the year.

drat it, Suz... noted. I will put it on my nook wish list. :)

eta

I do like Hazel.. nearly had a stroke at the end of that book when everyting was..
so up in the air, you know..?

yeah, Kat, I understand it was cold and that lady should have taken your offer. I would have. I was just sharing random musing from my aging brain.... friends?

of course :)

>232 maggie1944:. Maggie, I concur with your strategy about more stairs rather than less. When my mother was 61 years old, she quit "doing" stairs (good grief, I'm gonna be that same age soon)--she just quit. Well, now she's 85 years old, and for the past 10 years she has been so limited in what she can do. Naturally by now she couldn't do stairs if she wanted to. So--let's all keep doing stairs!

>234 mckait:. Re: sorting out Duncan's age. My youngest dog Docker came to me when he was six months old, so you would think I would know how old he is. The last yearly vet visit, when the vet "asked" me how old he was, I said, "He's going to be five years old." Um, that was wrong. He's eight. I think in my case it's denial.

My dog, Nicky, came to me with a statement that he was 5; and I don't exactly know how long ago that was but I think about 9 years ago. So, I'm not sure about his age either. He is still doing stairs, though.

Don't mean to be a pessimist but . . . another view of the stairs: When my mom did become a semi-invalid, the stairs made her totally homebound. And the rescue squad had trouble handling them -- the turn was too sharp and narrow for a stretcher with a person on it . . . they had to do a "fireman's carry" with her (while recovering from lung removal surgery, no less) -- YIKES!

ETA to add of course, she lived in a "raised ranch" house -- no way in or out except using stairs.

Still in a no-read zone, Kath?

tymfos, yes, that is a consideration. My stairs have a remarkably wide turn and when I moved in the folks moving my furniture were very happy! And into the house, there are two small stairs. I think I am good for now. But as I age, I do think about these matters.

Got in a bit of The Apprentice on nook. :)

Howdy!! I'm late to the game but still in! :)

welcome as always susan :)

Good Morning, Kath!
Everyone knows I love snow... but ice is a different story! Hope you are safe and very lucky driving to work and back home.

The Apprentice is getting good marks from LT readers, but LT thingy says I probably won't like. Now, why is that? Well, I hope it's right. I have so many books to read now. I just can't believe there was a time I never knew what to read!

Just waving as I check out threads, Kath. Have a great evening!

So glad to be back home with my friends :)

Feeling completely craptastic. Calling you to whine, piss, and moan. You've been warned.

Ready to listen.

Kath- Not here to "whine, piss, and moan", just to say hi! No, I am really enjoying Angelology. It takes it's time, which is fine. But boy the detail that she goes into, pretty impressive.

glad to hear you are liking it :) I really liked it

thread #3

http://www.librarything.com/topic/107747