Crazymamie's 75 in 2012 (Page 10)

Birdy and Froggy - And this is Charleston, not Savannah as I had previously identified it.

Currently Reading


July
68. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury (4.25 stars)
69. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (4.5 stars)
70. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (4.75 stars)
71. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (4.5 stars)
72. A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levine (4 stars)
73. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (4.5 stars)
74. River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh (4.25 stars)
75. Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (4 stars)
76. The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri (4 stars)
77. No Longer At Ease by Chinua Achebe (4 stars)
78. Call For the Dead by John LeCarré (4 stars)
79. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley (4 stars)

August
80. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill (4 stars)
81. The Stone Cutter by Camilla Läckberg (3.5 stars)
82. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (4 stars)
83. The Guards by Ken Bruen (4.5 stars)

AUDITIONING for AUGUST

Group Reads
East of Eden by John Steinbeck (#16) GR Thread for East of Eden
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (#14) GR Thread for The Red Pony
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (#9) GR Thread for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie GR Thread for Half of a Yellow Sun

TIOLI Candidates
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (#1)
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (#1)
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (#1)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (#2)
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (#3) COMPLETED
The Guards by Ken Bruen (#7) COMPLETED
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (#8)
A Murder of Quality by John Le Carré (#9)
The Iliad by Homer (#11)
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell (#12)
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Falluda (#13)
The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill (#16) COMPLETED
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (#17)
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (#17)
An Elegy for Easterly by Patina Gappah (#17) Thread for Mark's Short Story Challenge
Istanbul Passage by Joseph Kanon (#17)

Hey, Wait a Minute...This Wasn’t on the List
Issac's Storm by Erik Larson - Added due to popular demand!
The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg COMPLETED
Me, Who Dove Into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman

An idea stolen from Heather (souloftherose), who borrowed it from Liz (lyzard): ongoing series that I am actively reading. This doesn't include series where I have the first book in my TBR pile (i.e. series I haven't started reading yet aren't included). An asterisk (*) indicates a series where I already have a copy of the next book. A pointing finger (☛) indicates a series where I am waiting for the next book to be released.

1. African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe: Next Up: Arrow of God (3/3)

2. *Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones: Next Up: Third Grave Dead Ahead (3/4)

3. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny: Next Up: A Fatal Grace (2/8)

4. *Commissario Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri: Next Up: The Snack Thief (3/15)

5. ☛ Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Next Up: Days of Blood and Starlight (2/3)

6. *Divergent by Veronica Roth: Next Up: Insurgent (2/3)

7. *Dr. Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill: Next up: Love Songs From a Shallow Grave (7/8)

8. Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James by Deborah Crombie:Next Up: Leave the Grass Green (3/14)

9. ☛ Dust Lands by Moira Young: Next Up: Rebel Heart (2/3)

10. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: Next Up: The Dead tossed Waves (2/3)

11. *Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly: Next Up: The Narrows (10/18)

12. *Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo: Next Up: The Snowman (7/9)

13. ☛ The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh: Next Up: ? (3/3)

14. *Inspector Sejer by Karin Fossum: Next Up: He Who Fears the Wolf (2/9)

15. *James Bond by Ian Fleming: Next Up: Live and Let Die (2/14)

16. *Kenzie and Gennaro by Dennis Lehane: Next Up: Sacred (3/6)

17. *Lady Julia Gray by Deanna Raybourn: Next Up: The Dark Enquiry (5/5)

18. *Matched by Ally Condie: Next Up: Crossed (2/3)

19. *Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larrson: Next Up: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (3/3)

20. *Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler: Next Up: The Little Sister (5/8)

21. *Raylan Givens by Elmore Leonard: Next Up: Raylan (3/3)

22. *Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris: Next Up: Dead in the Family (9/12)

23. Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs: Next Up: Grave Secrets (5/15)

24. Vish Puri by Tarquin Hall: Next Up: The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing (2/3)

25. *Walt Longmire by Craig Johnson: Up Next: Death Without Company (2/8)

26. *Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Next Up: The Chardonnay Charade (2/6)

27. ☛Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel: Next up: ? (3/3)

January
1. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes (4 stars)
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor (4 stars)
3. 11/22/63 - Stephen King (5 stars)
4. A Drink Before the War - Dennis Lehane (4 stars)
5. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (4 stars)
6. Cannery Row - John Steinbeck (4.5 stars)

February
7. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (5 stars)
8. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway (audiobook) (4 stars)
9. The Woman in Black - Susan Hill (4.5 stars)
10. City of Bones - Michael Connelly (4 stars)
11. Behind the Beautiful Forevers - Katherine Boo (4.5 stars)
12. Mockingbird - Kathryn Erskine (5 stars)
13. The Wayward Bus - John Steinbeck (4 stars)
14. Pronto - Elmore Leonard (4 stars)
15. The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (4 stars)
16. Riding the Rap - Elmore Leonard (3.5 stars)
17. The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien (5 stars)
18. Once There was a War - John Steinbeck (4.5 stars)
19. The Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill (4 stars)
20. Below Stairs - Margaret Powell (3.5 stars)
21. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff (5 stars)

March
22. Blood Red Road - Moira Young (4 stars)
23. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde (3.5 stars)
24. Thirty-Three Teeth - Colin Cotterill (4 stars)
25. King Soloman's Mines - Henry Rider Haggard (4 stars)
26. Still Life - Louise Penny (4 stars)
27. By the Iowa Sea - Joe Blair (4 stars)
28. A Share in Death - Deborah Crombie (3.5 stars)
29. A Severed Head - Iris Murdoch (4 stars)
30. The Return of the King - J. R. R. Tolkien (5 stars)
31. The Winter of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck (4 stars)
32. Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum (3.5 stars)
33. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith (4.25 stars)
34. Disco for the Departed - Colin Cotterill (3.5 stars)

April
35. The Moon is Down - John Steinbeck (4 stars)
36. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley (audiobook) (4 stars)
37. Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe (4.5 stars)
38. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Joan Aiken (4 stars)
39. Blacklands - Belinda Bauer (4 stars)
40. Chess Story - Stefan Zweig (4.5 stars)
41. Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh (4.5 stars)
42. Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George (3.5 stars)
43. All Shall Be Well - Deborah Crombie (4 stars)
44. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green (4.5 stars)
45. Rules - Cynthia Lord (4 stars)
46. Darkness, Take My Hand - Dennis Lehane (4 stars)
47. The Shape of Water - Andrea Camilleri (4 stars)
48. Cinder - Melissa Meyer (4 stars)
49. Binocular Vision - Edith Pearlman (4.5 stars)
50. The Wrestling Match - Buchi Emecheta (2.5 stars)

May
51. The Redeemer - Jo Nesbo (4.5 stars)
52. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (3.5 stars)
53. If Death Ever Slept - Rex Stout (4 stars)
54. Persuasion - Jane Austen (4.5 stars)
55. Lost Light - Michael Connelly (4 stars)
56. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (4.5 stars)

June
57. In the Heat of the Night by John Ball (4 stars)
58. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (4.5 stars)
59. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (4 stars)
60. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (5 stars)
61. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie (4 stars)
62. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (4.5 stars)
63. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill (4.5 stars)
64. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (4 stars)
65. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (4.5 stars)
66. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (4 stars)
67. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (4.25stars)

Mine! :)

My first visitor! Welcome, Chelle!

I'm so greedy! I could have left you a nice message but instead I just claim my spot and walk away. Rude eh ;)

Nope - I know how that goes! You snooze, you lose around here!

Yep. Score of Book of Mormon.. I love it. Go figure...
Scary Dead Things not great literature, but quite entertaining..
Lots of lists up there... my eyes glazed over.....

Love the pic BTW

Hi Mamie- Love the new thread! And another great photo of one of your beautiful kids. Birdy and Froggy! It's a classic.

I tried it tonight. It was YUMMY! Ron liked it too.
You know I'm talking about your GOTO Chicken.
I just had to scale it down a bit for 2 of us ;-)

Thanks for the recipe.
Nice new thread!
Cutie daughter!!

Kath - Welcome! I did not know that there was a Score of the Book of Mormon! Did you read the first book in that series that is not great literature, but quite entertaining? Don't worry about the lists - I carry them from thread to thread for my own bookkeeping so they are easy to find. Glad you liked the pic!

This is the third new thread in a row. Must be something in the air! Who's up next with Froggy? What a cool picture taking opportunity. Maybe next time we go to Charleston, we can stay more than one day!

Thanks, Mark! I knew you would rat me out to the thread police if I let my last thread go over 300!!

Cee - So glad you liked the chicken! I love that recipe because I always have all the ingredients on hand and it's so easy. It's also really good cold leftover just sliced up on a salad. Thank you for all of your kind words - you always say the sweetest things!

Donna - How did you know that I have one more Froggy picture up my sleeve? I LOVE Charleston - if you get the chance, you should visit Boone Hall Plantation. The house tour was disappointing, but the grounds are fabulous and there is a lot to see. They have the original slave quarters still standing. The aquarium in Charleston is also incredible.

Ooh, that hurt. I thought we was pals!

I'm sorry, Mark. That water heater is making me lose my head. Would an ice cold beer make it all better? I have Founders Dirty Bastard in the fridge.

Happy 10th Mamie. I have to get off LT now and do some artwork. Why does it feel like a punishment? :-(

Thanks, Ilana! Go create something beautiful, like you always do, you talented artist, you!!

I did. Book one is Bill The Vampire. Also entertaining ( language warning )
I will probably read the next one, too.

remember the oatcake :)

Yes, ma'am!

Yes, please! Smiles!

And one for Kath, too, because I know she likes beer. Here's to good friends!

The frog returns...... :-)

Checking in on your new thread, Mamie!

I am glad to see that you enjoyed Parnassus on Wheels. It is an LT discovery for me and has become one of my favorites.

Just visiting your new thread - it's too early for beer here!

It's a bit early here too but raising a glass of virtual beer to new threads, excellent reviews, photos of family and frog and fully functioning plumbing!

Your Chinua Achebe reviews brought back memories as I studied the trilogy as part of a social anthropology course at university.

Nope. Never too early for beer. Good morning! I am making Go To chicken today, red potatoes, roasted cauliflower, and? It sounds good.

Don't eat the oatcake the faeries left you in return. It's enchanted. They just made it look like yours,
but if you eat it, you will have to do their will for one day. One faerie day... much longer than 24 hours.

We can always count on good advice here! Thing of that! the faeries leave an oatcake that looks just like yours!

Have a great day, and enjoy your fully functioning water heater's hot water!

Hi Mamie - glad to see the frog return for your new thread!

The great thing about having some essential thing lost and then returned to functioning is that you so appreciate it for a day or two!

Good Morning Everyone!

Ellen - Did you see that the frog is actually in Charleston, not Savannah - my bad. We go down to Hilton Head Island every year for a week or so in the summer, and we usually make a day trip into either Savannah or Charleston. That particular year we did both. But the frog is in the batch with the aquarium pictures, so he must be in Charleston.

Stasia - I found Parnassus on Wheels through LT also. A bunch of people were posting those century lists, and it kept showing up on them. I had never heard of it before, so I checked it out - Kindle had it for $.99, so I bought it. Well worth my dollar!

Susan - Thanks for stopping in. It was after 10pm here when we hoisted the beers.

Dee - Thanks for your lovely toast! Now I need to get to the last book in Achebe's trilogy. I'm curious to see where it starts in the story - does he again skip a generation?

Kath - I hope you like that chicken - I really think you will. We have used Panko in place of the bread crumbs and that's good too. Thanks for tipping me off about the faerie oatcake because you're right, it did look just like the one that I left for them!

Karen - So true! Excellent advice to be found here at LT! And the water heater is still working!! Wishing you a great day in return.

Heather - Glad you like the frog. We'll have to get new pictures with him the next time we're in his neighborhood.

Lucy - That is so very true. We forget to be thankful for all these marvelous things that we take for granted everyday. And I am so very fond of indoor plumbing and hot water!

Hi Mamie! It's so nice to see remarks about a book I already have. Yes, indeed, I loved Parnassus on Wheels too. And I even liked The Haunted Bookshop... a different story but I do love the characters.
All thanks to LT that I found these books :-)

Mamie - sorry my dear a little late to the party! Hope your weekend is going swimmingly.

I'm curious to see where it starts in the story - does he again skip a generation?

Sad to say, I've forgotten most of what I learnt as a university student- including that!

Okay... made GoTo chicken. We usually have lunch as our main meal, due to Dan's work schedule.
I made a small change, I used the Land O Lakes butter with olive oil and sea salt. I made red potatoes with parsley and roasted cauliflower to go with. The chicken was so delicious and flavorful! What a great and simple recipe! Oh and I used panko, too. Thanks for sharing, it.. I see me using it a lot in the future :)

Cee - I love when people talk about good books that I have already read, too! A small sigh of relief to escape another book bullet! Glad to hear that you liked The Haunted Bookshop - I do plan on reading it since I already have it.

Paul, my dear, it simply wouldn't be a party without you!! And the weekend has been fabulous so far. Nice and lazy, just the way I like it! The weather has been wonderful - cool and breezy, so unusual for this time of year.

Dee - What? Forgotten most of what you learned as a student?! Alas, me too! It just sort of slowly filters out of there leaving bits and remnants of all that was once memorized and familiar, doesn't it? Oh well.

Kath - So glad you liked it! That butter sounds like a fabulous switch. And great sides - it goes with anything. We have even added bits of crushed pecans to the breading mixture, and that is good, too.

Charleston, Savannah..... whatever.
kidding!!!
I went to Savannah as a child and remember it as a lovely old town with huge live oaks covered with Spanish Moss. I've not yet been to Charleston but my sister (who lives in Asheville) says it's one of the most charming vacation destination towns she's ever visited.

I hope you're having a relaxing and peaceful weekend, Mamie!

Asheville! Oh how I love that city, too. Yes, Savannah and Charleston are both completely charming cities with lots to offer. Savannah is incredible because it has all its old squares - the city was not burned on Sherman's March to the Sea because it surrendered, and so Sherman instead presented the city to Lincoln as a Christmas gift.

I did have a relaxing and peaceful weekend - I will be sorry to see it end. Hope yours was also enjoyable.

Hi Mamie, I love your opening picture. Makes me think if Birdy gave Mr. Frog a peck on the cheek - would he become a handsome prince?

Hope all is well in Mamieville and that you and the family had a great weekend.

Oh man, now why didn't we think of that, Judy?! All is definitely well in Mamieville, and we did indeed have a great weekend. How was yours?

Yeah.. agree with the consensus here... you have great looking kids ... I am loving the froggie pics, too.

GoTo.. I made enough to have leftovers tomorrow.. yay me!

Thanks, Kath! Yay you is right - it's great leftover. Way to go!!

And I -
I will slice my leftover chicken on a salad tomorrow.

Tonight for supper we had DQ Blizzards! No cooking - no cleanup - no veggies! Well, I had a Hawaiian Blizzard so I had bananas and pineapple! Does that count a little??? Ron had cookie dough - and loved every bite. We were so BAD!!!!
;-)

Mamie, how is it that you have a new thread and I am already 47 messages behind?? :)

I LOVE your style, Cee!! That was good to load up on your calcium like that. I adore the M&M ones myself. And no cleanup is an added plus. Well done!

Hi Valerie! Um...perhaps you could think of it as being less than 50 messages behind? Doesn't that sound better - puts a more positive spin on it, don't cha think?

LOL, sure that works as well. Look at me, I'm only less than 50 messages behind! :)

Hi Mamie! Missed more than 2 threads... I just skimmed through the posts, found some lovely recipes and some great book reviews. I started The Terracotta Dog some weeks ago but put it on hold after 3 chapters because the Sicialian is so difficult for me to understand. Will pick it up again, hopefully later this week.

Good morning, to you Mamie... Did you and the kids all gather round for the closing ceremonies ?
I fell asleep after Eric Idle.. but they were pretty darn good :)

Sorry guys, feeling a bit under the weather today and so have neglected my own thread. And look at the three lovely ladies that I missed seeing this morning.

Valerie - I always try to do the glass half full thing. Doesn't always work, but it's usually worth a shot. Hope you had a great Monday.

Nathalie!! So GREAT to see you! The Terra-Cotta Dog was a restart for me, too - the first time I picked it up I wasn't in the right mood and so I put it down again and came back to it at a later date. That happens a lot, I find. If I'm not feeling it, I just set it aside because every time I try to force it I end up not enjoying the experience. It can ruin a perfectly good book - mood and timing are important and make their own mojo. I hope that things are going better for you - I'll check your thread in a bit to see what's happening with you. Thanks for stopping by - it means a lot.

Kath - I did not watch even one moment of the closing ceremonies - shocking, isn't it? I have some bug that feels like a sinus infection and a bit of stomach flu. Not sure what's going on, but I feel not good. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Feel better my friend ... hugs

Oh Mamie, sorry to see you're not doing so well today. I do hope a night of good sleep will clear all that up. (((hugs)))

Hope your distress is short-lived :{
Take care of you...

more hugs

Hope some rest will help you feel better Mamie!

Hugs from Malaysia Mamie - hope you are back to hunky dory very soon.

#53 Hope you feel better soon Mamie. Sinus problems are one of my least favourite things.

Hello Mamie! It is feel better day! You will be feeling chipper and energized when you wake up!

(Did it work?)

Hope you're feeling better today, Mamie. And remember, if all you feel like reading is trashy romance, I have a gazillion suggestions :-)

hmmm Don't think the magic worked :( Sorry Mamie... still hoping it all passes quickly..

Awww...no Mamie today. I really do hope you are getting some R&R. Take care!

Oh no, just when I get on my feet again, you've been laid out with something nasty. :( Feel better soon, Mamie.

Mamie, hope you feel better soon.

MAybe this one??? Ick Be Gone!!!!!!!!

It's working, Kath!

Thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by my thread to wish me well. I really appreciate all of your kind thoughts. I also appreciate that you kept my thread moving. Feeling a bit better today, so I will slowly try to get caught up with all of you dear, dear people.

How did I get so far behind, Mamie? I'm glad to hear Kath's Ick Be Gone is working. Great photo of Birdy up top. You can tell she has a lot of personality!

Keep resting up, Mamie. I agree with Kath -- the ick must be gone!!

Still taking it easy, Ellen, but feeling oh, so much better. Thanks for stopping in.

Hope you recover soon.

Love the frog picture up top! I collect frogs (not live ones though). They crack me up. Have to go back and read your thread--just popping in to say Hi! And a Get Well Wish, too.

Mamie- Glad you are feeling better! Hope the worst is behind you. Any good news with the house?

Oh dear, Mamie! I hope you are feeling better! Your picture reminds me a bit of where I was out tonight - sitting outside in a park area with little rabbits running around and carp and Fake Ducks in a pond! Quite the mix!

Good Morning Everyone! You are not going to believe this - guess what is not working again. Yup! The water heater. Now I myself am a big fan of quirky characters with unpredictable qualities...um...but not in my appliances. The plumber guy is working in Indianapolis today, but he said he'd try to get over here tonight. I did take a picture this time of the heater with all the pretty failure lights lit up so that if I need to manually restart the stupid thing I can, and the plumber can see that I am not in fact completely insane.

A huge thanks to Kath, Ilana, Cee, Valerie, Paul, Heather, Susan, Judy, Rhian, Joe, Ellen, Lucy, Kim, Mark, and Deb for their good wishes - some of you stopped by multiple times, and I really appreciate it.

I am feeling much, much better today. Well enough even to deal with a stupid hot water heater that just wants to work part-time. No news on the house, yet - it seems everyone who wants to buy our house has to sell theirs first, so we seem to be trapped in a holding pattern. One step at a time, I guess. We are focusing on getting back into a more regimented routine for school. Even though our kids school from home - the three oldest do online high school, and I teach Birdy, who is actually doing high school work - we will probably enroll her in an online program after we move (she would be an 8th grader this year in the public system). We do actually continue classes through the summer (the kids' choice), but we are pretty relaxed about things - they set their own schedules, no bedtimes, etc. During what would be the public school year we regroup and follow a more regimented schedule - up by 9am, start at 9:30am, work until 4pm with 45 minutes for lunch. They get 6 personal days for the regimented school year - they can take these off just because they feel like it, but they can't use them if they have a test scheduled for that day. We take vacations throughout the year as we feel like it, which works very well for us with Craig's crazy schedule.

Ack! Another new thread! I just can't keep up.
Sorry to see you were not feeling well, but :-) now it looks like it's passed.
Will is going into the 8th grade this year as well and I look forward to more organized days.
Although, I don't have the wherewithal to homeschool, our vacations tend to be educationally sneaky. It's all a learning experience if you open the door to it.
Your home will sell, right person at the right time at the right price. It's all about patience. I've got to tell you that from personal experience it happens when you least expect it!
Cute pic of Birdy! Very photogenic kiddos.

Hi Lynda! I know that homeschooling is not for everyone - it works for us and has been a huge blessing. The hardest part, I think, is choosing the curriculum - I am a nut about it and make sure that I follow the state standards. The truly great thing about it is being able to go at each individual's pace - Birdy is really good at math and science, but her spelling is atrocious, and her writing needs a bit of work. She completed Algebra last year, so she is ready for geometry - let's just say this is not my forte. Luckily, Dan is also really gifted in math and can assist her until Craig can take over - and Dan LOVES geometry, and Birdy LOVES Dan, so that is a good fit. He is so good at explaining complicated things, he does well with breaking complex things down into manageable portions, and he is SO patient. I would love to know what books Will is reading for school this year - that is always intriguing to me, what books are taught at what levels. We do the sneaky educational vacation thing, too! You're so right that opening the door is the key to learning.

Thanks for the encouragement on the home front - that's how I think, too. We just have to be patient and let everything fall into place - the universe will not be rushed.

Glad you liked the pic of Birdy- it really captures her personality. I think most kids are photogenic because they are less self-conscious than adults. And Birdy is definitely comfortable in her own skin! Hope you have a great day!

Hey Mamie! Glad to hear you are slowly feeling better but booo to the water heat being for the fritz again. I too like my appliances to by loyal and consistent. :)

Do you mind me asking how/why you decided to homeschool your kids? What are the pros/cons?

Hi Valerie! I like my appliances to be loyal and consistent, too!

I don't mind your asking about the homeschooling at all. Our oldest daughter, Rae, has Aspergers Syndrome and dysgraphia - we took her out of the public school system halfway through her seventh grade year because we felt that the school could not meet her needs. This was a separate issue from our decision to homeschool the others, and was based solely on Rae's individual struggles.

Our decision to homeschool the others was a result of homework overload and personal reflection. My husband and I had always been big supporters of the public school system here in Yorktown - small town so just one school system. We chaired the Carnival Committee (the big fund raiser for the year), served as PTO presidents in separate years, volunteered our time and our money wherever it was needed. We knew every teacher by name. I would like to say up front that I believe in the public school system and have been privileged to meet some very fine and dedicated teachers that are overworked and underpaid, so our decision was not based on disillusionment or any specific individual issues.

Our son Daniel was in the gifted program in sixth grade which was supposed to mean an expanded curriculum - we didn't notice an expanded curriculum so much as an expanded workload. He was going to school all day and then coming home and working all night to complete the homework. When does he have time to be a boy, I wondered. He's learning a lot, certainly, but he's not enjoying the process. Abby was in fifth grade and experiencing some of the same problems. Big reading projects that ruined the child's love of the book, being assigned to work in groups where it was next to impossible to get the children together outside of class because of their individual schedules, an overload of homework that seemed to be eclipsing their love of learning. Add to that the knowledge that middle school is just a hard place to be - that is a hard age to live through, trying to figure out who you are and everybody trying to make you be what they want you to be. Who looks back at middle school and thinks - those were the best years of my life? No one that I know. In talking things over the summer after Dan finished sixth grade, Craig and I decided to offer the kids a choice of either continuing in public school or choosing to homeschool through middle school and popping back in at the high school level. At the time, Dan was going into seventh grade, Abby into sixth, and Birdy into third. Rae had already been homeschooling a year and a half. We explained the ins and outs of both choices and then let each of them choose for themselves. They all chose to homeschool.

We explained our decision to the school system and they let the kids still participate in band and take other classes like art and typing, and participate in sports - in Indiana, this is really up to the individual school system. (We did this only for the first year as it disrupted the schedule too much, and the kids chose not to continue doing it.) One of my daughter Abby's best friends decided to join us in our homeschool experiment (her parents were going through a nasty divorce and she hated school). That summer I did my research - first the Indiana standards to see what is taught in each grade, then different curriculums. I decided to create my own curriculum so that I could pick and choose what would work best for us. Some subjects we could all learn together and I could just alter the project for each grade - like history and science. We could definitely read together because Birdy read at a sixth grade level when they tested her in second grade. Some subjects would need to be taught separately - like math. We took into account what kind of learners we had - Abby and Toni were very visual, Dan and Birdy were excellent listeners, Rae likes things to be written down. Abby and Toni both struggled in math - interestingly enough not because of ability, but because of confidence. We used the MathUSee program for them and started a bit back from where they were at so that we could reteach the concepts they were struggling with. This program uses manipulatives, so it is great for visual learners - they can actually see the math problem. Don't want to bore you, but this is what is great about homeschooling - you get to choose what works for your child's individual learning style.

As far as pros and cons go, that really depends on you because what might be a positive for me might be a negative for you. I liked the freedom to choose the curriculum and adapt it to each individual child. This can be overwhelming when you first start looking into it because there are so many things to choose from. I did not want religion based products, but a lot of parents homeschool specifically to be able to use these products. What I wanted was to take what the public school was teaching and make it better by doing the kinds of one on one things that teachers with an entire classroom full of kids could never do. Craig has a job that pays very well, and so we did not have to worry about the cost of the curriculum that we chose, but for some people this is a big concern because purchasing your own textbooks can be expensive. You can purchase complete curriculums by grade level, but I do not like to do this - I like to decide which text for which subject. I lucked out because even though I have a degree in medical technology and therefore could teach science through the high school level, Craig loves to teach science, and so he took this on. We did some pretty incredible things - created our own newspaper that included book reviews, current events, a neighborhood page, etc. - they loved putting this together and it served as our language arts because they were writing the articles, editing each other's work, designing the layout...They were doing all those writing things that some kids hate, but they were loving it because it was not a report or a presentation. For the 2008 Presidential election, we really learned exactly how the voting system works from the ground up. They each took a candidate and had to follow their campaign trail by mapping it on the giant map we had hanging up - they each had their own pin color and yarn color, and this was really amazing to see as the campaign progressed. They also had to explain how their candidate felt on the issues and report in on each new development - so they had to watch the news and read the paper.

Okay, WAY too much information! But we have had ever so much fun over the years. Since they are still home, they obviously chose not to go back in at the high school level (Toni did go back in because her Mom wanted her to play high school sports - Toni is a very good golfer. She had no trouble passing her ISTEP tests) - they do an online diploma program offered through Indiana University High School, which they love. The big pay off for us was that at the end of the day when we put the books away, they were done except for special projects they might be doing - like the campaign thing. Everything else got completed during the school day. Some people would say that the biggest negative to homeschooling is socialization - I find that the people who point this out are usually people who do not homeschool. Our kids still have all of their school friends, continued to play recreational sports, and are very well rounded. I think the key is to remain active in the community and take advantage of things that are offered locally that they can become involved with.

I found this fascinating, Mamie. My wife and I are public school kids who raised public school kids in Chicago (in a gifted program), but I understand why you all took the route you did, and it sounds like it created a lot of wonderful memories while engagingly educating the kids. The socialization aspect would worry me, but it sounds like you all solved that just fine.

As a former teacher I have often met folks who are "home schooling" and unfortunately many of these are wanting the religious based programs and, in my opinion, did retreat from public school due to the social issues. Frankly, I think many did not want their children to rub shoulders with "foreigners, racial minorities, and poor kids". But truly, I also met a few fine families who did the home schooling for entirely different reasons such as what was best for their kids. You obviously fall into this last group. Many of these kids continue to do exceptionally well in college or universities because they have gained a love of learning, and an ability to work independently. Self starters, as it were.

And they did find additional ways to socialize with kids their age!

Joe - Craig and I are both public school kids, too. I have absolutely nothing against the public school system, and really our original intention was just to homeschool them through middle school, then put them back into the public school system. By that time, however, Rae was doing the online high school and that is what they wanted to do- there are actually a lot more options for classes. I acknowledge that it would not work for everyone. We worked hard to keep our kids actively involved with their friends and with the community. They played recreational soccer, which is what their friends played as there is no school soccer until high school here. We belonged to the local pool, so they saw their friends there. They belong to a very active Youth Group. We organized fun things like bonfires and cooking parties or movie marathons that they could invite their friends to attend. I think you get out of life as much or as little as you are willing to invest in it, so I have never been afraid to embrace the journey. Sometimes it's scary to go against the flow, but if you are respectful of others and of their right to chose their journey for themselves, they are usually respectful in return. I think there are no right answers, just lots of possibilities!

Thank you so much Mamie for taking the time to explain in such a helpful way about homeschooling. I've often wondered with my little guy what we will do when the time comes. I have no issues with public school and have close friends who are wonderful teachers in the public arena, but just wanting to get informed about the choices that are available to us.
I love the fact that you can pretty much design the education you want for your kids and to really cater to their unique strengths and capabilities. I know the public school system wants and tries to do this but with a class of 30+ kids, there is only so much individual tailoring you can do.
I guess the only daunting factor would be knowing how to choose and what to choose in terms of curriculum since there is so much information and choices out there!
I've still go a couple of years to go before we make that kind of choice but it's always helpful to hear from other parents who have made that decision and how they made it. :)

Hi Karen! Glad you spoke up. No religious based programs for us. I think kids don't need to be pounded over the head with religious information. We share what we believe with our kids, let our actions speak louder than our words, and trust in their ability to determine for themselves what to believe and which path to follow. We have run into a lot of homeschoolers that want to do things in groups, and I must confess, I have no patience for that. We chose homeschooling to create our own pattern, not to be a part of someone else's, and I cannot abide the mindset that one choice is better than another. There is room for more than one choice, room for many choices.

You're so welcome, Valerie! I think the biggest thing is to decide what will work best for you. You can dip your toes in the water by finding out what requirements your area has for homeschooling. Here in the US, each state has its own rules governing homeschooling. I think it is also important to know what is taught at each grade level in the public system so that you can make sure you're covering it- that way if you start out homeschooling and change your mind, your little guy doesn't pay the price. You have plenty of time to explore all your options, so if you start investigating now, you will feel more in control when the time comes to make that decision. There is so much information available online about curriculums and homeschool textbooks that really all it takes is time and Internet access. I started with the subject that I wanted to teach and then considered what kind of learners I had and went from there.

I agree that being very familiar with what the state requires at each grade is vital. Homeschooling is not another word for "we'll teach what we want to teach"... which unfortunately is what some people think. Clearly, you are being responsible and making sure your kids are getting what they need for their next steps.

Glad you are feeling better and I really enjoyed reading your home school philosophy. Man, do your kids have any idea what a great mom they have? Probably not! ; )

I am in awe of you!

Yeah.. me too.. Awe. It seems a huge undertaking.. but clearly a great alternative for your family :)
So, how is the water heater, did I miss that? Is it fixed? Are you all better, or just mostly better?

I am too tired to even try to be witty... but know that I am sending good thoughts your way..

hugs

Glad you're feeling better Mamie. And I'm glad you're able to make homeschooling work for you. I know plenty of families that were a total flop at it.

Hi Mamie, I'd been wanting to ask you about your reasons for homeschooling for a while, so glad Valerie went for it. I knew your answer would be interesting!

Glad you've feeling better.

I'm also too tired to come up with anything clever right now, but I thought at least one LT visit today was a must. xx

Just a quick good morning wish...... whats the plan for the weekend?

Karen - Couldn't agree with you more that homeschooling is not an excuse to teach whatever you want. I did my homework that first summer before we started and made sure that I knew what I was doing. I printed off the state standards for each grade, and I talked to teachers so that I could understand what was taught in each grade. Almost everything is available on the internet - state standards, core curriculum for each grade, even the ISTEP (these are the Indiana standardized tests that are given each year to check for grade level competency) tests and results. We were so careful because I wanted the kids to be able to change their minds at any point and be able to step back into the public school if they wanted. What we found is that we could cover the material more quickly because we had fewer students and they could have greater comprehension - they could do their math lesson, I could check it and circle the ones that were wrong and give it back, they could try again, I could recheck and, if they were still wrong, we could walk through it step by step together to see where the problem was.

Kim - Nice to see you. How is Jack's arm? How is your niece doing? Thanks for the kind words - I keep telling my kids how great I am, but since they live with me every day and know for a fact that I am a mere mortal, the Wonder Woman stuff didn't take. LOL!

Lucy - Wow! Thanks!!

Kath - Thank to you, too!! It was a huge undertaking in the beginning, but once you're up and running it gets easier. It's a big time investment, so you need to be available to actually teach the subjects on a daily basis. I taught everything except for science - Craig had Wednesdays off, so on Wednesdays he taught science and I had a day off. They did some really involved science stuff - big experiments, science projects..I remember they created a tsunami in an aquarium which was really cool. We also took some pretty fun road trips - studied the Declaration and the Constitution, the American Revolution, and then went to Williamsburg and Monticello. We spent almost a week in Chicago going to all of the fabulous museums. The Civil War took us to Gettysburg. Stuff like that.

The water heater is not fixed yet. The plumber was in Indy yesterday and said he would try to make it over here in the evening, but he never came. I am hoping he will show up today without my having to call him again, however, if I haven't heard from him by 10, I'm calling.

Bonnie - I am feeling better, thank you. I had a sinus infection, so I got an antibiotic. The sinus headaches were what was making me feel nauseous. Luckily, those are gone now.

The homeschooling does work for us - but Birdy is the only one that I am actually still homeschooling. The older kids do online high school - it's fully accredited and when they are done they will receive a high school diploma just like kids in public high schools do. They just do their classes online. When they are ready to take an exam, the school mails the test to their proctor (who had to be approved by the school) - ours is the library administrator for the local library. The proctor administers the test and then mails the exam back to the school. We run a regimented school day during the regular school day, so even though they do it online, they still have an established routine.

Unfortunately, I know some families that are a flop at the homeschooling, too. I have a sister who decided to homeschool after we started doing it, and it is a disaster - she doesn't want to teach, just gives them a list of what to do each day. For me, that is not homeschooling. To do it right, I think you have to invest just as much time, care, and attention to detail that teachers in the classroom do.

Ilana - You should have just asked away. I'm pretty open about most things and don't mind sharing. Sorry you're tired - hope it's a good tired. And I think that you and Kath are always clever and witty!

Kath - I have no plan for the weekend - isn't that awesome?!! What's your plan?

Morning Mamie- Sounds like you have a nice & relaxing weekend planned. Enjoy!

Morning Mark - That's my favorite kind of weekend! How about you, what do you have on tap?

We might go see the new Spiderman tonight and then we are hooking up with friends tomorrow night for drinks and games. The vacation is going very well. Just not as much reading as I hoped.
How far into Breaking Bad did you guys get?

Craig is a HUGE Spiderman fan. He hasn't seen the new one yet, but I know it's on his radar - Abby saw it and really liked it. Sounds like fun weekend plans - yea for the vacation, but sorry you are not getting as much reading done as you had hoped. I haven't gotten much reading done this month either because of the headaches - now gone, so hooray - and my tv watching has increased. Not too far into Breaking Bad yet - watched the first four or five shows. It's really good - would not have checked this out on my own because from the promos, it did not look like something I would be interested in - so thanks for the head's up because I love it so far.

The good thing about BB: it only gets better. 4 perfect seasons and now the 5th and final is shaping up to be no exception. Enjoy, my friend.

Count me in the awestruck group, Mamie! You and Craig are doing a fantastic job of parenting and developing your children's potential - with great love and attention to their individual needs. If all parents spent half that time and energy on their children's social and intellectual growth and physical well being, what a world this would be!
Your children are very lucky to have such opportunities and exceptional parents who are so in tune with them.

Mamie, I'm so glad I asked the question because you are definitely an inspiration to me should I ever decide to go down that path. :)

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and I'm willing that all your appliances behave themselves!

Morning! Jack's arm is in a hot pink cast (!) and it doesn't hurt so all is well. You know your son has confidence when he goes for the subtle girl color of hot pink. Good luck with the water heater.

Mark - That's good to know. And how fun to find something new to watch on Netflix that has multiple seasons. Seems like all the shows I absolutely love have a tendency to get cancelled after the first season...hm...what does that say about me?! Of course, I DO have Justified - adore that show, and the Closer, even though it's in its final season.

Cee - Thank you so much for your very kind and thoughtful words. Just printing that out for my children and all of my relatives! Seriously though, thanks. You are always so encouraging.

Valerie - Thank you! I hope you also have a terrific weekend. Plumber promised to be here this afternoon. Cross your fingers that he can figure out what the problem is because obviously our water heater has issues. It is still under warranty- I would think if they can figure it out, they would have to replace the product. I've never had this much trouble with one before.

Kim - LOVE that Jack chose the hot pink cast! Also love that they can shower in those - especially since Abby broke her arm twice during soccer. I think I need that good luck, so thanks!

Hi Mamie, Just catching up! Really interesting to hear about your homeschooling program.

Hi Katie! What's new in your neck of the woods?

Not much new, Mamie. Trying to recover from going non-stop for too long :) I should be doing some work but can't find the motivation so I'm watching a marathon of The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network :)

I am getting some work done - and the kids are doing a fabulous job of it!

Could you send a couple of kids down this way to help me?

Sure thing!!

Great! I'm pretty sure Texas doesn't have any child labor laws on the books ;-)

I don't usually think home schooling is a good idea but with the dedication and ability you obviously have it's clear that your kids are getting not an equal education but a far superior one. Congratulations, you do indeed inspire awe!

Katie - Good to know!

Reba! Thank you so much! How is Paradise?

Does that mean what I think it means?? :)

Yup! Got an offer today that we accepted - buyer is pre approved and did not ask us to pay anything; we accepted. Now we hold our breath while we go through all the inspections.

So happy for you, Mamie! Now whip out the champagne, dance around the house, and make some noise! Woohoooo! Hopefully everything goes as planned. Crossing all crossables for you! :)

Thanks, Valerie! LOVE the cannon!

I wanted MORE confetti but I guess it will have to do on short notice. ;)

Well, the sale IS pending. So probably best to keep the hoopla to a minimum. *whispers WahHOO!!*

Yay to a pending sale. The alternative is no sale so I think a little hoopla is in order Mamie;-)

Sounds good, Bonnie!

*sets out the beer, opens up the wine*

Great news Mamie :) Wonderful happy news... let the packing begin! LOL

Aw, thanks so much Kath!!

Hooray!

I have a wonderful picture show floating through my imagination: the inspections turn up only minor items which the prospective buyers choose to resolve themownselves after closing; the deal is set, and the approvals all flow in quickly and are perfect! It is a done deal, a closing date is picked and it is not too far off into the future.

It shall be!

Now all the cheering can begin, too! Congrats.

Thanks, Katie!

Karen - I LOVE the way you think!!

Great News!!!! And not a moment too soon!
Congrats on a BIG exciting step.

Thanks, Cee! Keeping my fingers crossed, but I am so excited about the possibility!!

I stopped by earlier today and when I saw how many visits you'd had in such a short time, I just KNEW. Yay!!!!!

Oooh, that is exciting news. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you too. xx

That's good news, Mamie! About time! All crossables crossed. At my age that's not many but it's the thought that counts, right? Hugs!

Homeschooling discussion very interesting - especially for someone from a British system that is really unused to such things. It certainly seems to work for you and yours - I would be a little concerned about the social skills of my three if they were learning at home.
Trust you will have a lovely weekend my dear.

Congratulations Mamie on the potential sale! Hope everything goes smoothly and it turns into a real sale.

I've been following the discussions on home schooling with interest. As Paul says, it's quite rare in the UK - I've only recently come across a family who have home-schooled their children. I think my concerns would be socialisation as well: but that viewpoint is probably coloured by my own personal history. As a child I was pretty shy and wasn't particularly comfortable in certain social situations, and so the social side of things something that I really wanted to emphasise with my own son. Sounds like you have that all worked out with your own kids. The only child I have come across wo has been home-schooled rejoined the school system at age 11 and is in my son's class at school. He does seem to struggle with the rough and tumble of the playground (not that my son's school is particularly rough at all) as I think maybe he has usually always socialised with other home-schooled children whose families perhaps have a more similar outlook on life than the broad spectrum found in a state school. It's probably more of a different lifestyle choice here

Don't you love to wake up in the morning with your house sale pending?

Water heater, fixed?

What's going on in your world?

I've noticed issues with social skills in some home schooled children, but not in all of them. I think a lot depends on the parents themselves and their own social skills in those situations. However, a lot of homeschoolers in this area have "home school groups" where they get the kids together with other kids who are being home schooled for social things, for field trips, etc. The homeschooled boy with whom I've noticed the poorest social skills is one who is pretty much homeschooled in isolation by parents who probably don't interact with parents of other children their child's age.

I think a lot depends on the parents themselves and their own social skills in those situations.
Agreed. When I worked at the Vet clinic, there was a family of 5 home schooled ( Very religious) kids. I hated to call their home to confirm appointments because the kids just didn't get beyond picking up the phone sometimes, not even to say hello. Leaving a message was dicey .. they all came in together when the pets had appointments and seriously, they were like zombies. Kind of disturbing.

Lucy - Yes, YAY!!! We're so excited, but keeping our giddiness in check (or attempting to) until we make it through the next stage. It was funny because the end of next week will put us at three months on the market, which is half-way through our contract, and so when the realtor called, I assumed she wanted to talk about lowering our asking price. What a surprise to get an offer instead!

Ilana - Yes, keep everything crossed. The good news is that they are pre-approved, and I can't imagine anything turning up on our house inspection that would raise any flags.

Mark - Thanks for keeping all crossables crossed - even at your age. I'm pretty sure you still qualify as a youngster in the big scheme of things! And we were feeling that it was about time, too, but that's probably just because I was getting tired of loading everybody up in the van. I also would like to be able to get my pictures back out - feeling a bit sterile here in this clean, well-staged environment. Thanks for the hugs - can never have too many of those!

YAY!! So glad for you! Crossing my fingers for you for a smooth next stage!

Paul - I always think it's interesting when level-headed people can discuss homeschooling - there are a lot of fanatics out there for both sides! The socialization issue always comes up, and I understand why - school is the place that provides the most interaction for children and their peer groups at that age. However, it is not the only place that can provide this. If you remove the socialization that happens in a school setting, then you have to replace it with socialization elsewhere; it's as simple as that. Our kids still have their friends that they had in school - we were careful about taking them out of the school system. We did not burn any bridges, and were very open with everyone about our thoughts on choosing to homeschool. They are active participants in the community - we did not isolate them, we simply chose to do their school work from home. They still played sports and did all of the other things that kids their ages do.

I am also wishing you a wonderful weekend and continue to send my thoughts and good wishes to your family concerning your Mum's health. Thanks for taking time to stop in over here - I know that things are hectic for you right now.

Rhian - Thank you so much! So fascinating about the differences in schooling from country to country! We have a large group of homeschoolers here who like to do things together, but we chose not to get caught up in that. People choose to homeschool for different reasons and have very different philosophies about it. We do not homeschool for religious reasons which the majority of this group does. I am not interested in joining any group that thinks that they are better than anyone else simply because of a lifestyle choice or a religious conviction. People are people - we all have value and we all have something to contribute to the collective whole. I want my children to think and dream and live BIG.

*my battery on my laptop is running low - back in a bit

I'm glad the discussion on home schooling has continued, Mamie. So interesting.

You've done the best with it of anyone I've heard of - I realized that part of what would be daunting, from my POV, is the huge time and energy investment required of the parents. Seems obvious, but I hadn't really thought about it before this discussion. You obviously have to be fully committed and make it a centerpiece of your family experience to do it right. I had enough trouble working and getting the bills paid, and helping the kids with homework at night. I can't imagine putting so much more into educating them. But we love ours dearly, and there's an awful lot you'll do for love if you have to.

Congrats on making it to the next stage with your house! We're all pulling for a smooth sail from here for you.

You know Mamie, some bright bulb with ambition is going to figure out that you don't need schools anymore once the internet has matured and become an unscary part of life. More people will mostly work from home, and I expect everything will change - union schools will gradually evaporate and towns, regions, will maintain athletic facilities and fields and facilities for music and theatre, none of which will cost the taxpayers anything like what they pay now..... It's only a matter of time that to some extent everyone will be home-schooled and the socialization will happen on a closer scale. It's quite inevitable, giving parents/kids the widest possible choice of how to learn and from whom and in what ways - I have no opinion either way about better or worse, some things probably much better, others not so much. If we live long enough, we'll see it happen, but you can be quite sure that our children will educate their children completely differently. All this to say, you are a bit ahead of the curve.

Kath - It was a lovely feeling to wake up this morning and know that they would not be calling me for a showing AND that we are halfway home! WOnderful!!

The water heater is NOT fixed - the plumber finally showed up this morning. It was again in lockout so that was good because now he has seen it all lit up for himself. He cannot figure out what the problem is - the next step is to contact the company that makes the stupid thing (which is supposedly one of the best ones on the market). We might just have a dud unit he thinks. Anyway, the company is closed for the weekend, so the plumber will be back early Monday morning (or so he says) to run through whatever diagnostics the company suggests and figure out what our next step is. They might just have to replace it, as it is still under warranty. We'll see - the plumber does know that time is of the essence because we have an inspection looming. So, please send positive mojo for that - a quick fix. Makes no difference to me what the fix is; I just want it taken care of so we can get back to taking our hot water for granted.

We're off to a slow start today, but I am happy to report that my toenails are freshly painted a fire engine red - thanks to Abby! We need to do the Big Clean and go to the grocers. We are tentatively planning on looking at houses down in Georgia next weekend, which would be really fun stuff! So I need to make preparations for that - my sister Julie and her husband would come stay with the kids and I would fly down for the first look.

Lori - Welcome to my thread! Great to see you here. You make such a very strong point (and Kath picked up on this, too) when you say: " I think a lot depends on the parents themselves and their own social skills in those situations. "

There are also kids in private and public schools who have poor or nonexistent social skills. Kids are smart, and they can certainly pick up a lot of things on their own just by interacting with other kids their own age and through observation. However, parents play an essential role in helping to shape and direct social interaction, too. A big part of interacting well with others is simply being comfortable in your own skin - knowing and liking who you are, understanding and accepting others for who they are. Learning that being a good conversationist also means being an active listener, understanding that the best possible way to treat others is exactly the way that you would want them to treat you, accepting that courtesy and compassion are not common but they should be. If you look for the good in people, you can usually find it. I find that socialization is less about where you were schooled and more about what you learned and what you were taught.

Agree wholeheartedly with both you and Kath that isolation is not conducive to developing adequate social skills.

Congratulations on the pending sale! I hope the inspection goes well, and it all goes through quickly. There are houses in Georgia waiting for you!

It sounds like a new water heater might be the way to go - one less thing to worry about. Good to hear the plumber came promptly(ish) this time.

>141 sibylline: I absolutely agree. We are pretty much upside down in our school district right now. An out of control school board that despite loud dissent, built new schools. Including a new HS which is going to be 50% full in a year or so. No one will merge with us.. too much debt. Kids going to other schools, internet.. home schooling.. Fools, the lot of them.

Chelle - Thank you so much - LOVE the graphics! And thanks for stopping by during this very busy and exciting time for you!

Joe - Glad you are finding the conversation interesting - I always love to hear everyone's different thoughts and ideas. The homeschooling would not have worked for us if I had not been a stay at home Mom - I just don't know how you could work and give the schooling the attention that it deserves. (Not saying it can't be done, just saying that I don't think I could have done it). Also, Craig and I stayed out of each other's subjects - I let him teach the science the way that he wanted, and he let me do my own thing with the other subjects. That first summer as we were heading into it, I kept thinking what have I gotten myself into because I really felt the weight of their educational journeys on my shoulders, and it was daunting. But once we got started and I saw what could happen, it was like magic for me. I will always be thankful for the path that we chose, but I am also fully aware that it would not be the right path for everyone. That's what makes life beautiful, don't you think - our differences?

Thanks for your congratulations and for your good wishes - both are heartily appreciated and cherished!

Lucy - Several of the local schools in Muncie are offering classes both in the classroom and online. A lot of the students are choosing the online option, so I think you are right that "the times, they are a changing" - it will be interesting to see how life is for our children's children. Already things are so different for my children than when I was their age - we went to college with our typewriters and cassette players! My how far we have come! I'm a bit ahead of the curve?! I like that - thanks, Lucy!

Thank you, Susan! Loving that word promptly(ish)! I'm thinking a new unit is what is needed also.

Kath - We could use new buildings here - the elementary was built the same year I was, 1967. But I completely understand that the economy does not support this move right now because people just don't have the money. Too bad about your schools - that sounds like a mess, especially with a community that was not behind the project. School boards are strange things, don't you think?

*edited to remove snarkiness

Oh dear, I do enjoy some snarkiness..... I have been feeling snarky all day. I am tired.. and grumpy. :P

The entire district has been falling lower and lower in income since the mid eighties when the mills went down. People moved away. There is a much older population now.. and the kids? Well, in the old bathroom, they kicked holes in the walls, ripped out toilets, and did other darling things. They started having "security guards " ( 70 yr old retired female cops) and for these kids, they did a 10 million dollar study that said they should build a school. Anyone who was smart enough to count the kids coming up from the elementary
( 2 closed bldgs) and junior high could have told them. And tried to . So they buit a new HS school, and a new elementary .. actually 2. for a rapidly dwindling population.. And they are now taxing us to death to pay for them. The new school is having toilets ripped out and holes kicked in walls.. as I predicted. As many predicted. So the point was? I thought they should farm the kids out to the two closed bldgs and restored the old one to a usable state.. but, the new school has carpeting ( where it hasn't been .... damaged) and a/c etc. Unlike the old one. Why does a school need carpeting? Impractical. And then they starte ditching and cutting back on teachers and programs ( like library, music etc)

I assure you, that if I had kids there.. I would pull them and find a way to homeschool. As the income level has dropped, so has the crime in the district. not good at all.

>113 Crazymamie: Yea!

What wonderful news about the closeness of a sale on your lovely property - You introduced me to the delights of pole barns and I will always associate Mamie and Indiana and pole barns together in a heady mix.

The homeschooling debate is indeed fascinating - it is whatever works for the family and especially the kids - you all appear so grounded and I would have thought that having you to lead the way must help - I remember your steady head when the trees tried to scupper your move a while ago.

Kath - That makes me sad. What a waste. And what about these children that are not being taught to be respectful?

Rachel - My sentiments exactly!

Paul - Please post more! I just adore the way you string words together and your choice of vocabulary! Delightful - always makes me smile, or perhaps grin is the more fitting word. Love to be thought of in a heady mix of anything! Whatever works is just exactly right - how wonderful to have choices about how we live our lives; I am always thankful for choices. And compliments. And good friends. And alcohol in all of its various forms...

Well I truly believe education will change in the future for one reason and one reason alone: we can't afford it. Taxpayers can't afford the pensions or the $20,000+ yearly per pupil expenditure. We will see it first when the state moves in and starts merging school districts. (They won't be able to leave it up to local districts who continue to kick the can down the road, any longer.) Its already started here in New York and I don't expect we're an awful lot different from other states. I know of two nearby districts that are near bankruptcy. Another reason is that young people are not getting married or having as many children so the schools now in existence are probably unnecessary. They will close eliminating a lot of jobs.

Education will look a lot different in the future but I don't see homeschooling, even with the use of the internet, as being an option the masses will use. Parents must be capable of homeschooling and I'm afraid not that many are. You're the exception Mamie. Most don't have the knowledge or are incapable of utilizing what they do have to provide a viable school program for their children.

That said, I am not embarrassed to be receiving a state pension and feel terrible about the disrespect that is heaped on teachers these days. They are made out to be a greedy bunch when all they are expecting is what was promised them when they signed on. You can't change the rules in the middle of the game very easily. But I'm sure most educators would be willing to negotiate for revised benefits especially when the threat of job cuts is rearing its ugly head. Every school district and every state department of education should be planning right now for what their schools will look like in the future and how ugly the road to that future will be. Because it certainly won't look anything like it does now.

Bonnie - I think you are so right. Our school systems are in trouble. Not sure what the future of education is for certain, but there are a lot of high schools that are offering online schooling. I think most states have some sort of K-12 online program, although they operate differently according to state guidelines. I think that homeschooling is not an option for the masses because many homes have both parents working. Also, in order to do a good job, you really have to be willing to do your homework along the way and to invest a great deal of your time and energy into making it work. You also have to be able to understand the subject matter well enough that you can teach it to someone else. As far as the online options go, in order to participate in online education, you must have internet access and a computer, and not everyone has that. Not everyone can afford that.

I'm not sure why we (as a nation) are not investing in our children's education. Across the nation things are looking not good, and I do not know how they will get better without a major overhaul. I have the highest respect for teachers - one of the most underpaid professions out there. I have never understood that.

Such great conversations are happening here on your thread!

Congratulations on the impending sale of your home.

Ohh congratulations on the impending sale of your home! Selling a house is sooo stressful as you keep it in tip top orderly cleanliness and stage it! I'm very glad that things are going well!

Congratulations on the pending sale! Woo-hoo!

I enjoy reading about your homeschooling. In some ways, I would love to homeschool my kids. One kid is seriously advanced, and gets very frustrated with the pace of public school. But she would also be a challenge to teach... would only want to do what has grabbed her attention for that day. I'm not sure I'm up to managing that. It's hard enough to be the clean-your-room, brush-your-teeth, eat-your-peas bad guy. Plus I work full-time and we cannot forgo my salary, so it is not in the cards anyway. But I'm still fascinated (and wistful) to read about smart, organized homeschooling situations such as yours.

#152 but there are a lot of high schools that are offering online schooling. I think most states have some sort of K-12 online program That's really interesting - I can't imagine schools in the UK having anything of the sort at all!

I do think that a lot of pressure is placed on schools when a lot of the fundamental education takes place at home before the child even starts school. Just the difference between a parent reading a child a bedtime story every night until they start school gives that child a huge advantage compared with one who does not even know what a book is for.

Love the Sale Pending sigh, Mamie. Late to the thread, but I wanted to add my congratulatory cheer for the impending sale. 3 months isn't bad actually. Someone I know had their house up for sale for over a year and had to lower their price about 5 times.

Isn't it nice not to have the discombobulation that comes with having to show your house again? When's the close? And where are you going to move to?

Linda! How nice of you to stop by my thread! And thank you for the congrats and the kind words. I am thinking about you as you head today your surgery date this week - I am and will be sending thoughts and prayers your way. I'm so sorry that you have to go through another surgery, but hope that this will eliminate your pain. Gentle hugs to you.

Deb - Thank you - and so true about the stressful part. I am practically giddy at the mere thought that we might not have to show again at all if everything works out.

Carol - Thank you! I do not think we could have managed the homeschool project if I worked full time, so I hear what you are saying. And it is a lot to take on - getting started is the hardest part, and then it seems like one great idea gives birth to another and another, and before you know it, you are off and running. Glad you enjoyed reading about ours!

Rhian - That's a good point. I always felt bad for those teachers that had a full classroom and had both ends of the spectrum as far as parent involvement because the kids that are read to and encouraged at home are at such an advantage over those who are not. It makes it tough for the teacher to keep the entire class engaged.

Caro - Thanks! And we are thrilled to have spending sale at just before the three month mark. And we didn't have to lower our price, intact, we got what we wanted for it - assuming the sale goes through. And yes, as I told Deb, absolutely giddy that we might not have to show it again. The close is scheduled for October 1st. We are moving to Albany, Georgia - so, BIG move. Craig has been down there since mid-May, so we are thrilled that it looks like we will be joining him soon.

I am not doing a very good job of blasting through the books this month - I have only finished three so far. Pitiful...just pitiful. I am guessing that things are going to get very busy and very crazy in the very near future, but I will really try to keep my thread updated. You can check in and track the progress of me trying not to lose my head! Just so that I don't have the meager pile of books that I have managed to finish hanging over my head, I am going to do mini-reviews of them. I may come back and add more later but probably not. I apologize in advance for my brevity.



Book #80: The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill

This is the sixth installment in the wonderful mystery series by Cotterill featuring Dr. Siri, the head coroner (okay, the only coroner) of Laos who always manages to get himself and his quirky sidekicks mixed up in mischief. This one is a treat because the gang is all back together again in one place - delightful! This time the crime is a bit darker - Dr. Siri is in pursuit of a serial killer who definitely has a dark side. Can he catch the killer before he murders again?

"How wonderful it was to live in a state where the actual person was no longer important. Everything existed only on paper, including him. A man who merely walked the earth with nothing but breath and a strong beating heart was no longer a man in the Democratic Republic of Laos. God had been replaced by an earthbound bookkeeper. ' I carry identification, therefore I am,' he said."



Book #81: The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg

This was a new author for me. This book was on the endcap display of new books purchased by our library, and it sounded interesting, so I picked it up and took it home with me. I did not realize that this is actually the third book in a series, but rest assured that it stands on its own just fine. This is labeled as a Scandicrime, so I was expecting dark and disturbing, which it really isn't, but if you like this genre, the book is worth the time it takes to read it. Läckberg can do better, I think - she has an interesting story and characters that pull you into the pages, but she's not quite there yet with "gripping" or "brilliant". I did enjoy it enough to go back and read the previous ones. I think the problem is that she has a bit too many storylines going on at once, and they weave in and out of each other not quite seamlessly. This might not be the case if you have read the first two books - perhaps some of these are carried over from the previous stories. I knew who the murderer was almost immediately, but it still was fun getting to the resolution. I truly think this author will get better as she continues to develop her writing style, so I will be looking for the next one.



Book#82: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

This is a Steampunk novel and it is a fun and fast romp from beginning to end. Sure, the premise is a bit improbable, okay a lot improbable - but it's STEAMPUNK! You are supposed to suspend belief and just enjoy the ride, and I did. Set in Seattle, Washington during an alternate version of the 1800s, the core of the city has had to be walled off due to an incident that happened 16 years earlier. Leviticus Blue was supposed to be inventing a drilling machine the likes of which had never been seen before, but what happened is that he drove his invention - the Boneshaker - under the banking district and wrecked havoc. A mysterious gas seemed to have been released from the earth, and this gas has horrific effects; it creates...Rotters (um...zombies!). Did Levi purposefully create disaster, or is it just an experiment gone horribly wrong? This is the mystery young Zeke sets out to solve for himself, after all, he does have a vested interest in the answer - Levi Blue was his father. Finding the answers means returning to the scene of the crime, except that this is more difficult than even Zeke can imagine. When she finds out where her son has gone, of course his mother has no choice except to follow him and hope that it is not too late to find him and bring him home. In their journey, they will encounter airships, pirates, a mad inventor who calls himself Dr. Minnericht, contraptions and gadgets galore, and of course...zombies. What could be more fun? Even though the plot feels contrived in places and the characters could have been more deftly drawn, the action and pacing make up for that. SO put your polarized goggles on and grab your gas mask, and you are ready for a fun adventure.

*edited to add that for those of you who have young teens that like this sort of thing, it's perfectly appropriate for them - and no mushy romance stuff, Rhian! So J might like this one.

I have Boneshaker on my TBR. It's outside my usual "comfort zone" so I'm eager to see what you thought of it!

Just trying to stay current.... I am on pins and needles waiting for you to put up the sale final sign, I know it's going to happen, I just hope soonest rather than any delays. Oh and tell your plumber I'm going to have to lay a curse on his truck if he doesn't get the job done. He has till Tuesday @ noon. :)

Katie - Okay, all finished. It's good, clean fun - and a fast read. I think you'll like it.

Kath - Right! Good thinking - no delays would be so great. And a curse for the plumber's truck if he fails to show again? EXCELLENT!! He's supposed to be here first thing in the morning, so I'll let you know. *puts Kath on speed dial*

Thanks for a great review of boneshaker I think my book group is going to want to read it next year and I'm glad to have some idea what it's about

You're welcome, Karen! How's your hand?

Better and sometimes I even feel like typing a paragraph or two but mostly I feel like reading.

Hi Mamie- Love the mini-reviews! I'm behind on the Dr. Siri series. I'll start book 4 next month. I have The Ice Princess in the stacks. Not sure when I'll get to it.
I've had Boneshaker on my WL for a couple years now. Glad you liked it, maybe I need to finally snag a copy.

Thanks for the review of Boneshaker. I've never heard of the book or the author before, but I'll be adding it to my borrow from the library list! Thanks for the bullet. :)

Good going on the reviews Mamie! I opted to skip over the Dr. Siri one for now as am rigorously trying to avoid any spoilers. I reserved book #4 Curse of the Pogo Stick from the library last week and should be getting it soon.

I didn't know about Camilla Läckberg either until very recently when I did a search for audiobooks in the library catalogue. I actually got The Ice Princess, the first book in the same series you read from, in the French translation. I think this author is very popular in France because I keep seeing her name come up randomly. As a side note, many (most?) scandinavian books get translated into French first. I guess they test them in smaller markets before releasing them in the U.S.

Am anxiously awaiting news on the house and hope you'll still have a bit of time to spare for LT when things get nutty... I'd miss you too much otherwise!

Karen - Glad to hear that it is better!

Mark - Thanks! I just got The Ice Princess from the library because I was curious how the whole thing started, but not sure if I'll get to it before I have to return it. If the mood strikes... I did like Boneshaker because it just kept moving along and the atmosphere was cool. I will definitely be picking up the next one, Dreadnought, which I believe follows a different story line that connects to one of the characters from Boneshaker - less of a sequel and more of a companion set in the same time period.

Valerie - You're welcome! Hope you like it when you get to it!

Ilana! You snuck in there while I was posting. Rest assured there are no spoilers in my Dr. Siri review - I try to be very careful about that. If I ever have spoilers in any of my reviews, you will see a warning first in big bold print.

That's so interesting about Scandinavian books getting translated into French first. That makes sense to test it in a smaller market first - and also explains the excruciating wait we have for some of them!

I will definitely have some time to spare for LT because I'm convinced it's keeping me sane. Everybody here is so supportive and encouraging, I honestly don't know how I could manage without you - and I do NOT want to find out!

Mamie - thanks for your lovely comments with regard to my earlier post - I just type it as I see it! "Post more often"? SWMBO has already threatened to break my fingers if I don't spend less time on LT (at least I think that was the reason she gave for wishing to inflict pain upon her major source of income) so I am very happy we are not even in the same country presently. (She is in Singapore)

Continue to follow the education debate avidly. Grew up in state education in Northern England and believe that I was reasonably well served by it. We had some superb, dedicated and truly inspiring teachers whose efforts especially in English, History, Geography and PE (the subjects I loved most) will stay with me always.
My kids are in international schools in Malaysia mainly as I wanted to allow them the English core curriculum and to keep open their best chances of a university education abroad. It is expensive and I don't think it quite matches my own free one - but the kids love their school and I must say that the teachers do seem to really care about the students.
Bonnie's viewpoint was fascinating and, as a clearly gifted teacher herself, I think her plea that the veterans of her profession get more respect is a correct and worthy one. I think standards have fallen over the years especially as computers, texting and the twitter age impact the quality of written english - I mean who writes reviews as well as Bonnie nowadays?!

Ilana's comment about Scandi being translated into French first is an eye-opener. Didn't know that I must say. Scandi is very popular in UK at the moment and it has a strong market in Malaysia with one individual buyer keeping its books zipping off the shelves.

Pending Sale - how great! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Mamie!

And what a fascinating discussion about home schooling. Where I come from this simply doesn't exist, so I never ever thought about it. I am learning so much here on LT!

Morning Mamie- Enjoy your Monday and lets hope this week is filled with more good news for you.

Good grief! it has been very busy here overnight! Yes, keep me posted on the plumber, I will assemble a few things just in case. He really does need to pay attention to getting things done when and as promised. That is a big family to have to cope with cold showers.

Nothing much going on in my world, thank goodness!

Good Monday morning I hope your plumber shows up and the hot water heater conundrum is solved
I'm taking the kids to the zoo today and hoping that my rheumatoid arthritis flare continues to improve

Excuse the lack of punctuation I'm dictating my postings

Paul - I know that you cannot actually post more - you are already so industrious about keeping tabs on so many threads and brightening so many days. I was just indulging myself because your posts are such great fun! I definitely do not want to be responsible for any damage to your digits.

I hope that everyone understands that our choice to homeschool in no way reflects a discontent or a disapproval of the education that is available in the public school system. Our children were receiving an excellent education in the public system, our concerns for Rae aside (because really her issues are so distinctly individual). I also think that our children are receiving an excellent education at home. The difference is simply a choice. This works for us - it has afforded us unique opportunities, and we are so very thankful for the ability to choose what works for us. We did not make the decision lightly, and we revisit the issue each year, letting the kids choose which route they will take.

On the popularity of Scandi in the Mallaysian market - I think I know the individual you are referring to. He is very dedicated to his mission.

Nathalie - So great to see you here! Thanks for the good wishes. Here in the US, each state has its own rules for homeschooling, so the ways that home schools are established and run varies depending on where in the nation you live.

Mark - Did you just come over here so you could say, "Morning Mamie"?! Our Monday is off to a roaring start - you'll get a kick out of this - Birdy went to turn off the shower this morning and the handle broke off in her hand! What's up with things not functioning properly - is the house rebelling because we are selling it? Now I have to call my contractor friend to come replace the fixture. I am trying to find my "peaceful place".

*Just a side note - the plumber is not here yet.

Kath- Good morning! No sign of the plumber yet, and I am wondering what time "first thing in the morning" is. Any thoughts?

Karen - No need for punctuation here. That is so cool that you can dictate your posts - I will have to look into how that works because that would be great for Rae. Have fun at the zoo! I am sending good mojo for the RA flare continuing to improve.

To me, he has till 10 am to be "first thing" and that's stretching it. . .

Well then, he has thirty-three more minutes to show. Meanwhile, I contacted my contractor friend, and he is on his way over to check out the broken shower fixture. Just saying.

ye gods.. It's like the house doesn't want you to go .. lol. I hope tonight finds everything working smoothly!

Hah! Maybe Kath is right, the house is throwing a fit over losing you, Mamie!

Can't wait to read The Merry Misogynist; sounds like it's full of what I love about this series. Boneshaker sounds good, too, but I'm just not a steampunk guy for some reason.

Kath and Joe - Perhaps the house is feeling rejected?!

Temper tantrum

Good morning and I hope the rest of your day goes a great deal more successfully

Oh - temper tantrum. I know how to deal with those. Thanks, Karen!

The plumber has just arrived!

Tell him he is barely escaping the curse on his truck and isnt out of the woods yet.. he has to FIX it !

Ok, so he did what the company told him to do, but he does not think that is going to fix the problem - he thinks we have a dud unit. He will have to go through all of the steps that they tell him in order to prove it. SO now we have to wait for the heater to go into lockdown mode again. He left - call him when it fails, he said. Argh!

Meanwhile the contractor has been and gone with the broken fixture to see if he can get a replacement for the broken part which should not have broken - only three years old and it's a Delta. Please send good mojo!

Mojo sent, Mamie! Hopefully everything gets fix and dealt with sooner rather than later!

Okay, I see that there are possible glitches, but I've been awol for a few days and I'm just sayin:

SALE PENDING!! WOO HOO!!!!! I hope every detail gets taken care of and the sale goes through without any major hiccups. Congratulations on getting an offer you felt comfortable accepting, Mamie!

And, thank you for your wonderful description of your decision to homeschool the kids and some of how you approached it. It sounds really carefully thought through - by all of you - and lovingly implemented with a constant eye toward enhancing your kids' growth, learning, and development. Well done.

A sale is pending, Mamie! That is fabulous news! Not many things can rival selling a house in so many ways - waiting for someone to make an offer, a sale pending, keeping one's house staged and clean!! I hope we never have to sell a place again, and fortunately we are happy with where we are currently living.

I hope all goes well with the sale!

A very interesting discussion on home schooling. I found the schools where we live in Canada to be more than adequate, and in particular the secondary school that my younger son went to. But I really respect those who can homeschool. I know that my kids would never be able to put up with me as their teacher - though I would describe myself as a sort of " teaching mother" in the sense that I made certain that they could read before they began kindergarten as well as helping them out along the way . I am always trying to impart more knowledge and curiousity in them. There are many " teachable moments" as a parent, as I am sure my now 27 and 22 year old sons' will tell you!;)

Thanks, Valerie!

Ellen - Your post touches my heart. Such wonderful enthusiasm that embraces our entire journey from selling our house to raising our children. Thank you so much.

Kath - Ever ready with whatever is needed - thank you, my friend.

*The water heater is working for the moment, but I've got my evil eye trained on it. The upstairs shower faucet is once again a complete fixture. Survival of Monday - check!

Deb - You snuck in there while I was posting. Thanks! I am hoping this is our last house sale, too - unless we decide to downsize when we are ancient.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on homeschooling. I bet you are such a great Mom - and you're right, you were and still are a teacher to them. The truth is that all Moms are teachers, for good or for ill. When we don't get what we need from our Moms, it leaves a hole. And when we do, we can conquer the world. Those young minds and young hearts look to us for guidance and yearn for nurturing and a set of arms that provide safety and a place to run home to. That indefinable someone who has a soft heart, an open mind, and a spine of steel. And who loves us with a fierce mother love that jealously protects and then, when the time is right, gently lets go.

Hi Mamie- " Did you just come over here so you could say, "Morning Mamie"? You know me so well, it's scary.
I'm glad the water heater is working for now and I'm glad you are enjoying The Guards. I hope it makes you an instant fan.

Mark - I LOVE The Guards!! I am 60% of the way through it now, and am betting I finish it tonight. SO good - just what I needed right now. Thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

If I wasn't so full from dinner, I would cartwheel, (Yeah, right!). Glad you are loving the Bruen. Be prepared to start tracking down the others because they are all terrific. See, we need to live closer! I have the 1st 4.

How fun would that be?! ANd I would love to see that cartwheel!

Hi Mamie - just monitoring progress on repairs and house sale.
Looks like things are lurching forward a little at a time...but all in the right direction ;-)
Hang in there. The fun is about to start - a trip to Georgia!

Mamie, I went back and enjoyed you Dr. Siri review since you put my worries to rest. I'm still waiting for book #4 to be ready for me at the library (most books I order are inter-library loans, since our neighbourhood one is quite tiny).

To answer Paul (sort of), I found out about Scandi crime being translated into French first based on one example. Before I say what it is, sorry about lying on your thread Paul and saying I never ready Scandi crime. I do. I just... try not to let it become an obsession is all. So. My gf Kim lent me the Millenium trilogy some years back in French. I devoured all three books in record time, then later was surprised when I discovered they were being released on the North American market only a year or so later. I've also seen lots of titles available in French that aren't in English yet, but I have to admit I don't base myself on any reliable statistics like you would Paul!

Oh, hi Mamie! Sorry, almost forgot where I was. Anyway, you must be in bed and asleep by now, so I'll wish you sweet dreams and start getting myself ready for same now. Ciao!

Hooray for water heaters that work!!

Uh oh. I have The Guards sitting on my bedside table, thanks to Mark's enthusiastic recommendations. It's a library book and I recently renewed it. Maybe it will be next for me, after I finish Thirty-three Teeth.

Wow! A pending sale, a fixed water heater and great reviews!! I'd say life is good right now. CONGRATULATIONS!!

Wow, Mamie, I take a couple of days off and look what's happened. A SALE IS PENDING!! Excellent news.

Now for a tiny bit of advertising: I have set up the September Series & Sequels thread and everyone's welcome to join in and let us know what series they are planning on reading in September.

Waiting for further reports on the water heater, in case I need my blood of bug.......

Got behind and missed the "Sale Pending" posting. Congratulations...will be sending positive energy for a quick and smooth close! (maybe it's time the company just replaced the water heater, eh?)

Hi Cee! I am happy to report that so far the water heater is behaving itself, so at least there so hot water to start the day off with. Things are most definitely moving in the right direction. And I am looking forward to the trip to Georgia - now we just need to find the right house, and...um..immediate possession upon close would be good since we have to be out of here on Oct. 1st, if all goes according to plan.

Ilana - How nice to see you. Am eagerly following the transformation of your painting for the oils class you are taking. I have questions, so I'll slip over to you thread in a bit and ask them.

What I am wondering about with the translations of series books is this - why do they not translate the books in the order that they were written? For example, the Jo Nesbo books - they started with the third book in the series. Books one and two are still not available in English although they have translated the rest of the series so far already. What's up with that?

I wish I was in bed at 11pm last night, but I was on the phone with my sister Julie. We were looking at houses in Georgia together - the realtor emailed me a bunch of links to possible houses, and then I forwarded them to Julie. Then we can look at them together. There are actually some really good deals down there - buyer's markets and all.

Ellen - I am loving The Guards, and I would have finished it last night, but I ended up being on the phone for hours. First Craig called, and then I had to call my sister to set things up with her coming through to stay with the kids. I am determined to finish it up today. I think you would like it.

Kim - That just sums it up so nicely! Life is GOOD! The water heater might not be a done deal - we are keeping an eye on it to see if the last adjustment fixed it, but the plumber was not optimistic. I guess we'll see. Everything elsa is going smoothly, though.

Judy - Indeed excellent news. And thanks for setting up the thread for the September Series and Sequels - I am really looking forward to that. And you even provided a link to that thread right here - so GREAT! Thanks, Judy! You're off again on travels soon, right? Where are you going next - the Badlands trip?

Kath - Good Morning! It's behaving itself so far, but please continue to stand by.

Reba - Thank you! And thanks especially for the positive energy for a quick and smooth close! I would love for the company to just replace the water heater, but you have to go through all the steps to prove that it is a dud. We move onto new parts, I think, if this round fails. Thanks for stopping by while you're on vacation!

Judy--September Series and Sequels is NOT top of my list today. I just discovered the statistics/memes thing where it lists how many series you are reading and just about had a heart attack! Then I saw how many Paul had going and I felt better.

Good morning, Mamie! Just swinging by to keep up and glad to hear that the water heater is finally fixed. Hopefully it knows its place and doesn't start to act up the minute you turn your back. ;)

Are you looking to buy a place in Georgia?

Kim - What are you talking about?! Didn't you see how many series you are reading? You have got to get moving!!

Valerie - Morning! We are still watching the water heater - so I am not using the "fixed" yet. We'll see - but ti's a good thought! Yes, we're looking to buy a house in Georgia.

Glad to hear the water heater is . . . doing well so far, Mamie. I had relatives in Georgia (passed away now unfortunately). That's a pretty part of the country.

Uh...Thanks for adding to the pressure?! And I thought you were my friend!

Joe - Thank you. It is very pretty down there - I love all of the pecan trees. It just feels lush in the South - I LOVE it down there.

Kim - I AM your friend; this is tough love. Plus, I want you to do the series and sequels in September - please - just pick one. After all, you do have a LOT to choose from. I checked, and I have 286 series - but it counts some of them more than once by putting them in multiple series lists, and some of what get labeled as series, I think of as stand alone.

Fine! But I need to start a Series Survivor group.

OK - and I'll join your group!

Keep me posted. I believe I have a shed skin of snake in the garage... that is the last item I need for a whopping good truck whammy.

Would you like another sister? I have one that I am willing to part with, after this morning....

Oh - I would actually like to see a whopping good truck whammy...

Another sister?! I already have five! Perhaps a trade - but you can't have Julie, I actually really like her. Or - we could each ditch a sister, and we could be sisters. Doesn't that sound better?!

At least you got one thing out of the way. Finger's crossed, the house selling means you can devote your time to looking for a new place in Georgia. Where is husband staying then if he is down there already?

He lucked out - one of his new partners has a neighbor that has a mother-in-law suite. They don't usually rent it out, but they are making an exception for Craig, so he has a bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen area and laundry of his own for the bargain price of $300/month. It's an older couple, and they have been very nice to Craig, so it works out well.

I seem to have 202 series going (although some of those must be finished) so I will look at the September thread too. Usually I am too distracted by shiny new things at the library to plan my reading, but I could pick a couple.

Mother-in-law suites are called "Granny flats" in the UK - today's random fact.

Still sending good thoughts in the direction of the water heater, Mamie!

#218 Mother-in-law suites are called "Granny flats" in the UK It took me a couple of minutes to work out what a mother-in-law suite was! I don't think I'm having my brightest evening.

Starting The Guards today, Mamie. I think I'm going to enjoy it.

Series survivor group. I like it.

I should have known that I'd get behind on your thread just when you had some house news! Sale pending - woo! Hope the water heater gets sorted soon.

I want a granny flat!! I think that sounds much more fun :)

we could each ditch a sister, and we could be sisters. Doesn't that sound better?!
works for me.

goddess I'm tired. I can hardly wait till all of this furniture moving and swapping is over. I need an ibuprofen, but I am too weary and achy to get one. :P Are you sure you want to move? This sucks.

Susan - I like to plan my reading and then completely ignore the plan and read what I feel like! And yes, pick one or two and join us - I think I might read only series books in September except for whatever the Steinbeckathon book is.

And "Granny flat" is so much cooler than mother-in-law suite; I am going to use that from now on. Of course I'll have to explain it because no one will know what I'm talking about. And if our new house has one, neither mother-in-law can stay there, just so we're clear.

And thanks for the good thoughts!

Rhian - Don't feel badly, I got myself into this same mess when I talked about dumpsters, which are called skips in the UK. See, I'm learning. Just like sneakers or tennis shoes and trainers. Don't you just love vocabulary?!

Ellen - You will breeze through The Guards and love every minute of it! The series survivor group is up and running over on Kim's thread. If you haven't checked it out, you should - it's funny.

Here's a link to Kim's thread for anyone who's interested:
Berly's Books and Stuff

Heather - You are still in time for the party! And thanks for the good wishes on the water heater.

Kath - I thought Granny flat sounded much more fun, too! Excited about the sister thing, now I just have to chose which sister to ditch since I can only choose one.

And yes, I am sure that I want to move - but I am not planning on lugging the furniture around myself. I like to think of myself more as a creative director.

I only have one.. so it's easy enough... Hope you're evening is going well, sis!

I just came over to tell you that your "confession" on my thread cracked me up! You are a Series Survivor!

I hate it when I get behind and miss out on important stuff like a PENDING SALE. That, combined with being able to take a hot shower, must make your smile bigger than ever, Mamie. I hope you find a super cool house in Georgia -- and that everything works!

Hi Mamie, so you've moved on from school issues to series? Well I'm not much of a series reader but wait....according to my stats series page...I have 122 series going?? That's impossible. Oh I get it; they count books that I never 1. Knew were a series or 2. I don't consider a series. Well that explains it. I might get the new Three Pines series in in September. {The Beautiful Mystery comes out next week. Yay!!

I have to go see this series stats page, although it sounds a bit terrifying.

Mamie - I didn't think The Ice Princess was all that great, but I liked her second in the series, The Preacher. I have Hidden Child in my TBR Tower ... and no, I don't always read a series in order.

Hmm! At 218 - here in my city we are just we have just okayed " Granny Flats" and " Carriage Homes". The population is growing so much and housing is so expensive that that sort of densification has been approved in my city.

Mamie, glad to hear that your hot water tank is working again.

Ahhh - series September! I'm up for that!

BTW - training shoes, and sneakers are usually called " runners" in my part of Canada! LOL!

Good morning! I hope you had a nice hot shower today, and all of the kids as well. Even though it has been a long time since I was able to whammy a truck, better the thing be fixed.

City planners (at least in California) call them " granny flats" informally but "accessory apartments" formally.

Morning Mamie- Does the Series Survivor Group meet in dank basements and we smoke and drink coffee? I thought of the scenes in the movie fight Club, with all the support groups and with Meat Loaf and his big boobs. Chuckling over my caffeine fix.

You were on the money with The Devil's Star. It has picked up in the 2nd half. I wish Nesbo was a tighter writer but he still tells a good story.

I'm in for the Series Survivor Group as long as there's coffee, but I sure hope Meat Loaf doesn't join, or at least stays covered up.

Plenty of coffee and comfy chairs. Sunlight. Meat Loaf has not made an appearance yet. : )

Hmmm Busy day in Mamieville?

Do tell.. miss you !

Hope good things are happening :)

What a sad state of affairs in Mamieland - a neglected thread. Busy day today that just kept on going. Let's see, the water heater is still working - dare I hope that the problem is resolved?! We are waiting for the inspections to be scheduled - they only have until Monday, but please send positive mojo that they will schedule for Friday because Craig will be here then, so that would just work out so well. I am flying back with Craig on Friday night, and we will start looking at houses on Saturday morning. The realtor down there sent up a bunch of potentials through email and we went through those and picked five to look at, then three more from another batch, and then she will add a few more. At least by the end of Saturday, she should have a very good idea of what we are looking for. We will also get pre-approved by the bank so that we are ready to rock and roll when we do find the right house. I will be flying back on Wednesday evening, so not sure how much LT time I will get even though Craig is working all day Tuesday and half of Wednesday - the wireless where he is staying is kind of sporadic he says. YIKES! Mamie without internet is not good!

Now let's try to get caught up - thank you for your patience.

Kath - The evening went well, but today was like a tornado. I did get a lot of stuff taken care of though, so it's all good except that I am exhausted. And no reading got done today - boo. Thank you for missing me - I missed talking to you, too, sis. Better keep your truck whammy ready just in case even though the heater seems to be behaving itself for the moment.

Kim - Glad that I could crack you up! I kind of shocked that Meat Loaf has not shown up yet. He'll be sorry if he shows up when all the coffee and cookies are gone - then he'll just have to smoke outside with Mark.

Donna - Pending sale and hot showers are indeed a heady combination! Thanks for your good wishes. I am trying not to count my chickens before they are hatched, but I am excited about the possibilities.

Bonnie - I know - that series thing is a kick, isn't it? It's a bit frightening at first until you realize the inaccuracies narrow the numbers quite a lot. We had fun with it over on Kim's thread though, so it was worth the scare just for that! I adore a good series, but I love crime fiction, and a lot of those books are series. I have only read the first in the Three Pines series, but I would like to get back to it.

Lucy - Did you check it out? Is your head spinning?! Don't be afraid; there's a support group over on Kim's thread!

Hi Mamie!
You scared me with the beginning of your last message (#238). But no... everything is cool!
Sending you lots of good energy for all you have coming up...
it must be wonderful to be buying a house in a buyer's market. You should have a good choice :)
Get as much rest as you can...

Sounds like things are cooking in Mamieland! Have a safe trip down south and good luck with the house hunting.

Caro - I checked out The Ice Princess mainly to see how she started the series and introduced the main characters because I was curious. It's nice to know that the second one was good. I don't always read a series in order either, but some do work better if you read them in order - like the Nesbo books.

Deb - I love learning the different names that we have for the same things in different parts of the world - so interesting. Runners, huh, that makes sense since that is what you do in them!

I am looking forward to Series September also - pure indulgence for me. What fun!

Reba! The vacationer! Accessory apartments - that's interesting. I think Granny flats is still my favorite so far.

Mark - As long as I can drink coffee and smoke a ham, that works for me. Now I am picturing Meat Loaf in the group, and it is cracking me up - he probably likes to smoke hams, too!!

That's an excellent observation about Nesbo - the writing could be tighter, and the store would be better for it. I still love his books and how they interconnect. I would like to start at the beginning and read straight through them once the first two are finally translated into English - I bet I missed a lot by spacing them out.

Joe - Yes! Meat Loaf must wear clothing - we'll put that in our charter rules. And we'll need towels because he sweats a lot.

Cee - Sorry I scared you - I didn't even think about the wording. I'll be more careful next time. Thanks for the good energy - I will need every bit of it. We are thrilled at what our money can buy in this market down in Georgia - we will be able to get a really nice place. There is a HUGE selection right now. e are steering clear of the ones that state "needs work". I will get good rest just because you said to - you are a wise woman and I would be foolish not to take your advice to heart.

Mark - Thanks! Speaking of cooking - that's an important item on the list - a BIG kitchen.

Oooh, I hope you have a great time house hunting Mamie. I know for some people it can be quite stressful as you have a list of things you want, things you need, and things you think you need. :) I remember fondly my first and only house hunting experience with my husband. We were so green that we had no idea what we wanted and what we were looking for. Don't know if that made it harder or easier for our real estate agent..haha. In the end, it was just fun walking into each house and being able to say right off the bat, no way is this place right for us, or being able to dream up dreams what our lives would look like in a space that we were fond of. I hope it is a positive and not stressful experience for you and Craig! :)

Hi Valerie - We have a pretty good idea of what we are looking for, so I don't think we'll waste a lot of time. We know what is an absolute must for us and then we have a wish list of extras. I am really looking forward to it. Craig is a really easy going guy, so it will be fun, not stressful. When we first came to Yorktown 17 years ago, the realtor had lined up all these big fancy houses for us to look at because Craig is a doctor. A lot of them were on the golf course - what a waste of time for us. We had to tell her that we wanted to own the house, not have the house own us. Craig is from a small farming community - his Dad was a farmer, his Mom was a school teacher. He has had multiple conversations with the realtor down there talking about what we are looking for and what we don't want, so I think she has a pretty good feel for what we want. I am just so excited that we are ready to start looking - one step closer.

Having bought and sold several houses, my only comment will be: Be very clear about what you need, absolutely, when it comes to what makes you happy. My nonnegotiable is LIGHT. I am made so happy when the sun steams in some window. I need it.

I know that this big nonnegotiable will be different for different people but it is important to know what is yours!

So glad to see that you managed to pop in. I do not like Mamie free Mamie threads !
So much to do for you... I will be cheering you on from your dust... promise!

eta after seeing Karen's post..

mine is trees and shade.. LOL

Karen - That's such a great point! We came up with two lists - one is an absolutely must have, and the other is the sure would be nice if. I like a house that gets a lot of light, too, but also need a shady place to sit outside. What we really don't want is to be in a neighborhood where it feels like the houses are right on top of each other. In fact, no neighborhood would be better - we like that about our house now. It's close to neighborhoods, but it is not actually in one. For me at this stage in my life, the nonnegotiables would be a bit of land, lots of natural light in the house, the laundry is NOT in the kitchen, the kitchen is big, four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, feels open. We told the realtor not to show us anything that does not fit these criteria, no matter how good a deal it is. Oh, and I forgot, if it "needs work" then it needs to be owned by someone else. We sent years remodeling this place; I am not up for that again.

Kath - Good Morning!Thanks for the cheering me on! I will definitely need that once we get rolling. I like trees and shade, too - for outside areas, but I like a house that gets plenty of natural light because you can always use window treatments to control that, but you can't create it where it doesn't exist. Hope today is not too draining for you. Big plans?

Hah! That's going to be an interesting set of charter rules, Mamie. At least we've got the important Meat Loaf issue covered.

I also like your new house criteria, especially, if it "needs work", it needs to be owned by someone else. :-)

Hi Joe! I was just over at the cafe where I found that I was 65 posts behind! Incredible - 65!!

Glad you like our criteria - don't you just love those ads that say "a handyman's dream" or has "lots of potential"? I do not mind gutting a bathroom if it isn't to my taste, but I don't want to HAVE to fix anything major. This house has taken us thirteen years of extensive remodeling, and while I have learned a lot, I do not want to do that again. We just have a few years left with the kids here, so I want to sit back and enjoy them, not focus my time, attention, and wallet on repairs. We're looking for something we can just move in and enjoy with only minor adjustments like painting or ripping up carpet.

Amen to that. Our house after 16 years is stabilizing and needing little from us. We'd like to keep it that way!

So, now, there needs to be some "ruminating".... like if it is in a open area, with lots of natural light, and a wonderful shady spot for summertime reading/picnics, etc. AND it needs some work.... or if it needs no work, but is in a neighborhood where you are pretty close to your neighbors. Just saying.... when you have a lot of "must haves" you could do some game playing on which ones you are wiing to play with, and which ones really are the Non-Negotiables.

Of course, then, last piece of advice: no over thinking. You probably know this: the house is the one where you walk in and go "yes, this is the one!"

Exciting days indeed in Mamieland. Hope you find your Georgian dreamhome; will there be a pole barn I wonder?

... if it "needs work" then it needs to be owned by someone else..." *big smile*

Yep, I'm in that camp, too, Mamie!

I hope you have a blast and are very successful finding something that works for you. P and I have to hold off for at least another year. We love our home but the commute is killing both of us, time is just too precious. But we bought it in fall of '07 so if we sell now, the loss would be devastating. SO, we'll re-evaluate next spring. We hope to downsize. Going to borrow your two-lists idea. We'd have probably done something like that in any case, but it seems like a good idea to write it down and give it to the realtor with some clear boundaries....

I agree with Paul -- exciting days in Mamieland. Enjoy and check in with us when you are able!

I'm so happy for you!
To be spending time with Craig, planning and dreaming about changes in your future, checking out a new part of the country where you will live, etc...
Can you stand all the excitement? I can't! LOL

Yes, Joe - maintain, not renovate!

Karen - I told Craig that I'm willing to gut a bathroom, but not the kitchen (trust me, gutting the kitchen is a MAJOR pain), and only if the house meets the rest of the criteria. I love your last statement: You probably know this: the house is the one where you walk in and go "yes, this is the one!" That is so true. Houses speak to us, don't they?

Paul - I am thinking that we might have to erect a pole barn in your honor if our dream home doesn't have one. Seems like pole barns and Mamie go together for you, so I would hate to deprive that heady mixture!

Ellen - Thank you! That commute that you both do every day would kill me, too! Hopefully next year the market will be in a much better place, and you and P will be able to revisit the idea of selling. We bought this place in 1998, so we had built up more equity. We had a lot of fun with the two lists - it's really interesting to see what is a priority for each person. And it helps you to think about the house differently when you think need versus want (with need being that which you are unwilling to do without). We have such a small house now that it will be amazing to have four bedrooms and an extra 1/2 bath - I get giddy just thinking about it! And the laundry in its own room - paradise!

Thanks, Cee! It is giving me a bit of a buzz!

I might have to use the truck curse on someone else if you won't be needing it.

If you need it, you go ahead and use it. If the water heater acts up, we can think of something else. After all, we are sisters now!

You're the best.. and I can always come up with another curse. It's a big snakeskin.

"smoke a ham" Is that more of that shadowy terminology? And yes, keeping Meat Loaf fully clothed is a MUST!

Kath - Thanks! And good to know that your powers are limitless!

Mark - LOL! It's not shadowy terminology - I don't smoke, but I know how to use a smoker, so I could smoke a ham or a turkey or bacon...

*started a new thread so the thread police won't shut me down while I'm looking at houses in Georgia - please join me over there. (Or else I'll be really lonely and sad and crestfallen)