Bohemima's Books Part 5 (I think)

October Reads

74. Coffin Scarcely Used Colin Watson
75. Miss Mapp E. F. Benson
76. She's Not There (nook) Jennifer Boylan
77. Tumbleweeds: A Novel Leila Meacham
78. The Coroner's Lunch Colin Cotterill
79. Hopjoy Was Here Colin Watson
80. The Dying of the Light Michael Dibdin

November Reads
81. The Small House at Allington (nook and paper) anthony Trollope
82. Bowery Girl Kim Taylor
83. The Aluminum Christmas Tree Thomas J. Davis
84. The Call of Cthulu and Other Stories (audio) H. P. Lovecraft
85. The Painted Veil Somerset Maugham
86. Speaking from Among the Bones Alan Bradley
87. The Road to Wigan Pier (nook) George Orwell
88. Lady into Fox (nook) David Garnett
89. Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches Theodore Roosevelt

December Reads
90. Morality for Beautiful Girls Alexander McCall-Smith
91. A Christmas Memory Truman Capote
92. Bridge to Terabithia by Susan Paterson
93. The Year of Henry James: The Story of a Novel by David Lodge
94. The Headmaster's Dilemma Louis Auchincloss
95. Appointment in Samarra John O'Hara
96. Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquivel
97. Murder at the Opera Gladys Mitchell
98. The Story of Lucy Gault William Trevor
99. Maurice E.M. Forster
100. Framley Parsonage Anthony Trollope
101. Take Your Time: The Wisdom of Slowing Down Eknath Easwaran
102. The 36-Hour Day Nancy Mace

Currently Reading

Done for this year

Boooks Bought to Date

Audio: 53

Paper: 55

Ebooks: 137

To be perfectly fair, many of the ebooks were free.

Books Read to Date
All sources: 91

Books Off Any of My Shelves: 43

Anyone can see that there's a slight problem here, but too bad. I'm just hopeless about books.

So, now, all done with accounts.

The Call of Cthulhu on AUDIO?! How odd...

Staking out my place :)

Rdear: The worst thing was that I was listening at night, as I fell asleep...not wise; decided daytime listening was much better. My daughter thinks I'm loony for listening to it.

Kath! My dear! So good to see you here!

Book 75 of 75
was Miss Mapp, the third volume of the Lucia series by Benson. While it was really funny in a few places, it didn't match the first two books; Mapp is not as appealing a character as the divine Lucia. Still, it was a good way to up my mood.

Hmmm, I need to find the audio version of some HPL! Hope you didn't have too many bad dreams. :)

Completion certified. Proceed to the self-gifting area and buy up to one dozen books guilt-free.

Nice one rd! Very nice! And congrats on 75 books :)

So are you recovered from your daughters visit? No matter how great a time you have, it can be exhausting to step out of your routine. I'm glad it was a good time. Now ... what does your routine have in store for you this week?

Jim: It's pretty scary; scarier than reading it, I think, unless one can read it alone in a dark house at night. What I noticed in the audio was that, in the middle of describing octupus/dragon/human/winged weird stuff, Lovecraft carefully includes the exact dates, longitudes, and latitudes of the events, thus lending a believablility to all of it.

Rdear: Why thank you! Up to one dozen, hmm? Let's see...

Kath: I didn't think it was stressful at all until I developed a great big fat yucky cold sore the day before she left. It went remarkably smoothly; even dementia has a hidden silver lining...I am sure you understand what I mean.

Already been out in the garden, maniacally digging up that $@$#@%# grass that insists on invading the flower beds. Also dug up for transplanting the canna lillies, which must go to the back forty as they will overwhelm everything else and are too tall, thus blocking the sprinklers. A bit later today will be running errands (sigh). Thinking about getting three or four bushy things (can't remember the name: they spread, have magenta leaves year round, and dark pink small flowers in the spring) to screen our back yard from our neighbor's--well, really to screen my eyes from his trucks/topper/etc. My very nice lawn man suggested Knockout Roses for the back border as they grow and bloom and spread and can't, apparetnly, be killed off. And laundry. And making spaghetti sauce.

Wait. I think I need to lie down for 30 minutes and, um, read.

Knockout Roses.. yep.. they are beautiful, hardy and enthusiastic... I recommend them too.

Do you mean weigela?

https://www.google.com/search?q=weigela&hl=en&pwst=1&prmd=imvns&...

I had a beautiful one, but a storm took it. It was old and woody...beautiful...

The only things I have on my lawn right now are oodles of pine needles and leaves. *sigh* With the rain, it'll have to be the rake this weekend instead of the leaf blower. We definitely need to get it done because our whole driveway is covered and there is not a blade of grass to be seen. all completely buried under Fall cover. It's the (*&^%!! pine needles that annoy me the most.

New thread. Waiting for kath's bear to show up on this one.

I think there will be less need for waiting post visit ... lol.

I missed the spaghetti sauce in your last post. mmmmmm spaghetti !

Duncan woke me to take him out at 4 again. And he is shaking his head. He is doing it less and less as the morning goes on, I will clean them and hope that fixes the issue. They are not feeling infected to me. :(
I have been thinking of buying him an orthopedic bed, as poor guy is stiff and achy in the morning.. So after looking at prices... and reading about the how the beds are made.. I bought a twin sized egg crate mattress topper. I have the cover from his old bed, and I'm going to cut the egg crate doo dad and put two layers into the bed cover ( you know, the pretty zipper cover that they cover dog beds with.. ) I will put that on top of the bed he has.. and see how that goes. I think it will be good. If it works, I can give him some ease and for only 20 dollars instead of over a hundred. He is a worry.....

Hope today is less busy for you then yesterday, and frustration free!

Happy Wednesday!

I made spaghetti today. I blame you.. LOL

Whole wheat pasta though ! ( ick)

I'm late today because I got a bug bite, took a benedryl and snooze...

We've finally finished the last of Dh's ABX, so he should be returning to normal soon. I finally (re)mastered how to take b.p.--I'm such a sissy trying new stuff...anyway, I can do it and record it, so we'll see what happens.

Went to our pharmacy and got some issues straightened out, maybe; did find out that they have transferred in a "trouble-shooting" mamager to clean the place up; she said she'd just finished "cleaning up" a mess south of here. So, we'll see how that goes; they were most accomodating and polite at least, so that made it easier to get my case across.

Kath: Yes that is the very plant! I'd like to get three or at most four of them, plant them fairly close, and have a sort of fake hedege way back there. NOt today, though; my muscles are so sore from yesterday that gardening was out of the question today. I have an awful lot of pansy plants coming in Sunday; about 60, I think. So I'll be able to fill up my front borders and have pretty color until late April. Of course, there's still the bulbs to plant next month. I know how Duncan and the other furchildren are a constant worry...

Caro: Our leaves are barely starting to turn now. However, we have pine matter, both cones and needles, all year round in the back 40 (the no-lawn portion of our yard far away from the house) because we have three or four of those enormous, very old, Georgia pines. I was sad when we had to cut several of them down because of their advanced age and interior rot. Which is why i'm considering a new tree. Anyway, welcome to the new thread!

Ellen: So good to see you here. Hope your spirits are better. Mine are mixed, as alwys.

Rdear! Hello, sir, and a Happy Wednesday and a smooch to you as well.

I've finished She's Not There, which is a wonderful book. I'm working up a review. I needed to get started on the RL bookclub book, Tumbleweeds: A Novel which is okay if you want to just read a story. No great writing, but still a good story of its type.

Edited to fix egregious grammar error.

*hangs head in shame*

Wait.. you will have flowers through the winter til April?

Gail - double congratulations - on your new thread and on waltzing past the 75 book mark.

>19 mckait: In the south, pansies are winter flowers. We used to have them in Austin starting in November going into March.

well, huh! Did not know ... interesting.

Oh, yeah, Kath and Rdear, pansies are terrific winter flowers for the south. Every time we got a frost last year I almost screamed, thinking that they'd be destroyed; but no, their perky little faces would just smile right up at me in the afternoon. Since I'm pretty dedicated to maintaining them, constantly dead-heading and giving the occasional shot of fertilizer, they respond by blooming their little hears out all winter and well into spring. The neighbors and visitors love them--I think because I plant them so thickly--and that's how I got the "flower lady" name around here. Well, that and the amazing calla lilies...

Thread visiting time...

I thought of you this morning.. I still have a few roses, mostly those on my knockout "rose" bushes. They won't last long. They are the most beautiful colors.. both the red and the yellow. I have exactly one Coat of Many Colors rose :)

I was up a good bit during the night, and had a headache. Still did when I woke, but did what I needed to do..and by now, I feel better :) Dan is off again today. Yesterday he..put in cement. In a space I had specifically told him I wanted to remove the rest of the cement.. and have just grass. So of course he dug and dug and expanded and poured. Goddess only knows what he will get up to today.

Is today Bridge? Whatever you do today, I hope all goes well and that it is a pleasant and relaxing day !

Oh, for Pete's sake, Kath. You know, I read really quickly when I'm online, and at first I thought it said, "Yesterday he...was put in cement." Which seems like a good idea, actually; you know, like those cement overshoes? That man would drive me out of my ever-lovin' mind.

Never mind.

Went garden shopping this a.m. Took a shower. Cleaned the kitchen. Worried about things.
A typical day in Gail Land.

I did see some knockout roses at the garden store, but the color didn't do much for me. So instead I got four hostas to put in by the front entrance in the shady areas, as I have now eliminated the really, really aggressive canna lilies, which are waiting to be planted along the neighbor's unattractive fence.

No bridge today, although I was called to fill in for a women's foursome. Dr. appt. at 12:30. This should be an interesting one.

Cool and rainy here; a perfect day for planting. So, this p.m., that's probably what I'll be doing.

Hi, Gail! I missed congratulating your for your 75th, I think.

Hope the Dr. appt. went OK.

Happy planting!

Tomorrow will be rainy here. Today was close to perfection.

I am clearly a defective human being. I don't think I like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry all that much.

I don't mind defective human beings.... being one myownself.

Hope today went well in all possible ways.

Who among us is not defective?

Welcome and good Friday to Terry, Rdear, and Kath!

Very enlightening dr. appt. yesterday; unfortunately in the middle of it, I suddenly realized that I am living the same life my mother lived...I swore I'd never do that...sooo frustrating that the dr. is (almost) always right...

From a fellow defective Gail - have a lovely weekend. I am certainly not living the same life as my antecedents but I think it is just different not necessarily better.

It's a really really rough day when one sees the pattern, isn't it?

Well, *I'm* certainly not defective. And, clearly, self-awareness and humility are two of my best qualities...
(Sorry, my silly sense of humor couldn't resist.)
So happy to hear that you're getting some good out of the dr. appointments, even if they're a bit rough sometimes.

Sorry about Bridge :( hope it is painless and even enjoyable!

Weekend has crept up again... shocking how quickly the weeks go lately!

I am still at it, but hope to be done soon. It has been one of those empty the kitchen drawers and clean them sort of days... the fans and so on. ugh!

Congrats on book #75! :-)

Stopping by to wave hello and check how you are doing. I think of you often!

Linda.. 3 AM ? Not a good sign.

Not much to report. No plans today, nothing much going on. I am feeling a bit down for no particular reason. Hate that.

Did your pansies come? Have you been hard at it planting away? Any plans for relaxing ?

Pansy-plantin' *smooch*

I think we need a picture, Gail.. of you in front of your array of Flower Lady flowers :) What do you say?
Any hope?

Speaking of hope.. I hope you are having a pleasant and soft weekend.

Hello to Paul: Sorry I missed saying hello on the previous message. Well, it is a sad day when one sees that same pattern going on (parent to child), but at least I'm nice to people (mostly). Always love reading your thread although I often don't have much, if anything, to say.

Rdear: See above. It was very disheartening, if only because I saw her life as self-limited. I don't wanna be that way! But at this moment, I am.

Amber: Lol. Your humor and mine are similar. A lot of good is coming from the appts., but sometimes it's not as pleasant as it could be.

Porua! Hello, and thank you! I've cut back on reading mysteries somewhat this year, but may go back to a full-fledged spree soon. I seem to be reading all across the board.

Linda: Hello, Sweetness. It's good to see you on the boards, but don't know if 3 ack emma is good or not. Hope that you're continuing to heal.

Kath and Rdear: The pansies have arrived! One of five flats is planted, and is looking good. Probably two tomorrow and two Thursday. I'd be happy to put some flower pics on my profile page, but no pics. of self, as I take all the photos. Well, I could arrange it so you could see my giant shadow...

Tired today for some reason, but a good week-end overall. Relatives are veing weird, but what else is new?

# 39 Oh a mystery spree is always delightful! :-)

My relatives are being... well.. my sister is being herself.

I just had myself a fluff spree over the weekend. .. going to try to read Thomas Jefferson in the next couple of days ... not sure what else is in my future..

I look forward to pictures of your flowers, if not you :)

Careful of your back with all of that planting....

Just popping by to say good morning :) Hope you are well and "good" busy :)
Miss you though...!

well... good grief!
i have a thousand excuses/reasons - but unfortunately fell behind on the new thread switch-over. was missing you.

love the patiently waiting bear - glad you got important daughter time - good time of the year for garden therapy (i imagine) - glad you are working through life issues and making good progress.

i'm beginning to wonder if behind every house with beautiful gardening, there is an ongoing struugle with some kind of pain? At least back pain!

A very belated congratulations on reading 75 books Gail! Sorry for getting behind on your thread (again).

Just buzzing through to say hello, Gail.

*waves*

oh, shoot!
i meant to add
CONGRATS ON THE BIG 75!!!!

*another pansy-planting smooch*

hmmm

Kath!: My ever-faithful one. News is coming.

Porua: I may be launched; I'm reading another mystery (Hopjoy Was Here) and have really quite a lot on my shelves and Nook. We're taking a short trip next week; I usually read mysteries then because I can't concentrate to too long a book while traveling.

Cee!: Always glad to see you here. Good point about the gardening; I know an awful lot of people who garden as therapy. It provides fresh air, something fairly vigorous to do, and gives one a sense of accomplishment--well, usually. We all have some failures that don't grow

Heather: Thank you, my dear. Don't worry aobut being behind; I'm always behind on threads.

Terri: Hi! What's happening with you?

Rdear: And a *smooch* right back to you. A rather sweaty smooch, but a smooch nevertheless.

The gardening has been going well. However, I didn't quite think it all the way through. Five flats at 36 eensy plants per flat equals...uh...180 of the little buggers. 156 are planted so far, leaving 24 that I need to find some room for. I may do this differently next year. This is, really, a bit too much for me. So I get pretty hot, tired, and sweaty doing all of this. Especially where the ground wasn't properly prepared (d'oh!) and the shrubs hadn't been trimmed back. And then there are the ants...to which I'm allergic. One day I two bites on my right arm and two on my right leg. This results in lots and lots of benadryl, which makes me sleeeeepy. Then I got another bite on my left arm today, so am still on the bendryl. Even at that, the bites swell up to about 3" by 4" and look terrible; then they shrink back up and itch like crazy.

Today the doorbell rang, and when I got there, I found a box of Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels from a small confectionery in WA; stepdaughter had sent them to me as a "first aid" package. They're so good it's incredible. That was a pleasant surprise!

Dh is recovering, finally, from the after-effects of the ABX. We're hoping to go to north Alabama next week just for a few days.

Anybody planning on reading Tumleweeds: A Novel? Don't bother; it's not worth it. A pretty good story but not particularly well-told. Characters are flat and non-developing, except for one.

More things to do. Must run.

Must confess that Tumbleweeds: A Novel hadn't made my radar screens, which is where it shall continue not to be.

That's a lot of pansy-planting. My every muscle and joint sends screams of agony to keep yours company.

VERY glad the ABX misery is over, and that a treat from a grateful child was awaiting you. Appropriate.

Sorry to hear that the pansies are out of hand. I was thinking that was a lot of pansies, but you are always the busy gardener, so I was, and remain duly impressed. So odd to think of planting now...

I still have some garden clean up to do, but I am waiting for cooler weather. Eighty expected today. Very annoying.

Don't overdo my friend....

# 49 "I usually read mysteries then because I can't concentrate to too long a book while traveling."

I do that too.

The pansy project is done, finished, planted, fed, watered, and mulched.
*sound of trumpets*

I know it seems crazy to plant that many, but these are baby plants and thus will last the entire season. Today, however, was a piece of work in more ways than one. Still, outside in good weather...but came in soaking in sweat, cooled off, showered, sat around...read a little bit.

Now I can relax and just attend to watering; most of that is by remote control.

Every year we plan a trip to North Alabama in the fall. This year we planned earlier than ever, since it's always freezing when we go there. Was not surprised today to see that a cold front is coming in this Sunday, so it will be freezing again. Never mind. Most of the stuff we're doing is in the daytime anyway.

So what's up with all of you? Must check threads now.

hi gail -
we will need a picture when those pansies grow. we'll need a little color by then.

hope your trip is surprisingly great - enjoy!

Oh a trip! good. You have been working hard, and I think this sounds great. I hope that you have a great time.. and let us know when you get back. It isn't the same here without you, you know. So safe travels, good health and great weather mojo coming your way.

hugs

Thaks, Cee and Kath. We plan on taking our time getting there and getting home, no rushing or pushing to do too much. DH needs badly to get out of town for a few days, so I'm glad for him. They've arranged for him to attend a Sportsman's Club lunch, where all the coaches give brief talks about how the various teams are doing. Should be really nice for him, while I smile and mentally wander off to imagine/plan my ideal home library...We'll be leaving on Monday and getting home on Thursday or Friday, depending on how he's feeling.

Beautiful, beautiful day here today. Our maple is starting to show its beautiful fall scarlet.

Edited to fix the same stupid grammar error as above. What on earth is wrong with me???

Oh good!!! Sounds fantastic :) I am so happy for both of you... You are a good good, person.. and I hope the universe rewards you with a fabulous time :)

*smooch* for a lovely fall getaway

*waves* Gah! I miss you already :(

Wait! I'm still here till tomorrow night! Dh is becoming more dependent, less able to do things, etc. He kept asking me to pour his coffee and I kind of got p.o.'d until this a.m., when he said his hand shakes too much...Please grant me patience and understanding, please....

((((((((((((Gail)))))))))

It is so so hard to participate in the diminishment of a loved one's life.

I am sad for you, and for him. Sending love and hugs to you both.

Gail, I saw a pew the other day.. in an empty storefront near the library...
tell your daughter to call me.. time to get busy! :)

*waves and sends good trip mojp*

hi gail -
You are a good good, person..
i'll second that!
i can only imagine how very hard it is - and you are amazing

pouring coffee - reminds me of the difficulties ron and i are having with me needing help right now
i sense he gets po'd at times when i truly need just a little help -
which makes me feel bad. i always have a hard time asking for any kind of help... so then i get a bit po'd at him since seemingly it would be so much easier for him to just do it!
i don't want to be waited on - just need a little extra help
we take some of our basic abilities for granted until they're impaired - and then we get cranky :P

you are probably not annoyed at dh (and he at you) as much as the fact that you are both struggling and annoyed at life - such as it is!

keep the faith
sending 2 one-armed hugs

Rdear: Thank you, Sweetie, and love back to you as well. Fortunately I kept my irritation to myself, so when the explanation came I didn't have to feel even worse.

Kath! *waving back and sending good job mojo to you, Dear*

Cee: Hey! I hear ya about being independent and hating to ask for even the least amount of help; and I don't know about you, but I have this thing where I just think, "for heaven's sake, can't you anticipate that I need some aid here??" As above to Richard, I was very glad I'd kept my annoyance to myself, so then didn't have to feel I was a complete fink for being angry at something that can't be helped. Now I just do it and ask, "Cream today?". I didn't realize the shaking was interfering so much, although I'd certainly observed it. In fact, daughter said earlier this month, "Boy, Dad's hands really tremble, don't they?" as he was reading the paper.

And so it goes...

I wish something could magically make us all well, all of us and all of those we love, and really everyone who suffers from physical and emotional ills. It's a constant sadness in the world, this rotten betrayal by our very essence-of-self.

*sigh*

I hope this trip refreshes your mind and heart and lightens all the burdens for some time to come..
hold onto the magic of a tradition, a trip and the good times ahead ....pretty soon the changes will seem
normal..and you know.. we've got your back as far as good wishes and intention goes...
hugs

Thanks to both of you...The New Normal isn't quite what I had in mind...but it is the Norm and one must accept...
*weeps*

Well, enough of a pity-party here. Let's get to the heart of the matter: books!

Book 76 of 75
She's Not There
is a very funny, warm, interesting story of a transgendered man. Nothing prurient here, just an honest look at how love really can overcome gigantic obstacles. Full review at the book site. Highly recommmended. 5*'s

Book 77 of 75
Tumbleweeds: a Novel
is a pretty good story slightly spoiled by pedestrian writing. Dead average: 2.5*'s

Book 78 of 75
The Coroner's Lunch
which is the first in the mystery series featuring Dr. Siri in Laos. I loved this: the exotic setting, the very real characters, particularly Dr. Siri himself, with a good mystery thrown in as an extra. In the wake of the Viet Nam war, old Dr. Siri, thinking retirement should be coming right up, is forced into service as a coroner. The machinations of the government, the quiet but unending struggles of the populace to fight the government, and Dr. Siri's determination to get to the bottom of things and not be suborned by his superiors, all combine to make this a great start to yet another in my vast list of mystery series.
4.5*'s

Dear One

I think of you often and admire your courage, love and patience. While you may long for more patience, I hope you are able to distance yourself from the stress every now and again and realize the incredible person you are. It is not easy to face DH day in and day out knowing that you wish for ever so much more.

Congratulations on reaching the 75 challenge goal.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and take away the sadness. Know that you are cared about and gentle hugs are sent your way.

Sending hugs and good wishes your way.

Congrats on 75!

Yay! You *get* Dr. Siri! So happy.

*smooch* for your review of James/Jenny's story.

Whooop! Another Dr Siri fan. How fantastic, Gail.

And congrats to reaching 75 too.

{{hugs}} ... I'm so sorry you have a new norm to adapt to, but I know you have the wisdom, love and the strength of character to find a new level of patience as well to deal with the new situation.

Sending good trip vibes... thankfully I can do that sitting down...
Be safe :)

hugs

Gail, a very belated congrats on reaching 75!!
*HUGS* to you....just because. :)

hope you and dh are well...
just sending hugs :-)

Think ing of you, and hoping that you are enjoying your time away :)
Miss you though!
hugs

Well, we're back. Very, very nice experience for Dh as he (we, but I keep as small as possible on these occasions) were introduced at the Sportsman's Club Luncheon at his alma mater as the donator of an endowed scholarship for female athletes. He met lots of really nice people, men and women both, including several Viet Nam vets, who decided they'd just have a mini-vets' reunion right there after the lunch was over. It was so wonderful to see him perk up, laughing and telling tales, enjoying every minute of it. We're almost done with our pre-determined amount to endow; the nice thing is that the college matches the available funds every year, thus doubling our effort. Noticing that Dh's appetitie is decreasing. And here's something odd: he's taking a new med. (anti-depressant) and now doesn't need his bedtime shot of insulin; morning sugars are on the low side, 117 being the highest lately. Weather was chilly but beautifully sunny.

Linda: Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. I am learning to handle things differently, more slowly and patiently than before. It's a little hard, but it's a whole lot better than seeing him fairly crushed if I even look like I'm losing my temper or am cross. Just a day at a time is working so far...

Porua: Hey. Every time I read a new mystery series I think of you and wonder if you'd like it (see >70 Matke:, and book 78 above). Thank you for the good wishes.

Jim: Thanks! I seem to be reading a bit more than I had for a while, and I hope it continues; don't have much time to reach my usual +/- 100 this year.

Rdear!: Of course I love Dr. Siri. And on the Jim/Jenny book, the author's voice is so authentic, so chatty, intimate, funny but not crazy, and so very matter-of-fact that one feels one has made a new friend. Great, great book.

Caro: How could I not like Dr. Siri? What an endearing character he is, and I love the setting. Again, I may not get to 100 this year, but that's the way it goes. The new norm is slower, which isn't my strongest point. Still, we'll get right yet.

Valerie: Thanks for both the congrats and the hugs. Always love hugs, virtual or RL.

Cee: I appreciate the one-armed hugs! I know how hard that can be. Hope that your shoulder is healing as rapidly as possible.

Kath: My Dear! Here I am, safe and sound, and mostly well. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me until I had been gone two days that I should have put your # on my cell. How dumb is that!?!

BIG BOOK NEWS: I scored the latest Flavia de Luce on ER this month. Heh. Now that gives me an excuse to quickly read numbers 2-5(?).

So glad to be home, quiet, in our comfy familiar surroundings.

i did too! i did too!
i got the flavia ER book
looking forward to it!

>Ha! Really hoping it's a good one.

Just stopping by to see how you're doing. Glad your time away was a nice experience, and also glad you're home and comfy.

I am still waiting for September's The Last of the Bird People by John Hanson Mitchell to show up... and October landed me Dwarf: A Memoir.

I hope you have a nice relaxing day :)

Hi Terri. We're fine here. Weather's great, pansies are blooming up a storm, feeling pretty good.

Geez, Kath. Still no September book? I saw Dwarf: A Memoir and almost requested it; it looked pretty good. Somewhere on the nook I have Memoirs of a Midget, but I think that may be a bit different.

Must. Do. Financial. Chores. Now.

I hate them. Hate, hate, hate. Numbers are surely my bete noir, and the slight dyslexia doesn't help, as I often transpose numbers and wind up with some weirdly unrealistic total, either marvelous or horrendous. Sigh. But the adding machine (which prints) helps.

# 80 "BIG BOOK NEWS: I scored the latest Flavia de Luce on ER this month. Heh. Now that gives me an excuse to quickly read numbers 2-5(?)."

Wow that's great news! I have books 2 and 3 but haven't read them yet.

Those Flavia books look good. I haven't read any, and didn't get that one ( no surprise, since I have none)

I know.. I hate it when the books come so late :( I like to read and review before the next batch is ready to be given .. but, oh well.

I just read Mrs. Tom Thumb. I liked it well enough. It seems like I am obsessed with little people, lol. Total coincidence. I happened to snag Mrs T T from a shelf while waiting for my interview... so I checked it out and read it.

ok.. I need to get out of this chair and get on with my day. I do NOT feel like doing that.. but?

Hope you have a great weekend!

hi gail,
wish i could send you my love of numbers to get through the financials - no one ever really gets away with ignoring that for long.

so bored today... maybe i'll go for a walk on the beach later if not too windy. ron will have to lend me one of his jackets so i can zip it up with arm tucked in. looks like a decent day.

have a good one!

Porua, I've only read the first book. I thought I had the next one here, but no. So I ordered #'s 2, 3, and 4, used, from Better World Books, an online company I love and highly recommend. Of course, while I was there, I just *had* to take advantage of their Halloween 4-for-3 sale and bought four others, completely unconnected. Sigh. The only solution to buying so many books is for me to completely stay off bookseller sites, and ignore catalogues that come to the house.
Wait--I don't think I can do that...

Mornin', Kath. Hope that this day goes well for you. Mrs. Tom Thumb? I've heard of that, perhaps even seen it somewhere, but never read it.

Yesterday I had an appt. in North Columbus, so I went to the library branch over there--only about 3 miles out of the way--and renewed my library card. I have to pay because I don't live in Columbus, but that's okay with me, as they've pretty good service and lots and lots and lots of books. Noticed while I was there that this branch, which is smaller than the Main Library, is much friendlier and, for my purposes, easier to use.

Today is a slow-ish day for us. Water the flowers and new shrubs, finish up the laundry (as I write), do a little self-improvement work, shower, read...maybe get to the drugstore this p.m. Tomorrow will be busier, groceries to buy and car to gas up. I'm thinking about getting a couple more plants--I'm aware that I'm a bit odd--but may put that off till Thursday, since I allowed myself to be talked into playing ladies' bridge for two Mondays in a row. I'm trying to learn to conserve my energy, and to take things more slowly, which goes against my grain completely. I know I metnioned that above, to Linda. It's a huge change for me, but I'm making slow but steady progress.

On the book front, still reading The Small House at Allington, a very typical Victorian novel. I think I like Trollope better than Dickens because his characters, even when given names like the Duke of Omnium, aren't as fantastically weird as Dickens' characters can be. Also, he's an intrusive narrator, and talks directly to the reader, as though he and the reader are having a conversation. Which, of course, we are. I just find that endearing and kind of a Comfort Read, although his books are long by Comfort Read standards.

Glad you had a good time away Gail. I'm reading and enjoying Barchester Towers at the moment. In fact Liz (@lyzard) is kindly tutoring me which is helping a lot.

I have some sort of ingrained loathing of working on Sundays. I try to have as much downtime as possible on Sunday... staying out of stores and so on. It happened over the years that I worked and was because I was determined to have downtime and found it easier to achieve with a designated day. It still works tha way, even when I'm not working. I want Sunday for me.

Two Mondays of Bridge? yikes. I hope you enjoy the time :)

As for being odd... thank goodness that we all are, in our way. Keeps down the dullness factor :)
Imagine if we ( or books ) were all just the same. That would be no kind of good!

Relax, enjoy and find some happy, okay?

This will be a Bridge day for you, right? I hope you enjoy yourself :)
Nothing planned here.. just the usual. I am off on Mondays. Some laundry, reading.. you know..
Some being irritated at humans. Why?

A local mom stood her toddler on the fence of a wild dog exhibit. Yes, he toppled in and the wild dogs killed him. The child died. The family will probably sue the zoo. The zoo that erected the fence to keep the public safely away from the animals. People make me angry..and sad...and angry. Rules are for everyone.. stop signs, yellow lines, exit only ... FENCES .. all have reasons for being.

Awful, horrible, Kath. They'll probably sue the zoo . . . I think the mother should be arrested for something (child neglect? reckless endagerment? manslaughter?) for standing the kid on the fence. I can't imagine a competent parent doing anything so dangerous to their child! Poor, poor kid.

I read that this a.m., Kath, and became infuriated. Told DH people should have to take and pass with a 100% a common sense test before they have children. I think the mom, however sorry she may be now, should be arrested, too. Still infuriated about it.

Off to (ho-hum) bridge.

I know.. that report nearly finished me off this morning. Stupid stupid stupid. And as you say poor little boy.
I too, think the mom should be arrested. But I am pretty sure that stupid is not a crime. Our prisons would be filled to bursting if it were. It made me so sad. AND to top it off.. she did not go in after him.

Hope Bridge is not ho hum.. maybe they will serve mimosas? or wine? or Jack Daniels

Good morning to you! I wonder how many days we will have before ads for the next campaign will begin to appear on TV. I received something like 17 robocalls yesterday. One kept calling back until I finally answered it.

Today is my long day at work... or I should say my late day. Not my fave. :-/
Hope it is a good and peaceful day for you!

*smoochings* for visiting my thread to help celebrate my return from the 19th century!

Evenin', Kath. I got a robocall today, p.m. Oops...too late. Otherwise a quiet day, a bit of cooking, a bit of reading, a bit of nap...um, some other stuff...must have been boring as hell.

Rdear! Welcome back to the dubious delights of the 21st century, such as it is. You were sorely missed, Sir.

Good. Boring, relaxing.. quiet.. that sounds perfect.

My ankle hurt less today so that is good ... the arnica is making a difference. I bought more today, I used up what I had had in my drawer. There is a place on my way to work.. so I got pellets too.

tired... worried.. and already thinking about friday. That goes to show that I am just a bone lazy old broad.

I hope you have another lovely and calm day tomorrow..

Not hardly bone lazy, Dearie. Just not used to the new routine. It'll take a little time, is all. Of course, that is *so* easy for me to say, as I'm truly a bone-lazy old broad who has the great good fortune to be retired. Glad to know the ankle is feeling at least a bit better. And you must be relieved today, with the morning news.

I don't believe this: I'm stilll reading The Small House at Allington. While no one could call this a cheery book, I'm finding the characters surprisingly realistic in being flawed, but not awful, people. Lots of shades of gray in this book.

I didn't read yesterday at all.. might not today..
I expect to have Penny'slatest in my hands by today... from work.

Have a pleasant lunch and buy yourself a little something on the way home..
Something soft.
hugs

*smooch* just cause

So how did your day go? did you have a nice time? Where did you go and what did you eat?
Was there cake? I am currently fixated on cake.
Work was worky.. I absolutely cannot wait until the blasted training is over. I wish they had a better training plan. urgh!

I am just glad to be home...What will your evening hold?

102: And a luscious yet chaste *smmoch* back to you, my dear man.

103: Kath, it went fine. We meet at this huge shopping area south of Atlanta (Peachtree City/Newnan) and north of here. We ate at the Cracker Barrel: I had greens and cornbread, having eaten a large breakfast at home. No cake, sadly. We meet there because it's right off I-85 and we don't have to fuss around looking for obscure back streets, etc. Mostly I talked to the s.i.l. and let the nephew, b.i.l. and Dh chat amongst themselves. It works better for us that way for a variety of reasons. I didn't buy anything, but I did see a very soft, fake fur throw that I'm giving serious consideration to. I love to rub my fingers over velvet, or cats, or plush, or cats, or teddy bears, or...well, you get the picture. It's something I do almost unconciously, sort like a really mild autism thing, in the same vein as the rocking I used to (and still occasionally) do.
Tole ya I was weird.

So anyway, tomorrow, which is supposed to be my off day, we have to go out to the base because Dh lost his military id card and he needs to get a replacement, since it serves, among other things, as proof of Tricare for Life, his medicare supplement. Sigh. Never mind; I'll just try to relax later in the day.

Cracker Barrel! I used to love their breakfast casserole thing. But honestly, it still sounds like a grim little affair.

Get the throw. Throw it over the cat when necessary. That should do the trick for when you get the... well you know. Grey for both?

Sorry about having to go to the base..bummer.

Weird? yah... me too. I used to lace ribbon through the carving in tables.. nowadays I just fold it over and over, into triangles. I also do that with paper :P

I like Cracker Barrel :) I do not like their sausage gravy though... I haven't been in years. I could probably count our meals out on one hand each year, seriously.

Hope today is good, regardless of chores......

hi gail!
i love cracker barrel! they have the best selection of comfort foods and we usually run into one when we are traveling. when we were in canada we stopped to eat at a place called 'Saltscapes' (i think) and it was exactly like cracker barrel. i wondered if they were owned by the same people??? it was good too.

i love petting my cat too - she is so soft and warm! i'm pretty sure she lowers my bp :)

So it is friday...What is on your agenda for today? Well.. first coffee.. maybe something nice to go with? Snickerdoodles :) or something?

How was your trip to the base? Hope it went well, without a lot of annoying things to do to get DH's card.

I am glad to be off today..I will be around... mostly. I hoe the ice is off my windshield before I have to leave the house ugh!

>105 richardderus:: Well it is a bit grim, Rdear, but only because there are quaking quagmires of issues lightly covered by an unstable veneer of good manners. I don't believe in not talking to relatives, just on general principles or perhaps because that was Mother Dear's favorite tactic: Cause an ugly scene, say the very meanest things you can think of (truth being irrelevant here), and then stop talking to the person(s) for several years. Anyway, it worked out alright. However, I have--surprise!--another cold sore/fever blister/obvious erruption of too many nerve-wracking minutes through my skin. And keep in mind, I take medication. Obviously not enough of it, though.
At one point, when I'd had just about enough (this was some time ago) of everything, I asked Dh if he would talk to his brother at all, if he weren't his brother. Answer: "No." And yet here we still are, carrying the stupid burdens of unasked-for relationships.

*Rant and off-spouting now over, at least temporarily*

>107 -Cee-:: Cracker Barrel is our go-to place when traveling, Cee, since you can get anything from three plain biscuits with butter to a full-course meal at any time of the day. And the food quality is stable from restaurant to restaurant. We don't usually eat there if we're near our home, just because we eat there so often on the road.

I have no doubt petting the cat (or dog) lowers the bp. I had a particularly fat cat who would turn over on her back and wait for me to just put my face right on her tum...she would purr like mad. Loved that cat, although she was the only cat I ever saw who seemed, er, less than intelligent.

>106 mckait: & 108: Lol, Kath. The throw is brown only, but I'd love an all-gray cat. Or any cat. Well, we've discussed this before...;>)
We don't like the Cracker Barrel gravy either; Dh says it used to be called "White Horse Gravy", as it's made with fat but no discernible meat. I can always eat biscuits or soup or salad, though, or a hot fudge sundae.

Had a nice big cup of coffee, a small breakfast. Sitting around now, obviously. Bridge this p.m. The trip to the base was fine, really; the process is so very easy, and you have to have an appt., thus speeding things up dramatically. We got lost for a nano-second, but soon found our way (Dh having tiny but definite breakdown) and arrived on time, out in 20 minutes. Got home and had a fight with Dh. Same issue, too: I put off stuff. So, got my 2 watches repaired, left my wedding ring to be sized down, bought a pot to go with the other pot on the front porch...put out a few T'Day decorations even though we won't be here on T'day. Or for that whole week. Seems like a waste. Also seems like...wait. I said "Rant over", didn't I? Never mind.

Unbelievably, I've been planning 2013 reads. Right now I have about 8 books planned. These are books I own right now...no new books planned at this second...

Later.

*smooch* Rant until it doesn't help anymore. Ears always on, dear one.

>110 richardderus:: Thank you, Darling Man, for understanding. Some days are just...well.

Today was okay; tomorrow will be better.

Giving you some thumbs.

Gail - trust that you will have a wonderful weekend.

Glad today is going to be a good day ! May I just wish it up a nudge to be a really sweet and peaceful and happy day? *nudge*

HI Gail! I just got caught up on two of your threads, finally! Sorry to hear that DH is getting shakier but you are an ANGEL for how well you take care of him!
Hope you are having a great weekend!

Is the cold front from Canuckistan hitting you?

>112 PaulCranswick:: Thank you, Paul! I hope whatever is left of your week-end is smooth, and that the previous part was fine, too. I've been busy, which I'd rather not be, but things must get done.

>113 mckait:: Kath, thank you, Sweetie. Although very busy most of the day, with a tiny bit of stress--seeing a great many people I haven't seen in a couple of years--everything went smoothly. Dh suggested going out for dinner, which was great, especially since we had enough for tomorrow's lunch as well. Why one gets so much food in a restaurant is beyond me. I mean, I like to eat, but enough already.

>114 ChelleBearss:: Chelle! What a pleasant surprise to see you hereabouts. I'm hoping that the rest of the week-end will be smooth and trouble free...maybe with a book or two thrown in.

>115 richardderus:: Well, Rdear, we had a very light frost on Thursday morning. Things have warmed up since then. I've no idea what's going to happen to the weather the next couple of days...not paying attention.

I got a few more books (just think of the shock ripples that will cause around LT) lately. It's been pointed out in a very, very gentle way that I don't list them as I get them--guess I've been tryng to hide them from myself. Oh dear. Actually finished a book finally, too. And I'm almost done with two more, neither of which I'm going to keep. That's 3 more off the shelves.

Well, here's the good news: I have been assured on the very best authority that books bought for the Nook don't count as they don't take up any physical space. Whew! That's a relief. Let me see, I think that would also apply to audio books, since they're stored on an even smaller device. My goodness, that gets me right off the hook.

Crazy busy today. Took Dh to church; took Dh to breakfast; washed, dried, and/or hung or folded and put away 3 loads of laundry; made Dh's lunch; emptied and started reloading the dishwasher; started a chicken soup; potted up the plant I bought the other day--not the easy task that might seem, as there were five plants in one pot and it was a bit shaky making the transfer; watered the pansies; made crab salad; did some financial work; Dh is/was having a difficult day--right straight out of it this a.m. Seems better now. I think I need to get a pulse-ox. to use at home.

Then to relax, got on LT and here I still am.

Oh yeah, Dh is doing better; he's making jokes now. But, he feels he's getting short of breath, so will be calling dr. tomorrow.

SIGH.

Okay, so here's the books I've planned to read next year (btw, Kath, I often don't cooperate with myself on getting things accomplished.)

January: Lolita. This will be a re-read for me; I now have the annotated edition, so I'm kind of looking forward to it. Also, it's a group read, and it will be good to get others' opinions on this most controversial of works.

February: The French Lieutenant's Woman, another re-read, but it's been so long that I've forgotten most of it. I may possibly read A Maggot, also by John Fowles that month.

April: The Sound and the Fury, yet another re-read from a lifetime ago.

July: Titus Groan, I've had this for a few years.

August: Gormenghast, see above

September: Ivanhoe, not read since high school
Titus Alone, again see above

Most of these are hefty reads; I wonder if I can complete them all. Who knows? Life keeps happening while I keep making other plans.

>118 Matke: *envious sigh* I wish I could plan my reading. I am such a rebellious f*ck that any plan I make ends up being trashed, unless I try to outwit myself and plan to read farb in which case I'm all over it like white on rice.

I couldn't find you anywhere, and then realized why... without the thread continuation feature people just disappear off the map! But here I am, all caught up with this thread at least.

Sounds like you had an incredibly busy day, makes me feel worn out just to read about it! Hope you get to relax a bit soon?

I'm tempted to join you on your first three reads next year. Read Lolita in my teens, and got the audio narrated by Jeremy Irons from the library for a reread. I've not read The French Lieutenant's Woman yet, but it's been many years now that I've wanted to. And I haven't read ANY Faulkner yet and am a bit afraid to, though have a couple of his books, including The Sound and the Fury both in book and audio format.

Wishing you a good week my dear!

>119 richardderus:: Rdear: You and me both. My most ambitious planning year was 3 years ago. Out of 80 or something books planned, I completed about 25. I'm thinking that 8 might be more do-able. (On the other hand, I may only read 2.5 of these books. Just sayin'.) That's the reason I stopped doing TIOLI, much as I love and admire the entire idea and all the hard work that's gone into it: it just became too confining for me. Or I became too consumed by it.
If I start doing that sort of thing, I'll soon need the new T-shirt that says, "I'm CDO. That's like OCD, except the letters are in alphabetical order, like they should be."

>120 Smiler69:: Ilana: I have the Irons Lolita too. I tried it for a bit when I first got it, but he seemed to be reading so fast I honestly coudn't keep up. Now that I've more experience with audio books, I might do better with it. I love Irons. The French Lieutenant's Woman, if I remember correctly, was a wonderful book, but I was a very different person when I read it. As for the Faulkner, I don't know. Some people find T.S. and t.F. impossible to read. On the other hand, I left it lying around when my daughter was 12 or 13; she picked it up out of curiousity and just plowed right on through it. Some of it was over her head, of course, but she loved the feel of the story, the changing P.O.V., and the general lush weirdness of it. She didn't know enough about lit. at that time to be intimidated. She still remembers it today as one of the best reading experiences of her life, and can recount different parts of the story and her reactions. So...you never know. I myownself find that she inadvertantly stumbled on the best way to approach Faulkner: Just keep on reading. Pretty soon the swirl of words will start to make its own sort of sense and you'll be drifting with the current rather than drowning in it. I've read a few of his works, and have yet to find one that isn't fascinating although extremely bizarre and idiosyncratic. I'm aware that many people hate his work, however.

I hope you have a good week as well: smooth and easy.

Hi, Gail! Just stopping by to catch up and see how you're doing. I'm impressed that you're planning 2013 reads already. I am such a moody reader, my plans never work, even for the month I'm in, usually.

Wishing you a calm week!

Impressive list for the next year... I read The Sound and the Fury a lifetime ago as well... and Ivanhoe.. but I have zero memory of either of them ... oops!

Nothing about next year has even come close to entering my mind. I am surviving by taking one day at a time, and besides.. if the Mayans are right, why spend time planning? ( jk)

Sorry that yesterday was a rough one for DH. I hope that today is much much better. And that you have much less to do.

I have read three books in the last two days. I may go on to another today, or not. I may have another go at the imposing CA..or not.

Oh and thank you for being another that does not cooperate with themselves.. it gets lonely on that plane!

So plants are potted and errands ( and Bridge) done? Is today at least a mental jammie possibility?

Terri: Don't be impressed...it's probably all moonshine, anyway. Being a firm believer in the theory that the book *must* suit the reader's mood, I often find my reading plans swirling away in the mist while I read some obscure mystery from the 30's...I'm hoping that the week will be calm, but not counting on it. Keep on wishing for me!

Kath Mornin'. Coffee?
My list is impressive, isn't it? Naturally it's not my own; I simply cherry-picked from the Group Reads Thread some books that either I already wanted to read, or (The Gormenghast Trilogy) something I really, really need to try to read or pass it on to someone who wants to read it. I've been finishing up some older stuff around here lately. Nothing earth-shaking, though.

Dh is much better this a.m. but we've made an appt. for 3:20 this p.m., as the shortness of breath was very discernible to his daughter on the phone, and is not improving, but the reverse. Not sure what's going on, but will find out (maybe).

Praise to all Powers, bridge was cancelled for today because of the holiday. No mental jammie day today, I'm afraid; perhaps Wednesday. Some cooking, one more %^&*%Y( load of laundry. Some reading.

Laundry is the punishment Sisyphus turned down when he chose the eternal rock-rolling. It was too horrifying to contemplate for eternity.

Dropping by to say hi! Hope everything goes well at the doctors'.

I was so behind that I don't think I congratulated you on your 75 (Congratulations!) which was a long time and several books ago. I'm glad that you had a successful trip and that family obligations have been met for awhile, or so I hope.
Your 2013 plans look good to me since I've read several of them recently enough to know that they are good.
Even though I prefer Dickens, I'm enjoying Barchester Towers, following Liz coaching Heather with other followers chiming in as they choose. Good stuff! And - I have to play bridge Friday afternoon........ *sigh*. If they could get a 4th who actually plays and enjoys the game, they'd be so much better off, but it's the only time I see those particular friends, so it continues to be worth an afternoon. *sigh* again.

rd, I think you're on to something with laundry.

Gail, your list is indeed impressive. I haven't even run across anything I have considered saving for the special first book of the year, which is as far as I go with that planned reading thing..

So, I don't know this for sure, but I am considering the possibility that my ankle knows that I have to work today. It feels worse now than it did yesterday.

I had a weird dream yesterday ... I think it was inspired by a glimpse of a book Mark had read, Island of Women. It was some dream.

I hope that all of your efforts yesterday culminate in good news or good solutions, at least.

I guess I had better go and try to remember to play well with others..I am home until noonish, which alone is enough to make me a bit over the edge..

Arnica is an hallucinogen?

Sadly no, rd. And it was City of Women

sigh

Sweet ..breezy dreams to you my friend..

Would that arnica were an hallucinogen, Rdear. Alas, no, as Kath has already pointed out.

Dr. appt. tomorrow, perhaps with some news about the latest turn of events. This is kind of like playing Blackjack: you never know whether you'll win, tie, or go bust. Unfortunatley, the stakes are pretty high.

Oh, Richard, sometimes I feel as though laundry is the slimy well and I am the frog at the bottom in the eternal algebra problem. Sigh.

I completely relate. I feel that way always.

I sincerely hope to hear good news later... at least that there is a med or a patch or something that will help. You and DH will be in my thoughts.

Laundry :( At least towels and jeans aren't bad.. its the fiddly things that annoy me, like good tops, etc.
I will be back later to look for news..

Appt. later today. Must shower now, so Dh will have time to later.

Very much enjoying The Painted Veil by Maugham. Really engrossing.

Back from appt. All tests looked good. Dr. thinks Dh has a lack of oxygen at night, so we'll be doing an overnight SAT with a pulse-ox. to see if that's the problem. Actually that's kind of good news. If the test indicates that his o2 levels are low, he'll be using oxygen at night.

Could be a lot worse, no?

We're waiting for the company to deliver the test thingie and show us (that would be me) how to use it.

Hoping it will be an easy fix! *smooch*

Hi Gail. Sending hugs and hoping DH's shortness of breath will be easily fixable (also that the test thingie will be easily usable)

You're not alone in thinking about 2013 reads - I've also been thinking and am also planning Titus Groan next year for exactly the same reason as you. I've had my copy for ever...

Oh good! I hope that turns out to be the answer!! Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Nothing much happening here... glad to be home... more on that another time.. just saying that I think I have developed an allergy to people named Debbie.

I have developed an allergy to people named Debbie

Only just now?

It was a sensitivity until now. It has become a full blown allergy..as of last Thursday. Got worse today.

Boo! Hiss!

It has a tendency to make me want to punch Debbies in the face.... terrible really..

I've felt that same way since 1976. Oooh, and Beckys too.

LOL rd...

Heather, thanks very much for your post. I'm hoping that he'll be able to just use some O2 through a canula at night, but I'm not sure precisley what will happen. The machine is a piece of cake: just a pulse-ox. I just hope that he doesn't drop it or rip it off in the night...maybe not a lot of sleep for me. If it will help with one thing and another, it'll be worth it.

Kath and Rdear: Thank you both as well. As for Debbies (Beckys?), I understand completely. Sorry your work day was not a good one, Kath.

Oh Gail..just whining.. It was more good than bad.. there were some very nice folks in..
Some fun with a newspaper misprint and the history center, and Kathie came back ( yay)
It's just the Debbie thing. No Beckys on the horizon as far as I know, but I will remain alert....

hugs

>147 mckait:: and back to you. Sleep well.

Hi hi! Not much to say other than I'm glad things are looking up with the breathing troubles for DH.

I hope you're doing well.

(((Hugs)))

Good morning ! Hoping that today has some goodness in it for you, and some ease for DH....
I think it has finally happened. I have run out of words. I have nothing to say. To anyone .. about anything.
Know that you are in my thoughts though..

Hey, Ilana! How are you? I'm doing okay, just trying to get through each day, sometimes hour by hour, one at a time. This is a bad time of year for me.

Kath! I don't think you've run out, Sweetie; I think you're on the pause button.

They got an "error reading" on the pulse-ox, so we have to do it again tonight. Fine; what's one more night with broken, unhelpful sleep? But Dh had a "catastrophic reaction", which was unfortunate. Finally got all that calmed down.

I hate to to admit this, but the dr. was right: I do a lot better if I only read one book at a time. I finish more books and enjoy them more, too.

Quite an appt. with the dr. today; guess I showed quite a bit of anxiety, as he seemed to blame himself for cutting back on one of the medications as it was "too soon". Welll, I am too anxious now, true. Oh well; starting over.

Paused..That sounds better....

I am so sorry that you have to do it over..That purely stinks.

I rarely read more than one book at a time... it works for me.. I have been that way for years..and in fact, I think always....

huge hug

Oh dear. Sorry to hear things are so rough right now, Gail.

I can sometimes read several books at the same time; more often I can't, though I DO have an audiobook and a print book going at all times, but that's not the same somehow.

Doesn't sound like such a good idea to cut back on meds in high stress times... but I'm not a doc of course. Taking it moment by moment truly is the only way when times are difficult. I know from experience. Sometimes, I've had to take it, quite literally, one breath at a time...

Sending you hugs. And thanks for your visit today. xx

eta: Just thought of this, speaking of taking it one breath at a time, and you're free to follow up or ignore as you wish, but my auntie who is a professional life coach for executives and very stressed-out people gave me a super easy and lifesaving breathing exercise to do when I was at my most freaked out state of all time. When I started my blog, my very first post was about how to do that breathing exercise. It's really simple, and can really help a great deal. I should do it more often myself, and DO when I think about it, like right now... http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2007/04/29/serenity-now/

Like I said though, TIOLI. :-)

hi gail -
good luck tonight - everything crossed for you

Me too. Me too. I guess I've been lurking instead of posting, but I wish you a better night and a true reading tonight and better nights from now on. Oh dear. Only one book at a time. I guess that I do that for myself when I need to - right now I'm trying to finish Barchester Towers, but it does seem so chintzy.
Take care of yourself, dear Gail.

Another day another chance at a good one...
Hope the odds are in your favor today .....

Packing away, eh what? Pack safely. *smooch*

Work looming for me, trip looming for you... #NeverEndingStuff.

Hope the day was kind... and that you are resting with feet up...

:)

Sending good thoughts your way!

(((Hugs)))

Ilana: Thank you for the link; even *I* can do 4 seconds, I think. Left a message on your thread about it. Anxiety levels are sky-high...

Cee, Thank you; your crossings were effective; the machine worked and no more problems. We get the results when we get back from our little trip.

Peggy, So good to see you here. I laughed a bit to myself when I read your post...thinking about 2 definitions of "chintzy". I did love Barchester Towers, a very funny and very perceptive book.

Kath Wah! I don't wanna go! But I have to, really; it's not fair to say oh, I don't feel like it; the rest of you can just lump it. We need to see Kathy (ha!) and Dh needs to get away from home while he still can; also seeing my brother and Dh's best friend for brief visits on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Going to be upping the calming meds, I'm sure.

Rdear: How did you know that packing can be hazardous to one's health? I took a bit of advice from Kath and really lowered our clothing. Every trip I overpack and then am royally p.o.'d because we have to tote all this stuff. This time, I'm cutting back. After all, except for our medicines, anything we forget we can buy--i't s not as though we're going to Outer Mongolia.

Porua, thanks! The test got accomplished; now we just have to accomplish the trip and get back more or less in one piece...I can't remember: have you tried the Flavia de Luce stories by Alan Bennet? Quite funny and off-beat mysteries.

Somewhere in my catching up session I must have skipped something, because I have no idea where you are travelling to, I'm sorry to say.

Have you tried the breathing exercise yet? It only works if you actually do it you know... ;-)

I hope the trip is safe and without drama...
In fact, I hope it is pleasant and all goes smoothly.
And I will miss you ...

Bon voyage! It WILL be more pleasant than your fears tell you it will.

Hello. Safe journey!

So you are off on your thanksgiving adventure. I hope it is better than you expect it to be...
You will be missed here in LT land...

Yep.. I was right... miss you !

me too... missing you

Hope all is well. hugs

Our friend has breezed off for the holiday, Cee... off to a family get together and dinner..
we won't see her for days, maybe.. :(

Stopping by to say hello to all: Ilana, Kath, Rdear, Linda, and Cee.

Have done the little calming exercise quite a few times. And upped the meds a bit.

The visit is going fine so far. Dh fairly calm; no traumas on the drive down; a few peripheral oddities, but that's just family.

I've read Lady into Fox and The Return of the Soldier so far on the trip, and am now reading The Road to Wigan Pier.

We stopped by my brother's, another inveterate book collector/reader. He presented me with three volumes of a history of Byzantium by Julian Norwich and an enormous book of short stories by T.C. Boyle. Last time he visited he gave me The Road to Wellville and an omnibus volume of Thoreau. Do you think this qualifies him as an enabler, keeping in mind that I gave him several volumes as well. Perhaps we're co-dependent?

More when time permits.

I've made the stuffing. I've prepped the brussels sprouts with apples. I've got the noxious bird-meat brining in my own souped-up whiskey brine mixture. Yam nastiness baking now. Must roast the sprouts, some white potatoes with garlic, oil and rosemary, and birdie. Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, southern mincemeat pie, and apple pie all done. Life is good, but my knees and feet are killin' me! Happy holiday for you and all those you love.

Gail - I hope you are able to drive the blues and the pain away today and have a Happy Thanksgiving. x

Rdear: Wow, you do a lot of cooking! I'm very sorry you don't like turkey; I love it. We're having a magnificent gumbo made with crab, oyster, lobster tail, shrimp. All cooked except lobster tails, and just waiting a re-warm, so flavors will be completely melded. Also having brussels sprouts roasted with garlic, strawberry-rhubarb pie for desert. Mushrooms stuffed with sausage/cream cheese as hors d'ouevres; also Talenti ice creams in lemon and raspberry sorbets, sea salt caramel, and peppermint bark flavors. I do believe we have enough to eat. It's really nice to be a guest instead of the hostess.

Paul, thanks for your kind thoughts. This is the hardest time of year for me, but I'm doing okay. Driving down from AL I teared up a little bit a couple of times thinking of how Thanksgiving used to be, but change is inevitable.

So, still doing a lot of reading, a lot of care-taking, and trying to relax, somewhat successfully.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Hey! You're here !

I hope things are going well.. Did you say that you are traveling today or did I misread that?
I am so glad that you found time to stop in :) LT is a much nice place when you're here !
Please remember to take care of you, on this trip.. it is important to take care of DH of course..
but you are important too.. so take care, rest... ignore the drama as much as you can..

huge hugs

Quite peaceful right here, Kath, as Kathy(!) and I get along really, really well. I certainly don't mind being the guest and minor helper instead of the major do-er and cook. We planned this well, so no strain at all today, just resting and easy-going cooking.

Oh good! That sounds perfect! I am happy for you, and hope to hear all about your trip and your day
and of course your food! ( When you get home of course) Meantime.. take care and have a good time

In case you peek in.. soft night(s) and sweet dreams until you get home...
and then all over again! Breezy hugs to you

I'm so envious of your delicious seafood dinner menu...but I am filled with desperate envy at the peppermint bark and sea salt caramel ice creams!

It is a mark of my affection for you that I do not simply walk away and never speak to you again in sheer pique.

Hugs and restful night wishes

Hi, Kath. We didn't get up today until 9:30! Father and daughter watched a feel-good movie, "Blindsided", I think, and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. I, of course, was reading.

Chatted with my own daughter for a few minutes, which made a perfect ending to the day.

Rdear: See above re: relaxation. Apparently the good food and pleasant company induced a coma of deep sleep.

Can you not get Talenti products where you live? Let me tell ya, the Lisbon Lemon sorbet is delish.

Thank you for not abandoning me...

OOO OOO OOO maybe I can! I looked on Talenti's website and Stop and Shtupp (which is what I call Stop and Shop) carries it! I ain't shleppin' to Whole Foods, nuh-uh no way no how, and out Targets don't carry food items.

Oh dear....

Glad you had a good holiday!

Lol at Stop and Shtupp...I find a knowledge of Yiddish very handy...

Hope you can get to S. and S. soon to look over the supply. Well worth it.

We had that movie on last night.. but were both reading. I took an antihistamine before bed for a sneezing issue, and slept till 7:30. Late for me.... Then did all the errands I had to do. I want to finish my book today.. just need to make a pot of soup.

rd some of our Targets have some food items.. I rarely buy food there, but have done.

Gail.. it sounds as if things are going well and that is a good thing. Now just the trip home and I hope at least several days of downtime?

hugs

We're planning on two and a half days back. We would do it in two , but we'd have to fight the Florida-Florida State football traffic, which I didn't want to do.

Still reading The Road to Wigan Pier, which is depressing in it's applicability to today. Still, I love Orwell.

Glad to hear that your holiday is going well, Gail. Your food sounds marvelous, but I can't complain about ours - typical working-class Thanskgiving meal from the 60s or 70s, but that's who we are. I do love to read about the amazing stuff that the rest of you prepare!
Hope your trip back is uneventful and that you do get those several days of downtime.
(I've liked T.C. Boyle a couple of times but can't seem to get back to him. I just have live to 120 with mind and eyes intact, that's all there is to it.)

I am picturing you relaxing with your feet up and resting up for the last leg home.
I am like LizzieD when it comes to food, plain and simple blue collar food... other things intimidate me!

Take care.... safe home

Yummy Thanksgiving!
Safe travels back!
Warm homecoming... hugs

Gail

I'm stopping by to see how you are doing. Again, and again, I reiterate how much I admire you and the patience and love you show to your husband.

*smooch* for exhausted returned traveler Gail. Must be wonderful to sit in something that's not moving!

What a long time you have been away! I am so glad to know that you are safe home and hopefully settling in for a down time today?

Peggy, you and I both must live to 120. I came home to two new books, was thrilled for a nano-second, then almost cried at the thought of how many I have here to read. Ruthlessly deleted all book sale offerings in my email box today. One at a time, book by book; I'll never finish, I know, but maybe I can make progress.

Kath: No rest for the wicked. Bridge today. (Insert dirty words and bad thoughts here.) It is, however, raining, and I'm loving that. FL was great and all, but I do like my rain.

Cee: thank you, Sweetie. I used to love travel, now not so much. It's just so much work, with a traveling pharmacy and that little nagging fear...what if something happens...we did do better on not taking so much stuff (clothes, etc.)

Linda, thank you for your kind words. It's a good thing you weren't in the car as Dh was insisting, voice getting louder and louder, that I cross three lanes of traffic to get into a turn lane that was already full to beyond where my car was. I just wanted to go up to the next light, turn right, sneak into a parking lot, do a 180 and get back to the light to make the left turn. He's yelling, people are honking their horns because I am, of course, in the wrong lane...lost my temper. "See!" I shouted back at him. Not a pretty sight. We got through it and over it anyway, and he's already forgotten it. Other than that one unfortunate moment, the trip was really great. We had a good time and re-connected with the, er, other daughter.

Rdear: You are so right. Even with cruise control, which I use as much as possible, driving for that very long time is not my most favorite thing to do. I don't hate it, but I don't love it, either. I'm looking forward to a restful evening with a book and my feet up.

Oh Gail! So glad you're home....
hugs

Yep.. I somehow have a 6 day week and it is pissing me off big time...
but I am stuck. Woe is me. Whine, etc....
Glad we will be able to catch up!

I do believe that I am a pretty good whiner, myself.

Would you like some cheese with that?

# 193 No my dear Gail. 'Whiner' is something you are most definitely not. Your patience never ceases to amaze me.

Wishing you well with all my heart dear. :-)

De-lurking to whole-heartedly agree with Porua. :)

Porua and Amber: Kind words indeed, my friends! The biggest life lesson learned from my father was that a day without laughter was just not worth living, or as he used to say, "People have more fun than anybody." His life was no cake-walk either. So...on we go.

I actually have managed to do some reading, have one review finished and another in the works.

Question for Early Reviewing: If inside an ER copy the publisher says "Don't publish reviews until after (insert date here)", does that apply to LT and Goodreads and Amazon? Somehow those reviews don't seem "published" to me; more like I'm just spouting off to my friends. So what is the etiquette in these situations?

And good morning to all visitors. Today we are offering bagels, cream cheese, lox, onion, tomato slices, capers, and of course oceans of coffee.

My dad always says, "You gotta laugh to keep from crying." So true sometimes, eh?

Ooooh, I'll have a toasted bagel with cream cheese, please!

These sites aren't considered "publishing" a review, that would be if you had a blog or were writing your review for a journal, magazine, or journalistic site.

It's a holdover from antique publishing days, when books had an actual, enforced release date. If memory serves, it was always a Tuesday, though that's hazy enough to be unreliable. Back then, a review appearing before a book was in stores on their shelves was maddening and pointless. "I saw the review! Where's the BOOK?"

Now, well, preordering and Amazon shipping as and when they please after stock arrives...the world's a different (and better, IMO) place.

Amber, your dad is right; laughter is always better than tears. Although sometimes the tears are unstoppable. One hopes that happens in private.

Rdear, You handsome helpful man. Thanks for the information. I wasn't absolutely sure. I agree with you: the instant availability of books has made my life much better, if signifcantly more crowded.

Like this, you mean?

I no longer have those stacks. Not sure if it makes me feel relieved or panicked :)
I too think its better for books to go into the wild early and in various ways... books make
most things better...

Whew.. I have had a busy morning..
still plenty to do.. hoping Dan will get the tree down and assembled...
He is of course, still in bed. Just till 5:30 today.

Rdear: Yes, except that mine are for the most part hidden behind doors. One must keep that in mind when opening any cabinet not in the kitchen. Or any drawer, as well. I am getting better about letting them go when I'm done. I really try to evaluate by asking, "Will I read this again in my lifetime? Is it possible that I may want to read this again in my lifetime? Do I have an e-copy?"
As you many imagine, those questions help to sort out non-keepers, but the endless trail of books down my street and into my house (how *does* that happen??), means that I am fighting a losing battle.

Kath: I here ya, Sweetie. Huge commissary grocery shop this a.m. Worn out with it; Dh helped with dairy, deli, and fresh veggies. Still...it's a lot of unpacking. Then I thought the pantry needed a bit of work, so "straightened up" in there for a while. I think I need a nap.

Why is Dan in bed until after 9? Does he keep really late evenings at work?

Caught up on laundry--for at least a nanosecond--must re-arrange some appts., must adjust Dh's meds--test showed heart rate in the 40's for much of his sleeping time. Oops. So we're getting him off one med. and onto another, about a 15-day process. He's doing dinner, so that's all set. Huh. Guess I do have time for a nap after all.

Uhhmmm, heart rate in the 40s isn't a desirable thing....

*smooch* for busybusy lady, now go take that nap!

Dishwasher emptied and re-fill started. T'Day baubles put away (never would have been out or even bought if I had my way; grumble, crankiness). Ginger tea made and being drunk for sad, sad tum troubles. Ham steaks bought yesterday divided, wrapped, and frozen. Now a couple of hours till bridge (erg), then home, dinner, read. Housekeeper's day today; hurray!

I wonder if I promised myself to do it every single week, I could hold down my book buying to one volume per week? Doubtful. Just took a look at this month's purchases; staggering.

Finishing up Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches by T.R. Probably not a good choice for me. Also reading some essays. Looking forward to a quiet Saturday and Sunday.

ETA: I need to read 12 more books before Dec. 31 to meet my personal goal. Uh-oh.

That's a lot of reading, Gail, what are you doing around here?! Get to page-flippin'!

12 huh? Not impossible ... tough though. Good luck with that. Dan is home before 11:30 pm. He then watches tv, snacks and either continues to watch tv or naps on the sofa. It is the rare day that he is awake before 20:30. This makes it very hard to get him fed, so I often have to make him something light and breakfast-like and then make a separate meal later to divide into work meals.. twice the work.

How was bridge? Glad you are done with big shopping for now.. good to be able to reach into fridge for dinner...

I am a terrible communicator this week.. sorry.. no free brain cells?
k

*smooch* Happy reading!

hugs to my friend...

A quick good morning and wishes for a happy Sunday... I am going to have to get busy soon and put up a light or two in the living room and drink a lot of coffee. My eyes are burning for some reason today... hope that lest sup so I can read !

I do hope that you have a day "off" planned?

Rdear and Kath!

Yes, I'm busy reading, reading, reading. Finished off A Christmas Memory, which I'm counting as a book as it had "One Christmas" and "The Thanksgiving Visitor" in the same volume. Completed Morality for Beautiful Girls, one of those charming relaxers set in Botswana. Found The Year of Henry James: the Story of a Novel, which I'd almost finished (well, three-fourths) and inadvertantly set aside for "later"; I'll finish that this a.m. So I'm getting there. Maybe I'll make it; maybe not.

Gail, I've learned that book buying is my supreme stress release.

You certainly have enough stress to enable you to buy as many books as you can afford.

Hugs to you!

See that Gail? We LTers know good therapy when we find it :)

I have a book planned for later :)

Hope I get to it!

#211 Glad you enjoyed Morality for Beautiful Girls Gail - I find those Botswana books very stressbusting. I have the next one (The Kalahari Typing School) lined up for the next time I need a comfort read.

Sunday *smooch*

I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one who finds book-buying, book-looking-at, mostly-anything-to-do-with-books the most relaxing, stress-relieving, satisfying things in the world.

Linda, hugs right back. I read Bridge to Terabithia today, a book I never would have considered reading if not for your pursuit of Newberry books. I found it excellent.

Kath, I hope you got to the book today. I forgot how much one can read if one simply does that and nothing else.

Heather, Hi and welcome. I've got the next one here, and then I somehow skip to #10. But I'm sure the library will have a few of the ones in between. The only McCall-Smith I didn't care for was Portuguese Irregular Verbs, which I just thought was too silly for me.

Rdear: and a chaste smooch and a soft hug back to you, Sir.

On my third book for today: The Headmaster's Dilemma by that marvelous example of what the upper class should be, Louis Auchincloss. Whew!

I did get a chance to read, but only briefly...I will finish it later...
I have to do an errand this morning.. hope its a one and only. I need to be home. I'm glad to see that you had some reading time...McCall-Smith amuses me :) especially his Dalhousie novels. I would like to try the Scotland series one day...

Nothing much to tell..... I spent yesterday trying to decompress... not a lot of luck .. shenanigans afoot.

Chiming in as another fan of Bridge to Terabithia. It's funny, but every time I finish a particularly good entry on the Newbery list, my first thought is, "Hm, I wonder what Linda thought of this one..."

Kath, Good mornin', Dearie. Hope today goes smoothly and well. Shenanigans? Poop.

Amber, that is precisely the thought I have, "must look at Linda's review". She put me on to Jacob Have I Loved, another book I'd never have thought about reading...

Still on the Auchincloss book, about two-thirds through. Next up is Appointment in Samarra, a golden oldie last read when I was in my 20's--which wasn't precisely last week...

Just stopping by to say hello, Gail. *waves*

*Waves at Terri*' Hope the holiday season isn't too much of a crush for you.

Forecast: Buried under a blizzard of books.

Good morning my friend. I am glad you are having kitty visits...
That is a good thing. Kitties are good for your health .. mental and physical.
I'm beat today.. for no particular reason. Just the stress of tuesday. Wednesdays are
fine.. I will be home by 3:30.. and hopefully will get some things wrapped for the nephlets.
I have their Xmas and B'day gifts to do something with.Kids toys are challenging to wrap..

I hope all is well for you..

hugs

Just stopping by to leave a hug for you....
brain is shutting down.. hope you are doing okay?
I want hot chocolate.

Hi Gail,
I keep sneaking in Ammy orders for one or two books every so often. It doesn't feel like I am buying tons of books - but if I actually looked back to add them all up I'm sure it would be more than I expect. Not. gonna. look.

I'm only fooling myself - but that's the only one I have to fool! LOL

hugs for all you do!

Madhouse morning of b'fast out followed by multiple errands. Exhausted when I got home, made lunch, fussed around, off to dr. Oh boy. He wants to see Dh at next visit. I said, "Well, what if he yells at you?" He said, "I'm a psychiatrist. Overall I've seen probably 30,000 patients. Do you really think he could say anything that I haven't heard?"

Just the thought of it makes me reach for a tranquilizer...or a tranqulizing dart. However, we'll do it. Secretly I can't wait for him to actually meet Dh. If only I could be a fly on the wall, instead of a big ol' person sitting right there...Does that seem mean?

No. It seems normal!

Not mean at all.. just a wish for understanding and validation.
We all have that....

more hugs...just because.

Cee: Morning to you! I have an order for, um, five or seven books coming in soon, can't remember how many or what. But the big news is: Kindle Fire will be here tomorrow! Now I just have to figure out how to get all my personal stuff off the enormous laptop, so that I can give it to either my 11-year-old neighbor, or if her mother vetoes that, to my housekeeper. Hmm...maybe I'll just call IYogi and let them do it, thus earning some of the ridiculous fees I pay them to help me with computer issues.

Rdear: Thanks for that thought. I was seriously doubting myself. So much so that I thought the dr. meant thant he didn't believe me; boy did that make him mad.

Kath: As always you've read my (somewhat simple) mind; I really do need validation. Hugs to you as well.

I am so happy to "see" you before I jump off of here and head for the kitchen.
It almost feels like we met on person for a minute before hurrying off to do our "stuff"
May the day be kind..
hugs

*smooch* for the stressed out Gail

#228 Ooh, kindle fire!

Sending hugs re upcoming dr's visit with dh.

Gail stopping by to wish you a pain and stress free, book filled weekend.

OOOoo! A Fire! I hope that it's really good for you. I stopped by because I spent the afternoon at the bridge table (It wouldn't be right to call what I do "playing") and even though I was high for the first time in months, I made such stupid mistakes that they took the shine off. So I'm going to go try to read a little and then get some sleep. If we're going to make it to 120, we're going to have to take good care of ourselves, you and I! I trust that you're doing that.

Kath: I enjoy every communication we have.

Rdear: Thank you so much, and a *smooch* back at you. I'm trying to breathe deeply, but not so much that I hyperventilate.

Heather: Hi! Oh, I love the kindle fire. It's the perfect size, with a screen I can see but not too big to have right in my lap; perfect for traveling or unknown future things where I might be away from home; and the movies and t.v. shows! Holy guacamole! And, of course, books.

Paul Thanks for your kind wishes. I'm hoping to do a lot of reading this week-end. Almost up to my 100 now, and will accomplish it with room to spare.

Peggy, hi. Oh yeah, the Fire is great. I love it already, and have hardly gotten used to it. Our bridge day was fine until the next-to-last hamd; Dh was exhausted and made a critical error; got upset, but for a wonder, managed to control himself and not start yelling. I mean, honestly, I wouldn't care if we came in last every week, but of course, he does.
I am trying to some things for myself, but it's difficult to get motivated.

Finished up Appointment in Samarra, Like Water for Chocolate, both of which are outstanding in their own ways and will get reviewed down the road a bit--I have several reviews percolating and getting ready for the day after I finish my 100 books. Am now reading Death at the Opera, one of those few books that meet all my criteria: mystery, school setting, humor, and opera (well, okay, operetta). I don't think I've read a Gladys Mitchell before, so it looks like I have many books to anticipate. Someone mentioned that this book would be one that he/she would really, really like to read. If you're still following the thread, do p.m. me and I'll happily mail it to you when I'm done. It's great!

Late in the day for my first visit.. but it has been busy again.. I will tell you all about it! But later...
and I too enjoy all communication with you!

I hope you get real handy with that fire and then teach me a thing or two so I can use Dan's ... or teach him to or .. whatever. the OS baffles me .

I am currently moving forward one task at a time.. because thinking abou tomorrow is too much...
So.. easy does it and let's see how long I can fool myself? ( It isn't working very well. )

Glad Bridge was mostly good and yay! for DH! !!

Good morning, afternoon and/or evening to you !

I have pineapple cake and coffee or various teas to offer. The cake is still warm!

I am double cat lapped...but still have 2 others to cuddle up with you.....

Hard to type...more later...something I need to tell :)

*rooting in your corner that you reach the 100 mark soon* Gail.

Like Water for Chocolate is one of my favorite reads, one that stayed with me for a long while after I had turned that last page over and closed the book.

Hi Gail! Happy Sunday *smooch*

Good morning to you! I made it! Now... to wait and see what happens next.

Dropping by to say hi! :-)

Hey we are here at the same time :) That always makes me smile. Still.. I wish we were neighbors.. so much easier..

Caro: Your cheering may be doing it: I've finished 97, so will handily make the goal. The funny/odd thing is that the books I'm reading now are excellent, different from one another and from my more ordinary choices, and just big fat pleasant surprises. I thought I'd just be doing tiny fillers, but not so.

Rdear: And a sweet *smooch* to you, Dear Man. I've been reading like a maniac. Loving it, too.

Kath: I knew you'd make it. Now to hope that the next thing turns out as well as this one did.

Porua: Hey! Highly recommend the odd Gladys Mitchell book. Very different in tone from others of its type. I enjoyed it.

Dh is slipping with oral communication; sort of makes it hard to help him translate when I've no clue what he's referring to...still, more good days than bad. Considering asking dr. about getting someone in to sit with him every couple of weeks or so; that way I could have 3 to 4 hours to myself for whatever purposes. I think it would help.

Today's book delivery:
A Morbid Taste for Bones
Murder with Peacocks
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (after I rather casually gave away my copy, I discovered that I wanted to keep one after all)
The Yiddish Policeman's Union
The Case of the Missing Servant
and
When You Are Engulfed in Flames

plus We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese for Dh, which is something I know for sure he'll love.

Quite the little package.

A very nice little package indeed! Enjoy!
You didn't ask me, but I'm sorry that you don't already have somebody lined up whom your husband likes so that you may slip off 3 or 4 hours occasionally. I think that's satisfying a need in a minimal way, and I hope you do it.

# 242 Oh it never ceases to amaze me how many vintage mystery authors I still don't know about! So glad to hear about Gladys Mitchell.

(after I rather casually gave away my copy, I discovered that I wanted to keep one after all)
The Yiddish Policeman's Union

I have done that myself... lol

I don't think I am familiar with any of those... I will have to investigate when my brain is out of fury mode.

Gail,
Having been there myself, I heartily advise you get some respite care for your DH. You NEED your own time - time when you are not 100% responsible for and entangled with someone other than yourself. It makes a difference - gives you some breathing room.
You should do it every week, minimum.
Hugs

Me lurvely, Cee speaketh sooth. Once a week is, as time passes, a necessary respite. Since you're going to have someone not already known to Dh as the companion for your off-times, I suggest from my own experience that you invite the person for an hour's get-together with you and Dh, where you don't leave, first. While it's possible to form some memories, it's good to do so.

I chime in to agree. You needs some time for yourself, Gail.

By the way, that last book delivery sounds great!

Late in today...long day....hope yours was good though!!
Thinking of you....seems like ages since we communicated...
All is well-ish.....kept stick on back porch, just in case....

Missing you madly...
wishing you wellness and a heavy dose of happy...

hugs ( whine)

Good morning! Hope the weekend is being kind to you!
Thankfully off today~tomorrow :)

Sunday *smooch*

Monday... one day closer to seeing my kids... at least 3/4ths of them.

I plan to do a little tidy up but do the floors and real cleaning on thursday before work. Cory will be home on Thursday night. Adam and Amy here friday. Hopefully I am sorted out for everything I need. Almost.

What are your plans for the week?

Just a wee stop in to leave a hug or two..
Things going okay?

KITTY and BLANKIE........ just saying...

Rdear, a smooch and gentle hand-holding to you, Kind Man.

Kath: Lololol. She's a cutie, alright (what kitten isn't?), but personally I wouldn't choose a white kitty. Look at those eyes, though! Don't you just want to snake your hand under the blankie, so she can jump on it?

Struggling. A bad week, more or less. I'm afraid I'm not good company right now, so staying low, although I did check into FB yesterday. Got the laptop wiped and recovered, will pick it up and take it over to the neighbors tomorrow or Thursday.

Decided to read Framley Parsonage so that I can go on to Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton, which, she says, was based on F.P. and many other books of the Victorian era. Except in her book, all the characters are dragons. Literally. Interesting premise, and the first few paras. really looked like fun.

Ooo Trollope! That will be a lot of fun. Barsetshire is a favorite of mine.

Good morning to you! I am wishing you a soft and peaceful day today...
I have been V busy this morning.. less to have to do tonight, clever me :)
Looking forward to ending the day with coffee....

Just a quick run-through. Hope the weekend is a lot better than the week was. Hope you can feel all the positive support from far away!

Hi Gail!
Thinking of you and hoping you can feel the love I am trying to send.

{{{hugs}}}

.

Rdear, I love Trollope as well. He created an entire world of which I feel I am a small, off-to-the-side, part. Now that I'm reading F.P., though, it seems that Ms. Walton was slightly in error, and in fact Tooth and Claw is based on Doctor Thorne. Of course I haven't read T. and C. yet, and may be completely off the mark.

Peggy, it's been a rough one. The holidays, from Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, are just very very difficult for me. If it weren't for Dh, I would ignore them except for giving the kids their hearts' desires (more or less within reason). But, we're almost through. Planning on reading A Christmas Carol on the 24th, as always. And I was completely taken aback when Dh suggested we watch the George C. Scott version. Okay, then. Hope your Christmas is shiny and bright and the New Year a great one for you.

Cee, I do feel the love. Which is needed. This is, as you so well know, horrid. But we still have moments of laughter and fun. I'm just really dreading when/if those go away...

Kath! Lolololol. Thank you very much for the pic. of the "reptile". Love it.

Quite cold and windy today, but sunny and bright, with that pale winter sky. I'm trying to concentrate on the natural cycle of time, rather than on the more traditional holiday stuff, as it just makes me cry. I used to think my Mum was sooo odd when she would say, "I'm an orphan" or sing the opening lines from "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child". Now I know. Thank heavens I never tried to kid her out of it, but took it very seriously.

I'm sad with you, Gail, for your feelings of isolation and loss.

I wish there was something more I could do than simply say "I for myself am very very glad and grateful that you're here." It's more fun when you're here, even when you're not feeling tip-top, because having a friend like you around is just a good feeling, whatever her mood!

{{{Hugs}}} Gail. I'm sorry you feel so low, but I understand the conditions for you right now don't exactly lend themselves to a great deal of frivolous moments. My wish for you this season is for you and DH to have more good moments than sad.

Hi, Gail! (((Hugs)))

I'm feeling kind of guilty for being behind on reviews because of work and life related issues. On the bright side, I have got some reading done, I must say rather surreptitiously, while I was (supposedly) working!

Reading Framley Parsonage right now. I'm liking it better than my last Trollope book.

Merry Christmas and lots of hugs to you my friend...
I am way behind in posting and there is no way I can catch up.. but you are in my thoughts...

Coffee soon after the holiday I hope?

hugs

Merry Christmas Gail!!!

Gail, I don't post here very often but want you to know that I lurk and send out my prayers for you and your family. There's not much I can say except I am thinking of you and know how bittersweet this entire holiday season can be. (((holiday hugs)))

Stopping in to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Gail.

Merry Christmas to you and family! I hope you have a peaceful day. Thinking of you...

Sending lots of love your way!

Gail, I very much need to catch up with you. Sorry this is a difficult time for you. Hugs to you my dear.

Just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas, Gail!


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Season's Greetings, dear Gail!

stepping in to leave a hug.... and hoping all is well...

Many thanks to all of you for the good wishes and kind thoughts. It's wonderful to have friends like Rdear, Caro, Porua, Kath, Chelle, Donna, Cee, Linda, Ilana, and Terri! It really made me feel good today to see all these messages.

Completely failed at the goal of reading more than acquiring; massive, mind-blowing fail. Having considered that a bit, I think I'll spend the next few days cataloguing all the dad-blamed books around here; nook, bookcases, cabinets, hidey-holes, and--wait for it--kindle. Was I completely crazy when I said I wanted one? Books and music and movies, oh my.

Anyway. Dr. visit this p.m. Oh here's a (not) surprise: a medicine prescribed to slow down the progress has actually accelerated in some areas. So that's been thrown out. Sometimes it does seem like a treadmill of dr's, meds, explanations, tests...blech. In reality, however, two changes-eliminations of meds has made a big difference in staying awake and being a bit more alert.

Still have a review to do, a book to finish, a book to read and review; oh, sure, 4 days? No problem.

You Are Woman! We Hear You Roar! All will be accomplished. I have faith in you.

*smooch*

Me too. I have faith in you too.

I swear that meds cause at least as much trouble as they ease... if not more. Good that you figured it out and got rid of the offender.

How did things go yesterday? I was thinking of you......still am!

Had a lovely time last night....
Hope today is a happy and beautiful one for you...

>278 richardderus:: Oh, I'm a-roaring, all right, Rdear. I've finished the 100. One review is done and just needs typing. But there's that other book...still, one more night and day and night...

Kath I greatly enjoyed last nigh as well...just too short, is all.

Have been cataloguing books. Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear. How did this happen? Never mind. By the end of Jan. I'll have them all done.

always too short... good things always are...

hugs

Happy New Year dear lady - looking forward to keep up in 2013.

I am thinking of your masses of flowers as I head out to warm the glaze off my car. Need to get stew fixins..
ugh! cold..

hugs

Thank you, Paul! I've got about two more posts here and then it's on, permanently, to 2013.

Ewwww, Kathj. The pansies are still blooming--something I'll never understand--although as we left for b'fast and then (shudder) the big grocery shop, the temp. was a brisk 21. Ergggg....

First, I must have been insane not to have entered my books as I purchased/acquired/let them in after they followed me home...It's going to take all of January to get this finished, probably.

Second, equally insane not to adjust "my library" as I read books this year. Going to try a different approach next year. Maybe.

Third: Going to try "Pearl Ruling" more books next year. Sometimes I hesitate to do that, as a book that is meaningless to me at one time may be just right at another.

Off to review, then back.

Finally did the must-dos. Reviews:
The Painted Veil: here

Speaking from Among the Bones: over here

and the very surprisingly soothing
Take Your Time: thisaway.

My 2013 threrad is along this path

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