Scaifea's 2014 Challenge - Thread #23

Welcome to The Twenty-Third Thread!

This year, since I read a fair amount of children's books, I think I'll open my threads with photos of the work of some of my favorite picture book illustrators.

Charlie and I are big fans of Simms Taback, both for his quirky illustrations and his lively and funny stories:





Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-12 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there, too):

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The CYOA books
c. The Newbery Honor books

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

5. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

6. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker lists (combined, in chronological order)

7. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

8. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book.

9. A book from my Classics shelves.

10. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

11. Book-a-year challenge: Last year at some point, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've decided, again, to follow Paul's lead and try to fill in some of those blanks, and so I'm adding an entry here to my lists.

12. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books, which Charlie and I read together. I only list picture books that I or we read for the first time - no repeat reads will be mentioned here (and they are legion).

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!



What I'm reading now:
-Lady Chatterley's Lover (Banned Books list)
-Cedric, the Forester (Newbery Honor Book list)
-Journey to the West (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times (Presidential Challenge)
-One Summer (audio book)
-The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (Hugo award list)
-Enemy of God (from the TBR shelves)
-E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! (Charlie's bed-time book)
-The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine (off of my classics shelves)
-Deity Yoga (buddhism list)
-Lady Windemere's Fan (year-by-year book list, 1893)
-Paddle Your Own Canoe (from the READ ME NOW pile)
-The Iliad (everyday audio book in the car)
-The Haunted Bookshop (sequel to Parnassus on Wheels)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1

And here's my list for the Reading Bingo, which seems to be taking us 75ers by storm. Like many others, I'll not make an extra effort to fill it, but rather just see which of the books I read this year happen to fit what categories:

More than 500 pages: The Sterkarm Handshake
Forgotten Classic: The Man in the High Castle
Book that became a movie: The World of Pooh
Published this year:
Number in the title: 45 & 47 Stella Street
Written by someone under 30: Cirque du Freak
Book with non-human characters: Odd and the Frost Giants
Funny Book: Diggers
Female Author: Flora & Ulysses
Book with a mystery: One Came Home
One-Word Title: Truckers
Book of short stories: M Is for Magic
Set on a different continent: Wings
Non-Fiction: Buddhism for Beginners
First book by a favorite author:
Heard about online: A Darkling Plain
Best-selling book: Still Foolin' Em
Based on a true story: John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, a Private Life
Book at the bottom of TBR pile:
Book my friend loves: Stories I Only Tell My Friends
Book that scares me: The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook
More than 10 years old: The Genie in the Bottle
Second book in a series: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!
Blue cover: The Life and Times of Paddington Bear

Also, here's the list of all categories for my local library's Summer Book Bingo Challenge (the ones specifically on my own Bingo card on in bold):

Come to a library program: Mad Science of Iowa show
Find a something (plant, animal, mineral, planet, etc) and identify it with a library resource.
Find the secret phrase onfacebook.com/plattevillepubliclibrary or plattevillepubliclibrary.org/adults.
Listen to a music CD you haven’t heard before: Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss
Listen to an audiobook: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Read a book about how to do something.
Read a book about someone from a different culture.
Read a book and watch the movie: Dune
Read a book by an author with the same last initial as you.
Read a book from the new book shelves.
Read a book from the children’s shelves: Should I Share My Ice Cream?
Read a book from the teen shelves: Predator's Gold
Read a book in a series: Infernal Devices
Read a book in large print.
Read a book longer than 300 pages.
Read a book of poetry or a novel written in verse.
Read a book set in the future: This Immortal
Read a book set in the past: Little House in the Big Woods
Read a book set in the present.
Read a book set outside the United States.
Read a book shorter than 150 pages.
Read a book that is not in a series: The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Read a book that is scientifically impossible.
Read a book that is scientifically possible.
Read a book that makes you laugh.
Read a book that mentions a place you want to visit.
Read a book that says “by a bestselling author” on the cover.
Read a book that won an award: Babel-17
Read a book where “sparks fly”: A Darkling Plain
Read a book with a battle against the elements.
Read a book with a color in the title.
Read a book with a love story.
Read a book with a number in the title.
Read a book with a one word title.
Read a book with an explosion.
Read a book with an investigation in it.
Read a book with pictures in it Horton Hatches the Egg
Read a book without a love triangle.
Read a book you heard about in the media or online.
Read a book you keep “meaning to get around to.”
Read a cookbook and try a recipe: 500 Cupcakes (Lemon Cupcakes)
Read a folk tale or a book based on a folk tale.
Read a graphic novel: Hello Kitty: Here We Go!
Read a magazine from cover to cover: High Five - June 2014
Read a memoir or biography.
Read a newspaper that you don’t normally read.
Read a nonfiction book.
Read a short story or essay.
Read out loud for half an hour.
Read outside for an hour.
Read the same book as someone else and discuss it.
Try something recommended by someone at the library: It's Always Something
Use the microfilm machine to look at the Platteville Journal from the week you turned 5.
Watch a movie based on a true story.
Watch a movie with the subtitles on.

Books Read (see previous threads for previous reads):

(end of) JUNE
390. Chicka Chicka 123 (Charlie book) - 9/10
391. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! (public library book) - 9/10
392. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (public library book) - 8/10
393. Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed (public library book) - 8/10
394. Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car (public library book) - 8/10
395. Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree (public library book) - 8/10
396. (#61) Babel-17 (Nebula Award list) - 9/10
397. Garfield on the Farm (public library book) - 8/10
398. The Long, Long Line (public library book) - 8/10

JULY
399. Sparky! (public library book) - 9/10
400. Never Ever (public library book) - 8/10
401. Spark (public library book) - 8/10
402. ABC of Jobs (public library book) - 8/10
403. Another Brother (public library book) - 9/10

The Charlie topper - last time he was sitting in my mom's rocking chair; here he is sitting in *my* rocking chair, in which most of my reading takes place:

And the Bonus Question:

With which author (living or dead) would you most like to be stuck in an elevator? Explain.

On today's agenda:

If the weather stays un-rainy, we'll likely be doing some painting today. Otherwise, I'm hoping to do a bit of baking and more than a bit of reading. And that is all of the plans I have. A nice, sort-of lazy Sunday would be lovely.
On the reading front: a bit more Journey to the West under the belt last night, but that's all. I really need to get crackin' to get all of my Summer Bingo books read!

Hi Amber, such a cute picture of Charlie!

Happy new thread!

>5 connie53: Hi, Connie! I love this photo of Charlie - you can't really tell, but he's reading aloud (to no one in particular - ha!).

He just practising! Reading out loud is good!

Nice new thread, Amber!

Hmm...your Bonus Question requires careful consideration IMO. I'd ideally want to choose an author who is (a) a good conversationalist, (b) not claustrophobic, (c) mentally stable, (d) unarmed (especially if mental stability was a concern), (e) an attractive female and (f) alive, or at least well preserved (for obvious reasons). Good mechanical or problem solving skills would be a bonus, for prolonged elevator entrapments. I think I'll go with either Zadie Smith or Jhumpa Lahiri, but I'd happily choose Eleanor Catton or Sadie Jones if they were in the US.

>7 connie53: Connie: I should clarify that he's not really reading, but pretend-reading - making up the story as he goes along! And his stories are usually a hoot, too.

>8 kidzdoc: Darryl: Ha! Wow, that's a pretty specific list of qualifications. I like the Lahiri option, myself.

I've been in an elevator with an author, but we weren't stuck. It was Wilma Dykeman, a local author and, at the time, the State Historian. I had read her book The French Broad from the Rivers of America series, and I told her that I grew up very close to its banks. She said "So you love my river too!" I'll always remember her as a very gracious Southern lady.

>9 scaifea: I haven't met many authors, as I haven't been to many author readings, and the majority of the ones I've attended have featured notable authors who either didn't sign books after their talks (e.g., Salman Rushdie), or have had such long lines of people waiting to talk with them or sign their books that I decided to leave afterward (e.g., Mario Vargas Llosa, Wole Soyinka, Maya Angelou).

If I had to choose an author I've already met I would go with Atul Gawande, the Harvard surgeon who gave a talk at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco after his second book, Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, was published, or Linton Kwesi Johnson, the British dub poet of Jamaican descent, who interviewed Caryl Phillips, one of my favorite authors, at Foyles Bookshop in London after Phillips' book Foreigners: Three English Lives, came out in the UK. In the first case, I was able to speak with Dr. Gawande at the end of his talk, and we had a very pleasant chat for about five minutes, which we had to cut short because there were several dozen people behind me waiting to talk to him. At Foyles I asked several questions of Phillips, as I had read his book before the talk. He was gracious and thorough in his answers, but when I talked with him in person he was a bit prickly and standoffish. LKJ, on the other hand, asked where I was from, since I seemed to be the only person in the audience who was from the US. When I told him that I lived in Atlanta, he told me a hilarious story about the time that he was arrested there for "peein' in the dyam bushes" near a government building, which caused me, Caryl Phillips and those around us who heard him to all but pee on ourselves due to uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Happy Sunday, Amber! And Happy New thread. Love the Charlie topper. I have to start a new thread myself, so I better wander over...

>10 cbl_tn: Carrie: Ha! Ms. Dykeman sounds like a hoot!

>11 kidzdoc: Darryl: Neat story about meeting Dr. Gawande! My best author meet story isn't much of a story, but I'm still very happy that it happened - I've mentioned before that I had the absolute pleasure and honor of meeting David Foster Wallace and to be on the stage sitting behind him when he gave his now-famous Kenyon Commencement address. Such a sweet and kind person.

>12 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'll be over shortly!

Good morning, Amber! It goes without saying that Charlie looks cute in your topper but I must say that your rocking chair is also looking mighty fine, too. :-)

Author to be stuck in an elevator with? That's a tough one! I could see two possible scenarios: an author I would want to pepper with all the questions that come to mind when I read their books (both plot points and writing process), or an author who I just would want to chat with and have interesting discussions about stuff. I'll have to give this one some more thought, and report back.

>7 connie53: Ah, displaying early literacy skills -- no surprise there. ;-)

Love the elevator question. I'd probably also go with an author I've met: Sherman Alexie. A few years back I met him at a conference and got to speak with him for just a minute or two. I found him personable, kind, and funny, just the sort of person to weather mild adversity with.

>14 rosalita: Julia: The rocking chair was a gift from my parents after I told them I was pregnant. They said that every parent should have a good rocking chair for rocking their child, and I agree! But now, of course, I rock my books. I even still use the nursing pillow I had for Charlie - it's great for resting books on while rocking and reading - ha!

>15 foggidawn: Don't you love it when you meet someone famous that you like and find out that he or she is a nice person, too?!

My own answer for this one would be Stephen Fry, of course, although I'd likely just clam up and be too nervous to engage with him. *sigh*

>16 scaifea: I bet Mr. Fry would be kind and gently draw you out of your shell, Amber. He just seems like that kind of guy.

>17 rosalita: *Dreamy sigh* You're probably right...

Happy new thread, Amber! For your bonus question, I have to think about it, there would be some but I don't know which one I would prefer. I guess it would depends on my mood and situation

>19 Ameise1: Barbara: Ha! Love it!

I'm afraid to choose a humorous author because I've heard of some who are grouches in real life. So I think I would choose an author who writes locked room mysteries, or maybe an author who writes about home repair or such things. Maybe the author could think up a way to get us out of the stuck elevator. :)

>21 cbl_tn: Carrie: Oh, very clever, you! Excellent answer!

>3 scaifea: Philip Pullman, so I could demand he finish writing The Book of Dust.

How about Gene Kranz? He helped figure out how to bring a crippled spacecraft back to earth. A stuck elevator shouldn't be too much of a challenge for him.

Who I'd want to be stuck in an lift with?

Dorothy Parker. I'm not a big fan of lifts so I'd need someone to make me laugh and take my mind of being stuck. And the funniest, sassiest woman I know of would definitely do the trick.

>23 RosyLibrarian: Marie: Ha! I'm not sure I'd want to get too argumentative with anyone in a stuck elevator, though...

>24 cbl_tn: Carrie: Nice one!

>25 PawsforThought: Paws: Oooh, I love her stuff, but I think I prefer to admire her from a distance - she's too mean-spirited for me to want to meet her in person.

Love Charlie in the rocker II, and would not want to be stuck in an elevator with anyone. I would prefer to have my little agoraphobic moment all by myself, with no witnesses.

Hi, Amber; catching you after a looooong time.

Author to be stuck in a lift with? Hmmm - none, I think, because a) I wouldn't recognise them (unless it was long after the event) b) if I did recognise them, I'd stare at the floor in embarrassment, and for the rest of my life feel 'OMG - how could I be such an idiot?!' or c) I'd say something stupid, and for the rest of my life think 'OMG - how could I say something so idiotic?!'

>27 tiffin: Ha! Fair enough.

>28 humouress: Nina: Yeah, I think I'd be the same way.

Love the Taback illustrations up top, Amber.

Stephen Fry is a great answer to your bonus question. I'm torn between him and Neil Gaiman.

The elevator/lift question I suspect would get a different answer from me every time. I just met Kevin Hearne and he is delightful. At this time in my reading life I would want to be stuck with Alan Le May and ask him about his research for The Searchers. He left all his research notes for his other books and screenplays but the notes for Searchers is missing. I would also ask him if he could write another novel what it would be about.

>30 jnwelch: Joe: Yes! Gaiman would be high on my list, too.

>31 luvamystery65: Roberta: I haven't read the Hearne books yet, but I'm sure that as soon as I do, I'll be intensely jealous of you...

Oooh! Gaiman! I could listen to him read a shopping list! I might be too tongue-tied with him, though, so I think I'd choose Mary Doria Russell, who is my current favorite author and seems like an all-around lovely lady, so we could talk about her latest books about Doc Holliday and what she is working on now, plus all the other things that interest her (and they are myriad).

Dang. The more I think about this question the more authors I think of whom I would love to meet on an elevator in person, including John Fowles (what exactly did happen in The Magus anyway?), Andy Weir (so I could gush to him over how much I loved The Martian), Louise Marley (so I could beg her to write more feminist scifi like The Terrorists of Irustan), Susanne Alleyn and Sharon Kay Penman, because I adore their historical novels, Guy Gavriel Kay (so I could gush to him over The Lion of al-Rassan and because I would love to know what he's got up his sleeve for his next novel), and Stephen King (amazingly prolific and wrote my favorite book On Writing). Then there are the no-longer-with-us authors, like Tolkien (for the fangirl in me) and Lincoln (of presidential fame, who wrote a lot ~ though not novels ~ and whose mind I would dearly love to plumb, plus reputedly he sure could tell a good story).

You certainly ask the most thought-provoking questions, Amber!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Happy new thread, Amber!

When I first read the elevator question, I thought you were just asking which author we'd like to damn to eternal stuckhood in an elevator. Easy peasy - Jonathan Franzen for all the awful things he wrote about Edith Wharton.

Wait. You meant the author we'd like to be stuck *with*? For entertainment value, the Stephen Fry and Dorothy Parker answers are great. For the same reason, I'd pick Noel Coward or Oscar Wilde

Spider Robinson. His books are filled with so much fun, joy, humor, and hope that I can't imagine him being anything but cool in person. I own every single book he's written including the hard to get ones. I've even "spoken" with him a couple of times via email.

Besides punsters are my type of people.

>26 scaifea: You say mean-spirited, I say sassy and taking no shit.

>30 jnwelch: Yes and yes. Absolutely.

Stuck in an elevator? I am picking Salman Rushdie because he is so funny and also knows a lot of gossip, I think.

>26 scaifea: >36 PawsforThought: I think Dorothy Parker is brilliant choice, but only if she thinks I'm one of the *cool kids*. If she hates me, it could be trouble.

Bonus question: Stephen King because I bet he could keep me entertained, plus there's the whole creep-me-out factor that would keep me in free beer for years by telling the story later. :)

>33 Storeetllr: Mary: Oh, yes MDR would be great! I love following her on facebook.

>34 michigantrumpet: Marianne: I think we feel the same way about Jonathan Franzen. He gave a talk at Kenyon while I was still on faculty there, and boy, was he a complete jackhole. I will *never* read his stuff. Ever.

>35 Morphidae: Morphy: Okay then - adding this Spider character's books to the wishlist!

>36 PawsforThought: Paws: Spell out the semantics however you will - I still wouldn't want to the be target of her wit.

>37 banjo123: Rhonda: Oh, great answer!

>38 michigantrumpet: Marianne: Agreed.

>39 drneutron: Jim: For whatever reason, you've reminded me of the story about Bill Murray walking up to a guy in a fast food place, taking one of his fries, eating it and then looking him right in the eye and saying, "No one will ever believe you." and then walking out. Ha!

Hi Amber, nice new thread and a wonderful Charlie topper. Hope you are having a nice weekend my dear.

>40 scaifea: Thanks, John!

396. (61st non-picture book read this year) Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany (Nebula Award list, 219 pages) - 9/10
In the future and during a long, drawn-out war with The Invaders, a young woman, who is a famous poet and a complete wiz with languages (and who can also read others' thoughts through their body language) is working with the military to try to crack an enemy code called Babel-17. She discovers in a short time much more about this code/language than the military ever has, and what she discovers both disturbs and intrigues her. So, she sets off in a ship with a crew looking for, well, trouble, really. And she finds it pretty quickly. But she also discovers some pretty amazing things about herself - for instance, her language abilities are just the least of her skill set.
A fantastic look at language and how it shapes the mind. And the future-world plot isn't too shabby, either.

>38 michigantrumpet: & >40 scaifea: Well, obviously us LT:ers are ALL cool kids so Dottie P would only wisecrack and be borderline mean about other people.

>44 PawsforThought: Paws: Ha!

397. Garfield on the Farm by Jim Kraft (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10
Garfield spends the day on Jon's family's farm and tries to avoid working.
We picked this one from the Easy Reader shelves at the library because Charlie loves reading the newspaper comics with Granny in the mornings when we visit Indiana and he's very fond of Garfield. There were giggles, so I'd say it was a hit.

Phew! Caught up after being on vacation, and not having much time for LT. (I DID, however, have time to buy a bunch of books!) I'm so glad to hear Charlie's vision is improving so well. Charmed as well as charming, that boy.

If I must get stuck in an elevator with an author, let it be Sue Grafton. I want to tell her there's no point in HAVING a website if you aren't going to keep it current. We all KNOW "W" is for Wasted is on sale now. It was published 9 months ago, for cryin' out loud. I want to know when "X" is coming.

>47 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Well, he certainly has had me charmed for the past 5.5 years...
Also, I'm laughing at the Sue Grafton answer - I've held off all these years on the series, waiting for it to be finished so that when I *do* start it, I can have a big ol' binge.

Happy new thread Amber!

Hi Amber, hope your weekend is going well. We've been busy with company, but I have snuck away for a quick pass through LT. I would love to be stuck in an elevator with Craig Johnson, the author of the Longmire series. I have a feeling that he is a good-ole-boy, western gentleman and I would have a good time and feel safe with him as well.

Amber - I think I am back in the swing of things. Congratulations on another splendid new thread.

I take it that the {living or dead} doesn't apply to when they are actually in the lift?! Oscar Wilde would probably edge out Chrles Dickens and the splendidly attractive Caroline Blackwood as writers of choice to be elevatored with.

>19 Ameise1: LOL!
Love it.

I have no answer to that question, but I will flick a few options over....how about Bear Grylls (he could get us out). Actually, no. He'd need a tv crew for that....OK, I'll go with Naomi Klein- I bet she's cool. Or Arhundati Roy, or Noam Chomsky or someone fun and funny. They would have to be relaxed about things in general, I don't want a panic on my hands!

>51 PaulCranswick: Wilde is an excellent choice!

>49 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel!

>50 DeltaQueen50: Judy: I haven't read the Longmire series, but a southern gentleman sounds lovely.

>51 PaulCranswick: Lovely to see you here, Paul, and Wilde is an excellent choice.

>52 LovingLit: Megan: Well, you certainly will have a crowded elevator, won't you? Ha!

>53 PawsforThought: Paws: Agreed.

On the agenda for today:

Charlie and I will make a quick outing to the shops for supplies to make up a batch of bubble solution and some pipe cleaners to make bubble wands - all for tomorrow's outdoor playdate. Otherwise, laundry, bills, possibly some baking, hopefully some sewing, reading. Tomm has a late evening at the office (taking clients/authors out to dinner), so Charlie and I will be on our own for dinner here, which means spaghetti night (we go for the gluten when Tomm's not around)!
On the reading front: to risk sounding like a broken record, I once again managed a few pages of Journey to the West yesterday, between painting, baking homemade, gluten-free granola for Tomm, and napping. I did finish a book, too, though yesterday (see above), so that's good! I'm planning on starting The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress today.

The calendar book for today: Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy, which sounds good enough to put right on the wishlist. I love small-scope histories and I don't know much about Victoria, so it sounds perfect. Anyone read it?

Bubbles! What fun!

Morning Amber! Another long wet night and another long hot day. Oh, joy! Hope you have a good one.

I would like to get stuck in an elevator with Candice Millard, one of my favorite NNF authors:

I want to be trapped in an elevator with the lady who wrote this book. :P

>56 michigantrumpet: Marianne: Well, it's cheap entertainment, at least. Ha!

>57 msf59: Mark: Nice choice!

>58 Ape: Stephen: *SNORK!!*

You know who I think would be interesting to be stuck in an elevator with? Stephen King. I'd love to chat with him about books, his and other people's, and about the writing process.

Now if the question was which book character I would most like to be stuck in an elevator with, the answer's a no-brainer: Archie Goodwin.

>60 rosalita: Julia: I agree that King would be a neat fellow to meet. I can't comment on Goodwin, as I've not read those books... yet...

>40 scaifea: If you do decide to read his books, start with Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. If you don't like it, you won't like any of the others. It only gets "worse" from there. LOL! He's very, very, very punny. Also, inane.

>62 Morphidae: Thanks for the tip, Morphy!

>43 scaifea: I'll have to move that up from TBR Someday to TBR Soon.

I have to confess, my first impulse was to say someone like Zack McCain.

Amber, I haven't read Shooting Victoria but my library has a copy and it's huge. I was surprised there's that much to say!

>64 Morphidae: Morphy: Oh, do - it's good!

>65 ronincats: Roni: *snork!*
>66 susanj67: Susan: Well, the blurb says that she survived at least 7 assassination attempts, so, yeah. Ha!

A well-deserved treat after he sat in tortured silence waiting with me at the un-air-conditioned DMV this morning for nearly an hour:

Heh. He still looks a little mad about it ;-)

>69 katiekrug: Katie: Ha! Nope, that's just his "I'm eating ice cream - don't bother me" face. Ice cream, as we all know, is Serious Business.

Ice cream is VERY serious business. I'm glad (but not surprised) that Charlie has his priorities in order.

Also, no air conditioning at the DMV? No wonder those workers are so surly!

Despite the weather (we've got a pretty nasty thunderstorm brewing out there right now), the postman was kind enough to leave these at our doorstep:



ETA: Okay, so the storm is apparently getting serious - I just got an advisory from the city saying that it's time to go to the basement. Charlie and I are on our way down there now - please send all of your anti-tornado thoughts this way...

We are getting hit hard as well, Amber. I'm sending stay-away vibes to all the tornadoes in the Eastern Iowa/Western Wisconsin area!

Hoping everything blew over and you're unscathed, Amber.

For your bonus question, there were a few authors I contemplated but I think I'm going to go with Maureen Johnson because based on her twitter feed she would be hysterical to be stuck with in an elevator.

>68 scaifea: Has Charlie marked out his No Trespassing Zones around his ice cream and soft drink?

>73 rosalita: Julia: Yep, we're all safe and sound here - we got one heck of a storm, but the funnels seem to have missed us. Here's hoping you're alright down there in Iowa, too.

>74 MickyFine: Micky: I haven't read any of her stuff - I'll have to keep an eye out for her.

>75 kidzdoc: Darryl: Ha! We went to a restaurant that has paper on the table and provide crayons for doodling. Charlie always drawns circles for where his glass and plate go...

398. The Long, Long Line by Tomoko Ohmura (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
A neat little picture book in which a bunch of animals (50, to be exact) are waiting in a long line for something. Interest and excitement build throughout the book as one tries to suss out what the queue is for.
Fun and cute, with great illustrations.

So it wasn't a "No Trespassing Zone" but an indication of how big he wanted his ice cream to be? :P

>78 Ape: Stephen: Yes! Most likely you're right. *snork!* (Although, really, it's the size of his spaghetti plate, which had preceded the ice cream...)

With my kids, they don't need to mark out a 'No Trespassing Zone'. They get ice cream, it's there and then it's gone. You'd be lucky if you had time to ask for a bite before it disappears (I charge a commission for getting it for them)(then I can have my cake and eat it i.e. have ice cream without adding the calories to my waistline)(supposedly).

How adorable that he creates a little place for his plate and cup. And that's a really cute face he's making!

Phew! Mostly caught up.

I would not like to be stuck in an elevator, but if I had to be, with Cressida Cowell. She's funny and clever, and probably would be able to think of a way out.

Some great Charlie photos, as always. I think the ice cream one is my favorite.

>80 humouress: Nina: Ha! Well, Charlie has always been a fastidious child when it comes to eating (or most other things, too, honestly). He's the only kid I know who has *never* - not once! - made a mess with a popsicle; he gets every single bite without any dropping onto the floor.

>81 The_Hibernator: Rachel: I know, right? Definitely adorable, although I may be a bit biased.

>83 scaifea: Jenn: Another author whose books I've not yet read - this is turning out to be a great bonus question for me!

On the agenda for today:
Despite the storms yesterday evening, the weather promises to be *gorgeous* today (sunny and in the low 70's), so the play-date is still on for this morning! Charlie and I gathered up plenty of bubble-making supplies, so I'll get that stuff ready this morning. Otherwise, I've got some etsy stuff to tend to, a bit of cleaning, and maybe some baking. Also, there's the continual hope for sewing and reading time. I got quite a bit of sewing time yesterday, since my sewing space is in the basement and we were camped out down there for a goodly amount of time yesterday afternoon/evening during the storms. I'm nearly finished with another hat, after which I'll make my new ironing board cover.
Not sure what I'll cobble together for dinner, although I'm hungry for Indian food, so maybe Chicken Biryani?
On the reading front: Still working through Journey to the West - it's lengthy but excellent.

The calendar book today is one that many of you have already read and is already sitting on my wishlist: Among Others.

>83 scaifea: Even I can't (always) manage that now.

>85 humouress: Nina: I know, right?! Me, neither. He's got some serious popsicle skills.

Morning Amber! Looking forward to some cooler temps. I still can't believe how much rain we have been getting, the past week or so. Yikes.

I LOVED Among Others. I want to have a keeper copy. And I think you should BUY one too...snickers a little.

CS Lewis. From all I've read, he seems the most interesting!

>87 msf59: *tsk* You're such an enabler, Mark.

>88 jjvors: Jeff: Ha! I've just posted over on your own thread! Serendipity! Lewis would indeed be an interesting fellow to chat with, I think.

Hey Amber. Getting caught back up on the threads. I just love the Charlie photos, he is so cute.

>90 Thebookdiva: Hi, Abby!

>80 humouress: I'm pretty sure any food taken off a child's plate has ZERO calories. Jus' sayin'

Happy Tuesday, Amber! Hope it is storm free!

>92 michigantrumpet: Marianne: *SNORK!* Who are you, Mr. Gru?

:0D

>68 scaifea: An hour in an un-airconditioned DMV office? Almost an eternity for a kid, I would think! He definitely deserved a treat for being patient.

I like your author question. Oh, how to choose? I was leaning toward Shelby Foote (wishing he was still alive to meet) so we could talk about the Civil War -- plenty to discuss there! Stephen King came to mind, too, just because. Then Judy mentioned Craig Johnson -- I love his Longmire series -- and I thought he'd be a good choice. But then my mind moved on to my other favorite series, and I think I'd like a long chat with William Kent Krueger, who writes the Cork O'Connor series and also wrote Ordinary Grace. I've heard that he's a real nice guy, and I love his writing. There's enough depth to the books that I'm sure we'd have a great talk.

>95 tymfos: Terri: I know, I have the best kid ever. And it's difficult to settle on just one author, isn't it?

*smooch*

I'm a pretty big fan of Among Others as well! :)

>89 scaifea:- I am a warbler and an enabler, Amber! It is how I roll...

>97 richardderus: Aw, thanks, Richard! And I needed that right about now - details below...

>98 Ape: Stephen: I think the fact that you read it and liked it was what made me put it on the wishlist!

>99 msf59: Mark: *snork!*

Whelp, I'm sad to say that my usually jolly mood has taken a hit this evening: the In-Laws left a voicemail stating that they were coming for a visit - on my birthday. Wha?! No. Please Dear Lordy Lou, No. It's my birthday, for sobbing out loud - I don't want to spend it with the one person I loathe above all others on this earth!! Can I get a "Ding Dang!"? Honestly, though, I don't ever ask for much on my birthday, no big celebration or anything. I just want a quiet day in the rocking chair reading. But, no, apparently that *is* indeed too much to ask the PTB. Cripes.

399. Sparky! by Jenny Offill (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
A girl wants a pet and ends up with a sloth.
A fun, funny, quirky story with fantastic illustrations. Definitely recommended.

>100 scaifea: Do you think a quiet word with Tomm might sort things out? Personally, if that happened to me, I think I'd take the kids and go out for our own private celebration.

>100 scaifea: Oh HELL no! I'll see about a catastrophic-transmission-failure whammy for their vehicle.

>102 humouress: Nina: I'm fairly certain that there will be words, but they most likely will not be quiet ones...

>103 richardderus: Richard: Oh, OH! I forgot the 'best' part: they have purchased an - wait for it - RV. Ohgoodgodpleasesomeonehelpme.

RV.

Oh.

Oh no.

Not one of **those** in your front yard.

No. No no no. *WHAMMYWHAMMYWHAMMY*

*sigh* But at least they won't be underfoot the whole time?

>100 scaifea: Perhaps Tomm could tell them that he has plans and reservations made for that day? "Oh, Amber is booked for a spa day..." (even if that consists of nothing more than a nice long soak in your own bathtub) "... and then we have dinner reservations at a really nice place..." (I'm sure your kitchen is a really nice place!) Maybe he could get them to postpone their visit to another day?

>107 foggidawn: I like this idea, if you can swing it!

Even better - book the spa etc. Then it's true and you get pampered. :0)

And while you're booking the spa, book a place for the RV in an RV park over the other side of town.

Sorry it's on your birthday, Amber.

>105 richardderus: Richard: Yes, keep those whammys coming, please!

>106 humouress: Nina: No, in fact, it's worse that it used to be, because they used to book a hotel 20 miles away, but now they'll be here the whole time. And they want to take Charlie in a trip in it. And THAT isn't happening. Ever. Which will cause a huge fight and much unpleasantness. On my birthday. Great.

>107 foggidawn: foggi: Yeah, see, they don't care. They'll come anyway, because that's when they've decided to come. *sigh* If Tomm can't fix this, I'm seriously considering taking Charlie and just not being here, although I know I shouldn't...

>108 rosalita: & >110 susanj67: Julia & Susan: Yep, but not likely to happen.

>109 humouress:: Nina: Ha! I wish.

Sorry to hear about your birthday/in-laws woes, Amber. Hope it works out somehow.

On the agenda for today:

It's Wednesday, so it's Library Day! WooHoo!! Charlie has Story Time this morning and I'm determined to fine a quiet, mom-free corner in which to hole up and read. Otherwise, a little cleaning, a little cookie baking, sewing, reading. The usual. I finished sewing up another hat yesterday - I'll try to get photos up today. I want to finish one more before I post them to my etsy shop.
We had Carrot Soup and Southern Spoon Bread for dinner last night and there are plenty of leftovers, so no cooking necessary today.
On the reading front: Still making slow progress on Journey to the West - I need to get moving!

The calendar book today is one that I don't really have any interest in, despite normally liking biographies: The One: The Life and Music of James Brown. I like his music, but have no desire to learn more than the little I already know about his life. *shrug* Should I change my mind?

Also, I know I shouldn't be so upset about this whole in-laws thing because honestly a birthday is just another day, really, but ding dangit, I had to spend last year's birthday with Tomm's brother and his family, which isn't too bad, but I still didn't get a relaxing day. I just want a nice, quiet birthday. Sorry for the grousing, and thanks for all of the sympathy. Hopefully Tomm will work it out.

>112 PawsforThought: Thanks, Paws - me, too.

Amber, coming off a recent bit of unpleasantness involving my in-laws, I can sympathize. Mine are also the type who would turn up without notice, overstay their welcome, etc. They have a pop-up camper, which I put in the same league as an RV. And a dog that hates other dogs and people, but has to come with them wherever they go. Maybe we should introduce our respective in-laws to each other and lock them in a room.

>115 lauralkeet: Laura: Oh, you poor thing. Yes, let's open up an In-Laws Thunderdome! Ha!
Mine, too, have a dog that they will now insist on bringing, but I will insist must NOT enter our house - with Susie now being blind and still on-the-mend, she doesn't need an over-grown lump of a Lab chasing her around...

Morning Amber! Boo to in-laws visiting on your birthday. Talk about putting a damper on things. Hey, I am sure you will muddle through, my friend.
Only 68 today! No, I am not confused, that is what they said!

>117 msf59: Morning, Mark! I know I probably shouldn't love that on July 2nd the high will be in the 60's - global warming and all, which I *do* believe in, folks - but I can't help it, it's gonna feel wonderful!

>116 scaifea: Thunderdome. YES. I wouldn't mind turning my over-grown lump of a Lab loose on my dog-in-law though.

>119 lauralkeet:: Ha!

Screw the in-laws, I say. If Tomm can't man up and tell them that they can't come, then you have no obligation to entertain them, IMO. You two aren't little kids anymore!

ETA: Sorry, I'm in a particularly cantankerous mood this morning. ;^)

Well, I know my husband has a blind spot around his family - fair enough, I suppose; but he does know we don't get on. So he also knows they wouldn't be welcome on my birthday (I hope).

Sorry about the in-laws mess on your birthday, Amber. I'm with Darryl on this one, I have to say. If Tomm can't fix it, screw 'em. It's your day, you're an adult, do it the way you want to.

Pretty presumptuous of them to "announce" this in the first place, right? Isn't everyone, including in-laws, supposed to ask first, so you can say, I'm sorry, we have plans that day?

>121 kidzdoc: Darryl: Ha! Thanks for that. Tomm told me this morning that he's going to call them today and tell them no. We'll see how that works out.

>122 humouress: Nina: Tomm is usually really good about running interference with his parents, about whom he feels pretty much the same way I do (otherwise this marriage would never have worked!).

>123 jnwelch: Joe: They're not the kind of people who put any stock at all in politeness rules. They're always right and never rude. *sigh* And I suspect that they consider it a real treat that I'll 'get' to spend my birthday with them. Cripes.

I'm sending good vibes to Tomm for that phone call! I'm sure it isn't easy for him to overrule his parents, but I'm glad he's putting you and Charlie first.

>125 rosalita: Julia: Yeah, it's hard on him, I know, and I feel guilty about that, too, but not enough to back down when they pull one of their stunts.

No, it's totally appropriate to push back! Boundaries need to be respected, for everyone's sake.

>127 rosalita: Julia: Amen, sister!

I'll just echo what everyone has said already: that sucks, hope Tomm can sort it out, and if not, I like the idea of just not being there! And I'm sorry, but who just announces they are coming for a visit?!?! Ugh.

Sympathizing with all the in-law hoohaw. I hope Tomm can keep them at bay for a while, at least. I'm sure they feel they "have a right" to see their grandson ... The RV is an unfortunate development. Doesn't your neighborhood have rules against such things being parked in driveways? No? Are you SURE???

>124 scaifea: Fingers crossed for the best outcome from that phone call :0)

>129 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>130 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I'm pretty sure that there are laws and you can believe that I'll be finding that out soon!

>131 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

Hi Amber, thought I'd let you know that I'll be on the next flight in to Dubuque, come pick me up at 6.42pm. Oh, and Stella's coming with me. She doesn't like other dogs and is iffy with kids, but we'll get to spend your birthday together! Maybe you can make a hummingbird cake for me, eh what?

>129 katiekrug: My step-sister does this to my mom and her husband. She's in London and says, "I'll be there on such and such date." It doesn't matter if it's my mom's birthday or the second Christmas in a row she's just shown up or that she is told no. "But I've already bought my ticket!" or "You can leave me a key!"

>133 richardderus: *SNORK!* The difference is, of course, that you'd be welcome. (Oh, snap!)

>134 Morphidae: Morphy: It's not a happy thought that there are more people out there like this. *sigh*

Oh poor you - should you wish to run away somewhere other-end-of-the-worldy, let me know :) I'm sure my two would look after Charlie :0)

I second the spa idea by the way! Sauna, read, steam, read, swim, read, facial, snooze, read...glass of wine + read.

>136 BekkaJo: Bekka: Thanks for the invitation! And yes, the spa sounds wonderful...

Here's the hat I finished yesterday, made from a corduroy jacket and a men's plaid oxford shirt. It's sized for a 2-4-year-old:

Lovely! Do you make also hats for adults?

>138 scaifea: I second Ameise1 above. I'd love a hat like that one. Always been very fond of newsboy and flat caps. Headwear in general, really, but...

>139 Ameise1: Barbara: I haven't yet, but I've plans to do so, eventually...

>140 PawsforThought: Paws: Thanks! Maybe I'll move that up the project list, then.

Okay, so Tomm called to report on the In-Law situation.

*deep breath*

They're still coming on my birthday, but not until evening and he *knows* that I'm not lifting a finger on that day. And he (and Charlie) are going to take me out to dinner the night before. And I think that it is well understood that there will be mucho pampering of the birthday girl for days before and likely many days after The Visit. I may even get an superawesomesauce present out of it (can I hear you say, "library cart"?)... And I will be putting a call into the city office to check on their RV policy, too.
So not the greatest outcome, but I can live with it, I guess.

How about some Chocolate Cinnamon Snaps and an awesome Charlie photo to cheer us all up, eh?

Charlie and I made these this morning (think Snickerdoodles but with chocolate added):



And this is what Charlie does while I'm sewing:

Our town has rules about RVs and no overnight parking on the streets. They all seem to congregate over by the WalMart. This needs investigation.

>143 michigantrumpet: Marianne: I'll report back on my findings...

Oops. I hit post just as your update came through.

...Well, poop. Apparently the city of Platteville thinks it's just fine to park RVs in one's driveway. What the what.

I need another cookie.

Maybe there isn't room in the driveway? (Our driveway has a steep incline, so no RV parking there.) Any rules about overnight parking on the street?

Trying to wrest some silver out of that storm cloud: At least, they'll be going into the thing for sleep, etc. They won't be in your house ALL the time, right?

And a stiff belt of whiskey. Rats!

>146 scaifea: But do your in-laws know that? I'm envisioning something like this:

In-laws: What do you mean we can't park in the driveway/on the street?!?!?!
Amber: *out loud* Well, that's what I heard from a friend...
Amber: *in her head* on the internet, who lives in a different state, with different laws

Bonus points if you can find a friend on the internet who's a police officer or some other authority figure.

And yes, I am that devious.

>147 michigantrumpet: Marianne: I'm afraid that we have a nice, wide, long, non-inclined drive way. Again I say, Poop. And there will be another tizzy fit because they want Charlie to spend the night with them in the RV and even if it's in our driveway I'm not allowing it.

>148 richardderus: Richard: Ha!

>149 casvelyn: casvelyn: Don't think that it didn't cross my mind, but she'd just call up the city office to double-check...

>151 scaifea: Darn. I was kind of hoping she'd be one of those people who never do their own research.

>151 scaifea: Nuts. Dang. Drats. Boogers. That. Is. All.

Oh, lordy, Amber. *hugs* re: the in-laws. You are such a good person to put up with them as you do. I'd probably tell them that we already had plans and if they still insisted that they would show up would be away on the day in question with the house locked up tight.

That photo of Charlie is awesome. He looks like he knows exactly what he's doing and intends to rock.

I need a cookie, too, for solidarity's sake....

How long are they staying? Or is it, God forbid, open-ended?

Mamie has some good MIL coping strategies. I believe they include laying in cases of wine...

>149 casvelyn: ...genius...

>152 casvelyn: casvelyn: Well, she *is* fond of spouting 'facts' that are demonstrably not, but I wouldn't want to risk it in this case.

>153 michigantrumpet: Marianne: Agreed.

>154 lycomayflower: Laura: I would love to do that, but, yeah, I won't. And yes, he general does intend to rock. *snork!*

>155 katiekrug: Katie: Oh hell no, it's no open-ended! But the wine is a good idea - maybe a bucket of sangria?

>156 richardderus: Richard: I love devious friends who have my back = I love this group. :)

I'd go for a keg of sangria, if possible. A bucket'll last me you approximately 30 minutes.

>158 katiekrug: Katie: *snork!*

We are *SO* past the wine-will-help stage. This is a job for the Big Guns: Whiskey, gin, tequila, and Pimm's!

>160 richardderus: Richard: Well, for me those lead to instant head aches and I'll already have a big one, but feel free to sympathy drink for me...

Pimm's solves most problems, but this one may be too big...

Ugh, sorry to read this latest update, Amber. * downs a sympathy cookie and glass of wine *

When is the big day? We should have a rockin' party here to keep you distracted and amused.

If you can't drink the whisky, gin, tequila, and Pimm's, is there any chance you could slip it to your MIL? Just to help her relax, you know.

Also, be sure to encourage Charlie to practice his drumming loudly and often while they are there. ;-)

Not sure how helpful it is to you, Amber, but I'll certainly take a cookie, thanks :0)

I googled Platteville, and while I can't find anything about driveway parking (except that vehicles on private property won't be towed without written complaint from the owner of the property, which would rather put you in it) and out of town guests can't street park for more than 4 days, there are lots of RV parks. Is it too late for you to pull a helpful little girl act and find a 'convenient' park? With lots of amenities they can hook up to?

Otherwise, if they do park in your driveway, you'll have to run lots of errands so they have to keep moving the RV to let you out, and make it so inconvenient they won't bring it back again in future. Oh dear, I feel quite wicked hatching all these plans.

Isn't it JUST time to have your driveway sealed....you know, so NO ONE can drive or park on it for several days? Already arranged, won't be able to get the contractor back for months and months if you try to reschedule...

Or, maybe Charlie drum-drum-drumming is the solution, as Julia suggested.

>162 katiekrug: Katie: I have to admit that I've never had Pimm's... Oh, wait, I have, but I really don't have a clear memory of that night... *ahem*

>163 lauralkeet: Laura: August 8th is my birthday. Yay. *ahem*

>164 rosalita: Julia: *snork!*

>165 humouress: Nina: I've called the city offices and they say it's perfectly fine to park the RV in the driveway, but, yeah there are RV parks round about. They won't use them, though. I'm not ashamed to say that I've already thought of the frequent errands bit and I'm also not above using it...

>166 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh, nice one!

Many thanks to you all for your wicked scheming on my behalf - it's giving me just the smiles and giggles I've needed today, and I love you all for that.

>3 scaifea:, I'd want to be stuck in an elevator with Harper Lee. Though, from what I've read she is not very talkative.

I think I'd do all the talking, bumbling along.

Oh, no, I just read that the inlaws are invading again. My heart goes out to you my dear friend. You are such a lovely lady. Who in the world could not like you?

>142 scaifea: Pass the cookies, please!

>83 scaifea: My husband is reading the Cressida Cowell books to Eli (he's 7) and there are giggles and guffaws every minute. They are irreverent and clever and funny for kids and adults. I warble these books highly.

Poo on the in-laws coming for your birthday. Maybe you could get them tickets to an RV convention that same weekend? There has to be one somewhere.

Why is everyone around LT warbling these days? I seem to have missed something.

>171 nittnut: Now, that would be thoughtful, wouldn't it?

>168 Whisper1: & >169 Whisper1: Linda: Oh, Harper Lee is an excellent answer! Also, thanks. It's funny you should say that about people not liking me, because I often think about how my MIL is the reason I'll never be able truly to be a Buddhist - try as I may, I can't feel loving-kindness toward that woman... Ha!

>170 thornton37814: Lori: Help yourself! I'm having a plateful for breakfast right now with my morning tea...

>171 nittnut: Jenn: Good to know! Doesn't David Tennant read those on audiobook? I need to look into this more, clearly. And I'd be happiest if we could find an RV convention for them near where you live (not to plague you with them, but for the distance)... *snork!*

>172 humouress: Nina: As with most things round here, I think it may have started with a certain Mr. Derus...or maybe Mr. Mark...?

On the agenda for today:
It's going to be a lovely stay-at-home day today. Laundry, menu planning for the coming week for grocery shopping tomorrow (yes, I know it's the 4th tomorrow, but we don't really do much at all for it so I'm not changing my schedule since the grocery shop will be open and hopefully won't be crowded), a little bit of cleaning, some sewing and possibly a goodly amount of baking. We've still plenty of leftovers in the fridge, so I'm thinking about making bread (Hawaiian Bread) to go along with them tonight. And possibly some doughnuts. Because, well, doughnuts.
On the reading front: Same story, different day - still plugging along, happily, I add, with Journey to the West.

The book calendar offers a random during-the-week quote today:
"I owe everything I am and everything I will ever be to books." - Gary Paulsen

Oh, and here's an article about the Culver's restaurant right here in Platteville, which burned to the ground 6 months ago and is now rebuilt and open again. What a classy guy the owner is, eh? I'm not too surprised, though - this town is a lovely place to live, full of kind and friendly people:

http://www.channel3000.com/money/culvers-owner-pays-144k-to-employees-out-of-poc...

^Someone was asking about our warblers? This is our new mascot. Sing it, pretty baby!

Morning Amber! sounds like you have a perfect day ahead of you. Love the Charlie Watts photo! Grins...

>176 msf59: Morning, Mark! *big grins right back*

>138 scaifea: Amber I really love that hat - a sort of stylo Casey Jones! Are you really able to read over the noise of them drums.

>175 scaifea: LOVE that story.

>175 scaifea: That's a lovely story, Amber. Also: Culver's is delicious.

>178 PaulCranswick: Paul: A drummer myself, I have no problems sewing *or* reading with that in the background. Talking, though, is an issue. Ha!

>179 Morphidae: & >180 rosalita: Morphy & Julia: Isn't it, though? All business owners should be so classy. And yes, Culver's is deeeelicious.

So behind! I love the hat Amber and Charlie looks pretty cool sitting at the drums.

Do you have a homeowner's association? Sometimes they have restrictions that the city doesn't. Check your deed restrictions.

I'll eat a cookie for solidarity too.

Your in-laws' ears must be burning something fierce. We just can't let this alone, can we? Here's another thought, although this one might not work for you...could it be time for Charlie's first sleep-away camp that very week? How long do you suppose they'd stick around if the No. 1 attraction was missing?

>182 luvamystery65: Roberta: Nope, no homeowner's association. But nice thinking!

>183 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ha! Well, that one's a little extreme for me - I'm not ready to let him go to sleep-away camp. In fact, I think another word for that is 'college'...

>184 scaifea: LOL! That reminds me of my husband saying Laura could start dating when she was 30, as long as HE was in the back seat. (That didn't work out for him, just so you know.)

>185 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ha! I like his style!

400. Never Ever by Jo Empson (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
A little girl walks around complaining that nothing interesting every happens to her, when all around her fantastic things are happening.
Silly and a little strange, but very fun.

Have a wonderful 4th of July Amber.

>188 GeezLouise: Thanks, Rae! Same to you!

Throwback Thursday - Charlie and I on July 4, 2009 (Charlie at 9 months):

Ridiculously cute kid. Should have been on baby food jars.

>191 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ha! I know, right? Just look at those eyes - just like his Daddy's. *sigh*

Hi Amber, when is your birthday my dear, I am 51 on Sunday. As I type this I am watching the Tour de France Grand Depart opening ceremony from the Leeds arena, the race starts on Saturday with the first stage, Leeds to Harrogate and then on Sunday it is stage 2, York to Sheffield. They are going around the fabulous sights of God's own County and so I will have a lovely birthday with surprise presents from my family, normally I have to give them ideas but this year they asked for nothing from me to help them so it should be interesting. Hope you are having a great day my dear.

>193 johnsimpson: Happiest of Birthdays to you this weekend, John! And I didn't realize that it was Tour de France time - exciting! My birthday is in early August.

Finished another hat today! This one is made from a lovely soft wool sport coat and a men's striped oxford shirt:

>195 scaifea: So nice!

401. Spark by Kallie George (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10
Spark is a young dragon who needs to learn to control his fire, and with time and practice and a bit of patience, he does.
Okay story, but the illustrations are what makes it adorable.

>196 PawsforThought: Thanks!

>173 scaifea: Yes! The Hiccup books are narrated (masterfully) by David Tennant. Here's a quote from the beginning of the third book: Imagine a time of VIKING HEROES, in which men were men and women were sort of men too and even some little babies had chest hair. and then imagine David Tennant saying it... see?

*Off to research RV conventions in Invercargill (the tippy tip end of the South Island).

>199 nittnut: Jenn: Oh, yes, I *need* to get my hands on David, uh, I mean those audiobooks!
And, Ha! But how does one get an RV from here to there...

On the agenda for today:
Yes, it's the 4th, but here at Scaife Manor we don't really do anything to celebrate besides try to help Tuppence remain calm through the silly fireworks. Is there a Bah-Humbug phrase for July 4? *ahem*
So, grocery shopping, a bit of cleaning, some work on the etsy shop (now that I've finished a few hats I'm ready to post them to the shop!), hanging out with Charlie. Pot Roast with carrots and potatoes for dinner.
On the reading front: Again, more progress on Journey to the West, but nothing else to report.

The calendar book for today sounds really interesting: Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage, about a slave in the 1700's in Boston, who managed to become a "professional poet as just a teenager." I don't know anything about this woman, and I'd like to change that. Anyone read this one? Thoughts?

We are July 4 Humbugs chez Lindsay as well. I despise crowds so we stay away from big local events, and i equally despise those who set off fireworks in their yards.

>202 lauralkeet: Amen, Laura. Backyard fireworks are obnoxious.

>201 scaifea: Bah humbug indeed -- Sophie and Tuppence are of the same mind when it comes to fireworks, and we've had them for the past two nights around here. If I were at my grandparents' farm, we would probably have a bonfire and cook hot dogs and s'mores, but this year I'm scheduled to work the day before and the day after the holiday, so I have no plans for today apart from doing some work around the house.

I haven't read your calendar book, but I did read Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi a few years back -- historical fiction based on Wheatley's life. The details have all gone fuzzy in my mind, though.

>204 foggidawn: foggi: I'm all for bonfires and hot dogs, but not on the 4th - too hot normally. Those are fall things in my mind. Thanks for the tip of the Rinaldi!

Morning Amber! Happy 4th. Love the Charlie Throwback!

This is my first 4th with Adrian. My chiropractor and his wife have had several Shih Tzus, and he warned me the other day that all of them have been skittish with fireworks. Maybe we'll just go to bed early tonight so that Adrian will be in his crate with the white noise machine going. The crate is supposed to be his "safe place".

Oh golly, in-laws. No one on earth made me madder than my mil. No one. Ever. And it was always about this sort of thing. The thing is too that I am a naturally generous person if I am given the space to feel free to make the offer, invite, whatever, I am quite likely to make the gesture. But she always jumped in too fast and she'd term everything in these demands and ultimatums. I'm a chicken about climbing a ladder even, but I am fierce about emotional matters and we did eventually get it worked out. Anyway best of luck with it.

That hat is gorgeous.

I'm glad to see someone reading the Kazantzakis - I think that is an exceptionally fine novel and 'take' on the man Jesus.

>206 msf59: Morning, Mark! Adorable little thing, wasn't/isn't he?

>207 cbl_tn: Carrie: Best of luck with Adrian. The crate sounds like the best bet. Tuppence goes to her 'safe place' during fireworks and thunderstorms: either the bathtub (if it's the middle of the night) or right close to me.

>208 sibylline: Lucy: I'm reading the Kazantzakis because it's coming up on my Banned Books list, but I've also been looking forward to it for a long time.

Good luck with the in-laws! My strategy, which doesn't ALWAYS work, is to pretend I am living in a Jane Austen novel. Unpleasant in-laws are like Mr. Collins or Lady Catherine De Bourgh.

Here's to a happy (and quiet) 4th for you and your family, Amber.

Dogs and fireworks (or thunderstorms)--bad combination. I enjoy a nice fireworks display, but we've stayed home and watched them on TV for years, because we had a dog who couldn't tolerate the noise, and the local ones were less than a mile away, so we wouldn't leave her alone. She was OK as long as we went to the basement and she could huddle up with one of us. Thunderstorms, different story. Really bad outbreaks required giving her a mild tranq. I hated doing it, but it was better than having her try to chew her way out of the house, especially when we were at work.

>210 banjo123: Rhonda: Ha! Love it, and I'll have to try it.

>211 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! Here's wishing the same for you!

>212 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Tuppence isn't *that* bad, thankfully, but she still gets troubled. I know that they now make special stress shirts for dogs, which apparently fit quite tightly and that helps to calm them. I don't think Tuppence is bad enough for one, though, as she seems okay as long as there's a bathtub or a cuddle handy.

Happy Independence Day Amber. I am bah-humbug about the fireworks too. My Freddy gets really upset about them. The other two, Bruce and Téa, get excited but not upset.

Charlie is a cutie pie!

Happy Fourth, Amber!

I bet dog owners all over the country are trying to figure out how best to deal with the fireworks. We're going to keep the wily Sherlock in our basement tonight, as that's the most sound-insulated.

Yes, we call those stress shirts "thunder coats" here, and they work pretty well in imparting a sense of security.

I've noticed that a certain someone has evaded the birthday date question twice now...

It's conveniently placed on her Facebook page though.

:D

Nope, she answered it. It's August 8 (see >167 scaifea:).

>214 luvamystery65: Roberta: Charlie is more afraid of the fireworks than Tuppence is, really. Thankfully he sleeps like a log, and they start so late that he's already sound asleep when they go off.

>215 jnwelch: Joe: Good to know that those shirts work! Tuppence doesn't really need one, but we're pondering the acquisition of a puppy for Charlie in the near-ish future, so that one may need one...

>216 Morphidae: & >217 katiekrug: Yep, I answered. I have no problem with folks knowing when my birthday is; the little kid in me still thinks that it should be a national holiday, so... *snork!*

Happy 4th of July, Amber, hope you have a lovely day my dear.

>219 johnsimpson: Many thanks, John!

Dinner tonight - it turned out really tasty:

That looks scrummy!

>222 richardderus: Richard: It was!

If you have any carrots left, I would happily finish them off. I love roasted carrots. Yum!

>224 cbl_tn: Carrie: Come on over! There's plenty left!

402. ABC of Jobs by Jo Riggs (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
The title pretty much says it all. Okay but not great.

Amber, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

>227 Ameise1: Oh, beautiful! Thanks, Barbara!

On the agenda for today:
Once the Scaife Men awaken, I'll make French Toast with the rest of the Hawaiian Bread, and gluten-free pancakes for Tomm. Then, if the weather cooperates we'll likely be outside painting for a few hours (the deck and Charlie's fort). I'd also like to finish up posting the hats to my etsy shop, get some sewing time and do a healthy amount of reading. Also, I think I may try to stir up a batch of beignets, the dough for which needs to chill in the fridge overnight, to make for breakfast tomorrow.
Tomm is grilling smoked sausage for dinner, with which we'll have baked beans and sweet corn, I think.

The weekend book calendar quote: "I have never begun a novel with more misgiving." Any guesses from which book this comes?

>229 scaifea: I can't tell you which book it's from, but I can give you a list of novels that should open with that sentence. Wuthering Heights would be high on the list.

>230 cbl_tn: Carrie: *SNORK!* Perfect!

Ah, now I want to re-read Wuthering Heights (again)! I found one of my copies when I was moving the bookshelves around the other day and getting another reminder is not helping me stay away.

>232 PawsforThought: *Shakes head in disbelief* Well, I'm glad somebody likes it, at least... Ha!

>233 scaifea: I want to reread Wuthering Heights because I last read it in high school and hated it. I want to reread it to see if I still hate it or if I appreciate it more ten years later. I suspect I'll still hate it, but then I won't ever have to read it again.

>234 casvelyn: casvelyn: Well, I didn't read it until I was well out of school, and even with a degree in English Lit, I *still* loathed it. Best of luck with the re-read...

>235 scaifea: It probably won't happen until 2015... or later

>236 casvelyn: Or maybe never. Never would be good. *snork!*

Okay, hats all posted to the shop (finally!), dough for the beignets made and in the fridge. Now, while Charlie and Tomm are outside playing/doing yard work, I'm off to my sewing room...

>233 scaifea: Was my absolute favourite book for a long time. Still very fond of it but I haven't read it in a long time so I'm nervous about how I'd feel about it now.

>234 casvelyn: I re-read Jane Eyre earlier this year, a book I hated with the fire of a thousand suns the first time I read it as a teenager, and found it an okay read. I'll never be an Eyre-lover but I don't hate it anymore, which I'm really glad about; I don't want to hate classic books.

I don't think I've said, Amber, but I like your hats. I also admire the amount of cooking and baking you do (especially since I'm safely out of the kitchen at the moment).

I saw the film of Wuthering Heights, read the book and then read the book for school, and I've always disliked it, so I don't at present have any inclination to go back and see if I've changed my mind. Maybe someday, but so many books, so little time ...

(Besides, I've never worked out why Mr. Earnshaw sr. who apparently hated all human life, would take Heathcliff in for no apparent reason.)

>239 PawsforThought: Paws: Ha! I *loved* Jane Eyre! I think we'd make pretty good library partners, because we'd never be fighting over the same book...

>240 humouress: Many thanks, Nina!

>236 casvelyn:, >237 scaifea: *tsk* I shake my finger at y'all's philistinism!

>241 scaifea: Ha!

>242 richardderus: Richard: :)

>243 PawsforThought: Paws: :D

You sure are generous with your stars. If I thought a book was "good but not great" it would get 6 or 7 stars. A book has to be REALLY good to get an 8, great to get a 9 and AWESOME to get a 10 from me.

>245 Morphidae: Morphy: I look a ratings as if they were grades, so 8 = B- to B, 9 = A- and 10 = A. So 8s have a lot of range for me.

403. Another Brother by Matthew Cordell (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
A young sheep has 4 glorious years with his parents as an only child, until one day he gets a younger brother. And then another. And another...
Silly and fun, with equally silly illustrations.

>229 scaifea: The quote is from The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham. I was very taken with that book when I read it in high school. I think I need to read it again.

I like the Bronte sisters, but Austen is more my style.

>3 scaifea: Oh that's easy, John Scalzi. From his blog, he seems down to earth with a completely absurd sense of humor. I think we would be laughing so much we wouldn't notice how long we were stuck.

>242 richardderus: Says the Dickens-hater ;)

I hope you are having a great weekend Amber - sounds like you are packing lots in as usual :)

>129 katiekrug: I can go one better. My father would just drop by.

>249 The_Hibernator: I love Austen too! And Dickens.

>248 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: DINGDINGDING! Winner! It's one I've not yet read, but it's on the list...

>249 The_Hibernator: Rachel: I've only read one Austen so far, but I loved it and I'm looking forward to reading more of her stuff.

>250 AuntieClio: Stephanie: And I really need to get round to his stuff, too!

>251 BekkaJo: Bekka: Oh, touche! Ha! Well, we didn't get any painting done yesterday, since it threatened to rain all day, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm sort of hoping for rain today, too. I'm just not in the painting mood...

>253 PawsforThought:: Paws: I think I'm undecided about Dickens. I've liked the works of his I've read so far, but I'm not clambering to read more.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/177393

I thought of two more that would be interesting: Dorothy Sayres and Madeleine L'Engle.

>256 jjvors: Jeff: Oh, I agree on both counts!

I always enjoy visiting here. I love your new ironing board cover, and of course, the marvelous hat! You are indeed very talented.

The photo of you and Charlie is precious.

>258 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!