Ameise1 (Barbara)'s 2nd tour (Part 4)

Welcome to my fourth thread.

Yesterday (20th of March) we had a spectacular natural phenomenon. There was a penumbral solar eclipse of 75%. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. I went with my pupils to the local observatory which is only a 30 minutes walk away from school. There we got the special glasses. We weren't only able to watch this phenomenon with the glasses but also a lot of hobby astronomers with there equipment were attending the spectacle. The kids got a lot of help and informations from everyone. What stroke me most was how much the temperature was falling within a very short time. The whole event took two hours and afterwards I felt like a frozen fish stick. Nevertheless I'm very happy that I could see the whole event.

Here some pics what we were able to see:

__

January
# 1 The Photograph by Penelope Lively (4 stars)
# 2 Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (4 1/2 stars)
# 3 The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (4 stars)
# 4 Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (4 stars) audiobook
# 5 Unsuitable Job for a Woman by p. D. James ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)

February
# 6 Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller (4 stars)
# 7 Daisy Miller by Henry James (3 1/2 stars)
# 8 The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (3 stars)
# 9 Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (4 1/2 stars) audiobook
#10 Tod auf der Fähre by Anne Gold (4 stars)
#11 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (5 Stars) audiobook
#12 Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (4 stars)
#13 Signatures by James A. Hetley (3 1/2 stars) Early Review
#14 Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (4 1/2 stars) audiobook
#15 Close to Destiny by Adria J. Cimino (4 stars) Member Giveaway

March
#16 The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (4 stars)
#17 A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (3 1/2 stars) audiobook
#18 Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (4 1/2 stars)
#19 Black Diamond by Martin Walker (4 stars)
#20 The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#21 Canada by Richard Ford (4 stars) audiobook (listened in German)
#22 Der Büchersack by W. Somerset Maugham (4 stars) audiobook (listen in German)
#23 Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)

April
#24 Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich (4 1/2 stars)
#25 The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#26 Snobbery with Violence by M. C. Beaton (3 1/2 stars)
#27 Tick Tock by James Patterson (3 Stars) audiobook
#28 Amulet by Roberto Bolano (4 stars)
#29 The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett (4 stars)
#30 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (4 1/2 stars) audiobook (listen in German)

American Author Challenge 2015

January (Carson McCullers): Die Ballade vom traurigen Café (2015-01-03)
February (Henry James): Daisy Miller (2015-02-03)
March (Richard Ford): Canada (2015-03-25)
April (Louise Erdrich): Shadow Tag (2015-04-03)

British Author Challenge 2015

January
The Photograph by Penelope Lively read in German (2015-01-01)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro audiobook (2015-01-16)
February
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2015-02-11)
Brideshead Revisted by Evelyn Waugh audiobook in German (2015-02-12)
March
Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (2015-03-08)
April
Der Büchersack by W. Somerset Maugham (2015-03-27)
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (2015-04-04)

Take It or Leave It Challenge


January
6: Read a book by an author who died in 2014
Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James (2015-01-25)
9.: Read a book whose title contains "yes" or a synonym thereof
The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (2015-01-04)
10.: IOU challenge: Read a book by someone whose name ends in I, O, or U
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015-01-16)
20.: Read a book by an author that has won the Booker Prize but not a book that won the Booker Prize
The Photograph by Penelope Lively (2015-01-01)
22.: Read a book in which one of the author's names has 6 or more letters
Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (2015-01-03)

February
5: Read a book with a number in the first sentence
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2015-02-11)
8: Read a book with something you could love in the title
Daisy Miller by Henry James (2015-02-03)
11: Read a book with a pitch or a catch
Brideshead revisited by Evelyn Waugh (2015-02-12)
12: Read A Book With a Three Word Title but the first word cannot be "The"
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (2015-02-15)
13: Rolling Challenge: Read a book which title starts with the letters H, A, R, or T
Tod auf der Fähre by Anne Gold (2015-02-14)
16: Read a book with the letter U, V, or W in the title
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller (2015-02-01)

March
2: Read a book whose title includes the name of a country other than the one in which you currently reside
Canada by Richard Ford (2015-03-25)
3: Read the third book in a series
Black Diamond by Martin Walker (2015-03-14)
6:Read a book where the author's last name has more syllables than his or her first name
Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (2015-03-08)
10: Read a Book Where the Author's Last Name Could also be a First Name
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (2015-03-01)
15: Read a book of which at least three books in the "LibraryThing Recommendations" section are featured in your collections
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (2015-03-07)

April
4: Read a book whose title or author includes a job title or occupation
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (2015-04-04)
9: Read a book that has been published by a small press
Schattenfangen (Shadow Tag) by Louise Erdrich (2015-04-03)

currently reading



currently listening

The Forgotten Garden

Happy New Thread! The eclipse photos are amazing. Your students will remember this all their lives.

Great photos, Barbara!

Wishing you a good weekend too.

>7 cbl_tn: Thanks so much, Carrie. It was indeed a fantastic experience.

Being first, some truffles from Teuscher one of our best known confiserie in Zürich.

>8 karenmarie: Thanks so much Karen. :-)

>9 Ameise1: Oooh, truffles! My favorite confection!

Wonderful eclipse photos - we didn't see it here as it was overcast. Friends in Scotland commented on how it got so cold too: interesting! mmmMMMmmm a dark chocolate truffle!

>11 cbl_tn: Carrie, I'm glad that I've chosen the right sweets.

>12 tiffin: Tui, I'm so sorry that you hadn't got good weather. I agree about chocolate truffle. Neither me can't resist. I love them, too.

Happy new thread, Barbara! So cool that you were able to witness the penumbral solar eclipse! I tend to miss out on things like that. I even missed out on the Aurora Borealis display that apparently happened earlier this week. *sighs*

I hope you are having a lovely weekend. It is lashing of rain outside at the moment where we are. ;-)

>14 lkernagh: Thanks so much, Lori. I'm sorry you missed the Aurora Borealis display. I would like to see them too one day but therefore I've to go way up north.
We had fantastic weather the whole week but since today it has changed and the forecast says the rain will last more or less the whole next week.

Those eclipse photos are just stunning. Thank you for the flowers on my thread. I am returning the favour with some daffodils, which are everywhere just now. I love this cheery flower :-)

>16 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. I love all spring flowers. We have daffodils and crocusses everywhere here but from the tulips only the leaves can be seen yet.

Happy New thread, Barb! Love the toppers. How is Canada on audio?

>18 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. I'm listing to CD 6 of 8. Dell is now in Canada making his first experiences. So far I like the listening. The story is very detailed and I feel like an observer. What me strikes most is that the first half of the book is taking part in the USA and I'm wondering why it's called 'Canada'.

Happy new thread Barbara!

>20 The_Hibernator: Thanks so much, Rachel.

Happy new thread Barbara and lovely photo's. Hope you are having a lovely weekend my dear.

>22 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. It was a rainy day, so enough time to read and relax. :-)

Happy New Thread Barb!

>24 connie53: Wow :-), thanks so much, Connie, for this beautiful spring flowers.

The pictures of flowers are all lovely.

Eye catching new thread as always, Barbara. Have a lovely Sunday.

>26 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul. It's a day full of reading. :-)

" It's a day full of reading." Sounds wonderful, Barb! Enjoy!!

>28 msf59: Mark, I'm currently reading Fear in the Sunlight and I enjoy it so far.

Happy new thread, Barbara!

Those are some amazing pictures you took of the eclipse. What a cool event to witness! :)

OMG, cool moons! Happy new thread, Barbara! I hope you have a great week.

>30 jolerie: Thanks so much, Val.

>31 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, you have to help me with the English, please. You call this cool moons when it is a penumbral solar eclipse? Thanks so much for the well wishes. Today my two students from the university start to teach.

Happy New Thread, Barbara!

LOVE the thread topper photos!! So cool! Happy new thread, Barbara.

>33 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber.

>34 Crazymamie: Mamie, it was a wonderful experience. Thans a lot for stopping by.

Hi Barbara, hope you have had a good Monday my dear.

>36 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. My students from the university started to teach today. They are making a good job so far.

>37 Ameise1:, Excellent.

>38 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. After last year when one of the students didn't pass, I'm very happy to have two formidable young women this year.

Happy New Thread, Barbara!

How great that you had wonderful weather and were able to see the penumbral solar eclipse like that. We seem to always have cloudy weather when an exciting natural phenomenon like that is happening. How lucky your students were, too.

>40 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe. I suppose that everybody who was able to attend it, will remember it for the rest of their life. It's something magical.

Belated happy new thread Barbara! I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful pictures :-)

>42 souloftherose: Thanks so much, Heather. It's nice to have you here :-).

Hi, Barbara! How exciting that you all went to the observatory for the solar eclipse! Great photos.

I wish you a great day!

>44 tymfos: Hi Terri, I'm very happy that we had such a fabulous day. In 1999 it was pouring the whole day. We only could notice that it went dark as during the night.

Just passing by to say hello and hoping to catch up with you. It's been a while, but I've been following and enjoying your thread.

>46 Trifolia: Yepee, Monica is here. It's so wonderful to see you. I'm glad you enjoy my babble :-). Thanks so much for this beautiful photo.

Wonderful that you were able to see the eclipse!!

>48 SuziQoregon: Thanks so much, Juli. It was indeed magical.

Nice new thread, Barbara! I also love the photos of the solar eclipse.

*waving* at Barbara

I love the pictures of the eclipse!

Midweek check in! Hope everything is going well, Barb! Waves!!

>50 kidzdoc: Thanks a lot, Darryl. It's nice to have you here.

>51 alcottacre: Hello Stasia, it's good to see you. I'm glad you like the topper.

>52 msf59: Waves right back to you, Mark. I'm currently attending a meeting at the university. I've finished the listening of Canada. I'll write my thoughts later.

Won't be able to catch up but I'm dropping by all my friends threads to say hello. Spring has truly arrived here this week, and the lambs are out in force. My mum and I saw some being born last Saturday, and I bet they are leaping around like these by now!

>54 lunacat: Oh Jenny, what a beautiful photo. Thans so much. I'm very happy that you could see new life. It's always so amazing.

I picked up two audios from my local library. Books I saw on John Simpson's thread.

1. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
2. The Distant hours also by Kate Morton

I've no idea when I'll have time to listen to them because other audios are waiting much longer.

# 21 ♫ Listen in German



It is a very interesting story about a short part of a man's life when he was 15 years old and how this had influenced his whole life. The events are told by himself 50 years. The story is set in three parts whereas the first part is the longest and is set in the USA. Therefore I had some difficulties to make a link to its title. Part two and three are mostly set in Cananda. In the first part he describes his family and the his parent's bank robbery. It is fascinating how detailed he is telling the incident. I got a very good feeling about all family members and the strong bond between him and his twin sister. In the second part he arrived in Cananda where he had to learn being on his own and how greenly he was. In the third part he is telling us how he is living today, what he is doing and what is important for him. It's also how he gets confronted with his past.
The story is carefully written with a lot of love for all characters.

Kate Morton is one of my go to authors when I need a good story. I hope you enjoy them when you get around to reading those books!

>58 jolerie: Good to know, Val. I loaded them on my mp3 player, so I can start kistening them any time.

I absolutely love Kate Morton's books as my guilty pleasure. I've read all four of them and am looking forward to nr. 5 which will be published later this year, so it seems. My rating doesn't really reflect how much I really enjoy her books. It's excellent for when you need a feel-good-book without the corny edge to it. I hope you'll enjoy listening to the books as much as I enjoyed reading them.

You were so lucky to see the eclipse. I just saw a glimpse of the sun with a tiny little bit left out, as if someone had bitten a piece from a cookie. I like your comparison "like a frozen fish stick". I guess that says it all.

>60 Trifolia: Monica, I'm very happy to hear that you are another huge fan of Morton's books. It looks like I'd rather start listening to them earlier than later. :-)

'Like a frozen fish stick' says everything and everybody knows what I felt. Sorry that you weren't able to see more.

Kate Morton is one of my favourite writers too! Don't let them be unread for too long, Barb

Wishing you a very happy weekend!

>62 connie53: Thanks so much Connie. I sure will listen to one of them soon.

I picked some books and audios from the library this evening.

1. Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich for the ACC April
2. The Legacy by Katherine Webb Audiobook
3. The Unseen by Katherine Webb Audiobook

book 22 ♫ Listen in German


B.A.C April

This is a fantastic short story about a traveller. His precious luggage is a duffel bag full of books and therefore the story is called 'Büchersack' (books bag). In this bag are different kind of books. Books he will read on a cruise when it's sunny or stormy or in what kind of mood he is. When he arrived in a hotel in Malaysia the owner of the hotel asked him if he could borrow a book from the bag and chose a biography. In the morning he asked the traveller about the person in the book because he had some difficulty to understand the siblings relationship. How it turned out the traveller had a liaison with the sister and started to tell the sad story about the siblings relationship.
It was a very gripping listening.

Today at school my students made a gorgeous art project with my pupils. They made greeting cards with coloured sand. Here some photos of those art works.

___

Love the greetings cards Barbara, hope you have had a good week my dear and wish you a gorgeous weekend.

>66 Ameise1: Beautiful display of the students' artwork! I'm reading Erdrich too, hope you enjoy yours :-)

Oh gorgeous greeting cards, Barbara! Just lovely!

>67 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. I'll give the compliment further to the students. It was a very busy but wonderful week with those two lovely young future teachers. They are making a great job. They'll stay with us until the 22nd of May. Next week is a short one because we work only until Wednesday and than we have Eastern break until Tuesday.

>68 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. I virtually made a somersault when I saw the result of these lessons. I love those cards.
Which Erdrich's book are you reading?

>69 vancouverdeb: Welcome Deborah, it's nice to have you here and thanks so much for the compliment.

Such great cards! They really make me feel cheerful and sunny!

>71 connie53: Aren't they, Connie? It's stunningly what a great job they've done. They cut the bonding sheet with cutters and nobody got injured.

Happy weekend to you from Atlanta, Barbara! The dogwood trees are in bloom, but the temperature has plummeted to just above freezing overnight, so I'll have to wait until next week to enjoy the lovely spring weather that we normally have here.

>73 kidzdoc: Oh Darryl, that's so beautiful when trees are blooming. Thanks so much for this photo. Our forsythia shows some blooms. I guess a couple of warm spring days and it will be in full bloom. Unfortunately the forecast shows rain for the next few days.

Happy Saturday, Barb! Good review of Canada. I am glad you liked it. I hope Shadow Tag works for you, as well. Nice having you with us on the AAC.

>75 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. This challenge brings to me authors I didn't know before. Therefore I like it so much and so far I read some wonderful books.

I enjoyed reading your review of Canada. I'm fascinated by how differently we take in a book. I found it unreadable, I don't know why. Maddening because Ford is normally one of the writers whose work I like enormously.

Happy new thread, Barbara. Amazing photos of the eclipse. I love the sand cards, also. Have a wonderful weekend.

>77 sibylline: Lucy, 'Canada' is the only book I know so far from Ford so there is no comparison to him. It was an audiobook and I very often have the feeling that I've another approach to a book when listening to it.

>78 BLBera: Hi Beth, thanks so much for stopping by and your compliments.

Happy Saturday, Barbara! Those cards that your students made are stunning! I just read Shadow Tag yesterday - checked it out from the library for the April challenge, and I meant to just sample a bit of the writing, but I just kept reading until I finished it! I hope you like it.

Enjoy the weekend, Barbara


>64 Ameise1: I enjoyed The Legacy by Katherine Webb when I read it a few months ago.

I wonder about audiobooks. I'd like to try them, but a) I don't have the sort of time like long commutes or car-drives that would make sense to use an audiobook, b) don't they take forever to listen to and c) isn't it harder to concentrate when you have to listen to a book instead of reading it ?
Apparently, some people often listen to audiobooks, so there must be some benefits?

>80 Crazymamie: Mamie, it must be a good book when reading it so fast. As soon as I've finished Fear In The Sunlight I'll start with Shadow Tag. I love the cards too. They are so beautiful.

>81 Trifolia: Monica, I saw this book on you're thread. So it's a BB from your side.
I started listening to audios a few years ago. I go regulary to the gym andjust tosit inthe machines doing the work-out I can listen to books too. Since than work1out sessions are much more fun.

Jenny in >54 lunacat: made me think of this: We were just in Tribeca in New York City and a young woman was sitting at an outdoor cafe with a lamb in her arms. Pretty irresistibly charming. Turns out she was going to be taking him back to the farm that day. Not sure why they were there at the cafe, unless the lamb was visiting her city cousins.

Hope you're having a good weekend, Barbara.

>82 Ameise1: Well,, silly me, I just noticed that you got hit by a BB when I visited my own thread. I still have to get adjusted to all LT-activity :-)

I never thought of that, but I can imagine it's more fun to workout while listening to an audiobook. Who knows, this might even get me started (although I prefer gardening and hiking).

HA! Found you again, and on the English version!! Love the moon eclipse up top. Breathtaking!! And the students' cards are awesome! I haven't read Ford at all, and it is not looking good this month either. Someday.... Have a lovely weekend and thanks for spreading your picture joy to one and all. : ) Hugs.

>83 jnwelch: What a fantastic story, Joe. Thanks so much for sharing it. I guess everybody was looking very surprised. It's not so common to sit in a cafe with a lamb on his arms. Well, I suppose there weren't any four legs cousins there, otherwise you could have seen an armada of lambs coming round the corner.
So far I have a very relaxed weekend.

>84 Trifolia: LOL, Monica myownself had to scroll back my thread sometimes, too. I go twice a week to the gym but I can also be seen doing gardening.

>85 Berly: Kim, I'm very happy that you found me and thanks so much for your kind compliments.

Hi Barbara! I love looking at all the pictures of flowers. You mentioned your forsythia. Ours is in absolute full bloom right now, and is always the first sign of spring for me.

Wishing you all good things for the rest of the weekend.

>87 karenmarie: Karen, I'm glad to hear that your forsythia is full blooming. Our one has only a few yellow dots so far but until Eastern it should be in full bloom too.

Hi, Barbara! I'm always happy when I visit your thread. Spring is really on its way here - the trees are just a couple of days from greening out. We expect a freeze tonight though. I hope it's not bad enough to kill all the flowers in bud.
You have fascinating eclipse pictures. I was happy to witness a full solar eclipse in the 70s - Bailey's beads and shadow bands - a true high point in my life.
Hope you're enjoying the weekend after having a fabulous time with your students' art.

>89 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, it's wonderful to see you here. I'm glad to hear that you were able to see a full solar eclipse. I would have to travel to see a full one because the next time here in Switzerland will be in 2081 and than I'll be definitely at another place :-).
The temperatures are dropping here too in the nights but not under zero.
Now I'm taking some breakfast, do some work and later I hope to finish a book. Today we lost an hour due to summer time changing.

Wow, those cards are beautiful, Barbara! You have the neatest projects to do with them!

Happy Sunday, Barb. Hope you are having a great weekend.

>91 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. I can tell you it is an easy task to make them and they look so beautiful.

>92 msf59: Thanks Mark, I've done a lot of reading and will soon finish another book :-).

book 23



This was a very gripping mystery. It takes place at Portmeirion which was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the style of an Italian village. The location was just the right place for the Hitchcocks to have a meet-up with their staff but also for a group to celebrate a birthday party. Whereas Mr Hitchcock thought to make this weekend unforgettable due to some special events and playing with the psyche of the attendees, members of his staff had only revenge in their minds. Nobody knew that they were related to each other and were the previous owners of this location.
There were such a lot of twists and turns that it let me guess a very long time how all incidents were coming together and how they were realated to each other.

Hi Barbara, those photos of the lunar eclipse are stunning! I also love all the spring flower pictures…and those bright greeting cards your students made. That looks like something I could do with my granddaughter. She loves to "dabble" in the arts…the messier the better!

I do hope you enjoy Shadow Tag, although it (to me anyway) was the least representative of Erdrich's works…and I've read all of them. I hope you try some of her Ojibwe stories sometime. She has created a wonderful world about Native Americans. Can you tell she is one of my favorite authors?

I hope your weekend was wonderful. Sunday is in full swing here but it must be winding down in Switzerland.

>95 Donna828: Hi Donna, thanks so much for dropping by. I'm sure your granddaughter will love making such cards.

Ha, I got the hint that you're addicted to Endrich' work. Thanks for the recommendation of her other works. I'll have a look at our local library if they have more of her books.

Sunday is almost over here. We lost an hour today and getting up tomorrow will be probably tough.

Happy Sunday Dear One! You are always so kind in posting loving images! I appreciate it!

>97 Whisper1: You're very welcome, dear Linda. Thanks so much for posting here.

Hi Barbara, super happy to see that Canada was a 4 star read for you. I still need to get around to reading my Ford book... with only three days left in the month, I think I will be carrying my Ford read over into April. ;-)

The only Morton book I have read so far is The Distant Hours, which I thought was quite well done and reminded me a bit of The Thirteenth Tale with its gothic atmosphere.

>66 Ameise1: Gorgeous greeting cards! I love the colours!

I hope you have a great week ahead of you.

>99 lkernagh: Hi Lori, thanks so much for the compliment about the cards.
I hope you'll get a lot of reading time during Easter and will be able to finish your Ford book. I was cheating on the BAC April challenge and have already finished >65 Ameise1: one book.

It will be a very short week because we are only working until Wednesday. Then our Easter break is starting.

Hi Barbara - I see you liked the Upson book. I've read a couple in the Tey series. Is this also part of the series, or is it a stand alone. I quite enjoyed the ones that I read.

>101 BLBera: Hi Beth, it's the fourth of the Tey series but it was the first one for me. I bought this one in England three years ago. I'm not sure if my local library has got Tey's books.

Oh my, I'd never heard of Nicola Upson, but I looked into it because of your excellent review and I've added her books to my wishlist. I'm a bit wary of fiction based on other fiction (or fiction-writers in this case), but I'm willing to give it a try.

>103 Trifolia: Monica, I think you'll like it.

Drive by Monday waves since I usually don't get around the threads much on the weekend.
Those cards are so bright and cheery. Just in time for Spring. :D

I have been quiet lately but thought I should drop in and say "hi!"

>105 jolerie: Thanks so much, Val. Those cards are 'Easter cards' for the pupils parents. The pupils will write tomorrow a lovely letter for them.

>106 AuntieClio: Hi Stephanie, it's great to have you here. :-)

>94 Ameise1: Do like the sound of a book set in Portmeirion - somewhere I should visit, as it is not *that* far away. Sounds like it was a good mystery read.

Hi Barbara, hope you are having a good week my dear, sending love and hugs.

>108 charl08: Charlotte, I've never visited Wales so far but will give it one day a visit. It was indeed a wonderful mystery. I think I'll read another Upson but need to look up where to get it. Where do you live which isn't *that* far?

>109 johnsimpson: Hi John, It is a very intensive but luckily short week. Tomorrow at midday our Easter break starts.

I hope you're not getting hit by the ridiculous winds we've got. Gusts of 70mph are making it interesting out there!

>111 lunacat: Hi Jenny, I just cross posted at your place. Here the wind is close to a hurricane. A lot of things are flying around and this is the most violent part of it. I'm not a featherweight but nevertheless I've to be very careful not to stumble and it needs some force when walking.

Hi Barbara, thanks for your visit to my thread, always appreciated :) I love the photos of the sand art gift cards, they're brilliant! Lovely to see your eclipse photos too - I travelled to see a total solar eclipse once, and every time it's a possibility, I always think I really need to do it again.

>111 lunacat: >112 Ameise1: My suggestion is to walk WITH the wind and not INTO the wind!! Stay safe.

>114 Berly: Fine on the way back from putting Connie in her field as the wind was behind me - not so much fun going out in that direction though! I had to hang on to her and her rug just to stay upright - the mud was making things trickier too. I figured the wind might be able to move me but it would struggle more with half a ton of beasty!

>113 evilmoose: Hi Megan, thanks so much for the compliment. I hope to travel to a total solar eclipse once when I'm retired and no work shedulds are calling.

>114 Berly: >115 lunacat: I have to say today it was much safer to walk into the wind then walking with it. It was so strong that with the wind in the back it was rather violent not to be pushed over and falling.
Now it also has started pouring and I came home wet to the skin even though it was a short walk to the car but an umbrella was useless.

I am not a fan of what I call 'Blustery' weather, especially if it involves a mix of high winds and rain. Kind of difficult to stay dry under that combination! ;-)

Hi Barbara, it seems that we are all having the same sort of weather today, Connie struggled to get to work on her bike and I was nearly blown off my feet when I walked to the shop this morning. Hope your Easter break has better weather for you my dear, love and hugs to all in the Heckendorn household.

>117 lkernagh: Neither me, Lori. It's the best weather to stay at home with a good book but work is calling.

>118 johnsimpson: John, unfortunately this terrible weather will last until Sunday and to make things worse they predict snow. shudder
I'm sure looking forward to the Easter break. Today it's Isabelle's 23rd birthday. She is coming home tomorrow so we'll celebrate than. On Thursday she is fkying to Hamburg with some friends.
Love and hugs to Karen and you.

Barbara, pass on our birthday wishes to Isabelle when she gets home my dear.

>120 johnsimpson: Will do so. Thanks John.

Hope your daughter had a lovely day.

>110 Ameise1: Friend informs me that Portmeiron is 'expensive'. I think because it is still owned by one family? Anyhow, I now have an excuse for my bad tourism. I looked at the trains yesterday - it would be quicker for me to get to London than North Wales, despite being in Lancashire.

>122 charl08: Good morning, Charlotte. She had a full day at the university. She is studying and living in Lucerne whereas we are living in Zürich. Lucerne is not so far away from our place due to the early lessons at the university she prefers living there. Tomorrow early she is going to Hamburg and Switzerland's main airport is close to our place.

I'm sure that Portmeiron is an expensive place, probably not only because it's owned by one family but also for its famousness.

Happy April, Barb! Hope the week is going well. A nice warm day here. Yah!

>125 Ameise1: Thanks a lot, Mark. Wishing you a wonderful April, too. I'm glad you have a warm day, you deserve it. Unfortunately, here it looks like we are returning back to winter.

Happy April Barbara.

Happy April right back to you John. :-)

Currently, I'm still reading Shadow Tag and The Bloody Chamber. After the workout at the gym (listening to Tick Tock) I went to the library and took the following:

1. Snobbery with Violence by M. C. Beaton
2. Amulet by Robert Bolano
3. The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett

This should let me being busy during the Easter break due to the horrible weather. :-)

Our forsythia is blooming. I took this photo before the next rain shower.

book 24 read in German


AAC April

This was a very impressive reading. It's a story about a couple who is hating each other as much as loving but it shows that this love-hate relationship is bond to a violent deep addiction to each other. The story is narrated by the daughter of this couple with the help of her mother's diaries and the experiences of her childhood.
Erdrich's spelling style is very rich and detailed for human emotions and therefore the reading is very gripping.

>129 Ameise1: Oh, beautiful! We have a couple of forsythia bushes that Tomm planted last year - they're still young, but I hope they grow to be as lovely as yours!

Happy Friday, Barb! Glad you loved Shadow Tag. I will have to get to that one.

Oh hooray, you loved Shadow Tag, too! It was a quick read, wasn't it?

Happy Friday, dear!

>131 scaifea: Hi Amber, it is indeed a wonderful forsythia. Iyours will be growing fantstic too.

>132 msf59: >133 Crazymamie: Mark and Mamie, it was indeed a very fast-paced reading. I loved it very much.

oooooo forsythia! Lovely to see that. Have a warm and peaceful weekend!

Stopping by to wish you a Happy Easter weekend, Barbara!

>130 Ameise1: - Now I am getting all excited to start reading the copy of Shadow Tag I borrowed from my local library! Great review!

>135 sibylline: Thanks so much, Lucy. It will be filled with a lot of reading :-)

>136 lkernagh: Many thanks, Lori. I wish you a great one too. I hope you enjoy the reading as much as I did.

Hi Barbara, just stopping by to send Easter wishes to you and the family my dear, love and hugs.

>138 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. Wishing you and yours the same.

Barbara - I'm glad you liked Shadow Tag. It wasn't one of my favorties of hers, but she is a good writer.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter, Barbara. xx

>140 BLBera: Hi Beth, it was my first Erdrich therefore I can't compare. I love how strong she can describe feelings. I'm sure that I'll read other books of her one day.

>141 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, thanks so much. I make my 'tour' later with the Easter wishes. :-)

Happy Easter, Barbara! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

>143 alcottacre: Thanks so much, Stasia. We're organising our summer holiday. It's like a puzzle at the moment. There are still three nights at a hotel in Biarritz, a rented car and a flat at Paris to book.

Happy Easter Weekend, Barbara!!

>146 Ameise1: Thanks so much, Amber. We'll have lunch with my in-laws at restaurant tomorrow.

book 25


BAC April

I adore fairy tales and it's a long time ago I've read fairy tales for adults. This book contains different stories but within the reading I saw a lot of links to the classical fairy tales. These make this book much more charming because I was always thinking which turn Carter will take. I never felt disappointed on the contrary it kept me guessing and gripping the whole reading.
It's a book I can highly recommend.

What a lovely forsythia. Thanks for the photo. Spring has finally arrived here in Baltimore - temps in the 60's, alternating rainy and sunny days and the daffodils are blooming in my yard. I hope you have a nice holiday.

>148 catarina1: Woohoo, spring has arrived at your place with blooming daffodils. Easter can come. I'm so happy for you Catarina.

Happy Easter. Hope the weather isn't as bad as you feared. The Angela Carter sounds really good. I don't usually like fairy tales but you've reminded me.of a friend's recommendation, so I might dip my toe in here.

>150 charl08: Charlotte, it's pouring only once as we say - nonstop. On the bright side, I've enough books to keep me inside :-). I hope you'll give it a try. Her strong and diversified language is gorgeous.

Hi Barbara, Happy Easter!

What beautiful photos of your vacation and of everything else you've posted. I hope you and your family are doing well, and have a peaceful Easter planned!

Happy Saturday, Barb. It looks like you've been very busy on the threads. You must be exhausted. LOL.

>152 LauraBrook: Thanks so much for this beautiful photo, Laura. Apart from lunch tomorrow, we stay at home and are organising our summer holiday.

>153 msf59: Ha, that's the reason why I'm cooking dinner now and by the way doing a lot of reading. Waving to you, Mark.

Hi Barbara; just dropping by to wish you a happy weekend, and thank you for the Easter eggs!

Happy weekend and Happy Easter, Barbara!

Happy weekend and Happy Easter from me, too, Barbara!

>156 humouress: >157 karenmarie: >158 jnwelch: Nina, Karen and Joe, thanks so much for stopping by and the kindly wishes.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your first Erdrich book, Barbara. I hope you are able to find some of her other books that are more of her usual style. She is a wonderful writer.

Happy Easter to you and your family…

Merry Easter Barbara, and good to see your Angela Carter review. I just finished Nights at the Circus, and I'm still summoning my thoughts about it.

Happy Easter to you Barbara! May your weekend be filled with joy!

>160 Donna828: Hi Donna, thanks so much for the lovely gif. I'm sure I'll read more Erdrich books in the future.

>161 evilmoose: Hi Megan, I really liked this book very much. I've to admit it was my first Carter's book, so nothing to compare. :-)

>162 jolerie: Hi Val, thanks so much for stopping by. In two hours we are leaving to have lunch with my in-laws in a nice restaurant.

Happy Easter Barbara! >129 Ameise1: I love forsythia. I don't think it has bloomed here yet, so I still have that to look forward to this spring.

>147 Ameise1: I have a library copy of The Bloody Chamber ready to start soon.

Happy Easter, Barbara!

>164 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie, the forsythia looks gorgeous at the moment only the weather could be better but for the upcoming week the forecast is promising.

Enjoy the reading of The Bloody Chamber. I loved it-

>165 msf59: Mark, I'm not able to see your photo :-(

>166 Trifolia: Ah Monica, thanks so much for this sweet Easter surprise.

Today we had a fantastic lunch with my in-laws at a restaurant with a gorgeous view. No photos of the meal but from the view.

Whoa, gorgeous view!

That is a nice view! Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Happy Easter Barbara! My forsythia is blooming too and my rose bushes are almost ready to bloom.

>169 scaifea: Isn't it? Every minute the sky with the clouds was a different view.

>170 thornton37814: Lori, I had a very relaxed Ester. We almost fixed everything for our summer holiday. I was reading a lot and today I've another day off work.

>171 Berly: Kim, for our roses I've to wait another couple of weeks. The tulips in the garden will blooming soon.

book 26



This was a light enjoyable reading. It's a cosy mystery set in the Edwardian period. A young lady who has her season and should be getting married, failed to do so because she wouldn't accept the female aristocratic rules of that time. A good deal more she got herself involved to solve a mystery and therefore put herself into danger. A former Captain who was injured and not a beauty himself neither in looks nor character was trying to solve the puzzle too. Their servants were thinking that both of them would made a good match and were trying to keep their masters close to each other.

Theoretically I have today off also but the library re-opens at 6 p.m. I will have to go in from a few minutes before (so I can get all the lights on) until 9 p.m.

>174 thornton37814: Lori, I hope you can relax during the day and it won't be too stressful in the evening.

>175 Ameise1: The library was packed but most of those using it were involved in group study so it was pretty quiet.

>176 thornton37814: I'm glad that you had a quiet time, Lori.

Barbara, I'm way behind but thought I would bring you some lambs. Scottish, of course. :-)

>178 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, thanks so much for this most beautiful photo.

Happy Wednesday, Barb. Hope the week is going well. Waves!!

Since you're talking about views, this is where we were for the weekend before last; we gave the boys a mini-holiday without leaving Singapore.

>180 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. It was a very busy day. I left home at 7am and I was home at 6pm without a lunch break or another break. I was starving when I went home.

>181 humouress: Wow wow wow, Nina, that looks amazingly. Oh dear, a penny for a bath there right now. Thanks so much for posting it.

book 27 ♫



This was my first of the Michael Bennett series but I've to admit that it didn't catch me really. Usually I like Patterson's story for a light and gripping reading but this one wasn't keeping my attention. I guess that I won't get on with this serie in the near future.

>182 Ameise1: Unfortunately, it bucketed down rain the whole day (the day of Mr. Lee's funeral) and there was no sun at all, so it was quite cold getting in. Plus, I was petrified that my 6 year old would try to climb out of the pool on the wrong side (he's that kind of a child). But otherwise it was fun :0)

>184 humouress: Sorry to hear that the weather wasn't good and yes, I wouldn't go swimming with small children there, too.

>181 humouress: That is the coolest pool!!!!!!
Sorry the rain messed with the idea (and yes, that edge would be scary). But it looks awesome.

book 28



What a fantastic story which is written with a great of love for the main character Auxilio Lacouture who is hiding for twelve days alone in a lavatory on the fourth floor of the university of Mexico during a police riot in 1967. She is in a state of hallucinatory and is calling herself the mother of Mexican poetry. She is telling stories about poets and artists which she could have met and the experiences she could have made. Mostly the reader has the feeling that everything had happened in real and only occasionally is reminded that she is making things up due to still be trapped in the lavatory.
The language is very strong and kept me gripping until the very last page. A lot of poets and authors who are mentioned in this book I do know by name or I've read something from them.

I've been at the library and came home with:

1. Mistress of the Art of Death by Diana Norman BB from Beth (BLBera)
2. Grave Goods by Diana Norman BB from Beth (BLBera)
3. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton BB from John (johnsimpson)
4. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf BAC July
5. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

The first four are audios which I'm currently copying on my computer.

>187 Ameise1: This sounds fascinating Barbara, I'll have a look for it. Happy weekend!

>189 charl08: Hi Charlotte, thanks for the weekend greetings. This book Ican strongly recommend.

Happy Saturday, Barb. Nice library book haul. Have a nice weekend.

>191 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. All audios are downloaded and ready to go. Currently I'm listening The forgotten Garden. It's so gripping, can't stop listening. Luckily I go to the gym tomorrow so there will be enough 'listening' time. :-)

Happy weekend to you, Barbara!

Happy weekend Barbara!

>193 kidzdoc: How beautiful, Darryl, thanks so much. It looks like that our cherry tree starts blooming within the next few days.

>194 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel. It's great to see you here.

Hi Barbara. Lovely pictures, from you and everybody else.

Our dogwood has bloomed, the redbud got a bit of damage from a frost but is still lovely, the forsythias have relinquished their yellow bells for bright green leaves. It's pollen season now - the hardwoods are busy at making me sneeze.

Have a lovely weekend and good reading to you!

>196 karenmarie: Hi Karen, my hubster has started to sneeze, too. The pollen season is on its way here too. Our forsythia is still in full bloom but I gues it will last only for a few more days.

Happy weekend, Barbara! Lovely review of Amulet. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Bolano's stories in that he always manages to write stories that intrigue me but seem to fly over my head, leaving me wondering about 'stuff' he alludes to that I am unable to grasp.

Great library haul! I have read Mistress of the Art of Death, which I found to be quite an enjoyable historical murder mystery and Mrs. Dalloway, which was my first Woolf read and my favorite one to date.

>198 lkernagh: Thanks so much, Lori. It was my first Bolaño. I know what you mean. I had always to remind me that she is hallucinating because he is writing like she had ir wìll have experienced everything.

Thanks for your view of those books. I'm looking forward to them.

Hi Barb, I've been neglecting LT for a week or so. The weather was so nice I stayed in the garden with my book.
I hope your Sunday will be fabulous with sun and a good book!

>200 connie53: Hi Connie, it's great to have you here. We had a wonderful week, too and the forecast for the upcoming week is like early summer.
My elder daughter is at the moment in Den Haag attending a meeting. She likes the city very much.

I hope you'll are able to spend more wonderful hours in your garden.

Hi :-)

>202 AuntieClio: :-) Hi Stephanie, it's great to see you here.

Happy Sunday, Barb! I have had Mistress of the Art of Death in the stacks for years. I have no idea why I haven't got to it.

>204 msf59: Mark, that could be a hint to start reading it ;-). I found it on Beth's thread but there are others who like it very much. I'll start listening it next week.

book 29



It was a very gripping reading. I love the David Hunter series and have finished resding all four of them. In this story David Hunter is pulled back to an old case which he was introduced eight years earlier. At that time there were a lot of inconsistence and there were a lot of people who were protecting their reputation. In the present the case is rolled up again and the same characters are hiding evidences from Hunter. This is the reason why he has to fear for his life.
The writing is very gripping and fast-paced. I enjoyed every twist and turn and it kept me guessing until the very last page.

Finally, some spring flowers are blooming in our garden.

____

Beautiful flowers, Barbara - thank you for sharing!

>208 karenmarie: You're very welcome, Karen.

Hi Barbara, I love the pictures of the flowers in your garden my dear, hope you have had a good weekend dear friend, love and hugs.

>210 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. It was a relaxed weekend.

>207 Ameise1: How beautiful, Barbara. You must love spending time in your garden.

The Calling of the Grave sounds like an interesting read, Barbara! Thanks for writing about it. And your garden is just lovely! It has been quite lovely and warm here too - though today was cloudy.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, Barbara. Those spring blossoms look stunning. It's still pretty brown where I'm from but there is hope that Spring will be here in no time. :)

Library hauls are the best!

Hi Barbara, Glad to see that spring has sprung in your garden! Your flowers are beautiful! Have a great week!

>168 Ameise1: Gorgeous!

>212 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Our garden is our second living room and we spend a lot of time there after winter. We even have an outdoor kitchen and luckily it was warm enough over the weekend so we could cook there.

>213 vancouverdeb: Deb, I love this serie. Have you read something of the Hunter series?

>214 jolerie: Hi Val, there are still a lot of parts brown in our garden, too. Especially the leaves of our trees can't be seen yet.

>215 Copperskye: Thanks so much, Joanne. I'm really happy that we can stay more outside now.

Barbara, your flowers are gorgeous! Ours are just now peeking through the ground...

>217 scaifea: Amber, we had to wait a long time, too but I'm sure with some warm days your flowers will be blooming soon.

book 30 ♫ Listen in German The Forgotten Garden


BB from John (johnsimpson)

This was a gorgeous listening. Usually, I wouldn't read or listen such stories because this light fiction is mostly too 'sweet'. In this case it was the contrary. I liked the time switching between the beginning of the 20th century to the 70s and nowadays. It's the story of an old lady who was searching for her roots but wasn't able to fulfil her task. Therefore her ganddaughter is solving the puzzle of their ancestry and the mystery which their ancestores are mystified.
This story shows also life in the Victorian time but also a kind of surrogate motherhood in a very early time.

Beautiful flowers. How wonderful to be able to enjoy your garden so much. Here the daffodils are blooming and some of the perennials are just starting to appear. I'm going to plant some lettuce seeds in a planter box on my front porch today - that is the only place that gets enough sunlight. But I have to cover the boxes with screening to keep the squirrels from digging there!

>220 catarina1: Thanks Catarina, LOL for the squirrel. Here are more the snails the problem. Therefore we keep the small plants in the house until they are strong enough.

RIP Günter Grass. He died today and it's so sad. We not only lose a fantastic author but also a strong political thinker with a heart for the small and forgotten people.

>222 Ameise1: Time for me to read the copy of The Tin Drum that sits on my shelf I think.

Love the flowers - I am waging war on some slugs that eat everything in their path, so you have my sympathy re the snails.

>224 Ameise1: Charlotte, I can strongly recommend it. It's a great story.

I think it will be a snail year. Therefore I have to make ready scissors and beer traps.

>207 Ameise1: Wonderful to see your spring flowers. We are still several weeks away but I have been heartened by small shoots of green.

>225 Oberon: Hi Erik, it's wonderful to see you here. Today I've noticed that our cherry tree starts blooming. Must take a photo tomorrow.
I hope spring will come soon xour way.

Hi Barbara, hope all is well with you and the family my dear, love and hugs.

>227 johnsimpson: Hi John, everything is perfect. Isabelle came safely back home from a conference in The Hague. Dhe is very busy with her studies and exams.
Tomorrow I'll go the first time by bike to school this year. The weather should be fine and not so cold anymore at 7am.

Enjoy your bike ride to school in the morning my dear.

Will do so, thanks John.

I'm so HAPPY, our cherry tree is blooming and we found a lovely copper pot where we planted some chive.

_

Oh, lovely!

I noticed yesterday that our forsythia bushes are starting to get their pretty yellow leaves/flowers on them. Spring! Finally!

>232 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. I'm glad to hear that the colours are coming back at your garden. It's pure happyness, isn't it?

Happy Hump Day, Barb! Love those cherry trees! Beautiful.

>234 msf59: Thanks a lot, Mark. You're not the onlyone who will be treated well today. I have a pedicure appointment within the next hour. :-)

I love cherry blossoms unfortunately, I don't get to see a lot of them where I am now.

I really liked The Forgotten Garden as well and am glad you did too!

>236 jolerie: Sorry that you can't see some cherry blossoms, Val. It's definitely a wonderful spring signe.
I have also to other Morton's audios. I loved the listening very much.

>231 Ameise1: Love the copper pot. Cherry trees blooming down our road with magnolias out too. Spring! :-)

>238 charl08: Good morning, Charlotte. Oh, magnolias, that's so beautiful. We have a lot of different kind of copper pots and it's so great to plant flowers or herbs in it.

Barbara, love all the spring flowers here, and the chives in the copper pot! Happy spring. : )

>240 Berly: Thanks so much, Kim. I love it so much when all the colours are coming back. It's pure happyness. :-)

Hi Barbara, I hope you have had a good day my dear.

Happy Friday, Barb! I hope you have a nice weekend planned. Hugs!

>242 johnsimpson: John, it was a rainy day but we made a gorgeous trip. Will post later some pics.

>243 msf59: Waving Mark, I've planned to do a lot of reading :-).

Today my class has visited the artist's workshop of a stonemason. He explained them that he still is using the same tools like the old Egyptian. He showed them what kind of work he is doing, how he is starting a project, how he choose the stone etc. Later the kids got two stones a granite and a sandstone and hammer and chisel. He showed them how to use it and then the pupils were able to work on the stones. It was absolutely great fun.

Here some photos from the tools and how to work on stones.

____

What a cool learning experience for the kids!

Hi Barbara, great photo's from your trip to a stonemason, I am always fascinated by the skill they have and the way they treat the stone. I would always be worried about ruining the stone and having to continually start again. Hope you have a lovely weekend my dear, love and hugs.

>246 jolerie: Isn't it, Val? I can tell you that I was excited myself.

Oooo! A stonemason! I love stone works. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

Barbara--How cool was that trip to the stonemason?!

But my main mission today is I wanted to beat you to wishing me a lovely weekend...so Happy Weekend!! Thank you for sharing your joy with me and LT wherever you go. : )

>249 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel, I love stone works too. My mother's older sister is an artist and she is working with stones too.

>250 Berly: Oh thanks so much Kim for those lovely flowers and the weekend wishes. I'll start my tour around LT later.
The trip was absolutely fabulous and the kids and myownself enjoyed it immensely.

My book haul from todays visited at the local library. The first five are audiobooks.

1. Obsession by Simon Beckett audiobook
2. Voyeur by Simon Beckett audiobook
3. As The Pig Turns by M. C. Beaton audiobook
4. By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham audiobook
5. The Accident by Linwood Barclay audiobook
6. The Shadow Of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

Hi Barbara! The photos of your garden are beautiful. I hope your weekend weather is lovely so that you can spend some time outdoors and enjoy your blooming trees and flowers.

>253 cbl_tn: Thanks so much, Carrie. The weather will be mixed and we have a chilly wind today.

Thanks for sharing all of your beautiful photos, Barbara. I hope you like the Norman books. Wonderful review of Amulet; I added it to my list. Have a wonderful weekend.

>255 BLBera: Beth, I love the first of the Norman books. It's very gripping. I hope you'll like 'Amulet' as much as I did.

You do The Coolest Stuff with your students, Barbara! I wish Charlie could have you as a teacher!

>257 scaifea: Thanks so much for this lovely compliment, Amber. It would be a honour to have Charlie in my class.

Such fun stuff that you do with your students, Barbara! Our magnolias are already bloomed and finished. Love the chives in your copper pot! Just perfect! Have a wonderful weekend!

>259 vancouverdeb: Thanks so much for the kind words, Deb. The magnolias with the small blossoms are over here, too, but those with the big ones will start blooming soon.

Looks like spring is springing in you garden, Barbara. Love the photos of your class's field trip.

Our daughter convinced me to read The Forgotten Garden a couple of years ago, and I liked it, too.

>261 jnwelch: Ah Joe, isn't it wonderful with all the new colours in spring? Everthing looks so fresh and one can't have a bad mood.
The trip with my class was indeed gorgeous. We could have stayed much longer and even the rain was forgotten.
I guess I've to listen soon to the next Morton book. I really enjoyed The Forgotten Garden

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Thanks always for your thoughtful weekend pictures. :)

>263 jolerie: You're very welcome, Val. So far I've done the grocery at the local market, went to the library and was reading a lot.

Love the photos from the stonemason visit. What a great idea for a visit. Hope that the library haul is good - I do like an M.C. Beaton.

>265 charl08: Charlotte, this visit was indeed fabulous. I have read only (>173 Ameise1:) so far but I suspect that I will enjoy this one too.

Happy Sunday, Barb! We have a busy day with a family function. I hope to squeeze in a bit of reading time. Hope you are enjoying the day.

>267 msf59: Enjoy your family day. I'm sure you'll find a few minutes for your reading :-).

I just booked my wellness holday from the 3rd to the 8th of May. I'm looking forward to it.

Quick hello from Long Beach, California, USA - my vacation is going well. Today is a harbor cruise and brunch.

Have a lovely Sunday, Barbara!

>269 karenmarie: Ah Karen, that sounds wonderful. I love harbour cruises and brunch is always a gorgeous thing. Enjoy your vacation!

Hi Barbara; hope you've had a wonderful weekend!

>207 Ameise1: >231 Ameise1: Love your garden! Outdoor kitchen; hmm, gives me ideas ...

>245 Ameise1: That looks great. My sister did some stone carving for fun for a while, but couldn't continue. Doesn't the stone mason have to wear a mask, for the dust?

This is where we spent our Sunday afternoon; the attraction for the kids was the ASD dog adoption drive, not the horses!


>268 Ameise1: Enjoy your holiday!

Hi Nina, he has to wear the mask only for two kind of stones. I've my notes at school so I can't tell you which two they are.
We use an outdoor kitchen since many years and we love it very much.
I'll have definitely a good time in the south of the Black Forest. Only two weeks to wait :-)

Stopping by to get caught up and love your pictures of the cherry tree and the chives in the copper pot. The class trip to the stonemason sounds amazing.

>273 lkernagh: Hi Lori, it's nice to see you and thanks for the compliments.

Sweet Thursday, Barb! Hope the day went well and you are doing good.

Hi Barb. I'm simply stopping by to say once again how much I appreciate the images you post on the threads! Thanks.

>275 msf59: Hi Mark, in the evening we were at the Avishai Cohen Trio concert. It was soooooo fantastic. Now it's already Friday morning and soon time for going at work.

>276 Whisper1: Linda, it's so fabulous to see you posting here. You're very welcome. I know that a lot of books have fantastic covers but from time to time another photo is nice too.
BTW I love all your pics from the books you are posting. They are gorgeous.

Have a lovely weekend Barbara - thought I'd post a picture of forget-me-nots (the ones in the garden are not quite as photogenic as these ones, but still pretty).

>278 charl08: You can be sure I won't forget you, Charlotte. Thanks so much for this lovely photo.

Hope you're started on a wonderful weekend, Barbara. Glad you had a such a good time at the concert.

>280 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe. It's not only starting weekend but also the beginning of my spring holiday.
I start a new thread and will post some photos of last night's concert.

Please, join me on my new thread.