Morphy Mingles through 2016 - Part 1

Hey, everyone. Yes, I finally did it. Only took me a month to get my 2016 thread started. Whoo hoo!

Yesterday I finished a re-read of The Mage by Jean Johnson. It's the eighth book in the Sons of Destiny series. It's a series I would recommend only if you want to read cotton candy fantasy romance. (Warning: the sex is quite explicit - I scanned and skipped it this time.)

Next up is Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson, the most recent Mistborn entry.

Start thread on LT
Put list of medical bills together for accountant
Call LC at GT



* Quinn T., my mom's husband who turned 83 yesterday and has been a blessing in our lives for almost three decades

* Imodium and acetaminophen - enough said

* Understanding therapists who will do phone consults after hearing about the need for the above

Happy 2016! I like your lists of tasks and things to be grateful for.

Happy 2016, Morphy. It's so wonderful to see you here. Hugs xx

Hi Morphy, nice to see your 2016 thread my dear.

I've added your new thread to the Green Dragon list. Great to see you back!

hugs, and lots of love, to you! Karen

Hibernator had mentioned you recently so I figured you were around somewhere, and I just saw your post on Zoe's thread, so I checked to see whether you'd surfaced with your own thread. Happy 2016!

It's good to see your thread again! I'm glad you're here.

Glad to see you posting again!

Happy 2016, Morphy. I hope you feel better soon.

Woot! Dropping a star for the flight of the Morphidae in 2016.

Well, there you are at last!

Just in time for Fantasy February! Master of timing, you are.

Lovely to see you here again dear Morphy - at least there is someone in the group again who reads mostly stuff I have never heard of and agrees with me on books about 10% of the time. Great to have you back and positive. Quickly clock up the posts as I want to get you into my stats. xx

Hi, Morphy - good to see you!

Huh. I really like the Sons of Destiny series - though I admit she hits my sweet spot for explicitness, detailed but not clinical. That's something that differs widely between readers. I've reread SoD at least 3 times - unfortunately the last one is the weakest, to my mind, which kind of detracts. But it's good. I like her other books in that universe, too (though the sex level is about the same, so you might not).

She's also now writing straight SF - the Theirs Not To Reason Why series, starting with An Officer's Duty, and the prequel series The First Salik War, starting with The Terrans. Basically no romance in TNTRW, though The Terrans is a romance of sorts - more mental (psi) than physical. Military SF with a heavy psi presence, and a very complex universe that she seems to have worked out in considerable detail. She's definitely one of the authors I keep an eye out for.

There you are. Have a *. I wish you much happy reading for 2016!

Lovely to see you back again Morphy! I hope that 2016 is a better year for you in every way.

YAY!!!
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to see you here, sister.

Morphy! Great to see you here!

Howdy Morphy! I'm so happy to see you posting. I love your checklist and gratitude list up top! You continue to be an inspiration to me.

Welcome back. Here's to a great 2016.

>2 _Zoe_: >20 luvamystery65: Thanks, I'm looking to be more positive in 2016 no matter what's really going on.

>3 Ameise1: >4 johnsimpson: >5 SylviaC: >6 maggie1944: >8 nhlsecord: >9 LoisB: >10 ffortsa: >12 drneutron: >16 BBGirl55: >17 Sakerfalcon: >19 ronincats: >21 mahsdad: Thanks, I'm hoping that participating in LT will be a positive activity for me in 2016.

>7 qebo: Whatever it was, it's all lies I tell you. Do you take bribes?

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Flown to the tune of Happy by Pharrell Williams or Shake it Off by Taylor Swift or Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves

>13 streamsong: It's always Fantasy February for me!

>14 PaulCranswick: I'll post up January's books shortly.

>15 jjmcgaffey: I read Sons of Destiny before and gave them 6 and 7/10 stars, so they aren't bad, don't get me wrong. Also, don't forget, though I'm going to try to not to talk about it much, I'm struggling with the worst depression of my life. It reflects on my ratings.

>18 scaifea: I have 3 of 4 pages to catch up on for you. No fair! *gets back to reading*

Hi Morphy. Happy new thread!

Most happy to see you this bright 2016 Morphy. Looking forward to picking up some good recs from your thread this year! Truly hope LT participation is a positive for you this year because having you here is definitely a positive for us!

Didn't get Shadows of Self started yesterday but hope to do so today - probably during dinner. MrMorphy got denied for disability. Disappointing but not unexpected. That's why we have the lawyer. Spoke with the legal case manager today and got the appeal started.

I've started back with Duolingo Spanish. Today is my second day. Quienes comen cebolla? (No idea how to add accents on my keyboard.)

Finish entering to do list in Excel

Clean off computer table

Set up pedal bike



* Tummy has settled down to "Grumpy" level

* That feeling you get when the dishes are done

* This RAK of stickers and washi...

MORPHY!!!!!!! It's so lovely to see your beautiful self here again.

>22 Morphidae: Ah, right, I should keep that in mind. I can certainly tell when I'm in a good mood or grumpy when I read books - there are even some I would have discarded, but decided to hold on to to reread when I was in a better mood because I thought I was unfairly downgrading them. And sometimes I reread them in a better mood and they're still not worth keeping - but at least some were only discard-worthy because of my mood at the time.

Great! Good deal! Whooot!

(random happy noises)

It's so good to see your new thread, Morphy. I love the way you set goals and are grateful for things each day. What a fine example you set. Good luck with the Spanish!

>23 humouress: That's the aim. Happiness, yay! Complaints, boo!

>24 klarusu: Thank you. That was a blessing for me to read.

>26 LauraBrook: Awwwww, thank you!

>27 jjmcgaffey: I should put a big disclaimer on the top on each thread for the foreseeable future: MORPHY IS CURRENTLY A CRANKY-PANTS REVIEWER - ADD ONE TO TWO STARS TO EACH REVIEW.

Heh.

>28 maggie1944: Hey! Where's the Snoopy dance to go along with the happy noises?

>29 Donna828: Be afraid. Be very afraid.

*****

You can get told something over and over but until you experience it yourself, you won't accept it. I had to eat carefully for a few days because of a GI upset and at the same time was seeing some mood improvement. Yesterday afternoon and evening, I had a food binge. This morning I lost that headway and am teary and fragile. You are what you eat and I have to remember that food binge = depression the next morning.

I started Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson and it's good so far. Sanderson is such a pleasant writer. His writing is so smooth and easy to get into.

But I got my hands on Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb yesterday and gobbled it down. It's one of my weaknesses. When I gobble a book down, I tend to gobble food down, too. Cranky-Pants Morphy gave it 6/10 stars, so it's probably a 7 or 8. I loved the parts with Mr. Mira. Just loved them. I might also have given more stars if I hadn't relatively recently read all the in Dead books and not been a little tired of them.

*****

Call about SNAP Rcd approval via mail
Wash hair
Type up January read book list

*****



* Friendly neighbors with snow blowers

* Tax refunds that are three times what you thing they are going to be

* LTers with open arms to welcome you back home

I'm glad you started Shadows of Self; I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it when you're done!

>31 Morphidae: I picked up the first of the 'In Death' ones last year because of your thread. I think I'm still in the 'bonding with a series' phase of the relationship but I'm definitely going to try the second book.

>32 _Zoe_: I've got the first of the Mistborn books lined up for one of my next reads. Looking forward to trying some Sanderson.

Hi, Morphy! So glad to see you here on a regular basis. I'm at about book 10 of the In Death series, reading one or two a year. And I have 4 of Sanderson's Mistborn books in the tbr pile and still haven't gotten into them. Maybe this year as I attack my ROOTS.

I've read everything up to Alloy of Law in the Mistborn series - it ranges from good to great, for me. But I haven't picked up the newer books - I think there are at least two I haven't read yet. At some point.

>33 klarusu: Ooh, I'll look forward to seeing what you think! The Mistborn trilogy is actually my least favourite of Sanderson's work (I haven't even read the third one), but I know I'm very much in the minority there. I hope you enjoy it!

ETA: Wait, do you even have a thread in this group? Hopefully it will count for your Category Challenge and I'll see your comments there.

Yay! Morhpy's back!!!! With her fun books, and checklists, and thankfulness. I missed you! : )

Only new books have been rated. The rest are re-reads.

1. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
2. Cress by Marissa Meyer

3. Winter by Marissa Meyer, 4/10 stars
Should have been called Whimper. None of the heroes were admirable or strong, especially Winter. The victory came too easy considering the viciousness of the villains. Mostly it was a matter of showing up.

4. Cemetery Girl: Inheritance by Charlaine Harris, 6/10 stars
I can't go into why I had trouble with this one without a major spoiler but it was a decent enough story.

5. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews, 8/10 stars
Love this new series (this is #2, Clean Sweep is #1) and a delightful heroine whose weapon is a broom and backup is a fluffy dog. But don't be fooled. Not for one moment.

6. Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews, 6/10 stars
Usually not much into novellas. This one was about Derek and Julie. It was fine.

7. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
8. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
9. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
10. Written in Red by Anne Bishop
11. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
12. The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
13. Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop
14. 3553232::The Sword by Jean Johnson
15. The Wolf by Jean Johnson
16. 3553236::The Master by Jean Johnson
17. 4073428::The Song by Jean Johnson
18. 5353819::The Cat by Jean Johnson
19. 5587887::The Storm by Jean Johnson
20. The Flame by Jean Johnson
21. The Mage by Jean Johnson
22. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

ETA: I give up. I can't get the touchstones to work.

>38 Morphidae: I loved Clean sweep and am looking forward to the sequel. The tiny cute dog is awesome!

>36 _Zoe_: I don't have a thread here. I'm a total interloper ;-). I think I may have reached thread-pacity for the year though ... it's taking longer to update them than to read the books :-)

>38 Morphidae: I'm listening to Clean Sweep on audio these days and enjoying it very much! I'll probably continue with the next one right afterward.

Morphy, I saw you over on AMber's thread, and I got so excited! Welcome back!!! SO happy that you are here and posting again.

>38 Morphidae: I was also a bit underwhelmed by Winter, though not to the same degree.

I concluded that the mechanics of carrying out a revolution just aren't interesting to me; I cared much more about characters discovering secrets about their identities, falling in love, and similar things that happened in the earlier books.

>40 klarusu: I know what you mean about thread-pacity! My Category Challenge thread is pretty much abandoned this year.

Morphy! There you are. I kept an eye out, and couldn't find your thread, though I myself have been absent for a week or so already this year. Here's to an excellent 2016 for you!

Happy weekend, Morphy.

Good morning, Morphy! I hope you have a good day!

>32 _Zoe_: I'm still working on Shadows of Self. It's depressing and I keep taking breaks.

>33 klarusu: I think it was the fifth in Death book before I felt I was "into" it.

>34 ronincats: I think I'm done with Sanderson for awhile. I've decided to avoid depressing media in 2016 no matter how well done.

>35 jjmcgaffey: Hmm, seems I gave Alloy of Law only 5/10 stars. The Mistborn trilogy got 7/7/8 of 10 stars. I doubt I'll give Shadows of Self much more than 5 or 6 stars. Perhaps it's just as well you haven't gotten to the newer stuff yet?

>36 _Zoe_: The only other books I've read by Sanderson are Elantris 7/10 stars and Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians which got 3/10. I really have to dislike something to get that low of a rating.

>37 Berly: I've missed you all, too!

>39 Sakerfalcon: One thing I enjoy about this series is that the focus is on the heroine. There is very little romance. And she is so kick ass but not in a nasty, sarcastic, bloody way. "You will behave. You will follow the rules. Because I said so."

>40 klarusu: As long as I'm included in the thread-pacity. :D

>41 dk_phoenix: Oh, do so! You'll love her new chef.

>42 Crazymamie: Me, too! I've gotten caught up on your thread as well.

>43 _Zoe_: I think I was so disappointed because I enjoyed the others so much. The other books were building to this fabulous ending and instead it was a wet firecracker.

>44 rosylibrarian: >45 Ameise1: >46 SylviaC: Thank you!

MrMorphy and I have decided that Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights are "Movie" nights. The quotes are because we'll also watch TV series. We've committed to the schedule because we need pleasurable activities to do other than Internet surfing, Facebook browsing, and other computer time-wasting activities that both of us fill our days with. Staring at our screens all day is not helping either of our depressions and we both tend to do the "not in the mood tonight, dear" when the other offers to watch a show. We can watch an episode from Eureka: Season 3.5: Disc 1 or Avengers: Age of Ultron from Netflix tonight. Either should be fun!

I'm about halfway through Shadows of Self and it's pretty easy to figure out who the villain is. It's also depressing and I keep putting it aside. I need to get it finished though as it's overdue. I can't say I like any of the characters either. I doubt I'll continue with the series unless something new and interesting happens. It's just too bleh and depressing.

I grabbed up Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews, the second in The Edge series, and give it 7/10 stars. See, now that's some fun. I finished it in just a few hours. Yeah, it's not rocket science, a tad formulaic, and not Andrews' best work. But I ENJOYED it. I liked the characters, even though they weren't the nicest people. The plot had holes and was confusing at times. But the world was interesting and the secondary characters added flavor. If I didn't have to get Brandon's book back to the library, I'd jump into the third book right away. In fact, the third book will be my incentive for getting Shadows finished.

*****

Post January read book list to SparkPeople
Organize to do list into ToDoist
Spend one hour on 2015 books read list

*****



* Being approved for SNAP (decent amount, too)
* A neighbor helping MrMorphy making new truck accessible for me
* MrMorphy spending hours with neighbor making new truck accessible for me

Yay for accessible new truck!

It is nice to read your comments on books read, and to know you are willing and able to be back to your LT shenanigans. I'm still working on not being the reader I used to be, and trying to relax about how often I have days with no reading at all. Life is a journey, eh?

>47 Morphidae: Don't worry! I have you & @_Zoe_ starred ;-)

So happy to see your thread up in the 2016 group, Morphy! Welcome back! Love the movie nights idea. It is so easy to get sucked into the internet world. I have made an active choose to be off the computer by 7:30 pm every night. It has already made a positive difference, even if it means that I am super behind everyone's thread. ;-)

I read Ilona Andrews' first book--Magic Bites, I think--back when and was not impressed, not anything out of the ordinary. Enough people whose taste I respect have mentioned her books that I'm thinking she must have improved with experience. Where would you recommend I start to give her another chance?

>52 ronincats: Yeah - my first Ilona was a novella, Magic Gifts, which was excellent. I then read Magic Bites and if I hadn't read the novella first that would have been my last - it's really not very good. But yes, that series does improve, at least as far as I went with it (2-3 more books, I think). And Clean Sweep was excellent (I read it while they were posting it on their site - haven't yet gotten the ebook, but intend to. And the sequel). So either the next in the Kate Daniels series or Clean Sweep would be my recommendation.

Huh, just went to look - in fact, I've only read up to the second in the series, Magic Burns. I did like it a lot better than I did the first, but clearly I wasn't particularly caught up in the series.

>52 ronincats: >53 jjmcgaffey: I listened to Magic Bites which was also my first (and, so far, only) audio book, and got a bit hung up on the style of narration. Looks like I should give both Andrews and audio books another go - but not necessarily together.

>54 humouress: And a comment there - I don't like most audiobooks, I can't keep track of what's going on. I've heard two really good audiobooks (and in both cases, the narrator was a large part of it being good) - I grew up on The Hobbit read by Nicol Williamson (not only individual voices, but each race had a different English regional accent. Lovely!); and I got from the library The Daughter of Time read by Derek Jacobi. Again, different voices for different people - didn't need any speech tags to figure out who was talking. It's also an old favorite book. However, I've listened to several others (after Jacobi, I thought I loved audiobooks), and they've ranged from barely tolerable to incomprehensible. It wasn't until I listened to (another old favorite) The Hero and the Crown (no idea who the narrator was, though it was a female) that I realized that the whole damn book is made up of flashbacks, and flashbacks in flashbacks, and flashforwards within flashbacks...agghh! I've read it since - listening to it didn't ruin it for me - but I spent the whole time listening thinking "and _now_ we'll get to the real story! - no, another flashback!". Ghahh. So despite Jacobi and Williamson, I don't do audiobooks now.

So yes, I recommend trying Ilona in print form, and trying out various narrators in audiobooks. It really does make a tremendous difference in comprehension and enjoyment, whether the narrator works for you or not.

Hi, Morphy! Glad you're back! I'm enjoying your grateful-fors a lot. Reminds me I need to get back into that habit as it's too easy sometimes to fall into the "so sad so bad I feel so unloved" hole. So, today, one of the things I am grateful for is you! :)

Chiming in on the audiobook conversation, I wouldn't be able to read half as much without audiobooks because my eyes get so tired so easily. Some readers completely ruin books for me, in which case I go to an ecopy if I can find it or occasionally a large-print copy if the library happens to have one, but sometimes a reader can make a book even more magical. I just finished an audiobook last night read by the author. At first, I was all "no no no!" but after awhile her voice grew on me and when I finished I knew it was one of the things that made the book so special. (It was Small Victories by Anne Lamott.)

I like you're "I'm grateful for..." lists too. It so important to be mindful of what's good and working well in our lives. I'm also grateful that you are back among us, Morphy.

Hey, Morphy, hope you are keeping warm up there!

>48 Morphidae: Bravo to neighbours when they are helpful.

On this Valentine's Day I would like to wish you and Mr. Morphy a most special day.

Sharing a little LT love...

Happy Valentine's Day, Morphy!

Stopping by to wish you a

Happy Valentine's Day Morphy!

Missing you again Morphy.

Hope that all is well and that you'll check in soon.

Just stopping by to drop off a hug, Morphy. {Morphy}

March Madness is not the same without you. Come out and play as soon as you can!! : ) Hugs.

Hope all is well with you morphy, sending love and hugs.

>64 PaulCranswick: >65 ronincats: >66 Berly: >67 johnsimpson: Checking in. I'm good. Will post in the next day or two. Shuffling priorities, playing with planners, reading books, etc.

Glad to see you whenever you do pop in!

>68 Morphidae: Good to see you here!

>68 Morphidae: That all sounds good!

>68 Morphidae: Lovely to "see" you again! Hope the books you've been reading are good ones.

A Morphy sighting! Hello, dear!!

I love playing with planners; and result of keeping too damn many calendars I went to a Dr. appointment today which had been cancelled due to rescheduled. I just saw this doctor a couple of weeks ago. Oh, Yeah! Short Term Memory Loss can be so fun.

Have a great weekend, Morph.

Happy weekend, Morphy.

Yay! Morphy was here and said she will be back!! : )

Quick *wave*
Think of you :)

Ya, me too.

Hello Morphy

I'm stopping by to see how you are and what you are reading. I send all good wishes your way.

>49 maggie1944: Yes, life is a journey and mine has become more twisty than to what I've been accustomed. I want to get back to the happy Morphy I was two years ago and she's still nowhere in sight. It's very frustrating. I'm working on a new plan though and it's starting to see some results. I'm a little encouraged.

>50 klarusu: Oh goodie.

>51 lkernagh: We are almost done with season 3.5 of Eureka. I thought we'd go through the rest of the series but I don't think that's going to work. I'm getting a little irritated with some of the characters. I think we'll switch to CSI for a season. We've also started watching the Marvel film universe in order with the Iron Man. The Incredible Hulk is up next.

>52 ronincats: >53 jjmcgaffey: >54 humouress: If you didn't like the first book (and/or second), you probably won't like anything else. However, in case it was just a mood, try Clean Sweep. It has a slightly different feel to it that their other series. If neither appeal, then Andrews isn't for you!

>55 jjmcgaffey: >56 Storeetllr: I tend to avoid audiobooks. They are too slow and I get bored. Then my mind wanders, I lose my place and have to rewind. Unless I can also crochet at the same time. I have enough experience at crocheting that it doesn't need TOO much of my attention.

>57 laytonwoman3rd: Well, back among you off and on, it seems!

>58 ronincats: Keeping warm indeed. It's in the 60s. Crazy!

>59 PaulCranswick: >60 Berly: >61 Crazymamie: >62 lkernagh: >63 The_Hibernator: Thanks.

>69 SylviaC: Pop goes the Morphy!

>70 _Zoe_: >71 laytonwoman3rd: I've got my little list of daily tasks and LibraryThing is on it. The only problem is that it's near the bottom. I decided to skip down there today. :D

>72 Sakerfalcon: >79 Whisper1: I'll be posting various book things soon including February's list and what I'm currently reading. There's some pretty good stuff there, yeah.

>73 Crazymamie: Heyas, Mamie dear! How's the Pecan Paradisio?

>74 maggie1944: My planner is helping me getting things done. #1 A sense of accomplishment is good for my self-esteem and #2 getting things done helps me feel like everything isn't hopeless (even when they are tiny things and I still feel like I'm beating my head against the wall - social services is SO frustrating. I get MA - but there is a $500 a month spenddown. I get MA but lose part of SNAP. People say they will call back, but they never do and you never talk to the same person twice. ARGH!)

>75 Ameise1: >77 bell7: >78 drneutron: Thanks.

>76 Berly: And here I am!

World Sleep Day


We've got a truck, SNAP, utility assistance, and a date for my ramp to be installed. (FINALLY!) With utility assistance we should also be getting weatherization for the house. This supposedly can include a new refrigerator, new window air conditioners, a new furnace (if we need one, they'll check ours first), and attic and wall insulation. It will be another month or two before we hear anything on that though.

I'm wondering if my pain med, Norco, is contributing to my depression. It's the only factor that hasn't been considered. The problem is that, of course, that pain also contributes to depression. I have to see my doctor every month for the prescription so I'm going to talk to her about it. I'm at a loss.

I'm currently reading Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. I've read just about everything else she's written. I prefer her Cat and Bones books, but it's better than nothing.

*****

Enter data in budget
Create February books read list
Finish designing journal pages

*****



* Lindy from WCC sent an angel pendant and some pamphlets
* Got "happy mail" from Peanut Butter Taco and Bottled Tea Designs (planner stickers)
* Spent an evening reading a new book by a favorite author (Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop)

Only new books have been rated. The rest are re-reads. Also not trying to do touchstones. Never works when there are this many books.

February

23. Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb 6/10
24. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
25. Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop
26. Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews 5/10

27. Shadow of Self by Brandon Sanderson 3/10
Depressing. No likable or interesting characters. Boring and took forever to read. Won't read anything else by author.

28. Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop
29. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
30. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
31. Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
32. Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews 6/10
33. Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop
34. The Invisible Ring by Anne Bishop
35. Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
36. Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire

37. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher 7/10
Exciting. Constant action. Minimal, if any character growth, except for one character - a weakness of Butcher. Too much action, no time to breath, exhausted - else would have give 8/10. Could hardly put down.

38. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold 5/10
Where's the plot? Nothing more than a novel length short story. Bujold is another Lackey in that it's obvious that it's past time for her to hang up her pen and retire. Her last good book was Paladin of Souls.

39. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison
40. Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire

41. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer 7/10
A collection of stories from the Lunar Chronicles world - here's the joy and fun missing from Winter

42. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 8/10
Zipped right through this fun and spooky read. The quirky pictures added an extra chill to the story. Already reserved the next book from the library.

Only new books have been rated. The rest are re-reads.

March (so far)

43. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer 4/10
Exasperating Idiot's Shenanigans (Three Word Wednesday Review from Facebook)

44. Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire

45. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen 6/10

46. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 7/10

47. The Drafter by Kim Harrison 7/10
Fascinating story but it wasn't finished neither was the character. Peri was incomplete and while I enjoyed the book (I could barely put it down), it was also frustrating. It was all build up and no conclusion. Everything, and I mean, *everything*, was left in the air.

48. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop 7/10 (3/9 notes)
No characters stood out. Average plot and pacing. Nothing unexpected. Has someone else read this? Was it me and and my mood? It wasn't terrible but I wanted something a little more special.

49. Ancient China (Eyewitness) by Arthur Cotterell 6/10

I'm glad you're reading...hope you can get a bit of the old happy Morphy to return. The roots of depression are wretchedly difficult to get to, sometimes.

>84 Morphidae: Heh. That's my opinion of a lot of Heyer - some of them are worth reading anyway, but exasperating idiots are far too common in her stories (especially the mysteries - I don't think there's any of those that escaped).

I'm surprised about Gentleman Jole - still planning to read it, though, I like Bujold. And I have Shadows of Self here, next to read - I enjoy Sanderson's books, though yeah, he does have a lot of unlikeable characters. I did find Alloy of Law interesting, so I want to see what happens next. Haven't read Marked in Flesh, nor any others in that series, and wasn't intending to - the few things I'd read by Anne Bishop didn't interest me. So I can't comment.

Glad to hear you've got a plan for progress that seems to be working. And also glad to hear you've been able to work your way through the red tape and get some of what you need set up - bureaucracy is always a pain (speaking as someone who's both been a civil servant and had to work with a great deal of it!). Good to see you again!

I'm glad you enjoyed Miss Peregrine as that's been on my tbr pile for a while now. I haven't yet read Marked in flesh, but reviews I've seen for it and the previous one suggest that the series is in a bit of a holding pattern to drag it out to the intended 5 books. So it may not be you alone who had a "meh" reaction to it.

Good to see you back. I was not a big fan of Miss Peregrine. I agree with you about audiobooks!

So good to see you here, Morphy!

And you're watching the Marvel movies?! COOL!! Tomm and I have just started doing this, too! We've watched the first Iron Man and then the Hulk movie, and last night we started Iron Man 2. We should compare notes!

I'm glad to hear that Stars Above is good! I have it out from the library right now but was a bit dubious about reading another spin-off after being pretty disappointed by Fairest. Also, I'm not a huge fan of short stories. But now I have some extra motivation to get it read in the next couple of weeks, so thank you for that.

Also happy for the encouragement to read Miss Peregrine, which has been in my TBR pile for way too long.

And of course, I'm happy to hear that you're starting to see some positive results from your new plan. Do you still have a 101 in 1001 list somewhere?

>85 laytonwoman3rd: We know what some of it is. Our circumstances have just been horrible the last couple of years then I've been in chronic pain since July with back and knee pain. Add in a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. My mother and I until then laughingly called it the Santa Claus disease because it's "made up." About half the time I still scoff at it myself. But then I have to deal with the pain and know that there is no way in hell that this is all in my head. The latest LOVELY thing is when I try to do something with my hands like wind a bobbin or massage MrMorphy's shoulder and after five minutes or so they are painful cramped claws. WTF is that?!?

>86 jjmcgaffey: I think I'm done with Heyer. I so loved The Grand Sophy that I tried others of hers but they've been REALLY hit and miss. I've either hated them or loved them. Loved Frederica (8/10) hated The Talisman Ring (3/10).

I will always read everything of Bujold. Her writing style is enjoyable. It's just that there wasn't any meat to the story this time. It was light fluff even for her. I'd like to hear your opinion when you're done with it. I have to remind people (and myself) that I'm in a severe depression and that often colors my reviews.

I'm thinking about going back and re-reading the entire Vorkosigan series. Tor is doing a readalong: http://www.tor.com/2016/03/07/rereading-the-vorkosigan-saga-falling-free-chapter.... It sounds like fun.

Looking at my ratings of Elantris and the Mistborn saga, I think maybe I'll revisit him as an author at a later time. I've given him all 7s and 8s. He's not one to read when depressed though.

If you ever feel like giving Bishop a chance, try Written in Red. It is NOT like her other series and is quite enjoyable. Her Black Jewels series is not for everyone, for sure, but I've recommended Written to others who have very much enjoyed it.

>87 Sakerfalcon: Wow. A fifth book is coming out? I thought it was done after the fourth. Well, I could sort of see it going either way I suppose. I mean, that's my point. It was so... I can't even describe it. It was just sort of... there.

>88 LoisB: What didn't you like about it?

>89 scaifea: When did you decide to do it? I think I might have gotten the idea from you guys. LOL. We are watching The Incredible Hulk tonight. We've seen all of the movies before except the Hulk and the newest Avenger. It's sort of funny, but we had the newest Avenger in hand from Netflix when we decided to this. We had a discussion about whether to watch it first or send it back and watch it later after we watched all the rest. We decided to send it back!

I had forgotten a lot of the first Iron Man movie. It was a bit more intense and less humorous than I remembered. Not that it was bad! It was still great! But I could have sworn it had had more "X-men style" humor if you know what I mean.

>90 _Zoe_: No need to be dubious about Stars Above. You'll like it. Nothing meaty but all the little glimpses into backstories and the final story that's set after Winter is charming. And that's coming from someone that doesn't care for short stories. I'm with you.

I was really hesitant about reading Miss Peregrine for a long time. I couldn't have been more wrong. Go for it!

No, no 101 in 1001 anymore. It really didn't work for me and caused some stress. However, I do have some to do lists I'd be willing to share in the future.

>91 Morphidae: "We know what some of it is." I'd say your circumstances are way more than enough to explain ongoing depression. Getting it treated to a manageable level seems to be easier for some people than for others, is what I meant, I guess. It's such an individual thing, both the reaction to circumstances, and the response to treatment, that it challenges even the best science. I'm rooting for you to have better "luck" with all of it any minute now.

It's so good to see you! I wish things were going better - pain is so exhausting and depressing. But I'm glad to see that you got a new truck, and some help is starting to fall into place.

Mm, well, I'm one of the few LT'ers who hasn't tried a Georgette Heyer. I always have the feeling that my cynical count is too high to appreciate her.

And I'm about halfway through Winter. I'm listening to the audio; I'm on disc 10 of 19 so am just over halfway through. I wish they'd JUST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY! Still, not annoying enough to give it up altogether. It's very tempting to listen to the last disc and then request Stars Above instead. :-)

>92 Morphidae: Okay, you've convinced me to at least start reading Stars Above before I have to return it to the library! And in theory once I start it I should finish it, but I seem to be having trouble finishing any books lately. So we'll see what happens.

I'm sorry the 101 in 1001 didn't work for you, but grateful that you told me about it before leaving it yourself. I only actually accomplish a tiny fraction of my goals, but I think it keeps me headed in the right direction anyway.

>91 Morphidae: I just could not suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the story.

Hmm, I'm reading this and thinking that maybe I'll pull down Miss Peregrine soon after all. Someone came over and asked me if I liked it (seeing it on my shelf) and mentioned that it was too creepy for her...which makes me thinking I will probably really like it. Haha.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Great to see plenty of Morphy updates. Thanks for updating your reading too my dear - much more like it!

Have a lovely Sunday and I hope life is treating both you and Mr. Morphy a little more kindly at the moment.

>91 Morphidae: This is my first go-round for all of these movies, but I am enjoying the Iron Man ones (we're halfway through the second one now). RDJ is a cutie. But that Hulk movie was atrocious, I thought. I love Ed Norton, but, gah. Not a good film. Pretty much pointless, it seemed. Yes, we all know how the Hulk became the Hulk, so they could have done that back story stuff in the first 30 minutes and then formed an actual plot. *shrug* Have you seen the trailers for Captain American:Civil War? Looks fun. Plus, Spider-Man!

Morphy!! Man, when you come back, you come back! That was a lot to catch up on. And, of course, I loved that. Sounds like some much needed house updates are happening around you. Yay! Good luck getting the meds right. So hard when you are juggling different needs, like managing pain, too. Love all the books here-wow! Awesome to see you again. Made my day. : )

We're nearly finished with Iron Man 2 (we only watch about 30 minutes or so a night). I think Tony Stark may be my new boyfriend... Also, I love that Sam Rockwell dances in every movie he's in. Ha!

Pi Day


Phone call day. Blech. I try to get them all done in one day. I hate calling the county the most, "All our agents are busy. Please call back at a late time. CLICK!" You don't even get a chance to hold. Ugh. Just ugh. Found a therapist in town though and he had an open appointment tomorrow. Not only that but takes Medicare and whatever they pay is what he accepts. He won't ask for more than that. Unheard of! Usually you have to pay the extra twenty or whatever percent.

Just finished Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. It was an average urban fantasy. Not her best. I'm going to start The Stranger by Albert Camus. It's one of my "stretch my boundary" books so I'm not expecting much. After that is A History of the World in 6 Glasses which I think will be fun and then Slade House which I got as an ER (mumble-mumbly-mumble) months ago and need to review. I've loved everything I've read by Mitchell so I'm really looking forward to it.

*****

Fill in HS GC form
Write thank yous
Fill in ta app

*****



* A therapist in town that I can afford
* MrMorphy picked up supplies from Staples for me
* Violets from a friend still blooming

>93 laytonwoman3rd: I've given up on it "getting better." It's been two years now.

>94 streamsong: I'm sure you've continued on and realized they still HAVEN'T GOTTEN ON WITH IT. LOL. It was my number one frustration with Winter.

>95 _Zoe_: I think I got 25% or 33% of the goals done. Every time I reviewed them, I would get frustrated and down on myself for not getting more done. Or I would add far too many to do items for the day/week/whatever. It gave me an excuse to beat up on myself. I didn't want to give myself another hammer so decided to forego it when the 1001 days were up.

>96 LoisB: I looked over the books you read in 2015 and saw you don't read much, if any, speculative fiction, so, yes, I could see that would be an issue for you!

>97 dk_phoenix: I don't like TOO creepy, but a little creepy is fun. So Miss Peregrine was perfect.

>98 PaulCranswick: I realized today I hadn't read in over three days so had to "force" myself to sit down with a book!

>99 scaifea: Nope, haven't seen any trailers. Where are you seeing them?

>100 Berly: I've lost some weight, too, which seems to be helping the pain a little. Or at least I'm able to move a little more which helps the stiffness.

>101 scaifea: So what does Tomm think of your new boyfriend? :D

Good news about finding the new therapist! I hope you work well together.

I have A History of the World in 6 Glasses in my TBR pile. It is one that has survived the Great TBR Purge that I'm in the midst of.

Oh, and make sure you check my thread again. Your drive-by caused a sensation!

M--Congrats on getting the appointment tomorrow and the weight loss!! Nice.

>106 Berly: Great to see your weight is on the way down again Morphy. I am having my own struggles to that end so I admire your efforts greatly. xx

>103 Morphidae: Morphy: Just do a youtube search for Captain America Civil War and you'll find the trailer.
And Tomm is resigned to my boyfriends. They come and go, but I keep him around more permanent-like, so he's okay with that...

>102 Morphidae: I remember really enjoying The Stranger when I read it as a teenager. I should re-read it soon to see what I take away as an adult. I'm sure there was a lot of content I didn't understand at the time and I was just responding to the writing style.

I enjoyed Slade House. Hope you do too!

>83 Morphidae: I've been on the fence about whether to try The Aeronaut's Windlass but I think you've tipped me over. I know Butcher's depth of characterisation is dreadful but I still have a real soft spot for the Dresden books, no matter their flaws. Kind of like the weekend blockbuster movies of the urban magical realism book world ;-)

>102 Morphidae: I like the idea of a phone call day. I dread doing all that stuff, put it off for ages whilst feeling bad about it, finally get them out of the way piecemeal and then wonder why I didn't sort it out earlier because I feel so much better once it's done. I'm dreadful at life admin *stares at broken iPhone screen that the insurance will fix if I could just get round to sorting it out after the miserable Banana Incident 6 months ago which we won't mention on the interwebs* ;-)

>106 Berly: The appointment was... okay. The logistics of it were horrible. I won't go into the specifics but accessible it was not. Thankfully he has a good relationship with a company in another part of the building that will be more accessible and we'll most likely be able to meet in one of their rooms next time. Otherwise it was one of those getting to know you and sign form meetings so not much was accomplished.

>107 PaulCranswick: I have to admit that not much of the loss is due to my efforts. I'm simply not very hungry anymore.

>108 scaifea: Oh, sh*****t. That's all I have to say after watching it. MrMorphy laughed at me.

>109 rosylibrarian: I have no clue what to expect. I'm reading the SparkNotes beforehand so I'll at least be a little informed.

>110 LoisB: I'm sure I will!

>111 klarusu: Very true about Butcher! It certainly was a fun book.

>112 Morphidae: Calls are easier once you are on a roll. And why not have just one bad morning/afternoon rather than spreading it out over a week? I keep my laptop open for the long wait times. Either that or a game on the iPad.

And you know you just can't bring up something called the *Banana Incident* and not explain. You just can't. That would be teasing.

>112 Morphidae: re: Civil War trailer - I know, right?! The DC girl in me is a bit aghast at how much I'm starting to enjoy these Marvel movies (although we started Thor last night and, ugh - not sure why I find him so ridiculous), but I love Iron Man and I'm giddy at the thought of Spidey showing up to help out.

>103 Morphidae: Heh, I think I just have low standards for myself! I accomplished 21 of my goals and felt like I had done a lot.

Anyway, thank you for giving me the idea for that challenge and also for introducing lots of other little motivators like the daily list of three good things.

Meanwhile, I did start reading Stars Above thanks to your encouragement, and you're completely right that I'm enjoying it even though I don't usually like short stories.

Found ya, starred ya!

**hugs** (just lurking about this morning)

>115 MrsLee: what you said! :)

>112 Morphidae: @ >112 Morphidae: Banana incident?

Have a good weekend dear lady.

>113 scaifea: Chris Helmworth's got that earnest, early Heath Ledger thing going. Gosh, gee whillikers. We finished The Incredible Hulk and it was okay. Iron Man 2 is up next.

>114 _Zoe_: I'm glad you are liking Stars Above. Let me know what you think when you are done.

>115 MrsLee: >117 fuzzi: Yay! See! I am around. Sometimes.

>116 maggie1944: *waves*

>118 PaulCranswick: I meant >111 klarusu: !

>119 Morphidae: Yeah, he's adorable. Hulk was a little less than okay for me, but Iron Man 2 is good!

Happy first day of Spring, Morphy! The days are longer than the nights, now.

>120 scaifea: He's such a naughty boy.

>121 ronincats: We had snow. We're going to have more snow. Snow. Snow. Snow. Spring? What is that?

***

I'm looking for someone to commit to being an accountability partner with me for the 30-Day "Life Transformation Challenge" for The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. It involves "SAVERS" (Silence (meditation, prayer, deep breathing), Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading (self-help, inspirational), Scribing (journaling)).

You can read the first two chapters of the book here: http://halelrod.com/

I wouldn't recommend buying the book. It's short for the price. But if you already have it or can borrow it, that would be great.

Trying to combat your SNOW!!

>122 Morphidae: That's why I love him - I like those bad boys. Ha!
Good luck with the 30-day challenge, sister! It sounds excellent - I wish I could join you, but I'm fairly should I'd end up flaking and I want you to find someone more worthy who will stick with it!

>122 Morphidae: We had snow.
We had a close call yesterday, but fortunately they cancelled it.

>122 Morphidae: I love the idea of that challenge! Like Amber, I don't think I'm reliable enough to commit to it with you, but I might try to follow along.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Morphy, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Happy Easter Morphy, sending love and hugs my dear.

Stopping by to wish you a Happy Easter Morphy!

I decided to come off of Norco after having been on it since July for knee and back pain. I think it's making my depression worse. I am miserable. So miserable I'm having issues with suicidal thoughts moving from being fleeting to intrusive. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and the only thing that keep me from crying out in pain was the desire to not wake up MrMorphy.

Yesterday I journaled for 10 minutes. Then I had to recover for 15 as everything hurt - my thumbs, my hands, my wrists, my forearms, my elbows, my biceps, shoulders, neck, and head. All from holding and writing in my journal.

I'm on day four of my withdrawal and sometimes feel like I would rather die than go for another day dealing with this pain. It's consistently a 5-7 throughout the day and spikes to an 8 when I have to stand and walk. (I rarely rate pain a 9/10. I've experienced a 9/10. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. You can't do anything but scream, cry, and writhe. If you can even catch your breath for that.)

I'll sit there and cry for a few minutes before standing because I know how much it's going to hurt. I do my daily exercises (12 different ones, 10 reps) no matter how much it hurts because I know it's important to move no matter what. But the last couple of days the tears have streamed down my face the entire time. Today I couldn't even bear the thought of it. I feel badly about it. But I just couldn't do it.

I've talked to some people who have gone through narcotic withdrawal and they say this is normal. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I have to get through another 3 to 10 days of this. I just keep telling myself this is my choice. That when the one to two weeks is over and if I'm still in this type of pain I can go back on them if I have to. That other people have gone through this and it will get better. Meanwhile, I feel like dying.

Oh, add in intestinal distress as well.

Oh, Morphy, I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this horrible stuff. Lots of warm, gentle hugs to you, and all the positive thoughts that I can think. I wish I could help in more solid ways.

Morphy, having been at the 9-10 level, where narcotics only lasted for an hour and then I cried for two until I could take another one, I know where you are. Don't give up. You can get to the other side. You are loved. Hang in there. One moment at a time. xoxo

I know it is IMPOSSIBLE to compare one person's pain to another person's pain but I just want to say I know how hard pain can be. It is exhausting. It is debilitating. I'm so sorry you are going through this difficult time and I join others in saying hang in there, it will change. Listen to music if you can. Watch TV if you can. Know that we are here for you, pulling for you to make it to your goal.

Thanks, everyone. It's really what I need. I don't have "f2f" social support so need you all to cheer me on. It helps more than you can imagine to have people say that they've been there or that they are sending good thoughts. MrMorphy, well, he's had more than any spouse should have had to bear and he's cracking under the strain. I need to find other places to vent. I'm more than relieved to have found a therapist here in town that I can get to more easily (and hopefully more often.) I've got to get myself better. I have to. For MrMorphy's sake, if not my own. Sometimes it takes doing it for someone else's sake to get yourself better.

I'm so sorry, Morphy. I know it seems impossible right now, but it'll pass and you can get through it. You're stronger than you know. And I'm here rooting for you every day.

Joining the rest in saying that you are a strong woman, even if it doesn't always feel like it and that I will be rooting for every day. You can do this.

Hang in there Morphy. A lot of people in this group are pulling for you my dear.

Thinking of you, Morphy, and sending healing vibes your way. Hate that you have to struggle through the pain without a lot of f2f support. Wish I could be there in person for you but, as Paul said, we're all pulling for you.

**hugs**

Hi Morphy! Too bad you've been going through so much trouble lately! You always have me and Liz - or at least you have us once a month when the timing works out for all three of us. ;) Hopefully we'll be able to meet soon. I just finished our book today.

"Sometimes it takes doing it for someone else's sake to get yourself better." I think that's very true. Whatever it takes, the fact that you're so determined ("I've got to get better") means you have a good chance of doing it. Come here and vent as often as necessary.

>132 Morphidae: Oh my, and 3 to 10 days is quite gap of uncertainty but you can count the worst case on your fingers. Hang in there.

You are one strong, tough lady and I admire you greatly. This may be the hardest thing you've done, but do it you will. Hugs.

I'm keeping you and Mr Morphy in my thoughts and prayers, and hoping that you make it through to the other side really soon.

Morphy, all of us at the Pecan Paradisio are thinking of you and sending you our love. We believe in you! You have already conquered so much, we know that you can do this, too.

Morning, sister. You're in my thoughts and in my heart today, and every day.

I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with depression and pain, and the challenges you're having going off the drug. Many, many thoughts and prayers headed your way.

Hang in there - you can do it. You seriously have my admiration for what you've managed already - and I believe you can keep going (I just wish you didn't have to - that things would start going well for you!).

Day 8 and I think that maybe I'm coming out the other side. Sleep was better last night. I had a couple episodes of multi-hour sleep chunks. One of at least three hours. And only a few times where I woke up less than an hour apart. Plus I didn't wake up early. I woke up at 7am instead of 5am. Had a bad anxiety attack this morning and I'm feeling restless but we'll see how the pain goes today. It's still bad, but it is noticeably waning. Thanks for the support, everyone.

Hurrah for the small steps forward, Morphy. They will add up.
{{{{{Morphy}}}}}

Oh Morph, I hope you can get well. I was thinking about you a few months before I found this thread, wondering about you and how you and Mr. M were doing. Sounds like it isn't easy but you're still together. Hang in there!

I've been avoiding the news for weeks. I simply don't need the added stress in my life. But something popped up in my Facebook of local interest and I glanced at it. Huge mistake. I read through the first set of comments to get some details and saw an image of a vehicle with the front end covered in blood and the words, "What protestors?" (Referring to Black Lives Matter)

I lost it. Totally lost it. Who DOES this shit?!? The worst thing is, people not only find this funny nowadays, they actually think this way for real. This is why we have people voting for a bigoted, racist, misogynist, abelist... I don't have enough -ist words for him. What is this world coming to? Is the world becoming more hateful or have people always felt this way and it's just becoming more acceptable to say it?

It's becoming easier and easier just to stay in the house. I'm soul sick.

Meanwhile, I decided that if it worked for dementors, it would work for this. I'm having some chocolate.

>155 Morphidae: I think the hatred thing is cyclical somehow. There have certainly been other terrible episodes in our country's past, and in the history of the world. We like to think we're progressing all the time, but there are always going to be these bad waves periodically, I'm afraid. If you can, read this column by David Brooks, which sheds a little light on the "why" of it all, I think. Oh, and chocolate....definitely chocolate.

Hi Morph! Glad you got some sleep. Sleep always helps. And chocolate. And don't take the news as representative of the world. There are so many kind acts that go unnoticed by the media. I still think good far outweighs bad. Hugs.

>156 laytonwoman3rd: Good article--thanks.

I hope this will be another good morning for you today! Sleeping well is such a joy. I'm having some interesting nights when I wake more often than I ever imagined I could. Then occasionally I have one where I sleep like "normal" for me.

Re: news. I think a major issue is that we have 100X more sources of noise about the same stupid or horrific comment or event. Not only did a candidate say something totally unprecedented but we have to listen to 10s of people and commentators talk about it. American history is full of crazy people doing crazy things or saying horrible things, but in the past only a few people heard about it or had to deal with it.

Turn the TV off! Read those books! Be happy (when you can).

>155 Morphidae: You may be in pain and suffering but your logic is spot on. ITA. Hang in there. I hope better days are ahead.

Rant of the day: Why are companies suddenly becoming plural? In the last two days I've seen: "Instagram are" and "Disney are." Is this some new thing? It makes me twitch.

Here is my logic: These are examples of pure laziness--they forgot the "s" on Instagram, just like people abbreviate you as u! The second is also laziness because people are forgetting to say the "movies" after Disney which would then warrant the "are." Aren't people annoying? : )

These are usually literate, non-lazy people referring to the companies themselves as plural instead of singular.

It was something like "Instagram are listening to us" and "Disney are releasing" something something.

Is it like a King referring to himself as "we"?

>160 Morphidae: Well then! I tried, but that's just wrong! And I'll twitch along with you. *Twitch*

>163 maggie1944: And I don't need companies becoming Kingly. *Twitch*

Thinking of you, Morphy.

>160 Morphidae: Maybe Americans are adopting the practice of collective nouns being thought of as plural (and I kinda think they should be)? Very British of us, isn't it? *grins*

Also, we've now finished the first Avengers movie (and I absolutely have a crush on Loki, of course - OF COURSE I DO), and now we've started Iron Man 3 (and I'm concerned for Tony, who's going through a rough patch (just because I now love Loki doesn't mean I don't still care about my Tony...)). Where are you and The Mr. with your watchings?

Also, thinking of you lots, lady. All the time.

Hi! Missing you... : )

Just poppin' in with a wave and a hug if you want one.

I'd lost track of time, but wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you!

Hugs to you, Morphy!

Oh a Soul Sister! I abhor this pluralisation of singular corporate entities. I see it all the time here in Australia and it makes me positively fume! Hugs to you Morph!

>132 Morphidae: I just saw this, and am so sorry. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

My worst physical pain, ever, aside from childbirth, was after my hip replacement, but that was mainly in my leg: if I stayed still, it wasn't too bad, but the therapists didn't allow me to remain sedentary.

Both my sisters have fibromyalgia, as did our mother, so I know some about chronic pain. You have my sympathy.

>155 Morphidae: I hate the news, because it's all about ratings, money, and how to get people to react. Facebook is full of all sorts of weird memes from both sides of the political aisle. I get so mad at times I could cuss. I finally told my "friends" why I didn't want to see political garbage on my Timeline, and wound up hiding their posts because they can't stop sharing ****.

Now, go look at butterflies, or birds...I think I'll watch my Cherry Shrimp here at work, for a few minutes.

Addendum: here's a Cherry Shrimp and a butterfly for you to look at:

I hope spring is in the air for you! It's lovely here this week.

Hi, Morphy! I am so behind the times, but I'm thrilled to see you on LT 75ers again!

Karen O.

Just checking in to wish you well Morphy and remind you how much you matter to the group. xx

What Paul said!

Just checking in here...! : )

I hope Spring has found you happy and busy! Looking here to hear what's up.

*Le sigh* The honest update is that I was in the hospital AGAIN and they are trying some new meds. I'm getting a load of home care this time though: nurses, PT, OT, aides, a social worker, even psychotherapy. I have two and three people here a day at times. I'm really hoping that this time is the last one. My hospitalizations have not been successful as mental health units are not set up for people with medical needs. But one of the new meds they have me on supposedly works well for people with my particular issue and I have hopes.

I've applied for and we've been approved for all the various financial supports (food, electric, phone, medical) that I could find. I even got our mortgage modified. So we're doing okay there.

The ramp was finally completed and has been used with much glee. It's so much easier to get in and out of the house with no steps to maneuver over!

We're now in the "all the apps are approved, crises averted, now what?" mode. It's an odd feeling. I keep feeling like I have something I need to do, that there's something I'm forgetting.

I'm getting into bullet journaling. Anyone do that around here?

Hi Morphy! I hope that you are feeling a lot better since the last time we saw each other. Neither one of us has been very active on LibraryThing, but it's nice to see you around. :)

Good morning, Morph! I hope somewhere in all your support and care folks time with you that you continue to finds some time to do some reading. In my case, it felt very sad when all my other activities left little to no time for reading each day. I'm doing a little bit better but I need to be learning to balance my new home with all its social opportunities with quiet time in my home.

You are in my heart, friend. Hope your hopefulness is rewarded with some real progress.

Morphy, glad to hear you are getting the support you need and so happy that you have updated us. {{{Morphy}}}

I'm sorry to hear that you've been in the hospital again, but glad to hear that the crisis has been averted!

You always have the best ideas for organization/list-making. I had never heard of bullet journaling, but now I want to start.

>179 Morphidae: I bullet journal! I'm a relative newbie but I am finding it helpful.

It's good to hear that all the home care, financial, and accessibility issues are under control. Now hopefully you can just do some recovering without all those things to worry about.

>180 The_Hibernator: I'm working on it! It's amazing how much help it is when you have daily support.

>181 maggie1944: Yes, I've been doing more reading lately. It's been nice. While, yes, there have been more day to day activities, I've also been more in the mood for reading. And more in the mood for something other than comfort rereads.

>182 ronincats: It's funny - beware what you ask for! I have two to three appointments every day. I actually have a reason to look forward to weekends again. LOL!

>183 _Zoe_: >184 norabelle414: The first place to check out is http://bulletjournal.com/ and the video(s) there. Then go to the Bullet Journal Junkies group on Facebook. There's an amazing bunch of people there. For a blog, you want http://www.bohoberry.com/.

What journal do you use, norabelle? I have a Leuchtturm1917. But I scribble notes and stuff on an old Moleskine before transferring to the LT. What about pens? I use a Bic Velocity but I also love Papermate Inkjoys. Do you use washi, do lettering, or are you a minimalist?

>185 SylviaC: I'm in a transition phase right now where I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with myself now that I'm not spending hours filling out apps, making phone calls, and stressing out about all that stuff.

>186 Morphidae: So glad to see you again! We missed you.

I'm in a transition phase now where I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with myself now that I'm not spending hours filling out apps ...

It's not comparable to health issues but I do get this. When I finished my PhD, which was a real psychological battle of wills with a baby/toddler that deserved my time and attention, I found it took me a while to re-learn the art of relaxing. There was this ever present sense of 'I should be doing something now' that cut into my reading or switch off time. Don't rush it! Switching off and relaxing is something that sometimes needs to be re-learned.

I'm off to check out your bullet journal links. As usual Morph is Back bringing yet more positive things to do! I am, as always, filled with admiration for your ability to do that through all odds. Never forget you're awesome, young lady ;-)

I also scribble in Moleskines before LT uploads and I bought a large tub on Inkjoys for my shelf. I love finding more of 'my people' ;-)

Ah, so good to have you among us once more, Morphy. I'm glad you have so much support now. The journaling sounds very interesting. I will look into that website.

Morphy!!! I am sorry you had to visit the hospital...again! But you seem to have come out of this visit with a plan. And I am so glad you have conquered the mountains of paperwork. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done! And the fact that you are even considering reads other than the light, comfort reads, says a lot about your psychological well-being. Hurray! I know it isn't a quick fix, but you sound like things are really looking up. I am very happy for you. Big hugs. And I am glad you are back.

>186 Morphidae: You sound like you're feeling a lot better. That makes me happy.

I am very much a minimalist with my bullet journaling. I decided to start in the simplest possible way, and then I can add things one at a time if they work for me. I only have a few symbols - empty box (to-do), filled box (done), and arrow-in-a-box (not done yet, but doesn't require further action on my part). Plus an occasional exclamation point for important things.

I've started with a notebook I got for free from a conference or something. It doesn't have a brand, but it's similar to Moleskine, 7 inches tall with a hard cover, a bookmark, and elastic to hold it shut. I'm currently using a blue Sharpie Pen (they make nice thin ones now that don't bleed through or smell bad). I haven't done any color coding because I am constantly losing my pens (I have 4 of them and they're never where I need them) and so occasionally I will use a different color for no symbolic reason.

I am unfamiliar with washi, so I looked it up. Turns out, I have tons of washi tape because I keep seeing it places and want it, but I've never had a good idea of what to do with it! So I will start incorporating it into my journal! My handwriting, while very legible, is not particularly pretty.

What kind of system are you using?

Hi Morphy, I'm so glad to hear that you have got such a lot of support.
Wishing you a lovely day. Hugs

Oh, dear! Bullet journalling sounds very attractive to me. I have been "down" with an RA flare for a day or so and completely let everything go. Just napped and sat and computer-ed and read and did it again for well over 24 hours. Got M.D. permission to sift the meds up a notch and am feeling better this morning so now all the To Do lists are calling to me from the space between my ears.

I'm sort of stuck in a book, but I feel I want to make it through to the last pages so I'm sure I'll do some reading today. And I do have dinner scheduled for this afternoon, plus the Friday "social hour" where all the old folks get together to drink a glass of wine, chat, and nibble on bad snacks. Also, lunch with The Niece. I'm looking forward to that as Schelie and I talk frequently by phone about the kids but don't get much one-to-one time to catch up with each other.

I'm glad you are seeing some good, positive, developments! I hope this trend continues, you so deserve some time where most everything is going well.

I'm glad you're in the 'crises averted what now' mode. It's definitely a chance to catch your breath.

I remember watching a river a few years ago and noting that in-between the smooth calm sections, there are ripples and rapids and backwaters. It's become my metaphor for life.

I'm glad you have your ramp and can get outside! It's the perfect time of the year to enjoy the sunny days.

And oh dear, bullet journal book bullet. :-)

It's good to hear from you again Morphy! I'm so glad you have lots of support and care in place and can now begin to think about what you really want to be doing. And having extra time to read is nice! I hope that the arrival of spring brings more good things for you.

Now I'm off to look at those journal links. The comments here have intrigued me.

>179 Morphidae: I do not bullet journal, but off and on use a method I found in a graphic novel (Syllabus) I read earlier this year:

Divide a page into four quadrants with an x or perpendicular lines. One is a list of seven "things I did today," another is seven "things I saw today," another is a few "things overheard" and the fourth is a simple sketch of one of the things done or seen (I interpret this very loosely). If I feel like journaling something longer I do, and I've been meaning to start incorporating that into my routine every evening but somehow that hasn't been happening over the last few months.

Glad you're back you were missed, Morphy.

>195 bell7: that is an intriguing idea...

Wow, Bullet Journaling looks fascinating. Thanks, Morphy, for telling us about it and for sharing your latest news. It sounds like your team of experts is keeping you busy. Hang in there and know that your LT support team is strong, too!

FYI, I set up a bullet journal today and see that there is a virtual rabbit hole of UTube video idea places. Cool. Of course, now I have to go buy..... the Washi table to make the lines in the journal pretty. I will resist buying special markers because as a result of my last move I am aware of how many colored pencils and markers I already own! Wow! So a secondary benefit of starting a bullet journal is the awareness of my need to continue loving what I have! And using it. Thanks, Morphy, for another great idea. You are the best.

So wonderful to see you again, Morphy! Thinking of you as always.

Hey, you're back! I'm glad some things are sorting out with the potential for new meds and all the help.

Happy weekend, Morphy.

Ah, too cute! Yay, spring is here!

Great to read your update. Now I'm off to learn about bullet journaling.

Hi Morphy! Happy new week! Hope that you are doing well. I haven't started our book yet, but it's next on my list. I'm so slow this month. Looking forward to The Stand next month.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful weekend, Morphy. xx

Thinking of you, lady.

Me, too.

Sending hugs!

Hi Morphy, I hope things are looking up for you!

I just wanted to let you know that I started a bullet journal (of a sort) thanks to your inspiration, and I'm loving it so far. I'm not sure I've fully grasped everything that makes a bullet journal a bullet journal, but at least I have a book of categorized to-do lists (and a few other lists) that I revise at regular intervals, and I think it's made me much more productive and less stressed. I had tried an electronic approach to Getting Things Done before, but I much prefer dealing with my lists on paper because it seems more relaxing and less like work.

So, thank you for another great idea!

Thinking of you, Morphy.

I want you to know I think of you often, and surely wish you are doing well.

Stopping by with best wishes that all is well in Morphyland.

Hey Morphy. I always check in with your thread but I'm just posting to say I hope things are going OK and we miss you! LT isn't LT without Morph. Whenever you wend your way back here, there will be so many happy folk!

Happy Birthday, Morphy!

>213 klarusu: Nicely said. Your the absence of your presence is felt greatly.

I am just about in time to follow Roni by wishing you a very Happy Birthday and to give my best to Mr. Morphy.

A belated happy birthday and wishing you the best. :)

Hi Morphy. Thinking of you and missing you here. : ) Big Hugs!!

Thanks, everyone, for your well wishes and birthday greetings. I'm sorry I'm not up to answering everyone's posts individually. Please accept my apologies.

I haven't been posting because I feel so poorly. I'm simply not the Morphy every one knew for many years. I've been in the hospital four times since last September for suicidal depression and it's simply not getting better no matter what meds they put me on. My anxiety has gotten so bad, I don't leave the house (plus it's physically difficult.) I have a doctor appointment tomorrow that I HAVE to make. I've rescheduled it four or five times and I don't know how I'm going to do it. I've been having panic attacks for days. I don't know how I've gotten to this place. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore.

A social worker, the home health care mental health nurse and I have struggled to get me an ARMHS worker (Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services) or a therapist at home but I have almost a $600 Medical Assistance spend down per month. That's 1/3 of my SSDI - our only income. Medicare won't pay for home therapy. And there doesn't seem to be any other home therapy help out there. So, right now I'm not getting any therapy, the meds aren't working, and I'm still fighting suicidal depression. I'm at a loss at what to do at this point. I've never had an obstacle that was this... impossible... to deal with. I've always - ALWAYS - been able to overcome every challenge that came our way with work and research.

I refuse to go to the hospital again. They've been useless. If you have a physical issue, forget getting help in a psych ward. Not going to happen. I've been to four different hospitals and it's been a nightmare.

On a positive note, our local gas company has a program for low income households that provides weatherization and energy efficiency services for free. We were audited about a month ago and we're getting/got: air seal of major air leaks, insulation of attic, insulation of exterior walls (if possible), weather stripping of exterior doors, replace the heating plant (furnace - done), install of programmable thermostat (done), install pipe wrap on water heater, install smoke/CO alarms, replace refrigerator, replace light bulbs (done), replace window ACs (2). We're pretty thrilled about it. It's probably at least $10,000 worth of work.

And we saw and enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We gave it 4/5 stars.

Dang it Morphy!! That sounds really difficult. I am sending you tons of happy-no-panic mojo so you can make it to the doctor appointment tomorrow. One of my kids suffers from panic attacks, so I kinda know what you are going through. No fun. Also PMing you something. We all we know what an amazing person you are and hopefully (sooner rather than later) you will find stuff that works for you. And I love how you tried to end on a positive note--see how you did that?! : ) The energy efficiency stuff--that's a definite score!! Please keep us posted. We are on your side. xoxo

I'm sorry there isn't better help available to you, Morphy. No one should have to try to pull themselves out of such darkness without professional help. Obviously, from the post you've just left us, the person we have come to know and love IS STILL IN THERE. Don't give up on her.

((((((((((Morphy))))))))))

Yes, everything that Linda ( >221 laytonwoman3rd: ) just said. I love you, sister. DON'T GIVE UP.

>219 Morphidae: Morphy, I post this with much love and because I think it needs to be said:

You don't have to apologise ... EVER ... end of story - not for not replying individually, not for feeling bad, not for being 'away' when you need to, not at all.

I am so sorry you're not up to posting but please, please remember that you ARE the same Morphy we have known for years - you are just that Morphy going through a very tough time. We do not love you because you're peppy and upbeat - we love you because you're you, upbeat or facing a struggle. Come and see us when you can, when it helps you and when you need us, stay away when you need your own headspace and this hinders rather than helps ... but don't ever stay away just because you feel different right now because of the wicked beast that is depression and you think we expect a certain 'face' online. Either way, you know we'll still be here whenever you do come back.

Stay strong Morphy! We miss you.

I am holding you in my heart, Morph, and sending strength and hope to you in abundance.

Yup, me too.

I am thinking of you, too, Morphy. and hoping you will feel better soon. Just like your house got the energy fix it needed, your panic attacks and depression will find the right meds. I pray it happens soon. XO

What Claire said in >224 klarusu:, Morphy!

Thinking of you, Morphy and sending lots of positive energy.

Keeping you and Mr Morphy in my thoughts and prayers. klarusu in post 224 said everything I want to say so much better, so just read her post again!

I realized I didn't actually post anything after reading your update last week, and that's also because >224 klarusu: said basically everything I would say, but better.

You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. You're one of the strongest people I know. You've survived FAR more than your fair share of difficulties, and you can always come here for support without needing to put on a happy face.

Have you considered doing some sort of crowdfunding to help with the therapy expenses?

>219 Morphidae: Hugs.

Hugs! See you on the 16th though!

More hugs, Morphy.

Thinking of you, Morphy!

I just searched for and found this thread because I have been thinking of you too, Morphy, and missing you on LT. I have been some depressed so I know how awful & also very dumb hospitals can be. Sometimes people say "one day at a time" but a day can be very long. At one point I got to, "I will make it through the next ten seconds."

So here's ten seconds of support for you, and then ten more.

Morphy--Rachel said she saw you and said you were doing pretty well. So glad to hear it! Miss you tons. : )

Another of the rather large group missing your presence here, Morphy.

Come back to us when you feel able. xx

>239 Berly: Three cheers for actual contact! I hope you are, at the very least, doing pretty well, Morphy. If something is working for you, do more of that. We do miss you.

Just stopping by to say that I'm thinking of you!

Hi Morphy. Just popping in to say I am thinking of you. Best wishes!!!

What the ladies said above.
Morphy I saw you mention TC over on Amber's thread. I will go over there and keep you company a bit.