scaifea's thread #17

Welcome to thread XVII!



Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-15 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there, too):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. An unread book from my shelves.

10. A book from my Classics shelves.

11. A book from our Science Shelves corner.

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

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

14. An audiobook for the car.

15. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

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

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books and easy readers, which Charlie and I read together. I've decided again this year also to list our re-reads, but I'll just list them each day and not number them.

And here's my Summer Reading Challenge, through my local library's summer program:

-Read 262 pages = The Three Musketeers (I have just enough of this one left)
-Read a short story = Memoirs of Hecate County (is a short-story collection)
-Read an essay = The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian (chapter in this one will do nicely)
-Read a poem = The Sonnets
-Read a non-fiction book = Five Days at Memorial
-Read a book about someone who inspires you = The Light of Asia
-Read a book with at least one unrealistic part = The Centaur
-Read a book that is older than you = The Water of the Wondrous Isles
-Read a book set in the past = The Sign of the Beaver
-Read a book set in a different country = Far From the Madding Crowd
-Read a book about someone from a different culture = The Kalahari Typing School for Men
-Read whatever you want = The Gods Themselves
-Finish reading a book series = Silver Dream & Eternity's Wheel
-Read a graphic novel = Sandman Overture
-Read a book about sports or healthy living = The Path to Enlightenment
-Read a book written as notes, letters, texts... = Dear Committee Members
-Close your eyes and pick a book off the shelves = How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare (I may have cheated a bit - I purposely put myself in front of my Read Soon Shelf for this one...)
-Read a picture book = The Heart in the Bottle
-Listen to a podcast = Moby Dick

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



What I'm reading now:
-The Catcher in the Rye (Banned Books)
-A Necklace of Raindrops (1001 Children's Books)
-The Well at the World's End (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy)
-Franklin Pierce (Presidential Challenge)
-The Bluest Eye (audiobook, Banned Books list)
-Red Moon and Black Mountain (Mythopoeic award)
-Collected Stories and Other Writings (Pulitzer)
-Toothiana Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies (Charlie's bed-time book)
-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (another Charlie bed-time read)
-Don Quixote (an unread book off of my shelves)
-The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian (from my Classics shelves)
-Introductory Astronomy & Astrophysics (from the Science Shelves)
-Old Path White Clouds (Buddhism list)
-A Lear of the Steppes (books by year, 1870)
-Due or Die (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-Prairie Tale (from the Read Soon shelf)
- (everyday audio book in the car)
-The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare re-read)
-War and Peace (because Charlie wants me to)

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

Books Read:

JANUARY

1. The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot (Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B+
2. Slaves of Quentaris (audio book/1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
3. Runner of the Mountain Tops (Newbery Honor book) - 7/10 = C
4. The Blue Cat of Castletown (Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B+
5. Princess Academy (Newbery Honor book/ audio book) - 8/10 = B+
6. Olive's Ocean (audio book/Newbery Honor book) - 7/10 = C
7. The Wanderer (audio book/Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B+
8. The Terrible Two (potential Charlie book) - 9/10 = A
9. The Puppy Place: Scout (Charlie's bedtime book) - 8/10 = B
10. A Daughter of the Seine (Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B
11. Roller Girl (Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B+
12. Abe Lincoln at Last! (Charlie's school library chapter book) - 8/10 = B+
13. How I Live Now (audiobook, 1001 Children's Books list) - 8/10 = B+
14. The Terrible Two Get Worse (loaned to me by a school librarian) - 8/10 = B+
15. Ella Enchanted (audiobook, Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B+
16. Echo (Newbery Honor book) - 9/10 = A-
17. Bone Gap (Printz award winner) - 9/10 = A
18. The Ghosts of Heaven (Printz Honor book) - 8/10 = B-
19. George (Stonewall Award winner) - 9/10 = A
20. The Return of the Native (audiobook for the car/book-a-year challenge, 1878) - 9/10 = A
21. Hoot (audiobook, Newbery Honor book) - 8/10 = B
22. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
23. Magic Tree House #17: Tonight on the Titanic (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B+
24. The War That Saved My Life (Newbery Honor book) - 9/10 = A
25. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Abraham Lincoln (public library book) - 8/10 = B+

FEBRUARY
26. Crenshaw (public library book) - 8/10 = B+
27. Noah Barleywater Runs Away (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A-
28. The Midnight Dress (Blind Date with a Book) - 8/10 = B+
29. Twilight (audiobook, 1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
30. Don't Break the Balance Beam! (public library book) - 8/10 = B
31. Hattie Ever After (sequel read) - 8/10 = B
32. A to Z Mysteries: Secret Admirer (Charlie bed-time read) - 8/10 = B
33. A Good Night for Ghosts (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B+
34. The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
35. Zachary Taylor (Presidential Challenge) - 8/10 = B-
36. Books Can Be Deceiving (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B+

MARCH
37. The Magic Tree House: Leprechaun in Late Winter (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B
38. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (school library book) - 8/10 = B-
39. Bink & Gollie (school library book) - 8/10 = B+
40. The Magic Tree House #3: Mummies in the Morning (school library book) - 8/10 = B
41. The Spoonflower Handbook (just because I wanted to) - 9/10 = A-
42. The BFG (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
43. Circus Mirandus (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
44. Mr. Pants: Slacks, Camera, Action! (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A
45. Hour of the Olympics (school library book) - 8/10 = B
46. Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B
47. The Puppy Place: Patches (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
48. Black Boy (Banned Books list) - 9/10 = A-
49. The Religions Book (Charlie book) - 8/10 = A
50. The Boy Whom Swam with Piranhas (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A
51. Blizzard at Black Swan Inn (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B
52. The Nest (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
53. Belle Prater's Boy (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
54. Pax (potential Charlie book) - 8/10 = B+
55. Fleece Navidad (series I'm reading with my mom) - 9/10 = A-
56. Dandelion Wine (NEH Children's Classics list) - 10/10 = A+
57. The Crystal Cave (Mythopoeic award list) - 8/10 = B+
58. The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A

APRIL
59. Stay Where You Are and Then Leave (Jeffers/Boyne bibliography) - 9/10 = A
60. The Naming of Tishkin Silk (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
61. Minn of the Mississippi (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
62. High Tide in Hawaii (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B
63. The Apple and the Arrow (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
64. My Side of the Mountain (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
65. Rascal (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
66. Millions (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
67. The Magic Tree House #10: Ghost Town at Sundown (Charlie's school library book) = 8/10 = B+
68. Davy Crockett (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
69. To Be a Slave (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
70. Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King (Charlie's bedtime read) = 10/10 = A+
71. Serafina and the Black Cloak (book fair purchase) - 8/10 = B+

MAY
72. Detective Gordon: The First Case (CCBC list, easy reader) - 8/10 = B
73. Grimpow (audiobook/1001 Children's Books list) - 7/10 = C
74. Magic Tree House #24: Earthquake in the Early Morning (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B
75. Enchantress from the Stars (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
76. To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Hugo Award) - 9/10 = A-
77. Millard Fillmore (U. S. Presidential Challenge) - 8/10 = B-
78. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (audiobook for the car) - 10/10 = A+
79. The Arrival (1001 Children's Books) - 10/10 = A
80. Finding Serendipity (book fair purchase) - 9/10 = A
81. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (bought as a potential Charlie book) - 8/10 = B
82. Magic Tree House #44: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B+
83. Ollie's Odyssey (William Joyce bibliography) - 10/10 = A+

JUNE
84. E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! (Charlie's bed-time read) - 10/10 = A+
85. The Knight at Dawn (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B
86. Moby Dick (audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
87. The Three Muskeeters (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
88. Memoirs of Hecate County (banned books list) - 7/10 = C+
89. The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection (audiobook) - 10/10 = A
90. A Fine White Dust (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
91. The Sonnets (Shakespeare re-read) - 10/10 = A
92. Five Days at Memorial (from my Read Soon shelves) - 8/10 = B-
93. The Light of Asia (Buddhism reading list) - 8/10 = B+
94. The Centaur (National Book Award) - 8/10 = B
95. The Sign of the Beaver (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 9/10 = A-

JULY
96. The Amazing Spider-Man Storybook Collection (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B+
97. Nimona (checked out from the Lancaster public library as part of our Library Visiting Adventure) - 8/10 = B+
98. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
99. The Waters of the Wondrous Isles (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B
100. The Sandman: Overture (Gaiman bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
101. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B+
102. Not My Father's Son (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
103. Graven Images (audiobook, Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
104. Far from the Madding Crowd (Book-a-Year Challenge) - 9/10 = A
105. The Fledgling (audiobook, Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
106. The Gods Themselves (Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards lists) - 8/10 = B+
107. Danny the Champion of the World (audiobook for the car) - 10/10 = A+
108. Dear Committee Members (Read Soon Shelf) - 10/10 = A+
109. The Silver Dream (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
110. Eternity's Wheel (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
111. Phoebe and Her Unicorn (75er recommendation) - 9/10 = A
112. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (audiobook, The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B-
113. The Path to Enlightenment (Buddhism reading list) - 9/10 = A
114. Attack of the Monster Plants (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B
115. The Miss Liberty Caper (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B
116. Clues in the Woods (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A
117. George's Marvelous Medicine (audiobook for the car) - 10/10 = A+

The Charlie, Mario & Tuppence Toppers:

Charlie's Summer Books Read List:
1. Little Mouse Makes a Mess
2. Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!
3. Little Owl Leaves the Nest
4. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog
5. I Will Take a Nap!
6. Little Panda Gets Lost
7. Little Duck Finds a Friend
8. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
9. The Friendship Tree
10. Dinosaur Planet
11. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
12. Little Puppy's Rainy Day
13. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!
14. The Knight at Dawn
15. Mona Is Missing
16. Haunted Harbor
17. Stuart Little: Stuart at the Library
18. Amelia Bedelia
19. What Pet Should I Get?
20. Red: A Crayon's Story
21. Stuck
22. Battle Bunny
23. Fly Guy's Amazing Tricks
24. Little Bear
25. HiLo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
26. Lego DC Comics Super Heroes
27. The Book with No Pictures
28. The Great Paper Caper
29. The Incredible Book-Eating Boy

The Bonus Question:

Childhood injuries: what's your worst/best story?

>4 scaifea: I had many, falling from trees, falling from horses, falling with my bike ;-)
But the worst was in highschool, called from the classroom to the directors office, only 3 steps up and I came back with a sprained ankle....

>5 FAMeulstee: Anita: My goodness! That's a lot of falling, lady!

I never had any major injuries as a kid, other than minor scrapes and bruises. I can remember three injuries from high school:

1) I got kicked in the leg during a soccer game and my entire lower leg eventually bruised up. That was something to see.
2) I tripped on a tree root during a cross country run for lacrosse and sprained my ankle really badly. The worst was that I was about a mile and a half from the field and had to hobble all the way there to get help.
3) I sliced open my thumb while cutting a bagel and had to get stitches. The doctor knew right away how I had gotten cut because she used to practice in NYC and saw lots of similar injuries involving bagels :-P

Another new thread, Amber? Happy new thread. I got through school relatively unscathed except for the time that I almost drowned walking to school in Kindergarten. Oh, and yeah, the time that some older kids beat on me when I was straggling on the walk to school in grade two. What can I say, it was a different time when parents didn't keep a very close eye on their kids.

I'm sorry to hear about Charlie's fall! I don't know if I have a high pain tolerance or not, it's hard to gauge that sort of thing compared to others, but I tend not to vocalize when I'm in pain, so many of my childhood injuries were suffered in silence. In fact, when I was in 3rd grade, I broke my finger in the middle of a soccer game during the day, but I played the rest of the game without telling anyone, and we didn't go to the hospital until later that night, several hours later.

One of the more horrific injuries I had as a child was when I broke my arm. My cousin and I decided to do a front flip on the trampoline at the same time, and we collided in the air. I landed awkwardly, and my arm...well, it bent the wrong way. I mean, REALLY the wrong way. It broke at the elbow, so my instinct was to hold it at my waist as if it was in a sling. However, when I went to pull my arm to my waist, my elbow was facing the wrong way, and my arm went...errr, behind me. Basically, if you hold your arm as if you were holding a microphone to your mouth, start rotating your hand outward. You can probably only rotate your arm until your hand is a foot or so from your head, but mine bent all the way around, until my inner elbow was facing outward. Yep, it was gruesome.

When I was a really little kid (3-4) I tripped going up a pair of metal stairs (similar to fire escape stairs on the sides of apartment buildings) and hit my head. I needed 3 stitches and I still have a scar in the center of my forehead to this day.

Oh, and then there was the time I fell face-first off my bike and head-butted a brick. Hm, but I think I've described enough injuries for now. :P

>7 katiekrug: Katie: Ooof, even cross country is dangerous, then, eh? Yeesh.

>8 Familyhistorian: Oh, Meg! How traumatic! I would have been terrified to walk to school, I think. You poor thing!

>9 Ape: Stephen: Whoa. WHOA. That elbow thing is making me queasy a bit. I've never broken any bones (knockknock), but I did step on a nail when I was, oh, I think six, maybe? Or maybe as much as 10? (I don't have a great talent for remembering details.) Went very nearly all the way through my foot and amazingly didn't break any of those little foot bones. That *really* hurt, though, especially when my dad pulled it out. Ick. And then, of course, came the tetanus shot, which isn't a walk in the park, either.

Happy new thread Amber and great photos once again. Hope Charlie is ok after his fall. Sending love and hugs to you all.

Hi Amber! Happy new thread to you. Great photos, too:)

I was very accident-prone as a child, but thankfully escaped with no serious injuries. I have carried my klutziness into adulthood unfortunately, and am thankful that my girls have mostly triumphed over their genes! Two mishaps come to mind: it snowed a LOT when I was growing up, and my brother and I would play in it for hours. We liked to play on a pile of branches/logs for some reason, and inevitably one of us would fall through and get a foot stuck. We always were wrestled or wrenched free (sometimes with help), but more than once a boot was left behind that we wouldn't see again until spring.

The other injury: we used to vacation in Hawaii where my grandparents lived. We liked to take bread or other treats to feed the fish in Hanauma Bay -- these amazing tropical fish would come right up to you and eat from your hand. Or eat your hand, as I found out once when a largish fish chomped into the fleshy part of my thumb. I still have a scar!

Glad Charlie is OK.

Yikes, these childhood injury stories are going to be hair-raising, I can tell! I was a fairly cautious child, though I had my share of skinned knees and twisted ankles. I did run my sled into a tree one time, but the tree and I both got off with only minor scrapes and bruises (the sled was one of those old wood and metal affairs, so of course it was just fine).

>11 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>12 AMQS: Hi, Anne! I kind of love that your injury stories are in two extreme climates - ha!

>13 foggidawn: I was a pretty cautious thing, too, when I was little; I'm pretty sure that's where Charlie gets it.

109. The Silver Dream by Neil Gaiman & Michael Reaves (Gaiman bibliography, 240 pages) - 9/10 = A
A nice sequel to Interworld, with a cool twisty cliffhanger at the end. On to the third of the trilogy...

My limerick review:
There once was a boy named Joe
(actually there are lots of him, you know)
fighting Binary and Hex
(the movie would have tons of special effects)
and that Time Agent gives him vertigo

love the toppers, Amber. had to call JB to see them. she wants to come to your house and kiss their faces. she's like that.

glad Charlie's doing alright.

best worst injury story: playing touch football in 4th grade i tried to touch Kay, tagged her with both hands while stretched flat out, broke my fall with my hand and arm and got a compound fracture of my clavicle. my parents came to get me. my Dad's first question was "how did you do that." i told him. second question, "did you catch her?" yes. right answer. so far so good. then came the lecture about falling and rolling. don't land on arm and elbow (distraction i think as i was a bit uncomfortable). Dad was a combat medic, right? so we get to the doctor's office. Doc sits me up on the table, takes hold of my arm and pulls to set the bone. no anesthesia. he just yanked. i screamed. i'm on a fracking table. i'm 8 years old. everything goes grey, i start to go over. quick as a flash, Dad whips a carpule of ammonia out of his pocket, pops it under my nose, and holds me up so my shoulder doesn't shift while Doc gets the cast material wet. Doc would've let me hit the floor.

that was the good part of the story. my Dad was so cool, my Mom sat there and would probably cheerfully have murdered the Doctor but was just a calm presence. bad part of the story? i was not allowed to go out for recess for 6 interminable weeks and when i was cleared, none of my friends would play football anymore. that sucked. i did get to read a lot more.

in re: books. your enthusing got me to buy Far from the madding crowd. it's back-seated at the moment as i struggle through Book of night women amongst others.

>16 mirrordrum: JB and you are welcome for a visit any time, lady - we'd love to have you! And both Tuppence and Mario are great fans of face-kisses. Charlie's a bit more stand-offish, but would warm to you after you've been here awhile.
Your injury story nearly made me need the ammonia capsule, but your dad sounds like The Coolest Ever. Plus, bonus points for just carrying those things around in his pocket. I love him already. And you in awe of your mom - I would have been a hot mess were it my child.
And YAY for the Hardy! I hope you love it as much as I did.

Hey Amber. My best childhood injury stories are the ones I don't remember. My sister and I narrowly escaped being ex small children when an illegal driver drove on the pavement and took out me, my mum and my sister.

The other one is falling over my dad's enormous work boot (I was running full pelt). I was reminded of this when you described Charlie and his bandage. All I remember of the big cut on my forehead (I still have a scar) is asking my mum to pull the dressing off slowly. She's a nurse. She whipped that thing off lightning speed. Ow!

>18 charl08: Charlotte: Oh, gosh, what a story! But, yeah, how is it that as kids we just can't seem to realize that it's so much worse tearing those things off slowly...

Worst childhood injury: I was with a group of kids dropping pebbles on a soda can at the bottom of a stairwell. Suddenly all the other kids ran away and I felt sharp pains. Turns out there was a wasp nest in the can. I had never seen wasps before and it all happened so fast, I was the only one standing there and got stung 3 times. I was fine, just shaken. So more of an emotional than physical injury I guess, but more memorable than any other cuts & scrapes.

Amber: Something tells me you are already regretting asking about childhood injuries. :P

Happy New Thread, Amber! I was a pretty active kid but managed to avoid any real injuries. No stitches, No broken bones. Lucky Little Marky-Mark!

Sorry to hear about your friend's mom, Amber--I'll keep her in my prayers. And yes, Charlie now has scabs to boast about. I had pretty much continuously scabbed knees from third through at least 7th grade. Of course, part of that was that we had to wear skirts to school--many of the scrapes could have been avoided had I been wearing long pants! Probably my worst energy was when I dropped the milk bottle on the floor one morning when getting it out of the refrigerator, where it shattered, and then stepped back onto a big piece which cut into my second toe, requiring 7 stitches. And it wasn't even a school day! My most traumatic injury was when I was in third grade, running the bases at a neighbor's house. I stepped in a hole and dislocated my left knee--for the first time, as it has been cheerfully dislocating ever since when given the least excuse, a condition which has scarred me for life! Running in the cornfield, sliding on rocks on the driveway, when my cousin's mean Shetland pony rolled over on me, on the volleyball court or in Latin class in high school, and so on. I never broke any bones until I was over 50.

>20 lauralkeet: > 21 lol
I was thinking the same thing.

My memorable one was falling up a broken down escalator when I was 7/8. I'd never seen or used an escalator before so even though it was not moving it was still exciting....so I ran up it. And then my knee got a cut on it, the scar I still have today, and the blood soaked through the stockings and jeans I was wearing :(
Cool scar story!

Ps, I loved The Catcher in the Rye, I read it during the rugby world cup final 6 years ago.
Eta: touchstone

Happy New Thread, Amber!

My best childhood injury story is the one from early childhood, when we lived on the third floor in an apartment building in Jersey City, NJ. I was probably three or four years old at the time, and had just been given a tricycle, presumably by my parents, the day before. I was super excited and eager to ride it, but my mother told me that I had to wait until later in the day. Being a typical boy I started to ride it in the apartment, but of course my mother told me to stop. Undaunted, I decided to open our front door, and practice riding it, down the metal stairs, until my mother was ready to take me to the city park that was just across the street. To my great surprise I fell over the handlebars face first, and hit my head on one of the stairs. My mother heard the crash, saw me lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs, and freaked out. We only had one car at the time (this would have been in 1964 or 1965), and my father drove it to Brooklyn to go to work, as it was a weekday. My closest aunt and uncle, along with my paternal grandfather, lived in Jersey City, but my uncle also drove his car to work and neither my aunt nor my grandfather had a car. Fortunately Jersey City has an excellent public transit system, and my mother carried me in her arms to the nearest bus stop a few blocks away, still motionless, although I was breathing comfortably. As we waited for the bus I heard one approach. I jerked my head up (as I had a persistent and strange early childhood fascination with buses and subways in Jersey City and in nearby NYC, where my maternal grandparents lived) pointed to the approaching vehicle and yelled, "Bus!! Bus!!" My mother set me down, and after seeing that I was fine and acting normally, decided to forego a visit to the emergency room at Jersey City Medical Center and brought me back home.

I'm not completely sure, but I think the tricycle was returned to the store that same week.

Happy New Thread!! Childhood injuries...well...I had a pathological bone cyst in my arm, basically like an empty eggshell, so it broke very easily. Nine times and three operations! I found out I had it the hard way: I was at my very first Girl Scout overnight, and I went to take a turn on this huge rope swing. I swung out and heard a pop in my ear as my arm broke. I had to let go, but luckily made a perfect landing. That was the end of the trip. My Mom broke it once when we were play wrestling and we both forgot that I shouldn't be doing that. And then there was the time I raised my arm to answer a question in school and it broke. That's what I get for being such an enthusiastic hand-raiser!! LOL. It obviously healed pretty well after the surgery since I played Rugby in college and do TKD now. ; )

Happy new, gruesome thread! Lol

Childhood injuries. One time my brother and I were riding bikes full speed down our hill. He skidded out in front of me and I crashed into him, flipped over the handle bars and landed on my face. Bloody nose, road rash, broken front tooth. I didn't get that tooth fixed for nearly 10 years. My father finally paid to fix it just before I started university. For a long time I had the habit of smiling with my mouth mostly closed. To this day I am very nervous riding down hill. I am sure we were not wearing helmets. I'm probably lucky to be alive.

A funny one - I used to sit on this lovely branch about 5 feet up in our plum tree and read. One day the branch broke. My brother says I didn't even react. Just rode the branch straight down to the ground, landed and looked around like I was confused about how I got there. Must have been a good book. :)

Wow. It's a miracle anyone ever made it to adulthood.

Morning Amber!

I didn't have many injuries as a child. Mostly falls like Charlue's. I still have a scar on my knee from a fall when I was 5 or 6.

My most unusual injuries were 1) the time I stepped on a nail while working on the scenery for our high school musical. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, but it freaked me out to have a board attached to my foot. The tetanus shot hurt more than the foot. 2) The time I was walking to the bus stop to go to school and the driveway collapsed underneath me. It had just been filled in after some utility work, and obviously it didn't get filled in well. I didn't have the sense to turn around and go back in the house. It didn't seem that bad at first, but by the time I got to school I had a huge knot on my shin. I was in 7th or 8th grade when this happened. 3) The time I sat on my curling iron. I think I was in high school, but it could have been college.

Happy newish thread, Amber!
Worst childhood injury: Mine is a bike story, too. I think it was the summer I was entering 2nd grade. I was riding my bike on the sidewalk in front of my house and our next door neighbors. It all happened so quickly I can barely remember how it happened, but as I was crossing my neighbors drive way one of her tenants backed out of the driveway rather quickly, didn't see me and BAM! I was smacked down. My dad who was doing yard work at the time nearly had a heart attack. Fortunately, I only sustained scraps and bruises. The best part came when I received lots of "get better, soon" books and coloring books.

>20 lauralkeet: Laura: Oh! You’ve made me remember the time I stood on top of a bumble-bee nest (which was in a crack in the cement floor, which was under a flattened cardboard box in my parents’ chicken house). I was three, I think. After the first sting, I started jumping up and down and screaming. On the box. That didn’t help matters. I got stung lots that day.

>21 Ape: Stephen: Ha! I’m feeling tons of sympathy for the parents, I have to say!

>22 msf59: Mark: Lucky, indeed! Good for you!

>23 ronincats: Roni: Ooof. One of my brothers has a trick knee just like that. Ick.

>24 LovingLit: Megan: Very cool scar story! Ha!
And thanks for the Catcher encouragement – I’m pretty excited to get round to it finally.

>25 kidzdoc: Oh, Darryl, you naughty child! My heart nearly stopped in sympathy for your mother! Yeesh.

>26 Berly: Kim: Wow, you Hermione, you! *snork!*

>27 nittnut: Jenn: Ha! Thanks! Lots of bike stories. I may be getting rid of Charlie’s bike soon… My best friend (the one who just lost his mom), called me one day when we were in college to tell me that he’d just fallen off of his bike (he used to ride those 20-inch trick bikes and was very good at it). I thought he was joking with the call – that he maybe had fallen but was embarrassed at how silly it was for him to fall off his bike, since he was such a good rider – until he said that he had his two front teeth in his pocket (!!). He now has two titanium-like teeth where those used to be.
And I LOVE the tree branch story – totally believable.

>28 charl08: Charlotte: Agreed!

>29 cbl_tn: Carrie: You stepped on a nail, too?! Cool! (Well, not really, but, you know.)

>30 Carmenere: Lynda: Ohmygosh, that’s parent heart-attack material, for sure! Whew!

On the agenda for today:
A nice, easy day at home, I think. Some laundry, a bit of baking (Charlie has requested brownies, and I may also try a new recipe for Earl Grey Cookies), maybe some sewing time and definitely some reading time. Leftovers for dinner, I think.

On the reading front:
After finishing The Silver Dream, I started in on the last in the trilogy, Eternity's Wheel. Fun series.

The book calendar weekend trivia: "What author of a classic antiwar novel managed America's first Saab dealership?"
Ha! This is a good one!

And the Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Arthur Bowie Chrisman spent seven years writing Shen of the Sea (1926 Newbery Medal)."
Ooof, apparently we're scraping the bottom of the barrel again today, folks. I mean, really.

What We Read Yesterday:
-Snow by Marion Dane Bauer (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10 = B
-National Geographic Kids Magazine, August 2016 volume
-Chapter 18 of Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies
-The first half of chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

>31 scaifea: The daughter of one of my best friends stepped on a nail while she was on a mission trip in Mexico a couple of years ago. Her older brother was also on the trip, and they didn't tell mom until they got home. At least I didn't have to deal with another country's medical system and another language when I got my tetanus shot! Maybe we should start a society of people who have stepped on nails and survived to tell the story. ;-)

>32 scaifea: Earl Grey cookies sound interesting. Let us know how they turn out!

>31 scaifea: I learned my lesson, all right. I only rode my bicycle down carpeted stairs after that.

Happy Saturday and Happy New Thread, Amber.

No significant childhood injuries for me. I wasn't very active, really, spending most of my free time reading. I rode bikes, took swimming and tennis lessons, and played with kids in the neighborhood and all, but I definitely was not a risk-taker.

I did get kicked in the knee by a Shetland pony named Star. I was about ten years old and tried to ride him bareback. Ha.

>25 kidzdoc: Great story, Darryl! >35 kidzdoc: almost made my coffee come back out through my nose. :-)

>34 cbl_tn: Carrie: Wow, that would be a sad little club, no? Ha!

>35 kidzdoc: Darryl: *SNORK!!*

>36 EBT1002: Ellen: Kicked by a pony, eh? Whoa. Ponies are so mean. I used to try to ride our cows barebacked. There lack of cooperation was much less violent, though - they just refused to move.

>37 EBT1002: He's a hoot, isn't he?

Morning Amber!

I'm quite risk-averse and have an excellent sense of balance and spatial awareness, so I have only one semi-serious childhood injury: I stepped on a pencil while barefoot and broke the tip off in my foot between my big toe and the next toe. No scar, but there's an unusually big gap between those toes. To this day, I can't stand writing utensils on the floor, even if I am wearing shoes.

>39 msf59: Morning, Mark!

>40 casvelyn: Ooh, youch. I don't blame you for the pencil intolerance...

19: I'm actually weird when it comes to bandages, because I find it MUCH less painful to pull them off slow. Pulling them off fast just causes excessive trauma, whereas if you are careful and peel them off slowly (while holding your skin down with your other hand, if possible, so it doesn't stretch) you can peel them off relatively pain-free, depending on how hairy said skin is.

I feel the same way about peeling stickers off books so as not to leave sticker residue. Precision is key! :)

>42 Ape: Stephen: Ha! You're too funny.

>31 scaifea: OUCH.

Happy new thread, Amber!

I had stitches twice in childhood; the second time is the better story. I was washing dishes and wanted to take a label off a glass jar. I grabbed a knife to slice through it like my mom always did. Only being 9 I used the biggest knife in the drawer. Ended up slicing the knuckle on my left thumb and getting three stitches. I still have the scar.

Oh, brother. I was going to try to console Charlie with some of my "boo-boo's" as I was reading the last thread (I got SO far behind), and then I get here and find that's what it's all about! I have scars on both knees, one on my forehead and one on my chin. The latter both required stitches. The first, when I was about 8 or 9, we were having a picnic with another family by a creek, and their boy was tossing stones into the water (as you do). I was standing too close behind him when he raised a big one over his head, and it hit me in the forehead. I ran screaming to my dad, who picked me up, and carried me off home and took me to the hospital (miles away). I remember his white t-shirt being all blood-stained. I wore big bandages round my head for quite a while, but the scar is barely noticeable now. People told my parents they should have sued HIS parents...but that kind of thing wasn't done then like it is now, and really...whose fault was it? Besides his father was my father's boss. *ahem* I don't know for certain, but I imagine his parents paid the medical bills anyway. The scar on my chin came from not stopping my bicycle fast enough (there was gravel, so I skidded) and running into the back of my dad's parked pick-up truck a few years later. Lucky that one didn't kill me. It was a very clean split though, right on the tip of my chin, almost no bleeding, and Dad would have taped it up without going for stitches but there was no gauze and no adhesive tape in the house. It's almost impossible to see now. Apparently I got tougher and my dad got more squeamish as time went on. When I was 14 or 15 I fell off my bicycle in our own driveway, where there were some fresh sharp clam shell bits on it that made a mess of my knee. (We often had clams for summer picnics, and the shells made fine topping for the dirt driveway when they had been crushed a bit.) I went in the house and told Dad what I had done...he was going to help me clean it up, but when he saw it he said "I think you'll have to deal with that yourself, can you?" It was probably the nastiest looking of the lot, but I was getting used to my own blood by then!

>44 lauralkeet: Laura: Yes, I believe that is the proper term to use here.

>45 MickyFine: Micky: Oh, yeesh! I can't help but rub my own knuckles protectively after reading that one!

>46 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Good stories! I have a scar on my chin from trying to ride my brother's 10-speed when I was clearly way too little; I slipped off the seat, hit that stupid bar in the middle in a really-not-fun way, and then one of the pedals, which had little metal ridges all round it (for shoe-gripping, I suppose), flew round backwards and thunked into my chin. And stuck there. I had to pull it loose. Ick.

46: Your story of running into your dad's pickup reminded me of an injury I had when I was in elementary school. I was with my dad as he was working on the engine of his car when he decided, like an idiot, to take off the radiator cap while the engine was hot. If you don't know what that does, it basically sprays boiling hot fluid that can easily cause 2nd/3rd degree burns all over anyone within a 20 foot radius, of which my dad and I both were. My dad took off running, either not knowing I was right behind him or assuming I was going to run with him. I, like an idiot, did not run, but stood in place panicking and crying. The reason I was not running is because the fluid was missing me, so I just saw my dad running and screaming in pain and I was just confused about what was going on. Anyway, my dad was soaked in burning fluid, he tore his shirt off, then turned around and saw me. The fluid was spaying from the car, but it was arcing over my head (there was a spray radius on the house behind me.) My dad, without a shirt, an through the burning spray a 2nd time, picked me up, and ran me through it, giving him a 3rd dose of the stuff.

The end result was my dad had HORRIFIC burns all over his torso, and I had one spot on my ankle. One drop must have landed there as my dad carried me through the spray. I never really saw my dad's injuries, but the 1 spot on my ankle blistered up horribly, and it is still scarred to this day (although faintly.) I know my dad had to go to the hospital multiple times, so I assume he was in pretty bad shape.

>48 Ape: Burns beat lacerations any time, in my book. If I so much as burn my finger on a hot pan from the oven I go all over trembly and have to sit down. My dad suffered terrible burns on his chest as a child...he ran by just as his mother was tossing a kettle of scalding water (from canning probably) out the back door. The water hit him, and he clutched the sweater he was wearing to his chest, complicating matters. He was in a lot of danger from infection (this in the early 1930's--no antibiotics), and the good old family doctor visited every day, somehow managing to keep him out of serious trouble. He carried some impressive scars all his life.

I absolutely agree! I've never severely burnt myself while cooking, but even the lightest graze of an oven-hot pan is kind of the worst. I think the issue is cuts stop hurting after a minute, but throb for hours.

With that said, fingertip-cuts, while not painful, are an absolute pain in the ass when you type a lot, or play video games. -.-

Oooh, oooh, I have a step on a nail story and it's a doozy!

My dad had built a tree house for me in the woods behind our house. I was told time and again not to go barefoot back there, but who pays attention to that when you are six or seven? So, of course, on my way to the tree house I stepped on a nail. Screaming, I leapt up... then came down on the *same* nail on the *same foot* in a different spot. I screamed so loudly that I had neighbors running from several houses to come get me. (The tree house was deep enough in the woods that it was out of sight of the row of houses.)

After that, my dad disassembled the tree house and moved it into the backyard.

I don't have a lot of good memories about my dad, but that tree house was one of them. It really was a little house. It had a peaked roof, a real door with metal hinges, glass windows with shutters, window boxes, a little table and two chairs, shelves, etc. Amazing, really.

All of the bike mishaps remind me of my mom's best bike story: my uncle (her younger brother) got a new bike, and after riding it for a while, he let my mom have a turn. She rode it down a hill and straight into a tree (much like me and the sled, come to think of it, though with worse results). The crash knocked her out for a minute or two. She says that, when she came to, her brother was standing over her. Was he concerned for her health? No, he was shouting, "You wrecked my bike!"

>48 Ape: Stephen: Oh, what a story! And what a dad, eh?

>49 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh, yes, I agree - burns are awful.

>50 Ape: Stephen: Yep, the throbbing makes it such a, well, pain.

>51 Morphidae: Welcome to the nail-in-the-foot club, Morphy! Ha!

>52 foggidawn: Oh, brothers. Yep.

>3 scaifea: Oh, I love the Pigeon books! I hope Charlie likes them too.

Happy Weekend to you!

Good morning, Amber. I missed an entired thread. Now, that I have more time I should do better. Happy Sunday.

Just checking in - may or may not have missed about 8 threads (gulp). Hope all is well?

Worst injury? My sister built a rope ladder up a tall tree in the field (I lived on a farm) and went up and down persuading me to try... I got halfway up and the planks and baling twine ladder peeled off the tree and dropped me in the cow muck (about 2 foot from some big old farm trailers which, if I'd landed on them, would have made this a much worse story!). So she presented me to my Mum, dripping in cow poop and with a dangling right arm. first thing my Mum did was put me in the bath - because, and I quote, 'I couldn't take her to hospital like that!'. Turned out not broken but I still have a massive dint in the muscle to show for it :)

I was always fairly lucky in terms of injuries as a youngster, Amber.

I suppose a running spike straight through my little toe was memorable enough especially when it was at the changeover of a relay baton (some hefty chap stood on my foot) and I still went on to win.

Happy newish thread my dear lady.

Happy new thread!

Worst injury - I broke my ankle hopping down a step in high school. Kinda boring... :)

>54 Whisper1: Linda: He does indeed love the Pigeon books - they're old favorites here at Scaife Manor.

>55 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Good to see you!

>56 BekkaJo: Hi, Bekka! Oh, cow poop - whoa. Funny that you had to have a bath first!

>57 PaulCranswick: Paul: The definition of a good sport then, eh? Ha!

>58 drneutron: Hi, Jim! I bet it didn't seem boring at the time, though!

On the agenda for today:
Tomm left very early this morning for another business trip (he'll be in Sacramento until Thursday), so it's just Charlie and I for most of the week. It has already thunder-stormed pretty seriously here this morning and it's still raining now, so it'll be a quiet day inside for us, I think, with some sewing and reading time, I hope, in there somewhere. I suspect we'll play some board games at some point, and I think I'll make a Banana Brown Betty for an afternoon snack. Make-Your-Own Mini Pizzas for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I'm nearly finished with Eternity's Wheel after spending some time sitting outside with it under our tree yesterday afternoon - the weather was gorgeous (breezy, sunny and mid-70s).

The answer to the book calendar weekend quiz (see >32 scaifea: above): Kurt Vonnegut!

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Meindert DeJong used himself as a model for Joe in Along Came a Dog (1959 Newbery Honor Book)."
Huh. I haven't read this one yet, although I did really enjoy The Wheel on the School...

What We Read Yesterday:
-Lego DC Comics Super Heroes by Rachel Lareau & Paul Lee (a comic that Charlie recevied for free with a Lego purchase) - 8/10 = B
-Chapter 19 of Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies
-The rest of chapter 7 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Morning Amber! Happy Sunday! It is cloudy here at the moment. Not sure when the rain will move in but I am not working, so who cares. Grins...

Enjoy your day!

>62 msf59: Morning, Mark! It's great when you don't have to care what the weather's doing, no? *grins*

Hi Amber

I just finished the first Fermor book, it was great!

>64 FAMeulstee: Anita: Oh, yay!

110. Eternity's Wheel by Neil Gaiman & Michael Reaves & Mallory Reaves (Gaiman bibliography,276 pages) - 9/10 = A
The last of the trilogy, this one wraps up the story nicely.
My hiaku review:
Joe Harker's in charge
Hex and Binary team up
Night Frost is coming

111. Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson (75er recommendation, 222 pages/graphic novel) - 9/10 = A
I picked this one up based on someone's review here amongst the 75ers, but I can't now recall whose it was - apologies. But I'm very glad I did, as it's hilarious and adorable. Think Calvin & Hobbes but with a girl and a unicorn...
My limerick review:
There once was a girl named Phoebe
who saved a unicorn and got a wish as a freebie
her nemesis was Dakota
they got along not one iota
and the unicorn thought all humans were dweeby

On the agenda for today:
Charlie has swimming lessons this morning, gymnastics this afternoon, and then we'll go straight from gymnastics to the park for a library-sponsored Elephant & Piggie Party (we're to wear all grey or all pink, and there will be games and such, apparently). I also need to take him to our optometrist's office to get his glasses adjusted - they were bent a bit during The Big Fall. Otherwise, a bit of laundry, some work on the Latin book, maybe some sewing. Leftovers for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
After finishing the two in >66 scaifea: I started reading The Path to Enlightenment, which is lovely so far.
And Charlie and I watched the old Disney 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which was a hoot.

The calendar book today: Four Friends by Robyn Carr. The blurb includes the phrase, "four women in various stages of life and love come together to help each other through difficult times..." and then I stopped reading. These tend not to be the kinds of reads I enjoy, although I'm open to persuasion, I suppose...

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Many critics said children would never be able to understand the cowboy lingo in Smoky the Cowhorse (1927 Newbery Medal), but they were obviously wrong."
Well, okay then...

What We Read Yesterday:
-Why It Works: Light and Dark by Anna Claybourne (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10 = B

Morning Amber! I hope our Monday goes swiftly and smoothly. Sound good?

>69 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sounds excellent!

Morning Amber.

>71 johnsimpson: Morning, John!

Hi Amber, it looks like a day with lots of fun. Enjoy it.

>73 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

Good morning, Amber! I haven't read Interworld yet, and you're reminding me I need to do that. I liked his new graphic novel, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, very much.

>75 jnwelch: Joe: I've read the short story upon which the GN is based and liked it very much. You should get round to the Interworld trilogy - it's pretty good.

112. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook, The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B-

Meh. I don't like humor when it's repeatedly clubbing me in the head and/or when the author keeps doing the literary equivalent of elbowing me in the ribs to make sure I understood that he's making a joke. So, yeah, not my thing, I think.

My limerick review:

There once was a boy named Alcatraz
who broke stuff with talent, whereas
his grandpa was always late
him the librarians did surely hate
then there was a big fight, of course, and all that jazz

Stopping by to wave hello We had a horrific, rather quick thunder storm. Nowthat it is over, the air is rainy smelling, the streets are shining with shadows of images in driveways, the plants are happy that they had their first full drink in a long time.

>78 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! So good to see you! It's been stormy round here lately, too, although today was sunny.

I'll just leave this here...

>80 scaifea: I love this!! I love Mo Willems, too, though for some reason I though you didn't...? I read this book every year to my kindergarteners.

>81 AMQS: Anne: Nope, we *love* Mo Willems! You're perhaps remembering that I demonstrably don't enjoy his knuffle bunny stories, but I do so love all the rest of this stuff, and so does Charlie.

>77 scaifea: Yeah, that was kind of my reaction to that book as well, although I enjoy his adult fantasy. His authorial voice was just too intrusive for me.

Good morning, Amber. I love the Charlie photo.

>83 ronincats: Roni: So, that winkwinknudgenudge isn't there in his other stuff? I admit that I was a little sad, because I've heard so many good things about his books here that I really wanted to like him...

>84 Ameise1: Morning, Barbara! Thanks!

Good morning Amber from a very sunny and hot Walton, I have just made another pot of tea and I am sat here typing while melting. I am not complaining but I would prefer to be sat around a pool looking out to a harbour.

On the agenda for today:
Swimming lessons this morning, then Lunch League at the library (Charlie's story time). Also laundry, Latin-book-writing, some sewing. Charlie and I are going to our favorite pizza place for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I'm nearly finished with The Path to Enlightenment, which is, of course, very good so far, and I'll likely start my next audiobook, The Bluest Eye, today at some point, probably while sewing.

The calendar book today looks like it may be a good one: Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. Anyone read this one? Thoughts?

And the Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Armstrong Sperry (Call It Courage, 1941 Newbery Medal) was married to Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind."
Oh gosh, I didn't know that! Neat! Call It Courage is a good one, folks - Joe, I particularly think that you would like it, if you haven't read it yet. And Gone with the Wind was one of those books that I got so lost in when I read it in junior high school, you could be shouting my name from right next to me and I wouldn't have heard you.

>86 johnsimpson: Morning, John! I've been reading about your heat wave - stay cool, my friend!

What We Read Yesterday:
-Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play with Your Food! by Bob Shea (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
-The Book with No Pictures
-The Hueys in It Wasn't Me

Morning, Amber! It looks like we are in for a brutal hot stretch...sighs. I am off tomorrow but I wish it would be Thursday or Friday.

Ooh, Toni Morrison. At some point, I want to read her from the beginning and work my way through her books. She is an American treasure.

>88 scaifea: Will do Amber, it's going to be short lived sadly.

>77 scaifea: And I felt sorry for myself, Amber, because these aren't translated, I guess that isn't too bad at all ;-)
I never felt that way with his Mistborn books, just loved them!

>90 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm hoping that next week isn't so hot, since we'll be on vacation and outside tons. Gah.
I think I've only read one, maybe two, of Morrison's books before. This one is on my Banned Books list, and I'm looking forward to it.

>91 johnsimpson: John: Um, I think you mean 'happily,' no? I would, at least. I'm not a fan of extreme heat, I admit. Tomm claims that I have a 3-degree window of comfort, and outside of those three degree (73F-75F) I'm either too cold or too hot. He's not completely wrong...

>92 FAMeulstee: Anita: Oh, that's good news, then! I'm still willing to give his other stuff a go.

>93 scaifea: I am somewhat the same, Amber, although I have a 5 degree window in Celcius ;-)
Between 16 and 20 degree Celcius I feel on my best (that would be between 61F and 68F), and prefer colder above warmer, as with colder I just need a layer clothes more to be somewhat comfortable....

We are in a heatwave, two more days and it will be over :-D

>94 FAMeulstee: Anita: Ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Oh, I love The Bluest Eye! So beautiful and heartbreaking...

>96 katiekrug: Katie: Woot! I'm glad to hear it - I'm excited to get started with it!

ETA: I was so tempted to respond with something like, "Oh, like Michelle's Melania's speech?" But then thought better of it. Oh, wait...

Morning Amber! >80 scaifea: So cute!

>98 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! I think so, of course.

>97 scaifea: - *snork!*

>100 katiekrug: Katie: Well, at least the heartbreaking part fits, eh? YEESH.

The whole thing is like a train wreck I can't look away from. I have never yelled at my TV more than I did last night. Gah!

>102 katiekrug: And I've never been happier that we don't have cable.

PBS, baby :)

>102 katiekrug: I can't even bear to watch; it just makes me so angry. And when I'm in my car, a C-Span live broadcast feed "fights" with my NPR station of choice and often takes over the airwaves. Thankfully I have a lot of podcasts to listen to.

Good morning, Amber!

I'm another one who can't bear to watch the RNC. Bad reality tv. You gave me a chuckle in >97 scaifea:. What knucklehead knocked off Michelle and wrote that for her? (She may regret saying she wrote it "with a little help").

I've never read a Dalai Lama book - would The Path to Enlightenment be a good starter?

Have a wonderful week Amber.

>104 katiekrug: Katie: We can't even get that. No channels whatsoever. We live on Netflix and Amazon streaming and dvds.

>105 lauralkeet: Laura: Ooof. Audiobooks for the car is my answer to that.

>106 jnwelch: Joe: It's so awful that it's bizarro, no? I just can't understand what's happening in this country.
And, well, no, I don't think I'd exactly start with this book. My vote would be for either The Universe in a Single Atom or The Art of Happiness, both of which are absolutely excellent and a bit more accessible (not that I don't think that you would have issues with this one; it's just that these other two are more, um, fun? Also, the former is on audio with Richard Gere as the reader, which is doubly excellent. I listened to it while hand-quilting and so had a double triple dose of tranquility.)

>107 GeezLouise: Thanks, Rae!

>108 scaifea: Thanks. Both sound good. I'm not much of an audio guy right now, and I've thought about reading The Art of Happiness before, so I may go with that one.

I third the love for The Bluest Eye.

>109 jnwelch: Joe: I think you'll really enjoy it.

>110 Morphidae: Morphy: Woot!

>93 scaifea:, I would like more of this hot weather but maybe a couple of degrees lower, today's temperature here in Walton is the same as we had last year in Madeira, the difference being we were on holiday and we had a pool we could keep dipping into but also because we were not far from the sea and harbour in Funchal and there was always a bit of breeze even if it was only gentle at times. Even when we walked into Funchal itself which was only a 10-15 minute stroll it wasn't too bad and we could stop off at a café or get an ice cream but here we are at least 80 miles from the coast and there was no breeze and I haven't got a pool.

>112 johnsimpson: John: Oh, I agree that the breeze off the water makes a huge difference! It's in the 80sF here today, but muggy and disgusting. Gah.

Childhood injury stories? I had stitches in my head at 3, Kirsten threw a block at me in preschool. My knees were scabbed over pretty much from age 5 to 12. Lots of stepping on nails (so plenty of tetanus shots); a concussion ice-skating at 9; dog bite on the cheek (got infected, ow!), lost a fingernail from getting a gate slammed on it in elementary school Never figured out if the finger was actually broken. I know I had other cases of stitches, but the details escape me. No real broken bones until I was 17. First week in college I ended up with a massively broken ankle. It sounds like a lot, but felt normal to me.

I was massively surprised when Banjo, Jr. got through her childhood with no stitches and no broken bones. Her most dramatic childhood accident was when she was about 3, and the light fixture fell on her head. She was playing with a cat toy, and somehow used it to dislodge the light fixture, and it fell straight onto her head. Luckily I wasn't in the room with her at the time, because I would have freaked out to see that coming. As it was, I heard her scream, and when they can scream like that, at least you know they are fundamentally OK. (I sound like a hard-hearted mother, don't I? )

>114 banjo123: Rhonda: Wow! You had an interesting childhood - ha! And no, you don't sound hard-hearted; you sound much more practical than I. I hear that kind of scream and immediately panic inside.

On the agenda for today:
Swimming lessons this morning, and then the rest of the day will be divided between writing and sewing. I've been working on making dresses for the shop, but I need to take a quick break from that to make sure our Harry Potter costumes are ready for the day after we get back from vacation - the library is having a costume birthday party for Harry on July 31, of course. Spaghetti for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front: Nearly finished with The Path to Enlightenment (I suspect I'll finish it at the pool this morning), and I started listening to The Bluest Eye, which is powerful and gorgeous already.

The calendar book today is one that's already on my wishlist, thanks to much warbling here amidst the 75ers: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler.

And the Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Jean Lee Latham used twenty pages of notes for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (1956 Newbery Medal) and then relied on her imagination to fill out the rest of the book."
Well, whatever her methods, they worked a charm - this is one of my favorites!

What We Read Yesterday:
-Water Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
-Edgar's Second Word by Audrey Vernick (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A-
-The Great Paper Caper
-The first half of chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Morning Amber! I have the day off. I have a massage scheduled this A.M. (I am way overdue) And then if it isn't too steamy I might try to go for a bike ride. Of course, books are on the agenda too. Enjoy your day.

>118 msf59: Morning, Mark! Oh gosh, a massage sounds amazing right now. Enjoy!

Good morning, Amber!

OK, adding Carry on, Mr. Bowditch to the WL. I don't know most of the older winners, so I appreciate your daily Newbery/Caldecott trivia.

>120 jnwelch: Oh, Joe, I just *know* that you'll love this one! Woot!

Pizza for breakfast?!

>122 kidzdoc: Darryl: But of course.

ETA: There's no pie in the house, so of course it's pizza for breakfast. I had no other choice.

>123 scaifea: Hmph. Did Head Chef Charlie approve this selection?

>124 kidzdoc: Darryl: Indeed he did. It's totally legit: grains, dairy, veggies (green peppers)... Totally healthy breakfast. If only I had some pie to get the fruit serving in there, too...

Leftover pizza is *the* best breakfast. I'd take it over pie any day.

>126 katiekrug: Ditto. Of course, I'd take pizza for every meal.

>125 scaifea: LOL

I had leftover Southwest Breakfast Scramble this morning, one of my favorite breakfasts. It's very easy to make, and it keeps well in the refrigerator.



Feel free to leave out the cilantro.

>126 katiekrug: >127 jnwelch: Katie & Joe: It is pretty good, isn't it?

>128 kidzdoc: Darryl: Oooh, that *does* look good! Minus the cilantro (aka Satan's Lettuce), of course.

>128 kidzdoc: LOL again. Cilantro makes everything taste better!

>130 kidzdoc: Darryl: Tomato, tomahto...cilantro, craplantro... (I've heard it both ways.)

>125 scaifea: to get the fruit serving in there, too...
Tomatoes are fruit. You're good.

>132 lauralkeet: Laura: Truth. However, one should eat as much fruit as possible, no?

Mmm, cold pizza for breakfast...

Going back a bit in the conversation, I find the Alcatraz books very different from Brandon Sanderson's other works, and I prefer his adult books. I liked the concept of the Alcatraz series, but like you, I balked at the intrusive authorial voice. Try Elantris, if you want a more typical sample of his writing -- that one stands alone, so it makes a good starting place.

>134 foggidawn: Thanks for that. I'll likely get round to Sanderson's 'adult' stuff eventually.

You know me...BORN to eat pie for breakfast. But a little cold pizza is ok in a pinch.

>133 scaifea: yes, especially in pie.

>136 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh gosh, but I'm hungry for blueberry pie now. Or the blackberry cobbler that my mom said she was making today...

>137 lauralkeet: Laura: YES.

>116 scaifea:, I may have asked before, but don't remember -- Can you tell me where you find such interesting facts about the Newbery authors and/or books? thanks for posting these.
>117 scaifea: Linda, lately I'm addicted to Panera Bread cinnamon crunch bagels. Lilly likes them as well, especially with lots of cream cheese...yum. But, pie in the morning sounds great as well. Blueberry? Cherry? Chocolate pudding?

>139 Whisper1: Linda: I have a whole book of trivia: Newbery and Caldecott Trivia and More for Every Day of the Year!
And yes, blueberry pie is best, but I'd take a cherry, or apple, or pumpkin, or butterscotch, or lemon meringue, or... As far as Panera's concerned, I *love* their Asiago Cheese bagels, toasted, with tons of butter. Yum.

On the agenda for today:
Well, Charlie and I were planning on having another Summer Library Visiting Adventure today, but since the heat index is predicted to climb up to 100-115F, I'm not comfortable driving any longish distance (i.e. out of town). So besides swimming lessons this morning, we'll just stay at home. I need to get the grocery list ready for tomorrow, which this time round will mostly be filled with supplies for vacation, and I think I'll go ahead and get the weekly bills and photos done today, too. Then laundry, and some time for writing and sewing. Oh, and I need to start organizing my packing list, too. Bird in the Nest for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I finished The Path to Enlightenment yesterday (more on that in a bit), and I'll get started on my last book for the library's summer reading challenge today, How to Teach Your Children's Shakespeare.

The calendar book today: The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman. Anyone read this one?

And the Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Lois Lowry's plane taking her to New York for a Today show appearance, after she won the 1990 Newbery Medal for Number the Stars, took of in a snowstorm. The plane had to land on an abandoned airstrip because it ran low on fuel after circling for so long in inclement weather."
Number the Stars is excellent, folks. If you haven't read it, oh, do.
Also, Happy Birthday to Ernest Hemingway, born on this day in 1899.

(I just took The Gals outside and oh cripes is it nasty out there already. At 5:30am. It feels like someone's thrown a hot, wet blanket on you just at you step out the door. Gah. Can't wait to sit out in the direct, blazing sun for 30 minutes later this morning while Charlie has his swimming lesson. Awesome. What? No, I have a *great* attitude. Yeesh.)

What We Read Yesterday:
-Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
A very sweet and lovely book about a little girl inspired by her grandfather to start violin lessons, and who enters the school talent show. Highly recommended for the lovely story and the equally lovely illustrations.
-The Incredible Book-Eating Boy

Morning, Amber! I would be more than happy to just sit right here, mind my own business...visit friends, open a book...

>139 Whisper1:, >140 scaifea: Panera Cinnamon Crunch and Asiago Cheese bagels are both my faves!! It just depends on whether I'm in the mood for sweet or savory. But yeah, YUM. Now I want one of each, tyvm.

>143 msf59: Morning, Mark! I wish you didn't have to venture out in this nastiness today, either. I mean, dang.

>144 lauralkeet: Laura: I'm looking forward to at least one Panera breakfast next week - there's one in walking distance from our vacation hotel...

>145 msf59: Mark: Ha! Exactly. I honest-to-goodness was thinking this morning, as I was standing in the yard waiting on The Gals to do their thing, "Ding dang, it; how far north do we have to move not to have to endure this crap?!" I mean, honestly.

>146 scaifea: Amber, sometimes I will pick up a dozen bagels from Panera and slice and freeze at home (you can also have them sliced in the store). Our toaster has a "defrost" setting on it so I can pop a frozen half-bagel in there for Cinnamon Crunch yumminess on demand. The only problem is they don't last long -- not because they don't keep in the freezer but because we eat them all up quickly!

>147 lauralkeet: Laura: Yeah, I wouldn't want to buy them in bulk, because then that wouldn't be the only bulk think in the house...

Morning, Amber! Glad I made it to this thread before it is over. Oh, dear - Linda mentioned pie for breakfast, and now I want some.

I feel much the same way >149 Crazymamie: felt! How quickly we get behind.

And just to chime in on the Cinnamon Crunch Bagels from Panera thread: If the nearest Panera was closer, I'd be addicted to those too. I've only managed to have them a couple of times when I've been traveling.

>149 Crazymamie: Mamie: I have been known to make pies for the sole purpose of having them for breakfast...

>150 thornton37814: Lori: I'm not a huge fan of sweet bagels. If I want sweet for breakfast, I'll just go all in and get a dozen donuts. Or a pie.

Pie for breakfast is my absolute favorite.

>152 Crazymamie: Mamie: Agreed.

113. The Path to Enlightenment by The Dalai Lama (Buddhism reading list, 238 pages) - 9/10 = A
My haiku review:
The Dalai Lama
teaching us how to live well
inner peace seems hard

>147 lauralkeet: I do like the Panera Cinnamon Crunch bagels, but one of them killed my toaster when a chunk of the cinnamon sugar topping fell off inside the toaster and caught fire. Flames shooting out of the toaster at 6:30 a.m. is a real eye-opener, let me tell you!

Since then I've converted to a toaster oven where the bagels toast flat on a rack and haven't had any more problems.

Sorry, but you all are wrong. The only bagel worth eating is an everything bagel.

The End.

You people are seriously forcing me to make a run to Panera Bread later. Where I have *whispers* never ever been before. It's in the "evil place", which is what we call the commercial strip that includes Home Depot, Target, Staples, etc. etc. etc. and which we really avoid like the plague unless absolutely necessary. So I am blissfully unfamiliar with their Cinnamon Crunch bagels (and ought to remain so) and other delights. Now, a Dunkin' Donuts cinnamon coffee cake muffin is another matter. Speaking of bulk-inducing breakfast treats. Good thing I don't drive by that place on a daily basis any more.

>156 katiekrug: Oh, everything bagels are definitely my favorite! With cream cheese.

>158 rosalita: - I like them because they are so versatile - cream cheese OR butter, depending on my mood :)

>156 katiekrug: You're only half right. The only bagel worth eating is everything with lox, herbed cream cheese, tomato, onion, and capers. :)

Although blueberry with cream cheese is nice too.

>155 rosalita: Julia: *snork!*
Also, I've always wanted a toaster oven.

>156 katiekrug: Katie: Aw, it's so cute that you think I'm wrong. *pats head*

>157 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: They're not-bagel stuff is also excellent. Good soups, good sandwiches, excellent breads, which you can buy by the loaf.

>158 rosalita: Julia: I suppose you like Satan's Lettuce, too, don't you. Gah.

>159 katiekrug: Katie: Yep, I bet they're gross with either - ha!

>160 casvelyn: LOX?! EW!!!

>160 casvelyn: - I like cream cheese and lox and the regular accoutrements on an onion or garlic bagel :)

I may be eating too many bagels...

>161 scaifea: - Wait, what? You don't like everything bagels at all? I can see them not being someone's favorite, but- but- WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?

Good Afternoon, Amber! Hot :0P BUT, I actually love it.

>161 scaifea: No! Not EW! Pickled fish forever! Now cinnamon bagels on the other hand, those are just nasty. :)

PS I also like Satan's Lettuce, but not on bagels.

>161 scaifea: OK, I've been racking my brain because I know I'm going to feel stupid as soon as you tell me the answer, but what is Satan's Lettuce? Cabbage?

>162 katiekrug: Katie: Step away from the RNC coverage slowly...

>163 Carmenere: Lynda: I demonstrably do NOT love it. Yeesh.

>164 casvelyn: You are welcome to my entire lifetime's share of the stuff then. Go crazy.

>165 rosalita: Julia: *snork!!* It's my new name for cilantro. It's up there in this thread somewheres...

>166 scaifea: - *snork*

>167 scaifea: Oh, cilantro! Yeah, sorry, I do love me some cilantro. :-)

>168 katiekrug: Katie: *grins*

>169 rosalita: Julia: *shakes head*

Cilantro: NO.
Lox: OH, yes.
Everything Bagel: Sorry, No. Nor even onion. Plain toasted with lox and cream cheese, maybe a shred or two of raw red onion. Or, chicken salad on a spinach bagel...

>170 scaifea: I'm trying to hold my head up under the weight of your crushing disappointment in me, Amber. It's not easy, but I will persevere and hope to redeem myself in some other way.

I'm a recent convert to everything bagels. But they vary widely and therefore cannot be universally praised or damned. Some are more onion-y or garlic-y than others. And Starbucks' version is a cheese everything (not as cheesy as Panera's Asiago, but still has that tangy cheesiness). I like them all with cream cheese, but just a spread of it, not a New York style slab of cream cheese.

>173 lauralkeet: - Laura is anti-schmear. She may also hate America ;-)

>171 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I admit that I'm unfairly condemning lox, as I've never had it. But I'm not certain that I could force myself to try it, ever.

>172 rosalita: Julia: Oh, dang. Now I feel crushing guilt. Sheesh.

>173 lauralkeet: Laura: I'm okay with cream cheese, but I can't just have a little bit - it has to be tons. So, I just stick with tons of butter, which is clearly the healthier option...

>174 katiekrug: Katie: Ohmygosh, McCarthy! Settle down!

>175 scaifea: - All I'm saying is, once that wall gets built, and all those not-like-me people are "registered" because they are probably terrorists, the next great agenda item will be a bagel litmus test. It only makes sense. How else can we know who the real patriots are?

(And FYI for anyone who doesn't know me, yes, I am joking...)

>175 scaifea: Who so anti-lox? Do you eat other fish? It isn't "raw", you know. And it's very tasty. Also screamin' expensive...so you may be better off never finding out that you love it. And I'm not about the half pound of cream cheese per bagel either...a nice thick coating, but not a "slab", as Laura puts it. And I would definitely try an Asiago bagel. 'Cause cheese.

>176 katiekrug: *snork!!*

>177 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I eat *some* fish, but it can't even remotely *look* like fish before it's ready to eat. Not that lox does, mind. Maybe someday. But it does look pretty raw. Do try the Asiago Cheese Bagel - yum.

Excellent, though possibly wrongheaded, discussion of bagels and the proper toppings for them. Here are some basic commandments:

*Sweet bagels are an abomination, and should be banned from all establishments that sell bagels.

*Everything bagels done well are very good, as are plain, egg, pumpernickel, garlic and onion ones.

*Bagels bought from the frozen food section of supermarkets are even worse than sweet bagels. People who consume them should be publicly ridiculed, have stones thrown at them, then burnt on the stake...or worse.

*Smoked salmon, sturgeon, whitefish and sable are the Foods of the Gods and should be consumed whenever and wherever possible.

*All smoked fish lovers must make a pilgrimage to Russ and Daughters on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at least once in their lives, similar to believers who visit Mecca or Santiago de Compostela. (Caroline (@cameling) would agree 100% with this proclamation.)



*Bialys are acceptable alternatives to bagels, and a visit to Kossar's in the Lower East Side, close to Russ and Daughters, is highly desirable.

*Those who live in the UK and can't make it to NYC should visit Beigel Bake on Brick Lane in East London. They only serve one type of beigel (a plain one; none of this apple, cinnamon, pineapple and papaya with honey nonsense), and their salt beef beigels with mustard are to die for.

That is all.

>179 kidzdoc: Darryl: I was wondering when you'd show up to the party. Ha!
I do agree that grocery store bagels are not fit for consumption. Blech.

"*Bagels bought from the frozen food section of restaurants are even worse than sweet bagels."

One simply cannot argue with this pronouncement.

"People who consume them should be publicly ridiculed, have stones thrown at them, then burnt on the stake...or worse." OK, I won't go this far, because after all, if they EAT those things, that's punishment enough.

>180 scaifea: Yep. Having grown up in metropolitan NYC, a short drive or subway ride from the Lower East Side, I'm a bit spoilt when it comes to bagels. I will say (at the risk of being banned from all NYC Jewish establishments) that I like the bagels at Einstein Bros, and especially the asiago cheese bagels at Panera Bread (I should go there more often, as there is a branch in the same plaza as the Publix supermarket I visit most Sunday mornings). However, the Einstein Bros close to me does bake its own bagels on the premises, and if I get there early enough the bagels are at least warm, if not hot.

>181 laytonwoman3rd: if they EAT those things, that's punishment enough.

Agreed.

>179 kidzdoc: - Darryl, you'll be glad to know that I paid homage on bended knee in front of Russ & Daughters when we passed on our way to Katz's last month :)

>181 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Yes, actually eating them is definitely punishment enough, poor sods.

>182 kidzdoc: I've been to an Einstein Bros before, when I lived in Columbus, but I have no memory of what the food actually tasted like...

>184 katiekrug: Awesome, Katie! Did you only pay homage, or did you go inside as well?

Russ and Daughters is possibly my most favorite place to visit in the city, even more than the Strand or Junior's in Brooklyn, which serves the best cheesecake on the planet along with excellent deli sandwiches, as you undoubtedly know. Caroline and I would always go there whenever we met in NYC, and buy large amounts of lox, pastrami salmon, sable and smoked whitefish salad. I haven't been there since Thanksgiving Week, and I didn't place my usual Christmas Week order online, so I'm long overdue for a visit.

>185 scaifea: I can't compare Einstein Bros to Kossar's or the former H&H Bagels on 80th & Broadway in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but their bagels are quite good. My nearest branch is very close to the Publix supermarket where I usually go on Sundays, so I often stop there to pick up bagels for the week.

>174 katiekrug: yeah, and I hate your freedom too. :)

>179 kidzdoc: sweet bagels are an abomination No. Scrapple is an abomination. Are we agreed on that?

Poor Anber ... This thread has been totally hijacked.

>186 kidzdoc: Darryl: I have never heard of pastrami salmon. Interesting.

>187 kidzdoc: Publix, now *that's* what I'd like to have here in my town.

>188 lauralkeet: Laura: Oh, I'm quite enjoying it. No worries.

I've just had my tea but the bagel conversation is making me crave one. Cream cheese and sundried tomatoes on poppyseed please :-)

Only one way to eat an everything bagel... With scrambled egg, smoked gouda and spicy sausage. Ok, with bacon doesn't suck, but really, sausage.

>186 kidzdoc: Pastrami salmon?!?! Where do I sign up?

Speaking of pastrami, my mom discovered that morning sickness (the nasty kind that lasts all day) and pastrami didn't really mix when she was pregnant with me, so I didn't have pastrami until I was in my mid-twenties. It was very much one of those "Where have you been all my life?" moments.

I plan on attempting to make lox sometime in August or September. I plan my more interesting cooking escapades for when the housemates are out of town. If I'm going to make the whole fridge smell like fish and cucumbers (I'm also attempting some lacto-fermented pickles), I'd rather do it in private.

>191 drneutron: OMG that sounds good.

>188 lauralkeet: No, Laura! I'd much rather have scrapple or haggis than an inedible sweet bagel. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and after I finally broke down and tried scrapple for the first time ?last year I wouldn't be opposed to having it again, although I won't go out of my way to get it.

>189 scaifea: Pastrami salmon is smoked salmon that is coated in various spices and cured for days to a week or longer. I like the sturgeon at Barney Greengrass, the Sturgeon King, another famed NYC establishment (circa 1908), better (so tender and sweet!), but the pastrami salmon and whitefish salad at Russ & Daughters (circa 1914) can't be beat.

Publix is the only chain store in the US that I rave about. Fortunately there are plenty of them in central Atlanta, and I love my local supermarket. Most of the staff know me, as I am almost always there first thing on Sunday morning just after it opens, and I'm always greeted warmly by them, as they recognize me and often ask what I plan to cook that day, especially the cashiers and baggers who see what I've bought. Their produce and meats are fresh, they have great BOGO (Buy One, Get One (Free)) sales, and their store brand products are considerably cheaper than the name brand ones and are just as good. Publix is continuing to expand (most of the stores are in the Deep South, mainly in Florida and Georgia, with an increasing presence in Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina), and I noticed last week that they will be moving to the Richmond, Virginia area in the near future (my old friend from Tulane U. that I met last week lives in suburban Richmond, and he was thrilled when I shared that news with him). I'd love it if Publix eventually made its way to the Philadelphia area, as I'm often disappointed by the supermarkets close to my parents' house, especially PathMark and Shop Rite.

>190 charl08: Charlotte: I'm getting hungry, too!

>191 drneutron: Jim: Smoked Gouda is the best cheese in the history of ever. Whelp, that clinches it. Now I'm *really* hungry.

>192 casvelyn: Oh, I had that kind of morning sickness for the first 6 months. Gah.

>193 lauralkeet: Laura: Smoked. Gouda. *sigh*

>194 kidzdoc: There's a supermarket in Dubuque that sounds similar to Publix and that I do really like, but it's too far to drive for groceries. So, I'm stick with Piggly Wiggly. *shrugs* The staff are really nice at our PW, and they similarly are very friendly and chatty with me - I always go on Friday mornings, so I'm a regular, too.

>190 charl08: That sounds good, Charlotte. Can I join you?

>191 drneutron: Ooh...that sounds really good, Jim!

>192 casvelyn: I don't know of anyplace else that sells pastrami salmon other than Russ & Daughters and Barney Greengrass in Manhattan, although I'm sure that there are places that sell it in Brooklyn, especially in Crown Heights.



Mmm. Lox is to die for. One of the best breakfasts I've ever had was in a restaurant close to the National Theatre in London several years ago, where Fliss and I had brunch before we saw a play. It consisted of lox on top of scrambled duck eggs over a plain bagel. I think that was the first time I had ever tried duck eggs, and I was amazed at how rich and flavorful they were compared to hen's eggs.

>186 kidzdoc: - No, we didn't go in. The Wayne was focused on getting his pastrami sandwich. Plus, I would have wanted to buy All The Things, and there was no way I could carry stuff around with me the rest of the day, even if I'd had somewhere to store it in the hotel room, which I didn't.

>196 kidzdoc: - Want. Now.

>196 kidzdoc: Darryl: Ooof. I'm a big fan of pastrami and of smoked salmon, so yeah, I think I'd like that.

>198 katiekrug: Katie: I know, right?!

>197 katiekrug: Yep. It's hard to go to Russ & Daughters and not buy All the Things. This photo from our 2011 Boxing Day NYC LT meet up shows me holding two bags from Russ & Daughters; Caroline (on the far right) and I had shopped there before we met the others for brunch and a visit to The Strand, although her goodies aren't in a recognizable R&D bag:



ETA: Although I'm not big on sweets, Russ and Daughters' raspberry rugelach and chocolate babka are to die for.

>198 katiekrug: Same here. I haven't had anything from Russ & Daughters since Thanksgiving, and I'm not sure that I can hold out until next month. If I wasn't going to be in Chicago most of next week I'd place an online order now.

>199 scaifea: I think my all time favorite sandwich is pastrami salmon with cream cheese, a slice of red onion and capers on a toasted bialy.

>200 kidzdoc: Excellent meet-up photo, Darryl!

Okay, well, after three chapters I'm abandoning How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. Mr. Ludwig and I clearly have *very* different views on how to teach language and literature. So, um, yeah. Nope. Nopenopenope.

>201 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. In case anyone doesn't recognize the LTers, I'm on the far left in the back, followed by Jim (@magicians_nephew), Richard (@richardderus), and Caroline (@cameling), and in front are Judy (@ffortsa) and Suzanne (@Chatterbox).

>203 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

On the agenda for today:
Charlie's last swimming lesson for the summer, a celebratory trip to the local FroYo shop, grocery (aka vacation snacks) shopping, house-cleaning, possibly some sewing, definitely some reading. Somewhere in there I need to squeeze in a quick proof-reading job for a friend who's giving a paper next week on science fiction in picturebooks. Sounds cool, no? Keema with Spiced Rice for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
After abandoning the Ludwig book, I sailed through three more books from the Headed for Charlie's Shelves stack (more on those in a bit) and started on a fourth, A Necklace of Raindrops, which is a collection of fantastical short stories and is pretty good so far.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Because Mildred Taylor's (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, 1977 Newbery Medal) writing seems so realistic, many people believe her works are autobiographical, but they aren't."
Roll of Thunder is a *really* good one, folks. Do think about adding it to your list if you haven't read it already.

What We Read Yesterday:
-E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm by Judy Sierra (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday! Send cool thoughts.

BTW- I can not recommend Homegoing high enough. just sayin'...

>207 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sending all sorts of frigid vibes your way, friend. Do you have anyone on your route offering you cold water? Stay hydrated, pal.
And thanks for the book nudge - I just saw your high praise over on your thread.

Ooh, thanks for the chilly vibes. Funny, my residential customers do not give me anything. I do not see anyone. Maybe, most of them are working?
Fortunately, my business customers, (who I do see), offer me a few waters, so I stock up.

>209 msf59: Mark: That's good, at least. We usually don't keep individual bottles of water in the house (we have a water cooler), but I'm gonna buy some this morning and try to have a couple cold before our mail carrier gets here this afternoon...

Morning, Amber! LOVED the bagel conversation - made me laugh.

>211 Crazymamie: Ha! Morning, Mamie! I'm glad you've enjoyed your visit!

114. Attack of the Monster Plants by Susan Saunders (CYOA list, 52 pages) - 8/10 = B
115. The Miss Liberty Caper by Susan Saunders (CYOA list, 52 pages) - 8/10 = B
116. Clues in the Woods by Peggy Parish (Charlie book, 154 pages) - 9/10 = A
This one is the second in a series, the first of which I read as a kid and LOVED. I only recently discovered that it was part of a series, so obviously I need to track down the others. The second one is just as fun as the first one, I'm happy to report: Three siblings visiting their grandparents for the summer busy themselves with solving mysteries. A simple but still interesting story with 'vintage' yet still relevant characters. A great series for beginning readers by the writer who gave us Amelia Bedelia.

A friend recently pointed me to a podcast that you might enjoy, Amber. It's called Witch, Please and it's two female academics (from Edmonton! Yay for my hometown!) discussing the Harry Potter books and films through a feminist lens and its intelligent and funny and a delight to listen to. Maybe something to mix up your listening in the sewing room. Be warned though, it's full of spoilers (and the occasional bit of swearing) so you'll want to make sure Charlie doesn't accidentally overhear (e.g Book 7They mention Hedwig's death within the first couple minutes of the first episode.

>214 MickyFine: Thanks for thinking of me, Micky! I'll have to think about it, though. I tend to stay clear of academic treatments of my favorite book. Sometimes I just like liking things without academic analysis.
But, yeah, Hedwig, though. I'm already dreading that for Charlie. I *still* can't think of that scene with out crying (I'm fighting the feels right now).

Hooray for taking care of the mail-carrier. I saw mine yesterday just as I was getting home. I offered him one but he said he was fine.

>215 scaifea: If it helps, they're equal parts fangirls and academics. I found it added to my appreciation of the text and added some interesting thoughts to how to read it. For example, they discuss that the impression that all Slytherin are totally evil might need to be taken with a grain of salt if we assume that the story is told through the filter of 11-year old Harry's perceptions who is not entirely reliable on this front.

Plus they utterly adore Hermione, so you know, there's that. :D

>213 scaifea: I loved loved loved Clues in the Woods! One of my childhood favorites, along with M for Mischief and Visitors from London.

>213 scaifea: Ohh, I'm so glad to know Clues in the Woods is right up there with Key to the Treasure! I can't believe I never knew it was a series when I was a kid! I'll have to hunt down a copy...and perhaps the others, too!

>217 MickyFine: Micky: Well of course they adore Hermione - who doesn't?!

>218 rosalita: Julia: Have you read The Key to the Treasure? You should. It's so fun.

>219 aktakukac: Rachel: I was worried that it wouldn't be, and that maybe my love for The Key to the Treasure was purely nostalgic. I'm so happy that that's not the case!

>205 scaifea: I just had to jump in and second the recommendation for Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. I read it a few years ago (was it that long already? Wow...) and it was fabulous.

I'm a little late in answering your bonus question, but as a kid I was a mixture of clumsy (still am) and reckless (not so much), which made for a really bad combination in bumps and bruises. I broke my arm roller skating because I was jumping on a wooden floor, and my mother had the poison control number memorized because I'd randomly decide that maple leaves looked good to eat (and I was definitely old enough to know better!). If I had to pick one best story, I'd say it was when I was five. I'd asked and received a doll carriage for Christmas and while I was usually just giving my dolls walks around the house, one day I thought it would be fun to get in the carriage myself and roll it around our playroom, which had a wooden floor. Since I was propelling myself with my arms, of course I tipped it over and fell on my face, splitting my chin open which necessitated five stitches. Also, I never saw the doll carriage again. I maintain I would've learned my lesson, but as I grow older I do see where my parents were coming from more & more.

Hope all is well at Scaife Manor and you have a fabulous weekend!

>221 bell7: The Taylor is an excellent book, no? I'm glad you liked it, too.
And all of these stories are making me so happy that Charlie is such a cautious kid. Ha!

>220 scaifea: I can't remember if I've read any of the other books in that series. I think a visit to the library is in order!

Howdy Amber. Caught up on your thread. Lots of childhood accidents. Yikes! Mine would be I got my two front, lower teeth knocked out when we were racing to the water fountain in first grade. I won and lost at the same time. Luckily, they were still my primary teeth.

>222 scaifea: The odd thing was, I was cautious about some things like riding a bike without training wheels (took me till I was seven or eight and embarrassed that my younger brother could ride my own bike and I couldn't) and I have never been big on amusement park rides. Maybe because I had so many stitches and a broken arm by the time I was ten? Not sure...

By the way, have you read any of the sequels to Roll of Thunder? I was thinking about it but never got to any.

>223 rosalita: Julia: WOOT!

>224 luvamystery65: Roberta: Wow, you were serious about that race! Ha!

>225 bell7: Oh, amusement park rides. Nopenopenope. Oh, at least no roller coaster type things.
And no, I've not read any of the sequels.

>224 luvamystery65: It's probably the only race I ever won. Killed any competitive spirit I might have had.

>227 luvamystery65: Roberta: Ha! Yep, that would have done it for me, if I had ever own any of that particular brand of talent.

117. George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl (audiobook for the car) - 10/10 = A+
Charlie and I had a great time listening to this one in the car. We read it aloud as a bedtime book a while ago and it was nice to revisit it together again.

I really can't believe how mature and older Charlie looks since this time a few months ago. What incredible joy you obtain and give to this wonderful child. I love the opening photos of your last thread of Charlie and his furdog friends.

One of my favorite Newbery award winning authors is Cynthia Rylant. I read Every Living Thing -- a small book written by her in praise of animals and the difference they make in our lives. Perhaps Charlie would like this book, if so, I'll send it to him next Monday.

Happy Weekend to you!

Best injury story? I can't decide! Perhaps the time I was bitten by a dog. (2nd-3rd grade) Or the time I fell from the monkey bars while playing tag. (2nd grade) Or the time I was hit by a bike and knocked out. (1st grade) Being a boy in the 60s was exciting! Which would you like to hear?

>230 Whisper1: Linda: Oh, yes, Rylant is absolutely lovely - thanks so much! I'm certain that we'll both love it.
And thanks for the kind words about Charlie. As I whisper to him every night right before turning off his light and leaving the room, he's My Favorite. No qualifying following noun; he's simply My Favorite.
The other day we were talking about my mom (Granny, to him); I was telling him stories about what a fantastic mom she's been to me, and to sum it up I said, "She's the best mom in the history of ever." His response was a thoughtful look and then, "Well, she's certainly the best Granny ever, but Mommy, you're definitely the best mommy ever." I mean, dang. That made my year. If only he knew, eh?, how many moments I'm thinking, "Oh cripes, I hope I'm not screwing this whole parenting thing up too much," or, "Holy moly, this momming stuff is HARD." Ha!

>231 jjvors: Oh, monkey bars! One of the banes of my recess days. Yeesh.

As a Brit I am not well placed to add much to the bagel conversation except to say that the ordering of a double bagel in tennis is a recipe for an early exit and reduced tournament prize money.

Have a great weekend, Amber.

Hopelessly behind, Amber, but dropping by to wave hello ....

>233 PaulCranswick: Paul: You lost me at "tennis"...

>234 lit_chick: Hi, Nancy!

>235 scaifea: A double-bagel in tennis is when the score is 6-0 6-0. Apparently it looks like two bagels, but I never could bake properly.

>236 PaulCranswick: Paul: Aha, I see. Interesting!

On the agenda for today:
Laundry, packing for vacation, possibly some sewing time, definitely some reading. Leftovers for dinner, to clean out to fridge before we leave.

On the reading front:
Not much reading yesterday, although I did get a few pages done in A Necklace of Raindrops.

The book calendar weekend author quote: "Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you want to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer."
Solid advice, eh?

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Louis Sachar didn't intend for Stanley in Holes (1999 Newbery Medal) to have the last name Yelnats. He simply didn't want to stop to think of a last name as he was writing, so he just used the first name spelled backward."
Ha! Funny. I don't think he *could* have thought up a better one!

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Amazing Hamweenie by Patty Bowman (Charlie book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
A funny story that perfect captures the attitude of most cats (living a pampered life whilst thinking they're the most long-suffering creatures on earth). Many thanks to Linda (the whispering one) for sending this one to us!

-Chapter 20 of Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies
-The second half of chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Morning Amber! Just 5 more hours, just 5 more hours...

>240 msf59: Go, Mark! Go, Mark!

>232 scaifea: Amber, What a wonderful accolade from Charlie. And, you are a terrific mom, no doubt about that. How wonderful the world would be if more people took parenting seriously. I think I previously shared that my younger daughter was adopted. At the age of two, she saw more things than most people experience in a lifetime.

I'm proud to say that now, at 33, she is a well adjusted, other directed, loving soul. She makes a point of taking time to find a wonderful mother's day card. And, always, she gives Will a heart-felt father's day card while periodically leaving notes around the house for us.

I'll send the Rylant book on Monday. It is, like all her books, a gem!

Hope you all have a wonderful time on vacation!

>242 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. Adoption is something I think about a lot, really, but it's certainly nothing we'd act upon until Charlie is considerably older. And thanks again, for the book!

>243 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

Have a great vacation, Amber!

>245 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

On the agenda for today:
Driving! And then some more driving, and then a bit more driving. We're heading out to Ohio today for our vacation. Woot! So, I'll be checking in when I can. Have a great week, everyone!

Oh wow! O H I O! are you going to the islands, glacial grooves perhaps? Very cool. or maybe Cedar Point? fun but lots of coasters, I don't think you're headed there. Or maybe the football hall of fame? Nah I don't think you're headed there either. Oh well, wherever you go I'm sure you'll find a good time!

Ahh, where are you going in Ohio, and for how long? I was literally just sending a message to Foggi saying that I'm going to be in Columbus next Saturday....

Have a wonderful vacation, Amber!

I'm going to just leave this here - in case you really want some Mithril...
http://www.stansborough.co.nz/knitting-yarn.html

>248 Carmenere: Lynda: Ha! Nope. We're staying in the Columbus area: zoo, campus, public library, of course...

>249 _Zoe_: Zoe: We're only here for three days, I'm afraid. Someday we'll maybe be able to stay long enough to get an Ohio LT meetup organized...

>250 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>251 nittnut: Thanks so much, Jenn!

Well, we made it to Columbus safe and sound yesterday. Thanks to all of the traveling Tomm does, he's racked up enough Hilton points that we're staying in a pretty swanky hotel on one of the concierge lounge levels. Fancy pants. We all spent some time in the pool yesterday evening, watching Charlie practice his dunks. Today we'll either go to the zoo or walk round the OSU campus - we haven't decided which yet. Gosh, I love these kinds of vacations - flexible, laid-back plans, and not over-planned... Did I mention that there are two ginormous Barnes &the Noble bookstores in those laid-back plans? As Mark would say, B. A. G.

Morning, Amber! Happy vacationing to you - I also love when you just take it day by day without over-planning.

Columbus! Of course! Home of the best zoo in Ohio! Fantastic aquarium too!! The Loft is a nice little bookstore in German Village, but you probably already know that. Have fun at OSU.

hullo, Amber. late to the party and backpeddaling madly.

>17 scaifea: i don't know how much you loved Far from the madding crowd but i finished Howards End and Hardy was there to stick into the classics niche and i'm already a goner. ohmigod. i've only just started and if he goes on like this, i shall ooze into a puddle of awe and contentment (visualize that if you can). i'm with Farmer Oaks or possibly Oakes during lambing. i nearly swoon-ed from joy at the wind in the plantation and the sky and pretty well everything else. a writer who took it all in and treasured it in words. is there any greater gift? the gift of recommendation is right up there as i'd not have read it but for your enthusing. and it was a book my mom recommended as well and the two of you are a mighty wind of encouragement. thanks so much.

>23 ronincats: oh ho, you were a child after my heart, Roni. great stories.

>25 kidzdoc: oh Darryl. do you actually remember being carried and seeing the bus, i wonder. i mean as distinct from remembering the stories about it. if JB read this, she would be hollering, "stabilize his neck, stabilize his neck." she spends a lot of time admonishing people on the telly about things like that. but what an amazing story. "i suspect it may explain a good many things about you," she said darkly.

nuts. i can't read anymore but what a great question, Amber. i, for one, could read for days if the pieces parts would have it.

>253 scaifea: hope you have a lovely day, ms. fancy pants.

Have a lovely week Amber.

Amber: You're like an hour away from me!

Have fun enjoying the swankiness!

>256 mirrordrum: I love the puddling of awe and contentment. :) One of my favorite books ever.

Happy vacation Amber! Sounds wonderful and relaxed.

Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for visiting! I'm on my iPhone, so please excuse me for not responding individually right now. Let me share instead a photo from our trip to the zoo yesterday, in which I was lucky enough to capture a rare glimpse of the elusive Tomm:

https://flic.kr/p/K5P525

Good morning, Amber!

>264 scaifea: Nice photo. Madame MBH loves carousels.

I agree with you re Number the Stars. Great book.

I got my hands on copies of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Art of Happiness. Homegoing just came in, so that's going to be my next one.

Hi, Amber! I hope you are having a nice trip. Still hot here...

Hi Amber! I wish you and your family all the best on your vacation in my home state of Ohio.

My monkey bar injury occurred in 2nd grade. We had a game where we'd climb over the monkey bars playing tag. One of my techniques to get away would be to go to the top and swing from one side to the other. The set was about 8 feet high, made of tubular steel maybe an inch in diameter. The tubes met in an X in the middle and I'd grab one in each hand and swing to the other side. This time it was winter and I was wearing mittens and my grip slipped. I fell 6 or 7 feet to the asphalt and landed on my hip. Nothing broke, but I limped for months.

The story is a commentary on the change in children's play at school and what is considered 'safe enough' then and now.

Happy vacation, Amber. We are heading to the French Alps today.

Good morning, Amber!

Adding my hope that you're having a swell time on your vacation.

Morning Amber! Hope you're having fun and staying cool doing it!

Hi Amber, hope you are enjoying your vacation my dear.

hiya Amber. happy vacating. :-)

>267 jjvors: monkey bars, Jeff? really? oh wow. that's the first thing i think of when i think of grade school. we also had a sort of roundabout of hanging steel rings. i loved to see how high i could swing and naturally, finally fell at the height of the swing up, lost my grip and fell flat out on my back. also fell under the merry go round trying to see how fast we could push it. razor sharp thin steel plate underneath opened me up like a zipper. wheeee. one could go on ad nauseum. actually, i probably passed nauseum a long way back.

Hi Amber, I hope you and your family are having a great time. I just got back and now I am doing the LT catch-up! Looks like I barely made this thread.

Childhood injuries, well, in Grade One I was minding my own business in the school yard when an older girl, who was playing baseball, threw her bat when she struck the ball. The bat hit me in the head and knocked me out cold. Then when I was twelve I accepted a ride from a neighbourhood boy who was giving rides on his motor bike. He turned a corner, went up a hill and slid on some gravel. I was the dummy who put my foot down and dislocated my knee.

>264 scaifea: "glimpse" is definitely the word, Lol.

Howdy traveler! Hope you're all having a blast!

Have a wonderful weekend Amber.

Nice picture of the zoo, Amber. Hopefully you're having a good weekend. :)

Hope the holidays are going swimmingly Amber. Love to all and safe travels.

Hi, everyone! We're home safe and sound, but a bit on the exhausted side. I'll make a new thread shortly, and I hope you will all forgive me if I just start fresh over there. Many thanks for all of the visits here!

Okay, new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/227928