scaifea's thread #21

Hi, everyone! Welcome to Thread XXI!

Art inspired in one way or another by some of my current reads:

Andersonville:



The Moves Make the Man:



The Forever War:



Eric:



The Virginian:



War and Peace:



The Westing Game:



Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:



Ramona and Her Father:


From the Introductions Thread:
I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure. I spend my time sewing, knitting, baking, volunteering at my son's school library and with the PTO, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 42 going on 12 and live in Wisconsin with my husband, Tomm; our 9-year-old son, Charlie; and our two dogs, Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever.

The five-ish or so books I have going and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

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 Newbery Honor books
c. 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. 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)

6. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore'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)

7. An unread book from my shelves.

8. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

10. Book-a-year challenge: Three 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 since been trying to fill in the gap years.

11. A book from the couple of series that I'm reading together with my mom.

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

13. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

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

15. A Discworld book (so many of these are coming up soon on various lists, so I'm just diving into it)

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.

What I'm reading now:
-Andersonville (Banned Books)
-The Moves Make the Man (Newbery Honor Book)
-The Forever War (Hugo, Nebula & Locus SF awards)
-Eric (Discworld read)
-The Virginian (audiobook, NEH)
-War and Peace (because Charlie wants me to)
-The Westing Game (Charlie's bed-time book)
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (and another Charlie bed-time read)
-Ramona and Her Father (Charlie's book club read)

Books On Deck:

-The Gods of Pegana (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy)
-The Worst President: The Story of James Buchanan (Presidential Challenge)
-Revenge (Fry bibliography)
-House of Leaves (unread book from my shelves)
-The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (from my Read Soon shelves)
-Essential Teachings (Buddhist readings)
-Crime and Punishment (Books by Year, 1866)
-Unraveled (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Shakespeare re-read)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (VERY slowly (read: I haven't touched them in months)):
-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. James and the Giant Peach (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
2. The Inverted World (BFSA) - 9/10 = A
3. The Cat Who Went to Heaven (Charlie's book club book) - 9/10 = A-
4. Don Quixote (from my unread shelves) 0 8/10 = B+
5. The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian (from my classics shelves) - 8/10 = B+
6. Prairie Tale (from my Read Soon shelves) - 7/10 = C+
7. A Bear Called Paddington (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
8. The Dolphin Crossing (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
9. The Year of the Book (a book I picked off the shelves while volunteering at Charlie's school library) - 9/10 = A-

FEBRUARY
10. The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Newbery Medal) - 10/10 = A+
11. Anna & Elsa: All Hail the Queen (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B
12. The Popularity Papers (#3) (Frequently Challenged Children's Books) = 8/10 = B+
13. The Hollow Hills (Mythopoeic) - 8/10 = B+
14. The Odyssey (audiobook in the car) - 10/10 = A+
15. Herobrine Scared Stiff (Charlie's read-aloud) - 7/10 = C-
16. Drama (Frequently Challenged Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
17. Where the Lilies Bloom (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
18. More About Paddington (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
19. When the Sea Turned to Silver (Westview library book) - 9/10 = A
20. Ghosts (Westview library book) - 8/10 = B+
21. The Inquisitor's Tale (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
22. Wolf Hollow (Newbery Honor Book) - 10/10 = A+
23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie's book club read) - 10/10 = A+
24. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books/audiobook) - 9/10 = A

MARCH
25. Ollie's Odyssey (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A
26. Gandhi, Fighter without a Sword (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
27. Sing Down the Moon (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
28. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
29. Esio Trot (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = A-
30. The Perilous Gard (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
31. Paddington Helps Out (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
32. The Colour of Magic (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
33. The Stolen Child (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B+
34. Leviathan (Locus YA) - 8/10 = B-
35. Herobrine Saves Christmas (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud book) - 7/10 = C
36. Vaino, a Boy of New Finland (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
37. Floating Island (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
38. The Nargun and the Stars (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
39. Dog Man Unleashed (Charlie read-aloud) - 8/10 = B+

APRIL
40. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
41. Moccasin Trail (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
42. The Paul Street Boys (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C+
43. The Peppermint Pig (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
44. Mr. Pants: Camping Catastrophe! (Charlie's read-aloud book) - 10/10 = A+
45. Paddington Abroad (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
46. Dark Star of Itza (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
47. Dragonsong (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
48. All Alone (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
49. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (Charlie's book club read) - 9/10 = A
50. The Light Fantastic (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
51. Wildwood Dancing (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 9/10 = A
52. Creepers (Bram Stoker Award/Audiobook) - 7/10 = C
53. Henry Huggins (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
54. The Complete Sherlock Holmes (started as a 1001 Children's Books read (one of the novels) and spiraled from there) - 10/10 = A+
55. The Neverending Story (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
56. Ship Breaker (audiobook, Locus YA Award) - 8/10 = B+
57. Meggy MacIntoch (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
58. Equal Rites (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+

MAY
59. Shadrach (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
60. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers (Charlie's school library book) - 9/10 = A
61. The Freedom Maze (audiobook, Andre Norton Award) - 8/10 = B+
62. Homecoming (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
63. Old Path White Clouds (Buddhist reading list) - 8/10 = B+
64. Poems That Make Grown Women Cry (Goodreads Giveaway) - 9/10 = A
65. The Young Visiters (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
66. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (audiobook/Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
67. Paddington at Large (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A
68. Mort (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
69. Hrolf Kraki's Saga (BFS Award) - 9/10 = A-
70. The Body in the Library (audiobook/Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
71. Minecraft Construction Handbook (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud, 95 pages) - 8/10 = B
72. Garram the Hunter (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
73. The Island on Bird Street (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
74. The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Charlie's book club read) - 8/10= B
75. A Lear of the Steppes (Books by Year, 1870) - 7/10 = C
76. Henry and Beezus (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
77. Banner in the Sky (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
78. Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids (because I wanted to) - 8/10 = B-
79. Emil and the Detectives (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
80. Norse Mythology (audiobook, Gaiman bibliography) - 10/10 = A
81. Five Little Pigs (audiobook, Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
82. The Thief (series re-read to get ready for the new entry) - 10/10 = A+
83. Ida B (Charlie's book club) - 8/10 = B+

JUNE
84. Towards Zero (audiobook, Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
85. Sparkling Cyanide (audiobook, Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
86. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C-
87. The Secret River (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
88. Cinder (audiobook, Summer Book Bingo Challenge: read a book from Overdrive) - 9/10 = A
89. Malevil (Campbell Award) - 9/10 = A
90. Vassa in the Night (Summer Book Bingo Challenge: close your eyes and pick a book off the library shelves) - 10/10 = A+
91. Lumberjanes #1 (Summer Book Bingo Challenge: read a graphic novel) - 9/10 = A-
92. Ood-Le-Uk the Wanderer (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
93. The Full Cupboard of Life (series my mom wants me to read) - 8/10 = B+
94. 4.50 from Paddington (audiobook/Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
95. Henry and Ribsy (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
96. The Queen of Attolia (series re-read) - 10/10 = A+
97. Orbitsville (BSFA) - 8/10 = B
98. The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
99. The Great Wheel (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
100. Fortunately, the Milk (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
101. Pocket Full of Rye (Christie bibliography, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
102. Murder in Mesopotamia (Christie bibliography, 264 pages) - 8/10 = B+
103. Rescuing the Spectacled Bear (Fry bibliography, 191 pages) - 8/10 = B+
104. Ready Player One (read soon shelf, 372 pages) - 10/10 = A+
105. Book, Line and Sinker (series I'm reading with my mom, 274 pages) - 9/10 = A-
106. Skein of the Crime (series I'm reading with my mom, 290 pages) - 9/10 = A-
107. Arabic Poems (read soon shelf, 279 pages) - 8/10 = B+
108. Confessions of a Pagan Nun (read soon shelf, 188 pages) - 9/10 = A

JULY
109. Postern of Fate (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 8/10 = B
110. The Clocks (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
111. Sci-Fi Junior High (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B
112. The Raven Boys (Summer Book Bingo Challenge: Read something recommended by a librarian) - 10/10 = A
113. The Road from Home (Newbery Honor Book/Summer Book Bingo Challenge: read a book from the teen shelves) - 8/10 = B
114. Zootopia Comics Collection (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B
115. Murder on the Orient Express (Summer Book Bingo Challenge: read a book before you see the movie) - 10/10 = A
116. Tobacco Road (Summer Book Bingo Challenge: read a book with a terrible cover) - 6/10 = D
117. Tom Paine, Freedom's Apostle (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
118. The Midnight Folk (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
119. The Fairy Circus (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
120. Henry and the Paper Route (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
121. A Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Re-read) - 9/10 = A
122. Abel's Island (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
123. The Minpins (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
124. A Midsummer Tempest (Mythopoeic) - 7/10 = C
125. The Upstairs Room (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
126. Sourcery (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
127. The Great Gilly Hopkins (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
128. The Family Under the Bridge (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
129. The Last of the Mohicans (audiobook, NEH) - 7/10 = C-
130. The Ruby in the Smoke (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B

AUGUST
131. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Charlie's Book Club) - 9/10 = A
132. The Family from One End Street (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
133. Chúcaro (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
134. The Martian Chronicles (audiobook/NEH) - 9/10 = A
135. Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
136. Boy of the South Seas (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
137. Sugaring Time (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
138. Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said (Campbell) - 8/10 = B+
139. The Wyrd Sisters (Discworld) - 9/10 = A-
140. The Devil's Arithmetic (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
141. One-Eyed Cat (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
142. The Gammage Cup (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
143. The Poet's Dog (public library book) - 8/10 = B+
144. Shabanu (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
145. Circus Shoes (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
146. Looking for Alibrandi (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C+
147. Wonder (Charlie's bed-time read) - 9/10 = A

SEPTEMBER
148. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (WFA) - 8/10 = B+
149. The Dream Thieves (series read) - 9/10 = A
150. The Enormous Crocodile (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
151. Out of the Flame (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
152. A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author (Charlie's read-aloud bedtime book) - 8/10 = B+
153. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane (Newbery Honor Book) - 6/10 = D
154. The Count of Monte Cristo (audiobook, NEH) - 10/10 = A+
155. Pagan's Crusade (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
156. Pyramids (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B-
157. A Raisin in the Sun (NEH) - 8/10 = B+
158. The King of Attolia (series re-read) - 10/10 = A+
159. The Old Man and the Sea (NEH) - 8/10 = B+
160. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud book) - 9/10 = A-
161. Foxtrot: Assembled with Care (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
162. Among the Hidden (Charlie's Book Club read) - 8/10 = B
163. The Ship That Flew (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
164. Henry and the Clubhouse (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
165. Hiroshima (audiobook, NEH) - 8/10 = B+
166. Tomorrow, When the War Began (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-

OCTOBER
167. A Conspiracy of Kings (series read) - 10/10 = A+
168. Heart's Delight (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
169. Jane's Island (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
170. Belling the Tiger (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
171. Guards! Guards! (Discworld read) - 8/10 = B
172. Thick as Thieves (Queen's Thief series read) - 10/10 = A+
173. Rowan of Rin (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
174. The Truce of the Wolf (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
175. A to Z Mysteries: The Bald Bandit (Charlie's read aloud) - 8/10 = B
176. No Talking (Charlie's book club) - 8/10 = B
177. Blue Lily, Lily Blue (series read) - 9/10 = A
178. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (audiobook/NEH) - 9/10 = A-
179. The Loner (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
180. Switchers (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
181. Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
182. The Raven King (series read) - 10/10 = A+
183. The Animal Family (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B

The Charlie, Mario & Tuppence Toppers:



Mario watching her favorite movie (The Super Buddies):


Tuppence being Tuppence (read: adorable):

The Bonus Question:

It must be fall, since I woke up with a sore throat. So, favorite drinks/foods when your throat isn't feeling fabulous?

Happy New Thread, Amber!

I particularly like Mario watching The Super Buddies up there. His rapt attention is hilarious.

Favorite foods/drinks for a sore throat - Madame MBH, who's performed for years, swears by honey and lemon. And, of course, both of those can be combined in hot tea. Hot toddies can be soothing; we tend to do that more when there's snow on the ground.

Happy new thread! Sorry you aren't feeling fantastic. For sore throats, some of my theatre friends recommend Throat Coat tea, but I can't take the licorice taste. Instead, I use the "Honey Lemon Throat Comfort" variety from Yogi Teas. But really, any tea with lemon and honey would do the trick.

Morning, Amber! Sorry to hear about the sore throat. I am usually a coffee drinker, but when my throat hurts, I like a nice warm milky tea. Hoping yours gets better quickly.

Happy new thread dear Amber.

I would like to pretend to be good and plug honey lemon concoctions but a dodgy throat is a perfect excuse for a glass of Glenmorangie Single malt.

Happy new thread! It's unheard of that I'd get in the new one before at least 20 messages, so I'm a little shocked to see only 10 so fr! 😀

I'm with Paul - a good whiskey is perfect!

When my throat is killing me, or if I just have a cold that's kicking me in the behind (the two do tend to go together) I drink a lot of warm water with honey. Sometimes I steep fresh or ground ginger in it, too. And warm blackcurrant squash is always nice.

Happy new thread, Amber.

When my throat is troubling me, I combine the advice above: I end the day with a glass of hot water with honey, lemon and a bit of whisky. Eases my throat & guaranties a good night sleep.

In answer to your bonus question, my sore throat go-to is lemon tea (strong) with a spoonful of honey mixed in. Oddly enough, this is only time I like either.

>7 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Isn't Mario funny? If she sees a dog on the TV or even hears children on it, she's right there, watching and wagging her tail. So sweet. And you know, I don't think I've ever even had a hot toddie...

>8 foggidawn: foggi: I'm not a fan of licorice flavor, either, I'm afraid.

>9 Crazymamie: Mamie: I have milky tea every day, so that shouldn't be too difficult!

>10 PaulCranswick: Paul: I have a sore throat, that doesn't mean I want to burn it out! Ha! (I can't take the hard stuff, I'm afraid.) Tomm is a fan, though.

>11 drneutron: Hi, Jim! I'll leave the whiskey for you and Paul, eh?

>12 PawsforThought: Paws: I can do honey in my tea (and to it every day, in fact), but I don't think I could stomach just water and honey.

>13 FAMeulstee: Anita: I bet whiskey would knock me right out, too! I'm definitely a lightweight when it comes to liquor.

>14 bell7: Mary: I do keep a special box of honey lemon tea for when I'm not feeling well. I think I need to try to find it.

Charlie is so cute - and growing up before our eyes!
I LOVE the pictures of Mario watching telly and of course, Tuppence. (I especially love that name, by the way).

Happy New Thread before it gets out of hand, Amber!

>16 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! Charlie is definitely growing, so fast. And so tall! Crazy, but also completely fun.

Tuppence's name is a story (that I've told too many times, likely, but here we go anyway): I got her for Tomm for his birthday a year into our marriage. I wanted to name her something to reflect that she's his, and were looking for physics-like names, but couldn't settle on any we liked. It just so happened that right before we were to pick her up from the breeder, I started reading (and loved) my first Tommy and Tuppence mystery. And so. She has an actual tuppence hanging from her collar, too, which I love.
Mario's story is not as complex: she's Charlie's dog and he named her. And so.

>17 scaifea: I love both of those stories!!!!!

Sorry to see you aren't feeling great. I like peppermint tea with honey and a touch of sugar.

>18 EBT1002: Ellen: Ha! I'm glad!

>19 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. I feel okay, really, beyond the sore throat. I'm wondering if it's all the drywall dust...
And you know, I love peppermint, but I can't handle it as a tea flavor - if I smell mint tea, I get an instant headache. Weird.

Hot toddies are easy. Here's "Uncle Bill"'s recipe from Google.

Directions

To a large heavy duty cup or glass, add rum, honey, lemon juice, 1/2 lemon rind, and nutmeg. Stand cinnamon stick in the cup.
Pour the boiling water and stir well to blend.
Adjust honey to suit your sweetness and adjust lemon juice to suit your taste.
Sip slowly and enjoy.

They're somehow more cheerful than tea and honey, for me, anyway.

>21 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I may have to try one someday. I'll have to get Tomm to buy some rum - I'm so ignorant about alcohol of all kinds that I wouldn't know where to look in the booze section, since I suspect that the bottles don't actually simply say "XXX RUM" on them...

Just look for the aisle where the pirates congregate, and you'll find the rum.

Happy new thread, Amber. Love the pictures. Charlie is a young man! I love the one of Mario watching TV.

Happy new thread Amber my dear and great photos once again. Today has been awful with wind and rain although it has to pick up from tomorrow with quite warm temperatures for the weekend due to warm air being pushed up from North Africa and Spain. Hope you are having a good day dear friend, sending love and hugs.

When I'm sick, P always makes me hot toddies to help me sleep.

1.5 oz Irish Whiskey
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon (approx.) honey
hot water to fill mug

Easy and very soothing.

>23 jnwelch: Joe: Ooooh, hello. Which store has *those* in the rum aisle?! New favorite shop...

>24 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Mario is a hilarious sweetheart.

>25 johnsimpson: John: Same here; cloudy and rainy, but slightly warmer this weekend. Thanks for the hugs - and hugs right back!

>26 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! I do need to try one soon! (this everlasting kitchen redo is driving me in that direction anyway...)

>10 PaulCranswick: A Glenmorangie man! I'm for that, except not really when I have a sore throat. My favorite soother is a Pine Bros. honey & glycerin soft lozenge. Not terribly easy to find these days, but just the ticket if you can.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Nice! Maybe I'll have a look online...

174. The Truce of the Wolf by Mary Gould Davis (Newbery Honor Book, 125 pages) - 8/10 = B-
A collection of Italian folktales, retold for kids.
Not fabulous, but not awful, either.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: Oooh yes, I can second the recommendation of the Pine Bros lozenges. They're good if you can find them. Last time I went looking I came up empty, but I didn't think to try online.

>31 rosalita: Julia: I just had a look and they seem to be easily available on Amazon, at least.

Amber, Charlie is completely adorable, of course, but the fact that he's NINE is terrifying. Quinn, Kristin's oldest, gets his driver's license this coming spring and I am totally weirded out. If he's like me and his mom, I'll be a great-grandfather before I'm 65. *eek*

My own toddy is:
1oz rum
2T maple syrup
1t reconstituted lime juice, NOT fresh
1C boiling water.

Reconstituted lime juice is less challenging to my throat as the acid content is artificially controlled.

>31 rosalita:, >32 scaifea: Walgreens usually has them. When I was in high school they could be purchased in a pocket-sized box for about a quarter, like many other cough drops. As there was no actual medicine in them, and I loved the taste, I bought them and ate them like candy. But they really do soothe the throat, and loosen phlegm as well.

All the hot toddy recipes sound wonderful. I would also go for Bailey's in coffee and the tea with honey and lemon concoctions as well. Now, this is one I haven't tried yet, but it sounds promising:

Snow Plow
hot chocolate
vanilla ice cream
rum
whipped cream

Also decadent.

Happy New Thread, Amber!

>33 richardderus: Richard: Yes, nine. Indeed. Such a hoot, though. I love this continual thing of getting to see What's Next with him.

And thanks for the recipe! I like the idea of the controlled acid, too.

>34 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Huh. I've not noticed them here in our local Walgreen's (and I'm a connoisseur of the cough drop aisle). I'll have another look this week, though, for certain. Thanks for the tip!

>35 ronincats: Oooh, Bailey's in coffee! Nice. And I love the name 'Snow Plow'! Funny!

>36 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

This is the stuff Amber. Amber liquid it is indeed. An acquired taste certainly with its smoky, peaty aroma but once acquired.....



For me, only to be served over ice.

>38 PaulCranswick: Paul: Well, it certainly is pretty...

On the agenda for today:
Sewing (the costume is well under way) and writing, and then library volunteering a little early because Charlie and I will need to leave school a bit early for his annual hearing test and doc. appointment. Our contractor claims that he will finish up the kitchen today, but I don't have much faith in his predictions these days. We'll see...

On the reading front:
I listened to more A Tree Grows in Brooklyn read more of Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and read all of The Truce of the Wolf.

What We Read Yesterday:
-One Mitten
Bits of:
-Enormously Foxtrot
-No Talking
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And Charlie finished reading aloud to us:
175. A to Z Mysteries: The Bald Bandit by Ron Roy (Charlie's read aloud, 71 pages) - 8/10 = B
Someone robs a bank, and a private detective asks Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose to help him find the kid who caught the robber on video.

>15 scaifea: And I'm the opposite! I can't handle honey in my tea but honeywater without tea (and plain tea without honey) is just fine!

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday. I hope the rain has moved on.

>43 msf59: Morning, Mark! Fingers crossed about the rain...

Morning, Amber! Hope your day is going well.

>45 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! There are now cabinets back on the walls in my kitchen, so yeah, it's a good day so far!

>46 scaifea: Ha! I know that feeling.

So we were on the road all day yesterday and much of today and I end up almost missing a whole thread!! OK, that'a an exaggeration but still...

>47 jnwelch: Joe: *grins*

>48 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Ha! So, are you home, then, now?

>49 scaifea: Goodness no! We're only in Nashville. We won't be home until next Wednesday afternoon/evening.

>40 scaifea: They might finish your kitchen but doesn't mean that you'll be able to use it!

Dial a pizza the order of the weekend, surely?!

>50 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Ha! I thought that would probably have been some fairly swift driving... Safe travels!

>51 PaulCranswick: Paul: Kitchen is still not finished, but there are only a very few touch-up sort of things left. I'm expecting to be able to start cleaning up and getting things back in order this weekend. And NO MORE PIZZA. Yoicks. I'm so done with pizza and carry-out!

>52 scaifea:

Can't believe you're not tempted at all!

On today's agenda:
One more day (I think) of basement living: sewing, writing, bills and photos, and then library volunteering. Charlie has ballet class tonight.

I'm making fair progress on the costume - the tunic is finished (well, except for the belt loops), and I've started on the belts and the shield. I'll likely get started on the hat today.

On the reading front:
Still working on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Blue Lily, Lily Blue and enjoying both of them.

>53 PaulCranswick: Paul: *snork!!* Nope.

What We Read Yesterday:
-A Bike like Sergio's by Maribeth Boelts (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A-
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet!
-Enormously Foxtrot
-No Talking
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday! Hope that throat begins to feel better.

I stayed up, far beyond my usual bed-time last night, watching the Cubs clinch the series, so I am sure I'll be dragging a bit today.

Morning, Amber! Have fun in your basement dwelling today. Is this the last day?
I can't wait to see your finished product!

>57 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Congrats on your sports team!

>58 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle! I'm 82% confident that today is the last basement day for me. I can show some before and after pictures, but the very finished product won't be for a while longer, because we'll have to paint (but at least that can be done within a working kitchen!

Morning, Amber!

82% confident - that's so specific. Can we see the underlying data?

I can imagine you can't wait for a working kitchen. I remember how tough it is not to have one. (My Master Chef wife remembers it even more vividly than I do).

I keep hoping someone comes up with a pizza diet guaranteed to keep you trim and healthy. I could eat pizza all day, every day. As could your BFF. We bond mightily over deep dish.

>60 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!
I'm disinclined to share my data, since there isn't any. All in my head, as is everything, you know.

And yeah, before this started, I would probably agreed with the idea that one can eat pizza every day and never get tired of it. No more. I am now wiser in the ways of too much take-out. *sigh*

All caught up with you, Amber! Sorry the kitchen work took so much longer than expected. Cross that guy off the list!

>61 scaifea: Hee hee! All in my head, as is everything, you know. You got me again. Thank goodness I wasn't drinking anything at the time.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: softish throat relief. Softish!? Neither hard nor soft... :)

I have the juice of a lemon, a couple of discs of sliced root ginger, and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of hot water. Usually if I have a cold or cold symptoms, and it makes me feel great.

Hope your Friday ended with getting your kitchen back, Amber.

Sore throats are usually the first phase of a cold for me. I really love Cold 911 tea from David's Tea (which I know does have locations on your side of the border). It does have a strong peppermint base though so it might not be your jam.

>62 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! Yeah, we're really not happy with this guy. The work is generally good, although he's lazy on the details, which is driving Tomm crazy, and he went way over his estimate, so we've got that to deal with now. Jeez. But, starting today, the kitchen is mine again, so I have a weekend of heavy cleaning and organizing. The goal is to have a homemade meal and the Halloween decorations all sorted by tomorrow night. We'll see how it goes.

>63 jnwelch: Joe: Ha! I'm so glad you get my sense of humor - sometimes I don't think it translates very well into type.

>64 LovingLit: Megan: Oh, I like the idea of slices of ginger! I spent the entire day yesterday with a Ricola drop constantly in my mouth. I'll need to send Tomm out for more today, I think.

>65 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky, and yes, I have my kitchen back! Sort of: it still needs all the stuff back in it, of course.

Thanks for the tea tip, but yeah, I'll have to pass because the smell of the peppermint would make me instantly headachey and nauseous.

On the agenda for today:
The Kitchen! Must mop the floor, take everything out of the bottom cabinets and clean them, clean the upper cabinets, put everything back into the cabinets and onto the counters, then clean the two rooms connected to the kitchen (which have drywall dust thick on everything), then do some menu planning and grocery shopping. And the Halloween Decorations!! And Cooking!! And Baking!! WOOHOO!!!

On the reading front:
I listened to more of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and read a nice chunk of Blue Lily, Lily Blue yesterday. Enjoying them both a great deal.

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Ox-Cart Man
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet
-Enormously Foxtrot
-No Talking
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And we started watching Hotel Transylvania as part of our Halloween Movie Marathon.

Morning, Amber!

he's lazy on the details, The cynical part of me thinks that's somewhere in the job description for these guys, along with being late is fine, as is not showing up at all for days at a time.

We love our main guy, and he's done great work over the years, but keeping after him on details and showing up (including when he said he would) is a constant battle.

I've been lurking through your kitchen remodel, and am happy you now have your kitchen back. Taking longer than expected seems to be ... erm ... expected. We did a kitchen project several years back and had a similar experience. And don't even get me started on new home construction. Gah.

Enjoy your baking!!

Hi, Amber! I hope that your cooking is going well today. I'm a fan of ginger tea with raw honey to soothe a raw throat.

Amber--Yay! The Kitchen is done!! Whew. I know you will enjoy getting it all sorted and back in shape and then a baking romp! I hope it cheers your soul and you feel better sooner than later.

>69 jnwelch: Joe: Yep, that seems to be par for the course with this type. Yoicks.

>70 lauralkeet: Laura: I'm happy, too! But exhausted after a day of putting stuff back. I bet new home construction has its own set of frustrations, too.

>71 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! Thanks! No cooking still yet today (I have a cold and over-did it a bit today; I was rewarded with a whopping headache and had to lie down for a while this afternoon) - grocery shopping and cooking and baking tomorrow!

72 Kim: Yes! Tomm is painting as I type, so by Monday we should be able to get everything back in the kitchen!

>71 kidzdoc: No problem re: cooking. I just made Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts for dinner, and I have seven six servings left over. What time should I expect you, Charlie and Tomm?

>74 kidzdoc: Darryl: Aw, thanks for the invite! Can I get a no-cilantro guarantee?

On the agenda for today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then more cleaning while Tomm works on painting the first wall in the kitchen (so that we can get the Hoosier cabinet back in there hopefully today), and then COOKING and BAKING!! Charlie has requested Carrot Soup with Brownies for dessert.

On the reading front:
Still working on Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I'd love to finish it today, but I suspect that won't happen.

What We Read Yesterday:
-A Hungry Lion by Lucy Ruth Cummins (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A-
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet
-Enormously Foxtrot
-No Talking
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Halloween Movie Marathon Update: we finished Hotel Transylvania and started Hotel Transylvania 2.

Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday! We had some serious rain yesterday. 4-5 inches. On our way home last night, it was a deluge and some streets were flooded. Yikes!

I have some chores to attend to today but I hope to spend a lot of time with the books too.

Enjoy your day!

I love that Charlie's first dinner request after weeks of takeout and frozen meals is carrot soup :)

>75 scaifea: Yes! This recipe calls for finely diced flat leaf parsley, and there is no cilantro or coriander in it.

>76 scaifea:, >79 katiekrug: Thumbs up for carrot soup!

>78 msf59: Morning, Mark! Wow, that *is* some serious rain! I hope you have some equally serious recovery time with your books today.

>79 katiekrug: Katie: I know, right? What a kid.

>80 kidzdoc: Darryl: Excellent!

Morning, Amber!

What that serious rain left is slowly draining away. Looks like a good reading day (aren't they all?)

>82 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! It's gloomy here, but no rain. It does look like a good reading day, but we've got too much cleaning and rearranging going on here for much of that, I'm afraid.

Yeah, I'm having trouble getting to the books, too, although my excuse isn't half as good as yours. We did read together a couple more chapters of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It sure gives perspective - I'm too embarrassed to complain about anything now.

I, OTOH, am spending this dreary day in my happy place: Kindle to my nose, crockpot simmering away with rice and lima beans and pork with dill and apples.

Of course, I am too embarrassed to admit to what it is I'm Kindling ATM in such august company. Far too déclassé. The Autobiography of James T. Kirk was on sale recently, I remark en passant.

You will be posting photos of the redone kitchen, right?

Well I managed a decent reading Sunday with a trip to the cinema to see Jackie Chan pitched against Pierce Brosnan. My word they are both starting to look old!

>84 jnwelch: Joe: I need to get back to the Wilder books with Charlie - we've only read the first one together so far.

>85 richardderus: Richard: Wha?! That book sounds pretty amazing to me!

>86 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Yep, I've got some 'before' photos to post, and I may take some 'sort of after' photos tomorrow - we still have painting to do, but I'm pretty excited to show everyone and the painting will take a few weekends to finish, probably. We did get one wall finished today, so you'll be able to see the color, at least, which I've decided that I LOVE.

>87 PaulCranswick: Paul: Oh, I DO love Jackie Chan tons. So adorable.

On the agenda for today:
I'm nearly finished with the post-construction clean-up - I just need to mops some floors - and then I want to make some applesauce, work on Charlie's costume and possibly get some writing done before time for my library volunteering. Charlie has a dentist check-up this afternoon, so we'll leave school a little early for that, and then tonight is my knitting club at the public library. We had our first home-cooked meal in over a month yesterday, and it was wonderful! So, leftover carrot soup for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I did manage a bit of Blue Lily, Lily Blue last night - I'm hoping to finish it up today.

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Snowy Day
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet
-Enormously Foxtrot
-No Talking
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Halloween Movie Marathon: We finished Hotel Transylvania 2 and started Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie.

Hooray for homemade meals in your new kitchen!

Morning, Amber! Back to work Monday. Boo, but at least we will stay dry for the next few days and I am off tomorrow, so there is good to be found.

>91 rosalita: Julia: YES!!!

>92 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sorry about your working Monday, and it's chilly out there this morning, too. Huddle up with those audiobooks, friend.

Good morning, Amber!

Congratulations on getting back to home-cooked meals. Being without sure makes you appreciate them, right? How long did it take?

>94 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! The "1-week" kitchen project started Sept 17...

Okay, so here are some before and sort-of-after-but-really-more-in-the-middle photos:

Before (dropped ceiling that hides the skylight, awful dark fake brick as a backsplash, wood panelling, antiquated stove hood...):





And now (opened-up ceiling, fake brick gone!, wood panelling gone!, lovely new paint which will soon be on all the kitchen walls):





We still need to get a new stove hood (this week at some point), and eventually (in the next couple of years, hopefully) we want to get new cabinets and countertops (Black?! Honestly. And a bright red sink?! So weird.), so it's still a work in progress, but I love the changes so far. It's *so* much brighter in there!

Oh, wow! What a difference! Why would someone have put in a dropped ceiling?!?! Crazy....

Ooh that looks fab, Amber. I can't imagine hiding a skylight. It's much brighter now with the additional light and removing the paneling.

>97 katiekrug: Katie: I know, right?! There are so many weird-ass things about this house. Who puts a skylight in and then covers it up?! Unbelievable.

>98 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! It'll be even lighter in there when we can get new (not so dark) cabinets and non-black counters. We'd like to put some sort of tile in for the floor, too, instead of linoleum.

Looks great! I love the open look.

>100 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Me, too!

Cool changes, Amber. I'm all for opening up interior space. Our joke here is I wanted to open up our first floor so much that the contractor said, That will be fine, as long as you don't mind the house falling down.

>102 jnwelch: lol, Joe, the same thing happened to my hubs when we built our current house. We wanted a very open plan and used columns to define the dining room, instead of walls. Somewhere along the way the builder told Chris that he couldn't put as many columns in as he wanted because something had to hold up the second floor.

And who on earth would cover up those gorgeous beams with a dropped ceiling? So bizarre. The sort-of-after photos look fantastic, and I love the wall color.

Hi Amber, kitchen looks really good my dear and I can just see the black worktops and a bright red sink, very cool. Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>103 lauralkeet: A kindred spirit! Thanks, Laura. Please give your hubs my best - he's obviously a very smart guy who's lucky, like I am, to have a contractor who wants the second floor to stay where it is.

Kitchen looks wonderful - great improvements. It looks lots bigger and certainly much brighter. Good job!

>102 jnwelch: >103 lauralkeet: Joe & Laura: Ha! Ours is a split-level sort of house, so no worries about a second floor above the kitchen and living room, at least.

>104 rosalita: Julia: Well...those aren't real (in the sense that it's a 2-by-somethingorother that is now 'wrapped' with more something-by-somethingorothers, which have been stained. Looks cool, though, eh?

>105 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! You like the black countertops?! You're welcome to 'em, then. They're way too dark for me, and they show up Every. Crumb. Yoicks.

>106 jnwelch: *grins*

>107 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! It *does* look bigger, doesn't it? And I love all of the light.

>96 scaifea: Looking good, Amber!

>108 scaifea: They do look cool, even if they are just something-or-others. :-)

Your comment about black counters showing every crumb leads me to share my pet peeve of my counters with you. Mine are granite, a light grey with flecks and streaks of other greys in it. Problem is you can't see ANYTHING on it (and my dear husband has never learned the art of wiping the counter after himself) so I'm forever putting something down on it, or touching it, and finding it's sticky or wet or oily. There has got to be a middle way where you can see enough to know it needs wiping without seeing every crumb :)

>109 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>110 rosalita: Julia: Ha! I like them, too, even though I know the mundane behind the magic of them.

>111 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Oh, interesting! I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Tomm's the same way with counters, too. Yeesh.

On the agenda for today:
Treadmilling, then my annual eye check-up (I think it's time for bifocals - woot), then working on the Halloween costume before time for my library volunteering. Smoked Sausage Gumbo for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue last night (more on that later), and I'm excited to start the final book in the series today.

What We Read Yesterday:
-It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse!
A bit of:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And we finished:
176. No Talking by Andrew Clements (Charlie's book club read, 144 pages) - 8/10 = B+
The teachers at Dave's school call the 5th-graders The Unshushables, because they never stop talking. But that all changes when Dave and Lynsey start and boys-vs-girls contest to see who can last the longest without talking at all.
A fun read, but there's nothing earth-shattering here.

>113 scaifea: I am also in need of bifocals I think, Amber. Close up work has become tough and is becoming tougher. Starting to have to take off the gigs to see the close up stuff which cannot be right.

>96 scaifea: Hooray, for the new kitchen. I like the more open look. Sorry, it was such a long haul.

Morning, Amber! I am enjoying the day off today. Planning to go to the Arboretum. It looks to be a nice day for a stroll.

Oh bifocals ... a rite of passage! I wear contacts for distance and was able, for several years, to get by with a "monovision" prescription where one lens was optimized for distance and the other for reading. When that became less effective, I tried bifocal contacts but found myself turning to reading glasses more and more. I gave up and got a contact lens prescription for distance only, and use readers for close work. Of course, if you already wear glasses, bifocals are the way to go.

>115 PaulCranswick: Paul: I've been taking off my glasses to read up close for a couple of years now, but now it's to the point that even with my glasses off, I can't see great up close. Definitely time for the bifocals.

>116 msf59: Thanks, Mark! It *was* a long haul, but I'm happy that it's over. Just the painting now, and that's not a big deal. Enjoy your day off!

>117 lauralkeet: Laura: Yeah, I've never had contacts, so bifocal glasses shouldn't be a big change, I think. I'm honestly so tired of trying to focus up close without much success that I'm almost excited for bifocals.

>117 lauralkeet: I get fed up with lenses, Laura. Sometimes I was coming home exhausted and falling asleep with the bloody things still in and subsequently paying the price with dry and itchy eyes. I like my glasses now - it would be better though if I could see through them properly.

>119 PaulCranswick: Paul: I've never tried contacts because they just seem like so much more work thank glasses. And I also just like the look of glasses on my face...

177. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (series read, 391 pages) - 9/10 = A
This entry in the Raven Boys books focuses more on Blue's story, but it nudges the stories of the other characters along as well. Still with the amazing I-can't-believe-I-didn't-see-that-coming?! plot twists and good writing - I'm still loving this series and can't wait to read how it ends.

>120 scaifea: I also just like the look of glasses on my face...
I started wearing glasses in 6th grade and then braces came along and I felt like the ugliest person on the planet. I couldn't wait to get contacts, which my parents allowed me to do at 17 (and by then the braces were long gone, too). It was sooo liberating. But now, I find I'm wearing my readers A LOT. Obviously for reading and knitting, but also for a lot of little things around the house, and when I'm grocery shopping and need to consult my list. It does start to add up. Since I no longer feel like the ugly duckling wearing glasses, for the first time in a million years I'm actually wondering whether I should just switch to glasses (bifocals) full-time.

About 12 years ago I had lasik to correct my nearsightedness so i wouldn’t have to wear bifocals. So now when I need to look all manager-y or professor-y, I whip out my readers and glare over the top. Works like a charm!

>122 lauralkeet: Laura: I didn't get glasses until college, so maybe that's part of it, too - by that time I was confident enough in myself that I loved the way I looked in them, and still do. I did have trouble deciding on a new pair this morning, though. I hope I still like them when they come in...

>123 drneutron: Jim: Ha! Good one! My eye doc asks me every year if I want lasik, but I always turn him down. I get skeezed out at the idea of eye surgery.

Eye appointment finished and crock pot prepped for Smoked Sausage Gumbo - I'm still so happy that I can cook again!! Now, off to the sewing room to work on a shield for Link...

I've worn glasses since I was 7 or 8, I think. I can't imagine *not* having them, and I think I may be due for bi-focals soon, too... Like Amber, the idea of eye surgery freaks me out. Really, anything about the eye freaks me out, which is why I was never interested in contacts.

>126 katiekrug: Katie: I don't think putting contacts on my eyes would bother me, but it just seems like way more hassle than glasses. Eye surgery, though? The thought of someone cutting...*shivers* Nopenopenope.

Hiya, Amber.

Madame MBH (after two cataract surgeries turned her vision 20-20, but created a need for reading glasses) puts her glasses on to read up close; I'm nearsighted and take mine off to read up close. We laugh every time we go through this while looking at the same whatever - menu, page, etc.

>113 scaifea:, I wear Varifocals and have had them for three years and I wouldn't be without them, best of both worlds and you cannot tell as the lenses are graduated from top to bottom.

Your kichen looks great now, Amber, huge improvement!

I might need reading glasses, but I'm going to follow my mother in this: only when my arms become too short.
So I have at least 20 inches to go ;-)

>128 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Ha! The yin and yang of glasses, you two!

>129 johnsimpson: John: I ordered the progressive lenses, so I won't have a line in mine, either. I assume it'll still take a bit of getting used to it, but I'm so ready to be able to see up close again!

>130 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

Well, good luck - my arms did, in fact, get too short!

>131 scaifea: I have the progressive lenses and after a short adjustment period of figuring out how to hold my head to see through the proper section of the lens I think they're fabulous. I did a lot of "nodding" at first, which must have been highly amusing to onlookers. :-)

>131 scaifea:, I thought it would take me a while to get used to them but within a couple of days I was ok with them. I have worn glasses since I was Eleven years old, initially it was for reading and writing but I just kept them on and they are just a part of me and I don't really notice them.

The only problem I have is that I have to have Karen acting as my mum when selecting frames as what I would really like she is not keen on and I take note and then Karen picks some frames and I select from them, ha ha.

I've had progressive lenses for years and simply love them. It took me next to no time to get used to them. Last spring I had cataracts removed and now have 20/20 distance vision. While letting my eyes settle into their new lenses I used reading glasses but I hated them. If working at my desk, doing needlework by the TV or reading music while trying to follow the director I was forever having to look over them. Or I would get up from my desk, get dizzy from trying to walk around in reading glasses, take them off, put them down, return to desk and then have to go searching for the reading glasses. As soon as I could I ordered new progressive lenses with clear glass on top and reading prescription on the bottom and now I'm totally happy again :)

>132 rosalita: Julia: Oh, that's great to hear! I also look forward to amusing people with my eclectic nodding!

>133 johnsimpson: John: Ha! I love that you let Karen pick out your frames! I don't think Tomm would allow that, which is only fair, I suppose, because there's no way I'd let him choose mine, either.

>134 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: More good news! And my mom just went through the cataract surgery and reading glasses business. She said those two weeks waiting for her new progressive lenses seemed to take forever.

178. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty White (NEH, audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
The story of a young girl and her poverty-ridden family in 1910's Brooklyn.
An excellent story, lovingly told. I enjoyed this one a great deal; the characters will stay with me for a long time (one of my favorite things about a good book).

On the agenda for today:
Treadmilling, sewing, writing, library volunteering. I think I may get the Link costume finished today - we had a fitting last night, and I just need to add a little length to the tunic, finish the belts, add belt loops, and finish up the shield and belt buckle. Charlie has ballet class tonight, too.

On the reading front:
I started reading The Loner and The Raven King, and I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Next up on the audiobook list is The Virginian, which I'll likely start today. I don't know if I'll make it through this one though, because I tend not to cotton to westerns. We'll see how it goes.

What We Read Yesterday:
-Elmo's Monster Mash
-Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A-

And bits of:
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Morning, Amber! Let's hope this nice weather holds out for another few weeks. Grins...

I see you have been reading some classics. I have never read The Virginian. Maybe, you'll inspire me.

>139 msf59: Morning, Mark!
I do love working through some of the classics I've not yet read. I don't know about this one, though, and I wouldn't pin too much on my views of it, since I generally really don't like westerns. I'm willing to give it a try, though...

I'm late but the kitchen renos look great!

Glad you're still enjoying the Raven Cycle books. That last one might be dangerous to your socks. ;)

>141 MickyFine: Micky: Ooooh! I'm so excited! But also nervous...

Finally all caught up with you, Amber, and the kitchen remodel looks fab. SO much more light. And I know how antsy you were to get back in there - in our Indiana house, we gutted the entire kitchen, and it felt like I was never getting it back.

>135 scaifea:, I don't let Karen choose my frames as such but she looks at my choices and pulls a face and then pulls frames off the rack and makes me try them on and tells me which suit me and which don't. I generally like them but also like something I have chosen, I just go for the easy life I think.

>143 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I am *loving* my kitchen, but part of that may just be the thrill of having my kitchen back at all! Ha!

>144 johnsimpson: John: Ha! It still sounds like Karen has the lion's share of the decision. I maybe needed Tomm there to help me yesterday, because it took me forever to find something that I sort of liked.

My problem with choosing eyeglass frames is that I can't see without my glasses on, so I really have no idea how I look in any new frame! I rely on the shop assistant to steer me clear from total disaster but too often they are reluctant to just say, "Oh honey, no" when they should.

>146 rosalita: Julia: Ha! John needs to loan Karen to you for the next time you get new glasses! I can still see well enough without them to see what I look like, but that doesn't make the decision any easier for me, it seems.

Yes, I may have to get Karen on FaceTime or Skype next time I choose glasses!

>148 rosalita: Julia: Ooh, great idea!

>144 johnsimpson: It is not how we think we look, John, that counts; it is how they think we look. An easy life in such matters is to be encouraged.

I find it quite ridiculous how they sell frames. I mean my eyesight is -700 in one eye and -575 in the other and you try frames on with clear lenses in them. I cannot see well enough to have the first idea whether they would suit me or not!

>150 PaulCranswick: Paul: It does seem a bit silly, but I'm not sure how they could do it otherwise, really.

On today's agenda:
Treadmilling, menu-planning and grocery listing, sewing, writing, a bit of grocery shopping, and then library volunteering. I'm pleased to announce that the Halloween costume is finished! (Photos to follow when there is an actual Charlie in the costume.)

On the reading front:
I finished The Loner (more on that later), started listening to The Virginian (which is surprisingly okay so far - it's a western and I don't loathe it!), and read more of The Raven King (which is *amazing* so far).

What We Read Yesterday:
-Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin
-Instructions
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet
-Enormously Foxtrot
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Congrats on the new kitchen, and I can't wait to see the costume!

Morning, Amber!

>154 London_StJ: Thanks! I'm excited to see him in the whole get-up, too (he's only tried on bits at a time for fittings).

>155 msf59: Morning, Mark!

179. The Loner by Ester Wier (Newbery Honor Book, 151 pages) - 8/10 = B+
An orphan boy who has learned to rely only on himself and lives day to day traveling west and working here and there on fruit farms somehow finds himself on a sheep farm in Montana and stumbles into a family to call his own.
A nice little story, if totally predictable. Plus: enter bear stage left. Another plus: sheepherding dogs.

Sweet Thursday, Amber!

Weighing in on the glasses discussion, the last few times I've purchased glasses I've gone through Clearly (an online retailer). You can upload a picture of your face without glasses on and then you can view what potential frames will look like on your face. Not completely accurate but gives you an idea. Very helpful when you live solo and don't have anyone to help you weigh in on blurry views. :)

>150 PaulCranswick:, Exactly Paul. We were watching a programme earlier and a chap had some lovely round framed glasses that seem to be all the rage at the moment and I mentioned to Karen that that was what I wanted, she looked at me and said I had a long face and they would not suit me, end of discussion.

>159 MickyFine: Micky: Oh, neat idea! I may have to putz around with that just for fun.

>160 johnsimpson: John: Ha! End of discussion!

On the agenda today:
Grocery shopping, weekly bills and photo organizing, cleaning, library volunteering, then a quick trip to the public library between school and Charlie's ballet class. Short Order Eggs for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Virginian, which continues to be good, started reading Switchers, and read more of The Raven King.

What We Read Yesterday:
-Home at Last by Vera B. Williams (CCBC, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
-Ollie's Halloween
And bits of:
-Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet
-Enormously Foxtrot
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And we started watching Spiderman: Homecoming last night. We loved this one in the theater and so had it pre-ordered on blu-ray. Holland is perfect as Peter Parker.

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday! Looks to be another beaut. Keep 'em coming.

Enjoy your day.

>162 scaifea: Happy Friday Amber! What are Short Order Eggs? My initial guess was eggs done anyway you want them (breakfast for dinner! yay!), but the capitalization makes me think it's an Official Recipe of some kind.

>164 msf59: Morning, Mark! Charlie has a walking field trip this morning to an historical cottage here in town - they're going to have a great day for it, I think.

>165 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura! No, you're right - it's just breakfast for dinner, eggs how you want them. I just tend to capitalize things. Makes my life feel more official.

>166 scaifea: ha ha, thanks Amber!

>167 lauralkeet: Laura: No problem!

Your kitchen is looking great! Love the cleaner, more open look!

Yay! for kitchen improvements. You scare me, though, about the length of time it took. We need to do things to ours, but we live in the kitchen so much of the time. I don't know where we'd put all the "stuff" while the work was being done, for one thing. And Molly would go into hiding...she hates people in the house (other than us).

Good luck with the new lenses; I have progressives and I think they're the best thing ever. I didn't have trouble getting used to them at all. Only they are little tricky for reading in bed.

>169 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Me, too!

>170 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: That was the trouble here, too - we live in the kitchen mostly, too. And needing to keep the dogs out of there all day every day for 5 weeks was nuts. Gah.

How are the lenses tricky for reading in bed? I'm nervous now...

>171 scaifea: Well, I find the angle when I'm lying propped up means I'm not quite looking through the right part of the lens. But if I adjust the pillows right, it's OK.

>172 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ah, okay. Good to know!

Hiya, Amber. Happy Friday!

>174 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

mmmm, breakfast for dinner is my favorite!

Ditto - both Debbi and I love that.

I, too, am on the Breakfast-for-Dinner team. Most especially omelettes with a pancake on the side.

>176 drneutron: >177 jnwelch: Jim & Joe: It's excellent, isn't it?

>178 richardderus: Richard: Sadly, I've never mastered the omelette thing. I do a pretty mean scrambled egg with all kinds of stuff in it, though. And I did make Lemon Pancakes for breakfast this morning...

Hey, all! We had a great day yesterday, but super full. We left home at 730 to get to the trick-or-treating gig in Lacrosse on time - Charlie and his friend had an amazing time, and all of the college kids handing out candy geeked out over Charlie's Link costume (so fun) - and then we had to hustle back down here for Charlie's ballet rehearsal. I'll post photos of the costume later on today, hopefully.

Today's agenda includes baking (Lemon Bliss Cake and possibly some Halloween cookies), possibly some time in the sewing room and hopefully some reading.

On the reading front:
I finished Switchers yesterday (more on that one later) and made good progress on The Raven King, which is so, so good.

Lemon Bliss Cake! Lemon Pancakes!! *swoon*

Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday! My sister is coming in tomorrow from Oregon, so I am taking the week off, to visit with her. I wish we could have had last week's weather.

Enjoy your day.

Happy Sunday, Amber!

We're back, and I've got way too many books going at the same time. I need to finish one or two. I will say you might like Akata Witch, by the author of Binti. I love the way she's bringing more African folklore (like Gaiman has done with other folklores) onto our shelves.

>181 richardderus: Richard: Come on over!

>182 msf59: Hi, Mark! I hope you have a great visit with your sister.

>183 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I'll have a look for Akata Witch - it sounds great!

Here he is, Link:

SO full of fabulous!! Thanks for sharing, Amber - Charlie looks awesome, and you have mad skills.

>186 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I was worried about the shield, because non-fabric crafts are not my strong point, but I think it turned out pretty well!

The costume is magnificent. Well done, Amber!

>185 scaifea: Charlie looks great in his costume, Amber, you did great!

>188 lauralkeet: >189 FAMeulstee: Thanks, ladies!

>185 scaifea:. Wow, you’ve got some creative chops! Looks great. Go Charlie!

>191 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!

180. Switchers by Kate Thompson (1001 Children's Books, 220 pages) - 8/10 = B-
All children have the ability to 'switch,' to change into whatever animal they imagine, but only a very few realize it. Tess is one of those few, and when she meets up with another switcher, they set off on a quest to figure out why the world seems to be diving into another ice age.
Sounds a little scattered, and it is. It's a neat premise, but the two main elements (the switching and the ice age bit) don't gel.

Hi Amber, love the Charlie photos my dear, what a talented lady you are. It sounds like you had a busy day yesterday but an enjoyable one. Hope you have managed to get your baking done and found time for some reading dear friend, we have done pretty much that today and the baking yesterday.

It is a busy time of year for you with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, at least we only have Halloween and Christmas to sort out. Karen is getting better by the day and the two days of baking haven't taken too much out of her and tomorrow is going to be a resting day for her before resuming the Christmas Cake baking hopefully on Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend my dear and we send love and hugs to you all.

>185 scaifea: total adorableness, Amber, just lovely! Oh, and the costume looks good too. ;)

>194 johnsimpson: Hi, John! I'm glad to hear that Karen is pretty much back to her amazing-baking self! I see her baked goods on FB and they always look so fabulous.

>195 richardderus: Richard: He's a cutie, alright, and no arguments here. And thanks!

Lovely costume pics, Amber. I'm not surprised he had a lot of fans for his outfit.

Way back up there you expressed some enthusiasm for Jackie Chan. I recently saw this advert he did for wildlife conservation on my travels. I'm guessing it was in the US first- so cute!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G0i9HjbdcTM

>197 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! And aw, that *is* adorable!!

Charlie’s costume is great!

>199 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Holy moly, he looks great!

>185 scaifea: Wow---you may have outdone yourself this time, Mom!

Great costume, Amber. The model helps. LOL. Those are quite the kitchen before and after photos. No wonder the reno took so long. Weighing in on the glasses discussion - I hate them on me and wore contacts until I was spending more time with readers on so that I could use my computer at work (at home I just took my contacts off.) I can read without glasses including fine print. At my last optometrist appointment I was told that my distance prescription had improved which is something that can happen as you get older if you need distance correction. My optometrist also told me that I will eventually need cataract surgery. Currently you need to choose whether to have distance or close up lenses inserted but, he told me, there is someone working on bionic lenses so that the implants will be able to do both corrections.

>201 London_StJ: Thanks!

>202 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda! I'm not sure about that, though - last year's costume too a lot longer to make, what with the sweater knitting and scarf knitting and robe sewing. This one was much faster.

>203 Familyhistorian: Meg: My mom just recently had surgery to remove cataracts in both eyes; she chose distance lenses and needs glasses for close-up stuff. It's neat that they're working on bifocal lenses, too.

On the agenda today:
Treadmilling, sewing, writing, and I may make some ghost cookies out of Nutter Butters and melting chocolate for an after-school snack before heading in for my library volunteering.

On the reading front:
I'm still working through The Raven King and being wowed by every chapter.

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Branch by MIreille Messier (CCBC, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
-Penguin and Pumpkin
Bits of:
-Enormously Foxtrot
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
And Charlie finished reading aloud:

181. Mr. Pants: Trick or Feet by Scott McCormick (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
We all three love this graphic novel series. So hilarious.

Morning, Amber!

I wonder whether Becca knows about Mr. Pants. Sounds like a good series.

Morning, Amber!

Charlie looks amazing in his costume, Amber. And he's getting so tall!

Glad you had such an awesome weekend. Here's hoping your Monday is a gooder. :)

Amber, I'm just now getting here to see the photos of the kitchen remodel -- it looks so much better and I love the color you're doing. The whole thing is so much more light and open feeling, and still has the charm of the wood accents. Very nice.

And Charlie, of course. I love his costume!

You include writing on your agenda for today..... I may have missed something, but what are you writing? Is there a particular project on which you are working (and about which you feel comfortable sharing)?

>207 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Best Friend would love the Mr. Pants books, I think - they're graphic novels intended for kiddos (middle grade, I think), but Tomm and I both think they're pretty hilarious, too.

>208 msf59: Morning, Mark!

>209 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Yes, he's entirely too tall, really. He'll pass me up in no time, I think. Poor thing gets tired of everyone telling him how tall he is all the time, but bless him, he just smiles and nods (and then grouses to me about it later).
Here's hoping your Monday is a gooder, too!

>210 EBT1002: Ellen: I'm really happy with the kitchen re-do so far, although dreading going through it all again in a year or so when we can afford new cabinets and such. Yoicks.

Thanks for the costume love - it's my very favorite thing to sew and I always look forward to this time of the year! So fun.

The writing: a former colleague/still good friend and I are co-writing a new beginning Latin textbook together. After teaching Latin for years and grousing to each other about how all the textbook options out there are kind of crap in one way or another, he finally decided we should just write one. So, here we are. It's sort of slow going because we work in very different ways - he's a linguistics genius and has fabulous ideas about how the language should be taught, but he's SO scatterbrained, and I need an organized system in which to work. My part of the job, on top of making decisions with him about how and in what order grammar and such needs to be introduced, being in charge of all Latin example sentences for new material, and checking his Latin for howlers (embarrassing mistakes), is taking our ideas about how to talk about the language and putting it into prose that's relaxed and more conversational/reader friendly than most textbooks tend to be. I'm fairly passionate about this not being as dry a read as textbooks generally are. Latin is awesome and so much fun, so why shouldn't the book be, too?

>211 scaifea: Such a good kid. My dad was his adult height (6'0") by age twelve and had a bit of a rough time of it for a while as because he was adult sized other adults expected his behaviour to correspond. On the other hand, I was the tallest girl in my class until about mid-junior high and then stopped growing and ended up being on the short side of the spectrum (5"3"). Here's hoping Charlie ends up somewhere in between. :)

>211 scaifea: I think I've said this before, but I love the idea of your new textbook. Any chance you might road test it with a kind of group read/ learn? (Not that I ask for much, eh?)

The Jackie Chan ad made me smile so much when I saw it. I missed not having instant rewind just to be able to check it really was him.

I watched the cartoon Captain Underpants on the plane over, after a rave review from a film critic (I think the title would have otherwise put me off). So funny, in a rather sweet way, about two boys who like to make their own comics/ stories. I wondered if Charlie had come across it.

>212 MickyFine: Micky 6' by 12?! Whoa. I can see how that might have been hard on the poor guy. It's interesting that you shot up so fast and then stopped. We're not sure what will happen with Charlie's growing - my mom had some pretty tall brothers, so maybe he'll keep going for a while. I can see him rocking the gentle giant thing pretty well.

>213 charl08: Charlotte: Oh, yes, I'd LOVE to trial run the book as a group read/class sort of thing! Now, if only there were more than you interested...

Charlie loves Dav Pilkey's Dog Man books, but he's decided for some reason that he wouldn't like the Captain Underpants ones. I've read the first one and thought it was pretty good, though. It's good to hear that the movie is good, too.

>211 scaifea: How awesome you are co-writing a new Latin textbook!

>214 scaifea: I didn't realise it was a book! Hanging my head in shame...

>215 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>216 charl08: Charlotte: Ha! I'm not certain that that's something you should be ashamed about...

On the agenda for today:
Tuppence as an appointment at the vet's office for her laser treatment this morning and Charlie has his book club tonight. In between will be the usual: treadmilling, sewing, writing, library volunteering.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Virginian and finished The Raven King (more on that one later).

What We Read Yesterday:
-Corduroy's Best Halloween Ever
-The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
And bits of:
-Upside Down Magic (Charlie's next chosen read-aloud)
-Enormously Foxtrot
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And we watched about half of Spooky Buddies before bedtime.

Morning, Amber! Damp and 50 today? Glad we are laying low. I did not read a single page yesterday, so I hope I can steal some reading time today. My sister likes to read too, so it could happen.

Enjoy your day.

>220 msf59: Morning, Mark! 50 and rainy is the perfect stay-home-and-read day; I hope it works out for you!

182. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (series read, 439 pages) - 10/10 = A+
Oh good lordy lou, this book! And this series! So, so, SO. GOOD. A fabulous story with crazy twists and reveals at the end of nearly every chapter it seems, and characters so skillfully drawn that they'll stay with me for a long time, I'm certain. This is one series that is definitely joining my elite list of Things To Re-Read and Often. Must now go read All. The. Steifvater. Things.

Morning, Amber!

I know your BFF has read and enjoyed Maggie Stiefvater. Maybe I need to give her books a look-see. Where does the series start?

>223 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! The first in the series is The Raven Boys, then The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King.

Got it. Thanks, Amber!

>225 jnwelch: Joe: Welcome! I hope you like them!

>222 scaifea: Maggie Steifvater is one of those authors where she really does improve with every book. So be warned that some of her earlier series are not quite at the level of the Raven Cycle.

>227 MickyFine: Micky: Good to know. I'm thinking that I may move next to her newest one, and then go back to pick up the horse one...

>222 scaifea: *does another impression of an elderly arthritic Neo to dodge book machine-gun bullets*

>229 richardderus: Richard: Oh, no, don't dodge it! You'll LOVE it!! How can you not want to read a book with this in it:

"{Blue} wore a dress Ronan thought looked like a lampshade. Whatever sort of lamp it belonged on, Gansey clearly wished he had one. Ronan wasn’t a fan of lamps."

Ronan wasn't a fan of lamps.

So. Good.

>230 scaifea: Hmm? What's that? I'm afraid macular degeneration has suddenly hit hard and I couldn't see what you were typing. Dear, dear, a terrible pity to be sure.

>231 richardderus: Amber said, READ MAGGIE STIEFVATER!!!



Think I will, too.

>231 richardderus: *snork!*

>232 Berly: Kim: *SNORK!!* YES!!

>232 Berly:, >233 scaifea: ...hmm? What's that? Can't...quite...

Great job on Charlie's costume!!

>234 richardderus: Richard: Okay, now you're just making fun of my new bifocals... *sigh*

>235 ChelleBearss: Chelle: Thanks!!

>214 scaifea: My nephew was 5'11" by the time he was 11. People treated him like he was older than he was. He gloried in how tall he was, he kept standing beside me and looking down and smirking (I am 5'). He is now about 6'7", I think, but he is too polite to smirk anymore.

>237 Familyhistorian: Meg: Good lord. That's most definitely tall.

On the agenda for today:
The usual: treadmilling, sewing, writing, library volunteering. Charlie has ballet class tonight, too. And Tomm's taking the rest of the week off to work on painting the kitchen and the living room. As much as I absolutely love the guy, it also absolutely throws me off my jam when he's home during the week. Is it weird (read: mean) that I'm a little annoyed? I mean, isn't that what weekends are for? *sigh* (Confession: I'm mostly annoyed that I can't a) do my usual what-seems-totally-cool-in-my-head-but-in-actuality-is-likely-excruciatingly-dorky-dance/grooving-while-treadmilling because he may happen to come down to the basement while I'm doing it, and b) do my usual similarly-awesome-not-awesome post-treadmilling singing in the shower.)

On the reading front:
I listened to a bit more of The Virginian (still good so far), started and finished The Animal Family (more on that later), and read a bit more of War & Peace.

What We Read Yesterday:
-Trick or Treat with Elmo
-When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A-
And bits of:

-Upside Down Magic
-Enormously Foxtrot
-Ramona and Her Father (this month's Charlie Book Club Read)
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

>239 scaifea: Amber, I love the glimpse into your secret life when Tomm is away from home!! My husband is usually around and now that I'm retired we spend even more time together, but I have been known to do a happy dance when I get a bit of that precious alone time. I don't dance but I do talk to the dogs.

>239 scaifea: Ha, I live alone but I still totally get where you're coming from! My least favorite part about living in an apartment is that I do not feel comfortable singing along to my music at the top of my lungs. It really cramps my style. :-)

>241 lauralkeet: Laura: Ha! Well, we both talk to (and for) the dogs, so that one's okay here. And it's not like he doesn't know at this point that I'm a complete goof, so he wouldn't be surprised at my awkward (but in my head awesome) treadmill dancing. But still.

>242 rosalita: Julia: Do you also stop singing in the car when you pass another car? Guilty.

>244 scaifea: Yep yep yep!

>245 rosalita: And do you turn the music down when you need to pay more attention to where you're going? Also guilty.

"Rain, rain go away...come again another day"

Morning, Amber!

>247 msf59: Morning, Mark! More rain, you say? I don't think we're getting any here today (hopefully). But hey, at least you don't have to be working out in it, right?

183. The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell (Newbery Honor Book, 180 pages) - 8/10 = B
A hunter living in a cottage near the sea falls in love with a mermaid, who comes to live with him. They adopt a bear cub, a lynx kitten and a little boy and live happily ever after.
A sweet and simply told story with nicely drawn characters and lovely illustrations by Maurice Sendak.

>239 scaifea: Nope, not weird, not mean, not unusual. Part of living together is needing physical and psychic space apart from the party of the second part. What *would* be mean is sharing those feelings with him in a blaming kind of way. Which, I know, you wouldn't do because you're a grown-up.

Morning, Amber!

Madame MBH was so worried that my being around the house more would throw her off her jam that we put off my retirement for a good while. (I knew we'd be fine). She's adjusted now, although I bet she'd agree with Laura that getting some alone time is wonderful.

>246 scaifea: Yep! Whatever I'm listening to: music, podcasts, audiobook. It all gets turned down or off if I need to concentrate on finding a certain street or whatever. Great minds think alike!

Wait, we're not supposed to sing in the shower if the husband is home? Ruh roh....

>250 richardderus: Richard: But of course not. Also, because he's taking me out for lunch...

>251 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I've always needed time by myself, so much so that I was a little worried about how I would adjust to married life, to be honest. But it seems to be working out okay so far...

>252 rosalita: Julia: Woot for great minds!

>253 katiekrug: Katie: Supposed? Aw, there's no supposed. Just different jams.

On the agenda today:
Menu-planning and grocery-listing, treadmilling, cleaning the car. Tomm and I are probably also going shopping for a new stove hood, too.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Virginian, started The Moves Make the Man, and read more of The Forever War.

What We Read Yesterday:
-Froggy's Halloween
-The Story of Ferdinand
And bits of:
-Upside Down Magic
-Enormously Foxtrot
-Ramona and Her Father
-The Westing Game
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Morning, Amber! It turned out to be beautiful yesterday. No rain, thankfully. We were supposed to visit my aunt out in Rockford today but she is under the weather, so it looks like we will have a "chill" day, which is okay with me.

Sweet Thursday, my friend.

>257 msf59: Morning, Mark! Have a nice chill day today!

Morning, Amber! I am excited about your new stove hood - I love kitchen stuff.

Morning, Amber!

>259 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I'm pretty excited, too. We have an exposed vent/exhaust deal, and we don't have cabinets about the stove, so we're getting one of those crazycool-looking hoods with the chimney! Woot!

>260 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

The new thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/271913