Mamie's 2018 Madness (Page 8)

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Books Read in March:
23. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars) 2017 acquired audiobook. non-fiction/memoir/abuse - Katie's Dirty Dozen
24. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Fiona Griffiths series, book 3)

I am planning on walking the cat again this year. That is, I am just going to go where my reading takes me. I am not committing to any challenges except for Katie’s PopReadHarderSugarEtc.Challenges 2018

Books Read in January:
1. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker (4 stars), library hardback, YA non-fiction/history - mentioned on Julia's thread last year in reference to the 100 year anniversary of the incident
2. March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (5 stars), library paperback, GN non-fiction/memoir/Civil Rights Movement
3. Artemis by Andy Weir (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, sci-fi
4. You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars), 2018 purchased audiobook, non-fiction/vignettes with selfies
5. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Lourd (4 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook - recommended by Mark
6. The White Album by Joan Didion (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, non-fiction/essays
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (3.8 stars), 2012 or earlier acquired paperback, gothic fiction/classic
8. Ties by Domenico Starnone (4 stars), library paperback, literary fiction/relationships - recommended by Lynda
9. God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, fantasy - recommended by Roni and read for her GR of it
10. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant (4.5 stars), library hardback, contemporary fiction/illegal immigration - recommended by Katie
11. Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson (3 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Dark Iceland series, book 2)

Books Read in February:
12. The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson (4 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural (Johansson and Jarnebring series, book 8) - recommended by Charlotte
13. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (4.5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/grief
14. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, dystopian/zombies - recommended by Mark
15. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (October Daye series, book seven)
16. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/The Civil Rights Movement
17. A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren 1939-45 by Astrid Lindgren (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, non-fiction/diary/WWII
18. Greenglass House by Kate Milford (4 stars), library hardback, juvenile fiction/mystery - recommended by Amber
19. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, narrated by Fiona Shaw with Jonathan Keeble (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/feminism
20. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/democracy - recommended by Joanne
21. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte
22. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (4.5 stars), library paperback, GN - recommended by Mark and Joe

Katie’s Dirty Dozen - That’s right, folks, KAK’s reserved spot is back for a fourth year, let’s see what she gets me with this time

1. The North Water by Ian McGuire - Mark and Judy loved this one, too. And also Richard, though a weentsy tidge less.

From 2017:
1. Everyday people by Stewart O'Nan (linked short stories)
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
3. Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (memoir)
4. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam
5. Personal History by Katherine Graham
6. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
7. Taft by Ann Patchett
8. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
9. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
10. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
11. Snow in August by Pete Hamill - Katie mentioned how much she loved this one over on the AAC thread after Mark had posted the list for next year

From 2016:
1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself COMPLETED 3/01/18 4.5 stars
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant COMPLETED 1/2018 4.5 stars
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi COMPLETED 10/2/16 5 stars
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
15. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
16. Nutshell by Ian McEwan COMPLETED 1/2017 5 stars
17. Black River by S. M. Hulse

AND, from 2015:
1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15 COMPLETED 8/19/16 5 stars
2. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2.99 on Kindle), purchased on 2/23/15
3. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly ($3.79 on Kindle), purchased on 3/31/15 COMPLETED 11/7/15 4.2 stars
4. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ($12.77 trade paperback), purchased on 4/1/15, COMPLETED read for Mark's AAC in January 2016, 4.25 stars
5. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker ($.99 on Kindle), purchased on 4/9/15 - second book in a series, first book Dreamland was recommended by Katie and purchased last year
6. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - used an Audible credit COMPLETED 6/16/15 4.9 stars
7. Academy Street by Mary Costello ($9.99 on Kindle), purchased on 6/12/15 COMPLETED 7/2/16 5 stars
8. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ($5.99 on Kindle), purchased on 8/28/15
9. Sweetland by Michael Crummey ($.99 on Kindle), purchased 9/5/15 COMPLETED 11/19/15 4.5 stars
10. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins ($7.99 on Kindle), purchased on 10/26/15

Susan’s Summer Shivers - Susan’s suggestions for some cold reading during the hot summer, which lasts about 9 months in Georgia

1. The Terror by Dan Simmons
2. The Abominable by Dan Simmons

Every year, LT is an embarrassment of riches for me. I like to keep track of who recommends what and any other pertinent info that lands a book on The List.

1. Curse of the Narrows by Laura m. MacDonald - about the Halifax explosion of 1917. Recommended by Bonnie, Meg, and Susan
2. Greenglass House by Kate Milford - recommended by Amber (she gave it an A!) COMPLETED
3. In America: Travels With John Steinbeck by Geert Mak - recommended by Anita
4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - recommended by Barbara
5. Darktown by Thomas Mullen - Jim, and he says the second book Lightning Men is just as good
6. The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, audio narrated by Michael Sheen - recommended by Traci
7. Number 17 by Jefferson Farjeon - Harry recommended this series on his thread
8. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney - recommended by Lisa (jonesli)
9. Slow Horses by Mick Herron - recommended by Deborah and Charlotte
10. The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt - recommended by Carrie
11. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley - recommended by Caro
12. For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden - recommended by Christina
13. Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins - recommended by Beth
14. The Good People by Hannah Kent - recommended by Bonnie
15. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - recommended by Shannon
16. How to Build an Android The True Story of Philip K Dick's Robotic Resurrection by David F. Dufty - recommended by Victoria
17. The Confession by Jo Spain - recommended by Susan (Irish noir, she says!!)
18. Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper - recommended by Richard
19. Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire - recommended by Jim (GN)
20. Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes - Jim again (the doctor is IN)
21. The Wandering Falcon by Pakistani author Jamil Ahmad - recommended by Judy - interlinked short stories
22. Exposure by Helen Dunmore - recommended by Anne
23. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
24. Dead Wake by Erik Larson - recommended by Karen
25. The Passage by Justin Cronin - recommended by Lori (ikernagh)
26. Drawing From Memory by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
27. A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington - recommended by Beth
28. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories by Denis Johnson - recommended by Mark
29. The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson - recommended by Susan, it's Southern Gothic

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started
4. A book involving a heist Greenglass House by Kate Milford
5. Nordic noir Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson
6. A novel based on a real person
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you
8. A book with a time of day in the title - Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
9. A book about a villain or antihero - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
10. A book about death or grief - The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
15. A book about feminism A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
16. A book about mental health
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author - March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
21. A book with your favorite color in the title
22. A book with alliteration in the title - The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
27. A book set on a different planet
28. A book with song lyrics in the title The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
29. A book about or set on Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell
31. A book mentioned in another book
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you've never read
34. A book that's published in 2018
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner Artemis by Andy Weir
36. A book set in the decade you were born - The White Album by Joan Didion
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to - The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
38. A book with an ugly cover The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges (you can easily Google these)

Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
2. A cyberpunk book
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you
8. A microhistory - Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker
9. A book about a problem facing society today On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

January Stats:

Books read: 11
Group Read: 1
Formatted Challenge: 1
PopSugar Challenge: 8

Books that are part of a series: 3
In Translation: 2
Rereads: 0

Format
hardback: 2
paperback: 3
ebook: 3
audio: 3

Borrowed: 4 (public library)
Archive (Purchased in 2012 or earlier): 1
Purchased in 2013: 0
Purchased in 2014: 0
Purchased in 2015: 0
Purchased in 2016: 0
Purchased in 2017: 4
Purchased in 2018: 2

Authors
Living: 9
Dead: 2

Male: 7
Female: 4

American: 6
Canadian: 1
Icelandic: 1
Irish: 1
Italian: 1
Scottish: 1

New to me authors: 6

fiction: 6
non-fiction: 5

Genres/category
non-fiction/history: 1
non-fiction/memoir: 3
non-fiction/essays: 1
classic: 1
literary fiction/contemporary fiction: 2
crime fiction/police procedural: 1
sci-fi: 1
fantasy: 1

LT Recommendations Read
Mark: 1
Lynda: 1
Roni: 1
Katie: 1

This should do it - next one's yours!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

I hope the rider of the laden motorbike doesn't face any muddy roads!

Hi Mamie, and happy new thread to you.

Good morning, Mamie. Happy new thread!

>10 harrygbutler: Thank you, Harry! Me, too. Or pouring rain.

>11 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen!

>12 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! Thank you.

Happy new thread Mamie!

>14 humouress: Thank you, Nina!

Happy new one, Mamie. Gorgeous topper 😍

Happy New Thread, Mamie. Sweet Thursday!

Love that topper. I just hope it all hangs together once she/he's underway. :-)

Good morning, Mamie and Happy new thread!



This is from another of my favorite films, Footlight Parade. Cagney and Blondell are in splendid form and are so adorable in this one.

Hi Mamie - Happy new one - LOVE the topper.

>16 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Glad the topper is a hit.

>17 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Sweet Thursday! I don't know that my balance would be good enough to pedal that bike.

>18 brodiew2: Morning, Brodie! Thank you! I love Joan Blondell - I have not seen that film in ages.

>19 BLBera: Hello, Beth! Thank you!

Wow, yet another new thread!! Have fun with it :)

>21 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! Thank you.

Happy new thread!

>23 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

Happy new thread. I half imagine that a number of us might own a bike like the one in the thread topper. It might cure my reading habit, as I know I'd fall off about 20 seconds after setting off!

>25 Helenliz: Thank you, Helen! Haha - me, too, if I ever actually managed to get going in the first place.

>26 Crazymamie: I remember driving such a motocycle when I was in my teens. It was great fun.

>27 Ameise1: How cool is that, Barbara?!

Happy new thread Mamie! And a super Thursday to boot. :D

Happy new thread, Mamie!
Completely agree with all others that the topper is great :-)

I didn't keep up with the threads for just a few days and find over 100 posts only on your previous thread....

>29 jolerie: Thank you, Valerie! I'll take a super Thursday!

>30 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Glad you love the topper. Sorry about the thread deluge.

Happy new thread, Mamie! Great topper

I feel really badly becauseI have not written reviews for my last four books. Thinking maybe mini-reviews will suffice:


14. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, dystopian/zombies - recommended by Mark

This gets the full five stars from me - I absolutely loved it. Recommended by Mark, and I also remember Kim and Mary having big love for it. The audio is narrated by Finty Williams (daughter of the fabulous Judi Dench), and it is perfectly delivered. Really had to discuss without giving anything away, so I'll just say that is post-apocalyptic and raises a lot of really good questions about what it is to be human. Melanie, the main character, is a delight. I thought the premise was brilliant, and I will definitely be listening to the next in the series, The Boy on the Bridge, which I understand is set in the same world but with different characters. (Correct me if I am wrong on this.)


15. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (October Daye series, book seven)

I love this urban fantasy series set in San Francisco. The main character, October Daye, is part Fae, and she has a complicated past, so I definitely recommend starting with the first book and reading in order. October is a PI, and she tends to get herself into trouble without really trying, but it is great fun following along as she then figures her way back out of it. The supporting cast is one of my favorite parts of these books - very diverse and well-drawn. Fast paced and action packed, these are like brain candy for me.


16. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/The Civil Rights Movement

The final book in John Lewis' trilogy about the Civil Rights Movement, and it does not disappoint. This one is actually my favorite of the three, and I cried while reading it. Just so well done, the graphic novel format is a perfect fit for this story, and the artwork and the writing are beautiful. We need more like these.


17. A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren 1939-45 by Astrid Lindgren (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, non-fiction/diary/WWII

Astrid Lindgren is well known for her children's books, especially those featuring Pippi Longstocking. She actually started writing the first Pippi books late into WWII, and while she was doing that she also had a secret job as a censor in the postal control department, and she was a wife and mother. Because Sweden remained neutral, she has a unique perspective of events - close to home but not at home, she watched from the sidelines and although Sweden did have rationing, they did not experience the hardships that the rest of Europe did. She started keeping a war diary at the very beginning, never dreaming that it would turn into a second world war. She clipped articles and speeches from the local papers, provided her own thoughts on current events and also included little snippets of her daily life. It is a diary, yes, but it reads like a novel, and it is very interesting. She kept her humor throughout and wrote openly about not understanding some of her government's decisions. Her daughter discovered the diaries after she died, and had them published. It's a shame that we are only provided with the writing of Lindgren and not the full diaries - I know it would be a pain to translate the various articles and speeches, but I would have like to have seen them at least reproduced in photographic form, so I could get a better picture of the original diaries in my head. What we get instead are the dated entries and a text description of what articles and speeches and photographs Lindgren clipped from the papers and magazines available to her. Still, it is worth it just for Astrid's impressions and summaries of life with a balcony seat to WWII. Recommended.

>32 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley!

>33 Crazymamie: - I like shorter reviews (and not just because it's how I do most of mine!). Personally, I don't want a ton of plot summary - I just want a person's impressions and thoughts. If it sounds interesting, I'll go look up more.

So nice job!

>35 katiekrug: Why, thank you, kindly, ma'am!

>33 Crazymamie: I read the Dutch translation of The Girl With all the Gifts last year, and am impatiently waiting for the translation of The Boy on the Bridge...

>37 FAMeulstee: I really loved it, Anita, and I thought the ending was brilliant. Hoping that The Boy on the Bridge gets translated soon.

>33 Crazymamie: OMG OMG OMG! I had no idea there was another book after The Girl With All the Gifts!

*runs off to the library site*

Happy number 8, Mamie. xx

Yay for March Book Three! Now I'm off to check out Seanan McGuire.

P.S. The first October Daye book, Rosemary and Rue, currently is $1.99 on Kindle.

Ahhhh, two book bullets already and you just started the thread!
I have The Girl with all the Gifts and I think I may read it next. Also got stung by Chimes at Midnight!

Just checkin' in, Mamie. Saw that number 8. * shaking head, mumbling *

Happy New Thread, Mamie! And Sweet Thursday. I know there were a lot of LT issues earlier today, which threw most of us off track. Glad to see, things back humming right along.

Thread 8? You are on fire, my friend.

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Glad you are still enjoying the Toby Daye series--also favorites of mine!

Happy New thread Mamie!

>1 Crazymamie: I love that image!!

I need to read March: Book Three. I loved the first two....

Ahhh, count me in with Morphy, I had no idea The Boy on the Bridge was a thing *goes forth excitedly*

Happy new thread, Mamie. I am happy to say that the books that caught me as BB's are already on my TBR list, thankfully!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie! A World Gone Mad looks like something I would enjoy. And it's in the library system. Heh.

Hi, Mamie! Count me among the fans of shorter reviews; I tend to skip any that are longer than a few sentences. I do like enough of a description of the content so I can know whether to check the book out further, but not too much. I then like to get an opinion or reaction, but I don't particularly care for extended analysis, interpretation, or analogizing.

Have a fine Friday!

Nice comments, Mamie. You got me with The Girl with All the Gifts and the Lindgren diaries. Luckily I've already read the Lewis memoir. The third was my favorite as well. Happy Friday.

Happy new thread and happy Friday, Mamie!
>1 Crazymamie: Yup, whatever it takes!
Woo Hoo for The Girl with all the Gifts! on to the wishlist it goes.

Hi there - Happy (sort of) new thread. Love that topper photo!

So glad you finished up the March series. It's so good. I read the other day that he's going to continue the series. The next book "Run: Book One" is due out in August.

>35 katiekrug: I agree completely, Katie.

Happy new thread! You realize at this rate, you'll hit 50 threads this year, right?

Happy new thread, Mamie. I hope to be able to keep up with this one!

Morning, Mamie! Happy Saturday. Had a great bird day yesterday, you will have to stop by.

Have a good weekend.

>39 Morphidae: Ha! Happy to help out, Morphy! Hoping your library had it.

>40 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! xx

>41 jnwelch: Hoping you like it, Joe - that is a great price! The first two books are not nearly as good as the rest, IMO, so keep that in mind.

>42 ChelleBearss: Hooray for hitting you with some book bullets, Chelle! be sure to start with Rosemary and Rue in the October Daye series - they need to be read in order because of the complicated back story.

>43 weird_O: Hey there, Bill! Thanks for checking in - did you see the side by side x-rays I posted on the last thread of your x-ray next to Daniel's x-ray?

>44 msf59: Thank you, Mark! And now it is Saturday because yesterday I spent most of my time running errands and then reading on the screened-in porch. Now I am WAY behind on the threads. Glad to hear the glitches are gone from the threads - that was most annoying.

>45 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! I love the October Daye books, and I heard about them first on your threads, so thank you.

>46 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel!

>47 EBT1002: Glad you love the topper, Ellen! And yes - you need to get to the third book. Such a great trilogy!

The first two books are not nearly as good as the rest. That's helpful, thanks, Mamie. So much better than hearing, the series goes downhill after the first two.

Hope you and the Paradisio gang have a great weekend.

>48 evilmoose: Glad to spread the word, Megan! I am excited to get to it, too.

>49 rretzler: Thank you, Robin! And look at you dodging the book bullets - maybe I'll get you next time.

>50 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>51 susanj67: Thanks, Susan! I do think you would enjoy A World Gone Mad - an interesting glimpse at WWII from a different perspective.

>52 harrygbutler: Hello, Harry! I also like shorter reviews, and I agree with your thoughts. I do usually try to include a quote. I think it's nice to give people a feel for the writing.

>53 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I am pleases to have hit you with some book bullets. Those March books were so well done, weren't they?

>54 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! I think you will like The Girls With All the Gifts when you get to it. Abby os listening to it now, and she is loving it.

>55 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli! This thread is still plenty new. The topper love is making me happy. I am very excited about the new series - I did not know that!

>56 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! That's what is most important to me, too - the impressions it left on the reader. Whether or not the writing is good.

>57 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Fifty - I think not. That boggles the mind - I just looked and the most threads I have had in a year was 25 in 2016. The threads have stayed hopping longer than usual this year, I will admit.

>58 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! Me, too - I like when you are here. I did not get my stepping in yesterday - I have some swelling in my right foot, and Craig thinks I might have irritated a tendon sheath. It looks angry, he said, which made me laugh. Anyway, I might baby it this weekend and see if it gets any better.

>59 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday! A great bird day?! I'll be right over!

Hoping that your weekend is also full of goodness.

>63 jnwelch: You're welcome, Joe. The second book is the loser of the bunch, but the rest are really good and you need book two for the continuing story arc, so you can't just skip it. Roni and friends warned me when I was reading the series, and I was thankful for their telling me.

Rae and Abby are not feeling well, so not as fabulous with the weekending as I had hoped, but at least they both have the day off.

>67 Crazymamie: Rest up, Mamie. I'm sure a good book will help. I just finished cleaning about 8 inches of snow off my car and shoveling it out but I am walking to the museum opening. I just hope they shoveled the sidewalks. I didn't do well step wise yesterday as it snowed most of the day.

Sorry to hear about your foot Mamie and that Rae and Abby are under the weather. Hopefully some rest and relaxation over the weekend will be enough to get you guys back on track. :)

Sorry to see that you, Rae and Abby are all under the weather. Hope you and your girls get some rest this weekend!

>68 Familyhistorian: I read on the screened-in porch (it is 84F here!), took a nap, and now I am back to the porch again. Definitely resting the foot. I am tired just reading about the snow shoveling and clearing of the car - I remember those days, and I do not miss them. Hoping the walks were cleared for you.

>69 jolerie: Thank you, Valerie - I hope so, too.

>70 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. I feel fine - just need to rest the foot. The top of the foot really hurts AFTER I walk, and it has been swollen for several days. I have been icing it, but now I am resting it to, trying to get it to calm down.

>60 Crazymamie: Yep! And it's in transit.

>61 Crazymamie: Hmm, good to know. I've read the first two and have wondered what the brouhaha was all about.

>72 Morphidae: *happy dance*

Yep - the first two are the weakest entries, Morphy, but you need them to set up the story line and establish the characters.

>73 Crazymamie: Okay, I'll keep going. I really liked the other two series by McGuire that I read (InCryptid & Wayward Children), so I was pretty disappointed.

Merciful maude! I missed the thread change and now I'm SEVENTY-FOUR posts behind...darling, I adore you, but just cannot make glookchhhh-streaming eyes and candle-forming nose focus that long. I saw the reviews were positive. Enough for me!

*smoochings*

Definitely try at least book three before deciding it's not for you - Toby stops rushing in trying to do everything herself and so the other characters get a chance to shine.

>75 richardderus: It's enough that you adore me. *smooch* Thanks for making it over here and taking the time to post even though you are very liquidy right now. Poor, poor baby.

Happy Sunday. Jealous of your temperatures and outdoor reading, we're sub-zero (celcius) and feeling it. brrrr. Looks lovely, is cold.

Sorry to hear about your foot and that the daughters are under the weather. Sending lots of healing vibes your way.
Happy Sunday, Mamie.

>78 Helenliz: Happy Sunday, Helen! Our screened-in porch is my favorite room in the house - so lovely to be able to see the pecan trees and enjoy the outdoor sounds without having to experience the bugs or the direct sunlight. I love reading out there. I am sending you warm thoughts - wish I could send you the temps.

>79 Ameise1: Thank you for that, Barbara. The daughters are still sleeping, but I hope they are feeling better today. My foot is less swollen after a day if icing it and pretty much staying off of it, so there's that. It needs time to heal, and I am not good with being patient, so we shall see...

Hoping that your Sunday is full of happy!

Mamie, sorry to hear about your angry foot. I hope it cheers up soon, and Rae and Abby are feeling better. We are having bulletins on the news about the cold, so I could do with a screened-in porch about now.

Thank you, Susan. I am on the screened-in porch right now as it is currently 66F here and going to 81F today. Very grayish right now. I am kind of bummed about the foot because I was just getting back into the groove with my walking. *sigh* At least I have a bunch of good books going right now to keep me company.

Sending you warm thoughts, my friend!

The Kindle Daily Deal is all about Sue Grafton today. Books A-O are available for $2.99 each.

Morning, Mamie. Happy Sunday. I saw that Grafton deal on Ammy. Not a shabby deal. I am glad you are able to enjoy your screened in porch, sounds like a perfect reading location and I take it you can see the feeders from there?

Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you. The screened-in porch in on the other end of the house, so I can't see the bird feeders from here - those are outside of our bedroom windows. We do have a hummingbird feeder hanging within sight, though. And we can hear the birds - they are very pleased with themselves this morning, so the air if filled with birdsong.

Hi Mamie!

Yay for your screened porch. Sorry about your foot, I hope the rest and icing get you back to normal soon.

I hope the girls are feeling better today.

Edited to add: Excellent news about the Kinsey Millhone books. I'm taking a break after zooming through A-F so far this year. Back to G soon.

Eeegads! Sorry to read your foot has taken a beating! Hope a little rest will do you good and your return to stepping be taken slow and gently.

>86 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Thank you for those good wishes. Rae is up now, and she says she feels the same as yesterday. Abby is still sleeping. They are both off today, so that is a very good thing.

I thought of you when I saw that Daily Deal!

>87 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda. I did not know that you could irritate a tendon sheath, but apparently, you can. For some reason I keep picturing an irritable, difficult man (think Walter Matthau) in there saying to me, would you just sit down, already, and stay there.

Book #18: Greenglass House by Kate Milford (4 stars), library hardback, juvenile fiction/mystery - recommended by Amber

This was great fun! Aimed at middle grade readers, this is also delightful for adults. Set in a hard to reach inn during the Christmas holidays, Milo and his parents (who own and run the inn) are looking forward to a quiet bit of time for themselves. What they get instead are a handful of strange visitors, a winter snowstorm and a slowly unfolding mystery. I loved the creaky old house with the stained glass windows that is a favorite place to stay for smugglers. The plot was twisty and reminded me of those old Scooby Doo cartoons that I used to love so much. Definitely recommended.

>87 Carmenere: Listen to Matthau! Hope you are back to stepping soon.

>91 charl08: Ha! Thanks, Charlotte. I will listen.

Happy Sunday, Mamie!

I hope resting your foot helps, and that a day off heals Rae and Abby. 81F! We're going to be lucky to see 40F here.

Good to know Roni likes the October Daye series, too. I've started the first one, and like you, appreciate the caveats.

Happy Sunday, Joe! Thank you for those good wishes.

Yep, it's hot and humid here. *sigh* Wish I could send you some of it.

Roni is who got me started. She's dangerous like that.

>94 Crazymamie: Ha! So true.

>95 jnwelch: *grin*

>90 Crazymamie: Sounds like fun, though I can’t say I ever watched Scooby Doo for the plot. :0)

>94 Crazymamie: NO!! NO SENDING HOTSTICKY NORTH!!

It might take a wrong turn and get here where it is DECIDEDLY UNWELCOME.

I'm a little better for having slept almost the entire day away, interrupted by moments of the YGC checking on me with glasses of cranberry juice, strawberry pastry items, and ear-nuzzles. I like them all but the nuzzles make me feel the best.

I'm not even going to pretend that I'm caught up on your threads (I'm not) but I did want to drop by and say hello and hope that all is well with you and yours.

And I hope you haven't been melting in the warm weather, lol. I, for one, am disappointed it'll be cooler for a bit!

>98 richardderus: Is this the same YGC from before you moved or a new and sparkly YGC?

>100 Morphidae: Hi Morphy! I've spotted you out and about on the threads, but I haven't found yours yet.

Happy whatever godforsaken day this might be, Mamie.

I'm a ways into the first October Daye. 14 years? What the heck?

>97 humouress: Very funny, Nina! I meant that if felt like Scooby Doo in that they show up someplace expecting things to be normal, and they suddenly have a mystery on their hands. And everyone is a suspect. And strange things start happening.

>98 richardderus: So, no then? Well, if you're sure. Glad you are feeling a little better, and it sounds like the attentions of the YGC are just what the doctor ordered. Of course, this is the doctor I am picturing:



>99 Dejah_Thoris: Dejah! Look at you making an appearance! I am most honored.

Too funny about the weather - I am wanting the cold back. I mean, it's February.

>100 Morphidae: Hey there, Morphy!

>101 humouress: *waves at Nina*

>102 jnwelch: Now that's the spirit, Joe!!! I know, right? Fourteen years is a mighty long time to be fish.

'Morning, Mamie!

>103 Crazymamie: Yummy doctor.

I am wanting the cold back. I mean, it's February. I agree 100% My forsythia, the dread Bradford pears all around us (we don't have any, thank goodness), even redbuds, all blooming and it's still just past the middle of winter. Daffodils are out, too. Sigh.

>105 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Yep - the daffodils are out here, too. And exactly why are the Bradford pear trees dreaded?

Agreed - the doctor is yummy.

They don't produce fruit, they break easily, they cross-pollinate. Here's an article in the NYT: The Ups and Downs of the Bradford Pear

>106 Crazymamie: Daffodils out already? I'm jealous! Our ground is still frozen but hopefully we will start seeing some flowers in the next month or so.

Good morning, Mamie! Slightly cooler weather for us here today, but not really wintry. We do have some stirrings of life in the flower garden; I probably should get a bed or two ready for our lettuce and other early season crops in the next few days.

>107 karenmarie: Okay, I got it now - thanks for the link to the article, which made me laugh. I especially liked this: "Its blossoms are fragrant — but not in a good way. Comparisons to semen and rotting flesh are common."

>108 ChelleBearss: Yep. I think you like warm more than I do, Chelle. The problem is that once the warm is here to stay, it gets REALLY hot. And summer lasts for about six months. I will not bring up the humidity or the gnats.

>109 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! Craig is planning his garden, too. I am planning to watch Craig garden. Heh.

>110 Crazymamie: Erika generally does most of the actual planting, but I usually get the beds ready, dig any areas that need dug, add new soil and mulch as needed, and the like. I do manage the strawberries, which I'm using as ground cover (with edible benefits) beside our driveway in a narrow strip that is otherwise difficult to mow.

Morning, Mamie! For once, I am glad to see this particular day of the week, after a crummy Sunday (I was sick). I'm sure this new appreciation will not last!

Hope it's bearable for you... :)

Oh no sorry to hear about the foot trouble! Hope you're back to stepping soon.

Meanwhile, looks like you're getting some good reading in!

Ah, teamwork. I like to let Craig do all of it, and I sit by the pool and say, Good job, Honey! Craig grew up on a farm, so he loves doing it and finds it relaxing. The closest I come to it is when I snip bits from the herb garden to use for cooking.

>112 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! Sorry to hear that you were sick - we have the sickness here, too, but luckily, I have escaped so far.

Thank you, for those good wishes. SO far, so good, but then it is only 10:32 am. Heh.

>113 bell7: Thank you, Mary! It felt better last night, but this morning it is really bothering me. I am going to have to be more vigilant about the icing, I think.

The reading is going great - yesterday I finished A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and read all of On Tyranny. Hoping to finish up at l;east two more before I run out of February.

>114 Crazymamie: Now that really is teamwork. Play to your strengths.

>116 humouress: Exactly.

Also >111 harrygbutler: Strawberries as ground cover; brilliant idea! I should let my mum know (because even if I could grow them in this climate, our dog would eat them).

>110 Crazymamie: Sorry! I know that our winter lasts longer and so does our spring. It isn't usually super hot here until July & August.

>118 humouress: Sadly, we never beat the critters to the strawberries even though Craig tries every year.

>119 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I am guessing that you also just love the warm temps more than I do. And we do not get the extreme cold that you do or the snow and ice, so it's much easier for me to love the cold that we do get.

>118 humouress: Thanks! I recommend everbearing varieties, as that way you get the blossoms all through the season — for us in eastern Pennsylvania, from at least May through October or November.

>120 Crazymamie: We do lose some to critters of various kinds, but I can usually count on some to snack on. As the area fills in this year, I'm hoping to get to a quantity I can use for shortcake and/or shrub.

>121 harrygbutler: I think last year we maybe got five strawberries, Harry. Craig used to grow the sweetest, most delicious ones back when we lived in Indiana.

>100 Morphidae: A different one. I'm still sad that Jeremy was so very hurt by my suicide attempt that he couldn't come to terms with it and find a way to forgive me. He was away at school and didn't see the signs, and was deeply distressed that I didn't trust him enough to say, "I'm drowning."

>103 Crazymamie: That Doctor can order me around any old time. *smooch*

Morning, Mamie. Lots of pleasant sunshine here and without the heat. I am soaking it up. Keep cool my friend.

>123 richardderus: Richard, that is heartbreaking. I did not know - I am so very sorry. *smooch and a bear hug*

And me, too. (Concerning the good doctor)

>124 msf59: Morning, Mark! Wet and going to 71F here today - less humid than yesterday, for which I am very thankful.

Finally catching up a bit. Sorry to hear about your foot. I hope it gets better soon. An excuse to spend time on your screened porch sounds lovely though. Screened porches are an absolute necessity in the south IMHO.

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! Thank you. The screened-in porch time has been delightful - I just love it out there. And you are so right that they are a necessity in the South. Craig even bought some screens for it that we can roll down in the mornings to keep it from getting too hot in the summer - it is on the south-east side of the house, so the summer mornings can be brutal with the sun coming straight in. The screens are perfect because we can roll them down in the morning and put them back up in the evening so we can see the moon and the stars.

>120 Crazymamie: I'll send you some cold...

>123 richardderus: I'm so sorry. It's difficult for people to understand that the withdrawal and not speaking about what we are feeling is a part of the depression and has nothing to do with our relationship with them. I think that unless they have dealt with the "black dog" themselves, they never really do "get it" as much as they want to.

I'm so very happy you have a new love in your life to brighten your spirits.

>101 humouress: I don't have a thread. I'm not making ANY promises but I'm thinking about starting one on March 1st.

Mamie, I'm sorry to hear that your foot is being a pain in the ... well, foot. I hope the ice and rest routine straightens it all out pronto, but in the meantime some screened-in porch time sounds marvelous.

>125 Crazymamie:, >128 Morphidae: Thanks, y'all. It was just another slam in a year that was full of them. We've spoken since then, he's tried to get his hurt out of the way, but it was too much for him to let go of. It makes me sad, but it's better to face it honestly than it is to pretend everything's okay when it's very much not.

A screened in porch sounds so lovely Mamie! Maybe we can have something like that in the future. Someplace cool to enjoy the summers and warm enough to just relax and enjoy the cold from the inside. :)

>129 Morphidae: We’ll hold you to it, then. :0)

>90 Crazymamie: I thought that was a lot of fun as well, Mamie.

Take care of the foot.

Morning Mamie, sorry for another absence (not the last for this late winter I fear). I hope your angry foot and the daughters are on the mend? I'm unhappy with the "Siberian cold" and the strong icy winds it has brought along, but just thinking about hot&humid I prefer what we're having. H&H will come along later in the year anyway.

Morning, Mamie. I hope your foot is feeling better, and that you have a good day down there in pecan country.

'Morning, Mamie!

Sorry about the continuing foot troubles. I'd tell you about mine, but sympathy is the order of the day and you have mine.

I'm glad you liked the article about the Bradford Pears - I, too, loved the description of the smell. One of our neighbors, fortunately at the downwind end of the street, has a bunch of them in his front. He's already lost one, and significant branches from another, which kinda wrecks the symmetry of the original intent. My husband grumbles most times when we drive by when they are blooming.

>128 Morphidae: Oh, thank you kindly, Morphy!

What you say to Richard is so true - I have not dealt with depression myself, but my BIL has struggled with it for many years, and so I recognize the truth in your words.

And I am hoping that you do start a thread. I miss you.

>130 rosalita: I spent most of yesterday out on the porch, and it was lovely. Today is damp and actually kind of cold, so Morphy must have kept her word about sending me some. It's supposed to go to 69F, but right now it is just 60F, which feels great as the humidity is down.

The foot is feeling and looking a bit better today, so I will continue to take it easy and see if it can make a full recovery, which would be lovely. thank you so much for your good wishes, Julia.

>131 richardderus: Right - honesty is da Bomb, even when it hurts. I would chose truth every time. Keeping you in my thoughts, dear one.

>132 jolerie: I highly recommend a screened-in porch, Valerie. This is the first house that we have lived in that has had one, and it is such a great place to hang out. We use ours almost year round.

>133 humouress: *grin*

>134 BLBera: It would have been a great one to read aloud, a few chapters each night to the kids, but it wasn't written until 2014. I bet Scout would love it when she is a bit older.

And thank you. I am trying to baby the foot, but I am not very patient, so...

Happy Tuesday, Mamie. I find myself dealing with people who don't follow instructions, they are most frustrating. The general public, who'd deal with them? Behave yourself with the foot or you'll be on the receiving end of a hard stare.

>135 Deern: it's not exactly what is was set up to be, cold, but we've escaped anything more than ~ inch snow and some thumping big hailstones. All vanishing now (fingers crossed).

>135 Deern: Morning, Nathalie. No worries - you never have to apologize for missing parts of the thread. Rae is feeling better, but Abby still has the crud. My foot is looking and feeling better today, so I am hopeful that if I can keep taking it easy and icing it there will be continued improvement.

I also prefer cold to hot and humid, but I am thankful that I do not have to deal with extreme cold. Sending you warm thoughts and wishing you well.

>136 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! It's all wet and gray here today, and I am wanting to just hunker down and stay in. Luckily for me, Daniel is off today and has offered to run any errands that need doing. *happy dance*

Hoping your day is also full of goodness!

>137 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Thank you for that, and I would like to hear about your foot troubles, so feel free to share.

SO interesting, and I had never heard of those trees. When we lived in Indiana, our first house was next door to a house that had a HUGE cottonwood tree in the front yard. It was a beautiful tree, but every year it would shed that cotton, it looked like it was snowing. SO much cotton - it made a big mess every year, and every year the neighbors would apologize. So funny because it wasn't their fault, and they were the sweetest older couple. Best neighbors we ever had.

>140 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! Happy Tuesday! And yes, ma'am. I will behave myself. *nods head emphatically*

Ooh, hailstones! YIKES! Crossing my fingers with you that it is on its way out.

Hi Mamie!

Glad to see that you are taking it easy and that your foot is improving!

I think I probably do like the heat more than you do, but we don't get the oppressive heat that the south gets. I'm sure if I spent a lot of time down your way in the middle of summer I would welcome Canadian winter :)

Hello, Chelle, and thank you.

Yeah, the heat and humidity are truly terrible down here. What I do like is that there is so much sun - so many bright days. I remember we had a lot of gray back in Indiana, and it lasted a long time, so that you were yearning for the sun by the time Spring rolled around. Here every single month has a lot of sunshine, which is happy making.

Morning, Mamie. Glad to hear it has cooled off a bit and I am glad your foot is feeling better. Nearing 60 here today, so no complaints on my end.

>145 msf59: Morning, Mark! It's 60F here right now, but overcast and wet, so it feels great - slightly chilly.

Hi, Mamie! I hope your foot woes come to an end soon!

We might consider screening in our porch, if only so we could allow the cats out onto it. It gets very hot in the afternoons, so we've planted some climbing roses that perhaps this year will finally be tall enough to give some shade, but I've considered getting the blinds as well. We need to have the floor and posts replaced this year anyhow, so it might be a good time to do a bit more.

>147 harrygbutler: Hello, Harry! Thank you for those good wishes.

Our cats love to be on the screened-in porch - they will sit out there for hours. I bet you would love it, too - they are quite addictive, I warn you. I would advise you to go for it - ours is my very favorite place to be.

Good morning, Mamie! Here is a shot from one of my many favorite Cagney films, The Strawberry Blonde. I may have mentioned this in the past, but the scene pictured is a highlight for Alan Hale, Sr. Cagney gives him the Nitrogen gas which sends him into an outrageous laughing fit. silver screen gold.

I loathe Bradford pears with their child's-drawing-of-a-tree circle on a stick looks and stinky spring bloom. But they are grudgingly allowed to live on my planet because fall:

Wowzer. And they grow in places where fall color isn't readily available, like the South.

Woke up to snow this morning Mamie, so talk of the lovely porch is making me very wishful for summer indeed!

I've never seen a Bradford Pear - at least, I don't think so. They look lovely though.

>151 charl08: same here, snow makes the world look very pretty, but not warm.

>150 richardderus: Very colourful. But I remain unconvinced - I'm not sure I see the point of a fruit tree that doesn't, you know, produce fruit. I took out an ornamental cherry from our garden when we moved in for the lack of fruit produced. Pretty in April wasn't enough to warrant the space. It was replaced with a plum tree.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie. Glad to hear that you are on the mend. Take it easy, lady.

Just popping by. Kind of sad that I missed all the Carey Grant talk last thread.

I cannot believe that today is the end of February! It really just kind of flew by. Anyway, it's been a great reading month for me - I have finished eleven books, and none of them have rated lower than four stars. I am hoping to finish up one more today - The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths, which is very good so far. LOVE Fiona!

Abby got her hair cut (up to her shoulders) and re-colored yesterday, and it looks fabulous. She did the rose gold again which starts darker at the roots and lightens as it goes down with pink on the tips - stunning! Rae is getting hers redone on Saturday, so my life will still be full of color as we head into March - the month in which Rae will turn 26!

Nothing much else to report - my foot is the same, so I am trying to be good. Birdy has caught the creeping crud - Rae is better, and Abby is the same. I have no idea what is for dinner - I am thinking maybe a big pot of chili.

Hoping everyone's Wednesdays are full of fabulous!

>149 brodiew2: Brodie, I do not think I have seen that one - I'll have to see if I can track it down.

>150 richardderus: Those are gorgeous in color, Richard, but I remain leery: "Its blossoms are fragrant — but not in a good way. Comparisons to semen and rotting flesh are common." Um...just no.

>151 charl08: Snow! Oh wait, you were not excited about it, so oh dear, snow. *sigh* The porch is a fabulous thing, Charlotte.

And yes they do look lovely, but I am still bothered by that quote about how they smell.

Happy Wednesday! Sorry to see your foot is still poor. Hopefully you are resting!

Glad that you are loving Fiona! I'm waiting for the next instalment!

>152 Helenliz: Helen, I agree with you - I want the fruit trees to produce fruit. We have several that Craig has planted, and the peach tree is in bloom right now, and it is truly lovely:


Photo by Abby

>153 Ameise1: Barbara, thanks for that. I am trying. SO far, so good.

>154 BBGirl55: Hello, Bryony! I am sorry you missed al the Cary Grant talk - we can always start it up again. He is full of fabulous, so I never tire of him.

>157 ChelleBearss: Hello, Chelle! Happy Wednesday! I am resting it as much as I can - I mean, stuff still has to get done, but I have been good about doing a little and then taking a break, then a little more.

Fiona is delightful - I like how unpredictable she is and how she thinks about things. Such a unique character, and the books are very well done.

Good morning, Mamie! Our sole fruit tree is a dwarf peach tree, but it is too young for fruit as of yet, I think. I am hoping that our second grape is well-enough established now to produce some fruit this year.

If we had the space for them we would consider pawpaw trees, though they also reputedly have a terrible smell, as the fruit is tasty, but we'd need a place big enough to plant several and keep them far from our house. :-)

>160 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! Ours is, too! I'll have to ask Craig what else we have - I know lime, and that one did produce last year. My favorite trees are the pecan trees, and we have five of those, and they produce the sweetest, most excellent pecans. And behind our property there is a pecan grove, and that makes for a lovely view - one of the reasons we bought this place.

>161 Crazymamie: Nice! We're almost certainly too far north for productive limes. I wouldn't mind having some black walnut trees, and I think Erika would like some filberts, but our little suburban lot certainly can't support all that. As compensation, we have raspberries, black raspberries, boysenberries (not yet productive), and blackberries planted around the edges of the back yard.

>162 harrygbutler: No black walnut trees for me - I am very allergic to walnuts. And walnut trees make a mess. I love the idea of all the berries, though. Craig always tries to grow blueberries, but he has not been very successful with it down here.

>158 Crazymamie: that's gorgeous.

>160 harrygbutler:/>162 harrygbutler: So I know where to come for fruit advice! Not heard of black raspberries, is that not a contradiction in terms?
I planted a grape vine last year, it grew a good 6 ft in height, so this year (assuming it has survived the snow...) I'll start trying to train it along the pergola. Hoping for fruit in a few years time. Actually, hoping for just 1 grape, any time in the next decade, I'm not terribly optimistic about this one, but it will shade the kitchen window nicely in the summer.
I have strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, blueberry, blackcurrent & plum plants/bushes/trees (delete as appropriate). Plus asparagus which isn't a fruit but is a perennial thingy. And a small vege patch and good size greenhouse. I'm a rubbish gardener, but you have to give me credit for trying to eat most of the garden >:-)

>163 Crazymamie: That's a good reason to avoid them! I'd only have them if we had enough land that the mess could be ignored.

It's a real pleasure to be able to stroll into the back yard and grab a handful of raspberries or blackberries and snack on a whim.

We weren't successful with blueberries either; the soil wasn't right for them, but even those we tried in containers were a bust.

>164 Helenliz: I don't know how that I'm much of an expert. :-) We do have quite a few strawberries, but no rhubarb (at least as yet). This year we're going to put in some ground cherries in the hope that they will reseed and provide us with fruit perennially. Our Concord grape did very well, even in its first year, but we neglect it enough that we doubtless don't get the yield we should. :-)

Black raspberries are an eastern North American fruit. They are certainly scarcer than red raspberries; they're similar (on average a bit smaller) and taste quite good.

By Nyttend - Own work, Public Domain, Link

Are black raspberries different from blackberries?

>166 katiekrug: Yes. Blackberries are larger and have an internal core that you eat if you eat the fruit, but black raspberries, like red raspberries, come off their core to eat.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/09/blackberry-black-raspberry-difference_...

They taste different, as well. Like a more-intense red raspberry. Really delicious.

Must find me some of those!

Himalayan Blackberries. To. Die. For.

Happy Wednesday, Mamie!

>170 EBT1002: I should probably add that they are terribly invasive here in the pacific northwest region of the US but they are SO yummy. There was a place back in Corvallis, Oregon, where I used to run. Bald Hill. Along the end of the trail there were oodles of these vines. In the right time of the summer I would graze them after my run and they were a perfect treat. Of course, I would also then come home with scratches up and down my forearms but it was worth it!

Love the picture by Abby! What an eye she's got.
I remember loving spring time when I was growing up because the trees would be filled with cherry blossoms. Then on those windy days, they would all come showering down. It would be a petal storm and the air would be so fragrant. Now where I am, it's just pine trees everywhere. I think a needle storm/pine cone storm would not have the same effect and it would hurt to boot.

>159 Crazymamie: Delegate :) I'm not getting anything done today and I'm not sad about that. The kids are cared for and the rest can wait until tomorrow.

I've never heard of a black raspberry. And I've never eaten a pecan fresh from a pecan grove. Do they have to dry out at all or can you eat them right from the shell?

>164 Helenliz: I agree - Abby has taken some beautiful photos.

I had not heard of black raspberries, either.

>165 harrygbutler: One of my sisters used to live in a house with a black walnut tree hanging over over the driveway, and it was so awful - made such a mess.

Now I am going to have to ask Craig exactly what we have growing - I know we have grapes and several dwarf fruit trees. Then he usually grows potatoes, bell peppers, jalapeños, beans and peas. Lettuces tend to do really well, but tomatoes are a bust - it's just so hot and humid. I know he has grown carrots and some melons in the past. I don't know what he is planning for this year.

>166 katiekrug: That's what I wanted to ask, too, Katie!

>167 harrygbutler: Thanks for that, Harry!

>168 richardderus: Now I want some.

>169 katiekrug: Me, too.

>170 EBT1002:, >171 EBT1002:, >172 EBT1002: Hello, Ellen! Happy WEDNESDAY! I confess I have not had Himalayan Blackberries - I'll have to see if they have those here. Love your story!

>173 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie - I'll pass on your compliment to her. I agree that a pine needle/cone storm would be most unpleasant. We have loads of them down here, and the pollen is everywhere. EVERY. WHERE. We have to clean off the tables on the screened-in porch daily, and the rag comes away yellow from all the pollen. Cars get coated with it. Sometimes you drive through a yellow haze of it - it is a real pain and plays havoc with my allergies.

>174 ChelleBearss: Normally, I would, Chelle. I am very good at delegating. However, today everyone was working except for Birdy and I, and Birdy feels awful - she has caught the creeping crud and so she is just sitting on the couch and looking pathetic, the poor dear. It's all done now - mainly the kitchen needed a tidy, laundry needed done, litter boxes taken care of and some vacuuming. I did go with the chili, and that is in the slow cooker. Everything is managed, so now I can take the rest of the evening off.

You can eat the pecans right out of the shell, and they are delicious.

>163 Crazymamie: Blueberries like a bit acidic soil, we use soil with some peat (is that the right name?) in it. And they need some sun. One of my blueberries is a bit to much in the shade, and doesn't do very well. The other two give a lot of berries each year (most of the berries are taken by the birds, but I manage to get my share).

>178 FAMeulstee: Thanks so much for that, Anita. And yes - peat is exactly right.

>165 harrygbutler: True, quite messy. But so fun to get all stained to eat them if one can.

These days, we usually grow lettuce, salad turnips, radishes, cucumbers, jalapeños (or some other similar hot pepper), tomatoes, and lima beans and/or wax beans, and sometimes beets and / or regular turnips, beyond the fruits. We finally gave up on bell peppers after repeated tries, and likewise I'm unlikely to have another go at potatoes, which in my case always seem to flourish for a time and then wither away. In addition to the ground cherries, I think we may be putting in horseradish and / or garlic in containers this year.

>169 katiekrug: >176 Crazymamie: They are very good. We lost one of the three canes we planted last year, but I'm hoping the other two will have spread a bit, so that we can get more black raspberries right from the yard this year.

>178 FAMeulstee: Right, Anita. Blueberries need a soil that didn't work well with most of the other crops we wanted to plant, so we tried containers. They did better there, but still weren't productive enough to warrant the effort. We lose a lot of our berries to the birds, but we don't really aim to do anything save use them fresh (and perhaps make some shrub), so we don't begrudge our avian friends their share.

>93 jnwelch:, >94 Crazymamie:, >95 jnwelch:, >96 Crazymamie: I knew there was some reason my nose was itching the other day, Mamie and Joe!!

And catching up on your thread reminded me of the pictures I took a week and a half ago of our local blooms and meant to post. Off to do that, after sending healing vibes for your foot and the girls!

>180 harrygbutler: Wow, Harry, that is impressive! Peppers of any kind do really well down here, so they must love the heat. And Craig's potatoes were really good. All of Craig's gardening is in containers except for the dwarf trees and the grapes. When we moved in here five years ago, there were already four container gardens and a compost set up, which the previous owners left. You can see them in this photo:



>181 ronincats: *grin* Hello, Roni! Yep - we were talking about you. I need to come over and see those photos. And thanks so much for the healing vibes - much appreciated!

>182 Crazymamie: Nice! Our compost bins aren't so attractive, but they are mostly hidden from view behind a shed. I still plan to screen them, but I haven't done so yet. I'll try to find photos of our raised beds to share -- maybe when I do the first planting this year. :-)

Well, I did not get that last book finished for February. Instead, I started the audiobook Not My Father's Son" which is written and narrated by Alan Cumming - pulled me right in, so I have less than an hour left to listen. And Craig was watching the final Mockingjay movie in the bedroom, so then I got sucked into that.

..

I need to write up mini-reviews for my last few reads and post my February stats, and then I can go into March with no guilt. I'm have hopes for March - I am wanting to read the final book in the Southern Reach Trilogy, Acceptance, Their Finest Hour and a Half (which I was supposed to read in February but did not get to - sorry, Charlotte), and The Chessmen, the final book in Peter May's Lewis Trilogy. I also have Red Sparrow and When the Night Comes (recommended by Diana) out from the library.

>183 harrygbutler: Craig was giddy that they left the compost bin. It's in a great location, as it is very close to the deck - you can see our screened-in porch on the right hand side of the photo, and that bay window is a sitting area off of the kitchen and between the living room area and the screened-in porch. This photo was taken before we put the pool in, and we have since rebuilt the deck, as it was rickety. We took the railing down and put steps all the way across, so that now the view is not blocked by the railing when we sit out there. Our deck is also a much lighter color because that dark color really absorbed the heat. I'll have to take a photo when the weather is cooperating.



*back to add that I would love to see photos of your raised beds

>185 Crazymamie: Definitely convenient! Ours are far enough away that I don't like to make the trek when the weather is bad. I like the look of that screened-in porch, too!

I found a photo of the main garden raised beds from when I built them 6 years ago. Since then they've weathered (they're cedar), and we've had to fence the garden in to keep out an annoying groundhog, and the gray fence has been replaced. The overall area is about 16 feet x 16 feet. We have an annex vegetable garden with a few more raised beds that I built more recently, but I don't have a good photo of that area.



And one with the first season's plantings:

>184 Crazymamie: Ah, you remind me that I need to get back to the Southern Reach trilogy!

Your house looks lovely!

19. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, narrated by Fiona Shaw with Jonathan Keeble (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/feminism

I had been wanting to read this for a long time, so when I saw it narrated by Fiona Shaw last year, I snapped it up. The narration is brilliantly done - perfectly delivered, and I loved that they used a male narrator (Jonathan Keeble) to narrate the parts where Wollstonecraft quotes from Fordyce's Sermons and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This is basically one long essay that is divided into chapters, each addressing or responding to a different theme. While it is dated, as one would expect anything from 1792 to be, it is also still relevant. Definitely recommended - not sure I would have made it through the print version, but the audio is fabulous.



20. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/democracy - recommended by Joanne

This first came to my attention when Ellen read and reviewed it last year, and then when Joanne reviewed it this year, it reminded me and pushed me over the edge to get to it. Here Snyder presents twenty lessons to live by if we want to preserve democracy. It's well done and informative without being repetitive. I think they should give a copy of this to every high schooler as they reach voting age. Our Constitution only works when we empower it by exercising our rights as citizens - it's easy to lose sight of that as so much of our lives can be lived from home. We have learned to make things come to us instead of our going to them, and it has made us lazy and passive. We need to get out there and be present and make our voices be counted. This should be required reading.



21. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte

I really loved this one! Set during The Troubles in Ireland, this is a police procedural that is full of twists and turns. The writing is excellent - McKinty does a great job of setting the scene, establishing a sense of place, and detailing just how hard it would have been for police to do their job amidst all the turmoil. But there is humor here, too. A subtle wit in the character descriptions and in the interactions.

"McCrabben was a big, lanky man with a carefully engineered old-school peeler look tache, straight ginger hair and pale, bluish skin. With a tan he'd look somewhat like a Duracell battery, but he wasn't the type to get a tan. He was from farmer stock and he had a down-to-earth conservative millenarian quality that I liked a lot. His Ballymena accent conjured (in my mind at least) Weber's stolid Protestant work ethic."

and

"His hair was mostly black but with a Sontagian grey mohawk up front. His blue-grey eyes were sunk deep in his head and the lines around his mouth were deeper still. He had a square Celtic face, which reminded me a bit of Fred Flintstone or Ian McKellen."

I loved the main character, Sean Duffy, and his cohorts. The audiobook is narrated by Gerard Doyle, who is a perfect fit for all the accents. And I loved that the title is taken from Tom Waits Cold Cold Ground - interestingly enough, the lyrics are quoted at the beginning of the audiobook but not present in the print book. Here is a link to the song if you are interested: Tom Waits singing Cold Cold Ground. I have big love for Waits. Just saying...



22. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (4.5 stars), library paperback, GN - recommended by Mark and Joe

This GN is a work of art - both the writing and the artwork are beautifully done. Amazing that it is all in ballpoint pen. This is a BIG book, but it pulls you right in, and so its size is misleading. Definitely adult themes and subject matter here - child prostitution, the Holocaust, murder...but it is told from the perspective of a ten year old girl who loves horror movies and pulp magazines, which seems creepy but it works. The GN, made to look like a spiral bound notebook, is her journal, and so she writes about daily life but also about the mystery she is trying to solve - was Anka, the upstairs neighbor murdered, and if so, who did it? Set in 1960s Chicago, I loved how this brought the city alive and how it incorporated the art hanging in Chicago's museums. Highly recommended if you like GNs.

>186 harrygbutler: Harry, that is so lovely! Thanks for sharing - Craig would be so jealous of your cedar boxes. Those are just so great. What a beautiful and functional space you have created.

>187 ChelleBearss: I think your review of the first book is what made me pick up the series, Chelle. And thank you!

February Stats:

The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams
Chimes At Midnight by Seanan McGuire
March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
A World Gone Mad by Astrid Lindgren
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

Books read: 11
Group Read:
Formatted Challenge:
PopSugar Challenge: 9

Books that are part of a series: 7
In Translation: 2
Rereads:
GNs: 2

Format
hardback: 5
paperback: 1
ebook: 2
audio: 3

Borrowed: 5 (public library)
Archive (Purchased in 2012 or earlier):
Purchased in 2013: 0
Purchased in 2014: 0
Purchased in 2015: 0
Purchased in 2016: 1
Purchased in 2017: 3
Purchased in 2018: 2

Authors
Living: 9
Dead: 2

Male: 5
Female: 6

American: 6
Canadian:
English: 2
Icelandic:
Irish: 1
Italian:
Scottish:
Swedish: 2

New to me authors: 8
Rereads: 0

fiction: 6
non-fiction: 5

Genres/category

GN non-fiction/memoir: 1
GN fiction/historical fiction: 1
non-fiction/memoir: 2
non-fiction/essays: 1
non-fiction/politics: 1
crime fiction/police procedural: 2
dystopian: 1
urban fantasy: 1
juvenile fiction: 1

LT Recommendations Read

Amber: 1
Charlotte: 2
Joanne: 1
Joe: 1
Mark: 2

Hi Mamie and happy March to you!

Wonderful talk about gardens and fruit trees and etc. We have quite a few hickory and black walnut trees on our property, but after the first few years of excitement and harvesting and preparing, I lost interest. I leave them to the squirrels and other critters. We have a plum tree, but the birds get to the fruit every year. My husband's great-aunt and great-uncle had papershell pecan trees with the sweetest pecans ever, but the property passed out of the hands of the family.

Great pictures of your house and yard.

I hope your foot keeps improving. I always have problems if I walk too far - the tops of my feet hurt. I've told the doctor that for a decade now and all he's ever suggested is to lace my shoes more loosely. Recently I did something that has caused pain on the arch and between the inner ankle bone and heel bone on my right foot. I do not know what I did, but it is painful and irritating to be limping around. I may have to break down and go to the doctor and get him to refer me to a specialist.

Yay for Fiona! I still need to read The Chessmen, too. Onward and upward for March.

>188 Crazymamie: - Our Constitution only works when we empower it by exercising our rights as citizens - it's easy to lose sight of that as so much of our lives can be lived from home. We have learned to make things come to us instead of our going to them, and it has made us lazy and passive. We need to get our there and be present and make our voices be counted. This should be required reading.

Bingo. Well-said and so very true (edited to add that I am referring to your review of On Tyranny

Nice February stats, Crazy!! I would wish you a happy new thread, but then you would know how far behind I am. : )

Instead, I am hi-jacking your thread to promote a group read this month. Ha!



Tomas Rivera's ...and the earth did not devour him

a new translation into English by Evangelina Vigil-Piñón. ...y no se lo tragó la tierra won the first national award for Chicano literature in 1970 and has become the standard literary text for Hispanic literature classes throughout the country. It is now an award-winning, motion picture entitled And the Earth Did Not Swallow Him. It explores the lives of migrant workers moving from south Texas up through the Plains.

Link here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/287840#

majleavy is a very intelligent, funny guy and the book is sure to be interesting! And it is a short book. ; )

>191 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Happy March to you!

Laughing about the excitement of the harvesting waning over the years. The pecans are totally worth the effort - much better than in the stores and also MUCH less expensive.

Thanks for those good wishes for my foot. I have been getting some stepping in, but I am doing it in little bits at a time. Listening to you talk about the tops of your feet hurting - you could have exactly what I have, which is an irritated tendon sheath. That's where it hurts - on the top of my foot, and it swells up, too if it gets really irritated. It is probably caused by how your shoe fits, but just lacing your shoes more loosely won't fix the problem. Try icing it routinely. You could also ice the other area where it hurts - sounds like you need to get shoes that fit you better for longer walks. There are stores that specialize in that - do you have one near you?

Yep - I love Fiona. And the first two Lewis Trilogy books were really good - they are fabulous on audio, narrated by Peter Forbes.

>192 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley! And I noticed a typo in the quote you selected, so now I have fixed that. *grin* It's an important little book - reminds me of other timely advice, like Common Sense and George Washington's Farewell Address.

>194 Crazymamie: Booooo on the sore foot. I hope that heals quickly. : (

>193 Berly: KIM!!! I am so happy to see you, my friend! Thank you - I was very happy with my February reading.

You are welcome to hijack my thread any time!

>195 Berly: Thank you! Me, too!

I need to decide if I'm going to try a container garden or not this year. I'm tempted to try a less permanent option this year and then go with the real beds later. A friend used children's swimming pools one year.

>189 Crazymamie: you are welcome! Thanks to Mark too as I got the recommendation from him :)

>198 thornton37814: Kid's swimming pools! I would not have thought of that. I will be watching to see what you decide.

And I will get the Lindgren book into the mail to you either tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

>199 ChelleBearss: I love how that LT magic works!

Sweet Thursday, Mamie. Finally trying to visit a few threads but I am all ready running out of time. LOL.

Hooray for My Favorite Thing is Monsters! I am so glad you loved it. I wonder what the status of Volume 2 is? I thought it was supposed to be out by now.

>199 ChelleBearss: I LOVE the Mark's Fault tag. Very proud of that. Grins...

Sweet Thursday, Mark! I am struggling to keep up with the threads at the moment myownself.

That second volume is supposed to come out on August 14th.

I could tag quite a few books that way, too - you have been an excellent source for my reading.

Hi Mamie. I'm also in the can't keep up club. Just dashing through to say hello.

*Hello!*

Also, I love the topper.

>203 nittnut: Hello, Jenn! No worries about keeping up - always happy to see you. And I'm thrilled you love the topper.

Happy Friday, Mamie!

How are you liking the PKD megapack? That tv series (Electric Dreams) drew on a bunch of his stories I hadn't read.

>189 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! We were driven to raised beds by incredibly rocky soil, but it is nice to have less bending and stooping to do as well. In fact, I've raised the beds by another board since, and I might bring them even higher, though at some point it will get challenging to harvest tomatoes and other climbing crops.

Have a fabulous Friday!

>205 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe! My favorite day! The PKD megapack is very good - a few stories in there that I have read other places, but quite a few I have not come across before. Amazon had the Electric Dreams collection available as a Kindle Deal not that long ago, and I snagged that one, too. It has all of the stories that the tv series based its episodes on in there. They repeat deals a lot, so if I see it again, I'll let you know.

>206 harrygbutler: You're welcome, Harry! The soil down here is also not great - lots of red clay. I like the looks of the raised beds, and the less bending part would be a HUGE bonus. I showed them to Craig last night, and, as predicted, he loved them.

Hoping your Friday is also full of fabulous!

Ha! Having spent a LONG time digging my poor soil (clay over gravel) I can see the benefit in raised beds. But having put in the work to de-stone the plot (grow spuds - lots of digging for spuds), I'm not going to sacrifice that effort. Tomatoes & cucumber go in the greenhouse, so are in tubs anyway.

We still have snow. It's a lot less attractive on day 4 than it was on day 1. Should be getting warmer over the weekend. Have a good Friday.

>208 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! More power to you - clay and gravel! Our soil is very hard - so very different from the soil back in Indiana.

Yep - snow is always prettiest when it first falls. It's all downhill from there. Our weekend is supposed to be a bit cooler, which I am hoping for 60s instead of 80s (F). Please, please, please let it be so. Hoping you get your warmth. Wishing you a Friday full of fabulous!

>188 Crazymamie: Fully agree with your review of On Tyranny. I bought copies for Christmas presents this year. A very helpful book.

>210 Oberon: Hello, Erik! And thank you - that is such a good idea about the Christmas gifts.

>192 jessibud2: ^^^what Shelley said.

*smooch*


Let's have some frozen raspberry mousse, eh what?

>212 richardderus: - Mmm, that looks scrumptious!!

>213 jessibud2: Oh, it SO is...raspberry sorbet, whipped cream, and fruit pectin to keep it solid. *droooooooooooolllllllllllllllll*

I feel like that pudding >212 richardderus: is so big it's going to take over, like the marshmallow figure in Ghostbusters ;-)
Wishing you a lovely weekend.

>212 richardderus: Well, that just looks delicious!

Hope you have a happy weekend, Mamie!

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

>194 Crazymamie: Thanks for the foot advice, Mamie. I really dislike icing any body part, but I tried it on my right foot just now and it feels pretty good!

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

I've got On Tyranny, and need to find time to read it. I'm near the end of one, and have another queued after that, but maybe I'll make it the next.

>155 Crazymamie: i love the description of Abby’s hair colour and I’m almost tempted to try it. But my hair is so dark I’d have to bleach all the natural colour out first and in this humid climate it would go madly frizzy; it does anyway. And my hair is dry, which are all reasons I stopped colouring it.

And I’m also jealous of all the fruit, nut and gardening talk. Even if I had a green thumb, our dog would probably eat all the plants before they had a chance to grow and, anyway, berries wouldn’t grow in this climate. Fortunately our neighbours are much better gardeners and they’re kind enough to give us some of their deliciously sweet paw paws. Some of their star fruits fall into our garden, too. Which proves you can have your cake and eat it :0)

Hi, Mamie. Just catching up. I'm getting very nostalgic with all the talk of black walnuts and black raspberries. My grandmother and grandfather had a huge, old black walnut tree in their yard and I always loved to pick up the walnuts from the ground. They have such a distinctive smell - just sitting here, I can imagine that I smell them. As for black raspberries, we had a summer home on a lake and just down the road from our house was a very big patch of black raspberries. We used to try to beat everyone there when they were ripe to get enough to make a pie - yummy! My mother just sold the lake house in January, and I'm really sad that I won't be able to take the boys there anymore.

Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday! Hooray for Vol. 2 of My Favorite Thing is Monsters coming out in August. Yah!

Have a nice day with the family at the Pecan Paradiso!

>212 richardderus: Thank you, BigDaddy! And also for the yummy raspberry mousse. Looks delicious!

>213 jessibud2: Right?! Most yum.

>214 richardderus: I have not had anything like that in a very long time - I love raspberry.

>215 charl08: Charlotte, you made me laugh, and now I am picturing that, too! Thanks for those good wishes - hoping your weekend has also been full of beauty!

>216 ChelleBearss: I completely agree, Chelle. And thank you! Hoping yours is also full of happy.

>217 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen! I am so glad the icing helped. I also hate to ice anything, but it really works in this case, and your top of the foot pain sounded like just what I am experiencing. I try to ice it at least twice a day, and it is really making a difference.

>218 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe! I had minimal presence online yesterday - I read a bit on the screened-in porch, napped a lot, and watched movies in the evening with Craig and Birdy.

Yes, do make time for On Tyranny - it is small, and you can easily read it in one sitting.

>219 humouress: It's a really gorgeous color, Nina. Abby's hair is naturally blonde, so much easier to color, I think than darker shades like mine. Rae just got the aqua in hers redone, so we are a very colorful household right now. Hair is a such a fun accessory!

I love things fresh from the garden, but I have no interest in actually gardening. WAY too much work for me, but Craig loves it, and thinks it is relaxing. Crazy man! But I'm keeping him anyway.

Hooray for neighbors who share both purposely and accidentally!

>220 rretzler: Hello, Robin! I love those memories - you have a way with telling a story. I am sorry that your mom sold the lake house. When I was growing up, we had a grapevine that ran down our property, dividing the backyard from the side-yard. There were raspberry bushes in there, too, and I remember rhubarb growing close by - when the grapes were ripe, we would pop one in our mouths, and the hot, sweet juice was so delightful. One of my favorite childhood memories.

>221 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday! Yep - not too much longer to wait. Abby made it halfway through before I had to return the book to the library - we will have to get in line for it again.

Thanks for your good wishes - hoping your Sunday is full of fabulous!

Happy Sunday Mamie.

Now I am wishing I had some raspberries in the fridge for breakfast!! Sigh. Happy Sunday! ; )

>225 Crazymamie: So, Mamie, I have to know - were your grapevines concord grapes or regular grapes? When growing up, my across the street neighbor, who was like a second mother to me, and her husband had several grapevines, as well as several apple trees, in their backyard. The grapes were concord grapes, and I have a similar memory to yours of eating the grapes as I played in their yard.

Happy Sunday, Mamie. Oh, that sounds like a good Saturday you had. I hope today is another relaxing one for you.

Good Sunday to you and yours, Mamie! I'm really not caught up put I did stop scrolling to look at the lovely pics. Great idea to ditch the rail and add steps around your deck. Our rail does pose a problem but it comes in handy for clumsy or intoxicated visitors. Love those raised beds. I've just completely given up having any sort of garden because if it's not a lack of sun it's sneaky and hungry critters.

Happy Sunday, Mamie darling!

>226 Helenliz: Happy Sunday to you, Helen. I am hoping that the ironing is all finished.

>227 Berly: Oops! Sorry, Kim. Happy Sunday!

>228 rretzler: We also had an apple tree - don't ask me what kind, as I have no idea. The apples were small and sweet. I am thinking that the grapes were Niagara - they were green. They were delicious, and I was very sad when the parents tore the entire thing out to put in a garage. *sigh*

>229 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe! It was a very good Saturday. I napped again today - feeling very tired and slightly achy, so I might have caught a mild version of the creeping crud that has been going around.

>230 Carmenere: Good Sunday to you, Lynda! There are still railings at both end of the steps, just not all the way across because it completely blocked the view when you were sitting. I loved Harry's raised beds, too - they were so pretty and also very functional. Lack of sun is definitely not a problem down here. Heh.

>231 richardderus: Well, that is gorgeous and delightful, Richard! One almost hates to disturb it. Almost. Thank you, kindly!

Gosh. Two non-fiction book bullets, raised garden beds AND frozen raspberry mousse! It's lovely in here. And it's a good thing I'm reading so much at the moment, as I might actually get to the book bullets some time in the next month or so.

The gardening talk and pictures are making me wish that I had the space to garden too, not that I would keep it up. Your place looks wonderful, Mamie, even if they are the before photos. I hope you aren't catching the creeping crud, feel better soon.

Happy Monday, Mamie! Love all the gardening talk. We don't do a big garden but in our flower beds we add some peas and beans for C to pick. We may even do some potted tomatoes for the patio

>234 evilmoose: Thank you, Megan! I am thrilled to have hit you with two BBs. Bonus points if you get to them in the next month or so.

>235 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. The place still looks much the same except that now we have a pool and the requisite fencing. We kept the same footprint for the deck, just eliminated the railing - which we were able to do by making the steps go all the way across. The old deck had pretty much had it - very splintery and slightly dangerous. Plus that dark wood really soaked up the heat, so if you went barefoot, it was VERY hot.

I also hope I am not catching the creeping crud - I can't seem to get enough sleep, and my head feels foggy. I feel not horrible but also not good.

>236 ChelleBearss: Hello, Chelle! Our kids used to love to garden with Craig - especially Rae. Unfortunately, they have all grown out of it. I think maybe Rae would enjoy it still if we lived someplace less hot. I really love fresh tomatoes, but ours have all failed down here. *sad face* Hoping you do grow some so I can enjoy them vicariously.

'Morning Mamie!

I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling too good. I hope you can fight whatever-it-is off.

(icing my foot... dammit...)

I don't know if they're still there, but we had some scuppernong grape vines on the edge of the property line. And, just looking it up, I discovered that it is the state fruit of North Carolina.

Morning, Karen! Thank you for those good wishes. And I am proud of you for icing the foot - good work!

I am loving the grape stories! And now I have learned something - I didn't know that states had a fruit, although I do know that Georgia's would be a peach. The state vegetable is the Vidalia Sweet Onion, which is not a shocker.

Thanks, Mamie! Ice on, foot cold, but coffee in hand!

Now you've done it - I've looked up all NC's designated symbols. We have a state fossil, a state insect, marsupial, boat, art medium, frog, salamander, sport, tartan, and etc. Fascinating stuff.

Happy It's Almost Tomorrow Day, Mamie!

I always think of Georgia as the Peach state.

>240 karenmarie: Perfect, Karen! Me, too! SO funny - Hawaii has a state muffin, and I am feeling rooked that we don't have one. Heh.

>241 jnwelch: I am hoping it goes quickly and quietly by, Joe. Yep - Georgia is the peach state. Its even on the license plates, which are called tags down here. I still have trouble with that one. Also that shopping carts are called buggies.

Good morning, Mamie! The first grape we put in here was a Concord. The grapes are incredibly sweet, but you do have to deal with the seeds. Our more recent grape is a seedless green variety, though I can't recall the name. We have yet to get anything from it.

Hi Mamie!

>243 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! I love the seedless grapes, and I prefer green ones, which might just be because I have such great childhood memories of eating them.

>244 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! I haven't written my review yet, but I listened to Not My Father's Son, which as you said was most excellent on audio. Look at me knocking another one off the Dirty Dozen list! And I loved it, so thanks.

>246 Crazymamie: - Oh, that's great to hear! I'm glad you liked it.

It was SO good.

I love him. He sometimes tours with a cabaret-style show, and I saw it in Dallas - "Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs." It was fantastic. He is doing a new, similar-type thing about being an immigrant and becoming an American Citizen - interestingly, he's doing it at two different venues in NYC, and will play both venues each night. Talk about exhausting! I am hoping to finagle a trip to see it - maybe as a birthday gift :)

Me, too, with the love. I cannot imagine doing the same show at two different venues every night - WHOA! Hoping you do get to see him - he is full of fabulous!

>246 Crazymamie: I'd not heard of him, but I listened to that as well and thought it was excellent. Hoping you're having a good day.

>240 karenmarie: So weird.

>242 Crazymamie: Also weird.

>251 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! I was familiar with him through his acting - he played Eli Gould in The Good Wife, and I loved him as Boris in Goldeneye.

>252 humouress: I know, right, Nina?!