karenmarie, addictively turning pages, chapter 5

Yowza, my fifth thread of 2018! Welcome.

Being retired is the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the eel’s hips. I do not miss working at all.

I read, am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, now in its 21st year, am Treasurer for our local Friends of the Library (henceforth abbreviated FoL), and manage our home, finances and etc. as my husband heads off to work Monday – Friday. Being an introvert (you’d never guess it from these pages!) I need and cherish the alone time to recharge my batteries.

I have been married to Bill for almost 27 years and am mother to Jenna, now 24, living about 3 hours away and starting a 2-year business administration program at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. We have two kitties, 18-year old Kitty William and 10-year old Inara Starbuck. We live in our own little corner of paradise on 8 acres in central North Carolina USA.

The picture I’ve chosen for this thread is of my father, my grandmother Nellie who we called “Mom” because she thought “Grandma” made her sound old, and her mother, my Great-Grandmother Alice. Alice was born in 1856, Nellie in 1882, and my dad in 1921. My dad looks about 10 here - so circa 1931. His father, my grandfather Aubrey, died in 1928, at the very young age of 49.




My goal is to read 105 books in 2018, 5 more than I read in 2017. I missed my pages read goal of 34,000 pages by 525 pages, so will keep the same pages goal.







And, in honor of Sue Grafton, I am going to re-read all her Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Series books this year. Alas, there will never be a Z. I’ve read A-F so far this year and will probably pull G is for Gumshoe out for tomorrow. I abandoned March’s book club book – Plainsong by Kent Haruf. Trying to read it after A Thousand Acres was a mistake.




A few quotes about libraries that mean a lot to me:

Libraries are reservoirs of strength, grace and wit, reminders of order, calm and continuity, lakes of mental energy, neither warm nor cold, light nor dark. The pleasure they give is steady, unorgastic, reliable, deep and long-lasting. In any library in the world, I am at home, unselfconscious, still and absorbed. Germaine Greer

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book. – When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library. Jane Austen

I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me. I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows. Roger Zelazny

And finally, very few books are worth slogging through when the inspiration to read them has gone. I abandon books with glee.

My theme for 2018, addictively turning pages, comes from an image on Mark’s thread first thread of 2018. In this case, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Books read

1. Every Dead Thing by John Connolly 12/27/17 1/6/18 *** 467 pages trade paperback
2. Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton 1/6/18 1/9/18 **** 283 pages hardcover
3. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien 1/1/18 1/10/18 *** 1/2 175 pages trade paperback
4. You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld 1/1/18 1/15/18 **** 160 pages hardcover
5. Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff 1/6/18 1/17/18 *** 1/2 328 pages hardcover, Kindle
6. No Middle Name by Lee Child 1/17/18 1/19/18 **** 418 pages hardcover
**abandoned after 90 pages** Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi 1/9/18 326 pages trade paperback ER Book
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 12/3/17 1/22/18 **** audiobook, 19 hours
8. The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin 1/23/18 1/23/18 ****1/2 160 pages trade paperback
9. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 1/20/18 1/26/18 **** 337 pages trade paperback
10. The Far Side Gallery 5 by Gary Larson 1/24/18 1/27/18 159 pages trade paperback 1995
11. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton 1/26/18 1/30/18 ***1/2 209 pages hardcover
12. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens 1/1/17 1/31/18 **** 780 pages plus 9 pages introduction
13. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley 2/1/18 2/5/18 ****1/2 367 pages trade paperback
**abandoned after 32 pages Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright 2/1/18 266 pages hardcover
14. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton 2/5/18 2/6/18 **** 186 pages hardcover
15. C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton 2/7/18 2/8/18 **** 181 pages hardcover
16. D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton 2/8/18 2/9/18 **** 184 pages hardcover
17. E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton 2/9/18 2/10/18 ***1/2 180 pages hardcover
18. F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton 2/10/18 2/13/18 ***1/2 182 pages hardcover
19. Dead Wake by Erik Larson 2/14/18 2/19/18 *** 359 pages trade paperback
**abandoned after 56 pages Plainsong by Kent Haruf
20. Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb 2/19/18 2/22/18 **** 404 pages hardcover
21. The Power by Naomi Alderman 2/23/18 3/1/18 *** 382 pages hardcover
22. G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton 3/2/18 3/4/18 ***1/2 227 pages hardcover
23. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton 3/5/18 3/8/18 **** 202 pages hardcover
24. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker 3/10/18 3/12/18 *** 153 pages hardcover
25. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker 3/12/18 3/14/18 **** 145 pages hardcover
26. Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker 3/14/18 3/18/18 **** 157 pages hardcover
27. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson 2/25/18 3/20/18 ****1/2 396 pages trade paperback
28. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton 3/14/18 3/22/18 **** 224 pages hardcover
29. God's Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher 3/22/18 3/26/18 ****1/2 228 pages trade paperback
30. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton 3/26/18 3/31/18 *** 254 pages hardcover

Currently Reading:

The Shining Girls by Lauren Buekes 4/1/18 375 pages hardcover
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White 3/14/18 358 pages trade paperback 358 pages 1938
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder 3/27/18 128 pages hardcover , Kindle 2017
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1/22/18 audiobook 2007

Books Added

January - 16

1. SomeGuyInVirginia - True Tales from the Annals of Crime and Rascality by St. Clair McKelway
2. Thrift Shop - Secrets in Death by J.D. Robb
3. BookMooch - Guardian Angels & Spirit Guides by Brad Steiger
4. BookMooch - God's Fires by Patricia Anthony
5. Circle City Books - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman for Feb Book club
6. Circle City Books - Plainsong by Kent Haruf for March Book club
7. Amazon - Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
8. LT ER - The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
9. BookMooch - The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black
10. Thrift Shop - The Princess Bride by William Goldman
11. Amazon - A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor e-book
12. Amazon - Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff e-book
13. B&N - Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner
14. BookMooch - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
15. Amazon - Kindred by Octavia Butler e-book
16. Amazon - Not Perfect by Elizabeth LaBan e-book

February - 9

17. Jenn - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
18. Scuppernong Books - A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
19. Amazon - The Power by Naomi Alderman
20. Amazon - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
21. dianekeenoy - My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd
22. Amazon - The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
23. Friend Sherry - Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines by Nick Nolte
24. Friend Sherry - The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch
25. BookMooch - Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

March - 10

26. Amazon - The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
27. Amazon - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
28. Amazon - Enter Spenser by Robert B. Parker
29. Thrift Shop - I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
30. Amazon - God's Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher
31. Circle City Books - Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
32. Circle City Books - Promised Land by Robert B. Parker
33. Amazon - On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder - ebook
34. Amazon - The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman - ebook
35 Amazon - True Fiction by Lee Goldberg - ebook

April -
36.

Culls

1. Every Dead Thing by John Connolly first of a series I will never continue
2. Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi
3. Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright - references to The Matrix and powdered sugar donut analogies left me cold
4. Plainsong by Kent Haruf didn't hold my interest
5. The Power by Naomi Alderman daughter expressed an interest and I have no desire to keep it on my shelves for some reason

Statistics Through March 31

30 books read
3 books abandoned
8063 pages read
19 audiobook hours
Average pages read per day, YTD = 89
Average pages read per book, YTD = 269

Author
Male 43%
Female 57%

Living 47%
Dead 53%

US Born 77%
Foreign Born 23%

Medium
Hardcover 63%
Trade Pback 30%
Mass Market 0%
Audiobook 3%
e-Book 3%

Source
My Library 97%
Other 3%

Misc
ARC/ER 3%
Re-read 40%
Series 57%

Fiction 90%
NonFiction 10%


Author Birth Country
England 10%
Ireland 7%
Scotland 3%
Sweden 3%
US 77%

Original Year Published
1838 3%
1960 3%
1973 3%
1974 3%
1975 3%
1982 3%
1985 3%
1986 3%
1987 3%
1988 3%
1989 3%
1990 3%
1991 7%
1992 3%
1993 3%
1995 7%
2003 3%
2005 3%
2012 3%
2013 7%
2015 10%
2016 3%
2017 3%
2018 7%

Genre
Cartoons 7%
Fantasy 3%
Fiction 20%
History 7%
Mystery 57%
Politics 3%
Science Fiction 3%

Next one is yours!

Happy new thread Karen my dear.

Happy new one, Karen. I am loving the vintage photos!

Happy new thread, Karen! Another good topper photo. My Internet service — knocked out overnight apparently on account of the snowstorm — is back, so I'm making a later visit to LT than usual.

Happy new thread, Karen.

I envy you for having so many old pictures of your family. I have virtually none of my father's family as he was one of the youngest children, and the men in the family all died young before my grandmother. Now only my aunt's relatives have any pictures of the family. On my mother's side, they are not really a sentimental bunch, so there are not really many pictures, but I do have a few. I've resolved to change all that - now I have to figure out how to organize all of these digital photos.

MUCH better. *smooch*

>7 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

>8 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley – I’m having a lot of fun picking them out. I’d forgotten this one.

>9 harrygbutler: Hi Harry, and thanks. I wondered about your snow storm. Sorry that your internet service was interrupted, glad it’s back up.

>10 rretzler: Hi Robin! Thank you. Have fun organizing! And perhaps you can ask your aunt’s relatives if you can borrow the photos to be scanned? Or if they have scanned copies can they send them to you? Just a thought…..

I have more old ones than more recent ones, actually. But I’m hoping my Aunt and Uncle will scan other family photos and send them to me.

>11 richardderus: Thanks, RD! *smooches* back from your own Horrible

So I just finished H is for Homicide and will most likely move right on to I is for Innocent. Bill’s having dinner with friend Carl, and I’ll start dinner for Jenna and me in a few – salmon with lemon and pepper, rice pilaf, and salad.

Carolina Men’s Basketball team won last night, so they play again tonight. Late game like last night – 9:30 – and I’ll probably crap out on the couch ten-ish and Bill and Jenna can laugh when they think I snore. It’s all a ruse, though. I Don’t Snore. I’m just giving them an opportunity to bond. *smile*

23. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
3/5/18 to 3/8/18





From Amazon:

When PI Kinsey Millhone's good friend and colleague Parnell Perkins is found murdered in the parking lot behind California Fidelity Insurance, she can't believe he had any enemies. The only clue that raises a red flag for Kinsey is one of Parnell's files on a Bibianna Diaz, who appears to have made a lucrative career out of scamming insurance companies with phony claims…

H IS FOR HAZARDOUS…

Taking an alias, Kinsey goes undercover to befriend Bibianna, hoping she'll get close enough to catch the con artist at her own game. But Kinsey never dreams that hanging out with Bibianna will get them both thrown in jail. And when they're released, Bibianna's very jealous, very dangerous ex-fiancé Raymond Maldonado is waiting for them.

H IS FOR HOMICIDE

Kinsey soon discovers the short-tempered thug is the kingpin behind Bibianna's and countless other phony insurance claims. But was Raymond also responsible for Parnell's death? All Kinsey knows is that she'll have to think quick to nab one of the most treacherous criminals she's come face to face with―and keep herself alive…

Why I wanted to read it: Next up in The Alphabet Series. I’m re-reading the series this year in honor of Sue Grafton.

This is fun:

It never pays to deal with the flyweights of the world. They take far too much pleasure in thwarting you at evern turn. I wa silent for a moment, trying to compose myself. Situations like this bring up an ancient and fundamental desire to bite. I could envision a half-moon of my teeth marks on the flesh of her forearm, which would swell and turn all colors of the rainbow. She’d have to have tetanus and rabies shots. Maybe her owner would elect to put her to sleep. I smiled politely.

Kinsey unintentionally goes undercover, trying to stay alive and taking advantage of moments here and there to discover incriminating evidence of the insurance fraud schemes. For someone who doesn’t love dogs, Kinsey makes friends with two guard dogs and is quite insightful about them. One of the main characters also has Tourette’s, and there is quite a bit of info and understanding of how it can affect your life.

I really liked this one – lots of plot twists and turns, lots of Los Angeles stuff that enhanced the story for me. This one was a lesson in insurance fraud, all of which was fascinating. It was also an insider’s view into LA Hispanic street gangs. Things moved quickly – a real page turner.

>13 karenmarie: Looks like the best of the re-reads so far. I don't remember having read it in the past, which seems unlikely but....

Happy new thread, Karen!

Happy new thread, Karen.
I love the old photo at the top. Sad your grandfather died so young. My paternal grandfather was also in his 40s when he died, leaving behind my Grandmother with 9 children.

Happy new thread, Karen. You are lucky to have such great family photos.

Happy New Thread, Karen. xx

Good morning, Karen! I hope your Friday is a good one.

>14 richardderus: It was very different from the first 6 books, RichardDear. I remembered bits and pieces of the accidents set up to file the fraudulent claims. One thing I didn’t mention above was that when Kinsey went to a chiropractor as part of the fraud scheme, she benefited from the adjustment. I’m a firm believer in chiropractic, so that was good to see.

>15 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Wow, nine children. What did she do? Were there social services for her? Family help?

>17 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, and thanks. I treasure the photos. I need to scan in more – I’ve got some more boxes upstairs that I think I’ll have Jenna bring down today to see what’s in ‘em – photos for sure, just don’t know which ones.

>18 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul!

>19 harrygbutler: Good morning, Harry! Clear skies, 22F. It got down as low as 19F early this morning. Daughter’s sleeping, birds are chowing down on the sunflower seeds.

We might make the 30 mile round trip to Costco – we need a few things and we can buy Jenna some rice. She loves Basmati rice and they have 20-lb bags there.

The threads move so quickly...and I move slowly on LT these days. Congratulations on #5! Here are my few thoughts from your last thread: I too enjoyed Dead Wake. It made for a very interesting discussion at my book group. Glad Bill Honey had a good 62nd birthday. I might try the acronym idea in the future. Sounds like fun. I am on the library waiting list for The Power. I am going to read it with an open mind even though it is out of my reading comfort zone. I suspect we will be in agreement.

This thread: I love that the old family photos continue. I have not read a book by Sue Grafton. Hmmm, sounds like a good idea for a future year. Have a great weekend! I envy you the blooming forsythia. We are having a late spring here.

Happy new thread, Karen. Fifth one?!? Wow.

Happy new thread!

>20 karenmarie: >16 FAMeulstee: In that time there were no social services. The church helped a bit, but they had to be very grateful for the few cents they got from there. My grandmother started a small shop and the younger children had to deliver ordered groceries. All children gave some of their money to my grandmother, as soon as they started working.

Happy New Thread, Karen! Hooray for #5!!

Happy new thread! I am having trouble keeping up as I am very much NOT retired but looking forward to it.

Looking forward to hearing what you think about The Devil in the White City as another friend recommended it.

Happy New Thread ! What a fascinating picture of your family! Lovely warm weather you are having.

Happy new thread Karen! Enjoy #5.

Hi, Karen. I came by but I was on my tablet so didn't say hi. Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread, Karen, and wishing you satisfying reading and interesting reviewing. I declare you're going to draw me into a reread of the Kinsey Millhones yet. I don't know why, but when I think of her, I think of a young woman a little rumpled and tired, a little sunburned with sunscreen still on her skin and hair dried out from sun and salt. Weird!
I'm loving your family pictures. My mother was also born in 1921 - a very good year. Her father died of flu/pneumonia in 1932.

>21 Donna828: Hi Donna! Thank you. Have fun with the acronym idea. And I never want people to dislike books based on my reviews, so I hope you like it.

Glad you like my family photos. The weekend is going well, the forsythia got a bit damaged last night with the 23F hard frost. The tulip tree was hit worse. 

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba and thank you. I know….. I am stunned myownself.

>23 drneutron: Hi Jim and thank you! An administrator’s work is never done…..

>24 FAMeulstee: It sounds like a hard life, Anita, but I admire the work ethic.

>25 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

>26 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen. I’ve been having trouble keeping up because Jenna’s been home since last Saturday on spring break. Not as much time to just putter around the threads. You’ll love retirement. I did a bit of reading in it again today, The Devil in the White City, that is, and am loving it.

>27 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah and thanks. The weather has gotten cold again – only low 50Fs today and tonight it’s supposed to get below freezing again.

>28 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella!

>29 ronincats: Hi Roni. Ah, lurking. I have been doing a lot of that lately. Thank you.

>30 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! I really liked H is for Homicide. I was going to start I is for Innocent – I even have it out here in the Sunroom, dust jacket safely tucked away, but got Enter Spenser from my dear friend Amazon today, and am intrigued with The Godwulf Manuscript. We’ll see which one wins.

Kinsey is young, rumpled, and usually tired. She doesn’t take care of her hair or skin and makes no bones about it. I’ve never thought of her in terms of the sunscreen and sun-and-salt-dried hair, but since she does run as often as she can, and lives on the coast, it’s probable.

Thanks re the pictures. It was a very good year. I just remembered – apparently for a very long time my Dad thought he was born in 1922. I do not know why, but eventually he saw his birth certificate, and realized he was born in 1921. Nebraska recorded whether a birth was legitimate or illegitimate on the certificate, and Dad was legitimate. My grandmother was a Victorian with a capital V, and the idea of an illegitimate child would probably have shamed her into an early death.

….

Carolina just beat Duke in the ACC tournament, first time since 1998, I think. They were ahead almost the entire game, up by as much as 16 points. Duke scared us in the last 2 minutes or so, but Luke May put pressure on Grayson Allen in the last seconds, causing him to miss his shot, we got the rebound, got fouled, and then Pinson made two free throws. Whew. Relief. Yay. We were hoping to never have to see Grayson Allen again. The little jerk was up to his old tricks of tripping people – this time by deliberately pushing his rear end out in the path of … Johnson? - and he earned a flagrant 1 foul for it, but it’s typical of him – he’s rather unsavory and definitely unsportsmanlike. But, as Bill kindly reminded Jenna and me, we’ll see him in the NCAA tournament. Drat. I hope they lose early like last year. So here I am wired and wordy.

Time to go read and get some sleep.

Happy new one and happy weekend, Karen. Beautiful photo in the topper.

Thank you, Barbara!

Happy weekend, Karen!

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Gulping down my second cup of coffee, before shoving off. Hope to visit my Mama GHO today, after work, and my wife is going to meet me there too.

>34 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Our plans are errands, hang out time, lasagna for dinner, then the Carolina UVA game at 8:30. GO HEELS!

>35 msf59: Hi Mark! I hope your work day goes well. Visiting Mama GHO owl with your wife there, too, sounds great. Good luck!

Love the photo of your family in the topper. A beautiful day, you can tell.

Hi Lucy! Thank you. You're right, a beautiful day.

Happy New Thread, Karen. Your pa looks like a confident young guy in that photo up top. Full of vim and vigor.

Jeez, I haven't had any coffee yet. I need to go fix that. Maybe that'll give me some vim and vigor. Hope you have a good weekend. I entirely agree re retired life. Loving it!

Morning, Karen! Happy new thread!

Hi, Karen! I hope your Saturday is going well. The sun is out here, but the ground is still largely snow-covered, so it's nice and bright. I should aim to get some reading done.

Hi, Karen. Stopped over to see the news and everything looks like it's going along swimmingly.

I read all but the last of the Kinsey Milhone books - just haven't gotten around to 'Y' yet. She always appealed to my fantasy of competence in all those ways of she saves herself from disaster, although in the later books, I found myself grumpy that she didn't have a cellphone (I know, the setting is too early). I might have been claustrophobic in her little garage house, but I like her attitude towards clothes, make-up, men, friends, and fuss.

>39 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Dad was always confident in everything he did and believed. Of course when I didn't believe the same things..... we stopped talking about religion and politics quite early in my teen years, as I recall. He played trumpet in some of the smaller bands in the Midwest in the '40s, got a Masters in music at the University of Iowa in Iowa City where he met and married my mother, learned engineering during WWII, and was an aerospace engineer in Southern California my whole life up until he retired. He loved to fish, golfed into his late 60s.

I hope you've gotten your coffee by now, and are full of vim and vigor. I've been yawning, want a nap, but that won't happen. Yay retirement!!!

>40 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie and thank you!

>41 harrygbutler: It is going well, Harry. Just got back from running errands and eating lunch out. I think we're going to watch Bundesliga soccer for a while if a good match is on, find a movie to watch, have homemade lasagna for dinner, and then watch Carolina beat UVA. Keeping fingers crossed for Carolina.....

Oh, I forgot to comment on the picture at the top of this thread. It must be very satisfying to have photos that go back that far. I have my family photos, and some of them do document my father's parents and the three little boys in his family, and I have one photo that seems to come from Warsaw, which no one still living can identify. So sad. I suspect it's my mother's great grandmother, but there is a child with her I can't identify either, of course. Sigh.

I just got home from my drive across North Carolina (well--at least from Raleigh). I'm glad the drive is over and that I made it home before the snow hits here (or doesn't) tomorrow night. Our predictions are .1, .5, or 1.0 inches, depending on the model. However, a town not far from here shows 7 inches on one model. In other words, they don't know what it's going to do.

I'm in! Super cool family pic.

>43 karenmarie: we stopped talking about religion and politics quite early in my teen years, as I recall.
isn't it funny how parents find it hard to believe that their offspring have different opinions to them :) My lovely other ands mum have trouble with that.

>42 ffortsa: Hi Judy! It is – going along swimmingly, that is. You and I both like the same things about Kinsey. I read Y is for Yesterday last fall, never anticipating that there would never be a “Z”.

>44 ffortsa: Photos give me a great sense of continuity. I’ve always been interested in genealogy and family history so these pictures bring my relatives to life. I also have several old photos – even two daguerrotypes – with unidentifiable family members. It is sad that that information has gotten lost. Everybody, including myself, with unlabeled photos needs to label them for future generations.

>45 thornton37814: Hi Lori! We both have very wide states, don’t we? *smile* Glad you made it safely home. It looks like most of tomorrow will be rain or rain mixed with sleet, eventually becoming some snow for a bit in the evening. You’re right – nobody can ever really tell. Our January storm that was supposed to be 2-3” of snow became 12” at our house.

>46 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! Thanks re the pic.

>47 LovingLit: It’s true. Even our daughter – I’ve become a Yellow Dog Democrat and she looks at each individual candidate. That’s something I did in my 20s and early 30s but have gotten more rigid in my dotage.

I just stopped talking to Dad about sensitive subjects – no matter how he tried to engage me. What do your lovely other and his mum disagree about? I’m not up on NZ politics, if it’s politics that get them going.

Jenna goes back to Wilmington today. I have to head off at 11:15 for Playmakers with Louise, Jenna will probably leave 1-2 ish.

Off to make buttermilk biscuits and chipped beef.....

Have a great Sunday, Karen!
I'm not sure what chipped beef is but I love buttermilk biscuits!

Morning, Karen! Happy Sunday to you! Chipped beef takes me back to my childhood - my mom used to serve it over white bread.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I am going to have a mostly R & R day. Looking forward to it.

Good morning, Karen! We usually have our chipped beef on toast; we generally have sausage gravy with biscuits. But I like either even without a bread. :-)

Enjoy your Sunday!

>49 ChelleBearss: HI Chelle! Chipped beef is dried beef in white sauce, usually served over toast. I usually serve it over toast, but was in the mood to make biscuits this a.m. and Bill and Jenna love biscuits and chipped beef.

>50 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! We never had chipped beef when I was a kid. When Bill and I got married he was buying Stouffers frozen chipped beef. I saw how much sodium it had in it, and started making it - tastes better and has less sodium. White sauce is easy peasy and adding the beef is yummy goodness. (we've been watching Buffy and the Vampire Slayer, so pardon if I regress to 1990s teenage talk.)

>51 msf59: Hi Mark! I hope your day was very R&R!

>52 harrygbutler: Heya Harry. I usually serve it on toast. I never make sausage gravy - Shhh! Don't tell Bill. If there's left over chipped beef, I'll take a small ladle-full in a bowl too.

Louise and I saw Tartuffe today at the Playmakers and it was wonderful. They never do period pieces authentically - which was great in this case - absurd costumes, gorgeous dialog, energizing music and over-the-top acting. Imagine Tartuffe in a patterned suit, "Nehru"-style jacket, red fishnet sleeveless tank and black patent Mary Janes, long hair tied back in a red satin bow.



...

Jenna left to back to Wilmington. We all had a marvelous time, not a single snarly word, fun, good conversations, movies, ACC basketball, and Bundesliga soccer. Couldn't have been much better!

I'm twitching to get some alone time tomorrow. First thing will be a Friends Board meeting, followed by lunch with a friend, then, finally, time alone in the house. This introvert needs to recharge her batteries.

Sounds like a marvelous weekend for sure!
I wish you a good solid recharge tomorrow when you finally get it. I think you're cold there already? We were still warm today, but a stiffening breeze was blowing when we walked. Lots of little tender things will get whacked if winter doesn't relent.

>53 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Glad you had a good time at the play. I don't think I've ever seen a Moliere play staged; if I have, it was a long time ago. Enjoy your Monday!

Morning, Karen. Glad you enjoyed the play. Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Sounds like you had a good weekend! Hope you get that down time to recharge today!

>54 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Thanks. I'm feeling really whupped right now - had to wake up to an alarm - and only have about 25 minutes before I have to leave. Sheesh.

>55 harrygbutler: Hi Harry and thank you!

>56 msf59: Hi Mark! We had so much fun. Lots of laugh-out-loud acting and dialog.

>57 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>53 karenmarie: My mom used to make "chipped beef gravy" when I was a girl. It was one of my favorite meals. I haven't seen the packages of "chipped beef" she used in our grocery stores for years though.

>53 karenmarie: When I retire I want to live close to a decent hospital and someplace with a good theater. I'm starting to look at Ashville as a real possibility. Some bungalow with no close neighbors. Your place seems like heaven, I'm glad you have it!

>59 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! We buy the Armour Dried Beef in jars. I make 3 cups of white sauce, put the thinly sliced dried beef into it, let it cook together for 5 minutes or so, then yay comfort food.



>60 SomeGuyInVirginia: Asheville is a great place, Larry. Close to amenities, not too close to neighbors. We are grateful for what we have, for sure!

We may get 1-3" of .... whatever - sleet and/or snow - and it's getting ready to shift over from rain now. Bill will probably come home early to avoid nastiness in the commute.

>61 karenmarie: I drove through Asheville Saturday. I love to stop there, but I was ready to get home and didn't want to torture the cats any longer than necessary. I hope to make it over sometime this spring to walk through the gardens at Biltmore. You used to be able to purchase a pass just for the outside stuff, but I don't think you can do that now aside from a season pass.

I've heard of chipped beef before but never knew what it was. Thanks for the explanation, Karen. I hope your weather has improved. Today we have sunshine and temperatures of 17C (that's 62F) but back to our regular rain tomorrow.

>62 thornton37814: We love Biltmore, Lori! We bought tickets for just a garden tour once, too. My favorites were the Rooftop Tour and the Upstairs-Downstairs Tour. We stayed in Asheville for 2 nights on our honeymoon and went to Biltmore on one of the days. We've been two other times.

>63 Familyhistorian: You're welcome, Meg! It definitely fills you up, too.

Still snowing, but it's not sticking to the roads or gravel. It's supposed to get to 29F tonight, so the roads might be a bit tricky in the morning. The birds have all decided that this is the place to hang out. There must be two dozen cardinals, and a dozen or so finches and sparrows.

All this talk of chipped beef had me pick up some at the grocery store this afternoon. :-) I went with Knauss (http://www.knaussfoods.com/) dried beef, which is still made locally in its original facility (in Quakertown, Pa., in the northern part of our county).

Hi, hey, hello there, Karen. Haven't been around too often, but when I do drop by, it's usually a mute stroll through the threads.

>43 karenmarie: You mentioned your dad enjoyed golfing into his late sixties. My sister's husband retired from AT&T at 50 so he could play golf. That was 30 years ago. At 80, he still plays several days a week, travels to out-of-state tournaments, etc.

>50 Crazymamie: >52 harrygbutler: I am surprised by the idea of chipped beef in a jar. We've always bought it at the butchers, paper-thin slices of dried beef cut to order on the cold-cuts slicer. Cooked in a white sauce and ladled over toast.

Haven't gotten to a library book sale yet this year. Made up for it at Goodwill on Saturday. Twenty-two books, and only one unintended duplicate. Passed on about 8 hardcover books from that alphabetical crime series. Sue Grafton, I think that's the author's name. The late author.

>65 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Good for you! Haven't heard of Knauss, but if I were a member of BJ's I could get some. I've always used Armour, there have never been other choices down here that I know of.

>66 weird_O: Hi Bill, I'm so glad you've delurked. Wow your BiL has it bad. Retire from work to golf. Congrats on your book haul. Sue Grafton. Yup. I think a lot of books are changing hands these days because of her passing.

I just got up 15 minutes ago and am still a bit groggy. Bill's home with a sore throat, and a broker is coming over at 11:30 a.m. to discuss Medicare with me.

Morning, Karen! I saw you over on Richard's thread and thought you might need some of these:



Hoping Bill's sore throat gets better and that the Medicare meeting isn't too painful.

Hi Mamie!

Yum. Those look wonderful. I have some frozen blueberries, lots of fresh lemons, and poppy seeds.... Tempting.

Bill's feeling puny and is hanging out on the couch dozing and watching old NCIS reruns. I've offered to watch Buffy or something else with him this afternoon if he wants but right now he's noncommittal. I've rarely known him to take to his bed when sick - he's still in the work clothes he put on this a.m. when he was deciding whether to stay at home or not! When I don't feel good I almost always take to my bed to read and doze with the kitties.

The Medicare broker was wonderful. I turn 65 in June. I met with the state SHIIP (State Health Insurance Information Program) volunteer in January, who gave me a good overview, but I wanted to meet with someone whose full-time job it is to work with Medicare and other insurance plans. This woman cold-called me in January. I liked the sound of her voice, so I set up an appointment for today. It turns out that our friend Carl used her last year when HE turned 65, and I actually met her because at the time he couldn't drive because of a seizure he had had in March and I drove him to the appointment with her. When I reminded her of it she didn't recognize me but remembered that Carl had a friend with him.

Small world.

I'm pleased with what we've decided on and am confident that she will keep up to date on Medicare and various insurance offerings and then keep me posted before each new enrollment period.

Done deal for Medicare, all signed up. I'm also going to get a separate cancer policy - $24/month - just on general principles. Once you get a diagnosis, which I don't anticipate getting but still, you can't get a policy for 5 years. It's $288/year and then I don't have to worry about it.

Big sigh of relief.

I forgot to say that we're paying $615/month for me on Bill's insurance plan, and even with the third-party cancer policy we'll only be paying $234/month. A raise! We're keeping vision and dental through Bill's work for me - $60/month for both coverages.

Just curious as to why you would get a separate cancer policy. My wife has been dukin' it out with the Big C since 1996, and other than co-pays, her treatment hasn't cost us anything out of pocket. (The psychological toll has been hard; the only compensation is continued life.)

Hi Karen! A late happy new-ish thread!

Lots of great reading and good convo going on here as always.

I didn't know about dried beef in a jar. I have no idea if it's available in this area, but for the fun on it, I'll look to see if it's available.

Both my father and XH were in the military which made both of them them **HATE** even the idea of chipped beef on anything. they both it called S*** on a Shingle (SOS).

I'm finding your journey through medicare and insurance interesting. I'll be hitting it soon in a few years.

Hi, Karen. Sorry to hear that Bill is under the weather. I hope he rebounds quickly.

>70 weird_O: Hi Bill! I'm sorry your wife has been dukin' it out with the Big C since 1996. It looks like I really need to understand why the policy makes sense because I can't explain it to you - it has something to do with hospital stays and chemo and/or radiation treatments are considered hospital stays..... I just sent the broker an email asking her to explain the benefit or send me a link to the website explaining the benefit. I still haven't signed up for it, but your question is a good one.

>71 streamsong: Hi Janet! Thank you. Good luck finding dried beef. Ha. My husband calls it SOS, too, but he loved it. Of course, he was on submarines, and he's always said that sub food was far superior to non-sub food. Maybe they made it taste better?

The Medicare journey was pretty scary until I spoke with the SHIIP volunteer and the broker. We live near two of the best medical systems in the country - UNC and Duke - and the plan I've chosen, an Advantage Plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield, lets me use either medical system, lets me go to specialists without getting a referral, and etc. Medicare is $134/month for parts A and B, and BCBS Advantage is $76. Both will be taken out of my Social Security payment. Since we're currently paying $612/month for my medical insurance through Bill's work, this will be a significant 'raise' for us.

>72 msf59: Hi Mark! He felt pretty puny all yesterday. I halfway expected him to stay home today, but he went to work.

24. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker
3/10/18 to 3/12/18





From Amazon:

"The toughest, funniest, wisest, private eye in the field these days." - Houston Cronicle

Spenser earned his degree in the school of hard knocks, so he is ready when a Boston university hires him to recover a rare, stolen manuscript. He is hardly surpised that his only clue is a radical student with four bullets in his chest.

The cops are ready to throw the book at the pretty blond coed whose prints are all over the murder weapon but Spenser knows there are no easy answers. He tackles some very heavy homework and knows that if he doesn't finish his assignment soon, he could end up marked "D" -- for dead.

Why I wanted to read it: @jnwelch mentioned it and it sounded intriguing.

I liked it, but wasn’t wowed by it. I’m sure that there’s a lot of backstory to Spenser, who is basically a mystery at this point. I like the fact that he cooks a lot of scrumptious-sounding breakfasts and dinners.

The story was phenomenally dated, however, and coincidences and luck abounding. I was 21 in 1974 when this book came out, and I would probably have liked it a lot better then.

Having said that, I appreciate Spenser’s sarcasm, perseverance, and ability to put things together. His descriptions of people are vivid, if bitchy, making him similar to Sue Grafton in that respect.

I started the second, God Save the Child. I decided to abandon it last night, but this morning I’ve reconsidered and will continue reading it.

Good morning, Karen! I think the only Robert B. Parker I ever read was his completion of Chandler's Poodle Springs, and that was long enough ago that I don't recall it at all.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Very chilly start here but it is supposed to be a nice day. Mid-40s, with sunshine.

>74 karenmarie: It really doesn't get any better than that, Karen. Now you know why I love to rant about Spenser. He has a huge following, but the books are not good. So not good. And don't get me started about Susan, who will make you completely crazy.

>75 harrygbutler: Hi Harry and good morning to you too! Ah, soooo memorable, Mr. Parker. I'm beginning to see why.

>76 msf59: Hi Mark! Happy Wednesday to you too. I got confused this morning when I first woke up and for some reason thought it was Thursday. Sheesh.

>77 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Yes, I'm beginning to see that in God Save the Child. I've just met Susan, and so far she seems okay, but I'm not to the end of the book yet. And they both like to drink red wine chilled. *shudder*

However, anybody who makes Cumberland sauce has to have some good in him.... of course I had to look it up and it sounds yummy.

>74 karenmarie: Do you find that the books you read before your 30s seemed to make a bigger impression on you than most of what you read now? I have. It was nothing for a book I read in college to change my world view, or to thrill me to the core. Now, not as much. Although I was absolutely astounded by The Glass Castle and I only read that a few years ago.

SUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!

*best Shatner-yelling-Khan imitation voice*

Loathsome, rotten-souled, squishy-ishy-moist Susan should be embodied from the Well of Stories so we can all have a turn smacking, kicking, punching, stabbing, and mutilating her.

>79 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! I'd say in general you're right, Larry, but like you, I have a specific exception - Lincoln in the Bardo. Of course, it could be that my memory was better then and the world-changy-ness and/or thrill dug in deeper to my synapses. I am reading a better quality of book these days because of LT, and with my abandon-'em-with-glee attitude, I only finish good to masterpiece books.

>80 richardderus: She hasn't graduated to SUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN! yet, but there's still some to go in this book.

But tell me what you really think RD!

*smooch*

I've gone through a large box of photographs - sorting and grouping - and am feeling a bit of melancholy - looking at my younger self, old boyfriends and friends who've dropped by the wayside and younger parents/siblings, I remember some really good times and wish I could feel as excited as some of those pictures suggest I felt then. Sigh. Not a major problem, just a bit of feeling my age and what-iffing.

Hi, Karen. Fingers crossed the Spenser books improve for you. If you decide to bail, give Looking for Rachel Wallace a look before you do. It's one of the best, IMO.

I'm pretty sure there was a Spenser series group read a couple of years ago, but unfortunately I can't find it.

Hi Joe!

I liked the second book more than the first, and will probably just read the third one, Mortal Stakes because it's right in front of me. They are quick, entertaining reads, and so far the interest factor has outweighed the irritation factor.

25. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker
3/12/18 to 3/14/18





From Amazon:

Appie Knoll is the kind of suburb where kids grow up right. But something is wrong. Fourteen-year-old Kevin Bartlett disappears. Everyone thinks he's run away -- until the comic strip ransom note arrives. It doesn't take Spenser long to get the picture -- an affluent family seething with rage, a desperate boy making strange friends...friends like Vic Harroway, body builder. Mr. Muscle is Spenser's only lead and he isn't talking...except with his fists. But when push comes to shove, when a boy's life is on the line, Spenser can speak that language too.

"A brillant, and cynical, comic tragedy or tragic comedy of manners. Long may Parker wave." -- Los Angeles Times

Why I wanted to read it: It seemed like a good idea to read more before abandoning Spenser.

I liked this one better than the first. This one was still dated in some respects, obviously, but the characters were interesting and the storyline progressed nicely. I’ve been warned about Susan but so far she seems swell. (sorry, RD, but there it is)

Spenser keeps digging to find Kevin, and turns up a nasty group of criminals. Spenser and Susan get romantically involved. Spenser wise-cracks and detects and finally uses brute strength to avenge a fair lady’s name and show someone that everybody’s vulnerable when they can't play to their strength.

>81 karenmarie: I do definitely get it. It's always a risk to go through photos which is why I don't take or keep them. Makes it easier to remember things the way I prefer to think of them.

Hi RD! I surprised myself with this feeling yesterday, will probably feel it a bit more as I've got 2 more boxes to go through, but now at least I'm prepared for it.

I'm not quite ready to get rid of photos, and especially with Jenna interested in All Things Family, will scan some and save all.

Good morning, Karen! I hope your Thursday is treating you well.

Hope you are having a great day. I am also looking through photos today as I am quite behind on filling in E's baby book. Thankfully all ours are digital so I am just sitting at the computer looking through hundreds and trying to pick the best to print.

>82 jnwelch: Joe, you are totally cracking me up! We didn't have a dedicated thread for the Spenser read - we just read one book each month and then ranted about it. So the posts are on the threads of Roberta, Donna and myself. I think I was probably the biggest ranter - for example, here is one of them: Spenser Rant.

Morning, Karen! Photos can be so deceiving - so easy to look at one frozen moment in time with smiles on everyone's faces and think that was a happier time. But what the photo doesn't capture was everything that was less happy than now. Time is tricky - I like to always go forward. The hardest photos, but also the best ones for me are the ones with my Dad in them - I miss him.

And about Susan - if you don't hate her before A Catskill Eagle, then you will after it. Just saying...I also liked her in the beginning - she seemed spunky and a good match for Spenser, but she is actually a piece of work.

A Catskill Eagle

*incoherent rage-tinged muttering*

SUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!

*stomps off to kick kittens*

I just reread the beginning of your topper on my way down here. I don't seem to miss work either, but my mind feels more sluggish these days, a small but persistent worry. I should be able to add more exercise back into my routine soon, which should help, but I'd better find something mentally challenging soon before I turn to mush.

>89 Crazymamie: I loved the Spenser rant.

I read quite a few Spenser stories back in the day. I guess I wasn't particularly judgmental about them. I always felt Spenser was everything Parker wanted to be but wasn't. Kind of a prole who was actually literate, sensitive, a bit of a gourmand. Fit. A weapons expert. Good with a quip. Worldly but ethical.

But I got tired of him. Still have the books, but rereads are not to be expected.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Looks to be a nice day here with sunshine and light winds. Hope to see and hear some bird activity and I plan on visiting my GHO family after work. Grins...

I am the photo archivist of my family, Karen. My brother and sister are interested, but not as much as I am. We scanned pretty much all the photos we have, and everyone has DVDs with the images. My dad was a photographer and we have several hundred Kodachrome slides he took in the late 1940s. We also have a couple dozen reels of 8mm movies he shot at the same period. When my younger son was in college, he borrowed a projector, projected the films on a wall, and videotaped them. So everyone who is interested has a set of DVDs with the home movies.

>92 weird_O: *grin*

>87 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! So far so good, mostly. I just spent 2 ½ hours on Friends of the Library checks and preparing a deposit.

>88 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I am. We have quite a few digital only photos, too, but they aren’t very organized, I’m afraid – some are on Bill’s computer, some are on mine, some are on the cell phones and haven’t gotten uploaded yet. Sigh. Good luck with Elissa’s baby book!

>89 Crazymamie: Wow, Mamie, you are good at ranting! I loved it.

Photos are deceiving. But I am remembering the people I love and miss, mostly – Dad, Mom, my brother Doug. I was rather lucky in that I left home permanently at age 18 for college (only coming home after freshman year for 3 months then never living at home again) and some of the problems (Mom’s alcoholism, brother’s problems, etc.) occurred pretty much after I was gone, so I only dealt with them peripherally.

I wonder if I’ll get to book 12 – A Catskill Eagle. I am going to read Mortal Stakes but don’t have any more on my shelves so may stop there.

>90 richardderus: Awww, Richard. I may just have to read more to see for myself Susan’s awfulness. I know you don’t love pussycats in general, so you might just kick a kitten anyway, but I get your animus towards Spenser’s Love Interest.

>91 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Hmm. Sluggish. I know I was told and agree with the concept of not volunteering for anything for the first 6 months after you retire, but am now on the Board of the Friends of the Library and am Treasurer. It definitely keeps me sharp – budgeting, checks, revenue, reports, etc. Perhaps you can find something that might take a bit of your old work skillset or even something totally different and parlay that into a retirement ‘job’. Not too much time, but just enough to feel engaged and either keep skills sharp or develop new ones? We don’t want mush!

>92 weird_O: I have several authors, Bill, that I’ve read, enjoyed at the time, still have the books, but won’t ever consider a re-read. They probably need to be culled, especially as most of them are probably books my daughter would never read. The jury’s still out on Spenser.

>93 msf59: Hi Mark! Thank you. We’ve got sunshine and winds, too, and the birds hare having fun trying to hang on to the feeders! Have fun with the GHO family.

>94 weird_O: Wow, Bill, I’m impressed. I need to scan so many photos that it hurts my brain to think of it. If, however, I made it a project to scan 50 or so per week, it would be done rather quickly. We don’t have any home movies, darn it.

>95 Crazymamie: And the Spenser debate continues….

Hi Karen my dear, I am back doing the rounds again after missing a couple of days. I have seen my GP about my scare on Sunday and he is sending me for some physio first off and we will take it from there. Hope all is well with you all and that Bill is better after his sickness. Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

>43 karenmarie: >66 weird_O: Chiming in on the older golfers. My Dad wasn't as dedicated as your BIL, he didn't retire to play golf but he did keep it up after retirement. He golfed until he was 90 and only quit because the golf buddies he used to play with died.

Good luck going through the old family photos. I don't have many old ones so don't have to worry about sitting down and sorting through and thinking about the 'what ifs' etc. Sounds like an emotional undertaking.

Can't say I have felt any sluggishness in retirement. I'm off to a meeting at PoCo Heritage in a tick, so there is volunteering (which I did before retirement) and writing and research to keep me going.

>90 richardderus: RD has the right of it.
SUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!
I will, however, go play with the kittens rather than kicking them.

>97 johnsimpson: Hi John! Good to have a visit from you here and I'm glad that you've seen your GP. Bill's worse - coughing out a lung as I write this. I'll be surprised if he goes to work tomorrow. I'm staying as far away as possible. Sending love and hugs to you both.

>98 Familyhistorian: It is emotional, Lori, and it's mostly good although it did get to me a bit yesterday - especially the pictures with my brother. Long story.... Anyway, I didn't get a chance to look at any more today as I was busy with Friends of the Library Treasurer stuff and then a bit of reading.

You have been happily busy since retiring, and I'm glad you feel good about it. Congrats!

>99 LizzieD: Okay, curiouser and curiouser.....

Yes, we're kitten lovers, you and I. We will just have to Agree to Disagree with Richard about the toxic spit havers.

Much Buffy, just starting the third season. Now, off to read Spenser. At least here in the third book he's not exclusive with her so far.

>89 Crazymamie: Ah, I remember now, Mamie, thanks, about the Spenser-reading trio. I blame your rant on the poor narrator. :-) As you probably remember, I read the whole darn series. Typical for me - Roberta used to call me The Series Pusher. The Spenser series was definitely up and down, but the ups were mighty good, and for me, the downs were generally decent reading. A Catskill Eagle does test that idea.

Like Debbi, it always picked up for me when Hawk showed up.

P.S. Hi, Karen! Back in the day, our daughter and I would religiously watch Buffy together. Those early seasons were particularly good.

Hi Joe!

I am enjoying Mortal Stakes - it's the case where he's hired to find out of a major league player is taking bribes.

Bill's home sick today although I haven't seen him yet. I'm trying to NOT get sick, but so far he's been home more this week than he's been at work, and sick the whole time. He sounds worse and is coughing a lot.

Re Buffy - I like howling along with the opening intro. We've just started season 3.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I, too, read some Spenser back in the 80s and early 90s, maybe 6-7. I liked them but not sure I would do a revisit. Too many damn books, my friend...

Morning, Karen! Sorry to see that Bill is still pretty sick. Hopefully he starts to feel better soon and hope you don't catch it!

>103 msf59: Hi Mark! We just cross posted! Thank you. There are way too many books, and I am doing less re-reading than I used to in general, although with The Alphabet Series this year it will be at least 25% of my total.

>104 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I hope he'll start feeling better today. I woke up feeling better than yesterday morning, so perhaps my megavitamins and staying away from him will do the trick!

What?! Bill Honey is *still* sick? This is double plus ungood. Health *whammy* on its way. I think I cleared out the out-of-date whammys with poor Ellen earlier. They had no effect on her, sadly.

It's not a pretty day, today, but I'm doing as well as I can with it. *smooch*

I'm sorry to hear that Bill is sick, but glad you're doing better.

I've never read any of the Spenser books. Looks like the only Parker I've read is a western called Appaloosa. :)

>106 richardderus: Yup, Bill Honey is hacking and wheezing and making disgusting nasal sounds from the living room. Thank you for the health whammy for him. I won't say his immune system is compromised, exactly, but once he gets sick it usually takes quite a while for him to get over it. Alas, he is like his dad in some respects - he 'enjoys' poor health and is borderline hypochondriac. He certainly grumbles about his health in general and some of the signs that he is Getting Old.

My goal is to age gracefully and not burden friends and family with my tales of woe. "I Will Not be a Whiny Senior." Repeat as needed.

Today is a beautiful blue Carolina day. It's a nice bright 41F, going to a high of 63F.

>107 streamsong: Hi Janet! I'm doing pretty well, thank you. Today's goal is to avoid getting Bill's germs.

I must say that so far the Spenser books are not as bad as painted, but I'm alert to the anguished cry of SUUUUUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN! from so many folks.

Good morning, Karen! I hope Bill gets well soon. Enjoy the day.

The Spenser books? Surely you read The Faerie Queene in college?

>109 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Thanks. Today is beautiful out, and I'm going to read and run a few errands.

>110 richardderus: Ah, well, no, actually, RichardDear. In all my AP English classes in high school and all my English classes in college, I somehow didn't get to Spenser.

Bill thanks everybody for their wishes, and especially your health *whammy*, RD - he has never gotten one before. It must be working, because he's in his home office feeling well enough to get out one quote that was worrying him.

Hi Karen, sorry to read that Bill is still sick my dear and hope he gets better soon, give him our best wishes for getting better dear friend.

Well, dear Karen, I'm happy to hear that Bill is feeling better, and I trust that he has not passed it on to you. Stay healthy! Read!!

Keeping up with the threads is a lot of work after a few days, Karen, I am almost there ;-)
Sorry to read your husband is ill, I hope he feels better soon.

>108 karenmarie: "I Will Not be a Whiny Senior."
Amen to that, I will try the same ;-)

>112 johnsimpson: Hi John. I will pass on your wishes. He was a tad worse again after getting that quote out.

>113 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. So far I've been able to fight off whatever creeping crud he has. Read, yes m'am!

>114 FAMeulstee: I know the feeling, Anita. Thanks re Bill.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Sorry, Bill is still struggling. Hope he gets some relief. I think I will stay close to home today and take care of chores, of course I will keep an eye on the feeders. Things are beginning to pick up...

>116 msf59: Hi Mark and thank you. Bill will stay in today and I will do all the errand running. I don't want him getting sicker, exposing me to his germs in the car, and exposing other folks to his germs at whatever restaurant we'd go to for lunch and the grocery store. I like puttering around on my own anyway sometimes.

Have fun (?) with the chores and I hope the bird population go crazy at your feeders.

I'm seeing Cowbirds for the first time this almost-spring. They are gorgeous but tend to hog the feeders. The like the wild bird seed so are leaving the sunflower feeder alone - just saw a Titmouse and now a Cardinal grab a seed and fly away to the crepe myrtle.

Hi Karen,

Adding my healing vibes here for Bill. This crazy up and down weather isn't helping, I'm sure. Up here, it's bright and sunny today but too darn cold. I may force myself to go out for a walk anyhow, later on, but it will depend on the wind. I hate the wind.

I'm sure you will have fun solo today, and Bill will also be better off hunkered down, getting better, right? Is he taking anything for that cough? Even tea with honey, or some hot chicken soup may help!

Oh, completely forgot to ask you, Karen, did you get to rearranging the books with daughters help?

Hi Shelley!

Thanks. He sounded terrible when he first got up, but except for much sneezing seems to have more energy than yesterday. Still not going out, though. *smile* He's taking Dayquil, which isn't helping the cough, and is using cherry-flavored cough drops. Last night he used some codeine cough syrup that he had left over from the fall, and slept pretty well. He refused my offer of honey and lemon (local honey and fresh lemons) but ate some chicken noodle soup for dinner last night.

I like being inside when there's wind outside.

Like everybody else who's following March Madness I am totally shocked that UVA got beaten by UMBC. My bracket in the South is totally destroyed, but thank goodness I have Xavier beating (the now-one-and-done UVA) to get to the final.

Oh my. I have been on LT this morning for 4 hours, with a few interruptions here and there, but mostly catching up on threads.

Yikes. No unread messages. I wonder how long it will last?

Happy weekend, Karen.

Ha! The absence of unread messages didn't last long, Karen!

Glad to hear that Bill's doing a bit better. Sending more good health vibes to him. "I won't be a Whiny Senior". Amen to that. I can remember some of our parents' friends coming over and talking way too much about their various health issues.

I hope you're having a good weekend. I'm enjoying March Madness, too. I didn't do the brackets this year - I always used to do them at work. That walloping by UMBC of Virginia was amazing. That little guy (Maura) played the whole darn game.

There's a lot of excitement here about Loyola making it to the second round. I'd love to see them keep it going.

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Happy weekend Karen. Wishing Bill good health.

Very windy here as well, from the east, so cold. Best to stay indoors, if possible!

Happy Saturday, Karen! I got a late start today due to some cleaning (ugh)
Hope you have a great weekend!

>122 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Thank you.

>123 jnwelch: Hi Joe! It actually lasted minus 1 minutes, as there was a 10:16 am post and mine posted at 10:17. I haven’t looked since I got home from running errands.

Bill helped me bring in the groceries, so isn’t in Mortal Peril. Bill’s parents both constantly complained about their health and always gave us sickness/death reports of other family and friends. My Mom and Dad didn’t so much – in fact, my Mom never told us she had diabetes until thirty years after her diagnosis, Dad never told me about his macular degeneration until he was legally blind, and I didn’t know about a host of other ailments.

Bill didn’t do a bracket this year. I wiped the floor with him last year – actually had Gonzaga/UNC with UNC winning – and he doesn’t seem to care quite as much as he used to about the bracket. He does like watching the games though. I did a bracket. I always joke that I pick by uniform colors and team mascots. It’s a bit better than that, but not by much. I got 20 right out of the first round, but as I wrote above, my South is totally broken. Ah well, it’s fun.

Good luck to Loyola – they messed with me, too, by beating Miami. They have my permission to keep going – heck, they can even make it to the Final Four where they’ll have to lose to Xavier.

>124 SomeGuyInVirginia: Thanks, Larry! I completely forgot about it being St. Patrick’s Day. Drat. I was going to buy corned beef and make corned beef and cabbage.

>125 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella! It definitely sounds like stay-in-weather for you. Rather mild here, but I’m going to read most of this afternoon and get basketball updates from Bill periodically.

>126 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! Yuck housework. Thanks, same to you.

How do, Horrible. Hope you enjoy watching all those muscular young men in absurdly modest bloomers leap around, destroying their knee cartilage and spinal discs for your momentary amusement.

Regarding your husband's condition: Have you tried sweetly barking, "So get OVER it already!!!"

>127 karenmarie: Ha! That's because Bill's parents are southern. My grandmother used to read the obituaries to the family every night.

Did you miss me up there >119 FAMeulstee: Karen?

>121 karenmarie: No unread messages never lasts long, I was doing the same today. My only chances are in the morning, when everyone on the other side of the Atlantic is still asleep...

>128 richardderus: Ho do back, RD. I watched Duke/RI until halftime. I tell you, it’s tough cheering for Duke just because of my bracket when Grayson Allen is such a sneaky little weasel.

I enjoy looking at nicely muscled young men. Their bloomers aren’t as short as they used to be and I don’t like the tats at all, but all in all it’s not a bad way to check out young men without being misinterpreted. *smile* They’re going to be hobbling and in pain regardless of whether I personally watch’em or not. Bill’s dad played high school and college sports and eventually had nothing but bone on bone for kneecaps. I’m actually more worried about Cam Newton and Luke Keuchly and all the concussions they’ve had.

>129 weird_O: Well, Bill, I’m just too nice. He did bring in groceries and helped put them away….. He’s acting perky right now and has even said that he feels better than yesterday. I know he’s still sick, though, because I bought a nice London Broil and offered to make it tonight but he said he’s not hungry enough for it and will have a turkey sandwich instead.

>130 SomeGuyInVirginia: You’re right, Larry! My family’s from the Midwest (Mom from Cedar Rapids and Dad from Omaha). We didn’t get obits read to us when we visited Bill’s Mama, but we always heard about the people she thought Bill might know.

Segue from obits - my sister’s MiL is in the end stage of her life. She fell two days ago. They thought it was a broken hip but it’s not. They said she wouldn’t be a candidate for surgery anyway because of her Stage IV Parkinson’s and the Parkinson’s implant she’s got to control the shaking. Hospice brought in a hospital bed and they sent her home by ambulance yesterday. She is basically immobile, too weak to move herself, is on morphine 24/7 for some kind of severe pain – possibly a broken femur but again they won’t treat it (I know – sounds bogus to me but it’s Kaiser and I am not impressed with them), and she pretty much just moans or sleeps. Not a good situation at all. My niece is over there now visiting her Grandma probably for the last time. Sister’s husband, the caregiver, and sister’s SiL are administering the morphine every 3 hours and giving her water and other liquids. The only consolation for me is that my sister is totally recovered from her kidney stones and is feeling physically and mentally strong.

>>131 FAMeulstee: and >119 FAMeulstee:. I’m sorry, Anita, I did miss you up there. We didn’t get around to rearranging books, but did get some furniture rearranged in the living room.

I hope to get back to regular message reading. I don’t always post, but at least reading messages even if I don't post gives me a chance to not feel so beleaguered.

>132 karenmarie: Every household subtracted from the viewership is a net gain for sanity in sports.

Hi, Karen. Sounds like Bill is on the mend, which is good. I hope your weekend is going well.

>133 richardderus: If there were sanity in sports, pre-pro basketball would not be tied to college. Many young men who are excellent at running and jumping and throwing balls are not good at reading' writin' and 'rithmetic and there's an inherent conflict in putting the two together the way they've grown together since the advent of TV (and therefore money) in sports and etc.

>134 harrygbutler: Hi Harry. Yup, he's coming along. So far so good - I just finished the third Spenser, Mortal Stakes. It's the best of the three. Review to follow soon.

26. Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker
3/14/18 to 3/17/18





From Amazon:

Everybody loves a winner, and the Rabbs are major league. Marty is the Red Sox star pitcher, Linda the loving wife. She loves everyone except the blackmailer out to wreck her life.

Is Marty throwing fast balls or throwing games? It doesn't take long for Spenser to link Marty's performance with Linda's past...or to find himself trapped between a crazed racketeer and an enforcer toting an M-16.

America's favorite pastime has suddenly become a very dangerous sport, and one wrong move means strike three, with Spenser out for good!

Why I wanted to read it: Third book in the series, last book in the 3-for-1omnibus I bought.

I liked this one better than the first and second. I liked the bits about baseball and Spenser’s detective skills. He is still wise-cracking, but has some seriously introspective and anguished moments in this one and I like him all the better for them. Spenser is still juggling Brenda Loring and Susan Silverman.

43 years after this book was published the blackmail aspect would be considered ho-hum, and there are some things that are still quite dated, but the core plot and characters are less tied to the 1970s and more tied to what every lover of a mystery relishes – detecting, criminals, and plot twists.

Yup.

And ain't it hilarious what constituted blackmailable offenses Once Upon A Time?! Nowadays none of 'em would even merit a raised eyebrow. "Sexual irregularities" in Agatha Christie's books make me bust a gut laughing in a world where a porn-star-sexin' serial rapist is the president of the country.

I hope Bill is feeling better soon, Karen. Good luck with not coming down with what he has. Although I think it's possible. I had a horrible cold, cough, flu thing at the beginning of the year and didn't pass it along to my son.

Happy Sunday, Karen. Fingers crossed that you stay healthy.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. Yep, seeing the most action at the feeders, since last fall. Good sign, right? It supposed to be a very nice day here, so I plan on going for a nice bird stroll.

>137 richardderus: It is hilarious, in one way. But with a porn-star-sexin' serial rapist as the president of the country, things have gotten bizarre. They got sordid with Bill Clinton, but I don’t recall any of his sexual companions ever claiming coercion or rape. The GOP – the Grab Our Pussies Party – seems to condone Republican sexual misconduct but not Democratic sexual misconduct.

And the only reason I can think of for Al Franken stepping down so quickly was that more might have been found. Otherwise, why not tough it out? Sigh.

>138 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg, he says he’s feeling better today. I’m a bitmore congested and sneezing some this morning but still not what I consider “sick”. I’m glad you didn’t give it to your son.

>139 Ameise1: Fingers crossed for sure, Barbara! Thanks. Today will be like yesterday without the errands – reading, basketball. Bill will be sitting on the couch in the living room all day, so I’ll be in there infrequently. Carolina plays so I’ll watch that, and then of course there will be Buffy some time today depending on when the ‘Heels take on Texas A&M. I’m also going to make the London Broil, probably baked potatoes, and some salad.

>140 msf59: Thanks Mark, and happy Sunday to you too. I’m glad for your feeder action. It is a good sign, for sure. I hope you enjoy your bird stroll.

Morning, Karen! Sorry to hear that you are slightly more congested - hoping it doesn't get any worse, and that Bill continues to improve.

I'm warning you right now that Spenser is just luring you in so he can crush you.

Hi Mamie! Yes, I'm feeling a tad more puny than I did yesterday. Drat Bill for sharing his germs - I will be working hard today to nip this in the bud.

I don't have any more Spenser on my shelves - Promised Land is apparently next - and will wait until the April book sale to see if it might be there. Thank you for the warning!

I just saw a male White-Throated Sparrow in the Crepe Myrtle.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday.

We watched another Midsomer Murders yesterday, this one involving murders over exotic orchids. Only the British could come up with that plot!

>142 Crazymamie: I'm warning you right now that Spenser is just luring you in so he can crush you. LOL! Mamie, you crack me up. I remain uncrushed, but I'm an insensitive oaf. I admit I do sometimes mentally twiddle my thumbs when Susan shows up, but I snap back to alert when Hawk does.

Hi Joe, and happy Sunday to you, too.

Have you ever read any of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries? I don't think there's an actual murder over exotic orchids, but orchids play a major role in Wolfe's daily schedule and Archie Goodwin's constant irritation over Wolfe's abrupt departure from his office to keep to that schedule. Wolfe has 10,000 orchids lovingly attended to by Theodore Horstmann in the top floor of the old brownstone that Wolfe, Archie, Theodore, and Fritz his chef/majordomo/butler.

I'm not crushed yet either and haven't met Hawk yet. Whoever this Hawk is, I'm intrigued. So far Susan's not a problem to me. Or, apparently to Spenser, because he keeps clothes and a shaving kit at her place now.

>144 jnwelch:, >145 karenmarie: I LOVE Hawk, but unfortunately he is not in every book. And I loved Susan to begin with, but after A Catskill Eagle, I was done with her.

I have BIG love for Archie Goodwin, but I must admire him from afar, as Julia has already claimed him.

Escamillo is my heart throb, too.....

>132 karenmarie: Your sister's MIL's situation sounds absolutely grim. I'm so sorry.

Take care of yourself. Fingers and toes crossed that you don't get as sick as Bill did.

Sorry to hear Bill has not been well and has shared his germs with you :-( Hope you feel better soon.

>132 karenmarie: Sorry about your sisters MiL, Karen, a fall at that age is bad news.

>144 jnwelch: I remember that episode, Joe, but not typical Briitish, as the only book I have read about orchid obsession was The Orchid Thief, written by an American writer ;-)

That's horrific, Karen. I wish they'd legalize heroin for pain that can't be controlled. I always told my parents that I'd see that their pain was controlled even if I had to buy the drugs on the street.

It sounds like she's in hospice care, and if so then Kaiser won't treat anything to heal what's wrong and apply no remedy other than palliative care (pain killers and water.) Sis may be able to take her out of hospice temporarily to set the bone, then she can go back on. Elder care is barbaric.

Nothing will change until politicians are forced to accept the same health care as everybody else. Ggrrrrr. God there goes my blood pressure.

ETC- I was using auto speller on my smell flone.

>148 streamsong: It is grim, Janet. We didn’t envision a fall, and didn’t envision it going downhill so quickly. Thank you.

>149 souloftherose: Hi Heather! Bill’s feeling better. All I’ve done today is make some sausage and toast for breakfast, cleaned that pan and put the dishes in the dishwasher, played here on LT, and read The Devil in the White City. It is absolutely fascinating. I’m drinking lots of water and just ate two clementines (a cross between a mandarin orange and a sweet orange, circa 1902) for extra vitamin C.

>150 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. It is bad news indeed. I’m sure her existence is rather hellish right now.

I remember that episode of Midsomer Murders too. It is called Orchis Fatalis, season 8, episode 3, and it has one of my favorite actresses in it – Harriet Walter.

>151 SomeGuyInVirginia: Yes Larry, it is. I wish there was something stronger, too, up to and including heroin. One thing I forgot to mention is that they are rubbing cannabis cream on her leg, which seems to be helping with the pain in addition to the morphine.

I’m not sure about whether they can do about setting the bone – apparently there’s still misinformation as to whether there’s an actual fracture or just a terrible bone bruise. I’m staying well out of it. And I don't think you can go off hospice easily/quickly and get back on easily/quickly. Elder care is barbaric.

I agree with you – what’s sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander – the politician ganders in this case. They have no concept of what people go through, mentally, physically, or financially with what passes for health care here in the US. Be calm. Breathe.

-Good lord, my post was a mess. I use autospeller on my phone and it's, um, non-linear.

The Brits are so far ahead of the rest of us in acting, especially now that the 70s are over. Writing, too. They're really wonderful at it. Up until I moved to the Hill I read almost nothing but Brits. And Fredric Brown and Jim Thompson.

>48 karenmarie: What do your lovely other and his mum disagree about? I’m not up on NZ politics, if it’s politics that get them going.
She just has this habit of providing an alternative point of view to all and any point he is making. Plus, they disagree on politics too! He is a centre-left voter, and she is a right voter. She's pretty conservative, and is forever disappointed that we aren't married....there's this GAP on her photo wall, waiting for a wedding photo of us (I'm like- don't hold your breath lady!!).

>132 karenmarie: that does sound grim. I hope she can find some pain relief at least.

Yes, I have read some of the Nero Wolfe books, and I remember his extreme love of orchids, Karen. This Midsomer episode had all sorts of nefarious activities going on among orchid collectors in the area, with murders galore. Have you noticed that the episodes rarely have just one murder? Man, it's worse than being near Jessica Fletcher in Cabot Cove.

Glad Bill is feeling better.

>153 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry. Autospellers can create hilarious errors – I was telling my sister via text yesterday that we were watching Buggy…..

>154 LovingLit: Wow, Megan, it must be exhausting to always have to hear another side of something. And politics are deadly between conservative parents and less conservative offspring – I stopped talking about politics with my family a very long time ago. And that’s absolutely ridiculous that she leaves a space for a wedding photo on her wall.

I haven’t heard back from my sister except via text that they had quite a bit of family visiting and she was exhausted yesterday. I hope we can talk today. I don’t know if the morphine has got her pain free. It must be pretty bad pain, because even my kidney stones responded to morphine.

>155 jnwelch: We did notice that, Joe – multiple murders in most episodes. I’ve never done the Murder, She Wrote series, but was giving it to Mom as Christmas and birthday presents and she loved it.

>156 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori! He went to work today, and although I’m a bit congested still, I haven’t gotten worse.

There are cows in my yard again, this time much closer to the house. I’ve called the county, who have so far been unresponsive, and now I’m trying to get the phone number of the guy who apparently owns them from our neighbor. Sigh.

>157 karenmarie: Sorry to see the cows are bothering you again. Your grass must taste better

LOL, Chelle. Probably just not grazed by cows for 30 or more years. These used to be cow pastures.

I was able to get the phone number of the guy whose son and friend own the cows. He said he'd get them to get the cows and that he was probably going to move them off those pastures because Harold Howard, who he's leasing the pastures from, won't keep the fences mended. I also told him that I called animal control but if they did happen to call or come by I'd tell them he and I'd spoken and the cows were going to be taken care of.

We'll see.

Morning Karen! >132 karenmarie: lol about the muscled young men. I'm not a huge fan of sports - even for the eye-candy.

Good morning, Karen! I hope your Monday goes well. Maybe you should just lease your yard as pasture. :-)

Hi Rachel! I didn't used to be a huge fan of sports either, not even for the eye candy. Admittedly male eye candy used to be harder to see if one didn't watch sports, so I got most of my oogling in with rock'n'roll bands. However, almost 27 years of marriage has influenced me. I always understood the sports because I had PE every single school day from grades 1-12, and once we hit junior high we had written tests on rules in addition to playing the sport itself. I surprised my husband when we were first married because although I didn't like watching sports, I could talk intelligently about them.

When our daughter was young she and her daddy watched Carolina Basketball and the Carolina Panthers (pro football). I eventually started watching both, too, although sometimes just as I was going through the living room.

Now I'm a serious Panthers fan and tolerate Carolina Basketball because Bill loves it so much. We were unhappy last night when the 'Heels lost by an embarrassing 21 points to Texas A&M. However, my bracket is still alive if Duke keeps going.

I also love watching women's soccer and .... wait for it .... curling.

Hi Harry!

I'd like to find someone to board their horses with us, but never cows. They absolutely destroy pastures. Admittedly ours aren't what they used to be, but they're still better than they'd be with cows. And cows get out more frequently than horses and I wouldn't want to be responsible for the fences.

The wife of the man I spoke with called and she's out, apparently, trying to get the cows back in and looking at the fences. Most of the cows have retreated, but I just saw two babies in one of our far pastures and will use the binoculars to see if I can see her truck. Edited to add: Just saw her walking my back pastures. I called and waved to her and she waved back. She's out there rounding 'em up.

Howdy, Karen. Glad Bill is doing better but boo to the intruding cows. Enjoy your day.

Morning, Karen! Glad the cows are being rounded up. I'm laughing that I just typed that sentence.

"I had PE every single school day from grades 1-12" Well, this is miserable. YIKES!

>164 msf59: Hi Mark! The cows are gone, Animal Control came out and of course there were none there. They said if I saw cows again to call and they'd issue a nuisance citation. Pictures would help, too. I think I'll just try the cow owners first....

>165 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! It does sound funny, but central NC rural sometimes means cows. Lately too many. When the pastures were owned by Farmer Joe, his cows would sometimes get out, but that was before we had fenced horse pastures and before I got cranky about it. We'd call Joe or his wife, they'd drive their truck over, and they'd let the cows follow them back and then repair the fences.

I think PE for kids is very important and was sad that for daughter when it became an elective and she only had to take 2 classes in 4 years in HS. Mens sana in corpore sano - A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body - was the motto of the first high school I went to in 1968. Yes, we had to dress for PE starting in 9th grade and depending on what class period it was, I was a sweaty mess for the rest of the day, but we were always physically active.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Migration Map for 2018

Louise said to put my feeders out about April 1, but I might put them out a bit earlier since there are already sightings in southern South Carolina!

Karen, when you speak of cows, you are meaning beeves and not milkers, right? I think milk cows know the routine and head for the barn. In our rural area, there are dairy farmers, some with beef animals, scattered horse farms.

Wow, Bill, I just learned what beeves are!! Correct, beeves, not milkers. There are dairy farms in our county, but I don't think any really close to us. There are small horse farms, too, and one Alpaca Farm about 5 miles from us.

Morning, Karen. Happy Tuesday. Hooray for the hummingbird feeder. I will probably wait until mid-month or so, unless I start seeing reports.

Good morning, Karen! Early hummingbirds, eh? I don't expect them too soon up here, but they may surprise us.

>170 msf59: Morning to you, Mark! From old maps it looks like there will be early sightings here in 4 or 5 days, up by you mid-April.

>171 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Ditto on the old maps, looks like you'll have them mid-April like Mark.

Well. Today at 12:15 p.m. EDT Spring starts, but today is cloudy, gloomy, and it rained a bit in the night. Tonight we might get some more rain and a bit of snow, ditto tomorrow morning.

Morning Karen, it's a bit dull and cloudy here my dear but at 7.45am the sun was shining and it looked glorious, shame it hasn't lasted.

Hi John! I'm glad you got to see the big of blue before it clouded up. I heard rain off and on during the night although it's not raining now.

Morning, Karen! It definitely feels like Spring here - overcast, yes, but already 70F and very humid.

Hi Mamie! Ugh. Already 70F and humid.

I know, right?!

>176 karenmarie: - Hi Karen,

Well, it's the first day of spring, so they say. It's sunny here this morning but we haven't yet made it to the plus side of the temperature scale. Our weather is currently at -4C (feeling like -10 with the wind chill) but we should hit a high of +2. I'll take it, though, as long as we have that sunshine. :-)

Hope you have a good day

>177 Crazymamie: I think this is about as far south as I can take it.

>178 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! Yay for your sunshine. I sort of take each day as it comes because we get so many of each - cloudy and clear. It's only 48F here, but much warmer than your -4C = 24.8F.

I've been working on some documents for our accountant for taxes - yuck - and think I only have one to go. I'm waiting on a call from NML. I can go see our accountant next Tuesday and drop stuff off when I go to visit a former work colleague for lunch.

27. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
2/25/18 to 3/20/18





From Amazon:

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book the smoke, romance, and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.

Erik Larson’s gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

Why I wanted to read it: I recently read Dead Wake and was so thrilled with Larson’s writing style that I wanted to read something else by him. Luckily, I already had this one on my shelves, just waiting to be read.

The World’s Columbian Exposition, otherwise known as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, was planned to honor the 400th Anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of America. There was a mad dash by large cities to win it for their city, and Chicago won, to the dismay of the East Coast, New York in particular. Chicago was seen as raw, ignorant, uncultured, and unable to pull off America’s answer to the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris. Winning it and successfully implementing it were stunning accomplishments.

Here are a few things that made their first or most impressive early showing at the 1893 Fair:

Ferris Wheel
AC electricity which became the US standard
Spray paint
First Moving Pictures
First All-Electric Kitchen
First Zipper
Juicy Fruit Gum
Cracker Jack
Shredded Wheat
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer – won the blue ribbon at the Fair

There were over 4 million visitors. The influence of the Fair was far-reaching in architecture, science, city planning.

Larson has woven his tale of two major events – the Fair and the murderer Dr. H.H. Holmes. He also tells the story about the first Ferris Wheel, the idea coming to Washington Gale Ferris Jr.’s mind in full and complete detail all at once. We also learn about Patrick Eugene Joseph Prendergast, who assassinated Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. two days before the end of the Fair, turning the closing ceremonies into a funeral instead.

An absolutely wonderful book. I spent a lot of time, as I did with Dead Wake, looking for more detail on the Internet and being thrilled with it all. A beautifully done microhistory.

But the most thrilling thing about reading this book is that I finally connected the dots. My Great-Great-Grandfather Robert Atkinson Hopps, from Talmage Nebraska, attended the Fair. He would have been 72 at the time, not a minor trip from Omaha NE to Chicago. Did he take any of his family? Alas, I’ll never know. Here is the silk souvenir he brought back. It was in my paternal grandmother’s effects and I finally got it framed and protected about 10 years ago. It says "Machinery Hall Chicago World's Fair 1893" and "Robert A Hopps" stitched in the right corner.

…

>180 karenmarie: Good review of Devil in the White City, Karen (like you, I thought it was terrific), and how cool to have that Fair souvenir picked up by your g-g-g!

>180 karenmarie: - I am so glad you enjoyed this one. It was my very first Larson and I was totally immersed in it. Very cool about connecting those dots!

I also went a little crazy afterwards, researching some of the details. For example, because of the Toronto connection, at the end, I actually went downtown to the Toronto Reference Library, to look at the microfiche files of the newspapers, to see what coverage was like in those days, of such a sensational event and trial. Besides the sheer enjoyment factor of the newspapers of that time, I discovered (in my street guide book) that the street where the house where the bodies were found, no longer exists. The names of all the jurors in the trial (all men, of course!), were printed in the paper along with their addresses!! Can you imagine? What also surprised me - though I suppose it should not have, humans being humans - is that the capacity for gawking and sensationalist gossip and editorializing does not seem to have changed much at all, from that day to this. Sigh...

And did you catch Larson's one line reference to Mark Twain's visit to the Fair? I love this guy's writing!

Next up for you, if you want to continue with Larson, try Isaac's Storm or Thunderstruck, both excellent, in my opinion.

Lol: I was just googling to find the name of Thunderstruck , which had escaped my memory for a moment. I found a link to a blog post by Larson from a couple of years ago. Of course, I had to read it. Short and to the point. And this is why he is such a great writer:

http://eriklarsonbooks.com/2016/05/the-city-getting-things-done/

I too really enjoyed Devil in the White City. The fair was a bit of a planning milestone so I was interested from that perspective. How, neat, that you know you had an ancestor who was there and actually have a souvenir he bought.

>181 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I’m so glad I was able to preserve it and now realize its significance.

>182 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! I went crazy during, mostly, going back and forth from the book to my computer to the souvenir, and then back to the book. That’s really wonderful that you actually checked out the newspapers and address and all. I did catch the Mark Twain reference – he came, was sick, and never attended.

I just got Isaac’s Storm via BookMooch in February and may pull it next for my nonfiction book. We’ll have to see if it clamors more loudly than As You Wish, Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines, or In the Heart of the Sea.

Very nice blog entry by Larson. Short, sweet, and says a lot with just a few words.

>183 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. I read with interest about the planning,but just had to do bits and pieces for my review. The sheer scope of the planning and Fair police and Fair hospital, cleaning crews, underground gas pipes, electrical wiring, railroad tracks throughout to get materials in for building and then taken down quickly before the opening, etc., are all wonderful stories too.

Well cows in the back yard is better than a fox in the house. Wishing you a lovely day, Karen.

Hi Karen, those World Expositions must have been events in their time. Nice to have a souvenir from your great-great-grandfather, makes it all more real somehow. Did he have something to do with machines?

>185 Ameise1: Absolutely, Barbara! I hope that your fox is gone. I didn't see any cows today. Today was productive and fun. We just watched 2 episodes of Buffy and there's Russia-Japan curling on. I'll watch a bit of it, then head upstairs to read I is for Innocent.

>186 EllaTim: Hi Ella! The World's Fair was a huge influence on people - one thing that struck me was that for many who went it was the first time they saw electric lights. Larson specifically mentioned that so many people then still only had kerosene lamps. I can hardly imagine the 'shock and awe' that the white buildings and hundreds and thousands electric lights inspired in people.

I wish I remember more about Robert Hopps - I do know that he went to California for the Gold Rush, married in Illinois, then settled in Nebraska - I haven't spent any time on my genealogical research in 15 or more years and don't remember how he earned his living. I have good intentions of getting back up to speed about my connections. Maybe this is the inspiration I need.

Good morning.

Wow! 70 F Already, Karen. We have about 13 C / 55 F here and I am quite happy with that . The crocuses , snowdrops area in bloom, and the saucer magnolias are beginning to bloom. We are similar to you in that at this time of year, it can start out rainy and turn to sun and vice versa. Truthfully, with the exception of summer, living by the Pacific Ocean, the weather is very changeable.

>180 karenmarie: That is special, Karen, having such an old souvenir in your family.
Your great-great-grandfather visiting the fair and reading now about it, I love it when things fall together like this.

>188 johnsimpson: Hi John!

>189 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! Mamie had the 70F weather, we were about 20 degrees lower. Right now it's 34F and we might get snow mixed in with the rain today! This spring I've seen daffodils but there aren't many flowers planted here in our subdivision for some reason. The forsythia has converted to leaves, the blooms on my tulip magnolia are all brown from a hard freeze a couple of weeks ago. That far north the weather is very different from southern California, which is much less changeable.

>190 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! It is special, isn't it? I've always loved it and now it has even greater meaning for me.

First sips of coffee, visit a few threads, read more of I is for Innocent. Our April book club book is God's Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher. Anybody read it?

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I have not read that Mosher but I have been meaning to read more of his work. I will be watching for your thoughts.

Hi Mark! Thanks. I have a 10 am appointment at Edward Jones to do some financial transactions on behalf of the Friends of the Library. Just in the last 4 minutes I've started seeing snowflakes, so we'll see if the meeting is on or off. This office of EJ is halfway to Chapel Hill, north of us, and they already told me that I should call first to see if they are at work before coming up.

I was worried that God's Kingdom was part of a series but it's not. Mosher wrote a series of books about The Kingdom - the NEK - the 3 counties of northeast Vermont - but what I can tell they might be interrelated but not serial.

>180 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen! Nice to have a personal connection to the Fair.

Good morning, Karen.

You already have my favorite two sentences of the day. We just watched 2 episodes of Buffy and there's Russia-Japan curling on. I'll watch a bit of it, then head upstairs to read I is for Innocence. Eclectic much?

Morning, Karen! Good review of The Devil in the White City. Glad you loved it

Good grief, until I checked out Erik Larson's blogpost I thought he and Sebastian Junger were the same person. I really liked Devil, too.

We're getting snow and they have no idea how much. Not more than a few inches here, but western Maryland could get more than a foot. At one time yesterday they said we could get up to a foot, which caused a massive run on the grocery store. I've heard, although I don't know if it's true, that the first thing to leave the shelves in a snow storm is beer and Pop Tarts. I didn't buy either but I did buy Twinkies, first time since they started making them again. Parker goes after a Twinkie like it will save his life.

Morning, Karen! Very nice review of The Devil in the White City - I really liked that one, too.

Our temps have dropped into the 60s with very high winds today - currently 52F, which is more my speed and only going to 60F today. Whoot!

>194 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Yes indeed. Once I start up my genealogical research again I’m going to go back to the newspapers in Talmage and/or Nebraska City in 1893 and see if there were any mentions of the Fair. Better yet would be mentions of GGG going. There was a lot of ‘gossip’ in papers then.

>195 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Oh yes, I’m all over the place. Life would be boring otherwise. *smile*

>196 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle and thanks. Once I got past about the first 40 or pages it really took off for me.

>197 SomeGuyInVirginia: Glad you liked it too, Larry. Hmm. Junger vs Larson. The Perfect Storm vs Isaac's Storm?

National Weather Services says 3-5 inches for you. People do panic when there’s bad weather coming, don’t they? I have never checked out beer or Pop Tarts, but milk and bread go quickly out here. Twinkies? I haven’t bought any since they started making them again either. Go Parker! I remember when Twinkies cost ten cents for a package of 2. Same for Cupcakes and Sno-Balls. We were outraged when they went to thirteen cents a package.

>>198 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Thanks. Big difference from yesterday for you weather-wise.

Back from Edward Jones. Brrr! It’s cold out there although the precip has ended, at least for a while. Time to read!

Good morning, Karen! And I wish you luck when you turn to those papers.

I think small-town papers may still manage some coverage of that sort of news. Our local little papers have run stories from time to time on, for example, a student from town making the Dean's List for a semester at college, and if I recall correctly, I have seen stories on dinners and day trips and the like.

Morning, Karen! Hoping the rest of your day goes smoothly after starting with the insomnia in the wee hours.

>200 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry! I think there is still some of that in the Chatham News & Record, the weekly county paper. Bill usually buys it Thursday night when he has dinner with his friend Carl. The paper comes out Wednesday.

>201 Crazymamie: 'Morning Mamie! I got some good sleep from 4:30 to 8:30.

Bill's step-Aunt Ann is coming over for lunch tomorrow and I need to run a few errands - get my nails done then pick up a few things from the grocery store. Do a bit of cleaning, figure out a dessert, and then write a review for I is for Innocent, the ninth in the Alphabet Series by Sue Grafton. I just finished it.

51 posts! Sorry luvvie. I'm starting afresh here.

*smooch*

*smooch* back from your own dear Horrible

28. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
3/20/18 to 3/22/18





From Amazon:

Readers of Sue Grafton's fiction know she never writes the same book twice, and "I" Is For Innocent is no exception. Her most intricately plotted novel to date, it is layered in enough complexity to baffle even the cleverest among us.

Lonnie Kingman is in a bind. He's smack in the middle of assembling a civil suit, and the private investigator who was doing his pretrial legwork has just dropped dead of a heart attack. In a matter of weeks the court's statute of limitations will put paid to his case. Five years ago David Barney walked when a jury acquitted him of the murder of his rich wife, Isabelle. Now Kingman, acting as attorney for the dead woman's ex-husband and their child (and sure that the jury made a serious mistake), is trying to divest David Barney of the profits of that murder. But time is running out, and David Barney still swears he's innocent.

Patterned along the lines of a legal case, "I" Is For Innocent is seamlessly divided into thirds: one-third of the novel is devoted to the prosecution, one-third to the defense, and a final third to cross-examination and rebuttal. The result is a trial novel without a trial and a crime novel that resists solution right to the end.

When Kinsey Millhone agrees to take over Morley Shine's investigation, she thinks it is a simple matter of tying up the loose ends. Morley might have been careless about his health, but he was an old pro at the business. So it comes as a real shock when she finds his files in disarray, his key informant less than credible, and his witnesses denying ever having spoken with him. It comes as a bigger shock when she finds that every claim David Barney has made checks out. But if Barney didn't murder his wife, who did? It would seem the list of candidates is a long one. In life, Isabelle Barney had stepped on a lot of toes.

In "I" Is For Innocent, Sue Grafton once again demonstrates her mastery of those telling details that reveal our most intimate and conflicted relationships. As Kinsey comments on the give-and-take by which we humans deal with each other, for better and sometimes for worse, the reader is struck yet again by how acute a social observer Ms. Grafton can be. Frequently funny and sometimes caustic, she is also surprisingly compassionate-- understanding how little in life is purely black and white. Except for murder.

Somewhere out there, a killer waits to see just what Kinsey will find out. Somewhere out there, someone's been getting away with murder, and this time it just might turn out to be Kinsey's.

"I" Is For Innocent is Sue Grafton in peak form. Fast-paced. Funny. And very, very devious.

Why I wanted to read it: Next up in The Alphabet Series. I’m re-reading the series this year in honor of Sue Grafton.

”…but murder is an aberrant deed often born of passions distorted by obsessiveness and torment. Emotion doesn’t travel in a straight line. Like water, our feelings trickle down through cracks and crevices, seeking out the little pockets of neediness and neglect, the hairline fractures in our character usually hidden from public view. Beware the ark pool at the bottom of our hearts. In its icy, black depths dwell strange and twisted creatures it is best not to disturb. With this investigation, I was once again uncomfortably aware that in probing into murky waters I was exposing myself to the predators lurking therein.

This one has so many plot twists in it that my neck hurts. There’s a bit of confusion in my mind, still, about who was married to whom when, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying Kinsey’s detecting and perseverance.

Some of her books start off with Boom! Bam! Action! but this one started off with her trying to follow up Morley Shine’s investigation. As she digs deeper and deeper she finds more and more inconsistencies and strange facts, leading to a very satisfactory denouement.

Henry’s brother William comes to visit and is smitten with Rosie. Henry’s cranky about it, making for some amusing dialogue. There’s an interesting dialog between Kinsey and one of the female characters about what people might feel like at the end of a marriage, and Kinsey’s firm commitment to the single state.

All in all another satisfying Letter.

>205 karenmarie: Somehow that plot rings a bell. I might have read...and enjoyed...this book in the last millennium. Well done you for summing up a twisty read with such celerity.

This one rang a bell with me, too, RD, although I had done a re-read in about 2010. It's to be hoped that a few brain cells and synapses were still there from only 8 years ago!

My excuse is that, if I read it (and I'm almost sure that I did), it was in ~1994. 24 years is a long time to retain even hazy memories of a book.

Good morning, Karen! I hope you have a fine Friday!

You're right, RD. Good excuse reason.

Aunt Ann is coming for a visit around 10 today. We might go to Circle City Books and/or the Thrift Shop book hunting, and we'll either have tuna salad on a bed of greens & etc with croissants/butter or homemade turkey noodle soup and a tuna-salad croissant sandwich for lunch.

I made a chocolate cream pie last night. It's an experiment. I do not like the recipe my sister gave me (her MiL's that everybody raves about but that tastes too dense for me), so took cousin Rebecca's banana cream pie recipe, left out the butter (and bananas!), and added 2 oz finely grated unsweet chocolate while the cream was cooking. The leftover chocolate cream tastes good, so I'm hopeful. The pie crust was an experiment - I made two crusts a month or so ago to make the first chocolate cream pie and froze one. I've never kept a frozen pie crust, but it was the one I used yesterday and it looks great.

Have fun visiting and book shopping! Your pie sounds yummy!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. A bit cool here but plenty of sunshine at the moment.

Enjoy your day.

>210 karenmarie: Have a nice day Karen! Your pie recipe has made me hungry!

>209 harrygbutler: It's been a fine day so far, Harry.

>211 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle!

>212 msf59: Hi Mark! Happy Friday to you too. Cool here, with a biting wind, but blue with white puffy clouds.

>213 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella!

Aunt Ann just left - we had tuna salad on a bed of greens with avocado, olives, peppers, and oil & vinegar and a croissant. The pie came out even better than I could have hoped, and I sent a nice chunk of it home with Aunt Ann. Light and nicely chocolate-flavored without being heavy or dense, with a killer flaky crust. After lunch and pie we went to Circle City Books, where she bought two books and I bought the fourth Spenser in mass market paperback Promised Land and the book for our June book club discussion, also mass market paperback, Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. All for $6.41.

We had a wonderful visit.

Now I should work on Friends stuff or write letters, BUT I'm going to read instead.

>199 karenmarie: Where will you look for newspapers published in 19th century Nebraska?

The libraries around here often have the Reading (PA) Eagle on microfilm, and some have a viewer that will produce a Xerox-type copy of what you have framed on the viewing screen. I was stymied at one point in looking for my great-grandfather's obit. I found it, but the newspaper that was microfilmed was clamped together with several weeks worth of issues. The obit of my desire was effectively cut in half (lengthwise) so I could see only half of each line. Of course, every library—even the newspaper itself (still being published)—has the microfilm from the same source, so I've been sunk.

Hi Karen! Just getting caught up. So sorry about your sister's MIL. It's awful to think that so many people are left to suffer like that. Absolutely medieval, in fact. Sorry you had a bit of a cold, but it sounds like you've banished it. Your chocolate pie sounds delicious. My main complaint about most chocolate cream pies is the density and maybe too-chocolatey-ness of them. Hooray for great book deals too! Have a lovely Saturday, and stay warm!

>215 weird_O: Hi Bill! There's a public library in Nebraska City NE. There's also a public library in Talmage, which I haven't visited. I don't know if they have any online services and I don't know when I'd get back. I'm sorry that your G-grandfather's obit was on damaged copies. That's a researcher's nightmare, to find the source and find that source damaged.

>216 nittnut: 'Morning, Jenn. It is awful, basically a death watch. California has a death with dignity law, but Shirley is fighting tooth and nail, apparently.

This pie is not dense and not too chocolatey. It actually tastes like homemade chocolate pudding in a pie shell, which I really like. Aunt Ann already asked if I'd bring it to our Christmas dinner at her house. *smile*

Morning, Karen! Happy Saturday. I think going to work today, might have been less stressful, but I have the Man-Cave cleared out, all but the larger furniture. They should arrive soon and then I'll find somewhere else in the house to curl up with a book, until they are done.

It looks like any snow or rain is going to miss us. Whew. It looks like the feeders are hopping here. Yah!

Sounds like a good day so far for you, Mark! Yay on the work of getting the Man-Cave back under control after the Sump Pump Incident.

Happy weekend, Karen. Sending some spring waves over to you.

Thank you, Barbara! It looks spring-like right now although chilly at 38F. The high will be 49F and later on today with rain developing in the afternoon and through the night and into early Sunday.

the Cardinals are dominating the feeders although I do see one Chipping Sparrow in the crepe myrtle.

My March Madness bracket is debilitated but not broken - I have Duke winning it and they're still in the mix.

Happy Sunday, Karen. I must admit I've never had a chocolate pie, but it does sound Delicious! I'm very keen on chocolate.

Good morning, Karen! We've been seeing at least one song sparrow around the back porch feeder; it may have stayed all winter and just have been hard to pick out among the many house sparrows before.

For your researches, you might check the holdings of Newspapers.com, too. There aren't too many Nebraska papers listed, but perhaps one would have some relevant information.

(Edited to fix the name of the site. Oops.)

Hi.

>222 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! Thank you. I'd never heard of Chocolate Pie until I moved to the US South, but I'm not saying it's a Southern thing at all. It seems prevalent here in central NC, and many people have it as one of their Thanksgiving pies. I'm keen on chocolate, too, but don't like anything that smacks of Death by Chocolate or Chocolate Overkill.

>223 harrygbutler: 'Morning, Harry! Excellent news about the Song Sparrow. I'm wondering if I've seen one and just not recognized it. According to the maps I'm right at the line between non-breeding and year-round.

Thanks re newspaper.com. When I went to look at newspaper.com it routed me to a website called daringfireball.net

newspapers.com - plural - looks like what I would want but has a one-week free trial period then is subscription. I'm not quite to the point to where I could take advantage of a free trial yet - I've gotten so out of the genealogical loop I need to refresh my memory about my ancestors and the places I'm stuck before starting the timer.

>224 richardderus: Hiya RD! Lovely. Thank you.

>225 karenmarie: Oh, sorry about that. Yep, it should have been newspapers.com. That's what I get for not copying and pasting the URL. :-)

Morning, Karen! Happy Sunday! Aunt Ann's visit sounds like a good one, and hooray for the chocolate pie turning out even better than you hoped.

>227 harrygbutler: No prob. I found it easily enough, just was a bit disconcerted at first. *smile*

>228 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Thanks. We had fun, and the chocolate pie was a hit. It was an experiment, and I'm always happy when experiments work out. Especially baking 'cuz it's easier for it to get messed up.

Well, the US women lost by one stone to the Russians for the bronze medal at the 2018 Women's Curling World Championship. Apparently the last time the women won a medal was in 2006, and we came so close today!

We're on opposite sides for today's game, Karen. Sorry!

>230 ronincats: I just posted again on your thread, Roni! At least we have books and kitties in common.

Definitely!

>231 karenmarie: My department head retired a few weeks ago and last week I got a box of two kitten joke books and a pair of socks with cats on them.

Have you ever read Peter Pan (aka Peter and Wendy)? It's AMAZING!

>232 ronincats: Even though the dratted Jayhawks won. My bracket is broken in all regions. *sob* Duke couldn't hit a three to save their souls.

>233 SomeGuyInVirginia: Ooh, kitten joke books and cat socks. Yes! We'll always have.... books and kitties.

I have not read Peter Pan, but it's on shelf L85 in my library, just waiting for me.

Broken bracket, but wonderful episodes of Buffy.

Time to read.....

Morning, Karen. Great bird walk yesterday, despite chilly temps. Not sure if I will go for a walk today, possibly a short one, I want to work on these bookshelves and get some reading time in.

We hoped to see a tufted titmouse yesterday and one of the guys heard one singing, but no sighting. Enjoy your day.

Good morning, Karen! On Saturday, I saw a book called kittenwar at the thrift shop where we stopped, though we didn't get it. Not jokes, but lots of photos.

Hi, Karen. I bought 27 books in The Agatha Christie Mystery Collection on Saturday. I believe you have the entire collection, is that right? I stood at the table, looking at the titles, trying to remember which ones I wanted, then decided I should just get the lot of 'em. Only a buck apiece. My wife is now reading Come, Tell Me How You Live, which is autobiographical and archeological. I'm getting a list together.

Bit of a spirit booster to me.

Morning, Karen!

I am uncaffeinated. I cannot caffeinate. I must wait 24hrs until some kinda bloodwork can be done.

This is not my favorite thing.

*smooch*

>235 msf59: Good afternoon, Mark! Glad your walk was good, if chilly. Fun times with books and bookshelves, and reading too!

I have lots of Tufted Titmice (mouses?) here – looks they’re year-round up in Illinois, too. They like to come to the feeder, get one sunflower seed, then hp away and pound it open.

>236 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! kittenwar looks ‘dorable. I love pics of kittens. Heck, we even watched some of Kitten Bowl 2018 this year.

>237 weird_O: Bill, that’s wonderful! Yes, thanks to my mom, I have the entire collection. I read Come, Tell Me How You Live last year and found it fascinating. $1/each. Can’t beat that. I love finding deals like that too.

>238 Crazymamie: ‘Afternoon, Mamie!

>239 richardderus: Aaack, no caffeine for poor darling RD? I empathize with you. Not any coffee lover’s favorite thing, but especially you. Sending caffeine-like euphoria and clear head vibes to you! *smooches* from your own Horrible

…
This morning I had to get an e-mail out to our debit/credit card processing book sale volunteers – there are a couple of new ones but mostly ones we had last sale. That took all the time until I left for my deep tissue massage, which was WONDERFUL as always. On the way home I stopped at the PO to pick up Friends of the Library mail and there were twenty nine membership renewals. Post to spreadsheet, write check#, amount, and check date on membership form, scan for my records, build deposit slip, and etc. Took over an hour and a half. I’m just now coming up for air.

I may or may not get to threads today, lovely visitors. Right now I need some lunch and reading time.

29. God’s Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher
3/22/18 to 3/26/18





From Amazon:

Howard Frank Mosher is one of America's most acclaimed writers. His fiction, set in the world of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, chronicles the intertwining family histories of the natives, wanderers, outcasts, and fugitives--white, Native American, escaped slaves fleeing north, French Canadians, and others--who settled in this remote and beautiful place.

God's Kingdom explores the Kinneson family through the coming of age of the heir, Jim, and its rich and complicated history. Earnest and innocent, a bright high school student, Jim grows curious about the unspoken "trouble in the family" that haunts his father, a small-town newspaper editor, and his grandfather, a raconteur who keeps the Kinnesons' secrets to himself. Layer by layer, tale by tale, sorting out fact from deliberately obscured legend, Jim explores the Kinnesons' long relationship with others in the Kingdom, culminating in a discovery that forever changes his life and place in that world. Beginning with a magical Thanksgiving Day hunting trip in the autumn mountains, and ending with Jim on the brink of leaving home to find life-and perhaps love-on the other side of the ridge, God's Kingdom unfolds with the patient delight of a master storyteller.

Why I wanted to read it: For April Book Club discussion.

Rich, funny, poignant, just plain interesting, this is the story of Jim Kinneson’s high school years, 1952 – 1956. We’re treated to the family lore of his Scots ancestor and his Abenaki wife Molly Molasses, his abolitionist ancestor, the founder of the Academy school Dr. Pliny Templeton and the mystery of his early life, the hysterically funny and tragic story of Mike the Moose, and Jim’s first love. Each story illuminates part of the family history or part of what makes people in God’s Kingdom tick.

The family are quirky, honest, upright, and steeped in family lore and tradition. They are practical, whimsical, and full of life. The stories are full of fascinating observations of the geographical details of the mountains, streams, lakes, and dams. They are also a paean to how people with a deep love of their land live off it – with knowledge and respect.

This book is beautifully and sparingly written. Somehow Mosher can make ‘spare’ seem lush. It is also vivid and the characters pop vividly, sometimes by their physical descriptions, sometimes by their behavior and stories. All in all a book I unsparingly recommend.

^ Oooh that looks good. I'm adding it to the pile. :)

ETA: Could you please remind me of book sale dates? I know you told me, but I can't find it now. Sigh. I feel like it's coming very soon, and may even coincide with spring break. Wouldn't that be nice?

>239 richardderus: Oh, the inhumanity!

>241 karenmarie: Oooh, sounds amazing.

>243 drneutron: And it lasts until tomorrow. This rots!

I'll be interested to hear what your book club thinks of God’s Kingdom. I haven't read anything by Howard Frank Mosher - for some reason my book club has picked mostly non-fiction books for 2018.

Checking in at last, Karen. The Mosher sounds good, but your Touchstone (241) goes to Jewish Christian Debates. Figure that one!
We're waiting for spring. Azaleas and crab apple tree are full of blossoms and are standing up to almost-freezing temps at night so far. May it come soon! And last long!
As for chocolate pie, the chocolatier and denser the better at my house! I rarely make my mother's chocolate fudge pie, but when I do, it's an artery-buster and divine. I more often make a chocolate chess that's easier and, while rich, not quite as.
Oh! The souvenir of the Chicago Exposition is amazing! Happy you!

Good morning, Karen! Glad you've been liking your recent reads. Enjoy your Tuesday.

>242 nittnut: Hi Jenn! The book sale is April 12 (9 – 7), April 13 (9 – 7) and April 14 (9 – 2). I’ll mail a couple of bookmarks with the dates on them today.

>243 drneutron: Hi Jim!

>244 richardderus: Yeesh, still without caffeine. More caffeine-like euphoria and clear head vibes to you! And more smooches from your own Horrible

>245 streamsong: Hi Janet! Our meeting is this coming Sunday. When we set the schedule we weren’t paying attention to Easter. For most of us it doesn’t matter, but one member can’t come because of Easter plans and another just had a minor stroke (she’s our senior member) and although she might be able to be at the meeting she was supposed to host so there was a flurry of activity to have someone else host. So now it’s a potluck, which is fine.

>246 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Fixed. Thanks for the head’s up. The touchstones got very strange several years ago. Conspiracy theorist that I am, I wonder if there’s any financial impact that benefits LT? *smile*

Even though it leads to the Dread NC Summer, I’m actually looking forward to spring. I’m ready to put up the microfleece sheets ‘til next fall. And yes, let’s have a long spring and short summer.

I’ve never made chocolate chess pie. Recipes I looked at sound easy peasy. It turns out that pecan pie is a type of chess pie! I love the internet…..

Thanks re my G-G-Grandfather’s souvenir. It does make me happy.

>247 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! It’s been a good reading month AND year so far. Thank you.

I’m going to meet friend Michelle (from work) for lunch in a town about 30 miles south of us, drop off our tax documents to our accountant in the same town, then meet FoL President Pete so he can show me how to ink the bank “for deposit only” stamp. I hate feeling stupid and I cannot figure out how to ink the sucker. Pete can show me, but can’t describe it, hence the meeting. I’ll be gone quite a bit of the day.

Morning, Karen. Good review of God's Kingdom. I want to read that one. If you post it. I will Thumb it.

oh blessed goddess Pomona thy elixir coffee be praised

I am caffeinated. I am whole. *smooch* for the survival vibes

>241 karenmarie: making spare seem lush is quite the literary achievement! I love that phrase :)

Hi Karen. I realize I'm late to the Spenser conversation, but I thought I'd add my two cents. early Spenser is okay, but it is when Hawk is introduced and their back and forth enters the picture that the novels begin to pop a little more. One of my favorite of the early books is Promised Land, which was also the book chosen for the pilot of the television series Spenser: For Hire. This is not high literature. I get that. But, Spenser and Hawk are a lot of fun. then there is Susan. As a reader, she is like the ring stuck on your finger that you cannot get off. I know there is a lot of disdain for her in A Catskill Eagle and it is well earned. I happened to really enjoy that book, Susan aside. I thought it was one better takedowns that Spenser and Hawk initiated. The books get ever more banal in his latter years, but there are still a couple of gems like Small Vices, Hush Money, Hugger Mugger, and Pastime.

Hi Karen my dear, I am back here again and will try to get back to my usual posting self from the beginning of April, it has been a strange start to the year for me and I am not liking it so hopefully everything will be ok shortly. Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>249 msf59: Hi Mark, and thank you. I’ve posted it and thank you in advance for a Thumb.

>250 richardderus: Hallelujah! Glad you’re back in the Land of Caffeine. *smooch*

>251 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan.

>252 brodiew2: Hi Brodie! All visits and Spenser conversations welcome. It is interesting that you mention Promised Land, because I just found a mass market copy at a used book store for $3. It’s next up and I noticed that it’s the book Hawk, whoever he is, is introduced. “Susan aside” may be need to be my mantra if and when I continue the series.

>253 johnsimpson: Hi John! Good to see you out and about – I’ll toodle over to your thread in a bit to see what’s going on. I’ve been worried – I can’t ever remember you not posting on your own thread for 5 consecutive days. Sending love and hugs back to you and Karen.

Errands run. Lunch eaten. Sick feeling about taxes – an unexpected document from the failed business days (2011 and earlier) that will definitely cause us to owe money. Oh well, we have the money although we were NOT planning on spending it this way…..

I bought some comfort chocolate donuts on the way home and ate two…..

Thank you! I think daughter and I will come on Friday. We are going to Raleigh for a thing that starts at 4, and it will be perfect to leave a bit early and come to the book sale. We won't be in the early line, but the after lunch crowd. She will enjoy it. :)

>254 karenmarie: Ew. (Business)

Yay! (Donuts)

*smooch* (Cuz I felt like it)

>255 nittnut: Yay for Book Sale Friday! I'll look forward to seeing you and meeting your daughter. I mailed the bookmarks today. It will be quieter on Friday afternoon for sure, and still lots of good books left! We usually have about 18,000.....

>256 richardderus: *smooch* appreciated. Another donut consumed.....

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I did supply a well-deserved Thumb. Heading to work...

'Morning, Mark! I hope your work day is uneventful.

Another park, another Wednesday. (To paraphrase those ineffeable philosophers, the Doobie Brothers, from 1974.)

Good morning, Karen! I hope you're having a good Thursday.

I've begun cataloging my DVDs on LT with distinctly mixed success — those I added last night combined with others just fine, but those I've added today all are pretending to be unique works. It doesn't matter for my chief purpose (cataloging for myself) but still seems kind of odd.

Morning, Karen! Hope you are having a good Thursday!

Stopping by to say hi. Sorry about the tax issue. I'm glad we got our filed back in at the end of February and had a refund. Nothing huge, but good enough.

My friend here wants in on the *smooches* passed out (selectively) on this thread.

>264 weird_O: LIKE!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. My wife is meeting me after work today, (she is off at noon, on Fridays) so she can see the owlets. She has saw Mama once, all ready.

Enjoy your day.

>260 richardderus: Back at’cha with Harry Nilsson – “Thursday’s such a crazy, lazy day”. Especially if you’re writing about it on Friday – I thought I responded yesterday but alas!

>261 harrygbutler: Hi Harry. Yesterday was 4.5 hours of getting all the papers on my desk organized and writing FoL checks then feeling sick.

I started cataloging my DVDs on another LT account I have and I was using the ASIN – but I had to find it on Amazon first then search for it in LT. As for my books, I want the exact cover and identifying information. Getting them cataloged is the important part regardless of the combining. There’s a combining group on LT if you really want to learn how to combine works – I’m sure they’d tell you how in a heartbeat! Good luck.

>262 ChelleBearss: The morning was busy and fine, Chelle, then along about 2ish I started feeling sick. You know that feeling where all of a sudden you say “Wow. I’m not feeling well at all.”? I felt achy and couldn’t get warm. I drank a cup of hot tea with a shot of brandy in it and took a short nap. When Bill came home he asked if I had a fever and duh – I hadn’t taken my temperature. It was 100.7F. Ibuprophen and then NyQuil to sleep. I went to bed early and this morning my temp’s back to normal. Bill was making doctor-Tamiflu noises, and that may become an option later today, but for right now I’m just going to see where this goes.

>263 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! Bill always waits – knowing we owe money this year now will at least have our accountant file estimated taxes by the 17th, which we’ll have to come up with. Sheesh. Good for you to file AND get a refund.

>264 weird_O: Awww, Bill, smooches to both of you. He’s very cute.

>265 msf59: Hi Mark! I hope you get some good views of the owlets.

Today we may go to lunch.

Morning, Karen! Happy Friday to you! Hoping you are feeling better today.

Hi Mamie!

I am. Of course, now I have to recover from lunch - chicken tenders, pickled beets, mac'n'cheese, and hush puppies. I figured if I can't go to a restaurant that has the kind of salad I'd like, I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

>268 karenmarie: Y.U.M.

Make the tenders into fried catfish and add tartar sauce and that's my most favoritest Southren fried meal! Next to chicken fried steak with gravy, smashies, and collards that is.

Hi RD!

Heresy - I don't like BBQ - and there's a place out here called Allen & Son BBQ. Bill and Jenna love the BBQ, I love their salt & pepper (fried) catfish.

Hi, Karen! Glad you've recovered from yesterday's bout of ill-health. That lunch looks tasty, though with Richard I'd prefer catfish to chicken.

>266 karenmarie: I finally decided that I didn't want to be bothered with trying to toggle between the app for books and the mobile site for DVDs, so I'm just adding the DVDs in a separate collection so I can restrict a search on the app to them, or to exclude them. As you catalog yours, are you putting anything like "{movie}" in the titles? I'm torn about it. I can see its helpfulness for people who are wondering, but now that DVDs are a media type and movies get the director as the author, I figure there should be less of a chance of accidental auto-combining with the book version of a movie.

I've done some combining in the past, so I'll consider it at some point.

I wasn't very happy with the data I got from adding via searching. I'm interested in capturing the original year and the original studio, and those weren't showing up, so I was perforce editing all the entries anyhow. I type fast enough, and add little enough (since I don't need cast lists, for example), that I just add them manually — as I do for almost all books these days, too.

Glad you're feeling better, Karen! Hope you beat that whatever-it-was entirely!
You may have all the pickled beets in the world, or at least my share too, but I'd fight you for chicken tenders or catfish and mac'n'cheese or collard greens. Not liking eastern NC bbq is heresy, but I forgive you if that means that I get to eat more of it. Bill's in Wallace is the gold standard!
One more Spenser note: I read the early ones for Hawk and Paul, who shows up in God Save the Child, which I think is my favorite. Read on, my friend, read on! (That's what I said to my mother when I had red measles and mumps at the same time.)
And chocolate chess is the easiest pie ever and scrumptious. AND someday I'll tell my pecan pie story from my third date with the DH.

Happy Saturday, Karen.

>270 karenmarie: All native North Carolinians cover your eyes - Karen? You don't like BBQ, or you don't like Carolina BBQ? Because I was flabbergasted when we arrived here and had our first Carolina, meat chopped into baby food, covered in some weird vinegary sauce and served up with red coleslaw, BBQ. Flabbergasted. I don't like it at all. Now hush puppies are another thing entirely. Yummy.

>272 LizzieD: Oooh. A pecan pie on a date story? Please let me know when you're telling Peggy. *grin*

Happy Saturday, Karen. Hope you are feeling better. Cold and rainy here at the moment. Hope my books keep me distracted.

Hi Karen,

Wishing you a good weekend. Are you recovered yet?

>271 harrygbutler: Hi Harry! Thanks. I woke up perfectly fine this morning – even better than yesterday. I love catfish, but catfish wasn’t on the menu at Harper’s yesterday. I probably would have ordered it if it was, although not with tartar sauce – another epicurean faux pas here, I’m afraid – I like it with cocktail sauce.

Since you’re out and about looking for DVDs probably as often as for books that makes sense for you. I personally don’t use collections and I already have another lifetime account that I was using to record BookMooch transactions (don’t ask). I got rid of all those books and moochee comments and have put a grand total of 5 DVDs into this other account. I’d obviously like to expand on that, but haven’t made the time.

If you can find the Amazon ID on the DVD, or can see your exact DVD on Amazon, you can use the ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) to search in LT. Cumbersome, but usually gets exactly what you need. Good luck!

>272 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! I feel 100% recovered. (I’m convinced it’s a combination of genetics and the overkill vitamins I take. Melaleuca, before anybody asks.)

Okay – I’ll take your pickled beets and give you all the collards in the world. The only pork I eat is bacon and sausage – no ham, no fresh pork (except very rarely when compelled to by courtesy) – and every time I’ve tried BBQ (probably 10 or so times since moving to NC 27 years ago) it’s just confirmed that I just don’t get it. I was going to say that we could go to Bill’s in Wallace so I could give it another try when I come visit you, but it appears to be a bit of a jog from where you live, so that’s probably out.

Red measles? Yeesh. Measles and mumps at the same time. Well, at least you got them both over with.

Pecan Pie Story from third date with your DH – owed and noted!

>273 Ameise1: Hi Barbara! Thank you. So far I’ve just been drinking coffee, and making the major life conversion of switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox. Two of the websites I frequently use are now saying they’re incompatible with IE, so it’s time.

What do other Windows users use? I’m Windows 8.1.

>274 nittnut: Hi Jenn! As I wrote above, I don’t eat fresh pork, courtesy occasions excepted. I stopped eating meat for a while in about 1974 and only chose specific meats to eat when I started eating meat again. Fresh pork just didn’t make the list. I don’t mind the vinegary sauce itself, I love red coleslaw and most green coleslaws, but to me BBQ is a waste of calories. Hush puppies, as shown in the photo above of yesterday’s lunch, are usually scrumptious. Don’t like onion in them, though.

We really need to meet up with Peggy – Hi Peggy! – so we can get the story out of her together.

>275 msf59: I am, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Blech to cold and rainy. It’s a beautiful spring day here with clear Carolina blue skies. 41F going to 65F.

We’ll run errands today and I just might face the daunting task of opening all the crap Blue Cross Blue Shield has sent to me since signing up for their Advantage Program for Medicare on March 13th. So far I’ve gotten one HUGE 8x11 packet, one small packet (9x6), and 3 letters. Sigh. I start Medicare on June 1. I’m happy with my decisions, just realize I’m going to continue to get inundated with stuff from BCBS and everybody else trying to get me to convert to their programs the rest of my life.

>276 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! I am. 100%, thanks for asking.

Merry Saturday, or whatever it is they call this one. E-minus-one? Hell, I dunno. Anyhow. Read hearty!

Hallo RD! BC-1, actually. We aren't going to friend Frances' for Easter Luncheon any more because she's too frail to host, but tomorrow night is Book Club, so I'll be there with bells on and tuna salad/crackers in hand to discuss God's Kingdom, which I really really, liked.

>279 karenmarie: I am always amused when bookpeople have realpeople's names...like Jim KinnE(i)son does. I've got that on the list already because it sounds like something I'd enjoy. Reviewing later?

Wait, what?!

*runs off to check*

Well, how about that! No I *have* to read it. 😂

>280 richardderus: Reviewed here: God's Kingdom Review *smooch*

>281 drneutron: Hi Jim KinnE(i)son. *smile*

>282 karenmarie: So THAT's why I added it! How quickly I forget...Half-heimer's here I come. Or am. I forget which.

Err, I pass on the pickled beets! :-) We had Easter Dinner at my sister and her husband's last night and it was lovely. Ham, a greek salad - tomato/ cucumber/feta cheese/ olive oil, and some ' fancy mashed potatos- mashed potatoes doctored with sour cream and a small amount of bacon crumbs . It was very good. A fruit salad for dessert, or Easter chocolates. Was quite yummy and good company. Just my sisters, mom, BIL, niece, nephew in law, one of my sons etc. Three of them had visited Washington DC the previous week, so we checked out the pictures of the trip.

30. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton
3/26/18 to 3/31/18





From Amazon:

"J" is for Jaffe: Wendell Jaffe, dead these past five years. Or so it seemed until his former insurance agent spotted him in the bar of a dusty little resort halfway between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz.

"In truth, the facts about Wendell Jaffe had nothing to do with my family history, but murder is seldom tidy and no one ever said revelations operate in a straight line. It was my investigation into the dead man's past that triggered the inquiry into my own, and in the end the two stories became difficult to separate."

Five years ago, when Jaffe's thirty-five-foot Fuji ketch was found drifting off the Baja coast, it seemed a sure thing he'd gone overboard. The note he left behind admitted he was flat broke, his business bankrupt, his real estate gambit nothing but a huge Ponzi scheme about to collapse, with criminal indictment certain to follow. When the authorities soon after descended on his banks and his books, there was nothing left: Jaffe had stripped the lot.

"Given my insatiable curiosity and my natural inclination to poke my nose in where it doesn't belong, it was odd to realize how little attention I'd paid to my own past. I'd simply accepted what I was told, constructing my personal mythology on the flimsiest of facts."

But Jaffe wasn't quite without assets. There was the $500,000 life insurance policy made out to his wife and underwritten by California Fidelity. With no corpse to prove death, however, the insurance company was in no hurry to pay the claim. Dana Jaffe had to wait out the statutory five years until her missing husband could be declared legally dead. Just two months before Wendell Jaffe was sighted in that dusty resort bar, California Fidelity finally paid in full. Now they wanted the truth. And they were willing to hire Kinsey Millhone to dig it up.

As Kinsey pushes deeper into the mystery surrounding Wendell Jaffe's pseudocide, she explores her own past, discovering that in family matters as in crime, sometimes it's better to reserve judgment.

"J" is for judgment: the kind we're quick to make and often quicker to regret.

Why I wanted to read it: Next up in The Alphabet Series. I’m re-reading the series this year in honor of Sue Grafton.

I originally gave this book 3.5 stars but this re-read has dropped my rating to good. I found this one less than compelling, mired in improbabilities and lots of running around. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying and several questions remained unanswered. It feels a tad by-rote in comparison with the first nine of the series, frankly.

Some of the characterizations are good – particularly Juliet and her baby Brendan. The family reaction to Wendell’s apparently being alive 5 years after disappearing and being reported dead is rather unconvincing.

At the same time, Kinsey gets a call from a family member she never knew existed. Her reaction is also rather unconvincing, a tad too spikey for my comfort.

I know I stopped reading the series when it initially came out before this one, but this one might have put me off the series permanently as I view it now from the perspective of having read all 25 at least once and at least through G three times.

I’m puzzled at this negative reaction. There are a few developments on the Henry front and an appearance by her friend Vera. Both cardboard-y and just not vivid.

Huh. I think I’ll wait a while before attempting K is for Killer.

>283 richardderus: Of course it was my scintillating review! *smile*

>284 vancouverdeb: Okay, Deborah, no pickled beets for you. Easter Dinner with your family sounds wonderful.

Bill and I will be on our own tomorrow. Not being a Christian makes this a candy holiday rather than a religious one for me, but we used to enjoy going to Frances’s Easter Luncheon before she became too frail to host. Jenna’s in Wilmington. I do have book club tonight (it already being Easter, technically), discussing a book I really liked a lot, so that’s something.

Insomnia has reared its ugly head – my one attempt at sleep has failed. I’ll take my Kindle upstairs and read some On Tyranny and see if that brings on the requisite drowsiness…

Hi Katen. Happy Easter!

I hope you did get some sleep.

Using windows 10 with Firefox. Before that XP with Firefox, laptop has Linux with Firefox. But I'm now using an iPad and stuck with Safari.
(No sitting at the PC for the moment, my back went out and sitting is a bit of a problem, so less LT at the moment as well)

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. On Tyranny packs quite a punch, doesn't it?

Good morning, Karen! I hope you got some sleep and enjoy your Sunday.

Hi Karen,

Doesn't looking at a screen make you more alert/awake? Thankfully, I rarely have insomnia. With me, it's more that I can't fall asleep after turning off the lights but that usually only goes on for an hour or so. I have thought of getting up and going back to the computer or even just reading but for me, I find that if I get up at all (other than a bathroom run), I am really awake, so I just stay lying down, in the dark, with my eyes closed and hope for the best.

Anyhow, I hope you got back to sleep and wake up refreshed! Happy Sunday

>287 EllaTim: Happy Easter to you, too, Ella! I just got up and have had my first sip of coffee.

Firefox does some things differently than IE, but so far so good. Thanks for the info. I’m sorry to hear your back is out – I’ve had back problems over the years so know how awful that is. I hope you’re better soon.

>288 msf59: It does, Mark, for sure. I’m up to essay 4.

>289 harrygbutler: Hi Harry, thank you. I didn’t get enough, but …. Retired. A nap might make it into today’s schedule.

>290 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! I can’t say that looking at screen does that to me particularly although I know that blue light (screens) disrupts melatonin production and the circadian rhythm of other organs, having just read this article: Blue Light Bad

Happy Easter!

Very nice, Karen. Thank you!

Happy Easter, Karen. Hope you have a good time at book club. I wasn't sure what book to pick for the history theme of the nonfiction challenge but your review of Devil in the White City made the book sound really interesting and it is on my shelves somewhere.

Snappy Esther! Wait, no that's not it. Happy Easter!

I saw a daffodil. So spring is here, kiddo! Whoo-hoo!

Srsly, no BBQ? Whaaaa?

>295 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg, same to you! Book club was quite wonderful tonight, thanks for asking. Surprisingly, of the 10 members who were at the meeting 3 hadn't read it (one had the excuse of being in the hospital all last week through Monday of this week). Another flakes out on books even more than I do, and the third usually reads the books but inexplicably didn't read this one. Only the woman whose book it was and I liked it unreservedly. Most people thought it was too much about the seasons and baseball and hunting/fishing. Others said it was okay but they had to force themselves to finish it. Another woman tried it twice before abandoning it. Another woman said the style was something her 6-year old grandson would understand. Srsly? as Larry would say? Sheesh. Anyway, a good time was had by all, even if the book was mostly panned.

I hope you like The Devil in the White City as much as I did. The start was a tad slow, but picked up quickly.

>296 SomeGuyInVirginia: "Snappy Esther" reminds me of my family's traditional birthday greeting "Hardy Grifteg". Don't even ask why because I can't remember. Happy Easter to you and Parker too. I've seen daffodils and redbuds and spring is definitely springing out here, too. Although it leads to the Dread North Carolina Summer, I'm actually glad it's here. 3 more weeks 'til we're past the danger of frost, but still. Yay spring.

No BBQ. Sorry, but this Westerner likes BBQ beef brisket. The only way I've ever really liked fresh pork is fried pork tenderloin cutlets the way Mom used to make them. And since I gave up eating fresh pork in about 1973 or so for a while, 1972's probably the last time I had 'em.

I've started a time travel serial-killer mystery. The Shining Girls by Lauren Buekes. We'll see if I scare myself to death or if I can get through it. So far so good, though.

Morning, Karen. Just finishing my first cup of coffee and getting a bowl of cereal, before heading out. I remember really enjoying The Shining Girls. Nice and creepy too.

'Morning, Mark! I've just had my first sip of coffee. I hope you day goes well.

My sixth thread is up! Come visit.