Joe's Book Cafe 6

Art by Mireia Ruiz

Welcome back to the cafe!

Books Read in 2019

January

1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (re-read on audio)
2. Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker
3. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
5. One Hundred Poems from the Japanese by Kenneth Rexroth
6. Happiness by Aminatta Forna
7. Milkman by Anna Burns
8. Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
9. The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
10. Nerve by Dick Francis
11. Killer Collective by Barry Eisler
12. Little Oceans by Tony Hoagland
13. Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan
14. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
15. The Promise by Chaim Potok
16. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

February

17. Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson
18. Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz
19. Forfeit by Dick Francis
20. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
21. Last Friends by Jane Gardam
22. Educated by Tara Westover
23. The Madness Vase by Andrea Gibson
24. The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri
22. Amelia Cole Omnibus by D.J. Kirkbride*
23. American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes
24. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
25. The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

March

26. Battle Angel Alita by Yukiko Kishiro*
27. Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
28. Decider by Dick Francis (re-read)
29. Bryant & May Hall of Mirrors by Christopher Fowler
30. Darker Than Amber by John D. MacDonald
31. One Fearful Yellow Eye by John D. MacDonald
32. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
33. A Gentlewoman’s Guide To Murder by Victoria Hamilton
34. Recent Changes in the Vernacular by Tony Hoagland
35. Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield
36. Wolf Pack A Joe Pickett Novel by C.J. Box
37. Murder in Just Cause by Anne Cleeland
38. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
39. Trial Run by Dick Francis
40. When My Brother Was An Aztec by Natalie Diaz
41. Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
42. How Long Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin

April

43. Tap Out by Edward Kunz
44. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
45. Passing for Human by Jody Scott*
46. The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal

Illustrated Books

1. Jane Austen's Emma by Nancy Butler
2. Snotgirl by Bryan Lee O'Malley
3. Girl Town by Carolyn Nowak
4. On a Sunbeam by Ti llie Walden
5. Livestock by Hannah Berry
6. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce and Edith
7. Anne of Green Gables A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden
8. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung
9. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 4 by Nagabe
10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Reckoning by Joss Whedon
11. Space Boy Vol. 1 by Stephen Macranie
12. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 5 by Nagabe
13. New Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 2 by Kazuo Koike
14. Book Love by Debbie Tung
15. Royal City Vol. 3 by Jeff Lemire
16. The Snooty Bookshop by Tom Gauld
17. The Day the Buddha Woke Up by Andrea Miller
18. A Bride's Story Vol. 10 by Kaoru Mori
19. Jane Austen Her Heart Did Whisper by Manuela Santoni
20. Legacy: House of Night by Daniel Krall
21. The Love Bunglers by Jaime Hernandez
22. Stumptown by Greg Rucka (re-read)
23. Becoming Unbecoming by Una
24. Velvet Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker (re-read)
25. Mina vs. the Monsoon by Rukhsanna Guidroz
26. Woman World by Aminder Dahliwal
27. Samaris by Benoit Peeters
28. Velvet Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker (re-read)
29. Stumptown Volume 2 by Greg Rucka (re-read)
30. Lula Anew by Etienne Davodeau
31. Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin
32. Captain Marvel Alien Nation by Margaret Stohl
33. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

*Also an illustrated book

Favorite Graphic Novels

I've split these up into a few different categories.

Graphic Novel: Humor/Social Commentary

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung (wonderful cartoons about being an introvert)

You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld (clever, funny comic panels, with the humor typically related to books - any of his books make for good reading, including Baking with Kafka and The Snooty Bookshop)

Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (weird and slyly funny take on getting through the teen years in an off-kilter Hogwarts-type school)

Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott is a 23 year old slacker in a persistent rock band who keeps running into friend and girlfriend issues; I loved it, and it got made into a pretty good movie: get the color version)

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast (a witty memoir about the trials of taking care of her aging parents)

Strangers in Paradise series by Terry Moore (gentle romantic humor; beautiful Katchoo is in love with her friend Francine, but Francine seems to be straight, and when David starts wooing Katchoo, it gets even more complicated)

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton (as the oddball title might suggest, this is filled with silly and rompish humor, typically involving literature or history; she has a keen eye for the inherent goofiness to be found in both)


Graphic Novels: Noir

Velvet trilogy by Ed Brubaker (Velvet Templeton is a retired spy who has to come out from behind the desk and utilize her former skills to find out who is targeting her; Brubaker is a noir master)

The Fade Out series by Ed Brubaker (skillful noir in Golden Age Hollywood)

Stumptown graphics by Greg Rucka (in the first one, Dex Parios is an in-debt private eye who can get flush if she finds a casino manager’s missing daughter; set in Portland, OR)

Richard Stark’s Parker series by Darwin Cooke (Parker is a hard-nosed thief; I think Jason Stratham played him in a movie; hard-boiled stories and I love the skillful illustrations)

Graphic Novels: Faithful, Skillful Adaptations from Books

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick (if you loved Blade Runner the movie, this is a skillful and fairly complete adaptation of the book it’s based on; I suggest reading the book first and then let this help bring it to life; mankind’s world has been shredded by the last World War, and bounty hunter Rick Denmark chases after six seemingly all-too-human androids)

A Wrinkle in Time graphic adaptation by Hope Larson of Madeline Engle’s famous book (surprisingly faithful to the original book and at same time a fresh envisioning of its elements and the trials of Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin; again, try reading the original first; it’ll add to your enjoyment)

Graphic Novels: Memoirs

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (author’s family immigrated from South Vietnam in the 70s and faced obstacles assimilating into this country)

The March Trilogy by John Lewis (the author is a Civil Rights icon, and readers get an inside view of the movement)

The Story of My Tits by Jennifer Hayden (heart-breaking but also funny tale of breast cancer survival)

Displacement by Lucy Knisley (the author helps her health-challenged grandparents on a cruise; part memoir and family history, part travelogue)

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (growing up in conflicted Tehran and then moving to the West)

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (the author growing up with a dad who wants sex with men, and figuring out her own sexual identity; made into an excellent musical)

Blankets by Craig Thompson (a young man who grew up in a strict Fundamentalist Christian home tries to find his creative voice and grow a relationship with a girl he met at church camp)

Graphic Novels: For Younger Readers

All Summer Long by Hope Larson (Bina is on her own at summer camp, needing to make new friends, and trying to patch up her friendship with growing pains Austin)

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier (Catrina’s little sister Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from a seaside vacation;Bahaia de la Luna may have ghosts - who can teach them both)(this author has several list-worthy books for the younger set, like Smile, as does Hope Larson, above)

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (Astrid becomes obsessed with Roller Derby while her best friend Nicole prefers dance;
Astrid learns different types of strength as she pursues roller derby and a new friendship while trying to hold onto her friendship with Nicole)

El Deafo by Cece Bell (the hearing-impaired author recounts difficulties adapting to school and making friends)

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol (Anya’s new friend has been dead for a century; the difficulties of being an immigrant teen)

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Jim is Chinese-American, and wants to be an All-American boy; a visiting Chinese cousin embarrasses him and all the main characters need to find a way to repair their lives)

A Bride’s Story series by Kaoru Mori (beautifully drawn portrait of the 19th Century Silk Road, centering around a 20 year old woman from a nomadic tribe who is entered into a marriage with a 12 year old boy, and the feelings they begin to develop for one another as he matures)

Graphic Novels: Gritty Reality

The Complete Essex County by Jeff Lemire (Lemire is a master of this genre - and pretty darn good in others - and this, IMO, is his best; set in Ontario, Canada, this is “a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets and reconciliation” (Amazon))

Roughneck by Jeff Lemire (a former hockey player and his estranged sister must somehow reunite and overcome their family history)

The Royal City trilogy by Jeff Lemire (as a blue collar family continues to grapple with the death of the youngest son decades before, a previously unknown family member shows up to add to - and eventually help answer - the mystery)

Alpha: Abidjan to Paris by Bessora (what to do when you must leave where you are but are unwanted elsewhere? A realistic portrayal of the experience of trying to immigrate despite all the obstacles)

Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine (meticulous observation of human relationships and issues such as race and the costs of ambition by the well-known New Yorker illustrator)

Local by Brian Wood (12 interconnected stories centered around Megan, a young woman who sets off from Portland, OR with a backpack on a journey to find herself; lovingly observed and illustrated; as young wanderer meself back in the day, this one has always held a special place for me)

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (this famous one probably needs no comments from me; the son of a Holocaust survivor comes to terms with his father’s experience, with the Nazis as cats and the Jews as mice)

Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie by Lauren Redniss

Graphic Novels: Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan (what a sci-fi series! Hazel is born to two members of conflicting tribes, one that features wings and the other horns, and together they escape the ongoing galactic wars, trying to find peace while being pursued; endlessly inventive)

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman (some find this myth-based series too challenging; I find it endlessly interesting and have read it several times - don’t try to figure everything out the first time through, or the last)

Graphic Novels: Hard to Describe, Unique, Difficult to Categorize

Brazen Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu (brief witty biographies of many feisty women through the ages, many of whom I hadn’t heard of before)

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (a fictional graphic autobiography of a 10 year old girl set in late 60s Chicago; lots of horror movie and magazine iconography, and a story that involves solving a neighbor’s murder, a Holocaust survivor, her mysterious older brother, and a slew of relationships with people around her. The second one comes out later this year)

Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot (at one time English city Sunderland was a renowned center of learning, and during Lewis Carroll’s time it was the world’s greatest ship-building port; was it the inspiration for Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland? This is filled with oddball digressions, parodies of Tintin and others, multiple media, and a whole lot of creative thinking)

Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry (private eye Fernandez Britten and his surreal partner investigate the death of Berni Kudos, and stumble across one sinister revelation after another. I love her artwork, and the sustained mood of this noirish story is captivating)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (in this wordless story an immigrant is forced by shadows on his family in his country to become an immigrant in a new, strange and wonderful country with floating elevators and unfamiliar creatures; it conveys the experience of a newly arrived immigrant adjusting to all the differences, but also is warm and welcoming in its message; the art is phenomenal)

Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba (each chapter features a period in the same man’s life, and each ends in his death; it makes for a thought-provoking, stunning story)

The Nao of Brown by Glynn Dillon (Nao is 28 years old and half-Japanese, half-English; she has OCD and odd compulsions to harm others; she’s also sweet and wants to quiet her mind through such things as drawing and meditation, find love and live “normally”; a beautifully told and drawn story that had me rooting for Nao)

Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware (haunting portrait of a boy/man who has been stunted by his desire for others to like him, who is about to meet his father for the first time; the graphic work is idiosyncratic and powerful)

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes (outsider teens Enid and Becky are grappling with growing up and apart; this was the basis for the Thora Birch movie)

It was photo day at Rafa's day care, and apparently he was feeling pretty casual.

Breakfast in Portofino, Italy

This one was too pretty not to bring over to the new place

Mireia Ruiz's house is an artwork itself

*knock, knock* Is it open?

>10 laytonwoman3rd: It is now, Linda3rd!

*busts through the door*

Happy new one, Joe!

>10 laytonwoman3rd:, >11 richardderus:, >12 katiekrug: Ha! Thanks, Linda, Richard and Katie!

Please excuse the scaffolding and mess. We're still finishing the new place off. But here's something to tide you over until we're done:

>13 jnwelch: Ooo! You shouldn't have. Turn your heads, ladies, this'll get ugly...

Hi Joe, happy new thread mate. Great photos and Rafa is such a cutie. Hope all is well at Chez Welch, give our love to Debbi and a hugs. We are both well and pottering about and getting some reading done.

Sending love and hugs to you and Debbi from both of us dear friends.

>14 richardderus: :-)

>15 johnsimpson: Hi John, thanks, buddy. That Rafa - he cracks us up. All is well at Chez Welch; we're recovered from the ballywoggles, or whatever those were. I'm glad to hear that you and Karen are doing well and even getting some reading done. I saw your Danielle Steel review - you never fail to surprise, mate. :-)

Our love and hugs to you and Karen dear friend - Debbi's sitting next to me and says thank you for your love and hugs: "Right back at you!"

>16 jnwelch:, Hi Joe, that was the Eleventh Danielle Steel I have read, I have at least another 60 or 70 on the shelves and I have the rest to get but she keeps churning them out. I will read them all though, ha ha.

Happy New Thread, Joe. Great to see you chugging along so consistently and so graciously. Love the new Rafa photo! Handsome little guy, isn't he?

>17 johnsimpson: A tip of the hat to you, buddy. I know you enjoy her writing, so you've got a lot of satisfying reading ahead of you.

>18 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Good to hear "consistently and graciously" - I try to listen to that Dalai Lama guy. Isn't Rafa a hoot? To me, in this photo it looks like he's ready to launch his "Baby Talk Show". Babies come on the show and share their experiences with him. Not necessarily in a language the rest of us would recognize, of course.

P.S. Debbi is always amazed at his ginormous head. I had one of those, too, when I was a little guy. The family joke now (looking at old photos) is I was a Space Baby.

>7 jnwelch: Oh.My. Gosh! Rafa just oozes charm! How old is your little guy, 25?
Oh, and happy new thread too!

>21 Carmenere: Ha! Right, Lynda? Rafa's got a lot of personality for such a young 'un. He turns one in April.

Thanks re the new thread!

Happy new thread, Joe!
The bright colored toppers are good to lift my mood a bit :-)

And Rafa is adorable, as always.

>23 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

Aren't those bright colors uplifting? They feel very "sunny" to me.

Thanks re our adorable Rafa.

>7 jnwelch:, >20 jnwelch: Rafa's either about to host his Baby talk show or about to order a round of kiddie cocktails for all his friends around the table--straight-up or on the rocks?

Happy new thread!

Hi Joe! Happy new thread, happy end-of-Wednesday.

Echoing what everybody's saying about that cute young'un up there.....

>7 jnwelch: I just want to strike up a conversation with him....he obviously knows lots worth sharing!

What a relaxed, knowing look that kid has.

>25 kac522: Ha! That second possibility must be the Welch in him, Kathy. :-)

>26 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>27 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. We've got Sweet Thursday coming up - one of my favorite days of the week. Thanks re the cute young 'un. Rafadoodle, as Madame MBH says.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: He's a riot to talk with, Linda. He's got a lot to say - I have no idea what it is, but he cracks me up.

>29 weird_O: Doesn't he, Bill? I feel lucky he's in the world. And lucky we're getting to see him grow up. You probably feel the same way about your many grandkids, like that cutie Annie topping your thread.

Happy new one!

>32 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Morning, Joe! Happy new thread!

That Rafa gets more adorable in every photo. I mean, honestly.

I love that picture of my nephew so!

In other family news, Indy graduated from Obedience II class on Monday, and passed her Canine Good Citizenship test on Tuesday!

>34 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Isn't Rafa a cutie-pie? His parents are doing a great job with him.

>35 seasonsoflove: There's our graduate! Thanks, Becca.

Miss Indy Bindy studied and practiced hard, and it all paid off. Did they ask questions about the Dog Constitution and Dog History in the citizenship test? Pretty great for a two-year-old dog teen to pull this off. I'm sure her human mom helped her get ready.

I love that photo of your nephew, too!

>36 jnwelch:

It was a lot of studying and practice-luckily all the questions were non-verbal ;D

Some tasty pumpkin peanut butter dog treats for our newest canine citizeness.

>20 jnwelch:

With all the great photo prompts, Rafa may be the first toddler to let us know what babies are thinking and Rafatalking in that first year.

>38 richardderus: thanks, I know she will appreciate them! She is very food-driven ;)

>7 jnwelch: Rafa is be of those children you can see the young adult in, me thinks, Joe

>35 seasonsoflove: Yay, extra hugs and ear scratches for Indy.

Happy new thread, Joe!

Happy New one, Joe!

We just had Pi...pizza pi. Worked for me.

Isn't it wonderful to see that chin and jawline emerge from the round baby-face? He's looking quite the ladykiller in that picture.

Love your new thread toppers, Joe.

Oh I do love the art work at the top Joe. And of course Rafa's latest pic. He just oozes charm, I must say.

Hi Joe!

Wonderful opening to the new thread, Joe. So glad you brought Rafa along from the previous cafe, he looks ready to smooze with all of us. Congrats to Indy as well. You have helped me decide that on my next library order I am going to add a few graphic novels.

Ha, that Rafa, he looks like he's trying to talk someone into something!

Congrats to Indy on her graduation!

Happy new thread, Joe. I have read Dead Lions and enjoyed that too. You remind me that I should seek out Real Tigers soon.

>1 jnwelch: What a bright greeting!

>7 jnwelch: One does want to invite him to dinner parties to amuse the ladies.

Happy new thread!

Morning, Joe!

>35 seasonsoflove: Congrats to the brilliant Indy! So impressive. I'll see Richard's PB treats and raise him some of these:

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. I am assuming you guys are working out. I am just finishing up a pair of 5 star reads. I love it, when that happens. B.A.G.

I am getting read to start the bird book, you picked it for me, awhile back.

>37 seasonsoflove: Indy probably appreciated the non-verbal questions, as I know she's working on her ESL. Such a good girl, and now such an accomplished one.

>38 richardderus: Perfect, RD. I wonder whether Indy would be willing to share. Those look awfully good.

>39 m.belljackson: That Rafa may be letting us know already, Marianne. But Pterodactyl seems to be a forgotten language. He's still able to make us all laugh somehow. :-)

>40 seasonsoflove: I can second that, Becca. She finds food very exciting, and manages to search carefully around wherever I happen to eat.

>41 Caroline_McElwee: Indy loves hugs and ear scratches, Caroline.

You're probably right about being able to see the young adult in Rafa already. At this point I can't imagine what's next for Mr. Personality. I love the joy in him.

>42 drneutron:, >43 brodiew2: Thanks, Jim and Brodie!

>44 weird_O: Here you go, buddy. We'll keep the celebration going.

>45 ffortsa: It is, Judy. I still can't quite imagine what he'll look like when the baby features go away, but I love how engaged he is with the world. He sure attracts the love right now.

>46 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian. I suspect they'll be a little too abstract for some of our patrons, but I love the toppers, too.

I thought this was a cool one she put together:

>47 brenzi: Oh good, Bonnie. I hadn't heard much about the toppers so far. I'd love to have her do our whole house. What a feel she has for color and light.

I agree, Rafa's a charmer, seems to (unbiased) me. One of my favorite things is he'll be so busy crawling around and playing that he doesn't want to stop, so when he starts getting tired, he puts his head down for just a few seconds to rest, and then starts up again. Cracks me up.

>48 AMQS: Hi Anne! Thanks for stopping by.

>49 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Yeah, I thought that photo of Rafa was too good not to bring over here. And Indy says thank you, in her own furry way. I suspect you'd get a lick/kiss from her.

Oh, that's great to hear. I was hoping to encourage some folks to try GNs from the library. That's the main type of book I request there; GNs are expensive to just take a flyer on. But I do buy more of them than the average bear; you can tell I'm a sucker for the genre. Art + story - what's not to like?

>50 Familyhistorian: Ha! Whatever Rafa's trying to talk us into, Meg, I'm likely to go with it. He's pretty irresistible, that little guy. And his wants seem to be simple - playing, eating, having a dry diaper, sleeping, hugs, explaining things in Pterodactyl (particularly when excited) or melodic babble.

Indy says thank you!

Thanks re the thread. Oh, good to hear re Dead Lions. I was skeptical about Slow Horses at the beginning, and ended up really enjoying it.

>51 quondame: Yay! That brightness in the greeting up top is what I like best about her work, Susan. So sunny.

Ha! Rafa is great at dinner parties and restaurants, or just about anywhere. He does amuse the ladies - and the gents, including moi.

Thanks re the new thread!

>52 scaifea: Ooo, I hope your BFF makes it back over to see Indy's reward. Thanks, Amber!

>53 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark. Debbi worked out, but her slothful husband slept in - after the dental visit yesterday, they asked me to lay off for 48 hours. Oh darn, forced to sleep in.

Wow, two five star reads! One must be The Blue Hour. Great. I'll have to stop by and find out what the other is. Maybe The Invention of Nature? Way to go!

P.S. Oh good - the bird book! That was a meetup shop in London, and Debbi and I both thought that'd be one you'd love. I hope so!

Thursday. The Ides of March. Two thousand nineteen. Not one of those is, in and of itself, incomprehensible; put them all together and the brain-bending truth that the Teens are only eight and a half months away from being over, and the Twenties begun, emerges to sucker-punch one's analogue brain.

>61 richardderus: *absorbs sucker-punch to analogue brain* What was that, Richard?

As a kid, I wondered what it would be like to be alive in 2025. Why I picked that year, I don't know. But at least it'll be clear of the current political mess here. Lots to be done in 2020 to change that around. It's probably too soon for us all to be driving flying cars? https://www.wired.com/story/beta-ava-flying-car-aerodynamics/

Happy new thread!
>7 jnwelch: He is getting so big! Such a little man there!

Signs of Spring up here north of Madison at last after the late-starting, never-ending Winter: Birdsong and visible driveway gravel under the melting 2 inch glacier!

We all survived and the many snows have ended farmer's fears of a drought.

A good fun thing was my daughter and I naming our little groundhog THE REAL MC COY.

His debut prediction of "6 More Weeks of Winter" after seeing his shadow on a bright late January morning
and disappearing back under the silo bed definitely beat out both Punx and Sun Prairie's Jimmy the Groundhog.

Rock on! But I hope that 2020 brings a different story since, while the cold was bearable, ice was terrible.

>63 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Heh. We call Rafa "Little Man". You got it!

>64 m.belljackson: Oy, never-ending winter is right, Marianne. We were talking about the problem here, from our POV: the cold was so sustained. Usually we get some up and down, and some relief. This winter, especially after the turn of the year, there was hardly any relief. The ice was terrible, too - especially recently, when the ERs filled up with people hurt by falling. Black ice had been covered by snow - couldn't see it. But now I'm hearing that birdsong, and we're seeing Spring growth and other signs here.

I hadn't thought about the positive effect the snow had on possible drought - I like that silver lining.

"The Real McCoy" - nice. He's a lucky groundhog to be acquainted with you two. He's #1 on predictions.

Yeah, let's hope for a better winter in 2020. Warmer and easier.

If you like Tony Hoagland's poetry, you'll like his collection Recent Changes in the Vernacular. He's a very accessible poet; wryly funny, insightful and poignant, often commenting on the big issues in our lives through humorous observations of the small details. One of my favorites in this collection is "Questions of Influence":

It was quite early in the morning
when I fell under the influence of the cup of coffee.

The coffee was under the influence of
some sugar it had met a little earlier

and the caffeine and sugar got together
in a concerted way to influence my heartbeat

to bump and thrust a little faster.
That’s when I noticed how the sunlight
Just outside the window

seemed to be influencing the cherry tree,
With its white aromatic blossoms,

which were influencing the erotic humming of the bees,
which must have been distantly influencing

the New England honey industry.
I have been living this life for so long,

yet I am only just beginning to comprehend
how the little streams feed into the big;

how even the paper napkin
is composed of tiny woven threads

which have travelled here from far away
to soak up tears, and gravy stains, and

scrawled-down words in blue-blurred ink.
So maybe it isn’t wrong to believe

that a book or a poem might have influence;
that one day the right one

might come along
to calm everybody down,

explaining how the pieces fit perfectly together:
how everything

moves through the crowd of everything else
touching and whispering and changing.

I keep forgetting to mention three things we’ve liked recently that are outside the realm of books: the “Captain Marvel” movie, the tv series “Russian Doll”, and the documentary about Fred Rogers called “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”.

Brie Larson lifts Capain Marvel into excellent entertainment. Russian Doll is clever, and Natasha Lyonne (spelling?) gives a boffo performance in it. The Fred Rogers documentary is really well done, and helped me appreciate what an extraordinary man he was.

>67 jnwelch: - I saw the Fred Rogers doc months ago at my doc cinema. I also thought it outstanding. Poor guy is probably turning over in his grave at the mere thought of trump. I wish they could trade places.

Rafa looks like an old soul in that photo, Joe. And I like the abstracts and her apartment, although they aren't how I'd want my place to look.

>68 jessibud2:. Wasn’t that Fred Rogers doc outstanding, Shelley?

Yeah, Fred was great about taking on tough topics for the kids, like RFK’s assassination; I can’t imagine how he’d take on all the damage Trump has done. Weeks and weeks worth - what’s wrong with racism, what’s wrong with bullying, what’s wrong with taking from poor people to give to rich people, what’s wrong with lying, what’s wrong with conning others . . . the list goes on and on.

>69 ronincats:. Rafa’s a Little Man, isn’t he, Roni. It’s a treat seeing him grow up.

I’m glad you like the abstracts. On Ruiz’s apartment, which I said I could have our whole house look like, I can hear Madame MBH’s voice in the back of my head: do you have any idea how hard it would be to keep all of that white clean?!

House of Broken Angels, that book I liked so much, is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award! Give it a try. He's quite an author.

Happy new thread, Joe! And maybe I will break down and read The House of Broken Angels. I have one of his earlier books on my shelves and I keep thinking I should read it first.

Lulu Anew by Etienne Davodeau might seem to have a talk show-type storyline: a married mother leaves her husband and three kids behind to have adventures and find herself. But it's not, and the way the story is delivered is unlike any I've seen. Lulu is middle-aged and not a beauty (except inside). When she has eye-opening sex, her kindred spirit counterpart is no George Clooney. Who she meets along the way, what happens, and how she handles where she ends up, are all unexpected. I'll be looking for more by this author.

>72 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. I need to read more of Urrea myself. In my mind, you wouldn't need to read another of his before this one, unless for some reason you wanted to. It's a standalone.

>66 jnwelch: love the cover. I've got two Hoagland collections in the tbr pile.

>67 jnwelch: another friend just recommended 'Russian Dolls' Joe. I might take a look this weekend.

>73 jnwelch: Added that to the wishlist Joe. I'm not sure what you mean by the Oprah reference. Is that because she liked Eat Pray Love?

>75 Caroline_McElwee:. Isn’t that an attractive cover, Caroline? This is my 4th or 5th Hoagland I’ve read. I’m trying to find all of his.

You’ll have fun with Russian Doll when you get to it. It deserves the buzz.

>76 charl08:. Oh good, Charlotte. I hope you like Lulu Anew as much as I did.

Oprah-esque: I was trying to convey that it might sound like a celebrity talk show story more than a book that delivers the unexpected. I wasn’t an Oprah watcher, so it could be I’m talking through my hat.

P.S. I changed it to "talk show-type"; that seems better. Thanks for asking about it.

>66 jnwelch: I love the Hoagland poem! Man, that guy is good. I LOVE that cover too. Sadly, my library system does not have Recent Changes in the Vernacular. Do you own it? If not, I may have to buy it!

>71 jnwelch: Hooray for Urrea!

Morning, Joe. Happy Sunday. I have to run out and do some food shopping and I may go on a nature stroll but a big chunk of the day will be spent with the books, which include Albino Dunnock & Quiet Girl.

>78 msf59: Great to hear, Mark - I enjoyed that Hoagland poem, too, as you can tell. Yes, I own Recent Changes in the Vernacular - I can give it to you next time round if you want.

Hooray for Urrea!

Happy Sunday, buddy. We just got back from CVS shopping with a 32% discount (mailed) and another 12 bucks off. We filled a cart. :-)

A nature stroll sounds great. Ours has been/will be urban, but it's a clear sky and pretty nice out. Enjoy the reading, including Albino Dunnock and Quiet Girl. Good choices! :-)

I've got On the Come Up and that Joe Pickett mystery going, and hope to get to one or both. The next poet will be Natalie Diaz, a friend of our DIL.

Forgot to ask, are you and Debbi fully recovered now Joe?

>60 jnwelch: Funny that your dental work gave you a pass on your work out, Joe. Was that intentional or just serendipitous timing? Have a great rest of the weekend. We are back to spring here. I hope you are getting there too.

>80 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. Yes! No problems. We’re off to the local teen poetry slam finals (“Louder Than a Bomb”) tonight. You’d love it.

>81 Familyhistorian: Ha! Just serendipitous, Meg. Not that I was crying about missing a workout. They’re hard!

It’s still chilly here, but blue skies. We’re supposed to get up in the 50s F later in the week. Woo-hoo! Break out the swimsuits! I envy you being back to Spring already. We’re working on it.

>77 jnwelch: Thanks for the clarification: that makes more sense!

Hurrah for blue skies and coming better weather.

I am on my way back to Alabama after a very nice spring break. It was wet, cold, and very very windy. I went from the Land of Squish (Alabama after 15 inches of rain in three days) to the Land of Squash (Nebraska after a winter of almost record snow fall and two weeks of record rain in March). The Platte River is miles out of its banks and west of Columbus Nebraska an ice jam broke and sent a 5 foot wave carrenning downstream to flood two small cities, tearing out road bridges and totally surrounding another town. Now the Missouri is on the rise and threatening to flood a nuclear power plant at Brownville, Nebraska. (Can anybody say Fukashima?). They are sandbagging the place and if the water rises to 19 feet above flood stage (it is currently 14.5 feet) they will sandbag thee interior doors of the power plant. I don't know about you, but I feel safer already. (Of course, I am almost 1,000 miles southeast of that plant right now.)

>7 jnwelch: That is a photo to keep for all time. What a charming smile, pose, and presence. He is already a man about town!!

Hiya Joe. I'm trying to slowly visit threads other than my own. Spring arrived on the Palouse this weekend, thank goodness. It was sunny and 40s both days this weekend. I ran yesterday, today P and I went for an hour-long walk. Both were lovely (and I'm being reminded of some muscles that had gone a bit slack over the winter).

My reading has taken a major hit with all the work- and life-stress, but I'm currently reading and appreciating The Sympathizer. Seven weeks until commencement and this week P and I are purchasing our plane tickets to Palau for the week after that. I'm planning to take a stack of books for that two weeks (or thereabouts)!

>71 jnwelch: I have had a copy of House of Broken Angels on the shelves since you and Mark (I think) warbled about it. I'll move it up on the up-next list. It will fulfill a BingoDOG square since I can say you inspired me to read it. :-)

I hope you and yours are well!

>84 charl08: Glad to hear it, Charlotte. Thanks again for asking.

>85 benitastrnad: I'm glad you had a nice spring break, Benita. Sorry you ran into the rough weather. Jeez Louise, I hadn't realized Nebraska got hit so hard, or that the flooding was so bad. Eesh. Worrisome with the nuclear power plant.

>86 EBT1002: Hiya Ellen. Thanks for stopping by; I know you've been in a crunch time for a while now.

That little Rafa; what a photo, right? Debbi is going to visit him (and his parents, if she notices them) this coming weekend. He's getting close to walking, too. I'll try to get a photo posted soon of him in his "formalwear" (a tux onesie). Very funny.

I'm glad you're getting some exercise and time with P - that's good for maintaining your sanity, I'm sure. I'm glad you're still on track for the trip to Palau; you deserve some time to decompress!

I haven't read The Sympathizer, so I'll look forward to your comments on that. You'll have a great time with House of Broken Angels when you get to it. As I've mentioned, when both you and Mark warble about a book, I know it's going to be good!

We're doing well, thanks. We were just at the teen poetry slam finals ("Louder Than a Bomb") last night, and it was, as always, terrific. Off to work out soon.

Still trying to find the name of the street artist

Oh, that is so cool!

Happy day after Sunday, Joe!

I hope you and Debbi are fully recovered from the crud.

I've lost track - what'cha reading?

>89 drneutron: Ha! Right, Jim?

>90 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Happy Pre-Tuesday to you!

Debbi and I are fully recovered, thanks. We're off to work out in a few minutes.

Hmm. I'm reading Wolf Pack by C.J. Box, the new Joe Pickett mystery; On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, the author of The Hate U Give; When My Brother Was an Aztec, poetry by Natalie Diaz; and my GN is Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin. And I'm trying to catch up on New Yorkers!

>88 jnwelch: - Edgar Mueller, Kurt Wenner (from your neck of the woods) and Julian Beever are the first names that come to my mind when thinking about chalk artists, Joe.

https://www.demilked.com/3d-sidewalk-chalk-art/

Hard to wrap my head around such talent!!

>91 jnwelch: I am starting tennis again this coming week as one of my staff is something of an tennis buff and I am hoping a twice weekly hit with him and two others in doubles will be good for my health.

Plenty of walking planned, plus twice a week swimming and plenty of time on the stationary bike.

I have started taking lemon-water at work for its health benefits and very, very diluted apple cider vinegar once a day too. I am going to cut out the fried rice and reduce portions and reduce my alcohol content.

I aim to hit 1 June with a 20kg weight loss.

Just thought I would share that Joe since you and your MBH are working out!

Here are some pics of Indy and I celebrating St. Patrick's Day-Pet Supplies Plus had this great promotional photo scavenger hunt that earned us a big treat bag, which Indy was very happy about :)

Such a festive pupper!

Hello Joe! I hope all is well.

>91 jnwelch: I have all but given up on Joe Pickett. The first was fantastic. The second was pearled. And the third just couldn't hold my interest. I wouldn't mind a couple of personal recommendations. I'm not concerned about reading them out of order if they are good.

>94 seasonsoflove: I hope there was plenty of blarney there Indy.

>92 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Good suggestions. I'll have to check out the link later. Aren't these artists remarkable?

>93 PaulCranswick: Wow, good for you, Paul. Well worth it. I can't tell you how much better I feel, mate. It just makes everything easier - getting around, climbing stairs, carrying heavy stuff, you name it. Sending positive wishes your way.

>94 seasonsoflove: Indy Bindy on St. Patty's Day - what a gal! I still can't believe you got her to wear that hat, Becca, even briefly. That treat bag was impressive. Her human mom sure does well by her.

>95 MickyFine: Right, Micky? Indy's a good sport about dressing up. And she sure enjoys spending time with Becca.

>96 brodiew2: Hello Brodie!

All is well here; I hope it is on your end, too.

Try the new Joe Pickett, Wolf Pack. I've seen a number of people say the series gets better as it goes, as does his writing. This one has some nice descriptive writing at the beginning and a well-put-together page turner story after that.

I really like the Nate Romanowski character - ex-Special Forces and beholden to Joe. Try Force of Nature for a lot of Nate.

>97 Caroline_McElwee: I don't know how dogs blarney, Caroline, but I'd like to be there for it.

Hi, Joe! Looks like you got some good books going. I did read When My Brother Was an Aztec awhile back. I gave it 4 stars but I do not remember it at all. Let me know what you think and if you really like it, I'll give it another try. How is On the Come Up?

>100 msf59: Four stars for Brother was an Aztec sounds promising. I'll let you know. On the Come Up is very good, but I'm struggling a bit with the premise. I'm kicking myself a little bit to get a move on with it, because I'll bet anything she doesn't go the obvious route.

>101 jnwelch: Speaking of Thomas, I am finally watching the adaptation of The Hate U Give. It is excellent. Nearly done with it. Have you seen it yet?

>102 msf59: I haven't seen The Hate U Give movie, Mark. Thanks for the tip. It helps to hear it's excellent. I hadn't heard any reactions yet.

I read a good bit more last night of On the Come Up, and it's really good. The premise that I wondered about, thank goodness, has gotten more complicated.

I watched The Hate U Give movie, and thought it was really well done (and, what's more, sticks fairly close to the book).

>104 foggidawn:. Oh, good. Thanks, foggi. I’ll look forward to seeing it.

>104 foggidawn:. Oh good, foggi. Thanks for letting me know. I look forward to seeing it. Great book.

Joe - you might enjoy my Review of The Master!

>107 m.belljackson:. 👨‍💻. I did enjoy that review of The Master, Marianne, and thumbed it. It reinforces my belief that it’s not a book for me, although I do like William James.

>99 jnwelch: Good to hear you liked the new Joe Pickett novel, Joe. My wife has read the entire series except the new one which she is looking forward to getting from the library. She says some of the books are a little too violent for her but overall this is one of her favorite series.

Hi, Joe!

I need to get round to The Hate U Give movie soon, too. Tonight Charlie and I are finally going to watch Howl's Moving Castle, and we're both excited for it!

>109 RBeffa: I did, Ron. I din't realize this Joe Pickett was #19! This one may be a little too violent for her, too - a Mexican drug cartel is involved. But it's very well done. I raced through it.

>110 scaifea: Hi, Amber. Howl's Moving Castle - Miyazaki! I think you and Charlie will enjoy it. I saw it in the theater way back when. Right, I with you on The Hate U Give movie. Soon.

Rafa in his formalwear

Have you seen this Gauld, Joe?

>113 weird_O: Ha! I hadn't seen this one, Bill. Love it! Can't wait to see the next draft. :-)

Hello Joe.

>88 jnwelch: another excellent trickster.

>112 jnwelch: Such an adorable kid. Beginning to look like a mini Joe. :-)

>113 weird_O: Good one, weird_0.

>122 Familyhistorian: ROFLMAO Joe, those photos of Rafa are a joy.

>155 jessibud2: Ha! Thanks, Brodie. I'm glad you enjoyed the latest trickster and latest Rafa photo. I honestly can't tell who Rafa looks like right now, although others (including his mom) do see me in there. I love that Gauld cartoon Bill posted.

>156 LovingLit: Aren't those hilarious, Carolline? Such a dapper little man.

My sister recently sent these.



With my Mom at Niagara Falls as a young fellow



With my sister Angela in Athens, Georgia as an even younger fellow

>118 jnwelch: Great photos Joe. Do they bring back memories?

>119 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! Thanks, Caroline. They do bring back memories. I miss that Mom o' mine, and that sister's a great pal. We had fun on that Georgia trip, per usual.

>118 jnwelch: I love the photos, Joe. You look like a big-strapping jock! And look at that, big, mop of hair!

Hi, Joe. I finished Albino Dunnock. I ended up really enjoying this one. Thanks for thinking of me. Did you want it back? I also finished the film adaptation of The Hate U Give. They did an excellent job. Excellent cast too.

Great photos of young Joe. Love Rafa's formal wear, too!

>121 msf59: Ha! Thanks, Mark. Back in the high school days I was a big, strapping, bespectacled jock, although I ended up growing a couple of more inches in college. Lo, how the mighty have fallen! I know, I miss that mop of hair. But I needed to get faster, so I shaved it all off. Uh-huh, sure.

Yay for Albino Dunnock! That's yours, a gift from both of us. But I may need to track it down meself. Great to hear about The Hate U Give movie. That's in my future.

>122 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I miss that young Joe, but the old guy ain't bad. Rafa's quite the little man about town, isn't he?

>112 jnwelch:, >118 jnwelch: - Such great pics, Joe! Don't we all have photos with Niagara Falls in the background? LOL! I sure do. I think I was around 16 or so when we went there for the first time with my family. My parents had close friends who lived in the town (on the Canadian side, that is)!

Is Rafa walking yet? He sure looks like he could just saunter away if the photographer gets too persistent. Though he doesn't look too bothered by the attention at all, does he?

>124 jessibud2: Ha! We probably should have an "LT Niagara Falls Day", Shelley, with everyone posting their Niagara Falls photos. Yeah, I was young, too, as you can tell. I'm not sure which trip it was on - it might have been when we went to the Montreal Expo. (I grew up in Michigan).

Rafa is really close to walking, but right now he does it behind his wheeled toy. His father walked at 9 months, so I'm expecting it to be soon. He sure seems ready. He never seems bothered by the camera attention - he normally just wants to get his hands on the phone or camera. His parents got him to learn to climb stairs by putting the phone out in front of him and moving it up one step at a time! He also seems to see us when we do Facetime with him. What a guy! He turns one next month.

>125 jnwelch: - That would be Expo 67 (1967). I was in grade 7 that year. We had quite a few school trips to Expo and I went a bunch of times apart from that, too. My older cousin had a job riding one of those *pedicabs* (a sort of cart on bicycle wheels, carting visitors all around the fair). My friends and I would chase him around and if he had no customers, he'd give us a ride!

I will see if I can find a photo of me at Niagara Falls from those days. I was more of a grump in front of the camera (still am, to an extent, lol) but if I can find it, I will post it.

Morning, Joe. Looks like a damp one today. Honestly, I am glad it is raining today and not tomorrow. I have birding plans, for my day off.

And thanks again for Albino Dunnock. I enjoyed it.

>126 jessibud2: Oh yes, thanks, Expo 67, Shelley. We had a great time there. I would've been in the same grade as you, so that's too young. It's been enough years ago now that I can't remember what trip of ours it would have been - my dad grew up on the east coast, near Boston, so we often traveled that way.

Your older cousin must have been a lad with fortitude - driving a pedicab seems like a challenging way to make some money, although great for being in shape!

I'll look forward to the grumpy Niagara photo. :-)

>127 msf59: Morning/Afternoon, Mark. I know, I was disappointed in the weather today, but I'm glad it's happening today and not tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your day off. Birding sounds most excellent. I've got Debbi heading off to visit young Rafa and those parents of his, and I'm heading into work tomorrow for a few hours. At least I'll be able to read on the commute.

I'm so happy you enjoyed Albino Dunnock! I told Debbi, and she was pleased to hear it. We were excited when we found it in the London bookshop! I'm pretty sure it was Daunt, one of our favorites.

I think I told you that early on in our London journeys we had to buy two big duffel bags there - to bring back all the books we'd snarfled up! We take the bags every year now.

>110 scaifea: Howl's Moving Castle is a good one. Have yuo seen Kiki's Delivery Service yet?

>112 jnwelch: maitre'd at the PlayBaby club

>116 Caroline_McElwee: was it Oscar Wilde who called Niagara Falls "The American Bride's second greatest disappointment"?

>126 jessibud2: I stopped by the Montreal Expo after High School graduation when I had a day before my ship left for Europe - my mom sent each us on tour so any outrageous thing we did would never get back to the neighbors in our small town, or to fulfill her teenage dream or something.

>129 magicians_nephew: Good question for Amber, Jim, re Kiki's Delivery Service. I believe Amber's answer will be yes. Me, too. My favorites of his are My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. I think I've seen all of them that are available here.

Ha! Rafa as maitre'd at the PlayBaby club - I love it.

Good Oscar Wilde line (if it's his). I'd never heard that one. I will say, I wasn't disappointed at all by Niagara Falls; I was impressed. But Oscar probably wasn't.

>130 quondame: :-)

>131 jnwelch: Of all the fantasy worlds in books and movies, I've only ever wanted to move into the city that's the setting for Kiki's Delivery Service.

Joe--Love the younger-you photos! And how forward thinking of you to shave off your hair to save time. LOL

>112 jnwelch: What a sweet little face! Very snazzy in his dress-up clothes!

>118 jnwelch: those are great!

>129 magicians_nephew: >131 jnwelch: Nope, haven't seen that one yet, but it's been on the list for a long time. Like Joe, Spirited Away and Totoro are huge favorites here at Scaife Manor. Charlie really liked Howl, but puts it #3 on that list; for me I think the order of preference is:

1) Spirited Away
2) Howl
3) Totoro

>132 quondame: Ah, sweet one, Susan. The world of Kiki's Delivery Service would be a lovely place to live.

When I've thought about that question in the past, I've thought I'd like to live in Lothlorien, the home of the Elves in Lord of the Rings.

>133 Berly: Ha! Wasn't that a convincing explanation of my current aerodynamic hairstyle, Kim? So much easier to take care of, too.

>134 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Rafa's a snazzy little guy, isn't he. Madame MBH is flying out to visit him today. She's very excited!

Thanks re the young Joe pics, too. If I could combine what I know now with that guy's ability to eat everything in sight and gain no weight, and to run about like a race horse, woo, that would be something. I'd have to figure out what to do about that excess of hair, though. :-)

>135 scaifea: Oh, I'm glad you and Charlie liked the Howl's Moving Castle film, Amber. That's a still from Kiki's Delivery Service up above. I liked Castle in the Sky, too.

By David Zinn

>138 jnwelch: LIKE!

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday! I thought it was supposed to a much better weather day today, so I am bummed that it is still so cool and gloomy. Of course, I am still getting out for a stroll or two and then reserving a chunk of the afternoon, for the books.

Hope your work day goes smoothly and quickly.

Hi Joe!

>118 jnwelch: Thanks for sharing the pics of the young Joe.

>125 jnwelch: Wow. A year old next month. He’s adorable and thank you for sharing his journey with us!

>136 jnwelch: Lothlorien is, I grant you lovely, though in decline. I'd find the Elves uncomfortable neighbors and worry about getting a good cup of coffee, not to mention a curry.

>139 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark! It does give me a chance to catch up on all the latest office gossip. If I can just get my desk cleared, it'll be a smooth and quick day. I've got my sinuplasty checkup this afternoon - all seems well, but they'll let me know.

Enjoy the strolling and reading, buddy.

>140 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

You're welcome re the pics of young Joe. Luckily, so far no one's said, would you mind deleting those? The sister who sent them is our family archivist, so there'll probably be more at some point.

It's a pleasure to share Rafa's journey. He's a gooneybird, and cracks us up. I know, none of us can believe it's been almost a year already - he just showed up a few days ago, seems like.

>141 quondame: Ha! I hadn't thought about the coffee and the curry, Susan; I might have to open up Lothlorien's first Book Cafe if I lived there. I do love the idea of living among the trees like that. And the elves are okay by me. That Tauriel sure seems swell.



She looks a lot like the Wasp who teams up with Ant-man, doesn't she.

>142 jnwelch: I love the trees and all, and I don't mind the Elves as scenery, but they aren't the most welcoming to humans, and really I'd like a back yard I can go out into in robe and slippers. I keep thinking it would be cool to fill in the back slope with hobbit holes though, now those are my sort of folk. Anyone for second breakfast?

>143 quondame: Breakfast, second breakfast, Elevenses, and luncheon. Those hobbits know how to do it right!

I've seen Castle in the Sky, but it's been so long ago that I don't remember anything about it. I'm sure I liked it, though.

>144 jnwelch: I'm pretty sure I'm at least part Hobbit, because that scene really speaks to me...

>145 scaifea: Castle in the Sky is the one (no surprise) with the big island/castle floating in the sky, hidden by clouds normally, and there's a cool robot that helps two main character kids.





Ha! It may be that there's part hobbit in a lot of us. >144 jnwelch: speaks to me, too.

Morning, Joe. There is chilly wind, beginning to blow. Can't we catch a break. Are you enjoying your solo time at the crib?

Hiya, Mark.

You know, it’s mighty quiet in the crib, like someone turned the radio off.😄 Debbi’s having a grand time with the little guy in Pittsburgh. He had a fever today, but Tylenol helped a lot and now he’s snoozing.

So far it’s been work and errands for me, but now I’ll settle down and watch some March Madness basketball, and maybe have a brewski or three. Tomorrow night Becca and I go to the Bulls game - they’ve been playing better, thank goodness. I’m not one of those who wants them to lose in hopes of getting a better draft pick - that’s a fool’s game, IMO.

Hope you’re setting up for a good one after tomorrow’s work day, buddy.

Hey, you may have seen or heard the news - Jim’s (drneutron’s) team just won the Neil Armstrong award for the Parker Solar Probe - I want to get over there and congratulate him!

Glad to see Debbie is enjoying her time with the wee babe! Sorry to see he is feverish. Kids and their germs!

Who is your team for March Madness? We did a family pool and I have the Baylor Bear(ss) :) Chloe picked a team with a turkey for a mascot (can't remember the name) and poor Elissa has already been knocked out with her Bearcats.

>149 ChelleBearss:. I know, Chelle. Gosh, I remember the days with our two. They think it’s an ear infection with Rafa. It’s doubly tough when they’re not talking yet, isn’t it.

Good for you with Baylor. “Poor Elissa” is right - Cincinnati going out so soon was a big surprise. Now I have to figure out what the turkey mascot team is!

I’d love to see Murray State keep going. Ja Morant - what a player. I’m hoping our Bulls get to draft him when the time comes. But my pick to take it all is Duke. They just have a bunch of great players, with Zion Williamson leading the way. I love the “one and done” intensity of March Madness!

By Deborah Dewitt

Spring is coming . . .

The author of The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas, has written another YA hit in On the Come Up. 16 year old Bri's father was a hip-hop legend, killed by gang violence when she was young. She's hoping her rapping skills can get her a record deal and help her family (mother Jay and brother Trey) out of poverty. Keeping gas and electricity going, and food in the fridge, is a challenge, and her mother is determined that Bri will do well on the ACTs and go to college. Bright Trey has dropped out of college to work at a pizza place to bring some money in.

Like The Hate U Give, this one is set in Garden Heights, a mirror of downtrodden urban areas across the country. Thomas is so good at capturing realistic dialogue and daily dilemmas, including the risks of choice and the costs of bad choices. Sometimes a bad choice seems like the only choice there is.

Race, gender, class and poverty issues all affect the characters' daily lives. Bri is a battler, which often gets her into trouble her white classmates don't experience, even for similar behavior. Her mother is an ex-drug addict who loses her job, and has to scramble to make ends meet. At the same time she's working to restore her daughter's trust from her time of despair and addiction.

It may sound like a grim book, but it's actually the opposite. There's hope and humor and love and romance, even amid dire circumstances. Bri is a dynamic rapper, and we experience the excitement of her first competitive bout, and all that comes after. The end seemed a bit "tidy" to me, but this is a YA book. Bri is a wonderful, imperfect character learning what's important to her, and how to live with integrity in a difficult world. Another winning book from Angie Thomas. Four and a half stars.

"Snowdrops
when the Winter STOPS."

What a welcome sign!

>112 jnwelch: Rafa is so stylin!

>151 jnwelch: - Can you send some of that over this way, please? We are having a sunny day (yay) but still rather winter-like temps. Brrr

Hi Joe, I saw the pi pie up-thread, and it reminded me that on 14th March a commentator on the radio here suggested we adopt pi day here, even though we would use 14/3 to signify that date instead of 3/14 as I believe you do. They suggested we put a local spin on it though by calling it ka pai pie day. Ka pai is Maori for good, and for us, a pie is almost always a savoury pie, small, filled with mince or steak and gravy. So for us the day would involve making finding or eating a "ka pai pie", like this one!

>125 jnwelch: >126 jessibud2: No Niagara Falls pictures in my photo albums, Joe and Shelley. Never been to the place. Did you go to Expo 67, Joe? I lived in Montreal at the time and went lots. I still have my Expo passport! I lived in Vancouver for Expo 86 too, so I've seen a lot of the Canadian Expos.

I just picked up On the Come Up from the library. I'm glad to see you really enjoyed it. I'll be starting it soon, for sure, since it's a short check out with a waiting list.

First I am working on a quick reread of Educated for my Real Life book club this week, and I need to get a bit more caught up with the These Truths group read.

Hmmm hmm bit of real life to work on too - like taxes.

ETA - I like the hobbits, too - if only they'd read a bit!

>152 jnwelch: Great review there Joe. Sounds like a really powerful read.

>112 jnwelch: Oh, I just love Rafa in his formal wear! What a handsome little guy. Sorry to read that he suffering with a earache right now.

>153 m.belljackson:. Right, Marianne? Snow rises, and then snowdrops.

>154 banjo123:. We’re expecting Rafa to get a call from Baby GQ any day now, Rhonda. He’s a charmer in formalwear, isn’t he.

>155 jessibud2:. I think a whole lot of us are dreaming about warmer temps and spring flowers, Shelley. Chilly and gloomy here today. Let’s turn that brrr into birrrds asap.

>156 LovingLit:. I love the sound - and look - of “ka pai pie”, Megan. Yeah, it’s 3/14 for us, which works more naturally for pi day and pi pie.

We also have May 4th coming up, which turns into, “May the Fourth Be With You.”

>157 Familyhistorian:. Now that you’re retired, Meg, you should go to Niagara Falls and get a photo taken. Don’t you think?😀

I did go, with my sister and our parents, to Expo 67. I wish I remembered more of it; I was pretty young. We had a good time.

Oh, we love Vancouver and that area. How was Expo 86?

>158 streamsong:. Can’t wait to hear what you think of On the Come Up, Janet. I just saw The NY Times Book Review featured it as a Notable book, which doesn’t happen often with YA titles.

Good for you for reading Educated and These Truths. I liked the first, and have enjoyed the comments on the second.

We sent our taxes off a couple of days ago, thank goodness.

Did the Green Dragon Inn have books for hobbits? I feel like it did. I know LT has a Green Dragon group, but maybe that’s unconnected.

>159 charl08:. Thanks re the review of On the Come Up, Charlotte. She’s such a strong writer. I’m happy that so many young ones are reading her books (they’re both on the bestseller lists here). Increased understanding of and empathy for the lives she’s describing can only be a positive for those in different circumstances, and for those who live, or have lived, in places like Garden Heights, it must be exciting to read someone who gets it, and respects what they go through. Plus it’s great storytelling, and inspiring.

>160 vancouverdeb:. Thanks, Deborah. His parents thought it was an ear infection, but the doc says Rafa has a bad cold. Lots of congestion now, and sleeping, but he still wants to play with toys when he’s awake, and still gives that smile of his.

Happy Sunday, Joe. I haven't had a chance to visit the threads, much this weekend but I thought I would pop in and say hey. I had a great birding morning and spent some time with the books this afternoon. We have also been watching and enjoying Russian Doll. We have 2 eps left.

Good review of On the Come Up. Thomas is 2 for 2!! Looking forward to that one.

Morning, Joe! Yay for On the Come Up! I need to read that one soon.

>165 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Isn't Russian Doll great? What a turn on the stage by Natasha Lyonne.

Sounds like an ideal day you had. Great birding in the morning, and reading in the afternoon. Thanks re the review of On the Come Up; like you, I'm really pleased she's 2 for 2. We're lucky to have her.

>166 scaifea: Morning, Amber! I join your yay for On the Come Up! Can't wait to hear what you think of it.

Here's one from the last century; I'm with an old pal who became Becca's godfather. I believe we're in Yosemite, although we were also in Rocky Mountain National Park on that trip.

Young Rafa (with the bad cold) spent a lot of time sleeping on his Bubbe this past weekend.

>169 jnwelch:

Pobre nino.

Hope he has quickly recovered.

>162 jnwelch: Maybe one day I will get to Niagara Falls, Joe, but there are many other places I want to visit first. I really enjoyed Expo 67 but I was old enough that I probably remember more of it than you. Expo 86 was a blast and I visited often sometimes by myself and often with friends. There was always something happening at that time and it kind of brought Vancouver to the attention of the world. I can remember my parents visiting during that time and I showed them around. That must have been fairly early on in the fair as by the end of it I was not quite as energetic due to being pregnant.

>170 m.belljackson: Pobre nino is right, Marianne. El tiene un fuerte resfriado. Word from Pittsburgh is he's still feeling it, but I imagine he's near the end of it. Madame MBH says he is quite annoyed that his parents and Bubbe keep wiping his nose. Of course, it helps him breathe, but he's not thinking about that.

We just put poor Madame MBH to bed. She's back, but had to work hard handling getting to the airport and flying and so on. All she can handle right now is mashed bananas, poor thing.

>171 Familyhistorian: I understand the "many other places I want to visit" idea, Meg. We've got a few of those, too. Glad to hear Expo 86 was a blast - I envy you going multiple times to the two of them. Ha! Yeah, I can imagine being pregnant left you not quite as energetic. What an important time in your life!

When we visited many years after that, Vancouver still had the Grizzlies NBA team, and I took the kids to a Grizzlies-Timberwolves game the first night we were there, while Debbi rested and got us organized.

>171 Familyhistorian: - Meg, if you do ever get to Niagara Falls, there is also a wonderful butterfly emporium down the road. We discovered it by accident and sadly, near the end of the day so only had a limited time before it closed to the public. If you are at all interested in that sort of thing, it truly is great and the gardens surrounding it are magnificent, too. Just saying.

Joe and Mark - my daughter (who treated me to their Madison concert many, many years ago)

just wrote that THE ROLLING STONES, Mick and Keith joining me at turning 75 (!!!!!) this year,

have just added a second concert to their first one at Soldier's Field in June! No Limit!

Joe, I think that both you and Mark would enjoy My Sister the Serial Killer, as well as Becca. It's the bomb and right in Mark's wheelhouse, I think. I really enjoyed it and at 223 small pages, what has a person got to lose? :-) It's on the Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist, so you can feel like you've really accomplished something worthwhile at the same time ;-)

Hi, Joe! Jim and I went up to Boston to see "An Inspector Calls", Jim wanted to see if it held up to his memory of its last run here. I'm not sure it was worth the trip to Boston for me, however. Very melodramatic and quite didactic, although well-acted, and of course the set is fabulous. Priestley wouldn't see much different today, would he?

>168 jnwelch: Great photo! 2 big outdoorsy guys! Sadly, I have never been to Yosemite. It is very high on my bucket list.

Morning, Joe. I think Debbi is back, right? No more swinging bachelor time? BTW- I really enjoyed Quiet Girl and now I have Livestock up next, my last of the books, I borrowed from you. I also picked up Lulu Anew. you are definitely steering my GN reading, which I really appreciate.

>175 vancouverdeb: I can get My Sister the Serial Killer on audio, Deb. Thanks.

>173 jessibud2:. We love butterfly emporiums (emporia?), and magnificent gardens, too, Shelley. Good tip.

>174 m.belljackson:. Ha! No limit, Marianne! I’m not a major Stones fan, but I’m impressed with their energy and longevity and continued popularity. 75! Scarcely seems possible. 😀

>175 vancouverdeb:. Thanks, Deborah. I see Mark’s already picking up on your My Sister the Serial Killer recommendation. I don’t read many serial killer books these days, but that Wonen’s Prize for Fiction Longlist credential has me thinking about it.

>176 ffortsa:. Hi, Judy! I’m glad you got to see An Inspector Calls. It is melodramatic and didactic, but for us, anyway, it successfully cast its spell. Isn’t that set terrific? It’s so weird and key to the overall effect. I liked that the play was so boldly from a different time. We don’t see plays written like that these days, do we.

Did you have time for any kind of LT meetup in Boston?

I can breathe out of both nostrils, haven't hacked a lung up yet, and almost hear without greatly increased volume. Oh yay, I'm well.

Still not going outside. The temptation is great...50° and sunshiney...but the word "relapse" cycles through my brain as I put on socks, and everything stops for tea as the old song has it.

>177 msf59:. Thanks, Mark. We played together on our hippie basketball team - in fact, his dad was our coach. He’s quite a musician, and is a sound engineer in NYC these days. Yosemite is gorgeous; you’ll love it when you get there.

Oh good - I was so impressed with Quiet Girl; I’m glad you really enjoyed it. Debbi and Becca were likewise, and I just gave it to our son for his birthday. Yay for Lulu Anew! We help each other - I just picked up Passing for Human after you rec’d It. I’m LOVING another one by the Lulu Anew author, called Initiatives, a true story about the author agreeing to learn winemaking from a friend in exchange for the friend learning how to make a graphic novel. Really wonderful so far.

>180 richardderus:. Glad to hear it, Richard! Breathing out of both nostrils is a severely underappreciated pleasure, isn’t it.

You’re probably wise to be cautious about going out, after this unjustly persistent viral pummeling you just received. Idiots here break out the shorts and bathing suits when it turns 50 F. Or when it gets above freezing! It’s in the low 40s here, and I just saw my first pair of shorts of the day. Yes, there was a person in them.

>182 jnwelch: ...an about-to-be-very-sorry person, I wager...*hackhack*

>179 jnwelch: no meeting in Boston. It was really a flying visit (although we took the train). But we have one planned for May here on NYC, and we might run into Katie at a library talk. That happens now and then.

>184 ffortsa: - You have a meet-up planned in May? Ahem.

>178 jnwelch:

It's weird - I was never a Stones fan in the 60s - too much sexism, but some of the songs just grew into my life,
along with a few of my daughter's "Just get over it, Mom" comments.

Their concert in Madison was purely electrifying, though not as much family fun as the one Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson did at our local Ball Park!

If you know any jazz/new music fans, Chicago will also be featuring The Art Ensemble of Chicago's 50th Anniversary at the downtown Jazz Festival.
ECM Records may be there too with their 50th celebration.

Hi, Joe! Great photos of you as a young(er) man, and of Professor Rafa.

>168 jnwelch: another great blast from the past Joe.

>169 jnwelch: Sorry to hear the wee fella had a cold, and passed it on to his bubbe. I hope Debbi recovers soon.

>183 richardderus: :-)

>184 ffortsa: Sounds good, Judy. I know how that is (fast trip).

>185 katiekrug: Can't wait to hear about this one, Katie!

>186 m.belljackson: Ha! I can't remember our kids ever saying, "Get over it, Dad (and Mom)", but I'm sure they thought it more than once, Marianne.

I know people love the Stones' shows, and Dylan and Willie Nelson in a local ballpark, I can imagine that being great. Did they do one together?

We haven't been to the Jazz Festival in ages, but that sounds like a fun one. It just gets so darned packed these days!

>187 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! Thanks, buddy. "The Young and the Clueless" - wasn't that a soap opera? I imagine you'll meet Prof. Rafa one of these days. He'll likely crack you up. He sure does it to us.

>188 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! Thanks, Caroline. So many great memories from back then! We're planning for a visit from my fellow woodsman in a month or so.

Thanks re Rafa and his bubbe. Now Rafa's parents have it, too! I recommended to Becca (with Debbi's agreement) that she steer clear of our house for a day or two. Jeez Louise, the viruses this year! I'm washing my hands, and Debbi and I are fist-bumping rather than the usual lippersmackers.

I hope you're doing well. I just talked on the phone to someone in London yesterday, and I asked how things were going for her. She said, "Brexit."

It's cherry blossom time in Japan

>190 jnwelch: The Young and the Clueless is the longest running soap opera in history, as Adam and Eve were its first characters.

I'm long overdue for a visit to Pittsburgh, my old stomping studying grounds. One of my closest friends from medical school and I want to meet up there, and perhaps I can find a way to meet Jill, along with you, Debbi, Jesse, Adriana and the Little Professor, during a visit sometime this year, before Dr Rafa joins the faculty at Pitt.

>189 jnwelch:

Yes, the concert was both of them together - they were on this really fun tour.

Of course, Bob played mostly with his back turned, but Willie gave us all he had, right on into the night.

Yes, that incredible Jazz Festival gets more and more crowded every year as more young people surprisingly are drawn to the new creative music.
Maybe the intervening years have brought so much more open feelings to all kinds of emotive sounds and sights.
I think I recall you living in Michigan in the 60s...?

If yes, you may have been at John Sinclair's astounding Jazz Festivals.

ps = it's The Young and the RESTLESS!

>191 jnwelch: Beautiful pic, Joe!

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress has finally dropped into my library download. I decided to prioritize it over Presidents of War, which has had a good start featuring President Jefferson and the affair of the Chesapeake. Fascinating look at the president and the American public and political climate at the time. Jefferson was able to avoid a war with Britain, not without his own issues, but his successor, Madison ended up in the War of 1812. I'll get back to it after 'Moon'.

>191 jnwelch: - Wow, gorgeous! We have a park here in Toronto that has a whole field of these trees and in spring, when they bloom, it gets crazy there. It was a beautiful sunny day here today, but still only 3C. I don't think our cherry blossoms will be busting out any time soon.

Hi, Joe. I am glad you ended up picking up Passing for Human. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I sent you a text, about Tap Out: Poems, a poetry collection by Edgar Kunz that I just finished and really loved. It is more prose-style poetry, in the working-man style of Philip Levine. This guy is a poet to watch.

>192 kidzdoc: LOL! I thought I remembered Adam and Eve were in the first episodes of The Young and the Clueless, Darryl. Thanks for the good soap opera/beginnings of mankind trivia.

We're going to visit your old stomping pub-crawling studying grounds in the latter part of April, for little Professor Rafa's birthday. Any possibility there?

>193 m.belljackson: Ha! Yes, Darryl and I had our tongues in our respective cheeks, Marianne. The correct name of the soap opera that Adam and Eve first starred in was The Young and the Restless. (Tongue in cheek again - Guiding Light, General Hospital, Another World, The Young and the Restless - I never watched any of them, but girls I knew did, and I was interested in girls!)

What an intriguing concert. I just read an article in which Joni Mitchell expressed frustration with Dylan's reticence - if I remember correctly, as a young woman Joni Mitchell, in a time of her great popularity, toured with Dylan, very much looking forward to getting to know him, as she naturally admired his music. She instead found him committed to indirect speaking and maintaining an air of mystery, and ended up making no connection at all. Maybe Willie Nelson had more luck.

I lived in Ann Arbor in the 60s, and went to the Blues festivals, which were great. (That was my first exposure to Bonnie Raitt, and a wonderful bluesman named Luther Allison). It's terrible, but I don't even remember John Sinclair's jazz festivals. My taste in jazz developed more in college, so it probably was a matter of timing.

>194 brodiew2: Oh, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress! The lunar colony rebels against the oppressive Earth. I remember that as one of the really good Heinleins, Brodie. I'll look forward to your comments. I've thought more than once about re-reading it. Right now I'm reading N.K. Jemison's sci-fi short story collection, How Long Til Black Future Month, and so far it's aces. That also sounds like a good one about Jefferson and his times.

>195 jessibud2: Right, Shelley? Our cherry blossoms won't be busting out any time soon either. Japan's known for it; I suspect that south Pacific climate helps bring them on earlier. I'd love to be at one of their Cherry Blossom festivals some time.

>196 msf59: Oh man, Mark, sorry. I got your poetry text, thanks, and I meant to respond. Debbi's under the weather, so I'm doing laundry and dishes, and trying to get her something to eat that she can stomach, and I'm helping out at the office, and so on and so forth. Do you feel sorry for me yet? Nah, I didn't think so. :-) I'm looking forward to Passing for Human, and I'll be sure to take a look at Tap Out: Poems. I've got maybe a fifth of Natalie Diaz's book left. One addicted member can have such an impact on a family!

>198 jnwelch: No problem, Joe. It sounds like you have your hands full there. I hope Debbi rebounds quickly. You have got me interested in revisiting Ms. Diaz, that is for sure.

>197 jnwelch:

They were called The Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Festivals.

If memory is still serving, the one I attended also had Hanoi Jane for a quick highly escorted moment.

Also, Joan Baez complained a lot about ole Bob.

>190 jnwelch: oooh nooo, couldn't you have just fist bumped instead of using the B word Joe?

>199 msf59: Me, too, buddy. I’ll probably finish up Ms. Diaz’s book manana.

>200 m.belljackson:. Thanks, Marianne. Winning hearts left and right, ol’ Bob.

>201 Caroline_McElwee:. Sorry, I meant “Flex it”, Caroline, for right before that fist bump. 😀

Morning, Joe!

>191 jnwelch: Beautiful!

Morning, Amber!

Isn't >191 jnwelch: beautiful? C'mon, spring!

Also in Japan

>169 jnwelch: Poor little guy! Hope he is feeling better!

Those cherry blossom photos are lovely! I have never seen a cherry blossom on person but I would love to one day! We used to have lots of apple orchards near where we lived in Nova Scotia and the apple blossom season was so beautiful. One stretch of the highway had apple orchards on both sides and it was lovely to drive along while they were in bloom

>197 jnwelch: Unfortunately, no. I'll visit my parents from April 20-25th, as I postponed my trip to Philadelphia this week, and I work from April 26-30th.

>206 ChelleBearss: As it goes, Chelle, the poor little guy is now feeling great, and his parents are both sick. Wouldn't you know it. The viruses this year, I swear. Madame MBH is still getting over this one that started with Rafa.

Cherry blossom viewing is a good one to add to your bucket list. Apple blossoms are lovely, too, I agree. My grandmother had an apple tree in her front yard, and it was also the best climbing tree ever.



>207 kidzdoc: Ah, too bad, Darryl. I would've thought that visiting with your friends would be more important than your parents and work. If you want to act like a responsible adult, I guess we''ll just have to (reluctantly) accept it. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that we'll be back in Pittsburgh soon enough.

Morning, Joe. Sweet Thursday! Is Debbi back to normal? I broke a tooth last Sunday and I can finally get in to the dentist this A.M. so I took the day off. I sure hope they can repair it without removing the rest of the tooth. This will make a nice long weekend for me, although it looks like the weather with be cruddy, for a chunk of it. I am going to try to catch up with a few mini-reviews. I am amazed how quickly they stack up. Maybe, I should stop reading so much? Like that's gonna happen. Grins...

On the poetry front, I started Magical Negro. This is the author who did the Beyonce collection and this is her latest. I like it so far. Strong voice.

>209 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark! Debbi unfortunately is not back to normal yet. These viruses this year just won't give up, seems to me. But she's well enough that we're getting her to the dermatologist for a checkup this morning.

Ah, a broken tooth, my sympathy. I had that happen a couple of years ago. I ended up having it removed; I hope you have better luck.

A nice long weekend sounds just the ticket, cruddy weather or not. Ha! Yes, a side effect of reading so much is the reviews pile up. I'll look forward to your catching up.

Oh, a new one by the Beyonce poet! Thanks for the heads-up. I'm sure that's one (Magical Negro) I'll be reading at some point.

Bargain: Kindle has Mary Renault’s excellent Fire from Heaven, the first of her Alexander the Great stories, on sale today for $1.99.

>208 jnwelch: Ha! Adulting isn't all it's cracked up to be...

<211. Ain’t that the truth!

>208 jnwelch: Yes, the viruses this year are terrible. We are on round two of stomach flu and this mama needs a break!

>172 jnwelch: Sounds like it has been a while since you visited Vancouver, Joe. Our cherry blossom is not as far advanced as the photos from Japan but they are getting there. Vancouver is very pretty in the Spring.

>173 jessibud2: Thanks for the tip, Shelley. I will try and remember if I ever get to Niagara Falls.

>214 ChelleBearss: I'll bet mama needs a break! It's tough enough without the little ones needing all your help and attention. Be good to yourself - we used to have to remind Madame "Florence Nightingale" Welch that she has to take care of herself, too.

>215 Familyhistorian: It has been quite a while since we visited Vancouver, Meg. We were there in the Spring last time; we loved Butchart Gardens.

Loving all the blossom photos Joe.

I hope Madam MBH is feeling better today.

>217 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I figure we can use some spring uplift, right?

Poor Madame MBH is frustrated - she's doing better, but just is wiped out, exhausted. These viruses need to do a better job of signing off and getting the heck out of town. As you know, she's normally on the go, so this is driving her crazy. She was supposed to go to the dermatologist today, and we got about a block and a half from home (walking to the train), and she was so tired she had to turn around and go back. It will pass, but man is it taking a long time. I think she's going to miss working out again tomorrow, which also is bugging the heck out of her.

I just finished a strong poetry collection from Natalie Diaz, called When My Brother Was an Aztec. In this one she's imagining the death of her meth-addicted brother, who has done so much damage to her family with his out-of-control behavior.

No More Cake Here

By Natalie Diaz

When my brother died
I worried there wasn’t enough time
to deliver the one hundred invitations
I’d scribbled while on the phone with the mortuary:
Because of the short notice no need to rsvp.
Unfortunately the firemen couldn’t come.
(I had hoped they’d give free rides on the truck.)
They did agree to drive by the house once
with the lights on— It was a party after all.

I put Mom and Dad in charge of balloons,
let them blow as many years of my brother’s name,
jails, twenty-dollar bills, midnight phone calls,
fistfights, and er visits as they could let go of.
The scarlet balloons zigzagged along the ceiling
like they’d been filled with helium. Mom blew up
so many that she fell asleep. She slept for ten years—
she missed the whole party.

My brothers and sisters were giddy, shredding
his stained T-shirts and raggedy pants, throwing them up
into the air like confetti.

When the clowns came in a few balloons slipped out
the front door. They seemed to know where
they were going and shrank to a fistful of red grins
at the end of our cul-de-sac. The clowns played toy bugles
until the air was scented with rotten raspberries.
They pulled scarves from Mom’s ear—she slept through it.
I baked my brother’s favorite cake (chocolate, white frosting).
When I counted there were ninety-nine of us in the kitchen.
We all stuck our fingers in the mixing bowl.

A few stray dogs came to the window.
I heard their stomachs and mouths growling
over the mariachi band playing in the bathroom.
(There was no room in the hallway because of the magician.)
The mariachis complained about the bathtub acoustics.
I told the dogs, No more cake here, and shut the window.
The fire truck came by with the sirens on. The dogs ran away.
I sliced the cake into ninety-nine pieces.

I wrapped all the electronic equipment in the house,
taped pink bows and glittery ribbons to them—
remote controls, the Polaroid, stereo, Shop-Vac,
even the motor to Dad’s work truck—everything
my brother had taken apart and put back together
doing his crystal meth tricks—he’d always been
a magician of sorts.

Two mutants came to the door.
One looked almost human. They wanted
to know if my brother had willed them the pots
and pans and spoons stacked in his basement bedroom.
They said they missed my brother’s cooking and did we
have any cake. No more cake here, I told them.
Well, what’s in the piñata? they asked. I told them
God was and they ran into the desert, barefoot.
I gave Dad his slice and put Mom’s in the freezer.
I brought up the pots and pans and spoons
(really, my brother was a horrible cook), banged them
together like a New Year’s Day celebration.

My brother finally showed up asking why
he hadn’t been invited and who baked the cake.
He told me I shouldn’t smile, that this whole party was shit
because I’d imagined it all. The worst part he said was
he was still alive. The worst part he said was
he wasn’t even dead. I think he’s right, but maybe
the worst part is that I’m still imagining the party, maybe
the worst part is that I can still taste the cake.

Natalie Diaz, “No More Cake Here” from When My Brother Was an Aztec. Copyright © 2012 by Natalie Diaz. Reprinted by permission of Copper Canyon Press.

Hi Joe, although they seem to be affecting my allergies quite badly this year, we here in Vancouver are also enjoying the cherry tree blossoms, a true sign of Spring. So sorry to hear your MBH is still suffering the after effects of that virus, hopefully it will clear soon.

>220 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy.

I'll bet the Vancouver cherry blossoms are beautiful. I hope your allergies let up on you soon. Thanks re MBH; she's in good spirits this morning, but it is frustrating for her. I'll be missing my workout buddy again. I suspect she'll be back to normal after the weekend.

I'm still trying to find this section in our local library.

>219 jnwelch: That is a beautiful poem. Thanks for sharing that one. It looks like i need to revisit that collection.

>222 jnwelch: Like!

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. They were able to repair my broken tooth yesterday, which was quite a relief and I celebrated with a bird stroll, afterwards. It was beautiful day. I am still looking forward to things turning green. Everything is so drab. I did not get much reading in but I did enjoy the Cubs opener. What a sweet beginning.

>223 msf59: Isn't that a beautiful poem, Mark? Heartbreaking. Methinks you'll get a lot of out of a revisit to When My Brother Was an Aztec.

Tom Gauld!

Happy Friday, buddy. I'm glad they could repair the broken tooth. How better to celebrate than with a bird stroll (well, I guess a brew would be right up there, too). It was beautiful yesterday. You're right about the drabness. We have a self-maintaining garden on our back roof (over the kitchen) that usually starts showing green by now, and even it hasn't started. Jeesh. That was a sweet start by the Cubs. Poor White Sox stumbled, per usual in recent years.

I got caught up in March Madness again; there were some good ones on last night. I've been wanting to see Gonzaga, who many have picked to take it all, and they were impressive.

>222 jnwelch: Just ask them where they shelve Wuthering Heights - that'll lead you right to it.

Hi Joe. Having fun with Bryant & May: Hall of Mirrors. Thanks for the rec!

I handed in my yearly evaluation tonight so am celebrating with cappuccino at Starbucks and the free WiFi. I wanted to just blow off this evaluation and did some degree (I am sure that I didn’t enter everything in that I should have) but these have become the Monster that Ate Milwaukee. I spent 7 hours working on it today. Ridiculous. The sad part is that it won’t matter anyway, because these evaluations are not about figuring out should get Merit pay. It is about figuring out a way to keep people from getting merit pay.

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. Since, the rain stopped, I think I will go to the Arb and stroll around a bit. I haven't been there in awhile. I am so glad you jumped on Tap Out: Poems and have it on hand. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I am crazy about that cover too and it fits the content.

>225 scaifea:. Ha! You’ll get no argument from me about Wuthering Heights, Amber. The over-heated plot, which one can’t avoid knowing, has caused me never to read it.

>226 NarratorLady:. Oh good, Anne! Isn’t that Bryant & May a fun one?

>227 benitastrnad:. Hi, Benita. Congrats on finishing the evaluations. Who are you evaluating? Enjoy the cappuccino!

>228 msf59:. Happy Saturday, buddy. Enjoy the walk in the Arb. We’re about to take an urban walk to the library (more GNs came in!), and then to vote early for the mayor, alderman and city treasurer, all runoffs.

That is a compelling cover for Tap Out, for sure. I’m looking forward to reading it.

>216 jnwelch: I have never been to Butchart Gardens, Joe, as I have only been to Victoria twice. We used to go to Minter Gardens which were beautiful and a much closer drive but they were closed back in 2013 or so.

I hope that Madame MBH gets back her energy soon. There is nothing worse for a go-get-it gal than to have to sit still!

>229 jnwelch: In addition to your review, I decided to read it because it takes place in 1969, the year I first went to England. A blast from the past! The description of the clothes is pretty accurate which makes me laugh. I’m not a mystery fan (apart from Agatha Christie, the queen of House Party murders to whom this plot owes a lot) but so far I’m intrigued.

>216 jnwelch: It's all good. I have my outlets of wine, books and bubble baths :) I could use a week at the beach too though!

Happy Sunday, Joe. I love all your family photos on this thread. Thanks for sharing them.

>231 Familyhistorian:. Thanks re Madame MBH - she’s doing much better. We did a long walk to the library and voted nearby yesterday, and today she hosted her writing group. She’s tired, but otherwise much improved.

I hope you get to Butchatt Gardens some day. We thought it was exceptionally lovely.

>232 NarratorLady:. Ha! Isn’t it fun to be back in London in the 60s in that book, Anne? It’s a good pick for yet another reason - you’re in at the beginning of Bryant & May’s relationship. Your Dame Agatha experience will lead to some chuckles in this one, as you’ll recognize some tropes Fowler is playing with. 🧐

>233 ChelleBearss:. Wine, books and bubble baths help, I’m sure, Chelle. I hope you get that trip to the beach at some point. It’s tough duty, but we found ours did eventually get to an age where they appreciated it.😀

>234 Ameise1:. Thanks, Barbara. That’s good to hear. I don’t want to overdo it with the family photos, but as long as people are enjoying them, I’m happy to share them.

Happy Sunday to you. I hope you’ve had a good weekend.

Whew! Caught up...sorry about all the viruses and broken chompers and stuff. I'm knocking on every piece of wood I can find, 'cause we've been quite lucky in our house this winter...no germy infiltrations so far.

Morning, Joe. A quick hello, as I deal with our heavy Monday volume. Hopefully you guys are at the gym and Debbi is doing much better.

>237 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, now you've done it, Linda. Whenever I say anything like that I'm soon afflicted with something slightly worse than bubonic plague.

Joe -

Poetry and Music from The Kennedy Center a few nights ago that you, your Poet kids, and Mark might enjoy =

You Tube: Roscoe Mitchell and Moor Mother - Millennium Stage (March 28, 2019)

It takes poetry and music to new, different, and unusual levels, notably from 18-30 minutes on.

>237 laytonwoman3rd: No germy infiltrations sounds great, Linda. I'm knocking on wood on your behalf. We seem to be on the far side of it all; I'd better knock on wood again!

>238 msf59: Morning, Mark. No gym for us this morning; the guy we work with got held up at gunpoint by two guys at a gas station (!), and let us know from the police station. So we instead had a productive time at the cafe. Hope the heavy Monday volume wasn't too bad.

I finished Tap Out, and it was a knockout. Thanks for the tip.

>239 kidzdoc: Ha! Hopefully not, Darryl. We're knocking on wood all over the place - isn't that recognized by the medical profession as effective protection against it happening?

>240 m.belljackson: Sounds good, Marianne. Thanks for the recommendation. I just finished a very good poetry book recommended by Mark (Tap Out).

>239 kidzdoc: What...you don't believe in the power of benevolent spirits invoked from pieces of dead trees?

>243 laytonwoman3rd: LOL! Well put, Linda. What's the matter with this guy?

Deborah DeWitt

>245 jnwelch: - Lovely. Rather atmospheric. How do artists do that, make the whole picture so detailed, yet almost hazy? It's magic

>240 m.belljackson:

Joe - MOOR MOTHER will be at the Chicago Jazz Festival!

>245 jnwelch: Wow. Don't miss the cat...

>246 jessibud2:. Isn’t that lovely, Shelley? I know, the variety of visual effects artists can create always amazes me. She has created a sort of haziness with the light and her colors and brushwork. What a talent!

>247 m.belljackson:. Thanks , Marianne. I need to find time to check out that YouTube video. The Jazz Festival starts in late August, I think, so we’ll take a look. Thanks for the tip.

>242 jnwelch: Nope. That's about as effective as the use of spinal manipulation by quack chiropractors, vegan diets, colloidal silver and essential oils in warding off vaccine preventable illnesses.😎

>243 laytonwoman3rd: 😂 Nopenopenopenope. Nope.

>244 jnwelch: I do believe in the health benefits of beets and cilantro!

>248 laytonwoman3rd: Good one, Linda. I did miss the cat! There it is, quietly sitting there by the oven, no doubt wondering when the next food serving will show up . . .

>250 kidzdoc: Jeez, you're a difficult one, Dr. Morris. Folk remedies like knocking on wood have been with us for centuries, and have withstood the test of time. Viruses have learned to pay attention and not get sideways of properly executed wood-knocking, or so I understand.

I was hoping our heated FB discussion (complete with your insulting me as being worse than Trump in making stuff up!) wouldn't spill over to the high-minded and elegant halls of Librarything. But here we are. All I can say is, to quote the Go-Gos, "You've Got the Beets, You've Got the Beets - You've Got the Beets!", and I don't, and never will. Cilantro is welcome in our house, but not while Becca is visiting, because to her (and her BFF Amber) it tastes like soap.

Maybe you need to take a nap and stop pushing this health agenda of yours. *knock on wood*

Cilantro doesn't taste like soap to me...it just tastes nasty, bitter and spit-worthy. Beets, I love.

I am wondering exactly how many more times we can have this cilantro conversation?

;-)

>245 jnwelch: reminded me of this painting by Vermeer, Joe:



I have a print of it in my living room.

>253 katiekrug: Clearly, at least once more... 😂

>252 laytonwoman3rd:. The soap taste for cilantro is actually a syndrome for many people, it turns out, Linda. Debbi and I had never heard of it, and we’re surprised by our food-loving daughter’s aversion. It took us awhile to find out what was going on,

I’m not sure whether you have a variation on that or it’s something else. Cilantro tastes fine to me, and isn’t an issue.

>253 katiekrug:. Hi, Katie. Ha! Blame that provocateur Darryl. We’ve discussed beets thoroughly, too, but this guy just won’t let up. He’s a foodie, and likes to annoy cafe proprietors.

>254 Caroline_McElwee:. I can see why it reminded you of that one, Caroline. That’s a beaut, and not a Vermeer I know. Thanks for posting it.

>255 drneutron:. Right, Jim? How’s the Solar Probe doing? Let’s talk about that!😄

Ahem. As long as no one starts talking about liver...….;-p

Oh wowwowow on the cherry blossoms!

I loved On the Come Up but I'm also half a dozen reviews behind, so don't check my thread for it too quickly. I meant to be caught up by April 1 - more fool me!

>258 jessibud2: Or cooked cabbage. But all sorts of taste variations are spread through my family so it is fortunate there are so many things we can enjoy together.

>260 quondame: - Yep, that too! ;-)

>256 jnwelch:

Most people with Migraines cannot tolerate cilantro...and only eat a slice of a beet maybe once a year! Weird souls these mortals be.

Which brings us to THE ESSEX SERPENT.
If you go to page 2 of LT reviews, mine at barely 3 Stars, is dated April 23, 2018 and may give some clues about why you are not drawn to it.

I'll desist from making any more comments about cilantro and beets as long as no one brings up broccoli.🤢 I hate it, although I love broccolini and all other green vegetables, including all types of cabbage (regular, red and Savoy). (Yes, I'm weird, but you knew that already.)

>256 jnwelch: All of the migraine suffering members of my family are fine with beets and cilantro. Not all are enthusiastic, but different story.

>258 jessibud2: Ach du liver! Couldn't agree more, Shelley. Mum's the (much better) word.

>259 streamsong: Yay cherry blossoms! Aren't those beautiful, Janet?

Hey, all I need to hear is that you loved On the Come Up! Music to my ears. I can wait on the reviews - good luck! I know how hard it is to keep up. I'm probably doing a (mini-)review for every one out of three books I read right now.

>260 quondame: Yeah, I can take a pass on cooked cabbage, too, Susan. Same with our family - we probably share enjoyment of 90% of food types.

>261 jessibud2: :-)

>262 m.belljackson: Hmm, I'd not heard that connection between migraines and cilantro before, Marianne. I'll have to remember to ask my sister who gets them whether she experiences that. Beets, too? Darryl will be so disappointed. :-)

P.S. I'll slide on over to check out your Essex Serpent review, Marianne. It's unusual for me to be intrigued enough to stick this far with a book, while remaining uncertain whether I like it! There are ones where the ending has turned me off on one I otherwise enjoyed, but this is something else. I do love Cora (the widow), and the Rev. Ransome and his wife Stella are appealing, too.

>263 kidzdoc: Ha! You may be a mastermind of food-related torment, Dr. Darryl, but you've slipped up this time. Now that I know you can't stand the taste of broccoli I'll . . . well, I don't know what I'll do. But I'll sure keep that arrow in my quiver, for the next time this beet nonsense comes up. Oh happy day! Calloo Callay!

I'm really not qualified to comment on your weirdness. Those who don't live in a weird house (or a weird mind) may cast the first aspersion.

>264 quondame: Yeah, that migraine connection was news to me, Susan. I not aware of one in our family either. One sister and BIL get migraines pretty regularly, and the other sister and another member of the family get them once in a while, if I remember correctly. We've all eaten Mexican food with cilantro together, and I imagine other types of food with cilantro, and I never heard it mentioned. I run from the room if beets show up, so on that score I'm not sure what happens in my absence.

Hi, Joe. Sorry, to hear about your workout guru. Is everything okay, with him? Hopefully you guys are back on track tomorrow. All my current reads are clicking, although I don't think my story collection or The Witch Elm would be a good fit for you. You will have a fine time with Bibliophile once you get to it. A book-lovers dream.

I have Essex Serpent in my TBR pile. I'll get to it when I get to it. I've read at least a couple of books set in very historical Britain this year, so I'm going to wait for it to call to me. Sorry it's not working well for you. I've yet to find out.

My family also has a migraine thing, but not a big deal. The first I knew of it was the second time I got a migraine visual aura while I was shopping in a large mall. I saw flashing lights and my visual field narrowed and it seemed that whatever I looked directly at, I could only see black. I waited about 30 minutes , sitting on a bench. When it did not subside, I phoned my sister and described my problem and she came right away and drove me home from the mall, as I could not see to drive. She said she had the same problem off and on. Then it turned out when I spoke to my dad about it, he said -your are kidding, I get the visual migraine too. Mine started in my early twenties and I could not say anything in particular was a trigger. Knock on wood, neither my sister, nor my dad, nor I got an actual migraine, just the aura of a migraine and slight headache. My younger brother did get the whole thing - vomiting, headache and the visual aura. Fortunately he outgrew it. Migraines are a strange thing. I know some people find that bright sunlight is a trigger, other people food, and others can't really find a cause.

Well, I am a fan of cilantro and broccoli and I can go for the occasional liver, if it's done up right. Bring on the varied tastes!!

Morning, Joe!

Tomm struggles with migraines but has no problem with cilantro, either.

Everyone at Scaife Manor loves broccoli! And now we know what dish to feature when Darryl is in town...

>268 msf59: Hiya, Mark. Yeah, our workout guru is fine. He's a big, tough guy, but man does life throw difficulties at him right now. It's been one thing after another. We'll hear more of the story today - he's back on the job.

Good reminder about Bibliophile. All my reads are going fine, too. I guess one you may be interested in is The Fated Sky, the sequel to The Calculating Stars, which I'm thinking you might have read? This sci-fi-er continues to deal, among other things, with racial and gender issues in an alternate 60s. I'm entering the final lap with the mixed-feelings Essex Serpent, and in the last part of Passing for Human.

>269 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deborah. Yeah, I can see why The Essex Serpent gets mixed reactions. You may love it. Sarah Perry certainly can write. I'm riding it all the way through, so that says something.

Interesting to hear about the migraine aura with slight headache you, your sister and your dad got - do you still get them once in a while? That's a new one for me. I got a terrible sick headache from food poisoning once, and thought, this must be something like what migraine sufferers go through. Awful. There was a pro basketball player years ago, Scottie Pippen, who got one in the playoffs and tried to play through it, having a horrible game. He got derided for it, with most seemingly not understanding how debilitating migraines are.

>270 Berly: Way to go, Kim! We need a voice for the more-embracing eaters.

>271 scaifea: My sympathy to Tomm on the migraines. Yay for broccoli! (Sorry, Darryl). Everyone at Casa Welch loves it, too. And cauliflower, which seems like its cousin somehow.

Ha! Right, we usually go to a restaurant with Darryl. Maybe we'll take him to "Breathtaking Broccoli" next time he's in town, or "Broccoli-on-the-Thames" in London.

Unidentified (can't read the signature) street artist

I can weigh in here on migraines. Every one is different, for different people. For me, for example, I have no food triggers, that I know of. Mine are almost always triggered by environmental things such as wind or sudden or drastic weather changes (things I have no control of, pfft). Also, too little or too much sleep, going for long periods without food (waking up with a headache can often be relieved after having breakfast, though not always). And so it goes. I don't think I've ever had an aura but light and noise bother me a lot when I am in the middle of one. And oddly, sipping Coca cola helps too. Odd because other than at migraine time, I almost never drink any soft drinks.

I get the ocular/visual migraines a few times a year. The first time, I was in my early 30s and it was terrifying - I thought I was going blind. If I just sit quietly, preferably in a dimly lit room, with my eyes closed, regulate my breathing, and rub my temples, it usually goes away after about 20 minutes. I'm often left with a dull headache for the rest of the day.

Hi Joe!

I've done a skim through the last 116 messages since I visited. Sorry Debbi's got Rafa's shared germs, I hope she's doing better.

My sister gets migraines with auras and black dots. I'll have to ask her if she has noticed a connection with cilantro. They eat a lot of Mexican food out, and it's a favored ingredient in SoCal. In my early 20s I got cluster migraines - it felt like someone was stabbing a hot icepick into my right eye. I just read up about them and realize that I'm very fortunate that they stopped after a couple of years.

>266 jnwelch: It's unusual for me to be intrigued enough to stick this far with a book, while remaining uncertain whether I like it! I'm sorry that The Essex Serpent has you on the fence. I really liked it.

So what do you think of your new Mayor Lori Lightfoot? I don't know anything about either candidate, so am interested in your opinion.

My wife gets migraines, and passed that predilection along to all three of our children. She was at the doctor's years ago, talking about the visual disturbances she experienced before the headache would explode. He started sketching "the fortress" on a scrap of paper, and Judi covered her eyes and yelped, "Stop! That's it! That's it." Every once in a while, she'll exclaim indignantly, "I'm getting a migraine."

Darryl In our household we revile cilantro, but we like broccoli, beets, Brussels sprouts,...well, just all sorts of vegies. Oh, and scrapple. Had it for breakfast just the other day. Mmmmm.

Re: Broccoli (which thankfully is not a Migraine trigger!) -

years ago, a friend pointed out that, instead of saving broccoli stems for soup or adding them to compost,
they could be peeled with a knife and eaten raw.

They have a sometimes surprisingly different and refreshing taste from the tops.

Sounds like your city appointed a fine new Mayor Joe.

>275 jessibud2: My sympathy on the migraines, Shelley. Having unpredictable triggers doesn't help, I'm sure. Wind - Jeesh. Having to worry that too little or too much sleep may trigger one doesn't sound like a recipe for restful sleep, either.

I've heard caffeine can help - I wonder if that's what's happening with the cola.

You've probably heard of this, but my sister and BIL swear by the supplement CO-Q10 for reducing the number of migraines, and I know others who say the same.

>276 katiekrug: I suppose they can start up at any time, Katie, but it must have been weird to develop migraines in your 30s. Like, where the heck did this come from. I'm glad you've got a way to deal with them that works in 20 minutes, although a dull headache for the rest of the day doesn't sound pleasant. I guess because brain cells send electrical pulses to nerve cells, and because of my extensive science background (not!), I keep thinking there should be some way to help migraines with (soothing) electrical pulses. Anyway, I know how debilitating they can be, so I hope we learn and progress in treatment.

>277 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

Thanks for the germ concern. Debbi's back to her normal self, and worked out today like gangbusters. Phew! As she said, and I know you and others can relate, in the middle of one of those lengthy germy episodes, you think you may feel that bad for the rest of your life. And this year, where we are anyway, the germs just haven't wanted to leave. Long and hard has been a common experience.

Oof, just the phrase "cluster migraines" makes me duck and cover. Feeling like someone was stabbing an ice pick into your right eye - even worse! Crap, that'll sure stop you in your tracks, won't it. I'm glad you're able to talk about them in the past tense. That sounds truly awful. Was it just the passage of time, or did you change things somehow?

You know, I'm going to end up happy that I've read The Essex Serpent. (I should be reading it now! But I thought I should try to catch up here). There's plenty of good stuff in it, and I've got about a fifth left to read, so I know it's going to be an okay read. Not a favorite, but we've all had plenty of those in our reading lives. I'm glad you really liked it - I'm sure you have a lot of company on that.

We're excited about our new Mayor Lori Lightfoot. How this town has changed - the thought of a run-off between two African-American women would have been unthinkable years ago. Both were well-qualified. The worry with her defeated opponent, Toni Preckwinkle, was she was part of "the machine" here - a source of corruption and questionable favors. The old phrase "We don't want nobody nobody sent" is part of that. Who you know, not your competence. Preckwinkle was competent, but there was lots of anti-machine voting here for all sorts of positions, and that's probably the biggest reason she lost.

Lightfoot and others (our new alderman also beat a machine candidate) offer the possibility of positive change. She's a former federal prosecutor, sharp and tough, and rose from humble beginnings - both personally, and in the election. She makes me think of Kamala Harris, whom I greatly admire. She's also our first openly gay mayor (married), and reportedly the first in this country for a big city like Chicago.

So, lots of potential, and there's hope that she won't face the kind of obstructionism that Obama faced, and Harold Washington faced here as Mayor many years ago, with the old guard trying to cause failure, rather than looking out for the good of the country/city. There's been an anti-machine turnover on city council, too, so she should get some support there.

Woo, thanks for asking! I could go on and on, but that's probably more than enough!

>278 weird_O: Sorry to hear that your wife and three children suffer from migraines, Bill. That's an insightful doctor. I'm not familiar enough with migraines to be able to visualize the drawing of the "Fortress" as "that's it", but it's pretty powerful that your wife said that, and didn't even want to look at the drawing.

Darryl can respond to your comment to him, but I wondered if the family reviling cilantro was due to its regular taste or the "tastes like soap" syndrome. For me, it's regular taste in Mexican food or whatever isn't strong enough to cause that kind of reaction.

>279 m.belljackson: You know, in our house we normally eat broccoli with both the top and the stem, Marianne, both cooked and raw (raw - with a dip). We don't peel the stem, but it tastes fine to me. To show my ignorance, I didn't realize some folks just eat the tops. I don't remember ever having just the tops, or just the stems; it's always been both together.

>280 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. There are rays of light in these dark drumpf times, and our new Mayor is one. As I was saying to Karen up in >282 jnwelch:, having a run-off between two capable, African-American women was pretty darn cool in its own right. She won every ward, which I don't think has every happened in this big city. That means she won the majority vote of people from every kind of neighborhood here. And her opponent was no pushover. Pretty remarkable.

We'll see how it goes, but the success threshold is low here, even if expectations are high. Past Mayor Emanuel has been a big disappointment (worked as Obama's chief of staff, but did a poor job of running the city, including suppressing the video of the policeman shooting defenseless Laquan McDonald 16 times), and his predecessor Richard Daley the younger (his father also was mayor) went from admired for his practical skills to harmfully inept after his wife died. Everyone is hoping that Lori Lightfoot establishes a moral and ethical high ground, roots out corruption, and makes significant progress on the city's many problems - financial, schools, poverty, gangs, violence, inappropriate police behavior, and on and on. It's a wonderful city that so many of us love, but it needs change in a lot of important areas, just like our beautiful country needs change. An openly gay, African-American woman mayor - that's positive, and she's got the chops to be successful. As I said to Karen, there's also reason to hope she won't run into too much unwarranted obstructionism, at least on the city council. We'll see.

A lot of folks with the ocular migraine. For me, I get one very rarely now, maybe once a year - knock on wood. I do have a friend who gets the occasional migraine, and like Shelley, she swears by an immediate dose of chocolate, rather than a coke. Not sure why it's a piece of dark chocolate for my friend and coke for Shelley. But caffeine does seem to help some people. I'm not even sure what cilantro tastes like. Not sure if I've ever had any. Embarrassing. Broccoli, yes, and I like it fine, but it does not like me. But beets - no thanks.

Happy Wednesday, Joe. Hooray for Mayor Lori Lightfoot! I really hope she can step up and rattle the system. Chicago needs fresh and innovative leadership. So much to be done.

It was a nice day out there today. Cooler tomorrow but then back to the warm-up, right through the weekend. I hope the Cubs rebound tonight and start adding to the win column. Plenty of talent there.

>284 jnwelch: I'm glad you experience the ocular migraine very rarely now, Deborah, although I'd wish "not at all" for you if possible. Yeah, I've also heard that chocolate can help many sufferers with its caffeine. It probably can lift spirits, too - I know Madame MBH and others just love chocolate.

Yeah, I'm not surprised you're not sure what cilantro tastes like - it's a light citrus-y taste for me, not a big deal, but nice in guac and Mexican food and other dishes. I applaud your "no thanks" to beets; as you can tell, I'm also in that club.

>285 vancouverdeb: Happy Wednesday, Mark. Hooray for Mayor Lori Lightfoot! Agreed - much to be done. She won't be the same old, same old machine politician, we know that much. She's plenty smart and tough, so there's reason to be hopeful.

Yeah, we're trending (finally) the right way with the weather, although it'll dip tomorrow, as you say. It's a long season, but like you, I'd like to see the Cubs get off to a good start. Plenty of talent is right. I'd like to see Epstein pull off some magic to strengthen the bullpen - why is that always such a problem?

In the sci-fi book I'm reading, The Fated Sky, astronaut Dr. Elma York figures out how to make chocolate chess pie in a spaceship headed for Mars. I've never had chocolate chess pie, but I'd like to now. Here's a visual.

>282 jnwelch:

Often we find mostly the tops of broccoli in Chinese food - good to hear of other raw stem eaters!

This same friend once showed me the tiny little ears of corn in the field around the house we rented long ago - what a delicious surprise they were.

Today is Gay Mayor Day for both Chicago AND Madison! Harold Washington would be pleased.

I sure hope your Mayor reopens the schools that Rahm closed and turns them into vibrant dynamic community centers.

>281 jnwelch:, >285 vancouverdeb: - Yes, I am sure that the caffeine in both chocolate and coke have something to do with it. Caffeine is an ingredient in my prescription migraine pills. So there is obviously something to it. I have heard of CO-Q10, Joe, but didn't know of it in relation to migraines. Homework for me! I do take a feverfew supplement every morning as a migraine preventive and have, for years. I know that helps too because there was a period of a couple of months when I had stopped taking it and I truly did have more migraines then.

Congrats on your new mayor! It is always encouraging to see the right people succeed in the right places. That seems to be happening too infrequently, but congrats and I wish her (and your city!) all the best.

>287 jnwelch: >290 jessibud2: My sister, a Phd MD, and a migraine sufferer like all her father's children, discovered that if she took 1/4 - 1/3 of Sumatriptan tablet when she noticed her very first pre-migriane vagueness, that she usually had a migraine free day with out the usual side effects of a full dose of Sumatriptan. Since I've started doing the same I haven't had a full blown migraine at all. It may not work for everyone, since as Joe points out, migraines are very individual, but might be worth a try.

Good luck wishes for your new mayor, Joe! Hope she is able to be effective.

I had a migraine today, due to the low pressure front moving through. Not fun. I do love cilantro, though.

Morning, Joe! Woot for that new mayor!! Such progress is heartening, isn't it?

I used to get migraines, too, when I was younger, but I haven't had one in ages. I still get the regular old kind, but even those aren't as frequent. No idea what I'm doing differently. It's strange.

>288 jnwelch: I’ve eaten (and even made) buttermilk chess pie, but I’ve never attempted the chocolate variation. Looks yummy, though. (And I like cilantro, but my mother says it tastes like soap to her. That’s apparently a gene that passed me by, and I’m glad of it!)

‘Morning, Joe!

>282 jnwelch: I’m glad that you will end up liking The Essex Serpent. It’s one of those books that by reading for book club I paid more attention to than normal. Much of the goodness of the book is in the rich detail, IMO.

Thanks for your great response re Lori Lightfoot. I hope things go well for Chicago with her at the helm and enough non-machine folks in other positions to make progress and make all zip codes good, safe, and with equal opportunities.

>283 jnwelch: I peal off any bits of stem where there was a leaf or branch and that looks tough, otherwise Jenna and I love tops and stems, both cooked and raw. The stem is very sweet if you get a good batch. Cauliflower, too – we eat the flower bits and the stalks, not needing to do any peeling.

Bill hates broccoli like you hate beets. A friend of his brought broccoli boutonnières to our wedding reception, and we have a picture of Bill's Mama with one tucked behind her ear.

I still get sinus headaches from barometric changes and allergy-induced headaches even though I take Claratin-wannabe every single day. No cluster migraines, though. I don't think I did anything different - it was 40 or more years ago - and I never even took migraine medication although a doctor diagnosed the headaches. He didn't prescribe anything, so I just toughed it out with aspirin and a dark, quiet room. I never discovered what triggered them.

I love cilantro, but I’m a guacamole purist – mashed avocado, a bit of lemon juice, a bit of salt. I also like the very lightly salted tortilla chips in restaurants or homemade unsalted tortilla chips.

Hey Joe! Lots of catching up here but to maxe it brief, Hope by now Rafa is feeling lixe is old self. Oh my gosh! Those cheexs!
Great paintings and sweet street art.
Happy new day for Chicago!
Have a lovely day!

>289 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Your delicious tiny little ears of corn story made me think of the delicious tiny little wild strawberries we used to eat in northern Michigan; sometimes they were right along the road. "Free" was part of the fun.

I need to read more about Madison - congrats on the new gay Mayor! I love seeing people voting in this kind of change. Now she needs to do a good job to encourage more of it.

That is the more controversial area with Lori Lightfoot so far. Rather than turning the schools Emanuel closed into vibrant dynamic community centers, a great suggestion, she wants to turn them into more police training centers - and a $95 million new facility for that already was approved under the last mayor. Everyone agrees the police need better training (!), but many (most?) question the need for new facilities to do it. So we'll see how that one goes. There's one huge proposed billion dollar project (Lincoln Yards) that we're hoping the lame duck city council doesn't approve, and instead waits to vote until the new mayor and new council members arrive. It's planned to get huge tax breaks that many (most?) think are excessive.

>290 jessibud2: I'm glad I could bring CO-Q10 to your attention, Shelley. I hadn't heard about the feverfew supplement, so I'll mention that to my sister.

I hoping the blue wave has an effect on local levels as well as national. Marianne just pointed out that Madison, WI, nearish to Chicago, also elected its first gay mayor. Jane Byrne, our first (and only) woman mayor said it's a sign of progress that Lightfoot's election isn't as much of a shock as Byrne's was back in the early 80s.

>291 quondame: Sumatriptan is another new one to me, Susan, thanks. It's good we're having a chance to spread the word here. I'll mention that to my sister, too, and keep that and feverfew, along with CO-Q10, in mind for others who suffer from migraines. As you say, there doesn't yet seem to be a universal panacea, but these appear to help some folks.

>292 ronincats: Hi, Roni. Arggh. Sorry the low pressure front triggered your migraine. I sometimes wonder how much physical effect changes in barometric pressure have in all sorts of ways. I feel my replacement hips sometimes, and the surgeon says they don't have studies to support it yet, but anecdotally there's lots of evidence that it's caused by barometric changes. Anyway, I hope your migraine isn't too awful, and lets up on you asap.

Thanks re the Mayor. She takes office May 20 - can't wait! I'm sure she'll be doing a ton of prep work before that day arrives.

>293 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Woot for Lightfoot! The progress is heartening, you're absolutely right.

Yeah, I often wonder why some people grow out, or grow into, things like migraines. I'm glad you mostly grew out of it, although I bet it was a difficult problem when you were young. Yeah, there are so many stimuli in our lives, figuring out triggers for migraines remains challenging, seems like. I think schizophrenia often develops in a person's 20s, for some reason; some people develop asthma late in life, and so on.

>299 jnwelch: Even though I loved school, starting around third grade I would get off the bus every afternoon with a bad headache (usually not quite migraine level, but still awful). The migraines were about once or twice a month. In college, the daily headaches became a little less frequent, but the migraines were still there, and then sometime after grad school, everything slowed down for some reason. I still get the occasional normal headache (probably two or three times a month), but the migraines are thankfully rare these days.

>294 foggidawn: Doesn't that chocolate chess pie look delish, foggi? It's a big treat for the astronauts in Fated Sky.

Yeah, I'm glad the cilantro=soap taste passed me by, too. Our poor daughter - it's a real spoiler when it unexpectedly shows up in something.

>295 karenmarie: Morning, Karen!

Yes, I could see The Essex Serpent being a good one for book club discussion, with all the detail, and questions about the varying significances of that serlpent in the story. I did finish it last night, and it ended up on the positive side of the ledger, although I'm not going to be running around shouting its merits from the rooftops. It does make me interested in Sarah Perry as an author - she has the chops - so I'll be watching for what else she does. I'm not tempted, however, to try her first one at this point.

Political change and the goal to make all zip codes good, safe, and with equal opportunities. Nice way to put it. Yes, Lightfoot really wants to work on the problems in our South and West sides here, with those in mind.

Broccoli boutonnières - ha! I'm sure that's a lovely photo of Bill's mother with one behind her ear.

Poor Bill, to miss out on the delights of broccoli.

Barometric changes - right, we were just talking about that. I suspect they affect more people in more ways than we know.

Guacamole made the pure, simple way is delish. I'll take it gladly in a multitude of forms.

I've been one of the lucky ones whose migraines stopped in my mid-40s. For no reason I can identify. I sure as hell don't miss them, but empathise with those who still have them.

I hope you are having a good day Joe. I'm at least wfh today, which gives me three hours back, as my commute is 90 mins in each direction.

>296 Carmenere: Hiya, Lynda.

Rafa has been swell for a good while now, thanks; he bounced back quickly, while his parents and Madame MBH got laid low for quite a while; Rafa's poor mom had it segue into something really lousy that she's still trying to get out from under. Madame MBH, thank goodness, is fully back and kicking ass. :-)

I'm glad you like the paintings and street art. It's getting to be time for a new thread, so we'll need to find some more for the new place.

Great development in Chicago, thanks. I hope the new Mayor comes through the way we think she can.

We'll work on having a lovely day on my end, and I hope you have one, too!

^It looks like I may have got lost in shuffle up there but I did drop by yesterday. Just sayin'...

>286 msf59:, >304 msf59: Whoops! Yeah, it must have been timing in the posting, Mark. I really had to search for it! Sorry about that.

Agreed re Lori Lightfoot. She's pretty perfect, IMO, in terms of her capabilities and background (especially no machine!), but the proof will be in the pudding. As you say, so much to be done!