The Read goes ever on and on...MrsLee 2019 part 2

Welcome any and all who have the patience for piffle in a reading thread.

I have some goals, well guidelines, really, of what I will accomplish in my reading year. I usually begin by selecting the thickest book from each of my TBR shelves and setting them by my reading chair to read during the year. The theory being that by reading the thickest ones, I will gain more room on my shelves faster. Right.

Those left by my chair so far this year:
From my fantasy TBR case: The War of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
From my western case: The Allegheny in the Rivers of America series by Frederick Way, Jr. illustrated by Henry Pitz

I will try to work in a Shakespeare play or two, probably focusing on the royal ones since I recently bought the Hollow Crown series digital set.

Will also try to dip into some of those lovely classics with which I made my Christmas "book" tree in 2018. Although it is likely to be more random because I want them on their shelf and not stacked on the table by my chair.

Another goal has come up, which is to read the books on a "shelf" (it's the floor, really, under my shelves) which is very difficult to see and get to. I want those books out of there.

Please join me and feel free to comment or piffle here. The drinks here usually consist of something with gin in it, but I make allowances for my friend's tastes. :)

>1 MrsLee: I am just pulling up a comfy chair.

Good luck with your new thread.

As mentioned near the end of my previous reading thread, I am beginning a project of family research, very amature style. I picked one of my family members who was the furthest back in time and am reading about the area, the times, etc. My goal is to write a little snippet of a story (let's call it historical fiction) to put into my family album with this ancestor. At the moment, I am working on the time of about 1130-1190 in Devon, England. Trying to get a feel for what was happening there, etc. It seems that my ancestor had a manor in the area of Hele, England. He and about 8 other manor holders formed a something or other, I will have to look it up, with the Baron at Bradninch being the top guy. One of the Barons of Bradninch was apparently one of the four fellas who killed Thomas Becket. That will probably be what my little story focuses on.

Last night I was distracted by some information on one of my ancestors in this line from the 1600s, an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Apparently, he was a jerk, if not a wife murderer. He had at least 4 known wives, probably more, and at least one of his mother-in-laws sued him for mistreating her daughter. He was also a prison keeper and was found guilty of misconduct there, given 20 stripes and imprisoned. :/

As for my current reading, still working on The Gypsies, Wanderers in Time by Katharine Esty and Billy Budd and Other Tales by Herman Melville. This family research stuff is not good for my reading pace though.

#3 I suspect a lot of your research will be reading and that it will involve plenty of fascinating detours such as the one about your ancestor being a right jerk. I think that compensates for any detrimental impact on pace. Research away and keep us appraised; perhaps your next ancestor will be a nice person. There is always hope. :-)

And don't forget the gin. You have an exciting family--my only even slightly notable ancestor was a woman who appears to have died in the workhouse. Story of our life really.

I am a bit fascinated by the fact that only my US acquaintances who do family research, never my Swedish dito, finds some medieval nobility or such, while everyone I know in Sweden only finds cobblers, itinerant farm workers, maids, and relatives who emigrated to the US.

A Swedish friend noted that maybe the US generally has a wider concept for what is family than what at least we in Sweden has? For example my mother's cousins' spouses' don't go into my family tree, other than as themselves: date of birth, children with my blood relative but not eventual half-siblings, date of eventual marriage... date of death, if possible. Poor people moved rather a lot, and when they set down in a new place they could chose to call themselves something other than was what in the birth records. And so on.

I want to be very clear that I'm just exploring whether there's a difference in tradition, or if it is that many noble Englishmen had trade interests in north America, and that's were the family lines comes from (whereas most Swedes who emigrated was poor and took a chance to escape starvation). Pure curiosity!

>6 Busifer: I for one always suspect the noble ancestor in the woodpile. ;) I do know that way back before computers it was a bit of a fad (and a prosperous business) to purchase your "ancestry" from companies who had supposedly done the research on your name, and those almost always had a nobility in them. After all, who would want to buy the expensive books if it was farmers/peasants all the way back?

That's why I consider this adventure more of a lark than a serious hunt for the truth.

In the family histories I have, it only lists the parent and the child which is in my line for the ancestors, despite that families had many children way back then. As they get closer to our time, within the living memory (which for my grandfather went back to the mid to early 1800s because he lived to be 99, and had the record of his parents and grandparents in his mind) of someone, the siblings, spouses and children are listed. I find this helpful to know if one is on the right line. When so many first names are repeated for generations, it can be difficult to know whether one has jumped into some other line or not, but when whole families are listed, it helps one.

My wife’s family has their tree linking back to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain through some of the nobility who were shipwrecked on the Irish coast after the Armada attempted invasion of England. There are many Spanish shipwrecks off the west coast of Ireland from that adventure. Many of the shipwrecked crews settled in Ireland. Others reportedly met with worse fates at the hands of some less than welcoming locals.

>7 MrsLee: >8 pgmcc: Er, maybe we need to start counting on our fingers here. We each have two parents, four grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and so on. So, give or take finding the same person in two different lines, after a while you will find that everybody is related to everybody else. And so it turns out that the Spanish Armada is far enough back (about 15 generations) to suggest that everybody in Ireland is descended from shipwrecked Spanish nobles from that adventure. Going further back, almost every English-speaking white person will be descended from @MrsLee's Devonian landowners, and all people of European descent have Charlemagne as an ancestor.

>8 pgmcc: & >9 hfglen: I'm on the fence about doing the blood testing that is so popular at the moment. Perhaps I've read too many fantasies about what control strangers can have over you when they have your blood. ;) But my sister-in-law did so. There were some surprising (to them) results. Her mother's side of the family were from Mexico, and they were not very fond (this is putting it politely) of Portuguese folks. Low and behold, there is a strong line of Portuguese in the family. lol She hasn't told her mother that.

I think the Hele/Healy/Healey line is the only one in my family which goes back to any sort of nobility, and that wasn't for long. There were only about 3 generations with any sort of title like Lord or Sir.

The Terrell branch goes back to 1630s ish, to the ancestor who came from England then.

The Arnold branch goes back to 1766 in Virginia (although through those blood test things, a woman asked my brother to have his blood tested to see if he was a descendent of an Arnold who came in the 1600s, but it was inconclusive).

We have a branch named Totten, from Tottenham, England born in 1796, but nothing before that.

Then the Brown branch 1550 from England, Droiturch, Worcestershire, England.

A Stewart married in Charlestown, MA in 1662, was born about 1640, but we don't know where.

Some other branches that only go back to the 1800s, then, how about this for a romance history?

John Fillmore was born before 1670. He sailed from Wales. His ship was captured by pirates and the crew mutinied. Cyrus (who is Cyrus?) brought the ship to port in 1670. the grandchild of John was named Cyrus though.

>10 MrsLee: I have heard of DNA testing that has produced surprises that were more recent that previous generations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAkkLQr2Kjc

Interesting about the purchasing of family tree research. I didn't know that, and I can definitely see how salting the story with some nobility would be tempting.

How are UK records from pre-1600? Swedish records are quite good from the time Gustaf II Adolf reign (aka Gustavus Adolphus) at the beginning of the 17th century, as the formation and management of the Swedish Empire required a lot of troops. The infantry were drafted, often by force, from townships and farmsteads, and so the state started to keep track of who should be eligible.
Earlier than that records exist, but not as through as they later became.

I agree with >9 hfglen: - at some point everyone could plausibly be related to just about everyone and anyone. At least theoretically. Which is why I'm not sure searching far back in time is much good for family history, but it is a good way to connect to the history and lives of ordinary people. I for one have learned that some of my 17th century ancestors lived into their 90's.

>8 pgmcc: I have a story like that, but closer in time. A brother of my maternal grandfather was shipwrecked on the Falklands. The story goes that this happened more than one time, and the last time he just decided to stay put. His kids, cousins of my mum, ended up in northern UK. I seem to remember from when one of them visited back when I was a kid that at least that one lived in Newcastle, but my mum told me lately that they now live in Scotland somewhere. I actually think one of the cousins ended up somewhere in the Inner Hebrides, as well, but I need to ask my uncle, who is the one who has kept up with all overseas relatives (there's even one somewhere in the US Midwest somewhere, if I remember things correctly).

Dunno about other countries but in Australia, back in the day, there were people who would sell you a wooden shield about a foot (300mm) or so square with your "family coat of arms" on it. Sometimes they even had stands in the supermarkets. It doesn't take much knowledge of heraldry to see through that.

>12 Busifer: Census records only go back to 1831 in England and Wales, and even those are not much use as they give no details. For anything earlier you have to rely on parish records. Many of these have now been copied onto microfilm.

The amount of detail in parish records vary greatly, depending on the personality of the rector - I have seen 16th century records where baptismal entries are accompanied by a potted biography of the parents - complete with speculation when the mother had not named the father!

This only applies to the Church of England/Church of Wales, but after Lord Hardwicke's Act of 1741, all marriages had to be registered in the parish church (IIRC), regardless of the actual beliefs of the participants. Ecemptions were made for Jews and Roman Catholics, but other Protedtant denominations were expected to do - which means, in practice, records are patchy for members of those groups.

A lot of both census and church records have been transcribed into electronically searchable databases. Unfortunately the government used convict labour. They were paid a pittance, and do not seem to have been trained to recognise the idiosyncrasies of pre-20th century "secretary hand".

With an undermotivated and untrained workforce, it is not surprising that these electronic records are riddled with errors.
E.g. I was rather surprised to find, among a family of agricultural labourers, that their 14 year old son was a "Lawyer"! Examining microfilm of the original census showed clearly that he was a sawyer.

>10 MrsLee: I do not believe there in any place called "Droiturch" in Worcestershire. There is, however, Droitwich (where some of my own ancestors come from).

I think you have been hit by a transcription error.

>6 Busifer: There was not a lot of migration of the lower classes from England to America in the 18th or 19th centuries - other parts of the British Empire held better prospects for those wishing to start a new life.

English emigration to America was generally earlier, and had two main causes. There were those who could pay their own way, which required either trading or family wealth. New World adventuring was an outlet for younger sons, who would not expect to inherit the family land/business. But a significant proportion of migrants were leaving for religious reasons.

The other significant number went as indentured servants. This was the fate of rebels, and later voluntary migrants who could not afford to pay their own passage. But this is not a family history that people tend to pass on to their grandchildren, so I would expect the descendants of these families to be less aware of their history.

Last night I purchased these three books about Thomas Becket (because they were inexpensive enough), for more research.
The Life and Death of Saint Thomas Becket by Rosanne E. Lortz
The Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell
The Blood of the Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell

The last two are fiction, but rather with the idea I had for my relative, of a non-participating knight. Since they are murder mysteries, and the price was right, I figured why not? I also unearthed my copy of Murder in the Cathedral to reread. There are a couple of nonfictions which I added to my wishlist, but their cost was more than I want to spend on a flight of fancy. Will check the library and online bloggy things first. :) Also, I'm thinking a couple of rereads of some Cadfaels would be in order for setting and tone.

Still reading the book on Gypsies, but it isn't a compulsive read. Interesting though.

Finished The Gypsies, Wanderers in Time. It was okay, but since it was written in 1969, there is a lot of current history missing, like the fact that we don't say "Gypsy" anymore. In this book only their language is referred to as Romani.

I began two books last night. Another from the unseen books-shelf, Old Gorgon Graham: more letters from a self-made merchant to his son by George Horace Lorimer and The Life and Death of Saint Thomas Becket.

The first was written in about 1901, full of advice which seems very sound, but also has more cliches than a dog has fleas. Ok to read though.

The second, I'm reserving judgement. So far the author made a statement about herself which seemes full of hubris, although, perhaps this is required in thesis writing? I don't know. Also, there was a sentence that actually made me add a note in my Kindle version. It still upsets me. It veers towards the theological, so discussion will have to be only on the structure itself, which is all wrong for an author who is an avowed Christian who states that for that reason she is especially qualified (more than others who have gone before) to write Becket's biography (which was part of the hubris I was referring to earlier). It is:

"Thomas was endowed by nature with nearly every gift that God can give." Make up your mind, girl! Which was it, nature or God which bestowed these gifts? Weird the things that get under our skins, right?

>18 MrsLee: I think you may be misunderstanding the meaning of the sentence that is troubling you. It refers to "nature", not "Nature".

I suspect the implicit distinction being made by the author is that the gifts she is referring to are those that are an intrinsic part of Thomas' nature (i.e. his "by nature") - such as intelligence, charm etc. - as distinct to those that are his "by circumstance" - such as inherited rank, wealth, the luck of being raised as a friend of the king, and so on.

I am curious as to what the author said about herself that riled you.

>18 MrsLee: I've enjoyed dipping into Lorimer's first Gorgon Graham book, but hadn't made the effort to finish it. I must do that someday soon. It's probably best to read it incrementally. Was it serialized in the Saturday Evening Post, I wonder?

I see I'm one of only a few owners of the son's response letters by Charles Eustace Merriman, a pseudonym for George Tilton Richardson and Wilder Dwight Quint, and nowhere near as famous.

Aha! Publishers Weekly reports in 1903 that Lorimer sued the pair. Lorimer claimed they were trading on his popularity rather than relying on their own literary reputations.

>19 -pilgrim-: Hmmm, maybe. I suppose I would understand it that way if it were phrased, "endowed naturally." Still, to my mind, that says first that he came by it naturally, without help of God, then, that the gifts were of God. Eh, guess it's just me. :) Kinda late for work, gotta run.

>21 MrsLee: No, I didn't mean it equates to "endowed naturally".

If I say that "@MrsLee is kind-hearted by nature ", it is your nature that I am talking about; the question of how you come to have that trait has not been discussed.

The second part of the clause is where the author gives her opinion of how Thomas attained his character traits.

That is how it reads to me, anyway.

Staying in the Sylvia Beach Hotel, and up in the reading loft I found The Medieval Reader, a collection of writings from the era (a bit wider than my era, but still encompassing it) I am reading about for my family history. Even one about the murder of Becket. I love this place. Tonight I have been reading it while sipping hot spiced wine.

How delightful!

I read as much as I wanted to in The Medieval Reader and Billy Bud and Other Stories. I will be leaving both here at the hotel. The Melville room didn't have Billy Bud, but now it does.

Tomorrow we go home to reality. The meals here are served at common tables and cell phones are strongly discouraged. They are forbidden in the library. We have had some lovely dinner and breakfast conversations with fellow guests.

Sounds like it was a wonderful break, MrsL!

>25 MrsLee: & >23 MrsLee:

What @Bookmarque said in >26 Bookmarque:.

I am glad you had a nice time, even if you did not appreciate the Guinness. It is generally accepted as being an acquired taste. I hated it the first time I tasted it. I was five years old and that is a totally other story.

*waves* Sorry I have been remiss in visiting your threads, @MrsLee. I've been trying to work outside, and then when I'm plopped on the couch I end up doing stuff on my phone instead of at my desk. I hate posting to LT from my phone.

The surprises in my ancestry.com results were that I have more Irish, Scottish, Welsh & English (92%) genes than even I suspected, which was more than presented in either of my brothers that have used the same company. (There are nine of us, but only three have been tested.) One of my brother's genes presented at 30% Scandinavian, and the other's as 13%, while I only have 2%. Both of them are 11+ inches taller than I am. The dark haired brown eyed brother showed 4% Iberian peninsula and Southern European, the blue eyed blondish one (with all of the Scandinavian genes) showed none. Fascinating stuff!

>28 clamairy: I have to admit I’ve never been that interested in determining my genealogy, but being able to compare results with your siblings to see who got what in the genes department does sound very interesting! A pity nobody ever saw fit to give me any siblings. :)

Home safe and sound. All is well here, lovely to have a big sister to take care of everything while we were gone, and she will be leaving today (probably exhausted) to go home.

We arrived last night at about 5:45 with lots of fresh seafood! My sister had a lovely salad and sourdough bread waiting. Together we cracked and shucked a 3 lb. crab. I was on my own for the oyster shucking though. I bought a dozen oysters, HUGE oysters. Wasn't sure how they would be on the half-shell, but they were tender and delicious. We also had smoked oysters, muscles and salmon bites. I purchased some lingcod, but we will eat that tonight.

Pretty weird to go on vacation and come home with fewer books than you took, so of course I had to buy one in a used bookstore which was a block from our hotel. Probably would have bought more if Mark hadn't been antsy to get to the tidepools at low-tide. One is sufficient though, the shop smelled pretty musty, but the proprietor was nice. I brought home Winter Brothers: a Season at the Edge of America by Ivan Doig. It is about the Pacific Northwest (Puget Sound, so further northwest than we were), so seemed appropriate.

>28 clamairy: *waves* I haven't been on FB much either, life is busy, nice to know we have friends waiting. I didn't realize that siblings could have different results unless there were different parents. I think there is a lot I don't know about it. :)

>30 MrsLee:

Whisper: Lee, we were not going to mention the different parents thing.

ETA: The seafood sounds delucious.

>30 MrsLee: Your vacation sounds absolutely lovely!

Still enjoying the seafood. Served a friend some baked lingcod last night that may be the best fish I've ever made. Probably because the fish was good to begin with. We also sampled two gins that I brought home from the Rogue Brewery; one a spruce gin (delicious with the lovely essence of spruce in the background), the other a pinot gin, which had been aged in pinot wine barrels. It is an amber color, has some interesting undertones and made a great martini.

My best and beloved son sent me a surprise Mother's Day gift which arrived yesterday. The Gormenghast Novels by Mervyn Peake. I had this on my wishlist due to several Green Dragon members raving. I'm looking at you, pgmcc. Anyway, this is a paperback of three novels, huge. Sadly, no illustrations, but I figure if I love it, I can look for a better edition. I specifically said in the notes of my wishlist to not spend too much money because I wasn't sure it was my kind of book, but I do like to try things.

Other news: A sad note. My brother and his wife came to stay the night late last night. He is waiting for a hospital room to open up because his bone infection has flared up again. It breaks our hearts because he was doing so well after his amputations, learning to walk on his prosthetics, even run, and doing all the things he loved to do. Now they have to do a myriad of testing, probably open it up and scrape the bone, possibly remove more of it.

I don't know if this news is happy or sad, and won't for a couple of months. The car dealership I am working for is in escrow. The current owners are of retirement age and have no one to hand the dealership which has been in their family for three generations (98 years) to. So, we have a new owner coming possibly as soon as June and who knows what that may mean. The new owner says he plans to keep the employees for at least 90 days, but I have my tiny box of personal items ready to go if necessary. He is from Canada and there many kinds of complications, so we won't know anything really until it actually happens. I've known about this for some time, but was asked to keep mum. I can speak now because it will be published in the newspaper today. Sigh.

>33 MrsLee:

@MrsLee, sorry to hear about your brother's problem. He was looking great in the wedding photographs from a while back. I wish him all the very best.

Good luck on the job front. I hope things work out well for you. It is never comfortable when change is thrust upon us and we have no control over the outcome. I shall be thinking about you and you brother, and hoping for the best. This could be another opportunity on the job front.

The second of the Gormenghast novels is the best of the trilogy in my opinion. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, but really loved the second one. The second one is very rich with humorous characters and surprising similes.

The third one was written while the author was suffering from some issues and, in my opinion, lacks the flare and sparkle of the first two.

It is a pity you do not have the illustrations. There are not many of them but the original ones are quite quirky and unique.

>33 MrsLee: Sorry about your brother, my best to him and his family (you and the Mr and your gang included).

Best of luck on the job front also.

I've got the one-volume Gormenghast as well, but it's one of those books I've never succeeded in picking up. Peake was quite an artist--in the boxes from Oz I think there is a battered copy of his kids' book Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor, with his illustrations. I seem to remember finding this in a rile of library discards in Canberra many years ago.

>33 MrsLee: So sorry to hear about your brother. I'm holding my thumbs, sending good vibes across the world, with hope of a this being a setback that will pass.

On the job front: I feel for you. The uncertainty is a huge de-motivator, at least for me. I'm holding my thumbs for it to fall out in a way that ends up beneficial for you.

And now to something completely different!

The freshness and the quality of the fish has such a huge impact on the actual experience of the dish. I had to look lingcod up, and it seems to be a local native? I love Atlantic cod, especially skrei. It's a population of cod that migrates between Barents sea and the Lofoten area/northern Norway, and can only be had around March if one want it fresh.

Local fish is so much better than the one that has travelled around the world, or has been frozen for a long time, or... :-)

>33 MrsLee: Sorry to hear about your brother; loads of sympathy to him.

And equally, sympathy to you on the job front. We have a house guest here as I write, who is having very similar problems at her work.

>33 MrsLee: Sad to hear the news for your brother. I'll add in my best wishes too.

Uncertainty on the job font is never an easy thing to have to deal with. Here's hoping your fears of losing it prove unfounded and the new owner turns out to be a blessing.

>33 MrsLee: I am sorry to hear your brother's news. I hope for the best for you on and job front, but it must feel like the end of an era.

Oh girl, I’m sorry about your bro. Pernicious infections are with us for good I think. My dad battled one, too. I hope he doesn’t have to lose more leg. And that your dealership and your job survives the transition.

>33 MrsLee: So sorry to hear about your brother and the possible upheaval at work. That's a lot to hit at once.

Thank you all. My brother was able to get a room at the hospital yesterday, so now the journey begins again for him.

I was able to finish The Life and Death of Saint Thomas Becket: Type of Paul, Type of Peter, Type of Christ last night. Once I got over the one sentence, it was quite interesting and well written. The author writes from a Christian perspective, which doesn't bother me. For her thesis, she was writing in the manner of Medieval historians, using typology. I thought it was rather well done. I also gleaned some names, events, places and understanding for the history I am working on. There were three sample chapters from a book the author had written about The Black Prince, which seemed promising, but I didn't read them all. Not my time period at the moment, although, that particular prince is one I would like to know more about, if only because of the role for him in A Knight's Tale. :)

Tonight, if I have energy, I will start The Fifth Knight by E. M. Powell. Written about the Becket murder, this is a fiction.

Sending healing vibes to your brother.

I am reading the first Gormenghast book right now and loving it. I believe it will be right up your alley.

I'm piling on, and offering best wishes to your brother. Hope they can treat his infection without more surgery.

>30 MrsLee: "I didn't realize that siblings could have different results unless there were different parents."

It works best to visualize it this way: Your parents genes are like a massive cup of different colored marbles. Every time they created an embryo they each emptied their cup of marbles into a new bowl and mixed them all up. Each embryo only gets one cup full. With the exception of maternal twins every child in a family will have a different cup of marbles from all of the others. Which is why you get different color eyes, skin tone, hair color, yada yada yada. Also, not all the marbles are equal. Some traits are dominant, recessive... etc. Does that help?

>44 clamairy: Well... I definitely have more loose marbles than either of my siblings so that explains quite a bit.

>45 ScoLgo: Mine aren't lose, they're completely lost.

And what about steelies?

>43 littlegeek: Thank you, and good to hear about the Gormenghast. :)

>44 clamairy: I realized, and remembered my old biology classes when you said in the post above, but what a terrific example you've given! Especially as it has opened the door for our punsters. Lol

The doctor isn't removing more bone at this point. He is hopeful with the procedure he did today. Here's to hoping.

>48 MrsLee: I am glad to hear the doctor is hopeful with the procedures. Wishing your brother all the best.

Interesting and timely comment from >43 littlegeek: in relation to Gormenghast. I hope you enjoy it.

>48 MrsLee: So good to hear that the doctor is hopeful.
(((hugs)))

>48 MrsLee: I am glad to hear good news.

>48 MrsLee: "The doctor isn't removing more bone at this point. He is hopeful with the procedure he did today. Here's to hoping."

That sounds quite a bit more optimistic than previous news. I hope all goes well for your brother and that he experiences a fast recovery.

>33 MrsLee:, >42 MrsLee:, >48 MrsLee: - hoping all goes well with your brother.

And with your job!

I'm jealous of the fresh seafood!

All these comments about Gormenghast are intriguing. I'll be watching for feedback and reviews.

Very little reading accomplished here this weekend. Too many little tasks to do, combined with rain and the fact that i started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

One of the tasks seemed appropriate to mention here though. I did the first rack on my first batch of dandelion wine. It wasn't bad! Mom and I quite enjoyed the little bit at the bottom that didn't go into a new bottle. I will be interested to see how the flavor changes as it ages. When it finishes fermenting, I rack it into a bottle and then it sits for a year or more (who am I kidding, it will be all I can do to wait year) before opening to enjoy (I hope). If this works out, next year I will try elderflower wine. Then maybe lavender. I have read that day lilies make a lovely wine as well. If I only had a dedicated room, I would do so much experimenting!

Mrs Maisel is the bomb!

>55 Bookmarque: I was really enjoying it, but after last night "Put that on Your Plate!" I'm not sure I want to watch anymore. I'm kind of tired of how Susie gets screwed over by Midge. :(

It works out. Just wait.

>57 Bookmarque: I watched the last episode of season 4 last night, and while not a picture perfect ending, it was intriguing. I find it interesting that the show highlights the catharsis which comedy can be, and while it's very hard on the loved ones of the comedian, Midge, I can see where the anger and frustration come from.

I don't think I could ever use that form of release, because I can't let myself talk about loved ones deepest faults. It isn't so much that I pretend they don't have any, but it seems such a private thing to me. It is fine if one discloses one's own deepest faults and wounds, but not other folk's wounds. They are hurt enough, I don't want to add to it.

I do wonder about all the profanity though. We have only been shown small dives in New York, was the profanity that universal at that time? Of course it wasn't allowed on TV, etc., but did people of her class even use it that much? I don't know. The show did have her arrested and profanity was one of the charges, but it didn't seem to change anything.

I'm rambling because a very annoying health issue has reared its ugly head again and I am in a lot of pain. Guess I will be watching more of the show, because I need distractions and somehow am not drawn to reading at the moment.

Oh, for those of you who wished my brother well, he is out of the hospital. When the doctor examined and tested he found that the would was in the flesh, not the bone, which is much, much, better. Now they are having the talk about diabetes. I hope my brother will listen. Thank you again for all your encouragement.

Did I mention that I watched the movie, CBGB? The story of the beginning of the Punk Rock movement and the role that the bar CBGB (and the bar's owner), played in it. Alan Rickman starred. I was a bit early on the scene for Punk, it came after my teens when I was raising babies, but I recognized the names of a lot of the bands featured. Pretty raw movie for my lily-pure eyes and ears, but interesting.

>59 MrsLee: I happened on that movie while channel-surfing a while ago but didn't watch it to the end. Had to double-take when Ron Weasley/Rupert Grint showed up ;-)

Good to hear about your brother.

Yes indeed, it is good to hear some positive medical tidings.

Great news of your brother. Long may his health improve.

>60 Busifer:, ah, I knew the actor was familiar, but didn't place him as Ron Weasley :)

>61 -pilgrim-: & >62 hfglen: Thank you

A customer brought a box full of hardcover books today for our sharing shelves. I grabbed Artemis by Andy Weir and Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Excellent news about your brother, and all my best for your own health.

As to Jasper Fforde, I was a big fan of the Thursday Next books and the Nursery Crimes, but just couldn’t get into Shades of Grey. I’ll be interested in your response to it, in due time.

Very glad to hear the news about your brother. I feel for you with your job uncertainty and hope that things will work out with the new boss.

>64 haydninvienna: Thank you, I really enjoyed the first four of the Thursday Next books, not so much The Overeasy so I didn't continue with the Nursery Crimes, but since Shades of Grey was free, well, I gotta try it.

I feel like I should thank these folks who brought the box of books on behalf of the book world. They are purchasing new hardcover books! That is a luxury I only give myself when I know I love a book and want it on my shelves forever. Granted, most of the authors on my shelves are dead already, but I wish I had the budget to support the book world in a heartier manner.

>65 Sakerfalcon: Thank you. I am not too worried about the job uncertainty. I feel that if it doesn't work out, I will be free to move on to something else, and will look for something with fewer hours. We are blessed to have a decent retirement fund from my husband, and with some pinching and pulling would be okay for a few months at least on one income. With mine, it enables us to do the occasional fun stuff. Anyway, I tend to get tired of a job once it becomes routine, then I get antsy. I was almost to that point with this one, but they started teaching me how to file the warranty claims last week, so it is interesting again. Guess I like that pressure of having so much to do at work that I almost can't get it done. Brings focus to me; rather than having to make up work to fill my hours.

>66 MrsLee: "Anyway, I tend to get tired of a job once it becomes routine, then I get antsy."

I hear you. That's the main reason why I'm an subject matter expert at a consultancy rather than part of a line operation. When I get really fed up with my employer I start looking around for a new job, but either they're at places that I just can't see myself work at for more than a year without going crazy (because they do things that I have no interest in), or I can't see myself there because I detest their business idea, from an ethical standpoint (such as online gambling/betting), and so here I am.

>66 MrsLee: I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain regarding your mention of warranty claims? I'm not sure if it is the same thing, but I hope maybe you have some insight to share.

I'm having a situation with a Toyota recall of the leaf springs of my Tacoma. I had to replace them over a year before we were notified of the recall. I provided the documents from our service garage according to the directions on the recall notice, but my reimbursement claim has been denied because the service garage didn't list a CAUSE of the springs breaking. Three different repair garages have assured me that it is not their job to determine a cause of damage, and that they have never had any claims rejected for this reason before. Any chance you know how this is supposed to work?

>68 Darth-Heather: Do you have an attorney friend?

I really enjoyed Mrs. Maisel. I was wondering about the profanity, too.

Glad your brother is doing ok.

>68 Darth-Heather: I would be the one at the service garage, I suppose. Did you have the work done at a Toyota dealership/approved service center? If so, they should have a Warranty claims clerk who could help you. As for the CAUSE, this may be my biggest nightmare of warranty work. When we file the claims, there is one section where we must list a cause. There are hundreds of options, and working through them is daunting for a girl who doesn't know a spark plug from a corkscrew. Well, I exaggerate, but still, I am not a mechanic. For instance, yesterday on a repair order, the mechanic had written that something or other wasn't sealed. I narrowed my choices down to "module/component leaking" and "module/component loose." The mechanic said to choose the leaking version.

My mentor says the key is to get the language that their computer understands. I don't work for Toyota, so I am not sure about their language, but you might try something like "module/component broken" as the cause for your repair, then find out from the service center what the recall campaign number is, that might help. In fact, if they will print the campaign bulletin out for you, you can use the language in it.

Hopefully, you can find an actual person to deal with at Toyota, and if all that fails, I think >69 2wonderY: has a great suggestion.

>71 MrsLee:

A corkscrew has a handle.

>71 MrsLee: I had the springs replaced at an independent garage that specializes in suspensions. The issue seems to be that they put the reason for the replacement as "springs were broken" but the representative at Toyota Recalls said that the garage needs to list what they think caused the springs to break. I have no idea how they would know this, and the service garage said they do not engage in that kind of speculation, and I spoke to the service manager at the Toyota Dealership who agreed.

I spoke to a supervisor at Toyota recall department, but she said without this information they will not process my refund. My issue is that firstly - this work was done more than a year before the recall, so we couldnt know they would need this info. Secondly, they already know the CAUSE - they are voluntarily recalling because the product is defective. third, the recall letter gave specific instructions for what documentation to provide, and the CAUSE was not listed.

Have you ever had a situation where your service techs are required to guess at the cause of the damage?

I wouldn't like to pay a lawyer to handle this, but I am writing a letter to Toyota.

>73 Darth-Heather: I believe that we have had this issue, especially when the work was done before the recall. It is a cheap way of trying to get out of paying for it. So your CAUSE would be: module/component defective, per campaign number...

If that is not good enough for them, you need to go higher up than the supervisor you spoke with. Our mechanics won't give a specific cause either.

>74 MrsLee: well, thanks for confirming that your mechanics don't speculate on damage causes either. it seems silly to ask them to do so, and the ones I spoke with said they can't possibly know that sort of thing.

The original mechanic doesn't feel comfortable revising his letter to give info that he didn't determine at the time, and I don't want to ask him to.

Wish me luck on my campaign to hold Toyota accountable! I will let you know if I ever get a reply to my letter. I'm leaving today for vacation but maybe there will be a response by the time I get back :)

>75 Darth-Heather: I did ask the fellas yesterday. They said they have dealt with this issue and what usually happens (because we are a GMC dealership, not sure how it works for independent service repair facilities) is that when a recall happens, and they see that the part has already been fixed, GM asks us to pay the customer, then we have to apply for a warranty claim and GM pays us. They also said that if you have the original campaign bulletin, there should be a clause for something called "after market repairs." Also, that you should list the CAUSE as "faulty design as per campaign number..." Good Luck! and have a lovely vacation.

Finished the book of Old Gorgon Graham, and quit reading The Fifth Knight. I quit reading it because I had deep suspicions it was turning into a romance novel, which I am allergic to, and it wasn't suiting my needs. Probably not a bad story for those who like that kind of story, but I took exception to it for some reason.

Not sure what I will begin next. I'm thinking it will be Titus Groan, but I also pulled a mystery off the shelf by an author I've not tried before Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky, set in Moscow.

>76 MrsLee:

Who knew that the Green Dragon was the spot for automobile warranty advice?

>77 MrsLee: I definitely get you on the romance novel thing. Thanks for reading as far as you did so you could warn the rest of us, so we don't have to read it!

>78 suitable1: You can find almost anything here at the pub. :)

>79 Busifer: None of the other reviews mentioned a romance, so it's possible I am wrong, but even if it didn't become a romance, it had a nun character, an anchoress, very helpless, dumb and clueless, that I didn't care for, and the knight who kidnapped her and participated in the murder of Becket, then turned around and rescued her, and I think you can see why I suspected a romance coming.

>77 MrsLee:, >79 Busifer: I think you, Busifer and I share the same allergy. Thank you for the warning.

>80 MrsLee: I had to go check the other reviews as well, and as you say - no one mentions any romance. But - dumb and helpless female character gets rescued, sounds like a romance novel to me.
I trust your premonitions.

>77 MrsLee: I started Red Chameleon yesterday. I have a tired brain due to stresses at home, so mysteries are easy for me. This is not bad. I'm halfway finished.

Finished Red Chameleon. I enjoyed it. Interesting police procedural set in Moscow. I will probably read more Kaminsky if I run across them.

Decided to begin Unholy Ordersnext; a collection of short story mysteries. I don't think I have the brain power to begin new worlds in a fantasy novel, or concentrate on a nonfiction, or take a chance on a regular fiction. I am strictly following my whims at the moment because I get very little time to sit and read.

FTR, Titus Groan does not have romance. :-)

So glad your brother is mending, and I hope you do, too!

I'm not sure about the use of profanity in that era, but I will state for the record that New Yorkers are much more profane than anywhere else I've ever lived. And it was tough for me moving to the Midwest. LOL Luckily I had kids pretty soon after I moved and that forced me to clean up my act. Things were much looser in Connecticut, but they're still uptight by NY standards. Pretty much anything goes here. That's good because as I've gotten older I've grown weary of watching my language. It's only going to get worse. ;o)

>86 clamairy: I don't mind if it is a real reflection of the era and culture, it only bothers me if it is a modernism thrown in for a whim.

My father never was profane, even when I saw him madder than a hornet and drunk. So it still bothers me some. Although, I was swearing like a sailor (or possibly a New Yorker) today trying to plug a new HDMI cable into my TV.

>87 MrsLee: I know what you mean. My father was in our armed services throughout most of World War II, so I refuse to believe that he did not know how to(!), yet I was 14 before I heard a swearword pass his lips.

Some cultural backgrounds have an extremely strong embargo on swearing by, or in front of, women and children.

>88 -pilgrim-: I think I've told this story here before, but I was almost grounded, and we had a VERY serious family discussion at the dinner table, because I wore a t-shirt to school which I had purchased on a Caribbean cruise that had a gorgeous illustration of a clipper ship and said, "No Friggin' in the Riggin'. I thought that meant don't fool around and pay attention when you're up in the sails or you might fall off. My father thought otherwise. My aunt took me on that cruise and I was 16. If my dad had only known what I got up to on the ship, the t-shirt would have been small potatoes. :)

Got a surprise package yesterday! Same wonderful, favorite ;) son who purchased the Gormengast trilogy for me, purchased another book from my wishlist at the same time but it only arrived yesterday. The Cannibal Who Overate by Hugh Pentecost. A mystery I wanted to try having enjoyed a couple of his other stories. I actually put them on my wishlist back in the day when I was managing a hotel (because the detective manages a hotel), but I will still enjoy it.

>89 MrsLee: Ha!!! :o)

I learned the word friggin' from listening to my dad! (Along with just about every other profanity.) He grew up on the streets of NYC during the 1920s. He was was a very religious man, but he didn't think profanity was an issue, especially when he lost his temper.

>89 MrsLee: Tell us more.

>91 clamairy: lol

>92 pgmcc: What happens over the deep blue sea, stays in the depths with Davy Jone's locker.

>92 pgmcc: Sounds to me like there was indeed some friggin' in that riggin'.

>94 clamairy: Agreed.

>94 clamairy: & >95 pgmcc: Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt!

>94 clamairy:
Clare, does >96 MrsLee: sound like a confession to you?

>97 pgmcc: Indeed, it does.

*Hums "Memories" quietly in the reading nook*

>98 clamairy:

Me thinks @MrsLee is gloating and wallowing in her friggin memories. I wonder if there are photographs.

>100 pgmcc: I'll friggin' bet she is. I hope there are no photos. My imagination is much worse I'm sure.

>84 MrsLee: ooh! You read a Kaminsky! I so enjoy his Soviet police stories.

>102 fuzzi: I knew someone here had recommended him, but couldn't remember who. :)

Managed to read a couple more short stories yesterday, in between taking care of mom stuff. They are not stellar (although one was), but they are all I can handle at the moment.

>104 MrsLee: Good short stories are true gems, but they are very hard to find! I used to read so many back in the day, but I can't handle most short story collections now.

>104 MrsLee: I'm keeping you in my heart on the "mum stuff", sending strength and energy across the world.

>104 MrsLee: Everything okay with your mom?

>106 Busifer: Thank you, and I do appreciate you sharing about your step-parent in the other thread. It helps to know other's stories.

>107 clamairy: She is okay. Micro-strokes, we think. She has slowed down and isn't able to process her thoughts or words very well. We have upped the caregiving so that someone is here (sometimes I am the someone) when she gets out of bed, make sure she eats her meals, helps with getting dressed and nags her to drink her water. We were having a deep discussion yesterday about whether she is ready for hospice care or not. We have a consultation with them on Friday, but don't know much about it. I asked her where her heart was on the subject, because I need to know. She starts to tell me, then stops for about a 2 minute pause right when she gets to the important part of the sentence! That seems to be how her speech is affected. There are a lot of cliffhangers in our conversations! So I am learning how to coax her words and thoughts out of her. I don't think she is ready to give up yet. So we persevere. :) At some point, giving the care at home will be more expensive than in a facility, but we have decided to do what mom needs now and worry about the finances and the future when it gets here.

There is also a point where my husband and I will not be able to devote the time and energy required to manage all this. It is already affecting my job, and I'm about to get a new boss who may not be as understanding as the old one. We can't afford for me to be unemployed yet. So, lots of decisions ahead, and one day at a time.

In the meantime, while I cannot focus on reading, I am watching "Lie to Me" which is entertaining, so far.

>107 clamairy: Ahh, I am so sorry to hear all of this. My mom also suffered a few TIAs but she recovered most of her mental acuity each time. It did take a while, though. I wish you mountains of strength and luck dealing with all of it. Big hugs to all of you.

>108 MrsLee: Strength to you both. We in the Pub can at least do that for you.

>108 MrsLee: What @haydninvienna said

>108 MrsLee: There's never an easy choice in these kind of situations. Don't forget though that if you over-burden yourselves then the fallout from that may be greater without anyone else to pick up afterwards. Make sure you do what's best for you so you'll still be able to offer your mum what support you can for as long as you're able.

>108 MrsLee: I admire your ability to keep grounded in reality. I so understand not being able to concentrate on reading.
*hugs*

>108 MrsLee: I've not been in your situation, but you have my sympathy. Both of my in-laws were affected by dementia before they passed away.

I'm so sorry you are going through this with your mom. I second what >112 AHS-Wolfy: said, make sure you take care of yourself through all this. My mom kept my dad at home and took care of him. She is now paying the price with her own health. Hugs and strength to you.

>108 MrsLee: I don't know if this will help at al, or not, but my mum's experience may be relevant. After her stroke, she just stopped talking. In terms of daily living, she continued as normal, she just didn't say anything much. Her speech was not slurred on the few occasions when she did speak, so the problem was not mechanical. I was a student, living over 200 miles away at the time ( and my dad forbade me to come home). So I went suddenly from long chats in which we updated each other on family or study news, to monologues from me, to which she listened in silence (even when she phoned me).

Nine months later, she was back to her usual very lively and verbal self (which included telling me how I ought to have handled every situation I told her about!) and I was able to ask her about that time. I wondered if she had been struggling to form words, or to find the right words for what she wanted to say? Or was she having difficulty in processing what I was saying? "No", she said. "There just seemed to be nothing to say."

I was lucky. Her neural pathways rerouted and I got my "old mum" back. But it was a salutary lesson about what can happen with a stroke.

Your mum could be thinking normally inside, it is just her connection with the outside world that is broken. It sounds like you are doing the right things in trying to rebuild that connection. I hope for you both that she does progress.

But I do know how distressing and stressful this situation must be for you. You have my sympathy and support.

>109 clamairy: & >116 -pilgrim-: Thank you. That is hopeful information.

>110 haydninvienna:, >111 hfglen:, >113 Busifer:, >114 fuzzi: Your encouragement, and your presence here, is heartening and I thank you. Having a shoulder to lean on is one of the best things about this pub. That and the puns. ;)

>112 AHS-Wolfy: & >115 catzteach: That warning is being taken to heart. I can see how easy it is to put one's own needs aside. Exercises have flown out the window these last two weeks, I have forgotten to take my own medicine, etc. Anyway, this is not a permanent situation as I am taking myself to task starting next week. ;) I have scheduled my first massage ever for the beginning of July, just after my appointment with the oral surgeon.

One last sad note, and then I will go cry in my beer; we had to put our son's dog of 16 years down yesterday. His kidneys had failed and with the soaring temperatures here the vet said it was time.

Well poop. Old dog or not, it's still sad. Sorry girl. I hope you love your massage and the oral surgeon isn't too rough on you.

Aww, I'm sorry about your doggie friend. Their little lifespans are just too short.

I hope the massage helps, and am glad that you have a plan for self-care. It's like when the airplane safety guide reminds you to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others with theirs.

I've had experience with several stroke patients, and am continually amazed at the body and mind's capacity to heal. Every one of them had similar type of stroke but totally different results, so I don't think there is any way to predict what will happen. I have a very hard time when I can't plan ahead, but it is truly a one-day-at-a-time situation.

I hope something good happens for you soon, you seem like you could use a lift.

>117 MrsLee: Would a long-distance hug help? It's on offer (to be repeated ad lib).

>117 MrsLee: Ack. :o( I always used to think that if they'd lived a long happy life it would be easier, but then I discovered it's not. (Maybe only slightly easier.) There's such heartache losing family member, furry or not.

Oh, MrsLee, sorry about the dog. It's so hard to lose a pet. With everything else going on, too. My condolences, my friend.

>117 MrsLee: What a bummer. Poor old pooch. {{{hugs}}}

>117 MrsLee: ((((((((((((MrsLee))))))))))))

I don't know what to say.

More hugs and lifting you up from this direction as well.

It's a very tough, but also a blessed time.

Oh, not the dog :'(
I'm so sorry for your loss. The furry ones are family, too.

Loads of hugs.

Pets are family too. So sorry for your loss :(

Oh man! So sorry about the pup!

I hope your massage is heavenly.

(((hugs)))

So sorry to hear about your four legged friend. Knowing he's had a long and happy life doesn't make it easier to bear the loss.

Troubles never come singly, it seems. I am sorry that you have lost your doggie friend and support, particularly at this time.

Thank you all, your hugs from afar, well wishes, hopes and prayers are appreciated. I know this will all pass. The phrase, "Life is just one damn thing after another," keeps running through my mind. :)

I did manage to finish a book last night, Unholy Orders, edited by Serita Stevens, a collection of short mystery stories. Not bad as short story collections go. I rated the stories as one five star, two or three four star, several three star, several two star and one or two one star. That is about par for my rating of short story collections. :)

I began reading The Cannibal Who Overate by Hugh Pentecost the other day in the doctor's waiting room. Will pay more attention to it now. Who knows, maybe I will actually read two books this month!

>117 MrsLee: - so sorry to hear about the dog. 16 years is a good, long life, but still that doesn't seem to make it easier when the time comes. Big hugs to you for all you are going through right now!

Very sorry to hear about your son's dog.

Finished The Cannibal Who Overate, I liked it a lot. Well fleshed characters (that isn't really meant as a pun for the title, but take it as you wish), humor, a mystery which the reader was able to suss along with the detective, a colorful setting. I will be looking for more Pentecost to read.

I barely began Excellent Women by Barbara Pym yesterday. It is a paperback I can carry in my purse to work to read on my breaks. My first Pym, on the recommendation of many pub denizens.

>134 MrsLee: I hope you enjoy Excellent Women; that was my first Barbara Pym book and I loved it. I just started Jane and Prudence this morning, based on some direct BBs from this group :)

@MrsLee Jim Butcher posted on twitter that he finished the finale of Peace Talks! There's hope for more Harry Dresden!!

>136 Narilka: WOOT!

@MrsLee I have been missing from your thread for few days and am only now reading about your mum’s situation and your son’s dog. Big hug from across the ocean.

>137 MrsLee: I concur!

>135 Darth-Heather: I am not not enjoying it, I just am not reading much in it. Not sure I'm in the mood for a book of manners where nothing much happens. Murder mysteries seem to be drawing me at the moment.

>138 pgmcc: Thank you, and back at ya. :)

>140 MrsLee: Thank you!

>134 MrsLee:, >135 Darth-Heather: I hope you both enjoy your Barbara Pym reads.

I haven't moved on in my head from The Cannibal Who Overate. Possibly because I haven't reviewed it yet. Anyway, one passage in it struck me as being inspired by Tolkien. I say that because Tolkien's LotR was published in the 1950s, and this was published in 1962. I'm going to share part of the passage.

To set it up, the young man, John Wills who fought in the Korean war, and whose life has been plagued and destroyed by the "cannibal," is confiding in a bright young woman (really, I love the way Pentecost portrayed her) about his mental state considering that the evil character has driven his father to commit suicide, his mother to die early of heart failure and himself to almost commit murder.

"I can't see simple things - like the first cup of coffee in the morning. I can't taste that first cigarette. I can't see walking along the street..." (he finishes by listing all the horrible war images, his father's body, etc. as the only things he sees when he closes his eyes) "Open your eyes!" Alison interrupted sharply."

Frodo and Sam, anyone? Or, is this perhaps a common PTSD symptom that returning soldiers have?

>143 MrsLee: It seems to be a common PTSD symptom for former soldiers. I have come across similar comments in several memoirs.

Tolkien, having served in the Great War, would have been familiar with it, of course.

>144 -pilgrim-: Thank you.

So, don't hate me Barbara Pym lovers. I realize this is a well written story, but here is my review of Excellent Women.

"This is a story in which nothing much happens. Nothing continues to happen until you reach the end in which you find out that nothing is ever going to happen and you don't care much. I never could decide whether I liked Mildred or not. Milquetoast is a phrase which comes to mind. Never able to speak her mind, letting people impose on her without a murmur. If we did not have the pleasure of her inner thoughts, she would be quite forgettable. As it is, she is probably a sad reminder of the truth of life for most of us.

I suppose as an anthropological study of single gentlewomen in post-war London, it holds some interest. There is a lot of subtext going on, but that is about all. If you enjoy this type of story, sort of Jane Austenish, but with even less action than a Jane Austen book, I'm sure this is well written and even witty and clever.

Anyway, at least I know now.

To fix that non-eventfulness read, I will begin The Flowers of Vashnoi by Lois McMaster Bujold. Even when she writes a book of manners, you can bet something will happen. :)

If you didn't like Pym, don't try Anita Brookner. I felt exactly the same about a recent book of hers I read. Clever insights and phrasing, but dullsville.

>145 MrsLee:

I love your review. It reminds me of my feelings about Chocolat by Joanne Harris. (I am sure I have gained many enemies with my saying that.)

My wife read "Chocolat" and loved it. Some other people read it and loved it. I thought I have to read this.

I got about half way through but nothing had happened. I was waiting for everything to happen.

One of my wife's friends came to visit. They started talking about "Chocolat". I said I was reading it. They asked what I thought of it. I said I was waiting for things to start happening. They said nothing happens.

I did not go back to the book.

>147 pgmcc: For the record, I had the same thoughts about Chocolat, the book. Loved the movie though because it was so sensual about food.

If you didn't enjoy Barbara Pym or Joanne Harris, I would suggest avoiding The Mill On The Floss. I quite like all of the Pym and Harris books I've read so far, even though I agree that there isn't a lot of action, but I'm having a hard go of it with George Eliot. I'm about a quarter of the way through this 700 page book and literally nothing has happened yet. Just scene after scene of docile family life. sigh.

>149 Darth-Heather: Good to know. I loved Silas Marner when I read it years ago, and it seemed that a lot happened in it. I'm not sure that I would say that I don't like books where nothing happens, but it didn't suit my mood of the moment.

>147 pgmcc: Sacrilege! The book was better than the movie!

>149 Darth-Heather: Ugh. I read that in grad school and didn't enjoy it at all, but I listened to the audio a decade or so ago and it was a bit better. Everything of importance occurs at the end of the book.

A whole load of books that I never need to read, meaning more time for other books - yay!
Thanks, all, for helpful reviews and suggestions :-)

>151 clamairy: I have not seen the film. On the basis of your comment I will make sure I don’t.
:-)

>145 MrsLee: bwahaha!!!! Love that review.

Finished The Flowers of Vashnoi last night, suddenly, and without warning. *insert crying emoji here* To be fair, it did say novella at the beginning, but I wanted to read about so much more in that world! Gardening being one of my loves, I was ready to spend a lot of time with Ekaterin reclaiming the land, developing a plant to work in conjunction with the bugs, perhaps with the help of a Cetagandan Haut lady who for some reason was willing. In Miles world, that could happen. However short, it was good to have an engaging read.

Decided to read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. It is obviously a different pace from Miles Vorkosigan, but so far thoughtful and engaging. This is another ebook. I think I am avoiding my paper books for some reason, but does it really matter? All the books must be read eventually.

>155 MrsLee: I hate when that happens. :o( Sometimes I use the progress info for the whole book, but mostly I use it to tell me how much is left in the chapter. It never tells you it's the last chapter.

I am curious to see how much you enjoy the snail book. (I see it has the tag 'Chronic Illness' so I'll be staying away, for now at least.)

>156 clamairy: I finished The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating yesterday. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it may be dangerous for a gardener to read. I might not be able to squash the little buggers so easily any more. As for the chronic illness, she didn't focus on it, the focus was on the snail and snails in general, but it was why she considered the snail in the first place. Now I want to make a terrarium. I have the perfect container, but I'm not sure I have the gumption.

Yesterday I also finished An Uncommon History of Common Things by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson. A bathroom book, if you will. Seemed USA centric to me, very brief histories of things you might not have thought about otherwise.

One other book yesterday, since the day turned into an almost DNBR day (if you don't count taking care of my mom and making a birthday breakfast of strawberry shortcake for my friend). Spice for Life: Delicious Recipes Using Everyday Healing Spices by Instructables authors. Not exactly what I thought it would be. The focus was on maybe ten spices, and the health information on them very sparse, as in, a couple of vague paragraphs at the beginning of the book, then lots of recipes which were like blog recipes, only without most of the blather. For the most part they sound interesting and doable. There is one for fig, orange and sage chutney which I am going to try this week since I have a bumper crop of figs.

After all that, I picked up one of my FIVE BIG BOOKS FOR THE YEAR, The Allegheny: Rivers of America by Frederick Way, Jr. Surprisingly readable, at least at the beginning when he is describing his trip from Oleans, NY to Pittsburg, PA on the river in a motorboat. Now he is trying to cover the history of the river and the telling is a bit, how to describe it? Too clever by half? Cavalier? With the humor of the 1940s which could be quite insulting in a very casual way? Anyway, I'm going to hang in there for now.

>155 MrsLee: So, does the author discuss the noise that snails make eating? I swear that when we first moved back into my house, I could hear the slugs munching after dark. It was a couple of seasons before I got them under control.

>158 2wonderY: Yes! I had an experience with that myself. One night I was reading on the couch and kept hearing a chewing noise. I finally located a tiny snail chewing on my Sunset magazine! The snail was no bigger than my pinky fingernail.

What! I've never heard a snail chew on something! Wow!
Likely I will not, either, at least not soon - no snails or slugs up at our cabin, and that's where I mainly spend a lot of time out in the garden.

>160 Busifer: My yard had become seriously overgrown, as we were two states away and the tenants abandoned it. The slugs were amazingly large and abundant. They ate every veggie and ornamental I tried to introduce - down to the ground. You'd get slimed if you went out barefoot. Now I'm a bit ashamed to admit how I battled them. Nightly hunts with flashlight and a spray bottle of ammonia.

>161 2wonderY: Ouch. I use Slug Bait. It works well and I feel a lot less guilty than I did putting them on the black top driveway when the sun was blasting.

I have heard a saucer of Guinness works wonders with snails. It attracts them and they crawl into it and die happy.

>163 pgmcc: But word gets around, and you have crowds of them crossing cinders to belly up.

I tried beer in a saucer at my last house. I caught a bunch of other bugs, but not one single slug.

>165 clamairy: Did you try Guinness?

No?

I rest my case.

I've heard of the Guinness trick as well, but with no slugs I've had no reason to test it.

>161 2wonderY: Ewww! Here desperate people cut them in half and burn the carcasses. I'm so happy that winters are too cold for them to survive up where I have a garden to sporadically tend.

>167 Busifer: Their screams are quieter than their chewing, thanks be.

>168 2wonderY: *slow blink* *large eyes*

I have a lot of snails, and I suppose slugs too, although they are harder to see. Mostly, I just don't care because my garden is more of an adventure in survival for the things growing in it. Ducks work a treat for slug and snail control, but they eat your succulents into oblivion as well. When I was raising two little ducks once upon a time, I would hunt snails every morning, but water in the bathtub, lead the ducklings in and up a ramp so they could jump in, then while they swam I tossed snails in. They loved them! The bigger hard-shelled ones I had to crack first. I think the wild turkeys that hang out here eat slugs and snails too, at the cost of giant bird poop on the lawn and patio and the flowerbeds messed up due to dust baths. Skunks eat them too, but we all know the cost of that. *phew*

Apparently, snails have a great talent for survival. They can mend their shells if they are cracked, hibernate or estivate if conditions are not good and other tricks. I have considered gathering them and feeding them so that I could try eating them, but my heart is not in it.

I confess to using snail bait around new plantings in my garden though. The people who tell you that snails and slugs only eat dead or dying vegetation have never tried planting new plants in their garden IMO.

>170 MrsLee: my garden is more of an adventure in survival for the things growing in it:Ah, the gardening technique I used to describe as “benign neglect”. Works a treat for some things. You might try putting up a sign on your front lawn, as suggested by J P Donleavy in The Unexpurgated Code: “Please do not object—this is a biological experiment in grass geriatrics”.

(I really don't have any objection to ordinary slugs and snails. But here down south the Spanish Slug is everywhere. Not indigenous, and highly invasive, it is nicknamed the killer slug. It eats EVERYTHING, and according to Wikipedia one slug can lay 400 eggs per year. An adult slug is between 3-5 inches long. And if there's one there's thirty more. At least. And that's the slug people cut in half and burn.)

>171 haydninvienna: "Grass geriatrics". I like that one. Here in Sweden there's a lot of talk about how to let wilderness in a bit, to help pollinating insects survive, without catching too much heat from one's neighbours for being a disgrace of the community thanks to perceived "negligence".

>171 haydninvienna:, >172 Busifer: I like to call mine a meadow.

The news tonight made brief mention of a fairly major earthquake in California -- southern if I understood correctly. I hope only your martinis were shaken, and neither you nor they were stirred.

>174 hfglen: Thanks Hugh, neither me or mine were damaged. I believe they were in the Mojave desert, and not a populous area.

Haha! Love your reference to my martinis. :)

All this snail talk: the last three years I have had snails in my classroom for the kids to study. They eat tons! Watching them eat is pretty fascinating. We were able to see their little mouths. We used snails collected by a coworker from her parents’ yard. They are land snails and invasive to Oregon so we didn’t mind using them (they eventually die in our care).

>176 catzteach: I know a girl who has 2 pet snails. I believe they are a special species, supposed to live longer than wild snails here. Interesting pets when you can't have traditional ones. Although, I believe they are lacking in affection towards their owner. :)

Finished, sort of, The Allegheny: Rivers of America by Frederick Way, Jr. When I say sort of, I lost my interest about 200 pages in. Possibly before, but I persevered to about 200 pages. It is interesting if you want to know the history of that particular area, but the author's blithe remarks and dated opinions of people began to wear on me. So, I will be passing this book along to someone else.

I began reading Missee Lee by Arthur Ransome, on my Kindle yesterday, it is okay so far. Personally, the concern over the blighted monkey I find to be annoying, but then, I don't care for monkeys. Also have started Aunt Erma's Cope Book for my bathroom read. It is amusing, and occasionally insightful into middle age women's stuff, if you can pick out the insight from the cover of sarcasm.

Apparently, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom lately, because I already finished my throne room book, Aunt Erma's Cope Book. Here is my review, because I don't want to type my thoughts twice.

"I'm glad I didn't read this before I was in my 50s. It is absolutely relevant to my age and place in life. A lambasting of the many "self improvement" books out there which promise to fix everything you didn't know was wrong with you in just 365 pages. I chuckled as I read each chapter, and even though the points are greatly exaggerated for humor value, there is a grain of truth, in fact, I might say a 10 lb. bag of flour's worth of truth in each chapter. The world is out to make us feel inadequate to life. It's up to us to push back and say, enough. I am good enough."

My next book for the throne room was grabbed at random off the shelf last night, it might end up by my reading chair instead, although for the next week at least, my life will be topsy-turvy and it may well be that the only reading time I get are the few moments in there to read a page or so. Holy Disorders by Edward Crispin.

Still working on Missee Lee, but I've got something like 50% of the book left to read and the Chinese/English written dialect is annoying me. Replacing the sporadic "r" with "l" becomes tedious quickly. I do enjoy the way the author works interesting facts of the place, time and activities into the story though.

>179 MrsLee: I'll be interested to see what you have to say about Holy Disorders. I've read some of Crispin's mysterious but not that one.

>179 MrsLee: if you like Erma Bombeck, you'd probably enjoy Peg Bracken.

>181 fuzzi: Thank you, I have read both, and do enjoy them, but in severely limited quantities. :) Like one about every 5 years or so.

Finished Holy Disorders by Edmund Crispin. There are elements in this that I enjoy. The section where Fen and his friend visited a suspect who had a raven in his study, and then proceeded to work quotes from "The Raven" into the conversation even though the suspect clearly had no idea about the poem was pretty funny. The mystery is solid, and Fen wraps up by showing the reader all the clues they should have seen to the solution. However, the characters are very uneven. Fen is all over the place, one character was introduced as an older man who was a bit of a tartar, but later he is portrayed as quite, how should we say it, foppish and posturing.

I suppose Crispin is an author whose works I can read in a pinch, but I won't seek them out.

The throne room read is Salt: A World History, I only read a page or two last night to see if I was interested.

I've barely dipped my toes into Titus Groan, I mean, the first page or two.

We moved mom into an assisted living residence this weekend, so I had no time at all to read, but I rather feel like immersing myself in another world right now, so I'm hoping this will work for me.

I'm going to try hard to get back into some sort of healthy living pattern, working in at least three visits a week to my mom.

She's only been there 3 days, so it is early, but so far the only residents she has had contact with are a bit gaga. My mom has a hard time expressing her thoughts, her brain is not letting them come out, but she isn't gaga by any means and isn't very thrilled to be surrounded by folks who are. :/

I'm hoping time will reveal some interesting people she can become friendly with. Time is so cruel to our bodies. The facility is clean and friendly, but so far not very attentive in making mom feel comfortable there, as in explaining how various activities work and encouraging her to come out of her room. She is shy and intimidated, and not a little reserved. All the staff says is, "Push your button when you want anything." Well, mom isn't a button pusher. Rather be a "pest" she will sit passively all day. I do hope she adjusts and finds a measure of good there. Physically, she needs a lot of help.

>183 MrsLee: Oh, I'm so sorry it's not going smoothly yet, but it is early. Do your best to help her adjust and find her a friend or two. The same thing happened to my mother-in-law, and after a short period she refused to join the others in the cafeteria or for any activities. :o( It just got worse from there, and we were too far away to be of any real help.

>183 MrsLee: I can’t offer anything but good wishes, I’m afraid, but you can have those in abundance.

>184 clamairy: Thank you. My sister has been visiting her the last two days. She thinks mom is doing as good as can be expected. The owner of the facility came and visited with her today. Hopefully the staff will find out what an interesting person my mom can be once they get to know her.

>185 haydninvienna: I appreciate that.

>183 MrsLee: I do hope your mum finds some agreeable company to socialise with. But it is the same when joining any new community: the first people whom you encounter are not necessarily the most congenial. Hopefully once the staff have got to know your mum a bit better, and realised that reserved and speech-impaired does not equate to confused, they may introduce her to suitable other residents.

>187 -pilgrim-: Thank you. My sister said the owner spent some time yesterday visiting with mom about her trips to Arizona, so at least he knows she is cognizant. :) Early days yet. Mom didn't want us to talk to staff about changing her meal time partners. She doesn't want to make waves or ruffle feathers, and she likes the two old fellas because they don't talk much. :/ She would rather have silent meal partners than blathering ones. Sound familiar anyone? :D

>188 MrsLee: I hope your mother gets to feel comfortable in her new place. I wish the best of luck.

Thinking of you and your mom!

Sending light and love to you and your mom for a smoother transition.

>188 MrsLee: She would rather have silent meal partners than blathering ones: Your mum sounds like my kind of dinner companion. Best wishes to her (and to you).

>188 MrsLee: What @haydninvienna said, in all its parts. I have always thought that reading at table shows high intelligence rather than bad manners.

Thank you dear ones. I wish my mom's fingers worked a little better and that she had an online group of folks like the Green Dragon. What a blessing you all are to me.

>194 MrsLee: I wholeheartedly second that sentiment!

Would voice recognition software be a possible route for your mum?

>195 -pilgrim-: I don't think so. She hasn't really mastered the internet on her phone aside from browsing a bit on Facebook (and accidentally share/like/accidentally choosing inappropriate emoji). She doesn't have a tablet or computer and when she did she never quite got the knack of it.

I actually read a whole book yesterday! Granted it was short, large print and published by Reader's Digest, but it felt good to sit, start and finish a book. It was a mystery called The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan. A murder mystery set in India, involving a newly retired Inspector Chopra and a baby elephant. I will seek out more of this series to read because I liked the Inspector and his wife, and of course, the elephant. The mystery was not annoying. It wasn't complicated or anything, but it wasn't too far fetched, either.

>197 MrsLee:. There is always an elephant.

This is a running joke with my kids. It must have started over twelve years ago. We were spotting elephant pictures on trucks, in adverts, and in printed media. We even came across elephant statues paintings and models in market stalls and shops. I set them the challenge of going for a full day without spotting an elephant or there being an allusion to an elephant or something elephantine.

Try it.

>198 pgmcc: Haha, not today, there was an elephant planter on a patio table where my mom lives now, and two tiny elephant statuettes at my mother-in-law's house.

>199 MrsLee:
What did I tell you?
There is always an elephant.

There is no escape ...

Hugh knows all about it.

>200 pgmcc: It is true. I can confirm it.

There was a wooden elephant on my parents' mantelpiece. It was there throughout my childhood, and until the day they died. I still don't know why it was there.

(As far as I know my mother had never been to Africa, and my father only very briefly. Neither had been to India.)
To my ignorant eyes, the said elephant appears to be Asian.

Can @pgmcc contribute any hypothesis about the relative frequency of appearance of elephant species in his paradigm?

Ooh … bookends!



This is one set I have, and googling teaches me their provenance - 1920s, by P. Mori Galvano, whoever that was. Ah, Galvano was the company.

>203 -pilgrim-:
@-pilgrim-, I can only hypothesize that elephants are somehow sewn into the fabric of the universe and appear according to some mysterious algorithm that ensures we recognise their existence daily.

The phraes, “There is always an elephant in the room”, exists for a reason.

>204 2wonderY: I love your bookends.

Of course, most of you will realize that the world rests on the backs of four elephants who stand on a giant turtle. It is well known.

>207 MrsLee: But, but, but... WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES??

>208 -pilgrim-:
People appear reluctant to name the elephant in the room.

Mine is nameless, but loved. It usually sits on the mantel, but gets moved from time to time. I bought it in Ottawa of all places. It's carved of mahogany. I love it.

>210 Bookmarque: Lovely.

>210 Bookmarque: That’s beautiful.

I see this month’s list for Early Reviewers has a book entitled “Angels, Elephants and Ants”.

I rest my case.

>210 Bookmarque: that is a gorgeous pachyderm!

I managed to read another book yesterday by setting aside all other chores. Started at about11 in the morning, finished at 1 am. As for the read, it is what I would call beach fluff, but it held my interest and I thought it was well done. The Bookshop on the Shore, about a youngish single London mother who finds herself in Scotland; working as an au pair for a mysterious man and running a mobile bookstore for a woman on maternity leave. In spite of having some obvious and possibly intentional plot details from classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Sound of Music, and other such stories, I enjoyed the main character and the children enough to not be annoyed.

I did pick up Titus Groan first, but couldn't stick with it. Unlike the above fluff, some of the plot details are completely unreasonable so far, and apparently I haven't the patience for that at the moment. I will try it again next weekend.

I hope things are starting to look better for your mum. In my (limited) experience it can take some time to adjust and to find the people that one can connect with. And communal living always is easier for the extroverts.

>216 Busifer: Thanks. Happily, so far she is having a lot of visiting from family, so she says she's fine and doesn't get lonely.

I began Maisie Dobbs last night, and it seems to hold promise that I will continue and finish it sooner rather than later.

Tooth extraction and surgery tomorrow, so, not sure how that will be. Does there really have to be a first time for everything?

>217 MrsLee: Einaaaa!! Strength to you!

>217 MrsLee: I hate the dentist. Hope all goes well!

>217 MrsLee: Good luck with the extraction and surgery. I will be thinking of you.

>217 MrsLee: Strength to you. I'm sure it will go well, and hopefully it's not only the first but the last time as well.

>217 MrsLee: Well done in evading the need until now!

>217 MrsLee: What pgmcc and Busifer said.

Also, I will be watching how things go with your mother. I’ve just been visiting my late wife’s family. Her parents had 5 sons and 4 daughters, of whom 4 sons and 3 daughters survive. Grandma and Grandad were both depression-era kids from rural Queensland, both lived into their 90s and still had all their marbles, and the eldest 3 of their offspring are now in their mid to late 70s. The interesting bit is that they all stay in touch, and there is a small colony of them on Bribie Island who look out for each other. I went to dinner with them in Brisbane and we had 4 of the 7 survivors round the table (the other 3 live out of town), with spouses or partners. It looks to me like you have a similarly close family.

>217 MrsLee: I hope all goes well with the tooth! Luckily our mouths heal quickly.

>217 MrsLee: Good luck at the dentist! I hope you recover quickly.

Thank you all! My husband treated me to the "Last Meal" of my choice last night, pizza with roasted chicken, smoked bacon, garlic sauce, onions and spinach. Hopefully the garlic is worked out of my system enough that I don't make the dentist's job a misery.

I wasn't sure what to expect, so though I have the day off today, I'm scheduled to work tomorrow. Hope I can handle it.

>223 haydninvienna: These situations are much better when family is available to be advocates and visitors, I think. Even the best facilities have limits to the care they can provide, so I am glad all of us are aware and involved.

Extractions hurt but not forever. Mostly it's healing the site that's a pain. Watch it closely though. I had one with a little piece of bone still down in it and it got infected and had to be dug out. Quite unpleasant, but not fatal. If your dentist does a post extraction x-ray it will catch it. Are you having an implant or a bridge?

I’m a baby when it comes to mouth stuff. I would have totally taken the next day off, too.

>226 MrsLee: Marcia (second eldest of the daughters, the one I was staying with) is pretty good at this. She told me that Grandad once described her to a doctor as "my attack dog".

>227 Bookmarque: Ick, the worst thing so far is the blood taste in my mouth. :P At this time I'm not sure I'm going to try to fix the gap. My bottom teeth have been crammed too tight anyway, and have twisted a bit. I'm going to look into the elastic band thingy and see if it is realistic to try to get my teeth to spread out a little. The surgeon thought it was a possibility.

>228 catzteach: I toyed with the idea of taking today off, my boss said it would be okay, but I don't feel horrible, my mouth doesn't actually hurt at all, just feels weird, so I'm going to try to go in and see how it goes.

>229 haydninvienna: We all need an attack dog in our lives when dealing with medical issues!

I was able to read quite a bit between naps yesterday in Maisie Dobbs, it is good.

>230 MrsLee: hopefully you don’t talk a lot for your job. That’s part of why I take extra time for mouth stuff, too.

>231 catzteach: I don't talk as much as a teacher has to, that's for sure. I do answer the phones, and do cashiering for customers, plus other co-worker interaction.

Mouth doesn't really hurt. Yesterday I came home at noon and stayed home; my head felt woozy, for lack of a better description. Also, business was very slow for some reason. More napping and reading, finished Maisie Dobbs and am looking forward to the next installment.

>232 MrsLee: Seems like you survived it pretty well, and my best for you continuing to do so. I've just developed a dental issue--broke a molar off my metal denture plate. The plate was made in England and I don't trust any of the dentists here to fix it, so next Friday back to Bicester to the dental practice there.

>233 haydninvienna: Sorry about the dental issues.

I just discovered that I can whistle louder without the tooth! One benefit, even if my husband won't let me practice in the house.

Tried to read a book called The Bookshop at Water's End. Yuck. Patuie! Main character was self absorbed and oblivious to others. Husband has been bringing home any books with "bookstore" in the title from the Little Free Libraries around town. Last one was ok, this one I refuse to give my precious time to.

I am reaching into book purgatory (the darkest hidden shelf which can't be seen and is filled with spiderwebs) and pulling out China Homecoming by Jean Fritz. A YA book, short, and hopefully interesting.

Being curious about why you disliked The Bookshop at Water’s End, I looked at its work page. I doubt that I would have liked it either. But an odd thing: the first review on the page ends “It was a very good book and I would definitely recommend it to others.” , and then gives it 2 stars. Eh?

My dental problems are not significant in comparison to yours! I’ve had this metal denture for 11 years and this is the first problem I’ve had. Its plastic predecessor got broken repeatedly, once memorably on an airline flight when they handed out, as dessert, ice cream bars that had clearly been in the freezer a little too long.

>234 MrsLee: I've read a couple by Jean Fritz that I enjoyed, and have Homesick on my TBR stacks.

>235 haydninvienna: This is what threw me out of the book, and there wasn't enough promise of a story I cared about to make me want to persevere through the character.

"This isn't a review, only an explanation of why I didn't want to spend time finishing this book. Others may like it, but I am not in the mood to read about a mature, professional female doctor who is self-absorbed and angsting like a teenager. I will be fair, I only read to chapter 4, page 27. The doctor had a very traumatic and stressful night, seeing the brother of her dear friend, supposedly the man she had really loved all her life, come into the ER with severe injuries, then she possibly killed another patient by overdosing him with narcotics. When her shift is over, she goes home to her husband (whom she is planning to leave) and gets no joy. Then she goes back to the hospital to talk with the administrator. Finally, in the afternoon, she calls her beloved friend; one would think to tell her about her brother. But no. Instead she details all of her anxiety about her own marriage and possible mistake at the hospital. The friend finally asks her why she thought she made the horrible mistake on her shift and she responds, oh yeah, your brother was brought in severely injured, but I think he will be okay, I mean, the last time I saw or heard of this man I supposedly love with undying love was when he was being wheeled into emergency surgery, and oh I am so messed up by all my conflicting emotions. When the friend finally asks if her brother is okay "with a tinge of annoyance," (ya think?!) This caring and loving doctor says, "Owen?" Um, who else do you think your friend would be caring about? The dead guy?

Anyway, I meet enough self-absorbed people in life, I don't have the patience to read about them, not even if there is a "revelation" coming to them in the book. But hey, others might like this sort of drama. The book had some nice picturesque language about South Carolina, and there are some other people in it, too, so don't let me stop you."

>237 MrsLee: Thanks for taking one for the team! That really does sound like a book not to bother with.

>237 MrsLee:
Such a personality does not seem at all implausible nowadays. One sees it often enough in real life, that I share your and @haydninvienna's lack of interest in reading about it. Thanks for the warning.

I remember a similarly self-absorbed female doctor in the BBC radio drama Tracks, by Michael Broughton. (It was a rather good mystery/thriller, as I recall.) Fortunately, her attitude came back to bite her (quite rapidly), so I would still recommend this - and have just noticed that it is now available as an audiobook (including the second season which I missed...)

I finished China Homecoming yesterday. It is interesting, especially if you need a refresher course on China's modern history, from about 1900 forward. It was also pleasant to go with the author on her journey and feel her pleasure at the progress China had made for its people since she had lived there as a child before 1928. Also her hopes, which she very carefully worded, I'm sure hoping not to offend, since she had been deemed a Friend of China and had special clearance to visit her hometown there.

Now I'm reading The Lost World by Michael Crichton. I am in the mood for dinosaur danger.

>240 MrsLee: Well I missed a lot! Sorry about the tooth, but I'm glad you're mending. I too bailed on Titus Groan, but will perhaps try again in the colder months. That's quite I genre leap from the history of China to marauding dinosaurs! :o) Enjoy!

I hope you are feeling better! Luckily mouths heal pretty quickly.

Enjoy the dinosaurs!

I finished The Lost World, it provided me with the entertainment I was hoping for. Not sure what that says about me, that I was hoping to read about people being ripped limb from limb?

I think the next book I will read is Roads to Roam by Hoffman Birney. A travel memoir from the early days of motor cars in the wild west. My mom really enjoyed it, and I'm hoping for some laughs.

>243 MrsLee: I hope you share your thoughts on Roads to Roam in the Tattered group in the motoring romances thread!

>243 MrsLee: Not sure what that says about me, that I was hoping to read about people being ripped limb from limb?

I have no words.

>244 2wonderY: Will do!

>245 pgmcc: :)

>243 MrsLee: Not sure what that says about me, that I was hoping to read about people being ripped limb from limb?
I'm rather more worried by the fact that you considered it "entertainment" ;-)

But it's cartoon violence, really. At least that's how Jurassic Park read. And it isn't human on human violence which I have less stomach for than impossible beast on human.

>243 MrsLee: >248 Bookmarque: Yes, this. I'm a complete wuss about real violence, but I still enjoyed the cartoony violence in the Space Captain Smith stories. (And once again, it was impossible alien on human, and vice versa.)

>243 MrsLee: I only like seeing the people I despise being ripped limb from limb. Chricton is usually rather good at providing those scenarios. :o)

>250 clamairy: Yes, he only destroys the despicable characters, or the redshirt characters. I actually expected a couple more deaths, but, oh well.

I really wasn't terribly fond of any of the characters. I suppose Thorne was ok, and the woman, Sarah? She was a strong person, but not very personable.

These aren't books I would will save, but they make a good fast read.

>244 2wonderY: I will, but it isn't quite the fun story I thought it would be. More of a tour guide sort of thing, not a personal travel story. Engaging I suppose if you know the southwest intimately, but I don't, so.

>248 Bookmarque: & >249 haydninvienna: I stole your description of "impossible" creatures for my review. Hope that's okay, because I agree with your sentiments exactly.

>243 MrsLee: Not sure what that says about me, that I was hoping to read about people being ripped limb from limb?

>251 MrsLee: I actually expected a couple more deaths, but, oh well.

The evidence just keeps mounting up, and that is would including the comments on not wanting to dig too far into family trees and friggin' in the riggin'.

Do you have many freshly dug "flowerbeds" in your back garden?

>253 pgmcc: Would you like to come and see for yourself? Hmmmm? I don't have any Irish flowers, yet.

>254 MrsLee: Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!

I’ve been to that garden and lived to tell the tale!
Steal away, MrsL.

Hmmmmmm! A self-confessed accomplice?

>252 MrsLee: and >256 Bookmarque: Indeed, steal away. I've not seen the garden, and you probably don't have any Australian flowers (banksias are nice) ...

Finished A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey. It was fair to middling and a pleasant enough read for me. I would say a cut above most "cozy" but not quite up to Tony Hillerman or Agatha Christie.

A bit far-fetched, but not ridiculous. 1908, a widowed Lady (title received from her husband who was a knight, not her parents) and her lady's maid move to the country to find respite from their wild adventures heretofore. Since this is the first book in the series, we are given glimpses of what the adventures were, but never quite told. The repartee is amusing, not up to Lord Peter Wimsey piffle, but not annoying, either. Mystery was okay. Not much audience participation. I would read another by this author because he didn't annoy me, but I'm not running out to buy one.

I began Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch. It suits my mood of the moment.

Still poking along in the Salt history (very interesting with quite a few inspirations to ferment things), and the southwest travel memoir.

>260 MrsLee: Is that Kurlansky's book? I recently listened to his book on Cod. I'd call him obsessive on his research, but found it worthwhile to stay with him to the end; but it was iffy.

>261 2wonderY: Yes, it's Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. Obsessive in his research sounds about right! :) I'm enjoying that aspect though. Since I read it in small portions, it doesn't become sleep-worthy and I love the mentions and old recipes for fermenting things. I plan to go back through and mark some of them to try when it cools down a bit here.

Oops, I meant to start a new thread at 250 posts, but I forgot, so here it goes.