Joe's 2020 Book Cafe 4

By various artists

Welcome back to the cafe!

Books Read in 2020

January

1. Equinoxes by Cyril Pedrosa*
2. American Spy by Lauren Wilkerson
3. Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed
4. A Handmaid's Tale Graphic by Renee Nault and Margaret Atwood*
5. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
6. Dream Within a Dream by Patricia MacLachlan
7. Deep Creek by Pam Houston
8. Due Diligence by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
9. Wandering Star by Teri S. Wood*
10. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
11. The Black God's Drums by p. Dejeli Clark

February

12. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
13. The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McGinty
14. For Kicks by Dick Francis
15. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
16. Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz
17. Golden in Death by J.D. Robb
18. Into the Frame by Dick Francis
19. I Hear the sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty
20. Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
21. A Bride’s Story Vol. 11 by Kaoru Mori*
22. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty

March

23. Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
24. Brave by Svetlana Chmakova*
25. John Constantine Hellblazer The Family Man by Jamie Delano and Neil Gaiman*
26. Only the End of the World by Neil Gaiman*
27. Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg
28. Almost American Girl by Robin Ha*

Illustrated Books

1. Birdsong by Julie Flett
2. Paper Girls Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughn
3. I Love This Part by Tillie Walden
4. Door by JiHyeon Lee
5. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
6. The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan
7. The Master and Margarita Graphic Novel by Andzej Klimowski
8. Monstress Vol. 4 by Marie Liu
9. Ms. Marvel Vol. 10 by G. Willow Wilson
10. Swimming in Darkness by Lucas Harari
11. Dr. Who: The Betrothal of Sontar by Gareth Roberts
12. Constantine Hellblazer by Jaime Delano
13. Hawkeye Avenging Archer by Jim McCann
14. Monet Itinerant of Light by Salva Rubio

*Illustrated

Rafa geocaching with his Papa

Favorites From 2019

Top 5



The Long Take by Robin Robertson
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

Favorite Graphic Works



Good Talk by Mira Jacob
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life by Maria Hesse
The Initiates by Étienne Davodeau
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

Favorite Poetry Collections



Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson
Drive Here and Devastate Me by Megan Falley
Monument: Poems by Natasha Trethewey
Tap Out by Edgar Kunz
Magical Negro by Morgan Parker

The squishable Princess Fina

Art by Aaron Jasinski

OK, the cafe is open!

Happy new thread, Joe! Once again, wonderful toppers!
I just finished Here a wonderful Graphic Novel by Richard McGuire. If you have not read it I highly recommend you check it out!
Squishable Princess Fina! I love it!

Safe travels, Joe, and enjoy your time in Pittsburgh. Don't work too hard - ha!

>6 jnwelch: That's trippy as all get-out, but I'd kill for that superpower.

Safe travels!

Happy new one, Joe. Fantastic art and family photos. Wishing you safe travels.

Happy new thread Joe, mate. Once again fantastic artwork and great family photos.

Happy new thread, Joe and happy travels. Looking forward to lots of cute-o-graphy….

Happy new thread. Wishing you top grandparenting.

And I can confirm that McKinty's NI series continues to be excellent - you have many books ahead of you - I'm a fan. (I think someone on LT must have recommended them to me too.)

Happy new one!

Happy New thread!

>1 jnwelch: I wish coffee did that for me. It's good, real good, but there are limits.

>3 jnwelch: So one parent was standing by to catch Rafa while the other took the picture. Great photos, but oh boy!

>5 jnwelch: Fina has that sleep thing down perfectly!

>6 jnwelch: Yes, addiction is an issue.

Happy New Thread, Joe! I love Rafa in the cliff-top topper! Now, that should be at the top! Grins...Good luck, that the weather cooperates, so you guys can get out tomorrow.

Happy new thread, Joe. Save travels!

>7 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Congrats on being the first to arrive. Latte? Muffin? What would you like - it's on us.

I did read the graphic novel Here by Richard McGuire, and I liked it, too. I'm glad you had a good time with it. Thanks re our squishable Princess. We see her tomorrow!

>8 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. We'll have an extra hand, our daughter, and I imagine things are much more settled than our first trip when Fina was born. Fewer emergency runs to Target, for one thing. :-)

>9 richardderus: >6 jnwelch: is trippy, isn't it, Richard. Good word for it. That is one heck of a desirable superpower.

>10 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. I'm glad you like the art and family photos. It's a short flight - about an hour in the air - so it shouldn't be too bad. It takes longer to and from the airport than the flight itself.

>11 johnsimpson: Thanks, mate. Good to hear you like the artwork and the family photos.

>12 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I imagine there'll be a bit of cute-o-graphy happening whilst we're there. :-)

>13 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. We're sure looking forward to seeing those two little gremlins.

Oh, that's a strong endorsement of the Sean Duffy series, thanks. Now I'm excited to get on with more of them.

>14 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>15 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

What, you don't flow glowingly to your first cup of coffee of the day? It's pretty standard here in our part of the country. Luckily Madame MBH isn't a coffee drinker, so we don't bump into each other in the air.

Ha! Rafa and his Papa didn't have Mama with them on this geocaching trip. When Papa was a wee one, he used to have our hearts racing with his antics. Now he gets to worry about Rafa.

Fina has been practicing her sleeping day and night, and all her hard work is really paying off, isn't it.

LOL! You're cracking me up, Susan. Yes, addiction is an issue, as illustrated in >6 jnwelch:, isn't it.

>16 msf59: Thanks, Mark! We love that cliff-topper photo of Rafa, too. Neither of us can really express why, but there's something about that little guy looking out over the vista . . .

Yeah, I'm seeing the snow coming down. Fingers crossed that the weather doesn't throw off travel.

>17 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! It's an early departure tomorrow. Thanks for the safe travel wishes.

Happy new thread, Joe!

Coming in for a cuppa, Joe. It is cold and rainy here.

Love the pics of the grands, but I would dearly love to know what the rest of your son's shirt says, lol.

Happy new thread, Joe! Nice to see the cafe open.

>1 jnwelch: Toppers are great. I think #3 is my favorite.

>3 jnwelch: >5 jnwelch: Rafa and Fina looking awesome as well. Such cute kids.

Hold over from page 3. Nice to see that you enjoyed Into the Fire. I cannot wait.

>3 jnwelch: well geocaching is a new one on me Joe. I've never heard of it but it sure looks like Rafa is enjoying himself. And of course, that little Financial is such a cutie.

>3 jnwelch: Rafa on the rocks! I love it (now that I'm pretty sure he didn't take a header off the edge). That photo could have been taken in my end of the state of PA... so many spots very similar to that in our neck of the woods.

I was going to grab a cuppa. So good. But it is a little late in the day. Tomorrow morning maybe. Have a nice time here in Pennsylvania. You'll be in the part that's on the other side of Alabama from my chunk of PA.

Happy New Thread, Joe!

>20 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>21 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia. Please grab a cuppa from the kitchen, as we're heading out to the airport.

Our son finds the best t-shirts. I'm curious about that one, too! I'll try to remember to do some investigative work.

>22 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie! I'm glad you like the toppers. #3 is cool, isn't it. I'm a fan of #1. Thanks re Rafa and Fina. We'll be seeing those two today. Into the Fire! Can't wait to hear what you think.

>23 brenzi: Our son is a bigtime geocacher, Bonnie, and really good at it. We love it - we end up walking to all sorts of places we wouldn't otherwise see, and the hunt is fun. Ha! Little Financial! I'll have to remember to pass that on. So true, right?

>24 laytonwoman3rd: Rafa is very good about being careful, I'll say that much, Linda. He's becoming very good on stairs these days. Yes, I've come to love your part of the country. We don't get much of that hilliness in our whereabouts.

>25 weird_O: Please run into the kitchen and grab a cuppa. Your friendly proprietor is heading to the airport. Huh. Now I have to go look at Alabama. I would've placed it farther west than that. Shows we're never to old to learn, right?

>26 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

Morning, Joe. Not-So-Sweet Thursday! What time is your flight? Hopefully it gets out on time, with the wind and snow. Fingers crossed.

Hi Joe and happy new thread.

>1 jnwelch: How did you know I float downstairs in anticipation of the first cup of coffee? And that the kitties are observing?

>3 jnwelch: Curious Rafa and Papa/Rafa love. Thanks for sharing.

>19 jnwelch: Fina has been practicing her sleeping day and night, and all her hard work is really paying off, isn't it. Good for darling Fina!

Safe flight, joyous reunion. How long are you and Debbi staying this time?

Happy new thread!

Are you in PGH now? So lovely to be back with the grands, isn't it?

I'm counting down to a trip of my own to my grandbaby, who is definitely not a baby anymore.

Today I'm battling a huge, breath-stealing wall of anxiety, and think maybe it's time for chamomile tea?

Maybe I need to make it a double.

Happy new one, Joe!

>3 jnwelch: Rafa is growing so quickly.

>1 jnwelch: Very cafe appropriate Joe.

>3 jnwelch: scary, you wouldn't get me that near the edge...

>27 jnwelch: Years ago, Bob Casey Sr., the father of our current Democratic U.S. Senator, was running for governor. James Carville was running his campaign. He famously characterized Pennsylvania thus: "On one side you have Pittsburgh. On the other side Philadelphia. In the middle, you have Alabama."

>27 jnwelch: I hope you know that was auto correct and I missed it entirely Joe.

Happy new thread, Joe! As always, love the art selection and photos of the grandkids. I agree, that one of Rafa looking out over the vista is a great pic.

>35 weird_O: I knew I had heard that somewhere before, but couldn't place it. Thanks for the attribution. Carville is nothing if not quotable.

Happy new thread, Joe! Hope your flight was pleasant and your visit with the kids and grands is a lot of wonderful.

Great toppers, especially the first topper (which is how I feel about that first cup of coffee in the morning), Rafa and Squishable Fina. They're both adorable!

Morning, Joe! Happy Friday! Glad you guys got out okay and are comfortably ensconced in PA. Enjoy your time with the little ones. Add Everywhere You Don't Belong to your list. This is definitely your cuppa. Set on the southside, with plenty of basketball references.

I wish I didn't have to leave the house today. Chokes up a little...

Thanks, everyone. We’re safely arrived, and the kiddoes are great. Their parents, too, if I remember correctly. 😀

I’ll try to catch up later on.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Morning, Joe! Glad that you arrived safe and sound. Hoping your visit is full of fabulous!

Ok, here we go. We'll see how long the peace lasts. :-)

>28 msf59: Hiya, Mark. In that lousy weather we were on the tarmac for more than an hour, waiting to go, and had to be de-iced a second time. But then we took off and made good time, and it's all been pretty smooth since then. Becca gets in today for the weekend - we'll fly back together on Monday, and Debbi will stay for a total of two weeks this time. Our DIL's mother returned home a few days ago, so we and Debbi will give them a helping hand and let them get further into their new routines. As you know, that needs to somehow include rest and exercise time for the both of them, and Adriana continues to write while Jesse's on paternity leave. She and Angie Cruz are just finishing up the new issue of Asterix Journal.

Some good news: Jesse has been at Amazon three months and is really enjoying it. The combination of software engineer and management is just what he's wanted from the get-go, and he's happy with his team. He got a lot done before the leave (which they knew about in hiring him), so they're happy with him, too.

>29 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen.

You know, I knew we were simpatico, and that I always float downstairs to my day-starting coffee, so I figured you'd do the same. I don't have kitties watching me, but Madame MBH picks up that slack.

Aren't those great photos of Rafa and his Papa? That one with Rafa overlooking the vista gets us every time. He's such a curious and engaged little boy.

Darling Fina is irresistible, and is quite reasonable in her sleeping, eating, dealing with digestion, and getting her diaper changed. She's becoming much more aware of her surroundings, which of course I love.

I come back with our daughter on Monday. The more useful and essential Madame MBH is staying a week and half longer.

>30 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>31 mckait:, >32 mckait: Hi, Kath. Yes, we're in PGH with the grands. It's great. They're both evolving so quickly - it's been long enough that I'd forgotten how it goes so fast. That boy is a whizbang guy, and his sister is growing fast and engaging more by the day.

Enjoy your grandbaby visit. I know - we were just talking about how our little boy is raising his little by - and girl now - and doing it beautifully.

So sorry to hear about your running into the massive wall of anxiety. I hope you found your double of chamomile, maybe accompanied by chocolate or the comfort treat of your choice. (I'm telling everyone to make free use of the kitchen while I'm gone). We have a fair amount of anxiety in our family (I'm too much of a slug for it), and I know this is a tough time for those suffering from it, particularly with the unrelenting awfulness of our current administration. I hope you're feeling somewhat improved.

>33 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Isn't Rafa growing quickly? He's a hoot, that little guy.

>34 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. I'm glad you like the appropriate toppers.

Ha! As someone pointed out (Bill, I think), that kind of edge is all over the place here in hilly Pittsburgh. I've really grown to love the terrain here, although I know it can be tough to negotiate in the bad weather. Our curious little grandson is very careful, and his father very fast. :-)

>35 weird_O: Ah, now I get it, Bill, thanks. I had never heard that one, and had no idea that mid-PA was quite that red. It's like the large swatch in IL in our otherwise blue state, where the swatch residents usually are griping about the influence of big city Chicago and its burbs.

I must say, I'm so happy so far with our new governor Pritzker. He has surprised and gotten a lot of good things done quickly, after his awful Repub predecessor who got nothing done.

>36 brenzi: Ha! I didn't know that autocorrect corrected "Fina" to "Financial", Bonnie. I thought you were making a witty point about the cost of raising a new baby.

One autocorrect changed my wife's typing of "lift" to "Lufthanza". As she said, why in the world would the default for anything be "Lufthanza"?

>37 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I'm glad you're liking the decor of the new cafe. Isn't that a cool pic of Mr. Rafa gazing out into the wilderness?

>38 laytonwoman3rd: Carville was saying something recently about Democrats getting too wound up right now, but I didn't have a chance to track it down. Anyway, I agree, Linda - he's a quotable guy.

>39 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. It's a short flight here and almost always pleasant - and it was pleasant this time. Our daughter joins us from Chicago any minute now.

It's been quite wonderful to reunite with the grandkids and their folks.

Thanks re the toppers (the first is my favorite, too) and Rafa and squishable Fina. I'm in between Fina duty right now, and hoping to catch up.

Oops - daughter.

And . . . we're back.

>40 msf59: Hiya, Mark. All is well here. Becca arrived and is conferencing with Fina. Everywhere You Don't Belong is new to me; thanks for the rec.

Man, my sympathy on the weather today. Becca says it's super-cold. I hope you're hanging in there all right. If I were in the vicinity I'd send a St. Bernard with a remedial keg.

>42 Coffee.Cat: Thank you, sweet Abby! Happy Valentine's Day! That's a clever way to do it.

>43 Crazymamie: Morning, Abby's crazy Mom! Thanks - it is full of fabulous here. With the arrival of our daughter, we've got the whole band back together, and with two talented new members. We're even managing to give Rafa and Fina's folks some time to rest and be non-parents. We're going to cover with the wee ones tonight, and let our son and DIL have a Valentine's Day date together. I hope you and the fam are having a great Friday yourownselves. Enjoy the weekend, my friend.

One-handed shot of baby Fina sleeping on her Grandpa



Time to refuel

This is what I meant to leave you on our traveling day!

>45 jnwelch: It's Appalachia, Joe. From northern 'Bama up through the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West B'Gosh, on through PA and into New York State. All those ornery Scots-Irish folks.

>47 jnwelch: Ah! What a darling!

omigosh, that sweet baby!!

It's nice to see darling Fina with her eyes open! What a sweetheart. Enjoy your weekend, Joe!

>47 jnwelch: Your duckling socks are gorgeous, Joe. :-D

>47 jnwelch: Cuteness overload!

Fina’s a cutie!

>49 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. OK, it makes sense now. I guess maybe my Englandness and Welshness leaven the Scottish and Irish. Although ornery is not out of my skill set.

>50 quondame: Right, Susan? She's a sweet one.

>51 mckait: Ha! Agreed, Kath! Wish you were here to hold her - my resting heart rate is mellow indeed with her around.

>52 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Wow, were those eyes open and was she ever aware this morning. She was intrigued by everything. Her eyes are a deep blue now. It'd be cool if she kept that. We'll see.

>53 richardderus: Thanks so much, RD. Fashion is important, don't you know, even while grandparenting. Today I've got on my "Select Hearing Specialist" socks that our daughter gave me. Huh. I wonder why she thought those were just the ones for me. She had to jostle my arm a couple of times to get me to notice she was giving them to me.

>54 alcottacre: Woo! She packs in a lot of cuteness, that little Fina, doesn't she, Stasia.

>55 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! She may not be a solar probe, but she's pretty darn cute, I agree.

Fina with her grandpa



Rafa with his pal Maleta

Beautiful photos. Wishing you a gorgous time with your family.

>57 jnwelch: Looks like you and Fina were having quite the conversation. And Rafa's so adorable with his buddy!

>57 jnwelch: Wonderful moments.

>57 jnwelch: What treasurable moments!

Hi Joe mate, it looks like you and Debbi are having a lovely time with your family, enjoy the rest of your trip and look forward to more photos mate.

>57 jnwelch: That's a serious conversation going on there Joe. Young Fina is a growin'.

Lovely to see Rafa with his buddy too.

Hi Joe. Back to your prior thread, I know I have a copy of The Cold, Cold Ground around here somewhere. It sounds like a perfect surgery-recovery read and it will fit in with March's AlphaKIT (C and G).

Your grandchildren are so beautiful, both of them. I love that one-handed photo of Fina sleeping on her grandpa (nice job with the one-handed photography, there!). And her refueling! What a wonderful gaze. And of course Rafa with Maleta (patient canine), so sweet.

I have no idea what you're reading (mostly your grandchildren's faces, I know) but I hope you're enjoying it!

It's great how your whole family works together to help in bringing up the grandkids, Joe. Love the photos. Too bad you aren't staying that long this time.

Thanks, everyone. Everybody’s fine, and it’s not serious, but we’ve hit a health issue and I won’t be on here much.

Best wishes to everyone.

P.S. I’m extending my stay here; not sure how long.

>66 jnwelch:

Joe - with your reassurance that the health issue is not serious,
I'm guessing that it has to do with you explaining to Fina that No, she will not go bald...

ps. if you are looking for a light, mostly funny, though sometimes greatly odd,
way to wind up an evening after The Little Ones are safely sleeping,
"The History of Latin America for Morons" by John Leguizamo might be a good choice.

>66 jnwelch: thinking of you and the family, Joe.

Thinking of you, Joe, and hope that everything works out quickly.

Your grandchildren are gorgeous Joe ... but I think you know that. Lovely photos.

Hope the health issue is swiftly resolved. Take care.

>47 jnwelch: & >57 jnwelch: Lovely photos. A rightly proud Grandad.

>66 jnwelch: A bit concerning. Hope all is well, Joe. I'll will keep you and yours in my thoughts and prayers.

>66 jnwelch: I hope all is resolved well, soon Joe.

Hi, Joe. Thanks for checking in. I hope things have settled down there and you can relax a bit, for the rest of your visit.

Morning, Joe! I love all the photos of the wee ones, so thanks for sharing. And Birdy LOVES the duck socks! Sorry to hear that there is a health issue - keeping you and yours in our thoughts.

>67 m.belljackson:. Hi, Marianne.

We’re enjoying that Fina seems to be keeping most of that hair. She’s relaxing right now on Madame Bubbe.

That John Leguizamo show sounds both educational (count me among the morons) and entertaining.

>68 lauralkeet:. Thanks, Laura. All is well. We had a bit of a scare and a hospital visit, but the staff were great and the ship is righted and sailing on in sunny weather.

>69 banjo123:. It did, Rhonda, thanks, although minutes in a hospital always seem like hours to me.

Breakfast is appearing. I’ll be back.

Happy no-so-new thread, Joe! Love the Rafa and Fina pics!

gorgeous little ones ~ hope even minor health issues vanish soonest!

>75 jnwelch: Yay! Glad to hear good health news.

>70 NarratorLady:. Thanks, Anne. All is well here, and the wee ones continue to be gorgeous. I’m always wearing my “they’re gorgeous” glasses, so it’s nice to hear you think so, too.😀

>71 PaulCranswick:. Thanks, Paul. Sorry to be a bit mysterious. No social media was requested. But all is well. It was a puzzler at first, but the doctors quickly sorted it out.

>72 Caroline_McElwee:. All is well, Caroline, and it only needed two nights in the hospital, so it was realatively quick, considering.

>73 msf59:. Hiya, buddy. Thanks for your texting sympathy along the way. Normalcy has resumed; Rafa is back in school after having yesterday off for the holiday, so maintenance duties have eased, and it’s a bit more relaxing, today. Always fun, but sometimes on the hectic side.

It currently looks like we’ll come back Thursday, if we can arrange a flight.

>74 Crazymamie:. Morning, Mamie!

Thanks re the photos. I wish we could post videos - Debbi just filmed a great one of Fina doing her morning stretches. She’s quite athletic for a non-crawler. All is well on the health front, thanks.

P.S. Tell Birdy I wore my socks with otters on them yesterday. I’m glad she liked the rubber ducky ones. These are from my creative sock-buying daughter.

>76 ChelleBearss:. Thanks, Chelle!

>77 mckait:. Thanks, Kath. The little ones are having a good time, and the health issues have been resolved.

>78 banjo123:. Thanks, Rhonda!

Good morning, Joe! I hope all is well with you.

>57 jnwelch: Rafa is such a cute kid. Nice one of you and Fina. Granddad moment. Does Rafa have a special name for you as grandfather. Early on, back when I was just a tyke, I, or one of us, called my grandfather 'Undaddy' and it stuck to the day of his passing.

As for small pleasures, NCIS: Los Angeles returned last night. I just love the banter between LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell. The humor on the show really complements the action.

Glad to hear that the health issue was resolved and you are back to your regularly scheduled, slightly more relaxing hectic time with the family (I know what you mean, my sister has two kiddos too and it's always a hectic visit for me even though I'm enjoying myself).

>81 brodiew2:. Good morning, Brodie!

Oh, I like “Undaddy”! Ha! For Rafa, I was going to be Tampa, the nickname of one of my grandfathers. But that’s been a hard one for the little guy. He did manage “Teapot” the other day. Most recently he came up with “Banjo” (for Grandpa Joe). My Dad played the banjo, so we thought that might be a good one if it sticks.😀

I like NCIS:LA, but I’m more drawn to Jethro Gibbs and the gang. Madame MBH is a big fan of both, so I’ll make sure she gets the good news.

>82 bell7:. Right, Mary, thanks. We’re enjoying the heck out of it, but it’s pretty much nonstop action with them this young.

We rescheduled our flights to Thursday, and they waived the hefty change fees, thank goodness, in view of the hospital situation. So we’re all set to head back then.

Happiness resounds, health being restored. Have a safe flight home.

That is a weight off collective minds, Joe! Get back safely and get the cafe re-opened!

>5 jnwelch: >57 jnwelch: art has nothing on a brand new baby ;)
*dying for a cuddle*

I am currently on a mission to get the over-the-road neighbour's small child to love-me-the-most-out-of-all-the-neighbours. And I think it is working! He is 20 months old and called me by a made up nickname the other day.
'Gin-gin' (hard g).
His parents mostly speak Mandarin at home, so he has leant to make a nickname using the last syllable of a name repeated. He applied the Chinese nickname to my Welsh-NZ name! So sweet.

I have been binge reading some of the new Tor.com science fiction/fantasy novellas. This is the publisher of books like Haunting of Tram Car 015 and the Wayward Children series. I wanted to see what else they had to offer. I read 5 of their novella's in the last two weeks. Last night I finished book 5 - Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday and found myself smiling throughout the book. I also wondered how it was going to end, as it had a couple of really good plot twists. It was full of humor and lots of tidbits of traditional djinn folklore from a part of the world from which we normally don't hear much. The author did a good job of giving the reader a variety of characters that each provided some bits of humor and wisdom. I can't wait to read more about these characters as I am sure that this author has more stories about them up his writing sleeve. The humor was fun and the science and large issue questions were done in a way that was thought provoking. This is a really good example of what a publisher can do when they go outside and find those under-represented voices in literature.

I am now done with my science fiction novella binge. It is time for me to move on - or back to my Donna Leon mystery and my current nonfiction read.

>84 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Happiness resounds indeed. Fina is wearing quite the fine dress today. I'll try to post a photo. We told our son to take advantage of our still being here and to go goof off. He's doing same.

>85 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Will do.

P.S. The cafe actually stays open when I'm gone, and patrons get free rein in the kitchen, on a trust basis. But not much food or drink has appeared on this particular journey.

>86 LovingLit: Right, Megan? Oh, you'd get some good cuddles here. Rafa and Fina are both quite excellent at it.

I think if you always carry a baby biscuit in your pocket and skritch between the ears of small children, you quickly become a favorite. Or is that dogs? 20 months old is only a little bit younger than the 22 month old Rafa. Fun age. I like the Gin-gin hard g nickname - is that because of your drinking habits? OK, couldn't resist.

Mandarin at home, wow. If he develops that and English, he's going to riding the crest of the future. Got it - Meg-gan = Gin-Gin. I'll bet that's cute as the dickens.

>87 benitastrnad: Good reminder re the Tor novellas, Benita, and I like that mini-review of Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday. I'll look for it.

I read a number of the Donna Leon mysteries, but ended up unmotivated for some reason. I'm more of a Montalbano guy.

I finished my second Adrian McKinty Sean Duffy mystery, I Hear the Sirens in the Street, and I'm already on the third. I like the Northern Ireland settings amidst the Troubles, and Sean's engaging.

Fina getting her beauty sleep, and then dressing up for High Tea.

Oh! THAT DRESS! I just can't get enough of that little sweetie.

The 95 Annversary ed of The New Yorker has a story by Murakami, Joe. I've not read yet, I'll save it for tomorrow.

>89 jnwelch: where's her handbag? Very glamorous.

>89 jnwelch: That poor celeb. Can't even get a quiet nap without the paparazzi pushing in for closeups. Oh, but she is a looker. You are a lucky grampa, Banjo.

>89 jnwelch: I still apparently sleep in that arms up pose, Joe. A lot more cuter though when Fina does it!

You should be charging us for the Fina therapy...she's exactly what I need to soothe my weary soul!

>89 jnwelch: She's ready for her first dance I see Joe. Cutie pie.

Hey, Mr. Cafe-Owner. Have you seen this Tom Gauld?

.>90 lauralkeet:. I know the feeling, Laura. We’re going to try to smuggle her out in a suitcase today. And OH THAT DRESS!

>89 jnwelch: LOVE the Fina photos! I am sure you will miss this angel.

Morning, Joe! Sweet Thursday. Safe travels home today. You had some unexpected stress on this trip but I am sure the little ones brought plenty of calming relief, as well. Make sure you are bundled up. It is COLD here today.

Hi Joe!

Whew! I am MIA for a week and come back to health scares, hospital stays, but all's-good-now, which is as it should be. I can understand the No social media was requested. Sometimes it's just necessary to hunker down and be private about certain things.

Safe trip today.

>98 msf59:. Morning, Mark. We are going to miss that little angel, and her goofy big bro, too.

That’s right - Sweet Thursday! We leave soon for the airport. Even with the unexpected stress, it was a great trip. I saw the temp in Chicago - yikes. It’s chilly here, but not nearly as bad as that. I guess I won’t wear the shorts today.

I hope you have a good one despite the cold.

>91 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. That New Yorker may be waiting for us. I always enjoy his short stories. In fact, the first Murakami I ever read was his short story collection After the Quake. We’d seen a play adaptation of some of the stories at Steppenwolf, and I thought, “This guy is my kind of crazy.” Over the next couple of months I read everything else by him I could get my hands on, to the exclusion of all other authors.

Ha! I agree - that outfit of Fina’s could use a handbag. I’ll try to remember to let her mother know.

>92 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. “Banjo” sounds pretty good, doesn’t it.😀

Our celeb granddaughter is so patient with the paparazzi - as long as she gets regularly fed and her diaper changed. I don’t know whether there was a Red Carpet at the High Tea/Baby Party, but she was ready for it.

Joe, I’m sorry to hear about the mysterious trip to the ER while you were visiting your beautiful family. Glad that all is well and that you had some extended Rafa and Fina Time. Loved the pictures!

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you.

>89 jnwelch: Fina is lovely.

>96 weird_O: Nice one, weird_O!

I finished The Institute by Stephen King and will be finishing up the Mike Rowe book over the weekend. I have started another audio, The Titanic Secret. It's another Clive Cussler in is historical Isaac Bell series. Bell is a detective in the mold of the Pinkertons operating around the turn of the last century. It is narrated by Scott Brick, who is a favorite of mine.

In the audio queue is Into the Fire(hasn't come yet-SOON) and Born a Crime (inspired by Abby-coffee.cat).

My next print read is up in the air.

It’s Mardi Gras time! Where is my King Cake? Don’t tell the cafe is out?

I will be baking this weekend. I have my sanding sugars ready and by Baby Jesus. Now all I need is the time to get it baked.

Morning, Joe. Happy Saturday. I hope you are both settled in back at home. Miss seeing you around. Getting ready to head off to work. Looks to be a mild weekend.

Hi, everyone. We’re back safely, but both caught terrible colds. Once again the absentee proprietor.😕

I hope everyone has a good weekend.

Morning, Joe! I am glad you are back safe and sound. Boo to the terrible colds - hoping you both feel better soon. I'm loving all the photos you have been sharing, so thanks for that.

>96 weird_O: That's perfect. I do love Tom Gauld's humor.

Sorry about the colds, that's just not fair. But your viral loads are always higher around infants, so it's to be expected. Happy homecoming...as soon as the cold goes.

Sorry to hear about the health scare - sometimes a heart stopping moment. I'm glad that all turned out well and that you are back safe and sound, or semi sound given that you brought colds back with you. Unfortunately that is often the result of air travel.

Love Fina's dress. Yes, a hand bag and maybe some pearls would set that off well.

I posted some pics on my thread of the museum exhibit that we are opening today. It's the one that has the GN posters so thought you might be interested.

Hi Joe, thanks for sharing the pictures of your grandkids - they are adorable. Fina has the most beautiful eyes - talk about soulful! Happy to hear that all is well with your family.

Sorry to hear you and MBH have a lurgy Joe. Get fixed soon.

Feel better soon.

I hope you and Debbie both feel better soon - especially since I need to see some more pictures of your adorable grands!

oh, bad colds are the pits. I hope you two rally soon.

Oh, dang, Joe. I hope you both get over those cold soon! You've had your share of it this season for certain!

Morning, Joe. I hope you both wake up today and feel much better. Sorry, to hear you both caught such nasty colds. I hope this hasn't prevented you from reading.

Colds? I blame the plane... nasty things.
Feel better soon, both of you :)

>117 mckait: Agreed...my son-in-law has to travel several times a year, and comes home with a nasty cold every single time.

Y'all feel better!

>119 richardderus: Oh RD thanks for making plenty - that looks delicious.

Get well soon, Joe. I agree with Kath that aeroplane travel is not to be too much encouraged in these days of possible pandemics.

>119 richardderus: Now that's a bowl of soup! I wouldn't dare hang onto a cold after completing it.

Ha! I’ll have to try that soup, hoping that Susan’s right.

Thanks, everyone. This is one nasty piece of business. Madame MBH goes to Urgent Care in a few minutes, and I will in the early afternoon. (We couldn’t coordinate). Sinus infection? We’ll find out.

What a weird health month this has been for the Welches.

>122 jnwelch: Sorry to hear this Joe, I am sending you and Mrs. MBH good health wishes and hope for a speedy recovery.

Ugh, that sounds awful Joe. I hope you both feel better very soon!

The Fina photos are a delight. You have two lovely grandchildren to enjoy.

On the bookish front I finally snagged a copy of Ted Chiang's Exhalation at the library after a long wait. I know you enjoyed the collection. I read the first two stories last night. The first Arabian nights reboot was entertaining. I remember you saying you liked that one. But I really enjoyed the second story "Exhalation". Both stories reminded me why I have liked Chiang's rare but always interesting stories in the past. He has been published now for 30 years and in all that time we only have two short story collections! I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories in this new one.

Good health wishes for everyone. It is a weird health month for the world.

yikes. I sincerely hope that you don't have what I did over the holidays. It lasted for 6 weeks.. three after I went to urgent care and still has a bit of something hanging on. May it be blasted away by positive energy and soup.

I spent yesterday making my King Cake's. Made two, and have a baby for only one of them. Now the recipients of the cakes get to tell me which one got the baby. I will need to order babies for the cakes next year. I should have done it this year, but sort of forgot about Mardi Gras. I also tend to forget about other things as well. I mixed and mixed and the dough just wasn't shaping up like it should have, but finally came together. I was headed out the door to go to my Book Club meeting and when I went to put my cup of coffee in the microwave to heat it up I noticed that it said "done" on the timer. I looked inside and there was my cup of butter that should have gone in the dough. I took the dough out of the bowl and put it back in the mixer and dumped the butter in. It took some time to incorporate the butter after the fact but it did get done. The cakes rose, baked, and appear to be fine. I will have to wait for the reports to come in to find out if my butter rescue was in time.

I did not frost the cakes. I will do that tonight when I get home from work. It is raining today and I hope that the damp weather doesn't make the sanding sugars melt.

OMG Fina looks positively adorable in that gold dress!

Sorry to hear you're under the weather after getting home from your visit. Get well soon wishes to you!

Still not well! Yuck. Well, let's break out the you'll-feel-better-after-THIS cake:

A whole orange in the cake and the icing. Blues, blues go away!

Sending good thoughts for you and Debbi.

Hope you are both on the road to recovery, Joe.

Sending lots of healing vibes.

Oh, dang, Joe! I hope the urgent care trips got you some answers and some helpful meds!

I just have to shout out that Weird-O is going to read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I keep telling him that he shouldn't disturb the universe, but he won't listen to me.

That cake looks delsih, RD. Spice cake, orange cake?

Thanks, everyone. I wish I could be more responsive. Soon, probably. Urgent care was very helpful. We had different diagnoses. With Debbi, they're most concerned with her cough-variant, virally-induced asthma, which you can translate as unrelenting awful coughing, and the strong possibility of seguing into bronchitis. So her standout med is a big dose for a while of Prednisone. For me, it's way oversaturation with mucus, and non-asthma unrelenting coughing, so they want to dry me up and get the cough under control. Round-the-clock albuterol (a first for me), a cough-treater called Tessalon, Zyrtec to help the drying-up, and a ton of fluids. I haven't been this sick in decades. The last one I can think of was in my teens, when penicillin kept me just this side of scarlet fever. Woo. I'm blaming our President and his stupid denial of climate change, mainly because I blame him for everything. Anyway, I feel like the transition to health has started, but we're not far into it yet. I need to go to the funeral for a friend's mother this weekend, so I need to get feeling reasonably good in the next couple of days.

Thanks for your patience. I've mainly been reading Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy mysteries set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and I'm on #5, Rain Dogs. Very good indeed.

>135 jnwelch: I do hope you both improve quickly! It sounds so overwhelmingly gruesome. And sure, blame DT, he deserves it and will shrug it off anyway.

Feel better soon, both of you! It could be worse, if you get my drift (just listen to the news of the latest plague, er, pandemic...) Anyhow, listen to your doctors, take your meds and dose up on the chicken soup, too!

And I agree, on who to blame! ;-)

Oof, that sounds awful for both of you, Joe! I hope the meds kick in quickly and get you back into the pink of health.

>135 jnwelch: wow. Suckiness squared. I'm certain DT is to blame as well. Get lots of rest, Joe and Debbi!!

An age old cure was to boil a few onions, throw a towel over your head, bend over the bowl with the towel covering the sides, and breathe in the steam ..... it's cured many of my coughs. Wear goggles so your eyes don't burn.

I hope you both feel better soon.

What I'd like to know is how come t-Rump never gets sick?

>141 jessibud2: - He does, it's just all covered up when serious ;-) He made an unexpected visit to Walter Reed Hospital in DC several months ago, and the WH tried to pass it off as part of his routing physical, which wasn't due to happen until months later. Riiiight.

More common ailments are often nipped in the bed quickly because of the on-site medical office at the WH.

>142 katiekrug: - Damn, I was hoping maybe it would somehow be discovered that he was actually a (Russian) robot, gone wrong. Sort of the Frankenstein variety. Then that discovery might disqualify him from the presidency. Ha! I never heard about that visit to the hospital. Why not? Where are the reporters to report stuff like this when you need them? A little drama, perhaps. After all, the White House is usually so quiet and boring, isn't it? (choke, choke) ;-)

Thanks, Laura, Caro, Shelley, and Katie. I appreciate the good wishes, and like Caro's age-old cure, and the behind-the-scenes at the WH health report. Apparently DT is just Putin's Puppet, not his robot?

I owe you all some posts to go with the caffEIne, so here's one I had on hand:

How do ESL-ers ever learn English? What an impossible language.

>144 jnwelch: I might go for such a vessel. I've seen the message, or one very much like it, but not on a cup.

Get well wishes for both you and Mrs. Joe. Sounds like you have what my husband has had since New Year's Eve...although he hasn't felt particularly sick with it. The cough lingers, despite 2 doctor visits, antibiotics, antihistamines, lots of fluids and chicken soup---two varieties, mine and his mother's, which are quite different. No one suggested prednisone this time, so he must not have the bronchial inflammation he sometimes gets; it's not an unrelenting cough, just a recurring one. Merely annoying at this point.

Morning, Joe! I hope you and Debbi are waking up today feeling much better. Wow! What a grind. All good with me, despite the work/winter thing. I am really enjoying the Elton John memoir. I assuming you are a fan?

>146 weird_O: Yeah, it was the cup form that made this weird and feisty one irresistible, Bill. I wonder how many times "receive" has been misspelled over the years. That's one I see a lot. Youthful Jane Austen famously came up with "Love and Freindhip" for one of her books.

>147 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. It may well be we have something similar to what your husband has. I've been hearing about these bugs this year that just won't let go, and this may be one of them. A persistent cough wouldn't be great at a funeral service (I've got one coming up for a friend's mom this weekend), but it would be better than what I'm feeling right now.

"Merely annoying" is a quality I appreciate, and pride myself on generally.

>148 msf59: Morning, Mark! We've still got the wobbly-hobblies, but each day is a little better. I'm going to try to get myself to the library today (GNs are waiting), which Madame MBH thinks is crazy. We'll see.

Elton John is fine by me, and what an amazing roster of hits. I'm glad you're enjoying his memoir so much; it's probably not in my future. I know he's had a plenty-interesting life, but I'm just not much for celebrity bios. The exceptions have tended to be comedians like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Oh, sorry to hear you two are not quite mended yet. No fun in that.

I've just read the first of the Sean Duffy mysteries, and while I usually don't like the historic settings in my mystery, this one interested me. Certainly enough clues to place it in the correct near-time. Surprisingly violent, but if that was Northern Ireland in the Troubles, ok. Let's hope Brexit doesn't open that wound again.

I hope the meds are doing their trick quickly. Get well wishes for both of you and sending lots of healing vibes.

Hoping you and Debbi recover quickly, Joe.

Just to let you know, the March Murder & Mayhem thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/317099

Y'all need to get you some golden milk lattes. Put yinz right from the first slurp.

Good luck with your trek to the library, Joe. I hope you are both feeling more human soon.

>150 ffortsa: Hi, Judy. Thanks. Little by little the mending progresses. This bug isn't willing to leave town quickly and quietly, so we're being patient.

I'm glad you liked Cold, Cold Ground. As Charlotte and others told me, and I can now confirm, the ones following are just as excellent. Yeah, what catches my interest in daily life during the Troubles, with all the complex effects. Milkman really grabbed me on that level, and these Sean Duffy mysteries do, too - and Sean is a character worth rooting for. As he says, he may not be a brilliant detective, but he's persistent. And if not brilliant, he's pretty darn bright.

I just started a Chicago-based one called Curious Toys, recommended by Bonnie. Very good so far.

>151 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. I can't see the meds are doing their job quickly - this bug seems to fight everything sent its way. But they are gradually returning us to normalcy. We just have to be very patient, as we continue to be limited in energy, and prone to the Cough of the Wild. Thank goodness we love and like each other!

>152 ronincats: Hi, Roni. Thanks. As I was saying to Barbara, "quickly" isn't really the word for what's happening, but gradual progress will get us back to normal eventually. This bug is tenacious, and I've been struck by how little OTC meds affect it. Usually I can get some reasonable relief to a cold, but not this one.

Yay for March Murder and Mayhem! Thanks for the link; I'll go there as soon as I finish these posts. I did finish In the Frame this month for the Dick Francis challenge.

>153 richardderus: Thanks, RD. "Yinz" - you make me feel like I'm right back in Pittsburgh. Golden milk lattes sound like something you get when handed when you reach Caffeine Paradise. I'm diving in.

You've been stalwart with the comestibles while we've been under duress. Much appreciated!

>154 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I made it to the library and back in reasonably good shape, so I'm happy about that. I got ridiculously slow toward the end of the walk back, but no one was keeping track of me with a speedometer, so who cares. I got some good GNs, including two with a Neil Gaiman footprint. I've read a LOT of Neil Gaiman, a favorite author of mine, but he's so prolific in so many genres that I know I haven't read all of his books, and probably never will completely catch up. I do believe I've read all of his novels, but the children's books, GNs and who-knows-whats - no way.

Feeling more human soon makes me think of the old joke - "Will I be able to feel human after I've healed?" Dr.: "Of course." Debbi and her husband: "Oh good. We never did before." (Just substitute "play the piano" for "feeling human").

I've often wondered what planet I'm really from. (Sound familiar?) My late Dad no doubt would've answered "the planet Vegetaria".

I was watching for the umpteenth time the movie Devil in a Blue Dress on tv, and was reminded what a good one it is. Young Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins and Don Cheadle as Mouse. What a dynamic combo! I wish they'd brought out more Easy stories with those two. A great surrounding cast of character actors, too.

It's based on the Walter Mosley book of the same name, which was the start of the series with many more Easy and Mouse stories - it's one of my favorite series ever, and I periodically re-read one. That one is White Butterfly right now.

I can remember standing outside a long-gone Chicago movie theater all those years ago, when the movie was first released, and waiting with Madame MBH for the excited line to dwindle so we could get in and watch it. Pretty sure it was the Esquire theater on Chicago Ave. downtown. Washington was pretty new to us, and Cheadle completely. We were wowed.

P.S. Our love of the movie was not widely shared at the time, for whatever reason. It pretty much bombed in 1995, making $17 million. Appreciation has grown over the years (critics liked it from the start), and it's now on tv a lot.

>135 jnwelch: I'm blaming our President and his stupid denial of climate change, mainly because I blame him for everything.

I do not blame you! Feel better soon, both of you!!

I loved Elton's memoir.. it was actually very similar in many ways to Ozzie's. Jane Fonda wrote a wonderful one My Life So Far that was very touching and interesting and my favorite of all the celebrity memoirs I've read. Don't ask me why I've read them, any of them. It just happens. I do like a memoir, and my library keeps edging them toward me on the kindle shelf and I jump in.

You should stay home and relax and get better. MBH has the right of it :)

>156 jnwelch: I was then, and am now, sure that "the people" stayed away because the film's marketing made it seem like a minstrel show. Blech.

I just read The Guardian's review of Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears...well...Essie Davis comes in for a helping of praise! 'Nuff sed.

Hello Joe. I hope all is well with you.

>156 jnwelch: I loved this film as well. I recently stumbled on to some YouTube videos of Denzel's AFI lifetime achievement gala. some wonderful things were said about him and his acceptance speech was from the heart. He seems like a genuinely wonderful human being.

I was also sad to hear the Clive Cussler died yesterday. Though his books don't get much play around here, they have been a staple of my audiobook commute for many years. Scott Brick's narration on many of them kept me coming back. Such great pulp adventure stories.

I finally got my hands on the Into the Fire audiobook! Great start. I can't wait to see where it goes.

Sweet Thursday to you!

>157 alcottacre: Ha! Thanks, Stasia!

>158 mckait: Good for you, Kath. I certainly have jumped into plenty of reads just because.

Arggh, I'm heading back to Urgent Care in about an hour. This tenacious bug is gumming up the works. I'm trying to figure out how to stumble through this weekend supporting a good friend and his family. Fingers crossed.

>159 richardderus: Maybe so, RD. It sure did occur to me that a mainly black cast back then was unusual. I'm glad Devil in a Blue Dress has gotten some well-deserved recognition over time.
Oh great - I love Essie Davis. (I need to see Babadook). We get the Miss Fisher movie in the States on March something, March 23 is what I remember. I'll check the link.

>160 brodiew2: Oh, good, Brodie. Yeah, Denzel seems like a genuinely wonderful human being from what I've seen, too. Too bad about Clive Cussler; I've never read him, but I know he brought reading pleasure to an awful lot of folks. Pulp adventure is A-OK by me; there are times when I definitely have a hankering for it.

Ah, you've started Into the Fire! Isn't that a great start - I feel like he's one of those that always gets a book galloping early on. You're in for a great ride.

Sweet Thursday, buddy!

We loved the Devil in a Blue Dress movie too. I hadn't really been aware that it fell flat at the box office. I thought there probably were no more of them because Denzel Washington didn't want to get stuck in a recurring role...he did just one Lincoln Rhyme movie, The Bone Collector, based on Jeffrey Deaver's book of that name too. Now I see that's being done again, for some reason.

>162 laytonwoman3rd: You may be right about Denzel, Linda. He did do two Equalizer movies, and I think I saw he's working on a third, so maybe his POV has changed over the years. I can't think of any others where he's done more than one.

I did hear the author, Walter Mosley, briefly address this question a few years ago in Chicago. He said, with a laugh, that he felt very lucky that they'd caught Denzel early in his career in Blue Dress, and that there would be no way for them to pay his going fee after he became such a success. That got a big laugh. I'm glad you loved the movie, too.

Don Cheadle was the perfect Mouse. That's still my favorite part he's played.

Greta and Malala met up in Oxford recently, where Malala is going to school. It sounds like they became instant friends, with Greta saying she was happy to meet her role model, and Malala saying Greta was the one friend she'd skip school for. They're a couple of bright lights in the discouraging darkness, aren't they.

>161 jnwelch: . My sweet friend...support them by staying home.. I wouldn't have gotten sick if a sick person had stayed home, nor would either of you have. Sending hugs and hoping you understand this is said lovingly...

edit

and it's better for you, too. You need to rest and get well

Joe--I hope you and Debbi are starting to feel better by now. NO fun at all.

>144 jnwelch: I didn't before, but now I need some caffeine!!! The English language gives me headaches sometimes. LOL

>165 mckait: Thanks, Kath. I much appreciate the thought, and believe me, it's crossed my mind. I actually did run all this by the doctor, including all the mingling that's going to happen. She said I can do it, and I'm not contagious - although she recommends I wash my hands a lot and not cough on anybody!

It's also not a casual friend; we've been friends over 50 (how is that possible?) years, and it's his mother who died. My coming is a big deal for him.

I just had Prednisone prescribed, which has been helping Madame MBH, so I'm optimistic about turning this in the right direction.

>166 Berly: Thanks, Kim. It's been a week as of today, so it's not as bad as it could be, I guess. But it's so nasty, it feels like it's been going on much longer.

Ha! I know, we have the craziest language. Sometimes we're very efficient in the ways we can say/write things, but the spelling and pronunciation weirdities, oo la la.

xo, then I hope that you are much better by then...both of you !

Sorry to hear about that persistent bug you are dealing with Joe! Sending you some healing energy. Keep nice and warm, please!

Hoping things are on the upswing healthwise for you and Debbie, Joe!

Maybe you should brew a cuppa or two?

>168 mckait:. Thanks, Kath. I take the train to Ann Arbor tomorrow, so the Prednisone needs to work fast. I’m going solo; although she loves this friend, she doesn’t have the history with him and his family that I do.

>169 EllaTim:. Many thanks, Ella! I’m taking appropriate layers, so I should be okay. The graveside service is outside tomorrow, so I’ll bundle up. The Saturday one is inside, so that should be fine.

>170 alcottacre:. Thanks, Stasia! Debbi’s health is definitely on the upside, although it’s a long swing up from the crummy place she started. I’m hoping that with the newly acquired Prednisone I’ll soon be saying the same.

We’ve been brewing many a cuppa, and Debbi has a magic herbal potion that we’ve been drinking, too (thyme is a key ingredient), so hopefully all these helpers will succeed in quelling the viral scourge.

>161 jnwelch: I hope you are in better shape for the weekend Joe, I can see how important it is for you to be at your friend's side. >167 jnwelch: how do all those years tot up? I have had two friendships for almost that long, and two others of 40+ years. And precious they are.

>164 jnwelch: isn't that a great photo Joe? It squeezed my heart to know that they will be around to change the future.

Morning, Joe!

I'm crossing my fingers that the medicine works for you so you're feeling better and can support your friend.

>172 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. Thanks - I am feeling improved for the first time in a week. Yeah, all three of his children somehow became my godchildren, and he's my son's godfather. Cool guy. Like you, I have some other friendships that go that far back, one in particular that's as close as this one, and they're special.

Greta and Malala! What smile-bringers those two are, aren't they.

>173 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Thanks for the finger-crossing - it seems to be helping. I do feel better, and I'm about to go on my second day with that medicine (it needs to be taken with food). I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and if I'm a bit slow and stupid, they probably won't even notice. :-)

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I probably won't be on a lot, but I'll try to stay in touch.

I'm glad you are well enough to make the trip to Ann Arbor, Joe. I hope you continue to feel better or at least well enough to get through it.

>164 jnwelch: Love it!!

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday! Glad you are feeling better today and have a safe trip to Ann Arbor. At least the train gives you lots of reading time. You board at Union Station, right?

>176 lauralkeet:. Thanks, Laura. I’d take the second in a blink. My presence and support and love is what’s important from my end, and I can do that.

>177 msf59:. Right, Mark? It makes me happy every time I see those two in >164 jnwelch:.

Happy Friday! I am feeling better, and I always enjoy the train for the reading time. Yes, I pick it up at Union Station, and it should be about a 4 hour trip.

>178 jnwelch:

Union Station! the Bakery on the Corner! a Train through the lovely soothing country to Ann Arbor!

Ann Arbor's famous bakery! (name slips my mind - back later when connect with daughter who lived in Ann Arbor)

The original Borders!

Bringing love and comfort to your Friends!

Hope it is a good journey - yet, if you cough AND people know you have recently been through O'Hare, they may move quickly away...

>179 m.belljackson:

It's Zingerman's Bakery - a place that could make you briefly forget books -
and decide to send everyone breads and pastries for gifts!

If you stay around, they have a Challah Baking Class on March 7th, which could make you a popular husband and friend.

>179 m.belljackson:, >180 m.belljackson:

Hi, Marianne. I knew you must mean Zingerman’s! Great place, still thriving, as far as I know. I grew up going to Quality Bakery on Main Street, which disappeared while I was in my teens or shortly thereafter. My grandmother used to take me there as a treat, and I loved it.

Yeah, this is a pretty train trip to Ann Arbor, even in winter. I must say, I love it even more with the green and the changing colors in the other three seasons.

Borders - I was managing a different bookstore in Ann Arbor (Centicore) when the first Borders started. We were envious of their sleek and relentless business model, while we were clinging to an old-timey personal approach to customers. I still favor the second, after all these years. Their advanced inventory system that tracked sales and returns on a grand scale was considered a game- changer.

After they grew, while working at a Chicago independent bookstore, I got involved in an antitrust lawsuit against them and other big box stores, as publishers began to favor them unfairly in discounts in ways that couldn’t be justified simply by sales volume. That settled, and the publishers largely cleaned up their act.

Now we’re in an era without Borders, B. Dalton’s and others, and B & N faltering, and independents making a comeback. Wish I could tell you I saw that coming, but I sure didn’t. It gladdens my heart, though. I seem to feel about independent bookstores the way many of our former and present 75er librarians feel about libraries. I love libraries, but I’ve got a little extra passion for the bookstores.

Ha! I do enjoy Challah, but I’ll be long gone by the time that class starts.

Coughing: I plan to quickly recuse myself if it acts up too much, hopefully before others begin to flee in terror.

Another indie bookstore lover here! And bakeries. too. I have a funny story about a bakery from when I was growing up. It was a tiny place, but always packed with people because everything was always fresh and delish. Everyone in the neighbourhood called it The Dirty Bakery. In actual fact, it wasn't dirty at all but the owner/guy behind the cash register always wore a rather grubby looking t-shirt and always had a 3-day stubble (before that was fashionable) and had a cigarette stuck to his lower lip (before that was UNfashionable!). Fast forward many years and the guy is long gone, the bakery sold, probably more than once. But the new owners were smart enough to know a good thing when they saw it and when the new sign went up outside the bakery, it had a caricature of a grubby looking guy in an undershirt, complete with stubble and ciggie. The name, in big bold letters was, The Dirty Bakery. I bet he didn't lose a single customer! :-)

As for your cough, one word: RI-CO-LA! It's the only off the shelf product that truly quells my coughs when they start up (mine are usually asthma-related)

>181 jnwelch: >182 jessibud2:

Yeah, all the bad stuff about Borders is true - unfortunately, it did turn out to have two GREAT bookstores in Madison -
in locations totally without the Independents that Downtown Madison has.

Now, both are gone and we are stuck with a truly awful loud and overbright (well, it should be a word)
Barnes and Noble stuck at a mall entrance and further stuck with terrible parking.

The closest to an indie bookstore is Half-price Books which offers NO place to sit down.

All your bakeries sound so inviting, notably from Token Creek, famous for 3 bars and no church or bakery -
the nearest is Einstein's Bagels.

Ricola's the only one my daughter will use - says the others all have sugar.

Hi Joe!

I'm so sorry you and Debbi have been sick for so long, glad to hear there's at least some progress for both of you.

Fisherman's Friend cough suppressant and sore throat lozenges got me through my wedding almost 29 years ago after my mother kindly brought her cold from California for the wedding. They were the preferred method of a fairly well-known singer-songwriter friend of ours if he wasn't 100% before performances.

>182 jessibud2: The Dirty Bakery story is a hoot! Strange what positive feelings can linger around what should be off-putting.

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you and the fam.

I watched Ford vs Ferrari last night. Excellent film! Given that I did not know the outcome, the ending held some surprises. Great performances all around. Matt Damon, Christian Bale, John Bernthal (Iacocca), et al. Have you seen it? What were your impressions?

>185 quondame: - You know, I googled just to see how accurate my memory was and to see if anyone else remembered the place. I found this blog post from 2011. I don't know the guy who wrote it, but was delighted to read his post because it really validated everything I remembered. I think the sign has changed over the years. But I also lived close enough to the bakery to walk to it and it was a staple of our growing up years.

https://writteninc.blogspot.com/2011/10/return-to-dirty-bakery.html

>135 jnwelch: Hope you are both on the mend now Joe. I'm afraid I particularly empathise with Debbi as I have cough variant asthma too. It was diagnosed a few years ago after a lifetime of getting worse coughs than anyone I knew. I'm now on two lots of steroids on a regular basis and while I still find a cold can metamorphosize into a bad cough, they aren't as bad as previously.

>171 jnwelch: Thyme is always good when you have a cough together with elderflower and honey it's a magical tea.

Wishing you a good weekend.

>187 jessibud2: My home town had nothing of nostalgia to offer, having been built in the decade of my birth and to military standards. The off-base town was similarly dull and significantly more shabby in the corners. But! I visited West LA almost monthly and there we discovered Paris Pastry, which, while not the same, is, at least, still standing. Almost nothing of pre-1970 Los Angeles is left where I can easily find it, but there is so much here I remain in love with my corner of the city.

>182 jessibud2:. There’s my fellow indie bookstore lover! Hi, Shelley. I love the Dirty Bakery story. The new owners were smart to continue, and capitalize on, the legacy of the guy with the grubby-looking t shirt. I love places with personality like that.

I think I’ve tried just about every kind of cough drop there is, including Ricola and Fisherman’s Friend. The one that works best for me was recommended by Darryl which is Hall’s Soothers. It’s sold all over in London, but is harder to get in the States. I buy them online here. But I gotta say, the cough that comes with this particular virus is strong and not easy to bring under control. I’ve got loads of Soothers with me, and today went well, I’m glad to say.

>183 m.belljackson:. Jeez, I’m sorry about the overbright B&N near you, Marianne, and its lousy parking. The Chicago B&N’s have good parking or proximity to mass transit, whatever their other flaws may be. I did see that the new B & N owner plans to give the local managers more independence and ability to reflect their particular community. I always found the uniformity and central decision making annoying and foolish - you take personality out of the store and impair its connection to its local customers.

Unlike your daughter, I’m fine with sugar (in moderation); I’m sure the Soothers have some.

>184 karenmarie:. Hi, Karen. Thanks. I’m starting to feel some optimism about this frustrating virus; I feel significantly improved on my second of three days of steroids (Prednisone). I’ve been talking with gathered folks for hours, and I’m a bit raspy but otherwise okay.

I didn’t have the luck with Fishermens’ Friend lozenges that you and your musical friend did, but I appreciate the thought.

>185 quondame:. Agreed, Susan. I love that kind of counter-intuitive story and unexpected name.

>186 brodiew2:. Hello Brodie! I was a little worried about this weekend on the health front, but so far so good.

I haven’t seen Ford v. Ferrari, but you’re the second friend who has really liked it. I’m not much of a car race movie guy, but the pairing of Damon and Bale is pretty awesome. Great actors, both. I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.

>187 jessibud2:. There’s the link. Thanks, Shelley. I’m going to check it out after finishing these posts.

So glad to hear you’re on the mend Joe. What a siege you and Debbie have had!
(Note to self: buy some Halls Soothers next time I’m in the UK.)

>188 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian. We’re both mending, but it looks like it’s going to be slower with Debbi because of that cough variant asthma component. I’m sorry to hear you have it, too. Like you, Debbi wasn’t diagnosed until well into adulthood, which is too bad because earlier treatment would’ve made her life easier. (Our daughter has it, too, although at least they caught hers at a young age).

I’m glad the periodic steroids have helped make yours less severe. Debbi and I are both on them now, and it’s helping.

>189 Ameise1:. Hi, Barbara. There was thyme, honey and lime in Debbi’s magic potion, and maybe one other herb I’m forgetting. I was expecting it to taste bad, and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted okay.

>190 quondame:. Ah, you were a Southern California girl, Susan. I’ll let Marianne respond, but I’m glad you found Paris Pastry and love your corner of the city.

>193 NarratorLady:. Ha! Yes, Anne, try the Hall’s Soothers next time you’re in the UK. We all like the blackcurrant ones best.

It has been a siege! As I was saying before, I don’t remember having anything nearly this bad since I was a kid. And it’s not even flu. I’m going to be happy to get completely on the far side of it.

I hope you're over the worst of it now, Joe, and MBH as well. I'm eager to see what you think of Curious Toys.

>191 jnwelch: I definitely agree about the Hall’s Soothers as well (although I prefer the peach or the strawberry flavour).

Morning, Joe!

I'm glad you've found some cough drops that help. Tomm and I have tried the Fisherman's Friend ones and ooof, they sort of help but they're so...strong. It takes a certain kind of stamina just to make it through the whole drop.

>196 brenzi:. I’m hoping so, too, Bonnie. For both the health and Curious Toys I’d say, so far so good. Thanks again for the rev of Curious Toys.

>197 SandDune:. Good to hear, Rhian. Of course it was the U.S. Ambassador to London, Darryl, who first recommended Soothers to us. I haven’t tried the strawberry yet, and will. We do like the peach.

>198 scaifea:. Morning Amber!

Yes, the Soothers are carrying me through. I know what you mean with FF. If they were more effective for me I’d put up with that. Soothers, thank goodness, are quite pleasant.

It’s tough to juggle trying not to have a disruptive coughing fit with so much talking. I explained to my friend that I might have to briefly disappear if I get hit with a coughing jag. I’m knocking on wood - hasn’t happened so far.

I love the photos of Rafe. His blonde curly hair is stunning. Added to his lovely smile, he is quite charming.

I hope your coughing spells abate.
I know that you, like me, appreciate illustrations. I highly recommend Gennady Spirin, Charles Santore, and David Delamare.

I'm on a mission to relax through the spine pain, and enjoying the artistry of illustrations help tremendously.

Happy, and healthy Saturday.

Here is a sample of Gennady Spirin's artistry:



And, here i Charles Santore's work:



And one of my very favorites: David Delamare:

Glad to hear you guys are on the mend. : )

I am blessed to have a wonderful Indie bookstore 5 min from my house, Annie Bloom's, and then, of course, I have Powell's. There's also Broadway books, another Indie downtown, and then a former LTer has a used bookshop downtown called Another Read Through.

We also have an Amazon bookstore at one nearby Mall, and a Barnes and Noble at another one closeby.

I love Portland!!

It’s good that you are on the mend enough that you are able to support your friend, Joe. Hope your cough behaves.

>201 Whisper1:. Hi, Linda. Good to see you here! I hope your back is treating you as well as possible.

Thanks re Rafa. I wish you could see him in person. He’s also charming in the very attentive way he engages with the world, like a smart little koala bear.

Thanks for the tips on these illustrators. I will follow up. Those are beautiful ones you picked. I’m glad the artistry helps you in relaxing through the spine pain. What a tough situation you’ve been given. Kudos and gentle hugs for the spirit with which you respond.

>202 Berly:. You are a lucky woman. Kim. You know how over the moon we were about Powell’s. Now we’ll have to visit Annie Bloom’s. And Broadway Books, and Another Read Through. And eat donuts. :-)

I can well understand why you love Portland. If you just had more snow and ice and hail and extreme cold, I’d be tempted to live there myself.

>203 Familyhistorian:. Thanks, Meg. I gotta say, it was a wonderful weekend. That’s one of the weird things about funerals. They’re also reunions. It was a great celebration of my friend’s much-loved mom, and kind of amazing to see all the remarkable family and friends connected to her. I also got to reconnect with some old high school buddies. Mainly, it was great to spend time with my friend and his lovely family.

My cough really did behave, thanks. I had one jag Saturday morning and one that afternoon, but in both instances I was able to slip away from the crowd and bring it around with none the wiser.

Now I could sleep for about a week!

"Now I could sleep for about a week!" And so you should.

Hi Joe. Catching up on LT doings. We've both got persistent dry coughs. Not as frequent as the coughs yinz has. Get better, man.

I'll bet you've read Connie Willis. I'm reading Doomsday Book, spurred by the notion the book is about scholars of medieval times doing time travel. Turns out it has a plot line in which Oxford is quarantined in hopes of containing the spread of a previously unknown virus. The mildly mind-boggling aspect is that the book was published in 1992 and the story is set in 2050 or so. And Willis has captured so much of the mechanics of establishing the quarantine and testing individuals and the undercurrent of whining and complaining about the terms of the quarantine.

The pace is pretty measured, but it's entertaining me.

Happy Sunday, Joe! I hope everything is going smoothly in Ann Arbor and I hope that nasty cold, is in the rear-view. A beautiful day here in the Midwest.

>206 laytonwoman3rd:. Ha! Thanks, Linda. That sounds mighty good. :-)

>207 weird_O:. Thanks, Bill. Sorry to hear that the persistent cough found you and yours. The getting better part is taking a frustratingly long time, but we’re getting there. This is one strong bug.

“Yinz” - love it. Our son is educating us on Pittsburgh expressions.

You’re right about my reading Connie Willis. The Doomsday Book is my favorite of hers. I loved it, measured pace and all. I got really caught up in the story, and you’re right about how on-target she is about the quarantine.

Our son found it too slow in parts, which kinda disappointed me, but his love for other sci-fi classics has made up for it. I laughed at one disconnect we had over a classic- he and his mom were thanking me for recommending “the one about the ants”. I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about until I realized they meant the one about the dogs. I cracked up. If you’ve read Clifford Simak’s City, you’ll know what was going on.

Joe - for your cough, from Connie Willis' TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG - "How many drops have you had?"

>209 jnwelch: "the one about the ants" LOL

I still don't get how that glittering gem didn't win the Hugo, but *did* win an International Fantasy Award. Fantasy? Umm...dragons, uncheck...majgickq, uncheck...shapeshifters and other "supernatural beings," uncheck...???

Well, inscrutable the ways of the goddesses, eh what?

>210 m.belljackson:. Ha! Like Ned, I guess, Marianne, I found all that searching for the bishop’s bird stump exhausting. To Say Nothing of the Dog is probably my second favorite of hers. I also liked Passage a lot, although I’m not sure how big the group of admirers is for that one.

>211 richardderus:. Right, RD? They had me dumbfounded, particularly since they insisted that it was my recommendation.

You’re so good with the book history. Yeah, an International Fantasy award makes no sense whatsoever for City. It’s sci-fi, baby! I’m too lazy right now to look it up - what book won the Hugo that year?

The 1953 Hugo for best of 1952 went to Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man. Deservedly so, I suppose, since it's still read widely, chewed over by fans, and City is not. *sigh* I have never, ever had The Common Touch. What will be a bestseller? Ask me! My answer turned 180° will be correct.

>214 richardderus:. Thanks, RD. I do love Alfred Bester and Demolished Man, so I can bear with that one beating out City, although I’d pick City. (I’d also pick Stars My Destination over The Demolished Man).

I have a deft touch similar to yours when it comes to store products. If I particularly like a particular retail store product, be it food, drink, personal care or whatever, it is almost certain to disappear from store shelves within months if not weeks. I’ve considered offering my services to marketing companies for that 180 degree view you mention.

One exception is Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap, that hoary hippie product with crazy (but enthusiastic!) ramblings on the label. I can’t believe it still shows up, but it does, including on Trader Joe’s shelves.

>215 jnwelch: My introduction to castile soap. Still prefer it to all others. Mama used to buy me bars of Kirk's Castile Soap...I wonder if that's still made...for a wonder it is! I don't like soap bars very much, for reasons I suspect anyone who's ever shared a shower can figure out with very little effort. So Dr. Bronner's was a staple for years until I found Nivea shower gel.

>216 richardderus:. Now you make me want to go out and buy some Castile Soap.

I like to turn on the bathroom’s black light (the Hendrix poster zooms at me in neon), light a joint, drizzle some Dr. Bronner’s on the loofa, and become one with the showerverse. Of course, the joint gets drenched, but it’s worth it.

>212 jnwelch: Your touchstones are rather off the intent - Passage by Connie Willis is singular. Many old and not so very old favorites have shown up here today.

>218 quondame:. Thanks, Susan. Comments welcome on the old favorites.

Arggh. Hunting for the right touchstone is one of my least favorite things to do on LT, although I appreciate their existence. Is it touchstones plural? Is there another one screwed up besides Passage?

>217 jnwelch: LOL

You and Tommy Chong. Heh.

Hey, Joe! I think you may have missed me up there!

>220 richardderus: I LOVE it!!!

Hello Joe!

>214 richardderus: >215 jnwelch: My ears burn whenever Bester and The Demolished Man get a reference. I enjoyed the book greatly. Very intense. I still have not taken up The Stars, My Destination and I feel like it is a must. It has been said you either like it or you don't.

I watched The Good Liar last night and found it interesting. I did not realized it was adapted from the novel. Good movie. Great performances by the leads.

I have to admit that I have never heard of The Demolished Man. Bad, Stasia.

Glad to see you are feeling better, Joe!

>220 richardderus: I was going to make a joke about his partner, but that would be cheech-ing.



>221 msf59: Oh man, sorry, my friend. You slid in just as I was responding to Bill's post.

It turned out to be a great weekend, although this cold does not want to give up. I was surprised to get off the train yesterday to such nice weather. We made it to March! February is always a hard one, seems like.

I hope all has been going well for you. I'll come over and catch up.

>222 brodiew2: Hiya Brodie!

The Demolished Man is such a good one, isn't it. I can't imagine your not liking The Stars My Destination. Gully Foyle, man.

I haven't looked at The Good Liar. Did you see there's a second season of Altered Carbon? I'll be there!

>223 alcottacre: Yeah, when a sci-fi book lasts like The Demolished Man has, and you're a sci-fi reader, it's worth grabbing it, Stasia. It's a fun read, and I'm pretty sure the Hugo it won was the first one ever awarded.

HI Joe, Thumbed your wonderful review of House of Broken Angels. Hope all's well!

>225 mdoris: Thanks, Mary! All is well. That's very nice of you to thumb my House of Broken Angels review. I saw on Mark's thread that you enjoyed the book, and went back and read the reviews from Mark, Janet and me, and gave us thumbs. Thanks! I hope the word continues to spread; I'd love for that book to get many more readers. As you know, this is one many Latin writers cited on a list of alternatives (or additions, for that matter) to American Dirt.

All right, many of you were in on the run-up to this past weekend, with the funeral service for my friend's mom Emma. So I thought some photos would be appropriate.



Photo of Emma, with the Preacher in back



My friend James and his wife Josie



Their kids: Jimmy with wife Norma, James and son Joseph, Jackie and her husband David

They're a wonderful family.

You know how to crush a man's resolve, Joe. You and Richard and even Brodie.

I just mention Doomsday Book, my current read (almost done), and the avalanche of associations that mention triggered is burying my resolve to slow down on book acquisitions. Fortunately, I already have To Say Nothing of the Dog (thanks go out to Lycomayflower for the Santa swap gift) and it is very near the top of the TBR Short List. Nevertheless, it appears I must look into City and The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination and Passage.

Ohhhh. Thanks! Something to live for.

:-)

They look properly celebratory of their mother/grandmother's life instead of bowed down with sadness. How good for you to have been there to share in it.

>228 weird_O: Ha! That's a great list, Bill. Richard could probably rattle off another 20 good ones at the drop of a hat. If you go with two or three of us to a bookstore with a good science fiction section, look out! Sci-fi and mystery were my meat and potatoes reading when I was growing up.

I'm glad we've given you something to live for. This is a virtually endless resource, so please plan on a long life.

>229 richardderus: Agreed, Richard. She was a joyous person, and I said more than once that she would have enjoyed this gathering more than anyone. A couple of us discussed how, if we'd tried to gather this group for her while she was living, we probably wouldn't have had the same success. Isn't that a bit bizarre?

As you say, it was properly celebratory of this woman who meant so much to them. I was hoping there'd be stories as part of the celebration, and there were. Charming and thought-provoking. She was born in 1925. Jimmy talked about all the huge historic events she'd lived through - including the Great Depression, WWII, the Civil Rights movement, JFK's assassination, the first black President. She was joyful and a dancer, and was restricted to her bed when Trump was impeached - so she danced in her bed. :-) I learned a lot more about my friend's extended family on this trip, and what a family! Big personalities all over the place. And seeing some long-lost pals from high school, what a treat. We've all promised to stay in touch; we'll see.

>230 jnwelch: Staying in touch is always easy to promise, especially under duress. The realities of life militate against it, at least they usually do.

OK, if you're like me, on some walks profound (to you) thoughts arise. If you're having a beer with me, that's an occasion where they tend to appear. Or sometimes they just appear, and you might wonder what planet I'm from, or what I"ve been smoking.

Anyway, this one came to me today. It's one most of you have come across in one way or another, I suspect, but it doesn't sink in for so many people, and I wish it did. Here goes.

I know people, particularly one, who wish they had more friends. They're lonely. And this online world we're in has its plusses and minuses in that regard. It's not the same as in-person, although it can be wonderful in its own way, and exceptional when combined with a meetup.

OK, so you'd like more friends. Here's how I see it: you need to accept yourself, forgive yourself, be happy with yourself, and love yourself first. Then you need to open up, to let people see who you really are.

Some lonely people I meet, I think, well, you make it so hard. You hide, and then get unhappy when no one makes the effort to find you, or if they do, you're disappointed that they don't make the effort to dig you out of where you're hidden. I suspect it's usually fear - you've been taught along the way that the real you is shameful, or lesser, or doesn't belong (from another planet), or some other version of that. You've been bullied, left out, isolated, unloved, misunderstood, you've not fit in. You're fat, ugly, badly dressed, too different, too shy, interested in too many oddball things, don't understand or follow the rules like normal people. You're no good, you'll never be good enough. Or you've been afraid of being perceived that way. So you hide who you are, and try to be someone who doesn't have flaws and will be happy.

So, you figure, if I could just be someone else like other someone elses, I'll be happy. Right? And when you look at that in black and white, I think you see how absurd that is and unlikely to succeed. If you could just be someone else, you'll be happy, or happier. Well, how exactly is that going to work? You're never going to be someone else, you're inevitably going to be unhappy not being yourself, and if you're clever and good at playacting, you'll make your life smoother and have a burnished image for others, but you're going to feel empty and probably feel you've somehow betrayed yourself.

So, what's the alternative? Bring that ol' self out into the light, little by little. Fear is the main restriction, I think. Someone's not going to like who you are or what you think, and say something mean, or think something mean, and it's just more than you think you can take. Well, no it's not. Have a little faith, there's magic in the night - you ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right. It's worth the effort to start getting out of that hiding place, even if nothing in terms of "friends" comes of it. As you open up and put yourself out there, others on your wavelength start seeing you, and appreciating a fellow weirdo. They gravitate toward you, or you start taking yourself to places that match who you are, and start running into kindred spirits.

As Lizzo so eloquently put it,

I do my hair toss
Check my nails
Baby how you feelin'?
Feeling good as hell
Hair toss
Check my nails
Baby how you feelin'?
Feeling good as hell
Woo child, tired of the bullshit
Go on dust your shoulders off, keep it moving
Yes Lord, tryna get some new shit
In there, swimwear, going to the pool shit
Come now, come dry your eyes
You know you a star, you can touch the sky
I know that it's hard but you have to try
If you need advice, let me simplify
If he don't love you anymore
Just walk your fine ass out the door

>232 jnwelch: Bravo! Well said.

>219 jnwelch: That depends on whether you meant To say nothing of the dog or Three men in a boat. Among other issues with touchstones, I'm not sure if it's possible to do multiple works of the same title in a single post.

I liked Blish a lot when I first read him, and Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination continue to impress. I notice the lack of positively rendered women now than I used to, along with other diversity issues.

>232 jnwelch: The creative process is a funny one, Joe, isn't it? How it sometimes comes and knocks your door down but at other times it gives you the germ of an idea and you have to work hard to make it grow.

>227 jnwelch: What a nice looking family. Glad you were able to attend the service.

>232 jnwelch: I will have to circle back and check this one out, more closely. Looks like some very fine musings.

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. I hope you are back to full strength. I am just trudging through my long work week, but at least the weather hasn't been bad. I am really enjoying The Friend. I am not sure if this one is on your list or not, but she is a heck of a writer.

>232 jnwelch:

>231 richardderus: Agreed, RD. I enjoyed the sentiment, for sure. Much better than, "can't wait until I never see you again." :-) But I'm not counting on it.

>233 richardderus: Thanks, buddy. The ramblings of an old guy, but you know whereof I'm speaking.

>234 alcottacre: Stasia, I'm speechless.

>235 quondame: Ah, to heck with touchstones, Susan. We're far enough along. People can check To Say Nothing of the Dog if they're interested. Three Men in a Boat is worth reading anyway, right?

You say Blish, and I think you mean Bester? I've never read James Blish. Should I?

Yeah, diversity and gender roles are usually an issue if you go back far enough in the sci-fi (and not just sci-fi!) Sometimes it's intolerable on a current day re-read. I haven't found that with Bester.

There's a great article on N.K. Jemison in a recent (Jan. 7, 2020) New Yorker, that talks about, among other things, the difficulties she had as a black woman getting published in a white-dominated industry, and the issues she still runs into today. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/27/nk-jemisins-dream-worlds

>236 PaulCranswick: Right, Paul. Or bits and pieces you've been thinking about suddenly coalesce. That's what happened here. Why now? I sure don't know.

>237 msf59: Thanks, Mark. They are nice looking, aren't they. The kids all have that charisma. Jimmy's a successful entertainment attorney in LA, Jackie heads up the A. Phillip Randolph Institute that has a national impact on protecting minority rights, and Joseph heads up the local SEIU chapter, with 60,000 members.

If we'd had our scheduled meetup, you'd have probably heard some of those very fine musings in >232 jnwelch:. :-)

Happy Wednesday, buddy. I'm not back to full strength, can you believe. Someone here mentioned their husband had 3 weeks of it. I hope this doesn't go that long. I am feeling better today, so fingers crossed. Poor Debbi went backwards, with a new sinus and ear infection diagnosed this morning. Unbelievable - she deserves a big break asap.

Hope all is well on your end. At least we're all getting sunshine.

>238 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. I've talked about this with the particular person I had in mind. I hope it sinks in.

Northern Pygmy Owl

>241 jnwelch: It's a pygmy all right, considering the typical barn owl looks like the Incredible Hulk next to it! Wowzers.

Spend a happy Humpday.

>241 jnwelch: I want one...please.

Sorry to hear you are both still suffering Joe.

>232 jnwelch: Oh yes, wherever you go, there you are. It's important to accept yourself, and, while trying to do better, still do what you can.

>239 jnwelch: Ooops! Yes, very different authors, only my complaint works for both. And yes, Blish is worth your time. But why do a touchstone at all if it doesn't hit what you targeted? Isn't the purpose to lead to more information for the interested. Not that the case we're talking about would really confuse anyone here, but there have been instances....

>241 jnwelch: What a great photo. That is either a plant stem or that is the most well endowed bird I ever did see!

Morning, Joe!

I'm so sorry to hear that Debbie isn't getting better yet! Ugh. The feeling of being sick of being sick is awful.

>242 richardderus: Isn't that something, Richard. Little, tiny, pygmy owl. Looks about hummingbird size.

It was a pretty decent Humpday. I hope you have a sweet Thursday, buddy.

>243 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! If I had one to give you, I would, Caroline.

We're better today, thanks. Poor Debbi got some more heaped on top of what she was just getting over. Sometimes life isn't fair. But we'll both get clear of it, hopefully soonish.

>244 quondame: Yeah, accept yourself, forgive yourself for where you think you've come up short, and let others see who you really are, Susan. For me, it connects with Buddhism's "right speech" - telling the truth, being honest has a lot of benefits.

>245 quondame: I can only speak for me, Susan, but I slip up on the touchstones, sometimes when I get interrupted or distracted, sometimes when I'm posting a lot, and sometimes for some other reason, I'm sure. Usually, someone points it out, and I fix it, like I did for Passage. I was trying to jovially say that we were so far along from that Say Nothing of the Dog post, that it really wasn't worth going back and fixing it.

>246 PaulCranswick: Isn't that a great photo, Paul? That's one amazing bird if that's not a plant stem - I guess it would need "gargantuan" somewhere in its name. :-)

>247 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

Yeah, you got it. Nothing worse than the sickness hanging around long enough that you get sick of being sick. Debbi is very politely expressing how angry she is - February was very unkind to her, and it wasn't so swell for me, either.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Morning, Joe! So sorry to hear that Debbi has additional crud to deal with - hoping the both of you feel much better very soon.

I love your musings - thanks for sharing.

>241 jnwelch: Birdy and I love this!

>249 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

Thanks re Debbi. She deserves better, IMO. They've got her on Augmentin now; fingers crossed.

I'm glad you enjoyed the musings! Thank goodness Lizzo is in our world. :-)

Isn't that little owl something else? Good to hear you both love it.

>251 jnwelch: The only edit I'd make is "Former Friend", other than that it's spot on.

Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows for your Thursday.

Hi, Joe - Just stopping by to see how you're doing and try to catch up. Hope you and Debbi are feeling better. I like what you wrote about loneliness and opening up. My ex told me just the other day how, as a child (and on into adulthood), he'd reject friendly invitations, hoping inside that the person would continue to ask and more or less beg him to participate in whatever activity and be disappointed when they accepted his refusal and left him alone. Glad he's learning some self-awareness; sad it took him so long. Maybe a lot of people do that, at least once in awhile. Not me, of course. Introvert that I am, I'm truly pleased when I don't have to go out. Or, like the meme says:

>253 Storeetllr:
My only goal at the end of a day like today is to make it home. And then when I get to the parking deck I really really wish the elevator was not being serviced. Really? Why can’t they do that at 9:00 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m. when classes are still going on and people are using the parking deck?

I know. I am just getting lazy. At least I didn’t complain and then drive over to the gym. I went home - changed my shoes and headed to Starbucks for Happy Hour. 2 for 1! Yeah!

I love the Weird mug, Joe, and I'm so glad you and Debbi are finally on the mend. It sounds really brutal.

>232 jnwelch: Wonderful musings. Puts me in mind of a recent 4.5-star read I had: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone. It's about therapy but it's really about how much we all want and need connection and how we paradoxically miss out on connection because we're so afraid of connection. Good stuff.

I'm extremely happy to see Indie bookstores making a comeback and I've even been thinking about trying a mail order batch from Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane. I miss having all those Seattle bookshops nearby, where I could just pop in and buy a book or five. Since moving east I've been using Amazon more and more. Sigh.

Keep feeling better, my friend.

>241 jnwelch: My jam...B.A.G.

Morning, Joe! Happy Friday. I hope you and Debbi are feeling better. It sure has been a tough grind. Still trudging through my long work week and it looks to be a chilly blustery day. Ugh. I am finally starting A Field Guide to Getting Lost. That should be a bright spot, for the day.

Hi Joe!

I’m sorry you’re still sick and sorry that Debbi’s got a new round of sickness.

>241 jnwelch: Awww, what a cute weensie owl!

>250 jnwelch: Augmentin usually worked for me with sinus infections. Keflex rarely worked, but sometimes a 5-day Z-pack did. Not always, and if I wasn’t feeling significantly better after 3 days of Augmentin or Keflex I’d call the doctor for a different antibiotic. They always phoned in a new prescription to the pharmacy. Now, they’d probably require me to come in but I enjoyed the convenience while I had it.

>251 jnwelch: Yup. Storage is the problem. But I did steal a set of shelves in Bill’s media room recently and it’s not completely filled yet.

>252 richardderus: Ha! Good edit, RD. It's hard to imagine continuing with a friend who thinks I have a book problem. Or even starting up a friendship, for that matter. :-)

>253 Storeetllr: Ha! Right, Mary. I had in mind that there are so many that don't want or need more friends - they're fine with family or one good friend or a few trusted friends. Those musings were for the lonely ones who wish they had more friends. That was a crazy game your ex was playing; I'm glad he wised up to that.

>254 benitastrnad: I know that frustration about the timing of repairs, Benita. Sometimes they don't seem to use common sense. I'm glad you got to enjoy Starbucks Happy Hour.

>255 EBT1002: Isn't that weird mug fun, Ellen? Yes, we're on the mend, thanks. Brutal's a good word for it, especially for poor Debbi. Lots of patience and acceptance required.

Thanks re the musings. How we paradoxically miss out on connection because we're so afraid of connection. Yeah, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone sounds right on target. One of the developments I've liked is dissipation of the stigma about seeing a therapist. Also, the stigmas attached to depression and anxiety. The more we understand that these are normal parts of life for many people, the better, right?

Yay for Indie bookstores! I miss those Seattle bookstores and I'm halfway across the country. It must be very hard for you. Debbi and I both have some regret our son moved from there; we both loved visiting there and going to stores like Elliot Bay and Twice Told Tales. And all the cafes!

I am finally getting better day by day, thanks. I wish I could sit down and have a talk with whatever virus did this. Jeesh.

>256 msf59: Ha! A cool little owl - I did think of you, my friend. I'll have to find out what the heck they eat at that size.

Happy Friday, buddy. Debbi and I are both feeling improved, thanks. I'm hoping to start working out again on Monday; it'll probably be longer for her. Yeah, March isn't the swellest month for weather, but I'm sure glad to get that February behind us. Oh, I'm excited that you're reading A Field Guide to Getting Lost. I hope it goes as well for you as I've imagined. You two should be simpatico, seems to me. :-)

Not sure where this is (does someone know?), but as someone said, it looks like it could be the Ravenclaw Common Room

Sincere condolences for the loss of your friend's mother.

>249 Crazymamie: Wonderful owl!

>259 jnwelch: Love the photo! They could sell tickets for people to read there, wherever it is.

Sending good healing vibes for you and Debbie.

Hello Joe! I hope all is well with you.

>259 jnwelch: Lovely!

First of all excellent review of Into the Fire on your previous page. Having now finished the audio, I took a look and your synopsis and comments were spot on. I am always amazed by Hurwitz ability to have Evan take baby steps toward is humanity. The reflection on his childhood, in this one, was powerful. How does one reconcile where he was at 12 where he might have gone had not he been taken into the Orphan program. Is the life he had with Jack better than what he would have had? And, given the life he was trained for, how does he move forward when it is all over.

I'm not sure it the humor came through in the print reading, but Joey's assessment of the Nowhere Man is hilarious. I also quite enjoyed Tommy incredulity at Evan's cavalier disregard for this specialized weapon. 'Pearls before Swine, indeed. :-P

I've started a new audio, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I am enjoying it so far.

>256 msf59: I can't remember why it's there, but last night I found A Field Guide to Getting Lost on my Kindle and started it. I grew up in a desert valley among such low buildings that getting lost was really not an option and using N,S,E,W in ordinary conversations and directions pretty normal since the scenery varied markedly depending on which way you looked. But since we drove to the Bay Area by first heading south to get to Mojave, by which time I was usually asleep, and then turned north to go up through the central valley before heading west into Berkeley, all the time I went to school there I had to mentally wrench my compass around every time I thought about directions. I still want to say that Walnut Ave is south of the UC campus, though I know it's west.

>259 jnwelch: I. Must. Go. There. NOW.

Have a rudely healthful weekend, Welches All.

>229 richardderus: You and me both evidently!

>259 jnwelch: I love that room!

Drink lots of tea and eat lots of toast. That as always my mother's remedy when I was sick. Certainly cannot hurt, right?

Your comments on loneliness is very insightful, Joe.

>259 jnwelch: Oh! I want to live there!

>264 alcottacre: Any excuse to drink tea and eat toast.

Joe you have probably answered this before but when you go back to working out on Monday (god willing), what will you be doing? Treadmill? Stairclimber? Stationary bike? Rowing machine? And do you read and/or listen to something while you exercise?

Inquiring minds want to know. :-)

>259 jnwelch: Welp, that's gorgeous. It reminds me a little of the River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque, IA, although this one seems a bit more glamorous.

I'm so glad to see that you and Debbi are both on the mend. Finally!!

>257 karenmarie: Hi Karen!

Isn't that a cute weensie owl? Man, if I swiped bookshelves from Debbi, I'd get an earful. Did Bill take the news calmly?

Thanks re the sickness. The Augmentin definitely seems to be helping Debbi. The wracking cough has diminished greatly, and she's getting some real rest. She's even feeling well enough to join me for a walk to Trader Joe's.

Sounds like you had a good routine going with the sinus infections. Antibiotics are a blessing, aren't they.

>260 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. My friend's mother had such a joyous fighting spirit. It's easy to see in her kids, their kids, and their kids - and they all knew her and loved her. A long life has benefits for the whole family. Our kids got to know my parents very well.

Thanks for the healing vibes. I'm glad you like the weensie owl and the Ravenclaw library.

>261 brodiew2: Hello Brodie!

Isn't that library lovely? Thanks re the Into the Fire review. It sounds like you got as much out of it as I did. Great comments. Yeah, I love Evan's inching toward enjoying a normal life. And what a tough upbringing, but it made him who he is. I can't even imagine what he'd be like without it.

I saw another LTer gave Orphan X a try, and liked it. I hope the word spreads. She pointed out that Jack Reacher fans are likely to enjoy Orphan X, and that sounds right to me.

Yes, I think the humor comes through in print, too. I've never tried one of these on audio; the idea is intriguing. We LOVED Born a Crime. I was just saying that that's one book I always recommend be experienced on audio. Hearing Trevor Noah perform it was a knockout.

>262 quondame: Hi, Susan. Yours is directed to Mark, so I'll just say that I'm glad you're reading A Field Guide to Getting Lost.

>263 richardderus: Right, Richard? Wish I could meet up with you in >259 jnwelch:.

We may not reach the heights of rudely healthy, but we're getting closer.

>264 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia. Isn't that library room cool?

We probably should be drinking more tea than we are, and toast is always lovely. Madame MBH was eating a lot of toast at the beginning of this virus; I should make her some more today. I like your mother's home remedy.

>265 mckait: Thanks, Kath. I'm glad to hear those comments on loneliness made sense to you.

>266 Storeetllr: Me, too, Mary!

>267 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen. "Any excuse to drink tea and eat toast." I'm not at the level of tea fancying that you and many other LTers are, but I'm with you on the toast.

Happy Saturday, Joe, and hip-hip-HOORAY for Debbi's diminishing cough!!

>268 EBT1002: I never have answered that question before, Ellen. When we work out I do an hour on the treadmill and an hour after that with the trainer doing all sorts of things: free weights, balance, core work with planks and situps and so on, bands, some machines, and stuff I'm forgetting. He mixes it up. Debbi's been with him forever, and I started 3 years ago when I retired. I was not in good shape when I started; as he said, I looked and moved like someone who'd been behind a desk for more than 30 years. I did go running in the morning while working, and walking post-new-hips, but that's not the same. I feel so much better now, and life is much easier, too (e.g. traveling, stairs, hauling stuff).

>269 scaifea: Well, that makes me want to visit the River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque, Amber. I already want to visit the Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City. Isn't >259 jnwelch: a beaut?

>272 richardderus: Ha! Thanks, Richard! Happy Saturday, buddy.

>273 jnwelch: Oh, YES! Prairie Lights is *amazing*! Although a big part of that awesomeness is being there with the likes of Julia and Steve...

>274 scaifea: Meetups make bookstores more fun, no doubt about it!

>276 jnwelch: LOL! It certainly is a cliche!

>273 jnwelch: Thanks for sharing, Joe. It sounds like a great workout and the trainer sounds helpful. I can imagine following suit after I retire. Like you, my work has been pretty sedentary although I've been a runner for my entire adult life (until about a year ago). I've been enjoying the yoga lately; I'll take a break from that while the crater in my head heals and while we wait for covid-19 to abate (I'm thinking sweating in a hot room with 20 other sweaty people is just not a good idea at present). This morning I walked on the treadmill in our basement and it felt good to move. I know you'll feel that way when you return on Monday.

>276 jnwelch: Ha. Made me chuckle.

>277 quondame: Heh. I get a kick out of that one, Susan. What snappy noir response does he have, I wonder. "For you, sweetheart, I'll get a new chandelier"?

>278 EBT1002: I was just thinking of you, Ellen. I was going to add a P.S. to >273 jnwelch: - yes, I do read during the treadmilling, which was your other question. I find if I enlarge the Kindle type, it works well for me to read while treading - and that actually has me looking forward to it as reading time, as opposed to being like, oh crap, I have to treadmill again.

Yeah, retiring made a huge difference timewise. There's no way I could have taken 2 hours three times a week like this, even with the kids grown up, while I was working. Particularly adding in the time getting to the gym and back to the time to get to work and back.

You'll probably find you're better off than I was when the time comes, after retirement. Besides your running - and now I assume walking? - that yoga is going to do well by you. I was so stiff when I started training it was ridiculous. Another trainer told mine, "Good luck with that guy," when I started, because I looked so stiff and hobbled. (Now I'm good friends with that trainer). They both wish (as do I) that we had film of me back at the start. Pushing a sled, I was close to upright and feebly inching along. Now I'm parallel to the ground and capable of pushing a whole lot of weight. Anyway, it's all much, much better three years in. Our trainer likes to tell new clients about me, with my hip replacements and where I started. Like you, I imagine, I've always been fine with working hard. I also believe in what Murakami, a runner, says, which is you need to be in good physical shape to effectively persevere in writing. Particularly was we get older, seems to me.

Yeah, this hiatus has been weird, but it's been an interesting break. To me, it's like the Earth doesn't really care what our intentions are. The plates continue to move, the winds to blow, and sometimes we'll get earthquakes and tornadoes, despite their inconvenience. The world inside us, with all the lifeforms and moving parts, doesn't care what's inconvenient either. We're going to get earthquakes and tornadoes inside every once in a while. It's been interesting to have to strip down to the basics - there's only so much I can do with this virus in control, so I keep it simple. Last weekend with my friend and his family and assorted others, I had to keep it really simple, and that wasn't all bad. I ended up having a wonderful weekend under the circumstances, one I'll never forget.

Ha! I'm glad >276 jnwelch: gave you a chuckle.

>279 jnwelch: Thanks for answering my second question, Joe. I usually listen to an audiobook when I do the treadmill but I want to try the kindle with a generous font size.

Way back when I was living and working in Oregon (and in my 40s...) I took a class on campus through the faculty/staff fitness program. It was taught by a curmudgeonly physiology prof who said he did it to keep himself on track. It was three days a week -- I probably averaged two of those -- and it was SO good for me. He blended yoga, pilates, isometrics, and some stuff I think he just made up. No music. No tools. Just a bunch of grownups in a big wrestling practice room on mats working our tails off. It kept me injury-free for my running, along with the excellent book Chi Running, and I felt fit and limber. Starting back to yoga last month, I could tell it has been a while. But with patience, self-compassion, and persistence, I can tell it's getting easier. I'm sorry to be taking this hiatus but between the surgery and the coronavirus, it is what it is.

Keep taking care, Joe. Be kind to yourself. And give MBH a get-even-more-well hug for me.

Happy Sunday, Joe! I hope you both are up to full strength. I saw and heard my first red-winged blackbirds on my route yesterday. As usual, very vocal. Must be marking their territory. Another sure sign of spring. I plan on getting out for a stroll or two today, to take advantage of a beautiful day.

I LOVED A Field Guide to Getting Lost! This will end up being a special memory and I appreciate the nudge. Now, I want to read everything she has written, including her memoir, which just came out.

>276 jnwelch: That's priceless!

>279 jnwelch: Heh heh. I like that reply, Joe. For you, sweetheart...

Joe, I know you’re a fan of Milkman by Anna Burns and after about 75 pages I’ve had to put it aside. Not because the prose isn’t gorgeous, it is. Not because I couldn’t follow along due to the characters not having any real names. Not, in fact for any of the reasons I’ve read in the negative reviews of the book. It’s just that it exhausted me. This is a good thing I think because it’s a book that gets under your skin but I found that when I picked it up to continue reading, it had become a chore.
Apparently the audiobook is brilliant, narrated by a famous Irish actress and I’ve decided this is the way I will probably enjoy it most. I’m kind of looking forward to it because it’s a brilliant book. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had to stop reading because the book was too good! Does that make sense?

>280 EBT1002: An audio book on the treadmill is a great solution, Ellen. I'm just way better with print than audio. Becca liked the idea of the larger font on the Kindle, and now she does it on the treadmill, too.

That sounds like a great class in college. Mixing it up like that helps keep it fresh, I think. I did kung fu in college, and that helped me in a similar way.

I keep forgetting to say something about the Moh's surgery! I saw on FB that you've had it; I need to visit your LT thread pronto. It sounds like it went well, with no plastic surgery needed? Sending lots of healing vibes. A life-saving surgery that's pretty routine now - there aren't many of those around.

>281 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark! We're not both back to full strength, but for the first time we both can say we're getting there. For the first time we both got a good night's sleep, and we're not living in a house of coughing.

Oh man, Spring is coming! I love it when the birdsong starts coming back. Redwinged blackbird - aces. Thanks for the photo. The more Spring the better.

Hoorah for A Field Guide to Getting Lost! I thought you'd love it, but you never know. Isn't it a special one? I ended up the same way; now I want to read everything she's written. After a discussion here, Hope in the Dark is probably my next of hers.

>282 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Right, Linda?

>283 weird_O: Heh. Thanks, Bill. I don't know about you, but I see Humphrey Bogart sitting back in his chair saying it . . .

>284 NarratorLady: Ah, good and too bad, Anne. Good that you're reading Milkman, and too bad that you had to set it aside because it's become a chore. I've certainly had books become a chore, but not that one. My problem was I initially didn't know it was set during the Troubles, and I couldn't get oriented. Once I did, it took off for me.

Yeah, I know what you mean about having to stop for a while because a book was too good. I can't think of one at the moment, but it wouldn't surprise me if I did that with one of the Tolstoys. I know I've stopped when a character did something I really didn't want him/her to do, or something happened to him/her I didn't want to. I've stopped, caught my breath for a bit, and then plowed on. Anyway, Milkman should make for a great audio book, shouldn't it, particularly with that narrator. Your grounding in print for it to start will likely help you navigate the audio, too.

The new cafe is open - see you there!