Mstrust's Mid-Century Marvelous

Welcome and Happy New Year!
I'm Jennifer and I live in Phoenix with husband Mike and a very worried boxer named Coral. I've been around LT since March of 2008.
We collect tiki mugs and attend Tiki Oasis, spend a lot of time in Vegas, and pre-nightmare, loved traveling. I collect books and seem to have started in on a mid-century glassware collection. I also bake and enter the state fair every year, and I really get into Halloween in a big way. Seriously, make sure you find my thread come September.

Modern Mid-Century by El Gato Gomez

I'm devoting this year's 75 Challenge to my love of Mid-Century design. The clothes, furniture, architecture, cars and advertising.
Don't be surprised if you hear Dean Martin, Martin Denny and Peggy Lee around here.
My reading will be focusing on my Category challenges, along with keeping up as best I can with the ScaredyKit and MysteryCat, along with my ROOTs.
Category Challenge: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336276#unread
ROOTs: https://www.librarything.com/topic/337919#unread>
I'm hosting this month's theme of haunted houses. Come join: https://www.librarything.com/topic/337466#unread
I'll also be hosting the hardboiled & noir month.
My Doorstop of the Year Read, which I've been talking about for too long: A Confederacy of Dunces.

2022 Reads

1. Horrorstor- 4.5
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox- 4
3. What Now, King Lear?- 3.8
4. The Giver- 4.5
5. James and the Giant Peach- 4
6. Foodheim- 2.5
7. Nothing But Blackened Teeth-2
8. The Magic Finger- 3.5
9. Murder at Melrose Court- 4.5
10. Diary of a Bookseller- 4
11. Gastro Obscura- 5
12. Danny Champion of the World- 3
13. Much Dithering- 3
14. 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet- 3.5
15. Flight- 4

Happy new year's thread!

Dropping my star! :)

>4 quondame: Happy new year, Susan! Thanks for coming over!
>5 rabbitprincess: Hooray!

Welcome back! Looking forward to the mid-mod theme!

I like the look of your new thread, Jennifer. I will continue to divide my visits between this one and your Category Challenge. I read about your Christmas so I know you had a good one. Let's hope you can keep the good times rolling and have a splendid New Years!

I'm in!

>9 SomeGuyInVirginia: Me, too!

Happy Almost New Year! Happy Reading!

>10 Crazymamie: That's just crazy!

I like those mid-century modern houses a lot, but one thing they do is really let the light in. Got to be an early riser. My ranch was built in the mid 50s but it's very traditional.

I hope you like a Confederacy of Dunces, I really did.

ed!!

>7 drneutron: Thanks for setting it all up, Jim! I hope to see you round here!

>8 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy! I'm glad you'll pop around my threads, I think we'll have fun. I did have a good Christmas, and we have a bottle of champagne for New Year's. That's the only definite plans we have.

>9 SomeGuyInVirginia: Larry's in! Someone needs to run out for more ice and bourbon. And a smoking jacket.


>10 Crazymamie: Mamie's in too! Better pick up a fez while you're at it!

>11 PaperbackPirate: Happy Almost New Year to you, Nicole! I hope you got some great books for Christmas!

>12 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh how I love a Mid-Century Palm Springs house! They are gorgeous! Though I could never live in one of those houses that has whole glass walls. My paranoia doesn't need a shot like that.
I've been threatening to read ACOD for about two years, so I need to go ahead and do it.

>13 Berly: Thank you! I'm so glad you came!

Well, I'm attracted by the mid-century, will stay for the books. :)

Good to see you!

Ooh, mid-century design, I lived with a lot of that. Will be fun to see what you come up with, Jennifer.

Glad you're here, Meg!

I and my design taste are both mid-century! I'll check out your category challenge too.

Hi, Judy!

>14 mstrust: Moving from a high-rise to the ground floor took an adjustment, and it was not that easy. I liked living way up in the sky and it felt very safe. Except for fire. And snipers. And Spider Man but there's really nothing you can do about Spider Man. Living on the ground floor was a little too Black Summer for me, at least it first. And maybe still is. Day after Christmas I woke up in the middle of night and went into the kitchen, and when I crossed the living room the wreath in the window scared the bejeebus out of me. Looked just like a face pressed to the glass, I swear!

Happy New Year and new thread!

This group always helps me to read; welcome back, Jennifer.

Start 2022 off right by disinfecting yourself on the inside.
Have a Happy New Year!

>21 SomeGuyInVirginia: But think of how much easier it will be for you to catch The Polar Express. Or to figure out which neighbor is making all that damn noise.

>22 figsfromthistle: Happy new year to you!

>23 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Happy new year!

>24 mstrust: What a splendid idea!

I can't think of two people I would rather see New Year's in with than Bette Davis and Christopher Walken! What a party that would be.

We are having a quiet New Year's Eve and we didn't stretch the budget to champagne so a couple of bottle of wine and a steak dinner will have to do!

Snappy New Year, Jennifer!

Happy reading in 2022, Jennifer!

>24 mstrust: Doing that right now!

Enjoy your 2022 reading!

>26 PaulCranswick: Bette knows what she's doing. And look at that gorgeous head of hair.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Agreed, and don't they look like they're attending the same great party?
We had a quiet new year too. At least, inside the house. Outside, it sounded like a war zone. We have multiple neighbors who go nuts on New Year's and the 4th. But the rain started late in the evening and ended the fun so midnight was quiet.
I made a Thai-ish dinner, we had a bottle of champagne and watched Count Me In, a doc on Netflix about drummers. I could watch Keith Moon for hours.

>28 SomeGuyInVirginia: Right back atcha! I wish you a wonderful 2022! Or at least less of a dumpster fire than 2021!

>29 FAMeulstee: Happy New Year, Anita! I'd raise a glass but I drank it all last night.

>30 thornton37814: Thank you, and you too!

>31 quondame: Happy 2022! It's gotta be better!

>32 mstrust: Ooh I'm going to have to watch Count Me In!

Happy new year! I hope your year is filled with great books!

Happy New Year, Jennifer, Mike and Coral!
Mid-Century is the coolest. Looking forward to what you find for us.

>33 rabbitprincess: It was excellent. It gets just technical enough to satisfy drummers. Mike was a drummer when we met and graduated from the Musician's Institute. When he was in high school he was actually paid by some local colleges to play in their marching bands because they had a shortage. I'm a failed drummer with about a year of lessons that resulted in no abilities at all. But I enjoy watching Moon and Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, and Nicko McBrain was in it quite a bit.
>34 cbl_tn: Thank you, Carrie! Happy New Year!
>35 Carmenere: Happy New Year, Lynda! I think we'll come across some really fabulous Mid-Century stuff.

Apparently I was wrong about it being quiet around here at midnight. Mike says there were loud explosions that woke him and Coral up. But he'd only had one glass of champagne, forcing me to finish it myself, so I guess I slept like a deaf rock.

Happy New Year, Jennifer.

Happy new year, Jennifer! I lost track of you a bit at the end of last year -- hoping to keep up this year!

>24 mstrust: Bottoms up, Bette! I met her daughter and son-in-law years ago. Neither of them had her style.

>37 BLBera: Happy New Year, Beth.

>38 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Let's hope it's okay!

>39 curioussquared: Happy new year! Yes, find yourself a chair.

>40 laytonwoman3rd: How many bottles has that woman thrown back today?!
Wow, it must be difficult to be the child of a legend. I've always felt sorry for Frank Sinatra Jr. Imagine the excitement on people's faces until they heard "Junior".

>36 mstrust: Good to know! My dad and brother are both drummers, so I bet they'll find it interesting too.

Happy New Year, Jennifer!

Happy New Year and happy new thread, Jennifer!

>42 rabbitprincess: I'd bet they do.

>43 alcottacre: Happy New Year, Stasia!

>44 SirThomas: Happy New Year, Thomas, and thank you for visiting!

1. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. The story of a group of Orsk employees, especially Amy, who determine to find out who has been ruining their low-priced Ikea knock-off furniture each night after the store closes. Actually, only junior store manager Basil and wanna-be ghost hunting duo Matt and Trinity are that determined. Amy and Ruth Anne have been asked to be there because every other employee Basil asked already had plans, and the two women are willing to run up some overtime, hopefully while sitting in the breakroom.
But the group do find who is messing up the stock, and soon wished they hadn't. Will anyone survive doing an overnighter in the store?
This is a re-read for me, for the ScaredyKit's haunted house theme. I hadn't read it in five years or so, loved it back then and just as much now. It's a clever, modern haunted house story, and since the author left it open for a sequel I'm hoping he does it. 4.5 stars

>46 mstrust: A direct hit! I'm adding that one to The List.

>47 Crazymamie: It’s definitely a good one!

>48 drneutron: *Grin* You know I trust your judgement, Jim.

>47 Crazymamie: It's pretty great. I hope you get around to it and like it just as much.

>48 drneutron: This one ties with The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires as my favorite Grady. I also have We Sold Our Souls waiting on the shelf.

Felt like seeing some Mid-Century fashion:

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Dang, Earl! You look sharp!.

>50 mstrust: Have you read My Best Friend’s Exorcism? It’s pretty good too!

>51 mstrust: Those Hawaiian-looking shirts remind me of Hawkeye and Trapper and BJ on M*A*S*H!

Love the mid-century fashion! Of course I lived through the times. My Mom had a coat very much like the light blue number - and at the price of $19.99!!!

Happy New Year, Jennifer! Wishing you lots of great reads in 2022.

>51 mstrust: Excellent apparel!

Happy 2022, Jennifer! Happy reading!

>51 mstrust: Those models in the leather jackets certainly have “hourglass” figures. Back in the early 80s I had a short, little fawn-colored suede jacket like that yellow one. It was the 80s so it had big shoulders. It’s packed away somewhere but I’m sure I’d never fit into it again.

>46 mstrust: Looks like your reading year is off to a great start! Let's hope it keeps up!

>46 mstrust: Love it! Great writeup.

>52 drneutron: I have, and I agree. I really like the way Hendrix takes a trope and turns it on it's head. Most authors wouldn't think to see it through the eyes of the teenage friend of the possessed, or turn a cavernous warehouse into a haunted house. I believe the only ones I haven't read so far is We Sold Our Souls and Satan Loves You. But I think I read that he's coming out with a new one this year so we can all get antsy when that happens.

>53 rabbitprincess: You're right, and can see them!

>54 DeltaQueen50: Really? I love that blue coat, and the charcoal and red number next to it. I know, I always marvel at the grocery prices in the windows in old movies or tv shows. Bread for 49 cents?!

>55 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry! Happy new year to you, and I hope to see you around this year!

>56 Copperskye: Thank you, and Happy New Year! I also had a similar jacket, made by my grandmother. I must have been in the sixth or seventh grade, and if you can picture this, it was iridescent, changing from an olive green to copper. And that thing was sturdy with the pockets and band around the neck. I'm sure I outgrew it.

>57 alcottacre: Fingers crossed!

>58 Berly: Thank you! It's nice to have a book hold up to a second reading, especially a horror story.

Christmas is officially over. We took my MIL to lunch yesterday, then back to her house to open presents. I've taken door the outdoor decorations and the tree is mostly bare now. Now I have to go through the house taking down the nutcracker display, the Rudolph display, the Christmas doodads everywhere. Still have lots of candy that somebody will have to eat.

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. After successfully feeding his family from the stocks of three nasty farmers, Mr. Fox finds that the men have joined together in their determination to kill him. He can't have that, his family would starve. So he hatches a fantastic plan to keep stealing from the farmers and even gets his friend Mr. Badger in on it.
I'm making my way through Dahl's catalog and it's a fun task. 4 stars

Happy New Year!!
Happy new thread!!
I like your taste in music and the fact that you like mysteries. I've been reading a lot of 1940s style mysteries.

Thanks, Harold, and happy new year! How could anyone not like Keith Moon, right?
I read mysteries that run from the 20s to present day. Huh, that's 100 years of murder.

>60 mstrust: My son received the Dahl collection for Christmas and I am excited to read through it with him.

My favorites so far have been The Witches, Matilda and The Twits.

>62 mstrust: My wife likes true crime podcasts and shows. I keep telling her she is probably doing research.

>51 mstrust: I like those mid-century prices! I once had a jacket with a black fur color and my husband said it made me look like Uncle Fester. :/

>46 mstrust: Good books and >51 mstrust: nice clothes - what more do you need in life?
I should have known that with you the risk of BBs is extremely high - I was hit and I'm glad!

I've read through all of Dahl's stuff and loved most of it to bits. Danny the Champion of the World is by far the best, though. It remains near the top of my all-time favorites of any category.

>51 mstrust: Holy cow, those shirts! One. Of. Each! One. Of. Each! Does that yellow one have hula dancers on it?!?!?! It's just...I mean...(falls over)...beautious

>65 hredwards: I listen to several true crime podcasts myself. Can't do it right until you know how someone else did it wrong.

>66 Carmenere: That's hilarious! I'm sure you didn't though.
Mike is over a foot taller than me, and my sister once said that when we hold hands it looks like a man and his chimp. She's wrong, especially when I've shaved my arms and back.

>67 SirThomas: Snazzy threads, aren't they?
Ooh, hit Thomas first thing! What aim I have!

>68 scaifea: I haven't gotten to that one yet so thanks for the rec!

>69 SomeGuyInVirginia: Yeah those shirts! I put some glasses on and got real close, and that shirt does indeed have girls on it, and it looks like big silver palm trees with blue coconuts. Just guessing at that but I doubt if it would be giant blackberries. Keep an eye on the maroon shirt next to him. Buttoned up to the neck and holding a golf club while trying to blend in. Clearly looking for his first kill.

I've just joined a Spice of the Month club that sends packets of exotic spices I've never heard of along with recipes to use them. We'll see.
Got all of Christmas packed away yesterday. Now Mike just has to take the tree apart and box it. Let's see if he can do it without scaring the dog out the back door.

Real ads from the 50s.

>71 mstrust: Ewwww, 7-Up and MILK?! I could see putting it in some sort of fruit punch or fruit juice, but not milk.

Yes, they had a campaign pushing it for children, hence the "wholesome" angle. Get 'em while they're young.

>70 mstrust: Your Spice of the Month club sounds fun!

>71 mstrust: Oh, dear! I choked on my water. "Mothers know that this is a wholesome combination" made me laugh. YIKES! The soda and milk combo makes me think of Laverne from Laverne and Shirley and her signature milk and Pepsi drink.

>70 mstrust: >66 Carmenere: Well, no I don't think I looked like Uncle Fester because, 1. I have hair on my head and 2. I never put light bulbs in my mouth but other than that, well, I don't know, maybe.
Too funny/not funny - man with chimp!

>71 mstrust: sponsored by dental practices everywhere.

>74 Crazymamie: I hope it will solve many a mystery of "what am I tasting?"
These ads may well be where they came up with Laverne's disgusting drink, ha!

>75 Carmenere: I've always laughed pretty hard when I think of my sister's man & chimp comment. One of the funniest things she's ever said and I'd stitch it onto a pillow if I did that sort of thing.

Al Capone Throws Me A Curve and Vacationland showed up today,

Spice of the month club? Nokay. I have a hard enough time worrying about where my weed come from. Worrying about where my spices come from just seems like an unnecessary, added, burden. That's why I like Costco. Spices come in big, amalgamated, labeled tubs. CURRY! VANILLA! PEPPER! So, one batch comes from the parvenue of a psychotic dictator. It's 0007% of the total and I will be okay. Single source spice of the month? May as well be smoking crack straight out of Smythe county.

>71 mstrust: >74 Crazymamie: I was going to say, it's supposed to be milk and Pepsi!

>78 PaperbackPirate: Yup, me too! Not so terribly different from a root beer float, when you think about it. But 7-UP, no thanks.

Iiiii would try the 7-up & milk...

>77 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh, weed. I'd always assumed such posts from you were nudged along by Bullitt Bourbon. Now I know who I'm dealing with.
I don't think the Spice of the Month is so much about organic, single variety stuff, at least I don't remember that from the description. I think it's about the stuff that a regular cracker like me wouldn't have in their kitchen. Even though I make Indian and Thai meals at home all the time, I'm sure there are spices for certain dishes that will up my repertoire. That's right, I said "repertoire". Had to use spellcheck, but I got it. Anyway, I'll give the club a month or two and see if it's worth it.
And Costco spices are pretty great. I go through their cinnamon and dried onions like mad.

>78 PaperbackPirate: >79 laytonwoman3rd: The thought makes me shudder. Soda has a thin texture. Adding milk would make it thicker. I like floats so I don't know why this idea puts me off so much.

>80 scaifea: Here's our volunteer!

3. What Now, King Lear? by Alistair Boyle. Part-time detective Gil Yates is hired by the widow of mega-wealthy Orville Sampson to find out who shot her husband. Not only was Sampson murdered in his mansion, he suspected he'd be murdered, as he had a clause in his will that stipulated that none of his three terrible daughters and their even worse husbands would receive their $300 million inheritances unless his killer was caught and convicted. The similarities to King Lear run loosely throughout.
With so much money and so many awful suspects to pick apart, Yates has to solve the crime in order to get paid himself, and he could really use the money.
This is the second of a series featuring Yates, a likable and put-upon man who hides his detective work from his wife and father-in-law, who consider him dead weight in the family business. 3.8 stars
My copy has a much better cover, of a gray-haired man with a big target on his back.

Good thing I haven't put myself on a book buying diet because I'd be a failure already. I went to the library to pick up some holds to meet my Cats & Kits this month and just went to the sale room all casual-like, but found a whole stack.
A Death in the Family
The Nickel Boys
The Vintage Caper
The Cricket in Times Square- 1960 edition in fantastic condition
Alfred Hitchcock's Haunted Houseful- big 1962 edition with original dustjacket, vg condition. I happen to have a collection of Hitchcock books.

>83 mstrust: Congrats especially on the Hitchcock volume! We have at least one kicking around, and I've liked those I've read.

I just finished up cataloging a big free haul from just before Christmas — mostly fantasy, science fiction, and action-adventure series books, many of which I'd likely never try without getting them for nothing (eg., the Six Million Dollar Man book) but may take a chance on now since I have them.

I've really liked his books. There was a high standard in their selection.
The Six Million Dollar Man had novels? I had no idea,but looks like there are several. Bet some people collect them on Ebay, and why not? I have the full set of The Professionals novelizations.

>71 mstrust: Yuck!

>85 mstrust: DIdn't know that anyone had written Six Million Dollar Man novels, but I remember reading Martin Caidin's Cyborg back in the day - the movie/series was based on that.

>83 mstrust: That is one fine book haul!

>86 figsfromthistle: I agree!

>87 drneutron: I'm unfamiliar with any of the Cyborg series or show, but it seems like the publishers would license the popular tv show characters and have in-house copywriters churn out a series of books, and sadly, that "author" never wrote another book before or since. I have a couple of Partridge Family adventures squirreled away in a closet. I found them on Ebay years ago. Oh, the days when a kid would read anything about their tv favorites...

>88 Carmenere: I thought so too! Plus, got two free passes to a local museum. And I keep meaning to brag that I managed to get some Desert Marigolds to grow from seeds that came from the library's seed catalog. They're in a pot on my front porch, almost two inches tall, so still a way to go before they're big enough to bloom.

Vintage cookie jar called Miss Cutie Pie:

>89 mstrust: Yay! for the Desert Marigolds! Haha the only thing I have growing on my deck is snow. Up to 12 inches in some areas by tomorrow morning. I'm figuring we'll likely get less than half that.

>90 mstrust: Not so cute at all. Kinda scary actually, but a good detriment to going downstairs to grab a midnight snack.

>89 mstrust: I have some of those old tv show movie tie ins around somewhere.
Read a Brady Bunch novel a few years ago and hate to say I enjoyed it. Felt like I was 12 again for a while. :)
Have a couple of Partridge Family novels also.

I love the Hitchcock Collections.
And I love the sale tables/rooms at the library. My most used library here, stopped doing that a couple of years ago and started just selling books on ebay, etc.
Really disappointed me.

>85 mstrust: >87 drneutron: >89 mstrust: The Six Million Dollar Man book I got is by Martin Caidin, in fact: #3, High Crystal. I also got, inter alia, a novel featuring the Bionic Woman (Extracurricular Activities), as well as a tie-in for the David Janssen series Harry O with a simple title Harry O. In the recent past, I've read such books for The Avengers and for Get Smart. There's usually a house name as the author, but often the persons behind the pseudonyms are authors known for other work as well.

>90 mstrust: That's a cheerful cookie jar!

>91 Carmenere: Wow, I hope you don't get that foot of snow!
I have a raised porch, up a flight of five steps to my front door. 3/4 of the porch gets full sun all day, and that's where I have the marigolds and a little pincushion cactus. On the other side, it's full sun for half the day and I have a very healthy jade plant there. It loves the situation enough that it has grown long tendrils that go through the railing and reach halfway to the ground.
The cookie jar looks like it's a toddler in a onesy, so I guess I can see it being disturbing if you read it as just a head. My question is why the birds sitting on the head as a handle? How do they fit in with a sleepy child? And how many children have tried to force feed the head a cookie?

>92 hredwards: Makes sense that The Brady Bunch had books if The Partridge Family did. I forgot, I also have a Monkees novel called Who's Got The Button, at least I think I do. Haven't seen it in years.
I think Hitchcock held his story collections to a high standard. I've discovered several authors in them who are fantastic short story writers.
That sucks that your library doesn't have a sale room. How much easier would it be to just sell to the customers who are already there? When I worked at the library most donations went on the sale shelves, with the exception of truly rare and valuable books.

>93 harrygbutler: Some of these tv tie-ins have great covers. I'm sure there are collectors who love them. As to the authors, seems like a good way for young writers to get a foot in the door and it wouldn't surprise me if a few became well-known later. I think it's the same for the old Harlequin romances.

.

It's Elvis' birthday, and that's a reason for cake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfrC8PAQtlg

...and peanut butter and bacon, too.

Love the video! Could Elvis have been the first pole dancer?

Peanut butter, bacon and banana cake. Ha, he may have been the first pole dancer! I don't think anyone was doing it back then, so we'll give him credit.

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Jonas lives with his family unit in a tightly ordered community that celebrates the milestones of childhood each year. This year, his younger sister is old enough to be given a bike and Jonas, at twelve, is old enough to be assigned the occupation he'll have for the rest of his working life. His friends are assigned to occupations that are expected and make them happy, while Jonas is given a job that no one could have suspected: a receiver of memories. Most of the community didn't even know this job existed.
Every afternoon, Jonas meets with the Giver of these memories, a very elderly and isolated man who holds the memories of many people, and who shows Jonas what cold, warmth, love and joy feel like. He sees color for the first time, something that had been breed out of his people when leaders decided everyone should be the same, without differences and talents that would lead to envy. The insights into what he and his people have been missing leads Jonas to take unheard of actions. 4.5 stars

I don't know if this one would have been on my radar if not for The Great American Read. It's a haunting story.
A couple of days after I'd finished it I saw the movie version was playing on SYFY. Stars Jeff Bridges as the Giver and Meryl Streep as the community leader, but the last 30 minutes was completely changed to make it a happy Hollywood ending.

>82 mstrust: Oh, that one sounds like fun!

I really liked it, and the brief scenes with his wife are pretty funny. I'd be happy to read more.

5. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Young James was orphaned at four years-old and sent to live with his horrendous aunts, Sponge and Spiker, who force him to work non-stop around their hilltop house. One day a weird man appears and hands James a bag of magic stuff, telling him that if he dissolves the stuff in water and drinks it, his life will become happy. Too excited and being chased by an aunt, James drops the magic stuff next to the old peach tree that has never produced fruit, but the magic stuff fixes that. The peach tree produces an immense peach, big enough for James to crawl inside and meet the variety of insects who also benefited from the magic stuff, and they were waiting for put-upon James to arrive before using the peach for their great adventure. 4 stars

The Shortest Day by Colm Toibin.
An archaeology professor in Ireland takes a trip to a cave he's been studying for years, the site of ancient burials. It's just days before Christmas, which makes it a perfect time for him to go alone and see if he finds anything new without a whole crew around. But the ancient souls in the cave are aware of the professor's intentions and dread him finding out their secret, and the professor's arrival also stirs fear in some local villagers who have been tasked with keeping the secret.
A short story so I'm not counting it. Available on Kindle as an Amazon Original. I thought the story would build to a murder, but it turned out to be rather gentle.

Have you read any of the books by Erin Hart? She's pretty good. Irish set mysteries involving bog bodies.

I haven't, and haven't ever heard of her, so thanks for the rec. Bog bodies do sound interesting.

A Very British Murder arrived yesterday.

6. Foodheim by Eric Wareheim. Wareheim is half of the comedy team Tim & Eric and a writer and director, so like most celebrity cookbook authors, he has no credentials other than a love of food and cooking. This is a thick, colorful cookbook of his favorite foods, which are mostly Italian. Probably half the book is Italian food and wine. There are step by step instructions for making pizza dough and several sauce recipes, then a large section of pizza recipes.
A lot of the recipes don't need to be in a book. Do you need a recipe for a butter lettuce salad, or a crudite plate? Only if you are new to food preparation, and that's who I'd recommend this book to, the novice. It's recipes are a bit too simple for an experienced cook. But it is filled with the weirdest photos, so that's a plus. 2.5 stars

>105 mstrust: I have read the first two of her books, and have a couple more.
I like historical mysteries and things with some spookiness to them.

>105 mstrust: I have read the first two of Hart's books and have the last two, but haven't gotten to them yet.
I like historical mysteries and ones with a bit of spookiness to them.

A Very British Murder sounds very interesting!!

Thanks, I'll have a look at Erin Hart. I enjoy a little spooky too.

7. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. A group of friends rent a dilapidated Heian-era mansion in Japan. Their purpose is to flush out ghosts, as the thousand year old ruins come with the tale of young women being buried alive in the foundation.
This story is so Gen Z that it should have "A Gen Z Story" as its sub-title. A group of tightly-wound, multi-ethnic twenty-somethings who all have a tangle of sexual history and jealousy with each other travel from England to an isolated haunted house in Japan to seek ghosts, but also to hold a wedding because one character has always dreamed of being married in a haunted house. As the bride becomes possessed by a ghost right in front of the group, they argue about their ethnicity while one character also gets meta and talks about who will survive and who will die, a la Jamie Kennedy's character in Scream. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be funny. The real drag is that the story is so laden with detail about little gestures and facial expressions and each sentence of dialogue is followed with three more sentences that explain why the character said that. Very creepy cover though. 2 stars

>110 mstrust: Sounds dreadful...

You said a mouthful.

>110 mstrust: sounds like an interesting idea, but after your description I'll pass.

:-D And that was me being kind.

>60 mstrust: Not sure that I have ever read that particular Dahl book. I am going to have to check.

>83 mstrust: There is such a thing as a book-buying diet?! Sounds almost as bad as a food diet. Nice haul, Jennifer. The Nickel Boys is very good!

I have two more Dahls on my coffee table to get to. Hopefully I'll get to them this weekend.
Yes, some people hate themselves enough to ban themselves from acquiring new books! I actually tried this a few years ago, and like a diet, I ended up gorging myself on new purchases within a few weeks.

8. The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. Narrated by an eight year old girl who tells the reader what happened to her neighbors, the Gregg family, after she pointed her magic finger at them. Enraged that the males in the Gregg family hunt, the girl, who had previously pointed her horrible finger at her teacher, now curses the Gregg family. What form her curse will take is anyone's guess. 3.5 stars

Today is my nephew Wade's birthday, and since he loves coffee as much as I do, here's his cake:


But that's not all the cake for today. Last night both my sister and I received Bananas Foster King Cakes from Brennan's in New Orleans. Not expecting it, but there was a big pink box on the porch (FedEx had delivered it an hour before, no knock or doorbell). The cake is huge, comes with a Brennan's cup full of Mardi Gras beads and the traditional baby, and has a cinnamon ribbon going through the dough and a tunnel of banana pudding. Brennan's is the restaurant that invented Bananas Foster. Our brother sent them to us while he was there for a few days.

Happy birthday to Wade.
Wow! what a great surprise to find on your doorstep. You're not going to wait till Mardi Gras to devour it, are you?

Oh, Lynda, you know me enough to realize that cake didn't have a chance. I had our dinner, a lasagna, in the oven when I found the cake on the porch, but that didn't stop me from having a little slice right then. I had to know what a bananas foster king cake tasted like. A: absolutely delicious! I had always thought King cakes looked rather heavy, but this is more like a yeast doughnut that has a chewy crust.

Good for you! Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today!!

>118 mstrust: Oh that sounds delightful! (Checks to see if I can order online. Yes, but pricey. I think I'll go heat up some Porto's cheese rolls.)

>120 mstrust: Who needs lasagna when you have cake!

Have a great weekend.

>118 mstrust: Is that an actual picture of your King cake? It looks scrumptious. But.....where is the requisite purple and green and yellow frosting? (I think that yours looks much more appetizing than the traditional, really.)

>121 Carmenere: When it comes to cake, I make time.
>122 quondame: Wow, I hadn't looked at the prices. That's an expensive cake. Eh, he's a doctor.
>123 figsfromthistle: We're two of a kind! Happy Sunday!
>124 laytonwoman3rd: That pic is from Brennan's site, but my cake would have looked just like that if the FedEx driver hadn't placed it on it's side despite the box having "This Side Down" printed on it, meaning it needed to remain flat. So some of the icing slid down. My cake came with green and purple beads.
They do make the traditional purple and green cake, but not in the bananas foster flavor. Yeah, I agree, the purple and green cake has never tempted me.

I'm going to send him a copy of a book I'm reading now that I think he'll love, Gastro Obscura.
And Welcome to Night Vale arrived for me yesterday.

9. Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin. Major Heathcliff Lennox's valet calls him to the front door to have a look at the dead man lying there. The local detective doesn't believe that Lennox has never seen the man and wasn't responsible for his death, but there's no proof otherwise so Lennox is allowed to travel to his family estate for Christmas.
What would normally be a dull collection of cousins and their elderly uncle is thrown into chaos this year with the introduction of the uncle's new fiancee, a Russian Countess, and her beautiful young niece. It turns out that the Countess has been working on the old man for awhile and now, with the whole wealthy family gathered, she announces that their uncle has a new will that replaces them with her. It doesn't take long for the first murder.
Published in 2018 and part of a series, this has a real Golden Age feel with snappy dialogue and humor. 4.5

>101 mstrust: I remember my brother loving that book as a kid. It always makes me think of a roadside attraction we would pass on our way from one set of grandparents to the other. https://visitvincennes.org/attractions/big-peach/

>126 mstrust: Added to the WL!

Very cool, I always appreciate a shop or restaurant shaped like what they sell. Not enough places do it nowadays. And it reminds me of Orange World in Florida.

10. The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell. The owner of The Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookstore in Scotland, gives an almost daily account of strange behavior by both his customers and employees. He takes the reader along as he examines book collections of the wealthy and average collector, takes part in a week-long literary festival, deals with Amazon's greed and the end of a longtime relationship.
The simple format of diary entries led to a world of drama, aggravation and humor that had me hooked. Dealing with his employee Nicky, with her offers of pre-licked pastries from the garbage and glee as she insults Bythell was hilarious, but add in the customers trying to get discounts on rock-bottom prices, which happens a lot, and the Italian intern who ate everything in sight. And I would imagine his mother would be pretty ticked to read what he wrote about her. 4 stars

>130 mstrust: Somehow beer and Liberace don't seem to go together...

(Anybody notice the plug for Amos 'n' Andy at the bottom of that ad?)

>129 mstrust: Ooh, you got me! The Diary of a Bookseller goes on my TBR! Thanks!

Karen O

>130 mstrust: That's hilarious!!

>131 laytonwoman3rd: I know, that's why I picked their Liberace ad over all the other actors they also featured in that ad campaign. Liberace as a happy beer drinker seemed like quite a stretch, but I don't know, maybe he loved it. And the name Blatz sounds like an onomatopoeia, like that's the sound you'll make when you drink it.
I hadn't noticed the Amos & Andy. I have to put some glasses on to see it.

>132 klobrien2: Your welcome! I didn't want to put it down.

>133 Carmenere: Isn't it a surprise to hear that he was from Milwaukee? And that in all his travels he had never tasted a finer beer?

I went out this morning and bought a bell pepper plant that has three peppers already growing, and a tomato plant with two blossoms. Also some French radish seeds that I'll get around to planting. If you've never tried French radishes, look 'em up. They're pretty and have a much lighter flavor than regular radishes and a crispy, less dense texture.

What a thoughtful brother you have! That cake looks delicious. I would never have put beer and Liberace together in my mind, but as you say - who knows?

I agree, David is very nice! And I'm sure that Liberace and his friends always ordered Blatz when out at a fancy restaurants in their tuxs. I'm sure the air was filled with their squalls for "more Blatz!"

>130 mstrust: So, miniature pianos. Of course I'd notice miniature pianos. He endorsed a brand of doll sized piano, natch.

I'm loving some of these "vintage" artifacts!

You've got me wondering how Blatz got it's name, (brewer was Valentin Blatz) but this was also on wikipedia. Apparently, Blatz had a good social media advisor: "In the 1953 cult-classic The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, Brando's character Johnny Strabler is the leader of a biker gang that terrorizes a small town in California. After one of the members of the gang injures himself in a motorcycle crash and is taken to the town doctor, Johnny orders a beer at the local bar and the love interest, Mary Murphy, serves him a bottle of Blatz. Johnny and his gang drink Blatz out of the bottle throughout most of the movie.12"

>137 quondame: Did he? Making that sweet corporate paycheck! We all know the mini piano racket is where the money is.

>138 thornton37814: Good, so do I!

>139 Carmenere: Wow, thanks for the information! Just looking at this particular ad campaign, it's clear they had money for big names. That's some amazing product placement.

The Historian arrived.

>141 mstrust: You're in for a treat! Hope you enjoy it.

I didn't realize it was a big ol' doorstop when I ordered it. But I've heard so much about it that it must be good.

I've been doing something unusual, for me at least, in watching a movie every day or two for the last week or so. Usually I might watch a single movie in a month. I also watched the whole series of Archive 81 on Netflix. The first six episodes are very mysterious and creepy.
Also watched I Care A Lot, The Honeymoon Killers, Sword of Trust, Desk Set, Mixtape, Agatha Christie and the Truth of Murder, and re-watched the limited series Pretend It's A City, the doc series about Fran Lebowitz because she's such fun.

11. Gastro Obscura by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras. A thick, heavy book that introduces the reader to the traditional, rare, and sought after foods from around the world. Each page has a photo or drawing of each item, or the landscape, or the people celebrating a festival devoted to that food, such as the Guimaras Mango Festival in the Philippines, where for about two US dollars you can enter an all-you-can-eat mango buffet. The reader may be well-traveled but will still find foods that are known only to locals, such as Atrapaniebla beer, made in Chile from cloud condensation, or Jeppson's Malort, a Chicago liquor known as the worst liquor in the world. Or that one of the chefs at the Japanese research station in Antarctica developed a snack there, "devil's rice balls", that became a retail hit back in his home country.
I'm restraining myself from gushing about this book, but I loved it. Combining travel and food, with festivals thrown in and photos of everything, was a winner for me and I now have a list of foods and events to look for. 5 stars

I just added Gastro Obscura to my TBR here on LT, but then bopped over to my library and got it requested. I might just do a little browsing in the book, but the idea intrigues me, just like Atlas Obscura did. Thanks for the heads-up!

Happy weekend!

Karen O

>144 mstrust: Well, alright then! Sounds like a strange journey!

Just popping in to wish you a wonderful weekend, Jennifer!
>129 mstrust: I just borrowed this from the library - looking forward to it....

>144 mstrust: I am going to go and find that one and get it ordered, Jennifer. Just my thing.

Have a great weekend.

>145 klobrien2: Glad your library has it. Compiling something like this is quite a feat. Before I was halfway through I had gone ahead and sent a copy to my brother because travel+food is perfect for him. He was thrilled!
Have a great weekend!

>146 quondame: There is some stuff that would surprise Westerners, but somehow I ended up with a list of things I'd like to see/try, like a Sugarloaf pineapple from Hawaii, paw paws, and The Atlas Bar in Singapore, beautiful and they have 1,300 gins from around the world.

>147 SirThomas: That book was so fun, and honest. Who else would give you the daily totals for how much money he made that day? Very surprising. I hope you like it!
Have a great weekend, Thomas!

>148 PaulCranswick: Great! Is there a greater enticement for travel than knowing that you get to eat something special when you arrive? Or am I the only one who has the same motivations as a raccoon?
Have a great weekend!

Mike came home last night from Vegas, where he'd been for a few days with friends. He brought home Frankie's anniversary mug, which we couldn't collect in December, plus the second colored mug of the Lava Letch. Let me see if I find pics already posted.

Okay, here's "Lady Luck". The run was just 300 this year.



And the Lava Letch. Ours is very dark gray/red:

>144 mstrust: That book sounds delightful, and it's now on my wishlist. I love the idea of a pecan pie vending machine as mentioned in Amazon's book description.

Ha, that's actually the first section I turned to, and when I saw that I let my mom know because she's a Texan who is a little obsessive about pecans. Her answer was, "That's a good reason for a trip."

Oooo, I like the Lava Letch!

It's the most deranged tiki mug I've ever seen, ha!
And here's the backside of the letch in the original green.

I love it!

12. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. Eight year-old Danny and his widower father have lived in a caravan behind their auto repair and filling station for Danny's whole life. His father is kind and attentive, always happy to teach Danny a new skill, and Danny loves being with his dad. But their village has a wealthy man who demeans Danny and his father, so Dad needs revenge. He and Danny make a plan to ruin the annual pheasant shoot, taking the rich man's birds for themselves and humiliating him in the process.
I expected a whimsical Dahl story, but this isn't like other Dahls. There's a villain who needs to be taught a lesson, but otherwise, this is the most realistic story I've read from Dahl. Danny and his father have a good relationship, though Dad doesn't have the best judgement, such as holding five year-old Danny out of school until he's seven. But the main plot point of this book, which is longer than the average Dahl, is that of poaching pheasants. Danny's dad adores poaching and once the topic is introduced, he explains how it's done and how he does it, and then Danny gets involved, SPOILER* by suggesting that they drug the flock of pheasants. His dad thinks it's a great idea. I'll have to put this plot down to a different time and place, because the idea of getting even with a human by wiping out a flock of a hundred birds is bizarre. I would have given this a lower rating if not for the good relationship of Danny and his dad. Didn't hate it, but certainly not my favorite. 3 stars

Yesterday we went to a local salvage business that is open just one weekend a month. Big property in a hip location and they have a variety of cactus and succulents, ornate iron fencing that looks like it was taken from a Victorian graveyard, furniture, chandeliers, books, new designer clothing and bags. Didn't find anything this time, but we went across the street to another vintage shop and got another Georges Briard glass piece, a nut or candy dish. 24k etching.

Also found an old tin canister that has a Canadian Royal Mountie on it. Looks like 40's or 50's and I think it contained toffee or chocolates. Pristine condition and very colorful.

13. Much Dithering by Dorothy Lambert. Jocelyn married young and was widowed soon after, left with the family home and a good amount of money through her late husband's minor aristocratic family. She has also been left with a mother-in-law, aunt and mother who all take turns telling her what to do. As a result, Jocelyn is described by all as dull and wasting her youth.
When the village of Much Dithering is chosen by a wealthy family from London as their new home, the young son immediately latches onto Jocelyn with the intention of marrying her, no matter that he's already been secretly seeing Jocelyn's mother for some time, and Mama isn't the type to take this sort of treatment. Another stranger appears, this one an interesting old army friend of a local Colonel who has already been pursuing Jocelyn for some time.
Published in 1938, it's an intensely domestic story, meaning almost all of it occurs in one home or another and focuses on the romantic travails of a handful of people. Which got a bit claustrophobic, but it also reminded me of the romantic angles in some Agatha Christies. 3 stars

>60 mstrust: I have a bio on Roald Dahl that I just catalogued in my TBR pile. I think it would be a fascinating read. Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl.

>71 mstrust: Milk and 7-Up? That's just so wrong! LOL.

>98 mstrust: I love The Giver! Very powerful. Not sure I want to see the movie if it has the Hollywood happy ending.

>149 mstrust: Lava Letch!!

>156 mstrust: You can never have too many snack dishes. And that is a lovely one.

Happy Tuesday!!

I've read Boy, which is Dahl's memoir of his childhood. I liked it a lot, especially his stories of school.
The movie version of The Giver was especially surprising since Jeff Bridges said he spent years trying to get the movie made, so I don't know if the happy ending was a concession to getting it filmed.
I suppose I should use my new candy bowl. It's survived more than 50 years intact, hopefully we won't destroy it.
Happy Wednesday to you!

I'm fighting off bronchitis at the moment. It started yesterday so I've been drinking Breathe Easy, Throat Coat, orange juice, taking my vitamins, and right on cue, Mike's friend brought me dozens of lemons from his tree.

14. 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet by Pamela Paul. Exactly as the title promises, this counts out 100 things that most of us no longer use due to the internet or smartphones, along with the change in attitudes that came with them, and many of these things we've lost come at a hefty price. Paul discusses the demise of private humiliation, unpopular opinions, spelling and periods at the end of sentences, magazines, empathy, blind dates, the college lecture, and "blocking things out". Of course, not all are completely gone, bedtime reading, the family meal and sleepaway camp are included, but the vast majority will make those of GenX and older remember when you had to stop and find a phone booth or pull out a map when you got lost. 3.5 stars

>160 mstrust: There was a copy of the new Yellow Pages in our mailbox (the USPS kind of mailbox, that is) today. Who uses THAT anymore?

Hope you are feeling better, Jennifer. Did you do anything exciting with all those lemons?

>160 mstrust: I am sure that there can be a big list, but I don't see why spelling needs to be on it.

There has been a general cognitive decline due to modern technology of that I am certain. Anyone who has put all their numbers into the storage of the mobile phone will invariably fail to recall the newer numbers. Mental arithmetic has been hampered by the use of calculators too.

I drive my staff crazy by giving them regular exercises to do in mental arithmetic calculation, but it is surprisingly how after a few months they improve dramatically so all is not lost!

>161 laytonwoman3rd: We had a slim one delivered last year. I was surprised to see it. I guess there are enough people in our area that don't have cellphones, but we are very close to Sun City, which is a huge retirement community.

>162 DeltaQueen50: Thank, Judy. I did all I could to ward it off, but it's bronchitis. All my effort has kept it from getting really bad though. I'd say I have "Bronchitis Lite".
Yes, I've been using the lemons! A couple of nights ago I made lemon steamed pudding, one of my favorite desserts. Last night I used generous amounts of lemon juice with oregano and garlic on pan-fried salmon. More lemon went in the yellow zucchini, onion and kale saute, along with chicken stock, basil and garlic. And for dessert, homemade strawberry lemonade ice cream. I still have maybe two dozen lemons left.

>163 PaulCranswick: The spelling and punctuation were referring to the way we text more than write, and that putting a period on the end of a sentence is seen as aggressive. Letter writing and sending physical birthday cards are also on the list. I'm guilty of the e-mail birthday card to my brother and sister's kids.
I can only remember mine and Mike's phone numbers. Couldn't come up with another, though I remember the landline number I grew up with.

Scroll through these MidCentury food trends: https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/if-you-grew-50s-you-ll-definitely-remember-thes...

>149 mstrust: I enjoyed it very much Jennifer, thank you so much.
Have a wonderful Sunday and get well soon.
>165 mstrust: This looks delicious and healthy....

I'm glad you liked it too! Ha, I expected some kind of reaction to that jello salad, but appreciation wasn't even in my mind.
Happy Sunday!

15. Flight by Sherman Alexie. Fifteen year-old Zits has been placed in twenty-one foster homes since he was six, when his mother died. The string of foster parents has ranged from indifferent to abusive, and an assault on his latest foster mother lands Zits in a cell, where he meets an older boy named Justice. For the first time in years Zits has a friend, someone who cares for him and looks out for him, though the reader knows to be wary of Justice. This manipulative friend leads Zits to a strange series of awakenings that explore Native American and White relations in American history.
A thought-provoking book that addresses race and the foster care system, while also switching the main character back and forth from victim to victimizer. 4 stars

>164 mstrust: Oh my, you got my mouth watering with all those lemon dishes. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors - both sweet and savory dishes! I wasn't quite as enthused with the 1950 dishes - I do remember gelatin salads - Blech!

>165 mstrust: >167 mstrust: It reminds me of the delicious trifle Rachel made for Monica (From our favorite show Friends):
She starts with a base layer of ladyfingers, then jam, custard, raspberries, ladyfingers, beef, custard, bananas, and then top it off with whipped cream.😉
Have a good start into the week.

>168 mstrust: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Jennifer!

Have a wonderful week!

>169 DeltaQueen50: I've also made lemonade and a jar of preserved lemons, which are layered with lots of salt, pepper flakes and peppercorns. I've made them before and they are fantastic when diced up and added to chicken, pork or a rice dish. I'm tempted to make the steamed pudding again tonight because it's so good. I did make a blueberry crumble several nights ago and that was really good.
I like jello but the photos of salad floating in jello reminds me of The Blob.

>170 SirThomas: Didn't Joey really enjoy that?

>171 alcottacre: Glad to help! Thanks, and you have a wonderful week too!

Well, that reprieve didn't last long. I'm back to the dentist next week.
Last day of January. We got up to 73F yesterday, too warm, but it's been chilly enough in the mornings that I've already used the fireplace this year more than all of last year.
And Mike and I have been collecting signatures from all the neighbors to get our street signs replaced. For some reason, (the city department head wouldn't tell me why) the city removed the three "No Parking" signs from our street last month, which were the only thing keeping the students and parents from the high school across the street from using our tiny street to park all day and as a drop location. They keep the residents from being able to get in and out of their own driveways. So, one signature to go, we've got everyone else signed up.

yes, when they wanted to throw away the leftovers, he had eaten all of it ...

That's right. He was happy.

>170 SirThomas:....you forgot the layer of frozen peas. That's the second reference to a Friends episode I've come across in the last 4 minutes of internet browsing! I'll extend the streak by making the following comment on >168 mstrust: above: that sounds like a book that needs to go into the freezer.

Oh yes, you're right, it really rounds out the flavor experience.
And I enjoyed the frozen books both very much - Shining and Little Women.

>175 laytonwoman3rd: I'd call it a grim or tragic story rather than outright horror. Definitely not a good choice as a pick-me-up. Sorry if I'm not getting your reference correctly, I haven't watched in years.

>176 SirThomas: Morning!

>177 mstrust: There were two books featured in the Friends episode, The Shining (horror) and Little Women (sad, tragic). Rachel kept The Shining in the freezer because it was so scary; then she convinced Joey to read Little Women, and he couldn't go on when Beth got "really sick", so Rachel suggested he put the book in the freezer. So sad and tragic qualifies for the deep chill.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Jennifer!

Ah, thanks for the reminder!

>179 alcottacre: Thank you, and you too, Stasia!

>178 laytonwoman3rd: Can we put the last 2 years in cold storage then?

>181 CassieBash: Best plan I've heard in a long time!

Good morning, Miss Nostalgia! What a trip to be reminded how smoking was glorified back in the day. I bought my share of candy Lucky Strikes but I can honestly say I've only and less than 5 cigarettes in my lifetime. I could not see the satisfaction in them, thank goodness.

If you're still in for a group read of Winesburg, there's this https://www.librarything.com/topic/339258#n7745832
Have an awesome day.

I had an enormous choice of cigarette ads to choose from, and I have to admit that I'm tempted to post one that has a doctor. I'm a bit entranced seeing the old movies that have a doctor standing next to a bedridden patient and lighting up.
My sister and I would go even further with our candy cigarettes and try to light the ends. Luckily they never caught fire.
I will be joining you in Winesburg!

>186 mstrust: Glad to hear that you are joining in the Winesburg read, Jennifer! The more, the merrier!

>185 Carmenere: >186 mstrust: Yay! I couldn't agree more, Stasia!

16. Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt's Creek by Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy. A great big coffee table book of the creation, casting, writing and characters of Schitt's Creek. Each of the regular cast has a page explaining how they began working on the show and what they think of their character. Every episode is summarized, and the most popular scenes are explored. That means The Crowening, the romance of David and Patrick, and pages of David's complete knit collection and Moira's ensembles. A must for a fan of the show. 4 stars

>187 alcottacre: >188 Carmenere: Who's bringing the wine?!

>190 mstrust: I do not drink, so it will not be me, sorry!

>190 mstrust: Well, I'll meekly raise my hand. I'll bring along tea for Stasia :0)

We're going to Winesburg. I'm pretty sure they have their standards and I'm gonna meet them.

>193 mstrust: Ha, you're a trip! ;0)

>186 mstrust: Oh, I tried lighting the ends too! Messy. I do enjoy living in a much more smoker-free time.

>194 Carmenere: ;-D
>195 quondame: Nice to hear it wasn't just me. I really had too much access to matches and lighters. Happy to say that I grew up to be a non-smoker who mostly confines fire to my fireplace. And I'm with you, I enjoy not walking through a cloud.

>196 mstrust: The down side being that we can now smell ourselves on our clothing.

Ha! What?

This morning was cold enough that I made a fire, and after about an hour of burning, A Taste of History-ish idea popped into my head. I cut the top of a banana off, sliced it vertically and made a gap that I filled with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. I closed it, then wrapped it tightly in foil and cooked it in the red ashes of the fire for 10 minutes. Fireplace Bananas Foster!

>198 mstrust: What an awesome idea!! Although I like bananas, bananas don't like me, but I still may try this out the next time we have a bonfire. The brown sugar,cinnamon, butter combo will surely counteract the effects of the banana.

>198 mstrust: Salivating! Probably not the best thing as I am about to try and sleep.

>199 Carmenere: Thanks, it was a spur of the moment thing but it worked out. A few weeks ago I wrapped German brats in foil and roasted them in the hot ashes. That turned out well too. I require my fires to work for me. No doubt that using enough sugar and butter will make the banana agree with you.
>200 PaulCranswick: Dang, sorry 'bout that!

Come see me at my new thread. Maybe we'll make martinis and put on a bossa nova record.

>198 mstrust: Inspiration!

It's so easy I just had to pass the idea along.

>192 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. I appreciate you thinking of me :)

>193 mstrust: I am fairly sure that if you drank that much wine that you would not be able to find Winesburg! lol

Bet I could find my way to the floor though.

>206 mstrust: Or the floor would find you. . .