karenmarie - glad to be here in 2022, part III

Welcome to my third thread of Two Thousand and Twenty-Two!

The Good: Family, friends, kitties, books, in constantly-rotating order. Modern medicine, too. Cardio rehab continues, low-sodium diet gains traction, I’m happy it’s winter. Jenna’s over Covid, thank all the gods and goddesses, guardian angels, and good spirits.

The Bad and the Sad: No one is safe until everyone is safe. The unvaccinated are still ruining it for responsible people who respect public health policies. The social and political rift among people in the US is more entrenched and apparent than ever. The possibility of civil war is getting mentioned more frequently, which astounds and scares the bejeebers out of me.

The Ugly: Supposedly law-abiding Republicans flouting laws because all of a sudden it’s okay to do so, encouraged by top members of the Gang of Psychos. The Republican Party continuing to evolve into The Gang of Psychos.

The Encouraging: Awful Mitch McConnell and awful Mike Pence are pushing back against Trump although it may be too little and much, much too late. If I lived in Wyoming, I’d cross party lines and vote for Liz Cheney. She’s not half bad for a member of the Gang of Psychos.

I am so glad I’m retired, and am beyond grateful that I don’t have to venture out to work to earn a living ever again. I’ve paid my dues. Every day I don’t have to get up to an alarm is a cause for celebration.

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. We haven’t met since March of 2020, met July 11th of last year and decided to ramp back up in September. However, Delta and Omicron have put the kibosh on those plans. I am President for our local Friends of the Library (henceforth abbreviated FoL). The Board still meets enough times to keep in compliance with the By-Laws. We’ve recruited two new members, who will join the meeting on Monday the 24th of January. We have tentative plans for a book sale in late March 2022, but who knows if that will happen.

I have been married to Bill for 30 years and am mother to Jenna, 28, who lives in Asheville now. Bill and I live in our own little corner of paradise on 8 acres in central North Carolina USA.

We have three kitties. Inara – 14 1/2, Zoe - 3, Wash – 2. Inara was pouting because she wanted to go outside. Zoe was surveying her kingdom. Wash had his back to me, and his markings and width made me happy.



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My sister Laura and I had our photo taken together, circa 1987. Laura, 3 1/2 years younger than I am, is on the left.

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My goal last year was 100 books and I exceeded it by 3. This year’s goal will be reduced to 75. I haven’t been in much of a reading mood since my heart attack and setting a lower goal will keep the stress down. If I exceed it, great, if I just meet it, great, too. I’m going to reduce my pages read goal proportionally, to 25000 pages per year.

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Poetry is not a go-to genre by any means, however, I am going to choose a short new poem for each new thread. One of my favorite poets is e.e. cummings.

i love you much(most beautiful darling)

i love you much(most beautiful darling)
more than anyone on the earth and i
like you better than everything in the sky
-sunlight and singing welcome your coming
although winter may be everywhere
with such a silence and such a darkness
noone can quite begin to guess
(except my life)the true time of year-
and if what calls itself a world should have
the luck to hear such singing(or glimpse such
sunlight as will leap higher than high
through gayer than gayest someone's heart at your each
nearness)everyone certainly would(my
most beautiful darling)believe in nothing but love

2022 - it has to be better than 2020 and 2021, right?

Books Read

January
1. The Guncle by Steven Rowley 12/19/21 1/2/2022 324 pages hardcover
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 9/29/21 1/6/22 audiobook 19 hours
3. Some Die Nameless by William Stroby 1/3/22 1/12/2022 337 pages hardcover
4. Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver 1/14/22 1/24/22 266 pages hardcover
5. Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb 1/25/22 1/29/22 385 pages trade paperback

February
6. Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb 1/29/22 2/1/21 388 pages trade paperback
7. Midnight in Death in Silent Night by J.D. Robb 2/1/22 2/1/22 90 pages mass market paperback
8. Interlude in Death by J.D. Robb 2/2/22 2/3/22 92 pages mass market paperback
9. Remember When by Nora Roberts 2/3/22 2/6/22 243 pages mass market paperback
10. Big Jack 2/6/22 2/8/22 287 pages mass market paperback
11. Haunted in Death in Bump in the Night by J.D. Robb 2/9/22 2/10/11 100 pages mass market paperback
12. Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/10/22 2/13/21 108 pages trade paperback
13. Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/14/22 2/14/22 88 pages trade paperback
14. Missing in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/15/22 2/15/22 96 pages trade paperback
15. Possession in Death in The Other Side Anthology by J.D. Robb 2/16/22 2/19/22 80 pages mass market paperback
16. Killing Floor by Lee Child 2/20/22 2/26/22 407 pages mass market paperback
17. Chaos in Death in The Unquiet Anthology by J.D. Robb 2/26/22 2/27/22 90 pages mass market paperback
18. Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter 2/16/22 2/28/22 194 pages hardcover
19. Taken in Death in Mirror, Mirror Anthology by J.D. Robb 2/27/22 2/28/22 86 pages mass market paperback

March
20. Wonderment in Death in Down the Rabbit Hole Anthology by J.D. Robb 3/1/22 3/1/22 94 pages mass market paperback
21. A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay 3/2/22 3/5/21 500 pages hardcover
**abandoned** The Winshaw Legacy by Jonathan Coe 58 pages
22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1/7/22 3/8/22 audiobook 21.5 hours

Currently Reading:

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths 3/8/22 363 pages hardcover 2022
Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb 3/7/22 356 pages 2022
The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong by John Mitchinson 1/21/22 288 pages hardcover Kindle 2007
An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten 1/12/22 174 pages Kindle 2018
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk 1/8/22 413 pages trade paperback 2001
How To Be Champion by Sarah Millican 1/2/22 296 pages trade paperback 2017
Run with the Horsemen by Ferrol Sams 1/23/21 422 pages trade paperback 1982
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson 10/16/21 489 pages hardcover 2021

Adds. Last year was supposed to be a year of controlling my insatiable need for books, but I fell off the wagon big time. 316 books acquired last year, which was ridiculously high compared to the previous year's 128.

I won't make any promises for this year although I don't anticipate any Friends donations that make their way to my shelves (with permission of the donors).

1. Kindle - An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten and Marlaine Delargy
2. Amazon - The Longevity Plan by Dr. John D. Day and Jane Ann Day
3. Amazon - My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
4. Amazon - Should We Stay Or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver
5. Kindle - Sam by Lonnie Coleman - RD
00 The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong by John Mitchinson - bought December, just added to catalog
6. Amazon - Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb
7. Amazon - Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
8. Kindle - Walking on the Ceiling by Aysegül Savas
9. Jenn - A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
10. Kindle - Kohinoor by William Dalrymple
11. Kindle - Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
12. Amazon - Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
13. Kindle - In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish
14. Kindle - Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria
15. Kindle - South Sea Fever by D.A. Horncastle
16. Amazon - Jim Hanvey, Detective by Octavus Roy Cohen
17. Amazon - Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb
18. Amazon - Maus I by Art Spiegelman
19. U of Chicago Press - A Brief History of Death by W.M. Spellman
19. U of Chicago Press - Patty's Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America by William Graebner
20. U of Chicago Press - Nuns Behaving Badly: Tales of Music, Magic, Art, and Arson in the Convents of Italy by Craig A. Monson
21. U of Chicago Press - Confederate Cities: The Urban South during the Civil War Era by Andrew L. Slap
22. Amazon - Down the Rabbit Hole by J.D. Robb
23. Amazon - Mirror, Mirror by J.D. Robb
24. Amazon - The Unquiet by J.D. Robb
25. Kindle - Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene
26. Amazon - The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem
27. Amazon - Raise High The Room Beam, Carpenters and Seymour an Introduction by J.D. Salinger

Culls. Last year I culled 72. While looking for some books for friend Louise today I saw two very poor quality mass market paperbacks that I should cull... perhaps I can focus on culling unreadable books if they don't hold sentimental or intrinsic value, of course.

I am toying with the idea of culling a book for every book I acquire. Toying only, but I did just find 3 mass market paperbacks with print too small or too yellowed.

1. Kissing the Gunner's Daughter by Ruth Rendell
2. Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
3. A Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine (pseudonym for Ruth Rendell)
4. Some Die Nameless by Wallace Stroby reasonable, but not enough to award it permanent shelf space
5. Cold Shot to the Heart by Wallace Stroby
6. The Heartbreak Lounge by Wallace Stroby
7. The Devil's Share by Wallace Stroby
8. Kings of Midnight by Wallace Stroby
9. Gone 'Til November by Wallace Stroby
10. Suite 606 - contains an Eve Dallas novella, duplicated in another book on my shelves
11. Out of This World - contains an Eve Dallas novella, duplicated in another book on my shelves
12. Dead of Night - contains an Eve Dallas novella, duplicated in another book on my shelves
13. The Lost - contains an Eve Dallas novella, duplicated in another book on my shelves
14. Big Jack - duplicate of a copy in Remember When
15. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
16. The Winshaw Legacy by Jonathan Coe
17. Number 11 by Jonathan Coe

YTD Statistics Through February 2022

19 books read
5 of them on my shelves before 01/01/2022 and not rereads
0 books abandoned, 0 pages abandoned
3617 pages read
19 audiobook hours 19.00
Avg pages read per day, YTD = 61
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 190

Book of the month: Woke Racism by John McWhorter

Books By Month
January 4 paper books 1312 pages, 1 audiobook 19 hours
February 15 paper books, 2305 pages

Author
Male 21%
Female 79%

Living 100%
Dead 0%

US Born 89%
Foreign Born 11%

Platform
Hardcover 22%
Trade Pback 26%
Mass Market 47%
Audiobook 5%
e-Book 0%

Source
My Library 95%
Library 5%
Other 0%

Misc
ARC/ER 0%
Re-read 16%
Series 79%

Fiction 95%
NonFiction 5%

New to Me Authors 1

Author Birth Country
England 5%
US 95%

Original Decade Published
1990s 6%
2000s 42%
2010s 26%
2020s 26%

Category
Adventure 0%
Biography 0%
Chrestomathy 0%
Contemporary Fiction 11%
Fantasy 5%
Historical Fiction 0%
Humor 0%
Informational Nonfiction 5%
Memoir 0%
Mystery 0%
Poetry 0%
Science Fiction 0%
Suspense 0%
Thriller 79%


Book Acquisition Date
2007 - Joined LT, added 1853 books 1
2011 9
2013 1
2021 2
2022 5
borrowed from friends 0
Library 1

Rating
2.5 - Average 0
3 - Good 2
3.5 - Very Good 2
3.75 - better than VG, not quite Excellent 2
4 - Excellent 10
4.5 - Stunning 3

3.5 - YTD average

February Lightning Round

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb 1/29/22 2/1/22 388 pages

Book 53 in the series. While out on a case of a murdered homeless woman, Dallas is called to a nearby cold case – a skeleton and baby or unborn child’s skeleton with her. Two separate murders – are they linked or not? Solid teamwork, solid fare. Mavis puts in a lovely appearance, and there are some happy surprises for McNab and Peabody.

Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb in Silent Night Anthology 2/1/22 2/1/22

A novella, 7.5, in which Eve has to recapture a serial killer who’s escaped and killing the lawyers and judge who put him in a cage in order to get to Eve. Very well done. Interesting early work, with Peabody and McNab still ‘enemies’ and Eve just celebrating her first Christmas with Roarke.

Interlude in Death by J.D. Robb 2/2/22 2/3/22

A novella, 12.5, Eve and Roarke are offplanet for Eve to give a speech to cops. Two people are murdered, and quick work by Eve and her team and the head of Security at Roarke’s hotel, where the action occurs, solve things before Interplanetary Police have to be called in. There’s an interesting link here between Eve’s evil father and Roarke’s evil father. They were apparently working together on a crime that was background to the current murders. I don’t remember reading about this link in the novels, so it’s nice to get this bit of background.

Remember When by Nora Roberts 2/3/22 2/6/22

Laine is the daughter of a petty crook. Her mother divorced him and remarried, and after a life as a child criminal Laine is respectable and owns an antique store. Trouble comes her way when her father’s partner leaves stolen diamonds with her and immediately gets killed. There’s a romantic interest, of course, a bad guy, and there are still missing gems, $14 million worth. The book ends there, but Big Jack, novella 17.5 in the In Death series, apparently picks up in Eve’s timeline with someone looking for the missing gems.

Big Jack by Nora Roberts 2/6/22 2/8/22 in Remember When

This is a novella, although it pages in at 280 pages, not a novella in my book 😊. This is 17.5 in the In Death series, apparently picks up in Eve’s timeline with someone looking for the missing gems. Laine’s granddaughter has written a book about her grandparents romance and the gems. There are two murders, an attempted murder, and a bit of deus ex machina in addition to some very solid breaks that lead to Eve’s leap of faith in picking out who is probably the murderer. It’s fun to go back and see Peabody just becoming a detective and just getting together with McNab and Eve and Roarke’s early days together.

Haunted in Death by J.D. Robb in Bump in the Night Anthology 2/9/22 2/10/22

A novella, 22.5, in which Eve catches a murder and also discovers a skeleton that had been walled up. Bobbie Bray went missing 85 years earlier, this is her skeleton. Eve doesn’t believe in ghosts, Roarke does, and by the end of this one you will believe in ghosts, too. Short, sweet, very well done.

Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/10/22 2/13/22

A novella, 24.5, in which a woman is duped into thinking she’ll get eternal life but is murdered instead. Eve and Roarke go down into the seamy underworld, where a club called Bloodbath, a vampire conceit, provides the clues Eve needs, along with another murder, to help capture the vampire wanna-be. A bit schmaltzy, but Eve continues to work through the issues of her childhood.

Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/14/22 2/14/22

A novella, 27.5 in which Eve swans around in FMPs fuck me pumps, a sexy dress, and many diamonds at a party with Roarke, and a naked, bloodied, knife-wielding man runs through the party. There’s been a death upstairs involving satanic rituals and use of amnesia-inducing drugs. A quick solution involving Eve’s sussing out a ‘sensitive’ and intuition about alibis makes for a quick and satisfactory read.

Missing in Death by J.D. Robb in Time of Death Anthology 2/15/22 2/15/22

A novella, 29.5 in the series. An unexpected departure for Eve, as she investigates a missing woman on the Staten Island Ferry and a woman who has lost an hour of time after she walks in on a gruesome scene on the same ferry. Even more unexpected is the treatment of the murderer at the end. Roarke’s ability to dig around illegally is critical for the solution.

Possession in Death by J.D. Robb in The Other Side Anthology 2/16/22 2/19/22

A novella, 31.5 in the series. Eve witnesses the death of an old Romany woman, and if you believe in what Eve usually calls voodoo and woo-woo, is possessed by her in order to help Eve find her great-granddaughter, who she believes is still alive and trapped behind a red door. Solid police work and being visited by the dead help Eve find Beata and 8 bodies of ballerinas kidnapped and eventually killed by a male crazed former dancer. Very well done, reminded me of The Sixth Sense.

Killing Floor by Lee Child 2/20/22 2/26/22

First of the Jack Reacher books, just as good as I remember it from having read it in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Excellent character development, whip-smart plot, non-stop action. Jack Reacher stops off in a small town in Georgia to find out more about a long-dead guitar player named Blind Blake. He gets more than he bargained for as he’s arrested for murder and starts figuring out that things aren’t as they should be in Margrave. Yes there are coincidences, yes there are a few holes in the plot, but you don’t care since the story is so compelling.

Chaos in Death by J.D. Robb 2/26/22 2/27/22

33.5 in the series. Fun quote that in just a few words defines Peabody and Eve:

”Totally mag. Peaceful. Kind of Zen. Look, butterflies.” A smile broke over Peabody’s face. “Butterflies just make you happy.”

"They’ve got that buggy body and those creepy little antennas. People don’t think about that because they get distracted by the wings. I always wonder if they have teeth. They must have tiny, sharp little teeth.”

“You’re not spoiling my happy.”

For some reason this one just didn’t do it for me. The best part of it was the above quote. I guess it was because one of the suspects had taken an unproven serum, hacked it to ‘improve it’ according to him, then became a monster who could go back and forth from human to monster.

Taken in Death by J.D. Robb in Mirror, Mirror Anthology 2/27/22 2/28/22

Another novella, 37.5 in the series order, has Eve and her team trying desperately to find two children taken by the Evil Witch. Some very clever e-work by McNab, Feeney, and Roarke, along with Peabody’s gut feelings and Eve’s intuition, lead to a good ending. Because, in novellas, can you have a bad ending?

103 books read

0 Masterpiece
17 Stunning
51 Excellent
28 Very Good
6 Good
1 Average
0 Bad
0 Very Bad
0 Don't Bother
0 Anathema

Best Fiction
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
The Mandibles: A family, 2029 – 2047 by Lionel Shriver

Best Nonfiction
Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Ties That Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves by Marie Jenkins Schwartz
Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

Top five overall for the LT Top Five Books of 2021 list:
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Ties That Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves by Marie Jenkins Schwartz
A Promised Land by Barack Obama

…

Welcome one and all!

Happy new thread, Karen!

Happy New Thread, Karen. Love the photo up there with your sister.

Morning, Karen! Happy new one. I just finished catching up on your old thread in time to continue right on into this one. Hoping your Friday is full of fabulous!

Hi Karen. Nice sister photo. Sure can see the family resemblance!
I couldn't get through that Barack Obama book, so well done you. I loved Michelle's story, though.

I absolutely love the 1987 sister photo. The hair! So retro! You both look stunning. Is that you on the right?

Happy New Thread, Karen!

Lovely sister photo indeed. You on the right would be my guess as well.

Happy new thread, Karen.

>1 karenmarie: Lovely picture of your sister and you!

New thread orisons, Horrible! I'm impressed that y'all didn't do a cutesy sisters pose since it was 1987 and that's how we rolled in them days.

I've already forgotten...did you read the latest "In Death" book that came out Tuesday? Someone I know here was cooing and gurgling over it and I suddenly though "I haven't noticed Horrible's response" and then realized it was probably my Half-heimer's kickin' in.

>10 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

>11 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Yup, me and my sissie. I’ve added a note in >1 karenmarie: to indicate that Laura is on the left, I am on the right.

>12 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, and thank you. Fabulous – hmmm. Well, I’ve gotten the turtlecake refrigerator ingredients out so they’ll come to room temp, taken the cat to the vet for shots, eaten a whole wheat pita pocket with peanut butter, taken 10 minutes to find my jammies top, which I just had before going to the vet and discovered in the utility sink where I frequently throw dirty clothes, and started a load of laundry. I’m feeling particularly virtuous at the moment.

>13 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy! Thank you. It’s funny – Laura usually looks more like our mother – skin tone, hair color, shape of hands and feet and facial features, but when you get us together we definitely look like sisters. And here’s us with our mother less than two months before she passed away in 2016. This time it's me on the left, Laura on the right, and the cute little dumpling in the middle is our mother.



It took me three months to get through the Obama book, but I’m so glad I read it. I have Michelle’s book on my shelves but it hasn’t called out to me yet.

>14 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Oh yes, we were so stylish then… Yes, that’s me on the right. My curl is natural and I was/am a strawberry blonde. Laura’s is straight as a board, as she describes, and she has finally let hers go gray after her cancer/chemo/remission. Mine’s still hanging in there, light brown/reddish with just a few white hairs.

>15 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella. Yes, me on the right. Good eye.

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita.

>17 richardderus: Thanks, RDear. No cutesy poses that would have earned us a place on Ellen’s embarrassing photos segment.

I just added #54, Abandoned in Death, to my catalog. Stubborn me, I’ve decided to read all the novellas/short stories that I’ve never read before, and have 24.5, 27.5, 29.5, and 31.5 to go before I’ll allow myself the newest. There are also some .5s I don’t have, and I might start looking for them. It was probably Stasia who has already devoured it, if I had to place a bet.

Happy new one, Karen!

>18 karenmarie: Aha! I'm sure you're correct, it would most likely be Stasia.

Why are you...ya know what, never mind. Enjoy the catching-up process! *smooch*

Happy New Thread, Karen, and Happy New Pictures! Along with other wonderful attributes, the prettier sister is the one we got. Strong family resemblance though! You can count me as another lover of eec, and I didn't know that poem although I read in him lots in the 70s.

>20 richardderus: I can assure you that it is Stasia!

Happy Turtle At Last!

>19 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>20 richardderus: I occasionally get bees in my bonnet. This should not surprise you.

I just spent half an hour and used free Ammy point money to buyThe Unquiet Anthology, Mirror, Mirror Anthology, and Down the Rabbit Hole Anthology to complete my In Death series with the last of the novellas/short stories I was missing. 2 of the 3 will show up before I finish Time of Death, which has 3 novellas. The last one might not show up for another 2.5 weeks, in which case I'll break down and read Abandoned in Death, #54.

Now it's time to either start turtlecake or eat lunch. I'll figure it out when I walk into the kitchen.

>21 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Flattery will get you everywhere. *smile* I'm glad my intuition about its being Stasia was correct, and now that you've commented on turtlecake I think I'll start it.

edited to add: Whew and whew. That was a major, major undertaking. The first batch of chocolate chips seized up instead of melting. Everything else went smooth, just took a long time. Many dishes in sink, but the turtlecake is in the oven for another hour or so. It then has to cool on the counter for an hour and in the refrig for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 2 days, uncovered.

My pulse was 117 when I sat down - great aerobic exercise - and my blood oxygen was 98%.

Now it's time for a bit of late lunch.

AND, I forgot to post my Wordle result! I was pleased.

Wordle 237 4/6

⬜⬜⬜🟩🟨
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I got 6/6, heavy heavy sigh. And the Wordle-ator up there in >21 LizzieD: I Shall Not Speak Of.

Has it been an hour yet? Is there turtlecake yet?!

I'm in!

Happy new thread, Karen.

>1 karenmarie: I love the photo of you and your sister.

Happy new thread!

>13 SandyAMcPherson: >18 karenmarie: I've had A Promised Land checked out for over a year now and haven't got Barack elected yet!

>24 richardderus: Sorry it took you all 6, RDear. It has not been the minimum 75 minutes yet, or when there’s still a bit of jiggle in the middle and the sides have pulled away from the pan up to 90 minutes total. It's still turtling!

>25 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry!

>26 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, times two.

>27 quondame: Thanks, Susan. A Promised Land is the first of two, but I haven’t heard anything about the second volume yet.

Hi Karen my dear, Happy New Thread my dear.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. I enjoyed my time with Jack yesterday. He started getting fussy toward the end, but Bree arrived in time. He settled down and she visited for a while.

It is very cold here but I think I am going to venture out for a little while. I am getting an itch for some local birding.

>29 johnsimpson: Hi John, and thank you.

>30 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and a very happy Saturday to you, too. I'm glad you had a good time with Jackson, glad Bree arrived in time.

National Weather service says you're at 15F, with a high today of 20F. Seriously brrrrr!

...
We're heading out to visit Bill's Aunt Ann's today. She has had devastating back problems since last summer with 6 fractured vertebrae from osteoporosis. The kyphoplasties only partly worked. She has learned to manage her pain/meds but was going to move to Florida (horrors!) to live with her daughter/SiL this summer anyway, and moved it up. She sold her house for $30K above list and has to be out by the end of February. This is pretty much our last chance to visit with her. We may never have a chance to meet in person again. She's 82 and very frail right now.

The turtlecake will get finished tomorrow morning in time for the Superbowl. I'm also contemplating making a pot of low-sodium chili.

In the meantime coffee! LT! reading! Wordle!

Wordle 238 5/6

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🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

>31 karenmarie: *patiently awaits turtlecake*

I hope you're not correct about Aunt Ann not being seen again...though I'm having trouble conjuring a force powerful enough to get you to Florida....

Good morning! I think I missed most of your second thread but happy new one. Hope the turtlecake is good. Glad you and Jenna are doing well. We have a little more snow coming here in south central Virginia. Hope you are stay warm and safe.

Karen, your turtle cake sounds delicious. That is truly a case of delayed gratification. Definitely Super Bowl worthy.

I would never want to live in Florida after my year there before I was married. I thought a warmish Christmas was miserable... It sounds like Aunt Ann needs to be around some family caretakers so it's probably a good decision for her.

Checking in on the new thread before I get hopelessly behind again, Karen!

Sorry to hear about the trouble with your knees and hope the doctors can get them sorted for you soon!

I'm sorry to hear about your knee and sleeping issues. Finding comfortable sleeping configurations after a certain level of wear and tear can be a struggle. Here the high temperatures have interfered with the optimal numbers of covers and caused the substructures to retain warmth.

We had a wonderful visit with Aunt Ann. We got to her house about 11:45, food in hand, had a wonderful meal while chatting in the kitchen, then visited in the living room for another 2 hours.

>32 richardderus: Well, RD, Bill’s making turtlecake noises… we’ll see if I have the energy to finish it today.

It turns out that one of Aunt Ann’s granddaughters, Cassidy, is getting married in June. We knew she was getting married, but not when, since she hasn’t sent out save the date cards yet. It is June 24th, here in central NC, and unless Covid is rearing its ugly head, we’ll probably go, and Aunt Ann will be here then.

I can’t think of anything, offhand, that would make me visit Florida. We joked with Aunt Ann that she’ll have to work hard to turn the state blue.

>33 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. Thanks – we’re all doing well. More snow, lucky you. I mean that… We might get a few flakes tomorrow or tomorrow night, but nothing of any import. Today’s 74F, so we’re definitely warm enough!

>34 Donna828: I sure hope it comes out good, Donna. It’s not inexpensive to make and is labor intensive. It is definitely Super Bowl worthy.

Moving to FL is a perfect solution for Aunt Ann. Her daughter/SiL have, at various points, taken in his parents (both now deceased) and their son’s wife’s mother, although she lives next door now. Son and DiL also lived there for a while. They are all very social creatures, except Aunt Ann, but she gets along well with her daughter and family. They will take good care of her.

>35 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Yes, my right knee has problems again, but not nearly as bad as on January 21st, when I got the steroid shots. I need to get a good ortho recommendation. Louise doesn’t like the new one at our local medical building, and I don’t want to go back to the one I saw last fall.

>36 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I’m in much better shape than 3 weeks ago, for sure. I need a new mattress topper – this one is beginning to lose its firmness/comfort. I just looked – I paid $74 for it in 2018 and it’s now $180. The one before that, bought in 2016, was $123 but is now $221. Yikes.

Heat/covers/mattress configurations are important, and I’m sorry things aren’t optimal.

>37 karenmarie: If I turned the A/C to get it to 63℉ for sleeping, Mike and Becky wouldn't tolerate it, but it's fine if the weather brings it down.

Understood - I personally can't stand fan air on me, but a natural breeze is fine.

I like to sleep upstairs with it about 64F, but lately I've bumped it to 65F. When Jenna's here, she sleeps downstairs and we always have to bump it to 67F or 68F so she won't freeze.

And, ta da! Turtlecake. Besides spilling warmish caramel on my cell phone and NOT having official icing bags and having to make do with baggies, I think it came out pretty good.

We'll have a piece later. I still need some dinner.

>40 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Very tasty looking turtlecake!

>37 karenmarie: Glad you will still get to meet your aunt, for you and for her! Chatting in the kitchen is just the thing.

>40 karenmarie: Really trying not to see that one Karen, really!

Sunday is my toughest ask for my intermittent fasting diet/lifestyle change given that it is the only day of the week that I am not working. I am hungry and salivating at that cake and I would probably finish the lot in a single sitting if it was put before me this instant!

But lo! Erni is here (it is 7.37 am) and I am getting my first arabica delight of Sunday.

>40 karenmarie: OMG does that look awesomely good!

>40 karenmarie: Oh
My
GODDESSES
!!!!!!!
It is glorious and your improv w/the baggise worked the business.

Happy new thread! That’s a heckuva cake!

>40 karenmarie: Oh my! Absolutely delicious looking.

>41 EllaTim: Hi Ella! It is very tasty – we just had some. Yes, I am very happy knowing that, barring Covid complications, we’ll get to see Aunt Ann in June.

>42 PaulCranswick: It is very, very rich, Paul. Not overly sweet except for the crust and chocolate/caramel on top. Yay for your first arabica delight of what’s still tomorrow for me.

>43 quondame: It came out well. At one point I was worried that there was leakage from the water bath that it was baked in, but that turns out to NOT be the case – the crust is crunchy and oreo-y and pecan-y. I had a piece 1" wide, which was more than enough. I'm stuffed.

>44 richardderus: Thanks, RD! I just ordered some disposable bags – not that I’ll use them that often, but I realize I need to have them here just in case. Baggies are not really strong enough.

>45 drneutron: Thanks, Jim, and thanks re the turtlecake.

>46 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

…
The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have it with a cup of hot, black coffee. However, caffeine at this time of night can wreck my sleep.

I’m going to take some turtlecake over to Louise tomorrow to help cheer her up after she and her son-in-law took her 12-year old Shih Tzu, Molly, to be euthanized two days ago. She still has the younger one, Sukey, who’s ‘only’ 10, but Louise is absolutely heartbroken, of course.

>47 karenmarie: OH THAT CAKE!!!! You look wonderful too! I think it's so worth the effort, and I'm glad that Louise gets some. I'm sorry about her Molly; particularly sorry that she couldn't be with her at the end.

I'm sorry that Aunt Ann is moving out of your sphere, but it sounds as though she needs to make the move now.

Glad that you're here and that I am too - and now I'm off to bed.

That cake looks amazing, Karen. And so do you! Great idea to share it. Even though one could eat the entire thing perhaps it's best not to LOL.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I did get out yesterday. Not a whole of walking. I mostly hung out around nature centers, where they have feeders set up. They were really bustling and I snagged at least 3 FOY birds. It is only 11F out there at the moment, so I think I am going to stay put today and hang with the books, or at least until the SB comes on.

>40 karenmarie: Ooh, the turtle cheescake looks fantastic! Yes, please!!

Snowing now. Weirdness. I'd wish it on the Pooperbowlies but it's in LA and I think the Weather Goddesses' remit stops at the Sierra Nevada.

Of course the turtlecake was perfection, but yes, coffee could only enhance the nuances.

>48 LizzieD: I must admit that it does look rather splendid, Peggy. Thank you re me – this is my current 90% of the time look – hair pulled back, winter jammie top, eyeglass holder. Actually Louise was holding Molly at the end – John went with her. Aunt Ann is doing the right thing for her, and as much as I don’t particularly care for her daughter/SiL, they will take excellent care of her.

I’m glad that you and I are in each other’s spheres, even if Covid is preventing us from seeing each other right now. I hope you slept well for the next time you read this.

>49 lauralkeet: Thanks twice, Laura. Yes, best get some of it out of the house. I have two of Louise's tupperwares here (veg beef soup and macaroons), so have containers to send some back for her, daughter Cathy, and SiL John.

>50 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you, too. Congrats on 3 FOY birds. 11F. More brrrr for you. Indoors with books and SB sounds like a great idea. It’s 46F here, which is the high. It will get down to 24F tonight. Thanks re the turtlecake, as Richard calls it.

>51 richardderus: Speaking of Richard… here you are! Snowing?!? NWS says you’re going to get 1-2” today. Since Bill and I are going to be in today, I wouldn’t mind snow at all.

I’m am debating whether to have a piece of turtlecake with my morning coffee. I wish I'd made the orange-cranberry scones before now, which actually sound better than cheesecake to me. Too late now. Perhaps Tuesday, as tomorrow is rehab.

I plan on making low-sodium chili today, which entails cooking dried kidney beans in the Instant pot first, then sauteing onions, browning ground beef, assembling with no-salt canned tomatoes, various spices and herbs, and simmering until ready. I might make cornbread.

Heh. The Weather Goddesses’ are giving Inglewood, where SoFi Stadium is, 84F and a heat advisory today. SoFi Stadium is less than half a mile from the hospital I was born at in 1953, and is mostly underground. I read about it yesterday, and it’s fascinating and impressive.

edited to add:

Wordle 239 4/6

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>52 karenmarie: Oh, we're sticking with the 1953 myth. Okay. *memorizes silly fib*

Turtlecake and coffee sounds like the Breakfast of Champions to me! But I'll eat cheesecake in most all its variations 24/7/365. *smooch* for a splendid Sunday's busyness.

Hmmm... you either think I'm about 10 years younger because of my non-gray/white hair, or 10 years older because I secretly color my hair. (I tried henna 2 times in my 30s just for the heck of it. I don't consider that dying my hair because it washed out within a week each time). My hair is becoming a vanity - even though it's genetics gone amok, I like not yet being gray or white. Dad's red hair went white in his 50s and I was a strawberry blonde and now have brownish with red hair. Mom's mouse-brown hair (her description) stayed mostly mouse brown until she passed away at age 84, so I got Dad's red hair and Mom's not-going-gray-early gene.

I'm still not hungry and may not even eat breakfast. We'll see. I'll need some protein in a while, though.

>54 karenmarie: I couldn't possibly comment. I like my teeth where they are.

My mother's enviably coal-black wavy hair left me on the curb....my father's gunmetal curls did, too. I'm like you: red, turning chestnut. Beard went WHITE in my late 40s, which is just weird.

Some turtlecake for protein! Yum.

Good early afternoon! Chili sounds like a good plan. I might consider that rather than soup next time - or not.
Like you my hair color is genetics gone amok. I'm mostly white/gray in front (I got the hairband white that I had dreaded around my face 15 or so years ago) and still brown in back. I've been accused of dying it, but why would I dye the back of my hair and leave the front old? For that matter, why would I dye the back mouse brown?

I'm off to another thread or two and then to a couple of lessons of Italian. Happy Sunday!

>40 karenmarie: The cheesecake looks good, Karen, and so do you!

Happy VD, Horrible.

Morning, Karen. I enjoyed my Sunday. My feeders were hoping too. A had 10 species, including a stray robin showing up. The first sighting in my backyard for a couple of months. I enjoyed the SB, although I was hoping the Bengals would have hung in there and won it.

>57 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita, on both counts.

>58 richardderus: Happy VD to you, too, my dear Richard! I hope you hear from Rob. Bill's home today, but I got a card (we're not doing cards anymore but he got one for me in light of last November's Incident) and a tub of Red Vines Licorice yesterday before he decided to stay home today. My mother used to send me a tub at Christmas before we could get it here in NC. It's very low sodium, thank goodness, and I will start putting out pieces to dry out today because I don't like it 'raw'. I'll put some in a baggie for Bill because he does like it 'raw'. I got him a 2-lb box of See's, but had them put some dark chocolate Scotchmallow, Almond Nougat, and California Brittle for me.

>59 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Glad you had a good Sunday. Wow, 10 species at your feeders is fantastic. I wanted the Rams to win. I was very unhappy at the non-face-mask call that gave the Bengals a TD although I know it wasn't the Bengals fault.

...
Rehab, reading, puttering, going through some stacks of stuff are on the slate today.

>60 karenmarie: Oh, we spent the Superbowl through ~1a on Skype. He was as unimpressed with the ads as I was. Neither of us cared about the game itself, though we were mildly disgusted that LA won and at home.

After a while he read Pollak's Arm and I read New Animal then we boringly went to sleep.

I'm glad you got some good Rob time in yesterday. The only ad that was remotely interesting to me was the one with the baby Pegasus, 'cuz baby Pegasus was pretty cute. I think it was a car ad? Other than that, most of the ads were not for old farts and most of them turned me off. I read during halftime, so missed the ads surrounding it and the halftime show itself. And I came back in late to the start of the second half and missed the Bengals TD in the first 12 seconds.

Wordle 240 4/6 This was a toughie for me. I really thought I had it at the third attempt with lyric. It took me another 15 minutes to figure out another word with that configuration. Edited to add: And, as I admitted on Katie's thread, I used a spreadsheet to start plopping in the other two letters.

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>62 karenmarie: Eminem, a creature most foul in my panoply of putrid personhood, took a knee during his show. Both of us sighed simultaneously. Rob said, "now we have to dislike him less. Hell."

I had the precise same thought as your spoiler...especially given the date.

I read this morning that it was for Kaepernick, right?

Yup. Word. Date. *smile*

Happy New Thread!

I am so happy for you keeping up with your rehab and being successful in you weight loss!

Ooh my that cheesecake!

I haven't started doing Wordle - I've tried to download it a few times, but each time end up with a game with the same name, but not Worldle. :(

Thank you, Janet!

It was a lot of work and I liked making it, but probably won't make it again. Bill and I both prefer the recipe my mom got from a Knudsen sour cream container in the 1950s. Super creamy, much easier, and I'll probably make it for Bill's birthday this coming Sunday.

Wordle's on the New York Times now. I don't know if it will always be free or if you'll eventually have to get a games subscription. You may not thank me, but here's the link: Wordle - NYT

My NYT version of Wordle now has all my statistics. I'm very pleased with today's effort.

Wordle 241 3/6

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Morning, Karen. A bit warmer today so I will venture out this AM with a birding buddy. We are first hitting the Arboretum. I am just hoping the trails have thawed out a bit. Reports that the trails remain icy in the area are abundant. Maybe we can snag a FOY or 2. It will be nice just to get out.

How is rehab going?

>67 karenmarie: Very good result! Have a great Tuesday :)

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you! Enjoy your birding time with your budy.

Thanks for asking regarding rehab. Yesterday exhausted me for some reason, but that's okay. On the treadmill I increased the time I used the incline option (but only at the first setting) to 26 of the 30 minutes, burned 100 calories, and kept my heart rate mostly 25-30 beats above starting. Deanna said I'm doing so well she is going to increase my target exercising heart rate, so will find out what that is tomorrow. Even though I ate a piece of cheesecake the other day, am eating too many sweets to compensate for the low-sodium regimen, and am taking opioid painkillers occasionally with the resulting TMI: irregularity, I still lost another pound.

>69 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, and thanks! I always use the same starting word, so results vary.

...
Off to pick up Bill - he's leaving his car with the Ford Dealership to do three things: fix the windshield washer system, give it the detail job they never did before he took possession last year, and check for wiring/other damage because he never looked inside the engine compartment when he bought it - something I'd NEVER think to do either - and when he was trying to figure out what was going on with the windshield washer reservoir, discovered a squirrel nest. Sigh. He's a very unhappy camper right now, and I cannot blame him one bit. We'll see how Ford does in trying to fix the problems and make him happy with this vehicle again.

>70 karenmarie: ...squirrel...nest...

That's a new one. My father's older brother was a car collector and had some hilarious stories about the things that lived in his acquisitions, but a squirrel's nest in a car that hasn't been parked at least a few years?!

*smooch*

Yes, squirrel's nest. According to the dealership, the dealership that originally takes possession of a vehicle is responsible for inspecting and prepping it. We knew this car was from another dealership, and to be fair to THIS dealership, it came in the morning that Bill needed a new vehicle. They held it for Bill for 4 hours while we made a decision, with 3 other people wanting it, so they did us a favor because Bill's car wasn't worth putting the money into to make it safe enough to drive much longer, and it was the only NEW car on the lot. Trucks galore, but we didn't want a truck.

I had a mouse tale from a week ago that I didn't share here: I cleaned out a closet and had some coats I'll never wear and a beach bag filled with cloth/canvas bags we'll never use sitting on a breakfast table chair for a week or so. Took them to my car finally, and there they stayed for a week because I wasn't going to the town with the thrift shop to donate them to.

Driving home from rehab last Monday, I glanced over to the passenger seat and saw a tail. It was not moving, and it was attached to a dead mouse. I did not scream although I said F*** many times, and I did not swerve in panic. Cool-handed Karen. Got home, disposed of it. Shuddered a few times, cleaned the passenger seat with Lysol. When I took the stuff to the thrift shop I saw evidence of chewed plastic bags and even of a poncho, AND a few days later when I went to plug my cell phone into the USB cable, IT had been chewed clean through. That really pissed me off.

Our kitties are indoor/outdoor kitties and there are always critters being brought in, sometimes alive and sometimes dead. The live ones they play with but fortunately don't kill, and we either capture them and get them out or wait 'til they die THEN get them out. Apparently this one climbed into the bag and the timing was such that I took it to the car before it could escape back into the house. I'd have preferred it in the house, of course.

>72 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen.

Re: your mouse story. No. Just no. I am very impressed that you didn't scream or swerve off the road. I might have done both :)

Hi Katie!

Thank you. My friend Karen in Montana said she would have screamed like a girl AND swerved off the road.

Guess what I just made? Remember your mentioning orange-cranberry scones? Well, today is the day. I used 8 T Kerrygold unsalted butter plus 1/4 t Morton Salt Substitute for the 8 T salted butter, no-sodium baking powder, and no sodium Morton Salt Substitute, so they are only 21 mg sodium each. They are very tasty and light.

>74 karenmarie: I will take those - everyone else can have my cheesecake :)

Have a lovely day, Karen!

Hello!
>40 karenmarie: Oh my, that is a thing of beauty. I especially like the last picture. ;-)

>47 karenmarie: I can't think of a more perfect mood brightener for the heartbroken Louise. You are a good friend.

>72 karenmarie: I am amazed that you could keep your cool with a dead mouse passenger in your car. I'd like to think I would have reacted in the same calm manner but I know better. Thanks for all the smiles your thread brings me, Karen.

I hate mice, so your, um, kindness to them is foreign to me. One in my car would be unceremoniously dumped out a window, living or dead. Indoors? Buh-bye li'l Mickey.

While I will happily eat >75 alcottacre:'s turtlecake, I want a scone too.

>74 karenmarie: - Oh, those look lovely!

>72 karenmarie: I am always the person who is despatched to deal with any mice or birds that find their way into the house. And Jacob took me on a little tourist visit to see where the rats lived on his university campus as he knew I'd be interested. But spiders now, they're a different story!

Happy Tuesday, Karen!

>73 katiekrug: What Katie said.

>75 alcottacre: Also what Stasia said - I would take scones over cheesecake every time. BUT your cheesecake was a thing of beauty.

>74 karenmarie: Those look yummy!

>66 karenmarie: Thanks to you, I'm Wordle-ing. Got yesterdays, still contemplating today's.

Oooh just imagine if that mouse had been alive! I swerve and scream for wasps in the car - I don't know what I would do with a live mouse!

I am cooking a healthy-ish Mediterranean soup from the Humana site. Apparently they do a quick and easy recipe each Tuesday. It smells wonderful, but isn't low sodium, as I will use up what I have in the pantry before replacing with more sodium conscious staples. White beans, a bit of bacon, onions, garlic and Italian spices. In twenty minutes, I will add fresh spinach

Karen, those mice are pesky buggers. We've made effective use of traps this winter. Well, they are effective as long as the responsible party (not me) keeps them baited. The other morning before Chris woke up I was sitting at the table and across the room saw a mouse boldly sauntering from across the floor. It was in no hurry whatsoever. I swear it waved at me. A discussion amongst humans followed, on the subject of mouse trap diligence. So far, so good. 😀

On a better note, those scones are absolutely to die for. I need to make scones again soon.

Hi Karenmarie my dear, both you and the Turtlecake look really good my dear friend.

>75 alcottacre: I think you’d like them, Stasia. Even Bill, who doesn’t like cranberry anything, likes them.

I had a busy and productive day. I’m not sure it was lovely, but lots of good things got done.

>76 Donna828: Hi Donna. Thank you re the cheesecake, and me and the cheesecake. Louise got some cheesecake and I picked out some books to loan to her.

Having dead mice in the house all the time makes a dead mouse in the car … unremarkable, I suppose. You’re welcome re the smiles – there are always so many strange things happening over here, that’s for sure!

>77 richardderus: I’m not sure what I would have done had it been alive, RD, but there was no way I was going to actually touch it to get it out of the vehicle when I was driving. Many Kleenex and Ewwwww’s later, it was fertilizing our garden.

>78 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>79 SandDune: In our house the rule is whoever sees it deals with it, Rhian – critters or cat urp/pee/poo. I agree 1000% about spiders. *shudder*

>80 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, and thank you. And thanks re the cheesecake.

>81 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I’m already looking forward to having one with a cup of coffee tomorrow morning.

>82 streamsong: Excellent, Janet. I do not know what I would have done had it been alive. Thank goodness it wasn’t.

Yum to white beans, onions, garlic, and Italian spices. Sigh for bacon. I haven’t had bacon since last November. Sausage or ham either.

>83 lauralkeet: You sound as matter-of-fact about it as I am, Laura. And good for you to have a discussion regarding mouse trap diligence. Critters are just part of the scenery when living in the country, although most of ours are brought in by the kitties. Thanks re the scones. What kind of scones do you make? I also have a cinnamon raison scone recipe that I’m going to convert to low-sodium and perhaps make next week.

>84 johnsimpson: Thank you, John. Sending love and hugs to you and Karen, and special kitty skritches to Felix.

Turtlecake AND scones?! If you ever decide to make and sell those turtlecakes, I'll take a half dozen.

Disney ruined me. I have a hard time killing any animal that starred in its own animated movie. That's probably why I'm the only southerner I've ever known who refused to go deer hunting. Plus, I look all blotchy in orange.

Have you watched the new Reacher show on Amazon prime?

>83 lauralkeet: You are so right about critters and country living. I should also give the snakes a stern talking-to because the presence of mice indicates they may not be doing their job, either. As for scones, Santa gave me several King Arthur mixes which are easy and tasty. I don't have a go-to recipe, although I have several bookmarked to try sometime. Flavor-wise, I like cranberry-orange and any sort of cinnamon/nut combo.

Have a great day!

>86 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry! Yes. Sometimes I get the urge to bake, and I'm happy to say that although I've done a teensy bit of baking since my heart attack, this is the most baking I've done.

In theory, before my heart attack, the idea of making and selling stunning desserts and baked goods for profit might have interested me, although frankly, what I would have to charge to make any profit would make them cost-prohibitive (ingredients, resources (gas/electricity), packaging, my time). That's if I did it at home - having a brick and mortar store would be a whole new ... turtlecake... However, although I'm getting stronger, the exertion of making that turtlecake really did me in last Friday.

You and my husband have never been deer hunting. His dad and paternal grandfather took him dove hunting and fishing but never deer hunting. Jenna went out with our friend Carl with her Rueger .22 and got a groundhog one time. Most people look blotchy in orange, although as a strawberry blonde, my mother WOULD dress me in orange.

I have not watched Reacher. I went to a Book Sale Team meeting yesterday at the Library - socially distanced and N95 masked - and several folks were oohing and aahing over it.

Rita, the librarian, handed out boxes of twenty N95 NIOSH-approved masks. Our county is somehow getting and seriously promoting the free give-away of N95 masks. I'd already gotten a box, after Bill had bought a box of 10, but I'll send Jenna some of these.

...
Today is rehab. I have the goal of going through the stacks of mail I haven't touched in the last little bitrefilling bird feeders, and straightening up the Sunroom.

But first, Wordle, coffee, and updating my books read with Missing in Death and writing a short review for my February Lightning Round.

Wordle 242 5/6

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Re: Reacher. We finished the series last night - wasn't perfect casting, but pretty close. We'll definitely watch the next series, and I think mrsdrneutron has gotten interested in the books.

Here's the recipe for the Cranberry Orange Scones. I've put in the low-sodium version and what I did differently, but for those not salt-challenged, regular baking powder and salt were used in the original recipe. Salt was only 1/2 t if using salted butter. Glaze was 1/2 c powdered sugar, 4 T orange juice, which I increased because I like things glaze-y. My dough was very dry, so I added the extra 2T heavy cream. I used frozen cranberries, which still weren't thawed by the time I popped the scones into the oven, increasing the baking time to 22 minutes in my oven.

Orange Cranberry Scones

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - 0 mg sodium
• 1/3 cup sugar - 0 mg sodium
• 1 tablespoon no sodium baking powder - 0 mg sodium
• ¾ t Morton salt substitute kosher salt - 0 mg sodium
• zest from 1 orange - 0 mg sodium
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes – 0 mg sodium
• 2 eggs – 132 mg sodium
• 1/3 cup half and half + 2 T – heavy cream – 30 mg sodium
• 1 cup fresh cranberries – 0 mg sodium

for the glaze
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 6 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest.

Using two knives or your hands, mix the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture until the butter is mixed in to make a crumbly dough.

In separate small bowl, combine half and half with eggs.

Add wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the cranberries.
Place on a lightly floured surface and shape into a disk about 8-9 inches in diameter. The dough will be rather sticky, and you can add a bit of flour but no more than a few tablespoons since it will take away from the moistness of the scones.

Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 equal size pieces and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or baking stone.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Prepare the glaze by whisking together the orange juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle over the scones as they come out of the oven. - I think I'd prefer to wait 'til they cooled to drizzle the glaze.

162 mg sodium - 20 mg sodium each

I really want to try that scone recipe, but it looks complicated (for me). I should just bite the bullet and give it a whirl. I'm trying to envision how one would use two knives to mix in the butter. This is why baking is often so mysterious to me :-P

Hope today is a good one for you!

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Hooray for the scones! Boo to the mice. Ugh. I am going on a solo run this AM. Very mild but a lot of raining is coming, turning to snow tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed that it will be a light accumulation. Good luck today with the rehab.

>91 katiekrug: Hi Katie! If you want to start baking biscuits, scones, pie crusts or any other recipe that calls for breaking up butter/shortening into dry ingredients, I strongly suggest getting one of these - look for pastry cutter or dough blender. The one on the left is mine, acquired in the murky past at some thrift shop or another. It's very sturdy, although the one with the wooden handle I just saw on Amazon looks rather flimsy. The one on the right is the type that seem to be most prevalent on Amazon.



Today is rehab and puttering in the house. Bill is at work, so it's blissfully TV-sound-free here right now.

>92 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you, too. Enjoy your solo run. Thanks re the rehab - Deanna is going to increase my exercising heart rate goal. We'll see.

>93 karenmarie: I had one exactly like yours with red enamel on the handle for ~40 years before it vanished.

Your scone recipe looks as good as the results did!

The Treeline is a wonderful book. Monday review forthcoming.

>88 karenmarie: Alan Ritchson, Reacher in the series, won me over with his comic timing. He can sit still and still command one's attention, then bust out a line that is pitch-perfect for a hoot.

Rehabilitate well! *smooch*

>93 karenmarie: - I recognize the pastry cutter from my mother's kitchen growing up. I see how that works. It's the two knives that sounded bizarre and clumsy. Like me :)

Morning, Karen! Craig, Rae and I also like the new Reacher.

Thanks for sharing the scone recipe - I have copied it so I can give it a go sometime soon. I have two pastry blenders like the one on the right - why two? I have no idea.

>94 richardderus: Hiya, RD! Ah, I just went down the rabbit hole of red-handled pastry cutters on Ebay... very cool. If I didn't already have a Very Good one, I'd bite.

I really need to watch Reacher. Maybe even get Bill to watch it with me. We're re-watching Midsomer Murders and Warehouse 13, although W13 is already beginning to make me gnash my teeth. It's started to get full of itself. Again.

I'll be on the lookout for The Treeline, although, to tell the truth, it doesn't sound like something that would interest me right now.

>95 katiekrug: I remember trying two knives before I found my wonderful pastry cutter, and agree that using them that way is bizarre and clumsy.

>96 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, and good morning to you.

Another vote for the new Reacher! Of course, I have the newest book written with his brother Andrew that I haven’t read yet… I wasn’t terribly impressed with their first collaboration but decided to make a decision with this one.

You’re welcome. Two pasty blenders. Well. Aren’t you special? *smile*

I have a theory about books that probably also applies to kitchen utensils, too – they sneak in around midnight to confound and confuse us. “I don’t remember this book getting on my shelves”, and “Where did this extra Calphalon spoon come from?”

I favorited that scone recipe, thank you Karen.

>93 karenmarie: We have one of those gizmos, like the one on the right. I agree it's indispensable and way more effective than using two knives. A trained chef would just use their fingertips, but this requires finesse because the body heat can warm the dough.

>95 katiekrug: Katie, you should definitely try the recipe. You could also start with plain old baking powder biscuits, or a pie crust. The technique is the same.

>40 karenmarie: >74 karenmarie: I don't know what looks better, the cake or the big smile on the face of the maker! And the scones looks good, too. I gave up baking when I went keto but would love to get back to it. Start experimenting with baking alternatives the way you are.

And...no snow...now it's going to be in the 70s and I despair that winter has passed us by or is waiting for early March when I plan to travel.

Happy hump day!

>99 lauralkeet: You’re welcome, Laura – I hope you try it and like it. I love my gizmo because then I don’t get butter/flour or shortening/flour gunk under my fingernails.

I also agree with the suggestion for Katie to try them or even a different recipe that uses a gizmo.

>100 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! I was rather proud, that’s for sure. I must admit that I’m having fun reworking favorite recipes into low-sodium versions.

Boo hiss to no snow and temps in the 70s. We’re in the high 60s for the rest of the week. I don’t like it.

…
I checked a couple of things off my list and am going to start reading Woke Racism by John McWhorter. I checked it out of the Library the other day.

>93 karenmarie: Of those two, I prefer the style on the right. It seems to cut the shortening rather than squishing it.

>70 karenmarie: We had a 70s Toyota Tercel that my mother gave to my elder son. When he was away at school, it sat in our driveway. Long enough that the battery needed a jump when he came home for the summer. Open the hood...and found a very surprised groundhog looking at me. He beat a hasty retreat, leaving a lot of debris behind. Car started right up though.

My SiL's daughter had a very serious collision precipitated by a spider that descended from under the dashboard onto her legs. Head on into a cement mixer. She survived...happily...but her Saab did not.

Scones were one of Judi's quick and easy breakfasts. "How about scones?" Followed within a half-hour by oven-fresh scones. I remember walnuts in them, though not always. She had a pastry blender, the paint long gone from the wooden handle.

>80 Crazymamie: The only reason that I am bypassing the cheesecake is because of the chocolate. I do not do chocolate, lol.

Happy Wednesday, Karen!

>103 weird_O: That's one of the better things about Saabs - the tendency to die saving their passengers.

>40 karenmarie: Oh my that looks delicious!!

>88 karenmarie: I love my morning Wordle routine :) I sometimes do it again at work if I have forgotten the word by the time I get there lol

>1 karenmarie: The photo of you and your sister is precious. I recently came upon a box of photos, in the mix were a few of my great grandmother, grandmother, mother and me when a baby. And, those of my later years with my grandmother and me were precious. I remember she owned a brownie box-like camera. The photos are all black and white. She was a tad plump, and I had sticky skinny arms and legs. We both looked so very serious.

I know my computer holds many images, but still, years from now, it isn't the computer I will find as a surprise in a box.

Those scones look amazing, Karen!!

I love my pastry cutter and wouldn't want to live without it. I have one like yours.

(Plugging my ears and singing NOPENOPENOPE to the mouse story...)

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. A birder friend joined me yesterday and we enjoyed strolling along the river, looking for waterfowl. There was a lot to see, including 2 types of swans. There were also 3 eagles flying around- an adult and 2 immatures. We have dropping temps here and snow arriving this afternoon. I will stay here and hang out with the books.

>90 karenmarie: Those sound really good. Thanks for the recipe.

Have a great Thursday!

>102 quondame: You are probably right, Susan. I’ll have to make due with this one unless, when it feels safe to go to a thrift shop, I can find one there.

>103 weird_O: Hi Bill! Yikes to the surprised groundhog, sorry about the serious collision because of a spider. I’m not sure what I would do if a spider was running around in my car. *shudder* What a lovely memory of Judi, plus fresh scones. I will make cinnamon raisin scones soon.

>104 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I never got back onto LT yesterday, so happy Thursday to you.

>105 quondame: I’ve never had a Saab, but had Volvos for many years, and had a Volvo the entire time Jenna was little. Made me feel much, much safer than I might have otherwise.

>106 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I love my wordle routine but am seriously disgruntled at today’s result:

Wordle 243 X/6

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shade, shame, shave, shape, shale, all fails. Not fair!

>107 Whisper1: Hi Linda! What a wonderful surprise for you. I don’t think there are any boxes of photos here at the house that I don’t know about, but it would be nice to be proved wrong.

>108 scaifea: Hello Amber. Thanks re the scones, and yay for wooden-handled pastry cutters. I’m sorry that story bothered you, so I won’t tell you that when I came downstairs this morning there was an offering under the piano bench. Bill offered to get rid of it, and I took him up on it. I hadn’t had a chance to even make the coffee yet, much less consume any.

>109 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and a very sweet Thursday to you, too. Sounds like a wonderful stroll along the river. I especially like the idea of watching an adult and two immature eagles flying around. Oof, snow. We’re supposed to be in the mid 70s. I don’t know which one’s worse. Yay for the books, though.

>110 figsfromthistle: You’re welcome, Anita.

This morning is rehab, this afternoon is the cardiologist, with 2 hours between appointments.

In the meantime, coffee and sourdough toast, a bit of reading, and LT.

>111 karenmarie: I have the greatest possible sympathy for your Wordle today. Had I not said to myself, "Self," I said, "you know it's {this word} because you don't want it to be {this word} so just type the damnèd thing already" and sure enough it was {that word}.

Rehabilitate well, and may the cardiologist's appointment cause you to burst into a spontaneous fandango of delight.

Sorry to read about your Wordle woes. It could easily have happened to me too. I had all but the second letter and there were many possibilities.

>111 karenmarie: - Are your rehab place and cardiologist's office close to each other? What do you do in the in-between time? I am picturing you at a coffee shop with book in hand :)

>112 richardderus: Thank you, RD. I'm happy for all the folks who guessed right, sad for myself. However, rehab went very well today.

On Monday Deanna at rehab said she was going to re-evaluate my target heart rate since I am doing so well, and so yesterday she changed it from 20-30 above starting to 109-123 regardless of starting. So yesterday AND today I had to increase the incline AND increase the pace to get there since my starting heart rate was lower than usual. In fact, my blood pressure was quite low at 95/63 yesterday and only 100/62 today. 95 is too low, so I had some sourdough toast with salted butter before rehab. I did well on the treadmill yesterday and today, even getting into The Zone for a bit, blasting away with Queen on my cell phone/wireless earbuds.

I have my list of questions for the cardiologist already printed out and in the car.

>113 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. I feel good about getting so close right away, just the luck of the draw that I didn't choose k to make shake.

>114 katiekrug: Hi Katie. The rehab facility is next door to the hospital in Siler City and my cardiologist is north of downtown Pittsboro. They are about 17 miles apart. However, I'm home from rehab. Bill has brought me a grilled chicken salad and we'll watch a bit of something while we eat. I was going to shower before the cardiologist visit, but she'll just have to deal with me unshowered. *smile* Lunch and time with Bill are more important.

Hooray for lunch and Bill! I'm happy that your priorities are straight. I trust that your cardiologist visit will be a good one. (Would you believe that when I was in my 20s, my BP was 70/45 as a normal thing, and I was a bursting with energy? No more!)

Thanks for the scone recipe. I'll give it a shot one day when I have an orange and heavy cream in the house!

Check my thread if you want to see what I did with today's wordle, which I got in six when I finally got smart!

>111 karenmarie: True, Volvos are known for safety, but, in the 1960s there was the P1800 sports car and the wagon version of it that I totally loved, that weren't at all safe. I think I dated one guy in the 70s purely because he owned that wagon.

>116 LizzieD: Lunch and the second half for dinner were very good. We enjoyed lunch time visiting and we just finished watching two Reacher episodes. It's very well done and is following Killing Floor amazingly well, as far as I remember it.

The cardiologist appt went well although I'm disappointed to hear that she doesn't recommend any elective surgery until I can get off the stent medication - that will be in November. So no arthroscopic surgery on my right knee. I'm going to ask my GP for something stronger for pain. Unfortunately, the steroid shot in my right knee is already wearing off after only just under 4 weeks.

Wow for getting Wordle after such a strange set of greens and yellows.

>117 quondame: Wow. Not boxy at all, which is what attracted me to Volvos. I don't think I would have bought one.

Tomorrow my housecleaner, Alex, is coming back. We're going to focus on the kitchen. Having a gas stove means a fair amount of grime on the cabinets, and etc.

>111 karenmarie: Extraordinary and it is almost unfair when a word has so many connotations. I squeaked it having a little more luck than you did.

Wordle 243 6/6

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Congrats, Paul! I guess this is keeping your streak alive, right?

Wordle 244 3/6

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Coffee, Wordle, reading, housecleaner coming today... yup, this just might turn out to be a good day.

Morning, Karen!

I also got Wordle in 3. Yay for the housecleaner coming!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday! Mid-70s?? I want mid-70s! Wah!! Heading out soon to see Jackson. Looks like we will have him, through the afternoon. Yah!!

Wordle 244 4/6

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Well...four's getting closer to the New Normal, but three's still in the lead.

>122 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I just visited your thread. You have a good day ahead with your favorite gym workout and a possible Trader Joe's splurge.

>123 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you, too. Today's cooler, thank goodness - high of 64F, tonight it will be 26F. Yay for a Jackson day.

>124 richardderus: Four's better than I do most days, RD. Today was a happy fluke. *smooch*

...
I was so excited about Wordle that I didn't report on yesterday's cardiologist visit. It was mostly good - I can fly if I want to (no plans to, alas), take melatonin to help me sleep since sleep aids are out (disorienting, possibly leading to a fall, leading to internal bleeding 'cuz of the blood thinners I'm on), no problems with my dentist appt. next month, including bite-wing x-rays. She's scheduled the echocardiogram to see how my heart's doing, and she is confident, based on my rehab reports and my self-reporting low-sodium diet and no chest pain that we'll get a good result. She made sure to say that my current 40% out of 55%, will definitely improve. She took my comment last time to heart, so to speak, about not assuming I'd remember that 55% is the goal, not 100%. I hope she's doing it with her other heart patients, too.

The only (temporarily) bad news is that she doesn't recommend any elective surgery until I'm off Brilinta, which is the drug I'm taking to prevent clots in my stent. Not being on Brilinta can lead to a cardiac thrombosis for the first year as my body adjusts to the stent, which I do not want. Most likely I will be on Brilinta 'til November, at which time they'll switch me to an 81 mg aspirin, so no arthroscopic surgery for the loose bodies in my right knee until next year if I'm lucky. I possibly need to get stronger pain meds, so I need to either schedule an appointment with my GP or use their website to communicate with him. The steroid shot is already wearing off my right knee and I can't get one sooner than April 21st.

However, I am so very fortunate in so many ways that I am striving to NOT complain too much.

>125 karenmarie: It sounds to me like you've internalized the lesson that pain = stress, and are not trying to power through it because that could lead to inflammatory physical responses and that is really, really, really bad for stent-havers.

Whew.

Your kimchi bearclaw reward is winging its way to you! *smooch*

Hiya, RDear.

I've powered through a lot of pain in my life, mostly related to back issues acquired when I was 21, but you're right that I do not need to power through pain right now.

Ugh. I tried kimchi in the early 1970s in college - my Chinese boss decided to broaden our horizons and took us to Korean, downtown LA pay-by-the-plate Chinese, and various other Asian/SE Asian cuisines. My palate was not developed well enough to even come close to appreciating kimchi. My guess is that it has quite a bit of sodium in it, so in addition to my not being too adventuresome right now I'd need to pass because of the sodium.

>121 karenmarie: >122 katiekrug: YAY! Me too!!! I'm very proud of today's 3, which look like this:
Wordle 244 3/6

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I continue to glow with pride for your steady progress. I'm sorry about the pain though and particularly sorry that the shot is not lasting at least six weeks. Hope the doc can fix that pronto. A cardiac thrombosis sounds like a very bad idea.

I am tempted to try kimchi from having read Pachinko, but I'm pretty sure that my 77 year-old palate isn't ready for it. It's the fish sauce that puts me off. I didn't enjoy the salad at Thai Chili with the fish sauce dressing. *sigh* No sense of culinary adventure at all.

One thing I miss about the DC Metro area is having access to so many really good restaurants. I've never tried kimchi but I was in an Asian restaurant and tried something called Tigers Tears. I took one bite, new immediately why the tiger cried, and had them take the plate away because it was so disgusting. Blech!

Pain issue stink. I hope you can get it resolved as quickly as possible. Sending good vibes!

>129 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh, I like the versions of Tiger's Tears I've had in Los Angeles. Spicy, but not past my somewhat decreased limits. I'm fond of kimchi too - and yes the sodium exceeds discretion. That's true of most foods I crave.

>128 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Congrats on your 3. Thank you re my progress, and I appreciate the sympathy re my knee. I’m going to see if melatonin can get me through the night with my existing pain meds, otherwise I’ll be in touch with my GP regarding more powerful pain meds.

I have Pachinko on my shelves, as yet unread. So many books on my shelves that I want to read!

>129 SomeGuyInVirginia: That’s one thing I still miss about LA, having moved 31 years ago. Lots of good restaurants, lots of specialized bakeries. But I could never have had 8 acres, no street lights, only distant hwy noise. Trade-offs.

Thanks re the pain, Larry.

>130 quondame: I like spicy, too, Susan, but suspect my level of tolerance is lower than yours. I’m getting pretty good at not craving sodium after 3 months.

…
Alex the housecleaner is here. The kitchen is looking good. He’s taking a break, and will continue with the upstairs bedroom/bath and downstairs master bath and some mopping.

I’ve wrapped up two boxes of N95 masks – one for Peggy and one for Jenna. Our county must have a connection, because they’ve been handing out thousands for weeks now.

Dropping in to wish you a wonderful weekend.

>131 karenmarie: Your house will be squeaky clean in no time, with Alex!

>125 karenmarie: Glad the Cardiologist visit went well.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Thanks for sharing your medical update. I am glad to hear that it was "mostly good" and you are moving forward.

We loved our Jackson Day! Bree didn't pick him up until after 7. Our precious little boy. I am heading out for a full day birding event. This one will involve gulls and other waterfowl on the lakefront. It will be bitterly cold but there will be a warming center, so we will be popping in there a lot.

>132 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, and thanks re the cardiologist visit.

Alex comes in, socializes as much or as little as we want, asks what's on the agenda, and gets to it.

>133 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you, too. I'm glad you had a good and long Jackson day. Enjoy your chilly birding adventure. I hope you get some lifers, perhaps an accidental bird, and lots of birds. You're welcome re my cardiologist's visit update. I thought it was a good sign that she doesn't need to see me for 3 months unless I need to see her.

...
Coffee, reading, putzing. I need to wrap Bill's birthday present and sign his cards. Sometime tomorrow morning I need to make our traditional cheesecake. Turtlecake was good but not stunning, so I probably won't make it again.

Our friend and neighbor Dwain will be cleaning the outside windows this afternoon. They definitely need it.

Wordle 245 5/6 I seem to be pretty good at getting 4 out of 5 letters and then picking the wrong last letter. Today it was skill and spill before I finally got swill. If it wasn't swill, I was going to try shill.

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Wordle 245 4/6

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Funny about your spoiler: I decided to try "skill" when I grumped that I just didn't have any, then saw what happened & snorted "bet it's swill" tried it and...

Hiya, RDear!

At a certain point it is definitely luck. I'm still happy with yesterday's 3, and even happy with the logic I used to get to 3 today.

*smooch*

Wordle 245 5/6

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I wish I had snorted and guessed. Instead, I tried to eliminate some of the other possible consonants to save at least one try. Then I snorted.

Morning, Karen! Glorious Carolina blue skies this morning!

'Morning, Peggy! I see glorious Carolina skies, bare deciduous trees, and our beautiful Magnolia, all green and glossy. I filled the bird feeders yesterday and have had quite a few visitors this morning.

By the skin of your teeth... but you got it. I'm finding that getting the Wordle makes my day start off so much better. I've had several Epic Fails, though, but try to shrug them off.

edited to add: I've been reading the In Death series novellas. I have 3 to go but am waiting for Chaos in Death, #33.5, which will arrive in early March. After that Taken in Death, #37.5, and Wonderment in Death, #41.5. Then, and only then, Abandoned in Death, #54, already on my shelves, just waiting.

Oh, Karen. The masks are here. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! These will see us through into next year, I think. I'll be sending the library another contribution.

I'll just add that I've pulled In Death #11 but am not quite in the mood for it yet. I also saw Kindle Deal for The Moon and the Sun offered under a new name. I have an old mpb copy that I pulled down. I remember liking McIntyre a lot.

Lunch coming up in a bit. Hard to get the Mama up for breakfast at a decent hour these days.

Wow. Just... wow. Overnight instead of next Tuesday. This makes me very happy.

I completely understand about having to be in the right mood for a book.

Sounds like your schedule's shifted, if lunch time is 3-ish. Give your mama some gentle hugs, your DH kind wishes, and lots of hugs for my dear friend.

>134 karenmarie: Happy birthday wishes to Bill. Are you both cheesecake fanciers? Mike and Becky order it over other options 2 out of 3 times - chocolate can displace it - but I never feel it's a good return on calories. Good, but crème brûlée wins out as does anything with pecans.

Thank you, Susan! I'll pass your wishes on. We both love cheesecake, although we rarely get it at restaurants because we prefer what I'll be making tomorrow, see recipe below. I calculated the sodium content the other day. It's not 'cheap' sodium-wise, but I'll be able to indulge.

Bill always wants cheesecake for his birthday, so tomorrow about 10-ish I'll make it so it will have time to chill before we have it for dessert. My birthday favorite is scratch German Chocolate Cake, which, since I don't like store bought, I also always make. Jenna's favorite birthday 'cake' is scratch Pumpkin Pie. Scratch crust and recipe from a 1950s cookbook.

Mom’s Cheese Cake
(Knudsen sour cream recipe)

13 graham crackers * – 260 mg sodium
¼ lb butter (1 stick) – 720 mg sodium
16 ounces cream cheese, softened, FL brand, 1520 mg sodium
2/3 cup sugar – 0 sugar
1 egg – 66 mg sodium

8 ounces sour cream – 120 mg sodium
1 t vanilla – 0 mg sodium
2 t sugar – 0 mg sodium

Preheat oven to 325F. Grind graham crackers to fine crumbs. Add melted butter, press into 9" pie pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar by hand until smooth, add egg and beat until smooth. Put in pie crust, bake 18-20 minutes. While pie is cooling (20 minutes), combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Add topping to cheese cake, bake 10 minutes more. Chill thoroughly.

2686 mg sodium. 8 pieces, 336 mg sodium each

*a package used to have more crackers than in recent years. Don't use a package, which only has 9 crackers, use 13 crackers.

We're going to have steak and potatoes and vegetables for dinner, with the cheesecake for dessert.

>143 karenmarie: I'll try not to read the cheesecake recipe but I am up to sharing the steak dinner!

Have a great weekend, Karen.

>143 karenmarie: Looks great. If Becky starts thinking about making Cheese Cake... Meanwhile she just brought home baked goods she evicted me from the kitchen to make this morning...

What Becky made was a brookie - chocolate chip cookie dough on top of brownies. Really rich.

Hi Karen, Thanks for the health update - mostly good is a good thing!

>1 karenmarie: Love that photo of you and your sister.

I was hoping, as I read through your posts, that you’d share the scones recipe. Thanks! I may give them a try.

I don’t know how I’d react to a mouse in the car. If it was running around by my feet, I’d not be a happy driver! Dead, meh.

Happy, Happy Birthday to Bill!!!! His meal sounds wonderful, and I appreciate the cheesecake recipe - another favorite.

I wish you a good night in which you sleep straight through!

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. Happy Birthday to Bill. We had a good time at the "Gull Frolic" yesterday, despite the bitter cold. Details on my thread. We are going to the RV/Camper Show today. This annual event has been shut down for the past 2 years, due to Covid. We want to check out campers.

The Mom's Cheese Cake sounds yummy!!

Morning, Karen!

That cheesecake sounds amazing! My dad's favorite is German Chocolate Cake, too, and my mom always makes him one. I've always been a Lemon Cake fan for my birthday, but sometimes I request a blueberry pie instead.

>144 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I know you’re being strong and doing well on changing your eating habits. However, you would love this cheesecake. Thanks re the weekend – so far so good. Bill loved his cards and knew what his present was – a steering wheel cover. I’ll be making breakfast for him in about half an hour, eggs over easy on toast. He’s watching soccer right now.

>145 quondame: Yum to the baked goods Becky brought home. I’ve never heard of a brookie. Sounds decadent and super rich for sure.

>146 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. I’ll definitely take mostly good. And the not good thing isn’t heart related, and compared to heart problems, less important in the short term. Thanks re the pic of the sisters. I’m not sure how I’d handle a mouse running around my feet either. I was glad it was dead, for more than one reason!

>147 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy, I’ll relay the birthday wishes. I didn’t sleep straight through, but had two 2-3 hour periods of sleep and a couple of 1-hour periods of sleep. I’m rested enough to make cheesecake, watch stuff with Bill on TV, and make dinner.

>148 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you. Thanks for the birthday greetings for Bill. Yay for ‘Gull Frolic’ Saturday. Have fun at the RV/Camper Show. This is the cheesecake I grew up on, and I always prefer it to crustless cheesecakes. I also prefer it to Turtlecake, which will go into the freezer today.

>149 scaifea: ‘Morning, Amber! This cheesecake is the creamiest, most satisfying to me. Yay for German Chocolate Cake. You remind me of one of my mothers-in-law – Bill’s stepmother – who preferred a fruit dessert for her summer birthday. I always tried to make her favorite, which was Lemon Meringue Pie. Her birthday was the same as Jenna’s, so if we were having a family party, I’d make Lemon Meringue for Kay and Pumpkin Pie for Jenna. Kay loved blueberry pie, too, as do I. Just to round out the North Carolina contingent, Bill's dad loved chocolate cake, so that's what I'd make for him.

edited to add:

Eek! Forgot to post my Wordle result. I am pleased.

Wordle 246 3/6

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Happy Bill's Birthday! And enjoy your uberscrummy cheesecake...it really is the best version, isn't it.

*smooch*

>150 karenmarie: Excellent Wordle! This word was a little tougher, I thought.

Karen O

I decided to Wordle after all...
Wordle 246 3/6

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>150 karenmarie: Doesn't pumpkin count as a fruit? Gosh, darn.

Happy birthday to Bill!
Wordle was difficult today. I had to use the dictionary and learned a new word in 5/6.

Morning, Karen. We had a good time at the RV show but it was crowded, so we only put in about 2 hours. We saw a couple campers we liked. Narrowing our options down. I am going out with my birding buddies this AM, to take advantage of the milder temps. I may go see a movie this afternoon. Enjoy your day.

Happy Monday, Horrible, and it's a holiday to boot! So no mail delivery, no bureaucratic doins, nothing busyworkish occurring.

*aaahhh*

>151 richardderus: ‘Morning, RD! Thanks for Bill’s birthday wishes. We had a good day, culminating in a NY Strip steak for him and a ribeye for me, with baked potatoes, the last two episodes of Reacher, and then uberscrummy cheesecake. It came out particularly well, if I do say so myself. I was going to post a pic of it, but seem to be having upload problems. *problem fixed by turning wifi off and back on on my laptop*



>245 karenmarie: I decided against trying to freeze the turtlecake. Mom’s Cheesecake is infinitely better and less expensive and less difficult to make. Bill was appreciative yesterday, and we have more than ¾ of it left for after dinner tonight.

>152 klobrien2: Hi Karen! So glad you’re Wordle-ing. I have only resorted to a spreadsheet to write out permutations once, and was able to get tacit by being logical on a piece of paper. Today’s result was the same. Paper and pencil. How many other people do you know who would try oxter before other?

Wordle 247 4/6

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>153 richardderus: Good for you, RD! Especially with no greens before you got the word.

>154 quondame: Hi Susan. *blinks* Well, yes, technically it does count as a fruit, as do tomatoes, which I also do not think of as fruit. Thank you for getting me to duckduckgo! From Wikipedia: A pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash that is round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and is most often deep yellow to orange in coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. The name is most commonly used for cultivars of Cucurbita pepo, but some cultivars of Cucurbita maxima, C. argyrosperma, and C. moschata with similar appearance are also sometimes called "pumpkins". and, Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo.

>155 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. I know you’re doing the Dutch version. What word did you learn?

>156 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy day before Tuesday to you. Sorry the RV show was so crowded. Yay for a birding buddies adventure. What movie might you go to see?

I got up too late too see many birds at breakfast. There’s one male Cardinal, one finch, and one LBB who was on the suet feeder just now. I forgot to mention that the other day I saw a doe drinking out of the birdbath. I’ve never seen that before, and was entranced.

…
Bill’s at work today. No TV on! Rehab. I overdid the kitchen stuff yesterday (brekkie, making cheesecake and dinner), and my right knee is complaining a bit. I’ve taken a tramadol and will take Tylenol in a few minutes when I have some breakfast.

My health problems are as nothing compared with a dear friend from book club, who had balance problems with her pregnancy 15 years ago and was on bed rest the entire time. Three years ago she started having balance problems again and it was diagnosed as a brain tumor. She had surgery … 8 months ago?... and still cannot drive and is still having balance problems. She doesn’t have another doctor’s appointment ‘til next month.

Another book club friend invited me over for Tea on Thursday, and if Jacque feels up to it, I’ll pick her up and take her back after the three of us visit.

>158 karenmarie: Now I am doing both the English and the Dutch version, Karen.
And the geographical, where you have to guess the country at https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
The new word was the one you mentioned to Karen O.

Good for you, Anita! Wordle in your native language and a second language.

"oxter" is a word...? *I* tried "throe" thinking they'd go fancy again after "tacit" but nooooooo
Wordle 247 4/6

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There's still time to say good morning to you, so Good Morning, Karen!!!!
I wish you some down-time for piddling and reading just as you choose.
"oxter" I know from Outlander, but I'm giggling just the same.
Oh. Poo. It is Presidents' Day with no mail delivery. Oh well.

Good morning, Karen, I also got the Wordle in 4 this morning although I did need to go old school hangman with pen and paper. I don’t want to mess up my streak! I also got Queen Bee on Spelling Bee so no more games for me today.

Hi, Karen. Scrolling through this diary of your doin's, being impressed with your handling of your medical story. Wishing only the best for you and yours.

I've been grappling with several books that all seem rooted in World War II: Maus, Moonglow, Orwell's Roses, Animal Farm, even to some extent, Radioactive. They all are challenging to digest. And, of course, they are tough reads to follow. What to read next?

>161 richardderus: Wow. All 5 letters but not in the right order, then zap! oxter noun
1. The armpit; also, the embrace of the arms.
2. In coal-mining, a reëntrant corner in a working face.
3. The armpit; also, the arm.I can’t believe I knew this word and you didn’t.

>162 LizzieD: Good afternoon, Peggy! Back from rehab. It went well. I’m down to 5 more sessions. That makes me feel good and insecure.

I don’t remember where I learned oxter. It might have been Outlander. Yes, no mail, but I have an Amazon order due today. Status says Out for Delivery. Disposable pastry bags and a bathroom mat and u-shaped toilet mat.

>163 Copperskye: Yay Joanne. I am cheap and do not spend the extra money on top of my NYT subscription for the games. We’ll see if that changes if/when they start charging for Wordle. I always play the mini-crossword and usually play Spelling Bee. I find words until they say they’re happy with my result, whether it’s one panagram or ten four-letter words. I also occasionally play Letter Boxed.

>164 weird_O: Hi Bill, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. My getting healthier heart.

I usually don’t read WWII books. Don’t ask me why, because I really can’t tell you. I bought Maus recently and want to read it sooner than later. It’s always interesting to see what patterns, conscious or unconscious, fellow LTers follow when choosing what to read next.

…
And so rehab was good. My knee isn’t particularly happy right now, but I worked hard on the treadmill with the increased incline from Thursday and another .1 on the pace to get my heart rate into the 109-123 range. Weights and cool down, and home again home again jiggity jig.

Now a bit of reading and puttering.

>158 karenmarie: Oh yes, the what's a fruit question. Since tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers are all fruits and go well in a salad, the fruit salad caveat fails as well. Though I require it to have onions as well, which aren't fruits.

I feel so bad for your friend. Balance issues are bad enough when they aren't a sign of something more serious, and it's hard to get more serious than a brain tumor.

A belated happy birthday to Bill, hope he enjoyed his day and the Cheesecake.

Morning, Karen. Looks like rain here for most of the AM. I was planning on joining a guided walk but that may not happen now. I have errands I can run, instead and then there is book time. Grins...

I heard and saw a male red-winged blackbird yesterday. Spring ahead?

>166 quondame: I'll have to tell Jenna that her favorite pie is a fruit pie... Interesting about cucumbers and peppers, too. I rarely eat cucumbers anymore because I can't seem to find sweet ones at the grocery store, and I haven't had a vegetable garden in years. I might see if Carlos can come help me resuscitate my raised bed garden mid-April. I like onions cooked into soups, stews, chili, and casseroles/lasagna/pastitso, but won't eat them raw.

Jacque is one of my favorite people in book club, which hasn't met in 2 years now. She's been through the wringer, for sure.

>167 johnsimpson: Hi John, and thank you on Bill's behalf. We each had another piece of cheesecake last night. Mine was about half of what I'd normally have.

>168 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Rain = books for sure. Yay for the Red-Winged Blackbird. Once again I've missed Breakfast with the Birds - only one male and one female Cardinal and one House Finch right now. almost time to fill the sunflower feeders again.

...
Our friend Dwain is here to wash the downstairs outside windows. He forgot on Saturday. He's semi-retired and only does windows for friends and family, so I'm glad we qualify. *smile*

The HVAC guy is here for the winter check of our systems.

Guys everywhere.

Puttering, some Friends stuff prepping for the fiction/mystery/sci fi sale we hope to have April 1 and 2, and reading are on the schedule for today. I'm halfway through my first cup of coffee, and I did well on Wordle today.

Wordle 248 3/6

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>169 karenmarie: It sounds like a very nice day indeed, Horrible, with good, tangible results for putting up with your peace being disrupted.

Wordle 248 2/6

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Ahem.

Hi RD!

Wordle: No. Just no. Amazing.

Dwain and the HVAC guy are both here.

All caught up finally, Karen. We'll see how long that lasts. The cake looks great, but it's the cheesecake recipe I've favorited. I'm enjoying Wordle too.

Hi Roni!

Time to visit you again, too. I'm further behind in visiting threads than I was at the beginning of the year, but that includes my ROOT thread/friends, too.

Just passing through to stay caught up... We really need our windows cleaned, too. Guess I'll add to the list!

Hi Katie!

When friend/window washer Dwain left, he reminded me that we need to get the house and concrete drive/sidewalks/porches/decks power washed. I knew this, but got the name of the guy he recommends.

Do you need to add that to your list too? *dodges*

>175 karenmarie: - Actually, yep, need that, too! It's always something.... *trudges off*

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday! Only 16F out there, so the weather may keep me off the trails again today. I can read books and watch my feeders, right? Not a bad alternative.

>176 katiekrug: Yes, home ownership is a joy and a never-ending battle against wear and tear.

>177 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday. Brrr. We're at 62f, going to 72F. I don't like it. I want it to be colder, but not as cold as you and definitely not as cold as near Bozeman Montana, where friend Karen lives. It's currently -29F, going to a high of 4F. Birds and books are a good alternative to frozen fingers and toes.

I've got Cardinals, Finches, and a Tufted Titmouse. Yesterday afternoon I saw a White-Breasted Nuthatch.

...Bill's at work, and I have rehab today. Then some Friends stuff and reading.

Wordle 249 4/6 P or V. I guessed right this time and got trove

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Happy *smooch*day!
Wordle 249 2/6

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It was lurvely to get it so quickly.

Oh well. I chose the other one because I saw it first or I could have been there with Richard.
Wordle 249 3/6

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Karen, you and I seem to be alternating between 3 and 4 on alternate days. (I think that should be a double alternate.....) Yep. Way too warm.

>179 richardderus: Good for you, RD! *smooch*

>180 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I deliberately chose the one I did because I thought trove was better known than trope. I usually miscalculate, however, so was glad to get it right this time.

Great alternating minds, eh?

It's almost too warm for me to wear my winter jammies. I need to bring out my summer jammies just in case.

...
Rehab was somewhat of a struggle, but I persevered, and kept up my pace and the grade I had on Monday. My BP was only 100/55, which might have contributed to the sluggishness I felt, although quite a few of the 11 a.m. class were also struggling some.

I've been working on Friends stuff for a while, but now it's time for lunch and reading.

Heya Horrible...I'm awake at this ridiculous hour because I'm in pain from the revolting weather. But the heck with that, I used my time to tart up my last few Black History Month reviews, fixing some stuff and getting my final count: I'll have blogged 29 new reviews this month, averaging one a day.

Very pleased with myself. And many more goods than duds make it exceptionally pleasant.

I also think that today, day 2 of the new thread, marking my fourth posted review is a personal best. No sense not setting new records if I'm gonna be too ouchie to get my "beauty" sleep.

-Harry Bliss

^I thought you would enjoy this one.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. I did go out for a short jaunt yesterday with my birding buddies, (damn it was cold) but I got to warm up with a visit with Jackson, that came up unexpectedly. Helping Bree out for a while. I have a volunteer orientation to attend to this afternoon. It is at a Wildlife Rehab Center. And speaking of rehab, how did yours go?

>182 richardderus: Hiya, RD! I hope you had a chance to go back to sleep. I’m sorry about the weather affecting you. Looks like snow and sleet tonight for you, too.

Yay for your Black History Month reviews, and 29 reviews for the month.

>183 msf59: Oh yes, that’s exactly what the kitties do – get in the way of reading. Thank you.

>184 msf59: ‘Morning and sweet Thursday to you, too. Yay for birding and Jackson, and … another volunteer opportunity? Bravo.

Yesterday’s rehab was rough, for some reason, but I pushed through feeling whupped and did my 30 minutes, 1+ miles, and 100+ calories burned. We used weights and did stretches. Today’s rehab doesn’t include weights, but there will be treadmill, a video of some kind or another, and stretches. Next week is my last 3 visits, then I’m on my own.

…
This afternoon is the visit with Jacque and Steph – I’ll be picking Jacque up at 2:45, having our 3-woman tea party, then probably taking Jacque back home unless her husband gets off in time to come get her.

But now it’s time to get ready for rehab!

Wordle 250 6/6 I deliberately did not guess bloke before glove, given that the NYT owns Wordle now, and bloke being such an English word.

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>185 karenmarie: No luck on my nappage, I'm afraid, so I've decided to go back to coffee for help in remaining sentient until I'm just so whupped I'll fall asleep whenever I can.

Wordle: I got the "O" in proper position on the first try. I tried "broke" then knew it was "bloke".

Have a wonderful tea party! *smooch*

Sorry you couldn't get back to sleep, RD. Caffeine works.

I tried to put my Wordle effort today into spoiler quotes, but for some reason can't get an image to appear within spoiler quotes. Here are the words, though: adieu, stove, prone, whole, glove, bloke.

Rehab was less tough than yesterday but I did bump the incline for a bit and the pace for a bit. No weights, but a meditation video and then stretches.

Next week is my last week.

A quick good night, Karen! You and I on that Wordle! My defining choice was between "globe" and "glove," and I lucked into the former. Better luck tomorrow! (Maybe we'll both do it in 2. We're due, don't you think?)

I think this weather is affecting all of us. *sheesh*

Hi Peggy!

Luck does play a big part of Wordle, for sure. I thought I was due for 2, but today it was 4:

Wordle 251 4/6

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Our neighbor Pat called last night to tell us that Louise is in the hospital with... can you believe it... a STEMI heart attack. Apparently late yesterday she wasn't feeling well, called Pat, who is a retired nurse, who came over. They called 911, and just like with me, diagnosed a STEMI heart attack at her house and rushed her to the same Cath Lab I was at in November. According to Louise's daughter, she has two stents.

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My only plans for today are to go to the pharmacy and grocery shopping. Bill just left for work, kitties are fed, coffee's made, first sips taken.

>189 karenmarie: Omigosh! That's just awful. I'm so sorry to hear Louise's not-fun news but what great luck you both had!

Enjoy your coffee without domestic drama. *smooch*

Yes, we're both very lucky to be so close to UNC's Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

The coffee's going down well. I just visited your place - two BBs, you fiend!

*smooch*

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. It is Jackson Day! Yah! Bree doesn't work today but she will drop him off around noon and we should have him through the afternoon. We got at least 3 inches of fresh snow, so I was out clearing Sue's car off, so she could go to work, along with some of the driveway. We sure miss our garage.

Are you happy about next week being the end of your rehab or will you miss it?

'Morning, Mark! 3" of snow. I'd love 3" of snow, but I know you're tired of it, especially without the garage to keep from having to clearing cars off. Yay for another Jackson day.

Regarding rehab, I've come to enjoy it although the workout's tough as they have recently increased my heart rate goal while on the treadmill. I just called the local Senior Center and left a message to find out about using their treadmills. And yesterday, while having tea with Steph and Jacque, Steph said I should go out somewhere because her experience of having in-house equipment means it sits unused, and Jacque said I should get my own treadmill off of Craigslist! Conflicting advice - for the short term I'll try to use the Senior Center's treadmills. If they're not available, I think I can find a Silver Sneakers gym in the county although it might be a bit of a drive.

I'll miss it in that I've gotten to know the cardio therapists and a few of the folks who have been there most of the time with me. On the other hand, I'll like not having the $30/visit copay while appreciating that it is only $30 out of $360.

Morning, Karen! Very sorry to hear about Louise. I hope she'll rehab and recover as well as you are.

Hi Katie! Thanks. Her daughter Cathy is presumably at the hospital. A neighbor called to say that Louise might be released on Saturday and seems to be doing well.

Cathy asked me to check in on Louise's dog, Suki, so after I got the groceries into the house I went over and puppy sat for about an hour. I was inordinately proud that I got her to pee and poo in her little fenced in area of grass. She wouldn't eat the Cesar I bought for her, but did eat a sweet potato treat in her basket in the other room while I played on my cell phone, sitting in Louise's spot on the sofa and leaving her alone. I cleaned the sweet potato drool and bits out of her basket when she was done, let her outside again but she didn't go onto the grass, and left her in her blanket on the sofa.

>183 msf59: it's so true- I'm cross and in love at the same time. :)

I got close to getting in 3 today- I actually thought I had got it until the chart showing distribution of scores *didn't* come up. Humph ;)
Wordle 252 4/6

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Eta cried/bling/spilt/spill...I had the central 'i' from the start and the only orange one was an 'l' as the second letter in the second guess. All the rest were green!

Sorry to see your friend Louise had a heart attack. You can be rehab buddies.

I've been hit by the Wordle bug too. It's addicting!

So sorry to hear about your friend's heart attack. But you did a good job with the dog! It can be so hard for animals, I think you did the right thing by mostly leaving her on her own.

>196 LovingLit: Mine looked almost the same as yours today. I also tried "spilt" first!

>189 karenmarie: Sorry about your Louise, Karen, glad she was in hospital in time.

>195 karenmarie: Poor dog, glad you went over to keep her company.

I'm so sorry to hear about Louise. I hope she's home soon and that her recovery and rehab goes as well as yours has done.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Sorry, I missed the news about Louise's heart attack. I am glad to hear she is doing better and may be released soon.

We had a fine afternoon with Jack yesterday. Bree didn't pick him up until after 7. Taking care of a baby can be exhausting, as you well know. We both slept solid. We are going to look at our very first used camper today. (The pop-up doesn't count). It is doubtful we will buy anything today but it will be nice to go and look.

>196 LovingLit: Hi Megan!

You're a day ahead of us here in the US on Wordle, glad you put your solution in spoilers.

Wordle 252 3/6 *happy dance*

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>197 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! If her rehab schedule is the same as mine, she would start rehab about 3 weeks after her heart attack. I'll be done next week, but can certainly take her there. Oh yes, I love Wordle.

...
We've got some friends of Bill's coming over today around noon - we'll get take out for us and they'll get take out for themselves. I consider this a wifely duty because I have absolutely nothing in common with these people and am not looking forward to their visit. *cranky*

In the meantime, coffee, perhaps finishing up Killing Floor, the first Jack Reacher and the book the first season of Reacher is based on.

>198 ursula: Thank you, Ursula. I’m SO not a dog person, but I’ve known Suki the Shih Tzu since she was a puppy, and she knows me.

>199 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Same good EMTs and ambulance service, same good Cath Lab at UNC Chapel Hill. We’re lucky. And I was glad to help out with Suki, and especially proud that I got her to eat that treat. Louise has been upset that Suki hardly eats anything at all since Molly, her other Shih Tzu, died last month.

>200 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura!

>201 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you, too. From what her daughter says, she sounds like she’s in fine form – being demanding and opinionated…. *smile*

Yay for your time with Jackson. I remember the days of caring for a baby, so glad they’re over for me unless I’m blessed with grandchildren. You are in the same situation as @JohnSimpson, who is caring for his daughter’s son Elliott quite a bit these days. Elliott’s a toddler now, so John and Karen are kept very busy too.

Checking out camper options is a good idea, not necessarily buying the first one you see is also a good idea.

Hodja dew, Horrible, and a delight of a Sunday to you! (Already know there's no hope for today, so scrap it.)

Still feeling the sleep-lack a bit, as in succumbing to nappage once in a while, but at least the gout exacerbation seems to have taken today off.

Karen, all caught up with you and so sorry to read about your friend Louise.

>198 ursula: What Ursula said abut the dog - good work!

I'm hoping Bill's friends have left by now and that their visit was as painless as possible. You are so much nicer than I am as I would have left Craig to it if they were his friends. I am so not a social creature.

>204 richardderus: Hiya, RDear! Today ended up not being too bad. We had lunch in the dining room and chatted for upwards of an hour and a half or so. Then the three of them watched the Carolina-State game through half-time, when they left. It wasn't bad at all.

I'm sorry about gout exacerbation, glad there was nappage. *smooch*

>205 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. I haven't heard about whether Louise is still in the hospital or has come home today, but I'm sure they'll get in touch when they all get a chance to breathe.

Thanks re the dog.

David and Terri have left, I'm back in jammies, and looking forward to the second half of my grilled chicken salad. See above - it was not as awkward or boring as I thought it would be, especially as we were TV-less and in the dining room just chatting about all sorts of fun things.

Oh, Karen. I'm awfully sorry about Louise's STEMI and more than glad that she got a friend to help her. You're more than good to spend so much time with the little dog AND to have entertained!

I'm off to bed after another fairly long day. The only different thing about it was an uninspired meatloaf (but now we have it for sandwiches) and potato salad.

Oh. AND my mother recalled a childhood friend with the absolutely worst name I think I've ever heard. I collect women's names, and this one goes to the top of the list: Vashti Gorto (pronounced Gor-toe).

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. We had a good time yesterday and really liked the camper we saw. We are mulling it over. We are going to a family birthday party. The highlight will be, taking Jack with us. The downside is, we will have to share him. Enjoy your day.

>207 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I spoke with Louise last night. She's home, and so far the only things that are different are that she's got a crapload of new prescriptions to take and is short of breath. She thinks the shortness of breath is coming from Metropolol, which her GP had taken her off of some time ago and the hospital put her back on. I'm going to call her and see if she's up for a visit today - last night she said it sounded like a good idea.

Sorry about the uninspired meat loaf, but yay for meatloaf sandwiches and potato salad. I haven't made a successful ground beef meat loaf in decades. I was going to try friend Karen's or weird_o's Bon Appetit meatloaf a while back, but now realize that both are too sodium-intensive for me. My sister's turkey meatloaf recipe also has too much sodium. I'll have to find something else. Sigh.

Vashti Gorto is a splendid entry in the absolute worst names list.

>208 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you. I'm glad you went to see the camper, and if you're to the mulling it over stage, then I hope it works out. Yay for a family birthday party, yay for taking Jackson, boo hiss for having to share him. You have to play nice...

Today might be a visit with Louise, but otherwise just relaxing at home. I may or may not cook something for dinner.

Wordle 253 4/6

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Hi Horrible, Sunday *smooch*

Hiya, RDear! Sunday *smooch* to you, too.

I just finished Chaos in Death, novella 33.5 in the In Naked series. Somewhat meh, actually.

Louise is up for a visit this afternoon, so I'll be heading over there in a while.

I'm delighted for both of you that you can visit Louise this afternoon. Mama has taken metoprolol for years and is very short of breath. Of course, she's also 100.
Good Wordling to you!
And I missed the name. I think that Vashti Gonto is even worse.

>208 msf59: Baby sharing is hard. I think many of us are hardwired to be super possessive of infants. From the first weeks we had the best ever nanny for Becky, but boy was it ever a struggle not to keep hold of her when it was time for the nanny to take ove.

Checkin' in. I was surprised to discover I haven't stopped by since mid-week last. "Geez Louise" is one of those expressions...like Boy Howdy or Sufferin' Succotash. But it turns out in this instance to be actually relevant. Oh geez, Louise. Glad to hear she got timely and effective care.

And to you, I expect you to forge a good transition from the end of rehab to the commencement of long-term exercise routine. You've been persistent, you have a good partner in all things. Also, I'm sorry I'm going to miss your library's book sale. Bethlehem's library is having a sale the same weekend. And it's closer. Heh.

Morning, Karen. I was feeling a bit off yesterday, so I did not attend the party but I did get to see Jack for about a half hour. He was all smiles. We have a nice warm up happening this week, so I am looking forward to it. I plan on doing a short solo walk before heading to Costco.

>213 quondame: We really are quite content on the time we get to spend with, Jack. We are truly blessed.

>212 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Well, it didn’t work out with Louise yesterday. She called as I was getting dressed to tell me that another of her friends, Omi, was persistent to the point of being obnoxious about coming over even though Louise had told her I was coming over to visit. Louise sounded stressed, and I thought it was better for her if I made it easy to break our ‘date’ so she could have Omi over. I was pretty mad and upset about it but didn’t let on to Louise. I’m just going to wait for Louise to call, today or whatever.

Heh. Vashti Gonto seems as unmusical to these US ears as Vashti Gorto, and I’m sure Ms. Gonto loves her name.

I’m just glad my parents didn’t name me Pamela because my maiden name is Pomeroy and being Pam Pomeroy would have led to unfortunate bathroom references starting in kindergarten. KP, on the other hand, was tolerable for the year or two I got called "Kitchen Patrol" and is what my husband calls me. I always sign my cards to him KayPee.

Wordling today went well:
Wordle 254 4/6

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>213 quondame: Wow, a nanny. I’m not sure I could have relinquished control that way.

The first time that I was willing to let Bill’s dad and stepmom keep Jenna overnight was when she was 8 months old, and then only under a great deal of pressure from Bill. Turns out that she was in the process of getting pneumonia and they didn’t bother to tell me that she felt ‘warm’ and was extra fussy. When we got home her temp was 102F, and I immediately took her to the emergency ward of the closest hospital, 45 minutes away. They took a chest x-ray, and a chest x-ray with an 8-month old at that time (don’t know about now) included strapping her into a cold brace and making her sit in a cold chair. She was screaming and I was crying. It was not a good time.

>214 weird_O: ‘Morning, Bill! Good to see you. I’ve been quite remiss in visiting LT friends recently, keep saying I’ll catch up with EVERYBODY, then not doing so. Yes, Geez, Louise.

At this time of my life, with my new health issues, I’d be seriously reluctant to leave this general area and the excellent UNC Health Care System.

Thank you, kind sir regarding After Rehab – I didn’t hear back from the Senior Center manager Friday, so will call again today.

I’m sorry you’re going to miss the sale, too, although I’d love to go to your sale some time.

…
Rehab this morning, and I will be going to the PO to mail a box of 5 N95 masks to my friend Karen in Montana.

Jenna has taken to sending pics of herself at work wearing her N95 mask, reporting in 'duck mode' as follows on Valentine’s Day:

‘Morning, Mark! You snuck in while I was working on my response to Peggy and Bill.

I’m glad you got to see Jackson for at least a little bit and that you’re feeling well enough to take a walk and go to Costco.

Small numbers of birds are visiting, including a Tufted Titmouse and a male Cardinal. I had a Carolina Chickadee earlier this morning, too.

18. Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter 2/16/22 2/28/22





From Amazon:

New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed linguist John McWhorter argues that an illiberal neoracism, disguised as antiracism, is hurting Black communities and weakening the American social fabric.

Americans of good will on both the left and the right are secretly asking themselves the same question: how has the conversation on race in America gone so crazy? We’re told to read books and listen to music by people of color but that wearing certain clothes is “appropriation.” We hear that being white automatically gives you privilege and that being Black makes you a victim. We want to speak up but fear we’ll be seen as unwoke, or worse, labeled a racist. According to John McWhorter, the problem is that a well-meaning but pernicious form of antiracism has become, not a progressive ideology, but a religion—and one that’s illogical, unreachable, and unintentionally neoracist.

In Woke Racism, McWhorter reveals the workings of this new religion, from the original sin of “white privilege” and the weaponization of cancel culture to ban heretics, to the evangelical fervor of the “woke mob.” He shows how this religion that claims to “dismantle racist structures” is actually harming his fellow Black Americans by infantilizing Black people, setting Black students up for failure, and passing policies that disproportionately damage Black communities. The new religion might be called “antiracism,” but it features a racial essentialism that’s barely distinguishable from racist arguments of the past.

Fortunately for Black America, and for all of us, it’s not too late to push back against woke racism. McWhorter shares scripts and encouragement with those trying to deprogram friends and family. And most importantly, he offers a roadmap to justice that actually will help, not hurt, Black America.

Why I wanted to read it: I picked this book up on a whim from the Library's New Nonfiction shelf and am very glad I did. I’ve always appreciated McWhorter’s intelligence and insights and thought this book would give me a good background on what he thinks about race in America as I start to read his op-ed pieces in the NY Times on a more regular basis.

First of all, I love his definitions of the three waves of antiracism in the US, something I’d never thought of before:

One can divide antiracism into three waves along the lines that feminism has been. First Wave Antiracism battled slavery and legalized segregation. Second Wave Antiracism, in the 1970s and ‘80s, battled racist attitudes and taught America that being racist is a moral flaw. Third Wave Antiracism, becoming mainstream in the 2010s, teaches that because racism is baked into the structure of society, whites’ “complicity” in living within it constitutes racism itself, while for black people, grappling with the racism surrounding them is the totality of experience and must condition exquisite sensitivity toward them, including a suspension of standards of achievement and conduct. pp 4-5

This book is oppositional to How to be an Antiracist, which I read in September and October of 2020 and wrote glowingly about.

I write more glowingly about this book because McWhorter has cut through a lot of the recent discussions on racism and has described the growing sense of religious fervor espoused by what is the Elect crowd as defined in his book.

I found his observations, examples, descriptions, points and scripts well written, articulate, and they struck a chord with me.

Six word review: A voice of reason on racism.

>218 karenmarie: Truth be told, I'd prefer his book had come out after the trogs get scared back into their hidey-holes where they were until Rupert Murdoch put a mike in front of 'em. William F. Buckley was a revolting being but he had exquisite manners and insulted his targets wittily. Being called a "snowflake" and a "woke whiner" and the like never bothered me but the sheer numbing repetitiveness of their malformed babbling wears on my nerve.

>216 karenmarie: Well, I was the one with the reliable job. Also, while fierce about my daughter, I'm not the maternal sort at all. Parental, yes, but it doesn't fit in the same box.

I grew up in the Mojave desert. Beautiful place, you can see the bones of the earth and getting lost after growing up in my valley would have taken both blindness and idiocy. But it's not for everyone, and I do so much like city life that I've never really considered returning, though in some sense it's the landscape I think of when I think of home.

Just getting caught up here.

>219 richardderus: I’m not sure the trogs, as you call them, will ever get shoved back into their hidey-holes completely. Marginally Sentient Spray Tan (another one courtesy of Stephen Colbert) opened up way too many Pandora’s Boxes.

>220 quondame: Hi Susan. Being fierce about one’s children is something I completely understand, although I also consider myself maternal.

For some reason I’ve always preferred greenery even though I was raised in SoCal. I was raised in cities and much prefer our 8 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac in rural central NC. I don’t think of SoCal as home any more. NC is home.

>221 thornton37814: Hi Lori!

Morning, Karen. My feeders continue to be eerily slow but I did see some activity on my solo walk, snagging 14 sp in an hour. I am joining a birding buddy this AM and hope to see even more action. It could hit 55F today. Yah!!

Hi Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. I would expect them to be busy, what with all the snow you've had recently, although if the snow's melted there might be some natural food. Or are there any new neighbors putting out filet mignon and a good cab to lure your birds away? *smile*

I've got a Carolina Chickadee eyeing the suet feeder and a finch eating some wild bird seed. I think there's a female Cardinal in the Crepe Myrtle.

...
I have some Friends book sale business to work on this morning. Bill's getting some work done on his new car (the squirrel chewed through the windshield wiping wiring and it all needs to be replaced - stuff under the hood, and both wiper wiring systems. Depending on how long it takes I may need to bring him home.

I'm going to visit Louise this afternoon.

Updated statistics in >5 karenmarie:.

Updated Lightning Round in >6 karenmarie:. I only have one more novella to read in the Eve Dallas series - most of the Lightning Round books are novellas in anthologies. I did not read 14 full books in February!

Wordle 255 4/6 - I found this one tricky.

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>218 karenmarie: I’ve requested Woke Racism but it looks like there will be a bit of a wait for me. Oh, well, something to look forward to. Thanks for the great review!

Karen O

Hi Karen - I hope you appreciate it when you get it. I'll be returning my copy to the Library later this week although the Library automatically renewed it for me - I needed just two days after the original due date to get it finished.

I'm glad you were able to reschedule your visit with Louise, Karen. Good for you, maintaining civility through the Omi situation.

I'm also glad that you're getting to see Louise this afternoon. I'm sure that she would have preferred you to the self-invited guest!

Yay for a Louise visit! *smooch*

Goodness knows your jangled nerves deserve it. Wordle was pretty weird today.

>228 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Just got back from visiting Louise. We visited inside for a bit, then sat on her porch. It was quite nice and it was so good to see her.

>229 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. She told me that Omi is very pushy, and now I really believe it.

>230 richardderus: Yay for sure, RD. We had a good time.

I know. That was a very bizarre word, IMO.

...
Well. Now for a bit of Friends book sale stuff, and then I'm going to make low-sodium White Chili for dinner.

>231 karenmarie: I'm glad you got to visit Louise. Having a pushy friend - or family member - is sure a mixed blessing. But a benefit if they will direct the pushiness in the direction you need when you just can't. My sister's done that for me a time or two. On the other hand...

Hi Susan!

When I was at Pepperdine at the LA campus from 1971-1975, our group of friends always took care of each other, because most of us weren't near our parents. I remember one time when a friend was in the emergency ward at Harbor General and her roommate called me. The roommate was at home, not with our friend, so I went over and stayed with her until they set both her broken arms, I pushed for answers and getting things done for her, and talked with the doctors. That's the kind of pushy you want, but of course that rarely works any more in the time of HIPPA and certainly not in the time of Covid.

...
Bill's at work today. I've got my last Wednesday rehab session. I just poured my first cup of coffee and have taken the almost-too-hot first sip. Heaven.

Wordle 256 4/6

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Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. My feeder activity continues to be slow. I am going on a solo walk this AM and then meeting a birding pal for lunch. I am really enjoying Firekeeper's Daughter and can't wait to get back to it.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you too. Sounds like you've got the almost-perfect Mark day scoped out. The only thing that would make it better would be a Jackson sighting, right?

In the wee hours of the night I read that MLB won't start the season on time. I know how much you like your Cubbies, and am sorry for it.

>234 karenmarie: Wordle 256 3/6

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I was perfectly satisfied that today's word was perfectly chosen.

Hiya, RDear.

Yes, today's word is, unfortunately, apropos.

edited to add: I have an appointment tomorrow at 2 p.m. to 'register' with the Senior Center and get treadmill approved - I think it's just a matter of showing me the machines and me learning the schedule and procedures for using them. Fortunately, they require proof of Covid vaccination, which makes me very happy.

>238 karenmarie: I'm glad they want *proof* because there's so much simple common sense in wearing a mask indoors in wintertime, plague or no, that you're better covered than ever!

>72 karenmarie: A Wisconsin Mouse Tale - Driving to the nearby hardware store, I saw a Tail, then mouse on the passenger side floor.

I swiftly pulled into the nearest parking lot and opened my door. It jumped out right past me and into a grassy field.

A mechanic and car dealer have both said that NO car is safe from mice.

Rockets to Jupiter? Death dealing drones? and no safe cars...

>239 richardderus: Hiya, RD! I've realized for quite a while that, ironically, rehab is the most dangerous place i go these days. At a minimum one of the therapists was out with Covid for several weeks, a fellow rehabber, Joyce, is convinced that she got Covid from that therapist, and friend Bob can't get vaccinated, according to him, because of his doctors, but is also convinced that the booster shots have microchips in them. I just shake my head, keep my N95 mask on except for sips of water at the 10, 20, and 30 minute marks on the treadmill, and one more sip as I'm leaving.

>240 m.belljackson: Marianne, I'm glad you had the presence of mind to pull over and let the mouse out. Way too many things that seem out of the range of normal. Well, the old normal, that is.
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Home from rehab. I filled the bird feeders, collected a sample of cat poo for the vet, put the screen back in the window so I can enjoy some fresh air here in the Sunroom, am back in my jammies, and am enjoying the mild day.

I've had to turn my fan on! It's that mild here, too.

>233 karenmarie: It's great you were able to advocate for your friend. That really is the best sort of pushy.

>240 m.belljackson: The really nope kind of adventure. I'm glad all is well.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Yep, I had a good day yesterday. Enjoyed my solo walk and then my lunch with my pal and then we saw a movie, which I just raved about on my thread. The only thing that suffered was my reading time. I will try to make up for it. I am helping our aunt out this AM, running her around to various appointments but should have a nice chunk of the afternoon free.

Last rehab?

>242 richardderus: ‘Morning, RD! I was actually thinking this morning about how warm the Sunroom gets in the summer and that I might get a room air conditioner or a fan. Mild is good for this time of year. And, ugh – it’s supposed to get to79F here today.

>243 quondame: Hi Susan! That’s the kind of pushy – assertive as an advocate – that is always needed for friends and family.

>244 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and a very sweet Thursday to you, too. Aunt-errand morning and book-reading afternoon sound good to me.

Yes, last rehab! They are very pleased with my efforts, as am I. This afternoon, as I wrote above, I’m going to the Senior Center so that I can start on treadmill work next week. I’ll also do 3 days a week, but might switch it up so that I can have Mondays or Wednesdays completely home when Bill works – so go in Monday, Tuesday and Thursday… I’ll have to figure it out. Or, keep it flexible because Bill doesn’t always go in to work because he can work from home.

I’m also dropping off a kitty poo sample at the vet to check for worms (I don’t think they have any) and will stop in at the Library to turn in Woke Racism, take a check from the Friends, and chat with the Branch Librarian if she’s there.

In the meantime, coffee, a few emails regarding Friends, and some reading. I’ve dug into a BB book from Richard, A Tap on the Window.

Wordle 257 4/6

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Good morning, Karen! Well done on rehab and good for you for continuing the momentum by checking out the senior center.

'Morning to you, too, Katie! And thank you re rehab and continuing the momentum. If the Senior Center doesn't work out for any reason (can't think why it shouldn't, but who knows), I'll check out the Silver Sneaker options here in my county since I'm on Medicare and BCBS offers SS.

Good for you on plans for continuing your workouts. I need to do the same.

I read John McWhorter regularly in the Times. I'm sure he's out of favor with the more sensitive part of the movement, but he makes a lot of sense. I don't know that he's quite an antidote to HtBaA, since I do think institutional patterns of racism are ingrained and complex, but he is sensible about the degree of sensitivity and punishment that is appropriate and useful.

My energy bill tripled from October to December, so I'm enjoying the mild weather. I set the thermostat to 58° heating and I hope it doesn't come back on and until next December. I swear, paying utility bills is the fastest way for me to channel my dad.

Have you read anything by Lynne Truss? I just started her Brighton comic crime series and I'm enjoying it very much. Her writing is so agreeable that the pages fly by, and I'm a slow reader!

I keep on putting off going to a doctor about my knee because I'm sure they're going to want to operate and I just hate the idea. I wonder if I'd get anything out of rehab alone? Congrats on persevering! I can tell from your cooking picture that you're losing weight, too. Not an easy thing at our age.

Throughsday. I'm callin' it Throughsday. Just get through it.

Have a lovely Throughsday! *smooch*

I nearly got todays Wordle in two tries! So close :)
258 3/6

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>249 SomeGuyInVirginia: We are advised that our electricity will rise by 6% from next month. Sheesh. Our bill has tripled in the 15 years we have lived in this house.

Glad you have decided to keep up with the workouts/ self directed rehab!

Have a great weekend

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday! Yesterday went very well. I am off to see Jackson shortly. I miss him and then we have our first over-nighter with him tomorrow night, so Bree can celebrate her birthday (Mar 8th) with Sean. Wish us luck.

Good luck with your workouts next week! You are doing great.

>248 ffortsa: Hi Judy, and thank you. I had a good, if brief, visit at the Senior Center. The center's manager took my paperwork and showed me how the one treadmill works. I’ve already penciled in Tuesday and Thursday, will figure out the additional day next week. And, if for some reason, the one treadmill is busy, I thijnk I will get 'registered' at the Senior Center in the other part of the county, same town as rehab, for their treadmills.

Good luck with your workouts, too.

I agree that McWhorter’s out of favor, since the people he singles out for condemnation are stars of the antiracism movement. This is not a new position for him, just a clarification, consolidation, use of the buzzword Woke, and statement that the new antiracism is a religion just as fervent and virulent as any other evangelical movement.

>249 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hi Larry. Oh my goodness. 58F is a tad too cold for me, especially after my heart attack. My BP was 133/82 4 weeks before my heart attack, and yesterday it was 103/60, which is pretty much my new normal. I’m almost always cold now unless we crank the heat up.We are on an equal-pay plan with Duke that gets re-evaluated once a year. Between using propane to heat the downstairs during the daytime and cutting the thermostats back a few degrees all the time, our electricity bill is reasonable. We’re also on a 10-month-a-year equal-pay bill with our propane supplier. We have no water bills since we’re on a well and take our trash/recyclables to the dump once a week so have no garbage collection bill.

I have Eats, Shoots & Leaves and The Lynne Truss Treasury: Columns and Three Comic Novels on my shelves, but haven’t opened either one yet. I’ve added A Shot in the Dark to my wish list.

If the problem with your knee is arthritis, rehab probably won’t do much. I forget if you have a diagnosis. If not, hie thee off to get some x-rays and interpretation of said x-rays pronto.

I’d love to have arthroscopic surgery on my right knee – two out of three interpretations of x-rays over the last year say Loose Bodies in my right knee. The diagnosis by the only DO said fabella. I won't ever go back to him, I don't think. Can’t get elective surgery until I’m off one particular anti-clotting medication, and that won’t be before November at the soonest.

I have lost 22 lbs. That, plus exercise, has converted some fat to muscle. I’ve lost 7 inches around my middle, too. Down a size in jeans. Thanks re the persevering. I’ve never been able to lose weight easily, but now with regular exercise and the serious goal of not having another heart attack, I’m getting more and more motivated.

>250 richardderus: I hope you pushed through Throughsday, my dear RD. *smooch* I was very busy yesterday – rehab, lunch with Bill (take out grilled chicken salad), then back out to run 3 errands.

>251 LovingLit: It’s those pesky sets of letters than can be finished so many ways, isn’t it Megan? Good for you for getting it in 3. That’s terrible about the 6% increase and tripling of your electricity bill in 15 years. Most people haven’t had the increase in income to cover the increase in non-discretionary expenses over the last couple of years.

Our bill is actually about half of what we were paying at one point here, but that’s when we were using the Media room, which has it’s own HVAC, and when Jenna lived at home. Now, frankly, it’s also because we don’t shower every day, don’t wash shirts and jeans and jammies after one wearing, and re-use our coffee cups and drinking glasses (Bill for soda and me for non-sweetener-free carbonated water) across multiple days. We also use propane for most of our downstairs heating now.

>252 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita! Thank you. Next week will call upon all the discipline I’ve acquired since my heart attack to actually Go and Exercise. Thanks re our weekend – gloriously, we have No Plans. This makes both of us happy. We celebrated Bill’s birthday two weekends ago and had friends over last Saturday. Both entailed quite a bit of effort on my part. I wish you a great weekend, too.

>253 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happiest of Fridays to you. I’m glad you had a good Thursday. And yay for a Jackson visit and overnighter tomorrow. You and Sue, Grandparents Extraordinaire, don’t need luck, just stamina, I think. *smile*

Thanks for the encouraging words. I’ve talked the talk, and now, starting next week, I need to walk the walk. On the treadmill.

In the meantime, I've got Cardinals, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Titmice, and House Finches visiting the feeders, which got replenished yesterday.

Wordle 258 3/6

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You are clearly doing great! 22 lbs - wow.

Maybe you shouldn't call it discipline. Which of us would not fight that word. Maybe habit? If you can find your way to doing it for a few weeks, it might become routine, even pleasurable, and you won't need that aforementioned ugly word.

Good point, Judy! Habit, routine. Frankly, right now it will be discipline, overcoming decades of a sedentary life style, but I hope it will become routine and habit within the month, like you suggest.

I am really impressed with the results you've achieved through rehab, Karen. I know it will require motivation to keep going on your own, but I think you have that in spades. And if your motivation flags, all you need to do is try on an old pair of jeans to remind yourself how much this pays off. Go you!

Twenty-two pounds is significant for someone whose lifestyle was largely sedentary before. The proof's in the pudding: moving really helps!

*smooch* for the revolting Wordle-meister.

>257 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I plan on going through the closet soon to re-evaluate pants - I have from size 8 to 18. I'll keep this pair of saggy-almost-fall-off jeans for sure.

>258 richardderus: Yes, moving really helps, darn it. And yes, Wordle in 3. I'm happy. My starting word, adieu, was quite helpful today. Some days, not so much.

>259 karenmarie: Knowing the first letter was very helpful, I thought, until I got down to puzzling out the permutations. Sigh.

Hi, Karen. Great to see all your “in Death” reading. I thought Abandoned in Death was another solid entry and, as usual, I can’t wait for the next one. To her credit, she’s quicker to bring out new ones than many. You’ve inspired me on the novellas; I believe I’ve read some but not all.

I’m so glad you enjoyed the new Reacher! I love that series even more than the in Death one. In my mind, the books just get better after Killing Floor. If you haven’t seen it yet, the Netflix adaptation of the first book is excellent, and they’ve already approved a second season.

Good you have been looking and found a place for continuing your exercise, Karen.

I know that for us it took some time before our daily walk turned into a habit. Now is defintly is a habit. Last month we skipped once, and the next day it was like my legs were complaining about the lack of exercise the day before ;-)

>260 richardderus: I love when I get a green letter, and the first letter being green is always a good sign. Today my words were adieu, abode, ahead

>261 jnwelch: Hi Joe. Yes, I had lots of fun reading the novellas. Finally. I've had some of them on the shelves since 2011. I haven't started Abandoned in Death yet, but all of a sudden I'm sure it will call my name. And #55, Desperation in Death, comes out in September.

I haven't read the latest Reacher, Better Off Dead. I was not thrilled with the first collaboration with his brother and although I've had this one on my shelves since last October, I realize that if I don't really really love this one I'll probably be done with the series.

Reacher, the series, was fantastic. Can't wait for season two.

>262 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. yes, I'm glad that I'm all lined up for next week. I can't wait for this to become a habit. Glad you and Frank are in such a good habit for your health.

>263 karenmarie: Oh oh oh! I got today's Wordle in two! Don't worry if you forget that I told you, I'm sure I'll be reminding you ad nauseam through the coming months. Three things complete strangers will tell you within 5 minutes of meeting them - if they went to Harvard, if their pet is a rescue, and the time they got Wordle in two.

Bravo, Larry! I have never, ever gotten it in two. You've earned the right to remind me ad nauseam.

...
My doctor gave me a prescription for percocet. I filled it today. I shall take it tonight. Keep your fingers crossed that it helps with the nighttime knee, calf, hip, and occasional lower back pain.

>263 karenmarie: Isn't Alan Ritchson a delight as Reacher? I love the way he just...is. He doesn't need to move to be the center of the action, and that makes me feel like he's found his "best remembered for" role.

*traaa lee laaa lee laaa*
Wordle 259 2/6

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Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. I enjoyed my time with Jack yesterday, although it turned into a bit of a marathon. It is going to be beautiful here today, pushing 70F but no birding for me. We are going to look at a few campers and then get ready for Jack's arrival later in the afternoon.

Congrats on the weight loss. That is awesome.

>263 karenmarie: The series of Reacher does realise the books quite wonderfully, Karen. I too am looking forward to the next one.

>266 richardderus: Oh yes, Ritchson is almost perfect as Reacher. He has figured out Reacher’s low-key-when-not-killing-people and the fiery-vengeance-from-hell-when-killing-people character.

>267 richardderus: Wise guy. I’m still waking up, groggy from Percocet, and it took me 4. Forgot the yellow letter in my second try, not enough coffee.

Wordle 259 5/6

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>268 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you, too. Yay for your Jack time. Marathon? Good luck looking at campers, and enjoy your time with Jackson today/tomorrow. I hope he sleeps well for you and Sue.

Thanks re the weight loss. Slow and steady wins the race.

I’ve got Cardinals, finches, a female and a male Downy, male and female Song Sparrows, a Chipping Sparrow, a male Red-Bellied, a Mourning Dove perching in the Crepe Myrtle, and a Carolina Wren. Plus several LGBs and LBBs.

>269 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Patience has to be a virtue here, though, doesn’t it?

…
Nothing on the schedule for today. Yay.

>270 karenmarie: *smooch*

Lovely, unstructured Saturday wishes.

I'm finishing a re-read of An Untouched House, a translated-from-Dutch novella that was Too Much for me back in 2017. Hermans was one of those writers whose poison pen was dipped in gall and his words were etched as holes in the paper.

I mean, I'm a Pollyanna-meets-Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm cockeyed optimist compared to this dude. You should avoid the read, though, because it's too angry to appeal to you.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. We survived our first over-nighter. Thankfully, he slept well through the night, waking up just a few times, according to Sue, who slept with him in our spare bedroom. He did wake up crying at 6, right as I was getting up, so I fed him. Sue was able to go back to bed for a while.

Very windy here, so all I was seeing is squirrels around the feeders but a lot of birds showing up now, including a downy, red-bellied and cardinals.

>271 richardderus: Thank you, RD! Yesterday was a day of getting nothing more accomplished than finishing A Tap on the Window, which I really liked a lot. Barclay was born in the US so I have to count him as a US author although he’s described as a Canadian author.

Yes, I’ll pass on Hermans, although Slaughterhouse Five has moved up in my ratings to a 5* read upon reflection. Perhaps it’s because of the fantasy aspects, although the bombing of Dresden was beyond horrific.

*smooch*

>272 msf59: Hi Mark, and happy Sunday to you, too. Congrats on surviving the first over-nighter.

I posted a bird report on your thread a while ago - I've had Chipping and Song Sparrows in the last two days, plus the usual suspects. I also had a White-Breasted Nuthatch yesterday.

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It's going to be 82F here today. Disgusting. We're getting some Wax Myrtle stumps ground out this morning.

Wordle 260 4/6 guess sloth instead of cloth. Oh well.

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>273 karenmarie: ...do you know, your #3 would simply not have occurred to me at all. Ever. I read the spoiler and thought, "...wait...how...oh, of course. Heh."

I'm afflicted with the change-of-season sleepies. I'll be puttering along fine and then wake up 20min later from a deep nap. It's my usual seasonal thing, but about two weeks early.

I re-found my link to The Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read from 2009. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction
Unsurprisingly, it's deeply British. Surprisingly, I've still read a fair few of them...and I just today noticed that The Baron in the Trees is (quite properly) listed in the Fantasy section!

What a wonderful read...I also liked The Cloven Viscount and The Nonexistent Knight, related Calvinos that are fun, fun, fun to read.

>274 richardderus: Sometimes I'm too off-the-wall for my own good. Sloths appeal to me on a deep level. I love watching videos of them.

The weather is very weird right now, so change-of-season sleepies are not surprising. I am a tad groggy again today, second day after percocet although I only took one last night instead of two. I am determined to make dinner, though. Nothing fancy - hamburger patty for me, hamburger on a roll for Bill, air fryer french fries for both of us.

I started trying to figure out how my books/reads match up against the 1000 novels everyone should read, but got seriously irritated when more than one book by the same author was on the list. So, I stopped. And any list with The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon has serious credibility issues for me. That was one of the most painful reads of my life, and after reading it I got rid of Mason & Dixon.

First book of the year abandoned after 58 pages, The Winshaw Legacy by Jonathan Coe. I've culled it and the second in the series, Number 11, from my shelves.

Morning, Karen. Another blast of winter here, with cold, snow and ice but we are back in the 40s after that. Come on springtime! I have a couple of things to do today but no birding until tomorrow. Getting close to wrapping up Firekeeper's Daughter.

'Morning, Mark. Brrrr. Actually, I'd trade you, because it's supposed to get to 83F today.

Yay for powering through Firekeeper's Daughter.

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Coffee. *blinks* Wordle. After that trying to get over the groggies.

Wordle 261 4/6

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Four is very good and you shouldn't feel bad about it. At all. I mean, it's only two more than two. Or 100%. Did I mention that I got one in two? Oh I have?

How are you making out on the percocet? I've tried ambien but that doesn't even slow me down. I know you know this and you're probably sick of people telling you but I love you and feel like I have to- pill dependency is a thing and doctors create addicts then set them loose in the wild to forage on their own all the time. Sometimes dependency is preferable to the alternative. Its complicated.

Oh oh oh! I found my grandmother's recipe boxes yesterday. I made a pretty big dent in a room full of boxes and there it was. Ack-shully I thought I'd already found them but I guess the box of index cards belonged to my Mom? I've got to check. I decided to go all Swedish Death Cleaning on stuff and trash/donate things with sentimental value. I was OK with getting rid of old house keys and was about to toss the box of sympathy cards Dad got after Mom died, but I couldn't do it. I'm still pretty pissed at my parents for favoring my brother over me but I just couldn't go that far.

Hey Horrible, hoping you're off Mondaying happily. *smooch*

It was a banana-for-breakfast morning. Just couldn't be arsed to do more than peel it and snarf with some cinnamon sugar.

>280 SomeGuyInVirginia: My statistics are:



Never a two, mostly fours. Bravo for a two.

I’m going to use Tylenol/codeine tonight. Frankly the Percocet is not giving me any more consecutive hours of sleep than the Tylenol/codeine, and I’m much, much groggier the next day on it. I even cut back to 1 tablet but am still groggy, although less so than when I took 2 on Friday night.

Cardiologist won’t give me a sleep aid because she’s worried that it will disorient me, I’ll fall in the middle of the night, and have internal bleeding from the f***ing blood thinners I’m on. She did say I can use melatonin, so I’ll try that tonight, too. I’m very careful with pill dependency, but am glad you mention it. So far I don’t feel dependent on opioids – could probably even get by with Tylenol Arthritis tonight, and might even do that. It does suck, though, because knowing there’s something that would help but that I can’t do until 2023 makes me very cranky - arthroscopic surgery to remove the loose bodies in my right knee.

How wonderful to find the recipe boxes. I've got my mother's, Bill's mother's, Bill's grandmother's, and Bill's Great-Aunt Eloise's.

Funny – I can’t seem to get rid of old house/car keys. We keep them on racks in the pantry, along with the backup keys to the SUVs we’re driving. We also have 3 house keys to this house on those racks somewhere in addition to the one that Bill, Jenna, and I each have.



I’ve still got the sympathy cards my mom and dad got when my grandmother died in 1964 and the sympathy cards Bill’s stepmom got when Bill’s dad died in 2011.

It's sad-making how parents favor one kid over the other – my mom and dad clearly favored my sister over me and my brother. Dad even told me one time that although I was the oldest and I thought I was his baby, my sister was his baby. Sucks.

>281 richardderus: Hiya, RD. I Mondayed with discipline, but not with much joy. I’m proud I used the treadmill at the Senior Center and am glad that the grocery shopping’s done.

Well. A banana for brekkie. With cinnamon sugar? That’s a new one for me. If someone would bring me one banana a day, just past green but without any brown spots on it, I’d probably eat one. When I buy them, though, I get one good one then watch all the rest get overripe.

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Right now I feel like the bottom of a bird cage, as my MiL would have said. I am proud to announce that I treadmilled for my normal 30 minutes on the same incline, 1.0, and same pace, 2.3, as on cardio rehab graduation day. Then I went to the grocery store and got gas - $3.99/gallon but better than it will be the next time I go into town – and am now officially wiped out. I don’t think I should schedule two major things on the same day until I get stronger. I don't even have the strength to get lunch yet. Or, rather, the thought of lunch is not more powerful than the thought of sitting here for a while.

"Mom always loved you best" continues to be often repeated when my sister and brother and I get together. Each of us knows it's BS.

So I saw the endodontist a few hours ago, and she's not in favor of trying to save the tooth. Back to my dental g.p. But on the plus side, I made the final payment on Sube. (There's several hundred a month I can set aside for dentistry.) I'm just sad Judi isn't around the savor the moment. She'd wanted a Forester from the moment it was introduced, so it was her birthday present. She'd given up driving, but to me, it was HER car that I got to drive everywhere. Her name is still on the title (along with mine).

>280 SomeGuyInVirginia: Swedish Death Cleaning is definitely on my to-do list. I found out where the closest textile recycling booth is, and a bunch of unwearables are going there next Sunday. Every day I try to go through one drawer or pile - it's definitely an iterative process.

Karen, delighted you did well at the Senior Center. One big thing a day is plenty, even after you gain more strength. I'm trying my best, but that schedule keeps filling up. Hard to say no.

And sorry about the sleep problems. Empathy galore here. I used to sleep through on a regular basis but not anymore. At least this morning after a 4AM waking, I was able to get back to sleep after a while. Yesterday, not so much.

and >283 weird_O: sorry about the tooth. We keep losing bits and pieces, don't we?

Karen, that 80 degree weather sounds pretty good to me. The wind chill was in the teens when I walked Penny this morning. She didn't mind cutting our "extra" loop of about three blocks off. That wind was bitter!

So you're doing your exercise bike at the Senior Center now? I'm glad you found someplace where you could reserve your time slot. We have an exercise bike in the basement game room that is only used by the grandkids. I much prefer walking outside even when it's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Plus, it wears the dog out so I can get some reading time in. Keep pacing yourself and build up your strength slowly. I think you are doing amazingly well. I was sorry to hear about your friend/neighbor having the same type of heart attack. I hope she is using you as a role model on recovery. Take care and sleep well tonight.

Morning, Karen. We have a better day today- sunny and 40F. I plan on doing a solo walk. My birding buddies are all preoccupied. After the dentist yesterday, I headed to a preserve where a lesser goldfinch had been spotted. I think this may have been a first for the state, so dozens of birders ventured there and since it was hanging out with other birds at feeders set up there, it was fairly easy to spot. This was not a Lifer for me. I had seen a couple in Oregon. This bird is typically found out west, Colorado and Texas. This is a female (NMP):

>283 weird_O: Hi Bill. I’m sorry you can’t save the tooth and have to go back to the dentist. Yay for paying off the Suburu. I’m sorry that Judi didn’t get to drive it, but glad that she had such a loving and willing chauffeur.

>284 ffortsa: Hi Judy. You and Larry are inspiring me to go through my clothes closet. Not necessarily today, but perhaps an hour or two tomorrow to start.

I haven’t decided whether to go to the Senior Center after the book sale team meeting today or go tomorrow. I’m sorry about your sleep problems, too, for sure. I was up several times last night, the last being about 3:30. I slept 'til 7:45, so a good four hours solid.

>285 Donna828: Hi Donna. Brrrr. Teens. Nope. Today is more the thing here – high of 63F.

I’m using the treadmill. They have several different elliptical trainers and at least one exercise bike, but I’m used to the treadmill, and when my knee is really giving me grief, I can put more weight on my arms on the arms of the treadmill. My knees hurt so bad after yesterday that I’m wondering if the different brands of treadmills are a factor.

No time slot – I imagine there will be a day when someone’s using it and I’ll get cranky and come back home or get cranky and wait. Thank you, I appreciate the words of encouragement. Walking out here is dicey unless I want to walk ‘round and ‘round the concrete – uneven gravel drive 250’ up to the paved cul-de-sac.

Louise is doing well and will start rehab – after her visit with (now) our cardiologist in a week or two. I started my rehab 4 weeks after my heart attack. Louise is having more symptoms than I am, but those are from being off Celebrex and her hands hurting and being short of breath, whether from her heart or a combination of the new drugs she’s on, which are mostly different than the new drugs I am on. We’re only on two of the same drugs – Brilinta for the stent and Lipitor, the evil statin.

Wordle 262 6/6 sleet, sheet, sweet. sheesh.

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Book sale team meeting at 10, phone call insurance review with State Farm at 2. Treadmill possibly, other than that not much.

>286 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! I was composing responses to Bill, Judy, and Donna, goofed around a bit, posted, then thought you might have posted, and yes! here you are. Happy Tuesday. 40F is tolerable, so enjoy your solo walk. Glad you got a Lesser Goldfinch although it’s not a Lifer for you. Thanks for the pic!

My sunflower feeder’s empty, so I don’t have too many visitors. Right now I’ve got two House Finches and a male Cardinal. Oh – a male Downy just landed on the suet feeder.

Well, I have missed the entirety of this thread and am not even going to try and catch up. Happy Tuesday, Karen!

Hey Horrible. Happy Tuesday.

...I think that's about what there is...

>289 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Between Covid and visits you've been very busy, for sure. Glad to see you here.

>290 richardderus: Hiya, RDear. Happy Tuesday back at'cha.

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Book sale planning meeting accomplished. I've got a few bits of homework from it. My friend Rhoda loaned the newest Ruth Galloway, The Locked Room, to me, so I think I'll start that now.

>291 karenmarie: Aahhh! A new Ruth Galloway?! Must get my hands on a copy!

Karen O

I'm not sure how I got so far behind, Karen. I think about you every day!

Enjoy the new Ruth and Nelson and Kate!!!!!!

>292 klobrien2: 15 pages in, Karen, and it's already got Ruth's voice down perfectly.

>293 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I think about you every day, too, my dear friend, and hope we can visit face to face sometime this year.

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I interrupted my reading to actually go use the treadmill again. 30 minutes, 1.0 incline, 2.3 pace. I think the exercise room at rehab must be cooler than this room because I was really sweating today. All in a good cause. If Bill goes into the office tomorrow, I'll have the house to myself with No Errands. If he works from home, I still won't have to stress The Treadmill. I already have plans to use it on Thursday.

I decided to buy new hard copies of the Glass Family series by J.D. Salinger for a personal challenge to read his published works, possibly excepting The Catcher in the Rye. All three arrived today. Joy, rapture.

edited to add: Jenna sent this to me tonight. I'm definitely behind - I've only acquired 27 new books since the beginning of the year.

Had the pleasure of lunch with Karen and Janet today - pic over on my thread. Delightful folks, we had a great time!

>291 karenmarie: Good morning Karen! Your mention of The Locked Room sent me scurrying over to Amazon, wondering how I'd missed this new book. The US release date is June 28. How did you/your friend manage to get hold of it?

>295 drneutron: I'm so glad you got to meet up! Trust friend Karen to be scowling in the photo - she's notoriously not-smiley in pretty much every photograph I have of her. She's a wonderful, intelligent woman, though. Were you at Ted's?

>296 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Friend Rhoda called 'her' bookseller in London (!) and said bookseller mailed it to her. She read it in 3 days and she's loaned it to me first. I'm sure she's got a list of folks to loan it to.

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Bill tootled off to work today, I have no errands to have to leave the house for, and am on my first cup of coffee.

I've got Cardinals, LGBs, two Carolina Wrens gobbling suet on the two-sided feeder. We had quite a bit of rain last night and even a thunder-boomer or two.

I have some Friends book sale tasks to work on today and want to spend a bit of time in my closet reviewing my pants. I'm officially down a size in jeans, which makes me very happy.

Wordle 263 4/6 I unintentionally ignored that pesky yellow, so got it in 4 instead of 3. Not enough coffee when I started.

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Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I had a nice solo outing yesterday and got my first pileated woodpecker of the year and my first sighting of one at that location. These are one of my favorite birds. I have Trail Watch duties this AM and then Bree asked me to watch Jack for an hour or 2 this afternoon. I think I can handle it.

I always enjoy your feeder reports. Mine were busy with the usual visitors but I did spot a couple of blue jays out there. They do love those peanuts in a shell.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you, too. Yay for the Pileated Woodpecker - I haven't seen one in years. Louise sees them regularly, but her kitchen table is in front of a huge plate glass window facing over her deck and into some nicely-situated trees. She mentioned one the other day.

That pic of Jackson you posted from the pub crawl is fantastic, by the way. Have fun with him this afternoon. Of course you can handle it. And even when he's cranky, it's a labor of love.

I saw a Blue Jay on the bird bath the other day. Glad yours were busy. I don't have any additional spots to hang a peanut feeder, and in fact will need to move the suet feeder to it's supper spot when I put out the hummingbird feeder.

And off to start a new thread...