Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 5

Happy Alys

Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, recently turned 60, retired. My husband Chris and I live in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia, and keep ourselves busy with gardening, re-wildling our pasture to attract wildlife, and the occasional interior renovation. We’re documenting this journey through a newsletter (free!) on Substack: Willow Greens Farm -- check it out!

This is my fourteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Where has the time gone?! I read mostly contemporary fiction, with the odd classic or memoir thrown in. I am increasingly relying on our fabulous local library system to meet my reading needs, and that makes me happy. This year I’ll read where my mood takes me, keep plugging away at various series, and stay current with new series releases.

Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and weaving. I have a thread in the Needlearts group; stop in and say hi sometime!

My 2022 threads can be found here:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4



Books Featured on this Thread
16. None so Blind - comments here
17. What Remains of Heaven - comments here
18. She's Not There - comments here
19. The Survivors - comments here

Series Progress

Active series as of April 1 (updated quarterly):


A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2022:
* tbd

Series started in 2022:
* Mistress of the Art of Death
* Teifi Valley Coroner

Series abandoned in 2022:
* tbd

Currently Reading


Marcella

On Deck
TBD

Happy Friday, no foolin' !!

Alys' vet appointment went really well yesterday. It was just an annual checkup, but we were visiting this vet practice for the first time hoping to make a change from our previous vet. It is a smaller and less bustling facility, and the staff is far less harried. The doctor was thorough and he even called me a few minutes after I left because he realized he'd forgotten to answer one of my questions. Alys was a bit anxious but that's normal for her, and she received a clean bill of health although she does have to return for teeth cleaning next month.

We had some excitement earlier in the afternoon when a small fire erupted suddenly across the main road from our property. I haven't quite pieced together the chronology, but it seems the fire may have initially been extinguished by the crew working on an outdoor project at our place. The fire department came and checked things out and found no obvious cause. They're thinking someone threw a cigarette out of their car while driving past. We've had really dry weather and are lucky the fire didn't spread.

Not long after that it got really windy outside and power was out in our area for about an hour, maybe a little longer. Last night we had a thunderstorm.

But it looks like today will be dry and sunny. Today's agenda includes grocery shopping. A plumber is coming to work on the bathroom remodel so I'm going to get a shower, stat, in case he needs to turn the power off.

Wordle 286 5/6

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I hate it when there are a lot of possibilities!

Happy number five, Laura!

Aww, sweet Alys! Is she plotting something?

Happy new one, Laura.

Happy April, Laura. Happy New Thread! Love the Alys topper.

>4 lauralkeet: daily agenda post up here. I'll be back later!

>5 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul.

>6 katiekrug: I'm of the opinion that Alys is always plotting something, Katie!

>7 msf59: Happy April to you too, Mark. And Alys appreciates the compliment of course.

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I forgot to mention in >4 lauralkeet: that I finished reading None so Blind. The mystery was well crafted and the author includes more thorough than usual sections at the end explaining some of the history behind it all. For that reason I'm rating it 4 stars, more than I generally give to a good mystery. Review to follow at some point.

Getting some coffee just now. Life is going on. Well, as far as I can tell.

happy new thread. Glad your power is back.

Happy new thread, Laura. Glad your fire was contained. I must try to get to None So Blind soon. It sounds like the kind of thing I would like.

Alys is sweet.

Hi Alys, nice to see your welcome at the door. Glad you have a clean bill of health.

Sounds like you have made a good move with the vet change Laura, and a conscientious one by the sound of it. Glad the fire was sorted smartly.

>11 weird_O: Bill, as far as I'm concerned coffee is the elixir of life. I couldn't start my day without it -- sounds like it's the same for you.

>12 ffortsa: Thanks Judy.

>13 BLBera: I definitely think you'd like None so Blind, Beth. I think you said you bought the books, right? So that's a step in the right direction.

>14 Caroline_McElwee: Hiya Caro, we're glad the fire was sorted smartly, too. Our house is on a corner but set well back from the main road, and the fire was across the street so altogether maybe 50-75 yards from the house which is still a bit too close for comfort. We didn't see the fire in progress so we didn't know anything was afoot until we saw the road blocked with emergency vehicles. Because it happened at an intersection, I thought it was a car accident at first.

Wow, fire, dry period, wind a bit later -- so glad it all worked out OK!

You almost got me with a BB there for None so Blind but I'm not really a fan of short stories so I escaped (and Mt. TBR is glad I did).

Glad to hear the fire ended up being a smaller event, Laura. For a couple years I lived in an area of the province known for its high winds and had a couple people let me know they were happy to shelter me in the case of grassfires, which were more likely to threaten the end of town I lived on. Thankfully, I never had to take advantage of that while I was there.

Hope your Friday is a good one and the plumber doesn't need to turn off the water too long, if at all.

Happy new thread, Laura.

>4 lauralkeet: Sounds like you found a good new vet for Alys.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread!

It's great that Alys is in good health and the fire was quenched quickly.

>16 RebaRelishesReading: Stop right there, Reba. None so Blind is not a short story collection. Well, there is one with that title, but the book I read was a full-length novel by Alis Hawkins. The touchstone in this post will take you to the correct book.

>17 MickyFine: Hey Micky! This area isn't especially fire-prone, not like the prairies, although in summer there are often prohibitions on burning stuff outdoors. And the plumber has been and gone, our water was off for about 4 hours but now we have all the plumbing in place ready for the new fixtures. Things are moving along pretty well.

>18 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. As you know, having a reliable and trustworthy vet is just as important as choosing good doctors for the humans in the family.

>19 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>20 quondame: Hi Susan!

We interrupt this post to once again sing the praises of the Shark Navigator vacuum!

You may or may not remember I bought said vacuum back in January based on Wirecutter reviews. I've been really happy with it, but this week it stopped collecting "stuff" like it should. I tried a few things listed in the manual, and a pretty decent troubleshooting guide on their website. But the guide ultimately led to a recommendation that I call their customer support. I couldn't be happier with the service, and that's not something you can say often. I didn't have to wait on hold, the person asked me several questions and then started a recorded video session (like FaceTime, but with the camera pointed at the vacuum). More troubleshooting ensued, basically taking the thing apart until we found a blockage in one part of the vacuum. I cleared that out and voila! I also am pretty sure I know which carpet is the culprit so let's just say it will get less attention henceforth. Ha.

Anyway, just another reason to buy a Shark Navigator if you're in the market for a vacuum cleaner.

The End.

>22 lauralkeet: - I also love my Shark Navigator which I bought because Laura did :)

Happy new thread!

Wordle 287 5/6

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I had such high hopes :)

>23 katiekrug: What can I say, Katie? I'm such a trendsetter. Ha.

>24 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>25 dudes22: Oh dear, Betty. I was lucky today ... more on that in a few.

Happy weekend.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful -- no fires or power outages anyway, and even though the plumber was here most of the day it wasn't that disruptive.

Our day is off to a pleasingly slow start. I went out to fill the bird feeders and there was so much birdsong, it was lovely. Just for kicks I used the Merlin app to find out what I was hearing. Interestingly, these birds were mostly hidden in the trees & shrubs around the terrace: Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow, Cardinal, White-throated Sparrow, and Robin. Later I saw a Brown Thrasher hopping about. I might have to make "morning Merlin" a regular thing.

In other bird news, we think the vultures may have departed. We haven't seen them around much, and Chris went up to the top level of the barn only to find the eggs were gone (probably the work of some varmint). I feel a twinge of guilt about that but then again, we had always hoped they would find another place to nest.

Today's agenda includes getting our over-50 second booster. Also, trying to find salt for our water softener (our local Southern States is out of stock, but I think the mom and pop hardware store has it). If the weather warms up I'll be outdoors, probably filling another raised bed with a combination of our own compost and some purchased from a local nursery. It's too early to sow plants in the beds but we need to get them ready.

Wordle 287 2/6

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Very lucky today!

16. None so Blind ()

Henry Probert-Llloyd is losing his sight and unable to continue his work as a barrister. Although he stands to inherit his father’s estate in Wales’ Teifi Valley, he is unwilling to accept the squire’s life expected of him in the 19th century. Henry is troubled by the suspicious death of a servant girl with whom he had been romantically involved, especially when an inquest deems her death accidental. Henry makes the controversial decision to open an investigation. He enlists law clerk John Davies as his assistant, entrusting him with the secret about his eyesight. John quickly assumes responsibility for guiding Henry through the investigation while giving the impression he is present simply to handle administrative matters.

Readers know from the very beginning that John Davies has more information than he’s letting on. How will this factor into the story? There are many twists and turns to this mystery before all becomes clear. For me, what made this book stand out was its unique setting in the midst of mid-19th century Welsh unrest known as the Rebecca riots. I did a bit of internet searching for context at the beginning, and especially enjoyed author Alis Hawkins’ historic notes at the end of the book. Her detailed explanations of the riots and the legal systems of the day were very interesting and whetted my appetite for more books in this series.

Morning, Laura!

That's good to hear about the vacuum cleaner because we may be in the market for one soon. We have a Dyson and have had all sorts of trouble with it. Tomm is constantly, it seems, ordering new parts for it. Yeesh.

Ooops, double post! Apologies.

>29 lauralkeet: - I'll have to have a look for that one in my library system(s). I do love historical mysteries.

Happy Saturday, Laura!

Great comments on None So Blind, Laura. I will at least read this one this year.

>25 dudes22: I can see why your hopes were high after #2 -- amazing how tricky these things can be some times, isn't it.

Thank you for correcting my error re None So Blind (the short story touchstone just popped up again when I wrote that). It's now on the wish list. One of these days I'm going to get myself down to Powell's and go crazy. I do have a Thingaversary coming up :)

>30 scaifea: I've been really pleased with our Shark Navigator, Amber. I think Katie has, too. And IIRC, Mamie also bought one. Join the club!

>32 katiekrug: I think historical mysteries may be my favorite type, Katie. I hope your library has this one.

>33 BLBera: Thank you Beth. I predict you'll like it!

>34 RebaRelishesReading: Ooh a Powell's visit for your Thingaversary! I love that idea, Reba. I'm sure you'll have no trouble filling your shopping cart.

>29 lauralkeet: A good read, indeed.

Happy new thread, Laura.

>36 richardderus: thanks RD!

Yesterday was satisfyingly productive. We remembered our nearest neighbor had asked Chris for help with a project in the afternoon, so we were out earlier than planned to do our own gardening stuff. Then we had our booster shot and ran an errand at the local mom & pop hardware store. I love that place: "family owned and operated since 1914" and a rabbit warren full of useful bits and pieces. Most of the time we can't find what we're looking for, but we ask and they instantly know where to find it.

Minor drama around midnight last night, when we were awakened by flashing emergency lights which turned out to be a tow truck taking away a car on the country road next to our house. There were no sirens or emergency vehicles, so we have no idea what happened.

This morning we decided to make pancakes for breakfast as a post-booster-&-drama treat. Booster-wise, we're actually feeling fine, just a little sore at the injection site. It's a beautiful sunny morning so I expect we'll head outside soon. Chris is putting some fencing up around our barn area. Some of the posts need painting, which is my job. I hope to pay my dues this morning so I can do fun stuff in the afternoon. I'm enjoying the latest Sebastian St Cyr mystery, What Remains of Heaven. And I'm almost finished with my latest woven scarf so I'd like to spend a bit of time with that too. I'm making a lamb curry for dinner tonight, which is one of our favorite recipes and I'm already excited about it.

But I'm NOT excited about this:

Wordle 288 X/6

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This was my 90th Wordle, and the end of an 80-game streak. Perhaps I should focus on the positive: it's only my second fail. Nope, that doesn't help.

Happy Sunday, Laura. Hooray for having a productive Saturday and congrats on the meadowlarks. We love the Merlin Sound app. It helped me locate a couple of tufted titmouse yesterday.

I did okay (4) with Wordle today but had an epic fail with Quordle (I may play too many games at this point...).

Off to do the crossword now :)

>38 lauralkeet: Oh, no. I'm sorry about your streak! I got a 5/6 today because I tried FEVER before FEWER.

I was *exceedingly*annoyed* last week when I Wordled on my phone the first day of wifi whoopsies. I was not signed in, and it broke my streak in spite of the fact I got the word in 3!

Anyway. May these be the worst things that annoy us this week.

>1 lauralkeet: I am in the "recently turned 60" club too, having reached the magic number March 14th. Supposedly 60 is the new 40, did you know? I didn't until someone pointed it out to me.

>29 lauralkeet: I enjoyed that one as well and will be reading the second in the series this month.

Happy Sunday, Laura!

>39 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm having fun with Merlin these days. Glad you enjoy it as well.

>40 katiekrug: I did much better on the crossword than Wordle, Katie, coming in under my average time. That's some consolation.

>41 richardderus: Richard, your fourth word was, unfortunately, my sixth. At that point the solution was obvious but it was not to be. And yes, if that's the worst thing to happen to me this week, it will have been a good week. May it be the same for you.

>42 alcottacre: Stasia, I definitely ascribe to the "age is just a number" school of thought. I feel like I'm the same person as when I was younger, although with some noticeable (but fortunately very minor) physical limitations. I refuse to give in and start behaving like I'm old just because I'm old, if that makes sense.

Hi Laura! I keep looking at the Shark Navigators... we're probably due for a new vacuum soon, and pet hair is definitely a thing.

So much excitement at your house - though the fire is definitely the wrong kind. Glad it was extinguished so quickly.

>43 lauralkeet: I refuse to give in and start behaving like I'm old just because I'm old, if that makes sense.

Someone much older than me gave me some advice quite a while ago and it's helped me to remain in the best shape of my life, Laura, and I'm ______years older than you: "keep moving." That's the real key to maintaining physical fitness I think. I even walk around the house while I'm reading lol. Not every minute of course but enough to make a difference.

>44 AMQS: Hi Anne! We had a really crappy vacuum before the Shark. I was so happy to get rid of it and even happier that this one seems to be doing the job well.

>45 brenzi: Good advice, Bonnie. When I do yoga I realize I'm not as flexible as I was, say, in my 20s. Or even my 40s. But I'm doing yoga, and that has to be good, right? As is pretty much anything that gets you up and about during the day. As readers I do think we need to pay attention to that because it's really easy to become sedentary.

>45 brenzi:, >46 lauralkeet: audiobooks! Walking and reading, either outside or inside.

I am really liking yoga as well. I strarted going to a hot yoga in town but it’s quite expensive. Yoga with Adrienne is the best. I’m going through the Move series right now. Not every day, but every day I do it I feel good.

>47 raidergirl3: Hi Elizabeth! I did the Move series over January and February -- it was my introduction to YWA and I loved it. Now I'm picking and choosing from her April calendar.

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Welcome to a new week everyone.

Yesterday was not as warm and sunny as we expected but I still managed to paint the fence posts and Chris put in more time on the fence project while I puttered around and read my book. I didn't sleep particularly well last night; I'd wake up and start stressing over little things and have to settle myself back down. Ugh. I feel okay this morning though.

I have a library shift this morning and then ... not much, just odds and ends around the house. It should be a fairly uneventful day (I hope I haven't just jinxed it).

Wordle 289 4/6

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Normal Wordling has resumed, thank god.

Lazy me, I jumped to your newest thread. Nearly a whole one zoomed by unread and I hope I didn't miss any news that's especially significant.

Thanks for PM-ing me. All's well at my end. Read about 5 novels while I was away, some were certainly fluffy chick-lit but great 'beach' reads as the saying goes. I think my favourite was a Susan Juby story, Mindful of Murder.

I hate that wake-up-and-stress cycle, Laura. You have my sympathies.

Ditto to Katie's message - she always says it before I'm even thinking it. I had one of those nights too last night, pretty typical for a Sunday night before work. But both of you should be reveling (and sleeping well) in retirement!
Thanks for the None So Blind & series recommendation - sounds great. And also - another wonderful newsletter this morning, keep them coming.

>49 SandyAMcPherson: It's wonderful to see you, Sandy! No need to catch up, just jump right in.

>50 katiekrug: Thanks Katie

>51 vivians: And thanks also to Vivian. The wake-up-and-stress cycle is ridiculous because there's nothing in my life that should have that much impact. This morning I wrote down everything that had been swirling in my mind during the night, which purges it from my head and helps me figure out those things I need to do something about.

And I'm so pleased you're enjoying the newsletter! We're having fun with it simply as an exercise in documenting our work on the property, but it's even more satisfying knowing people read and enjoy.

>52 lauralkeet: Just jump Right In... she said.
So I did.
Here are the books I read while taking a break from Prairie snow and staying beach side in a gorgeous holiday-rental (Vancouver Island). We celebrated the Equinox just the way it should be - daffodils, green grass, tree blossoms and even some brilliant sunrises at low tide.
I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoyed the chick lit titles (!) and rated all my reads to the tune of :
Fatal Pursuit & The Crowded Grave ~ murder mystery series set in France
Passion on Park Avenue & Marriage on Madison Avenue ~ chick lit series
Mindful of Murder ~ murder mystery in a zen retreat on a gulf island (BC)

I haven't finished the book I took with me, The Paris Apartment ~ Lucy Foley.
Having loved The Guest List, I was sure her next one would be just as enthralling. Which it is, but oh-my-goodness, the creepy, slightly noir vibe wasn't quote what I wanted at the time. Maybe that's why I used my e-reader for indulgent downloads and was so pleased with Lauren Layne and Susan Juby.

>53 SandyAMcPherson: looks like perfect holiday reading, Sandy.

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It's gray outside, with rain forecast on and off pretty much all day. Yesterday I finished painting fence posts and Chris started putting the fencing material up. If it's only spitting/drizzling, we might get more of that done today. But also I could get a few things done inside. I have a couple of phone calls to make, scheduling car inspections and the like (bleah), and would like to do some finishing steps on my woven scarf.

Last night I reached the final chase scene in What Remains of Heaven, and was eager to finish it. So I snuck in some early-morning reading today before Chris was up. Another solid book in the series. Next up: She’s Not There:



Jennifer Finney Boylan is the April author in the American Authors Challenge. I am not "doing" the challenge in any sort of focused way, but sometimes an author or book will hook me. This one did, and it was available at my library with no holds. So off we go.

Wordle 290 3/6

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In nerd news ...

Last night most people in the US watched the NCAA basketball final. We watched the University Challenge final, which came down to the wire and was exciting in its own way. The Guardian covered it because of course they did:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/apr/05/im-going-to-get-so-roasted-...

Nice Wordling. I got it in 4. The latest addition to my morning game rota is Yeardle, and I actually got TW to play. We're such nerds...

Ha! Cross-posted Nerd News!

>54 lauralkeet: I'm glad you're reading the Boylan, and will be interested to see how it strikes you. I'm waiting for her Growing Up Haunted memoir to come in at the library. The other Laura in my life has started it, and says it's taken an early grip on her.

You aren't alone in nerd land -- I'm all set to try Yeardle and while looking for it I discovered that there is a web site devoted to spin-off's of wordle. Did you know? Have you tried them all?

OK, I found "how to play yeardle" but I can't find the game. What's its address?

>59 RebaRelishesReading: - Try this link, Reba: https://histordle.com/yeardle/

>58 laytonwoman3rd: I am looking forward to it, Linda, and to your comments on the next book.

>59 RebaRelishesReading:, >60 katiekrug: *la la la* I can't hear you!!

>54 lauralkeet: Took me five...I chose NATTY then NATCH before I got NATAL. Note that down: NATCH is one of their five-letter words!

Still using the phone as a hotspot. *sigh*

>62 richardderus: That's a useful tip in your spoiler, RD. I'm sorry you are still plagued by wifi woes.

>60 katiekrug: that just takes me to the "here's how you play" page where I was before. I tried clicking on the link but also copying it and pasting it into Safari. Maybe it just doesn't like me. 😢

Happy Wednesday, Laura. I just realized you didn't post the eagle cam up there, in the toppers. Reason? It was pretty quiet at the Rehab Center yesterday. I just helped a couple of the old timers, in the outdoor enclosures, cleaning and feeding. I did like the flight cages. The bigger one had 5 red-tail hawks and the smaller one had four Cooper's Hawks. Although cleaning up the chopped up rat remains wasn't pleasant.

>64 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, there's a little X at the top right of the "how to play" section. If you click on that the rules disappear and you'll see the game. But that's as far as I went ...

>65 msf59: Chopped rat remains?! ewww ...

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It's rainy this morning. The forecast says it will clear up but I suspect it will still be damp most of the day. We made good progress on the barn fence yesterday despite the iffy weather. I helped out for about an hour on a tricky bit of it and then left Chris on his own as it became increasingly wet. I started reading She's not There, which is interesting and very accessible.

So ... Mark asked about the Dulles Greenway Eagles and I realized I have not yet mentioned that I stepped down from volunteer duties. I really enjoyed being a YouTube chat moderator but I was also finding myself at a bit of a knowledge deficit, both about eagles as a species and about the activity on the nest itself. Most of the volunteers have previous nest-watching experience and even volunteer on multiple nests. They were spending a lot of time watching the cams and chatting about their observations in the team's Slack channel. It was interesting, but I was more of an observer than participant and don't have the time to become more deeply involved in the nest-watching community.

I don't have much on my agenda today, just a short committee meeting over Zoom, and a few little tasks. I also should be able to finish my latest woven scarf.

Wordle 291 5/6

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17. What Remains of Heaven ()

Sebastian St Cyr is a Regency-era nobleman who, by this fifth novel in the series, has developed a reputation for solving murders. Instead of barging in where he’s not wanted, law enforcement now calls on him for the difficult cases. In this installment, a Bishop is found dead in a crypt. Not only is his death determined to be murder, but he was found near a second, much older and unidentified body. Sebastian successfully identifies this victim and then must solve both cases, which may or may not be connected. Along the way there are further developments in Sebastian’s personal life which raise more questions than answers and will undoubtedly continue to plague him in subsequent books.

Sorry, to hear you stepped down as moderator but your reasons sound solid. I will have to check out the cam on my own. Rain here, trapping me indoors.

I hope you'll share a photo of the latest scarf, once it's finished!

>66 lauralkeet: Thank you Laura -- never occurred to me that the "X" would do anything other than close the site! I found it and did acceptably (IMHO) on my first attempt :)

Sounds like you made a good decision about the nest watching. You can always look and see how things are going but now no obligation to do so at certain times -- right?

>68 msf59:, >70 RebaRelishesReading: Yeah, I do plan to look in on the eagles from time to time. I follow them on both FB and Instagram, and check the livestream periodically. DG1 has grown some feathers and is darker than at birth, and it seems like the parents are giving him/her time on their own every once in a while.

Here's the finished scarf! The colors are more teal than they appear here, but you can still see the light/dark contrast.

>72 lauralkeet: - Beautiful!

>72 lauralkeet: It turned out so great, Laura!

>72 lauralkeet: Very handsome piece, Laura.

Good précis of What Remains of Heaven, too. I like Sebastian and Hero.

Thanks so much Katie, Micky & Richard!

And RD, I didn't know you were a fan of Sebastian St Cyr. I have trouble reviewing books like this because I don't want to give away a single thing. So what can you say about it? To me the important thing is that each book is plausible with the right amount of suspense, and that the series doesn't become formulaic and predictable. So far so good.

>72 lauralkeet: I love the colors and textures - especially the one on the left. What's the name of that?

>72 lauralkeet: Oooh! That looks beautiful.

>77 quondame: Thanks Susan. I believe you have some weaving experience so I'll get a tiny bit technical here. This scarf is a 1/2 twill, meaning you weave under one thread and over two. The warp is threaded in both the light and dark colors. The first half of the scarf (the part on the left in the photo) is woven by alternating light and dark yarn. Then I wove a section in dark yarn only, and finished with light yarn only. Hope that answers your question?

>78 figsfromthistle: Thank you so much!

Rain, rain, go away! Yesterday was drizzly and today looks like more of the same with possibly more actual rain.

Not much to report from yesterday. I did some yoga and went to my committee meeting which accomplished what it set out to do without any contentious discussion which is about the best one can expect from a volunteer activity LOL. I made a phone call I was putting off (nothing major, just arranging for someone to come out and give us an estimate), and I served as official second pair of hands for a couple things Chris was doing. Oh ... I also schlepped four 40lb bags of water softener salt from my car into the basement and put the contents of three bags in the water softener. So: weightlifting? TV-watching was nothing special. Sometimes Chris goes down a rabbit-hole watching old shows featuring a favorite actor. Last night was one such night. I half-watched and half-read. As a result I can tell you that I'm really enjoying She's Not There.

Today will be another example of my rather boring life. I need to run to Michaels to pick up supplies for a craft project. I'll also stop by the shop that is making draperies for our guest rooms, to pick up a couple of pillows for our living room. I'm going to make a batch of Karen's famous cornbread to accompany turkey chili tonight.

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Why on earth did I think of MORAY before the correct word?!

Oooh chili and cornbread sounds tasty.

As for Wordle, I went for FORTY before I got it right on my fifth attempt.

>80 lauralkeet: - And I used BORAX before I got it in 6. I had the three middle letters for 3 tries.

>43 lauralkeet: Makes perfect sense to me. If I ever start acting old, I think I would just as soon die.

>54 lauralkeet: I am not doing the challenge in any kind of focused way either. My local library only had 1 of her books, so I picked it up and started reading it last night.

>67 lauralkeet: I will get to that one eventually. I still have only read the first book in the series.

>72 lauralkeet: Lovely, just lovely. I love the colors you used.

>72 lauralkeet: Another lovely scarf Laura. Almost a shame you are moving away from Winter. Still, there will be another one...

>81 MickyFine: it has turned into a perfect chili and cornbread day, Micky. This rain would really be pissing me off if I didn't have dinner to look forward to!

>81 MickyFine:, >82 dudes22: I love sharing our Wordle struggles and triumphs here!

>83 alcottacre:, >84 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the compliments on the scarf, Stasia and Caro. This one is now safely stowed with my other winter things which hopefully I will not have need of for a while. In the meantime I will probably end up weaving more scarves because they are a good project for learning techniques.

>79 lauralkeet: Thanks. So the weave pattern is the same but the weft changes from alternating colors to one color at a time. I haven't seen the effect of changing weft colors in a twill before.

>72 lauralkeet: One of my favorite colors and that's a beautiful texture. Super nice!!

>86 quondame: Exactly, Susan.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I tend to gravitate towards red/pink/purple but teal is a close second. Thank you!

Happy Friday, Laura. While on Trail Watch yesterday, we spotted meadowlarks and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Do you see the sapsuckers in your area? They migrate through here, in pretty good numbers.

Good morning and happy Friday!

Mark, I don't recall seeing sapsuckers in PA (where they would have been migratory). It looks like we're at the northern end of their winter range. It would be a pleasant surprise to see one next winter.

The weather has finally improved. This morning I'm going to do the grocery shopping and then hopefully will get some gardening done this afternoon. It's time to plant peas in the raised beds!

Wordle 293 3/6

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I was afraid I'd end up burning a lot of turns on this one, but I got lucky.

Hi Laura and happy new thread.

Yikes 22 posts behind on your last thread, and 90 on your new thread. From your last thread, I’m glad the new vet has worked out. We’re still not allowed in the vet’s office, but that was nice yesterday as I had to pick up a urine collection kit and instead of having to park and go in, I just drove up outside the front door and the receptionist handed it in through the passenger window.

>3 lauralkeet: She’s Not There – I’ll be interested in your take on it. It was my book club choice in 2011.

>22 lauralkeet: I love my Shark Navigator, although I’m using it less now that I have a good and reliable house cleaner. He has one, too.

>28 lauralkeet: I checked with my GP recently, who still isn’t recommending a second booster – I don’t know why. We got our first booster at their office.

>38 lauralkeet: Fires and emergency lights. Way too much excitement.

>72 lauralkeet: Even if we can’t see how vibrant the colors are here, I love the scarf.

>80 lauralkeet: If your life is boring, then mine’s below the bottom of the scale. Do you feel like your life is boring, or just don’t feel like you’re busy in ways you used to be busy? Enquiring minds and all that. I personally am very happy with the activity level in my life right now.

YAY for cornbread. I’m so glad you like this recipe.

>76 lauralkeet: I stopped reviewing the series because, well, why? You know you like 'em after the first three or four, and anything one says in a review after that is in *serious* danger of being a spoiler. Not being in the least bit affected by spoilers, I'm probably dropping them right and left because I don't know what the fuss is...but honestly, until I stop wanting to read on, I just let series-reviews go after four (sometimes five) now.

I woke up to a snow-covered yard this morning, Laura. A good day to sit on the couch and read, I guess. I love the scarf.

Happy Friday, Laura!

>91 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Welcome back. In response to your question,

Do you feel like your life is boring, or just don’t feel like you’re busy in ways you used to be busy?

This was thought-provoking. I'll try to clarify: I feel plenty busy and active. We've been in our VA house for a year now and are getting a lot of satisfaction out of tending our property. I enjoy my "outside the home" activities too. My comment was more a reflection on the "daily agenda" post. Sometimes the day ahead seems really mundane (clean the kitchen, run an errand, watch TV). But then I suppose that's pretty much the case for all who post daily updates. And I do enjoy those glimpses into what my 75er pals are up to on any given day.

>92 richardderus: Great points about reviewing series, RD. I find I don't really post reviews the way I would for other books. They are more of a pulse check. By book 5, the purpose is to convey continued interest, especially for anyone who hasn't started the series. And very occasionally I'll abandon a series partway through, in which case my comments would explain why.

>93 BLBera: Snow? WTH? I hope you were able to carve out that reading time, Beth. And thanks re: the scarf.

>94 alcottacre: Back at ya, Stasia!

Good morning everyone.

I had a productive day yesterday. Did the grocery shopping as usual, and planted peas in one of our raised beds. Then I helped Chris with a bit of the barn fencing project. One side of the fence faces the country road and has a short gravel driveway. We installed two 12' gates there. The best part was when the two gates actually fit into the opening as planned. Whew! Today I think Chris is going to even off the fence poles on that side so they are all the same height and then I'll paint the tops of them black like the rest of the pole. I might also plant more veg in the beds but I need to review my notes first to check my timing.

Looking back, I realize I spared all of you a rant about my failed visit to Michaels on Thursday. I've calmed down since so I will just say that a craft store that doesn't stock fiberfill can't call themselves a craft store. I needed two other items: little safety eyes for soft toys, and black embroidery floss. They only had the floss. Sheesh. This is what I'll be making, btw, as a first birthday gift for our neighbors' adorable little girl:



I'm off to do the crossword now, which Chris has pronounced challenging.

Wordle 294 3/6

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Love the bunny! No fiberfill? I wonder if they are having supply chain issues.

>96 lauralkeet: what >97 BLBera: said...they can't just not stock fiberfill!

My Wordle was four...I chose STAID before STAIR...but it kept my streak alive!

My chief reason for searching out techniques for writing short reviews, what I'm now calling Burgoines, was the need to keep some sort of record where I am in a series! I miss FictFact a lot. The other series-tracking sites have such serious downsides to use that I don't manage to make a habit of using them.

I LOVE that bunny! SO adorable. The Michael's near us is garbage, and I refuse to shop at Hobby Lobby - luckily, I'm not very crafty so this rarely presents a problem :)

>97 BLBera: I know right? I don't know what was going on, Beth.

>98 richardderus: Well done on the Wordle, RD. I miss FictFact, too. My workaround is a spreadsheet (see >2 lauralkeet:), and following my favorite series authors on Amazon so I can be alerted to new releases.

>99 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! Michael's sucks. There's a HL very near to Michael's but like you I refuse to shop there, probably for the same reasons (see also: Chik-Fil-a). I remembered later I probably could have found what I needed at Walmart, but I'd already placed an order with Amazon, which was delivered this morning.

I also refuse to shop at HL. :)

>96 lauralkeet: Wish I'd known you needed fiberfill---I had a huge bag in my attic, unopened, for years. Just recently donated it to the thrift shop. I could have put it on a southbound muletrain or something!

I've been hearing batting has been hard to get lately due to the supply chain. I wonder if the same is true for fiber fill. Anyway, glad you were able to get your hands on some.

Your busy, productive days are an inspiration to me, Laura. Why just yesterday I washed, dried, and folded-hangered-whatever four loads of clothes, towels, and whatnot. I finally emptied the dishwasher so I could clear the dirties piled on the counter. I even...get ready for this!...scrubbed the counters and stovetop.

I think I'll drive to Virginia on Monday, see my sister.

>96 lauralkeet: - Cute bunny! But no fiberfill??!! I think >98 richardderus: might be right - it must be a supply issue.

>98 richardderus: - I miss FicFact too. In addition to a speadsheet similar to Laura's in #2, I created a collection here called "Next in Series". As soon as I finish a book, I take out the one I've just read and add the next one to that collection along with the series # in the comments section or I just edit the book in my "to read" collection to add it. So far, it seems to be working in helping me keep track.

Love the bunny!! Ditto ban on HL and Chick-Fil-A. We have a JoAnn's in town so I would go there for fiberfill. Other craft items I get from a store called Craft World which is pretty amazing. But, as often happens here, Amazon saves the day.

>96 lauralkeet: ooo, I want one. So cute.

>105 dudes22:, >100 lauralkeet: We're all missing the thing that spreadsheets just can't do: allow us to leverage the knowledge of the crowd for discovery and for accuracy.

Sigh.

>101 BLBera: *fist bump* !!

>102 laytonwoman3rd: I thought I had some, too, Linda, but then again I haven't needed it in years so it was probably a casualty of moving house.

>103 MickyFine: Weirdly, Micky, they had batting. I have never used the stuff so I don't know if it was good batting, or enough batting, but at least it was there.

>104 weird_O: Bill, that sounds pretty darn productive to me! Safe travels. Remind me whereabouts in VA does your sister live?

>105 dudes22: That sounds like a great way to keep track of series, Betty. I keep a list on my library account of books I'd like to read sooner rather than later, and will often put the next book on that list. I don't add books to my LT library until they are in my possession.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I guess there used to be a JoAnn's in Leesburg (where the dreaded Michaels and HL are located), but it moved further east and therefore further away from me. Boo.

>107 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caro! I kinda fell in love with it myself. I bought the yarn recommended by the pattern and am already wondering whether I will have enough to make another one.

>108 richardderus: So true, Richard!

>109 lauralkeet: Lexington. A long time ago, she lived in Waterford for a couple of years.

>110 weird_O: If you are driving to Lexington via I-81, give us a wave as you pass through Winchester -- we're about 30-45 min east of there. And maybe 15 min from Waterford, which is a lovely historic village.

Good morning everyone.

It's a bit chilly this morning so I'm procrastinating on all outdoor work. Yesterday was warm enough to be outside and I planted carrots, parsnips, and beets in our raised beds. I also served as an extra pair of hands a few times while Chris was working on the fence. Yesterday's dinner was Mississippi Roast in the slow cooker (prompted by recent conversation on Katie's thread, I might add), served with noodles and roasted carrots. Delish.

Two sides of fence are now done, except for leveling off and painting the tops of each post (the posts are painted black). So that might happen today. Chris has also decided we need a couple more raised beds and he has material left over from making the first beds so that's also in progress. Today I also hope to finish knitting a hat so I can start that cute bunny.

Book-wise, yesterday I finished She's Not There, which was really good. I'm still gathering my thoughts for a review. And now for something completely different, last night at bedtime I started reading Marcella, a Virago Modern Classic set in the late 1800s.

Wordle 295 5/6

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I made dopey choices (WHACK, QUACK) before getting the answer.

That Mississippi Roast is a NYT recipe I think you said? I am going to look for it.

Have a happy Sunday!

>113 katiekrug: Yep, and here it is!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast?smid=ck-recipe-iOS...

Oh, thanks!

You're welcome, Katie!

We abandoned plans to work outside today. It's a bit chilly, which would be okay if not for the wind. It's awful out there. We ventured out after lunch to pick up something at the hardware store, and couldn't resist stopping at the bakery/cafe down the block where we bought a couple of cookies. Other than that I've been puttering around the house and getting in some reading time, and I'm totally okay with that.

I also managed to write a book review ...

18. She’s Not There ()

Jennifer Finney Boylan is an English professor currently at Barnard College in New York City and, before that, at Colby College in Maine where Jennifer was initially known as James. She’s Not There describes Boylan’s journey from James to Jenny. It is refreshingly candid, and equal parts humorous and moving.

From a very young age, Boylan was certain of her gender identity but hoped the “problem” would disappear if she found the right partner. The right partner did indeed come along; marriage to Deirdre (known as Grace in the book) and two children followed. But Jenny was still James, struggling with gender identity every single day. The decision to come out to Grace and begin gender transition was both inevitable and unimaginably painful. Likewise, coming out to best friend, Colby colleague, and well-known author Richard Russo.

Transition is a lengthy process involving therapy and medication, and surgery if desired. Boylan was incredibly fortunate to have a healthy marriage and Russo’s deeply loyal friendship, but even those strong relationships faced challenges as the parties reckoned with the changes happening to their loved one. Jenny’s account of her transition concludes with a very moving afterword by Russo and, in this tenth anniversary edition, more recent updates from Jenny and Grace.

As a society, we have come a long way since Jenny’s transition in 2002, and yet gender transition is still an area that is not widely understood and accepted. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more.

>117 lauralkeet: On a related note when reading today's NYTimes I came across an interview with Laverne Cox about her appearance on the red carpet at the Grammy's. Cox became famous through her role in Orange is the New Black, not least because she is transgender. At no point did the NYT interview mention this, which I took as a wonderful sign of progress.

>117 lauralkeet: Seconded! My grandchild's transition prompted me to read it, and it's a tremendously honest and no-holds-barred account. I'm very, very grateful my grandchild was supported and encouraged in an earlier-in-life transition. I was frankly appalled at what Jenny faced...better to do it early.

>118 lauralkeet: "At no point did the NYT interview mention this, which I took as a wonderful sign of progress." I hope that signals a trend...although people who need to share their stories should have an open invitation to do so, since that's the only way anyone else can begin to understand their journey, it will indeed be a grand day when our society doesn't make that journey THE defining fact about an individual who is taking or has taken it.

Good review of the Boylan, Laura. I've seen some comments on LT that indicate the book definitely needs a wider audience. Sadly, the people who should read it probably won't.

>117 lauralkeet: You got me with a BB big time. That book sounds most interesting and helpful in better understanding the process and challenges. Also I'm a huge Richard Russo fan so also attracted by his friendship. It's on my list for my Thingaversary trip to Powells.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Just want to add to my comment about JoAnn's that I became a fan of theirs last year when I bought a floor lamp for doing cross-stitch from them. Lamp started not turning on and off correctly. Manufacturer said "don't take it back to the store, etc" but I couldn't quite figure out how to get it back to them so I took it to JoAnn's for advice and walked out of the store in 15 minutes with a brand-new lamp -- no fuss, no problems, just a new lamp.

>114 lauralkeet: I have a digital subscription to NYTimes but turns out you have to have an upgrade to access their recipes. I'm going to see what I can find elsewhere.

Hope you have a great weekend.

>119 richardderus: You're spot on about the total honesty in Boylan's book, RD. I loved that. I also agree that these transitions would ideally be done earlier in life. I think that's much more possible now than it was for Boylan, who was born in 1958.

>120 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I actually Googled Laverne Cox to make sure I hadn't confused her with someone else. But I couldn't agree with you more: I was so pleased that it wasn't the "defining fact"

>121 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. Sadly, I have to agree.

>122 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I love your Joann's story. Was that an Ott lamp? I bought one recently and really like it.

It seems NYT has really sliced and diced their subscription offerings. I guess that's good if you only want one or two of their services. We have a home delivery subscription for Sundays only, which gives us a plethora of other goodies: Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, ability to share access with two family members, etc. The cost of a Home delivery subscription varies geographically, and I've never bothered to compare the cost vs. subscriptions to multiple services. We've had home delivery for so long that it's become a "set it and forget it" thing.
ETA: Digital "all access" is much more cost effective unless you really like having an actual paper.

>117 lauralkeet: That sounds like an important book Laura. And with the way things are going right now it's too bad that not enough people will read and learn from it. I'm going to look for it.

>117 lauralkeet:, >122 RebaRelishesReading:, >124 brenzi: Jennifer Finney Boylan is the featured author in April for the American Authors Challenge. If you're reading her, please hop on over to her thread, and share your thoughts!

>124 brenzi: Yay! Hi Bonnie.

>125 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for the reminder, Linda. I'll stop by the thread soon.

Coincidentally, I stumbled on this NYT article last night. Boylan is stepping down from her role as a contributing Opinion writer. This is her last piece in that role (although she may write more from time to time):
I'm a Trans Woman. Bullies don't surprise me, but Allies Still Do

Monday, Monday, can't trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

Hello everyone and welcome to a new week.

It was only 31F when I woke up this morning but the forecast is sunny at 68F so I'm happy about that. Alys and I saw three deer on our morning walk, which was kind of cool.

As mentioned, yesterday we abandoned all plans to work outdoors. We watched some Formula 1 (Australian Grand Prix), although tbh I half-watched it, reading my book and looking up at the exciting parts and the end of the race.

I'm enjoying Marcella, the story of a young idealistic woman whose family moves to an estate after her father inherits it. They are largely ignored by the surrounding landowners, due to the father's misconduct in the past (which Marcella had been completely unaware of). Marcella is committed to righting the wrongs of the previous generation by improving the estate and caring for those who live on and work their land. Marcella is also attracted to a young nobleman who stands to inherit an even larger estate. The feeling is mutual but the man's family is aghast, due to her family's scandal. And that's after just 70 pages of 500+ so it will be interesting to see where this leads.

But first, I'm heading off to the library for my weekly shift. And this afternoon I'll probably do some work outdoors, possibly finishing off the fence posts with some paint, or maybe filling a couple of raised beds with compost. Or ... maybe something else. There's plenty of work to be done out there.

Wordle 296 3/6

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This one gave me fits. After my second turn I really struggled to find a word that would work, resorting to pencil & paper for the first time in quite a while.

I only got today's Wordle on my final guess. I blame doing it before the coffee kicked in.

>127 lauralkeet: I also got wordle in 3 but it took me FOREVER to find any word that would work for my third guess.

Hi Laura!

>95 lauralkeet: Thank you for the clarification. Most of us have the daily chores kinds of things – empty the dishwasher, clean the stovetop, laundry, a bit of vacuuming, dusting, etc. I rarely post those kinds of things, but I do post the leave-the-house kinds.

>96 lauralkeet: She’s a lucky little girl. You are amazing.

>99 katiekrug: I haven’t been to a Michael’s in a decade or two, and I boycott Hobby Lobby too. I did go into one about 10 years ago with a friend who was looking for paper/card decorations and saw lovely things, but refused to buy on principle. And from further down this thread, even if I liked Chik-Fil-A, which I shudderingly don’t (from a try at a Carolina football game in 2010), I’d boycott it on the same principle.

>117 lauralkeet: Great review. The thing that I found depressing was her need to wear pearls and sweater sets and settle into all the stereotypes of American womanhood that most of us have scrambled to get out of most of our lives.

>123 lauralkeet: I have the NYT basic online subscription, which, of course, doesn’t provide cooking/recipes. I’m too cheap to add that as I’d probably use it once a month or less.

>123 lauralkeet: Yes, an Ott lamp. It's next to "my" chair and I love it for needlework as well as for reading.

I googled "Mississippi Roast" and found a recipe that sounds quite promising (Ranch dressing mix, au jus mix, pepperoncini peppers, butter). Once the snow melts I'm going to go and get the ingredients and give it a try.

>129 japaul22: ditto

I loved seeing the progress in the last newsletter, and the NB was so amusing. I think you should collect all these and look for a publisher!

>132 vivians: - What Vivian said!

It was great to see the photos. You seem so relaxed about everything when you post here, but my goodness, there's a lot going on!

>128 katiekrug: I can't blame a lack of caffeine, Katie. It was just a bear for me today.

>129 japaul22: That was my situation exactly, Jennifer.

>130 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I don't know about being amazing, but I think the bunny will be a fun project and good practice for grandchildren, should they materialize. I'm not surprised to see we're on the same page with our retail boycotts. I hadn't thought about Boylan's adoption of stereotypes. Her afterword in the 10th anniversary edition mentions relaxing certain aspects, like her voice, so I wonder if her dress also adapted over the years.

>131 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I'd never heard of Mississippi Roast until one day when I was searching for slow cooker recipes in the NYT Cooking app. I've since seen a ton of recipes online, as you pointed out, and I imagine many of them do not require a slow cooker. I don't know its origins, it seems like something that might have appeared in Southern Living and then gone viral, in a pre-internet sort of way.

>117 lauralkeet: Sounds like a great book. Thanks. And, yes, today's Wordle had me racking my brains, LOL. Happy Monday!

I'm glad you're enjoying Marcella. I really liked it when I read it some years ago. Marcella reminded me of Dorothea from Middlemarch.

I enjoyed Chris's blog entry this week! At least you're making progress on the various projects even if it feels slow at times.

>96 lauralkeet: That girl will be quite lucky to get such a wonderful gift like that. As a child a friend of my parents made a cute stuffed toy for me. It was my favourite stuffed toy and is one of the few that I kept into adulthood.

>135 Berly: Hi Kim! It's great to see you making the rounds again.

>136 Sakerfalcon: That's an excellent comparison, Claire. I loved Middlemarch. And thanks for your kind words about our newsletter, too.

>137 figsfromthistle: Thank you Anita. Kate, my oldest, is 29 and still has her favorite childhood stuffed toy so I totally get it. For all I know, this little girl already has a lifelong favorite. But I wanted to give something that she was less likely to outgrow in 6 months.

Hello all and welcome to Tuesday.

Yesterday's weather was lovely and in the afternoon I was able to paint the tops of the fence posts which was a pretty easy job and it was nice being outside listening to the birds. Last night we watched the first episode of Gentleman Jack. Has anyone seen this series? Here's a summary:

It's 1832 in West Yorkshire, England -- the cradle of the evolving Industrial Revolution -- where landowner Anne Lister is determined to save her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall, even if it means bucking society's expectations. In addition to reopening the coal mines, a part of Lister's plan to help her family is to marry well. But the charismatic, single-minded Lister -- who dresses head-to-toe in black and charms her way into high society -- has no intention of marrying a man. "Gentleman Jack" examines Lister's relationships with her family, servants, tenants and industrial rivals, and would-be wife. The real-life Anne Lister's story was recorded in her diaries, and the most intimate details of her life are revealed for the series.

The first season aired in 2019 but we missed it somehow. With the second season starting soon (next week, I think) we thought we'd give it a go. The first episode was promising.

This morning I'm going to my Knitting Group and then having lunch with one of the members, the current chair of the Guild's Programs Committee. I'm taking over as chair in May so I want to pick her brain. Thankfully she's staying on the committee which will also be a big help. The Programs Committee is responsible for the "program" at each monthly Guild meeting -- usually something educational in an aspect of fiber arts -- as well as workshops that are open to the public. We haven't done much in the way of workshops the past two years for all the usual reasons, but that could change in the year ahead.

Today's weather is supposed to be even better than yesterday so I'll likely get some work done in the garden. In the late afternoon someone is stopping by to give us an estimate on a potential solution for cooling our guest rooms. There's no central air in that part of the house and the current window units are ancient.

Wordle 297 4/6

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I'll have a look for Gentleman Jack. I am not familiar with it.

Have a good morning out and I hope lunch is tasty (priorities!). And good luck with the a/c solution. We are dealing with that now :)

>117 lauralkeet: That does sound like a great book, Laura. I'll look for it.

>139 lauralkeet: Yes, enjoyed the first series of 'Gentleman Jack' and watched the first episode of series 2 which looks like it might be as much fun Laura. Such great performances.

>76 lauralkeet: I didn't know RD was a Sebastian St Cyr fan, either. And agree that reviews are tricky because mainly (not always) I don't like to insert spoiler tags.
CS Harris makes such a plausible story set in Regency England, doesn't she? I love her Afterword notes where she explains the historical versus the fictional details of the day. I'm waiting on our PL to process When Blood Lies.
Why am I getting "Touchstones 405 Not Allowed"?

Glad you're having kind weather and getting so many outdoor projects done. I must get back to that sort of thing (on a much, much smaller scale than you) after spring weather returns -- next week maybe.

I hadn't heard of Gentleman Jack but it sounds interesting -- will look it up sometime soon.

I'm going to miss my knitting group this week because I have a booster appointment -- worth it imho. Today the Mississippi Roast is started as is some no-knead bread dough. The house should smell really nice this afternoon :)

>143 SandyAMcPherson: I don't know if either of y'all subscribe to CrimeReads' newsletter, but C.S. Harris is interviewed about her Regency world on the site, and it's worth a read:
https://crimereads.com/c-s-harris-on-historical-fiction-and-her-iconic-regency-e...
"I knew I wanted my mystery series to explore all aspects of the society that existed in Regency England and not simply the familiar world of the haut ton. In order to do that I needed a character who was a part of the aristocracy so that he could move through the gentlemen’s clubs and ballrooms of Mayfair as an equal. But I also needed someone who was comfortable confronting danger, who wasn’t afraid to go down to the docks at night or into places like St. Giles, and Sebastian can do that."
She is a very interesting person!

>140 katiekrug: Well Katie, lunch was nice. The cooling is still in question. We're getting an estimate but I think the solution we were looking at may be cost prohibitive.

>141 BLBera: Excellent, Beth! I think you'd enjoy it.

>142 Caroline_McElwee: That's good to know, Caro.

>143 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, you get all the credit for introducing me to St Cyr. Thank you for that! And I hope your touchstone woes went away because I'm afraid I have no idea ...

>144 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I hope your roast turns out to be dee-lish-ous! And good luck with the booster. Mine was a non-event, thank goodness.

>145 richardderus: Thanks for that link, RD. I'll check it out!

I watched the first season of Gentleman Jack and am looking forward to the second season. It's been three years since it was on but I pretty much remember what happened Laura.

>147 brenzi: Another endorsement -- excellent!

>145 richardderus: Thanks for the CrimeReads' url, Richard. I'm very taken with what you've quoted from the interview and will see what else is over on that website.

Good morning.

Yesterday's schedule was more full than usual, what with Knitting Group, lunch out, and a service appointment. I managed to get in a bit of gardening in the afternoon, planting some rudbeckia in a flower bed along one side of the house.

Thankfully I have nowhere to go today. We're expecting the bathroom remodeling crew which is a bit disruptive but fortunately doesn't require much supervision. We just need to chat about what they're planning to do today and answer any questions before they get started. I'd like to work on filling raised beds but might be enlisted to help Chris with the fence project. I'd also like to start working on the knitted bunny (see photo in >96 lauralkeet:); I might fit that in during the day or I might not get to it until evening.

Wordle 298 4/6

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ETA: This was my 100th Wordle!

We had a very similar result today!

Wordle 298 4/6

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Yes we did, Katie! Chris was lucky and got it on the second try despite his scoring zero on his first word. My words were TAPES, WOUND, FLUNK, CHUNK.

Mine were FATES, DRINK, CLUNK, CHUNK.

>150 lauralkeet:, >151 katiekrug: I'll bet a lot of people wiped out completely on their first try today, the only vowel being a "u".
Wordle 298 4/6

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I wiped out on my first two and went with chuck on my third.

Wordle 298 4/6

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Oh hey guess what? Today was my 100th Wordle! For the record, I posted my stats in >150 lauralkeet:.

>154 laytonwoman3rd: Good point, Linda.
>155 dudes22: Betty, your third word is my brother's name. Ha! I'll have to see if he solved it today.

>156 lauralkeet: I know the stats are there when you finish the puzzle every day, but did it do something spiffy for No. 100? (I'm at 95, myself.)

>157 laytonwoman3rd: If it did, it wasn't spiffy enough to notice. I just happened to go back to look at my results and noticed the 100 at top left.

>146 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. The roast was a big hit with both of us. My first booster was a non-event too so I'm hoping this one will be the same. Good luck with your gardening and knitting today.

I started Wordle today with stare, then switched to cloud, then thought of last night's dinner and tried chuck which didn't leave much besides question as to the answer

>159 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad to hear it, Reba!

>149 SandyAMcPherson:, >146 lauralkeet: Enjoy the article! There are many interesting things on that site...it's LitHub's sibling site, so it has their quality standards.

Oof. I am beat. While Chris worked on the fence today, I filled a 4x8' raised bed: first with some of our compost, and then with some we had delivered. This required much shoveling into the wheelbarrow, taking the wheelbarrow to the bed, and dumping it. I did some before lunch and finished it after, and that was about all I could handle for the day although I did help Chris with a fence-related task.

Come dinner time, he was also dead tired and we decided to get a pizza instead of cooking. The best part about ordering pizza is we always get a large enough pizza to have it for lunch the next day.

This afternoon I was able to start working on the bunny and I logged some reading time, so I was happy about that and it makes up for my body feeling really sore right now. We're just going to chill tonight, probably with something light and easy on TV.

>162 lauralkeet: Wow good for you!! Sounds like a most productive day with even a nice relaxing afternoon in the mix.

Good morning, Laura! I hope you got a good night's sleep after yesterday's activity.

Sweet Thursday, Laura. More Rehab updates over on my thread. The busy season has not started yet, which I am reminded of each week. Smiles...when the baby rabbits, squirrels, ducks, geese, all start coming in, things will start hopping. I saw my FOY brown thrasher the other day. Do you get them by you?

Good morning Reba, Katie and everyone else!

I slept well last night indeed. Yesterday was productive and satisfying, but more physically demanding than is usual for me. It looks like another nice day weather-wise so I'll probably spend time outside, just not shoveling compost.

The bathroom remodelers just arrived for another day of putting up drywall. I'm feeling a bit stiff so I think I'll start my day with a bit of yoga. The only other thing on my agenda is a haircut this afternoon.

I'm making steady progress reading Marcella and enjoying it. But sometimes I wonder why I choose 500+ page books when my reading time is limited?! I have to keep telling myself to stop worrying about how many pages I've read and just enjoy the journey.

Wordle 299 4/6

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It's still cold and threatening various sorts of precipitation here so I'm going to spend the day inside. I hope your yoga relieves the stiffness and that you have a lovely, productive, but not too strenuous day today.

Thanks Reba!

The yoga was a big help yesterday, and the most strenuous thing I did after that was some watering in the garden. I had my hair cut in the afternoon and then we ran an errand that required two stops instead of one to find what was needed, but hey, that happens.

Last night I worked on the bunny while watching TV, knitting the head and the start of one ear. It's coming together nicely so far.

This morning we're dropping one of the cars off for its annual inspection. The second car might be done later today or might be done another day, not sure yet. I need to do the grocery shopping at some point too. Not much else happening here ...

Wordle 300 4/6

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Yet another word with two many possibilities. I could easily have failed this one.

Morning, haircut twin! I find haircuts so relaxing and I almost always nearly fall asleep!

I'm jealous of your and Amber's haircuts. Mine is next week, and WHY DO I ALWAYS WAIT SO LONG IN BETWEEN APPOINTMENTS? My hair is driving me crazy right now...

>168 lauralkeet: - My Wordle looks exactly like yours.

>169 scaifea: I can't say that's happened to me, Amber, but I do enjoy my time in the chair.

>170 katiekrug: Katie, I always make my next appointment before leaving the salon. This is an old habit, from a time when the salon I went to was always booked solid. But I know I like to get a cut every 6 weeks, so it works for me.

>171 dudes22: That's funny Betty. I wonder how much we had in common? My words were TEASE, SPARE, SHAKE, SHAME.

>170 katiekrug: >172 lauralkeet: Every year when I get a new planner, I write a "make hair appts" reminder in for every three months. Otherwise I'd totally forget. I like the idea of making them at the actual appt. I may start doing that...

I need to be more disciplined about it. I can go a couple of months in between, but beyond that, it just gets too thick to be dealt with effectively. (That's what she said!)

>111 lauralkeet: I'm back home after a wonderful visit with my sister. I honked and waved and carried on as I breezed through Winchester—both going on Monday and coming yesterday. I looked for you, but must have missed you. Sorry.

>173 scaifea: Using your planner makes sense too, Amber. Whatever works!

>174 katiekrug: *spews beverage* I was nodding along politely, Katie, but you got me in the end (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!)

>175 weird_O: I thought I saw you zooming by in a cloud of smoke, Bill! I hope you had a nice visit with your sister. I'm sure it was welcome, especially under the circumstances.

>117 lauralkeet: Unfortunately my local library does not have that one. I did read her Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs, but I found it, on the whole, unsatisfying.

Happy weekend, Laura!

>171 dudes22: - I had RAISE, STAGE, SHAKE, SHAME. Not quite the same.

>178 dudes22: Yeah, I guess there are multiple possible paths.

I also have to make my appointments each time I get my hair cut, or I can't get in.

For as long as I can remember, I've made my hair appointment when I'm in the salon Laura. Why make an extra call has always been my motto only to find out I'll have to wait a couple more weeks?

>180 BLBera:, >181 brenzi: It looks like I'm in good company here! Let's hear it for us hyper-organized folks, eh?

We were up and about earlier than usual today. And by "we" I mean Chris, because I'm almost always up 30-45 minutes before him but this morning he bounced right out of bed. So we're already done with our usual morning things like breakfast and Wordle.

Today we need to transplant some tomatoes from seed trays to small pots, but to do that we need potting soil. We meant to do that on a weekday but didn't get to it. The good thing about being up early is we can run to the nursery early before it gets crowded. I have a bunch of other small tasks on my plate, none of which are "must do today" kinds of things, so they can spill over into tomorrow if the day goes that way.

Probably the most important task is getting our heads together around some of the next steps in our bathroom remodel. The framing, plumbing, electrical, and drywall are all done, and now we want to make sure we're all on the same page for the next phase. For example, we've decided to put beadboard and chair rail around the lower walls instead of tile, and want to make sure we're all clear on what that will look like. And because our original estimate specified tile for the walls, we'd like to see a revised estimate. We also need to make some lighting selections, although that's less urgent since it will be a while yet before they're ready to install lighting.

On the reading front, while I've made a significant dent in Marcella I am struggling a bit with it. I can see trouble ahead for our heroine, but it's taking forever to get there. I'll give it another couple of days ...

Wordle 301 3/6

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It was a big help to get the first letter right away.

Happy Saturday, Laura. Enjoy your morning routine and good luck with those gardening tasks. Still chilly here...sighs. Looking forward to this Arizona birding trip is just 2 days. Yah! 😁

‘Morning, Laura!

>138 lauralkeet: My almost-29-year old daughter has “Spotty Little Leopard”, given to her by Bill’s Mama. Spotty comes to visit any time she spends the night, riding on the front passenger seat, and is in pristine condition for such a long-lived soft animal. He still has his sewn-on “Jenna Hengeveld” tag needed for Camp Seafarer from when she was 6-16.

I still have a teddy bear from when I was a child – in a bag in a dormer somewhere with Jenna’s soft animals. I should go find him…

>150 lauralkeet: I’m mostly a 4-er on Wordle, too.

>172 lauralkeet: I used to get my hair cut every 5 weeks, also setting the appointment at the office. I’ve got my Pandemic Ponytail going now, though, and love saving the $54 per appointment. What I need to do is learn how to French braid it like Bill’s Aunt Ann does. It always looks so chic.

>183 lauralkeet: Congrats on Wordle in 3. It took me 4, as usual.

>185 karenmarie: Spotty Little Leopard sounds very adorable. Kate's toy is a Curious George puppet, also adorable.

I used to French Braid my daughters' hair but as an adult I've never had long enough hair to try it on myself. French Braids weren't "a think" when I was as a teenager. I was able to do traditional braids as pigtails, but never a single one in the back. I love the look of a French braid.

>186 lauralkeet: Reminds me, I want to read Anne Tyler's new book, French Braid.

Laura, I thought for sure I had commented on the bunny you are making. That little girl is going to have an heirloom for sure. It is adorable. I still have my Steiff teddy bear that I got in Germany as a 6-year-old. I keep hoping one of my grandchildren will want it but so far no takers. Guess I'll have to wait for the great-grands to start arriving (no news of that yet) and rehome it so it doesn't end up in a yard sale or (gasp) a junk pile sometime in the hopefully far-off future.

>187 Donna828: I want to read the new Anne Tyler as well, Donna. I've been chatting with Beth about it over on her thread. I haven't read one of her books in years -- like pre-LT -- and since the library hold queue is really long, I think I'll read one of her earlier books while I'm waiting.

And thanks for your kind comments on the bunny! I'm hoping one of these days I'll be able to make toys and other knitted items for grandchildren.

Good morning all, and best wishes for Easter, Passover, Ramadan, or just plain old Sunday.

I had a really productive gardening day yesterday. We ventured out early to buy potting soil and also picked up a viburnum mariesii to fill a gap in our Terrace Garden. Chris set to work finishing up the fence while I transplanted tomatoes from seed trays into small pots, sowed cantaloupe seeds in a tray, and watered the raised beds. The fence still needs some finishing touches but it's complete enough for Alys to be out there with us, so instead of our usual long walk we played a vigorous game of fetch. It was a beautiful day and really nice to be outdoors. I also managed to do a few chores yesterday (boring!) but not much reading or crafting.

I'm glad I got so much done yesterday because it's chillier today and I'm looking forward to a more relaxing day spent indoors. I made King Arthur Cranberry Orange Scones for breakfast this morning, which was a nice treat. There are no "must do" tasks on the agenda today, so I'll just do ... whatever.

Wordle 302 3/6

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Next up: the Sunday Crossword!

>189 lauralkeet: - I love viburnum. I just don't have a space here big enough for it to grow into. When you say "fill a gap" - are you using them as a hedge and filling in a missing space? Sounds like you had a busy day.

I made KA Lemon Blueberry scones yesterday. I love their scone mixes and often use the vanilla ones as a base for strawberry shortcake.

>190 dudes22: Hi Betty! We had a some dead and/or dangerous trees removed last summer, two of which were on opposite ends of the Terrace Garden. We planted a Yoshino Cherry at one end, and knew we wanted viburnum for the other but had to wait until this season to find something nice. As an aside, the tree removal instantly converted this garden from "partial shade" to "full sun," so it will be interesting to see how that affects the existing plants this year.

I love the scone mixes, too. Santa put a few under the tree for me and I still have a Lemon Blueberry mix in the pantry. Great idea for the vanilla mix, too. I love strawberry shortcake!

>191 lauralkeet: - I also buy their jammy bits and usually throw some into the mixes for extra flavor.

Morning, Laura. Sounds like a good day yesterday and a well deserved quiet one today! We're the opposite here - we did practically nothing useful yesterday so today will be full :)

>190 dudes22: - I love that idea for strawberry shortcake! Thanks for the tip.

>189 lauralkeet: It was a "Phew" day for me, but I'll take it...the streak stays alive.

Cranberry orange scones sound gorgeous...I'm going to pick up a box of mix next trip to the store (I hope...supply-chain issues aren't making it easier to shop around here).

Happy week-ahead's reads!

>192 dudes22: Hmm, jammy bits. I've seen those in the catalogue but have never really paid attention. Must investigate.

>193 katiekrug: It's good to balance out the busy and not-busy days, isn't it?

>194 richardderus: Cranberry and orange is a perfect combination, IMO. It feels like an autumnal thing but I'll eat it anytime.

Happy Monday.

Yesterday worked out as expected. I ended up doing a little bit of garden work: sowing dahlia seeds in trays to put on the heat mat. Other than that, I puttered around getting some indoor things done and warped my loom for another scarf. This one is a learning project associated with a course. No progress on the bunny, unless you count hunting down the embroidery floss required for its cute nose. It was the one thing I bought on my ill-fated visit to Michaels and I couldn't remember where I put it. But I found it eventually so all's well now.

This morning I have my library shift and I'll pick up a hold while I'm there. I'll fit in a shortish yoga routine before that. The weather has turned even colder today than yesterday, and it's supposed to be wet. We seem to be on the line between rain and some kind of freezing mix so we'll see which way it goes. WTF, it's April!!

I spent a bit of time with Marcella yesterday, and something dramatic finally happened which brought back my interest and motivation. I almost feel guilty for picking up a library hold (Jane Harper's The Survivors), which I requested because my interest was flagging. I'm going to wait a bit before starting it so I can figure out what I want to do about Marcella. I'm sufficiently interested and invested not to DNF it, but I might need a break.

Wordle 303 4/6

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Morning, Laura!

Cold and rainy here, too. Blerg.

Welp, that weather sounds awful. April is weird. My birthday is next week and I remember once when I was a kid, it snowed on my big day. This was in NW Connecticut, but still.

>194 richardderus: - There's only one store around here that carries them and for some reason it's a 13 oz box instead of 16 oz and they only have 3 flavors. I usually order when KA has a free shipping offer because the shipping can be pricy.

>196 lauralkeet: Just putting in a plug for The Survivors (not advocating for you to toss Marcella but the Harper is really good!)

>199 dudes22: There's only one store here that carries the King Arthur brand, too...I've never looked to see what size the mixes are, I confess, because I never knew they came in sizes. I'll be sharper this time.

Free shipping?! When?!? I'd order direct in a heartbeat if I lucked onto free shipping!

>196 lauralkeet: Another six day for me...I lacked your FLAIR, it would seem.

If you've never read anything by MFK Fisher, the 20th century's answer to Brillat-Savarin, now's your chance to get her collected food writing in The Art of Eating for only $1.99 on Kindle. It's an investment in the great pleasure of beautiful words serving delicious foods.

>201 richardderus: - They just had a promo for free shipping over $75 so it will be a while before they have another one. Go on the website and sign up for email and you'll get the next one. Sometimes it's only >$59.

>197 scaifea:, >198 katiekrug: It's snowing, FFS! It's a light, wet snow and it's not sticking to the pavement. BUT STILL.

>199 dudes22: My local supermarket carries some KA products, but primarily flour and some gluten free products. No scones or jammy bits, darn it all.

>200 vivians: Thanks for the plug, Vivian. You may have been responsible for landing it on my library list, in fact.

>201 richardderus: Thanks for the rec, RD!

>202 dudes22: Their fluctuating shipping policies make me a bit crazy, to be honest. But I too keep an eye on it via their emails.

I'd never heard of KA before I met LT but the other day I needed some bread flour and, lo and behold, there was KA bread flour at my local Kroger store! I'm interested to see what my next bread is like.

>204 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I've used KA bread flour but I'm no connoisseur. Maybe my bread would have turned out just fine with regular flour, but I was new to bread-baking and afraid I'd mess it up so I went full King Arthur in my ingredients.

---

Well, yesterday's snow (WTF?!) has been and gone with very little incident, although the daffodils don't look very happy this morning. I enjoyed an "indoor day" after my library shift. I started weaving my scarf, read quite a bit, and spent some time searching websites for bathroom lighting selections. Last night's TV included an episode of Why Didn't They Ask Evans, and one of Gentleman Jack, both of which we're enjoying. I also worked on the bunny a bit while watching.

This morning we need to take one of our cars for its annual safety inspection (we did the other one last week), and I have a Fiber Guild Programs Committee meeting a bit later. It's over Zoom, so I don't need to leave the house -- yay! While I'm doing that, the bathroom remodeler will be stopping by to go over some details which Chris will handle. The afternoon is open and the weather is still cold, so it sounds like more crafting and reading will be in order. Yay!

Wordle 304 4/6

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This was a miracle. There are far too many possible options for _O_ER. By the time I realized that was the pattern I had ruled out a lot of letters, and got lucky.

Good morning, Laura! I can't believe you got snow. We had a bunch of rain last night but it stayed in the high 30s.

I almost X/6 on Wordle today. Phew! indeed.

I did x/6. 😪 Went with loner, power, and voter for my last three. Too many options.

>207 dudes22: Me too. *sigh*

>202 dudes22:, >203 lauralkeet: I'm signed up now...but $75 is about eleventy-zillion times what I can ever afford to spend. I hope they're going to come down a few times a year.

>206 katiekrug: luckily the snow is now gone, Katie. It was cold today but spring is on the way again.

>207 dudes22: Ugh, sorry to hear that, Betty. And Richard (>208 richardderus:). I could easily have been in the same situation.

>208 richardderus: $75 buys a s**t-ton of flour, doesn't it? I agree that's a pretty steep threshold.

>205 lauralkeet: So many possible words even once I had 2, 4 & 5 that I didn't get there.

Your indoors day sounds lovely. I plan to have at least one of those this week.

Good morning all.

Yesterday was pretty decent. Uneventful, as I'd hoped. We braved the cold for a bit to take care of a couple small tasks, and somehow I managed to fritter away the afternoon in a rather unproductive way.

Today I have a Fiber Guild meeting for which I need to leave home, but I'll take advantage of being out and about and run an errand. The weather should be warmer, but not exactly warm, so time will tell if it's suitable for gardening in the afternoon.

Last night I reached the end of Book II in Marcella, about 310 pages in (out of 550+). The dramatic events reached a dramatic conclusion and I'm still invested in the story, but I need a break. I'm going to start The Survivors today and then return to Marcella.

Wordle 305 4/6

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Hi Laura!

>196 lauralkeet: I have The Survivors on my shelves – I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her but haven’t feel inclined to read this one yet, although I've had it on my shelves for a year. I’ll be interested in what you think.

>211 lauralkeet: Uneventful days are quite nice.

>212 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks for visiting. Watch this space for thoughts on The Survivors -- maybe you'll bump it up in your queue?!

Hi Laura! Love those inclusive wishes in >189 lauralkeet::) We celebrate Easter twice most years. Orthodox Easter is this coming Sunday, though our celebration will be as low-key as it ever is. Hope you're having a great week.

>214 AMQS: Hi Anne! Thanks for stopping by. As you might gather from my post, we don't really celebrate any of those springtime holidays. Religiously-speaking it would be Easter, but it's just not a big deal holiday for us. So it was "as low-key as it ever is," much like yours will be this weekend.

Well here we are, Thursday already, coasting into the weekend.

Yesterday was nice enough to do a bit of garden work, and we decided to fill a couple more raised beds. I shoveled from the pile into the wheelbarrow, and Chris schlepped from pile to bed. I'm a bit sore this morning but it's satisfying to have that done. We've just passed into "less likely to have a frost" stage of the weather cycle, which means we can start moving less cold-tolerant plants from the heat mats and greenhouse into the beds, when they are ready.

Last night we finished watching "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?", a new 3-part Agatha Christie adaptation written & directed by Hugh Laurie. We really enjoyed the first two episodes and liked the two protagonists. The third episode reminded me why I don't like Agatha Christie mysteries, as they threw everything but the kitchen sink into the storyline and it spun out of control into an unsatisfying resolution.

Today's agenda is pretty light, so I'm hoping for a balance of indoor and outdoor activities. We're probably going to get dinner out, somewhere casual. Chris is getting his hair cut in a nearby town with a few decent restaurants. His appointment is at 5pm and the last time this happened, I came along. While he was getting his hair cut I went to a cider place and enjoyed a glass with my book. And then we had Thai. So, maybe a repeat of that? We'll see.

I started The Survivors last night but I had also taken a Benadryl for allergies and it made me verrry sleepy so I didn't get very far.

Wordle 306 5/6

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Tough one: an unusual word.

Morning, Laura! Today is supposed to be a beautiful one here, so I hope you get to enjoy the same or similar!

Your plan for waiting for Chris is Katie approved!

I second Katie, your plan for the evening sounds excellent.

Wordle 306 5/6

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Similar results

I'm glad everyone approves of today's plans! It is actually colder than I expected so while I ventured outside briefly this morning, I quickly came back indoors. Chris is out puttering with some sort of mechanical problem, and I want no part of it.

PSA for Wordlers
Over on Katie's thread, Julia (@rosalita) mentioned Wordlebot, an NYTimes thingamajig that analyzes your daily Wordle solution and offers suggestions for improvement. I enjoyed looking back on today's solution and shared this with our family Wordlers, and then thought my LT Wordle pals would also enjoy.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/upshot/wordle-bot.html

>216 lauralkeet: I thought the Agatha Christie's Marple adaptation of the story was better than the new one...I thought adding Miss Marple was, oddly, a good leavening for an overloaded, slightly flat story.

Enjoy your outing! Hoping the Thai, or whichever restaurant y'all end up at, meets the needs of a chilly spring evening.

Happy happy Friday!

Last night's outing went pretty much according to plan. I did my "cider and book" thing while Chris had his hair cut, and we opted for dinner at a seafood place. The only downside was dealing with other people LOL. The bartender chose to stream audio of the Johnny Depp trial on her phone. There was no other music and only a couple of other people in the place, so you couldn't not hear it. I considered leaving, but then I would have had to leave my cider! There were also two loud guys sitting near us at the restaurant. Ah, well. We had a nice meal and despite the unwelcome noise I read a bunch of The Survivors. If only Marcella were as fast-paced as this ...

Today's excitement is grocery shopping, and as the weather is supposed to be sunny and warm, I'll do some work in the garden. Tonight I'll do some bunny knitting in front of the TV. I've finished the head/ears and body, next I'll be adding the arms and legs.

Wordle 307 2/6

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Lucky today! Wordlebot had nothing but praise for my mastery. Ha.

I got wordle in two today also!

Wordle 307 2/6 How is this possible?

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>223 japaul22:, >224 laytonwoman3rd: How is this possible?
Because we're Wordle goddesses. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it!

>225 lauralkeet: ooh, I like that! And I'll store it up for the next time I squeak by with a 6 or fail completely on a super easy word. :-)

Morning, Laura! Thanks for the reminder about the Laurie Christie show - I've been wanting to watch that.

Whenever I'm planning on waiting somewhere public with a book, I always take my headphones so that I'm prepared for annoyingly loud people. Works a charm.

That’s a great idea Amber!

I just remembered that I caught up on posts but forgot to post myself. We’re on our way to the garden center right now (but I’m not driving obviously). Today promises to be a beautiful warm sunny day so we’ll be taking care of lots of gardening tasks. Other than that … not much to report. Hope everyone has a glorious day!

Wordle 308 4/6

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It's been a gorgeous weekend here. Yesterday morning we picked up some plants at the garden center: a mock orange for the terrace garden, and crabapple for the front lawn. I also transplanted a bunch of lettuce from seed trays into a raised bed. Thanks to the recently-finished fence around the barn area, Alys can hang out with us while we work out there, which she seems to like a lot. And so do we!

Today? Not sure yet. It's off to a slow easy start with Wordle, the crossword, and just frittering the time away. I'll find something more purposeful to do eventually, ha. The weather is cutting into my reading and crafting time but it's just so nice to be outside right now that I want to take advantage of it. I might do more transplanting, or prepare some planters for flowers, or ... ??

What's everyone else up to this weekend?

Wordle 309 3/6

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Woo hoo!

It's been gorgeous here, too, this weekend. We took advantage of it by going to a local brewery after dinner last night and sitting outside, but then it got too chilly :) I think TW is planning some outside work for today. Me? Not so much. Unless I decide to read on the deck.

Have a good one, Laura!

Hi Laura!

>220 lauralkeet: I’ve just given Wordlebot it’s very own tab on my browser.

>229 lauralkeet: Congrats on 3. To answer your question, we’ve got some friends coming over who we haven’t seem in real life since last May. Summer plans got aborted due to Delta, and winter plans have so far been on hold with Omicron. We’re probably just in a little sliver of time before BA.2 shuts us down again.

I'm a little stunned that it's the last weekend of April...and my month-end roundup of Burgoined and Pearl-Ruled books took a while to get right. But blogged it is, and the new book for tomorrow makes me very happy (Hafez in Love, perfectly charming), and the sun is shining, the wind is gentle...doesn't get a lot better than that.

Happy Easter Sunday (I think...isn't it?).

>230 katiekrug: this would be a great day to read outdoors, Katie. Go for it!

>232 karenmarie: Ooh, socializing! Wow! I hope you enjoy it, Karen.

>233 richardderus: Um, that was last weekend Richard. I bet you wondered why you didn't see anyone hunting eggs eh?

>234 lauralkeet: Oh, I figured it out! It's Orthodox Easter, so everyone has gone crypto-Ukrainian and started wishing happy Easter.

...I'm so confused...

Oh of course, I should have remembered that Richard -- Anne mentioned it upthread.

Good morning, happy Monday to all.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. We assembled some oval-shaped galvanized steel planters that we plan to use for flowers. I also managed a bit of weaving and knitting, and I finished reading The Survivors, which was quite good. Review coming soon. I'll resume Marcella the next time I pick up a book.

I have a library shift this morning and will probably return to the library tonight for their Common Threads craft night, which the fiber guild is now leading. Other than that I have a few little things to get done around the house, but nothing major.

Wordle 310 4/6

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I was okay with this result until I checked Wordlebot. For my third word, ASKED, it said, There was only one possible solution left--and this wasn't it. Whaaa?! It's a word, and a totally normal word at that, but it's not in their database of 2309 Wordle solutions. Grumble grumble.

>237 lauralkeet: Well, that's just silly. It reminds me of a similar message I got years ago, while playing Words with Friends. It told me "watch" was not a valid word. I think I still have a screenshot of it.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: Yours is sillier than mine, Linda!

I've been pondering this, probably more than is necessary. Wordle accepted my third word, it just wasn't the solution to the puzzle. And Wordlebot told me it never would be, because it's not one of the 2309 words in Wordle's solution set. Wordlebot analyzes how many of those 2309 possible words you eliminate on each turn; by my third turn I had eliminated all but 1 possible solution word. And then I used one that wasn't "possible," effectively wasting a turn.

I wonder if one can extrapolate from this to identify other words that would not be possible solutions? My third word (ASKED) was the past tense of a verb, formed with a specific two-letter ending. I wonder whether all 5-letter words that fit this pattern be wasted turns. But then maybe there aren't many such words because my mind is blanking right now.

I think I need to let this go and do something productive LOL.

I need to remember to use Wordlebot...in fact, I just posted a note on my cork board to remind me...now if I will only notice the note...

>239 lauralkeet: I think you may be on to something with the past tense form thing. I have never tried to use a simple plural (bones, say) because I feel that accepting those as valid 5-letter words would just make the possibilities almost endless. But someone could prove me wrong...

>241 laytonwoman3rd: No, I agree. Wordle does not (appear to) use plural words.

Now, Canuckle, which is a Canadian words version of Wordle, does use plural, and quite often. I assume it's because there are only so many 'Canadian' words and this lets them use four letter words as well. Canuckle is surprisingly more difficult for me, when the words are going to be more specific.

>240 RebaRelishesReading: ha! I totally get that, Reba.

>241 laytonwoman3rd: Interesting. I don't think I've ever thought to try a plural.

>242 raidergirl3: Good for you RD, doing "foreign" word puzzles LOL.

I’m late to my own party once again! Started my day with puzzles and yoga, then some garden cleanup. Soon we’re going to run some errands and grab lunch out.

Highlight of my day so far:
Wordle 311 2/6

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Woop!

And may your day have even more highlights! Even if they are not Wordle ones. : )

>245 Berly: Ha ha! Thanks Kim. We had a nice lunch at a cafe and got home before it started raining, so that's another win.

19. The Survivors ()

Kieran Elliott returns to his seaside home town after a long absence, to visit his parents who will soon be moving away. Accompanied by his partner Mia and infant daughter, Audrey, the trip is also an opportunity to reconnect with old friends. When a young woman is found dead on the beach, it brings back memories of a storm twelve years earlier in which lives were lost, including Kieran’s brother Finn and the sister of Kieran’s friend Olivia.

Kieran, his family, and friends become involved in the police investigation of the current tragedy. The case is paralleled by unanswered questions from the past, and Kieran must reckon once again with feelings of loss and uncertainty that have never really gone away. The stories of past and present eventually intersect in a dramatic conclusion that is both satisfying and unsettling.

I really enjoy Jane Harper’s suspenseful fiction and will continue seeking out her books.

Good morning! Happy hump day!

The weather turned cool and a bit damp yesterday, so I took advantage of that by spending the afternoon taking care of a few little things and sneaking some reading in. Last night we watched two episodes of Gentleman Jack (season 1). The first one ended on a tense note and we hoped the second would end happily but ... no. Not yet, anyway. We're really enjoying the series though.

There's a bit of a chill in the air today, no doubt because I just put most of my sweaters away for the season. Sheesh. Later this morning I'll be heading to town for the Fiber Guild's monthly general meeting. This month's program is about weaving on an Inkle loom:


This type of loom is very small and used to make narrow pieces (belts, straps, key fobs, etc.). The program is hands-on so it should be fun.

Wordle 312 3/6

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Morning, Laura! Just looking at that loom makes my head hurt - it appears rather complicated...

Nice Wordle-ing. I'm still on my first cup of coffee so haven't attempted it yet :)

>248 lauralkeet: what >249 katiekrug: said

>249 katiekrug:, >250 richardderus: I felt the same way about the loom. Fortunately for today's meeting they brought looms with the warp thread already on the loom as you see in the photo. We were shown how to weave back and forth across those threads, which is not difficult at all but it takes practice to make it actually look good.

>248 lauralkeet: We started Gentleman Jack last night. Just saw Season 1 Episode 1 but I think we're going to like it.

That loom is most interesting looking. I can't imagine how it works though.

>248 lauralkeet: >252 RebaRelishesReading: I really enjoyed Gentleman Jack. Halifax is Mr SandDune's home town.

>248 lauralkeet: In the SCA those are called inkle looms, and are sometimes used for card/tablet weaving as well. I have too many of them. I call them peg looms, since 15th through 19th century inkle or band weavers, and possibly earlier weavers as well, used box looms and this sort is fairly modern.

I have a couple of box looms too, well maybe three.

>252 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad you're enjoying GJ, Reba. I tried to find a video clip that would show weaving in action, but most of them were longer tutorials. A short explanation: sit facing the single peg on the far left in the photo. Weaving is done close to that peg. As you create the fabric you pull it over the peg so you always have a decent length of warp ahead in front of you. Depending on what you're making you can keep weaving until you've used up all the thread you see in the photo. The finished cloth will wind around all those pegs as you go.

Hmm ... I'm not sure that helped LOL.

>253 SandDune: I'm glad to see another recommendation, Rhian. We're nearly finished with the first season and will definitely watch the second.

>254 quondame: That's interesting, Susan. The woman who demonstrated these yesterday mentioned it was a very old form of weaving, dating back to Shakespeare's time or even before.

How can it be Thursday already?

Today is the best kind of day, a "no agenda day." Of course I have a few things I'd like to get done: the grocery list and some cleaning. I will probably do a bit of obligatory work outdoors but it's cold this morning so that can wait.

Progress continues on my knitted bunny. I have only a second leg left to knit and then I'll make the sweater and trousers. I'm reasonably happy with it so far.

I'm back to reading Marcella again and enjoying it, except for the segments where either a) the author writes in accented English in the style of the lower classes, or b) a character goes off on some topic related to the politics of the day. The latter is a significant theme in the novel, but those passages can be a bit didactic. People don't really talk that way, ya know?

Wordle 313 4/6

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This is still my most frequent score (around 41% of the time), with 3s coming in at 31%.

>239 lauralkeet: I also had this comment from WordleBot a few days ago when I used OLLIE as one of my guesses. In this case not a plural and I know it's a word that the NYT accepts in other cases (I'm sure I've played it in spelling bee). So the selection on the list of 2,309 continues to leave me asking questions.

>255 lauralkeet: Inkle weaving just means thin pieces for tapes, ties and trim. The peg loom is what's new and relatively easy to make. Cards were also used for tapes and trims, we have examples of those from the viking age. Quite often heddles are carved into a board with slots and holes in the bars between slots and the board can be used with a warp tied between to fixed points, one of which can be a waist strap. Or the board can be fastened, permanently or temporarily into a frame, open or closed and the warp fixed into the frame. That's what the picture in >254 quondame: shows, a type of inkle loom still being made and used today.
Here are pictures of one of the boards with the carved heddles and another of my very small box loom with the heddle board built in.

>257 MickyFine: I wonder why it didn't accept that word, Micky? Odd.

>258 quondame: Thanks for that, Susan. The history of various fiber arts is really interesting.

Wordle 314 2/6

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Played game 100 today; average 3.94 (at least under 4!)

>260 dudes22: Wow! Congratulations on your 2, Betty. And on 100 games!

Fri-yay!

Yesterday I forced myself to do the obligatory cleaning, and by the afternoon it was warm enough to get outside. There's always something to do in and around the garden, and yesterday it was raking up some grass clippings to put on the compost pile. We also filled some planters with soil, using up the pile delivered a few weeks ago just in time for a new pile to be delivered today. It sounds sisyphean, but eventually all the beds and planters will be full.

Last night I finished knitting the bunny while watching TV, so now I need to make its cute outfit.

Today's agenda includes grocery shopping, and a short Zoom meeting in the afternoon. We'll have some sort of take-out for dinner. Friday night's TV is almost always Gardeners World followed by Have I Got News for You, a British satirical news quiz. Exciting, no?

We've had some wonderful bird and wildlife sightings this week. On our dog walk yesterday evening we saw a fox for the first time since moving here. We frequently see wild turkeys on this walk, but yesterday we saw two legging it across our pasture. And this week, a lifer: a red-headed woodpecker appears to be making a nest in a tree in front of the house. We've seen it every day. They are gorgeous, with much deeper red coloring than the red-bellied woodpecker.


(not my photo)

Wordle 314 3/6

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I can live with this!

Happy Friday, Laura. Still trying to get caught up around here, after my trip. We had to take our feeders down, due to Avian Flu concerns, so I am bummed about that. Hummingbird feeders are considered not a threat, so I put mine up yesterday. How are your feeders doing?

^LOVE the red-headed woodpecker!! One of my favorites.

>263 msf59: looks like we cross-posted, Mark! See >262 lauralkeet:.

I'm sorry you've had to take your feeders down. We had to do that last year due to a different disease. So far there have been no directives concerning avian flu.

A red-headed woodpecker is such a beautiful bird. I have not seen one yet this year but they are on their way. They nest here, so we get to see them all summer long.

>262 lauralkeet: Love your Lifer Laura, and nice to know he is settling in nearby.

Yay re the bunny.

>262 lauralkeet: - We don't have them here in New England so I'm very jealous. And I'm envying you being able to be outside and warm. It's been very chilly and windy here and I've even given up on walking some mornings. Hopefully it looks like next week might be better.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Laura, and happy your latest Lifer is so beautiful.

>268 richardderus: Thank you Richard!

And good morning everyone!

Today is starting out chilly but sunny, so puzzles and coffee are first priority.

Yesterday warmed up enough to do a bit of gardening: starting more seeds, planting out some shallots, filling beds & planters with new compost. I suspect today will be similar and I need to transplant peppers from seed trays into pots. I'm sure there are other things requiring attention but that's top of mind right now.

I'm still plugging away at Marcella although I've begun skimming some of the more politically didactic passages.

There's not much on my agenda today other than that bit of gardening. I might find time for some reading or crafting, although when the weather is nice I'm drawn to being outside. We'll see.

Wordle 315 3/6

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Very happy with this one -- it was a tough word!

>269 lauralkeet: Took me 6 tries today! And a lot of thinking!

>269 lauralkeet: tough word indeed -- I bombed out for the first time in ages (maybe ever).

>269 lauralkeet: Very impressed you pulled it off in three!

Enjoy your sunny day. You could always go for one of my favourite activities: reading in the sunshine. 😝

>270 japaul22:, >271 RebaRelishesReading: I agree, and yet today was worse. More on that shortly.

>272 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I like that idea of reading in the sunshine. I didn't, but should have. Next time!

I was about to post my "daily agenda" and then remembered it's a new month and I want to start a new thread. I'll do that now.