Mstrust's #4- I Don't Like the Sun, But I Sure Like Rum

It's 100 degrees every day here, so it must be time to start the tiki party! Or at least settle down in front of the a/c with a fruity drink and a stack of Summer books.
Welcome to my fourth thread, which will be sandy and bright sometimes, dark and tipsy sometimes. Maybe we'll sing along to Don Ho.
I'm Jennifer and I live in Phoenix with husband Mike and a very worried boxer named Coral. I've been around LT since March of 2008.
We collect tiki mugs and attend Tiki Oasis, spend a lot of time in Vegas, and pre-nightmare, loved traveling. I collect books and have over 3000 scattered all over a three story house. I also bake and enter the state fair every year, and I really get into Halloween in a big way. Seriously, make sure you find my thread come September. And I love mysteries and true crime.

Every year, round this time, I collect my Summer reads and get through as many as possible (before it's time to switch to a stack of Autumn reads). I don't do the typical beach books though, as my Summer reads are fictions set in hot climates, or non-fiction travel and sea adventures.



My reading includes my Category challenges, along with keeping up as best I can with the ScaredyKit, ShakespeareKIT and MysteryCat, along with my ROOTs.

Category Challenge: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336276#unread
ROOTs: https://www.librarything.com/topic/337919#unread>
My Doorstop of the Year Read, which I've been talking about for too long: A Confederacy of Dunces.

2022 Reads

1. Horrorstor- 4.5
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox- 4
3. What Now, King Lear?- 3.8
4. The Giver- 4.5
5. James and the Giant Peach- 4
6. Foodheim- 2.5
7. Nothing But Blackened Teeth-2
8. The Magic Finger- 3.5
9. Murder at Melrose Court- 4.5
10. Diary of a Bookseller- 4
11. Gastro Obscura- 5
12. Danny Champion of the World- 3
13. Much Dithering- 3
14. 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet- 3.5
15. Flight- 4
16. Best Wishes, Warmest Regards- 4
17. The Geography of Bliss- 4
18. The Icepick Surgeon- 4
19. Murder at Teal's Pond- 3
20. Vintage Cocktails- 3.5
21. Cocktail Hour- 3.5
22. Their Eyes Were Watching God- 4
23. Jamie's Food Revolution- 4
24. Jamie at Home- 4
25. The Westing Game- 4.2
26. Elvis in Vegas- 4.5
27. Winesburg, Ohio- 4
28. Winter's Bone- 4
29. Gertrude and Claudius- 2.5
30. Disney Villains: Devilishly Delicious Cookbook- 3.5
31. Travel Hacks- 3
32. Welcome to Night Vale- 5
33. What's the Difference?- 3.5
34. Las Vegas Then and Now- 4
35. A Taste for Poison- 4.5
36. Cape Cod: Gardens and Houses- 3
37. Farewell, My Lovely- 4.5
38. Welocme to Dunder Mifflin- 4
39. The Cricket in Times Square- 3.5
40. The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe- 4.2
41. Witch: The True Story- 3.5
42. Two horror stories
43. Al Capone Throws Me a Curve- 4
44. Blood on Snow- 4.2
45. When the Mob Ran Vegas- 4
46. Esio Trot- 3.5
47. Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn- 3
48. Don't Applaud. Either Laugh Or Don't- 3.5
49. Every Living Thing- 4
50. The Praying Mantis Bride -3
51. Gin Made Me Do It
52. The Martian Chronicles- 4
53. The Storied Life of A.J. Firky- 4.5
54. Fat Vampire 2: Tastes Like Chicken- 4
55. The Big Blueberry Barf-Off- 3.5
56. The Case of the Terrified Typist -2.5
57. Patty Jane's House of Curl- 4
58. True Grit- 5 stars
59. Shake Strain Done- 5
60. Halloween Merrymaking- 2.5
61. An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed- 4
62. The Tricky Art of Co-Existing- 3
63. Pericles, Prince of Tyre- 3.5
64. Floors- 3.5
65. Vacationland-3

Welcome!

Happy new thread!

100 is way hot. You have my best wishes for comfortable survival!

>1 mstrust: Happy new one, Jennifer. As someone who "enjoys" similar weather on a daily basis you have my sympathy and certainly my understanding when it comes to the need to imbibe a chilled drink.

>4 quondame: First one off the plane! This is for you:

It's very hot outside but you'll still have to wear something besides the lei. Welcome!

>5 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul, glad you're here! True, you have your own godawful summers to get through, so you probably have a favorite cold beverage. Anything we know?

>6 mstrust: I am a single malt type of guy in Northern European climes but over here I have favoured Corona beer and gin & tonics though not together of course. Worryingly, since the pandemic and the running out of stocks Corona is no longer available in Malasyia.

>6 mstrust: Lovely. I do have a few sleeveless tops & dresses, but even so I prefer a light weight sleeved cover up.

Happy new thread!

Happy new one! I am wearing a lei and my shoes. Does that work? : )

I busted out the year's first Hawaiian shirt for work today given we're hitting 95F. And hotter this weekend. So kayaking is in order - we put in at a local bridge, paddle upriver to a winery, do a tasting, then ride the current back to the truck.

Holy cow! That's really weird about your arm, but I'm glad it's fixed.

Today and tomorrow we're supposed to have 95°+ weather. I need milk. I'm probably going use canned milk from the pantry and not go out.

I just pulled The Prisoner by Thomas Disch from the shelf. Looks like that's my next read. I'm trying to slog through Bridget Jones's Diary. Part of the problem is that I don't like epistolary books.

>7 PaulCranswick: I like G&Ts in the summer too. Very light and refreshing, and I like lime.
I know that sales for Corona beer plunged because of the name, which is unfair.

>8 quondame: You're set!

>9 figsfromthistle: Thank you!

>10 Berly: :-D You sound like a popular girl!

>11 drneutron: I've never kayaked, but getting to a winery might be the right incentive. Sounds like you'll have a fun weekend!

>12 SomeGuyInVirginia: I know, I couldn't believe it when it suddenly righted itself after so long, but I'm glad.
I don't blame you for not going out. We've been waiting for weeks for the peaches at the U-Pick farm to be ready. Now they finally are and I don't want to spend two hours in the heat.
If you don't like epistolary books, well, Bridget Jones's Diary is a big one of the genre. But it's very funny.

This week I binged the new The Kids in the Hall series on Prime, which thrilled me when it came up on the listing. How did I not know? Who was supposed to tell me? It's just as funny, edgy and weird as the original series. Now I'm watching The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town, and loving that too.
And I listened to the entire podcast Sweet Bobby in two days. That's a crazy story.
My sister is coming home today from a week of training in Charleston. Doesn't sound like she got to see much of the city.

Anyone who visited Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room will recognize this song. It's actually more Latin American than tiki, but we can dance to anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm6RBneOvHw

Not an alcohol drinker but I did feel sorry for the Corona brand. The word just means crown and they only called the virus family that because under a microscope, the virus has a feature that resembles the sun’s corona. Sadly, the “Crown” beer has suffered by name association.

And of all the ways to catch a virus, popping open a sealed can or bottle of an alcoholic beverage is probably not high on the likelihood scale. Sharing an open bottle, straight from the bottle, is another story.

Sharing an open bottle of anything with anyone but my husband grosses me out regardless of the virus, ha!

Happy new thread, Jennifer!
Ah rum - there are so many delicious varieties, I love it, but in the heat?
We only had just under 90 degrees, but even that was too hot for us, however, we did have a delicious summer drink - martini, tonic water, ice and a small sprig of rosemary (We have a quite delicious non-alcoholic martini).
And thanks for the recommendation of Blood on Snow, I really enjoyed the book.
Have a great weekend.

Thanks, Thomas, and glad you arrived!
Rum is the most used liquor in tiki drinks. It's a hot climate crop that was traditionally drunk by pirates in the Caribbean waters, and I don't know if that has something to do with it. I suspect it's just because it tastes good with lots of different fruit juices ;-D
Nice that you've come up with a favorite martini. My favorite martini is the pickle martini.
I'm so glad you liked Blood on Snow too! I'll read more Nesbo, maybe when it gets cold here, seven months from now.

I'm waiting for another package of heirloom seeds to arrive. This one will include seeds for very, very dark purple carrots.
Tomorrow we'll go shopping to find a present or two for my brother David, who we're going to see on Memorial Day. We haven't seen him in three years!
Have you seen the new PBS show starring Misha Collins called Roadfood? He was in Arizona on this last episode, meeting Native peoples and tasting foods like prickly pear and acorn stew. One of the places he visited is a restaurant we've gone to for years called The Fry Bread House, which serves fantastic fry bread tacos and dessert fry breads covered in honey or powdered sugar and dark chocolate sauce. I know, as if deep fried dough isn't bad enough, but it's amazing. Collins barely tasted the fry bread but ate the posole. I've seen the cook from the back a few times but she came out and talked to Collins and I was congratulating him for not blanching. She's terrifying.
And without me even asking, Mike went online and bought me some gardening supplies to make my life easier.

Happy new thread, Jennifer!

All this talk about drinks makes me thirsty, I will get myself another glass of water with a little lemonjuice ;-)

>18 mstrust: Thanks for the info Jennifer.
On vacation I discovered a small liquor store, where I got to know many different rums from many different countries. I prefer to drink rum straight so that I can enjoy the taste.
Is your pickle martini recipe with vodka and dill pickles? - That sounds delicious. Our recipe is with vermouth (Martini is also an Italian vermouth brand).
We also love the purple carrots they are so tasty.
Unfortunately, I don't know the show Roadfood, you made my mouth water even though I've just come from breakfast...

What did you find cool to give to David? And when you say the cook is terrifying do you mean screamy or that she'll make an apron out of someone's skin?

Aloha and Cheers!

>19 FAMeulstee: Hello, Anita!
I drink flavored seltzer waters, with my favorite flavors being lemon and hibiscus, though I'm drinking a very good blackberry-lemon right now.

>20 SirThomas: Wow, you drink it straight?! I couldn't, I need sumpin' sweet in there, but I know the distillers love people like you who can appreciate the flavor of all their hard work on its own.
Yes, the pickle martini is just pickle juice, vodka and a pickle (or gherkin) garnish. So delicious.
These are called Black Nebula carrots and they are purple almost all the way through, just a bit of white at the core. They have as much anti-oxidants as blackberries.
Roadfood is an American public broadcasting show, so I would check Youtube for episodes. It's very new though.
Indian fry bread is so good. My Chickasaw grandmother didn't make it, she made fried catfish, but my Irish grandmother made fry bread. I don't make it because it's cooked by completely submerging the dough in oil, then topping it in ground beef and cheese, or pouring honey on. One of those things that shouldn't be that accessible to Mike and I.

>21 SomeGuyInVirginia: I still haven't gotten him anything! I thought I'd find something for him today but we had too many places to go and ran out of energy. I want to find him something like a book of Phoenix murders, or a restaurant guide. If not, maybe local chocolate or bbq sauce. I don't know how much luggage space he has so I hope to get him a book.
The cook is, well, a big girl, with three quarters of her hair shaved clean off and her face, scalp and neck are covered in tattoos, including big script writing that I think started around her temple and swooped down over her cheek and ended at her chin. Sweet as pie, I'm sure, and she can cook.

>22 PaperbackPirate: Aloha, Nicole!

I actually prefer to drink everything straight, having gotten over the cola-whiskey phase of my youth.
I find I can enjoy the taste much better then - but that's a matter of taste, thank goodness.
Besides, one of these rums was more than 40 years old, I would never have dared to add anything...

>24 SirThomas:, >23 mstrust: I actually prefer most rums straight as well. Especially anything aged more than a few months. For mixed drinks with rum, I'll choose a mass produced rum - usually Cruzan, because we got to know it on a trip to the US Virgin Islands way back when.

And yeah, adding anything to a 40-year-old rum should be illegal... 😀

>24 SirThomas: >25 drneutron: You're both more sophisticated than I am.
I have sipped aged whiskey and Scotch, and while I like reading about the work and ingredients that went into them, and I can taste the notes being pointed out, I'm not their target consumer. I want sugar.
But I do invite either or both of you to introduce us to your favorite rums here. How about a name and what you like about it?

This one's only sold at the distillery on Barbados, but it's my favorite:



And more readily available.... The Real McCoy 12 year old.

Since my store always buys whole barrels from the distillery and then bottles them self, I can't name many brands.
But one I have, which is also available in stores - Ron Zacapa 23 (years).

>28 SirThomas: Oooo, that one's good too - the Zacapa, I mean.

>27 drneutron: >28 SirThomas: >29 drneutron: Thanks for the recommendations! I do like to hear about what people prefer.

First from my Summer stack:

47. Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn by Brian Viner. A look at holiday-making Brits, both abroad but especially when they are traveling around the U.K. The author recalls what his childhood vacations with his family were like and the popularity of "holiday camps". He discusses the cream tea, an English tradition more indulged in by foreign tourists now, girl's weekends vs. lads weekends, the worst traffic jam in British history, and how he and his wife travel with three children.
Not as funny as Bryson, but lots of interesting memories about growing up in the 70's in the U.K. 3 stars

I agree with >24 SirThomas: and drink booze straight. Using mixers is for people who don't know what their limits are.

Oh oh oh! I just checked out the first Nightvale book from the lie-berry, but it's not supported as a Kindle version so I'll have to read it on my phone. The Lynchburg library system has a pretty crummy ebook selection, but their book selection is pretty good, in part because all of the local libraries are linked together. Also, inter-library loans are a thing here. When I lived in Northern Virginia I never really thought much about selection, because between Arlington and Fairfax counties almost all books were available.

Fry bread sounds like one of those things I would try after a couple of shots of rum and actually be able to make. Is it difficult? I make a mean pancake and when I was a kid I made pretty good funnel cake.

ETA- The British holiday book sounds like a lot of fun. I watched the britcom Hi-De-Hi last year, about a holiday camp in the late '50s, and really enjoyed that. I poked around online and found the history of holiday camps to be pretty interesting.

I know exactly what my limits are! Three tiki drinks at Frankie's and I'm done. If I stop at two, as I usually do, no one can tellllll.


I enjoy the Night Vale books a lot. I only own the first one though and have been reading most on my Kindle. I should buy them. And I've only downloaded books from Amazon, I've never tried my library.

Fry bread is not hard to make, it's just a couple of basic ingredients that came out of subsistence eating. I made it just once with my grandma but she moved much faster without my help. I mention speed because on the nights she was making it everyone showed up. My sister's last husband would particularly make a pig of himself.
I've never met anyone who made funnel cake at home! My specialty is pumpkin spice waffles, which is a year round thing. Mike doesn't like pumpkin spice anything but he likes these.

Hi-De-Hi is mentioned in the book. I'd never heard of it but it sounds fun and I'll see if Prime has it. The author also discusses the British version of hospitality, an interesting subject as he admits it isn't the most natural for them and gives several anecdotes about bad service, including horrible hotels. It's been years, but I had a London store employee tell me, "I don't think we have anything you want." And I said, "How do you know what I want?"

I'm on season two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and loving it.
I've been getting a little bit everyday from my tiny garden. Banana peppers, little red jalapenos and lots of little tomatoes. I've put them in salads and on a pizza, and yesterday I minced a jalapeno and added it to a chicken marinade with fresh garlic, cumin and oregano. That was good.
I took out a couple of strawberry plants this morning that were done and planted nasturtium seeds in their place.

*Oh, and you asked before about what I was giving my brother as a gift. I bought him a book about Arizona oddities and myths. I know he wouldn't have it and it might entertain him at the airport while he waits. I didn't want to give him something bulky because I don't know how much room he has, and he likes our local chocolate but it's summer. That's like gifting a handful of soup.

Oh great, that girl does it and all of the sudden the waiter's not gay anymore. I do it and I get barred from a TGIFridays. I am not an animal!

Funnel cake is super easy to make at home, you just have to be careful the oil doesn't start to smoke.

There's a little plot of land right by my house, maybe 15x10, that would make a nice garden. The only thing is that this place is overrun by deer and they eat everything. Well, almost everything. There are some mint plants out there already and a fig tree. The deer leave the mint but they will absolutely eat the figs. There's also a sage bush right by my side door and I really need to go out there and harvest some of that. Smells lovely.

Isn't Marvelous Mrs Maisel great? Tonight is the last night of my free prime including prime video. I may watch an episode.

Good idea on the book. Books really are great gifts.

>33 mstrust: Pumpkin spice waffles?? I won't be able to sleep now, and I'll have to make those in the morning.

>34 SomeGuyInVirginia: She threw back just a tablespoon of champagne. You tried it with a pitcher of margaritas. Btw, how's you get the lime wedges down too?
Oh hooray, you have the beginnings of a nice garden! Never in my life have I had to deal with deer but I watch gardening shows that are filmed back east and they always talk about what will keep deer out. Look for Growing A Greener World on Youtube. But is the mint in the ground or a container? Sage is my favorite herb, I love roasted sage chicken.

I do like Mrs. Maisel a lot! I just watched the episode where she gives the inappropriate speech at her friend's wedding.
Latest bitching: Mike just spent over $100 on a tank of gas. At Costco. $100!!!

>35 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, they are incredible! Did you make some?
I've always used the waffle recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, then add about 1/4 c of pumpkin puree and a tsp of pumpkin spice. Very flavorful. I got the idea from a diner we go to in Vegas that used to do pumpkin spice Challah French toast in Fall.

For your Friday night, here's a full performance from The Surphonics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vnD8E_nZZI

>35 laytonwoman3rd:, >36 mstrust: I did make them, but I'm sure yours were better. I just used the mix I like (Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk pancake & Waffle mix) and added pumpkin pie spice. I hadn't thought about actually adding pumpkin puree. Off to find the BH&G recipe now.

Here you go:

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

1 3/4 c flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks (I use the whole eggs)
1 3/4 c milk
1/2 c oil
1 heaping spoonful of pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin spice (or if you prefer, just cinnamon)

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside. Mix all the wet ingredients well until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined, making sure not to overmix.
Makes 3-4 waffles.

>36 mstrust: The secret is to work on your gag reflex. I practiced by poking things down my throat. Coincidentally, that's also how I paid for my junior year abroad. But enough about me.

I'm not a gardener. I only have plants because the people who owned this house and the gardens before me were gardeners. I hope that My neighbors will look at the overgrown flower beds and think that I'm going for an English country vibe, rather than my actual vibe which is I'll get out there and weed when an angel tells me that's the only way to save the world. And even then only if I have time, if I feel like it, and maybe.

Coincidentally, that's also how I paid for my junior year abroad. Oh, you.

Our backyard was very nice when we bought the house. Two very established trees, a bougainvillea climbing the North wall, a bed of pansies...but the rental house behind us took care of the trees and flowers by draining their pool against the fence over and over. Each successive renter drained their pool against the fence and killed the trees and flowers. The property manger finally filled the pool in and paved over it because of our complaints. Our first Boxer ate the bougainvillea down to a stub. I'm starting over from scratch.

We're attending a wedding tonight, a very casual one taking place at the couple's house. It's hot and Mike suspects the ceremony will take place in the backyard. The groom is almost 80 and this will be his first marriage.

Hi Jennifer! Just caught up on your wonderfully tropical thread!
Wow! Congratulations to the 80 year old first time groom!
I'm going out to cut the grass before 80f hits here tomorrow.

>41 mstrust: No! Oh. My. God! Is he marrying someone he met online?!

>42 Carmenere: >43 SomeGuyInVirginia: I must admit my thoughts were somewhat closer to Bill's than Lynda's, though perhaps the pernicious caretaker of my 93 yr. old dad pushed the idea toward the fore.

>41 mstrust: A first marriage at age 80!! Gotta love that. : )

>42 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda, glad you found me!
We were 100 yesterday but we'll be around 93 today. In a few days we'll be 105. Ugh.

>43 SomeGuyInVirginia: >44 quondame: Nothing to worry about, the couple has been together about 20 years, had been living together about six years, and she was already going to get the ranch. They laughed about the fact that he'd been proposing for 15 years, has given her three engagement rings and they have planned multiple weddings. I don't know what the story is there, but maybe it's why they ended up getting married in their driveway and making the wedding as funny as possible.
We didn't know what to expect when told it would be at their home, which is very nice, but we thought maybe we'd be standing in the backyard. They hired a professional tent with HUGE fans. The driveway is very long and wide, it would hold about twenty cars. They had linen tablecloths and napkins, hand fans, customized merch, cameras for the guests plus two photographers, a canopy for the couple, and their dogs had been draped in flowers and were held by the wedding party. It was catered by a Mexican restaurant, plus there was a churro cart and margarita machine and every type of beer and soda, and a dj. It was casual, there were people in shorts and flip flops, which is pretty normal for AZ.

>43 SomeGuyInVirginia: But yeah, turns out they did meet on Match.com, ha! During the wedding someone joked, "Who knew he knew how to use a computer?"

>45 Berly: Seems like he put a lot of effort into getting to his big day! He's very nice and easy-going, still tall and has a full head of hair. And he ain't poor, so I guess he just needed to find the right one. They were both very happy.

When my parents were living in the retirement place, I went to the funeral of the sister of a friend of theirs. This was in one of those tiny, ancient coastal towns along Virginia's far Eastern shore. (They're charming, btw. Almost appallingly photogenic and New Englandy although they predate their Yankee counterparts by 100 years.)

Anywho, this 80-year-old fool buries his wife and a few months later meets the love of his life on ParaguayWives4You.org. You can tell it's legit by the dot org but I just totally made the website up; The real one was something like that though. So he marries her less than a year after he buried his wife of over 50 years, the new wife takes him for every goddamn penny, then moves back to Paraguay for, I'm guessing, the next loving husband.

>46 mstrust: >43 SomeGuyInVirginia: Awe, that wedding just melts my heart.

>47 SomeGuyInVirginia: I think stories like that are more common than we think. My cousin died leaving his wife of thirty years a million dollar insurance pay-out. A man my cousin had never liked came to his funeral, met the widow, and two weeks later they were openly dating. Two years later the money was all gone.
There are people who can't be alone, even for a little while, and that desperation leads to bad decisions. But the blame lies more with the creeps who prey on them.

>48 Carmenere: I'm glad we were invited. As Mike walked past the groom he said, "An outdoor wedding in Summer. Huh." Which is how they talk to each other.

We're having lunch with my brother at a French bistro today. I've got a book and a bottle of local wine for him. I'm looking forward to it.
Yesterday we shopped for wine, more planters, and went to the health food store to stock up on pills. We had Portillo's for lunch and Mike installed a big fly zapper in the back yard.
I have a few things sprouting: red onions, blush tiger tomato and black strawberry tomato. I sowed second planters of each yesterday. Nearly all my African marigolds have withered and dried up.
Over the last few days we've watched the new Ricky Gervais special on Netflix, and I watched "The Starling" and the 2019 Downton Abbey movie.

48. Don't Applaud. Either Laugh Or Don't by Andrew Hankinson. An in-depth look at the famous New York club The Comedy Cellar, specifically during the period of the Louis CK scandal. The book works backwards, observing the story as it broke in the news and how it affected other comics, some of the women involved, and the comedy club owner who had a close relationship with the comic.
The book looks at comics and the connections that are formed among themselves, and what it's like to manage a club that employs comics, a group of people who say unexpected things, and sometimes offend the customers and their employers. Which leads to a discussion of the change in audiences as people have become more confrontational, and the difficulty of being a comic in the time of cancel culture.
The author interviews a lot of well-known stand-ups and the owner and employees of The Comedy Cellar. An interesting inside perspective of the industry. 3.5 stars

I won this as an ARC over a year ago. Bad girl.

Have a Happy Memorial Day.

>27 drneutron: okay, new rule. I tried the real McCoy 12-year-old rum and while it was smoooooth it did give me rumbly tummy. I don't know, seems that I liked rum when I was in college? Going forward rum is going to be a mixer drink for me.

>51 SomeGuyInVirginia: Ack! Well, at least you can still use 'em for mixers.

>51 SomeGuyInVirginia: Awww, sorry it didn't agree with you. But now you have a very nice rum for your tiki drinks? Or to glaze a cake?
>52 drneutron: More for you!

I had a really good cocktail yesterday called The Lime in the Coconut. It didn't have coconut cream or milk as you'd expect, it was a light green, clear liquid containing coconut vodka, velvet falernum, Thai basil and lime. And a large basil leaf floating on top that had dried, toasted coconut chips on it. It was delicious.

>51 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh sad. A taste disorder made scotch and most good red wines a bitter experience for me though technically I can drink them.

Many years ago I was on medication that made cola taste so strange that I couldn't drink it. But then it made my mouth taste like a garbage can pretty much all the time. I chewed mint gum alot.

49. Every Living Thing by James Herriot. The fifth book in the series, Herriot is still running his Yorkshire veterinary practice along with Siegfried. Tristam has left to start his own practice and has been replaced by other young vets, eventually by Calum. Upon moving into the upstairs flat, this new vet quickly acquires his own menagerie of badgers, dogs, foxes, and even an owl, leading to more outbursts from Siegfried.
James and Helen need to find a more modern house but get outbid at every turn, and James befriends an old man and his cat who have set up their tent along the road.
Funny and gentle despite the graphic depictions of veterinary emergencies, I'd like to read the whole series. 4 stars

>41 mstrust: The groom is almost 80 and it's his first marriage?! Wow! Good for him :) Sounds like a fun wedding.

>56 mstrust: I think I read all Herriot book, long ago. I have put them on the list to read them again someday.
Thanks for reminding me.

Going on a book-warbling spree - just finished The Kaiju Preservation Society. Funniest book I’ve read in ages. You *have* to read it!

>57 figsfromthistle: It was, and the couple looked very happy!

>58 FAMeulstee: I've read the first, then Every Living Thing, which I thought was the second when I started but turned out to be the fifth. So I need to get to the three in between. More Herriot is a good thing.

>59 drneutron: I see it's a Scalzi, so that explains your enthusiasm! Thanks for warbling to me, I'll take that recommendation!

My other distractions right now: trying to keep my plants alive in our intense heat. Watched the first episode of "Stranger Things", the new season of "Somebody Feed Phil" and I'm near the end of season two of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
The upside of the heat, and there are very few, is that the white peaches are good. There's a window of about two days when the peaches on the counter are perfect because the dry air will quickly make the flesh dehydrate and the skin gets disturbingly baggy.

I love Phil so much from his brief series "I'll Have What Phil's Having", and only recently discovered "Somebody Feed Phil". It's like somebody heard me begging!

>59 drneutron: Wasn’t “Kaiju” great?! And Scalzi builds the whole world and it makes sense! I must seek out more Scalzi!

Karen O

P.s. are you a Star Trek fan? Paramount+ has a great show out right now— Star Trek: Strange New Worlds— and it is a winner.

>61 laytonwoman3rd: I remember that! His is the only show I know of that made the jump from PBS to Netflix.

Ugh, we paid $5.70 a gallon this morning.

>62 klobrien2: Yep, we're watching Strange New Worlds - all the Treks these days. And to add to the fun, there's a documentary in the works called the Tao of Star Trek. A film crew was with us yesterday in Parker's Mission Ops Center filming us get a signal back from the spacecraft after the latest solar encounter. So apparently, I'm going to be a glorified extra in it if they use the material.

Let us know if you'll be on tv! But I don't have Paramount+...

Today is my sister Julie's birthday, so coconut cake for everyone! She's just returned from Vegas, and surprisingly, the luckiest gambler I know didn't hit a jackpot for once. Yeah, I know not everyone likes coconut. Very divisive.



My birthday is next week. We usually go see Mom in Vegas but we've decided to go next month. She's driving my nephew back to California today. Maybe I'll be able to get two birthday cakes out of the delay.

Well I like coconut - and the cake looks delicious - enjoy it - I'm not jealous at all.
Although - in the fridge I still have a piece of cheesecake - I'm really not jealous.
All the best for next week!

The cake looks beautiful and yummy!

>67 SirThomas: I like coconut too, and I'd be happy to lick coconut frosting off all that plastic cake flotsam.
How nice to know you have a slice of cheesecake with your name on it! I finished off some homemade chocolate marshmallow ice cream a little while ago, as I watched the second new episode of Stranger Things.
You have a good week too!

>68 PaperbackPirate: I talked to her a few hours ago and heard that Mom and Wade had stopped at Pinkbox to bring home to Julie. So I guess she's having doughnuts instead of cake for her birthday. Guess I'll have to eat that coconut cake myself.

>60 mstrust: Love Stranger Things (haven't watched new ones yet) and Somebody Feed Phil. Phil makes me laugh so much!!!

I'm a fan of both too. Stranger Things always goes somewhere unexpected. You know it's a story of good vs. evil, but they throw in very strange things mixed with the 80's stuff that seems so funny now. But I'll just note that I'm a little startled every time Nancy comes on. The actress looks like she's about to drop dead.
Phil is so happy to get food! He dances and sings, then feeds his crew. Did you see the Barcelona episode? He chews on the huge bone, then passes it to his guest, then all round the crew, ha!

50. The Praying Mantis Bride by Dean Koontz. Nameless, a man who can't remember his past life, makes a good living moving around the country at the behest of Ace, a faceless person who provides Nameless with assignments, cash, hotel rooms and temporary names, all to deliver some justice to horrible strangers. Nameless is tasked with getting a confession from a sociopath black widow by any means.
This is a novella on Kindle, and the first Koontz I've ever read. Not blown away by the writing but it was entertaining enough. 3 stars

>64 drneutron: So cool, about your possible Star Trek brush with stardom!

Karen O

>71 mstrust: Yeah, I can't figure out how Phil eats so much stuff and stays so thin!! I love the way he picks on Richard, and my favorite part was always his calls to his Mom & Dad. I was so sorry to see them both pass, but I love his wife as well. Show just really makes me feel good.

Have you watched All Creatures Great and Small? It's been on PBS. We really like it also. It is another show that just leaves you feeling good. There is an older version I know but I've not seen it, this one has just been on the last few years.

I wondered about that too, ha, but it must be all the walking. And that he immediately hands his food around when he likes it.
Yes, I do enjoy ACGAS very much!

51. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Told in a series of short stories that add up to the invasion of Mars by the people of Earth.
Facing the threat of war on Earth, several expeditions arrive to determine if Mars is inhabitable, if the Martians will coexist with people from Earth. The Martians don't want to lose their civilization to the domineering humans who come by the thousands.
I can count on one hand the number of sci-fi novels I've read, it's just not my thing, but this is some of Bradbury's finest writing. 4 stars

>76 mstrust: How much Bradbury have you read? He’s one of my favorites and I’m more a fantasy than science fiction reader, but I love his work, maybe because somehow even his science fiction somehow seems fantasy or horror. May I assume that you have at least read The Halloween Tree? The Illustrated Man? Long After Midnight?

And again BB's - I love Bradbury.
I wish you lots of good books, yummy cakes, rum, friends, festivities, family and may your wishes come true!
Happy Birthday Jennifer.

>71 mstrust: I am rewatching the previous season before I launch in to the new episodes. Just love Stranger Things!

And Happy Birthday!! (Although I don't know the exact day, I think 6 plus a week is 13 and now it is the 16th, so it must be happening, right?!)

>77 CassieBash: How much Bradbury have you read?
For as much as he put out, not a lot. I have read The Halloween Tree, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Fahrenheit 451. I think that's it, besides this one. Oh, and I've watched quite a few episodes of his show. Maybe twenty-five. I'm working on his catalog as I do like his imagination.

>78 SirThomas: >79 Berly: It is indeed today, so thank you both very much! We've been to breakfast and to the little bakery to pick up my cake. I'll post a pick. It's still early enough that I haven't attacked it yet.

>79 Berly: Watching the previous season is a good idea. Jeez, these shows go two to three years between seasons and I've forgotten half the stuff by the time a new season starts.

I'm near the end of the third season of Mrs. Maisel, and I believe I'm going onto the third episode of Stranger Things.

*sorry, just can't get the cake to squeeze down to a good size.

Hi! Is it your birthday yet? Will there be cake and tiki drinks?

I'm glad you liked Martian Chronicles. Like you I don't dive into many SF but this one was a winner for me too.
I've started the new season of Stranger Things specifically because I'm a fan of Winona Rider.
I'm all caught up with Maisel. Love that girl!
And I'm into the final season of Peaky Blinders. It's lost something, me thinks but still spellbinding.

Happy Birthday!

Happy B-day! Many wishes for all the cake and beverage of your choice you could want!

I love Bradbury. When someone insists hard enough for me to pick a favorite author, he’s the one I settle on. (I answer those types of questions only under protest.)

>81 Carmenere: Yesterday was indeed my birthday, and it was a good day. Out for breakfast, a couple of cards and presents arrived on the day, more had come a day or two before, and my family called from other states. I spent the day shopping and we grilled steaks for dinner and had cake. I missed a call from a friend but we were able to catch-up this morning.
I've never seen Peaky Blinders but I know it's been on for many years. It does look like something I'd like.

>82 quondame: Thank you!

>83 CassieBash: Thank you! My cake is two layers of dark chocolate, fudge filling and white buttercream. The plaque on top is sugar.
I've liked everything I've read from him, so I'll continue with more. I totally get why he'd be your favorite, he had a great imagination.

Ok, resized my pic and here's my cake. The plaque says, "Happy birthday Sweetie!"

52. Gin Made Me Do It by Jassy Davis, illustrations by Ruby Taylor. A very cool guide to the history of gin and its variations, alone with many gin or genever based cocktails, several originals. The fun text and illustrations done in the style of 1920's liquor and travel posters make for a very entertaining book. Here's a cocktail invented in Detroit a hundred years ago.

The Last Word

1/4 oz gin
1/4 oz green chartreuse
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz fresh lime juice

Pour all into an ice filled shaker and shake well. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a cherry and lime twist.
4.5 stars

Hope you had a great birthday!!

I did, thanks!

So Coral has Valley Fever again. We've started her on the meds, which will go on for months. She hasn't been to the park in many months, so she got it just from being in the backyard when a spore-riddled wind blew over. This poor dog has bouts of health between her regularly scheduled illnesses.

>84 mstrust: Would soooo eat that!

>84 mstrust: What a beautiful cake topping/decoration!

>88 CassieBash: >89 figsfromthistle: Oh, that cake is gone. Mike had the last piece on Saturday night, but he was polite and asked if I wanted to split it, ha!
But it was very beautiful. Two layers of dark chocolate, fudge filling and vanilla buttercream. Mike went to the bakery and actually had a discussion about the frosting, which seems like a life goal that he made happen.

>80 mstrust: Happy Birthday!!!

Love Breadbury too. He had a wicked imagination!!! Read Dandelion Wine. Probably my favorite of his! Use to read The Halloween tree every October to my little brothers.

Thank you!
A big surprise came yesterday, a delayed gift from Mike's Aunt Kath and Uncle Lew back east. They got me a year's membership to the Phoenix Art Museum!
I need to pick up a copy of Dandelion Wine if only because my mom had it on her bedside table when I was a kid.

>92 mstrust: I loved it! It is nostalgic Bradbury with fantasy elements. kind of goes along with Something Wicked and Halloween Tree.

Sounds like a winner. I'll see how fast I can get it. Thanks for the rec!

53. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. We meet A.J. as he's still in deep mourning, his wife having been killed in a car accident. Hes on auto pilot, barely keeping his Alice Island bookshop afloat, and getting drunk alone in his apartment at night. The one thing he sees value in now is his copy of Edgar Allan Poe's Tamerlane, which is stolen one night when he drunkenly takes it from its case to admire it. In its place is a toddler.
The change this unexpected gift brings to A.J.'s life is extraordinary, causing him to rethink his expectation that he will remain solitary and run his business into the ground.
This sat on my shelf for a long time, and I think I put it in my summer stack because it takes place on an island. I was hooked very quickly and looked forward to picking it up. I mean, it takes place in a bookshop, with lots of book talk, but it's also funny and heart-breaking. Recommended. 4.5

It's Friday, so let me help with your shindig by offering up 30 minutes of Martin Denny and his Hawaii Goes A Go Go. Now it's a party!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X6il1gBbDE

Happy Belated Birthday!
I hope Coral deals with her Valley Fever like a champ.

>95 mstrust: Is that like a modern Silas Marner?

>97 PaperbackPirate: Thanks!
Poor Coral gets everything under the sun and this is her second bout of Valley Fever. She's responded by peeing all over the house. Just so I feel the pain too.

>98 quondame: I've never read Marner but I know the basic plot, so it could very well be an update. A miserable widower gains a new lease on life by taking in an orphan.

Sorry about Coral and Valley Fever. Hope you manage to enjoy the weekend.

Thanks, I hope you had a good weekend!
Coral peed on everything that can be peed on. We're convinced it's because of the fever medication, which she can't stop taking. Mike has been texting all weekend with the vet, and though he's never encountered this problem, Coral comes up with previously unseen symptoms with anything she gets. So creative.
It's also very hot, I think it hit 105 yesterday.
But we went to the art museum yesterday and stayed for a while, and shopped for gifts. We had a list of places to hit yesterday and got everything done.
The museum had an exhibit of paper dresses from the 60's. I didn't know this was a thing, but there were lots of design companies represented, including Seagram's liquor. They made a "party box" which included a dress with their logo and matching placemats, so the hostess could match her table.

See, that's the difference between cats and dogs - with dogs, it's a sign of distress. With cats, it's an art form.

>76 mstrust: Jennifer, I read The Martian Chronicles awhile ago. Your review prompts me to re-visit this one.
>95 mstrust: I finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry a few weeks ago. I loved it!
>101 mstrust: Your trip to the art museum sounds lovely!

>101 mstrust: At 19 after 3 or more weeks of living out of my suitcase I purchased a paper dress in Munich. I was wearing it in Rome when we decided to see if we could crash Sound and Light at the Forum (we couldn't). It tore up the side as one of the young men from our tour group was lifting me to see over the wall. It was a long, uncomfortable bus ride back to our hotel. The joys of youth.

>104 quondame: Susan, What an adventure!

>102 drneutron: Cats get away with everything because they don't care if you don't like it. Coral doesn't seem too interested in what she's doing, which is unusual. She just watches us clean up and shrugs.

>103 Whisper1: I was really glad that I took someone else's rec for Martians, and I'm gonna say that I'm positive it was one of the ladies from the My Favorite Murder podcast.
I felt the same away about Firky and I'll catch up on the author's other work.
Now that I once again have a membership, the museum will see us more!

>104 quondame: I bought clothes in Munich when I was 20, though not quite the show stopper you bought! I bought a vintage black silk crepe two piece skirt suit from the 50's, and a pair of painfully sharp toed black pumps that must have been from the mid-sixties. Very cool clothes that I sold on ebay years later.

>105 Whisper1: I believe she must have been the belle of the ball!

>106 mstrust: I don't think I have any remnants of that trip except (and I did a lot of shopping for a 19yr old on a budget) the (clean!) scraps of various toilet tissues I collected along the way. That collection was inspired by my brother-in-law's request an entire roll of TP from GB labeled "Property of Great Britain" on each sheet. That proved very difficult, as those rolls were mostly locked in place - or, at the Tower at least - each stall was checked between uses. What he got was about 3/4" of roll extracted from the outside with a large central gap.

Now that is the most unusual souvenir I've heard of. And you really made an effort to get it for him, that was very nice of you! My sister asked for travel stickers, the old kinds that were put on suitcases. I got her a handful and she did decorate a suitcase and loved it.
I brought my parents candy, a tea towel, and lots of little trinkets. I too was very broke and really sick of dragging a suitcase behind me while wearing a backpack.

>108 mstrust: I kind of went overboard bringing nice gifts back, lots of scarfs and leather from Florence. I had a dime when I landed back in the US. Good thing my sister met me at the airport.
For myself, I kept the single sheets of TP in among the journal pages from my trip that got stored away in one of the few boxes my mother did not manage to clean up for me while I was at college.

Ha, my sister met me at the airport too, LAX. That was a creepy entrance, about a hundred people lined up on both sides of the walkway staring at everyone who gets off the plane.

>110 mstrust: I landed in Boston, and still had another flight scheduled to LAX, not to mention the trip home 130 miles north in the desert. But my sister provided funds for that. Not that I remember anything after sighting her, long dark hair wet from the rain, dividing the crowd to get to me as I came down an escalator. She's a force of nature, always has been.

>95 mstrust: I loved Fikry too. It had all the elements a book lover enjoys.
I hope Coral is having a good day.

>111 quondame: I have a very good sister too. I wish we lived closer.

>112 Carmenere: She did an excellent job of producing a real book lover's book.
Thanks for Coral's good wishes. I've warned Mom that Coral will be peeing all over the house and she isn't fazed. Luckily it's almost all tile there.
Mike did a search last night and found an article from the University of Arizona Tucson that lists high water consumption and nighttime incontinence as side effects in dogs of this valley fever medication, so he'll let the vet know about it.

For anyone who enjoys my Autumn thread, with all the spooky books and baking and creepy short stories, you might want to check out my new Substack called Autumn Lives Here. Longer book reviews, recipes, true crime, events. Autumn all year round.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here?utm_source=%2Finbox&...

54. Fat Vampire 2: Tastes Like Chicken by Johnny B. Truant. The second in the Fat Vampire series sees Maurice, the small, Goth vampire who illegally turned morbidly obese Reginald into a vampire in order to save his life, as the new leader of the American Vampire Council. He is hated by the majority of the vampire population, but fortunately his second is Reginald, who is also hated but respected because his intellect has become super-charged. Reginald is able to put himself, Maurice and human Nikki one step ahead of plans to take them down.
Their vampire conflict is put aside when a creature who has been scheduled for execution turns out to be something more sinister and powerful than expected. Reginald and his friends travel to the ancient council in Luxembourg to learn more and make a plan that keeps all American vampires from being wiped out.
Still has the humor of the first though not as much action. 4 stars

>113 mstrust: Snork! I just checked out your Autumn thread. I lived more than 1/2 my life in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Hmmm, I'll check to see if this author is from the area or who knows what.

ETA: Well, I'll be darn. Grady Hendrix lives in Manhattan born in South Carolina. I'm guessing he must have closed his eyes and chose the county his finger hit.

That's quite a coincidence, though I have to say that there is virtually no "about town" in the book. It takes place almost entirely inside the store. Still, great book that you might get a kick out of.
Awww, sorry the author doesn't have a connection. I think you must be right about placement.
Thanks for visiting my Substack, hope you had fun!

We're back from four days in Vegas. I won some small jackpots, mom won a much bigger one, though still not a really big one. Mike won nothing. We went to Frankie's for cocktails and Dean Martin on the jukebox, then the revolving sushi restaurant. We also went to the international store, the library book sale and to Lee's for many bottles of wine to bring home. And Mike and I split a s'mores cinnamon roll.
Little bit o' Autumn: last week Mike went to our donut place and they had the apple spice donuts, something that usually doesn't happen until September, so he brought me one. When we got to Mom's house she gave me a battery operated statue of a jack o' lantern with a glass belly full of candy corn, and big cans of pumpkin puree. We went to the Halloween Emporium and Haunted Teashop, a fun little place. I'll be putting pics on my Substack.

And I came home with lots of books.
From the Halloween store: The Big Blueberry Barf-Off
A stack from Julie that she'd left for me:
The Witch's Boy
Any Bitter Thing
All The Stars in the Heavens
The Book of Strange New Things

From the library sale:
Great Books
The Thursday Murder Club
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Paul Is Undead
Around the World in Eighty Wines
The Peanut Butter Murders
Lincoln in the Bardo

I've posted my new Substack, volume 2, and even noticed how to install the comment and subscribe buttons. I'm no genius.
This week is all spooky podcasts, apples and how to find romance. Hope to see you.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-894

Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time. Good book haul as well ;)

Thanks, it was a good trip. Even if we had to curb a few ideas because of the heat, we still had lots of things to do.

55. Rotten School: The Big Blueberry Barf-Off by R.L. Stine. I'd never heard of this series by Stine, and it turns out to be pretty fun, especially with the illustrations by Trip Park.
Nine year-old Bernie Bridges is a little sociopath in the making. He lives at the Rotten School, a boarding academy, where he manipulates other kids into bringing him breakfast in bed, competing for prizes he takes, and lying to teachers for him. When one one of the kids shows up with a five hundred dollar watch that plays movies and makes popcorn, Bernie contrives a way to get the watch for himself by suggesting a pie eating contest. Which leads to blueberry barf. 3.5 stars

Ooh, I loved The Thursday Murder Club and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Enjoy!

>117 mstrust: >121 rabbitprincess: Sounds like a great trip! I'm another fan of Eleanor Oliphant; I hope you like it too!

>121 rabbitprincess: I saw lots of reviews for both here on LT so I know they must be good!
>122 PaperbackPirate: We were very busy. So many casinos and restaurants to get to :-D. Thanks, I think Eleanor is a sure thing!

Welcome home! Sounds like you guys had a great time! Congrats to you and your mom for coming back with a little jingle in your pockets.
Nice book haul. You and I must be the last people on earth to read Eleanore O. Let me know what you think then I'll consider adding it to my TBR list.
How's Coral?

Thanks, Lynda! I know, many times I feel like I'm three or four years behind everyone here in discovering "new" books, which are old by the time I get to them, ha!
Coral is doing well considering. Mike has spoken to her vet about the different medications available, and this one, even with the incontinence, is the mildest as far as side effects. Since the others would likely result in vomiting and hair loss, I guess we're sticking with her peeing puddles every night. Sigh.

>101 mstrust: beautiful pictures
>114 mstrust: that sounds very worth reading
I'm glad you had a great time and have a wonderful weekend, Jennifer!

Hi, Thomas!
I liked the first in the Fat Vampire series better, but this was also a book of unexpected plot twists.
Have a good weekend!

56. The Case of the Terrified Typist by Eric Stanley Gardner. The terrified typist is a temp who has been sent by the agency Perry Mason's office usually uses, or so he thinks. The temp is the fastest, most accurate typist Mason and Della Street, his office manager, have ever seen, so they are curious when she leaves her desk and never comes back. Even more curious about her when the gem import office in the same building is burgled around the time she left. Pulling the thread of this woman's life leads Mason and Street into the world of international diamond smuggling.
Honestly, this wasn't that interesting to me, though the courtroom scene was more realistic than others I've read from the same time period, with the lawyers arguing over the most trite statements. It was my first Perry Mason so it could be that I picked a dud in the series. 2.5 stars

Vol. 3 of "Autumn Lives Here" is up. An apple maple cocktail recipe and a short story debut.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-be3

I thought it was time I added some pirates to my rum-themed thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7IFTF0pSD4

Oh God! I'm on my phone and started scrolling through post and saw that Coral was sick? Please say no.

I do wish that I could say no, but I have to say yep. Valley fever, which made her cough and pant, lethargy, just made it very clear she didn't feel well. The good news is that she responded very quickly to the meds. Bad news is, besides the piddling, she has another month or more on the meds. My hair stylist said her dog spent over a year on the medication.
Another side effect is her enormous appetite! The internet said to look out for loss of appetite, but Coral being Coral, she's the opposite. Like a vacuum.

57. Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik. Sisters Patty Jane and Harriet rely on each other throughout their lives. They have to, as they survive horrible parenting and short-lived happiness with men, eventually finding independence by opening a salon. On cold Minnesota days, three generations of women gather to work in the salon, while nights see the space turned into an informal school where locals can show off their expertise.
My sister passed this onto me, and I liked it too. It's deeper than the title would imply, seeing the sisters through decades. 4 stars

Here's the latest "Autumn Lives Here" post. Volume 4 is pumpkin beers, R.L. Stine and a visit to a new Las Vegas Halloween shop.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here

>130 mstrust: Loved the pirate video. Thanks for sharing!

Of course you like the pirate video, they're your people!

Anyone who wants to come join the Shakespeare Cat is welcome. I'm hosting this month's theme of "Lesser Works":
https://www.librarything.com/topic/342886

Pirates, and Valley Fever, a terrified typist (pass) and now a Shakespeare Cat!! This thread is never dull. : )

Ha, thanks! That's the best compliment.

How about some live entertainment? This is an hour of traditional dance and music from a shopping center in Hawaii.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6frkgltdi0

The new edition of Autumn Lives Here is up! Clown phobia, pumpkin carving and the story of music producer Joe Meek:
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>140 mstrust: I love it, I love it! I just, on a whim mind you, purchased a soprano ukulele! The hula dances are great in their own right but I'm focusing on the ukulele guy and watching his technique.

I thought it was a very talented group too!
Wow, what a great instrument to take up, and I'd be happy to hear of your progress. Do you have a teacher lined up or are you going to learn online?

The ukulele comes with 2 months of free online courses then after that....well, I'll see. If they were helpful I'll continue otherwise maybe I've learned enough to get by and continue on my own. The other option is the music store about a mile away offers in person lessons. So, we'll see :-)

>144 Carmenere: We have a local group here called Victor & Penny, he plays guitar (wonderfully!) and she plays the ukulele (awesomely), they travel a lot and play all over.
Check them out on youtube, they play a lot of original things plus old songs. Sometimes they have other friends join in called the Loose Change Orchestra.

The new Autumn Lives Here post is up. Jaws, pumpkin spice and a trip to Hell!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-ba2

58. True Grit by Charles Portis.
Fourteen year-old Mattie Ross is sent to collect her father's body, his personal property and his horse from Fort Smith, where her father was killed by Tom Chaney. Mattie arrives determined to see that Chaney is held accountable for this deed but discovers that the local lawmen have let the killer slip away and he's rumored to have joined up with notorious Lucky Ned Pepper's gang. Her determination never wavering, Mattie seeks out and hires Rooster Cogburn, the U.S. Marshal with the most "grit", which means a man who gets the job done any way he can. They are joined by a lawman from Texas, who is also after Chaney for a separate murder.
Mattie's calm intelligence, fearlessness, and ability to argue or haggle to the point that the men she's dealing with treat her as an equal, is a joy. She is the catalyst for everything that happens, as it's clear that Chaney would be allowed to escape justice if not for her grit. 5 stars

>147 mstrust: Yep, True Grit was one of my favorites, too. I gave it a 5-star also. Have you seen either or both of the movie versions?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Karen O

I haven't seen either version but now I will. I believe this was my first Western, ever, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.
Thank you, and you have a good weekend too! I know that I'm shopping for Autumn candles tonight, ha!

>149 mstrust: I really enjoyed True Grit. At least one of the movies softens up Mattie a bit, but they are both decent. Western's aren't at all a go to for me, but I grew up when that's what movies were - and TV too. I've read some and of course Shane and Lonesome Dove are real classics. I do love fantasy westerns though, they make such a good break from Medieval European centric quest stories.

Off the top of my head, the only Westerns I can recall watching all the way through are Tombstone and The Unforgiven, though I loved the show Deadwood.
I liked Mattie's no-nonsense manner. Especially at the end, when Frank James doesn't stand up when she enters the room and she tells him, "Keep your seat, trash!"

>146 mstrust: I love it.

>147 mstrust: You have me excited, I just ordered the book and am really looking forward to it.

Heve a wonderful weekend!

Thanks for looking in on my little Substack, Thomas!
I hope you like True Grit too! We're going to watch the John Wayne version tonight on Prime. Netflix offers neither version.
My Saturday will include laundry, maybe a little champagne while I re-work a short story, maybe finishing a cocktail book, making dinner and watching the movie tonight. Tomorrow will be shopping and lunch. I wish you a great weekend (full of delicious meals!).

We went to Bath & Body Works last night as they're Autumn stuff is in the store now, with the big candles at half off! And there was a Crumbl cookie shop a few doors down... but we had an Indian dinner before diving into cookies.

The Halloween stuff is out at the Hallmark in the mall near my place. Just saw it this morning.

Great, thanks for letting me know! I'll have to check my local.

>154 rabbitprincess: Oh, no...even for monster fans of the holiday, isn't that a BIT previous?

>154 rabbitprincess: I guess back to school and Canadian Thanksgiving aren't really lucrative Hallmark holidays!

>156 laytonwoman3rd: To that, I say, "Ha!" in your general direction! I've had quite a Halloweenie weekend.

>157 rabbitprincess: I'll be at my Hallmark in a day or two. In the meantime, I can tell you that Cracker Barrel and At Home have Halloween and Autumn stuff up.

I finished season 4 of Stranger Things. I thought this was suppose to be the series finale but apparently not.

59. Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails At Home by J.M. Hirsch. This is for the home bartender, using the techniques that the amateur would use and employing your more common liquors rather than the obscure, expensive stuff. The author even recommends substituting vodka for gin if that's what's on hand. The majority of the book consists of original recipes, and while not all of them sounded good to me (I have zero interest in a pea, wasabi and vodka cocktail), many of them sound great and I'll try some. This is a good choice if you feel like you've seen all the basics explained a hundred times. 5 stars

The Little Gin Gin That Could

2 thin coins fresh ginger
2 oz gin
1/4 c fresh raspberries
1/2 oz dry vermouth
ice

In a cocktail shaker, aggressively muddle the ginger. Add the gin, raspberries and vermouth and lightly muddle again. Shake with ice cubes. Double strain into a coupe.

>158 mstrust: I'm not surprised!

:-D And here's a bit of it...

60. Halloween Merrymaking by Diane C. Arkins. Covers how Americans celebrated Halloween from about 1910- 1935. Lots of clippings and black and white photos from magazines of this period. Somewhat interesting but more for someone interested in this time period in general. 2.5 stars

The new Autumn Lives Here is up! Halloween shopping and an encounter with a creature.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-588

>162 mstrust: Book bullet! Direct hit on my wishlist! Can you ever have too many books on Halloween, infectious diseases, or funeral practices??

I hope you like it, and it's definitely of interest if you collect Halloween history. Be aware that the photos are small and I found the text rather dry, but you'll likely find info that's new to you.

>162 mstrust: That looks interesting. My grandmother used to have the old time Papier Mache (probably bungled that spelling, and not sure that's what they were made of) Jack O' Lanterns and black cat heads she used to decorate with. I wish I had them today, they were so cool and retro.

I know exactly what you're talking about, and they are very cool. I've seen modern versions at places like World Market, if you have one nearby, but a few years ago I featured a website in my Autumn threads that specialized in vintage looking Halloween decorations. Sorry, I really can't remember the name, but you might Google something like "vintage Halloween decorations".

61. An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten. In this follow-up to An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good, 89 year-old Maud takes another trip, this time returning to South Africa, a place she loves, for a guided tour. She reminisces about her life and we learn how she's expressed her vindictiveness and sense of fair play throughout her life, whether getting even with childhood bullies who tormented her sister, to getting rid of a colleague who threatened her income, to ensuring that a casual friend wouldn't move in with her. The surprising ending may lead to further stories of Maud. 4 stars

I started the reading year with Maud. Maybe I should hold off on encountering her before next year.

Well she is dangerous. As I read this one I noticed that it wasn't like the first book, where the murders occurred rather quickly. These scenarios are more fleshed out.

>168 mstrust: Oh, that sounds really good. I love stories about elderly folk who are not kind and forgiving.

Then you'll love Maud.

Here's another recipe from Shake Strain Done that sounds really good. I've given it to my sister because she loves peach anything.

Southern Pleasure

3 oz bourbon
2 oz peach juice
1/2 oz vodka
1/4 oz simple syrup or agave
dash Angostura bitters
ice
Pour everything into a shaker, shake, and strain into an ice filled rocks glass.

>173 mstrust: Yes, please!

Sounds good, huh? I do have a couple of peaches just sitting there doing nothing...

The new Autumn Lives Here post is up. Cookies, death rituals and the story of The Candy Man.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com

62. The Tricky Art of Co-Existing by Sandi Toksvig. Directed towards an eight year-old in Toksvig's life but really meant for the young adult (or since Covid, maybe anyone who went feral), this is a book of how to behave amongst others. How to communicate in any medium without coming off as rude, how to live with roommates and still get along, how to behave in a museum, during a job interview and at work among co-workers. It may sound dry but Toksvig is a likable person herself, and a comedian, so the advice is peppered with examples of people who behaved badly and some who learned lessons the hard way.
3 stars

The new "Autumn Lives Here" post is up! A look at horror host Zacherley and part 2 of the true crime story of "The Candy Man".
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-39c

63. Pericles, Prince of Tyre by William Shakespeare. Pericles, called Prince and King interchangeably, goes to win the hand of a princess and finds that the king is unwilling to let his daughter go because they are in an incestuous relationship. He plays a game with each courting prince, asking them a riddle that ends in the young man's death. Pericles catches on pretty quickly and escapes across the waters, but the king sends a man to follow and kill Pericles to keep him from exposing the king's secret.
Pericles goes on to survive shipwrecks and lost love. His daughter experiences kidnapping and slavery. Yet, because this has a happy ending, it may be included as a comedy. 3.5 stars
Scholars generally agree that Shakespeare probably wrote exactly half of this play.

Volume 10 of Autumn Lives Here is up! Sweet Autumn viewing and your haunted stuff, along with a blatant demand.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

64. Floors by Patrick Carman. Ten year-old Leo mostly lives the life of an overworked adult. He and his widowed father live in the basement of the Whippet Hotel in Manhattan, an amazingly quirky nine floor structure built by eccentric Merganzer Whippet, who has been missing for several months now. Whippet was a fun boss who was obsessed with ducks, but since he's been gone the hotel has been run by Ms. Sparks, a horrible woman who screams and threatens the employees constantly. She especially hates Leo and his dad, who are the maintenance crew. They're working day and night fixing the plumbing and a/c, and minding the hotel's flock of ducks, because everything has been breaking lately. Leo and the new doorman, also a young boy, find that the hotel holds a deep mystery that has to be solved in order to save it.
A fun story reminiscent of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. 3.5

>147 mstrust: And again thank you - I love it!

I'm so glad!

The new Autumn Lives Here is up! A cringy 70's Halloween special, Alfred Hitchcock books and a chocolate cherry cocktail.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-d4f

Oh dear God, that Paul Lynde special sounds *awesome*!

>181 mstrust: That sounds like something I would read; I do love my youth fiction—and the quirkier, the better!

>185 drneutron: It's really something! Thanks for checking out ALH!

>186 CassieBash: It's a really well done and imaginative story, and I believe it became a series.

65. Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman. A memoir of the travels and temporary homes of Hodgman and his wife, and then as a family with three kids.
While I had expected laughs, the stories were more pleasant, easy reads with probably the most amusing section when he was giving a speech at an old Southern college and witnessed a strange dynamic among the people who invited him, or his reason for hating fudge. But sprinkled throughout were these weird apologies for his ethnicity and references to his privilege and guilt, and relaying with pride how he chewed out a wealthy woman who was nice to him because he didn't approve of her parenting, and really, because he believed she had too much. He spent a chapter near the end discussing social justice, and it seemed like this was the book he'd really wanted to write but because he made his name in humor, he had to sneak the messaging in. I know I didn't expect that from a book with this title. 3 stars

For anyone interested, I'm hosting September's ScaredyKit: https://www.librarything.com/topic/343544

The new Autumn Lives Here is up! Halloween gardening and lots of candy: https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I'm here! Free at last, free at last! Man, when you're camping in done spooky woods and everyone tells you to not go out in the dark to take a leak, TRUST THEM! I've been the prisoner of a gang of cannibal rednecks for months! I've just escaped. And, by God, if they're kidding about keeping in touch I'm going to be really hurt! Words matter!

I'm so glad to see you, Larry! I just assumed you were doing that 2-5 stretch and you would become my prison pen pal. Do tell, are you in one piece?

We had a huge storm last night, heavy rain and it's suppose to come back this afternoon and last the rest of the day.

The new Autumn Lives Here is up! Overlooked Halloween viewing, Night Vale and more candy, right this way-
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-81b

Yep, here's the latest Autumn Lives Here! Halloween coffees and a new short story. Come and get it!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-4ec

Girl! Your hometown has been in the news on the East Coast! Is your weather really that crazy out there?

It is! We've had six big storms in two weeks. I looked at the weather radar on my phone yesterday afternoon and saw that the predicted storm for 2pm had been changed to sunny skies. Around 4pm my power was knocked out for a few seconds, followed by a loud clap of thunder and it began pouring rain. I ran to my patio and saw that my rolling tiered cart was in pieces, a steel plant stand was knocked over and three plants were on the ground. Over a very short period I watched the water level in my backyard nearly reach the patio, which is around three inches higher.
Mike saw about ten big trees torn up on his drive home, and said one was laying across the road, making it unpassable.

Oh my goodness! How frightening to see the water inch closer to your door and see the destruction on your patio. Hope your plants are ok.
Have you ever seen a monsoon season like this one?

This year has seen probably the most consecutive storms, though they don't seem to be worse than other summers. Each monsoon does destruction, they all tear off roofs and trees. This last storm was surprising because it came on so suddenly and rained hard right from the start, like it was dry one minute and pouring the next.
I looked it up, and the worst monsoon Phoenix has ever had happened over two days in 1970 with tropical storm Norma.

Holy cow! You guys are going to have to sacrifice a virgin, but you might have to drive to Utah to find one. Northern Utah.

We don't get anything like those storms here, but we have had a lot of storms this year that have dumped tons of rain.

Someone must had done that sacrifice thing because we're at 105 today and will be at 109 in a few days. We were supposed to be done with those temps. I want to throw myself to the ground just thinking about it.

Bought yesterday:
Bag of Bones
Salem's Lot
Son of Rosemary
The Ghostway

Where did you find the books? I have a copy of Bag of Bones but haven't been able to start it. God bless Stephen King on his journey, but the man was a better writer when he was drinking.

I broke my extreme frugality clause to buy Trembley's latest book, The Pallbearers Club. And I absolutely flipping hate it. I don't like a epistolary novels to begin with, but this is an annotated epistolary novel and, as far as I'm concerned, it's unreadable. I really loved his Head Full of Ghosts, and The Cabin at the End of the World but I just can't even force myself with this one.

The rest of August is going to be scorching hot here in Central Virginia, cooling off a bit next week. I'm really looking forward to those low utility bill months of September, October, and November.

I got the book from the library sale room. 75 cents each, I believe.
There are lots of King holes in my library so I was glad to see these, and in such good condition.
I didn't know Trembley had a new one out, but I had the same reaction with Survivor Song. I loved A Head Full of Ghosts, but he seems to be an author who gets some success and begins adding politics into whatever he's doing. It's annoying and it automatically dates the story. I need to read Cabin. I tried once and pushed it away when it began getting to the home invasion bit.

We hit 105 yesterday and we're going up to 109 in a few days. Blow a raspberry, that's my opinion of it. But I bought Halloween decorations, candy and pumpkin beer today! And a bale of hay to plant in!

Autumn Lives Here is new! Maple books, pumpkin bars and a true lottery tragedy.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-2fd

>194 mstrust: I love it!
>196 mstrust: All the best for you and yours - there are almost no storms here, but it is much too dry - we urgently need rain.

I've been enjoying your Autumn Lives Here entries. Thanks for doing it!

>205 SirThomas: >206 drneutron: Thank you both for visiting ALH, I appreciate the feedback! It would be great if you'd leave a comment at the end of the posts, just because the more noise a post makes, the more readers it draws.
>205 SirThomas: We're having a big heatwave this week, 105-110F all week. I'm having to bring my plants inside. Hate it.

The new Autumn Lives Here is up! Helpful advice from ALH, a visit to Salem, upcoming book releases, and the life of Vampira.
ALH has gone to a $5 a month newsletter, at least for the Halloween season. Just want to be upfront about it ;-D
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/p/autumn-lives-here-e22

My annual Autumn thread starts here on Monday. Hope you'll join me in both locations, there will be candy and pumpkins and monsters and books.

Can't wait!

Come to my Halloween thread. I dare you.