Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2023 Books - Part 3

Alys checking her LT threads | Grand-dog Rizzo doing his "pearl earring" thing

Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, 61, retired. My husband Chris and I live in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia, with our 8-year-old terrier mix, Alys, who has a place of honor at the top of my threads. We keep ourselves busy with gardening and various home projects, which you can read more about in our (free!) Substack newsletter, Willow Greens Farm. Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and weaving. I/ occasionally post photos of my work here; if you’re so inclined you enjoy more “fun with fiber” on my thread in the Needlearts group.

2023 is my fifteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group, which I can hardly believe. I love this group! I'm more interested in the quality of my reading than the quantity, so this year I have abandoned the infamous ticker. I read mostly contemporary fiction, with the odd classic or memoir thrown in. I enjoy reading where my mood takes me, but this year I want to be a little more intentional in seeking out nonfiction and prize winners or nominees.

Books Featured on This Thread
(Go here to see all books read this year)
13. I Hear the Sirens in the Street
14. Foster
15. The Birds
16. Unravelling Canada
17. What Darkness Brings
18. Gone Missing
19. History of the Rain
20. How to Catch a Mole

Series Progress

Active series as of January 1 (updated quarterly):


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

Series completed/current in 2023:
* Inspector Gamache

Series started in 2023:
* Kurt Wallander (resumed after a long hiatus)

Series abandoned in 2023:
* Lymond Chronicles

Currently Reading



Act of Oblivion

On Deck



The Master Butcher’s Singing Club | Lab Girl

Happy Wednesday, the week is all downhill from here!

Yesterday was fairly productive. I managed a couple of 20-30 minute sessions decluttering the basement, focused mostly on emptying three boxes of tools and miscellaneous bits and pieces (sandpaper, screws, nails etc.) that we never dealt with when we moved in. And let's just say that *someone* packed them rather haphazardly, just chucking everything into the box. Yesterday I just created piles of similar things, and at some point we will have a discussion about how best to store them, to make it easy to find the right thing when you need it. But anyway, this task freed up some floor space and that was satisfying. I also got outside for a bit, and we did some garden cleanup like removing dead leaves and bits of plants to make room for this year's new growth.

Last night we finished watching Entrapped. The mystery was pretty good and it ended on an interesting note regarding the law enforcement team. I'll miss them ...

I'd also like to put in a plug for Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy series, which Katie has highly recommended. I'm enjoying book 2 even more than book 1, and am pretty invested in these characters now. Great stuff! Thanks Katie!

This morning I have a Guild-related Zoom meeting (Nominating Committee), and Barre in the late afternoon. Our local nursery opens for the season today so we're probably going to head over there to check things out. You may or may not remember that this nursery has a few female labrador retrievers hanging around the place, old ladies adopted from a local breeder after their breeding days came to an end. Last year the two oldest labs passed away but they recently posted a pic of two "new" dogs on their Instagram. So of course we must go say hello.

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Man, I was *this close* to a 2!!

I hope I am not to early...happy new thread!

>4 lauralkeet: Hi Anita, welcome! You posted as I was writing my final saved post so it's all good.

Hi Laura, and happy new thread!

From your last thread, our Library Advisory Board does not separately raise funds for the Libraries. The County works with the 3 branches in the county for each year’s fiscal budget. Our Friends is a 501 C3, and we raise money for the things the County doesn’t provide that our branch wants/needs. The combined Library and Friends budget for 2022-2023 is $67K - $60K for the Library, which they never spend all of, and $7K for the Friends, which we never spend all of. Glad you had a good time in DC.

…and I read a bit, because I didn't want to watch something for the 1000th time. God, yes. I don’t want to rewatch pretty much anything at all these days except perhaps Firefly in a month or two.

I’m from SoCal, grew up with Mexican immigrant kids as well as a host of other immigrants, both from outside the US and inside the US. It was my norm, although I did not see a single black person ‘til I was 13, encased as I was in Hawthorne, a white suburb near LAX. I love reading about my 'home town', however, and especially after your review, I think I’ll pass.

Just pre-ordered Osman’s newest – I’ll be surprised when it shows up mid-September!

I was unhappy with Southern States on my recent visit – they only had cherry-flavored wild bird seed and didn’t have the suet I’ve been buying there for 20 years. So, off to the ‘indie’ Farm and Garden, who had good 40-lb bags wild bird seed for the same price. They have the 50-lb bags of black oil sunflower seed I need, and I’m sure that they’ll have acceptable suet.

>2 lauralkeet: Ah, you abandoned the Lymond Chronicles with 4 of 6 read. I have all of them on my shelves, just waiting for the right time.

>4 lauralkeet: I have 6 of 8 of the Adrian McKinty books on my shelves, once again just waiting for the right time. Big sigh. And on Wordle, it took me all 6 today for moose

Good morning, Laura! Nice work on the basement project. And of course you have to go say hello to the new dogs! I love that the nursery has mascots :)

I wish I could remember from whom I first heard about the Duffy series, so I could give them credit. Mamie, maybe?

>1 lauralkeet: Good morning, Alys! Now that I know you check in on LT from time to time, I'll be sure to say hello now and again. Not to say that your human Laura isn't conveying my greetings and scritches appropriately...

... Good morning, Laura! It sounds like you're making great progress with your basement cleanup. Slow and steady is the way to go, not that I've ever taken my own advice on that. :-)

And glad but not surprised you are enjoying Sean Duffy. I'm still grateful to Mamie for putting him on my radar all those years ago. Good stuff!

Happy new thread, Laura. xx

Happy new one!

Oh, yeah...Sean Duffy! I read the first one, and enjoyed it. *sigh*

>7 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks as always for your thorough reply to previous posts 😃. I don't know if I mentioned that I, too, caved and pre-ordered the next Thursday Murder Club. Kindle edition, in my case. I'm sorry your local Southern States let you down. Cherry-flavored bird seed? That's just wrong.

Yes, I decided to abandon Lymond. It's been two years since I read the fourth book, I hadn't bought books 5 & 6 yet, and I just decided to admit defeat.

>8 katiekrug: We met the new dogs at the nursery and they were so sweet. It may have been the high point of my day.

>8 katiekrug:, >9 rosalita: So we have Mamie to thank for Sean Duffy! It's a cracking good series, that's for sure.

>10 PaulCranswick:, >11 drneutron: Thanks Paul and Jim!

>12 laytonwoman3rd: And what are you waiting for Linda?! LOL. I'm happy my library has several (most?) of the series, many in eBook editions which is fine. I see at least one is an audiobook so I may have to buy that one.

Hi Laura my dear, Happy New Thread, i love your thread topper and love how Alys is checking her thread, lol. Sending love and hugs dear friend.

Hi Laura, it's snowing to beat the band here. So typical for March.
I hope the temperatures abandon the -20's holidaying (-4 F). I'm so ready for garden clean up and spying the emerging perennials.

>2 lauralkeet: I like this Series Progress chart. Is that something you can do in LT or are you being a wizard with an excel spreadsheet?

Happy new thread, Laura!

Alys is such a sweetheart! And I love Rizzo's impression, too.

I just added the Sean Duffy series to my wishlist, Laura….thank you, I think. 😄

Happy Wednesday, Laura. Happy New Thread. Love the doggie toppers. Hooray for Detective Sean Duffy. I hope to get to the 3rd one in the coming months.

Happy new thread, Laura!

>14 johnsimpson: Hi John! Thanks for stopping by.

>15 SandyAMcPherson: Yikes, that's cold Sandy, at least relative to what I'm used to. My series progress chart is indeed a spreadsheet. I use zeros and ones to indicate unread and read books, and "conditional formatting" to shade the cell gray or purple based on its value. The number of books in series and the progress % are calculated. I have to make sure to sort on the "progress" column every so often, because this can get out of whack as I mark books read.

>16 scaifea: Thanks Amber! Glad you like the pupper pics.

>17 NanaCC: Ha ha ha my work is done here, Colleen.

>18 msf59: Another Duffy fan! Hi Mark!!

>19 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita!

>20 lauralkeet: My brain wore out trying to follow these hints on the spreadsheet... but thank you for explaining. I think I'll have another cup of coffee and try again later!

>21 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy, I get that. Maybe too much information eh? If you ever want to adapt the spreadsheet for yourself I can email you a copy.

Hey there everybody, welcome to Thursday.

Well, that was a close one. I wrote this entire post but was unable to save. As a precaution, I copied/pasted it elsewhere and refreshed my screen. And then I received the dreaded "Temporarily down" screen. Let's try this again ...

We enjoyed our jaunt over to the nursery yesterday. The two "new" labs are adorable and the other two just as friendly as ever. I think seeing them might have been the high point of my day. We didn't buy anything but had a nice chat with the owner (who is originally from Philly so we always commiserate about that fair city), and got the scoop on what he's currently growing that we are likely to see available to buy soon. When we got home we found the power had just gone out, so we decided to get lunch at a bagel shop and run an errand. Electricity was restored while we were on the way home, so that wasn't too bad.

After lunch I had to make a Guild nominating phone call, hoping to convince someone to accept a role. It took longer than I expected, but I got her to "thinking about it." Fingers crossed. I ended up skipping Barre because I remembered there would a substitute teacher and I wasn't up for that. Plus I felt like the day had kind of gotten away from me, and wanted to take care of some other stuff. Last night we watched an episode of Foyle's War, which was good as always. We've seen them all before but it's been years so we're gradually rewatching the series.

Today I'm going to head to the gym, and then do the grocery shopping, a day earlier than usual but it works out better schedule-wise this week. We're having a giant pile of compost delivered sometime today, so I hope to top up a couple of the raised beds. I have a few other minor tasks to do, but maybe I'll read instead. I'm nearing the end of my book so ...

Okay, guess that's it for this morning.

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Sounds like a full day ahead, Laura.

The only gardening happening around here is trying to find time to trim off the branches with black knot fungus off of our Mayday tree. Proper gardening season is still a couple months off up here.

Good morning and happy Friday!

As Micky noted (hi Micky!), yesterday was a full day, but it was a productive one. With the gardening season just getting underway, there's always something that could be done, however small. So I spent about an hour topping up some raised beds with fresh compost. I ventured down to the basement for a bit of organizing. I've freed up some shelf space, and before going any further I think we need to organize a trip to the dump. What fun, right?

Last night's TV was an episode of Peaky Blinders and some other videos and reruns. And ... I finished I Hear the Sirens in the Street, woo hoo.

I have a pretty low-key morning, and then this afternoon am heading to Frederick, MD (about an hour away) to meet up with three women I used to work with. We last got together in October 2021 and have kept loosely in touch so it will be nice to spend more concentrated time together. We have tickets to a bluegrass concert tonight, will stay over in a hotel, and then get brunch tomorrow. Should be fun.

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Happy Friday, Laura. Have you been seeing any early migrants coming through? I know you have been pretty busy. Every time I go out on a walk, we log in a FOY bird. Red-wings, song sparrows and grackles have arrived in force. We even got meadowlarks the last 2 days.

Have a great time at the bluegrass concert. I do like that music but have seldom see it live.

That sounds like a fun overnight!

Morning, Laura! Happy new one - love the topper photos! Your trip to the nursery sounds fun even if you didn't bring anything home with you. How lovely about the dogs they have adopted. Have fun meeting up with your friends.

>8 katiekrug: Yes, Katie, it was me!! I read the first one back in 2018, and just absolutely loved it. I'm so happy to see it getting more attention.

>9 rosalita: *grin*

>26 msf59: Hi Mark! Our first glimpse of the migrants occurred in just the past week. We saw a few mergansers in a pond up the road. There's a red-tailed hawk nest in a tree on our property, and a pair of hawks hanging around, but we aren't sure if they're going to lay eggs there. They definitely do not appreciate our presence.

>27 katiekrug: I think it will be, Katie!

>28 Crazymamie: Mamie, I'm glad you were singing the praises of Sean Duffy early on. I'm enjoying the series.

13. I Hear the Sirens in the Street ()

Sean Duffy is a detective with Northern Ireland’s Royal Ulster Constabulary. Set in the 1980s, the events in this series take place during the period known as The Troubles, which was fraught with violence between multiple factions. Duffy and his colleagues routinely respond to acts of terrorism as well as more “routine” serious crimes. In this installment, a torso is found in a suitcase (ewww), and the identification of the victim sets off a complex investigation with potential connection to another murder.

The book moves at a good pace which, like many series, accelerates in a dramatic way near the end. In both this book and its predecessor, these events take Duffy away from his home turf and I had to suspend disbelief somewhat. But I also enjoyed the way the recurring characters developed in this book and look forward to seeing them again in the next installment.

Hi, Laura! Your trip sounds so fun - have a great time!

Sounds like a fun short trip, Laura. I hope the concert is good and brunch is delicious!

We had a fun evening. I checked into the hotel at 3pm; my former colleagues weren't far behind me. I brought snacks, a bottle of bubbly, and some champagne glasses so we could have a little happy hour and catch up on each others' lives. We're in one of those hotels where every room has a small kitchen and sitting area so we had a space to hang out. Eventually we headed into Frederick to find dinner before the concert, and chose a small Cuban restaurant that was pretty good. The music was by the John Jorgensen Bluegrass Band, all very seasoned musicians (the leader is in his mid-60s, the banjo player well into his 70s). Here they are performing one of the songs they did last night: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6gb8n0riHCo&feature=shares

After the concert it was back to the hotel where more wine may have been consumed, and much gossip was exchanged. I got to bed much later than usual, but fortunately slept well. We are meeting up a bit later this morning to go out in search of breakfast/brunch and then do a bit of wandering in Frederick. I'm happy to have a bit of time on my own this morning to read, relax and recharge my batteries. I'll be home by dinnertime for a typical low-key Saturday night.

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>33 lauralkeet: - Your little get-away sounds so nice! I've got two in the works - one for TW's birthday later this month and one in April for my birthday. I love getting a change of scenery and escaping the routine for a day or two.

>33 lauralkeet: We’re only 30 minutes from downtown Frederick, so hang out there often. The Cuban place is on regular rotation. 😀

If you have time and want to try some spirits, McClintock Distillery is on the river right next to the public library (😀), and does some really good gins - tastings are usually on our agenda.

EXCELLENT that you and your friends can get together at last for such a fine time! You always sound upbeat, dear Laura, but I'll bet this outing does you a world of good anyway.
Safe driving back home!

Sounds like you are having a GOOD time, Laura.

Hey everyone, I'm back.

>34 katiekrug:, >35 drneutron:, >36 LizzieD:, >47 lauralkeet: Hi Katie, Jim, Peggy & Roni! Thanks for the greetings while I was out and about.

It was a nice getaway/get-together. Sunday brunch was great (Jim, we went to Showroom, have you been there)? And then we explored Frederick for a bit. The weather was a bit cold and blustery and Jim's distillery recommendation didn't fit into the schedule but the brief visit convinced me that Chris and I need to return for an extended exploration on a warm spring or summer day. I was home by around 3pm and had planned to cook dinner but was rather tired so we did Chinese takeout instead, and had a relaxing night in.

Yesterday morning before our day got rolling, I had some quiet reading time in my hotel room and finished Foster. It was excellent and I so admire Keegan's writing talents.

Today ... let's see. I have a couple of boring chores to catch up on and need to do some bill-paying. I might spend time in the basement, starting to gather and set aside stuff that needs to go to the dump. And/or I'll get outside and start planting vegetable seeds in trays that will sit on a heat mat, under lights for several weeks.



My current read is The Birds, by Norwegian author Tarjei Vesaas, in this very pretty Archipelago edition. Chris read it not too long ago, and thought I'd enjoy it. The blurb looks promising:

With spare simplicity, this story tells the tale of Mattis, a mentally disabled man cared for by his lonely older sister, Hege. Their routine, isolated existence is interrupted when a lumberjack arrives at their lakeside cottage and falls in love with Hege, leaving Mattis fearful that he will lose his sister. The careful translation from the Norwegian underscores Vesaas's rare sensitivity in recording Mattis's often insightful view of his world. With a limited understanding of the unpredictable power of nature, Mattis nonetheless turns to the elements to discover the answers--with unsettling results.

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Haven’t been to Showroom - looks great, though!

Hi Laura, your weekend adventure with old friends sounds like fun. It's always fun to catch up and the wine makes the conversation flow. ;-) You are smart getting a head start on gardening chores. It will have to warm up quite a bit before I get out there and play in the dirt. I do notice lots of birdsong when we walk Penny in the morning. Our daffodils are blooming so spring is definitely on the way.

I added the Sean Duffy series to my list when Katie raved about it awhile ago. I am almost at the end of the Ruth Galloway series and will need to replace it with something.

>39 drneutron: It was indeed, Jim!
>40 Donna828: Hi Donna! Our daffs haven't bloomed yet but they are on the way. I hope you enjoy Sean Duffy.

Good morning ... welcome to a new week.

Yesterday's tasks included moving more compost into raised beds, working towards getting them all to the right level for planting. And then I sorted through some stuff in the basement and wrote down a complete (I think) inventory of what we need to take to the dump. A related part of this task was reviewing old paint cans, which we held on to at first until we knew which colors were used in each room. Said information has now been transferred to a spreadsheet, so if we ever need to touch up an area we can buy a small can in the correct color.

Last night's dinner was One-Pot Braised Pork Ragu, served over pappardelle. It was really tasty and I froze half of it to use later, someday when we don't feel like cooking or are short on time.

This morning I'm working a library shift, and then in the afternoon I hope to start tomatoes and peppers in seed trays. Chicken stir-fry for dinner, and then tonight's TV will be University Challenge, and something else from the rotation, TBD.

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This was a tad frustrating, especially re-using a yellow in the same spot, but I got there in the end.

14. Foster ()

Foster opens with a young girl being taken by her father to stay with another family, the Kinsellas. Seen entirely through the child’s eyes, readers are given very few details. Why is this happening? Is this a visit, or something more permanent? Are these people relatives, friends, or complete strangers? The child has no answers, but seems to accept the arrangement. Details are dropped like a trail of breadcrumbs, and as the picture comes into focus, so does the emotional impact on both the child and the Kinsellas.

I could give examples to illustrate my point, but to say any more would spoil the reading experience. Keegan has a gift for telling a complete and nuanced story in very few words. While this novella could be read in an afternoon, it is worth taking at a slower pace to allow the sublime narrative to flow like a meandering stream.

Morning, Laura! I have a copy of Foster on my shelf and will get to it this year. (I find it very annoying that the first touchstone that comes up is for Infinite Jest... sigh). There is an adaptation of it that is going to be released over here soon, if it hasn't been already: 'The Quiet Girl.'

The pork ragu looks great, so I'm saving that recipe.

One of our local Italian-American restaurants makes a marvelous pork (sausage) ragu with pappardelle. I'm definitely saving that recipe to try one day.

Hi Laura. Thanks for the explanation over on Karen's Thread II, regarding the graph charting. I replied here.

>44 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I too was annoyed by that touchstone. And I'm on the lookout for that adaptation, hoping it will be released over here. AND I'm glad you are tempted by the recipe. Today is one big Laura-Katie *fist bump* LOL.

>45 laytonwoman3rd: Yum, Linda. This recipe uses pork shoulder, cut into 1/2" cubes before cooking. This tiny size surprised me, but this ragu cooks up more quickly and at higher heat than a typical braised meat dish so I guess smaller bits of meat are probably necessary because of that.

>46 SandyAMcPherson: You're welcome Sandy!

>42 lauralkeet: If it is possible, I would love to see this recipe copied to your thread Laura. I don't intend to sign up for access to the NYT website.

I did that once ages ago when there was a requirement but then they wanted a paid subscription and I already had so much trouble with unwanted e-mail, so decided not. I don't really read much news these days. An anxierty-management approach to reducing stress!

>48 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. I don't feel right reproducing copyrighted material in its entirety here. I was hoping I could use NYT's "gift" feature, which provides a way for subscribers to share a limited number of articles each month. Unfortunately it looks like that applies to news articles only. I know this is probably not of interest to you, but if anyone is looking for a good recipe source, NYT offers a subscription for Cooking only (separate from news), which can be billed monthly or annually.

>49 lauralkeet: Thanks for that insight, Laura.
I often forget about 'copyright' laws and that it is important to respect that. Which I do...

However, this is such a generic recipe that I wasn't surprised to find a number of websites offer the directions and post the ingredients. I found that I'd already a suitable resource in my book-marks, a "Plays Well with Butter" foodie website. I will not transgress your hospitality so have mentioned this with no urls.

Hi all,

The weather was really nice yesterday afternoon, and I took advantage of that to get out into the garden. I started a tray of tomato and pepper seeds and left them on the heat mat to germinate. Then I began tackling some spring cleanup, mostly removing dead foliage from last year so new growth can emerge. It's not the most exciting work, but it does improve the overall appearance even now, when nothing is green or blooming yet.

I am really enjoying The Birds. The translation is excellent, not at all choppy which can happen sometimes, so the characters are very realistic.

This morning we're going to the gym. Today is supposed to be a bit cooler than yesterday and more windy, which may affect my gardening motivation. If need be, I will make the "sacrifice" and spend my time reading and/or knitting instead LOL.

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On my previous thread I mentioned that Kate bought a quilt at a thrift shop that she was going to use to make a jacket. Someone asked for photos of the quilt, which I didn't have, but Kate sent me some early work-in-progress photos:



The first gives you a sense of the original quilt, and the second how the pieces will be sewn together into a jacket.

Kate's jacket looks great!

Did you watch UC last night? It was a bit of a snooze...

>53 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! And yeah, it was tough to stay engaged in that last night's match. It turned out to be pretty one-sided.

>49 lauralkeet: / >50 SandyAMcPherson: - I went down a bit of a rabbit-hole on this. Apparently, lists of ingredients aren't protected by copyright, but additional information (notes, instructions/method, etc) are. Part of the reason recipe bloggers include lots of extraneous information that most of us always complain about is because it helps make the recipe their own and strengthens the copyright protection.

(https://www.copyrightlaws.com/copyright-protection-recipes/)

>52 lauralkeet: - Oh, Laura - that's such a great quilt. That jacket will be wonderful. And I love the color. I had been collecting pins on Pinterest thinking I would make one but had decided against it. Now I'm thinking of looking for premade qult to use....

>55 katiekrug: That's interesting, Katie. Thanks for clarifying. I've recently taken part in discussions about using knitting patterns to make items that you then sell (i.e., at a craft fair). That, too, is a copyright minefield and there are apparently no clear standards for a) giving credit to the original designer or b) modifying the pattern to make it your own.

In general though, I come out on the side of creators deserving to be paid for their work. Yes, I can get annoyed by paywalls and the like, but I understand why they exist. I've tried to shift my mindset away from "why should I pay for this" towards "which creators do I want to support?" where creators can be anything from major brand-name publications to independent writers, craftspeople, etc.

>56 dudes22: Betty, I understand there are lots of patterns for making a quilted jacket, where you do the quilting yourself. The jacket pattern specifically called for using a pre-made quilt which is great for someone whose skills lean more towards sewing than quilting. That said, Kate decided to line her jacket with batting and fabric ...

>55 katiekrug: Katie, this so interesting. Thanks for reminding me that what's copyrighted in the USA will be different here in Canada. Now it's my turn to go down the rabbit hole.

This copyright difference, in International terms, is very evident. For example, from this statement of public domain material in the United States ~

due to different durations of copyright among countries, a work that's still protected by copyright in the U.S. because of the 70-year duration may be in the public domain for the last 20 of those 70 years in a country with a 50-year copyright duration. This is an issue to consider for any online projects or websites where uploaded content will be used in countries with different copyright durations than your own country.

I have some experience with copyright issues from when I was employed in a Canadian government research organization. There was frequently an issue in research circles about "prior knowledge", which is basically what constitutes public domain material.

When protocols are published in scientific journal articles, these procedures are in a publicly accessible format, so anyone may report their own work with another author's published methods.
It is acceptable to republish these 'recipes' as long as the material is attributed to the original publication. This can be tricky because frequently authors are not assiduous in looking up original sources and simply use the last-read journal article where there was mention of the source. Authors themselves (in scientific academia, anyway) have to assign copyright to the publishing jornal and they themselves lose "ownership" of the content of the article, including the right to republish data and figures pertaining to the original work (unless written permission from the journal publisher is obtained)!

You may be interested to know that Canada has much stricter laws pertaining to copyright, trademarks and patents. Big companies like Monsanto and Corteva Agriscience™ (a consortium based on DowElanco, DuPont and Pioneer), like to obtain copyrights here as a test of the ability to protect their investments. If I understand correctly, this approval strengthens their applications in other jurisdictions.

And I suspect I have now bored everyone to tears... but as I said, what goes on in one country does not affect others.

>57 lauralkeet: - Completely agree about creator content, paywalls, etc.

>58 SandyAMcPherson: - Looks like your rabbit hole was deeper than mine, LOL.

>57 lauralkeet: Laura, that's a real can of worms which was solved in our provincial quilt guilds to some extent. I know... I just posted a long comment about the differences in Canadian law versus USA regarding ownership of "methods".
However, it was established (legally) that when you buy or access freely-offered patterns online, you may not resell the pattern but you are allowed to resell your creation based on the pattern.

An example that may make this apparent as true for American crafters, because of the origin in my case for using a pattern:
I bought (online) textiles and a pattern from a Quilt shop in Alaska. The pattern (design) was highly distinctive and the originator had claimed copyright to the pattern. He had also provided the quilt shop with a signed letter granting permission to the buyer (me) to make whatever I wanted from using the design including selling it.

Perhaps this would help resolve your quandry. By purchasing the pattern, you have also bought the right to do as you wish with whatever you create from the pattern.

In my case, because it was a Tlingit design, I made a lap quilt entirely for my own use. It would have generated scorn had I tried to sell it, even though I specifically wrote back to ask this designer what was his expectation.
I still have his written reply: he "...assigned a license to sell the design to the quilt shop who pays him a royalty the same way a publisher pays a book author royalties when books are sold." I was assured that I owned anything I made and did not need to send any 'royalty' to him personally.

Maybe this will reassure you that you've also created something original, too. It's yours and it can be a gift or sold, in good conscience.

>58 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks Sandy. I spent my career at a global company and one of the most important bits of personal development was learning how much can vary from one country to the next, from public holidays to the minutiae of legal matters. One can't assume "the way we do it in the US" is how it's done everywhere.

>59 katiekrug: Hi Katie!

>60 SandyAMcPherson: By purchasing the pattern, you have also bought the right to do as you wish with whatever you create from the pattern.
While this was the case for your quilt design, that may be due to the designer putting this in writing. After our Guild discussion on this topic, I actually contacted the designer of a particular item I was planning to make, and they requested that if I did choose to sell the item, I include clear attribution of the pattern.

It's a murky area and if the online discourse is any indication there are a lot of people who have never thought about this, and a lot of designers who are frustrated by it. Each country's laws further complicate matters for both makers and designers.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So how is everyone else's day going?! 😊

Pretty average Tuesday here, Laura. Did you end up making the sacrifice and staying inside to read and craft? LOL

Hey, Laura. You stay out of trouble. I know you never Xeroxed a recipe for anyone. All those copiers are hard-wired to the deep state and copyright agents will be at your door, cuffs at the ready.

Happy new thread! But Ugh...all the details of licenses and property rights. They can be a pain, but I definitely think people should get credit where credit is due. So....we struggle on.

Happy reading! And crafting. ; )

>63 weird_O: 😳 Bill! You're scaring my friend. Play nice. There she was standing up for the knitter designs and all. Oh, yeah and the ragu. Let's not forget the braised pork ragu...

Happy Wednesday, Laura. Hooray for Foster. I want to get my mitts on her story collection. How is "The Birds"? You know I had to ask...

>62 MickyFine: Oh yes Micky, I made the ultimate sacrifice LOL. And I enjoyed it!

>64 Berly: Thanks Kim!

>66 msf59: I finished The Birds last night Mark! It was very good. Watch this space for a review.

>63 weird_O:, >65 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Bill and Sandy, looks like you were having a little fun with the copyright discussion last night. But now ... I hope we can move on!

Good morning, and a happy International Women's Day as well!

Yesterday was definitely too cold and blustery to get anything done outside, which meant knitting and reading and that was just fine with me. And then, as mentioned above, I also finished The Birds. All of this made for a pretty good day! In the evening we watched an episode of A Perfect Spy on Kanopy, which I wasn't too interested in at first but am now more invested in. I think we have one or two episodes left.

In other news, the US Postal Service just released a new stamp honoring Toni Morrison. It is a "Forever" stamp, which is always equal to the cost of a first-class letter.


What a striking image. I don't use stamps as much as I used to and I have plenty on hand, but I might still have to buy some of these.

Today's agenda: a Guild Board meeting at 10am, Barre at 4:30, and somewhere in between assisting with a minor home repair project. Our fridge has been making a noise which may be due to ice on a fan at the back of the freezer, so we are going to have a look at that.

In reading, I just started Unraveling Canada, in which the author "explores Canada's history, landscape, economy and social issues on a cross-country knitting-themed road trip." I love learning about fiber arts traditions and related cultural topics, so I'm looking forward to diving into this one.

Wordle 627 5/6

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MISER, ROUTE, RELAY, REPAY, REGAL
I made a stupid mistake and wasted my 4th turn. But I made up for it by solving today's NYT Crossword in record time (for me, on a Wednesday). Woo hoo!

Good morning, Laura! Thanks for the tip about the Morrison stamps. I'll have to pick some up, too.

I wanted to let you know that our nearby "arty" movie theater has 'The Quiet Girl' playing this weekend, so it's definitely found its way over here :)

>68 lauralkeet: Good morning, Laura! It's funny that we made nearly the identical mistake in Step 4 of Wordle today — mine went RELAX, REPAY, REGAL. I felt so stupid when I realized what I'd done but if a brilliant Wordler like you can make the same gaffe, I feel better. :-D

For those still drooling over the pork ragu, and unable to access the NYTimes recipe, I found one on this blog that sounds very good, and should be available to everyone. I'm going to give it a try soon.

ETA: >50 SandyAMcPherson: Ooopsie...I see that I'm not breaking new ground here! That's what I get for skimming. Sorry, Sandy, and Laura---wasn't trying to steal anyone's thunder.

>68 lauralkeet: I look forward to your thoughts on Unraveling Canada. Depending on your review it might make its way to my own TBR list. :)

>69 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I just mailed both of the Keegan books to Kate and texted her this morning about the film because if it's available in your area it's likely to also be in a Brooklyn or Manhattan cinema. I gave her explicit instructions to read the book before seeing the film. 😆 We are short on artsy cinemas here, or at least would have to drive some distance, so I'll most likely catch it when it's streamable.

>70 rosalita: I don't know about being a "brilliant Wordler," Julia, but your post is some consolation for my mess-up today.

>71 laytonwoman3rd: I'm glad you found one too, Linda!

>72 MickyFine: Ha ha no problem, Micky. After all, you sort of gave me this as "assigned reading."

Nice review of Foster, Laura. I bought a copy of the Kindle edition of it after Janet (@streamsong) mentioned it last week, and I'll probably read it soon. I also have her novel Antarctica on my Kindle.

My Facebook feed told me that the new Toni Morrison stamps came out yesterday. I don't need stamps, but I'll probably go to the post office tomorrow to purchase some.

>74 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! Nice to see you here, thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy Foster. Have you read Small Things Like These?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Thursday!

The weather is still chilly, and it was windy again yesterday so once again I stayed indoors, venturing out for my Guild meeting and Barre but not doing any outdoor work. We also successfully resolved the noisy fridge situation, at least for now. If the problem returns quickly, we'll call in a pro but it was nice not to have to do that this time.

Last night we watched a French film, Conversations with my Gardener, on Kanopy: "A successful artist, weary of Parisian life and on the verge of divorce, returns to the country to live in his childhood house. The gardener happens to be a former schoolfriend. A warm, fruitful conversation starts between the two men." I thought it was a lovely portrayal of friendship although the ending might have been a bit predictable.

We're heading to the gym this morning and my schedule is clear the rest of the day, although there are plenty of small tasks that could be done. So, we'll see how that goes.

Wordle 628 4/6

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SLATE, JUICE, PHONE, WHERE
I was starting to panic but actually there were few options for my fourth turn.

15. The Birds ()

Mattis lives in a remote cabin in Norway with his sister Hege. His developmental disabilities make it difficult for him to find work, and he spends most of his time in communion with nature. Hege supports them by knitting sweaters. While she cares deeply for Mattis and accepts the responsibility of looking after him, she can’t help resenting the impact on her lifestyle and personal freedom. Mattis picks up on some of this and fears Hege will leave him, but is unable to express this. Instead he obsesses on things he observes in the world around him, in the local village and in nature.

Eventually Mattis gets the idea that he could provide a service to his community by ferrying people across the lake. Despite there being no clear demand for this service Mattis is happy to spend the day rowing back and forth, and he takes pride in identifying as a ferryman. Hege is full of encouragement, welcoming this new-found time to herself. Mattis’ first customer is a lumberjack named Jorgen, whom he enthusiastically invites home for a meal. But Jorgen decides to stick around, and that was not in Mattis’ plan. Mattis is unable to make sense of this new order and, experiencing the story through his eyes, the reader must fill in the blanks. The direction of the story soon becomes apparent, and could have gone a few different ways. The ending was unexpected and left me pondering the lives of these characters beyond the final pages.

>75 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Small Things Like These was one of my favorite novels of 2022, so I'm looking forward to reading more by Claire Keegan.

I'm not sure why, but contemporary Irish literature strikes a chord in me, far more than contemporary American literature does.

>76 lauralkeet: Nice review of The Birds. Your review makes me want to locate my copy and read it ASAP!

>76 lauralkeet: Is that an Archipelago edition, Laura? The touchstone goes to a different edition, but your photo looks like one of theirs. And your review will send me directly to their website to find it, if it is. A dangerous adventure, that will be.

>77 kidzdoc: I've developed a fondness for Irish literature as well, Darryl. Do you have favorite books or authors?

>78 laytonwoman3rd: Yes it is an Archipelago edition, Linda! We had a subscription for a while and they look so pretty on the bookshelves, but we fell behind in actually reading them (see also: Virago Modern Classics), so we've taken a break. But they are very pretty and Archipelago does such a nice job curating literature in translation.

>78 laytonwoman3rd: I have a few of them, but I never was a subscriber. I forgot that's the only way to get their books. I must have picked them up at library sales, I suppose.

>80 laytonwoman3rd: Your first message sent me over to their website looking for information; this message made me click a bit deeper. It looks like you can order books there a la carte, not just through subscription. Here's the page for The Birds:
https://archipelagobooks.org/book/the-birds/

>81 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I had the cat on my lap, and couldn't do a proper browse before. But you know what you've done, don't you? If I order 12 books, it's on your head.

It was nice to revisit The Birds through your review. I also really enjoyed The Ice Palace by the same author if you'd like to try more.

>82 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, this made me laugh out loud! Be sure to see Jennifer's message (>83 japaul22:) 😃

>83 japaul22: That's good to know, Jennifer. Thanks!

>79 lauralkeet: I've developed a fondness for Irish literature as well, Darryl. Do you have favorite books or authors?

I searched my library for "Irish literature", and these are the authors and books I enjoyed the most (i.e., rated 4 stars or higher):

Kevin Barry: Night Boat to Tangier
Sebastian Barry: On Canaan's Side
Emma Donoghue: Room
Roddy Doyle: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha; The Deportees: And Other Stories
Anne Enright: The Green Road
J.G. Farrell: The Siege of Krishnapur; Troubles; The Singapore Grip
Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These
Bernard MacLaverty: Midwinter Break
Audrey Magee: The Colony
Colum McCann: Let the Great World Spin; Everything in This Country Must
Martin McDonagh: The Cripple of Inishmaan (I saw this play in London, which starred Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role.)
Maggie O'Farrell: I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
Donal Ryan: From a Low and Quiet Sea
Colm Tóibín: The Blackwater Lightship; Brooklyn; Homage to Barcelona; The Testament of Mary
William Trevor: Love and Summer
Niall Williams: History of the Rain

>68 lauralkeet: Ooh! I am almost out of my Forever stamps, so much needed and I can't wait to go get some Toni Morrison stamps!

>76 lauralkeet: The birds sounds good! Nice review.

>85 kidzdoc: That's a great list, Darryl. I've read several including Farrell's trilogy, and in some cases have read other books by the author (e.g., Maggie O'Farrell, Anne Enright, Colm Toibin, and William Trevor), but there's still a lot there to explore. Thanks!

>86 Berly: Happy to help Kim. I'll probably get some myself even though I have plenty of stamps at the moment!

Happy Friday y'all.

Yesterday was fairly productive: gym, vacuuming, a visit to the nursery-with-dogs to pick up a couple maple trees, and a bit of garden cleaning/spring preparation. It was a little cold but not windy, and that makes all the difference in terms of my desire to get outdoors and get some work done. Last night we watched the second-to-last episode of A Perfect Spy and then one of Peaky Blinders, season 2. I may have a wee crush on Cillian Murphy. While TV-watching I finished a portion of my latest sweater project. The front sections are nearly finished, so I might be able to take some work-in-progress photos soon.

Today's agenda includes grocery shopping in the morning, and then a visit to a Guild member's home in the afternoon for a bit of a meeting/chat combined with seeing her cashmere goats. How could I resist that? Takeout pizza for dinner tonight, because the pizza shop recently alerted me via email to a "free pizza" birthday reward that expires today.

Wordle 629 4/6

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RAISE, RENEW, REBEL, REVEL

Happy Friday, Laura. Hooray for the Toni Morrison stamp. Good review of "The Birds". How is "A Perfect Spy". I was curious about that one.

Good morning, Laura! Nice Wordle - took me all 6 *eye roll*.

Cashmere goats!

And free pizza tastes even better than paid-for pizza...

Have a great Friday!

>89 msf59: Hi Mark! It took me a while to get into A Perfect Spy. In the first couple of episodes the main character is a child and adolescent. I intensely disliked his father and the way he raised his son. But once I realized I wasn't *supposed* to like him I was fine. The show was made in 1987 and I often find older shows to be slower-paced. So all in all I guess I have come to appreciate it, but I'm not sure I'd seek it out.

>90 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

Yesterday was a good day. It was fun to see my friend's goats (she has about 7 I think) and she showed us how to comb their fleece to get the fiber, which is a similar process to brushing a cat or dog in that the fiber comes off easily in the comb. It was a little rainy though so we did that for a little while and then went inside for hot beverages. Our free pizza was also delicious, made even more so because it was free. Almost. The coupon was for a free cheese pizza so I had to pay for toppings which was like $3 or something. Evening TV-watching was video from the Crufts dog show in the UK, which began on Thursday. We watched the Gundog group judging, which included retrievers, pointers, spaniels etc. I prefer this show to, say, Westminster Kennel Club, because they show the entire group judging process where you see every dog in the group. The TV coverage for Westminster is more of an abridged version of each group. I do not approve. Anyway, there's loads of Crufts content on YouTube including agility and other competitions, so we'll probably sample more over the next few days.

I'm going to Barre soon and then I'll come home for more coffee and the weekly bill-paying. We're visiting another source for trees and shrubs this afternoon, which is only open by appointment. Not sure what to expect but we are intrigued.

I'm close to finishing Unraveling Canada, and I have *thoughts* about it but will reserve comment until I'm done.

Wordle 630 4/6

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TIRED, SLICE, HELIX, EMAIL
Really? I guess that's a word? I mean, I know it's a word but I just didn't expect to find it here.

>92 lauralkeet: agreed on wordle! I guessed the right answer on guess 3, but I thought to myself "I don't think that will be a counted word but it will give me good info" - and then it was the answer.

>92 lauralkeet: - I couldn't think of another word with the letters I had, so I go it in 3, but agree about it being a word. Hubby is still struggling.

>93 japaul22:, >94 dudes22: I'm glad to see I'm in good company on this issue, Jennifer & Betty. As Chris was solving it he asked me, "is this a word that I'm going to say is not a word?" I said yes, and he was done. In 4 like me, so that was okay. 😀

"The TV coverage for Westminster is more of an abridged version of each group. I do not approve." Me neither. More dogs is always better. At least on TV.

Oooh, *thoughts* about a book are always fun to read. Look forward to yours....

>95 lauralkeet: - Pete finally got it in 4 also.

>95 lauralkeet: My copy-editor daughter says, citing both her style book and Merriam Webster, that it is indeed a word. Still, it took her 6 tries to get it, while Mom got it in 3.

>96 laytonwoman3rd: Yes! Also, the on-air presenters for Crufts tend to take their roles more seriously, giving you factual information about each dog and the breed. US coverage too often includes some well-known figure asking dumb questions or doing silly features.

>97 katiekrug: There will be thoughts!

>98 dudes22: Not bad considering ...

>99 laytonwoman3rd: Well, okay. I trust Laura on this one. Pretty funny that you got the better score though!

Good morning ...

A fairly uneventful day yesterday. Our appointment at the tree & shrub place was a bit of a bust. Both variety and quality were nothing to write home about. I think the "by appointment only" aspect led us to expect something a bit more curated, or better quality. Oh well. At least now we know.

In the evening we finished watching A Perfect Spy, which I'm kind of glad to be done with to be honest. I made some progress on the family Christmas stocking project I've been working on, and started reading the eighth Sebastian St Cyr mystery, What Darkness Brings.

Not much on my agenda today, although this afternoon we have tickets to a chamber music concert featuring cellist Zlatomir Fung which I'm looking forward to. The program includes two works by Beethoven, and also pieces by composers I am not familiar with, like Francois George-Hainl (1807-1873). Not sure what else I'll get up to today, but first: puzzles.

Wordle 631 5/6

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FERAL, PORCH, MIRTH, GIRTH, BIRTH
Too many choices on turns 3-5. Sigh.

>101 lauralkeet: Once I started the Sebastian St Cyr series I whizzed through it but I stoppped at Who Buries the Dead, number ten, as I felt they were getting a bit formulaic and I should have a rest. But that was over a year ago so I think I might be ready to re-start.

>102 CDVicarage: Hi Kerry! There is definitely a formula to the St Cyr mysteries. So far I've been successful putting space between them, and I also enjoy the development of Sebastian and his "supporting cast" from one book to the next. I hope you enjoy your re-start.

16. Unravelling Canada ()

Sylvia Olsen has worked in her family’s wool business and as a knitting historian, and has several designs to her credit. In Unravelling Canada, Olsen set out to explore knitting across Canada and answer questions of Canadian identity. She began in British Columbia, where she lives. Sylvia and her partner Tex drove cross-country, stopping in every province to meet knitters and hold workshops on Canadian knitting traditions.

This sounded really promising, but ended up being too lightweight for my interests. I’m an avid knitter and have learned about the history of the craft, as well as traditional designs from Great Britain and Europe. I was eager to broaden my knowledge, but Olsen offered only the most basic explanation of Canada’s Cowichan and White Buffalo sweaters, with no supporting photos or drawings. As a US citizen, I found her discussion of Canadian identity somewhat helpful. It increased my awareness of ways in which Canadians are reckoning with their country’s past and hoping to forge a better, more inclusive future. But again, Olsen did not go deep into this topic, relying instead on repeated mentions of indigenous culture that didn’t really go anywhere. And finally, by the time Sylvia and Tex reached the eastern part of the country it felt like her attention span was wearing out. After listing several yarn shops in Nova Scotia she admitted she hadn’t actually visited most of them and hoped to do so in the future! Compared to her coverage of British Columbia and Alberta, it felt rushed.

I’ve read elsewhere that Olsen’s tour across Canada was at least in part intended to promote a recently-published book, which might explain the lack of research to apply towards her thesis for this book. That’s too bad.

>104 lauralkeet: sigh, we are used to being left out in the east coast of Canada. Sorry you were disppointed with the book. Let me know if you need any PEI/NS info! There was a big Fiber Festival last year on PEI. Well, there was supposed to be but I think most of it got cancelled due to Post-tropical storm Fiona.

>105 raidergirl3: So this happens a lot, eh Elizabeth? That's too bad. I felt like the coverage of traditional knitting designs and techniques was weak overall. At the beginning, she dove right in with mention of Cowichan and White Buffalo sweaters (although with very little explanation of what these designs actually looked like, which was odd for someone who calls herself a knitting historian*). Later she discussed Mary Maxim sweaters, which as far as I could tell is a popular craft supply merchant that had many iconic pattern designs back in the day, but again I had to uncover a lot of this on my own. And by the time she was in the Maritimes the discussion of knitting traditions had petered out, unless someone brought a Cowichan to one of her workshops. It left me wondering whether the Cowichan was primariy a western tradition, whether the Maritimes had their own traditional designs or garments.

* I'm not sure Sylvia Olsen is as much of a knitting historian as she claimed in this book. The bio on her website says, "An author, story-teller, knitting designer, housing specialist and teacher, Sylvia Olsen is an eclectic mix of her creative and academic pursuits" and Wikipedia refers to her as a "writer and public speaker." There are probably others out there with more depth of knowledge.

Good morning, welcome to this wet gray Monday.

Yesterday's concert was excellent. The rest of the day was spent puttering around on this and that, making incremental progress on a couple of craft projects, that sort of thing. In the evening Chris watched reruns of Jeeves and Wooster, which are fun but I was more in the mood for reading so that's what I did.

This morning I'm working a library shift. The afternoon is unplanned and the weather is supposed to be crappy, so hopefully there will be more crafting. Speaking of crafting, here's Kate's finished quilt jacket:


I feel like I should have more to report, but I'm drawing a blank. Time for more coffee!

Wordle 632 4/6

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ARISE, PLATE, GLAZE, BLAME

>107 lauralkeet: - Wow! That came out great! She did such a good job of where she placed the pattern.

Kate's jacket came out great!

Glad the concert was good.

Made any good recipes lately?

>108 dudes22:, >109 katiekrug: Thanks Betty and Katie. Kate is really pleased with it too.

>109 katiekrug: Katie, I'm afraid I haven't tried anything new lately. Last night's post-concert dinner was Cincinnati Chili which required warming up the contents of a can:



and serving over spaghetti topped with plenty of finely grated cheddar:

Chili mac!

One of my go-to comfort foods is Chunky Soup (preferably Sirloin Burger) over rice. My mom used to make it for dinner, and I now realize it was probably because it was cheap and she could stretch one can of soup to feed 4 people...

Well yes but this not Tex-Mex chili but a Cincinnati specialty, with restaurants (chili parlors) all over town and heated debate over which one is the best. What we had last night is called a Three-Way (chili, spaghetti, and cheese).

>111 katiekrug: I used to serve Chunky Soup that way. However, there were only the two of us, and I believe we polished it off. Why we look this way now.

>112 lauralkeet: - I've had Cincinnati-style chili, but not in Cincinnati. In Northern Virginia, of all places :)

https://www.hardtimes.com/alexandria-menus/#hard-times-traditional-chili-alexand...

>113 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, it was when my sister and I were little, so we wouldn't have required much. And my mother wasn't a big eater, so it worked. Definitely wouldn't serve 4 adults!

>113 laytonwoman3rd: LOL!
>114 katiekrug: That rings a bell. I think we've had this conversation before ...
ETA: We *almost* went to that restaurant the last time we picked Kate up from the train, but I didn't connect the dots with our previous conversation, and I didn't notice Cincinnati Chili on the menu, so we chose an Irish pub instead. Next time maybe!

At the risk of re-opening a can of worms, the NYTimes has a very authentic recipe. 😂

>115 lauralkeet: - Oh, God, I'm becoming that person who says the same thing every time certain topics come up. I hate me!

I'll check out the NYT recipe, seeing as I have a subscription ;-)

>116 katiekrug: No that's not it at all! I'm the (old) person that keeps retelling the same story! Just ask my kids ...

>107 lauralkeet: What a fabulous jacket! Congratulations Kate! The pockets!!! And layering potential!

Coffee, the best good idea.

>118 quondame: Thank you Susan!

>117 lauralkeet: - Snerk.

Hey everyone ...

Yesterday's weather was better than expected--not particularly sunny, but at least not wet and freezing--so I set my crafting stuff aside for a bit to go outside and prune back some perennials in one of our beds. I cleared a lot of dead branches and leaves and could see a bit of new growth emerging. Bring on spring!

I did a bunch of knitting while watching TV last night, working on my sweater and starting a new project that will be a baby gift for our neighbors' second daughter, arriving in June. More on that later. We watched University Challenge (a great match between two of my favorite teams) and then ep 4 of Cunk on Earth. We laughed our butts off, which was a good thing because we then watched the film, Triangle of Sadness. Julia had recommended it to us and our kids are usually pretty good at knowing what we would like. It had its moments but overall was not our thing.

This morning we're hitting the gym early, because I have my knitting group at 10am. I also have a Zoom committee meeting this afternoon. Normally I wouldn't do these things back to back, but had to reschedule the committee meeting from last week and today worked out best for everyone. Sigh. Busy day ahead.

But Wordle started my day off right!

Wordle 633 3/6

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PRUDE, SCOUR, SURLY

A friend of ours suggested Triangle of Sadness to us, but it doesn't seem like something we'd enjoy...

Sorry about the busy day!

>122 katiekrug: I think you can safely give it a miss, Katie. Movies about insanely wealthy but banal, vapid people don't usually do much for us, and this one was no exception. There were some good moments while they were all on a luxury yacht, with some funny interplay between the crew and guests, but that wasn't enough to save it.

Hump day!

I survived my busy day yesterday and by evening was ready to just veg out. How on earth did I ever work full-time?! I ended up reading while Chris watched some of "his" TV, and that was just fine with me. Quite relaxing, actually. Just before bedtime we watched an episode of Cunk on Britain that popped up in our YouTube feed.

Today's agenda includes a dentist appointment at 11 (routine hygiene visit), and Barre at 4:30. The best news of the day was Chris saying I did NOT need to accompany him on a trip to pick up a machine at a rental center. I already knew I would add nothing to this errand. Sometimes I go along just for company (it's about a 45-min drive I think), and I would have done so if asked because I don't have anything truly pressing this morning, but I was thrilled to get a reprieve. I'd like to write up minutes from yesterday's committee meeting and make a list of the things I need to follow up on, because that's clogging up my head space. I could also make progress on one of my knitting projects. Or read. It's all good.

Wordle 634 4/6

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WEIRD, SWEAT, SWELL, SWEEP

One of those days for me in Wordle:

Wordle 634 6/6

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PIANO, SPEED, SHEEP, STEEP, SLEEP, SWEEP

Glad you got out of the drive today! I hope you have fun filling that time with better stuff. LOL

Hi Laura, I'm over to have a wonderful snoop over here. Love the dogs in the thread topper!
>43 lauralkeet: Great review of Foster!
And a big thanks to
>85 kidzdoc: for listing some of his fav. Irish authors. Me too. I am captivated by them. I did a run on Niall Willams books because I thought they were wonderful! I think I have one more to go! I think we could add Emma Donoghue to the list. Ooops she is already there.....I have just finished Haven and thought it was amazing. Happy reading to you!

>126 Berly: Thanks Kim!
>127 mdoris: Hi Mary, thanks for stopping by! I liked >85 kidzdoc: Darryl's list too. Maybe I'll start with Niall Williams -- it looks like my library has several of his books.

Good morning everyone!

Yesterday I received a clean bill of health from the dentist and as I hoped was able to spend time knitting, while also devoting a little time to an outdoor project. Chris rented a turf lifter to clear some areas of lawn that will eventually become areas of shrubs/perennials. I can't manage the heavy machine (fine with me), but I can help cart the turf to the compost pile. Thrilling, I know.

This morning we're going to the gym, and then he'll focus on the turf lifting. He plans to run the machine over the entire area by the end of the day so it can be returned tomorrow. We can take our time (within reason) getting the turf to the compost pile, although I'm sure I'll be doing some of that today. Other than that, it will be reading, knitting, and menu planning.

Oh! Also, a few minutes ago there were four wild turkeys on our lawn!

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SMILE, TIRED, DINER, CIDER

Wishing you much luck with the outdoor tasks today, Laura, and crossing my fingers you still get plenty of time for more fun activities. :)

The turkey sighting is super cool!

Add me to the appreciative LTers re Darryl's list of favorite Irish writers (>85 kidzdoc:). He's including quite a number that are unknown to me. I have been drawn to several iconic Irish writers, like Joyce, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Flann O'Brien.

>130 MickyFine: It was pretty cool, Micky. We frequently spot turkeys in a field up the road, rarely on our property.

>131 weird_O: Hi Bill. I love the way we all pick up recommendations from one another here, don't you? Revisiting the list yesterday prompted me to request Niall Williams' History of the Rain from my library, and I'll pick it up on my next shift (Monday).

Happy Friday!

The weather was pretty decent yesterday and I actually enjoyed being outdoors, even if the work itself was kinda onerous. I'm feeling it in my muscles this morning, so I guess it was a bit of a strength workout too. Last night we watched an episode of Cunk on Britain, and then Peaky Blinders. Quite a contrast ha ha. Meanwhile I worked out a little conundrum on one of my knitting projects, and finished the front panels of my cardigan.

In book news, I'm making good progress with What Darkness Brings, about 100 pages to go and the pace is picking up, as it always does when they're getting close to catching the perp. I have another mystery on deck, Gone Missing from the Kate Burkholder series, and will then read History of the Rain. Sometimes I like to choose a book spontaneously, and at other times I like having a few books queued up. Today is more the latter, as I can see a lot of good reading ahead.

This morning I need to get my act together with the grocery list and then do the shopping. Not sure what else is in store for today, to be honest. Takeout for dinner tonight, not sure if it will be pizza, Chinese, or ... well, I don't know what. Those are our two best options.

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Woo hoo!

I remember loving History of the Rain and hope it's a success for you! On my last plane trip I sat next to a woman who was reading Williams' Four Letters of Love and highly recommended it. So that one is on my list now. Have a great weekend!

I vote for Chinese for dinner :) I'd get it myself, but I need to make a pasta dish I planned to earlier this week or the produce will go bad.

I have History of the Rain, along with some other Williams, on my shelf but haven't read anything by him yet.

I have History of Rain on my recommended list from a fellow LTer. I'll be waiting to see what you think.

>134 vivians: Vivian, the fact that you enjoyed it bodes well for my reading experience. Yay!

>135 katiekrug: You're being very responsible about your produce, Katie. Although I admit I was ridiculously pleased with myself the other day when I needed shredded cheese, thought I'd have to run out and buy some, and then found a perfectly usable chunk in the fridge. A few moments with the box grater, et voila. Much better than the cheese turning green and fuzzy.

>136 dudes22: Okay, Betty! You won't have too long to wait ...

Good morning everyone,

I had such a nice relaxing day yesterday, once the grocery shopping was done. I puttered around on the internet and finished What Darkness Brings, which was just as enjoyable as previous books in the series. And yes, we had Chinese for dinner. After that we settled in for our evening TV-watching, which kicked off with the return of Gardener's World so that's our Friday nights sorted until November LOL. I also made some progress knitting a baby gift: two small animal rattles with little blankets. At bedtime I read Gone Missing, which started off strong.

This morning I'm going to Barre, and then ... well, I don't know. It's a little chilly now but supposed to be decent later on so maybe some garden work. We also need to run to Lowe's and Total Wine, so we might do that this afternoon.

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Whew. I was starting to sweat this one.

We ended up having Chinese, too, because I. Am. Weak.

Glad you had a relaxing Friday...

Thanks Katie, and hello to anyone else lurking out there!

Saturday was just as relaxing as Friday, which was most pleasing. Barre class was great; the instructor has been using an 80s playlist which everyone enjoys and it makes the class feel shorter (although still painful!). We did the Lowe's+Total Wine run in the late morning which left the afternoon free. I worked through a couple of design issues with my Christmas stocking project and then went out into the kinda-warm sun and did some garden cleanup. Last night's TV wasn't particularly memorable, but I also started knitting a new section of my cardigan and read a nice chunk of Gone Missing. All in all, very satisfying.

Today's weather is quite a bit colder than yesterday, so an indoor day is most likely. More knitting and reading, most likely. Dinner will be Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta (NYT recipe), which is like a deconstructed lasagna: the same ingredients but with pasta shells, and made in an oven-proof skillet so there's only one pan to clean. Winter comfort food, yum.

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PLATE, WIRED, DRESS, CREDO

17. What Darkness Brings ()

This is the eighth installment in the Sebastian St Cyr mystery series, set in Regency-era England. When a personal acquaintance is unjustly accused of murdering an unsavory jewel collector, Sebastian is called in to make things right. Readers know there was a witness to the murder, but it takes quite a while for Sebastian to realize this, track them down, and obtain information that cracks the case. Along the way the story takes a number of turns that keep the reader guessing as to the outcome, and there are some interesting developments in Sebastian’s relatively new marriage, and his relationship with his former mistress.

I enjoy the historic setting and events in these novels. The jewel at the center of this case was the Hope Diamond, which I didn’t realize until reading the author’s notes at the end. While the book was clearly a work of fiction, it was interesting to read the history of the original gemstone and how it may have found its way to London.

>140 lauralkeet: I'm making a Melissa Clark recipe tonight also! I don't remember what it's called, but it's a sheet pan dinner with red cabbage, potatoes, and sausages. I have been doing more of our family dinner cooking than I used to because my husband's work schedule has really picked up. I ended up ordering Melissa Clark's cookbook Dinner in One that is all "one-pan" meals - sheet pan, skillet, dutch oven, etc. I'm enjoying them so far.

I've never really done much cooking, so this is a big learning curve for me, and my husband is practically chef-level, which brings some pressure! But I suppose it's good to learn new skills in middle age . . . :-)

>142 japaul22: - I'm also fairly new to cooking but I've been enjoying it. You *can* teach an old dog new tricks ;-)

Morning, Laura! I made a baked ziti a couple of weeks ago that sounds similar to what you're doing tonight. As you say, great comfort food for a chilly day...

>143 katiekrug: I definitely follow your cooking adventures for ideas, Katie. But I also have four people's preferences and dislikes to manage, which can get tricky. Both of my kids are good about eating a wide variety of healthy foods, but they definitely have things they don't like.

>142 japaul22: Hi Jennifer! I love sheet pan recipes, they are one of the 21st century's best inventions. I made one with Salmon and Broccoli last night that was quite tasty (and is less intimidating than other ways of cooking fish). I looked up your recipe in the app and guess what, it's called "Sausages with Potatoes and Red Cabbage". Who's a thunk it?! LOL. That one looks pretty good too so I saved it in my "Recipe Box" to try sometime. What kind of sausage are you using?

>143 katiekrug: I agree with you Katie, cooking can be fun and if you have good recipes with clear, well-written instructions it's usually not too difficult. Yes, there are certain dishes that are more challenging and not everything turns out as planned but if you don't try, you'll never know. Also your ziti sounds most delicious.

Comfort food: I made myself a vat of mac 'n' cheese with hot sausage Friday evening. Still a little left. Mmmm. I mentioned to Katie that I found Judi's scone recipe—scratch, no mix. And behind it was a slightly different recipe from our older son, Jeremy—more flour and sugar, more butter, no egg, sour milk. I'll have to have a bake-off spread over a couple of mornings.

>145 lauralkeet: We have a local butcher who makes brats and italian sausage from scratch, so I will run over there to get those.

Hi Laura! History of the Rain sounds interesting. We have booked our flights to Dublin for August/September so I'm hoping to read almost anything Ireland-related between now and then.

I'm going to investigate Melissa Clark. Of course, I've seen her in the New York Times but that cookbook sounds work checking out. I'm trying to do more of the cooking although that won't really happen until December.

>85 kidzdoc: Oh wonderful!!! I've read several of those but there are some new ones for me to find!

>142 japaul22: - Looking at the library, she has a number of cookbooks that sound interesting. I'm going to check this one out. (I love cookbooks) My husband makes a dish of sausages (Italian sweet), onions, and potatoes that is a great comfort dish in the winter.

>149 dudes22: let me know if you try any of the recipes. I made the brown butter cornmeal yogurt cake today and it’s yummy!

>150 japaul22: - That sounds good.

I'm thrilled that people enjoyed my list of Irish literature! I'm sure there are far more contemporary authors who I'm unfamiliar with.

I love Melissa Clark's recipes! She is almost certainly the person whose recipes I make more than anyone else's, although her NYT Cooking colleague, Yewande Komolafe, is probably right behind her. If anyone has an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker I can highly recommend two of her other cookbooks, Comfort in an Instant, and Dinner in an Instant.

>143 katiekrug: Katie, I'm impressed with your increasing cooking prowess. Well done, you.

>152 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl!

Hi Laura. :-)

Looks like there's been a lot of good food-related conversation happening while I was away! I too am a fan of Melissa Clark. I hope everyone's dinners turned out to their satisfaction.

Welcome to Monday ...

Yesterday was great: lots of knitting and reading just as I'd hoped, plus a yummy dinner. What more could I ask for?

This morning I'm working a library shift. It's cold outside at the moment, but supposed to get into the 50s(F) so I hope to celebrate the first day of spring with some gardening this afternoon. I think I'll start some peas and lettuce, which can both be planted earlier than most veggies. I'm going to plant these in succession, sowing a few new plants each week or so. This should also space out their harvest dates, hopefully in a way that meets our food needs without becoming overwhelming.

Tonight's TV will include University Challenge, and then I'm not sure what next but we'll find something LOL. Or maybe I'll read; I have about 100 pages left in Gone Missing. It's fast-paced and I'm having trouble putting it down.

What's everybody else up to today?

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READY, MOUSE, CLONE, GLOVE

Morning!

Yesterday went according to plan, I was able to plant some peas and lettuce and take care of a few other tasks indoors and out. Our evening TV-watching included University Challenge (good match!), an episode of Jeeves and Wooster (a re-watch), and the first episode of CB Strike which we enjoyed and will continue with.

This morning I'm planning to hit the gym early because I have a Zoom meeting at 10am. Nothing too pressing on the agenda after that, I don't think.

Last night I finished Gone Missing (a good one, review coming up next), so today I'll start History of the Rain which I'm looking forward to.

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18. Gone Missing ()

Kate Burkholder is Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio, a rural area with a mix of Amish and English residents. Kate grew up Amish and can sometimes penetrate the community’s cultural walls to solve a crime. Although many resent her decision to leave the order, her familiarity with Amish customs and ability to speak Pennsylvania Dutch frequently opens doors closed to other members of law enforcement.

In Gone Missing, Kate is asked to assist with a case outside her jurisdiction. An Amish girl has disappeared, and there may be a connection with other cold cases, some going back a year or more. Kate pairs up with John Tomasetti, a state officer she has worked with before. They are also trying – and failing – to curb their attraction for one another. Their investigation is professional and thorough, but the situation also advances their relationship and strengthens the bonds between them.

These mysteries are always well plotted and fast-paced, and this was no exception. And then, just when I was expecting a tidy ending, there was a twist with an epilogue that suggests we may not have seen the last of these horrific crimes.

Hey y'all, welcome to Wednesday.

Yesterday's agenda was pretty light. After my morning obligations and lunch we decided to run over to Southern States to see what sort of plants they had in stock. We bought rosemary because our current plant is not in great shape and even if it bounces back we can always use more. They also had a surprisingly good selection of fruit trees so we brought a few apple trees home too. The best part: 10% senior discount on Tuesdays!

Last night we watched another episode of CB Strike; two episodes in and we are really enjoying it. I read the first three books in this series but it was long enough ago that I don't remember the details of each mystery, so it's working for me. Chris is totally new to it, but he's a Tom Burke fan so that's a plus. I like him as Cormoran Strike and Holly Grainger is exactly how I imagined Robin Ellacott.

Yesterday I also started reading History of the Rain and knew immediately that I was going to like this one. The writing is superb.

Today's agenda includes a bit of garden work, and I'd also like to do the weekly menu planning/grocery list making so I can shop tomorrow. We're having friends over Friday evening and I want to keep the day relatively clear to tidy up the house, make a dessert, etc.

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Hi Laura. Happy Wednesday to you! I haven't known about CB Strike but will investigate. We started watching Season 2 of Happy Valley last night. Both of us have a vague sense of familiarity with scenes but neither of us remembers seeing it. Anyway, it's intense but good. Season 3 is available now so we'll watch this one all the way through.

Weekly menu planning/grocery list. I look forward to taking more charge of that element of life post-retirement!

>159 EBT1002: Weekly menu planning/grocery list. I look forward to taking more charge of that element of life post-retirement!
Same! When are you planning to retire?
I love reading about Laura's retirement life, and it is helping me get my head reading for retirement. I have 2 more school years, which is kinda long, but also, very soon!

>158 lauralkeet: Yesterday I also started reading History of the Rain and knew immediately that I was going to like this one. The writing is superb.
That makes me very happy, Laura, as you are reading one of my favorites. I gave it the full Five Stars when I read it in 2019. I also liked This Is Happiness and The Fall of Light. I need to look for more by Williams.

Hi, Laura! I'm thrilled that you're reading History of the Rain. It is wonderful from first word to the last, and I need to read a lot more N. Williams.

Your chili + looks like something I'd do, but I'm not 100% sure I could tempt Mama with it.

Kate's quilt jacket is fabulous!

There. I'm all caught up. (HAHAHAHAHAHA)

>158 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, i loved History of the Rain too and went on to read his other books. I think I have one left to read, one of the earlier ones. i think he wrote the early ones along with his wife. Interesting!

>159 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I'm bummed that Happy Valley isn't available on the services we currently subscribe to. Maybe someday ...

>160 raidergirl3: Thanks Elizabeth, it makes me smile to know I'm helping you envision retired life. I predict you'll enjoy it, whenever it happens. P.S. Ellen is retiring in mid-December.

>161 Donna828: Donna! Nice to see you. Your praise for History of the Rain bodes well for me. Yay!

>162 LizzieD: And you too, Peggy!

>163 mdoris: And Mary! We have ourselves a little Niall Williams fan club going here.

"We have ourselves a little Niall Williams fan club going here." May I join? I'm reading This is Happiness, and loving it.

>165 laytonwoman3rd: Of course Linda! This is Happiness is one of three Williams books available at my library, so I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it.

Also, a shoutout to Darryl and Mary for enthusiastic recommendations (>85 kidzdoc:, >127 mdoris:) that started us all down this road.

Hello and welcome to Thursday.

Yesterday, after wrapping up some indoor tasks and starting some new seeds, I decided to tackle a job we've been putting off. We've noticed a lot of litter on the verge of the gravel road that runs along one edge of our property. The verge is a 5-10' strip of land with a lot of overgrown vegetation and apparently some people are jerks and think it's okay to toss trash -- especially beer cans -- out their car window as they drive by. I put on gloves and grabbed some trash bags and went after about a 1/4 mile stretch of road, along our property and an adjacent field. It was immediately obvious this task hadn't been done in years; once I stepped off the road I could see cans and bottles below the surface dirt. A brief summary: it appears Budweiser has been the beer of choice in these parts for some time. Some of the cans were tin (rusted) which hasn't been widely used in years. Also Pepsi Free, a name which Wikipedia says was phased on in 1987. OMG. That's how kept myself amused instead of pissed off at humanity.

With that bit of unpleasantry behind me, the rest of the day was just fine. We watched episode 3 of CB Strike which wrapped up the Cuckoo's Calling segment, and then a Jeeves & Wooster. I worked on my knitted baby gift while watching, and also fit in some reading time.

Today ... I'll be heading to the gym soon and doing the grocery shopping later this morning. The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny today (and rainy tomorrow), so I'll try to get some things done outdoors. Probably starting various flowers in seed trays/small pots. Tonight's dinner will be "Friday takeout," since we're having people around tomorrow.

One more thing: does anyone use the Justwatch website or app? I recently downloaded the app to help figure out where movies and TV shows are streaming. It also has a pretty good watchlist: not only can you keep a list of what you want to watch, but you can customize it with the streaming services you subscribe to, and be notified when something on your list becomes available (although I havent' been using it long enough to see how well this works). You can also track your series progress--think FictFact for TV. I'm finding it pretty useful so far.

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Woo hoo! I love 3s.

>167 lauralkeet: Good morning, Laura. What a good steward of the la d you are, to pick up all that trash! And how depressing to realize how long some people have been using that area as a garbage disposal. Surely you have accumulated good karma that will mean all your seedlings sprout on time and the pests stay away from your tomatoes.

I love the JustWatch app! The hardest part about this brave new streaming world for me is trying to find out where I can actually see stuff. Although I have been "cheating" on it with another app, Sofa, which basically is a wishlist app for TV, movies, books, music, games, etc. A recent update added streaming location info so I find it easier to just look in one place. It's a great app when I want to watch something and can't decide what, or when I get a recommendation for new music but can't open Apple Music and listen right away.

Thanks for the justwatch rec! I keep losing track of series and movies I'd like to watch and I'm tired of my paper lists. I'll give this a try.

>167 lauralkeet: / >168 rosalita: - Thanks for the JustWatch and Sofa app recommendations. I hadn't heard of either and I often lose track of things I want to watch.

Good on you, Laura, for the garbage clean-up. That's so depressing, though...

>168 rosalita:, >170 katiekrug: Yeah, it was depressing to see how much litter there was, and depressing to realize the previous owners of this house (and apparently also the ones before them) never dealt with it. But now it's done, and we should be able to take care of the odd beer/soda can here and there.

>168 rosalita: Sofa looks interesting Julia, but I think I'll stick with Justwatch. My primary need for tracking is related to TV (and, well, books and knitting, but those are covered by LT and Ravelry).

>169 vivians:, >170 katiekrug: I hope these tracking apps are useful for both of you. Besides the features I mentioned, I think it will also help us when we are in a rut, thinking "what do we want to watch now?" It's a pain to check watch lists on individual platforms.

Happy Friday!

Chris and I were both awake earlier than usual today. I am almost always the first one awake but lie in bed for a while so as not to wake him up. But this morning I turned over to check the time and he was conscious enough to ask me what time it was (5:30), and then we decided we'd just get up and get on with it. So we had coffee and breakfast and did our puzzles, all before 7. What is this world coming to?

Yesterday's weather was gorgeous. I did the grocery shopping in the morning and worked outside after lunch. I finished the spring garden cleanup, I think, unless I've forgotten something.

Also yesterday, thanks to Ellen's mention of Happy Valley upthread and Katie's mention of it on Mamie's thread, I realized we could watch the first season through Acorn. So we started it last night and will continue. After that I read for a bit while Chris watched some other stuff, and read a bit more at bedtime. I'm still enjoying History of the Rain, just haven't had as much concentrated reading time as I would like.

Today it's rainy and we're expecting light rain on and off all day. Our highest temperature (69F) occurred overnight, and it will drop to the mid-40s by evening. So, yuck. I'll be getting things ready for our visit with friends tonight. I need to do a bit of cleaning and decluttering, make dessert (an apple cake), and then prep the main course (vegetarian tamale pie -- like a bean chili, with cornbread topping). Our friends are bringing a salad. They've been away most of the winter and we've been caring for their houseplants, and rather than just stopping by to get the plants we thought it would be more fun to catch up over a meal. I'm looking forward to it, even if it does cut into my TV and reading time LOL.

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Good morning, Laura. Your day yesterday sounds good. Our weather is also taking a turn for the worse today *sad face*. Tamale pie sounds excellent, as does apple cake. Enjoy the visit with your friends!

Happy Friday!

Enjoy the delicious sounding meal!

Our weather here was beginning to look a bit better but ice rain and snow is forecast for the weekend.

Hi Laura - One result of my Hawai'i trip is that I have started to do Wordle. My friends hooked me. :)

One thing we did in Hawai'i was to participate in a beach clean-up day. There was not much trash on the beach, so then we pulled up some invasive plants and planted some indigenous ones. It was a great activity and I learned a lot.

>173 katiekrug:, >174 figsfromthistle: Hi Katie & Anita. I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the weather to settle down and be more consistently spring-like. The only problem is, we usually have only a few of those perfect spring days before -- boom -- it's summer.

>175 BLBera: Beth, welcome back !! I didn't realize you hadn't yet succumbed to the temptations of Wordle. Ellen is also a recent convert, so you are in good company. Your beach clean-up sounds worthwhile and, dare I say it, possibly fun.

>160 raidergirl3: I've announced my retirement in December 2023. About 8 months to go!

Hi Laura. Two 3s in a row -- very sweet!

>177 EBT1002: Hi Ellen ... about those 3s: wait for it ...

Good morning to all,

We had a nice evening with our friends but it was a late night and I'm feeling it this morning. I'm still going to Barre this morning, maybe that will wake me up.

Today's agenda is a non-agenda: nothing scheduled other than Barre, and some minor but not urgent household tasks that I could definitely put off if I felt like it. So, we'll see how the day goes.

Yeah. That's it. Except for this:

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Three days in a row! Most unusual, but I'll take it.

Good for you for still going to barre. I wanted to skip the gym yesterday morning after a late Thursday night, but I persevered and felt better for it :)

And nothing much to do the rest of the day sounds just about perfect!

>178 lauralkeet: *high five* right back your way, Laura!

Running through threads trying to catch up!! A lot seems to have been going on in the past 5+ weeks :) Sounds like things are going well with you and looks like Wordle has been quite challenging. I was missing the crossword (no problem I have a scripting to NYTimes so can make t up now) but Wordle never crossed my mind! Now I'm wondering if I should just leave it at that lol

>179 katiekrug: I was glad I went, Katie. For the past few weeks the instructor has been using 80s playlists and the whole group is really into it, so that makes it fun.

>180 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen! Sadly my streak ended today ...

>181 RebaRelishesReading: Welcome Reba!! Enjoy working through your crossword backlog.

Welcome to Sunday ...

Yesterday was such a lazy day for me. I was tired and the weather was damp and gloomy. I couldn't muster the energy to do anything worthwhile. In the evening we watched an episode of Peaky Blinders (S2). While my inner completist wants to finish the season (1 ep left), we're growing weary of the constantly escalating violence so we might be done. On the plus side, I worked on my knitted baby gift.

Today is a new day. I feel rested. It's sunny out. Temps are supposed to get into the 60s. That's all promising, so I'll probably do a bit of planting in the veg garden. We also have to prepare for some siding that will be installed this week, replacing deteriorating wood siding on the 1970s addition with Hardie board. We need to move some things out of the way so the crew can access the area. The materials will be delivered tomorrow; I'm not sure if they will also start work.

I'm still reading History of the Rain, and really admiring the way the story is crafted. I am drawn to it and yet want to read slowly so I can appreciate it more.

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STEAM, ROUTE, TUILE, UNTIE

Hey. Stop by for a scone. My first ever. I've eaten two so far and I am still breathing. Good start to my day.

Hi Laura. Your sunny Sunday sounds good. I'm so looking forward to reading History of the Rain.

I got a lucky 2 on Wordle today. Returning to my old standby starter word paid off.

>184 weird_O: those were some mighty fine scones, Bill!

>185 EBT1002: Ellen, I think you'd like History of the Rain.

Welcome to Monday ...

Yesterday I was able to plant a bunch of seeds and finish reading History of the Rain. Yay me! Last night we watched the first episode of The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges & John Lithgow, which Mark recommended over on his thread. It's pretty dark, and we followed it with an episode of Jeeves and Wooster but it still invaded my dreams. The two leads are excellent though, so we'll probably continue.

This morning we are expecting the siding crew to arrive with materials and maybe start work. I'm working a library shift and in the afternoon hope to take care of some boring admin tasks & phone calls. University Challenge tonight, plus whatever else we choose in the moment.

In books, History of the Rain was excellent so if you haven't read it yet, add it to your queue, stat! I've just started How to Catch a Mole, a memoir by a nature writer who was recently interviewed on a gardening podcast I follow. I also have a barrage of holds all coming in to land this week: Lab Girl, The Master Butcher's Singing Club, and Act of Oblivion. Good reading ahead!

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Sigh. 4s are fine, but based on my first word I really thought I'd solve it sooner.

Morning, Laura. I really liked Peaky Blinders but the violence never lets up. I think I managed it through 3 seasons. I have had The Master Butcher's Singing Club on shelf for eons. Why does she have to be some darn prolific? Hard to keep up.

>188 msf59: That's exactly our issue with Peaky Blinders, Mark. It's very well done and I love Cillian Murphy, but still. And I agree with you about Louise Erdrich! I haven't read one of hers in a while though so I'm looking forward to this one.

19. History of the Rain ()

Ruth Swain is confined to bed upstairs in her childhood home, surrounded by her father’s extensive book collection. She is on a journey to read all of his books, while also discovering more about her father and his family history. This novel is Ruth’s way of documenting her personal journey. While she begins several generations earlier, the narrative is fluid and periodically shifts to present-day events, especially those pertaining to Ruth’s illness.

Ruth’s paternal line was made up of headstrong men, battling a legacy of unreasonably high standards but perpetuating those standards into the next generation. That is, except for Ruth’s father Virgil. Her story of Virgil’s early life, marriage to her mother Mary, and a father’s deep love for his family. But their lives are also ones of social awkwardness, economic hardship, and tragedy. Details unfold very slowly, often alluded to more than explicitly stated, generating an emotional tension that continues to build until its dramatic release and moving resolution.

This novel is meticulously crafted and beautifully written. Highly recommended.

Delurking to wish you a happy Monday!

>189 lauralkeet: I especially liked Helen McCrory who played Aunt Polly. Sad to see that the actress died. She was only 52. Did you know she was married to Damien Lewis?

Great comments on The History of Rain, Laura. That has been on my shelves for a long time. Time to dust if off, I guess.

It's Monday! Monday Monday. I was kind of loafy yesterday, though I did take a pickup load of recycling to the Waste Management depot. Oh, and I did fit shelves for the new bookcase. Oh, and I did read down to the final 100 pages of Demon Copperhead. Demon and his demons are exhausting.

Stopping by to say hi, Laura! Thanks for stopping by my new thread. Alys is so cute! ( as is Rizzo ) I have a big soft spot for dogs and terriers in particular, though out dog is not a terrier. I grew up with a West Highland Terrier mix, then two Cairn terriers and my husband and my first dog was Border Terrier.

I have Foster waiting on my kindle, but I'm trying to get through a few of the Women's Fiction Prize list books first.

Hi, Laura! I'm using my hanging-out-in-the-back-of-the-library time to catch up here. It has "Library" in the name, so it counts, right? Anyway. History of Rain sound great - I'm adding it to my list.

I think I may start The Master Butcher's Singing Club soon, too. I re-read the Love Medicine cycle recently; this one is listed as "related" and it's one of Erdrich's that I have not read before. It will be interesting to compare notes.

>191 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita!

>192 msf59: I really liked Helen McCrory too, Mark. It's sad that she died so young.

>193 BLBera: I think you'd enjoy History of the Rain, Beth. Get your hands on that feather duster!

>194 weird_O: Hiya Bill. Sorry Demon Copperhead has been such a slog for you. I loved it. But that's okay, we can all like different things.

>195 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, and thanks for the return visit! I'm glad you like the pupper pics. They are pretty much my topper of choice because we seem to have no shortage of pet photos in our family.

>196 scaifea: Hi Amber! Nice to see you in these parts. I am totally fine with you spending work time on LT. Your secret is safe with me. 😀

>197 laytonwoman3rd: Hey Linda, I wonder if it was you that put The Master Butcher's Singing Club on my library wish list? I picked up three holds from the library yesterday and will read this one last. I can probably read all three in three weeks, but the other books have people waiting for them so I wouldn't want to hang onto them past their due date. I look forward to comparing notes!

Hello friends,

The siding crew dropped off materials yesterday. I think they're expecting the dumpster today so they can remove the old siding. Fun times huh? Yesterday afternoon I spent some time getting a garden bed ready for strawberries. This is our first season growing them here; we've grown them before we just didn't get our act together last year. I ordered bare root plants from a nursery and they should arrive tomorrow. I'm not sure how much yield we'll get this year as sometimes they need a season to mature. But fresh strawberries are my favorite fruit in the world so I'm excited about this.

Last night's University Challenge was exciting, with an impressive come from behind victory. After that we watched an episode of CB Strike (the first Silkworm episode), and then a Jeeves & Wooster. Some knitting and reading were also accomplished.

I'll be heading to the gym shortly, and then have a bit of seed planting to do and some cleaning. I realized last night that the hood over our range is something close to disgusting. So I have that to look forward to LOL. If I get that done I'll need to reward myself in some fashion ...

Okay, time to get on with the day. Have a good one folks.

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DREAM, SCOUR, BURNT, HURRY

I thought the questions on last night's UC were especially difficult. I was very excited when my random guess of Vikram Seth turned out to be right :D

I also love fresh strawberries. I hope you don't have to wait to long to get some from your new planting.

Morning, Laura!

I remember that my parents had a huge raised strawberry bed when I was a kid that one of my brothers-in-law made for them - it was tiered like a pyramid and I always thought it was very cool. Picking the berries was one of my jobs, and I admit to eating at least as many as made it into the basket, much like Sal and her blueberries. Plink, plonk, plunk.

We have a seed library housed in an old card catalog at the library and my colleague just got all new seeds to restock it yesterday! Very cool, I think.

>201 scaifea: Our library has one of those too! They stocked it with seeds donated by patrons, which a staff member then divides into small labeled packets. Such a cool idea.

Our local nesting pair of eagles are at it again. The Dulles Greenway Eagles, Rosa and Martin, have three chicks this year. Last year I volunteered with the nest cam; this year I'm just an interested spectator. It's great to see them all doing well.

>202 lauralkeet: We used to take patron donations too, but apparently the DNR (maybe? I think?) slapped our wrists about offering non-native species seeds or something, so we now have a list of acceptable seeds to offer and can't take them from patrons. Which is all totally okay - I don't mean to sound like I'm pro-invasive plants or anything...

>203 lauralkeet: Very cool!!!

>204 scaifea: Well that actually makes sense, Amber. I could imagine donations being varied and not always the best planting choices.

>205 scaifea: Yes it is!! Last year they laid two eggs but only one hatched. Eagles typically lay only two eggs, so three is unusual. And for all of three to hatch and be healthy at birth, well that's really good news.

>203 lauralkeet: - I've only been checking in occasionally to see how things are going this year. It will be fun to see three instead of just one.

>203 lauralkeet: Yay! I hope the group all get to grow up nice and strong.

>207 dudes22: I agree, Betty.
>208 EBT1002: Me too! So far so good.

Good morning!

The siding crew put in a really long day yesterday. It wasn't too disruptive for us humans, other than having to park the cars in a different spot out of the way, but it stressed poor Alys out to have "intruders" banging on the house all day. At 5:30 we were ready to start making dinner but they were still out there. We weren't sure how long they'd keep it up and made the impulse decision to go out for burgers and bring Alys with us. It was a bit chilly for outdoor seating but we made it work and by the time we got home, the crew was gone and we could all just relax. They won't be back until tomorrow, and I'm okay with that.

Season 3 of Staged with David Tennant and Michael Sheen is now available on Britbox, so we watched 2 episodes last night and had some good laughs. Then I finished reading How to Catch a Mole.

I have a Guild meeting this morning and Barre this afternoon. The strawberry plants are out for delivery today so I might start planting them. I probably won't have much reading time until evening, but then I'll get into Act of Oblivion. This was one of Vivian's 2022 favorites, and seems like just my cuppa:

1660 England. General Edward Whalley and his son-in law Colonel William Goffe board a ship bound for the New World. They are on the run, wanted for the murder of King Charles I--a brazen execution that marked the culmination of the English Civil War, in which parliamentarians successfully battled royalists for control. But now, ten years after Charles' beheading, the royalists have returned to power. Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion, the fifty-nine men who signed the king's death warrant and participated in his execution have been found guilty in absentia of high treason. Some of the Roundheads, including Oliver Cromwell, are already dead. Others have been captured, hung, drawn, and quartered. A few are imprisoned for life. But two have escaped to America by boat. In London, Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is charged with bringing the traitors to justice and he will stop at nothing to find them. A substantial bounty hangs over their heads for their capture--dead or alive....

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FEINT, LEAST, RESET, BESET

I put strawberries in one of our two new raised beds last year and got very few. The lettuce and spinach in the second bed did totally NADA so I decided to let the strawberries climb over into the second bed which they have been happily working on since. I haven't been out to see how they did with the freeze we had while we were gone but I'm hopeful that we'll have enough to actually pick for dessert from time to time this summer.

Act of Oblivion sounds good! I look forward to your thoughts on it.

>211 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, I've been reading up on growing strawberries because my memory of our previous efforts is fuzzy. Apparently some varieties do not bear fruit the first year, or bear little fruit. Hopefully that's what was happening with yours, and not a sign of a problem. I'm not 100% sure what to expect from ours this year.

>212 katiekrug: Doesn't it though, Katie? I've only read the first few pages but was immediately like, "ooh, more please!"

>210 lauralkeet: I started Staed3 too last night and it is fun and different!

>214 mdoris: Mary, we started watching when the first season was released in 2020. It got us through some dark times.

20. How to Catch a Mole ()

Marc Hamer had a long career as a mole catcher in England, until one day when he abruptly gave up this form of livelihood. In How to Catch a Mole he writes about the craft of mole catching, interspersed with accounts of an earlier time when, as a young man, he left home with no job or permanent address and had to survive on his own. This period of vagrancy made him value solitude and being close to nature, both of which informed subsequent life choices. After all, mole-catching is solitary work, typically carried out in fields while hunting for the moles’ underground tunnels

This memoir will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about moles, both how they live and the many ways humans have tried to rid themselves of moles, generally for aesthetic reasons. While a large mole population can be damaging for those who earn their living by farming, this book might make you question the need to kill them simply to have a prettier lawn. After all, every species plays a role in our ecosystems.

Alongside the discussion of moles and mole-catching, Hamer also reflects on the aging process and the importance of love and family to a man who experienced little of either during his youth. This personal dimension coupled with his insights on the natural world really worked for me.

Hi Laura, i am a fan of David Tennant so I thought it would be good!

>210 lauralkeet: We were browsing Brit Box last night and I wondered out loud about Staged. Prudence said "it looks like two grumpy old men." It may be another one I have to dip into when she is out of town in May.

>216 lauralkeet: Sounds fascinating. "...every species plays a role in our ecosystems." Amen to that.

I have Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip on hold at the library, due to get it sometime in May. Is there a recent run on NNF books about particular rodents and their places in our world?

>217 mdoris:, >218 EBT1002: with apologies if I'm telling you something you already know ... In Staged, Tennant and Sheen play themselves (or maybe fictionalized over the top versions of themselves). In the first season (2020) they were meeting over Zoom to rehearse a play and the director struggled to keep things under control. The Tennant-Sheen dynamic and their relationship with Simon, the director, has continued through subsequent seasons.

>218 EBT1002: Ellen, Beaverland sounds interesting. There's a definite rodent theme happening here ha ha.

Good morning ...

It's a bit chilly out, but we had a bunch of plants delivered yesterday so at some point we will need to brave the elements and get to work. The strawberries arrived, as did some bare root beech that will grow into a hedge. The UPS delivery notice for the beech said "signature required", so I hung out indoors where I would see/hear the truck, while Chris did other work outside. This was not a hardship because I was able to read, yay! But in the end they arrived late enough that he was already back inside and I had left for yoga. Oh, and they didn't need a signature after all. Annoying!

Today's agenda also includes taking Alys to the vet for her regular checkup. And I think the siding guys will be back on the job.

Wishing everyone a great day!

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SPIRE, LATER, READY, DREAM, BREAD

Morning, Laura!

I'm sorry that Alys is suffering through the work on the house. Simmons is one for getting upset like that, so I get the worry.

We watched the first two seasons of Staged and loved it, but I didn't know there was a third!

Sounds like a busy outside day, Laura. I hope it warms up a bit for you.

>219 lauralkeet: Yes I figured that out. I'm thinking that on lockdown we became more of what we are, intensified and they played that so beautifully. I love watching the wives, they play the best parts.

>221 scaifea:, >222 katiekrug:, >223 mdoris: Thanks Amber, Katie, and Mary for keeping my thread warm yesterday!

>220 lauralkeet: I know they require signatures for wine club deliveries but i did wonder about the need for it for a tree.

I hope Alys' checkup is clean.

Thanks for the info about Staged. I knew nothing. And I'm trying to remember the other series various folks have talked about that i know P has not been interested in. It will be easier when I'm retired and our respective at-home-alone time is more balanced.

Have a great day!

We put in a long day yesterday, primarily planting the beech hedge. Chris had done most of the ground prep already (marking off the area, clearing away turf, etc.) but we still had to dig and plant. Fortunately we have a couple of different augurs that are good for digging holes, and ended up using them to make more of a trench so we could do a few plants at a time. Then each plant needed to be carefully placed. The hedge is in a horseshoe shape so two sides needed to be perfectly straight and then follow an arc in the center. By comparison, planting the strawberries was a walk in the park. Alys' vet visit went well, she is fit and healthy. I wanted to get her nails trimmed but they suggested doing that in a couple of weeks when she's in for dental work. She'll be sedated for that, which makes the trimming waaay easier.

So after our long day we punted on cooking dinner and had restaurant food for the second time this week. This time it was takeout pizza, and very satisfying it was. Then I collapsed in front of the TV; I didn't even want to knit or read. We watched an episode of The Old Man, and finished up season 3 of Staged. It was very silly and I'm not sure it really had a point, but if you enjoyed the first two seasons you'll enjoy this one, too.

Today should be more normal. I'm going to the gym, which I normally would have done yesterday, and then I'll do the grocery shopping. I'm not sure what else I'll get done today, but I don't expect it will involve hard physical labor. Ha.

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>225 EBT1002: Ellen, it looks like we cross-posted. *waves*

I'm exhausted just reading about your long day of planting. Pizza sounds like an excellent way to reward yourself.

Wow, what a productive, exhausting day!! Congratulations!

Getting back to the gym...yep, gotta do that this week. I did plenty of walking on the ship and I took some elastic band things for some upper body strength work -- but all by all, I really, really need to get back to the gym!!

>228 scaifea: I was pretty exhausted too, Amber. Pizza was just what the doctor ordered.

>229 RebaRelishesReading: Well, at least you were able to fit some activity in on the ship, Reba -- better than nothing!

>164 lauralkeet: I want to join the Niall Williams fan club too! I have now read As It Is In Heaven, The Fall of Light, and History of the Rain and enjoyed them all!