Amber's (scaifea) Thread #2

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor, and turned librarian again. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 48 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

Favorite Books from 2023
A Court of Silver Flames
Radio Silence
Given
The Cat Who Saved Books
Bad Feminist
Snow, Glass, Apples
Greywaren
The Lost Library
Shakespeare for Squirrels

What I'm Reading Now:
-Iveliz Explains It All (Newbery Honor Book)
-And Then There Were None (mystery)
-Mistress of Mellyn (romance)
-Black Butler vol 2 (manga)
-Mozart's Ghost (wishlist book)
-Swords and Deviltry (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Cruel Beauty (Beauty & the Beast retellings)
-Wicked As You Wish (audiobook)
-(awaiting display changeover) (from the library displays)
-Forever (Stiefvater Bibliography)
-The Moth Keeper (from my Read Soon! shelves)
-Carry On (because I loved the characters in Fangirl so much)
-Life with Father (NEH list)

The books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

-The yearly winners of a handful of the YALSA awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Schneider, Stonewall, Printz, Alex)

-A mystery

-A romance novel

-Manga

-A book from my wishlist (it's *so* long)

-A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List

-A Beauty and the Beast retelling

-An audiobook, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/clean/drive/pack and unpack cargo at work

-a book from my library's monthly displays (two of my colleagues are in charge of the adult displays and I like supporting them)

-Agatha Christie's bibliography

-Stephen Fry's bibliography

-John Boyne bibliography

-Neil Gaiman's bibliography

-Christopher Moore's bibliography

-Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography

-The NEH Timeless Classics list

-The National Book Award list

-The Pulitzer list

-An unread book from my shelves

-A book from my Read Soon! shelves

-Book-a-year challenge: A few years ago I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

-A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Fangirl (audiobook) - 9/10
2. $2.00 a Day (audiobook) - 7/10
3. By Your Side (audiobook) - 8/10
4. Light from Uncommon Stars (Alex Award) - 10/10
5. My Hero Academia vol 14 (manga) - 9/10
6. Anna and the Swallow Man (audiobook) - 9/10
7. The Last Mapmaker (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10
8. Maizy Chen's Last Chance (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10
9. Linger (Stiefvater bibliography) - 9/10
10. The Ten Thousand Doors of January (audiobook) - 8/10
11. N or M? (mystery) - 9/10
12. The Prince and the Dressmaker (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10
13. The Words We Keep (audiobook) - 7/10
14. Practical Magic (wishlist) - 9/10
15. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (audiobook) - 6/10
16. Snow (library display book) - 8/10

FEBRUARY
17. Breathe and Count Back from Ten (audiobook) - 9/10
18. Honestly Elliott (audiobook) - 7/10
19. When the Angels Left the Old Country (audiobook) - 6/10
20. Katherine (romance) - 7/10

Sweet Mario having a bit of a relax:



Simmons being Simmons:



Another cool shot of Charlie in last fall's Varsity Show (he's right in the foreground, sax up in the air, rockin' out):

Welcome - come on in!

Hey Amber! Happy new thread.
I think Mario might just be my spirit animal. >:-)

I loved Katherine I finished it in just 2 sittings, having avoided a lot of housework I was supposed to be doing instead. Far better option.

>7 Helenliz: Well, I'm reading it because I found it on a list of Best Romance Novels of All Time, so that tracks. *grins*

Happy new thread, Amber!

>6 scaifea: - LOVE.

>9 katiekrug: Thanks!

Right?! I need one. I also love the shirts that say, "Live Laugh Loathe."

Happy new thread! Your topper is making me want to go grab a mug of something hot--probably hot cocoa though.

>11 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

12. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10
A graphic novel about a young dressmaker who would like to do more than just sew other people’s designs, a prince who secretly loves to wear beautiful dresses, and the friendship that grows between them.

I loved this sort-of fairy tale and its positive representations. Great storytelling, lovely illustrations, fantastic message. I highly recommend it.



13. The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart (audiobook) - 7/10
Lily is a model high school student and athlete with dreams of heading to Berkeley for college. But she also has a lot of secrets, like the fact that her sister isn’t actually off at university but in an institution after a suicide attempt, and that Lily herself struggles with anxiety and OCD-type symptoms. When the new boy reveals that he knows Lily’s sister from the hospital, Lily worries that everyone will find out all her secrets, but as the two grow closer she needs to decide what her priorities are.

I read this one because it won a Schneider Award, and it sure reads like it was written solely with that goal in mind. A story about a teen struggling to make it through everyday situations while dealing with mental illness is one thing and I’m all for positive representations of such things in literature, especially YA lit, but to have three sisters all have some form of mental illness, *plus* the love interest, and then to have the main character constantly refer to her struggles with anxiety and OCD to the point that it overwhelms what little plot there was in the first place is just too much.

Happy new thread Amber!

>13 scaifea: Your last point is the one that would tank the book for me, as a whole family with mental illness problems seems quite plausible to me - though I've often noticed that one sibling, through accident or adaption is not affected and at least on the surface seems dead boring and insensitive to all nuance.

Happy new thread Amber! I've seen The Prince and the Dressmaker around and would like to get to it at some point.

>10 scaifea: - Ha! I haven't seen that. I did get TW a T-shirt for Christmas with a cat below "Live, Laugh, Loaf."

>14 quondame: It wasn't just that aspect but all the things I mentioned together. Obvs it's not impossible for more than one person in a family to have mental health issues; I have anxiety issues and had a brother with bipolar disorder.

>15 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! Definitely pick up TPatD when you get a chance. It's excellent!

>16 katiekrug: Ha!

>17 scaifea: I rather agreed that the whole "constantly refer to her struggles with anxiety and OCD" was the enough to tank it - one of the main stop gap survival techniques is to put the worst effects out of mind as much and as often as possible.

Happy new thread. The Prince and the Dressmaker caught my eye. I enjoyed Stargazing by the same author.

Happy new thread!

Wow, happy new thread!
Thats a cool shot of Charlie, by the way. Very Meatloaf from Rocky Horror.

>19 AMQS: Stargazing has been on my radar but I haven't read it yet. I'm not surprised that it's good, too!

>20 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>21 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela! Ha! I'll have to pass that on to Charlie - he's a huge RH fan, so he'll love that!!

On the Agenda for Today:
Some cleaning (and if it warms up a bit like it's supposed to, that may include the interior of my car, which could use a vacuuming), some writing, maybe some knitting. Charlie's rescheduled haircut is this afternoon, so I'll pick him up from school and we'll go straight there. Oh! and this morning I'll be watching the live stream of the YALSA awards! WOOT! Chicken Sali Boti for dinner tonight, I think.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Practical Magic, and I started listening to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
I didn't get round to any craft work yesterday; I opted for a nap instead.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, the second half of Slammin' Salmon, and this weekend's SNL.

Article of the Day:

Italian dog owners better start stowing their crap...

Imagine living in a place with such a low crime rate that THIS is what seems to need law enforcement funding the most urgently.

Happy Monday, Amber! Happy New Thread. Hoping for a bit of a warm up, to clear out some of this snow and ice. I am also itching to get back on the trails. Have a good week.

>25 msf59: Morning, Mark! We're supposed to have warmer temperatures here later in the week, but rain along with it. I'm not looking forward to muddy paws all week...

I enjoyed the audios of the Alan Bradley series but had to be in the right mood for them. Flavia can be a challenge...

>27 katiekrug: I know that this series has very mixed reviews, so I'm going in prepared to either love it or hate it. We'll see how it goes...

WELP. There was a loud "pop" at the construction site across the street and then our power went out. And I haven't yet showered even because I was watching the YALSA awards. Yoicks. Thankfully we have a fireplace that can keep us warm...

>29 scaifea: Oh, crumb. Bad enough that the weather can't be trusted... Hopefully it's a quick fix.

>29 scaifea: oops, that doesn't sound good. Hope your power comes back and that no-one was hurt over the road.

Happy new thread! I was also watching the ALA awards this morning. Anything you're particularly excited about? I was glad Christopher Paul Curtis got the CSK lifetime achievement award, loved that In Every Life got a Caldecott honor, was thrilled to see Fox Has a Problem win the Geisel, and am looking forward to reading Mexikid, which had a super good morning with multiple awards!

Happy new thread!

I'm so glad you reminded me that the ALA awards would be announced today. I didn't get to watch them, but I looked up what book won the Newbery so I'll stay caught up on the most current awards at the very least (I'm hopelessly behind on the Honors).

Sorry about the power outage, and hope you get electricity back soon!

The power has just now come back on. Cripes, that was a long day, and cold one because, as it turns out, we couldn't have our gas fireplace going. It was both a power and a gas line that was hit; we had the fire dept blocking off our street for most of the day and the neighborhood smelled like gas all day. We were thinking at any minute they may evacuate us. Yeesh. I'm now huddled next to my space heater trying to get warm again...

>30 laytonwoman3rd: Nope, not a quick fix at all. Miserable day. I'm sending Tomm out for Mexican in a bit, because we deserve it after that nonsense.

>31 Helenliz: I didn't see any ambulances, so I assume the dipstick who cause the problem is okay, although if I were to meet him right now he might need the EMTs...

>32 foggidawn: I was proud that a lot of the winners were books that I added to the purchase lists last year.

>33 bell7: I got the sense that Eggers winning the Newbery was a bit of a surprise? The audience didn't seem too enthusiastic, at any rate, and I hadn't even heard of the book. Plus, not one library in our system even owns it! Weird...

Ugh, I'm sorry to read about your power outage ordeal yesterday. I hope the Mexican take-away was some consolation.

>36 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. The Mexican went a *long* way toward ungrumping an extremely grumpy me last night!

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Teen Tuesday, so I'll be working 12-8 and hanging out with the cool kids. Today they'll be making Black-Out Poetry, which should be fun. Not much else on the To Do list today; I'll mostly putter around before going in to work, with maybe a load of laundry thrown in there somewhere. Charlie has a 2-hour delay for school this morning, since it's a freezing rain party outside at the moment. Woot.

On the Reading Front:
The no power silver lining is that I spent most of the day yesterday huddled on the couch under a blanket, with Mario snuggled on top of me and acting as a book prop; I got a lot of reading done. I finished Practical Magic and got about a third of the way through Snow already, which is excellent so far. Review for PM to come, probably tomorrow?

The Crafting Report:
Nope.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Monarch, and some Attack on Titan.

Today's Article:

This one has it all, folks: the history of sign language, grandmas shuddering with ecstasy, and further proof that Edison was a Grade A jackhole.

Also, what sort of parent of a deaf child wouldn't bother learning sign language?!

>39 scaifea: - This line made me laugh: "This just goes to show you how poor and bored people were in the mid-1800s: You could delight a child with a birthday gift of being named after a cracker."

>40 katiekrug: It's pretty hilarious throughout, but also sharp and smart. I love it!

Hello, Amber! I have been lurking, so am all caught up here. As usual, I really LOVE the photos up top - you have such a good eye with the camera.

Awaiting your thoughts on Practical Magic - I love that one, but not everyone does.

>39 scaifea: That is fascinating and funny, but the article didn't explain Bell's atrocities, just the attitude that lead to them. Does the essay in Subculture Vulture go into more detail, I wonder?

>42 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie!

Thanks! When Charlie was a baby, I read through a few How To books on photography and picked up some pretty good tips, the one that I use the most and think makes a huge difference - and feels obvious once you know it but I never would have thought of it on my own - is to get down on the same level with your subject.

I'm hoping I'll get round to the review tomorrow but I'll say here that I'm with you - I really liked Practical Magic!

On the Agenda for Today:
Well, pretty much everything I couldn't do Monday because of the power outage, plus more laundry, menu planning and prepping my grocery list for shopping tomorrow, some house cleaning, and hopefully some writing and reading. The Sali Boti will be for dinner tonight since I couldn't make it Monday night.

The Teens did a fabulous job (as usual) with the black out poetry and I think they had fun. Here are some results (they're so creative, these kids!):







On the Reading Front:
Still working on Snow, which I'm really enjoying, and still listening to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which I'm on the fence about.

The Crafting Report:
I started the first summer library program crochet project yesterday! Yes, it's only January, but we have *big* plans and I'm...not fast at the crocheting.

What We're Watching:
Some random old SNL sketches.

Today's Article:

For a modest donation, this shelter will make sure your ex gets the the treatment they deserve.

Helping animals in need with a side of petty revenge? Perfection.

>46 scaifea: Awesome! I could make a list!! 3:-)

>45 scaifea: that's great. Did they get the same page, or a choice?
Hoping the crafty plans come together...

>47 Helenliz: Ha! I don't really have any exes I'd throw under the litter box, but I'd pat $5 to have Trump's name shat upon...

I had a stack of book pages for them to choose from, although I did think about just handing out a page to each and see what they did with what they got. In the end, I let them choose. They're such a cool, fun group, and they always amaze me with what they come up with.

>46 scaifea: - That's brilliant.

I love the black out poetry idea. I'd never seen that before.

Good luck with All The Things!

>49 katiekrug: Isn't it a smart fundraiser idea? Very clever.

If you google black out poetry images, you'll quickly find that people are incredibly creative with it. I think the teens held their own, too.

And thanks!

Love the blackout poetry. I tried to do it a number of years ago and it didn't go over well with my students. Maybe it's time to try again.

>2 scaifea: Wow! I am in awe of people who can read that many books all at once. I am firmly in the one at a time camp. I have never tried to read more than one as I suspect that's all my grey matter can keep track of at one time.

>51 AMQS: I have a particularly crafty and willing-to-do-writing-projects group of kiddos, which helps a lot, I think. Good luck!

>52 Pendrainllwyn: Well, full disclosure: these days I'm mostly reading them one at a time and the rest are what's On Deck. I've recently decided to give the one-at-a-time thing a go, but for years and years I've been reading that many all at once. Either way works fine for me; I picked up the multi-book habit in grad school and just kept going with it all these years later.

And in the Yup, it's January in Ohio category:

This is what the staff door at the library where I work looked like yesterday when I arrived. Enter at your own risk, I guess?



At the time of this message no librarians have been harmed. Yet.

And then this is what happens apparently when you keep your soda in a mini-fridge in the unheated garage:



We heard a Boom and a Clatter, went to investigate, and found the fridge door wide open and a mess of frozen coke all over. Faantastic. In Silver Lining news, I grabbed another can from the fridge before heading back inside and had myself a wonderfully slushy beverage...

umm. A water drop down the back of the neck is bad enough, an icicle doing the same could be a lot worse. If we hear of an apparent stabbing and no weapon we'll be looking sideways at the icicles. Or have I read too many murder mysteries?

I once put a can of coke in liquid nitrogen, just to see what would happen. It did that, quite fast. Impressive.

>55 Helenliz: Oh, I know all about the fun to be had with liquid nitrogen; on one of our first dates, Tomm brought over a dewar of the stuff for us to play with.

14. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (wishlist) - 9/10
The Owens sisters, orphaned as girls, were raised by their eccentric aunts in a ramshackle house in Massachusetts and were shunned and scorned and feared by their peers, while the aunts greeted at the back door various townswomen seeking cures for heartbreak, unwanted pregnancies, and other hazards of being a woman and dealing with love. One sister left at 18 and never looked back. The other waited until her heart was crushed by widowhood until she took her own two daughters and fled looking for a more normal existence for them and for herself. But magic in one’s blood isn’t something you can escape, and despite a vow made as children, love and all its messes catch up to all Owens women eventually.

Magical realism is hit or miss in the extreme for me. If a book falls into that genre, I either throw it across the room in disgust or absolutely adore it. This one I loved. Such strong and strongly written women are found here, and their stories are a perfect blend of everyday and extraordinary. And I love that it’s a story filled with women and their relationships with one another, and although people of the male persuasion are key parts of the plot, they are certainly not in starring roles. They’re the celery of the recipe: background supporters but in no way a distraction from the main flavor of the tale.

Hi Amber. By the way, is the teacup in your topper photo yours? As in, did you take that photo of your very own teacup? It looks like a fun one to sketch.... :-)

>57 scaifea: Okay, noting this as a novel by Alice Hoffman that I do want to read. I believe I read it eons ago -- maybe even decades -- and I remember liking it but my taste has changed so much since then. In any case, she is an author with whom I want to reacquaint myself in the coming months.

>54 scaifea: Those icicles look dangerous. They remind me of a Snoopy comic strip in which Snoopy wakes up in his little doghouse and starts waxing poetic about waking up in the morning, and then looks up and inserts "doomed" as he sees the icicles over his doorway. It's hard to describe but it is one of the ones I have always remembered.

Oh, and I'm glad you grabbed one of the other cans for a delightful slushy drink! We have a partial case of sparkling wine in our garage and a friend expressed concern about it. The garage isn't heated but it's protected on three sides and is attached to the house, so we're hoping all is well. So far, even when we had a ferocious cold spell in the below-zero range, it only got down to 49F in the garage. Fingers crossed.

>58 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen!

It is, indeed, my photo and my teacup. It's one from the Blue Willow set that was my grandmother's and that my mom passed on to me because I love the pattern so much.

Practical Magic: I had seen the movie years and years ago and I didn't remember anything about it, but instead of rewatching it I thought I'd just read the book. And I'm glad I did!

Icicles: Ha! I love Snoopy, and I think he had the right idea! I admit that I walked up to the building, took a deep breath, and then ran under the pointy death ice. Who said being a librarian isn't ever an adventure?

And I *love* a little slush in my soda! I'm beginning to wonder, though, if it's more the case that our fridge is old and on the blink than it actually was the weather... It may be time to replace it.

On the Agenda for Today:
I have my 5-hour shift today (I usually work two 8-hour shifts and one 5-hour one each week), but it's a little different than the normal 9-2 since I'm organizing an event tonight. So I'm working 3-8 today, and I think I kind of like that: I still get what feels like most of a day at home but still get a work shift in. Anyway, the program is a first here, so we'll see how it goes, but I wanted to try a Silent Reading Club: I'll set up our large meeting room with all our comfy chairs, an ambient Crackling Fireplace video on the two big screen TVs, and have the fixings for tea and coffee available as well. Here's the blurb I put together for the event in the events calendar:

"Suffering from cabin fever but don’t feel
like socializing? Attend our book club for
introverts! Bring your current read (or
find a new one here) and we’ll provide a
quiet, cozy atmosphere for relaxing and
reading in peace. Both teens and adults
are welcome."

Before going in to work I'll do the grocery shopping this morning, probably a load of laundry, and I'll bake some brownies for Charlie since I'm working 9-5 again tomorrow and won't have time for the usual Friday After-School Snack. Maybe I'll get some crafting in, too?

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Snow and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

The Crafting Report:
Well, I started to knit a bit on the cowl, but then realized that the stitch markers I was using were creating a gap between the stitches, plus the needles I was using are old and need to be replaced. So I decided to frog it so that I can use different markers, and I ordered a new pair of needles. I'll start again once they get here.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Monarch, and a couple episodes of Our Flag Means Death.

Today's Article:

This article spills the tea on a new book about the UK's favorite beverage and how they got salty at a crazy serving suggestion from one of us bloody colonials.

Two points: 1) Although I do drink my tea the proper British way, I'm intrigued by this suggestion and may try it.n 2) I've, of course, added to book to my wishlist.

>61 scaifea: - I saw the US Embassy's response on Twitter yesterday (love the last line!) and so went down a rabbit hole about this. And I don't even like tea very much!

I love the silent reading club idea, Amber! I hope you have a good turnout.

>62 katiekrug: As a US citizen, I'm embarrassed at how some people here made tea. I mean, honestly. And yes! I love the embassy's official response!

>63 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! We'll see how it goes.

Amber, I loved today's article that you shared! Made me laugh out loud and then I had to read it out to Birdy.

I think your silent reading club idea is brilliant.

>65 Crazymamie: I'm so glad you and Birdy liked the article! Don't you love it when official places do silly things?

And thanks! I hope at least a few of our patrons like the idea, too...

I've been attending a local silent reading club for the past year or so and loving it! I hope it's a hit for the library 😊

>67 curioussquared: Oh cool! Keep your fingers crossed...

Tea making is one of the dark art things. My MiL used to moan terribly that the carers weren't using boiling water, rather than water that had boiled.
I like the humour in the embassy's response. Nicely played.

Hope the silent reading club goes well. A warm comfortable social without socialising space could be just what some people need.

>54 scaifea: Ho ho. I was guilty of that once (but I can learn). A case of 16 ouncers. Frozen beer.

>60 scaifea: An introverts' book club is a delightful idea. And there's a library down the road with some large meeting rooms...

>61 scaifea: Since every nation between China and England brews tea leaves differently, the notion of anything but "as you like it" being right, much less outcries of outrage, is amusing. And then there's Japan where tea is done to perfection.

The Moth Keeper sounds fun. I also like baking! I'm planning on making Cream Cheese brownies next.

>70 weird_O: Oh wow, sounds like a stinky mess!

>72 Owltherian: I haven't actually started The Moth Keeper yet, but I'm excited about it, and the artwork is gorgeous. And yay for baking!!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly shift today, so that's pretty much what will get done today. Hopefully it won't be crazy-busy and I'll get some crocheting in. We'll see how it goes. Frozen Friday dinner, although I may rebel and have a salad. I've been craving one, which I'd say means I haven't been eating enough vegetables, but honestly what I'm craving is the shredded cheese and ranch dressing, so...

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Snow, but I did finish up The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie this morning (review to come this weekend) and started listening to Breath and Count Back from Ten.

The Crafting Report:
I had about 15 minuted of crochet time at work yesterday and used it to make some progress on the first SLP creation.

What We're Watching:
An episode of Only Murders

Today's Article is a short but interesting one, I think:

It might be nice to have an updated theme song, yeah? Although I'm not much for blatant patriotism in any for, to be honest.

Bonus Article for the Day:

Thoughts and prayers.

>75 scaifea: - I don't mind 'The Star-Spangled Banner' - at least it's not stupidly religious like so many other patriotic songs...

>76 scaifea: - The link takes me to the anthem story...

>77 katiekrug: Ope, thanks - fixed!

>76 scaifea: - Ha! Yes, I saw that a few days ago... Karma, you beautiful bitch...

>76 scaifea: Oh that is genius. Hoist by his own petard. *sotto voce: serves him right*

>75 scaifea: In a classic sketch, Billy Connolly suggested that we could swop ours for the theme tune to the Archers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaFn-nUbS7Y
If wishing made it so >:-)

>79 katiekrug: Right? What a putz.

>80 Helenliz: *snork!* I adore Billy Connolly.

>73 scaifea: I bake a lot. I want to read a few books on animals or therians, I've been looking for books like that for a while.

Amber, apologies if I missed it but how was last night's silent reading event?

>82 Owltherian: I hope you find some good ones on the subject.

>83 lauralkeet: No one showed up, but it was easy and fun to set it up - and there's, of course, no cost involved (well, the price of a pot of coffee), so I may put it on the program calendar again at some point. The problem is that the PR department, which, of course, is housed at the main branch, doesn't really bother to promote branch programs, so I doubt anyone really knew about it. It's frustrating.

Hi Amber!
I like those blackout poetry photos. I may just have a new art project next time I finish a book I'm not a big fan of.

And YIKES those pictures of the icicles and the coke are spooky stuff. Please stay safe!

Aww that’s too bad Amber. I hope you have chance to offer it again.

>84 scaifea: I hope so too, its really hard to find them though

>85 Ravenwoodwitch: Hi, Angela!

Thanks! The teens had fun with the blackout poetry, and yeah, I think it would be a fun, sort of zen-like project at any time.

It's in the 40s here now so the icicles are, happily, in the past. But the exploding sodas remain a slight danger. I'll risk it, though, for the slushy treat... Ha!

>86 lauralkeet: Yeah, I suspect I'll try again, and maybe we'll do some rogue promoting of our own at our branch...

>87 Owltherian: Check out your local library, and ask Your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian for help finding some. They're pretty good at that sort of thing, or so I've heard...

On the Agenda for Today:
I made some Cinnamon Pecan Scones (thanks, KAF mix!) for breakfast this morning, and I'll be doing some more kitchen work later on (Oreo Pudding, but I'm substituting peanut butter for the cream cheese), then I need to do the weekly bill sorting, some laundry, brush the dogs, and hopefully I'll find some crafting time in there somewhere. Tomm's in charge of dinner tonight, which will be brats and chips. He's fancy.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Snow, which I hope to finish this weekend. It's taken a turn for the disturbing and I'm not liking it as much as I did, but I'm almost finished so I'll soldier on. I also listened to a nice chunk of Breath and Count Back from Ten and I'm loving it so far.

The Crafting Report:
I was able to do a little bit of crocheting yesterday, and I restarted my knitted cowl yesterday, too, now that I have my new needles and new-to-me marker method. Woot!

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and a couple of Attack on Titan episodes. Oh, and we had Family Game Night last night and played a round of Forbidden Island - and won! Not an easy feat with that game.

Sorry the silent reading club didn't get more takers. But if people don't know it's on, they won't (unless you have a high number of psychics locally? No, thought not).

Happy Saturday >:-)

>91 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen. Yeah, it's really frustrating, because we put programs together because we want people to enjoy them, of course. And I know there are folks out there who would love to sit, relax, have a cup of coffee/tea, and read in a cozy, environment, for *free.* Sigh.

The Article of the Day:

Go, Bonito!.

From potentially dangerous roommates to too-cold climates to sunny skies and three wives. Bonito's life journey sounds like an oscar-winning movie in the making...

>93 scaifea: - 40 hours to go 90 miles?!?! Yikes.

I hope Bonito finds happiness in his new home.

(The crate reminds me of the book, West with Giraffes...)

>94 katiekrug: Right?! I'm rooting for Bonito to start living his best life.

ETA: I've not heard of the book - you recommend it?

>94 katiekrug:, >95 scaifea: West with Giraffes is my book club's March read. I had never heard of it in any context except from the woman who suggested it in the club. Weird.

>93 scaifea: What a nice story! It sounds like his new digs will be perfect for him.

>95 scaifea: / >96 lycomayflower: - It was a fun, diverting read. Not high literature by any means.

Laura, I'd be interested to hear if there is enough in it for a book club to discuss...

>96 lycomayflower: Oh, I love it when that sort of serendipity happens!

>97 lauralkeet: Right? I sure hope he likes his new home.

>98 katiekrug: Well, we have a book club at my library that pretty much solely reads cozy mysteries. So, it's possible, I guess, to have a discussion on not a lot of content...

15. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (audiobook) - 6/10
Flavia de Luce is an 11 year-old with a quick brain and a penchant for chemistry, particularly the chemistry of poisons. When a stranger dies in her family’s garden, she suspects that poison is the culprit, and when the authorities prove too slow at solving the case for her – and especially when her father is pinned as Suspect #1 – Flavia decides to solve it herself.

I know that many people don’t like this one because they think Flavia is too precocious for her age, but I don’t really think it’s too far of a stretch. And yes, she’s pretty darned annoying, but I think (or at least I hope) that in this case the problem is the point – she’s supposed to be irksome (as I suspect some genius children actually may be, to be honest). So with those things I don’t have an issue. Still, I didn’t love the book. The plot was overly convoluted, to the point that the various U-turns and red herrings became exhausting, and in the end, the wrap-up felt trite and tired. But by far the biggest annoyance was that the narrator of the audiobook didn’t bother to learn how to pronoun the *one* Latin word in the book, which turned up on several occasions. Honestly. How hard would that have been? And it was doubly annoying that a character whose key trait is her polymath abilities wouldn’t know how to pronounce one of the very first words you learn in Latin 101. Cripes.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm going to make donuts! I haven't done that in a long time and the January Doldrums is generally a good time for them. I'll also do more laundry (obvs), and the things that didn't get done yesterday (bills, brushing the dogs). Chicken and Rice Casserole for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished Snow last night, so I'll try to get a review up today, and I'm still listening to Breathe and Count Back from Ten.

The Crafting Report:
I worked a knitting the cowl yesterday. When finished it should look like diagonal stripes, but for the life of me I can't manage to suss out how the pattern will get me there... It's an adventure, I suppose. I just hope it actually turns out properly.

What We're Watching:
Lllamageddon (it's just what you think it is, and yes, it was terrible but fun), and an episode of Our Flag Means Death.

mmm ... donuts. Yum! Any particular kind, like glazed or cinnamon sugar or ... ?

I'm intrigued by that knitting pattern, especially if the designer has done something clever.

>102 lauralkeet: I'm making cake donuts this time, and yes, the batter has cinnamon and some nutmeg. I'll probably dip them in a powdered sugar glaze, too.

Well, let's hope they've not been *too* clever... We'll see how it goes.

An interesting look into the impressive CV of the man who played Blacula, and a glimpse of the history of Blaxploitation films.

I'm adding the book whence this excerpt came to my list, for sure.

16. Snow by John Banville (library display book) - 8/10
A priest gets murdered and his body mutilated in an Irish estate home and long-suffering Detective Inspector Strafford (who always has to correct people from “Stafford”) is on the case. Everyone’s a suspect, everyone is holding back secrets, and catholic church is pressuring Strafford to hush it all up. To add insult to deadly injury, it won’t stop snowing, making any sort of mobility a difficulty.

Christie but make it Irish, a smidge more modern, and quite a bit more than a smidge gritty and violent. I loved it up until I didn’t, but my aversion is certainly my own and not the fault of the book, which is wonderfully written. What I didn’t love was the part of the story in which the priest was a pedophile, which in itself wouldn’t have turned me away, but there’s a chapter written from his POV about his ‘sins,’ and that tips it over into the Ewewewickickick category for me.

>105 scaifea: Oh jeez, nopenopenope.

>106 lycomayflower: Yeeeah.

>105 scaifea: I was waiting for this review. One of your previous posts said you were "still" reading this but the touchstone took me to a P.D. Eastman book so I had a little chuckle and thought well, it's probably something else.

So anyway ... you liked Banville's Snow more than I did. Your description of it as a Christie style mystery explains why. I'm just not a fan. And then that made some of the tropes feel a bit tired (yes, the priest was one of them, that was predictable).

>108 lauralkeet: Ugh, touchstones. I like them and I also loathe them.

Yeah, I love Christie, but I get that you wouldn't enjoy this one much at all if you didn't.

>58 EBT1002: I also thought of that Peanuts strip when I saw Scary Icicle Entrance. If I remember correctly Snoopy’s life was saved by Linus and Sally Brown (or a different girl) when they brought a nice hot pizza with them and lured by the pizza fragrance Snoopy flew off the doghouse roof to claim his reward. In the next second the killer icicle crashed down and the doghouse was in splinters.

>104 scaifea: Added that one to the wishlist!

>105 scaifea: Yeah, thanks for the warning. Getting inside the head of a psychopath, a pedophile, a rapist or any other such sick individual from their POV is a nope for me too.

>61 scaifea: Fascinating. I am definitely a milk-and-sugar-in-my-tea sort of girl. The salt idea just sounds weird.

>105 scaifea: I have a whole collection of John Banville novels to read during my days of leisure. It will be interesting to see how I like this one given your reservations. I have only read The Sea by him but I loved it.

>110 Fourpawz2: LOL! I had forgotten "the rest of the story" and now it comes back to me (at least somewhat). Thank you for sharing the extra detail. I love it.

>110 Fourpawz2: Huh. That sounds like a very weird Peanuts strip. Ha!

>111 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Doesn't that one sound really good?!

>112 laytonwoman3rd: Right? And it was made that much worse because Banville is such a good writer, if that makes sense.

>113 EBT1002: The salt *does* sounds weird, but just weird enough that I'm tempted to try it...

I'm sure this won't be my last Banville because the writing is very good, and I do love Strafford as a character. It's really just that One Thing that bothered me, and again, it's not the fault of the book or the writer. Adding The Sea to my list!

On the Agenda for Today:
Somehow I failed spectacularly at grocery shopping last week and we're already out of OJ and applesauce, which, in this house, is a Code Orange at the least. So I'll go straight from dropping Charlie at school to the store to restock, which means this morning's Kroger shoppers will have the privilege a rare Workout Clothes No Makeup Amber sighting. #blessed

Otherwise, I'll do some cleaning, some cooking (I want to try a new-to-me recipe for Japanese Potato Salad), some writing, maybe some crafting. And I need to schedule a time slot for Parent/Teacher conferences. Then I'll leave a little early for Charlie pick-up so that I can go to the library in the next town over to get a couple of holds. My library system rarely lacks a book I'm looking for, but there were two YALSA winners this time around that we don't have (shame on us), so I ordered them from the Columbus system. Ground Pork and Ginger Fried Rice Casserole (plus the potato salad) for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I started Katherine yesterday, and boy, it's a chonkster, but okay so far. 82 pages a day if I want to finish in a week, which is a lot for me these days. We'll see how it goes. Still listening to Breathe and Count Back from Ten and still enjoying it.

The Crafting Report:
I didn't craft a lick yesterday; donut making took up a lot of my time. But hey, donuts.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Monarch, and the latest SNL.

Okay, weird. I can't seem to get a post with a photo to post, but if it's just text, it works. Help, anyone?

I have the Banville on my Kindle but I'm not itching to read it. It'll probably languish for a while...

I chuckled at the lack of OJ and apple sauce being a code orange - it made me think what our "must have at all times" items. One is Silk almond creamer for my coffee, and The Wayne gets twitchy if he gets low on cranberry-lime seltzer :)

>118 katiekrug: I suspect you'll like Banville when you get to him. The writing is great.

Cranberry-lime seltzer, eh? Sounds like TW has the same disgusting taste in beverages as Tomm...

>119 scaifea: - Hey! C-l seltzer is very good (Polar brand). Not too sweet r overwhelming in flavor, and we love seltzer in this house :D

>120 katiekrug:

Okay, so that gif worked, but I still can't get a post with a flickr link to work. Any ideas about what's going on here? Anyone?

>121 scaifea: - Quit yucking my yum!

>122 scaifea: - No clue. I only post photos that I've uploaded to my LT profile because otherwise they never seem to work or stick around...

>122 scaifea: I do what Katie said. Sometimes I've had images not appear as I look at LT in https and if the picture is on a non https site, so just http, it won't access the picture.
Hence I always upload them to my gallery, then I know that'll not be a problem.
That may, of course, be nothing like the issue you're having.

>116 scaifea: oops. I think milk, bacon & cheese are on our always in stock list. And tea, but that's all mine.

>120 katiekrug: I'm not sold on the sound of it.

>123 katiekrug: Quit yumming my yuck!!

>124 Helenliz: I've always used flickr and it's never given me problems before today. If the gallery is all that will work for me now, then my threads will be photoless because I find that route a big pain in the ass.

I only buy bacon when a recipe calls for it because otherwise I'd be eating the stuff daily and that's no good.

My must have item is grapefruit, which everyone thinks is quite funny. But I love grapefruit. A few weeks ago the grocery delivery man asked me if I had meant to buy that many or was it a mistake. I had bought eight, which I think is a perfectly normal amount, but obviously not everybody thinks that.

>126 SandDune: Ha! I like grapefruit just fine, as long as I can pour a mountain of sugar on it first...

My must-have item has to be sushi or sweet tea. I love both and will eat and drink them without getting sick of it.

>128 Owltherian: My husband is a sushi fan, too. And yes to sweet tea!

>127 scaifea: Oh no, definitely no sugar! Just nice pink grapefruit.

Morning, Amber! I'll pass on the grapefruit, but our must have items are the same as Helen's, but the milk is almond milk. And coffee.

>129 scaifea: I dont like many textures but Sushi is one thing I can eat without getting uncomfortable, and sweet tea is my favorite drink, especially Goldpeak or Peace Tea. On the other hand, foods I don't need/eat regularly are, Tofu and Pineapple Pizza (both textural reasons)

>125 scaifea: I only buy bacon when a recipe calls for it because otherwise I'd be eating the stuff daily and that's no good. It's a risk, I grant you.

>126 SandDune: 8 sounds like more than the average family might consume at a time. I like grapefruit, but can't remember the last time I had one. Mouth watering now. Not with sugar on it though.

Amber, I don't use flickr so I don't have any specific advice about your issue, but here are a some general thoughts:

I'm assuming that when you try to post a Flickr link, your post comes up blank is that correct?

Since images from other sites seem to work, it's probably not an LT-specific issue. I also don't see any problems reported in the Bug Collectors group.

Go back to a previous post where you used a Flickr image, and make a note of the image URL. Now compare that link to the one you're trying to use today. Is there anything different about the format (like http vs https, or not ending in jpg)? This might tell you whether Flickr has changed something on their end.

I'm not sure how much help I can be, but feel free to PM me if you want to take this topic off your thread.

Amber, someone in the Needlearts group reported having trouble with Flickr and another member provided a solution. Here's the message:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/356830#8390614

There's also now a thread about this issue in the Bug Collectors group:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/357926

>130 SandDune: Ha!, Well then you're welcome to all eight of them.

>131 Crazymamie: I've never tried almond milk (we're 2% milk milk drinkers here), but yes absolutely to the coffee (although I'm the only one who drinks it, it's still essential).

>132 Owltherian: I'm with you on texture being a key factor in food. It's why I can't abide coconut. Just...ew. Tofu, though, is just gross on multiple levels...

>133 Helenliz: I have zero will power against the pull of bacon. Zero. I will eat All. The. Bacon.

>134 lauralkeet: >135 lauralkeet: Oh wow, thanks so much for all of that, Laura! I figured it had to be something LT admin did, but of course I had no idea what. I'll give the link editing a try.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so I have the 12-8 shift and Teen Tuesday. We'll be playing a card game today called Hit or Miss. Should be fun. Absolutely nothing else on the To Do list today, so I'll just putter around before going in to work.

On the Reading Front:
Still plugging along with Katherine and still listening to Breathe and Count Back from Ten.

The Crafting Report:
Believe it or not, I started on a crochet project for next christmas! I meant it when I said I didn't want to go through the christmas panic again. *nods head firmly*

What We're Watching:
Some Monarch (although at this point it's really only Tomm watching while I read - this show is awful with raisins) and a couple of episodes of Only Murders.

Okay, so let's try this again...

Sunday's donuts:

WOOT!! Thanks again, Laura!

Yay! I didn’t do anything but I’m glad the editing worked.

And today's article:

AITA, Bookish Edition

>140 scaifea: Oh Wow! looks delicious. You and I had the same idea. I made donuts ( Paczki) yesterday as well.

Happy Tuesday!

>144 figsfromthistle: They turned out pretty tasty, and they smell *so* good. Charlie had a friend over and it was kind of adorable to see how big his (the friend) eye got when I brought fresh, warm donuts and apple cider to them for a snack.

Tofu is just a cube of nothing- it tastes and is just overly gross

If you marinate tofu in cranberry-lime seltzer, it's delicious ;-)

Those donuts look amazing!

>147 katiekrug: If you marinate tofu in cranberry-lime seltzer, it's delicious ;-)
*snort* !

>146 Owltherian: Sing it!!

>147 katiekrug:

And thanks! I mean, they're donuts, so it's hard to go wrong.

>148 lauralkeet: She's a real comedian, that one.

>148 lauralkeet: what in the world- that sounds gross sorry about that

>150 Owltherian: Ha! Katie is teasing me for saying (over on her thread, I think) that cranberry-lime seltzer (something she and her husband enjoy drinking, for reasons beyond my comprehension) sounds disgusting...

>151 scaifea: It does though- although i dont drink seltzer or sparkling water due to the fizzyness and weird taste.

>152 Owltherian: The fizzyness and the weird taste are exactly what makes it ew. *fist bump*

(But I kid. Yes, I don't want to drink the stuff, but I don't think Katie or her Wayne are gross for doing so. Just to be clear.)

(Neither do i)

I dont think people are weird bc of it, and omg am i in pain rn

Being weird is good, isn't it?

Is it just being thought weird that's bad?

Hmm, when I think someone is weird it means they've caught my attention for something beyond the usual excellences. Like not that they are more attractive, but that they put together an outfit I couldn't imagine and I'm fascinated.....

I'm not a huge fan of seltzer myself. I like a bolder taste

Whereas I'm not a fan of flavored seltzer because I need a little sweetness. I imagine a cranberry lime ginger ale would be a hit with me (I've had cranberry ginger ale before and liked it).

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8 again today, and I may spend some of that time working on putting together the Star Wars display. No real plans before going in for work, just puttering.

The Tuesday Teens loved playing Hit or Miss! It's a simply but surprisingly fun game. Essentially, players have 30 seconds to make a list of as many things they can think of that fit the prompt category (the game comes with a stack of prompt cards), such as, "things that have wings," or "things found in an attic." Then you go round the table and each player gets a turn to roll the die, which is marked with "hit" or "miss" on its sides. For a "hit," the player calls out an item on their list that they think other players probably thought of too, and they get a point for each other player who admits a "hit." For a "miss" roll, they call out an item they think no one else likely has, and again they get a point for each "miss," but if any player admits a "hit" here, *that* player gets *three* points. We played several rounds and it was a hoot.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Katherine and Breathe and Count Back from Ten.

The Crafting Report:
I did work on the SLP crochet project a bit yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some old SNL sketches.

The Article of the Day:

I would absolutely pay to go see these parrots.

Hit or Miss! sounds like a lot of fun, Amber.
And an enthusiastic "hell yeah" about the parrots.

That sounds like a bunch of fun! I would definitely pay to see bad mouthed parrots.

>159 scaifea: *snort*

>160 lauralkeet: That game is so much fun! It's made by Gamewright, which generally has excellent offerings.

I love the idea of cursing parrots. So funny.

>161 Owltherian: Right? I admit that I think it would be hilarious if their plan to incorporate them into the bigger population backfires and they *all* start spouting expletives...

>163 scaifea: YESSSSS- that would be so funny!

Hit or Miss sounds like fun. A bit like Scattergories...

Love the parrot story!

>164 Owltherian: Too funny, right?

>165 katiekrug: I've heard of Scattergories, but never played it. I'll have to check it out.

Morning, Amber! We also really like Scattergories. Hit or Miss! sounds fun - I had not even heard of that one before.

The parrot story cracked me up - thanks for sharing. Julia would have loved it.

>166 scaifea: Yeah

>167 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I definitely recommend checking out Gamewright's website - they have all sorts of excellent games.

And thanks. Dang, I miss her.

Hit or Miss sounds like a lot of fun! I also saw the Scattergories comparison right away -- if you like word games you'd probably like that one.

>170 curioussquared: I'll definitely have to check it out!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-2, then heading straight to school to pick Charlie up, then home to do the menu planning and get my grocery list ready for tomorrow's shopping, then making dinner.

Yesterday was one of the rare days when I don't 100% love my job. It was just a steady stream of a-hole parents not paying any attention to their children, who were screaming, pulling books off shelves, running everywhere,... Ugh. The kiddos I don't mind (for the most part, although there are a couple of after-school middle grade turds that I could do without); the little ones aren't to blame because they don't know any better. It's those parents who assume the library is part daycare and part Thunderdome. Yeesh.

Anyhoo.

On the Reading Front:
Still plugging along with Katherine, but I did finish listening to Breathe and Count Back from Ten (review to come, at some point) and I started Honestly Elliott.

The Crafting Report:
I made some good progress on SLP Project #1 yesterday, despite the parade of parents from hell. And today's the day! I'll be putting together the Star Wars display! Photos to come...

What We're Watching:
An episode of Attack on Titan.

Article of the Day:

Continuing with the Birds in the News theme...

What I want to know is, will Cruise be playing the lead role in the blockbuster adaptation? I smell an Oscar...

>172 scaifea: parents can be just awful. My weekly shift overlaps with story time which is fine in and of itself, but there are always a lot of children running around before and after. While I try to avoid the area, sometimes I have a cart full of returns needing to be shelved and I have to maneuver around crazy kiddos and the occasional parent who decides to plop down with all their stuff right in the middle of an aisle.

Checking in on your "new" thread, Amber. I am only 170+ posts behind, lol.

Have a thunderous Thursday!

Our town library has a separate building for the children's library, which I am grateful for because I don't have to encounter misbehaving children and clueless parents.

>173 scaifea: - Snork!

>174 lauralkeet: Ooof, yeah. We have an unspoken rule that we don't reshelve children's books unless the children's section is relatively empty. I vote that you install a cowcatcher on the front of your cart...

>175 alcottacre: No! No thunder! Unless it's the thunderous sound of silence in the library today. I deserve a No Patron Day. *sigh*

(But thank you, Stasia, and it's good to see you!)

Our library is quite small, so you can't really escape whatever's going on in the children's section. That's my go-to for when it gets too awful and I have to go over and say something, "There are other patrons in the library trying to read/study/{just f*cking exist}, so please tell your child to quiet down." (Brackets left unsaid but very likely implied - I don't hide my feelings very well sometimes.)

>174 lauralkeet: I try to avoid it, and will shelve books in other sections first. But sometimes there's no alternative and I don't want to sit around twiddling my thumbs!

>178 lauralkeet: I get that, since you're there for a short bit of time and have the one thing to do. It's easier for us, of course, to wait.

>172 scaifea: I usually love my job too, the days I don't remind me how much I ended up hating my last job. Fortunately they are relatively rare. Hope today's been better.

>177 scaifea: I vote that you install a cowcatcher on the front of your cart... please please please do this and post a picture. >:-)

Oof. Sometimes I think I might like to be a public children's librarian, but then I picture >172 scaifea:. My library is my classroom and I have behavior expectations and consequences just like any other teacher. For the most part I don't have parents when I am teaching, and if I do, the kids still know my expectations!

>180 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen. Yesterday was better.

>181 AMQS: Yeah, it's a lot easier to tell kiddos to behave than it is to tell their parents to do so. *sigh*

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then baking (Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies), some laundry, weekly bill sorting, write up a couple of reviews, and maybe some crafting. Frozen Friday dinner!

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Katherine, but I finished listening to Honestly Elliott while packing cargo yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
SLP Project #1 is coming along...

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, then we finished up Monarch and started watching Death and Other Details, which is excellent so far. Then we watched an episode of Our Flag Means Death.

And here's the Star Wars display:

Instead of an article today, I'm just going to point out a website/project I think is amazing and wonderful:

A group that finds volunteers to finish handicraft projects left behind by those who have died.

>184 scaifea: Your display looks fabulous, Amber!

>185 scaifea: I heard about that group a while ago and have followed them on Instagram. I love what they're doing. I briefly considered volunteering but decided not right now due to some other commitments. Maybe someday.

>186 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I think it looks pretty good, too. I love that all I had to do was mention that I was thinking about putting together a Star Wars display and my colleagues immediately agreed to crochet a couple of things to go along with my own stuff.

I feel the same way about the Loose Ends project: I want to volunteer, but I need to get to a place where I have more time to do so.

How are you today, Amber?

>188 Owltherian: I'm doing okay so far - how are you, Owl?

>189 scaifea: Good, was wayyyy worse yesterday. In my class i heard someone say they messed up Mac & Cheese-

>191 bfSH: This is the reason i want to leave- people like you

The Star Wars display looks great! Will it stay up through May the Fourth?

I'd be interested to hear how the orange chocolate chip cookies turn out. Orange and chocolate is a favorite combination of mine. My mom used to make chocolate cupcakes with orange (flavored, not just colored) frosting, and the mere memory of them still makes me drool....

ETA: and I've been meaning to start 'Death and Other Details.' Glad you're enjoying it.

>184 scaifea: that looks amazing. I'm not sure I'd realised quite how large the death star thingy was. Glad that other people are chipping in.

>185 scaifea: another on the count me interested but not sure I could commit team.
I finished a number of my Mum's cross stitch projects when she died. She taught me, but I'd not realised that I had evolved a completely contradictory approach to moving thread colours across the piece until I tried to finish one of hers. OMG. It was quite stressful.

>193 katiekrug: Thanks! Nope, because our summer library program will start in May and we'll need to be decorated for that instead. This will just be up for February, since I switch out the picture book displays every month.

I've got the cookie dough mixed together and chillin' in the fridge right now and the house smells like oranges, which is lovely. It's a bit of a fussy recipe (you brown the butter before mixing it in, and the author seems to think the cookies will taste better if I mix them by hand (fat chance, weirdo)), but I'm interested in how they turn out, too, because chocolate and orange *are* and excellent combo. And I suspect the browned butter will actually make them tasty, too, although it's another 10 minutes of my time and another pan to wash. *sigh*

Death and Other Details is *so* good. A locked door mystery but on a cruise ship, and Mandy Patinkin is the detective. I mean...

>194 Helenliz: Oh yeah. That knitted Death Star is stupid big. And by "stupid" I mean that only a dummy would decide making such a thing is a good idea...

The stress is another reason I hesitate to volunteer. The pressure of not screwing up the project of someone's dead loved one is no joke.

Do you listen to podcasts? If so what type. I listen to Unsolved Mysteries and stuff like that.

>196 Owltherian: I generally don't listen to podcasts, mostly because I'd rather be spending my audio time on books. But when I'm in the car with my husband, we tend to listen either to Smartless or Conan Needs a Friend, both of which are pretty good.

Anyone else have podcast recommendations?

Ive never listened to those, plus i think my friends think I'm weird for listening to them but idc honestly. Omg there's a girl who used to say things about me irl who is sitting near me and I'm pretty sure she still hates me

Boo to having to brown the butter. I'd probably end up burning it :-P

No podcast recs. Like you, I just listen to audio books.

Omg- it got worse- its like the loudest people sitting near me- helpppppp

>198 Owltherian: Well, if you like celeb interviews and funny conversations, I recommend both of those podcasts.

>199 katiekrug: Welp, the cookies are heckin' delicious. I'm fighting the urge to be annoyed because yeah, the butter business is a little annoying. But I think the cookies are too good not to keep the recipe. The butter browning process isn't difficult at all, though, just tedious.

I'm interested in those orange chocolate chip cookies too!

>202 lauralkeet: The recipe comes from a cookbook called The Southern Baking Cookbook, if you want to track it down. There are a handful of other recipes from it that I want to try, too.

I have a few baking recipes i want to try, most of them are chocolate themed things

>204 Owltherian: You really can't go wrong with chocolate.

Yeah, these are too good not to make again:

>205 scaifea: Nope, the one im most exited for is the new york cheesecake cookies.

Recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/new-york-cheesecake-cookies-recip...

>206 scaifea: - Ooh, they look chewy and delicious!

I found this recipe online and might give it a whirl sometime soon...

Ooh- they look yummy

>207 Owltherian: Those *do* look good!

>208 katiekrug: Yep, that looks like an un-fussy version of this recipe (although I hate to admit that the browned butter does make a difference).

I dont really bake anymore due to my dads gf being busy and leaving for hours and hours at a time

>208 katiekrug: thanks for sharing that recipe link, Katie!

>210 scaifea: - If they come out half-decently, I'll call it a day. I don't bake enough to warrant buying a cookbook devoted to it.

>212 lauralkeet: - You're welcome!

>184 scaifea: Oh, that's soooo cool.

>213 katiekrug: I don't buy cookbooks either; I check them out of the library, take photos of the recipes I want to try with my ipad, and then return the book.

>214 drneutron: Thanks!!

>215 scaifea: - D'oh! I've started borrowing cookbooks from the library, too. Not sure why I didn't think of it in this case...

>216 katiekrug: Meh, just use your non-fussy version and have done with it.

>217 scaifea: - Going to have to, as I just checked and none of the libraries in our big consortium have that one.

We've been watching Death and Other Details and enjoying it too! Plus watching it as it comes out forces Tim to consume it slowly instead of pressuring me to binge it all in a few days 😂

>218 katiekrug: Huh. Weird.

>219 curioussquared: It's so good, isn't it? I love a locked door mystery anyway, and so far this one seems so clever and visually it's gorgeous.

17. Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester (audiobook) - 9/10
Veronica has hip dysplasia, which means she’s had a bunch of surgeries, can’t walk as long or as far as other teens, and has scars that she tries to hide. She also has parents who are very strict, a situation made worse when she’s caught in the apartment complex hot tub making out with a boy. And she both hates that they immediately assumed she would have ‘gone all the way’ if they hadn’t walked in at that moment and suspects that they, in fact, prevented the boy from raping her by doing so. She also feels that she has no say in her medical care, as her doctor tends to talk past her and directly to her parents about the progression of her condition and what the next steps should be. Swimming is the only thing that allows her to feel free and completely in control. So when auditions are announced for the mermaid show she has long dreamed of being a part of (but of which her parents strongly disapprove, of course) – and when a new boy moves into the complex and sparks fly between the two of them – Veronica must decide between obeying her parents and demanding the body autonomy she (and all women everywhere) deserve.

I *loved* this YA novel, both for the interesting storyline and its unique and important portrayal of consent, why it’s vital, and how it’s not just about sex. Veronica and her boyfriend are interesting and nicely developed characters, who both struggle both with the usual Teen Stuff and also mental and physical issues in a realistic, relatable way without too much angst. Highly recommended.



18. Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn (audiobook) - 7/10
Elliott is on the spectrum and has ADHD. He’s most comfortable and happy in the kitchen cooking elaborate-for-a-middle-grader meals, but lately even cooking can’t calm the disturbances in his brain caused by his father remarrying and the new wife being pregnant. His grades have fallen in a drastic way, and there was an “incident” that he now must go to weekly therapy to work through. The one thing he’s looking forward to is summer cooking camp. But when his father decides that Elliott should be made to pay for the damages he caused with this “incident,” Elliott realizes he’ll have to use the money he worked hard all year to save for camp to do so. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, they do: his friends cut him out of a group project at school and he's left the only one in the class without any partners, sad and embarrassed. But it turns out that the Most Popular Girl in School also doesn’t have a partner after she leaves her own friend group in a huff. And then the two of them come up with a plan that just may possibly earn them an A, and enough money for Elliott to pay back his father *and* go to cooking camp.

I'm catching up a bit but the Star Wars display looks fantastic! Kudos to you and your co-workers.

>222 MickyFine: Thanks!

On the Agenda for Today:
We've already had our Saturday Morning Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and later I'll do some more baking (Chocolate Marshmallow Mousse). I also want to try making Soy-Marinated Eggs, although I'm pretty sure I'll be the only one trying them. Otherwise, I need to catch up on laundry, some house cleaning, brush the dogs. I'm hoping for some crafting and reading time, too. Tomm's in charge of dinner; he's making his famous Chicken Caesar Salad.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Katherine, and I started listening to When the Angels Left the Old Country.

The Crafting Report:
More progress on SLPP#1.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and, of course, Groundhog Day.

Today's article is of local interest to me - Denison University is just down the road from here, about 15 minutes or so:

The Hilltoppers become, for one day, the Philtoppers.

I love the behind-the-scenes look at the celebrations, but it also solidifies my desire never to go. Crowds are demonstrably not my jam.

>225 scaifea: I would never in a million years want to be present for the groundhog appearance, but I can see where it would be a blast for an a cappella group.

>226 lauralkeet: Right? What an experience for a group a group of college kiddos.

Catching up and waving hi, Amber! Love seeing all the yummy baked goods and handicraft creations. The Star Wars display came out great!

Thanks, Mary!

Happy Sunday, Amber. Just checking in. How is everything going at the Scaife Manor?

On the Agenda for Today:
More baking (Pistachio Chocolate Buns for this week's breakfasts and a giant peanut butter cup for desserts), meal prep for Charlie's lunches, dusting, organizing my schedule and To Do lists for the week, and then hopefully some crafting and reading. Scalloped Potatoes with Ham for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
STILL with the Katherine. So. Long. And still listening to When the Angels Left the Old Country.

The Crafting Report:
I didn't manage my time very well yesterday and didn't get any crafting in.

What We're Watching:
More It's Always Sunny, and then we watched Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom for the first time. Tomm and I loved it; Charlie not so much.

>230 msf59: Morning, Mark! It's all good here, and I'm happy about the sunny-and-50s weather today!

Happy Sunday, Amber. The sun is almost blinding here, I am so not used to seeing it :)

I have several Anya Seaton books on my Kindle, but the length always puts me off. Does it at least read somewhat quickly, or is it a slog?

>233 katiekrug: I read it in just a couple of sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. It helps that he's already one of history's fascinating characters and their relationship a genuinely romantic story.

>233 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! That sunshine looks amazing out there, and yeah, it's always so surprising when it first comes back around in late winter.

>233 katiekrug: >234 Helenliz: I have *no* idea how Helen read this in just a couple of sittings - it clocks in at 580 pages! And, for me, at least, it's not a fast read. It's not necessarily a slog (although at the end of each day I wonder how it looks like I have *more* to read than less, to be honest), but it's not exactly a page-turner, either. Pretty run-of-the-mill historical romance for me, and could have used some editing. Honestly, I'm debating some skim work today just so I can finish it and move on. But who knows? Maybe you'd have a reaction closer to Helen's than mine.

>235 scaifea: I think I was supposed to be doing housework. >;-)

>236 Helenliz: At this point, I'd almost rather do the housework!

I'll get to it... eventually...

Good afternoon Amber! How are you?

Pistachio chocolate buns sound delicious!!

I'm the one who was having issues with the Flickr images. I'm glad Laura spotted your question and provided the solution I was offered. Apparently that final script line was the problem.

>238 katiekrug: No need to get into a rush.

>239 Owltherian: Pretty good, thanks.

>240 curioussquared: They were...okay. The dough is a biscuit, not a bun, and the filling was so-so. I don't think I'll make them again.

>241 thornton37814: Yep, problem solved.

19. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb (audiobook) - 6/10
An angel and a demon have been friends for centuries, studying together in a synagogue in the old world, when the demon decides that they should leave and go to the states since everyone else seems to be escaping. He convinces the angel to go with him by saying that they should find a local young woman who immigrated but whose family hasn’t heard from her.

This one won several awards, but I can’t really understand why. I didn’t care about any of the characters and had trouble feigning interest in the plot. The “an angel and a demon are in love despite everything (including themselves) and work together to save the world” thing has been done elsewhere – pretty famously – and done *much* better. Just go reread that one or rewatch the show.



20. Katherine by Anya Seton (romance) - 7/10
A fictionalized romance about the love affair of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

It’s on lots of lists as one of the best romance novels of all time, and maybe it’s because it was, I guess, one of the first true historical romances? I’ll grant that it may be important to the history of the genre, but it’s nothing special as far as the writing goes or the romance itself. It’s just…okay. But certainly not good enough for its length.

>242 scaifea: Thats good, i'm about to go to the bookstore to look for some books.

On the Agenda for Today:
I don't work today (I *love* it when I don't work on Mondays - makes easing into the new week a lot nicer), so I'll be doing a bit of house cleaning, some baking (Gooey Blondies with Toasted Pecans and Chocolate x3 for the Tuesday Teens tomorrow), some writing, and maybe some crafting. I also need to hop over to the next town to return a couple of library books; I'll do that before picking up Charlie from school. Oh, and I need to call and reschedule Charlie's dental cleaning because he says in on a day he has assignments to in classes that he'd be missing that morning. Katsu Burgers for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started Iveliz Explains It All yesterday, and I'll start listening to Wicked As You Wish this morning, probably. The latter is the February pick for Charlie's school book club (ran by the school librarian, and of course Charlie is a member of the club). I like reading along with them because Charlie and I enjoy talking about books together, and the school librarian orders the copies for each month from us, so I like chatting with her about them when she comes in, too.

The Crafting Report:
I actually managed a little bit of knitting yesterday on the cowl! I feel like I mostly crochet these days and I miss having knitting needles in my hands.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, the weekend's SNL, and an episode of Drunk History.

Today's Article:

Elmo as therapist.

I don't know if you all were following this, but it certainly is interesting. Some of the responses were hilarious, but overall, it's an eye-opener, and also a lovely, if rare, moment of community on the webs.

>246 scaifea: I saw something about Elmo a few days ago, but didn't follow through and read it. I agree, it's lovely.

>246 scaifea: - I did see the Elmo thing on Twitter, and I love how Sesame Street leaned into it and got other characters involved.

>247 lauralkeet: >248 katiekrug: Sesame Street is one of the saving graces of humanity, to be sure.

How are thee today Amber?

>243 scaifea: I remember loving Katharine when I read it as a teenager. In fact, I devoured every Anya Seton book I could get my hands on for a decade or so. I suspect that it would not have worked for me nearly as well even in my 30s, and certainly not now.

>243 scaifea: sorry Katherine didn't work out for you. I remain secure in my love for it. Although Linda makes a valid point >252 laytonwoman3rd:. I accept that time and place in life can play a huge role in a response to a particular book. I've got an entry date, but it is when I joined LT, so my read of it pre-dates that.

Hi Amber! All the baking looks delicious, as usual. I went and got eh cookbook from the library that a few others had mentioned trying - Dinner in One and while there are things on the list, I actually made her Cardamom Pound Cake. Delicious!

>221 scaifea: Honestly Elliott is on the shelves of my library. Haven't read it yet.

>246 scaifea: The Elmo on X story has made me tear up more than once. And you're right: it is a lovely, if rare, moment of community on the webs.

>252 laytonwoman3rd: >253 Helenliz: That's a great point, Linda. I think 13yo me (the age I was when I read Gone with the Wind and adored it) would have liked this one much better.

>254 AMQS: Anything cardamom is worth trying, as far as I'm concerned.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working my usual Tuesday shift, 12-8, and running Teen Tuesday (today I'll be walking them through a writing exercise). Not much else on the To Do list.

On the Reading Front:
I finished Iveliz Explains It All yesterday, started reading Carry On, and started listening to Wicked as You Wish.

The Crafting Report:
I worked a bit on the christmas crochet project.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and a couple of episodes of Only Murders in the Building.

A video link instead of an article today:

This new World Heritage Site is just about 15 minutes from my house. Pretty darn exciting.

>221 scaifea: Too bad my local library does not have the Natalia Sylvester book. It looks very good! Thanks for the recommendation, Amber.

>243 scaifea: I am sorry that you did not enjoy When the Angels Left the Old Country more. I liked it quite a bit, a BB from Mary (bell7), who loved it.

>257 scaifea: I will have to check out that link!

>258 alcottacre: I hope you can eventually get your hands on a copy of the Sylvester. It's wonderful. And I'm very much in the minority about WtALtOC, I know, but wow, I really just don't see it.

>259 scaifea: As I often say, not every book is for every body (thank goodness - life would be boring if we all liked the same things!)

I will keep a look out for the Sylvester book. Maybe I can order it in May for my Thingaversary!

Just catching up -- those orange chocolate chip cookies look ah-mazing.

Hello Amber. Happy Tuesday.

>245 scaifea: I love that detail about Charlie's school book club. How fun to read along and discuss with him as he reads.

The orange chocolate chip cookies sound heavenly but browning the butter less so. I've been talking about making cookies when we return home so maybe I'll look for a recipe that doesn't call for that step.

>245 scaifea: I used to love having Mondays off too. Recover from the weekend, quiet time, time to do jobs and run errands...get vaguely prepared for the week!

My day off is Wednesday...but then I went and accepted yet another little research contract at the university and that put paid to that!

>255 scaifea: Same. I tried a recipe recently that we all loved for cardamom orange muffins. Really good!

>261 foggidawn: They were really good.

>262 EBT1002: I love that I have a teen who loves reading and happily talks about what he reads with me. We're constantly either reading the same books together or recommending one to the other. It's wonderful.

Honestly? Just use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add the zest of an orange to it. That's pretty much it, and the softened butter will be just fine.

>263 LovingLit: You always sound *so* busy! Whew!

>264 AMQS: Oh, those sound fantastic!

Hello Amber, how are you doing?

Happy New Thread, Amber! That beautiful teacup caught my eye!

>267 Owltherian: I'm doing okay, thanks.

>268 vancouverdeb: Aw, thanks! I love my Blue Willow dishes.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-2, going straight from there to pick up Charlie from school, then home for a quick snack, then back in the car to take Charlie to concert rehearsal 40 minutes away. Whew! Busy day, but I should get some nice reading time on a gorgeous college campus while he rehearses. Dinner will either be leftovers or possibly delivery from the new pizza place in town.

Teen Tuesday was fun last night; I had them work on a writing exercise, a bit of fanfic: take your favorite character to the grocery store. I had them choose a character before I told them what they were going to do with them, then gave them a series of prompt questions to answer (What kind of store would they shop at, what would they wear to the grocery, are they the kind of person who makes a list or just wings it, what sort of items would they impulse buy,...) gave them a couple of minute per question, then went round and had them share their answers. So now they have an outline for a short fanfic if they want to write it, and to my surprise, several of them said they loved it and were definitely going to do it! It was a fun time with lots of laughs. I ended up letting them choose the kind of store, too, so it didn't just have to be groceries. Examples of what they came up with:

Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses) shopping at Target
L (from Death Note) going to a bakery/coffee shop
Tony Stark and Peter Parker together shopping at Walmart
Charlie (from Heartstopper) shopping at The Hot Topical

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Carry On yesterday, abandoned Wicked as You Wish because it was terrible with raisins, and started listening to Galileo's Middle Finger.

The Crafting Report:
SLP Project #1 is coming along nicely...

What We're Watching:
An episode of Attack on Titan

On the Agenda for Today:
I need to do my menu planning and prep my grocery list, and then also *go* grocery shopping this morning. Then once the groceries are all put away, I'll bake some cookies (Friday After-School Treat Except on a Thursday, since I work tomorrow), do some laundry, and maybe some writing. Some sort of Mac & Cheese for dinner tonight, I think.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Carry On and listened to some of Galileo's Middle Finger yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
Nope, no time for crafting yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, a couple of Attack on Titan episodes, and we finished up season 2 of Our Flag Means Death.

Morning, Amber!

The Wayne is watching a Netflix show called 'One Piece.' It's a live-action anime or something? He really likes it. I'd never heard of it but he said it's been really popular - didn't know if it was something y'all might want to check out.

Please to put bacon and peas in my serving of mac and cheese. Kthxbye!

>265 scaifea: I love that I have a teen who loves reading and happily talks about what he reads with me. We're constantly either reading the same books together or recommending one to the other. It's wonderful.

My daughter Beth and I do this as well - and she is now in her 30s! I hope that continues for you and Charlie, Amber.

Have a great day!

>272 katiekrug: One Piece - the manga - is on our list, for sure. I've heard mixed things about the live action (apparently manga fans don't love it?) so I'll leave it up to Charlie whether we watch.

I'm making Cacio e Pepe Mac and Cheese, but I guess I'll have some bacon and peas on the side for you? *shudders*

>273 alcottacre: That's great, Stasia!

>274 scaifea: - Ooh, I do love cacio e pepe so never mind. But surely you're not shuddering at the bacon, so must be the peas :)

>276 katiekrug: I enjoy both bacon and peas, but neither of them in mac and cheese. You're welcome to that particular culinary...treat.

>277 scaifea: - Interesting. Do you like anything in mac and cheese or are you a purist? I also like bacon in my grilled cheese, so maybe it's just a cheese and bacon thing!

Just getting caught up here, so much to read!
I got his with several book bullets on my way through! The Ten Thousands Doors of January, and the Linger & Wolves of Mercy Hall series! I had started her Raven Cycle series years ago and only got part way through. Not because I didn't love it, but I forgot about it. I should go back and start it over!

I saw a Tiktok about the Elmo therapist and then went back and read some of the X comments. The world is a sad place right now, for sure, but there were a few bright responses.

>278 katiekrug: I'm not morally opposed to stuff in my mac and cheese, I suppose, but I don't like bacon in anything but a BLT, and cheesy peas just sounds awful.

>279Well I hope you like the Harrow better than I did. It definitely should be lower on your list than getting back to the Raven Cycle, which is one of my all-time favorite series. So, so good!

I'm a mac and cheese purist but one of my regular go-to pasta dishes is "Pasta with Peas and Bacon," which also includes parmesan and just a touch of cream. So yes Amber, cheesy peas! and bacon! Yum!

>281 lauralkeet: You and Katie are welcome to it!

I'll join in the group for cheesy peas and bacon -- I like peas in mac & cheese, and also cut-up bits of ham.

I don't go for veggies in my mac & cheese. But cheese and peas together is OK. I make a cold pea salad that combines them. (This may have come up here before.) Bacon sounds good, but no cut up hot dogs please.

Count me in for veggies and bacon in my mac and cheese! One of my favorite ways to doctor up boxed mac and cheese (Annie's white cheddar, usually) for a quick lunch is to add broccoli cut up into small pieces :)

>281 lauralkeet:, >285 curioussquared: I love to do macaroni shells with broccoli and a fair amount of parmesan grated into it---but that's "shells with broccoli", not "mac 'n' cheese"....semantics, I know.

You all are...special...

>286 laytonwoman3rd: *cough* You DID just call it - AND I QUOTE - "macaroni shells with broccoli" (emphasis mine). Your mathsemantics aren't adding up.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/358212

>284 laytonwoman3rd:, >287 scaifea: That cold pea salad is a trap that I trust you have the good sense not to fall for.

Peas & cheese, I'll pass on. But I will admit to loading our pasta cheese concoction with onions, mushrooms & bacon. I have to smuggle vegetables into the husband (a bit like a toddler), under the cover of cheese quite a lot sneaks through. >:-)

>289 lycomayflower: You trust correctly.

>290 Helenliz: Okay, I've tried to be tactful about all this, but mushrooms?! EW.

Note to self: no carbonara or primavera when Amber comes for the Jersey food tour....

(Agree on mushrooms. In any form/context.)

>291 scaifea:, >292 katiekrug:. That's OK, all the more for me. I'm fine with that!

Howdy Amber! Before I sample the new thread. . .
>105 scaifea: Hm. I may skip the spoiler in question when it happens but I'll still give it a try. Sounds like it could still be a good read.
>140 scaifea: Them is some yummy looking donuts :)
>172 scaifea: That's real sucky. It's ridiculous how many parents think public places mean free childcare or an excuse to be negligent. Gross.
>184 scaifea: ehhhh is my memory messing up again or were several of these from earlier this year? They look great either way!
>185 scaifea: Oooooh that's such a fantastic idea! Bless these people, they're doing good work.
>197 scaifea: I may have mentioned it before, but I like The Adventure Zone (basically, three middle-age brothers and their elder father play DnD and other tabletop games - hilarity ensues) and I'm also fond of Distractable (youtuber Markiplier and his two friends talking random stuff, more hilarity ensues).
>270 scaifea: Oh I love that. Fanfiction I feel is a rite of passage for a future author, really.

Oh, I love The Adventure Zone! Haven’t listened to the latest adventure yet, need to get back to it. Just started listening to Mission Implausible - two retired CIA agents discussing/debunking conspiracy theories. They just started, so just a few episodes up.

>294 Ravenwoodwitch: >296 scaifea: The Adventure Zone sounds really fun! I'll have to see if Charlie knows about it.