Ellen reads more in 2024 - Book 2

Aloha! I'm Ellen, recently retired reader, beginner sketcher, hiker, camper, cat-lover, and LT-er since 2011.

In December 2023 I retired after more than 30 years working in higher education. I currently live in eastern Washington state with Prudence (aka P), my wife of 28 years, and our beloved but troublesome ginger cat, Carson.

I have a "retirement reading" list but I'm following advice I've been given about the first six months of retirement living: no commitments. That said, I'll certainly participate in some group and shared reads as the year progresses.

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Carson being cute, as usual. Same pictures as first thread, not because I don't have more pictures of him (ha ha) but because I'm lazy.

Kauai Images



Egret in Plumeria Tree outside our little condo



White-rumped Shama, found only on Kauai and Oahu
This guy has a beautiful song. He visits when we're sitting on our lanai. I think someone has fed him in the past but he'll not be getting treats from us. He's not aggressive, just hopeful.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. North Woods by Daniel Mason 4.5 stars
2. How Can I Help You by Laura Sims 4 stars
3. I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell 5 stars
4. Loot by Tania James 3.5 stars
5. The Casuarina Tree by W. Somerset Maugham 3.5 stars
6. Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty 4 stars
7. Western Lane by Chetna Maroo 3.5 stars
8. Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín 4 stars
9. Chenneville by Paulette Jiles 5 stars
10. Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby 4 stars

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

11. Dead Lions by Mick Herron 4.5 stars
DNF The Paragon Hotel by Lindsay Faye
12. The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 4 stars
13. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger 4 stars
14. The Magic Fish: A Graphic Novel by Trung Le Nguyen 4.5 stars
15. So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan 4 stars
16. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan 3.5 stars
17. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall 4 stars

COMPLETED IN MARCH

18. Lone Women by Victor LaValle 4 stars

My first-ever watercolor-only painting!
In the past I have used watercolor pencils, but I'm trying to learn to use real watercolors, mixing to get the colors I want.

This little painting was done with only three primary colors: Quinacridone Gold (the yellow), Permanent Alizarin Crimson (the red), and Ultramarine (the blue), all Daniel Smith brand. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

This year's reading plans that involve friends:

January
✅ I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell - Real Life Book Group (RLBG - COMPLETED)
✅ The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff - w Beth & Kim (COMPLETED)

February
✅ The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - w Mark & others
✅ Chenneville by Paulette Jiles - w Kim & Beth (CURRENTLY READING)

March
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea Debra Magpie Earling w Beth & Kim

June
The Known World by Edward P. Jones - w Kim & Beth
Spring by Ali Smith - w Mark

August
The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason - w Mark

December
Bound to Please by Michael Dirda - w Stasia

Welcome, visitors!!!

I like this minimalist new thread, Ellen ;-)

Happy new one!

>8 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I did add in some content, you'll see. *smile*

Happy new thread Ellen!

Vacation good wishes!

I love your water color, Ellen.

Happy New Thread.

I am only about 30 pages into Chenneville and am loving it. Jiles is so great with atmosphere and setting.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Lovely to see you posting like your normal self in '24.

>5 EBT1002: A bit frustrating that some of the pictures including your water colour are not visible for me. Maybe the next time I visit.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Your trip there sounded arduous but looks like you're making up for lost time. That's a really impressive pineapple watercolour.

>10 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>11 BLBera: Isn't Jiles great with atmosphere and setting? I would argue that she is also excellent at character development. I'm into Part Two of Chenneville and John/Jean is becoming quite real.

I'm glad you like my first-ever watercolor sketch!!

>12 PaulCranswick: Hmm, that is frustrating, Paul. I wonder what is wrong. It appears that others are able to see my pictures, at least the one of the watercolor pineapple. Oh, speaking of which, I need to go cut up that pineapple so we can eat it!

>13 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. We are definitely in full relaxation mode. Luckily, though the trip here was indeed arduous, we knew we had lots of time on island so we stressed less about the delay than we might have if this was a shorter visit.

Today we each got a new pair of flip flops, SanDuks for Prudence and Archies for me. I like the Archies a lot so far!

We've seen some whale activity, as well, most of it pretty far out to sea. But I'm sitting here with eyes peeled (pealed? what does this weird saying mean, anyway??) for more.

Tomorrow is our catamaran ride up along the Na Pali coast, a wild part of the island with no roads for access. I hope the weather and sea conditions allow us to go all the way up along that west side of the island. We did this same tour several years ago and, while the swells didn't allow us to make the whole trek, we did see Spinner Dophins and Bottleneck Porpoises and Gray Whales. It means I won't be reading or LT-ing tomorrow but I will check in after the adventure!

Happy new one, Ellen. I like the photos of Carson and the birds. Your watercolour pineapple turned out well.
I have no idea what you bought for flip flops. The names mean nothing to me, but I'm a philistine when it comes to flip-flops.
Your catamaran trip sounds exciting. I can't wait to see what you'll experience. Enjoy it.

Nice pineapple!! : ) Enjoy the Archies and have fun on the catamaran ride tomorrow. I am opening Chenneville right now....!

Happy New thread, Ellen! Glad your holiday in Kauai is going well. Nora Webster that was a good read for me too.

I really like the pineapple water color!

Have fun on the boat ride today. When I was in St. Lucia, we did a catamaran trip along the coast, and it was lovely.

Happy new thread!

>5 EBT1002: I think the water-colour turned out great!

I can see all the pictures, Ellen. Love the beautiful bird pic and the watercolor. Hard to believe it was done with only three colors! We too did the boat ride up the Na Pali coast, although not a catamaran as my daughter was only three. Beautiful.

Sweet Thursday, Ellen. Happy New Thread. I love the bird pics. Please take more. I wonder if the egret is a cattle egret? The shama is gorgeous. Hawaii is losing their endemic birds so this may be the last chance to see several of these species. Very sad.

I absolutely adored Yellowface. What a ride!

Hi Ellen! Happy second thread.

From your last thread: I didn’t realize you were going to be on vacation for 3 weeks. The fresh pineapple and other produce sound fantastic. Yay for open windows and rain. And, whale watching from your own lanai. Can hardly beat that.

>1 EBT1002: I love the Aloha AND that you can finally write ‘recently retired’.

>3 EBT1002: Wonderful photos, thanks for sharing!

>5 EBT1002: Nice, fat, sweet-looking pineapple, beautifully done.

Hi Ellen! Happy second thread.

From your last thread: I didn’t realize you were going to be on vacation for 3 weeks. The fresh pineapple and other produce sound fantastic. Yay for open windows and rain. And, whale watching from your own lanai. Can hardly beat that.

>1 EBT1002: I love the Aloha AND that you can finally write ‘recently retired’.

>3 EBT1002: Wonderful photos, thanks for sharing!

>5 EBT1002: Nice, fat, sweet-looking pineapple, beautifully done.

My prayer has been answered: a new thread from Ellen. I've been reluctant to plunge into one with 324 unread posts. Good to discover one that I can join on the ground floor. Nice that you and P are enjoying sunshine and birds and ocean beasts. In contrast, I'm "enjoying" thick fog.

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I didn’t sleep much — nervous about today’s boat adventure? That, and Chenneville is so good. I wanted to keep reading!

I love your watercolor painting, Ellen! Keep up the good work.

I look forward to seeing photos from today's boat adventure.

>2 EBT1002: Purrrrr.

>3 EBT1002: The egret has its eye on you. Both beautiful visitors.

>5 EBT1002: That is lovely Ellen. You are in a great place for watercolour homework.

I would love to see whales in the wild.

Love your pineapple!

>5 EBT1002: So good Ellen!

Happy new thread, and happy vacation!

i am LOVING Chenneville!

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I was a bit worried it was going to be aloha and I would’ve felt silly.

I’ll catch up in more detail later but our boat ride yesterday was wonderful. Lots of whales, no dolphins, beautiful coastline, huge fun swells on the ocean. I parked myself at the bow and happily got soaked. And, not so wonderful, my feet got very. Badly. Sunburned. The worst burn in my long memory. It was stupid of me and I paid the price in pain last night.

Chenneville didn’t get much of my time yesterday but it continues to deliver.

>36 EBT1002: That sounds lovely, Ellen. Was there any snorkeling?
Ouch to the sunburn. I hope you have some ointment or something to relieve the pain.

>4 EBT1002: I really need to get to the Maggie O'Farrell book. It has been in the BlackHole for far too long.

>5 EBT1002: Terrific!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Sorry about the sunburn, Ellen. I hope it feels better today. I am loving Chenneville.

>36 EBT1002: >39 BLBera: Ditto!! What's the adventure for today?

>36 EBT1002: parking at the bow for the boat ride- sounds an excellent idea.

Also, I love the idea of Urban Sketching...from your last thread. Is this literally sketching urban things? I used to have the habit of taking a sketch book when I travelled as a 20-something, and I have some nice buildings that I did. And now when I look back, I remember the feeling it sitting and looking...it's nice!

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Whew.

Happy Saturday everyone.

Yesterday was mostly spent nursing my feet. They were so red, painful, and the left one was oddly and scarily swollen. We did go to a rum tasting at Koloa Rum Distillery but I spent a lot of time on the couch with my feet elevated and periodically icing my feet. Last night I got really anxious, thinking I might need to go to some kind of urgent care center. This morning the swelling is a bit better. Poor Prudence really wants to go to our favorite beach to float in the water. I’ll go but I’ll be protecting my feet from any sun exposure!

The good news is that all that lying around meant reading! I finished Chenneville and I LOVED it. It may be my first five-star read of the year.

I started Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby and it’s rolling right along.

As someone who burns very easily, you have all my sympathy.

I'm glad to hear Chenneville was such a good read for you. It's on my list.

I haven't read Blacktop Wasteland yet, but it's on my Kindle. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed was an excellent read for me last year.

I am loving Chenneville as well, Ellen. I am sorry as I get to the last 70 pages. I don't want it to end.

>44 EBT1002: I think I have this one on my e-reader. I've heard some great things about Cosby.

I hope your feet are better soon.

>17 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Your comment about being a flip flop Philistine cracked me up. There are several popular brands. I love wearing flip flops (having grown up in Florida) and the choices these days are endless. Archies, a new brand for me, are all about arch support. *shrug*

>18 Berly: Hi Kim. I'm glad you started Chenneville. It will be fun to discuss!

>19 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I'm glad I finally got around to reading Nora Webster. It had been on my TBR shelves for a long time. Now it is on the "leave one, take one" shelf in the office of the little condo where we are staying.

>20 katiekrug: Hi Katie. I'm glad you like the pineapple I painted. It will be interesting to see what the instructor's next challenge is for us. I assume it will be another painting using only primary colors, but different primaries than for this one. We have two yellows, two reds, and two blues in our palette for the course.

As you have already read, the catamaran tour was a success with the exception of my sunburned feet. It's my own damn fault for parking myself at the bow of the boat and refusing to budge, not wanting to miss a single minute of the adventure. I really should and could have gone to the stern to apply sunscreen to my feet and legs.

>21 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita! I'm glad you like the pineapple painting.

>22 labfs39: Hi Lisa. I'm glad you can see the photos. Isn't it amazing what one can do with only three primary colors? It was a great learning exercise, very confidence-building this early in my new hobby.

The Na Pali coast is stunning! I didn't take many photos, protecting my phone from the wet conditions, but I do have a couple I will post later.

>23 msf59: Hi Mark. The bird life here is special and lovely. We saw some seabirds while out on the catamaran Thursday. I share your sadness at the loss of species; it's all about habitat. The Shearwater is particularly threatened and visit-to-visit we can see some of the housing development (and, really, someone needs an 8K-square-foot house right in that spot???) that is steadily encroaching on their territory. Stray cats and dogs are also starting to become a problem. Sigh.

I think you liked Yellowface more than I did. Don't get me wrong; I gave it an enthusiastic 3.5 stars, but I didn't love it.

>24 karenmarie: and >25 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Yes, we are very lucky to be spending a wee bit more than three weeks here on the island. We're just into our second week now and so far I'm loving it. We're already talking about our return trip next year -- maybe "only" two weeks or so, but neither of us can imagine this being our last visit to Kauai.

I'm super pleased with the pineapple and it was a perfect subject both for the assignment in my online course and for my location!

Today is another farmer's market day. We'll be looking for pineapple, bananas, papaya, peppers, greens, limes....

Happy new thread!

>3 EBT1002: >23 msf59: >48 EBT1002: Birds! I can't imagine the abundance but also grieve the losses.

>5 EBT1002: The pineapple is lovely! Nice work!

>43 EBT1002: Sorry about your feet but glad they are healing.

>26 weird_O: Hi Bill! Nice to see you! I knew my former thread was getting a bit out of control in length...

Sorry about your fog. Ugh. Fog is one of the worst weather phenomena.

This morning P and I were sitting on the lanai with our coffee, watching a rough but beautiful ocean, and suddenly a HUGE gust of wind blew in. Leaves where flying right at us from one of our favorite trees in this yard, and suddenly it was raining and the wind was CRAZY. We rushed inside and battened the hatches. Half an hour and breakfast later, it is now sunny and the ocean is, well, not exactly calm, but much calmer.

>29 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl and thanks for the pineapple appreciation. Our boat trip was wonderful and I will post a couple photos later. I'll resist the temptation to post the photos of my badly sunburned and swollen feet!

>30 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. The whale watching is one of my favorite things about Kauai in the winter. The Humpback Whales are here for mating purposes, then they will trek the 3,000 miles up to Alaskan waters for the summer, then return here next winter to give birth and mate again. The folks on the boat yesterday said there are an estimated 10,000 Humpback Whales making this journey every year. They are truly magnificent.

>31 SandDune: and >32 mdoris: Thanks Rhian and Mary! I'm glad people are enjoying my pineapple painting. :-)

>33 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>34 BLBera: Chenneville is an amazing read, isn't it, Beth? P started it last night and her usual grumpiness about lack of positive women characters (she's only 10% into it) has surfaced. I doubt she will like it as much as I did. John Chenneville is now one of my all-time favorite literary characters!!!

I'm not all caught up and I certainly need to spend a bit of time visiting other threads, but it is time to get dressed and head off to the farmer's market. We have a quite day planned: swimming at Salt Pond Beach (weather permitting) and our third trip to JoJo's for Shave Ice. And keeping my feet as much out of the sun as possible.

More soon, my friends.

Glad the whales cooperated. Wonder where the dolphins were hiding.

Ooo, sorry about your foot Ellen.

Your reading of Paulette Jiles reminds me I have one of hers in the tbr mountain somewhere.

>37 lauralkeet: Snorkeling was on the agenda, Laura, but we weren't able to do it. The captain (Kylee, whom I quite liked and trusted) said she could see huge waves crashing into the spot we were meant to snorkel so she didn't see any reason to waste time even heading over there. Luckily, I have snorkeled a lot on this island so I wasn't terribly disappointed.

I bought two different kinds of soothing ointment/gel for the feet and I do think they helped.

>38 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I definitely recommend the Maggie O'Farrell, or really, anything by her. I've now read four of her works and enjoyed each of them.

>39 BLBera: Hi Beth. The sunburn was really, really preoccupying yesterday. Today it is better.

>40 Berly: Hi Kim. Yesterday's adventure was rum tasting and taking care of my feet. :-)

>41 LovingLit: Hi Megan. Urban Sketching can be done in urban settings, and most true Urban Sketchers focus on buildings and street scenes, but it can also be done in other areas. The main point is to be sketching and painting on site and in the moment. There is a website that gives lots of info and can be a dangerous bunny trail if you get interested. https://urbansketchers.org

And here's another site that gives more info from a more informal perspective:
https://urbansketchingworld.com/urban-sketching-beginners-guide/

I'm having a hard time with links to websites so I'm just putting the URLs here.

>45 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Thank you for the sympathy about the sunburn. With my history of overexposure to sun and its consequences, you would think I would have been smarter.

I definitely recommend Chenneville and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I kept reading along, falling absolutely in love with the main character, and thinking "this is such a great reading experience." I also read and enjoyed S.A. Cosby's first novel although I don't remember a lot about it. I think Blacktop Wasteland is going to be an engaging read.

>46 BLBera: Hi Beth. I did not want Chenneville to end but I also could not stop reading to find out what happened. I was worried she would not be able to end it well -- it felt like it was going to be a difficult story to wrap up! -- but I liked where she landed.

>50 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. Thanks for stopping by. I'll post more bird pics if I get any. I'm not nearly as good about that as Mark is!

We just scheduled ourselves for the Limahuli National Botanical Garden on the north side of the island for Tuesday. I don't know about bird pics but I hope I get some nice flora.

>54 Caroline_McElwee: I was indeed disappointed not to see dolphins, Caroline. We always see lots of whales when we visit this island but the dolphins are a bit more elusive.

I highly recommend News of the World and now Chenneville by Paulette Jiles. I also enjoyed Simon the Fiddler (4 stars) but the other two are simply outstanding in my, ahem, book. :-)

Okay, I'm all caught up on my own thread, at least. It's a start!

We had a successful trip to the farmer's market. We are now well stocked with fresh local fruit and some salad greens. No luck with peppers, so tomorrow's breakfast scramble may simply not include that ingredient.

We're getting ready to head to Salt Pond Beach and JoJo's for Shave Ice, so I'll check back in again later today or this evening.

https://www.kauai.com/salt-pond-beach

I'm glad the swelling went down on your feet and you're starting to feel better, Ellen. I totally understand about the snorkeling and am glad it wasn't a big disapointment. It sounds like you're having a wonderfully relaxing time.

So I read Razorblade Tears a while back. I know I liked it although I don’t remember the details. Now I’m reading Blacktop Wasteland which was apparently published earlier? In any case, my real question is whether his books are related. They appear not to be a series, at least not in the usual sense of that concept.

His writing is tight and engaging. I’m enjoying this one so far.

Happy new thread, Ellen, glad to read you are enjoying your vacation (except sunburned feet, ouch!). Like evrybody else I like your pinapple aquarel, looking forward to your next.

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>59 lauralkeet: Despite the relatively stormy weather, we are indeed having a relaxing time, Laura. It is odd to have two weeks still to enjoy the fresh fruit, warm weather, slow pace, etc.

>61 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I need to get my sketching materials out and mess about with them some more. I have been so caught up in reading (not a bad thing)!

It was quite stormy in the night and we are looking at a couple days of iffy weather. No real plans beyond see what each day brings.

I'm still enjoying Blacktop Wasteland although I'm finding some of the language a bit difficult to ignore, especially referencing queer women. I know he's going for authenticity but still. I'll keep reading; part of me wonders if there will be redemption as the story wraps up.

Hi Ellen. You don’t know me but we have 121 books in common. I saw your posts on Caroline and blbera’s threads and started following you too. I hang out in Club Read. Enjoy your vacation.

I know you will find a fun way to spend your time, despite the iffy weather. Glad you so enjoyed Chenneville -- it's on my list for today. Yesterday was busy with our LT meetup and then I hosted a Bday party for my son's girlfriend. Today is low key -- watching the tennis finals, laundry, LT and reading!! Take care of your foot and have fun.

Ow! Sunburned feet sound terrible. Hope they are better today.

Oh my, a HUGE squall just blew in!! P had just set her iPad and kindle outside and come in for her water, had to run out and rescue said devices. It was sunny five minutes ago! Crazy weather, but I. Am. Not. Complaining.

>65 dianeham: Hi Diane! I got a notice that you were following me and I saw that we have some shared favorite authors, etc. I will come find you in Club Read and visit your thread. I always like making new friends on LT!

>66 Berly: That low key day sounds great, Kim. We are having a similar low key day. I did a load of laundry, we hung out and read some, we went for a walk along a road we hadn't visited before, and we went to Spouting Horn which gave us a pretty good show. I wish I could post videos on my thread....

We came back to the room planning to watch the 49ers-Lions game but the tv is not working. Oh well. We're now sitting here, both of us messing about on our laptops. Prudence is monitoring the game; I am catching up (ha) on LT! It's a good day.

>67 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. The feet are much better today. I have decided the swelling of the left foot has to be something other than just sunburn. I'm thinking I may have tweaked my ankle/foot during the boat ride without realizing it. It's a bit tender. The sunburn is almost gone but I am being super careful about not exposing my feet to any more direct sun!!!

P and I were able to go for a nice walk today, so that is a good sign. Yesterday the last thing I wanted to do was put on shoes and walk!

>69 EBT1002: Thank you Ellen. Here’s a link to my topic https://www.librarything.com/topic/356361#n8388106

I love your pineapple!!!

Glad to hear that the boat tour was a success except for the sunburn, of course. I'm Irish and German so I know how that goes. I was thinking that it was maybe good that you couldn't snorkel because putting the fins on may have been painful.

Enjoy!

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This was a roundabout way to get there. My first word was not my usual approach but it reflected our experience. It stormed all night — rain and wind — wild and wooly!

Has anyone else been watching “Blue Lights” on BritBox? We’ve watched the first four episodes of season one and are hooked. Waiting for E5 to drop….

Plans today are up in the air. It’s super windy and mostly gray so the beach isn’t exactly calling. We’ll see.

>75 EBT1002: I enjoyed that series last year Ellen.

Happy new thread!

>5 EBT1002: LOVE your watercolor pineapple! Great job! Watercolor painting is a wonderful activity. I know when I’m painting, I zone out completely and am always surprised at how quickly time passes. Can’t wait to see what you do next!

Your Kaua’i vacation sounds like heaven, even with the rains. Hope your feet are recovering well. Funny how we don’t seem to think of feet and hands when we use protection from the sun.

>48 EBT1002:
I agree with you on Yellowface. I thought it was good, but didn't find much fresh and invigorating about it. Perhaps it is because issues such as discussed in the book have been part of academe for a great many years and so I am so steeped in this kind of discussion as to be jaded?

>51 EBT1002:
FOG! it was foggy here in Kansas for 6 days. 24 hours a day fog. It made driving treacherous and the kids had 5 days (in total) off from school. I baked batches and batches of cookies with the neighbor kids and had fun doing it, but I am very glad to have seen the sun for the last 2 1/2 days.

I too have a long history with sunburns, so I tend to be very careful about applying sunscreen to places that most people don't think about. Two years ago I put sunscreen on one side of my face and my ear lobes and under and behind my ear but forgot to do the other side. That was a painful reminder that double coverage is better than no coverage.

I finished Blacktop Wasteland, a tense and well-written thriller. I'm giving it 4 stars despite the fact that, by the next-to-last plot twist, my reaction was "alright already! Just kill everyone and be done with it!"

Aloha, Ellen. I also had a good time with the S.A. Crosby books. Were you joining us on The Bee Sting or have you read it? Sorry, I couldn't remember.

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>77 Caroline_McElwee: Good to know, Caroline. Grace is a good character.

>78 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. Thanks for the kind words about the pineapple watercolor. I’m enjoying learning this process.

>79 benitastrnad: and >80 benitastrnad: and >81 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Thanks for your comments about Yellowface. And yuck to fog! Regarding feet and sun protection, I'm usually quite good about all that. Luckily, my feet have healed and I think some of, maybe most of the swelling in the left foot has been due to a slight sprain. Go figure.

>83 msf59: Aloha Mark! Yes, I'm joining you for The Bee Sting in February. I have it reserved at the library and have been trying to manage the pause date so it works out for me. I may not be starting until a week or two into the month.

Our reservation for the botanical garden was canceled today due to inclement weather. Odd, because it's finally calm and lovely here on the south side of the island. *shrug*

We may go to Kapa'a and rent bikes instead.

>88 EBT1002: I am sure you'll come up with something fun to do. I am not worried. : ) And today's Wordle was a toughie for me. I really like your third guess! My first guess came up with 3 and the 2nd guess was a no-match --I was trying to figure out the missing vowel -- then it came to me.

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Yesterday was a lovely day! We drove up to Kapa’a and rented bikes. Rode 9 miles round trip on a mixed-use path along the coast. Very still, a light drizzle for a while, just beautiful. Back to the condo for a bit of reading, then we went to a beach up on the west side of the island, a long sandy stretch, to swim. Surf was up! There were so many surfers in the water! We got in up to about our hips, played with the waves, and watched the surfers. It was great fun.

I completed ten books in January. That is more than I read in any month of 2023. Yay!

>88 EBT1002: Great problem to have. Enjoy whatever you decide to do!

>91 EBT1002: that sounds wonderful, Ellen. I'm glad the weather cooperated.

It sounds like heaven, Ellen. And hooray for the 10 books!

>89 Berly: As you can see, Kim, we did indeed come up with a way to entertain ourselves.
One of my Wordle buddies with whom I share results each morning was absolutely stuck after her first two guesses which are always the same, dream and pious, unless the first one comes up with too many matches to bother with the second word. Anyway, she said she had to let it stew all day and then got it in three.

>93 richardderus: Thanks Richard. Yesterday was the bike ride. Today we walked along a foot path at a golf course and enjoyed the exercise and watching golfers. We saw a mama wild pig with five babies near the tee of one hole. I got a few photos and a couple videos that I will share. Then brunch out, back to the room for a bit of reading, then to Salt Pond Beach for a dip. Life is falling into a bit of a routine here and that is working fine for me!

>94 lauralkeet: and >95 BLBera: Thanks Laura and Beth. As I just mentioned to Richard, life is falling into a bit of a routine here and that is fine with me. We're at about the halfway point of this visit to this amazing island.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We just booked two weeks here for late February 2025. Three and a half weeks is not too long to be here but it's a bit long to be away from Carson. We'll see how two weeks feels.

Mama wild sow and a couple of her five babies, spotted rooting around in the brush next to the sixth tee at the golf course in Kalaheo. She is a relatively small mama and the babies were actually rather cute!

Hmmm.... I finally sit down with my laptop to catch up on LT and it seems to be dodgy. Touchstones are slow to load, which I can live with, but other functions seem iffy as well. It could be my wifi although it has mostly been adequate in my time here.

I'll try one or two more threads and if I have no success, I will resume my reading of the quite enjoyable Dead Lions by Mick Herron.

Glad you had fun on the bike ride and you've already booked next year. : ) Enjoy Dead Lions. (Okay that sounded weird!)

>100 Berly: LOL, but I knew what you meant, Kim. I am enjoying Dead Lions, at least as much and maybe a wee bit more than Slow Horses. Have you watched the television series that is based on the book series?

>98 EBT1002: Cool pictures!

Blue Lights on Britbox ! Thanks for the tip, Ellen. I'll be tuning in soon. I just finished watching the last episode of Miss Scarlet and the Duke - maybe the last one in the series. I enjoyed it. Glad you having such a great time in Kauai. I love the wild sows !

That sounds great that you've already booked for next year. Your holidays in Hawaii seem to be relaxing and exciting. Thank you for letting us be a virtual part of it. I hope your terrible sunburn is getting better and that it doesn't hurt too much when you go into the salt water. Great photos of the wild boars. In Corsica they run around the streets en masse too, I really liked that.
It's great that you enjoyed this Herron book too. I really like this series.

>55 EBT1002: ...can be a dangerous bunny trail...
Is this phrase interchangeable with 'down a rabbit hole'? I am interested if this is a US thing, or just a personal peculiarity for you ;)

Sorry to hear about your sunburn- it sounds like it was extreme! My kids are brown as berries after another warm summer here where the younger prefers a few clothes as possible, and the elder tans beautifully no matter what. I inherited my mother's pale and freckly skin, so usually cover up, or- 'slip, slop, slap' as the advertising campaign goes (slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat).

>91 EBT1002: Sounds like a wonderful day!

>92 EBT1002: Congrats! That is a lot of reading

>98 EBT1002: They are quite cute. Especially those ears :)

Enjoy the rest of the week.

>98 EBT1002: Like your new friends Ellen.

Glad you are having a great time.

>43 EBT1002: I really must get hold of Chenneville at some point. I have enjoyed all of the books by Paulette Jiles that I have read.

>60 EBT1002: I have Razorblade Tears sitting here waiting for me to get to it. . .eventually. I need to be cloned several times to get to all the books that I want to read!

>92 EBT1002: Woot! Congratulations.

I love the photos of the wild pigs! The mama is so cute.

I get itchy when I'm away from home for more than about 10 days...

>98 EBT1002: What a fun sight, and piglets, too!

Glad you are enjoying the time there, and 2025 is approaching faster than I really like to think about....

>98 EBT1002: Nice!

Wordle 957 4/6*

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pesto, lance, whale, alive

Great piggy pic!

>98 EBT1002: What an interesting addition to a walk!

Thanks for posting the urban sketching links. It looks interesting. Sounds like you are having a great time and you're making me want to visit Hawaii, a place I've never been.

Wordle 958 3/6*

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I feel like I’ve had a string of starter words with lots of gray squares. I have to remind myself “that is information, too.”

Windy but lovely morning on the island. We have no specific plans beyond a morning walk.

Yesterday’s walk provided another treat: a pod of spinner dolphins. We were on our way back, walking along Brennekke’s beach and spotted them just beyond the mouth of the cove. They were slowly “pacing” back and forth, apparently (from my research) sleeping! We watched them go back and forth over about 100-200 yards of very calm water for about 20 minutes. So fun.

I’m about 3/4 through Dead Lions and enjoying it even more than I did Slow Horses.

>118 EBT1002: Glad you got to see the dolphins.

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tread, scour, corny, micro

I finished Dead Lions last night. It was a terrific spy thriller with a humorous edge.

Today I’ll start The Bee Sting by Paul Murray for the February group read. I’ve got it checked out from the library but I may have to go to a local library branch to use the WiFi to load it on my kindle. In the meantime, I’ll start it on my iPad using the kindle app.

Yesterday we went for a good morning walk. After lunch we visited Salt Pond Beach for a swim and a bit of reading on the beach. Then we wandered around Hanapepe for a bit, including a stop at Talk Story, the westernmost bookstore in the U.S. I bought a used copy of Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo and P picked up a couple questionable mysteries set here on Kauai.

Hi Ellen, It's snowing here so I wanted to stop by for some tropical vibes! Isn't vacation routine wonderful!

Glad to hear you're enjoying the Slough House series! I whipped through it last year. The tv series is excellent as well.

I was wondering about Blue Lights. I'll give it a try.

>123 EBT1002: I have a T-shirt from Talk Story that someone brought back for me. It has their cat on it but it is a few years old.

Glad to read how enjoyable your Hawaiian sojourn is being. Well, aside from the sunburn. It does sound marvelous. And it hasn't prevented reading to be done.

Wordle 960 4/6*

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aisle, drone, curve, verge

I had checked out The Bee Sting as an e-book but the WiFi in our condo isn’t strong enough (?) for my kindle to load. So I started reading the book I brought with me, The Paragon Hotel. It was going okay but while we were out and about yesterday we stopped by the library branch in Koloa so I could load TBS onto my kindle. Library closed. Still, we sat on the base of a statue by the front door and the WiFi was strong enough for me to download my book.

I thought I’d continue with TPH anyway. Last night I got about a quarter of the way into it, more than 100 pages, and I’ve decided it will be my first DNF of 2024. I want to like it but the writing just isn’t working for me. It’s too choppy or something.

So. Today I will start reading The Bee Sting for the February group read.

>102 dianeham: Thanks Diane!

>103 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I think we still have a couple episodes left in Scarlett and the Duke. I hope you enjoy Blue Lights. It is a bit dark, but also funny, and I really like the characters.

>104 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. I feel really lucky to be able to visit Kauai pretty much every year. Of course, when I was still working it was always a one-week vacation. Now we're vacillating between whether two weeks or three weeks is better.

The Slow Horses series seems to be a winner. My sister says Dead Lions is best of the first three, so we'll see how I feel about Real Tigers when I get to it.

>105 LovingLit: "...down a bunny trail" is indeed the same thing as "down a rabbit hole," Megan, but to be honest I'm not sure if it is an Ellen peculiarity or a broader thing. I believe it may be a peculiarity of me.

I love slip, slop, slap! I'm usually pretty good about all three. My sunburn has indeed healed - with no blistering, I'm happy to say - and I have avoided a recurrence. I may feel silly swimming with a long-sleeved swim shirt on, but my arms have had enough sun exposure to last a lifetime.

>128 EBT1002: "vaccinating"? :)

Hi Ellen - Glad the sunburn is better with no blisters.

I still have to finish season 3 of Miss Scarlett.

>130 BLBera: Haha Beth. I fixed that spelling error. Autocorrect caught what was, in fact, a legitimate spelling error on my part, but it changed it to the wrong thing. I also generally improved the syntax.

>106 figsfromthistle: I was surprised by how cute the wild pigs were, Anita! Yes, their ears!!

>107 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

>108 alcottacre: Stasia, if you have enjoyed other works by Paulette Jiles, then yes, you absolutely must get your paws on a copy of Chenneville. I think it may be her best of the ones I have read. And LOL to the cloning idea. There are indeed so many books!

>109 katiekrug: The pigs were so very cute, Katie! Mama was cute but when she stared us down it was impressive for such a small creature.

Yeah, my homebody self is getting just a wee bit restless now. And still I am enjoying every bit of this island getaway.

>110 richardderus: The pig and piglets were a cute surprise, Richard.

And I know, right? January is already behind us. Time. She does fly.

>111 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl!

>113 labfs39: It was a fun treat, Lisa.

>114 quondame: Hi Susan and I'm glad you enjoyed the wild pig story.

>115 Familyhistorian: You're welcome, Meg. The Urban Sketching thing is relatively new to me and, honestly, I study it more than actively engage in it. But I'm hoping that will change. I have done very little sketching on this Hawaiian vacation.

Hawaii is an interesting place to visit. Each island in the archipelago has its own vibe. Kauai is known as the Garden Island so it is very lush and given to relatively frequent rain. I do worry about our impact on the fragile environment. Yesterday on our morning walk, I gathered a couple largish pieced of styrofoam and a stretch of plastic wrap out of some foliage, and carried it with me until I got to a garbage bin. It was just going to end up in the ocean. Ugh.

>120 dianeham: I was super happy to see the dolphins, Diane! They are one of my favorite creatures.

>124 Copperskye: I'll definitely keep reading the Slough House series, Joanne. It is a good one.

The cat on your t-shirt from Talk Story Bookstore would be Celeste. She died last year at the age of twenty-one, I believe. They have a new bookstore cat. This one is named Natalie and the owner says she is definitely still The Boss. :-)

>135 EBT1002: I live at the Southern most tip of New Jersey - Cape May. We have dolphins all summer just off shore - visible from the beach. I think those are all bottlenose dolphins but there are some others further out that you can see from boats - like one of the whale watching boats. We also get whales, mostly migrating through. We get several different types of whales. And the bird migrations here are spectacular.

>125 weird_O: Thanks Bill. Yes, despite many distractions, including just gazing at the ocean, the Hawaiian vacation has definitely been conducive to reading! :-)

>130 BLBera: I like but don't love the Miss Scarlet and the Duke series, Beth.

>137 dianeham: That all sounds marvelous, Diane. I am a fan of marine mammals and would enjoy that much dolphin, whale, and bird activity!

>138 EBT1002: oh, and monarchs in Sept/October - big monarch migration. I sound like the tourist bureau for Cape May. 😎

>131 EBT1002: I knew you would appreciate it, Ellen. Autocorrect is responsible for some weird word choices...

"Miss Scarlett and the Duke" is good, but not "Shetland" good, from my point of view. I just get tired of looking for something decent when I'm in the mood to watch TV.

>139 dianeham: Wow, it sounds like Diane lives in paradise.

>127 EBT1002:
The strong WiFi signal at public libraries is one of the things that the Biden Administration did for libraries and schools with the appropriations money congress gave for COVID relief. That money is going to end soon and the American Library Association just sent out a notice to librarians to contact their senators and representatives that the need for better connectivity to continue at schools and library is a necessity and that funding needs to continue. As a librarian I am glad that it worked for you even when you were thousands of miles from your home library! These small services that libraries do are amazing.

>139 dianeham: I would LOVE to see the Monarch migration, Diane!!!! Hmmm, this may be getting me thinking about an autumn trip to your neck of the woods....

>140 BLBera: "...good, but not "Shetland" good..." Exactly!!!

>141 benitastrnad: I'm a huge fan of public libraries, Benita.

Yesterday, late afternoon, I went down to Brennecke's Beach by myself and had a lovely swim. That beach is particularly frequented by boogie boarders, and I went out just past the breakers and floated around. I did take one good tumble when a large wave hit me on my way out, but I'm a strong and confident swimmer, so I righted myself and successfully made my way to where I wanted to be. It was great fun. There were lots of boogie boarders around me and I enjoyed watching them try -- and often fail -- to catch a wave. I resisted the temptation to coach them in wave-catching skills. I also resisted the temptation to body surf, just enjoying being in the water.

Today was a lazy day. We did go for a good walk this morning and drove to JoJo's for Shave Ice in the early afternoon, but otherwise it was hanging around the condo reading and such. Neither of us got in the water. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll definitely go for a swim. We have a week left in our Hawaiian Retirement Getaway.

I'm just 6% into The Bee Sting (thank you, Kindle). I will reserve judgment for now but so far it's pretty good. I know I liked Skippy Dies less than some others, so we'll see how this one goes.

I'm glad I came back to your thread, because somehow I mixed up the title , Blue Lights with Blue Line, which did not exist. I'm not sure, I may have watched Blue Lights, I'll check it out. I started a different series, Mr and Mrs Smith, a remake of the old Brad Pitt and Anglina Jolie, which I never saw and would not now watch since Angelina made it such a bitter divorce for Brad. I think I read about it on Reba's thread. It sounds like you are having a great time in Kauai. I hope you are able to find a place to do your 500 piece puzzle, but if not, it sounds like you have plenty to do. I hope you enjoy The Bee Sting. I really loved it, but your mileage may vary, as they say.

Aloha, Ellen. I am so glad to hear you have started The Bee Sting. I am just 200 pages in and quite enjoying it.
Have you seen any good birds lately? Do you see regulars every day that you enjoy?

Wordle 961 2/6*

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Yay! I love a Wordle Two.

>144 vancouverdeb: I’m glad you came back, too, Deb. If you watch Blue Lights, I hope you enjoy it. I got sucked right in. So far I’m enjoying The Bee Sting and interested to see where it goes.

>145 msf59: Hi Mark. I’m on page 103 — 16% in — and so far I’m enjoying The Bee Sting. I’m very curious where the wedding backstory will go.

Our favorite regular is the White Rumped Shama. We also see Red Crested Cardinals regularly — they are not native to the island, were introduced from South America around 1930, but are quite pretty.

Another favorite, less frequently seen, is the Java Sparrow, native to Indonesia, introduced on Oahu in 1867, reintroduced in 1970s. We haven’t yet been able to get a good picture of these pretty little birds.

Only a week left in Hawai'i? Wow, has the time flown! Still, it sounds like you are having a lovely time.

^Ooh, I like the looks of the red-crested cardinal. What a beauty.

I really the shama you shared as a topper too.



^Ooh, the java sparrows are gorgeous too. I should start thinking about a Hawaii trip. 😁

>150 msf59: "Excellent birds"

Flying Birds.
Excellent Birds.
Watch them fly.
There they go.

>149 BLBera: the time has indeed flown, Beth, and it has been lovely. We can still enjoy a lot during our last week!

>150 msf59: Thanks for posting the pictures, Mark! I was going to do that (eventually) but I was using my phone. Another favorite we've not been able to photograph is the Japanese White-eye, also known by its Japanese name, Mejiro. Introduced from (duh) Japan to Oahu in 1929 and Hawaii in 1937. It is now on all the main Hawaiian islands.



Not my photo

>150 msf59: Yes, Mark, if you visited Hawaii, you would enjoy much about it, including the birds.

>151 dianeham: Nice!

This was a really good day. After breakfast on the lanai and a while spent watching a humpback whale do tail slaps (thank you, binoculars), we went for a windy walk. Hung around the condo reading. I did a load of laundry, P vacuumed. After lunch we went to Salt Pond Beach. Once again I forgot my goggles but I did some open water swimming anyway. We sat for quite a while in the sun reading — both covered with long sleeves, hats, towels over our legs — and it felt so good. Back “home” now for a glass of wine and some more reading.

I’m 26% into The Bee Sting. I just finished the first (are there more than one?) PJ section and I have a bad feeling about this .

My left foot is starting to peel just a wee bit from that sunburn.

Wordle 962 4/6*

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slope, train, quick, which

I feel like my reports are getting a bit boring. LOL

I did Wordle.
We went for a walk.
We read for a while.
We went for a swim.
We read on the beach.
We watched the whales.
We had Shave Ice at JoJo's.
We read for a while.

I'll have to liven things up when we get back to Pullman.

It's another beautiful day in paradise. See above for today's plans.

>158 EBT1002: You are under no obligation to liven thing up on our account. Now if you want to indulge all the restless starts that have been tethered at the curb for the duration of your working life, by all means have at!

Hello Ellen! How are you?

>158 EBT1002: You made me chuckle, Ellen. My days are pretty boring most of the time, though that is the way I like life. I eat , I walk with the dog or by myself, I make meals, I do laundry , I read, I do puzzles etc. It's another beautiful day in paradise. I feel that most days here in Richmond.

Ellen, I meant to ask you what streaming service you used to watch Blue Lights. I have NetFlix, Britbox, Amazon Prime, Acorn and PBS Masterpiece and I could not find it.

>157 EBT1002: Hey, it sounds pretty great. Why mess with perfection?

>159 quondame: Hahaha, Susan. No, I don't feel that compulsion. P and I were just saying that this long, leisurely time on Kaua'i has been extra special because we have not pushed ourselves or felt obligated to "do" things. We've done exactly what we wanted each and every day. We don't have to do things in paradise, we can just be in paradise!

>160 Owltherian: Hi Lily. I'm doing well. I see that you are new to our group and making the rounds to visit folks. Welcome!

>161 vancouverdeb: Same, Deb. I don't need a lot of excitement in m life. As I mentioned here to Susan, I've actually been perfectly happy to be doing most of the things I normally do but in this beautiful paradise. The main difference is that we can float around in the ocean whenever we want! LOL

>162 vancouverdeb: We watched Blue Lights on Britbox.

>163 BLBera: I know, right? It is indeed pretty damn wonderful.

I'm about 37% of the way into and through The Bee Sting. It is a loooong read! I'm reading it on my kindle, for which my wrist is grateful, and I check the reading time remaining now and then. No matter how much I'm reading, it feels like I still have eleven hours left in the book! Argh! I'm enjoying it but it is, well, long.

Today we went for our walk, spent time around the condo reading, and went for a swim in the afternoon. We decided not to drive to Salt Pond Beach but walked down to Brennecke's Beach, a local boogie-boarding hot spot. Our goal was to get out past the breakers where we could just float. Ha. The waves were big! Bigger than the other day when I went to this beach by myself. We made our way out but I did get caught by a big wave, took the kind of tumble where I could not tell which way was up for a few seconds. I was fine, but those 3-5 seconds were a bit frightening. After that I backed out a bit, stayed where I could just stand in the water and buffer myself against each wave that came. Prudence stayed out in the surf for a bit longer, diving into waves and never making it past the breakers. We had a great time.

Dinner was some fresh ahi tuna we bought at the market today. P grilled it, we had rice and sautéed green beans we bought at a local farm stand. All that and a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Life is good.

>167 EBT1002: Life is good indeed Ellen. Your first big holiday of retirement (sunburn aside) is just prrfect.

>158 EBT1002: I wouldn't spend any time worrying about your reports! That sounds like a pretty good rhythm to me.

>167 EBT1002: Getting knocked over by a wave would scare me, too. But your dinner sounds divine.

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dealt, steam, water, after

Sigh.

I’m about to start Part III of Imelda’s section in The Bee Sting. Almost at the halfway point. The backstory that is unfolding from Imelda’s POV is dramatic.

Cheerio! The progress being made into The Bee Sting by you and others reminds me that Mark sent me his copy of Skippy Dies. I can see it across the room, prostrate, sending out those "Read Me!" vibes. Its time will come. I will have access to Murray's latest at some point; my older son has a copy. For now, I have an assortment of books coming together in a sort of "on deck" circle.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

OH. Editing to add that I'm IN on the group read of The Known World in, I think, June. Assuming I find my copy of the book. It's hiding from me.

>167 EBT1002: Life is GREAT!

>171 EBT1002: The backstory that is unfolding from Imelda’s POV is dramatic. That it is, but then Imelda tends to the dramatic.

>172 weird_O: Assuming I find my copy of the book. It's hiding from me. That sounds so much like me that it is not even funny!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Ellen!

>168 Caroline_McElwee: It really has felt like a perfect first-post-retirement holiday, Caroline! It has been very relaxing.

>169 lauralkeet: Yes, the rhythm of our days has settled in very nicely, Laura. The wave that sent me tumbling stayed with me even today a bit. I was just a bit more timid getting in, even at Salt Pond (which was much choppier than usual). Once I was in, I was fine and I even used my goggles to do a bit of actual freestyle swimming!

I love playing in the ocean and I have a lot of respect for it. I grew up 20 miles inland from Daytona Beach. My dad had me in the water, diving into waves and learning how to body surf at a young age. One of my most vivid early memories is of being in the water with him, diving into the waves. I was about 3 or 4 years old. I dove into a wave without realizing another was right behind it. The second wave took me out and sent me tumbling, and I did not know which direction was up. My dad got me, pulled me up by the arm, and I was fine. But the memory stuck.

The waves generate a tremendous amount of power, especially as they are breaking. We have watched the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, one of our favorite creatures to spot, and they are incredible as they navigate the wild surf near rocky shores. I'm always reminded of the sea turtles in "Finding Nemo." Cowabunga Dude!

>172 weird_O: Hi Bill! I'll just say here that, while I appreciated and even liked Skippy Dies, I was less enthusiastic about it than some. And so far I am feeling about the same with The Bee Sting. I'm still liking it and appreciating it, and I'll read it all the way through. I just have a quibble or two with the writing.

I'm glad you'll be joining us for the group read of The Known World. I read it a few years ago and I remember liking it a lot. I'm looking forward to the reread and the discussion the may ensue.

>173 BLBera: Yes, that is a good amendment, Beth. Life is indeed great these days!

>174 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Yes, Imelda is a bit given to the dramatic, isn't she? I'm struggling some with the absolute and complete lack of punctuation in her section. I get it: creating stream of consciousness and ensuring her voice is distinctive. I also think Paul Murray is a better writer than to need this extreme device. It is, well, excessively dramatic. Maybe that is the point, LOL.

>174 alcottacre: and >172 weird_O: Yes, I can relate to this, as well. Sometimes I'm scanning my shelves, muttering to myself "I know I have that book here somewhere!" I've been known to purchase a copy only then to find the one I already owned.

It was great talking, Ellen. Enjoy your last few days in Hawai'i. BTW, I am happy to send on any book you would like. :)

>98 EBT1002: Oh wow, that face! They are downright cute!

>177 EBT1002:, >174 alcottacre:, >172 weird_O: So relatable. One good side effect of being forced by disability to move to Kindlebooks is that duplicates are now a thing of the past for me.

Enjoy your remaining time on Kauai.

Wordle 964 3/6*

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So many possibilities

>177 EBT1002: I've been known to purchase a copy only then to find the one I already owned. I have donated a number of duplicate copies of books to my daughter Catey's shop because of this.

Loved catching up with you last night and I am also glad that we all liked Chenneville. Enjoy your last few days in Hawaii. Now on to The Lost Journals of Sacajewea!!

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Well, it took my 4 tries today on Wordle, which wasn't bad. Oh, yes, I've also been known to accidentally purchase a copy of a book I already owned. As my husband says, " liked it so much you bought two copies? ". Well, not really.

>185 vancouverdeb: I sometimes get confused when there is an alternative title between the UK/Ireland and North America. In those circumstances I have double bought.

By the way Ellen your pictures are showing up perfectly now!

>178 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I'm feeling a wee bit sad that our extended holiday on Kaua'i is coming to an end, but rather ready to be home, as well.

>179 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! And I know, aren't those wild pig faces actually adorable?

>180 richardderus: Hi Richard! Yes, kindle does have that advantage. It has saved me a time or two when I've gotten the message: "this work is already in your library." Or words to that effect.

>182 alcottacre: Well, that is a good use for a duplicate book purchase, Stasia!

>183 Berly: I hope we like The Lost Journals of Sacajewea as much as we liked Chenneville, Kim. Somehow it seems unlikely.

>185 vancouverdeb: P has teased me with much the same question, Deb. I'm always grateful she isn't just rolling her eyes at me. At least not such that I can see, haha.

>186 PaulCranswick: That is at least a decent excuse, Paul. :-)

>187 PaulCranswick: Oh good, I'm glad you can see them.

I'm about 70% in to The Bee Sting and I'm finding Dickie's section much more compelling. Sad and painful and infuriating (as in, wanting to yell at him "don't do that, you eejit!") but compelling and readable.

Yesterday, Thursday, was an amazing day! We were on our lanai, just heading out to run a couple of errands and go to the beach when I spotted a splash in the ocean. We grabbed our binoculars and got one of the best Humpback Whale shows ever! He was flopping on his side, breaching -- once so high that his entire body was out of the ocean at once! -- and then he started doing tail slaps. Twenty-nine of them! It was incredible.

Then errands, beach, Shave Ice, and homemade Mac-n-cheese (thank you, P).

Today was wonderful but much less dramatic. Beach, reading, delicious burritos from a local walk-up window, more reading.... I finished my "snack" puzzle of 500 pieces: Tiger & Crocodile.

Two more days on the island. We fly home on Monday. I'm ready to see Carson.

>192 EBT1002: That sounds like an incredible whale experience. One of the (many) things I miss about living in the Northwest is the orca sightings.

"Sad and painful and infuriating" Perfect description of Dickie throughout the novel. WTH? I should finish it today. It is a lot to take in but I am leaning toward the positive side. Not an easy ride.

Hooray for the humpback show! How awesome is that. Enjoy your last 2 days, Ellen.

Wordle 966 4/6*

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atone, peril, wider, fried

If only I could transport myself to a lanai in Hawa'ai...
NE Pennsylvania is no place to spend January and February. I'm so glad you and P could have this getaway.

Hi Ellen, It sounds dreamy, your days! Enjoy the last few and safe travels home. I have started Chenneville and I am hooked!

>153 EBT1002: they look so similar to our Wax eye (aka silver eye) here! Tiny wee things, and so sweet.

Wordle 967 3/6*

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tread, miner, never

Today is our last full day on the island. Tomorrow is travel day. It has been such a wonderful retirement launch!!

I’ll likely finish The Bee Sting today. It will earn high ratings and also some criticism.

Enjoy your last day and safe travels!

>200 EBT1002: Safe travels and happy homecomings!

I'm so glad it's been such a relaxing vacation. My only trip to Hawaii was a week on Kauai, and it was great. We stayed with a friend who had a timeshare in Kapa'a but went down to Poipu to snorkel. Also hiked a couple of mile in on the Na Pali shore--I was 30 years younger then, and it was all up and down! Safe travels and I'm sure Carson will be thrilled to have you home.

Safe travels Ellen. I'm sure Carson will have a welcoming party ready.

Sorry to go a bit quiet these last couple days. We've been immersed in wrapping up island life. We're booked for just two weeks in February 2025 -- already looking forward to it!

I visit your thread to look at your two cats that look so leisurely and silly.

Safe travels, Ellen!

Wordle 968 4/6*

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aside, salon, hasty, pasta

Safe travels!

I finished The Bee Sting last night. I'm still thinking about my reactions to it. Overall, it's an excellent novel although I think he tried to do a wee bit too much. Imelda never came together as a character for me although Cass, PJ, and Dickie certainly did. The ending was interesting.....

More when I'm back home. I'll think about it some on the plane.

Oh -- travel reading: Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger

Wordle 969 4/6*

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spite, salon, swarm, scram

Home sweet home. Exhausted but happy to be here. I miss coffee and Wordle on the lanai in my summer pajamas but it’s good to be home. Carson is certainly happy!!

I listened to a lot of music on the flight yesterday — needed to block out conversations around me and just couldn’t concentrate. But once I really got into Boundary Waters, I was in! I’ll read more today, along with laundry, grocery shopping, and a wine tasting at 5:00.

Welcome home Ellen! Enjoy your recovery day, the Carson cuddles, and of course the wine!

Very wise to return home to a wine tasting to look forward to ;-)

>212 EBT1002: The wine tasting sounds good.

Waving at Carson.

Welcome home!

If you feel so inclined, I posted what I think is an excellent video from a booktuber about the ending of The Bee Sting on Mark's thread. He re posted it. It was really helpful to me after I finished reading the book. Welcome home!

Wordle 970 2/6*

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heart, talon

What a surprise! I was just looking for information.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Welcome back!

Wordle 971 3/6*

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least, sprat, ascot

We got a heavy dusting of snow overnight, may get up to 4” total. I’ll believe it when I see it. We NEED snow!! Especially in the mountains.

I’ll finish Boundary Waters today.

Yesterday and the day before were all about trip recovery (I’ve done so much laundry!) and dealing with administrative stuff — doing some retirement fund rollovers, making sure communication with Health Care Authority all up to date, etc.

We finished Season 1 of “Only Murders in the Building” last night. What a fun show.

Thanks to all for the end-of-vacation wishes -- Lisa, Mark, Linda, Mary, Megan, Beth, Richard, Roni, Caroline, Linda, Laura, Katie, Deb, Anita....

Today has felt like a first day of sorts. Snowy, foggy, only a couple chores/errands, and no real structure. I finished Boundary Waters, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and finished making reservations (car and one night in a hotel) for my North Carolina trip. P is making a favorite chick pea dish for dinner. I'm having a drink with a former colleague, a woman who retired exactly the same time I did. But I feel a bit at loose ends and I can already tell that negotiating mental space with P is going to take some intention. I've reminded her that I can't read with music on, at least not music with words, so that is something. I think one of my biggest challenges will be not taking responsibility for her entertainment. She's used to being by herself in the house for most of the time. I think she feels me a bit in the way and I feel compelled to do things "with" her instead of on my own. We'll manage it all but it will take some time.

I'm not sure what I'm reading next. I feel like perusing my shelves to see what jumps out at me.

Welcome home, Ellen! I'm sure Carson is thrilled!

Sounds like you have some adjustments to make but I'm sure it'll all work out with time and patience. And maybe some well timed walks. :) With my husband and I both home, I look forward to summer because I can escape to the back patio to read when I need to (somedays my husband can spend the entire day watching documentaries).

>222 EBT1002: I can tell you from experience that whoever retires first does establish an "at home alone" routine that can be hard to let go of when the other half begins sharing the space full time. My husband retired five years before I did, so he was basically entrenched in "MY" kitchen by the time I stopped working. But it will work out...

Also, noise cancelling headphones!

Welcome Home!! : )

>224 laytonwoman3rd: Yes to this. I had a similar situation where Chris was the one at home before I was. But he also wanted to do all the things together, even mundane errands. We settled into patterns that work for us (which, by the way, include running a lot of mundane errands together, ha).

As Linda said, it will work out ...

Wordle 972 4/6*

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lathe, thank, swath, stash

Aha, the music with words problem. Yes, it took me ages to convince Jim that it wasn't that I was being annoying, I was being ANNOYED. Then there was no music, because it might disturb my reading. We are slowly getting to a happy medium. He does play some great music.

I am slowly establishing an "at home" routine myself and am getting accustomed to the lack of responsibilities in my day. I am starting to feel more comfortable in the house by myself and I am definitely getting more time to read. And that is what I wanted.

I tend to play lots of new age music on the TV and that doesn't disturb me when I pick up a book to read. Music with words does.

When I am knitting I have been listening to recorded books and that works for me. Along with 1 hour of uninterrupted reading in the early morning, I am trying to get 1 hour of reading done at lunch. I am also trying to get 1 hour of knitting done during the day.

We play music on our home stereo a lot, but 95% of the time it's classical music, no words. No problem. The other day Chris was working on something in the house, wearing his headphones and belting out 70s tunes. I had to put a stop to that!

14. The Magic Fish: A Graphic Novel by Trung Le Nguyen 4.5 stars

I loved this graphic novel. It's about immigration, coming out, family, fairy tales, and the power of stories. The comments at the end by the author were really interesting -- He explained his use of appropriate dress and other cultural elements consistent with the time period for the character telling the fairy tale in the moment. It's hard to explain, but after reading his comments, I went back and looked even more closely at the artwork and this nuance is really well done. It's all well done. Highly recommended.

Nice!! And happy weekend. : )

>232 EBT1002: Ouch! Book bullet first thing in the morning.

>232 EBT1002: This sounds really good. I will look for it. Have a nice weekend.

Wordle 973 3/6*

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anise, sadly, psalm

Only one word possible after my second guess.

>232 EBT1002: I need to read more graphic novels/books but I am not so up to speed as to what is good and what is not. That one looks good.

Have a great weekend, Ellen.

The Magic Fish: A Graphic Novel by Trung Le Nguyen is now on my TBR pile.

15. So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan 4 stars

The depth and breadth of emotion Claire Keegan can fit into a short piece of writing is amazing. In each of these three stories she creates a mood quickly, introduces a nameless central character, and plumbs the deepest interior reaches of these individuals' loneliness, anger, and fear. After each story I found myself pensive, confident that I didn't completely understanding the nuance of the story but awed by its emotional impact.

Wordle 974 4/6*

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shear, route, rifle, ridge

>239 EBT1002: I gave a copy of So Late in the Day to a friend at Christmas, but didn't snag a copy for myself. Keegan books I have read—Foster and Small Things Like These—are most excellent. Your comments, Ellen, make me see the error of my Christmas shopping choice (to not get a copy for myself).

>237 PaulCranswick: I'm with you on graphic books, Paul. I've had several, including a couple of kids' books, on my WANT! List™ for several years, and I never see them in the bookstores I visit (yeah, including the Strand), so ordered them from Amazon and should see them before the end of today.

Love the pics of the birds! How IS retirement?

Wordle 975 3/6*

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plane, prose, price

I enjoyed the Keegan collection as well, Ellen. The last story had quite a twist.

>223 Copperskye: Your comment about your husband spending the whole day watching documentaries cracked me up, Joanne. Prudence watches (and re-watches) lots of mysteries: Poirot, Shetland, Brokenwood, Death in Paradise, etc. I like all those but I can't spend as much time watching as she can. And she doesn't seem to mind using earbuds to watch, so we can actually be sitting here on the couch; she'll be watching a show and I can be reading or messing about on my computer. We are indeed finding our rhythm.

>224 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I can't tell you how much your comment has helped me already. I read it a couple days ago and it has helped frame my experience, made me a bit more empathic with P's experience, and provided a starting point for conversation. Thank you.

>225 ronincats: LOL Roni. You raise an interesting point. Does the person who wants sound use headphones/AirPods or does the one who wants quiet use them a sound-canceling device? No correct answer, of course. We seem to be establishing that whomever wants to listen to something uses them if the other person does not also want to listen. So, P uses AirPods to watch her shows, I use them to view and listen to my online watercolor and sketching lessons.

>226 Berly: Thanks Kim!

>227 lauralkeet: This is also helpful and validating, Laura. Today is an example of sorting this out. Prudence has a dentist appointment this afternoon (she is there now) and said that afterwards she would swing over to Moscow to the co-op for a few things we need from there. She said something about "I guess I could just go to the co-op now." So I checked in -- "do you want me to go to the co-op with you or are you fine going by yourself after the dentist." "If you want to go with me, I'm fine with that, but I'm also fine going by myself." Excellent. So that is the plan. It kind of cracks me up how much negotiating we are doing about such mundane things, but we need to figure out what each of us wants and needs. And here I sit, happily all by myself in a very quiet house, catching up with LT a bit.

>229 ffortsa: LOL Judy. P has mentioned that she likes music when she is cooking and sometimes when she is bored. To be clear, I like music. I like it a lot! And our tastes overlap fairly well but not perfectly (of course - that would be weird).

>230 benitastrnad: I agree, Benita, that it's nice to be able to get more reading done! That was definitely a goal of mine with retirement, as well! In addition, for you, knitting. For me, sketching and watercoloring. I haven't yet established an hourly goal but I am slowly easing toward a "paint or draw every day" pattern. To be fair, P is very supportive of my painting and sketching. She understands the latter better than the former because, at present, my very beginner introduction to watercolor is mostly about learning how to mix colors. So I'm making lots of color charts. I'm loving it but to P I'm painting "lots of squares." Haha.

>231 lauralkeet: LOL. I have a very clear memory of the day I learned that singing out loud while listening to music on headphones is a no-no. I was about twelve, using my dad's stereo and headphones. Pop music was kind of new to me. I was probably listening to the Osmond Brothers or the Carpenters or, maybe, the Beatles. My dad came into the room, got my attention and asked "what on earth is that noise???" It was me. Singing. With headphones on. Ha.

Anyway, classical music is (usually) fine for me to have in the background while I read. Luckily, we have very similar taste in classical music.

>233 Berly: Thanks Kim. It was a good, if weird, weekend.

>234 labfs39: Glad I got you with that one, Lisa. I really liked The Magic Fish and absolutely did not do it justice with my brief comments. In fact, if I had not read the author's comments at the end and gone back to look at the art again, I would have liked the book but not appreciated it as much. I now have a lot of respect for the nuance of his work.

>235 BLBera: I think you'll like The Magic Fish a lot, Beth.

>237 PaulCranswick: I feel much the same way, Paul. I know both Mark and Joe read a lot of graphic novels/memoirs so sometimes I get my inspiration from them. This one jumped out at me from the table in a bookshop and I'm really glad I picked it up.

>238 Whisper1: Then my work is done, Linda. *smile*

>241 weird_O: Hi Bill. I have also read and very much liked both Foster and Small Things Like These. My comment about Keegan's ability to pack a punch in a very short space was partly a nod to those two works, along with So Late in the Day. They are all very different from one another but share her special talent in brevity.

Admittedly, most of my GN's come from Amazon. They just aren't as likely to be available in the one local bookstore I have access to here (this will change when we move in the next year or so), and I want them in book-book form, not e-book form.

Hello Ellen, how are you?

>242 Tess_W: Hi Tess! Retirement is awesome. And weird. :-)

>244 BLBera: "The last story had quite a twist." Yes! I almost didn't know what to make of it, Beth. All three stories in So Late in the Day have a dark edge to them, but the last one was particularly surprising in that.

>252 Owltherian: Hello Owl. I'm doing really well. Enjoying a quiet Monday mostly to myself! Thanks for stopping by.

>254 EBT1002: Your very welcome. I just finished a book i started an hour or less ago although it was a short read, about 25 chapters but they are pretty short.

I'm currently reading The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan and A Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall. I heard an interview with Thrall a few weeks ago and it piqued my interest. So far, it's an excellent read. I think it will be painful as it is "the anatomy of a Jerusalem tragedy" (subtitle). It was published before October 7.

Today has been a good day. I had a dentist appointment this morning. It was so very odd walking out of that appointment and not heading to work. As I walked to the car, I thought to myself "I can do whatever I want!" I came home. *wink*
P was at her water exercise class so I spent a good hour doing the next lesson in my Mastering Watercolor class. Then I went for a good, cardio-level walk in the neighborhood. Lunch, shower, LT. I'm meeting my in-person book group at 5pm. We had to cancel our last meeting due to weather so we're a bit behind. I predict the discussion will be all over the place and we'll be choosing what to read next. This is the group that generally can't narrow our focus to just one book. We almost always have one or two "primary" books on tap with one or two bonus books as well. It's a fun group of women, all of whom work or worked at the university.

>251 EBT1002:
I agree. Graphic novels need to be looked at to fully appreciate them. Only part of the story is told in words so the artwork is very much a part of the story being told. For that reason, I like to have the hardcopy of a graphic novel in hand. Somehow the page on a tablet or other reading device doesn't seem to translate as well for me.

Tran Nguyen is a very important graphic novel artists in the world of YA. I don't know what he has done that is for adults, but we had several of his graphic novel memoirs in our library collection.

New-week *smooch*

>258 benitastrnad: I still have a couple not-yet-read graphic novels on my shelves. Not only do I like having them in hard copy, but I like supporting the authors by buying the works.

I followed the link to Tran Nguyen and the works are unknown to me. Is there something in particular by him you would recommend, Benita?

>259 richardderus: Thanks Richard and *smooch* back atcha

>260 EBT1002:
The book I was thinking of turns out to be by a different author. I was close as both authors have the name Tran. It is a graphic novel. Vietnamerica by GB Tran. This one was one that was used in a couple of our YA classes.

Another one that was read quite a bit was Best We Could Do by Thi Bui.

Wordle 976 4/6*

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later, satin, batch, match

This could have gone on for a while….

Wordle 977 3/6*

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trade, cloud, build

This was a fun one.

>245 EBT1002: I'm glad you found my comment helpful, Ellen. Life in close quarters with another (however well-beloved) is an ongoing exercise in accommodation and compromise, but success in the endeavor is sweet!

>261 benitastrnad: I've read The Best We Could Do and it was good.

>264 laytonwoman3rd: Agree, Linda, and I feel like we are already over the first major hump. To be honest, we are not always the best communicators -- I am by nature very accommodating and she by nature wants things as easy as possible, so we tend to be a conflict avoidant couple. But we are having good conversations, even small details of daily living like where to look for a note if you come home and the other person is unexpectedly not home (or, more likely, you need to know whether Carson got his 10:00 feeding -- haha).

So my in-person book group identified four books for our next meeting. None of us will read all four of them but most of us will read at least one, perhaps two or three. The books are:

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar
and
The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell.

Does anyone know anything about any of these???

>266 EBT1002: - I remember The Water Knife being reasonably well-received around here several years ago. I think Mark really liked it?

The only other one I've heard of is the Campbell (your touchstone for it is wrong, FYI) - it was a recent pick for the "Read with Jenna" book club on the Today Show (I have had good luck with several of her picks). I recently read my first Campbell and it was very good. Mark is a huge fan of hers.

So I guess Mark should weigh in - ha!

Getting caught up after being offline…your trip just sounds lovely. I loved hearing about the birds and wildlife, especially the surfing turtles. I remember taking a few tumbles as a kid.

And glad to hear you are settling in. I worked from home for much of my career so retirement didn’t make much difference.

Please remind me what watercolor course you are taking?

Hi Ellen! How are you and got to stop my catto from going into my closet

Happy Wednesday, Ellen. I liked The Magic Fish a bit less than you but it was a good GN. I still want to get to the latest Keegan.

I did not care for The Water Knife. I think Benita was a fan. I really liked his earlier YA novels. I am a fan of Bonnie Jo Campbell so I am excited about reading her latest. I think she would be a solid bet.

>266 EBT1002: I've enjoyed The City of Brass and other books by S.A. Chakraborty, and think I learned about her here on LT/75.

I read The Water Knife eight years ago and only gave it 2.5 stars. I thought I dnf’d it but it’s marked as read and rated. Sorry no review.

>266 EBT1002: I'm not familiar with any of these...

Dave is retiring as of March 21st this year. I guess we will be finding our way too. I like to listen to music and have background noise most of the time, and Dave mainly likes silence. So I can see me with my earbuds in , and Dave sitting in silence most of the time. He's never really had the chance to watch TV as he has alwas worked in evenings ( and other shifts) so it will be interesting to see if he starts watching TV. I kind of like doing my puzzles all by myself, so I hope he doesn't try to horn in on that.

Wordle 978 3/6*

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paint, scare, heavy

I really appreciate all the input on the four (!) books my group chose. I’m definitely going to skip The Water Knife (even the Kirkus review was lukewarm). I’ll give the Bonnie Jo Campbell book a go and maybe The City of Brass.

I read Water Knife and have a mixed reaction to it. It is an environmental thriller/spy novel. It is set in a future when climate change has caused the US to break up into states dominated by cities that have water. The hero is a "water knife" a spy who works for the city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is trying to get more water and keep the water they have because their isn't enough water to go around and keep the fountains running in Las Vegas. Bacigalupi uses the facts of today and projects them into the future. He predicts the drying up of Lake Meade and the fact that Las Vegas has older water rights than does Phoenix to water in the Colorado River means that Las Vegas gets water and Phoenix doesn't, therefore Phoenix is trying to steal water from Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. I found it to very prescient in its predictions about water and about environment migration to places like Oregon. This novel was an attempt to return to Bacigalupi's roots. He is from western Colorado and what is going on with water rights of the Colorado River and its tributaries hits very close to home for him. His earlier SciFi works were all environmentally based. What I didn't like about this novel was that it was a typical shoot'em up bang bang bloody macho spy novel with bodies flying all over the place in the same vein as the Jack Reacher books and the Mission Impossible movies. I find those boring. If those James Bondesque parts were removed, I would have thought this was a pretty good book. As it was...

The City of Brass is the first book in a trilogy based on Hindu mythologies and Indian folklore. The books are big - 500 pages and the plot is intricate. However, several of the students who worked in our library read them and liked them. I have copies of the books and intend to read them - just haven't done so yet.

Wordle 979 3/6*

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haste, trail, apart

Having eliminated the H really helped me out.

Wordle 980 4/6*

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plane, perch, poser, piper

I almost guessed this on three but wasn’t quite ready for the double letter.

Wordle 981 3/6*

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slate, south, smith

Another fun one.

Today I fly to Seattle, hole up in a hotel for the night, get us soooo early tomorrow for flight to North Carolina to visit my sister.

I’ve been quite inactive lately— just super busy. We had a gathering at our house yesterday, a very fun rum tasting, and the prep over the last few days has been hectic.

I’m reading A Day in the Life of Abed Salama and it’s quite good. Next up will be Lone Women by Victor LaValle.

Safe travels, Ellen. Enjoy your time with your sister.

Safe travels! I hope you have a good visit.

Have a good trip, a good visit. I may embark on a similar, though shorter, journey myself. Next week, beginning of March. I'm in Pennsylvania, and my slightly older sister in Lexington, Virginia. She asked me to visit, and I will. Miserable drive on I-81. But I'm feeling up for it.

Have fun on your trip!! Hubby would have enjoyed your Rum Tasting. Yum. : )

Wordle 982 3/6*

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tenor, noted, often

I should’ve had this in two. I rushed.

Have a good trip Ellen.

>286 EBT1002: don't feel too bad, Ellen. It took me 5. Ugh!

Safe travels.

Wordle 983 3/6*

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opine, snare, sense

Yes!

I’m in North Carolina now, somewhat jet-lagged but safe and sound. My SIL has certainly deteriorated mentally since I was last here (15 months ago) and that is sad. She knows who I am but it took her a few minutes to get there.

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a tough but good read.

A pair of Eastern Bluebirds visited my sister's yard today.

And mama....

>282 BLBera: and >283 banjo123: Thanks, Beth and Rhonda.

>284 weird_O: I hope you have a good visit, Bill. My sister is 17 years older than me, making for an unusual -- but truly special -- dynamic.

>285 Berly: Well have to sip a bit of rum while playing Bridge after we move back to Oregon. 🙂

>287 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline.

>288 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Most people I know took 4 or 5 guesses on yesterday's Wordle, so I felt better about my 3. I'm usually perfectly happy with a 3, but all those yellows got me excited.

>291 EBT1002:, >292 EBT1002: We've been seeing a lot of bluebirds around here too, in their gorgeous breeding season plumage. Such a treat!

I'm sorry your SIL's condition has changed so much. I hope you have a nice visit -- I'm sure your sister appreciates it.

>290 EBT1002: I am sorry you see such a change in your SIL's mental condition...I hope your visit will give your sister a lift.

Sorry to hear abt your SiL Ellen.

The bluebirds are beautiful. Cx

>293 EBT1002: Yikes, my sister and I are 17 years apart too, but I'm the older one.

17. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall

This nonfiction work tells the story of the day Abed Salama's son, Milad, died along with six other children in a horrific bus collision and the ensuing fire. Milad was in kindergarten. The tragedy occurred in Jerusalem and the story illuminates the impact of the extreme measures taken by the Israeli government to cordon off and protect much of the city from Palestinian presence. Walls, roadblocks, checkpoints, green IDs vs blue IDs... and a failure of the Israeli service infrastructure and the Palestinian Authority to respond in a timely manner. It is an exploration of the day-to-day impact of the divisions, emotional and physical, on ordinary humans. It is also a story of unbearable loss. Parts were hard to read but the story is compelling and I learned a lot. I have been wanting to read about the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict; this isn't where I expected to start but it was actually a good first step. As painful as the story is, the history and politics of the area was background (or maybe backbone) so it was provided in portions I could metabolize as a "beginner" learner.

Wordle 984 4/6*

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space, toner, wield, devil

Another fun one!

I started reading Lone Women by Victor LaValle last night. I had to make myself stop reading and go to sleep. I love when that happens.

Hooray for the bluebirds! I like that top pic. I haven't seen many bluebirds around the past 2 months. They should be arriving.

>291 EBT1002: I love the blue and the belly looks nice and golden.

Sorry to hear about your SIL

Wordle 985 3/6*

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steam, flame, image

>300 EBT1002: That does sound good, Ellen. I hope you are having a good time with your sister and SIL.

>302 EBT1002: Love it when that happens.

Sorry to hear about your SIL but glad you are able to spend time with her.

Beautiful blue birds!

>296 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'm really glad I'm here visiting. My SIL's condition has certainly worsened but she is in some ways still herself. I know she is not in pain because she would let us know if she was, but I also think she is experiencing very little pleasure. That is really sad.

>297 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. I do think my visit is a boost for my sister. I can help with things and (this is nice) I know she just enjoys my company.

>298 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

>299 labfs39: Hi Lisa. Interesting that we are both siblings with that 17-year gap. It does make for a different sibling experience. Now that we are, respectively, 80 and 63, it's different yet again (if that makes sense).

>239 EBT1002: I first read Claire Keegan last year and loved her work...this cover is also amazing.

>266 EBT1002: I have not read, nor heard of, any of these from your RL book club. I hope they go well!

Wordle 986 4/6*

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shale, proud, minor, forty

I still had several options that I could think of — worry, rocky…. Glad I picked the right one! 🙂

I had terrible insomnia last night -- no idea why. Finally fell asleep after 4am. I sat up a few times to read, made progress in Lone Women. I'm still loving it but it's not at all what I expected. It has a horror edge. (Maybe that contributed to my insomnia -- haha)

Hi Ellen - I’ve been avoiding thread hopping until I finished The Bee Sting. Finished it (didn’t love it) but it’s interesting to catch up with other people’s thoughts.

Loved catching up with your Hawaii trip - all the whale watching sounds fantastic!

Wordle 987 4/6*

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snide, haunt, lunar, urban

Came back because of the music conversation. Like you, I cannot listen to music with words while reading. Instrumental versions of songs with words doesn’t work either because my brain will insist on mentally filling in the missing words. A lot of classical music can feel like too much when I’m reading. My default Spotify playlists while reading are music by Ludovico Einaudi. It’s predominantly piano and for me the perfect background music for reading because it enhances the atmosphere rather than competing with what I’m reading.

My mom and I have a 19 year age gap , Ellen , so having a sibling with a 17 year age gap would be quite the thing. I'm sorry that your SIL is not doing well. I'm glad you were able to visit though. I can listen to music when puzzling, with words. Lately I've been trying to listen to audio books while puzzling. I can do , but not very well and I definitely need to have the physical book as well to read. I do quite well walking by myself and listening to an audio book. When I am walking with Poppy, our dog, I like to give her my full attention, so I don't listen to anything then.

Wordle 988 3/6*

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trade, spate, state

It helped that I remembered that slate has already been used — because it’s one of my favorite starter words and I know I’ll not get a ONE when I use it.

>308 EBT1002: It does make for a different sibling experience. Now that we are, respectively, 80 and 63, it's different yet again

It's interesting because I am doing things with my nieces that I did with their mother when she was little. I'm sometimes taken for the girls' grandmother, and I guess it's a little like having grandkids (don't have any so I can't say for sure). My relationship with my sister has changed from an almost parental one to more of a sibling one. I'm actually much closer to her than to my sister who is only four years younger.

I am missing responding to some of my visitors' posts, for which I apologize, but it is time for me to start a new thread. Please know that I really appreciate it when folks visit!

>317 labfs39: That makes a lot of sense to me, Lisa. Neither my sister nor I have children (there was also a brother in between, 12 years younger than her and 5 years older than I; I believe I have shared with you about his severe mental illness. He died a couple years ago) and our parents died decades ago now. We are super close but the roles have changed. She sort of took care of me and helped me come of age, and now I'm helping her with issues of aging. Life is an interesting journey.