Tess Does Her Own Thing-2nd page

Hi, I'm Tess. A once-retired high school history teacher and now part-time history professor and a very part-time (6 hours per week) private school history teacher. I tell people that I'm recycled! I live with my husband of 49 years on 3 acres in central Ohio. No, it's not "good" land, mostly clay; but I do manage to grow peppers, tomatoes, flowers, potatoes, and herbs. I'm really into canning and dehydrating foods to have a sustainable pantry that is also chemical and GMO free.

1st time making grape jelly--not a jelly fan, but the grape juice was free!


This year I want to either begin or complete some author's canons.(Dickens, Balzac, Hardy, Trollope, Buck)

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading, but I wanted to!
3 stars-average
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

My reading year runs from Dec. 25 to Dec. 24

I try to always read from my own TBR. I have whittled down my TBR from 1500 books to a little less than 300 in the past 10-11 years. My goal is to get down to somewhere around 100. New books are so tempting!

TBR on Dec. 25 2023: 307

Hosting Duties
January MysteryKit Short Story Mysteries
February ScaredyKit Gothic
February CalendarCAT
March RTT Medicine & Epidemics
April HistoryCAT Riots, Revolution, and Mayhem
May RandomKit
June Book lists PrizeCAT
November PrizeCAT Children's Book Awards

JANUARY

This month I started making my own almond extract. Should be done in 18-24 months.



Recipe:
1 pound of raw almonds, chopped or slivered. I just put whole almonds in my food processor and pulsed twice. Be careful not to get them too fine! Put in a 32 oz mason jar and add vodka to the neck of the jar. Place in a dark, cool place and shake about once a month-every two months or whenever you think about it! When you have determined that it is extract, (the alcohol smell/taste is very light and what you taste is basically almond flavor), strain to separate, discard almonds.

1. The Pickwick Papers 3.5*
2. The Death of a Neanderthal 2*
3. The Denisovans 2.5*
4. H is for Hawk 3*
5. Life and Death in Rebel Prisons: Giving a Complete History of the Inhuman and Barbarous Treatment of Our Brave Soldiers by Rebel Authorities, ... Ga., and Florence, S. C (Civil War) 5*
6. Come into my Cave 3*
7. Early Christian Fathers 4*
8. Andorra Revealed 4.5*
9. Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year 3.5*
10. Helen of Troy by Margaret George 4*
11. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell 4*
12. What She Left Behind by Ellen Wiseman 3*
13. The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliffe 3.5*
14. Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Philip Freeman 5*
15. Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell 3* (barely)

FEBRUARY

I made vanilla extract in 2020 and it was ready to gift in 2023.

16. Cathedral by Ben Hopkins DNF
17. The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025 3.5*
18. Extinct Birds 5*
19. The Woman They Could Not Silence 3.5*
20. The Devil's Disciple 3*
21. To Try Men's Souls 5*
22. Ephesians 3*
23. Found Object 3.5*
24. Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues 2.5*
25. Rhinos in Nebraska 3.5*
26. Elvis, What Happened 3.5*
27. Gentleman Jim 3.5*
28. Atomic Steppe 3.5*
29. The Monster of Florence 3*
30. We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance 4*

MARCH

In September of 2023 I canned 17 quarts and 70 pints of organic green beans.


1. Polio 4*
2. Justinian's Flea 3*
3. The Disappearing Act 3.5*
4. I Found You 4*
5. Forensic History: Crimes, Frauds, and Scandals 3.5*
6. Bonnie Prince Charlie and the '45 3*
7. The Thirty Years War by Hourly History 3*
8. The Black Arrow 3*
9. The Viscount's Sinful Bargain 4*
40. Along the Broken Bay 4.5*

APRIL

According to my husband, salsa is the best thing I have ever canned.


41. From Here to Eternity 3*
42. The Secret History 3*
43. Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor 3*
44. Ormond 3*
45. Globalization: A Short History
46. That Quail, Robert 3.5*
47. The Covenant of Water 3*
48. Charlotte Temple 2.5*
49. Remembrance of Letters Past: Famous Authors - Fake Letters & Other Parodies 3*
50. Who Killed Zebedee 4*
51. The Burning Chambers 3.5*
52. Lunatic: The Rise and Fall of an American Asylum 4.5*
53. On Airs, Waters, and Places 3*
54. Song at Dawn 3*
55. Sergeant York and the Great War
56. Paul Revere's Ride 5*
57. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere5*

MAY
One of my favorite months because on the last week of the month I get to plant the flowers and veggies outside! One of my favorite flowers are hollyhocks. Sadly, last year, my 3-4 year old hollyhocks got rust and I had to pull them up! On to new ones (already purchased) this year that claim to be rust resistant

JUNE
Everything is beginning to bloom! One of my favorite plants are peonies. They are so fragrant. However, their actual blooms only last about a week, so just a short time to enjoy them. All of my dark pink ones have passed! They were 20+ years old and had a good run. Just light pink and white ones remain. Oh, they also attract ants!

JULY
Most people that I know don't "like" July. They say it's too hot! I say, bring it on! This is not my pic, but I have the exact same pool that is backed up to the deck. When we open our pool, I will take a pic and repost!

AUGUST
We have lots of cookouts and swims in August. This is my youngest son's favorite: vegetable pizza

2 cans pillsbury crescent roll dough (I normally make my own=flour, sugar, yeast), but in a pinch....
1 cup mayo
2 TBSP dry ranch dressing (I make my own, but again, you can buy the dry Hidden Valley Ranch or its equivalent)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, match sticked
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (or any color pepper)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spread the crescent dough on a cookie sheet and bake as directed. Let cool. Mix the mayo, cream cheese, and dry ranch dressing together until well blended. Spread on crescent dough. Add each of the vegetables and top with cheese. Cover and store in fridge. I usually bring to room temp 1 hour before eating. It's gone in a flash! This isn't my pic--who knew I would ever need a pic of my food? But mine looks just like this!


pic by Amanda's Cookin'

September
The last of the month is harvest time. I alternate planting and canning different items about every 2-3 years, depending upon usage. In 2022 I canned about 40 pints and 20 quarts of tomatoes, so I didn't need any in 2023. I use the canned tomatoes to make chili, tomato soup, marinara sauce, and whenever else canned tomatoes are needed. It's a lot of work to preserve tomatoes!

October
Potato month! 2023 was my first attempt at growing both red, white, and sweet potatoes. I was most excited for my German Butterball potatoes and I got NOTHING, even though it did appear above ground that everything was going well. I did harvest Pontiac Red, Yukon Gold (not very many), and two kinds of sweet potatoes. Will give potatoes another go next year!

NOVEMBER
I celebrate November because it is the month of my mother's birthday. She passed in 2024 at 90+ years of age. She still lived by herself, drove, played the organ at church and had FUN! I love her so much!

DECEMBER
May your holiday be blessed!


My "parlor" tree decorated with a Victorian angel theme.

This is just an extra. I made laundry detergent and I deem it a success. The cost for 5 gallons was just over $7. That makes the cost of each load about 17 cents. Our ladies service group made this and put it in every USED glass container with a lid we could find. (spaghetti sauce jars, etc.) We donated 8 oz. jars to the food bank and they reported their clients loved it! Next time I make it will search for a substitute for the Borax to be more eco-friendly. I did need to mix it with an immersion blender after I put it in the jars. (I skipped this step initially, directions stated it was optional.......)



Recipe
1 bar Castile or Fels Napatha soap, grated
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
3 gallons water
10-20 drops of essential oils (for scent), optional

In 1 gallon of hot water on the stove, melt the grated soap. Stir frequently and do NOT boil.

In the 5 gallon container, add the other 2 gallons of hot (from the tap) water, the washing soda, and the borax. When the soap is melted, add this to the bucket. Stir very well and leave set overnight. It will jell. The next day, mix with an immersion blender and put in containers. Glass works best. Use 1/4 cup for regular laundry.

NON-FICTION CHALLANGE (75 Group)
January - Prize Winners - prize winning books that won literary prizes that are off the beaten tracks. Not the National Book Award, Pulitzer, or other prizes of that ilk. There will be more details in subsequent posts.

February - Women's Work - what women do or did. This could be books about WWII pilots, civil war nurses, the women who sued Newsweek over pay and promotion issues, or the history of home economics.

March - Forensic Sciences - forensics is a wide open topic so read about criminal forensics, genetic forensics, even astronomical forensics.

April - Globalization - all things global, exports, international banking, terrorism, pandemics.

May - Wild Wild West - books about the western U.S. Historical or modern. Indian wars, water wars, conservation, settlement, etc. (The Children's Blizzard)

June - Middle Europe - anything about Europe from the Elbe to the Ural's, from Finland to Turkey. History, language, travel, etc. (Hitler's Children: Sons and Daughters of Third Reich Leaders)

July - Insect World - insects are important. Butterflies, honey bees, mosquitoes, ants, roaches, etc. (Why Insects Matter-Great Courses)

August - Being Jewish - this topic is wide open as long as it is nonfiction. Zionism, modern Israel, history, religion, Kabbalah, Judaism. (A Tale of Love and Darkness)

September - Essays - any book of essays. Scientific, religious, political, racial, social commentary, etc. (Two Essays be Georgi Markov)

October - Music, more music - lots of books being published now about composers, the music industry, history of music, and even memoirs and biography's from the Boss to Bach. (The Piano Shop on the Left Bank)

November - Too Small to See - books about Bacteria, Viruses, Atoms, Dust. maybe even microaggressions? (Viruses, Plagues, and History: Past, Present, and Future)

December - This is a dual topic month. As You Like It - whatever you want to catch up on that is nonfiction
OR
Political Biography - ancient or modern, any person who had a role in politics of their day. Even people who might not have had a job or title, like historian Theodore White, or women like Madam Chiang Kai-Shek or Nancy Regan. People who had influence in the politics of their day, but not a job title that would indicate the scope of their power. (Mr. Wilson's War: From the Assassination of McKinley to the Defeat of the League of Nations)

PAUL'S WAR ROOM CHALLENGE (75ers)
MONTH - BY - MONTH IN THE WAR ROOM

JANUARY - The Ancients (Greeks, Romans etc)
FEBRUARY - The American War of Independence
MARCH - The War of the Roses
APRIL - Wars of Religion (The Burning Chambers)
MAY - The Napoleonic Wars (Trumpet Major)
JUNE - The English Civil War (The King's General)
JULY - Colonial Wars (Johnny Tremain)
AUGUST - World War Two (Prisoner B-3087)
SEPTEMBER - The American Civil War (Re-read of Gone with the Wind)
OCTOBER - American Follies (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Gulf Wars) (Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam)
NOVEMBER - World War One (Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey: A Novel)
DECEMBER - The Spanish Civil War (Homage to Catalonia)
WILDCARD - Pick your own fight!

Welcome to the 2nd quarter. Here's to some great reads!

Happy new thread! That picture of your mom is so great!

Happy New Thread! Your canning activities are impressive.

>12 Tess_W: Love the picture. What a wonderful person.

Happy new thread! Your adventures in canning and laundry soap making are fantastic. It's very satisfying to have neat rows of canned fruit and veg in the pantry. I should try it again -- there are so many local farms selling amazing produce, but so far we just eat it all right away.

Happy new thread.

Happy new thread Tess! I’m impressed with your canning activities and what a lovely picture of your Mom.

>16 christina_reads:
>17 MissBrangwen:
>18 RidgewayGirl:
>19 lowelibrary:
>20 lsh63:

Thank you all so much!

Happy new thread, Tess. I am in awe of all the canning and processing that you do!

Great new thread. Lovely picture of your mom.

So impressed by all your food growing and preserving, Tess. You're avoiding all those numbered ingredients, the preservatives and colourings that are in almost everything. There have been a lot of articles lately about highly processed food, and how bad it is for us.

Happy new thread! I think I want to be you when I grow up - I've always fancied canning/dehydrating/making my own. I think it will be a good retirement project, although sadly that is still a few years away.

Happy New Thread! I love to make grape jelly but am finding it hard to find wild grapes these days.

>22 DeltaQueen50: Nothing to be awed about--it's a hobby of mine, like reading!
>23 hailelib: Thank you--she is lovely!
>24 pamelad: Half of the reason I did this was to control what was in my food! The other was to save money. Have done both!
>25 Jackie_K: Aww, thank you! It's quite easy, start small!
>26 dudes22: I'm not a jelly fan (prefer jam or preserves) but somebody gave me 2 gallons of organic grape juice......so I tried it! Gave it to my children/grandchildren---not a grape fan! Hope you find some wild grapes!

Happy new thread, Tess! You sure know how to make good use of all the hours in a day!

45. The Quail, Robert by Margaret Stanger is a sweet non-fiction book about a couple who "adopt" a baby quail, or a baby quail who adopts them. It is like nothing I've ever heard, if in fact, it is true! Read this in one sitting and it was entertaining and amusing. 127 page 3.5 stars April Randomkit-Enchanting garden visitors



46. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese This has very mixed reviews. Either readers hated it or loved it. I'm very ambivalent about this novel. It is a generational saga that I feel has great potential. There are some great mini-stories contained within. However, it is meandering and overly long. There are 1-2 chapters which are of great interest and I was getting invested in the story, when the next two chapters introduced a new character in a new setting and we don't get back to the original story for 200 more pages. Disjointed, but at times brilliantly engaging. I started reading this in March and just now finished. It was sooooooo long! I think as I get older my attention span is waning! Anybody else notice that? 727 pages 3 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-2
3 stars-17
3.5 stars 8
4 stars-6
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

163/46=3.5

My daughter-in-law volunteers Saturday mornings at a food bank. Last Saturday they were going to throw away (required by law) the produce that was not given away. She texted me--I said "never!" She brought to me 8 softer onions and 8 very ripe tomatoes. I got out my food dehydrator and dehydrated the onions. Wow--my house smelled very bad for 3 days! The first day the onion fumes burned our eyes! However, after burning some essential oils for a day, the house smells normal again. I ended up with 1 quart of dehydrated onions. They can be used in any casserole or soup. I just froze the tomatoes whole and will process when I get enough to make a minimum of 4 quarts of something! We are down to our last jar of salsa.

47. Globalization A Very Short Introduction by Manfred Steger. This was a short and unnecessarily belabored book about globalization. The author did provide many real time/life examples of globalization. It is the author’s thesis that globalization has three facets: form, quality, and dimension. I have found several author opinions (and they are opinions!) that I would argue: “Globalism consists of powerful narratives that sell an overarching neoliberal worldview.” Then the author goes on to argue that globalism is sparking a worldwide resurgence of national populism. Populism and neoliberalism are not compatible—it can’t be both—imho. I’m not even sure this was worth the read, but I have been “introduced!” I listened to this on audio. 4 hours 4 mins 3 stars 75's NF Read April-Globalization



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-2
3 stars-18
3.5 stars 8
4 stars-6
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

166/47=3.5

I can't even remember what I've planned to read!

April Plans:
Finish A Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese RTT Mar Med/EPi/Plagues FINISHED
Finish From Here to Eternity FINISHED
Finish Ormond (Off shelf) FINISHED
Song at Dawn: 1150 in Provence (The Troubadours Quartet) April Mysterykit:series FINISHED
Valley Forge by Newt Gingrich March HistoryCat: Riots, Revolutions, Mayhem
The Quail, Robert April Randomkit: Enchanted Garden Visitors this book has been slated every month since last December!FINISHED
Globalization A Short Introduction Non-FictionFINISHED
Wars of Religion The Burning Chamber (French Wars of Religion) Paul's War RoomFINISHED
if time, something by Wilkie Collins FINISHED

>32 Tess_W: Looks like you're doing quite well with your April plans!

>29 Tess_W: Tess, I'm confident it is true. I remember my family watching the TV game show he was on! That was long ago, I think I would have been a young teen then.

>34 clue: I can buy into most of it. I do have some problems with the potty training to go on a newspaper, once a day, at the same time each morning.

>29 Tess_W: About The Covenant of Water, it could be that the book is just too long and you're a discriminating reader. I no longer have the patience for long, mediocre books and deny that my attention span is the problem!

I think it would be much harder to write a short book, where there are no wasted words, than to waffle on for hundreds of pages.

>36 pamelad: You could be correct. It is the lack of patience with mediocrity that I struggle with as I age. Especially now that my mother passed.......I just don't have time for lonnngggg mediocrity!

48. Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson. Early American literature, very popular, rivaled sales of Uncle Tom's Cabin, reminded me of Richardson's Clarissa, only less violent. Mindless, easily swayed female so desperate for a man's attention she will go along with anything! Meh.......107 pages 2.5 stars Don't waste your time. Off the virtual shelf (Free on Kindle)



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-18
3.5 stars 8
4 stars-6
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

168.5/48=3.5

I sort of semi-retired, AGAIN! I advised my uni boss that I would not be teaching online anymore in the fall. That will leave me one University class in person on Mon/Wed afternoon each semester. That is enough with my 2 high school morning classes on Mon/Wed (World History, American History). So on Mon/Wed I will be working from 9-2, although not really working all that time! I will be teaching for a total of 126 minutes. (three 42 minute classes) The off times I will work in my office and not have to take anything home--that is the plan, anyway!

49. Remembrance of Letters Past: Famous Authors - Fake Letters & Other Parodies by Robert Ambros This was a collection of "letters' written by and to famous individuals who were authors. It was a work of satire. I was mildly amused with the letters to and from Twain and Dickens. Some of it went right over my head if I was not familiar with the authors. Meh Another off the virtual shelf. 102 pages 3 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-19
3.5 stars 8
4 stars-6
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

171.5/49=3.5

50. Lunatic: The Rise and Fall of an American Asylum by Edward Gleason. A great non-fiction chronicling the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum from the planning stages (Civil War) through it's closing in 1990. Its claim to fame: cutting edge of performing lobotomies. Over 750 were performed in the 1950's. I have visited the facility, now a museum, twice, and it was sobering both times. 113 pages 4 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-19
3.5 stars 8
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

179.5/50=3.6

51. The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse This is the story of Catholic vs. Huguenot in 16th century France, specifically Carcassonne and Toulouse. Throw in a missing/stolen shroud, romance, and the Inquisition and it should make for a great read. However, with a plethora of characters it was often difficult to keep up with who's who. There was a very much used and needed list of characters in the front of the book. Difficult to flip back all the time when using an ereader. This was just a difficult read, not content wise--not sure why. This was book 1/3. I may seek out book 2 in the distant future. 592 pages Paul's War Room April-Wars of Religion April History Cat/Riots/Revolutions/Mayhem 3.5 stars overall, 4 stars content



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-19
3.5 stars 9
4 stars-7
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

183.5/51=3.6

52. Who Killed Zebedee by Wilkie Collins This was a short story focused on a stabbing death and the memory of a dying former police officer as he relates the case to the priest giving him last rites. No heavy reading here, just an enjoyable 30-45 minutes. 37 pages 4 stars AOTM



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-19
3.5 stars 9
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

187.5/52=3.6

Happy new thread (belatedly).
Your preserving activities are very impressive. If you ever work out what to do with grapes let me know. We planted a grape vine to give shade to the kitchen window, thinking that we'd get good leaf colour in autumn, and any fruit would be a bonus. I get buckets of grapes every year and no real idea what to do with them! There really is only so much grape sorbet you can make and eat.

>44 Helenliz: Other than grape juice or jam, no idea. I can't really eat/drink all that sugar, so I would be giving it away.

>44 Helenliz: My dad grew grapes and my mother made jam from them. Muscadine grapes grow wild here so we picked them every year too, and my mother made muscadine jam as well. My grandmother's sisters were still on farms and they and their daughters always made something from fruits or vegetables to give each other at Christmas, and mother's jam was always looked forward to. So good on those homemade biscuits! Unfortunately, my generation didn't carry on that tradition because all but my older sister worked and just didn't have time, especially those still farming. A couple also moved away. There are some things I still miss about the "old ways" and this is one of them!

Happy New Thread Helen and >39 Tess_W: Congratulations on making this life change for yourself. Regarding The Covenant of Water, I agree that sometimes a meh book is just not worth finishing. Life is just too short.

And with Sanger's book, your quote makes me wonder how such diametrically opposing views can even be taken seriously by the publishers. It's almost like he's saying "Neo-liberals are the cause of the worldwide surge in populism" and no one is pushing back.

>44 Helenliz: Is wine an option? That was my first thought about your grape surplus. :)

Regular diet and book buying diet both blown! I've gained 7 pounds back of the 100 I lost! Back to the walking, walking, walking, and bye bye to even one more potato! And Audible had a sale:

The Other Daughter psychological suspense
Courage is Calling non-fiction
Behind her Eyes another psychological suspense
The Accidental President Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World non-fiction

53. I finished a treatise written by Hippocrates titled "On Airs, Waters, and Places.' It is thought that he wrote this about 4-5 BCE. It is mostly advice to traveling physicians. He advised them to firstly always check the air quality of each city they were going to visit Also to observe: winds, water quality, terrain, and personal habits of the citizenry. Did learn a few new vocab words: fenny, meaning boggy. Hippocrates thinks he can evaluate the population of a city based on the above qualities of their environment. Amongst others he evaluates the Scythians, inhabitants of Phasis (eastern shore of the Black Sea), and the Macrocephali. (long headed people, normally of the head deformation tribes in Africa, but Hippocrates is probably referring to an area in Turkey called Pontus-- I had to look this up). This was a short copy that came from a packet given to me for additional reading for a class I took 30 years ago. I don't believe it's in its entirety--I'm not sure of the date or who published. Off the shelf! 48 pages (probably more, but the font was only 6-7 and in double columns)

>49 Tess_W: A 100 pound weight loss is really impressive. Good luck with the seven pounds and the walking. At least books aren't fattening!

>51 pamelad: That's how I got into canning and preserving, so that I could control absolutely what I ate!

54. Song at Dawn by Jean Gill is billed as a medieval thriller. I would not say it is a thriller, but a historical fiction and romance read. The premise is very good, a secretive young lady is taken into the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine as a troubairitz in training. The usual court intrigue is present and Estela must maneuver through. While the premise of this book is good, I once again find a plethora of characters which make it a difficult read for me. I did have to some extra reading because I was unaware of the results of the second crusade and had no idea about the Occitanians. I've read many a book about Eleanor of Aquitaine, but had never come across "Occitania" before. Interesting read about the language and it's forced cessation in my lifetime. This is book 1/6. Not sure if I'm going to seek out book 2 or not. 3.5 stars overall, 4 points content. 352 pages



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-20
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

193/54=3.6

Happy new thread, Tess. Love all your canning and preserving work.

My grandmothers always did something with their grapes, first jelly and then the rest was juice. The only problem with using up the juice was it would ferment if keep too long and the taste became rather rough.

>55 hailelib: True to fermenting. That's why I would pressure can to preserve. I canned some cranberry juice and it's the best I've ever tasted. (and we normally don't drink juice)

Time to start "collecting" for my May reads:
finish The Ride of Paul Revere (hope to finish in next 3 days to count for April's HistoryCat)
finish Girl Runner
The Children's Blizzard 75's NF Wild West
The Napoleonic Wars--find something suitable .....have Trumpet Major which took place in England during the wars.....
Headlong Art/Architecture May Randomkit
Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and the History of England in the Middle Ages: 1337-1485 May HistoryCat Medieval Ages
Work Song International Labor Day RTT May
Hamnet AOTM A re-read

>57 Tess_W: Looking forward to seeing what you make of Shakespeare's Kings. That could press a lot of my buttons!

>48 christina_reads: It is now we know someone who has tried home wine making and has all the kit. There seems to be a reasonable outlay required in kit. Their kit, our grapes, just see what happens!

Happy new thread! And that IS a lovely picture of your mom!

And happy second semi-retirement!

Your new schedule sounds lovely, I hope it works well for you.

>59 LisaMorr: TY
>60 RidgewayGirl: TY
>54 VivienneR: TY

55. Sergeant York and the Great War by Tom Skeyhill. This was the diary of Sgt. Alvin York, WWI hero, accompanied by pictures. About 50 years ago I saw the movie starring a very young Gary Cooper. I didn't remember a thing! This read not as exciting as I thought it would be! Mr. York's spelling and grammar (which they kept) was so bad it made it a bit difficult to read--not difficult to decipher, but it made the reading so slow! There was a lot of wrestling with "Thou shall not kill" and the situation in which Sgt. York found himself. 225 pages 3 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-21
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-2
5 stars-7

196/55=3.5

56. Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer was a non-fiction book concerning Paul Revere. While a fascinating read, I found it to be more about the Battles of Lexington and Concord and General Gage more than about Revere. I think that there is not enough information about Revere for an entire book, so the battles were portrayed in depth, although Revere did not fight in either. Just a great period piece of history. Lots about Gage, Sam Adams, John Hancock, Dr. Church, Dr. Warren, etc. Would recommend if you want a history of what lead up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the personalities involved. 463 pages 4.5 stars April HistoryCat



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-21
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-7

200.5/56=3.6

57. ETA: Also a great job of the author contrasting the actual event with Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere., which I also read waiting for dinner to cook! Longfellow always good! 5 stars

1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-21
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

205.5/57=3.6

Wow--where did April go?!!!

Books read-15

Cheers (4+ ratings)
Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Lunatic: The Rise and Fall of an American Asylum by Edward Gleason

Jeers (less than 3 rating)
Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson

Not a bad month!

Plans for May:

finish Girl Runner
The Children's Blizzard 75's NF Wild West READ
The Napoleonic Wars Napoleon's Escape from Elba READ
Headlong Art/Architecture May Randomkit
Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and the History of England in the Middle Ages: 1337-1485 May HistoryCat Medieval Ages
Work Song Labor Day RTT May READ
Hamnet AOTM A re-read

58. Work Song by Ivan Doig This is the book # 2 in the Medicine Country series. I did not read book one. Morrie travels to Butte, Montana, and takes several jobs: a crier for Irish wakes at a funeral home, a bookkeeper at the Library, and a friend to the miners. The pace is slow and there just doesn't seem to be a spark to ignite the story. The ending just fizzled. It was a very local piece. It reminded me of Garrison Keillor books, which I do not appreciate. 306 pages 3 stars RTT: May-Labour Day



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-22
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

208.5/58=3.6

>64 Tess_W: I read The Whistling Season and it just didn't work for me, although it has a lot of devoted fans. From your description, I think The Whistling Season had more of a plot and had some laugh-out loud lines. But it also had an ornate writing style; I felt like I was tripping over words.

>65 kac522: I don't remember a lot of the details, but I did describe it as literary and thought-provoking. I gave it 4 stars at the time I read it, so I must have been in the mood.

>64 Tess_W: I commented more fully in the other group.

59. Grass of the Earth: The Story of A Norwegian Immigrant Family in Dakota as told by Aagot Raaen, a child of 5 when she arrived in the U.S. This is not your glossed-over Little House on the Prairie, but does depict the darker side of immigration settlement. (starvation, alcoholism, abuse) Most of the story takes place in North Dakota and depicts just how hard life was. A solid, no frills read. 272 pages 3 stars 75's NF: Wild West, RTT Labour Day



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-23
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

211.5/59=3.5

>67 Tess_W: You might like Jonathan Raban's Bad Land: An American Romance, an engaging and well-researched book about the homesteaders who settled Montana and the Dakotas.

>67 Tess_W: Having grown up reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, I will add this to my Wishlist. Have you ever read Letters from a Woman Homesteader?

>68 pamelad: That one is not on my radar, so put in on my WL!

>69 threadnsong: Yes, I read that in 2019 and found it to be better than average. Did you read it, also?

60. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin This is a non-fiction account of the blizzard of 1888, sometimes called the schoolhouse blizzard, because 280-300+ children died. While a good, factual account, there were a few chapters that were just mind-numbing boring to me: 68 pages on meteorology, fronts to be exact, and the description of the villages from whence the immigrants came (Norway-primarily). I would have been more interested in the people themselves, but do understand in a work of NF 80+ years later, hard to do! I found interesting the flag system of weather notification for when the telegraph was down (a good deal of the time!). Also, the actual process of the body breakdown when exposed to extreme temperatures was gruesome. Winds so fierce that it peeled the skin off faces in strips. This event took place on the Great Plains--specific to this book the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Native Americans were not mentioned. Might have to research how they managed. 75's NF Wild West 362 pages 3*



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-1
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-24
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

214.5/60=3.5

ETA: The Native Americans moved to the cover of the forest every winter season. It provided protection from the wind and the snow and gave them more opportunity to secure game.

61. Double Fold by Nicholson Baker a non-fiction read decrying the use of microfilm (microfiche) and the destruction of paper. Nicholson does wax nostalgic, but that's where most things sane end. He calls librarians (that only do the bidding of the library board) who destroy (pitch) newspapers and documents after being micro-filmed as killers, idiots, and criminals. That's where he "lost" me! As a historian, I'm all about preservation. However, I do realize that preservation and storage are a huge problem. You can't just pack old documents away and shove them in a warehouse: 1) who will pay the bill 2) said warehouse needs to be temperature controlled-who will pay the bill 3) how does one access them. Mr. Baker might be better suited to write about this issue rationally and without name calling. Don't care that he won an award, I'm writing him off as a kook. Read 188/400 pages 2 stars DNF

P.S. And now microfilm is being scrapped for digitalization



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-2
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-24
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-8
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

216.5/61=3.5

>73 Tess_W: Ha, yes, I was going to say...microfilm? I think my public library still has a machine, but I don't know anyone my age (late 30s) or younger who would know how to use it!

>73 Tess_W: That's a memory there -- of using microfiche to look things up. I can't imagine that keeping great stacks of moldering newspapers would have been better. I understand wanting to preserve reference materials, but when they aren't printed with an eye to being archived, surely digital copies are more reliable.

>73 Tess_W: Congratulations on ditching a book you didn't like!

>73 Tess_W: And I was so proud, as a member of the Friends of the Library Board, to complete a 2.5 year project having all of our newspapers (from the 1850s forward) digitized! It's expensive and we dedicated most of our fundraising for those years to it due to it's importance. Or at least we thought it was that important. Do you know what the author's background is? The people that do a lot of historical research for this region have high praise for it because they can access them online.

May 2024: Today I trimmed back all my perennials, including blackberries and blueberries. The roses and hibiscus are doubled in size since last year and full of blooms already, a good month earlier in my neck o the woods. Tomorrow I mulch and pull wild onions in one bed. On Sunday afternoon I will plant all my seeds in pots or buckets. This year I'm going crazy with snapdragons and dahlias. I use pots for annuals. A friend told me last year to cut back my geraniums, put them in a dark place for the winter, and bring them out in the spring and she gets 4-5 years out of a geranium pot. I did and they are beginning to bloom! Who knew? Peonies will be open in next 2-3 days and the lilacs are in full bloom. Some fragrant bouquets next week. By Memorial day potatoes (red, yellow, sweet) will be planted as well as cherry tomato plant. This year I am planning to can salsa (48 jars) and marinara sauce (24-48 jars). I may try my hand at canning corn, but it may be more work than my arthritic hands can handle to shuck all that corn and then get it off the cob! But I'm thinking if I plan a barbecue-shucking party, I may get my 20 something grandsons to help! They are all about free food!

How does your garden grow?

ETA Will add pics tomorrow.

As far as reading goes, I'm too in love with the weather and being outside to read much at the moment. I would listen to an audiobook but my earphones quit working and haven't been anywhere to a pair. Anyway, I enjoy the silence.....just the soil, me and my plants!

>78 Tess_W: - I went to a local garden center yesterday and picked up a couple of flats of flowers for a start. I'll let them harden in the garage for a couple of days since it's still somewhat chilly at night. I visit multiple garden centers, so this is just a start.

>79 dudes22: 90% of my plants are perennials--has taken me 20 years to collect/plant/cultivate them all, and get them to survive in clay soil. This year I bought flower seeds for my annuals and I'm going to try to save their seeds to plant next years. We'll see how it goes!

>75 RidgewayGirl: Digital are much preferred for ease of accession.

>76 pamelad: TY!

>77 clue: This is an older book (2006), but I agree that digitization is necessary--it actually provides for better accession and more preservation.

62. The Gathering Storm by Julia Brannan This is book 3/6 in the Jacobite Chronicles. Most of this book does not deal with the Jacobite rebellion, but with the relationships among the McDonald clan. The last two chapters see Bonnie Prince Charlie landing in Scotland. 413 pages 4 stars



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-2
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-24
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-9
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

220.5/61=3.6

63. Napoleon’s Escape from Elba: The History of the French Emperor’s Return from Exile and the Road to Waterloo (no touchstone) by Charles Rivers Editors

This was a very simplistic, yet very informative, overview of Napoleon's greatest battles, his exile to Elba, and his eventual escape. It did not cover the Battle of Waterloo. Somebody gave me a set of 10 Charles Rivers books on various historical topics and they are a good, quick overview. Although only 35 pages, I ended up purchasing 3 other books from topics glossed over in which I was interested. A few fun factoids:

Pre-Elba-Napoleon had trouble subduing the guerillas (first time this term used) in Spain. He was a good battle strategist for conventional armies, but could not read or anticipate the guerillas.

US Civil War--Battle of Bull Run--used one of Napoleon's battle strategies (not successful)

Others considered Napoleon such a good strategist that when his hat was observed on the battlefield it was said to be "worth 50,000 soliders." 3 stars 75's War Room-French Revolution



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-2
2.5 stars-3
3 stars-25
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-9
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

223.5/61=3.5

>78 Tess_W: My sister has a geranium that's at least 5 years old, and she doesn't even put it in a dark place. She brings it in and puts it somewhere away from the heating vent and that's it. Last year something broke some of it off (we're blaming the neighbors cat) and it's a little odd looking but has bloomed well so far this year.

>78 Tess_W: My grandmother had a geranium on the window ledge (indoors), always with a flower but few leaves. It was probably terribly neglected. I don't know how old it was, but certainly several years. I know in a climate with mild winters geraniums planted outdoors will grow back in spring.

Do you have to nurse your geraniums in North America? They grow like weeds here. You can chop off a stalk, put it straight into the ground, and it grows.

>85 VivienneR: We have brutal winters here, annuals would not survive.

>86 pamelad: I've never had mine be that prolific! Most geraniums are grown as annuals and they are dead after first frost. It could be different in different climate zones, I'm in zone 6, which is basically 4+ months of good growing temps, last frost mid-end of May, and first frost anywhere from Oct 15 on. Winter temps from 30F to -20F with lots of ice--sometimes snow, but always ice. There are some geranium perennials--but they are expensive and they don't look or smell like the annuals. I usually just have one big pot of annuals each year, as I have invested heavily for the past 20 years in perennials. For the annuals I usually rotate between geraniums, petunias, and portulacas. This year I bought seed and I'm going to have 4-5 pots of dahlias, snap dragons, and zinnias.

64. The Great Portrait Mystery by Austin Freeman This was a short mystery. Nothing exciting, not even the resolution! It was interesting that there was a museum who displayed famous painting and allowed other artists to come in with their easels and paints and make copies! This was free from Kindle at sometime since 2011! There are other stories which I'm not inclined to read. 43 pages 2.5 stars May RandomKit Art/Architecture



1 star
1.5 stars-1
2 stars-2
2.5 stars-4
3 stars-25
3.5 stars 10
4 stars-9
4.5 stars-3
5 stars-8

226/64=3.5