karenmarie: buckling up for a wild ride in 2025 - part I

It’s a shock, but 2025’s here. Welcome to my first thread, and may the Universe protect us from the chaos demon and his minions.

Ten Eight ways to describe me and books: bibliolater, bibliomaniac, bibliophile, lectiophiliac, bookworm, Book Dragon, biblioflâneuse, and librocubicularist, book whore, (courtesy of friend Karen in Montana) and book rescuer (courtesy of Mamie).

.
.
.
@lizzied, Peggy, wrote “If I’m kind, I’ll get the day I deserve.” I’m going to try to implement that. No guarantees, but I may get through an hour or two before snark and unhappiness overcome my desire to be a better person.

The Good: Family, including new daughter-in-law, friends, kitties, books, and soccer in constantly-rotating order. Smut, of course, book sort team/Friends of the Library. Jenna and Hwan live about 35 minutes from us, which makes me happy.

The Bad: The 2024 election results. The world seems to be imploding, and my pessimism has me believing that it’s going to be much, much worse before it gets better. The next four years will be dangerous, embarrassing for our country, and damaging to our federal institutions.

From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock. It hasn’t been updated for 2025 yet, so I’ll keep an eye out on it throughout January. This information was published in January of 2024 when the clock was set to 90 seconds before midnight, apocalypse. 90 seconds is the shortest time to apocalypse since the clock was created in 1945.

A moment of historic danger: It is still 90 seconds to midnight

Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe. The war in Ukraine and the widespread and growing reliance on nuclear weapons increase the risk of nuclear escalation. China, Russia, and the United States are all spending huge sums to expand or modernize their nuclear arsenals, adding to the ever-present danger of nuclear war through mistake or miscalculation.

In 2023, Earth experienced its hottest year on record, and massive floods, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters affected millions of people around the world. Meanwhile, rapid and worrisome developments in the life sciences and other disruptive technologies accelerated, while governments made only feeble efforts to control them.

The Ugly: What’s going to happen in the world given the instability in countries one would consider stable - France, Germany, Canada, South Korea. The Israelis are committing genocide against the Palestinians. The polarization within the US.

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. Our 2024-2025 Book Club Year.
Aug – The End of the Affair by Graham Greene – started, abandoned.
Sep – Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – finished. Loved.
Oct – Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – after 3 attempts to start it in September, finally devoured it in time for my RL book club meeting.
Nov – Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie. Was stunned by this book.
Dec – Foster by Claire Keegan – Started, abandoned. Memo to self: Listen to an audiobook before acquiring it. A very strong Irish accent just didn’t work for me.
Jan – James by Percival Everett - finished. Loved it.
Feb – Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - almost started- at least it's out on the desk.
Mar - The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
Apr – The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
May – Dinosaurs by Linda Millet
Jun 8 - book selection

I have been married to Bill for 33 years and am mother to Jenna, who turned 31 this year and is married to Hwan, 29. Or, as we have put it recently, bio daughter and bonus daughter.

Jenna and Hwan in traditional clothing at one of the five palaces in Seoul, Korea, December 2024. Hwan prefers that her face not be on social media, so I must respect that.


Inara died, age 17, in August of 2024, so we’re down to the two gingers. Zoe being coy, Wash being pensive.


My goal last year was 150 books, recognizing that I’m powering through the smut. I still really, really enjoy reading this subgenre of contemporary fiction/romance and will continue until it no longer interests me. It’s getting more challenging to find books as I’ve refined my targeted trope(s), but I’ve become a great detective. This year’s goal is 200, which is still based on reading smut.




2025. I’m posting my New Year’s Resolutions as a message in this first thread. They include health, reading, house, inter-personal, and general goals.

News avoidance about 85-90% of the time, but I am occasionally dipping my toe in when I need my dose of schadenfreude, aka epicaricacy, and continue to revel in any and everything that politically or legally injures Trump. Not in line with what Peggy said, above, but I admit to not being perfect and reserving the right to be inconsistent.

And, finally, express gratitude for what I have - family, friends, intangibles and tangibles - every day.

Currently Reading:
The Measure by Nikki Erlick 12/22/24 Audible audio book narrated by Julia Whelan 11 hours 2022
The Historic Murder Trial of George Crawford by David Bradley 1/15/25 trade paperback 184 pages 2014

Something About You 1/24/25 by Riley Hart narrated by Sean Crisden Audible audio book Saint and Lucky Saint & Lucky 1 2018
The Federalist edited by Jacob E. Cooke 5/28/22 656 pages hardcover 1961

read

**abandoned His Prince by Cora Rose** 228 pages Facile, cutsey, chaotic emotions that didn't always make sense.
**abandoned The Club by Rina Saint** 100 pages One of the main characters, in the closet, all of a sudden comes out dramatically and publicly at a sex club. The dynamic between him and the other main character was a bit too kinky for me, and I don't hate kink.
1. The Sinner's Sanctuary by August Jones 1/3/25 1/5/25 427 pages Kindle Christian and Gibson Doormen of the Upper East Side 3 2024
2. Crossroads by Riley Hart Narrated by Sean Crisden 1/3/25 1/5/25 Audible 7.5 hours Nick and Bryce Crossroads 1 2015 really 4.25
3. A Little Bit by L Waltree 1/5/25 1/5/25 310 pages Kindle Warren and Eli 2024
4. Ruined by Vanessa Waltz 1/5/25 1/6/25 382 pages Kindle Luca and Dominic Sinners of Boston 1 2024
5. Test Drive by Riley Hart 1/5/25 1/7/25 Narrated by Sean Crisden Audible 6 hours Justin and Drew Crossroads 3 2016
6. Hard to Let Go by Jaclyn Quinn 1/7/25 1/10/25 Audible audio book narrated by Sean Crisden 6.75 hours Owen and Brady Haven Coves' Series 1 2019
7. How to Hack a Hellhound by Shannon Mae 1/7/25 1/8/25 234 pages Kindle Quinton and Liam Hellhounds of Paradise Falls 2 2025
**abandoned Taken by the Lord of the Nocturne Court by KA Merikan** 80 pages
**abandoned Never Have I Evan by DJ Jamison** 107 pages
8. James by Percival Everett 12/23/24 1/11/25 303 pages hardcover 2024
9. Commitment Issues by Bradley Brady 1/11/25 1/12/25 350 pages Kindle Evan and Scott Commitment Issues 1 2017
**abandoned Man of Honor by Parker St John** 182 pages 1/10/25 Kindle Gage and Wyatt
10. Dead Draw by Layla Reyne 1/12/25 1/14/25 237 pages Kindle Marsh and Levi Perfect Play 1 2022
11. Pull Back by JD Sampson 1/14/25 1/14/25 147 pages Kindle Bodhi and Morgan Hollywood Endings 1 2020
12. The Vertigo Effect by JD Sampson 1/14/25 1/15/25 170 pages Kindle Bodhi and Morgan Hollywood Endings 2 2020
13. The Two Shot by JD Sampson 1/15/25 1/17/25 201 pages Kindle Bodhi and Morgan Hollywood Endings 3 2021
14. Deep Focus by JD Sampson 1/15/25 1/18/25 184 pages Kindle Bodhi and Morgan Hollywood Endings 4 2023
15. Six Degrees of Lust by Taylor V. Donovan 1/18/25 1/19/25 366 pages Kindle Sam and Machlan By Degrees 1 2020
16. One Man's Trash by Marie Sexton narrated by John Solo 12 hours Taylor and Warren Heretic Doms Club 1 2017
17. Hearsay by Taylor V Donovan 1/21/25 1/22/25 240 pages Kindle Derrick and Roman Bylaws 1 2014
18. Benji by NR Walker 1/22/25 1/23/25 196 pages Kindle Kindle Benji and Nolan The Wylde Street Boys 1 2025
** abandoned When We Collide by Avril Ashton ** 167 pages Zander, Vince, Scotty
** abandoned Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan ** 208 pages Mac and Sam By Degrees
** Love the Sinner by Avril Ashton ** 110 pages Gabe Pagan
** Silver & Gold by Katherine Diane 47 pages ** Seth and Raider Seth & Raider series 2
19. Disaster Stray by FA Ray 1/24/25 1/24/25 280 pages Kindle Luke and Sebastian Rainbow Rescue Cat Cafe 2 2024
20. Reckless Hearts by Jax Calder 1/24/25 1/25/25 412 pages Kindle Seb and Marcus Rainbow Redemption Book 2 2025 4.5
21. The Other Brother by Jax Calder 1/25/25 1/26/25 290 pages Kindle Ryan and Cody 2022
22. The Fixer by Charity Parkerson 1/26/25 1/27/25 244 pages Kindle Chad and Journey Damaged Devils 1 2023
** abandoned A Matcha Made in Hell by FA Ray ** 68 pages facile, no character development
23. Under Construction by Juliet M Dixon 1/27/25 1/28/25 505 pages Kindle Dennis and Chris Straight to Him 1 2025
24. Back With the Tide: Memoirs of Ellen Douglas Bellamy By Ellen Douglas Bellamy 1/23/25 1/30/25 54 pages trade paperback 1940
25. Savage by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank 1/28/25 1/30/25 301 pages Kindle Lachlan and Cooper Park Avenue Kings 1 2025
26. A Simple Mistake by Alice Winters 1/30/25 1/31/25 361 pages Kindle Liam and Gabriel Deadly Mistakes 1 2025
** abandoned Save Me by Beck Grey ** 97 pages
** abandoned Sold by Ace Fawn ** 43 pages
** Tender Strokes by Diane Vale ** 41 pages

reminder to self: add to @@kenner1953 with reading dates

read 2

adds - 306 last year

1. Audible - Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane
2. Audible - Crossroads by Riley Hart
3. Audible - Guns 'n Boys by KA Merikan
4. Kindle - Colonel Chabert by Honoré de Balzac
5. FoCCL - The Complete Parallel Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books published by the Oxford University Press
6. FoCCL - Cicero Select Letters Volume I
7. FoCCL - Cicero Select Letters Volume II
8. Audible - Hard to Let Go by Jaclyn Quinn
9. Amazon - All of Us Strangers by Taichi Yamada
10. FoCCL - Introduction to Islam by Frederick Matthewson Denny Fourth Edition
11. FoCCL - French in 10 minutes a day by Kristine Kershul
12. Kindle - Commitment Issues by Bradley Brady
13. Kindle - Dead Draw by Layla Reyne
14. Kindle - Toward Eternity by Anton Hur
15. FoCCL - Sir John Dering by Jeffery Farnol - sad copy needed a good home
16. Karen - The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
17. Karen - Marsupial Frogs by William E Duellman
18. Re-added from being culled - The Future by Naomi Alderman
19. Re-added from being culled - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
20. Audible - One Man's Trash by Marie Sexton narrated by John Solo
21. Kindle - Save Me by Beck Grey
22. Kindle - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
23. Amazon - The Poems of Catullus: A Bilingual Edition by Gaius Valerius Catullus (Author), Peter Green (Translator)
24. Audible - Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy by David Zucchino
25. Audible - Hard to Let Go by Jaclyn Quinn
and thus ends January's acquisitions, to be reviewed later in case I missed any.
...
So, here's the thing. While visiting Judy's thread, she mentioned adding all her Kindle books to her catalog. I looked at my Kindle books purchased, and it was 144 books more than what I had in my catalog. Well, shit. So I'll be adding them here as a separate tally, and not count them as books acquired in 2025. I'm also tagging them with Catch-up Kindle in addition to Kindle.

1. Catch-up Kindle - Cold Lonely Courage by Soren Petrek
2. Catch-up Kindle - Delphi Complete Works of Elizabeth Gaskell by Elizabeth Gaskell
3. Catch-up Kindle - The Book of Souls by James Oswald
4. Catch-up Kindle - Keeper of Secrets...Translations of an Incident by Anjuelle Floyd
5. Catch-up Kindle - World War II: London Blitz Diary - A Woman's Revelations Enduring War and Marriage, Vol. 1: 1939-1940 by Ruby Side Thompson

culls - 219 last year

1. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
2. Impulse & Initiative by Abigail Reynolds
3. Prayers for Peace by Karen Blincoe

2024 Statistics January - December

403 books read
6 of them on my shelves before 1/1/24 and not rereads
113 books abandoned, 13076 pages abandoned, 1 audiobook, .45 hours abandoned

150.75 audiobook hours

Avg pages read per day, YTD = 306
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 278

Books of the Month: Johan Amos Comenius 1592 - 1670 by František Kožík
God of Fury by Rina Kent

Books by Month
January - 46 e-books, 1 audio book, 1 Graphic Novel, and 9 books abandoned for 1711 pages
February - 37 e-books and 8 books abandoned for 1058 pages
March - 38 e-books, 1 audio book, and 7 books abandoned for 899 pages
April - 31 e-books, 1 hard cover, and 11 books abandoned for 1338 pages
May - 21 e-books, and 13 books abandoned for 1153 pages
June - 33 e-books, and 9 books abandoned for 1188 pages
July - 29 e-books, 2 audiobooks, and 15 books abandoned for 1703 pages
August - 38 e-books, and 14 books abandoned for 1564 pages
September - 23 e-books, and 10 books abandoned for 991 pages
October - 46 e-books, 2 audio books, and 5 books abandoned for 479 pages
November - 25 e-books, 1 audio book, and 3 books abandoned for 302 pages
December - 21 e-books, 5 audio books, 2 hardcover. 8 books abandoned for 1110 pages

Author
Male 10%
Female 79%
Undeclared * 8%
Non-Binary 3%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Living 99%
Dead 1%

US Born 43%
Foreign Born 22%
Undeclared * 35%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Platform
Hardcover 2%
Trade Pback 0%
Mass Market 0%
Audiobook 1%
e-Book 94%
Audible audio book 3%

Source
My Library 6%
Library 1%
Kindle Unlimited 89%
Borrowed 1%
Audible 3%

Misc
ARC/ER 0%
Re-read 6%
Series 71%

Fiction 98%
NonFiction 2%

Author Birth Country
Australia 6%
Canada 5%
Commonwealth of the Bahamas 1%
Cuba 1%
Czech Republic 1%
England 3%
Grenada 1%
India 1%
Ireland 1%
New Zealand 1%
Norway 1%
Portugal 1%
Sweden 1%
UK 3%
Undeclared * 31%
US 40%
Venezuela 1%
Wales 1%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Original Decade Published

1880-1889 1%
1950-1959 1%
1980-1989 1%
2000-2009 2%
2010-2019 31%
2020-2029 64%

Genre
Biography 1%
Childrens 1%
Contemporary Fiction 92%
Crime Fiction 1%
Fantasy 1%
Graphic Novel 1%
Historical Fiction 1%
Informational Nonfiction 1%
Memoir 1%

Acquisition/Source
Audible/Audio Book 18
Kindle Unlimited 357
Library 1
My Shelves 25
culled after reading 2

Average Rating
1.5 - Very Bad 0
2.0 - Bad 5
2.5 - Average 12
3.0 - Good 47
3.5 - Very Good 72
4.0 - Excellent 187
4.5 - Outstanding 79
5 - Masterpiece 1

Average Rating 3.83
Books acquired YTD 306
Books culled YTD 219

December 2024 Lightning Round

Any in bold are NOT MM romances, few and far between as they are.

It also occurs to me that quite a few of the smut books have warnings about triggers that I don’t mention here. Caveat emptor re triggers if you want to dip your toes in.

Ace in the Hole by Ava Drake 11/26/24 12/3/24 5.75 hours Audible audio book narrated by John Solo

This is a re-listen. I was reluctant to start Foster by Claire Keegan for book club, so picked something from my Audible Library. Here’s what I wrote, which I am happy to repeat here.

This is the first MM romance I’ve listened to, and John Solo is a great narrator. Christian is PA to a US Senator, who’s a jerk from a Southern State, with many of the prejudices one would associate with the Southern GOP. His life’s been credibly threatened and he’s on a fund-raising junket. The security company Stone works for is hired for additional security. The night before Stone reports for duty, he and Christian meet at the bar at the hotel and go to Stone’s room for a hookup. Imagine their surprise when they see each other the next morning, but they agree to put it on a professional footing. This doesn’t last long, the Senator goes off with a hooker on a cruise ship and isn’t available. Stone is a ringer for the Senator with a bit of training up by Christian – walk, talk, haircut, etc.. They still can’t keep their hands off each other. Stone appears as the US Senator with some interesting results, the Senator is lured back with publicity that he’s doing great with the fundraising and changing his positions because of what Stone is saying, and all’s well that ends well for Stone and Christian, although the Senator isn’t as lucky. Schadenfreude, anybody? Caveat emptor very steamy sex.

Say Yes, Sir by Freesia Woodley 12/1/24 12/3/24 Kindle

Some books try too hard, and this was one of them, unfortunately. Zephyr needs a dom, Cash needs a sub who will do more than just play at the club. They have a ‘play date’ and Cash pushes for more. Zephyr says no. Then, in one of those ridiculous supposed coincidences to make the story flow, Cash starts working at the urgent care clinic that Zephyr does. Cash pursues Zephyr. We learn about Zephyr’s family and how they take advantage of him. More pursuit, finally a HEA. The book was as irritating as this lightning round entry – nothing you can really get your hands around. Caveat emptor re sex and Dom/sub and some major (at least for me) kink.

Something So Strong by JJ Asher 12/3/24 12/5/24 Kindle

As irritating as the kink and Dom/sub subplot are in Say Yes, Sir, they flow naturally from the resort where Kai’s a permanent employee and Jesse is working there with his 2 best friends on a dare. It’s immediate attraction by both of them, but they are both straight. Flirting, dancing around things, getting to know each other in a way that is necessary for demisexual people. Kai has been broken by an incident in high school, comes from a lower class background. Jesse lost his grandfather and is feeling pressure to fulfill his grandfather’s wishes, comes from very minor British royalty. I found their flirting and banter and attraction believable and steamy. As a friend of mine has said, it’s hard to write good porn. This is good porn. Jesse’s Dom personality fits perfectly with Kai’s submissive one, and it’s intriguing that Jesse’s the Dom in everything except sex, where Kai is the Dom. Lines blur by the end of the book, though. Comeuppance to the worst of the HS boys who raped Kai (Prologue, not a spoiler) by Jesse.

The Paper Boys by DP Clarence 12/5/24 12/7/24 Kindle

Sunny is a reporter for a tabloid, anxious to ‘graduate’ to a proper newspaper, from a lower-class background. Ludo is a reporter for his family’s newspaper, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. They are in competition for a story, are maliciously sent on a week-long junket to Scotland, and are attracted to one another against their wills. Ludo is klutzy, endearing. Sunny is street smart, a ginger with starbursts of freckles. They discover that they are both working on the same story, a maze of secrets and offshore accounts and shell corporations, involving the highest levels of government in England. They give in to their attraction, decide to work on the story, and in an apparent betrayal by Ludo, break off whatever it was they had started. I liked both characters, plus this book had so many laugh-out-loud moments. It’s described as a rom-com, and that’s the absolute truth. Kudos to author Clarence’s first-time effort. I dated a paper journalist in the ‘70s, and even though we’re now talking about the 2020s, so much of what goes on behind the scenes, striving to break stories, vetting sources, and etc. hasn’t changed. HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Always Mine by JP James**

Aaack. Wedding day, best friend of one husband-to-be comes home after living in NYC for ten years. Other husband-to-be really doesn’t want to marry his fiancé and on his wedding day, has the hots for the friend. First husband-to-be dies on his wedding day before the reception, best friend carts second husband-to-be away to ‘take care of him’. Sex, poorly written, way too many platitudes and etc. Caveat emptor re sex.

Ghosting You by Alexander C Eberhart 12/7/24 12/8/24 Kindle

Teenager Tommy works at a coffee shop in a small Tennessee town. He hears his dead friend Chase, who had died a year ago. He texts Chase, out of grief, loneliness, and comfort. One day, someone texts back “Who dis?”. Nick has come with his mother to the same small town. His cell phone gets broken, and rather than have to tell his father he's broken another one, he gets a burner phone, which just happens to have Chase’s old one. They start texting. Nick also gets a job at the coffee shop. Teen attraction, teen angst, teen secrets. Rather predictable from the homophobic father and Chase’s secret about halfway through the book, but I found it sweet and hopeful and brave of both of them.

Yes Guy by Barbara Elsborg 12/8/24 12/8/24 Kindle

Elsborg writes funny, heartfelt, and sexy books. This one is no exception. Tristan proposes to his boyfriend at a family event. The boyfriend and his friends laugh at Tristan, who flees to his brother Fabian’s condo. He gives Grant a week to move out of his house. He’s not handling things well, and adds his mess to the mess his brother left behind. Heath is cheated on by his boyfriend with his boss. He quits the job, moves out of Diego’s apartment, stays with friend Stef for a few nights, then her friend Fabian, who’s out of the country, agrees that Heath can stay at his condo for a month. He comes, he cleans, he’s happy. Tristan staggers back to the condo the night Heath arrives, and they scare each other to death. Instant sparkage, instant everything. They end up spending the entire Christmas break together. Each has his own foibles, but Heath starts saying Yes instead of the No that caused Diego to dump him. There’s a magical Chistmas tree, and a cute reveal near the end. Caveat emptor re sex.

Playboy for Hire by Spencer Spears 12/8/24 12/9/24 Kindle

Ryder is a college student who works for Heartbreakers Anonymous, not an escort service, but pretty much everything else. Quinn needs a fake boyfriend for a family event and Ryder gets the job. Quinn’s gay, Ryder is straight, but he realizes that he’s not actually straight because he’s so attracted to Quinn. So bi? Quinn-sexual? Hardly matters. They have their ups and downs, both extremely insecure – Quinn because of a birthmark on his cheek and Ryder because he has never pleased his parents and isn’t a particularly good student. He’s sabotaged his business career as an intern by accident, but realizes that he’ll have to do something different. Together they finally realize that they care for and eventually realize they love one another. Caveat emptor re sex.

My Toxic Romance by Harley Horton 12/9/24 12/9/24

3.5 stars is generous because this was so disturbing, but in 46 pages we get an abused young man who has never known any different rescued by a man who wants to rape and murder him as revenge against the man holding Mouse. Alexi changes his mind, asks for and gets consent, and decides to not murder Mouse. He starts taking care of him, and as improbable as it sounds, their professions of love ALMOST ring true. Caveat emptor re sex.

A Protector for Ethan by Ayala Fallone 12/9/24 12/9/24 Kindle

Ethan is neurodivergent, a genius, Masters by 22, just moved to a small town. Blade didn’t graduate high school, is a mechanic, loves to work on cars. They meet when Blade checks out a car Ethan wants to buy and Blade is immediately smitten. He asks Ethan out, they start dating. Ethan likes the Dom aspects of Blade, Blade loves to take care of his cutie pie sub. I found this one very sweet and vivid. Caveat emptor re sex and light BDSM.

French Kiss by CF White 12/9/24 12/11/24 Kindle

Dale is estranged from his father, who retreated to a remote corner of France to live quietly. Dale is a high-powered financial manager, lives for work, and just wants to sell the land and house. Valentin has been a wanderer, has barely two pennies to rub together, but has been taking care of Dale’s father for the year before he died. There’s an immediate clash and but sparkage, too. Dale continues to work towards selling, Valentin helping him fix things. When push comes to shove, their feelings are more important than Dale’s job and more important than Valentin going back to wandering. Very sweet yet sexy. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Wicked Side 12/11/24 12/12/24 Kindle

Solomon lives on campus, Ezra lives with Solomon’s brother/wife/baby. Ezra has always been in love with Solomon, ditto Solomon with Ezra, but neither will cross the boundary that would set Solomon’s brother off. Events at a party, with a non-con situation with Solomon and another guy lead Ezra to burst in, kick the guy out, and then he and Solomon give in to their feelings and desires. Lots of alpha male energy from Ezra, lots of submissive energy from Solomon, works for both of them. I really liked the found family the 5 of them found. Caveat emptor re sex.

Textual Confusion by Fifer Rose 12/12/24 12/13/24 Kindle

A fun trope – Asher gets a new phone number to escape his ex-boyfriend/stalker. This phone number is one that Markus uses with his hookup/contract. Asher texts back, they text back and forth. Asher eventually has to admit that he’s a guy, not a woman, and it turns out that Markus already knew that for some reason. Markus is an alpha male billionaire. Asher is going to school and working as a baker in a café. Ex-boyfriend makes more appearances, Asher and Markus have a contract, Markus takes care of Asher, Asher feels bad about being dependent on Markus, emotional make up scene. HEA. Caveat emptor re sex. Oh, there’s a Daddy kink in there, too… I didn’t particularly like that bit, but I substituted Sir for every Daddy and the dom/sub thing worked fine for me.

**abandoned His Until Christmas by Con Riley**

PA wants to leave, brother of boss becomes enamoured of him, PA has always had a crush on brother of boss… meh

**abandoned Covering the Cowboy by BA Tortuga**

Introverted writer has a neurodivergent son who’s just started kindergarten and is being bullied. Cowboy has extrovert and confident daughter who stands up for neurodivergent son. Play dates, Thanksgiving, sleepovers, canoodling on the couch. Dads have sex, both come out of the bedroom, it’s all cool. Caveat emptor re sex. If I had to read one more “kiddo” referring to one or the other of the children, I might have thrown up.

All In by Eva Drake 12/10/24 12/15/24 Audible audio book narrated by John Solo 6.5 hours

This is a re-listen. Here’s what I originally wrote, which I am happy to repeat here.

Final audio book in the Wild Cards series. I’m sorry there aren’t more. I love alpha males, and Sebastian is definitely an alpha male. Zane is a model, returning to NYC. He’s met at baggage control by security, taking him to a room where he meets Sebastian. Instead of his clothes, his suitcase contains a briefcase. Sebastian has been tipped off and hired to keep it and Zane safe. There are counterfeit $20 plates, and the owners want Zane to bring them the plates, offering him $1 million. Round and round they go, Zane hiding things from Sebastian, Sebastian working hard to keep Zane alive. Zane ends up surprising Sebastian and the reader. In the meantime, there’s serious sparkage and romance and love. Wonderful HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

Seven Card Stud by Eva Drake 12/4/24 12/15/24 Audible audio book narrated by John Solo 6.5 hours

This is a re-listen. Here’s what I originally wrote, which I’m happy to repeat here.

This should actually be read after the one I’m reading right now – All In, which introduces us to a shadowy and powerful secret cabal. In this book Collin works for a private investigation and security firm and has been sent to infiltrate a secret poker game to find out what’s going on. Oliver has been sent an anonymous invitation and although he’s currently a vagabond surfer, used to be one of the heavyweights in professional poker. Collin sees that Oliver’s been left for dead after a jet ski runs him over while surfing, attempts to rescue him, and Oliver actually rescues him. They start secretly seeing each other and working to figure out what’s going on with the poker game. Murder, mayhem, secrets unfold, and all in all a very satisfactory romance and thriller. Caveat emptor re sex. BTW, all three by Drake are only available on out-of-print paperback and as audio books.

**abandoned Fly Away Home by Felice Stevens**

The first 100 pages or so were okay, a bit edgy and action filled. Then it got predictable and rather boring frankly. I didn’t care about Colson, an author, and Harper, a closeted cop. I honestly don’t even remember if I need to say Caveat emptor re sex or not.

**abandoned The Guy Next Door by Devon McCormack**

Interesting take on a serial killer targeting Leif and Zane moving in to protect him because his own brother was killed by the same man. There’s quite a bit about mental illness, and I’d like to know who the killer actually is, but not enough to plod through more angst and diversions.

Highland Fling by Scarlet Blackwell 12/15/24 12/15/24 Kindle

Dexter has just about imploded his career when he’s forced to accompany a wildlife photographer, Kade, searching for the elusive wildcat in Scotland. Dexter’s whiny and entitled, Kade is down to earth and knows what to do in the wilds of Scotland. Enemies to lovers, and gay for you, with Dexter becoming Kade-sexual and the sparkage between them flies. However, they leave their hookup/romance when they return to their regularly scheduled lives. However, at an awards ceremony Dexter has a trick up his sleeve to get Kade in his life again, and I liked how it played out and how they figured out their HFN, although since I don’t plan on reading the next book, I’ll treat it as a HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

A Christmas Less Lonely by Scarlet Blackwell 12/16/24 12/16/24 Kindle

Seriously sweet and sexy. Lucas arranges a hookup at the restaurant Alex works at on Christmas Eve. The guy doesn’t show, and Lucas is humiliated until Alex gets him coffee and after dinner drinks and is empathetic. Each is attracted to the other, although Alex realizes that Lucas is a silver fox and therefore much older than him. Lucas realizes, too, that Alex is much younger than him. The hookup finally shows and is obnoxious and hurtful to both Alex and Lucas. Lucas asks Alex if he wants to go for a drink after his shift ends, Alex says yes, drinks are had, and they go to Lucas’s house. A hookup turns into overnight, and Alex invites Lucas to his parents for Christmas. It goes on from there in a predictable yet refreshing way. Great HEA. Cavet emptor re sex.

Sticky Fingers by Davidson King 12/15/24 12/18/24 Audible audio book narrated by John Solo and Kirt Graves 6.5 hours

Hmm. So many tropes, so many plot devices. Kyle needs money for his mother to have another operation and to save the family home. He gets a good summer job at an exclusive resort, and is enticed into trying to commit robbery for the funds. He and his friend Jeff, the instigator, get caught. Jeff gets fired, but since Maddox, a visitor at the resort owned by his friend, wants Kyle sexually, he gets his friend to let Kyle go and Maddox hires him to work in his gardens since Kyle was a biology major. It’s supposed to be strictly platonic because of the power dynamic but of course it isn’t, and they are sexually involved after the first day at Maddox’s house. There’s a disgruntled ex-girlfriend of Maddox’s who causes trouble, Kyle’s parents aren’t thrilled at the age gap, yet it all works out in the end. Predictable HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Falling for the Captain by Scarlet Blackwell**

Josh was dumped by his boyfriend, but still goes on the cruise they had planned together. There’s immediate sparkage with the Captain of the cruise ship, but sex with passengers is grounds for dismissal. So of course they tempt fate, both on the ship and on shore. Really, it was rather poorly written, IMO, with shallow emotions, shallow behaviors, and shallow motivations and goals. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Protecting Mr. Fine by Lucy Lennox**

Rockstar is threatened and needs security, Ryan gets the job. Each cares for the other, sparkage, Ryan hates when rockstar says he’s fine… just nope. Not even after being within 100 pages of finishing. Neither character was appealing, and it became too cutesy being the 4th in a series of poor little rich boy billionaires.

**abandoned Shiver by Jocelynn Drake**

Millionaire Lucas is attacked and needs security, Andrei gets the job. Honestly, at this point, a week after I abandoned it, I can hardly remember the details. Suffice to say that it was too predictable with too much repetition.

Sea Kissed by Spencer Spears 12/20/24 12/22/24 Kindle

Ari is kidnapped, taken to sea, but escapes during a storm. He washes ashore on Holden’s private beach. Holden has become a recluse, blaming himself for his girlfriend’s death 8 years earlier. Ari has amnesia. Holden doesn’t want to get involved but harbors Ari as he tries to heal from his injuries and regain his memory. I enjoyed the mystery of who kidnapped him although I figured it out pretty early on. I also enjoyed reading about Ari regaining his memories, his wonderful and supportive family, Holden’s relinquishment of his guilt, and their sweet HEA. Bad guy caught. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Christmas Deal by Keira Andrews 12/22/24 12/23/24 Kindle

Logan is a widower who inherited a 16-year old boy after only having been married to his mother for 1 ½ years. Connor is angry at the world and especially Logan. Seth was abandoned by his boyfriend after moving for a new job and buying a house. Seth needs a boyfriend in order to represent himself as a stable family man to win a promotion. Logan and Connor move in with Seth. Lots of teenage angst, sparkage between Logan and Seth. I particularly liked Logan’s backstory and sister and her family. Seth is a peacemaker. Connor starts growing up, and Logan and Seth get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Taylor-Made For Me by KC Wells***

Will agrees to be his best friend Becca’s fiancé to get through her parents’ anniversary weekend. Aiden is Becca’s brother and it’s insta lust when he sees Will and has the excuse to be around him. They both are smitten, actually, and hiding their attraction and eventual hookups becomes old pretty quickly. And Becca is rather despicable, actually. It could have reasonably ended after 5 hours instead of the 6.5 hour total audio book, and after they got together and let all the family know, the resolution of their jobs and where they’d live didn’t interest me. Caveat emptor re sex. Caveat emptor re cuteness.

Hellhounds Never Lie by Lori Ames 12/23/24 12/24/24 Kindle

Ash has moved to a town that’s a haven for supernaturals. He’s a fire mage – a witch – whose powers were diminished by his last boyfriend. At this point he only can control lights in the house and a few sparks off the ends of his fingers. Dillon has come to this town because he’s heard that it’s a haven for supernaturals. He joins the local wolf pack, but it doesn’t work out and he’s running from them in his hellhound form when Ash is driving by and rescues him. They both feel something happen between them. Between solving a mystery or two, dealing with supernatural politics, their sparkage, and Ash’s regaining his magic, it made for a fun, shallow read. Not to be sneezed at, actually. Caveat emptor re sex. Even though it was rather cutesy, I loved Dillon calling Ash his little witch.

God of Fury by Rina Kent 12/24/24 12/27/24 Kindle

This is a substantial book at 500 pages – long for a MM romance. Brandon lives a life of control and distance from everybody and everything after a traumatic event in his past that he’s kept secret from everybody. His twin brother Landon is his opposite – chaotic and volatile. Brandon is a painter, Landon is a sculptor. They live in a town with college rivalries. Nikolai is a Mafia prince, half Russian and half English. He is dangerous and embraces violence but is intelligent and working on his degree when he's not beating people up. Nikolai and Landon have a run in, and Brandon meets Nikolai when he goes to rescue his brother. Nikolai is immediately smitten and pursues Brandon, who is nominally straight. He challenges and fascinates Brandon. They start meeting up secretly because Brandon can’t come to grips with his sexuality and has always dated women. The strong emotions and physical attraction between the two is riveting and well written, with Nikolai slowly reeling Brandon in. He only wants to seduce Brandon, but discovers his feelings are stronger. Brandon finally gives in to Nikolai’s power and control, yielding both to him in order to keep his demons at bay. We eventually discover what Brandon’s hiding from himself and the world, and the 500-page journey was completely worth it. There’s also vengeance and revenge for Brandon, violence, and love and acceptance. Caveat emptor re violence, sexual abuse of a minor, and sex.

The Christmas Veto by Keira Andrews 12/22/24 12/27/24 Audible audio book narrated by Kirt Graves 8.5 hours

Connor, the angry 16-year old in The Christmas Deal is 23 now, working to become a doctor. He’s had a crush on his best friend Asher’s brother Reid for the last 8 years. While at a Thanksgiving charity event with Asher and his grandmother, Conner sees Reid. Reid has been trying to figure out how to come out to his grandmother as bisexual since she’s badgering him to get married because he needs to settle down and work harder at becoming her successor in the family business. On a whim, Reid asks Connor to be his pretend boyfriend for the holiday season. Connor agrees. Connor has some financial issues, Reid loans him money, they are attracted on top of pretending to be boyfriends, and it’s rather predictable but I especially liked how Reid was portrayed as being conflicted about the family business and how he is gentle with Connor as Connor’s crush rematerializes and they have sparkage. Sweet, almost sickeningly so at times, but Connor grows a pair with the collection agency when it comes to the money borrowed, Reid grows a pair when his brother tells him to woo Connor in earnest, and it all works out quite happily. Caveat emptor re sex.

Black Widow's Kiss by Alex McAnders 12/27/24 12/28/24 Kindle

Over-the-top Mafia romance has Dante being leveraged into marrying the daughter of the Japanese Yakuza presence in New York. However, at the last minute, instead of negotiations for her, he’s forced to marry the bastard son, Kuroi. He leaves, something’s been done to him and he crashes into a tree. Kuroi is called the Black Widow because whenever he gets close to a man, he wakes up to that man dead in his bed. He comes to live with Dante against Dante’s wishes, and they fight and bicker and instant sparkage. Kuroi has connections, Dante has a problem with his father and one of his brothers. HEA and caveat emptor re sex.

The Contract by Rina Saint 12/28/24 12/29/24 Kindle

Tristan, abandoned to the foster system at age 10, is on a mission to find the man who killed his brother Evan. He comes to Lush, a night club, and gets a job as a bartender/waiter. Dante comes to Lush every once in a while, and as soon as he sees Tristan decides he has to have him. Tristan has always thought of himself as either asexual or vaguely interested in women, BUT is intrigued and gives in to Dante’s blandishments. They sign a contract, and Dante gets heavy handed and moves Tristan’s stuff in to his penthouse. Tristan stabs him in the thigh, then eventually stabs him in the arm. Dante doesn’t think too much of this, because in addition to his legitimate business interests, he is seeking to destroy the same man Tristan is searching for. Lots of violence, lots of sex, lots of alpha male dominance. My kryptonite. It turns out that each of them has a huge amount of baggage holding him back from ‘feelings’ and commitment to more than the contract. I was interested in these back stories and how they could overcome their issues and get a HEA. Admittedly it’s a rather f***ed up HEA unless you’re into violence and being with a psychopath, but it worked for me. Caveat emptor re mild BDSM and sex.

Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane 12/29/24 12/31/24 Kindle

MM fantasy romance has Seth being sent to find a murderer and the explosive book he stole. Seth hires Raider to help him cross a vast wasteland. Seth uses arcane weaponry – very high tech and limited to the group he works for. Raider has an exceptional set of superpowers, if you will. As they travel and are attacked and are attracted to one another, they fight their feelings – heck, even having feelings – and learn of treachery and creating an assassin at the behest of people in power in a town they are seeking the murderer in. Sand serpents, magic, and each of them almost dying has them both realize that their feelings for each other are the most important thing. They do have to find the murderer and get the book back, though. This is the first of two books in the series. Caveat emptor re sex.

L.A. Math: Romance, Crime, and Mathematics in the City of Angels by James D. Stein 11/13/24 12/31/24 hardcover

Amazon describes this as “A collection of detective stories using math to solve crimes.” A PI moves from NYC after a separation from his wife. He’s devastated. He rents the cottage behind his landlord’s house and starts taking cases. His landlord helps him with one where mathematics solves the case. This first chapter is solved using Boolean logic. The second is solved using percentages. What’s so intriguing about this book is that although Pete briefly shares how he solves each case with mathematics, there is an appendix with more detail about the mathematical theory or method used for each chapter. I read the first four or five chapters in the appendix, then got impatient and some of the math went over my head. So by the end I only read the case chapters, all of them interesting and satisfying.

402 books read

1 Masterpiece
79 Stunning
187 Excellent
72 Very Good
47 Good
12 Average
4 Bad
0 Very Bad
0 Don't Bother
0 Anathema

Best Fiction
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Review
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Review
Damaged Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie Kindle January Lightning Round
Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart Kindle April Lightning Round
The Muse's Undoing by August Jones Kindle September Lightning Round

Best Nonfiction
The House of Being by Natasha Tretheway Review
The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S Wood Review
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by the Countess of Carnarvon Review
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie Review
Johan Amos Comenius 1592-1670 by František Kožík Review

Top five overall for the LT Top Five Books of 2024 List
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Review
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Review
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie Review
The House of Being by Natasha Tretheway Review
Damaged Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 1/29/24 1/29/24 Kindle January Lightning Round

…...

New Year’s Resolutions

Health:
Lose a minimum of 10 pounds.
Work out for cardio health 3 times a week when appropriate.
Reduce red meat consumption.
Continue low-sodium lifestyle.
Gradually work to reduce sugared items to 2-3 times a week.

Reading:
Read 5% nonfiction this year if continuing with startling numbers of contemporary fiction - i.e., MM romances, otherwise 10% if the romance trend tapers off.
Finish The Federalist Papers. I’ve read 54 of 86.
Read one book from each shelf in Library, Sunroom, and antique book cases. That’s 102 books. However, this resolution will continue into next year.
Finally read and review the 9 ER books sitting on my shelves, unread.

House:
Get the Parlour back under control by making a decision about each thing in the room and immediately following through properly: keep and store, toss, donate.
Find places for all my boxed books. Bringing in 2 IKEA shelves Jenna's given to me will help somewhat with that.

Inter-personal:
Be in better touch with family and friends. I tend to isolate when stressed.
Acknowledge and reply to text messages and emails promptly.

General:
As Judy says, pay attention.
Express gratitude for what I have - family, friends, intangibles and tangibles - every day.

Welcome!

You did it!! Yah! Happy New Thread, Karen. Happy New Year. I hope you have a healthy 2025. I have treasured our LT friendship. ❤️

Happy new year and new thread!

>9 karenmarie: I resonated with the sleep meme: I set up the bones of my new 75ers thread at 1 AM. Woke up and didn't want to just lay there fretting about all the things I can't control so got up and got something done.

Reading more smut is on my to do list this year. I stumbled upon a smutty Christmas rom com in December and think more if it may be the perfect escape.

May this be a year of cheeky little surprises.

>12 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy New Year to you. Yes, I did it. I've been working on setting up for 2025 for most of December 2024, actually. Just need to finalize my 2024 stats and December Lightning Round. Thank you re my health, and more so our LT friendship. I treasure it, too. ❤️

>13 witchyrichy: Hi Karen, and thank you. Happy New Year to you, too. I understand the middle of the night fretting and usually give it about 15 minutes of trying to get back to sleep before getting up and getting something done. Usually reading for me, but if it's after 4 a.m. or so, I come downstairs and start my day.

Yay for smut! It is the perfect escape. Usually quick, usually with an interesting trope or two and dynamics between the main characters, and of course, sexy times.

I have Richard to thank for getting me started on MM romance/smut, when he reported on Love, Hate, and Clickbait and I read it in June of 2022.

>14 richardderus: Speaking of Richard, good morning, RD! Perfect symbol for my reading year, of course. *smooch*

Wordle 1,292 4/6* trope, afire, reuse, nerve

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟨🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Yesterday was book sort and Virlie's. Reading, puttering, and thinking about what I need to do today for our friends Geoff and Diane's visit this afternoon. I was inspired to read Ring Out, Wild Bells at 11:45 p.m., based on a post from @@PawsForThought about it last year. It gives me shivers of both anguish for what the world is and hope for what the world could be. And then, if you can believe it, I completely missed midnight, only noticing when it was 12:06 a.m. I was sort of listening for the usual guns and fireworks going off, but didn't hear any.

...
Finalizing my 2024 statistics and Lightning round, straightening up a bit and prepping snacks for Geoff and Diane's visit. Pretty easy actually - washing, and cutting small bunches of red grapes, putting them on a platter. Cutting cheddar and pepperjack cheese and putting them on another platter, bowl out for triscuits, bowl out for tortilla chips, bowl out for salsa. Cookies on another platter, ice bucket out with sweet tea available.

Last minute straightening of the Living Room, and etc.

And, I've just starred the initial batch of threads I want to follow this year and come up with 28 threads - notice that Mamie's back!!! - with 571 messages.

I'll probably get back to LT after Geoff and Diane leave this afternoon.

Forgot to drop my new year's blessing:



>15 karenmarie: 4 AM is also my time for just getting started: a big mug of tea and a book. It's funny because when I was a kid I would set the alarm for 4 AM so I could get in lots of reading before school. And...I have my first BB for the year.

Happy New Year, Karen! I like your resolutions -- both well-rounded and realistic.

Morning, Karen! Happy New Year, my friend. I have missed you. I was so sorry to learn of Inara's passing - what a beautiful cat she was, and how very lucky you were to find each other. I love your New Year's resolutions - I don't usually make them, but this year I did, and getting healthier was definitely a priority.

>14 richardderus: Made me laugh!

Happy 2025, Karen.

The group wouldn't be the same without you my friend.

Hiya hiya, Karen. I see everything is in order here. As usual. Keep on keeping on. I know you will. You spent December prepping for New Years (hurrah), and I am imagining that I can do it in one day.

ETA: Ha! ya weird_o. Ha ha ha.

Happy new reading year, Karen.

I sincerely wish you a happy, healthy and fulfilling new year. May all your wishes come true. Happy reading 2025.

Happy new year and new thread, Karen! Fingers crossed for a better year (though I am no optimist...)

>1 karenmarie: "Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe. The war in Ukraine and the widespread and growing reliance on nuclear weapons increase the risk of nuclear escalation. China, Russia, and the United States are all spending huge sums to expand or modernize their nuclear arsenals, adding to the ever-present danger of nuclear war through mistake or miscalculation."

I watched a very in depth Netflix documentary regarding the building of the atomic bombs which reigned nuclear havoc throughout Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is a nine-part wonderfully researched outline of how the bomb changed the world and the start of the Cold War, leading to the What ifs of today with so many countries obtaining this terrific knowledge of how to destroy.

There was a segment wherein they talked about the Man Who Saved The World. This was an incident that occurred because the .40 cent computer chip malfunctioned, reading that bombs were coming out way from Russia. Fortunately, one single man said not to press the button. He bravely did not believe that Russia would, at that time, blow us to bits. He was ostracized by his peers and I believe lost his job.

That led to ordering books via thriftbooks regarding Oppenheimer, then books that focus on the terrific terror that may await us.

Interestingly, many who were a part of WWII, strongly believe we had to nuke Japan in order to stop the war.

As a child during the Cold War, I remember the days of duck and cover when us small first graders had to hide under our wooden desks.

We were scared! Fast forward to school the follow years when the topic of WWII and also the nuclear bomb were never taught.

I love my grandchildren and cannot help but worry about the world they will live in as (if) they grow older.

Thank you for the in-depth writing on your thread!!

Welcome back, Karen!

>24 Whisper1: Sorry to intrude to add to the doom and gloom. I read Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen last year--scariest book I have ever read! All it takes is one madman with his finger on the button, and it will all be over in 48 minutes. We do live in frightening times.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Thread/year!

Peggy, wrote “If I’m kind, I’ll get the day I deserve.” LizzieD is a smart one! I might have to start thinking like that too, and maybe more importantly, inject some of it into my testosteroney teens!!!

Enjoy your 2025 reading!

Thank you to all my visitors! Today got away with me, what with prepping for our company, having the company, cleaning up after the company, Arsenal beating Brentford 3-1, and publishing my final 2024 YTD stats and December 2024 Lightning Round.

I will write individual messages tomorrow after I get home from an early doctor's appointment.

I need to eat a bit of dinner then head on upstairs to read and doomscroll.

Happy New Year Karen. I hope 2025 is good to you and yours.

>14 richardderus: Ha!

Finally made it over to wish you a happy new year. I have you starred :)

It's not a day if I don't Wordle.

Wordle 1,293 4/6* trope, awoke, clove, chose

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. You have been busy. The bird walk went very well, despite the very cold weather. There were over 30 of us. We broke up into 2 groups and I was asked to lead one of them. Not a whole lot of birds, which was to be expected but we still loved being out in the woods for a couple of hours.

Jackson duties today, while Sue recovers. She is doing better. She also starts her new job on Monday, after being off for nearly a year. She has mixed feelings. LOL.

>16 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. Thank you. I love it. I don’t normally get up before dawn to stay up, but sometimes I just can’t get back to sleep. Fortunately, I can nap if I need to. That’s funny about deliberately setting your alarm so you could read before school. Yay for a BB!

>17 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, and thank you. Thanks re my resolutions.

>18 Crazymamie: Mamie!!! Happy New Year ot you, too, and I have missed you so much. Thank you re Inara. I miss her all the time. I’m so glad you made resolutions for this year – some times it helps us to focus.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. Love the pic of Merdeka 118 towering over the other skyscrapers.

>20 weird_O: Yup, order is my god. Sometimes I’m an apostate, but mostly I need order to function. I love to mull things over and play around with wording and make decisions about what pictures to include. Plus get my tickers set up, and etc. But, one day is definitely more efficient.

>21 katiekrug: Hi Katie, and thank you. Happy new year of reading to you, too.

>22 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Love the graphic.

>23 jessibud2: Hello Shelley, and thank you.

>24 Whisper1: Linda! Thank you for the lovely post. Happy New Year to you.

My father was among those who believed that dropping the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima was the right thing to do, but I am not sure he would have said ahead of the bombs being dropped that it was something that should be done to end the war. I don’t think very many people understood what was being unleashed then and there. However he had come back from Europe and was being staged for the Pacific Theater, so you can imagine his joy at not having to go.

I distinctly remember duck and cover, too, but I don’t remember internalizing fear about it. I worry for my family, too – Bill, daughter/wife, niece/wife/boys, nephew/wife/daughter. Sister. Aunt/uncle, Uncle/aunt. Cousins, and especially the new baby due on July 21st to our dear cousin Cassidy and her husband Nicholas. Beautiful graphic.

>25 drneutron: Hi Jim, and thank you. I’m glad so many folks have started threads by now, so that don’t have to be lonely any more. *smile* As always, thank you for all you do for our group.

>26 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah. Doom and gloom are built into the fabric of 2025, unfortunately, with the chaos demon, unrest in countries that seemed solid, and of course the maniacs in Russia, North Korea, China, Iran, and, since Israel is practicing genocide on the Palestinians, Israel.

>27 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>28 LovingLit: Happy New Year to you, too, Megan. Peggy is sweet, intelligent, acerbic, brave, and funny. She’s also so very kind. Good luck with Len and W and their testosteroney selves.

>29 thornton37814: Hi Lori, and thank you. The same to you.

>31 BLBera: Hello Beth. Thank you, and I hope 2025 is kind to you and yours, too. Happy New Year!

>32 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. Being wished Happy New Year and being starred are everything a 75er could hope for. Happy New Year to you, too. I think I’ve already got you starred.

>34 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you, too. I have been busy, that’s for sure. Yay for the bird walk. Wow, over 30. Great participation, especially with the cold weather. I hope your day with Jackson goes well and that Sue continues to recover. Oooh, new job. Will she be working in a chiropractor’s office again or is it something else? I wish her the best.

...
I decided to post this picture of me and Inara, taken 25 days before she died in August 2024. Such a sweet and intelligent kitty.

>7 karenmarie: LA Math: Romance, Crime and Mathematics... sounds like Pixels of Hell, of course, as I'm delightedly innumerate. Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane sounds most intriguing. Some others would work, too, but I'm cutting new books out in 2025 (that aren't free).

On to the weekend.

Hi Karen, remember me? I kind of lurk on your thread (skipping over the smut- haha) and focusing on your daily life and "real" books. Again, me trying to be humorous. I did see some "good" ones on your favorites list. (Smile)

Loved the pictures of Jenna and Hwan, your "bio and bonus daughters". I love your sense of humor. Wishing you and your family a Very Happy New Year doing and reading whatever brings you joy. XO

I'm late today as I was doing all the things, so now I am tired but feeling very smug about getting so much done.

>35 karenmarie: What a sweet photo of you and Inara. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Hoping today has been kind to you.

I'm still recovering from Christmas gemütlichkeit. It's been four or more years since this house as been the venue for a Christmas gathering. But my three children collaborated to have a Boxing Day meetup right here. Even my brother and his wife came. We had a great time, and I'm mellow. I said I'm recovering, but I'm enjoying the feelings.

??? I came here and read your first posts before you did the lightning round, but apparently I had to leave in a hurry and didn't post. Well, Phooey. I mean to do better for the rest of this year. We all need much support!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR KAREN!!!

I notice that you DNF a bunch of MMs. There must be a million of them though. Read on, my friend, read on!

Happy new thread, and

Happy New Year, Karen!

Happy New Thread, Karen! Lovely picture of you and Inara. It's so hard to lose a furbaby.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. Love the pic of you and Inara. Sue will be working for a OB/GYN office. We are hoping it works out. The hours are good and conducive to our weekend camping trips.

I had a good time with Jack yesterday but I think he got a tummy bug. So many people have been sick lately. I am trying to stay ahead of it. Our winter weather has returned and will be here for the next week. Playing PB this AM. Books in the PM.

>36 richardderus: ‘Morning, Rdear! I decided to take the math hit for you. You’re welcome. 😁 Not free books is a good goal. *smooch*

>37 Donna828: Hi Donna. Of course, I remember you… I was just so terrible at keeping up with threads last year that I basically only regularly kept up with 3. Thanks re Jenna and Hwan, and thank you re the new year. Happy New Year to you, too. I read very few “should” books any more. Occasionally one will surprise me, though – specifically books for my RL book club – and I’m pleased when I can up the non-smut book count.

>38 Crazymamie: ‘Morning, Mamie! Getting things done, taking things off The List, is always satisfying, especially the ones we don’t want to do. You’re welcome re the photo with Inara. That photo was when I had her bundled (or burrito’d, as Jenna would say) for daily ear ointment and every-3-day Meloxicam. Yesterday was a mix of kind and not kind. I’ll share a bit below – nothing horrible, just frustrating.

>39 weird_O: Hiya, Bill! I am glad that the Boxing Day Extravaganza at your house worked out well and that All The People came. Mellow is not to be underrated and recovering is a familiar feeling here in central NC.

>40 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy. Happy New Year to you, too, dear friend.

The MM romance genre is huge and growing. I’m just along for the ride. I need to reorganize my tropes/subgenres on my Smut spreadsheet, but that’s a task for another day.

I have always abandoned books with glee, and MM romance books are no different. What is different is that I can frequently tell within 50 pages that I don’t want to continue. Sometimes, though, I’ll read 200 or so pages, then see something that strikes my fancy more. I try to come back, but usually by then I’m bored or realize that I really didn’t like it to begin with.

>41 quondame: Hi Susan, and thank you.

>42 vancouverdeb: Hello Deborah and thank you. I seem to be missing her a bit more right now for some reason although the gingers keep us entertained and happy. The only consolation with Inara is that she was 17, a ripe old age for a kitty.

>43 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you, too. Oh, I do hope it works out for Sue. And I hope she’s completely recovered from her cold by Monday. Good hours and not working weekends are always good for Real Life. Thanks re the Inara pic. Oh, oh, sorry Jack’s got a tummy bug. I hope you don’t get it and especially that Sue doesn’t get it. PB and books are a good way to spend your day.

Wordle 1,294 3/6* trope, spell, cheap

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
So yesterday was a study in frustration and upset. I had a minor procedure scheduled, drove 28 miles to the office. Got there early for my 10 a.m. appointment. They called me back at 10:17. She was already running behind, and they open at 8. My luck it was one of those days. Then, after the nurse did her BP and etc. check, it was another 28 minutes before the doctor came in. She sort of breezed in, although I knew this would be somewhat painful. She apologized for being late, but I'm afraid I was rather cranky because 45 minutes late and being so breezy and unconcerned about how painful it might be. Her bedside manner probably works with 90% of people. Sigh. It was painful, and I'm afraid I didn't hold back on acknowledging the pain. And then, and then, she couldn't complete the procedure, which I'll spare you the details of. She said it needed to be done at a hospital. Her hospital is 40 miles from home. My local hospital, in the same network, is 11 miles away from home. She said she'd refer me to a colleague, so I'm waiting for a call from some nameless faceless minion next week to schedule something. Grrrr.

Home, reading, puttering, etc. We watched soccer last night because for some reason Prime wasn't able to stream. This happens occasionally when all other streaming services work, so I'm sure it will work this a.m.

...
PT at 2 p.m. Reading and puttering, and putting away the easy bits from decorating for Christmas. I'll have to let Jenna and possibly Hwan, too, do the heavy lifting bits whenever they can come out here.

Morning, Karen! I am so sorry that yesterday was so frustrating - that would make anyone unhappy, and how awful that you still didn't get the procedure done. I am guessing that your doctor does not have hospital privileges at the hospital nearest to you. I am hoping that the colleague that she refers you to is a much better fit for you and makes you feel important and valued as a patient.

May today be kinder to you, my friend.

>44 karenmarie: Irritating to get the message "my time is valuable and yours isn't" from someone you're paying for that time and expertise.

I hope the colleague can become the new doctor. *smooch*

Happy New Year Karen. What an infuriating experience. Hoping the referred colleague has a better bedside manner and more respect for your time. Have a good reading day today.

>8 karenmarie: Thanks for posting your best of 2024 list, Karen! I will have to see if I can track down the ones I have not yet read.

Happy New Year to you, Bill, Jenna, and Hwan!

Sorry to read about your medical hassles, Karen. That can be so frustrating. Hope things work out for you soon and as Mamie said, with someone who is better at those soft skills.

>45 Crazymamie: ‘Morning, beverage sister! I was pretty distraught on the way home, but stopped at the thrift shop but didn’t find any books, and bought one last Christmas present for a friend. I was supposed to see her today, but we postponed ‘til next week. You’re right – she has hospital privileges in Hillsborough and not in Siler City.

So far today’s good – coffee, LT. *blinks* Coffee, LT. I’ve posted to some threads, have many more to go to start the new year right. But 3+ hours is enough for a while, so it’s off to get a bite of brekkie. I hope your day is full of fabulous…

>46 richardderus: Hallo, RD. And I really liked this doctor when I saw her in October last year. Oh well, a doctor closer to home is better, actually. Although, I hope the end result is that he’s not a permanent doctor, just a this-one-thing-only doctor. *smooch*

>47 elorin: Hi Robyn, and thank you. My reading day was weird – I abandoned two books and am a bit restless right now in trying to find a new one. I need to really dig into James for Sunday the 12th’s discussion.

>48 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, and you’re welcome. I had a fun time preparing my message for Best of 2024, and then adding the top 5 to the LT list. Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and Kerry.

>49 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura! I await the minion's call next week to continue the process.

>45 Crazymamie: Exactly what Mamie said! (And it's good to see her back here!)

My worst experience was with a new doctor for Mama in 2018 at the clinic where she and I had gone all my life. She came in 45 minutes late at least, having eaten lunch and still eating trail mix, burped in our faces, did not apologize for either the lateness or the burp, and patronized Mama. I called Brownie as soon as we got home, and he cared for her for the rest of her life.

Hmmm. I should be reading James now too since I had half-hoped to read it with you. I'm still in comfort/entertainment mode at the moment. At the moment I'm having bonding time with Lulu, who is sitting almost on the mouse watching me type. Hope your PT feels worthwhile and Happy Puttering!

Hi Karen my dear, i have starred you once again and will be more visible this year. What a lovely photo of you and Inara before she left for Kitty heaven, love and hugs my dear friend.

>44 karenmarie: What a literal pain the whole procedure episode was! So many physicians do misread their audiences, as so few are really people persons.

Happy New Year, Karen!
>44 karenmarie: Yuck, not a good experience. I hope the doctor at the hospital will do a better job. Kindness and empathy are so important!

Hi Karen. Happy new year! I'm so sorry to read you lost your precious Inara - losing a pet is such a rough thing to experience.

>51 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Oh my gosh. What an awful experience for your Mama and you. Sometimes doctors just don’t get it. I wish every doctor had to have some kind of medical issue where a doctor treated them the way they treated their patients. So glad Brownie cared for her through it all, so glad he’s your doctor, too.

I am going to read more of James after I finish with LT this morning BEFORE indulging in any smut. I’m hoping I start powering through it.

>52 johnsimpson: and >52 johnsimpson: Hi John, and thank you. Yes, let’s see how this year goes. Regardless, we’re friends, and that’s a warm and happy feeling for me. Thanks re the photo of Inara. Sending love and hugs to you and Karen, kitty skritches for dear Felix.

>54 quondame: Nailed it, Susan. That’s what’s so wonderful about my GP. I’ve had him since 1998, and he’s that perfect combination of skilled/intelligent and empathetic without being sappy.

>55 EllaTim: Hi Ella, and thank you. At least at the hospital I’ll be unconscious.

>56 PawsforThought: Hi Paws. Thank you and Happy New Year to you, too. Thank you re Inara.

Wordle 1,295 4/6* trope, sheer, relay, relax

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
PT was good. I worked hard, and did some senior-friendly squats and planks. We worked on upper body strength, too. I stopped at the Library on the way home to see if there were any donations that had my name on them. One did, The Complete Parallel Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible. Talked with Rita the Librarian, too, for a bit. Reading, puttering, and etc.

...
Other than Arsenal playing Brighton at 12:30, I'm debating about whether I should go to the grocery store for dried kidney beans for chili. We're in a cold snap, with below-freezing nights 6 out of the next 7 days. It just sounds so good...

Gotta work on James.

In the meantime, I went down the PVA book binding glue (for repairs) and 90 mesh cheesecloth rabbit holes. Sheesh.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. I am so sorry about the botched doctor's appointment. What a friggin' hassle. I hope you get a better result next time.

Sue spotted a hawk in the backyard yesterday and called me up. It was a Cooper's Hawk hunting for lunch, under the feeders. He stayed there awhile but left disappointed. I did get a couple of pics.

>57 karenmarie: What's the smart money saying about today's match? I hope they're doing well.

I'm having an exacerbation and making the best of it by watching more YouTube to let me keep my affected hand elevated instead of typing.

>58 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Yay for Sue spotting a Cooper's Hawk. Gonna post pics on your thread?

I've had a Downy and a Red-Bellied. A Carolina Chickadee is on the wild bird seed feeder, and I've had a conclave of Cardinals.

>59 richardderus: Hi RDear. Odds are on Arsenal. There are a lot of injuries, but Havertz might be back. I'm sorry that you're YouTubeing instead of typing. *smooch*

Happy 2025, Karen! Hope the year brings you good things and great books!

Have a super Saturday, Karen! I hope James goes well for you. I very much enjoyed it when I read it last year.

Happy Saturday, Karen! Craig is running our few errands that need doing, and I am very happy to remain at home in my comfy clothes. Planning on leftover potato soup for lunch. Taking it east today, so just some household chores and maybe some cooking.

Hoping today is kind to you.

Good morning, Deary (an Aunt Jean word that I doubt I've ever used), I see that you could have been Wordle in 3 exactly like me.

Glad PT was good and happy that you got that huge parallel text. It will be interesting if you use it. I have a Gospel Parallels that I find very helpful.

Enjoy your day!

Happy New Year, Karen! I'm finally back in town as of late Thursday afternoon, getting unpacked and settled in, and have gotten most of my new LT threads set up. Now I'm trying to get around and visit the threads of my friends here on LT.

I'm sorry that you had such a terrible experience at the doctor's office a couple of days ago. I hope the appointment with the new doctor will go much better. But I'm glad to hear you had a good day at PT.

Like Mark, I am very grateful to have met you here and made a new friend. Here's hoping that you have a wonderful 2025, and that somehow we all manage to survive the coming chaos.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I had a perfectly lazy day with the books yesterday and read a healthy chunk of Monte Cristo. Our camping group is getting together later this afternoon to play indoor pickleball. It should be a lot of fun.

>61 ChelleBearss: Hello Chelle, so glad to see you here! Happy New Year to you, too, and thank you for the good wishes.

>62 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Saturday was mostly good, and I read more James. I love Jim’s fever dream after getting bit by the snake where he’s mumbling in ‘proper’ English and bringing up serious philosophical concepts.

>63 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, and thank you. Comfy clothes and leftover soup sound perfect. I hope your Saturday was a good’un and today is even better.

>64 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy, a day later. Your Aunt Jean’s word immediately brought to mind the lyrics from Hair’s Manchester England

Now that I've dropped out
Why is life dreary dreary
Answer my weary query
Timothy Leary dearie

Dearie is three syllables - dee'-uh-ree. What’s amazes me is that I remembered the entire song. I remember most of the songs - it made a huge impression on me. I asked for the soundtrack from my parents in my teen years (it’s from 1967) and got it for Christmas 1970? 1971?. I played it on the family stereo downstairs on Christmas Day… all the rude bits and sexual bits were right out there but they never said a word. Heck. I didn’t even know what half the rude and sexual bits meant. *smile* Happy memory, and the record I got then is upstairs in the Media Room. Wrong guess on my 3rd Wordle word. Congrats on getting it right.

>65 atozgrl: Happy New Year to you, too, Irene! Yay for being back in town/settling in/getting unpacked. How many groups are you in? I’m in the ROOTs group. I just found it, have my first thread already set up, and will start it after I finish a bit of catch-up thread work myownself.

Thanks re the PT and the sympathy re the Bad Bedside-Manner Doctor. The title of my thread says it all – buckling up for a while ride in 2025. Right now I cannot think of a single wonderful thing to offset the evil, greed, and stupidity that will be unleashed on January 20th. It’s already started, of course…

>66 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! You snuck in while I was composing >67 karenmarie:, but I checked back. Happy Sunday to you, too. Mark having a perfectly lazy day seems unusual, what with no walks or PB. Glad you got in a lot of good reading. Enjoy today’s PB.

Wordle 1,296 4/6* trope, relay, gayer, cyber

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Arsenal tied, which is better than a loss, and are still in second place, but 3 points would have been better than the one they got. I got ambitious, went to the grocery store to get dried kidney beans for chili. InstaPot'ed them, got the chili made, and made cheat "Best Garlic Toast" by not brushing the second side with the garlic/basil EVOO and just using the toaster oven instead of the full oven. We liked it a lot, and for small batches of 4-6 pieces of toast works perfectly.

Watched 2 episodes of The Murdoch Mysteries. I couldn't sleep for some reason, and didn't turn the light out 'til 3 a.m. However, I didn't wake up 'til 8 a.m., so got 5 hours of straight sleep. Woke up to 2 kitties on the bed, always a treat.

...
My sister's birthday is this coming Thursday. I'm late with cards, of course, but bought two, both with no inside message. So I need to do more than just write "Happy Birthday Laura Beth, Love Karen, Bill, Jenna, Hwan" on the insides. One is sweet, the other one says "Happy Birthday to the only person in the world who fully understands why we turned out like this." and just cracked me up when I saw it on Amazon.

I'm eyeing my Christmas Bells and want to put them up and get the books back into the book case. My 2024 Bell is currently happily communing with her sister bells. I might start the process today. The Library is booby-trapped because the Christmas station is still set up, and the books from the book case are on the floor under the table. And I need to wrap one more present first...

I finished a paper book and an audio book last night/early this morning. I've found a new paper book, need a new audio book. I'll read more James and create a word document of the quotes I want to bring up next Sunday.

Chili for dinner, more garlic toast, too. I might possibly watch the Liverpool Man United game with Bill at 11:30 a.m. Liverpool's in first, and I'd like Man U to win for two reasons - it's John's team and if they lose it improves Arsenal's standing.

Morning, Karen! That second birthday card is awesome!

We need to take down the Christmas, too. Craig got most of the outside stuff yesterday - he loves leaving it up forever, but I can only take so much. Anyway, I didn't even have to ask him or bring it up, which was nice.

Not much planned for today - I might make cabbage and sausage in the slow cooker.

Hoping you Sunday is rejuvenating because Monday is a comin'.

>67 karenmarie: Heh...my sisters know why we all turned out like we did and still we didn't do so great ourselves. I would say I'd like to go back and do it over with my present-day knowledge but who knows what apocalyptic awfulness would ensue. Gawd wants us miserable and angry so she can manipulate the horror and destruction off the world and tell us the Void is where we get our reward. In a weird way she's right...we're free of her and her evils.

My I'm cheery. This exacerbation's getting worse.

>68 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, and 'afternoon to you.

As soon as I saw it...

Nice that Craig brought the outside stuff in without being asked. The rest will happen when it happens, right? Yum to slow cooker magic.

Today's been good so far - getting my 8.5 x 11" recipes sorted by savory or sweet, then alphabetically within those categories. I have duplicate copies of some recipes, and will get rid of those before putting the savory stuff up. Sweet's still unsorted/duplicates removed.

I need to wrap Jan's present so I can get the Christmas wrapping station taken down. Not up necessarily, but at least down and into a large trash bag to get back upstairs. Feed the birdies, too. It's very cold, and they're desperate enough to eat the wild bird seed.

>69 richardderus: What if games are dangerous, of course. Who knows - had I gone to a different university I wouldn't have met Bill because I wouldn't have met Marie. And etc. You seem particularly cynical and dark right now, although I know at least some of the reason why. Tomorrow will be awful politically.

I'm sorry about the exacerbation and the limits on typing.

*smooch*

...
I ended up watching most of the Liverpool Manchester United match, which ended in a draw, which let Arsenal's draw yesterday be neutral with regard to Liverpool.

Filled the bird feeders, and have just finished visiting my visitors. Now off to visit other threads.

Happy New Year Karen! I managed to miss your thread until now.

Found you! Starred again as per usual. Love Book Dragon over Bookworm and congrats to your now two daughters (love Bio and Bonus)!! Happy reading in 2025 - I'll be here to get hit by BBs. : )

>67 karenmarie: Good evening, Karen. I'm in the 75ers and also in the ROOTs group. I'm also in Reading Through Time, although that one doesn't need me to set up a personal thread. I might join the Big Fat Book Challenge since I might be reading more of my chunksters this year.

I'm still working my way through the threads, and unfortunately have not yet made it to some of the busiest threads, like Paul's, Richard's, Mark's, etc. So I'm really behind there. It's busy around here at the start of the year.

Sweet picture of you and Inara up thread, Karen. I didn't realize she had passed. Our furry friends are with us for too short a time.

So it was Richard who gave you the BB for Love, Hate & Clickbait and the rest was history as far as being hooked on MM romances. He's probably the reason I have the same book in my stacks. I've pulled it out to read. I hope that's not a dangerous move.

Oh, how frustrating with the doctor situation, Karen. I am sorry about that. My GP sometimes calls an hour or more late of the appointed time, and it really annoys me. But at least it just a phone call. I have not said anything as there is such a doctor shortage here.

>71 SandDune: Hello Rhian. Thank you. Threads are so noisy right now, aren’t they? The method to my madness was to star the threads I usually follow on January 1st, read the threadbook and see who’s visited. I’m still behind, but getting there.

>72 Berly: Hi Kim! Thanks. Hwan has called herself Bonus Daughter on the two messaging services we use. The first is the default message service on my cell phone, the second is Kakao Talk, which they used while in Korea. Hwan got Jenna a Korean phone # and sim card, so we were able to chat and have crystal-clear phone calls without charges. I call Jenna my Bio Daughter sometimes now. I love the two Bs, too. Thanks re my reading, too. So far I’ve read 3 and abandoned 2, all smut. BUT, I’m actively reading James for this coming Sunday’s book club and have two more that I need to really work on.

>73 atozgrl: ‘Morning, Irene! I need to set up my ROOTs thread – I have the Word document for my first message all set up ready to go, but I think I’ll add the pic of Inara and me with the comment about her dying in August since I didn’t post over there at all after January. I only post to one thread per person, typically, so I’ll check out your ROOTs thread but probably not post there. I don’t envision myself reading too many chunksters this year, although I have the latest Outlander and 191 other books not yet read that are 500+ pages.

>74 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg. She was such a good kitty. 17 is a respectable age for a kitty, though, especially an indoor-outdoor kitty.

Yes, Richard is the instigator of what has become my obsession. Remember that there’s sex between two men in it. It’s in my June 2022 lightning round, where I acknowledged the BB from Richard. It did not yet have my now-standard warning Caveat emptor re sex. My smut spreadsheet now has 961 books with MM, MMM, or MMF relationships.

>75 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah. Yes, phone calls are much better delayed than office visits delayed. Right now we don’t have a doctor shortage here in the UNC and Duke systems, at least not for my GP or any of the specialty doctors I’ve been seeing/consulting with/dealing with (like in the hospital in September of last year). I’m sorry about the doctor shortage where you are.

Wordle 1,297 3/6* trope, slurp, sprig

⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩⬜⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Filled the bird feeders, read, dozed, worked on my 8 1/2" x 11" recipe stacks, watched Murdoch Mysteries, played on my cell phone after I went upstairs for the night.

...
It's cold, rainy, gloomy. Temp is just above freezing, so I don't see any ice/frozen rain pellets outside. I don't have anything I really have to do outside the house today, and with the weather so gloomy will probably just stay home. I have puttering things I can do - wrap a present/take down the Christmas wrapping station in the Library, put my Lladró Christmas Bells up, put up other Christmas decorations, etc. Mostly I'll read and work on the birthday cards for my sister. I'm also sending back Krampus, which I forgot to do for Christmas. It's an annual thing - we watched it at her house in 2016 not realizing how evil and awful it is. We kept looking at each other in disbelief but watched the whole thing. I bought the BluRay DVD and gave it to her as a gag gift, she sent it back the next year, and the rest is history, as it were.

Morning, Karen. Well, back to grind for the Warbler and with Sue returning to work, it feels like the old times. Fortunately, I will be returning home in a couple of hours to hang with Juno and the books.

ETA- We had a great time playing PB with the camping group. Matt stepped in to be my partner, since Sue is still nursing a sore ankle.

*I have not forgotten your book. I will get it out this week.

>76 karenmarie: Kerry and I have enjoyed the Murdoch Mysteries but it has been a good while since we watched them so we are probably dreadfully behind with the series at this point.

It is rather cold here (at least for Texas) with the temperature currently holding at 20 degrees with the wind chill making it feel like 8. If we did not need to go get Mallory today we would likely not be going anywhere, lol.

Have a marvelous Monday, Karen!

>77 msf59: 'Morning, Mark. I'm sorry it's back to the grind for you. I hope Sue's job goes well. Enjoy your Juno and books day. Yay for Matt stepping in as your partner in PB. Sorry Sue has a sore ankle. How's her cold? (Not worried about my book. It's in safe hands.)

>78 alcottacre: 'Morning, Stasia. Brrr! You've got cold weather all week, although this morning's 20F seems to be the lowest evening temp. You're colder than we are here, and I never think of anywhere in Texas as being cold. Stay warm.

I hope you have a marvelous Monday, too.

>76 karenmarie: It's vile here, too...that hybrid of snow/drizzle/35° that characterizes the most appalling of winter's offerings. I'll still take it over summer's blasting, battering, sticky cling.

Have a better day than you expect. ETA Let Dylan show you how Red 40 is the secret to Eternal Life:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MV_t6_cKXvE

Morning, Karen! Very windy here today. We had sideways rain this morning, but that is gone, and the sun has come out (boo).

I did not get to the cabbage and sausage yesterday, so it is in the slow cooker now. Not going anywhere today as Abby does not do well in this kind of weather - any kind of big front or high winds or heavy rain. She pre-medicated when we saw what was headed our way, so fingers crossed.

Stay inside, Karen!!! No walk for us today. It's now raining and cooling off from the high of low 60-something. It looks dire. Thank goodness DH thawed some of the Christmas ham yesterday so that we'll have something to eat. I should make soup, but I want some coconut milk. Hmmm. I'll definitely get the tree undressed and the other bits and pieces put away.

"A better day than you expect" is a good wish, so I make it too!

>76 karenmarie: I finally got around to some of the ROOT threads today. I did drop by yours just to say hi, but I doubt I'll add any further comments, since I'll be over here most of the time.

Nasty weather here today. My Monday exercise classes started today, so I did have to get out this morning. Most of the other classes don't start up again until next week, but the Monday classes are a week early, since we'll lose a day for MLK. Sorry to see that inauguration day falls on MLK Day this year. It was raining when I went out, and rained hard during the classes, but it had mostly let up by the time I headed back home.

Stopping in finally to say hello. I'm so sorry to see that Inara is gone. I love the photo of you with her, it shows so much love and connection.

I love the hanbok up in the first post. I had always assumed that was the term for the dress that Hwan is wearing but in looking it up in Wikipedia it seems it's a general term for traditional dress. Look at me, learning things. ;)

>79 karenmarie: Yep, we are even supposed to get snow and/or ice later this week.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>80 richardderus: ‘Morning, darling Richard. Winter is my second favorite season. Fall, winter, spring, summer here in NC, in California, it was summer, fall, spring, winter.

Love Dylan. And, of course, he dislikes Jello and cool whip, although he says that the ingredients for Seafoam Salad at least work together. I'm not against Jello, although Red 40 gives me pause. I am, permanently, violently, and shudderingly, against Cool Whip.

He pimps his new book, which I already knew about, Baking Across America. It comes out on May 20th. I’ll have forgotten by then that I just pre-ordered it and will be happily surprised when it shows up.

My day did go better than expected, although I paid for it with a bit of pain in the early evening. *smooch*

>81 Crazymamie: ‘Morning the next day, Mamie! Sideways rain is always interesting, isn’t it? I hope the cabbage and sausage came out spectacularly. I’m glad Abby pre-medicated. Extreme weather, eh? Give her a gentle hug from me.

>82 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I did stay inside, and I’m glad you did, too. I would like to undress my tree today, as you put it, but it will have to wait ‘til tomorrow at the soonest. I love turning on the lights every morning and turning them off when I go upstairs each evening.

>83 atozgrl: Hello Irene. Thanks for visiting my ROOTs thread, and I’ll visit yours just to say hi there, too. A dear ROOTs friend, @@Connie53, has posted there, but I haven’t checked otherwise.

It was nasty weather, but we stayed inside and were warm and comfy. Gads, I hadn’t grokked MLK Day and the potential end-of-our-country day coinciding this year. Ugh. I haven’t and won’t look at the news for quite a while.

>84 ursula: Hi Ursula. Thanks re Inara. You’ve got me on the traditional dress name, hadn’t even thought to ask what it was. I’ll check with Hwan when I reply to her text message that her sister/BiL want a Kit Kat Clock because she showed them a photo of ours. They live in Korea, so I’ll get it to Hwan, who will mail it, along with other things to her sister.

Isn’t learning things one of the things that keeps us readers going? Intellectual curiosity. In Gaudy Night, Lord Peter is asked about his shirt front by one of the lady Dons, intellectual curiosity at its finest. I’ll have to find that bit and perhaps even post it.

>85 alcottacre: Stasia. Snow and ice. More than we’re supposed to get. Snow, yes, ice, no. Terrific Tuesday, aye! The very same to you, too.

Wordle 1,298 4/6* trope, slant, blast (not enough coffee to avoid using l, a, and t in the same wrong places), atlas

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟨🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I got the Library back under control yesterday, although now there are bags on a chair waiting to go upstairs. We ate the last of the chili, with garlic toast again. Tonight will be winging it. Read, listened to an audio book, read a bit of James.

...
sort and Virlie's first thing, the PO after that, perhaps the pharmacy after that. I might get to the bells today in order to get the books that are on the floor, tags C02 and C03, back in their book case homes. I'll have to be dodging Esmerelda and Adela, though, as they clean my home. After all that, I just might take a nap.

It's a nice, bright 29F out there, so will really bundle up. My favorite scarf will come out, along with gloves and even, perhaps a hat. Look at me, wintering up. *smile*

Morning, Karen. Sue is feeling much better. Thanks for asking and her first day at work went swimmingly. I am back to my regular shift at Kids Kab, after taking on extra duties for nearly 2 months. I am a happy camper. Enjoy your day.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you. I'm glad she's better and that her first day of work went swimmingly. Big change for her, for sure. Yay for regular shift. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy your day, too.

Morning, Karen! The cabbage and sausage turned out fabulous. And our crazy weather has gone leaving us with delightfully cold temps for this part of Georgia, so I am most pleased.

So fun that Hwan's sister wants a Kit Kat clock like yours.

Hi Mamie! I just started posting to your thread but see that I need to get ready to start my morning. I saved my message to add to later today. Yay for the cold temps and the cabbage and sausage.

Here's the Kit Kat Clock in all his glory next to the Christmas stockings. Hwan's is something she loved per Jenna, since we couldn't find the exact right matching stocking. Go bold! Go pastel!

Morning, Karen! Just checking in with you. Enjoy the book sorting and social time.

>86 karenmarie: "It is, as the kids say, A Lot..."

Foul putrescence never had a kinder review.

I'm glad you gave yourself the new book! I think he's a treasure. I used to love shopping around James Lileks' "Gallery of Regrettable Food" back in the day. I stopped because, I think, he stopped.

Windy as all get-out today. I'm freezing! *happy sigh*

I'm here, Karen. Nothing much to contribute. No matter what I'm doing, I think I should be focusing on something else. Bah.

I'm not going out again today if I can help it, Karen, although we will be brave and walk in the wind. We were able to walk yesterday too, so I was happy.

Maybe spaghetti sauce for us??? I'll confess my plebeian taste buds. My DH makes a most comforting sauce with slow-cooked onions in olive oil, ground beef, and canned tomato soup. That's it, and that's what I'll do.

Hope you find a treasure sorting and something good to eat at Virlie's.

>90 karenmarie: love the whale stocking!

Meanwhile I find myself at the local library 'working'. I am meant to be finishing writing up a piece of research that may or may not be published in an academic journal. But it is hard. Woe is me. OK. Pity party over. Back to work I go!!!

Cute Kit Kat Clock! My sister , who is cat person, has one too. They are really cool.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Kids duty, PB, the books. My usual. I did spot a robin taking a drink at the birdbath yesterday. Most robins have moved to warmer climes but there are always a robust ones hanging around

>91 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Thanks for posting. Yesterday was busy and good.

>92 richardderus: Hiya, RD. Iwatched it again last night, and I just love his YouTube Shorts. As opposed to his shorts. *smile*

Down the rabbit hole of Lileks’ book… too expensive or I was suspicious because all of a sudden quite a few of the sellers on eBay are using ‘stock photos’. One, being sold privately, showed the actual book with an actual photo of a Jello mold. I realized, however, that I have enough photos of those with my Meta Givens’ Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking. *smooch*

>93 weird_O: Hey, Bill. Your presence is contribution enough. I occasionally make physical lists of what needs to be done. Right now, however, I just have the generic Put Christmas Up on my mind.

>94 LizzieD: Good for you, Peggy. Yuck to the wind.

Spaghetti sauce sounds wonderful. I used to love Campbell’s Tomato Soup. I just checked their Heart Healthy version and it’s got too much sodium. Just can’t do. I do have other options, though. Perhaps later this week.

I did find a treasure at book sort, the two-volume set of Cicero’s Letters (text vol 1 and notes vol 2) published by “Oxford at the Clarendon Press”, 1965. In very good condition, with dust covers in mostly very good condtion. They were destined for the thrift shop, so I’ve given them a home. Lunch at Virlie’s was chicken salad on a bed of lettuce with sliced tomatoes and dill pickle slices. I’m afraid that I’ve started eating all the pickle slices.

>95 LovingLit: Hi Megan, and thank you. I hope you got a lot accomplished yesterday at the Library.

>96 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Yes, we do love ours. I thought I’d tossed the box, but when I was looking for coffee filters this morning and had to get on a stepping stool in the pantry because I KNEW I still had one box of Bunn filters (which I found), there it was, tucked in the corner. I just ordered the one for Hwan’s sister/BiL.

>97 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. The usual is not a bad thing. Glad you got to see the robin.

I’ve got a Carolina Wren, a Red-Bellied, a Downy, various finches, Cardinals, and I saw a Blue Jay winging its way to the woods from the Crepe Myrtle.

Wordle 1,299 2/6* trope, draft. I thought of craft first, channeling the Wordle Gods, but it had been used, and draft came next.

🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Book sort, Virlie's. There were 8 of us, which was nice. Got Bill their Fried Chicken Special, which is every other Tuesday. 4 pieces of fried chicken, boiled small potatoes, succotash, and corn bread. My house is clean and all the Christmas wrapping stuff is upstairs in the guest buedroom, courtesy of Esmerelda. Usual late afternoon stuff - talk with Jenna while she's on her way home from work, dinner, Murdoch Mysteries, reading. Slept a bit less than I wanted, but the call of coffee overrode my warm bed.

...
Don't have to leave the house today. Will try to work on getting my Christmas Bells packed up, and/or taking the ornaments off the tree. I need to fill the sunflower seed feeder. I might need to take a nap.

Yay for staying home!

That Cicero though is a real treasure!!!!! Hold onto it!

I haven't thanked you lately for the Wafels, which I eat at breakfast and love. Thank you! I had found a caramel-filled one at Aldi, loaded with sugar. I ate the last one this morning and am still a little urky, however good it was. I was reminded by your avoidance of Campbell's. The sauce is too good to miss now and then until I have to.

Enjoy your day!

Oh! Thank you!! I amended my used word list. For some reason I missed getting craft on it. I knew that my #2 was on it, but it had my 2 consonants that I always want to use or rule out. Oh well. And CONGRATULATIONS on your two!

Hi Karen!

Wow - Wordle in two! Many congrats! It took me five, but I don't keep a used word list. The bot gave me very low scores today - even giving me a zero skill for the last step when I solved the word. Boo hiss on the bot. I keep saying I'm no longer going to look at what the bot says, but I do anyway.

Book treasure hunting is so much fun! Congrats on the Cicero.

Horrible!

*smooch*

Late making my rounds today, Karen. All three kitties are now sick.

LOVE the Kit Kat clock! And Hwan's stocking made me smile.

Wow to snagging the Cicero - most exciting!

Hooray for not having to leave the house. My favorite kind of day.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Well, everyone in Bree's household is sick. Poor Jack has been down and out for a few days. Sean's grandma, who lives with them and is in her early 90s has been hospitalized. Yikes. My Jackson Day will now be on Thursdays, with Sue returning to work but we might not see them this week just to be on the safe side.

I played PB 4 days in a row so I will take a break today and do some birding with my birding buddies. It will only be in the teens but we will bundle. Waterfowl will be our main target. My feeders were sure hopping yesterday. The flicker was back too, chowing down on the suet. I also had a trio of starlings.

>99 LizzieD: It was good to stay home, Peggy. I just brought the Cicero back to the desk to see if anybody had written in it. Nothing written in either volume, but there was a folded invitation to the American Philological Association. Dues were $6. Now dues for a Regular membership … are set on a sliding scale by total individual annual income. In contrast to the dues scales of many other associations, the APA's is not regressive—dues for income-based categories are set at 0.25% of the 1st quartile of the income band.

Ah yes, Wafels. I have given them to you and to Louise in recent years, and they look yummy. I might have to get myself some one day. I avoid Tomato Soup only because of the sodium. I loved it, made with water, and served with saltines and miss having it as an option. Thanks re my Wordle 2. I don’t have a rule beyond using TROPE as my first word.

>100 streamsong: Hello Janet. I know. Nobody is ever more surprised than I am. I found a words used list online a long time ago, put it in a spreadsheet, and have kept adding to it ever since. I have things I know I should avoid but can’t seem to get the strength to. Avoid the bot! Thanks re the Cicero.

>101 richardderus: Richard! *smooch*

>102 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. I always treasure your visits and am among those so pleased that you’re back. I’m so sorry all three kitties are sick. I’ll visit your thread soon.

>103 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Sweet Thurdsay, although I'm really sorry that Bree, Sean, and Jack are down. I didn't realize Sean's grandmother lived with them and, of course, it's so dangerous when a nonagenarian gets sick. I hope everybody's on the mend. Better safe than sorry, though, so no sharing of germs this week.

PB x 4 is rather impressive, but a break isn't a bad thing. Birding is still physically active, and that is who you are. Teens. Urgh. It's 20F here with a high of 36F. Stay warm! Enjoy the birdies. I'm glad you've had the flicker and the starlings

When we first got the Kit Kat Clock, we were less than thrilled, but put it up because Aunt Ann was visiting. We left it up, and have kept it up ever since. We love it. The stocking is memorable, isn’t it?

Wordle 1,300 3/6* trope, giver, wafer. I decided to be logical and go alphabetically starting at b--, but then decided to go reverse alphabet. A definite win.

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I did all the usual puttering and reading, then went upstairs because my feet were cold and I wanted to use a cornbag and all my blankets. I dozed a bit, read a bit, then came downstairs and put up my Christmas Bells. The tub is still out, because I have to get the Christmas tree down before I can put things back in the closet currently blocked by it. But, progress. Murdoch Mysteries in the evening, and etc. My sister's birthday is today. She is 68. I texted her at 1:30 a.m. because I was still awake and wished her a Happy Birthday in my time zone. We texted for a bit. I texted her this morning and wished her a Happy Birthday in her time zone. She's in SoCal, so 3 hours behind us. Me and my sissie in the late 1980s. She's on the left, I'm on the right.



...
I'm having a very late December/Christmas lunch with friend Jan at the Mediterranean Cafe we both love. Depending on my mood, I may stop for groceries on the way home. Reading, especially James for Sunday's discussion at book club.

>104 karenmarie: Happy sisterhood celebration, sweetiedarling. I hope you're in the mood to make groceries, it'll be less reason to leave later when it's colder.

My exacerbation's steadily dying down...all the YAY.

>98 karenmarie: I have now been home for almost two weeks and do not have to leave the farm until next Tuesday. I am a pig in mud right now.

>104 karenmarie: Lovely picture!

I have taken a strong dislike to grocery shopping for some reason. We can get a decent amount of foodstuffs at the Dollar Stores in town, but I need fresh vegetables, which means a trip to the next town. I got my first Hungry Root subscription last week and was pleased with the quality of the food.

Stay warm!

>104 karenmarie: look at those 1980s beauties! I love that photo.

Lovely photo of you and your sister, Karen. Like Richard, I am hoping you feel like getting your groceries today just so you don't have to go back out.

Today I get to stay at home, and I am very happy about that. Nothing much planned except to make deconstructed stuffed peppers. Maybe some laundry.

Hoping Thursday is kind to you.

>104 karenmarie: Y'all are SO related - love the red hair, great smiles, big eyes! Enjoy your day! (((((Karen)))))

What a wonderful photo of you and your sis 😃

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/367493

>104 karenmarie: That is a fabulous picture of you and your sister, Karen. Two beauties!

I hope you are loving James. It was one of my 2024 favorites. Have a great book discussion.

>104 karenmarie: I hope your sister is having a happy birthday and is even further from the fires than I am - or at least no closer.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. Beautiful photo of you and your sis. We had a good time yesterday on the bird walk, despite the cold. We saw at least 5 bald eagles and a few trumpeter swans.

PB for me this AM. Jack is back to his old self so Sue will scoop him up and bring him here for awhile. We both have missed him.

>105 richardderus: Thank you, RDear! I didn’t stop at the grocery store, just wanted to get home. We were there for almost 3 hours. I’m afraid that if I want to make Vegetable Beef Soup, I’ll have to brave the panicked hordes. Don’t need much, but what I need I really need.

I’m glad the exacerbation’s dying down. I’m so glad that it’s changing in a positive direction.

>106 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. It’s nice to be home. ‘Course I’m home all the time these days, but I know you do a lot of traveling.

I don’t mind grocery shopping, and even when I have to do it online for a drive-through, I like getting it off the list and having things in the house.

Working on warm – the sunroom was 62F when I came in here a while ago, and I have the space heater on. I hope you stay warm, too, looks like the mid-Atlantic’s going to be a mess.

>107 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura.

>108 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie. Sigh. Just came home yesterday. In hindsight… glad you get to stay home, and I read about the deconstructed stuffed peppers. Bill won’t eat peppers in any way, shape or form, so unless I want to make them just for myself, gotta pass. Of course, there are always cabbage rolls. Hmm. Maybe for next week since I’ll be using the cabbage for soup.

>109 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Interestingly, she was a towhead, I had strawberry blonde hair when we were little. (((((hugs)))))

>110 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara.

>111 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>112 Donna828: ‘Morning, Donna, and thank you.

>113 quondame: My sister had a great birthday, thank you. I keep monitoring the fires – I can’t believe how awful it is out there.

>114 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you, too. Thanks re the photo. Glad the bird walk went well. Oh, my, 5 Bald Eagles. We have Bald Eagles out here, but no Trumpeter Swans. Glad Jack’s better, enjoy the PB and his visit this afternoon.

Wordle 1,301 4/6* trope, brick, crash, crawl

⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Jan and I spent almost 3 hours getting caught up. Came home and went up stairs to read and nap, watched Murdoch Mysteries, and etc. Laura and I chatted from 2 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. I kept meaning to call her during the day to sing Happy Birthday because that’s what we do, but our conversation was uninterrupted by spouses and her granddaughter, which was kinda nice. She loved the babysitting as she always does, and had a wonderful birthday.

....
I'm going to schlep over to the Ford Dealership to get my car inspected so I can register it before the end of the month, then stop for groceries on the way home. Only need things for Vegetable Beef Soup (only an onion at this point, but will definitely check the freezer and pantry before I head out.

Unless the storm moves in early, I have a PT appointment at 1:45. It was for 5 p.m., but Max called yesterday to see if we could move it up or move it to early next week.

We might get up to 3" of snow and .25" of ice. North Carolina basically shuts down if there's even a snowflake, freezing rain drop, or sleet pellet, so you can imagine. On the way home yesterday I noticed that they'd already been out brining the roads.

I may put the books back in the book case since I took the bells out 2 days ago.

Morning, Sister of my heart! We made it to Friday! Sounds like you had a lovely visit with both Jan and your sister, so hooray for that.

Vegetable beef soup sounds delicious. Do you put barley in it? Is it a tomato or a beef base?

I wish we were getting some of that snow - I miss seeing it. Although Georgia is like North Carolina and would shut down at even the hint of it.

Hoping today is kind to you.

Good morning, Karen......... Not only does NC shut down, but the drivers who are out have NO idea what driving in frozen stuff entails. Since they are already horrible here, I have to have dire need to get on the road when anything accumulates. Hope you get only snow!

We have a tiny bit of spaghetti sauce left, so I may make the vegetable beef (V8 and chicken stock) soup for tomorrow. Sounds good to me!

>115 karenmarie: I hope you're on the way to your appointment, and got your onion for the yummies. I'm more off than on lately because of gout. It *is* getting better. Yay and all that but I'm babying it to help finish the healing.

*smooch*

>116 Crazymamie: Yay for Friday, Sister of My Heart. Jan in person and Laura via phone call, both welcome and good. Plus I chatted with Jenna on her way home from work. I’m going to start the soup in a few minutes.

When I stopped at the mailbox on the way down our road, I saw a few flakes. Don’t see any now. I’ve been very busy today, all good, and soup and garlic toast will make it even better.

>117 LizzieD: ‘Afternoon, Peggy. You’re absolutely right about the drivers, I’m afraid to say. Only snow would be good. Ice is always a disaster. Yay for soup tomorrow. I need to start the soup pronto.

>118 richardderus: Inspection done, grocery shopping done, PT done, and I filled my gas tank. I’m now home for the duration, so it’s back to jammies and into the kitchen.

Karen, you and your sister look alike!

Dropping in to say hi. Beautiful smiles in the photo. Wednesday was Mom's birthday - we texted a bit but I didn't call. Weather is cold but bearable although expected to get worse tonight. Yesterday was wet with rain and snow melting before it hit the ground. Thanks be the roads weren't icy or slushy. Good luck getting the books back on the shelves. Happy reading!

The two of you could almost be twins, you look so much alike, Karen! But I can tell which one is you. I was out walking the dog about a week ago and came across two young women who wanted to say hi to Muffin. Then I looked at them and said - you two look so much alike , you must be sisters. The younger one said " You made her day! " and it turned out that they were mother and daughter. But I honestly thought they were sisters.

>120 Whisper1: Hi Linda. In that particular photo more than others, but yes.

>121 elorin: Hi Robyn. It's really nice that you and your mother text. My mother never mastered that skill, but she emailed some and called a fair amount. I guess I never think of San Antonio as getting snow. Glad the roads weren't bad. It's still dark here and I don't know what happened after I went to bed. At that time we had less than .5" of snow, and then later I heard rain, which would have frozen on impact. It's 31F now, but will get to 44F later.

Thanks re the books - possibly later today.

>122 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Laura's 3 1/2 years younger than I am. Nice story about the mother and daughter. Yay for Muffin.

Wordle 1,302 3/6* trope, slick, dingy

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
So busy yesterday - getting car inspected so I can get it registered, grocery shopping, PT, getting gas tank filled on SUV, soup, garlic toast. Murdoch Mysteries, and wondering what the storm would bring. I could really tell that I'd been on my feet a lot.

...
We'll be staying in today. No need to go out and possibly run into slick roads. I will be reading James for tomorrow's book club meeting. As per usual, I've left it 'til late, and have about half to go.

>123 karenmarie: Sounds like yesterday was a good one as you battened down your hatches.

Staying in is a great plan and one we instituted here :) Enjoy James!

I just posted on your thread, Stasia! Yes, yesterday was productive. I could have not made the soup and been less tired, but oh! It was so good, especially with garlic toast. I don't put garlic in the soup, so the very garlicky toast was a perfect offset. We've got perhaps 3 days of leftovers, and I made enough garlic/EVOO/salt/basil mixture to make more garlic toast easily tonight. I really hate mincing garlic, and although I love using the garlic press, cleaning it is never any fun.

You got more snow than we did. It's just light now, but the security system's still on and I'm too lazy to go into the other room to turn it off, although I could do it from my cell phone... nope. The smattering of snow from yesterday is probably overlaid with a bit of ice, but not much. It's overcast and 31F.

I'm really enjoying James. It's a dense read, vivid, and very funny in places. Staying in is good.

I hope you have a super Saturday!

I was looking to see what was going on at my bird feeders, and see that we did definitely get freezing rain overnight. And yes, I need to get more nyjer seed to fill the feeder.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. That finch feeder looks forlorn. I do not like freezing rain. It is the worst and most dangerous. I wouldn't drive if you didn't have to. We have also been getting snow but small amounts, which I'm okay with. Our driveway is still pretty icy in spots.

Not much going on today. House chores and reading time, are the only things on the agenda.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you, too.

The forlorn finch feeder. It sure is. I finally used the last of the nyjer seed that Louise had left with me when she moved in May. I just ordered a 10-lb bag on Amazon, along with a 20-cake box of suet, both due Wednesday. I'll get the wild bird seed in town, but the other two are ridiculously expensive at the Farm & Garden.

I just went outside and filled up the sunflower seed feeder. I have Many Birds. Chickadees, Downys, Cardinals, and various and sundry finches and sparrows. I had a Mockingbird land on the railing earlier, along with the damned squirrel on the suet feeder.

Morning, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing that garlic toast recipe over on my thread - I cannot wait to try it.

We're about to walk, and I haven't done anything purposeful but change the sheets today. *sigh* Soup later!

I maligned you on my thread by saying that your first word was more helpful today than mine. I guess having one correct letter is a bit more helpful than none but not enough to account for the difference between your 3 and my 6. GOOD for you!

Hi Karen! I can't believe I hadn't gotten here until now. Nice to read your various books are back in their shelves, and that you are (mostly) staying in and off the roads in the icy weather. It's much better to stay cozy and read, isn't it!

>104 karenmarie: What a wonderful picture of you and your sister, Karen! I love it.

>123 karenmarie: I'm so glad you can stay in today. We're doing the same, so we don't have to worry about the roads. I suppose they were OK by this afternoon, but just as well to avoid them. I had such a busy week this week, having to go out for one or many things every weekday. It's so nice to have a day when I can just stay home. Trying to get caught up on the LT threads, which I might just finally do today.

Enjoy your time with James today!

>129 Crazymamie: Good evening, Mamie! You’re welcome. I made it again tonight to go with leftover soup. I had made up a triple batch of the mixture, so just had to heat the oven, brush/sprinkle, and bake. I hope you like it as much as we do.

>130 LizzieD: Brrr. Still cold, even if not below freezing. Wordle is fun, not cut throat, so even if you ‘maligned’ me, I know it’s done out of love. Sorry about your 6. (((((Peggy)))))

>131 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Good to see you. We stayed in today, I got some books back on the shelves, not all, but did finish James, review below. Just in time for tomorrow’s book club meeting.

>132 atozgrl: Hello Irene. Thank you, and I’m glad you like the pic. In is good, and I really did enjoy reading and finishing James. I had started off taking notes on an index card, which also doubled as a book mark, but didn’t have a pencil in the Library. Being excessively lazy, I simply made notes on my cell phone and didn’t need the book mark any more.

James by Percival Everett
12/23/24 1/11/25





From Amazon:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER• NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg • A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, TIME, and more.

"Genius"—The Atlantic • "A masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature, while also being a major achievement on its own."—Chicago Tribune • "A provocative, enlightening literary work of art."—The Boston Globe • "Everett’s most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful."—The New York Times

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “literary icon” (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.

Why I wanted to read it: Book club selection for January’s discussion. We read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in October to familiarize us with the basic plot and characters.

First impressions? Visceral, humorous, intrigued me from the beginning.

In some ways Everett could be channeling Mark Twain in the style of writing and the juxtaposition of the horrors of slavery with the exaggerated subplots. Jim speaks ‘white’ English when around slaves and 'slave' pidgin English when around white people. Every once in a while he slips up. As with Huck’s story, they go down the Mississippi together and have quite a few of the same adventures. At one point, though, Jim’s story diverges from Huck’s and then merges back with Huck’s with an amazing piece of information and then eventual divergence again.

Here are a few quotes:

”You do not believe that humans are inherently bad?” I asked.

"I do not. If they were, they would kill as soon as they could walk.”

”Let me try this, I said. “You have a notion, like Raynal, of natural liberties, and we all have them by virtue of our being human. But when those liberties are put under societal pressure, they become civil liberties, and those are contingent on hierarchy and situation. Am I close?”

I am called Jim I have yet to choose a name. In the religious preachings of my white captors, I am a victim of the Curse of Ham. The white so-called-masters cannot embrace their cruelty and greed, but must look to that lying Dominican friar for religious justification. But I will not let this condition define me. I will not let myself, my mind, drown in fear and outrage. I will be outraged as a matter of course. But my interest is in how these marks that I am scratching on this page can mean anything at all. If they can have meaning, then life can have meaning, then I can have meaning.

… the Bible itself was the least interesting of all. I could not enter it, did not want to enter it, and then understood that I recognized it as a tool of my enemy. I chose the word enemy, and still do, as oppressor necessarily supposes a victim.

Jim, in a fevered dream, arguing with John Locke.
“Some might say that my views on slavery are complex and multifaceted.”
“Convoluted and multifarious.”
“Well reasoned and complex.”
“Entangled and problematic.”
“Sophisticated and intricate.”
“Labyrinthine and Daedalean.”

"I done a lot of doctorin’, but people get a bit bent outta shape when you make things worse. Especially when it’s significantly worse. Especially when somebody sorta dies.”

”…They had to know them was lies, but they wanted to believe. What do you make of that?”

“Folks be funny lak dat. Dey takes the lies dey want and throws away the truths dat scares ‘em.”

I saw the surface of her, merely the outer shell, and realized that she was mere surface all the way to her core.

Was it evil to kill evil?

...
I could go on. The writing made me think, grabbed hold of me. I liked how brave Jim was, how he cared for Huck and how Huck cared for him. I like how Jim’s goal was always to get back to Sadie and Lizzie, his wife and daughter so that he could buy them. It was naive, to be sure, but a goal that kept him going.

I also liked that James hid in Judge Thatcher’s office to read at night. Reading is always good.

Six word review: Intellectual slave wants to free family.

>115 karenmarie: I hope you didn't get too much snow and ice!

Vegetable and beef soup sounds great. A warm and hearty meal for this season.

>134 karenmarie: Glad you enjoyed the read. Excellent review.

Happy rest of the weekend

>134 karenmarie: I'm so glad you enjoyed James, Karen. It's truly remarkable and deserves all the praise.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. Great overview and review of James. Glad you got to it. It is a special one. I was feeling under the weather yesterday and was worried about catching that nasty bug that is going around. So far, I am not showing any of those symptoms. Whew. May it continue. My family is getting together to play pickleball this afternoon, (another reason I was hoping to rebound). My family seems to enjoy these outings and you know I love leading the charge.

>135 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. We got about 1/2" of snow and a noticable but not dangerous coating of ice. We still have a bit of snow on the north side of the house, and since it's 20F out right now, snow melt has turned back into ice. The soup has been a hit with both of us. Thank you my review, and the rest of my weekend will be good. I hope yours is good, too.

>136 lauralkeet: Hello Laura, and thank you.

>137 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you. Glad you've avoided the nasty bug, hope PB with your family is tons of fun. Thanks my review of James.

Wordle 1,303 3/6* trope, tonal, total

🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Yesterday was finishing James, and a bit of puttering. Review writing, dinner, and etc.

...
Arsenal plays in the Carabao League at 10 this morning, and I think I've found it on the Arsenal N5 channel on YouTube. Otherwise, we'd have to pay for another streaming service which just won't happen at this point.

Book club is at 2 p.m. today to discuss James. Next book for book club is Hamnet, which I started once and put down. We'll see.

Morning, Karen! What a great review of James - definitely one I will get to at some point. Have fun at book club - I bet you will get some good discussion going.

Hi Mamie! 'Morning to you, too. Thanks re my review. Book club is always fun, and especially fun when I've actually read the book. *smile*

Well, we were unsuccessful at finding the Arsenal match without buying yet another streaming service. Oh well.

Hi Karen my dear, i am sorry that you couldn't find the Arsenal V Man Utd FA Cup match, i will not tell you the result as i don't like spoilers.

Hope all is well with you, Bill and Wash and Zoe, sending love and hugs from both of us and Kitty skritches from Felix.

Hi Karen, I thought I'd starred your 2025 thread, but clearly not as you're at 141 posts already! :o I hope you're keeping well, and thank you for your visit to my ROOTs thread. We're currently snow-free (I'm happy about this) but it feels cold and it has been frosty and icy most days the last week or two. I know it looks lovely, but I've had enough of snow after about half an hour.

>90 karenmarie: I had a Kit Kat clock when I was little! SO cute. And I love the Whale Stocking -- go big or go home, right?

>104 karenmarie: Cute pic of the two of you!! : )

>126 karenmarie: Forlorn feeder indeed! Brrr.

>134 karenmarie: SO glad you enjoyed James! I read it for my bookclub also. Only about half of us read Huck Finn, too, but it didn't matter. It was a hit.

>104 karenmarie: That's a great picture of you and your sister, Karen.

Nice review of James. I just read it recently too. Hope your book club discussion is a good one.

Strange to see the cold and ice there. We have sunshine here today but have endured weeks of rain to get to it. We might be able to luck out this year with no snow but I won't say that too loud, just in case the weather gods are listening.

>134 karenmarie: Karen, thank you for including all those wonderful quotes in your book review of James. It was it made for a wonderful revisit. I have such fond memories of that book.i sure wish we who loved James could attend your book group, although you might have to rent an auditorium!

Good evening, Good Karen. I hope everything contributed to your contentment today. Now I'm a bit afraid to read James, to tell you the truth. What if I dislike it? I'll feel like a pariah for sure!

I still haven't made our vegetable soup and MUST do it tomorrow. All is good enough here!

Morning, Karen. How was Book Club? We have settled into winter here- snow on the ground, current temp 11F. Back to my weekly routine. Sue loves Mondays off.

>141 johnsimpson: Hello John. I now know the result, and I am glad for Man U but sad for us. And Jesus getting injured was insult to injury.

We’re doing fine here. We still have some ice and snow on the north side of the house, so had to warn the Amazon driver yesterday. He skidded a bit, but didn’t fall.

Sending love and hugs to you and Karen, kitty skritches to Felix.

>142 Jackie_K: Hi Jackie! I’m doing pretty well, and you’re welcome. Yay for no snow. We’re in for a bitter cold week, at least for us. Highs above freezing, but lows well below freezing.

>143 Berly: Hi Kim! Yes, go big or go home. Thanks for your comments.

>144 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg, and thanks re my review. The weather gods are in hiding. Fires in SoCal, arctic temperatures in a lot of the US , earthquakes/tsunamis in Japan, and etc.

>145 Donna828: Hi Donna. You’re welcome. I had a few more, but figured that gave a good feel for the book. We would need an auditorium, for sure.

>146 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy. Happy Monday to you. James isn’t universally loved, although of the 38,985 global ratings on Amazon, 74% were 5*. 19% 4*, 4% 3*, 1% 2 and 1 star. Admittedly, 6% giving it 3 or less stars says a lot about the book, but I’ll still love you if you hate it.

I’ve shot my wad on the cooking front for a bit. We had leftover soup and MORE garlic toast last night. I think there’s enough for soup tonight for both of us. If not, we’ll wing it.

Glad that al is good enough with you, your DH, and your clowder of cats.

>147 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark. Yikes. 11F. I hope your day goes well. Yay for Sue having Mondays off. I’ll report on book below.

Wordle 1,304 2/6* trope, cloak. Judicious use of spreadsheets.

⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Having put my Christmas bells back in their boxes and the boxes back in the tub and Amazon box, I put back the books that were temporarily on the floor in the Library.

Book club was great. There were 8 of 10 at Nancy's. She had snacks and warm cider. There was disagreement about whether James was Huck's biological father or not. I thought he was, based on the statement that he and Huck's mother 'grew up together' and Huck's comment about the texture of his own hair. And James stating that he was Huck's father sealed it for me. Several commented on the abrupt ending of the book, but I was cognizant of how many pages it was and where I was in it. Nobody else commented on the interesting point that James' story diverged from Huck's for part of the book. Other books by Everett were mentioned, specifically Erasure. Next up for our book club is Hamnet. I started it when I got it, put it down. Time to pick it up again, I guess. I just transferred it from L56 in the Library to S24 here in the Sunroom.

...
Chiropractor at 11:15. I might stop at Habitat for Humanity for S&G, will most likely stop at the Senior Center to see if I need to redo paperwork or if I can just start using the equipment room again - treadmill.

>148 karenmarie: I'm pretty sure your bookclub reflects the world's fury and hate for the way Everett rewrote the relationships...and I'm sure it'll be the target of censorship pretty soon. I truly hate the way these cultural hicks think and operate.

Better wrist and hand to report, so much joy in Mudville. I'm still taking it easy, though

Happy week-ahead's reads, sweetiedarling.

Morning, Karen! I am actually drinking a Coke this morning which is a rarity, but I felt a migraine coming on, and I did not want it, so...It seems to be doing the trick, so hooray for that.

SO is your Christmas all down and put away now? We are still working on ours, but I am hoping we can conquer it this week.

Good luck with the chiropractor. What is S&G? Crossing my fingers you do not need to redo paperwork to use the treadmill at the Senior Center.

Hugs to you, Sister of my heart.

>149 richardderus: 'Morning, RDear! Hate and censorship are a'comin'... I figure the two things I can do in the upcoming shit show are help our library stay as censorship free as possible and to donate to our local food pantry. I donate every once in a while, but want to become a 'sustainer', ala my local NPR station WUNC. Yay for better wrist and hand, Casey. Good idea to not exacerbate it again. This week's reads will be almost exclusively smut, although I'm listening to The Measure in my SUV and it's a stunner.

>150 Crazymamie: 'Morning, sister of my heart. I've always heard Coke was good for nausea - actually coke syrup, which you used to be able to buy in pharmacies according to Bill's Mama.

I hope the Coke wards off the migraine.

My Christmas is not down. The bells are, but everything else was waiting for this week, so we're Christmas Dismantler Sisters, too. *smile*

Mantle stuff, small amounts of decorations in the dining room and breakfast room, and the tree - first the ornaments, then break the tree down into its 4 components and take them one at a time to the bag which will be already set up in the garage. Unused cards will be put in a drawer for next year. Everything except the tree and cards will be put in the closet currently blocked by the tree.

S&G is shits and giggles. I first heard it in the 1980s from my friend Marie and have used it ever since. I now read it in books and see it in articles and etc.

I decided to try to get eggs instead of going to the Senior Center. I was successful - 18 Egglands extra-large eggs for $7.39 plus tax, which is apparently pretty good. I did get the last dozen and a half, although they did have other brand/quantities of eggs. So of course I spent another $66, getting grapes, a few frozen things, and London Broil on sale. Got another package of ground beef, too, and 4 cans of cat food since the 72-can order of Fancy Feast is still a few days out.

Home and now to do a few puttery things before relaxing and reading. I just remembered that I need to register my car, so that's done. I'll get the registration and licence plate sticker in the mail sometime soon.

Good afternoon - almost evening - Karen! Glad you're home and reading. My soup is simmering at last, and I'm looking forward to it in another few minutes.

I love Hamnet more, the more I think about it, and I was very taken with it as I was reading! I hope you'll like it.

Wordle in TWO!
Hooray for you!
Wordle in Four!!
I'm relieved it wasn't more. (And you had such a pretty pattern.)

I haven't asked whether your childhood neighborhood is threatened by the wildfires, and I don't know where Laura lives. I definitely send good wishes out to her and her family.

Hi Peggy! Good morning. Yay for soup.

I hope that I like Hamnet after abandoning it after I got it in 2020.

Your rhyming skills are prodigous. And I only noticed the pattern after you commented on it.

Childhood homes in Hawthorne and Diamond Bar are not threatened. Niece/wife/boys in Long Beach are not threatened, nephew/wife/daughter in Crestline are not threatened but are in Hawaii for 10 days.

Laura lives in Rialto, which is way east of downtown LA. She's not threatened.

Wordle 1,305 3/6* trope, shuck, fancy

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Chiropractor in the late morning, grocery store. Reading, napping, chatting with Jenna and friend Karen in Montana. Wrote a Christmas present thank you and will mail it today. I used some old Williamsburg Inn stationery that Bill's mother had.

I finally used the Thermal Paraffin Spa that I got in December on my right hand. Felt so good, all that heat trapped in warm wax then protected by plastic wrap and a towel 'til it cooled. I'm going to use it again later today on both hands.

...
Book sort and Virlie's, no other errands in town that I can think of offhand. Here at the house I want to take the ornaments off the tree and perhaps even get the tree into the garage in 4 stages. That, however, requires a bit of prep work in the garage...

Reading, and etc.

Morning, Karen. Thanks for visiting all my threads. LOL. I am so glad Book Club was a success. You sure picked a worthy title and Hamnet is pretty fantastic too. I am taking a break from PB today and will do a Costco run after I drop off the "kids" and then tend to the books.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you. I was oblivious that you'd be starting a new thread, so typed and copy/pasted my heart out... but I was first on your new thread, so there's that. *smile*

James was worthy, and I hope that I can get immersed in Hamnet this time after abandoning it after I got it.

Kids, books, and a Costco run sound like a good day. We gave up on Costco during Covid as I was unwilling to go that far to get exposed for things I could otherwise source. We discovered that we were spending more on frivolities and sweets than necessities.

>153 karenmarie: Have a great time fondling the books, Horrible. I know Virlie's is always a highlight, so that needs no stressing. I'm here in the cold...not specially delighted today as it's Old Stuff's drunk day. Always such a good time. Anyway...mood-depressing book review incoming, might want to avoid me....

Good morning, Karen, and good day!

>156 richardderus: Hiya, RDear! I did have a great time fondling books. We got quite a few GNs and mysteries this time. I brought home a pitiful book child that needed a new home - a frail 1923 copy of Sir John Dering by Jeffery Farnol.

There were 8 of us at Virlie's, lots of fun.

Karen's Christmas box arrived yesterday and I opened it this morning -

The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
Marsupial Frogs by William E. Duellman - we both like frogs a lot, what can I say?

>157 LizzieD: Good afternoon, Peggy! I hope you and your DH are having a good day.

...
The HVAC guys came out to re-fit register covers on two registers they worked on when we had the duct work done last month (or the month before?). The register covers wouldn't fit because they were sloppy with the silicon sealant/ductwork. Now I can walk in the hallway again without seeing cardboard taped down (to prevent kitties from falling and/or Bill's cane to get stuck).

And now to catalog books, get jammies back on, and start taking down ornaments.

>158 karenmarie: Cataloging books...well, see ya next week when you're back from the rabbit hole.

>134 karenmarie: James is the first book that shows on my Kindle so I think it needs to be read sooner rather than later based on your own and other reviews. But, I have not learned my lesson and must complete an early reviewer book first.

Hi Karen,

I finally found your thread. Finally looked, more likely; LibraryThing hasn't been getting its usual share of my attention recently.

>44 karenmarie: Interactions with medical people can be so "interesting', and not always in a good way. Yesterday my friend M had her first post-op appointment with the surgeon who did her emergency hip replacement. I accompanied her.

His office network was not talking to the internet, and of course all his (electronic) records were stored offsite. At least, I think that was the problem, rather than all their computers being down, or their on site file server not talking to other computers. (It was described just as "computers being down", but chatting with the office person elicited the info that she'd tried to use her cell phone to connect her computer to the internet, and I'm enough of a techie to guess what was probably really going on.)

So he started the appointment with questions like "when was the surgery" ;-) I can only imagine his embarrassment.

But he's good at dealing with random problems. And his x-ray machine was working. He took a couple of x-rays, declared the hip's condition to be "perfect", and reassured M about her many worries. He also freed her from almost all restrictions on movement and activities, merely telling her to use common sense. She's got another 4 months of healing to go, and apparently the replacement will never be quite as good as original equipment - no extreme yoga for her, ever.

Still, I'd hate to have been that poor doctor, seeing patients while deprived of records.

...

I hope your procedure gets done promptly and well.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Currently 1F out there. I hope the kids are bundled up good. Last "work" day. PB afterwards. Books & Juno later. We haven't been walking her in the winter weather, which is probably a lousy excuse. I should also check those feeders. The birdies may need it.

>159 richardderus: …and I’m back. Still this week… But seriously, I added the books to my catalog, debated about adding The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. She had a duplicate and put it in the box. Doig was a fellow Montanan. I may still add it.

>160 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! I think it’s a sign of the Kindle God that you must read it. Ooh, yikes. ER books. I made a resolution to read and review the 9 ER books I have here at the house. I just pulled The Historic Murder Trial of George Crawford: Charles H. Houston, The NAACP and the Case That Put All-White southern Juries on Trial by David Bradley. It’s only been on my shelves since August 2014.

>161 ArlieS: Hi Arlie! Nice to see you here. It sounds like even without the records, the surgeon did a fantastic job. Poor guy. I’m glad that M’s hip condition is ‘perfect’, and more important, reassured her. Good luck to her on her recovery.

That’s one of the most important things I’ve discovered – feeling insecure if the least little thing felt weird or I didn’t feel I was meeting the goals in a timely manner. I've learned to reach out to my doctor or surgeon. Fortunately, I can leave direct messages for my doctor and cardiologist, and an email to my knee surgeon is always answered promptly by his office staff.

I just left a message at the doctor’s office where the (unsuccessful) procedure was given on January 2nd to see if the referral was actually made. I finally looked at the online notes she made, and boy! did she do a lot of justifying. 'personally spent 25 minutes with this patient', and etc. Thanks re the continuing saga of the procedure not yet done.

M162 ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. One degree Fahrenheit? And your high will be colder than my low was last night. Tonight’s going to be 19F here, though, so we’re caught in cold temps, too, for our neck of the woods.

Yay for work and PB, books & Juno. I’m sure the birdies will need full feeders. Mine definitely do. I filled my feeders with sunflower seed, the last of the wild bird seed, and the last suet cake yesterday, anticipating the delivery today of nyjer seed and suet. However, they arrived last night. I’ll put out both today.

Wordle 1,306 3/6* trope, slink, knack

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Book sort, Virlie's, clearing off the workbench in the garage for the Christmas Tree storage bag. Other various and sundry, reading, Murdoch Mysteries, and etc.

...
I have shockwave therapy today for a trigger thumb, which has been triggering for 3 days. This has never happened before. My chiropractor worked on it on Monday, said it might be early enough to 'cure' it, but no promises, of course. They were having a 'special' on the treatment, so I bought 3 sessions. We'll see. It's not triggering right now, but by the end of the day has been very noticable. It never hurts, only clicks and jerks back up or down as needed. I also used my old wrist braces last night, which may be helping. It is always something, I swear. Deep breath. I will age gracefully. I will.

Other than going out for that, I will get the ornaments off the tree (finally) and move the tree (not heavy, easy to slide), so I can get to the bag that's in the currently-blocked closet.

Reading! Puttering! Just called the Senior Center, and they require me to go through equipment work 'orientation' again to use the treadmills. Which, of course, I just missed, so next Tuesday at 10:30 I'll go there instead of Virlie's. *eye roll*

Morning, Sister of my Heart! Hoping the shockwave treatments work. I hear you about it's always something. Hang in there.

We still have one tree to take down and put away, and we need to switch out the Christmas dishes with our everyday ones.

Sorry about the equipment work orientation. Bummer.

"'personally spent 25 minutes with this patient'" Um...that's literally her job.

A lot of eye-rolling here too. It never ends, I don't believe. I believe it's called "life."

>163 karenmarie: Aging gracefully is _hard_!

Good grief about the requirement to be oriented to the treadmill! You have spent a lot of time of them.

>134 karenmarie: What a wonderful review of the book James.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Looks like I will have a full day with Jackson. Of course, while Sue was off she took care of Thursdays but now she works. I will scoop him up around 10-1030 and have him all day until Sue gets home. He will stay the night. We both miss him.

I filled the feeders yesterday but saw very little activity out there. Strange...

Did you get the book?

>164 Crazymamie: Hello, Sister of My Heart! Thank you. I am hanging in there. Parts of every day are good, parts are either meh or not so good.

Multiple trees, eh? And Christmas dishes – we only use ours on Christmas Day. If we ate in the Dining Room on Christmas Eve, we’d use them then, too. Thanks re the orientation.

Yes, it’s her job, but I do realize that they’re under time constraints. It doesn’t make me any happier to know that. And I must say that she did not whinge about the time spent with me, she only covered herself on the visit notes. Neither do my cardiologist or chiropractor or GP. Sometimes I need extra time, sometimes I don’t.

>165 LizzieD: Yup. Life. Graceful aging.

>166 ArlieS: Absolutely hard, Arlie. Some days I manage it better than others.

>167 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Had I just gone in there it would have been fine, although they have a camera at the back entrance and you have to press a button for them to look at you and either recognize you or see that you’re not a danger. New people might not recognize me… I might have pushed it with the Director of the Center, who knows me, but will just wait for next week.

>168 Whisper1: Hi Linda, and thank you. I really enjoyed writing it. Funny, I don’t post reviews on the works page anymore, but post them here.

>169 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you. I hope grandpa can keep up with the boy. *smile* Glad he will have a good long visit with both of you. I'm happy that you filled your feeders up, I'm sure the birds are grateful. Mine are all filled. It's between first and second breakfast, I think, although two Carolina Chickadees are swooping in every once in a while for a sunflower seed.

Yes, I got the book two days ago - I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge it. It's safely back on my shelves, waiting for the right time.

Wordle 1,307 4/6* trope, might, waist, flint

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Shock wave therapy. Both she and the chiropractor said it might hurt later on, but it hasn't. It's triggering right now, but I'll be patient through the next two weeks although I might send a message to my GP about it.

I opened the nyjer seed bag, 10 lbs., and filled the feeder. I was going to use the half-gallon milk cartons Louise left me, but mice had chewed holes in the bottoms of three of them. Darn them. I had kept them in the garage under a weighted bucket when they had seed in them, but didn't think that the beasts would destroy them looking for the one last seed they needed. I don't have any half-gallon plastic cartons, so will find some appropriate tupperware for the rest. All will go under the weighted bucket in the garage.

Did a bit of adulting. Watched Arsenal beat Tottenham yesterday afternoon, 2-1. A corner own-goal by a defender, which I'll always take, and a beautiful shot by Trossard on a feed by Odegaard. Murdoch Mysteries, although I didn't particularly like these two. I'm less thrilled when they bring in famous or will-be-famous characters. Tesla, Edison, Houdini, and Conan Doyle come to mind. So last night was Edison and a deluded young man we met in a previous episode who thinks he's Sherlock Holmes. Meh to both.

...
More plans to take the ornaments off the tree. I really seem to be blocking this. It won't take long at all, it's just tedious and a bit physically demanding. Ugh. And then getting the tree disassembled into its 4 component parts and taken one at a time to the storage bag in the garage. I won't call myself lazy exactly, but I'm almost there.

Lunch with Rita the Librarian at a local Mexican Restaurant, and setting my Melaleuca account to on hold so that I can use some of $772.49 credit that I have built up. Can't add to it until I use some it up, hence the changeover to on hold. On hold, I can use it freely as I need things and will only return to active status when it's half or more used up.

Just glad you got the book. Thanks again, my friend. 😀

Howdy Karen. De-lurking to say hi. Good luck getting to the ornaments today. I have Christmas mostly put away, one wreath left to box up that I saw this morning, and I think that's it.

>170 karenmarie: $772! Wow, you like Melaleuca a lot.

Yay for absence of predicted pain, may that continue. Enjoy the Rita lunch today, smoochling.

I'm sorry about the thumb, Karen, but happy that you're missing pain from it. I can see that it would make taking down ornaments difficult or at least a bit scary. In the great scheme of things, a week more with the tree is not going to matter. Be kind to yourself!!! Also enjoy lunch with Rita! Read!!!! I believe those are all my instructions for the moment.

Morning, Karen! I had to look up Melaleuca since I had not idea what it was. I will echo what Peggey said - she is wise, so you should listen to her. Hoping your lunch is full of fabulous - I will get my Mexican tomorrow, and I am already looking forward to it.

Good morning, Karen. I am inspired by you AND our small window of warmer temperatures to finally bundle up the Christmas tree and haul it around to the John Deere room. We got 7 inches of snow last weekend and with below-freezing temps until a few days ago, we would have risked life and limb. I may be exaggerating!

I did take the ornaments off on Epiphany and honestly have enjoyed the “extra” ten days or so of cheer in our living room that we only use for large family gatherings. I was tempted to buy red hearts to make a Valentine tree. I don’t want to go to Hobby Lobby…so down she goes! I will admit to being lazy! Haha.

>163 karenmarie: I had to google “trigger thumb”. I have an arthritic thumb but don’t have the “popping” noise. I hope the shock wave therapy works! Lunch with a friend and reading will also be good medicine!

>134 karenmarie: Reading is always good. Understatement of the year, already?

Glad to see you enjoyed James so much. I also gave it 4.5 stars.

>158 karenmarie: I hope you enjoy the Dolnick book as much as I did. Nice presents from your friend!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/367740

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I had a perfect Jackson Day. More details on my thread. Sue had a lovely time with him through the evening. Lots of shouts and giggling going on upstairs. Quiet house right now, as I peck away on my laptop, with my second cup of java. Off to PB soon...

>171 msf59: You’re welcome, Mark.

>172 elorin: Hi Robyn! Thanks re the ornaments. I’m glad you’re down to one wreath. I didn’t get to the ornaments, but I got everything-else-Christmas put back into the tub. Progress.

>173 richardderus: Hiya, RDear. I stopped using their vitamins because they had too much of some that my doctor didn’t want me using. I switched from a backup order of vitamins to what they call Convenience Certificates. I have accumulated 12, the magic cutoff number. So now that my account is on hold, I can use them without having to buy product every month before using them. Thanks re the Rita lunch. *smooch*

>174 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, and thank you. I actually love turning the lights on in the morning and turning them off when I go upstairs at night. I was happy to obey your instructions.

>175 Crazymamie: ‘Morning, Mamie! She is wise, and I DO listen to her. Enjoy your Mexican today.

>176 Donna828: Hi Donna. We seem to have the same weather pattern – warmer, at least for a bit. But next week we’re going to have days of below-freezing daytime temperatures and temps in the low teens at night, at least for Sun-Tue. And Jenna’s professor told them Wednesday night that there might be snow next week?

Yay for getting the Christmas Tree into the John Deere room. I never thought of hearts for a Valentine’s Day tree, but mine’s coming down soon, so no chance of that. I don't have any red construction paper, anyway. *smile*

>177 alcottacre: 'Morning, Stasia. Given that this is a website and group dedicated to books and reading, yes, serious understatement.

Karen and I have known each other since September 1971, when we met in the dorms at Pepperdine University. I was an incoming freshman, she was a junior transfer. With an occasional blip over the years, we’ve been in constant contact, although the last several years of 3-4 chats a week, usually at night, have superseded letters and cards. She has more books than I do, which is saying something. She won’t join LT, though. Silly rabbit.


Finals week, we're all totally wrecked. I'm back row left, holding up the wall. Karen's on the right in the 3-person row.

>178 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>179 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you. Yay for a perfect Jackson Day. This morning’s coffee and PB and LT all sound good.

I was finally able to get some money to my letter carrier, Beverly, on Wednesday. She brought mail down to the house because there was a smallish box. She wrote the most lovely thank you and now I have her cell phone number in case I need stamps or whatever.

This is the thank you card she sent (postage free, in our mailbox):



Wordle 1,308 2/6* trope, prose. Lucky on my first word, spreadsheet use for the second.

⬜🟩🟩🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Yesterday's lunch with Rita was wonderful. Mexican. After, I stopped at the Farm and Garden and bought 40 pounds of wild bird seed. I need to put it in the trash can in the garage today, a somewhat arduous but not impossible task. Drag the bag over, take scoops out to fill the can until I can lift the bag for the remainder. Getting old has its challenges. When I was 52, I was carrying a 12-year old 85-lb Jenna up and down stairs, her arms and legs wrapped around me, and me not using banisters at all. How times have changed.

Murdoch Mysteries last night made 4 in a row I was less than happy with, but with still enough enjoyment to hope they get out of the silliness soon. The second one last night did have a clever solution to a murder.

...
PT at 1 p.m. today. I don't think there's anything we need at the grocery store before next week, but will check to make sure.

The Ornament Project will at least get started today! I'm adamant. I've at least got the ornament box out from under the antique dining room table in the foyer, ready to receive the bounty.

I also want to figure out how to wrap a gift without tape. I've looked at YouTube video or two, and it seems do-able. I just need to get the card table out for elbow room and practice a bit with tissue paper before cutting the Congratulations on Getting Married paper. This is a gift for Hwan's sister/new husband. They wanted a Kit Kat Clock, so, by George, they are getting a Kit Kat Clock!

Reading, Lightning Round reviews, spreadsheet and ticker updating, too. And then all the evening things.

Morning, Karen! Love the thank you card, and how lovely that she gave you her phone number.

Good luck with the wrapping of the Kit Kat clock - why no tape?

Sounds like your day will be busy but productive. Hoping it is full of happy, too.

>180 karenmarie: That sort of photo is a treasure! But... they were the good old days!?! right!?! (I don't believe in G.O.D.)

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Getting ready to meet up with some birding buddies. Trying to get some birding in before the next deep freeze arrives, starting tomorrow. Hoping to pick up an owl or 2. 🤞🤞

Enjoy your day!

>180 karenmarie: What a wonderful thing to have a friend for so many years!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

>181 Crazymamie: Hey Sister of my Heart. She's frequently brought things to the house. I was surprised about the phone #, too, but it's programmed into my cell phone and on my Christmas Gifts spreadsheet.

It intrigued me, but after trying for half an hour I just couldn't get the hang of it, so the Kit Kat Clock is wrapped in paper and tape. I don't ever put tape on a box, though, just on the paper. At least there's that.

Busy and productive, happy was mostly derived from checking things off the list. Reading, though. I did finish up a 4-book MM romance series, the Hollywood Endings Series by JD Sampson.

>182 quondame: I can't believe I still have it, Susan. I also have another photo of me, in the School of Business and Management Computer Center (old dorm room), contemplating the IBM System 3/Model 10 printer, LOL. Note the granny dress, scraggly hair, aviator glasses, high school class ring, and bracelet made of part of an old blanket that I loved but that my mother threw out. I still have a piece of it, but not that one.



>183 msf59: 'Morning Mark! Happy Saturday to you. Yes, your deep freeze will be freezier than ours, but we're going to get the arctic temps, too, also starting tomorrow. Enjoy your BB adventure.
I hope you do see an owl or two. Thanks re my day.

>184 alcottacre: It's good to be known, isn't it? I have a few relatives that know me from before 1971, and two childhood friends, too, but I think Karen knows me even better than my sister in some ways. Thank you re my weekend, I hope yours is good, too.

Wordle 1,309 4/6* trope, clash, silky, silly

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I am happy to report that I started taking ornaments off the tree. Of course, it was only one so that I could stay I started. I wrapped the present for Hwan's sister/husband, wrote a longish thank you note and found a congratulations on your marriage card in the depths of the drawer that has hundreds of cards. PT at one, came directly home after. Puttered.

Hwan wants us to meet her 'father figure' in the US, John. Restaurants are out now because of Bill's mobility issues, so we'll host here. Unless Hwan puts the kibosh on it, I want to serve boneless leg of lamb that doesn't have mustard in the marinade because I personally do not like mustard with anything except corned beef and pastrami. Looked for and think I've found a good one. I also found a two-step recipe for roasted Yukon Gold potatoes that I want to try before the visit.

I cleaned out the bird bath and put in fresh water. Made hamburgers on brioche buns and air fryer french fries. Watched Murdoch Mysteries, and read 'til the wee hours.

...
I need to fill some feeders today. Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, finches, and sparrows are all visiting right now. Once again, I'll try to get the ornaments off the tree. 🙄

Arsenal plays Aston Villa at 12:30.

Books, puttering, and etc.

Morning, Karen! You sound like me with removing one ornament so that you could say that you started. *smile*

I love mustard so much, so I think it goes with almost everything. Heh.

Sounds like you had a very productive day yesterday. Good luck with the ornaments today - we never made it to putting the ornaments on the tree, so...Maybe next year.

Go Arsenal!

"Books, puttering, and etc." Same.

Baby steps are progress. One ornament is more than none. Your menu sounds delicious, I love Yukon gold potatoes. Happy reading!

You're getting ready for Arsenal right now, I expect. Hope it's a game that you will enjoy!

You get so much done that I'm awed. I keep telling myself that you're younger and that every year counts. I find that not so much help. We'll walk at our usual time and hope that it's not quite so damp. I find that I'm less impatient with getting really wet than with splashing up puddles on my socks and pants. Oh well.

I wish you good food and good reading!

I have a question, Karen. I copied your "Redbud and Beyond" RL BC list some time ago. I was looking at it recently and observed that you put an asterisk after certain books. What does that asterisk mean? It IS one hell of a list; how far back in time does it stretch? What sort of club is it? Nosy guy wants to know...

My holiday decorations consisted of a single large nutcracker and a painted Father Christmas figure flanking a stack of books I was given. Still four books on display:

Dorothea Lange
Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury, Drew Gilpin Faust
One Man's Meat, E. B. White
In Praise of Folly, Desiderius Erasmus

I'm going to read these ASAP, and when I do, the two figures will go back into their boxes, and my undecorating will be complete. Ta dah!

ETA: That book stack initially included five other titles that I've read already (three of them between Boxing Day and New Year's).

Oh wait! And one that I am reading now.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I like that early pic of you. We struck out with the owls yesterday but it was nice being out in the woods for awhile. Playing PB with Matt & Hannah for a bit this AM and then attending a family birthday party this afternoon. Enjoy your day.

>186 Crazymamie: ‘Morning the next day, Mamie. If we are ever stuck on a desert island together, you can have all the mustard since I don’t think there will be hot pastrami or hot corned beef sandwiches on seeded rye.

I hope your ‘same’ day was a good one.

>187 elorin: Hello Robyn. I’ve never used Yukon Gold potatoes before, but after a bit of going down the rabbit hole, see where I could use them more. Thanks re my reading.

>188 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. You say I do so much, but you walk with your husband every day. I HATE walking, always have, and much prefer being inside and reading and puttering as I wish. I’m sure you get things done, too, it’s just that you don’t post much about them.

>189 weird_O: Hi Bill. A different Rabbit Hole – threads where I list Redbud & Beyond Book Club books and read. January 2012 I listed the books for book club and put *read after some of them. I think that’s what you mean. If you want the whole list it goes back to 1997. I usually only read 40-60% of the book club selections. This year is an aberration in that so far I’ve read 4 of 6.

The Redbud Book Club was formed in 1997 by women denizens of a subdivision outside of Pittsboro NC called Redbud. Bill and I built a house there in 1992 and lived there until 1998. Our book club changed its name sometime after there were more people who’d moved outside of Redbud and more people who joined from outside of Redbud. We never deliberately excluded men, but after a while, it seemed like a group of women made sense. We started out with 7 and stabilized with the same 12 women in 2012. In 2020 we had only read one book out of the 12 before Covid intervened until 2022. In 2020 one member moved to Wyoming. In 2024 another member died. So, we’re down to 10. We’ve discussed getting back up to 12, but agree that 9 years of the same 12 made it hard to want to consider adding someone new. So, we’re officially down to 10 although it is not cast in concrete.

We meet after the month after the last book from the previous book club year has been read to choose books for the new book club year. Each woman gets to choose a book. If she only brings one to the table, that’s it, with no veto power from the group. Sometimes someone brings 2 or more and lets the group help choose for her. Other times a book someone wants has already been chosen by the luck of the draw and where they sit relative to one another and going around the table.

Here are the books I’ve chosen:
1997-1998 Six of One by Rita Mae Brown
1998-1999 Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
1999-2000 The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
2000-2001 The Night Trilogy by Elie Weisel
2001-2002 The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
2002-2003 Longitude by Dava Sobel
2004 The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2005 Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi *not finished, faked it in Book Club
2006 Kingston by Starlight by Christian John Farley
2007 The Stolen Child by Keith Donahue
2008 The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
2009 Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
2010 When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
2011 She's Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan
2012 The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
2013 Emotionally Weird by Kate Atkinson *not finished, faked it in Book Club
2014 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
2015 Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
2016 Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene
2017 The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry by Gabrielle Zevin
2019 Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
2020 Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
2022 The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem *not finished, faked it in Book Club
2023 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
2024 Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet *for May’s discussion

I’m glad you made it easy on yourself for Christmas decorations and hope you read the books sooner than later, otherwise you won’t have taken your Christmas decorations down this year. You’re a reading machine again.

>190 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy and Very Cold Sunday to you. Braving the single-digit temperature there, and happy PB. And the birthday party, you social creature, you. Thanks re the pic of me, sorry about the owls, but glad you communed with nature and birding buddies.

Wordle 1,310 4/6* trope, mower, tower (hit the t instead of the r - grrrr), rower

⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I didn't fill the feeders yesterday, but I did disassemble and wash the third squirrel-proof feeder that Louise had given me. It's completely dried now.

I baked a roll of the Eggnog Cookies I made in December and frosted them with the Eggnog Frosting I had kept. They are still very good, although I don't taste the nutmeg as much as I did when I baked the first batch.

Read, puttered, napped, talked with Jenna and Karen. Alas, Arsenal only tied, after being up 2-0 and then having a 3rd goal disallowed because of a handball by Havertz. Still, better than a loss.

...
I'll wash the dirty squirrel-proof feeder today, assemble the clean one and fill it and replenish the wild bird seed feeder. I want, of course, to actually take down ALL the Christmas tree ornaments. **done. Took an entire hour.** I want to read more of and perhaps finish, Back With The Tide, a memoir by a very un-Reconstructed Southern woman, born 1852 died 1946. And putter and add water to the bird bath. And maybe make chili again? I made it 3 weeks ago and with the vortex coming today, it sounds like a good idea.

Ho HO! You saw ME up there. My apologies for not seeing you on my thread, back near the dawn of January.

Thanks for the explanation of the Redbud and Beyond RL BC. The list I copied from your thread—I don't remember when—seems to be nearly complete. First book is Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood; the sixth book is Six of One, complete with an asterisk. Scanning the list, I deduce that the asterisked titles are those you picked. Following The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey is a line space, then in bf: The new book club year, 2023-2024 and 10 more titles. Demon Copperhead is the last on the list.

I was scrolling through the list and checking the titles I've read and starring those on my shelves that I haven't read. Pretty commonplace reaction to a book list, amirit?

Thanks again.

Morning, Karen. I had a busy family day yesterday but it all went well. I just didn't get much reading in. No school today with the holiday, which is okay with me since it is currently -2F. I will get out to play PB. Books in the PM. I like starting my week that way. The flicker was back again yesterday, steadily chomping away at the suet.

>192 weird_O: Hiya, Bill! I occasionally miss visitors, but it's usually Mark because I start a message in Word for however long it takes to answer visitors, add Wordle, comment on 'yesterday', and lay out any plans for 'today'. If I take too long after opening my thread, he's added his morning greeting. I usually check on another tab, but not always. You're forgiven - I rarely note that someone's missed me, but it was your lucky day.

You're welcome re my RL book club. This year's list is at the top of this thread, of course. And yes, I almost always check for titles I've read and those that are tbr.

>193 msf59: 'Morning, Mark. -2F. Got us beat - we got down to 20F 17F according to our weather station. Today's high will be 33F. Yay for no school, enjoy PB and books. You've got a flicker, I just had a Downey on the suet feeder. The sunflower seed feeder is already down about 4". All the usual visitors, and quite a few of them.

Wordle 1,311 4/6* trope, clash, squib, squid

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I finally got the ornaments off the Christmas Tree, all safely stowed in the ornament tub. I may or may not start dismantling the tree today.

I have a dentist appointment at noon, then I'm having lunch with Jenna and Hwan. No school for either, and no work for Jenna today. I'll probably stop at the grocery store on the way home.

Reading, and etc.

Morning, Karen! Hooray for getting all the ornaments off and stowed. Our tree is still just sitting there giving us the side-eye. Hopefully this week. We spent the start of the weekend prepping for the high winds which we got yesterday. And Craig made some good progress in The Studio. Abby was downstairs most of yesterday, which was lovely.

Hoping your dentist finds nothing of note. Have fun with Jenna and Hwan - I know you will.

Enjoy the surprise daughter time, and like Mamie, I hope the dentist is nothing important or painful.

*smooch*

Another busy day for you, Karen. You keep soldiering on! Indeed, I hope the dentist leaves you able to enjoy good food as well as Jenna and Hwan's company. Then batten down! Here it comes.

My Redbud and Beyond list is now up to date! Now...

What in hell am I going to do with it? Sure, I'm going to sift through it and mark books I've read, and books I have on one shelf or another (or in a box *tee hee*). I may take a BB or five. Nevertheless, I thank you.

>194 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Apologies for being out of touch; I got busy with activities and reading last week, and have fallen behind here on LT. I had a lot of news to catch up on here!

I'm glad you finally got all the ornaments off the tree. It's an accomplishment! I hope the dentist visit goes well. Have fun with Jenna and Hwan at lunch. That's a treat!

I hope the dentist's visit was uneventful and that you had a nice lunch with Jenna and Hwan!

>185 karenmarie: I love the pictures! I still have my high school class ring but would have to wear it in a chain around my neck.

The birds are great right now! I put a new feeder on the bedroom window and have been entertaining myself and the cat with cardinals, chickadees and just slightly gold goldfinches.

Morning, Karen. How did lunch with the happy couple go? It is currently -8F and may get up to 2F. I am really surprised they didn't cancel school. I know many schools have closed because of the weather. That said- I will be venturing out shortly. I will then stay home with Juno and the books until the afternoon pickup.

You keep warm and snug too.

>191 karenmarie: That is a wonderful list of books that you chose for your book club. I had quite the trip down memory lane...and also a good laugh at the books you marked as "not finished, faked it in Book Club". It's good to begin a new (and very cold) day with laughter! May your day be filled with laughter and a good book.

>195 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Thanks re the ornaments, but the tub is still out… I need to shift the tree (not that big a deal, just needs to be done) to get to the closet where the tree bag is and put up a few tubs/boxes. Things have a way of giving one the side-eye, don’t they? Glad you were able to prep, and glad Craig was able to make progress with the Studio. So, since Abby was downstairs on Sunday, is the Studio upstairs? Dentist/visit report below.

>196 richardderus: Hi RD, and thank you. *smooch*

>197 LizzieD: Hello Peggy. Yes. Way too many things going on this week, but that seems to be par for the course recently. Thanks re the dentist and visiting my bio and bonus daughters. Looks like we might get up to ½” and you might get 1-2”.

>198 weird_O: Hi Bill. I’m proud of you for keeping my Redbud and Beyond list updated. How many read? On your shelves? BBs? C’mon, you know you want to add 3 columns to the spreadsheet. You’re very welcome.

>199 atozgrl: Hello Irene. Being busy is not a bad thing. Thanks for visiting.

>200 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Thank you. Both went well, see below.

>201 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen. My high school class ring got lost, don’t even remember where. I never got a college class ring. They were way too expensive. I love looking at the birds. I’ve probably got two dozen visiting right now – either on the feeders, hanging off the gutter, or in the Crepe Myrtle. I had six birds on the nyjer seed feeder earlier, and can see at least a dozen Cardinals right now.

>202 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you. The cold up there is vicious. Here I am complaining about 19F when I woke up, now a nice bright 21F. You are a brave man to venture out. Lucky kids to have you. Juno and the books and then the kids pickup sound like a fine day. I have to go out later, but not to book sort/Virlie’s. See below.

Wordle 1,312 5/6* trope, slunk, fanny, china, icing

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟨⬜🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
The dentist appointment went well. No problems, and one pocket, near an implant, has gone from 5mm to 4mm. No x-rays needed, cleaned and polished teeth, and I got to say hi to my very nice young dentist, a 3rd generation dentist in Chapel Hill. Young is good - I should be able to keep him for a very long time.

I got to see Hwan and Jenna's apartment for the first time. It's not huge, but has two nicely-sized bedrooms, a comfortable living room, stackable washer/dryer in a closet in the hall. I met Tsunami, aka Baby Cat. He came over pretty quickly once I had sat down. he sniffed my socks, rubbed up against me, and let me skritch him. They showed me very small photo albums they make of their lives. They're very cute - each small photo has a date and some kind of comment. I saw two of them, and then one Jenna has that is comprised of just Hwan napping. Hwan is a world-class napper.

We went to The Spotted Dog in Carrboro. The food was great - I had crab cakes, Jenna had fish tostadas, and Hwan had a vegetarian crab cake sandwich. Back at their apartment I got the tour. Baby Cat was on Hwan's bed, and let me pet him for quite a while.

On the way home I stopped at the grocery store for a few things, got those except for pepperjack cheese, which I need for breakfasts, among other things. Home, too full for dinner but had a Bubly and a fruit cup, Murdoch Mysteries, then a PB&J sandwich, reading and etc.

Murdoch Mysteries on Britbox now requires payment, so Bill researched it. We're going to get a 7-day free trial on Acorn, then switch to Acorn until we finish the series or have to go to another streaming service. Britbox will be cancelled for the duration. Sheesh.

...
I'm not going to book sort/Virlie's. I have a 10:30 appointment to get an exercise room orientation at the Senior Center since I haven't been there in a year. *eye roll* I will use the treadmill for 5-10 minutes, then go to the grocery store to get the darned pepperjack, then the bank's drive through, then home. My cleaning ladies come today. Reading, puttering, and etc.

>204 karenmarie: NO. BOOK. FONDLING.

*faints*

Well...there's an event for the calendar of "how much shit went sideways from Day One."

>205 richardderus: Richard, your calendar event wasn't a question, but if it had been, the answer would be, "More than enough for the whole four years." I doubt that they'll get to the end of litigation about it before his term is over, assuming that something akin to the justice system is still in place that long.

Good morning, Karen! I'm sure that you have learned a lot about your gym equipment and feel it was no sacrifice on your part at all. Phooey.
Good day for the rest of your day. I'm delighted that you had such a fine time with the daughters and Baby Cat. Ah, love!

Morning, Karen!

>195 Crazymamie: Yes, The Studio is upstairs. Our upstairs has four bedroom and two bathrooms. Rae lives in what we cal. The West Wing - her bedroom is directly above the master bedroom, and has an en suite. On the other end of the upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a bathroom. So, The Studio is the bedroom that is the largest and sits next door to Birdy's bedroom and across the hall from Abby's bedroom. It's a very cool space.

Hooray for no surprises at the dentist!

So happy that you got to see the apartment and meet the kitty. Made me smile that Jenna has a photo album of just Hwan napping - how sweet is that?!

Sorry you have to switch subscriptions to continue watching Murdoch Mysteries. Acorn tv is great, though, and we have spent many hours watching all the things. We often switch our subscriptions up to watch new things, and I love how easy it is to do.

Hoping your errands go quickly and smoothly.

>205 richardderus: No.Book.Fondling indeed. Hurts my heart. Perhaps I’ll fondle books in my Library.

Day 2 of the enshittification of the US, to use your word, RD. *smooch*

>206 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I’m deliberately not looking at, watching, or listening to news, but I unintentionally heard that he pardoned all the January 6 traitors.

It was mostly a waste of my time because I was only interested in 2 of the 5 pieces of equipment – the treadmill and the recumbent exercise bike. Perhaps the weight machine later for parts of it… I did learn that they want us to use the safety key on your pants, not your top. There were 3 of us on time, so we were literally halfway through the orientation (2.5 machines, LOL), when they allowed 3 more people in, so the instructor made us wait while she caught them up. I was pissed. I deliberately sat there using my cell phone and sauntered over when she was ready to resume. I had errands after, darn it.

Bird lunch is mostly over, but I’ve got two very fluffy Mourning Dove in the Crepe Myrtle. I’ll need to put more seed and suet out tomorrow morning.

>207 Crazymamie: ‘Morning, Beverage Sister Extraordinaire! Thanks for explaining where the Studio is. Makes it easy if Abby has to stay upstairs for her to get to and from it and her bedroom.

I'm pleased that there were no surprises at the dentist.

Bill and I were well established, settled, and not too giddy when we married. I was 38, he was 35. Jenna was 31 and Hwan was 29. Jenna and Hwan are giddy in their love and marriage, and it’s so sweet to see.

Bank, pharmacy, and grocery store, all easy peasy. I’m home again, my cleaning ladies are here, and I’ve done a couple of things so that when they leave, I won’t feel guilty going upstairs to read and nap.

>204 karenmarie: I'm glad you had such a wonderful visit with Jenna and Hwan. Great lunch, tour of their apartment, and met their cat. There's not much better than that.

Too bad you're suddenly having to pay for Britbox, when you're in the middle of a series you enjoy. Very annoying. And then you had the annoying experience with the exercise room too. I hope the annoyances will let up after this.

We apparently got an inch of snow here tonight. It's not a lot, but more than we've seen in several years.

I was watching The Murdoch Mysteries some years ago and I watched a lot of season, but then it got silly , as you say. I'm not even sure what I disliked, it has been so long. It was after the two got married. I'm glad you had a nice lunch with Hwan and Jenna.

Oh, Karen, that is so annoying about the gym equipment orientation. So weird that the instructor didn't just have the newcomers join you where you were at and then go back over what they missed when you had finished. I'm sorry that happened to you.

I was not giddy when I got married, either. Craig and I had dated for two years, then been engaged for two years before getting married. I am actually not the giddy type except for things like deckled edge pages, and falling snow in the Deep South, and George Orwell coins.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. All my "kids" stayed home yesterday so I returned the van to the office and came home. I been a bit under the weather so that worked out fine. I will lay low again today and work on Friday. I want to get healthy for Jackson tomorrow. Did you get snow too?

>209 atozgrl: ‘Morning, Irene! Monday with Jenna and Hwan was great. We are going to do the streaming service switch, for the first time ever, by cancelling Britbox and starting a free trial with Acorn and then finishing as far as we can or will (I see Deborah’s comments below about the silliness), then might switch back or not. We decided to watch the last season of Vera, realized that we hadn’t seen the last two full seasons, much less the last season of two episodes, and so happily picked back up there.

It was fun getting snow. We got an inch and a bit here. I took these from the Retreat after Bill turned on the outside spotlights. I particularly like the one with the heated bird bath. It was 24F when it was snowing.

.

>210 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. There has been a silliness factor at least once a season, but the silliness bothers us – Bill more than me. What’s beginning to get to me is that Dr. Ogden never lets Murdoch decide what he wants, she just decides for him.

>211 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, Sister of My Heart. Thanks re the gym. I won’t be going today because of the snow and other outside-the-house things, but I’m going to try for tomorrow.
>212 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark. I’m so sorry you were puny, sorry you had to return the van to the office. I hope you can take today to get better. Looks like about 1 – 1.5” inches.

I need to fill the sunflower and nyjer seed feeders. The other two are okay.

Wordle 1,313 3/6* trope, cream, reach

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Vera and snow were the top excitements after the gym, bank, pharmacy, and cleaning ladies.

...
I have an appointment at 10:15 for the second shock wave therapy treatment for my trigger thumb. They haven't cancelled, and I just checked outside and it's powder. If I can get safely to the state highway, which I anticipate will be safe if driven slowly (churned up powder/20F temp = potential icy patches). After that is an 11:15 appointment for a massage, all on main roads.

I will try to put up the Christmas tree - break it down to 4 parts, take each part to the garage where the bag is set up on the workbench.

I also want to make chili today. The next several days, weatherwise, call out for it. I should have enough time to make either cornbread or garlic toast to go with.

Morning, Karen! Lovely snow photos. We actually got 6 inches! And how wonderful that you have some Vera left to catch up with.

Craig's office is closed today because Albany cannot deal with snow.

Yum to chili. I'm making nachos today - also yum.

Hoping your errands go smoothly - be careful.

Six inches of snow, Mamie!!! I know you're loving it although Craig had to close the office. Nachos sound yum, too.

Yes ma'am, I'll be very careful. Bill will not be happy that I'm out, but I'm going anyway.

Hugs to the denizens of the Pecan Paradisio.

I love that Craig had to close the office, too. We never get snow days down here, so I am happy to keep Craig and Rae home from school today.

Bill does not have to be happy. Just saying...

Hugs back to you, dear one.

Bill doesn't actually get a say in it, and depending on when he wakes up, I may already be gone. I need to start getting ready in 20 minutes so that I can allow enough time for stupid drivers or below-freezing conditions.

Thanks for the hugs! They are always welcome.

It snew more by you than by me for once! That is deeply unnerving...I'm hoping you won't get the black ice from melt/refreeze that is so insidious, though your area's general flatness militates against that. Gentle hummocks tend to be pretty good at draining evenly.

Vera ending after such a long run makes me think maybe The Murdoch Mysteries has jumped the shark. Have a Wednesday replete with the blessings appertaining thereto. *smooch*

>213 karenmarie: Good evening, Karen. I hope your errands went well today and the treatment for your thumb helps. It sounds like you got the same amount of snow that we did. The roads here were mostly fine when we went out this afternoon for my weekly grocery run. But there were a few patches in the shade where there was still packed snow and snow melt, so it's going to turn to ice when everything freezes tonight. I'm glad I don't need to go anywhere tomorrow.

I made chili on Sunday because the cold weather was moving back in. I didn't get the cornbread made until Monday. We're still eating the leftovers. Something about the cold weather makes chili the perfect meal.

I came by this morning, Karen, but I don't think I spoke. HI! I don't really have anything to say, but I'm glad that you were able to get things done and get back home safely. I expect to be able to get out tomorrow afternoon. Yay for my haircut! I'm going to ask her to take off less and see how that goes. Last month she practically scalped me.

Hi Karen. I am envious of your snow, mostly as I fret about the coming summer if we don't get the usual and necessary snow pack in these mountains. We got quite a bit of snow in December but not yet a flake in January. We should have feet of accumulated snow on the ground in our Ponderosa Pine woods!

I got a lucky two on today's Wordle. :-)

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. I am still dealing with this virus and now it has become a stomach issue, so no Jackson Day for me. Too risky. Bummer.

Wow! You are getting some winter weather in NC. It looks pretty though.

I may be another hibernator today. The snow is what it has been; no additional snowfall and certainly no melting. C O L D is what it is. I broke down and called the heating people because the bedroom/bathroom zone wasn't getting any heat—the thermostat was set for about 76° but the room temp was 60. Fixers showed up at 9 a.m., observed that that zone's circulator was brezitzed, left and returned in the afternoon with a replacement. H E A T. Nice to have.

I'll apply myself to the books today.

>218 richardderus: ‘Morning, RDear. Yes! We got snew. We’ve still got significant snew on the north side of the house. There will be black ice/refreeze because it never got above freezing yesterday yet the sun shone down on the roads and cars churned the snew up.

I never knew what jumping the shark meant, had to look it up. It just may have, because they’re beating several dead horses and there are some other things that are irritating to us both. We’ll see. Right now, Vera. My yesterday was blessings replete. *smooch*

>219 atozgrl: Hi Irene. The errands went well, thank you. You had/have exactly the situation as out here. I don’t officially have to go anywhere today, so will probably stay in. I’ll just have to only have one treadmill session this week, before my PT appointment. Alas, I didn’t make chili because Arsenal played GNK Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Arsenal won, 2-0. No injuries, either.

>220 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Lurking, either intentional or unintentional, is fine. I hope your haircut is done to your exact specifications.

>221 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. The only thing this snow does here in central NC is shut everything down and upset the birds. *smile* Other parts of the state got significantly more. I’m sorry you don’t have the snowpack you should. Gobal warming is real, of course, and there are some crazy things going on because of it. Two snow events here at my house in January are rare. Congrats on your Wordle two.

>222 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, sweet Thursday to you. Oh, I’m sorry you haven’t gotten better and now it’s even worse. I know how you wanted to spend time with Jackson, but yes, not sharing germs is important. Our winter weather is enough to instill wonder and amazement without making things too dangerous, at least for us.

I had 6 birds on the nyjer seed feeder, and have 3 on the other feeders, including a Downy on the suet feeder. I saw a Blue Jay, and, several of the nyjer seed birds were Goldfinches just getting their color.

>223 weird_O: ‘Morning, Hibernator, although not Rachel in Minnesota Hibernator. So glad your bedroom/bathroom zoned heating got fixed in one day. Books are a good thing to apply yourself too. Stay warm! Stay hydrated! Stay booked up!

Wordle 1,314 3/6* trope, viper, upper

⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨
⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Well, yesterday started out with safe yet nervous-making excitement. I got safely to the chiropractor's office for my trigger thumb shock wave treatment and parked. The front of the building was in the shade, and when I opened the door and tried to put my foot down, it was sheer ice. Didn't slip, didn't even do more than confirm that it was ice. I moved to another spot that was in the sun, but still iced up. Third spot was on the other side of the lot and definitely melted, but I called the office and told them that I was there and didn't feel safe trying to get into the building on my own. Megan came out and lent me her arm to get in. Even then, it was scary. She and my chiropractor thought the building superintendent had been notified that salt was needed but apparently not. They had none in the back, and the snow shovel was useless against such a thin yet solid covering of ice. Megan then gave me the shock wave treatment and escorted me back out. We took the long way 'round. Then I safely schlepped up the road for my massage appointment. Lynne was coming from Cary and running late, so I just hung out 'til one of the chiropractors came in and opened the office. Massage was, as always, wonderful. Headed home in enough time to fill bird feeders, get back into jammies, and determine that I couldn't make chili if I wanted to watch Arsenal, so chili didn't get made. Arsenal won, so yay. Winged it for dinner, Vera, then upstairs. I finished an audio book AND an ebook, both smut. *smile*

...
I have no real need to be out of the house, so will curb my desire to use the treadmill and stop at the pharmacy 'til tomorrow, when I have a PT appointment at 1 p.m. and will just do everything at once. And, since we're having Jenna, Hwan, and her friend/mentor over for a meal, I'll probably stop at the grocery store to get the last several things needed tomorrow.

Today will be puttering and reading and updating spreadsheets and making chili and cornbread or garlic toast and probably finally getting the Christmas tree back in the bag in the garage. I've taken the top section down, have two more and the stand to go.

Jammies all the way!

>224 karenmarie: Chili and cornbread's my idea of perfect snow-day chow. I hope it does the trick, and y'all enjoy the weirdness while it lasts. Sumer is icumen in....

Morning, Karen! I am so glad that you called in to have someone assist you into the building. Good for you for not taking chances. Craig went over to his office late yesterday afternoon so he could make sure the parking lot was safe for today.

Good thinking to just stay home today and do the other stuff when you have to go out tomorrow anyway.

Have fun reading, puttering, and updating. And hooray for jammies!

>198 weird_O:; >204 karenmarie: I checked into my Rosebud numbers. I've read 68. I have 65 shelved but unread.

>224 karenmarie: Trying to catch up with you, Karen! Congratulations on getting the Christmas tree and decorations taken care of.

I hope you enjoy your 'jammies all the way' day!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/367914

>204 karenmarie: Regarding murdoch series, I am quite sure that CBC has this series and so does YES TV. Perhaps there is a way to watch it for free from the states?

I enjoyed that series up until season 8. I think it is one of Canada's longest series running.

>213 karenmarie: Just enough snow to cover things up and make everything look pretty and not enough to cause chaos.

Happy weekend reading

>224 karenmarie: I applaud your smart and rational care for yourself in not risking a fall!!!!! We all thank you!

Hope your day was just what you hoped. I got her to leave my hair a little longer, and I'm sure this will suit me better until warm weather when it will curl more.

Good night! See you tomorrow!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I did better yesterday. Brushed off the driveway, a fluffy inch or so and also took Juno for a walk. No naps either. Hoping for even a better one today. I am working and then I might try PB. Of course, Sue doesn't agree with it but it might do me good. We have Jackson over and I saw him a couple of times but they mainly stayed upstairs. He did come down and say good night to Grandpa.

>225 richardderus: ‘Morning, RDear! Chili and cornbread got made. I’ve still got snow and ice on the north side of the house – the ice is from some melt/freeze. Sigh. Once winter’s over, then it’s spring, which isn’t bad in and of itself, yet it leads to North Carolina Summers. Blech.

>226 Crazymamie: ‘Morning the next day, Mamie. I thought I’d get back here yesterday, yet clearly didn’t. It’s humbling to have to ask for help, although I’ve never thought less of anybody for asking for it when I can give it. I’m glad Craig made sure the parking lot was safe. I had fun staying home, reading, puttering, cooking/baking, and finally getting the Christmas tree out of the house and into the garage.

>227 weird_O: Redbud. Sixty eight, with 65 to go is not bad, for someone else’s book club. Here are my stats through the reading of James. Of the ones I finished, I liked 86%.



>228 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Thanks re the tree and decorations. Jammies all the way was highly satisfactory.

>229 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>230 figsfromthistle: Hey Anita. We finished S7 E13 before Murdoch Mysteries went behind a paywall. Yes, a good amount of snow. Just the excitement of it, too. Thanks re my reading, the same to you.

>231 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy! I’m glad you were able to get your hair cut. I’m also glad that she listened to you – something stylists don’t always do, thinking that they know better. I hope you slept well. I got 6 hours, I think.

>232 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you. I’m glad you did better yesterday. And no nap is an accomplishment for being that sick. Work and PB. Hmmm… I won’t weigh in. I’d either irritate you or Sue… glad you got your good night from Jackson.

Wordle 1,315 3/6* trope, grape, crepe

⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Chili and cornbread got made. The Christmas tree made it to the garage, piece by piece, mostly in the bag, definitely on the workbench. I told Jenna when we spoke last night that I needed 10 minutes of her time to get the 3 sections and the stand properly into the bag and get it closed. We'll make a decision whether to keep it on the workbench or put it in the storage room in the garage. I'm leaning to the storage room so as to give me room to clutter up the workbench.

...
I have PT today. I should go into the pharmacy but will only go through the drive through for prescriptions for Bill. I also need to go to the grocery store to get the regular stuff and to get the last bits for Sunday's visit by Jenna, Hwan, and Hwan's mentor/father figure John.

Last night's low was 14F. It's now a nice bright 20F.

Leftover chili and cornbread for supper, Vera, spreadsheet and lightning round updates, top off the bird feeders and add 2 suet cakes to that feeder. Hungry birds.

Speaking of birds, I went over to the Sunroom door to take a photo of the bird tracks in the snow, and saw a very interesting track, quite large, don't know what it is. The round ones are Zoe's.

Hi Karen. I hope PT is productive and not too painful. As I recall, when my wife hit the paywall for the Murdoch Mysteries, she borrowed one season at a time from the library. If that's an option for you. Happy reading!

I hope you have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend, Karen!

Afternoon, Karen! YUM to chili and cornbread - a perfect combo.

The tracks in the snow are very fun. I was running errands this morning, and outside of the library someone had made a minuscule snowman - I wish I had taken a photo. Probably less than a foot tall.

Good night, Karen. I'll try to do better by you tomorrow! Sleep well!!!!

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. I am not sure about those tracks in the snow. Interesting. I am doing much better today, so I am going out with my birding buddies and then the camping group is playing pickleball later this afternoon. All good here, my friend.

Not much to report about the feeders. Still waiting for something slightly different to show up.

>234 elorin: Hi Robyn. It was productive and not too painful yesterday, but I’m a hurtin’ unit today. Good idea about the Library. I just checked, and they have seasons 1-4 and 13-17. Go figure. We’re on season 7, episode 15.

>235 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. Thank you. I wish you a wonderful weekend, too.

>236 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! They were good last night again. This time I sliced and toasted the cornbread. Oh, cute little snowman, wish you'd have snapped a photo, too. Jenna made a teensy snowman on January 16, 2022 when she still lived in Asheville.


Her dad suggested calling him “Smarty the Snowman”.

>237 LizzieD: You always do good by me, Peggy, even if it’s only to tell me to Sleep Well!!!!

>238 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. The snow is almost completely gone from the concrete, glad I captured the weirdness. Bundle up for BBA and PBA - birding buddy and pickle ball adventures. Feeling better and things going well - always good to hear.

I wish something new would show up here, too. We do have Goldfinches now, new this week. I’ve got 11 birds on the 4 feeders right now.

Wordle 1,316 3/6* trope, prank, crisp

⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
PT, grocery store, pharmacy. I was tired when I got home, for sure. Chili, cornbread, Vera, smut, doomscrolling but still assiduously avoiding the news.

My PT worked me hard.

...
Fun times - there was a twitching, not-quite-dead mouse near the bottom of the stairs this morning. I immediately covered it with an old tupperware to keep the kitties from getting to it, then, because I couldn't kill it, took it outside. Sigh.

I didn't feel PT yesterday, but am definitely feeling it this morning. I might even break down and take some ibuprophen. My GP says I can take 600 mg occasionally.

Arsenal plays the Wolves at 10 a.m. I need to prep some for tomorrow, including making brownies and Rolo Ritz Sandwiches. Don't ask me why I want to make both, I just have a bee in my bonnet. I may only make the brownies if I get too lazy, but I'd like to have both.

We're going to start the last season of Vera tonight.

It's afternoon already. I'm hopeless. My huge breakfast was really brunch, but I'm playing here as though I had eaten at 8:30 or something.

Sorry about soreness and the mouse, but mostly the soreness. Take the Ibuprofen! I appreciate and practice careful drug usage, but it's not particularly good for you to be tense with aches and pains. (I know I've told you that Brownie advises me to take 3 Ibuprofens 3 times a day for 3 days to stave off really bad sciatic nerve attacks. I've never actually done that much, but 2x2x3 has worked well in a couple of cases.)

Happy brownies! I crave mini pigs in blankets, so I'm making them up this afternoon for sure. I'll freeze most of them, but my DH is in the mood too.

O.K. I must now investigate Vera. (I did start watching *Notting Hill* last night, another of my favorites.)

Hope Arsenal has done their best! Enjoy the rest of your day, dear one!

Afternoon, Karen! I am very late making the rounds today. Like Peggy, I am sorry about the soreness and the mouse. I agree completely with her medical advice - you should listen to her; she knows things.

What are Rolo Ritz Sandwiches?

Have fun with the last season of Vera - I love how they ended the series.

>239 karenmarie: I love that photo so much - thanks for posting it!

Soooo tired...got eight shorties done for tomorrow's blog and, whaddya know, my hand hurts! *sigh*
À demain, ma amie.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. We play pickleball indoors during the winter. This one was at a privately owned place. I normally play at our Park District's rec center. We had a very good time yesterday and after dinner we went to one couple's house for drinks and games. Got home late. Chill day today- books & the playoffs.

>240 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Oooh, a nice long visit. Brunch and playing here on LT are important in retirement.

I actually didn’t take any ibuprophen, but may take it today. I’ve never heard of it for sciatica, but just duckduckgo’d it, and it’s mentioned frequently. I’m glad it’s helped. I’ve only had sciatica once, when I was pregnant with Jenna, thought I was going to die. The pain was literally crippling. It only lasted half a day or so, fortunately on the weekend, but I couldn’t walk without excruciating pain or my right leg buckling. I forget what I did – I might have taken ibuprophen because it was my go-to pain killer then.

Mini pigs in blankets sound so cute! Cooking for two is definitely either many meals of the same, like we’re doing with the chili, or freezing.

I made brownies AND Rolo Ritz Sandwiches. I also put out the placemats/napkins, S&P, and silverware. I’m trying to decide whether to make it family style or plated. If plated, I’ll have J&H take them out. Last minute family style is okay – I’ve pulled down the 3 platters I’d need. Decisions, decisions!

Please investigate Vera. Bill’s already talking about watching it from start to finish again… I’m a bit resistive but may cave unless we can find a really good series. We have the last episode of the entire series tonight if we have time. They plan on arriving 3-3:30, and I’m aiming for 4:30 to sit down. It might be too late to watch after they leave.

Does anybody have new series suggestions? We’ve got Prime Video, Britbox, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock. I think that’s it, although I seem to think that somehow or another we have Disney, at least temporarily. I love Notting Hill, have watched it several times. Feel good, for sure.

>241 Crazymamie: Hi Sister of my Heart! Thanks re the soreness AND the mouse. When I went to chuck some overripe fruit/dried apples (yuck, such a filler in dried fruit baskets, IMO), I saw that he/she was gone. I’m hoping that he/she got revived by the cold and scampered off. Possibly not.

Ibuprophen today, perhaps.

Rolo-Ritz Sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 13 mins

Yield: 24 sandwiches

Ingredients
48 Ritz crackers
24 Rolo candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place half the Ritz crackers face down on a baking sheet.
3. Place an unwrapped Rolo on top of each cracker.
4. Bake for about 3 minutes, just until the candy is soft. No longer!
5. Place another Ritz cracker on top of each Rolo, face up, and gently press to smash the soft Rolo.
6. Let cool.

I’m glad you liked Smarty the Snowman. Glad I found it, too.

>242 richardderus: Hi RD. yay for a productive shorties/blog day, sorry for the pain in your hand. I hope it’s much better this morning. *smooch*

>243 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you. I figured indoor PB... Sounds like a nice busy day. Enjoy the playoffs and books.

Wordle 1,317 5/6* trope, claim, dusky, fussy, sunny. Not enough coffee - used S in position 3 when it was already yellow.

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Arsenal beat the Wolves 1-0. It was exciting – Arsenal’s Skelly-Lewis got a red card at the end of the first half, then the Wolves’ Gomes got a 2nd yellow-> red card near the beginning of the second half, making them even again with just 10 players each. Calafiori scored with an assist by Havertz. Made us very happy. Arsenal is still second in the table, chasing Liverpool.

The rest of my day was good, with baking, puttering, rehearsing various bits of today (cooking/baking schedule mostly), and etc. Vera, reading, doomscrolling, bed.

…
I’m going to make twice-baked potatoes this morning, stopping before the add cheese on top/bake part. I need to back into the final schedule for starting the lamb and finishing the potatoes. I’ll lightly cook the green beans until they’re just done, starting about 15 minutes before serving.

Ridiculously simply appetizers – chips and salsa, 2 kinds of potato chips, and some lightly salted almonds while we're visiting before we do last-minute kitchen stuff.

Company, food, visiting.

Probably serious tiredness, happiness at a good day.

Sounds like a stellar Sunday's plan there, sweetiedarling. Hope it all gives you the warm fuzzies...and leftovers for Monday lunch, to boot.

It's over freezing for the high here! First time in days. The overcast skies that come with it are okay by me. *smooch*

Hiya, RDear! Happy Sunday to you. Thanks re the plan. Still more to do, but I like doing this kind of stuff.

I was talking with friend Karen last night, though, and commented on my having to do things over many days instead of the day before like I used to be able to do. It made me remember my Great-Aunt Lillian, in her late 70s, planning for a family lunch when my mom and I visited Iowa in the 80s. We accidentally came a day early, courtesy of my mother's screw up, but Aunt Lillian had the table already set, all the food prepared, and only some re-heating needed before we had a feast, including 2 or 3 desserts.

Yay for over freezing. We have had several days over freezing for highs, but still below freezing at night. Yay for your overcast skies.

*smooch*

Beware - cute you-know-what photo posted below.

Jenna took this photo, undated, probably first winter we had her, 2008.

Morning, Karen! Thanks for the recipe for the Rolo-Ritz Sammies - I had not heard of those before. Your Sunday plans sound full of fabulous. Hoping it goes exactly the way you want it to go.

I am wondering if I have any series suggestions that you have not already seen. A lot of what we love is on Acorn tv - I made a list or you in case you decide to subscribe for a month or two.

Britbox:

Karen Pirie
The Long Call
MI-5
Murder in Provence
The Coroner
Shetland
Line of Duty

Acorn:

Dark Winds
The Chelsea Detective
Brokenwood Mysteries
Inspector Ellis
My Life is Murder
Dalgleish
Queens of Mystery
Whitstable Pearl
Agatha Raisin - this is kind of silly, but makes for something lighter
Harry Wild
Blood
Signora Volpe
Mrs. Sudhu Investigates
Madame Blanc
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Mysteries

I need to look at our Netflix queue and get back to you.

>247 karenmarie: Precious!

I don't know what you look for in a series - we are currently watching Big Bang Theory, with the last season of Young Sheldon as our next plan.

Did you know that a new season of “C. B. Strike” has started up? First episode is out on Max, which I didn’t see in your list. 🤨

Karen O

Good night, (((((Karen))))). I hope that you are relaxing and that your day was everything you hoped for!

See you tomorrow!!!!

Morning, Karen. My Sunday worked out perfectly, even though both of the playoff teams I favored lost. Hey, it should still be a very good Super Bowl. I got "kids" duty and then PB. Hitting 40F today. Yah!

>248 Crazymamie: Mamie! Beverage Sister Extraordinaire! You’re welcome re the recipe. They are beyond easy except for getting the foil off each Rolo, of course.

Thank you for going to the effort to list Britbox and Acorn series. We’ve watched MI5, Shetland, Line of Duty, and I think Ms. Fisher’s Modern Mysteries – is that Phryne Fisher?

>249 elorin: Hello Robyn. We are currently on a British binge. Bill tends to watch American series, murder, forensic, Blue Bloods, etc., when I’m doing other things. I’ve been told many times to watch Big Bang Theory by my friend Karen in Montana.

>250 klobrien2: I think somebody mentioned it somewhere here on LT, but we don’t have Max. ☹

>251 LizzieD: (((((Peggy))))) We had a great day, I was tired but not exhausted.

>252 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark. I’m glad your Sunday worked out perfectly. I just checked. Iggles and Chiefs. If @weird_o reads this, I’m doomed – even though the Iggles is his team, the Chiefs has always been my backup team. So glad they’re playing, and if, for some strange reason, we watch, then I’ll be rooting for them.

I hope your kids and PB adventures go well.

Wordle 1,318 3/6* trope, slant, shunt

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I must admit that I was stressing the lamb since I've never made leg of lamb before. I got a boneless leg of lamb, 6.42 lbs, from the 'new' butcher shop in town (I think it's been here 2 years). Fortunately, it came out perfectly, medium-rare mostly, with the shorter end closer to medium well. Bill liked medium well, the rest of us went for medium-rare. I made twice-baked potatoes and we had fresh green beans. Jenna helped me at the end with timing and making au jus. Turns out you can do quite well with chicken stock instead of beef stock, some balsamic vinegar, S&P, and a nice chunk of butter. I honored Jenna's need to never have wine in any shape or form, although a good dollop of red wine would have made it perfect.

They arrived about 3:30. We chatted in the living room, then Jenna helped plate and etc.

Desert was brownies and Rolo Ritz Sandwiches at the dining room table immediately after dinner. They left before 7. John was a delight. We were too tired to properly enjoy the last episode of the last season of Vera, so we'll watch tonight. Reading and doom scrolling finished off the evening.

...
I will be chairing the Friends of the Chatham Community Library at 10. Madame President and Madame Vice-President are not available, so as Immediate Past President, it's my duty. Need print out the agenda, the financials, and the minutes of the last meeting.

After that, it's a chiropractor's appointment at 11:45. Then, if I'm in the mood, I want to go to the Library to look in the book sort room. Then home, and etc.

Morning, Karen! Sounds like your Sunday went off perfectly. Good job! And now you have Vera to look forward to tonight. There is also a documentary about the making of Vera that is very good - Farewell, Pet. Rae and I loved it.

"Ms. Fisher’s Modern Mysteries – is that Phryne Fisher?" It's her niece, so not the same as the Phryne Fisher ones.

Hoping your morning goes well.

Morning sweetiedarling. I started the week on a lamb-free but marinated in envy reading high tinged with jealous loathing. Have a lovely winter's day!

Hope you're home already out of the damp and able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day. I'm off to feed CATS!!!!

>254 Crazymamie: Good afternoon, Mamie! It did go off perfectly. For tonight, leftover lamb, one twice-baked potato that I will let Bill have. I have leftover pearled barley that I can heat up and put some unsalted butter and a sprinkling of salt on. Thanks for the clarification of Ms. Fisher’s Modern Mysteries not being Phryne Fisher.

>255 richardderus: So, RDear, I guess you would have liked to be here eating roast lamb, au jus, twice-baked potatoes, and just-cooked green beans? If I could have snapped my fingers, the table would have been set for 6. It’s overcast and about 47F, so much more pleasant than the daytime below freezing temps. *smooch*

>256 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I hope feeding the kitties goes well. I fed ours this morning and will feed them again around 5 p.m.

...
Home from the Board meeting, where I did NOT go into the book sort room since I was running late for my chiropractor. I also was able to have the third shock wave therapy treatment on my trigger finger while there. We'll see if the three treatments help. They were making 3 more treatment noises but will honor the 50% off price that technically expires on the 31st if I call next week and want them.

Jammies! Brownie! Smut! Nap!

Wordle 1,319 3/6* trope, femur, fever

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
The rest of the day was as projected plus the last episode ever of Vera. What a stunning series.

...
Leftover lamb, au jus. Bill got the twice-baked potato and I had pearled barley. Jenna brought each of us a Bundtlet on Sunday, and I had half of mine last night. Upstairs, reading, doom scrolling. I got about 4 hours of sleep.

This morning is book sort/Virlie's. Home, getting all the pots and pans put up and etc. We're probably going to watch Vera: Farewell Pet tonight.

Morning, Karen. Into the 40s here today. Yah! I will take Juno for a nice walk sometime this AM. Nothing much to report on the feeders. We did have another Cooper's Hawk in the backyard on Sunday. He didn't stick around long.

'Morning, Mark! Yay for the 40s. Enjoy your walk. I always love seeing hawks, even as I dislike that they scare away my feeder birds.

I forget where I saw this, but I love it:

The more you weigh the harder you are to kidnap

Eat cake
Stay safe

>257 karenmarie: I love lamb, and that entire menu sounds orgasmic...but I'd need a month's notice to dial down the gout before eating lamb. It's one of those foods that does terrible things to my uric acid levels, like lobster, as little as twelve hours later swelling and pain and weeks of battling an exacerbation.

Preparing for it with weeks of higher doses of colchicine stops it. It remains an Indulgence, therefore.

Lovely book-fondling wishes.

>247 karenmarie: What a great photo, and such a sweet face.

Glad to hear your dinner went well.

Bob and I escaped the chaos and noise with an overnight to eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks. There was still a bit of snow but it wasn't so cold. We saw the best birds at Lake Mattamuskeet but there were swans, white pelicans and ducks at Pea Island as well. It is a lovely part of your state, particularly this time of year when no one is around.

Welcome back from books and food, Karen! I hate that you got only 4 hours of sleep and hope for better for you this day and night!!!

The more you weigh the harder you are to kidnap Shoot! And here I was so proud of losing some fat! Now that I think of it, I'm not a particularly appealing target anyway. Where's the cake?

Afternoon, Karen! I'm so glad you loved the ending of Vera as much as we did. I thought it was just perfect.

What Peggy said about the lack of sleep.

>261 karenmarie: LOVE this!

>253 karenmarie: >252 msf59: Hey! I heard that. But I'm calm and confident. Fly Eagles Fly.

Polished off Flannery O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away in the wee hours of this morning. What a book. Loud, violent, disagreeable. I think every character in the story is deluded. It is the sort of book that you need to re-read to understand its basics, and maybe a time or two more to recognize and appreciate the nuances.

Read the first chapter of Glorious Exploits late morning-ish. It could be good. Definitely entertaining.

Pulling back on In Search of Blandings. Not stopping, but throttling back.

ETA: Thumb up for family fun.

>262 richardderus: ‘Morning, RDear. I didn’t realize lamb and lobster aggravated gout. ☹

>263 ursula: Hi Ursula, and thank you.

>264 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen. So glad you had a nice overnighter. I love the OB, especially Topsail Island. Haven’t been there in forever, but we were there a lot when Jenna was little.

>265 LizzieD: Thank you the next day, Peggy! I got 5.5 hours last night. *shrug* A nap may be in the picture this afternoon.

I don’t remember when I took this picture, but here’s a piece of cake for you. Coffee, too!



>266 Crazymamie: Hello Mamie! The end to Vera was just perfect. We also watched Vera, Farewell Pet too. I was disappointed that they didn’t showcase any of the actors no longer on the series, but loved the fact that the scarf Vera wore on the first episode was the one she wore on the last episode. Thanks re sleep. Last night was somewhat better.

>267 weird_O: Oh, ah, er, hi Bill. I’m so out of the picture that I don’t even know who plays for either team except for Mahomes, but I did love watching him play when I followed gridiron football. So for me, Chiefs/Mahomes for the three-peat.

Yeah, well, the one time I tried to read O’Connor, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, I abandoned it before I felt like slashing my wrists. Seriously not my cuppa, but I appreciate your insight. I’m so glad you’ve got your reading mojo back.

Wordle 1,320 4/6* trope, relay, giver, udder

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Book sort went well. I snagged 3 by Bart D. Ehrman. I upgraded a trade paperback to a hardcover, and have offer the 3 to Karen in Montana, although I think she has all of them. If she has a trade paperback of Misquoting Jesus, I will send the hardcover to her, because she likes to upgrade, too. Breakfast was so much fun. There were 8 of us. While waiting for a to go order, I chatted with another book sorter, Marilyn. She and her husband were sheep farmers in Maine decades ago, and although few Vermonters ate lamb at the time, they raised awareness and sold some lamb locally, but shipped most of their lamb to New York and Boston. They also tapped their maple trees and made maple syrup. They lived in Alaska, too. She's endlessly fascinating.

Filled 3 of 4 bird feeders. I've got 7 birds on the relatively small nyjer seed feeder, 6 hanging off the sides of the metal mesh and one in the tray. It's already down by half. So is the sunflower seed feeder.

Read, talked with Jenna and Karen in Montana. Bill and I watched the first episode of A Touch of Frost, and except for it not being HD, loved everything about it.

...
I will try to get to the Senior Center to use the treadmill today, late morning/early afternoon.

Arsenal plays Girona in the Champions League at 3 p.m. today. We will watch on Paramount+.

Leftovers for dinner tonight - Bill was too full and I wasn't hungry enough for more than a PB&J sandwich for dinner last night. We'll probably have lamb au jus and barley or basmati rice while watching another episode of A Touch of Frost to see if we really want to continue with the series.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Kids, PB, the usual. I am meeting my favorite cousin for lunch. Glad you have been tending to those feeders.

'Morning, Mark! Thanks. Enjoy your day. Mine, as usual, will be quieter, but that's fine with me. Have fun with your favorite cousin.

Funny, I've spent more time with Bill's step cousins than I ever spent with my bio cousins. I've got 4 male cousins and 3 of my aunt's stepchildren as cousins, but none of them live in NC. One set of NC step cousins is my absolute favorite, and their daughter, who married in 2023, is now expecting her first child. Her brother is in the Air Force, currently stationed in England.

One of Richards reviews mentions that this is the Chinese Year of the Snake. I'm a Snake. Here's what it says about 1953 Snakes on one website.



Harrumph. I'd rather it said "members of whichever sex interests you will always admire you." However, I feel that it pretty much nails quite a bit about me.

Interestingly, I'm a Water Snake. 1965, the next Year of the Snake, is a Wood Snake.

My astrological sign is Cancer, which is a water sign, so there's some consistency.

Hmmm - I'm beginning to run out of elderly to pay attention to what they're saying. I'll be 72 in June.

>271 karenmarie: One day, Horrible, you should look into Suzanne White's magnum opus, The New Astrology. Blends western and Chinese signs into 144 "new" signs. It's HUGE, as one would expect, and contains all sorts of affinity charts and suchlike gubbins. I used to use it when making characters for fiction because it was so detailed.

I like abalone sushi.

I've added it to my wish list, RDear.

I love abalone, haven't had it in decades. We always were able to get it at restaurants along the coast, sauteed in lemon butter with sliced almonds on top. I've never had abalone sushi.

I have perhaps 8-10 abalone shells in varying sizes here at the house.

Ah! So YOU are the one who started viewing *FROST*! I loved those books as they came out in mpb. I see that I have a lot of viewing to do - don't know when. Enjoy your day, dear Karen!

(I looked up the Chinese monkey, which my DH and I both are. Ha! Also, oh well.

"People born in the Year of the Monkey are the erratic geniuses of the cycle. They are remarkably inventive, clever, skillful, flexible, and original, easily solving the most difficult problems. There are few fields in which they wouldn't be successful, but they have a habit of being too agreeable. They want to do things now, and if they cannot get started immediately, they become discouraged and sometimes leave their projects. Although good at making decisions, they tend to look down on others. Having common sense, they have a deep desire for knowledge and have excellent memories. They are strong-willed, but their anger cools quickly. They are most compatible with the Dragon and Rat."

>271 karenmarie: I'm a snake also, but from 1977.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Thanks for filling me in on your cousins. Most of my cousins on my Dad's side are Trump/evangelicals so we have sadly drifted apart. Funny, for being devout Christians they never reach out in a Christian manner. I called them out on it too.

Danny is a younger cousin on my Mom's side and we have been very close. Jackson Day today. Bree will drop him off later this AM.

Horrible you book-siren you, I came to tempt *you* for a change: Princeton's put some of their magisterial Bollingen series of classic studies on Kindlesale for $2.99. The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark ought to make your heart race given that a hardcover's $75 and a paper edition $15.

Apart from that it's seasonably cool, sunshiney, and I got a surprise giftcard to spend so I'm thrilled.

I did my duty yesterday, liberating as many of those "discarded or deaccessioned" books as I could carry away from the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Today, I'm going to focus enough attention on those few books to get 'em organized and cataloged. I might even devise a home for them. I'll try to post a list and a photo of the group on my own thread.

Lovely day here, so far. Sunny! Warm! I want you and yours to enjoy a good day also. It's not too much to ask.

>274 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I am. We are. Watching the series. We watched the second one last night. I didn’t realize it was a book series. I’ve added the collected book series to my wish list.

Hello Wood Monkey. *smile*

>275 elorin: Hi young Fire Snake.

>276 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. IMO, and most visitors to my threads are of a similar mind set, people who voted for the chaos demon cannot be reasoned with, won’t vote in their own best interests, and conflate Republicans with Christianity and Democrats with devil worshippers and etc.

Now. If you aren’t of a similar mind set but still visit my thread, please don’t start a political discussion. I’m simply empathizing with Mark about drifting apart from his father’s cousins. My sister is a chaos demon evangelical, but after many decades of realizing our political and religious divides have simply decided to NOT DISCUSS EITHER. So. Let’s not discuss it, eh?

I’m glad you visited with Mom’s side cousin Danny, and yay for Jackson Day. Are there any recent pictures of you and Jackson together?

Two messages received after I composed my message but hadn't yet posted:

>277 richardderus: Hi RDear. I’ll go check out PUP’s Kindlesale books. Thanks. Yay for a giftcard. *smooch*

>278 weird_O: Hiya, Bill! Yay for taking home sad books that needed a new home. Few? Really? Hmmm. Why don’t I believe you? Yay for sunny, warm. It’s not too much to ask – we’d all love a good day. Ditto to you.

Wordle 1,321 3/6* trope, slime, false

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟨🟨⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
Amazingly, (most of) my back didn't hurt yesterday from 5:15 - 11:30ish, so I decided to not aggravate it by using the treadmill. So, I stayed home all day. Arsenal played Girona in the Champions League at 3 p.m. and won 2-1. Watched the second episode of A Touch of Frost. Even better than the first. I hope his new DS lasts, since the first episode's DS was untried. It was cute, but this DS's experience makes for a good team. Other than that, read, decided I'm not going to book club on Sunday because the woman who hosts it usually hosts it at a rather noisy and irritating venue rather than her house. Plus, although I have loved the first ...8... pages of Hamnet, realize it's a dense, rich read, and don't see any way I can finish it by Sunday. Will I continue? Up in the air.

...
Another day where I don't have to go out, and I'm not inclined to do so. My back is a little bit more tender today than yesterday, and I think I want to see if resting it more helps. I'll fill 2 feeders, read, and etc. today.

Good afternoon, Karen! Here I sit - cats unfed, walk unwalked. Oh well! I'm glad you're resting your back today.

PLEASE go ahead with Hamnet. I had some stupid personal issues while reading it but loved it more and more. I think it's wonderful and well worth your time!

I was going to look up which monkey we are, but now I can cut out at step. Thank you. (It's funny to see which traits my DH and I each have.)

>279 karenmarie: Checking in on you for today, Karen. I am sorry to hear about your back.

I do hope you continue on with Hamnet. I found it to be excellent, but you are right - it is a dense, rich read.

>280 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I do hope that there's reading and relaxing going on, and only a smidge of guilt. Thanks re my back. It's feeling tolerable.

I've put Hamnet back on the sheles, tagged 'abandoned'. Heavy sigh.

You're welcome re Wood Monkey. There are apparently 5 types of each sign - water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Enquiring minds and all that.

>281 alcottacre: Hello Stasia. Thanks for the check in, my back is not as bad as it could be, for which I'm grateful.

Alas, poor Hamnet I don't know him. Back on the shelves.

Back With the Tide: Memoirs of Ellen Douglas Bellamy
1/23/25 1/30/25





From Amazon:

Wealthy white daughter of a plantation owner writes her memoirs of her time during the Civil War.

Why I wanted to read it: I was perusing one of my shelves in the Sunroom, saw it, and decided to finally read it as part of my ROOTs challenge and reading one book from each of my shelves, a multi-year project. It was on S03.

First impressions? Richly detailed. An un-Reconstructed Southerner at the end of her life, with the most important event of her life influencing her entire life.

Not for the faint of heart, even at only 54 pages. This memoir was written in the late 1930s, finished ~1940. She lived from 1852 to 1946 and was 9 when the Civil War broke out. She was the 5th child of 10 of a rich MD and slave owner. The family had a plantation, Grovely, a turpentine operation, and a home in Wilmington on Market Street. She believed in white entitlement and slavery, and she bemoaned the Confederates losing her entire life. This edition was published by the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts in 2002.

Miss Bellamy, who never married and died in the house she lived in for most of her life, recounts her family’s and state’s travails during and after the war. She uses the n-word with nary a blush, although to be fair, many people still used it in the South at that time and didn’t think twice about it. She talks about slaves matter of factly, what their tasks were, what they were called, how they served the family. She also talks about Union soldiers in extremely derogatory terms as to their physical characteristics and how they behaved towards the families of Confederate supporters/soldiers and how they took over the mansion and destroyed possessions. If you take out the animus and prejudice, there is so much detail about Wilmington. The perceptions of a 9-year old child are vivid.

This slender volume is a testament to a particular belief system that was unsustainable in the long run. She lived as only the privileged child of a plantation and slave owner and physician could live. She details the overtaking of eastern NC by Union soldiers, the fleeing to various places of refuge, eventually returning to Wilmington. She recounts family members and neighbors lost in the war and later to yellow fever and other maladies, hardships faced after the war, taking over of the family mansion by Union soldiers during the war. Her father had to get parole after the war before the family could even return. She never had a good word for Union soldiers or the Union itself, never a good word for freed slaves or free Negroes, never a good word for the carpetbaggers and Reconstructionists. And, why should she, actually? Her way of life was destroyed, her family life drastically changed, things never the same as what she experienced before 1861.

Am I sympathetic to her? Not particularly. Do I care that a child was traumatized and exposed to extreme physical danger in the 4 years of the war because men seem to need to fight for power, land, possessions? Yes.

The Civil War leaves heartbreak and polarization to this day. How much more so in the late 1930s and 1940s when Confederate and Union soldiers were still alive, civilians alive who were very young during that time, as was Ellen. Even my husband’s G-Grandfather, Jefferson Davis Cranford, born in 1861, is a testament to the hopes of the Southern sympathizers in the choice of his name.

The publication itself is fascinating. It has a the photo of Ellen as a child on the front cover and as an old woman, very blurry, on the back cover. There is a photo of the Bellamy Mansion ~1873. There is a floor plan, landscaping plan, map with the locations of the family's mansion, plantation, turpentine operation, and where they fled to at the beginning of the war. There is a list of birth/death dates of her parents and all 10 children of that marriage.

Six word review: Confederate Southern child remembers Civil War.

>283 karenmarie: Funny thing about wars. Start 'em, and you still suffer. Cry me a river, rotten-souled warmongers/genocideers.

Afternoon, Karen!

Good for you for ditching Hamnet - I loved it, but if it's not calling to you...I set stuff aside all the time simply because it's not what I am in the mood for. Sometimes I come back to it and sometimes not. I didn't make it through Hamnet until my third attempt, so obviously the first two times were not the right time.

I am trying to remember my Chineses zodiac sign, and I'm thinking I'm a sheep. That might be wrong.

>272 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!!! I minted Birdy to this book, and she was beyond thrilled.

>283 karenmarie: A most excellent review! I bet the floor plan and landscaping plan were interesting - I love when stuff like that is included.

>284 richardderus: And yet, they're still fought. Bad cess to those who start wars. I won't say those who fight in wars, because most of them are cannon fodder.

>285 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Good afternoon to you, too. Thanks re my ditching of Hamnet. Now that I've abandoned one and read another book that are not smut, I'm feeling smug...

Thanks re my review. I started by thinking a Lightning Round entry was enough, but nope. I needed to write a review.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368071

>282 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I knew my Chinese sign, but I never knew there were different types for each sign. Apparently I'm a fire monkey. The personality description I found was not very accurate. Some of it describes me, but some most definitely not. (I'm not "ambitious and business-minded.")

>283 karenmarie: That sounds interesting, but I'm not sure I want to read it, even if it is short. Maybe someday, when I'm in a different frame of mind. Mamie is right, it's an excellent review.

I hope your back was without pain today and that you are getting a good night's sleep tonight!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. Thanks for your political comments yesterday. Nicely said. I had a good time with Jack yesterday. He is still here, so I should see him when I get home later from PB. We are getting a nice amount of rain, which is a good thing, considering our lack of snow. Something, I am completely okay with. Enjoy your day.

>287 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>288 atozgrl: Hello Irene. I didn’t know about the types of signs until I duckduckgo’d ‘1953 Chinese Snake’. Live and learn. I don’t believe that any kind of predictive belief system based on day, time, month, or year of someone’s birth is accurate or truly meaningful. My astrological chart is interesting and can be interpreted in a way that tells my story, but mostly not. The Chinese one is fairly accurate, but still.

I’m not sure you ever need to read Back With the Tide. One thing I didn’t mention in the review is how she approved of and gloated about the 1898 Wilmington Massacre. If you haven’t heard about it, please read about how white supremacists overthrew the duly-elected government of Wilmington. She would have been 46 at the time.

Thanks – my back was pretty good yesterday. Not completely without pain, but mostly pain-free quite a bit of the day. I got 6.5 hours of sleep, plus dozing before I finally turned out the light.

>289 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you. You’re welcome re the political comments. I firmly believe everything I wrote, and do not want what I wrote to become a flash point of polarization here on my thread. Yay for a good Jack Day. Good for rain, not snow. Thanks re my day.

Wordle 1,322 3/6* trope, tonal, toast

🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
I didn't do anything dramatic. I didn't do anything strenuous. I didn't get out of my jammies. I read. I wrote my review. I updated this thread and my ROOTs thread and spreadsheets. Bill and I watched another episode of A Touch of Frost, 3rd of season 1, and last of season 1. I had the last of the lamb au jus with the last of the barley for a late lunch, so just had some toast for dinner.

...
The birdfeeders need attention. I have a PT appointment at 11. I will probably stop at the pharmacy for some tiger balm and the grocery store for a few essentials but not a full grocery run. My chiropractor recommended mixing CBD ointment with tiger balm, so why not? Reading, puttering, etc.

>290 karenmarie: I hope PT went well, Horrible. I'm pretty sure nothing good is coming. Reuters reports on more awfulness; CNN implodes. Not sure I won't join you in your dark cave.

PT did go well, RDear. Bought the Tiger Balm with my OTC card, a $108/quarter benefit from BCBS. So, free. Groceries, just a few. Thank you.

Gulp. I have avoided news so far today. Should I continue to do so?

Good for you! Avoiding news would not be a bad thing today. The eye shots were fine. The rest of the day was irritating, and I pretty much avoided everything.
Off to bed soon!

>290 karenmarie: Oh, no, I hate to hear that the author of that book gloated over the Wilmington Massacre. Yes, indeed, I know about that, and may be one that heard about it earlier than most. I worked at the State Library, which was part of the Dept. of Cultural Resources (now Natural and Cultural Resources). People at the State Archives, also part of DNCR, started doing research on it around the time of the 100th anniversary of the event. Our department had a practice of having lunchtime (and sometimes during regular work hours) presentations of research being done in the department. One of the presentations I went to was about that event. I had never heard of it before then, and it is the presentation that has probably stuck with me more than any of the others I ever attended. My RL book club also read Wilmington's Lie: the murderous coup of 1898 and the rise of white supremacy by David Zucchino back in August 2023. I think the author used a fair bit of the research that the Archives had done. I gave that one 5 stars; highly recommended.

I never would have guessed a medical professional would have recommended Tiger Balm, but I guess chiropractors are different. My first husband was Chinese and he used it all the time.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. It looks like a chill day for me. Maybe a couple of chores and freshen up the feeders. Otherwise it will be mostly dedicated to the books. I hope you have a chill one too.

>293 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I'm glad the eye shots went fine. I hope you can read easily today. I'm sorry your day was irritating.

I catch snippets of the chaos demon and his minions wrecking our country, but have avoided quite a bit of the in-depth descriptions.

I hope you got lots of good sleep last night. I got about 6 hours.

>294 atozgrl: Hello, Irene. You and I need to have lunch again, soon, because this, among many other topics, is a great subject to discuss as we enjoy a meal. Lo! Behold! I acquired Wilmington's Lie as a 'free' Audible audio book sometime last month (January) after discussing Back With the Tide with my friend Karen in Montana. I was online, saw that it was available as part of my Audible membership for $0, and click! Mine. I'm listening to The Measure by Nicki Erlick and an MM romance, but will start Wilmington's Lie soon.

I have a very clear vision of Ellen Douglas Bellamy from having lived in NC for 34 years. Piously Christian, gracious and generous to those of her color and class, not so much to people of color and lower socioeconomic class white people. I can see her calling it the War Between the States. We had some family members who called it The War of Northern Aggression.

The Tiger Balm with CBD ointment seems just a tad better than just the CBD ointment, and I love the smell. My chiropractor uses a lot of non-traditional methods/medications in addition to chiropractic.

>295 msf59: Good Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you. Sounds like a most excellent day ahead of you. Enjoy the books, feed the birds, and etc.

Wordle 1,323 4/6* trope, alert, remit, rivet

🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩
🟩🟨⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

...
As mentioned above, I went to PT, the pharmacy, and the grocery store. At home I filled bird feeders, read, started working on my January statistics, and etc. We watched another episode of A Touch of Frost - it's now in HD, so yay.

...
Big plans for today - *eye roll* jammies, January statistics and Lightning Round. I need to fill two other bird feeders, and putter in the Sunroom. Reading, and etc. Oh, and I need to go to our mailbox (.491 miles away at the entrance to our road/subdivision) to get The Poems of Catullus, delivered yesterday.

Morning, Karen! I love that you know the exact distance of your mailbox from your house. I like your big plans for the day, and I always have fun reading through your Lightening Round. I still have two reviews I need to write for last month.

Abby is feeling really great this morning and has gone off to The Publix with Craig - VERY happy making. She is going to make us some kind of vegan chili, and she is most excited about it. Tomorrow is her birthday, and she will be 29, which seems impossible. She says that she cannot wait to put her 20s behind her, and I totally get that. Onward!

Hoping that your day is full of fabulous, Sister of my Heart!

'Morning, Sister of my Heart! Have a wonderful Saturday.

Well, the distance is easy - our street address is 491. *smile*

I had fun yesterday, felt pretty good physically, and almost hung out in the hammock. Today is cooler, so probably not.

Good luck with your reviews. I was so stressed many years ago, feeling that I had to write reviews for every book, then dear Mark started his lightning rounds, and I thought - well! Stress reduction but commenting on every book. Win-win. I've almost got everything prepped for my new thread.

I am beyond happy that Abby feels well enough to out with her dad. Cooking, too. Oooh, and happy early birthday to your sweet, brave, talented daughter.

Off to start my second thread. Give me a few minutes to get the first 11 messages out there...

>292 karenmarie: Yes. It's a good moment to cave yourself. It will all still be on fire when you emerge.

Free OTC help is a super thing indeed. *smooch*

I like it - cave myself.

The OTC benefit is amazing - $432/year. We have no BCBS premium, and the copays reasonable. The drug benefit is not onerous after the front end loading.