Mamie's 2025 Madness, Page 5

Welcome to my thread. I’m Mamie. I’m an Indiana transplant living in the depths of Georgia where I hate the heat but never tire of looking out on the grove of pecan trees that is full of gorgeous. Last year I feel like I fell down the rabbit hole- it was a truly horrible year for us here at the Pecan Paradisio, but I am slowly making my way back to humanity, or at least something that resembles it. I’m sure that you’ll be relieved to know that my sense of humor remains intact.

In addition to reading, I love wine and snark and shenanigans. And twinkle lights. Just like the Mary Oliver poem, I believe in kindness. And mischief. I’m looking forward to seeing where this year takes me and hoping to read mostly from my own shelves.

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April Completions:
33. A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson - 3.5 stars
34. Friends and Heroes by Olivia Manning - 3 stars
35. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross - 4 stars

March Completions:
22. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 5 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
23. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
24. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 7 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
25. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
26. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
27. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, narrated by Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time, book 1) - 5 stars
28. Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick - 3.5 stars
29. The Outrun by Amy Liptrot - 4 stars
30. The Speed Queen by Stewart O'Nan - 4 stars
31. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
32. The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich

January Completions:
1. The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning, audiobook narrated by Hillary Walter - 4 stars
2. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, audiobook narrated by Ell Potter - 5 stars
3. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa - 4 stars
4. Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain - recommended by Susan - 4 stars
5. The Position of Spoons and Other Intimacies by Deborah Levy - 4 stars
6. Swimming Home by Deborah Levy - 4 stars
7. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, audiobook narrated by Bill Homeward - 5 stars
8. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, illustrated by Wendy Xu - 4 stars
9. Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty, audiobook narrated by Gerard Doyle (Sean Duffy, book 5) - Reread
10. To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface by Olivia Laing - 3.75 stars
11. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor - 4 stars
12. The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel - 4.5 stars
13. The Whole Picture: The colonial story of the art in our museums and why we need to talk about it by Alice Proctor - 4 stars
14. Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty, audiobook narrated by Gerard Doyle (Sean Duffy, book 6) - reread

February Completions:
15. The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning, narrated by Harriet Walter - 4 stars
16. My Ántonia by Willa Cather, audiobook narrated by George Guidall - 4.5 stars
17. Raven Black by Ann Cleves - reread
18. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - 4.5 stars
19. The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons - 4 stars
20. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (Southern Reach Trilogy, book 1) - reread
21. White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Shetland, book 2) - reread

Katie’s Dirty Dozen

1. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
2. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
3. The Age of the Strongman: How the Cult of the Leader Threatens Democracy Around the World by Gideon Rachman - read it in print
4. Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami

I think for March, my reading plan is going to center around the idea of Spring cleaning - I want to concentrate on finishing up books that I have started and not finished. I am bad about just starting something new on Kindle if what I am currently reading does not call to me, so lots of books partially read and waiting. I also have a handful of print books with book markers in... I don't usually make a list of books that are planned for the month, but I am going to make an exception for March and see how many I can get crossed off the list. I also have several monthly reads that I am participating in, so...

Spring Cleaning - My March Reading List

1. Martian Time-Slip Philip K. Dick 3/8/25
2. Iron Flame Rebecca Yarros
3. Eye of the World Robert Jordan 3/7/25
4. The Outrun Amy Liptrot 3/12/25
5. Divine Rivals Rebecca Ross 4/7/25
6. Orwell’s Ghosts Laura Beers
7. Virginia Woolf’s Diary, Vol. 1 Virginia Woolf
8. Ian Fleming: The Complete Man Nicholas Shakespeare
9. The Brother’s Karamazov Fyodor Dostoyevsky
10. Letters to a Young Poet Rainier Maria Rilke
11. A Year by the Sea Joan Anderson 4/5/25
12. The Once and Future Witches Alix E. Harrow
13. Viking Age Iceland Jesse L. Byock
14. Monsters A Fan's Dilemma Claire Dederer
15. Essays One Lydia Davis
16. Life in the Garden Penelope Fitzgerald
17. Amnesia Moon Jonathan Lethem
18. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water Angie Cruz
19. Future Noir by Paul M. Sammon

Shared Reads:
Red Bones - Shetland
Friends and Heroes - Balkan Trilogy

O’Nan Possibilities: American Authors hosted by Katie for March
Songs for the Missing
Wish You Were Here
The Speed Queen 3/17/25

This should do it - next one's yours!

Happy new one, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie. I love the photo at the top. Spring is coming! Good luck with your March reading.

New-thread orisons, Mamie!

Craig and Daniel repairing the roof

Morning, All! Abby had her annual doctor's appointment with her primary care physician this morning, and she has given me permission to share. The first thing is a funny - I always go back with her because she wants me to, and I just sit and listen unless she wants me to share or needs me to remind her of something she wanted to mention. Anyway, the doctor was going through all of the usual questions, and she had been asking Abby about her leg strength and then followed up with, "And how about the cycle?" So Abby says, "I haven't been on the cycle yet this year, but I am wanting to get on it." The doctor frowns and starts to say something, and so I say, "I'm just going to interrupt and say that the doctor is talking about your menstrual cycle and Abby is talking about the recumbent exercise cycle." Totally cracked us up!

The next thing is just a bit of crazy that you will get when you are living in the Deep South. Abby had finished up the physical, and was getting tired, and we then had to get her blood drawn. She was getting paler while her blood was being drawn, and then in the outer office her hand was beginning to shake. As we were exiting into the waiting room area to leave, she started to have an episode - wrist trying to dislocate. I took ahold of her hand and wrist and helped her to a chair so she could sit down. Took a few moments, and her elbow was trying to dislocate, and she started to cry because of course everyone is looking at her. BUT we finally got everything calmed down and the only thing that dislocated was one finger. She put it back in place, and as we are standing up to leave, Abby still a bit shaky, a woman comes up and takes Abby's arm that had just been having problems and asks, "Can I pray over you?" Really?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?! Abby cannot even speak, so I say, "We really need to leave right now, but you are welcome to pray FOR her, thank you." It just boggles the mind that she would 1. feel like it was okay to get into Abby's personal space like that and to touch her on the same arm she was having problems with, and 2. expect us to sit back down and be prayed over. Yowza!

On the reading front, I read four books in The Apothecary Diaries - volumes 5-8, and they were very good. Love this manga series. I also listened to a chunk of The Eye of the World while working on the pantry project.

In streaming, nothing because I was reading manga. Heh.

>7 drneutron: Jim, look at you being first - nicely done!

>8 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>9 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! The topper spoke to me, too.

>10 richardderus: Thank you, darling!

>11 Crazymamie: Good god. That...well. That's just religious nuts all over innit.

*smooch* to you for being a LOT more polite than was required under the circs, and another for Abby doing the superhuman feat of holding it together! I am waaay impressed.

>11 Crazymamie: OMG that woman. How insensitive!
I'm glad Abby is otherwise doing okay.

Happy New Thread, Mamie. Craig and Daniel are daredevils. I did see the film version of The Outrun. I liked it.

>13 richardderus: Right?! I try to always err on the side of kindness because you never know where someone else is coming from or has been through, but yeah. Also, Abby's episodes can feed on tension, so I try to keep things nice and chill. Abby did great. -as always, she amazes me.

>14 lauralkeet: I just could not believe it, Laura. We got home, and I asked Abby what I could get her to drink because we had not had our morning beverages yet, and she said, "Coke. And a latte. And water." So, she had all the things and then lunch, and now she is napping.

>15 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Craig has finally decided that next time we will call a professional. He does not want to go back up there - our roof is crazy steep. I am relieved because I did not want him up there in the first place, but he is an adult, so he makes his own decisions.

I had hears that the film version was good - I want to watch it when I finish the book.

>11 Crazymamie: I think that sometimes people mean well, but do not really know how to go about doing it. I know because I am one of those idiots :)

I got a laugh at first about Abby's doctor's visit. I am sorry to hear that it went downhill from there!

Happy new thread, Mamie! I hope you have a marvelous Monday from here on out!

Glad you're home safe and sound. Abby really is amazing, isn't she? I hoping she will wake up rested and maybe even have a nice rest of the day.

I'm not sure mojo can travel all the way from WA to GA but I'm sending some your way anyway.

Happy new one, Mamie.

>11 Crazymamie: - a) I am dizzy just looking at that pic!!
b) Is that doctor British? I think I have only heard Brits refer to one's period as the *cycle*, lol!
c) Good grief. Your restraint is admirable and of course, erring on the side of kindness is, as well. But seriously, that took some kind of chutzpah, to do what she did and say what she said! I'm sure she *meant well* but honestly...!!

>17 alcottacre: I don't doubt that she meant well, Stasia, but she obviously wanted us to sit back down so that she could pray over us right then and now.

The "cycle" made all three of us laugh so hard.

Abby always gets nervous to go to the doctor, and it is a lot for her - getting in and out of the car, the car ride, the appointment, getting up on a table that has no back and nothing to grab onto to help you get up there if balance is an issue, getting blood drawn...really just getting her blood pressure taken and the blood draw are a lot and can trigger an episode because she has CRPS in her arms. Anyway, she did great, we just didn't quite make it back to the car and home without incident.

Thank you for those good wishes!

>18 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba, and yes she is. Excellent wishes - most appreciated. She didn't sleep well last night because she was nervous about the appointment, so hopefully she can nap well this afternoon.

Your mojo seeing means so much - I am sure it will reach us.

>19 jessibud2: Hello, Shelley! Thank you.

Me, too - our roof is scary steep.

Nope, she is southern, and they say cycle down here not period, which is part of why Abby was confused. Plus, they had just been talking about her leg strength.

Good grief is the perfect response. I don't surprise easily, and she surprised me. If I'd seen it coming, I would have put myself between her and Abby before she could have grabbed her arm. We are very lucky it didn't trigger another episode.

>11 Crazymamie: Yikes! It's one of those situations where you don't want to watch but you need to...just in case. Sigh..Hope the job is done.

I often ask my self, why are there no doctors who just dedicate their practice to making house calls. Relatively no overhead, the patient is more at ease. It just seems like a win, win to me.

Best wishes for a very very good week :0)

>22 Carmenere: Hello, Lynda! It's not done - we need to get a professional to come out and put a shingle back in place that Daniel and Craig did not want to attempt, but it won't leak, so there is that.

I would love it if Abby's doctor made house calls!

Thank for those good wishes! Hoping your week is also full of goodness.

Happy new thread Mamie!

>11 Crazymamie: The Dr. visit sounds like a mixed bag. I'm relieved to hear that an in public attack was minimal.

Those people who insist on prayer can't seem to come up with options for actually doing something helpful.

>11 Crazymamie: HOLY MOLY!!!! It's scary just to look at the picture. In fact, I'll bet that sealed the deal for Craig's getting in a pro. I'm glad they're both on the ground!

What a doctor's visit! The "cycle" will have me grinning every time I think about it for the next month! Thank you for letting us know. Abby is valiant. Being Presbyterian (one of God's 'frozen chosen' according to some folks who don't like us much), I would absolutely pray for you and Abby after you left the doc's office, but I wouldn't even speak because it would be so obvious that you needed to get out of there. You are very kind. I'm afraid the accoster was more tuned in to her own most-favored status than Abby's need. She'd be a good match for the father in Poisonwood Bible if you remember that one. If you don't, that's my next suggestion but not assignment for you.

I wish you may all have a restful night!

Happy new thread, Mamie.

>1 Crazymamie: Love the Wellies!

>11 Crazymamie: I hope your boys will be careful!

A smile and then a frown. As a former cyclist I was envisioning pedals over pads too! Egregious invasion of Abby's personal space though perhaps the person's intention was not bad - just a little ignorant.

>24 quondame: Thank you, Susan! The doctor's visit was mostly good - we both love her doctor, so there is that. I could have done without the waiting room incident.

I believe in the power of prayer, BUT, and here is the thing, if you believe in the power of prayer then you know that you can pray from anywhere. The lady could have kept her seat and quietly prayed for Abby. She did not need to get into Abby's personal space, and she actually hurt her by grabbing her arm.

Morning, Mamie. I hope Craig calls a professional next time. I had to cancel my bird walk for this AM, becuase of rain. Sad face. Have you watched "Paradise" yet, on Hulu? It is a terrific show. We 3 eps in and totally hooked.

>25 LizzieD: Right?! I did not want him up therein the first place because he is not getting any younger, and he does not have the same body and the reflexes that he had when he was Daniel's age. I am relieved that he said he is not going up there again. Our roofline is SO steep:



We laughed so hard about the "cycle". And exactly. Prayer is good, making a spectacle not so much. Okay - I have not read The Poisonwood Bible or anything by Kingsolver. I will put it on The List.

Not exactly restful, but I did manage to get some sleep. Hoping you slept better than I did.

>26 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul! Thanks. The topper spoke to me - always love seeing Wellies because I love rain so much.

They are always careful, that being said, we have also had a lot of injuries. They are going to let a professional finish the job. Thank goodness.

HA! It was weird because she also said "the cycle" not "your cycle". I do think the woman in the waiting room had good intentions, just bad instincts - I am not happy she was able to grab Abby that way. Totally did not see it coming.

>28 msf59: Morning, Mark! He definitely will. He has done roof repair in the past, but he is not as young as he used to be, and it scares me.

Sorry about the bad walk. I would gladly trade you weather for your rain. It's currently overcast here and going to 75F today. We're supposed to get some high winds later.

I have not seen Paradise - we do not have Hulu.

>29 Crazymamie: Performative nonsense like the "pray OVER" you is not even slightly religious, it's ego-dominance behavior. That's the antithesis of religious belief.

Hoping your Tuesday is better. *smooch*

>31 richardderus: That's how I feel about it, too, Richard. You get me.

Thank you, dear one. *smooch and a bear hug*

Mischief yawning

Morning, All! The rest of yesterday went smoothly, thank goodness. Today is mostly about the lazy but we did wash up the bedding for the Big Bed and get that all back in place. I also tidied the kitchen and thought about going to the grocery store. Spoiler alert - it's not happening. Maybe tomorrow. I also need to do the bills so I can drop them at the post office - yes, we are old school.

On the reading front, yesterday I listened to more of Eye of the World and started Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9. In the wee small hours, I read more in The Outrun.

In streaming, Rae and I watched A Remarkable Place to Die, episode 3. I think there is just one more episode that should drop next week.

*back to add that I added more titles to my March spring cleaning list up in >5 Crazymamie:. I will continue to add to this as I come across books I have started but not finished.

>29 Crazymamie: Lovely house, Mamie, but I wouldn't want any non-pro, especially my DH on any portion of that roof!

>31 richardderus: Richard always says what I mean precisely and succinctly. Glad he's here!

I wish you a good day, and I add that I mostly love Barbara Kingsolver. I think you will too when her name comes up on your list.

ETA: We were here at the same time, and you managed to post before I did. I love a whole-hearted cat yawn!

>34 LizzieD: Hello, Peggy! Thank you. Yeah, the roof is scary.

He does that for me a lot, too. I am also very glad that her is here.

I appreciate those good wishes! Do you have a favorite Kingsolver?

*edited to fix the post reference

>34 LizzieD: Abby took that photo of Mischief. Me, too with the cat yawn love. Cats are so full of fabulous.

Favorite Kingsolvers: The Poisonwood Bible and The Lacuna for sure. I'm also fond of Prodigal Summer. I like the old ones and have several new ones yet to read.

BTW, if you haven't checked the topper on my thread today, I wish you would. I have a picture of last year's early March from the same place.

>37 LizzieD: Thanks for that!

Glad your men-folk are going to stay off of the roof now!! >11 Crazymamie: made me dizzy!!

Someone should teach that woman that you don't grab the arm of anyone you don't know (unless you're stopping them from falling)!!! Offer prayer if you must but keep your hands to yourself!!

I've read several of Kingsolver's books and enjoyed them all.

We watched A Remarkable Place to Die last night too. Thanks for pointing the series out. I think you said you hadn't seen Brokenwood (do I remember that right?). It's much more light-hearted than this one.

Hope your day is going well. Diagonal mojo on its way :)

>33 Crazymamie: - I agree with that pic! ;-)

‘Afternoon, Sister of My Heart! Happy new thread.

>11 Crazymamie: Great photo. Bravo Craig and Daniel. That’s funny about the cycle – good on you for picking up on the fact that they weren’t speaking about the same cycle.

I’m sorry about the episode in the doctor’s office and impressed that she got through it with your help. I’m furious that this woman just didn’t quietly, privately pray instead of making herself important. Touching Abby, too. I really, REALLY dislike when people make things like that about themselves and their religion.

>33 Crazymamie: Very cute pic of Mischief. Lots of energy thinking about going to the grocery store. I hope you didn’t deplete your reserves.

Hoping for a wonderful rest of the day for you and yours. Special hugs to Abby.

Roof dancing! We bought our first house out here in what used to be the sticks, and early on installed a wood-burning stove in the living room. Had to build a chimney for it, of course. We hired a friend of a friend. This guy was working for a mason, so he would only work weekends. He was enough of a rogue that he (secretly) borrowed scaffolding from his boss. It was free, but to me, it was pretty loosey goosey and I avoided going up on it. I was the mudman, mixing the mortar and hoisting it up to Danny (F-o-F) in a bucket with a rope and pulley. The day he was cutting through the eaves, he asked me to come up because he could see a thunderstorm coming. Thought I could expedite the work. I climbed up, but was quite spooked; sitting on the board and gripping a post. He's jumping from scaffold to roof and back again. So I climbed down and Danny got the chimney built up through cutout before the storm got to us.

So we got 'er done and I survived and can't even blame any of the loopy stuff I do on having fallen off the roof onto my head. Thumbs up to Craig and Daniel for their survival.

Happy new thread, Mamie!

>11 Crazymamie: Yikes! and >29 Crazymamie: Yikes! I'm glad to hear Craig and Daniel aren't going back up there again.

And I'm sorry to hear about the incident at the doctor's office. I'm sure she meant well, and lots of the evangelicals want to reach out and care for others, but that was pretty aggressively overstepping boundaries. Maybe that's the denseness about the feelings of other people that has helped lead to the mess our country is currently in. In any case, I'm glad that Abby is OK.

We actually do have a group in our area that does send doctors to homes. It's Doctors Making Housecalls. Most of their patients are seniors, but they may take other patients as well. I'm a little surprised that there aren't groups in other areas that provide this service. At least, I think they're still working in our area--it was approx. 10 years ago that I was working with them on my mom's behalf.

>40 jessibud2: *grin*

>41 karenmarie: Hello, Sister of my Heart! Thank you.

Craig and Daniel made me SO nervous, but we did have storms move in during the wee small hours and no leaking, so...

I am still giggling about the "cycle".

I am also very impressed with Abby for holding it together, especially with so many people watching us. The waiting room is HUGE - it's one of those offices that has a ton of doctors working there. A lot of things have surprised me living in the Deep South and not being from here, but this one moves to the top of the list. I thought she was going to ask us if we needed help or if she could fetch a staff member, but no, of course she wanted to pray over us.

Glad you like the Mischief photo - it made me laugh. And funny you should mention repleting my reserves. I did take a most excellent nap yesterday. *smile*

Thank you so much for those good wishes and the the special hugs for Abby - most appreciated.

>42 weird_O: I love that story - thanks so much for sharing it. And good for you for admitting that you "can't even blame any of the loopy stuff I do on having fallen off the roof onto my head." This totally cracked me up. I am very happy that Daniel and Craig survived and thrilled that they will not be doing that again. Craig has never gotten spooked on a roof before, and he has been on many, but he slipped twice, and he is now ready to give up roof dancing for good. Suits me just fine.

Thanks for stopping in and sitting a spell, Oh Weird One. I always love seeing you here.

*Edited to fix a typo

Morning, Mamie. Happy Wednesday. You have a beautiful home and I know the back of your house is just as lovely with the pecan grove.

Please. Please- read Kingsolver. You will thank me.

>43 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene!

Me, too. They were up there before several years ago when we had roof damage from Hurricane Michael just to patch up places until roofers could get to us - we had to replace the entire roof. I much prefer them on the ground.

Thank you for the kind words about the doctor's office. I think you make an excellent point about where we are at as a nation.

How wonderful about Doctors Making Housecalls - I hope they are still in business. We are very lucky in Abby's primary care physician - Abby and I both love her, and she is great with Abby.

>46 msf59: Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday to you. Thank you - I think the back of the home is the best part.

I hear you. Do you have a favorite Kingsolver?

Morning, All! Yesterday was lovely, and as I mentioned to Karen, I got a luxurious nap in during the late afternoon - Mischief and Mayhem both joined me because they are supportive like that. Today nothing much is planned beyond the regular household chores. We had storms move in during the wee small hours, and it is overcast and wet outside. It's currently just 57F, and we have the windows open, which is full of fabulous. We are expecting high winds later today, so I won't be going anywhere because I don't leave the house when we have weather that could affect Abby.

On the reading front, yesterday I read all of Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9. I also listened to more of The Eye of the World - I'm ready for chapter 40. In the wee small hours I read more from The Outrun.

In streaming, Rae and I finished up season one of Bosch and watched the first episode of season 2. This is making me want to reread the books and then continue where I left off - the books are very good if you have not read them. The Black Echo is the first in the series.

>48 Crazymamie: I would have to go with Demon Copperhead. Flight Behavior is another favorite. So many good books. Never disappointed. I need to reread The Poisonwood Bible. It has been many years.

>48 Crazymamie: - I haven't read many Kingsolver's but of those I read, my favourites include Small Wonder (essays), Prodigal Summer, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (try this one on audio; it is written and read by her, her husband and daughter). I own but have not yet read Unsheltered. There are other titles by her that I have read but did not connect with at all, but these were excellent, in my opinion.

>50 msf59: Thanks for that, Mark.

>51 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley! I love reading essays, and I might start there just to get a feel for her writing before exploring her fiction.

Morning, Mamie dearest. Hoping it's an uneventfully pleasant day for you all, especially Miss Abby who deserves it more than anyone I know. *smooch*

Happy Wednesday, Mamie!

‘Morning, Sister of My Heart!

>49 Crazymamie: Oh, I love that glass.

And, what >53 richardderus: Richard said. Hugs to all.

>11 Crazymamie: I had to look away. I am glad everyone is safely on the ground. I'm glad Abby is safely home. People.

Demon Copperhead is amazing.

>53 richardderus: Morning, Darling! You say the kindest things - thank you so much. *smooch*

>54 katiekrug: Happy Wednesdayness to you, Katie!

>55 karenmarie: I know, right?! So true about people.

I have heard only good things about Demon Copperhead - never say never, but that one does not call to me just because I really don't care for David Copperfield.

Good afternoon, Mamie! Hope your day is going very well! I'm waiting for the storm to blow through and beginning to wonder whether it has already.

I haven't read *DC* or Unsheltered either. I guess I'm hoarding them a bit. *David C* is not among my favorite Dickens even though it was his own. I started it, but I wasn't in a place at that moment when I could deal with that much challenge for a child. (Now I'm rereading *SofLs* without turning many hairs. Go figure.)

I need to go back to your last thread to find the name of the fantasy trilogy (?) you reading that has "Iron" in a title. It appealed to me, and I am eager to know what you thought of it.

>57 Crazymamie: that one does not call to me just because I really don't care for David Copperfield.
Don't let that stop you. I've never read the original so I just used Wikipedia to understand some of the parallels in characters and plot. But Demon Copperhead is a fantastic book on its own.

The Poisonwood Bible was my introduction to Kingsolver, back in the 1990s when it was newly published and an Oprah Book Club selection (remember that?). I loved it.

The "cycle" and the glass made me laugh, thank you for both of those.

The other part of the visit, well. I won't say anything at all. Okay, I take that back - I'm glad you guys got out of there without additional stress.

>48 Crazymamie: I'm also a fan of Kingsolver. My favorite is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which is about her family moving to a farm in Appalachia and living off the land for a year. I'm not sure it would be my pick as a starting point for her though -- perhaps one of her fiction works instead. Flight Behavior is also wonderful. I read David Copperfield just before reading Demon Copperhead (specifically in preparation for it) and a lot of what I liked about Copperhead was how she reworked the classic into a more modern setting. I wouldn't go there since you're not a David Copperfield fan.

Wish you all a happy, healthy, relaxing, all-around-fine day!!

>52 Crazymamie: - Also forgot another collection of essays of hers, High Tide in Tucson. Actually, I think that may have been my first Kingsolver.

Demon Copperhead is the only Kingsolver I have read so far. I liked it. Honestly, I don't think you need to have read or have liked David Copperfield to enjoy Demon Copperhead. There are parallels there, but it's its own book. And the setting and commentary on Appalachia are very different from Dickens. Of course, one of her other books might make a better place to start, but since I haven't read them yet, I can't make any recommendation one way or the other.

Checking in on you, Mamie!

Hello, Peggy! When you posted yesterday, Birdy and I were up in Abby's room putting her right shoulder back in place - it dislocated five times and five times we put it back, when it dislocated again and VERY badly, we had to call Craig to come home from the office. Luckily, he was on his lunch break. He had to put it back more than once, too, and Abby passed out several times, but we finally got it to stay in place. Such a nightmare.

No storms but we did get some very high winds that lasted for several hours.

My mind is not quite working yet, and I am trying to figures out what SofLs stands for.

The series you are asking about is The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros - the first book is Fourth Wing. Craig, Kaitlyn, and I all loved it.

Morning, Mamie. Sweet Thursday. Yes, there are similarities in David Copperfield and Demon Copperhead but I barely noticed them. Kingsolver put her own stamp on this story. That said- try her earlier stuff instead. She is a writer not to be ignored, IMHO.

>59 lauralkeet: Laura, thanks for that. I am not a fan of Dickens, although I do absolutely love A Christmas Carol. It's not only his writing or the way he tells the story that makes me not like David Copperfield. It's just too oppressive, and since Demon Copperhead is a retelling of it...

>60 ursula: So happy I could give you a laugh, Ursula. And thank you.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for sharing your favorites and your thoughts on Kingsolver, Reba. Much appreciated. You have echoed my own thoughts on the comparison of David Copperfield and Demon Copperhead, which is why I am not interested in reading it.

We did not make it to "happy, healthy, relaxing, all-around-fine day" although we did get moments of each of those. I'm guessing we won't get that today either since today is Mayhem's vet appointment.

Morning, Mamie my dear. I'm there with you for today's news about the c-a-t and certainly fervently petitioning the wickedness that controls the Universe to leave Abby the hell alone.

*smooch*

>62 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley - I need to make a list of all of these. I love getting LT recommendations.

>63 atozgrl: Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Irene. I love when everyone chimes in about an author or a book, and even if it's a book I don't want to read, I enjoy reading why everyone loves it. I have no doubt that it is a great book, but I don't want to read that story again - the story of a boy who suffers one misfortune after another and somehow manages to retain his faith in himself and keep going.

>64 alcottacre: Stasia, thanks for checking in on me. I'm still here, so that's something. Heh.

>66 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday! I will definitely read something by her.

>68 richardderus: Morning, my Darling! Thank you so much for that. Bonus points for thinking about our c-a-t. And yes, please may Abby have a good day today. *double smooch*

‘Morning, Sister of My Heart.

>65 Crazymamie: Such a nightmare indeed. Darling Abby, Daughter of My Heart. Give her the gentlest of hugs from me. Hugs to all of you, too.

>67 Crazymamie: I hope the vet appointment yields positive results. I don’t think there’s much more I can say about that. I think you’ll all need hugs again today, too, so here they are in advance. (((((Pecan Paradisio)))))

Morning, All! Yesterday started out fine and then Abby dislocated her right shoulder repeatedly. We had to call Craig home from the office, and he was able to finally get it to stay in place. Today she is in a lot of pain and not looking good. I need to take the cats to the vet - Mayhem for a recheck of his eyes, and I am hoping she has information for me since I did not hear back from her. Craig described his eyes to a vet that was at his office, and she said it sounds like melanoma. Mischief just needs her depo shot for her allergies. That appointment is at 10:30, and I am hoping I can keep it - I'll check on Abby in a bit and see what she thinks about me going out.

On the reading front, I listened to more of Eye of the World - closing in on the end, and I am hoping to finish it up either today or tomorrow. I also read more in The Outrun.

In streaming, Rae and I watched Bosch, season 2, episode 2. After Rae went to bed, I rewatched an episode of Vera.

>65 Crazymamie: OMG!!! Wishing you all strength and a decent day today. (((PP)))

Oh, ((((((((((Mamie)))))))))), what a hard time all around. Cyber hugs for all of you. I'm sorry that Abby is having excruciating days. If it's weather related, I hope whatever is going on there passes soon. Whatever the cause, I'm praying that it passes soon and that she can regain some easy time. You, dear Mamie, are brave and stalwart to hold your loved ones together. Love to you!

I hope you get to the vet and get better information about Mayhem than you fear.

We all wish we could take some of this from you and know we can't. Virtual support though.

ETA: Thank you for the thumbs up for *Empyrean*. I'll be getting copies soon, I expect!

Sending both you and Abby virtual hugs- such a difficult time for you at the moment.

Sorry you had such a crap day yesterday, Mamie. Thinking of sweet Mayhem, too.

I hope today has been an improvement over yesterday, Mamie. ((hugs))

>73 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thank you so much for that. The hugs were greatly appreciated.

>74 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy. I do think Abby's bad days were weather related. The high winds have finally moved on, and she is having a better day today. The hugs and the kind words mean so much to us. And the love!

Nope - the vet news way what I had feared. It's a sadness.

Just knowing that you are out there and wishing us well and holding us in your thoughts and in your heart means so very much. I believe in the power of prayer and of positive thinking, so virtual support is HUGE to us. I does help to lift the burden, so thank you.

You are welcome. Hope you love the first one as much as we did - I am currently reading the second one.

>75 SandDune: Thank you so much, Rhian. That means so much.

>76 lauralkeet: Two crap days in a row, Laura, but today has been better. Thank you for thinking of our Mayhem.

>77 katiekrug: Yesterday was another hard day for Abby but no dislocations, so hooray for that. The news about Mayhem, even though expected, was devastating. Thank you so much for the hugs.

Hugs to you all, Mamie. I hope the coming days are better.

Crap! Sorry I am to hear about Mayhem. Hope that Abby has an uneventful day and weekend.

Morning, All! I am so happy to see Friday. The good news - Mexican takeaway for lunch. The bad news is that the vet visit was a sad one. Our vet conferred with a feline ophthalmologist (she had taken photos of Mayhem's eyes), and they are sure it is melanoma. The definitive diagnosis is done by removing the eye and sending it off for biopsy. The closest clinic that can do that is in Florida. Then he would still need treatment, and the prognosis would not be good. We are not going to put him through that. Instead we will focus on what time we have left with him and the quality of his life.

Today we are hoping to paint the pantry trim and wood shelving supports - we meant to get this done last weekend, but the weather did not cooperate. I changed my mind about painting the wooden supports that Craig made red - we will instead paint them the same turquoise as the back pantry wall. The trim in and around the pantry will be red. With luck, we might be able to get it al put back together this weekend, and then I can organize everything.

On the reading front, I finished up Eye of the World this morning. So good! I have the next two books waiting in print and on audio, and I plan to just keep going while everything is fresh in my mind. In the wee small hours, I read more in The Outrun.

In streaming, nothing.

Thanks for checking in, Mamie. You know we are on tenterhooks when you don't.

Wind is a big trigger for me too, though not nearly as bad as it is for Abby (mine is for migraines). Glad today is better. And so so sorry to hear about Mayhem. I probably asked already but how old is he? At least he is in a familiar setting surrounded by people who love him. Is it just the bad news you were expecting or is there also pain involved? I think loss of vision would not be fun on any level but if it was not accompanied by pain, it could be adjusted to, I think.

Hugs all around.

Edited to add that I did not see your last post till after I posted. Poor baby. I don't blame you, not wanting to put him through all that.

I'm happy that Abby is having a better day. I wish her a whole string of them - like a flapper's long necklace that she can twirl when she Charlestons!

Such sad news for Mayhem! Of course, you've made the best decision for him. We love them while we have them, and that's the best all around.

I'm tickled that you so enjoyed *Eye*! It's a good thing to keep going so that you don't have to relearn vocabulary. What an intricate world! I do so much need to finish the final book this year, but I hate to do it. I've read the first ones several times, but never got to the last books until this last try. It's a real commitment.

Love to (((((you all))))).

>80 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. Most appreciated.

>81 weird_O: Thanks, Oh Weird One. Abby is doing much better today now that the high winds have moved on.

>83 jessibud2: You are welcome, Shelley.

Weather triggers migraines for me, too, Shelley, and it is not fun. Abby is very sensitive to weather fronts, and especially to anything with vibration like storms and high winds.

Thank you concerning Mayhem. He is eight years old. He came into our lives in October of 2016, and he was so small we had to bottle feed him. It was just the bad news. Currently, he is not in any pain that we know of - he has lost weight because he has been eating less, and he has been throwing up some - just bile. Yesterday, the vet gave him an anti-nausea shot, and he slept most of the day. He seems to be feeling better today.

The hugs are most appreciated.

*edited to fix a typo

>84 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy. Me, too. "I wish her a whole string of them - like a flapper's long necklace that she can twirl when she Charlestons!" I love this imagery so much!

It is indeed a sadness with Mayhem, but we are so very thankful that we have had him in our lives - he is such a sweet and funny cat.

I actually read the first five or six books in the series many years ago - like decades. Craig and I read them as they came out, and then I got tired of waiting for them to come out, so I stopped. When I saw that the audiobooks were being redone and narrated by Rosamund Pike it felt like a sign - I love her and she does fabulous narrations. Anyway, I remembered very little, so it was like reading it for the first time. I am very impressed with the storytelling and world building. Intricate is a perfect word to describe it. You are so right that it is a commitment, but I think it's going to be a fun project for me. Do you hate to read the last book because you don't want it to be over? If so, I do that all the time - hoard the final book in a beloved series.

Thank you for the love and for the hugs - there are not words to say how much it means to me.

I am so sorry to hear about Mayhem 😥 And Abby's rough day with the dislocations. I hope today is better at the Paradiso.

>87 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie. I do love me a Friday, and so far, so good with it being better.

Oh that's so sad about Mayhem. But it's good to feel as sure as you can about your decision, and he gets to have all love, no painful days.

Just now reading your recent posts and joining the chorus of folks concerned about you and yours. Your decision about Mayhem was an unhappy one I'm sure but I think it was definitely the right one. I hope you can keep him comfortable for the rest of his life. I'm sure he feels loved and I think that's very important for animals too.

So glad the wind has moved on and Abby is getting a bit of a break today. You know you always have my prayers and wishes for good days for her (and the rest of the family too of course).

>89 ursula: It is, Ursula. I feel in my bones that it is the right decision. We love him so much, and he has already been through a major surgery. Not sure if you remember but he is the one who swallowed all those rubber bands and hair ties several years ago, and they had to operate to remove them. Anyway, we will soak up every moment we have left with him.

>90 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, adulting sucks. I know that it is the right decision, so there is that peace of mind, which is a smallish consolation. Thank you for those good wishes and kind thoughts. I know that he feels loved and cherished, and you are right that it's important for animals to feel that way.

Me, too, with the wind moving on. Abby was able to be up and take a shower and come downstairs for a bit, so today is already much better than the last several. I do know that we always have your good wishes and your prayers, and that means the world to me. Thank you so much, my friend.

(((Mamie))) I'm so sorry about Mayhem. Like the others here, I fully support your decision. Feeling loved and cherished is just what he needs right now.

>92 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. I know in my heart it's the right decision, but it's so lovely for it to feel validated but such a wonderful group of individuals.

>82 Crazymamie: Deeply sad with all y'all. Devastating is the only word for this news. I think your plan is the kindest way to finish the family's time together. *sad hugs*

Richard, you made me cry. Thank you so very much for your understanding and compassion. *bear hug and I might not let go for a moment*

So sorry to hear about Mayhem. I hope he enjoys a good long stretch of time yet. Also that your weather stays stable for Abby.

Sending between the ear scritches for Mayhem and hugs for you and yours. I'm guessing having a diagnosis helps a little with the mental load but I'm sorry it's such sad news.

Wishing you and your clan a good weekend.

Also, can't wait to see the after pictures of the pantry. It sounds gorgeous.

A belated Happy New Thread , Mamie. Your home is gorgeous, but yes, a steep roofline. I am glad Craig doesn't plan to re - roof it himself in the future. I am sorry to read about Mayhem. You have made a good choice for Mayhem. It's hard though, isn't it.

I missed your not so new thread.
So sorry to hear about Mayhem.
And Abby's experience at the doctor's. Who thinks that is appropriate?

‘Morning, Sister of My Heart.

>72 Crazymamie: It doesn’t rain but it pours.

>82 Crazymamie: Such sadness for you all. You’re doing the right thing by not putting him through all that, of course, but it doesn't make it any easier. Time left will be sweet and sorrowful, for sure.

>85 Crazymamie: I didn’t realize Mayhem is so young. Tragedy on top of sadness.

I’m glad Abby had a better day yesterday.

(((((Pecan Paradisio))))) and kitty skritches for all your fur babies, special ones for Mayhem.

>96 Familyhistorian: Meg, thank you for that. A nice long stretch would be lovely.

And yes, please, to stable weather for Abby.

>97 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky. So true about the diagnosis. Ear scritches and hugs are most appreciated.

So far so good with the weekend.

We are running behind on the pantry renovation because Craig has hurt his back. It will probably be next weekend before we get it all put back together. I can't wait - it's going to be so cheerful.

>98 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah. I actually don't love the front outside of our house, and I hate the front doors, but the inside is lovely. Well it will be lovely when we get everything back to where it belongs. Heh.

Yes, it is hard. SO hard to make decisions for someone else and not be able to explain what is going on to them. Add into that the fact that he is only eight, and it is heart breaking, but I am so thankful to have been entrusted with his care.

I am sitting here crying about Mayhem even as I am stroking Chalfont and wishing it could bring comfort to him.

((Hugs)) to you and yours, Mamie.

>99 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! Thank you for your kind words. "Who thinks that is appropriate?" My thoughts exactly.

>100 karenmarie: Hello, Sister of my Heart! Indeed about the pouring rain.

Sweet and sorrowful sums it up perfectly. I am thankful that we do have time to say good-bye and to make whatever time he has left the absolute best it can be.

Yep - Mercy is 11, and Mayhem and Mischief are 8. We got Mercy in February of 2014, Mayhem in October of 2016, and Mischief in late November of 2016.

Abby is having an even better day today, so hooray for that.

Thank you so much for the hugs and kitty scritches - always appreciated.

Abby and Mayhem in 2016. He loved to sit in the hood of anyone's hoodie - he would even ride around in there, just purring away.

I'm late to the threads today, but all is well. Craig hurt his back several days ago - pulled two different muscles, and it was really giving him problems yesterday, so today is taking it easy. This is almost impossible to get him to do because he thinks he needs to be always busy. He is only sitting still because Abby asked him to, so go Abby. It's overcast here but warm and humid. Nothing much planned today because we are trying to keep Craig from working. Heh. Some laundry, some household chores, some organizing. Currently Craig and Abby are both playing Stardew Valley, which is very cute. Rae is sitting with Mayhem and playing Dreamlight Valley. Birdy is off ensconced in her bedroom listening to her vinyl albums, and here I sit catching up with you all.

On the reading front, I finished up Martian Time-Slip today and have started listening to The Great Hunt, which is the second book in The Wheel of Time series. In the wee small hours, I read more from The Outrun.

In streaming, Rae and I watched Death in Paradise season 14, episode 3.

>105 Crazymamie: Took me a minute to spot Mayhem!! Absolutely love the photo now that I have :). Here's to a good day at PP -- hope Craig's back heals quickly!

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, Reba! I wish we had taken more photos while he was small enough o do that.

Me, too, with Craig's back. He is being very good about it, but I know it is very hard for him to sit still.

Hoping your day is full of goodness, too.

>105 Crazymamie: *ew*ew*ew*

...errrmmm, of course I mean "isn't that just the cutest thing ever?"

*anxiously checks sky for thunderbolts and lightning very very frightening*

>108 richardderus: You made me laugh out loud!

And now I am going to have that Queen song in my head for the rest of the day. Good thing it's such a cool song. *double smooch*

‘Morning, Mamie! Happy Sunday to you and yours.

>101 Crazymamie: I’m sorry that Craig hurt his back. Sending healing thoughts.

>105 Crazymamie: Sweet, sweet picture. Thanks for sharing. Glad that Abby has persuaded Craig to take it easy. Jenna and Hwan love Stardew Valley and even have the cookbook. Or, given that Hwan doesn’t like too much clutter, perhaps borrowed it from the Library. I know that they cooked at least one meal from it.

>108 richardderus: LOL, RD.

>109 Crazymamie: And me too, on the earworm. Song.

>105 Crazymamie: I think that's the cutest thing ever! *grin*

I hope that everybody's back is behaving today, especially Craig's. I'm glad that Abby could persuade him to be kind to himself. We all need to be so.

Ah, the lack of young adults in my life! I'll have to look up Stardew Valley. I wish you all a lovely Sunday!

>105 Crazymamie: - I LOVE it!!! (if my 15-pound Theo could do this, he would, in a heartbeat. Hehe. I don't believe he was EVER that small, though;-)

>110 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Sister of my Heart!

Thanks for those healing thoughts - it's doing better today, but still othering him quite a bit. Rain in the forecast, so another easy day for him hopefully.

I'm always happy to share - glad you liked it. Craig did a very good job of taking it easy yesterday. We'll see if we can get him to do it again. Getting our taxes ready has occupied him for the mid-morning/early afternnoon.

I did not know there was a Stardew Valley cookbook! How fun. All of us here at the Pecan Paradisio love playing the Switch game.

Love me some Queen, and I know you do, too. *smile*

>111 LizzieD: So glad you liked the photo, Peggy. He was so tiny when we got him, and then he ended up being our largest cat.

Craig's back is still not good, but it is better than yesterday. Me, too, with Abby persuading him to take it easy. He usually starts I shortly after getting up and pretty much runs the day into the ground. He grew up on a farm, and both of his parents were very strict so he feels like he has to work all the time. You are right that it is important to remember to be kind to yourself.

Stardew Valley is a video game that we play on the Switch. It's a farming game, but there is also fishing and mining and you can get married. I never get married or even date, but I do like to do all the other things.

>112 jessibud2: Mayhem could never fit in there now, Shelley, but if he could, he would still love it.

We've got the panini press out, and it's make your own panini for lunch day

Afternoon, All! It is overcast and cooler here today - supposed to rain, but no sign of it yet. We currently have the windows open, and it is full of fabulous. Craig has gotten the taxes done and ready to go to the lawyers. We have also received the first draft of our Will, so we need to read through it and go over things with the kids. Not today because Abby is not having a great day - she is doing okay just no extra mental energy. I have gotten my household stuff done for the day, so I'm hoping to spend the afternoon with the books.

On the reading front, I have listened to more of The Great Hunt and read from Orwell's Ghosts, which is good so far.

In streaming, Rae and I binged some Bosch last night - season 2, episodes 3-6.

Sorry to hear about Abby's multiple dislocations Maime, exhausting for everyone.

I think you are making the right choice for Mayhem.

Sorry to hear about Abby's multiple dislocations Maime, exhausting for everyone.

I think you are making the right choice for Mayhem.

Morning, Mamie. I hope you had a decent weekend. How is Abby and Craig doing? We creep into the 60s today. Yah!

>117 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. We have been very thankful to have had several days with no dislocations or burning, so hooray for that.

I so appreciate the support concerning our Mayhem.

>119 msf59: Morning, Mark! I cannot complain about the weekend - no dislocations despite having storms last night, and Craig's back is still bothering him, but it is much better than it was.

We are only going to 57F today, which I am thrilled about. Tomorrow, however, we return to the 70s. *groan*

Hello, Mamie! Glad to hear Craig's back is better and that Abby is doing okay. Your panini press comment gave me pause, as I am trying to convince TW to get rid of ours since we haven't used it since we left Texas, but he's resistant. And your picture made me want a panini, so..... :)

What a week! So sorry for Abby's multiple dislocations. It must be so painful. And sorry about Mayhem. And Craig's back. And all the adulting going on. My wish for you is a better week this week.

I hope Craig's back is better today and Abby is having a good one! I'm another Stardew Valley fan, here. I started a new farm the day after the election when the 1.6 update released on Switch and have put an embarrassing number of hours in since then...

'Afternoon, Mamie!

Yum to make your own panini, glad Abby's not had any more dislocations. Glad Craig's back is better.

Enjoy the cool weather. We've got similar weather. High of 61F today, 56F right now. Tomorrow, yuck, 74F, 70s through Sunday.

I adulted today, now's the reward part.

'Afternoon, Mamie!

Yum to make your own panini, glad Abby's not had any more dislocations. Glad Craig's back is better.

Enjoy the cool weather. We've got similar weather. High of 61F today, 56F right now. Tomorrow, yuck, 74F, 70s through Sunday.

I adulted today, now's the reward part.

Mamie me lurve, hoping this is a happy Moon's Day for all at Pecan Paradisio.

I'm catching up on a few days at your place, Mamie, and am sorry to hear about Craig's back and Mayhem's diagnosis. *Hugs* to you and very gentle *hugs* to Abby (with prayers from a distance, not like the grabber).

I did smile at your story about the "cycle". I would've been thrown for a loop too, given the context.

>82 Crazymamie: How very sad. I'm so sorry, Mamie.

>11 Crazymamie: You should get lots of future shared chuckles over that "cycle" story, lol. And just say no to climbing up on that roof - yikes, that is steep!!

Here for a quick check-in -- looks like things are stable at PP -- WHEW!!

Dang, Crazy. Sorry to hear about Mayhem. And Craig's back. And more dislocations for Abby. Geez. I love your positive attitude though -- Hang in there! And do enjoy the panini -- sometimes it's the little things that get us through the day. Hugs.

>121 katiekrug: I get that, Katie, because it odes take up a lot of space - we keep ours in the top of a kitchen cabinet, and I cannot reach it without a ladder which means it's not prime real estate. We use ours quite a bit, and the grill plates can go in the dishwasher, which I love.

Thank you for your kind words concerning Abby and Craig.

>122 ffortsa: Yeah, not a great week for us, Judy. I SO appreciate those good wishes.

>123 curioussquared: Hello, Nathalie. Craig's back was slowly getting better, but he did tweak it again on Monday. Abby is having a good day today after coming out of a flare, so that is happy making.

We love Stardew Valley, and you do not want to know how many times I have started the game over (it's more than 30). Last year was a bad year for us, and so I played A LOT of Stardew Valley. I love seeing how each character has their own luck with different things, and so I have become addicted to beginning the game and only playing through the first season or the first year. Heh. I started it over again on Monday with the Meadowland Farm just to see if I could beat Abby's Spring earnings on her newly started game on the same farm. She made 50K just in Spring. I called my farm Redemption and my character's name is Karma because Karma is a ...

>124 karenmarie: Hello, Sister of my Heart!

Thank you. The paninis were most YUM. Usually once we have the panini press down, we leave it out on the counter for several days and make various sandwiches with it. One of my favorite things.

Yep. We are back in the 70s, but at least the humidity hasn't been awful.

Hooray for the reward. Adulting is strenuous.

>126 richardderus: Thank you, my darling. What a lovely way to put it.

*edited to fix the post reference

>127 bell7: Mary, thank you so much. We greatly appreciate the hugs and the kind words and the prayers from a distance.

We are still laughing about the "cycle".

>128 Copperskye: Joanne, thank you. It is indeed a sadness.

Glad you liked the "cycle" story. And yes to saying no to the roof climbing. It's crazy steep.

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thanks for checking in on us. Monday was good until the evening.

>130 Berly: Hello, Kim. SO true about the little things. Thank you so much for your kind words.

I really want a comfy chaise longe - does anyone have a favorite one?

Morning, All! Sorry to have missed posting the last couple of days. Abby went into a flare on Monday evening - a flare is when her pain spikes and she has trouble doing even little things for herself. They last from a day to more than a week. Luckily, this time it was just Monday evening until this morning. She is out of the flare and having a good day today.

On the reading front, I have been listening to The Great Hunt and reading from The Outrun, which I finished in the wee small hours of this morning.

In streaming, Rae and I have watched more, Bosch, some Slow Horses, and the final episode of A Remarkable Place to Die

>134 Crazymamie: Mamie, how about a récamier?

Perfect for recovery from a faint after your tiring-woman loosens your stays.

>135 richardderus: Ima have to say no to that one, but you made me laugh out loud.

Oh dear. I had no idea that a flare was a thing for Abby. I simply can't imagine. I'll add my gratitude that it lasted only from Monday night to this morning. I send wishes for comfort to Abby and you and the rest of your dear family.

>134 Crazymamie: If I had that, I wouldn't move again. I'd have to have it in a darker color though because I'd never move again, as stated.

>135 richardderus: Very elegant! I'm not, however, and it's so narrow that I'd fall out of it.

My old Vines friend (an early online community) was on fb this week praising *Empyrean* too. She advised me to do myself a favor and wait until all five books come out. I'll have to think about that.

Peace for your day (((((Mamie)))))!

I'm so sorry to read about Abby's flare, both this recent incident and the fact that this is yet another thing she has to deal with. I'm glad things are better today at the Pecan Paradiso. Our weather has been unseasonably warm and it's not humid yet, so I'm a happy camper.

I also really want a chaise longue, but can't figure out where I'd put one. It's a sadness, as is Abby's flare. I'm glad it was relatively short-lived.

Glad the flare has passed and hope it stays gone for a long, long time!! (gentle) hugs to you all

>136 Crazymamie: ...but Mamie! It's perfect for your decor and lifestyle!

>134 Crazymamie: Mine is a leather recliner with a little table beside to hold the rum or whisky on the rocks I sip while I read. It’s a little beaten down these days, but still my spot. 😀

Hello, dear Mamie!

>134 Crazymamie: I’m sorry about Abby’s flare, glad she had a good day yesterday.

I have a leather chair and ottoman almost identical to those – and never, ever use them. In fact, I should really get them out of the Retreat so I can buy an Ekornes Stressless Mayfair Signature Base Recliner and Ottoman. It’s only money – and I also want a treadmill for the house.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

I wish you all a very good day, Mamie. I'm now on my way to check out Karen's ESMSBR&O. I think that I will be dumbfounded. We have recliners at Mama's house (none of which I find very comfortable), but we'd have to get rid of the sofa in here, which is my much-tattered refuge. It also contains a queen-sized fold-out bed and is so heavy that it will take 4 or 5 strong men to get it out of the house.

Ah, recliners. I've never liked the big mechanical ones, but I have a backsaver-style chair that is my absolute go-to. I also have a very small lightweight recliner that all my friends adore. Both need reupholstering badly, and one day I will do that.

Hi Mamie, sorry I missed almost two threads while being away for two weeks. Skimming through this one, I just want to send ((((love and hugs)))) to everyone and some extra love to dear Mayhem. The photo with the hoodie must be one of the cutest cat pictures I ever saw.

I just bought a recliner, but it hasn’t been delivered yet. Not the one of my dreams as I don’t have much space, but I‘m sure it will become my new favorite reading spot.

Have a lovely weekend!

Saturday orisons, Mamie me lurve. I hope it's replete with quality doins and readins and munchins. Sending smooches to all who wish them.

Morning, Mamie. Happy Saturday. I hope all is well at the Pecan Paradiso. We leave today for our trip. I will see you on the flip-side. 😀

... hoping for a Mamie sighting ...

Alas.

One of my favorite photos of Rae and I from when she was much younger.

Just popping in today that I will be back tomorrow. We have been very busy. Abby has been in a lot of pain and not able to do a lot, but no dislocations or episodes, so hooray for that. Thursday was Rae's birthday - she turned 33! That seems impossible, but I was there, so I do know that the math adds up. She and Craig took Friday off, and we have been working on house stuff. Today Daniel and Kaitlyn took Rae out for breakfast to celebrate her birthday, and came back here after, so we took advantage of that to discuss the Will we are having drawn up and make sure everyone was okay with everything. This afternoon, Craig and Birdy are going to put the pantry shelving back in place, but Craig changed his mind about the shelving (it was original to the house and had some damage) and ended up purchasing a new system that he thinks will work better for us, and the shelves will be adjustable, so I am excited to see it in place.

Welcome back, Mamie! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RAE!!!!! You were both gorgeous 20 or so years ago, and I'm sure you're both even more so now.
Those eyes! I don't think there's any mistake that she's your baby. I'm sorry that Abby can't celebrate as much as I know she'd wish too, but I'm happy to hear that she's not adding to her pain.
Hooray for new shelving in the pantry! Pictures when it's all back in place and you've recovered, please! Otherwise, happy day to all of you!

Just checking in. Love the photo of you and Rae -- such a pair of beautiful ladies!! Hope your pantry works well for you -- sounds like it will. Most importantly, wishing you ALL a healthy, pain-free weekend!!

>150 Crazymamie: Nice photo and I must admit that you are all a good looking bunch!
Happy birthday to Rae and warm thoughts to Abby to chase the pain away.

Wills are important things - something that Islam interferes in and doesn't do well IMHO as it favours the males over the females and provides more for their care than their independence. My will is registered in the UK to ensure that they all get an equal share of what little bit there is.

Happy Birthday Rae!!! She is the same age as my oldest. : ) And, yes, she has your beautiful eyes, lucky girl. Glad Abby has had no more episodes, but I really wish the pain would go away. Hurray for the new shelves and for newer ones that have adjustable heights. Craig gets points. ; ) Do take your time on the will and get it right and make sure everyone is on board -- we are in the midst of going through my Dad's will and there are a few things that aren't quite clear and are legally a mess to get through. He left a life insurance to my Mom, who passed last year before him and she left it to her estate, which never got set up, ..... Luckily my siblings and I have had no fights or even quibbles as we work things out. Phew. Happy Sunday!

Hi Mamie! Hi Sister of My Heart!!

So glad to see you back. I'm so sorry for Abby's pain, and figured that you all got slammed with storms yesterday, which I know doesn't help.

Love to all at the Pecan Paradisio.

I'm off to visit Peggy 'til Tuesday and meet Stasia and Kerry. First trip since before Covid...

I'm an only child and have an only child -- makes inheritance issues much easier :>

Good for you getting the will stuff done! Dealing with my dad and brother's estates; neither with a will, makes me appreciate that intentionality. But having written our own wills, I know that it's a hard thing...so many difficult eventualities to consider.

Morning, All! I did not make it here yesterday because we had heavy storms move in during the wee small hours, and so I was dealing with a migraine. We did wake Abby up at midnight to pre-medicate for the weather, and it seems to have done the trick because she was able to come downstairs for the morning and was doing better. We made it through the weekend with no episodes or dislocations despite her high pain levels, so that was a huge win.

The pantry shelving is back in place, and it looks really good. Craig just wants to add some support pieces to the sides to stabilize the ends, and then I can start putting stuff back in there. Just to clarify about the shelving - we are using the same shelves that we took out, but we replaced the way that they are held in place. So before we had this:



And now we have this:



Much easier to install, and now the shelves are adjustable whereas before they were fixed. We also added an additional shelf to take advantage if vertical space. I also ordered a vinyl floorcloth for in there that will extend out in front if the washer and dryer:


The pattern is called Floral Abigail, which made us smile

On the reading front, I have listened to more of The Great Hunt and read all of the Speed Queen, which was my Stewart O'Nan read for American Authors thread that Katie is hosting this month.

In streaming we watched more Bosch, Slow Horses, and started a new to us series called Blackshore - episode 3 drops today.

I like the new shelving setup. Great idea! And that floorcloth is gorgeous.
What's the diff between a floorcloth and a rug? Inquiring minds want to know ...

Glad to hear you had a pretty okay weekend, Mamie, though I'm sorry Abby's pain levels were high.

I can't wait to see the finished pantry!

ETA: Also looking forward to your comments on the O'Nan :)

>158 Crazymamie: Floral Abigail looks like it was designed (and named) specifically to fit your needs, Mamie! I'm glad the premedication worked for Abby, sorry for the wretchedness that is migraine, and leaving a general-purpose *smooch* for the new week.

>158 Crazymamie: I love the floor cover. I hope this week is good for you all. I can't wait to see your new pantry space.

>137 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy, for the kind words and good wishes. Most appreciated.

Laughing about needing the chaise longe in a darker color because you would never move gain. I like the yellow, but my favorite pick would be red if I could find the perfect shade.

I would also need a wider version than the one Richard posted. And arms.

I can see why your friend advised you to wait until the books are finished - the author does love to leave you hanging.

>138 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. Glad your weather is happy making. We are having a gorgeous day here - sunny and windy, and the recent storms have dropped out temps and humidity. Currently just 55F (going to 67) - we've got the windows open and are soaking up the cool fresh air.

>139 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie. I would put the chaise in the bedroom and move one of our chairs to the living room. I just need to find the perfect one for me.

>140 RebaRelishesReading: Most appreciated, Reba.

>141 richardderus: Ha! It SO isn't, Richard. Thank goodness.

>142 drneutron: We had an old leather recliner that was very comfy and probably a lot like the one you're talking about, Jim. The problem with a recliner, for me, is that I want my feet up but I don't want to recline. And yes, there must be a small table next to it for the beverage.

>143 karenmarie: Hello, Karen. Thank you. Abby has had several rough days starting with Rae's birthday, but yesterday she was feeling better, and today she is feeling good.

I know the recliner and ottoman you are talking about, and they are full of gorgeous. I have never sat in one, but I have heard only good things. I am thinking Ellen has one. I want a chaise. We already have chairs with ottomans, and I love them, but I want to be all one piece so the ottoman doesn't move - my legs are short and I always sit with them up, so I think a chaise would be perfect for me. You are right that it is only money. I think you should get your dream chair and ottoman and your treadmill and enjoy them while you can - it's good to be money conscious, but ti is also important to treat ourselves to the things that can make a BIG difference in our daily lives.

Hoping your day was also full of wonder.

>144 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy. I bet you have seen the recliner and ottoman that Karen is talking about but just didn't know what it was called.

Yeah, those sleeper sofas are a bear - SO heavy. We bought new sofas and a big comfy chair about four years ago, and they are beautiful, but I hardly ever use them. They are too low and too deep, so it hurts my hips and knees to use them - and Craig's even more since he has had one hip replacement and will eventually need to have the other hip done. We bought them during COVID, so just ordered them online, and I did not even think about them being too low or too deep. They will not be moving with us, that's for sure.

>145 ffortsa: Hello, Judy! I do not want a recliner. I want my legs out straight and no reclining. What is a back saver chair?

>146 Deern: Hello, Nathalie! No worries about missing the previous threads. It's lovely to see you here. Thank you so much for the kind word concerning Mayhem - I'm glad you like the photo.

Hoping that you love your new recliner when it arrives. A new reading chair is full of fabulous.

Hoping you weekend was a good one.

>147 richardderus: Hello there, my darling! The weekend was busy but mostly good, and we did get in both reading and yummy food.

Thank you most kindly for the smooches! *smooch and a bear hug*

>148 msf59: Mark, so sorry I missed you before your trip. I bet you are having a most excellent time. Hoping you get to see all the birds on your wishlist.

>149 karenmarie: Karen, thanks for checking on us. *hugs*

>151 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy! I just checked the photo (I have it on the side of our fridge), and the date is Christmas Eve of 1999, so Rae would have been 7. I look better in that photo than I do now, but I appreciate your optimism. I got my blue eyes from my Dad.

Abby hates when she is having a bad day on special occasions because she does not want to detract from them. It just is what it is. No dislocations or burning, so that was a blessing.

I will post before and after photos when we get the pantry finished - promise.

>152 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thanks for checking in and for the kind words. I think the pantry is going to be full of fabulous for us. I just keep going in there to look at it, and it's not even done. It's so cheerful it makes me smile BIG.

The weekend went more soothly than we had a right to expect, so that's a win. Your good wishes worked!!!

>153 PaulCranswick: Thank you for that, Paul. Most appreciated.

So true that wills are important. Good thinking with registering yours in the UK.

>154 Berly: Thank you, Kim! SO great to see you here. I knew our kids were of similar ages.

I wish Abby's pain would go away, too, but it is a chronic condition, so mostly I focus on her having more good days.

My post was misleading - the shelves themselves are not new, just the system that mounts them onto the walls is new. So much easier and faster to put back up than the previous system, and the support bars do not get in the way of what you want to put on the shelves like the previous ones did. Plus, you can move them around, which is full of fabulous.

Luckily, our will is pretty straight forward. We did sit down with the kids to explain our thinking and how we were setting things up, and now we are taking this week as a time to think about things and allow for questions or suggestions from them. We are also setting up power of attorney, and medical power of attorney at the same time, so hopefully, we will have everything covered. It's a lot to think about. Sorry about the hassle of dealing with things that aren't quite clear, but hooray for no sibling rivalry. Craig's older brother was the executor of his mom's estate, and he was SO happy when it was all done and dusted.

>166 Crazymamie: A backsaver chair (that used to be a brand name, I think) is also called a zero gravity chair - why, I don't know, since gravity is what it uses. Here's a representative link, although not like mine:

sort of curved with knee support

Mine is on a less prominent base, but tips back sort of like a dentist's chair, but without the dentist.

>164 Crazymamie: The storm sounds terrible! I hope it has passed on now.

Your pantry looks like it's going to be both beautiful and practical -- so pretty, in fact, I hope it doesn't have a door :)

I agree re recliners and not wanting to recline -- that's why "my" chair is a club chair with ottoman. I have rubber pads under the feet (plus it's on a rug) so it stays where I put it and I can sit with feet on floor when I want to. I hope you find a piece that is both comfortable and beautiful.

Good you're getting your estate issues settled. Since we're a "blended" family we thought it was important to get things settled formally so got a trust and wills not long after we married...so 30+ years ago. We had to have it redone to be consistent with Washington laws when we moved but that wasn't too hard and now we have no plans to move so we hope it's all done again!

I love today's post that Abby is "feeling good" today.

>155 karenmarie: Hello, Karen. Thank you. The storms were intense, but luckily Abby came through them just fine - SO happy making.

Wishing you safe journeys on your trip to see Peggy and meet Stasia and Kerry - how full of fabulous! I know you will have such a good time.

>156 RebaRelishesReading: So true, Reba! I am one of six and Craig is one of four. And as you know we have four. Our will is not very complicated, but Craig did inherit a property up in Minnesota that has been handed down through the generations. It used to have a cabin on it, but Craig's mom accidentally burned it down years ago. Anyway, that's the trickiest bit.

>157 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda! And yes, you are so right about the eventualities. So many things I had not thought about - it slightly boggles the mind.

>159 lauralkeet: Laura, it was Craig who thought of it, and I am so glad he did. I think he was dreading having to put all those tiny bits of plastic back in place that the other system uses.

I cannot wait to see the floorcloth in person. The difference between the floorcloth and a rug is that the floorcloth is made of vinyl, so you can just mop it up if you spill something or if the washer pees.

>160 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie. Abby is having a good day today - pain levels are lower and she is able to do things.

I also can't wait to see the finished pantry. I am itching to get in there and it will be lovely to have the pantry items out of the living room. Heh.

I liked the O'Nan - he is so clever with the every day details that most writers skip over.

>161 richardderus: I am delighted with the general-purpose smooch!! And thank you so much for those kind words.

I am hoping that Floral Abigail goes with the colors the way I think it will - picking out online stuff is tricky. *double smooch*

>162 BLBera: Hello, Beth! I am so happy you love the floorcloth. I am hoping we can get the pantry put back together this week and then I can post photos.

Thanks so much for the good wishes.

>170 ffortsa: Judy, thanks for that. It does look comfortable. For some reason, I really only like to sit with my legs out in front - probably because I have trouble with my knees, and they feel better when I sit like that.

Like a dentist's chair but without the dentist made me laugh out loud!

>171 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, the storm is long gone. It came through at 3am on Sunday morning, and it was intense. And long.

Nope - no door to that area. The pantry is kind of hidden:



This is a photo from when we purchased the house, so we no longer have that fridge (I didn't want you to worry about Gladys). Through that doorway to the left is the door to the garage. Going straight in, the pantry is on the left side and the washer/dryer is on the right side of the space. So anyway, you cannot see it unless you are in there, but it's such a lovely surprise now.

I do love my chair and ottoman, but I think I would love a chaise longe even more. I hardly ever sit with my feet on the floor. And I am short, so depending on the chair, sometimes my feet don't even touch the floor. If I sit in the recliner at Daniel's house, I feel like a kid because my feet don't touch.

With the will - we just wanted to make things as easy as possible for the kids. Just losing someone you love is hard enough. Having to then figure out all the things that come next is too much to ask with no guidelines. We are very lucky that we are such tight family, and so it's easy to sit down and talk it all out. And it's good for everyone to be on the same page.

I love how much all y'all care about Abby. It means the world to me. She is doing great today, and is very happy.

I think I am all caught up here - if I missed you, holler.

>176 Crazymamie: You missed me! You missed me!
...
...
...oh wait...you meant responses, not book-bullets...never mind

I found this photo from the real estate photos taken for marketing the house before we purchased it. It shows what the laundry room looked like when we moved in here. We took the doors off because it was a tight squeeze when we were doing the laundry. The doors were the kind that fold out into the space, and so they were most annoying and always in the way. You can see what I mean about the space being like a galley.

>173 Crazymamie: the floorcloth is made of vinyl, so you can just mop it up
Ah ... I get it. I'd seen the word somewhere else recently and wondered about it. Thanks!

ETA: we also have an awkwardly-sized laundry room which we believe was constructed around existing appliances as part of a remodel. It made replacing said appliances difficult because guess what, current washer/dryer models did not fit side-by-side. We had to buy a stack which I actually like, except I'm short.

>177 richardderus: *belly laugh*

>179 lauralkeet: You are welcome. It's decorative but practical.

>175 Crazymamie: Whew -- thanks for relieving my mind! I see why you will enjoy your beautiful, colorful pantry since you walk through it. Mine is a closet separated from the kitchen by a door (regular door like to a room...actually it is a tiny room). Floor cloth sounds like a practical AND beautiful addition.

At 5'8" I don't really have to worry about my feet touching the floor -- more concern about knees hitting my chin lol

Hooray for good day for Abby. Give her my best!!

>182 RebaRelishesReading: Haha! I had a pantry just like yours in our very first house, and I loved it. I am very excited about the floorcloth - but it takes two weeks to ship, so I will have to contain myself.

I will never have to worry about my knees hitting my chin.

Abby says thank you, and I am thankful, too. You are such a dear friend.

Love the flooring. I assume a repeating pattern, not an enormous, room sized square. Wouldn't fit in your pantry.

Sorry to hear Abby's not been well & happy birthday to Rae!

Looking forward to the chaise longue choices - love decorating a house through someone else!

>178 Crazymamie: Oh those bi-fold doors. My closets have them too, and I definitely don't like them. They come standard in NY apartments, and since I'm a renter, replacing them is a low priority and would probably annoy my landlord. It's worst in the closet next to the kitchen, which I would love to refit to a pantry. Right now it's the coat closet, the outdoor wear closet, the luggage closet, the purse closet, and the where-else-could-we-put-it closet for things like paper bags and wheeled carts. The shorter I get, the more I long for a pantry where I could reach the shelves.

>170 ffortsa: I have one very like this from Relax The Back store - and it's good but not great for 5'5" short legged thick limbed me. The bend for the knee isn't quite in the right place and the side table and my belly are in conflict.

Aspen loves sitting in my lap when I'm in the chair, though, so that's a plus.

>186 quondame: My chair is remarkably comfortable, which is suprising since I am not even 5 feet tall, but the knee bend is ok for me. And I love to have my feet up. The chair is by the window and on sunny days I get some lovely sunshine to read and nap in.

>187 ffortsa: It is a pleasure to read while outdoor adjacent. My chair is by the French doors to the back yard, which is like a bit of lawn with 3 green walls, all different plants. There is an additional 50'x50' steeply sloped portion just behind the back wall, but we mostly don't think about that.

>173 Crazymamie: The difference between the floorcloth and a rug is that the floorcloth is made of vinyl, so you can just mop it up if you spill something or if the washer pees.

Wow, I feel slow this morning. I was thinking "who is doing the wash who ... OH. Yes, of course."

And on another note, I'm always having to worry about my feet touching the ground too. Morgan was ordering a portable stool for me for sketching and when he told me the height, I demonstrated for him what that would look like for me - pretty much like I'm doing a yoga chair pose!

>184 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! It's not a repeating pattern - one big square. It will fit from trim to trim of the pantry and from the back of the pantry to just under the washer and dryer. I have always had a runner rug in front of the washer/dryer before, and I wanted to try something different.

Thank you for those kind words and good wishes.

The chaise longe is a dream of mine, so I will only be buying one if I find exactly what I want. I don't need it, I want it. I also love to see what other people chose for their houses.

>185 ffortsa: Yes, those doors like that are such a pain. We took them off less than a week after moving in, but now Craig has also removed the track they were on, so it looks much better. I envy you your coat closet - we don't have one in this house. In fact, most houses in Georgia don't have one - no winter gear to store, and really, you could get by without a coat down here. BUT, it rains a lot, and so I would love a place to keep the galoshes and the rain gear. If you don't currently have a pantry, I can totally understand wanting to modify the space to create one. If you do - photos, please.

>186 quondame:, >187 ffortsa:, >188 quondame: *grin* Loved learning about your reading spots.

>189 ursula: You made ma laugh out loud, Ursula. Yes, I meant in case the washing machine pees, not the person doing the washing. We once had something go wrong with the washing machine, and the entire little area was flooded - it was a mess.

Oh, dear, about the portable stool. I have that problem a lot at restaurants, and it is crazy making because it is so uncomfortable.

Morning, All! We made it to Wednesday! Tuesday was good - Abby was able to come downstairs for a bit, and we watched some vlogs and played Stardew Valley together. Well, at the same time - we have separate games going. I did some laundry and some household stuff. Nothing exciting. I need to make a grocery run either today or tomorrow, so we'll see what's better for Abby.

On the reading front, I started my reread of Red Bones yesterday - third book in the Shetland series.

In streaming, we have continued with Bosch and Slow Horses. Birdy and I started a re-watch of The Brokenwood Mysteries.

Hello Sister of My Heart!

Lots of catch up, love the photos and discussion of the better mounting bits for the shelves. I've never heard of a vinyl floor cloth before, and I love the pattern AND that it's named Floral Abigail.

>193 Crazymamie: I'm glad yesterday was good. I need to make a grocery store run, too, but it will be Friday. That pic makes me want to see Wednesday dancing again.

Have a lovely, wonderful, and etc. day!

Good morning, good morning, Mamie. It is still!!! Everything sounds lovely. I wish that the loveliness may continue for all of you. Truly, when Abby is good, you are all starting from a good place.

>193 Crazymamie: all-purpose *smooch*

I finally make it here and find that you have missed a day, Mamie. I hope that it is for happy reasons - like getting that pantry completed to everybody's satisfaction. I mostly came by now to say that my friend has given me access to a copy of Fourth Wing, and I was in love by the third page. It's hard for me even to read Sean Duffy, and I'm in the rush to the ending at this point.

Y'all be well - that's our heartfelt wish!

>194 karenmarie: Hello, Sister of my Heart!

So glad you found the ongoing pantry remodel interesting. I cannot wait to see the vinyl floorcloth in place.

Thursday was good until it wasn't. Abby dislocated her shoulder badly, and the bone rotated. It was horrible, and I did not think we were going to get it back in place without calling Craig home from work, but somehow we did. So Thursday was a high pain day, and it popped out again, but at least it didn't rotate. Today has been better. Abby has lower pain and was able to take a shower. Hooray for small miracles.

We have watched that episode of Wednesday dancing multiple times, and it never gets old. I cannot wait for season 2.

Thanks so much for those good wishes.

>195 LizzieD: Thank you so much for that, Peggy. So true about Abby starting in a good place.

>196 richardderus: *BIG grin* Thank you, kindly, BigDaddy! *double smooch and a bear hug*

>197 LizzieD: I did miss yesterday, Peggy. Not a great day for Abby, lots of pain but everything stayed in place. She is doing better today.

Craig has finished putting the trim back in place in the pantry, and we have started loading it back up and reorganizing things. As soon as we get it exactly how we want it, I will post photos. I love it already.

Whoop for Fourth Wing!! I love the world-building, and I was the same way with just loving it right from the start. I need to get back to Iron Flame - I let myself get distracted with The Wheel of Time.

We are all doing well today - hope you are, too.

It's Friday; let's dance.

Afternoon, Y'all! I missed yesterday because Abby was recovering from a bad episode on late afternoon Thursday and not doing well. She is much better today.

As I mentioned to Peggy, our pantry remodel is done, and we are in the process of putting things back and re-organizing how we use the space. I am loving it already, and cannot wait to share it with you. Having an extra shelf in the pantry is full of fabulous, and we have moved some of our often used appliances (rice cookers, slow cooker, panini press) to the lowest shelf and freed up kitchen cabinet space. The only other thing we have left to do is to repaint the room itself, and that will not be happening until after the studio is done.

On the reading front, I have been reading Red Bones and listening to The Great Hunt. I also started The Spellshop.

In streaming, Rae and I have been continuing to watch Bosch and Slow Horses.

I have also been playing loads of Stardew Valley on my Switch. Heh.

another general-purpose *smooch*

>198 Crazymamie: Oh, Mamie. I have no words ... but glad to hear at least today is going better. Why oh why can't some brilliant person come up with something to help?

Glad the pantry project is wrapping up and can't wait to see it.

Great pictures of Abby ,Mayhem and you and Rae, Mamie. I'm sorry to read about Abby's flare up. I'm glad Abby is feeling better today.

Hello Mamie! Pecan Paradisio Earth Mother! Sister of My Heart! Beverage Sister Extraordinaire! Happy Sunday to you and yours.

Hmmm. Maybe a tad overboard, but if you lived closer to me, I’d descend on you and soak up all the goodness and loving and joy. Even the stress and pain and etc., too.

I hope Abby’s doing better after the nasty shoulder dislocation. Gentle hugs to her.

>200 Crazymamie: I love it!!

Glad the often-used appliances have a better place to hang out. I don’t have any of those particular appliances, but my air fryer, stand mixer, food processor, Cuisinart toaster oven, and two coffee pots are out on the counters. Oh, the huge Cutco knife block, coffee been grinder, and dish drainer, too.

>201 richardderus: Again, I am delighted by the general-purpose smooch! *double smooch*

>202 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, yesterday and today have both been better.

"Why oh why can't some brilliant person come up with something to help?" Yes, me, too, with this. My daily prayer.

Just need to finish loading up the top shelf, and then it's done. Well, except for waiting on the vinyl floorcloth to arrive. I'll try to take photos tomorrow.

>203 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Abby is having a very good day today, and that is most happy making.

Afternoon, everyone! We have been busy with household stuff, and I did not make it to the threads yesterday. With all the storms and high winds we have been experiencing, we are drowning in pollen. We are trying to reclaim the screened-in porch, and currently Birdy, Rae, and Craig are cleaning the pool filter, which is a bear. Yesterday was a nice mix of productive and leisurely, and this morning Birdy and I were able to have a Day Out. One of our stops was the bookstore, and we treated ourselves to a nice haul. At Target, I purchased a gorgeous copy of The Nightingale - beautiful sprayed edges, and under the dust jacket is also stunning:



I also bought a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs, which are not for sharing. Mine. All mine.

As I mentioned in my responses to previous posts, Abby is having a very good day, so that is full of fabulous.

On the reading front, I finished my reread of Red Bones and have started reading Friends and Heroes - the third book in Olivia Manning's Balkan Trilogy. I have also been continuing to listen to The Great Hunt.

In streaming, Rae and I finished up season 3 of Bosch and watched the first episode of season 4.

>204 karenmarie: Hello, Sister of my Heart! Your "tad overboard" greeting made me laugh. I love it! If you lived closer to me, I 'd let you and love every minute of it.

Thanks for the gentle hugs for Abby. She is having such a good day today, and that is so happy making.

Counter appliances...hm...I have the toaster, the stand mixer, the food processor and a countertop Wolf oven (perhaps the great love of my life after Craig) on the counters. As you know, the coffee maker, coffee grinder, Nespresso machine and electric kettle reside on a buffet in our Beverage Room (formally known as the dining room). We also like to call it the Yellow Room, which is a joke because the entire downstairs is yellow.

I'm so glad to hear Abby is having a good day! Hope this is a lovely Sunday for all of you.

Had to laugh at your collection of counter appliances and the dining room becoming the beverage room. I'm close behind you, though with limited counter space I have a Kitchen Aid mixer and a toaster oven always on the counter, with a blender and Instant Pot (actually a knock off, but same idea) making appearances only when I'm using them. I have a corner of my dining room (which is a cozy brown rather than yellow) set up as a beverage center, with a Keurig for coffee and an electric kettle for tea on an old desk that was gifted me by my aunt when I bought the house.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

>206 Crazymamie: Wowser! My Saturday was kind of a prototype for your Sunday. I checked out the local Little Free Library and picked up a freebies copy of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Edges smudged, not sprayed. Paper cover on both sides.

At the supermarket, I treated myself—I ain't sharing them—a package of Peeps.

* snork *

>207 Crazymamie: LOL to the Yellow Buffet Room name. And to not sharing the Cadbury Mini Eggs -- I hear you on that one! : )

>205 Crazymamie: You brightened my day with news that Abby is having a Very Good Day!!

>206 Crazymamie: I wonder if our Target has that book. It's beautiful and I only have a paperback copy of that wonderful book. Not really in shape to go out in public at the moment but maybe in a few days...

>134 Crazymamie: Love the chaise. Always dreamed of having one, and love your wolf oven, my countertop oven is single shelved, would live two shelf one.

Poor Abby, but yes, I guess all you can do is appreciate the good days. Happy birthday, belatedly, to Rae.

Getting wills and the Power of Attorneys in place always a good thing too. I got the latter sorted latter year, and have had a will for years, but probably need to update that now.

How's this grab ya?

Just popping in to say that all is well here. Abby has had several full of fabulous days in a row which came just when we needed it most as we have been dealing with cat drama. Mercy is just fine now, but we did have a scare. On top of that, we have had some internet woes. Hoping to be back tomorrow for a full catch up. Thanks for keeping my thread warm and for keeping us in your thoughts.

Much love,
Mamie

Sorry about kitty and internet woes but so, very, very happy to hear that Abby has been having "several days full of fabulous in a row" -- whooopeee

Keeping the thread warm!! See you soon. : )

Hi, Mamie. I hope the happy busy-ness is continuing! I really have nothing much to say except that I always wish you all well and look forward to peeps into your life and mind!

>208 bell7: Thank you, Mary!

Never enough kitchen counter space, is there? Thank goodness for our buffet which holds all the beverage machines or we would be in trouble. It all gets used every day though, so we clearly need a beverage center. I love that with the pantry remodel we can now fit several appliances in there - so much easier to get to, and it frees up cabinet space. I like the sounds of your beverage center - an old desk would be perfect for that.

Thank you for those good wishes - it was a good weekend.

>209 weird_O: Hello there, Bill! Look at us both acquiring a copy of The Nightingale on the same weekend.

Ha! My sister Vicki loves Peeps, but she likes them to get stale before she eats them. Yeah. I am not a fan of the marshmallow, so you never have to worry about your Peeps with me.

Stay cool, Oh, Weird One!

>210 Berly: Glad you like our Yellow Room joke, Kim. Yes, the Cadbury mini-eggs are precious. Usually I am more than happy to share whatever, but these are all mine. *grin*

>211 RebaRelishesReading: Hooray, Reba! You are always so generous with sharing both our joy and our sorrows. Much appreciated.

I'm sure your Target has it - you can probably even order it online and have them ship it if you don't feel like going out. It's so full of gorgeous, so I am hoping you do snag one for yourself.

>212 Caroline_McElwee: Just to be clear, I don't own that chaise, but I would like to have one like it.

Yes - I love the two shelves in the Wolf countertop oven. We use it all the time.

Thank you for the kind words for Abby and the birthday wishes for Rae.

We just got the wills and power of attorney all finished up today, and it feels good to have taken care of it finally. Our lawyer advised revisiting it every 5-10 years to check for needed changes.

>213 richardderus: Um...no. Too low to the ground and not big enough arms. That background is something - I think I would feel like I was molding in there.

*Friday smooch*

>215 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thank you. And you will be delighted to hear that Abby is still having great days - she is on a streak. This is the most good days we have had in a row in over five years. SO happy making.

>216 Berly: Thank you, Kim! Nicely done.

>217 LizzieD: Hello, Peggy! We are still going strong with the happy busy-ness. Thank you so much for those kind words - you say the nicest things.

Afternoon, All! Happy Friday! Our internet is finally working the way it is supposed to again. And the pantry is finished. We have had a crazy but good week, and I was thrilled to get to our Mexican Takeaway day. This morning we finalized our wills and Power of Attorney, and they are all signed and official. So many things to think about that it never occurred to you that you needed to think about. Slightly mind boggling, but it's done now and I am ready for the wine to celebrate my adulting. As I mentioned to Reba, Abby has continued to have very good days, so six in a row now, which makes me practically bursting with happiness.

On the reading front, I have been reading Friends and Heroes, and I read another entry in the Apothecary Diaries. I also listened to more of The Great Hunt.

In streaming, we have watched more Bosch, Death in Paradise, Blackshore, and we finished up Slow Horses.

The Pantry Project:


Before


After

There is not really a way to get a good photo because the space is so long and narrow.

Not a great photo, but you can get a better idea of how the vinyl floorcloth looks in the space.

>223 Crazymamie: It looks like I'd pictured it, and the floor cloth even better than I'd thought it would. All the yay from my moldy internet chaise. Can you give me a hand up, please?

*smooch*

>223 Crazymamie: That looks really lovely, Mamie, awkward angles and all.

The pantry looks amazing, Mamie! I love love love the color scheme.

>219 Crazymamie: Our lawyer advised revisiting it every 5-10 years to check for needed changes.
We made our first wills as new parents, so our primary concern was guardianship. By the time we finally revisited them the girls had fledged the nest and we didn't need that part, but we learned there were new things to think about. Like what if one of us remarries after the other is gone and how does that affect distribution of assets? I think we did that version in 2018 or 2019. Now our financial guy has told us we need to consider how to handle distribution of our assets to include (future) grandchildren, and a few other things. So ... okay. We'll revise again soon.

>224 richardderus: I love how it turned out, Richard. Now I can't wait to get the walls painted the deeper yellow, and then I think it will be perfect. The floorcloth is full of fabulous - I had not done vinyl before, but it adds a pop of color and is still practical for a laundry room.

You made me laugh about the chaise. I have increasing trouble with my knees, so anything too low is a no go for me - that's why we are going to eventually replace the sofas we just bought a few years ago - too low and too deep for both Craig and myself.

>225 bell7: Thanks, Mary! Getting a photo was not easy.

>226 lauralkeet: Thanks so much, Laura!

I did not think about what happens if one of us remarries after the other is gone. Yikes. Something else to think about. We did have to address the grandchildren thing because Daniel and Kaitlyn are expecting - our grandson is due in June!

Love Gilda Radner - that original SNL cast was so full of fabulous!

>223 Crazymamie: That's a dramatic update! The rug and colors work so well together and the sense of accomplishment must be dizzying!

Congrats on the pantry completion - so pretty! And congrats even more on the new grandbaby!! How exciting!

>229 quondame: It is indeed, Susan. It's exactly what I was needing, and now everything is much better organized. Thank you so much for the kind words.

>230 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley! We actually found out about the baby on Christmas Day, but I didn't want to announce it until she was in the last trimester.

>223 Crazymamie: I love the colors, Mamie. I imagine you are happy to be able to put things away.

>222 Crazymamie: >223 Crazymamie: Love it Mamie.

>232 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I was very happy to put everything back. Now if we can just get the studio finished and also put that stuff back, I would be giddy.

>233 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline!

Hurray for the pantry!! And for all the legal stuff being done!! As soon as I get my parents stuff sorted, Happy Friday!

>235 Berly: Thanks, Kim! It's a relief to have the legal stuff done and dusted - we've been meaning to do it for years and just kept putting it off. And the pantry is a joy - such a fun project that will make a world of difference to me. I was really craving some color, and now I have some.

Congratulations on the expected addition to your family!

>237 quondame: yes that’s super exciting! Congratulations Mamie!

>223 Crazymamie: WOW!!!! I think I'd just have to sit in front of it for a few days and take it in. Any time at all that you can say something legal is finished, you have a huge win. Enjoy the wine ---- maybe sitting in front of the pantry.

Grandson!!!! Good times ahead for that happy little boy with doting grands and aunts!!

Hi Mamie! Happy Saturday.

I’m glad that it’s just busy-ness and internet woes that have kept you away. Sorry about the kitty scare, too.

>207 Crazymamie: edited 3/30: I still have my Cuisinart toaster/countertop oven, as old as it is, and can’t justify a new one ‘til this one dies. Alas, I don’t see it doing that anytime soon. It died last night, believe it or not. I have a new, inexpensive B&D toaster oven arriving tomorrow.

>218 Crazymamie: Your sister Vicki and I must be related in another dimension – I love Peeps but they must be ‘cured’. Raw Peeps just don’t cut it.

>220 Crazymamie: …Abby is still having great days - she is on a streak. This is the most good days we have had in a row in over five years. SO happy making. Happy making for all of us.

>222 Crazymamie: and >223 Crazymamie: Perfect! I love the colors, the way you’ve put more things in wooden shelves, the rack for small appliances, and the vinyl floorcloth. You guys nailed it.

>223 Crazymamie: WOW indeed! I LOVE it. And it's inspiring me to think of somehow rearranging my kitchen so that more items are easy to reach. If I could get rid of the coats, I could convert the closet. It's small but racks on all sides would work really well.

I know it's crazy, but as I scrolled through your thread, Mamie, I looked at the photo and hmhmhmm'ed about how it appeared that Craig didn't use the vertical strips and brackets to support the shelving. I could see the angle brackets supporting the shelves. I scanned side to side, got to the bottom... And read: "BEFORE". Oh...

So sure. Nice. Colorful. Tidy. Good work, Craig.

Good to read about Abby's "good day" streak. "This is the most good days we have had in a row in over five years." Excellent. Give that girl a cigar.

Wow!! So much good news. Most of all...Abby on her longest good streak in over 5 years!!!! Fantastic!!

The pantry looks beautiful and very easy to use. I'm sure it was worth the effort.

Wills and trusts done -- whew!!

and a grandson on the way...don't think we knew that before...did we?

So much happiness!!

The pantry looks so great.

And congratulations to you and the rest of your family on the forthcoming addition to your number. Very exciting!

Hi Crazy. How's it going? We had a huge thunder and hail storm today. It was kinda cool. All melted already. : )

>236 Crazymamie: ...smoochling...?

Nice to see that the pantry project is done and looks so much better now!

Mamie, Sister of My Heart, Beverage Sister Extraordinaire, hugs to you and all the denizens of the Pecan Paradisio.

Thinking of you and yours, Mamie, and missing you.

Thinking of you. Missing you. Hoping you're not here because you're too busy having fun. Hugs.

>226 lauralkeet: Very sound advice, Laura.

>228 Crazymamie: That is lovely news, Mamie.

>250 RebaRelishesReading: What Reba said so nicely.

Where I'm at.


What I'm aiming for.

Hello, All! Sorry for my absence, but we have been experiencing storms last weekend and this week - Abby has been having not great days, and I have been dealing with migraines. Not fun.

On the reading front, this morning I actually finished a book - A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson. It was one off my Spring Cleaning list - I have decided to keep going on these throughout Spring and see what I can clear off. Nothing else because migraines.

In streaming, Rae and I have continued watching our way through Bosch - we are in season 5. We are also watching Blackshore as it drops and the latest season of Death in Paradise.

>237 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>238 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura!

>239 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy! As always, your enthusiasm makes me smile BIG. I am still in love with the new pantry.

We are very excited about the little one. I will be excited to learn what name they have picked for him and to meet him in person. And thrilled that we might share a birth month - my birthday is on the 1st, and he is due on the 20th.

>240 karenmarie: Hello there, Sister of my Heart! Thank you for the kind words.

A new toaster oven is most exciting! I hope you are loving it.

Smiling about you and my sister Vicki twining over the Peeps.

Abby's great day streak was indeed amazing - we are still talking about it and marveling over multiple good days all in a row. SO full of fabulous.

The wooden shelves/boxes were in the old pantry but they were holding things on the top shelf. I love having them down and using them for the canned goods which were always getting into a mess before. One thing I forgot to mention is that Craig modified the shelf heights to accommodate Birdy and I with our short statures. Everything is much more accessible - we only need a ladder for the very top shelf and that holds the extras of things that we get on sale or use often. Thank you so much for the compliments.

>241 ffortsa: Thank you, Judy! Hoping you do find a place for the coats so you can make your own custom pantry - I would love to see that!

>242 weird_O: Yep. Before and After labels tell the story, Bill. I like the new system so much better. And you inspired it because I shared your story of the shelving you had giving out and dumping things on the floor. When we looked closely at our little plastic support pieces, several of them had cracked, so we were probably headed on the same direction if we had not done the remodel.

Thank you in regards to Abby's great days streak. It was amazing.

>243 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, it was indeed fantastic.

The pantry was worth all of the effort and the mess - we are so happy with how it turned out.

No - you did not know about the grandson before - they told us on Christmas morning, but I wanted to wait until she was in her last trimester to share it here. They are beyond excited, and we are so happy for them. Cannot wait to meet him.

>244 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky! Much appreciated.

>245 Berly: We have been having our share of storms, too, Kim. I am so glad that we did not get any hail. YIKES!

>246 richardderus: I'm here, darling. We have just been literally under the weather. And now it's gross out there - 85F and VERY humid.

>247 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg!

>248 karenmarie: Much appreciated, Karen! Thanks for helping to keep my thread warm.

>249 LizzieD: Thank you for that, Peggy. I have missed you, too.

>250 RebaRelishesReading: Unfortunately it was not fun keeping me away, Reba, but I am feeling better today. Thank you so much for keeping us in your thoughts. And for missing me.

>251 PaulCranswick: Hello there, Paul! Thank you so much, my friend.

>258 Crazymamie: Glad things are looking up a bit, Mamie. You are always missed here and I always carry you all (esp. Abby) in my heart.

>257 Crazymamie: Smoochling...I'm aware how seriously vile that 85°, humid, AND stormy is...so I'm very sad that you and Abby are subjected to it. I hear mainland Labrador's highs never get above 75° so shall we relocate? Plus there's whalewatching!

Feel-better *whammy*

Whew! I'm sorry that the migraines are back and that Abby is suffering from storms. I've changed my winter tops and nightgowns for summer ones, hopeful to forestall the onset of summer here. If we haven't hit 90° this past week, we've certainly scared it. I used to love summer, but no more.

Y'all take care and feel better!

It's always nice to hear from you, Mamie. I'm sorry you were dealing with storms, migraines, etc. No fun.

Nice to see you popping in, and hope it's a pleasant weekend for you & yours, Mamie.

Nice to see you are doing better, Mamie. I hope the storms are over for now.

Morning, Everyone! Yesterday was pretty good. I got some household stuff done but also snagged some reading time. I was hoping to spend some time on the screened-in porch this morning, but it is already very humid outside, so nope. We are supposed to get high winds later and then rain moving in early tomorrow morning with a drop in temps. Hopefully I can remain migraine free and Abby will do okay - she is just starting to feel better after our storms.

On the reading front - I read!! I finally finished up Friends and Heroes, which was a bit of a slog for me - I listened to the other two on audio, and I much prefer it in that format. This one felt like we were just killing time. I also read from Viking Age Iceland by Jesse L. Byock - this is well written and very accessible. I am hoping to read a chapter a day from it. Then I read from Divine Rivals - another off the Spring Cleaning list. As a reward for working on my Spring Cleaning, I started Spellshop which I picked up from the local bookstore - it has gorgeous lilac sprayed edges. Not as happy making as deckled edge pages, but still joyful.



In streaming, Rae wanted to rewatch The Tourist, so that's what we did - Craig joined us.

>259 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba! You have no idea how much that means to me - you are a blessing to us.

>260 richardderus: Richard, thank you for that. Yes, please to the relocation, especially if you are coming with. And whalewatching!

The whammy is greatly appreciated, dear one. *double smooch and a bear hug*

>261 LizzieD: Yesterday and today have been better, Peggy. I feel like I am coming out of a fog. Good thinking to change out your closet in the hopes of the weather goddess being fickle. I hope it works. I have never loved summer. Fall is my favorite and then winter. I prefer dark and cold. I don't mind some sun if the air is crisp.

Your good wishes are much appreciated.

>262 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. It was a long week. Hoping this one is better.

>263 bell7: Mary, much appreciated. Thank you.

>264 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Me, too.

Hello Sister of My Heart!

I’m sorry about the storms, Abby’s not great days, and your migraines. You’re always missed – here most especially, but out and about, too.

Bill and I are probably going to start the newest/last season of Bosch: Legacy tonight. We finished season 3 of Reacher last night. Satisfying end to a marvelous season of a wonderful series. I'm already looking forward to season 4.

>265 Crazymamie: Screened-porch for you, and front porch for me. Not to be for either, alas. Humidity for you, and pollen for me.

>268 karenmarie: Morning, Sister of my Heart!

Thank you. It is what it is, but I could use a little less of it. It's lovely to be missed - I am hoping to start catching up on the threads today. I am SO far behind, it's a bit intimidating. I know it's fine to just start fresh, but then I miss all the good stuff.

I need to get back to Reacher - I have only watched the first season. Rae and I plan on going straight into Bosch Legacy after we finish up Bosch.

A sadness about the porches. The pollen is crazy here, too.

>269 Crazymamie: >269 Crazymamie: Okay people. Now I am not only getting hit with BBs but now TV shows?! Or should I call them Serial Bullets? LOL. Enjoy your Sundays. : )

Crazy--nice to see you back. Sorry about the humidity. We had one lovely day of sunshine and now it's back to the rain.

>265 Crazymamie: Glad things are improving for you. It sounds like you have just had an especially difficult time :( .... you know how I feel...

>270 Berly: Um...one stop shopping?!

Glad you got one lovely day. We are also back to rain - it's really storming here currently. Oh, joy.

>271 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. Agreed about the really difficult time. I do know how you feel, and I so appreciate you.

Sorry about the bad weather and attendant issues, Mamie. I hope the storms blow through quickly.

>273 katiekrug: Katie, thank you for that. I love rain, but I could do without the storms.

Ha the dog at >252 Crazymamie: made me laugh, and I've been there, hope you are nearer where you want to be now, and the migraines and storms are behind you Mamie.

I remember enjoying Bosch. I just completed a rewatch of Downton Abbey, and just have the second film to go. The third and final film is due this year I think.