Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2026 Reading - Part 4

My two favorite trees at the moment. The cherry is in full bloom now, but I know the flowers will soon disappear. I love the crepe myrtle for its bark, and also for this ring of daffodils that pops up every year.

Welcome to my cozy reading nook! I'm Laura, retired and living with my husband Chris in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia with our two dogs, Alys and Ellie. Our two adult daughters are both married and live in Brooklyn. We spend a lot of our time gardening and working on various projects around the house. Knitting is my other hobby, which I post about here occasionally. If you’re so inclined you can see more on my thread in the Needlearts group.

In October I’ll celebrate my 20th Thingaversary, and 2009 was my first year doing the 75 Book Challenge, which makes 2026 my eighteenth year in this fabulous group! I haven’t achieved the 75-book “goal” since 2020 and I’m glad nobody cares about the numbers here, because I’m more likely to finish the year in the mid-60s. I read more books when I was still working, which either says something about my job or confirms the adage about being busier in retirement. Regardless, I love this community and plan to be around for a long time.

My reading leans towards contemporary fiction and various series (mostly mysteries), with some non-fiction thrown in for balance. I’m also planning to read more classics, specifically the women authors who influenced Jane Austen (here’s a list of books featured in Jane Austen’s Bookshelf.

Books Featured on This Thread
15. The Berry Pickers
16. Snowblind
17. Belinda
18. The Names
19. Making it in America
20. Evensong
21. Tilt
22. The Fall of Light
23. The News From Dublin (DNF)
24. Ruins
25. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About

Series Progress

Active series as of April 1 (updated quarterly):


A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2026:
* Blandings Castle

Series started in 2026:
* Dark Iceland

Series abandoned in 2026:
* Inspector Gamache

Currently Reading & On Deck



The Things We Never Say

Welcome to April!

Today's agenda includes my Guild weaving group and then in the afternoon we're having our gutters cleaned, assuming the rain holds off until evening. Julia is working in DC today, and the plan is for her to come here after work, spend the night and work remotely tomorrow, and return to Brooklyn on Friday. We're looking forward to seeing her of course.

I'm moving swiftly through The Berry Pickers. It's an impressive debut novel. The central premise involves the disappearance of a 4-year-old girl, and at the same time a parallel story about an only child who has traumatic dreams that feel more like memories. It's obvious to the reader that these two girls are the same person, and the novel is more about the impact on the girl as she grows up, and her biological family who are left with an unsolved mystery.

Happy new thread, Laura!

Happy new one, Laura!

Happy new thread and happy April Fools Day!

>8 BLBera: - What Beth seems to be saying here is that she does NOT wish you a happy new thread ;-)

Happy new thread!

Hi Laura my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy April, Laura. Happy New Thread. Come on migration!! 😎

Happy new thread, Laura!

Happy new one, Laura.

Happy new thread, Laura!

Happy new thread, Laura. Looking forward to more great reading suggestions (and gardening tips).

Hi everyone, thanks for the greetings yesterday. It's a bit overwhelming, but in a good way.
>8 BLBera:, >9 katiekrug: good one, Katie.

We had a nice evening with Julia and tonight we're going out to dinner at a place that recently reopened after changing ownership. It had gone downhill in recent year but the new chef runs a couple other restaurants that we really like, so we're eager to check it out.

Other than that, today is a grocery shopping day and I have a Zoom with the Guild treasurer. I hope to sneak in some time with The Berry Pickers along the way. The two storylines are beginning to converge I think, and it's been quite emotional. I'm eager to see how things work out.

Glad to hear you're having a good visit with Julia.

Trying not to sigh too enviously over your daffodils. We had more snow today...

Sitting here in my chair with a cup of tea, having a quick break from Jane Austen at Home and I had one of those totally disconnected-from-current-reality moments....what about cucumbers?

>18 MickyFine: Oh no, not more snow!!! I realize that may be more normal for you than it would be for me, but still ...

>19 RebaRelishesReading: Sure Reba, you could grow cucumbers! I kinda forgot about them because they're not in my garden (Chris is not a fan). Cucumbers (and other squash, like zucchini) can sprawl a bit, but it could be fun to give 'em a try.

Happy Friday!

Julia left early this morning for Brooklyn. She and Noah are going to his family's Passover Seder tomorrow. This is the first year they were assigned food to bring, so they have some prep to do this afternoon/evening.

Meanwhile, we've been to the gym and had our usual Friday breakfast out, and now I have a fairly agenda-free day ahead. We had a nice dinner out last night (the restaurant is much improved under new ownership), so we'll eat in tonight.

I finished The Berry Pickers last night, which was a good solid read. It wasn't quite time for "lights out" when I finished, so I tried reading a few pages of Snowblind. I found I needed an overnight break before starting something so different (Icelandic crime), so I'll get back to it sometime today.

Thanks for the gardening advice. If it stays dry today I'm planning to get the strawberries pulled and (maybe) go to the garden shop. I'm getting a little excited about having the makings of a salad growing in the side yard (instead of wilting in the fridge lol).

Glad you enjoyed The Berry Pickers. My RL bookclub read it last year and I enjoyed it too.

Hope your day goes well.

>22 RebaRelishesReading: I'm looking forward to following your garden adventures, Reba. It can be fun, and eating your own fresh produce is satisfying.

>23 lauralkeet: Since I have your guidance I may even manage to grow some :). I'm looking forward to giving it a try. We're supposed to have a dry and fairly warm weekend so I'm hoping to make some progress out there -- probably Monday.

>24 RebaRelishesReading: Good luck, Reba!
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Good morning everyone ... it looks like it will be a nice day, sunny with highs in the 80s. Yesterday we made our first visit of the year to our local nursery/garden center to buy leek starts (very young plants). We've tried growing them from seeds for a few years, with limited success. Maybe giving them a head start will help. This morning I'm going to plant them in one of our beds and sow a second row of peas in another bed. We also came away with three shrubs for an area that's looking a bit empty, but planting them is Chris' job.

Today I also need to make a quick run to the store to buy salmon for tonight's dinner (a salmon caesar salad), and I think I'll pop into the library to return a book and check out the display from thee book-inspired peeps diorama contest (how fun is that?!)

I need to write a review for The Berry Pickers, so maybe I'll get to that later today although Snowblind is also calling to me. Oh the temptation!

I hope you'll share photos of your favourite diorama(s), Laura.

Sounds like a lovely day ahead. We've also got a sunny day here although our high for the day is supposed to be around 5°C. Typical for early spring in my neck of the woods and I can almost guarantee that when we go for a walk this afternoon there's a high chance we'll see someone wearing shorts. 😆

Thanks Laura!

Salmon Caesar sounds wonderful. Hubby doesn't eat fish of any kind so I rarely have it in the house but it's high of my list of things to order when we eat out.

>26 MickyFine: I'll see what I can do, Micky!

>27 RebaRelishesReading: It was tasty, Reba, and satisfying on a warm summer-ish day.

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I didn't make it to the library yesterday after all. We had several errands to run and I drove right past the library without stopping. Oops! But as it turned out, later in the day I received notice that a hold is ready for pickup so I'll stop by Monday. The library posted photos on Facebook yesterday and said they received a record number of dioramas, which should still be on display tomorrow.

Today should be a quiet day at home (no Easter Plans to speak of). It's supposed to be rainy this morning and it's looking a bit gray and cloudy right now. I'm going to cook a nice-ish dinner with brownies and ice cream for dessert. I'd like to do some planning for my next weaving project and will probably finish Snowblind today, too.

15. The Berry Pickers

16. Snowblind

Good morning!

Today's weather is cooler and less gardening-friendly, so it's a good day to take care of a few admin things and stop by the library. Yesterday Chris momentarily forgot it was Easter and drove to Lowe's for some supplies, only to find them closed. If he decides to go back today he may ask me to come along just for company. I'm lying low to see what happens ha ha.

In reading news, I finished Snowblind last night and now have a new series on my list. Next I'm returning to Jane Austen influences with Belinda by Maria Edgeworth. Fun fact: I was watching a video not too long ago and learned her name is pronounced Mar-eye-ah, not Mar-ee-ah as I'd been saying in my head. Is Mar-eye-ah a British pronunciation? That's my theory anyway.

>31 lauralkeet: These days it's Mar-ee-a but in olden times it was Mar-eye-a. Characters in books set in Regency (eg Jane Austen) or Victorian times should be called Mar-eye-a. I haven't watched Bridgerton but I bet they get it wrong. (I think it applies to Sophia, too). The only thing that uses the older pronunciation these days is the Black Maria police vehicle.

>32 CDVicarage: Thanks Kerry! That's helpful. You've reminded me that in addition to the video about Maria Edgeworth that I mentioned, I also noticed the "eye" pronunciation in Julian Fellows' Belgravia, which features both a Maria and a Sophia, pronounced in the Regency fashion. These days the only one I can think of is American pop star Mariah Carey, and to me the "H" at the end indicates a different pronunciation.

Brr! It's chilly today. Sunny, but it will only get up to about 50 and there's a "freeze watch" overnight. What the ... ? Oh well, at least I don't have to go anywhere today. I have a few chores to do and a couple of admin tasks that didn't get fully completed yesterday. That should leave plenty of time for Belinda but it's funny (and sometimes annoying) how easy it is to fritter the whole day away doing nothing.

Yesterday I stopped by the library to return The Berry Pickers and Snowblind, pick up The Names, and check out the Peeps dioramas. There were so many! Some were small, cute projects clearly done by a youngish child which was very sweet. But several that stood out for their ... um ... artistic merit.

* Percy Jackson and the Peeps: I'm not familiar with the Rick Riordan series this is based on, but appreciated the creativity.
* The Complete Peeps of William Shakespeare: zoom in to see references to specific works, like Juliet on the balcony.
* The Wizard of Oz: not enough Peeps, but special recognition for creative use of glassware.
* Madeline: my personal favorite. The Eiffel Tower! Madeline! The twelve little girls!

>2 lauralkeet: My 20th Thingaversary is in May, Laura. Hard to believe we have been around so long, isn't it??

>29 lauralkeet: >30 lauralkeet: Those books are both already in the BlackHole or I would be adding them again!

>34 lauralkeet: Love those Peeps dioramas!

Have a terrific Tuesday, Laura!

I also love the Madeline diorama. One of my favorite books from childhood :) My mom would do the Miss Clavell goodnight routine every night after tucking me in - happy memories!

Ooh, you picked up The Names - I'm eager to see what you think of it.

>34 lauralkeet: So cute! Thanks for sharing!

>34 lauralkeet: What fun displays!

>34 lauralkeet: At least someone finally found a use for those nasty, gummy things. 🤭

My 19th Thingaversary will be in May -- indeed hard to believe! It's been an important part of my life for a long time now but Oh, how that time has flown

>35 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, I've had a nice and surprisingly productive day. Hope yours has been good too!

>36 katiekrug: I love Madeline too, Katie. I don't remember it from my childhood but it was definitely a favorite of Kate and Julia's and I loved reading it then.

>37 foggidawn:, >38 quondame:, >39 RebaRelishesReading: I'm' glad you enjoyed the dioramas! And I agree with you Reba, Peeps are gross. And yes, time has really flown.

Thanks for sharing the diorama pics, Laura. Those are all great!

>34 lauralkeet: That is so fun. And, yes, Peeps are disgusting.

>34 lauralkeet: Cute display at your library, Laura. I liked The Names and I think you will too.

>41 MickyFine:, >42 BLBera:, >43 vancouverdeb: The dioramas make me smile every time I look at them!

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It's cold again today; it actually dropped below freezing overnight. Yesterday I got a lot of paperwork kinds of tasks done and then our tax guy sent over our returns for sign-off so that's done, too. Yay. Once again I don't need to leave the house today and I'm totally fine with that. My agenda includes an expected visit from an HVAC company for seasonal service, and doing the menu planning/grocery list making so I can shop tomorrow.

And then, of course, more Belinda which I'm enjoying even though it's not a fast-paced read.

Love the Peeps dioramas.
(Am ashamed to say I just realized I've been missing your threads since the beginning of the year. No excuse.)

I've been off LT for a couple of days, so just catching up. I have The Berry Pickers is next up for me this month and I'm looking forward to it.
Those peep dioramas are cute and I'm in the minority of people who like peeps. But they have to be stale. My husband buys them for me a month before Easter and pokes a few holes in the package. I'm going to mention the dioramas to my sister who is a children's librarian as an idea for next year.

And the weather - it's been cold up here in RI too. I've been jealous when you've been posting about the stuff you're planting. They're hoping for better temps by the end of the week, but my brother (who owns a farm) hasn't been able to even start any veggies yet.

"But they have to be stale" I've heard other people say that! When I was a kid I would only drink soda if it had been sitting a while so it was neither cold nor fizzy anymore.

Laura, I could swear that I visited this thread earlier and spoke, but I don't see it right this minute. If it's not there, I'm sorry. I certainly intended to be here earlier!!!

Love the Madeline Peeps too! I guess that Madeline was published just when I was the right age to read it, but it didn't make it here. However, Ludwig Bemelmans's nephew worked at the Wilmington NPR station for several years when we were first listening. I thought he was tremendously funny. I owe the naming of the Tenor Placebo Flamingo to him.

Hi everyone! I love having visitors.

>45 laytonwoman3rd: No worries, Linda! It happens to all of us, and fortunately I see you a lot around the threads. No apologies or excuses necessary!

>46 dudes22: Hi Betty, welcome back! It's interesting that stale peeps are better than fresh ones and your husband is a sweetie for preparing them to your liking. I think I'll just take your word for it though. 😀

>47 laytonwoman3rd: I guess we all have our quirks, Linda!

>48 LizzieD: That's a great story about Ludwig Bemelmans, Peggy. Or rather his nephew.

We had another freeze warning last night and it's only 35F as I write, but it should get up to 62F today and the coming days will be warmer. Hopefully spring will be here to stay at that point. I need to transfer tomatoes and chili peppers from seed trays to pots, but it needs to be warm enough for them to stay in the greenhouse overnight (it's not heated).

Today will be busy. I have a Guild Board meeting this morning and will do the grocery shopping in the afternoon. I woke up stressing over cooking tonight's dinner. Not that I had anything elaborate planned but I also don't want to spend much time cooking. So, it will be burgers and fries tonight which we don't have very often so it's also a bit of a treat.

I won't have much time for reading today, but I spent a lot of time with Belinda yesterday and finished Vol I (about 150 pages). Belinda has become more confident, dealing very effectively with an inappropriate suitor. And much to his amazement too, as he just couldn't understand how any woman could turn him down. Heh heh.

Welcome to Friday -- Spring has returned!

By late yesterday afternoon, after my meeting and grocery shopping, it was warm enough to be outside so I was able to transplant the tomatoes and chilis before it was time for dinner. Today I expect to be out in the garden for a while, planting some veg (onions, shallots, more lettuce) and maybe cleaning up and weeding a perennial bed I haven't gotten to yet. And then takeout for Friday dinner, yay.

I'm sure I'll check in with Belinda at some point today. Lady Delacour, whom Belinda is currently staying with, is an over the top character and often funny. But at this point in the novel she's being a real pain in the a** and driving me a bit nuts. I'd like to get past that and see the plot advance in some way.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Glad you've got spring back. It's been lovely here for about a month now (although we could certainly use a bit more rain).

Hope Belinda straightens out soon :>

We've had really good weather here, but I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow and maybe Sunday.

>52 RebaRelishesReading:, >53 vancouverdeb: Hello Reba and Deborah! It's a lovely time of year, although a bit unpredictable.

Good morning everyone ...

Yesterday morning we ended up visiting the garden center. I needed a packet of parsnip seeds and Chris wanted some annual seeds. Then we browsed around for quite a while. I picked up a chive plant to try and grow my own, and we bought some perennials that are tolerant to juglone. Juglone is found in black walnut trees and gradually kills off everything nearby. We thought this particular spot was out of range, but no. So we'll start again. Once back home I planted the parsnips as well as shallots and lettuce and gave everything a good watering. It was late afternoon before I managed to take a shower! We had takeout pizza for dinner, which has the added bonus of being today's lunch.

I'm feeling a bit stiff today but still plan to spend the morning in the garden. It's time to transplant the onions we started indoors, as well as the potatoes. I might also need to lend a hand planting some of the other things we bought yesterday.

Belinda update: as Reba predicted, our heroine has indeed straightened herself out. She left Lady D's toxic environment to stay with another family for a while and has become much more sure of herself. Thank God.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday!

>54 lauralkeet: I'm afraid that wasn't a prediction but rather a hope -- glad it turned out though :)

You continue to stimulate my urge to try growing edibles. I checked the beds yesterday and found two strawberries that were trying to come back. Will try to get to the garden center in the next week and see what is available.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Call it what you will Reba, but you've read the book so I assume your hopes have some basis to them! Today's reading brought further drama with Lady D but Belinda is holding her own.

Good luck with the gardening!

>56 lauralkeet: And so I did :). All of these books with girls' names are confusing me.

With an experienced, helpful consultant like you how can I miss?

Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen ****. (audio "reread")

I has been 20 years or so since I first read Sense and Sensibility. I listened to it this time (read it "with my eyes" last time) and I thoroughly enjoyed Rosamund Pike's voice, diction and general reading skill.

Next up on my (half?) year of Austen related reading will be Cecilia which is reported to have provided the "general plot line" and title for Pride and Prejudice which I am planning to make my next Austen re-read. This little gem has 941 pages of rather small type so I'll be a while.

>57 RebaRelishesReading: I completely understand the confusion, Reba!
>58 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad you enjoyed your re-read/listen of S&S. What's not to like, right? Good luck with Cecilia. I don't remember much about it, although I enjoyed it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi everyone ... I spent a lot of time yesterday working outdoors. I planted the potatoes and onions as planned, and did some weeding, watering, and cleanup/organizing around the kitchen garden. I don't have any "must-do" gardening jobs today but might wander out there later when it's a bit warmer.

Today's agenda is pretty light, and I'd really enjoy a relaxing day so hopefully it will turn out that way.

>59 lauralkeet: So why don't you wander on over and plant some things in my new beds? :).

Have a good one.

>60 RebaRelishesReading: ha ha nice try, Reba 😀

Today's agenda includes a couple of household admin phone calls (boring), and my usual weekly cleaning (also boring). On the plus side I had a light bulb moment yesterday concerning a small weaving project I'd like to do, and I'm ready to warp my loom.

I'm making steady progress with Belinda and enjoying it, but it requires more concentration than a contemporary novel so it's taking me longer than I'd like.

Can't blame a girl for trying, eh?

I sort of started Cecilia last night. "Sort of" because I decided to read the rather lengthly "introduction" first. I hope to get back to it this evening.

So what is your weaving project and how is your beautiful sweater coming along?

>62 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, for these authors I like to start with the introductions, too, and bail if it transitions from background to plot summary.

I'm not much of a weaver, just dabbling to play around with color and texture. I made some "mug mats" (aka coasters) recently just to see how well certain colors played together (or not). This time I'm making a piece of fabric in two colors that, if all goes well, I'll be able to sew into a small pouch (about 5x8"). I warped my loom today so it's too early to make any predictions ha ha.

My sweater is moving along. It's knit from the top down beginning with neck and yoke, and then knitting the body and after that, the sleeves. In this photo I've knit about 2" below the armholes.

>63 lauralkeet: So what we are seeing here are back and shoulders?

>63 lauralkeet: Looks like the sweater is coming along beautifully. You do beautiful work. I always knit the baby sweater from the neck down -- much easier imo than sewing sleeves in. The mug mats sound fun.

>63 lauralkeet: The sweater looks gorgeous so far! I've never tried a top-down sweater like this. Maybe some day?

>64 ffortsa: Hi Judy, basically yes, except this is the front of the sweater. The back looks the same as the front. You can probably see diagonal "lines" of stitches which are part of forming the shoulders and preparing for the sleeves. Once that's done you put the sleeve stitches on a holder and work only the body stitches. That's where I am now.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

>66 scaifea: Thanks Amber. If you can knit socks (and you can), you can knit a sweater! One advantage of top-down is being able to try it on as you go. This one is pretty basic: just a crew neck pullover in stockinette stitch. The pattern is the Monday Sweater from PetiteKnits, a prolific Danish designer. Another good source is Tin Can Knits' Simple Sweater.

Happy Tuesday!

I'm going to my knitting group meeting this morning. Along the way I'll pick up some bagels (we keep them in the freezer sliced and ready to toast), and drop off a sweater at the cleaners. I think sweater weather is pretty much behind us and it's time to clean them and put them away until fall.

I have no plans for the afternoon other than puttering around and reading. I started Vol III of Belinda yesterday so I'm in the home stretch now.

>67 lauralkeet: Oh, I've knitted sweaters before, just in pieces that are stitched together later. Thanks for the pattern link!

>68 lauralkeet: Oh, I see! You'll be absolutely fine. In fact, you may never go back to seamed sweaters!

>70 lauralkeet: Absolutely agree with you, Laura! I find it easier to go neck down and you don't have seams adding bulk along the sides and shoulders when you're done.

Looking forward to your thoughts on Belinda. I finished the introduction to Cecilia last night and hope to actually start on the book itself sometime today. Wish me luck :)

>70 lauralkeet: >71 RebaRelishesReading: No sewing seams at the end of a knitting project does, in fact, sound like heaven...

>72 scaifea: Yep.. it is

>71 RebaRelishesReading:, >72 scaifea:, >73 RebaRelishesReading: Honestly it's a game changer, Amber!

Kinda busy day today. I'm leaving in a few minutes for a manicure appointment and then a bit later, meeting the incoming Guild treasurer over lunch to discuss his transition into the role. I'll be back mid-afternoon and may be asked to assist with something outdoors. We'll see. It's supposed to be really hot today.

Belinda awaits ... and I'm close to finishing it.

>74 lauralkeet: I'm two chapters and 19 pages into Cecilia -- must carve out some serious time for it today.

>75 RebaRelishesReading: I know that feeling, Reba. When I was reading Anna Karenina recently, I considered it a success if I was able to "carve out some serious time" or, if not that, at least read enough to feel like I was making progress. Same with Belinda, although it's not nearly as long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good news: I finished Belinda yesterday! I really enjoyed it. As a romance, you know from the beginning it will have a happy ending and this book had the usual two suitors, but neither was obviously the hero or the rake, so as a reader you just had to roll with it and see what developed. I was worried the reveal would be preposterous, but it wasn't. Well, not too preposterous anyway.

At bedtime I started reading The Names and in the space of about 30 minutes I breezed through 40 pages. I'm always baffled when I zip through some books where others require so much more effort.

Today's agenda is light and easy. I'll do the grocery shopping this morning, and Ellie has a nail trim this afternoon. It's going to be another hot day but I'll probably putter around outside for a bit -- at a minimum, watering the veg beds.

Hi Laura, how's things? I have The Names to read on my kobo, but I'm not ready to get into it yet. Right now I am reading several books, for some reason, as I don't usually do this. I'm really liking Snap, and Dominion, and while I like A Guardian and a Thief it is agitating because of things happening beyond the characters control, and it is in a future climate-crisis. I also just watched Love Story (JFK Jr and Carolyn Bissette story on Disney) and it was such a tragic story.

I'm always baffled when I zip through some books where others require so much more effort.

My theory is that some writers write in a way that matches the way your brain works. It explains why some books that others love don't work for you as well, or vice versa.

I'll be curious to hear what you think of The Names, Laura. My book group had some interesting reactions to it.

I hadn't heard of The Names before so looked it up -- sounds most interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of it (and I'm now off to see Katie's comments)

>77 raidergirl3: Hi Elizabeth, I'm impressed you're reading so many books at once! I think my max is 2, and they need to be quite different (fiction & non-fiction for example). I recognize both Dominion and A Guardian and a Thief from the Women's Prize longlist. I'm looking forward to the shortlist announcement next week.

>78 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I've finished the first section (1987) and am about to start 1994. It's intriguing.

>79 RebaRelishesReading: Watch this space, Reba!

I've had a fairly productive day. Besides groceries, Ellie's nails, and watering the veg garden I've done a bunch of laundry including hand-washing a wool sweater, and swapped the flannel bed sheets over to percale. Whew. I'm ready to chill out now.

TGIF! It's a beautiful day today, and a little cooler than yesterday. I don't have to go anywhere today, which is just fine with me. In fact, I have no idea what's in store for today. Probably a gardening, weaving, and reading ... and then takeout for dinner followed by Friday night TV. So exciting eh?

I also need to write a review for Belinda. It's been percolating, I just haven't started typing yet.

As I mentioned to Katie, The Names is intriguing: three family scenarios that each begin with the name chosen for a newborn son. The father wants the boy named after him (a multigenerational family tradition). The mother hates that idea. Well, this is a bit weird for me because my brother is the fourth generation of boys named Charles, with no middle name. My brother (Charles IV) broke the tradition with his son, which my parents were fine with. But in our generation my grandfather (Charles Jr) pressured his daughter (Charles III's sister) to also name her firstborn son Charles. And she did. Because patriarchy. Ugh.

17. Belinda

I would never have discovered Maria Edgeworth or this book were it not for Jane Austen's Bookshelf. I re-read Romney's comments on this book after I'd finished it. She described how Belinda inspired Emma. But instead of Emma being an imitation of Belinda, she drew comparisons between Emma and Lady Delacour, both in their matchmaking and the way each ultimately admitted their mistakes.

>82 lauralkeet: Very nicely done, Laura!!

>83 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

Today is off to a lazy start, just the way I like it LOL. But having dabbled around on the computer for a while, it's time to get on with things. I'm going to make a dessert for tonight's dinner at the home of a couple I'll call "our vegan friends". I'm not sure what's on the menu, but I offered to make dessert because I found a vegan chocolate pudding pie recipe that looks good. Chocolate! Pudding! Pie! Yes please. I think I'll bring some raspberries to serve with it. It needs to chill for a few hours and if I make it now the rest of the day will be free.

I need to plant the third and final row of peas today (planting the rows two weeks apart can extend the harvest time), and will probably tackle some weeds in various areas. We also have bathroom tile order ready for pickup so we might run out and do that later today.

And of course, there will be more of The Names.

Ooh your dessert sounds delicious, Laura. Chocolate and raspberries is one of my favourite combos.

I'm with Micky: That pie sounds amazing! I'm planning on making a pudding pie this weekend, too; mine involves chopped peanut butter cups and whipped cream folded into the chocolate pudding.

Chocolate pudding pie sounds wonderful!! Will it be in a graham cracker crust? And raspberries are wonderful in any form but with chocolate they truly shine...

After having nearly summer weather for a few days we're back to a cold snap so I have the perfect excuse to put off planting those raised beds I keep nattering on about :)

Another chocolate and raspberry fan here. My mom used to make raspberry brownies, and they were always a treat!

Have fun at dinner with your friends.

>85 MickyFine:, >86 scaifea:, >87 RebaRelishesReading:, >88 katiekrug:
I'm officially forming a Chocolate and Raspberry Fan Club and you are all charter members!

Amber, your pudding pie sounds absolutely amazing.

And yes Reba, the recipe uses a graham cracker crust. The pie is made vegan by using canola oil instead of butter in the crust, and almond milk for the pudding. I haven't taste tested the pie yet but of course I licked the spoon after making the pudding and it was really good.

We haven't seen these friends in quite a while so I'm looking forward to a good catch-up.

>89 lauralkeet: Ooh, I'll join too! I love chocolate and raspberry!

We're having a vegetarian pot luck at church next month. Of course the pie would be vegetarian but it would be kind of cool to up it a notch and take a vegan dessert to the party, don't ya think? Do I need an actual recipe or just make the changes you mentioned to "regular" crust and pudding options?

>90 atozgrl: Welcome to the fan club Irene!

>91 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. The pie was tasty, although the filling was a little wobbly when the pie was sliced so it didn't hold its shape on the plate. The filling definitely "set" when chilled, but should I have let the filling boil a bit longer? Or was it the way it's supposed to be? Anyway, if you want to try it, here's a gift link to the recipe:
Vegan Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Pie

We were out late last night, and didn't get to bed until midnight which is really unusual for us. But it was a nice evening, we had a lot to catch up on. I'd been feeling a bit guilty for not getting together sooner, because we'd exchanged messages just after Christmas but hadn't scheduled anything. It turns out they'd had a bit of a family crisis the first few months of the year so it wouldn't have been feasible anyway.

Today looks like it will be an indoor day. It's been raining lightly but steadily since I woke up. I'm glad I got some weeding done yesterday and that I won't need to water plants today. I expect to finish The Names, and probably also start Making it in America, which I borrowed from a guild member:

a moving and eye-opening look at the story of manufacturing in America, whether it can ever successfully return to our shores, and why doing so is vital to our well-being as a nation, told through the experience of one young couple in Maine as they attempt to rebuild a lost industry, ethically.

Like American Flannel, it's about the textile industry. My friend has read both books and felt each had something to offer.

I'm not sure what I'll read after that. I have several books on hold so one of those might pop up but if not, I'm sure I'll find something.

Great comments on Belinda. I will get back to my Jane Austen reading one of these... months. Lately I have been reading the Women's Prize for Fiction longlisted books.

It sounds like spring is coming to your part of the world, with lots of gardening work.

>92 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I've printed it off and will try it next time I'm asked to bring a dessert I think -- whether the gathering is vegan or not.

>93 lauralkeet: I envy your rain. All we got out of the front today was some sprinkles. We really do need rain.

>94 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I've enjoyed following you, Deborah and others reading the Women's Prize long list. I have never attempted the entire list but by following what others are doing I get a good sense of which ones I want to read myself one of these ... months.

>95 RebaRelishesReading: That's great, Reba.

>96 atozgrl: Hi Irene, the rain was much needed here, too. As a bonus, this morning I noticed my "purple sensation" alliums popped overnight.
(not my photo)

Today I have a hair appointment, and I'll also spend time tidying up the house and doing some admin tasks. Nothing momentous or exciting, I'm afraid.

I started reading Making it in America yesterday. It begins with a discussion of "how we got here"; in other words, what happened to American manufacturing? The author lays much of the blame at the feet of George H.W. Bush and free trade agreements like NAFTA, which resulted in US companies sending work "offshore" work to Mexico. Things snowballed from there.

I find it interesting to read about relatively recent history. I was a young adult at the time but not well-versed in global economics and didn't pay much attention to this.

18. The Names

>99 lauralkeet: - Oh - this sounds so good, Laura. I've enjoyed other books of this kind - Life After Life is one I'm thinking of. On the list it goes.

>100 dudes22: Hi Betty, you are so right about Life After Life. I didn't make the connection while I was reading but yes, I'd say if you liked that book you'll also like The Names.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brr! We had a freeze warning last night and sure enough, temperatures dropped below freezing. We took measures to protect some of our plants: brought the herbs indoors, covered the strawberries, that kind of thing. We'll head out soon to assess the situation. Thankfully it will warm up today and be more "normal" from here out.

This morning I'm meeting a Guild member at a coffee shop, the new committee chair for programs and workshops as of June 1. She's been meeting with the current chair to come up to speed, so this is just me checking in with her and seeing what kind of support she needs now or will need later.

I don't have any firm plans for the afternoon. I might do some garden puttering, or I might read, or ... we'll see.

That's a great review of the Knapp, Laura. I'm glad you liked the read.

We also had a freeze warning and now have assorted plants/seedlings in our kitchen nook :)

The Names sounds good Laura. It is an interesting premise for sure. I have it on reserve at the library.

>102 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. The Names really made me think while I was reading, and it tugged at my heartstrings, so that's a winner for sure.

>103 BLBera: Katie gets the credit for putting it on my radar, Beth. I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

I'm late to the threads today because I had a Guild meeting this morning. I have to own up and say the meeting wasn't until 10am, but somehow I filled the time. And now ... I have a free afternoon! Yay! I need to do the menu planning/grocery list making, but other than that I'll just be puttering around.

>99 lauralkeet: Glad you enjoyed The Names, Laura. It was an interesting book. Love the purple sensations. I was out walking the dog today - what's new ? and saw some huge , beautiful tulips, pink and white. Quite lovely, I thought.

>106 vancouverdeb: Good morning Deborah! I think what I like the most about the purple sensations is that they "pop" fairly early in the season, after the daffodils but before a lot of other things. That, and purple is my favorite color so they make me happy. Those tulips do sound lovely. We have several other types of bulbs but not tulips, although there's no doubt they're gorgeous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today should be another uneventful day. I'll head out for grocery shopping shortly, and then I have absolutely nothing planned. The weather looks nice so I'll probably do some gardening. I need to catch up on some weeding. Chris just read me a snippet from an article, which said something like "gardening is just housework, outdoors." They're not wrong! But for some reason it's much more satisfying.

I wrote this post earlier and forgot to save it!

>2 lauralkeet: eighteenth year in this fabulous group
Wow! that is incredible. I am at 14 or 15 maybe? I recall so fondly my first few contacts here, they were so welcoming and just....nice and good (and smart) people :)

>101 lauralkeet: sounds like a great day! Presently I am at the big, central library, thinking about re-working a journal article (groan). Just getting some LT admin out of my system first ;)

>108 LovingLit: Hi Meghan! Hope your LT admin was a suitable mental warmup for the journal article.

I can't believe it's Friday already. After the gym and Friday breakfast I did some weeding and am now having lunch. I think we're going to wander around the garden center this afternoon. They have a coffee cart where we can get a couple of cold beverages and enjoy a sunny afternoon among the plants. Takeout of some kind for dinner, probably.

The Names sounds interesting. I can't think of any dust-ups over naming in my family lines, but I do have examples flitting past my eyes. Butterflies or moths, I can't tell. Have a rewarding weekend, Laura.

>110 weird_O: Hi Bill! Thanks for stopping by.

This morning I have a few chores to attend to, and then from 11:30-3:00 I'll be at the local music and arts festival where the fiber guild has a space to demonstrate fiber arts. I'm bringing my rigid heddle loom, others will be knitting or spinning. We also have some hands-on activities for kids. The festival is held at a park and most of the food vendors and music is outdoors but we're indoors in the "art hall," which is fine with me because it might rain in the late afternoon.

So, that's my day. I'm close to finishing Making it in America but don't expect to cross the finish line today.

>111 lauralkeet: Sounds like a full day, Laura. I hope you have done great interactions with people who wander past.

>111 lauralkeet: It sounds like a fun day, Laura.

>111 lauralkeet: Would love to see photos of Festival and descriptions of your fiber kid's hands-on.

>112 MickyFine:, >113 BLBera:, >114 m.belljackson: Hi Micky, Beth & Marianne!

The festival went well and it was fun to be there. We had a few different demonstrators: I brought my loom, two people spinning each with different equipment, and one person was knitting. Lots of people stopped by and asked questions about each craft. Some were interested in learning or returning to a craft and we always give them cards or a brochure and invite them to come to one of our meetings.

We also had what we call our fiber petting zoo, which are collections of fiber from different animals and plants for people to touch and compare. Kids really get into that, as well as using yarn and a twisting tool to make friendship bracelets. We're also happy to show them how to weave, spin, etc. but we didn't get any takers today.

I didn't take any photos myself but I think there might be some in our next member newsletter so I'll see what I can do.

>111 lauralkeet: How cool, Laura!! I think it would both be fun to be exhibiting with a group like that as well as visiting such an event. Hope it all went well for you.

>116 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. It was a fun time.

Today has started out as a lazy day in sweats kind of day, and it might just stay that way. I don't have any plans to speak of, and it's cold outside. I actually finished Making it in America last night, so today I'll start Stewart O'Nan's Evensong.

19. Making it in America

>117 lauralkeet: Katie got me interested in O'Nan a couple of years ago and last year I read Evensong and gave it ***** (of, course, I think I tend to "grade" easily but...still... I think you'll like it)

Happy reading.

>119 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I'm really enjoying Evensong. It's poignant, but the snark and humor comes along at just the right moments.

Hmm ... it looks like I completely missed my own thread yesterday! Whoops. But there's nothing much to report and now it's Tuesday. This morning we're going on a bird walk led by our local wildlife conservation organization. There are a bunch of walks scheduled over the next month at various spots around the county. I have no obligations this afternoon so there may be reading, crafting, gardening or some combination.

>120 lauralkeet: Sounds like a nice day. I have nothing on the calendar for the afternoon either and no idea what I'll be doing :>

>121 RebaRelishesReading: Well, our day didn't go quite as planned but it turned out for the best. The bird walk started at 8am. There was a strong chance of light rain but it was supposed to be quick. It wasn't, and not only did I wear the wrong jacket but the rain seemed to be sending the birds into hiding. Chris and I decided to bail, a little bummed out but it was nice to get warm and dry again by 9:30. And then, around 10:30-11am we had a call from our electrician who we've been waiting on FOREVER to handle what's needed for our small bathroom remodel. He sent a guy over right away to scope things out so he could get whatever parts he needed, and then he returned after lunch to complete the work: bathroom fan/heater installation, wiring for lighting over the sink. and a GFCI outlet. If we'd continued with the bird walk Chris probably wouldn't have answered his phone and we'd have missed the electrician's window today. Woo hoo!

This afternoon I read a bit more of Evensong, and then worked on warping my loom. I'm going to make a small sampler to learn two lace techniques I'd like to use in a table runner.

>122 lauralkeet: That was a serendipitous bit o'rain, no? How great to have the job DONE, after all that waiting.

Glad your disappointing day turned out to have a bright side.

I'm in awe of your fabric/yarn/thread skills. Please let us see your weaving as well as your knitting. (I also had to laugh at "warping my loom"...sounds like you're beating it up or something)

>123 laytonwoman3rd: Serendipitous indeed, Linda. Two of our preferred service guys -- an electrician and a plumber -- are wonderful to work with but always very very busy. I know they'd be here in a heartbeat for an emergency (burst pipe or leak or whatever), but I think small jobs take a back seat to larger projects. Anyway, we know the drill and for the most part it's not a problem.

>124 RebaRelishesReading: My weaving skills are far from awesome, Reba, but I appreciate your thoughts. I have an 18" wide rigid heddle loom, and the width limits what I can make. Even a standard kitchen towel is wider than 18" and how many scarves does one really need? That said, I'm finding it useful to make small things to get experience with techniques and experiment with color and texture. I'll try to post some photos soon.

Today's agenda includes a manicure this morning and I'm going to pick up two library books on my way home: Niall Williams' The Fall of Light and Tilt, by Emma Pattee. Both have been on my library wish list for a while. I enjoyed two other novels by Williams so I'd like to read others that are available at the library. Tilt has received a fair amount of attention in this group, so I'm eager to check it out.

Today I also need to do the weekly menu planning/grocery list making. I should vacuum too. We'll see about that lol, it's my least favorite chore. Rain is expected, but they keep pushing the time back so for now it's just gray. I hope to take advantage of the weather to wrap up Evensong.

>125 lauralkeet: place mats?

>127 RebaRelishesReading: Yep, that's a definite possibility, Reba.

Okay, here are some weaving pics of things I've been dabbling with lately. As background: I took some online courses back in 2022 and learned a lot. Each course was built around making something like small towels or scarves while learning a technique, like how to weave a log cabin or twill pattern. After finishing the courses I intended to keep going but I stalled out. I wasn't confident enough to create my own thing, and got bogged down trying to find a pattern I liked. Fast forward to more recent times, and the fiber guild now has a group of rigid heddle weaving enthusiasts, mostly beginners like me. We have an experienced leader who has been helping each of us develop our skills.

I've used yarn in my stash, left over from knitting projects, to make:
1) mug mats aka coasters with three colors in different combinations.
2) a piece of striped cloth which I want to sew into a small pouch.
3) a small sampler of two lace patterns that are included in a table runner I'd like to make. The loom is warped and I'm going to start weaving next week.

As for today's agenda, this morning I'll do the grocery shopping and this afternoon I'm having coffee with one of our new Guild officers.

Yesterday I finished Evensong and loved it. Then I started Tilt which grabbed me right away. I can tell it's going to be a fast read.

>118 lauralkeet: Great review of Making it in America, Laura! I gifted it to my brother a couple years ago but he has not reported back with his thoughts yet.

>128 lauralkeet: Thanks for the photos. Even a sneak peak at the loom. The mug mats look like a great learning project that provides a useful product.

>131 RebaRelishesReading: You're welcome, Reba. Great learning projects that are actually useful -- that's what I'm aiming for! That, and improving basic skills before making something longer/larger. For example, the purple piece started out at my desired width but is narrower at the top. I'm going to get some advice on that next week when the weaving group gets together.

~~~~~~

Happy Friday y'all!

This morning I'm heading to Michaels for some craft supplies, and since Trader Joe's is just down the road I think I'll stop for some impulse purchases lol. Then in the afternoon I'll do some gardening. It's time to plant beans in the veg garden, and I there's always weeding and other small tasks to take care of.

I'm enjoying Tilt. And I need to write a review of Evensong. I'm still thinking about the characters and O'Nan's ability to write about older women, the community they formed, coping with aging issues, etc.

>132 lauralkeet: Oh, a Michael's trip sounds nice! I haven't been there in ages.

It's heading for 90 degrees this weekend. I turned the sprinkler system back on last night. Think maybe I should do something about getting those veggies I talked about purchased and into the ground?

>132 lauralkeet: I hope you got dark chocolate peanut butter cups at TJs. They are sooooo good.

>135 japaul22: - Oh, yes! I love those, too. I'm also a sucker for the dill pickle falafel :)

Happy Friday, Laura! So glad to hear you liked Evensong - I have a copy but am saving it up for when I need a sure-to-be-winner...

>133 scaifea: Me neither, Amber.

>134 RebaRelishesReading: Yes you should, Reba!!

>135 japaul22:, >136 katiekrug: Hi Katie and Jennifer. Thanks for the TJs suggestions (I love the peanut butter cups too!). I didn't make it there yesterday ... read on. I still need to write a review of Evensong and hopefully I'll get to that today.

Thursday didn't go quite as planned.

Chris left on an errand, and I was getting ready for my Michaels/TJ run when I received an emergency alert on my phone saying Chris' iPhone had detected a crash (as an aside, I didn't know about this feature and highly recommend it). Fortunately we spoke briefly and then I headed to the scene. He had been driving our pickup on a 2-lane road with a 55mph speed limit. The car in front of him stopped to make a left turn. Chris was in the process of stopping when ... WHAM, he was rear-ended. The car behind him was a Peterbilt commercial truck. Fortunately, Chris was okay but even so we went straight to urgent care to have him checked out. We're 99% sure our pickup is a total loss, but have to go through the insurance process to confirm. Thursday afternoon I filed the claim, spoke with the body shop about getting the car from the towing place to theirs, and arranged a rental car (covered by insurance) which we'll pick up this morning (and then I'll reward myself with Michaels/TJs). The body shop will advise the insurance company about repair costs, and we'll go from there.

A couple photos below. As you'll see it's amazing Chris wasn't hurt but I have to admit the church message board across the street from the crash was a welcome bit of dark humor.

Wow, that looks bad! I'm so glad Chris is ok. My 16 year just started driving, so this hits hard - I'm sure you remember that feeling. We have Life 360 set up for him, which is similar to the features on the iPhone, but a little more intense and detailed.

Holy crapola, Laura! I'm so glad Chris is okay - that is scary.

Yeah, I'm thinking that's a total loss... TW got rear-ended once and the damage didn't look too bad, but the frame was bent, so the insurance company totalled it.

I hope you both have a restful and unexciting weekend.

>137 lauralkeet: Yikes, scary! Glad Chris is okay.

Oh gosh, I'm *so* glad Chris is okay! Whew!!

>138 japaul22: We use Life360 at our house, too, and we love it.

>137 lauralkeet: That is scary. It's amazing Chris wasn't hurt.

>137 lauralkeet: Hope that Chris (and all of You) can relax, recover, and enjoy God's dark humor!

Glad Chris was ok. Love the church sign.

Whoa, that’s impressive damage. I’m so glad Chris came out without damage, though he’s likely, you’re both likely to be shaken up a bit.

Thanks everyone for all of your kind words of support. Yes, we're both a bit shaken up; when we went to pick up our rental car this morning we had an extra layer of caution. Maybe that's not a bad thing. Anyway, one step at a time. I hope it doesn't take too long for the insurance company to make a determination so we can move on.

20. Evensong

A quick weaving update for @RebaRelishesReading and anyone else interested. In >128 lauralkeet: I shared a photo of a piece of striped cloth which I want to sew into a small pouch. I did the sewing today ... et voila!

>148 lauralkeet: Your pouch looks lovely!

So glad Chris came out of his accident largely unharmed. Wishing you all the luck as you deal with the insurance company and prep for car shopping (again).

Ouch! Yeah, that’s a total loss! So sorry this happened.

>137 lauralkeet: Wow , that is scary looking. I am so glad that Chris got out alright, Laura. In late 2024 Dave's car was totaled, and it was his car called 911 for him. We didn't know the car had that feature until it happened. He does have an Iphone, but I am quite sure it was his new Toyota that called 911. He was also fine, with a overnight in hospital - it was a head on collision as someone turned in front of him . Luckily with had insurance which covered full replacement value of the car, though he was not at fault at all. Great review of Evensong , Laura. I really loved it too.

>149 MickyFine: Thanks Micky. I'm ridiculously pleased with the pouch. I'm not even sure how I'll use it (lipstick? knitting notions?), but it's the first "thing" I've made without a pattern and instructions.

>149 MickyFine:, >150 drneutron:, >151 vancouverdeb: I appreciate your kind words about Chris and the car. I guess we'll know more about next steps soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday we picked up our rental car and I stopped at Michaels and TJs on my way home. At TJs I bought a couple of normal grocery items that we needed, as well as Joe-Joe's cookies (like Oreos) and milk chocolate peanut butter cups (dark chocolate is superior but sadly Chris isn't a fan). In the afternoon I did some household admin tasks and finished the pouch in >148 lauralkeet:. We also watched a lot of Formula 1, both the Sprint race and Grand Prix Qualifying.

Last night I finished reading Tilt, which was very good. Next up is Niall Williams' The Fall of Light.

Today is a no-agenda day and I'm here for it. The weather is a bit cool so I'm not even sure if I'll do any outdoor work. The F1 race is at 4pm so we might watch that live, or stream it later in the evening. But on the whole I think we both need a day to decompress.

>148 lauralkeet: very nice.

Oh, that kind of emergency call should not be part of your day! I'm so glad Chris is ok. Yeah, that pick-up looks gone to me.

>154 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. I'm pretty sure the insurance company will agree with our assessment but if not I'm going to unleash all the 75ers on them!

Had a busy day today so am a bit late getting here...but

>137 lauralkeet: OMG!! yes that looks pretty totaled!! Glad Chris is OK (and I love the message from God)
>148 lauralkeet: The pouch looks great!!

Glad everyone is OK and hope you get all of the follow-up taken care of quickly and easily.

>156 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

This morning I have a routine dentist appointment and in the afternoon we need to pick up some items Chris bought at auction. He was en route to get them on Friday, but that was not to be. So today we're taking two cars because we're not sure everything will fit in just one.

So that's my day ... *grumpy face*

Wow, what a crash! I'm glad Chris is okay. Hopefully the TJ's milk chocolate peanut butter cups will calm his nerves (I prefer those, too)

>158 norabelle414: Thanks Nora. Chocolate makes everything better in my book, and so far its medicinal powers have been effective. 😂

21. Tilt

>Wow! I just saw the accident photo you posted - really terrifying. So glad to hear that Chris is ok. It's hard to carry on normal activities after a scare like that - hope you both are recovering.

>161 vivians: Thanks for the kind words, Vivian. We had to drive past "the scene" today and he said later he felt a bit jumpy but that's normal. Other than that yes, we're doing fine.

I wrote a post earlier but left it here, unsaved. I have no obligations today so I'm hoping to spend it doing things I want to do. It's going to be warm and sunny so gardening is on the agenda, and I've been outside most of the morning. I think I'll curl up with a book for a bit after lunch.

Other than that, I've got nuthin'. Hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday.

>137 lauralkeet: I'm so glad Chris is okay after the crash. Here's hoping the insurance company makes things as straighforward as possible. You don't need any additional trauma.

>164 Sakerfalcon: Thank you Claire. You are so right! The truck was towed to the body shop yesterday morning where they will prepare an estimate which the insurance company to review and make a determination.

Meanwhile ... life continues as normal. Yesterday was a sunny, warm day with a satisfying mix of gardening and reading. Today is expected to be cool and a little rainy. My weaving group meets today, which I'm looking forward to. We're having a hands-on session, each of us working on whatever we have going on at the moment. I'm starting something new and will be glad to have the group leader there for advice on the lace patterns I want to try. Later today I'll do the menu planning/grocery list making, and a few other admin tasks.

>165 lauralkeet: Sounds like a very busy but fun day for you today! Hope you find the right lace pattern (please remember to show us what you're doing). Have a good one!

Now I know why I hardly ever stop here! I think I've WL'ed about ten books!

How terrifying for Chris, I am so glad he came out of it unscathed.

Wonderful that you are weaving! I'm tempted, but I'm resisting. My daughter is a passionate weaver!

>166 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba, my weaving group was productive. I'm going to practice a bit more on this little sampler, and then I think I'll be ready to try the table runner. I need to research suitable yarn for that.

>167 sibylline: Hi Lucy! If you WL'ed about ten books, then my job is done! Isn't that what we're all here for? 😂
I love that your daughter is a weaver. Does she have one of those big stonking 4- or 8-shaft floor looms?

>162 lauralkeet: It still bothers me to drive past the "scene " of Dave's car accident about a year and half later. I think it is mainly because our dog , Poppy, died at during the accident. That kind of haunts me. Probably Dave too, but I don't like to mention to him much. I hope you have a determination on your vehicle soon. Glad you are enjoying your weaving.

>170 vancouverdeb: Deborah, I remember that; in fact it's kind of haunted me since it happened and once I knew Chris was okay I immediately thought about the what-ifs. I still can't imagine going through that.

This week I've keeping tabs on the insurance claim process, which actually went pretty smoothly. Yesterday the insurance company informed us the truck is indeed a total loss and if there's a silver lining here, it's that they valued it higher than we anticipated. It's a 2017 model but had only 45K miles which probably helped. This morning we completed some of the final paperwork. I hope to receive the settlement payment sometime next week and meanwhile Chris is researching available inventory so hopefully we'll be able to make a decision and be done with this.

I have nothing scheduled today and the weather looks really nice so I'll probably finish up some weeding I started the other day and putter around outside. Takeout for dinner, most likely.

I'm still reading The Fall of Light, which is quite different from the other Niall Williams novels I've read, but I'm captivated by it nonetheless.

Happy Friday, y'all.

>171 lauralkeet: Glad to hear your insurance claim is going well and hope you find the perfect replacement. I'm sure the whole thing is traumatic!! (as was Deborah's). So sorry you guys have had to go through this.

It's still too chilly and it's been so very windy here that no "puttering" has been done. Although I did stop at a favorite garden center looking for a particular kind of mint that I like and came away with 2 flats of flowers. I even envy you weeding.

Dave was quite bold when he crashed the car. He decided it was totalled before we heard from the insurance company. So we had purchased a new Toyota within 4 days. They only had one left, so I guess that was fortunate. Remember the days when you could bargain for a car ? Now, you are lucky they have one in stock . I hope you find a replacement that works for you.

>172 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

>173 dudes22: Hi Betty, I filled an entire wheelbarrow with weeds yesterday, all from a long strip of hedge. Do you still envy me?! LOL.

What kind of mint do you like? Do you plant it in pots?

>174 vancouverdeb: Way to go Dave! I know what you mean about lack of availability and bargaining power. We're looking for a used truck with a preference for Toyota, but availability might require us to look at other makes.

Today's agenda is pretty light. There's always a bit of gardening to be done although nothing urgent today. At some point I need to pick up a couple items for tonight's dinner. We also have new smoke alarms that I'd like to install, but I'm not the one doing the installation. I'm charging my cattle prod at the moment lol.

Other than that there will be reading, possibly a bit of weaving, and definitely some knitting.

>175 lauralkeet: - Actually yes - I enjoy weeding. It looks so nice afterwards. Of course, we don't have as much garden area as we did before so it goes a lot quicker too. I like mojito mint and I do grow it in pots. Otherwise, it can spread. oh - I just had a thought - maybe I can get my husband to plant it on the hill that goes down to the pond. He might not care if it spreads there.

>177 dudes22: mojito mint! I hope you use it as directed (i.e., in mojitos)! I have mint in a pot on the terrace where it's handy. I can't remember what variety it is. Several years ago we received a few different mint plants in cute small pots as a gift, and made the mistake of planting them in our regular garden beds and hoo boy did they spread!

>178 lauralkeet: - Yes - that happened to me at the other house and boy did Pete complain. He hates mint. I use it mostly in tea. I made a mint chip ice cream this week to take to a party with some mint I got at the grocery store, and I did not like it at all. I probably should have just used extract. I think it might have been spearmint.

ETA: BTW - I picked up The Names today at the bookstore when I went to town and I can't wait to start it, but I have 3 books going right now so it will have to wait a bit.

>179 dudes22: I love mint in iced tea! I've also made some main dish and salad recipes that call for mint, although I can't remember them at the moment. The single pot is enough for my needs, even though it dies off over the winter. It always returns.

I hope you enjoy The Names when you get to it!

Hello and happy Mothers Day to those who celebrate! Kate and Julia sent me flowers yesterday, which was very sweet. Chris kept saying "I didn't even have to prompt them" like that was an accomplishment. LOL. Anyway, the flowers are here on our breakfast table as I type, and make me smile.

I got a lot of little things done yesterday. We installed one of the smoke/CO alarms and need to do the others today. They're "smart" devices that connect to our alarm system which will summon the fire department if an alarm goes off (fingers crossed for no false alarms). Chris does the handyman part of the installation and I do the "tech" side. Both are pretty easy, so now that I know how everything works we should be able to wrap it up.

Yesterday we also did some work on another job, setting up a series of soaker hoses on timers in the kitchen garden. We did this a few years ago for our first few raised beds, but now we have more. As with the smoke alarms, Chris does the handyman side, running lengths of hose in the least intrusive way possible. I program the timer which has connectors for 4 hoses. Each one can be on a different schedule (days of the week, times of day). It's so much more convenient to schedule watering than to do it manually. We'll probably keep working on that today.

I had no time for reading yesterday until bedtime, but I might finish The Fall of Light today.

I leave you with my Mothers Day bouquet ...

Happy mother's day, Laura! Those flowers are gorgeous.

Lovely flowers, Laura. Don't work too hard today.

Lovely flowers from your girls!

"I'm charging my cattle prod at the moment" - The secret is to have two, so one is always at the ready ;-)

>182 MickyFine:, >183 BLBera:, >184 katiekrug: Thanks Micky, Beth & Katie!

And Katie, that's an excellent idea. I mean, all he had to do was install three mounting brackets in the appropriate locations! But they are all installed now, and no husbands were harmed during the process. 😀

** off to Amazon to procure a second cattle prod ... **

>185 lauralkeet: OMG...I laughed out loud. But then, I wondered....so I had to go see. SURE ENOUGH...you can buy cattle prods from the A-place.

>186 laytonwoman3rd: No way! I just made that up. That makes me even prouder of my little witticism lol.

>181 lauralkeet: Beautiful flowers, Laura. Sounds like you're having a wonderful day (as well you should)!

>188 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

Yesterday was nice, because we got things done (smoke alarms, garden timers) and I finished The Fall of Light. The style was very different from other Niall Williams books I've read, but there's a reason for that and once I got into it, I was fully invested. I need some percolation time before writing a review.



Now I have two books on the go: The News from Dublin is a short story collection and I read one story last night. I might use this primarily as bedtime reading. The Ruins came highly recommended by @vivians. There was no wait at the library so I was able to get my hands on it quickly and read a bit of it yesterday, too.

Today's agenda includes my weekly house cleanup. We're also going to return the rental car. Because our car isn't being repaired, the insurance only covers it through Thursday, and we decided we can do without until we find a replacement for the pickup.

That's all folks!

>189 lauralkeet: Are you looking to replace the pick-up with a car or another pick-up? Which ever, I hope you find one soon. With two drivers in the house, and all of the gardening you do I imagine you'll find it awkward to have just one vehicle. Good luck with finding the replacement.

>190 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, we're looking for another pickup. We bought our ex-pickup just before moving here, primarily as a working vehicle (transporting compost, plants, building materials etc.) although it's also good to have a second car for those times we both need to be somewhere. There's no doubt it's useful, but if our lifestyle was different (less land, garden, landscaping) we would choose a different type of car. I hope we're able to make a decision by the end of the week but it's really in Chris' court whether to choose what's available now or wait for something else to come along.

Anyway, thanks for the good wishes!

Good morning ... my knitting group meets later this morning but other than that, today is fairly un-programmed. We might run a couple errands in the afternoon. The weather is on the cool side, but sunny so not sure about the rest of the day. We might make a run over to Southern States to pick up some gardening supplies (Tuesday is senior discount day, woo hoo!)

I'm enjoying both The News from Dublin and Ruins so far, but it's too early to comment in any substantive way. So yeah ... that's all I've got!

22. The Fall of Light

>137 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura, I'm just now catching up after having to go out of town for several days at the beginning of the month. It looks like I missed quite a lot here on your thread. I am so sorry to hear about the accident, but it looks like a miracle that Chris was unharmed. Good luck replacing the truck. We went through something similar a couple of months into the COVID epidemic. Looking for a new car then wasn't a lot of fun. I hope your search goes better.

>194 atozgrl: Hi Irene, and thanks for the words of support.

~~~~~

I have a pretty low-key agenda today; my only scheduled thing is a manicure. I need to do the menu planning/grocery list making and not sure what else. A friend of Chris will be in the area and plans to stop by for a bit. I'm not sure how "involved" I will be in that, or if I can just say hello and wander off to do something else. It might depend on whether food is involved lol.

Eagerly waiting to hear your thoughts on Ruins.

That's a new Niall Williams for me - I'll definitely add it.

>196 vivians: I'm enjoying it so far, Vivian. Ember is, as you said on your thread, flawed and emotionally complex. I'm not sure what I think of her, actually. But I've been strictly following your advice not to read any reviews, spoilers, or summaries. I'm proud of myself for not even reading the book jacket!

I hope you enjoy The Fall of Light whenever you get to it.

I have a busy day ahead: the Fiber Guild Board meets this morning, which means I need to do my grocery shopping in the afternoon. Days like this leave little time for much else. Boo! Fortunately I have nothing pressing to deal with.

I've finished the first three stories in The News from Dublin. Maybe I've been influenced by Katie's "meh" review but so far only one of the stories has touched me emotionally.

I've never read Niall Williams, and I have a couple of his books. He sounds like an author I would enjoy. I also hope to read Ruins soon. I just got a note that it's available for me to pick up.

>199 BLBera: Hi Beth! I'm 90% sure Katie recommended Niall Williams to me. I read History of the Rain and This is Happiness in 2023. They were published in 2014 and 2019 respectively, whereas The Fall of Light was published in 2001 and the narrative style struck me as quite different from his more recent books. I still need to read The Time of the Child (2024), which is set in the same small town as This is Happiness. I think you'd enjoy his books.

>200 lauralkeet: - Not me! I have yet to read anything by him, despite owning a few. I think I get the credit for Donal Ryan maybe?

I look forward to your final thoughts on the Toibin collection, and to learning which story/ies worked best for you.

>201 katiekrug: Oh ... hmm ... yes you def get credit for Donal Ryan. I've just looked at my LT friends who've read Williams, and some of the LT talk threads associated with his books, and now have several "suspects". Maybe one will fess up here.

I'm keeping notes as I read the Toibin so I can provide a full report!

>202 lauralkeet: I first heard about Niall Williams on Jon Clinch's FB page. He highly recommended This is Happiness in 2021, but I didn't get to it until 2023. As for Donal Ryan, I read From a Low and Quiet Sea in 2019 and gave it 5 stars, but I think I just came across it while browsing the library stacks...if anyone here put me on to him, I didn't make a note of it. I TRY, I really do, but that bit of data often gets lost.

I read my first Niall Williams novel in 2023 (This is Happiness) and I can't remember whose thread I saw him on either! I would have guessed Beth but >199 BLBera:

I raved about History of the Rain, This is Happiness and Time of the Child so maybe it was me? I just found a used copy of John so I'm hoping to read that soon as well as your rec of The Fall of the Light.
(And I love Donal Ryan too!)

Hello Laura! Happy Friday to you.



It sounds like things are progressing - reading, gardening, house maintenace, things with your daughters, knitting, AND etc.

>203 laytonwoman3rd:, >204 japaul22:, >205 vivians: Well then, it could have been any or all of you! 2023 seems to be a common denominator.

>206 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by and yes, all is well chez moi

Happy Friday to all!

It's a no-agenda day, which is nice coming on the heels of a busy yesterday. I'm going to pay a visit to the kitchen garden this morning to check in on everything out there. The other day I picked our first strawberries and there were way more than I expected which made me happy. But that also means it's time to cover them with netting to keep the birds from eating them all up.

In other news, we may have found our new pickup, a 2023 Ford F150 with fairly low mileage. It's a full-sized truck vs. our mid-sized ex-pickup, but one of the drawbacks of a mid-size is a shorter bed. It came with an attachable extension which was kind of a hassle and it seemed like we needed the extra length fairly often. This F150 was at a Carmax location about 1.5 hrs away but they can deliver it to our nearest Carmax with no obligation to buy. We're pretty sure we'll buy it but it's nice not to do so sight unseen. Meanwhile, the money is in the bank burning a hole in our metaphorical pocket. Ha.

I am almost 200 posts behind, Laura, and not even trying to catch up.

Yay for the no-agenda day! I hope it is a good one!

Great news about your potential new pick up. I hope the truck works out for you.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Good news about the truck! We bought our old Pilot from Carmax and really liked the no-pressure environment.

>207 lauralkeet: Most important = what color is the new pick-up?!

My old Toyota Tacoma was Red.

Glad to see you may have found new truck. Hope it is all that you want/expect when you see it in person and that this experience can be wrapped up successfully.

>209 katiekrug: Hi Katie! We sold a car once through Carmax and were really happy with the process. We're not interested in haggling over this so their business model suits us.

>210 m.belljackson: Oh ... it's white. That was our least preferred color, but the car ticks all the other boxes and in our current situation beggars can't be choosers.

>211 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! We're waiting to hear from Carmax when the car is at the local dealership. Hopefully that won't take too long.

Good news about the truck. Car shopping is one of my least-favorite things.

>212 lauralkeet: White is one of the easiest to see!

>214 m.belljackson: and relatively easy to keep clean :)

>213 BLBera: I'm with you, Beth. And we just bought a new car two months ago so the wounds haven't healed yet lol (although I do love my Forester).

>214 m.belljackson: Well I s'pose so Marianne, but I bet your red truck is fab.

>215 RebaRelishesReading: Ha Ha Reba. Yes, that will be a problem. The dark blue of our old truck hid a multitude of sins.

>207 lauralkeet: That's great news! I hope the truck works out for you. I hope Carmax also works out. We did not have a good experience with them when we had to replace our car, but it sounds like your local Carmax is responding better to you.

>217 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. So far so good with Carmax, but we'll see.

Good morning everyone,

It looks like it's going to be a warm, sunny day and I think I'll transplant the tomatoes and peppers into the raised beds, and then putter around outside taking care of this and that.

Yesterday I had a nice spell of reading time. I finished the first part of Ruins, turned the page, and started part two which immediately shed an entirely new light on everything I'd read up to that point. I even went back and re-read a couple passages and understood what was actually going on. It was an absolutely amazing twist and I'm now 150% hooked. You might remember the advice from @vivians to go into this book without any background. It's possible I would have seen the twist coming if I'd ignored her advice, but the complete surprise was the most amazing feeling.

I'm afraid Toibin's short stories will suffer as a result of this ... they are quite underwhelming in their own right and can't hold a candle to my Ruins reading experience.

Wow! That sounds amazing. Must make a note of that one.

>219 RebaRelishesReading: I'm really enjoying it, Reba.

This morning after a nice slow start I went outside, did a couple of small tasks in the kitchen garden, followed by some weeding. There's always weeding needed somewhere! This section is going more quickly than the area I worked on last weekend -- different types of weeds, easier to remove.

Our strawberry plants are doing really well, with more berries than we've had the previous two years. I'm loving it! I picked a load of berries yesterday and I'm going to make shortcakes this afternoon ... YUM.

I'm about to head outside for some garden work before it gets too hot. We're experiencing a mini heatwave: today's high is supposed to reach 94F. By Thursday it will be in the mid/high 60s again, thanks to rain in the forecast. So anyway, I'd better get things done outdoors now rather than put it off until the afternoon.

I don't have much on my agenda today. I might pick up a library hold. Also Ellie needs a bath! She's been rolling in something stinky lately and we've been able to sort of "spot clean" but really need to do the job properly. She's not a fan of baths so ... we'll see how it goes.

I'm getting close to finishing Ruins and ignoring The News from Dublin.

Have a great Monday everyone.

Hope you have a good one too, Laura (and that you manage to bathe Ellie without too much struggle).

>221 lauralkeet: Sorry to hear you are in this heat wave with us. We won't get any relief until Thursday as well. It was with great joy that I found our building, with central heating and cooling, had turned on the air conditioning on Saturday.

I keep threatening to move to Yellow Knife for the summer, but I suspect it is full of mosquitoes.

>221 lauralkeet: Maybe Ellie will appreciate a bath more after the heat today!

>223 ffortsa: I think you're very right about that Judy.

Sorry you're all sweltering back east. You could come and visit us, of course. I believe we got all the way up to 71 on this lovely sunny day. (sorry, was that mean?)

>222 RebaRelishesReading:, >224 norabelle414: Ellie was a very good girl about her bath! Some dogs love water in general but she isn't one of them. She was wary at the start but we tried to make it a kind of cuddle-fest. It also helped to have both of us soaping her up and rinsing off. After the bath and a towel dry, she had a nice roll-around in the grass (her version of drying I guess).

>223 ffortsa: Looks like more of the same again today, Judy. Blerg.

>224 norabelle414: Reba, I thought we were friends!! 😀

Yesterday was surprisingly productive, given the heat. I did some outdoor cleanup in an area I'd been neglecting, and once the weeds were gone I realized it would be good to add a few small shrubs and some ground cover to help keep the weeds at bay. Plans are now in motion ...

I also spent some time planning my reading for the near future:
* I've officially DNF'd Colm Toibin's The News from Dublin. I read the first four (of nine) stories and wasn't thrilled with any of them. The last story is more of a novella and IIRC Katie liked that one, but I knew my overall rating would still be "meh" at best, and I was hearing the siren song of other books.
* We're going to be on vacation June 2-10, so I'm thinking about what to take with me. As a start, I bought the first two volumes of the Journals of Emma M. Lion series for my kindle. I expect I'll enjoy them but will probably bring a paperback book with me as a backup.
* I checked the status of my library holds, and was surprised to see the new Elizabeth Strout (The Things We Never Say) "in transit." They must have received more copies since the last time I checked. I'm sure I'll be able to fit it in before we leave, but I decided to suspend my remaining holds in case this should happen with another book. Whew!

Today's another no-agenda day, and will be another hot one. I'm going to head out in a few minutes to finish the garden cleanup I started yesterday and maybe some other tasks before it gets too hot. This afternoon I'll do some Guild work and freeze the strawberries I picked yesterday. We're having a bumper crop this year and we're eating a lot of fresh berries, but they are just so many ... which, since they are my favorite fruit, is a nice problem to have.

>I'm waiting for the audio of The Things We Never Say but wanted to add that my hyper-critical daughter absolutely loved it. An unusual and important thumbs-up for me!

>226 lauralkeet: I thought so too -- hence the invitation to come and enjoy our mild weather!

Since we moved to the over-55 community, we aren't allowed much in the way of a garden. We were one of the first ones here so we did managed to be allowed a 6x10 garden which is mostly dedicated to tomatoes. I grow pole beans in one of my flower beds and that's where my herbs are too. So, I live vicariously through your posts on your gardens - even the weeding ones.

>228 vivians: That's high praise, Vivian. I'm a huge Elizabeth Strout fan so I'm really looking forward to it.

>229 RebaRelishesReading: Okay I'll buy that. I thought you were being snarky!

>230 dudes22: Happy to be of service, Betty lol. I'm glad you were able to have a garden plot into your current space. Any garden is better than no garden right?

Today will probably end up being busier than usual. Later this morning we have a contractor stopping by to talk about some potential window replacements. Then, this afternoon we're going to Carmax to see and test drive the pickup truck, and hopefully buy it. The buying process always takes more time than I'd like it to, but somewhere along the way I also need to put together tomorrow's grocery list.

Last night I finished Ruins, which I really enjoyed. Next up is Dogs, Boys, and Other Things (the full title is Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About but that touchstone doesn't work). The author is Isabel Klee, a Brooklyn-based content creator who has developed a huge following through her work fostering dogs, especially difficult dogs. I started following Isabel on Instagram (@simonsits) about a year ago because of an especially difficult case that attracted a lot of attention. Here's an article from PEOPLE magazine: Woman Documents Timid Rescue Dog’s Transformation. Millions, Including Kylie Kelce, Fall in Love

She's fostered something like 35 dogs and posts something every day about each dog's journey. So, yeah. I've been looking forward to this book and I think it will be a pretty fast read.

Funny coincidence about your next read - my best friend was just reading it, but she decided yesterday to DNF it. That said, I don't think she was familiar with the author at all, so you'll probably like it better :)

Good luck with the truck today!

>233 katiekrug: Hi Katie! That's definitely a funny coincidence. To be fair, I am way outside the target demographic for this memoir. Actually, I suspect your BF is, too, assuming she's well past her 20s. Isabel is 33, the same age as Kate, and had a similar angsty post-collegiate period in New York. But I have tons of respect for what she does and the way she presents herself, and I've learned a lot from her content, so that's the draw for me.

In other news, we now own a new pickup truck! The process at Carmax went smoothly (it helped that we didn't have a trade-in and didn't need to arrange financing).

Also, I finished a hat! This pattern is called Musselburgh and it's a unique design where you need a long closed tube and end up with a reversible hat. I honestly don't care much for the stripey yarn but it looks better when paired with a solid color.

>234 lauralkeet: Your hat is lovely, and quite ingenious!

Karen O

>234 lauralkeet: really cute hat!!! Knit in fingerling looks like it would be "fiddlier" (is that a word?) than I would want to do, especially since I really don't wear hats.

>234 lauralkeet: Congratulations on getting the new truck! I'm glad the process went so smoothly.

I like the reversible hat! I don't knit, but it sounds like it wouldn't be easy to do.

>235 klobrien2: Thanks Karen!

>236 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, sure "fiddlier" is a word! Fiddly, fiddlier, fiddliest! I don't have any problem knitting with fingering weight yarn (aka sock weight), but lace weight is another story.

>237 atozgrl: Thanks Irene. The hat is surprisingly easy to knit once you get past the very beginning. A typical hat starts at the bottom and works its way up. Near the top you start decreasing the number of stitches in each round until you end up with, say, 8-12 stitches. The first part of this hat begins at the top with a very small number of stitches, and that part was, to use our word of the day, fiddly.

Good morning!

We had moderate to heavy rain last night which cooled things off considerably. The next several days are expected to be rainy too, which is on the one hand a bummer and on the other, much needed (we've been in a drought for a long time).

Today is grocery shopping day, but first I have a Zoom call with the Guild treasurer to work on the budget for our next fiscal year, which begins June 1. Not sure what else I'll get up to, although I have some "indoor" jobs to catch up on.

I'm enjoying Isabel's memoir so far (the touchstone is too much to type lol). Besides what I've already mentioned, it's fun to see where her life has overlapped with Kate's. Last night I read a chapter set in 2016 that describes her move from Queens to Brooklyn and I realized she probably lived just blocks from Kate at that time (same subway stop). Both have since moved to different parts of the borough, but it's fun to read about an area you're somewhat familiar with.

>227 lauralkeet: I am sorry to hear that the Colm Toibin book did not work for you, Laura. I have read Toibin in the past and he is kind of off and on with me.

>232 lauralkeet: Ruins looks like a good one. I will have to see if my local library has a copy of the book.

>234 lauralkeet: Congratulations on the new truck! I like the hats :)

>239 lauralkeet: I really wish I could stop eating so that I did not have to buy more groceries. Today is meal planning and grocery shopping day for me too.

I hope you have a good one, Laura!

Congratulations on the new truck.

>234 lauralkeet: I love the hat! I know I have often said I wished I could knit. Well, a friend and I stitch together once a week, and she is learning to knit. She is currently doing a baby blanket for her newest grandson. So, I do see hope. Her husband has dubbed her a knit wit. :)

>241 BLBera: That's great, Beth. And yes there is always hope!

>240 alcottacre: Oops, I missed you there Stasia. I've enjoyed most of the Toibin I've read, but you are not alone. I hope you were had a successful trip to the grocery store. We are once again stocked up for another week.

24. Ruins

>232 lauralkeet: My work bestie read this book right when it came out (I knew she was looking forward to it so I gave her a heads up when it was on order so she got one of the first holds). She loved it and stuck a staff picks sticker on it but it did also make her ugly cry to the point where she scared her husband. 😆 So maybe keep some tissues handy and not read it in public?

>245 MickyFine: ohmigosh, Micky. That's intense!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well I guess it's the rainy season now? We had an inch of rain Wednesday night through Thursday. Today we're expecting 0.8" and there's rain in the forecast every day through Tuesday. So far it's not pouring rain, rather consistent, light-to-medium rainfall that adds up over the course of the day. Fortunately we don't have major holiday weekend plans -- I feel sorry for those who were hoping to have a picnic or pool party.

We're jut having indoor recess here lol. I'd like to take advantage of that to do some decluttering/cleanup, if I can get Chris interested. To be fair, he did a bunch of cleanup yesterday related to the never-ending bathroom remodel, but there are other areas where stuff has kind of piled up.

At some point today I need to plant a row of beans but that won't take long. Reading and knitting will occur!

I didn't read your comments because I hope to read Ruins soon.

>247 BLBera: I understand, Beth. I chose my words carefully but I also stand by Vivian's recommendation to go into this book without knowing much about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's still raining, light but steady: 1" yesterday and 0.8" expected today. The vegetables are noticeably happy with this. We turned off the timers that water various parts of our garden. I hope we remember to turn them back on! There's rain in the forecast through Tuesday. We were scheduled to go on a guided "bat walk" on Sunday evening but it's been rescheduled for next Sunday.

So, what shall I do today? I'm pretty sure I'll finish Dogs, Boys, and Other Things. I need to run some errands this morning, including picking up my hold for the new Elizabeth Strout, The Things We Never Say which will be my next read. And then, more indoor time with no specific plans beyond watching the F1 Canadian Grand Prix Sprint and the qualifying rounds for tomorrow's full race.

>244 lauralkeet: A compelling read, huh? I already checked and my local library does not have it, nor does Hoopla. It stays in the BlackHole for now, at least for a while. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Laura!

Have a super Saturday!

>244 lauralkeet: Oh dear -- you are making that very tempting, Laura. But Mt TBR is SOOOO high and then there's the wish list on my phone. But you've never steered me wrong ....

Laura, I posted the BBQ Sheet Pan recipe over to The Kitchen thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/376688#9203148 if you are interested

>249 alcottacre: No problem, Stasia.

>250 RebaRelishesReading: *rubs hands together gleefully*

>251 alcottacre: Wow, thank you Stasia! I've favorited it for future reference.

>252 lauralkeet: No problem!

Good morning! We're getting a break from the rain today but I'm still in a "stay indoors and be cozy" frame of mind. Today is Chris' birthday but I've been unable to nudge him into doing anything celebratory. He's currently hanging wallpaper. 🙄

Yesterday I finished Dogs, Boys and Other Things and dipped briefly into The Things We Never Say before nodding off last night. I'm looking forward to getting back to it. But first, I need to exercise some self-discipline and take care of some chores.

Later today we'll watch the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, and then have burgers & fries for dinner, followed by brownies a la mode for dessert. MMM yum.

>254 lauralkeet: Happy birthday to Chris! Hopefully you can convince him to do some celebrating later.

Enjoy your ongoing cozy fest!

Late to my thread today, oops. A friend stopped by to pick up some plants which inspired some early morning house tidying and vacuuming, which needed to be done today regardless. The weather is damp and when it's not raining it's humid. Blech. Once again I'm having a quiet indoor day.

>255 MickyFine: Micky thanks for the birthday greetings for Chris. It was a pretty low key day but I gave him a couple of presents and we enjoyed watching the F1 race together. It was a doozy!

25. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About

>257 lauralkeet: Sounds like a good book and I'm glad you enjoyed it but, for once, I think I'm going to escape adding it to my TBR list.

Hope you have a lovely Memorial Day.

It sounds like we had very similar weather all weekend, Laura. If so, then I hope you are now enjoying the sun this afternoon that we are :)

>258 RebaRelishesReading: It was a low key day, Reba, but perfectly fine.

>259 katiekrug: Hi Katie! We had a wee bit of sun late yesterday afternoon and took advantage of it by taking a long dog walk, but damn it all, it's damp again today! I mean COME ON.

Yet another rainy day. Jeez Louise.

This morning I'm getting a pre-vacation pedicure (we leave for France on June 2), and this afternoon Alys is getting her own version of a pedi aka a nail trim. No polish for her though lol.

Today's agenda includes making a dessert for tomorrow's Guild meeting, which is our annual year-end party and pot luck. I'm making a version of Rice Krispie treats with semi-sweet chocolate and pretzels -- a NYT recipe I saw last week that looked both easy and delish.

I *might* get out and do some garden work but only if it's not raining. Elizabeth Strout's new novel, The Things we Never Say, has sucked me in completely -- her writing is just fantastic -- and I'd have no problem spending some of my afternoon curled up with a book.

Boo to the rain! We have sun and bright blue skies.

I've heard nothing but good things about the new Strout...

>261 lauralkeet: Must get to the Strout novel soon! Hope you get to spend your afternoon curled up with it, a nice glass of wine, and the doggies :)

I love your new hat, Laura! Looks lovely! I'm glad your husband found a new truck.

Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday ...

>262 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Wednesday was rainy but today is delightfully sunny. Yay!

>263 RebaRelishesReading: You will LOVE the new Strout, Reba. I've been making steady progress and have about 20 pages remaining so I plan to finish today. Weirdly because it's so good I almost don't want to finish it.

>264 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, and thank you!

Yesterday was the Fiber Guild's year-end party (our fiscal year ends in May). It's a casual affair with a potluck lunch, where we recognize the departing officers and welcome the new ones. This year we also recognized a three members who are stepping down from volunteer roles they've held for many years. The potluck gave us more time for socializing than usual, and we had a good turnout, so all in all I was pleased with it. I'm now officially halfway through my term as president and the good news is, I'm still enjoying it. But no worries, I will respect the term limit LOL.

This morning I need to do the grocery shopping, but I only need to stock up for a few days because we leave for France on Tuesday. I have a number of pre-vaca tasks to take care of between now and then, and I feel my pre-travel anxiety coming on (normal, but I have to work to tamp it down).

As mentioned in my previous post, I expect to finish The Things We Never Say today and then I'll shift to my vacation reads. More about that later!

>266 lauralkeet: Ah, yes. Pre-travel anxiety is a real thing for me as well, even though some of my best memories have happened during travel. I try to remind myself of that! Traveling with family/friends or just the two of you?

Sweet Thursday, Laura. Finally checking in after a long absence. So sorry to hear about Chris' accident. Wow. Thankfully he wasn't injured. Is he still feeling alright? 🙏

I am really looking forward to The Things We Never Say. Strout Rocks! I can't believe Anne Patchett has a new one out too. They have both been remarkably consistent.

Count me among those with pre-travel anxiety. It's always worth making the trip, of course, but I really hate the pervasive anxious feeling leading up to it...

>267 japaul22:, >269 katiekrug: Well I'm glad I'm not alone! My brother and SIL will be joining us, and they're actually flying out tonight to spend a few days in/around Barcelona before we arrive. Kristen and I were texting about various things yesterday, like what to pack / what to wear, and then Chuck called Chris some questions of his own ... and they were both wide awake at 5:30 this morning. Clearly we're all dealing with it!

>268 msf59: Hiya Mark, thanks for the thoughts for Chris. He's doing fine thank goodness, and we're pleased to have the whole thing behind us. I've already requested the new Patchett from the library and agree she, too, is remarkably consistent. I'll read anything that both of them publish. I predict you will LOVE The Things We Never Say.

Here's a funny Easter Egg quote for Strout fans:

He remembered that his wife had loved some book--oh, years ago now--about a crotchety old woman in Maine ...

If you know, you know. 😀

Safe travels, Laura. How long will you be gone?

>271 BLBera: Thanks Beth. We'll be gone about a week -- flying home Wednesday June 10.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe vacation, Laura!

>273 Sakerfalcon: Thanks Claire!

Well ... today got away from me. I didn't have much going on, but somehow I've been busy all day. *shrug*

I like to start new threads at the beginning of a month, but I feel ready for a new one so I'll do that tomorrow. I'll also post a review of The Things We Never Say as well as my vacation reading plans.

"today got away from you"? I went to brunch with Hubby, stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, went to the grocery store and it's 4 pm!!!

>275 RebaRelishesReading: the struggle is real Reba! But we capped off the day with pizza and a shared bottle of red so it’s all good…

sounds like a lovely way to end the day!! (and good practice for France)

Hi Laura. I believe I am just sneaking in before you start a new thread AND before you depart for France! How exciting! I love love love visiting France. My memory is that you are somewhat fluent in the language, yes? Where, specifically, are you headed?

I'm looking forward to reading Ruins as I absolutely loved The Light Pirate!

>277 RebaRelishesReading: oh yes Reba, it was excellent practice lol

>278 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I'd call our French fluency something like "advanced tourist French". We get by pretty well, but can't hold an actual conversation. We're headed to the Occitania region in southern France which is west of Provence with similar climate without all the tourists. We have friends there who run a B&B also have a holiday home rental, so we've visited several times and it's become our regular vacation destination.

New thread coming at some point ... still waking up.