Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 6

Ceci est la suite du sujet Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 5.

Ce sujet est poursuivi sur Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 7.

Discussions75 Books Challenge for 2022

Rejoignez LibraryThing pour poster.

Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 6

1lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 29, 2022, 8:53 am


Alys would like to go for a walk ...

Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, recently turned 60, retired. My husband Chris and I live in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia, and keep ourselves busy with gardening, re-wildling our pasture to attract wildlife, and the occasional interior renovation. We’re documenting this journey through a newsletter (free!) on Substack: Willow Greens Farm -- check it out!

This is my fourteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Where has the time gone?! I read mostly contemporary fiction, with the odd classic or memoir thrown in. I am increasingly relying on our fabulous local library system to meet my reading needs, and that makes me happy. This year I’ll read where my mood takes me, keep plugging away at various series, and stay current with new series releases.

Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and weaving. I have a thread in the Needlearts group; stop in and say hi sometime!

My 2022 threads can be found here:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5



Books Featured on this Thread
20. Marcella - comments here
21. In Two Minds - comments here
22. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant - comments here
23. These Precious Days - comments here
24. Tea at Four O'Clock - comments here

2lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 30, 2022, 7:15 am

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 2022:
* tbd

Series started in 2022:
* Mistress of the Art of Death
* Teifi Valley Coroner

Series abandoned in 2022:
* Sandhamn Murders

3lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 30, 2022, 7:31 am



Currently Reading


The Lost Man | The Wild Braid

On Deck


Sea of Tranquility

4lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 1, 2022, 8:50 am

Welcome to May!

Yesterday was another great day to be out gardening, so that's what I did. Mostly I moved peppers from seed tray to small pots. Today might be the day for indoor activity as it's supposed to rain off and on. There's nothing pressing. I wouldn't mind working on my bunny for a bit, or doing some weaving, or reading. I have about 130 pages to go in Marcella and am eager to wrap it up.

Here's a "you can't make this up" story ...

Our property is at the intersection of a busy road with a fair amount of traffic where people drive too fast, and a gravel road with very little traffic. The gravel road sees more traffic on weekends: it's a favorite of cyclists and also leads to a winery and wedding venue 1.5mi away. Yesterday a group of people came down the road in a golf cart, we're guessing from the wedding venue and no doubt in a certain festive state of mind and body. This was a dumb idea under any circumstances, but they continued to the end of the road and made a left turn onto the busy road. In a golf cart! Doing what, 20mph? The approaching traffic would be coming over a hill and not see the golf cart until they were practically on top of them. Lucky for them our driveway is about 100 yds along this busy road and they decided to use it to turn around. This meant making a left turn into the driveway and reversing back out onto the busy road, but hey what the hell. They made it safely back onto the gravel road but HONESTLY WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!

Safety tip: don't do that.

Wordle 316 6/6

🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Too close for comfort, and very annoying as I thought of this word earlier but discarded it as a misspelling. Turns out it's a legit word, with a slightly different meaning. Merriam Webster explains it here. I'm still annoyed though.

Okay, over to you all!

5japaul22
Mai 1, 2022, 8:59 am

>4 lauralkeet: We flipped. Yesterday's word took me 6 and I wasn't convinced it was a word and had rejected it earlier in my guesses. Today I got in 3. I did have a moment of hesitation when I entered it about whether it was really a correctly spelled word, but I figured it was either in their word list and a good guess or not in their word list and I'd get another shot. Worked out today!

6scaifea
Mai 1, 2022, 9:10 am

Happy new thread, Laura!

Wow to the golf cart story! I mean, honestly.

7richardderus
Mai 1, 2022, 9:28 am

>4 lauralkeet: Stupidity is a scary thing to watch in action, isn't it.

Happily it wasn't an X day for me either though I was almost there...I too thought "...but that can't be...it's misspelled!" Turns out it wasn't, though I'm still grumbly about it.


Happy May Day.

8PaulCranswick
Mai 1, 2022, 9:57 am

Happy new thread, Laura.

I see stupidity on the roads here in Malaysia nearly every single day. Among my pet hates is that there is a proliferation of motorbikes and many of the local families travel en masse often with small children in their arms, the kids not wearing any headgear or helmets (though usually the parents are protected). The death rate on the roads is fantastic (and not in the good sense of the word) and the majority of them are motorcyclists, but the local police force don't enforce compliance with the Malay families for some strange reason.

9figsfromthistle
Mai 1, 2022, 10:23 am

Happy new one!

10drneutron
Mai 1, 2022, 10:36 am

Yeah we get some serious WTF moments involving cars/trucks and bicycles out where we are - two lane country roads with no shoulders are great for riding until someone in a car driving too fast pops over a hill…

Anyway, happy new thread!

11BLBera
Mai 1, 2022, 10:41 am

Happy new thread, Laura. Love the golf cart story. How great that you didn't have to witness a horrible accident. I live in town, but people often use my street to cut through to a main street and go way too fast.

12lauralkeet
Mai 1, 2022, 12:53 pm

>5 japaul22: Well done Jennifer!
>9 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita!
>6 scaifea:, >7 richardderus:, >8 PaulCranswick:, >10 drneutron:, >11 BLBera: It looks like we've all been privy to stupid people. But not here on LT!

We decided to spend about an hour this morning working on some cleanup along the side of the gravel road, in preparation for our privacy fence being replaced. We came in for lunch just as it started raining. Now I can do indoor stuff guilt-free!

13FAMeulstee
Mai 1, 2022, 4:24 pm

Happy new thread, Laura!

Yeah, I feel the same about stupid actions on the road...

14quondame
Mai 1, 2022, 5:58 pm

Happy new thread!

15lauralkeet
Mai 2, 2022, 7:48 am

>13 FAMeulstee:, >14 quondame: Thanks Anita & Susan.

Welcome to a new week everyone!

I enjoyed yesterday's rainy afternoon immensely. I tied up a few crafting odds and ends, did a bit of weaving, some reading, and then attempted a bit of crochet following last week's craft night. It's slow going but I enjoy learning new things, so I will persist.

This morning the bathroom remodelers are coming to lay tile. It's been a couple of weeks since the crew was last here and we've been waiting on the tile guy to finish another job, so this is a welcome development. I also have my regular library shift. Not sure what the afternoon will bring, but it looks like it's going to be a nice day.

We are nearing the end of Gentleman Jack, Season 1. It's so good and I'm glad the second season is already available. We're also watching Our Flag Means Death which is completely silly but a fun diversion.

And I'm still reading Marcella, but I think I can finally see how everything will come together into a resolution.

Wordle 317 3/6

⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

16msf59
Mai 2, 2022, 7:52 am

Happy New Thread, Laura. This is spring migration month, so looking forward to hearing more feeder reports from you. Have a great week.

17lauralkeet
Mai 3, 2022, 7:49 am

>16 msf59: Okay Mark, I see I have my marching orders! *smile*

Good morning all,

I enjoyed my library shift yesterday. I don't have much patron interaction and can't hold a candle to Amber's stories, but I do occasionally notice things. There's a woman who comes in most Mondays right after the library opens, with her grandchildren who I'm guessing are 4-5 and 2ish. Yesterday the older child approached the desk with a book, pointing out that it was missing the bar code needed to check it out. The librarian acknowledged this, took a closer look, and recognized the book as some sort of free copy available for the taking. She told the little girl she could have it for keeps and she was thrilled. It was very sweet. Conversation about books and movies ensued, with particular emphasis on a shared love of Scooby Doo. I can't wait to see them again. I'd also love to strike up a conversation with the grandmother who is about my age.

The weather was fabulous yesterday so I planted pole beans and helped Chris create yet another garden bed. We need space for melons and squash, which tend to sprawl everywhere. Today we're having the privacy fence along the gravel road replaced. This fence runs along the property boundary, shielding the Terrace Garden from the road. The panels are in various stages of falling down, and it's clear attempts have been made over the years to shore them up, but it's a mess. We imagine neighbors driving by saying to themselves, "when are they going to do something about that?!" Well, here we are.

I am *this close* to finishing that d**n Marcella. The love interest part of the story is finally coming to the inevitable conclusion but my god getting there has been a) a winding road and b) way deeper into 19th C British politics than I needed it to be.

Wordle 318 3/6

⬜🟩🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
A lucky guess, thrown out there mostly to eliminate another vowel.

18laytonwoman3rd
Modifié : Mai 3, 2022, 11:44 am

I thank you most avidly for taking the "hit" with Marcella. Your comments, and the one review on site, convince me that my copy is taking up room on a shelf that could be occupied with something else I might actually want to read. So off it will go to a library donation box!

19Berly
Mai 3, 2022, 11:14 am

>4 lauralkeet: Happy new thread! And I had the exact same thoughts on this word. LOL

20lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 3, 2022, 12:21 pm

>18 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for pointing me to that review, Linda. I chose this book for a Virago Group theme read, but didn't read the review as part of winnowing down my choices. That said, it's a very objective review and not a complete pan, so I probably would still have read the book. But do I feel my time could have been better spent? Yes, I do. Would I recommend this book to others? Nope.

>19 Berly: I'm happy to be in such good company, Kim!

21lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 5, 2022, 7:54 am


20. Marcella ()

There. I finished it. I've grumped enough about reading this book that I'm not going to spend any more emotional energy writing a review. The one review on the book's page is enough.

22lauralkeet
Mai 3, 2022, 3:45 pm

Next up ...



In Two Minds is the second book in the Teifi Valley Coroner series. The Wild Braid is a collection of essays about gardening, written by a poet. Together these should pull me out of my Marcella-induced funk.

23lauralkeet
Mai 4, 2022, 8:49 am

Hump day! Dammit, I wrote a whole post and swear I saved it, but it's nowhere to be found.

Yesterday's fence project went really well. The two-man crew was incredibly fast. In the just 5.5 hours they removed the old fence and put in 140 feet of new fence.

Here's a "before" view from the gravel road:


This is "after," from approximately the same spot.


And this is the view from the terrace. Yes, the garden is *that close* to the road. Hence the need for a fence!


It's been raining off and on all morning, but that's okay. We need the rain. I don't have much on my agenda today other than a quick grocery run to pick up things we've run out of. Oh, and I should clean the kitchen. Blerg.

Wordle 319 2/6

⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
This got my day off to a good start!

24katiekrug
Mai 4, 2022, 8:58 am

I was similarly amazed at how fast our fence went in a couple of months ago! Yours looks great.

25lauralkeet
Mai 4, 2022, 12:48 pm

Thanks Katie! Chris was gobsmacked, especially since he recently completed a fence project that took ... um ... much longer.

The weather brightened for a bit mid-morning so we made a run to our local nursery to pick up some shrubs. Here's the best part about visiting this nursery:


The owner has an arrangement with a local breeder and adopts these ladies when they are done having puppies. I love that.

26RebaRelishesReading
Mai 4, 2022, 2:12 pm

>23 lauralkeet: Your fence looks great, as does your garden. Love the doggies at the garden center too.

I got totally lucky with wordle today :)

27laytonwoman3rd
Mai 4, 2022, 2:48 pm

>25 lauralkeet: What a lovely idea! So nice to hear about good people.

28quondame
Modifié : Mai 4, 2022, 4:51 pm

>23 lauralkeet: That's impressive fence raising, especially as it looks like some massive clearing was going on too.

>25 lauralkeet: Oh, the old dears do look weary. It's good they have a welcome place for their retirement, but it makes me sad to think of them breeding their youth away.

29raidergirl3
Mai 4, 2022, 5:04 pm

>23 lauralkeet: The Wordle today was the same word as the Canuckle today!. So weird.

30richardderus
Mai 4, 2022, 5:41 pm

>23 lauralkeet: Impressive that they got that much fence put in so quickly. And it does make your eagerness to get it done very relatable to see how close the road is!

Merry, merry Maytime wishes.

31lauralkeet
Mai 4, 2022, 8:27 pm

>26 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! And I bow down to your Wordle prowess.

>27 laytonwoman3rd: The owner has also taken in several parrots surrendered by their owners for various reasons. They raise quite a racket when you go inside to pay. I don't like them as much as the dogs, but I think it says a lot about the owner's values.

>28 quondame: I share your sad feelings about the lady doggos, Susan. But I'm glad they are loved and cared for in their old age.

>29 raidergirl3: That is weird indeed, Elizabeth!

>30 richardderus: Modern houses are required to be set back a certain distance from a road, but this house was built in 1791 when that was not the case. When we drive by old houses we notice that, more often than not, they too are right on the edge of the road.

32lauralkeet
Mai 5, 2022, 8:07 am

Happy Thursday!

I have a very light agenda today, at least in terms of things that *must* be done. I need to make my grocery list, which is slightly more involved because we're having another couple over for lunch on Sunday. But really, it's not a huge deal. Gardening-wise, yesterday we transplanted some flowers into beds, and today we'll plant some of what we bought at the garden center. We might also transplant tomatoes. We're running a little experiment, putting some tomatoes in a raised bed and others in 20-gallon fabric containers in the greenhouse. Exciting, I know.

This morning the bathroom remodeling crew is coming to finish up the tile. It was laid on Tuesday and today they'll put in the grout. Next up will be wood trim around the perimeter (chair rail and bead board), and then I think the fixtures can be installed. The end is in sight! We're going to paint the walls and trim ourselves (and by "we" I mean Chris LOL), after the crew finishes their work.

In reading news, I downgraded my rating for Marcella to 2.5 stars instead of 3. I give 3 stars to books that are acceptable, with decent writing but nothing compelling. I decided my annoyance with this book indicated something less than that. And now I'm really enjoying In Two Minds, which is bringing me out of my funk.

Wordle 320 4/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
A questionable word IMO, likely to trip up anyone who doesn't speak American English.

33msf59
Mai 5, 2022, 8:21 am

>23 lauralkeet: Great job on the fence project. Bravo!!

Sweet Thursday, Laura. I am still adding FOY birds. Yesterday, I sighted: a scarlet tanager, a rose-breasted grosbeak and a black-crowned night heron. All beauties. Still nothing exotic showing up at my feeders though. I am being patient.

34karenmarie
Mai 5, 2022, 8:42 am

Hi Laura, and happy new thread.

From your last thread, congrats on the Red-Headed Woodpecker making a nest on your property. I have yet to see one, but have heard rumors that there is a pair nesting on a neighbor’s property. Unfortunately, this neighbor and I don’t particularly get along, and I won’t be asking her to hang out to try to see them.

>4 lauralkeet: Wow to the golf cart story. It could have been disastrous, right there at your house.

>21 lauralkeet: Thanks for the warning. The Victorian era is one of my least favorites anyway – Georgian and Regency are my favorites.

>23 lauralkeet: Lovely new fencing. They did a beautiful job, and your garden is gorgeous.

35laytonwoman3rd
Mai 5, 2022, 10:29 am

>32 lauralkeet: I agree with you about today's Wordle. I hesitated to enter the word, but couldn't come up with another one given the state of my previous entries, and was surprised it was the correct response.

36Caroline_McElwee
Mai 5, 2022, 10:37 am

>25 lauralkeet: Lovely ladies.

37RebaRelishesReading
Mai 5, 2022, 12:43 pm

>32 lauralkeet:, >35 laytonwoman3rd: Yep, I had a bit of a "really?!?!?" response when that one worked today too.

38dudes22
Mai 5, 2022, 12:44 pm

>35 laytonwoman3rd: - Same thing for me.

39Berly
Mai 5, 2022, 12:52 pm

Same thoughts on today's Wordle. But I got it in time. Phew!

LOVE the new fence--gorgeous! Happy Thursday. : )

40lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 5, 2022, 2:11 pm

>33 msf59: Mark, you saw a scarlet tanager? Nice! I've never seen one. We did, however, see OUR FIRST HUMMINGBIRD today. Yay!

>34 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I understand not wanting to visit that neighbor. We avoid one of ours because he walked over here and delivered a QAnon-infused rant one day. Thanks for the kudos on the fence and garden.

>36 Caroline_McElwee: Caro, as you might notice those are all English Labs which are chunkier than the American breed. The choccies remind me of our dear departed Lilly, who will always be the best dog ever (sorry Woody ...)

>35 laytonwoman3rd:, >37 RebaRelishesReading:, >38 dudes22:, >39 Berly: Loving the Wordle outrage solidarity!

ETA: Over lunch today we saw another hummingbird, and then a Rose Breasted Grosbeak made an appearance at our feeder. That one was a lifer. Woop woop!

41Caroline_McElwee
Mai 5, 2022, 3:36 pm

>49 RebaRelishesReading: Woop woop indeed for a lifer in your garden, that is a treat Laura.

42BLBera
Mai 5, 2022, 10:03 pm

Thanks for taking the Marcella hit.

I hope we'll see pictures of the completed bath.

Your fence is really nice.

Love the dogs at the garden center.

We're finally getting springlike weather here. It was almost 60 degrees today!

43lauralkeet
Mai 6, 2022, 6:55 am

>41 Caroline_McElwee: we saw the grosbeak a few times yesterday. This is migration season. Our bit of Virginia is on the southernmost end of the grosbeak's breeding range so this one might stay, or might be just passing through.

>42 BLBera: Beth, I'm planning to post both before and after pics of the bath once it's finished. Watch this space! I'm glad your weather is improving.

44msf59
Mai 6, 2022, 7:27 am

Happy Friday, Laura. Congrats on seeing your first rose-breasted grosbeak. It has been a good week for them. There was one at the Rehab Center, so I go to clean it's cage. I saw my FOY on my Trail Watch walk and then had one stop by my tray feeder yesterday. All males. They do breed here, so we get to enjoy them through the season. And congrats on your first hummingbird. I have not seen one yet.

45lauralkeet
Mai 6, 2022, 9:10 am

Happy Friday to Mark and anyone else out there ...

Today will be rainy. It is already rainy. So far it's been the kind of steady light rain gardeners welcome. We're happy about it because the plants we bought Wednesday went into the ground yesterday, so they'll get a nice soaking today. But also, probably tomorrow. And maybe Sunday. I'm less happy about that because we're having another couple over for lunch on Sunday and were hoping to sit outside in the sun. We'll see.

Today's agenda includes grocery shopping and not sure what else. This has been a really unstructured week, which has been nice. I'll just enjoy it while I can, because next week brings more scheduled things. All good, just less free-wheeling.

I'm still working on my knitted bunny. After a few days' break I started making its little stripey trousers. I knitted the top part last night, enough to be able to slip them on the bunny, confirm that they will fit, and then laugh at myself for worrying about bunny clothing.

Okay, it's time for yoga, a shower, and groceries.

Wordle 321 4/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟨🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

46katiekrug
Mai 6, 2022, 10:02 am

Boo to the rain!

I can't wait to see your finished bunny.

Enjoy the quiet day...

47richardderus
Mai 6, 2022, 11:11 am

Quiet, rainy Friday here as well. Enjoy your garden emitting rapturous clouds of petrichor.

48lauralkeet
Mai 6, 2022, 12:35 pm

>46 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I'm having fun making the bunny. I'm obsessive about documenting my projects (just as I am with books), and always take photos so you can count on that.

>47 richardderus: Hi Richard. Thank you for adding to my vocabulary today!

Well, the grocery shopping is done and we've just had lunch, so I think perhaps some reading is in order.

49RebaRelishesReading
Mai 6, 2022, 1:56 pm

Can't wait to see that bunny all finished and to hear about the child's reaction :)

Boo to Q-Anon neighbors!! There's a pick-up truck I see around town sometimes with a huge flag sticking out of the bed -- I don't even like to see that and it doesn't live anywhere near me. I hear that there is a least one of "those" groups headquartered here in our city of 140,000 and I don't like that idea either :(

Happy rainy day reading. That's what I did yesterday afternoon and hope to get to today too.

50figsfromthistle
Mai 6, 2022, 8:38 pm

>23 lauralkeet: Wow! What a transformation! Looks great!!!

51lauralkeet
Mai 7, 2022, 8:34 am

>49 RebaRelishesReading: ewww to the pick-up truck, Reba.
>50 figsfromthistle: Thank you!

Okay, the rain can stop now. But it won't, at least not today. We've had light-to-medium rainfall off and on and that is expected to continue. There are flood warnings, and although our land is not particularly susceptible to flooding there's water puddling up in places. Enough already.

I finished the bunny trousers, so now I just have to make the sweater. I'm also making good progress with In Two Minds.

Tonight we're getting together with an old friend. We met him and his wife more than 30 years ago, but they split up around 2005ish. They were living in Northern Virginia at the time and we kept in touch with him off and on over the years. We heard from him recently after a long silence. He lives close enough to visit, and he and Chris met for lunch. Tonight he's coming to our place and we'll have dinner at a nearby restaurant. Normally we would have made a nice meal ourselves but we had already committed to hosting another couple for lunch tomorrow.

Wordle 322 2/6

🟩⬜🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I had a lucky first word, inspired by the weather: MOIST.

52klobrien2
Mai 7, 2022, 9:47 am

>51 lauralkeet: Wow! Very nice wordle-ing!

Karen O

53katiekrug
Mai 7, 2022, 10:08 am

We are twinning today, Laura. I am also tired of the rain and I also got Wordle in 2 :)

54lauralkeet
Mai 7, 2022, 12:32 pm

>52 klobrien2: Thanks Karen!
>53 katiekrug: *fist bump*

The rain has let up here, and the weather radar indicates it's on its way outta here, but PA/NJ/NY is getting a soaking now.

55laytonwoman3rd
Mai 7, 2022, 12:48 pm

>51 lauralkeet: Yay! Same first word here, and you can join Katie and I in the club today.

56Berly
Mai 7, 2022, 2:20 pm

I can't join the club today. 4 tries. Sigh.

>51 lauralkeet: Have fun with the friends!

57lauralkeet
Mai 7, 2022, 4:20 pm

>55 laytonwoman3rd: way to go Linda! Happy to be in such good company.
>56 Berly: And I include you in the "good company" too, Kim, 4 tries be damned.

58msf59
Mai 8, 2022, 8:29 am

Happy Mother's Day, Laura. Looks like you have been getting all the rain we had. It has all moved out of here now and we are in store for some beautiful weather. 'Bout time, I say!

I had my first ruby-throat this morning. A lovely male.

59lauralkeet
Mai 8, 2022, 8:46 am

>58 msf59: Hi Mark!

Yes, we had a ton of rain yesterday, like 2", on top of Friday's deluge. And it's cold, just 43F when I woke up this morning. It's all a bit much for MAY.

We had a nice evening and a good long catch-up with our friend last night. The restaurant meal was just so-so. We'd been to this place before and had a similar experience, but we chose it for convenience more than anything else. The company was more important.

Today we're having friends over for lunch, which I originally envisioned as an outdoor affair but ... no. One half of the couple is Spanish, and they are bringing Spanish Tortilla (a sort of omelet made with potatoes). We're rounding out the menu with some tapas dishes. I also made Sangria which I optimistically envisioned quaffing in the hot sun but as I said ... no. We'll just have to stay indoors and pretend.

Kate and Julia sent me a lovely flower arrangement for Mother's Day, which was delivered yesterday, and we'll have a family FaceTime call later today.

Wordle 323 4/6

⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I struggled with this one and felt lucky to get it in 4.

60laytonwoman3rd
Mai 8, 2022, 10:53 am

I was absolutely sure I had it in 3, with candy>, given the day. But after that, there was only one other choice, so I'm a 4 today as well.

61Berly
Mai 8, 2022, 11:25 am

>57 lauralkeet: Yay! I'm in good company! Four today as well. And Happy Mother's Day. : )

62dudes22
Modifié : Mai 8, 2022, 4:05 pm

>59 lauralkeet: - Four for me too! Thought I had it in 3 but used/picked the wrong choice of the two I was thinking of.

63lauralkeet
Mai 9, 2022, 7:27 am

>60 laytonwoman3rd:, >61 Berly:, >62 dudes22: Let's hear it for Wordle in 4! That's still my most common result (40% of the time).

64lauralkeet
Mai 9, 2022, 7:37 am

Welcome to a new week!

We spent a lovely afternoon yesterday with our friends Lori & Juan Carlos. (A brief aside: We met them through our Philly realtor, who realized we'd be living less than 30 minutes from his sister. Juan Carlos is originally from Madrid. They are very interesting people who lived in a number of different countries during their careers with US AID.) So anyway ... I was bummed that our summer lunch on the terrace was not to be, and then Chris had the brilliant idea to have lunch in the greenhouse. It was warm and even felt a bit sunny. We ate too much and didn't need to make dinner, so then we had a lazy evening of mostly reading and TV, and enjoyed a FaceTime call with Kate and Julia.

I'm working a library shift this morning and will pick up a couple holds while I'm there. This afternoon I have a few things to do requiring use of the telephone. Blech!

Wordle 324 2/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
A Monday miracle!

65katiekrug
Mai 9, 2022, 7:50 am

>64 lauralkeet: - No, not the phone! Terrible way to start the week :)

The Wordle, OTOH, is a good start, so I guess it evens out.

Have a good one, Laura.

66RebaRelishesReading
Mai 9, 2022, 12:30 pm

Love your Monday miracle! Also love the idea to have lunch in the greenhouse -- I can imagine it was fun. Your beds look great -- actually your whole property looks amazing. I would never be able to care for it all but it is beautiful!

67Oregonreader
Mai 9, 2022, 4:18 pm

Hi Laura, I just dropped by to catch up with you. Your garden is lovely and I envy your weather right now. It is cold with heavy rains here. Lunch in the greenhouse sounds wonderful. I'm enjoying your gardening vicariously!

68lauralkeet
Mai 9, 2022, 9:01 pm

>65 katiekrug: Katie, the phone calls turned out not to be too bad and they were done quickly. Yay!

>66 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you Reba!

>67 Oregonreader: and a big hello and welcome to Jan! Thanks for stopping by.

69PaulCranswick
Mai 9, 2022, 9:20 pm

>64 lauralkeet: Lunch in the greenhouse sounds a bit too warm for me, Laura. I am used to my air-conditioning in this clammy climate.

70lauralkeet
Mai 10, 2022, 8:04 am

>69 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. The outdoor temperature has a significant impact on the temperature inside the greenhouse. Sunday was chilly (temps from 45 to 60F), and by afternoon the greenhouse temp was probably around 70F. Quite comfortable.

71lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 28, 2022, 8:35 am

Yesterday was reasonably productive. I made short work of the day's phone calls after the library, and then did some gardening. We put some tomatoes out in the raised beds, but first we had to create cages that will support them as they grow taller. We used some leftover fencing wire for that.

Later this morning I have my monthly knitting group, and the afternoon is once again free. But once again I have a few phone calls I'd like to make. I *should* do some cleaning but I could be lured outside instead, because the weather is once again back where it should be in May: sunny and pleasant.

Here are the library holds I picked up yesterday:


Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant | These Precious Days

And today's Wordle was a real struggle for some reason.

Wordle 325 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

72PaulCranswick
Mai 10, 2022, 8:23 am

>70 lauralkeet: That does sound attractive, Laura.

73dudes22
Mai 10, 2022, 12:18 pm

>71 lauralkeet: - I'll be interested in your thoughts on the Anne Tyler book which I read many years ago.

74lauralkeet
Mai 10, 2022, 1:09 pm

>72 PaulCranswick: It was indeed, Paul.

>73 dudes22: Sure thing, Betty. This was sparked by a discussion on Beth (BLBera)'s thread about Tyler's latest, French Braid, which Beth loved. The library queue for French Braid is very long, so I decided to read something from her backlist while I'm waiting. At first I thought I'd never read any of Tyler's books, but checking my catalog found I'd read and enjoyed Ladder of Years pre-LT. I've also seen the film of The Accidental Tourist, but not read the book.

75lauralkeet
Mai 11, 2022, 7:50 am

How is it Wednesday already?

Today Alys is going to the vet for dental work -- just a cleaning, with hopefully no extractions needed. Because this requires anesthesia she was not allowed to have breakfast nor can she be given nibbles from our breakfast (yes, *someone* does this routinely). Her reaction this morning seems to be, "WTF?" Anyway, keep sweet Alys in your thoughts today!

Later this morning I have a Fiber Guild meeting. This afternoon an HVAC guy is coming to talk about cooling options for our guest rooms, which currently have window AC units. The situation is complicated by an old house with stone walls and limited options for ductwork. I called one company a few weeks ago about ductless systems and they basically ghosted us after the visit ("oh, I thought we agreed you weren't interested in an estimate?" Um ... no. Bye.) So this time I called the company that has serviced our existing HVAC in the past. They've been really straight-up with us on some of the "unique" aspects of our current setup and spent a lot of time resolving an issue we were having last winter. I really should have just called them to begin with. I'm hoping they will be candid with us about what's possible, and whether it would make financial sense.

I'm enjoying my reading but spending less time on it these days. I'm trying to shake off this weird feeling of self-judgement about how long it's taking me to finish books.

Wordle 326 3/6

🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟨🟩🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I'm happy with this score though!

76katiekrug
Mai 11, 2022, 7:52 am

"I'm trying to shake off this weird feeling of self-judgement about how long it's taking me to finish books."

YES! Me too.

Good luck with the HVAC...

77lauralkeet
Mai 12, 2022, 8:37 am

Hello hello hello!

Alys went in for dental work yesterday and received a much-needed cleaning. She also needed two extractions, which wasn't fun for her. She got through it just fine and is on soft food and anti-inflammatory meds for the next few days. But she is still quite subdued, or possibly mad at us.

The HVAC appointment was productive. This company comes across as rather old-fashioned but they are reliable and knowledgeable about older houses. Unlike the guy from the company that gets tons of recs in the local Facebook group, they seem both willing and able to do the work. He proposed a solution to running A/C to the two bedrooms in question and recommended we get some attic insulation work done first for a number of reasons, including that he could specify a less powerful (less costly) solution.

Today's agenda is a bit fluid at the moment. We need to go look at possible wood trim for the bathroom remodel, which might happen this morning, or we might put it off 'til tomorrow. I have a Fiber Guild committee meeting over Zoom this afternoon, my third guild-related meeting this week which is something I hope not to repeat in future. I have control over the committee schedule, but didn't notice the pileup when we set the date.

I'm closing in on the end of In Two Minds. The mystery and the regular characters' story arc are both well crafted.

Wordle 327 5/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟩🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I had to "phone a friend" for this one; I just couldn’t get it and couldn't bear the thought of failure! It is admittedly a weird word.

78katiekrug
Mai 12, 2022, 8:51 am

Morning, Laura!

Poor Alys. After my recent dental woes, I feel for her. Poor puppers.

Glad your HVAC guy is good. I will never not use ours for anything heating, cooling, or plumbing related, as they were amazingly helpful after The Flood and got us sorted out on getting cleaned up. Great people. They'll be here next week to put in a ductless unit in our family room area :)

79MickyFine
Mai 12, 2022, 11:33 am

I hope Alys is feeling more herself in a day or two.

Wishing you a fun Guild meeting, even if it is your third of the week.

80richardderus
Mai 12, 2022, 12:07 pm

Your HVAC adventure could've been much worse absent an honest and forthright professional, so yay for that, but my whole being hurts for Alys. Bad enough going to the dentist, but doing that without understanding why must be torture.

Today was a three day for me, to my somewhat annoyed pleasure.

81RebaRelishesReading
Mai 12, 2022, 12:21 pm

Please give Alys a hug from me. I hope she is back to her old self very soon.

Congratulations on having a reliable HVAC company. Having people like that to help you is so nice and so important. Hope your bathroom wraps up soon and that the HVAC work gets done before summer heat sets in.

82lauralkeet
Mai 12, 2022, 5:34 pm

Alys sends her thanks to everyone for the good wishes. She's been a bit quiet today, but she lost her s**t over a delivery so that was a good sign. She's eating well and enjoying chicken & rice vs. her usual kibble. We tried playing ball with her but I think her mouth is still a bit sensitive. Of course she's getting lots of snuggles. It must be difficult for pets, not understanding what's going on.

83lauralkeet
Mai 13, 2022, 8:30 am

Friday Friday Friday!

Since I'm not a worker bee, the only significance to Fridays is that we usually have take-out for dinner, and I'm looking forward to that!

Today's agenda includes the grocery run and a stop to buy bird seed. We don't need to go out to look at bathroom trim after all, because the foreman stopped by yesterday with a sample that we decided to go with.

It's going to rain off and on today, but not the biblical rain we had a couple of weeks ago. Maybe I'll finish reading In Two Minds. My knitted bunny is almost finished, I just have to knit one more sleeve on the sweater. Photos in due course!

Other than that, there's not much to report. I'm off to finish the grocery list ... back later!

Wordle 328 2/6

🟨⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Woo hoo!

84MickyFine
Mai 13, 2022, 1:16 pm

Sounds like an excellent and mellow Friday ahead for you. What's takeout likely to be?

And huzzah for a 2!

85lauralkeet
Mai 13, 2022, 5:16 pm

>84 MickyFine: Our local options include Pizza, BBQ, Thai, Chinese, or Mexican. While we always discuss and make an intentional choice, we almost always end up with pizza and that is indeed the plan tonight. I don't mind because we always have enough for lunch on Saturday and weirdly, I look forward to that almost as much as the Friday dinner!

86quondame
Modifié : Mai 13, 2022, 9:01 pm

>83 lauralkeet: >85 lauralkeet: Friday is also our order-in night here. We have lots of choices and being 3 of us, two with frequent cravings, tend toward a fair amount of variety - and seldom pizza for some reason. It could be that no currently available pizza measures up to Anna's of blessed memory, or just that we need something more extra by Friday evening. Indian, Thai, Dim Sum, Mexican1, Mexican2, Mexican3 (all very different), Philippine, Chinese, Bosnian, Lebanese, Tibetan/Indian2, Hamburgers, Italian (not pizza), Middle Eastern1/2. I still haven't got Persian on the selection list, though when we went out we did occasionally. Oh, tonight is Vietnamese, which is new to me. And I did miss the Korean Mexican and ....

87MickyFine
Mai 14, 2022, 9:20 am

>85 lauralkeet: I totally get it. Leftover pizza is a great delight. Do you have it cold or reheat?

88msf59
Mai 14, 2022, 9:23 am

Happy Saturday, Laura. Glad you picked up These Precious Days. I loved it. I am such a big fan of Patchett. Enjoy your weekend.

89lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 14, 2022, 9:24 am

Good morning! I caught up with LT earlier but then got distracted and just now remembered I hadn't posted here yet.

Last night's pizza was tasty as usual. Susan, we live in a relatively small town so there are fewer places to choose from. But, to be honest, even when we lived in the city and ostensibly had tons of options, we still ended up with a small regular rotation.

Yesterday I finished In Two Minds and started These Precious Days. The latter is an essay collection and I'm trying to decide whether I should have another book on the go at the same time. On the one hand, it can be better not to read essays (or short stories, for that matter) back to back. On the other hand, it's taking me longer to finish books these days, and I know there are more people waiting for this one from the library. What do you all think?

I finished the knitted bunny's sweater last night. The final step is blocking, which is soaking the sweater and then pinning it to shape on a mat to let it dry. I feel silly doing this for a bunny sweater, but blocking does make knitted pieces look better so ... anyway, hopefully I'll be able to take photos tomorrow.

There's not much on my agenda today, which I am totally okay with. Dinner will be Spiced Beef in Red Wine, a braised beef dish that needs to cook for a couple of hours, so there's that. But I'm not feeling motivated to do much else today!

Wordle 329 3/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟨🟩🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

90katiekrug
Mai 14, 2022, 10:10 am

Morning, Laura. Re: the Patchett collection - I tend to find that if I read an essay or short story collection all at once, they run together in my mind. I prefer to space them out, but I understand the pressure of the due date. Just think of the fines (if your library has them) as a donation :)

Off to look for 'Spiced Beef in Red Wine' recipe which I assume is either NYT Cooking or Bon Appetit, both of which I have a subscription to!

91BLBera
Mai 14, 2022, 10:37 am

With essay collections, I like to space them out. I read an essay every morning with my coffee. I loved These Precious Days.

92alcottacre
Mai 14, 2022, 10:47 am

Seconding the love for These Precious Days. I hope you enjoy it, Laura.

Speaking of enjoying, I am thoroughly chuffed reading your blog. I never comment, but I read them all.

93lauralkeet
Mai 14, 2022, 12:21 pm

Thanks for the input on reading essay collections. It's great to see so many "loves" for Patchett's book. I have read most of her stuff and she has never disappointed me. After zipping through the first three essays yesterday, I kind of thought my approach might be sub-optimal. Also, I remembered my library system doesn't charge fines for overdue books! I want to return it on time but if I can't, I can't. So this morning I jotted down a one-line comment on each essay read so far and will update as I go, which will help me remember which ones I connected with the most. Then I started Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant which drew me in from the beginning.

>90 katiekrug: You assume correctly, Katie -- it's a Nigella Lawson recipe on NYT.

>92 alcottacre: That's very sweet, Stasia. Thank you!

94laytonwoman3rd
Mai 14, 2022, 12:53 pm

Hmmm....spiced beef in red wine sounds very good....

Friday night is take-out food at our house too. We rotate through pizza, KFC, Chinese, hoagies and chicken wings. (On occasion I get talked into making either pizza or wings myself.) Last night we had Napa Valley turkey subs (turkey, sharp cheese, spring greens, avocado, tomato and "southwest sauce")...very tasty...from the tiny deli/fresh market that I can no longer live without for just such things as this.

95lauralkeet
Mai 14, 2022, 3:02 pm

Ooh that sub sounds excellent, Linda. You've reminded me there's a sub shop in town; for some reason we never think of it when it comes to dinner. I wouldn't mind more actual rotation through our alternatives, but I don't feel strongly enough about it to force the issue.

96lauralkeet
Mai 15, 2022, 7:35 am



21. In Two Minds ()

In the second book in the Teifi Valley Coroner series, Henry Probert-Lloyd has recently been appointed acting coroner to investigate a body discovered on a beach. He enlists law clerk John Davies as his assistant and together they work to identify the dead man and determine how he met his end. Meanwhile, John is annoyed with Henry; after assisting him in a previous case, he had reason to believe they would open a law practice together. Henry also has his hands full at home when circumstances force him to take on a larger role at Glanteifi, his father’s estate. On the way to solving the mystery we learn more about the emerging practice of conducting autopsies, and the history of Welsh emigration to America in the 1800s. I'm really enjoying this series.

97lauralkeet
Mai 15, 2022, 8:35 am

Hello all ...

Yesterday was pleasantly relaxed and included a bit of time reading Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. It rained off and on, so while Chris managed to plant a few recent garden center purchases, I kept busy indoors. The beef dish was more of a stew than I expected. I served it over pappardelle to sop up the thick, rich sauce. It turned out well, but I'll definitely balance it with something lighter tonight.

Today has started out somewhat overcast but it's supposed to be sunny with the temperature reaching 80F before some rain comes in late this afternoon/evening. I'll be outdoors puttering around the garden deadheading daffodils and tulips and taking care of this and that in the veg garden, where lots of things are popping right now. Yesterday our order from the Maine Potato Lady arrived so I need to "chit" the seed potatoes, which means setting them out in a cool spot until they start growing shoots (picture what happens when you keep potatoes in your pantry too long, and that's what we need to see before planting).

Wordle 330 4/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
My words were COAST, WEIRD, FIEND, YIELD.
Wordlebot says my first word would usually narrow the possibilities to ~107 but this time, 328 solutions remained, "the unluckiest possible outcome for this starting word." But my second word narrowed the possibilities to 3. So there, Wordle.

98lauralkeet
Mai 16, 2022, 7:53 am

Heyyyy, I hope everyone had a great Sunday. I did some gardening before lunch, and various other things in the afternoon. The rain didn't arrive until about 5pm. Today is also expected to be sunny until it isn't, meaning rain is forecast this afternoon. I have my usual Monday library shift, and we have a guy stopping by to give us an estimate on the insulation work recommended as part of our guest room HVAC project. So exciting LOL.

*drum roll* here's the bunny! I am so happy with the way it turned out, and I'm pretty sure I have enough yarn left to make another at some point.



And a closer look at his little outfit:


Reading-wise, yesterday I read a couple of Ann Patchett essays and a whole bunch of Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. I'm enjoying both books quite a lot.

And in puzzling news:

Wordle 331 3/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I got lucky after a dismal first word, and eliminating all but one vowel after two turns.

But wait! There's more! This morning I had a "personal best" time on the NYT Crossword: 3 min, 14 sec (my average is 5 min, 34 sec). Mondays are the easiest day of the week and I found this one even easier than normal, but it's still a thrill.

Hope y'all have a great day ...

99figsfromthistle
Mai 16, 2022, 7:56 am

>98 lauralkeet: the bunny turned out fantastic! I love the color :)

100katiekrug
Mai 16, 2022, 8:05 am

That bunny is FANTASTIC, Laura! I'm a little jealous of your neighbor's daughter ;-)

And well done of both the Wordle and the crossword!

101drneutron
Mai 16, 2022, 9:00 am

>98 lauralkeet: 3' 14'' is a great time. I'm happy if I can do Monday in less than 5 minutes.

102BLBera
Mai 16, 2022, 9:48 am

I love your bunny!

103Sakerfalcon
Mai 16, 2022, 12:15 pm

>98 lauralkeet: BUNNY!!!!! I love it!

104lauralkeet
Mai 16, 2022, 12:32 pm

Thank you, bunny fans Anita, Katie, Beth, and Claire!

>101 drneutron: I'm happy if I can do Monday in less than 5 minutes.
Me too, Jim! 5:34 is my average so anything under that is a cause for celebration.

105RebaRelishesReading
Mai 16, 2022, 4:38 pm

I adore that bunny!! Does the little neighbor have a birthday coming up or is it a "just because" present? Either way I know she'll be thrilled!!

Impressed you got Wordle in 3 after no letters in first round and only one in second. I had 0 in first try, 2 not-in-right-place in second and was thrilled to get it in 4.

106lauralkeet
Mai 16, 2022, 6:06 pm

>105 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for the bunny love, Reba. Our neighbors' daughter turns one in June. We didn't know them as well when she was born and feel a bit guilty for not recognizing her arrival in some way. And she's cute as a button so why not.

I shared the bunny pic with my older daughter Kate (who also knits, sews, etc.) and her comment was, "I’d like to place a pre-order for whenever it will be necessary in my own life."

Noted!

107quondame
Mai 16, 2022, 8:09 pm

>98 lauralkeet: What a treasure that bunny is!

108Donna828
Mai 16, 2022, 9:17 pm

Mr. Bunny is adorable. I also loved Kate's comment. Better save that leftover yarn!

Thank you, Laura, for visiting my thread when I was sick (again) with stupid Covid. I'm much better now and very happy not to have the long(er) version that I had in January. Not to be confused with Long Covid. I know someone who has that and it is debilitating.

By the way, I envy you reading the Ann Patchett essays. They are all so good. I can't wait to hear about your favorites. I'm guessing you will relate well to the knitting thoughts.

109Oregonreader
Mai 16, 2022, 10:34 pm

I love the bunny, Laura. You are an amazing knitter! I also appreciate your daughter's comment.

110lauralkeet
Mai 17, 2022, 8:46 am

>107 quondame:, >108 Donna828:, >109 Oregonreader: Hi Susan, Donna, & Jan! That bunny is quite popular here, thank you so much! And yes I loved Kate's comment. We do not initiate conversations about children (or marriage, for that matter), since that is very much a personal decision (and Chris and I remember his parents bugging the s**t out of us). But I admit I live for little clues like that one! You can bet I'm saving that yarn ...

111lauralkeet
Mai 17, 2022, 8:54 am

Good morning!

I was all ready to write a post and then *poof* LT went down for a while. First world problems, I know. I did the crossword instead, in pretty much average fashion today.

Yesterday turned out to be less rainy than expected so we got a few things done outside and I found time to read. Win win!

>108 Donna828: Donna, the Patchett essays are delightful. I am pretty sure the knitting one was published somewhere online recently (maybe as a teaser for the book?) and I enjoyed it. I read one last night about clearing stuff out of her house, which I've also read before but yes, could also relate to. There are plenty in this collection that I haven't read and I'm enjoying the ride.

Likewise, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is working for me right now. It's not a page-turner like a mystery, but I keep picking it up even when I only have a few minutes here and there. One thing I love about the structure is that it opens with a chapter narrated by the mother in the family which provides background, but subsequent chapters narrated by her (now adult) children debunk much of what she said, and paint her in a very different light.

Today looks like it will be a gorgeous day, so I'm off now to get a shower and make the most of it.

Wordle 332 3/6

🟩🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
My words were: BIDET, BRINE, BEING
Wordlebot liked my first word and the second one narrowed things down to one possible solution.

112Caroline_McElwee
Modifié : Mai 17, 2022, 4:11 pm

>98 lauralkeet: Great bunny. I look forward to hearing what your neighbours little girl will name it.

>111 lauralkeet: Glad you are enjoying the Patchett essays Laura.

113lauralkeet
Mai 18, 2022, 7:50 am

>112 Caroline_McElwee: It's funny, I hadn't thought about the bunny's name at all, but after sharing the bunny here and in the Needlearts group, I'm quite curious!

114lauralkeet
Mai 18, 2022, 8:04 am

Yesterday's weather was perfect. Sunny, warm, low humidity, and a light breeze. It looks like we're in for more of the same today. I'll take all I can get, because it won't be long before it becomes less pleasant.

I'll be out in the garden for some portion of today. There's always something to do, usually lots of little tasks. Like yesterday I transplanted sunflowers from seed trays into the ground, and found space for some black-eyed susans we hadn't planted out yet. Today I think I'll get some pots together to transplant some dahlias, and do some weeding.

I have no scheduled obligations the rest of this week. More time for reading, hurray!

Finally, a PSA for US folks: the government is offering another round of free COVID tests. This time you will receive 8 tests. This is our third round of pseudo-socialized medicine; if this is your first or second order you can place another one. I decided to stock up simply because I know a few people who've had covid and have had to test multiple times before receiving the much-anticipated negative result.

And now, this:

Wordle 333 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

3s make me happy. I would love to have more 3s than 4s, but I'm not there yet.

115lauralkeet
Mai 18, 2022, 12:32 pm

Last night I read one of the essays in These Precious Days, in praise of Eudora Welty and, especially, the book Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. I've only read one of her books, The Optimist's Daughter, and have always intended to read more. This morning I had an irresistible urge to own the collected stories and, on finding it's a chunkster, decided to buy the Kindle edition. Which, it just so happens, includes an introduction by Ann Patchett. Win!

Upon adding this book to my catalog I discovered I have four of Welty's novels in my Virago collection, which I had completely forgotten about!

116katiekrug
Mai 18, 2022, 12:43 pm

I have a hardcover of Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, which is probably why it's never come down off the shelf...

117laytonwoman3rd
Mai 18, 2022, 1:02 pm

>115 lauralkeet: Yay! Read "Why I Live at the PO"!! >116 katiekrug: You, too, Katie.

118RebaRelishesReading
Mai 18, 2022, 5:22 pm

>114 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura, I hadn't heard about that yet.

119katiekrug
Mai 18, 2022, 5:35 pm

My thanks, too, for the PSA. I had heard about it, and then it totally slipped my mind. I've placed our order now.

120brenzi
Mai 18, 2022, 7:21 pm

Heh I bought The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty right after reading Patchett's essay collection too.

121BLBera
Mai 18, 2022, 8:08 pm

Welty's stories are great. I haven't read all of them, but have a collection, The Golden Apples, which is very good. "Why I Live at the PO" is a good story.

122Donna828
Mai 18, 2022, 8:58 pm

>114 lauralkeet: I ordered the tests, Laura. Thanks for providing the information. I hope I never have to test for Covid again, though. ;-)

123lauralkeet
Mai 18, 2022, 9:10 pm

Well, I see I have my marching orders from Linda concerning Ms. Welty's stories. You too, Katie! And Bonnie ... why am I not surprised to see your post? Thanks for seconding Linda's rec, Beth.

I'm glad my PSA was useful too. Donna, I can't blame you. May your tests languish in the cupboard until well after their expiration date!

124weird_O
Mai 18, 2022, 9:41 pm

Welty coincidence today. Whilst volunteering with a book rescue team, a Library of America edition of Ms. Welty's stories and essays cast itself off a display table and into my tote. Naturally, I concealed it beneath a couple of sacrificial tomes, hustled the tote into the team car and scooted The Welty Work to a new and stable and secure home. My place, of course.

125lauralkeet
Mai 19, 2022, 7:13 am

>124 weird_O: Thank you for your service, Bill! 😀

126lauralkeet
Mai 19, 2022, 7:34 am

Hello all,

We're getting an earlier than usual start today, with a bit of coffee and Wordle before heading out on an errand. We're going to grab breakfast out (nothing special, just Starbucks), and then go off in search of the appropriate stain for the privacy fence. Other than that, I don't have much of an agenda today and I'm totally okay with that.

Yesterday it occurred to me that I haven't mentioned our vacation plans. We leave June 18 to visit our favorite spot in France's Occitanie region for the first time since 2019. This is a family trip including Kate and Julia's partners, Tyler and Noah. This was originally planned for 2020 but, well, you know. We're staying at LaSouqueto, a B&B run by our friends Jon and Melanie, for about a week. After that our schedules diverge. Chris and I plan to visit some gardens in the UK before returning home. I'm looking forward to the family time and reconnecting with old friends, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about travel.

Wordle 334 6/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

My day can only improve from here!

127japaul22
Mai 19, 2022, 7:35 am

Thanks for the update on the third round of free covid tests! We went through most of ours when we all got covid last month - testing as it spread through the house and then as we neared our 10 day marks. I placed my order this morning.

128katiekrug
Mai 19, 2022, 7:40 am

>126 lauralkeet: - Your trip sounds nice, but I understand about being nervous. I'm already stew-potting about our trip in October.

How long will you be gone?

129lauralkeet
Mai 19, 2022, 7:41 am

>128 katiekrug: stew-potting
that's a great phrase, Katie, and describes my feelings SO WELL.

And we'll be home on July 2, so about 2 weeks altogether.

130BLBera
Mai 19, 2022, 9:25 am

How exciting to travel, but I understand your nerves. I would love to travel, but...

131MickyFine
Mai 19, 2022, 12:29 pm

Ooh, a trip to France has me spectacularly jealous but I understand your worries. Hopefully everything goes super smoothly.

132Berly
Mai 19, 2022, 12:36 pm

Love the bunny!!! And unfortunately I am a frequent 4 and 5 guesser, but I'm catching up with some 3s! I do have two 1s. ; ) Love both your recent library books. Off to order my Covid tests...

133RebaRelishesReading
Mai 19, 2022, 12:37 pm

>126 lauralkeet: Sounds like a wonderful trip, Laura !!

134lauralkeet
Mai 19, 2022, 8:51 pm

Hi all, sorry to get back here so late. I truly am looking forward to the vacation. We had numerous family "should we do this?" conversations starting last fall, and in January decided to go through with it. Fortunately a lot of restrictions that were in place at that time have since been lifted, making travel around the region a lot easier. But even in the best of times I get super anxious about all the things that might go wrong, and now there are more things to fuel that anxiety. Hopefully all this stew-potting will be for naught.

135lauralkeet
Mai 20, 2022, 8:10 am

Friday! Fri-yay!

Not only did we buy stain for the privacy fence yesterday, but Chris actually stained the fence! I was pleased. Typically we buy something for a project and then it sits in the middle of the kitchen or some other inappropriate place, until the mood strikes. He used a sprayer, which made the job go much more quickly. The color is "cottage gray" and because it's a stain, not paint, you get a bit of the original wood tone peeking through so it looks kind of weathered.

Today's agenda includes grocery shopping, and possibly transplanting hot peppers from their small pots into larger ones. Chris has a hair appointment and we're trying to decide whether to go out for lunch before that, or do our usual Friday take-out dinner, or possibly get dinner at the winery 1.5mi up the road. There's a special weather statement warning us of "early season heat" through the weekend, which will be an abrupt change from our recent very pleasant warm-but-not-humid weather.

Wordle 335 5/6

🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨
🟨🟩🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: REACT, SPARE, EARLY, WAGER, GAMER
After my third turn I knew how to turn my yellows into green, but that would create a pattern that had about a million possible solutions (_A_ER). Thank goodness I scored a yellow on my fourth turn, which made the solution obvious.

ALSO I learned something from Wordlebot today. I always re-use all of the yellow letters in hopes of landing them in the right places. Wordlebot's recommendations didn't do this. For example, for my second turn I would have eliminated more possible solutions by using a word that only used two of my yellow letters (GAMES) . This is interesting but I'm not sure I'll change my approach!

136dudes22
Modifié : Mai 20, 2022, 11:24 am

>135 lauralkeet: - Wordlebot told me something similar. (They wanted me to use PYGMY on my third turn - REALLY?) I had the same three green letters on turns 2&3 before solving it on 4. (those million possible solutions.)Hubby solved it in 2 and since I know the word he usually starts with, (ADIEU), I'm not sure how.

137BLBera
Mai 20, 2022, 10:10 am

I hope we get a picture of the fence; it sounds great.

138lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 20, 2022, 11:52 am

>136 dudes22: I agree with your REALLY? reaction to that word, Betty. And as for husband Wordling ... Chris went through 5 turns and then waited for me to solve it so he could say, "Is it ...?" rather than ending in a fail. Fortunately his first guess was correct so I guess that wasn't totally cheating ha ha.

>137 BLBera: Beth, it's the same fence as in >23 lauralkeet: but now in a new color. I'm sure it will appear in a garden photo one of these days.

~~~~~

We decided to grab lunch out before Chris' haircut and as an added bonus I'm bringing my book so I can sit outside and read while he's getting coiffed. But now I have no idea what we're doing for dinner !

139EBT1002
Mai 20, 2022, 11:12 pm

Hi Laura. Just making the rounds while I sit here "watching" Hamilton on Disney+ (for about the tenth time).

>25 lauralkeet: I love that!!

>98 lauralkeet: That bunny is adorable!!!!!

I have not tried Wordle. Not even once. I know this seems odd given how much I love puzzles, especially word puzzles, but I think I've been reluctant to fall to another distraction. I have wondered if one can "go back" and do them retroactively.

I would love to participate in some shared reads of Eudora Welty.

140lauralkeet
Mai 21, 2022, 7:47 am

>139 EBT1002: Ellen!! *waves maniacally* It's so nice to see you!
A shared Eudora Welty read would be fun. My Viragos are Delta Wedding, Losing Battles, The Ponder Heart, and The Robber Bridegroom. Do you have any of her books on your shelves? I'm in no hurry. Maybe we can organize something for later in the year.

Reading recommendations from the peanut gallery would also be welcome!

141lauralkeet
Mai 21, 2022, 8:00 am

Good morning all!

We had a nice lunch in Middleburg yesterday -- just sandwiches at a cafe, but we sat outside at a table with an umbrella, which was nice. And then I stayed there with my book while Chris had his haircut. By the time we got home the weather had turned really hot, but I was still able to transplant hot peppers into larger pots. We cooled off with a little happy hour by the greenhouse. I ended up making a frozen pizza for dinner, with a salad using lettuce from our garden for the first time! Tonight's dinner will use more of the lettuce, in a chicken salad this time.

Today is also forecast to be very hot, but there are two events we want to take part in, weather be damned. Our library branch is having its first book sale since the pandemic so of course we're going to check it out. There's also a Spring Farm Tour going on, with about 30 locations around the county open for tours and such. There are maybe half a dozen we want to visit.

Wordle 336 2/6

🟨🟨⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wheeee!

142msf59
Mai 21, 2022, 9:08 am

Morning, Laura. Happy Saturday. It looks like things are going well in your world. Nothing at all to report on the feeder front. House finch and sparrows mostly, with the occasional robin or dove. How about you?

143katiekrug
Mai 21, 2022, 10:12 am

Your activities today sound worth braving the heat for!

144norabelle414
Mai 21, 2022, 12:59 pm

Happy Saturday, Laura! I keep forgetting that we live close enough to each other now that we get the same weather. Stay cool today!

145klobrien2
Modifié : Mai 21, 2022, 2:00 pm

>141 lauralkeet: Wow—Wordle in two! Congratulations!

Karen O

146EBT1002
Mai 21, 2022, 11:02 pm

>140 lauralkeet: I have none of hers on my shelf so the possibilities are truly boundless. Maybe in August or September?

147lauralkeet
Mai 22, 2022, 8:04 am

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't make it back here yesterday.

We had a really nice day yesterday. The library book sale was decent. There was a steady stream of people but it wasn't too crowded so you could take your time browsing. Like any used book sale there was a preponderance of popular fiction (James Patterson, David Baldacci, Nora Roberts etc) but also some more literary stuff. At first I kept finding books I'd read before but I was persistent and left with three: Bridge of Sighs, because reading Jennifer Finney Boylan made me want to read Russo again; Back When We Were Grownups, because I'm currently reading Anne Tyler, and A is for Alibi because I've never read Sue Grafton so what the heck.

After a brief stop at home to drop off our book sale purchases and give Alys a little walk, we headed out for the Farm Tour. The places we wanted to visit were clustered in two areas, so we didn't have to drive all over the place. Most if not all of the farms on the tour are small businesses, not big factory farms, and most had something available for sale. We visited two farms that raise heritage sheep for their wool. Weirdly, at one of these the sheep were nowhere in sight; there was just a table with wool and yarn for sale. We went to a farm that raises goats to make cheese. They had a nice setup with samples you could taste before buying, and we came away with a spreadable chèvre and a hard cheese. We also visited a peony farm where you could cut your own (so we did), and finished with a donkey rescue where we were able to meet and greet the animals. By this time it was very hot and I admit to taking a short nap when we got home! Dinner was a salad made with cooked chicken and garden lettuce, accompanied by a glass of rosé. 😀

Today it's supposed to be very hot again, until about 3pm when it should rain and cool things off considerably. I don't have much of an agenda other than finishing Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, which I've really enjoyed.

Wordle 337 4/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
⬜🟩🟨🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: PISTE, EAGER, WOMEN, MONEY

148lauralkeet
Mai 22, 2022, 8:07 am

>142 msf59: Hi Mark! After seeing a rose-breasted grosbeak regularly for a week, it moved on and lately we've just had our more usual visitors (cardinals, blue jays, finches, etc.). Lots of bunnies out in the grass, too.

>143 katiekrug:, >144 norabelle414: Katie & Nora, it was worth braving the heat but oof, it's too early in the year for that kind of weather.

>145 klobrien2: Thanks Karen! I consider 2s to be pure luck -- it all depends on the first word, which turned out to be very helpful.

>146 EBT1002: Sounds good Ellen!

149laytonwoman3rd
Modifié : Mai 22, 2022, 9:01 am

" Bridge of Sighs, because reading Jennifer Finney Boylan made me want to read Russo again" ♥

150katiekrug
Mai 22, 2022, 9:32 am

Have you read Russo's earlier stuff, Laura? Mohawk, The Risk Pool, Straight Man? I read the first two when I was a teenager and remember nothing about them, so I plan to re-read them. I read SM in college and found it hysterical. It's an academic satire (I think? I'm never good at satire vs parody vs farce etc) about a professor at a small liberal arts college.

We only have a 50% chance of rain, but even without it, we're supposed to cool down after this afternoon. Looking forward to it!

151BLBera
Mai 22, 2022, 9:45 am

Your farm tour sounds fun, Laura. And, hooray for naps.

After a couple days of warmth here, we are back in the 60s, which is OK.

152lauralkeet
Mai 22, 2022, 1:03 pm

>149 laytonwoman3rd: I know what you mean, Linda!

>150 katiekrug: Nope Katie, I haven't. I've read Empire Falls, Nobody's Fool, Everybody's Fool, and Chances Are.... Funny coincidence though: I saw Mohawk at the book sale yesterday! I'm not sure why I didn't take it home with me, except for the fact that I was completely unfamiliar with it.

>151 BLBera: 60s? That can be either chilly or pleasant depending on clouds and winds. Hoping it's pleasant!

153RebaRelishesReading
Mai 22, 2022, 4:57 pm

>147 lauralkeet: Bridge of Sighs is a little different for Russo because of the setting but characters are familiar as is the general tone of the book. Love him and loved it.

I would definitely have found some cheese at the goat farm and probably would have cut some peonies and perhaps have bought some yarn. The "hot" part isn't appealing but the rest sounds wonderful.

Jennifer Finney Boylan is next up for me.

154lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 7:37 am

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Thanks for the background on Bridge of Sighs. I'll be watching your thread to see what you think of She's Not There.

155msf59
Mai 23, 2022, 7:48 am

Morning, Laura. Since I saw my grosbeaks about 2 weeks ago, they have not been back. Maybe, Mama is sitting on a nest? I have also not had an oriole at my feeders but Sue and my son spotted one back there. I see them on my walks all the time. The hummingbirds have been regular, though.

156lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 7:53 am

Good morning everyone,

For most of the day yesterday it appeared we would not get the rain that was forecast. And it was HOT! AGAIN! We saw a few ominous clouds in the distance which appeared to be moving in a way that would pass us by. But around 6pm the skies opened and we had a nice downpour for about an hour, cooling things down nicely. Today's high is expected to be just 70F, and I'm okay with that!

Yesterday I did a lot of puttering around, a bit of this and that. I'm going to knit Chris a sweater so we chose a pattern and I started looking at my yarn options. I tidied up here and there, but freely admit that last week passed without practicing my new-ish "clean one room a day" routine. I'll have to do better this week. Book-wise, I finished Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and started Tea at Four O'Clock. I'm moving along nicely through the Patchett essays too. I love it when all of my reads are enjoyable, and not hard work (see: Marcella).

This morning I'll work a library shift and then ... not sure. It's another no-agenda day.

Wordle 338 6/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I hate when this happens!! The solution should have been obvious but my brain went in other directions: CLAIM, GUILE, BINGE, TINGE, SINGE, HINGE. Dammit.

157lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 7:54 am

>155 msf59: Hi Mark! Looks like we cross-posted. I can't say we've ever had an oriole at our feeder, neither here nor in PA. I'd love to see one. We've seen a couple hummingbirds and I expect there will be more of them in the coming weeks. I love those little guys.

158katiekrug
Mai 23, 2022, 8:41 am

Morning, Laura! We got one brief, hard downpour yesterday evening and that was enough to cool things down. It's gorgeous out now.

I've been slacking a bit on the room cleaning rotation, too, but have put in each room on my daily desk diary to remind myself this week :-P

159lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 8:47 am

>158 katiekrug: OMG I just posted a very similar missive on your thread. Great minds!

160RebaRelishesReading
Mai 23, 2022, 1:14 pm

>154 lauralkeet: I started She's Not There last night and like it a lot so far.

Your white garden is amazing!! I love the sculpture, and the grey of the fence behind it all. I can't wait to see what May white flowers you find and how it looks each month as you progress.

161lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 3:13 pm

>160 RebaRelishesReading: I'm glad you're enjoying the book so far, Reba. And thank you for the nice comments on our garden.

For those who asked to see how the fence looked after being stained last week, here's a photo:



You can read more about the white garden and the fence in this week's newsletter.

162lauralkeet
Mai 23, 2022, 3:14 pm


22. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant ()

The novel opens with Pearl Tull on her deathbed, attended by her son, Ezra. She fades in and out, lost in memories of years gone by. Born in the early 20th century, Pearl married and had three children. Her husband Beck earned his living as a salesman; frequent transfers required the young family to relocate on short notice. Pearl’s life was focused on her children and she had no social connections to speak of. When Beck up and left them all, she had no one to fall back on. But she managed.

Or so it seemed. In fact, Pearl’s end-of-life reverie was highly unreliable. While Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant initially appears to be the story of a quirky family, its dark side soon becomes apparent. Eldest son Cody is charming on the outside but inside is calculating and cruel, especially towards his brother Ezra. Jenny, the youngest, becomes a doctor but her personal life is a mess. And Ezra, the peace-keeping middle child, remains in Baltimore with his mother while working at the restaurant he eventually comes to own. Ezra repeatedly attempts to bring the family together by hosting elaborate dinners at the restaurant, which suffer under the weight of his perfectionism, shared family trauma, and the dysfunctional behaviors of every other family member.

The lives of each sibling unfold in alternating chapters, each a brilliant character study that also moves the plot along. I despised Cody and found Ezra and Jenny likeable, if flawed. The novel ends with Pearl’s funeral, where one particular loose end is resolved but much of the family’s future remains uncertain. I was actually glad Tyler didn’t fall back on a neat and tidy ending. There was no way this family was going to reverse the damage done to them, but they can move forward step by step, day by day.

163laytonwoman3rd
Mai 23, 2022, 5:20 pm

>162 lauralkeet: Good review, Laura. That's a Tyler I haven't read, and I'm not sure why. It isn't like her to get too dark, but that "forward step by step, day by day" thing is quintessential.

164brenzi
Mai 23, 2022, 8:27 pm

>162 lauralkeet: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant was one of my favorite Tyler's but I think I read it in the early 90s or maybe even the 80s as I see it was published in 1982 so I'm glad you liked it Laura. You might try Saint Maybe That was another old favorite.

165PaulCranswick
Mai 23, 2022, 8:30 pm

>162 lauralkeet: That is a timely reminder to me, Laura, on how much I enjoy and appreciate the novels of Anne Tyler and I agree it is one of her best ones. I still hold a special place for Breathing Lessons though.

166lauralkeet
Mai 24, 2022, 7:49 am

>163 laytonwoman3rd:, >164 brenzi:, >165 PaulCranswick: Hi there Linda, Bonnie, & Paul. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Anne Tyler. My library has several of her books, including Saint Maybe and Breathing Lessons. It's good to know I can easily work through her back list as the mood strikes.

167lauralkeet
Mai 24, 2022, 8:00 am

Good morning all,

We just finished a breakfast of King Arthur Lemon-Blueberry Scones and bacon -- a special treat because today is Chris' birthday. We're also going out to dinner tonight.

The rest of the day is up for grabs. The weather has cooled even more since yesterday and it rained a bit overnight. Today's high should be around 60 and it may or may not rain. Sounds like a mostly indoor day to me! I have a couple phone calls to make but nothing dreadful.

Wordle 339 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
⬜🟩🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

An improvement over yesterday. STEAM, CLAIM, ALBUM

168katiekrug
Mai 24, 2022, 8:23 am

Happy Birthday to Chris! That sounds like a pretty perfect birthday breakfast :)

169lauralkeet
Mai 24, 2022, 8:35 am

>168 katiekrug: It was pretty tasty, Katie. I even made the recommended glaze (powdered sugar, a bit of cream, lemon zest). I don't always glaze the scones but, well, birthday. The only downside is, that was my last box of scone mix. Now I await a "free shipping on orders over $1,000,000" email so I can stock up.

170katiekrug
Mai 24, 2022, 8:55 am

Snork.

I still have 5 boxes and may make some soon, as I have eggs and milk to use up...

171richardderus
Mai 24, 2022, 1:01 pm

>167 lauralkeet: I too took 3 guesses today...literal guesses in my case.

>161 lauralkeet: Lovely! The fence looks great.

Happy birthday, Chris!

172lauralkeet
Mai 24, 2022, 3:55 pm

>170 katiekrug: I have eggs and milk to use up...
Really? We go through those two items pretty quickly here, since scrambled eggs and oatmeal are in our regular breakfast rotation.

>171 richardderus: Thanks Richard!

173katiekrug
Mai 24, 2022, 4:36 pm

>172 lauralkeet: - The Wayne eats neither, so it's a bit of a challenge to get them used up. I'm most likely to make hard boiled eggs to have on hand. I rarely use milk in anything other than the odd recipe, so it tends to get wasted, sadly.

174lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 28, 2022, 8:36 am

>174 lauralkeet: That makes sense, Katie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello all!

The birthday festivities are now behind us. Dinner was nice, and we ended the day with a family FaceTime call. Today is once again cloudy and cool, but not rainy so that's a step in the right direction. Yesterday afternoon we popped over to the garden center and picked up a few plants to fill gaps in the white garden. We set them out around where we want them to plant them, and today will put them in the ground.

Today is the Fiber Guild's year-end party (our year runs June-May). I will officially assume the role of Programs Committee Chair, but I've been tag-teaming with the previous chair for a few months. She does a lot of different things for the guild and was more than happy to turn the committee over to me early. The committee is also responsible for the party, which isn't as involved as it sounds. We're having box lunches delivered, and organizing a "stash sale" where members bring stuff they want to sell or give away. So I need to arrive early to set up and stick around for cleanup afterwards. I don't have much else on my agenda today, which is fine with me because the party stuff is enough thank you very much.

In reading news, I started the Virago, Tea at Four O'Clock, the other day and it's very good. The writing immediately drew me in. I'm also making good progress on These Precious Days, and just reached the title essay which, at 60+ pages, is the longest one in the book. But with any luck I will finish the book before it is due on Tuesday.

Wordle 340 4/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Words: CLEAN, POUCH, TOUCH, VOUCH
On my third turn I thought "oh right! choose the obvious word". But I was wrong. It was not obvious.

175BLBera
Mai 25, 2022, 10:34 am

Happy birthday to Chris.

Great comments on Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant; it's one I haven't read, but it is on my list. Do you have a favorite essay in These Precious Days yet?

176lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 25, 2022, 1:48 pm

>175 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I haven't decided on a favorite essay yet, and there probably won't be just one. I'm keeping brief notes as I go so I can mention favorites in my review.

177scaifea
Mai 26, 2022, 7:13 am

Oooh, the party sounds like fun, particularly the stash swap idea! Did you have a sign made for your door that says "No admittance except on party business"?

178lauralkeet
Mai 26, 2022, 8:39 am

Good morning!

The Fiber Guild party went well. I was most nervous about the box lunches but they were delivered on time, everyone received what they ordered, and there were no complaints. The stash sale/swap requires setup but pretty much runs itself. The only issue there is keeping it fair. People who arrive early get to browse, but no purchases until after lunch.

>177 scaifea: Amber, fortunately we didn't need a sign! The group obeys instructions pretty well. A couple of random people poked their heads in, looking for the public restroom in the building. They quickly realized they were in the wrong place.

In bird news, first the good: a Baltimore Oriole briefly visited our feeder yesterday! That was a first, and a lifer for me. But ... a little while ago a hawk swooped into the terrace area, in pursuit of prey. A red-bellied woodpecker flew into one of our windows and did not survive. Sad.

I have a hair appointment this afternoon and I'll probably do a bit of work in the garden this morning. I should also make my grocery list for tomorrow's shopping and do some laundry.

Wordle 341 4/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟨⬜🟨🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: GRACE, DEATH, SWEAT, ASSET

179dudes22
Mai 26, 2022, 12:44 pm

>178 lauralkeet: - One of the things I miss from where we moved is the Baltimore Orioles we used to have. But we don't have the right kind of nesting trees here. But we do have bluebirds which we didn't have before, so I guess a trade-off.

180karenmarie
Mai 26, 2022, 4:03 pm

Hi Laura!

I blink and I'm way too many messages behind to really catch up.

Line in the sand, I'll try to visit more regularly.

VCB - very cute bunny.

181lauralkeet
Mai 26, 2022, 6:20 pm

>179 dudes22: Hi Betty! We get bluebirds (and tree swallows, which are also blue) out in open fields where we've put several nesting boxes. They are such pretty birds. I wish they were brave enough to visit our feeders, but nope.

>180 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Don't worry about catching up. NBD - no big deal *smile* I'm glad you like my VCB!

182lauralkeet
Mai 27, 2022, 8:32 am

Happy Friday all!

Looks like it's going to be a bit damp today. And -- oh joy -- there's a tornado watch all day. It covers a huge geographic area and I don't know what that means but I guess I'm not going to worry about it unless the watch turns into a warning.

Today I need to do the grocery shopping, but first I need to make my list which I just didn't feel like doing yesterday. While I'm out I need to pick up some birdseed and a library hold. I also need to call our GP and make appointments for annual checkups. I was reminded of this last night when an automatic prescription refill was denied 😡. I wish our doctor handled this in a more personable way, like contacting us directly to say "hey it's time for your annual visit and bloodwork," but our past few docs have not done that so I guess it's not a thing. Does anyone else have a different experience?

Re-reading this post, I realize I'm a bit grumpy this morning. I've definitely felt a bit off emotionally for the past couple of days. I think there are a mix of things contributing to this, not least the recent school shooting in Texas. The event itself and the response from certain elected officials has affected me more than I first realized. Also last night I finished the title essay in These Precious Days, which was very moving and sad.

Hoping the day improves ... Wordle was good to me but that's not enough to lift the cloud.

Wordle 342 2/6

🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

183karenmarie
Mai 27, 2022, 9:11 am

Hi Laura!

I'm sorry you're under a cloud - I am too. Same reasons vis-à-vis what's going on here in Ammurika. I'm keeping my head down and reading bodice rippers.

We've already lost power and are under a tornado watch 'til 2 p.m. Duke estimates power being restored at 12:15. Bill will turn the generator on (it's in the shed, we have to flip breakers in the garage after that) after the major thunderstorm ends. Stay safe!

Oh, and congrats on getting Wordle in 2.

Re doctors: I'm waiting for my doctor's office to call me back to schedule my annual exam in October - apparently they haven't opened the calendar yet. However, my cardiologist scheduled an appointment for me in November last Thursday. Same healthcare system, used to be in the same building. Go figure. Irritates me too. Walgreens is very good at getting my GP and cardiologist to issue refills when needed though.

184MickyFine
Mai 27, 2022, 11:28 am

>182 lauralkeet: I hope the tornado watch yields nothing serious for you, Laura. Sending hugs.

185katiekrug
Mai 27, 2022, 11:31 am

>182 lauralkeet: - Take care, Laura. I understand what you're feeling.

186lauralkeet
Mai 27, 2022, 12:11 pm

We had a burst of torrential rain around 11:30 but while it's still raining it seems to have calmed down a bit. Alys is no longer joined to Chris at the hip which is a good sign. She's our little furry barometer.

>183 karenmarie: Karen, I hope your power comes back on schedule.

I made our doctor appointments and while I couldn't get us in until early August (because those early morning "fast the night before" appointments fill up fast), they were really great about our meds and will send refills through for us. We both actually have enough to last us a couple months so fortunately this wasn't a "hair on fire" situation.

And thank you all so much for the empathy. Sometimes it takes me a while to unpack why I'm feeling the way I am, and then allow myself to feel that way.

187RebaRelishesReading
Mai 27, 2022, 12:30 pm

Angry, sad, fed-up...how can one not feel that way. Add in low-atmospheric pressure and storm warnings. Of course you're feeling down. We had some really heavy rain last night and there is another "trough" coming at us it seems but at least no storm warnings. Be good to yourself and feel better, OK?

188lauralkeet
Mai 27, 2022, 5:00 pm

Thank you so much, Reba. You all are the best!

189msf59
Mai 28, 2022, 7:46 am

Happy Saturday, Laura. I hope you are waking up today feeling better about life. Lots of rain here too but it looks like a perfect holiday weekend. Nothing special to report on the feeder front- the usual sparrows and finches are decimating the feeders. I also loved Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.

190lauralkeet
Mai 28, 2022, 8:32 am

Hi Mark and the rest of the 75ers gang. I am feeling a bit better today, thank you very much. The world is still an effed-up mess but the company of friends makes everything better.

Today's weather is much improved over yesterday. It's sunny, for one thing, and temps are supposed to get into the high 70s. I'm sure I'll head outside to do some gardening, but I'm thinking about exercising first. I've been doing yoga regularly but have slacked off on anything more intensive and I can feel it. I also have vague memories (because it's been a while) that vigorous activity is good for my mental well being.

Last night I finished These Precious Days. What an outstanding collection of essays. I'll get a review together in the next day or so. I'm also close to finishing Tea at Four O'Clock, which is also great, and will then be moving on to Jane Harper's The Lost Man, which I picked up at the library yesterday.

Wishing everyone a lovely day weather-wise and otherwise.

Wordle 343 3/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟩🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: CHASE, CRIER, CREPT

191lauralkeet
Mai 29, 2022, 8:51 am

It seems like a rather quiet weekend on the threads, and it's the same chez nous.

Yesterday we planted out some dahlias and basil and pruned some bushes at the front of the house. I buckled down and did a workout, and also caught up on some cleaning and vacuuming I'd been putting off. I finished Tea at Four O'Clock and started The Lost Man. So all in all, a pretty good day!

Today will be more of the same I suspect: a bit of gardening, some reading, probably some knitting (either socks or preparing to start a sweater for Chris). I've already knocked out a couple of reviews, which I'll post here next.

Wordle 344 5/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: TRAIN, SPEAR, ALLOW, COCOA, BAYOU
This one was super difficult for me. My yellow square was the same vowel every time, and by the third turn I had a second vowel in the correct square, with lots of other letters eliminated. By the fourth turn I knew where the two vowels had to go and according to Wordlebot I had narrowed it down to one possible solution. But what on earth could it be? I just stared at it for a while before it hit me.

192lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 29, 2022, 8:51 am


23. These Precious Days ()

I’m an Ann Patchett fan, having read most of her work over the years, so I didn’t think twice about reading her latest essay collection. Patchett writes with self-awareness and candor, comfortable both exploring emotions and standing up for her beliefs. Every reader will be affected by this collection, with some essays having greater impact than others.

The first essay, Three Fathers, is a lovely tribute to the three men her mother married. First Thanksgiving was a delightful look back at Patchett’s first year of college, in which she was one of only a few students spending the Thanksgiving holiday at school. Eudora Welty, an Introduction inspired me to immediately buy Welty’s Collected Stories for my Kindle. Patchett also writes about how knitting helped her through difficult times, and reluctance to preserve her body of work. Some essays provide a behind-the-scenes look at her career and her craft.

But the most powerful essay by far is the title piece, which explores Patchett’s friendship with Sooki Raphael. The two met when Sooki worked for Tom Hanks, and began a correspondence that blossomed into friendship. When Sooki came to Nashville for medical treatment, there was no question she would stay with Ann and her husband, Karl. This was early 2020, and lockdown measures suddenly meant Sooki would be staying with them indefinitely. For some people this would be very stressful, but in this case the time spent together had a profound impact on both women. The book’s epilogue is a moving denouement to their story, and is a fitting way to conclude this outstanding collection.

193lauralkeet
Modifié : Mai 29, 2022, 8:52 am


24. Tea at Four O'Clock ()

When Laura’s older sister Mildred dies after a lengthy illness, she takes quiet pride in the minister identifying Laura as “the sister who with exemplary devotion did not spare herself in the long months of nursing.” Laura stands to inherit the family estate, but having put her life on hold for so long, she can barely come to terms with the possibilities now available to her. Laura’s younger brother George, long ostracized from the family, returns to make amends but does he have other motives? You can bet he does.

As Laura looks back on her life it becomes clear she was ruled first by a stern father and then by an equally tyrannical sister. Suppressed memories and family lies have taken a significant toll. Laura’s journey from awareness to action is slow, but satisfying.

194katiekrug
Mai 29, 2022, 8:58 am

Nice reviews, Laura. I have the Patchett collection on my shelf to read. The McNeill is not one of the Viragos in my collection, sadly. It sounds good.

Enjoy your quiet Sunday!

195Caroline_McElwee
Modifié : Mai 29, 2022, 10:58 am

>192 lauralkeet: I loved this volume too Laura. The trouble is it will be a while before she has gathered enough essays for the next volume.

196laytonwoman3rd
Mai 29, 2022, 11:20 am

>191 lauralkeet: It took me five tries today too, and I'm ashamed of myself, having lived very near one for three years.

197BLBera
Mai 29, 2022, 11:21 am

Great comments on both These Precious Days and Tea at Four O'Clock, Laura. I also loved the essay about Snoopy and the one about not shopping.

The McNeill book sounds exactly like one I would love.

Yes, the world is a mess - I've had to limit my news consumption.

198lauralkeet
Mai 29, 2022, 12:08 pm

>194 katiekrug: Katie, I predict you'll love These Precious Days.

>195 Caroline_McElwee: That's true, Caro. Have you read her previous collection, The is the Story of a Happy Marriage? I rated that 4.5 stars as well. I wonder if she's working on a novel right now ... might need to look into that.

>196 laytonwoman3rd: *there, there* Linda. It's okay.

>197 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I liked those essays too, but had to whittle it down for my review. There's not a bad one in the bunch, really.

199NanaCC
Mai 29, 2022, 1:15 pm

Hi Laura. Just catching up a bit today. I’m way behind. Your rabbit is adorable.

200lauralkeet
Mai 29, 2022, 3:40 pm

Hi Colleen! It's always nice to see you, and the rabbit thanks you for your compliment.

201RebaRelishesReading
Mai 29, 2022, 4:48 pm

Nice reviews, Laura. I like Patchett but I'm not a big fan of essays so I'll pass on that one I think but Tea at Four O'Clock sounds very interesting. I've bought a lot of books recently so I think I'll just put it on the wish list for now though.

202Caroline_McElwee
Mai 29, 2022, 4:49 pm

>198 lauralkeet: Yes, I loved the earlier collection too Laura. I still have Bel Canto and maybe another of her novels to read.

203brenzi
Mai 29, 2022, 8:57 pm

Great review of the Patchett Laura. I agree that it was outstanding and especially the last essay, even though it tore my heart out. I listened to several different interviews with her and she is working on a new novel. No idea when it will be out though. She didn't either.

I'm feeling down about the shooting also, especially after what happened here in Buffalo. We don't even get a chance to recover a bit from one when there's another horrific event. I gave up on any solution forthcoming after Newtown and I don't hold out much hope now. I mean if they couldn't do anything when a bunch of six year olds were gunned down, when will they? People in other countries think we're out of our minds and yet we just go on. Depressing.

204Berly
Modifié : Mai 30, 2022, 7:59 am

I am in a similar down mood and have skipped the news lately. Also my nephew is moving back to MN and I am saddened by that. Watching French Open tennis has been cathartic and I have new books to start though...maybe today will be better! We also have less rain forecast today, which will help. : ) Wishing you a happy Monday. Oh, and I love Patchett!

205lauralkeet
Mai 30, 2022, 8:43 am

>201 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, I totally understand taking a pass on certain books, even if they are good ones 😀

>202 Caroline_McElwee: Bel Canto was my introduction to Patchett, Caro, but it's been years since I read it. It would be interesting to re-read now that I've read more of her work.

>203 brenzi: Hi Bonnie, welcome back! I hope you had a great vacation and also completely understand your feelings about our country. What a mess. Hang in there, friend.

>204 Berly: And you too, Kim. Minimizing news exposure definitely helps though. I'm sorry your nephew is moving back to MN. Enjoy the tennis, and the rest of the holiday weekend.

206lauralkeet
Mai 30, 2022, 9:00 am

Hello friends,

Yesterday went pretty much according to plan, with some gardening and some puttering around. We had ourselves a BBQ for two, dining on burgers al fresco out by the barn/garden where we have a small table and chairs.

I'm moving swiftly through The Lost Man. What is it about suspense/mystery/crime novels that makes them so zippy? I always get through them more quickly than other genres. I'm pleased to see that Sea of Tranquility is now "in transit" to my local library, which means I should be able to pick it up tomorrow. Yay!

Is anyone watching The Responder on Britbox? It's a very dark police drama starring Martin Freeman, and he is brilliant. We're only two episodes in, and we always need to follow it with something light and fun.

Today is supposed to be very hot, 90-ish, so no intensive outdoor work for me. I'm okay with that ha ha. We might run over to a garden center we haven't visited before, just to see what their selection is like. It's a large chain so it might not be much better than the garden centers at Lowe's and Home Depot, but you never know. I'm making a "big salad" with chicken for dinner because a) we have a ton of lettuce in the garden, and b) it requires minimal cooking, just poaching a chicken breast -- good for a really hot day.

Wordle 345 4/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜
🟨🟨⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: BEAST, TALON, TOTAL, ATOLL
Wordlebot says that after my second word I had narrowed it down to just two possible solutions. I shouldn't have used my third word, because I'd already ruled out T as the first letter. Darn it.

207EBT1002
Mai 30, 2022, 8:47 pm

I don't believe I have ever read anything by Richard Russo and you're very much making me want to reread some Anne Tyler and maybe get to some of the ones I haven't read.

208EBT1002
Mai 30, 2022, 8:50 pm

Oh, and if you'd like to choose something by Eudora Welty, I really will read along. Just let me know so I can work on acquiring whatever you choose.

It's so weird reading about how hot it has been in the eastern part of North America. Back in Pullman, we have reached 70F exactly two days in 2022. P texted that it barely reached 50F today. I enjoyed the 80F in western NC today!

209lauralkeet
Mai 31, 2022, 8:00 am

Hi Ellen! I'll do a bit of digging into Welty's oeuvre and let you know. Meanwhile, go find yourself some Richard Russo! Empire Falls and Nobody's Fool are good places to start, and the latter was made into a film starring Paul Newman.

210lauralkeet
Mai 31, 2022, 8:12 am

Welcome to Tuesday which might feel like a Monday to some. Me, not so much because, well, retired.

Yesterday's visit to the garden center was about what we expected: nothing remarkable. The more local place--the one with the dogs--is much better. There's another center with a huge selection but it's about an hour away. We were hoping to find a second source closer to home, but no. That's okay. We love our local. At this point I feel compelled to let everyone know that two of the local center's chocolate labs (pictured in >25 lauralkeet:) recently crossed the rainbow bridge within a couple days of each other. One was 14 and the other, if you can believe it, was 18. They were loved and well cared for.

Yesterday we briefly thought about going out for ice cream and then realized everyone else in the universe would probably have the same idea so I just picked some up at the supermarket instead. I do like a good cone but we'll do that some other time, like a weekday or something.

There's not much on my agenda today. I need to run to the post office to mail a couple of packages, and I hope to time it right so I can also pick up a library hold. Once again it will probably be too hot to spend any extended time outside so we'll just focus on things that absolutely must be done today, like some watering.

Wordle 346 6/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩
🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Words: SPEAR, FLAIR, ACTOR, MAJOR, MAYOR, MANOR
I really, really hate cycling through multiple words trying to find that one correct letter.

211laytonwoman3rd
Mai 31, 2022, 8:47 am

>209 lauralkeet: Paul Newman was in an HBO presentation of Empire Falls too, in case anyone needs more encouragement. I might have to see if I can find that and watch it again. The rest of the case is pretty amazing as well.

212laytonwoman3rd
Mai 31, 2022, 9:00 am

>210 lauralkeet: I'm with you on the Wordle today, although it took me one less try to get it. I really thought I had out-thunk 'em with mayor.

Wordle 346 5/6

🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟨
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

moist, macho, mayor, major, manor

213EBT1002
Mai 31, 2022, 9:47 am

>209 lauralkeet: oh, now that you mention it, I do believe I read Empire Falls way back when. And I'm excited to read something by Welty with you.

214RebaRelishesReading
Mai 31, 2022, 1:50 pm

RIP to the chocolate labs. I'm glad they were loved and well cared for. Labs are such sweethearts.

We keep a box of waffle cones in the pantry for when the urge hits. They aren't as good as fresh ones but they'll do in a pinch.

I have never read a Russo I didn't like ... and I may have read all of his novels. I should check. I have a book of his short stories in Mt. TBR which I'm keeping for sometime special.

Stay cool and have a good Tuesday.

215BLBera
Mai 31, 2022, 2:47 pm

As I was dusting my shelves, I found a couple of other collection of stories that I hadn't remembered.

I found a great local garden place yesterday as well and am typing with pretty grubby fingers right now. I may need more pots.

216lauralkeet
Mai 31, 2022, 3:44 pm

>211 laytonwoman3rd: thanks for the Paul Newman tip, Linda
>212 laytonwoman3rd: and now I wish I could claim a moist macho mayor. HA!

>213 EBT1002: Me too Ellen! I'll PM you to work out our plan.

>214 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. Keeping waffle cones in stock isn't a bad idea. I do that with brownie mix, for those times when you just gotta have 'em. Which is more often than I'd care to admit ...

>215 BLBera: That's exciting, Beth! Both the stories and the new great garden place. I'd love to see what you're growing if you feel like sharing photos.

217EBT1002
Mai 31, 2022, 9:17 pm

218lauralkeet
Juin 1, 2022, 8:35 am

>218 lauralkeet: I'm excited too Ellen!

I'm going to start a new thread today so stay tuned.
Ce sujet est poursuivi sur Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2022 - Part 7.