The Read goes ever on and on...MrsLee 2023 chapter 1

My 3rd reading thread for 2022 had gone on way past it's prime, so I've decided to start this one a bit early.

Currently reading:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, as narrated by Andy Serkis, hope to have this finished before the New Year. It's wonderful. FINISHED, LOVED.
The Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James by M.R. James, on the Kindle, reading one a night. Tingly spine good.
The Little Minister by J.M. Barrie - set to the side, but not abandoned yet. Yes I have. DNF
The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel, slow but sure, I am enjoying this.
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, hope to have this finished before the New Year. FINISHED, NOT LOVED.

Five Big Books to Read: This is done with the theory that if I read the biggest books it will make room on my bookshelves. I've been doing this for some years now and I've yet to find extra room, although, I do not have any books on the floor.
The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, Bracebridge Hall, volume 11 of the works of Washington Irving
The Fountain of Youth by Charles Tenney Jackson
Paradise Lost and Other Poems by John Milton
The Measure of Her Powers an M.F.K. Fisher Reader edited by Dominique Giola

Those books excite me for the most part. The John Milton I am reading as an ongoing goal of reading classics brought on by Invitation to the Classics by Louise Cowan. I can't bring myself to read other's opinions on the classics spoken of without reading them first myself. It has been rewarding so far.

I am still working on Shakespeare plays, I read several last year, but fizzled out towards the end of the year.

As for my husband and my goals for learning and growing this year? We are on the letter "G" and have already chosen our main topics of Geology, Geography and Geoffrey (our grandson). We will also dabble in Geoponics as we work on converting the two bottom levels of our yard into native plants for animal, bird and insect habitat. We may explore our Geo-heritage by visiting some National Parks, and as I continue to delve into the classics, I may learn more about the Geocentric view of their Geosphere. It's possible that my brother will take us Geocaching, and if we can find any Geodes, we will certainly enjoy them.

Happy New Thread!! I hope 2023 brings you many Great reading times. :)

Happy new thread!

>1 MrsLee: woo! I'm here for the 2023 duration...Lord willing. :)

Happy reading in 2023!

Happy new thread! I’ll be following along, as always.

>1 MrsLee: Hoping the Enforcers don't pay any attention to leaping over the last few days of the old year . . . Your projects sound Great, and I hope they are Gloriously rewarding. I admire your inGenuity and your husband's in setting these inGenious quests. Looking forward to the reports.

>7 Meredy: One project I left off the list is my family history/Genealogy! My goal this year is a family cookbook and I am making lots of messes in my kitchen testing recipes from my Grandmothers.

>8 MrsLee: Save room for Gingerbread!

Many happy reading hours for 2023. Happy new thread.

Happy new year! I hope your 2023 is wonderful in reading and in other ways.

Wishing you all the best for the coming new year! And I have you as one of my starred threads.

Thank you all for the New Year wishes. At the moment I am applying alternating hot and cold packs to my back which I twanged yesterday moving heavy branches that broke in our high winds. Thre ibuprofen every 4 hours isn't touching the pain, but I am able to read! I get up and walk a bit every hour. It's been a long time since I was laid up with back pain.

>13 MrsLee:
Wishing you a rapid recovery.

>13 MrsLee: bummer! I hope it resolves quickly.

Those were quite the winds, weren’t they? Mt. Bachelor here recorded a gust of 108 MPH! Hopefully those branches of yours didn’t do any property damage.

>15 catzteach: Actually our property had very little damage. The branches were at the cemetery. The power was out there, so I was outside walking and tugging the fallen branches to the roadside for easy pickup. There wasn't any damage there either, aside from the branches. A power pole fell down though so that part of town was without power for the morning.

My only drama that morning was discovering that I was sharing the shower with a large wolf spider. I made a bargain with it, that so long as it stayed in its corner I wouldn't interfere with it. I thought we had an agreement, but as soon as I got shampoo in my hair it dropped down and ran along the edge of the tub and disappeared behind the shower curtain. Then the lights flickered like they might go out. There was no way I wanted to be stuck in the dark with shampoo in my hair and a big hairy spider out of sight but not out of mind (after all, I am in the middle of reading The Hobbit). So I did a speed rinse on the hair and took one of the speediest showers on record and got out of the bathroom. I haven't seen spidey since, and don't mind if I never do. I am all for them in theory, and have a tunnel spider living on a window sill in my den, but sharing a shower is beyond my comfort level.

>13 MrsLee: Sorry to hear about this. I hope you'll be feeling better quite soon.

>13 MrsLee: Bothersome indeed. Best wishes for a quick recovery!

>16 MrsLee: bwahaha!

I am a live-and-let-live person for most spiders, but with stipulations they don't jump/run TOWARDS ME.

>16 MrsLee: wolf spiders are pretty cool! When they are outside on a bush. :) in the shower, though, *shivers*

>19 fuzzi: same. I think spiders are wonderful … as long as they aren’t in my house.

I don't mind spiders in the house to some extent. Other bugs, and vastly more of them, find their way into our abodes and if it weren't for the diligent efforts of spiders, we'd have a lot more of them to bother us. Wolf and other ground hunters are patient mothers of great sacrifice, carrying first eggs then babies around on their backs and basically starving during that whole time in order to ensure their survival. Some ground hunter spiders carry egg sacs for as long as it takes for the spiderlings to hatch and then soon die from starvation because you can't eat and carry your kids in your jaws at the same time.

>21 Bookmarque: I'm with you on the spider thing. I have a symbiotic relationship with a little brown guy who lives under the bathroom vanity; he keeps doing his thing, and I vacuum up the bodies. I'd rather have one of him living there than a bunch of his prey walking around.

I did not know that about hunter spiders; what interesting little lives they lead.

>21 Bookmarque: I love my tunnel spider in the den. Carcasses of his prey are all around his tunnel. However, your little tidbit of information is giving me pause. I found the spider in the middle of the floor this morning, dead. I figured the cats got it, they are also great insect control, but now you are telling me it may have deposited hundreds of babies first?! This is not cool.

>19 fuzzi: and >20 catzteach: I'm with you. I realize that spiders have a valid role in the general scheme of a healthy ecosystem, but I'm not thrilled with them taking shelter in my house.

If a spider does her hunting/catching in an out-of-way spot I don't notice.

>22 Darth-Heather: there was a little spider who spun a web in a dark corner next to the kitchen sink. I'd wipe up the ant bodies on a regular basis. I appreciated her diligence.

I take it back. I abandoned The Little Minister. There was too much broad Scottish dialog. I understood Dante better that I could figure out what the characters were saying. Life is short and I feel no compulsion to finish this.

>16 MrsLee: I read your last sentence at first as “funnel spider”, and flinched on your behalf. A funnel-web spider (look it up) wouldn’t be a comfortable companion in the house. But then I looked again.

>27 haydninvienna: *blanches* No, not that, I hope! My name was not an informed one, merely a label applied to the look of the web. Upon closer examination, there isn't actually a tunnel. More like several holes in the web. Along with numerous past meals. I may need to help it build a new and cleaner home soon by applying the vacuum.

Happy New Thread!

I have this weird rule about the spiders in my house. They can't be over a certain size, and they can't be one of the really fast varieties. LOL Out they go if they move like the wind, or have a pencil eraser sized body. Otherwise I welcome them.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, now that it's here!

Happy new year (hopefully sans spiders), and happy new thread!

>30 Karlstar:, >31 hfglen:, >32 haydninvienna:, & >33 Bookmarque: and any others I missed, thank you sweet people for the New Year greetings. I also hope you new year is filled with joy, wonder, companionship, love, peace and reading!

I am celebrating today the way I have for several years now; going over my book list and reconciling it to my book journal and the record I keep on LT. When I finish crunching the numbers, I will post the results in my 2022 thread. Here's a hint, I read more this year than I have for several years now.

I'm going to open the champagne and celebrate the rest of the day. :)

Having finished my book list, and opened the champagne, I will begin reading The Coelura by Anne McCaffrey. I've been seeing a lot of praise lately for this author, and this was on my TBR shelf, so I thought I would give it a try. I am hoping it is a satisfactory read, as it will be my first new read of the year.

>35 MrsLee: Congrats on your reading for 2022! I have not read The Coelura, I'll be watching for your thoughts on it.

In other news for the New Year; my son and his girlfriend of four years became engaged tonight!

>37 MrsLee:
Best wishes to the happy couple.

>37 MrsLee: Lots of joy to the happy couple!

>37 MrsLee: Congratulations!

Happy reading and geo-exploring in 2023!

>38 pgmcc:, >39 hfglen:, >40 Narilka:, & >41 libraryperilous: thank you!

>36 Karlstar: As an introduction to an author, it was good. A+ for imagination.
B for execution.
Notable wording: A froth of fragrant fabric!
I have often dreamed of having a garment like a cat wears; beautiful, grows or shrinks with the wearer, mends itself and regenerates. I never imagined that it could be sentient or change with my moods or needs. Now that would be perfect. I was momentarily disoriented in this world, but I read along and the author got me situated enough. It is a very short story. The book I have is full of fantastic woodcut artwork (at least I think it is woodcut) by Ned Dameron. Fun story.

>37 MrsLee: Congrats! I wish them much joy.

>37 MrsLee: congratulations!

>37 MrsLee: Congratulations to them!

It's a good thing one of my goals for the New Year wasn't clearing space on my bookshelves, because today a friend called who is clearing out her parent's house and asked if I would like to look at the books before she sent them away. I didn't really expect to find much I wanted because I had a narrower view of her parents than I should have. Didn't think we would have much in common reading wise, but I was wrong and came home with two boxes full! Almost all hardcovers, so three I brought home to upgrade what I had on my shelf.
The Winter of our Discontent by John Steinbeck
The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
Emma by Jane Austin
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin - upgrade for my shelves
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, lovely illustrations in this
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis
The First Fifty Years: A Pictorial Essay of Tehama County 1856 - 1906 by Mary Lee Grimes - I knew this lady, she used to work at our local bookstore.
The Complete Flower Paintings and Drawings of Graham Stuart Thomas by Graham Stuart Thomas - a huge coffee table book.
The Collected Short Stories of Louis L' Amour: The Frontier Stories, volume 2, I now have Volumes 1, 2 & 5
"The Nobles Emigrant Trail" by Ken Johnston - no touchstone, but a book about my locality of California
California Ghost Town Trails by Mickey Broman and Russ Leadabrand
No Time for Sergeants by Mac Hyman - upgrade for my shelves
True Grit by Charles Portis - upgrade for my shelves
Hungry Hill by Daphne du Maurier - I don't remember reading this yet.
The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne du Maurier - read but not previously owned.
The Kings General by Daphne du Maurier - read but not previously owned.
The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - read but not previously owned.
Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier - read but not previously owned.
Blood, Sweat and Tears by Winston S. Churchill
From Mud-Flat Cove to Gold to Statehood: California 1840-1850 by Irving Stone
Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather
These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner
Familiar Trees of North America by National Audubon Society
Old Indian Trails by Walter McClintock
Secrets & Spies: Behind the Scenes Stories of World War II by Reader's Digest

Whew. I do have a rule that no books can live on the floor, so I will have to be creatively making room for these.

>46 MrsLee: Yowzer!! Nice haul. And what a pleasant surprise that your tastes aligned!

>46 MrsLee:
Wow!

>46 MrsLee: Wow! Some great books on that list!

>46 MrsLee: There are some seriously good titles in that haul!! These is my Words was a wonderful and unexpected reading experience. All those Daphne du Maurier titles to revisit and, while I've never read that Irving Stone history of California, I'll bet it's really interesting.

And congratulations to you, your son and his sweetheart! Another wedding to celebrate.

Sweet haul indeed! Hail huge coffee table books!

>50 jillmwo: Honestly, I'm having trouble deciding which I will read first! Glad to have your views on These is my Words, I usually like real diaries, wasn't sure how I would feel about a fictional one.

I think I will start Two Old Women tonight. It is not huge, and I really like the premise.

Also, I looked up the value of some of these, and I think I need to give my friend some money for the True Grit. It is (I think) the Book Club edition published in 1968, so not a first edition, but still quite valuable according to Bookfinders.com. It is in excellent condition, so the value is anywhere from $35 - $40. I tried to help her sort some of the more valuable books (for the most part they are not in pristine condition), but I had no idea this was such an early edition or so valuable.

>46 MrsLee: Nice haul!

>46 MrsLee: That's a great list of books, congrats!

>46 MrsLee: What good fortune! What a great haul! Couldn't have happened to a worthier person!

Thank ye kindly one and all. Isn't it nice that we have each other to cheer our book acquisitions? :D

I finished Two Old Women by Velma Wallis. It is a good little legend of the Gwich'in People, who are part of the Athabaskan group in Alaska. Moral is; you can do more than you think when you need to. I don't put that as a spoiler because the whole title of the book can be a spoiler. It isn't really about the ending, it is about the journey.

Next up is a Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale. I have exactly twelve more plays to read. Can I read one a month? I was on a roll last year, but at some point fell by the wayside. I think it was when I had my concussion. We shall see, ten of those are the histories, which are sometimes more of a slog for me.

>46 MrsLee: nice haul. We share some of those books.

Reading serendipity is at work. I began reading The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare today. Then I picked up my Ghost Stories by M.R. James and what do you think the story was? "There was a man Dwelt by a Churchyard." The first lines of this story speak of Mamillius telling his Ghost story in "The Winter's Tale."

I also began Legacy: A Step-by-step Guide to Writing Personal History by Linda Spence. This sends a very helpful book, which I wish I had back when my mom and dad and my husband's mom and dad were alive. Still helpful though.

>57 fuzzi: I thought about you when I was looking at the books. There were quite a few I think you would enjoy, Zane Grey, Louis L' Amour, and the like.

What a cool experience! My mom read These Is My Words and liked it.

Happy new year!

MR James' stories are some of the best in the genre, managing to be incredibly creepy without the least gore.

>60 reading_fox: They often read like campfire stories for me. I'm enjoying them quite a bit, even though I think I may be having weirder dreams because I read one just before bed. He seems to me to be a master of what isn't said. Also, Happy New Year to you as well! :)

A belated Happy New Year to you! It's early days and already so much has been happening in your thread! I hope your back is better now; congratulations on the magnificent book haul; and, most important of all, I wish your son and his fiancee all the very best for their future together! How exciting! I hope that your year will be full of Good things.

Belated happy new year!

>63 foggidawn: Thank you!

Here's what I love about Shakespeare. I can read his plays, barely understanding the language, and still get so hopping mad at one of the characters that I would like to inflict great bodily harm on him. The king in The Winter's Tale should be drawn and quartered! Instead, everyone he hurt took the punishment for his sins. That is just too darn much like life. Oh boo hoo, he has to be sad now. Steam is coming out of my ears.

On a happier note, I finished skimming Legacy: A Step-by-step Guide to Writing Personal History. It will be long, if ever that I finish with the book itself. I am working on my husband to start writing down some of the stories he tells of his childhood. This book is a great jump starter for such a project and makes a great case for why we should do this. It is also filled with awesome quotes.

I began Sons of the Shaking Earth by Eric R. Wolf last night. A history of Middle America. Not sure I will finish it. Have to give it another chapter or two because the first one was about the geography; even though that is one of our subjects for the year, I had in mind more going than reading about it. This is written by a scholar for scholars and is rather wordy and dry.

Finished The Winter's Tale, a TWIST that I did not see coming. I thought I knew how things were going, because I've read a lot of his comedies, but this one surprised me.

I'm going to begin one of my five big books now. The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher.

>66 MrsLee:
I am intrigued by a post that contains both Shakespeare and Jim Butcher. It is an indication of the diversity of your reading.

It almost has me wanting to read The Winter’s Tale.

>66 MrsLee:, >67 pgmcc: I studied The winter's tale for A level English. It is truly infuriating. Paulina was my favourite character. There is a wonderful ballet adaptation by the Royal Ballet which manages to suggest that Leontes may well have Hermione back but he's not been forgiven that easily.

>67 pgmcc: Or if you don't feel up to reading it, you could always watch a performance? That is the next thing on my list, I like to read them first, then watch them.

>68 Sakerfalcon: I cheered for Paulina. Let no one say Shakespeare had no good roles for women. She spoke the truth regardless of the consequences and stuck by it. Even though she softened her speech a bit when reprimanded, she didn't keep quiet, and to hide the queen all that time? Let me just say I am still digesting the dynamics of the personalities in this play. I believe in forgiveness, yet I find myself reluctant to forgive Leontes. Essentially he was responsible for his son's death. That is huge. However, mental illness is a real thing. Is that what he had? Or was it only unreasonable jealousy? His jealousy was such an uncalled for thing, he was the one who asked his wife to make nice to his friend in the first place! Ugh. This one made an impression on me.

>69 MrsLee: I read your spoiler. I'm fascinated by your insightful commentary. I haven't read this play and always preferred Shakespeare's tragedies—finding them more, well, dramatic. I've been shortchanging the comedies, I fear. Thank you for your comments!

>69 MrsLee: I see you have recruited >68 Sakerfalcon: in your BB barrage. The Winter's Tale it is. I have, like everyone has, a complete works somewhere in the house. I hate the format of those big complete works editions, so I will probably go for a Kindle edition.

Like yourself, I like to read things before I see a performance or screen adaptation.

>66 MrsLee: I will be interested to hear how you get on with The Aeronaut's Windlass. I started in on it a couple years ago but couldn't get into it despite being interested in the premise. I have hung onto it thinking maybe it was a case of 'wrong book/wrong time" and might give it another go someday.

>66 MrsLee: I too am looking forward to your thought son Aeronaut's Windlass. I actually have a copy on my desk that hasn't made it to the TBR shelf yet lol I plan to catch up on Dresden first though.

>70 libraryperilous: I still need to remind myself that in the drama world, "comedy" isn't necessarily funny. In my book, it just means that not everyone dies at the end. I think there was less farce in this than in most of the others. Still the mistaken identities and other confusions, but the tragedy feeling was there as well.

>71 pgmcc: I will be interested to hear what you think of it.

>72 Darth-Heather: & >73 Narilka: I will report back here! I know I have heard mixed reviews about either this or the Furies books. Can't remember which.

>72 Darth-Heather: & >73 Narilka: For what it's worth, I am finding it very difficult to put The Aeronaut's Windlass down! Perhaps it is because I enjoy sailing adventures, and that is essentially what this is; only sailing the skies instead of the seas? I like the characters and find them interesting and with possibilities. The world itself is a bit difficult to picture, even with the map, but I let that go to get on with the story and it is gradually taking shape for me.

My disclaimer: I am not a diehard fantasy reader, I have only read a few selected authors of fantasy, I don't have an analytical or scientific background to tell me if any of this is feasible or possible, so I don't question that along the way. I consider it the author's world and assume the rule are his.

>75 MrsLee: I will certainly want to hear your view. I gave up more than half way through The Aeronaut’s Windlass when unexpectedly, giant spiders came out of the dark tunnels of a Spire during a battle.. It seemed such an unwarranted and stolen plot point, I became terminally exasperated.

>75 MrsLee: That sounds promising so far :)

>76 2wonderY: They were not spiders. I do understand what you mean. The world he built seems as if he wasn't sure about what it was, bits borrowed from here and there, the engineer of the ship much like Scotty from Star Trek, and there were other parts that made me say, "Huh." Not sure if he did them on purpose, or if he was sneaking in little bits of fun for geeks to catch, whatever it was, it was not well done and served to take one out of the story rather than immerse them. I had the feeling he was focused on his characters and the action and plot and the world around them was something that wasn't that important to the author. I may be way, way off base, but that is how it felt at times. None of this bothered me enough to ruin my enjoyment of the tale. It may be that I am a reader who also focuses on characters, action and plot and complicated unknowable worlds get in my way. This may be why I avoid a lot of fantasy. I don't necessarily want to invest heavily in understanding an imaginary world. LotR was fine, because everything in that world was so similar (but better, or worse) than our world. Easy to enjoy reading it without having to try to figure out what the plant life was, or the soil, or the fauna, etc. This was the same. Even though my brain had to work a bit at the habitation and setting, it was similar enough for my brain to say, OK, future steampunk setting, and let it go.

>72 Darth-Heather: & >73 Narilka: I'm out of time! I very much enjoyed this book, with some disclaimers, will be back another time to explain.

I finished The Aeronaut's Windlass last night, going to bed an hour and a half later than usual. As I said above, I enjoyed reading this. It is a steampunk world of the future earth, to my best estimations, although the world is never specified as such. I suppose my favorite bits were the cat culture. It seemed very like all the cats I have ever known. This world was very familiar, if one is familiar with the 1800s, and can imagine a technology based on the power available through crystals. The social rituals, the two main religions we are given a glimpse of, and other things are from the earth we know, just a bit different. That is one of the things I like about it, as I'm not a huge fan of learning hundreds of new words for stuff we do all the time. No patience. I like a story to move along and have characters I can cheer for. This one certainly has that.

ETA: Edited to fix my phones editing.

>79 MrsLee: I think I read that one years ago when I first started reading the Dresden books and the library didn’t have any available. I don’t remember much about it other than liking it. Isn’t it a series?

>80 catzteach: It was published in 2015. Looks like a sequel was supposed to be published in 2022, but I can't see that it happened.

Today my random counting picked Magic Kingdom for Sale-SOLD by Terry Brooks as my next read. I didn't care for a different book he wrote, so I was a little surprised that this one was on my shelf. Anyway, I like the first chapter, so hopefully we will get along.

ETA: I am misremembering. I haven't read any other books by him

>80 catzteach: & >81 MrsLee: Cinder Spires #2: The Olympian Affair still listed as release date still to be decided on Butcher's website. I think the delay was because of having to split the last Dresden book into two.

>82 AHS-Wolfy: Thank you. I found it interesting that the Aeronaut's Windlass almost read as an author's first fantasy novel, rather than an author who has a long beloved-of-many series under his belt. I felt that he was enjoying the writing of it, perhaps the change of pace.

>79 MrsLee: That sounds like a great start to a series. And with a potential book 2 near as >82 AHS-Wolfy: mentioned. Near being a relative term hehe

>81 MrsLee: Oh, I read the Magic Kingdom of Landover series in my early 20s, and loved it! I should revisit it sometime.

>82 AHS-Wolfy: thank you. I’ll have to re-read it when the second one does come out.

>83 MrsLee: Do you suppose he wrote it before the Dresden books, it just got published late?

>86 catzteach: I don't know, but it does feel like there is a story there because it is such a departure from the tone and style of the Dresden books.

Birthday weekend is over, and all the company is on their way home. It was a lovely weekend. Our seafood dinner was a perfect as I will ever be able to cook it, even though the supplier accidentally gave away one bag of the shrimp I ordered, they substituted a fillet of steelhead trout/salmon (that was a lovely side trail we all took together trying to learn if steelhead was a trout or a salmon. The closest we coul get was that it is a trout which identifies as salmon sometimes.).

Now I might be able to read the rest of the day, or I might just nap. Whatever I do, I must do it with a cat on my lap, because she won't move after missing two days of lap time.

Oh! Oh! My son and his fiance decided that they would like to have a small, family wedding (about 40 guests) in my yard the last weekend of April, so I will be doing a LOT of gardening between now and then!

I received as a gift, Mastering Fermentation by Mary Karlin. Excited to read it!

>88 MrsLee: Congrats on the upcoming nuptials!

>88 MrsLee: aw, a backyard wedding! I bet yours will be beautiful!

>89 MrsLee: Have you tried making any fermented foods before, or is this new? I haven't, just curious.

Happy birthday weekend! And congratulation on the nuptials, as Jim said.

Oh, how lovely to look forward to a spring wedding! Of course, the attention to gardening suddenly presents a significant priority!! Congratulations!!

>90 Jim53: & >91 catzteach: & >93 haydninvienna: Thanks!

>92 Karlstar: Yes, I've been playing with fermentation for at least seven years now. I make kimchi, pickles, pickled vegetables, sriracha, wine, vinegars, tepachi and assorted other things. I want to make my own mustard, soy sauce, fish sauce and who knows what all else! So many things, but I haven't really ventured into the more difficult finicky ones because when you have to get very precise, I'm rather less enthusiastic.

>94 jillmwo: Good thing that was on our "G" list for the year!

I'm glad you had a good birthday weekend! Your seafood feast looked delicious. And how lovely to have a backyard wedding. I'm sure the garden will be a beautiful setting.

>95 MrsLee: Impressive! I've made pickles, but not fermented ones. I considered trying sauerkraut, but never made the attempt.

>88 MrsLee: Congrats! I am sure you will make your yard the perfect setting.

And Happy Birthday Eve, Lee!

>97 Karlstar: Oh! I've made sauerkraut, too. It's the easiest! You must try it because it is the most wonderful thing.

>98 clamairy: Thank you! We are going out to dinner with my brother and his wife tomorrow. The next 11 months my siblings and I will all be in our 60s, in December my brother jumps into his 70s.

MrsLee, what don’t you make? You are so talented when it comes to food!

Enjoy your birthday dinner tomorrow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Your seafood feast looked gorgeous. I hope you have a great day.

And Happy Birthday from me also!

Hippo Birdie! And lots of happiness to the prospective bride and groom!

Birthday, wedding and feasting! What a wonderfully rich and rewarding life you live. Not to mention delicious.

Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day.

>100 catzteach: I don't make soap, baklava or money! ;) Thanks.
>101 pgmcc:, >102 haydninvienna:, >103 hfglen:, >104 Bookmarque: & >105 libraryperilous: Thank you very much!

Late to the game here, but happy birthday!

Happy birthday!

>107 jillmwo: &>108 Karlstar: Thank you muchly! It was a lovely day and now I am ready for bed. Hope I can sleep, because not only did I eat too much at dinner, but I had a cup of my brother's excellent coffee at his house afterward. I spent this day exactly the way I wanted to.

>109 MrsLee:
I hope you get a good night's sleep after your apparently wonderful birthday. But, if you do not manage to get a good night's sleep, it is for all the right reasons; excitement, caffeine, and thinking back on a pleasant time doing nice things with people you love.

Playing catch up. Happy belated birthday and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

>111 Narilka: Thanks! The wedding is consuming me, but it's a fun way to go. I worked in the garden today, pruning and pulling ivy from the area we want to have the ceremony (under a huge magnolia tree). I made a dent. Hoping to make another dent tomorrow.

>112 MrsLee: Good luck with the gardening. I did a lot of pulling ivy out last year; it is definitely a chore. Keep up the good work.

Both you and I were preparing weddings in 2015, I think.
I love a garden wedding. It’s what my older daughter had way back in 2003. She gave me a month to pull it together. I was finishing her hairpiece as guests arrived.
I hope you have a committed team to help you. Friends and siblings were mine.
And do try to order up a sweet sunny day. Get your order in early for that.

>113 pgmcc: Thanks. I have to be so careful not to get carried away and injure myself. "I'm stopping now, just one more vine." Famous last words.

>114 2wonderY: Ah, my 2015 wedding was much easier. Not in my yard! I am thinking happy and hopeful thoughts about sunshine, but not too hot (we can have temperatures over 100° here in April), please not windy or rainy, or to many mosquitos. Then I try to plan what to do for any of those.

I finished The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel tonight. Enjoyed it very much! I don't even love astronomy, and thinking too much about the extent of our universe gives me the willies, but this was very personal with many excerpts from people's letters and diaries. I will be keeping an eye out for some of her other books.

>115 MrsLee: I've only read Longitude, which I enjoyed quite a bit. I've added this one to my TBR.

>115 MrsLee: The Glass Universe sounds really fascinating. I'm adding it to a wishlist.

>115 MrsLee: I've read four of hers, all well worth the effort. Unfortunately The Glass Universe isn't one of them. I shall have to look out for it, and indeed any others of hers (except the backache books) I can find.

>116 libraryperilous:, >117 jillmwo: & >119 MrsLee: I think you will not regret it!

>115 MrsLee:
I really enjoyed Longitude and have The Glass Universe and The Planets on my shelf.

She has a great way of bringing the history to life.

Finished Collected Ghost Stories by M.R. James last night. I very much enjoyed these, although I doubt I will read them again. Sometimes I found them a bit brief or chopped off feeling.

Today I began Hungry Hill by Daphne du Maurier. I read almost all of her novels years ago, but have only vague memories now. This one takes place in Southern Ireland, and is supposedly about one of her friend's family, but it has the caveat that no real people are represented.

>121 MrsLee:
I am glad you enjoyed the M.R. James stories. It would be wonderful if you had a chance to attend one of Robert Lloyd Perry's performances. He tells the stories in the persona of M.R. James. His events are very atmospheric and I find the humour in the stories comes out more readily in the personal telling.

Hungry Hill is a book I have on my shelf that I have not yet read. I will make it my next Du Maurier read. I had not realised it was set in Southern Ireland. That will be fun.

>122 pgmcc: "Fun" is not the word I would use yet, however, if I were more familiar with the area, that alone would be interesting. I'm not saying I don't like it, not far enough in, but it has the feel of a serious saga, and my mood needs fluff at the moment.

I was interested in Mr. James because Dorothy L. Sayers referred him several times in her translations of Dante. Also all you have said about him in your Nine Tailors chat. An interesting fellow. I would love to hear a good reader read the stories. I notice James breaks the third wall a lot, and usually makes me chuckle when he does because I'm not quite prepared for it.

Hungry Hill is being a bit of a slog for me. It reads as if the author was extremely uninterested or bored with the people she's writing about. I started skimming, which is usually a prelude to me skipping to the end and then dumping a book. Not actually sure if it is the book or my mood, but for my purposes it doesn't matter. Perhaps someone else will love it.

I had a tedious task today (preparing a sink load of sage from my garden for drying), so I began listening to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. I've read it numerous times, but this is my first listen by someone other than a family member.

>124 MrsLee: Doesn't your sage stay green year round there? I know your area gets cold, but I didn't think you got cold enough to kill it off. *whispers* there are still quite a few green leaves on mine, which is highly unusual for January... in fact my parsley still has some green leaves.

>125 clamairy: It still has green leaves, but the stems are long and scraggly, and the foliage is sparse. I'm cutting it back a lot in the hopes it will be full and blooming in time for the wedding.

>126 MrsLee: I hope it works!

>127 clamairy: As I work in my garden, I whisper to the plants, "April 29th, that's when the big show is, aim for April 29th" I know I'm going to be a little sad for every bloom I see before that. Right now I have dwarf iris blooming. So pretty, but long gone by April. I don't know if my regular iris will hold out until then or not, this season is so weird all the plants are out of whack. They may bloom early or late, or not at all. At least I can go to the nursery the week before and buy lots of annuals for pots if nothing in the garden is blooming.

>126 MrsLee: Sage advice!

>126 MrsLee: >129 pgmcc: Given in good thyme …

>128 MrsLee: I hope they put up a good show for you. I'll hope for mild weather during April.

>129 pgmcc: >130 haydninvienna: Ouch! I love fresh thyme from the garden but then I always end up with a Styx song in my head.

>131 Karlstar: For me the song would be by Simon & Garfunkel, but that just shows my age.

>128 MrsLee: I hope all goes according to plan! You could sneak a few pots of perfectly blooming things in among the ones in the ground if you have to.

(It's seems to be a weird Winter for much of the Northern hemisphere this year. I'm not complaining, because I'm not a fan of ice and snow removal.)

>132 haydninvienna: Thought of that one too, but parsley or rosemary would have had to show up to at least make three out of the foursome.

I am wondering though, will the Bachelor's Buttons be invited to the wedding?

>129 pgmcc: & >130 haydninvienna: Rosemary wants you to hum the tune. >132 haydninvienna: Those are my go-to performers for that tune as well.

>132 haydninvienna: you mean the one, so appropriate to our current weather here, that begins, "Thyme, thyme, thyme, see what's become of me..."

>135 MrsLee:
We went to restaurant today and Simon & Garfunkel were singing Mrs Robison in the background.

>137 pgmcc: Plastics.

>138 Jim53: LOL

I finished Hungry Hill in spite of my lack of enthusiasm. I did that because one of the things I did while I was trying to decide whether or not to continue, was to read the reviews here. I don't usually do that until I've finished a book, but there were only 12 or so and I thought it might help me decide if it was worth continuing. They confirmed my thoughts about the book, that it was a multi-generational saga in Ireland from the late 1700s to the early 1900s and not very uplifting. This is not Trinity, or any of the other comprehensive books which have been written. It is subtle, it doesn't go into detail on any of the major events, only touching lightly as they affect the family of the novel.

Here's the touchy part. I'm not entirely sure how to say this, I certainly don't want to be offensive, and I don't know a whole lot about the history, only the bits I've read about here and there. It is quite possible I am giving du Maurier more credit than she deserves. One reviewer lambasted her as basically a tool of the English establishment and that the book is warped. That may be, I don't know. But here is how an American of average education and intelligence read it. I think she was trying to point out the follies on both sides of the long feud. Whatever her intentions, when I finished the story I did not love the Irish, I did not have respect for the English, I closed the book and said, "To Hell with them all." Meaning the characters, not the actual people of Ireland, England and such. I am glad times have moved foreward, because those times sucked.

On a happier note, I began reading The Sharing Knife: volume one, Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold. It is intriguing.

>140 MrsLee: Thank you for this. I will be avoiding that one, most certainly.

>140 MrsLee: Is that a new series by Bujold?

>140 MrsLee:
I have to read Hungry Hill now. I have enjoyed all the Du Maurier novels I have read and am interested to see her take on Ireland and its history. There is a lot of nasty stuff on both sides.

I found Trinity very accurate in its interpretation if not on actual events, but it was fiction. I also had a friend from a different part of the NI community who was outraged at the events described in it and saying it was total nonsense and that the shipyard pogrom was a total fiction. Having had one of my grandfather's survive a pogrom in the shipyards like the one described in Trinity I know it was based on a real event. By the way, my grandfather survived because his co-workers who were from the opposite side of the community from him, persuaded the mob that came looking for him that he was not at work that day. He was actually in the toilet when the mob arrived. His co-workers then smuggled him out of the shipyards. It was, as you might imagine, his last day in that job.

>142 Karlstar: I believe it was published in 2007.

>143 pgmcc: I would really like to hear what you think of it, but I hate to inflict the book on you for my own curiosity. However, you may have a different reaction to it than I did. I am glad to hear the story about your grandfather's co-workers. Any story of people doing the decent thing in horrible times is heartening.

>144 MrsLee:
You are not inflicting it on me. I intended reading it. You have simply ensured it will get read sooner rather than later.

>140 MrsLee: Well, I've added it to my wish list simply because this is a du Maurier title that I've never encountered. Was the problem with the author's subject approach (via a family saga) or is it that her writing style doesn't mesh well with the topic?

>146 jillmwo: I'm not good at knowing how to answer a question like that. I found the featured people and the tone tedious at best. If a work can be said to be written in a monotone, that is how it reads. I love so many things she has written that I have to wonder if she wasn't interested in this, or if she was doing it deliberately. As I said to Peter, I would love to hear your views on it, but wouldn't recommend it as a pleasant read.

Finished The Sharing Knife: Beguilement, and went right on with the second, The Sharing Knife: Legacy. I am obviously enjoying them. They have just enough "other" to let me know we aren't in Kansas anymore, but not so much my brain has to trip over new words for plant and animals. As with Bujold's other books, the characters, ideas and dialog are enchanting.

These would be a nice way to introduce teens to sex, a bit more realistic than most urban fantasy I've read, and much more explicit than I usually like, yet it doesn't put me off. It seems right, although there was an instance of almost a rape in the first book which was not pleasant at all to read. The rape was not completed, and I think the author may have glossed over the results on the victim a bit, but not entirely. A warning for clamairy, if big age differences between characters in love bother you, the relationship in this series is about a 36 year spread! I do not have a problem with it because the young woman is introduced as a woman, and the man doesn't come across to me as a dirty old man. He is kind of an Aragorn type, who has a very long life span.

>148 MrsLee: Thanks for the warning. Context is everything, you know. That said, do you think Bujold has a bit of a thing for May-December relationships?

I also found the Sharing Knife series to be enjoyable. Ms Bujold is certainly among my favorites, and she has a wide range of subject matter.

>149 clamairy: It seems that way too me! I don't know enough about her personally to know if it is a thing, but maybe she's just trying to get out of the"two star crossed young lovers" mold.

I took an unexpected DNBR day today. I've been pushing pretty hard trying to get the yard ready for the wedding and I needed this. Finished The Sharing Knife: Legacy. I find these relaxing reads. Yes, there is the tension of danger, but not the whole way through. A lot of this is story is spent on the conflicts of a biracial marriage in the community and family and how it affects the couple. It ended in a place that I could be happy with, and I don't feel like I have to rush out and buy the next one, but if I came across it, I would.

Not ready to quit my reading day, I will begin a mystery by Hugh Pentecost, Girl Watcher's Funeral.

I also finished inputting my grandmother's recipes from their collections, but I still have other family member's recipes and my own to add. Then will come the long process of organizing them the way I want, proofreading, testing, and creating an index, glossary and so forth.

>152 MrsLee:
That is good progress on your family recipes.

>152 MrsLee: I'm glad you found time for a DNBR day, amidst all the busyness.

Finished Girl Watcher's Funeral, liked it fine. These are a fun little window into the 60s and early 70s. At least those times at an exclusive hotel. They also have references to WWII and the clash of the two generations.

I'm going to read Birthday Deathday before I move on to a different genre. Very busy days and comfort read are what I need.

Moving along, finished Birthday Deathday. It was different in that the mystery wasn't so much who committed the crime, but how they were going to accomplish it.

Will read The Deadly Joke by Hugh Pentecost next. It is actually the book before the previous book. That usually doesn't matter, but Mark Haskell had a pretty serious girlfriend in book 6 and in book 8 she isn't mentioned so I would like to see what happened to her.

Mark hasn't anything on Archie Goodwin though. A pale and ineffective sidekick in comparison.

Finished Sons of the Shaking Earth by Eric R. Wolf. Ho hum drum. Why did I finish it? Because in between mind numbing tedium were some interesting bits about the history of Mexico and Central America. I found his analysis of the culture of Spain, Indians of New Spain and what happened when they met and morphed into something new to be good reading, up to a point. Either I missed it, or the author realized he had a deadline and skipped most of the 1700s, 1800s and 1900s. He jumped from 1600s to 1910, possibly because he felt not much changed culturally between those years? No mention of throwing off Spain and France or withdrawing from the United States areas. Perhaps he wasn't interested in that part of history, only in trying to figure out what makes people tick. I won't be keeping this book and I won't read another by this author, but I don't regret reading/skimming this one.

Now I'm going to begin Teacher Man by Frank McCort, because I'm tired of it staring at me from the shelves for something like 10 years or more.

I had to rearrange my fantasy bookshelf today in order to make room for C. K. McDonnell new book in the Stranger Times series, Love will Tear us Apart. I'm expecting it any day now in the mail. Most of my LotR figurines had to be put away. No room.

"Most of my LotR figurines had to be put away. No room."

Oh... The humanity...

(Mine are in a bag shoved into my desk.)

>159 clamairy: Hmmm. I had no idea this was a thing until recently. I started collecting second hand 6” action figures when T and I were playing with the dollhouse a couple of years ago. I’ve always thought regular dollhouse dolls were inferior, and the action figures are much more fun. They are required to leave all of their weapons in the back hall though.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS5GN20nHGe/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYrqiXvpZT6/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

>158 MrsLee:
Wow! That is an honour for c. K. McDonneii.

>158 MrsLee: When I saw the phrase "fantasy bookshelf" I initially thought you were talking about an imaginary shelf in your mind where you put non-corporeal titles. It wasn't until I read the post two or three times that I finally got it.

I don't have any of the Lego mini-figures but I do have a green ceramic owl that sits in the front of one of my shelves. (Please don't revoke my Pub credentials.) I adopted the owl as a personal "totem" as an adolescent because Minerva/Athena had one and she was the goddess of wisdom. I also have a sleeping dragon (pottery) that I picked up at a Worldcon, but it's too big to sit on a bookshelf.

>160 2wonderY: Awesome!
(And I'm following you now.)

>162 jillmwo: Mine aren't Legos. They are action figures. Like these: https://www.amazon.com/DIAMOND-SELECT-TOYS-Lord-Rings/dp/B088P9BD4Y/ref=mp_s_a_1...

>163 clamairy: oooh! You’ve got pretty photos!

>160 2wonderY: Cool! My dollhouse days are over, but those are much better than the stiff and insipid dolls we had when my kids were young.

>161 pgmcc: Yes, it takes a lot for me to allot space to new books there. He deserves it. I managed to keep Treebeard, Gandolf, Smeagol and Aragorn, but the rest went night-night in the cupboard with the twenty some other figurines. I also had to move most of the rocks my kids brought me from New Zealand.

>162 jillmwo: I separate my favorite books into genre. In my den a whole wall is dedicated to fantasy/mystery/sci-fi, each separated by appropriate (to me) items. A skull that has room for a candle inside is beside my Dresden Files books. A Tardis mug in the sci-fi by the making of Doctor Who book, a gargoyle by Discworld, etc.

>164 clamairy: This are the kind I have. Bought them for my youngest as they became available with the movies, he grew out of them, I didn't.

>166 MrsLee:
I have a shelf dedicated to various mementos. I must present a picture of that shelf and describe the background to some of the items. I have never considered putting books on the shelf as I want these items to be seen. The fact that the shelf is high up, at the back of the study, and in an area that has many boxes and bags in the way, does seem to act against my desire to have these things seen. :-)

>160 2wonderY: my son collected the little Star Wars figures from the time I brought home the bargain bin versions in 1984 or so. They used to take baths with him and his figures and his sister's little dolls had all sorts of adventures with horses and dinosaurs around the house.

They're so cute when they're small...

>164 clamairy: my son still collects, but only Boba Fett. He's got a large figure on his shelf amidst the little ones that were Christmas and birthday gifts from ol' Mom.

>167 pgmcc: I try to limit the special things I have out on shelves, because I don't dust very often, so they get a fuzzy persona, but I can't help myself most of the time. There are things I like to look at, and I suppose they are good reminders to dust now and then. Would love to see your photo and hear the descriptions.

>168 fuzzi: I have a bag of Star Wars figurines (the smaller size) that my other son collected. I'm waiting for his son to get big enough to play with them before I bring them out. I also have containers full of the whole animal kingdom that my daughter loved. As you say, the story lines and playtime got a bit jumbled. :)

Finished The Deadly Joke. I knew all along who did it, then the author cheated IMO and tagged someone else on the last page.

I'm going to begin The Life and Death of King Richard III today for my February Shakespeare read. Not really looking forward to it, and I still haven't watched a performance of The Winter's Tale, so I have a bit of catching up to do.

Also beginning A North Quartet by Frances and Richard Lockridge. Been awhile since I've read a Pamela and Jerry North story, they aren't my favorites, but always readable.

Hey guys,
I created a group to talk about our toys:

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/23924/Toys-Books-Books-Toys

>170 2wonderY: Joined!

Whoop! Whoop! My copy of Love will Tear us Apart by C. K. McDonnell arrived! I won't be reading it until I finish my mystery omnibus, but you can bet this will be next.

>170 2wonderY: you go, thanks!

Joined. :)

Yesterday I discovered there is a version of A Christmas Carol illustrated by Arthur Rackham. I was in need of morale support, so I went to AbeBooks, found a version I like, in very good condition, at a price I could afford, and bought it. My morale was considerably lifted.

Husband and I just had a "warm" discussion on whether I could use the word "morale" in the above sentence. He is a preserver of language as it has been. I want language to communicate what I am saying. My morals were just fine, thank you; but my morale was low due to a difficult doctor visit. Hence I needed morale support, not moral support. Since the definition of each word could not change my mind, nor the history of when the phrase came into use, I do what I want. He said you would all correct me. I said you had better manners and knew a useless case when you saw one. ;)

>174 MrsLee: I have a copy of that version of A Christmas Carol. It is lovely. I'm sure it will do wonders for your morale.

>174 MrsLee:
I hope such moral book raises your morale after the tough visit. Would more moral books boost your morale further?

Well, reading A Christmas Carol in such a lovely edition, found at a particularly desirable price point, would naturally raise your morale. The moral of the story might at the same time reinvigorate you...In either case, you come out ahead and in a better frame of mind.

>175 NorthernStar:, >176 pgmcc: & >177 jillmwo: I knew I would find like-minded morals in my friends here. Thanks, my morale is already lifted by your comments. Or as Dickens might say, my spirits have risen. Although, I won't deny that I downed some spirits yesterday in the attempt to raise mine.

>174 MrsLee: I like the idea of morale support!

>179 catzteach:
The mores the merrier.

Morality puns a speciality.

>174 MrsLee: Allow me, please, to join the chorus. "Morale support" is both what MrsLee said and what she meant. I would say her precision and clarity are wholly praiseworthy and all too rare.

The North omnibus is fun reading. I finished The Long Skeleton and was pleased by the fact that there are not one, but two happy marriages in the story. Also, it is the police captain, not the amateur Norths, who solves the crime. I'm very fond of Captain Weigand. I knew the killer the moment the character came in the scene, but it didn't matter much because I enjoyed the reading. I could do with a few less unfinished sentences.

Have begun Murder is Suggested.

>180 pgmcc: I don't know, I think s'mores might be even merrier than mores.

>181 hfglen: *blows a kiss to South Africa*

>182 MrsLee:
Saumour wine is very nice. It makes you want Saumour.

Finished Murder is Suggested. I didn't have a clue who the killer was, and I think it was because the author did a good slight of hand, not because they were unfair.

Next in the omnibus is Murder has its Points. Will there be swords? Knives? Stakes? We shall see.

May your morale be rousingly lifted! Hope the books and the company did the trick and that the doctor thing is a mere passing inconvenience at best.

Sending my support with and without the 'e.' Acquiring books can do an amazing job of lifting the spirits. An illustrated Dickens sounds perfect.

>185 Bookmarque: & >186 clamairy: Thank you! I was pleased with the book, although a bit disappointed that the spine was broken in the middle. It was listed as "very good" and I would not call a book very good with a spine broken in half. However, the pages are very good and all there, as is the cover with a plastic cover over it. It is in the exact style of Twas the Night Before Christmas which my grandmother gave me when I was two years old, so I love it. Now if I can decide whether or not to try to fix the spine...

>187 MrsLee: A broken spine is not “very good.” I’d report it to the vendor. Often they will remove the charge and tell you to keep it.
Send them a picture.

>187 MrsLee: 2wonderY is absolutely right. If the book was described as "very good" but the spine of the book was broken upon arrival, you absolutely should contact the seller. That's not okay.

I finished A North Quartet by Frances and Richard Lockridge. Near the end of the last story, it mentioned the title of the first story in the Mr. and Mrs. North series. Looking at my shelves, I found that I had the first three stories in another omnibus collection of mysteries which are in a set, about 8-10 volumes of Golden Age Mystery authors. So that's what I'm reading next. Murder! Murder!! Murder!!!.

Here's the tricky part. When I'm doing my reading statistics, do I count the omnibus as one book? Or each novel within as one book? I think for the purpose of LT, it will be one book, as I don't want to clutter my library with supposed books (although I have done that with Shakespeare so I could do individual reviews). In my stats page though, they will be listed individually because they are full novels. This will be a pain at the end of the year.

As for the North mysteries, I enjoy them. I especially like that the police captain, Weigand, is not just a dummy assistant to two amateurs. He sometimes is inspired by the Norths, and sometimes they get the same conclusion independently, but he is often ahead of them. Also the cats are fun. However, it is difficult not to sip a martini while reading, and I can't sip THAT many martinis and still read. There is pleasant wit and banter, respectful relationships and generally nice people who are not unhappy, except some of the possible perpetrators.

I find I am unable to pick up anything more serious than these at the moment.

I have many Lockridge mysteries, both with the Norths and without, and I've enjoyed all of them.

When I'm reading omnibuses, I count the contents as separate novels in my LT reading thread, although I'll most likely wait until I've finished all of them and record them in one entry in my thread. However, they'll only be one book in my catalogue (if I own the omnibus). This is why I prefer the individual books if I can get them.

>191 tardis: I do enjoy the Norths, and I would probably like the other novels as well, but I won't keep the omnibus I just finished. I like them on the level I like the Agatha Christie novels; I can read one any time, but never feel compelled to keep them on my shelves for rereading.

It isn't enough to get a shitty malignant cancer diagnosis, but then a shitty storm has to do several thousand dollars worth of damage to my yard, and today my shitty washing machine quit working, so I had to take my shitty clothes out and rinse them in the shitty tub and scoop the shitty dirty water out of the machine.

One would think that if you get a life changing event to deal with, the universe could lay off for a bit and let you adjust. Apparently not.

Not shitty: having my grandson Geoffrey here today.

I have an appointment with an oncologist on the 16th of this month and will give more details then, but I suspect they will be shitty, such as surgery at least, possibly chemo, etc. What I am anxious to find out is whether this will kidnap my son's wedding in my yard, or if we can manage to get that done before life goes to Hell.

Oh Lee I am SO SORRY. This is truly awful my girl and I know how it makes you reel and stagger under the weight of it. My diagnosis came in 2010 and my brother just finished his last round of chemo for the time being. I wish you strength and a way to find humor like you did above. I couldn't help chuckle through your shitty diatribe against an unfair universe. Wishing you a quick and relatively painless treatment and return to good health.

>193 MrsLee:
I am very sorry to hear that news. I hope the treatment will be quick and effective. It is, as you say, shitty that all those other things are causing you grief at the moment. You are overdue a spell of good fortune. Big hug.

>193 MrsLee: Oh no. I am at a loss for words, my friend. Just know I am thinking of you, and sending you as much good juju as I can conjure up. Massive hugs sent your way.

>193 MrsLee: Yikes - what a shitstorm! Like everyone here, I'm thinking of you and sending strength and good vibes.

>193 MrsLee: Oh my goodness! That is a lot to deal with. Sending positive thoughts your way.

Too much to process in one day (more than just a single shock) and the associated financial anxieties don't help. I'm so sorry, Lee. We are with you.

>193 MrsLee: Oh my gosh! Lee! I’m so sorry! I hope the treatment goes well. Sending you positive juju. And, yes, let’s keep our chins up, shall we? Hugs coming through the ether to you.

Oh my God. The universe can be a right bastard, can’t it? Our very best to you. Huge hugs.

>193 MrsLee: Threefold strength and hugs to you!

>193 MrsLee: Have experienced the C-word several times for family members (inc. a brother who's starting his course of radiotherapy on Wednesday) so have an inkling of what you and yours are going through. Can only wish all of you strength for the trials ahead. The good news is that treatment is getting better and more successful all the time. Best of luck for what's to come.

>193 MrsLee: What a Shiite (spellcheck!) week you’ve had! You, though, are an indomitable woman. Sending you some love and prayer.

>193 MrsLee: I posted my first comment during a minor spell of insomnia this morning, so failed to add that I think your rant about the universe is totally justified. Although I’ve never met you, I regard you as one of the best people I know. What right has the universe to hand you a load of old dogs’ excrement like that? Like >203 AHS-Wolfy: , I have some idea what it’s going to be like. But best wishes (again) anyway, and feel free not to keep your chin up if doing so only means that the bloody universe can keep on hitting you.

>193 MrsLee: I'm very sorry to hear that and I hope the universe deals you a better hand, soon. I wish you the best for your upcoming appointment.

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. I got the diagnosis a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't bring myself to share with any but my closest family. I guess yesterday the burden of not telling became more than I could bare. The future seems very frightening at the moment.

>194 Bookmarque:, >195 pgmcc:, >196 clamairy:, >197 tardis:, >198 Narilka:, >199 jillmwo:, >200 catzteach:, >201 haydninvienna:, >202 hfglen:, >203 AHS-Wolfy:, >204 2wonderY:, >205 haydninvienna:, >206 Karlstar:
We have all been through so much together, haven't we? I cannot express how much each of you mean to me. The comfort and sympathy and support we share is precious. Not to mention the book bullets we constantly fire at one another.

>207 MrsLee: Agreed. I was just telling a friend how very much this group means to me. I am so very grateful to have gotten to know you all.

>207 MrsLee: More hugs being sent your way.
>208 catzteach: And your way, as well.

I'm so sorry to hear your news; what a tonne of crap to have to deal with all at one time. I hope the universe decides to lay off for a while as you process this and see what the future holds. And I will be holding my thumbs that your son's wedding can go ahead as planned.

I don't often have much to say, but I do love this group and follow your posts every day. I'm sorry to hear that you have such a trial to endure, and wish you good vibes and luck. You are a strong lady and will pass this test I'm sure. I'm glad you have your son's wedding as a positive distraction to focus on; balance is important. {{hugs from the east coast}}

Sending you lots of hugs.

>210 Sakerfalcon:, >211 Darth-Heather: & >212 foggidawn: Thank you. *Hugs back*

I finished Murder out of Turn tonight. Took me awhile because of other issues. I'm still enjoying these. In this one, the author actually points the reader to the relevant conversation that holds the clue to the mystery. Not that it helped me any!

I keep confusing Pam and Jerry North with Nick and Nora, as played by Myrna Loy and someone. So where did they come from? Is OK, Google will help me sort it. Yep, Dashiell Hammett.

>214 MrsLee: I love Nick and Nora! And their dog Asta. So is the book like those movies?

>215 catzteach: Well, the books I'm reading are not Nick and Nora. They are Pam and Jerry North, who own cats. I haven't read the Hammett books for about 20 years, and don't remember much about them, but these books, by Francis and Richard Lockridge, are very enjoyable, even though they do make one yen for a cocktail. The cats are all quite fun with individual personalities. Written by authors who obviously own cats.

Oh my. Just seeing this. So sorry to hear your news. Sending lots of hugs and good wishes.

>217 Jim53: Thank you.

>216 MrsLee: Nobody owns a cat. Those who are very fortunate may, however, be owned by one or more cats. (In our family we have four Feline Overlords.)

Yeah, dogs have owners, cats have staff.

>219 hfglen:, >220 Bookmarque: I can dream, can't I? My cats also make it known that they own me.

>207 MrsLee:
That list of members is the core list for the Green Dragon meet-up I will arrange when I win the Euro Millions Lottery. That will be any day now.

There are other people I would add to the list, e.g. Meredy, Darth-Heather, Gilroy and silversi.

All told, it is a fearsome assemblage of Green Dragoneers.

>216 MrsLee: They sound fun!

>222 pgmcc: That would be an epic meet-up!!

>222 pgmcc: Yes, please.

>222 pgmcc: Whew! Glad I made the cut! I will be looking for tickets in the mail.

Oh that would be sweet!

That would indeed be an epic meetup! There are restaurants and hotels that have libraries …

That would be fantastic! Are you by any chance planning a tasting of Irish whiskEy?

That would be so much fun!

Well, if that’s the way you all think I had better buy a ticket.

>230 pgmcc: Buy more than one. Perhaps a baker's dozen. It could improve the odds.

>231 jillmwo:
Right you are.

>230 pgmcc: Buy lots of tickets! Buy all the tickets! Er, hang on a minute …

Those of you interested in my sweet, green, articulated, magnetic dragon, have a peek in my junk drawer. Husband brought this home for me today, along with a rather wonderful green, articulated, magnetic frog. Both made with 3D copy machine, which I cannot wrap my head around. I did not mean that literally, although, I couldn't do it literally, either. Even if I read the literature.

>234 MrsLee: I found your gallery, but couldn’t find your junk drawer.

Yeah, junk drawer is private. But we can see it if you give us the url. I feel the same as you about those 3D articulated critters.

>235 catzteach: & >236 2wonderY:

I am sorry! I didn't know junk drawer was private. Since I don't know how to get the URL on my phone, I will try to remember to add the images here nectar time I am on my laptop.

>237 MrsLee: Just put your finger on the picture and it will give you the option to “copy” (3rd option on my phone) and then paste to the thread.

Finger in the thread box gives the option to paste like so:
https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/c8/57/c8572900523b9d1637356527267426...

>238 2wonderY: That all depends on what browser she's is using on her phone. I can't do it any longer with the Chrome app on my phone, but I can do it with Firefox.

>239 clamairy: Hmmm. I thought it was a phone thing. I know almost nothing.

>237 MrsLee: Mrs. Lee, you have beautiful shelves there!! (Thank you, >238 2wonderY: for sharing that).

>237 MrsLee: I’m fascinated by your “I call these stinkers” collection. Fortunately I’ve never read any of them (never even heard of most of them).

>238 2wonderY: I love your Gollum toy climbing your LOTR books. That's awesome :)

>243 Narilka: I copied that photo from MrsLee’s profile. We’ve been talking about our toys here:
https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/23924/Toys-Books-Books-Toys

>244 2wonderY: Fun! I'm not a collector myself but I do enjoy seeing what others have collected :)

This is great! If I stay away long enough, all my work is done for me! lol. Thanks all.



>238 2wonderY: & >239 clamairy: Yeah, that option doesn't seem to work on my phone.

>241 jillmwo: Thank you. :)

>242 haydninvienna: Ha, ha. I had to check what was in there, it's been awhile since I looked at it. I have to say, that category reflects my gut reaction to the titles included. Very personal, nothing to do with whether or not they are considered valuable as literature. Probably either were thrown against the wall, or I wanted to. Some of them were ripped up. I found it interesting that a couple of them have three stars. Hmm. May have to revisit those ratings.

>246 MrsLee: & >242 haydninvienna:
Having read Richard's and your references to your "I call these stinkers" collection I had to investigate.

I have read two of the books in that collection. One, The Catcher in the Rye had the same effect on me as it had on you. I was left wondering what people see in the book. To me it was just "meh!" I am left believing that the only good use of the book is as a key to a secret code for spies. (Name that movie, and watch out for the black helicopters. They are there. You just need to look for them.)

The other, Vanity Fair, is a book I read when I was twenty-one in an effort to read "literature". I really enjoyed it. It taught me some history and fixed the year of The Battle of Waterloo in my mind. I loved the interaction between the two female characters. As I say, I was twenty-one when I read the book, so I may not have had a very mature mind at the time. On the other hand, perhaps the very points you disliked about the book were the ones that appealed to me. :-)

I enjoyed reading your notes on the stinkers.

>247 pgmcc: >246 MrsLee: I felt the same way about the JD Salinger. Ugh. And I too enjoyed Vanity Fair. I think I read that one for grad school.

I love the dragon!

I think one has to be younger than 20 (and disaffected with it) to get any enjoyment out of Catcher in the Rye. I haven't tried V.F. and you aren't selling it.

>247 pgmcc: I have a different opinion on The Catcher in the Rye. Is it a pleasant, enjoyable book? Not at all. Is it a serious, still relevant book that should make people think about the nature of young adulthood, parenting and mental illness? Absolutely.

>249 Bookmarque: I think you can still get some enjoyment or maybe insight from the book if you are over 20 - if you remember what those days were like or can put yourself in someone else's shoes.

>247 pgmcc: >248 clamairy: I have started Vanity Fair twice in my life (once as a teenager and a second time as an adult after watching one or the other of the television adaptations). I just couldn't cope with either Amelia or Becky. Amelia was an idiot (I mean, really -- George?! And utterly oblivious w/r/t Dobbin.) and Becky Sharp was just the most scheming and manipulative woman. Thackeray was a grumpy old curmudgeon.

>247 pgmcc: CONSPIRACY THEORY! One of my very favorite movies in spite of some extremely difficult scenes to watch. I think I read the book Catcher in the Rye before I saw the "Conspiracy Theory" movie.

I love seeing the different takes on my stinker selection. I can see why others do like those two, which is why I gave them two stars, but I don't like them any better knowing others did. :)

>251 jillmwo: My reaction exactly.

ETA: To add clarity and correct my phone's helpfulness. My grandson arrived just as I started to type this post.

>252 MrsLee: …and the lady wins the cigar!

>251 jillmwo: I am not sure I could cope with them now either. Which is why I'm glad I read it when I did.

>252 MrsLee: I understand completely.

>253 pgmcc: I hope it's dark chocolate. The tobacco type turn me green. Literally. Speaking from experience.

>255 MrsLee:
Dark chocolate can be arranged.

I finished A Pinch of Poison yesterday. As with the others, very enjoyable. Now I'm trying to read the stack of books which has accumulated by my chair. I have a Shakespeare languishing, the most recent McDonnell book, Love will Tear us Apart and the new-to-me Christmas Carol which I want to read before shelving (I fixed the broken spine).

My reading has slowed a lot. Other things on my mind. In the evenings I've begun watching "Death in Paradise" again. It is pretty formulaic, but that doesn't bother me at the moment. I created a cocktail to sip while watching, with the same name, Death in Paradise. 2 oz. gin or vodka, 3 oz. pineapple juice, .75 oz. of a plum syrup, 1 T. lime juice, a spray or two of bitters (for the Death part). I like it.

>257 MrsLee: Oh... That cocktail sounds quite good. I wasn't all that interested until you listed the bitters. (I've been doing a lot of Campari and seltzer. Not a lot of alcohol, but a whole lot of that bitter with just a little sweet.)

>258 clamairy: I need bitter and sour in my cocktails, and less sweet. I did find that more pineapple juice was better for this though. I tried it like a martini, with less juice than gin and it wasn't very good.

Finished A Christmas Carol. Delightful, as always. So many lovely passages and clever bits.

I've begun the actual play of Richard the III by Shakespeare. Also some amazing word usage. I'm just going to go with Shakespeare's evil Richard. He is written so well.

To continue to share absurdities that come up as I travel this new path of cancer. You must all understand that I have a very dark sense of humor, so I hope it doesn't offend.

I was trying to swipe text "cancer center" on my phone the other day, but what came up was "cancer cemetery." I scolded the phone for being inappropriate and really rude.

My appointment with the oncologist is tomorrow. Today my boss said, "So what are they doing tomorrow? An autopsy? " I said, "God, I hope not!' This is what comes of working at a cemetery. We are more familiar with the final medical exams rather than the diagnostic ones like biopsies.

Peace out, Lee.

>261 MrsLee:
All the best for the oncologist appointment. I trust they will know the difference between a biopsy and an autopsy.

>261 MrsLee: Best of luck for it from here also.

>261 MrsLee: Good luck from me too! And I hope your wonderful sense of humour will remain intact.

>261 MrsLee: Strength and good luck from the far end of the world.

>261 MrsLee: That is often the best way to deal with such things.
I will be keeping you in my thoughts today.

>261 MrsLee: With regard to scolding your phone for rude and inappropriate suggestions, make sure that you keep on!!! Do not put up with crap from any mechanical hardware overlord. The nerve of those things!

Just a reminder that you have us in your corner. We're here with you at every doctor's appointment and every cemetery confusion.

Thinking about you today - oncologist visits are so trying. I know you know this, but I'm reminding you that you are your best care advocate. M will back you up, I know, but sometimes your instincts are the only ones to trust. I fired two oncologists during the course of my treatment and it was the best thing I could have done for my treatment and recovery. Here's hoping you have a good one and find the best course going forward.

>268 Bookmarque: I think -pilgrim- (of blessed memory) would have agreed. I certainly do.

>268 Bookmarque: >269 hfglen: I agree too. Don't be afraid to be your own advocate if needed. Good luck at your appointment!

Well, good news! Dr. says if I have to have something like this, it's in the best place for a quick and clean operation. Will probably have operation beginning of April, says I should be healed by wedding. 😁 He said I will need helping hands to do the prep work for the wedding. Will meet with a different oncologist a couple of months after surgery to discuss different treatment options because they won't know until after surgery. Also I have to have a PET scan and some other tests before surgery.

That being said, Mark and I were so relieved that we drove the long way around going home. Stopped off at the Oroville dam which had a big scare about five years ago because it's spillway began to erode and the dam itself was compromised. All is well now. With the recent rains, the lake is almost full and water is rushing down the spillway in such a volume it takes ones breath away! We were on a road driving near the bottom of the spillway, at least a mile away, and had to use our windshield wipers because of the mist. Beautiful and awe inspiring.

When we drove through Oroville, what should we see but a used book store! The Bookworm. It was a lovely place, at least in inventory. The layout was understandable, with enough mystery to give me the pleasure of surprise. In the General Fiction shelves, older classics were mixed among newer releases so you never knew what you might stumble upon.

These are what came home with me:
Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut. Someone has written in the front;
"Be soft.
Do not let the world
make you hard.
Do not let the bitterness
steal your sweetness.
Take pride that even though
The rest of the world may disagree,
You still believe it to be
A beautiful place!"
Kurt Vonnegut
A beautiful sentiment for me at this time.
A Shilling for Candles, The Franchise Affair and Miss Pym Disposes all by Josephine Tey, none of which I've read.
The Death Ship of Dartmouth by Michael Jecks. Has anyone else read this author? I never have but his series looks intriguing. The Knights of Templar Mysteries.

>271 MrsLee: Thanks be! Love your celebration tour.

>271 MrsLee: Oh, that would appear to be about the best news you could have hoped for, given the circumstances. I'm relieved for you. Nice haul at the bookshop, too!

>271 MrsLee: Great news!

>271 MrsLee: What a relief (relatively speaking)! And how GD of you to celebrate at a bookshop. Sounds like a good little shop too.

>271 MrsLee:
That is good news. Good luck with the surgery and have a rapid recovery.

Your celebratory drive and bookshop discovery sound a great way to go home.

>271 MrsLee: Yay! That's good news! Thinking of you.

>271 MrsLee: So relieved to hear that you've had such encouraging news! And how perfect to find a used bookstore!

Great news, and nice book haul!

Thanks all!

I bought the new Bunny McGarrity novella that Caimh McDonnell released today. "Escape from Victory." Yay!

>280 MrsLee:
WHAT? A new Bunny McGarry and I was not aware of it. Scandalous. I have to investigate.

I have been holding you in the light and will continue to do so. After you read Dickie 3, you might enjoy Ms. Tey's The Daughter of Time. I love the inscription you quoted.

>271 MrsLee: All of that is such splendid news! And I'm so glad you had an opportunity to binge out on book buying as a means of celebrating. (For the record, I love Josephine Tey and can't wait to hear your views.)

>280 MrsLee:; >281 pgmcc:
I have snagged it on Kindle for £1.99. Apparently it was released here on 14th March. I was not aware it was coming. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

E.T.A. I think it only fair that our chalk this up as a BB hit. It is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, but I am really pleased you let me know it was out and I had no clue it was being published.

Thank you, friends.

>282 Jim53: That is a favorite book of mine, I've read it at least three times. :)

>284 pgmcc: Glad to have been off service! I only saw the email this morning.

>271 MrsLee: Excellent news!

>271 MrsLee: Been really busy with real-life stuff here so haven't been keeping up with LT too well. Was just looking around and... wow! What an excellent prognosis after the scary news in >193 MrsLee:!

Your journey home after the doctor's appointment sure sounds like a nice way to relax and readjust after what must have been a stressful time. I hope all goes well with your surgery and any follow-up treatments, and that you get plenty of assistance with your wedding plans.

>271 MrsLee: Glad it was good news! You’ve been in my thoughts quite a lot. Sending you all sorts of positive healing juju.

>286 Narilka:, >287 ScoLgo: & >288 catzteach: Thank you!

This weekend was spent with the future bride and groom, ironing out details and getting a lot of the heavier tasks done. This unrelenting rain and the lack of the proper annuals in the nursery are hindering my plans for the garden, but even if nothing else got done or there it will still be a lovely green space, with potentially a lot of perennial blossoms, so I'm not very concerned.

Reading is at a crawl (mostly due to company), but I purchased 2 audio books, Small Gods, narrated by Andy Serkis and The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, narrated by Will Wheaton. Yes, those bullets finally hit home. Looking forward to listening to them while I recover.

>193 MrsLee: - just catching up on threads, and was shocked to see this, am sending best wishes!
>271 MrsLee: - sounds positive, sending more good wishes and some virtual hugs.

>271 MrsLee: Oh wonderful news (well, as best as can be hoped, maybe). We're with you.

>290 NorthernStar: & >291 majkia: Thank you much!

>289 MrsLee: Oh, I might have taken a bullet on the Pratchett/Serkis Audible book!

>293 clamairy: I'm saving it for after my surgery, or I would give you a better idea of it, but Serkis and Pratchett seem like a very good pair to me.

>294 MrsLee: They do! And I'm glad you are stocking up on treats for 'afterwards.'

>193 MrsLee: I got behind in threads and just saw this. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

I've just added you to my prayer list.

>296 fuzzi: Much appreciated!