Terri (tymfos) runs her 2014 Reading Race 2nd lap

Hi! Welcome to my second 75 Challenge thread of 2014! I'm welcoming February with a new thread.

This is my primary challenge for 2014. All the books I read this year will be here.




I enjoy many different kinds of books. I'm partial to mysteries, but I read a lot of other things, too, both fiction and non-fiction.

You may notice I have a fondness for lists and organizing things.

Feel free to comment. Part of the joy of reading is sharing the journey!

ETA to add

Two themes are dominating my thread these days -- books (of course) and my new kitten.

I know there are some folks who are more interested in books than cats, and some folks who are really into hearing about the cat. So I'm going to "code" my thread with some graphics so folks who are looking mostly for book posts can find them easily.

Many of my book-themed posts are obvious due to posted book covers, or lists of book touchstones. Other book-themed posts (or portions of posts) will start with this graphic:


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My cat-themed posts, or portions of posts, will carry this graphic:



Silly, but I know how hard it is to keep up with threads. I figure a visual aid to help folks find what most interests them isn't a bad thing.

COVERS OF BOOKS I'M CURRENTLY READING

NON-FICTION E-BOOK FICTION AUDIO & PAPERBACK FICTION

FIRST QUARTER BOOKS


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Books read in JANUARY (challenges fulfilled; date completed)
1. Blood Land by R. S. Guthrie e-book (2014 category Rifleman; 1/2/14)
2. A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson (1/3/14; ROOT, 2014 Honor Thy Father category)
3. 58 Degrees North: The Mysterious Sinking of the Arctic Rose by Hugo Kugiya (1/6/14; ROOT, January Joyrides)
4. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (GeoCAT, RandomCAT, unofficial alphaCAT, American Author Challenge, 2014 American Author category 1/11/14)
5. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (ROOT, MysteryCAT, 2014 Category Whodunit?1/13/14)
6. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (2014 Category Garden of Evil 1/20/14)
7. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson e-book (2014 Category still deciding; randomCAT, mysteryCAT)
8. Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth Varon (ROOT, 2014 Category "war"& unofficial alphaCAT)
9. North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton (MysteryCAT 1/30/14)
10. Firewall by Henning Mankell (audio -- 2014 Garden of Evil category 1/30/14)
10a Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson e-book short

abandoned:
Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett. (Just not my cup of tea)
Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff (may try again later when in different mood)


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Books read in FEBRUARY
11. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (2/1/14)
12. The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill (ROOT, 2014 Category "Garden of Evil," MysteryCAT, unofficial AlphaCAT)
13. Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton (2/10/14; ROOT, MysteryCAT, unofficial alphaCAT H)
14. Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff (ROOT, 2014 Category "war," GeoCAT)
15. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (2014 Category Rifleman, MysteryCAT) e-book
16. Real Men Work in the Pits by Jeff Hammond
17. Ice Run by Steve Hamilton (e book)
18. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson (MysteryCAT, unofficial AlphaCAT

Currently reading:
Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (paper book & e-book)
I Was Right on Time by Buck O'Neil with Steve Wulf & David Conrads
The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (e-book)

abandoned this month:
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker AUDIO

I'm doing the ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes) challenge again in 2014, "trimming" neglected books that have taken root on my TBR shelf:



http://www.librarything.com/topic/162208

So many people enjoy my thread-topper graphic for my ROOT challenge (where I focus on trimming the TBR pile), I've decided to add it here, in a somewhat smaller version:


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Reading Lori's (lkernagh) thread, she had this Retreat's Book Bingo thing she's trying promoted by Random House. I just may try it for 2014.



I'm not sure how to define "a book at the bottom of your to be read pile." Maybe pull one from the bottom shelf of the TBR bookcase?

A book with more than 500 pages
A Forgotten Classic
A book that became a movie
A book published this year
A book with a number in the title 58 Degrees North by Hugo Kugiya
A book written by someone under Thirty
A book with non-human characters
A Funny book
A book by a female author Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
A book with a mystery A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson
A book with a one-word title Firewall by Henning Mankell
A book of short stories
FREE SQUARE
A book set on a different continent
A book of non-fiction Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth R. Varon
The first book by a favorite author
A book you heard about online Faith Under Fire by Roger Benimoff with Eve Conant
A best-selling book
A book based on a true story
A book at the bottom of your to-be-read pile
A book your friend loves
A book that scares you
A book that is more than 10 years old
The second book in a series One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
A book with a blue cover Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

And I'm participating in Mark's American Author Challenge.


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My (very) tentative list for the American Author Challenge

January Willa Cather -- Death Comes for the Archbishop (I've wanted to read this for some time, at local library)COMPLETED
February William Faulkner -- As I Lay Dying, library
March Cormac McCarthy -- All the Pretty Horses (I've been wanting to read another McCarthy, at local library)
April Toni Morrison -- Beloved (I really want to read this one, at local library) and/or Jazz (owned)
May Eudora Welty -- Losing Battles (at local library)
June Kurt Vonnegut substitute Thomas Wolfe - Look Homeward, Angel (owned)
July Mark Twain substitute Ernest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls (owned -- for over 20 years, about time I read it!)
August Philip Roth The Ghost Writer (owned)
September James Baldwin substitute Ray Bradbury - A Graveyard for Lunatics (for September Series & Sequels, owned)
October Edith Wharton substitute F. Paul Wilson - The Keep (for Halloween reading, owned)
November John Updike (Still deciding on selection)
December Larry Watson Let Him Go (I really want to read this, e-book available through library)

All titles subject to change. In fact, they will PROBABLY change, more than once!

I'm doing the 2014 Category Challenge:



http://www.librarything.com/topic/162285


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I struggled to decide on a theme for this year -- or whether to even have an overall theme for my categories. I considered using the titles of hit songs from 1974 (40 years ago) as my category titles. But I think I've settled on themes loosely based on a number of famous folks born in the great state of New Jersey.

I pretty much consider myself a Pennsylvanian now, but my formative years were spent in the Garden State, and my old home has shaped my sensibilities somewhat. (Its certainly affected my musical tastes, as anyone can attest whose heard how frequently I blast Springsteen and Bon Jovi songs.) So it's my tribute to my "old" home state.

THE SERIES I'M READING

As you can see, I'm reading a lot of series! I'm trying to keep track of which installment is next; also, I'm trying to track how many are in each series, though that's hard to keep up with!


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RACING TO READ MY SERIES!

A. CHECKERED FLAG: Series that I'm actually caught up/finished with those which have been published!!! (as far as I know, anyway!)
Blood Detective/Nigel Barnes series by Dan Waddell (have read both)
Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. (have read all 13)
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. (have read all three)
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. (have read all 4)
Elm Haven series by Dan Simmons (read both)
Fever Devilin series by Philip DePoy. (have read all seven)
Flap Tucker series by Philip DePoy (have read all 5)
Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. (have read all six)
Lake Superior Mysteries by Matthew Williams. (have read all three)
Lincoln Perry series by Michael Koryta (have read all four)
Mallory series by Carol O'Connell (have read all 11)
Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. (have read all 9)

B. WHITE FLAG LAP -- ONE TO GO!: Series that I am reading, only one left to read that has been published (As far as I'm aware)
Christopher Miller Holiday Thrillers by Chris Grabenstein. Next up: Hell for the Holidays #2 of 2
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. Next: Not Flesh Nor Feathers, #3 of 3 (owned)
Rev. Claire Ferguson series by Julia Spencer Fleming. Next up: Through the Evil Days, #8 of 8 (library)
Sam Blackman series by Mark deCastrique. Next up: A Murder in Passing, #4 of 4 (owned)
Samantha Kincade series by Alafair Burke. Next: Close Case, #3 of 3
Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves. Next up: Dead Water #5 of 5 (at library)
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Next: The Watcher in the Shadows, #3 of 3
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. Next up: A Serpent's Tooth, #9 of 9

C. GREEN FLAG LAPS: Favorite Series that I am very actively reading -- not as far along
Alex McNight series by Steve Hamilton. Next up:A Stolen Season, #7 of 10
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. Next up: Foolish Undertaking, #3 of 5 (owned)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Last Car to Elysian Fields, #13 of 20 (local library)
Inspector Sejir series by Karin Fossum (English Publication Order). Next: The Water's Edge, #6 of 10 (local library)
Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. Next up: When Will There Be Good News , #3 of 4
John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt. Next up: The Delicate Storm, #2 of 6
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Rolling Thunder, #6 of 9
John Madden series by Rennie Airth. Next up: The Blood-Dimmed Tide, #2 of 4
Simon Serralier series by Susan Hill. Next up: The Vows of Silence, #4 of 7 (owned)
Torie O'Shea series by Rett MacPherson. Next up: A Misty Mourning, #4 of 11 (owned)

D. YELLOW FLAG: Other series to continue, but I've slowed down for now:
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. Next:Hell Gate, #12 of 15 (library)
Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Next:Alex Cross' Trial, #15 of 21 (library)
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 12 (owned)
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Next: The Water Room, #2 of 10 (CLP/FLP download)
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 23 (at library; I own #3)
Crumley mysteries by Ray Bradbury. Next: Graveyard for Lunatics, #2 of 3 (owned)
David Ash series by James Herbert. Next: Ghosts of Sleath, #2 of 3 (at library)
Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. Next up: Anarchy and Old Dogs, #4 of 8 (owned)
Emma Fielding series by Dana Cameron. Next: Grave Consequences, #2 of 6 (download FLP)
Genevieve Lenard mysteries by Estelle Ryan. Next: The Braque Connection, #3 of 4
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: The Hanging Valley, #4 of 21
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Silence of the Grave, #2 of 9 (county Library, CLP)
Inspector Ramsay by Ann Cleeves. Next: A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy, #3 of 6 (owned)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Next up: Savage Run, #2 of 14 (owned)
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: The Pyramid, #9 of 10
Lamb/Holly series by Belinda Bauer. Next: Darkside, #2 of 3 (owned)
Marty Singer series by Matthew Iden, Next: Blueblood, #2 of 3 (owned)
Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Next: The Cure of Souls, #4 of 12 (owned)
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. Next: The Serpent's Tale, #2 of 4 (owned)
Temperence Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. Next: Spider Bones #13 of 17 (library)
Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman. Next: Another Thing to Fall, #10 of 11 (library)
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Eggsecutive Orders, #3 of 7

E. ONE-OFF DEALS: Series I started reading out-of-order once in a while over the years as I came upon volumes:
(I'm not sure which books I've read in some of these series!)
Ballad novels by Sharyn McCrumb (ten in series)
D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner.
Elizabeth MacPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb
Faith Fairchild mysteries by Katherine Hall Page (I own some unread)
Harmony series by Philip Gulley (first in County Library)
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (recently went back and read #1 in series)
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey (read 2nd; own 1st)
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library) next to read: #1 Taken (at county library, CLP)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith

F. START YOUR ENGINES: New-to-me series that I'm currently reading first book:

G. START-AND-PARKS: Series I started at the beginning and don't necessarily feel like going the distance with, though I may try one now and then:
Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch. Next: The September Society, #2 of 7 (CLP/FLP Download)
Claire DeWitt by Sara Gran. Next Up: Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway, #2 of 2
Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. Next up: Design for Murder, #2 of 23 (owned)
Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady. Next: Dead Lift, #2 of 2 (CLP download)
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next: The Redeemer (FLP download)
Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves. Next up: Triple Witch, #2 of 16
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 16 (library)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Pardonable Lies, #3 of 10 (borrowed)CURRENTLY READING
Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. Next: No Nest for the Wicket, #7 of 16 (county library)
Ravynne Sisters Paranormal Mysteries by Merabeth James. I'm definitely skipping #2, the vampire one. Next up: A Haunting at Storm House (owned, e-book)
Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Chardonnay Charade, #2 of 6 (download FLP)

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Series I'm thinking of starting

A. Series to start; own (or was loaned) at least one book in series
Agent Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen. First up: Shadow Man, #1 of 5 (owned)
Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass. First up: Carved in Bone, #1 of 7+ (FLP download -- own #2 e-book)
Booktown mysteries by Lorna Barrett. First up: Murder is Binding, #1 of 6 (owned)
Bruno series by Martin Walker. First up: Bruno, Chief of Police, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle. First up: On What Grounds, #1 of 11 (owned)
Det. Ellie Hatcher series by Alafair Burke. First up: Dead Connection, #1 of 4 (owned)
Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn. First up: A Beautiful Place to Die, #1 of 2 (owned)
Frank Renzi series by Susan Fleet. First up: Absolution, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Gin Palace Trilogy by Daniel Judson. (Own #2 in series as Kindle Book -- I understand that it's a "prequel" so may work to read first.
Hackberry Holland by James Lee Burke. First up: Lay Down my Sword and Shield, #1 of 3 (owned)
Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. First up: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, #1 of 15 (owned)
Huntress Moon/FBI thrillers by Alexandra Sokoloff. First up: Huntress Moon, #1 of 2 (Kindle book)
Inspector Alan Grant series by Josephine Tey. First up: The Man in the Queue, #1 of 6 (owned)
Inspector Matt Minogue Mysteries by John Brady. First up: A Stone of the Heart, #1 of 10 (owned)
Julie O'Hara series by Lee Hanson. First up: Castle Cay, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Lacey Flint series by S. J. Bolton. First up: Now you See Me, #1 of 2 (owned)
Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. First up: Silent in the Grave, #1 of 7 (borrowed)
Lake Champlain mysteries by William Kritlow. First up: Crimson Snow, #1 of 3 (owned)
Laszlo Kreizler series by Caleb Carr. First up: The Alienist, #1 of 2 (owned)
Loon Lake fishing mysteries, by Victoria Houston. First up: Dead Angler, #1 of 13 (owned)
Madeline Dare series by Cornelia Read. First Up: Field of Darkness, #1 of 3 (owned)
Mark Tartaglia series by Elena Forbes. First up: Die With Me, #1 of 3 (owned)
Missing Pieces mysteries by Joyce & Jim Laverne. First up: A Timely Vision, #1 of 5 (owned)
Quirke series by Benjamin Black. First up: Christine Falls, #1 of 6 (owned)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. First up: Sun Storm, #1 of 4 (CLP library download; own 4th book in series)
Rosa Thorn series by Vena Cork. First up: Thorn, #1 of 3 (owned)
Shadows series by Cege Smith. First up: Edge of Shadows, #1 of 3 (Kindle book)
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9 (own)
Tony Boudreaux Mysteries by Kent Conwell. First up: Galveston (no touchstone), #1 of ? (own 6th in series)
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling (owned)

B. Series I'm eager to start; none owned, but at least first book available at library:
Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd. First up: A Duty to the Dead, #1 of 4 (library)
Cemetery of Forgotton Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind, #1 of 3 (FLP downloads)
Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. First up: Bootlegger's Daughter, #1 of 18 (library)
DS Alex Morrow by Denise Mina. First up: Still Midnight
Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carfiglio. Involuntary Witness, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First up: The Black Echo, #1 of 18 (library, library downhload)
Homer Kelley series by Jane Langton. First up: The Transcendental Murder, #1 of 18 (FLP download)
Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage. First up: Blood of the Wicked, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. First up: Killing Floor
Jack Sawyer series by Stephen King. First up: The Talisman (library, downloads)
Kathryn Dance series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Sleeping Doll
Lynley/Havers series by Elizabeth George. First up: A Great Deliverance (library paperback)
Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Samson. First up: Dissolution, #1 of 5 (FLP download)
Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. First up: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, #1 of 3
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. First up: Odd Thomas, #1 of 6 + novellas
Rizolli/Isles by Tess Gerritsen. First up: The Surgeon: A Rizzoli, #1 of 10
Shakespeare Secret series by Jennifer Lee Carrell. First up: Interred With Their Bones
Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd. First up: The Bricklayer, #1 of 2
Strange & Quinn series by George Pelicanos. First up: Right as Rain
Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs. First up: Death by Darjeeling
The Sparrow series by Mary Doria Russell. First up: The Sparrow
Thora Gudmundsdottier series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First up: Last Rituals
Tradd Street series by Karen White. First up: The House on Tradd Street, #1 of 3
Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. First up: 1st to Die

G. Series to start where first book is at county library
Anna Travis series by Lynda LaPlante. First up: Above Suspicion, #1 of 7
Barker & Llewellyn series by Will Thomas. First up: Some Danger Involved, #1 of 5 (county library)
Cackleberry Club by Laura Childs. First up: Eggs in purgatory
Duncan Kincade series by Deborah Crombie. First up: A Share in Death
Evelyn James series by Elizabeth Becca. First up: Trace Evidence
Gregor Demarkian mystery by Jane Haddam. First up: Not a Creature was Stirring
Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. First up: Knots & Crosses, #1 of 17
Jack Daniels series by Joe Konrath. First up: Whiskey Sour
Jason Kolarich series by David Ellis. First up: The Hidden Man
Jemima Shore series by Antonia Fraser. First up: Quiet as a Nun
Joona Linna sereis by Lars Kepler. First up: The Hypnotist, #1 (only one in English so far)
LA Quartet by James Elroy. First up: The Black Dahlia
Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. First up: The Blessing Way
Lincoln Ryme series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Bone Collector
Nobody Nowhere series by Donna Williams. First up: Nobody Nowhere
Nora Gavin series by Erin Hart. First up: Haunted Ground
Ray Dudgeon series by Sean Chercover. First up: Big City, Bad Blood
Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee Thurlo. First up: Bad Faith
Virgil Tibbs series by John Ball. First up: In the Heat of the Night, #1 of 7

C. Recommended series, not readily available:
Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait. Shadows at the Fair
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. Glazed Murder
Emily Tempest series by Adrian Hyland. Moonlight downs
Inspector Challis by Hal Disher. The Dragon Man
Jack Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Frost at Christmas
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. The Guards
Joe Faraday series by Graham Hurley. Turnstone
Joe Plantagenet by Kate Ellis. Seeking the Dead
Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette The Bone Key
Logan McRae by Stuart MacBride. Cold Granite
Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory. A Plague on Both Your Houses
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Wicked Autumn
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. The Poacher's Son
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. Buried in a Book
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. One Coffee With
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Sleepyhead

THE STATS: I always try to keep these kinds of stats, and I always mess them up sometime in the course of the year so that the totals don't add up properly.

total books READ 2014: 18

ROOT books -- off my (real or virtual) TBR shelf: 9

Paper books: 12
E-books: 5
Audio books: 1

Fiction: 14
Non-Fiction: 4

male author(s): 9
female author: 8
male/female team author: 1

US authors: 12
authors from other countries: 6
NO IDEA:

living author (as far as I know): 17
deceased author: 1
unsure:

THE POSTING FORMAT:

Title:
Author:
Genre or subject information:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?:
Date finished:
Off the Shelf?
Category for 2014 Category Challenge:
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating:
Notes:

I found this meme on Cheli's last thread for her 2013 Category Challenge, and thought it would be nice to do as a review of last year, since I really didn't do any kind of "Best of" list for the year:

2013 year-review meme

It's hard to give definitive answers to any of these. Lots of competition!

The book that kept me breathless: Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
The mystery that I enjoyed reading the most: Broken Harbor by Tana French
Biggest disappointment: One For the Money by Janet Evanovich. (Maybe I expected too much.)
Book that gave the most smiles/laughs: Dangerous Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (not a"funny" book -- I really didn't read any "humor" books this year -- but a serious mystery book with just the right touch of humor!)
Book I wish I'd read sooner: Annie's Ghosts Steve Luxenberg (It was on the shelf for quite a while!)
Best Recommended book: Montana, 1948 by Larry Watson (Thanks, Richard!)
The book with the most surprises: A Place of Execution by Val McDermid (Maybe not the most surprises quantity-wise, but quality-wise!)
Most thought provoking book: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Series book that has me wanting the next one NOW!: The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill (I ordered the next-in-series the day I finished it!)
Best Audio book: The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson, narrated by George Guidall (All the audios I've heard from that series are excellent!)
Book I am still working on: None. I actually finished up all the stuff I was reading, and started fresh January 1st -- a first for me!
Book I'm glad I finished: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

My kitten Sig is too fond of the stairway. He sometimes tries to scamper up and down the banister. Sometimes he scares me; I worry he'll fall!


Sig on his new cat tree

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Welcome to my thread for February!

75 Challenge Book #11
Title: The Round House
Author: Louise Erdrich
Genre or subject information: literary fiction set on a Native American reservation
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 2/1/14
Off the Shelf? no, borrowed
My Rating: 4.3 stars
Notes:

It's too late and I'm too tired to write anything which does justice to this book. It is fine work, and I stayed up late to finish it. I'll comment more tomorrow.

This doesn't qualify as a book -- it's just a short story -- but posting it FYI.


Title: Divorce Horse
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information: love and a missing horse
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Walt Longmire short story
Date finished: 1/31/14
Off the Shelf? no, library download
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

As I said above, this is just one of those short story specials that are put out on e-book. But the series is a favorite of mine, so I will say I enjoyed it. But I don't think these kinds of shorts ever live up to the series they are part of, nor the quality of true stand-alone short stories.

Happy new thread, Terri! I'm glad you liked the Louise Erdrich book, it's in my Mt TBR.

yay! sig pics in your new thread, too. He is so beautiful.....

Happy new thread Terri! You are sooooo organized.

13: Don't worry too much. He's being a normal cat. He'll get less jumpy with age.

The Adventure of Sig has been interesting reading - from keep him alive during the bitter cold night to "my cat" and a cat tree!

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17 Hi, Diana! The Round House is a disturbing story, but very well done. And I learned a lot about legal issues impacting Native Americans -- the worst issue being reservation boundaries and that if one doesn't know on which side of the boundary a crime was committed, the perpetrator escapes prosecution altogether.



18 Good morning, Kath! As I type, Sig is curled up in the little hidey-hole in his cat tree.

19 Connie, I cheat and just copy a lot from my old thread for the opening bit. It's all evolved over time and several years of challenges.

20 Jumpy! He sure is, Katherine, and I tell myself that age will tame him some. He is so funny playing with the boxes his stuff came in. We broke down the cardboard and temporarily propped it against the wall. Well, he brought it down to make tunnels. Add a little toy mouse into the mix. He has been "stalking prey" quite energetically -- on, around, and under the cardboard, chasing his own tail at times.

21 Cindy, it's amazing how quickly a kitten can worm its way into one's heart.

It's also pretty impressive how quickly Amazon got so much of Sig's new stuff here with the free shipping -- I'm not a Prime member, this is the regular deal. After what happened at Christmas with people's packages, I guess Amazon and UPS are on their best behavior!

>22 tymfos:- I do the same thing, Terri. But there is not that much to copy from my thread. Maybe that will grow in the years to come.

I'm probably a little too compulsive in my list-making, Connie. I have found that my series list is really helpful to see, at a glance, where I stand with different series. I do FictFact, too, but it's not as good for seeing, at a glance, whether a book is readily available and via what source -- I have to click on the individual book to see if I've marked it as owned, and there's really no way to indicate if it's at a particular library. I keep that data in sight on my list here on the thread, and refer to it often.

I put a post with my "format" in and then can use it as a template to copy for each post -- a real time saver. (I hit edit and copy the post in the "edit" box, then cancel the edit and post what I've copied into my new post. That way I keep all the bold text formatting.)

If we didn't know better, I'd think Sig had been part of your family forever. He looks so happy and at home with you.

I will look forward to your review of The Round House which I liked very much last year.

Wow, you've been reading up a storm lately!

And I love all the Sig photos - he's one lucky cat, and I bet he thinks he's landed in the lap of luxury!

Julia, he's definitely feeling more at home here. In the process, he's exploring more and getting into a little more mischief -- to be expected, I guess!

I'm still pondering what to write about The Round House. I don't want to include spoilers.

Thanks, Amber! Sig has been a lot of fun.

I just wish he'd learn to scratch at the scratching posts on his cat tree, and not at my sweater when I'm working in the kitchen. I hope that behavior changes before summer, when I move into short sleeves. If anyone has cat-training advice to help with that process, I'll take it. So far, that's the main negative to this expereince (that and my allergies).

28: My cats like the corrugated cardboard panels, especially with catnip.

Hahahahaha! Train a cat! Hahahaha! Silly Terri.

As I wandered down your new thread and came to the picture of Sig on the cat tree, I had to chuckle! That boy has it made. For someone who claimed to know so little about cats, you are doing all the right things from what I can see. Including the spoiling ;-)

The Round House is on my WL. Erdrich is a fav author of mine.

29 I haven't given Sig catnip yet, Katherine. I tend to think he's wild enough without it.

30 Yeah, I know, Cee, Independent critters! As far as what I've done so far, I've had good advice from LT friends here who know all about cats! Also, the internet is a good source of information. For instance, the ASPCA site has some useful info.

Nice new thread, Terri! I like the Jersey tribute; it's my first home although, like you, I consider myself a Pennsylvanian now (even though I've lived in Georgia since 1997).

Hi, Darryl! I need to get over to your thread soon -- I was thinking of you when I saw all the news coverage of the storm mess in the Atlanta area.

Great new thread, Terri. Your Sig sure knew what he was doing when he came to your door. He looks so happy and secure in his new home. I am looking forward the MysteryCat this month, I can always use an excuse to catch up on some series!

Lovely new thread Terri and you know I am absolutely smitten with adorable Sig... he is so photogenic!

If anyone has cat-training advice to help with that process, I'll take it.

*giggles*

Okay, all giggling aside, we were able to train our cats to some extent. Like teenagers, they learned that one could sneak out of the yard but it was a bad idea to be caught outside of the yard. Same goes for furniture clawing, climbing drapes, and anything else they could get up to that was taboo under house rules. Since the cats were allowed outside, they were never de-clawed so we trained them not to claw people, furniture, climb drapes, etc. It was a long process of catching them in the act, picking them up, lying them on their backs on our laps or holding them in our arms and gently rapping their paws with a finger. I can imagine some eye-rolling at this idea but we were always very communicative with our cats and they really did learn to not claw and we didn't catch them 'in the act' as much as we first did. ;-)

Not sure catnip is such a great idea... we learned the hard way that two cats left alone in the house for the evening with a catnip present wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree was a recipe for disaster. Just sayin'.

Cats on catnip are entertaining.

Sig looks oh so confident sitting on his new cat tree!

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34 I am looking forward the MysteryCat this month, I can always use an excuse to catch up on some series!

Ditto, Judy!



35 Not sure catnip is such a great idea... we learned the hard way that two cats left alone in the house for the evening with a catnip present wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree was a recipe for disaster. Just sayin'.

I can imagine, Lori!

36 Cats on catnip are entertaining.

This can can be pretty entertaining even without catnip. :)

37 Linda, he's getting more confident by the hour -- and more bold. He's going after the ceiling fan cords now. I expect we'll find him swinging from the ceiling a-la-Tarzan soon.

I'm worried about how my son is dealing with Sig's presence here. He doesn't like some of the changes we're having to make to cat-proof the house. I tried telling him about how we had to child-proof things when he was little. I think maybe it seemed fairer then.

35: catnip present wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree was a recipe for disaster
Catnip items go into a cabinet with a sturdy latch or the refrigerator if they are not ready for cats. Otherwise, the cats claw and bite through the packaging.

38: Does he not like the changes because they're changes, or because they affect him?

I love reading the Sig Saga.

I've had The Round House on Mount TBR for awhile now. Maybe I should move it up.

39 All Sig's food and treats are closed up in a closet, and I would surely do the same if I got him catnip. As for my son, I think it's a little of both -- he doesn't like change, period. He got really upset that I took down the ceiling fan pulls that were hanging down enticing Sig to bat at them, even though we're not using ceiling fans this time of year. And some of it affects him, if only that he's wary of having Sig suddenly dart out at him. Sig has impacted our routine a bit, too, and routine is very important to my son.

40 Morphy, The Round House is disturbing, but very well done. As for the Sig Saga, glad you're enjoying it. Read on:

Today Sig persuaded my husband to yield to his "me-out!" requests. He's managed to slip out a few times in the past on very cold days, where he did a turn around the yard and came right back to the door. Today is warm, hubby wanted to give him some room to play, and Sig wanted an adventure. He was out of sight at one point, then came back to our porch. We thought he was coming back in -- and then he took off across the street (fortunately, we live in a neighborhood with very little traffic ) and climbed to the top of the neighbor's (rather short) tree. He got back down fine. Then he took off again, with hubby following along. He basically climbed all the trees along the street, learning lessons about how to get back down (and how some tree limbs will send you down if you're not careful.) He survived his adventure just fine, but I am glad he is back INSIDE our house.

Now, tired out from his adventure, he's asleep on his cat tree.

Well, so far the Super Bowl is pretty much a rout. For halftime, we turned over to Animal Planet for the Puppy Bowl and the halftime kitten show. Nat Geo Wild has the fish bowl. Hallmark Channel has the Kitten Bowl. All (except the fish) seem more interesting than what I've seen of the football game.

First they were talking about maybe a little rain and snow mix, then there was a Winter Weather Advisory. Now a Winter Storm Warning is up for midnight to 4 p.m. tomorrow with another 6-8 inches of snow likely. Heaviest snow is expected 5 a.m. thru 11 a.m., with hazardous conditions for the morning commute. Somehow, this sounds like another one that will close the schools. Grrrrrr . . .

We are officially halfway through winter, and I am officially sick of it. And that stupid groundhog Phil saw his shadow . . . in the fog . . . don't ask me how -- must have been all the TV lights.


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Maybe my cat wanted out today so he could look for the groundhog . . .

My cat enjoyed the Kitten Bowl!

My cat was asleep in the next room. He'd occasionally raise his head and look around when he heard "meow"-ing, but didn't have ambition to come check it out.

I'll be posting more about Brumley's antics during it and afterwards later. He cracked me up.

Lovely new thread Terri and lovely new kitty. I also loved The Round House and thought it was a very powerful book although it's not my favorite Erdrich.

Terri - Things are speeding up around here my dear. Great reading as always. xx

Morning, Terri!

My cat, Susie, hasn't been outside (except for car rides to the vet and such) in a *very* long time. I don't think she'd know what to do with herself! Ha! She's never been even remotely desirous of going out (you could leave the door wide open and she'd walk right past it), although she does love to sit in the sunshine and look out the window.

TRUE! My kitties love to lie in the sun... but don't miss the outdoors. I am ridiculously careful, still.. but they are very happy kitties. Indoor kitties have longer happier lives.. Honest!

It is still making me smile when I think about what you have done here...

:)

SNOW. Everything is closed again today. I'm getting tired of this. And a bigger storm is expected tomorrow night into Wednesday. Ugh.

45 Lori, I saw what you posted about Brumley on your thread. How sweet!

46 Thanks, Bonnie! This was my first book by Erdrich, so I must try more! Which one would you suggest I try next?

47 Hi, Paul! Thanks for dropping by!



48 Hi, Amber! Curiously, the windows in this house aren't set up very well for Sig to look out of them -- many of the best views are from places we'd rather he stayed off, like the dining room table. The kitchen windows are over the sink, so high that I can't see much but sky and the very top of the garage out of them except on tiptoe. Today I cleared off a bench in front of my den window and opened the blinds and tried to secure the pull cords. It's not much of a view and it makes a horrible glare on my computer screen, but Sig spent some time there looking out.

49 Kath, I have noticed Sig finding sunny places to lie. I think that's why it's so hard to keep him off the dining room table in the late afternoon -- that's the one place where he can catch some rays that time of day.

So sorry you are getting yet more snow, Terri. We are supposed to get a bit tomorrow ourselves, but not as much as you are. It's bound to be spring sooner or later, right?

It's bound to be spring sooner or later, right?

I sure hope so, Julia!

Loving all the Sig stories and pictures.

I'm sorry for all the snow you are getting as well, Terri. Our mild weather has turned very cold but I don't think we have any snow in our forecast. Cats are very good at finding the sun spots for their naps and Sig seems to be settling into your home very well.

53 Glad you like them, Linda!



54 Well, "settling" is a relative term, Judy. He's very flighty, has almost more energy than our house can contain, and he spent much of the afternoon meowing loudly at the door, begging to go out with very loud "meows" and, eventually, a bit of a hissy-fit tantrum. He did manage to slip out when my husband came in, but hubby managed to run and grab him and haul him back in.

We have a tiny room, an alcove with a closet, but the alcove area has a window with one of the better views from our house -- much nicer view than from my den. We've used it for storage space, but I've always meant to clean it out and make it a tiny reading room. Well, I finally cleaned it out, but mainly for the cat. There is a cloth-covered trunk in front of the window, like a little window seat, and I thought it would be a nice place for Sig to sit and look out a window. Granted, it doesn't get much sun, being on the north side of the house, but it does have a view.

This book was hard to put down -- I spent way too much time reading it over the past two days.

75 Challenge Book # 12
Title: The Risk of Darkness
Author: Susan Hill
Genre or subject information: police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Series?: Simon Serrailler #3
Date finished: 2/3/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

Serrailler is called to another district where a child has been abducted. Is it the same kidnapper that took young David Angus, whose unsolved disappearance haunts Simon? Meanwhile, a young woman is dying of Variant CJD -- Mad Cow Disease -- and her distraught husband is quite literally losing his mind. And the mother of a new priest at the Cathedral has been assaulted and robbed in her home.

Susan Hill expertly weaves these threads, and others, into a marvelous novel that kept me turning pages late last night and when I should have been doing other things today. The story is complex and satisfying, the characters are rich, the setting is so real you can almost feel the fog closing in. Marvelous!

Susan Hill is just superb! I need to get back to Simon and friends!

My cat isn't allowed out but with a 4 year old grandson (and his dad) who can't seem to latch a door to save their lives, he does get out. So far he will venture around the house and will be sitting under the side porch when we frantically look for him. Our front street is very busy and I'm worried he will try and cross. He is the master of the house and I think it will be a great shock to him to find out that not everything in the outside revolves around him! When the weather is nice we let our side door open to our screened in porch. He sits all day with a smile on his face and watches birds and bunnies.

Carrie, I'm pondering the logistics of maybe screening in our front porch this year. But it probably won't happen -- we need a new roof much more!

Home owning! Sometimes you could just swear! Lol

It's funny in our house because during the morning the sun will shine just so in the living room and my dog and cat will spend hours vying for the perfect spot and slowly shift across the floor. We should get it on video sometime!

I need to get back to Simon and friends! DITTO!!!

Terri.. I have wanted to screen in my front porch for 25 years :(
Always something that needs done more urgently... doors being one of them! Maybe one day ?
If only Dan would take it on, it could happen. He could do it too!. Hmmm Maybe we can try getting Keith to help. Debbie hates it when he helps us though.

Carrie.. scary for sure!

I'll have to try Susan Hill sometime.

Hi Terri- Just checking in. I always visit here, toting a little guilt. You are always reminding me of series fiction, I NEED to get back to, including Wallander and Longmire. Right now, I am waist-deep in FF books.

Hope all is well!

59 Carrie, sounds like your pets have their own daily mini-migration!

60 Kath, we have so many home improvement projects that keep getting put off.

Sig really seems to like his new window seat in the upstairs alcove. He's spending a lot of time there. It's also a nice place for him to retreat if he needs alone time. I suppose cats need that sometimes.


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61 Lori, I think you might like this series. The stories are generally rather slow to develop, with lots of in-depth characterization and strong sense of place -- she's created an entire village and its environs. She even had a map in the edition I had of the first-in-series. Simon is not a terribly likable character -- he's a bit of a cad, in some ways -- but he and the supporting cast are believable and the mysteries are good and complex. Oddly, in the first book he didn't seem to be the central character -- another detective really felt like the protagonist.

62. Hi, Mark! Sorry, no guilt allowed -- this thread is a guilt-free zone. Just enjoy your books, whatever you happen to read! All is well! (see post 70 for more re: series reading)

I've been a little wishy-washy as to what novel I want to read after the Susan Hill. It has to be something that won't get confused with my e-book (Longmire) and audio (Spenser) mysteries. I fiddled with a couple first-in-series books -- coffee shop mysteries, Sister Agnes mysteries -- but they didn't resonate at the moment. I've finally settled (I think) on my next-up book in the Alex McKnight series, Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton. I just finished one of his last Thursday, but he's not one that I get tired of if I read two back-to-back (at least not yet) and this one looks really good.

Ah, I hear our latest winter storm arriving. Sounds like sleet.

Oh, one other piece of news -- GOOD news -- my son had his asthma check today, and his lungs sounded great. Apparently, Sig's presence in our house really isn't causing him any asthma problems. I hadn't noticed any coughing/wheezing, but glad to have the nurse-practitioner's confirmation.

One other happy note. One of life's simple pleasures is a nice cup of tea. I found a marvelous tea at the discount store today. It's a Tazo herbal tea called "cocoa mint mate" (the name is supposed to have the little accent over the final "e" and I know there's a way to do that, but it escapes my memory). My, how nice!

So I've brewed up a pot of the herbal tea, and I shall enjoy it while reading for a while.

I'm simply stopping by for more Sig stories.

Happy to see that Sig's presence is not a concern for your son's allergies.

YAY for all of you! Do you have a ton of snow again today? Crazy out there ....

I think Linda meant to say stories and pictures? LOL

Good news about your son's asthma and also the tea. I'm going to look for that one, as I love drinking tea.

65 Hi, Linda! Sig has been pretty quiet today.

66 Hi, Lori! Thanks. It was good news.

67 Kath, we got a lot of sleet and ice. Lots of things are shut down (including school and library), and we're hearing of car accidents in the area. So far, we still have power.

Pictures? did you say pictures?


Funny how none of the photos fully pick up the orange sheen of his coat. He always looks a bit paler in the photos.

68 If you like herbal teas and like the flavors of chocolate and mint, it's a real winner, Julia!

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Over on the 2014 Category Challenge, the MysteryCAT this month is series mysteries. I'm using that as an excuse to do a bunch of reading in my favorite mystery series, and maybe try a few new ones. I mentioned that last night, I finally settled on Blood is the Sky, 5th and next-up for me in the Alex McNight series. I actually stayed up and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open -- fell asleep with the book on my lap, at a moment when I was just resting my eyes a bit . . . maybe you can guess, the book was a good choice! This time, he is north of of his usual UP of Michigan territory, hunting for his friend Vinnie's missing brother up in the wilds of Ontario. Lots of action, lots of atmosphere, some insights into the differences in circumstances between some US and Canadian Native American populations.

I'm also doing the audio of the first Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. I'm not enthralled by the narrator, but I'm getting used to him.

I'm reading As the Crow Flies from the Walt Longmire series on e-book, and heartily missing George Guidall's narration, which I've greatly enjoyed as I've listened to all the previous installments on audio. I'm missing it enough that I'm alternately thinking of signing up for Audible, or thinking of putting the library e-book aside and ordering it on CD via inter-library loan. Audible is pricey, and CD is not a convenient format for the way I listen to audios. That's how much I'm missing it. But the story is too good to put aside waiting for an ILL, and I've spent any discretionary funds on the cat that might have been used for Audible, so I guess I'll just plow on and finish it on e-book.

I thought this was cute:


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I know there are some folks who are more interested in books than cats, and some folks who are really into hearing about the cat. So I'm going to "code" my thread with some graphics so folks can more easily find those posts that interest them.

Many of my posts about books are obvious -- they carry graphics of book covers or lists of touchstones. Other of my posts (or sections of posts) dealing mainly with books will start with this graphic:


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Many of my cat-themed posts, or portions of posts, will start with this graphic:



Silly, but I know how hard it is to keep up with threads. I figure a visual aid to help folks find what most interests them isn't a bad thing.
Going through and tagging has also given me some insight as to the nature of my posting lately.

I love books and cats, so I'll just read them all!

Ditto.

Good, Lori and Diana!

My husband went to shovel the back steps and start a path to our garage. Sig is standing by the back door crying -- a really high-pitched meow, different from the one he uses when he wants to eat. This is what he did the other day when hubby went out to shovel.

When I was a kid, my mom always said that the stray tom cat we often tended had different meows -- "me-in," "me-out," and "me-eat."

Today I did find a way to get him away from the door -- I pointed a camera at him to take a picture of him at the door, whining to go out, so of course he wandered my way. He finally went to the window, and I got this shot of him on the windowsill:

I'm sick of snow days. Son and Cat are napping. Hubby is working in study. I was going to go out and do a share of the shoveling, but remembered my winter coat in the washer. Now I'm waiting for it to finish in the dryer.

There are a million things I could do and should do around the house . . . but I'm playing with LT instead.

At least the snow plows have finally reached our neighborhood.

GOOD NEWS! LOWE'S "DELIVERS!" (via the USPS, in this case)

On my previous thread, I had complained about an issue I had getting a promised rebate from Lowe's. They took care of it! My gift card for the rebate arrived in the mail today!

"Neither rain, nor snow . . ."

Also, despite the delay waiting for my coat to dry, I manged to clear the front walk & porch before the mail carrier arrived. Looking around, I think I was in the minority on that point today. I was out shoveling, finishing up, when he brought the mail. We shared a brief but heartfelt commiseration about the weather and walking conditions. I would not want his job today!

Beautiful kitty! No, he doesn't look red at all.. more buff...
Good job on getting him to stay away from the door.. remember keys work too :)
or noisy things. Or kleenex boxes. The startle is the thing.

Thanks, Kath!



The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is offering a new service that seems too good to be true. It's a service called "Freegal" (rhymes with Legal -- Free and Legal) for downloading music. If you are a cardholder, you're entitled to three free music downloads per week -- and they are for keeps, they don't expire, free to patrons courtesy of the library which pays for the service. I got my three for this week -- blew them on a couple of sentimental favorites from childhood and another piece on whim. Then you can keep looking and put things on a wishlist, and download 3 more each week. (They also have videos, but each video takes up TWO of your three weekly selections.)

They have really, really good stuff from all kinds of music! Classical -- artists like Vladimir Horowitz, Yo Yo Ma, Leonard Bernstein. Jazz -- Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Miles Davis. Jazz vocals -- Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Etta James. Folk -- Joan Baez, the Kingston Trio. They even have Cajun music, Celtic music, Gospel music, and traditional Swedish folk music . . . the choices are mind-boggling. You can listen to samples before you commit to be sure it's what you want.

OK, with the whole galaxy of music to choose from, my first download was Patti Page singing Tennesee Waltz. I guess I'm a sentimental fool. (Gosh, I love that song and how she sang it!)

Many large libraries have always had a musical component -- I belonged to the Free Library of Philadelphia in my college days, and they had a huge music department in their main library back then -- but a service like this is beyond that. I just hope it doesn't take away from their resources to buy books. Hopefully, it will create goodwill among the music-loving public, who will then donate generously. One can hope.

How thoughtful of you to code your thread with little icons! I'm interested in *both* cats and books, but still, it's a lovely thought.

Also, that photo of Sig in the window behind the curtain is gorgeous! Nice shot!

I heard about the Freegal library thing yesterday from someone on Facebook, and it sounds really interesting - the next time I'm at our local library, I'll have to ask about it...

I know, Amber... it is.. I thought the same :) You should try to take pics of him there over the months and show how different it looks... light, size, season. Crazy idea, I know since there are so many how the heck factors.

Really! re: library music. That's pretty cool :)

I am off today...I hope to read, but I am going to have to go to Walter's house, as I have been summoned by my sister.

:( still... I hope to read.

What a wonderful image of Sig on the windowsill in front of the curtains!! It sounds like Sig had no trouble adopting his family!!!!

Thanks, Amber!

Summoned, Kath! Oh, dear. I hope you get reading time!

Thanks, Linda!

I've been asked to cover for a sick colleague at the library, so I am off to work.

Love the on-going stories of Sig and happy news about the rebate!

My local library has Freegal but I have yet to surf the selections to see if they have anything I am interested in downloading. We have the same weekly download limits you mentioned in your post - maybe that is some kind of a standard package? Does the library offer Hoopla? That is another digital service my local library joined up with back in December.... I haven't played around in that service yet, either. Hoopla allows for music and audiobook downloads as well as TV and movie streaming.

Sorry to see that winter continues to hold everyone in its grip.

Yes, you did get your rebate gift card!!!

Sig is really lovely!

Hi, Lori! I bet you'll find something you like on Freegal. They have a really wide range of things. I read through the introductory info & FAQ sections on the website. I guess the 3 item limit per week is pretty standard, though apparently some libraries have other limits. Some also offer streaming and a separate daily limit for that, but Carnegie doesn't seem to do that.

I didn't see Hoopla as part of their offerings.

Your pictures of Sig are so sweet. He is a curious cat, for sure.
Such a caring kitty-mom you are. How lucky is Sig?

Love #71 ^ LOL

Love that silhouette picture of Sig! Our kitty shows no interest in scooting outside, even though she was a barn kitten, and prowled freely outside for the first few months of her life. (She does try to get into the garage from the house door, though, and that's worrisome. She's a little ghost and slips right past you if you don't pay VERY close attention.)

Hi, Cee and Linda!

This book arrived in our library as part of the Junior Library Guild shipment that we've just gotten around to processing:

Lost Cat

In the confusion of moving, elderly Mrs. Fluffy Slippers and her cat become separated. So -- after failing to chase down the moving van -- Slippers the Cat looks for a new human to adopt. She encounters Mrs. Muddy Shoes, Mrs. Iron Shoes, Mr. Cowboy Boots, and others. Whose shoes are the best to follow?

It's really cute. The artwork is delightful! The author's own rescue cat, Pete, inspired the story and was a model for his illustrations.

I'm a sucker for children's cat books! I hope our library gets that one.

I think you'd like it, Lori!



My little Sig is getting aggressive. Maybe he's just being playful, but play with claws and teeth is not fun for me. I'm glad it's winter. If he doesn't settle down, I dread hot weather, when I'll be wearing thinner fabrics with more exposed skin.

I've been told that he'll probably settle down a bit after the neutering procedure, which is scheduled for the 25th. We'll see.

It seems as though the methods I've learned and tried to keep him off the counters and such (none of which involved any bodily harm of any kind, I may add!) seem to have antagonized him toward me.

Be strong, Terri. He'll get over it but he does have to learn. He thinks he is "King of the World" and cats just don't like to be told what to do! It'll take time and a small operation - but chances are good he'll settle down.
They do have a way of showing their displeasure when you don't acknowledge their superiority ;-) LOL

And he is young and playful so the agressiveness will go away with age.

Thanks, Cee and Connie! In my head, I know those things -- but in my heart is a different matter when he's hanging by his claws from my favorite sweater (when I'm wearing it)!

>75 tymfos:: That is a very cool picture of Sig through the lace curtain, Terri. I like how you are marking your cat posts and book posts with the appropriate sign. I'll be reading both, but cat-phobic people might appreciate the heads up! I am waiting for the video of him running up (or down) your bannister!

Yikes, or maybe a picture of Sig attached to your favorite sweater. I don't know much about cat behavior but I think you may have a strong-willed one on your hands. Good luck!

Hi, Teri, I am enjoying your posts about Sig, he does sound like he's trying to assert himself. I guess he sees you as the biggest threat to him being the boss. I hope it doesn't cost you too many sweaters before he understands his place.

Good job with your new cat, Terri. They're so much fun. Watching them can be either wildly entertaining or very soothing. Mine will be coming along soon.

What Cee and Gail said... and everyone else, too. It will pass.. neutering will help.
Just the other night I picked Rosie up and popped her on my shoulder and she ripped into me as I startled her or annoyed her or something. Rare, but it happens. Blow in his face when he is aggressive or doing something you don't like. I used to have a stray that I took in that would go for the eyes... She is the only cat I ever had declawed. I don't believe in it.. but at the time, my mom was dying and my kids were small and I just didnt have the strength or time ( I was working ) to deal. She lived to be 21-22 years old.. and we all kept our eyes. She spent the last 8-10 years of her life living with Amy... as a a pampered only cat.

A small spray bottle of water is also a deterrent.. and it does take a while at times...
You are doing a great job! Really, you are!It just takes time sometimes...

85 We cross-posted and I missed your post 85, Connie. Yes, Lowe's did finally come through!
Glad you liked the photo!



95 Thanks, Donna! Yes, he definitely is a rather strong-willed critter! I really don't know how I'd post a video of Sig here -- I do photos by adding them to my LT profile photo gallery or junk drawer, but that won't work for a video. I did see a book somewhere about how to make your cat a You-Tube star, or some such thing. Not sure I want to go there.

96 Today, hubby took bigger role in getting Sig to behave. The consistency seems to have settled Sig a bit . . . or the fact that now he's outnumbered? Anyway, he has behaved pretty well today. Of course, he gets most ornery late at night, so we'll see how I feel about that in a few hours.

97 Gail, I have experienced both the soothing and entertaining aspects of watching Sig. It is priceless watching him stalk the toy mouse. And when he sleeps, he is the most peaceful of creatures.

98 Wow, I'm glad you still have your eyes. I really don't believe in de-clawing, but I think under those circumstances I might have done it, too. A lady I talked to in town suggested the spray bottle, too. I haven't gotten one yet. But some of his most problematic behaviors come when I'm working at the kitchen sink, so I have resorted to a little flick of water from my wet hand -- and it seems to have made him back off from bothering me there. Also, when I found him in the bathtub clawing the shower curtain, I just turned on the water a bit -- not right on him, but he got a little splash from it and moved away.

Oddly, my son -- who was most leery of keeping the cat -- is now his leading apologist when he misbehaves. Maybe he can relate to the cat dealing with the grouchy old lady who's always spoiling his fun? If it was up to him, the cat could get away with anything!

Hi Terri!
You're a cat mommy! Cool!
Great picture of him in the window!
I love his name and the real Sig is kinda a terror at sea so the name is perfect. I agree, as he gets older and after the neuter you should see an improvement in his "I'm the king of the world" attitude. :)

Hey there, Kara! I just found your thread and posted. So glad to see you back in the group!



the real Sig is kinda a terror at sea so the name is perfect.
LOL! Yeah, the thought occurred to me. Actually, his real name is Siegfried -- he got the name because I let hubby name him and he loves Wagnerian opera. But I decided that the shortened name worked great to honor my favorite Captain (whose full first name, BTW, is Sigurd).

It's like Sig has a switch that turns on at around 11 p.m. or so. He suddenly goes on the prowl, pouncing and exploring. He decided to explore my desk, hit the "scan" switch on the printer, and then was exploring where the paper went and came out. Then he started shredding papers on my desk. This is new! It looked like he was trying to eat the food on the McDonald's ad.

"No! You can't eat the phone book!" *sigh*

I hope he doesn't start chowing down on my library.

My cat is active at night also.
I have left a book on the floor by my bed and there was little nibbles on the edges (once) but mostly she just rubs her face on the spines or pages while I read.

Cats are naturally nocturnal, but mine have always begun living life on my time... he should pick up on your family's rhythms before long. He is just feeling very comfortable and safe right now.. and he is still a kitten. A lot of this is kitten behavior.. and will just go away as he grows. He will always be a huge fan of your keyboard and desk.. and whatever you're reading ( instead of petting him) is my prediction.

Yes. Cats love helping you read and type.

103 Kara, I hope my cat generally avoids chewing my books!

104 Kath, part of the problem is probably that our family members each have our own schedules. My husband is an early-to-bed, early-to-rise guy, more or less. I am a night owl. My son used to be more like my husband, but now is pushing to stay up as late as I'll let him. I'm always the last one up, so the cat and I spend the late-evening hours in each other's almost exclusive company.

105 Lori, I've had him run over the keyboard before, but this is the first time he's played with the printer!

OK, two cat stories:

Last night, I was last one up, and Sig was being quite, er, active -- getting underfoot and trying to get into the bedroom, where he's not allowed. Well, I distracted him by throwing a mouse down the hall. Well, soon he and the mouse were back by my door, and the mouse wound up getting knocked under the door into the room, and Sig is pawing through the crack under the door and scratching a meowing. So I opened the door a crack, and tossed the mouse out. In record time, the mouse was back under the door . . . rinse, repeat. I think Sig was making a game of it -- if he knocked it under the door, I'd toss it out to him -- play with him! Clever Kitten!

This morning, my son decided Sig needed a tour of the house -- all of it, including the rooms where he's not allowed. This is Sunday morning before church, and when Sig got into our bedroom, he climbed under the queen-size bed and wouldn't come out. This room is not cat-proofed -- in fact, it's where I've put everything I think I need to keep the cat away from -- and it houses my C-PAP machine for sleep apnea, with its hose and head straps and odd-looking parts crying out for a curious kitten to investigate. So we're trying to lure the cat out before leaving for church. Great. Hubby finally lured him out with a toy mouse -- enough to grab him and get him out of the room. Crisis averted, and we all got to church on time. It's one thing for the folks in the pews to be a little late for church, but when you're leading the service, it helps to be on time.

awwww Sig fetches! Not all kitties do that :)

102: I hope he doesn't start chowing down on my library.
I have several books with kitten-chewed corners. Really, they do calm down. I'm glad your son is defending Sig.

I saw this article this morning and immediately thought of you and Mamie: Incredible home catwalks.

Kittens are just like children! testing and playing! I love the stories.

Now that she is older my cat, Sally, mostly shreds newspaper that I have left on the floor but every now and then I run across a book with claw and teeth marks in it. She taught me to put most of my books back on the shelves which is a good thing.

Love the Sig stories, Terri! My niece has a young orange tabby - maybe two years old - and he can tend to forget not to claw when playing but he is much better about it than he was last year.

We got about 5 inches of snow over the weekend, and school was delayed this morning, but is now in session.

The benefit of working for a sick colleague last Thursday is that I have today, Monday, off! I'm generally not scheduled to work Tuesdays, so it's like a mini-vacation. I've had snow days of recently, but those days my son is home. It's a lot easier to mop floors without him underfoot, and to run the vacuum (the sound of which really bothers him).



108 Under the right circumstances, Sig fetches, Kath. When he sees it as the only way to get me to play at 2 a.m. ;)

109 I do think my son needs to understand that cats, like kids, do need to have limits set sometimes, even for their own good. I think our discussion of yesterday's events went well -- it's hard for my son to discuss things calmly when there's any hint of disagreement, but we actually had a productive conversation yesterday!

110 Oh, my, Pat! Amazing! However, I think Sig is taking over the house quite enough without undertaking major renovations for him!

111 Glad you're enjoying Sig's antics, Connie!

112 Meg, I think I need more shelves! The place where I've been keeping borrowed books is definitely not a good place anymore!

113 I think Sig will get better about it, too, Lori. I occasionally see signs of improvement.

Well, it's almost noon, and there still is no sign of a snow plow in our neighborhood.


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Yes, believe it or not, an actual book post (for what it's worth).

I'm almost done with the book Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton. I tore through the first half, but life (both RL and some LT) have been keeping me occupied and I've slowed down. I really want to see how this turns out! This series doesn't always have happy endings -- a fact which I appreciate as realistic, and it makes the reading even more suspenseful.

Why is it that I spent good money a on cat tree, a cat bed, etc., and spent a ton of time cleaning out a window nook especially for the cat, but Sig's favorite place right now is a cardboard box from an Amazon shipment?



Cat-in-the-box -- note little pink mouse in his house!

BTW, the snow plows finally came by. Hubby was out shoveling when they arrived, and they were nice and did a pass by our little driveway in such a way that it saved Hubby quite a bit of shoveling.

Cats love small confined spaces or spaces where they can feel protected. I have yet to encounter a cat that does not like boxes. It is entertaining when a large cat tries to squish its body into a shoe box, and don't try to remove them from it once they are in it!

Because Sig loves the books that were shipped in the box. It's the booksmell!

118 Alas, Connie, it wasn't a book shipment -- it was other types of items from the Amazon marketplace!

(I wish I had gotten a box that big full of books!!)

117 Lori, this is actually a pretty big box, but it does seem to give Sig that secure feeling! I bet it would be fun to see him squish into a shoebox!

With the blessing of our fearless leader Jim (drneutron), I have taken the initiative and created a Kitchen thread for 2014:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/169094

Newsflash: Westminster Dog Show is this week! TV coverage is tonight on CNBC and tomorrow night on USA Network, from 8-11 p.m.

I love watching the beautiful dogs. I wonder how Sig will react?

What a dilemma! Do I watch the Olympics or do I watch the dog show? I watched the one on Thanksgiving thinking that my little guy might enjoy seeing other dogs on TV. I don't think he ever looked at the screen, but I sure enjoyed it.

Ahh . . . the joys of cats and boxes!

Cats also like suitcases and make packing for a trip interesting.

122 Carrie, I was fortunate to be able to watch the dog show and record some Olympics with our Dish DVR. Plus since I was off work today, I got to watch a fair amount of the live coverage during the day.



123 Lori, Sig was in the box when I started running the vacuum cleaner. He bounded out and up the stairs and hasn't been back in it since -- though he seems to be pondering a re-entry into the box as I type. . . no, he's off . . . he did spend much of the evening curled up in his cat bed.

124 Oh, Meg, I bet that will, indeed, be an experience!

75 Challenge Book #13
Title: Blood is the Sky
Author: Steve Hamilton
Genre or subject information: search for the missing brother of a friend
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: Alex McKnight #5
Date finished: 2/10/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

Who says that the rank amateurs in cozy mysteries are the only mystery characters who do really dumb things? Retired Detroit cop and supposedly retired PI Alex McKnight has the training and experience of a veteran investigator, and ought to know better than to do some of the things he does. But he just can't leave things alone. When his friend Vinny asks him to help find his missing brother, who failed to return from a hunting trip in the wilds of Canada, Alex heads north with him to investigate. And even when the Ontario Provincial Police tell him to go home and STAY on his side of the bridge, he just has to check one more thing . . . the result is a nail-biting adventure for the reader . . . and occasional moments when I wanted to tear my hair out.

This books has enough action and twists and turns to satisfy an adrenaline junkie, but also some thought-provoking moments. The suspense is multiplied by the fact that Hamilton rarely provides "neat," happy endings. There is a darkness in these books, a messiness that mirrors much of the way things are in real life. One can count on Alex to live to face another mystery, because there's a next book in the series -- but, otherwise, all bets are off as to how things will turn out.

Our cat loves when we come home from Costco with a box for her to play in. She loves to both hide in it and chew on it.

By the way, one of her favorite toys is a ping pong ball, especially when we drop it in the bathtub. An empty bathtub, of course.

>116 tymfos:: Sig is so ridiculously cute. Seriously, that face!

*off to check out the kitten thread...*

ETA: Oooh, you say 'kitchen' thread! Now I get it! (What a dummy.) Ha!

My cat loves those Pom Pom balls. You usually get a few in an assorted toy pack, but I just go to the craft department to pick them up.

127 Joanne, we tend to not encourage Sig to spend time in and around the bathtub, as he has been shredding the shower curtains! Tonight, as my husband and I were asking, "where's Sig?" we heard a sort of whoosh and thump from upstairs. I went up to find the shower curtain in a state. Half the hooks were dislodged. There were claw tears all the way up it. Apparently he climbed it to the top and then jumped or fell off, taking the curtain partway down with him.

128 Yes, Amber, "kitchen," not "Kitten." Though, come to think of it, a "Kitten" thread isn't a bad idea . . .

129 Lori, I had a crocheted bookmark with a sort of pom-pom on the end. Sig very quickly dismantled that to play with the pom-pom!

Oh, my! I've been neglecting chores to watch the Olympic coverage. Then tonight I tried to watch the dog show and dozed off during a commercial and missed the end. Figures.

I watched nothing. I went to bed at 9:30.... with a pile of cats. Sig is doing all of the kitten things.. he wow! It seems overwhelming, but it stops ... I promise.

And then you have a lap cat ... or at least a cozy cat...

A kitten thread? This year, we might actually need one!

Kath, I would love it if he would settle down and be a lap cat, or a cozy cat. Right now, Sig isn't very snuggly.

Terri - I haven't read any Steve Hamilton books yet but the premise of a protagonist who helps generate a good story by behaving ridiculously and making ludicrous choices is something I am familiar with. The Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva for example is full of the same sort of infuriating things but it somehow helps generate a better story.

It takes time... just wait and see ......

You will be like me, trying to type around a cat or two :)

Hi, Paul! Well, his choices aren't positively ridiculous, given the context and the nature of the character. It did make for a page turner!

Thanks for the reassurance, Kath.

Today was one of those days when I got a call from the school principal. That hasn't happened for quite a while -- back in middle school, it seemed like I was on the lead teacher's speed dial, but I hadn't had many issues crop up since my son got into high school, and most of the calls I have gotten involved other kids' behavior. Ah, well, things seem to be under control.

I experimented with a new recipe for supper -- a Polish/German type casserole with kielbasa, sauerkraut, cheddar cheese, and pasta in a creamy sauce. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/uber-braten-kielbasa-and-sauerkraut-casserole/detai...

you are a very brave woman. Sauerkraut and cheese sounds terrifying.

It wasn't too bad, Kath. Hubby liked it a lot, so I'm keeping the recipe.

I am officially NOT reading As I Lay Dying for Faulkner February / American Author Challenge. I thought I owned a copy, but I don't and the library copy is missing.

I'm visiting to get news regarding the mighty adventures of Sig. It looks like that beautiful fur ball is becoming quite acclimated to his new home.

Sig will calm down!! My little Boomer was quite the devil kitten but she's almost 2 now and for at least the last year, she happily spends evenings on my lap. And curls up on our bed at night (well, some of the night, when she's not prowling).

We went through 1 (shredded) shower curtain and 3 (chewed up) bathmats in the first year. Not to mention shredded rolls of paper towels. And a lot of double-sided tape.

Joanne, When Lilly was a puppy she loved nothing more than to get into the waste baskets and shred all the paper. Often I came home at the end of the day to a house filled with pieces of paper throughout the house.

Terri, I agree with Joanne, it will take time, but Sig might calm down.

Hi, Linda and Joanne! I see signs of Sig settling a bit. I'm also learning to handle his shenanigans better. Right now he's the picture of contentment, curled up on a bench in font of a window.

We just got an automated phone call from the school that they are dismissing early due to (more) snow. We are on the northwestern edge of the storm that is affecting so many people today, so we're not hit nearly as hard as some places, but we are getting enough snow to make a mess of the secondary roads.

#135> Can I make that recipe and just leave out the sauerkraut? Everything else sounds good. :-)

Hmmm, Julia . . . you could try it . . .

I don't understand why we're just under a "Winter Weather Advisory" and not a "Winter Storm Warning." I was just out shoveling again, and we must have gotten at least 8-10 inches of snow since last night.

Along with what snow we already had, I'm running out of places to put the snow when I shovel it. I'm only shoveling a path down the sidewalk, rather than clearing the whole expanse. There's just no room -- the snow banks are about as tall as I am.

Our street still has not been plowed. Forget going anywhere unless you have 4-wheel drive.

Terri, That's a lot of snow!

And I too can tell you that Sig will calm down. Really, I promise.

144: No enterprising neighborhood kids showed up this morning (I guess school's on), so I shoveled 100' of sidewalk (I live on a corner), but I don't have the muscles to toss the snow upward onto the piles lining the streets and sidewalks. The pathways are supposed to be 3' wide, but it's not happening.

You have my sympathy Terri.. we have less snow, and I am seriously tired of it.

It will be warmer today, maybe over 32, so perhaps some of the ice in the gutters will melt?

That is way more snow than an "advisory" Terri! I don't understand the rationale behind when they use the various forms of alerts, either.

Hi, Connie, Katherine, Kath, and Julia!

They finally did upgrade to a Winter Storm Warning . . . some "warning," coming around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, after it had been snowing since 8 p.m. the previous evening. I think we got close to a foot, but it's hard to tell because it's the fluffy kind that blows and drifts a lot.

Katherine, I pity folks who live on corners in this weather, having the extra frontage to shovel.

We have the sidewalk out front -- our lot is narrow -- then must shovel the path from the back door to the garage and the alley . . . and re-shovel, as it keeps blowing shut. This time of year, I wish we had an attached garage.

This afternoon, the sun has finally come out. But it is windy, and there is much blowing and drifting of the snow. One co-worker's husband got thoroughly stuck in the snow trying to get home, after driving her to work. He got dug/plowed out, and then came back and got her and took her back home.

Last night, I sent my son upstairs with some of his clean laundry and told him to put them away, but didn't check that he did . . . apparently he set it down on the chair in the hall.

This morning my husband e-mailed this "Valentine" with the subject "Clean laundry?" and the text, "Not any more. Look what I found when I got up at 3:30 this morning:



Happy Valentine's day!"

I worked this morning, and will go back to work 5-7 for a co-worker who lives out of town and prefers not to drive in this weather after dark.

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BTW, hubby gave me books from my Ammy wishlist for my Valentines:

A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique
Le Mans '55: The Crash that Changed the Face of Motor Racing by Christopher Hilton

and a hymnal that I had asked for, Great Hymns of the Faith.

He says there's another book still on the way that hasn't arrived yet.

149: Well, it's a plus in the summer when I can grow plants along the fence without worrying about invading the neighbors. And usually the kid next door shovels; he wants the money and I want the time, so it's win-win. But I think the school system is trying not to extend the school year into July, so they didn't cancel today. We're now 40 degrees and drippy, but it'll freeze overnight, and more snow tomorrow...

150: Awwwwww.

Hang on to that Hubby!

My daughter had a cat that slept in any clothes basket he could find. Even when it was on top of the dryer which was in operation. Must have been nice and warm :) Cats aren't dumb.

Our school system is trying to avoid snow days, too. Yesterday they sent them in to school just long enough for it to "count," and sent them home around 11 a.m.

Katherine and Cee, I just went upstairs. My son claimed the laundry (cat hair and all) but the basket is still on the chair -- and the cat was in the basket again!!

Just get used to the cat fur. It's a losing battle.
What's that saying?
No outfit is complete w/o cat fur!

*smile* yup... clothes baskets are the best! And like someone else mentioned upthread - watch those suitcases when packing ;-)

A good day in Terri Land!

Happy Valentine's Day, Terri. I love that picture of Sig in the clothes basket, he actually looks rather indignant at being worken up to have his photo taken.

Your hubby is a keeper - books make the best Valentines!

Love the latest Sig pic! Our cats would hang out near the laundry room and when a basket of freshly dried laundry comes out of the dryer, they would pounce... they loved to snuggle in the warm 'out of the dryer' laundry pile! One also liked to help me make the bed.... not help whatsoever as the cat found it a game to get under the blankets and sheets and paw around. ;-)

What wonderful V day gifts from your hubby!

I hope you enjoy A Murder in Passing. I have really enjoyed that series which is set on the other side of the mountain from me. I hope you enjoy the hymnal too.

Awww! Cute laundry kitty.

The clothes would still count as clean in my house. :)

Joanne, they would still be clean in mine, too!
In fact, I like to dump out the warm from the dryer clothes on my bed so the kitties can lie on them when I am folding.. they like that :) Heck, I do too! I have been known to throw something around my shoulders fresh out of the dryer, just to feel the warm.

Sig is a pretty smart cat to recognize the comfort of freshly washed and dried laundry! I had some adjustment issues with Adrian during the first several weeks after I adopted him. Several friends encouraged me that it was only a temporary phase, and that we would soon adapt to each other. They were right! We've settled into a routine and we know what to expect of each other now. I'm confident that the same thing will happen with Sig.

157 *smile* yup... clothes baskets are the best!
Cee, when I went upstairs to bed last night, the clothes basket (sans clothes) was still on the chair . . . and the cat was in the basket!

158 Mostly good, Kath. It had its moments . . . like when I went to lock up the library at closing and realized I didn't have my keys . . . (*frantic phone call . . .)

159 Your hubby is a keeper - books make the best Valentines!
Agreed, Judy! And he delivered my forgotten key ring to me, too!

160 Lori, these clothes weren't warm (my son was supposed to have put them away hours before) but I guess Sig still found it snuggly eno9ugh!

161 Thanks, Lori! I really love that series.

162 Joanne, they counted as clean here, too. My son grabbed them and put them away.

163 Oh, Kath, I know how nice it is to put on a warm sweater straight from the dryer!

164 Carrie, we're slowly getting adjusted to each other. It's just hard getting used to being a new "mom" again! At least when my son was born, I had months to get used to the idea! Sig just sort of wandered into our life on a moment's notice!

Looking out my back door:



The top step of our back porch is about 2 feet up from ground level, and it is buried -- that is a full-sized grill, sitting at ground level, sticking up out of the snow drift.

This is the scene looking from the back porch toward our garage and the alley:



I am facing the cold with some Boston's Best brand "White Chocolate" flavored coffee, drunk from my favorite mug from the Key Largo Conch House. If you are ever out on the Florida Keys, stop there -- wonderful coffees, teas, desserts, and they make a mean breakfast, too! (I hope they're still there . . .)

I am so far behind on threads again . . . and now I not only have the Olympics distracting me, it's Speed Weeks at Daytona, and I am a NASCAR fan. So I'm catching up on all the changes during the off-season and the progress of the racing teams at the track.

My books are severely neglected.

Ooooooh! My final Valentine's Day book from hubby arrived today; it came all the way from England. A beautiful copy in mint condition:

Terri, I ended up with Adrian on short notice. A friend called me at work to see if I wanted to go to the shelter with her to pick up her dog. She had spotted Adrian there and thought he'd be a good fit for me. When I left for work that morning I had no idea that I'd be a new "mom" by lunchtime!

Carrie, isn't it amazing how quickly they steal your heart?!

> 168 - What a gorgeous book cover!

>170 tymfos: quickly and completely

171 Lori, I completely agree!

172 Kath, I totally agree with that sentiment too!

I proudly wear cat hair. I take my little tape roller with me to church and go over myself really well before going up for Praise Team in the early service. (There's cat hair in the car too since Brumley travels with me, but at least I can get some of it off.)

Sig will settle. By the age of two, all but the most incorrigible cats calm down.

ETA: He is neutered or you will be neutering him, right?

I think I'll start carrying a tape roller too, Lori.

Morphy, we have it scheduled with the vet for the 25th.

That also calms cats down, especially males.

haha! I keep tape rollers in a basket near my front door for company, one at work, and one in the car. Basically, they're everywhere. I have some in the bathroom and in my bedroom, too.

I know that today is a busy day for you, and I hope it all goes smoothly and well :)

>168 tymfos:: Oh, that's lovely!

>150 tymfos:: How adorable is that?

When one has a cat/dog/several pets, the lint roller becomes a permanent fashion adjunct. Good for furniture, too. As everyone has said, he will calm down. That's one of the reasons I want mature kitties; I'm not sure I'd have the patience for a kitten, as charming as they might be. I'm used to the bed-making, lap-locking, hanging-over-one's- shoulder-on-the-back-of-the-chair sorts of things. It's been my experience that the rewards of pet-owning totally eclipse the added chores and expense.

A happy and productive Sunday to you, Terry.

What a LOT of SNOW! Wow, Terri.

177 I'm kind of counting on that, Morphy!

178 Busy morning, Kath! There were some issues with the heat at church. We worshiped in the fellowship hall where it was relatively warm. That was rather cozy and informal -- I liked it!

179 I was very pleased to see that lovely book, Amber!

180 Sig likes his laundry baskets, Gail! He took over another one today (after I chased him from climbing into the washer!) I'm good with most of Sig's mischief. I will be glad when he settles just a little -- he's rather like a jack-in-the-box, often popping up and startling one!

182 Some areas near us got even more snow, Connie. We're in the valley and got off relatively easy.

I should take a photo of a neighbor's truck and post it. It got plowed in during the first big storm, and has been getting buried ever since with each storm and pass of the plows. At this point, about all you can see is a side view mirror sticking out of a snowbank.

And it's snowing again! The prayers that came with this morning's church bulletin had a prayer petition included for "rain and snow in season." I added the words "in moderation," and heard a few chuckles from the congregation!

I remember winter Sundays at our old church of Felkirk in West Yorkshire. Freezing cold in the big old nave and carrying on regardless. No wonder numbers dwindled at that time of year.

Hope your weekend has been a good one, Terri.

Hi, Paul! It's been a pretty good weekend, all in all. Hope you are well!

I even can't imagine so much snow that cars get buried!

Connie, it's just that the plows clearing the roads push the snowbanks higher and higher trying to clear enough roadway for people to travel and park safely. This poor guy was parked in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It's definitely been a snowy winter, though, and we're getting more tonight.

The lock on our library's book "drop box" froze, and had to be de-iced today before we could retrieve the books returned during off-hours.

I had a change in work schedule today due to one colleague not being able to work today and another not being available until later in the day. I worked earlier in the day, a bit fewer hours than my current regular schedule. Since I got some extra hours last week, I didn't mind losing a few today and it was helpful for the library.


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Today, the US Amazon Kindle store has 4 books in honor of President's Day. One of them is Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk. I read it a while back and gave it 4 1/2 stars, and the overall rating on LT is just over 4 stars. Not only is it a fascinating look at one of the most famous US presidents, it can also be an inspiration for anyone who has tended to battle depression.

75 Challenge Book #14
Title: Faith Under Fire: An Army Chaplain's Memoir
Author: Roger Benimoff with Eve Conant
Genre or subject information: memoir of Chaplain who served 2 tours in Iraq and came home with PTSD
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 2/17/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

Roger Benimoff spent much of his life in the military: first as a fuel specialist, then in the Reserves while studying for the ministry, and finally re-enlisting for full-time service as a Military Chaplain doing two tours of duty in Iraq and then serving as a Chaplain at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"Chaplain, who's your chaplain?" an officer once asked Benimoff. It's a good question -- those charged with supporting the troops often seem to get precious little support themselves. Benimoff weathered his tours of duty well, running on adrenaline. But his return home was marred by the classic symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the result of the carnage he witnessed, his sense of failure at not being able to do more to help those in his charge, and the weakening of his faith in the face of the horrors of war. Perhaps his case was even more complicated by the fact that he felt he had no right to have PTSD -- after all, he hadn't been wounded in battle, at least not physically.

Benimoff, with the help of Newsweek journalist Eve Conant, tells his story, including passages from the journal he kept during and after his second deployment. I found it a very insightful and moving look at war, the scars it leaves, and the questions it raises for people of faith.

Okay, I get the picture: Shovels, parked cars, lots of snow!

We got an inch or two more last night, Connie -- hardly worth noting. But today the temperature has actually gotten above freezing, and things are melting a bit!!!! :)


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I've officially decided to abandon The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker, first in the Spenser series. I was doing it on audio and just not getting through it. I wasn't impressed with the narration, nor with the story itself. The loan is about to expire, and I'm not even going to try to renew it. Though I like the Boston setting, I don't particularly like Spenser.

Sig slipped out the door when I was getting the mail.

Will he come back?

#189> Terri, I have heard that the audiobook narration of the Spenser book is particularly awful. I hope you'll give them a try in paper someday. It was one of my favorite mystery series.

I hope Sig comes back! I have no experience with cats so I'm not much help, I'm afraid.

Thanks, Julia. Maybe I'll try Spenser's adventures in print form.

Sig's back!

Oh, heartstopper! I panic if my cat gets into the garage; if she got outside I'd probably have to be institutionalized. Sig knows where the warm and the food are now, though. And I agree, you should not give up on Spenser. I've never tried him on audio, but he is one of my favorites in print. Especially fine is Early Autumn. In fact, it might be time for me to go read that one again.

Sig is a handful, isn't he?

Faith Under Fire sounds good but I don't know if I can handle it emotionally right now.

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193 Linda, OK, I won't write off Spenser yet. Maybe this is a series where it's better to not start right with book 1? I know there are a lot of them, and it would be good to start with one that I'd be more likely to enjoy.



194 Sig is a handful, isn't he?
*snicker* Oh, you said it! :) I am eagerly waiting for next week, to see if he calms down a bit after he's neutered. Many folks have said that may be the case.

He came back to the porch and I grabbed him and carried him back inside, but he is whining at the door wanting to go back out!

I almost finished this waiting at the doctor's office this morning. I polished it off this afternoon.

75 Challenge Book #15
Title: As the Crow Flies
Author: Craig Johnson
Genre or subject information: mystery/western/police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series?: Walt Longmire
Date finished: 2-18-14
Off the Shelf? No, library download
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

This was another enjoyable outing with Walt and crew. Actually, there was not as much of the usual crew around -- lately, Johnson's been doing that to us a lot, and I regret it. This time out, Walt is "helping" Lola Long, who is the chief of the tribal police unit on the Northern Cheyenne reservation -- at least, when he's not getting arrested by her. He's also trying (in vain) to prepare for his daughter Cady's wedding.

#196> Terri, are you a baseball fan? The first Spenser I read was the third one, Mortal Stakes, which involves Spenser going undercover with the Boston Red Sox (as a writer, not a player). It hooked me immediately.

Oh, I'd like that, Julia! For a brief time, I lived close enough to Fenway Park that I could hear the public address system (muffled, but audible) from my apartment when my windows were open!

Whew!
#193 Me too, Linda! In 17 years my cat has gotten outside (unleashed) about 3 times - and each time I could have used those electric shock paddles to restart my heart. She never got out of sight thank goodness.

I have found, Terri, when an indoors cat gets out and are hauled back in they meow and whine like crazy at the door for awhile. If you ignore it, it goes away after a couple days. But every once in awhile Woolly will meow at any odd closed door till she gets my attention. Then I tell her a firm no! and she gets the message. Of course, she is much older.

Silly Sig! Good thing he is so dang cute!

Cee, I think part of the problem with Sig is that he doesn't think of himself as an indoor cat yet. I have no idea how long he may have been fending for himself before he wound up at my door, or how much time he spent inside when he had other people. He obviously was indoors at least part of the time at some point . . . but he clearly thinks of himself as a great adventurer of the outdoors, wanting to climb trees and explore the terrain.

I guess I can't get heart-stoppingly upset over his occasional adventures because I know he has braved the outdoors before . . . and the only cat we (sort of) had as a child was a stray we befriended who was DEFINITELY an outdoor, don't-fence-me-in kind of alley cat. And our neighborhood has very little traffic -- it's not exactly a cul-de-sac, but our street isn't on the way to anything, so there's relatively little chance of him getting hit by a vehicle. I kind of figured he'd come back to where he'd found warmth and a steady diet, and he did. (But I did worry a little . . .;)

195 Ah, Morphy! We cross-posted and I missed your post! Sorry!!!

Faith Under Fire is certainly an intense read, Morphy. I would think that it would not be good to read if you were in the wrong frame of mind.

We're under a freezing rain advisory -- the air temp is actually above freezing, but the ground is so cold the rain is freezing on contact. Accidents abound. And . . . school is closed. Again. Haven't heard yet about the library -- the general practice is it closes when the schools are closed. I'm scheduled to work today.


glitter-graphics.com

Last night, I started Ice Run, the 6th book in the Alex McKnight series, set on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's good reading about a place where winter is a lot worse than it is here. It helps put things in perspective when I'm feeling sick and tired of winter.

ETA to add Library is closed.

Books... I see a picture of books. I need to update my thread with book info and maybe finish one today. I am reading Weeds on kindle.. I can't find a t-stone just now. I guess I will have to try to find one when I get it posted in my thread.

Glad they closed yesterday. Crazy weather lately. really crazy.

How is little Sig?

That crazy weather yesterday killed the brother of a dear friend from church, in a car wreck. This news blindsided us as we were dealing with the cancer death of a member of our church family, also yesterday. That death was expected, but still sad. He was an all-around great guy, animal lover and breeder of beautiful prize-winning horses.


Sig is feisty, Kath. After breakfast, he absolutely tears around the house like a mad kitten. Yesterday and the day before, he went at my ankle with teeth and claws. I think he meant to be playful, but still. Today I did a preemptive strike and played with him as soon as he finished breakfast, using the mouse hanging from a fishing pole toy, so he could pounce on that to his heart's content, and things seem better. He's gone upstairs to nap and/or look out the alcove window.

I worry that my teenage son is clueless as to how to deal with Sig, and won't listen when I try to tell him. It's hard to be consistent in training the kitten, as my son continually undermines my efforts. As Sig gets bigger, it's becoming a safety concern. I am hoping that Sig's neutering procedure next Tuesday will produce the mellowing effect that so many of my cat-owning friends have said can happen and he'll be a little easier to live with.

Oh no :( I'm so sorry about your friends. I wish their spirits a gentle journey, and peace to their friends and family... sending a hug just for you.

You know, one of "my" kids from before has a dog. His parents keep in touch with me, because Brendan and I got along so well.. he would sleep in my arms. I loved it, but never let him sleep for long, as he had sleep issues at home :-/ poor parents ! They send me a photo at Xmas and a note. Such great people!Anyway, when he was 6 they got him a German Shepherd dog.. there was a learning curve, but now they are joined at the hip. He has had the dog for 3 years now. They make such a funny pair :) This big, strong dog standing guard over his gawky buddy...for some things, there is only time and patience...it will sort out. Rough play encourages things like you describe. Maybe if you show your son if Sig scratches you, he will understand? A spray bottle works for that sort of thing... or picking him up and putting him away from you.. I am a fan of the spray bottle. There was a brif period when Angus would get up on the kitchen counter where he was NOT allowe. ( there is a section across the room where they can go ) I just grabbed the sprayer from the sink and hit him with the spray. IT didn't take long. It was messy :P but really effective! It doesn't hurt them, but it isn't pleasant and they are smart enough to know that they don't want to get wet, and they associate it with the "Bad " action or place.

Thanks, Kath. Back to post more later -- just got groceries put away, must get supper! Had to post this pic that hubby snapped. Where will Sig wind up next?

My cat loved to play with a slowly dripping faucet. Sig is so cute!

Terri> Hate to hear about the losses in your extended church family. We had a situation earlier this year where one of our percussionists' mom was killed in an automobile accident on her way to church. A couple of weeks later, his brother suffered major injuries in an accident. Our percussionist is having to do a lot of care for his brother during the recovery so they have moved his brother and his family to our town to make it a little easier.

There seem to have been a disproportionate number of losses in my circle of friends and acquaintances so far this year. A few octogenarians, which is to be expected, but also several people my age or young (50-and 60-somethings, even one 48-year-old). So much sadness. Condolences to the families and friends of those your community has lost.

Why do cats love sinks and bathtubs so much? My molly likes to sit in the tub after I've had my shower; sometimes she's watching the droplets slide down the walls, but other times she just seems to be chillin' out.

206 I love the story about Brendan. I"m picturing him with his dog now . . .

208 Hi, Carrie! Sig is getting territorial about the downstairs half-bath. Not sure what that's about.

209 Lori, it sounds like your percussionist has had a lot of grief and upheaval in his family. I pray that his brother has a successful recovery from his injuries!

210 Linda, it seems like a bad year in my social circle, too. There's been a lot of death and serious illness -- some with older folks after long lives, but some younger. I don't always comment here about it, but two in one day was a bit much for me to process.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your friends. Thinking of you and yours.

Yesterday was blessedly warm in our area -- temperatures into the 40's and starting to melt things. I took advantage of the warmth on a day off from work to do some shopping after my bowling league met. (Decent morning -- I bowled 123, 131, 159. all at or over my average.) I splurged on some cat toys -- Sig's favorite is a folding "crinkly tunnel" which seems to give him endless entertainment. I also got a mini cat tree -- really just a little perch with a scratching post -- for his little upstairs alcove area.


It was my son's turn to mess up and accidentally let Sig out of the house yesterday, and I wish I had a video of him running down the street in his pajamas and sock feet trying to catch up with the cat! He finally gave up, as Sig was too fast. But I made a turn around the block and finally found Sig hunkered down on a neighbor's unused-in-winter side porch behind a snow bank. When I called to him, he actually came, then darted across the (fortunately empty) street to another neighbor's porch. He easily could have made another escape, but he let me pick him up and carry him home with only token resistance.

Moments like these make the sad moments bearable.

Thanks, Amber!

glitter-graphics.com

Since this is Library Thing, I do think I ought to occasionally talk about books. I'm reading some good ones:

A Necessary End by Peter Robinson is part of the Inspector Alan Banks series. These books are all solid police procedurals with a likable protagonist. This particular installment was rather hard to get hold of. I finally got it through ILL.

Pardonable Lies is part of the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. I'm splitting this one between an audio download from the library and a paperback copy borrowed from a friend which I've had way too long. Very good so far.

Ice Run, which I'm reading on e-book, is the 6th book in Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight series. I've quickly read half of it, even with other books going. I like it enough that I'm not just reading it at the times I usually read e-books.

Every year during Daytona Speed Weeks, I read a NASCAR-themed book. This year it's Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing by Jeff Hammond. One I got past the sexist title (and, to be fair, he speaks favorably of women who have entered NASCAR) I've really been enjoying this book.

Hi Terri - stopping by to wish you a lovely weekend. I am really enjoying reading all about the on-going adventures of Sig!

Hi Terri, sounds like Sig is keeping you and your family on their toes! Glad to see you are enjoying the Alan Banks series which is one of my favorites. I like how as the series goes on the reader is given more and more insight into his private life.

Hi Terry, Sig is such a funny cat!

About the loses of friends: That comes with aging. I noticed it in my circle too. I'm 60 and most of my friends are of the same age or a bit younger and now their parents are dying. It's the natural course of things but it's always sad to see people grief.

Sig is going to give me a heart attack.

srsly.

Hoping today is a good one for all 4 of you... When is that surgery? As I mentioned in my thread, you can buy soft e-collars for not too much on Amazon.. I have one for my kitties.. it might make life easier.....

216 Thanks, Lori! A lovely weekend to you, too!

217 Judy, the Banks series is a good one, and I'm still early on in it. Glad to know that the quality continues.

218 Age is part of it, I know, Connie. Some of these folks we've lost lately have been much younger, though. And it's especially hard that we know some children who are facing chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses, too.



219 Well, we managed to keep him inside the house today, Kath. The neutering procedure is Tuesday, so probably too late to send for an e-collar for this. The vet really didn't tell me much of what to expect or what would be needed post-op when we scheduled. I will be dropping him off early in the morning and picking him up late afternoon. Best wishes to you and Duncan!

Today was a gorgeous day -- sunny and close to 50 degrees (F) in the afternoon. The whole county was kind of like there had been a massive jail break -- all these people who had been stuck mostly indoors through the recent weeks of rotten weather were OUT -- on the road, in the stores . . . and at the Photo License center where I needed to get my photo driver's license done. However, the personnel there were both efficient and pleasant -- not like the crabby, inefficient civil servants I used to encounter when I lived in New Jersey and had to deal with the Motor Vehicle bureau there. (I hope things have improved there, but I have my doubts.) The DL photo even turned out great!

This morning, I missed the funeral that I much wanted to attend, but I had a choir rehearsal at the other end of the county. But I did manage to take care of my license afterward, and get to a couple of stores. I even washed my filthy car.

75 Challenge Book #16
Title: Real Men Work in the Pits
Author: Jeff Hammond
Genre or subject information: non-fiction; NASCAR
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2005
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 2/22/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

Every year during Daytona Speed Weeks, I read a NASCAR-themed book. This year it's Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing by Jeff Hammond. One I got past the sexist title (and, to be fair, he speaks favorably of women who have entered NASCAR) I've really been enjoying this book. Hammond was a crew chief working with some of the more colorful characters of NASCAR -- the great Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, and Darryl Waltrip. He's now a TV NASCAR commentator. The book is full of NASCAR history and anecdotes, recounted with good humor and apparent honesty.

Since the book was published in 2005, there are some comments in the book that are now dated. For instance, at the time this was written, Cale Yarborough held the record for consecutive championships -- Jimmie Johnson has, of course, surpassed that milestone. There are other aspects of racing given in present tense that are now past tense -- different rules, and even the series names. This is to be expected.

My one question is that Hammond mentioned working with Kenny Wallace toward the end of his work in the pits, but he really didn't say anything about that short stint, other than that it happened. I'd like to know why -- Kenny is another pretty colorful character.

223 Lori, Judy, and Connie: I goofed and missed responding to your last posts; I thought I'd already responded. Maybe LT ate my responses, or maybe my memory is just lousy? And I keep getting interrupted in the middle of posts and not getting them saved.

Anyway, I've edited my post #220 with some replies to the posts immediately prior.

:) Neutering is like nothing. I mean, I could do it with nail clippers in less than a minute. No worries. He might be a bit lethargic for a day from the anesthesia, but it is really nothing ... so no worries. Really. He might lose his appetite for part of the day or a whole day, but.. seriously. it is snip/pop and bring on the next one. Trust me, I have seen many of them. They will probably tell you to keep him confined to reduce his activity level and a few other things that they have to say, but that's all. If he were mine, I wouldn't leave him overnight.. especially if there is no staff in the building overnight. Ask. They might ask you to sign papers to take him home...but better with you than with no one. imo anyway. I know how picky I am :P

Hi Terry, About funerals: Yes that's true. There are people that die too young. Believe me, I know what you mean.

224. Don't worry, Kath, we're to pick Sig up and bring him home at the end of the day.

225 I hope you're having a good weekend, Connie!

Good grief, Sig's a little handful! I'd have a flat heart attack if one of the cats got out. Fortunately we have the porches with securely-shutting doors so the demons sweeties can't get all the way out. A really unpleasant childhood experience made me very cautious about that.

But man, they sure are fun.

Yes, Gail, he is a handful!

Today is the Daytona 500, but bad weather has stopped the race for now. Hubby is in the kitchen making pizza crust dough, and I'll put it all together for a homemade pizza a bit later when the dough is ready.

I'm having some computer issues and spending some time on hold with Microsoft tech support. So far, about 20 minutes . . . *sigh*

Sig hasn't been eating as much as usual the past few days. Is this a sign of trouble? Has he just caught up on his nutrition?

229: I wouldn't worry unless he's lethargic or starts vomiting or something. He's a growing boy, probably in spurts. Sympathies re tech support.

Thanks, Katherine!

Of course, tonight he scared me to death by toppling my recycling bin. He seems to have emerged from the mess unscathed.

Happy Dance! Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500!

So . . . I climbed up on a chair to grab wine glasses for a celebratory toast . . . when I came down, Sig was underfoot! I just about fell flat on my back trying to not squash him. I think he's OK, I think I'm OK.

He got his revenge by trying to eat the book sitting on my desk and then -- when I put that book away -- climbing up on my bookshelf and pulling books off the shelf! Silly me, I thought that maybe the properly-shelved books on my tightly-packed shelves would be safe from him. At least he has good taste, as he grabbed Susan Hill books!

I'm waiting for a very long malware scan to complete (in the background) before I shut down the computer and go to bed.

*yawn*

I ought to read, but I almost feel too tired to try.

My experience with Microsoft tech support was not positive -- not at all. After 25 minutes on hold, they didn't even address the issue I contacted them about. This was after the first person I talked to said he was transferring me to someone who could help. They did try to sell me a bunch of software to fix a problem I'm not sure I have, after barely listening to a word I said. Honestly, he sounded like one of those quacks that make the phish calls pretending to be Microsoft. I almost wonder if their tech support site has been hacked by those clowns so that they responded to my request for a call-back, and not Microsoft.

Anyway, I'd rather pay the local computer center to actually examine the computer and fix what's really there. After I drop Sig off at the Vet Tuesday morning, I'm going to go drop my computer off for a checkup.

Hi Terri - cats are always underfoot. I have come close to treading on Sally many times but I have learned to walk softly. Being barefoot around the house really helps because you can feel when you are close to fur or claws, but climbing down from chairs is always a challenge.

I'm afraid to be barefoot, because Sig pounces on bare feet for some reason.

My other big fear is to roll back in my desk chair and squish his tail. We've had close calls. That would be an awful ouch for him!

Well, my scan finally finished, after over 5 hours, with dubious results. While it was running, I managed to see the end of the Daytona 500 and to at least lurk -- with occasional comments -- on all my starred LT threads. Wow.

Now I'm too wide-awake to go to sleep. Crap.

Sorry about the late night. Clearly you are Sig's person, since he is always right with you. Books... try a towel. eventually he will probably lose interest? Morgan was a book muncher.. and if I try to sleep too late.. like later than 6, will either try to pry my eyes open, or start flipping books off of the shelf in my bedroom ( my KEEPER books) to warm me that she is about to munch them. It's rare for either now.. but I used to throw bed pillows in her direction frequently.

It's all worth it, I promise..

Terri, I'm sorry for your computer troubles. It's so frustrating when things go wrong with the stuff in our lives that we really can't fix on our own. I hope your local computer shop can get it all straightened out for you.

Brumley is bad about getting underfoot. I go in stocking feet around the house most of the time so that I don't step too hard on him if he gets underfoot too badly. He tripped me on the stairs several years ago, and I ended up turning two ankles. That was a painful crutch adventure for me.

I have the same problem with Adrian. He is so little and quiet that he's easy to lose track of, and I've either almost tripped or almost stepped on him a few times.

Cats underfoot seems to be a common issue. Mine is always right there when I'm in the kitchen, not only under my feet, but in front of whatever door (cupboard, refrigerator, dishwasher) I need to open next. She's little too, and usually humped up into a compact loaf, unless she's "helping" to open the cabinet doors.

Tonight Sig is really underfoot. He's having his neutering procedure tomorrow, so no food after 6 p.m. tonight. Poor thing, he can't understand why. My son and I actually went down to Subway to eat when I got done work, so that we wouldn't have to eat in front of the poor critter. Fortunately, my husband was able to be there to give him a meal right before the cut-off time, but that was early for Sig's dinner, plus he's accustomed to snacking a bit in the evening.

That was really thoughtful of you and son to eat out. Having had neutered cats come home after the procedure is done I can let you know to know to not be surprised if Sig acts differently for a while. Ours cats were very moody for the first week or so after the procedure was done and I swear I kept receiving accusatory glares from them that I had done something to them that wasn't right. They got over it - probably once the pain and discomfort went away - and all was well after that but that first week or so was really interesting from an animal psychology examination perspective.

242: I can imagine. It's distressing when the cat keeps trying to tell you what's wrong and you can't explain why you're not cooperating.

My three cats worry every morning that I'll forget to feed them unless they escort me down the stairs, all in a cluster around my ankles.

Best wishes to Sig!

Posting from phone. Computer is sick. On advice I tried to start it in safe mode to do a more effective scan & all I got was alert to repair computer.

Booo! Sorry about the computer issues....

Sending positive mojo to Sig.. and to you for when he gets home!

Good luck for Sig, tomorrow

And good luck with the pc!

Sig is home & OK, a little slow & dopey.

Good :)

249: I'd bet slow and dopey is a welcome respite. Still, hope he's back to normal soon.

Thanks to Lori, Lori, Linda, Julia, Carrie, Katherine, Joanne, Kath, & Connie for your recent posts & well wishes. Sig was much more alert, active, & social when he got home than the vet led me to expect. Very hard to get him to limit his activity. Eating a little at a time as per doctor's orders didn't make him happy either.

Anyway, he is now neutered, fully vaccinated, and microchipped. And finally napping in his warm little bed in front of the radiator.

Oh and he weighs 9 pounds now!

good news!

Sig: OK, slow, and dopey! Enjoy it while it lasts ;-)

I am another who has a cat underfoot. I worry I will break my neck and/or kill the cat if I trip over her. So - I go slow. Good luck with that.

#239 Ouch, Lori!

I'm supposed to be restricting Adrian's activity right, too, because he's injured his back. It's much easier said than done, isn't it?!

And hi to Cee!

My posts may be shorter and more sporadic until computer comes home from shop. And excuse typos and autocorrect goofs. I hate typing on the phone!!!

Glad Sig's feeling good!

I was so surprised when we adopted our shelter kitten at 5-6 weeks that she was already spayed. They don't home them until after they're fixed but wow, she was so young!

Seems very young!

Glad to hear that Sig is all sorted and recovering nicely!

Sig in the Sink..could be a very good book title. What a cat who has quickly made a difference in your lives.

Thanks, Amber

LOL Linda on the book title!

I have a twitter friend who posts pics of his cat in the sink all the time. He calls her sink cat. My Morgan is a sink cat, too. Funny, isn't it?

They can be funny critters, can't they, Kath?

I'm done work for the day -- staying at the library to use the computer a bit.

Sig is still a little slow, but still more active than is recommended post-op. They gave me pain pills to give him, one each morning for a few days. After reading on threads the adventures of folks trying to get pets to take pills, I was dreading the process. Guess what?

Sig was up on the table (where he doesn't belong, but that's another thing). I put the pill on the table by his nose. He nuzzled it, sniffed it, and scarfed it right down!

Amazing!

Terri, I have never heard of a cat who voluntarily took meds! You have a miracle feline in Sig for sure.

Oh my! A cat that takes pills on his own! That's a new one on me. I have to wrap my cat snuggly in a towel to keep her still. It actually takes 2 of us to get a pill in her mouth... then there are no guarantees it will go down. The vet thought we were crazy till he tried it himself. Luckily she has stayed healthy to save us all grief. (knock on wood)

See if you can isolate that self-pilling gene. You might make big $$$$ with that one.

Hi Julia & Cee! Maybe it is some kind of karma thing or God balancing things out from how hard it was to get my son to take meds when he was young.

I'll see if it is that easy tomorrow morn.

Today's pill went down almost as easily as yesterday. Only problem was getting him still enough to see it. Sig is back at full speed ahead, despite doctor's orders & my efforts to rein him in.

Only problem was getting him still enough to see it.

LOL! I see you have your hands full with that one, Terri. ;-)

yuck on computer problems!

Yeah on successful surgery and Sig taking his medicine like a good boy! My Mia is like Cee's cat. Towel wrap, 2 person job, and hope you get it down in one shot! I have used Greenies pill pockets for the dogs. They love them, don't know if they make them for cats. hmmm

Oh I gave my mom a new author to read because of you :) Steve Hamilton....She read one of his books (because of my suggestion) and really liked it and was glad I found her a new series to read! I told her you are my go to gal for murder/mysteries :)

Glad to hear you don't have to struggle to give Sig his meds! Cats can be difficult.

But since he readily eats pills be careful! When my Boomer was about six months old she pulled a little packet of Advil out of a drawer, tore it open, and ate one. They are extremely toxic to cats and she spent the weekend at the emergency vet.

>269 curlysue: They do make Greenies for cats!

270 Joanne I already thought of that danger. I've missed doses of my supplements because I'm keeping them out of reach/sight.

The vet called to check on Sig and mentioned that particular pill was accepted by cats easier than most.

269 Kara glad your mom likes the Hamilton series. I just finished another I will post tomorrow when I have my computer back.

It is 8 below zero here now. Ugh!

Cold here too. >270 Copperskye: is right, but clearly, you have already thought of that.

Duncan is getting more wily about eating the cheese and spitting out the pill. Fortunately, when no longer giving pain pills I can just pop them in... unless I keep giving a pred in the morning. Decision, decisions.

Hi, Kath! Sorry Duncan is so wily.

I HAVE MY COMPUTER BACK! It is speedy and not giving me headaches, praise be! This must be better computer day, because the library has hired a new firm to service the computers there; they made their initial visit today and the guy actually seems competent and cooperative.

Hooray for working computers!

I hope Sig continues to take his medicine well. I coat Adrian's pills in spray cheese and he practically inhales them.

He's done with medicine for now, Carrie- I hope we won't be needing any more for anything for a while! But I will remember that tip!

75 Challenge Book #17
Title: Ice Run
Author: Steve Hamilton
Genre or subject information: mystery fiction set in Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?: Alex McKnight #6
Date finished: 2/27/14
Off the Shelf? No, library download
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

In the heart of winter, Alex meets up with his lady friend Natalie from Canada at a hotel in "Soo Michigan" (Sault Ste. Marie, MI). They are bewildered when a man leaves a hat full of snow at their door. Then a body is found . . . Alex gets beat up . . . there is mystery and mayhem galore, and evidence begins to suggest that it's all tied to Natalie's family history.

This was another action-packed, twisty-turn-y tale about an ex-cop who will goes the extra mile -- and then some -- for the people who are important to him. Hamilton conveys the setting -- and especially the climate -- as well as any writer I've read.

Well, he may be wily, but I am wily too. Plus, he is nicer than me. he may fuss and fidget, but he gives in, eventually.

Nicer than you, Kath? :) Impossible!

I made Jambalaya for dinner tonight. I should do that more often. It's not that much work to make the recipe, and everyone likes it.

Mm mm Jambalaya. It is surprising easy but doesn't taste like it. I found a great, easy recipe on Allrecipes.com. I wish my family liked it as much as I do.

Terri

Cold here as well.....More snow, a major storm is predicted for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The deer are hungry. Tonight there were six in our yard looking for something to eat. Tomorrow, I'm heading to the store to buy apples. They are now almost tame. Lilly sits inside looking through the sliding glass door. The deer make eye contact with her and then with us. Tonight when they were in the yard, I gingerly opened the door and threw food for them. They watched me and didn't move.

Silly, but I worry about them and how they will survive all this cold. There is also a black and white cat that roams around the top of the bank. Even in the coldest of days that cat is outside. It doesn't come near our house, so I throw food up on the bank. I watch as every day the cat checks to find something to eat.

Carrie, I use Allrecipes.com a lot, though this recipe came from elsewhere.

Linda, dear, you have such a kind heart! Wishing you a peaceful weekend, despite the weather.

75 Challenge Book #18
Title: A Necessary End
Author: Peter Robinson
Genre or subject information: police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1989
Series?: Inspector Alan Banks #3
Date finished: 2/28/14
Off the Shelf? No, ILL
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

A police officer is stabbed to death when violence flares up at an anti-nuclear demonstration. Chief Inspector Banks is on the case -- unfortunately, under the supervision of Superintendent "Dirty Dick" Burgess, brought in to handle the case. Is it simply a case of random violence when a demonstration got out of hand? Or was the policeman a targeted victim?

This was a good, solid police procedural with a likable protagonist and some interesting supporting characters. I like this series, and I'm told that later installments get even better.

March has arrived, and it's time for a new thread.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/170956