karenmarie: a new normal with lots of books - I

Welcome to my first thread of Twenty Twenty-one, the beginning of my fourteenth year with the 75ers.

It is a new year, and I’m so glad to see the back of 2020. Biden/Harris will be President/Vice President, thank God, but it’s still heads down, still in lockdown, and still trying to stay safe until vaccines have been widely distributed. I want to feel comfortable being out and about without having to think about it! Frankly, I think that won’t be before late spring or early summer. However, I hope I’m wrong.

I still love being retired, and am beyond grateful that I don’t have to venture out to work to earn a living ever again. It is scary about how easily I’ve adapted to staying home and not seeing people face-to-face.

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. We haven’t met since March of last year, and I’m not at all certain when we’ll be able to meet again. I am President for our local Friends of the Library (henceforth abbreviated FoL), and am sad that our Tuesday morning FoL book sale donations sorting meetings are still on hold, the Library is still closed, and we’ve now had to cancel three book sales because of Covid-19. Depending on how things go, we might have a The Library’s Open! The Vaccines Are Effective! Post-Pandemic Book Sale sometime in the summer.

I have been married to Bill for 29 years and am mother to Jenna, 27. Bill and I live in our own little corner of paradise on 8 acres in central North Carolina USA. Jenna is currently working as a tutor for her community college and as she settles into that will try to find other work to cover her expenses. We have three kitties. L-R: Inara Starbuck – 13 1/2, Zoe Rose - 2, Washburne Ryder – 1 year.



No theme for pictures although I do like posting ones of family members. This is one of my favorite pictures of Jenna even though you can’t really see her face. This is with her horse Dolly in 2011 in our pasture.



...

My goal last year was 100 books and I exceeded it by 24. This year’s goal will be 100 again. It’s a good goal, not too stressful and not too comfortable. No page goal, just tracking. I seem to read around 30000 pages per year and surpassed that too, last year, by 3,869 pages. Fresh goals! Fresh tickers!




In response to the pandemic and in need of comfort reading, I’m reading/re-reading the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout, all 47 of them. I started last April and will finish when it makes sense. I’ve currently read 28 of them. I may or may not continue my personal Jane Austen challenge. I'm 1/3 of the way through Emma, fourth of her six novels.

New this year: With Julia’s blessing, I’ve taken over the Dick Francis Shared Read, now in its 3rd year. Here’s the link: Third Race at the LT Racetrack: A Dick Francis SHARED Read Come join us! One book every 2 months reading mysteries by a master.

Every year I buy a new Lett’s Week to View Desk Diary. I always include the two following quotes. The first I think I found in an old Ann Landers column and I don’t remember where I found the second one. But I’ve had both for decades and read them often.

On This Day

Mend a quarrel.
Search out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss a suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter to someone who misses you.
Encourage a youth who has lost faith.
Keep a promise.
Forget an old grudge.
Examine your demands on others and vow to reduce them.
Fight for a principle.
Express your gratitude.
Overcome an old fear.
Take two minutes to appreciate the beauty of nature.
Tell someone you love them.
Tell them again,
And again,
And again.

**********

Whatever you do, death occurs. But if you have lived with a sense of reality and gratitude towards life, then you can leave the dignity of your life behind you, so that your relatives, your friends, and your children can appreciate who you were.

**********
2021 – a new normal with lots of books.

books read
1. Washington's Farewell Address and Webster's Bunker Hill Orations, Introduction and Notes by William T. Peck 1/8/21 1/9/21 172 pages hardcover
2. Banker by Dick Francis 1/3/21 1/12/21 303 pages mass market paperback
3. Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh 1/16/21 1/18/21 224 pages mass market paperback

Currently Reading:

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn 373 pages hardcover 2020
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 1/1/21 305 pages hardcover 2020
A Promised Land by Barack Obama 11/20/20 709 pages hardcover 2020
White Trash by Nancy Isenberg 11/9/20 321 pages trade paperback 2016
The Source by James Michener 10/1/20 909 pages hardcover 1965
Emma by Jane Austen 8/18/20 xxx pages, 1816
Moby Dick 5/1/20 517 pages trade paperback 1851

books added - 2020 was the great conjunction of adds and culls, both at 128. Keeping the adds down will probably be as easy as it was last year because of the pandemic - no Friends of the Library book sales and no trips to used book stores and thrift shops. **I spoke too soon - a FoL book donation with me getting first dibs has put me in the hole already.**

00. Friend Jessica - Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein. Given in December, but it offsets the first cull, below, so they're in the 00. black hole.
1. Amazon - Twice Shy by Dick Francis
2. ER - Sergeant Salinger by Jerone Charyn
3. Amazon - The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer
4. Amazon - A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders
5. FoL member Marian - In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty
6. FoL member Marian - The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
7. FoL member Marian - I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty
8. FoL member Marian - Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty
9. FoL member Marian - Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
10. FoL member Marian - Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
11. FoL member Marian - The Death of a Joyce Scholar by Bartholomew Gill
12. FoL member Marian - Counterparts by Gonzalo Lira
13. FoL member Marian - The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper
14. FoL member Marian - Lost Light by Michael Connelly
15. FoL member Marian - Echo Park by Michael Connelly
16. FoL member Marian - The Overlook by Michael Connelly
17. FoL member Marian - The Reversal by Michael Connelly
18. FoL member Marian - Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
19. FoL member Marian - City of Bones by Michael Connelly
20. FoL member Marian - All Saints by Karen Palmer
21. FoL member Marian - Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith
22. FoL member Marian - The Drop by Michael Connelly
23. FoL member Marian - The Dark Winter by David Mark
24. FoL member Marian - The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley by Jeremy Massey
25. FoL member Marian - Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
26. FoL member Marian - Reversible Errors by Scott Turow
27. FoL member Marian - Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
28. FoL member Marian - The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
29. FoL member Marian - Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane
30. FoL member Marian - Death Descends on Saturn Villa by M.R.C. Kasasian
31. FoL member Marian - The naive & Sentimental Lover by John Le Carre
32. FoL member Marian - The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen
33. FoL member Marian - The Widow by Fiona Barton
34. FoL member Marian - The Looking Glass War by John Le Carre
35. FoL member Marian - The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre
36. FoL member Marian - Dead I Well May Be by Adrian McKinty
37. FoL member Marian - The Chain by Adrian McKinty
38. FoL member Marian - The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais
39. Amazon - The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
40. Kindle - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
40. Kindle - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
41. Kindle - Legion by Brandon Sanderson
42. Mark - We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper

books culled - there are still quite a few books on my shelves, lurking in corners and 3 deep on the shelves, that need new homes.

00. Mi's Day by Mira Vest. Cousin Mira, published in 1947. I had two copies and gave one to my sister. I actually culled this one in December but won't go back and update 2020 statistics.

Statistics Through December 31

124 books read
38 of them on my shelves before 1/1/20 and not rereads
13 books abandoned, 846 pages abandoned
33869 pages read
68.8 audiobook hours
Avg pages read per day, YTD = 93
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 273

Best book of the month: Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Author
Male 64%
Female 36%

Living 59%
Dead 41%

US Born 73%
Foreign Born 27%

Platform
Hardcover 45%
Trade Pback 23%
Mass Market 19%
Audiobook 4%
e-Book 9%

Source
My Library 79%
Library 15%
Other 6%

Misc
ARC/ER 2%
Re-read 22%
Series 61%

Fiction 87%
NonFiction 13%


Author Birth Country
Austria 1%
Canada 1%
England 21%
France 1%
Iceland 1%
India 1%
New Zealand 1%
South Africa 1%
Sweden 1%
US 73%

Original Decade Published
1810-1819 2%
1890-1899 1%
1930-1939 6%
1940-1949 10%
1950-1959 10%
1960-1969 1%
1970-1979 6%
1980-1989 3%
1990-1999 7%
2000-2009 10%
2010-2019 34%
2020-2029 10%

Category
Biography 2%
Chrestomathy 2%
Contemporary Fiction 2%
Fantasy 8%
Historical Fiction 4%
Humor 3%
Informational Nonfiction 6%
Memoir 2%
Mystery 57%
Poetry 1%
Science Fiction 2%
Suspense 1%
Thriller 9%

December’s Lightning Round

Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson 11/25/20 12/1/20 316 pages mass market paperback

Surprisingly wooden and two-dimensional, a first-person narrator who is less and more than he appears. It sounded better as a blurb than an actual book.

Might As Well Be Dead by Rex Stout 12/1/20 to 12/11/20 208 pages mass market paperback

Excellent from start to finish, Nero Wolfe is hired to find a man who ran away to NYC when his father accused him of theft 10 years earlier. One thing leads to another, one murder leads to another and another. I found this one riveting. The only thing that I didn’t like was that during the denouement part of the seating arrangement gave away, at least to me, who the murderer was.

Camino Island by John Grisham 12/12/20 12/20/20

Friend Karen in Montana recommended this one because of all the book store, book, and author references, but it was a poorly written effort with a ridiculously banal ending. Shallow characters, bad dialog, and telegraphed plot points made me wish I’d not wasted my time. Friend Louise really liked Camino Wind, the sequel, but hasn’t read this book and I’m going to just give it to her since I deaccessioned it after finishing it.

Trial Run by Dick Francis 12/20/20 12/26/20

This book felt … muffled… to me. Nobody seemed clear, and the main strength of the book is that Francis spent more time portraying the gray, controlled, miserable existence of Russians in 1978 than he portrayed any real action. Yes, Moscow in the winter is bitterly cold. Yes, our protagonist has poor eyesight and is subject to asthma and bronchitis. Lots of stereotypes and all in all probably my least favorite of the 8 book 2020 Shared Read.

Three for the Chair by Rex Stout 12/26/20 12/28/20

Three novellas:

1. A Window for Death. Interesting pretty only much because I vaguely remembered a critical component of what helped Wolfe solve the mystery and even more vaguely thought I had the murderer pegged – correctly, as it turns out. Okay but not stunning.
2. Immune to Murder. Wolfe is requested to cook freshly-caught trout to a foreign ambassador at a private lodge. Archie catches one of the largest trout ever taken from the river, but it’s not even a blip on the radar as he discovers the body of a career diplomat just as ‘Grandpa’ strikes. Archie manages to reel both of them in. By then the meal has been served minus the career diplomat. Wolfe discovers something of notable incident but in a fit of pique against the District Attorney who was insufferable rude to Wolfe doesn’t mention it until after the denouement and he and Archie are ready to leave. Excellent.
3. Too Many Detectives. Once again Wolfe is away from home and compelled to solve a murder so he can go home. He and Archie have been called to Albany to give statements on wiretapping activities, along with several other detectives. A man is murdered in another room and Wolfe joins forces with the other detectives to employee dozens of operatives looking for a link between the murdered man and Wolfe’s suspect. Quite well done, another one where sheer logic wins the day.

Elevation by Stephen King 12/30/20 12/30/20

A sweet little undemanding novella. From Amazon: “Written in masterly Stephen King’s signature translucent…this uncharacteristically glimmering fairy tale calls unabashedly for us to rise above our differences” (Booklist, starred review). Elevation is an antidote to our divisive culture, an “elegant whisper of a story” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), “perfect for any fan of small towns, magic, and the joys and challenges of doing the right thing” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Happy new year and welcome!

And, finally, I’ve appropriated the graphic first seen on Mark’s 2020 thread, although seen elsewhere since then. Thank you, Mark!



I’ll let the stats speak for me.

124 books read

1 Masterpiece
19 Stunning
67 Excellent
20 Very Good
12 Good
4 Average
1 Bad
0 Very Bad
0 Don't Bother
0 Anathema

Best Fiction
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Beastly Tales From Here and There by Vikram Seth
The Standing Chandelier by Lionel Shriver
Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Best Nonfiction
Abraham Lincoln: Mystic Chords of Memory edited by Larry Shapiro
Dr. Seuss Goes to War by Richard H. Minear
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Edited to add: Top five overall for the LT Top Five Books of 2020 list:

Mrs. Caliban
How to Be an Antiracist
In the Heart of the Sea
The Standing Chandelier
Dr. Seuss Goes to War

*smooch*

Hope 2021 is kind to you!

And keep up with my friends here, Karen. Have a great 2021.

>8 richardderus: *smooch* back'atcha, RD!

>9 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle, the very same to you.

>10 PaulCranswick: It's always good to keep the important things out there - thank you Paul, and I look forward to another year keeping up with you.

...
Whew! Got the Dick Francis SHARED Read thread up and a message sent to Jim about it and got the link here. I just added the first Dick Francis SHARED Read book thread - Banker, and I'll be creating a ROOTs thread soon. Half a cup of coffee has gotten me going.

And, you guys! There are already 1,005 messages on threads that I normally star. It will take a while to catch up.

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Happy reading in 2021, Karen!

Welcome back! And happy new year!

Thank you Diana, Anita, and Jim.

Morning, Karen! Happy New Year!

I wish you a Happy New Year. May it be better than the old one.

Dropping a star, Karen.

Happy reading!

Happy new year!

Happy New Year Karen. I plan on reading White Trash this year, too. I'm going to focus on reading books that I own, and that one's been sitting in my audiobook collection unread for years. I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

Thank you, Mamie, Barbara, Katie, and Karen.

>20 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel and thank you! I debated whether to abandon it and start the year with a fresh slate, as it were, but it is fascinating.

Okay, I'm going to throw the cat among the pigeons by republishing this with the addition of books for 2018 - 2020. A BOOK A YEAR FOR THE FIRST 67 YEARS OF MY LIFE, inspired by Paul Cranswick's list of books for his first 50 years.

The biggest takeaway I get from this list is STILL the number of outstanding books I still need to read - most of the years have outstanding books that I haven't read yet.

1953 Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
1954 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1955 The Day Lincoln was Shot by Jim Bishop
1956 The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
1957 Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie
1958 Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver
1959 Hawaii by James Michener
1960 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1961 Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
1962 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
1963 Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters, and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger
1964 Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
1965 The Source by James Michener
1966 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
1967 Listen to the Warm by Rod McKuen
1968 The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda
1969 Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1970 QBVII by Leon Uris
1971 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
1972 The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
1973 W.C. Fields by Himself: His Intended Autobiography with Commentary by Ronald J. Fields
1974 The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
1975 Crazy Salad by Nora Ephron
1976 Roots by Alex Haley
1977 In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
1978 Tutankhamun: The Untold Story by Thomas Hoving
1979 Sophie's Choice by William Styron
1980 A Delicate Arrangement : The Strange Case of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace by Arnold C.
Brackman
1981 Lucy: the Beginnings of Humankind by Donald C. Johansen
1982 Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
1983 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
1984 Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
1985 Lennon by Ray Coleman
1986 The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
1987 And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the Aids Epidemic by Randy Shilts
1988 Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
1989 It's Always Something by Gilda Radner
1990 In Pursuit of the Green Lion by Judith Merkle Riley
1991 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
1992 The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
1993 The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
1994 Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
1995 Longitude by Dava Sobel
1996 Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
1998 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
1999 Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
2000 Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis
2001 Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
2002 Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murukami
2003 A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
2004 11,000 Years by Peni R. Griffin
2005 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
2006 The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2007 The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
2008 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
2009 Under the Dome by Stephen King
2010 Room by Emma Donoghue
2011 11/22/63 by Stephen King
2012 The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
2013 Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
2014 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
2015 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
2016 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
2017 Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
2018 The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
2019 Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
2020 The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver

Found you! Happy new year, Karen, and happy new thread, too. Let the reading begin!

I finished A Promised Land last night, making it my final read of 2020. I am working on my review. May take awhile

>22 karenmarie: Math's a bit wonky on that'un, Horrible.

*smooch*

>23 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! Thank you. Congrats on finishing A Promised Land yesterday.

>24 richardderus: Fixed! Thank you. *smooch*

Happy New Year, Karen. Happy New Thread. Freezing rain here. We have a friend and her daughter visiting but I was trying to also squeeze some reading in. The feeders have been hopping.

Glad to see Oryx and Crake on your Best of List. One of my faves.

Happy New Year Karen and happy reading!

Hi Karen! Happy new year and happy new thread! I love the pictures of your kitties at the top. Cats are simply the best.

Hi Karen! Dropping a star on your thread... I don't know if your remember me from way back in the day when I was active in the group. Happy New Year!

>26 msf59: Hi Mark! Thank you. Yuck to freezing rain. Ours is only plain rain, fortunately. Gloomy and overcast, a perfect day to stay inside. I hope you get lots of good reading in. My feeders have been hopping too; in fact, I just looked out and the sunflower feeder is close to being empty again.

I need to read the last two in the Maddadam trilogy – thank you for the reminder.

>27 brenzi: Thank you, Bonnie.

>28 PawsforThought: Thanks, Paws. Glad you love the pics of the kitties – I have hundreds of pics on my cell phone and really need to start culling, but kitties and cell phones just go together. Oh yes, I’m definitely a cat person.

>29 allthesedarnbooks: Hi Marcia! I’m very glad to see you here. I’ve just visited your thread and dropped a star… here’s hoping for a great reading year!

Happy New Year Karen!

I look forward to following your thread and adding many of your recommendations. All good wishes!

I thought I'd already wished you a Happy New Year but it appears not. So -- happy new year! Looking forward to bookish chatter accompanied by bottomless cups of coffee.

>30 karenmarie: Ha! My phone's picture gallery is 90% cat or nephew pics.

>1 karenmarie: Love "On This Day" so, so much!

Happy new thread. Wishing you a brighter, better, bookier 2021.

>31 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian!

>32 Whisper1: All good wishes to you, too, Linda.

>33 lauralkeet: Happy New Year to you, too, Laura – I was just over visiting your thread. Loved the pics of your fur kids. Coffee and bookish chatter – I like that.

>34 PawsforThought: I also tend to take pics of our yard or birdfeeders.

>35 Berly: Hi Kim, and thank you. I'm glad you love 'On This Day'. It helps me keep things in perspective.

Happy New Year, Karen!

I have few carry-over books, too. I hoped to finish them yesterday, but had too many going.

Happy new year!

Enjoy your 2021 reading!

Happy New Year, Karen!

Happy New Year!

>5 karenmarie: You had a spectacular reading year !

>37 streamsong: Thank you, Janet! I usually have carry-over books and actually officially ‘abandoned’ several last month.

>38 quondame: Thank you, Susan! I love this gif, glad you graced my thread with it.

>39 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

>40 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella.

>41 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

2020 books read tied for 2nd most books read since I’ve been on LT:

>42 karenmarie: Impressive your book list 🙃. I never made it over 100.
Wishing you a fabulous day.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. No rain or snow today but there will be snow and ice on the trails, so I may hang tight at home. I had all three resident woodpeckers yesterday- downy, red-bellied and flicker. My main feed hopper is empty, so I need to trudge out there and fill things up.

>43 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Thank you. I'm always happy to make my goal. Last year's 124 is solely because of the pandemic. I'll take the total while remembering the year with mostly bad feelings.

>44 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Inside with warmth and books sounds like a good thing. Congrats on a Woodpecker Trifecta. The birds will appreciate the feeder being filled, of course. I might fill mine today although I still see 2 inches of sunflower seeds.

...
Just up, coffee in hand. It's gloomy here. Rain tonight, apparently. I've just started Hamnet.

Morning, Karen! Believe it or not, when I was grinding the coffee this morning, I did not realize that the little glass jar that catches the grounds was not in place until I had finished. And it's not even Monday. Craig came out to find me standing there staring at the pile of grounds, and just said, "Oh, boy!"

Hi Mamie! Well, you gave me my first laugh of the day. I hope that the coffee is now made and that you are enjoying the first sips.

When Bill first started using freshly ground beans, having been a Folgers man forever, he'd leave the glass jar over on the counter where his coffeemaker was. I was not pleased, but he doesn't do it very often anymore. Where was the glass jar?

Craig was very nice (or perhaps afraid) and cleaned it up for me and finished making the coffee, so yes, I am drinking my first cup now. The glass jar was in front of the coffee maker, of course. I have never done that before and hope never to do it again.

Happy New Year, Karen. I like your best of list. I've had Mrs. Caliban on my shelves for a while. It's time to dust it off and read it.

>48 Crazymamie: Good man, your Craig! Bill and I each have our own coffeemakers as I've mentioned before, but we only have the one coffee bean mill. I had to get used to buying more beans AND sharing the mill, although since he got it for me a bazillion years ago I shouldn't mind sharing.

>49 BLBera: Hi Beth, thank you. You know how sometimes you're reading a book and it just keeps getting better and better regardless of where the plot goes? That's how I felt as I was reading Mrs. Caliban. I hope you love it as much as I do.

...
Bill's going to run some errands because he's got cabin fever - he can't stay 'cooped up' for more than 3 or 4 days before needing to go somewhere. Admittedly a run to the dump then bringing some fast food home is pretty innocuous (masked and cautious, as he always is), but it cheers him up. He knows what I want from each of the three options so figure I'll know when he gets home what's for lunch.

>22 karenmarie: You caught me with your list. I know what I am going to at least start today. And I know there are so many good books I haven’t read. I bought a nice hard cover set of Austen last year and have been thinking about reading them this year. Technically reread but it has been a long time.

The sun came out and I promised the dogs a walk. Have a good day!

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

>51 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! I keep the Book a Year For the Years of My Life as a tab on my Books Read 2008 Forward spreadsheet. (Yes, of course, another spreadsheet!) It took a while to remember where I kept it.

Good luck with the Austen re-read. I'm bogged down, frankly, in Emma, haven't opened it in months although I'm refusing to abandon it yet again.

Yay for a sunny day and walking the dogs.

>52 ronincats: Hi Roni, and thank you.

...
Bill brought home a hot chicken/provolone/mushroom sub with crispy onion rings and an unsweet tea for me, which made me happy.

We'll have the last of the homemade vegetable beef soup tonight and then it will be time to start thinking about what to make for dinner for Monday or Tuesday. No plans on cooking tomorrow. Bill is always appreciative when I do cook and never criticizes me when I don't. I'm rather lucky, I think.

>53 karenmarie: That is a tasty repast, that is. Big kudos for knowing you'll sweeten your own sludge, too!

*smooch*

But, but... I don't sweeten the sludge. Hot tea, however, must have copious amounts of white sugar. And coffee must be black without sugar and iced coffee must be sweetened. And all of them must be lactose-less. I'm very contrary...

*smooch*

>55 karenmarie: No, not contrary! Just sure of your tastes, which makes perfect sense at our ages. I myownself will not be imbibing any boiled Chinese camellia-hedge clippings for any reason. Same thing.

Ah. I forgot your adversion to hedge clippings. Hence the reference to sludge.

I started drinking iced tea decades ago at lunch at work so I could kick the soda habit, which I've been mostly successful with over the years. I'm now down to a sugared Dr. Pepper about every month or so although I have started drinking Bubbly because sometimes I do get bored with water, even our own good well water. Not sweenened, but lots of money for water, fizz, and a teensy bit of flavor.

>57 karenmarie: tea>>>>fizzy death-juice, fer sher. I drank it as a kid in Austin, after I no longer was entirely controlled by Mama's purchasing power. Then one day I found Brita pitchers and have never looked back.

(Austin's water is truly foul.)

>55 karenmarie: Haha! Your drink descriptions remind me of my ex-coworker who had a set schedule for he tea and coffee versions: early morning was black coffee (no sugar), mid-morning was milky coffee (no sugar), after lunch was milky coffee with sugar, mid-afternoon was tea without milk or sugar. Always hot, though.
Myself I stick to hot tea without milk or sugar no matter the time of day. I love coffee but sadly my stomach doesn't.

Hi Karen my dear, i have dropped my star here and will be a regular visitor, your Christmas card arrived today, thank you, dear friend.

>59 PawsforThought: I used to love ice-tea with restaurant lunches (how long ago was that!) but then mango flavored tea came in fashion and I've never trusted the drink since. The color of it in a glass makes me queasy. I love hot Ceylon tea with cream, but there is no place for it in my life since I can't do caffeine after 2PM and mornings are dedicated to coffee, mostly black with the occasional latte.

>58 richardderus: I seem to think I bought my mother a Brita water filter pitcher in the late 1980s because her water in Diamond Bar, CA was so hideous. I used to get Sparkletts or Arrowhead 5-gallon bottles for years and years until I got an expensive water filtration system on just the kitchen sink in my house in Tujunga, but left it with the house when I moved to NC. I’ve had great well water ever since.

City water is truly foul.

>59 PawsforThought: Hi Paws. I didn’t plan the strange way I like coffee and tea, but it works for me. Your co-worker is just strange – how did she/he keep track of it all? At work I drank a thermos of black coffee until it was gone, usually late morning, had an unsweet iced tea at lunch, then drink water the rest of the afternoon and evening. You’re much more consistent. Occasional glasses of wine in the evening, of course.

>60 johnsimpson: Hi John, nice to see you. Wow, I didn’t expect it to take this long – I think I mailed it December 8th. Well, glad you finally got it!

>61 quondame: Hi Susan. I like plain unsweet iced tea. Nothing fancy, not green tea. If fresh lemon wedges are available, I like to add lemon. Flavored iced teas don’t do anything for me. Lattes and flavored coffees don’t appeal to me either.

Just keeping up here. Now I have to leave to get some tea! : )

>61 quondame: I really only drink iced tea (and I'm afraid it's the instant version) when it's really hot and sunny in the summer (so, a very short time period). I prefer peach - the lemon they sell here tastes weird and nothing like lemon. I've never tried mango.

>62 karenmarie: I find it a bit strange too, but it works for her. She doesn't really have to keep track much, it's just what she has a hankering for at that time of day.
Yes, occasional wine in the evening - except if my brother's family are visiting because then my mother, sister-in-law and I will share a bottle pretty much *every* evening.

Wow -- 64 posts in and I'm just now dropping my star. Here's wishing you a good 2021!!

>64 PawsforThought: Well It may have been peach tea rather than mango that I couldn't deal with. Long time ago now as I only did lunch when I worked and haven't since mid-2001.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. Another light coating of snow out there. Still deciding if I will get out there for a walk. I will be going over to Bree's later this afternoon to watch the final regular season, Bears game. They are playing the Packers, so this could be brutal.

How is Hamnet coming along?

Morning, Karen! Craig beat me to the coffee grinder this morning, heh.

>63 Berly: Hi Kim. Hot tea is my go-to when I don’t feel well. I had a slight cold last week and had hot tea on two days. I didn’t feel bad enough to give up the coffee, but appreciated hot tea in the early afternoons. I hope you enjoyed your tea.

>64 PawsforThought: Hi Paws. I enjoyed iced sweetened peach tea at a Japanese restaurant for a while – we haven’t been there in quite a few years just because, and then Covid came along and it’s not one of the three we rotate among for take out. Sharing a bottle of wine sounds like heaven right now.

>65 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. Thank you. It’s a very chatty time of year here in the 75ers, isn’t it? I can’t remember how I saw it, but late last week I saw a total number of posts for the 2020 group at 131K.

>66 quondame: Mango isn’t a flavor that really appeals to me, Susan, so mango tea would be a non-starter.

>67 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you, too. Good luck to your Bears. Our Panthers play at 4:25, against the Saints. Sigh. It’s been a very poor season and there’s no chance of playoffs.

Hamnet is coming slowly. The writing is vivid, and I’m enjoying it. I’m distracted right now for some reason and not reading much. That will change, of course. I’ll be starting Banker today for the first book of the third year of the Dick Francis SHARED Read. I pulled it off the shelves last night.

I've been lurking, and I can't say why I've neglected the speaking part. Well, HAPPY NEW YEAR and HAPPY NEW THREAD!!!! I look forward to what you read and what you say about it. Savoring Hamnet is certainly a way to do it. I might/might not join you in Banker. I've reread the earlier DF offerings many times, and *B* is getting into the ones that I felt as less than fresh. I'll have to see how hard Milk Run calls when I finish my last Ish.

*smooch*

That is all.

Happy New Year, Karen!

Well said in your first paragraph. We're figuring we're not going to get the vaccine in our house before March or April. Our daughter, as a teacher, will get it much sooner.

>70 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. It's early days, the thread traffic has been stunning, and not having a speaking part early on is completely understandable. I'm about 40 pages into Hamnet and have deliberately slowed my reading down for it. I have Germaine Greer's Shakespeare's Wife on my shelves - it may be an appropriate read after Hamnet.

Banker offsets Hamnet, I think.

>71 richardderus: *smooch*

>72 jnwelch: Hi Joe, and thank you. I'm trying to not have any expectations for any return to normal in 2021. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

My first goal is to get past January 20th Inauguration. The traitorous Republicans in the House and Senate are evil and dangerous. I cannot believe we've come to this. I'd say shame on them except that they are absolutely shameless - the ends apparently justify the means.

Happy Sunday Karen!

Happy New Year, and Happy Sunday. Now that I am retired, I loose track of the days. I look forward to visiting here often and learning about the books you read, and happenings in your life.

Happy 2021, Karen. >73 karenmarie: I think you've got the right idea about this year's progress. We'll see how it goes. I read Hamnet and Judith (not sure why it was called that in Canada) and the story pulled me in. It will be interesting to see if the portrayal of Agnes (Anne) will be much different in Shakespeare's Wife.

>74 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel!

>75 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! I must admit that I have to consciously think of what day it is. It was a lot harder with Bill home the last two weeks - normally he works at the office M-W-F and I can keep track because of that schedule. Not too many happenings right now, but definitely lots of books.

>76 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Thank you. I wonder if I'll be able to figure out why it was called Hamnet and Judith in Canada when I've finished it? A mystery!

>77 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I know where Judith comes in but have no idea why the different title and I finished the book.

Not even a week into 2021. This is good. I'm pleased as...well...as...ah...pleased as I can be that you like my stats. But that's so last year, huh?

Morning, Karen. The Bears lost, no surprise there but they did manage to eke into the playoffs. It will be short-lived. They are a .500 team, at best.

On my way to Bree's yesterday, I stopped at a favorite spot, where a river runs through and got to see three bald eagles standing on one icy strip. Two adults and one juvenile. No photos though. I tried scurrying back to my vehicle to grab my camera and they flew off when I returned 90 seconds later. I did get some great looks though, with the scope.

>78 Familyhistorian: I do know that Judith is Hamnet's twin sister so will wait for the story to unfold as I savor reading it.

>79 weird_O: Hiya Bill. 2020, stats, Christmas are all last year. I wish I could say politics are last year but they won't be for a couple weeks more.

>80 msf59: 'Mornng, Mark. Sorry about your Bears - I did see that they were up at one point. Unfortunately, my poor Panthers were never ahead and some really bonehead plays sealed their fate. We quite watching at halftime.

...
The first sip of coffee is always the best, although a good cup of coffee keeps on giving. I need to do a bit of FoL November meeting minutes editing, agenda prep, and publishing to the Board for our meeting next Monday.

Bill's at work today - first time since December 17th. I love Bill AND am glad to have time alone in the house.

Morning, Karen!

"The first sip of coffee is always the best, although a good cup of coffee keeps on giving." Truth.

"I love Bill AND am glad to have time alone in the house." Sing it, Sister!

'Morning, Mamie!

I just devoted my first mug of coffee to the Nathan Burgoine article RD published on his thread. Such an excellent article.

Time for my second mug. The house is quiet.

Hi Karen! I'm not going to read all posts just visit your thread from this post on.

Howdy. I'm so glad you liked the article! *smooch*

>84 connie53: Hi Connie, and welcome.

>85 richardderus: Howdy-doo to you, too, RDear. It's the kind of article that it would be nice to have a printed copy of while sitting in a coffeehouse and discussing for a while, isn't it? *smooch*

Morning, Karen. It was nice being out yesterday. It is beautiful here in the winter, especially when I don't have to work in it. Not a lot of birds seen, but I did get my FOY owl, the cute little Saw-Whet. This is with the help from a birder pal, since the owl changed roosting spots. I plan on getting out today too, just not sur where yet.

'Morning, Mark! Glad you could get out. Yay for the Saw-Whet. I just looked on a range map and see that they are nonbreeding (scarce) in my part of NC.

...
We got a late Christmas present yesterday from my nephew - he rarely sends Christmas presents and I only know it's from him because my sister let the cat out of the bag around Christmas. It's Harbinger Ethiopia Tuma Tesso whole bean coffee, and it's Wow. It's out of our financial league for every day, but as a special treat it's super.

Morning, Karen! What a lovely surprise to get the coffee, and indulgent coffee at that.

>88 karenmarie: Ooohhh, what a great treatcoffee! I don't like fancy coffee-drinks much, but a good, unusual bean well-roasted and -brewed is a joy.

I hope its aura glows all around the rest of your Tuesday. Pray for Blue skies over Georgia!

Both Bill and I like it very much. We've graduated to the old-people-get-them-consumables category with the next generation. Both niece/wife and nephew bought us fancy food/drink.

I just got back from almost 3 hours of errands. Grocery shopping and the PO. Package with Jenna's final Christmas present from us, her custom box of See's, and a present from a cousin. Also, two Starbucks gift cards that Bill and I will not use - Starbucks is no closer than 25-30 miles. The cousins who gave them to us don't think at all, just send whatever's easiest for them. Jenna will be happy to get them. Also my sister's birthday present, which will be late, and a box of book-donation religious books for friend Karen in Montana. And I wanted to buy a birthday card for my sister, didn't want to go in the pharmacy, and so found a good card at the grocery store; but then had to write it, address it, stamp it, and go back through the PO mailbox drop off. And I got a few things for Louise so stopped at her house too. I'm whupped but pleased that as things stand I don't anticipate going out 'til next week.

And Little Debbie Christmas Trees are gone, but I bought a box of Valentine Hearts. Bad me.

>91 karenmarie: Busy day for you! I had an errand-day yesterday, but it wasn't as busy as yours. Just some things that *needed* to be done, and since today is an eve (so everything closes early) and tomorrow is a holiday it was better to get it done before that rather than wait until the end of the week.

>91 karenmarie: *whew* I'm whupped readin' it! Not to have Starbucks is inconceivable to most Murrikinz...I wouldn't use 'em either, but because I just can not spend $10 on *A* coffee.

Hunker down with the Valentine hearts and read. It's the only hope for a normal week.

>92 PawsforThought: Glad you got your errands done, Paws. Enjoy the holiday tomorrow.

>93 richardderus: I know... too busy. I've had Starbucks only three times that I can remember - once in California with my niece-by-marriage and twice with Peggy while visiting her. Both times have been scrumptious, a luxury not often had. All three times I've had plain black coffee, though. *smile*

...
I couldn't resist - I took this photo yesterday. You just can't make these things up and he was just resting there purring like a mad thing.

>94 karenmarie: That is so sweet!

I am tired just reading about your day, Karen. Hooray for not having to go out again until next week.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I am heading down to the lakefront to chase a rare goose, that has been hanging out there for a few days. I have to leave shortly, to beat the traffic. Yes, my wife thinks I am bonkers.

One down, one to go in Georgia. I sure hope we can eke this second one out.

Mark is going on a wild duck chase. ;-)

Good morning, Karen!

>95 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. I actually went to sleep about 2 hours early last night and didn't wake up 'til about 8. I feel rested and happy this morning, especially with Warnock winning outright and Ossoff with a 16K lead. Congratulations for your county voting Blue in a big way with 70% for each candidate (not final, but that's what the WaPo and NYT are showing) - is that usual or new?

>96 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and a happy Wednesday. I hope you see your rare duck. Bonkers is not the word I'd use, but inside, warm, with coffee is my choice. Just sayin'. 😀

>97 jessibud2: The Birddude in action. Good morning to you, too, Shelley.

...
No specific plans today. Bill's at work. Coffee is in hand.

>91 karenmarie: "old-people-get-them-consumables"
Is that a thing? Oh dear. We got Nate's grandpa a snack set with fancy sausages, cheeses and crackers, and chocolates.

>94 karenmarie: How adorable!

Hi Chelle! It's not a bad thing. To me it means that they know we don't need things and love gourmet treats. Lots of seniors are, fortunately, in this position of not needing stuff and it was just amusing that my only two biological next-generation relatives did it. I did it, too, by getting our 82-year old Aunt a gift card - although it cracked me up that she wanted one to the local wine shop!

If people ask what I want, I always give them specific book titles that are on my wish list. That's why I got Hamnet from cousin Rebecca/family for Christmas 2020. And yes, the irony of getting a book about death from the plague was not lost on me.

Morning, Karen! I live in Lee county, so unfortunately my county voted red. But Dougherty county was blue - you are probably thinking I live in Dougherty because of all the Covid discussions on my thread last year. We technically live in Leesburg, not Albany, but we are only about 5 minutes from the county line. I am not a Georgia native, so I am not familiar with what is usual - we have only lived here eight years. I do think all of the work that Stacey Abrams has done is paying off, and I am thrilled to see more pockets of blue throughout the state.

*edited to correct a typo

Oh, Lee County. Sorry about the red. You may have mentioned Albany at some point so I got it fixed in my mind that you were in Doughterty County. The good thing about Senate races is that there's no Electoral College, so all your Blue votes counted equally with the red'uns.

Stacey Abrams is a hero.

>94 karenmarie: He looks so content and comfortable, makes my smile!

>98 karenmarie: with Warnock winning outright and Ossoff with a 16K lead
I saw Warnock's win at the news here, but had not seen any news about Ossoff, so thanks for the update.

I have mentioned Albany because that is where our hospital is, so all the Covid talk was talking about Albany and Dougherty county. Also Craig and Rae work in Albany and that is where we do all of our shopping/appointments/etc. Like I said, it's less than a five minute drive from our house - we are only in Lee county/Leesburg because of the line on the map. SO true about the blue votes.

Agreed about Stacey Abrams.

>103 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. Glad we could make you smile, and you're welcome re the Ossoff race. I hope the Governor, Secy of State, and all other Republican elections officials get bodyguards if they don't already have them.

>104 Crazymamie: Got it. Red county offically, blue county everything else. I was confused when I first moved to NC. Bill's address was Chapel Hill, which is in Orange County, except we lived in one of the small bits that are actually in Chatham County. I was very unhappy that I couldn't get a Library Card without paying $25 for being out-of-county, so have boycotted the Library ever since even though we moved to Pittsboro, which is the county seat of Chatham County.

When we lived in Indiana, our house was on a county road, so we had a Muncie address even though we were in Yorktown. Weird.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Wow! Wednesday was an ugly roller-coaster ride, wasn't it? At least it ended with a more positive spin but what a nasty stain on our American history.

I did get my LIFER yesterday, along with some other fine birds, (more on my thread). I called it a duck hunt but it was actually a goose I was targeting.

Morning, Karen! At least there's coffee.

>106 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Property, city, county, and state lines are amazingly precise, aren't they? Why the dividing lines are as they are makes for fascinating reading - I didn't read the article, but before yesterday went to hell I read a headline about a town where the dividing line between jurisdictions is between the US and Canada.

>107 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and sweet, and calmer Thursday to you. Yesterday made my skin crawl, frankly, after the joyous waking up to the news that Warnock had won and Ossoff was up 16K votes. I was happily puttering along, reading and etc., was planning on watching the Senate and House confirm the Electoral College votes and confirm Biden/Harris. I got on the phone with a friend from 12:30 til about 2 so missed everything until sometime after two.

I hope that everybody who was in that traitorous mob is identified and prosecuted, especially the jerk who sat in a desk in Nancy Pelosi's office. Thank goodness for cell phones and other video.

Thank goodness, too, that Biden/Harris were affirmed by the Congress. Biden's speech was measured yet forceful and as he was walking away you could see his anger in "Enough is enough is enough."

Nothing like this has occurred in any of our lifetimes here in the US. How dare they? How dare he? I hope he's removed immediately with the 25th Amendment. I don't care if he finally committed to an orderly transition of power.

Off to your thread to read about the Goose Hunt.

>108 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Yes, thank goodness for coffee. I've already had one mug, getting ready for #2.

especially the jerk who sat in a desk in Nancy Pelosi's office. Thank goodness for cell phones and other video.

Oh my. I missed that. They had better do a super duper job of disinfecting everything!

He needs to be tried for treason, and most of all, terrorism He incited what happened yesterday and he said he *loved* them and that they were *special*. Maybe someone should throw him to the crocodiles should he try to escape to Florida.

He was always a despicable human being but he really deserves the worst that can be thrown at him.

Maybe once the new administration is in place, some laws can be changed or new laws brought in that can somehow prevent this sort of thing from happening again. First and foremost, ought to be that a sitting president who commits a crime can actually be arrested and charged and thrown out on his ass immediately. No more *above the law* garbage, no more immunity. If he is a citizen, then he deserves no more or no less than any other citizen would be subject to.

I agree with you 100%, Shelley. I won't post the photo of the jerk, but you should be able to see it if you really want your blood to boil even more than it's already boiling.

Adorable cat picture! And isn't it always a great feeling to get home from errands? Not so much going on the errands themselves, but knowing that they're in the past and not the future. lol

>91 karenmarie: OMG, you just reminded me that my favorite candy of the year is probably in the stores right now. I cannot and will not refuse cinnamon jelly hearts.

>94 karenmarie: cute photo -- glad he was so happy (that'll be me when I get my cinnamon jelly hearts :> )

As to yesterday...at least a couple of sycophants finally found enough sense to stand up to him. Never thought anything would be "enough" for Lindsey Graham. But what a disgraceful, disgusting display. The orange idiot should have been arrested on the spot for inciting that riot. Where is this country heading?

I am sick of seeing every day things I never thought I'd see in my lifetime. I was never afraid of the president until yesterday but now I think he needs to be Jack Ma'ed until 21 January.

>94 karenmarie: What a sweetie!

I cried and cried yesterday. I'll believe that he means to go peacefully when I see his crazy unmentionable out the door and into whatever vehicle carts him away. AND I continue to blame all the terminally selfish, greedy Republicans of every stripe who have pandered to him for the past 4½ years. Some statesmen could have stepped in early on and made it possible to avoid this. There. Done.

Meanwhile, I am really enjoying my new stainless French press, which is the same size as my old glass ones, so I have several spare filters. Further meanwhile, I'm taking a break with a Kindle deal, The Obsidian Mirror. It's borderline waste of time, but good enough to finish.

>112 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! Thank you. Kitty + cell phone = lots of cute kitty opportunities. My next ‘errand’ will be to conduct the Friends of the Library Board meeting next Monday morning. Lots of quiet going on here until then, and lots of quiet going on there because of the pandemic.

>113 RebaRelishesReading: Glad to be of service, Reba. *smile*

Biden and Harris have their work cut out for them. In addition to undoing the messes that Trump got us into and getting us back to a respectable place on the international stage, they can try to work the miracle of nation healing AND implement some of the Democratic agenda. I personally think Biden is the exact right person we need right now with Harris providing a bit of left-leaning fire. I hope every Republican who supported the mentally ill 45 is ashamed of themselves. But, as I've posted before, there’s not much shame in any of them.

>114 SomeGuyInVirginia: Had to look up the Jack Ma reference, but the headline “Billionaire Disappears” means I agree with you 100%. I wondered how you were faring so close to DC, but it seems to have been only in DC.

>115 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. He’s so warm and soft and cuddly (when he lets me hold him).

I didn’t cry. I was too stunned and distraught to cry, I think. I hope that even though it’s only 13 days ‘til he’s officially gone Pence and a majority of the Cabinet have the …ah… guts to invoke the 25th amendment. DJT is clearly unhinged and reports that people in the WH tried to get him to act reasonably tried in vain.

Yay for your new stainless French Press. I know how much you love dark roast coffee, so a French Press is clearly a Good Thing. Me and my medium roast preference do better with a drip coffee maker.

The description of The Obsidian Mirror cracked me up. Who says old gods can't learn new tricks?? When Sierra Carter, out-of-work PR executive, receives a call from Quetzalcoatl...

...
Well, I haven't read a single word yet today except the WaPo, the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), and the NYT. Time for reading books, I think.

>116 karenmarie: Yesterday I was determined to avoid the news, because there had been some buzz about a possible Iranian attack on the Capitol and I just wasn't in a headspace where I could deal with that. I knew that something had happened because that afternoon my internet went wonky and interrupted my watching animal rescue videos on YouTube. My phone didn't blow up so I figured that whatever it was didn't call for an evacuation order and I was going to ignore it (thanks 9/11, I still get antsy every time I hear a helicopter fly overhead.)

About 5:00 p.m. I decided to check the news and waded into that ocean of excrement.

Hi Larry!

Sometimes I avoid the news, too. I absolutely cannot watch animal rescue videos - I start tearing up and get the shakes.

As long as you didn't have an evacuation order it was not a bad thing to avoid. Sorry you waded into it at 5 p.m. I've mostly avoided it today although I did see where Chuck Schumer (and others) are calling to invoke the 25th Amendment.

I just got off the phone with a close relative who unfortunately is a deplorable. We haven't spoken about politics since November 4th and hardly before then this year. I thought that my texting about the horror of yesterday in response to a 'how are you?' text might elicit a comment, but nope.

Hi Karen! I can only imagine how shocking this must have been to you all. I was afraid something like this might happen as Trump has started calling 'Fraud' even before the election started. So it was really good to see that Joe Biden has eventually been confirmed as president to be, or what you call it. And has made a very good speech, denouncing Trump.

>117 SomeGuyInVirginia: I love the orang-utan rescue videos on YouTube. They rescue orphans and teach them everything their mothers should have taught them. They are really adorable.

Hi Karen,

Staying away from the news sounds like the sane thing to do. Jan 20 can’t come soon enough. And thank goodness for GA.

I have hope for the new year and wish you a good one as well.

>119 EllaTim: Hi Ella! Nothing like this in my lifetime, for sure. A President inciting a mob? Since he first announced that he was running for President, Trump has caused me to say "I can't believe he just did that" a thousand times or more. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Joe Biden is the President Elect, now officially confirmed by Congress. The last step to be taken before inauguration was yesterday (well, early this morning). He will be inaugurated and start his duties as President on January 20th. He did make a good speech, didn't he?

>120 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! I have my moments of obsessing over it and other times of staying away. I must admit that it's way too easy to look at news as often as I want to with my cell phone. It was too bad that the fantastic news out of Georgia was eclipsed by the insurrection in DC.

I do have hope for the new year, but right now it's a tad shaky. I don't know if I'll completely relax on January 20th politically, and only have the pandemic and etc. to deal with, or whether there will still be a lot of fallout from the 2020 Presidential Election.

I wish you a good 2021.

>121 karenmarie: I just heard Chris Hayes mention a poll stating that 45% of republicans support yesterday’s storming of the capitol so perhaps my optimism is a bit premature.

Good lord.

Un-f**ing-believable. I have a family member in another state who I have sadly come to realize is 180 from everything I believe in and hold to be true. However, it shocked me that when I texted about the horror of yesterday I got no acknowledgement at all, which I interpreted that they don't agree at all about my perception of what the horror was and is.

Trump has damaged this country beyond anything I thought any single individual could do.

>109 karenmarie: I really appreciate and agree with your comments about Bloody Wednesday!

>123 karenmarie: Yes, that is disturbing.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I had a good day yesterday, with birds in the A.M. and books in the P.M. I will reverse that today, as a birder pal will join me on a owl hunt this afternoon.

Morning, Karen! I know you don't do flavored coffee, but mine today is maple bourbon, and it's delicious. Hoping today is kind to you.

>124 msf59: Like minds, eh? And I'm very sad about my out-of-state family member.

'Morning and happy Friday to you, too. A B&B day is good. I hope today's B&B is also good.

>125 Crazymamie: Good morning, Mamie! If I ever descend upon the Pecan Paradisio you can try to change my mind with fabulous flavored coffees. *smile*

In the meantime, I've had two sips of delicious hot black coffee. My feet are toasty in wool socks and resting on a foot warmer. Books are available. The high will be around 38F today with the possibility of a light dusting of snow later.

Avoid the news. Good idea.

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. We had a successful owl hunt yesterday, racking up 6, count 'em 6, short-eared owls and I even got some fair photos, which is difficult for these beauties. More on my thread. I think I will hang tight at home today with the books and tune in to some football later.

>127 The_Hibernator: Richard calls it doomscrolling - I spent quite a bit of last evening on my cell phone mostly looking at the same old headlines. Sigh.

>128 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. It's a nice bright 33F and my sunflower seed feeder is already empty. It holds 5.1 lbs of seed and I forget when I filled it.

Ah, coffee.

Morning, Karen! We need to fill up our feeders, too. And when I say we, I really mean Craig. He is in charge of outside.

Hoping Saturday is gentle.

Saturday. Huh. Weird how it keeps coming around, no?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Karen.

>130 Crazymamie: 'Afternoon, Mamie! I understand the division of marital chores. Today Bill went to the dump and brought back take out. As Reba points out below, LOL. Here's a better way to say it: Bill ran errands today, going to the dump and then going to get our weekly dose of take-out. I offered to go as his knee was really hurting him but he said I do enough and he feels good about getting these errands done. Plus he gets cabin fever and it's a great excuse to be out and about. *smile*

>131 richardderus: It surely does, RD! Thank goodness we're past Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. I'm feeling a bit less fashed.

>132 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Thank you. The very same to you, too.

1. Washington’s Farewell Address and Webster’s Bunker Hill Orations, Introduction and Notes by William T. Peck

1/8/21 to 1/9/21





Description:

Introduction and Notes by William T. Peck. Includes biographical sketches of both men, a discussion of both of them, historical sketches of The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Bunker Hill Monument, the Farewell Address, both Bunker Hill Monument orations, lesson preparation, bibliography, chronological tables, and Index.

Washington's Farewell Address is "a letter written by American President George Washington as a valedictory to "friends and the fellow-citizens" after 20 years of public service to the United States. He wrote it near the end of his second term of presidency before retiring to his home at Mount Vernon in Virginia. The letter was first published as The Address of Gen. Washington to the People of America on His Declining the Presidency of the United States in the American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796, about ten weeks before the presidential electors cast their votes in the 1796 election. It is a classic statement of republicanism, warning Americans of the political dangers which they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values. It was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers around the country, and later in pamphlet form." Wikipedia

Webster’s The Bunker Hill Monument Oration and The Completion of the Bunker Hill Monument Oration were speeches given by Webster. The first in 1825 at the laying of the cornerstone, the second at the dedication of the Bunker Hill Monument.

Why I wanted to read it: Washington’s Farewell Address was mentioned by Mamie the other day, and I thought, “I should read that!” My copy, published in 1916, has the Farewell Address and two Orations by Daniel Webster so I thought I might as well read the whole thing. My copy belonged to my husband’s paternal grandmother before she married, as it’s got her maiden name written in pencil along with the date – Feb. 9, 1917 – in the front cover. She also clearly used it in school, as there are penciled notations throughout. I love reading something a family member, even if by marriage, held in her hands and studied.

The Farewell Address is beautifully written. The first draft was written by James Madison in 1792 as Washington contemplated not running for a second term. Near the end of his second term he started from the first draft, and re-wrote it with the help of Alexander Hamilton, publishing it in 1796. It is self-serving in that Washington says he’s done his duty for 45 years to America and now deserves retirement. But it also lays out his philosophy of how the United States should interact with other nations, abjuring foreign entanglements among other thoughts.

The Orations started irritating me right away. They are flowery and convoluted and much too long for their purpose to these modern eyes. The second one particularly, reviewing English conquest of North America, paints a picture of lofty commercial and religious goals implemented by good, sober, Englishmen. Spanish conquest of South America, on the other hand, is described as the lust for gold and silver, ”…earth ravished from its rightful possessors by every possible degree of enormity, cruelty, and crime –“. The blindness and double standard evinced added to my dissatisfaction at the style of writing.

I have been known to forgive things that were written in previous decades and previous centuries because a person is always a product of her/his culture. Webster’s “savage tribes” and rightness of conquest are understandable to a point. However, there always people who rise above cultural influences and arrive at humanistic and noble truths regardless of the pressures to conform to current prejudices. Webster doesn’t qualify for this approbation. He is a product of his times, which is perfectly fine, but I can’t see how these Orations should be considered usable and ennobling today. Had they been short dedications to the Monument and people who fought at Bunker Hill I might have been more inclined to consider them as necessary usable documents; however, they grated on my sensibilities.

The 4 stars are mostly for the arrangement of the text and the Introduction and Notes.

And, new feature!

Six word review:

Farewell Address still meaningful to read.
Oration 1 probably boring to hear.
Oration 2 objectionable rewriting of history.

LOL -- your thread really woke me up and gave me a nice giggle to start my day. >128 msf59:"we had a successful owl hunt yesterday" (why are you hunting owls?!?!) then >133 karenmarie: " Today Bill went to the dump and brought back take out" (sounds like a lovely meal).

>135 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. I edited >133 karenmarie: but left my original stinky sentence in there... thank you for the wake-up call.

No, sorry, I didn't mean it as a wake-up call -- I was responsible for the issuance of thousands of staff reports in my time and it made me very literal when I read because in work documents I learned that if there was an alternative meaning to be taken from a sentence someone was sure to bring it up at the most awkward possible moment in a public hearing. These two alternative meanings just amused me and I wanted to share.

No, not a problem at all, Reba. It was sloppy writing and I am glad you mentioned it, although I left my original effort there just for fun. *smile*

>133 karenmarie: >136 karenmarie: >137 RebaRelishesReading: This is so déjà vu. Didn't the "go to the dump and bring back dinner" sequence become remarkable last year or am I in a time warp?

I seem to recall being guilty of the same syntactical offense last year and/or the year before. I really need to pay more attention!

Hi Karen. Finally getting to your thread for this year, dropping off my star. What a week of 2021 it has already been! I am very nervous about January 20 and that whole week. Oh, and, like you, I am really glad the guy who photographed himself sitting at Pelosi's has been arrested. I can't believe he can only get up to one year in jail.

I'm glad Bill didn't bring dinner home from the dump. :-)

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. We had a birthday drive-by for our 84 year old aunt yesterday. She was teary-eyed. Sue and I, then went over to Bree and Sean's for football, dinner and games. Beer may have been involved too. Not a heck of a lot of reading got done but I hope to make up for that today.

Go Bears, although our chances remain low.

Hi Mark! Your Saturday sounds fine to me, if not bookish. I hope you can make up for it today.

Go Bears. I have no horse in the race but am willing to throw my support your way. *smile*

Bill will be watching TV from 1-? like he was yesterday. We snuck in two episodes of Angel.

Just saw this on the Pro and Con Group's current SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 thread:

Morning, Karen. I got plenty of reading in early yesterday and then watched my lowly Bears flounder. They did not deserve to be in the playoffs. Cold here today but I plan to get out for some birding, after taking 2 days off. The afternoon will be reserved for the books.

'Morning, Mark. Yes, I'm sorry about your Bears. I didn't watch, but Bill did. He watched most of all 6 NFL playoff games. I didn't particularly care, but must admit that seeing the first few seconds of the Browns Steelers game was fun.

...
Today is the Friends Board Meeting. We've cancelled the Spring Book Sale, alas, so now it's over $50K of lost revenue since last March.

Morning, Karen! Sorry about the library funds - ouch. How do you do the meetings?

I picked up Mrs. Caliban and The Eighth Detective on Kindle today - they were each just $2.99.

Hi Mamie! Our webmaster has a personal subscription to GoToMeeting for his business and volunteer activities. He has kindly allowed us to use it for our Board and other meetings. As Treasurer I put in a budget line item for a video conferencing subscription but we haven't had to use it yet.

And now with my new and improved Spectrum wifi, it's more than tolerable.



Yay for your acquisitions.

Off I go to the Board meeting!

>147 Crazymamie: - Ooh, thanks for the tip on those Kindle books, Mamie!

Happy meeting-ing, Karen! I've got Board meetings Weds-Sun this week. Blech.

Thanks, Katie! The meeting was 65 minutes, longer than I thought it would be, but perfect for the level of participation and things to be discussed. It was a good meeting.

We've decided to not have a February meeting although if things change we can call one if we need to - I left the option on the table. The Library is still closed, both because of the pandemic and because of a county-wide cyber incident on October 28, 2020 that STILL prevents the Library from having access to their on-line inventory. Every book checked out requires a manual effort. Every one of the thousands of books checked out and returned will have to be manually entered once their system is available again AND they will have to conduct a 4-walls inventory. There is no wifi at 2 of the 3 country branches, no computers for anybody since they were confiscated in October by the powers that be. The branch librarian at our library just got her county email address restored although I've been able to reach her via temporary email addresses all along.

And now it's time to get back into warm winter jammies and decompress.

I'm flabbergasted that the issues created in October haven't been resolved!

So am I, Katie, but think malicious attack and a criminally-negligent IT department not having adequate backups. I worked in IT from 1972 to 2015 and backups were pounded into my head for 43 years.

And, on another note, let's remember what the First Amendment really covers:

>42 karenmarie: I like this chart. You have truly read a lot of books since 2008!

I won't call what I did catching up, but I skimmed and am here to wish you a happy, safe new week that will bring us within a few days of the INAUGURATION!

>149 katiekrug: Welcome.

Glad the meeting is over and you can get back into your jammies. Like Katie, I am shocked that you are still dealing with all of that. SO frustrating.

>152 karenmarie: Love the chart!

>153 Whisper1: Hi Linda! Thank you. It was a pivot table in my spreadsheet of raw data. Quite easy, once you understand how pivot tables work. I'm grateful to some of the accounting folks I used to work with at my last job for helping me become better at Excel.

Once again I regret not keeping a life journal of my reading. Sigh.

>154 LizzieD: Skim, skim skim... works for me. Happy to see you here, Peggy. Thank you. I'm not obsessively reading the news anymore but still read and doomscroll more than I should. Yay for the 20th! Yay for Biden! Yay for Harris! Thank goodness for all 3.

>155 Crazymamie: The Librarians and their staff are the ones dealing with the real issues - no customers in the library, no email, no systems to keep track of books checked out and returned, isolation. We have a great branch Librarian, otherwise things would be dismal.

Yup, jammies are the way to go on cold overcast days.

Thaks re the chart. One of the men Bill still keeps in touch with from 30 years ago when Bill was the Kiwanis liaison to the college Circle K group, "Young Andy", sent it to Bill. I really like it too.

>152 karenmarie: That's fantastic, mind if I repost on FB?

Hi Karen, Stopping by and wishing you a wonderful year in 2021.

>91 karenmarie: - I am guessing that Little Debbie Christmas Trees as some kind of, treat/commercial baked goodie?

Also, I am always amazed at the awkward positions animals are able to sleep in. That printer does not look like a very comfortable chin rest to me.... but, what do I know.

>157 The_Hibernator: Absolutely not - Bill's friend posted it on FB originally, don't know where he got it from.

>158 lkernagh: Hi Lori, and thank you.

Yes, Little Debbie Christmas Trees are disgustingly sweet, artificially-everythinged sugar bombs. I eat usually eat them once a year, but bought some Little Debbie Valentine Hearts last week and just remembered that I left them in the car.

I personally wouldn't have picked the printer either and was very surprised to look over and see the epitome of kitty bliss.

I've got lots of photos of the kitties sleeping in weird or awkward positions. The fur kids are endlessly amusing.

Morning, Karen. I did get out yesterday but it was breezy and cold and some of the trails were icy. The highlights were swans and eagles. I will venture out again today and search out for more unfrozen waterways. Once again, the P.M. will once again be reserved for the books. Not a bad deal, huh?

'Morning, Mark. What wonderful highlights. Good luck on your adventure today. Books are always a good deal, of course.

...
First sip of coffee, overcast skies, should be able to finish Banker today. I've been making progress on A Promised Land, too.

Morning, Karen! Overcast here, too. Craig loves those "disgustingly sweet, artificially-everythinged sugar bombs". LOVES them.

Hiya, Mamie! Frankly, I could eat a box all on my own at one sitting. However, they're still in the car and I haven't had any sweets in 2 days.

Craig has a huge sweet tooth - I myownself would always choose the salty snacks.

I like crunchy snacks, but am perfectly content to eat roasted unsalted peanuts and unsalted tortilla chips. I tried unsalted potato chips but gagged, so get lightly salted. Sweets and I have a long, unhappy, and co-dependent history...

Sweets are fine, salts are fine, gimme the FATS. My umami-tooth is uncontrollable.

Happily sunshined-upon day!

Hiya, RD!

Fats. Sigh. I can't remember the last time I put as much butter on a piece of toast as I wanted to.

I just watched the first episode of Bridgerton and liked it a lot.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I had a good bird outing yesterday but it involved more driving than birding, although I am getting fine use of my spotting scope. I am meeting a birder friend today and it will be a relatively close trip. Nearing 40F today, so it should be nice. I want the ice on these trails to melt.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. Brrrr. Enjoy your birding trip today.

...
Taking Wash to the vet for his first-ever exam by Dr. Cindy only two months after it should have been. Thanksgiving, Christmas, pandemic, insurrection and sedition. All the excuses. I have to drop him off at 8:30. Gave him a kitty prescription gabapentin last night and another at 6:30 a.m. so he won't totally freak out. I'll just be glad when he's safe and sound at home and I can relax into the day.

>169 karenmarie: - HA! I could have written those very words, Karen. I am about to try (second try; first was a total fail, last time) to get Owen into his carrier for his first vet appointment with Dr. Diane. Did the same Gabapentin routine but I think therefingers crossed for both of us...

Good luck, Shelley!

Wash cried piteously most of the 8 miles to the vet. He stopped when the car stopped, so perhaps the loud vibrating and noise were what set him off.

I'm home, waiting for a call back sooner than later I hope, to come get him.

Edited to add: Wash is home, settling down. Dr. Cindy said he did well, got his vaccines like a champ, and is in excellent health. We think he's fat, but Dr. Cindy said his weight was perfect.

And, bonus: A former FoL Board member sent me an e-mail asking if I wanted to take 383 mostly hardback, mostly read once, mysteries from best-selling authors . I immediately called the woman wanting them to find a good home, told her I could store them for the Friends at my house (I didn't tell her I had 35 bags of books already, just that I had 4-5 bags of my own that I could store hers with) and would it be okay if I took some personally and give the Friends the rest. She said sure. She and her husband are going to bag them and bring them to my house sometime before they move at the end of the month.

Book magnet!!

172 - Attempt failed, Karen. See my thread for the ugly details. :-(

Nice haul on those books!

>172 karenmarie: 383?! Merciful Maude Adams' Ghost!

Happy Humpday to you, Horrible dear.

>173 jessibud2: I just read about the failed effort, Shelley, and am so sorry. I really can imagine how upsetting it is, believe me. Thanks re the books.

>174 richardderus: Hiya, RD! Thank you. Humpday indeed - Board meeting over, pilling Wash last night, pilling him at 6:30 this morning, the vet. The only other thing I have to do this week is pay the propane bill tomorrow or Friday and that is online in 5 minutes.

I'm already drooling over the books even though I don't know when I'll get them.

>172 karenmarie: 383 books? How exciting. How many boxes is that? Have fun browsing.

>172 karenmarie: Glad the vet visit went well! Also, what a great potential book haul! Mystery books are always a great way to escape! Enjoy.

Cat? Did you say cat?

Karen--Caught up again here. :) Glad the vet visit went okay; and that your dinner wasn't from the dumps; can't believe your library still has tech problems; hurray for boxes of books! and

>178 weird_O: LOL! I needed that.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Six days? Yeah, baby. We ended up with a few FOY birds yesterday, including a brief look at a Great Horned Owl, as it flew away from us. My third owl species of the year so far. Now, I need a Barred owl. Heading out this A.M. too.

Morning, Karen! Hooray for 383 books - yowza!

>178 weird_O: Cat ballet!! This made me laugh out loud. So thankful that I didn't snort the coffee because that is always slightly painful.

>176 EllaTim: Hi Ella! They’ll be bagged in bags with handles, but if they’re paper bags ~12-14 books per bag, if plastic shopping bags ~8-10. Many bags. Boxes are much harder on my back and I asked them if they could put them in bags with handles.

>177 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. Mysteries are my go-to genre. Last year I read 67% mystery/thriller/suspense.

>178 weird_O: I did. That gif makes me smile.

>179 Berly: Hi Kim. Never a dull moment here in central NC.

>180 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday, and it’s nice to know we’re on the Last Thursday the Worst President in the history of the US, and, as it turns, out, the most Dangerous President in US history.

Congrats on 3 species of owls so far this year. Good luck on your continuing birding adventures.

>181 Crazymamie: ‘Morning, Mamie! I.Can’t.Wait. Yes, snorting coffee can cause burns and destruction of whatever reading material is in front of one.

…
Speaking of coffee, since the kitchen is down the hall, through the breakfast room, and at the other end of the kitchen, I’ve broken out my handy-dandy Thermos to have fresh hot coffee in my home office/Sunroom without having to trek back and forth and deal with cooks-on-the-heating-element coffee. How’s that for lazy?

And speaking of bagged books, I started researching the December book donation books in case I find another extremely valuable one. I've got 2 so far, set aside on shelves, and another yesterday that I simply could not find any information online for, anywhere.

Have you seen the Ember mugs? Temperature-controlled, Bluetooth interface to a smart phone... The son gave me one for Christmas last year, I love it!



https://ember.com/

>182 karenmarie: Thermos is a good idea! We have some 8hour hot travel mugs that I will take a couple of coffees to work in so I don't have to order disgusting Tim's coffee at work.

>183 drneutron: Hi Jim. Oh my. How lovely and decadent. I've never heard of anything like that before. Yay technology.

>184 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle. I like my Thermos because I never drank coffee until I got to work, so just dumping it all into the heated Thermos worked beautifully. Disgusting Tim's coffee. Yikes.

>183 drneutron: ::gobsmacked::

Hello there Horrible, have a happy Thursday being entertained by the gloire that is book-fondling.

>183 drneutron: I want that.

Good thinking with the Thermos.

>186 richardderus: Hiya, RD. Thanks. I've gone through 2 more bags of books. I fondled many books. *smile*

>187 Crazymamie: It's only taken me almost 5 years of retirement to figure it out.

...
The mystery-book donor called to say that they're hiring someone to bring the books over here. Presumably that person would also bring them into the house. They've ordered brown paper bags with handles from Amazon, due tomorrow, so I should be able to get the books Saturday or Sunday. Whee!

Ah. I finally caught up with you. Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

And I loved all the coffee and tea talk at the top of your thread. Wake up, it's a new year!

MORE book fondling! AND bragging about it!!

The book is in the mail. Just sayin'...

>189 ffortsa: Hi Judy! No, never too late. Thank you.

>190 richardderus: Now, now, RD...

>191 msf59: Yay! Thank you.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday! We had a good bird outing yesterday and I found a few more FOY birds, including your Carolina Wren. Only got a very brief look though. We wanted to get a winter wren too, but could not quite nail one down. Freshened up and filled the feeders and birdbath too. Lots of activity but the usual visitors.

'Morning, Mark, and happy LFBB - Last Friday Before Biden. Congrats on more FOYs and being a good Bird Daddy.

Coffee is such a great motivator. Rather than turn over and go back to sleep, I heeded the siren call and am now enjoying my first mug.

I'm watching a male Red-Bellied Woodpecker eat sunflower seeds. Cardinals and other birds in the tree are waiting for their turn. He's now switched to the wild bird seed feeder... and just like that headed off across the pasture. I need to fill the sunflower seed feeder and clean out the bird bath this morning.

...
I'm reading Sharks In the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn. Anybody read it? I just loved the title and description. I don't remember if I saw it here on LT or somewhere else.

>194 karenmarie: AHEM

From 27 April 2020, no less.

*flounces off in a huff*

ETA I, too, wish I was better at noting the sources of my book-bullets, if only to avoid their threads except at the first of the month.

Morning, Karen! It's Friday!!

>195 richardderus: *belly laugh*

>190 richardderus: A friend of mine talked about wanting to get rid of a lot of books. I wanted to shout "me, me, me" but unfortunately i just don't have the space :-(

>197 EllaTim: - Maybe she could unload just *some* to you. You could store them in a box and pull them out one at a time, when you want a surprise read! :-)

>195 richardderus: Hmmm. Your 2020 thread 7, post 95. Somehow I glossed right over it. Maybe it lodged in the back of my brain. It also might have been Donna828's review in September, because the book ended up on my shelves in November. Or somebody else's review. A mystery.

>196 Crazymamie: Hiya Mamie! Yes, it's Friday. I've been reading and putzing.

>197 EllaTim: Hi Ella! I told Bill about the books and he wasn't particularly pleased, although it's MY Library, the doors are always kept closed, and Jenna, who sleeps on the queen-sized sleeper bed sofa when she comes home won't be home for a while. I admit that it's going to be hard to walk around in there, but it's a nice problem to have.

>199 karenmarie: *hmmf*

>198 jessibud2: Genius solution, Ella >197 EllaTim:!

>196 Crazymamie: :=)

>194 karenmarie: I read and enjoyed Sharks In the Time of Saviors though I felt the characters were stronger than the frame.

Want you to know I'm reading Rex Stout's The Golden Spiders, which you sent me. My main read is A Promised Land, but when I had to chauffeur my wife to a medical center for some medical attention, I did want to be toting that book and trying to read it in a medical waiting room. So I took the topmost book on the pile of mmps. Well...the medical center people referred us to the ER, and the ER people prevailed upon her to allow their nonER colleagues to "observe" her overnight. Now I can't seem to get her back with me, where she belongs.

Anyway, I read more than half of the mystery yesterday evening. Just reading the book, breakin' ma butt in an uncomfy chair. Tomorrow, I am confident, I will both have my partner back and have Nero Wolfe's solution to three murders.

>200 richardderus: *smooch*

>201 quondame: The children are all strong, as is the mother. The dad is a cipher so far, IMO.

>202 weird_O: I'm sorry your wife stayed overnight for observation. I hope you get her back to where she belongs, with you, tomorrow. And Yay for The Golden Spiders.

...
Well, I've been cruising through more bags of donated books and have culled a total of 11 as possibly having enough value to try to sell separately from any future book sales - possibly through a dealer we use in New York. We may end up creating an online presence through our membership software - Wild Apricot - for valuable books, but certainly not any time soon. Once I go through all the bags I'll talk with our official researcher and see what she thinks.

This might generate some significant money for the Friends, but frankly I just love holding and pricing books.

>198 jessibud2: That would be lovely of course!

>203 karenmarie: I think he mostly stays one - I could remember them all excepting him.

Morning, Karen! Happy Saturday! Yah, for LSBB and for doing our Bird Daddy & Bird Mommy duties. We went on an owl hunt yesterday. I got a solid tip that there was a Long-Eared Owl hanging in a certain area. This is the one owl I have yet to see in our area. After beating the marshy, slushy bush for a substantial time, we came up empty. We will go back.
I think I am hanging tight for the weekend and focusing on the books.

>198 jessibud2: Sorry I missed you up there, Shelley, even though the idea was for Ella. It's a good idea - to take a portion of what's offered. That's what we had to do with the Kachergis donation in December, which is what's allowing me to have them here at the house and researching each one.

>204 EllaTim: I hope you can get some of the books, Ella.

>205 quondame: Hi Susan. A non-spoilerish spoiler, based on my comment. Unless he's an axe murderer and the book changes direction completely it doesn’t hurt to know the father’s role.

>206 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. I’m sorry you didn’t get to see the Long-Eared Owl. You are persistent though, so I hope you’ll be successful this year, sooner rather than later.

Hanging out and focusing on books is always a good thing, isn’t it? Bill says there are 4 playoff games this weekend, so I know what he’ll be doing.

I’ll be cataloging more of the current book donation today, and will probably be having fun with the books coming tomorrow. Marian checked in with me yesterday and I told her anytime after about 11.

In the meantime, coffee.

*smooch* from your not-jealous-at-all tormentee

I am thinking of rearranging some bookshelves, just so I can fondle some books...

Happy weekend, Karen!

>208 richardderus: Got that right, RD! *smooch* back from your unintentional tormentor

>209 katiekrug: Have fun rearranging bookshelves. Book fondling is so satisfying. Thanks re the weekend, Katie.

Morning, Karen! Coffee, books and football for me today.

Hi Mamie!

Have a fantastic day.

>208 richardderus: I'm not running for anything, and I endorse this message.

Hi Karen!

Oh, if you liked the first episode, I'm sure your experience of Bridgerton is just going to keep going on an upward trajectory. Madame MBH and I got a big kick out of it.

Hi Joe! I've watched the first 5 episodes. Regency England is one of my favorite time periods, mostly because of the romances I've read over the decades. Bridgerton is stunning and Regé-Jean Page is absolutely gorgeous.

...
I'm actively reading 3 books right now but am curiously fretful. I've pulled a Regency Romance from my shelves that I've never read before, Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh. Let's see if that can jump start my reading again. Mind you, I get stressed if I have a reading lull of only half a day or so. There's a lot going on tomorrow, nothing bad, just out of the norm, so I think I'll be settled back down on Monday.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. Another quiet, R & R day, with football later. I don't really have a horse in either race but just hoping for a couple of good games. I hope one of your current reads sucks you in.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday back'atcha. Bill's the same about the games. I watched a bit of the Packers/Rams game and enjoyed it.

Christmas Beau is holding my interest, lightweight fare that it is.

>214 karenmarie: Hey Horrible! I'm so glad that you liked Bridgerton! It's visually a feast, and Regé-Jean is both gorgeous and talented.

My Sunday reading is the 180° opposite of that: Appalachian queer grit-lit story of violence and mayhem.

It was a DRC from a publisher. In 2019. And, ya know what, it's...not awful.

>214 karenmarie: Bridgerton was an interesting, brave and erm pretty steamy period piece. Hani swallowed it in one sitting!

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday and I will promise to get my stats up in a day or two's time.

>217 richardderus: Hi RDear. I've got 3 episodes to go, don't know when I'll watch them. I'm watching them on my 22" monitor, not ideal, but usually where I am most of the day.

I hope your Appalachian queer grit-lit story of violence and mayhem continues to be not awful.

...
Sunroom straightened up, vacuumed, cat boxes in the utility room for the duration. The floor anxiously awaiting many bags of books.

>218 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Ah, you've made it to the US in your geographical thread visits. *smile*

Yes, it's very steamy. I'm loving it. I don't blame Hani for watching it in one sitting at all. Looking forward to the stats when you get the chance. You know me and numbers...

Popping in to say YAY for books and coffee!

No watching for me; not all that much reading either, alas. Enjoy your Sunday!

Hi Peggy! I hope your Sunday is good, regardless.


34 bags of books

>221 karenmarie: Impressive! (love the windows too)

>221 karenmarie: Oh how fun! Book scouting is so addictive.

Have you read the Cliff Janeway series starting with Bookman's Wake ? If not, they may be just the mysteries you need right now.

>221 karenmarie: Oh man what a lovely sight.

>221 karenmarie: I thought 34 bags would take more place, Karen, you could store a few more ;-)

>225 FAMeulstee: That's what I thought as well, oh, it's not so bad:-)

>222 richardderus: I just love looking at bags of books – this was particularly satisfying because the bags were all the same – they bought them just to transport the books to me – and they have handles. Glad you love the windows. I love just being able to look up and see greenery.

>223 streamsong: Hi Janet. Oh yes, I could see doing this a lot although I almost strained my eyes and stopped to watch the Buccaneers beat the Saints. Going through these bags of books is making up for not sorting donations at the Library every Tuesday - we had to stop that on March 10th.

I have the 3rd in the Cliff Janeway series on my shelves, for some reason, and would want to start at the beginning. Thanks for the possible BB!

>224 figsfromthistle: These books are pleasing to me for sure, Anita.

>225 FAMeulstee: I could easily have taken in 50+ bags and still been able to walk where I needed to go here in the Sunroom, but 34 is enough, I think. When I get all these books sorted through and get the books from the December donation all sorted through I’ll take a picture of all the bags of books in my Library. I’ve cataloged 16 of those 35 bags already, and gone through 25 of today’s donation. So far I’m personally keeping 30 books. I’ll finish the last 9 bags tomorrow morning. I’ve also got 2 more bags of books in the Library to send friend Karen in Montana.

This is all a wonderful “problem” to have, by the way – books everywhere.

>226 EllaTim: I won’t be able to walk in my Library. Thank goodness I have books here in the Sunroom to choose from.

Morning, Karen. There was a bit of activity at the feeders yesterday and the cardinals and house sparrows stopped by regularly. I saw a rabbit out there, when I went to turn the coffee on and Sue saw a skunk when she came down. Our nocturnal visitors.

'Morning, Mark! Excellent photo. The male Cardinal in profile is especially good - even to his beak being slightly open.

...
I just prepped the FoL Board meeting minutes and sent them out. Drinking coffee, going to play with books now, the remaining 6 bags will go quickly.

Hi Horrible, please don't let me interrupt your orgy of book-fondling. No, no, please, go right ahead.

*flounces off*

Hi RD!

I've finished fondling for now. 29 bags, each book entered into a spreadsheet with bag #, title, author, medium, and ISBN number if available. Each bag numbered. Plus 30 books for me, set aside to enter later and 17 mass market paperbacks that I'll take to the Chatham PTA Thrift Shop sometime soon since the FoL does not sell mm paperbacks any more. When you can only sell them for $.50/each, the space they take up is better spent on books we can get $2 or $3 for.

Don't flounce! I just visited your thread to say hi.

It's time for some brekkie and more coffee and reading.

*smooch*

>231 karenmarie: That makes perfect sense, and is an equation I hadn't done in my head before now.

Wouldn't it make sense to have them, and put them in place on the last day of the sale? Or have bags of, say, 20 of them on sale for $5 with your purchase of a hardcover? Free stock, any sale takings are a bonus IF they do not take up display space....

Just a thought.

*smooch*

It's not the display space on sale days that's the difficulty, RD. It's the book sort room in the Library that's the limitation. My keeping books here at the house is an exception because of the Pandemic, as are the books stored at Dav's house from the December donation. In normal times we stop accepting donations about 2 weeks before a sale because the room is so crammed with rolling racks of books that some of the racks have to be coaxed out of the room before anybody can even walk in there without sidling by the racks. After a sale the racks and shelves are completely empty of books and we start all over again. Sadly, the books in the room right now are from Oct 2019 - Mar 2020. The bulk of them will sell when we have a sale, but we always have folks looking for the latest from their favorite author. We also donate upwards of 100 boxes that don't sell to the Thrift Stores after the doors close on the last day of the sale.

I'd guess that we typically get 500-1000 mass market paperback donations every 6 months and although it doesn't sound like much, they do take up space. Eliminating them from the book sale was done 4 years before I joined the sort team. We still keep some we think Circle City Books, a used book store in our town, will take. We charge the owner $.25 each, but what he doesn't take go to the Thrift Stores. You'd blanch if you could see how many books we completely reject when we're actively sorting - probably 1/3 of what gets donated. Out of date, bad quality, molded, foxed, falling apart, things the team knows don't sell all go to the Thrift Stores, too. I've gotten quite a few books that way - once somebody from the team rejects a book it gets put in a huge box. I sometimes paw through the box, see something, check that I can have it, and they're just grateful that they don't have to cart it to the Thrift Stores.

Okay, off the soapbox.

*smooch*

OIC

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. The space requirements of *storage* never crossed my mind!

Morning, Karen. 28 hours, my friend. The more video coverage that I watch from that fateful day, at the Capital, the more disgusted I become. If that can't unite us as a country, then I think we are doomed.

>230 richardderus: Hooray for orgies of book-fondling.

>234 richardderus: *smooch*

>235 msf59: 'Morning, Mark! I am actually going to watch the Inauguration this time.

I just read that Trump will have the "football" (the equipment that Trump would use to authenticate his orders and launch a nuclear strike) when he leaves Washington D.C., and of course Biden will get another football at 12:01. Pence's will get handed off to Harris, and there is at least one more. Normally the hand off from Trump to Biden would occur at the Inauguration, of course.

There's apparently new video that is even more disgusting than what I've already seen - I did watch about 2 minutes of it before feeling my bp go up.

...
Coffee, adding books to my catalog, getting back to some serious reading with A Promised Land and Hamnet.

Morning, Karen! Working my way through the threads and my first cup of coffee. I am with you on the disgust - I had to turn it off yesterday because it was just too much. I am SO ready for tomorrow.

>236 karenmarie: - What??! He takes that with him?? Isn't that illegal? Not that that would deter him, but still. It is getting more and more obvious by the minute just how unhinged and deranged and certifiable that man is. Geez.

Hiya, Mamie! I'm working my way through my second cup of coffee.

I just looked on the GA Elections website but can't find the date that they have to certify the Senatorial run off elections results. Have they officially been certified yet? I think I read somewhere they have to be certified by the 22nd, and somewhere else said by the 31st. Enquiring minds and all that!

>239 karenmarie: The Senatorial run off results are all certified, Karen.

Thanks, Mamie.

>238 jessibud2: - He'll still be President when he leaves DC, Shelley, so the military aide and "football" stay with him. Once Biden takes the oath of office, the responsibility transfers to him, and they'll have another military aide with a "football" at the Capitol.

>240 Crazymamie: - I think I heard Warnock and Ossoff will be sworn in by VP Harris later this week. I'm looking forward to that :)

>238 jessibud2: Ah, Shelley, sorry I missed your post. See Katie's answer. Yes, he's absolutely unhinged. He's crazy, a waste of space, a psychotic narcissist. But he still keeps the football until 12:01 p.m. tomorrow. Remember that Nancy Pelosi had a discussion with someone in the Pentagon about making sure the unhinged one can't start a nuclear war and there are safeguards in place.

>242 katiekrug: Thanks for the confirmations, Katie.

Here's the list of books I personally culled from the books I accepted for the Friends. I didn't feel bad taking ones personally since the donation was officially turned down by the Friends and I will simply put the 29 bags of books that still go to the Friends with the December donation. It's a fine line ethically, but I make sure I walk it on both donations. 31 books, 8 are hardcover replacements for mass market paperbacks. McGinty fixed - McKinty is correct.

Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty
In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty
Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty
Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
The Death of a Joyce Scholar by Bartholomew Gill
The Dark Winter by David Mark
Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane
The Widow by Fiona Barton
Counterparts by Gonzalo Lira
The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper
The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley by Jeremy Massey
The Looking Glass War by John Le Carre
The naive & Sentimental Lover by John Le Carre
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre
All Saints by Karen Palmer
Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
City of Bones by Michael Connelly
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
Lost Light by Michael Connelly
The Drop by Michael Connelly
The Overlook by Michael Connelly
The Reversal by Michael Connelly
The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen
Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith
Death Descends on Saturn Villa by R. C. Kasasian
Reversible Errors by Scott Turow

Oooh, those McGinty books are excellent. Well, I've only read the first two in the series, but I plan to continue!

>244 karenmarie: That's a tasty treat of reading, that is. Enjoy! *smooch*

What Katie said except that I have read all of them. SO good. And it's McKinty. Just saying...

>247 Crazymamie: - Show-off. You with your fancy sentences and big words and correct author names.....

*belly laugh* I know you love me, Katie.

>249 Crazymamie: - Yep!

>245 katiekrug: - >250 katiekrug: I exported the spreadsheet of books entered yesterday and today and the author came in correctly as McKinty. For some reason it 'remembered' my mis-typing it into my spreadsheet before correcting when I was concatenating cells. Sheesh.

Plus I found two more by McKinty and have confiscated them from the FoL bags:

Dead I May Well Be and The Chain.

>251 karenmarie: - I read The Chain last year (year before?) and it started off strong but kind of fizzled for me. I hope you like it better!

2. Banker by Dick Francis
1/3/21 to 1/12/21





From Amazon:

Tim Ekaterin raised millions of dollars to finance the purchase of Sandcastle, a champion racer, only to discover an apparent defect in the horse. Investigating further, Ekaterin learns that the business of investment banking is nothing compared to the cutthroat world of horseracing—a world where violence and murder only raise the stakes...

Why I wanted to read it: First in the Dick Francis SHARED Read for 2021. I mentioned wanting to read it at the end of the 2020 thread and several folks expressed interest in it and another year of Dick Francis.

Things I liked:

Tim Ekaterin himself – hard worker, not entitled.
The plot – devious, subtle.
Oliver and Ginnie Knowles – deserving of the loan to buy Sandcastle.
The action takes place over the course of three years and is well fleshed out.

Things I disliked:

Gordon having to die so that Tim could be with Judith. The stolen kisses and hugs.
Ginnie dying after so much pain was taken for us to get to know her.
Using physical descriptions to say more about the women characters than the men. Defining women in what were even then stereotypes.

Six word review: Slow paced intricate mystery, vivid characters.

>242 katiekrug:, >243 karenmarie: - I am truly thick. I simply don't understand how he can be allowed to *take* it. It sounds like you are saying that he takes the football and once Biden is sworn in, there is another one. I would have thought that this *football* is of top security and stays put. That sounded like every former president has one and every new president gets a new one.

I am having a migraine day so please forgive my ignorance. At least, this time.

>254 jessibud2: - Shelley, it's just a briefcase with launch codes and other stuff needed for a President to authorize the use of nuclear weapons. It goes with the President any time he isn't at the White House. So since Trump remains President until Biden takes the oath, the military aide responsible for the briefcase will go with him. An identical briefcase with all the same "stuff" will be at the Capitol for when Biden is officially sworn in. Once that happens, the military aide with Trump in Florida will leave, with the briefcase.

I'm sorry about your migraine :(

>254 jessibud2: I'm very sorry you've got a migraine, Shelley, and hope that you have good medicine/ways of treating it.

The handoff always has to do with the exact moment one President's term ends and the other begins. This time it's complicated by the fact that Trump will be in Florida when his term ends and Biden will be in Washington D.C. at that exact moment of transition. If you can see CNN articles, here's a good one, otherwise just google "trump biden football handoff" (I'm not kidding!).

Trump Biden Football Handoff

>255 katiekrug: Great minds, eh? And, information specific to Trump's authorization will be immediately be deactivated when Biden is sworn in, right, Katie?

>256 karenmarie: - The codes are changed regularly, so yes, I imagine Biden's first football will have different ones from Trump's last!

There's actually a decent writeup on the nuclear football on Wikipedia. There are actually three - one with the President, one with the VP, and one kept at the White House. What matters here is the identity authentication. Each football has the means to verify that the one commanding launch is really the President (or VP, in the case the President is incapacitated). That authentication can be switched on and off, so it sounds like what's happening is there are extras made and at the right moment, the authentication codes are switched between Presidents. Then the extra material kept in Trump's version of the football is returned by secure transport to the DoD.

>253 karenmarie: Still a big "no" from me vis-a-vis Francis; can't get past the spoiler.

It' always fun to read your takes on the books!

Thanks, Karen, Katie and Jim. I will have a look at those articles.

Migraine meds have finally kicked in, longer than usual, for me. I have a vivid imagination and worry about what rotten stuff tRump will do, or leave behind him, just because he can. Will he trash the White House residence, and leave it for others to clean up (he is already doing that with official stuff, why not the personal)? Personally, I would be plenty creeped and grossed out to be sleeping in the same room he was formerly sleeping in. I hope the Bidens bring in their own bed and furniture...

Meantime: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?p0=263&iso=20210120T12&msg=Time...

:-)

>258 drneutron: Hi Jim! It's all fascinating and scary. Less than 24 hours until the adults are in control!

>259 richardderus: I admit that both spoilers were disappointments, but I'd still read the book again, knowing what they are.

Aw, shucks, thank'ee kindly. *smooch*

>260 jessibud2: There is always a huge 'housecleaning' between Presidents anyway, and with Covid it will be more intense than usual. I think the mattresses are always changed out, and I don't know what else the Bidens will bring in personally. It's been mentioned that the Bidens will share a bedroom where Trump and the Strumpet had separate bedrooms.

Muchas smooches! The couple I'm buying my house from have bird feeders everywhere in the backyard, and by everywhere I mean everywhere. There are so many bird feeders in the backyard that my first reaction on seeing all the bird feeders was simply 'Jesus.' And I got a note from their realtor saying that they were leaving them all for me. So now I'm a bird person?

Muchos smooches para ti!

You are absolutely now, officially, a bird person! You can buy bird seed by the 40- or 50-lb sack, suet cakes by the dozen. Got binoculars?

Morning, Karen. Happy Inauguration Day! We have been waiting for this day. No birding plans today. Probably mostly books.

>262 SomeGuyInVirginia: Congrats, Larry. That is awesome. Karen can supply plenty of advice in regards to the feeders and their care.

'Morning, Mark, and a relieved and Happy Inauguration Day to you, too. I actually watched just a bit of Trump's farewell speech and watched him get onto Air Force 1. I know... but then they switched to a view of Biden, Dr. Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff head out to church.

Yay for books. Are you going to watch the Inauguration? And thank you for the kind words to Larry.

...
Done for a while. I watch TV on my nice 22" monitor if it's not something with Bill, so can dip in and out today. Now it's coffee, brekkie, reading.

90 more minutes.

Morning, Karen! We are delightedly watching it all unfold.

>266 richardderus: and >267 Crazymamie: Watching now... just watched the Bushes and Obamas arrive. Doris Kearns Goodwin is providing some great historical perspective on CBS.

I had to switch to NBC because of sound quality.

It's done. We have President Biden and Vice President Harris. It was a beautiful ceremony. And even though I'm not a serious poetry lover, "The Hill We Climb" read by Amanda Gorman, blew me away.

>269 karenmarie: We watched it on Dutch TV, Karen, it was impressive and emotional. I shed a few tears of joy, just like I did in 2008...

I'm so glad you watched, too, Anita.

I'm at a bit of loose end. Can't concentrate on reading very well. I think I'll catalog more of the December book donation.

Congratulations with your new president Karen! I just watched the news, but I liked what I saw there.

Nothing beats cataloguing books when you have to calm down a bit.

Thank you, Ella! I liked what I saw there, too.

I just cataloged 3 bags, and think I can do some reading now.

Hi Karen my dear, loved the Inauguration ceremony, we watched it all unfold with the guests arriving to Kamala and her husband seeing the Pence's off. Let's hope that we now have some really good adult politics rather than the Childish tantrums of the last four years.

I hear it was lovely! I was doing a doctor thing, but will YouTube it later.

*smooch*

>274 johnsimpson: Hi John! I'm so glad you watched. And yes, really good adult politics rather than childish tantrums.

>275 richardderus: It was lovely. Thank goodness for YouTube, RD. *smooch*

Hi Karen
I would be lying if I claimed 'thoroughly' when I read your thread to here...
I did note all them thar books in bags (>221 karenmarie: storage, she claims!). And I loved the kitty gif (>178 weird_O:). Is that because your cat is all A-OK? I scrolled a bit but Bill didn't relate his post to whatever prompted his remark.

Do come and visit me. Although I might be off reading and take awhile to be back here...

Oh, lovely day!!!! We watched almost the whole day through, and I'm buoyed and relieved and thrilled and hopeful beyond saying! Sleep well. No craziness from the WH overnight!!!!!!!!!!!

You must be breathing easier now that the grown ups have taken over, Karen. There was a lot of focus on the poet that read at the inauguration here today.

I enjoyed Banker as well. Love your review! And nice book haul.

I am so relieved that Biden/Harris are now in charge. I had the TV on all day and got teary several times. Relief, joy, hope. : )

Morning, Karen. Extra Sweet Thursday! Yes, I did watch the key moments in the Inauguration. What a difference from 4 years ago, right? And I loved all those executive orders Joe signed later in the day.

On a Snowy Owl hunt today. We have to drive out west to farm country and scan fields, barns and silos. I have never seen one out there before, (only on the lakefront) so I hope we are successful.



-(NMP)

>281 msf59: I didn’t get to listen to his speech, just bits and pieces later. But I did listen to the press briefing yesterday evening, and what a difference!

>277 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. I’m glad you’ve come to visit. Skimming works…

I’m going to be cataloging more of the December donation today. I bought grocery bags with handles and will now be able to get rid of the handleless bags, the torn handled bags, and the plastic bags and have uniformity and symmetry, which please me.

I took Wash to the vet this month for his first-ever vet visit after getting him at the shelter 13 months ago.

I shall visit you soon, promise!

>278 LizzieD: I know, Peggy. Buoyed, relieved, thrilled, and hopeful are all words that so many of us in the US and around the world are feeling. I did sleep well. Woke up not feeling dread and angst.

>279 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Oh yes, and Amanda Gorman’s poem absolutely stunned me. I just pre-ordered the book The Hill We Climb. It will be published September 21st. I can’t remember the last time I bought a book of poetry.

>280 Berly: I’m glad you’ve joined the SHARED Read, Kim, glad you’ve already read Banker. Relief, joy, hope for sure.

>281 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Yes, an extra sweet Thursday. The 4+ year nightmare is over. The stack of Executive Orders on the Resolute Desk made me happy. One of the headlines I read this morning said the beautiful words “dismantling Trump’s legacy”.

Good luck on your Owl Hunt.

…
Coffee, reading, book cataloging, grocery store run. I just can’t seem to get over my irrational stress about using online grocery shopping/parking lot pickup but I’ve at least made a start – I created a shopping list that I printed and will use it. Perhaps next week.

Amanda Gorman.

Oh my.

She looked and sounded and acted just like I'd want someone to at an Inauguration!

(NEVER TELL A SOUL but I preordered her book, too.)

Hi RDear!

Oh my indeed. (It will be our secret...)

Here's a marvelous interview with Anderson Cooper I just watched:

Anderson Cooper - Amanda Gorman

Afternoon, Karen! I also pre-ordered that book!

>285 karenmarie: She is Charisma Plus, isn't she!

>285 karenmarie: What a great interview! Thanks for sharing!

>285 karenmarie: - I also posted that link on Joe's thread earlier today. She is astounding. And I have to say (at the risk of sounding judgmental), I truly loved the fact that she never once, in the course of the informal interview, never once inserted the word *like* after every other word, like so many people do today (not just of her generation). It's just one of those pet peeves of mine, can't tell you how much that irritates me. She speak fluidly and eloquently and it's no wonder her writing is so exquisite. I find her charming and so inspiring.

>286 Crazymamie: Great minds, eh, Mamie?

>287 richardderus: She's sweet and articulate and intelligent and thoughtful. All that at 22!

>288 streamsong: You're welcome, Janet.

>289 jessibud2: It's worth posting. She's everything you say and more. Like, um, ah, er - all fillers, all okay in extreme moderation, all a complete turn off when used excessively.

...
Beau Monde chicken for dinner, with potatoes, onions, carrots, and mushrooms, Beau Monde Seasoning, basil, and a couple of sloshes of Sauvignon Blanc while baking.

Hi, Karen!

I love that Adrian McKinty Sean Duffy series. Unfortunately, I loved it so much I'm now caught up and waiting for the next one.

Another Amanda Gorman fan here. Wow, what a poem, and what a performance.

Banker was a good one by Dick Francis, wasn't it. Your likes and dislikes are on target for me.

Hi Joe! Three for three. Can't beat that. I now have 6 in the Sean Duffy series, the first of another series with Michael Forsythe, and one standalone.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. We put on a lot of miles yesterday, driving frozen country roads and was only rewarded with a brief glimpse of a Snowy Owl flying in the distance. I could barely count it. Owling is a challenge but I still enjoy doing it. Cold here today, so I am going to just run errands and then hunker down with the books.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you, too. Sorry your Owl Hunt wasn't more successful. Errands and books sounds good. A high of 19F - stay warm.

...
First sips of coffee, I'm going to catalog books and read today.

Morning, Karen! Like Joe, I have read all of the Sean Duffy books, and the last one was my very favorite, but they are all full of fabulous. I'm going to try his Michael Forsythe series, which Charlotte says is also good. It will be my next up on audio.

Hazelnut coffee today here at the Pecan Paradisio. Happy reading to you today, my friend.

Hi Mamie! I'm really happy to hear the Sean Duffy love. Yay for coffee and happy reading to you, too.

You know, stalling out in a book several years ago and then deciding to power through it to write a review is *rewarding*--go know from this!

Happy weekend whammys, Horrible.

>281 msf59: thought that might be the latest new Bernie meme :) Nope, it's an owl!

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Once again, no birding plans for today. A couple of chores, a liquor store run and back to the books. Nothing much to report on the feeder front, just a few regulars.

>281 msf59: Now, that would have been a HOT, Megan!

>297 richardderus: 'Morning, RDear! I'm trying to remember a single time I've abandoned a book and successfully finished it. My mind's a blank, although I've only had a few sips of coffee.

>298 LovingLit: Hi Megan! Great photo, isn't it? Bernie was a hoot at the Inauguration, sitting all huddled up by himself with his sweater mittens.

>299 msf59: Hi Mark! Happy Saturday to you. Last visitor to my first thread of 2021.

I got rid of all the liquor when I cleaned out the pantry last March. We rarely drink hard liquor. What I threw away was the last inch of this and last inch of that from decades ago. Have a good day with the books.

Regulars here, too, although lately my regulars have included a male Downy Woodpecker. I just now had a Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the suet feeder.

And just like that, it's time to start a new thread.