Amber's (scaifea) Thread #5

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor, and turned librarian again. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 47 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and the newest addition to the family: Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

Me and my office assistant:



Favorite Books from 2022
Solutions and Other Problems
Beat the Reaper
Hyperbole and a Half
We Ride Upon Sticks
The Prestige
The Ogress and the Orphans
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
A Fatal Grace
The Ghost Writer
In the Woods
This Book Is Gay
Brothersong
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Waiting for the Flood
Heartstopper
Alice I Have Been
Cemetery Boys
The Plot

What I'm Reading Now:
-The Ghost Drum (1001 Children's Books)
-The Plot and the Pendulum (mystery)
-It's in His Kiss (romance)
-Given vol 2 (manga)
-Pi: A Biography (wishlist book)
-Silverlock (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Beauty and the Werewolf (Beauty & the Beast retellings)
-Two Nights in Lisbon (audiobook)
-Mrs. Fry's Diary (Fry Bibliography)
-Les Miserables (books by year - 1862)
-On the Road (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-A Gentleman in Moscow (wishlist book)

The books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

-14 years ago I started working my way through a handful of awards lists for children's books. I've finished a fair few of those, but I'm still working through the 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die list, and I try to stay up to date with several of the YALSA awards each year.

-A mystery

-A romance novel

-Manga

-A book from my wishlist (it's *so* long)

-A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List

-A Beauty and the Beast retelling

-An audiobook, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/clean/drive/pack and unpack cargo at work

-Agatha Christie's bibliography

-Stephen Fry's bibliography

-John Boyne bibliography

-Neil Gaiman's bibliography

-Christopher Moore's bibliography

-Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography

-The NEH Timeless Classics list

-The National Book Award list

-The Pulitzer list

-An unread book from my shelves

-A book from my Read Soon! shelves

-Book-a-year challenge: A few years ago I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

-A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. A Face for Picasso (Schneider Honor Book) - 7/10
2. The Devotion of Suspect X (audiobook) - 9/10
3. Heartstopper vol 4 (series read) - 9/10
4. Elatsoe (audiobook) - 9/10
5. A Court of Silver Flames (a Beauty and the Beast retelling) - 10/10
6. Shuna's Journey (manga) - 9/10
7. Still Alice (audiobook) - 8/10
8. My Hero Academia vol 7 (manga) - 9/10
9. Summer Bird Blue (audiobook) - 8/10
10. A Heartbeat Away (audiobook) - 8/10
11. A Parcel of Patterns (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10
12. Jacquard's Web (wishlist) - 6/10
13. Spider Sparrow (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10
14. Radio Silence (audiobook) - 10/10
15. I Am Not Esther (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10
16. The Day the World Came to Town (audiobook) - 9/10
17. When He Was Wicked (romance) - 9/10

FEBRUARY
18. Tarnished Are the Stars (audiobook) - 8/10
19. A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns (for a couple of my category challenges) - 8/10
20. Assassination Classroom vol 3 (manga) - 8/10
21. Drums Along the Mohawk (NEH list) - 7/10
22. My Hero Academia vol 8 (manga) - 10/10
23. In the Ravenous Dark (audiobook) - 9/10
24. The Beauty and the Beast (B&B retellings) - 9/10
25. So Cold the River (audiobook) - 9/10
26. The Joy Luck Club (unread book from my shelves) - 9/10
27. Taken at the Flood (Christie bibliography) - 8/10
28. The Secret Life of Bees (Books I'm Reading with My Friend, Rob) - 7/10

MARCH
29. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (audiobook) - 9/10
30. Given Vol 1 (manga) - 10/10
31. Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club (audiobook) - 9/10
32. Last Night at the Telegraph Club (Stonewall Award) - 9/10
33. Sarah's Key (audiobook) - 9/10
34. Almost Flying (Stonewall Honor Book) - 8/10
35. The Cat Who Saved Books (audiobook) - 10/10
36. Assassination Classroom vol 4 (manga) - 8/10
37. Killer Research (mystery) - 8/10
38. The Weird Sisters (audiobook) - 9/10
39. Lest Darkness Fall (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 6/10
40. The Call of Cthulhu (editing job for my classicist friend) - 2/10
41. Heartless (audiobook) - 8/10

APRIL
42. My Hero Academia vol 9 (manga) - 10/10
43. Ape House (audiobook) - 8/10
44. The Screwtape Letters (audiobook) - 7/10
45. Strange Objects (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10

Simmons and Mario:





Charlie and the Juggerbots:

The next one is yours - come on in!!

Happy new thread, Amber!

>7 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

35. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa (audiobook) - 10/10
An introverted teen lives with his grandfather above their modest but cozy used bookshop. When the grandfather dies, RIntaro finds it difficult to come to terms with the idea of leaving behind the shop and its books to live with an aunt he barely knows. Meanwhile, a strange talking cat comes to visit the shop and takes Rintaro on magical quests to rescue books from people who are mistreating them, and Rintaro discovers along the way that he just may need rescuing, too.

I can't praise this one enough. Quiet and cozy, just like the bookshop detailed in its pages, this story is one that speaks to the heart of any book lover. The tagline could be: Zen and the Art of Enjoying a Simple Life of Friendship and Reading. Do yourself a favor and read it. Nowish.

36. Assassination Classroom vol 4 by Yusei Matsui (manga) - 8/10
The students of Class E are still trying to assassinate their teacher and still aren't getting very far with the assignment.

Four volumes in and it's still weird. I'm still enjoying it, though, so I'll keep going.

Happy new thread Amber!
You had me at Cat and Bookshop on the first one.
As for Assasination Classroom, that one's been on my radar for awhile. Still deciding if its worth it. You are making it look very enticing though.

HAppy new thread!

>11 Ravenwoodwitch: I hope you love The Cat Who Saved Books as much as I did. It's wonderful.

And I think you should give AC a try. It's just kooky enough to be enjoyable.

>12 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread.
Love the picture of the doggos. Caption contest for the first one could be amusing!

>9 scaifea: OK, got me with that one - AND the library has a couple of copies, well I never. How was the audio?

I've put The Cat Who Saved Books on my library list. They have a Kindle edition available.

Happy new thread!

>15 foggidawn: Thanks!

>16 Helenliz: Yay! I hope you love it! The audio was good, too.

>17 katiekrug: Woot! And thanks!

Hi Amber my dear, Happy New Thread, dear friend.

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: Simmons is asking you something, and so is Mario, in a different way.

>20 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>21 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I think you're right about the gals. And Simmons is always more demanding than Mario, which you can tell from the photos, too!

37. Killer Research by Jenn McKinlay (mystery) - 8/10
Ms. Cole is running for mayor and the current person in the position isn't too happy about not running unopposed. So when the dead body of Ms. Cole's old flame shows up in the trunk of her car, the current mayor makes full use of the situation to try to discredit her as a candidate. Could the straightlaced librarian really have committed murder? Or is Mayor Henson the culprit in an attempt to frame his opponent? Library director Lindsey has her hands full trying to clear her colleague and friend's name while trying to find out who the real killer is.

I love visiting Briar Creek and its library, despite the ridiculously high murder rate. The characters feel like old friends and the cozy series is still going strong.

>9 scaifea: I loved The Cat Who Saved Books--totally heart-warming and fun. Now I might have to read it again!

Have a great week, Amber!

Karen O

>25 klobrien2: I'm glad you liked it, too! It's hard to imagine not loving it, really.

Hi Amber. I was so busy for a couple days, and then when I did have time to myself, I couldn't log on to LT for some reason. Tried a bunch of things and finally gave up until today and here I am on your new thread. As I said elsewhere, the threads mushroomed in such a short period! Is that because it's spring now??

I'm indulging in sofa-loafing and voraciously reading Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane historical mysteries. Not spring-like at all here.

Happy Spring, Amber! Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread Amber!

Happy new thread Amber! I've seen The Cat Who Saved Books multiple times now and have yet to actually add it to my list - finally added this time.

>27 SandyAMcPherson: Ha! It's not very springlike here, either, I have to say. Record low temps and such. Ick. Charlie and his track teammates aren't really enjoying it, I think.

>28 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

>29 quondame: Thank you!

>30 WhiteRaven.17: I'm glad it's finally made it onto your list - it will definitely be worth it.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly shift, which means nothing much else is on the To Do list. Since Tomm is out of town, I think we'll have Chinese takeaway for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I read a chunk of It's in His Kiss yesterday, and I started listening to The Weird Sisters.

The Crafting Report:
I made lots of progress on the coattails yesterday - yay! - and nearly have a full mock-up finished. I think it's going to work out the way I want it to without much revision, which is excellent news. I also worked a bit on the Death Star, which is coming along nicely.

What We're Watching:
Lots of Glee. Oh, and I finished the Aladdin movie and switched over to another episode of Lucifer.

Booking a ticket to see Medea at Soho Place theatre in London next month.
May take crib notes with me...

Happy new one, Amber! I'm adding The Cat Who Loved Books to The List.

Hooray for the progress on designing Charlie's coattails! I can't wait to see the finished project.

>35 Helenliz: Oooh, I am very jealous!!

>36 Crazymamie: Mamie, I think you'll LOVE that one.

And thanks! I'll show photos if the thing works out okay...

Happy new one!

>34 scaifea: As I was scanning through getting caught up, I read coattails as cocktails and thought maybe you're starting a new hobby as mixologist! 😀

>39 drneutron: *SNORK!!* Charlie asking me to make him a cocktail is pretty hilarious!

On the Agenda for Today:
I work 3-8 today, and before that I'm heading down to the main branch of the library to attend a talk on The Story of Indian Folk Dance. I'll probably pick up Jimmy John's on the way home for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
No physical book ready yesterday, but I did listen to more of The Weird Sisters, which I'm enjoying.

The Crafting Report:
I made progress on Carrot Number Two yesterday at work, and hopefully I'll have time to finish it today.

What We're Watching:
I started Murder Mystery yesterday while eating my lunch, and then Charlie and I watched more Glee last night.

Happy new thread, Amber! Hope the day treats you well.

>42 bell7: Thanks, Mary! You, too!!

>41 scaifea: My only knock against Glee is their Rocky Horror Picture Show episode. You may not have gotten to it so I'll keep my mouth shut and just say I wasn't impressed.

>44 Ravenwoodwitch: Nope, we're not there yet. We just finished the first season. I generally love their versions of song, but Charlie and I both agreed that they also should have left Bohemian Rhapsody alone. No one but Freddie can sing that song.

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning, grocery shopping, cookie baking, coattail sewing. Frozen Friday for dinner!

On the Reading Front:
I finished The Weird Sisters and Lest Darkness Fall yesterday, and started listening to Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
My carrots of finished! Radishes next, I think.



What We're Watching:
More Glee.

>46 scaifea: Carrots look great!

How many different kinds of veggies is your library planning to include in the display?

The carrots look great, but as a fan of radishes, I can't wait to see those :)

Happy Friday!

The carrots are so cute!

>47 MickyFine: No idea. We're just crocheting away right now without a fully-thought-out plan.

>48 katiekrug: >49 curioussquared: Thanks, folks!!

>46 scaifea: Cute carrots! Veggies are fun!

Love the carrots! Can't wait to see the rest of the vegetable patch.

>52 quondame: >53 Helenliz: Thanks! My colleagues have been busy already, too, and we have mushrooms, raspberries, a pineapple (not one that I've ever seen in a community garden, but it's adorable so we don't care), broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. They've been a lot busier with it than I have!

38. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (audiobook) - 9/10
Three daughters of a Shakespeare professor come back home as adults when their mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. Living in the small Ohio college town and under the same roof again after so many years isn't not difficult, and all of their secrets start leaking out.

From the start I suspected that the imaginary small Ohio town was based on Gambier (home of Kenyon College), and lo, I was (half) right! The author has been quoted as saying that she based the town and the college within it on a mix of Kenyon and Oberlin! That made the book extra-fun for me, but it's also just a great read. The relationships between the sisters ring true, as do each of their own struggles and triumphs. The myriad nods to Shakespeare's plays throughout are a fantastic touch, too. Definitely recommended.

39. Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 6/10
In 1938 an ancient historian/archaeologist is visiting Rome when he's struck by lightning and somehow sent back to 535 AD. He has absolutely no qualms about changing the future because he decides to 'invent' the printing press and a bunch of other should-be-anachronistic devices. He also decides to make sure that the Dark Ages don't happen.

I dunno. I feel like I should have adored this story, and I really super didn't. I mean, who hasn't daydreamed about going back in time and trying to decide how you would live in a past society (as a woman, though, these daydreams tend to end in a disturbingly nightmarish way for me). And yeah, it would be totally fun to act the non-modern day Prometheus (minus the monster, hopefully), but something about this version of the daydream seems off to me. Just because you know the printing press exists doesn't mean you could make one yourself (or am I just helplessly ignorant of such things? Does everyone know how to create something like that from essentially nothing?), and the main character has no problem doing just that and also creating so many other things without the benefit of Ikea-like instructions. (I mean, a telescope? Come on. I get the general concept, but actually *making* one?!) And he gets arrested a time or two, but has no real problem wriggling out of trouble, it seems. How was he not condemned for witchcraft?! (A TELESCOPE, FFS. AND CANONS.) It was also not...interesting? That period of Roman history has never been my favorite, but it's certainly not dull. But it seemed so here. Anyway, a big miss for me, sorry to say.

40. The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft (editing job for my classicist friend) - 2/10
Hoo boy. Lovecraft was a big old ball of crap, of course, and lo, his writing matches his personality. Cripes almighty, was this bad. The story is silly (not in a good way), and the language is so flowery and overwrought. It reads like someone gave a goth high school kid a thesaurus, told them every noun is better with at least one adjective and verbs are useless without two adverbs, and send them on their way with a creative writing assignment. (My apologies to goth kiddos everywhere - you deserve better than this association, you adorable weirdos.) Reading this has only confirmed my loathing for all things Lovecraft. Call of Cthulhu? More like call of trash can.

NB: I read this in the original English alongside a Latin translation written by a friend who wanted me to edit it for him, and as much as I dislike the original, I can easily say that he did a fantastic job translating it.

>56 scaifea: I remember enjoying that in the long ago, but I certainly haven't revisited it in half a lifetime.

>57 scaifea: Before this century I found most Lovecraft and ilk just grossly silly, but there have been some tribute works that made for good reading.

Over on KnitPicks.com my shopping cart is way more full than I can allow myself so I'm going to share that they are doing 20% off and have some cute Animation Amigurumi multi-packs for only $14.99 before discount! There, I may not have spent your money, but I have spread the temptation!

>58 quondame: Lovecraft tributes: Neil Gaiman has an excellent mashup of Lovecraft and Doyle called A Study in Emerald that I highly recommend.

I do love KnitPicks...

>59 scaifea: I've enjoyed the Charles Stross Laundry series and Ruthanna Emrys Innsmouth Legacy books. Then there are The King in Yellow tributes.... I'll have to check out the Gaiman.

Hi Amber! I love the pic of Charlie and the Juggerbots. They do look like teenagers...

>60 quondame: I hope you enjoy it if you do!

>61 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! Right? Can you believe that's Charlie?! I'm not sure how exactly he got that old...

On the Agenda for Today:
Sometime this weekend we need to take down the St. Pat decorations and put up the Easter ones, and then Charlie and I are going to clean out a corner of the basement for his band to practice in. I also need to do some cleaning, and I want to bake a cake. Tonight we're going to the high school musical (Mary Poppins) to support a couple of Charlie's friends. We're both really looking forward to it! Hungarian Goulash for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started On the Road yesterday and listened to more Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
Progress is being made on the knitted Death Star...

What We're Watching:
Tomm came home from his trip with a nasty cold, so he went to bed early and Charlie and I watched more Glee.

>57 scaifea: Lovecraft was a big old ball of crap ~ great review and couldn't agree more.
How generous of you to soldier through for the sake of checking over a friend's Latin translation. I loved your description of the overuse of modifiers for every noun and verb.
My burning question is ~ why ever did anybody want to translate a Lovecraft novel into Latin?

>65 SandyAMcPherson: Well, he's a very good friend and we're (still) working on a Latin textbook together and may very well work together on more translations, so I took the bullet for him. Yes, I am a good friend. Ha! He did it because he teaches at a private high school and his Latin students and he have an ongoing joke, I think, about Lovecraft. So he did it to then turn around and give it to them to translate back into English, I think. I'm not sure that he even has plans to try to publish it.

Ha! Call of the trash can. Amazing how Lovecraft’s writing has stuck around. Your description of his writing is spot on - and yet, I can remember falling under its spell as a teen, with lots of creepy darkness.

At a little bit older age On the Road really grabbed me. I wonder what I’d think now, from my more senior POV? I look forward to hearing your reaction to it.

I’m reading a YA right now called Freewater, about young runaway slaves. Very good so far.

the language is so flowery and overwrought

Which, honestly, is why I enjoy it - he’s just sooo over the top.

>66 scaifea: "...he gave it to them to translate back into English
OMG, that's too funny, Amber. You've reminded me of an old, old memory ~ if you can stand it ~ I'm still smiling at this memory:

When I was in Grade 10 (you probably weren't born yet), we had a fabulous Latin teacher (so many pleasant memories of her classes). On the final exam that year, the Latin to English translation was really sneaky.

Fortunately, I loved AA Milne 'Pooh Bear' stories as a kid, so I scored big time and mostly got the correct wording. What was hilarious, some of my classmates thought they were translating a war and made the worst hash of it. I may be misremembering the piece, but I think it was the story when Pooh and Piglet wanted to trap a "heffalump". They built a trap with the honey pot... and you perhaps know what happens, yes?

>69 SandyAMcPherson: Oh, the old Winnie Ille Pu extract! That book came up at the end of Household Gods which I re-read from time to time.

>67 jnwelch: Ha! Honestly, I think teen boys are the target demographic for Lovecraft.

I'm not too far into On the Road yet, but I am loving it so far. The writing is gorgeous.

Freewater won the Newbery Medal this year, so you know it's on my list! In fact, it's out from the library and on my shelf right now, waiting for me to get to it.

>68 drneutron: Aha! Like loving to watch bad horror movies. I get it!

>69 SandyAMcPherson: Aw, adorable story!

>70 quondame: That ille has always irritated me. It isn't proper Latin at all, and it's why I've never bothered looking at the book beyond the cover.

On the Agenda for Today:
Ooof, I have a loooong list of things I'd like to get done today and there's no possible way it will all get accomplished. So I'll just do as much as I can, I suppose. I need to do some cleaning - it's ridiculously dusty up in here - and I want to bake a cake (Maple Nut Coffee Cake). We still need to take down the St. Pat stuff and put up the Easter stuff, and I have a backlog of new recipes that I want to enter into my template, print out, and add to my binder. If all that gets done, I want to work on Charlie's coattails. Yeesh. No naps in store for me today. Oh, and I'm making Zuppa Toscana for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a few pages in A Gentleman in Moscow while waiting for the musical to start (it was great and the kids all did a fantastic job!), and I'm still listening to Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing to report for yesterday.

What We're Watching:
More Glee and the musical, of course!

>70 quondame: I have never even heard of this book! I'm sure our teacher translated the story herself for the exam question. She was that kind of person.
>74 scaifea: Oh, wow, just scrolling down and now, I'm thankful I never even heard of this Winnie Ille Pu . Was it a 'thing' back in its day?

>76 SandyAMcPherson: It's difficult to say, really. I mean, it was a Thing amongst classicists, sort of, but I'm not sure how many people still know about it in the field now. *shrug*

>74 scaifea: >76 SandyAMcPherson: >77 scaifea: Yes, the choice of the ille was off, but sort of understandable to make parallel titles. It was part of late 50's intelligentsia humor, in that brief window when intelligentsia had some cool. Since then it has hung on and in 1998 Winnie Ille Pu Semper Ludet came out.

>78 quondame: Nope, sorry, this Latin purist won’t accept it. Grammatically it’s just…wrong. So it may be 50s humor but it’s not intelligent. Makes me queasy every time I see it.

On the Agenda for Today:
I work 12-8, and I'll try to get some things done around here before I head in. I've got a couple of phone calls to make (gross), some laundry to do, and maybe some work on the coattails.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Pi: A Biography of the World's Most Mysterious Number and some Strange Objects, plus listened to more Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
Another craftless day yesterday, although this weekend Charlie and I did manage to get a corner of the sewing room cleared out for his band and we put together a small version of my drum set:



What We're Watching:
The latest Ted Lasso and the last My Hero Academia of the season.

Morning Amber! It's been ages since I commented on your thread. I read it every day so there's really no excuse. I've been quietly observing your progress with the coattails and look forward to seeing that project take shape. I love that you're sharing your sewing room with Charlie and his band.

Have a great day!

I have a copy of Winnie Ille Pu on my shelves, despite never having done Latin so that I can't read a word of it!

I can't say I enjoyed my one encounter with Lovecraft, you deserve massive friend points for dealing with that.

Hoping you can agree a craft/band schedule that allows you both the necessary time in the space. Our neighbour's son used to drum. It wasn't massively intrusive, but you could certainly hear it in the garden. Louder than sitting next to someone on the Tube with their Walkman on (dating myself there), but a similar effect, you kept listening out for the tune that went with the rhythm. He's either the one that's moved out or has given it up, not noticed in in the last year to so.

ETA: just put a reserve on The Weird Sisters. That sounds worth a visit.

>81 lauralkeet: I'll definitely share some photos once the tails look presentable!

The corner of the sewing room that Charlie and the band will use used to be Charlie's reading nook when he was younger, so it's only appropriate that the space is changing to suit his needs.

>82 Helenliz: I don't think scheduling will be a problem for the band. I generally sew when Charlie's at school anyway, and I'm happy to work around them otherwise. The noise won't bother me as a drummer myself, and part of the reason for putting them in the basement is that it will hopefully muffle the sound a bit more for the neighbors. Still, they won't, of course, be playing late at night!

I agree that I deserve massive friend points. I may just have to pass that along to Paul...

Definitely give The Weird Sisters a go - it's a good one!

Welp, Tomm and I tested ourselves this morning since several of his co-workers now have the covids and he just came back from Iowa feeling lousy. And yup, he's got it. I do not. Still, I'm wearing a mask at work today and called in early to let people know and give them the chance to tell me if they're prefer me just to stay home. They are all okay with me being here masked, but I'm still keeping my distance from everyone as best I can and in fact have spent all of my work day today at my desk in the back, mostly crocheting. *sigh*

I'm sorry to hear Tomm has COVID and very much hope you and Charlie can avoid catching it.

>85 scaifea: Dang. Sorry to hear this news, Amber.

Crossing my fingers that Tomm's case is mild and you and Charlie stay virus free.

Boo, Covid. I don't have any numbers to back it up but I've been hearing anecdotally of a lot of cases the past few weeks and it feels like we're in a bit of an uptick. Seconding hopes that Tomm's case is mild and you and Charlie avoid it.

Boo to the bug! I hope Tomm feels better soon.

Thanks, all! Tomm's symptoms are just like a nasty cold, so no worries there. And so far so good with Charlie and me. We're all vaxxed as much as possible, so I'm not worried that we'll get hit too severely if we all *do* get it.

>88 curioussquared: - I read somewhere (possibly Twitter so take that for what it's worth!) that booster protection may be waning and the FDA is considering recommending another booster round.

>85 scaifea: Quick recovery wishes to Tomm, and apologies for my state giving him the crud. As he probably could tell you, no one seems to even remember what a mask is in this state. Which is why I still get my groceries delivered and am happy to be working from home. Sigh.

>91 katiekrug: Yeah, that's probably true. Your Local Epidemiologist thinks - tentatively, I think - that there's no need to panic about another booster just yet, but that eventually, yeah. (If I'm remembering her latest on the matter well enough.)

>92 rosalita: Ha! Stupid Iowa crud! But yeah, no one wears a mask here, either.

Hope Tomm doesn't feel too bad and recovers promptly. Also that he keeps his germs to himself!

Ack! Sorry to read about Tomm's covid but glad it's mild. I hope that you and Charlie are able to give it a pass.

>95 Helenliz: Ha! He's being very cautious around us, which is good.

>96 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Fingers crossed!

On the Agenda for Today:
I have some errands that need running, so I'll be masking up and taking my hand sanitizer with me to keep any possible germs to myself. This afternoon I'll probably try to work some on the coattails. Mini Meatloaves and broccoli (normal size) for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Les Miserables yesterday, and I'm still listening to Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
Since I tried to keep to myself in the back at the library yesterday, I got some good crocheting time in and finished a couple of radishes:



What We're Watching:
The latest Animal Control episode.

I LOVE the radish! Adorable.

And your comment about normal-sized broccoli made me giggle.

>100 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Making those yesterday has brought on a craving for the real thing...

I thought it was important to clarify my language there. I'd love to try mini broccoli, though.

"mini broccoli" = broccolini, yes? Tasty.


Adding my omms and white beams for quick recovery and avoidance, as applicable, of the C monster in your house.

>102 laytonwoman3rd: Well if you want to get academical about it, sure.

I haven't had it but I bet it's really good! (I'm a big fan of the non-mini stuff so I'm sure I'd love this, too.)

>102 laytonwoman3rd: seconding the broccolini rec!

>103 scaifea: Oh, that's me...academical as all get out. It's more tender and the flavor is more delicate, generally. But the family connection is quite pronounced.

Morning, Amber! Sorry to hear about Tommy and the covid. Hoping you and Charlie don't get it.

>100 katiekrug: What Katie said.

The band in the basement is bringing back memories. Daniel was in a band somewhere around middle school age, and they practiced at our house. Daniel was the drummer, so like you the percussion does not bother me. The singer, on the other hand...let's just say that I could have used some noise cancelling headphones back then. Heh.

Broccolini is very big in Italian food around here. You can try it when you come for the food tour, Amber ;-)

Man, sorry to hear about poor Tomm. Is it mild? I’m sure he was vaxxed.

Debbi got it a couple of months ago on a trip and I never did. We set her up in a second bedroom and kept out of close contact until it passed. My sympathy.

I’m reading Freewater and thought of you. Have you read it yet? It’s pulling on my heartstrings.

>104 lauralkeet: I may have to venture into the heart of Columbus to find it, but I suspect it would be worth it!

>105 laytonwoman3rd: I was just thinking that it would probably be more tender - nice!

>106 Crazymamie: Ha! I love it. I *do* in fact have noise cancelling headphones and will make use of them if I need them, but I have to say that I'm looking forward to rocking out to their noises, whatever they may be, if only to annoy Tomm...

>107 katiekrug: Yes!!!

Oh, I think you'd like this: So Charlie has a sewing project coming up in his Domestic Sciences or whatever (home ec) class and the students need to provide their own fabric. This is what he picked out:

>108 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Yep, it's pretty mild - just like a nasty cold, really. All three of us are vaxxed to the maxx, so yeah. I'm sorry Debbi suffered through it, but yay for you sneaking past it unscathed!

Freewater is waiting for me on my shelves - it won the Newbery Medal this year! I'm really glad you're enjoying it.

>112 scaifea: I love this!!!

>114 Crazymamie: Right?! We say that to each other all the time now. Cracks me up. I also got some fabric that has the Rose Apothecary label all over it. Now I just need to think up something fabulous to make with it...

Oh, I can't wait to see what you do with the fabric you bought! The Girls bought me the Rose Apothecary ornament for Christmas, and I love it.

>116 Crazymamie: Ohmygosh, I love that!!

>99 scaifea: the radish is adorable!

>112 scaifea: - Charlie has excellent taste.

>119 katiekrug: Doesn't he, though?

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-5, and since I'm still covid-free I'll go ahead and go in, masked up, of course. I'll probably start crocheting some peas in a pod today, if we're slow enough. Leftovers for dinner tonight.

Tomm's feeling a little better again this morning. I'm really glad it's been pretty mild for him. He was exposed last Monday and started having symptoms on Friday, so I'm feeling pretty hopeful at this point that Charlie and I seem to be evading it (the same timeline would have us showing symptoms yesterday).

On the Reading Front:
I started My Hero Academia vol 9 yesterday and listened to more Heartless, which I'm loving so far.

The Crafting Report:
I didn't *do* any crafting yesterday, but I did pick up some more fabric for future projects. That counts, right?

What We're Watching:
Some West Wing and a couple episodes of Attack on Titan.

Glad you and Charlie are still Plague-free!

>122 katiekrug: Yes!!

Morning, Amber! Picking up fabric definitely counts. Hoping that you and Charlie continue to avoid the Plague.

Glad everyone is feeling better!

>99 scaifea: Broccolini sauteed in olive oil (maybe seared is aa better word -- I get some color on it) with minced garlic (avoid color on the garlic) and a couple of squeezes of lemon is a favorite veggie in my house.

Hope Tomm's Covid stays mild and that you and Charlie avoid it.

I think buying craft stuff counts as crafting. A friend does a weekly crafting report on FB, with headings of Started, Worked on, Finished & Bought!

>124 Crazymamie: Thanks for the enabling support, Mamie!

>125 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita - me, too!

>126 RebaRelishesReading: That sounds amazing, Reba, but no garlic is allowed in my house (Tomm is super-allergic).

And thanks! I'm so gratefully pleased that Charlie and I seem to have avoided getting it.

>127 Helenliz: Oh, when I make a list and go shopping for supplies for a specific project, yes, that definitely counts! It's the impulse, I-don't-have-any-idea-what-I'll-do-with-this-but-I-love-it buys that I'm uncertain about. I love that your friend has all those separate categories!

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list for tomorrow's shopping, then I'm planning on being in the sewing room for most of the day working on the coattails. This evening Charlie has his first track meet, so I'll be heading out to that (Tomm's staying home to rest - he's still pretty zonked from the Covids). I've never been to a track meet, so it should be fun!

On the Reading Front:
Still listening to Heartless and while I'm still loving it, I'm beginning to see similarities to her Cinder, which I didn't care for because it was just too much with the frustrated love story. I'm hoping this one doesn't get that bad, but I'm afraid it might. Gah. I also read a chunk of It's in His Kiss.

The Crafting Report:
I started crocheting some peas in a pod at work yesterday.

What We're Watching:
More Glee!

The track meet should be fun! I love watching them on TV.

I hope the rest will speed Tomm's recovery.

>133 katiekrug: Right? I'm really looking forward to it, as long as it doesn't get too cold this evening.

And thanks - here's hoping.

What event(s) does Charlie do with the track team?

Also yay for It's in His Kiss. One of my favourites of the Bridgerton books.

Hi Amber! I haven't read Heartless, but I read the whole Cinder series and liked but didn't love them -- I think they're the type of YA that's better for actual YAs :)

Seconding Micky's yay for It's In His Kiss!

>135 MickyFine: For this meet he's doing two different hurdle races, but in future he'll likely also do long jump and relays. I just depends on how the schedule works out. They can't do two events back to back and such. I think it's kind of a nightmare for the coaches to puzzle out for each meet.

>136 curioussquared: I'm enjoying the Bridgerton novel a lot so far! And I think you're right about Cinder. Too much frustration for me.

Track & field as well? Are there no end to Charlie's talents?? Hope you have a great time and get to cheer him on.

>137 scaifea: I find hurdle racing super impressive. If it were me, I would definitely catch my foot on one and wipe out like Danny Zuko in Grease (this might be a bit of a deep cut of a reference).

Hope you stay warm while cheering on Charlie!

>139 Helenliz: Ha! Well, he's just started Track and isn't too sure of himself yet, I think. So much the more reason to cheer him and his teammates on!

>140 MickyFine: I don't know how they manage to try it for the first time. How do you unconvince yourself that you're going to smack into it and fall?! Talk about a leap of faith.

It's 50F and sunny right now, but I'm packing leg warmers and gloves and a hat and a scarf. Just in cases. (I see your deep cut with another.)

*butts in*

>142 scaifea: "I don't know how they manage to try it for the first time. " Don't they ease into it with graduated heights? Like working on a balance beam in gymnastics....first you do it on the floor, then on a beam resting on the floor, and so on.

>143 MickyFine: Aw, Steve.

>144 katiekrug: YES!! *happy sigh*

>145 laytonwoman3rd: That's a good point. I guess I could ask the resident hurdler... I do remember walking the balance beam on the floor when I was little, but I never matriculated to the beam at full height because I just clung to the coach and cried. I was such a brave little toaster.

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, weekly bill sorting, baking the Friday After School Snack, then sewing room time. Frozen Friday dinner tonight.

Charlie and his team did a great job for their first meet! He didn't place in either of his races, but he also didn't knock down any hurdles or fall, so we're calling that a definite win! It was perfect weather, too. Sunny and not too chilly at all.

On the Reading Front:
I read a nice chunk of On the Road in the stands while waiting for Charlie's events yesterday, and I finished listening to Heartless.

The Crafting Report:
I made a little progress on the coattails, and I also did some Death Star knitting.

What We're Watching:
Hurdle Hurdling Charlie! Oh, and I finished Murder Mystery while eating my lunch yesterday. Adam Sandler was adorable and hilarious as usual.

This week's Friday After School Snack: Mr. Goodbars (I believe that some ancient cultures called them "Scotcheroos," which roughly translates to several hundred dollars at your dentist's office):

>150 scaifea: Dang woman. This is not helping my pre-lunch rumblies. :P

>151 MickyFine: #notsorry

41. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (audiobook) - 8/10
A retelling of Alice in Wonderland, of sorts, in which we get the tragic backstory of the Queen of Hearts.

(Warning: Sort of spoilers ahead, but also sort of not, if you know the original tale.)

Okay. So. I loved it. And I also completely loathed it. It's well imagined and just as well written. But the love story is also incredibly angsty and frustrated and frustrating. But hating the ending is sort of on me because knowing what the Queen of Hearts is like in the original and knowing this is her back story should have clued me into the fact that this book wasn't going to end happy at all and yet here we are with me absolutely fuming because I have to be sad that the love kiddos didn't actually end up beating the odds but honestly why not rewrite the story and make it happy, Marissa? Who hurt you, Meyer? Why are you like this?! This will likely be my last of her work because my poor little heart can't take it.

>153 scaifea: I enjoyed Meyer's Renegades trilogy but haven't been tempted to pick up any of her other series. This review isn't changing my mind, lol.

>154 MickyFine: If you did you'd gain a new book boyfriend, but then you'd lose him pretty quickly and, if you're like me, then want to start throat-punching people.

>155 scaifea: *snort* That sounds... fun. *checks the status of other book boyfriends*

>156 MickyFine: Yeah. It wasn't. I'm still smad.

>150 scaifea: Scotcheroos were a revelation to me when we moved to the Midwest, although yours look like they may be different -- is that cornflakes instead of Rice Krispies?

I like them well enough but nothing bests a plain old Rice Krispie treat in my opinion.

>158 rosalita: Good eye, Julia! Yeah, my recipe uses Special K and I like the texture better that way. Maybe that's the difference between Mr. Goodbars and Scotcheroos?

>159 scaifea: That could be — I have never had Mr. Goodbars so it could be the cereal difference that is reflected in the name.

I mean, I'd definitely eat them if one showed up in my mailbox ...

>160 rosalita: *snork!!*

Well, you know you're welcome here any time.

>150 scaifea: Looks delicious, Amber! I wish I was there to have a snack! I hope you love Weyward as much as I did. It really had me turning the pages.

>162 vancouverdeb: Thanks!! I hope to get to Weyward soon.

On the Agenda for Today:
We've all been up since 5:30. On a Saturday. Because Charlie had to be at school stupid-early to catch the bus to his track meet today. But now I'm up and ready for work at 9:30, so I guess it's okay? I work until 3 then I'll come home and get started on our traditional April Fools dinner of Meatloaf Cake with Dirt Cake for dessert.

On the Reading Front:
I read bits of Beauty and the Werewolf and Strange Objects, and I started listening to Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
I was so zonked by the time I got the groceries put away and the treat made that I chose napping over sewing yesterday. But I did get some work done on the Death Star.

What We're Watching:
Half of Howl's Moving Castle. We'll finished our rewatch tonight.

Happy Saturday, Amber! Hope Charlie's track meet goes well and your work day is smooth. Glad to hear Tomm's case stayed mild and you & Charlie stayed well.

And yay for Howl's Moving Castle! I still like the book a touch more, but both the book and movie are fantastic.

>165 bell7: Thanks, Mary.

I think I like the book and the movie about equally? It's been awhile since I reread the book, though. I just know that I love Howl in both of them.

Hello, Amber! Hoping Charlie's track meet goes well today - Daniel also did hurdles. He liked track, but he loved cross country. I thought both were good for him, and the meets were fun to attend.

Another here who loves both the book and the movie equally for Howl's Moving Castle.

There's a movie of Howl's moving Castle? I read the book for the first time last year.

>168 Helenliz: Oh, Helen, you are in for a TREAT! It's a Studio Ghibli movie and it's an absolute delight. It differs from the book a bit, of course, but they're both wonderful.

On the Agenda for Today:

Welp, Charlie didn't have such a great day yesterday: he fell in both of his hurdle races and now has a scraped-up face and elbows and some bruises. He's hoping he can try some other event for the next meet and I don't blame him! Poor guy. So instead of the traditional April Fools dinner last night, we had comfort pizza takeaway. April Fools Meal has been delayed until tonight.

I'm gonna be in and out of the kitchen for most of the day because I'll also be putting together a snack mix for Charlie's friends, who will be over off and on all week - it's spring break here. In fact, one of them will be over this afternoon for her first drum set lesson...

I'd love to think that I'll get other things done today, but that's probably not an accurate assessment of my abilities. We'll see.

On the Reading Front:
I only managed about 5 minutes of actual reading time yesterday, but I think I read 3 pages of A Gentleman in Moscow. We were surprisingly steadily busy at the library all day, but I did manage some listening time while packing cargo, so I made some progress on Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing to report here for yesterday.

What We're Watching:
We finished up Howl's Moving Castle *dreamy sigh* and watched the latest Ted Lasso.

Oh, poor Charlie! Comfort pizza sounds like just the thing. Hoping today is kind to both of you.

>171 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. I think having a friend over this afternoon will help, too.

Oof, sorry to hear about Charlie's wipeout. Not a fun way to start spring break.

Spring break was last week here and our library system brings in a bunch of external performers for events for the kids. I was happily in the building the day the penguin came to visit. 😊

I hope work isn't too nutty for you with all the kiddos off school.

>173 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. The penguin visit sounds so fun!! And yeah, I'm hoping a lot of families go...somewhere else for break. Ha!

>165 bell7: >166 scaifea: here also, loving both versions of DWJ's Howl's Moving Castle. I never minded that the movie interpreted the book a little differently.

Oh darn, sorry to hear Charlie's first meet was so rough. Hoping for a better experience next time.

>175 SandyAMcPherson: Me neither, Sandy. They're both excellent in their own ways.

>176 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. He seems to be feeling a bit better about things today, I think. We'll see how practice goes tomorrow, but I have confidence that his coaches will help him through it.

>170 scaifea: Oh poor Charlie!! Hope he gets something less likely to end in scrapes and bruises next time.

>179 RebaRelishesReading: Same! He's going to talk to his coach at practice tomorrow about it, and I suspect that she's already thinking about it, too (that he'll want to talk to her).

Oof, sounds like a rough race. Glad he’s gonna keep trying some things, though.

>181 drneutron: Me too, Jim. We'll see how tomorrow's practice goes.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Charlie's spring break, so we're celebrating today with lunch at Olive Garden (one of his favorites) and shopping for spikes for track. Then this afternoon his friend is coming over for her second drum set lesson. Yesterday's went really well; she's a natural. Beef stir fry for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Pi: A Biography and some Strange Objects, and I listened to more Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
Nope.

What We're Watching:
Glee and Schitt's Creek.

>183 scaifea: I don't miss being in high school, but I miss Spring Break! Enjoy your Olive Garden lunch :)

Ow! Poor Charlie. Hope he wasn't too badly bruised. Hope the chat with the coach helps move things along.

I could have done with Spring break this morning. But it's a 4 day week this week and next, with a long weekend in the middle. And we have nothing planned. phew.

>184 curioussquared: I don't miss high school either, Natalie! The Olive Garden was delicious.

>185 Helenliz: His face is impressive looking right now - lots of scrapes - but otherwise he's okay. His coach is putting him in a couple non-hurdle races for tomorrow's meet but is encouraging him to keep up with hurdles in practice until he can get comfortable with them again. She seems like a really good coach.

I do love those 4-day weekends, too!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly Shift today and then I'm going straight to Charlie's track meet from work. So, not much time for anything else today. We'll likely have concession stand food for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I managed a nice chunk of Strange Objects yesterday, and I listened to more Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
Again, nothing to report for yesterday. Ooof.

What We're Watching:
The first episode of Jessica Jones, some Schitt's Creek, and some West Wing.

Morning, Amber! Keeping Charlie in my thoughts today and hoping the track meet goes well for him.

>189 Crazymamie: Thanks so much for that, Mamie!!

Good luck to Charlie! And sending you all the good thoughts for having the energy for your marathon day.

How did you like the first episode of Jessica Jones?

>191 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

We both loved the first ep of JJ. I am SO ready for an evil David T!!

Charlie's meet went really well! No falling and he finished his races and felt good about things. Yay!

On the Agenda for Today:
I have the day off and it's still Spring Break, so I took advantage and slept in. It was glorious. I'll do some puttering today and hopefully get myself into the sewing room for a bit, too. Charlie has a friend coming over to hang out this afternoon, so while Tomm and I are having leftovers for dinner, I may throw together some spaghetti and garlic bread for them.

On the Reading Front:
I read some It's in His Kiss yesterday and I'm still listening to Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
Nope. Busy enough at work that I had no time for veggie crocheting.

What We're Watching:
An ep of Glee when we all got home last night.

That's great about Charlie's meet. Good for him!

Enjoy your day off.

All caught up here! Happy not so new thread! Love Charlie’s reading room transitioning into a band room.
Hope you’re still covid negative.
The crochet veggies are adorable!

>194 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I'm relieved that he was okay getting right back into it.

>195 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! I'm amazed that Charlie and I managed to avoid the covids. Tomm's been negative for almost a week now but he's still congested and just zapped of energy. It's bananas.

And thanks for the veggie love! They're fun to make.

Sorry to hear about Charlie's injuries. It sucks when you have that on top of not performing as well as you wanted :/ Glad he did better the second time!

>197 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks! I think he's feeling better about things, too, which is great.

42. My Hero Academia vol 9 by Kohei Horikoshi (manga) - 10/10
Another great entry in the manga series. I adore these characters.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8 today, giving a drum lesson at 10:30 this morning, and then possibly picking up lunch for the D&D gang, who will be meeting in the library again today while I work. Charlie told me the other day that one of the reasons his friends think I'm a cool parent (*happy sob*) is because I'm a librarian. The kids are alright.

On the Reading Front:
I started The Plot and the Pendulum yesterday and listened to more Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
I *finally* finished my practice coattails and think I have it all sorted the way I want it, so when I get into the sewing room again I'll be ready to start the real deal. I also did a bit of work on the Death Star.

What We're Watching:
Some Schitt's Creek, the latest Ted Lasso, and the first couple of episodes of The Crazy Ones.

Sweet Thursday, Amber. We are back from our NOLA trip and I am slowly trying to catch up around here. I hope you and the "boys" are doing well.

I'm hoping to watch the latest Ted Lasso tonight. I shall endeavor not to boo every time Nate comes on the screen...

>201 msf59: Welcome back, Mark! I need to make my way over to your thread today to see how the trip went. I hope you had a fabulous time!

>202 katiekrug: Ooof. Good luck. He's such a turd.

>200 scaifea: Afternoon, Amber :)
I always feel like kids do have an innate respect for people who work with/around books and may just not be aware of it. Even our school librarian at the high school was never the subject of any negative talk from what I remember.

Glad to hear the track meet was a good one. Also yay for being a cool mom!

Evil David Tennant is so confusing for me. I find him attractive but he's so evil in that show and my brain doesn't know what to do.

>205 Ravenwoodwitch: Oh, that's an interesting idea... I dunno, though; we have some middle school punks who come into the library and don't show us much respect, I have to say. Just a couple, though.

>206 MickyFine: Oho. Evil is practically a requirement for me, so I will have absolutely no trouble with David in this role...

Charlie clearly has excellent taste in friends, if they think librarians are cool. ;-)

>209 foggidawn: He really, really does. I adore his friends.

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and grocery shopping, weekly bill sorting, and then hopefully some time in the sewing room. Frozen Friday dinner!

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Strange Objects yesterday, and I'm nearly finished listening to Ape House.

The Crafting Report:
I finished up crochet some peas in a pod yesterday at work and started on a potato.



What We're Watching:
We started the latest SNL and we'll probably finish it this weekend.

>211 scaifea: OK, the peas in a pod are adorable. Dumb crochet question: Is it all one piece or do you have to do the peas separately and attach them?

>212 rosalita: Thanks, Julia! And not dumb at all - the peas are separate and are just squished in there. In fact, the pattern called for 4 peas but mine were so big that only three fit in my pod. *self eye roll*

>213 scaifea: Well, you know what they say about women with big peas ...

Love the peas in a pod!

Love the peas!
Plotting a birthday cum thingaversary list. What do I have to add?

>211 scaifea: Look at the adorable baby veggie *big eyes*
I have a cat prone to eating yarn so this is too small and dangerous for me to attempt; but I wish.

The peas are adorable!!!

All of your crocheted veggies have been really well done and a lot of fun to see but these peas in a pod are just adorable -- surely you're going to make more -- after all what can one do with just one pod of peas? :)

>214 rosalita: *SNORK!* I don't know, actually, but I'm afraid to ask...

>215 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>216 Helenliz: Thanks!

Are you asking for book recs?

>217 Ravenwoodwitch: Ooof, yeah, these are probably too small to leave around a cat.

>218 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>219 RebaRelishesReading: Aw, thanks, Reba! I may make more, but we have so many other things we want to make for the display. We'll see.

>221 scaifea: looking for books I ought to add to my book buying list, yes.
It is now a page long, but it can cope with a few more additions yet!

>211 scaifea: Those peas are adorable!

>224 Helenliz: Well, if you're looking for things I've loved recently, maybe go up to >4 scaifea: and look through my 10/10 and 9/10 ratings?

>225 foggidawn: Thanks!

43. Ape House by Sara Gruen (audiobook) - 8/10
Isabell deeply cares for the bonobos she is studying and teaching to use sign language to communicate. John, a reporter who is getting frustrated with how he's treated at work, is doing a story on Isabell and her primates. When someone attacks the lab, nearly killing Isabell and letting loose the monkeys, who are soon secretly sold to a TV producer who makes a reality show out of them, both Isabell and John find their lives turned upside down.

I'm not sure how this one got onto my TBR, but I'm glad it did. It's not my usual fare, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The characters are interesting, and although the story isn't exactly complex, it's fun, and the bonobos are a delight.

>228 scaifea: I really liked that one when I read it back in ... yikes, 2012! The setting was based on the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, which went through some tough times but has been re-organized under new management and funding as the Ape Initiative. It seems to be doing much better these days, with seven bonobos currently living there.

>211 scaifea: Oh the peas are darling!

>229 rosalita: Oh wow, I didn't realize it was inspired by a specific place! I love bonobos - they're always my favorite part of the Columbus Zoo.

>230 quondame: Thanks!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working today, 9:30-3, and then when I get home I need to throw together some Oreo Truffles to take with us tomorrow to the Scaife Family Easter Thing. Tomm's in charge of cheeseburgers for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a smidge of On the Road yesterday, but that's it.

The Crafting Report:
Nope. The day got away from me and I didn't get down into the sewing room at all.

What We're Watching:
Some Schitt's Creek, Some West Wing, and then we introduced Charlie to Father of the Bride (the Steve Martin one).

>233 scaifea: I'm so fond of that version of FoB. It used to be on TV all the time when I was a kid. Prior to our wedding, I pulled it out for a rewatch and Steve Martin's flip out over the cost per head made way more sense to adult me, lol.

Good luck with the family gathering tomorrow!

>233 scaifea:, >234 MickyFine: OMG I love that FoB version too. We watched it when our kids were probably around the same age as Charlie. Our own wedding memories were distant so we related more to Steve Martin as a parent. His rant about the packaging of hot dogs and buns is hilarious and we still use that whenever we're in a situation where we feel like we're being ripped off. This makes me think a rewatch might be in order.

Best of luck at the family Easter shindig.

And now I want to re-watch FoB, too! I also love the original with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor (I think that's who stars in it...)

Hope you survive family Easter without too much annoyance!

>234 MickyFine: >235 lauralkeet: >236 katiekrug: Yes! Steve Martin and Martin Short are so amazing in it. We love the second one, too.

>236 katiekrug: The Spencer Tracy one is so excellent, but Charlie doesn't like B&W movies. *eye roll*

Happy Sunday, Amber. I hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend. I disliked Ape House but I am really glad that it worked for you.

On the Agenda for Today:
Charlie has unpacked his Easter basket (mostly anime tshirts, plus a Rose Apothecary shirt, and some anime trinkets), and now we'll putter around here this morning before leaving for Cincy and the Scaife Family Easter Thing. Woot.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up Strange Objects yesterday and also listened through The Screwtape Letters and started listening to Two Nights in Lisbon based on a patron recommendation.

The Crafting Report:
I finished my crochet potato (I forgot to take a photo) and started on a little worm (gardens need bugs and worms, too, no?).

What We're Watching:
Some Schitt's Creek, some West Wing, and we polished off the latest SNL.

>237 scaifea: Reminds me of my brother trying to tell me that it wasn't just pictures and TVs that were in B&W when I was a child, life was as well. Muppet.

Yes, having done some gardening this weekend, every garden does need bugs and worms. Mine could do with a few less slugs. Placed the slug traps near the asparagus, otherwise they snaffle the lot.

Have fun at the family Easter thingy.

>240 Helenliz: Ha! That sounds exactly like something my brothers would have tried to pull on me. Sheesh.

And ew to slugs. I don't think I'll make any of those. But one of my colleagues is making a snail! I may make a grasshopper, too.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Charlie's last day of Spring Break, so we slept in again for one last glorious morning. His friends are coming over this afternoon for some D&D. I'll maybe try to get the Easter decorations down today and then possibly get into the sewing room. We'll see. Tacos for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I managed a bit of Beauty and the Werewolf yesterday, and listened to some Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
Nope.

What We're Watching:
Sharknado!

>242 scaifea: Sharknado was truly a groundbreaking masterpiece.

>243 nerdytheorist: Correct.

>242 scaifea: Ah, the one Asylum film to rule them all.

I'm curious: What takes longer to pull down, the Christmas decorations or Easter?

>245 Ravenwoodwitch: Ha!

Oh, Christmas decorations, for sure. We don't actually have that many Easter things.

44. The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (audiobook) - 7/10
A famous piece of moral/religious satire. I'm glad I read it just to now have knowledge of it beyond the title, but it's really not my thing.

45. Strange Objects by Gary Crew (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10
An Australian teen makes a grisly discovery on a class field trip (an ancient pot, a mummified hand, and a ring), which seems either to unhinge him mentally or suck him into a cycle of supernaturally psychotic behavior. His narrative alternates with the account of a shipwrecked Dutch trader and his own encounter with the maybe-magical ring. Lots of unknowns are left unanswered, and it's frustrating in all the best ways. Recommended if you like this sort of thing.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly shift, so not much else going on. Asian Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of A Gentleman in Moscow, started The Ghost Drum, and listened to more Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
I nearly have all of the pieces cut out for the real coattails now. Sewing to commence soonish.

What We're Watching:
An Abbott Elementary and some Schitt's Creek.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8, which means I'll miss Charlie's track meet tonight. He's back in the hurdle races for the first time, too. I wish I could be there to cheer him on. Not sure what I'll get accomplished this morning before work. Maybe some knitting?

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Pi: A Biography and some of The Ghost Drum. Still listening to Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
Nada.

What We're Watching:
Some West Wing and an episode of Drunk History.

Sending Charlie all the good mojo for hurdle racing tonight!

>251 MickyFine: Me too! I hope it goes well for him.

Hoping the hurdles prove to be less of a problem this time around.

We're all rooting for the kid.

Aw, thanks so much, everyone!! He hurdled good yesterday! Woot!!

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and grocery shopping this morning, cooking baking this afternoon, and then this evening we have an appointment to get Charlie scheduled for his first year HS courses. Yeesh. I can't believe this kiddo will be in high school next year.

On the Reading Front:
No physical book reading yesterday, but I did listen to more of Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
I managed a bit of work on the coattails before leaving for work yesterday. Everything is cut out and ready to assemble...

What We're Watching:
An episode of Glee.

Glad to hear the track meet went better yesterday! Best of luck with HS course sign up too... boy, time's flying!

Glad to hear the good hurdle news!

I briefly had a moment of "Charlie's going into grade 10?!" but then remembered that high school in the US starts in grade 9. I hope he gets all the courses and options he wants!

That's good news about the Hurdle Redux :)

Thanks, all! Charlie is, of course, super excited to sign up for classes. *cough*NERD*cough*

>255 scaifea: Congratulations to Charlie for getting over the hurdles!

>261 quondame: Thanks!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working today, and then Tomm and I will be off to Charlie's track meet this afternoon/evening. We have a bunch of preschool groups coming in for library tours today, so that should be fun...

On the Reading Front:
I read a nice little chunk of It's in His Kiss, some of The Ghost Drum, and I'm still listening to Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
I started putting together the coattails yesterday. Don't look like much yet, but here's the progress so far:





What We're Watching:
Some West Wing and the latest Ted Lasso.

Yesterday's Friday After-School Snack Except on a Thursday, Zebra Cookies:

>263 scaifea: Wow! The tails are looking great! So very cool.

>264 scaifea: And those cookies are awesome!

Karen O

Morning, Amber! What Karen said! I'm so glad that Charlie gave the hurdles another try and that it went well. Daniel ran hurdles in middle school and loved it, but he loved cross country more.

Hoping your Friday is full of fabulous!

The cookies are impressive!

I'm always impressed by your crafting! And your cookies, of course :)

Yet another treat that I am jealous of; Looks delicious!
How hard/easy is it to get those stripes?

The coattails look cool too so far. Very dapper.

>265 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen!

>266 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie (one day late)! Charlie ran hurdles again last night and did well! I'm pretty proud of him for giving it another try. It's funny that Daniel liked CC more; Charlie seems to be the opposite (although some of that may be timing, since being on the track team doesn't mess as much with the fall band schedule).

>267 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! It's one of those recipes that looks way more impressive than it actually is. I love those.

>268 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I'm really hoping I don't screw up the tails. We'll see how it goes...

>269 Ravenwoodwitch: The stripes are pretty easy, in fact. Once you mix together the dough, you divide it in two and add cocoa to one half. Then you roll each of them out, cut them into strips with a pizza cutter, and stack the strips one on top of the other. Wrap it in plastic wrap, chill for an hour, then slice and bake. Easy peasy.

On the Agenda for Today:
We're heading up to the in-laws for a late lunch today. So that'll take up most of the day. Woot.

On the Reading Front:
I started Silverlock which seems excellent so far, read a bit of The Ghost Drum, and I'm nearly finished listening to Two Nights in Lisbon.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing for yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Charlie and the hurdles!

Didn't you just see the in-laws? Oy.

Glad Charlie had another successful meet!

>274 katiekrug: Oy is right, Katie.

I actually thought of you and TW while we were there today; my MIL actually spoke these words: "Thank God for Elon Musk" with ZERO sarcasm. So, yeah.

>275 scaifea:

HA! What Micky said...

>275 scaifea: Yikes. We had to deal with comments like that from my FIL (many years ago, so different topics but along similar lines). Not fun.

>276 MickyFine: >277 katiekrug: >278 lauralkeet: Yeeeah. I can usually keep my facial expressions in check, but I failed massively that time. Just...wow.

On the Agenda for Today:
We're finally, after um, almost 5 years?, starting to put together the guest bedroom today. Yoicks. I also need to do the bill sorting I didn't do on Friday, and I'd like to bake a cake, but we'll see if that happens. Japanese Meat and Potatoes for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Les Miserables, finished listening to Two Nights in Lisbon, and started listening to The World Without Us.

The Crafting Report:
Nope.

What We're Watching:
Some Schitt's Creek and half of Sharknado 2.

>275 scaifea:

Morning, Amber! I recommend NOT putting the guest bedroom together because if it's done, then there can be actual guests. Just saying...

>281 Crazymamie: *SNORK!!* Very true.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8 and I'll try to get into the sewing room before then. We'll see.

On the Reading Front:
I started Given vol 2, read a bit of The Ghost Drum, and listened to The World Without Us.

The Crafting Report:
Nope. I really wanted to get some work done on the coattails yesterday, but that didn't happen. Yoicks.

What We're Watching:
Some Schitt's Creek, some West Wing, and the second half of Sharknado 2.