RebaRelishesReading 2022 #3

I joined LT in 2007 because I wanted to catalog my library but didn't truly appreciate the full wonder of the place until I found the 75'ers in 2012 (I think that's the year). It's a favorite part of my morning now. I also love meeting other members in person when possible.

For those of you I don't know, I'll introduce my self a bit. I'm a Californian by birth and have lived there much of my life but late in 2020 Hubby and I decided it was time to leave our condo in the Uptown district of San Diego and move to some place quieter and, most importantly, nearer our youngest grandchild. We have two older grandchildren who we adore but Ally is away at college and Kyle is a high school junior so they probably won't be living near us anymore even if we had stayed in San Diego. Quinn will turn four in January so we will have many years enjoying him growing up as we did the other two. So I've added Washington State to the list of places I've lived at various times in my life (California, Arizona, Connecticut, the Netherlands, England, the Netherlands, California, Ireland, California) and I'm enjoying becoming a north-westerner.

I'm a retired city planner who travels a lot (or did pre-Covid). We spent 11 summers at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York but among our recent changes we have sold our place there and will probably not attend the season any more. I will miss it but it's time to move on.

I read mostly fiction with a helping of biography or history thrown in. A couple of years ago I finished a personal challenge to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winning fiction. I've also challenged myself to read the Pulitzer wining biographies but I don't seem to be making much progress on that score.

I recently joined a real-life book club, Women with Spines, and am excited to see what reading adventuress this brings.

READ IN 2022

January
1. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris****
2. Rachel Maddow by Lisa Rogak*** (audio)
3. The Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam***
4. The Spy and the Traitor by Ban Macintyre****
5. The Coldest Case by Martin Walker****(audio)
6. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayer****1/2 (audio)
7. Letters fromBath: Or, A Friend in Exile by Meredith Allay**1/2

February
8. The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber***1/2
9. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber ***
10. Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber**1/2
11. Mark Twain in Hawaii: Roughing It in the Sandwich Islands***1/2
12. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson***1/2
13. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa****
14. A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands by Phil Barnes***
15. Next to Love by Ellen Feldman****1/2
16. Eleven by Mark Watson ****1/2

March
17. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and /victoria Christopher Murray ****
18. The Fortnight in September by R. C. Sherriff****
19. Tidelands by Philippa Gregory****
20. Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars by Col. Eileen Collins **** (audio)
21. Golden Days by Carolyn See ****
22. The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall ****1/2
23. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin *****(audio)
24. My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith ***1/2 (audio)
25. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy ***1/2

April
26. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai ****
27. The Magician by Colm Toibin ****
28. Mathilda's Geheim by Corina Bomann **** (audio)
29. In Five Years by Rebecca Serve ****1/2
30. Agneta's Erfinis by Corina Bomann**** (audio)
31. The Lincoln Highway***
32. Love & Saffron by Kimi Fay*****
33. The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton**** (audio)
34. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf ***
35. Solveigs Beloved by Corina Bomann****(audio)

May
36. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan****1/2
37. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam ****
38. Last Friends by Jane Gardam ***1/2
39. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman ****1/2(audio)
40. "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton ***1/2 (audio)
41. How To Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum ****
42. De verre horizon by Santa Montefiore **** (audio)
43. Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan****1/2
44. She's Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan****1/2
45. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (audio)
46. Stuck in the Middle With You by Jennifer Finney Boylan****

June
47. Marrow, by Elizabeth Lesser ****1/2

Here we go again!

After I dropped Hubby at the airport this morning I went to Powell's to shop for my Thingaversary books. If you count all the time I've been a member that would be 15 years/books or if you only count the time I've been in 75'ers it would be 11 years/books. I looked for everything on my wish list plus checked out all of the displays in the lobby and fiction room and ended up coming home with nine books. Here they are: (that super dark one you can't read is Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Happy new thread Reba xx

>4 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you Paul!! I should have a prize to give you for being so on top of things...but I don't so I'll just congratulate you :)

Happy new thread!

>7 quondame: Thank you Susan :)

Happy new one!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Reba. Great book haul. I loved Mrs. Dalloway and the Gardam books.

Thank you Jim, Anita and Beth. I'm looking forward to all of them which means poor books that have been in Mt. TBR longer will go to the back of the line again. Oh well.

Agneta's Erfenis by Corina Bomann **** (audio)
translated to Dutch from German
English title: The Inheritance of Lion Hall

This is book one of the trilogy which Audible offered me after I finished the second book! As a result I knew a lot about where the story was going but I still enjoyed getting the details. Agneta is a member of the Swedish nobility in the early 20th century but she doesn't want to have the traditional young noblewoman's life of that era. Instead she wants to become and artist and manages to get admitted to study art at the university in Stockholm. She also gets involved in the suffragette movement. The book follows her loves and life up to WWI. I like the way the author portrays the strong women in this series and the glimpse into rural life in Sweden in the past. I'm looking forward to the third book which I will buy as soon as I have credits again.

Happy new thread, Reba!

>13 RebaRelishesReading: So international, a German writer, set in Sweden, and you listen to it in Dutch!

Great book haul, Reba! I'm impressed.

Happy new thread, Reba!

And nice Thingaversary haul!

>14 FAMeulstee: Lol, indeed it is international although not necessarily on purpose. It's really difficult to get audio books in Dutch here which seems strange since they can obviously be delivered equally easily to any place with WiFi. Dutch sites that I have found all want me to have a Dutch credit card to purchase and Audible only has a very limited selection. I am enjoying this series though.

>15 lauralkeet:, >16 katiekrug: Thanks Laura and Katie. I'm not through yet though, I need at least 2 and maybe 6 more :)

#Worldle #89 2/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Wordle 305 3/6

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Pretty good morning :)

>18 RebaRelishesReading: We are the same today, I had the same results in Worldle and Wordle :-)
Haven't tried Yeardle, doing Woordle (in 5 today) instead.

>19 FAMeulstee: do you know the English saying "great minds think alike"?

Just went on line and ordered 5 more books bringing me to 14. One more and I will have the full "since first on LT" number :)

>20 RebaRelishesReading: Yes :-)
We use it regular here, as there is no good Dutch equivalent.

Hi Reba! Happy new thread, and hooray for Powell's! Great haul. Have you read the Jane Gardams before? Those are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

>22 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. Really? Is that a fairly new thing? I don't remember ever hearing it back in the 70's.

>23 AMQS: Morning Anne. Yes, I read Old Filth which is why these two were on my wish list.

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I didn't realize the European part of Turkey was THAT small compared to the rest

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seriously?!?

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Never mind :)

Current reading:

I'm still plugging along on The Lincoln Highway. So far I'm not thrilled with it.

I've started The Chancellor (about Angela Merkel) on Audible and am liking it quite a bit.

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sometimes it's more about what you've eliminated than what you've found

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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr#Yeardle #31

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Managed to get to 5 years off :)

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles***

Emmett comes home from reform school early because his father has died and there is no one else to take care of his 8 year-old brother Billy because their mother left them shortly after Billy was born. The father defaulted on the loan on the farm and it has been repossessed. It's the 1 950's and Billy has some carpentry skills so he decides they should go to California, which is growing like crazy, and where Emmett thinks they can make money "flipping" (a modern word he doesn't use) houses.

I find it difficult to decide what I think of this book. It's VERY long (600 pages) and would be improved imo if it were about half as long. All but one of the main characters are very likable but just can't get their act together. The two youngest characters, Billy and Sally, were the most likable for me as well as the most competent.

So far, I've found Mr. Towles a mixed bag. I read Rules of Civility first and remember thinking it was "OK" but other than that I can't remember a thing about it. I adored A Gentleman in Moscow and now this one just leaves me rather blah. There was one quote that I loved, however:

Wouldn't it have been wonderful, thought Woolly, if everybody's life was like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Then no one person's life would ever be an inconvenience to anyone else's. It would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in so doing, would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete.

Now up:

physical book: Love and Saffron by Kim Fay

audio: The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton

Hope you enjoy Love & Saffron as much as I did!

>31 katiekrug: I was just coming back to add that it was a BB from you. I started it at bedtime last night and, so far, find it delightful. Thank you Katie. (Hope you enjoy your day alone at home -- so far I'm enjoying my little staycation although I have more "things" to do than I would like -- I was hoping it would be a non-stop reading fest)

Yesterday I bought some veggies (lettuce, spinach, peppers, etc) but before I plant them I have to create a cover for the raised bed to protect them from the bunnies (& squirrels?) that frequent our yard. We're supposed to have thunderstorms today but sun tomorrow so I'll wait until then. I have a new Bissell Crosswise to use on our floors (all of which are wood laminate) so that's on the agenda for today along with cleaning the bathrooms and doing some ironing and going to the grocery store. Hubby will be home Tuesday morning and I have a list of chores for everyday until then.

Happy new-ish thread, Reba! Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi Reba, and a happy new thread to you!

>1 RebaRelishesReading: Alas, that’s how it goes some days for me, too.

>4 RebaRelishesReading: Ah, #s 2 and 3 in the Old Filth Trilogy – quite wonderful and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

>21 RebaRelishesReading: I read An Unnecessary Woman last May and was blown away by it.

>29 RebaRelishesReading: Another opinion that makes me not necessarily want to spend my time on The Lincoln Highway. I liked Rules of Civility and loved A Gentleman in Moscow. I wonder if Towles peaked with AGiM or has another one as good as that percolating around in him somewhere?

>24 RebaRelishesReading: Not new, picked it up in the 1980s. Even more common now.

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay*****

Thank you, Katie, for making me aware of this delicious little book. The letters between 60-something Imogene in Seattle and 20-something Joan in Los Angeles are as cozy as a warm hug!! I would recommend this book highly to anyone wanting a quick comfort hug but it was extra special for me because I grew up in Los Angeles and the L.A. letters brought back a lot of memories from my youth Now I live in Washington (OK, not Seattle, but I've been there a few times and know the city a little) and there's even a reference to city planning and Jane Adams' book Life and Death of American Cities. What a delight!!

>33 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Thank you, hope you have a great weekend too.

>34 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Thanks to you too. Wow, "blown away by it" -- maybe I should read that one next. I thoroughly enjoyed Old Filth so I imagine I'll like the next two a lot as well.

As to Towles -- I hope so for him but I'm going to have to hear a lot of praise before I'll read anything else from him, especially if it's 600 pages long. This one is for my RL book club so I felt I really should read it.

>35 FAMeulstee: The 80's...so just after I moved back to the States. No wonder I never heard it there :)

>36 RebaRelishesReading: I’ve just put a request into the Library for this book. I grew up in LA, too, and absolutely love epistolary novels.

>37 RebaRelishesReading: Agree about reading anything else by Towles.

>38 karenmarie: I remember -- you were even a Tujungan for a while :)

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stare, cloud, olive

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This is a repeat!! Surely there are enough countries in the world not to have to repeat already!(p.s. I got it in one the first time too)

>36 RebaRelishesReading: - Hooray!

And you're welcome.

I must give credit to Richard, who brought the book to my attention :)

>41 katiekrug: Well then, thank you too Richard!

So today's schedule: LT and Duolingo first thing, then bake 3 dozen cookies for tomorrow, then outside to try to rig up a bunny-proof cover for our second raised bed so I can plant lettuce, spinach, carrots, etc. in there and hope to have some for ourselves. I put off the garden tasks for today because yesterday was supposed to be thunder storms but not one rumble nor drop of rain showed up. Ah well, I got a lot done inside as a result. Tonight I'm going to a piano concert with friends at Vancouver (WA of course) Symphony. My "free" week is flying by.

Well dang!! I did it again!! I thought I would read An Unnecessary Woman next, then realized it wasn't in the batch I brought home from Powell's and then discovered I read it in 2014. Even wrote a review of it and gave it 4.5 stars. So Monday I will get another copy of it (to donate). This kind of thing happens much to often :(

Physical book now up: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

still listening to: The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton

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In other words...I had no earthly idea :)

The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton****(audio)

A biography of Angela Merkel focusing mostly on her 16 years as Chancellor of Germany but also providing a nice background of the early life that helped form her. I didn't really have much of an opinion about Mrs. Merkel before reading the book but, assuming the book is accurate, I think it would be wonderful if all of the countries in the world we were by someone like her.

Next up for Audible:

Solveigs belofte by Corina Bomann - the third volume of the Lion Hall series.

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Stupid mistake from 3 to 4!! stare, pleas, eased, asked, askew

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I may just give up on this one :(

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Yeardle is easier for things that happened within my own lifetime :)

I have gotten the Wordle in one once--nicely done you! I also see you are doing Duolingo. I am doing French. You? I got second in the Diamond League this past week. Yay me! But I am not even going to try for #1 this week. The lead person already has over 7,000 points in one day!! Ain't got that much time in a day, LOL.

>51 Berly: Good morning Kim! Sorry to see you were up at 2 a.m. Hope you got some sleep before or after that!!

Wordle in one! That would be 100% luck. Even in 2 I think it's 98% luck. I get Worldle in one sometimes if it's a country with a distinctive shape and that I know pretty well. Otherwise I work from clues like islands off the coast (so that side is a coast), straight borders usually mean flat land, wavy border probably equals rivers and/or mountains. Then there's Yeardle which I am totally awful at but will do it for a while yet because I'm telling myself I'm learning from it (I lie to myself sometimes) :)

I've been doing Duolingo Spanish for about 2 1/2 years. I had no idea there was competition in the "leagues" though so I would say I've never won. I had a year of Spanish in college (and didn't do well nor have I retained much of what I did learn) but I am learning a bit now and tell myself that it's good for the brain. 7000 points in a day though?!? -- good grief, they need to get a life.

Have a good day, Kim. Thanks for visiting.

I haven't even heard of the other two games!! LOL. I will have to check them out. ; ) And, yes, first guess on Wordle is 100% luck, but I will take it!

>36 RebaRelishesReading: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>47 RebaRelishesReading: I will have to see if my local library has a copy of that one!

Happy Tuesday, Reba!

>54 alcottacre: It's a very quick read Stasia. Sometime when you feel the need for a cozy couple of hours dig it out. You'll be glad you did. The Merkel bio isn't a cozy hug but it's a good read that made me want her to be chancellor of the world (well, not really, but sorta).

>53 Berly: Just wrote you a long message on your thread, Kim, so I'll just wave *hi* here. Nice to have you stop by.

>52 RebaRelishesReading: Wordle in one is definitely luck! I enjoy doing Worldle. I often manage to get it in two or three without resorting to cheating by looking at maps--thanks to the distance thing that will tell me how many miles away I am.

ETA: Wordle in 3 for me and Worldle in 1. I knew the shape because I knew missionaries who served there when it was called by its previous name.

Hi, Reba, I've been absent for awhile but now I'm back and enjoying reading friends activities.

Rules of Civility, loved AGIM, and really didn't care for the The Lincoln Highway. It was much too long. I hope he didn't have just one great book in him.

>47 RebaRelishesReading: Bb for me. It sounds like she had her fair share of challenges in those 16 years! I don't know much about her private life/background. It would be interesting to read about.

>56 thornton37814: Hi Lori. I agree, with Worldle sometimes the shape is distinctive enough and I'm familiar enough with the country that I just know it (one time it was Mexico, for example, and I took one look and knew) other times I can work it out from the clues I mentioned. The last two days the distance has very much helped me get it in two. Yesterday I took a wild stab at Thailand because it vaguely looked like the shape and I couldn't think of anything else. When I saw the miles & direction though I knew right away what it had to be I think it's fun.

>57 Oregonreader: Hi Jan!! Nice to see you back. I'll have to be sure I have you starred. There seems to be consensus among readers I know about the Towles books. I certainly agree.

>58 figsfromthistle: Glad you're tempted Anita :) One thing I learned from the book was there isn't much to know about her private life because she was/is very strict about keeping the private private. Still I did learn something there and a lot more about her governing style and ideas.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf***

I can see why this book is praised but I'm afraid it really wasn't for me. Had I read the introduction, which compared it to poetry, before I bought it I probably would have put it back because I'm not a great fan of poetry. I also don't normally enjoy stream of consciousness writing and I also found the flashbacks and jumps from one character to another kept me from really getting "into" the story. So, three stars in honor of its reputation and nearly a DNF for me personally.

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Thank you distance and direction :)

Yeardle -- not a clue--wouldn't even know where to start

Next up:
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan (thank you Katie)

Continuing audio:
Solveigs belofte by Corina Bomann - the third volume of the Lion Hall series.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Unfortunately my local library does not have a copy.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Sorry you did not enjoy the book more, Reba. I hope your next read is a better one for you!

>63 RebaRelishesReading: I loved Emily, Alone when I read it, so I hope you enjoy it as well.

Hi Stasia. Sorry you can't get the book from your library and no worries about my lack of enthusiasm for Mrs. Dalloway, one can't love them all. I am, however, enjoying Emily, Alone a lot so far :)

Sorry Mrs. Dalloway didn't work for you, Reba. Woolf isn't for everyone, but you tried and now you know.

>66 BLBera: Exactly, Beth! Thanks for the positive thought :)

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I kept forgetting to check Wordlebot until yesterday and then it told me I hadn't finished yet, even though I had. So today I took their other suggestion and make a screen shot, posted it with Wordlebot and finally learned I'm somewhat below average in my Wordle solving skills :( I did find a few new ideas for first and second tries though). Today:train, story, testy, zesty

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Yeardle was making my head hurt -- never mind :)

I'm trying to convince myself that today is the day I'm going to plant the peonies. It keeps being cool and rainy enough that I find an excuse not to go out and move a lot of rock "mulch" (can you call rocks mulch?), dig a 12" hole in some very rocky, heavy soil and then get down there to amend, build a pile, put the corm in place and then cover it all back up. But I bought the corms and I do love peonies and I'm hopeful there is enough sun in our yard to make them grow and...

Gardening was a lot easier 25 years ago when I last lived in a house with a yard and I didn't really do much then either. BUT, it's good exercise and I can listen to my audio book :)

Oooh, I love peonies too. It sounds like you have your work cut out for you, but it will be so worth it.

>70 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Not nearly as much work as you do in the garden but I'm trying to get some of my favorite flowers planted and in a way that will make them fairly self-sustaining. I hope I got the peonies planted right-side-up! I took one to the garden center and asked which way was up but then unpacked the others and they didn't look the same to me. I bought a half wine barrel and filled it with potting soil I had left from doing the raised beds for the veggies and berries and put on in there. It should be happy about it's soil anyway. The other three are in big holes with mulch, potting soil and the sticky clay our house is built on -- hope they're OK with that. Next gardening job is to put some week barrier around two existing rose bushes and to put a net over the strawberries since I discovered a hole dug next to one yesterday -- I'm blaming the squirrels.

I also took a couple of leaves from our rhododendron to the garden center to see why they're black and white on the edges. She said it was just frost damage and everyone had it and to just let them lose the leaves and not worry about it. I liked the last part of that answer anyway.

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Didn't recognize the shape at all except that it was a group of islandsbut I took a stab at it and then worked with the distance/direction info and figured it out :)

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I think I used up every possibility on this one. I'll go see what wordlebot has to say. Wordlebot says there was one left when I finally got it. train, track, tramp, trash

I can't even "share" wordle property today :( I didn't get the word, but here is what I tried crane, major, adieu, party, harsh, barbs Bad start to the day.

#Worldle #99 4/6 (100%)
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🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↘️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Poland, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Columbia Better than Wordle anyway :)

#Yeardle #39
🟥🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

So tried this for the first time, since you referenced it!

#Yeardle #39
🟥🟥🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>73 RebaRelishesReading: I give in, tried Yeardle today :-)

#Yeardle #40
🟧🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>71 RebaRelishesReading:
I planted about 10 peonies upside down. Fortunately, I didn't do it all in one day and a neighbor happened to stop by and told me I had that one in upside down. I ended up digging up the others and replanting them. They did all come up and survived for 50 years until my mother decided she didn't want them anymore. She had them dug up. That really frosted my cookies so I plan on planting new ones sometime when I get home during the fall. Fall is the best time to plant them in Kansas, so I will wait until a fall when I am retired.

My friend and former supervisor Sharon Stewart, (you met her at Chautauqua) and I are thinking about going there in the summer of 2023. I want to go spend a full week and she says there are some things she wants to see on the trip up.

>74 ronincats:, >75 FAMeulstee: Good job Roni and Anita. Did you enjoy Yeardle?

>76 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. We're vaguely talking about one or two weeks at CHQ next summer. We'll decide when the program is announced. We'll combine it with going to my family reunion in Indiana if we go.

A friend posted this on Facebook and I liked it so thought I would share:

It's been a busy day with choir/church this morning, lunch at Panera's and then Oregon Symphony Concert in downtown Portland featuring a Duke Ellington take on Nutcracker, a concerto for tuba by Winton Marsalis and then the New World Symphony. Dropped Hubby off at home for his nap after the concert and then headed to the grocery store now, finally, doing my daily computer "things".

#Worldle #100 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Wordle 316 5/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Too tired for Yeardle today.

Solveigs belofte by Corina Bomann****
English translation of title is "Solveig's promise"

This is the third book of the Women of Lion Hall and is the story of the great niece of the woman in the first volume/daughter of the woman in the second. The series is about strong women who find themselves running a large estate in Sweden and fighting to be recognized as capable. They face war and prejudice and economic problems and romantic problems and battle on. I really enjoyed the series.

Still working on Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan as my physical book

Just started Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman on Audible

>78 RebaRelishesReading: I really like that, Reba. Thanks so much for sharing it!

Wordle 317 6/6
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⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Fifth one was totally a typo...fingers moving too fast :(
train, cloud, store, storm, store, story

#Worldle #101 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

#Yeardle #41
⬛🟫🟫🟧🟨🟧🟨🟩
🔼🔼🔼🔽🔼🔼🔼🔨
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>82 PaulCranswick: You're welcome, Paul. Glad you liked it.

Our backyard is small and is ringed with huge evergreen trees which make growing anything under them impossible which is OK with me because I like the woodsy feel and easy care that provides. Previous owners apparently were trying to grow a small lawn between the deck and said trees, however and encircled the "lawn" with a line of largish rocks. My current project is to move those rocks to the side yard to cover some of that black weed-stopping fabric. My back doesn't think it's such a great idea so I'm trying to do an hour or so each morning and afternoon. Aren't you thrilled to know that? And don't you sympathize with me? Thought so...thanks :)

>85 RebaRelishesReading: - LOL, Reba! Yes, I sympathize. Any amount of physical labor is too much, as far as I'm concerned. And yet, needs must sometimes...

Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan****1/2

For many years I have considered Richard Russo my go-to author when I need a quiet, warm read but, thanks to Katie, I now have a second author who I like just as much in just the same way, Stewart O'Nan. This book is a sequel to Wish You Were Here which takes place on Lake Chautauqua, New York. I bought it because it was set on Lake Chautauqua near where we spent a good part of every summer for eleven years until Covid and a move changed that. In Wish You Were Here, family matriarch Emily invites her son, daughter-in-law, daughter, grandchildren and sister-in-law to spend one last summer at the family cottage on Lake Chautauqua. Emily's husband, Harry, died the year before and she is preparing to sell the cottage. Now in Emily, Alone she is back in Pittsburgh living alone with only Harry's sister nearby. Like Russo's books, this one is abut the ordinary life and problems of ordinary people beautifully described in a way that makes you like the characters and care about what happens to them.

>86 katiekrug: Turns out it was raining off and on all day so in spite of my plan to move rocks for an hour each morning and an hour each afternoon I didn't touch a single rock all day today. Tomorrow and Wednesday and supposed to be warm(er) and dry so no more excuses then.

Thanks for the tip re Emily, Alone I loved it.

Next up physical book: The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam.

Continuing with Tales of a Female Nomad

>77 RebaRelishesReading: I did, and got, Yeardle twice now, Reba.
Not sure yet if I want to continue. It doesn't give the new one at midnight local time, like the others.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: I've seen Katie warbling on about O'Nan but never taken the bait. You got me with Richard Russo. I've added Wish You Were Here to my "read soon" list. BTW, did you know your touchstone leads to a Pink Floyd album? That made me laugh.

Also, as a Russo fan if you haven't yet read Jennifer Finney Boylan's memoir, She's Not There, then you really must. Russo and Boylan are very close friends. He figures prominently in Jenny's story and wrote a moving afterword for the book.

Yay for O'Nan! Sounds like I need to get to EA soon :)

>91 lauralkeet: - "I've seen Katie warbling on about O'Nan but never taken the bait. "

*SOB*

>92 katiekrug: But ... but ... I've taken the bait now! Of course I have to actually request the book, check it out, and read it ...

>93 lauralkeet: - But it was Reba's bait and not mine! *double sob*

Must up my game.

Emily Alone sounds lovely.

>90 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. I'm not sure how long I'll do Yeardle either. My knowledge of history before about 1750 tends to place things very broadly in an era (spanning maybe 200 or 300 years!) and, so far, Yeardle has had a lot of things from before that time.

>91 lauralkeet: Glad to hear you're another Russo fan, Laura. I have not read She's Not There but I think I'll go order it when I finish here. I thought I had fixed that Pink Floyd issue last night and now it won't even offer me anything else :(

>92 katiekrug: et al -- There, there Katie. I just provided the tipping point. I'm sure it really was you that built it up that far. *pat, pat* :)

So I did Wordle in 5 today and then got involved in reading messages on my thread when I came to post it and managed to lose the image. Annoying case of too many choices for the four letters I knew.

#Worldle #102 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Had to resort to a map for this one after the first two got me into the neighborhood.

#Yeardle #42
🟫🟫🟥🟫🟥🟨🟧🟩
🔽🔽🔼🔼🔽🔼🔼🔨
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Loved Emily, Alone, too! The character of Emily is a real hero. I need to go back and read the first and then catch the third—Henry Himself.

Karen O

>97 RebaRelishesReading: I'm new to O'Nan so appreciate the tip about Henry Himself. Another one onto the wish list.

And...Powell's had both Henry Himself and She's Not There in stock and now they're making their way across the river to me :)

and it's 10 a.m. and the sun is shining -- I must go move rocks

>100 RebaRelishesReading:, >101 RebaRelishesReading: You don't mess around, Reba!

>101 RebaRelishesReading: - Have fun, Sisyphus!

>102 lauralkeet: Sometimes...

>103 katiekrug: ...only they aren't that big and the yard is flat. I did, however, make some good progress with the rocks yesterday and also mulched the raised bed with lettuce/cabbage/spinach in it so good progress. We are expecting a nice sunny day today so I hope to finish the rocks and mulch around the raspberries when I finish here.

Very good start to the day:)
Wordle 319 1/6
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Not so much success next though:(
#Worldle #103 X/6 (97%)
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬆️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↗️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↗️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↖️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

#Yeardle #43
🟫⬛🟧🟧🟨🟩🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔽🔼🔨🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>105 RebaRelishesReading: - Oooh, the mythical 1 in Wordle! Well done :)

The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam****

After my morning rock moving I treated myself to an afternoon reading the second volume in the Old Filth series and finished it almost in one sitting (I did break for dinner and some TV with Hubby). The Man in the Wooden Hat is an odd name for the book, imo, in that the book is about Mrs. Edward Feathers and the Feathers' marriage while the man referred to plays a fairly minor part in the story. The book follows the couple from proposal to Sir Edward's life after she dies and is a gentle story of their relationship and her life.

Continuing with Tales of a Female Nomad on audio

Next up physical book: Last Friends by Jane Gardam, third in the Old Filth series.

So, it's 11:30. I got up at 8:30 this morning and I have managed to make the bed, eat breakfast and talk to my son on FaceTime but other than that I've been on the computer the whole time. Just finished LT but still need to move on to DuoLingo -- then finally get dressed and go attack those rocks.

Wordle in 1! Wow, that's amazing Reba.
I know what you mean about frittering the morning away. It's so easy to do.

>110 lauralkeet: Hi Laura.
Wordle in 1 = pure luck. They picked the word I often use as an opener.

I frittered the morning but this afternoon I finished the rocks, mulched the raspberries and picked up twigs and pine cones from the fern bed in the back yard. Not the amount of outside work you regularly do but I'm pleased.

>111 RebaRelishesReading: That's great progress, Reba! I'm not concerned with how much work you do btw, just interested in the space you're creating.

>105 RebaRelishesReading: WOW for Wordle in one!
Worldle was difficult, but I got it just in time.

I failed Wordle today :-(

>112 lauralkeet: Thank you Laura. Mulch around the blueberry bushes and a net over the strawberries (because some little critter is digging holes next to the plants!!) and the side yard will be finished. I'll post a photo when it's done (which will probably be next week because it's supposed to rain until then).

>113 FAMeulstee: Hi Antia. Wordle in one is pure luck. They happened to use my most frequent started word. I didn't get worldle because I tend too forget about the micro-countries and don't really know their shapes even when I think about them.

This was posted on one of my FaceBook groups this morning. I couldn't resist sharing it.

Just in time!! train, cloud, error, sober, hover, homer
Wordle 320 6/6
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Definitely not my best part of the world Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro
#Worldle #104 X/6 (98%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↘️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬅️
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↘️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

But, to make up for the above, I got Yeardle in ONE!!
#Yeardle #44
🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>106 katiekrug: Just realized I didn't acknowledge you up there, Katie. So sorry. To make up for it I used 6 to get Wordle today :>

It's raining today, and the forecast is for rain for the next several days at least so-o-o-o guess I'll have no choice except to spend most of the day reading by the fire. :)

>115 RebaRelishesReading: That's hilariously cute!!

>105 RebaRelishesReading: I got Wordle in one, too! I think it was the same day as you. : )

Happy Thursday! Yesterday was beautiful weather wasn't it? But we are back to rain today. I wouldn't want to be moving stones in it, that's for sure. Good excuse to read another book instead, don't you think?

>115 RebaRelishesReading: Somebody put peanutbutter on the bronze dog's tail!

#Worldle #105 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I had no earthly clue so I took a stab and then got the map out and used the distance/direction info to figure it out.

Wordle 321 4/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩train, cloud, shade (oops, "a" can't be in the middle), badge

#Yeardle #45
🟥🟧🟥🟨🟨🟩🌟🌟
🔽🔼🔼🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>119 Berly: Hi Kim. Maybe we use the same starter word. I don't always use the same one but I do probably 90% of the time.

Glad you enjoyed the doggies.

Yep, Tuesday and Wednesday were beautiful and I got all of the rocks moved, most of the mulching done and many of the fallen twigs and cones picked up :) Finished my book yesterday too so it's been a good week.

Hope you're continuing to feel better.

>120 quondame: Could be, Susan, but I like to think she just wanted to help :)

Last Friends by Jane Gardam***1/2

The third and last volume in the Old Filth trilogy wasn't as good as the other two imo but, nevertheless, it provided a nice rounding out for the series. This book provides the back story for Terrance Veneering and wraps up the stories of the minor characters who outlive Old Filth. They're interesting characters and it's worth knowing what happened after the main characters die but I just didn't find it as compelling as the first two volumes.

Next up:

Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson - physical book
BB from Anita (FAMeulstee)

Continuing with Tales of a Female Nomad on audio

Wordle 322 5/6
🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟩⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Not a word I use a lot train, cloud, digit, bidet, midst

#Worldle #106 4/6 (100%)
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜➡️
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

#Yeardle #46
🟧🟧🟨🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>123 RebaRelishesReading: These are such great books.

>126 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yes, I really enjoyed the series.

All caught up with you now.

>115 RebaRelishesReading: That is beyond cute.

By the way, how is the rock moving going? ;)

>128 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. Glad you enjoyed the doggie helper. I smile every time I look at it. Rock moving is finished. We're back into a rainy stretch so I haven't done anything outside since but still have to put the net over the strawberries and do a bit of light pruning then I think I can pretty much leave things alone until fall (lawn service will still be coming).

Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman****1/2 (audio)

Ms. Gelman was a successful writer of children's books, the mother of two young-adult children and the wife of a very successful man in Hollywood when she decided she wanted a simpler, more adventuresome life. Her husband was very satisfied with his large comfortable home, fancy cars and life of ease. They decided to take a two-month "break" from the marriage which led to four-months and then divorce. She got her affairs in order, got rid of her "stuff" and headed first to Central America in hopes of spending some time living in a small village. It turned out to be the start of about 20 years of living very simply in villages around the world. Even though I love exploring the world and have travelled a lot hers isn't a life I would want to live. It was, however, extremely interesting to hear about in this audio book, very well read by Ms. Gelman herself.

NEXT UP:

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton (audio)

Continuing Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson - physical book
BB from Anita (FAMeulstee)

>124 RebaRelishesReading: >131 RebaRelishesReading: BB'ed you, and I haven't read Hanna's Daughters yet!
I only mentioned it coming into the house.
I think you picked it up from here on Anne's thread (AMQS), as I moved it closer to the top of the pile after her review.

I won't get to Hanna's Daughters this month, maybe in June.

>132 FAMeulstee: Oops -- sorry I probably did get it from Anne. Hope you do enjoy it when you get there Anita :)

Wordle 323 3/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, canny

#Worldle #107 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬇️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Cuba, Jamaica

Yeardle -- don't even know where to begin!

Wordle 324 5/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟨🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, hinge, these, shine

#Worldle #108 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr Croatia, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Liberia

#Yeardle #48
🟧🟨🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle2000, 1995, 1997, 1994

I have RL bookclub at noon today. We're discussing The Lincoln Highway and having bio lunch. I'm just getting to know them but, so far, I like the group and am interested to hear what they think of Towles' third book.

My two books from Powell's arrived today:

I've been looking at the daily games on your thread, Reba. I Wordle and I've seen others do Worldle but Yeardle is a new one on me. Do you have to come up with the year something happened for that one?

>139 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. Yes, you work to figure out a date. You get three clues and then it tells you whether your answer is 1-2 years, 3-11 years, etc. away from correct answer. Check it out at https://histordle.com/yeardle/

I got Yeardle on my first guess today. I was quite proud of myself :) The Wayne and I have a little competition over Yeardle that plays out over Twitter. He's in California now, so he got to wake up to my excellent result - ha!

Well carp!! I came to my thread to post my wordle result, saw Meg's post and copied the url for Yeardle without thinking about the fact that I was taking my wordle out of my clipboard. Anyway it took me four and the letters I eliminated were more helpful than those I found. train, cloud, serve, gecko

>141 katiekrug: Congratulations, Katie! I'm working my way there now. I've never gotten it on the first try but I have gotten in the 1-2 years off category twice :) I'll do worldle and then see how I do on Yeardle today.

#Worldle #109 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬇️
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I've been there and I didn't realize that was its shape until I worked it out by distance/direction from my first guess. Amazing shat you learn from these games :)

#Yeardle #49
🟨🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔼🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle
Got it in 2, Katie -- not as good as nailing it right off but not bad :)

Hi Reba!

>107 RebaRelishesReading: I’m glad you liked the second in the Old Filth series.

>111 RebaRelishesReading: Congrats on finishing up the rocks, mulching, and general clean up. I hope your back doesn’t complain too much.

>123 RebaRelishesReading: Nice summary, it’s worth knowing what happened after the main characters die. I loved the series. I have The Stories of Jane Gardam on my shelves, but keep forgetting about it, not being as fond of short stories as novels.

>145 RebaRelishesReading: - Well done! *fist bump*

Re: Wordle, if I go back to the page, it gives me my result again and I can copy it. And failing that, I can click the little bar graph icon in the upper right corner to bring up the box with the stats and 'Share' option...

>147 katiekrug: Do you use the NY Times version? I just reopened that page but and clicked every icon there but never did get connected to today's puzzle. Anyway, I put my sequence in the spoiler so if anyone cares they can see it there.

And thank you for the *fist bump* and right back at you. I'm pleased with one year off.

Hope you're enjoying your alone time and that you find lots of lovely things to do.

Today is forecast to be sunny and 60+ so I'll be heading back out to the yard. I have more twigs and pine cones to pick up, still need to cover the strawberries, there are some little dead branches in a tree that is half-covering our front window so need to do some pruning there, blueberries need to be mulched and I need to cut the dead tulips blossoms off. My daughter-in-law sent me packs of lupin and California poppy seeds in my Mother's Day card and I'm thinking about where I can plant those too. A long list but it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and then I think I'll be pretty much done for the spring and our yard maintenance team can take over :)

>148 RebaRelishesReading: - Yep, the Times version. Weird it's a different experience for you. I'll blame your Mac (I think you have a Mac?) :)

Enjoy the weather and the yard work!

>150 katiekrug: I do have a Mac so I guess it'll have to take the blame because I'm sure it has nothing to do with my computer skills :>

Good luck with your solo trivia!

Wordle 326 4/6
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟩🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, races, farce

Hubby and I collaborated to play distance & direction and got it with only one try to spare :)
#Worldle #110 5/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜↖️
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬇️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Yeardle -- no earthly idea!!

OK, Laura, you asked to see it. Here's the "before" of the area I've been working on



And here is how it looks now

I had a rather long list of things planned for today: vacuum, laundry, clean the range hood, clean bathrooms, treadmill (I really know how to have fun, right?) then Hubby suggested going out to breakfast and now it's almost 1 p.m. and I have done NOTHING from that list. Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Looks great!

Karen O

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Looks good, Reba, and like a lot of work done.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Wow! What a transformation. You sure put in a lot of muscle, dedication and love. Well done!

Thank you Karen, Anita and Anita :) I haven't had a garden for 25 years and I never was much of a gardener but it's been fun playing in the dirt again.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that looks fabulous! You've done an excellent job of making that area both functional and beautiful. I love the way you fit the raised beds in, too. You're really making the most of the available space. Go you!

>153 RebaRelishesReading: - Wow, Reba, that looks great! I'm really impressed.

>153 RebaRelishesReading: That looks nice.

>159 lauralkeet: , >160 katiekrug:, >161 BLBera: Thank you Laura, Katie and Beth. Now if I can get the fruits and vegetables to produce something I'll be very happy.

#Worldle #111 5/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I clearly need to spend more time with maps of this part of the world.

Wordle 327 5/6
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Good heavens!! train, cloud, plunk, flung, slung

#Yeardle #51
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https://histordle.com/yeardle

I've been having a hard time getting into Hanna's Daughters. I read a few pages a couple of days ago and then put it down. Came back a couple of days later and had to reread the same pages to remember what I'd read and then put it down again. I don't doubt I'll like it sometime but right now it just isn't grabbing me so last night I picked up How To Give Up Plastic and got right into it so I'm going to finish that one and then see where I go next.

I got Worldle in 1 today, but I'm a news junkie so that probably helped 🙂

>165 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Very good!! I felt bad that it took me so long but although I've been reading/watching a fair amount of news I hadn't really seen maps of the whole country. I think I'll remember what it looks like now. It reminded me of a chick running off to the left -- which seems appropriate.

Reba, I love the picture of your yard. Good job. You have been busy!

>167 Oregonreader: Thanks Jan. Fortunately most of the yard was in pretty good shape when we bought so there isn't all that much left to do now :)

"B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton***1/2 (audio)

I'm planning to go through Grafton's alphabet in order as entertainment when I need a light diversion. This one is the usual combination of murder, theft, deceit and a fun read.

Wordle 328 4/6
🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩train, cloud, thief, tipsy

#Worldle #112 5/6 (100%)
🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬅️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜➡️
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https://worldle.teuteuf.frCambodia, Dem Rep of Congo,Ecuador, French Guiana, and with the help of a map, Sierra Leone

#Yeardle #52
⬛⬛⬛🟫🟫🟥🟥🟥
🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽
https://histordle.com/yeardle
I clearly haven't a clue!!

Wordle 329 4/6
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⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟨🟩⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, latte, metal

#Worldle #113 4/6 (100%)
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🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
This was really in three but I hit the wrong key and added the second "guess" by mistake Northern Marianas, Andorra, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde

#Yeardle #53
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🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔨🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>87 RebaRelishesReading: I am so glad to see that you enjoyed Emily, Alone. I loved it too.

>107 RebaRelishesReading: Dodging that BB as I have already read that book. Whew!

>130 RebaRelishesReading: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Reba!

>153 RebaRelishesReading: Nice!

Happy Saturday, Reba!

>171 RebaRelishesReading: Happy Saturday to you too, Stasia. You probably noticed I have Henry, Himself waiting in the wings now. Have you read that one?

So maybe it's not a good idea to do Wordle right after a big lunch. Definitely not a good idea to try the same wrong word twice :(
train, cloud, field, wield, field, yield

Wordle 330 6/6
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⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

#Worldle #114 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜↙️
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
That's better Iraq, Bolivia

And....took one look at Yeardle and decided to leave it there for today :)

How To Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum****

This little book is full of information about how much plastic is used each year, how much of that ends up in places where it seriously harms the environment and the world's creatures (including humans) and what we can do about it. I've been somewhat aware of this issue for many years and already do some of the things recommended:
- carry re-usable bags for shopping
- carry net bags for fruits and vegetables
- carry my own re-usable straws and water bottles
- buy tea in bulk and brew it with a tea ball and tea pot

We're a household of two retired people so we rarely pack a lunch or buy coffee/tea out and we don't buy large quantities of produce likely to come pre-packaged in plastic bags. But I did identify several ways we can reduce our single-use plastic "consumption".
- buy meat at the butcher where it comes wrapped in paper rather than plastic over plastic tray
- take containers with us to restaurants for the left-overs we always bring home with us
- find a better way to package items for the freezer rather than plastic bags (although I do wash and reuse them until they split)
- find alternatives for plastic-wrapped paper ("Give a Crap" toilet paper for example) and cosmetics in plastic containers or that contain micro-plastics
- I have bought some laundry detergent that is in sheet form and comes in a paper envelope to try as soon as my current pods are used up and dryer sheets in place of softener in a bottle
- get powder in a box for the dishwasher in place of the pods I use now
- try to buy more/only natural fiber clothing (sob...I love fleece)

Some of the things in the book I have known about for a long time, some I have never thought of and some (micro plastics both in cosmetics and released by synthetic fibers in the laundry) were totally new to me. Thank you Kim for putting onto this book. I hope more people will read it and try some of the ideas in it.

I rearranged bookshelves this weekend which led me to wonder whether Louise Penny would be having a new Three Pines novel this fall so I went to her web site and found that first draft is finished and book should be out on time. I also found that she and Rys Bowen (Royal Spyness series) are friends. Both of those things made me smile.

Next up:

(physical) Henry Himself} by Stewart O'Nan

(audio) De Verre Horizon (The Far Horizon) by Santa Montefiore

>175 RebaRelishesReading: I got a lot out of this book, too, Reba. Also thanks to Kim! You may already know this, but she started a "Reuse, Recycle" thread in this group where people can share what they've done, products they've tried, etc.

>176 RebaRelishesReading: Great news!

>178 lauralkeet: I didn't know that Laura but I'll go find it now :) Just read your blog about the compost pile. Interesting and admirable but, truth be told, I'm rather glad I don't have room for one so don't have to feel guilty about just buying it :)

Wordle 331 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
🟩⬜🟨🟨⬜
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I think I'm going to have to find a new starter word, this one is helping less and less each day it seems! train, cloud, dwell, delve

#Worldle #115 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Nice telling little tail :)

#Yeardle #55
🟥🟥🟫🟨🟨🟩🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔼🔼🔨🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>180 RebaRelishesReading: I mostly start with "adieu", both in the Dutch and English Wordle. Some others use "peony" (in Dutch "pioen"), also a good word to get the vowels.

Good Worldling, I needed 4 geusses.
I have given up on Yeardle.

Wordle 332 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 train, hinge, being

#Worldle #116 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜⬅️
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
This was actually in 3. The first one was on the screen when I was loading and just took it upon itself to be my first guess :( Angora, French Guiana, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago

#Yeardle #56
🟧🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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https://histordle.com/yeardle
1850, 1855, 1859

>181 FAMeulstee: I like "train" to start because it gives you two common vowels along with three common consonants -- it usually works pretty well...but not aways lol :) "Peony" looks like a good choice too for the same reasons (plus they're beautiful flowers).

>173 RebaRelishesReading: No, not yet. I now own the entire trilogy and am hoping to get to it in 2023. I am pretty well booked up (pun intended) through the end of this year.

>184 alcottacre: Love the pun!! I'm taking D2 for some out-patient surgery tomorrow and have Henry, Himself all ready to go to keep me entertained while I wait.

I'm making braised short ribs for dinner and the house is beginning to smell really good. I've had them a few times "out" and always liked them but this is the first time I've ever tried it myself. It gave me an excuse to open a bottle of wine (some was required to deglaze the pan) so I can drown my sorrows if they're disappointing :>

De verre horizon by Santa Montefiore**** (audio)
English title: The Distant Shores

Margot Hart is an historian/author who has signed on to be "writer in residence" at recently opened hotel in a renovated castle in Ireland. She is to live in the hotel while researching and writing a history of the castle and the Anglo-Irish family who built it and owned for many generations. Some members of that family are not happy about the book and concerned about what family secrets will be revealed. It's a complicated story with various living members of the family revealing more recent issues while older happenings are revealed by several "spirits" who are being kept from their ultimate destination past deeds have been atoned for/resolved. It's particularly difficult to keep track of all of these characters in an audio version of the book. Nevertheless, I found it an interesting approach and found the characters and the story/stories interesting. A good read.

>186 RebaRelishesReading: ooh yum, I've only made short ribs once I think, for Christmas or something special. I hope they turned out great. I love your philosophy about the bottle of wine.

Hi Laura -- the ribs were great and it wasn't all that hard either. 15 or 20 minutes to get them into the oven, 2 1/2 in oven and dinner's ready :) (and most of the bottle of wine is left for me :) )

I have to leave in a minute to take D2 for her surgery so only time for Wordle this morning. Perhaps I can do the others in the afternoon while she sleeps.

Wordle 333 4/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟩🟩⬜
🟨🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, occur, scour

>190 RebaRelishesReading: I hope all went well for D2, Reba.

>191 FAMeulstee: Well *shaking head* -- all was going well and we were in her pre-op cubicle, she in paper gown etc. when the nurse who came to do final prep asked her when she last ate. D2 laughed and said "I guess I should confess that while making my son's lunch this morning I thought the strawberries looked a bit green and, without thinking, tasted 1/2 of one to see if he would eat them". That stopped the whole process and it will have to be rescheduled :( Nurse said it happens all of the time, even for something as seemingly simple as using cream in coffee. We're hoping this procedure can be rescheduled for less than a week away or her knee replacement will have to be rescheduled too. Who woulda thought?! Thanks for asking though, Anita :)

#Worldle #117 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬆️
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
This shape looked familiar but I couldn't place it until the direction/distance info from my first, somewhat wild, guess brought it home!

#Yeardle #57
🟧🟧🟧🟥🟩🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>193 RebaRelishesReading:
Same thing happens if you take snuff. My brother-in-law, had some outpatient surgery scheduled and when he said he hadn't eaten anything since before midnight my sister agreed that he hadn't eaten anything and she was disappointed that he hadn't stopped chewing. The nurse's ears perked up and she asked if he had taken any snuff since before midnight. He said yes, and that was it. They had to drive the 100 miles home and go back 3 days later.

>192 RebaRelishesReading: oh dear. what a shame, Reba!

>192 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, I am sorry, Reba. I hope the procedure can happen soon enough.

Thanks for the sympathy Benita, Laura and Anita. Here's hoping it can be rescheduled within the week. Up side is that since we aren't on recovery nurse duty we can go to a Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera show at the Art Museum today:)

Wordle 334 5/6

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Mad at myself for not thinking through guess 3 before going with it. train, claps, plays, flags, glass

#Worldle #118 2/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I struggled a bit here because I mistook Czechia for Chechnya in the list of choices. I don't think I had ever seen the name of that country in its native language before.

#Yeardle #58
🟫🟨🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔼🔼🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Yay! I am so glad you read and enjoyed How TO Give Up Plastic! Sounds like you are already doing a lot of good use and recycling things. And I am glad you found the thread. : )

Nice job Wording, Worldling and Yeardling. LOL. I do the Word most but not all days. I bet my Hubby would like the Y version -- I'll have to let him know.

Happy Thursday!

>199 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I have been paying some attention but actually fell into the trap that it was OK as long as I was careful to put all of my plastic in the recycling and I was totally unaware of the micro plastics issue. I'm now resolved to avoid plastic as much as possible.

Wordle 335 6/6
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟩🟨🟩⬜
⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I must stop doing this first thing in the morning because I'm obviously not fully awake :( -- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. train, cloud, rages, eager, wager gamer

#Worldle #119 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Second thing in the morning goes better though :)
Bhutan, Nepal

#Yeardle #59
🟧🟧🟩🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔽🔽🔨🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle
2007, 2004, 2001

We ventured into the big city across the river yesterday to see the Art Museum's Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism exhibition. Afterwards we went to the far eastern part of our own town to a new favorite Japanese restaurant for lunch and some fun shopping at World Market and Trader Joe's. All by all, a really fun day.

My only plans for today are to be home for a Schwans delivery this afternoon which means I may have time to finish Henry, Himself :) We're expecting a high of 65 today with partial sunshine so I may include a walk in the neighborhood in lieu of treadmill. Nice start to a great weekend.

>202 RebaRelishesReading: - Both yesterday and your plans for today sound pretty great, Reba!

>203 katiekrug: Yesterday was a very nice day. Our town is having a "parade of bands" today that we intended too go to but shortly after I got in bed last night I got a sciatica attack :( Ended up on the recliner with an ice pack and still not moving well so I don't think there's a parade in my future today. We have symphony tickets for tomorrow and I do hope I'll be straightened out in time for that though.

Wordle 336 4/6
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, racer, scrap

#Worldle #120 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬇️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬇️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I was totally stumped by this one because after guessing Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zimbabwe the direction info left me with only Swaziland as a choice but it wasn't listed -- googled it and found it has a new name! Eswatini!!

>205 RebaRelishesReading: Worldle took me 5 guesses. And in Dutch it is still called Swaziland, so I had no problem with finding the name.

Just had a chat with my amazing granddaughter who is home from the summer following her first year at University of California, Merced. She had a 4.0 her first semester (Dean's list) and a 3.5 this semester which puts her on the Chancellor's Honor List for her freshman year. She's also loving and kind and an all around delightful human!! Count me a very lucky grandma.

>207 RebaRelishesReading: Congratulations to your granddaughter on her achievement. Adjusting to university can be a major challenge in itself and to nail the academics right off the bad is special.

>208 quondame: LOL-don't I know it, Susan. Her father (my son) and I both were on academic probation after our first semester although we learned our lessons and went on to be respectable students afterwards. Nevertheless, it's very pleasing to see her doing so well straight out of the shoot.

Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan****1/2

This is the third O'Nan book about the Maxwell Family who live in his native Pittsburgh. The books are lovely, low-key descriptions of ordinary 20th century American life with characters and problems most of us can relate to. As I said after reading Emily, Alone (the 2nd book), O'Nan has joined Richard Russo as my favorite source of comfort reading.

Seventeen years passed between the publication of Wish You Were Here (2002) and Henry, Himself in 2019 and he seems to have become much more familiar with the Chautauqua Institution area in the meantime. Well over half of Henry, Himself takes place at the family's Chautauqua Lake cabin with the characters shopping at the Wegman's in Lakeside and at the True Value Hardware in Mayville. They eat at two of my favorite restaurants and buy wonderful spit-roasted chickens at The Light House to go with fresh produce and on-site baked pies at Haff Acres Farm. All of these bring wonderful memories up for me and made this my very favorite O'Nan book so far.

Next up:

I've started Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury in audio

for a physical book I'm going to start She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Reba, congratulations on your granddaughter's first year results! But BOO! to sciatica. I hope you're feeling better today.

Congrats to your granddaughter!

Thank you Laura and Rhonda. I can't help bragging about her :) Sciatica is much better today :) (and thanks for the good wishes Laura).

Wordle 337 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟨🟨⬜🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, enjoy, money

#Worldle #121 3/6 (100%)
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬇️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
My first thought was Argentina but I didn't know it had that arm sticking out at the top right so I tried Afghanistan because I knew it had one but NOPE, then I tried Peru also note, finally resorted to my original thought and there it was

#Yeardle #61
⬛🟫🟫🟫🟥🟥🟥🟧
🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽🔼🔼🔼
https://histordle.com/yeardle
Worked it back to the neighborhood anyway :)

We're finally having sunshine and temps in the 70's (barely, but still in the 70's). This afternoon we're off to the Vancouver Symphony for Korngold's Violin Concerto and then dinner with friends afterwards. -- much looking forward to that.

>210 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, it makes me so happy when someone reads and loves a book that I am crazy about. Henry is my favorite O'Nan book as well. I don't have the Chautauqua connection that you do, but I am old so there's that! Haha. I know what you mean about comfort reading. I am also a Richard Russo fan.

It sounds like you have a pretty awesome granddaughter, too. My oldest one (Sadie - age 20) likes her college experience so much (she's at Kansas State in Manhattan) that she is now going for a double major: accounting and economics. As she says, "The two most boring subjects"! She is very practical and is looking forward to securing a good position after university.

Hi Reba, you've pushed me once again to read the one Stewart O'Nan book I have on my shelf, Wish You Were Here. But when? Too. Many. Books.

Congratulations on having an awesome granddaughter.

>217 Donna828: Hi Donna. Over the years I've found that our reading tastes are very similar. Make me pay attention closely when you praise a book that's new to me.

Aren't we lucky with the granddaughters? Sounds like Sadie will have a good career ahead of her which is a nice start on life. Mine is planning to be a child psychologist. I keep telling her, and her brother, though that it's fine to change your mind along the way.

>218 brenzi: Thank you, Bonnie :) She's such a delight I can't keep from bragging on her from time to time.

Wish You Were Here is very good too. I've only read these three "Chautauqua" books of his but I'm sure there are more I need to explore.

Wordle 338 3/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, binge, hinge

#Worldle #122 4/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Cambodia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland
I find these roundish blobs hard to tell apart!

#Yeardle #62
🟫🟫🟥🟧🟧🟥🟩🌟
🔽🔽🔽🔼🔼🔼🔨🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle

I've been talking to a friend about maybe getting a Mahjong group going. She was at a library bookstall the other day and bought me a copy of The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore and Play. I guess I'm going to have to get more serious about this now :)

Having bragged on my granddaughter the other day I really should give her brother a turn. He, too, is an excellent student and great all-around kid -- kind, thoughtful, helpful, caring.

Here he is with his girlfriend heading to prom last week. She's another very nice young person and they're sweet together



Oh, dang again, now it shows up but it's sideways :(
I give up -- but at least you can see them.

Wordle 339 3/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
train, cloud, album

#Yeardle #63
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🔼🔼🔼🔼🔨🌟🌟🌟
https://histordle.com/yeardle
took a while to walk into this one!! 2003, 2006 2009, 2010, 2011

#Worldle #123 3/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜⬅️
🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜➡️
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Weather yesterday was pretty darned near perfect imo but we're working toward another week of rain according to the forecast. Ah well, all the more reason to stay inside and read. I'm thoroughly enjoying She's Not There. It's an interesting perspective and a very good read. I think I'll look up some of Jim/Jennifer Boylan's fiction.

>225 RebaRelishesReading: I'm thoroughly enjoying She's Not There.

Hurray!

>223 RebaRelishesReading: awww what a cute couple :)

>224 RebaRelishesReading: Good wordling!

>226 lauralkeet: finished -- comments to come

>227 figsfromthistle: thank you Anita -- they are cute :) As to "wording" -- ee gads what a morning!!!

Wordle 340 5/6
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⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
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boy did my usual starter let me down, then I tried something different than my usual second word and also a bust!! Once I found a few letters it wasn't too bad though train, slate, cloud, pouch, vouch Whew!!

#Worldle #124 3/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
With a little help from the map! Estonia, Morocco, Burkina Faso

#Yeardle #64
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https://histordle.com/yeardle

Lord, what a morning!!!

She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan****1/2

I bought this book because I wanted to better understand "the transgender impulse" (from a quote from The Onion cited in the book). I not only gained that better understanding but also enjoyed a warm story of love and caring.

James Finney Boylan grew up feeling like he really was a woman but kept trying to suppress that belief and hoping that someday "love would cure him". He meets and falls in love with Grace, they marry and have two sons, but the sense of being in the wrong body never leaves him. This is the story of Grace and James/Jennifer. Another perspective is added by comments from Richard Russo, James' colleague and best friend. I think I did gain a better understanding but it's also just a darned good story.

In addition to many books of fiction, Jennifer has also written Stuck in the Middle with You which is about parenting as a man, while in transition and as a woman. I expect it today and will start it this afternoon. I've also ordered Getting In, a novel written by James.

As to current events...I'm so sad I could cry and so mad I could scream. I'd better leave it there.

>230 RebaRelishesReading: This makes me happy.

>231 RebaRelishesReading: But also, this: I share your feelings.

>232 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura.

Wordle 341 3/6
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slate, aster, asset

#Worldle #125 3/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Haiti, Iceland, Estonia

#Yeardle #65
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https://histordle.com/yeardle

>230 RebaRelishesReading:
I have always wanted to read a biography of Jan Morris. She was born a man. Married. Had children and then transitioned. Her wife stayed with her through her entire life, but due to the laws in the U.K. after Morris transitioned they were no longer legally married. When gay marriage was legalized in the U.K. in 2008 they remarried. I have really liked Morris travel writing books and think that she lived a fascinating life. Your review of She's Not There reminded me of Morris.

>235 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I read one of her travel books some years ago but didn't know she was transgender until it was mentioned in She's Not There. Even there they didn't mention that her wife stayed with her. Certainly similar lives.

Wordle 342 4/6
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Had I only stuck with my usual starter :( slate, adieu, train, tiara

#Worldle #126 3/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Found by location, not by shape Brazil, Ghana, Uganda

#Yeardle #66
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https://histordle.com/yeardle

Wordle and Yeardle show in the edit screen but not when I save the message. I don't understand!

Worldle and Yeardle show in the edit screen but then disappear when I save the message. The "spoiler" for Worldle shows however. I have no idea what's going on!!

>238 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, in >237 RebaRelishesReading: it looks like your spoilery text begins with your Wordle words, and doesn't end until the phrase "I don't understand!"

My guess is you forgot or mis-typed the code that ends the spoiler at the end of your Wordle words, so it just spoilered everything.

>239 lauralkeet: Make sure you're using the correct "slash" also-- the / slash. I used a backwards slash -- \ -- once, and it spoilered everything (love that word, laurelkeet!)

Karen O.

>239 lauralkeet: >240 klobrien2: Thank you, Laura and Karen. Your comments led me to re-look at the coding. I must have been thinking about my change of starter words because it turns out I had closed the spoiler for wordle with "starter" where it should have been "spoiler". All fixed :)

Wordle 343 4/6
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train, cloud, creep, crept

#Worldle #127 4/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Switzerland, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Bhutan

#Yeardle #67
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https://histordle.com/yeardle

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury(audio)

Two 13-year old boys live next door to each other and are best friends. They see flyers around town that a carnival is coming and then in the middle of the night they hear music so go out to investigate. For the next day or so they keep finding strange things about the carnival, strange things which keep them interested and things which keep getting scarier.

I listened to the audio version which was extremely well done by Christian Rummel who has the perfect voice for the story.

I'm not going to give this one stars because I'm conflicted. It's an interesting, engaging story and the language Mr. Bradbury uses is really very beautiful but it's just not my kind of book and I didn't enjoy it.

("So why do you keep reading it?" asks Hubby. Because I still needed to see how it ended. I'm strange that way.)

>243 RebaRelishesReading: I know exactly how you felt. Even badly written mysteries usually get finished around here, because I need to know how they end. But I liked Something Wicked - we read it for one of our book groups, otherwise I might not have picked it up.

>243 RebaRelishesReading:
I have never read this book for the same reason why you didn't rate it. Horror is just not my genre and there are too many books out there that I want to read instead.

>244 ffortsa: It's good to be among fellow finishers, Judy :) I did find this one had beautifully written language but I'm not drawn to stories that couldn't really happen.

>245 benitastrnad: It isn't exactly horror, Benita. More a crime story with impossible (in the real world) things happening.

Wordle 344 3/6
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩train, cloud, bayou

#Worldle #128 5/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Indonesia, French Polynesia, Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji

Wordle 345 4/6
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train, cloud, aloft, atoll

#Worldle #129 1/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
I figured out what part of the world it was likely to be in but had no idea of the country so I used a map

#Yeardle #69
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https://histordle.com/yeardle
A vague idea of this history plus a little arithmetic and I worked it out in 5 :)

Stuck in the Middle With You by Jennifer Finney Boylan****

In this second memoir, written 10 years after her gender transition, Boylan talks about parenting her two sons through the transition and about how the family is doing as the boys become men. She also interviews a series of well-known people about their experiences as parents or children in non-traditional roles. On the jacket it's described as "thoughtful, tear-jerking, hilarious". I absolutely found it to be thoughtful and I would add interesting and thought-provoking. Tear-jerking and hilarious not so much in my opinion but certainly worth a read.

I've been finding many things to do besides chores lately so today I hope to make up for it by (1)doing the laundry (2)changing the beds (3)vacuuming the house and (4)cleaning the bathrooms...but I'd much rather start a new book :)

>249 RebaRelishesReading: Interesting take on that Boylan book. Making a mental note that my library has an electronic edition.

>250 RebaRelishesReading: How did that go? Those chores do pile up, don't they? I've been trying to space my cleaning out through the week but this past week I let it all go and had to do it all at once. It's really not that bad, but it's much easier to do just a little bit at a time.

>251 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! Both Boylan books were very interesting I thought. I've also ordered a novel written before the transition to see his (at the time) fiction writing.

I prefer to just bite the bullet and do housework all at once. I was tired at the end of the day but everything was so clean and fresh it was worth it :) I managed to have enough time left over to start Marrow by Elizabeth Lesser which was was led me to Boylan to begin with. I like it a lot but it isn't what I expected from the description I heard at my book club. I think she rather missed the point. Hope to make a lot of progress there this afternoon.

Wordle 346 4/6
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train, cloud, sonar, manor

#Worldle #130 4/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Mali, Namibia, Uruguay, Paraguay

No earthly idea on Yeardle -- didn't even try

Wordle 347 4/6
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train, cloud, cream, creak...I prefer cream to being creaky


I'm not going to do the other two today because I was up at zero-dot-dark this morning to take D2 to hospital for removal of a rod in her right femur. It all went well and she's in bed here so we can care for her while her partner takes care of their 4-year-old tornado. I, however, am really tired and took one look at Worldle and decided "not today" :)

Marrow by Elizabeth Lesser****1/2

A member of my RL book club mentioned this book and said it was about coming-out as transgender. I wanted to better understand people who are transgender and decided to read it. Someone here then suggested I read She's Not There by Jennifer Bunny Boylan and that book led to Stuck in the Middle With You. They're all great books (I've reported on the two Boylan books above) but I have no idea what the RL book club member was talking about because there isn't one word about sexuality/gender in Marrow! It is, however, a delightful and thoughtful book about being honest with yourself and others and about how to have healthy relationships. To quote Elizabeth Gilbert on the cover: "Every page of this book is rich with love. It is real love, and it is powerful...and transformative. This is truly a beautiful book, and an important one." I agree.

>255 RebaRelishesReading: Any possibility that another Marrow was meant - your touchstone is a different one and there was a third as well as some close ones.

>256 quondame: Afraid not, Susan. It was the same author. Sorry about the touchstone. I try to pay attention to that.

Wordle 348 5/6
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train, cloud, smoke, shops, showy

#Worldle #132 1/6 (100%)
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https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Well that brightened my morning and made up for the Wordle :)

#Yeardle #72
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And this brightened it even further :)

>258 RebaRelishesReading: - Nicely done on Yeardle - took me far too long, though I did get there in the end...

>259 katiekrug: Mornin' Katie! Growing up in the west I probably have heard more about the missions than you have. i was lucky to get as close as I did with my first "stab at it" and then to choose to move ini the right direction for the second.

260 posts and the start of a new month -- sounds like time to start a new thread...

>258 RebaRelishesReading: I got that Worlde in one too, Reba :-)

>262 FAMeulstee: Nice to have an easy one for a change, wasn't it?

>263 RebaRelishesReading: Sure was, the day before was more difficult.
And I dislike it when it is one of those islands in the Pacific or Carriben...