Maggie, aka Karen, is baaack! 2020 & 2021 are new years.

Continuing from previous thread, I am reading both Beloved and Where the Crawdads Sing and trying to finish them during this month. Wish me luck.

I have become somewhat addicted to watching politics on TV, and coloring in a "coloring book" on my iPad. Really I think I will be. a happier girl if I just read.

Editing to correct typos. My excellent typing skills have deteriorated on my newest lap top. The key board is just too different from my old "touch typing" way of typing. I do not use just my thumb or just one finger. I actually use all the fingers on my two hands.

Contenting from previous treat, I am reading both Beloved and Where the Crawdads Sing and trying to finish them during this month. Wish me luck.

I have become somewhat addicted to watching politics on TV, and coloring in a "coloring book" on my iPad. Really I think I will be. a happier girl if I just read.

I hear ya. I am watching a lot less news and reading more of it via my NY Times and Washington Post apps on my phone and tablet. I find it's better for my state of mind and my knickers are less likely to end up twisted.

Welcome back!

Thanks, Clam. This is such a friendly place, and discussions so interesting and not unreasonably passionate.

Wishing you many good reads in 2020 and a great year.

Thank you, Peace2. I am also a bit of a crafty. I take photographs and when I find some that I like I make cards out of them.

But I read more. Been a reader since I was about 7 years old.

Happy New Year!

I've been meaning to read Where the Crawdads Sing for months and months. Someone lent it to me so I reallly need to get to it RSN™.

(Real Soon Now)

Hi! Morph, I am so happy to hear from you.

Do you have any idea why RSN has a "TM" attached? Trade mark? Trade Mark of what?

I love Where the Crawdads Sing and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

>8 maggie1944: I assume it's because it's >7 Morphidae: 's trademarked expression!

Good to see you back!

>Thanks, Clam. I keep bumping up against new "memes" I guess. Never heard of an individual trade marking their expressions.

>10 majkia:. Thank you, majkia.

>11 maggie1944: It's just for humor's sake. Like a decade ago many of us used to do the same for the words 'Real Life™.'

>12 clamairy: I remember when we called it "meat space."

>13 littlegeek: Ha! I don't remember that, but my brain is leaky.

yeah! mine, too.

I started reading A Very Stable Genius and I'm appreciating the authors' commitment to examine why people support this very unusual President of ours. Did you all see where he said "L'estat est moi"? Louis the XVI of France said "the State is Me" (or something pretty much similar). I guess some of the Republicans in the Senate are saying that about our current office holder. Jeeze.

>15 maggie1944: You're toeing the line there. I hear sirens in the distance. :o)

Where's my thumbs up button?

I am leading a discussion at my senior cooperative housing community this evening. We have read Becoming together, and the discussion advertises that the book is marked by humor, warmth, and frank discussions of life growing up black. If you have not read this book I recommend you do read it. It may reinvigorate your faith in modern life in the USA.

One notable moment early in the book gives an account of how Michelle Obama worked hard to qualify to go to college at Princeton, even though her high school counselor told her she was not "Princeton material". She also notes that once she received her acceptance she did not go back to that counselor and brag about her accomplishment, she just shared it with the teacher at that high school who had been supportive and encouraging. She realized at this early age that "I hadn't needed to show her anything. I was only showing myself". Lucky woman to discover at an early age that impressing herself was much more important than impressing others.

>18 maggie1944: I admit in her place, I would probably have gone back to that counselor. Not to brag, as such, but to try to encourage them to broaden their outlook, in the hope that they are less negative with future student aspirations.

>8 maggie1944: Talk about taking forever to respond! Whoopsy.

"Real soon now" is an over-used expression by many software/website developers. It was particularly abused by a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game ) I used to play called Gemstone. So whenever we used to talk about an upcoming feature on the Gemstone boards ("Talk") we'd sarcastically use the phrase with the trademark.

I was using it in a self-depreciating manner as I've been meaning to get to that book "real soon now" for six months or more.

(Still haven't read it!)

Thanks, Morph, I'll not hold the delay against you.

Today I'm helping get ready for a Bake Sale where members bake goodies and sell them to other members so we can occasionally pay for some coffee to serve at an event or some such. I am still very happy living here at this "senior cooperative". My small apt. is completely packed with stuff and I am still, all these years later, trying to get through boxes of "stuff" I packed years ago. I'm using a modified "bullet journal" to keep myself on track. The older I get the easier it is to forget to do important things. Sigh.

One interesting development: I do not feel the need to "escape" so much, and so I don't read quite as much as I used to read. I do find this to be a good news/bad news kind of thing. Oh, well!

I am reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin so that I can encourage my middle schooler grand niece in her "stay at home" school assignment. It is jam packed with amusing plays on words but I'm not sure it is worthy of serious consideration.

I stalled in The Westing Game and I need to call my Great Niece and see if she likes it, and why.

I picked up Raised in Ruins by a young woman who's childhood was spent in the "out back" of
Alaska. Her father, suffering from Post Vietnam War syndrome, was a "hell bent for" kind of a guy, and brought his wife and four children to an abandoned fish processing "factory" and set up a homestead of sorts. They were actually leasing the land from a corporation, but were left alone for years. The kids grew up, and Dad worked his tail off, and it was an interesting story. If you enjoy memoirs that are filled with adventure and fun, this one is a good read for you. Much of it is very light hearted and fun, although there were tragedies and scary parts, too.

Now, I went back to Running With Sherman: The Donkey With the Heart of a Hero and will try to finish it soon. I'm enjoying memoirs, I guess.

Finished Running With Sherman: The Donkey With the Heart of a Hero. Recommend this for those who like quirky stories about people rescuing animals from an inappropriate home life. Who ever heard of running marathons at the side of a donkey? It is a quick and easy read if you need some break from staring at the walls of your home office, or living room, or rec room. Wherever you are, this is a fun book.

>24 maggie1944: Placed it on hold!

I hope you enjoy it!

I am adding some new books to my inventory. Check it out.

>27 maggie1944: Stay a chat a while.

I am trying to get. back into a rthymn of posting and chatting,

I'm reading Caste right now and really enjoying it. But I confess I'm only about 30 pages into it, and I think it is nearly 400 pages long. We shall see.

Thanks for stopping by and encouraging me, Clam.

I believe I am being "hooked" by Caste. The author has a unique and inviting style of writing. One chapter will be relatively academic and historical. And then the next, familiar and conversational. That makes the book a much easier book to read because you feel as if you are having a convefsation. I recommend it. It is a great way to get a little closer to understanding the divisions in our society.

>30 maggie1944: Stopping in to say, "Hi." Lovely to see you here. Glad you are enjoying the book, it sounds like a good one.

"hi" back to you, MrsLee. I am continuing to struggle to capture the joy I have felt at reading for long periods of time, often. Too much TV, I think.

I hope you get some of those at least, Karen, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

So sorry I took a longish vacation. Not all of my choosing. I have had some difficulties with an aging back and some difficulty with walking without pain. I am feeling a wee bit better and will start being more regular here.

Just finished reading Gone to the Woods which is a book for Middle school/High school readers, but also very enjoyable for excellenet writing for adults. Read it, and perhaps you too with find Gary Paulsen to be favorite author.

>34 maggie1944: Hello again! Glad you are able to join us again, and hoping the pain continues to subside.

Hey, Maggie. So sorry to hear of your ills and misfortunes. Heal quickly, my dear, and I will look forward to your comments.

Good to see you back, hope you are feeling better.

>34 maggie1944: Sorry to hear about the back pain. I've been dealing with a good bit of that myself. I hope you can get some relief.

Hope you continue to improve! Welcome back again.

Improving a bit every day. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to get my first Covid vaccine shot! Yipee!

I'm working my way through Obama's book, A Promised Land and enjoying it. He is a very good writer.

I am still struggling a little bit with my back issue! Damn nerve pinching. Luckily the pain has retreated, and as long as I do not get on my feet for too long at any one time, I do OK. I can stand long enough to wash a few dishes by hand, or walk the dog a short distance.

Lucky for me, I do not have to stand to read.

>41 maggie1944: Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you getting any PT or other treatment?

>41 maggie1944:
You have my sympathy. Back pain is so very debilitating. Wishing you a quick recovery.

Yes, I have been given some PT to do, and I find some of it helpful, but truthfully, I am such a procrastinator, and am easily distracted by other stuff around here to do. I am not using pain meds, just some Tylenol PM and some Advil for the night of sleep. I do feel better in the morning after relaxing without the pain at night.

I think I am improving slowly and will at some point be pain free! Hoping!

Can someone tell me, or point to a thread which can tell me, how to edit the title of this thread?

I'd like to make it a wee bit more up to date!

Oh, by the way, I still have problems with my back, but two steriod shots have helped some. I am hopeful it will resolve itself sometime soon.

>45 maggie1944: You can't update it yourself, but if you tell me what you want it to say I can do it for you.

Hope those shots do the trick!

>45 maggie1944: Sorry about the back. I hope the treatment leads to a rapid improvement.

>46 clamairy: Whaaaaa? Is that a new development? If so, I like it!

>46 clamairy: just add 2021 to the year mentioned in the title, that should do it. Thanks!

Karen

>48 MrsLee: Yes, I have some new powers!

>49 maggie1944: Done!

Clamairy, You are a sweet heart, thank you so very much.

I'm reading The Women of Copper Country and it feels great to be looking forward to finishing it and telling my friends here what I think of it. So far, it is a good easy read, and fits my propensity to love historical books.

If you have not seen the PBS shows on Hemingway done by Ken Burns and others. Excellent and they rekindled my desire to read more of his work.

I recommend it, and I believe that you can find it streaming on PBS.

>52 maggie1944: Interesting. I think you and claimary had opposite reactions as far as the desire to revisit his work. She also enjoyed the show, I think.

>53 MrsLee: We did, and I am not sure if I would use the word enjoy. I found it fascinating.

well, the difference might be that I will not be re-visiting his work. I did not read much literature in college, and did not read his work afterwards, either.

But like usual I have stacks of books with book marks in them, and a ton on my Kindle. And I seem to only read all the way through the easy books.

I received a book from Early Readers and went thru it in a day. It was written for Middle School readers and was a autobiography of a WNBA star. I am quite hooked on the WNBA, I like basketball, and I especially like the women playing.

I received another book from Early Readers. Day Hikes in Washington State looks like a useful book. Some of these hikes are quite long, and with good elevation rise, and will not be "for me". I barely can walk my dog these days due to a pinched nerve in my back. But there are some shorter, and less strenuous, walks (not hikes) which may work for me. I am looking forward to making this book work for me!

>56 maggie1944: Good luck with it! Hope you can come back and tell us about some of the walks/mini-hikes that you're taken.

I am flipping through it and have found a couple of shorter hikes with less climb, and I have a friend here at Silver Glen who thinks we could start doing some "training" for small hikes soon. Climbing stairs!

Thanks for the well wishes.

well, hikes has not panned out. I had to have new dentures made for my upper "arch" and partials for my lower "arch", keeping a meer six of my own teeth. It has been about 8 weeks since I underwent the surgery removing all these teeth, and starting the journey of learning how to eat with a new set of teeth. Not easy. But I have made progress. Also, I've lost 5-9 lbs because I'm not able to eat a great deal. I'm not hungry, but I sure don't eat much.

Losing the weight is not a problem, just interesting. I've not weighed this little since early college.

I am fascinated with the challenge of finding food I can eat.

>59 maggie1944: Oh, I'm so sorry! Hope you get used to them, soon.

>59 maggie1944: When I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed in a single session 40-odd years ago, I recall living on soft-boiled eggs and soup for a week... I couldn't get my mouth open wide enough to get anything bigger than a coffee spoon in, let alone chew anything (2 were impacted and needed drilling out).

>59 maggie1944: wishing you well with your getting used to the dentures.

>59 maggie1944: Good luck, I hope it goes well and there are no issues.

Well, I am working with two very qualified dentists. I saw the surgeon last week and he wants to fix a couple of small problems, so I am scheduled for another brief surgery. I have a good friend who lives here in the Senior Cooperative where I live, and she is willing to drive me to the surgery, and wait for me, and then drive me home. I am grateful for that. Also, the recovery is great time to read. Sadly, I started the last book by Louise Penny and then misplaced it. Have not been able to find it yet!

Wishing you well!

>64 maggie1944: Good luck with the dental work.

Thanks, all, for good wishes. It seems to be progressing as desired. It is a slow adjustment, but I think it is going well, and will end up being good.

I will avoid "weekly" trips to the dentist dealing with an "outbreak of cavities"!

I am sneaking up on a trip to the Portland/Vancouver WA part of the world to attend my foster daughter's son's wedding and reception. It should be fun. I never imagined such a thing when I opened my home and heart to a young woman who had been living on the "streets" so to speak, for several years. She was not in good health, and still is not. But she has made it to mid50s and has matured to be quite a lovely young lady, and she raised quite a swell fellow. I look forward to the trip.

I will probably take Louise Penny's All the Devils Are Here with me to read when I have nothing to do, i.e. after the reception, and before I drive back to my part of the west coast.

Hopefully, I will not miss too many Seattle Storm basketball games. Living retirement is a good time!

All the Devils Are Here was a great Louise Penny book. More good guys than bad guys in this one. Hard keeping track of all of them.

I am still reading and finding books to enjoy. Latest is one which I returned to the library and as soon as I find the book I wrote about it in, I will write a review.

well, I celebrated my 77th birthday by having Fish and Chips, and a free Starbucks drink. Sadly, all of my remaining relatives have at least one unvaccinated person in their household, and I cannot risk bringing some sneaky virus home to my friends here at the Cooperative Senior housing. Way too risky.

Don't know what I will do, but I think I'll find a way to eat some traditional food, without going to an effort to put together a real dinner.

>70 maggie1944:
Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Fish and chips is a feast for royalty.

>70 maggie1944: Happy birthday!

>70 maggie1944: Many happy returns of the day!

>70 maggie1944: Hippo Birdie Two Ewe!

>70 maggie1944: And a belated Happy Birthday from me!

Happy birthday and good wishes for the next 365!

Happy belated birthday, Karen!

Happy belated birthday! Fish and chips sounds like a great celebratory meal!

I enjoyed the Fish and Chips greatly! I love being 77, I can write my 7s the way they do in "Europe" and demonstrate how "sophisticated" I yam.....

Thank you, all, for your kind greetings.

I am reading 4 or 5 books, but the one which captures my attention the most is Back Care Basics by Mary Pullig Schatz, M.D. (A Doctor's Gental Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief)

What little I know about the pinched nerve I suffered during Dec. '20-June '21 leads me to believe I need to do back strengthening and flexibilty enhancing for the rest of my life. I hope I can get with it. But the little pain demons remind me frequently. My back gets tired easily.

I am also reading Louise Penny's book, authored with Hillary Clinton. It is a hoot!

Happy holidays, all! Do something which will remind you that the Winter Solstice is the signal that, yes, indeed, spring is just around the corner.

Happy new year, too. Let us hope it is a much better year than 2020 and 2021 have been.

OoooOOoooOooh, I'm sophisticated.

I always write my 7s with the little line through it (if that's what you mean.)

(I do it because my handwriting is so messy though. LOL.)

>80 Morphidae:
We have always known you to be sophisticated, Madame!

Yikes! I somehow lost my "user name" and password, and lost my ability to sign in. Finally, after a few short-lived attempts to puzzle my way into my favorite LibraryThing, I found a way in today!

I have a lot of catching up to do. Many new books need to be added to my "library" which currently includes books in hand, and books I once-upon-a-time owned. Moving into a small one bedroom apartment has dictated I reduce my belongings. I've been here for 7 years and still have not finished going through stuff and nonsense to live in a clutter free world.

I will be delighted to see some of my friends stop by to say "howdy"!

Currently, I finished reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I recommend it to any one who loves libraries as well as loving books!

Next up is Once There Were Wolves.

Hope to see some friends stopping by.

>83 maggie1944: Welcome back! (Again!) And I also enjoyed The Library Book, though it turned out not to be anything like what I was expecting.

Ah! Finally, some life. It has been a long time since I've walked these corridors.

I am glad you found The Library Book interesting and enjoyable. She does write unusual topics. I also read The Orchid Thief a long time ago, and also enjoyed it, much to my surprise. I think I will continue to look for her books.

And how are you?

>85 maggie1944: I'm okay. I read her book On Animals back in January, and that was fun. I think you'd appreciate it.

Welcome back after your accidental absence. You are hardly back in the door and you are shaming me to read a book that I have but have not read yet, The Library Book. It is certainly more likely to be read sooner rather than later thanks to your posting.

Hi! I'm a bit sporadic checking in here lately. Glad you found your way back.

>83 maggie1944: Welcome back! I recently received The Library Book, so it is on my TBR pile. I think your touchstone may be going to the wrong book.

Welcome back! Glad you found a way back in.

Glad you are back! Hope you have fun catching up with all the goings-on and book additions.

I just looked on my profile and figured that I have been "on" or "on and off" Library Thing for 14+ years. Wow.

Nice to see you all stopping by to say Hi! Thanks!

I am reading Bill Browder's book Freezing Order which I think is quite gripping.

>92 maggie1944: Hey! Seems us "young at heart" ladies keep wandering in and out. I haven't been reading much at all. You know how many I'd go through in a year - a solid 20 a month. I *think* I might have read 6...this year. Yeah. Major book block. Here's hoping that May will break it!

How are things with you and Gretchen?

>93 Morphidae: Oof! That is a major block for you. Sorry to hear that. I seem to be reading in waves. I'll read five or six one or two months and then barely one for a couple of months. May we all see our reading energy restored!

I'm delighted to see you stopping by. I understand reading blocks, I am ashamed to count the number of books I have sitting around with book marks in their first 25%!

But never mind, I have found a book on Ukraine history, fascinating. I have been fascinated by history since I was a youngster. My friends in central Idaho where I spent my summers had a huge Book-Of-The-Month club collection, with many histories, and some romantic historical fiction.

Keep your eye on my collection, it is growing with books I've not read.